Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agriculture Program

Eric Jensen, Resource Conservation Specialist, SLWAP

Cover Crop Drone Seeding Project

Beginning August 21^st, the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Ag Program (SLWAP) contracted with Auburn Ag Products to apply over 16,500 pounds of annual ryegrass cover crop seed on over 660 acres of standing corn silage fields in the Skaneateles Lake watershed. We used a large Hylio AG-130 drone with a hopper/spreader capable of applying seed on 0.8 acres per flight. The cover crop seeding project is in the first year of a 3-year NYS Climate Resiliency Farming grant. Eight Skaneateles Lake watershed farms volunteered to test this technology for the project. Our experience is that advancing drone technology has promising uses on the farm as we learn how to use it effectively. The new models of drones will more than double the capacity and dramatically improve efficiency.

Annual ryegrass is shade tolerant, so it will germinate and establish under the canopy of corn leaves. It has a successful history of being applied by aircraft in the Midwest about 6 weeks before the crop is harvested. Rainy weather conditions can delay corn harvest or delay cover crop planting after the corn harvest. Without cover crop protection, the soil is vulnerable to erosion from storm and spring runoff events during the dormant season.

The agricultural fields selected for this project are in high priority watersheds of Skaneateles Lake that has a high impact on the quality of drinking water for over 200,000 city residents. Planting of cover crops with drone technology will allow for a quick establishment of a ‘green carpet’ of growing plants as enhanced protection for this great resource. Cover crops also increase infiltration of water into the soil profile to reduce storm water runoff potential from the fields. Another benefit is that cover crops increase soil aggregates and organic matter which increases overall soil health. This is a win-win for the farm and the environment.

For more information on drone seeding, contact the SLWAP & Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District office location at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool at 315-457-0325.

Town Clerk

Julie Stenger

The Town Clerk’s Office will be seeing some changes in 2024! Our Tax Collector, Lori Milne has been elected to the Skaneateles Town Board and will be leaving the position of Town Tax Collector. Lori Milne has been the Town Tax Collector since 1994 and now has been elected to the Skaneateles Town Board. Lori will be greatly missed after her decades of service, but she will be a great addition to the Town Board. The Town now has the opportunity to combine the duties of the Town Tax Collector with the duties of Town Clerk. This will be a cost savings opportunity and will give our taxpayers the ability to pay taxes during the Town Clerk’s Office hours, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. I am in support of this opportunity and look forward to making it more convenient for everyone! In order for this consolidation to happen, the Town will be holding a mandatory referendum vote. This vote will take place on December 12, 2023, at the Town Hall, 24 Jordan Street, Skaneateles NY, 13152 from 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m. To vote you must be a registered voter in the Town or Village of Skaneateles. If anyone would like an absentee ballot, please go to the Town of Skaneateles website at www.townofskaneateles.com or contact me directly at [email protected], or  call, me at 315-685-3473.

We are all looking forward to this transition that will save taxpayer dollars and extend the hours taxes can be paid.  Read More.

Codes Enforcement

Bob Herrmann, CEO

The heating season is upon us! Remember to have your chimneys cleaned and your boilers/furnaces checked by a professional before the worst of the season hits.

Check all smoke alarms and CO alarms as well!

Always keep doorways, emergency escapes, and exhaust pipes/vents clear of leaves and snow.



rherr[email protected]

315-685-0833

News from the

Water Department

Miranda Robinson, Town Engineer

Happy Autumn from the Water Department! Please meet our newest addition to the team, Wesley Hill. Wesley hails from the Town of Summerhill and is joining Shane Christman to maintain the 27+ miles of waterline in the Town.

The water duo will make appointments with all our water district customers this winter to update our meters and radios. We will also be doing an inventory of our service lines as directed by the EPA. This inventory will be made available to the public by the end of the year on the Town website.

As always, if you have any questions regarding your water service, please call Shane at 315-729-3483. If you have questions regarding your bill, please call

315-685-0268. Or if you have general questions regarding the water system, please email: mrobinson@townofskaneateles.com

An Early Grocery Store

Beth Batlle, Town Historian

   Early grocery stores were much different than they are today. For example, a housewife would enter the store and position herself at the counter with her grocery list in hand. Then a clerk would appear and volunteer to help her.

