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Notice -- Friday, February 29, 2008 Special village meeting The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting tonight, Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. at Village Hall at 325 Hudson Street in order to accept an insurance proposal for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Notice -- Friday, February 29, 2008 David A. Jessup (Sept. 19, 1960 -- Feb. 27, 2008)
A visitation is being held for David Jessup this afternoon at Quigley Brothers Funeral Home on Hudson Street from 3-5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. David Jessup, age 47, died in the fire in his home on Wednesday morning. He was born on Sept. 19, 1960 in Champaign, Illinois to William Stanley Jessup and Nancy Todt. He was the owner of Hometown Construction of Cornwall and was an archeologist working on his doctorate. David and his wife Eloisa Kuan Jessup moved to Cornwall from Monroe in 1996, buying the 1790 home on Long Hill Road, where they were raising their sons, Matthew David and Sean David. A Funeral Mass will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church in Cornwall-on-Hudson with a cremation to follow at Cedar Hill Crematory in Newburgh.
Friday, February 29, 2008 Lee Road show re-scheduled The Lee Road School show " Rock the World" has been rescheduled for next weekend, March 6-9. At the March 6 show (an Open Dress Rehearsal), donations to the Jessup family will be accepted in lieu of the $1 admission. Show time is 7 p.m. at Cornwall Central High School. Main show nights: Saturday, March 8 at Cornwall Central High School at 7:00 p.m. All tickets purchased for the March 1 show will be honored for this performance. Sunday, March 9 at Cornwall Central High School at 1:00 p.m. All tickets purchased for the March 2 show will be honored for this performance.
SPORTS -- Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:05 p.m. Flying high: Boys and girls reach basketball finals 
Cornwall swept a doubleheader at home tonight as the boys and girls both won their semifinal games. The girls ousted New Paltz 56-24 and the boys downed Saugerties 71-46. Both Cornwall teams scored on the center tap and went on to build early leads. The boys were ahead 32-2 at the end of the first quarter. The Dragons will be at SUNY New Paltz on Sunday. The girls will start at 3:30 p.m., and the boys will get under way shortly after 5 p.m. Click here or on the pic above left to see more photos taken by Scott Strine of Thursday's semifinal boys game.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 12:20 p.m. Show to be rescheduled The Lee Road School Show, "Rock the World" that was scheduled for this weekend has been postponed. The new date has yet to be determined.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:10 a.m. updated 11:25 a.m. Funds being accepted for the Jessup family St. Thomas of Canterbury Church will have a special basket at Mass this weekend where people can leave monetary donations for the Jessup family, whose home was destroyed by yesterday's fire. The church has not yet made plans for accepting other types of donations. As more information is available, it will be included on this web site. People can also make out checks to Eloisa Jessup Family Assistance Account and either mail them to the account at Box 232, Cornwall, NY 12518 or drop them off at any Bank of America Branch.
BREAKING -- Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:28 p.m. updated 4:50 p.m. Father of two dies in horrific blaze Fire Chief says it appears the fire started in the basement workshop of the old home
By Margaret Menge -- David Jessup of Long Hill Road died in a fire in the basement of his home today. A neighbor was returning home from work between 11:30 and 12 noon, driving south on Long Hill, when he saw flames coming out of the north-side basement window of the Jessup home. He sped to his house, grabbed his phone and called 911. He says that within just a minute or two the windows on the Jessup home were breaking and flames were bursting out of all of the windows. The neighbor, Chris Mee, said at the time that he hoped that no one was in the house when the fire broke out, saying he was fearful because he noticed the homeowner's vehicle was in the driveway. Fire Chief Pat Hines told the Local after 2 p.m. that they'd recovered a body from the home, and a friend of the family told the Local shortly thereafter that the deceased was in fact the homeowner, David Jessup. David Jessup was an independent contractor, and the father of two boys: a second-grader who attends Lee Road, and a ninth grader who goes to Cornwall Central High School. David was the husband of Eloisa Jessup who works for BOCES, in the wing at Cornwall Central High School. Their home, at 39 Long Hill Road, was built in 1790. The Jessups purchased it in 1996. At least six volunteer fire companies were on scene fighting the fire, and it still took nearly an hour to extinguish the raging flames. It is not known at this time what might have caused the fire. As of this afternoon, Eloisa Jessup was with her sons at the home of a family friend on Angola Road. The Jessups are members of St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church and Father Bernard Heter, the pastor at St. Thomas, had gone to the home to be with them. Click here or on the photo above to see more pictures of the fire and the firefighters who fought it.
