From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — Controversy over plans to replace the Neversink Bridge preoccupied much of the Common Council meeting on Monday.
Kathi Hylas, whose two rental properties and part of her yard on East Main Street would be taken for the project as planned, read extensive comments composed by her attorney, Michael Burke, that cast doubt on evidence presented previously to support the plan.
She overran her five minutes allotted speaking time, and her neighbor Alyta Adams, also distressed by the bridge plans, completed the reading.
Joseph Seperac, whose property at 4 N. Maple Ave., with two commercial and five residential units, would be taken, also spoke about his concerns and doubts about the necessity of demolishing his property.
Hylas accused the engineers who designed the bridge replacement plan, Clough Harbour and Associates (CHA) in King of Prussia, Pa., of "questionable" answers to her. She said she found no basis for the assertion that FEMA had rejected the possibility of building the new bridge downstream from the current one. A downstream bridge would not require demolition of the buildings.
When she asked for documentation, she said after the meeting, she was referred to Port Jervis DPW Director Vincent Lopez, who said no FEMA rejection had occurred. The only documentation he had from FEMA was an old flood plain report.
Project engineer Ted Otteni was unavailable for comment, and his colleague Samantha Comerota, assistant project engineer, said, "I'm not sure if FEMA responses were documented with the city."
Mayor Russell Potter said later, "I just think the right questions were not asked at the meeting. Once questions are answered, moving ahead will be easier. Maybe not the plan as is, but close."
But Councilman Stan Siegel said, "The engineer said there was a FEMA report at the meeting, but evidently there is no report."
The difference in bridge placement, he noted, is only the width of the bridge.
As for the uncertainty about FEMA's position, he said, "I have no idea. That's why I asked for another meeting. The engineers are the only ones with answers."
Vince Lopez was not available for comment, and DPW Assistant Director Jack Farr said he was not allowed to comment. But he said, "There'll be another meeting. Let them have more meetings."
Watch the video here
Friday, August 26, 2011
PJHS principal aims to make school appealing
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — Port Jervis High School Principal Tom Bongiovi was himself a diligent student in high school, but he lacked a plan for his future.
In Seaford, Long Island, where he grew up, he ran track and was elected to the Student Council, but his future was unclear until his senior year, when he decided to take a contemporary literature class, which happened to be taught by his older brother, Stephen.
Making school interesting
Assignments such as having students put the characters from "Catcher in the Rye" in a yearbook jolted the younger Bongiovi into realizing school could be fun, and should be.
Stephen later won the New York state Teacher of the Year Award, and Thomas went on to LeMoyne College in Syracuse, where he studied history and education with the intent of enlivening learning.
To carry out his mission, he ended up back at Seaford in 1990, after shorter assignments elsewhere. His social studies students found themselves doing such homework projects as writing singles ads for the Founding Fathers or designing brochures about the Colonies.
But in 2000, Bongiovi got the "itch to move," he says. He envisioned himself teaching in the vacationland of his childhood — the Poconos.
However, to use his retirement credits, he would need to stay in New York, so he looked at Port Jervis.
He was interviewed by Tony DiMarco, the Port Jervis High School principal, and was offered a job the same day. He moved to Port Jervis with his wife and children.
As administrators moved up or out, he ascended to assistant principal in the high school and then principal at the middle school and then, in 2008, principal at the high school, still faced with the challenge of making school appealing.
Facing Port's problems
Bongiovi says Seaford is a "tight-knit" community like Port Jervis, but while Seaford is upper middle class, Port Jervis confronts economic difficulties that can affect student attendance and work habits.
While attendance has been improving, the Port Jervis freshmen of 2006 who graduated in 2010 had 29 percent "college readiness," according to the New York state Education Department, based on Regents scores.
Bongiovi and his colleagues have been focused on providing student supports.
"The biggest attendance issue is that students don't like school, or they're disillusioned with school," said Biongiovi. "Most kids don't like school because they don't have success with it, or they don't have parental support at home."
This year, collaborations of teachers and other staff in "professional learning communities," a districtwide initiative, have devised ways intended to provide enough support to enable success.
Study halls have been overhauled. Instead, students have "guided learning" with teachers until, after 10 weeks, if students are passing all their courses, they can have "open study hall."
'Raider Readiness'
Lunch has been extended to be longer than other periods, but students have only 25 minutes to eat. The rest of the period is devoted to the "Raider Readiness" program, which provides time for students to interact daily in small teacher-guided groups during the revised lunch periods to discuss topics ranging from time management and the college application process to bullying and school-related issues.
For seniors, that means, in group sessions, choosing and applying to colleges, pursuing scholarships, and writing application essays and resumes. Juniors and sophomores do similar work, along with SAT preparation.
Freshmen also receive guidance in college preparation, as well as making the transition to high school and involving themselves in that world, with extracurricular activities.
In a freshman advisory program begun last year, each student is assigned a faculty adviser, who addresses such issues as peer pressure and managing homework and punctuality.
"They're more positive, more conscious of doing well in classes with one adult taking a special interest in them," Bongiovi said. "And I got to know freshmen I wouldn't otherwise know."
Bongiovi concedes that drugs have been an issue at times, sold outside the high school building, if not inside. A police dog is brought through yearly, sniffing in and around the school, and last year found drugs in a car.
The Teen Assistance Program (TAP) is the new response to the problem. Periodically during the year, instead of having gym class, students go to classes where "good decisions, healthy lifestyle, and safe relationships" are discussed.
Ultimately, says Bongiovi, "If you make topics relevant to students' lives and enjoyable, they're more successful and like school better."
PORT JERVIS — Port Jervis High School Principal Tom Bongiovi was himself a diligent student in high school, but he lacked a plan for his future.
In Seaford, Long Island, where he grew up, he ran track and was elected to the Student Council, but his future was unclear until his senior year, when he decided to take a contemporary literature class, which happened to be taught by his older brother, Stephen.
Making school interesting
Assignments such as having students put the characters from "Catcher in the Rye" in a yearbook jolted the younger Bongiovi into realizing school could be fun, and should be.
Stephen later won the New York state Teacher of the Year Award, and Thomas went on to LeMoyne College in Syracuse, where he studied history and education with the intent of enlivening learning.
To carry out his mission, he ended up back at Seaford in 1990, after shorter assignments elsewhere. His social studies students found themselves doing such homework projects as writing singles ads for the Founding Fathers or designing brochures about the Colonies.
But in 2000, Bongiovi got the "itch to move," he says. He envisioned himself teaching in the vacationland of his childhood — the Poconos.
However, to use his retirement credits, he would need to stay in New York, so he looked at Port Jervis.
He was interviewed by Tony DiMarco, the Port Jervis High School principal, and was offered a job the same day. He moved to Port Jervis with his wife and children.
As administrators moved up or out, he ascended to assistant principal in the high school and then principal at the middle school and then, in 2008, principal at the high school, still faced with the challenge of making school appealing.
