mayors page

Village Board to host Cilion at next meeting

   At our next village hoard meeting on February 20th at 7:00 pm, members from Cilion and Les Cole from CRC will present to the hoard an overview regarding the anticipated Ethanol plant in the Town of Caledonia. As most of you are aware, there has been "public" meetings in the past at J.W. Jones Hall.

   At the last meeting I questioned why the Village of Caledonia had not been afforded an opportunity to meet with Cilion to discuss a number of our concerns and to answer questions that residents of the village have presented to me.

   As of this writing I would like to make it clear that I have not formed an opinion about the proposed project. Now this may come as a shock to many of you. "rumor control" has me against the project. Not true. This is why I have requested the meeting.

   The only way any of us can develop an opinion is to go to the resource and discuss our concerns with them. I anticipate a productive meeting and I would encourage any resident to attend.

   So there is no confusion, this meeting is with the board and Cilion. It will be our time to discuss and resolve any apparent misconceptions that Cilion and the board may have.

   This project is going to have a major influence on the Town and the Village of Caledonia and now is the time to talk about these issues, before the project gets underway. I have been assured by Mr. Cole that all of our questions will he addressed.

   If time permits, we will open the meeting to the floor and answer questions. All I ask is that everyone keep in mind that this will be a learning experience for the hoard and we will try to answer your questions if time permits. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

Joe Caluorie
Village of Caledonia Mayor

Rumor Control / Caledonia Police Update

   Rumors have a fascinating effect on all of us. Now and again they can be very entertaining and other times, be misinterpreted with a negative influence. I would like to clear up one of the more significant one’s. In a recent article that appeared in a local newspaper (12/21/06) it was acknowledged; "That the Village Of Caledonia PD responded to "Life and Death Emergencies" in the Town of Caledonia and that the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department provided a "Supplementary" services to the town. I have received several inquires about this statement.

   To report any emergency such as; Fire, Police or Medical should always be reported to the Livingston County E911 Call Center. In the past the Town and Village of Caledonia have had a mutual agreement that states: "If requested by the Livingston County Sheriffs Department (E911) Call Center", the CPD will respond into the town as a "backup" or assistance. This agreement is still in effect. The LCSD is the "primary" responder to the town not CPD. I am mentioning this, to clear up any confusion the article may have unintentionally caused. The town is fortunate to have immediate access to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and New York State Police and as a "backup" the CPD. So, remember, always call E911. Hopefully you will never need to.

   Now, I would like to address some of the more "entertaining rumors." No, I did not purchase an "Orange bulletproof vest"; It was an orange Traffic Vest, that was purchased to be used the week I filled in for the Crossing Guard at the school. No, I am not enrolled in the Police Academy … Too old … too heavy! And No, I do not drive the patrol car when CPD does not have an officer on duty!

   Currently, Officer Dave Richardson is the OIC. He has performed exceptionally well and the department is moving in a very positive direction. Kathy Narowski is our other full time officer. The two new part time officers, Mike Murphy and Chris Beach have settled in to their respective positions and have been well received by the community. Officer Dan Chapman is part time and part of his duties involve being the school resource officer. Both Chris Beach and Dave Richardson are SRO’s.

   In future articles I will highlight the various departments in the village and try to answer any questions regarding the department and to discuss any important or informational issues.

   In closing, I would like to thank Barb Kemnitz ("Keeper Of The Sign") for all of her years of service to the village and the community. Lastly, Our thoughts and best wishes to Nora Brunette, our Deputy Village Clerk. We wish her a speedy recovery.

Mayor Caluorie updates the Village News

   Time seems to be flying by for me. Eight months have gone by and it feels like yesterday when the three of us took office. Each day I encounter new events that add to the "learning curve." Luckily, we have a great group of people that work well together and are willing to go that extra mile, to complete a difficult job. I have been asked to highlight some of the high-profile projects and give my assessment of them.

   Cal-Mum Hamilton Field Dedication: What can I say. It was a gratifying night. The field is beautiful and the dedication ceremony was professionally performed.

   Monument: Talk about a "high profile" project. There isn’t a day that does not go by that someone doesn’t comment or call me about the "Monument." There have been articles in the paper and even the "I Gotta Vent" column has been used. The biggest issue is: WHO Has The Right-a-Way?. Folks, if you are not sure, look up the laws that pertain to Right-a-Ways. It is not complicated. However, do not presume the other driver is wrong, preferably, be prudent and do not gamble on your safety.

   DPW: The major DPW projects are concluded. The "joint" school project was a success and came in under budget. It was beneficial to both the Village and Town of Caledonia. My congratulations to Chris Buckley (Village DPW) and Mark Schroeder (Town Highway Dept) for a job "Well Done". There are future "joint" projects planned that will be cost effective for both municipalities. Oh yes, WINTER is on its way, so get your snow tires on and do not forget the over-night parking regulations. If you have any questions, call the office. I do not want to see anyone receive that "detested" parking ticket.

