Before I take my seat on the Town of Hamburg Recreation Advisory Board I would like to ask you how you feel about the Recreation Department in Hamburg. All facilities are open for discussion here, give me the good and the bad as you see it. I’m asking so, as I sit in on these meetings, I have a sense of what the public thinks. I truly believe that will help me keep an objective view when making decisions.
Most of you already know, and I’ve said more times than I can count, that I’m a very fiscally conservative minded person. I believe that Government is meant to govern and not be a baby sitter or be in the business of providing entertainment. That being said once again, I’m smart enough to know that not all of us agree with that political philosophy. I also am not willing to force my will on people.
I believe very strongly in a system of Democracy, that is to say, that I believe the majority vote should win. So in that regard, even if I disagree with an issue, I will support the will of the majority. What does that mean? Well even if I would like something to happen with the Recreation Department I will support the will of the tax payers for its future. However I can’t do that if I don’t know the will of the tax payers.
For the next couple of years that I sit on this advisory board I will be asking people all over this town what is important to them with regards to the Recreation Department. Do you want a golf course even if it means higher taxes? Would you want to keep it and raise user fees? Should the town sell it off and use the proceeds to lower taxes or beef up another facility?
What about the Nike Base Ice Rink/Arena? Would you like it privatised? Should the town keep it and open up a second sheet of ice? Should the town purchase the Beach and its facilities? What about the various youth facilities around town, what are your thoughts on them? Should the town get rid of decrepit playgrounds? On that note I’ve been talking to some people about getting some other town departments to help fabricate playground equipment from steel to prevent vandalism. What are your thoughts their and what playgrounds do you think need the most attention?
If it were you on this board what would be the first issue you would try and tackle? Knowing the mind of the tax payers on these issues is the key to providing the services that the residents want and balancing out taxes to provide them. I am a servant to the town on this board and I want to do what is right for all of us. Only then can I give my unbiased opinion to the Town Council. Will you help me here and give me some thoughts?
What is your name and position? Do you have any contact information? How often will you check for comments on this blog? The thing about the Nike base has gone on for more than 20 years. As far as I know, there has never been enough ice for everyone that wanted to use it. Hockey leagues vs open skate and figure skating – can’t all use it at the same time. Park space and playgrounds should be preserved at all cost. Community centers with activities for youth should be clean and safe, and open/staffed so that people can plan their activities. I think the town should facilitate the meeting of leaders and followers (teachers/students, etc..) – not necessarily entertain them, but make as many options available to cast the widest net and yield as many participants as possible. My concern is keeping teens and tweens busy and out of destructive circles. This also means affordable for families with multiple children. Best of luck to you in this exciting endeavor.
The Nike base is a large piece of land that should be sold off to someone who will pay taxes, more than a square mile of prime land. A great place for a subdivision.
The facilities maintained by the rec. department should be for the use of TOWN taxpayers FIRST! Out of Towners should come second and PAY THE PRICE for of use OUR facilities. The sports fields are used by many non taxpayers as is the ice rink and ball fields. The air park has a club that does not even pay rent for the use of the facility, the majority of the members are from out of town. The ice rink for many years has been the scene of large gang fights for weekend open skates. Just last week there was a near RIOT between non taxpayers from EDEN and Frontier students. There are hocky camps etc. that use the ice rink for entire weekends, prime times!, and most of the skaters are from OUT OF TOWN! and even CANADA! They pay less than what the cost is to pay the staff during the weekend, much less maintain the ice rink, lights and utilities. In the past there was a DAY CAMP at the ice Rink where parents could dump off their children while they went shopping, to work etc. Why are we taxpayers paying for day care, if they run a day care it should make a profit!
There is a playground in every subdivision so why are there basketball hoops in the road in front of every home in that subdivision? The town hires playground baby sitters during the warm months to work in many of the playgrounds. Most times they can be seen sleeping on the picnic tables.
The town maintaines Lake Shore LL, Scranton, Lakeview etc. and ball diamonds at many of the fire halls in the town, all are being used by out of town sports teams who come to town to compete with the local teams on our property, who do not pay taxes in our town, or even a fee for the use of our facilities.
The log cabin is rented for a very small fee and also used by out of towners. That fee will not even pay for someone to pick up the dog mess from the open park on that location.
The Town beach is a joke, the town has agreed to use only for town residents but they have the Blast at the Beach every year an many other open parties. People from all over drive to hamburg beach because they do not have to pay the $5.00 parking fee as at the state park. They also drop off their children and the town life guards must babysit. Next time you drive through the town beach count the cars without beach stickers, more without than with. Even the town residents don’t but a beach sticker to help pay for the park workers. The taxpayers group that ownes the property should take the beach back and run it as a business, they could make big bucks and the town could save big bucks.
