 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Community Focus Online
VOLUME 28..........ISSUE #2.........MAY 1, 2002 In this issue . . .
Published Quarterly and FUNDED by the TOWN of WEST BLOOMFIELD Reporters: Charles Domville, Sheila Thomas, David Good, Dan Peters, Dawn Good, Teresa Keyes, Kevin Carey, Kurt Kleindienst, Lisa Grebner, Cheryl Skiba, Mary Twardokus, Bob Hughes, Irene O’Brien, Sandy Schlenker (II), Ruth Payne, Beverly Prinzing, Louise Mamerow, Lisa Porter, Nancy Seeley, Laurie Newell, Mary Converse, John MacKenzie, Maralee Taft, Barbara Mason. Editors Note: Is your group missing or not represented in this issue of the "Focus"? At your next meeting, appoint a member to be responsible for putting your news into this community news letter. Then, notify the editor of the name and address of your representative. The "Focus" is delivered to every home and/or PO Box in the community of West Bloomfield. And, it’s FREE! Take advantage of this opportunity to get your story to the whole Town. If you know of any resident who is not receiving the "Focus", please contact the editor with that information. Thank you for your cooperation. The deadlines for publication are the 17th of the months of January, April, July and October. The news is delivered to homes on the first of the next month. Supervisor's Report to the Community A relatively mild winter has come to a close. We need to thank the Highway Department for all its fine work in keeping our highways clear and safe for our winter driving. Our community park will be fully open this spring and ready for all residents to enjoy. If you wish to use the park for recreational, sporting or social events, please contact Guy Ball, Mary Grundman, our Town Clerk, or David Good so we can avoid any conflicts in scheduling. The Town Board has scheduled joint meetings with the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. We intend to set up a procedure for improved communication among the three boards which will help streamline the necessary processes our residents must follow to obtain permits and variances. We established a steering committee to review and revise our zoning laws. Peter J. Smith Co. is the consultant on this project. This project will enable us to get our codes updated and to ensure that our zoning laws are in compliance with our new Comprehensive Plan. At the county level, we have broken ground for the new jail which will be built in Hopewell. This is a 28.75 million dollar project. This is the largest financial project the county has ever undertaken. It has taken a long time to plan this jail because of the complexities involved. As a member of the jail project committee, I plan to stay with this project until its completion. When the jail is built, there will be a transition team which will take the necessary time to ensure the safety of the inmates and the correction officers before the jail is actually occupied. Additionally, I am the chairperson of the Department of Public Works for Ontario County. This committee oversees all the maintenance and building of bridges and highways for Ontario County. It also supervises parks, buildings and grounds for county-owned property. With the projected shortfall of revenues, we have been directed to try to trim as many costs as possible from the budget while attempting to keep a stable tax base. For the Budget year 2002, we trimmed 1.5 million dollars from the budget. In 2003, we will cut an additional two million dollars. As operating costs continue to rise, it is a challenge to trim the budget and still maintain the expected high level of service. Our Ambulance Corps and Fire Departments are in need of volunteers. If you feel you can donate a few hours of your time each week doing this type of volunteer work please contact one of these essential community volunteer organizations. Each of these organizations not only provides protection and comfort to our residents but also an opportunity to meet and know your neighbors. Our town is growing. We would like to avoid growing pains as much as possible. If there is any area of concern that you would like to see addressed, please direct your concerns to the town board. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM at the Town Hall. If you would like to address the board in person, please contact Mary Grundman, who will put your name on the agenda. If you cannot attend our meetings, you may call me at 624-2914 (Town Offices) or 624-3446 (home) or you may write us at P.O. Box 87, West Bloomfield, NY, 14585-0087. We are also available via the "net." E-mail us at townwb@frontiernet.net and be sure to visit our web page at http://www.townofwestbloomfield.org. West Bloomfield Planning and Zoning Boards The Planning Board holds workshop meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM The regular meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday at 7:30 PM. The Planning Board meeting was canceled in December. Actions taken January through March were:
The Zoning Board of Appeals holds regular meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM. At the Public Hearings held January through April the actions taken by the Zoning Board were:
Please be aware that all applications to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals have numerous regulations and deadlines, many of which are state and county mandated. Complete copies of these regulations are available in the Town Clerk’s office for purchase. All professional design preparations must be in accordance with these required regulations. I am in the Town office each Monday and also Wednesday afternoon. The applications are processed in a timely manner to fulfill these requirements. The committee to update the Zoning Ordinance is meeting monthly and had a workshop meeting on April 9th. They will be meeting with Community Planners with peter j. smith on April 23rd. At that time a Public Hearing date will be set, so watch for notification of this meeting. The hearings are when you, as Town of West Bloomfield residents, can have a voice in any proposed changes or additions to the Zoning Code. The Winner Is: A woman goes home and says to her husband, "Pack your bags, I just won the lottery!" He says: "Should I pack for the beach or for the mountains?" She says: "I don't care - just get out!" West Bloomfield Highway Department What a crazy winter, temps up, temps down, wind up, wind down, but where was the snow? The relatively mild season allowed us to make several building renovations, and to update ½ of the water meters in the district. New windows, doors, insulation and a mechanical room where added by the capable hands of our highway employees, allowing us to stretch the grant monies received through the efforts of Assemblyman Brian Kolb. The warm weather has turned the new park green and mowing will start soon. Minor work is needed to repair a couple of washouts between the fields and some low spots needing drainage. The fields, at this time, will be used most nights for summer softball and youth soccer but space in the schedule is still available. Please call me at 624-2900 if a time is needed. Equipment cleanup and servicing is underway to wash away the winter grime and prepare for a busy summer of roadwork. Surface treating will be done on parts of Wesley, Taft, Sand, Baker, Cox and Factory Hollow Roads. Reshaping and paving will be done where it is needed. The summer season looks to be a busy one. Please keep safety in mind and slow down when you see a work crew. Thanks, and may this summer season be an enjoyable driving experience for all Back Home: Regarding the lovely grey female tiger cat in the last issue, she was returned home the day the Focus was mailed out. Thanks for all your help! It is the busy time of year for assessors. Grievance day is just around the corner and there are some important dates to know before then. We will be having sixteen open book hours. If you have a disagreement with your assessment, open hours are a great time to come in and discuss your property with us. As always you will be given full access to all of the town’s assessment data so you can gather any comparison information you may need. The open book hours will be at the town hall and are:
Grievance day is Tuesday May 28th from 1-3pm and 6-8pm at the town hall. You do not need to be present for grievance day but you do need to have a completed form in to the grievance board of review, either on or before May 28th. Forms are available at the town hall. As this is written the entire winter season has passed without once being able to ski at Boughton Park. The ponds froze so there was some ice fishing, but it never snowed enough to allow cross country skiing. There needs to be at least six inches of snow to ski. Once it snowed that much but it was fluffy and blew away. The part-time park maintainer, retiree Don Mead of East Bloomfield, has resigned. Grass needs to be cut, fallen trees removed, plowing done, and garbage set out. Mr. Mead also built picnic tables and various bridges with his grandson. The park needs to advertise for a replacement. The park has had one past summers. The security guard keeps track of park usage and answers questions. The park will also advertise for a part-time security guard. An unidentified canoe will be auctioned, and the park board is trying to get the garage door installer to complete installation of the barn overhead door to its satisfaction. The door opener doesn't work (parts appear to be missing), and paint is missing from the door. A boy scout plans to install trail-head markers as an Eagle Scout project. Boughton Park is located in East Bloomfield northeast of the intersection of Boughton and Stirnie Roads. There are parking lots off both Boughton and Stirnie Roads, however, parking is by permit only, obtainable free from the three town clerks. As in the past, park usage is limited to residents of the three towns that own it. Spring is almost here, tax season is over, green grass is right around the corner! It’ll be great. Lots of people have been in to get Boughton Park Permits and permits for the transfer facility at the Highway Garage. Both are sure signs of spring and both are available at the Clerk’s Office if anyone still needs them. There are already several reservations for the use of the pavilion at the Michael Prouty Memorial Park this summer. If you want to make a reservation there is a $25.00 fee and a deposit of $25.00 is required. Applications are available at the Clerk’s Office. Also, this spring or early this summer, the DEC will be here to install their new "DECALS" (DEC Automated Licensing System) in the