September 26, 2019
The IRS recently recognized Responsible Growth Hinesburg, Inc. as a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation whose mission is conservation and education.
When this group of Hinesburg residents first began meeting in 2011, it was with Preservation Trust of Vermont as our fiscal sponsor. The Preservation Trust helps strengthen the small-town feel of Vermont villages, protecting grocery stores and opera houses, churches and libraries, institutions important to a town’s history and civic life. As part of this effort, Preservation Trust defends local businesses threatened by national or regional big-box stores. Their support for RGH, Inc. has included valuable advice, small grants and financial and administrative services. RGH is deeply grateful to the Preservation Trust’s President Paul Bruhn and Office Manager Elise Seraus for their support for our grassroots organization the past nine years.
RGH, Inc. is currently focusing on stormwater. In recent years, a series of educational events known as Water Matters has been offered to boards, commissions and members of the public from Hinesburg and surrounding towns. On Thursday, Nov. 7, the sixth Water Matters event, presented in collaboration with Lewis Creek Association, will be held at Hinesburg Town Hall. More information will be available soon on Front Porch Forum and in the next issue of the Record.
In addition, as many readers know, RGH, Inc. has long advocated for the use of at least part of Lot 15 in Commerce Park as green infrastructure, valuable for the wetland that collects rainwater and runoff from hillsides, filters it and sends clean water to the LaPlatte River and on to Lake Champlain. Given the large amount of impervious surface in Hinesburg Village, and given the ever-increasing evidence of climate change and thus more frequent and larger rain events, even a small wetland such as this one does important work.
RGH, Inc. has raised funds to support its conservation and education mission through events that have contributed over time to a sense of community in Hinesburg. There have been concerts by local musicians, silent auctions (with donated work by local artists), public forums, raffles, sales of strawberry shortcake and snow cones — all meant to be fun events to bring folks of all ages together.
RGH members meet every few weeks at the Parkside Café. If you would like to attend a meeting, please contact Johanna White (johanna_white@gmavt.net, 802-482-3018) to learn the next meeting date. Come to find out what we do, or to join our group. We are happy to answer questions and discuss issues, and new members are always welcome. Check out our website at responsiblegrowthhinesburg.org.