Around Village Hall
Grant money. During Monday night’s work session of the Cornwall-on-Hudson Board of Trustees, Mayor Brendan Coyne announced Storm King Engine Company had received two grants worth $190,000 in total. Senator Bill Larkin secured $125,000 while Assemblyman James Skoufis chipped in another $65,000 to the fire company. The money will be used to make repairs and updates to the building. Possibilities include a new exhaust ventilation system for the apparatus bay, as well as finding a way to stop the flooding in the basement.
Police Chief Steven Dixon reported receiving a $2,385 traffic grant, from the governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. He also applied for a grant for two patrol rifles from the National Rifle Association.
Resignation. Joseph Guarneiri, the full-time officer hired toward the end of last year, has submitted a letter of resignation. He will transfer to the Village of Chester Police Department at the end of this month. Dixon had interviewed about 20 candidates in making the first full-time hire in nine years. The board approved a resolution granting Dixon permission to advertise the open position.
Team-work. The Department of Public Works and Water Department employees worked together ensuring paving of roadways were done correctly the first time. The employees made sure catch basins and manhole covers were even with the pavement and not covered by macadam. The same with water main valves. Central Hudson assisted with the gas valves.
White Terrace, Pine Street, Center Street, Spruce Street, and the upper half of West Street were repaved this summer. DPW Superintendent David Halvorsen estimated 6,200 feet of roadway received a face-lift.
Water main breaks. Is there a correlation between road paving and water main breaks in Cornwall? It’s Water Superintendent Robert June’s opinion that, yes, vibrating rollers can cause damage to water lines. Last year the Town of Cornwall experienced a line rupture shortly after paving near Cornwall Hospital. The same happened this year after Tamara Lane received a fresh coat of pavement.
ADA ramp. It will cost the village an estimated $9,000 to construct new ADA accessible sidewalks in front of Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School and the firehouse. Currently there are no curb cuts on either side at the cross walk. A village resident reached out to the board a number of months ago requesting handicapped accessibility.
Speed limit reduction. A resident requested the speed on Mountain Road, in front of Storm King School be reduced from 30 miles per hour. Dixon had an officer conduct a speed check and reported no drivers exceeding the limit. An officer is also checking Avenue A, which has a 25 mile per hour posted limit. Coyne said sometimes people on the side of the road think cars are traveling faster than they really are.
Trees. Coyne was hoping to plant trees on the slope of Dock Hill Road as part of the Trees for Tribs program. Unfortunately, the money the Department of Environmental Conservation has set aside for the program only applies to areas that touch the Moodna tributary. The mayor is hoping to obtain trees for Pagenstecher Park.
A tree dedication will take place at Donahue Memorial Park on Sept. 23. A resident is donating trees to the village.
Important dates. The village-wide yard sale will take place on Oct. 15. Fall clean-up will follow. The Cornwall Walk/Run for Cancer will be held on Oct. 29. It was originally scheduled for Oct. 9.