Clerk’s office. It’s going to make getting hunting and fishing licenses faster and easier and is also going to allow hunters to get their doe permits approved or rejected at the same time they buy their license. No more waiting. The system will allow information to be sent directly to Albany and entered into a database. That will make keeping track of licenses much easier. The paper licenses and stamps will be replaced by a smaller, more convenient, printed piece of material that will hold up better than paper. Automated licensing is being used in other states and has proven to be very efficient. As of January, the legislature hadn’t approved a price increase, so for now, the costs are the same as last year. That’s about all they’ve told us so far, so we’ll have to wait and see how it all works out. We should know by the next issue of the "Focus". In the meantime, I hope everyone is going to be enjoying some very nice, warm, sunny weather. FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE HUGE PILE OF MULCH FREE FOR THE TAKING Located behind the Town Barn on County Road #37. Highway department will even help you load, with advance arrangements. Call 624-2900. You haul, large loads or small. Come - take it all! DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD Wednesday, May 15, 7:30 PM, the Ionia Women's Club will meet at the home of Sandy Schlenker, 8424 Routes 5 & 20, for their annual Plant & White Elephant "Sale." In addition to the fun, this sale among the members helps raise funds for their scholarship for a Bloomfield High School senior. The June 19th meeting will be held at the new West Bloomfield Park with a dish to pass picnic and election of the officers for 2002-2003. All women who live in Ionia are welcome to attend! GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE, THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE, THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
Post 282's S.A.L. (Sons of the American Legion) group will be holding a flag burning ceremony at the Post. Look for further info to come on times. The date will be Sunday June 2nd. and we expect a huge crowd to witness this ceremony. It will be held by the 7th district S.A.L. group along with our own members. The public is invited to attend and witness the proper retiring of worn or torn flags. Also, anyone with worn or torn flags that they would like retired can drop them off at any time at the Post or better yet, bring them on June 2nd and witness the ceremony. Post 282 will be holding a Pepsi 400 race package giveaway for Daytona Beach over July 4th weekend, tickets are available through local merchants or by calling John MacKenzie at 229-2740. The drawing will be held at the Post on May27th following the parade. Post 282 has available "Blue Star Service Banners" for families to display in their windows if they have a loved one serving in the military at this time of unrest. For more information contact Tim Rowlinson at 582-2816 or John MacKenzie at 229-2740. Congratulations to all our newly elected officers for the upcoming year, and a special THANK YOU to our many officers of the Legion, Auxiliary and S.A.L., who have put in many hours this past year and more. (Yes, Nancy, we're returning Wayne back to you, only slightly used up)! Post 282 is always looking for new members, Legion, Auxiliary and S.A.L., so if you or anyone you know may be interested, stop by the Post and make yourself known, someone will be glad to help you. Sensei Christopher Bacon of Honeoye Falls is now conducting Children's Karate & fitness classes at the Post. Classes are held on Saturday afternoons. For more information, please contact Chris at 624-9389 or e-mail at senseibacon@aol.com Tri-County Jazzercise has added some new classes, call 234-1311 or e-mail Lori at gearingerl@aol.com or you are invited to visit their website at www.physical.com/planet/tricnty and view everything they have to offer. Funny Thoughts "Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."
Save these dates for our annual socials Thursday, June 20th for the Strawberry Social and Thursday, July 18th for the Raspberry Social. The menus include hotdogs, hamburgers, salads, and of course those berry desserts! Friday-Saturday, May 17th & 18th. For our Garage/Rummage Sale: Saturday, October 5th for our annual Fall Festival: Veggie Town Vacation Bible School will be back at the Ionia Church the week of July 22-26. This is a free ministry offered by our church to all children of our community and is possible only with the assistance of our many volunteers! For information, contact Margaret Tiffany 657-4651. The peas and other early crops have already been planted in our community garden. This garden was created by our hands but managed & cared for by God. Even with last summer’s hot & dry weather, our garden flourished to the point that we had to add more & more points of distribution to the area food kitchens and food pantries in Bloomfield, Canandaigua, & Rochester! If you are able to help with this ministry either in the gardening or the delivery, contact Margaret Tiffany 657-4651 or Sue Huedepohl 657-4675. West Bloomfield Congregational Church, UCC. Blood drive: Sunday April 28th, noon till 4:00 PM - free meal included. There is a dire need of O-negative. Drive will be held in the basement