Main Street Project Blog

Upcoming Work and the Blog

2007-04-30T13:08:00.000-04:00

Conversations concerning this summer's wrap-up work have already begun between the Village, MSP, and construction teams. However, the MSP Office is no longer formally staffed and the future of our web resources has yet to be decided. Please check in on other MSP Communication Pathways to find out about the future status of the blog and website.

Many thanks to all the readers of our blog during the initial phase of the project. We hope that it was of help and still encourage feedback on all matters concerning the MSP. Until further notice, please direct any questions about the project to the Village Office directly at (607) 387-6501.

Thank you!

MSP Pictures #12

2007-02-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

The pictures keep on coming!

(Below) First wave bricks set aside for installation by the bank. November 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Below) MSP Advisory Committee member Scott Sears introduces New York State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D-125th) to speak at the MSP Groundbreaking Ceremony. July 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny

(Below) Early morning in Trumansburg as crews from A & K Slipform install sidewalks on the southside of West Main. October 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

MSP Pictures #11

2007-02-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

Apologies for being so long gone from the blog-o-sphere, but here are some more pictures about work on Main Street!

All photos by John Ullberg

(Below) Installing engraved bricks in existing brick fields. December 2006

(Below)Economy Paving superitendent Terrence Reardon (left) and Village Project Field Representative Ward Hungerford (right) help guide in a stone block for a crescent bench by the bank. December 2006

(Below) Local teens play a game of hacky-sack by the new sidewalks in front of the NAPA auto parts store. Date unknown,late fall 2006.

Word on the Street About the Bricks

2006-12-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

Word on the street is that while the deadline for second wave bricks is January 31st 2006, that you can still get your orders in during the first few days of January 2007. This is certainly correct as the Village Office will be closed for the New Year's Holiday and the MSP volunteers, like any other Trumansburg resident, will be out celebrating the coming of the new year. However, the MSP does strongly encourage brick buyers to have the order forms in by December 31st 2006! The MSP and Village want to help folks get as many bricks possible, but will have to cut-off orders in order to expedite the engraving process.

MSP Pictures #10

2006-12-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

You see! I see! We all see! The pictures that is!

(Below) Water main work on the southside of East Main Street in the Upper Village. July 2006. Photo by Ward Hungerford.

(Below) Cement truck on site. August 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny.

(Below) Installing sidewalks by Trumansburg Creek. September 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny.

MSP Pictures #9

2006-12-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

Oh, you'll get pictures alright...

(Above) Volunteer effort to build a retaining wall by the trimmed red-bud tree on the far end of East Main Street. August 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Below) Installing curbing on the southside of East Main Street. September 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Below) New curbs and pavement installation at the corners of Elm and Main Street. Photo by Bill McAneny. October 2006.

Construction End For The Season

2006-12-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

With the installation of the stone seats by the bank complete, Economy Paving and all subcontractors have completely left the work site and will not return until late spring/early summer 2007. At that time, crews will return to install the landscaping and finish the street striping. They will also install other Main Street additions (light poles, benches, blue stone engravings, etc.), including the second wave bricks.

The summer 2007 work will also include a separate independent effort done by the New York State Department of Transportation that involves slurry-sealing all of Main Street.

As construction work has formally ended, the blog will be having less activity on it until crews return. Do please keep checking it from time to time for the latest updates and Main Street pictures.

MSP Pictures #8

2006-12-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

More pictures for you!

(Below) Main Street bricks removed from below the pavement. Local resident Bill Kappel leads a volunteer effort to rescue and refurbish these historical bricks so that they can end up back on Main Street. August 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Below) Removing sidewalks from the northside of East Main Street (50-block). September 2006. Photo by John Ullberg

(Below) Preparing road shouder for sidewalk installation on the far end of East Main Street. August 2006. Photo by Andres Perez-Charneco.

MSP Pictures #7

2006-12-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

Another round of pictures for the Trumanburg blog-o-sphere!

(Left) First Wave engraved bricks installed by the bank plaza. Syrstone arrived on site to install the bricks in mid-December. December 2006. Photo by Andres Perez-Charneco

(Below) Dekatherm teams fill in utility trenches in an autumn drizzle. October 2006. Photo by John Ullberg

(Below) Residents enjoy the works of sketch crawl artists at the MSP Groundbreaking ceremony. July 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny.

Stone Seats on Site

2006-12-18T13:59:00.000-05:00

The arched stone seats for the bank plaza arrived today, along with a small crew to install them. The stones will create a curved stone bench for the bank plaza. This is in hopes to further welcome people to the plaza as a place of community gathering.

Low Content Mode for A While

2006-12-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

The main poster to the MSP blog will be out of town from Wednesday November 13th 2006 to Friday November 15th 2006. This same hiatus also applies to the MSP e-mail account. Please do keep turning to the blog, however, as other members of the MSP do have access to it and can post items at their discretion.

Feel free to call the MSP phone line during this brief lull as volunteers do check the voicemail from off-site on a daily basis. The number is 607-387-4471. Concerns can also be forwarded to the Village Office at 387-6501.

Thank you for your patience.

Syrstone on the 13th?

2006-12-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

Late reports to the MSP on Tuesday November 12th 2006 said that Syrstone planned to return on site on Wednesday November 13th 2006 to begin installing the engraved bricks from the first wave order!

Look for Syrstone on site on the 13th, weather pertaining.

Some work today

2006-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

A team of workers from Schissler Electric is on site today repairing electrical connections to the building where the Little Venice restaurant is located. While the work they are doing is realted to the MSP, Schissler is NOT and Economy Paving subcontractor and was contracted by the Village seperately.

MSP Pictures #6

2006-12-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

More pictures for one and all!

(Below) Shaping up on Main Street. September 2006. Photo by Ward Hungerford.

(Below) Local kids helping decorate the site of the MSP Groundbreaking Ceremony. July 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Below) Preparing grounds for new storm drain installation. August 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny.

Mention in Tompkins Weekly

2006-12-12T08:11:00.000-05:00

Many know that former MSP Project Assistant and current volunteer Sue Henninger is the Trumansburg/Ulysses beat reporter for the new county-wide alternative newspaper, Tompkins Weekly. If you didn't, well, now you do.

If you haven't picked up your copy of this week's edition of Tompkins Weekly then you are missing out on an article about the future of the MSP by Sue herself! You can view the article on-line or find a print edition. The paper is available, for free, at such Trumansburg locations like Gimme! Coffee, Kinney Drugs, and the ShurSave supermarket.

Look for our regular column in the Trumansburg Free Press tomorrow December 13th 2006.

MSP Pictures #5

2006-12-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

Another trio of picutres for everyone in the Trumansburg blog-o-sphere.

(Below) Work by the Tompkins County Trust Company bank in downtown Trumansburg. September 2006. Photo by Ward Hungerford.

(Below) Final sidewalk installation on the northside of East Main Street. October 2006. Photo by Andres Perez-Charneco

(Below) Work on Main Street. September 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny.

MSP Pictures #4

2006-12-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

Another batch of MSP pictures to get you though the overcast weather.

(Below) Preparing utility conduit by NAPA. September 2006. Photo by John Ullberg

(Below) Celebrating the MSP Groundbreaking. July 2006. Photo by John Ullberg

(Below) Restoring the driveway at the far end of Masonic Temple. October 2006. Photo by Andres Perez-Charneco.

MSP Pictures #3

2006-12-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

Another trio of pictures showing what happened along Main Street this past summer/fall. Hope you like.

(Above) Layers of Main Street below existing pavement. Contrary to popular belief, no yellow bricks are under Main Street. October 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

(Above) Main Street Construction: View from the Top. October 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny

(Above) Installing sidewalks on the southside of West Main Street. October 2006. Photo by John Ullberg.

MSP Pictures #2

2006-12-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures documenting the recent work on Main Street.

(Below) MSP Groundbreaking on July 8th 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny

(Below) Construction equipment and machinery stored at DPW lot. July 2006. Photo by Bill McAneny

(Below) Unicyclist on Main Street. October 2006. Photo by John Ullberg

Main Street Photos

2006-12-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

The combined effects of winter weather and low construction activity creates little daily news for the MSP to report. However, as both a treat to all our loyal readers and a courtesy to our volunteer photographers, the MSP blog will feature construction photos from various photographers.

The MSP eventually hopes to show these pictures on a grander scale with proposed displays around Main Street. Also, look for a full on-line gallery on our website sometime in the future.

Please do keep turning to the blog for updates as they will posted immediately. However, for now, please enjoy the photos!

