BREAKING -- Thursday, January 31, 2008   10:30 p.m.

Top two Republicans in New York endorse John McCain

Assembly GOP leader calls him "an American original" and "a patriot of the highest order"

Jim Tedisco, the Assembly minority leader and the second highest ranking elected Republican in New York State, endorsed John McCain for president today.

"John McCain is the best choice for our Party and the one Republican candidate with the type of bi-partisan, independent appeal necessary to defeat Senator Hillary Clinton this fall," said Tedisco in a press release. Senate majority leader Joe Bruno, the top Republican in the state, endorsed McCain yesterday.

Tedisco's endorsement ended with a salute to Rudy Giuliani, who dropped out the race yesterday. "I thank Mayor Giuliani for the steadfast leadership he demonstrated in helping lead and heal our state and nation after the September 11 terror attacks. Mayor Giuliani is a good man and I salute his service," said Tedisco.

New York's presidential primary is on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

BREAKING -- Thursday, January 31, 2008   8:25 p.m.

Man breaks into home on Erin Court, attacks his ex-girlfriend

A 22-year-old was arrested by police last Sunday after breaking into the home of the Wards on Erin Court, off Angola Road. Officers were called to the home for a domestic dispute, and found that the subject had been fighting with some residents and was being restrained by them. The residents told police that the man broke into the home and attacked his ex-girlfriend and a resident. He was arrested and while en route to the police station he kicked in the rear window of the patrol car. He was charged with burglary and criminal mischief (both felonies) and with third-degree assault (a misdemeanor). He appeared before a judge in the Town of Cornwall Justice Court and was sent to Orange County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

A neighbor on Erin Court said that the Ward home is the site of frequent police activity, and that disorder breaks out when the parents leave to go to Florida in the winter. The young man who picked up the phone at the Ward home today was asked whether the 22-year-old was from Cornwall. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Police took care of it. Get a real job."

BREAKING -- Thursday, January 31, 2008   6:40 p.m.

School Budget 08-09 : Zero increase is "impossible" says Rehm

Superintendent of Schools Tim Rehm told the Local yesterday that a zero increase in the school budget would be "impossible" -- given teacher salaries (to rise 5.25 percent next year, as per the union contract) and the fact that the district is proposing to add full-day kindergarten.

How much of an increase?

Last year's budget was $50.9 million, an increase of 6.88 percent over the year before. Rehm says the governor's budget shows increases in state building aid for Cornwall, but a decrease in aid for BOCES. The administration is finalizing the the 08-09 budget now and will be presenting it to the Board of Education on Feb. 25.

When asked whether the district might shave some off the current budget for Central Administration (which amounts to about $8 million), Rehm said "not at this time," and rebuffed the suggestion that the district is top-heavy.

"Our goal is to make it as palatable to the voters as possible," said Rehm, adding that the Board of Education did not place any limitations on the administration in terms of percentage increase in the budget.

SPORTS -- Wednesday, January 30, 2008   7:00 a.m.

Hoopsters rally past Goshen

The boys' basketball varsity won in Goshen last night after temporarily giving up the lead in the fourth quarter. The final score was 67-58.

Kevin King completed athree-point play in the final period to put the Dragons ahead for good. Sophomore Kyle Bradley was the high scorer with 24 points. Alex Orchowski had 21 -- including a "put back" and a dunk on successive plays near the end of the game.

The boys will be at NFA on Friday night, Feb. 1.

BREAKING -- Monday, January 28, 2008   10:15 p.m.

High school teacher terminated

Daniella Jones, a part-time teacher at the high school, was terminated at tonight's Board of Education meeting. She had been on administrative leave with pay following a Jan. 2 confrontation with a student.

The Rev. Dr. Benalda Armstrong Jones spoke on her daughter's behalf at tonight's meeting. "I'm here as a mother," Dr. Jones told the Board of Education; "she [Daniella] did not do what she was accused of.... She did not strike that student....He called her names that I did not give her....I don't want you to make a hasty decision," she said.

Paul Trachte, an attorney for Ms. Jones, also spoke at the meeting. He said that the allegation was made by a student who was being disruptive. "He was popping gum and not stopping," Trachte inidicated. When the teacher touched him gently to get him to stop, he stood up and began using profanity and racial epithets.

