From the Democrat and Chronicle. Honeoye Falls Says 'Twice Is Nice'

(December 11, 2007) — Main Street in Honeoye Falls has more empty storefronts these days because of several businesses that have closed.

Two Cows Coffee and The Write Book and Gift shop were among those that closed earlier this year. Many residents loved these businesses but didn't patronize them enough to keep them viable, said village trustee Glenn Clark.

To bolster the village's economic base, Clark and others formed "Twice Is Nice" in September, a marketing effort to boost revenue at local businesses. Residents are encouraged to shop locally at least twice a month.

So far, about 26 merchants are part of the program and the first focus area is Main Street retailers in the heart of the village.

"A lot of people who live in Honeoye Falls work outside of the community and they're shopping where it's convenient for them," Clark said, adding that by supporting Twice Is Nice, "that's tens of thousands of dollars being spent in the community."

The effort is paying off, local retailers said.

Joe Notar, 52, owner of Colonial Liquors, said he has featured one or two different wines each week at a discounted price as part of Twice Is Nice.

A Glenora Riesling was the featured wine for November, and "we ended up selling three times what we normally sell," Notar said.

The program's Web site, advertising in local newspapers, direct mail and regular e-mails to residents on the Twice Is Nice mailing list make people aware of the need to support the local market, organizers said. Marketing for the program is financed through merchant fees.

"It's generated quite a bit of traffic," Notar said.

The merchants recently met to discuss the future of Twice Is Nice. Plans are to further emphasize the Web site and other online communication, as well as hold special events at some stores.

Deric West, 38, owner of the Honeoye Falls Marketplace, said Twice Is Nice is the first "shop local" campaign the village has had.

"We can really communicate to the consumer how much we value them," he said. "The awareness and the dialogue need to continue among the merchants and the residents."

November 6, 2007

From the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Watch Groups aren't just for cities anymore.

The appeal of Honeoye Falls is its quaint charm and picturesque setting, residents say, but some concerns are growing about the quality of life in the village.

Vandalism is a little more prevalent, and some cars have been rifled through. Physical damage and trash have been found at area parks, and some residents have complained about young people loitering.

It's not major crime, but it's enough to raise eyebrows and prompt the creation of a Neighborhood Watch group.

Honeoye Falls now joins Hilton, Parma, Hamlin and other outlying communities where Neighborhood Watch groups are becoming more prevalent, say local and national law enforcement officials. Many densely populated urban areas and suburbs have had watch groups for years. Now they're forming in areas of Monroe County where they haven't traditionally been found.

About eight people gathered at the Honeoye Falls fire station when its Community Watch was launched on Oct. 12. Mayor Rick Milne gave instructions on how to log an incident or suspicious event.

Group members then donned bright orange jackets, walked out onto Main Street in the heart of the village and headed toward Honeoye Falls-Lima High School. The weekend was homecoming, a prime opportunity to spread information about Community Watch. Several high school students also are part of the group.

"It was a good kickoff to the program," Milne said later. "I've had complaints about alleged drug sales, vulgar language and illegal drinking of alcohol. Residents have asked, 'What is the village going to do about this?' "

The point of the groups is not to police the area aggressively but to preserve the small-town atmosphere and community spirit of Honeoye Falls, said Community Watch member Roberta Luce. Her husband, Donald Majewski, is a member as well.

"We plan on walking a couple nights; that is our goal," Luce said. "I think the Community Watch will take off."

Watch member Mary Szlosek, principal at Victor Intermediate School, grew up in Honeoye Falls and loves her hometown. She moved away for a decade but returned in 2001.

Szlosek said one motivation to join the group was warnings from her children, Caitlin, 16, and Ed, 14, about which streets to stay away from in the village.

"(Honeoye Falls) is a great small town. We really don't have a lot of problems," she said. "I want to keep the quality of life that I grew up in."

Watch history

Neighborhood Watch groups date to the 1970s, when people nationwide were becoming very concerned about crime and knew that police couldn't solve all the problems, said Terri Kelly, managing director of community outreach and government relations for the National Crime Prevention Council. The nonprofit group — symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog — distributes educational materials on crime prevention, works with law enforcement agencies and sponsors visits of McGruff to schools and community groups. The council gets about 2,500 calls a year from watch groups wanting training or educational materials.

A watch group typically forms in a community after a rash of burglaries or car break-ins, but the groups have purposes larger than preventing minor crimes, Kelly said.

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, she said, thousands of Neighborhood Watch volunteers in Harris County, Texas, quickly mobilized to help evacuees. And tips from a watch group in Mobile, Ala., helped law enforcement there shut down a methamphetamine lab.

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush encouraged an increase in Neighborhood Watch groups. In 2002, USAonWatch was established to register more watch groups, which, proponents say, improve homeland security.

Rural areas typically are close-knit and have populations of less than 50,000, an ideal foundation for a Neighborhood Watch program, said Fred Wilson, director of operations for the National Sheriff's Association, which manages USAonWatch.

"That's what most of America looks like," Wilson said. "Those areas, by their very nature, have a stronger community base to start with."

There were about 7,500 Neighborhood Watch groups registered when USAonWatch formed. By 2003, Wilson said, the number had doubled.

Know your neighbors

A Parma neighborhood formed a watch group in the last couple of months, and one in Hamlin formed on Oct. 25, according to crime prevention officers with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

These officers conduct Neighborhood Watch training, and all have seen more of these groups across the county.

"I have noticed an increase in the past three months in Neighborhood Watch programs in the central part of Monroe County," said Deputy James Godshall, who trained members of the Honeoye Falls Community Watch. "If (residents) see something suspicious, we are responding to those calls."

Lt. Jim VanBrederode, a Gates Police Department patrol commander, uses a network of seven Neighborhood Watch captains to alert residents about crime and get other information out to the community. He recently sent an alert through the watch captains about new town parking rules that took effect Nov. 1.

A tip from a resident allowed Gates police to arrest a man on Oct. 5 who had burglarized several homes. The resident wasn't in a watch group but had received notice about the burglaries via Neighborhood Watch.

"It does work," VanBrederode said. "I get little messages back from my neighborhoods on a constant basis. It's a two-way street."

Watch groups also can help people get to know long-time neighbors, said Rich Miller, 37, of Rochester, who helped start the Denise Road Neighborhood Watch in Charlotte. The group began in July.

"We're trying to be proactive," Miller said. "Just by picking up the trash, it's cleaner here."

Ultimately, a watch program — whether it's in an urban or rural area — shouldn't be sustained by police or public officials, said Milne. He knows everyone is busy, but neighbor support is critical to the vitality of Honeoye Falls Community Watch.

"We have a long way to go, but we're trying," Milne said.