Hello, residents and community members!
It’s been a good week here in the Town of Black Brook, and I hope the same can be said for all of you. As we head into the weekend, I wanted to share a few Town and community updates.
TOWN BOARD UPDATE
Minutes from our August 10th Town Board Meeting are now available and can be viewed here:
Meeting minutes are also always available on the Town’s website.
Our next monthly Town Board Meeting will be:
Monday, September 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Black Brook Town Hall
18 N Main Street
Au Sable Forks, NY 12912
The Town Board meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 PM, and all residents are encouraged to attend. These meetings are a great opportunity to stay informed about Town business, upcoming projects, and issues affecting our community, as well as to provide input and stay involved.
If you are unable to attend in person, you may join virtually:
Join by computer, tablet, or smartphone:
https://meet.goto.com/488936285
Dial in by phone:
United States: +1 (872) 240-3311
Access Code: 488-936-285
The Town of Black Brook continues to take important steps toward planning for our community’s future.
In August, the Town Board officially adopted our new Comprehensive Plan, which was made possible through grant funding previously awarded through the New York State Department of State Smart Growth Program.
A Comprehensive Plan establishes a long-term vision for our Town, but adopting the plan is only part of the process. The next major step is making sure our local zoning regulations support the goals and recommendations identified within that plan.
Building on this work, the Town has now submitted another grant application through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) for a Smart Growth Zoning Code Update.
Our current zoning code has not undergone a comprehensive update since 2004, and updating it is an important next step in putting the goals of our new Comprehensive Plan into action.
I especially want to emphasize the importance of grant funding for projects such as these.
As a small municipality, we have to continually look for ways to move our Town forward while being mindful of the financial impact on our taxpayers. Outside funding allows the Town to undertake major planning initiatives that otherwise would have to be funded much more heavily with local tax dollars.
Our application specifically recognizes that the Town does not have the staff capacity or financial resources to undertake a comprehensive zoning update of this scale without outside assistance. Grant funding is essential to moving this work forward without placing the full financial burden on our local taxpayers.
While there is never a guarantee that a grant application will be successful, we will continue doing the work necessary to put Black Brook in the best possible position to compete for available funding.
We will continue to actively pursue grant opportunities that allow us to plan responsibly, strengthen our community, encourage future investment, and make the most of our local tax dollars.
I look forward to keeping residents updated as we hear more about this application and as we continue putting our newly adopted Comprehensive Plan into action.
Town of Black Brook adopted Comprehensive Plan:
https://laberge.tuyu.io/publicDownload/glcavbmulxu2oktv
I would like to extend a special thank you to Janne Lanzoni and her crew from Cemetery Revival for volunteering their time last Saturday at the Old Black Brook Presbyterian Cemetery.
A great deal of work was done to begin the restoration of some of the cemetery’s stones. It was a pleasure speaking with Janne and meeting the volunteers who gave their time and talents to help preserve an important piece of our Town’s history.
Thank you to everyone involved for caring about the history of Black Brook and helping us preserve it for future generations.
Wednesday evening concluded our 2026 Summer Music Series at the River Park. Thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday nights throughout the summer to support our performers and enjoy an evening in the park.
A special thank you goes to Jerrod Whisher and The Dogfather, our hometown favorite, for being such a loyal part of our Wednesday evenings. We appreciate you continuing to show up for our community and our events.
While our Wednesday night series has come to an end, we aren't quite finished with live music yet!
Join us at our Community Labor Day Celebration on Sunday, September 6th for:
Tally & Pop: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
North Country Revival: 6:00 - 8:30 PM
North Country Revival will close out our Labor Day weekend and play through our fireworks show!
Soccer games begin this weekend! I would like to wish all of our Black Brook/Jay Youth Commission teams a fun and successful season.
Most importantly, thank you to our coaches. Without parents and community members volunteering their time, showing up for practices and games, and giving our kids the opportunity to play, these programs simply would not happen. We are fortunate to have dedicated parents and volunteers who care about our programs and, most importantly, our youth.
I also want to give a huge shout-out to our 2026 Soccer Program Sponsors for supporting our teams and helping make sure our players hit the field in sharp new uniforms:
Thank you for investing in our youth and supporting the Black Brook/Jay Youth Commission. Your sponsorships are greatly appreciated!
The Community Chest is making it twice as nice! Join us Thursday, August 20th & Saturday, August 22nd for BIG savings!
ALL CLOTHING - 50% OFF!
50¢ Kitchen Items - NOW ONLY 25¢!
Whether you're stocking up, replacing a favorite, or just love a great thrift-store find, this is the sale you don't want to miss!