BREAKING -- Monday, February 25, 2008 9:05 p.m School budget: 6.37% increase proposed Teacher and staff salaries to go up $1.5 million -- biggest contributor to budget increase
The school district administration proposed a $54,188,142 budget for the 08-09 school year tonight -- a 6.37 percent increase over the current budget. Harvey Sotland, the assistant superintendent for business, projected that if the budget is approved, it will result in a 3.2 to 3.9 percent jump in the tax rate. Superintendent Tim Rehm (left), began the budget presentation at the Board of Education's monthly business meeting by explaining that the administration was focusing this year's budget on full-day kindergarten and on programs for high-performing students. Contractual salaries for teachers and staff, projected to go up $1.5 million, are the biggest contributor to the overall $3.2 million increase in the proposed budget for 08-09. The Board of Education will review the proposed budget at its March and April meetings and will vote on adoption in April. The public will vote on the budget on May 20, and will also vote then to elect three school board members. One member of the board, Richie Romano, has already announced that he is not seeking re-election, leaving an open seat. Petitions for those interested in running can be picked up from the school district's offices at 24 Idlewild Avenue in Cornwall-on-Hudson between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and must be turned in by April 17.
* Photo feature * -- Monday, February 25, 2008 Mermaid appears on Academy Ave
Jim Lawless, above, poses with the snow mermaid he sculpted yesterday in front of his home on Academy Avenue. Jim is the former owner of the Cornwall Veterinary Hospital. He's been making "snow cats" in his front yard for years. He also sculpts Lady Godivas and snow mermaids. The photo above was taken yesterday, when the sun was bright but temperatures were just cold enough to keep the snow from melting. But it has warmed up today and Jim says he had to move the mermaid into the shade this morning, to keep her from melting. He cut her into blocks and then reconstructed her in the new spot. She is now bent over and her head turning the other way, but is otherwise still a beauty. The Lawlesses live at the corner of Academy Ave. and Second St. in the village.
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Cornwall's favorite son..
Click here or on the photo above to read the full text of the story from Friday's paper on General David H. Petraeus, who grew up on Avenue A in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Saturday, February 23, 2008 Cornwall lays KJ pipeline issue at feet of freshman Rep. John Hall By Margaret Menge -- Rep. John Hall spent almost two hours at Town Hall in Cornwall this afternoon, talking about the president's budget (it has "misplaced priorities") and the war ("I question the use of 12 billion a month in Iraq...my question goes back to, what happens when we leave?"), and fielding questions about the proposed pipeline through Cornwall to Kiryas Joel. Peter X. Neuman first raised the issue of KJ, saying upfront that he voted for Hall and supports him, and is "well aware" of the congressman's vote take in the Village of Kiryas Joel in November of 2006 (KJ leaders swung 2900 votes to Hall just days before the election), but that he is concerned about the proposed pipeline. Hall replied, saying he didn't vote on authorization for money for the pipeline. "My interest in representing this district is to treat everyone the same," he said.
