The village of Falconer may be getting a little bit jollier this December.

Nikki Pierce, a member of the Falconer Village Board, said during a recent meeting she had met with Ron Caldwell, organizer of the Falconer Christmas Association, to talk about planning a Christmas festival. Pierce said the event being discussed could incorporate all of the traditional Falconer Christmas activities that have been planned in the past into a one-day event tentatively scheduled for Dec. 5. Pierce was also given grant information to research for playground equipment and pickleball courts. Improvements to playground equipment and athletic court improvements in village parks were included in the village’s NY Forward grant application that was approved recently by the state and announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Village board members received a $36,000 insurance check for the repair of the village’s ambulance that had been damaged in December after being hit by a town of Gerry plow truck on Route 60 while transporting a patient. The village placed its new ambulance into service in early March. The village Fire Advisory Board said once repaired the department would not be able to sell the ambulance for that amount and wants to use the insurance money toward the new ambulance while deeming the damaged ambulance as surplus and selling it at auction. No decisions were made in May regarding the use of the insurance money, but the village board did unanimously declared the old ambulance as surplus equipment.

Avery Faulkner, village public works superintendent, provided the board with a government quote and option to finance a new CAT

420 backhoe. The terms include a $40,000 trade allowance (with the potential for an additional $7,500) for the village’s 2009 backhoe that can be applied to the first annual payment, with four additional annual payments

of $30,131.12. Paula Spunaugle, village treasurer, said if the village moves ahead with the purchase the current

annual amount going into the equipment reserve would cover the payments but there would be no extra

money going into the reserve account unless future budget adjustments are made. Board members approved the purchase.

Faulkner then asked the board to consider reallocating the $35,000 in the security camera subcategory under the streets department to street equipment. The current budgeted amount going into the equipment reserve is not sufficient with the increasing equipment costs, Faulkner said. The change was to be discussed at the board’s June meeting.

In other news:

– Falconer Night at the Ballpark will be held July 15 at Russell E. Diethrick Park. The evening will honor Bill Race, longtime Falconer Central School football coach and color commentator for WJTN high school football broadcasts.

– Summer band concerts in Davis Park will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the following evenings: July 9 featuring Kallie Williams, July 16 featuring Razz & Friends, July 23 featuring the Pearl City Band and July 30 featuring the New Horizons Band.

– The Falconer Public Library’s annual summer reading program will begin June 29 while the library’s annual book sale will be held from Aug. 6-8.