Follow Up on the News

$$ For Our Bridges?

"All of the money has to be there before you start," assured one of the City’s Bureau of Water Supply representatives attending the meeting. These included Thomas Robinson, Haider Engineering P.C. Resident Engineer for the reconstruction of seven Ashokan bridges, a project designated as "CAT 177" by the DEP; Kristopher J. Lovelett, P.E., Haider Resident Engineer for the companion project "CAT 244," which involves the realignment and reconstruction of 28A, specifically on the substitute route for Monument Road, which is now closed to vehicular traffic; Tom Roberts, Bureau of Engineering & Design consultant for both CAT projects; Matt Warne, BWS Chief of Regulatory Review and Engineering and the familiar Shokan Regional Manager for BWS, Mike Kight.
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Warne reasserted his conviction that the City’s fiscal troubles wouldn’t interrupt the work or reschedule it to continue every other Thursday, as feared by some residents already weary of waits at the one-lane Bailey Bridge stoplight over Bushkill Creek or aghast at the newly wrought landscape havoc on the parts of 28A which started clearing for CAT 244 in January. Although the funds were secured prior to his arrival at BWS almost two years ago, he reiterated that the policy was to have the money in place well in advance of commencement. And, no, he didn’t think any of it had been invested with Bernie Madoff.
Although Warne pointed out that project funds were drawn, at least in part, from the water taxes of consumers in the NYC area, substantial sums are believed to have been provided by the Department of Homeland Security, which awarded the City $207.6 million in 2005, as the projects took shape and following the identification of Monument Road as a terrorist-threatened roadway. To trace the details of that "budget trail," Warne said from his Vahalla office, you’d have to look "downtown" but, even with federal deficits mounting, the project money would appear to be solid. In November, Governor Patterson announced that $497 million in Homeland Security antiterrorism grants had been awarded to New York State in 2008, of which $145 million was allocated to New York City.
The presentation was given by BWS Western Operations Division Chief, John Vickers, P.E., who stuck to a concise 13 slide format, elaborating only occasionally to explain terms like the "Forgiving Roadside Concept," which allows for a wide clear zone, typically 30 feet, at the road’s edges (wherever possible) and the benefits this provided or ably answering a few questions preliminary to the Q&A period.
In the CAT 244 project, two and a half miles of 28A slated to replace Monument Road will have its lanes widened from 9 feet to 12 feet and a hazardous "S-turn" will be eliminated, pending a design change to avoid wetland encroachment. Tree line cut-backs, guide rails, new signage and reconstruction of two intersections will also be part of the changes contracted to DA Collins Construction; engineered by Greeley & Hansen LLC and managed by NYCDEP & Haider Engineering P.C.
The clearing and grubbing which began in January will continue into March and road work from the Waste Channel Bridge to the existing "S turn" is scheduled through the Spring and Summer with "flagmen" service to aid traffic flow. Work will shift to the stretch between the Dividing Weir to the Waste channel in the Summer into Fall. The section between Route 213 and the "S turn" is expected to be addressed in the Spring of 2010 with work hours from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, which will expand to 5:30 PM where seasonal weather permits.
The schedule for the bridges overlaps the roadwork, with the Bushkill Bridge set for its concrete pour in April and detour removal and new bridge opening by June.
The Traver Hollow Bridge, which merely needs some overhaul to correct soil erosion patterns from drainage off of the bridge, will start daily lane closures in March with a completion date anticipated in July.
The Reservoir Road Railroad Bridge, which will have a steel pipe arch added, will be closed in late June or early July, when a detour road alongside and traffic lights are expected to be in place. The bridge will reopen in August.
The Ashokan Spillway Bridge and the Stone Church Bridge both require redesign and the Spillway Bridge will have a one-lane closure until the Fall as a design change is processed. Work has yet to be scheduled on the Stone Church Bridge and attention to the Boiceville Bridge was estimated to focus in 2012.
The NYC Department of Transportation has been enlisted to survey "your City roads," Vickers announced, in order to conduct speed surveys. Scheduled to start in February and finish in November 2009, utilizing video taken along 28A, the DOT goal is to provide an engineering basis for the "setting of appropriate speed limits on NYC roads." He said the speed limits, which have long been a bone of contention between Olive and New York City, were likely to be increased from their 35 mph levels where deemed proper.
Councilman Bruce LaMonda requested one more confirmation that at least one lane would remain open to traffic during the work at each of the sites, which was given.
"When you say you’re putting more parking in at the end of the Lemon Squeeze, I guess what you’re telling us is that (Monument Road) will never open again (to traffic)," LaMonda added, referring to a narrow section of road over the Ashokan Dam by its local "pet name."
"Don’t say that," came a voice from the back of the room. "That’s something we don’t want to hear."
But, turning around, Warne said "That’s an accurate statement. It would take a lot to reconsider that."
On Tuesday, Warne, who admitted not having seen the Army Corps of Engineers report on the dam, backed off a bit, saying "So as not to be misleading and say ‘it could be’ (reopened) or ‘it never will be,’ because there certainly could be people later on, past me, or at any point in time could reconsider it, I won’t make that conclusion." It was a decision above his or Vickers’ station, he said, and he couldn’t really express an authoritative opinion.