Trachte later told the Local that after the student's outburst, Ms. Jones placed her hands on his face to gain his focus. "It was not contact that's prohibited," Trachte said.

After hearing from Dr. Jones, Mr. Trachte and Kate Benson (the parent of a high school student), the Board met in executive session with its attorney, Greg Johnson. When the members returned to the meeting, they voted unanimously to follow the superintendent's recommendation and terminate Daniella Jones.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008   6:38 p.m.

Orange County Chopper chief gets Cornwall tattoo

Photo by Ken Cashman    Paul Teutul of Orange County Choppers is in Cornwall tonight to get a tattoo from Sam Gerlach at Look Sharp Tattoos on Main Street. He said that his children (Paul, Dan, Mike and Cristin) wanted him to get one with their names in it, as they felt he'd been favoring his dogs lately.     "I've known Sam for a while," Paul said. "He worked on me five years ago in Walden....Usually, you say what you want and it takes a day for him to draw it up. But this time Sam came up with something in a few minutes." The tattoo is of a black and grey scroll with the names of the kids in script. Teutul was having the tattoo put on his back.

Monday, January 21, 2008

YOU deal with it....   River Bank zoning gets kicked up to Village Board

Aspin:  Clean up these boundaries

Mary Aspin, chair of the village Planning Board, sent a letter to Mayor Joe Gross and the Village Board last Thursday, requesting their "immediate review" of the boundaries of the CBS (Central Business and Shopping Zone). "There is clearly confusion about the boundaries of the CBS district and this confusion may not be limited to the current projects before the Planning Board," the letter states. The letter also says that "a change in the Code will probably be necessary."

Yannone:  Clean up the mistake, enforce the law

There's no change to the code needed, according to Ray Yannone, owner of the Storm King Theatre building. He said today that he's going to the mayor tomorrow to ask him to get the new code enforcement officer, Bill Lee, to "enforce the laws on the books" by declaring The River Bank and the building next to it (into which Tony Missere is looking to expand) to be OUTSIDE the CBS district. "It's really about the rule of law and why it doesn't apply to all of us," he says, when asked about his motivation.

Yannone says he's also filling out a formal application to protest former code enforcement officer Bob Gilmore's Sept. 21 letter that states that both The River Bank and 9 River Avenue ARE in the CBS. That application will go the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will then have the power to interpret the Zoning Law, and declare Gilmore's interpretation to be correct or incorrect....unless Missere's attorney objects on the grounds that the appeal was not filed on time (within 60 days of filing of Gilmore letter)...in which case Yannone will say that the Sept. 21 Gilmore letter was not filed properly and did not appear until December, when Missere's attorney, Michael O'Connor, waved it in the air at a Planning Board meeting. Needless to say, this is not over yet!

Click HERE to see primary documents and photographs. And click here to see the Zoning map of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, as posted on the Orange County government web site. The CBS overlay district is shown in red (red lines). Use the plus sign to zoom in and find the River Avenue / Hudson Street corner.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Village budget on the web

The hearing on the village budget is on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, and the clerk has posted the budget on the village web site for the public's review. (Click on the link in green or go to: www.cornwall-on-hudson.org.)

The budget is divided into three funds: the General Fund, the Water Fund and the Sewer Fund, with revenues for each listed first, and then expenditures.

The village's current fiscal year ends on Feb. 29, and a new one begins on March 1. The proposed salaries for the mayor and trustees in the budget are as follows. They are unchanged from the current year:

Mayor Joe Gross  (also serves as budget officer, and chair of water commission):    $18,300

Trustees  (also serve as water commissioners): $7,100

Friday, January 18, 2008

The moffia wall, explored....

So what kind of a wall are we talking about here?   Mayor Joe Gross (left) met Ron Gainer, the village engineer, down at the riverfront this afternoon to talk about the proposed moffia wall, intended to prevent erosion at Donahue Memorial Park. Gainer brought along three other engineers from his company, Stantec, and the mayor brought water consultant Simon Gruber (in red), Dave Halvorsen, the village's acting DPW head (right, in blue jacket) and Warren Mumford (right, in cap), a member of the Riverfront Revitalization Committee. Also there -- but not shown -- were John Wenz, chair of the Riverfront Revitalization Committee and Colonel Russell Blair, the former Con Ed consultant who helped negotiate the deal to make this a "passive park" for all time. "To a man, without exception, nobody wants to change this park," Blair told the engineers, referring to the older people who spend their days down at the park in warmer months.