Thursday, August 20th
Saturday, August 22nd
Come shop, save, and support The Community Chest! ❤️
I also want to wish good luck to all of our students who are getting prepared to head back to school in the upcoming weeks, as well as those who are enjoying that last week or so of summer before it's time to get ready for another school year.
I hope you have had a great summer, and I hope the school year ahead is a great one. Work hard, enjoy your time with your classmates and teachers, try something new, and make the most of the year ahead.
To our teachers, school staff, bus drivers, coaches, parents, and everyone else preparing for another school year, thank you for all you do for our local students.
Have a safe, successful, and great school year!
Things are shaping up very well for our 2026 Community Labor Day Celebration, and we are getting excited to welcome everyone for a great weekend in Au Sable Forks!
It is not too late to pre-register for our Labor Day Parade. Pre-registration is not necessary to participate, but it certainly helps us stay organized and prepared on parade day. If you are planning to join us with a float, vehicle, business, organization, fire department, family, or group, we encourage you to register ahead of time.
https://forms.gle/6imiEinYfM329ZPW8
Registration is also still open for our Craft & Vendor Fair, and there is no registration fee to participate. We are looking forward to having a great variety of vendors joining us throughout the weekend.
https://forms.gle/JwHCPimv29BBuQcB8
Registration is all still open for the annual Community Wide Yard Sales, and there is no registration fee to participate. Enrollment is low. We would like to receive 20 listings to make it worth creating a map. Right now we are at 5 registrations. Please share and spread the word!
https://forms.gle/C4HJgzZdKnh1Tyid9
On Saturday, September 5th, we are excited to host our Black Brook Community Day from 12:00 - 3:00 PM at the River Park!
Our FREE Community Cookout will be serving food from 12:00 - 2:00 PM, while family activities will continue from 12:00 - 3:00 PM.
We have a fun afternoon planned, including a magic show by our favorite clown, Pipsqueak, followed by her beautiful face painting!
The Black Brook Express Train Ride will be up and running, and we will also have a tie-dye station set up where kids can get creative and design their own T-shirts and drawstring bags.
Our craft and vendors will also be on site, so be sure to take some time to walk through, shop, visit with them, and say hello to us!
Come spend the afternoon with us, enjoy some free food and activities, and have some fun with your neighbors and community.
Then, after spending the afternoon at the River Park, head over and support our friends at the Knights of Columbus at Holy Name School for their Chicken BBQ from 4:30 - 6:30 PM!
We are very happy to see the Chicken BBQ included in this year's weekend. It is a great addition and brings back another piece of the traditional Labor Day celebration that so many people remember.
And that's only part of the weekend!
We will be sharing more Labor Day weekend details very soon, including a full look at our events, recognition of the amazing businesses and community members who have sponsored and supported this year's celebration, and, of course, the announcement of our 2026 Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal!
Stay tuned: we have a great weekend coming together!
If you’re able, please consider coming out and showing your support for the Au Sable Forks Fire Department Auxiliary at their upcoming fundraiser on Saturday, September 19th.
Our Fire Department Auxiliary plays an important role in supporting the men and women of the Au Sable Forks Fire Department. When our firefighters are out on extended calls and emergencies, Auxiliary members are there to help provide meals, refreshments, and other support to those who are working hard to keep our communities safe.
They give their time to support our firefighters, and this is a great opportunity for our community to show some support for them in return.
Their September 19th fundraiser will include a Cornhole Tournament, raffles, 50/50, bake sale, food, and more! The event runs from 1:00 - 4:00 PM at the Au Sable Forks Fire Department, 2456 NY-9N.
The Cornhole Tournament is open to teams of two with a $$50 entry fee per team. Pre-registration is available, or teams can register beginning at noon on the day of the event, with bags flying at 1:00 PM.
You don't have to play in the tournament to stop by! Come grab something to eat, purchase a raffle or 50/50 ticket, check out the bake sale, and help support an organization that does so much to support our local firefighters.
Thank you to the Au Sable Forks Fire Department Auxiliary for everything you do for our department, our firefighters, and our community. We appreciate you!
Please see their flyer included with this announcement for additional information.
There is certainly a lot happening as we finish out the summer, begin a new school year, and prepare for Labor Day weekend. I continue to be grateful for the residents, businesses, volunteers, coaches, sponsors, organizations, and community members who step up and help make these programs, projects, and events possible.
I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend. Enjoy these last few weeks of summer, and I look forward to seeing many of you during our Labor Day weekend festivities!
Supervisor Jon P. Douglass
Town of Black Brook
PO Box 715
AuSable Forks, NY 12912
Tel: 518-647-5411
