Town of Franklin Board Newsletter
Volume 4 Issue 2 - June 2013
From the Supervisor
By Art Willman
Happy Spring/Summer. As I am writing this, we are on the tail
end of several days of cool, rainy weather and occasional
snowflakes are mixing in. The previous warm spell,
accompanied by the emergence of the BBF (Beloved Black Fly)
and even the occasional appearance of the BDF (Beloved Deer
Fly) is but a memory. I know some folks who have already
done their Spring planting and are keeping a watchful eye on the
thermometer for signs of a late season freeze.
Founders' Day Celebration Brought
Back
The big news from the Town Hall is the rebirth of our
Founders' Day Celebration and Community Picnic. After a
long hiatus, we are bringing back this event. There will be
historical displays showing various highlights of our town's
history, some great food, and live music on Saturday, July 20th
from 11 am until whatever time everyone goes home. In
addition, we are sending out word to the artisans, craftspeople,
and growers in town and around the surrounding area, inviting
them to set up a space to display and sell their goods. Also, we
will have both a "Chinese" auction and a silent auction.
Contributions Sought
We are reaching out to local and area businesses and individuals
who wish to help us out by contributing items of merchandise
or gift certificates to these auctions. Anyone who wishes to
contribute can contact me at the Town Hall at 891-2189, at
home at 293-1383, or by email at awillman@hughes.net. A
special August edition of the Franklin Flyer will be published to
acknowledge the generosity of all those who helped us out.
Bipartisan Support
The entire event is being sponsored by the town Republican and
Democratic committees. The goal is to celebrate our town's
history, to stimulate community interaction, and, of course, to
have a heck of a good time.
We have extended invitations to the candidates for town and
county office, as well as our state and congressional
representatives to stop by, get acquainted and, in the process,
learn a bit about our town's history and rub elbows with
some really great folks.
Proceeds Go To Kate Mountain Park
Improvements
All proceeds from the Founders' Day Picnic will go to the
Kate Mountain Park Special Reserve Fund, which is
solely dedicated to making improvements at Kate Mountain
Park. Among these improvements will be the development
of additional playing fields to enable us to host sports such as
rugby, soccer, and lacrosse. We are also currently in
discussion with the DEC about the construction of hiking
and cross-country ski trails on Kate Mountain and the
surrounding forest. Perhaps we can even go as far as to
construct at least one route from the Park to Onchiota,
which could potentially be an excellent two-vehicle day trip.
Long Term Vision
One of our bigger and more long-term dreams is to someday
raise enough money to construct a nice community center to
better serve our town. This would both provide space for
weddings, parties, and other gatherings as well as muchneeded
restrooms for our summer program and year-round
use for those who come to use the trails, pavilion, and other
facilities at the park. The good thing is that we would locate
our kitchen facilities there as well. This would free up space
so that we could construct a properly compliant justice court
facility at the Town Hall.
Community Involvement Essential
All projects, no matter if they are trails, fields, or buildings
require, of course, money, but more importantly help from
all of us in the community. That is where you all come in.
With your help, whether it be in the form of ideas, labor
help, event planning, or any other assistance, we can bring
these projects to reality. Those who are interested will have
an opportunity to leave your contact information so that we
can keep you informed and up to date on projects at the
park. We welcome your ideas, feelings, and, of course, your
criticism as we continue to bring this all together. We hope
to see you all on July 20th.
Listen to the Dog Whisperer
By Lauren LeFebvre, Deputy Town Clerk
What dog owner doesn't LOVE Caesar Milan? When I
was asked to write this blurb about why it's important to
license your dog, Caesar was the first one I consulted. Well
ok, not exactly "consulted" like I called him on the phone
or anything. Sad to say Caesar isn't on my speed dial but
we are friends on Facebook! I'm also friends with Ironman
but that's a story for another day. I mean "consulted" as in
Googled. Here's what Caesar says about why we should
license our dogs:
1. It's the law. If you get caught without a license, which can
and does happen, you can be hit with a hefty fine.
2. If your dog goes missing, having him licensed drastically
improves your chances of getting him back. A license tag helps
animal control and shelters quickly identify your dog and get
him back to you safely. If your dog is found wandering, a rescue
organization can easily look up your dog via its license
identifying number. Dogs that are licensed tend to be kept at the
shelter longer than unlicensed dogs.
3. The cost of the license is far less than the penaltycaught without one.
4. Licensing lets people know that your dog is up to date on its
rabies vaccinations. A dog cannot be licensed unless it is
properly vaccinated. Animal control or a friendly neighbor will
be much more likely to want to handle and care for your missing
pup if they know that it is healthy and without rabies.
5. License fees support the efforts local animal shelters to spay
or neuter pets and to support local free rabies vaccination clinics.
By paying to properly ID your dog, you are helping to feed and
house stray dogs who don't happen to be as lucky as yours.
So that being said, why wouldn't you license your dog? The
price is certainly right and it's so very easy. The fee for a spayed
or neutered dog is only $3.50 a year and $1.00 of that goes to
help control the pet population (who just heard Bob Barker's
voice?). The fee a dog that is not spayed or neutered is $12.50
and $3.00 of that goes to help control the pet population
(thanks, Bob). All you need to do is stop in at the Town Clerk's
office with a copy of your dog's current rabies certificate. We
can even do this by mail. Heck, I'll come to your house and do
it. Questions? The Town Clerk's office is open Monday-
Thursday 9-3 or you can call 891-2189.
