September 17, 2024
Hello town residents and interested readers,
We are happy to report that our building renovation at the town office is nearly complete. When I wrote in May, we anticipated further interior remodeling next year. However, since we were replacing some blocks and they definitely would have been unattractive on the inside, we decided to hire the contractor to no only paint the outside of the building, but the interior offices as well. Then when looking at the ceiling and floors, we agreed to paint the ceilings and replace the floor.
Plans are underway to host the fall cleanup day on October 5 from 9-4. Again, we have limited help available to assist in the unloading.
Recently I spoke to the Scipio Lake owners’ association and some members commented that we should have a cleanup day in mid June rather than early May. Many come to the lake after the spring cleanup date and leave before the fall one. As you come on October 5 and sign in, share your thoughts with our board members.
Many of you may notice new town trucks serving our community this winter. The new 10 wheeled truck has been on order for over 2 years and is finally being delivered by Thanksgiving. The smaller 6 wheeled truck is going to be used in addition to the current pickup truck to take care of so many of the nuisance snows we have been having these past winters. We are trying to be prudent and save the big trucks for the larger accumulations. We purchased this 6 wheeled truck rather than trade the pickup every 2 years as we have previously.
The Scipio Fire Department would like to let the residents of the Town of Scipio know what we have been doing in the local fire department. We decided to downsize the number of trucks that we had in our fleet, to accommodate the decreased number of members that our department currently has. The members would like the community to know the efforts we are going through, to spend as little additional money as possible.
We sold two of the trucks that we had: a 2005 Rescue truck for $45,000 and a 1994 Engine #2 for $40,000. The department wanted to purchase a new Heavy Rescue, but the cost of this truck was going to be over a million dollars. The cost of fire apparatus has increased drastically, making new trucks unaffordable for many small departments. To purchase an affordable piece of fire apparatus, we found a 2006 heavy rescue for $97,500. The truck is going to need some minor modification to suit our needs, that will bring the total cost of the truck under $130,000. The members of the department are doing as much of the work as possible to keep the cost at a minimum for the taxpayers of the Scipio Venice Ledyard Fire District.
When you see the Scipio FD hosting a fundraiser, please ensure that you are supportive. Grab a couple chicken BBQ dinners, or buy a few raffle tickets. We use this money to purchase new equipment for all of our apparatus that is necessary to stay in compliance with NY State.
We recently sent out 130 postcards to the community members in the Town of Scipio, as an outcry for new members. We found 3 members of the community who are willing to donate some of their time to assisting the fire department. The Scipio FD participates in the RAM program allowing us to take members as young as 14. Not all members need to be willing to run into a burning building, dangle from a ravine or perform CPR. There are other “jobs” that we need assistance with too. We need members who are willing to assist with fundraisers and directing traffic. The cost of training is paid for by the department, there is no out of pocket expenses.
We currently have a substantial number of young members that we are thankful for. We all know that people are busy, but if a lot of people can give a little bit of time, then a little bit of people do not need to give a lot of their time.
Watch for stopped school buses and slow-moving farm equipment. Drive Safely.
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