Messenger Happy 100th Birthday Millicent Adsit
Sports
Community
B’ville Lineman commits to SU football
Beaver Lake hosts MidWinter Blues Run
... Page 9
Volume 87, No. 4 Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, 2011
Schools
Girls in engineering Baker HS’s technology department hosts two engineering workshops for female students. ...See page 6
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Taylor joins Upstate council Thomas Taylor of Baldwinsville was named to the SUNY Upstate Medical University Council. ...See page 7
Calendar...............2 Canton woods senior center................. 16 Classifieds.......... 19 Editorial................4 Library..................5 Obituaries........... 17 PAC-B................ 17 School news...........6 Sports...................9
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Village Big Chill 2011 approves budget Hearing no comments, officials increase tax rate 13.6 percent
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By Erin Wisneski editor@baldwinsvillemessenger.com
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Even after extending a public hearing regarding the 2011-12 village of Baldwinsville budget for two weeks, no one spoke in favor or against the budget, which included a 13.6 percent increase in the tax rate, last Thursday. Officials were able to decrease spending for the tax year beginning March 1 and ending Feb. 29, 2012. However, due partially to a $325,000 decrease in anticipated sales tax revenues, the tax rate increased from $6.12 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2010 to $6.95 per $1,000 in 2011. This means a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $695 in annual village property taxes (not including special districts such as water and sewer) for the fiscal year. Tax rates for previous years were: $7.00 per $1,000 in 2007-08; $6.36 in 2008-09; and $6.12 in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Total expenditures have decreased $313,040 from last year (from $4,233,238 to $3,920,198), which includes a decrease in regular police and highway salaries (down $178,951 and $67,333, respectively), said Treasurer John Salisbury. However, due to increases in retirement and medical insurance costs, as well as the loss of sales tax revenue, the tax levy (total amount collected in property taxes) increased from $1,895,751 in 2010 to $2,178,839 in 2011.
Erin Wisneski
Tony Saraceni, second from left, races out of the chilling Seneca River with the rest of his Polar Bear Plunge team during the 2009 Big Chill event. Saraceni is one of the organizers of the annual winter festival, which returns this weekend with a wine, cheese and chocolate tasting event Friday and the Polar Bear Plunge Saturday, among many other family-friendly activities.
Wine, cheese and chocolate tasting Friday night By Erin Wisneski editor@baldwinsvillemessenger.com
This weekend marks the fourth annual Baldwinsville Big Chill. “People complain there is nothing to do in the cold weather. This [event] gives them something to do,” said Tony Saraceni, who helps coordinate the Chamber of Commerce event. Saraceni encourages everyone, including those hibernating for the winter, to get out for the many activities planned for this weekend including a wine, cheese and chocolate event, snowshoe relay races, best in bowl cook-off and, of course, the polar bear plunge. “Dress for the weather and watch these crazy people jump in a frozen river,” said Saraceni, who has jumped in the frozen river every year since the event began. In addition to providing entertainment in the chill of winter,
proceeds from the event benefit local charities including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY and The Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce. Event details A Wine, Cheese and Chocolate event replaces last year’s Casino Night event. Organizers had to change the event because state laws require all casino events to be held at a municipal building. “We didn’t want to compromise the event moving it from the Red Mill Inn to a municipal building,” Saraceni said, adding they were disappointed about losing the casino event. However, they have Swedish Hill, along with sister companies Goose Watch and Penguin Bay for the Wine, Cheese and Chocolate event, as well as Speach Family Candy Shoppe and Buttercup Cheese.
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Held from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday night, the event features wine, cheese and chocolate tastings as well as live entertainment and raffles throughout the evening. For tickets, call 638-0550. Also new this year is the snowshoe relay race. Beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mercer Park (Baldwinsville), teams of four will each run 250 yards on a snow course. Snow shoes will be provided for participants and those who own snow shoes are welcome to use them. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams. Get down to the river’s edge for a view of this year’s “polar bears.” The Polar Bear Plunge will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. this Saturday at Mercer Park. The Best in Bowl Cook-Off returns with tastings beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mercer Park.
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