Following up, the Local asked whether Hall would or would not support a pipeline starting in New Windsor and cutting through Cornwall to Kiryas Joel. "When I have all the information on that I'll make a decision," said Hall. "A far as a federal request for money on that, I haven't seen it." Hall said that Congress had authorized, but not appropriated $5 million for the pipeline, and that he was not sure when the money might be appropriated. He also said that he thought that the pipeline issue was being litigated and that his understanding was that there was a right-of-way through Cornwall that would allow KJ to build the pipeline through here without acquiring more land. A number of residents then spoke up on the issue, all of them in opposition to the pipeline. The first was Chuck Hurley who lives on Shore Drive at Beaver Dam Lake, who told the Congressman that he considers himself a "bleeding heart liberal" and complained that "every time someone says something about Kiryas Joel you're antisemitic." He told Hall that he has a private well and is worried about it drying up once KJ starts tapping the wells they own here. "The river's 432 feet below me," he said. "Am I going to have to tap into that water?" "Why does everything have to be so extreme,..." he said. "Why does it have to be you're with these people or against these people? ... The reality is 'Don't start giving away my water.'" Liz Hellwege, who lives in Cornwall-on-Hudson and works in Monroe, told the Congressman that she is Jewish but that she doesn't understand why the rules seem to be different for residents of Kiryas Joel. "I don't understand why they've been entitled to grow the way they do..." she said. Hall seemed to listen with interest as each person spoke, responding to Ms. Hellwege by saying that he represents "everyone in the 19th district equally," and that he told this to KJ both before and after the election. He said also that he recently explained at the town hall meeting in Woodbury why he'd secured $521,000 for a radio communication system for KJ -- because they were the only ones who'd put in a request. Mayor Joe Gross stood then, and started by thanking the Congressman and his staff for being Hall broke up the Q & A session shortly after and a number of people stuck around to shake hands with him and to get information from his staff. "I think he got the message," said Barbara Gosda after the event, talking about the pipeline issue. Others said they thought his answers were cautious, though they understood why, and understood that this was a difficult issue for the new congressman.
BREAKING -- Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:30 p.m. Hall tells Cornwall he's not sure whether he'd support KJ pipeline
By Margaret Menge -- "When I have all the information on that I'll make a decision," said Rep. John Hall, when asked this afternoon at Town Hall whether he supports a water pipeline running through Cornwall, to Kiryas Joel. Authorization for $5 million for the pipeline was contained in the Water Resources Act, which was approved by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by the president last year.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 22, 2008 1:15 p.m. Stung: $100 fines for Bartenders caught in sting Painter's Tavern defendant wants bottle of Bud sent to lab for testing...
Margaret Menge -- Five of the seven people arrested in the Dec. 18 alcohol sting were in the Town of Cornwall Justice Court last night. Two of them took the District Attorney's offer and pled guilty to a violation (a lesser charge, not a crime) and agreed to pay a $100 fine. Three asked for their cases to be adjourned until next month. The attorney for the bartender from Painter's had an unusual request... He asked for an adjournment so that the bottle of Budweiser that was served to the 20-year-old (an intern with the Town of Cornwall PD) could be sent to a lab for analysis, to determine whether or not it really did contain beer. "It's a closed bottle of Bud," said Bradford White, the assistant district attorney who was prosecuting the case. The attorney, Bernie Brady, answered: "You remember what happens when you assume, don't you? Remember what your English teacher taught you." Judge Joe Thomson agreed to adjourn the case until March 20. The senior Orange County DA in the Newburgh office, Neil Haberman, said they'll take it to a jury trial, if that's what the defendant's attorney wants. "If that's his defense, then we'll let the jury decide whether that was alcohol or not," he said this morning.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 22, 2008 12:10 p.m. Closed for business! Fluffy snow has shut down Cornwall. Schools are closed, Town Hall is closed, Village Hall is in the process of closing. There have been no accidents reported in either the town or village. Bill Schuster of Black Rock Forest says they measured five inches of snow at 9 a.m. at the Snow Research Station on Continential Road, and that it's likely we're now over the six-inch mark.
Notice -- Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Rep. John Hall holding "town hall" meeting in Cornwall on Saturday
Rep. John Hall is holding a 'Congress on your Corner' town hall-style meeting in Cornwall on Saturday -- at Town Hall at 183 Main Street . The event is from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and all residents are invited to attend, to meet the Congressman and share their thoughts and concerns with him. Hall was elected in November of 2006 when he defeated six-term Republican Rep. Sue Kelly. He represents New York's 19th congressional district, which includes Putnam County, most of Orange County, about half of Westchester County and parts of Dutchess and Rockland counties. Rep. Hall has been seen eating at the River Bank in Cornwall-on-Hudson, and has made appearances at Munger Cottage and spoken at Cornwall Central High School. But Saturday will be the first time he's held an open meeting in Cornwall, with notice given and everyone invited. We'll see you there.