of the church. The following are our planned dinner dates: May 2 Chicken-n-Biscuit 12 - 7 Meal includes chicken, gravy, biscuits, mashed potatoes, corn, squash, homegrown beets and pickles, cabbage salad, rolls and a brownie sundae. Early bird special: noon-4:00 - $6.50, 4:00 - 7:00 $7.00. Children under 10- $3.50; preschoolers free. Takeouts available. There also will be a bake sale. Oct. 19 Roast Beef 3 - 7 Nov. 5 Spaghetti Dinner 12 - 7 Save this Date: Saturday June 1st 11:30 - 2:30. There will be a carnival for the kids; all games will be free except the penny toss, which will go to pennies for people. We will have pick a duck, going fishing, ball toss, face painting, crafts to make, $.25 cents for a spin at the cake wheel, cotton candy sold by the Never alone club, the guild will have their annual pie sale, the youth group will sell hotdogs and hamburgers. Starting at 11:30, there will be a plant sale, also a puppy from the Seeing eye dog foundation, (and dog biscuits to buy), followed by a Chicken BBQ, Pork chop dinner at 3:00 with an appearance by the Dry Bones Dance Band, and DJ Harry will stop by. The BBQ starts at 3:00 and goes till we sell out. A portion of the proceeds will go to Jason Miller. Jason is going to be a foreign exchange student in Australia. We will be participating in the annual crop walk for hunger on may 5th. Call Dawn Good if you would like to be a sponsor to one of the walkers. For all of you who travel and are wondering what to do with the travel size soap and shampoo toiletries we are collecting these. Please call the church. (624-1313). Character Education -- Being a Good Neighbor We hear the term "character education" a lot these days. Schools promote it, TV stations salute it ... so what is it? And how does it apply to you? Imagine if you could pick the ideal neighbor. What would they be like? How would they act? Could you trust them to watch your kids? Would they respect your privacy and property? If you were a business owner, would you hire them? Character Education is the process. Obviously, we need responsible, enthusiastic citizens who contribute their time, talent and resources to keep local communities strong and viable. Traits like respect, responsibility and trustworthiness make a person a valued, productive member of society. North Bloomfield Community Club The North Bloomfield Community Club met on Monday evening April 8, 2002 in the home of Linda Anderson. They welcomed new members from Ideson, and Martin roads. The next meeting will be held on Monday, May 13, 2002 at the North Bloomfield Chapel 1924 Ontario street at 7:30PM. It will be an organizational, and planning meeting, along with chapel cleaning in preparation for the Memorial Day Brunch. The N.B. community will host their annual Memorial parade, and brunch at 8:30AM May 27th. A tribute to all veterans will be given by Falls Post 664 Honor Guard at the cemetery grounds. Immediately following will be a brunch at the N.B. Chapel. Alcoholism is an illness, and there is help available. A local group of "AA" (Alcoholics Anonymous) meets each Saturday evening, at the West Bloomfield Congregational Church, on the corner of Rts. 5&20 and County Road #37. They welcome anyone who thinks he or she, or a loved one, may have a problem with alcohol, to come and listen and ask questions. Meetings begin at 8:00 PM. You don’t have to identify yourself and what is said and who attends meetings is confidential. The central office phone number for this area is (716) -232-6720. The phone is answered 24 hours a day. West Bloomfield Fire Department, Inc. With the arrival of the warmer weather, West Bloomfield firefighters are once again taking to the outdoors for many drills and driver training activities. Some outdoor training actually began before the official start of spring, with hands-on testing of various hydraulic rescue tools ("Jaws-of-Life"). Our members spent time using the tools on junk cars to learn more about their capabilities. Factory representatives were also on hand to explain the features of each tool we tested. Today, the department is equipped with only hand tools for rescue operations. While these tools will always be important, having a Jaws-of-Life outfit would raise our response capabilities to a much higher level. It would also reduce the need for mutual aid from surrounding departments, which can add critical minutes to a rescue operation. Using both fund drive contributions, and proceeds from a special fund raiser (more on that later), we plan to purchase a basic set of Jaws & related accessories this year. Our new tanker truck is being built by Luverne Fire Apparatus in Brandon, South Dakota, and is expected to be delivered in mid-June. It will replace our existing tanker 2841, which has served the department well since 1966. You can expect to see the new truck in some area parades this summer. You may recall that 90% of the funds for the new truck came from a FEMA grant for which the department applied in 2001. We welcome our newest member to the fire department, Tim Schubmehl. Tim has begun his skills training and is playing an active role in all department activities. As always, we welcome any resident interested in joining the fire department to stop by the firehouse (County Rd. 37, just south of Rts. 5 & 20) any Monday evening at 7 PM