Water and the Kitchen Sink
We have also solicited bids for a water treatment system for
the Town Hall. Although we have had the water tested and
all is well in terms of chemical and bacteriological analysis,
we are still required to treat our water. This system, using
ultra-violet light, will fulfill this requirement and, along with
the addition of a 3-bay sink, will allow us to obtain a Board
of Health approval on an annual basis, eliminating the need
for each group who uses the Town Hall to obtain a day-use
permit.
Mark Your Calendars
Saturday, July 20th
Well, that's about it for now. Please put the Founders' Day
Picnic on your calendars for Saturday, July 20th. Anyone
interested in helping out with cooking, tickets, setup,cleanup, or anything else, or if you wish to contribute in any
way at all, please contact me, Ed Martin at 891-5989 or 524-
4144, or Sandy Oliver or Lauren LeFebvre at the Town Hall.
Hope to see you there. Until next time, be well.
Cardiac Emergencies
Preparedness
We have purchased two AED's (automatic external
defibrillators) to be installed in the Town Hall and in the
Highway Garage. We are currently in contact with the
Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad to help us arrange
with training in the use of this equipment. I am hoping we
can have multiple sessions so that anyone who wishes to, can
take advantage of the training. Although these devices "talk"
to the operator and are relatively self-explanatory, it certainly
can't hurt to be familiar with their operation before a crisis
arises. If you send me an email to
franklinsupervisor@roadrunner.com, my personal email
mentioned above, or give a call, I will be happy to include
you when I send out the information for training.
FOUNDERS' DAY CELEBRATION
Kate Mountain Park, Rte. 3, Vermontville;
Saturday, July 20th, 11 am till...
- Live Music Groups: Featuring "Replay" Band,
Stone Ground Express Blues Group.
- Great food
- Historic Displays
- Silent Auction, Chinese Raffle
- Vendors
- Artisans &Craftspeople
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR TOWN
We have sent this edition of the Franklin Flyer out in the
mail primarily to let folks know that the newsletter is
available in a variety of places and our residents should be
on the lookout for upcoming editions. We have been
trying to publish three to four times a year following
roughly a quarterly time table, depending mostly upon
whether there is a great deal of news to relate. The
Franklin Flyer is available online on our website at
www.townoffranklin.com and in print at the Vermontville
Post Office and at our Town Hall. As a special feature,
our editor Vince Pagano has offered to make an email
version available as well. Just email Vince at
vincepagano@hughes.net to request that the newsletter be
emailed to you and you will be all set. Unfortunately a
regular mailing is too expensive. Also, you can keep
abreast of month to month happenings by attending board
meetings, held on the second Wednesday of every month a
7pm or at least look up the minutes of each month's
meeting online on our website or in hard copy at the Town
Hall
55+ Club Meetings
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the
Month at the Town Hall,
Vermontville. Bring
"Covered Dish". Contact
Donna Buckley 891-9214
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
or drop off at Birch bark Deli
Town Board Meetings
7 p.m. 2nd Wednesdays of the Month
at the Town Hall, Vermontville
Kate Mountain Community Recreation Association 4th
Annual Music Fest & BBQ
Saturday, June 15th @ Kate Mountain Park, Route 3, Vermontville; 10 am till...
- Music starts @ noon, featuring Chaz DePaolo,
Perkins Family, Phil Henry, Keith Gorgas,
"Mad Dog" Marino, Inishee, Keith King and
Damaged Goods.
- Great food, including vegetarian, Silent
Auction, Games, activities for Kids, Vendors
- Bring Chairs
Take Precautions
Public Health authorities warn the public to:
Use caution around all wild animals, especially raccoons, skunks
and foxes. Talk to children now about not approaching wildlife
and to immediately tell a parent or adult if they see a wild
animal.
Have pets vaccinated against rabies immediately. New York
state law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated by
age 4 months. Vaccination is also recommended for livestock
with frequent human contact.
Report all animal bites to your local health department. If follow
-up on the biting animal is not possible, the person may need
rabies vaccinations to prevent the disease.
Report all contact with bats, including finding a bat in the same
room with a sleeping person.
Have pets spayed or neutered because that decreases
undesirable behavior, like aggression and roaming, and reduces
the number of unwanted animals that may not be properly cared
for or regularly vaccinated.
Wear gloves before handling your pet if it has had a fight with a
wild animal, and call the health department or your veterinarian
for advice on what to do next.
If an unvaccinated pet comes in contact with a rabid or
suspected rabid animal, the pet must be quarantined for six
months or euthanized.
Vaccinated pets that come in contact with a rabid or suspected
rabid animal must be given a booster rabies vaccination within
five days of the contact.
Franklin County Health Department: 481-1709. After hours,
call 877-410-55753 (Press 5 for on call nurse.)
Editorial
With each season of the year certain precautions are
indicated.
Important to us individually and to the community is the
issue of safety. In this connection, we are reminded to
review the precautions regarding boating and swimming;
e.g., personal flotation devices, sound producing devices,
fire extinguishers, alternate propulsion, navigation lights,
dewatering devises, etc. Regarding swimming, in open
waters, identification flags are a must!
In addition, emergency preparedness should be considered;
e.g. CPR, First Aid. Courses are given by the Red Cross,
www.redcross.org and the American Heart Association,
www.americanheart.org .
Furthermore, an awareness of fire prevention and
preparedness is indicated; e.g., no open burning when burn
bans are in effect and having household fire extinguishers
on hand as well as working smoke and carbon monoxide
detectors; and your 911 address number proximately
displayed.
Town Board Picks New Senior Representative
At its May 8, 2013 regular meeting, the Franklin Town Board
appointed Vincent Pagano of Loon Lake as its Town
representative to the Association of Senior Citizens of
Franklin County. Donna Buckley will be representing the
55+ Club.