All photos by MSP Volunter Bill McAneny

(Left) Dekatherm and NYSEG crews working on the north side of East Main Street, installing new utility lines. October 2006.

(Right) School kids on Main Street. October 2006

(Above) Work in front of Village Offices. August 2006.

Syrstone?

2006-12-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

The heavy snows today prevented Syrstone from returning. While the crews finished the arch by the Rongo and installed the heavy duty pavers by the bank's parking driveway, they still have to finish the driveway arch by the Masonic Temple. This area also needs heavy duty bricks.

Syrstone would also like to begin swapping out blank bricks for engraved bricks from our first wave order, but cannot in this weather.

Syrstone has not provided any comment as to when they will return, but do keep posted to the blog for updates.

Winter is here!

2006-12-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

With the first heavy snowfall of the season on the ground, the MSP reminds all Main Street propety owners to please us a moderate layer of rock salt as their de-icer of choice this winter. This will help protect the new sidewalks from weathering and chipping during their first winter. By next winter, property owners will be free to use whatever product/method they wish.

Street Light Covers

2006-12-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

Below is an image of one of the traffic cones installed as a temporary cover for the exposed streetlight footers. Readers of the blog will now that the streetlights were not a part of the bidding process and that the Village/MSP always intended to complete this part of the projec through fundraising. The fundraising committee of the MSP remains hard at work trying to raise the money necessary to purchase all the streetlights. Their hope is to have these streetlights in by next summer. In the meantime, the Village DPW has installed these orange cones to protect the footers from the elements and vandalism. The cones have been bolted to the light's concrete bases for added security and stability. The cones will also delineate where the footers are during heavy snow. This will help prevent plows and other vehicles from hitting the footers.

DPW Work

2006-12-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

Syrstone was not on site today. They will return to compelte the drivewaybrick arch by the Masonic Temple, but have not provided a time table as of yet.

However, there was some work on Main Street today as crews from the Village's Department of Public Works placed stepping stones to those stores with tresholds higher than the existing sidewalk grades. These stores (New York Pizzeria, Reflections, etc.) were those with temporary wooden blocks in front of them for the past few weeks. The aforementioned stones, from the Finger Lakes Quarry, are the permanent replacement for those wooden blocks. The stones will make it easier for customers to get in and out of the affected stores.

Construction Site Vandalism

2006-12-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

Constructions crews from both Syrstone and Economy Paving have reported that over this past weekend (December 1st-3rd) two pallets of blank bricks were stolen from one of the construction storage sites behind the NAPA auto parts store. Also, crews reported that one of the stone seats in the incomplete arc by the Rongo was tipped over onto its side.

If you see any instances of vandalism within Trumansburg, whether related to construction or not, please call the Village Police immediately! Please help protect the recent investments into Trumansburg by making sure they stay there for future residents!

Syrstone On Site

2006-12-04T13:49:00.000-05:00

Crews from brick laying subcontractor, Syrstone are one site installing the heavy duty driveway pavers across the driveways leading towards the parking lot by the bank. Syrstone is giving these areas first priority. Once done with these driveways they will complete the brick arch by the Rongo. Then, if the weather is good, they can continue with swapping out blank bricks for the engraved brick stored at the Village DPW site.

Bricks Tomorrow?

2006-12-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

While the weather report for Monday December 4th 2006 does not look too good for brick installation, the engraved bricks are sorted and ready to be placed. MSP volunteers spent this past weekend sorting the bricks and specifying the locations where Syrstone crews will place the bricks.

Here you can see some pictures of the bricks and MSP volunteers Sue Henninger and John
Ullberg working at sorting them.

The bricks are currently stored at the Village DPW site and will remain there until Syrstone comes on site to install them. The plan is still to install as many engraved bricks as possible this year, starting with the incomplete arch by the Rongo. Stay tuned to this blog or just keep your eyes on Main Street for any future updates on when bricks will be placed.

Correction in Main Street Report

2006-12-01T05:37:00.000-05:00

As the author of the Main Street Report article in the Trumansburg Free Press, I wish to self-correct an error in the article that appeared in the November 29th 2006 edition of the paper. In the article I addressed the supposed costs of the stone seats along Main Street and wrote that they each cost somewhere between $2,300~$2,500, depending on their size. I must apologize for my gross error as, only after submitting the article, did I learn this information was untrue.

The grand total cost for ALL the stone seats along Main Street is a mere $2037.50. Each stone costs about $125.00 and the price also includes a $750 shipping fee. I misread the documents that Economy Paving provided and included the incorrect numbers in the article.

My personal apologies for this error. Please look for a formal correction and a letter to the editor further explaining the situation in the December 6th 2006 edition of the Free Press.

-Andres Perez-Charneco

Brick Installation this Monday 12/04

2006-12-01T05:33:00.000-05:00

The MSP and Village learned yesterday (11/30/06) that brick laying subcontractor Syrstone will arrive on site at 7am on Monday December 4th 2006. Syrtsone will begin to install the bricks in the in-complete arch by the Rongo. They will also begin to install engraved bricks in the existing arches. MSP representatives continue to sort the pallets of engraved bricks down at the DPW lot in order to expedite this process.

Engraved Brick Locations Revealed!

2006-11-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

With the engraved bricks in our first wave order on site (They arrived from the Brick Markers facility on Tuesday November 28th 2006), the MSP design team has selected the key areas where most of the engraved bricks will be placed.

The selected areas are around the bank, in front of the Napa auto parts store, and by the Rongovian Embassy to the USA. This is not to say that bricks will be exclusive to those arches, just primarily concentrated in the aforementioned areas. As more brick orders come in and, hopeful, future phases of construction extend sidewalks throughout the Village, bricks can go into other areas.

Economy Paving and brick-laying subcontractor Syrstone will place bricks in the incomplete arch by the Rongovian Embassy to the USA. If the weather permits, then Economy might also instruct Syrstone to begin swapping out the blank bricks in the other selected arches for engraved bricks.

Last Meetings

2006-11-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

The MSP's last Morning on Main Street meeting will be on Tuesday December 5th 2006 at 8am on the Village Office Porch. The MSP thanks all the citizens that came to the meetings during the summer and to Gimme! Coffee, Trumansburg Shursave, and Word of Mouth Catering for sponsoring some of the meetings with donations of coffee and doughnuts.

Please note that while the Morning on Main Street meetings are ending, that the MSP makes no plans to shut down the primary communication pathways. You can always turn to this blog, check out our website, call our number (607-387-4471) and/or give us an e-mail at tburgmainst@fltg.net.

Things to Come

2006-11-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Economy Paving plans (weather permitting) to continue adding some of the finishing touches along Main Street this week. The wooden stepping blocks you can see outside of New York Pizzerria and other businesses will be replaced with permanent stone steps. The heavy-duty driveway pavers have also arrived and will go in the incomplete brick arch by the Ronogovian Embassy to the USA. It now appears certain that at least some of the engraved bricks in the first wave order (due to arrive on Tuesday November 28th) will be featured in the arch.

Striping Today

2006-11-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

Crews from street striping subcontractor Hi-Lite are on site today laying down some of the guide lines for the new crosswalks and parking spaces on Main Street. Hi-Lite teams first make some quick spray paint lines where the actual lines will go before applying the final coat of paint. Crews will continue until they are complete with their set-up.

First Snowfall

2006-11-20T14:27:00.000-05:00

As today marked the first significatn snowfall in Trumansburg this winter, the MSP would like to address the issue of de-icing the new sidewalks.

Economy Paving used a "cure and seal" method on all the new concrete sidewalks within the Vilage core and and along the far end of East Main Street. This method cannot protect the sidewalks from the weathering effects of such de-icers as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride. These products (often marketed as alternatives to rock salt) make the new concrete much more susceptible to chipping and weathering.

While the Village Department of Public Works does plow sidewalks within the Village, it is still the property/business owner's responsibility to clear his/her immediate sidewalks of ice and snow. The MSP asks all residents/owners on Main Street to abstain from other de-icers and exclusively use rock salt (in moderation) for this winter. The "cure and seal" process can protect the sidewalks from a moderate application of rock salt.

Please note that the MSP is only asking residents to use rock salt. Neither the MSP nor the Village can force any resident to use any specific de-icer. The decision lies ultimately with the property owner and the merely MSP hopes that everyone will come together to protect the recent investments. Neither the Villager or MSP can penalize anyone for using something else than a moderate layer of rock salt. Please also note that the MSP is only asking this of residents for the sidewalks' first winter. By this time next year the sidewalks should be set enough that individuals can use any product they wish.

Look for a full announcement in next week's Main Street Report in the Free Press or just contact the MSP office for more details.