for more information. All necessary training is provided, and it can be a rewarding way to serve your community. Our annual Spring Steak Roast & Raffle will be held June 15th from 1-5 PM at the firehouse. Tickets are still only $10, and are available from any WBFD member, or at the American Legion Post on Route 65. We hope to see you there. West Bloomfield Ambulance Corp. The West Bloomfield Ambulance would like to thank all of those who generously donated money to our fund drive or through the United Way. We greatly appreciate your continued support. Recently we purchased a new defibrillator ($3300). Your donations help us buy state-of-the-art equipment to serve you better. If you give to the United Way at work please remember us and the fire departments when you choose your designated agency. We need to be prepared when you need us most and with your continued support we will be ready. We are in critical need of new volunteers. We need medics and drivers. We will provide the training if you can provide the time. Thank you for your continued support. West Bloomfield Historical Society Events Calendar: Tuesday May 7th, 7:00 PM. Back by popular demand! Sandy Schlenker I, will present her slide show, "Off the Back Roads of West Bloomfield." At the museum on Rte 5&20. (Formerly St. Joseph’s Church). Admission is $2.00 adults and those under 18 years are free. Free refreshments. Doors open at 6: PM. Sandy has added some new slides since she presented this last fall, so join us again! Tuesday June 4th , 6:30 PM, at the museum, our members will hold their annual picnic. Please bring a dish to pass and your own table service. A brief business meeting will follow. Saturday, July 13th, 9AM to 4PM and Sunday, July 14th, 10 AM to 3 PM we will be holding our annual YARD SALE/Bake Sale. If you have items you would like to donate, please bring them to the museum on Tuesday nights during the months of June, or July1st through 3rd, 6 PM till dusk. We welcome all previously enjoyed items (or new) which are clean and still in good condition, including books, toys, tools, records, dishes, furniture, appliances, knicknacks, jewelry, hobby, craft or sewing supplies, baby items, Christmas and other holiday decorations, sheet music, instruments, your no longer wanted collections, frames, artwork, linens, towels, lamps, antiques, fishing/sports equipment, boats, motors …EVERYTHING!. Please call Sandy @ 624-2458 if you have questions. We will not have a meeting in August, but the museum will be open most Tuesday evenings (as it is May through October), 6 PM until dusk. Stop in and visit us at the museum. We look forward to guests and welcome you comments/stories. The annual Book and Bake Sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library will be held Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 from 10:00 – 4:00. Members of Friends of the Library may attend a special preview sale on Thursday, May 2 from 6:00 – 8:00. Friends’ member-ships will be accepted at the door that evening. Donations of homemade baked goods for the Bake Sale would be greatly appreciated. Baked goods may be dropped off at the library on Thursday, May 2 or Friday, May 3. The library board members would like to express their appreciation to the Town of West Bloomfield for increasing the town’s support to the library budget this year. Town of West Bloomfield residents account for close to 20% of the annual library circulation. As we face cuts from other funding sources, the contribution from West Bloomfield is very much needed and will help to maintain our current hours and level of service. "Splish Splash Read!" is the theme of this year’s summer reading program at the Bloomfield Public Library. Registration begins on Monday June 24; The independent summer reading club begins July 1st . Storytime for pre-schoolers will be offered on Tuesday mornings from 10:15 – 11 AM. Stories, crafts, and games for students in grades 1 – 6 will be held on Thursday afternoons from 3 – 4 PM. A family reading project will also be offered this summer. Detailed information on all summer programs will be available at the library and also distributed at the Bloomfield Elementary School in June. Please visit the library soon and often. Your suggestions are always welcome. Check out our website (http://www.bloomfield.pls-net.org) for updated information on library activities and programs. Library Hours
Instructions for a Happy Life:
JURY DUTY: All we ask is your time! But not so in other parts of New York State. Potential jurors in parts of New York City and Long Island are giving more than just their time - they’re donating their blood, too. In a program run by Long Island Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, people responding to jury duty in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties are asked if they’d like to donate blood while they wait. Since the program began in 2000, potential jurors have become the second-largest suppliers of blood on Long Island, providing 100 pints of blood a week. Court and blood donor officials say the program is the first of its kind in the country. (Sounds like a good program to spread to other parts of the state). Back to jury duty here in Ontario County. Many of us dread that notice we get in the mail. We have few jury trials in W. Bloomfield, so