Facing Port's problems
Bongiovi says Seaford is a "tight-knit" community like Port Jervis, but while Seaford is upper middle class, Port Jervis confronts economic difficulties that can affect student attendance and work habits.
While attendance has been improving, the Port Jervis freshmen of 2006 who graduated in 2010 had 29 percent "college readiness," according to the New York state Education Department, based on Regents scores.
Bongiovi and his colleagues have been focused on providing student supports.
"The biggest attendance issue is that students don't like school, or they're disillusioned with school," said Biongiovi. "Most kids don't like school because they don't have success with it, or they don't have parental support at home."
This year, collaborations of teachers and other staff in "professional learning communities," a districtwide initiative, have devised ways intended to provide enough support to enable success.
Study halls have been overhauled. Instead, students have "guided learning" with teachers until, after 10 weeks, if students are passing all their courses, they can have "open study hall."
'Raider Readiness'
Lunch has been extended to be longer than other periods, but students have only 25 minutes to eat. The rest of the period is devoted to the "Raider Readiness" program, which provides time for students to interact daily in small teacher-guided groups during the revised lunch periods to discuss topics ranging from time management and the college application process to bullying and school-related issues.
For seniors, that means, in group sessions, choosing and applying to colleges, pursuing scholarships, and writing application essays and resumes. Juniors and sophomores do similar work, along with SAT preparation.
Freshmen also receive guidance in college preparation, as well as making the transition to high school and involving themselves in that world, with extracurricular activities.
In a freshman advisory program begun last year, each student is assigned a faculty adviser, who addresses such issues as peer pressure and managing homework and punctuality.
"They're more positive, more conscious of doing well in classes with one adult taking a special interest in them," Bongiovi said. "And I got to know freshmen I wouldn't otherwise know."
Bongiovi concedes that drugs have been an issue at times, sold outside the high school building, if not inside. A police dog is brought through yearly, sniffing in and around the school, and last year found drugs in a car.
The Teen Assistance Program (TAP) is the new response to the problem. Periodically during the year, instead of having gym class, students go to classes where "good decisions, healthy lifestyle, and safe relationships" are discussed.
Ultimately, says Bongiovi, "If you make topics relevant to students' lives and enjoyable, they're more successful and like school better."
School construction projects on schedule
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — Summer construction projects at Port Jervis schools are progressing on schedule.
As part of the district's efforts to enhance school safety, secure vestibule entrances are being added to the front of Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School and the two schools at the Route 209 complex.
Additionally, crews are finishing the window replacement project, replacing classroom heat and ventilation units districtwide to improve air quality and energy efficiency, renovating five science classrooms, and making other needed upgrades at Port Jervis High School.
The majority of the summer projects were part of the Capital Renovation and Safety Project approved by voters in February 2010.
In addition to the work at the schools, Student Registration and Pupil Personnel Services offices were relocated this summer to the new modular at the Route 209 complex. The move provides easier access to both offices and much-needed space at the Middle School, freeing two classrooms that can now be used for students.
To view a PowerPoint presentation about the summer construction projects, go to 011SummerRenovation.pdf.
PORT JERVIS — Summer construction projects at Port Jervis schools are progressing on schedule.
As part of the district's efforts to enhance school safety, secure vestibule entrances are being added to the front of Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School and the two schools at the Route 209 complex.
Additionally, crews are finishing the window replacement project, replacing classroom heat and ventilation units districtwide to improve air quality and energy efficiency, renovating five science classrooms, and making other needed upgrades at Port Jervis High School.
The majority of the summer projects were part of the Capital Renovation and Safety Project approved by voters in February 2010.
In addition to the work at the schools, Student Registration and Pupil Personnel Services offices were relocated this summer to the new modular at the Route 209 complex. The move provides easier access to both offices and much-needed space at the Middle School, freeing two classrooms that can now be used for students.
To view a PowerPoint presentation about the summer construction projects, go to 011SummerRenovation.pdf.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Earthquake!
Yikes. The shaker in Virginia made my house move here in Port Jervis. Creepy. You could see the bushes and telephone poles around our neighborhood moving.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Deerpark board opposes state's wetlands map
from the Times Herald-Record
HUGUENOT — On Monday night, the Deerpark Town Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed New York state Department of Environmental Conservation's wetlands map, which adds about 20,000 additional acres of wetlands in Orange County.
The DEC is proposing an expansion of wetlands from 28,815 to 44,815 acres.
"We all feel that this proposal will ultimately restrict landowners rights, diminish property value, and cause a further burden to the taxpayers in these hard economic times," said Supervisor Karl A. Brabenec.
The resolution cites many reasons for opposition to the proposal, such as the DEC not having practical means for affected property owners to appeal the DEC map amendments, a loss in property value, a shift of tax liability at a time when officials are trying to keep taxes stable and the fact that there already is a great amount of wetland acreage in the county.
Board members are hoping to generate support among other communities to fight the proposal and to have officials from the state DEC reconsider their position.
"This proposal is the equivalent to a government confiscation of private property without due compensation," said Councilman David M. Dean. "We hope that the DEC will not move forward with this proposal for the benefit of the taxpayers."
The Deerpark town clerk has been directed to send copies of the resolution to the New York State Association of Towns, Gov. Cuomo, DEC officials and all state and local leaders in the area. It is also available online at www.townofdeerpark.org or by clicking here.
HUGUENOT — On Monday night, the Deerpark Town Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed New York state Department of Environmental Conservation's wetlands map, which adds about 20,000 additional acres of wetlands in Orange County.
The DEC is proposing an expansion of wetlands from 28,815 to 44,815 acres.
"We all feel that this proposal will ultimately restrict landowners rights, diminish property value, and cause a further burden to the taxpayers in these hard economic times," said Supervisor Karl A. Brabenec.
The resolution cites many reasons for opposition to the proposal, such as the DEC not having practical means for affected property owners to appeal the DEC map amendments, a loss in property value, a shift of tax liability at a time when officials are trying to keep taxes stable and the fact that there already is a great amount of wetland acreage in the county.
Board members are hoping to generate support among other communities to fight the proposal and to have officials from the state DEC reconsider their position.
"This proposal is the equivalent to a government confiscation of private property without due compensation," said Councilman David M. Dean. "We hope that the DEC will not move forward with this proposal for the benefit of the taxpayers."
The Deerpark town clerk has been directed to send copies of the resolution to the New York State Association of Towns, Gov. Cuomo, DEC officials and all state and local leaders in the area. It is also available online at www.townofdeerpark.org or by clicking here.
Teens in transition are principal's mission
By Jessica Cohen, For the Gazette
PORT JERVIS — Emotional moments are rampant in middle school, Port Jervis Middle School principal Cindy Benedict can confirm. But she has met some of her students at an earlier emotional transition they have forgotten — birth.
Many parents may still have pictures of their babies with Benedict as maternity ward nurse, which was her first profession, beginning in 1975.
As a child, Benedict wanted to be a teacher, even before she was old enough to go to school. She recalls dressing up for "Romper Room," a television approximation of preschool.
