Town of Franklin Board Newsletter
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 - The Franklin Flyer Our Town News - FEBRUARY 2017
From the Supervisor
By Art Willman
Kate Mountain Building Fundraisers Successful
Another year has come and gone. Last time we spoke, we were looking forward to our Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival and the Holiday season. Well, the Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival was very successful with beautiful weather and a record turnout. We had more participants than in the past and the crowd was at record numbers. All that attended had a great time. As usual, we had great food with some delicious baked beans and chili.
Many thanks to all who volunteered to help out as well as our two sponsors, LaMoy’s Farm Market and Rulf’s Orchards for providing the pumpkins for the competitions. I personally urge everyone to patronize these two great businesses and I can personally vouch for the high quality of their fruits and produce. Please check out their ad in this issue. Also, a special tip of the hat to our friend Aaron Caiazza from Kate Mountain Farm for providing the super delicious sausage for our sausage and peppers, truly phenomenal.
In keeping with the recap of events, we also had a great turnout for our Lasagna Dinner back in November. We made a larger amount of the featured grub and sold out. Everyone enjoyed a great meal along with some good conversation and fellowship for those who chose to dine in at the Town Hall. Please keep an eye out for announcements about our upcoming 2017 events.
By the time you are reading this, our Roast Pork Dinner will have happened on January 21st. Our previous two pork dinners were enjoyed by everyone and I can honestly say that this one is shaping up the same way.
As with all our events, all the proceeds are donated to the Kate Mountain Special Reserve Fund to help fund a Community Center at Kate Mountain Park.
I encourage all of you to join us and help make this happen Our next event will be our Roast Beef Dinner, which will be on April 22nd from 4-7 pm.
Community Center Project Update
Speaking of the community center project, things are moving along. Sometimes they are slow and sometimes at a more exciting pace. The first phase of doing a Master Plan for the Park has been completed. We now have a complete layout of existing features along with a location for the future community center. We now have enlisted the services of Tisdel Associates from Canton, NY to work on the actual design of the building. Presently, we have almost completed the preliminary design phase and, when complete, we will soon enter into the final design phase, with an eye toward possibly beginning construction in the late Spring. We will also have all the specifications and financial data that will allow me to complete the final financial documents for a $100,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. This will represent roughly 25% of the total cost of the building.
Winter Driving Hazards
Finally, I would like to say a few words concerning our roadways this winter season. As most of you have noticed, it is indeed winter. It is probably one of the most beautiful and yet most challenging times of the year. It is a time when Mother Nature gives us some awesome displays of snow and ice and also pulls some of her most cruel tricks. To combat Mother Nature’s ferocity on our roads, our Highway Department crews are out from 4 am until 9 pm with our earlier drivers sometimes called back if conditions warrant. Nonetheless, because many of our routes require 4 or more hours to complete just one pass, there may be times when several inches of additional snow or a coating of ice may be able to accumulate during this time period. It is during these times that we have a great responsibility to adjust our speed to slow down and drive according to these conditions. When something happens, it is easy to say that the road wasn’t plowed or sanded when, in fact, it probably was an hour or so ago, but more slop accumulated in the interim. Do your selves a favor and slow down and take a bit more extra time to arrive safely.
Commercial drivers, often due to the size and weight of their vehicles, have a stated responsibility to drive according to conditions so as to remain safely on the road and avoid endangering lives and property. The solution to this for all drivers is a simple one: Allow more time for travel so that you can do so at a safe speed and pay close attention to changing road conditions so that you are not taken by surprise while thinking about other matters or singing your favorite tunes. Also, four-wheel drive is great for getting going into motion but won’t make a bit of difference when trying to stop or rounding a sharp curve. Once your tires lose their grip you are at the mercy of inertia, gravity, and whatever object or objects you are about to strike. Please slow down, allow more time for your trip, and make sure you arrive at your destination safely. This is far better than running off the road or worse, piling into other vehicles and not arriving at all.
For our next issue, we have some pretty exciting things going on with the help from our Energy Circuit Riders at ANCA and our friends at NYSERDA. If these things materialize, it would be great to share them with you. Until next time, drive safely and be well.
