The following reports share an in-depth analysis of community data and a survey report gathered through interviews with local residents. We profile 10 towns and villages. Each report combines demographics, local services and nonprofits. Student surveys follow these reports. Two communities Manchester and East Bloomfield were identified for further student research over the summer. That report is attached as an addendum.
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Clear signals of a Finger Lakes Renaissance are emerging throughout Ontario County. Demand for homes in urban areas along with lake and rural towns, coupled with new wine, beer, hospitality and culinary endeavors, suggest a new era for a region that had been in decline.
During the Spring of 2022, Catalyst FLX and students from Hobart and William Smith Colleges executed a series of community surveys aimed at gauging the ability of the county's rural towns and villages to best harness these promising trends.
Working with the Partnership for Ontario County, these teams produced overviews of several rural towns and villages in the county. These preliminary reports were intended to gather ideas from local residents and make preliminary assessments of whether the concomitants of successful nonprofit organizations were present in each community.
These reports will be shared with local officials and area residents to provide new insights into ways that individuals, groups and institutions governmental, educational, human services, and medical might work together to improve quality of life in these communities. Our research is intended to help build the local nonprofit infrastructure to enable further fundraising and development of services.
Sept. 11, 2022
3 Table of Contents Overview .......................................................................................................................... 2 Community profiles ........................................................................................................ 4
..................................................................................................... 4
......................................................................................................... 44
Town of Naples
Town of East Bloomfield
Town of Gorham
Village of Manchester
Village of Rushville
.............................................................................................. 17
school districts of Ontario County ................................................................... 61 HWS student surveys ................................................................................................... 74 East Bloomfield ............................................................................................................. 74 Gorham ........................................................................................................................ 101 Manchester .................................................................................................................. 118 Naples .......................................................................................................................... 166 Summer survey of East Bloomfield and Manchester/Shortsville ........................ 184
Village of Shortsville
........................................................................................................... 23
..................................................................................................... 27
Rural
...................................................................................................... 50
.................................................................................................... 55
Village of Naples
Village of Clifton Springs
............................................................................................. 10
............................................................................................................. 37
Town of Manchester
Village of Bloomfield
.................................................................................................. 32
• Good working relationships among the village, town, and School District
Mayor: Mark Falsone
• Safe community
VILLAGE: BLOOMFIELD
Web site: http://www.bloomfieldny.org/
4
The comprehensive plan identified the following strengths:
Village hall: 12 Main Street / PO Box 459, Bloomfield, NY 14469 585 657 7554
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
• Rural character
• Small town charm
•
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
VILLAGE: The village of Bloomfield is in the town of East Bloomfield. (See separate report.)
Bloomfield East Bloomfield Comprehensive Plan, 2020.
• Local history Agricultural heritage
For additional information, please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
POPULATION TREND:
White: 94.5%
Asian: LatinX:.8%1.6%
Bloomfield population trend
1,2701,2801,2901,3001,3101,3201,3301,3401,3501,3601,370 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
INCOME
Median age: 48.9
RACE & ETHNICITY:
5
Total population under 18: 13.9%
Black: .8%
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Bloomfield Central School District
Total population 62+: 22.5%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
POPULATION 2020: 1,277
Less than $10,000: 0% $10,000 to $14,999: 1.5% $15,000 to $24,999: 9.5% $25,000 to $34,999: 20.4%
Full: time, year round earnings in past 12 months, population age 16+
AGE:
As noted in the community's comprehensive plan, " An aging population will require increased services and programs. Ageing in place options are important to retaining population."
Total population 18+: 86.1%
POVERTYPopulation: in poverty: 9.1%
Occupation of workers 16 years and over Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 31.9%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 7.8%
FOOD: Households receiving cash assistance or food stamps/SNAP, past 12 months: 13.3%
EMPLOYMENT:
Service occupations: 14.9% Sales and office occupations: 31.2%
FARM MARKETS:
White’s Farm Market 2180 Route 64 North Bloomfield, NY 14469
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: .9%
FOOD PANTRIES & FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS: St. Bridget's Church 15 Church St., Bloomfield
Information and finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing: 1.5%
Median: $55,821
$35,000 to $49,999: 15.4% $50,000 to $64,999: 20.0% $65,000 to $74,999: 9.3% $75,000 to $99,999: 8.2% $100,000 or more: 15.8%
Construction: Manufacturing:7.0%13.1%Wholesaletrade:1.0%Retailtrade:22.2%Transportationandwarehousing, and utilities: 7.0%
6
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 14.6%
Schlenker Farm Market 8424 Route 5&20 Bloomfield, NY 14469 585 764 0894
7
Professional, scientific, mgmt, and administrative & waste mgmt services: 13.6% Educational services, and health care and social assistance: 23.9% Arts, entertainment, & recreation, & accommodation & food services: 4.5% Public administration: 2.8%
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Households with a computer: 92.5%
Public transit: Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
HOUSING:
Total units: 629 Occupied units: 93.6%
HEALTH FACILITIES:
MUSEUMEast: Bloomfield Historical Society 8 South Ave, Bloomfield, NY 14469 585 657 ebhs1838.org7244
LIBRARIES:
Bloomfield Public Library 9 Church https://owwl.org/library/bloomfieldBloomfield,StreetNY14469AllensHillFreeLibrary3818AllensHillRoadBloomfield,NY14469https://owwl.org/library/allenshill
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 3.7%
Households with broadband internet subscription: 85.7%
TRANSPORTATION:
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in Bloomfield.
RECREATION: Boughton Park
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets: Antique Wireless Association $1,559,258 Worldwide Documentaries $323,007 Boughton Park $68,264 American Legion $39,599 Community Support $36,903 Rotary International $28,903 Renewal Services Rochester $4,708
Grantor
The East Bloomfield Historic District, anchored by the village green, was was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the seven largest nonprofit organizations in Bloomfield and East Bloomfield reported combined assets of more than $2 million and income of more than $500,000 during 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
HISTORIC DISTRICT:
Judi Stewart 585 657 historian@ebhs1838.org7244
New Hope Fellowship 7466 St Rt 5&20 St. Bridget's Church Church St. St. Peter's Episcopal Church 44 Main St.
HISTORIAN:
8
Stuart Four Square Fund Dallas TX Bloomfield Central School $1,000 William G. Pomeroy Foundation Syracuse NY East Bloomfield Historical Society $2,780
Grantee Location Amount
Recent charitable giving to Bloomfield organizations:
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: Lions, Rotary
Grantor city Grantor state Grantee Amount
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Bloomfield organizations:
Allens Hill United Methodist Church Bloomfield $687 St. Peter's Episcopal Church Bloomfield $3,500 Worldwide Documentaries Bloomfield $7,500
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 Bloomfield village government East Bloomfield town government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County government Pioneer Library UpstateGiving.comSystem
9
SOURCES:
Mayor: James R. Keyes
VILLAGE: CLIFTON SPRINGS
Web site: https://www.cliftonspringsny.org/
POPULATION
VILLAGE: Village hall: 1 West Main St. Clifton Springs, NY 14432 (315) 462 5151
10
TOWN: Manchester. (See separate reports)
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: 2017 Joint Comprehensive Plan for the town of Manchester and Villages of Clifton Springs, Shortsville and Manchester : 2,209
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Phelps Clifton Springs Central School District (Midlakes)
Population without health insurance: 3.2%
Clifton Springs population trend
RACE & ETHNICITY:
POPULATION TREND:
Nursing facility: 129
HEALTH FACILITIES:
Finger Lakes Breast Care RGH (Mammography)
1,9601,9802,0002,0202,0402,0602,0802,1002,120 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Total population under 18: 22.5%
White: 91.9% Black: 1.6% Asian: LatinX:.4%1.0%
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Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
INSTITUTIONALIZED POPULATION:
HEALTH:
Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic Extended Care 2 Coulter Road Clifton Springs, NY 14432 (315) 462 9561
Total population 62+: 28.1%
Median age: 45.5
AGE:
Households with a computer: 79.8%
Population: in poverty: 9.6%
12
Some college, no degree: 15.5%
Associate's degree: 16.8%
INCOME
FOOD:
Graduate or professional degree: 7.9%
2 Coulter Road Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Earnings: in past 12 months, population age 15+ Less than $10,000: 1.0 % $10,000 to $14,999: 3.1% $15,000 to $24,999: 8.1% $25,000 to $34,999: 19.9% $35,000 to $49,999: 28.0% $50,000 to $64,999: 10.7% $65,000 to $74,999: 16.6% $75,000 to $99,999: 9.0% $100,000 or more: 3.6%
St. Felix Food Cupboard 12 Hibbard Ave., Clifton Springs
Households with broadband internet subscription: 76.6%
The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, 24 of them in Clifton Springs.
EDUCATION:
Median: $33,092
POVERTY
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Households receiving food stamps, past 12 months: 12.5%
Wellspring Church 22 Teft Ave. , Clifton Springs
Educational attainment, population 25+ Less than high school graduate: 9.7% High school graduate: 38.4%
Bachelor's degree: 11.6%
FOOD PANTRIES & DISTRIBUTIONS:
Public transit: Clifton Springs is served by RTS on the Rt. 255 bus route. (Schedule changeable.) Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
LIBRARY:
Finger Lakes Ambulance EMS
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
Our Children’s Place 9 Village Drive Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Head Start, Phelps Clifton Springs 9 Village Drive Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Clifton Springs Fire Department
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
Foster: Cottage Museum
9 E. Main St. Clifton Springs 315 462 http://www.fostercottage.org/7394
YOUTH SERVICES:
MUSEUM
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
13
Occupied units: 866 (96.4%)
TRANSPORTATION:
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 2.6%
Total units: 898
HOUSING:
Clifton Springs Library
Clifton Springs Village Police Department
Clifton Springs Area Chamber of Commerce 2 East Main St. Clifton Springs, NY 14432 (315) 462 https://cliftonspringschamber.com/8200
Clifton Springs YMCA (Preschool, Before & After) 5 & 10 Crane Street Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Clifton Springs Sanitarium Historic District
14
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: Rotary, VFW
James Conners
HISTORIAN:
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
9 East Main Street Clifton Springs, NY 14532 315 462 mr.giff@fltg.net7394
Casa de Refugio
2905 Stevens St. First Baptist Church 4 Prospect St. House of John St. Felix Catholic Church 12 Hibbard Ave. St. John's Episcopal Church 32 E. Main St. St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Parish United Methodist Church
1 E. Main St. Wellspring Church 22 Teft Ave.
Midlakes Junior Eagles Athletic $10,290 New York Tractor Pullers Assoc $6,784
Recent charitable giving to Clifton Springs organizations:
Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency Clifton Springs $2,872,000
Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Foundation $7,863,394 Clifton Springs Area YMCA $1,799,756
William G. Pomeroy Foundation Syracuse NY Clifton Springs Historical Society $1,100 George Walker Trust Canandaigua NY Clifton Springs Hospital $119,333 J M McDonald Foundation Wilmington DE Clifton Springs Sanitarium $10,000 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $300,000
Grantor city ateSt Grantee Amount
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets:
FLACRA (Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery) $10,218,034 Clifton Springs Library $8,559,086
United Way of Greater Rochester Rochester NY FLACRA $150,986 Community Foundation of Elmira Corning and the Finger Lakes Horseheads NY FLACRA $25,425 United Way of Seneca County Waterloo NY FLACRA $7,100
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House of John Clifton Springs $26,918 Main Street Arts Clifton Springs $25,090 St. Peter's Roman Catholic Parish Clifton Springs $23,297
Clifton Springs Sanitarium Co $49,057,169
Maxwell Hall Corp $180,264 Lisk Morris Foundation $50,604 Main Street Arts $30,578
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the 12 largest nonprofit organizations in Clifton Springs reported combined assets of more than $79 million and income of more than $93 million during 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
House of John $780,166 Clifton Springs Country Club $663,864
Clifton Springs Area YMCA Clifton Springs $35,708 Clifton Springs United Methodist Church Clifton Springs $24,420
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
Grantor
United Way of Greater Rochester Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $158,575 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services FLACRA $7,665,334 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Rochester NY FLACRA $400,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development FLACRA $571,108
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Clifton Springs organizations:
Grantee Location Amount
16
SOURCES:
U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
TOWN: EAST BLOOMFIELD
17
Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
Disambiguation: East Bloomfield and West Bloomfield are separate towns in Ontario County. The village of Bloomfield is in the town of East Bloomfield.
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
Total population under 18: 18.7%
VILLAGES
POPULATION TREND:
Town hall: 99 Main St. 585 657 7700
POPULATION: 3,640
AGE (2019):
18 East Bloomfield population trend 3,4803,5003,5203,5403,5603,5803,6003,6203,640 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Web site: Supervisor:http://townofeastbloomfield.org/FredWille
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Bloomfield East Bloomfield Comprehensive Plan, 2020.
Total population 62+: 27.6%
Bloomfield: (see separate report)
TOWN:
Indian: .5%
Educational attainment, population 25+ Less than high school graduate: 5.1% High school graduate: 26.1 %
HEALTH FACILITIES:
Population without health insurance: 4.1%
EDUCATION:
Some college, no degree: 15.3% Associate's degree: 20.1%
White: 91.8%
Graduate or professional degree: 9.2%
Black: American.8%
RACE & ETHNICITY:
Asian: LatinX:.6%.6%
INCOME
Bachelor's degree: 24.2%
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in East Bloomfield.
The comprehensive plan of 2020 noted: "Over the last decade the Town (including the Village) has lost over 60% of its 25 to 40 year olds. It important that the Town and the Village strive to keep this age group as they are important and contribute to the growth of the community and its tax base."
Earnings: in past 12 months, population age 15+ working full time: Less than $10,000: 1.4% $10,000 to $14,999: 0.8% $15,000 to $24,999: 10.3% $25,000 to $34,999: 16.7% $35,000 to $49,999: 20.3% $50,000 to $64,999: 16.4% $65,000 to $74,999: 7.6% $75,000 to $99,999: 12.5% $100,000 or more: 14.0%
HEALTH:
19
See the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Bloomfield Central School District
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 1.9%
POVERTY
Households receiving food stamps/SNAP, past 12 months: 11.0%
FOOD PANTRIES & FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS: St. Bridget's Church 15 Church St., Bloomfield
TRANSPORTATION:
Public transit: East Bloomfield is not served by a regular RTS bus route. Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 5.7%
Population: 1 year+ in poverty: 6.5%
Households with broadband internet subscription: 83.2%
LAND USE:
20
EMPLOYMENT:
HOUSING:
Total units: 1,595
Workers 16 years and Management,overbusiness, science, and arts occupations: 36.2%
Occupied units: 1,493 (93.6%)
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 13.0%
FOOD:
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Households with a computer: 88.3%
Renter occupied: 23.7%
Owner occupied: 76.3%
In East Bloomfield, 84.2% of the Town, or 19,267 acres, are within Ontario County Agricultural District 1. The Ontario County Planning and Research Department estimates that approximately 74% of the district is used as crop land or pastureland.
Service occupations: 16.8%
The school district is the town's major employer, providing jobs to nearly a third of local residents.
Median: $ 29,444
Sales and office occupations: 28.3%
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East Bloomfield Historic District
HISTORIAN: Judi Stewart 585 657 historian@ebhs1838.org7244
East Bloomfield/Holcomb Fire Department
Total votes cast in 2020 presidential election: 2,104
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
Bloomfield Public Library 9 Church https://owwl.org/library/bloomfieldBloomfield,StreetNY14469AllensHillFreeLibrary3818AllensHillRoadBloomfield,NY14469https://owwl.org/library/allenshill
105 Main St. East http://www.eastbloomfieldfiredept.org/Bloomfield
8 South Ave, Bloomfield, NY 14469 585 657 ebhs1838.org7244
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
LIBRARIES:
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
East: Bloomfield Historical Society
MUSEUM
HISTORIC DISTRICTS:
RECREATION: Boughton Park Veterans Park
First Congregational Church State St. New Hope Fellowship 7466 St Rt 5&20 St. Bridget's Church Church St. St. Peter's Episcopal Church 44 Main St. United Methodist Church 2 Park Pl.
Allens Hill United Methodist Church Bloomfield $687 St. Peter's Episcopal Church Bloomfield $3,500 Worldwide Documentaries Bloomfield $7,500
SOURCES: U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
22
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the seven largest nonprofit organizations in Bloomfield and East Bloomfield reported combined assets of more than $2 million and income of more than $500,000 during 2020. (It should be that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to East Bloomfield area organizations:
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets: Antique Wireless Association $1,559,258 Worldwide Documentaries $323,007 Boughton Park $68,264 American Legion $39,599 Community Support $36,903 Rotary International $28,903 Renewal Services Rochester $4,708
Grantor Grantor city Grantor state Grantee Amount
Recent charitable giving to East Bloomfield area organizations:
Grantee Location Amount
Stuart Four Square Fund Dallas TX Bloomfield Central School $1,000 William G. Pomeroy Foundation Syracuse NY East Bloomfield Historical Society $2,780
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Town of Gorham Comprehensive Plan November 2009 2021 Gorham Comprehensive Plan Update
TOWN: GORHAM
VILLAGES: Rushville (also in Potter) See separate report on Rushville.
TOWN: Town hall: 4736 South St. Gorham, NY 14461 585.526.6317 Web site: Supervisor:https://www.gorham-ny.com/FredLightfoote
COMMUNITY ASSETS: Please see the attached Asset-Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
23
Income: in past 12 months, population age 15+
Bachelor's degree: 17.2%
Less than $10,000: 11.8%
24
Note: The 2020 census treated the community as a much smaller census designated place, with a population of just 762. Data presented in this report is drawn from the 2019 American Community Survey, for Census Tract 513, which corresponds to town boundaries.
HEALTH FACILITIES:
Some college or associate's degree: 35.4%
INCOME
AGE:
Asian: 0.5%
RACE & ETHNICITY:
$50,000 to $64,999: 14.6% $65,000 to $74,999: 5.0%
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Gorham Middlesex Central School District (also known as Marcus Whitman Central School)
!$75,000 or more: 13.3%
Less than high school graduate: 6.9%
EDUCATION:
Median age: 48.2
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in Gorham.