But by the mid-1970s, when she was ready for a career, teaching jobs were scarce, so she became a nurse.
Her 20 years experience bringing humans into the world overlapped with 25 in education, as she continued to take evening, weekend, and summer shifts when she returned to school and then while she was teaching. She began teaching in 1986 and worked in Middletown at Horton Hospital, later renamed Orange Regional Medical Center, until 2004.
"The hospital community is a little world like a school," Benedict says. "But when your shift is over in a hospital, you leave and come back to a completely different situation. At school, you work with families all year."
Tough transitions for teens
Her mission now is to ease students' transition into adolescence and "independent learning." She wishes she could have students for three years rather than just two, seventh and eighth grades.
"Kids don't know who they are," says Benedict of the age group. "They're not confident about themselves. They're concerned with peers' opinions, and they act the way they think their peers want them to."
This, she says, troubles parents, because their values no longer seem to matter to their children, who sometimes fight and insult each other via phone, Facebook and texting.
"Things they say can be cruel. It takes up a lot of our days," Benedict says. "Some need a lot of support. But others go through middle school without a hiccough."
New strategies for teaching
An emergent concept in the Port Jervis School District, "professional learning community," promotes cooperative curriculum development among teachers.
One new strategy Port Jervis teachers formulated in faculty confabs is the "independent learning period."
One period each day is devoted to a particular subject, so students who are failing a subject attend on the day devoted to it. Those who are passing have recess.
Last year the regimen had its trial run, and fewer students failed a subject, Benedict says. Apparently they would rather have recess.
Another initiative is Connect for Success, begun two years ago by the guidance counselors. Thirty adults in the building, monitors to administrators, each meet individually with students daily to provide coaching as needed for such challenges as school work, attendance and relationships.
Benedict's student partner for two years was a boy who had trouble finishing his assignments, so during lunch he sat in her office and worked.
Benedict envisions getting snowshoes for the program, so participants can "walk and talk" in winter, and add fitness to the project's results — among several possible uses of a $15,000 grant from the Orange County Youth Bureau for the project.
New this year, says Benedict, will be a program based on "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens," by Sean Covey, part of a districtwide effort that seventh graders will encounter in a semesterlong class that revolves around projects, group work and role playing.
For instance, they will videotape one another being "proactive" and "reactive," with each creating his or her own mission statement.
"Kids are receptive at this age," says Benedict.
PORT JERVIS — Emotional moments are rampant in middle school, Port Jervis Middle School principal Cindy Benedict can confirm. But she has met some of her students at an earlier emotional transition they have forgotten — birth.
Many parents may still have pictures of their babies with Benedict as maternity ward nurse, which was her first profession, beginning in 1975.
As a child, Benedict wanted to be a teacher, even before she was old enough to go to school. She recalls dressing up for "Romper Room," a television approximation of preschool.
But by the mid-1970s, when she was ready for a career, teaching jobs were scarce, so she became a nurse.
Her 20 years experience bringing humans into the world overlapped with 25 in education, as she continued to take evening, weekend, and summer shifts when she returned to school and then while she was teaching. She began teaching in 1986 and worked in Middletown at Horton Hospital, later renamed Orange Regional Medical Center, until 2004.
"The hospital community is a little world like a school," Benedict says. "But when your shift is over in a hospital, you leave and come back to a completely different situation. At school, you work with families all year."
Tough transitions for teens
Her mission now is to ease students' transition into adolescence and "independent learning." She wishes she could have students for three years rather than just two, seventh and eighth grades.
"Kids don't know who they are," says Benedict of the age group. "They're not confident about themselves. They're concerned with peers' opinions, and they act the way they think their peers want them to."
This, she says, troubles parents, because their values no longer seem to matter to their children, who sometimes fight and insult each other via phone, Facebook and texting.
"Things they say can be cruel. It takes up a lot of our days," Benedict says. "Some need a lot of support. But others go through middle school without a hiccough."
New strategies for teaching
An emergent concept in the Port Jervis School District, "professional learning community," promotes cooperative curriculum development among teachers.
One new strategy Port Jervis teachers formulated in faculty confabs is the "independent learning period."
One period each day is devoted to a particular subject, so students who are failing a subject attend on the day devoted to it. Those who are passing have recess.
Last year the regimen had its trial run, and fewer students failed a subject, Benedict says. Apparently they would rather have recess.
Another initiative is Connect for Success, begun two years ago by the guidance counselors. Thirty adults in the building, monitors to administrators, each meet individually with students daily to provide coaching as needed for such challenges as school work, attendance and relationships.
Benedict's student partner for two years was a boy who had trouble finishing his assignments, so during lunch he sat in her office and worked.
Benedict envisions getting snowshoes for the program, so participants can "walk and talk" in winter, and add fitness to the project's results — among several possible uses of a $15,000 grant from the Orange County Youth Bureau for the project.
New this year, says Benedict, will be a program based on "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens," by Sean Covey, part of a districtwide effort that seventh graders will encounter in a semesterlong class that revolves around projects, group work and role playing.
For instance, they will videotape one another being "proactive" and "reactive," with each creating his or her own mission statement.
"Kids are receptive at this age," says Benedict.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Plaza foreclosure adds to Port's problems
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — At the Port Jervis Common Council meeting Monday, Mayor Russ Potter announced foreclosure of the uninhabitable Port Plaza at 100 Pike Street.
As a result, Potter said, "We no longer have the authority to help people at 100 Pike Street."
However, later both Potter and Councilman Stan Siegel said they were assisting tenants of the mall in finding new places to re-establish their businesses. And Rite Aid pharmacy, a key business at the plaza, has found a Front Street location.
In June, when water poured through the Dollar General ceiling, a call to the Fire Department resulted in closure of the entire mall after an inspection revealed further structural infirmities. Mall businesses had about 150 full- and part-time employees. The city is now involved in litigation with the mall owner, Donald Tanen of KT Associates.
More infrastructure issues
City infrastructure issues were also contentious topics for council members and residents who came to the Common Council meeting to complain.
After a large tree fell in a neighbor's yard, Tony Lipani took the podium to criticize the city for leaving bank reinforcements to disintegrate in a brook between the Neversink River and a reservoir that runs through his neighborhood's backyards, allowing erosion around the roots of trees on the bank.
He noted the vulnerability of neighborhood children who play around the trees, including his grandchildren.
With Lipani was Joe Rennish, who had appeared at the previous meeting and warned the council about falling trees. He said the city also neglected the grass and sidewalks near his house.
"You weed-whack on parade day. It would take 10 minutes to cut the grass near my house," said Rennish. "Then (DPW Director) Vince Lopez says if a tree falls on your property, it's your responsibility. We pay taxes. Something needs to be done."
Street and sidewalk safety
Councilwoman Judith Oppelt expressed concern with sidewalks after trying to push her grandchildren across them in strollers.
"I couldn't get the baby carriage over the sidewalk," said Oppelt. "Now I know why mothers walk in the street."
