SPORTS NEWS -- May 31

Big lead for Cornwall baseball team

With two innings remaining in this morning's semifinal game against Goshen, the Dragons had a 24-1 lead. Dave Boisture pitched five innings and led the attack with a three-run homer that was still rising as it cleared the right centerfield fence.

The Dragons expect to play at 4 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday, June 3, against the winner of a Mid-Hudson League matchup between Saugerties and Rondout. The winner of that game will be the Section 9 champion.

COMMUNITY ALERT -- May 30

Indian Point sirens to be tested

A full volume test of the original Indian Point siren system will be conducted on Wednesday, June 4, at 2 p.m.

IN TODAY'S LOCAL -- May 30

Town opens Junior Police Academy

The police chief and town recreation director agree that the new specialty camp will be a win for both of them. Now the question is what activities will be included in Cornwall's first-ever Junior Police Academy.

It's a one-week program for boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15. The academy will meet at the middle school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 7-11. The fee for the week is $100. The Town Recreation Department started accepting registration for summer programs in the lobby outside of the Police Department on May 28. See today's Local for details.

Lots of locally products at food co-op

Shoppers will soon be able to buy locally produced products at a new store in Cornwall. A steering committee is forming a co-op that will offer fresh and local produce, meats, dairy products and bakery items at a nearby storefront.

The committee is going to have a table at RiverFest and is planning a community meeting for June. Residents can take the survey at www.cornwallfoodcoop.com.

See today's Local for details.

"Not One More" at the high school

Last summer Christine McDonald approached the high school principal with a suggestion for a driver safety forum -- a program called "Not One More."

"I brought it to Frank Sheboy's attention," she said, "and he and the superintendent were 100 percent behind it from the get-go." As a result, the program will be held in the high school auditorium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3.   See today's Local for details.

New ice cream store has no name

Derric Wetter, a 2002 graduate of Cornwall Central High School, opened an ice cream store at the Village Square on May 27. The store has 13 flavors of ice cream, five flavors of smoothies, and lots of options for hot and iced coffee. But the store has no name.

Derric is looking to reward the customer who comes up with the best name for his establishment. He will be serving customers from 2 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays. The grand opening is scheduled for June 3. See today's Local for details.

World War I monument re-dedicated

Before the re-dedication ceremony on Memorial Day, not many people knew that there was a World War I monument in front of Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School.

The monument was refurbished by the school district's Buildings and Grounds Department and was re-dedicated by American Legion Post 353 on May 26. See today's Local for details.

HOLIDAY UPDATE -- May 26

Large crowd gathers for ceremony

Organizers were pleased by the number of people who stayed for this morning's ceremonies at the triangle opposite Town Hall. Maybe it was the nice weather, one American Legion member speculated, or the high price of gasoline -- but the crowd was larger than on recent Memorial Days.

Dominick Forte was the master of ceremonies. Rev. Andre Staniler of the Jewish War Veterans offered the invocation and benediction. Supervisor Kevin Quigley spoke briefly and recalled that his father was proud to serve in World War II -- just a few years after he arrived in this country.

Mayor Joe Gross referred to the World War I monument that was re-dedicated at 10 a.m.in the village. "We often ignore monuments," the mayor said, "and forget those who laid their lives on the line."

The next speaker, County Legislator Alan Seidman began with a question. "Who has it better than us?" he asked. He then told the audience to think about the people who had made it all possible.

Former American Legion Commander Tom Quinlan thanked the volunteers who showed up on Saturday and helped decorate 600 local graves with flags.

After several organizations placed wreaths at the monument, a NYMA honor guard fired a 21-gun salute, and Abby Mayer played "Taps."

IN TODAY'S LOCAL -- May 23

Teacher found not guilty of harassment

Daniella Jones, the Cornwall teacher who was dismissed for slapping a student was found not guilty of harassment, second degree, in a May 20 trial in the Town of Cornwall Justice Court.

Judge Frank Navarra explained that Miss Jones was not guilty, because it was not her intention to harass, alarm or annoy the student -- 17-year-old Joe Strickland.

Six people testified and all told a similar story -- varying only in their account of how hard the slap was. In none of the accounts did a witness indicate that Joe Strickland had referred to the teacher's race in a derogatory way -- something that had been alleged at a Jan. 28 Board of Education hearing. See today's Local for details.

Budget passes in light turnout

For the first time in six years less than 2,000 voters showed up for a school budget election. The budget passed by a vote of 1,089-765 on May 20. (The following table does not appear in the paper.)

