To the Editor:

(Tow of Sullivan, NY – Feb. 2012) Let’s keep the town of Sullivan and Madison County fire fatality-free. Replace your smoke detector every 10 years, keep the batteries changed at least twice a year, and install one detector on each floor of your house.

Thirty percent of the detectors in our town and county are inoperable. Please take the time now to get these smoke detectors working. The life you save could be your own.

If you don’t have a smoke detector, please call me – (315) 687-7221 or (315) 633-9333, and I will see that you get one.

Bill Pindle, Town of Sullivan Fire Inspector

(Town of Sullivan, NY – Feb. 2012) The town of Sullivan Parks & Recreation Department, combined with the Knights of Columbus will be holding their Annual Foul Shooting Contest on Saturday Feb. 11 at the Chittenango Middle School from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This program is open to all boys and girls ages 7 to 18 as of Jan. 1.

Registration is onsite beginning at 10:30 a.m.  Try your luck and test your skill.

Trophies will be awarded to the top scoring boys and girls in their age groups.  Parents, come cheer on the children.

For additional information, contact the Parks & Recreation office at 687-3471.

Tuesday, February 7

9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of February 1

9:14 a.m. 2:14 p.m. and 7:14 p.m.: Madison County Renewable Energy & the A.R.E. Park

9:25 a.m. 2:25 p.m. and 7:25 p.m.: CMS and You: Children’s Health

9:54 a.m. 2:54 p.m. and 7:54 p.m.: Oswego County Legislature Meeting of January 4

Wednesday, February 8

9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Special Meeting of January 31

11:01a.m. 4:01 p.m. and 9:01 p.m.: Assembly Update with Bill Magee

Thursday, February 9

9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

9:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Tomorrow’s World

11:00 p.m.:  Ear to the Streets

(Chittenango, NY – Jan. 2012) Dick Steinbach of the Chittenango Lions Club presents a check for $600 to the Midge Daviau of the Sullivan Food Cupboard.  This donation and others to other community organizations, including $400 to the local Boy Scout Troop and $100 to the Leo Club, are made possible by projects such as the Lions recent Christmas tree sale.

(Town of Sullivan, NY – Feb. 2, 2012) Sullivan-based state police are investigating a one car fatal motor vehicle accident, which occurred on Lakeport Road in the Town of Sullivan at approximately 2:05 p.m. Feb. 2.

A 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck operated by Charles G. Stevens, 82, of Route 5, Canastota was southbound on Lakeport Road, south of Smith Ridge Road, when the truck travelled off the east side of the roadway, struck a culvert and some small trees and overturned into a stream.

Stevens was removed from the vehicle by fire personnel from the North Chittenango Fire Department and transported by Rural Metro Ambulance to SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where he was pronounced deceased.

Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is asked to call the state police in Oneida at (315) 366-6000 or Sullivan at (315) 687-6050.

(Chittenango, NY – Feb. 2012) This year, the village of Chittenango will celebrate its bicentennial. Town Historian Dick Sullivan, bicentennial committee chairman, and co-chairman Charlie Albee will be addressing the Greater Sullivan Area Chamber of Commerce to outline the many events that are planned to celebrate this historic occasion.

Chamber member and Ten Pin Restaurant owner Marrianne Finocchiaro will host the Chamber’s breakfast meeting Feb. 7 at 7:30 a.m.. This Chamber meeting is open to the public.

The breakfast buffet is $7. The Sullivan Chamber would like to invite everyone to attend this important informational bicentennial meeting.

Monday, January 30, 2012

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Impact Committee – Madison County Promise January 17

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting with Rich Vindigni “Ireland”

3:31 p.m. and 8:31 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of January 18

3:52 p.m. and 8:52 p.m.: Oneidas Club with Pat Albaugh – OPL Budget Vote

4:11 p.m. and 9:11 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Meeting of January 17

Tuesday, January 31

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Public Library Presents:  John Taibe “Oneida’s Third Rail”

3:29 p.m. and 8:29 p.m.: Oneida Public Library Presents:  Cheryl Pula “The Children’s Crusade”– The 8^th Army Air Force in World War II