Bricks Away!

2006-11-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

The bricks in our first wave brick order (i.e. every brick inscription provided between 2002 and July 2006) have just left the Brick Markers facility in Florida! The MSP will track the progress of the brick shipment as it moves up towards Trumansburg.

Once in the Village, the bricks will be stored at the Village DPW site on Corey Street until they can be installed next summer. However, with an expected arrival date of November 27th 2006, there is a possiblity that some of the engraved bricks will be featured in the empty brick arch in front of the Rongovian Embassy to the U.S.A. That arch was left empty because part of it borders a mountable curb designed to hold delivery trucks. The bricks for that section of the arch are reinforced ones designed for the extra weight of a car/truck. However, since only part of the arch is meant to act as a car mount, engraved bricks can go there.

Any updates will be posted on this blog.

MSP Office Hours for Thanksgiving Week

2006-11-17T14:43:00.000-05:00

With all the hustle of the holiday season just about to formally start next week, here are the MSP office hours for the week of Nov. 20th, 2006 to Nov. 24th 2006.

Monday Nov. 20th: 1:30pm-7pm
Tuesday Nov. 21st: 7am-12noon
Friday Nov. 24th: 7am-12noon, 1pm-5pm

If you come to visit the MSP office and the Village Office building is closed then take a left at the MSP Octagon on the porch and fide the side/handicap entrance. That door will be unlocked while an MSP representative is in the office. Thanks!

***Please note that this post, originally posted on Friday November 17th, was changed on Sunday November 19th to reflect a change in the main MSP office staffers' schedules. The office will still be open for the same total amount of hours just on different days***

Brick Gift Certificates

2006-11-17T08:58:00.000-05:00

Interest in engraved brick sales has increased and the MSP wants to remind everyone to please get their brick orders into the Village Office by December 31st 2006!

Not only can one buy a brick, but you can also buy a brick gift certificate for someone else. In order to get a gift certificate you pay the MSP just like you would for any amount of bricks ($35 each or 3 for $100) and the MSP gives you the appropaite amount of gift certificates. You are then free to give those out as you please. The lucky receivers of a gift certificate can then bring it to the office with an order form to enter their brick. If you can't think of anything to get for your favorite Trumansburg resident this holiday season then get them a gift certificate so they can leave their mark on Main Street.

Please contact the MSP Office for more info on bricks and gift certificates.

More FAQ

2006-11-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Construction might be almost complete, but the FAQ continues to update! Here are the latest posts.

What is a scoring line?
A scoring line is the line in a sidewalk that divides it into sections. When you walk down a sidewalk and walk past the line that cuts it into two rectanles then you have just walked by a scoring line.

What is the problem with the scoring lines on the project?
It appears that, unfortunately, some of the scoring lines/patterns on the project were improperely installed. To the un-trained eye, there appears to be no problem with the sidewalks. However, to those familiar with construction and with the plans in hand there is a problem as some of the scoring patterns are off and do not provide the intended look for Main Street.

Where are these scoring line problems?
The project engineers and contractors must still formally walk to site and mark out the affected areas. MSP advisory committee members have pointed out scoring line issues by the bank plaza, in front of the Village Hall, and on the north side of the bridge.

Is it safe to walk on the sidewalks?
YES! The scoring line problems are purely aesthetic and do not affect the safety/integrity of the new sidewalks.

How will these problems be fixed?
No formal timetable/solution has been created as of yet. The engineers and contractors will walk the site and mark out where the lines are supposed to be. This will then allow them, the Village, and the MSP to compare how far off the existing scoring lines are to the proposed ones. Economy has promised to fix any sidewalks that the MSP/Village wants fixed, but believes it might have to wait till next spring/summer.

A Lone Worker

2006-11-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

Economy Paving superintendent Terrence Rearden could be seen on Main Street today fixing some of the installed light post footers. Plans required that all light pole bases must poke 2 inches above the sidewalk/ground surface. Mr. Rearden is correcting those that are too low by adding a layer of heavy-duty grout. This work is part of the final touch-up/corrections mentioned in current MSP communications.

Back in town, back on site

2006-11-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all the readers of the MSP blog for their patience during it's hiatus this past weekend (Nov.9th-13th).

Today, Tuesday November 14th 2006, representatives from the Village, MSP, Economy Paving and C & S Engineers will meet to address the final completion issues about the project. This marks the beginning of the formal punch card phase and will also address some of the corrections needed in the scoring lines on the new sidewalks. For more information about the construction corrections you can check out last week's (Nov 8th 2006) edition of the Trumanburg Free Press or contact the MSP office. Thanks!

Low-Content Mode

2006-11-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

Posts on the Main Street Project blog may be scarce between Wednesday November 8th 2006 and Tuesday November 14th as the main poster is out of town. However, other MSP representatives can access the blog and might post during the aforementioned hiatus. During the hiatus any concerns about Main Street construction and/or the MSP should be sent directly to the Village Office (387-6501). The MSP office will also be formally un-staffed during this hiatus, but, since the voicemail can be remotely accessed, the phone line does remain open. Thanks for your patience!

Getting Ready For Winter

2006-11-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

Crews from Economy Paving can be seen today (Tuesday November 7th 2006) laying down straw mulch over the exposed tree lawns between the curb and sidewalk. Since grass seeding will not happen till the spring, the mulch will protect the tree lawns from erosion and weathering. Crews will place a layer of straw mulch over the soil and then pack it down with the use of a small steam-roller.

Stone Seating

2006-11-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

The Alcove Quarry in Alcove, NY delivered some of the seating stones today that will go along Main Street. You can see some of these stones already on Main Street by the bank and the final brick patch in front of The Rongovian Embassy to the USA. Now that the stone seats have been installed in the aforementioned brick patch, crews from Syrstone can return to finish up that remaining brick arch. Stone laying teams have also continue to place bluestone tablets in certain locations around Trumansburg. This morning a chalk-coffee cup was seen on the stone in front of Gimme! Coffee and similar stones can be found in front of Little Venice, Trumansburg Liquor, and Word of Mouth Catering, to name a few.

More Repaving

2006-11-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

Crews from Economy Paving continue to finalize and normalize locations along Main Street. In this post you will find some pictures showing the repaving of the last driveway in the Big M/Movie Gallery/Family Dollar parking lot. The sidewalk over this remaining driveway was poured yesterday (Wednesday November 1st) and since it has hardened crews could pour the blacktop around it. This represents the completion of all driveways leading into the aforementioned block of stores and will hopefully alleviate all customer/communter concerns about accessability to these key Trumansburg businesses. By the time you have read this post, these repaving crews would have completed the aforementioned driveway and gone to other locations. Around 12:30pm on Thursday Novembr 2nd 2006, these crews were by the Village Office.

More Bricks Coming In

2006-11-02T08:47:00.000-05:00

Brick laying crews have pushed further towards completion. At the time of this blog post's creation, the aforementioned crews were just beginning work on the brick arches in front of Trumansburg Liquors and Simply Red.

Economy Paving teams also continue to fill in areas of tree lawn with soil. The loader was in front of the Village Office building this morning (also at the time of this blog post's creation) filling in the future tree lawn on the southside of East Main Street.

A & K remains on site to pour wheelchair ramps along the entire length of Main Street with the special textured/colored concrete required for these areas.

Driveway Completions

2006-11-01T13:49:00.000-05:00

Crews from concrete subcontractor A & K Slipform are still on site and continue to pour concrete. Teams began to pour some of the wheelchair ramps on Main Street today, which had to wait till last because of the texturing/details on each of the ramps. Crews poured one such ramp at the brick arch near the Ronogovian Embassy to the USA. Tomorrow, brick layers can place bricks around this ramp and finish up that arch. That will mean the end of all work on the southside of West Main Street.

Crews also poured the remaining sections of driveway needed by Dragon Village and Colonial Laundromat.

Economy Paving has begun its final work by having its crews fill in areas of future tree lawn with soil/gravel. These areas (the areas between the curb and sidewalk) will be planted with new landscaping come spring.

Back Up Driveways

2006-10-31T09:29:00.000-05:00

The driveway between the Masonic Temple and Trumansburg Liquors has been closed off so that the new concrete can set. Concrete on driveways must have more structural strength than concrete used for pedestrian sidewalks. Hence, the concrete on the driveway must set for 3-4 days.

In order to minimize the disruptinon to the stores serviced by the aforementioned driveway (Simply Red Village Bistro, Little Venice, Trumansburg Liquors) Economy Paving has cleared an alternate route to get to the rear of those stores. Hence, if you order a pizza from Little Venice tonight it will still arrive in time as the car will exit via the driveway on the order side of the Masonic Temple. This is the driveway by Stylin' Salon and (as you can see from the picture) it has been paved over and prepared for traffic. Vehicles using that driveway to get to businesses like Little Venice will loop around the Masonic Temple. Economy Paving has preprared a temporary gravel road back there to accomodate this traffic.