"They can at least move to the side of the road," said Councilman Stan Siegel, who has frequently complained about strollers and other foot traffic in the streets.
Councilman John Wortmann reminded the council that he had long been advocating for sidewalks. "It's reprehensible that wheelchairs have trouble on our streets," he said.
Earlier in the year, other council members challenged Wortmann's suggestion for sidewalk repairs, citing the project's cost and scope.
Charity bin controversy
Charity collection bins surrounded by garbage have also been a regular subject of concern at recent Common Council meetings, accompanied by suspicion about the purposes of people who set them up in public places.
So the council listened with interest as Tony Quirici stepped forward and introduced himself as a representative of Rock Solid Ministry, a nonprofit 501c organization, who had placed a dumpster at Port Jervis Diner and in locations in Milford and Westfall, Pa.
He had come to the meeting reading a news story about impending code enforcement that would restrict the use of large bins to collect clothes and other donations for charities.
Siegel has been monitoring such bins around Port Jervis, and says the bins often attract illegal trash dumping. He mentioned broken glass he ran over the night before at one site.
"If I say OK to you, I have to say OK to everyone," he told Quirici.
Siegel explained that the Code Committee recently decided to send letters to bin owners requiring them to go though the code process, which entailed having a "cleanup" plan.
Quirici said the clothes and shoes collected in his bins went to impoverished regions overseas, and earnings paid for children to attend Upton Lakes Christian School. He also said he had a maintenance agreement with the Port Jervis Diner proprietor.
Mayor Russ Potter told Quirici to send him a letter, and he would ease the process.
PORT JERVIS — At the Port Jervis Common Council meeting Monday, Mayor Russ Potter announced foreclosure of the uninhabitable Port Plaza at 100 Pike Street.
As a result, Potter said, "We no longer have the authority to help people at 100 Pike Street."
However, later both Potter and Councilman Stan Siegel said they were assisting tenants of the mall in finding new places to re-establish their businesses. And Rite Aid pharmacy, a key business at the plaza, has found a Front Street location.
In June, when water poured through the Dollar General ceiling, a call to the Fire Department resulted in closure of the entire mall after an inspection revealed further structural infirmities. Mall businesses had about 150 full- and part-time employees. The city is now involved in litigation with the mall owner, Donald Tanen of KT Associates.
More infrastructure issues
City infrastructure issues were also contentious topics for council members and residents who came to the Common Council meeting to complain.
After a large tree fell in a neighbor's yard, Tony Lipani took the podium to criticize the city for leaving bank reinforcements to disintegrate in a brook between the Neversink River and a reservoir that runs through his neighborhood's backyards, allowing erosion around the roots of trees on the bank.
He noted the vulnerability of neighborhood children who play around the trees, including his grandchildren.
With Lipani was Joe Rennish, who had appeared at the previous meeting and warned the council about falling trees. He said the city also neglected the grass and sidewalks near his house.
"You weed-whack on parade day. It would take 10 minutes to cut the grass near my house," said Rennish. "Then (DPW Director) Vince Lopez says if a tree falls on your property, it's your responsibility. We pay taxes. Something needs to be done."
Street and sidewalk safety
Councilwoman Judith Oppelt expressed concern with sidewalks after trying to push her grandchildren across them in strollers.
"I couldn't get the baby carriage over the sidewalk," said Oppelt. "Now I know why mothers walk in the street."
"They can at least move to the side of the road," said Councilman Stan Siegel, who has frequently complained about strollers and other foot traffic in the streets.
Councilman John Wortmann reminded the council that he had long been advocating for sidewalks. "It's reprehensible that wheelchairs have trouble on our streets," he said.
Earlier in the year, other council members challenged Wortmann's suggestion for sidewalk repairs, citing the project's cost and scope.
Charity bin controversy
Charity collection bins surrounded by garbage have also been a regular subject of concern at recent Common Council meetings, accompanied by suspicion about the purposes of people who set them up in public places.
So the council listened with interest as Tony Quirici stepped forward and introduced himself as a representative of Rock Solid Ministry, a nonprofit 501c organization, who had placed a dumpster at Port Jervis Diner and in locations in Milford and Westfall, Pa.
He had come to the meeting reading a news story about impending code enforcement that would restrict the use of large bins to collect clothes and other donations for charities.
Siegel has been monitoring such bins around Port Jervis, and says the bins often attract illegal trash dumping. He mentioned broken glass he ran over the night before at one site.
"If I say OK to you, I have to say OK to everyone," he told Quirici.
Siegel explained that the Code Committee recently decided to send letters to bin owners requiring them to go though the code process, which entailed having a "cleanup" plan.
Quirici said the clothes and shoes collected in his bins went to impoverished regions overseas, and earnings paid for children to attend Upton Lakes Christian School. He also said he had a maintenance agreement with the Port Jervis Diner proprietor.
Mayor Russ Potter told Quirici to send him a letter, and he would ease the process.
Businesses expect trouble from bridgework
Owners, engineers disagree over traffic plans
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — On a recent Friday night, when a thunderstorm "fried the wires" of the traffic light at Minisink Avenue and Main Street, traffic was "beautiful," says Scott Brenner, whose family has owned Easy Way Beverage Discount Center on East Main Street for 38 years.
Normally Friday night traffic backs up by his store, but not when the signal is disabled, he says.
So as the engineers for the Neversink Bridge replacement project prepare to include that light in their grand coordinated traffic light scheme, despite his opposition, he recalls a traffic study done several years ago on East Main.
"Three elderly gentlemen sat at different places along the road — by the bridge, by Maple Ave., and by the empty lot across the street — and watched traffic for a couple of hours," Brenner said. "What did they recommend? Eliminate the light at Minisink Avenue. Then you won't need to broaden the street."
The light, Brenner said, is a solution to a problem that disappeared with a swimsuit manufacturer up Minisink Avenue, whose employees had trouble turning onto Main. But since the company's swimsuit manufacturing unit was moved overseas, traffic at the intersection has diminished.
Fifteen years ago, Brenner asked the police to leave the light off, but was told the city could be held responsible for any accidents that occurred with it off.
He decided he "couldn't fight City Hall," but he predicts the plan for a two-way left-turn lane in the middle of Main Street will only benefit local car body shops.
He also opposes a plan to put an island in his parking lot to define the entrance and exit as a safety measure. As RVs partake of propane in his parking lot, cars will be waiting on Main Street to park, he says.
The engineers' view
However, Ted Otteni, an associate at CHA, the engineering firm planning the bridge replacement project, speaks confidently about his plan to coordinate Main Street traffic lights to keep traffic flowing.
"Now lights are firing in different patterns," he said. "They'll work together in synch to keep traffic flowing."
As for the left-turn lane, research has consistently shown the extra lane eases traffic flow, Otteni said.
And the island planned for Brenner's parking lot? Otteni said the solution would "consider the ease of patrons, but also improve safety along the corridor."