   Water Grants: Recently several streets (Jane, Jersey, Church, Spring & Mill) were sent questionnaires requesting household information. I know there were concerns about confidentiality. I can assure you that all information will be kept private. The Village of Caledonia did not receive the completed questionnaires. They were sent to an independent office that computed the data and submitted the information to NYS for review. With out your co-operation, we may not meet the requirements for the grant. One way or another the water lines and mains need to be replaced. If we receive cooperation from the residents we stand a good chance to receive the grants. That will keep the water rates from escalating. Please call me if you have any concerns or questions.

   Police: We have added two new Part-Timers. Chris Beach (Cal-Mum graduate) and Mike Murphy (Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept, STAR Unit) have joined the force. We welcome them to the Caledonia Police Department. Currently, their status is; Part-time.

   In closing I would like to thank Kelley’s Heroes for their practice sessions the past few weeks. I enjoyed hearing them while they marched through-out the village, honing their skills for their big day in Toronto.

   See you around and have a nice day

Caledonia Police Department adds two new part time offers, Mike Murphy (left) and Chris Beach (center), joining Officer David Richardson (right).

New Caledonia PD Officer Mike Murphy, on a routine stop to meet the folks at Pizza Land and others around town, meets this Caledonia young lady who has nothing but smiles for the new police officer!

Mayor Caluorie’s first Village News

   Well, this is my first newsletter to you since the three of us took office in April. I would have to say that the first 30 days were spent "learning the ropes." The next thing I did was to move into the office next to Ann Marie’s (Village Clerk) office. I spent a great deal of the time trying to set up my file system and to sort out all of my correspondence. I lost a bet to Ann because I did not complete the task as agreed!

Department Updates

   Police Department: Steve Polo was made the Police Liaison. I chose Steve for several reasons, primarily because of his experience at Eastman Kodak Company as a manager. He brings to the table a fresh perspective regarding the department. He has looked at such critical issues as scheduling (making use of our manpower) and how it reflects on the community; the potential for a new hire to replace Chief Joseph Rychlicki (who has indicated that it is time for him to give up the reins) as the administrator in charge. Several applicants are being looked at. (Mayor Caluorie’s column was written one week before Mr. Rychlicki offered his resignation on September 1, 2006).

   Village Crew: Chris Buckley was appointed department head of the Streets and Water Department. We are very pleased with our selection. Chris has taken on the added responsibility and moved the department forward. We also promoted Bob Frew to Foreman. Currently he and Chris are the only members that work in the water treatment plant. We are looking to hire a third person to help with the responsibility. They have had several major projects that have gone well. The School (joint project with Town & Village) was completed in a timely manner. I am told they both made a profit and still saved the taxpayers’ money.

   Parks & Recreation Program: Completed another banner year under the leadership of Betty McClenney. The parks have several events, including road trips to Darien Lake and Minnehans in Lakeville. There were daily activities at the park for the children. We were able to turn on the sprinkler at the "wadding" pool. The children loved that during the 90 degree weather. Our final day ended with a "cook-out" for the children. We had some excellent chefs on hand - Mark Schroeder (Town Foreman), Chris Buckley (Village ); Dave Richardson (CPD) and myself did all the cooking. Betty McClenney was there
to make sure all went well.

   Kathy DeMarco Presentation: Kathy formed a group of volunteers who keep in contact with every service person in the military that are residents of the Cal-Mum region. They send them "Care Packages" and cards to every one of them. Kathy's group meets at the American Legion and puts all the packages together, to be shipped over-seas and in-country. They rely on donations from the public to keep the project going. The village board presented Kathy a plaque that said: "Thank you for you dedication and support for our troops. The American Legion under Mel Keenan, helped put the plaque together and Vince Yaniro framed and mounted it.

   Water / Street Updates: Mark Brown (computer consultant), Chris Buckley, Bob Frew and myself have implemented a software program that will keep track of all repairs, new installation of water lines, hook-up and any water line related project. Currently all the information is stored in a set of journals that go back to the 1920's. Now with the new software, the DPW will only have to input the house number and enter all materials that were used and a description of the projects. Upon completion of the job, we will know the following information: labor costs, material costs, total hours and manpower. We will even be able to determine in the future, the cost of a hook-up or repair prior to starting the job. This will be converted to a cost analysis report for every job. That information will be automatically entered into a spreadsheet program to be used for future projects. This program will also allow the village to adjust some of the services that in the past have been provided by the DPW at a fixed rate. With the rising cost of copper and brass, we must be concerned about our charge rate.

   In closing I would like to thank the members of our community for their support. As with any new administration, there will be a lag time prior to our getting up to speed. Currently, I enjoy working with our village employees. I feel that our Village Office (under Ann Marie Grattan’s leadership and Nora Brunette’s assistance to Ann) runs very efficient. A great deal of activity goes on in that office, that even I was not aware of, until I came on board. Thanks for all for your patience and support. If anyone has any suggestions regarding this newsletter, you may contact me at: caluorie@frontiernet.net

   Peace to all,
   Mayor Joe Caluorie