Watkins chooses new village logo

WATKINS GLEN-- Mayor Luke Leszyk has awarded local resident Robert Kurcoba an honorary plaque for designing the new village logo during last week's board meeting.
"Earlier this year we decided instead of a generic logo to do a contest, open to anyone, to come up with a logo and design for the village. We got a lot of responses, but one by far stood above the rest," Leszyk said.
After the Oct. 1 board meeting Kurcoba, a graphic designer by trade, said he was encouraged in part to submit the design to show his three sons that their father contributes to his community.
"I put a lot of thought as to what the main selling points of Watkins Glen are, and that's the lake, race track, wineries and the waterfalls which were all incorporated into the design," Kurcoba said.
Calling the logo something the village can be proud of, Leszyk said that going forward the new logo would be used on village vehicles, paperwork and more.
"It will be the face of the village," Leszyk said.
During the meeting Leszyk also announced that PFAS testing of local water would begin soon. At a cost of $1000 per test, the village has received special bottles to collect water samples from Microbac Laboratories to begin the tests.
The day after the board meeting Terry Wilcox, superintendent of public works, said that the tests has since begun.
"The first sample was taken (last Wednesday). We are going to wait for the results, get another sample, wait, do another sample. At least three separate samples of our own, maybe four," Wilcox said.
He added that the testing requires strict guidelines for taking it before Microbac come to take the sample for testing.
"They are a Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health certified lab. This is my first go-around on testing like this so I don't know how long it will take," Wilcox said
During the meeting Wilcox gave an update on Magee St. construction. He announced that while the new force-main that has been installed cannot be activated until the new water filtration plant goes online March of next year, water and sewer service would remain in place using existing facilities.
He also explained that the village is in the process of reclaiming stone used to build the new force-main that had to be removed for the street construction.
"So the stone has been paid for so what we are doing is salvaging it so the village can keep the stone," Wilcox said.
Wilcox added that 25 truckloads alone would be worth $4600 worth of stone.
"That way we save taxpayers money," Wilcox said.