Town of Franklin Board Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 3 - Our Town News September 2014
From the Supervisor
By Art Willman
Another summer is coming to an end. Labor day was early this year, falling on Sept. 1st. The leaves have started turning and the smell of autumn is in the air. Personally, Fall is my favorite season. The bright colors, the cool crisp nights, and the warm, dry days make this a spectacular time. Gone is the beloved black fly; the beloved deer fly is getting scarce and the mosquitoes are starting to thin out in the pre-dawn and dusk hours. All of this makes for some very enjoyable outdoor
opportunities.
2015 Tentative Budget Below Tax Cap
At the Town Hall, we have started work on the tentative budget. The tax cap is set at 1.56% and we will be making every effort to come in at or below this cap. For the 2014 budget, we came in at 0.0%. This means that there was no increase in Town Tax. Any increases in your tax bill came as a result of the County's increases. This year, we may not be able to repeat the 0% because of increases in things like fuel, highway materials, health care, etc. All we can do is give it a good, honest try.
Broadband Survey Update
We have an update on our Broadband Survey. The lucky winner of the Cape Air tickets for the Town of Franklin was Gene Goff. Congratulations and happy flying. As for the project itself, we don't have any news as yet, but as soon as we do, we will get it out on our website, on our Facebook page, and in this newsletter.
CDBG Grant Update
Our CDBG grant is moving along with the Friends of the North Country acting as the administrator. From what I understand thus far, several folks have been contacted and plans have been made to finalize the paperwork and to start repairs.
If there is anyone who feels they might benefit from this grant and meets the income requirements, please give FONC a call and get yourself on the list.
Even if you are not fortunate enough to get help this time, your name will be kept on the list for when we apply for the nextroundoffunding. Wewillbecontinuingtoapply regularly so that eventually anyone who is in need of help will eventually receive it.
Yup, we're really doing it!
Pumpkins. Good for carving, making pies, baking seeds and a flurry of other fall favorites. But a catapulting pumpkin competition? Now that's an unusual use for this orange gourd-like squash! You've seen them on television, in movies and online. Now is your chance for your club, business, school or a team of your own to experience it in real life. It's your turn to show your stuff.
Build your own catapult or trebuchet and come on over!
Prizes will be awarded for:
- 1. Distance
- 2. Accuracy
- 3. Best Design
- 4. Best Team Costume Theme
$5 Contest Entry Fee (includes Captain's Admission, other team members pay regular admission)
Rules, specifications, FAQ's are online at www.townoffranklin.com or call 518.891.2189
Schedule of Events* (times approximate and subject to change):
- Saturday, October 18 11am-4pm
- Contestant Set-up: 7am-11am
- Pumpkin Bowling: Noon-3pm
- Bounce House, Face Painting, Music: All Day Pumpkin Carving Judging: 2pm
- (Bring your own carved pumpkin)
- 3 Divisions-10 and under, 11-16, 17+
- Pumpkin Painting Judging: 2pm
- (Pumpkins and paint provided)
- 3 Divisions-6 and under, 7-10, 11-15
- Check out the Contraptions-11am-12:30pm
- Pumpkin Heave 1st Round: 1pm
- Pumpkin Heave 2nd Round: 2pm
- Awards Presentation for ALL contests: 3pm
- Food, hot and cold drinks, etc available all day. Be sure to try the Kate Mountain Burger!
- Admission $5 adults, $2 kids 3-12, under 3 free
Founders' Day and Community Picnic a Success
Expanded Activities and Equipment-
Our 2nd annual Founders' Day and Community Picnic whicht was held on July 26th at the Kate Mountain Park, was again a success. This year, in addition to music, we had a bounce house for the kids, a beer garden for the adults, and we introduced our mobile kitchen trailer. If you all remember, we purchased this trailer as military surplus through OGS. We decided to convert the cooking devices over to propane from diesel for a variety of reasons. This gives us a safe and convenient fuel supply without spills, smells, and other issues associated with handling diesel fuel. This food trailer was very successful and we unveiled the "Kate Mountain Bacon Burger Dog" which was a hit. You can see a picture of this beauty, modeled by Gordie Cass, on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/Town of Franklin. In addition to the fun and food, our silent auction was a big success.
Proceeds and Donors Exceed Last Year's Amount-
We raised a total of $2105 for the Kate Mountain Park Reserve Fund. This tops last year's figure. We hope to continue building on this in the coming years.
We had more donors who donated gift certificates or merchandise than last year. I would like to personally thank all who donated to make our day such a success. A list of these folks and businesses are included at the end of this article.
