Town of Ripley Supervisor Laura K. Pless

RIPLEY — Town council members at their regular meeting last month voted to donate $300 to the Westfield Little League in order to help offset expenses for that organization.

The decision was made in response to a letter from the Westfield Little League, asking for help to pay for uniforms, equipment and field maintenance for the upcoming season. “Your support would not only ensure that our players have the necessary resources to succeed on the field, but it would also provide Westfield Little League with an opportunity to give back to the community through youth sports,” the letter stated.

“We have a lot of kids from Ripley who participate in the Westfield Little League,” said Town Supervisor Laura K. Pless. “We felt it only right to donate to the organization.”

In other business, Planning Board Chairperson Raymond Dyer submitted a report stating the board has been trying to decide what to do with the town’s field by the Hut.

“The idea that we came up with was to have one or more food truck festivals and bring in bands to perform during these events,” the report stated. “There was also discussion about bringing a local church, the fire department, or other organization in for a possible fundraising opportunity at this time.”

Dyer also reported that plans for the town beautification are moving along. “Multiple board members are eager to volunteer their time to help plant flowers around the area, especially in pots or other planters, around the town’s sidewalks,” he said.

During the period of Privilege of the Floor, council members heard from Andrew Dickson of Jamestown, who noted that it is the hawk migration season. He encouraged people to come out on nice days and observe the birds around Route 5, Forsythe Road or Parker Road. “It’s spectacular,” he said. “You might see hundreds of hawks and falcons go by.”

In another matter, board members approved the summer recreation program, which will take place from July 7 to Aug. 15. Trent Johnson was approved as the summer recreation program director and Emma Lindsey and Anyah Carlson were approved to be summer recreation program assistants.

Town Assessor Jason Jones reported that Deputy Town Clerk Nicole Gollhardt is doing great in her training to be assessor. Her physical training will start in July and she continues to work in the Assessor’s Office twice a week, he said.