Educational attainment, population 25+
HEALTH:
Graduate or professional degree: 13.2%
Population without health insurance: .7%
High school graduate: 27.4%
Black: 0.6%
Total population under 18: 18.9%
Total population 62+: 28.5%
$10,000 to $14,999: 5.3% $15,000 to $24,999: 12.3% $25,000 to $34,999: 13.9% $35,000 to $49,999: 12.9%
White: 97.7%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
TOWN POPULATION: 4,248
Mean travel time to work: 26.5 minutes
TransportationWholesaleManufacturing:9.1%12.7%trade:2.8%Retailtrade:14.9%andwarehousing, and utilities: 2.1%
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: 5.8%
Households with a computer: 93.5%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 14.1%
Total units: 2,178
Occupation of workers 16 years and over Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 41.6% Service occupations: 11.0%
Median: $36,339
Owner occupied: 91.1%
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Educational services, & health care & social assistance: 26.6%
HOUSING:
Establishments: 14 Employees: 63
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE:
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Sales and office occupations: 21.7%
Information & finance & insurance, & real estate: 2.7%
Total annual payroll: $4,039,000
Professional, scientific, mgmt, and administrative & waste mgmt services: 6.9%
BUSINESS (2019):
Households with public assistance or food stamps/SNAP, past 12 months: 125 (7.2%)
Construction:
Vacant: 523 (24%)
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 11.6%
POVERTY
TRANSPORTATION:
Workers 16 years and over who did not work from home
Households with broadband internet subscription: 93.5%
EMPLOYMENT:
Occupied units: 1,655 (76.0%)
Population: 1 year+ in poverty: 6.5%
LIBRARY:
SOURCES: U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Total votes cast in 2020 presidential election: 2,253
Gorham Free Library 2664 Main St. Gorham 585 526 https://owwl.org/library/gorham6655
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS: United Methodist Church 26 N. Main St. Rushville
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Gorham Fire Company Stanley Hall Ambulance Service
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Renter occupied: 8.9%
NONPROFITS (assets): Gorham Free Library $292,879
HISTORIAN: Dennis Hogan PO Box Gorham,224NY 14461 585 526 historian@gorham6317 ny.org
TOWN: MANCHESTER
27
DEMOGRAPHICS:
AGE under 18: 18.9% 65 and older: 20.1%
Persons:
Person
VILLAGES: Clifton Springs (also in Phelps), Manchester, Shortsville. (See separate reports)
Web site: Supervisor:https://manchesterny.org/DavidPhillips
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: 2017 Joint Comprehensive Plan for the town of Manchester and Villages of Clifton Springs, Shortsville and Manchester
Town hall: 1272 County Road 7, Clifton Springs, NY 14432 (585) 289 3010
TOWN:
28 Manchester town population estimate 8,9009,0009,1009,2009,3009,4009,500 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
COMMUNITY ASSETS: Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
POPULATION: 9,404
POPULATION TREND:
TRANSPORTATION:
Median gross rent: $736
Total retail sales per capita (2012): $3,195
ECONOMY:
Employers (2012): 361
Bachelor's degree or higher, 15.6%
INCOME & POVERTY:
Persons without health insurance, under age 65: 3.4%
Owner occupied housing (2015 2019): 77.7%
In civilian labor force, age 16+: 63.2%
White: 96.3%
:With a disability, under age 65: 12.2%
Per capita income in past 12 months: $28,583
Mean travel time to work, age 16+: 23.6 minutes
Black: LatinX:.5%3.8%
Persons in poverty: 12.2%
Finger Lakes Ambulance
Total retail sales (2012): $29,909
RACE:
Households with a computer: 86.2%
29
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
HS graduate or higher (25 years old+): 91.3%
HOUSING:
Manchester Fire Department Manchester Police Department
Households with broadband internet subscription: 80.7%
Median value of owner occupied housing: $99,300
Median household income: $54,388
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
HEALTH
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
EDUCATION:
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Manchester Shortsville Central School District
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
2905 Stevens St. Clifton Springs Church of Latter Day Saints
Westport CT American Museum of Fly Fishing $15,000
United Way of Greater Rochester Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $158,575
Wilmington DE Clifton Springs Sanitarium $10,000 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council
First Baptist Church 4 Prospect St. Clifton Springs
Casa de Refugio
Manchester United Methodist Church
Clifton Springs United Methodist Church Clifton Springs
St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Parish Clifton Springs United Methodist Church
Total votes cast in 2020 presidential election: 4,335
Shortsville Fire Department
1 E. Main St. Clifton Springs
Grantor
Recent grants to Manchester organizations:
FLACRA (Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery) $7,665,334
12 State St. St. Dominic's Church 97 W Main St. Shortsville St. Felix Catholic Church 12 Hibbard Ave. Clifton Springs St. John's Episcopal Church 32 E. Main St. Clifton Springs
Syracuse NY Clifton Springs Historical Society $1,100 George Walker Trust Canandaigua NY Clifton Springs Hospital $119,333
William G. Pomeroy Foundation
30
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Manchester organizations:
RECREATION: Westplex ShortsvilleParkBudd Park
Grant Family Foundation
Grantor city State Grantee Amount
First Presbyterian Church 59 W Main St. Shortsville House of John Clifton Springs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
J M McDonald Foundation
Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $300,000
Manchester Gateway Trail
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the 14 largest nonprofit organizations in Manchester and its villages reported combined assets of nearly $80 million in 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
Grantee Location Amount
Clifton Springs $35,708 Clifton Springs United Methodist Church Clifton Springs $24,420 Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency Clifton Springs $2,872,000 House of John Clifton Springs $26,918 Main Street Arts Clifton Springs $25,090 St. Peter's Roman Catholic Parish Clifton Springs $23,297 First Baptist Church of Manchester Manchester $31,500 Manchester United Methodist Church Manchester $10,475 Turner Schrader Post 34 Shortsville $14,400
Clifton Springs Area YMCA
SOURCES: U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets: Clifton Springs Sanitarium Co $49,057,169 FLACRA (Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery) $10,218,034 Clifton Springs Library $8,559,086 Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Foundation $7,863,394 Clifton Springs Area YMCA $1,799,756 House of John $780,166 Clifton Springs Country Club $663,864 American Legion $355,637 Red Jacket Community Library $235,150 Maxwell Hall Corp $180,264 Lisk Morris Foundation $50,604 Main Street Arts $30,578 Midlakes Junior Eagles Athletic $10,290 New York Tractor Pullers Assoc $6,784
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VILLAGE:
VILLAGE: MANCHESTER
Village hall: 8 Clifton Street, PO Box 188, Manchester, NY 14504 (585) 289 4340
Web site: https://www.villageofmanchester.org/
TOWN: Manchester, (See separate report.)
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: 2017 Joint Comprehensive Plan for the town of Manchester and Villages of Clifton Springs, Shortsville and Manchester
Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
POPULATION: 1,640
32
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
Population without health insurance: 2.3%
Median age: 38.5 (This is a decline from 45.0 in 2010.)
Asian: LatinX:.3%3.5%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
AGE:
RACE & ETHNICITY:
White: 92.7%
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in Manchester.
Indian: .4%
HEALTH:
Population trend:
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Manchester Shortsville Central School District
Total population under 18: 20.6%
Manchester village population trend
HEALTH FACILITIES:
33
Total population 62+: 25.6%
Black: American.4%
15601580160016201640166016801700 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
INCOME
Households receiving food stamps, past 12 months: 7.5%
TRANSPORTATION:
Dial a Ride service is available, 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
FOOD:
Households with broadband internet subscription: 80.9%
POVERTYPopulation: in poverty: 9.2%
34
Households with a computer: 88.2%
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 1.1%
Full: time, year round earnings in past 12 months, population age 16+ Less than $10,000: .5% $10,000 to $14,999: 4.6% $15,000 to $24,999: 14.2% $25,000 to $34,999: 25.0% $35,000 to $49,999: 21.5% $50,000 to $64,999: 17.5% $65,000 to $74,999: 5.3% $75,000 or more: 8.8%
EMPLOYMENT:
Occupation of workers 16 years and over Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 33.1% Service occupations: 20.0% Sales and office occupations: 21.4%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 11.5%
Educational attainment, population 25+ Less than high school graduate: 6.8% High school graduate: 35.6% Some college, no degree: 22.9% Associate's degree: 11.3%
Bachelor's degree: 17.2%
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Graduate or professional degree: 6.3%
Median: $37,969
Public transit: Manchester is served by RTS on the Rt. 255 bus route. (Schedule changeable.)
EDUCATION:
Judy Robinson
Information: 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, & recreation, & accommodation & food services: 7.1%
Total units: 828
8 Clifton Manchester,StreetNY 14504 585 289 Judya.robin@yahoo.com4340
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
Westport CT American Museum of Fly Fishing $15,000
William G. Pomeroy Foundation
35
Syracuse NY Clifton Springs Historical Society $1,100 George Walker Trust Canandaigua NY Clifton Springs Hospital $119,333
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: 1.4%
Construction: Manufacturing:6.3%15.8%Wholesaletrade:2.3%Retailtrade:10.8%Transportationandwarehousing, and utilities: 3.9%
Public administration: 5.5%
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the 14 largest nonprofit organizations in Manchester and its villages reported combined assets of nearly $80 million in 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
Occupied units: 94.1%
Finance, insurance & real estate: 1.9%
HOUSING:
HISTORIAN:
Grantor
Grant Family Foundation
J M McDonald Foundation Wilmington DE Clifton Springs Sanitarium $10,000 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $300,000 United Way of Greater Rochester Rochester NY Clifton Springs YMCA $158,575 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Educational services, & health care & social assistance: 25.8%
FLACRA (Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery) $7,665,334
Recent grants to Manchester area organizations:
Grantor city State Grantee Amount
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 14.0%
Professional, scientific & management: 13.8%
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Manchester area organizations:
House of John Clifton Springs $26,918 Main Street Arts Clifton Springs $25,090 St. Peter's Roman Catholic Parish Clifton Springs $23,297 First Baptist Church of Manchester Manchester $31,500 Manchester United Methodist Church Manchester $10,475 Turner Schrader Post 34 Shortsville $14,400
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets:
36
Grantee Location Amount
Clifton Springs Sanitarium Co $49,057,169 FLACRA (Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery) $10,218,034 Clifton Springs Library $8,559,086 Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Foundation $7,863,394 Clifton Springs Area YMCA $1,799,756 House of John $780,166 Clifton Springs Country Club $663,864 American Legion $355,637 Red Jacket Community Library $235,150 Maxwell Hall Corp $180,264 Lisk Morris Foundation $50,604 Main Street Arts $30,578 Midlakes Junior Eagles Athletic $10,290 New York Tractor Pullers Assoc $6,784
Clifton Springs Area YMCA
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 American Community Survey Manchester village government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
SOURCES:
Clifton Springs $35,708 Clifton Springs United Methodist Church Clifton Springs $24,420 Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency Clifton Springs $2,872,000
37
TOWN: NAPLES
VILLAGES: Naples (See separate report).
Median age: 48.0
38
Web site: https://naplesny.us/
AGE:
Total population 62+: 25.4%
TOWN:
Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
POPULATION: 2,403
2,4102,4202,4302,4402,4502,4602,4702,4802,4902,500
POPULATION TREND:
DEMOGRAPHICS:
The Census Bureau doesn't publish data for the town, but does for the village of the same name. Data presented in this report is drawn from the 2020 census for Tract 522, which corresponds to town boundaries.
RACE & ETHNICITY:
White: 92.7% Black: 0.2%
Total population under 18: 20.5%
Naples town population trend 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Town hall: 106 S Main St, Naples, NY 14512 585 374 2111
39
Median (Population 25 years and over with earnings): $ 31,465
Households receiving cash assistance or food stamps/SNAP, past 12 months: 13.3%
FOOD:
POVERTY
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: .3% Construction:
Occupation of workers 16 years and over Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 33%
Less than $10,000: 1.1% $10,000 to $14,999: 3.2% $15,000 to $24,999: 12.8% $25,000 to $34,999: 31.8% $35,000 to $49,999: 15.9% $50,000 to $64,999: 17.3% $65,000 to $74,999: 1.3% $75,000 to $99,999: 9.9% $100,000 or more: 6.8%
Sales and office occupations: 20.8%
Arts, entertainment, & recreation, & accommodation & food services: 13%
WholesaleManufacturing:13.7%9.5%trade:1.3%Retailtrade:17.1%Transportationandwarehousing, and utilities: 1.4%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 12.8% Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 10.2%
Population: in poverty: 17.2%
Information and finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing: 1.1%
Public administration: 1.8%
EMPLOYMENT:
Asian: LatinX:.3%4.6%
Full: time, year round earnings in past 12 months, population age 16+
INCOME
Educational services, and health care and social assistance: 24.3%
Service occupations: 23.2%
Professional, scientific, mgmt, and administrative & waste mgmt services: 7.4%
Naples Library 118 S Main St, Naples, NY 14512 (585) 374 https://napleslibrary.org/2757
Naples Ambulance
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
FOOD PANTRIES & FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS:
HEALTH SERVICES & FACILITIES:
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for most health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in Naples
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Naples Central School District
40
Naples Volunteer Fire Department Maxfield Hose Co.
TRANSPORTATION:
Naples Valley Dental 106 North Main Street Naples, NY 14512
Naples Open Cupboard Harwood Lane Naples, NY 14512
HOUSING:
Public transit: Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
Total units: 1,240
Households with a computer: 91.0%
LIBRARY:
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Households with broadband internet subscription: 87.3%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 2.1%
Occupied units: 83.8%
J. Warren Cutler Scout Reservation (BSA) 7131 Gulick Road Naples, NY 14512
Joseph’s Wayside Market 202 South Main Street Naples, NY 14512 585 374
ANNUAL EVENTS: Naples Grape Festival
RECREATION:
https://josephsways2380idemarket.comNaplesNaturalFarmersMarket197NorthMainStreetNaples,NY14512
John Murphy 7019 Longsdorf Rd Naples NY 14512 585 374 jmurphy3@frontiernet.net9962
West Hill Nature Preserve Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill Grimes Glen Park Naples Community Park
CAMPS:
Jerome’s U Pick 8936 State Route 53 Naples, NY 14512 585 374 6112
Naples: Historical Museum https://www.naplesnyhistoricalsociety.org/naples historical museum
TOURISM: Naples Valley Visitors https://naplesvalleyny.com/Association
MUSEUM
41
HISTORIAN:
FARM MARKETS:
42
First Baptist Church 3 Monier St Heart Cry Christian Fellowship 7609 Co Rd 36 Italy Naples Valley Baptist 6301 Co Rd 21 Naples Bible Church 8833 NY 53 St Januarius Catholic Church 180 N Main St. Trinity Federated Church 117 N Main St.
Recent grants to Naples organizations:
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: American Legion VFWMasons
Grantor Grantor city State Grantee Amount
New York State Council on the Arts
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the nine largest nonprofit organizations in Naples reported combined assets of more than $2.5 million and income of almost $1.7 million during 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
New York NY Bristol Valley Theater $38,000 Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation Rochester NY Bristol Valley Theater $12,500 Polisseni Foundation Rochester NY Flace Budding Readers $2,000 Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation Naples NY Hospeace House $15,169 Costanza Family Foundation Rochester NY Italy Valley Cemetery $1,000 Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation Naples NY Rotary Club $3,000 Preservation League of New York State Albany NY Village of Naples $8,800
Total votes cast in 2020 presidential election: 1,273
Naples Ambulance $714,882 Hospeace House $373,829 Hunt Hollow Ski Club $331,759
Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
Friends of Bristol Valley Playhouse Foundation $211,860 Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation $95,344 Rotary International $28,142 Naples Little Bunch $15,490 Friends of the Naples Library $1,215
Maxfield Hose Company $802,284
43
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets:
Naples Valley Visitors Association
SOURCES:
U.S. Census, 2020 East Bloomfield government
Naples town and village governments
New York State Department of Health
Internal Revenue Service
VILLAGE: NAPLES
44
Total population 62+: 234 (26.7%)
Median age: 47.8
2015
RACE & ETHNICITY: White: 93.9% Black: 0% Asian: LatinX:.9%2.3%
Naples village population trend 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Web site: https://naplesny.us/
Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
POPULATION: 931
45
1,0001,0101,0201,0301,0401,050990980970960 2010
POPULATION TREND:
AGE (2019):
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
Total population under 18: 150 (17.1%)
Village hall: 106 S Main St, Naples, NY 14512 585 374 2111
VILLAGE:
TOWN: Naples (See separate report)
Educational attainment, population 25+ Less than high school graduate: 7.1%
Median: $32,284
EDUCATION:
Earnings: in past 12 months, population age 16+ Less than $10,000: 1.6% $10,000 to $14,999: 3.2% $15,000 to $24,999: 10.8% $25,000 to $34,999: 41.6% $35,000 to $49,999: 14.3% $50,000 to $64,999: 7.3% $65,000 to $74,999: 1.0% $75,000 to $99,999: 10.8% $100,000 or more: 9.5%
POVERTYPopulation: 1 year+ in poverty: 14.4%
Graduate or professional degree: 9.7%
46
High school graduate: 37.8%
FOOD PANTRIES & FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS:
FOOD: Households receiving food stamps, past 12 months: 14.6%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
Naples Valley Dental 106 North Main Street Naples, NY 14512
Associate's degree: 8.2%
Bachelor's degree: 12.1%
Some college, no degree: 25.2%
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for most health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, none of them in Naples
INCOME
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Naples Central School District
HEALTH & HEALTH SERVICES: Population without health insurance: 6.6%
Naples Open Cupboard
West Hill Nature Preserve
Households with broadband internet subscription: 78.4%
Harwood Lane
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 3.8%
Naples Ambulance
CAMPS:
J. Warren Cutler Scout Reservation (BSA)
Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 30.6%
Naples Volunteer Fire Department
EMPLOYMENT:
Public transit: Naples is not served by a regular RTS bus route. Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
HOUSING:
Naples Library
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Maxfield Hose Co.
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
118 S Main St, Naples, NY 14512 (585) 374 https://napleslibrary.org/2757
Service occupations: 26.4%
Grimes Glen Park
Occupied units: 437 (89.4%)
TRANSPORTATION:
47
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 8.5%
Naples Community Park
Households with a computer: 85.9%
Sales and office occupations: 18.8%
Naples, NY 14512
LIBRARY:
Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill
Occupation of workers 16 years and over
RECREATION:
Total units: 489
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 15.7%
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets:
Recent grants to Naples organizations:
Rochester NY Bristol Valley Theater $12,500 Polisseni Foundation
New York NY Bristol Valley Theater $38,000 Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation
Naples: Historical Museum
Grantor city State Grantee Amount
ANNUAL EVENTS: Naples Grape Festival
St Januarius Catholic Church 180 N Main St. Trinity Federated Church 117 N Main St.
TOURISM: Naples Valley Visitors https://naplesvalleyny.com/Association
7131 Gulick Road Naples, NY 14512
VFWMasons
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the nine largest nonprofit organizations in Naples reported combined assets of more than $2.5 million and income of almost $1.7 million during 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
First Baptist Church
Naples NY Hospeace House $15,169 Costanza Family Foundation
Rochester NY Italy Valley Cemetery $1,000 Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation
3 Monier St
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: American Legion
48
New York State Council on the Arts
MUSEUM
https://www.naplesnyhistoricalsociety.org/naples historical museum
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
Grantor
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
Rochester NY Flace Budding Readers $2,000 Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation
Naples NY Rotary Club $3,000 Preservation League of New York State Albany NY Village of Naples $8,800
Naples Valley Visitors Association
Friends of the Naples Library $1,215
49
Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation $95,344 Rotary International $28,142 Naples Little Bunch $15,490
Maxfield Hose Company $802,284
East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service
Naples Ambulance $714,882 Hospeace House $373,829 Hunt Hollow Ski Club $331,759
New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
Naples town and village governments
SOURCES:
Friends of Bristol Valley Playhouse Foundation $211,860
U.S. Census, 2020
TOWN: Gorham. (See separate report.)