Same As It Ever Was…
By Lauren LeFebvre
Tax Payment Options
If it's January my brain is in one place….Tax Collecting. That never changes. One thing that has changed is that YOU can pay online right up until the last second on the last hour of the last day of the last month. Meaning your payment is considered on time if it's submitted online by 11:59:59pm on the last day of the month. Postmark still rules if paying by mail. That means if it's postmarked on/before the last day of the month, that's on time. (Penalties apply for February and March) Pretty nice. Back to credit cards. Folks have been asking if they can pay by credit/debit card since 1998. Seriously. The payments are processed through a service called GovPay. GovPay charges a 2.65% processing fee. It's your call as to whether you want to go that route or not. Just to be VERY, VERY clear, this fee is not imposed by the Town of Franklin. This service is free on my end but not on yours, sorry. Again, your choice whether to use it or not. Checks, cash, money orders are still fine to use and, in all honesty, preferred. The credit card thing scares me to death but far be it from me to not accommodate requests of the taxpayers if it is all within my grasp. To pay online go to http://www.townoffranklin.com click on Town Clerk/Tax Collector. So same subject as always, different topic.
Dog License Reminder
Please license your dog. It's a New York State law that ensures rabies vaccinations are kept up to date. Someone angrily suggested I was generating revenue for the Town by forcing this on the residents. Far from it. It's a law and it's my job. Bring in your dog's rabies certificate and let's do this thing. Don't wait until Dog Control picks up your dog and it costs you a bundle to get your friend out of the slammer. Part of that bundle is licensing the dog. Do the licensing first, save money and worry. Just a few weeks ago, a lady found a little dog running on Cold Brook Road. The dog was licensed so she called me, I looked up the license tag information, the owner was found and we all lived happily ever after. The license is worth it weight in gold when that happens. No tag, no call, lost dog.
Upcoming Events
There are fun things to talk about, too. April 22 is our Roast Beef Dinner, same time, same place. Founder's Day will be celebrated on July 29 at Kate Mountain Park. Pumpkin Heaves will be October 14. We can't do this event without contestants. Get your co-workers, friends, club, class, etc together and start brainstorming now. Remember last year's event when I said we will have a community building at Kate Mountain Park next year?
TOWN of FRANKLIN 55 PLUS CLUB NOTES:
Town of Franklin Election Times,
Women’s Suffrage – Women’s right to vote 1929
by Mary Ellen Keith, Vice President 55 plus Club
My family (Goff/Tylers) served as public officials in the Town of Franklin. I was born in 1929. I heard the antics of politics. Yes, I did listen and became very interested in government.
There are two voting districts in the Town. District #1 (Merrillsville Town Hall); District #2 (Franklin Town Hall in Vermontville. Originally, each building contained voting booths. Every voter was signed in by the Election Day workers consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats – usually all were women. Poll watchers were at each site.
Voters signed “the book”, were given a paper ballot, went to a booth, closed the door, voted, and deposited the folded ballot into a locked ballot box; a numbered stub was detached and deposited into a locked stub box. The number of ballots that were cast had to agree with the number of signed in voters.
In later years, the introduction of voting machines changed the method of casting one’s vote – simple and accurate. Primaries and caucuses were held prior to the election to determine the nominated candidates. New voters had to be at least twenty-one years of age. They presented to the Election Board, either a birth certificate or notarized affidavit to prove their ages. An additional requirement was an eight grade school diploma or passing a literacy test, proving they could read and write.
Once the candidates were chosen, the campaign season started. My Grandfather Caleb Goff became a candidate for the office of Town Clerk. Grandma immediately began her specialty of making three different flavored coconut bon-bons plus chocolate peanut butter fudge. She was noted for her special recipes for homemade candy. Caleb Goff canvassed the entire town, door to door, chatting as to his desire to be their Tow Clerk. A box of candy was a “thank you” gesture for their hospitality and hopefully their vote. Grandpa served many years as Town Clerk. Election Day polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. Workers had already built a fire in the parlor stove at Merrillsville. A hot air floor furnace in the Vermontville Town Hall was stoked with “hard coal.” A path was shoveled to “His” and “Hers” outside toilets. Workers brought lunches to cover the 12 to 14 hour day.
Later in the day, Reenie Fletcher served an oyster supper with pie from her home on Route 3 in Vermontville. This was for the benefit of the Episcopal Church.
Once the voting was finalized on the Election Day, a plan for celebrating the winners began for the people of the Town. A gala event for both “winners and losers” was held – a dance and refreshments and fun at the Vermontville.
