Goodbye

This is my last posting...

I have accepted another position and will no longer be posting to the blog. I started this blog in November of 2005 and tried (and sometimes failed) to keep up to date with every other day postings of news, narratives and event information for the Village of Brockport, with the occasional "kid pic" thrown into the mix of postings.

The blog was a labor of love for me and I found it a wonderful opportunity to reach new people. For all of my loyal site-visitors, thanks for the interest and goodbye!

Father's Day

Some new pictures of the boys from Father's Day.

Ethics- Four Core Principles of Public Service

From ICMA


During an audioconference sponsored by ICMA University, Martha Perego, ICMA’s director of ethics, provided these four core principles of public service to help local government managers guide their conduct and decision making.

1. Seek no favor. As public officials, we should only receive the stipends and salaries provided to us, and should never leverage our official position for advantage or prestige, take or solicit gifts related to our official position, or use any organizational resources for personal use. One standard to use with regard to gifts is to consider whether the gift is significant enough that a reasonable person would assume it was a reward or intended to gain favor, suggests Perego. Remember: Your professional reputation is at stake when you accept a gift, a special invitation, or favors offered by vendors that do business with your local government. Your independence and objectivity could be called into question.

2. Build trust through transparency and honesty. This means doing the right thing and taking responsibility for our actions—always telling the truth, says Perego. Share information openly and generously, using Web sites, meetings, newsletters, and other communications. Make sure you are complete, fair, and accurate in all information that you publish, most notably in your financial statements. Make sure that your procurement and budget decisions serve the public interest.

3. Have a commitment to treating all equitably. As public officials, we have made a commitment to serve all—not just those who are vocal. We need to find the right balance between fast and fair, says Perego. A commitment to democracy and ethical principles means we need to respect the roles of residents and voters, elected officials, and staff. And we must have a commitment to unbiased, fair hiring and treating staff fairly.

4. Build great communities through good stewardship. What does it mean to be socially responsible? It means going above and beyond what is required by law, says Perego. It means we have responsibility to be proactive in addressing problems—an affirmative duty to eliminate corruption, irresponsible or unethical behavior that might bring harm to the community or environment before the behavior happens. We need to be a custodian of the public trust, says Perego.

Tourism Hospitality Workshops

Tourism/Hospitality Workshops offered for business owners and frontline staff

The Erie Canal is growing as a destination and businesses need to understand how they can benefit from the increased number of visitors. Learn how to enhance the visitor experience, increase the number of visitors and improve the bottom line. Learn how the Erie Canal’s history and attributes can contribute to the success of your business. Businesses are welcome to attend any of the workshops, being offered in four (4) locations that are convenient for them. This workshop received funding from the 2006/2007 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Grants Program. The Five Lakes Consulting Group designed the tourism workshop specifically for The Western Erie Canal Alliance villages and towns. The program offers a six (6) hour workshop for owners/mgrs and a two (2) workshop for the frontline staff. Please contact Joan Delaro, Project Manager, Western Erie Canal Alliance, at 585-546-7029x32 or jdelaro@landmarksociety.org for reservations and questions.

Owner/ Manager workshops:

June 11, 2008 9:00AM to 3:00PM, Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport

June 12, 2008 9:00AM to 3:00PM, Alling Coverlet Museum, Palmyra

June 18, 2008 9:00AM to 3:00PM,Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Medina

June 19, 2008 9:00AM to 3:00PM, the Visitor’s Depot, Spencerport



Frontline Staff :

June 25, 2008 9:00AM to 11:00AM, Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Medina

June 25, 2008 4:00PM to 6:00PM, Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport

June 26, 2008 9:00AM to 11:00AM,Alling Coverlet Museum,Palmyra

June 26, 2008 4:00PM to 6:00PM, Visitor’s Depot, Spencerport

Flying Time

Wow, it's June already. Hard to believe May came and went. Of course June is a busy month for the Village of Brockort. Tax bills went out June 1st, payable without penalty by the end of the month. Summer concerts start the second week of June, carrying through to the third week of August. Seasonal workers start in our Public Works Department assisting the DPW through our project-heavy summer months. And, how could I forget, I am going to have breakfast with Elmo at Sesame Place.

Updates

It has been some time since my last post. I took some time off for my son's 3rd birthday (Pictures to follow). Some news updates and press releases:

Press Release on the STEP Up Community Project, Press Release on Brockport's Celebration of National Trails Day, Information on the Monroe County Hyper-Reach Program, Information on a Benefit Dinner this Wednesday for one of the Brockport Fire Department's own, Cody Dean.

Volunteer Opportunity

The Parks Committee needs some help for the annual planting of flowers at the Welcome Center. Volunteers should bring along some garden tools.

Harvester Park—Welcome Center

Thursday, May 22, 6pm - 8 pm Cleanup & preparation for planting

Friday, May 23, 10am - 12pm Planting

Saturday, May 24, 10am - 12pm Mulching