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Valentines?

Lewis started her business in 1996 because, being what she terms “a romantic soul,” she had always wanted to “do something with weddings. Why, I’d even once thought of being a wedding planner.”
Heavens forbid, she now admits, having set up a service industry-style website to which betrothed couples, or brides- and mother-in-laws-to-be, can go and find all they need to plan nuptials in a region spanning from New York City to just south of Albany.
The results is something Lewis feels uses all her skills as a writer and designer, a marketer and a go-getter. As well, of course, as that romantic impulse she drew on from the start.
She sees her clientele as more than just those seeking info to do their country weddings just right, knowing what to expect, financially (such as going under or over $20,000?). She’s particularly happy to provide a service to the various smaller services that make local weddings so special, from photographers to invitation designers, from caterers to specialized wedding cake makers.
Asked about special weddings she’s been involved with, Lewis mentions her three daughters, with one married in Kingston, one in Orange County, and one in West Park overlooking the Hudson. Her contacts made them all special… and allowed her to take her mind off the details to enjoy the bliss.
“People often tend to micromanage these events,” she says. “They forget why you hire the experts in the first place.”
As for the ins and outs of what she does, Lewis noted that her clients split about 50/50 between Upstate and down. She mentioned how most engagements are made between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, “bringing more brides to my site at this time of year than ever.” She added that while June was once THE month to be wed, October’s on the rise up here where the leaves change.
Did she have any particular romantic spots she turns to in our readership area?
Lewis mentioned Onteora Mountain House in Boiceville, The Emerson, and the Full Moon Resort in Oliverea. As well as how once up here, newlyweds seem to get the bug to come back… and maybe even buy a place to call their own.
So why didn’t she want to be an actual wedding planner?
She listed the hormonal craziness of young brides, the interference of frazzled moms and dads. Listed some movies for reference. Said what she did was safer.
She also noted how the website she’s built has become an indispensable way to consider all aspects of this auspiciously romantic event that starts (and hopefully centers) so many lives.
And, again, this coming Valentine’s Day?
“My husband, what can I say,” she sighs. “He’s the wind beneath my wings. The rest is private…”
For more on Hudson Valley Weddings, call Judy Lewis at 336-4705 or viist www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com.

