Brockport village welcomes college students

Students greeted by banner, flyers

The Village of Brockport will be putting out the welcome mat, well, banner actually, for incoming and returning college students this fall, according to Scott Winner, the village's Economic Development and Marketing director.

The effort begins with the posting of a banner that read "Welcome SUNY Brockport Students!" on the village's gateway billboard at 222 Main Street, near the railroad trestle.

The banner is just one of several outreach efforts the village will undertake this year. According to Mayor Mort Wexler, "The student body of the college represents more than half of our village population for nine months of every year. We need to make them feel welcome and help them become integrated into village life."

Another initiative is the distribution of flyers, door hangers and an "important numbers" magnet, that will take place on Saturday, September 10. Volunteers including village elected officials, code enforcement/fire marshal's office staff, Brockport Fire Department members and Explorers, Brockport Police Department and Explorers and members of the Committee on Community and University Relations, also known as the "Good Neighbor" committee, will go door-to-door to deliver the important code, emergency and safety information.

"The safety of the students living off-campus is of paramount importance to this office" said code enforcement officer and fire marshal Scott Zarnstorff. "We want to give them as much information as possible so that they are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities as tenants and neighbors."

Mayor Wexler and Police Chief Dan Varrenti will also participate in an upcoming freshman orientation presentation at the college. According to Wexler, "Fifty-two years ago I came to Brockport as a college student and liked it so much here that I never left. As a SUNY Brockport graduate that has spent a lifetime here working and raising a family, I hope I can impart some of that longer view perspective on the incoming freshmen. Brockport is a wonderful place to live, for a few years or a lifetime. I want them to feel like they've been part of something special."