Town of Bennington, NY

08/31/2026

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is a process. Working together is success.

It takes a village...........or town 😃

Teamwork makes the dream work. Pick your favorite, they all apply.

What an incredible week. The efforts in the park have drawn an AMAZING reaction from within and well beyond Bennington. Volunteers are hard to come by these days, but I am having trouble keeping track of all the people who want to help us in so many ways. Donations, caring for and maintaining the park, helping out at town hall........the offers of supplies/materials, time and support have been truly heartwarming and the results come FAST when you have GREAT people working TOGETHER because they all love and support the town.

Word (and pictures) spread fast. Not long after the baseball diamond was tilled back to life, I was contacted by the Attica Youth Athletics organization with the nicest and most generous praise for resurrecting our park and baseball diamond. That conversation quickly spun into plans for our fields and park to be part of traveling leagues and even tournaments for local boys and girls baseball and softball games next year.

A good deed is never lost.

For me personally I am so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people and it's truly a pleasure to work side by side with each and every one of you driven by the selfless goal of helping the town.

All the "gifts" left behind by years of birds perched above our park sign scrubbed off. 2 Chameleon grass plants, 2 Spanish Lavender, 2 Coreopsis Stardust and Mary Reiner's flowers went into a bed of fresh soil and compost with a couple pumpkins for the season.

The ENTIRE town hall grounds were mowed, trimmed, and cleaned up. Our town hall sign was hand washed and given a STUNNING foundation of mums and pumpkins for a great fall vibe resting on a bed of fresh black mulch.

2 Jens, Roger and 2 friends, Randy, Jessica, Debbie, Bill, Adam, Danielle, Michelle, Mary, Alan, Steve..........from the bottom of our hearts Maria and I thank you all for reaching out and offering your time and efforts to help the town. Braving the rain and spending your free time on a weekend to make Bennington look beautiful.

As sad as the MANY years of neglect made me, you were all able to wash that away in one weekend.........and AS ALWAYS, good deeds and good people only inspire us to do more!!!

Stay tuned for more to come 😎

In case anyone is wondering..........not a single dollar of tax money was spent. Just a LOT of hours, hard work, smiles and laughs from an AMAZING group of Bennington residents.

Again, words don't even begin to touch my heartfelt gratitude to you all ❤️

Supervisor Prior

08/29/2026

We join Assemblyman David DiPietro in mourning the loss of a great neighbor, patriot, and friend. Our hearts go out to the residents of Marilla, family and the countless friends and hearts he touched.

Personally, on my journey to Supervisor Skip was gracious, helpful and ALWAYS gave me straight answers and great advice. Maria and I will miss him and on behalf of the entire Town of Bennington we express our heartfelt condolences for this huge loss for us all.

Rest in Peace Skip 🙏🙏🙏

My heart is deeply saddened by the passing of Marilla Town Supervisor Earl “Skip” Gingerich.

Skip was far more than a dedicated public servant, he was a man of unwavering principle, remarkable character and genuine love for the people he served. His devotion to our Constitution was not simply something he spoke about; it guided the way he lived, led and carried out his responsibilities each and every day. He understood that public office is a sacred trust, and he honored that trust through his tireless work ethic, his integrity and his steadfast commitment to the Town of Marilla.

Skip loved his community deeply. He knew its people, understood their concerns and worked relentlessly on their behalf. No task was beneath him, no challenge was too great and no neighbor was unimportant. His leadership was rooted not in recognition or personal ambition, but in service. Marilla has lost one of its strongest advocates and finest sons.

On a personal level, I will always be grateful for Skip’s friendship, his counsel and his steadfast support of me throughout my time in office. He stood beside me through difficult battles, encouraged me to remain true to our shared constitutional principles and never hesitated to lend his voice or his strength when it was needed. His loyalty and friendship meant more to me than words can adequately express.

Skip leaves behind a legacy that will endure in the community he loved and in the lives of all who were fortunate enough to know him. His absence will be profoundly felt, but his example of faithfulness, hard work, courage and service will continue to inspire us.

