PRESCHOOL STORY HOUR AT LIBRARY

A Season for Celebration at Pre-school Story Hour at Royalton Hartland Community Library

As we approach summer, some of the seasonal activities we enjoy and celebrate during this time of the year will be the focus of the reading selections shared at the upcoming Pre-school Story Hours at the Royalton Hartland Community Library.

Pre-school Story Hour is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the library, 9 Vernon Street in Middleport in the upstairs meeting room. Children aged 2, 3 and 4 are invited to attend and enjoy this great introduction to the world of books. Children love the activities, discussion and the children’s book selections with different themes that are read at each session.

The upcoming topics include Children’s Book Week on May 16; B is for Bicycle on May 23; May Flowers on May 30; Going to the Drive-in on June 6; Father’s Day on June 13; Summer Begins on June 20 and Monkey See, Monkey Do on June 27.

For a list of the upcoming Story Hour Topics or for more information call the library at 735-3281 or check them online at the library’s website at www.RoyHartCommunityLibrary.com.

WIN A MOUNTAIN BIKE AT PETUNIA'S

From now through June 30th, Petunia's Pizzeria is running a contest through which you can win a mountain bike. Check out the news from Niagara Buzz here:


http://niagarabuzz.biz/niagara-business-news/win-a-mountain-bike-at-petunias-pizzeria-in-gasport-just-check-in/

GASPORT VIEW DAIRY ON WKBW

Gasport View Dairy and owner Roger White were featured in a WKBW TV news report about the impact that the farm bill will have on local farmers....

BUDGET VOTE & OTHER EVENTS ON TUESDAY

Tuesday the 21st is the annual budget vote and, as has been tradition, there are numerous events taking place on the Roy-Hart campus that day....

The budget vote itself will take place from noon till 8:00 at the High School gymnasium.

The budget notice can be downloaded here:

http://www.royhart.org/High%20School/budget%20flyer%201314.pdf

The budget being presented to the community is $22,020,002 which represents a 0.17% decrease in spending compared to 2012-2013, with an estimated tax levy increase of 3.0%. It has an estimated increase in the full value tax rate of 66 cents per thousand -- meaning for every $1,000 in property assessment it is estimated you will be paying an additional 66 cents in school tax. For a home assessed at $100,000 the estimated increase in your tax bill will be $66.00.

The budget vote will be complemented by a health and wellness fair from 5:30 to 7:45 with vendors and door prizes.

There will also be a chicken BBQ sponsored by the Class of 2013 from 3:00-7:00pm in the high school cafeteria. Tickets are $10.00 -- ask any Senior. Last year they sold out, so get your tickets early. Cash is accepted and all checks payable to "RHCSD-Student Activity Fund." Dinners include 1/2 BBQ chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll & butter, and a dessert.

CANAL DERBY ACCEPTING SPONSORSHIPS

The very popular Erie Canal Fishing Derby - headquartered in Gasport - is now accepting sponsorships for this year's event running July 3 to 14.

Your ad will go on all posters and there are four levels of ads available: $75, $150, $300, $500. There exists a variety of other options, too, including web sponsors, tag sponsors, and road banner sponsors.

If interested in helping out this great family-oriented event, call Steve Harrington at 772.7972 or 716.830.8434. Steve has incredible passion for this great cause, which gets kids and whole families outdoors, utilizing a regional asset -- the Canal -- that we tend to take for granted.

For info about the derby visit www.ErieCanalDerby.com

BUDGET HEARING TONIGHT

Royalton-Hartland’s budget hearing will take place tonight at 7:00 at the High School. Under discussion will be the $22 million spending plan which features a $37,000 cut in spending versus this year's budget and will raise the levy by 3 percent.

SALT & LIGHT FESTIVAL

The annual Salt & Light Festival will take place June 7, 8, and 9 at 8590 Rochester Road in Gasport.

A Youth Rally will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday with Elmwood Drive providing music, and Chet Caudill of the National Youth Ministries of the Assemblies of God.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, the day will begin with a yard sale, Chinese Auction, informational booths, crafters, flea marketers and bounce houses for the kids. There will be a visit from Mickey and Minnie Mouse along with Hello Kitty, Big Bird and Cookie Monster.

From noon until sold out there will be a Chiavetta Chicken Barbecue with tickets available on the grounds for $8.50.

At 12:30 p.m. Country music by Jerry Moore and band.

At 2 p.m. Art Huntington singing oldies.