One of my most worthwhile interesting personal endeavors of a lifetime was to serve the Town of Franklin for a total of 18 years as a Supervisor. When I took the oath of office, I promised to serve all of the town people and assured them that “I would not fight for them”, but I would “work for them” to reach an agreeable solution to improve all relationships with the Town of Franklin and surrounding entities.
My advice? Young people, retirees; lay people with vision, talents, experience, step up to the plate for future generations to attain this goal. We are a town of great history since 1850! We are not an isolated entity! Election Day this year will be November 7. Think and talk about it.
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
Town Board Meetings
5:30 p.m. (Winter), 2nd Wednesdays of the Month at the Town Hall, Vermontville
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
Return to the top or for past newsletters, click here
Community Center Project Update
Speaking of the community center project, things are moving along. Sometimes they are slow and sometimes at a more exciting pace. The first phase of doing a Master Plan for the Park has been completed. We now have a complete layout of existing features along with a location for the future community center. We now have enlisted the services of Tisdel Associates from Canton, NY to work on the actual design of the building. Presently, we have almost completed the preliminary design phase and, when complete, we will soon enter into the final design phase, with an eye toward possibly beginning construction in the late Spring. We will also have all the specifications and financial data that will allow me to complete the final financial documents for a $100,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. This will represent roughly 25% of the total cost of the building.
Winter Driving Hazards
Finally, I would like to say a few words concerning our roadways this winter season. As most of you have noticed, it is indeed winter. It is probably one of the most beautiful and yet most challenging times of the year. It is a time when Mother Nature gives us some awesome displays of snow and ice and also pulls some of her most cruel tricks. To combat Mother Nature’s ferocity on our roads, our Highway Department crews are out from 4 am until 9 pm with our earlier drivers sometimes called back if conditions warrant. Nonetheless, because many of our routes require 4 or more hours to complete just one pass, there may be times when several inches of additional snow or a coating of ice may be able to accumulate during this time period. It is during these times that we have a great responsibility to adjust our speed to slow down and drive according to these conditions. When something happens, it is easy to say that the road wasn’t plowed or sanded when, in fact, it probably was an hour or so ago, but more slop accumulated in the interim. Do your selves a favor and slow down and take a bit more extra time to arrive safely.
Commercial drivers, often due to the size and weight of their vehicles, have a stated responsibility to drive according to conditions so as to remain safely on the road and avoid endangering lives and property. The solution to this for all drivers is a simple one: Allow more time for travel so that you can do so at a safe speed and pay close attention to changing road conditions so that you are not taken by surprise while thinking about other matters or singing your favorite tunes. Also, four-wheel drive is great for getting going into motion but won’t make a bit of difference when trying to stop or rounding a sharp curve. Once your tires lose their grip you are at the mercy of inertia, gravity, and whatever object or objects you are about to strike. Please slow down, allow more time for your trip, and make sure you arrive at your destination safely. This is far better than running off the road or worse, piling into other vehicles and not arriving at all.
For our next issue, we have some pretty exciting things going on with the help from our Energy Circuit Riders at ANCA and our friends at NYSERDA. If these things materialize, it would be great to share them with you. Until next time, drive safely and be well.
Same As It Ever Was…
By Lauren LeFebvre
Tax Payment Options
If it's January my brain is in one place….Tax Collecting. That never changes. One thing that has changed is that YOU can pay online right up until the last second on the last hour of the last day of the last month. Meaning your payment is considered on time if it's submitted online by 11:59:59pm on the last day of the month. Postmark still rules if paying by mail. That means if it's postmarked on/before the last day of the month, that's on time. (Penalties apply for February and March) Pretty nice. Back to credit cards. Folks have been asking if they can pay by credit/debit card since 1998. Seriously. The payments are processed through a service called GovPay. GovPay charges a 2.65% processing fee. It's your call as to whether you want to go that route or not. Just to be VERY, VERY clear, this fee is not imposed by the Town of Franklin. This service is free on my end but not on yours, sorry. Again, your choice whether to use it or not. Checks, cash, money orders are still fine to use and, in all honesty, preferred. The credit card thing scares me to death but far be it from me to not accommodate requests of the taxpayers if it is all within my grasp. To pay online go to http://www.townoffranklin.com click on Town Clerk/Tax Collector. So same subject as always, different topic.
