The Town of Brant’s Memorial Park Clock was installed on Thursday, May 17, 2007. The clock is part of the update to the Memorial Park which was funded by Community Development Block Grant monies. The updates to the park included replacement of the deteriorating concrete with new stamped, colored concrete, lighting and plantings. Additonal work will be done at the park, including a gazebo, with the remaining funds. The Town of Brant will hold their Memorial Day Service at the Memorial Park at 9:00am on Monday, May 28. All are invited to attend to honor those who have served our country.

Highlights from Farnham Village Board Meeting

by Alice Escott

The Farnham Village Board met on Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Trustee Jere Hoisington was absent. Mr. John Finster, P.E. Senior Public Health Engineer, Erie County Health Department addressed the Board with information on the County’s EPA Grant for a study of source contamination of local beaches and streams. It is hoped that this effort will result in fewer required closings of the beaches due to high bacterial contamination levels after rain storms. Mayor Caber sent a letter to Assemblyman Jack Quinn requesting a member item grant in the amount of $10,000 to complete the Veteran’s Memorial Area in the Village Recreation Park. Southtowns Community Enhancement Coalition (SCEC) held their May meeting at the North Collins Senior Center. Guest speaker at the meeting was Village Attorney Wm. J. Trask who spoke on Local Development Corporations (LDC) and SCEC’s consideration of filing as a LDC as a part of the 501(c)(3) status for Economic Development. Weekly meetings continue to be held on the Farnham School Demolition Project. Ontario Specialty Co. (OSC) is submitting samples of backfill material and topsoil to testing laboratories for approved use on site. Malcolm Pirnie is reviewing these test sample results along with performing inspection services of the Final Site Grading and Seeding Plan, which calls for a 2% drainage slope toward the old parking lot and Route 5 for proper drainage as well as a swale near St. Anthony’s Church and along rear property boundaries of homes on Perry St. to prevent standing water issues. The first payment requisition for OSC has been submitted to the Village of Farnham and will be forwarded for processing. A Public Hearing was held concerning Village of Farnham Local Law #4-2007 “Parks and Recreation”. There was no public comment. The Board adopted Local Law #4 – 2007 which regulates and controls the park facilities of the Village of Farnham to ensure maximum use, enjoyment and availability of this facility. The park is open from dawn to dusk daily, unless otherwise posted. No overnight parking, housing or camping shall be allowed except by special permit from the Village Board. No person shall erect any structure, stand or platform; exhibit any performance or form a parade or procession in the park except by special permission from the Village Board. Hunting is prohibited; discharge of any firearm or bow and arrow for any reason is prohibited. No person under the age of 21 years shall kindle, build, maintain or use a fire within the confines of any park or parklands except in grills provided by the village. Any beverage containing alcohol is not permitted unless special permission is granted by the Village Board. No person shall operate any ATV (all-terrain vehicle), motorbike or snowmobile or any other recreational vehicle or equipment on any properly within the parks and parklands. Each person entering the park property shall be responsible for their own personal conduct and for the conduct of any children or minors in their company. Each person shall conduct himself or herself in an orderly manner and shall endeavor to cause no discomfort or inconvenience to any other person or patron. Conduct which violates this standard, including but not limited to, use of obscene, profane or threatening language, shall subject the violator to immediate expulsion from the park property. All Animals/Pets must be leashed or otherwise restrained and under control of their handler at all times. Handler is responsible for cleaning up after all pet waste. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this article or the rules and regulations adopted hereunder shall be guilty of a violation and shall, upon conviction, be liable to pay a fine to the Village not exceeding $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or both such fine and imprisonment.

In other matters, the Board:

• Declared May 2007 as “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month” in the Village of Farnham. • Accepted the bid from ENC Elite Flags of Eden for the purchase and installation for one flagpole, with internal halyard and 5’x9.5’flag in the amount of $1200 using available finds from the Capital Parks Project.

• Noted Memorial Day Services will be at 9:00am in the Town of Brant and 10:30am in the Village of Farnham.

• Thanked the H.E.A.R.T. (Hamburg Eden Animal Rescue Team) organization’s assistance to the Village of Farnham at 673 Perry St. with the abandoned cats. 17 kittens and 6 adult cats were captured. Approximately 15 adult cats remain to be captured. The cats will be neutered and adopted out. The Village will send a $100 donation to H.E.A.R.T. in appreciation.

Highlights from Evans Town Board Meeting

by Alice Escott

     The Evans Town Board met in regular session on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 All Board members were present; Senior Center Department Head Julie Roach was excused. The Board welcomed John Finster, Public Health Engineer from Erie County Health Department. Mr. Finster explained that the Health Department has received a grant to study 2 of the beaches in the Town of Evans and their feeder streams with regard to bacterial contamination. The study will be done at Evans Town Park Beach/ Fern Brook and Lake Erie Beach/ Muddy Creek. The survey area will be approximately 1/4 mile on each side of the beaches and up the feeder streams/creeks as far as the Thruway and the Cattauraugus Indian Reservation. Workers will be walking those areas and taking water samples along the way at ditches, out falls and pipes to try to determine the source of the contamination. Possible sources could be old septic systems that are leaking, sanitary sewers that are cracked and leaking, broken municipal sewer pipes and illegal tie-ins to storm sewer lines. The 2 beaches in the Town of Evans were picked for the study because they have clearly defined feeder streams. It is hoped that the results from this study will help to clean up the beaches and lead to additional studies of the remaining 6 Erie County beaches. This study will not be done on Delaware Creek but hopefully a future study will include Delaware Creek. If contamination is found from an old septic system, the property owner will be responsible for the cleanup. The 20 page Storm Water Report has been completed and is available at the Town Clerk’s Office. Evans is one of 41 members of the Western New York Storm Water Coalition whose members have joined together to develop a stormwater management program to protect our waterways and enhance our quality of life. The goal of the Coalition is to utilize regional collaboration to identify existing resources and develop programs to reduce the negative impacts of stormwater pollution. Councilman Michael Spence announced that a concert will be held in Evans Town Park in late August. More information will be made available as plans are finalized and the time gets closer. Councilman Paul Cooper thanked Sandy Brant and Wendy Salvati for helping to put together the New York State Planning Federation Training Seminar at the New Angola Theater. The video that was shown was tremendous and gave a lot of ideas for growth in and around a community like Evans.

In other matters, the Board:

• Approved the request from the Village of Angola to apply a portion of the funds contracted for ambulance service to the Town be used towards the acquisition of equipment to be used in the provision of fire protection services.

• Authorized the Supervisor to execute contracts for the rights of way/easements for multi-use path from Cradle Beach, Inc., LaDuca, Russo and Naples, Voltz and O’Connor

• Appointed 26 Town Residents to positions of laborer/gateguard/nightwatchman, to be called as needed, at various pay rates from $7.15 to $8.00 as appropriate.

• Adjusted the Water Accounts of Abdul Said and David Hanner because of various billing problems

• Scheduled a Public Hearing for June 6, 2007 at 8pm for the purpose of identifying the relevant areas of environmental concern in the consolidation of the Town of Evans water system with the Erie County Water Authority

• Tabled the request for a refreshment, amusement and live band license from David Capitano d/b/a Ragoo’s Sports Bar until after a meeting with Police Chief Ferguson at the next work session.

• Approved the request from the Disabled American Veterans #177 to hold their annual Forget-me-not sale on June 30th, July 2nd and July 3rd.