Sports -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Dragons beat Kingston at home The Dragons honored their seniors tonight and then treated their home fans to a 60-44 win over Kingston. Mike O'Rourke hit five long-range shots to lead the team with 17 points. Kyle Bradley added 14. The Dragons, with a 16-2 record, host Liberty tomorrow night in the last game of the regular season
Sports -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008 6:20 p.m. Lady Dragons win at Valley Central The girls basketball team beat Valley Central 46-40 this afternoon. Allison Cleary led the team with 11 points. Danielle O'Rourke's and Kelly Whalen's defense and energy made the difference in the game, said Cornwall's coach, Chris Miller.
BREAKING -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008 12 noon Mayor sends "curt letter" to Sen. Clinton Mayor Joe Gross sent a two-sentence letter to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last Thursday, requesting some reply to his inquiry about the authorization of money for a pipeline through Cornwall to Kiryas Joel. "Dear Senator Clinton," the letter reads. "Please be advised that of this date I have yet to receive a response to my letter dated January 3, 2008 (attached) and faxed February 4, 2008. I await your response and appreciate your attention to this critical mattter." Mayor Gross said he understood that the senator was out campaigning, but that she should have a staff there to attend to business. "Schumer's staff was right on top of it," he says. "This is what it's about. People have problems, you deal with them. We have a big problem here. And she's at the heart of it."
BREAKING -- Saturday, February 16, 2008 No truth to rumors, says NYMA
By Margaret Menge -- A spokesman for the New York Military Academy said today that there is absolutely no truth to rumors that they're closing, saying the academy, founded in 1889, plans to be around "for another 100 years." "We are continuing on. Not only are we continuing on, but we are hiring additional staff," said Clint Bond, a NYMA graduate from Texas who is serving as the academy's spokesman. He says that after yesterday's meeting of NYMA's Board of Directors, faculty and staff were called together and told that the academy is open for business and enrolling students for next year, and that there is no truth to rumors of its closing. Bond says he's heard rumors of NYMA's closing since he was a student there, and said it appeared this time that the person or people spreading the rumor had some malicious intent. He contradicted the report in yesterday's Record that the academy's future was on the agenda of yesterday's meeting, saying that it was not, and that there was no doubt about its future going into the meeting.
SPORTS -- Saturday, February 16, 2008 5:30 p.m. Newburgh rallies past the Dragons Newburgh outscored Cornwall in the final quarter this afternoon to gain a 54-52 victory in front of more than 1,000 fans at home. It was the Dragons second loss of the season. Alex Orchowski led Cornwall with 18 points and Kyle Bradley had 14 -- despite missing a portion of the game with an ankle injury. Harrison Larkin scored seven straight points in the third period to give the visitors a 42-39 lead entering the final quarter..
Notice -- Friday, February 14, 2008 RiverFest meeting rescheduled The meeting of the Cornwall-on-Hudson RiverFest Committee originally scheduled for Feb. 13 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall at 325 Hudson Street. Volunteers are needed to help plan the 11th annual RiverFest, to be held on June 7. Please contact Wynn Gold at 534-7622 with any questions.
BREAKING -- Thursday, February 14, 2008 8:07 p.m. Is NYMA closing???
Rumors are running strong in town that the 117-year-old New York Military Academy, on Academy Ave. in Cornwall-on-Hudson, might finally close. The Board of Directors is meeting tomorrow, and the Times Herald-Record is reporting that the future of the academy is on the agenda. The president of NYMA's Board of Trustees, however, downplayed these rumors in a phone call with the Local on Monday. "The rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated," said Paul Curtin. But he did leave open the possibility that something could soon be decided, saying that, "No determination has been made," about the academy's future, and that they plan to finish out the academic year. "I'm not making any announcement at this time," he said. The rumor that reached the Local was that NYMA would close at the end of the academic year, on May 31, the last day of classes, and that non-essential personnel would be released earlier, on March 31. This information could not be verified. The New York Military Academy was founded in 1889 by a Civil War veteran who believed that a military structure provided young people with the best environment in which to achieve academically. NYMA's most famous alumn is real estate king Donald Trump, who has said he credits his success, in part, to the discipline he learned there. NYMA graduated 41 students last year, and 45 in 2006. One graduate was accepted to West Point in each year, and one to the U.S. Military Academy's prep school.