Wednesday, February 1

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Canastota Central Schools Board of Education Meeting of  January 24

3:54 p.m. and 8:54 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting with Elise Allen: “The Market Place”

4:16 p.m. and 9:16 p.m.:  City of Sherrill Commission Meeting of January 23

Thursday, February 2

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: CAC Series:  Oneida County Office for the Aging: “ Services and Programs for Seniors”

2:51 p.m. and 7:51 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting, with Mike Healy “Oneida   Healthcare Web Site”

3:10 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.: Village of Vernon Board Meeting of January 23

The Erie Canalway Commission and Heritage Fund Board presented grant awards to Central New York recipients on Jan. 25. Pictured from left are

Christine O’Neil, Joan DiChristina of Chittenango Landing, Natalie Stetson and Dan Ward of the Erie Canal Museum, Judy Schmidt-Dean and Tom Blanchard from Erie Canalway and Liz Ayers of WCNY. 

(Jan. 2012) The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, awarded $43,700 in grants to assist organizations with canal-related education, preservation, and tourism projects.

Seven organizations from Albany to Buffalo received funding, including three in Central New York: Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum (Chittenango), Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse), and the Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York/WCNY (Syracuse). Other recipients include: Albany Institute of History and Art (Albany), The Buffalo Zoo (Buffalo), New York Folklore Society (Schenectady), and the Schenectady Museum & Suits–Bueche Planetarium (Schenectady).

Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum received $7,000 to complete a Cultural Landscape Report. The report will document critically-needed repairs and provide recommendations and strategies to preserve and improve Chittenango’s dry-docks and historic character.

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York, encompassing the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, in partnership with the National Park Service, collaborates with government agencies, communities and organizations to protect and promote the canal corridor for all to use and enjoy.  The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund is dedicated to charitable, educational, and civic purposes within the confines of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

(Lakeport, NY – Jan. 21, 2012) Sullivan-based state police charged a 30-year-old Vernon man with driving while impaired by drugs after his vehicle nearly struck a state police patrol vehicle on State Route 31 in the Town of Sullivan at approximately 2:55 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Sergeant Matthew Navin was patrolling westbound on Route 31 when an eastbound 2002 Pontiac Sunfire drove across the center line of the road into the westbound lane, forcing the state police vehicle to swerve to the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision.

The Pontiac was stopped and the operator, Jonathan F. Lessels of Van Epps Street in Vernon, was found in possession of a large quantity of prescription medications and approximately 16 grams of marijuana.  Field sobriety tests were administered and Lessels was found to be in an impaired condition.

Lessels was evaluated by a state police drug recognition expert at the SP Sullivan barracks and charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired by Drugs, seventh-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and Possession of a Controlled Substance Outside Its Original Container.

Lessels is scheduled to appear in the Town of Sullivan Court on Feb. 7, 2012.

Monday, January 23, 2012

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of November 15

3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of November 15

3:23 p.m. and 8:23 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of November 15

3:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.: Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 29

4:05 p.m. and 9:05 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Budget Meeting of November 29

Tuesday, January 24

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: City of Oneida and Madison County Inductions of January 1

2:14 p.m. and 7:14 p.m.: Town of Vernon Officer Inductions of  January 1

2:18 p.m. and 7:18 p.m.: Town of Vernon Board Meeting of January 2

3:56 p.m. and 8:56 p.m.: City of Sherrill Officer Inductions of January 2

4:04 p.m. and 9:04 p.m.: Oneida Common Council Meeting of January 3

Wednesday, January 25

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Madison County State of the County Address of January 3

3:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.: Town of Sullivan Board Meeting of January 4

3:47 p.m. and 8:47 p.m.:  City of Sherrill Commission Meeting of January 9

4:01 p.m. and 9:01 p.m.: Town of Lebanon Board Meeting of January 9

5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.: Congressman Bill Owens’ Town Hall Meeting of January 9

Thursday, January 26

2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.: Oneida rotary Club Meeting of November 29

2:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.: Canastota Schools Board Meeting of January 10

3:02 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.: Oneida Rotary Club Meeting of January 10

3:36 p.m. and 8:36 p.m.: Oneidas Club Meeting with PSC Doug Lippert, January 12