Big Picture Completion

2006-10-31T09:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the MSP! Readers of our blog should know that the orginal project completion date was today. However, construction crews were not able to meet that day. The MSP/Village learns about project progress and scheduling at construction meetings held every other Thursday. As of the last construction meeting (October 26th 2006) Economy Paving believed it could be complete by Halloween. This schedule, however, depended on good weather and last week did not provide good weather. Thankfully, Halloween this year has brought a bit of Indian Summer to the area and crews are working fast to complete all major work today.

As of this morning (Tuesday October 31st 2006), crews from A & K Slipform were only a few hundred yards from the edge of the Masonic Temple and completion of all major sidewalk pours. Here you can find some pictures of crews as they worked around Simply Red Village Bistro and Tumansburg Liquors.

Once the major sidewalks are complete, the project will enter a "punch card" phase" where supervisors will walk the site spotting what needs to be done. As the only major work needed is the installation of the brick pavers, most of the work in the "punch card" phase will concern cleaning up and detailing. A & K will begin to pour the handicap ramp/section on all the sidewalks as a part of this final effort. These sections were left for last as they require colored/textured concrete instead of standard materials. Also, the ramps must be poured with an extreme eye for detail and now crews will have enough time to make sure they are made to code.

2006-10-30T16:28:00.000-05:00

Crews began some of the work around the new civic plaza at the Masonic Temple today (Monday October 30th 2006). Over the past weekened, however, MSP volunteers Alan Vogel and John Ullberg built a wooden sign holder for the Masonic Temple's display sign. The orginal sign (made of pipe) stood at the center of the plaza, but such an obstruction would disrupt the flow of a civic space. The sign will now be at the side of the civic plaza (by the driveway sandwiched between the Masonic Temple and Trumansburg Liquors), held up by the brand new wood frame pictured here.

New Sidewalks Trees

2006-10-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

As overall construction nears completion it is becoming easier for anyone to see how things are shaping up and how the finished Main Street will look. One question brought to the MSP office today was, "Where are the replacement trees going to go with all this brick in the sidewalks?"

Construction crews have not forgotten about the trees! You can see clear quadrilaterally shaped openings in some of the brick fields (like the one below by the bank) where crews will plant trees in the spring.

Sidewalks Continue!

2006-10-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the great weather, crews from concrete subcontractor A & K Slipform have continued to pour/form sidewalks along Main Street. Around 1pm today, Monday October 30th 2006, workers from A & K were doing some detail work around the wet cement right by the Bikram Yoga Studio. Forms were installed from the Yoga Studio all the way to the offices of the Trumansburg Free Press. Expect to see concrete going into those forms either later today or tomorrow, Tuesday October 31st 2006.

Crews have also installed a decorative millstone in one of the brick fields by the Napa Auto Parts store. This stone was recovered from Trumansburg Creek and will now sit on Main Street as a testament to Trumansburg's historical foundation.

Sidewalk Pouring Today!

2006-10-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

Expounding on the first post of today, crews from A & K Slipform have laid down the concrete forms in front of the block of stores that contains Gimme! Coffee, Kinney Drugs, etc. You can see some picutres below taken around 10am this morning. Crews will pour concrete on/into these forms today and will have that entire section ready for curing (i.e. drying) by the end of the day. By Saturday morning you should be able to walk on it.

Above are the forms toward Dragon Village. Below are the forms facing towards Napa and a bit of the new concrete in front of Napa. Both pcitures were taken in front of Gimme! Coffee!

Bridge Painting Tomorrow

2006-10-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

On Saturday October 28th 2006, about 10 students from the Into the Streets Program at Cornell University's Public Service Center will participate in a local day of service by helping the MSP and other Trumansburg residents re-paint the bridge over Trumansburg creek.

The bridge was not originally a part of the Main Street work as it fell under the jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Transportation. The MSP Advisory committee felt that having an un-refurbished bridge sandwiched between two newly enhance sections of Main Street would look and feel awkward. Together with the Village, Economy Paving, and C & S Engineers, the MSP convinced the DOT to allow work on the bridge. This is why you see new sidewalks/curbs on the bridge as well as the upcoming fresh coat of paint.

Anyone interested can participate in tomorrow's event. Meet at the bridge right next to the Gimme! Coffee shop on Main Street at 12:30pm for event start. Work will last from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, but feel free to come and go as you like. Contact the MSP Office for more information.

Day Break October 27th 2006

2006-10-27T07:29:00.000-04:00

A good looking weather forecast today means that crews can keep the momentum from yesterday going throughout today. A & K Slipforms crews pushed across Union Street yesterday and poured some small sections of concrete there. With forms and layouts installed in the strip of stores that includes Gimme! Coffee, Kinney Drugs, Sbrara Real Estate, and Dragon Village, expect to see concrete poured there today.

Crews have re-installed some of the street/traffic signs and will continue to do so as sections of the sidewalk finalize.

The MSP was mentioned in today's edition of the Ithaca Journal! You can read the article here on their website.

Pavement Divots

2006-10-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

Here you can see worker from Economy Paving refilling the long treches left in the pavement yesterday. Crews prepared the base fill that formed that foundation for this refurbishing on Wednesday October 25th 2006, but left a 1-inch difference between that layer and the actual roadway. this was necessary in order for the pavement patch to have the same structural strength as the exisiting pavement. The patches will be complete by the end of the workday today.

A & K Returns!

2006-10-26T08:17:00.000-04:00

Crews from A & K Slipform (the concrete subcontractor) are on-site and will both new concrete and set up concrete forms along Main Street. A & K will be on-site today as long as possible as the weather reports a slight chance of rain/snow. Since A & K has a lot of work to do so you can also expect them to work past the traditional 4:30 quitting time that all the other contractors use.

Sidewalk Schedule Redux

2006-10-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

Due to the patchy weather, it has proved difficult for Economy Paving to provide a time table for the concrete pours on Main Street. The installation of the new sidewalk remains weather dependent so on any days with seriosu threats of rain you can expect to not see any A & K Slipform crews. However, as of 4:11pm on Wednesday October 25th 2006, the weather report looked promising for the Trumansburg area.

Next Year

2006-10-25T14:30:00.000-04:00

While it is still too early to see when and how the preceding will play out, the MSP and Village have just learned that from the office of Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton that the New York State Department of Transportation will come NEXT SUMMER to slurry seal Main Street. The DOT's work will run from the Main Street/Cemetery Road intersection and then all the way to the Tompkins-Seneca county line. This work will be completely covered by the state and will not cost any Village funds.

Slurry seal is a thin layer of epoxy that will go over the pavement on Main Street and provide a weathering surface that protects that actual asphalt. The process will also make Main Street's pavement completly uniform as the epoxy will cover the existing contrasts between old pavement and new pavement. One can compare this process to sealing a driveway, albeit on a grander scale.

Many thanks to Assemblywoman Lifton for asking the DOT add their own help to the overall completion of the Main Street Project.

Hours For Upcoming Weeks

2006-10-24T10:51:00.000-04:00

The MSP Office is right now in the middle of re-scheduling its office hours as the primary staff/volunteers in the office coordinate other external schedule obligations. The MSP hopes to announce new regular office hours sometime by early November, but will post its hours here on the blog and website for each upcoming week. Here is what you can expect this week:

Tuesday October 24th 2006: 7am-12noon

Wednesday October 25th: 2pm-6pm

Thursday October 26th 2006 and Friday October 27th 2006: 7am-12noon, 1pm-5pm

A & K IS HERE!

2006-10-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

Crews from A & K Slipform (the concrete subcontractors) are on site after numerous re-schedulings! A & K teams are feverishly trying to pour as much concrete as possible before the expected rains make it impossible to pour concrete. A & K is currently pouring concrete around the bank area, but has also laid out concrete forms by Farrell's Car Wash and the Big M. A & K will follow the orginal plan and go up Main Street from the bank area towards the Masonic Temple and into East Main Street where wheelchair ramps are yet to be installed.

What's Happening?

2006-10-24T09:38:00.000-04:00

Crews from Economy Paving are digging up sections of yet-to-be installed sidewalk in front of the restuarant block (Simply Red, liquor store, S & S Videos, etc.) on East Main Street. This is in order to prepare those ares for the coming tree beds along that section of the street. Crews will place structural and top soil in there as preparaton for the spring planting of the new trees.

