Ozzy Albra Reports on Fishkill

Fishkill Village Sycamore tree update

2012-01-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Fishkill Village Mayor James Miccio made a statement at Van Wyck Hall, regarding the tree.

While the tree can be saved. There may be a liability issue. Thus,the village will consult with the insurance company to see if it is covered.

Ergo, the tree's fate lies with the insurance company.

Fishkill Sycamore tree get's a "stay."

2012-01-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518. For more local news. Subscribe to the Poughkeepsie Journal as I do.Or check out it's website.

FISHKILL — Beacon resident Andrew Bell drove to the Village of Fishkill on Tuesday morning when he heard a sycamore some believe could be about 200 years or more old was going to be cut down.

“I was hoping that with enough public outcry something could be done,” said the 50-year-old who works at IBM.

A gathering Tuesday followed a rally to save the tree that was held Monday morning and attended by about 30 people, according to local historian Mara Farrell, who supports saving the tree.

According to village Mayor James Miccio, who also represents Fishkill on the county Legislature, the tree has received a “stay,” and only dangerous branches were trimmed Tuesday.

Miccio said the decision not to take the tree down came after the village’s tree service noted that it could temporarily be made safe. Miccio had previously understood that the tree had to come down, and he asked the company to provide a health and safety assessment.

“It doesn’t hurt anybody to get it clarified,” he said, adding the work Tuesday was to make the tree as safe as possible. The village, he said, is responsible for the health and safety of its residents.

Miccio said he would read the assessment if it was ready and discuss the process the village took while determining whether the tree should come down at a meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. today at Van Wyck Hall.

Farrell said the tree “could well be well over” 200 years old, basing that estimation of age from the size of the tree and what she called a 7-foot diameter. Steve Lynch, president of the Fishkill Historical Society, estimated the tree’s diameter at 6 feet, and said he believed it has been standing for about 200 years. But he and Fishkill Town Historian Willa Skinner said they did not know of historical photographs or documents that could shed light on the giant’s age.

Miccio said dropping branches over the years have damaged a shed at the fire department and a generator and other objects.

The removal would cost roughly $3,500, he said, adding that costs were to have been shared with the neighboring Ketcham Motors Inc.

Donald Vanvoorhis, Ketcham Motors’ part owner, said he had revoked his permission to cut the tree Tuesday after he had heard it did not need to come down.

The company modified a wall about 25 or 30 years ago to accommodate the growing tree, he said.

Lee Kristoferson, of the village’s contractor Lee’s Tree Service, said Tuesday’s crown and branch trimming would only prolong the inevitable.

Both live and dead branches were trimmed Tuesday, according to Kristoferson’s son, Sean, who also works for the company.

Reorganization Meeting 1/4/2012 Town of Fishkill

2012-01-04T21:16:00.001-08:00

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2012%20Agendas/01-04-2012%20TB%20Reorganization%20Meeting.pdf

Meetings are now on cable and will be archived on the towns website.

Fishkill Developer owes 400K in property taxes

2012-01-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Developer Steve Aaron “owes more than $400,000 in property taxes on affordable-housing projects and has been accused by contractors of failing to pay his bills,” according to an investigation by the Times Herald-Record.

Kingston-based Birchez Associates and its president, Steven Aaron, owe taxes on three of four Ulster County senior and work force housing developments. Aaron is in court with three municipalities over unpaid taxes, and recently the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency voted to strip his tax break in four months unless he pays Kingston some $330,000.

Over the last five years, Aaron or his companies have been named in dozens of lawsuits, judgments or liens after contractors said they weren't paid, according to Ulster County court records. Yet last month, he won a state economic development grant for a new project in Fishkill.

“Aaron disputed claims against him point by point in an interview,” according to the report.

Aaron recently alleged racial bias and anti-Semitism was behind the demand of the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency that he pay $330,000 in taxes he owes to the city of Kingston or lose tax benefit he received for the Birchwood Village housing complex. He subsequently apologized for the allegation, saying he didn’t mean to be taken literally.

Aaron is working in Fishkill: The Birches at Fishkill, which was awarded a $1.8 million grant last month from the state Region Economic Development awards process.