Sell the state, then all the taxpaers who use the parks can pay for the upkeep and the Hamburg taxpayers would not be footing the bill for everyone.
I think the Recreation Department should be contracted out to the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg. They have Full time Ministry leaders that already do this kind of work for a fraction of the cost. No bnefits, no retirement. Lease the whole Department, equipment, and facilities to the Wesleyans for $1 a year kinda like that who arrangement with the Hamburg Beach. The Church could keep whatever profits it makes and the Taxpayers get the same services Win Win all around!
As long as you take the interest of our children first and do not file any lawsuits, I’ll be happy
To Newb:
You are off your rocker! Why are you attacking the LakeShore Little League, Carnegie. Lake View etc. Most of the work is done by VOLUNEERS. Most of the kids live in the Town of Hamburg. Yes there are a few from other towns. Just like kids from Hamburg go to the Pepsi Center.
I know the issue of closing down any of the recreation department facilities is a touchy subject. But let’s try and keep this a civil conversation. I really am in need of your opinions and not just political rhetoric. I want the new town council to have good reliable input from this board and I want the taxpayers to finally have a say in their government. This site is a good start at using that voice. Please if you read this site, respond with your opinion. It will be valuable and I will then have a good starting place when talking to people in public.
Privatize it and the public funding from shareholders will offer better ammenities AND TAXES !
We should use our political clout to expand the thruway free zone and get a Lakeview rest stop/exit to bring the world to Lakeview; this includes possible upgrading of the Heltz airport for another Buffalo airport; possibly attracting a waterpark & motel.
This Town has had no vision for big projects in the past. It is time for Hamburg to capture the spotlight as one of W.N.Y.’s crown jewels.
I have No problem with outsiders if they PAY THEIR WAY! Let the Lake Shore LL etc. form a corporation and have everyone pay that use the parks. MOST of the work is done by Town employee’s! The clubs run the leagues. Why should the entire town pay for a few to play, the Town of Hamburg DOES care for the property, diamonds, football etc fields to be maintained. If the the cost is so little let the clubs pay and pass it along to the people who use them. Just like the hocky rink, it is the same few that use it and everyone pays. Sell it all off and collect taxes to reduce costs of other services. When Hamburg kids go to the Pepsi Center they PAY the price to use the rink, and Amherst is now making a profit! Do that with ALL of the facilities in Hamburg or sell them off and collect taxes on the property. The school districts already soak us enough for places to play sports.
Newb, you have no idea what you are talking about when discussing the Little Leagues. The Lake Shore Little League has a board of directors dedicated to the little league. The same thing happens with the Lake View Little League and the Hamburg Lettle Loop. The directors maintain the fields and raise the money for these facilities. I have been involved a long time, my sons and daughters have played for these leagues. You need to check your facts before you make statements. The town does very little in regard to maintenance at these facilities. Just talk to Jimmy Snyder, Warren Lease, Ron Wentland or Frank Fabian. They are a few of the dedicated parents involved in making Hamburg a better place. Why don’t you go and help make hamburg a better place. Help Peter Reska finish siding his home. I can’t believe they put this guy on the planning board. He actually has black tarp where his siding is supposed to be and still has scafolding up. Isn’t that unsafe?
I know they are doing a fine job. If there is such little work being done by the town then just stop doing it! No more work on the fields by Town Employee’s, The town will no longer need the ball field crews, sell the equipment and the others can continue to do the great job that has been done for many years. Let the people who use the fields pay for them. The town can save some money. That is what he wishes to do. If there was a problem with his home I am sure that the building department will address it. I don’t like the car you drive, the hat you wear…and my daddy can kick your daddy’s ars. I hope you are not a director because you have a problem with staying on point without degrading someone else in a poor attempt to make you look better.
I realizr now you don’t have any idea what you are talking about. What work are you talking about that the town does on the fields- none. They don’t touch the fields. As far a Reska goes drive past his home. It should be looked at by someone. No attempt to degrade anyone here, just stating a fact. He has been most critical of everyone and loves to spend taxpayer money on frivolous things. He caused money to be spent chasing down a councilman who did nothing wrong. I find this funny when he has a taxpayer job to begin withm you know he works for the water authority.
Why are we picking on Peter ? He is a dedicated guy. Quatroche got off, that does not mean that he was innocent, just connected.
I haven’t ever seen his house, why has ‘anonymous’ ?
