MAKIPLASTIC GETS GREAT COVERAGE IN D&C

The sports section of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle features a great feature story about Gasport's own Makiplastic....

Due to unseasonably warm temperatures, ice was mostly confined to people’s drinks this winter.

The sport of ice fishing was put on ice.

And then there was Scott Brauer, engineer, inventor, teacher, businessman and unapologetically an “ice fishing freak.”’

Thanks to some brilliant ingenuity and his passion for sharing his knowledge about catching fish, Brauer was one of the few guys this winter who experienced sitting in a shanty, hunched over a hole and feeling the excitement of a tug on his line.

In fact, he could enjoy the ice fishing experience all year long, anywhere, if he desired. All it took was constructing a 500-gallon portable “ice fishing”’ aquarium that he stocks with pan fish and trout for his teaching seminars.

At the recent Rochester Sportsman’s Expo at the Dome Center, Brauer, 48, sat atop the giant steel tank that weighs 700 pound empty and fished through holes cut in a platform. A steady crowd of kids and adults schooled in front of his display and stared through the crystal clear half-inch aquarium glass lit an eerie green, mesmerized by the rainbow trout that checked out Brauer’s wide assortment of micro-plastic baits.

Those baits are made by Makiplastic Inc., of Gasport, Niagara County, Brauer’s family-owned and operated business.


Read the entire article here:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120318/SPORTS0103/303180018/Ice-fishing-Makiplastic

ROY-HART BASEBALL TEAM: VICTIMS OF DIRECT AIR COLLAPSE

WGRZ reported yesterday that the Royalton-Hartland baseball team fell victim to Direct Air, the airline company that suddenly cancelled all flights last week...


The cancellation of all charter flights earlier this week by the now bankrupt Direct Air really threw a curveball into the Florida plans by the Royalton Hartland High School varsity baseball team and many parents and family members of team members.

The team under Coach John Grzymala started raising $10,000 in funds last summer with can and bottle drives and other events to pay their own way for a spring training trip to Orlando. The Roy-Hart team was going to play in six games against teams from across the country in a tournament at the Disney World complex. Actually a group of 90 people, including the team, coaches, and parents and other family members were slated to fly on a Direct Air charter. Many rented condos and made other arrangements with Disney World for a week - long trip from April 5th through the 12th.

But then Direct Air pulled the plug and now the team is scrambling to make other arrangements. Plan "B" calls for a two day bus trip to Florida for the 12 players, four coaches, and a small number of parents. They hope to charter a bus from Ridge Road Express but now estimate the cost at $14,000.


Read the rest of the article to learn how the Boosters Club saved the day and how you can help out:

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/161095/262/A-Direct-Air-Curveball-for-Roy-Hart-Baseball-Team

HARTLAND DEFENDS FLEET

Saturday's Union Sun and Journal featured an article about the Comptroller's audit of the town of Hartland's fleet and how the town defends its practices:


After state auditors reported they didn’t like the Town of Hartland’s style, the rural Niagara County town responded with definitive answers about the way they do things at the Highway Department.

Supervisor Ross Annable said that the auditors spent several months looking at the town’s financials, and all the financials were in order. However, the audit raised questions about the highway department, which has been headed by Keith Hurtgam since 1988.

“I don’t think they have a good hands-on grasp of a small-town operation,” Annable said. “We keep our records differently from what they are looking for.”

The supervisor added: “Keith really has a good handle on equipment. He’s been doing it for a long time.”


Read the entire article here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x1511618765/Hartland-defends-highway-fleet-after-audit

GASPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT EVENTS

The junior volunteer fire fighters of Gasport Chemical Hose will be doing a Car Wash fundraiser on Sunday, April 15th between the hours of 10am-3pm. They have a rain date of Sunday, April 22nd.

On April 21st, the Gasport Chemical Hose will have an Open House from 10am-4pm. Details will be provided as we get closer to the event.