My deepest condolences and prayers go out to Skip’s family, friends, colleagues and the entire Marilla community during this incredibly painful time. May God surround them with comfort and strength, and may He welcome Skip home with the words reserved for a life so faithfully lived: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Rest in peace, my friend. You served honorably, you stood firmly and you will never be forgotten.

08/27/2026

NOT just another day at the park.

There are consequences for slashing your park maintenance funding from the budget and unfortunately the baseball diamond at our park had become symbolic of the mess we were handed when we took over in January.

I will address this problem permanently with my budget for next year but until then something had to be done. I agree with everyone who says the town supervisor shouldn’t be trimming the grass and acting grounds keeper for the baseball diamond and trust me it’s not how I want to spend the few “days off” I get but I just can’t sit by and do nothing and see the residents lose their park because of it.

Kids don’t know or care what goes on at town hall and that’s the way it should be. They shouldn’t have to ask why they can’t play baseball or sit on a swing at their own park.

Supervisor Prior

08/27/2026

Dolly 🫡

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a mark of respect for the memory of Dolly Parton, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, September 1, 2026. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half‑staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifty-first.

DONALD J. TRUMP

08/24/2026

I promised everyone full accountability and transparency if I became supervisor, that includes the good and the bad and it certainly includes me.

I’m far from perfect and this one is on me.

I was led to believe the park was being maintained at an acceptable level. It was not. With the dramatic cuts to the park budget I walked into we knew upkeep at the park was going to be a struggle but this was unacceptable and the buck stops with me.

I will address the issue of the current park condition privately at the town to make certain this never happens again but for now when a resident brought this to my attention I loaded up my personal gear and spent hours on Saturday cleaning it up……..not because I wanted to (I assure you I had other plans), or to take “credit” for it, but because I care about the park and it was the right thing to do, and honestly it was embarrassing. Also I want residents to know that while I can’t be everywhere at all times, they can take comfort knowing that when they bring a concern to me it WILL be addressed……even if I have to do it myself.

The park has been and continues to be a focus of ours moving forward. We have dramatic plans to update and modernize the park so EVERY resident can enjoy it if they wish. The plans we have will be available to the public soon and our grant application will be complete in February.

Until then from me to all of you. No excuses, I apologize for the condition the park was in…….it has to be better than that.

We all need to do a better job on the park and that starts and ends with me.

Supervisor Prior

08/19/2026

Report from the Fair

It was a fun day at the Fair sharing a more relaxing, casual day with the other supervisors at our annual monthly meeting of the Board of Supervisors at the Wyoming County Fair. We welcomed Local representatives Assemblyman David DiPietro, Senator George Borrello and Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey as well as many wonderful young representatives from around the county for recognition of their amazing accomplishments at the 4H National Championships. Congratulations to all who were recognized.

We also handled some business that I want Bennington residents to be aware of. Many of you may be aware by now of the debate to continue to house an ambulance in the town of Sheldon vs relocating to the town of Arcade. We extended the contract for Sheldon through the end of the year but that starts the clock ticking NOW for us to agree upon a long-term solution. This is NOT a simple decision as anything that involves public safety, response times, staffing, funding and 16 different towns with MANY different perspectives and priorities needing to come together will not happen overnight. I encourage any and all residents and especially our Fire Companies to start to compile data and statistics that will help me (us) represent the town of Bennington in the coming months as this looming major decision unfolds. Obviously, I want the ambulance to stay in Sheldon as a move to Arcade would increase response times to our town by 18-19 minutes on a clear day. I assure you the conversation will be much more detailed and complex than that, so we have work to do and not much time to do it. Depending how things unfold I may be scheduling a Public Hearing for all to be heard in the near future.

I was absolutely thrilled to have discussions with Undersheriff Colin Reagan and members from county animal control about a law we will be considering for adoption as the Board of Supervisors. It is called "Ziggy's Law", named after a yellow lab who suffered horrific abuse by his owner who was convicted in 2024 of a Class E Felony.