At 3 p.m. the featured event will begin with Elvis Wade (number one impersonator of Elvis Presley) and Grammy Nominee Sandy Posey, both returning for their 3rd year with a full band, horn section and the Middleport Community choir singing back-up.

Additional features throughout the day are children’s activities, wildlife exhibit, Birds of Prey Display with Paul and Anne Schnell. Liberty the Bald Eagle presentation and story telling. Wild Kritters of Niagara County will also have a display.

At 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Elvis Wade and Sandi Posey will be singing Gospel Music.

GASPORT PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST TAX RATES IN NEW YORK

Western New York property owners pay the state’s highest median effective tax rate, according to newly released data from the Empire Center. The internet-based tool – BenchmarkingNY’s Property Taxes by Location – allows taxpayers to compute and compare total school district, municipal and county tax burdens in thousands of communities across the state.

High tax rates hold true even in our rural towns...

Royalton's combined tax rate (town, county, school) is $38.59 per $1,000 assessed. The upstate average is $29.75. So, we exceed that by 30%!

Hartland's combined tax rate is $37.80 per $1,000. So, we exceed the upstate average by 27%!

It should be noted that the disclaimer on the Empire Center's report says....

The effective property tax rates presented in these databases are approximate, based on estimates by the Office of the State Comptroller. The effective rates are most accurate as a comparative overall measure of tax burdens as a share of property values in different New York communities. However, because local property assessment procedures vary widely, the estimated tax levels for sample property values produced by our "Property Tax by Location" tool will not always match actual tax bills for properties of the same value in those communities. This is particularly true of localities whose assessments are significantly out of date, or which have an unofficial practice of over-assessing commercial property. In a few dozen cities and towns that have established preferential tax rates for owner-occupied homes – including Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Rochester – the local effective rate presented here is an average of "homestead" and "non-homestead" tax rates. In addition, estimated property tax bills do not reflect the impact of the state "STAR" tax break, which typically reduces the school district portion of property tax bills by 10-20 percent, or by more than 30 percent for qualified seniors

You can access the Empire Center's report and compare our community against others, here:

http://www.empirecenter.org/AboutUS/news_releases/2013/05/proprtaxes050813.cfm

K-9 CARNIVAL THIS SATURDAY

Fort Hyde Kennels at 8513 Ridge Road is having their third annual K-9 Carnival from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday, May 11th.

There is family fun and entertainment for everyone and visitors are encouraged to bring their friendly, leashed dog. There will be live demonstrations of agility, flyball and scent tracking. You can get your dog’s picture taken by Wild Eye Photography. There will also be AKC Canine Good Citizen Test at 11:30 a.m. Pre-registration is required. Tour the kennels and meet the staff. There will be Goat Chip Bingo and a Chinese Auction.

For more information, to sign up for a photo session or CGC Test contact 772-2356.

LIBRARY LOOKING FOR TRUSTEES

The Royalton Hartland Community Library is seeking qualified applicants to run for the position of Trustee. They anticipate five openings to be filled at the annual meeting which will be held on July 8, 2013.

Interested persons must be residents of the Royalton Hartland Central School District and at least 18 years of age. Those who wish to be considered for these openings must submit a valid petition signed by at least 25 residents of the Royalton Hartland School District in support of their nomination. A voluntary nominee interest sheet is also available that will provide information to the public regarding your qualifications for Trustee. Valid petitions and voluntary nominee interest forms must be returned to the Library Director no later that June 6, 2013. Petition forms and nominee interest sheets are available at the circulation desk at the Royalton Hartland Community Library ( 9 Vernon Street in Middleport, New York) during normal library hours starting on May 6, 2013.

Trustee information packets, including a description of the duties and responsibilities of a Trustee are available at the Library or by visiting this link.

Trustee elections via a paper ballot will be conducted at the Annual Meeting of the Royalton Hartland Community Library to be held on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 7:00 P.M. You must be present at the Annual Meeting to cast your vote. You must also be a member of the Association (i.e. reside within the Royalton Hartland Central School District for at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, be a citizen of the United States, be at least 18 years of age and not otherwise prohibited from voting under the provision of Section 5-106 of the Election Law) in order to be eligible to vote.

NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF LITTLE'S AWARD

Here's the Medina-Journal Register's article about Marie Little and her well-deserved Clerk of the Year Award: http://journal-register.com/local/x326073558/Royalton-Town-Clerk-is-statewide-winner

HUNTER EDUCATION COURSE

If interested in becoming a hunter and putting meat on the table, there will be a NY licensing course offered this month at the Hartland Conservation Club on Orangeport Rd. You must pre-register by calling Walt or Margo at 716-778-5288, after 4:00pm. Class size is limited to 50 students. You must attend all sessions which run 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM on 5/13, 5/15, and 5/17.