GASPORT WEBSITE LIST UPDATED

I've added 5 more sites to the Gasport website directory, a directory that's grown to great size over the years. You can find the link to the directory in the toolbar of this blog.

THE $14,759 QUESTION

Today's Lockport Union Sun and Journal reports on an issue within Royalton town government...


There are 84 new chairs in the Town of Royalton Court room at a cost of $14,759.

Supervisor Jennifer Bieber said that chairs were needed and the town board went though proper procedures during the process. The town had a $10,000 grant.

Scott Wymyczak, who describes himself as the town watchdog, feels the new chairs were not necessary and the town did not follow its own procurement policy.


Read the entire article here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x1284939217/Royalton-chair-purchase-called-improper

HARTLAND AUDIT RELEASED

On Monday New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced his office completed the audits of the Town of Chateaugay, Commack Fire District, Town of Concord, Town of Ghent, Town of Hartland and the Town of Tuxedo.

"My office's audits of local governments improve their financial management practices," DiNapoli said. "These audits are tools for local officials to make sure proper policies and procedures are in place to protect taxpayer dollars and provide the best possible service these taxpayer dollars can deliver."

The Comptroller's efforts focused on fleet management with the town of Hartland, and the office's news release says:

The board did not adopt a fleet management policy or complete a formal needs assessment before adding new vehicles or equipment to the fleet. The highway superintendent did not maintain key records, such as daily use logs and vehicle/equipment repair costs, which the board would need for conducting a comprehensive review of utilization. As a result, town officials may be purchasing vehicles and/or equipment that is not fully utilized, and the fleet of vehicles and heavy equipment may be larger than necessary for the town’s needs.

You can download the entire audit - and response - here:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/towns/2012/hartland.pdf

ROYALTON MEETS TONIGHT

The Royalton town board meets tonight at 7:00 PM at the town hall. Agenda is as follows:

•1. Open Meeting
•2. Additions or corrections of the minutes as presented
•3. Public Comment - Agenda Items Only
•4. Communications / Petitions

New Business

•Ø Resolution to accept Ms. Jean Morse as a member of the Gasport Chemical Hose Company.

•Ø Resolution to accept the Supervisors Report for February 2012 as submitted.

•Ø Resolution to authorize Roswell Park Cancer Institute to utilize the town roads for their annual bike ride on Saturday, June 23, 2012 from 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.

•Ø Resolution to authorize the Tour De Cure to utilize the Town Hall as a rest stop for their annual bike ride on Saturday, June 2, 2012 from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

•Ø Resolution to authorize the payment of $84.00 from the Recreation Budget Contractual Line (A7310.4) for the Red Cross swim cards to be issued during the summer swim program held at Royalton-Hartland High School.

•Ø Resolution to acknowledge that the Town Board has audited the two (2) Town Justice Court books for the 4th Quarter of 2011.

•Ø Resolution to authorize Terry Nieman, Highway Superintendent, to take the old lowboy to the Palmyra Auction on May 12, 2012.

•Ø Resolution to authorize the transfer of funds from the following accounts to the Retirement Reserve Account: A9020.8-Retiree Leave Expense - $550.00, DB9020.8-Retiree Leave Expense - $6,550.00, and SW9020.8-Returee Leave Expense - $2,900.00 for a total of $10,000.00 for 2012.

•Ø Resolution to amend Resolution #27-12 for the January Audit of Claims to read as follows:

RESOLVED that the Town Clerk be and she hereby is authorized to draw a warrant upon the funds of the Supervisor for Abstract #1 for the year 2012 in the amounts of:

Fund Voucher #'s Total

A Fund 1 - 12 $ 59,243.63

B Fund 1 - 3 $ 5,030.40

DB Fund 1 - 4 $ 53,876.75

SD Fund 1 $ 1,683.00

SS Fund 1 - 2 $ 7,254.89

SW Fund 1 - 3 $ 28,388.91

TOTAL $155,477.58

•Ø Resolution to amend Resolution #35-12 for the February Audit of Claims to read as follows:

