Just got home from the Eddington Planning Board meeting.
Looks like the Eddington Farmers market is a GO! Should have an OPENING DAY on JULY 5 at the Eddington Town Office parking lot.
There are a few minor details to be finished up but that should be done by the end of the week. The project is being spear-headed by Lore Lipkvich from Mariaville. She is still looking for the following types of vendors (who will need to commit to participating every Sunday from 10am to 1pm - or 11am to 2pm...the hours are still being determined): a Baker (cookies, breads, cakes - sweets; a fresh seafood vendor (lobster, scallops, crab, ???), a flower vendor perhaps; and 1 or 2 (very limited) unique craft vendors. Remember this is a Farmers' Market not a Craft Faire. Vendors will need to be prepared to have sufficient wares on hand to meet the traffic which may increase as weeks pass and word spreads of the Market. Vendors will also need to have their own tables, tents, bags for sales, etc. If you (or someone you know) is interested in participating as a vendor, write your name and contact number is the "Comment" section following this blog and I will contact you. Tomorrow I will provide Lori's contact info on this blog site. There are requirements and stipulations for vendor participation so don't wait.
The Farmers' Market will provide fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, and more (depending on the products/vendors). It is expected the Market will draw customers from Bradley, Eddington, Holden, Clifton, Auroa, Great Pond and Sunday traffic traveling Route 9.
Seems Eddington is about to get a newsletter - tentative name: Eddington News (catchy, don't you think?). The first edition will be printed and mailed to every home in town. (Guess there's no problem with the postage costs even though it's gone up since the time of the Recycling Committee Newsletter. No further comment is needed but you can read more on that if you scan back far enough on this blog.)
The newsletter will contain articles about the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, periodic profiles of selectment or members of the Planning Board, the Historical Society and whatever else the Board of Selectmen approve. There may be a contest as to what other name the newsletter might have. In time it will be available in email form to residents who sign up for that form of delivery. It will save on postage that way to be sure. It will also be available via the website being developed.
As to the website - it's only going to cost $125-$150. to create it as a dot Maine dot gov (.me.gov) site and only $5.00 a month to maintain one the host server is identified. The low cost is only because Gretchen and Craig are developing it and will be maintaining it gratis. Although the original plan was to develop the website via PVCOG, PVCOG is apparantly not in very good shape. According to Gretchen, if you Google PVCOG you will get Pine Valley Church of God - not Penobscot Valley County Organization of Governments. (not so good).
When the website is up and running, we should be able to obtain the agendas of the Board of Selectmen (and the minutes after the meetings), the Planning Board (and the minutes of their meetings), the Shoreland Zoning Map, Ordinances, etc., etc. And, of course, the newsletter. Wonder if we'll be able to get anything re: the School Board....
Of course, the website and the newsletter will all be town government approved (there's another word I could use but I won't). So I think I'll still be doing this Blog. Consider it an Independent Voice.
Speaking of the School Board... The June 9th Ballot is going to be "unusual" this year. I just saw the ballot - which can't be released to Absentee Voters until Friday (after the June 4th vote at Holbrook at 7pm).
In past years, the voting ballot had two questions to be voted on. (1) Do you approve the School Budget as submitted by the School Board (or words to that effect) - and (2) Do you consider the Budget too high or too low. Well, this year there is only one issue to be voted on - AND - you better know how the vote goes (went) June 4 BEFORE you mark the ballot! (Perhaps the Board is afraid we are going to vote against the increased budget this year.)
As was explained to me - Since the voters ALWAYS vote the budget is too high, the School Board removed that as an item to be voted on. (Guess they don't want our opinion on that any more.) The only item to be voted on is Whether we agree with the action taken at the June 4th meeting (or words to that effect).
TRICK! Say you don't know the people (this Thursday) voted against the proposed budget and instead voted for a budget with no increase over the 2008-2009 budget - BUT you want to vote against the proposed budget as you read it in the document you received in the mail... So you vote NO... You just voted for the larger budget and against what the people voted down. Did you mean to vote "NO" or did you mean to vote "YES"? This year the answer is not a simple Yes or No. You want to be sure you know what happens Thursday night at Hollbrook.
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Wow, way to go Eddington, maybe they should see if the Selectman in Clifton would want to make it a joint venture and save even more public funds. Oops I was thinking we could piggy back with the SAD when they do their mailing, but don't think that will happen.
ReplyDeleteThere won't be any public funds involved in the Farmers' Market (except for a very small cost for a rider to the Town's Liability Insurance). This has already been checked out by the Town Manager. The proposal was verrry carefully reviewed last night at the Planning Board - as requested by the Board of Selectmen.
ReplyDeleteThe Town Office parking lot will have barriers in place so no one parks or goes in any area close to the section allocated to the Fire Department. Lore was requested by the planning Board to provide a "map" of where the vendors will have their tents/tables, the parking area, and where there will be any open space for people to mill about. We expect to have about 7 vendors this first year and more by year two depending on how successful this year is.