your chances are much greater for County, Superior or Federal Court. Jury lists are made up by the Commissioner of Jurors in Canandaigua from a pool of eligible people in the county. This pool is made up from the following lists: registered voters, state taxpayers, licensed drivers, recipients of public assistance benefits and recipients of state unemployment compensation. The New York State Judiciary Law states that all litigants have the right to juries selected from a fair cross section of the community and that all eligible citizens shall have both the opportunity and obligation to serve. If you wish to serve and have never been called you may volunteer at the Commissioner of Jurors Office. Present laws provide for a two year period of ineligibility for jurors who have served. Those jurors who receive credit for good service will be ineligible to serve again for two years under the law. Good service credit will be granted to any person who physically reports, as directed, for jury service in court. It is not necessary for the juror to actually be selected on a jury to receive credit for good service. Persons who report for the purpose of requesting an excuse Do not receive credit if they are excused. While jury service is a burden, interrupting your personal and business lives, it is also a unique privilege we enjoy as citizens. Jury service is thus, not only your responsibility, but also your opportunity to participate in the American justice system, to learn first hand how it works, and to help us make it work better. 1816 - This year was noted for generally cold weather and an unseasonable June frost was the ruin of almost every crop in the surrounding countryside. The exception was that of one Mr. Gould whose corn was the sole surviving crop recorded in the Township of West Bloomfield for the year. 1825 - The Christian Church of Bloomfield was built on the east side of County Road 37 near Dugway Road. 1825 - West Bloomfield was fast becoming an industrious and industrial community. Between 1825 and about 1865, the following is a partial list of the businesses clustered in the town center. Erastus Hunt - General Store; Hendee & Company - General Store; several unnamed general stores; John Dickson - Lawyer; three doctors who sold drugs and attended the sick, Drs. Fairchild, Hickox and Lewis; Captain Arnold - Tannery; Ontario and Livingston County Insurance Company (small cobblestone building on 5 & 20 , east of 65); J. W. Earl - Postmaster and dealer in books and stationary; Pillsbury brothers - Blacksmith Shop; John Cooper - maker of axes and other edged tools; Rueben Pierce - Wagon-maker; J. G. Evenden - dealer in stoves and tinware; "Pioneer Baker" - chair maker; W. D. Pillsbury - foundry; Edward Herrick - brass founder; Josiah Wendell - merchant; Alvin Wilcox - pottery and drain tiles. The list goes on includes blacksmiths, farmers, agencies, breweries, mills, carpenters, evaporators and nurseries. 1828 - Andrew Jackson was elected president. 1830 - The Congregational Church divided and one group became the White Church under Reverend Silas Brown. The other group, under Reverend William Kendrick, became known as the Old Church. In 1831, the second group built a church on 5 & 20 which would later be purchased by the Catholic Society and subsequently purchased by the West Bloomfield Historical Society after the Catholic Church closed. Today it is the home of the W. Bloomfield Historical Society. 1831 - In this year, the Methodist and Episcopal Church was formed and the group built on the Charles Webb farm opposite the Roman Catholic Church (now The West Bloomfield Historical Society). The arrangement didn’t work out however, and the group disbanded to Miller’s Corners where most of them lived. In 1840, three small parcels of land were purchased from Silas Miller and the church was built on its present site. 1832 - Andrew Jackson was re-elected as President. 1833 - This was probably the most significant year in the history of West Bloomfield. The problems of governing an area the size of the then Bloomfield were becoming too much to handle without local governing bodies for the many communities that had developed within Bloomfield. The roads and bridges were in bad repair and funding was needed for repairs. More funding was needed for schools, as well. It was apparent that local government was needed for the various towns, villages and hamlets in the area. In April of 1833, the Town of Bloomfield was divided into townships of East and West Bloomfield, Victor and Mendon. The first Town meeting was held on the first Thursday in April, 1833, at Elisha Eggleston’s Inn. Reynold Peck was elected by the board as Town Supervisor. The meeting was devoted to selecting the roster of town officers and initiating legislation needed to address the problems confronting the town. Two significant motions were made: one to raise two hundred fifty dollars for the support of bridges and highways, the other to raise double the amount of money granted by the state for the use of "Common Schools." Other motions passed dealt with fixing penalties for livestock that was apparently running at large. The bounty for wolves was terminated because it was felt that the $10 a head paid encouraged the "lazy, drinking types" to chase wolves around rather than to work at a steady job. Bounties of much smaller amounts were set for crows, woodchucks and skunks. It was also decided that the annual meeting would be held on Tuesday, April 1, 1834 at the house of Elisha Eggleston.