The Richfield Springs Village Board decided it was time to take down
the basketball hoops in Spring Park, at last Thursday’s meeting. Last
month, the board decided to put up a sign warning the kids who use the
basketball courts that certain behavior cannot continue to be
tolerated.
Jim Kurkowski, a resident who lives right next to the north end of
the park, where the basketball courts are located, told the board the
inappropriate behavior still continues. Kurkowski showed up with a
basketball of his own, and, during the public comment portion of the
meeting, started bouncing the ball on the floor. “That’s what I hear at
my house every day at 7:00 in the morning,” Kurkowski said. “I think
everyone using the basketball court should take a lesson in reading
101. They had the Indianapolis 500 in there yesterday. The zoom in,
zoom out, zoom in, zoom out.”
Kurkowski complained that the littering, foul language and vandalism
still continues at the park since the village posted a sign indicating
the hoops would be taken down if the behavior continued. “You can put
up all the signs you want; it ain’t gonna help a damn bit,” he said.
Kurkowski also said the kids are still urinating under the pavilion
in the park, which caused another resident to speak up. “Jim is right,”
he said. “If you go into that pavilion, it really stinks in there.”
Trustee John Garbera said he has been visiting the park and noticed
the bad behavior has continued. Garbera and Kurkowski both said they
went over to the Little League field, on separate occasions, and found
a spot where a basketball court would fit nicely.
Kurkowski pressed the board members for action. “What are you going
to do about this basketball court,” he asked. “You said you were going
to take these hoops down, now what are you going to do about it?”
Garbera seemed to think there was only one thing they could do.
“This has been an ongoing thing,” he said. “I know if I was a taxpayer
over there, I would be fed up. There’s four or five rules on that sign,
and they’re in violation of every one of them.”
Garbera felt they gave the kids a fair chance to clean up their act
and feels the kids sealed their own fate. “The people can’t come down
and say the village did this, the kids did this,” he said. “I was
always in favor of the kids, but how many chances can we give them?
What are we supposed to do?”
The board unanimously decided to take down the hoops, but did not decide how long they would keep them down.
The Zone
Members of the Zone Youth Ministry Organization were at the board
meeting to ask the village about a piece of property on Canadarago
Street. The Zone has made an offer on a four-piece modular home from
American Homes. The Zone asked the board for a permit to place the
24’x80’ building on the 86’x188’ lot.
The Zone has outgrown their current home, which is located on the
second floor of JGB Properties on Main Street. Since the kids needed a
new home, members of the Zone felt it would be a good idea to buy a
building that would not only serve as a new place for the Zone, but
serve as a community center as well. “The feedback I’ve gotten about a
community center has been very good,” said Cindy Talbot, representing
the Zone. “This would be for the whole community, not just for kids on
Friday and Saturday nights.”
The Village Board said they favored the idea of a community center,
but needed to talk this over with their attorney because they were
concerned with zoning regulations. That area is a residential zone, and
a community center would be considered a commercial property.
The board members also felt it would be a good idea for the Zone to
contact the neighbors of the proposed site and get their feelings, in
writing, on having a community center there. The board also decided to
hold a public hearing on the matter next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Fire Department
Fire Chief Tom Hallock told the board he was upset with the $6,200
they cut out of his proposed budget for the fire department. “I don’t
know how we can run six pieces of equipment (trucks) and maintain the
building on $45,000,” Hallock said. Hallock said he was very
conservative when he calculated what he would need for the budget and
really needed the extra money for truck inspections and safety measures
that are state mandated.
“The sad thing is, we don’t have the money to go over it,” Garbera
said. “So I close the doors,” asked Hallock. After more discussion,
Hallock asked the board to reconsider the budget, and Mayor Leonard
Butler said that was a fair request.
Hallock also said he is working to bring a restricted firefighter
program to Richfield Springs. The program would consist of
firefighters, aged 16-18, who could do some fire fighting on a
restricted basis. They would not be allowed to participate in any
interior attacks, climb the ladder or drive the trucks, but could fight
fires from outside the structure.
New village trustee
Gerald Zavitz was appointed to the Board of Trustees, filling the
vacant spot left by Steve Rohal, who moved out of the village. Zavitz
has lived in Richfield Springs for nine years, and his term will run
until April 1. He moved here from Saratoga Springs and previously lived
in Michigan, where he served on the committee of the Downtown
Development Authority.
Zavitz said Butler approached him and asked if he would be
interested in filling the vacancy on the board. “I finally thought that
it was my time to kick in and do my duty and be a contributor,” Zavitz
said.
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