RESOLVED that the Town Clerk be and she hereby is authorized to draw a warrant upon the funds of the Supervisor for Abstract #2 for the year 2012 in the amounts of:

Fund Voucher #'s Total

A Fund 13 - 73 $ 34,318.78

B Fund 4 - 12 $ 7,344.82

DB Fund 5 - 56 $130,586.40

SD Fund 2 - 5 $ 865.06

SL Fund 1 $ 1,393.21

SR Fund 1 - 2 $ 72,795.23

SS Fund 3 - 20 $ 20,948.85

SW Fund 4 - 34 $ 20,943.55

TOTAL $289,195.90

•Ø Resolution to authorize the Gasport Masonic Lodge F & AM #787 to oversee an 8-hour Community Service Project for students from Royalton-Hartland High School at the Royalton Mountain Ridge Cemetery on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Students and lodge members will clean up the sticks and limbs, etc., at the cemetery and get it ready for the mowing season. (There will be a rain date scheduled for 4/21/12 if necessary.)

•Ø Resolution to authorize the clearing of the current "Due To" and Due From" issues created in the budget over the years as proposed by our accountants. (Formal resolution to be prepared by the Accountants for the Monday Board Meeting.)

•Ø Any additional items that need to come before the board at this time.

•Ø Resolution for permission to pay the bills.

1. Public Comment - Good and Welfare of the Community

1. Adjournment - Motion to Adjourn

ROY-HART WELL-REPRESENTED AT ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

Roy-Hart students sometimes get some unfair barbs thrown at them from other school districts, with some of the students in local cities and suburbs thinking our students are uneducated hicks.

Our students always disprove the stereotypes and they've done it again with vigor: No one came close to matching Roy-Hart's participation at the Odyssey of the Mind. Of the more than 200 students from Niagara, Orleans, and Erie Counties, nearly a fifth of them were from Royalton-Hartland! Wow!

Today's Niagara Gazette says:

Royalton-Hartland had seven of the 41 teams participating Saturday. Adam Eschborn, a Roy-Hart teacher who coached four of the teams, said he’s happy to have so many students interested in Odyssey.

“It’s cool to have so many teams involved,” Eschborn said. “There’s not always opportunities for students to work on their problem solving skills.”


Read the whole article here:

http://niagara-gazette.com/communities/x1690514062/Students-show-off-creative-solutions-at-Odyssey-of-the-Mind-competition/print

VERRATTI'S FARM BILL TESTIMONY

Yesterday seven members of House Committee on Agriculture gathered input for revisions to the Farm Bill from eight farmers — including Gasport's Jemery Verratti —who were selected by the panel to sort out what works from what isn't working in federal farm support and regulation. Enacted in 2008, current Farm Bill legislation expires this year.

The federal government has made a transcript of Jeremy's testimony available online. Download the PDF file here:

http://agriculture.house.gov/pdf/hearings/Verratti120309.pdf

VERRATTI SPEAKING ON FARM BILL

The only hearing concerning the 2012 Farm Bill scheduled for the Northeast is set for 9 a.m. today at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake.

The House of Representatives full Committee on Agriculture is putting on this public hearing on the future of U.S. farm policy.

Among the very few panelists/witnesses (there are only 8) is Jeremy Verratti, Verratti Farms, LLC.

It's good to see a Gasport man representing farming for the entire region!

RECAPS OF LAST NIGHT'S LIBRARY TAX PRESENTATION

Mary Cedeno led the rally, petition drive and information drive that led up to and occurred during last night's Board of Education meeting. She wrote to thank everyone for their help in getting the fight this far.

Mary said there were a couple dozen people in attendance. Outstanding!

Mary has written an excellent recap of the meeting and the propositions (with supporting petitions) that she submitted to the board.

Read her report here:

http://fightforyourvote.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/todays-presenation-to-the-boe/


The Lockport Union Sun and Journal was also there and their story can be found here:

http://lockportjournal.com/local/x1690512458/Libarary-tax-could-come-up-for-vote-again