More issues down the road
Down Main Street at Phil's Ford, owner Howard Kuperman was skeptical about being adequately compensated for the space he would lose on his car lot in the realignment of North and South Maple Avenues. In that lot, he said, "Each foot taken removes profit generation for each car that could sit there that year and forever."
He pointed out openings to gas and sewer lines on Maple Avenue and asked if those lines will be moved with the road. And when Maple Avenue is wider, how will the plan enable crossing the part of it that runs between his main store and the car lot?
Otteni said these issues are common, and their right-of-way consultant, RK Hite, will review the value of the property and the loss of business.
Considering the challenges of moving the road, Otteni said, "We plan to move the public utilities with the road at this point. It's not certain, but it's our objective."
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — On a recent Friday night, when a thunderstorm "fried the wires" of the traffic light at Minisink Avenue and Main Street, traffic was "beautiful," says Scott Brenner, whose family has owned Easy Way Beverage Discount Center on East Main Street for 38 years.
Normally Friday night traffic backs up by his store, but not when the signal is disabled, he says.
So as the engineers for the Neversink Bridge replacement project prepare to include that light in their grand coordinated traffic light scheme, despite his opposition, he recalls a traffic study done several years ago on East Main.
"Three elderly gentlemen sat at different places along the road — by the bridge, by Maple Ave., and by the empty lot across the street — and watched traffic for a couple of hours," Brenner said. "What did they recommend? Eliminate the light at Minisink Avenue. Then you won't need to broaden the street."
The light, Brenner said, is a solution to a problem that disappeared with a swimsuit manufacturer up Minisink Avenue, whose employees had trouble turning onto Main. But since the company's swimsuit manufacturing unit was moved overseas, traffic at the intersection has diminished.
Fifteen years ago, Brenner asked the police to leave the light off, but was told the city could be held responsible for any accidents that occurred with it off.
He decided he "couldn't fight City Hall," but he predicts the plan for a two-way left-turn lane in the middle of Main Street will only benefit local car body shops.
He also opposes a plan to put an island in his parking lot to define the entrance and exit as a safety measure. As RVs partake of propane in his parking lot, cars will be waiting on Main Street to park, he says.
The engineers' view
However, Ted Otteni, an associate at CHA, the engineering firm planning the bridge replacement project, speaks confidently about his plan to coordinate Main Street traffic lights to keep traffic flowing.
"Now lights are firing in different patterns," he said. "They'll work together in synch to keep traffic flowing."
As for the left-turn lane, research has consistently shown the extra lane eases traffic flow, Otteni said.
And the island planned for Brenner's parking lot? Otteni said the solution would "consider the ease of patrons, but also improve safety along the corridor."
More issues down the road
Down Main Street at Phil's Ford, owner Howard Kuperman was skeptical about being adequately compensated for the space he would lose on his car lot in the realignment of North and South Maple Avenues. In that lot, he said, "Each foot taken removes profit generation for each car that could sit there that year and forever."
He pointed out openings to gas and sewer lines on Maple Avenue and asked if those lines will be moved with the road. And when Maple Avenue is wider, how will the plan enable crossing the part of it that runs between his main store and the car lot?
Otteni said these issues are common, and their right-of-way consultant, RK Hite, will review the value of the property and the loss of business.
Considering the challenges of moving the road, Otteni said, "We plan to move the public utilities with the road at this point. It's not certain, but it's our objective."
Dog groomers dismayed by impending dislocation
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — With so many cars passing by each day, Snips-N-Tails Dog Grooming has been a kind of animal junction, says Cheryl Salerno, co-owner with her sister Marsha Polan.
People discover the shop by passing by, and some find new four-legged family members when they stop in, as Salerno and Polan also beautify, and sometimes foster, residents of the Humane Society of Port Jervis/Deerpark.
Their assistant, Christie Krentz, who lives in the neighborhood, found the job while passing by. And Salerno and Polan themselves discovered the shop for rent by just passing by, as they searched for a place to put their business six years ago.
But their shop is perched on North Maple Avenue by Main Street, just before the deteriorating and now doomed Neversink Bridge, slated for replacement in two years.
That plan now includes demolition of the building that houses their shop, owned by Joseph Seperac and his brother. So Polan and Salerno are contemplating the consequences of having to move.
"This is a thriving business. Lots of people count on us," Salerno said.
Some of their customers, and also employees, including Krentz, walk to the shop.
And Polan says they put $40,000-$50,000 into preparing the space for their activities — putting in tubs with the necessary plumbing and electricity, knocking down walls for animals and cages.
Polan and Salerno first heard about the impending demolition from customers.
"We called Joe because we heard something. He had no idea," Salerno said.
"No one's come to talk to us," Polan said, but she says she heard they would be offered $10,000.
Polan and Salerno came from a family with dogs, cats, gerbils and a ferret. Polan, who lives in Montague, N.J., has been a dog groomer for 30 years. Salerno had been working in banking, and now takes care of the business of running the shop.
"We have two to three years now to figure out what to do," Polan said. "We don't know what will come our way."
"A grass-roots movement can stop things like this," says Salerno. "All they need to do is find endangered species or an Indian burial ground."
But Ted Otteni, associate of CHA, the engineering firm designing the bridge replacement plan, said, "The facts and logic stand." He does not anticipate any change in location plans for the bridge.
He says the right-of-way subconsultant, RK Hite, is still researching the situation in terms of compensation for affected businesses, and cost determinations have not been made.
PORT JERVIS — With so many cars passing by each day, Snips-N-Tails Dog Grooming has been a kind of animal junction, says Cheryl Salerno, co-owner with her sister Marsha Polan.
People discover the shop by passing by, and some find new four-legged family members when they stop in, as Salerno and Polan also beautify, and sometimes foster, residents of the Humane Society of Port Jervis/Deerpark.
Their assistant, Christie Krentz, who lives in the neighborhood, found the job while passing by. And Salerno and Polan themselves discovered the shop for rent by just passing by, as they searched for a place to put their business six years ago.
But their shop is perched on North Maple Avenue by Main Street, just before the deteriorating and now doomed Neversink Bridge, slated for replacement in two years.
That plan now includes demolition of the building that houses their shop, owned by Joseph Seperac and his brother. So Polan and Salerno are contemplating the consequences of having to move.
"This is a thriving business. Lots of people count on us," Salerno said.
Some of their customers, and also employees, including Krentz, walk to the shop.
And Polan says they put $40,000-$50,000 into preparing the space for their activities — putting in tubs with the necessary plumbing and electricity, knocking down walls for animals and cages.
Polan and Salerno first heard about the impending demolition from customers.
"We called Joe because we heard something. He had no idea," Salerno said.
"No one's come to talk to us," Polan said, but she says she heard they would be offered $10,000.
Polan and Salerno came from a family with dogs, cats, gerbils and a ferret. Polan, who lives in Montague, N.J., has been a dog groomer for 30 years. Salerno had been working in banking, and now takes care of the business of running the shop.
"We have two to three years now to figure out what to do," Polan said. "We don't know what will come our way."
