Tanya and Michael Kefer have opened Pizza Barn at 5125 Route 209 in Accord in the creek-side location formerly occupied by Xtra’s BBQ.  In addition to its dining area, Pizza Barn offers ten varieties of slice pizzas and a variety of subs, calzones, garlic knots and salads.  Pizza Barn’s hours are Monday through Thursday 11am to 8pm,   Friday 11am to 9pm and Sunday noon to 8pm.  To place orders or for more information, call 626-2300.

Dear Members of the Rochester Residents Association:

 

On behalf of the Rochester Food Pantry, I would like to thank you yet again for all of your efforts to support the Food Pantry.  Members of the Rochester Residents Association responded with donations ranging from $15.00 to $1,000, raising nearly $8,800.

 

In 2009, we served almost 30,000 meals to nearly 2,500 individuals, an increase of 17% over the previous year.  Fortunately, the rate of growth is diminishing (we had more than a 70% increase from 2008 to 2009) but the numbers aren’t going down.  Also fortunately, the community has been responsive and we have been able to continue to meet this increased demand and supplement the requirements of needy families and individuals in our community.

 

Thank you again, you have made our efforts a lot easier, as well as the lives of many in our community.

 

Sincerely,

 

Marge Bonner

Correponding Secretary

Rochester Food Pantry

 

For information on the Food Pantry’s services, please call 626-7501.  Contributions can be mailed to:  PO Box 12, Accord, NY 12404

 

 

Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, a 501c3 not-for-profit shelter, has announced a new, low-cost spay/neuter clinic.

 

The mobile clinic is part of the shelter’s Paws 2 Help program, which is designed to help families with food, supplies, low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary care for their pets, so that no one is forced to give up a pet for financial reasons.

 

The clinic will spay or neuter cats for $50, spay dogs for $150 and neuter dogs for $100. To make an appointment to have a dog spayed/neutered or to make a donation to help families, visit www.animalsforadoption.org or call (845) 687-7619.

 

CALL TO ACTION IS NEEDED!
The New York State Department of Health Cancer Services Program has ample funding available in most counties in New York State to provide vital cancer screening services! We need your help to recruit men and women who could benefit from cancer screenings.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Encourage uninsured men and women to get their age-appropriate cancer screening services. Spread this message to your organization, friends and family.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES?
Women 40-64 years old * and men 50-64 years old who are uninsured or underinsured
(Our priority population for federal funding is women 50 and older)
* Women < 40 at high risk or with clinically significant findings for breast cancer and men and women < 40 at high risk for colorectal cancer may be eligible for services.
WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?
Mammograms & Clinical Breast Exams
Pap tests & Pelvic Exams
Colorectal Cancer Screenings
Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program for Eligible Men and Women
HOW CAN MEN AND WOMEN ACCESS THESE SERVICES?
Call the Toll-Free Recruitment Line for a direct connection to a Cancer Services Program partnership in your community.
1-866-442-2262 (1-866-442-CANCER)

 

The newly-formed not-for-profit Rosendale Theatre Collective (RTC) signed a binder to purchase the Rosendale Theatre from the Cacchio Family, which has owned and operated the theatre for decades.  The RTC is raising funds from the community and must raise $100,000 by March 15^th for a downpayment; the balance of the $500,000 purchase price will be funded by a mortgage.  The group plans to upgrade technology and to continue to use the theatre for community events.  For more information on the group’s plans, visit www.rosendalethatre.org or call 658-8513.

 

In response to a request from the Town of Rochester, the Office of the Attorney General reviewed facts surrounding allegations that Rochester Councilwoman Manuela Mihailescu vacated her office when she executed an affidavit certifying her residency in Rego Park, Queens submitted to federal court in connection with her personal bankruptcy.  Under New York Law, elected officials are required to reside in the jurisdictions in which they were elected during their terms of office.  The Attorney General determined that Michailescu was eligible to serve, however, that the final determination was for the Town Board to decide.  The Town Board has not indicated that it intends to pursue the matter further.

Accord resident Len Bernardo was elected to a five year term on the Accord Fire District’s Board of Fire Commissioners in a December 8^th election.