* (*If the reader would like to read the minutes of this meeting, there is a photo-static copy of the original hanging in the assembly room of the Town Hall.) Circa 1820-1830 - (the exact date is unknown to the Historian at present) Lest we forget how wild the country was around this time, here’s the sad story of Mr. Brown of Miller’s Corners. Each Sunday, Mr. Brown would hitch up the team, load his wife and seven children into the wagon and head for the church in the West Bloomfield town center. While the rest of the family was attending church, Mr. Brown would go hunting south of the settlement returning in an hour to pick up his family. On one particular Sunday, Mr. Brown went off on his usual junket but he never returned. Weeks later, remnants of his clothing and shoes were found in the woods and it was determined that he was mauled to death by a bear. 1836 - Arkansas became the 25th state of the Union. 1842 - In this year, land was transferred from Silas Miller for the creation of a cemetery in Miller’s Corners. Many early settlers are buried in this cemetery which is located across from the fire house in Ionia. 1843 - The white Church and the Old Church, created when the Congregational Church split in 1830, reunited as The Independent Congregational Church of West Bloomfield. (To be continued.) More Instructions for a Happy Life:
The postal rate increase will go into effect June 30, 2002. The single piece First Class Mail rate for each additional ounce will remain the same at 23 cents. The First Class Mail post card is going up to 23 cents. Why do rates increase? The costs of doing business - for things like fuel, transportation, utilities, labor and health care benefits - have continued to increase. Many people do not know that postal operations ARE NOT subsidized by tax dollars. Only the sale of postal products and services cover operating costs. Planned for issuance in mid June are five non-denominated stamps good for the 37 cent First Class rate: a U.S. Flag stamp and a set of four Antique Toys stamps, depicting a mail wagon, steam locomotive, taxicab and fire engine. Also scheduled for mid June is a 3 cent "makeup rate" stamp featuring a star highlighted in red, white and blue. This stamp will make it convenient for customers to use any remaining 34 cent stamps they have on hand. Denominated versions of the U.S. Flag and Antique Toy stamps, all bearing the 37 cent rate , are scheduled to be issued in late July. Stamps and philatelic stationery scheduled for issuance on or soon after the rate change include the Carlsbad Caverns 23 cent stamped post card, illustrating a scene inside a cavern in Carlsbad Caverrns National Park, New Mexico; the Ribbon Star 37 cent stamped envelope, showing five strands of red, white and blue ribbon forming a white star in the center of the design; the Jefferson Memorial $3.85 Priority Mail rate stamp; the U.S. Capitol $13.65 Express Mail rate stamp; the Coverlet Eagle 60 cent ‘second ounce’ rate stamp, depicting an embroidered eagle and shield and the motto "E. Pluribus Unum"; and the Edna Ferber 83 cent "three ounce" rate stamp, featuring a "scratch board" portrait of the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and short story writer. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Al-Anon Meeting in West Bloomfield If someone you love has a problem with alcohol or other addiction, your life may seem out of control, too. Al-Anon is a 12-step program of recovery for people whose lives have been affected by alcohol. A new group meets Monday nights at 7 PM. in the ambulance building behind the Town Highway Garage on County Road 37. There are no dues or fees for membership. Confidentiality is respected. Come share your experience, strength and hope with others. (Parking note: please, do not block the ambulance bay.) Huh?
West Bloomfield Senior Citizens Looking for fellowship and good fun? Join us on the 3rd Monday of the month at the Town Hall for a pot luck luncheon. Bring a dish to pass and your own table service. We have welcomed several new members, but our membership remains static due to the deaths of several of our members. If you enjoy eating out, we welcome you to participate with our out-to-lunch bunch on the 1st Wednesday of each month. Majority rule decides where to go and we have tried many different places for lunch. Some, we like so well, they have become repeaters. As you can see, we are an active group. Quail Summit invited us to have lunch (on the house) and following our regular meeting, provided us with a tour of the facility. A car pool trip to Short Tract in early April brought us to the Maple Tree Inn, where eleven of us enjoyed their famous buckwheat pancakes, ham and sausage special. We are not disclosing who ate the most pancakes. Our eligibility age was lowered to 55 with the understanding that persons under age 60 (the age for eligibility for state and federal programs) would not be eligible for benefits under any tax funded programs. So come out and get to know us! THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF PAUL FOR BEER LED TO A WARMER HEMISPHERE Spring