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Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Open Thread (again)


The Great State of Texas
Originally uploaded by Sally Ann.
My older brother Robert (Skeet) and his family are due in from Texas most any minute. Haven't seen them for a few years, so we'll be catching up on family news and cruising around his old stomping grounds bringing back memories and seeing all the changes. I'll be tied up for a couple of days so I've created another Open Thread for my readers. I'll make sure to post the Town Board Minutes Thursday or Friday and check back in to post a comment or two if you guys are rolling on a topic. Keep it clean and keep it pithy. :-)

25 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

lets get the ball rolling. We know several of Sallys political opinions on matters like trashy property and have heard her ideas on how to maybe make a change. Does anybody know what the other people running for office have to offer? What would Mr. Stermer do about junky property, Mr. Robbins mining operation or bringing harmony to the town hall? How about each candadate tell us their platform at the town hall . It is not fair that only Sally has to state her political views!

5:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Has the town board meeting date changed? Thought it was the 2nd Tues. of the month. Wouldn't that be 7/12?
How about comments from Simcoe, Adams- and Gross or anyone else who is sits on the Board -is running or even considering running for the councilman job. Am especially interested in hearing Gross's platform-especially since his wife Geraldine sits on the planning board which will decide the fate of the Robbins issue.
In one of Sally's comments she says she heard the gravel from Robbins was supposed to go to repair Church Ck. Road.Considering the deplorable condition of this road for over 2 years and rumors that the county has no money to fix it - you'd think the people who use this road regularly-especially the residents, school bus drivers,mailmen,etc would be pushing a petition to get something done - no matter who supplies the gravel. .

8:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Lindley is such a great place to have a gravel mining operation how come the Lindley town crew goes out of town to buy gravel to repair the roads? Would it be better to use Lindley gravel rather than Savona gravel ? Less trucking time and less man hours to get the gravel.

4:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sally invited the other candidates to come on the blog. she said she called Stermr and told him he could use the blog as much as he wanted so she woulnd not have and edge. Its up to him if he's going to.

10:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Purchasing local gravel makes sense to most of us if there is no conflict of interest.

11:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why does the town purchase gravel from Savona?

2:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Many folks view this blog as a gossip column. They do not believe town business should be done in this venue. If the candidates do not feel comfortable then they should not be coerced into this arena to get their point across. There are better ways. If people were truly interested in what is happening in town they would attend meetings and get the facts. Of course this would mean they would have to put their money where their mouth was and that is difficult to do. It takes effort to get out of the easy chair and attend a meeting and it takes dedication on the part of those who serve to volunteer their time to sit on these boards. It certainly isn't for the money! It is so easy to sit back and find fault.

3:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If the people think this blog is a gossip column they are wrong. i find nobody being gossiped about in this column . This is a good place for people who do not have the time to serve on the town board to have their questions answered.i do not have the time but i am interested in what happens in the town i live in.If the people running for office do not state their opinions so everyone can hear them how do they think people can vote for them? I along with other people will only vote for people we think have good opinions on what the town board does. if they remain silent they will not get my vote.Can they afford to give up votes to remain silent or do they have something to hide? Like it or not this blog is here and here to stay so they better learn to use it to their own good.

5:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The blog is not a gossip column. Sally has made that clear from the start. She inisisted we only make comments about the issues and only mention names when there names are mentioned in town business. This blog serves the people of Lindley.

5:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sally's blog serves a long needed purpose-informing the taxpayers about what really goes on in town!!!! The Leader certainly doesn't give us much info.Of course there is always the gossip ,rumor circuit where facts may or may not be accurate. I would think candidates would find this an excellent way to present their ideas-unless of course they want to be like the big politicians and wage a political campaign.

7:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Savona gravel- To answer anonymous .The town has been purchasing gravel from Savona sand and gravel because it is the closest pit that offers a good modified gravel. Modified gravel is run through a crusher to crack the stone so it will bind and pack better with the dirt.Modified gravel is needed to top our eroded dirt roads and it is not available locally and the highway crew is to busy to have 2 men out of their 4 man crew tied up making gravel when there is so much road maintenance needed.

9:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How refreshing to see some interest in the Lindley elections. Is it possible that we may know where candidates stand on such issues besides gravel, junk and trash as-----
Rt. 15 construction and safety measures
improving the condition of the county roads in town,(check out Co. roads in the northern part of Steuben Co.)
improving the condition of town roads
speeding on town roads,
the school issue-since LP won't be attending the new school building (as of now)
promoting the sale of Indian Hills golf course before we lose more taxable income and etc. Gee----
We might even have an election instead of a popularity contest.

11:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is for Marc. I was thinking how many miles of TOWN roads Lindley has. I have no idea how many miles, but seems to me it has to be alot. I had no idea the town crew consisted of only 4 men. Does anyone know the reason there are only 4?? Other towns have more than 4 and they cant possibly have as many miles as Lindley. Just curious. Seems like more men would be needed. Thanks!

11:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous- It is true most other towns have more then 4 men with less miles of road to maintain.We have needed more men for many years. If anyone is sick or takes vacation it really has an impact on our road work production. I guess our town has only had 4 men since its conception.If you would like to see additional town employees tell the town board. :) It is your tax money!

8:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks, Marc

I had the same questions as a previous writer.That's what's good about this page. We get to find out what our representatives are doing -or not doing.
I don't believe it is always necessary for the average citizen to attend town board meetings. It is not a social gathering.These people are there to conduct the town business in an orderly fashion. Some taxpayers even though interested have legitimate reasons for not attending-ie working to put food on the table.I give our present supervisor credit for letting the audience say what is on their mind-
even though it sometimes delays the regular business meeting.
There are other community groups or socializing. The Town Board is elected as our representatives and we shouldn't have to ride hurd on them constantly. We certainly do not go to Albany or Washington to find out what our representatives are doing. We are not fortunate as Corning to have a reporter who covers the Council meetings and keeps the taxpayers informed. Sally's page is as close to this as you are going to get. You will notice that when a situation near and dear to the taxpayer's heart crops up, the people do attend the meetings---just read the last Planning Board report posted elsewhere on this site.
I can see no reason a person running for office to represent the Lindley citizens would object to stating his or her platform. Why the secrecy? Is it as someone said the person running is 1 .hiding something and/or
2. doesn't really have any opinions
3. is afraid to make his/her real opinions known for fear of going against the concensus of opinion of the rest of the Board Members -or even the local voters. When we elect our representatives to Albany or Washington -they let us know where they stand on issues.That is what helps the voter determine who they vote for. As to being coerced into stating their platform, I don't think letting the taxpayer know why the person wants to be on the board should be a secret.Are they there out of dedication or to make a show. Actions speak louder than words:so lets hear what's on the candidates minds.

10:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

An invitation to explain your views on the blog if you're running for office is hardly an act of coercion. my guess is some of the candidates running don't want people to know what they think on certain issues in town. Otherwise someone might disagree with them and not vote for them. The blog is a perfect venue for candidates to state their platform. That's what campaigning is, isn't it. Finding ways to get your message out. I've learned more about the town from reading Sallys blog than attending town meetings. just because we don't attend meetings doesn't mean we're not interested in what goes on in the town. *not running for office* said it best.

11:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe "coerced" shouldn't be in the kitchen if he can't stand the heat.

2:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm getting sick and tired whenever someone voices an opinion in this town either on the blog or somewhere other than a town meeting, we get a lecture on not attending town meetings. Do they really want hundreds of people showing up at the meetings. I don't think so. and I'm tired of stating an opinion on town issues only to be told I'm finding fault.

2:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not running for office but I have noticed that the newest town board member has been hard at work helping the highway superintendent get the necessary information for a new salt storage barn for the town. It was also mentioned in the board minutes published on this blog that Jake was put in charge of seeing that the new building for the town's equipment went smoothly. He is to report to the supervisor if there are any problems. Jake also was instrumental in getting a replacement fuel tank on the big town truck, along with help from Mr. Simcoe. It seems that when help is offered instead of finding fault that things get done. Change isn't always easy and everyone is struggling with change at one time or another. How refreshing to see town board members working with the road superintendent to make he goal of a new facility a reality. Congratulations gentlemen, keep up the good work.

10:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i agree with the last comment made and i have known Jake a long time. I think Jake will work very hard for the good of the town. I also think it is refreshing to see this kind of attitude for the job he has. I also think this blog is a good place to see just who does their job and who just slides along.

6:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good that the Board has decided to work with Mr. Johnson and his limited crew instead of always finding fault with his methods. Would say it's about time. Maybe it will be beneficial to us the taxpayers in the long run.

10:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sally- Well the blog has opened up town communication and different ideas and views on things in town that affect us all.I am pleased that some things that were a mystery to many are being cleared up.I had no idea everyone in town wasnt aware their highway dept. only consisted of 4 men.Maybe this clarification will make it easier to understand why it takes as long as it does for problems to be addressed snow,ice,trees etc.4 men 70+ miles of road.What is your veiw on the highway dept? Do you agree with others its time to add more manpower? :)

10:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the issue of a possible manpower shortage on the highway crew must come before the board for a discussion. And, if elected, I would defer to the Lindley Highway Superintendent for his input on this matter. I would make sure the issue was fully researched so when it came time to make a decision all parties concerned, town officials and citizens, would be aware of any benefits and impact on the town. Adding manpower to any position in town must be considered a major issue to the taxpayer and given serious thought because of budgetary/tax consequences. And I would insist that those who would oppose or favor the manpower issue "make their case with pertinent facts and figures" to the taxpayer before any vote was taken. An unresearched "yea or nay" will not cut it with me.

12:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All I can say is "WOW". The Highway Dept. having only 4 men really blows my mind and like Marc stated, before, there are vacations and sick days that need to be thought of as well. That naturally would even be less men. Im really surprised at how well the Superintendent and crew maintains our roads considering this. My hats off to you gentleman. Great job and Thank you! I do hope they get you some more help soon, though!

8:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is exactly why this site is a good thing for the town. Awake up call about what goes on under our noses without our realizing it.

10:17 PM  

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