BREAKING -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008 3:17 p.m. Central Hudson: 100 back up, we're working on the rest... Central Hudson told us at 3:10 p.m. that they've restored power to about 100 homes in Cornwall, and expect to restore power to the remaining 700 customers here by late this afternoon or early evening. Extensive power outages happened early this morning after ice-covered branches and trees fell on electrical lines.
BREAKING -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:10 p.m. RiverFest meeting canceled Tonight's RiverFest meeting is cancelled, due to the weather. It will be rescheduled at a later date.
BREAKING -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1 p.m. Iced down: 800 customers without power in Cornwall
By Margaret Menge -- Central Hudson says that 800 of their customers in Cornwall are without power as of 12:45 p.m. today, 600 of them the result of a tree falling on electrical wires on Angola Road early this morning. Trees and parts of trees are falling all over Cornwall, weighed down by a coating of ice from the storm that began yesterday afternoon and continued through the night. Firemen were just dispatched to Vinebrook Road in Cornwall-on-Hudson for a report of wires arcing, and some homeowners are dealing with flooded basements from the heavy rain that's been falling all morning. Central Hudson says they hope to have power returned to everyone in Cornwall by this afternoon.
Notice -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11 p.m. Legacy Ridge hearing to be continued Feb. 26 Despite the heavy snow, the Village of Woodbury went ahead with a scheduled hearing tonight on the Legacy Ridge development. About twenty people were in attendance, including Bernie Sussman and Anthony Incanno of Cornwall. Sussman says they were the only two who spoke in opposition to the proposed change in zoning, which will allow 287 four-bedroom homes to be built at the corner of Mineral Springs Road and Trout Brook, in the Cornwall Central School District. The hearing was held open and will continue on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Highland Mills firehouse on Route 32.
BREAKING -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:50 p.m. Village ZBA may subpoena Gilmore The Zoning Board of Appeals' fill-in attorney, Bob Fink, said at the meeting last night that the village ZBA has the authority to subpoena former DPW head Bob Gilmore, if necessary, to compel him to appear before them at next month's meeting on March 10, when the public hearing on the River Bank zone line will be continued. At issue is a letter from Gilmore dated September 21, 2007 that Ray Yannone, who formally requested the ZBA's interpretation of the zone lines, said was not in the DPW's files until December. The law allows just 60 days from the date of an interpretation for a challenge. "Code is clear" says Protter: Howard Protter furnished Mayor Gross with a letter last Friday, in which he says that the village code is "quite clear that only those properties that are mapped for inclusion within the CBS District are within the CBS district." He went on to write that the reference in the code to 250 feet from the center line of Hudson Street restriction "does not provide an additional criteria for extending the CBS District boundary line" as Gilmore had reasoned that it did in his September letter to River Bank co-owner Tony Missere. Click here to see the Sept. 21 letter from Gilmore, and the Feb. 8 letter from Protter.
Sports -- Monday, February 11, 2008 10:43 p.m. Lady Dragons slain by Crane The girls basketball team lost a home game tonight against Ichabod Crane High School, despite holding a 20-point lead in the opening half. The final score was 58-56 in overtime. Cornwall defeated Crane earlier in the season.
BREAKING -- Monday, February 11, 2008 Miss Jones charged with harassment The Local learned today that police were called to the high school on Jan. 2 after the incident where sophomore Joe Strickland says he was slapped by part-time teacher Daniella Jones, and that Miss Jones was charged with harassment, a violation. She appeared before Judge Frank Navarra in the Town of Cornwall Justice Court after the incident, and is to return to court with her attorney this week, on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. And about the boy... Joe Strickland's mother told the Local today that her son told her he never used any racial epithets against teacher Daniella Jones, and also that Joe is "taking a lot of hits" as other kids are now singling him out as the one responsible for getting the popular teacher fired. Strickland's mom, Kim (she declined to give her last name), says she didn't want Miss Jones fired, but only wanted her disciplined for laying a hand on her son, and that she communicated this to the high school. "Because of all this, my son is hurting," she said. She said she had to pick him up from school after the pep rally on Friday because he felt threatened by other students. Joe, she said, was suspended for two days last month after the incident with Miss Jones.