Bricks and Sidewalks

2006-10-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday (Monday October 23rd 2006) brick laying crews began to install bricks on sidewalks of the south side of West Main Street. As of this morning (Tuesday October 24th 2006), three brick patches had been completed and crews were approaching those patches near New York Pizzeria and the Reverby Law Office. No engraved bricks are going in as they have not/will not arrive in time for the brick laying crews to install them. ALL engraved bricks in the first wave order have been bought and paid for! They will arrive on site sometime in mid-November and will the Village will store them away until the weather warms up in the early summer of 2007. Then teams will return to replace the engraved bricks with the currently placed blank ones.

A & K teams did not arrive on Monday October 23rd 2006 over concerns about the weather. The MSP hopes to have them on site sometime this week.

Grading Today

2006-10-20T08:17:00.000-04:00

Crews from Economy Paving will prepare all the sidewalks along Main Street for the final expected pours on Monday October 23rd 2006. Crews will grade the sidewalks to their desired level and then flatten out the gravel. This will give the teams from A & K Slipform some solid surfaces to work on and place their concrete forms.

Free Press Article

2006-10-19T20:32:00.001-04:00

It appears that due to a miscommunication that the Main Street Report scheduled for Wednesday October 18th 2006's edition of The Trumansburg Free Press did not make it to press! The MSP apologizes for any incovenience and is happy to present the article here on the blog.

***NOTICE***
Please note that the following article is presented exactly as it was submitted to the paper on Sunday October 15th 2006. There have been no changes to it to reflect alterations in construction and the construction schedule. It is presented here as a courtesy to blog readers and of The Trumansburg Free Press.

With fall’s chill approaching and crews trading in their orange shirts for orange sweaters the talk around Trumansburg recently has focused on construction completion. At the last construction update meeting (10/05/06) new sidewalk superintendent Terrence Rearden remained confident that all work could be completed by the expected October 31^st 2006 completion date. However, he did mention that construction remained dependent on two critical factors. The first, and the one crews can do the least about, is weather. The second factor, however, can be controlled. Street teams can only begin to place curb and sidewalks once all the utility connections are completed in an area. This is for safety reasons as teams do not want to work over exposed gas lines. NYSEG subcontractor Dekatherm is charged with completing all the utility connections and their individual progress affects overall project progress. For example, curbing subcontractor Geneva Curb was supposed to place new curbs along the north side of Main Street on Wednesday October 11^th 2006, but had to reschedule due to incomplete utility connections. However, Geneva Curbing was able to make the best of that situation and began to install curbing on Friday October 13^th 2006. By the time you are reading this article, crews should have filled the trenches on both sides of the new curb helping finish up that side of Main Street.

At the aforementioned construction meeting the Main Street Project (MSP) and the Village, along with Economy Paving and C & S Engineers, resolved to pressure NYSEG to double their crew’s efforts in town. NYSEG responded to this call and brought more workers into Trumansburg all last week. At the time of this article’s submission Dekatherm crews were just past the Trumansburg Liquor store. Only after Dekatherm completes all the utility connections can street crews come to shape up the new Main Street. Dekatherm will continue making some utility connections past the Masonic Temple, but the extent of the new sidewalks will not change.

Any and all Village resident are welcome to come by the MSP Office in the Village Office building and take a look at the plans, but as completion approaches, one can see the future look of Main Street by observing the day to day progress. The un-filled arches on the south side of Main Street will be filled in with bricks. Following up on the brick update in the last Main Street Report, it now appears that the engraved bricks in our first wave order will not arrive in time to be installed by crews. All the brick inscriptions submitted between 2002 and June 2006 were ordered and will arrive in early November, but this is past the expected completion date. As the status of our second wave of brick remains unchanged (Remember the deadline is December 31^st 2006) the Village will install both the first wave bricks and second wave bricks together in the summer of 2007. In the meantime, crews will install un-engraved bricks there to act as placeholders until next summer.

The recent work on the sidewalks along South Street and the retaining wall by the Cayuga Addiction Services building certainly do help enhance the looks and safety of Main Street, but they are not formal parts of the MSP construction. The sidewalks on South Street are financed by a private effort spearheaded by the Methodist Church and John and Martha Ullberg and the retaining wall is backed by Gregg Hoffmire. The MSP thanks these citizens for their personal efforts in enhancing the character of the Village.

All MSP Communication Pathways remain open throughout the end of construction. Even as the weather gets colder the MSP will continue to hold its 8am Tuesday morning meetings on the Village Office porch; with a back-up indoor location, of course! Our blog is constantly updated and is the best way to get up to the minute information on construction and the project. You can visit the blog at: http://mainstreetproject.blogspot.com/. You can always call the MSP at 607-387-4471 and feel free to leave a voicemail if no one picks up as the MSP voicemail is checked seven days a week. Hope to see folks taking advantage of these communication pathways as construction nears completion.

-Andres Perez-Charneco

***NOTICE***

Please note that the preceding article was presented exactly as submitted to the paper on Sunday October 15th 2006. There were no changes in it to reflect alterations to construction or the construction schedule. The MSP posted the article here as a courtesy to the readers of the column and The Trumansburg Free Press.

Parking Tomorrow

2006-10-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

Independent crews not affiliated with the Main Street construction and/or Economy Paving re-paved the Village's municipal parking lot on Elm Street today. The parking lot can be driven on by the beginning of the work day tomorrow (Friday October 20th 2006) and the MSP/Village encourage people to continue parking in that lot as a temporary lot during construction.

No Concrete

2006-10-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

Around 11:30am on Wednesday October 18th 2006, Economy Paving's main site superintendent, Terrence Rearden, informed the Village/MSP that crews from both concrete subcontractor A & K slipform and the brick laying subconrtractor, Syrstone, will not be on site tomorrow. This represents a change from our previous communications about the completion of the sidewalks. When asked about the delay, crews pointed out concerns about weather were the primary reason behind the delay.

Sidewalk completion crews are now expected to return on Monday October 23rd 2006. This arrival date is also weather dependent so please check with the blog for more information.

Push Forward

2006-10-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

The rains have not slowed down construction teams! NYSEG and Dekatherm crews continue to make utility connections past the Masonic Temple and on both sides of East Main Street. Economy Paving crews also contine installing blacktop and fill around the Ron Don's/Bank area in order to prepare those areas for sidewalk pours. Crews from A & K Slipform and Syrstone are still expected to arrive on Thursday October 19th 2006 to begin the final sidwalk work, but that arrival is still weather dependent. Rains like the ones today can shut down concrete teams as the falling rain will wreck wet concrete.

Week Ahead 10/16/06-10/20/06

2006-10-16T23:07:00.000-04:00

NYSEG subcontractor Dekatherm has cleared downtown Trumansburg and while they will continue to make utility service connections along East Main Street their departure does mean that all the sidewalks in downtown Trumansburg (except for the south side of the bridge) are ready for completion!

Crews from concrete subcontractor Dekatherm and brick laying subcontractor Syrstone will arrive on Thursday October 19th 2006 to begin completing all the sidewalks! Syrstone and A & K teams will remain on site for five work days in order to assure ample time for them to complete all the walking surfaces inTrumansburg. Of course all this work is weather dependent and crews anxiously watch the weather report for more clear days like Monday October 16th 2006.

Crews still expect to be done by October 31st 2006, but do admit that some extra days might be required if the weather turns bad. Economy Paving estimates that any extra work would last between 2-4 days.

On Wednesday October 18th 2006 an independent contractor not associated with the Main Street construction will be on site to re-pave the Village Hall's municipal lot on Elm Street. This is one of the temporary lots opened up to alleavite parking concerns in downtown Trumansburg. The MSP and Village apologize that the re-paving must be done know, but it has been in the works for a few years and will only take a day. The lot should be re-opened by Thursday Octovber 19th 2006.

MSP Office Hours on October 17th 2006

2006-10-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

The MSP office will only be open from 8am-12noon on Tuesday October 17th 2006. In order to make up for lost time the office will be staffed from 8am-4pm on Wednesday October 18th 2006 and Thursday October 19th 2006 and from 8am-12noon on Friday October 20th 2006. The MSP apologizes for any incovenience and regular office hours will resume the following week.

Bank Image

2006-10-16T22:37:00.000-04:00

While the original MSP FAQ addressed the question of "What is going on by the bank?", here is sketch provided by MSP advisory committee members Paula Horrigan and Rob Cassetti. It provides a good and clear idea about what the plaza by the bank will look like.
Clicking in the image will make it bigger.

