SUBMITTED by Vicky Daly, Village of Palmyra (19-Apr-2011)
Conversation with the Mayor
Avalanche? Deluge? Supercopious overbundance? Whichever term you choose to use, the bottom line is that we are bombarded with information. Technology is probably the reason but, no matter why, the result is that it becomes very difficult, almost impossible to sort out truth from fiction. The most maddening aspect, for me, is the rumor that has a kernel of fact as its center, but lots and lots of supposition and misinterpretation wrapped around that kernel. Do you remember the children’s game Telephone? ‘Stabbed in the gizzard? No, lost in the blizzard’ That’s what’s happening.
Fact checking on the state and federal level is almost impossible because the ‘facts’ come fast and furious. People actually make their living checking facts. Locally, it is much, much easier if you make a point of doing so. Your local electeds are here and accessible. In the village we are literally within walking distance. So, I would ask you to do two (2) things when you have a question or hear a rumor: 1) Get and the facts from someone who would know, and 2) squash the rumor; if you hear it again, provide the correct information. With things as they are, folks have enough real problems to worry about; they don’t need made up ones.
Here is an example straight from the mayor’s mouth. The RV dump station at the Waste Water Plant is closed. It is closed because the NYS DEC said it should be. It should be closed because to keep it open could damage the integrity of the village waste water system and we cannot take that chance. For all those folks who have used it for many, many years, our apologies but the possible contamination of the system has to be our first concern. In researching this topic, a new one for me since we are not campers, I came across www.rvdumps.com which lists dump stations all over the country and provides pertinent information about them. It could be helpful to you wherever you camp and en route home.
On a totally different theme, mark your calendars for the Bird Fest on Saturday, May 7th, in the Village Park. It runs 10–3 and is a delightful way to spend some time – and its free! Not quite two weeks later on May 20 and 21 is the Armed Forces Day celebration – parade, a 5K, displays, music, fireworks and more. All the events, except of course the parade and the 5K, will be at the Fairgrounds. There will literally be something for everyone. Everything is free except the Friday dinner and that’s only $12.00 per person. Those tickets are available at the Legion now. We already have ours.
Finally, a really big thumbs up for the men and women of the Palmyra Fire Company and Auxiliary who put on the last of this season’s pancake breakfasts on Easter Sunday andplan to donate profits from that breakfast to the Food Pantry. Seems appropriate and very generous.
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| Mayor Vicky Daly, Palmyra |
Avalanche? Deluge? Supercopious overbundance? Whichever term you choose to use, the bottom line is that we are bombarded with information. Technology is probably the reason but, no matter why, the result is that it becomes very difficult, almost impossible to sort out truth from fiction. The most maddening aspect, for me, is the rumor that has a kernel of fact as its center, but lots and lots of supposition and misinterpretation wrapped around that kernel. Do you remember the children’s game Telephone? ‘Stabbed in the gizzard? No, lost in the blizzard’ That’s what’s happening.
Fact checking on the state and federal level is almost impossible because the ‘facts’ come fast and furious. People actually make their living checking facts. Locally, it is much, much easier if you make a point of doing so. Your local electeds are here and accessible. In the village we are literally within walking distance. So, I would ask you to do two (2) things when you have a question or hear a rumor: 1) Get and the facts from someone who would know, and 2) squash the rumor; if you hear it again, provide the correct information. With things as they are, folks have enough real problems to worry about; they don’t need made up ones.
Here is an example straight from the mayor’s mouth. The RV dump station at the Waste Water Plant is closed. It is closed because the NYS DEC said it should be. It should be closed because to keep it open could damage the integrity of the village waste water system and we cannot take that chance. For all those folks who have used it for many, many years, our apologies but the possible contamination of the system has to be our first concern. In researching this topic, a new one for me since we are not campers, I came across www.rvdumps.com which lists dump stations all over the country and provides pertinent information about them. It could be helpful to you wherever you camp and en route home.
On a totally different theme, mark your calendars for the Bird Fest on Saturday, May 7th, in the Village Park. It runs 10–3 and is a delightful way to spend some time – and its free! Not quite two weeks later on May 20 and 21 is the Armed Forces Day celebration – parade, a 5K, displays, music, fireworks and more. All the events, except of course the parade and the 5K, will be at the Fairgrounds. There will literally be something for everyone. Everything is free except the Friday dinner and that’s only $12.00 per person. Those tickets are available at the Legion now. We already have ours.
Finally, a really big thumbs up for the men and women of the Palmyra Fire Company and Auxiliary who put on the last of this season’s pancake breakfasts on Easter Sunday andplan to donate profits from that breakfast to the Food Pantry. Seems appropriate and very generous.
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