Ovid, NY Creates a Local Development Committee to Recruit New Businesses and Rebuild its Main Street

It was just over a year ago, in the middle of a frigid, bone chilling night in late January, when the Ovid Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tim Westlake was awakened with an emergency call.

Literally most of the Ovid downtown business district was burning in a massive fire burning out of control.

The Ovid community and the entire region vividly remember the bravery and courage of Chief Westlake and his fellow firefighters as they fought the devasting fire which the cold winds fueled to burn out of control through the night and several hours into the next day.

Ovid’s courageous volunteer firefighters were joined by volunteer fire companies from across the area. Those brave firefighters fought for hours in subzero winter conditions to save lives and halt further destruction of property. The Ovid community is forever thankful and honors those brave men and women with continued collective gratitude.

The fire destroyed a major section of the Ovid business district including the grocery store that for generations helped to feed the community and where people gathered to discuss matters of the day.

Soon after the last embers were finally extinguished, the Ovid community came together and united to create a dramatic relief effort that was extensive and virtually unprecedented in its scope and impact. The tremendous generosity of the people of Ovid and beyond demonstrated the true spirt of community and service and will be recorded as one of Ovid’s finest hours.

Ovid Town Supervisor Joe Borst, the Ovid Town Board, Ovid Village Mayor Aaron Roisen, the Ovid Village Board, Chief Tim Westlake, the Ovid Fire Department, and dedicated volunteers who worked countless hours for the Ovid Fire Relief Fund, demonstrated outstanding community leadership during a time of great uncertainty and the horrendous disruption of life in the Ovid community caused by the fire. Many other community volunteers stepped in to assist as well. They raised funds and did wonders to bolster the morale of Town members.

Special thanks and gratitude to Reverand J. Robert Mellgard, pastor of the Ovid Federated Church for his leadership and for being the guiding light needed during this challenging period.

Out of the ashes of the devasting fire arose a can-do spirit by many of Ovid’s residents. Both the young and not so young have come together with a commitment to work on serious economic development issues in the community.

After the fire and in just a few short months, the Ovid Town Board formed a Local Development Corporation and formerly appointed seven board members to serve as members of the organization. The LDC’s first priority mission is to rebuild the village center which was destroyed by the devasting fire.

Among the initiatives that the LDC will be focusing on is outreach to the community to gather insight and feedback. Among the more pressing needs is for a new grocery store to fill the void left by the loss of the Big-M.

Additionally, there are other vacant storefronts on Main St., as well as other under-utilized properties in the immediate vicinity. The re-development of the closed Willard property is also a priority.

The Ovid LDC is expected to work closely with Town, County, State and Federal Economic Development organizations to define and achieve its goal of growing and improving business as well as supporting other economic development in the Town.

The Board members named to the LDC include community minded advocates David Hughes, John Keeler, Bruce Murray, Larry Nikula, Ellen Smith, Jodie Vanselow and Gary Xavier; ex officio members of the Board include Ovid Town Supervisor Joe Borst; and Ovid Village Mayor Aaron Roisen.

Town Supervisor Joe Borst helped to create the LDC and indicated, “the fire in January was devasting and the closure of the Willard campus, were catalyst that led to us forming the LDC to re-vitalize and re-build the economy.’

Village Mayor Aaron Roisen supported the creation of the LDC and stated, “We realized we needed a dedicated entity to focus on economic development in the village and the town. I look forward to supporting the efforts of the LDC.”

Ovid LDC Board Vice Chair Bruce Murray, noted, “The newly-formed Local Development Corporation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity. This means it has the ability to raise tax-deductible donations from private individuals and foundations. We can have a role in the public-private partnership that can jointly support the re-development of the village.”

The Ovid LDC’s meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of the month starting at 5:30 PM. They are held at the Ovid Fire House and are open to the public. Minutes are posted on the Town of Ovid website at https://townofovidny.gov/.

For more information, contact Joe Borst (jborst@townofovid.net), Town Supervisor or Aaron Roisen, (aaronroisen@gmail.com) Mayor, Village of Ovid, or John Keeler (jfkeeler56@gmail.com), Ovid LDC Chair.