The moffia wall would start just about where the men above are standing, just across the small inlet from the Cornwall Yacht Club, and run north along the length of the park, in between the rip rap (rough-cut stone) and the embankment. The wall is to be buried six feet underground. Bob Gilmore, the former DPW head, told the Local last September that the wall would stick out of the ground one foot, but Halvorsen says he believes it would be buried, or flush with the ground.

Gilmore applied to FEMA for funding for the wall after the April nor'easter, but the mayor wasn't aware of the application. "Part of the problem is we have this project laid before us, the board has not passed a resolution on it, and we don't know what the costs are going to be," the mayor told the engineers today. The FEMA grant is for $226,000.

The meeting broke up this afternoon with Stantec agreeing to do a survey, and to take that into a meeting with the mayor and FEMA reps, to try to get a handle on the total cost and scope of the project. Gainer indicated that if they could get everything moving, the riverfront could be dug up and the wall put in before the St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital gala in July.

BREAKING -- Friday, January 18, 2008

Steve Brescia not challenging Calhoun for Assembly

Steve Brescia, the Republican mayor of the Village of Montgomery, said today that he's not going to challenge Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R-C) this year after all. Brescia had told Calhoun late last year that he was considering a run against her for the 96th Assembly seat... to which Calhoun had said to the press: "Albany doesn't like primaries." Brescia said today that he decided against running against Calhoun because ultimately he didn't want to run against a long-time friend. And he also said Calhoun told him that this would be the last time she would run. Calhoun was first elected in 1990. She is now running for a 10th two-year term.

BREAKING -- Friday, January 18, 2008

Prima Pizza vandal sentenced

Prima Pizza on the morning of July 31, 2007, with cardboard over the broken front window.

Ramzie Jawad, the 17-year-old from New Windsor who threw a rock into Prima Pizza's front window in July, was sentenced last night in the Town of Cornwall Justice Court. But that's about all we can tell you. Judge Joe Thomson gave the boy youthful offender (Y-O) status and, at the request of the Legal Aid attorney representing Jawad, they left the courtroom and did the sentencing in the judge's chambers.

Tony Scalise, the owner of Prima Pizza and the victim of the crime, was in the courtroom last night, but said this afternoon that he was also in the dark about what sentence was conferred. He said he was initially told that the boy's family would pay restitution, to reimburse him for the cost of replacing the window and the front door, which was also broken. But he never heard anything from the family, and had since also had to purchase a security system for the restaurant.

Sports -- Friday, January 18, 2008  11:05 p.m.

Boys defeat Sullivan West

Chicago import Alex Orchowski was the high scorer again tonight as the Dragons took on Sullivan West and defeated them 60-34. Sullivan West started fast, scoring two baskets to start the game on their home court. But Cornwall took it away from there, and finished 26 points up.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Larkin, Calhoun react to guv's "State of the State"

Governor Eliot Spitzer gave his second State of the State in Albany this afternoon.

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) said that he anticipates a fresh start to this new legislative session upon viewing the 2008 State of the State Message issued today by Governor Eliot Spitzer.
 
"This was a difficult year with a new governor who proposed increasing taxes, eliminating property tax rebates, opposed tax relief for seniors, pushed to close hospitals and nursing homes, fought to release more violent felons and wanted to give drivers licenses to illegal aliens," said Senator Larkin. "But, considering the Governor’s policies and political agenda this past year, I was pleased to hear him say he wanted to finally work together in a ‘spirit of cooperation.’ Last year, it seemed that, far too often, this administration put politics before progress. It was good to see the Governor acknowledge publicly that only by working together can we achieve success for the state. Now, he must put his personal political ambitions aside and do what’s right for all New Yorkers. There is simply no other way to govern.
 
"I was pleased that the Governor spoke about education, health care, and the state’s economy today. These issues are critical to improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. I would have hoped there would have been more in depth discussion of reducing homeowners’ property taxes. This is upstate’s number one priority and the number one priority of my Senate Majority colleagues and I. Providing homeowners with more relief from skyrocketing property taxes is the most important thing we can do."
 

Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R-C, Blooming Grove): In his second State of the State Address, Gov. Spitzer had a perfect opportunity to chart a safer, stronger, smarter course for New York state by calling for passage of a property tax cap but, instead, he  appointed another commission to further study the issue. Instead of a home run the governor bunted, and, in my view, missed a genuine opportunity to provide real leadership on school property tax reform.

There is no more urgent issue than enacting a property tax cap. It must be top priority for this session. Without question, New York's crushing burden of property taxes has reached a crisis level. Ask any homeowner, senior citizen, farmer or small business owner and they will tell you: property taxes are killing any chance of maintaining a high quality of life.

By calling for yet another commission for yet another study, it seems as if the governor has failed to recognize the severity of our crisis. If so, then he's out of touch with the vast majority of New Yorkers, certainly those in Orange and Rockland Counties. If we don’t make long-term property tax relief a reality, and stop the hemorrhaging of jobs and people out of this state, then this 2008 Legislative Session – and this governor – will be a failure.          

Tuesday, January 8, 2008  1:15 p.m.

Say hello to Cornwall Commons...

Joe Amato makes his presentation to the town's Planning Board on Jan. 7.

Joe Amato unveiled renderings of his giant Cornwall Commons "active-adult" development at last night's meeting of the Town of Cornwall Planning Board. Amato, who lives on Merrill Road in Cornwall, says he was "very involved" with the actual design of the buildings. The architect is Devereaux & Associates, a firm out of McLean, Virginia. The housing styles are traditional -- varying from Dutch Colonial to Arts and Crafts-movement inspired. Paned windows appear large and well-placed and double garage doors face the street.

The single family homes show Dutch colonial and gabled roofs, with double garage doors and many-paned windows. You won't be able to see these homes from Route 9W, as they'll be tucked away behind the restaurants, offices and hotel to go in on the front lots.

Amato and his attorney, Gerry Jacobowitz, had delivered a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the members of the Planning Board in December, and had given them an extra 30 days -- until Feb. 22 -- to judge whether or not it is complete. But last night, Jacobowitz presented the board with a six-month timeline, and said that ideally, they'd like the Planning Board to call the SEIS complete this month, so that they can move forward with the site plan on the first of the ten lots -- which is to include the 490 homes and the clubhouse.

Amato calls these "the Cottages." The one on the left has shuttered windows and dormer windows. All windows shown have either six-over-six window panes, or nine-over-nine.

Ultimately, the Planning Board decided to hold off, to get comments from engineer Mark Edsall, who was not present. Leslie Dotson, the board's planning consultant, pointed out a few things that had not been addressed in the SEIS, but told that board that they were not major issues. She said that one of the more significant areas of concern was ecology -- and mentioned in her written comments a need for clearer language on wetlands and the mole salamander that lives on the land to be developed (on Route 9W, across from the New York Military Academy).

The townhomes show pitched roofs and dormer windows.

Members of the Planning Board had some initial comments on the SEIS. "I'm certainly hopeful that this community that you're creating will not be in a bubble, but will be part of the greater Cornwall community," said Led Klosky. He also said that he wanted to see documentation from the developer that the four old oak trees that will be cut down are really, as the developer had said, "not viable." Wynn Gold said that he was concerned with some of Dotson's comments on ecology, but thanked the developer for paying attention to the concerns that members of the public expressed about the Moodna Creek (Amato was asked to do the SEIS after hearings in 2006 where representatives of environmental groups expressed concerned about the cumulative impact on the Moodna of Cornwall Commons and other planned developments.)

Once the Planning Board judges that the SEIS is "complete" -- that it addresses everything it is supposed to address -- it will be published and distributed and will be available for review in the Town Clerk's office and at the Cornwall Public Library. The 30-day public comment period will begin on publication of the SEIS, and written comments may be submitted to the Planning Board.

The Clubhouse -- the centerpiece of this "resort-style" seniors-only community -- will have a conference room, a media room, a library, a kitchen, fitness center, card room and a pub! Also in the plans are indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a putting green.

Sunday, January 6, 2008   7:20 p.m.