     She would call out the first item that she needed, and the clerk would locate the item and bring it to her. Sometimes the clerk had to climb a ladder to secure an item that was up on a high shelf. This ladder moved freely along a track located above the shelving, moving forward and backward along a wall of groceries.

      The woman called out each item until the clerk had accumulated every item on her grocery list and the pile on the counter in front of her grew larger. After she paid her bill and left, groceries in hand, another woman moved in, and the process was repeated.

    Early stores carried mostly non-perishable items. The housewife would need to go elsewhere to purchase her meat, fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Grocery shopping was time consuming.

    One of these grocery stores was the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. Known as the A & P, it was located at 42 East Genesee Street. And everyone knew the store manager – James Doyle.

     Another grocery store was the Harse Market, located where the Blue Water Restaurant is today. It became known as the Bridge Market. After a fire in 1963, on the second floor, the store moved to the former Stott Garage at 18 West Genesee Street.

SAVES

Jerry Schinaman

SAVES has been providing emergency medical services to the community for over 50 years. Originating as an all-volunteer organization, due to changing education and equipment requirements, SAVES now has a near 100% compensated staff. We continue to have an all-volunteer Board of Directors. We are currently conducting our annual fund-raising drive. Your support and contributions assist in funding our daily operations, purchasing new equipment, and providing training to the members of the community. Contributions may be made through the SAVES website or by mailing contributions to SAVES at 77 Fennell Street, Skaneateles, NY.

“Dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.” This is something that we teach our children. We have noticed that some residents have called SAVES directly in emergencies. Although we have crews on duty 24 hours a day, our increased volume of calls means they may not be available when you call. Through the first 10 months of this year we have responded to 860 calls. If help is needed calling 9-1-1 is the only way to ensure a rapid response will occur. We also recommend preparing lists of medications for family members which can be accessed by first responders in an emergency.

The only thing more tragic than a death is a death that could have been prevented.

Instructions regarding CPR and AED use are offered the third Saturday of each month. First Aid classes are offered as needed. During First Aid classes, techniques for controlling traumatic bleeding are included. In the first 9 months of 2023, there have been 30 classes conducted by SAVES personnel. These classes were attended by 160 students. Many of these students were regular attendees having their certification cards renewed after 2 years. But a large number were first-time attendees recognizing the importance of these life-saving techniques. Many witnessed the use of these techniques in real time on television during a football game in January. SAVES is also working with the Skaneateles schools providing a familiarization class in CPR/AED usage to staff members. Call SAVES,

315-685-5217, for more information or to sign up. There is a fee for classes.

We are always looking for volunteer members. If you may be interested in volunteering, or you are not sure, stop in and see us. Personnel are always willing to conduct a tour of our facilities and discuss volunteering opportunities.

Finally, please remember we are now entering the winter season of snow-covered roads. 

Keeping driveways, walkways and steps clear will help ambulance personnel to reach you in case of an emergency.

News from the Ecumenical Food Pantry

Cindy Gadra

News from the Parks Department

Sue Murphy

What a summer! Austin Park, The Charlie Major Nature Trail and The Conservation Area were very busy. The parks employees worked so hard to make sure the community could use the swimming area, farmers market, ballfields, and parking lot in Mandana for their boat trailers.

Park Updates and Reminders...

·        When walking out at the Conservation Areas, please wear bright color clothing. It is hunting season, and the more we make ourselves visible the safer we are.

·        The Sims building will be closing in the next few weeks for the winter and will open again in the spring. Thank you for your comments regarding the building, it is a great asset to the park, and was greatly needed.

·        Fall maintenance has begun and we will be on the walking path so please watch out for us when walking around the park. We don’t want to be in your way just as much as we know you don’t want to be in ours.

·        Snow fences and reflector poles will be put out shortly. Please leave them where they are. Even though the staff knows this path by heart, in the wintertime it’s a bit challenging, and having them in place helps with spring maintenance. 

·        Please continue to pick up after your pet.  Mutt Mitt stations are available along the walking path.

Read More



Town Of Skaneateles

24 Jordan Street

Skaneateles, NY 13152

(315) 685-3473