Welcome to The Borodino Bullett Online Newsletter. We are STILL The Unofficial and irreverent voice for an area of Central New York that almost no one knows exists. 

WHERE THE HECK IS BORODINO?
Borodino is a hamlet nestled between two lakes: Otisco and Skaneateles. The Borodino Bullett website serves the residents of the Town of Spafford, and surrounding areas.

"History of Borodino", by Janice Beaman can be found on the Spafford Area Historical Society web page. This circa 1900 postcard is Borodino Landing, from the SAHS archives of Borodino Landing.

 BORODINO SCALE LINE
All aboard the Borodino & Southern Express! Martin Collard brings combines his love of history and modeling skill to create the Borodino Scale Line--made right here in "Downtown Borodino." 

KEN'S KABLE UPDATE: posted 9/20/02
Money for expansions has been added to Adelphia's budget. Since Adelphia is in Chapter 11, they must submit a two-year budget. This includes all expansions nationwide. The CEO of Adelphia reviews the budget Sundays and Mondays. If they approve this budget, then it goes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for approval. Ken says he will know more the last week of October.   Ken fills us in on the history of this project...

FESKO'S FLAG GETS A PAINT JOB
Becky Luebner and fellow patriots-- Andrea, Sara, Kaitlin, and a guest, freshened up their artwork at Fesko's Grocery in "downtown Borodino."

PETE'S POSSE RIDES AGAIN
Dr. Peter Pirney's latest is a letter to Congressman James Walsh blasting the Town Supervisor ---And, in a letter written June 6th to the Onondaga County Health Dept., the Citizens for Rural Improvement ask Commissioner Dr. Lloyd Novick to condemn what they call "abandoned and derelict properties in the area."  Mary Pirnie says this letter was widely distributed with her accompanying photo essay. (Available here in PDF format, 2.9 mb. To view photo essay right-click on the link, and save to your hard drive.)    The Pirnie's say they were instrumental in the condemnation and  removal of the apartment house on the corner of Rt. 41 and Nunnery Rd.--the future site of the Spafford Veterans Memorial---and that their efforts to clean up the town are sometimes criticized.

SPAFFORD VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
Updates on the Veterans memorial project inside...  The public was invited to attend a reception August 9th at 6:00 PM at the Spafford Town Hall, to show their appreciation for all the work Senator John De Francisco and Assemblyman Hal Brown have done for our community.

SAHS SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM
Children that live in the Town of Spafford (including Summer residents), can register now for the first annual Summer Youth Program. The Spafford Area Historical Society sponsors these Monday morning sessions (9:00-11:30 am) at the Borodino Grange building. Cost is $2 per child for each session.  Register your child by calling Shari @ 636-8629, or Susan @ 673-1206.

SAHS NEWSLETTER
The latest SAHS newsletter is now available here in PDF, or  from the "Newsletters" link on the SAHS web pages.

DAWN JORDAN STRING THEATRE
Marionettes invade the Grange building once again on August 27th, as SAHS sponsors a return performance of The Dragon of Umshire by the Dawn Jordan String Theatre. Pictures and more inside...

OVERSTRESSED IN THE STRESS-FREE ZONE
This bridge in Skaneateles will be closed next Summer for repairs. Roving Bullett reporters followed trash trucks from Borodino to Seneca Meadows landfill in this special report...

100 YEARS OF KEEPING COOL
From: Bill Littlehales <blittlehales@bigplanet.com>
Date posted:  July 18, 2002
My Mom, Edna, is getting a lot of press lately in conjunction with the Carrier celebration titled "100 years of keeping cool."  Edna is mentioned throughout, with reference to the Skaneateles Lake cottage toward the end.

TRANSFER STATION: MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Metal Day is the third Saturday of each month through October.  If you do not have a valid Transfer Station permit see Lisa Valletta at the Town Hall. Permits must be renewed each year. Cost is $15. What items can and cannot be recycled? Get your copy of the rules and regs on the Town of Spafford Info page.

HAPPINESS IS A BORODINO PANCAKE BREAKFAST
The Borodino Fire Department announces four pancake breakfasts this summer on the third Sunday of each month--June 23, July 28, August 25, and September 8. Shown here is Assemblyman Hal Brown sampling the pancakes at last July's Borodino Pancake Breakfast.