BREAKING -- Saturday, January 5, 2008  3:19 p.m.

Barbara Gosda running for village trustee

By Margaret Menge -- Barbara Gosda said today that she's picked up petitions to run for trustee in the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. Gosda is the chair of the Village Square Improvement Committee, formed this year, and a member of the village's Master Plan Committee. She was also the founder and organizer of the first ever village-wide yard sale held this fall, just before fall clean-up day.

"I really care about the community, and I really want to see the quality of life maintained here," she said this afternoon. Barbara Gosda moved here 35 years ago from Beacon, where she grew up. She is married to Bob Gosda, an active volunteer firefighter with Storm King Engine Co. #2. They have two sons, both grown.

Trustees Pete Miller and Rudy Hahn, the deputy mayor, are both up for re-election this year. Candidates need to turn in 75 valid signatures by February 12 to get their names on the ballot for the March 18 village election.

Sports -- Friday, January 4, 2008  10:10 p.m.

Cornwall defeats Monticello

The Dragons beat Monticello tonight 57-32. The scrappy visitors stayed close until the third quarter when Kyle Bradley and Mike O'Rourke combined for nine straight points. Alex Orchowski led the Dragons with 15.

Just before the game began, the Cornwall Dragons honored Monticello's retiring coach Dick O'Neill by presenting him with a plaque. O'Neill has coached at Monticello for 21 years. His daughter, Lori, is a gym teacher at Cornwall high school.

BREAKING -- Thursday, January 3, 2008

Calhoun to announce run for a 10th term

Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R-C, Blooming Grove) announced today that she'll formally announce her campaign for re-election this Sunday, Jan. 6 at Loughran's Restaurant on Route 94 in Salisbury Mills at 2:45 p.m.

Randazzo has said he'll run against Calhoun again this year -- for the fourth time. Larry Delarose, a Democrat and a former Blooming Grove Town Supervisor, also announced last month that he's running, setting up a Democratic primary fight. And Steve Brescia, mayor of the Village of Montgomery, has said he may challenge Calhoun for the Republican nomination.

BREAKING -- Wednesday, January 2, 2008

LDC Dissolved

The members of the board of the Cornwall-on-Hudson Local Development Corporation (LDC) met on Dec. 31 and voted to dissolve the corporation, attorney Howard Protter said today. The "Resolution of Dissolution" mentioned the state law that had imposed "burdensome managerial and financial obligations," that would "impose a substantial financial burden" on the LDC, and said that the "Village Board of Trustees has not identified any additional projects to be undertaken..." The resolution also cited the LDC for projects "pursued in the public interest" and the completion of one major project (presumably the DPW garage on Shore Road that was built by Burns & Whalen).

The LDC was formed in April of 1998 on approval of the Village Board. Deke Hazirjian was the LDC's president; Pete Buttiglieri was vice president. Other members were Doug Land, Eugene Randazzo, Ray Yannone and Gail Fedigan Clark (who has not been an active member for more than two years).

** New Year's Day **  -- Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Kevin Quigley sworn in as town supervisor

Town Clerk Elaine Tilford Schneer gave Kevin Quigley a hug after she administered the oath.

Margaret Menge -- Kevin Quigley was sworn in as the new supervisor of the Town of Cornwall today in the courtroom at Town Hall, along with town justices Joe Thomson and Frank Navarra; Councilman J. Kerry McGuiness (Randy Clark was absent); Town Clerk Elaine Tilford Schneer and Receiver of Taxes Betty Longinott, all of whom were re-elected in November. Quigley addressed the crowd of about 70, and recognized a number of people, starting with Lorraine Bennett, chair of the Cornwall Republican Committee, who'd recruited him to run last summer.

"You can do anything for two years -- hard time or otherwise," Quigley joked at the reception that followed in the lobby of the Police Department, which featured jumbo shrimp, wraps from the Sidewalk Cafe, pecan pie and pannetone (all paid for by Quigley himself). When asked when he'd be starting work, he said: "My first will probably be tomorrow morning. I'm going to go in there and see where the office is."

Putting the jokes aside, Quigley said he's planning to spend a lot of time at Town Hall for the next year, and will re-appoint Mary Beth Greene-Krafft as deputy supervisor at the Town Board's reorganization meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.