"Ziggy's Law" will establish an Animal Abuse Registry for anyone convicted of animal abuse crimes in Wyoming County. This registry will provide the identities of convicted animal abusers as a valuable asset to prevent anyone legally prohibited from adopting, purchasing, or otherwise obtaining animals from doing so. It will also be a valuable tool to warn potential employers in pet shops, farms, shelters, or veterinary offices from hiring a convicted animal abuser.

This law will have my full and enthusiastic 100% support and I will do everything I can to not only help make sure this becomes a law in our county, but that we take even FURTHER action to protect our animals from abuse. This law will give a voice to the voiceless and helps us all fight back for those who are unable to do so themselves. Animal abuse has no place in Wyoming County or the Town of Bennington. Thank you, Undersheriff Reagan and Justa Goodell, plus all the staff at Wyoming County Animal Control.

Supervisor Prior

08/13/2026

During the Board’s duly convened executive session—held in accordance with New York Public Officers Law §105, which permits private discussion of specific confidential matters—several individuals were observed attempting to listen in on, approach, or possibly record the Board’s private deliberations. These actions occurred near the meeting room and later near the secondary location to which the Board was forced to relocate in order to preserve confidentiality.

Executive sessions are a lawful and necessary component of municipal governance. The public has the right to attend open meetings, but does not have the right to intrude upon, eavesdrop on, or record executive sessions. The conduct witnessed last night was inappropriate, disruptive, and inconsistent with New York State’s expectations for public meeting behavior.

Following the end of executive session and the adjournment of the meeting, at approximately 10:11 p.m, Board members exiting the building encountered an unknown individual dressed entirely in black and hiding within the parking lot. This person claimed to be affiliated with the Batavia Daily, yet provided no identification, press credentials, or explanation for their presence. The individual had been on the premises well before the meeting began but made no attempt to introduce themselves, request an interview, or communicate with the Board at any point.

This unexpected confrontation caused significant distress, particularly for our female Board members, who felt unsafe and alarmed as they attempted to walk to their vehicles in the dark. No member of the Board should be placed in a situation where they fear for their personal safety while performing their public duties or simply trying to go home.

The Town Board of Bennington is committed to transparency, lawful public access, and respectful engagement with residents and members of the press. However, attempts to breach executive session confidentiality, covert recording, stalking behavior, or ambushing officials in isolated areas at night are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The Board will be:

- Reviewing security protocols for Town Hall and its grounds

- Consulting with legal counsel regarding appropriate responses to attempted intrusions into executive sessions

- Coordinating with law enforcement to ensure the safety of Board members and the public at future meetings

- Reaffirming our Rules of Procedure and Public Conduct to ensure orderly, respectful participation

We appreciate the community’s understanding as we take steps to ensure that Town Board meetings remain safe, lawful, and conducive to responsible governance.

For questions regarding this statement, residents may contact the Town Hall at 585-591-2157 or email [email protected]

08/12/2026

August 12th 2026

08/12/2026

Another beautiful day at the pool and crafts table of the Bennington Swim Program. It has been an absolute pleasure for Maria and I to spend time with the future of Bennington these last few weeks. Amazingly intelligent, polite, attentive, well behaved and FUN group of kids.

I think we are in good hands for many years to come 🙂

To all the parents, everyone at Byrncliff and especially the children. Maria and I thank you personally for representing the entire Town of Bennington so well and for making 2026 a special summer to remember for us.

08/10/2026

We know it's Fair and Festival season in WNY but it's business as usual at Town Hall. The August meeting is on Wednesday the 12th at 7:30pm and while I can't promise you Fried Dough, Cotton Candy or Rides.......there will be food and drinks for all as usual and we will be welcoming 2 new members to the town board as well as updating the Cowlesville water billing and highway superintendent position status and more. No promises but the Air Conditioning is scheduled to be repaired by meeting time (fingers crossed).