This has been an eclectic week in Springwater. The town board meeting on Monday was attended by nearly two dozen residents and, although copies of the budget were not available for dissemination so all could follow the board’s review due to some problem with the router in the Town Hall’s computer system, the process was orderly enough that most could follow the review.
As was reported in last week’s edition of the paper, raises are on the table and so are some new positions for a billing clerk and another maintenance worker for the multiple tasks associated with the highway department, park, and sewer and water responsibilities.
The next meeting for the town board is a special meeting dedicated solely to a public hearing on the 2013 budget. The hearing will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. (date was incorrect in last week’s edition). Residents’ input is needed at this public hearing before the budget is officially adopted for the next year. Copies of the budget can be obtained from the town clerk or if you have computer access, it is on the town’s website at www.townofspringwaterny.org.
On Wednesday, the Springwater American Legion welcomed Charles “Charley” Alsheimer on behalf of the Wounded Warriors Project. More than 60 people, some of them women, attended the 2 ? hour presentation on Whitetail Deer Strategies. While I am not a hunter, I did enjoy learning about the habits of the deer in the wild and what Alsheimer had learned from his 20-plus years of observing deer that live on his preserve near Avoca. The beauty of the photographs that accompanied his presentation culled from his own personal collection of deer that were photographed all over the northern parts of this country was breathtaking.
Did you know that there are more deer and vehicle collisions five days before and three weeks after the second full moon after the autumnal equinox? This year that second full moon was Monday, Oct. 29, and unless the storm interrupts the deer’s biological system, we should use extreme caution when driving in the early morning and near dusk. Deer are creatures of habit and during the breeding season bucks can travel over 4,000 acres looking for willing mates (does). Normally bucks stay within a certain range of about 600 acres and do not move around much, but when autumn arrives they are on the move.
Depending on whether or not there are heavy rains or snows, or if the barometric pressure drops, the rut can be delayed and the deer will retreat to the gulley areas. If the temperatures are too warm, the female deer will “go on their bellies” and not cooperate in the rut. Deer have no sweat glands and must cool off by breathing through their noses and fanning their ears, so too much heat definitely affects their natural patterns. Deer in New York state must breed in November to ensure the longevity of the fawns that are born in late May or early June.
This has been an eclectic week in Springwater. The town board meeting on Monday was attended by nearly two dozen residents and, although copies of the budget were not available for dissemination so all could follow the board’s review due to some problem with the router in the Town Hall’s computer system, the process was orderly enough that most could follow the review.
As was reported in last week’s edition of the paper, raises are on the table and so are some new positions for a billing clerk and another maintenance worker for the multiple tasks associated with the highway department, park, and sewer and water responsibilities.
The next meeting for the town board is a special meeting dedicated solely to a public hearing on the 2013 budget. The hearing will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. (date was incorrect in last week’s edition). Residents’ input is needed at this public hearing before the budget is officially adopted for the next year. Copies of the budget can be obtained from the town clerk or if you have computer access, it is on the town’s website at www.townofspringwaterny.org.
On Wednesday, the Springwater American Legion welcomed Charles “Charley” Alsheimer on behalf of the Wounded Warriors Project. More than 60 people, some of them women, attended the 2 ? hour presentation on Whitetail Deer Strategies. While I am not a hunter, I did enjoy learning about the habits of the deer in the wild and what Alsheimer had learned from his 20-plus years of observing deer that live on his preserve near Avoca. The beauty of the photographs that accompanied his presentation culled from his own personal collection of deer that were photographed all over the northern parts of this country was breathtaking.
Did you know that there are more deer and vehicle collisions five days before and three weeks after the second full moon after the autumnal equinox? This year that second full moon was Monday, Oct. 29, and unless the storm interrupts the deer’s biological system, we should use extreme caution when driving in the early morning and near dusk. Deer are creatures of habit and during the breeding season bucks can travel over 4,000 acres looking for willing mates (does). Normally bucks stay within a certain range of about 600 acres and do not move around much, but when autumn arrives they are on the move.
Depending on whether or not there are heavy rains or snows, or if the barometric pressure drops, the rut can be delayed and the deer will retreat to the gulley areas. If the temperatures are too warm, the female deer will “go on their bellies” and not cooperate in the rut. Deer have no sweat glands and must cool off by breathing through their noses and fanning their ears, so too much heat definitely affects their natural patterns. Deer in New York state must breed in November to ensure the longevity of the fawns that are born in late May or early June.
Too many people in the woods can also affect the timetables of deer. They never forget the scent of a human, and once they become aware of humans in their habitat, they can become very nocturnal. Alsheimer recommended that hunters wear scent-free garb, disguise any exposed areas of skin with natural scents you buy at a sportsman’s shop, and get scent free breath mints from the local pharmacist. He said the safest time to hunt in a wooded area is when the leaves are off the trees, and to ensure success, hunters should begin identifying the food areas for deer as early as September. Successful hunters will bring in most of the culled deer Nov. 4-10, and most will be taken around 7:45 a.m. or an hour before hunting ends for the day.
After the presentation, Alsheimer answered questions and signed large framable photos, books and calendars that he had brought with him. These items were jam-packed with beautiful photographs he had taken through the years.
Saturday was the Halloween party for the young people at the Springwater Fire Hall and also the Haunted House at the Springwater American Legion. While many of our residents took advantage of the good weather to prepare for high winds and possible flooding this week from Hurricane Sandy, some little ghosts and goblins were having a great time at both of these venues. I know from personal experience that here in Springwater there are many lovers of Halloween of all ages and the creativeness of our residents boggles my mind.
Letters have gone out to all of the Legion membership regarding Veterans Day. A roast beef dinner with all the trimmings will be served and a Post Everlasting service will be held for our departed members including Walter “Art” McDowell, Carl Miner (brother of Mrs. Norbert Lang) and Skip Foster. Guest speaker will be Undersheriff Jim Szczeniak from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Doors will open to all guests at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Matthew Sackett, son of Mike and Kim Sackett of N. Main Street, graduated from Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson, North Carolina on Oct. 18. Proud parents, grandma, and a family friend attended the graduation and enjoyed family day activities on the base and some time off base with Matt also. As Kim stated in her e-mail, “it was an emotional two-day visit” before they returned home. Matt is now at Fort Gordon, Georgia, for the next 22 weeks taking his Advance Individual Training. Mike and Kim look forward to having Matt home for the Christmas holidays. We are proud of Matt’s service to our country and congratulate him on his graduation.
Stay safe this week and drive carefully. Time will tell how bad this approaching storm affects this area but please use caution. Trees can come down before and after a storm of this magnitude and roads will be slippery from all of the downed leaves and rain.
Have a great week!