50
COMMUNITY ASSETS: Please see the attached Asset-Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
Yates and Ontario counties. Village hall: 1 South Main St., Rushville, NY 14544 585 554 3415 Web site: https://www.villageofrushville.org/
POPULATION: 651
RushvilleVILLAGE:straddles
VILLAGE: RUSHVILLE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Town of Gorham Comprehensive Plan November 2009 2021 Gorham Comprehensive Plan Update
Educational attainment, population 25+ Less than high school graduate: 11.8%
Rushville population trend
RACE & ETHNICITY:
Some college, no degree: 27.6%
HEALTH & MEDICAL FACILITIES:
Total population under 18: 32.5%
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
51
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Gorham Middlesex Central School District (also known as Marcus Whitman Central School)
High school graduate: 33.3%
AGE:
POPULATION TREND:
Total population 62+: 26.2%
Median age: 38.0
White: 96.5% Black: .3% Asian: LatinX:.3%1.7%
Mosaic Health maintains a facility at 2 Rubin Drive, Rushville. The center provides medical and dental care to area residents.
Associate's degree: 10.0%
Population without health insurance: 0%
Bachelor's degree: 7.3%
EDUCATION:
650655660665670675680685 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Households with a computer: 84.2%
Households with broadband internet subscription: 75.0%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 8.5% Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 23.2%
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: 0.8% Construction: RetailWholesaleManufacturing:4.5%10.6%trade:1.2%trade:17.5%
POVERTY
Median: $32,000
FOOD:
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
TRANSPORTATION:
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: 0%
Earnings: in past 12 months, full time, year round, population age 16+ Less than $10,000: 0.0% $10,000 to $14,999: 2.6% $15,000 to $24,999: 13.7% $25,000 to $34,999: 26.3% $35,000 to $49,999: 25.8% $50,000 to $64,999: 18.4% $65,000 to $74,999: 4.7% $75,000 to $99,999: 6.8% $100,000 or more: 1.6%
Public transit: Rushville is not served by a regular RTS bus route. Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
52
Population: 1 year+ in poverty: 6.6%
Households receiving food stamps, past 12 months: 11.5%
EMPLOYMENT:
Graduate or professional degree: 9.8%
INCOME
Occupation of workers 16 years and over Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 22.8% Service occupations: 20.7% Sales and office occupations: 24.8%
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Rushville Hose Company
53
Total units: 279 Occupied units: 263 (94.3%)
LIBRARY: Mabel D. Blodgett Memorial Reading Center 35 S Main St, Rushville, NY 14544 (585) 554-3939
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
Letourneau Christian Center 4950 East Lake Road Rushville, NY 14544
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS: Lions
United Methodist Church 26 N. Main St.
Recent grants to Rushville organizations:
HOUSING:
Grantor Grantor city State Grantee Amount Grace Voorhees Lazarus Trust Providence RI First United Methodist Church $4,006 Finger Lakes Area Community Endowment Canandaigua NY Letourneau Christian Center $5,000
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities: 2.8% Information: 0% Finance, insurance & real estate: 4.5% Professional, scientific, mgmt, and administrative & waste mgmt services: 7.4% Educational services, & health care & social assistance: 41.1% Arts, entertainment, & recreation, & accommodation & food services: 0.8% Public administration: 4.1%
HISTORIAN: Ken 4831SeelingRt.247 Rushville, NY 14544 585 554 seelingk@frontiernet.net6847
CAMPS:
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
Grantee Location Amount Le Tourneau Christian Center Rushville $44,800
54
SOURCES: U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County UpstateGiving.comgovernment
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets: LeTourneau Christian Center $1,280,015
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Rushville organizations:
TOWN: Manchester (see separate report)
VILLAGE: SHORTSVILLE
Web site: https://villageofshortsvilleny.us/
55
Village hall: 6 East Main St. Shortsville NY 14548 585 289 6104
VILLAGE:
2017 Joint Comprehensive Plan for the town of Manchester and Villages of Clifton Springs, Shortsville and Manchester
Please see the attached Asset Based Community Development report prepared by students of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Senior Seminar Research Practicum, who, working with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, completed a survey of the community in Spring 2022.
Mayor: Fred Mink
COMMUNITY ASSETS:
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
POPULATION: 1,400
Population without health insurance: 3.2%
56
HEALTH FACILITIES:
Total population 62+: 22.2%
Local residents must drive to facilities in Canandaigua, Geneva, Clifton Springs or Rochester for health services. The NYS Department of Health reports that 203 physicians currently practice in Ontario County, three of them in Shortsville.
POPULATION TREND:
Indian: .4%
AGE:
1,3801,3901,4001,4101,4201,4301,4401,450 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
SCHOOL DISTRICT(S): Manchester Shortsville Central School District
Please see the separate report on school district demographics and finances.
RACE & ETHNICITY:
Median age: 45.7
Black: American.7%
White: 92.8%
Shortsville population trend
Asian: LatinX:.9%2.2%
Total population under 18: 20.8%
HEALTH:
Median: $36,039
Bachelor's degree: 12.6% Graduate or professional degree: 4.6%
FOOD:
FARM MARKETS:
Fish's Farm Market
Fresh Ayr Farm Market
57
Households receiving food stamps/SNAP, past 12 months: 7.0%
Educational attainment, population 25+
Less than high school graduate: 6.6% High school graduate: 29.5% Some college, degree: 29.0% Associate's degree: 17.7%
Population: 1 year+ in poverty: 4.6%
4846 State Route 96 Shortsville, NY 14548
585 289 Shortsville3720Farm Market Budd Shortsville,WaterParkSt. NY 14548
EDUCATION:
INCOME
Earnings: in past 12 months, population age 16+ Less than $10,000: 3.3% $10,000 to $14,999: 1.2% $15,000 to $24,999: 4.1% $25,000 to $34,999: 19.3% $35,000 to $49,999: 32.7% $50,000 to $64,999: 13.7% $65,000 to $74,999: 3.7% $75,000 to $99,999: 12.0% $100,000 or more: 9.9%
POVERTY
4494 Mount Payne Road Shortsville, NY 14548
58
LIBRARY:
Sales and office occupations: 31.1%
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 16.2%
Occupation industry of workers 16 years and over
Households with a computer: 92.7%
TRANSPORTATION:
Information: 2.7%
Service occupations: 13.9%
Educational services, & health care & social assistance: 35.8%
Total units: 641
EMPLOYMENT:
7 Lehigh Ave, Shortsville, NY 14548
Occupation of workers 16 years and over
Households with broadband internet subscription: 91.0%
Construction: Manufacturing:2.6%15.0%Wholesaletrade:.6%Retailtrade:18.9%Transportationandwarehousing, and utilities: 4.3%
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 5.0%
Professional, scientific, mgmt, and administrative & waste mgmt services: 8.8%
(585) 289 https://redjacket.owwl.org/3559
HOUSING:
Occupied units: 595 (92.8%)
Management, business, science, and arts occupations: 33.7%
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
Arts, entertainment, & recreation, & accommodation & food services: 8.7%
Public administration: 3.8%
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Shortsville Fire Department
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining: .3%
Workers age 16+ with no vehicle available: .8%
Public transit: Shortsville is served by RTS on the Rt. 255 bus route. (Schedule changeable.) Dial a Ride service is available, scheduled 24 hours in advance and up to a week beforehand.
Red Jacket Community Library
Finance & insurance, & real estate: 6.8%
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS:
HISTORIAN: Sharon Trimm
MUSEUM
Manchester Shortsville Area Chamber of Commerce
Lehigh: Valley Railroad Historical Society Museum 8 East High St. http://www.lvrrhs.org/Shortsville
U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey, 2019 East Bloomfield government Internal Revenue Service New York State Department of Health Ontario County government UpstateGiving
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS:
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
American Legion 1513 St Rt 21 MasonsLions
59
Local nonprofits with largest reported assets:
6 E Main Street Shortsville, NY 14548 585 289 strimm@outlook.com9674
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to Shortsville organizations: Grantee Amount Turner Schrader Post 34 $14,400
According to data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, the two largest nonprofit organizations in Shortsville reported combined assets of more than $590,000 and income of more than $465,000 during 2020. (It should be noted that these figures are conservative, since religious institutions, which employ staff and provide a range of services, are not required to file federal tax returns.)
American Legion $355,637 Red Jacket Community Library $235,150
SOURCES:
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RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF ONTARIO COUNTY
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Address: 45 Maple Ave City/Town: East Bloomfield
Bloomfield Central School District
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Students: 873
ZIP: 14469
Ranking*: 3
District Median Household Income: $58,558 Ranking*: 6
Spending Per Student: $19,338 Ranking*: 6
Interactive map
District Population: Black: 0%
Communities: Bloomfield, East Bloomfield, Ionia, West Bloomfield
District Households: 2,722
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8.01
District Population: Hispanic: 2%
District Population: 6,341
FT Teachers: 109
District Population: White: 98%
Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 12.3%
Ranking*: 3
Parents Median HH Income: $88,438 Ranking*: 1 Student Family Housing - Rent: 16.7% Student Family Housing Own: 83.3%
Ranking*: 1
* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
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Parents Education; < HS: 4.0%
Ranking*: 2 Parents Education; HS Grad: 17.0% Parents Education; Some College or Associate Degree: 39.2% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 39.2%
Households With Broadband: 84.9%
Children Without Health Insurance: 3.7%
Children in Poverty: 9.9%
Ranking*: 3
Ranking*: 1
Ranking*: 5
Interactive map
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Student-Teacher Ratio: 9.60
ZIP: 14544
Spending Per Student: $23,374 Ranking*: 4
Gorham-Middlesex Central School District
FT Teachers: 129
Ranking*: 6
Address: 4100 Baldwin Rd
Location Notes: Middlesex is in Yates Co.
City/Town: Rushville
Students: 1,237
Communities: Gorham, Hall, Middlesex, Rushville, Stanley
District Population: 9,714 District Households: 3,775
Alternate Name: Marcus Whitman Central School
Ranking*: 5 Parents Education; HS Grad: 17.1% Parents Education; Some College or Associate's 45.7% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 31.8%
* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
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Ranking*: 4
District Median Household Income:
Ranking*: 4 District Population: White: 96% District Population: Black: 1% District Population: Hispanic: 2% Households With Broadband: 83.8%
$64,562
Ranking*: 3 Children in Poverty: 8.7% Ranking*: 2 Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 12.4% Ranking*: 2 Parents Median HH Income: $80,714 Ranking*: 2 Student Family Housing - Rent: 14.5% Student Family Housing - Own: 85.5% Parents Education; < HS: 5.3%
Ranking*: 4 Children Without Health Insurance: 1.5%
District Population: Black: 1%
Interactive map
Ranking*: 1
Honeoye Central School District
District Population: 5,746
Address: 8528 Main St City/Town: Honeoye ZIP: 14471 Students: 612 FT Teachers: 77
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District Median Household Income: $76,185
Communities: Honeoye
Ranking*: 2
Spending Per Student: $27,648 Ranking*: 1
District Households: 2,351
Ranking*: 2
District Population: White: 91%
District Population: Hispanic: 5% Households With Broadband: 90.0%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8.00
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Ranking*: 5 Student Family Housing - Rent: 35.8% Student Family Housing - Own: 64.2% Parents Education; < HS: 5.4%
Children Without Health Insurance: 0.0%
Ranking*: 6 Parents Median HH Income: $67,477
Ranking*: 6 Parents Education; HS Grad: 27.0% Parents Education; Some College or Associate's 39.6% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 27.9%
* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
Ranking*: 5
Ranking*: 1 Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 19.4%
Ranking*: 1 Children in Poverty: 3.9%
District Population: Hispanic: 2%
District Population: White: 97%
Spending Per Student: $21,940 Ranking*: 5
ZIP: 14548
District Median Household Income: $61,854 Ranking*: 5
Location Notes: Shortsville straddles Ontario & Yates counties
Alternate Name: Red Jacket Schools
FT Teachers: 89
Manchester-Shortsville Central School District
District Population: Black: 1%
City/Town: Shortsville
Students: 829
Address: 1506 Rt 21
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Interactive map
Communities: Shortsville, Manchester
District Households: 2,409
District Population: 5,987
Student-Teacher Ratio: 9.32 Ranking*: 4
* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
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Households With Broadband: 83.7% Ranking*: 5 Children Without Health Insurance: 0.0% Ranking*: 1 Children in Poverty: 14.7% Ranking*: 5 Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 14.6% Ranking*: 3 Parents Median HH Income: $75,598 Ranking*: 3 Student Family Housing - Rent: 32.0% Student Family Housing Own: 68.0% Parents Education; < HS: 5.0% Ranking*: 4 Parents Education; HS Grad: 30.6% Parents Education; Some College or Associate's 47.1% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 17.8% Ranking*: 6
Interactive map
Communities: Naples
District Population: 5,066 District Households: 2,213
District Median Household Income: $57,604 Ranking*: 2
District Population: White: 96% District Population: Black: 0% District Population: Hispanic: 1% Households With Broadband: 90.1% Ranking*: 1
Naples Central School District
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Student-Teacher Ratio: 7.35 Ranking*: 1 Spending Per Student: $26,573 Ranking*: 2
Address: 136 N Main St City/Town: Naples ZIP: 14512 Students: 646 FT Teachers: 88
Children Without Health Insurance: 4.1% Ranking*: 6 Children in Poverty: 15.1% Ranking*: 6 Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 18.6% Ranking*: 5 Parents Median HH Income: $58,750 Ranking*: 6 Student Family Housing - Rent: 12.9% Student Family Housing - Own: 87.1% Parents Education; < HS: 2.6% Ranking*: 1 Parents Education; HS Grad: 34.8% Parents Education; Some College or Associate's 28.7% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 33.9% Ranking*: 3
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* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
Address: 1490 Rt 488
City/Town: Clifton Springs ZIP: 14432
Students: 1,581 FT Teachers: 167
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District Households: 4,514
District Median Household Income: $62,196 Ranking*: 3
Interactive map
Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District
Spending Per Student: $23,567 Ranking*: 3
District Population: White: 93%
District Population: Black: 0%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 9.49 Ranking*: 5
Alternate Communities:Name: Clifton Springs, Phelps
District Population: 11,462
Ranking*: 3 Parents Education; HS Grad: 23.0% Parents Education; Some College or Associate's 37.9% Parents Education; BA or Higher: 34.9% Ranking*: 2
Student Family Housing - Rent: 15.4% Student Family Housing Own: 85.0% Parents Education; < HS: 4.2%
* Rankings, sorted best to worst, include the six Ontario school districts, excluding Canandaigua, Geneva and Victor. Rankings for categories such as income and broadband access are ranked as 1 being highest. Rankings for categories such as low educational attainment, percentage without health insurance and children in poverty are ranked by lowest levels (1) to highest levels (6). All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural districts.
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Ranking*: 6
Children Without Health Insurance: 2.3% Ranking*: 4 Children in Poverty: 10.7% Ranking*: 4 Children on Food Stamps/SNAP: 17.5% Ranking*: 4 Parents Median HH Income: $73,967 Ranking*: 4
District Population: Hispanic: 5% Households With Broadband: 81.6%
HWS STUDENT SURVEY EAST BLOOMFIELD
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Asset Based Community Development in the Town of East Bloomfield, New York
Jamie Arias, Graham Johnson, Madison Kaenzig de Denus, Grace Mongeau, Taylor Pluta, and Taylor Wilkie
Helping Bloomfield Bloom:
Program Description 3
Appendix B 25
Introduction 3
Problem 4 Hypothesis 4
Conclusion 21
Discussion & Recommendations 17
Table of Contents
Results 6
Appendix A 23
References 22
Methodology 5
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are often associated with wineries and natural landscapes; rural communities, however, do not always benefit from the tourist revenue generated by their neighboring towns. To contribute to the revitalization of rural communities in the Finger Lakes, our group has focused our efforts on the Town of East Bloomfield, which is eight miles west of Canandaigua Lake. The town faces significant economic challenges, including having the lowest median household income out of all school districts in Ontario County.
Together with our client, The Partnership for Ontario County, we seek to identify the assets that are present in the Town of East Bloomfield that can be used to support the economic and social development of the town. We have followed the approach of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), which has been shown to identify people, groups, and spaces that can advance a given community. This approach facilitates more sustainable recommendations than a traditional needs based approach, as well as promotes community agency. We have assessed data from the US Census and conducted in depth interviews with the town’s community members to identify these assets. We predict that these identified assets in the Town of East Bloomfield can be used by The Partnership to mobilize the town towards self help and sustainable community
Programsolutions.
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TheIntroductionFingerLakes
Description
Our assigned client, The Partnership for Ontario County, is a not for profit organization that aims “to create, support, and administer alliances to cultivate positive social change” (The Partnership for Ontario County, 2022). The Partnership desires to promote sustainable community development for rural towns in Ontario County and has solicited our consulting firm, Catalyst
Town of East Bloomfield is located in the Finger Lakes but does not benefit to the same degree economically or socially from the various tourist activities that others located directly on a lake do. Given the town’s location, it has a difficult time attracting businesses, tourists, and families which has impacted the enrollment in the local schools, economic success, and the number of residents in East Bloomfield. East Bloomfield faces many challenges in comparison to the towns and cities that are located more centrally in the tourist cities in the Finger Lakes. Town members, despite the challenges they face, are there for their neighbors and community and have the potential to grow their town to one that attracts more families, tourists, and Hypothesisbusinesses.Wehypothesize
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FLX, for guidance. As consultants working with the firm, our job is to identify physical, individual, institutional, economic, and associational assets in the towns chosen by the Partnership. This report is specifically dedicated to addressing potential improvements for East Bloomfield, New York.
ProblemThe
that Bloomfield has assets and community associations that can be mobilized to develop the community. Many towns around the country and world have assets that are underrecognized and underutilized. We believe that through asset mapping and speaking with members of the East Bloomfield community we will be able to identify these assets and community associations. After we have identified these assets, we believe that connections can
79 5 be made between individuals, associations, institutions, etc. that can help East Bloomfield mobilize and lead to the community's positive growth. MethodologyForourmethodology, we continually examined different media and information sources like business websites, social media pages, and nearby newspapers. We utilized in depth interviews with key informants from East Bloomfield, NY, provided to us by the Partnership for Ontario County, as our main source of data collection. Beyond the original sample, we expanded our pool of interviewees using a snowball sampling technique, where East Bloomfield locals and a few of the key informants generated a new list of individuals for us to interview. For example, Andy Doell, East Bloomfield Town Supervisor, recommended that we speak to Ken Mathis, the President of the Lions Club and a member of the Bloomfield School Board, who we interviewed shortly after. A complete list of our contacts can be found in Appendix A, including those who have not participated in this study but may be available for future research. Our interview guide consisted of 37 questions that addressed the Town of East Bloomfield, in general, as well as their institutional, physical, associational, economic, and individual assets. Our complete interview guide can be found in Appendix B. We conducted five formal in-depth interviews mostly in person, with a couple of Zoom interviews due to time constraints and convenience for the interviewees. These interviews ranged from 35 to 65 minutes and were recorded in addition to our thorough note taking during the interview. Also, we generated supplemental asset data through informal conversations we had with community members during our time visiting some of the most well known places in Bloomfield.