55+ Club Efforts Acknowledged-
We have one more special word of thanks for members of our 55+ Club for their generous donations from the conducting the Wishing Well Raffle, the Pie Raffle, and the sale of some wonderful baked goods. Everyone raved about the baked goods and the great pies they had a chance to win. Thanks again.
Town Fall Festival October Saturday, October 18th
We have another fund raising event coming up on Oct. 18th. This event has to potential to be a tremendous amount of fun and excitement. I am speaking of our "Pumpkin Heaves and Autumn Leaves" Fall Festival. We are reaching out to schools, colleges, universities, scout groups, and private businesses and individuals to design and build a catapult, trebuchet, or other primitive hurling device that will be capable of flinging a pumpkin or other such object for distance and accuracy. Anyone interested in having some really good, clean fun can get the details and entry information by phoning Town Clerk Lauren LeFebvre at (518)891-2189, emailing her at franklinclerk@roadrunner.com, or by going to our website at www.townoffranklin.com
Highway Department Summer Improvements
Over at the Highway Dept., the guys have been pretty much out straight all summer. By the time you read this, our seasonal paving projects will have been completed. The guys need to turn to finishing up some FEMA work. The main project is the replacement of a 70 foot long culvert that crosses the Alder Brook Rd. at the hard bend just below the junction with State Rt. 3. The existing concrete culvert was seriously damaged by the Spring floods of 2011 and later by Hurricane Irene later that same year. We will be getting help from the County Highway Dept. They have some of the heavier equipment that will be required to do the job. The County helped the Town of Harrietstown with a similar project early this year. This job will necessitate the closing of Alderbrook Rd. from Rt. 3 to the St. Rose Cemetery for a few days. We will notify folks in plenty of time so that there is as little inconvenience as possible.
After all this work is done, then will come the usual seasonal ritual of hauling sand and outfitting the trucks for the coming winter. Speaking of winter, our guys did an excellent job of keeping the roads open and safe and of getting on top of problems as they arose this past winter. If you get a chance, please don't hesitate to voice your thanks to our guys for a job well done.
As I mentioned earlier, here is a list of our donors who contributed to the success of Founders Day. Please make every effort to patronize these fine businesses to show your appreciation
Carcuzzi
559 Lake Flower Ave. Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Belvedere Restaurant
102 Bloomingdale Ave. Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Sturdy Supply
24 Bloomingdale Ave. Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Blue Moon Cafe
55 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Nori's Village Market
68 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Curtis Lumber
1134 State Route 86 Ray Brook, NY 12977
Cassier Furniture
15 Bloomingdale Ave. Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Rice Furniture
43 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Aubuchon Hardware
258 Broadway Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Advance Auto
622 Lake Flower Ave Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Blue Line Brewery
555 Lake Flower Ave Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Adirondack Bank
67 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Coakley's High Peaks Hardware
PO Box 1244 Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Post Office Pharmacy
PO Box 587 Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Home Energy Services
33 Depot Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Lia Sophia Jewelry
Ms. Linda Merchant-Pilon Division Manager
410 Ratta Road Chazy, NY 12921
Shamrock Bar and Grill
83 County Route 55
PO Box 193 Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Downhill Grill
74 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Waterhole #3
48 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Clark's Truck Center
PO Box 338 Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Pack Basket Diner
781 Route 86 Gabriels, NY 12939
Salon Mirage
68 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983
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
Town Board Meetings
7 p.m. 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
Pancake Supper, Town Hall
Friday, September 26; 4:30pm-7:30pm - Take Out Available
55+ Club Meetings
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the Month at the Town Hall, Vermontville. Bring "Covered Dish". Contact Donna Buckley 891-9214
Editorial
At a recent meeting of the Town of Franklin 55+Club, Becky Preve, Director of CARES/Office for the Aging
Franklin County presented information that may be useful to some Town residents; that is, regarding services offered to disabled children and adults as well as the elderly in need of services.
Franklin County CARES (Coordination and Referral of Extended Services) and Office for the Aging serves as the Single Point-of-Entry for all long term care services in the county. CARES provides information and referral for all services and also arranges case conferences for complex cases. Office for the Aging offers a wide range of services to those who are 60 years of age and over.
These services include: assistance with application for benefits, congregate and home delivered meals, EISEP (home care/case management), health insurance assistance, legal assistance and Medicare prescription drugassistance. To inquire about services or to arrange services for yourself or someone you care for, contact Office for the Aging at (518) 481-1526 or CARES at (518) 481-1660.