Year         Votes cast

2008         1,854

2007         2,022

2006         3,145

2005B       2,981

2005A       2,395

2004B       2,760

2004A       2,177

2003B       2,649

2003A       2,400

2002         1,443

2001         1,436

This is the third straight year that the school budget has passed. The anticipated tax rate increase is between 2 and 2.5 percent. Total spending (the bottom line) is $54,139,773.

Larry Berger was returned to the school board, where he is currently serving as vice president. Jim Congelli (a retired educator and school administrator) and Charlie Frankel (a local attorney) won first terms. Congelli and Frankel have both served for three years on the School Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC). See today's Local for details.

Police consolidation talk

Mayor Joe Gross will be calling the town supervisor to suggest that they look into the consolidation of the town and village police departments. It's an old topic, but it seemed a little more imminent after the May 19 Board of Trustees meeting.

Three of the four trustees indicated that they would like to explore the possibility of consolidation -- although Rick Gioia cautioned, "We need to understand what we're losing as well as what we're gaining. I don't want us to have to beg for services that we now take for granted."

Mark Edsall said he favors "leaving the police alone." He proposed having the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) review the situation and do a report as they did in 1984.

Mayor Gross ended the discussion with a comment addressed to Police Chief Charlie Williams. "My interest in looking at these issues," the mayor said, "is not an indictment of your department. I want your staff to know that." See today's Local for details.

Train leak strands river park-goers

People stopping at Donahue Memorial Park on Sunday, May 18, stayed longer than they expected after an unknown substance was discovered in the center of the railroad tracks.

Assistant Chief Kurt Hahn said that the Storm King Engine Company was contacted at 1:30 p.m. They discovered a six-inch wide slick going down the center of the track for about four miles. Hahn called the Orange County and West Point hazmat teams, and they were later joined by two private companies that specialize in environmental cleaning.

The mysterious liquid was eventually identified as a mixture of antifreeze and gear oil. Until it was identified, people were asked to remain in the park, so they would not drive over the tracks and spread the liquid to other parts of the community.

Surprise gift for NYMA

The New York Military Academy renamed a building on May 18 after receiving a large donation from William Smallwood, a 1935 graduate of the academy. Mr. Smallwood's donation is being used for scholarships for seventh and eighth-grade students.

Mr. Smallwood suggested that a building be named for George and Blanche Riley, the faculty members who treated him like a son when he arrived at the academy. At a brief ceremony on May 18, Mr. Smallwood's grandson helped unveil a plaque indicating that the name Dingley Hall has been changed to Riley Hall.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT -- May 23

Special Town Board meeting

The Town Board will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. in the courtroom at Town Hall on Wednesday, May 28, to discuss an Orange County Planning Grant that will be shared by the Town and Village.

BREAKING NEWS -- May 20  9:30 p.m.

School budget passes

In a light turnout. 59 percent of the voters said "yes" to the school district's budget proposal. The finall tally was 1,089-765.

Larry Berger (1,166 votes), Jim Congelli (1,156) and Charlie Frankel (1,140) won seats on the school board. Hannelore Conlee, the newcomer in the field, had a respectable showing with 777 people supporting her.

Fewer people than usual remained in the gym to hear the outcome of the election. Those who stayed said they expected the budget to pass. Brendan Coyne, the Board of Education president, announced the results.

BREAKING NEWS -- May 20  7:20 p.m.

Not guilty of harassment

Judge Frank Navarra ruled tonight that when Daniella Jones slapped a student in her class it was not done with the intention of "harassing, annoying or alarming him." Therefore, he found her not guilty of harassment in the second degree.

Assistant District Attorney Niles Gerry called four witnesses this evening and defense attorney Paul Trachte summoned two. A teaching assistant, Debbie Hannigan, testified that the slap was loud enough to be heard across the room. Other accounts varied from the contact being a "light tap" to a "hard slap."

The hearing in the Town Hall courtroom began at 4 p.m. and Judge Navarra rendered his decision at 6:25 p.m. Most of the audience was pleased with the verdict.

Pictures and a detailed account of the proceedings will appear in the May 23 Cornwall Local.

COMMUNITY ALERT -- May 16

Academy to celebrate with fireworks

NYMA will cap an Alumni Day celebration with a fireworks display at dusk on Saturday, May 17. The academy distributed fliers throughout the community to let people know what was happening.

SPORTS NEWS -- May 16

Baseball varsity clinches tie

The Dragon baseball team clinched at least a share of the Division 3 title yesterday with a 6-5 victory in Goshen. Cornwall has a perfect 6-0 record in league play and an 18-1 mark overall. Coach Tom Fanning's team needs to win one out of three games with Port Jervis to officially become the division champion.

