Adirondack Town Of Franklin
Adirondack Town Of Franklin

Town of Franklin Board Newsletter

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 4 - The Franklin Flyer Our Town News - AUGUST 2017

From the Supervisor

By Art Willman

We are putting out this edition of our Franklin Flyer newsletter because it contains some time-sensitive information. Namely, we want to remind everyone that the vote on whether or not we should bond up to $700,000 for the construction of a new community center at the Kate Mountain Park will be held from 7 am until 7 pm on Tuesday, August 15th at the Town Hall. All registered voters are eligible to vote and are strongly encouraged to attend. This is where “the rubber meets the road”. A vote in the affirmative will mean we go ahead with the project. A vote in the negative will mean we scrap the idea for now and go ahead as we have been. I hope to see a large turnout with as many people as humanly possible weighing in on the new building, which, in our estimation, we need badly. Please take the time to come out and vote. Your voice is important.

For our part, we have been doing as we always have done. Our Founders’ Day Celebration and Town Picnic, which was sponsored by our Town Republican and Democratic Committees, was a huge success. We had around 20 vendors who brought a variety of goods from maple syrup to massages. From what I hear, they did pretty well. Our food trailer was busy just about all day and the French fries and snack stuff were a big success. In all, the day featured great weather, great music, great food, and a great time for all who attended. I would like to send special thanks out to Mark Gillis and the Blue Line Brewery for sponsoring our Beer Garden. We were able to feature two of Blue Line’s popular ales, the Bluff Island Gold and the Leaning Pine IPA.

They were well received and there were many who remarked on the high quality and great taste of both of these brews.

In other news, the Town of Franklin has been designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency. We have been working with the Adirondack North Country Association to analyze our overall energy use with specific focus on our electrical usage. Along with that, we sponsored a two year program called Solarize the Tri Lakes to help bring solar education to our area. This has led to over 80 homes in our region taking the steps to install photovoltaic systems at their sites to take advantage of the free energy the sun provides. Many in the North Country might think that there is not enough sun to meaningfully create enough electricity but, if properly sized and care is taken to remove any trees that might partially shade the array; the average output should be enough during the peak sun months to adequately offset any shortcomings during winter.

Our designation of Clean Energy Community has also come with some benefits. As of this writing, we have become eligible for and applied for a $100,000 grant from NYSERDA which would cover the expense of installing a solar array at our Park. This array would be sized to take care of all of our electrical supply needs at the garage, town hall, park, and the new community center. We would accomplish this by what is called net metering which would apply credits for energy produced by our array towards energy used by the Town. Ideally, this would cover all of our electrical use and reduce our overall electrical bills considerably. We are also looking into the possibility of allowing some of the credits to be applied to our street light account which would be great. Right now, for example, that account runs between 500 and 600 dollars per month. Although our electrical supply costs are relatively low at this time, given anything that results in a spike in energy costs, would result in a spike in our electrical supply costs. This system would provide a hedge against such increases and continue to do so for the next 30 years or so.

That’s about it for now. I promised I would be relatively brief to give room to others. Until next time, be well

Loose Ends

by Lauren LeFebvre

I'm still catching my breath from Founder's Day! What great weather! Here's a “Thank You” list that's a mile long and let me apologize now because I know I will forget at least one person but here goes*….

“Not-So-Silent” Auction and Other Donations--Jim Mazzotte's Sugar House, Jill Lintner, Rice Furniture, Mirror Lake Inn, Hyde Mobil, Nori's Village Market, Coakley's High Peaks Ace Hardware, Belvedere, The Shamrock, The Laughing Hen, The Packbasket, Berube Botanicals, Salon Mirage, Adirondack Wine and Liquor, Cashier Furniture, Aubuchon Hardware, Brian McGee, Curtis Lumber, Beth Nelson, Sturdy Supply, Ron Boyce, Post Office Pharmacy, NAPA, Home Energy, Hulbert Supply, Trombley's Custom Woodworking, The Pine Cone, Community Bank, R&L Towing, Adirondack Bank, Goody Goody's, Blue Moon Cafe, The Rock Shop, The Dance Sanctuary, Town of Franklin 55+ Club, Carcuzzi, Taylor Rental, Kate Mountain Farm and, Happy Camping

Fabulous Franklin Food Wagon-Thanks to Stewart's Shops and Kate Mountain Farm (our sausage supplier)

The Vendors--Chicken Fried Quilters, Town of Franklin 55+

Club, The Dapper Dog, Charlie Lashway & Donna Buckley, Sam's Club, Blissful States Massage & Bodywork, Mazzotte's “Pure” Maple Syrup, Trombley's Custom Woodworking, Grammie's Creations by Loretta Kirby, Rondeau's Woodworking, LuLaRoe with Christy Vargas, UsBorne Books with Jodi Carman, Dazzling Debbie, The Tri-Lakes Humane Society and Barefoot Acres