"A grass-roots movement can stop things like this," says Salerno. "All they need to do is find endangered species or an Indian burial ground."
But Ted Otteni, associate of CHA, the engineering firm designing the bridge replacement plan, said, "The facts and logic stand." He does not anticipate any change in location plans for the bridge.
He says the right-of-way subconsultant, RK Hite, is still researching the situation in terms of compensation for affected businesses, and cost determinations have not been made.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
It's shit like this...
In the past year, I have had people blocking my driveway, breaking into my cars, parking in my driveway, and repeatedly trespassing onto my property.
Last night, one of our dogs died. Based on the symptoms, our vet says the animal was poisoned. She was a three-legged rescue dog and a beloved family pet.
The killing of this dog was devastating to my family.
If you are caught trespassing on our property, I cannot guarantee your safety and you will be prosecuted.
To those reading and thinking these are not the appropriate public comments of an elected official, walk a bit in my shoes and then we'll talk. That said, the actions of a radical and criminal few will not dampen my determination to serve our community to the best of my abilities; it merely hardens my heart to certain grim realities about life in Port Jervis. - Steve
Last night, one of our dogs died. Based on the symptoms, our vet says the animal was poisoned. She was a three-legged rescue dog and a beloved family pet.The killing of this dog was devastating to my family.
If you are caught trespassing on our property, I cannot guarantee your safety and you will be prosecuted.
To those reading and thinking these are not the appropriate public comments of an elected official, walk a bit in my shoes and then we'll talk. That said, the actions of a radical and criminal few will not dampen my determination to serve our community to the best of my abilities; it merely hardens my heart to certain grim realities about life in Port Jervis. - Steve
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
West Nile virus found in Port Jervis mosquitoes
From the Times Herald-Record:
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been discovered in Port Jervis, the Orange County Health Department said Tuesday.
“The discovery of West Nile in the mosquito population is a reminder that this virus is still present and a serious health risk,” said county Health Commissioner Jean M. Hudson.
The Health Department is warning residents to:
• Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• Wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors
for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are most active.
• Consider using mosquito repellent.
To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water lasting more than four days, residents are encouraged to:
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.
• Drill drain holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors.
• Make sure that roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
• Turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths twice a week.
• Remove all discarded tires from your property.
• Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are beautiful, but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
For more information call the county health department at 291-2332.
================================================
What Are the Symptoms of WNV?
Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.
No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
How Is WNV Infection Treated?
There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. In cases with milder symptoms, people experience symptoms such as fever and aches that pass on their own, although even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. In more severe cases, people usually need to go to the hospital where they can receive supportive treatment including intravenous fluids, help with breathing and nursing care.
What Should I Do if I Think I Have WNV?
Milder WNV illness improves on its own, and people do not necessarily need to seek medical attention for this infection though they may choose to do so. If you develop symptoms of severe WNV illness, such as unusually severe headaches or confusion, seek medical attention immediately. Severe WNV illness usually requires hospitalization. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to talk to their doctor if they develop symptoms that could be WNV.
What Is the Risk of Getting Sick from WNV?
People over 50 at higher risk to get severe illness. People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms of WNV if they do get sick and should take special care to avoid mosquito bites.
Being outside means you're at risk. The more time you're outdoors, the more time you could be bitten by an infected mosquito. Pay attention to avoiding mosquito bites if you spend a lot of time outside, either working or playing.
For more information, visit: West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been discovered in Port Jervis, the Orange County Health Department said Tuesday.
“The discovery of West Nile in the mosquito population is a reminder that this virus is still present and a serious health risk,” said county Health Commissioner Jean M. Hudson.
The Health Department is warning residents to:
• Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• Wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors
for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are most active.
• Consider using mosquito repellent.
To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water lasting more than four days, residents are encouraged to:
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.
• Drill drain holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors.
• Make sure that roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
• Turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths twice a week.
• Remove all discarded tires from your property.
• Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are beautiful, but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
For more information call the county health department at 291-2332.
================================================
What Are the Symptoms of WNV?
Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.
No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
How Is WNV Infection Treated?
There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. In cases with milder symptoms, people experience symptoms such as fever and aches that pass on their own, although even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. In more severe cases, people usually need to go to the hospital where they can receive supportive treatment including intravenous fluids, help with breathing and nursing care.
What Should I Do if I Think I Have WNV?
Milder WNV illness improves on its own, and people do not necessarily need to seek medical attention for this infection though they may choose to do so. If you develop symptoms of severe WNV illness, such as unusually severe headaches or confusion, seek medical attention immediately. Severe WNV illness usually requires hospitalization. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to talk to their doctor if they develop symptoms that could be WNV.
What Is the Risk of Getting Sick from WNV?
People over 50 at higher risk to get severe illness. People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms of WNV if they do get sick and should take special care to avoid mosquito bites.
Being outside means you're at risk. The more time you're outdoors, the more time you could be bitten by an infected mosquito. Pay attention to avoiding mosquito bites if you spend a lot of time outside, either working or playing.
For more information, visit: West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know
Monday, August 8, 2011
Orange-Ulster BOCES to pool some bus rides
From the Times Herald-Record
What do you get when you combine two buses driving one student each from Orange to Westchester County?
Cost savings, says Lorrie Case, business administrator for the Port Jervis School District.
The district will join with seven others this school year in an Orange-Ulster BOCES program to pool busing for special education students who attend classes out of the county.
More than 400 students in the BOCES district are bused out of the district, according to a brochure.
Quality Bus Service owner Mike Martucci first brought the money-saving idea to Case. Martucci noticed a Port Jervis bus following a Minisink bus to the New York School for the Deaf in Westchester.
In fact, many Orange County districts send just a few special education students at a time to schools in their own bus.
"We said to ourselves: How can we work collaboratively in this county to eliminate duplication?" Martucci said.
Martucci suggested a model that Dutchess County has used since the 1990s. BOCES creates a purchasing consortium and bids out a multiple-district bus run.
Case and Port Jervis Superintendent John Xanthis brought the idea to the county level at regional administrator meetings.
Where some saw roadblocks — raising questions about bus union contracts and state aid for transportation — Case pointed out the possibility.
"If I'm sharing a bus run, I have to be saving money, right?" Case said. "I don't want to pay twice as much as I need to spend."
School boards in Port Jervis, Middletown, Goshen, Pine Bush, Monroe-Woodbury, Washingtonville and Cornwall have all passed resolutions enabling participation in the program, said Terry Olivo, Orange-Ulster BOCES' chief operating officer. Greenwood Lake intends to pass one this month.
Martucci found out last week he will be awarded the BOCES contract.
Firm numbers on the savings aren't yet available. Case said the amounts might seem small compared to school budgets, but she's concerned about every penny in these times.
"If I can save $20,000 on a bus run, I'm a quarter of the way to hiring a teacher," Case said.
What do you get when you combine two buses driving one student each from Orange to Westchester County?