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ResultsAfter weeks of research guided by the ABCD approach, we have successfully identified the assets that East Bloomfield possesses and categorized them into the five main groups as discussed in the methodology chapter. This breakdown is represented visually in Figure 1. In this results chapter, assets within each category are identified and explained in greater detail.
While these two kinds of economic assets can overlap at times i.e., a restaurant can also serve as a primary employer the assets specific to East Bloomfield have been categorized based on their primary role within the community.
To categorize the assets we identified, we have conceptualized them into five main groups: institutional, physical, associational, individual, and economic. Institutional assets include key organizations such as schools, libraries, the town hall/court, churches, and so on. Physical assets are defined as the spaces that the community can enjoy or use for various events, like land, parks, or pavilions. Associational assets refer to voluntary group based organizations that don’t necessarily occupy a specific location but regularly host meetings and events that bring individual community members together. Individual assets are identified as the unique skills or talents of individuals that could be used to contribute to areas within the community. Finally, we have separated economic assets into subcategories of occupational and consumption. Occupational economic assets represent major employers in a town, while consumption economic assets relate to areas that generate revenue for the town, such as shops and restaurants.
Physical
Figure 1. Breakdown of Assets for East Bloomfield, NY.
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Given that East Bloomfield encapsulates a rural community, there are numerous physical assets based on its landscape alone. The town has acres of farmland, many hiking trails, and parks, and provides an overall breath of fresh air, which is something that the community takes great pride in. The 19 physical assets of Bloomfield as illustrated in Figure 1 represent these spaces. In this report, we would like to highlight a few of the most prominent physical assets that can be used most effectively in the potential community development projects moving forward.
A primary yet overlooked asset of East Bloomfield is Route 5 & 20. This route runs straight through the town, generating traffic to some of the town’s attractions. For example, the route is characterized by the “antique mile” in East Bloomfield, a strip of antique shops that are discussed further in the Economic section of this results chapter. While the thruway makes East Bloomfield easy to miss in the blink of an eye, it also provides great access to the assets that are integral to the town and village.
Another asset to East Bloomfield is the land and the ways in which it has already been utilized. There are three main parks in the town: Elton, Veterans, and Boughton Parks. Elton and
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The Lazy Acre Alpaca Farm is another physical asset, providing the perfect location for visitors to the East Bloomfield area, locals, and tourists can come to spend time with their friends and families learning about the alpaca industry and the history of Lazy Acre. After 200 years of breeding, shearing, and making products from these alpacas, only three families have owned this farm. The current owners have successfully established a small pack of female and male alpacas that create some of the finest, nationally ranked fibers. This alpaca farm has also been home to a few national champion alpacas over the past few decades, generating a desire for many other outside alpaca raisers to send their alpacas to be bred with the best males at Lazy Acre. With their sale of alpaca wool and related goods across the country and out of their own gift shop, along with the revenue brought in from tours and community events, like alpaca yoga, Lazy Acre could function as an economic consumption asset, too.
Veterans Parks are centrally located within the town, making them popular and admired among community members. Veterans Park has a newly built pavilion that can be rented for community events and private parties. It also hosts a summer concert series where bands can play to entertain both town residents and outside visitors. These parks are a great asset for East Bloomfield residents and families, as these activities are inclusive to both children and adults.
Boughton Park is a notable park because it is exclusive to residents of East Bloomfield, West Bloomfield, and Victor. Those from other towns require a visitor's pass in order to have access to the park. This aspect promotes a sense of community for East Bloomfield members along with those from surrounding towns. This park has multiple hiking trails and outlets for water activities such as swimming, fishing, and kayaking. In relation to the physical assets of East Bloomfield, Boughton Park appears to be the richest in its physical attributes. However, all three parks were referenced throughout the interviews as valuable physical assets of the town.
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Institutional
There may not be that many institutions that are present in the Town of East Bloomfield, but the ones that are there do a great deal for their community. There is the Bloomfield Central School District, the Bloomfield Historical Society, and the Bloomfield Public Library. The Bloomfield Central School District serves as the heart of the community by not only serving the students in the district but also providing opportunities to adults in the community. Despite low spending per child, Bloomfield offers International Baccalaureate (IB) courses as well as Advanced Placement (AP) courses which are open to any student. Bloomfield is one of the two
Another exciting physical asset to the town is the Northern Spy apple, which is a kind of apple that was first discovered in East Bloomfield. Unfortunately, this fun fact is not viewed as important to many of the interviewees and was more so referred to as a reach when it came to identifying assets for their community. However, this is a physical asset that can be capitalized on because it is unique to East Bloomfield alone, providing significant potential for possible future attractions for the town. Suggestions on how to incorporate this physical asset into the town’s development are detailed in the Discussion & Recommendations chapter of the report.
Finally, the Bloomfield Central School District owns a generous amount of land that is used for mainly recreational activities. The school owns tennis courts, sports fields, and multiple walking trails. Beyond the land that is already being used for specific purposes, multiple interviewees noted that the school owns excess amounts of available land that could be utilized for further development. Suggestions on how this land can be used is expanded upon in the Discussion & Recommendations chapter of this report. Regardless of the potential future uses of the land, it nonetheless provides a beautiful landscape for students, families, and other town residents to enjoy beyond the academic setting.
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The school district also has a variety of facilities that are open to students and community members ranging from an auditorium, athletic fields, and a walking trail near the athletic fields. These facilities are available to the community to host events, fundraisers, put on performances, etc. Most recently, the District has developed a partnership with Finger Lakes Community College to create an Operations Center Learning Lab. In this lab, community members who may lack internet and transportation take a “16 week community based training course” where they can “gain skills in workplace safety, quality and measurement, and modern manufacturing processes” (Friend, 2021). The Bloomfield School District is not only setting its students up for success but also helping its community members develop their professional skills.
The Bloomfield Historical Society is another institution that can be leveraged to benefit the community. The Town of East Bloomfield has a rich history that may be underrecognized, but the people who visit are able to learn all about its extensive history. The Historical Society’s mission is to “preserve and promote the community’s history for present and future generations” (East Bloomfield Historical Society). The Historical Society also has a variety of different events from an annual dinner, car show, and parade that they organize along with the upkeep of a three story brick building that used to be the East Bloomfield Academy.
school districts in Ontario County the other being the Canandaigua Central School District that offers IB courses, which is another way to better prepare students to “excel at their careers and prepare them to lead meaningful lives” (International Baccalaureate). Another academic opportunity the school provides the students with is access to a hydroponics classroom, where students gain hands on experience with horticulture technology and have a direct role in growing the food that is served in their cafeterias.
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Associational
Another institution that plays a vital role in the community is the Bloomfield Public Library. The Library offers various programs and events for the community ranging from storytime for families and children to knitting group meetings, book sales, and many more. The Library also provides free access to computers for individuals who need them as well as gathering space for different community groups. These three institutions play a vital role in the East Bloomfield community by helping to bring people together and providing opportunities for people of all ages. We argue that these institutions can be leveraged to help the community further develop.
Associational assets were the largest category of assets that we found, with a total of 21 different assets, making up 30 percent of the total assets we identified in East Bloomfield. The associational assets in East Bloomfield include various clubs, religious groups, and community events that all help to foster a close knit community.
The Rotary Club and Lions Club were regularly brought up in the interviews for being a great addition to East Bloomfield because of all they do for the community. The Rotary Club hosts a concert series during the summer months in Veterans Park and also helps to run the local food pantry. The Lions Club hosts a variety of events such as spaghetti dinners, a Halloween party, decorating the town with Christmas lights, and roadside cleanup. Grow Bloomfield is another organization that is made up of townspeople who “advocate for the continued vibrancy and future of Bloomfield,” and are working to make Bloomfield the best it can be (Grow Bloomfield). Grow Bloomfield is currently receiving responses to a community wide survey made by the organization to gain insight into what the residents of Bloomfield want for the future of the town, village, and school district.
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In addition to all of the different organizations in East Bloomfield, the town also hosts many community events throughout the year that always have a large turnout, already connecting some of the associational and institutional assets. Several of the interviewees shared that these different events were some of their favorite things about East Bloomfield. These include the Veteran’s Day assembly, a Memorial Day parade, a Fourth of July parade, a Homecoming parade, the car show, and chicken barbeques.
Economic
East Bloomfield also has a prominent religious community. There are six different churches across the town and village, including United Methodist, First Congressional, First Baptist, St. Peter’s Episcopal, First Methodist Episcopal, and St. Bridget’s Catholic. Furthermore, East Bloomfield also has a Historical Society, American Legion Club, Boy Scout troop, American Heritage Club, Women’s Veterans Auxiliary, and a Conservatory Club. East Bloomfield’s fire department is also volunteer based and is highly revered in the community for the work that they do, including hosting spaghetti dinners. The Food Shelf, East Bloomfield’s food pantry that is partnered with Food Link, is another organization that many community members volunteer at. The Central Bloomfield School District is also a part of the Finger Lakes Superintendent Group, which encourages open communication between the different school districts in the region.
The economic assets that we identified are comprised of two subcategories: occupational and consumption. There were six key occupational assets that we found essential to East Bloomfield’s sustainability and growth as a community in the coming years because of how many people they employ. These assets include but are not limited to Crosman Airgun Factory, TERPHANE, Velmex Inc., Dolco, and the Bloomfield Central School. The presence of the main
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The largest employer in East Bloomfield is the Crosman Airgun Factory, which is America’s first air powered armory with over 200 employees. Today, they are an international designer and seller of ammunition, pistols, and rifles. Turnbull Restoration is the most recognized name in vintage gun restoration, with over 35 years of business in East Bloomfield. In addition to antique guns, when traveling to East Bloomfield, you will likely pass five or more antique shops along the way of Route 5 & 20, where it used to commonly be referred to as the “antique mile”. Despite the name, there are only a few shops today compared to the surplus that used to be along that route. Some of the most well known shops include One Potato, Two Potato and Peddler’s Antiques. In fact, the Antique Wireless Museum and Association is along this same route and is world renowned for its international collection of radio related technologies, drawing in collectors from across the globe. To display the breadth of antiques in this small town, there are often annual events and even an antique trail where many people from East Bloomfield and surrounding towns can admire or purchase antiques to add to their collections. With many locals interested in antiques, many of them also sell antiques out of their homes. In total, there are over a hundred small businesses or out of house businesses in East Bloomfield.
Additional draws in East Bloomfield for tourists and locals are the consumption assets, such as the restaurants and breweries that are all within a five mile radius of each other. Our interviewees listed seven different restaurants and breweries along with one ice cream shop as consumption assets, all but one of them being developed in East Bloomfield. Several of these
employers in East Bloomfield helps to maintain job opportunities for locals, so they are less likely to need to commute long distances to find work. Similarly, this is a draw of this small town; with more employment opportunities in East Bloomfield, more families are likely to stay in East Bloomfield long term.
Individual
Another person we found to be very helpful and invested in the community was the school superintendent, Andy Doell. Being the school superintendent, Mr. Doell is invested in the
East Bloomfield is home to many people that are valuable to the town and its community. For example, one key individual we interviewed was Reverend Doctor Robin Blair, who works at the United Methodist Church. She is a very passionate member of the community who does all that she can to give back. She is the spiritual leader in the Town of East Bloomfield and is on call 24/7 for her congregation. In addition to being there for her followers, she also uses the members of her church to help the community in very unique ways. During the onset of Covid 19, there was a serious lack of masks for the school. Reverend Dr. Blair realized this and knew that many members of her church were very proficient in knitting and sewing. Through her leadership, these members came together to make hundreds of masks for the students to wear. She is always a resource for East Bloomfield residents and makes the church a safe space for people to visit. She is highly respected among the community.
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businesses are family owned. Some of the locals’ favorites are Parkside Pizza, Brady J’s (known for their breakfast sweet roll), Mugsy’s Family Restaurant (known for their mac & cheese and pretzel fries), Cheap Charlie’s Restaurant, and the Irish Mafia Brewing Company. A major attraction that has drawn in many out of towners is The Other Half Brewing Company, originally established in Brooklyn, New York but introduced to the Finger Lakes region in 2018. This brewery uses the local agriculture and wild yeast to perform mixed fermentation brewing, garnering attention for their nationally ranked IPAs. Here, they regularly host events with local vendors, live music, yard games, and plenty of lawn space for socializing, contributing to their welcoming environment that is usually bustling with families and people of all ages.
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children and youth of the town, as well as promoting the features of the school to outside communities in an effort to draw more young couples with children to move there. He recognizes that there is a decline in student population, as the enrollment is at the lowest it’s been since 2018. There are only 950 students attending one K 12 school. Mr. Doell provided us with the contact information of the town supervisor, Fred Wille, to discuss more about the ways that Bloomfield can develop. Mr. Wille is heavily involved with the safety of his community. He works closely with the Canandaigua Police Department regarding public safety, given that East Bloomfield does not have their own department. His main goal currently is to secure more street lamps for the town because there is only one as of now. This has caused many issues with cars and pedestrians not being able to see each other at night. It is evident that these two individuals are dedicated to making the community a better, safer place for kids and young families. They also are assets in that they hold a degree of power within the community to bring their ideas to fruition, something that we consider in the Discussion & Recommendations chapter.
A few more important town members we came across but are unable to name due to confidentiality reasons are a town landlord, a physical therapist, and noteworthy farming families. Reverend Dr. Blair mentioned that one of the major town landlords acknowledges the lack of housing and declining affordability of housing in East Bloomfield in recent years, leading him to take personal financial hits to keep the rent as low as possible for his tenants. This is his earnest attempt to keep families living in East Bloomfield. The therapist we learned about is a valuable asset to the town due to her unique specialty in water therapy. Lastly, the prominent farm families we learned about are valuable assets because they are influential in terms of town connections and social networks, given the rich farming culture in East Bloomfield and their family legacies.
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The last individual asset we were able to find in the Town of East Bloomfield is Stephen Lester. He also holds many different positions in the town and is dedicated to its growth in a number of ways. He works as the general manager of Turnbull Restoration as well as holds positions on the town planning board and Grow Bloomfield. Grow Bloomfield recently conducted a privately funded quality of life survey for the town, as previously mentioned in the Associational section of this chapter. Through his executive roles in these organizations, we learned that though these surveys have provided useful information about the wants and needs of East Bloomfield residents, it has been difficult to implement these suggestions due to the lack of other key individuals, such as a possible town planner. With that said, Mr. Lester is a valuable key informant in providing updates about the different organizations within the town and, as with the others, shows a true love for East Bloomfield and a desire to see it thrive. These kinds of individuals are integral to the town and its development, contributing greatly to its growth through being individual assets.
The next important individual asset we were able to identify is Ken Mathis. He holds many positions within the town including being the President of the Lions Club, a member of the school board, and a physician's assistant with Thompson's Health. While talking with him, we discovered that associations such as the Lions and the Rotary Club are facing difficult times due to the lack of younger members. He has worked with both these organizations as well as the school board to foster more youth support to keep them alive. So far, efforts have not been as successful as they would have hoped; however, with the possibility of younger families moving to East Bloomfield, this trajectory may change. Similar to Andy Doell and Fred Wille, Ken displays a dedication to and a passion for the well being of East Bloomfield and its residents, making him a key asset to the potential growth and development of the area.
The development of a Youth Recreation Program in East Bloomfield, whether year round or in the summer, would do numbers to develop stronger connections within the community. We
The development of an annual East Bloomfield Charter Day celebration would allow the town to develop pride and an interest in its rich history. The Charter Day celebration would be an event run by the East Bloomfield Historical Society, Rotary and Lions Clubs, as well as the Town Supervisor. This annual event could bring together the older, very active members of the community and the younger families and kids to an event where they can learn about the history of East Bloomfield as well as the organizations that have shaped it. This event could also serve as a time and place where the Rotary and Lions Clubs and Grow Bloomfield could recruit new volunteers or members.
Discussion & Recommendations
Based on the physical, institutional, associational, economic, and individual assets we discovered in the Town of East Bloomfield, we recommend developing connections between the following assets in order to address a multitude of issues the town faces. Our recommendations are focused on addressing low community engagement in younger generations within the Town of East Bloomfield, minimal outside spending and engagement, and the rising average age of the population which has led to a decline in population. We have separated our recommendations into three main categories: community building implementations, new town attractions, and plans for structural development.
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Community Building Charter Day
Youth Recreation Program
Attractions
Northern Spy Apple Festival
Continuing with East Bloomfield’s pride of being the home of the Northern Spy Apple, we believe the town should hold an annual Northern Spy Apple Festival. This festival could be
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Northern Spy Hard Apple Cider
The town of East Bloomfield takes pride in being the town where the Northern Spy Apple originated. However, it seems like this marketed part of its history has not been well adopted in the town as a whole. While there are many interesting attractions throughout East Bloomfield, the breweries Irish Pub Mafia and The Other Half are a big attraction for individuals from out of town and those on the younger side. We believe that if these breweries were to develop a Northern Spy Hard Apple Cider, then it could connect individuals from out of town to East Bloomfield’s history and possibly drive interest in the town's many other economic assets. The Historical Society could provide these breweries with information regarding the development of this apple and give the drink a story. At the very least it could provide East Bloomfield with a connection with this point of pride.
suggest that the East Bloomfield Central School District, the Lazy Acre Alpaca Farm, and the individuals responsible for the usage of the town’s parks get together to develop this program. The Youth Recreation Program could offer high school students summer jobs and in turn give younger children’s parents access to affordable childcare. The program could focus on a multitude of activities such as knitting with alpaca fur, learning farm skills, hiking, and fishing. This program could be held at different locations depending on availability and type of activity, with the school district being the primary location, while the Lazy Acre Alpaca Farm and East Bloomfield’s multiple parks as secondary locations.
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With all the great assets the Town of East Bloomfield has to offer we believe that it should market itself towards younger families. We believe that the first step in creating an effective strategy is to revamp the East Bloomfield Town Website. The Town’s website, although very practical, is in need of an upgrade. The new website should showcase East Bloomfield’s multitude of parks, rural landscape, and include details about their many leisure attractions such as the breweries and the Antique Wireless Museum. Another way that Town could market itself outward is by developing a monthly (or more often) online newspaper. While a semi regular newsletter and a bulletin board are present on the Town’s website, by organizing these events into an online newspaper, they can reach individuals who are not part of the town. Articles in this newspaper could be written by students of East Bloomfield Central, members of the Rotary and Lions Clubs, and can even be an outlet to communicate town policy and events. Structural Development Strategic Town Planning
marketed outwards and be a venue for an apple pie contest, games, rides, vendors, and a temporary farmer’s market. This festival could be organized by the already existing associational groups as well as the Town Supervisor. In regards to location, the festival could be held in any of East Bloomfields many parks. Town Newspaper/Website Redesign
With all the current assets that East Bloomfield has, we were surprised to find that the town does not have a written and publicized strategic plan forward. We believe that the first way in which East Bloomfield should address its problems should be by addressing where they want to be as a town in the following years. While Grow Bloomfield has begun this work via survey, we also believe that the inclusion of a town planner would greatly benefit the town. The
Partnership for Ontario County, the Town Supervisor, and associational groups such as Grow Bloomfield, the Lions Club, and the Rotary Club, should consider seeking the advice of a town planner and developing an image of their future. In doing so it allows the town to develop a strategy and tactics by which to attain its goals. It also creates a metric by which to measure progress and develops points in time at which tactics could be evaluated and changed. Residential Development
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East Bloomfield’s declining population and the increasing age of the population have long been seen as an issue. Even with one of the most well-equipped and quality education programs in Ontario County, East Bloomfield seems to struggle to attract young families. After speaking with individuals we believe that this is partly due to a lack of affordable housing in the town as well as the lack of development on town owned land. Therefore we suggest that the East Bloomfield Central School District, the Town Supervisor, and Grow Bloomfield, discuss using excess land owned by the school as an area for residential development. If this area near the school grounds was developed into a multitude of residential homes, then it would further incentive younger families to move to and work in or around East Bloomfield. The proximity to home would also encourage these families to be more involved in school activities and their children would not add to East Bloomfield’s busing costs.