You can see the outline of the plaza and the location on the replacement trees. The side parking lot to the bank can be accessed by going up Old Main Street. The main vehicle entrance to Ron Don's will be via Washington Street, but it still accessible via foot from the aforementioned banl lot and across the island between Old Main Street and Main Street.

Some work this weekend

2006-10-13T09:05:00.000-04:00

A small independent work crew will be on-site this Sunday (October 15th 2006) in order to prepare the curb breaks/tresholds around the NAPA Auto Parts Store for completion. This is the second time that crews will come in on a weekend and the second time that that weekend work involves the area around the NAPA store. Even with the tight construction schedule, Economy Paving still does not plan to make weekend work a regular thing.

Curbing Coming In

2006-10-12T10:33:00.000-04:00

Crews from curbing subcontractor Geneva Curbing have re-scheduled once again and will now arrive earlier than expected. New curbing will be installed on the north side of Main Street tomorrow (Friday October 13th 2006). As the curbing comes down, crews can also begin to fill in the trenches on that side of Main Street with the gravel fill that will become the base for new blacktop.

Picture Post

2006-10-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

Do not be worried if you came to this post for some actual content/information about construction. Information posts will resume later in the day today (10/12/06), but for now please enjoy these wonderful pictures taken by MSP Committee Member John Ullberg.

Taken from the third floor of the building across from the bank. An aerial view of the concrete
pour done there last Monday (10/09/06)

Taken from the second floor of the Gimme! Coffee building. The man in the white hard hat is MSP Field Representative Ward Hungerford and he is monitoring the pour of concrete into a vault underneath the Napa Auto Parts store.

Preparing the sidewalk outside the Masonic Temple for its future look. The area will become a small civic plaza and the two shurb-trees removed will be replaced.

Sidewalks on South Street

2006-10-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

The sidewalks jutting into South Street from Main Street have been ripped up and await new concrete. However, these sidewalks ARE NOT a part of the Main Street Project. The Trumansburg Methodist Church, along with several of the neighbors, in the aforementioned area have decided to privately repair these small spurs of South Street and create new sidewalks there. The contractor doing this job is not Economy Paving or any of its sub-contractors, instead, it is a private contractor hired by the church and the neighbors. The money used for this area was raised/provided privately by the church and the neighbiors.

The MSP applauds the Methodisht Church and the Village residents living by the South Street/Main Street intersection for their committment to improving Trumansburg's image and walkability. One hope of the MSP is for the upcoming enhancements to encourage residents to take their own measures to bettering Trumansburg with the realization that together eventually the entire Village can see new sidewalks and infrastructure.

Blacktop and Driveways

2006-10-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

Anyone walking through the Village around 1pm this afternoon (10/10/06) probably noticed the seven NYSEG vehicles running about town and/or parked along the roadside. NYSEG has increased its effort on site in order to expedite the installation of all the utility service connections.

Elsewhere on Main Street, crews continued to fill in some the incomplete driveways along Main Street with blacktop. Please remember that blacktop comes down in layers with the coarse binder forming the base of the asphalt and then a finer surface making the final street level layer. This is why crews leave about a 1-inch difference between the blacktop and street when pouring the asphalt. Blacktop crews have finished two of the driveways by the Big M Supermarket, but must wait for the sidewalk to be poured by the Movie Gallery/Family Dollar driveway in order to begin blacktop there.

Today and Tomorrow

2006-10-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

Crews from concrete subcontractor, A & K Slipform, continue to pour sidewalks today in this lovely cement friendly weather! Once crews finish the small section of incomplete sidewalk by the Elm Street/Main Street intersection you can the entire south side of Main Street should have its sidewalks. All that would be missing from that is to finish the brick sections and tree lawns.

A & K is also taking advantage of the holiday and finishing up as much as they can of the plaza by the bank downtown.

Crews from NYSEG subcontractor Dekatherm have increased their pace in making/refurbishing utility lines. Only until Dekatherm can finish all the utility lines on the north side of Main Street can that side of the street begin to form up. Curbing subcontractors Geneva Curbing have rescheduled for Monday October 16th 2006 changing their expected curb installation date of Wednesday October 11th 2006. Once all the curbing is finished on the north side of Main Street then can A & K return to pour concrete there.

The FAQ coming!

2006-10-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some more answers to the hottest questions on and about Main Street. However, before we get to the actual FAQ, please read this answer to a question you might be asking yourself.

Why does the FAQ keep updating like this? Why not create a final version and be done with it?
The MSP FAQ is based on the questions and conversations coming to the MSP as construction progresses. Often questions arise as contractors move upon an area or prepare to start another phase. For example, only when work on re-doing the entrance to the Masonic Temple began did we get questions about the Masonic Temple. The MSP tries to be preemptive when writing the FAQ updates, but, by their very nature, FAQ lists are reactionary documents.

Now on to the latest round of FAQ updates. Remember that you can get a full manifest of the entire FAQ on our website.

When will the new trees on Main Street be planted?
The MSP hopes to have as many tree saplings in as possible by the end of construction. However, some species benefit from a spring planting and will be left of till the spring. All the replacement trees have been bought and paid for and will be planted either this fall and/or spring 2007.

Will all of Main Street be repaved?
No, only the blacktop that was ripped up as a part of construction will be refurbished.

Why are the contractors leaving wheelchair ramps on sidewalk curbs for last?
The conrete that goes into the actual sloped part of a sidewalk ramp will be colored and marked off to indicate that this is an inclinded plane designed for those with limited mobility. Crews are leaving those for last as they are small sections requiring extensive detail work.

It is getting cold out. Are they really going to be done by October 31st 2006?
Economy Paving and the Village have not abandoned the planned October 31st completion date. While the schedule remains tight and has little room for any serious delays, construction teams remain confident the project will be done by October 31st 2006.

Before and After

2006-10-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

As the new sidewalks come down members of both the MSP and the contractor teams are snapping pictures of the progress on Main Street. Below you can find a picture of the new sidewalks on the south side of West Main Street. The "before" picture is already on the blog as part of a previous post, but it is recreated below for a better effect. Enjoy!

Thanks to the Library

2006-10-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the Ulysses Philomathic Library for installing reminders on each of the library's public computers that refer users to this very blog! We hope that this will bring extra traffic to the blog and more informed citizens to Trumansburg. If you are a new comer to the blog then feel free to scroll through our archives and to contact the MSP at 607-387-4471 or via e-mail at tburgmainst@fltg.net. Once again, many thanks to the Ulysses Philomathic Library for helping us get the word out on how to stay informed about Main Street construction.

Notes from 10/06/06 Construction Meeting

2006-10-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

Here is a breakdown of what was said at the last project update meeting on Thursday October 5th 2006.

South Side of Main Street

Crews from concrete subcontractor A & K Slipform arrived on Thursday October 5th 2006 and began to pour the concrete for the new sidewalks! One can now clearly see where the arches with bricks will go. The wooden square embedded in the concrete are the dummy blank outs for the blue stone tablets. The plywood blocks will be removed and either contain an actual bluestone or better placeholder by project's end.

A & K will continue to pour sidewalks on this side of Main Street both in the Village core and on the far end of town by East Main Street. On East Main Street they will pour the small incomplete sections on that strip (ex. the wheelchair ramp by the Truman Street/Main Street intersection) and re pour the driveways that were opened up for construction. Some driveways on the end of Main Street had to be regraded so crews will replace these areas.

North Side of Main Street

Crews from curbing subcontractor Geneva Curb will arrive on Wednesday October 11th and begin placing the new granite curb on the north side of Main Street. They will work their way up that side of the street running from the bank to the Masonic Temple.

A & K plans to pour some concrete around the upcoming civic plaza by the bank today (Friday October 6th 2006) as well.

Project Schedule

Terrence Rearden, new Economy Paving sidewalk superintendent, explained that the project was still on schedule, but that the schedule was very tight and there was no room for serious delays. He pointed out the crucial linchpin on construction is the progress of NYSEG's pipeline subcontractor Dekatherm. The subcontractors that make the actual sidewalks themselves cannot work in a section of the street until Dekatherm has laid down all the pipe and made all the final utility connections. Both the Village and MSP, along with Economy Paving and C & S Engineers, are right now pressuring NYSEG authorities to double the efforts of their teams.

All contractor crews will work this coming Monday October 9th 2006 (Columbus Day) and they do not usually take a holiday for this day.

Main Street/Truman Street Intersection

2006-10-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

I just got a call from a resident asking about whether the incomplete corner at the Truman Street/Main Street intersection would be complete in time for International Walk to School Day tomorrow, Friday October 6th 2006. The MSP was aware of the aforementioned incomplete section when it decided to make the announcement about International Walk to School Day. The MSP was also aware of the inherent irony presented by this section of sidewalk.

