Village of Lewiston

New sheriff in town

Geiben voted in as mayor

Story and photos by Joshua Maloni
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, November 21, 2009

Town of Lewiston Justice Hugh Gee administers the oath of office to Bill Geiben. Holding the Bible is Geiben’s wife, Rita.

Village of Lewiston Mayor Bill Geiben signs the paperwork associated with his new position.

A new era began Monday in the Village of Lewiston, as a new mayor was selected. Acting Mayor Bill Geiben was appointed by the Board of Trustees to complete the term recently vacated by Richard Soluri. Geiben received three “yes” votes (Terry Collesano abstained). The motion was made by Trustee Ron Winkley, and seconded by Trustee Mike Marra. Upon completion of the vote, some audience members started to clap. “You could do that,” Geiben joked, as the rest of the room joined in the applause. “I’m humbled and honored to have this opportunity,” he said. “I look forward to this challenge.” Geiben replaced Soluri, who retired last month after holding the position of mayor for more than 15 years. Village law states that, upon the appointment of a trustee to the position of mayor, said board member’s term becomes vacant. Marra made a motion to appoint Vic Eydt, chairman of the Planning Board, to assume the remainder of Geiben’s term. Eydt received four “yes” votes. “I’m looking forward to the next couple months, and then running again in June,” Eydt said, calling the new mayor and three trustees “a good board.” In January 2010, Marra will resign his position as trustee to begin his first term as a Town of Lewiston councilman. The Village Board is currently seeking candidates to fill Marra’s position.

Come June 2010, three board member slots (Collesano, Eydt, Marra’s replacement) will be up for grabs, as will Geiben’s position. The new mayor is expected to run for re-election. Collesano has hinted he, too, may run for mayor. 

Bill Geiben (right), newly selected mayor, shakes hands with Vic Eydt, newly appointed trustee.

Piper Law Office Moved

Geiben informed the audience of the impending move of the Piper Law Office. He said Vallery Contracting had tasked Wolfe House & Building Movers of Bernville, Pa., to ready the “Little Blue House” for transport, and then wheel it across Center Street.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a Wolfe team worked in securing and shoring up the former veterinary clinic. Late Wednesday night, the building could be seen on giant rollers.

At a little past 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, in a steady rain, the historic house was rolled from its location next to the A-Plus Mini-Mart to its new site, at the Center and South Ninth streets corner of Academy Park. The move took about a half-hour, and ended with the structure’s placement into cutout pieces of land.

Room remains under the building where a partial basement will be installed. The house also will be secured with a to-be-built wall around its base.

For a pictorial timeline of the move, see Page 9.

Thanks to a $156,800 state Department of Environmental Conservation grant, the village was able to move the 174-year-old Piper Law Office. In-kind money (municipal labor) will go toward converting the building into a welcome center for tourists.

Geiben called the new “Little Blue House” location “the perfect spot.”

“We’re all excited about saving the Piper Law Office, and getting it across the street for a tourism operation,” he said.