It is clear that East Bloomfield has many assets that can be further utilized to promote community development. Although East Bloomfield appears to the naked eye as a rural town with not much to offer, once you give a closer look, it is apparent that the community has many opportunities for its residents. The key, however, is that these many assets must be in more conversation with each other. As ABCD demonstrates, the solution to East Bloomfield’s issues, including a decreasing population and school enrollment, can be found inside of the town and
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does not require outside help. From speaking with the multiple informants, it is increasingly clear that East Bloomfield has the resources already in its possession to begin tackling these issues. It is through ABCD that attention is able to be drawn to these various assets and connections can begin to be Conclusionmade.EastBloomfield
has the capacity to organize and establish events and programs that will better its community. We have seen this throughout the COVID 19 pandemic, and we believe that they will continue to do more to further their community engagement and promote the town.
It is our hope that with the assets and connections we have identified, future researchers will continue to act as catalysts in the development of projects that promote the continued growth and sustainability of the town of East Bloomfield, New York.
The Partnership for Ontario https://www.partnershipforontariocountyCounty,.org/mission vision.
Other Half Brewing, https://otherhalfbrewing.com/location/fingerlakes/.
Turnbull Restoration, https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/.
Grow Bloomfield. https://growbloomfield.org/
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Antique Wireless Association, https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/.
Crosman, https://www.crosman.com/.
Friend, L. (2021). “FLCC Initiative Part of National Pilot to Improve Rural Education, Training.” FLCC Forward, https://forward.csc.flcc.edu/interconnectedness/grit/.
East Bloomfield Historical Society, http://www.ebhs1838.org/.
References
International Baccalaureate®, https://www.ibo.org/.
J. McKnight & P. Block (2010), The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods. San Francisco, Ca: Berrett Koehler Publishers, Inc. Lippett, G. & Lippett R. (1993), Consulting Process in Action (2nd ed.). San Francisco, Ca: Jossey Bass/Pfieffer.
President to the Board of Trustees for the Bloomfield Public Library HawkinsMindy 7@yahoo.commindy_hawkins
585 257 5172 585(P); 200 1391 (C) comhmafiabrewing.emansfield@iris Sun Emilyspecific(don’t11:30Fri11:30Thur8pm,Sat-9pmknowhoursworks)
President of the Lions Club, On the Board of Educationthe MathisKen mfieldcsd.orgkmathis@bloo
DONEINTERVIEW
MansfieldEmily
Position Name Number Email Hours Status East TownBloomfieldHistorian StewartJudi 585-657-7244 1838.orghistorian@ebhs
Superintendent DoellAndy eldcsd.orgadoell@bloomfi
Village mayor FalsoneMark ieldny.orgmayor@bloomf
DONEINTERVIEW
DONEINTERVIEW
REJECTEDContacted,
Contacted, nothing scheduled
NothingContacted,scheduled
Town Supervisor Fred Wille 585-657-7700Opt.2 omfield.org@townofeastblosupervisorfwille
clerk/treasurerVillage gerWollschleDonna eldny.orgadmin@bloomfi
Contacted, nothing scheduled
DONEINTERVIEW
Contact List
Clergy BlairRobinRev. gmail.comrevrobinblair@
Wed & Thursday 10am 2pm?
REJECTEDContacted,
Contacted, Needed to reschedule
97 23 APPENDIX A
CoordinatorCatering for Irish BrewingMafia
Clergy WaltersSusan comrevst88@gmail.
oo.comann_david@yah
Email sent, no answered
DONEINTERVIEW
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LesterStephen
Grow CandidateTownMember,FormerBloomfieldSupervisor
Rotary President LaRouAnn
Email sent, no answer
9@gmail.comstevelester1446
Email sent, no answer
Grow PresidentBloomfield HudsonPaul 585 330 0889 @gmail.comgrowbloomfield
Ontario County Sheriff PoveroPhilip .govontariocountynyPhilip.Povero@
● What do you like to do in your free time in town X?
● What are some of the activities you see going on in town X?
● What is your name?
General Questions
● Is it okay if we record our conversation?
● What makes you feel like you belong in this community?
Individual Assets
● What are you known for in the community; what does the community come to you for?
Opening Questions (ask all)
● Are there any places in your town that you think are unique/unusual/special, indoor and outdoor? Do other people know about them?
● What businesses or organizations in and around X would make the town worse if they left?
● What are some of the physical surroundings in your town that you value?
● What skills or talents do you think you have that could contribute to the community?
● What are some things that people do not recognize about your community?
● Was there anything that used to be here that brought people together that is no longer a part of the community?
● What is great about your community?
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Interview Guide
○ If not in town X, why?
● What is your favorite place in X?
● What are people most involved in and excited about in X?
● What do you think is special or unique about X?
● What are some of the things in your community that you care the most about?
○
● Where do you live?
○ Do you wish you were more or less involved?
Physical Assets
● What do you do for a living?
If you live in X, how long have you lived there? Have you moved throughout X?
● What are the communities’ natural resources?
● How involved are you in the community?
● What brings you pride about X?
● If someone you knew was coming to visit from out of town, where would you tell them to visit in X?
● What have been some important parts of X’s history?
● What kinds of extracurricular activities do youth in the community take part in?
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● What groups or individuals do you find yourself connected to in your community?
● What institutions of your community make decisions that positively affect your life?
● Are there any businesses or organizations outside the town that would benefit the community if they were a part of the town?
● Who do you know that has talents that could benefit the community?
● What brings your community revenue?
● What/where do you find yourself commonly spending money on/in your community?
● What do you think people would pay for and enjoy if it was added into the Closingcommunity?
● Are there any notable groups or individuals who standout that benefit the community?
● Is there anything else that you did not get to mention or wanted to elaborate more on?
Thank you for your time and I will now end the recording/conclude the interview.
● Is it common for people to volunteer their time towards organizations in the community, if so, what organizations?
● Who is the most powerful person that you know in your town?
● Do you feel like there are any groups that are underrepresented in your town?
● In an ideal world, what would you like to see in X?
● Do you have any questions for me?
● What/who is the most unique group in your community?
Economic Assets
● What is your favorite town wide event?
● What else do you do in the community outside of your job?
Associational Assets
Institutional Assets
HWS STUDENTGORHAMSURVEY
101
Michael Ansaldo, Emma Bilton, Meredith Janik, Kate Klempen, Ashley Mitrow, and Elana Rose 6, 2022
HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES SOC 465
MAY
UNRECOGNIZED AND UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS IN GORHAM, NEW YORK
102
103 Table of Contents, Gorham survey: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 2 OUR PROJECT ....................................................................................................... 2 ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ............................................ 3 HYPOTHESIS .......................................................................................................... 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 4 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 5 RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS ................................................................................ 5 FUTURE CONTACTS .......................................................................................... 10 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 11 APPENDIX A ......................................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX B ......................................................................................................... 14 APPENDIX C ......................................................................................................... 15
Our Project
Gorham, New York, is centrally located in the Finger Lakes Region between Canandaigua Lake and Seneca Lake. The Town of Gorham is about twenty five minutes southwest of Geneva and about fifteen minutes to various parts of Canandaigua. For this project, we used the Town of Gorham as this includes the Village of Gorham and allows for a more robust picture of this community. Gorham is part of the Marcus Whitman Central School District which includes the towns of Middlesex and Rushville. Gorham is a small community with a population of around 4,100 residents, is predominantly white (93%), and has a median income of about $36,340 per year. The goal of our specific project was to investigate which unrecognized or underutilized assets exist in Gorham that can assist in creating sustainable economic and social development within the community. To best address the goal of this study, we partnered
In the senior Sociology Seminar Capstone, taught by Professor Jack Harris, our class completed an overarching project about community development in Ontario County, New York. The class consisted of four groups focused on the following towns in Ontario County: Bloomfield, Gorham, Naples, and Manchester. As a group, we specifically observed and conducted research on the Town of Gorham, also referenced as Gorham in this paper, and the Marcus Whitman Central School District. The overall project and the four smaller projects about each town used Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) to discover physical, social, economic, or other forms of community assets that exist in these towns of Ontario County.
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Introduction
Through our research, we hope to generate ideas that allow the Town of Gorham to foster their strong sense of community and bring more people to the area.
Hypothesis
with our client the Partnership for Ontario County, a non for profit organization, whose staff has backgrounds in education, community organization, and public health. We also worked with another not for profit organization, Catalyst FLX, who provided us demographic information about the Town of Gorham from the US Census. Asset-Based Community Development
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We based our project on the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach which is a positive approach to help communities identify undiscovered assets. From the discovery of these resources, the community can use them for their own benefit.1 ABCD is the opposite of a deficit approach, so rather than focusing on the weaknesses and what a given community lacks, this framework changes the focus to the positive aspects and strengths present in the community. This approach is useful for both big and small communities and tries to capture what people value in and about a given space.
We developed our hypothesis based on the ABCD framework and our knowledge of other studies that have used this approach. We hypothesize that various assets in the Town of Gorham, in combination with the Partnership for Ontario County and Catalyst FLX, will create sustainable community development for themselves which will benefit Gorham for years to come.1Phillips,
R., & Pittman, R. H. (Eds.). (2009). An Introduction to Community Development Routledge.
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Methodology
We used a mixed methods approach to conduct this research. Our quantitative data came from Catalyst FLX, which included demographic profiles for the Town of Gorham. Our qualitative data came from interviews and a review of some town documents such as brochures from the Gorham Free Library. We received our initial contacts, or key informants, from The Partnership for Ontario County, and then used a snowball sampling technique to generate more contacts. As part of our interviews, we asked interviewees to provide us with the names of other important people in town to talk to; this new list can be found in the section titled Future Contacts. We conducted a total of six in person interviews that were, on average, thirty minutes in length.We used an interview guide, Appendix A, that was standard across all four groups in this larger project. The guide included the following eight different subheadings: Opening Questions, General Questions, Individual Assets, Physical Assets, Associational Assets, Institutional Assets, Economic Assets, and Closing Questions to wrap the interview up. In each of these subheadings, certain questions were bolded as an indication that they should be asked to all interviewees; given the nature of in depth interviews, we wanted the researchers to flow with the conversation and ensure certain questions were touched upon. There were other unbolded questions some interviewees answered based on the direction of the conversation. The last portion of our interviews was to show each interviewee a map of Gorham, Appendix B, for them to circle places mentioned in the conversation and where people socialized in Gorham. In our interview with Brian Mastrosimone, the director of Lincoln Hill Farms, we learned that this map was not large enough to encompass all parts of the Town of Gorham; however, we chose this Google Map
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When given permission, we recorded the interviews on the Voice Memo’s application on our smartphones: we were able to record five of the six interviews. These audio files were uploaded to iMovie in order to be in the correct file format for YouTube; these iMovies were then uploaded to a private YouTube channel which generated the transcript of the interview. When we were not allowed to record, we took field notes during the interview that were then typed. Members of our team reviewed all the transcripts from the YouTube videos and field notes for error and accuracy. Finally, one member of our team conducted preliminary coding using the following four coding categories: (1) assets there now, (2) assets that used to be there, (3) important people mentioned, and (4) what should be added. This basic coding scheme helped us synthesize the results of our interviews and generate ideas for the Town of Gorham.
Results of Interviews
Throughout our interviews, we learned that the Town of Gorham is a very tight knit community. Multiple respondents, including Superintendent Dr. Christopher Brown, said that people are willing to drop anything and help a neighbor in need and support the community in any way they can. Particularly, the Marcus Whitman Middle and High School plays a large role in fostering this sense of community. A mother of a high school senior, Melissa Fry, shared that the school is where many students spend their free time playing basketball. This, as well as the
screenshot, as it included the names of key places in Gorham to help orient people when looking at the map. The use of the interview guide and map of Gorham helped us collect information about the different types of assets present in Gorham and learn from key community members.
Data Analysis
108 other local schools, is a place where parents build their own relationships with each other. Additionally, the low-crime rate and close community makes Gorham an attractive area for families as parents feel that their children are very safe. This sense of community is furthered through the relationship between the Marcus Whitman Central School District and the Food Bank. Dr. Brown and founder of the Food Bank both shared the strong connection between these two organizations; the Marcus Whitman High School building is the location of the Food Link pickup which helps feed hundreds of people in the community. The Food Pantry has been a primary asset in Gorham since its establishment three years ago in association with the Gorham United Methodist Church. Bringing the residents together through volunteerism, donations, and fundraiser support, allows this non profit to connect the community and stretches beyond this town to other parts of Ontario County. We also learned that many members of the Gorham community serve on several boards that are important to the Town. Mr. Mastrosimone shared that they recently became a member of the historical society and were excited by this opportunity. Other interviewees such as Librarian Ruth Freier shared that they know people in town who are part of a board or two or three which demonstrates the level of involvement of the Town members. People in Gorham know they are part of a tight knit community, are proud of this social asset, and want to show more people this side of them.
The Town of Gorham has several beautiful physical assets currently underutilized. One of the assets, Flint Creek, runs through both the Town of Gorham and the Village of Gorham. One interviewee in particular, Chris Iversen of Iversen Construction, claims the creek is a great place for community members and others to enjoy; this can be further developed with the creation of more outdoor activities that capitalizes on this natural resource. Many of the researchers noted that while spending time in Gorham and driving to our interviews, we noticed
109 people walking on the sidewalks. Our data suggests that designated walking paths would aid the Town and allow individuals to continue this activity and have greater access to restaurants and other scenic areas of the Town. Additionally, we learned that Canandaigua Lake is very beneficial to Gorham as both a physical and economic asset. However, community members want more available on their piece of Canandaigua Lake. An additional restaurant on the Lake or water sport activities would benefit the Gorham community and those from other areas of Ontario County. Mr. Mastrosimone said that a new family recently purchased a restaurant on the Lake and there is hope this will help the Town both economically and showcase its beauty. Another physical asset is the large portion of farmland owned by the Mennonite community in the Town of Gorham. They provide fresh produce that is beneficial to the greater community as, according to Dr. Brown, they sell and donate it to residents. This community also holds livestock auctions which help other farmers in the area as they can buy and sell their animals between these two groups. The Town of Gorham is located on a large piece of land, 1.924 acres, for a small community and knows that it is an important part that can be further utilized. There are also several economic assets in the Town of Gorham that exist at the state and community level. The Town of Gorham does not have county taxes. This is a major resource as it makes it easier to live here and a place to create affordable and updated housing, utilities, and business development. The Gorham Market is also central to the Town as this is where most people purchase their groceries in Gorham as well as a place where community members converse over coffee in the mornings. Additionally, many of our interviews outlined the importance of The Old Mill House local diner. This is the only diner in the Town of Gorham which helps foster community and is a place many residents spend their money. In conversation
Our interviews helped us better understand the Gorham community, what is important to the people and what they want to see their town become in the next few years. We understand that we have not reached saturation, or a complete picture, of the Town of Gorham, however with the information we gathered we generated a list of recommendations. These suggestions can mobilize the Town of Gorham toward sustainable community solutions.
with the residents, they want an expansion of restaurants and diners to increase this source of revenue in Gorham and attract the attention of more people in the surrounding area.
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Lastly, the map portion of our interviews showed where people socialize in the Town of Gorham as well as key places in the community. Appendix C shows the compilation of all interviewees’ responses. The dark blue circle indicates an area where almost all interviewees think people socialize. This area, lovingly called “the swoop” in one interview, includes The Gorham Free Library, the post office, and Kenneth J Perkins Funeral Home. People said that this is a central hub in Gorham. The light blue circle is an area several interviewees highlighted because it contains the Gorham schools. The school buildings are both a place of socialization for students but parents and other community members too. The two light purple circles are places where only a few people circled. One is around a prominent business in the Town of Gorham, Iversen Construction Company, while the other is around an area that includes the Fire House and two farms. As already stated, this map was not large enough to include all parts of the Town of Gorham, some of the other places mentioned were the Marcus Whitman Central School District offices and high school building and Lincoln Hill Farms. We also learned that most activity in Gorham occurs on state routes 245 and 247 because they run through the Town and allow people to access nearby towns too.
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Another suggestion is the creation of a Farmer’s Market which would increase the number of people coming to Gorham, as well as support the local businesses and the talents of the community. A Farmer’s Market will allow for more foot traffic in the Town, allow for economic growth, and further the availability of fresh produce and goods while creating an even stronger sense of community. In speaking with the Librarian, Ms. Freier, and visiting the Gorham Free Library, this organization would help with the advertisement of the Farmer’s Market in their various newsletters and pamphlets. The Mennonite community could contribute
Recommendations for the Town of Gorham
Our interview data demonstrates the Town of Gorham’s ability and willingness to help their community. Members of this community shared their wants, needs, and suggestions which informed our recommendations for the future. Ultimately, our suggestions aim to further connections between people and groups both inside and outside of Gorham. To highlight the beautiful landscape of Gorham, we recommend the construction of designated walking paths and hiking trails. The residents of Gorham walk along the sidewalks already and with intentional trails and paths, the residents can continue this activity as families and individuals and it can bring people to the Town as well. We also recommend the implementation of solar and wind energy farms as they benefit the economy of the community and the environment. These Solar Farms will utilize the open landscape of Gorham and create employment opportunities for varying levels of educational backgrounds. Although Mr. Iversen works mainly in the construction of buildings, he would be a great resource to connect with as he might have ideas or know people who can help start this project.
In our interviews, there was also a sense of loss with the discontinuation of the Pageant of the Bands, so, in talking with community members, we suggest a revitalization of this beloved event. Dr. Brown suggested that this Pageant pivot to field bands instead of marching bands as more schools in the surrounding areas have that type of performance ensemble compared to a traditional marching band. Therefore, we recommend moving the Pageant to the fall and inviting high school field bands to participate. This event allows multiple groups to work together, re enter the Gorham community, and celebrate the talent of local students. Dr. Brown also stated that with support from other members of the community, the school would help with this process as their student body would participate. Our recommendations use the available assets in the Town of Gorham and suggest possible links and connections for community members to help get these off the ground in order to enhance the current tight knit, supportive community.
112 to this as well; however, we would need to find an individual who is a connection between them and the greater Gorham community.
