Visions of Holley

Yet another way to shop small

Theresa Fischette — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:12:22 +0000

While many trends come and go, the push to shop local as an alternative to shopping the “big boxes” is gaining momentum. In fact, many small towns across the country are kicking things up a notch, by using their own colorful currencies. Take for example, the small mountain community of Southern Berkshire, Massachusetts, where local residents exchange their U.S. currency for colorful bills called “BerkShares”. Available in 1-, 5-, 10-, 20- and 50-unit denominations, residents use this “funny money” at more than 400 local businesses. What’s more… with the current exchange rate of 95 U.S. dollars to 100 BerkShares, the currency offers residents greater buying power. It gets better… to keep the BerkShares in circulation, the local bank is even involved… charging merchants 5% if they try to exchange the currency for U.S. dollars! How’s that for boosting the local economy?

This is just one of many examples of how communities across the country are banding together with their neighbors to stimulate not only conversation, but the local economy too during tough times. And it’s not all idle chatter…. use of alternative currencies is also stimulating even more conversation about other creative solutions for supporting local merchants. Want to learn more? Click here for the full article on CNN.com.

“Successful people …just love what they’re doing,
and they love it in front of others.”
The Word According to Mr. Rogers by Fred Rogers

Wikipedia: the definition: —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance. →

Community Center to Remain Open

Theresa Fischette — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:15:04 +0000

Area residents can now rest easy. For awhile, many were worried that the Eastern Orleans County Community Center would close due to cutbacks in federal aid. In December, the village received word that the center’s funding will continue and may even get a slight boost thanks to a new $1 trillion federal budget. The center has been in the Public Square for more than 40 years, serving as an emergency food and clothing pantry for eastern Orleans residents. In addition, the center provides lunches from Monday through Friday, and offers games, social activities and computer access. More recently, the center opened an after-school youth center. While the new federal budget didn’t include funding for that program, the agency plans to continue the program while looking for other funding sources.

“We human beings all want to know that we’re acceptable, that somehow our being alive makes a difference in the lives of others.”
The World According to Mister Rogers, by Fred Rogers

HEAP Program

Theresa Fischette — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:59:22 +0000

For many, winter means rising heating bills, with the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) being a critical safety net for low-income families and seniors. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter’s office can answer many of the questions you may have about applying for this program. The program is designed to provide higher benefits to those households who have a larger percentage of their income spent on energy costs; who include one or more vulnerable individuals; and have low incomes. “Vulnerable individuals” are defined as children under the age of 6, adults aged 60 or older, or those who are disabled. For more information, contact Ms. Slaughter’s Rochester office at (585) 232-4850. In Buffalo, call (716)-853-5813 and in Niagara Falls call (716) 282-1274. Or, click one of the following links:
• New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
• Erie County Department of Social Services
• Monroe County Department of Social Services
• Niagara County Department of Social Services
• Orleans County Department of Social Services
No one should have to choose between heat and feeding their family!

“All life events are formative. All contribute to what we become, year by year as we go on growing. As my friend, the poet Kenneth Koch once said, ‘You aren’t just the age you are. You are all the ages you have ever been.’ “
The World According to Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers.

School News

Theresa Fischette — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:26:29 +0000

Holley CSD has been getting great press of late…The High School/Middle School is breaking ground on a new addition; click here for a video giving us a glance of our tax dollars at work. Also… in the January 3, 2012 Rochester Democrat & Chronicle check out a story about our district’s Elementary Music teacher, Sally Martin who is director and accompanist for the Amadeus Chorale’s Sing and Sign winter program — a ten week program held at The Harley School of Rochester. Starting this weekend, program participants sing, dance, play percussion instruments, and learn American Sign Language to children’s songs and nursery rhymes. Sessions are 45 minutes each and are open to 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Finally… for the latest in District news,be sure send the District a Friend Request; they are now on Facebook!

“All of us — at one time or another needs help.
Whether we are giving or receiving help, each one of us
has something valuable to bring to this world.
That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors -
in our own way, each of us is a giver and a receiver.”
~ The World According to Mr. Rogers by Fred Rogers.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…

Theresa Fischette — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:39:31 +0000

For more than 30 years, Fred Rogers (aka Mr. Rogers) visited our living room and our hearts. With a warm smile and a gentle demeanor, he would start each show singing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” as he changed into sneakers and zippered his signature cardigan sweater. In a typical episode, Rogers would share conversation with local residents and visitors; give us a tour of small local businesses such as a dentist, bakery, or grocery store; and explain how things were made. His message in each episode was simple yet effective, never included animation, and was always leisurely rather than fast-paced. Each episode also featured a trolley. With a cheerful chime all of its own, Mr. Rogers would board the trolley, taking us on a tour of his neighborhood and discussing community-related topics ranging from loving and accepting your neighbors and yourself to sharing everyday challenges and fears. For example, during the Gulf War (1990–91), he assured his audience that all children in the neighborhood would be well cared for and asked parents to promise to take care of their own children. Through the years, he not only earned our love and trust, but he also shared many wonderful lessons about friendship, mutual respect, honesty, and so much more along the way.