Cost savings, says Lorrie Case, business administrator for the Port Jervis School District.
The district will join with seven others this school year in an Orange-Ulster BOCES program to pool busing for special education students who attend classes out of the county.
More than 400 students in the BOCES district are bused out of the district, according to a brochure.
Quality Bus Service owner Mike Martucci first brought the money-saving idea to Case. Martucci noticed a Port Jervis bus following a Minisink bus to the New York School for the Deaf in Westchester.
In fact, many Orange County districts send just a few special education students at a time to schools in their own bus.
"We said to ourselves: How can we work collaboratively in this county to eliminate duplication?" Martucci said.
Martucci suggested a model that Dutchess County has used since the 1990s. BOCES creates a purchasing consortium and bids out a multiple-district bus run.
Case and Port Jervis Superintendent John Xanthis brought the idea to the county level at regional administrator meetings.
Where some saw roadblocks — raising questions about bus union contracts and state aid for transportation — Case pointed out the possibility.
"If I'm sharing a bus run, I have to be saving money, right?" Case said. "I don't want to pay twice as much as I need to spend."
School boards in Port Jervis, Middletown, Goshen, Pine Bush, Monroe-Woodbury, Washingtonville and Cornwall have all passed resolutions enabling participation in the program, said Terry Olivo, Orange-Ulster BOCES' chief operating officer. Greenwood Lake intends to pass one this month.
Martucci found out last week he will be awarded the BOCES contract.
Firm numbers on the savings aren't yet available. Case said the amounts might seem small compared to school budgets, but she's concerned about every penny in these times.
"If I can save $20,000 on a bus run, I'm a quarter of the way to hiring a teacher," Case said.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Neversink Bridge Plan Draws Opposition
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — At a public hearing last Wednesday for plans to replace Neversink Bridge, very little pleased the affected merchants and property owners who filled the Municipal Building meeting room.
[Watch the video here: VIDEO: Neversink Bridge Project Public Hearing]
The plan was presented by Ted Otteni, project engineer at CHA, an engineering firm in King of Prussia, Pa. He is responsible for the final design.
Along with replacing the Neversink Bridge, the plan would replace the bridge and culvert at Clove Brook and "rehabilitate" Main Street with left-turn lanes and traffic lights.
The most vociferous opposition came from Kathi Hylas. Some of it was articulated by her lawyer, Kelly Naughton, an associate with Burke, Miele, and Golden, LLP, in Goshen.
According to the plan, Hylas and her husband Michael would lose a section of their elaborately landscaped yard and driveway, plus two 150-year-old rental houses situated between their house and the bridge.
In opposing this plan, Naughton said she had found no documentation of Otteni's claim that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would prohibit an alternative plan of putting the new bridge on the other side of Main Street, near the cemetery, which would not require such extensive property loss.
Naughton also cited the historical significance of the two buildings built in the 1850s and initially occupied by John Bennet, a sculptor of granite and marble monuments. Bennet's sculpture of a soldier, commemorating the Civil War, stands in Orange Square.
The grave of an 8-year-old boy on the property further indicates the need for an archaeological study, she said, and demolition of the yard and houses would necessitate replacement of the buffer and compensation for the houses as income property relied on by the Hylases.
Also, she said, a bond would be needed for surrounding property. The Hylas property is situated on a ledge, making it vulnerable to blasting elsewhere on the ledge for bridge and road construction. The Hylases' next-door neighbor, Alyta Adams, whose house is on the ledge, too, joined them in concern about the blasting.
Concerns about traffic
Several people with homes and businesses along Main Street criticized plans for a two-way left-turn lane in a section of Main Street and new, coordinated traffic lights at North and South Maple avenues, Kingston and Fowler avenues, Pike and Orange streets, and Minisink Avenue and Barclay Street.
Although the plan is based on an engineering traffic study, Howard Kuperman asserted that it overlooks actual traffic patterns. "You see the snapshot. We see the movie," Kuperman told Otteni.
Kuperman, president of Phil's Ford at 257 W. Main St., complained about "being informed but not consulted." He cited past flawed attempts to improve traffic.
"The light at 84 was supposed to 'improve traffic.' It's improved up to High Point now," he said, referring to a light at Route 23 and the exit to Interstate 84, where traffic becomes congested.
Assessing property costs
The commercial building across the river from the Hylases would also be demolished, according to the plan.
Joe Seperac, co-owner of the property with his brother, was one of several who expressed concern about assessing the value of property at a time when real estate values have plummeted.
Hylas asked why the new bridge could not be built on the other side of the existing bridge, where her property would not be involved.
But Otteni said building on the other side of Main Street, near the cemetery, would necessitate compensation for flood plain disruptions; for instance, dredging the Neversink River, which would be costly and time-consuming. And other property might be affected, such as Phil's Ford on Main Street.
Engineers eye all angles
Hours before the public hearing, Otteni conducted a tour of the affected area.
He pointed out where the project would widen and straighten Main Street.
"The curve is bad here," said Otteni. "Sight conditions are difficult." He said the curve will become less severe after the reconstruction.
He pointed to a pedestrian pushing a shopping cart along the shoulder of Main Street, close to traffic. "There will be a sidewalk there," he said.
Ottini said engineers are "working against the clock" with the old Neversink Bridge as the concrete and steel deteriorate. Bridge repairs last spring cost the city $150,000. "We want to stave off more fixing," he said.
The project is the result of bridge inspections and a traffic study done in the 1990s, he said. The city presented the project to the Metropolitan Planning Organization, a group of municipal leaders who work with the State Department of Transportation to establish funding priorities.
"They concurred with warrants for the project and funded it," Otteni said.
PORT JERVIS — At a public hearing last Wednesday for plans to replace Neversink Bridge, very little pleased the affected merchants and property owners who filled the Municipal Building meeting room.
[Watch the video here: VIDEO: Neversink Bridge Project Public Hearing]
The plan was presented by Ted Otteni, project engineer at CHA, an engineering firm in King of Prussia, Pa. He is responsible for the final design.
Along with replacing the Neversink Bridge, the plan would replace the bridge and culvert at Clove Brook and "rehabilitate" Main Street with left-turn lanes and traffic lights.
The most vociferous opposition came from Kathi Hylas. Some of it was articulated by her lawyer, Kelly Naughton, an associate with Burke, Miele, and Golden, LLP, in Goshen.
According to the plan, Hylas and her husband Michael would lose a section of their elaborately landscaped yard and driveway, plus two 150-year-old rental houses situated between their house and the bridge.
In opposing this plan, Naughton said she had found no documentation of Otteni's claim that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would prohibit an alternative plan of putting the new bridge on the other side of Main Street, near the cemetery, which would not require such extensive property loss.
Naughton also cited the historical significance of the two buildings built in the 1850s and initially occupied by John Bennet, a sculptor of granite and marble monuments. Bennet's sculpture of a soldier, commemorating the Civil War, stands in Orange Square.