BREAKING -- Saturday, February 9, 2008 8:45 p.m. FLASH: More Dems than Republicans voted in Cornwall on Feb. 5 There were 1063 people who voted in the Democratic presidential primary in Cornwall on Tuesday, and 990 who voted in the Republican primary. It was likely the first time that any election in Cornwall brought out more Democratic voters than Republican. (Cornwall has 3070 registered Republicans and 2340 registered Democrats.) "It's a historic election," says Arthur Davidson, chair of the Cornwall Democratic Committee. "This has never happened before. An African-American running for the Democratic nomination for president..and a woman... If this doesn't get you excited about politics, nothing would."
Sports -- Friday, February 8, 2008 9 p.m. Dragons defeat Port at home The Dragons used a big second half tonight to pull away from Port Jervis for a 55-37 victory at home. Kyle Bradley (17) and Alex Orchowski (16) led the scoring. Cornwall had trouble hitting from the outside, but its defense controlled the game. The team's record is now 15-1.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 8, 2008 6:45 p.m. Students chant: "Bring Back Mama" at CCHS pep rally More than a dozen high school students wore t-shirts to school today in protest of the firing of part-time science teacher Miss Daniella Jones, and at the winter pep rally, held in the gym this afternoon, one whole side of the room started chanting "Bring Back Mama."
The chanting began right after the varsity dance team that Miss Jones had started performed on center court. The music was pumped up and the team was dancing hip hop in white t-shirts and black jeans. The chanting "Bring Back Mama" lasted just about fifteen seconds, until the announcer came back on and announced that the assembly was dismissed.
Cornwall Central High School students have been e-mailing Miss Jones, and posting messages on a special Facebook page, forming a Group "dedicated to bringing back Miss Jones or Ma Jones as a teacher and making Joe Strickland fully reprehensible for her firing." Posted on the page is a photo of Miss Jones surrounded by a number of kids in a classroom, and messages from students. "Miss Jones always has my support in anything and everything!" writes one female student. "She's a great teacher and every kid knows it.! WE LOVE YOU MISS JONES!" Another student writes: "next board of ed meeting is on the 11th. ma jones said if we go, she'll go also. that means the kids who were in that class better go and tell the truth of what really happened." "Mama Jones is my favorite person in the world, she better come back," writes another girl.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 8, 2008 6:40 p.m. Cornwall man gets 1-3 years for setting fire to ex-wife's home Greg Rocco was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison today for setting fire to the Cornwall home of his ex-wife last April. "I feel remorseful," Rocco told Judge Nicholas DeRosa. "This was to be a great place for me and my family. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I feel bad about what happened to Lisa and the children. I hope to make a difference while I'm incarcerated." Before issuing the sentence, Judge Nicholas DeRosa commented, "In weakness people do things they don't normally do. Your history was unremarkable until this occurred." Before moving to Cornwall from California, Rocco had been a set designer and set decorator on several well-known films. Movie star Tom Hanks had written to the court on his behalf, saying that it was an anomaly for Greg Rocco to destroy something of beauty. In addition to the prison sentence, Rocco was also ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution to his ex-wife and approximately $3,000 to the family that was due to close on the house. The house, on Shadowood Lane, next to Cornwall Central High School, was destroyed in the fire. No one was injured, but the family cat died.
Sports -- Wednesday, February 6, 2008 8:55 p.m. Dragons defeat Valley Central
Kyle Bradley scored 25 points tonight to lead the Dragons to a 64-45 victory over Valley Central. Playing in front of a home crowd, the Dragons took an early lead, as Bradley was able to penetrate the Vikings' defense. The victory improved Cornwall's record to 14-1. The Dragons will be back in action on Friday night as they host Port Jervis at 7 p.m.
