The Lang Farm Hop On the Bandwagon Summer Series represents exactly what our Community Connections Value is all about. It's neighbors joining together, interacting with each other, building relationships, and helping our community. Check out the video below. 

In April 2016, Essex Eats Out will be celebrating their two-year anniversary. In the last 2 years, they've served over 10,000 meals to our friends and neighbors. EEO says, "It all started when Essex clergy and community leaders got together to discuss how best to feed our neighbors who hunger for food, relationship, and connection. The goal of EEO is to continue to provide healthy, free meals in a warm, safe, and inclusive atmosphere for years to come." This is Community Connections at it's finest. 

the first ever “EEO: Where Do We Go From Here?” meeting will take place on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 5:30 PM at St. James Episcopal Church. St. James is located at 4 St. James Place in Essex Junction. They ask that you bring a dish to share as the event will be a potluck supper.

RSVP: essexeatsout@gmail.com
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Essex Parks & Rec has a new program space opening up! "Sunset Studio" will have it's grand opening on April 30th. The new space will be offering many classes, from Zumba to Kids Dance. Located at 71 Center Road, the new space will list it's classes in the Essex Parks & Rec Summer/Spring Brochure. See you at the grand opening!

Essex Parks & Rec Summer/Spring Brochure

This year, the Town of Essex won the Vermont Planners Association (VPA) 2016 Town Plan of the Year.  This year's Plan was different in scope, length, participation, design, and creativity than any Plan in Essex’s planning history. The Community Development Team worked extremely hard to include community voice in the plan and to focus on what matters most to the people that live and work in Essex. Because of this intentional outreach and communication, the Essex Plan won by a “landslide”. It is exactly this type of thoughtful growth that Heart & Soul is proud to see happening in our community. ​

Have you checked out the 2016 Essex Town Plan? The Heart & Soul process helped to create a vision for our community. 

“We learned that despite a wide variety of opinions and ideas, there are a few key things that matter most. We value our connections with each other. Our neighborly traditions keep us safe, sustain us during challenging times and bring us together for celebration and fun. We see ourselves as a community that values education and learning. We want to be a welcoming place and aspire to become more culturally aware as our community becomes more diverse. We take pride in many community assets, including our highly regarded schools, libraries and recreation departments. We want to see these institutions continue to improve. “We value the urban and rural mix that make up Essex. We want to see balanced future growth, which includes a diverse mix of housing options, economic development, and conservation of open space. We hope for improved infrastructure that will ease traffic, increase our safety and connect all parts of the community together. We are especially passionate about the prospect of a well connected system of sidewalks and bike paths throughout all of Essex.”
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​ ~Heart & Soul of Essex

THOUGHTFUL GROWTH: TGIA Working Group
The Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) project is nearing its completion. The TGIA Working Group is recommending that the Town of Essex and Village of Essex Junction use a Joint Planning Commission, with separate Development Review Boards for the Town and the Village. Currently, the Town and Village have separate Planning Commissions and Zoning Boards of Adjustment. TGIA also recommended ways the Town and Village can improve communications around planning and development issues. A final report is expected in early March, and the Essex Selectboard and Village Trustees are scheduled to have a joint meeting with the TGIA consultants on March 14.
 
TGIA came about as a way to explore new approaches to planning governance in the Town and Village. The project stemmed from the belief, highlighted by Heart & Soul of Essex, that the community wants a shared vision that honors and builds on the unique characteristics of the Village and the Town outside the Village.
 
A 24-member working group began meeting in September 2015. The Working Group, comprised of Essex residents, planning and zoning staff, and developers, studied existing planning structures and new alternatives before making its recommendation. More information about the project is online at www.essextgia.com
 
EDUCATION: Stream of Lights Lantern Parade
On February 12, students from 10 schools, along with community members and artists are putting on a paper lantern parade through Essex Junction. As a celebration of the school district unification, these students worked together with artist Gowri Savoor to create the lanterns. This is an opportunity to see the school districts unified physically as a whole, and will hopefully encourage future collaborations between the school and the students. Go to Essex High School on February 12 at 5:30pm to see this wonderful celebration of community, creativity, and light. More info: http://www.ccsuvt.org/across-the-universe-stream-of-lights

LOCAL ECONOMY: 1st Republic Brewing Company
A new business is moving into the Essex area. 1st Republic Brewing Company is hoping to open it's storefront at 39 River Road at some point in the next month. Kevin Jarvis and Shawn Trout started this business in a garage, and are now hoping to grow while staying true to their hometown Vermont roots. Stay up to date with the store opening on their website: 1strepublicbrewingco.com

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: The Living Room - Center of Positivity
The Living Room and Excelerate Essex have become housemates! This partnership blends philosophies of collaborative space and community engagement in order to create a well rounded space to work, recover and create. Co working and collaborative environments give the community an opportunity to develop all kinds of great relationships! Come visit the space and meet some of the people that are working there. 15 Pearl St. (next to the Fire Station in Five Corners.

