Future development in Wilmington, NY?

I was talking about the schools as a parent whose spouse is a teacher who has subbed all around the area

Also LP had some big gaffes that were well known locally

Parents know best.....bureaucrats are self serving.  Some of the LP issues were talked about statewide.   Hope things are on the mend.

Coach Z wrote

You missed Keeseville.  The district goes from Wilmington to the lake which is like almost 30 miles.  Only 2 counties Essex and Clinton.  Not sure where Noah got a 3rd county?

Town of Franklin is in the County of Franklin.  three counties.  Noah is always right.  he is the smartest guy I know.  That's true.  

Coach, Keeseville is not a Town; it's a village (although perhaps not for long) which is located in two Towns (AuSable and Chesterfield) and two Counties (Clinton and Essex). I didn't really "miss it"  - as I mentioned both of the Towns and both of the Counties.  And the Town of Franklin is in Franklin County, so that's 3 counties.

But I don't want to get too deep in the weeds on this point because all I'm really pointing out is that the AVSD seems to be HUGE geographically.  I think it's sorta weird (and kinda cool) that a kid from Willsboro might be in a class with a kid from Vermontville.  That's an hour drive - maybe more.

So any word of a gas station appearing in Wilmington anytime soon?

Jon951 wrote

So any word of a gas station appearing in Wilmington anytime soon?

Really? I fill up and buy beer and snacks here whenever I'm in W'ton.

Ha!  You obvi have not been in town in a few months...  don't come in empty late at night.  you be sorry.

I'm very skeptical that the town of Franklin is in AVSC

It's way too far away and I know of no kids from over there in my sons age range

Sorry but the official district website disagrees with you Coach

"The AuSable Valley Central School District covers over 300 square miles and represents a portion of three counties (Clinton, Essex and Franklin) in New York State. The District encompasses in whole and/or part of the Towns of AuSable, Black Brook, Chesterfield, Jay, Wilmington, Keene, Franklin, Peru and Willsboro."  (Emphasis added)

Peru, did someone say Peru??  Let's hear it for my ski club, Peru Nordic!!

I would like to think parents know best..but it seems parents are now about whats best for them.   The reality is parents are the problem with the education system.  

I know this is a long post, but I thought it might be of interest to a few people in this thread.

RESPONSE FROM THE AVCS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ON THE TAX ISSUE

We would like to take this opportunity to respectfully address some of the questions and comments that have recently been posted on the Jay Community News Website. At AVCS, we pride ourselves on being completely open and try to answer every question with clarity and total honesty. All of our meetings are advertised in the paper, local libraries and post offices. We also post important notifications; Board Agendas, Minutes, and key budget information on our District website which can be accessed at www.avcs.org. All of this information is readily available and we encourage the public to review the information. We certainly understand that on the issues of taxes and school funding people may not always agree with our decisions or positions but we will always be honest and forthright with the information.

There have been a few comments made recently about how AuSable Valley has one of the highest tax rates in the region. It is important to highlight that we are unique because our school district falls within 3 counties and encompasses approximately 300 square miles and 9 Townships. When comparing the rates to some of our smaller Essex County schools we are higher but it is also true that we are one of the lowest when comparing ourselves to our neighboring Clinton County Schools. AVCS is considered a Clinton County School District by the State and we are the 2nd lowest in the entire Clinton County when comparing tax rates of the districts. In addition, AuSable Valley is one of 17 schools in our BOCES region and when combining Essex and Clinton Counties we rank in the middle (8th) on the combined tax rate list (please see tax rate comparison chart below for more details).

It is also important to highlight that simply comparing the tax rates of schools does not really tell the entire story or paint an accurate picture of the facts. We are often compared to Lake Placid School District because it is a neighboring district and some of our community members have properties in both districts. Here are the facts: Lake Placid has a tax rate of around $6.79 per thousand where AuSable Valley has a current tax rate of $16.47 per thousand. Why such a difference in the tax rates? The answer is that AuSable Valley has a total of $760 million in taxable property where Lake Placid has over $2 billion in taxable property. This is a huge difference in the tax base and it doesn’t mean that Lake Placid collects less taxes, it is simply a function on how to calculate the taxes. To illustrate this point further, in the 2013-2014 school year, AuSable Valley will collect $12.5 million in taxes with a student enrollment of over 1,180 students. Lake Placid collects $14.2 million in taxes for 705 students. In addition to Lake Placid, there are other similar examples with bordering and surrounding districts. The statement that AuSable Valley is a higher taxing entity is inaccurate and using a tax rate comparison formula can be very misleading to the public. Below are the 2012-13 tax rates per thousand for our BOCES Region:

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Please realize that all School Districts in New York State are audited annually and the information is shared openly with the public at Board Meetings. In addition, AuSable Valley has had three additional comprehensive New York State Comptroller Audits over the past six years. Our goal is to be transparent with the information and it is something that we take seriously at AVCS.

In conclusion, we are an open school district and pride ourselves on working together for our schools and communities. We are very proud of our school district, our students and staff, and are eternally grateful for taxpayer support. Our product is the children of our communities and we try our very best to balance the needs of the students with the taxpayers ability to afford. Thank you for the opportunity to share our information and choosing to make a positive difference in our schools and communities.

Respectfully,

Paul D. Savage II

Superintendent of Schools

AuSable Valley Central School

campgottagopee wrote

Any word on Steins??? Really hope that place is open this year. Having that place open right next to where we stay will be killer.

At the end of the ski season I was told that a sale was pending. Last weekend the for sale sign was not out in front. Anyone have any updates?

the sale went through..its the Russian that bought mels diner.  there has been some activity there.  who knows what they will do with it and how long it will take.

Pants wrote

the sale went through..its the Russian that bought mels diner.  there has been some activity there.  who knows what they will do with it and how long it will take.

Thanks Pants

I heard they were Slavs not Russians not that it matters what ethnicity the owners are

Some group that owns multiple restaurants in LP

Heat wise, if I were to build I would use radiant heating. It is WAY more comfortable, more consistent heat without the cool spots or warm then cold times. Steady, even heat through out the home. The difference is very pronounced vs forced air. Also the home's air doesn't get all dried out so the wood, furnishings and people's skin doesn't get dried out. PLUS there's very little dust in the home when radiant heat is used. This is big.  The home will look like you just dusted it all clean. Saves work too. The home is much, much cleaner. The air is much cleaner. I believe radiant heat is cheaper to operate also.

Downside is there's no air ducts for AC. So window AC units or air ducts would need to be placed for central air.

Also, make sure the contractor caulks the windows/doors when installing. Some don't. Even much better, have them use low expansion foam to insulate the window/door frame perimeter. This is huge. Foam not only insulates much better than fiberglass it also seals the area, blocking air transfer. When it's 70 degrees in house and 0 degrees outside the huge temp difference means the air transfers if not sealed. Foam actually binds to the wood, seals far better than caulking alone.

Get this, my current home was only 10 years old when I bought it in 2003. Yet the first winter, as soon as the furnace kicked off, it would quickly cool down and be drafty. Upstairs was consistently cold. Very uncomfortable.

The next summer, I pulled all the window/door trims, removed the fiberglass insulation and foamed them. Problem instantly solved. Heating bill fell $100 per month. House is now warm and not drafty.

Low expansion foam must be used as " regular " foam will expand too much and cause the windows to bind or lock up.