MARIE LITTLE: CLERK OF THE YEAR!

Royalton town supervisor Jennifer Bieber has some great news to share with us...

Marie Little, Royalton Town Clerk, was awarded New York State Town Clerk of the Year. This is an enormous honor. There are over 900 Towns in the State of New York. Marie was one of the 10 finalists for this title.

She didn't even know until Monday that she was in the running. It was a great surprise to her.

The annual New York State Town Clerks Association holds a conference every year. This year it was in Buffalo. They have a dinner and evening where this announcement is made as well as swearing in of their new officers. 30 of us attended the dinner and totally surprised Marie when we walked into the room after the announcement was made that she had won. The best part of the evening when she was able to speak on the phone and then Skype with her son Patrick during the event, who is currently serving in Afghanistan.

SUPERINTENDENT SHARING IS OFFICIAL

The Medina Journal Register is reporting today that the Roy-Hart school board approved a resolution to share Barker’s superintendent at a special meeting Wednesday night.

Starting this summer, Dr. Roger Klatt will be responsible for roughly 2,300 students — just under 900 in Barker and about 1,400 in Roy-Hart.

Read the report here:

http://journal-register.com/local/x326073548/Klatt-appointed-as-new-super

WGRZ LOOKS AT SUPERINTENDENT MERGER

CLEAN UP GASPORT

The annual "Clean Up Gasport" event is this Saturday May 4th. The Gasport Beautification Committee and all interested volunteers will be meeting at 9 am at the Zion Lutheran Church. The last few years, with help from the community, they have finished cleaning up the hamlet in less than two hours. Please come out and help; the committee welcomes all volunteers!

ROY-HART & BARKER TO SHARE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

According to a report from the Lockport Union Sun and Journal, Royalton-Hartland and Barker are expected to share Barker Superintendent Roger Klatt.

Read the paper's report here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x326072201/Barker-and-Roy-Hart-to-share-superintendent

In an era where shared services in government are a MUST, this is an excellent decision by the school boards.

TERRY'S CORNERS CHICKEN BBQ

Terry's Corners Fire Company will be hosting their 49th annual Mother's Day chicken barbeque on Sunday, May 12th from 11:00 till sold out. Dine-in or take-out. Cost is $9/adults, $4 for kids aged 5 to 12. Children under 5 eat for free. Treat your mom to this popular, tasty dinner and support our local volunteer firefighters!

VENDOR DEMO DAY AT STANDISH JONES

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SPORTS BOOSTERS!

Below please find an urgent message from Rick DeWaters, head of the Roy-Hart Sports Boosters. It is important that the community help Rick and friends in making the annual dinner a success. As he mentions in his letter, proceeds help our district's kids get a chance to participate in athletics. It would be good to see the community support the Boosters with the same vigor they did when football and other sports were cut at Roy-Hart a few years ago.

Here's Rick's message.....

 

As you all know, the 4th Annual R-H Sports Boosters Club Dinner Auction will take place on Saturday evening, May 4, at the Middleport Fire Hall. Many, many folks are so graciously giving their time and energy to make this event both fun and profitable!

All proceeds will be donated to Roy-Hart Sports programs to help finance things that the district's budget will not cover. Know that all participation levels are included, from Elementary programs through High School.

We have only one week remaining to sell tickets and gather auction-able items, including baskets, gift certificates, and cash donations. We are asking for a donation of $25/admission ticket (food and beverages are included); and we are selling raffle tickets $5/each or $10/three (46 in HDTV). If you are planning to attend and can bring a little something for the dessert table, it will be very much appreciated!

FOLKS: We are coming up short! Ticket sales are way less than we anticipated and much fewer than previous years. This is and has been one of our most profitable and important fundraisers; and at this point, its success is in jeopardy.

PLEASE: We ask you to help support this important event for a very worthy cause. Email  bostonrick123@yahoo.com if you can purchase a ticket and support our efforts to help the kids of R-H. Tickets will be available at the door. Doors open at 6 PM.

Also, on Friday evening May 3 at about 6:30, we will be setting up at the fire hall. If you need tickets and/or have something to donate, please come on down!

If you have any questions or concerns about this event and I can assist you, please do not hesitate to respond to this email. Thanks so much.

Rick DeWaters

R-H Sports Boosters