The grave of an 8-year-old boy on the property further indicates the need for an archaeological study, she said, and demolition of the yard and houses would necessitate replacement of the buffer and compensation for the houses as income property relied on by the Hylases.
Also, she said, a bond would be needed for surrounding property. The Hylas property is situated on a ledge, making it vulnerable to blasting elsewhere on the ledge for bridge and road construction. The Hylases' next-door neighbor, Alyta Adams, whose house is on the ledge, too, joined them in concern about the blasting.
Concerns about traffic
Several people with homes and businesses along Main Street criticized plans for a two-way left-turn lane in a section of Main Street and new, coordinated traffic lights at North and South Maple avenues, Kingston and Fowler avenues, Pike and Orange streets, and Minisink Avenue and Barclay Street.
Although the plan is based on an engineering traffic study, Howard Kuperman asserted that it overlooks actual traffic patterns. "You see the snapshot. We see the movie," Kuperman told Otteni.
Kuperman, president of Phil's Ford at 257 W. Main St., complained about "being informed but not consulted." He cited past flawed attempts to improve traffic.
"The light at 84 was supposed to 'improve traffic.' It's improved up to High Point now," he said, referring to a light at Route 23 and the exit to Interstate 84, where traffic becomes congested.
Assessing property costs
The commercial building across the river from the Hylases would also be demolished, according to the plan.
Joe Seperac, co-owner of the property with his brother, was one of several who expressed concern about assessing the value of property at a time when real estate values have plummeted.
Hylas asked why the new bridge could not be built on the other side of the existing bridge, where her property would not be involved.
But Otteni said building on the other side of Main Street, near the cemetery, would necessitate compensation for flood plain disruptions; for instance, dredging the Neversink River, which would be costly and time-consuming. And other property might be affected, such as Phil's Ford on Main Street.
Engineers eye all angles
Hours before the public hearing, Otteni conducted a tour of the affected area.
He pointed out where the project would widen and straighten Main Street.
"The curve is bad here," said Otteni. "Sight conditions are difficult." He said the curve will become less severe after the reconstruction.
He pointed to a pedestrian pushing a shopping cart along the shoulder of Main Street, close to traffic. "There will be a sidewalk there," he said.
Ottini said engineers are "working against the clock" with the old Neversink Bridge as the concrete and steel deteriorate. Bridge repairs last spring cost the city $150,000. "We want to stave off more fixing," he said.
The project is the result of bridge inspections and a traffic study done in the 1990s, he said. The city presented the project to the Metropolitan Planning Organization, a group of municipal leaders who work with the State Department of Transportation to establish funding priorities.
"They concurred with warrants for the project and funded it," Otteni said.
Meet the new principal of ASK Elementary
From the Times Herald-Record
PORT JERVIS — Having a plan is a habit for Katie O'Brien, who will be the new principal of Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School this fall.
At 11, she planned to be a teacher, so she looked for ways to practice. Already she baby-sat her four siblings and the children in her neighborhood near Huntington, Long Island, where she grew up.
She also found a place for herself as a teaching assistant working with the developmentally disabled.
"I learned how to teach children with various needs, and I learned I can learn from these students," O'Brien said. In particular, she said, she discovered how to center herself to respond to their needs.
O'Brien digressed briefly in high school when she had a fleeting interest in advertising, her father's profession. Curious about "the creative aspect and how advertising influences us," she says, she spent some time in her father's New York City office, but was not sold on the profession.
So, as a high school senior she arranged her schedule to have Fridays to work in a school. By the time she arrived at Mount Saint Mary College, she was committed to teaching and appreciated the education practicum the school provided her first year.
But plans are fragile. That year her father had a massive stroke that left him in a coma. O'Brien came home in April to care for him, and her mother told her she should again confine her classes to four days a week — this time to help put her siblings through school, the youngest being 5.
Troubled by the possibility that she and her mother could fail to support the family, she realized how suddenly a family's circumstances can change.
So when O'Brien later had a fellowship at the New York School Boards Association, she did her research on educating the homeless in urban, suburban and rural settings — every state is required to have a plan. Cooperation between schools and other agencies is essential to those strategies, she said.
"We go through struggles that show us what matters," O'Brien said.
When her position as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Onteora School District was cut, she said, "It helped me to ask, 'What do I want to do?' I wanted to be back in the schools."
She noted that she arrives as New York state adopts national Common Core standards. However, she said she arrives with no specific agenda, but rather intends to "embrace what's going on that's great, and with whatever else to move on."
She said she likes the emphasis John Bell, Port Jervis School District's assistant superintendent for instruction, has placed on cooperation between teachers and approaches based on the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," which is being introduced in faculty workshops as well as the elementary and middle school curricula this year.
"I'm excited about the 'Seven Habits.' It's unique. It's not in many districts," O'Brien said.
"I want to get to know people, where we are, what we're trying to accomplish," she said. "You have to know what people value and hold dear."
PORT JERVIS — Having a plan is a habit for Katie O'Brien, who will be the new principal of Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School this fall.
At 11, she planned to be a teacher, so she looked for ways to practice. Already she baby-sat her four siblings and the children in her neighborhood near Huntington, Long Island, where she grew up.
She also found a place for herself as a teaching assistant working with the developmentally disabled.
"I learned how to teach children with various needs, and I learned I can learn from these students," O'Brien said. In particular, she said, she discovered how to center herself to respond to their needs.
O'Brien digressed briefly in high school when she had a fleeting interest in advertising, her father's profession. Curious about "the creative aspect and how advertising influences us," she says, she spent some time in her father's New York City office, but was not sold on the profession.
So, as a high school senior she arranged her schedule to have Fridays to work in a school. By the time she arrived at Mount Saint Mary College, she was committed to teaching and appreciated the education practicum the school provided her first year.
But plans are fragile. That year her father had a massive stroke that left him in a coma. O'Brien came home in April to care for him, and her mother told her she should again confine her classes to four days a week — this time to help put her siblings through school, the youngest being 5.
Troubled by the possibility that she and her mother could fail to support the family, she realized how suddenly a family's circumstances can change.
So when O'Brien later had a fellowship at the New York School Boards Association, she did her research on educating the homeless in urban, suburban and rural settings — every state is required to have a plan. Cooperation between schools and other agencies is essential to those strategies, she said.
"We go through struggles that show us what matters," O'Brien said.
When her position as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Onteora School District was cut, she said, "It helped me to ask, 'What do I want to do?' I wanted to be back in the schools."
She noted that she arrives as New York state adopts national Common Core standards. However, she said she arrives with no specific agenda, but rather intends to "embrace what's going on that's great, and with whatever else to move on."
She said she likes the emphasis John Bell, Port Jervis School District's assistant superintendent for instruction, has placed on cooperation between teachers and approaches based on the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," which is being introduced in faculty workshops as well as the elementary and middle school curricula this year.
"I'm excited about the 'Seven Habits.' It's unique. It's not in many districts," O'Brien said.
"I want to get to know people, where we are, what we're trying to accomplish," she said. "You have to know what people value and hold dear."