Since the street corners around Main Street have to be made to a grade and level that can accomodate wheelchairs (as well as be marked with paint), they are usually left for last during sidewalk projects like the MSP. This allows the contractors the time to apply the detail work needed for these sections.

MSP members and Village residents have noticed people using the sidewalks along East Main Street even though the Truman Street corner is not complete. The MSP is right now pressuring contractor teams to place a stainless steel plate across that section in order to facilitate crossing tomorrow and until that section is poured.

Formal Forming Up

2006-10-04T11:23:00.000-04:00

A & K Slipform is on site! Members of the A & K team began to lay out the forms for both the new concrete sidewalks on the south side of West Main Street as well as the wooden block outs for the bricks. However, due to the impending rain storm, they will begin to pour concrete tomorrow (Thursday October 5th) and continue pouring through Tuesday October 10th 2006.

Even More FAQ Updates

2006-10-04T08:58:00.000-04:00

Here are the latest updates to the FAQ, which you can find archived on this blog and/or on our website.

What is happening by the Masonic Temple?
The area in front of the Masonic Temple will become a small civic plaza by the end of construction. The two shrub/trees in front of the temple were removed in order to grant crews easy access to that area. Those trees will be replaced and the saplings will become the focus of two grassy shoulders that will flank the sides of the building and the edges of the plaza.

I thought the civic plaza was going down by the bank. What gives?
By the end of construction Trumansburg will have gained two new community gathering spaces, one by the bank and the other by the Masonic Temple.

I read the Main Street Report in The Trumansburg Free Press and found the information in it to be out of date or covering an event that already happened. What gives?
The Main Street Report in The Trumansburg Free Press represents that best and most current information the project had available at deadline time. Please understand that the Main Street Report is a bi-weekly column in a weekly paper, which means that it has to cover an entire month's worth of work and updates in just two monthly apperances! A lot can happen between the article's submission (usually the weekend before it is printed) and the time it hits newstands. The MSP encourages residents to keep turning to The Trumansburg Free Press for information about the construction and everything else happening in Trumansburg, but also encourages residents to use other MSP Communication Pathways to get informed.

Communication Pathways? What are those?
The MSP Communication Pathways are the ways to get in touch with the MSP. They have been public since before the start of construction, but in case you missed them...
Phone: 387-4471
E-mail: tburgmainst@fltg.net
Location: Village Office building, Tuesdays/Thursdays 8am-4pm and Fridays 8am-12noon.

Coal Chute Windows

2006-10-04T08:18:00.000-04:00

The two current areas with the most work on Main Street are the Union Street/Main Street intersection and the block of store (S & S Videos, Bikram Yoga, Trumansburg Liquor, etc) on East Main Street. Returning readers of the blog should be familiar with all the underground surprises that crews have met while working on Main Street. Crews have discovered pockets of concrete and construction debris that should not be there. An underground vault was found under the Rongovian Embassy to the USA and it had to be filled in before work continued. The current work around the Napa auto parts store also concerns the filling in of another surprise vault.

Another unexpected addition concerns a series of coal chute windows on the aforementioned block of stores on East Main Street. One can see this small window as he or she walks past the stores. The windows are located beneath the building's floor and have small bars in them. Each buiding has one on each side. In order to pour the sidewalks on that length of Main Street, crews have to seal those windows. Former mayor Rod Ferrentino has offered his services in helping brick off those windows and has begun his work today. While that side of Main Street still needs to have some remaining utility conduit placed and for the new curbs to come in, bricking off the windows is another requirement before the final sidewalk pour.

Masonic Temple Shrubs

2006-10-03T14:09:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in a previous blog post (http://mainstreetproject.blogspot.com/2006/09/sidewalk-work-continues.html), and our website, and in the September 20th edition of The Trumansburg Free Press, the two small shrubs in front of the Masonic Temple on East Main Street were slated to be removed. They were removed around 2pm on October 3rd 2006 by Village Department of Public Works crews.

The trees were removed because the entire space in front of the Masonic Temple will be opened up and re-made into a small civic plaza to complement the larger one on by the Tompkins Trust Company bank location downtown. Part of the plaza by the Masonic Temple will include two semi-circular tree lawns where new trees will be replanted.

Rain delay? What rain delay?

2006-10-03T11:25:00.000-04:00

The brief, but strong, rain shower this morning did hamper construction efforts, but has not caused any significant delays to overall construction. Crews continue to dig the trench for new utility conduit from the Masonic Temple all the past the Bikram Yoga studio so they can connect with the conduit laid down last week. Teams from Economy Paving continued to fill in the dug up areas around Ron Don's and the Tompkins Trust Company Bank in order to prepare those areas for completion.

The rain does mean that concrete will (once again!) not be poured today and that crews from A & K Slipform, the concrete subcontractor, are scheduled to return tomorrow to pour the concrete along the southside of West Main Street.

Corrections to Lately on Main Street

2006-10-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

Last week, the MSP distributed copies of the latest installment of "Lately on Main Street" flier. Only after distribution did the MSP realize that there was a small error in the poster.

The error concerns the location of the MSP offices. While the MSP offices are on the second floor of the village office we do not mean to turn away those with limited mobility that cannot climb the stairs to get to these spaces. The Village Office building has extra spaces downstairs, which can be accessed by our wheelchair ramp, that can function as a meeting space for walk-ins. The MSP encourages anyone and everyone to come visit the Village Office building regardless of their mobility. An MSP representative will find a space to accomodate any interested citizen.

All incorrect copies of the flier have been removed and a correct version will be installed either later today (October 3rd 2006) or early Wednesday October 4th 2006. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Office Hours This Week

2006-09-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

While already mentioned in a previous blog post, the Village Office will be closed this entire week as Village Treasurer, Tammy McMillen, and Village Clerk, Tammy Morse, find themselves in Albany, NY at a New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) seminar.

The MSP Office, however, remains open during its regular office hours (Tues/Thurs 8am-4pm and Fri. 8am-12noon) and can be accessed through the side door by the building's wheelchair ramp.

Forming up

2006-09-29T08:50:00.000-04:00

Crews from curbing subcontractor, Geneva Curbing, began installing granite curbing by Ron Don's Village Pub and the Tompkins Trust Company Bank downtown this morning (09/29/06). The curbs by the bank delineate how far the new civic plaza extends out into the street. As the new curbs come into place crews can begin to fill in the digs behind the crubs with the soil/gravel fill required for the new surfaces; whether they be concrete, stone, brick, or asphalt.

While the rains yesterday did force the construction teams to leave early for the day, the weahter did not significantly hamper the construction schedule. Crews were able to return today and make good progress with the aforementioned Geneva Curbing teams placing new curb and Dekatherm teams preparing to approach the Elm St./Main St. intersection. Crews from A & K Slipform, the concrete subcontractor, are still scheduled to arrive on Monday October 2nd to begin the final sidewalk pours on the southside of West Main Street.

National Walk to School Day!

2006-09-28T13:15:00.001-04:00

October is International Walk to School Month and on October 6th, 2006 (exactly one week from today) the Trumansburg Central Schools encourage all their students, staff, and faculty to take advantage of the new sidewalks and walk to shcool! More information on the walk and the cause can be found here. Celebrate safety, environment, health, and fitness just by walking to school!

In the meantime, here are some picutres of Trumansburg residents making use of the new sidewalks along East Main Street.

Thanks to MSP volunteer, John Ullberg for providing these pictures.

Weather Delays Today?

2006-09-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) reports that major rains and thunderstorms are heading for Trumansburg today (September 28th 2006). You can see the weather report here. Crews from Economy Paving are quickly trying to get as much work possible before the rains arrive. With showers expected to continue into the weekend, work might de delayed/canceled tomorrow as well. Please check back with the blog later to see the status of construction in the rain.

Temporary Parking Signs Are Up

2006-09-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

The Village ordered several plastic signs to help guide Main Street commuters to temporary parking areas during construction. Village DPW crews installed those signs yesterday and the Village/MSP encourage commuters to use those lots and patronize local merchants. Temporary lots include the Village Hall parking lot (Elm Street), Town Hall parking lot (behind the actual Town Hall building on Elm St.) and the Colonial Laundromat parking lot (on Main Street). Thank you to these organizations/businesses for temporarily volunteering their parking lots for Main Street commuters.

More FAQ Updates

2006-09-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Here are some new questions to merit FAQ status. A full list of the FAQ is available on our website. However, here are the latest to come to the blog.