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Onteora Changes

The school board then held a special meeting on Friday, February 6, where Trustee Maxanne Resnick was elected the new board president. She will be sworn in at a later date. Trustee Donna Flayhan nominated Resnick with a seconding motion by Trustee Anne McGillicuddy. In a four-to-two vote, trustees Michelle Friedel and Richard Wolff were the no votes. Before Resnick was chosen, Friedel nominated Wolff as president and Resnick as Vice President. Trustee Laurie Osmond said she did not plan to vacate her seat as Vice President. Wolff was denied in a four-to-two vote.
Also on February 6, the board announced that it would release a statement for people interested in filling the vacated seat. The board seeks anyone interested to submit a paragraph stating why they would like to serve. To be eligible a person must be a United States Citizen, 18 years of age or older, able to read and write, a legal resident for at least one year prior to the election, not an employee of the school district, not holding another public office or having been removed from another office for up to a year before the appointment.
The person chosen will serve only to the next election on May 19, when three seats will now be up for grabs, with whoever wins the least amount of votes from the top three winners filling Legnini’s remaining two-year term immediately. Osmond and Resnick’s seats are also up this May, with Osmond completing Trustee Herb Rosenfeld’s term after his resignation in April 2008.
The board plans to fill the vacated seat by the next school board meeting on February 17.
Asked if she would be running for the seat she lost last year, former OCS board member Rita Vanacore of Shokan said this week, “After all the lies and half truths that made our district believe that these four people were good for this district... No, I would not run again.”
In other district news of late, High School Principal Lance Edelman and Middle School Principal Andrew Davenport mapped out a plan to eliminate four Middle school teaching teams to three at the February 3 meeting. This, they say, will help address budget shortfalls projected for next year and low enrollment. Davenport said grade seven could see classroom sizes of around 20 or so pupils per class. Grade eight could see the highest number, averaging around 25 pupils per class. Superintendent Leslie Ford said so far six teachers have been given word that their job could be eliminated. Cuts include support staff, but they have not been notified. Teachers with the least amount of seniority betweens grades seven-through-nine are subject to lay-offs.
Joyce Long, the director of Pupil Personnel for the district, said cuts in special education may include eliminating $66,000 for two therapists through the FACETS program. Instead, district social workers and psychologists will offer counseling to students and families. A reduction in one Occupational Therapist and one self-contained special education classroom was also recommended.
Transportation also continued to be a point of contention, with Flayhan requesting that the district seek to re-bid its contracts and possibly return to the old way of using multiple bus contractors instead of one, believing this would be more cost effective. Transportation Director Dave Moraca has countered this by stating that, in his findings, any savings would be minimal.
Friedel asked that a resolution be placed on the February 17 agenda so the board can vote on which path to take.
Also, legal and ethical questions about the school board’s recent habit of holding self-evaluation discussions during executive sessions has come under scrutiny. Since December, the board has met four times for such sessions, but cancelled the recent Feb 3 gathering after published reports about its questionability arose.
At that time, Wolff referred to a letter in his board packet from Robert Freeman, Executive Director of the Committee on Open Government.
“He said if there is no intent to make any decisions they could meet anytime they wanted,” said Wolff.
The letter was dated June 3, 1997 from Freeman to district counsel David S. Shaw.
Resnick recommended obtaining legal advice from the school lawyer. Flayhan said she’d rather not pay, choosing to invite Freeman to speak directly to the board at one of its meetings.
“Donna, he’s not gonna come here,” Wolff said.
“I talked to him on the phone the other day and he said, ‘I would be happy to come to your district and speak about this,’” Flayhan replied.
Wolff then suggested calling the meeting a different name instead of, “executive session.”
Student Representative William Melvin confirmed that this question was brought to his attention by a previous board member.
“When you go into executive session you have to state why and there are specific reasons you can cite and I am pretty sure this isn’t one,” he said. “I recommend against asking legal council because you can look it up in the text.”
In a five-to-one vote, the board voted in favor of hiring a lawyer, with Flayhan voting against. Osmond left the meeting early due to a family illness.
The text Melvin suggested is section 105 of State Open Meetings Laws. It states that the executive session’s primary function is for confidential personnel issues, such as negotiations, litigations, and employment history.
In a separate phone conversation with Freeman, he confirmed that he did indeed speak with Flayhan and said he would be happy to educate the board on Open Meetings Laws as a free service.
Finally, in a January 21 meeting, OCSD board members discussed the fact that teachers at Onteora have been working without a contract since July 2008 and negotiations have appeared to stall.
Union rep Corey Cavallaro said that the Onteora Teacher Association approached the district with a rollover to their current contract agreements that would require staff to contribute more towards health insurance, but nothing else beyond the current OTA five year contract.
“Our offer from over a year ago would have saved an immediate $50,000 in health insurance payments for the district and saved an additional $50,000 since July first,” he said, explaining how the district’s previous board instead chose to hire a second legal firm at a cost of $30,000. “To date, this single decision resulted in the district squandering at least $130,000 by rebuffing the union’s offer for a fair and equitable contract.”
Cavallaro added that the school board has turned away from their “negotiation’s responsibility,” instead opting to hire a “third party, at taxpayer expense.”
To date, board members have not participated in any direct negotiations.
In lighter news of late, Fred Perry, an Onteora modified track coach and West Hurley Little League coach, addressed the school board about the creation of a modified baseball team for the Junior High beginning this spring. Perry said he spoke with Athletic Director Joe DiGiovanni and discovered that Onteora does not have a certified coach or field for the program. After meetings with parents, Perry explained that they were able to draft a proposal with the Onteora Babe Ruth organization on use of their field at Davis Park in West Shokan. He said this would be at no cost to the district, since he also has found a certified coach and funds for uniforms and equipment.
“I presented this proposal to the athletic director and he assured me there is adequate funding in his department budget for any other costs involved in running this modified program.”
Trustee Michelle Friedel replied that, having said no to similar requests from the Spanish club and the snowboard club she was uncomfortable with any potential stipend requests at present.
The board tabled the resolution until they hear from DiGiovanni directly but assured Perry there is already money in the budget for his needs.
Also, Bennett Elementary Principal Gabriel Buono said he’s embarked on a fundraising project to purchase a wind turbine to be named in honor of the late science teacher, Webb Leonard. And Edelman said public access channel 20 is up and running, showcasing student work.