Dear Town Supervisors and Broadband Supporters,

 

Regrettably, IITS, the vendor who submitted our broadband application received a rejection.  The reason given was that we failed to provide a 20% match (only a 10% match was required according to the Notice of Funding Availability!).

 

The silver lining has several parts:

1) we have accomplished mapping broadband in our entire county

2) only 3.5% of the total funding available under stimulus for broadband was allocated in Round 1(so there's more $)

3) almost all of the funding that was allocated was given to middle-mile fiber projects, not last-mile or wireless projects like ours

4) we are looking into the Round 2 Notice of Funding Availability to consider whether a new application is feasible (which will be due 3/15/10).

 

I will be in touch with you about our future plans.

 

If you are interested, materials on the program are available at www.broadbandusa.gov

If you have any questions and want to discuss this with me further, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

 

I want to thank each and every one of you for the work you did towards this application.  If there are other people you know in your towns who worked on this or have interest please feel free to pass along my email.

 

March S. Gallagher, Esq.

Deputy Director of Planning for Economic Development

Ulster County Office of the County Executive

244 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401

phone: (845)-340-3528

fax: (845)-334-5724

mgal@co.ulster.ny.us

 

KERHONKSON — Ten people — five adults and five children — were left homeless Wednesday following a fire that destroyed a trailer home where they lived on Braziel Heights Road in the Accord fire district.
Accord Fire Chief William Farrell said seven fire companies responded to the scene around 5:15 p.m.
Farrell, who did not know the names of the owners of the trailer, said fire investigators also responded to the scene, but were still not sure of the cause. He said they thought it might be a pump under the trailer.
He said the American Red Cross of Ulster County also responded and provided emergency aid to the five adults and five children living in the home. The Red Cross in a press statement said it provided temporary shelter and financial assistance for food, warm winter clothing and medical supplies.
According to the Farrell, the Accord Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Napanoch, Kerhonkson, Stone Ridge, Kripplebush, High Falls and Olive fire departments. He said the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office also responded. (Freeman 1/22/10)

Town, County and Fire District Taxes are all due this week.  Here’s a recap of the Town’s Budget (the County and Fire District budget and tax levies are determined by the elected officials of those separate taxing entities).

 

 

ACCORD — Supervisor Carl Chipman is lauding town of Rochester employees for finding ways to trim departmental spending and consolidate services under the town’s $3.29 million budget for 2010.

The result is that town spending will be down by 1.7 percent next year and the property tax levy will fall by 3.4 percent.

The budget was adopted during a recent Town Board meeting, and Chipman noted in a follow-up press release that 2010 will be the second consecutive year with a tax levy lower than the year before.

But services offered by the town are not suffering, Chipman said.

“Services such as library participation were expanded, and certain projects such as improvements at the kennel were included” in the 2010 budget, he wrote.

Chipman said that “belt tightening in all departments and maintenance of conservatively estimated revenue streams” helped to keep the budget stable.

“We know that our residents and businesses are struggling,” he said. “I feel it is my responsibility to do what I can so that taxes do not add to their burden.”

The 2010 budget includes $65,792 for the town supervisor’s office, up 17.1 percent from 2009; $20,300 for the Town Board, up 2 percent; $86,876 for the town justices, up 1.7 percent; $79,323 for the town clerk’s office, up 2.8 percent; $88,109 for the assessor’s office, up 2.8 percent; and $74,473 for the highway superintendent’s office, up 0.8 percent.

Other expenses in the budget:

• Employee benefits, $558,832, up 1 percent from 2009.

• Highway department general repairs, $523,817, up 2.5 percent.

• Garbage and refuge removal, $223,775, up 7.1 percent.

• Highway department machinery, $178,141, up 1.4 percent.

• Snow removal, $159,246, up 2.8 percent.

• Building maintenance, $159,043, down 4.6 percent decrease.

• Safety inspections, $77,383, up 1.3 percent.

• Library, $25,000, up 100 percent.

• Elections, $22,048, up 9.4 percent.

• Cemetery, $5,000, down 50 percent.

 

(Freeman 11/27/09)