BREAKING -- Wednesday, February 6, 2008 12:47 p.m. Randazzo to announce for Assembly Former town supervisor Richard Randazzo is announcing his run for the 96th Assembly seat at Woody's on Quaker Avenue this Sunday at 2 p.m. This will be his fourth run against Republican Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun, who has held the seat since she first ran in 1990. One other Democrat is already in the race -- Larry Delarose, like Calhoun a former Blooming Grove town supervisor.
BREAKING -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008 10:22 p.m. CORNWALL DECIDES: presidential primary 2008 Hillary 585 Barack 445 Ron Paul 61 Rudy Giuliani 36 Mitt Romney 319 Mike Huckabee 71 John McCain 503
John McCain won every election district in the Town of Cornwall today in the Republican presidential primary -- and in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama 585-445, winning 12 of 14 districts. Results in Cornwall track with those in New York State as a whole, where John McCain won the Republican primary, and Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary. And they also mirror what television reports say happened in a number of states today... Democrats turned out in huge numbers. There are 700+ more registered Republicans in Cornwall than Democrats, but about as many Democrats as Republicans turned out to vote.
Sports -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008 Lady dragons fall to Minisink Minisink came to Cornwall tonight and defeated the girls' basketball team 41-29. The visitors, paced by their 6' 4"center Stephanie Dolson, scored the first 12 points of the game. Allison Cleary led the Dragons with 11 points. Team captain Christina Jordan has been sidelined after suffering a concussion in last week's game against Goshen.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 9 p.m. That's all folks! Polls in Cornwall and the rest of New York State closed just now, at 9 p.m., and the Big Count is now beginning. In Cornwall, Republicans seemed to come out in bigger numbers later in the day. At Highland Engine Co., where two election districts were voting today, 138 Republicans had voted by 7:45 p.m. and 118 Democrats. By 8:15 p.m., 105 Republicans had voted at Village Hall, as compared to 88 Democrats. "It's been a very entertaining season," said village resident Scott Mathews, coming out of voting at Village Hall. "It seems like every week there's a debate." Mathews and his wife Diana both voted for Hillary Clinton. "We're overdue for a woman president," said Diana, adding that she likes Clinton's experience and her health care plan. Rick Reyes was going in to vote at Highland Engine Company this evening, saying he was planning to pull the lever for John McCain. "He's not as conservative as people think he is," he said. John McCain's name was accidentally whited off the ballot at Village Hall, as though he'd dropped out, poll workers discovered first thing this morning. Three emergency paper ballots had to be used while the ballot was corrected.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 5:00 p.m. Voting in the town...
More Democrats than Republicans have also been voting today in the town... As of 3:35 p.m., 54 Democrats and 49 Republicans had voted at Town Hall, where two election districts are combined. And by 3:55 p.m. at COVAC on Clinton Street (district 13), 28 Democrats and 13 Republicans had voted. Election workers in the town and village say some people are coming in to vote today only to find out that they're not registered in a party, and therefore are ineligible to vote in the Presidential Primary. "Pick a party," says Sis Barton, who's been working the COVAC polling place for the last 15 years.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 3:10 p.m. Voting in the village... More Democrats had voted in the village than Republicans by early this afternoon. At Village Hall, 41 Democrats had voted by 1:15 p.m., compared to 39 Republicans. At the Storm King Engine Company firehouse, 99 Democrats had voted by 1:45 p.m., compared to 91 Republicans. There are 3070 Republicans in the Town of Cornwall (which includes the village) and 2340 registered Democrats. There are also 2035 "Blanks" or voters not registered in any party.
Meeting notice -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 2:15 p.m. Suing for a view of the river...
By Margaret Menge -- Peter X. Neuman and Joseph and Christine McDonald, all of Braden Place, filed suit last month to put an easement on the DeGroat’s property on Shore Road, just below them, to require the DeGroats to trim their trees every two years to keep the view of the river open for Braden place residents. The suit cites the village's controversial View Preservation Law. The DeGroats came face-to-face with Neumann at last night's village meeting, to exchange their views on the topic of the suit. And the talk quickly got hot. “Those trees being topped are falling all over the back of our property. If everybody wants that property, why don’t yous all just chip in and buy it,” said Elana DeGroat, “Because we’d be glad to leave this town, because we all have been nothing but harassed since the day we moved in there.” “I’ll see you in court,” said Neuman, just before walking out of the meeting. He had offered to cover the cost of trimming the DeGroat’s trees, but was rebuffed by DeGroat, who said he didn't want anyone else on his property. Two other uphill neighbors also came and spoke – John Farr, who contradicted the DeGroat’s claim that topping trees had led to a mudslide in 2004; and the husband of Dr. Mary Davidian, who said they pay a view tax, so should be able to maintain their views of the river.