Future Contacts
Through the interviews we conducted, we were given many names for potential contacts for the future of the project. We were given businesses, organizations, and individuals to speak to in the future. One key organization we were told to contact was the Fire Department. The Fire Department is composed of individuals who are integral to the Gorham community and can provide more insight on the area and its people. Another organization was the local Lions and Leo’s club as one interviewee claimed they are a selfless group willing to help everyone. We think these groups could speak even more to the heart of the Gorham community. We were given three individuals that would also be fantastic resources; Jake Chard the Town Supervisor, Ken
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Over the course of this semester, our group learned extensively about the Town of Gorham and the many unrecognized and underutilized assets in this town. Using an ABCD approach, we conducted research on Gorham which allowed us to immerse ourselves in this community of the Finger Lakes Region and discover physical, economic, group, and individual assets. Through in depth interviews, we learned one of Gorham’s most prominent assets is its tight knit community; this can continue to grow with the reinvention of the beloved Pageant of the Bands and establishment of a Farmer’s Market. We also discovered that access to Canandaigua Lake is essential and, despite its large size, is underutilized; therefore, the addition of walking paths, water sport activities, and restaurants would elevate this physical asset. Our research was only the beginning of uncovering the assets that exist in the Town of Gorham. There is still more to be done in order to learn more about Gorham and attempt to capture more community members’ experiences. The Summer Research Interns at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will continue to interview more individuals from the Town and begin the work on our recommendations. With the information presented in this report, the new team of interns have the foundation to continue this ABCD work and support the growth of the Town of Gorham. Through this work and the continuation of this project, we are excited and hopeful for what is to come for the “Bandstand of New York”.
Sealing a long term resident of Gorham, and Darby L. Perrotte the Town Clerk. Connecting with these groups and individuals, more valuable and future assets can be discovered and discussed. From them, we can then learn of more contacts and valuable information about the Town of Gorham.
Conclusion
• How involved are you in the community?
o If not in town X, why?
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• What skills or talents do you think you have that could contribute to the community?
• What businesses or organizations in and around X would make the town worse if they left?
Individual Assets
Physical Assets
Appendix A
o If you live in X, how long have you lived there? Have you moved throughout X?
• What are people most involved in and excited about in X?
• Is it okay if we record our conversation?
• What do you think is special or unique about X?
• What brings you pride about X?
• What is great about your community?
• What are you known for in the community; what does the community come to you for?
• What are some of the activities you see going on in town X?
• What are some of the things in your community that you care the most about?
o Do you wish you were more or less involved?
• Are there any places in your town that you think are unique/unusual/special, indoor and outdoor? Do other people know about them?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
Interview Schedule
Opening Questions (ask all)
• What are some things that people do not recognize about your community?
(questions in bold →asked by interviewer to each interviewee; non-bold → depends on how the conversation unfolds)
• Where do you live?
General Questions
• What is your favorite place in X?
• If someone you knew was coming to visit from out of town, where would you tell them to visit in X?
• What do you do for a living?
• What makes you feel like you belong in this community?
• What are some of the physical surroundings in your town that you value?
• What is your name?
• What are the communities’ natural resources?
• Was there anything that used to be here that brought people together that is no longer a part of the community?
• Who do you know that has talents that could benefit the community?
• What do you think people would pay for and enjoy if it was added into the Closingcommunity?(askall)
• What have been some important parts of X’s history?
• What/where do you find yourself commonly spending money on/in your community?
• Do you feel like there are any groups that are underrepresented in your town?
• What/who is the most unique group in your community?
• Are there any notable groups or individuals who standout that benefit the community?
• What groups or individuals do you find yourself connected to in your community?
• What kinds of extracurricular activities do youth in the community take part in?
• Who is the most powerful person that you know in your town?
Associational Assets
Economic Assets
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• What brings your community revenue?
• Is there anything else that you did not get to mention or wanted to elaborate more on?
• In an ideal world, what would you like to see in X?
Institutional Assets
Ask: Where do you see people socializing in X?
• Are there any businesses or organizations outside the town that would benefit the community if they were a part of the town?
Show respondents a map and ask them to circle the locations and places they talked about. (must do)
• Thank you for your time and I will now end the recording/conclude the interview.
• What is your favorite town wide event?
• Is it common for people to volunteer their time towards organizations in the community, if so, what organizations?
• What institutions of your community make decisions that positively affect your life?
• What else do you do in the community outside of your job?
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Appendix B, Gorham survey
Appendix C, Gorham survey
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HWS STUDENT MANCHESTERSURVEY
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The Town of Manchester’s mission is to create “Shared Communities United”.1 Identifying underutilized and unrecognized assets can be one step toward this goal.
Oursolutions.ResearchForour
In cooperation with The Partnership for Ontario County, our project identifies assets available to enhance the Town of Manchester. As catalysts for change, we follow the approach of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) to identify people, groups, institutions, and spaces that can be utilized by the community to promote advancement and agency. Using a mixed methods research design, consisting of a review of US Census data, historical data, and data from in depth interviews with community members, we bring attention to underutilized, unused, and unrecognized assets in the Town of Manchester.
Creating “Shared Communities United” With Assets In The Town Of Manchester, NY
senior research practicum we have acted as consultants to aid our client, The Partnership for Ontario County, in identifying underutilized and unrecognized assets within the Manchester, NY community that can be used to create sustainable self help solutions. To complete this research, we have used a mixed methods approach. Our quantitative data came in two forms: datasets provided by Catalyst FLX, a consulting non-profit in The Finger Lakes, and US Census Data. With this quantitative data, we were able to gather information on income, population demographics, and school district data that would inform us on community issues and questions we needed to investigate. Our qualitative data was gathered by conducting in depth interviews with community members. We started with a list of key informants identified by The Partnership and reached out to them to set up an interview. From there, we were able to ask each of our interviewees for a list of other community members we could contact for
We predict that through ABCD, we will identify assets in the town that The Partnership will then use to mobilize the communities towards self-help and sustainable community
Heidi Aversa, Sami Foulk, Emma MacShara, Scott McClearn, Star Peña, Hope Snyder
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additional interview data. This formed our snowball sample, which ended up consisting of 5 community member interviews.
By going into the villages of Manchester and Shortsville and talking with community members to understand different assets that the client we are working with can utilize. When these strengths and assets are identified within the community, the town can then use them to mobilize together and build on those strengths to create local opportunities. It is important to note that while given a list of key informants by The Partnership, this list did not yield a significant amount of interviews. Reaching out to community members was a great limitation in this study sample, and those community members that did not reach back out to us to set up a time to be interviewed will be passed on to the summer research team for continued outreach.
Our TownManchester,
To round out the picture of Manchester, NY, we identified several key community issues that are worth investigating further and potentially addressing given the assets we discovered. The first issue is the fleeing population. Recall earlier that the least populated age bracket within the town is 40 59 years old at 18%. We found that this age bracket is fleeing the area because once their children grow up and out of the school district, few community ties are holding them in the town. Second is the issue of communication inconsistencies. We had to look into publications such as meeting
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NY is a rural town in Ontario County that comprises several smaller villages including Clifton Springs, Manchester, Port Gibson, and Shortsville. Together, these villages work to create "Shared Communities United" within their larger town. About 25 minutes from Geneva, NY, this small town of 9,404 people is a rural town that is often underserved and forgotten about. In terms of population breakdown, 22% are 0 19 years old, 30% are 20 39 years old, 18% are 40 59 years old, 30% are 60+.
The age bracket worth noting is the 40 59 year old age bracket as this is the lowest and most fleeing within the community. It is important to mention that the town of Manchester has a median household income of $54,388, while its per student spending is only $21,940. These economic demographics provide insight into a large discrepancy that exists within the town. With a median household income ranking highest out of the four towns we investigated in class, but per student spending that ranks as one of the worst, this is troublesome and can have a significant negative on student achievements and outcomes. Additionally, despite the high median household income, there is a 12% poverty rate within Manchester, which also ranks as the second-highest out of the four towns we looked at.
minutes, bulletins, plans, updates, etc. and we found that not only
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123 were these publications incredibly hard to find but they were published inconsistently as well. Meeting minutes were not published in equal monthly increments, there has been no update since the comprehensive plan was created in 2017, and overall, information on community resources and opportunities seemed to be rather non-existent. If residents do not have adequate knowledge of the happenings in their town, they are not going to be inclined to stay.
Third, we identified an issue of per-student spending. As noted earlier, per-student spending is really low, and given that the district functions as a joint school district, investing adequately in student success is a non-negotiable. The fourth issue we identified is a lack of jobs. We found that the average commute time for people 16 and older to their jobs is 23.6 minutes. This indicates that people are leaving the Manchester area for employment, and if they are willing to leave for a job and find a better area for their families, they are more likely to leave altogether. Lastly is the issue of poverty. We did the math, and with a poverty rate of 12% and a population of 9,404, 1,128 people are living in poverty within Manchester. That equates to roughly 1 out of every 10 people living at or below the poverty line. All of these issues, not one or a few, are worth further investigating and addressing by community stakeholders, leaders, and organizations that can be of help in creating solutions. To build the foundation for these efforts, we researched, using the ABCD methodology, as catalysts for change with The Partnership.
Our Methodology: Asset-Based Community Development
Literature in class defines community development as both an outcome and a process. As such, a broad definition of community development is "A process: developing and enhancing the ability to act collectively, and an outcome: (1) taking collective action and (2) the result of that action for improvement in a community in any or all realms: physical, environmental, cultural, social, political, economic, etc".2 Furthermore, in identifying assets in the town of Manchester with hopes of the community leveraging their assets for sustainable community development, it was also vital for us as sociologists to question "what facilitates
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By utilizing the ABCD approach, our research group investigated community assets that can be used to address the aforementioned issues. We used the ABCD, or Asset-Based Community Development, approach within our study. This is a strategy for development driven by the community. ABCD is concerned with how to link micro-assets to the wider environment. Being asset-based, instead of focusing our attention on the needs and problems within a community, we focus on the strengths that already exist that have not been utilized. By identifying these assets, ABCD mobilizes communities towards self-help and sustainable community solutions as well as inspires local economic opportunity. However, it is important to note that the ABCD approach does not ignore the problems that manifests within a community but rather first focuses on their strengths to provide a more positive outlook on the community and fosters a positive vision for the future.
up the assets we were looking for into the following categories: physical (land, buildings, etc.), individual (people with skills and/or involvement), associational (social groups and organizations), economic (revenue-producing opportunities), and institutional (large organizations, boards, etc.). With this categorization in mind, we sought to identify assets that fell into each grouping. Below are the assets that we have discovered as needing to be utilized to their fullest potential for community growth. Physical Assets.
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125 community development?". This course has taught us that social capital answers the question. Social capital encompasses the ability of residents in a community to mobilize and organize their resources to accomplish a common goal that residents have defined consensually3. As such, it is difficult for a community like Manchester or any other community to make significant progress without some level of social capital. With this in mind, the more social capital a community has, the more likely it is to work past its deficiencies. Our data has brought us to recognize possible community-building opportunities to strengthen the social capital in the town of Manchester. According to Phillips, community building involves "the practice of building connections among residents, establishingandpositive patterns of individual and community behavior based on mutual responsibility and ownership".
The town of Manchester has many crucial physical assets that encompass the heart and history of the area. Through our interviews and research on the area, we identified five main assets. Firstly, Budd park and the Westplex park are physical assets that are deeply embedded in the everyday lives of Manchester community members. For example, Budd Park has a field utilized for sports as well as a playground where families frequently bring their children to play. Additionally, there is a pavilion space and a pond where fish are put for families to go fishing. This area also hosts events where community members come together such as free movie nights in the summer. These parks provide a place for people to be outdoors, spend time with their loved ones, and be active within the community. Another physical asset used widely in the town is the Canandaigua lake outlet, also known as Flint’s creek. This area provides people within Manchester with direct access to the lake. The lake is an integral part of living in the Finger Lakes region and an essential part of the town. One event hosted at this access point is the Wild Water Derby. This event used to be held annually until it was stopped by the town and only re-vamped this year. Residents are hopeful this will continue to be an annual event for them to gather at for years to come. One of the most significant physical assets we focused on within our work in Manchester is the Manchester Gateway trail.
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This trail is frequented by community members daily and is a crucial part of the routine and day-to-day life of many within the town. Stretching around a mile and a half, this trail acts as a connector between the villages of Manchester and Shortsville. This trail psychically ties these spaces together and allows for opportune access to both these locations. Many different community members take advantage of this trail in their free time. Families bring their children here and some use it to get to the houses of their loved ones who live a village over. On a deeper and more symbolic note, this trial is a key aspect of the unifying of these two villages together into one shared community. Although this asset is widely used and loved by the community, we believe it is underutilized in the fact that it can be used as a central gathering place to host events which we mention later in this paper.
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Lasting effects have been felt from the absence of the main form of employment in the town. Through our interviews, we have identified the railroad as an underutilized asset. The community has acknowledged its
Lastly, the Lehigh Valley railroad is a physical asset that represents the important history of Manchester’s past. Now known as the Manchester Railroad park, Manchester was home to the largest brake fault switching station on the entire East Coast during the late 19th century. During this time, over a hundred train cars were fixed there daily and over nine hundred people were employed to do this important work. However, once it shut down, the majority of the jobs in the Town of Manchester were lost.
Individual Assets. We identified several individual assets that the community can use for self-help. The first is the Red Jacket Community Library Staff. Through our interviews, it became clear that these individuals were not just librarians but passionate advocates for community advancement. Many have dedicated several years to staffing the library and keeping it afloat. Using these individuals in
128 historical importance through a revitalization plan in progress focusing on the preservation of this asset. Provided with NYS Empire State Development grants, there has been work done in caring for the infrastructural needs of the yard as well as future plans for assessing the potential for reuse in the future. Additionally, a museum exists where the public is able to view artifacts, such as the brass bell that signaled the arrival and departure of locomotives and the headlight from an important steam locomotive. Although the town is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Lehigh Valley railroad, we believe that this asset can be brought to the next level. As such a significant part of our history, we believe this asset can be promoted on a regional and even national level. Historians and train lovers from all over could travel to Manchester to visit the park and museum if this asset was promoted and more available to the wider population. Overall, the physical assets within the town of Manchester are central to the community’s everyday experience, connection, and enjoyment.
The largest two individual assets we identified were the community organizers and business owners. Community development does not come from the local government but rather individuals in the community who fight for what they want and need in their community. For example, there was a group that rallied for the support and funding needed for a dog park. Now, there is a fun and social-friendly place for people to gather and form associations because that is what the community decided they needed. Additionally, some organizers are putting together an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Manchester Gateway Trail, which is a prominent physical asset within the community. These groups of individuals are a great place for the community to start to find ways to help themselves. However, all of the work needed to help Manchester flourish cannot rest on these individuals alone, so expanding the overall capacity of the town members is key. Lastly, the business owners are pivotal. Businesses within Manchester not only provided a large portion of the economic functioning of the town but functioned as social spaces for people to gather. For a town that lacks a community center, going to restaurants, breweries, and even grocery
129 other community organizing capacities can be beneficial for the town. Another individual asset was the prominent family names that exist within Manchester. One interviewee noted that there were family names within the town that everyone knew and looked to for guidance and influence. These families often open businesses and then pass the businesses through generations, which means those names stick around. These names can be looked to for information and assistance in community development.
130 stores serves as the main social hubs within the town. These business owners need to be directly targeted to host special events, collaborate, and even mesh with other identified assets to create new reasons to live and stay in Manchester, NY. Associational Assets. In terms of associational assets, we found multiple associations that are already being used by the community. The most prominent associations of Manchester are the boy scouts, the community garden and compost, and the community food cupboard programming. Using these assets to help boost attendance at other events and increase a sense of community would be beneficial for the town. In addition to prominent associations, we also found a few annual events that draw in a large crowd from the community. The Wild Water Derby and the Fireman’s Carnival are two of these important events that are organized by the same associations each year. We think that leveraging these events to help get the word out about other events and associations in the town would be lucrative for the town. Another asset that was mentioned frequently in our interviews was chicken barbeques. Chicken barbeques are where people congregate, so we think that the town could utilize chicken barbeques as a strategy to boost attendance at other community events and associational gatherings. Communication about these events is not as frequent as would be ideal so it is more difficult to get information about events out to the community. Facebook groups appear to be the primary source of advertisement and association forming for the Town of Manchester. Otherwise, community members
131 would have to go to the Town Hall to receive community updates, which are only sent out once every few months online. Utilizing these assets and increasing communication about them would be beneficial to the town and help grow attendance and community. Economic Assets. In terms of economic assets, taxes from local businesses and speeding tickets collected on Route 96 are major economic contributions to the Town. From our interviews, we discovered that Roy’s restaurant, Fluffing Feathers bakery, and Reinvention Brewing company receive a lot of foot traffic from both locals and residents of the greater Finger Lakes region. We believe these businesses are significant in providing space for community gatherings and we hope that town leaders can utilize them furthermore.Lastly, from one of our interviews, we identified the Bliss Shurfine Food Mart to be a crucial economic asset to the Town. As the only grocery store in the Town, this establishment prevents residents from having to travel 15 minutes by automobile to Walmart or Canandaigua for their groceries. At this store, residents do their grocery shopping for produce, dairy, baked goods, and more. There is also a deli within the store along with other “extras” the store prides itself on offering for added convenience for residents (photo printing, on-site banking, pharmacy needs, etc.). One interviewee noted that without this store in town, the community would be negatively impacted.
And as we have mentioned, it’s not located centrally within the town. We speculate this to be a significant reason why it is heavily underutilized.Toconclude our analysis of the information we gathered, we have found that the community of Manchester can organize. This is evident through the conversations we had with community members and the identification of community organizers as
Institutional Assets. With the town having no community center, we found there to be two major institutions that host and build community engagement: The First Baptist Church of Manchester and the Red Jacket School. In the past, the church has served as a space for holding the school’s AP exams and offering the Abba childcare program. However, both of these formal connections ceased during the pandemic. The school also brings the community together through sporting events, and up until recently, the public community library was located within the school and was heavily utilized by students and the town’s population, however, the library is currently being relocated so this resource is presently closed off to the community.
While the church and school have their own functional limitations, a major institution that is underutilized is the town hall.
From what we have gathered, the town hall provides inconsistent accounts of community news that only senior citizens frequent.
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With this in mind, some community-building opportunities in Manchester include the Manchester Gateway Trail, the local food markets, and the town hall. The Manchester Gateway Trail is a scenic route utilized by cyclists and walkers which follows the Canandaigua Outlet through the town of Manchester. Its natural scenery and open space have great potential to act as a site for community events such as food and beverage tastings. Local businesses in Manchester, such as the "Reinvention Brewing Company" and "Roy's Restaurant," could participate in the event, bringing residents together for community building and having the
133 pivotal in the fight for town development. Additionally, the community seems to recognize what they need and what they want, which is great because it indicates that the potential and promise for a better town experience are there. However, it cannot be understated that the largest roadblock is the challenging process one must go through to build momentum and gain funding for proposals. The interviewees we spoke to noted that because each village has its government and then the town has a larger government, the processes for approval are lengthy and frustrating. This discourages much of the community from organizing to their full capacity, making the community members at large an underutilized asset. Overall, though, we found so much positivity within the town and could tell early on that the community was excited someone was taking an interest in their small town and what it had to Potentialoffer.Community
Asset Connections
134 potential to increase their sales. However, to bring this idea to fruition, local community members would have to go through town representatives at the town hall who can assist in receiving permits for outdoor events. One informant during an interview stated that throwing a chicken barbeque would bring the community together; thus utilizing the Gateway trail and bringing in local food markets is a very similar idea that can also support local businesses. Connecting these three assets of the Manchester Gateway Trail, Local Food Markets, and the town hall has excellent potential to increase community building and create an opportunity for an associational asset to manifest.