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A Jar Of Olives...
Freddy Mac & Cheese...
Looking Back At Some Past Achievements

Seventy years seem like centuries when we consider civil rights. In 1937, the United States Supreme Court ruled (Breedlove vs. Suttles) to uphold the constitutionality of the Georgia poll taxes. In 1940 only 3% of southern African Americans were able to vote. Seventy years later we are proud to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Some friends gathered at our house to celebrate the day. In keeping with the economic times, the menu was kept to comfort foods and a single-digit priced Champagne. We served “Freddie-Mac” and cheese, miniature deep dish “Chicago” pizzas, “No Pork Barrel” meatloaf, “Condolisa” rice, “no- strings-attached bailout” beans, “Al Gore” green salad with “Reduced House Prices” dressing. Coffee was affectionately called cup of “Joe the Plumber.” My favorite dish was the vegetable “World Peas.” It was a bi-partisan menu on this momentous occasion to share pride and patriotism.
The economy is a subject on every TV channel and of everyday conversations. We discuss the DOW Jones index or the price of heating oil as we once did the weather. One way to help our local economy is to shop local. Olive boasts the ability to provide us with most goods and services—all but shoes. You might have to drive to Kingston for those. My dad was a salesman, and his credo was to support other local businesses. He also believed that a business or a businessman (or woman) needed to stand behind a service or product with his name.
In a small town like ours, we can sometimes use only a first name. We have our hair cut by Linda at Linda’s Hair Care or Nancy at Shear Image. We can even have a spa-quality manicure and pedicure at the new shop, Jeannette’s Nails, that opened just this year in what used to be “Bud’s Sport Shop” in Boiceville. The small storefront was, at one time, Boiceville’s post office. Next to Jeannette’s Nails is the Shakti Yoga Studio in what used to be The Mountain Creek Restaurant, which was before that the Landmark and before that The Boiceville Inn.
Thinking back to old time Boiceville stores, the one I remember the most was The Boiceville Market when it was in the spot that Art Haver has the Boiceville Florist. Esther Sheeley, who just recently passed away, would sit behind the one checkout counter to greet customers who filled in their weekly shopping with staples from her store. We all knew her and her family by name, and we would share stories as we shopped. Esther and her children Gary and Judy continued to be our friends long after the store closed and Al Higley opened the meat market across the street. Esther will be remembered and missed.
The Boiceville Market was a general store much like Danny’s Market in Shokan. Danny Aversano would shop at the Kingston supermarkets and then line his shelves with the products’ prices covered with his own stickers. He would even bag groceries in Waldbaum’s or Shoprite bags. Danny was an entrepreneur who carried VHS movies that were the state of the art in the 80’s. He had a membership club that had two prices: the daily rental fee or the lifetime membership fee. One day he said to me, “Your lifetime membership has expired, so you have to renew it.”
Think about how nice it is to know the person behind the business. Shopping was more than a chore: it was a visit. My dad was right about putting your name out there. When people know your name and greet you, the customer always feels special. Shop local and enjoy that friendship factor.
About friends…We lost Beth Boms last week. Her husband Michael loved her so much that he married her three times. She was the proud mother of Erica Rachel and an educator who was an advocate for special education students. She was my bakery breakfast buddy. Beth had a rock star presence that lit up a room with her beauty and style. She was a super-nova of sunlight, moonshine, twilight and dawn combined with the power of lightening. She “exploded” into a room, and you were bathed in or singed by her brightness. She lived with such intensity that her light burned out much too soon. D_ _ _ Cancer!
Hopefully this week is the beginning of a recovery for our country and our global economy. We, as Americans, can do our part to pass on a better place to those young adults and children who are coming after us. I am hopeful when I read that Susie Sofranko made Dean’s List at Cortland. I am thrilled to share Joe Ahouse’s pride in his new grandson born to his daughter Becky. I am encouraged when I remember the mom and pop stores that built the economy before the “Big Box Stores.” I know that we Americans can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and work together to rebuild this great country. My lifetime membership may have expired, as Danny told me, but he assured me that I have the opportunity to renew it. It is a time to renew our patriotism and citizenship too.