Monday, February 4, 2008 5:22 p.m. Super Duper Tuesday on the way
Only three political yard signs are posted around Cornwall on the evening before "Super Duper" Tuesday. There are two signs for Barack Obama -- one at the Quaker Avenue entrance ramp to Route 9W, and the other one on Route 32, at the light, where Quaker Ave. starts. There is also one sign for Dennis Kucinich "Strength through Peace" on Route 32, on the approach to the light. An employee in the Town Clerk's office remarked today that she was surprised not to see any for signs for Hillary Clinton, senator from New York.
In other sign news: A large "Revolution" Ron Paul sign that has been standing at the corner of Route 32 recently vanished. The sign, which had the letters LOVE in the word Revolution inverted, was about five feet high and stood not far from the Black Rock Fish & Game Club sign, on the same side of the road. Polls in Cornwall are open tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only those registered in the Republican or Democratic party are eligible to vote.
Monday, February 4, 2008 6:55 p.m. Yacht Club gets $1 million reduction on village roll
The Cornwall Yacht Club, whose assessment was increased in 2006 from $198,000 to about $1.3 million, just got that assessment knocked back down in the village. The attorney who handles "tax certs" for the village, John Thomas of Jacobowitz & Gubits, signed onto a consent order on Dec. 19, agreeing to knock the Yacht Club's assessment back down on the village roll, starting next year. According to the agreement, the village gets to keep the full amount collected last year under the higher assessment. The Cornwall Yacht Club was represented in the suit by a Long Island firm, Murphy & Lynch, P.C. The Yacht Club also filed suit against the assessor in the Town of Cornwall. The assessor, Ron Fiorentino, said today that as far as he is aware, that suit is not near a conclusion.
Saturday, February 2, 2008 4:26 p.m. Local prognosticator confirms rumor out of PA
By Margaret Menge -- Chuckie, a 1-year-old groundhog, came down from his home in Kerhonkson today to participate in Cornwall's first-ever Groundhog Day Celebration. At the appropriate time, Carl Heitmuller, who was officiating (in tails and top hat) bent his ear down to Chuckie and the first thing Chuckie said was "27/24 -- the Giants are gonna win." And then he told Carl that he did in fact see his shadow, so we can expect six more weeks of winter, just as Chuckie's famous friend Phil, out of Pennsylvania, said today. The Groundhog Day Celebration took place at 10 a.m. this morning in front of the museum's Kenridge Farm farmhouse off Route 9W. Unlike Punxsutawney Phil, and most other groundhogs, Chuckie has no top teeth. He was rescued when he was just a baby, with eyes still closed and his teeth malformed. He is now an "education animal" and is licensed with the Department of Environmental Conservation. This was his first time prognosticating.
BREAKING -- Saturday, February 2, 2008 4:43 p.m. Riverfront Shelter gets graffiti'd with gang-like message
Margaret Menge -- For the first time since the riverfront shelter was built, vandals have marked up one of the columns with graffiti. Col. Russell Blair, who walks his dog at the riverfront every day, says he first noticed it a week ago. He says it appears to be a "gang message." Similar graffiti was found on a building on Shore Road last year.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 1, 2008 5:20 p.m. Nine wrecks in Town of Cornwall
BREAKING -- Friday, February 1, 2008 5:20 p.m.
BREAKING -- Friday, February 1, 2008 5:13 p.m. $$$ Hall tops a million $$$
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responsive to his concerns, but saying that he hasn't had the same responsiveness from Senator Clinton, who has still not answered his request for information about an appropriation for the pipeline. "I'm deeply troubled by the disconnect between the village and our senator,..." he said. "We especially prize the setting and the natural geography that we have here and we're not looking to let it disappear."