Furthermore, our research has also brought us to observe another opportunity for community building in the town of Manchester. The community library was previously an asset in Manchester that brought residents of the area together and was located within The Red Jacket Schools. However, financial turmoil is brewing between the Library and the School District as it has changed the lease terms; such as by increasing the rent and restricting hours of operation to the point that they cannot fulfill the mandated 35 hours weekly NY State guidelines for libraries. Our group has marked a potential community building opportunity between the library, community organizers and an old school building not being utilized to bypass this turmoil. Our research suggests that community organizers advocate for the library to be moved into the old school building that can also act as a community center. A connection between these three assets can result in a space where people of all ages can come together.
According to Mcknight libraries serve as natural community centers that function more than to distribute books to readers, they also make different resources available to members of local communities and often encourage community participation in activities that are beneficial to the entire community4. Thus, libraries play a crucial role in the process of building community and “should be seen as vital assets that exist at the very heart of community life”5. As such, the library in the Town of Manchester is a key asset that is crucial to the process of community development which is why we encourage community organizers to advocate against the displacement of their library.
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Overall, the implementation of our possible connections for community building has the opportunity to increase the social capital within the Town of Manchester, which in turn, as previously mentioned, increases the possibility for community development. We believe that the assets we have researched and uncovered this semester will continue to aid community partners and The Partnership as they work to achieve Manchester’s goal of creating thriving "Shared Communities United."
136 CREATING COMMUNITIES“SHAREDUNITED”WITHASSETSINTHETOWNOFMANCHESTER,NY
Heidi Aversa, Sami Foulk, Emma MacShara, Scott McClearn, Star Peña, and Hope Snyder
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138 Presentation Agenda 01 02 Introduction To Our Research Our ManchesterTown: 03 04 Methodology and Data Collection Preliminary Data and Conclusions
139 Introduction01 To Our Research
140 PracticumResearch Catalyst FLX & The Partnership Acting ConsultantsAs One of ResearchFourGroups Project Overview
T
DEVELOPMEN
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ASSET BASED COMMUNITY
142 Research Question What are the underutilized and/or unrecognized assets that exist within the town of Manchester that can be used to promote sustainable self-help community solutions?
143 Our02Town: Manchester
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The Town of Manchester is located in Eastern Ontario County, The town includes Village of Clifton Springs, the Village of Manchester and the Village of Shortsville, as well.
the
NY.
145 ManchesterGeneva
146 Town of Manchester Population POPULATION: 9,404 Age 22% 30% 18% 30% 0 - 19 20-39 40-59 As of the census of 2020 60+
147 Economic Demographics Manchester $54,388 12.2% Bloomfield $31,384 8.13% Gorham $36,339 6.5% Naples $22,500 17.2% Percent of people in poverty MedianIncomeHousehold
148 Red Jacket School District StudentRatioTeacher 9.32 Ranking: 4 PerSpendingStudent $21,940 Ranking: 5 1=Best 6=Worst All ranking numbers indicate placement among the six rural Ontario districts. Bloomfield, Gorham, Naples, Honeoye and Phelps - Clifton Springs
149 CommunityIssues Communication inconsistencies Fleeing population Per-student spending Poverty Lack of jobs
Methodology03 and Data Collection
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151 Categorization of Assets Individual Communitymembers Physical Parks, buildings Associational Social groups organizationsand Institutional Larger organizations,boards Economic Revenue-producingopportunities
152 Data Collection 1. Quantitative data a. Demographics 2. Qualitative data a. Media analysis b. In-depth interviews i. Key informants ii. Snowball sampling
Analysis
Collected Data
153 04
154 Individual Assets Red Jacket Community Library Staff ● Librarians and advocates Prominent families ● Family names w/ multiple generations in Manchester Community organizers ● Dog park advocates ● Organizers of the 10-year celebration for the trail Business Owners
GatewayTrail Route 96
Budd Park Flint Creek
155 Physical Assets
Railroad: Underutilized Physical Asset
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158 Associational Assets Boy FoodScoutsCupboard Wild Water Derby Fireman’s Carnival Garden & Compost Chicken Barbeque Facebook Groups
159 Economic Assets ● NY State Thruway ○ Speeding tickets ● Businesses: ○ Restaurants (Roys) ○ Bakeries (Fluffing Feathers) Roy’s Restaurant Fluffing Feathers ○ Reinvention Brewing Company ■ live music, food trucks
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Reinvention Brewing Company
161 Institutional Assets First Baptist Church of Manchester ● Connection between the school and church (ex: holds AP exams) ● Abba childcare program (ceased during the pandemic) Red Jacket School (K-12) ● Sports Events ● Public Community Library
Town Hall: Underutilized Asset
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Possible Connections
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RECOGNITION POSITIVITY Community members know what they need and areaboutpassionateit. The community is excited that an interest is being taken in their town. 01 02 03 04 CAPACITY Members of the Manchester community have the capacity to organize. CHALLENGING Lengthy process to make change with a lot of “hoops” to jump through.
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Conclusions
165 Thank County,TheAcknowledgements:You!PartnershipforOntarioProfessorJackHarris,andCommunityInterviewees
HWS STUDENTNAPLESSURVEY
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Allie Nethercott, Susanna Becchio, Rejaun Heusner, Kyle Spano, Corina Alexander, Krissy Stein
Asset Based Community Development in Naples, NY
SOC 465
Final Research Project Report
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Our ProjectTheTown
of Naples, New York is located below the South end of Canandaigua Lake. Naples is about a 45 minute drive from Geneva and about a 30 minute drive to the town of Canandaigua located at the upper Northern end of Canandaigua Lake. For our project, we decided to focus on the Town of Naples, where the village of Naples is located. We wanted to focus on the town so that we could get a more robust view of the community that included members from the village and town. Naples is a small community with a population of 2,443 (as of the 2020 US Census) and a village median income of $22,500. We were intrigued by this demographic because Naples is village “rich” and rural poor, but village “rich” is still hovering
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IntroductionInourSenior
sociology seminar (SOC 465), taught by Professor Jack Harris, our class has been conducting community based research on four towns in Ontario County, New York. The class split into four groups that focused on each town: Manchester, Gorham, Bloomfield, and Naples. Our group specifically focused and conducted research on the Town of Naples, wherein Naples Central School District is located. To conduct community-based research within Naples, we used the approach of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD is a positive approach that looks to discover underutilized and undiscovered personal, associational, institutional, physical, and economic assets that can be utilized to facilitate economic and social growth within the community. Through our research, we hope to find underutilized assets within the Town of Naples and create potential connections and ideas for how these assets can be used to mobilize the community and promote sustainable growth.
at poverty levels of income. The racial demographics of Naples are predominantly white (94.9%), with minority groups only making up 7.1% of the population. As a class, we have partnered with our client, The Partnership for Ontario County, to help to identify these assets to create connections that can assist in facilitating sustainable economic and social growth. The Partnership for Ontario County is a local non profit organization with diverse backgrounds in education, public health, and community organizing. We also had help from another local not for profit organization, Catalyst FLX, who provided us with data sets to guide us in our collection of demographic information on the Town of Naples.
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To facilitate community growth in the Town of Naples, we have followed the asset-based community development (ABCD) approach. Unlike a needs based community development approach, which focuses on the issues that Naples faces, ABCD allows the community to kindle their specific talents and organizations that may have gone unnoticed, and provide an outlet for these assets to be exploited for the good of the community. The framework was founded by John McKnight and Jody Kretzmann and was developed as a critique of the common needs based approach to community development. Rather than viewing everything as a problem that needs to be solved through exterior institutions, ABCD acknowledges that the gifts and power of local institutions are more than enough to facilitate community growth, they simply need to be mapped and brought together (McKnight and Block, 2012). Rather than identifying what is not working, ABCD instead urges the community and developers to find what is working, and how to exploit these positives for sustainable community growth.
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According to the ABCD institute, The first step in this process is asset mapping, where the local capacities of the community are marked (Asset based Community Development, 2017). This may involve, for example, an abandoned building, a large field, an individual with a passion and knowledge in a specific subject, or a local business or non profit. After the initial mapping, relationships are to be strengthened with community members and the developers, as well as with the local institutions (Asset based Community Development, 2017). This provides an opportunity for the developers to connect community members with like minded people, as well as establish goals between the community of Naples and its local institutions. Once these connections are established, sustainable mobilization strategies are instilled by the community developers, allowing the community to continue its growth after the project has concluded (Asset based Community Development, 2017). After that, a small group of influential and motivated community members is to be organized, with the goal of identifying assets and mobilization strategies from the previous steps which will inspire others to join the cause for the community development of Naples (Asset based Community Development, 2017). The final step is to exploit any outside institutions or resources that the community may need to enact the development plan (Asset based Community Development, 2017). Due to the severe poverty that exists in Naples, the community most likely requires the help of exterior institutions to prosper; however, this does not mean that Naples cannot sustain growth, the town just needs a little help taking the first steps.
ABCD aims to identify physical, social capital, and economic assets, and provide a framework for ways that the community can leverage any assets that have been underutilized.
A few examples of our asset mapping in Naples are outlined below. Servicing physical assets involves the recognition of Naples’ land, buildings, parks, and any other spaces which can
171 be exploited for the benefit of the community (Payne 2006, p. 50 51). For example, the Town
Hall building, which is mostly vacant, could be refurbished and reutilized to provide a service for the community, such as a homeless shelter, community lunch program, or even a youth program. This would provide an outlet to not only aid the marginalized members of the community, but also provide a public space where like minded individuals can come together for the good of the town.
Naples leverages their wineries well with the Annual Grape Festival and its well known grape pies, but Naples has so much more to offer that has not been tapped into. Naples is also home to many breweries, perhaps the town could start an annual Hops Festival where people with interests in brewing and craft beer can congregate and grow closer as they share their passions.
We hypothesized that the Town of Naples contained various assets that could create sustainable development within the community if exploited properly. By working with The Partnership for Ontario County and using asset mapping, we will be better able to identify potential assets and opportunities and bring community attention to them. The underlying question driving our research is, “What assets exist in the Town of Naples that can help generate sustainable economic and social development in the community?”.
Hypothesis & Research Question
Social capital involves non profit organizations and local voluntary associations that can be reconfigured to provide more for the community. For example, a local book club could be leveraged to provide an engaging literary experience for adolescents also interested in reading but are unaware of any outlets in the community where these interests could blossom with others.
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methodology, we used a mixed methods approach. The mixed method approach combines elements of both quantitative and qualitative data, to analyze and draw conclusions. For our quantitative data, we used data sets provided to us by Catalyst FLX and the U.S Census. The data sets provided population demographics for the Town of Naples, as referenced below in Appendix C. We collected our qualitative data by conducting in depth interviews with Naples community members. The executive director of The Partnership for Ontario County, Tracey Dello Stritto, provided our team with an initial contact list. After reaching out to the contacts provided, we used snowball sampling where our interviewees gave us additional individuals to potentially interview. The section titled “Future Contacts” provides the list of potential contacts we collected through snowball sampling.
Our team conducted 4 total in depth interviews with community members in Naples. We used a standard list of questions when conducting our interviews, as can be referenced in Appendix A. There are 8 different categories of questions including, opening questions, general questions, individual assets, physical assets, associational assets, institutional assets, economic assets, and closing questions. Within these sections are multiple questions aimed to extract relevant information about Naples and how its assets could be utilized. Before beginning our interviews, we asked our interviewees if they would consent to being recorded. All of our interviewees permitted recording devices which enabled our team to have the transcribed copy of the interviews.
MethodologyForourresearch
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Data ThroughAnalysissigned
consent forms that we provided prior to conducting each interview, we were (or weren't) granted permission by the interviewee to be recorded during the span of the interview. The interviews on the phone were recorded on the Voice Memo’s application on our iPhones. These recordings were then uploaded to a private YouTube channel that generated the transcript of the interview. Once these transcripts were generated, we were able to look through them to address any errors. By having a typed out transcript of our interviews, we were able to more easily conduct the coding process in which we looked for keywords that would help guide our research such as “asset” and “community development”. This process allowed us to put each interview in conversation with one another, recognizing key hotspots of social activity, as well as places that were not mentioned that we thought could be exploited further as a potential resource for sustainable growth.
Further data analysis occurred with the demographic data provided by Catalyst FLX. We were able to recognize a severe wealth disparity between the town and village areas of Naples, which facilitated discussions and suggestions regarding exploiting the land as a primary asset of the village of Naples. Another insight gained from analyzing this demographic data was that the average age of Naples village residents was nearly 48 years (47.8), which is considerably older than the United States average age of 38 years. For this reason, we focused our attention on injecting youth programs and resources into an otherwise aging population, in hopes that by investing in the younger population of Naples, they may be able to provide future sustainable growth as they become more involved in their community.
Interviews and Recommendations
Through the interviews that we were able to conduct with community members, we learned a lot about the opportunities and assets that are present within the Town of Naples. Our interviewees were able to give us insight into what is currently working in their town and where they see a sense of change or help in using what is around them to further community engagement and boost their revenues. From the interview, there was a strong emphasis on Naples's physical assets through the many different lands and parks that are available for their use. Through the three assets that we were looking for we focused on several physical assets in the town of Naples that could be used for community development. These physical assets include Grimes Glen Park, Naples Memorial Town Hall, and Naples Community Park.
Grimes Glen Park is a public park in Naples that features three waterfalls and is home to the oldest historic fossilized tree in New York State. Through our interview, we learned that Grimes Glen Park is not being used to its full potential. While members of the community have begun to give guided tours through the trails within the park, they are currently free of charge. The town of Naples could use this as an opportunity to gain revenue. This can be done by charging tourists for a chance to have a guided tour through the trails while providing them with historic and interesting details about the park, the waterfall, and even the discovery of the tree.
Naples Memorial Town Hall is a historic building located within Naples. This hall served as the center of the village and towns social and recreational activities until World War II, in which it was then in private hands and served a variety of commercial and light industrial uses. When speaking with one interviewee it was stated that as of today the town hall is not ADA compliant. The interviewee stated that there was a need to get this building to be ADA compliant as well as many renovations so that different activities throughout the town could be conducted
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within this building. We believe that the Partnership of Ontario County could help with getting ADA compliant and with the help of ongoing interviews, we could be connected to other members in the community that can assist with the repairs of the building. We believe a lot could be done with this hall if Naples were able to fulfill these two services. This can include but is not limited to, holding exhibits in the summertime through the Historical Society as well as tours. It was also brought to our recognition that other organizations within the town of Naples could also utilize this building seasonally.
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Naples Community Park includes over 88 acres of land and was built grassroots by the community. According to Naples community members, this park is one of their big assets. There are multiple sports fields, a golf course, a pump track, and many more amazing features in this park. In our interview, the Town Supervisor stated that during their night games they must bring in generators to run lights up. She believes that if they were to add extra lights in the fields it would be more beneficial. Naples Community Park can be further utilized by the community both to increase community engagement and to bring in revenue once they make the necessary changes. In the interviews, the interviewees stated that they wished they could host more festivals other than their annual grape festival. Since the park has so much space it could be used to host events that will help further community engagement. They also stated that while the park could be used to host events that were specifically for the members of Naples, they could also use the park as a source of revenue. They can bring in more money to the local community if they were to host events such as tournaments, and concerts that welcome people from neighboring communities.
FutureThroughConnectionsourinterviews,
Bristol Valley Theater is a great economic asset for Naples, bringing in guests across upstate New York. However, we think it has been underutilized as a social asset. For example, the theater once had an apprentice program, which helped kids and teenagers with an interest in the arts foster their talents under the supervision of professionals. However, due to complications with Covid, the program has been stalled. Perhaps a club with the Naples school district could be organized to replicate the apprentice program and continue the development of these adolescents.
The Woodville State Boat Launch is located on the outskirts of Naples and is an extremely underutilized physical, social, and economic asset. It is the primary launch site for all boats on the southern end of Canandaigua Lake, as well as the only accessible canoe and kayak ramp. We believe that Naples could take inspiration from Canandaigua, which offers lessons in windsurfing, as well as rentable paddleboards to enhance revenue. Providing these services would not only generate money but would provide an outlet for people with interests in watersports to come together right in their community. There is also a potential for Naples to begin a boat tour of Canandaigua Lake, which would attract tourists to the lake as well as the various beautiful wineries, breweries, and restaurants that Naples has to offer.
Another potential connection that we wanted to generate was the need for some form of a central community center. During our interviews, it was emphasized that Naples currently does not have a community center and that having one would be significantly beneficial for the
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we learned that Naples was struggling severely in two places, their revenue and the representation of their youth. Due to this, we were able to identify two assets in Naples that could help tackle these problems, The Woodsville State Boat Launch and The Bristol Valley Theater.
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community. Due to there being several existing spaces that are not being fully utilized, we see this as an opportunity for these spaces to be used to implement a community center, such as a YMCA.Lastly,
GivenContactstheshorttime
FutureNaples.
Naples would benefit greatly from exploiting the topography. One of the ways that they could do this would be by starting a hiking club. This will exploit underutilized assets such as the land and topography, while also benefiting underrepresented groups such as the youth of
frame that we had to do this project, we have a handful of contacts that we were not able to speak to that might be of future help. By providing these contacts, we hope that the Summer Research Interns here at Hobart and William Smith Colleges under the guidance of Jack Harris will be able to continue our research. This list of future contacts will provide these interns with a foundation to continue to discover unrecognized assets within Naples and further promote sustainable economic and social development.
Potentially the most important future contact would be the Mayor of Naples. His name is Brian Shank and his email is brian@naplesny.us. We were also given the contact information of Mark Poppleton and David Dial, who are the partners of Artizanns: Gifts from the Finger Lakes. The email provided to get into contact with them is sales@artizanns.com One of the members of the Naples Village Food Pantry was contacted and was not able to find a time to meet. Her name is June Noland and we were provided with her phone number which is 585-369-8142. Our last contact is Valerie Knoblack. She is the president and CEO of Visit Finger Lakes and her email is valerie@visitfingerlakes.com.
ConclusionBeforethis
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We think that these contacts would be a great start to further this research. They are active community members that are sure to have important knowledge on specific assets that could further benefit the Naples community. By utilizing these contacts, they will be able to provide the Summer Research Interns with more people to speak to since they are all well invested within the community of Naples.
project, many of us would have regarded Naples as a place that’s far removed from our lives. Through interacting with the community and actively assessing the assets within Naples, we have all formed attachments to the town and village. Through using ABCD, we have all learned valuable people and researching skills. In addition, because of ABCD, we were able to find assets within the town of Naples. From there, we were able to make connections and propose different ways people could utilize the assets already within Naples. We hope that these connections and potential additions to the town will help the community to further engage with one another, benefit underrepresented groups, and take advantage of the wonderful topography and scenery that the Finger Lakes are so well known for.