IN TODAY'S LOCAL -- May 16

Budget vote on Tuesday, May 20

On May 20, registered voters in the school district get to say"yes" or "no" to a $54.1million budget. The polls are open at the middle school from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

While proposed spending is due to increase by 6.28 percent, the tax rate is expected to go up by a lesser amount -- 2 to 2.5 percent. See the May 16 Cornwall Local for details.

Art Walk

The first-ever Greater Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Art Walk begins on Saturday, May 17, with a kickoff event at the SandsRing Homestead from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will have a chance to meet the artists whose work will be displayed in local businesses for the next six weeks.

Cancer Treatment Center groundbreaking

The hospital will break ground for its new Cancer Treatment Center at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 30. The two-story structure will be connected to the front of the main building.

When the center is completed, it is expected to offer radiation oncology, infusion and chemotherapy, a conference suite that can be used for support groups and doctor presentations, and a retail store with wigs and prosthetics for oncology patients.

Illegal parkers ticketed at the river

Police wrote more than a dozen parking tickets at the riverfront over Mother's Day weekend. They hit every car that didn't have a 2008 sticker.

"There have been many complaints about enforcement at Donahue Park," Police Chief Charlie Williams said when he was asked for an explanation. "And the mayor and the police committee have made it a priority. See the May 16 Cornwall Local for details.

COMMUNITY PROJECT -- May 14  6:55 p.m.

Tree planting on Saturday

The Hudson River Estuary Program is planting trees along the Moodna Creek from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday to form a buffer that will protect the water quality and wildlife habitat. This is a great activity for families, students and everyone else. The holes will be dug ahead of time, so the planting won't be difficult. Come whenever you are available. Bring gloves and dress for the weather. The trees will be planted rain or shine.

Pizza and drinks will be provided at lunchtime. The group is meeting on Otterkill Road, about one-quarter mile east of the parking area for Schunnemunk Mountain State Park.

Respond to Simon Gruber (sgruber100@verizon.net or 534-5622).

SPORTS NEWS -- May 14  6:45 p.m.

Boisture blast highlights win over Goshen

Dave Boisture pitched a complete-game shutout this afternoon and launched a home run over the right centerfield fence as Cornwall raced past Goshen 13-0. Boisture's drive landed about 20 feet beyond the end of the playing area.

The Dragons improved their record to 17-1 and can clinch a tie for the division title if they beat Goshen on Friday. Brian Adams had four hits today; Greg Kumpel belted a triple and Craig Zuzek added a pinch hit double.

BREAKING NEWS -- May 12   9:15 p.m.

Helen Bunt joins Planning Board

The Town Board unanimously appointed Helen Bunt to the Planning Board tonight. Bunt, a former town councilwoman and supervisor, will fill the position that was formerly occupied by Deke Hazirjian.

IN TODAY'S LOCAL -- May 9

The leak is finally stopped

On May 1, workmen replaced a pressure reduction valve for the water system that had been leaking for several years. The replacement (from Ross Valves in Troy) arrived at Chadeayne Circle on a flatbed and was lowered into position by a giant crane.

Bob June, the water superintendent, had told the Cornwall-on-Hudson Board of Trustees that while his staff had repaired the old valve on several occasions, it was no longer safe for his men to enter the old valve vault. With the board's approval, a new vault --complete with piping and valves -- was obtained from Ross Valves for $50,000. See the May 9 Cornwall Local for details.

This week's feature story

Cornwall native Tania Dougherty (shown above) has started a new business known as "The Little Wine Bus." Meet Tania on page 1and learn about her new venture in a feature story by Kristen Casey.

Twice as many tickets in the village

Well, police wrote almost twice as many tickets in 2007 as they did in 2006. The number of traffic violations jumped from 254 to 491. As a result of stopping more cars, police made more arrests, as they discovered drivers with suspended licenses or registrations.

In a separate matter, Police Chief Charlie Williams indicated that there was a sharp decline in the number of cases of larceny and criminal mischief. See the May 9 Cornwall Local for details.

Two more sign on to Article 78

The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson and the Black Rock Fish and Game Club will be joining the Article 78 lawsuit against the Village of Woodbury over the proposed development of Legacy Ridge.

"We support the town and school district's effort to file the article," Mayor Joe Gross said on May 6, "and we'll be making a modest contribution to the costs."

The Fish and Game Club is concerned that Legacy Ridge will have an adverse effect on Woodbury Creek, which the membership stocks with trout and where trout are raised from eggs. See May 9 Cornwall Local for details.