Will there be construction in residential areas? Not in this phase of the project. The overall, ideal plans for Main Street have work running between each end of the Village. The overall plans also call for sidewalk extensions into some of the residential streets (Lake Street, Truman Street, South Street, etc.),however, the current construction focuses on the downtown core. As future funds come into the project, the MSP and Village can consider how to approach completion of the additional phases.

I am a business/home/property owner in the Village. Can I have the contractors do some minor work for me (repave my driveway, fill in a pothole,etc.) while they are in town? Property owners can approach the MSP with requests to take advantage of all the construction crews in town and have small, private work done. However, the MSP can only act as an intermediary and will get any interested citizen(s) in touch with Economy Paving. Any such work is not a part of the project and must be covered in full by the private land owner. Property owners should also understand that Economy Paving is a large company that only hires unionized workers and pays a prevailing wage. Hence, their prices reflect the kind of million dollar construction project they are accustomed to and might be out of the range of a home/small-business owner.

Can I still buy an engraved brick? YES! The MSP is currently taking orders for the second wave of brick orders to be installed in the spring/summer of 2007. Order forms are available at this website and the deadline for the second wave bricks orders is December 31st, 2006.

Office Hours Next Week

2006-09-27T09:14:00.000-04:00

Next week (October 2nd, 2006-October 6th, 2006) the Village Office will be closed as both Village Clerk, Tammy Morse, and Village Treasurer, Tammy McMillen, will be out of town at a New York State Conference of Mayor (NYCOM) training session in Albany. While the Village Office will be closed, the MSP office will remain open during its regular office hours. To access the Main Street Project office, please use the sidedoor next to the Village Office's wheelchair access ramp. If you come up the front stairs from Main Street then you can take a right, pass the MSP Octagon, and then go through the screen door on your left.

Access to Parking

2006-09-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

The Town of Ulysses has graciously allowed Main Street commuters and residents use of the Town Hall parking lot as a temporary parking lot during construction. The Town Hall parking lot is across from the Village's municipal parking lot (also open to commuters) right on Elm Street.

Economy Paving crews have also finished filling in trenches along the downtown stretch of East Main street. Crews have filled those trenches with asphalt fill for the pas few days, building up the layering needed for structural integrity. With the trenches filled and the street level, the MSP hopes this can alleviate some of the parking and traffic concerns.

Parking and Patronage

2006-09-24T21:33:00.000-04:00

If you do not read The Ithaca Journal, then hit this link to read a story in the Saturday September 23rd 2006 edition of the paper concerning the Main street construction and resident concerns about it.

The Main Street Project thanks all the residents and business owners along Main Street for their patience throughout construction. The incoveniences are short term and the project is still on schedule with its completion window of October 22nd 2006 and October 31st 2006. The MSP does hope that Village residents patronize local businesses during construction and for as long as they live in the Village. This project is about improving Trumansburg's downtown core so that businesses can continue to thrive in a roadway friendly to both vehicles and pedestrians.

Customers of Main Street businesses can park in the Village municipal parking lot on Elm Street (across from Town Hall and behind the offices of Trumansburg Family Dentistry). That parking was closed for half a day last week in order for DPW crews to prepare it for repaving this week. The repaving of Village's municipal lot IS NOT a part of the Main Street construction, instead being a seperate Department of Public Works project. At the time of this post's writing, the Village DPW had not decided on a date for the actual repaving of the lot.

Bank Plaza Changes

2006-09-22T12:02:00.000-04:00

The privet hedges along the Tompkins Trust Company office in downtown Trumansburg will come out on Monday (09/25/06) in order to create the proper grade necessary for the curb extension and future civic park. MSP Field Representative, Ward Hungerford, approached both the bank manager and the bank's landscaper about the logistics and their opinions on the removal. Both parties agreed to the removal, hence, allowing crews to remove the privet hedge on Monday. New hedges will be incorporated as part of the new landscaping design of the coming civic plaza. Anyone interested in how that will look should contact the MSP in order to arrange a viewing of the plans.

Work this Weekend

2006-09-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

A small work team will be in front of the NAPA Auto parts store this Sunday September 24th 2006. The crew will prepare and reinforce the areas where utility teams plan to begin their digging on Monday September 25th 2006. An Economy Paving supervisor will be on site to monitor the work of this small subcontractor team.

Economy Paving and its subcontractors DO NOT intend to make weekend/after hours work a regular part of the job. The subcontractor working in front of the Napa store asked if it could do this work on Sunday in order to keep the project on schedule. This request was cleared by Economy Paving and the Village.

Notes from 09/21/06 Construction Update Meeting

2006-09-22T08:12:00.000-04:00

The MSP, Village, Economy Paving, and C & S Engineers held a construction update meeting yesterday (09/21/06) as part of their bi-weekly series of update meetings. Here are some of the notes that came out of that meeting.

Sidewalks

Crews from Geneva Curb installed more curb in downtown Trumansburg,
going past the Elm Street/Main Street intersection and up to the Village
Office. Crews will then fill the pits running from the new curb out into the
street with asphalt tomorrow. This will finish up the roadway work along
those sections. The areas running from the new curb to the residences on
Main Street (i.e. where the sidewalks are) will be poured next week by the
sidewalk subcontractor,  A & K Slipform. While those new sidewalks won't be
poured till next week, crews will begin to pour some of the top soil and
structural soil needed around those areas for the future tree plantings.

Those white, spray paint semi-circles on the southside of West Main Street
(in front of Word of Mouth Catering, Marshall's Laundromat, etc.) are the
lines that mark where the engraved bricks will be going. Everything withing
the semicircle will be brick and everything outside of it will be new
concrete cidewalks.

As new sidewalks come down it is important to resist the urge to write
and/or leave handprints in the fresh, wet cement!  Doing so does constitute
vandalism and the Village police have been told to enfore this rule. If you
want to leave your mark on Main Street then consider buying an engraved brick!

North Side

There is activity on the north side (Ron Don's, Gimme! Coffee, Simply Red,
Masonic Temple, etc.) of Main Street as well. NYSEG teams began to lay down
the conduit for new utility lines in front of the bank. Just as with the
water main work, crews were delayed when they hit patches of concrete and
old structures underneath the street that were not on the plans! The NYSEG
crews plan to cross Union Street on Monday and the begin moving up that side
of the street. A good tentative timeline is to expect them to be in front of
Napa by Tuesday (09/25/06), Gimme! and Kinney by Wednesday (09/27/06). That
side of the street is much narrower than the southside of Main Street so it
will be tight with crews on the sidewalk and the businesses there. However,
the same rules apply as the other side of the street and no business will be
forced to close. Economy Paving is also considering having a "pedestrian
flagger" on that side of the street to make sure people can enter the
businesses with crews in front of them.

The activtiy around the bank concerns the curb extension that will increase
the pedestrian areas arond the bank creating a small civic plaza. If you go
by the bank today you can get a good sense of where the new curb line will
be by looking at where the traffic barrels are placed.

Addendum to the FAQ

2006-09-21T09:26:00.000-04:00

Looks like we might have to type up another FAQ soon because the MSP just identified some other key and frequently asked questions that merit a response. Please find below some more frequently asked questions brought to the MSP in September 2006. Enjoy the information!

Is there enough money to finish all the work happening on Main Street right now?

YES! All the activity happening on Main Street right now has been bought and paid for beforehand. No sidewalks will be left unfilled or streets left unpaved due to funds running out because that money has already been spent to guarantee that those streets and sidewalks be completed.

Then what is all this talk about fundraising?

The MSP has begun to draft and develop fundraising techniques to acquire more funds for future construction not included as a part of this current work. Any funds acquired now will be saved to fund future projects like the installation of streetlights and/or further extension of the sidewalks, for example.

Why were all the sidewalks ripped up at the same time? Why couldn't the contractors work the sidewalks in strips or small sections?

Contractors opened up all the sidewalks at the same time in order to keep the project on schedule and to make it easier for crews to access the utility lines below. Since the sidewalk work involves not only pouring new sidewalks, but also refurbishing the utility lines below, it would take too long to do the work in sections. By opening up the entire length of the sidewalks, one team can come and lay down utility lines followed by a curbing team that lays down new curb then followed by a sidewalk team that pours the new sidewalks and finishes the job.

Does that mean that the project is behind schedule?

Economy Paving and our engineering firm, C & S Engineers, admit that some work days have been lost to the weather (According to the North East Regional Climate Center at Cornell University this has been the rainiest on record!) and to large events like the Grassroots festival. However, due to overtime and efforts like the aforementioned sidewalks decision, the contractors have made up for lost time. The project still looks to be completed somewhere between October 22nd 2006 and October 31st 2006.