is finding the Pack very busy as the Scouts complete the final requirements of their next rank in the Pack. The Wolf Den has already completed the Wolf Badge and continues to earn arrow points. The rank of Wolf Cub was awarded to John Alexander, Kevin Boyd, Tristan Smith and Travis Young at the Blue and Gold Banquet in February. These Scouts will become members of the Bear Den after graduation. Graduation for all the Scouts will be at our June Pack meeting, at which time, Tiger cubs Ben Bean, Shawn Alexander and Keenan Whitmore will become members of the next year’s Wolf Den. Bear Cubs Todd Alexander, Ryan Ulmer and Kenny Lane will graduate to the new Webelos Den. This will be the first Webelos Den since the Pack reorganized and will be lead by Ken Lane. The Webelos Den is a transitional point in a Scouts career. At this age the boys begin to learn more about the outdoors and are able to go camping over night without mom and dad. Scouts remain in the Webelos for two years working hard to earn the rank of Webelos and then the Arrow of Light. The Arrow of light is the highest rank in Cub Scouts. Upon completion of the two years the Webelos Scouts will cross the Arrow of Light Bridge into the Boy Scout Troop to begin their path to the rank of Eagle Scout. April 27th the Pack will have a family picnic. The Den Leaders will be planning many outdoor activities that will complete some of the needed requirements towards the boys next rank. Plans include hiking, outdoor cooking, fishing and sports. The Pack will have a Car Wash on June 1st at the Fire Hall. Should it rain, we will have it on the 8th. We are also considering involvement in the Council Popcorn Sale. Be on the look out for Car Wash Signs and Cubs selling Popcorn. Pack meetings are held at 7:00 every fourth Thursday of the month at the West Bloomfield Town Hall. Everyone is welcome to see the Cub Scouts show off the projects they have completed, be awarded badges and have lots of fun. Please join us. Any boy between the ages of 6 and 12 is eligible to join the Pack. Boys interested in Scouting should have their parents contact Amy Smith, Committee Chairperson, at 624-1240 or Cam Whitmore, Cub Master, at 624-7306. We are also in need of adult leaders to assist the Pack in achieving the goals of our youth. Our new season got off to a late start as we had a change in leadership. Our new committee chairman is Mike Smith. Gary Gefell has taken over as our Scoutmaster, replacing Jeff Smith. Jeff Smith has taken the position of Assistant Scoutmaster. Jeff has been a very dedicated leader of the troop for many years and remains very involved with both the Cub Scout Pack 56, and Boy Scout Troop 56. In this new season our boys have worked hard, earning badges for plumbing, archaeology and geology. The former two badges the boys earned at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. The RMSC offers a good program for scouts to complete the requirements needed for various merit badges. The boys are currently working on their auto mechanics badge. We thank Tim Schiefen, proprietor of CARS Automotive, for donating his shop, knowledge, and time to work with our boys on this merit badge. In May the boys will be going back to RMSC to work on their Indian Lore merit badge. Jake Muller is currently completing the requirements for his Eagle Badge. As many of you know, this is the ultimate goal of a Boy Scout, and requires a lot of planning and hard work for the Scout. We would like to give special thanks to CARS Automotive and Leif’s Service. Both proprietors carry Boy Scout candy for sale in their shops. We thank them for their support of Scouting. We would like to thank Jeff & Amy Smith for their continued support of Scouting. Jeff and Amy have dedicated a great deal of their spare time to our boys and keeping Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts viable programs here in West Bloomfield. Finally, we thank Gary Gefell and Mike Smith for all of their work. These gentlemen dedicate valuable time to our boys weekly, working on badges and advancement in the ranks. A NOTE FROM F.I.S.H. (FRIENDS IN SERVICE HERE) FISH has food available, throughout the year. If you have need of food, please call 453-2370 and ask for the Combined Honeoye Falls/Lima Community Food Closet. There is no reason for any of our residents to be without food. ALL PERSONS ARE ASSURED OF COMPLETE CONFIDENTIALITY. All local Clergy may also be contacted for assistance in arranging for this help. West Bloomfield Summer Recreation Program Our community park is now completed and ready to be put to use. If you have not yet visited the park, please do. It is great! The Town Board has accepted the application of Sherry Cassano, to fill a part time position as Recreation Director for the summer recreation program for 2002. Sherry is very qualified to fill this position and has her program in place and ready to go! The Town Board looks forward to a successful Summer Recreation Program. See page 11 for the program application for your children. Save the date: June 13 at 7:00pm, The Honeoye Falls Community Concert Band will play in the Michael Prouty Memorial Park on Rt. 65 in West Bloomfield. Come and see the new park and enjoy an evening of music and great fellowship! Even More Instructions for a Happy Life:
No news from
|
|||||