● What are some things that people do not recognize about your community?
● What is your favorite place in X?
● How involved are you in the community?
● Are there any places in your town that you think are unique/unusual/special, indoor and outdoor? Do other people know about them?
● Is it okay if we record our conversation?
Opening Questions (ask all)
● What are you known for in the community; what does the community come to you for?
● What are some of the physical surroundings in your town that you value?
● What skills or talents do you think you have that could contribute to the community?
● What do you think is special or unique about X?
Physical Assets
● What is your name?
○ Do you wish you were more or less involved?
● What do you do for a living?
● What makes you feel like you belong in this community?
● What brings you pride about X?
General Questions
● Where do you live?
○ If you live in X, how long have you lived there? Have you moved throughout X?
● What are people most involved in and excited about in X?
○ If not in town X, why?
Interview Schedule
● If someone you knew was coming to visit from out of town, where would you tell them to visit in X?
Individual Assets
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Appendix A, Naples survey
● What do you like to do in your free time in town X?
● What businesses or organizations in and around X would make the town worse if they left?
● What are some of the activities you see going on in town X?
● What are some of the things in your community that you care the most about?
● What is great about your community?
(questions in bold →asked by interviewer to each interviewee; non-bold → depends on how the conversation unfolds)
● What/where do you find yourself commonly spending money on/in your community?
● What brings your community revenue?
Show respondents a map and ask them to circle the locations and places they talked about. (must do)
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Associational Assets
● Are there any notable groups or individuals who standout that benefit the community?
● What are the communities’ natural resources?
Institutional Assets
● What institutions of your community make decisions that positively affect your life?
● Do you feel like there are any groups that are underrepresented in your town?
● What kinds of extracurricular activities do youth in the community take part in?
● Is it common for people to volunteer their time towards organizations in the community, if so, what organizations?
● What else do you do in the community outside of your job?
● Is there anything else that you did not get to mention or wanted to elaborate more on?
● What/who is the most unique group in your community?
● Who is the most powerful person that you know in your town?
Ask: Where do you see people socializing in X?
● In an ideal world, what would you like to see in X?
● What is your favorite town wide event?
● What groups or individuals do you find yourself connected to in your community?
● Are there any businesses or organizations outside the town that would benefit the community if they were a part of the town?
● Do you have any questions for me?
● Thank you for your time and I will now end the recording/conclude the interview.
● Who do you know that has talents that could benefit the community? Economic Assets
● What do you think people would pay for and enjoy if it was added into the Closingcommunity?(askall)
● Was there anything that used to be here that brought people together that is no longer a part of the community?
● What have been some important parts of X’s history?
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Appendix B, Naples survey
Nonprofits 9 Nonprofits in the Town of Naples With assets totalling $2,574,805
(Hospeace House, Maxfield Hose Company, Naples Ambulance, Hunt Hollow Ski Club, Friends of Bristol Valley Playhouse Foundation, Naples New York Rotary Club Foundation, Rotary International, Naples Little Bunch, Friends of the Naples Library)
Median (VillageIncomeonly) (No$22,500available
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Demographics for the Town of Naples
Population Size (As2,443of 2020 Census data)
Race and White: 94.9% Ethnicity Black: 0.8% (Village only) Asian: LatinX:1.7%4.6%
census data on median income for the Town of Naples)
Works Cited
Payne, P. R. (2006). Youth Violence Prevention Through Asset Based Community Development
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Asset based Community Development (ABCD). Clear Impact. (2017, August 24). Retrieved from https://clearimpact.com/solutions/asset based community development/ McKnight, J., & Block, P. (2012). The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods. Berrett Koehler Publishers, Inc.
LFB Scholarly Pub.
Griffin Primeau and Jack Harris 1 Hobart and William Smith Colleges
1 Jonathan Garcia assisted in interviewing and collecting data primarily in Manchester/Shortsville.
Asset-Based Community Development in Rural Ontario County Focus on East Bloomfield and Manchester/Shortsville, Ontario, New York
SummerADDENDUM:survey of East Bloomfield and Manchester/Shortsville
2 See the Senior Seminar reports at XXXX
3 See DePaul University, ABCD Institute at ABCD Institute | DePaul University, Chicago
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Introduction
This project is a continuation of the work by the Spring 2022 Senior Seminar: Research Practicum in Sociology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. 2 Using the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology 3, we identified community assets and connected common initiatives in East Bloomfield, New York and Manchester/Shortsville, New York. ABCD is centered around the idea that communities can propel sustainable social and economic community development by locating unrecognized or underutilized assets already present in the community.Many communities in the Finger Lakes region face strains due to economic and social challenges and a lack of communication between their assets. Interviews were conducted in East Bloomfield and Manchester/Shortsville to identify and discover geographic, individual, and group assets that could be amenable to sustainable and self-reliant community development. Snowball sampling, in which interviewees identify other potential respondents, generated additional contacts that broadened the information we collected and often established people who are connectors, or could be connectors, in the communities.
● Sustainable economic development.
● Expanded/enhanced use of the Partnership for Ontario County’s recently implemented youth clubhouse.
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● Employment challenges
4
There are several individual and organizational assets in the community that are working towards the goal of sustainable economic development:
● Bishop Sheen Housing 5 is working to build affordable housing in the community and recently constructed twenty-six new homes. Building affordable housing could support economic growth in multiple ways:
In their initial report, student researchers cited the following as some of the most pressing developmental issues in East Bloomfield:
● Increasing tourism.
East Bloomfield Final Report at XXXX 5 Bloomfield office (585) 657 4114
● Insufficient tourism
● Fleeing youth population
● Re-envisioned outdoor recreation.
Sustainable Economic Development
East Bloomfield, Ontario, New York
○ The process of constructing homes provides jobs within the community and helps keep people employed.
The report also shared critical demographic data, identified community assets, and made a series of recommendations 4. The students provided a potential list of community connections and contacts they had generated. In this follow-up research, we identified four potential initiatives in East Bloomfield that could benefit the community moving forward. These initiatives include:
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○ Their results can be used in creating strategic planning for the town which is essential to its development.
○ Household budgets will be spent less on housing and more with local businesses.
○
Benefits from this work can be seen in a few ways:
● Whether it is Grow Bloomfield or a new organization, the town would benefit from creating a business accelerator and/or a business incubator. This would help grow new and existing businesses and set them up to be sustainable local enterprises. Geneva, New York has both an accelerator and incubator and has supported the development of companies such as Cheribundi and Real Eats. The town would benefit from adding at least a part time economic developer to oversee business growth and put action plans into place that would help develop the town's sustainable economy. Success from this addition of sustainable businesses could
○
● Grow Bloomfield 6, mentioned in the initial report, is an organization focused on supporting the future of East Bloomfield. Their work focuses on surveying and gaining insight into what the citizens of the town would like to see in the future. They also have a website that highlights some of the best aspects of the town.
Affordable housing makes it less expensive for new people to move to town and provides an attraction for younger populations.
Providing highlights of the town could help attract tourism and thus economic growth.
Grow Bloomfield’s data should be shared and directed to collaborative efforts with the municipality for strategic planning and for tourism development.
6 Paul Hudson (585) 330 0889
8 Mark Mansfield, mmansfield@irishmafiabrewing.com
7 https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/, 585-412 2932
include:
● The Town of East Bloomfield has a community Facebook page used to send blasts to a substantial portion of its population. This is a great method to encourage development. But the site administrator has been unresponsive to our request to
● Turnbull Restorations 7 “is the most recognized name in vintage firearm restoration” and is in East Bloomfield. Their facility provides a large space for various groups to meet. Currently, Grow Bloomfield uses this space to conduct their own meetings.
● Irish Mafia Brewing 8 is a new and expanding brewery in East Bloomfield. Their facility includes a large restaurant space that holds many group events. The owner is eager to support the community.
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○ Support commuters to nearby communities by making East Bloomfield a location of choice for families by highlighting its family amenities.
Several of the long-standing local businesses in East Bloomfield want to engage in community development to help their community and foster an effective business climate. Successful economic development can be sustained by local businesses already in existence and requires a combined effort between leaders and individuals in the community. For example, ther are several identified businesses that have ample space for this and are eager to let groups access that space:
○ Tapping into the larger population of nearby Rochester as consumers of East Bloomfield’s business and beautiful parks
○ East Bloomfield’s proximity to transportation and its semi-rural character makes it attractive for business growth and additional employment opportunities.
188 connect with members. .
● Veterans Park hosts a youth summer camp during July and August. 9 The camp is a popular asset to keep children occupied during the summer.
10 Anne LaRin, (585) 315 1143
○ A possible connection between the camp and the Partnership for Ontario County’s Youth Clubhouse could provide a safe place in the event of inclement weather. We were unable to contact the camp's director, Jeff Daily, to comment.
Jeff Daily, Camp Director, (585) 520 8500
Outdoor Recreation
9
● The Rotary Club hosts a summer concert series in the parks. 10 These events are great for bringing the community together to socialize. These types of events have the potential to raise the profile of the town and create a greater attraction value.
There are three large parks in the greater East Bloomfield area. These parks provide substantial outdoor recreation spaces and can be used for gatherings to bring the community together and host events. An obstacle at these outdoor spaces is that they require proof of being a town resident to park. This makes it difficult for visitors from outside of East Bloomfield to access the parks and spend time in the town itself. As a result, it is easy to conclude that the East Bloomfield parks are under utilized as a town asset.
We identified a few ways in which these parks are currently being used and ways they could be further leveraged:
○ While potentially beneficial in growing outdoor recreation, the concerts are difficult to learn about. They do not appear to be on the town calendar. More frequent, and more varied forms of communication would enhance awareness about the concerts. And there is a multiplier effect insofar that people may dine at local businesses before or after the concert, or socialize at local businesses before or after the
Further advertising the trails and the natural resources that exist there could get more individuals involved. More involvement could help grow and improve the parks and have a multiplier effect.
● The Irish Mafia brewery in East Bloomfield is a large establishment that draws people from
concerts
Boughton Park is located on a lovely body of water with easy access for watersports such as canoeing or kayaking. There are racks for residents to keep their kayaks but out of towners do not have this same access. This seems short sighted as such activities are gateways to engaging in local businesses and an attractant to potential new residents.
○
The town of East Bloomfield is home to many small businesses that could benefit from an increase in visitors and tourism. A few possible solutions are identified as follows:
Adding a kayaking club and allowing visitors to partake could raise the value and attract more interaction within the parks.
There is a lot of undiscovered potential in East Bloomfield’s parks. With the correct coordination, these outdoor recreation spaces could turn from good to great. An initial step that could help with this process would be to add a Park and Recreation Coordinator who could organize and center more activities in the parks, and provide quicker and more direct action in improving the park system. Currently, it appears that all inquiries regarding the parks are to be directed to the Town Supervisor. Increase tourism
● East Bloomfield has many parks and scenic walking paths. If these were made more accessible, further developed, and advertised more broadly they would have the potential to attract tourists and connect to economic spending to the town.
○
○
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● The Antique Wireless Association 11 and Museum is located in East Bloomfield and boasts a large collection of historical communication devices. Its mission is “to preserve and share the history of technology used to communicate and entertain from the first telegram to today’s wireless text messaging.”
○ More broad-scale advertising could attract a larger audience to their site. As of now, their website is outdated.
○ They hosts multiple courses, but the information is hard to find about them.
● Youth transportation/getting kids to the clubhouse.
11 https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/, (585) 257 5119 general staff number 12 Kelli Gage, kelli@ezgeneva.org
○ They have the ability to attract a large number of regional visitors and tourists as their mission and collection is fascinating.
all over the area. The brewery is very community-focused and could serve as a gathering place as well as generate more attraction to the town itself. In talking to the owner, Mark, we discovered that the brewery is planning to expand in size which grows its potential to increase tourism.
The Partnership for Ontario Country’s Youth Clubhouse opened last spring and has the goal of providing a safe place for children. 12 In an interview with the Director of the Clubhouse, we learned about the current challenges facing the facility:
○ They could be a more significant educational resource to surrounding communities. Partnership for Ontario County’s Youth Clubhouse
● Promoting the clubhouse to let people know that it is there.
Through our research, we identified some connections and assets that could help solve these problems:
● Youth perception of the club and getting kids to want to attend.
● Enhanced programming with local groups could also be beneficial for the clubhouse. Coordination with these businesses could create special events that would attract a larger number of children:
13 Edward Turner, Scoutmaster (www.troopwebhost.org/Troop55Bloomfield/Index.htm) General phone (888) 837 6410 General phone (585) 770 3264
● Expanding use through engagement with local groups would be beneficial to the clubhouse.
○ Boy Scout Troop 55 13, Girl Scouts of Western New York 14, and Cub Scout Pack 54 15 are located in East Bloomfield and would be great contacts for the facility to work with and set up events that benefit both groups.
● Strategic advertising messages could be sent to the local Facebook group and local businesses that connect could also support their advertising mission.
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○ The public library in East Bloomfield hosts a variety of summer programs for children in the community. However, it does not have a lot of space and faces difficulty keeping up with the demand for these programs. The clubhouse could serve as a satellite location for the library and help them host their programs at their site.
○ Antique Wireless Association and the Lazy Acre Alpaca Farm could work with the clubhouse to use their space and host events for youth to attend.
14
○ Other volunteer associations in the community, not yet identified, could be invited to host events at the Clubhouse.
15
17 Library phone, (585) 289 3559
18 Dave.phillips@manchesterny.org
New Library Building
Manchester’s Red Jacket public library 16 has been displaced and is in the process of moving to a new facility. We identified multiple strategic assets that would benefit this initiative:
Randy Ott 17 is on the library board and would be essential to any efforts to raise funding. His insight, connections, and experience with the library would be useful.
Partnering with or creating a daycare program would draw attraction and grow support for the library.
● Expanded use for the Red Jacket Library.
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● The success and effectiveness of the library in its new location would be enhanced by considering expanding the library's uses.
● In order for a new space to be created successfully there needs to be fundraising and grant-receiving efforts
● Youth Development, enhanced programming with local groups, and outdoor recreation.
● Sustainable economic development.
Town supervisor, David Philips 18, is a useful resource as he is connected with the community and has insight into many possible uses for the library space.
○
Manchester/Shortsville
Three initiatives present in Manchester’s assets could benefit community development moving forward. These initiatives include:
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16 Library Director, Jordan Schneide, RedJacketLibraryDirector@owwl.org
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19 Todd Freelove, Executive Director, Todd@csaymca.org / Garrett Bunce, Sports and Rec.Director 2120Sports@csaymca.orghttps://manchester39.mytroop.us/front_pagehttps://shortsville49.mypack.us/front_page
● Enhanced programming with local assets and groups would grow the number of available resources and activities for the youth population.
○
● Outdoor recreation is a simple yet effective way to bring the youth community closer and create lasting bonds.
○
○
Youth Development
The town of Manchester has a fleeing youth population. This creates numerous social and economic challenges in the community. Focusing development strategies on aspects that benefit the youth population would work to solve this challenge. We identified multiple assets that can help to ameliorate this condition:
The Clifton Springs YMCA 19 hosts numerous outdoor programs including a summer camp, a golf tournament, and a village rec program that gets the youth active. Working with them to grow these programs would increase activities that promote youth development.
The Partnership for Ontario County’s Youth Court and Substance Coordination are both extremely valuable in protecting the health and future of the community’s youth population.
The local school district plays a huge role in out-of-school activities for the youth.
○
Voluntary associations such as biking clubs, Boy Scout Troop 39 20, Cub Scout Pack 49 21, and the YMCA all work with the youth to create events and help them prosper.
○ Randy Ott would again help identify new uses for the space.
There are multiple areas for potential sustainable economic growth in the Town of Manchester. This growth would aid the both the Village of Manchester and the Village of Shortsville in the short and long term.
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○ The Manchester Police department 23 would be a great asset for individuals looking to pursue a career in law enforcement to get involved with.
22David Halderman, President, president@lvrrhs.org
23General phone, (585) 289 9697 24 David Halderman, President, president@lvrrhs.org 25 (585) 289 7309 26 (585) 617 0453, FLX@OTHERHALFBREWING.COM
● Manchester is located right off the New York State Thruway at Exit 43. Drawing
○ The Lehigh Valley Railroad Association 22 has a valuable collection of historical railway memorabilia and artifacts. They have enormous potential to expand their facilities, resources, and overall strategic plan. Programming with them could provide great involvement opportunities for the youth.
Sustainable Economic Development
○ Reinvention Brewery 25 and Other Half Brewing 26 are both growing breweries in Manchester. Both offer opportunities for individuals to get involved with the fast-growing industry.
○ Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society 24 has exciting potential to expand and become a well-known and successful museum. Individuals would have the opportunity to help in this expansion as well as gain working experience in the museum itself.
● Interacting with local organizations and businesses to create internships would provide high school and college aged community members with a chance to gain highly valuable work skills and experience.
● Chamber of Commerce Events Coordinator, Matt Schaertl, and Town Supervisor, David Philips 28 are great contacts for sustainable economic development.
The Town of East Bloomfield and the Town of Manchester can face many of their (585)742 9081 dave.phillips@manchesterny.org
28
27
and expanding this convenient location would provide more tourist traffic in the towns and enhance support of local businesses.
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○ Manchester’s breweries could be an even greater attraction to tourists.
○ The location could be crucial for the success of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society’s plans to develop the roundhouse and former switchyard facilities. This could be a major tourist attraction for train enthusiasts.
○ Better advertising would make the town more visible to individuals passing by on the Thruway.
While its headquarters is in Farmington, Leonard’s Express recently opened a new warehouse facility in Manchester. The new facility will drive expansion and connect to the railway system. CEO, Ken Johnson 27 is excited and open to engaging with the community in any way possible.
○ Leonard’s Express offers annual internships to students across the country in areas from supply chain management to advertising. Ken Johnson is open to expanding these even further to support local students and residents.
● Leonard’s Express Trucking is a huge asset in the area surrounding Manchester.
○ The company is a huge employer with five hundred trucks nationwide. They have plans to expand and hire more drivers which is a wonderful opportunity for local residents looking to enter the trucking industry.
challenges with identified assets citizens are able and willing to be connectors and leaders in these efforts. The Towns of East Bloomfield and Manchester have citizens that are eager to contribute to the success of their communities.
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The next step is the development of Design Teams that can cluster around each potential community development project, some involving sustainable economic development and others involving sustainable social and cultural development. We recommend that each town’s leadership act as catalysts for these efforts, engaging community partners that include individuals, local civic organizations, and local businesses. There are grants to support rural community development that may match the ambitions of the community leaders in East Bloomfield and Manchester/Shortsville. There are resources, such as the Partnership for Ontario County, that could be instrumental in supporting and steering Design Teams to clearly identify and clarify worthwhile projects, the assets that can be brought to bear, and plan and execute projects that could make a real difference in each town. If external funding is necessary, Design Teams can be assisted in writing proposals and grant applications. It is time to unleash the assets!