The Volunteers

Pete and Julie Woodcock, Art Willman, Ed Martin, Angie and Marcus Frisbee, Cliff and Karen Smalley, Mary LaBrake, Nancy Mahoney, Ellen Beiberman, Rod Williams, Veronica Nason, Paul and Carol Ward, Mike Ward, Stephen Ward, Carol Meade, Peggy Neil, Autumn LeFebvre, Carl and Phyllis King, Sandy Oliver, Phil Fitzpatrick, Aaron Ciazza and, Heidi Gutersloh, Glenn Swinyer, and Saranac Lake Vets’ Club Post 447,

*If I forgot you, please remind me.

Lastly, Thank You to everyone that attended the event. It was a beautiful day and I thank you for choosing to spend part of it with us.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Town Law of the State of New York, a special election of the qualified voters of the Town of Franklin, Franklin County, New York, will be held at the Franklin Town Hall, 7 Cold Brook Road in Vermontville, NY in said Town on the 15th day of August, 2017, between the hours of 7AM and 7PM for the purpose of voting on the adoption or rejection of a resolution adopted by the Town Board of said Town on the 14th day of June 2017. The polls will be open for the receipt of the ballots during the aforesaid hours and ballots will be substantially in the following form to wit:

PROPOSITION

Shall the Town of Franklin, Franklin County, New York (the Town) build a new community center for the Town with a maximum expenditure of $700,000.00 and a maximum borrowing of $700,000.00 for up to fifteen years pursuant to the plans of Tisdale and Associates filed with Town Clerk on the 31st day of May, 2017 and the Bond Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Franklin, Franklin County, New York adopted on the 14th day of June, 2017. BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN Lauren LeFebvre, Town Clerk Dated: July 25, 2017


55+ Club News

On June 10, we held a Food Sale at the Town Hall. It was a good sale and a good time. Thank you to everyone who participated in it. The proceeds were contributed to the Food Pantry.

We held a Food Sale on Founders Day, July 29, at the Rec. Park. Proceeds from this sale were also for the benefit of the Food Pantry. Again, thanks for all who participated.

Some of our future plans include eating a meal out on Sept 12th, visiting the Cheese Factory in Chateaugay, and the Museum in Elizabethtown.

We meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Town Hall at 5:30 pm. All those 55 and over, come and join us for a good time and delicious food (covered dish meal). We ask for a $2.00 Donation for the meal. Where else could anyone possible get a meal for $2.00?

Remembering Onchiota

Onchiota: Pine Point, Baker's Mill, Stoney Wold, Hayden's Store and Post Office, the one-room schoolhouse, Tormey's cabins and gas at the House of Seven Wonders, White Fathers Seminary and summer camp, the Adirondack-Florida School, the Irrational Airport, the D&H Station and the NY Central Line, the old dump...

If you have memories, memorabilia, photos, maps or letters regarding Onchiota as it used to be, then Phil Fiztpatrick would like to hear from you.

Fitzpatrick has deep roots in the North Country going back to about 1846 when his ancestor, Philip Fitzpatrick, came from Ireland to settle in Plattsburgh. A few years ago Phil and his wife purchased a seasonal home in Onchi. He thinks that he has caught all of the bass worth catching in his favorite ponds, and now his interests have turned to photography and history. Phil says, "I'm not really either a historian or a professional writer, but I am a collector and an editor." To date he has collected quite a few old newspaper articles, documents and photos. However, he is well aware that available public information omits the details of the personalities of residents and the details of their daily lives. “I don't know what is like to live without electricity or go to a one room school. I never met the people who put Onchiota on the map. I would like to have as much community input as possible. With luck I will have a first working draft of the book to give to folks next spring so that they can comment and continue giving me information.” You can reach Phil by phone at 518-409-7272, by email at rememberingonchiota@gmail.com


Town Board Meetings

5:30 p.m. (Winter), 2nd Wednesdays of the Month at the Town Hall, Vermontville

55+ Club Meetings

2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the Month(winter 12 noon; 6pm summer) at the Town Hall, Vermontville. Contact Mary Ellen Keith 891-1619

St. Paul's Food Pantry

Building behind Town Hall.
Distribution one day a month and as needed...
Make out donations to St. Paul's Food Pantry
C/o Mary Ellen Keith, 9 Tyler Rd, Vermontville, NY

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Town of Franklin
P.O. Box 209, Route 3, Vermontville, NY 12989  ·  Tel: 518-891-2189  ·  Fax: 518-891-6389  ·  info@townoffranklin.com
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