With Mr. Rogers as a source of inspiration, the “Visions of Holley” blog now features a “trolley” — a circa 1907 New York Central Depot, which currently houses the Murray-Holley Historical Society. Through regular posts, I will be taking you on a tour of Holley and its surrounding neighborhoods. Together, we will explore Holley’s past, which is rich in history thanks to its heritage on the Western Erie Canalway; address community-related topics of the present day; as well as share our plans for a brighter future. To stay motivated while on our journey, I will also use the blog to share inspiring quotes from Fred Rogers as well as feature luminaires who serve as “bright lights” in our communities near and far by virtue of their good works.

What a gift!

Theresa Fischette — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:35:10 +0000

Holley residents and village officials are celebrating the holley-days earlier than expected with Jerome Pawlak’s announcement yesterday that he will be opening a Save-A-Lot grocery store here in Holley. With a $171,167 state grant that the village was approved for two weeks ago to help with the expenses, Pawlak — President of Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot in Albion — now plans to have the new Save-A-Lot open in late February. According to the Daily News, renovations are expected to cost about $1 million and are scheduled to begin immediately at the former Jubilee site at 3 Geddes Street, creating 13 jobs upon completion. Now that is something to celebrate!

Ever since Jubilee — a local staple for decades — closed back in September 2006, residents have been pressuring village officials to pursue a new store. Jubilee’s closure resulted from a state road reconstruction project that tied up traffic for nearly a year by the store and two new Wal-Mart Supercenters in nearby Albion and Brockport. Jubilee’s closure has been hard on local residents, especially on the elderly and those who do not have transportation. For residents with cars, the store’s closure meant traveling outside the village to Brockport, Albion, or Batavia for regular grocery shopping.

The new Holley store plans to carry Save-A-Lot and national brands as well as beef, pork and poultry, and locally-grown produce at prices up to 40 percent cheaper than traditional grocers. With such great news, do not take the store’s presence for granted, using the store as a convenience center only for buying basic staples such as milk, bread, shop , and soda. Instead, support the new Holley Save-A-Lot as your full-service grocery store of choice! With Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot comes the Pawklak family history of running grocery stores in Orleans County for 53 years; a great track record of providing a wide selection of meat, grocery products, and other amenities; and most of all… a stellar reputation for supporting the community they serve. Please extend a warm welcome to Holley Save-A-Lot!

Holley’s Revitalization

Theresa Fischette — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:25:41 +0000

It’s been three years since I moved to Holley, seeing and feeling her potential even if she did not see it in her own self. In taking a step back these last few months from regular posts on this blog and to a lesser degree community involvement, I had a chance reflect on where Holley and I have been; where we are now on our journey; and where we wish to go from here. Learning a great deal from this reflection, I discovered that Holley may have taught me more than I taught her.

Rather than chasing after love, Holley taught me to simply love; all that I hoped for and more followed. Rather than downsizing my life, Holley enriched my life with her humble beginnings, many new friendships, and a future brighter than any one of us can imagine. Rather than yearning to belong and to find a place that felt like home, Holley made me feel safe, very much welcomed, and demonstrated to me in countless ways that home is not a place, but rather about accepting the good and the imperfections found in each one of us. Rather than seeking God’s presence, Holley showed me His presence is everywhere and in everyone, in good times and in challenging times. Rather than growing my business making a difference, Holley taught me to make it my business to make a difference. Finally… rather than getting Holley to see the potential others saw in her, she instead handed me a much-needed mirror. It was only when I took a closer look that Holley showed me what so many others have been trying to get me to see and feel… what potential REALLY looks like. Not hers; OURS. You see… while I may have moved to Holley to revitalize her, the truth is … Holley revitalized me.

Thank you one and all for these incredible three years! Because of you… today and every day is a very happy Holley-day!

Theresa

Hometown Heroes

Theresa Fischette — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:22:11 +0000

A salute of thanks goes out to the Holley Rotary Club who installed Hometown Hero Banners featuring photos of community members in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Village Square and along Route 31 in the Village of Holley. According to Rotarian Roger DeFrancesco, chairman of the project for the Holley Rotary Club, the banners are an excellent way to honor local men and woman serving in the military. With 14 banners hung in the village area, there are plans to hang a second round in the future. For information about the project, call 638-5210.

Does Holley really have a plan?

Theresa Fischette — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:08:38 +0000

Residents often ask, “does Holley have a plan?” The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, we have a very detailed master plan that is available for viewing at the Village Offices, at the Community Library, and even online by clicking here. One look at you’ll be very impressed… and excited for what is in store for our quaint village. But to be successful, we need your help. To develop a thriving community, “it takes a village”. So join your neighbors and get involved.

Planning Board Opening

Theresa Fischette — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:48:12 +0000

Here’s your chance to get involved. The Planning Board for the Village of Holley has an opening for an alternate member. If you are a village resident and would like to serve on the Planning Board Committee, please contact a current member of the Planning Board, the Board of Trustees, or Mayor John Kenney. Membership terms are 5 years.