I know that his wife have a long illness and a major surgery. People tend to set priorities when there are illnesses in their Family. Cite him for being a Family man, not a lazy f__k that get online and starts fights like a coward.
You do not know what your are talking about the Town of Hamburg has many full time employee’s working on all the ball fields , they line the fields, mow the lawns, repair damaged benches,tables, buildings, plow the snow in the lots during the winter. Not to mention the kids the town hires to watch YOUR kids when they are off school during June, July, and August!. YOU have no idea what is going on in this Town as do many others who use the services that everyone is stuck paying for. Look in the budget under Rec. and B&G. What do you think all the empmloyee’s do? They service non taxed property so you and your children can play games at the rest of the taxpayers expense. You are in a glass house where everything is wonderful and you should not throw stones at people who can not afford to pay taxes for playing games, flying toy airplanes, or breaking your arm/leg on a BMX track or skate park. Yea by the way the parks are also used by all the drug users in town to party. Ther are a ton of things the Town could spend money on before the parks that would better serve ALL of the Town of Hamburg!
If the guy is dedicated he should care about his home. It looks like sh_t. ow do you put a slob like that on the planning board. If he is so strectched for time he should spend the time working on his piece of crap on the outside house. I can not believe he doesn’t finish his siding.
Just a statement of fact for “anonymous”.
I DO NOT HAVE A TAX PAYER JOB.
Yes I work at the Water Authority but we do not now & have never received taxpayer dollars. All of our revenues come from water sales.
And, as I said on another entry on this site, feel free to drop by & I’ll teach you how to work with shingles. It will probably be the first real work you have ever done.
If you don’t like me or anything I have done or will do, I can live with that but be man (or woman) enough to post under your real name. If you feel so strongly about me, stand up & say it as yourself.
Pete the only reason I allow this persons posts on this site is because it shows just how desperate and shallow he/she really is. I think what is being said about you is outrageous but it is important to show just how petty the former administration has become in their attacks on the towns new leadership. Peter, you are a very good man with a lot of people who support you and will be there to help you with reforming the Planning Board. We all know you’re just one man and new to the board so we are compassionate to the troubles you will have their. Next year, when you are Chairman of that Board we will all see just how brilliant you really are. Until then take these attacks with a grain of salt and be proud of the fact that they are attacking you because you don’t represent the status quo.
Escuse me! You certainly are on the public payroll Pete. You were appointed by the republicans. Just like you are appointed to the planning board. Your house is atrocious-clean it up. You are supposed to set an example for other homeowners. ou should cite yourself-slob!
You are right it sounds like a sore looooooser. I still don’t like your car.
Anonymous, please! At least get your facts right.
You said “You certainly are on the public payroll Pete. You were appointed by the republicans. Just like you are appointed to the planning board”
I was not appointed to the Authority. I passed a Civil Service test and was hired on that basis. I have passed 5 more since to receive each and every one of my promotions. At that point of my initial hiring, I was just registered Republican and was not active in any way. Anyone who wants to check the facts can do so. Regardless of what anonymous says, the Authority does not get tax dollars.
As to my house, at least someone in the “old” administration is finally noticing Woodlawn!
And by the way “escuse” is not a word as far as I know.
And I can not cite myself, I am not with the police or Building Inspector’s office.
Please excuse the typo. Pete if you really want to make Hamburg a better place pick up your dog crap, clean your yard, fix your home up, please. It is a mess.
Alrighty, anonymous, enough is enough.
It is behavior like yours, petty and childish, is what the OLD Town of Hamburg suffered from. Trying to attack one person to get them to back down is the type of pugilistic behavior that the citizens will no longer stand for.
FINALLY we have new blood on the Board who will actually get something done. FINALLY we have a chance to bring our children back to Hamburg and make the area the once thriving mecca it was before the ports stopped being used, the taxes were hiked, political status quo set in and apathy was the norm.
I am one of those children who had to relocate out of Hamburg and NY to find a job in my field that would actually pay my bills, even after paying taxes. I live in a progressive city where the budget actually balances each time and our county doesn’t need supervision with our finances. Our politicians have TERM LIMITS. (Oooh, scary term!)
What I do not appreciate is that you feel it necessary to go and attack a person who is part of the new Board that promises a future, just because his house takes time to be completed. You clearly DO NOT KNOW THE FACTS, or else you would not be so stupid as to hide behind an anonymous title. I think you really need to get your facts straight.
Always remember, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!
For anyone who may be worried about what “anonymous” has said regarding my house, please read what was posted on another topic:
If you consider a house in the process of a complete rebuild “one step above trash”, then I guess, for once, someone who blogs anonymously might have a point.