​SAFETY: Service Above Self Dinner
The Essex Rotary Club will be hosting it’s annual “service above self” dinner on February 17th at the Essex. Zachariah Fike will be honored for  his efforts to return stolen medals of valor to their owners through his organization, Purple Hearts Reunited. The rotary also honors Stephen Dunning from Essex Rescue for his heroic efforts saving the life of someone trapped inside their home in a fire. Raymond Weed from the EJ Fire Department will be recognized for his dedicated 40 years of service. Michelle Hodgson is honored from Essex PD for her ability to step in as a new staff member, and quickly fill an important role in the department. Cpt. George Henry will be honored from the Essex Fire Department for his work with the Fire Department, EMS, and hurricane relief in Haiti. 

HEALTH & RECREATION: 15th Annual Winter Carnival
On Saturday, February 27, Essex Junction Recreation and Parks is teaming up with Essex Parks and Rec to host the 15thannual Winter Carnival. This is a great event to see friends and neighbors, eat some great food, watch musical performances, and enjoy activities both indoors and out. 
ejrp.org/winter-carnival



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It's December, the snow is coming and it's time for another newsletter!  Each segment below represents one of Heart and Soul's six key values. Keep reading to learn about all of the great things happening in Essex right now. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful holiday season!

THOUGHTFUL GROWTH
Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) is exploring new approaches to planning and zoning processes in the community. A 24-person working group, which will develop recommendations for the Town Selectboard and Village Trustees, has spent the past few months learning how planning works in Essex today, looking at different options for board structures, and considering ideas that could improve community participation in planning. At its final session, the working group intends to come to agreement on its recommendation for the Selectboard and Trustees – no small feat for a diverse group with a wide range of experience and ideas. The final working group session will be held on December 9th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Essex Junction Parks and Recreation, 75 Maple Street.
 For more information about TGIA, you can check out the project website at www.essextgia.com or contact Town Planner/Assistant Town Manager Greg Duggan at 878-1343 or gduggan@essex.org.

TOWN PLAN
The Selectboard is holding its second public hearing on the Town Plan on Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Essex Police Department, 145 Maple Street, Essex Junction, Vermont. 

The Town Plan contains the vision for growth (and conservation) in Essex over the next 5+ years, and the public hearing will be the last chance for residents to comment before the Town Plan goes to vote on Town Meeting Day. Click HERE for the latest version of the plan and the public hearing notice We also expect to have the graphically designed version ready within a couple of weeks; that will be posted online as well.

EDUCATION
On November 3rd, residents in Essex and Westford voted in favor of a school district unification. This new district will be known as the Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union School District, and will begin operations on July 1st of 2017. More info about what this means to education in the community is available on the RED Study Committee Website: https://redstudy.wordpress.com/

LOCAL ECONOMY
The Essex Junction Train Hop and Tree Lighting will be on December 11th from 6-8pm. Businesses and community partners from around Essex Junction will host model train displays and holiday activities for everyone to enjoy. Five Corners Farmers Market vendors will also be selling stocking stuffers, food and more. Come with friends and family to have some fun and support our local businesses! More info here.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The 5 Corners Farmers Market is in its first year of hosting a winter market, and it’s just as wonderful and diverse as the summer market. On December 5th, they will be hosting a holiday market, with plenty of gifts and goods to choose from. Between 10am and 2pm at Maple Street Park, you can find vendors selling cupcakes, maple products, jewelry, clothing, and more. So if you’d like to get some shopping done locally, and see some friends and neighbors, this is the place to be! More info here.

​SAFETY
The Essex Community Justice Center focuses on crime prevention, conflict resolution, and meeting the needs of those affected by crime in our community. Funded through grants and comprised of staff and volunteers, the CJC works to repair the harm caused by crime and rebuild damaged relationships. Through mutiple programs, the Community Justice Center staff and local volunteers support victims, address local crime, and work with offenders to enhance community safety. Find out more on their website.

HEALTH & RECREATION
The recent decision to form a unified school district causes us to look at departments governed by the school districts. Essex Junction Recreation and Parks is currently regulated by the Prudential Committee, which will cease to exist under a unified district. So what will happen to EJRP? Village Trustee President, George Tyler states, "Given the huge popularity of both departments throughout the community right now, I think it would be madness to think we’re going to just be radically altering something here. From a user perspective, the transition should be 'seamless'. It’s just you’re moving how this is going to work at the top.”
You can read more on this in an article from The Essex Reporter.