Assembly Resolution No. 146

BY: M. of A. Hawley

COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Town of
Newstead, New York

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Newstead, New York; and

WHEREAS, Founded in 1823 and located in the northeastern corner of
Erie County in Western New York, the Town of Newstead is a rural
community with over 40% of the area devoted to agriculture; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Newstead is split in two by a unique
geographical feature, the Onondaga escarpment, and a portion of the
Tonawanda Indian Reservation is in the northeastern corner of the Town;
and

WHEREAS, The Town government headquarters is located in the Village
of Akron, and as of the 2010 Census, the population is estimated just
below 9,000; and

WHEREAS, Throughout its history, elected officials held meetings in
town halls in various locations; in the 1900s, they met at a location on
the east side of Buffalo Street between Main and John Streets, and then
moved to the corner of Church and John Streets in the Village where it
stayed until 2005; in 2004, the Town purchased the old Strippit training
center located at 5 Clarence Center Road and converted it into the
current Town Hall, where it remains today; and

WHEREAS, During the 1970s, the Town Seal was created by Lanis Ritecz
and assisted by Supervisor Kelsey Webster and Board member Terry
Newcomb, and in 2015, it was replaced with a symbol of a white pine and
headdress with a single feather that more accurately portrayed a
headdress worn by the local Tribesmen; and

WHEREAS, Through a period of uncertainty, the Board took several
measures to help guide the future of the Town; it developed its first
Town Master Plan, bought vacant land through grant money for future use,
started to expand the water districts and purchased the rights to
various abandoned railroads; and

WHEREAS, The railroad property has enhanced the Town by improving
electric service to the Village, and the construction of a bike path
which extends all the way to the Town of Clarence in two locations; and

WHEREAS, The Town also partnered with other municipalities and
businesses to make its community a better place for its residents to
live, work and play; three Town Sewer Districts, a refuse district, and
both a Conservation Advisory Committee and a Library Committee were

created; currently, the Town is predominately watered through the Erie
County Water Authority; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, the Town Highway Department and Village Department
of Public Works moved into a new Joint Municipal Facility together under
one roof at 12707 Clarence Center Road; today, the Highway Department
efficiently maintains its roads with help from both Erie County and New
York State; and

WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of
growth and change, the Town of Newstead continues its commitment to
enhancing the quality of life of its citizens, ensuring a positive
business, institutional and educational climate, and providing all
essential services; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Newstead, New York,
recognizing the significance of the role it continues to play in the
life of the community of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to David L. Cummings, Supervisor, Town of Newstead.