We have replaced all of the windows, all of the doors, all of the fencing which we control, most of the facia boards as well as most of the soffets and gutters as well as put in a new roof. The siding is being replaced with each cedar shingle being hand sanded, hand stained and applied. About 3/4 of the house is done with the rest to be completed when the weather breaks. The inside is being restored to its original 1904 appearance at the same time.
Since we are doing the work ourselves it is taking longer than if we hired someone but, unlike anonymous writers, we don’t live in big houses on the lake front & can’t afford to hire contractors for most of the work.
Quality work takes time & effort on the part of the people doing it. Since I have a full time job which requires me to actually show up, I can only do the work part time.
And anonymous, If you don’t like the pace of the renovations, feel free to come by & we’ll teach you the basics. Maybe you’ll do a real days work for once.
Trying to get this back on track:
I think that the Recreation Department needs to spend more time and effort in the Blasdell/Woodlawn area.
For years, this area has been treated as the “bastard child” of the Town. Our new playground equipment a few years ago was a picnic table. The kids of this area need attention and they need it now!
OK, I let this go on long enough. Anyone who wishes to respond to the article and not make personal attacks will get their comment posted. All the rest will be deleted so don’t waste your time with petty personal attacks any longer. I think the point has been made that the outgoing administration is so upset they are willing to attack anyone in their way. Pete, good job and keep up the good work. The town is depending on you to help reform the “cut and build” philosophy the Democrats forced on us for years. I hope your priority will be to fill up every vacant lot before we clear land for new builds.
The topic of Recreation is a very good one. We once had a very good recreation program back in the 80’s. Today we have nothing, this has been on a downward move for a long time. Marty has been in that position way to long and it starts with the man on top.
Marty talked about this proposed rink deal and I sort of have to disagree to Marty on this. He sounds like he is loosing something in his control and he should have thought about doing something before some one else did.
This talk about aleination topic. Can some one EXPLAIN TO ME What happened to all that property that has become a big hill and who ok’d that idea of ruining that property. This person who is proposing this idea of the rink, is tring to make things better for the community.
The rink is in horrible shape and needs to be cleaned up and then painted. The building and grounds I have been told is in control of maintaining the building…. DO THEY KNOW HOW TO CLEAN? The locker rooms are in BAD shape and the lobby is falling apart. The rink is DIRTY, just look around, the dirt (dust) is pilling up on the beams, speakers behind bleachers,everywhere. What is the building and grounds crew doing at the rink. They sweep 1 time a day and then sit across the parking lot waiting for the ice rental to be up so they would need to go over for 10 min and clean the ice and then back over to their hut and relax and watch TV for 50 min and wait for the ice to be done again. I have a huge problem on how this rink is managed. Luke Sullivan I think is the manager at the rink ( someone inform me different if I am wrong) what does he do all day??????????????? Some one ( hello Marty ) needs to make some decisions, even if it means hurting someones feelings, and get this building in better shape. This clean up and painting would not cost much. The workers of the Building and Grounds depatment, just sit around most of the time anyway 50 minutes out of each hour rental. Marty has stated in his letter that privatising this rink will hinder what was set forth by the people that started this recreation program, then get off your ass and do something about it.
There are major needs out there. Maybe go look at the Town of Tonawanda and see what they have and do. Lets look at getting the programs back to the playgrounds, build an aqua and gym center (pools at local highschools are way to cold), get back to the snow fest, that everyone that grew up in the 80, all remember, and create a recreation program we can be proud of again.
We need to start thinking outside the box. Clean house in the Recreation Department and hire all new staff, starting with Marty, sorry your a really nice guy, but you are way over your head (this is coming from me and workers talking at the rink). Don’t just stop with him but continue down the line. Why have managers for all three area’s; Rink, Golf course, and then Beach. Hire one person for all three venues.
We as an large township in the southtowns need to look very closely our Recreation. Today it is very embarassing….and if it means getting rid of the rink and leasing it out to a private person then so be it. Government is not here to run businesses and this government does not run the rink and the golf course very well and if we can free up some expenses we may be able to expand in other areas of the recreation department. Our focus should be the kids and adults that enjoy sports and that rolls into families enjoying watching their kids, brothers/sisters, grandkids, or even neices/ nephews participating in sports. We should not be worried about outside people enjoying our recreation property. If we have outside people traveling to Hamburg, then that reflexs into money being spent our town and helps our business out. Marty needs to think of the big picture.
We need to fix this recreation department and fast…..