Dog License Reminder
Please license your dog. It's a New York State law that ensures rabies vaccinations are kept up to date. Someone angrily suggested I was generating revenue for the Town by forcing this on the residents. Far from it. It's a law and it's my job. Bring in your dog's rabies certificate and let's do this thing. Don't wait until Dog Control picks up your dog and it costs you a bundle to get your friend out of the slammer. Part of that bundle is licensing the dog. Do the licensing first, save money and worry. Just a few weeks ago, a lady found a little dog running on Cold Brook Road. The dog was licensed so she called me, I looked up the license tag information, the owner was found and we all lived happily ever after. The license is worth it weight in gold when that happens. No tag, no call, lost dog.
Upcoming Events
There are fun things to talk about, too. April 22 is our Roast Beef Dinner, same time, same place. Founder's Day will be celebrated on July 29 at Kate Mountain Park. Pumpkin Heaves will be October 14. We can't do this event without contestants. Get your co-workers, friends, club, class, etc together and start brainstorming now. Remember last year's event when I said we will have a community building at Kate Mountain Park next year?
TOWN of FRANKLIN 55 PLUS CLUB NOTES:
Town of Franklin Election Times,
Women’s Suffrage – Women’s right to vote 1929
by Mary Ellen Keith, Vice President 55 plus Club
My family (Goff/Tylers) served as public officials in the Town of Franklin. I was born in 1929. I heard the antics of politics. Yes, I did listen and became very interested in government.
There are two voting districts in the Town. District #1 (Merrillsville Town Hall); District #2 (Franklin Town Hall in Vermontville. Originally, each building contained voting booths. Every voter was signed in by the Election Day workers consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats – usually all were women. Poll watchers were at each site.
Voters signed “the book”, were given a paper ballot, went to a booth, closed the door, voted, and deposited the folded ballot into a locked ballot box; a numbered stub was detached and deposited into a locked stub box. The number of ballots that were cast had to agree with the number of signed in voters.
In later years, the introduction of voting machines changed the method of casting one’s vote – simple and accurate. Primaries and caucuses were held prior to the election to determine the nominated candidates. New voters had to be at least twenty-one years of age. They presented to the Election Board, either a birth certificate or notarized affidavit to prove their ages. An additional requirement was an eight grade school diploma or passing a literacy test, proving they could read and write.
Once the candidates were chosen, the campaign season started. My Grandfather Caleb Goff became a candidate for the office of Town Clerk. Grandma immediately began her specialty of making three different flavored coconut bon-bons plus chocolate peanut butter fudge. She was noted for her special recipes for homemade candy. Caleb Goff canvassed the entire town, door to door, chatting as to his desire to be their Tow Clerk. A box of candy was a “thank you” gesture for their hospitality and hopefully their vote. Grandpa served many years as Town Clerk. Election Day polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. Workers had already built a fire in the parlor stove at Merrillsville. A hot air floor furnace in the Vermontville Town Hall was stoked with “hard coal.” A path was shoveled to “His” and “Hers” outside toilets. Workers brought lunches to cover the 12 to 14 hour day.
Later in the day, Reenie Fletcher served an oyster supper with pie from her home on Route 3 in Vermontville. This was for the benefit of the Episcopal Church.
Once the voting was finalized on the Election Day, a plan for celebrating the winners began for the people of the Town. A gala event for both “winners and losers” was held – a dance and refreshments and fun at the Vermontville.
One of my most worthwhile interesting personal endeavors of a lifetime was to serve the Town of Franklin for a total of 18 years as a Supervisor. When I took the oath of office, I promised to serve all of the town people and assured them that “I would not fight for them”, but I would “work for them” to reach an agreeable solution to improve all relationships with the Town of Franklin and surrounding entities.
My advice? Young people, retirees; lay people with vision, talents, experience, step up to the plate for future generations to attain this goal. We are a town of great history since 1850! We are not an isolated entity! Election Day this year will be November 7. Think and talk about it.
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
Town Board Meetings
5:30 p.m. (Winter), 2nd Wednesdays of the Month at the Town Hall, Vermontville
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
Return to the top or for past newsletters, click here
Town of Franklin
P.O. Box 209, Route 3, Vermontville, NY 12989 · Tel: 518-891-2189 · Fax: 518-891-6389 · info@townoffranklin.com