BORODINO FIRE DEPARTMENT **NEWS**
The Borodino Volunteer Fire Department has welcomed new associate members, Ed Littlehales and Joe Vecchio. They will be using their special talents to assist the department in accomplishing our mission of protecting and assisting the Borodino community. Associate members receive no special training and do not respond to emergencies. They will help with recruitment, marketing, fund raising and other special projects.

Erik Eibert has joined the department as an explorer. He will be participating in training exercises with the department and will help with non-hazardous duties at emergency scenes. Explorers are high school student between 14 and 18 years of age.

Anyone interested in the associate member or explorer programs should contact Jerry Schinaman at 673-9379.

THE PINES  SUPPORT BFD
Good news for the Borodino Fire Department who recently received a $2,000 donation from  The Pines 100th reunion for their rescue truck fund. Picture from the Skaneateles Press (8-21-02) on the BFD's web page... [BFDNews]

JET SKI WARS
Officer "Jet Ski Joe" speaks out on jet ski safety.  The complete compilation of Joe's offbeat PWC articles can be found on the Borodino Below Standard pages.

KEEP THOSE GREAT SUGGESTIONS COMING...
It has been suggested that Skaneateles use a large net to hold back the jet ski's from their shores. Or was it to mark their water boundary with Spafford?  We hear that Post-Standard reporter Sara Errington made a celebrity appearance at the final year-end Borodino Pancake Breakfast September 8th.  Visit the Bullett Archives to review The Bullett's interview with this reporter.

MARTISCO LIONS CLUB DUCK DERBY:
Winners are posted for the 10th Annual  Duck Derby at Marcellus Park this past Sunday, August 18th. Grand prize was $500 cash from DFP Roofing & Sheet Metal. Click here for a list of all prizes and sponsors.

DO PIGS SCRATCH THEIR BACKS...?
Chris Fesko announces her newest video release "Do Pigs Scratch Their Backs...? And other questions on the Farm."

BULLETT MINUTES: AUGUST SPAFFORD TOWN BOARD MEETING
The town board will probably soon fill the two recently created temporary positions for the Board of Assessment and Review from it's current applicants.

Re: Veterans Memorial park project--Fred Chappell has contacted NYSEG regarding a power pole for the site. Merle Clark found the well on the property. Gordon Ireland says the tally in the memorial fund is now $4836.32. Combined with grants promised --$10,000 from Senator John DeFrancisco; $5,000 from Assemblyman Hal Brown; our total is now almost $20,000. (Editor's note: goal is $30,000) Donations can be sent to: Veterans Memorial, c/o Town of Spafford. Ireland says "we're coming along pretty good." And, we need to "go forward as rapidly as we can."

Lisa Valletta performed a marriage ceremony this month. She pulled in some serious cash for the town in permits. Demolition permits are big this time of year. Town has amended the fee to $10 per demolition permit. Depending on the age of the building, you may also need an asbestos report.

OCWA will release the info needed for Spafford to do it's water study.

Re: Cable--Time Warner and Adelphia may switch areas, depending on what the judge does. Adelphia may sign the pole licenses over to Time Warner. Or, they may not. 'It could happen immediately, or in two years, or not at all.'

Re: Fesko's Grocery--The DEC says Gulino's property does show some contamination, "gasoline-type stuff" from long-before Gulino purchased the property. Gordon Ireland has met twice with the DEC and their lawyers, and the bill keeps going up. "I want to do something good for the town," Ireland says. "It's just taking longer than I thought." They're going to get in with a backhoe and look, and do several more borings. There is a report out, but it is confidential as per the Gulino purchase agreement.

Lauri Clark reported great success with the SAHS Youth Program at the grange for kids 6-12 years old. She received approval from the board for $600 of the town's annual budget to be awarded to this program's continued development. Clark also stated there is great concern over the speed of the truck traffic on Rt. 41. She says they're going by the grange at 60-70 mph, and have already "blacktopped a cat."

Pete Payntar said he's recorded 200 trucks in a 24-hour period. They are legal on the road as long as they're 48' or smaller. Joe Vecchio stated he and I had traveled to the landfill in Magee last week and spoke to several trash truck drivers about our concerns about their increased traffic on Rt. 41. (see Special Report) He also spoke to the mayor's office in Skaneateles and found that traffic may in fact be detoured next summer, as they make needed repairs to the outlet bridge going through the village on Rt. 20.

Barbara Shoemaker  has acquired a microfiche reader and received permission from the Town to put it in the Town Hall for public use.