For more details check out papers website.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120103/NEWS/201030327/-1/NEWSLETTER100

Fishkill supervisor calls on residents to take more active role in government

2012-01-02T08:08:00.001-08:00

For more local news, check out midhudsonnews.com

FISHKILL – The Town of Fishkill’s new supervisor challenged town residents to take a “more active role in the town’s planning and oversight.” In a swearing in ceremony on Sunday, Robert LaColla also said the new administration will take a regional view on the town’s future and collaborate with its neighbors.

He said he is already working with the new Beacon city administration on a parks and trails initiative and improved water service on the Route 9D corridor and he has begun talks with Fishkill Village Mayor James Miccio and East Fishkill Town Supervisor John Hickman on other initiatives. “There are opportunities in collaboration for growth in tourism, recreation, open space, business development and historic preservation,” he said. “And it is imperative that we take a collaborative approach to planning for transportation and traffic issues.”

LaColla said the town faces “tremendous challenges” as is goes forward. “Our finances are in disarray, our buildings need maintenance, our roads, sewers and water systems need repair. Our phone and computer systems need to be replaced,” he told those attending his swearing in. “we have already begun the work to address these issues.”

Pagones ends 25-year stint in Fishkill town government

2011-12-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/December/29/Pagones_farewell-29Dec11.html This website is a good source of local news, check them out.

Pagones ends 25-year stint in Fishkill town government

FISHKILL – Joan Pagones conducted her last Fishkill Town Board meeting as town supervisor Wednesday as her 20 year run in that post comes to an end. She was a town councilwoman for five years before that.

Pagones ran unopposed during a few past elections and rode high in popularity for years until the town faced a large deficit a couple of years ago. She credited the recession with negatively impacting Fishkill.

“Chalk that up to the housing market falling in, the businesses that failed, the foreclosures that happened with residents and all of a sudden we went from a thriving community of receiving $1.6 million in housing revenues down to about $500,000,” she said.

Pagones said the town’s five year plan of making up the deficit should be on target, if not paid off sooner and she said the town should end this year with a surplus.

Pagones will be replaced by town Councilman Robert LaColla, who won the top job in the November election.

As for Pagones’ future, she plans to continue her volunteer work with not-for-profit agencies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Even at the end, Pagones continues to not tell the truth.

Supervisor Pagones stated in September 2010 that she had put a plan in place to eliminate the deficit within five years. Pagones said she based the deficit-reduction plan on a worst-case scenario, which would pay down the deficit each year until the deficit was eliminated. She planned to make the first payment in 2011 for $594,000. In the public hearing for the 2012 budget, the town’s comptroller stated that that the town would not be able to make the payment. He cited a shortfall in the 2011 budget of approximately $320,000. Wheeling had previously stated that the deficit reduction plan does not address any increases to the deficit after the 2008 period of the State’s audit report.

http://ozzyalbra.blogspot.com/2011/12/pagones-releases-2010-deficit.html

12/28/2011 Town Board Meeting

2011-12-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

A group of residents showed up from the White Birch development, which is located on 9D in Dutchess Junction. There were complaints about road service.

http://www.whitebirchestate.com/

Man aquitted of Robbery & Burlgary charges in Fishkill

2011-12-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is unusual as there were multiple witness testimomy.

A Dutchess County jury has acquitted a LaGrange man accused of burglarizing a home in Fishkill, then ramming the homeowner's car when he arrived during the alleged crime.

For more check out the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111213013

$1.8 Million grant awarded to "The Birches" for senior housing

2011-12-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Written by Sarah Bradshaw Poughkeepsie Journal

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011312090026

For more, check out the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

Note: This is the vacant lot near Elant on 9D.

Dutchess County residents will have more affordable housing options in Fishkill, a new historic site to visit in Staatsburg and scenic enhancements at the Poughkeepsie waterfront to enjoy near the planned Walkway Over the Hudson State Park elevator.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday these are some of the local projects that will be funded by the state as part of a new economic development grant competition designed to attract and retain businesses and grow jobs.

The mid-Hudson Valley received the sixth largest award of the 10 councils, less than those councils with top strategic plans and the Finger Lakes region’s $68.8 million, but more than: New York City, $66.2 million; the Capital Region, $62.7 million; Mohawk Valley, $60.2 million; the Southern Tier, $49.4 million.

Among the local awards was $1.8 million to The Birches at Fishkill, for affordable senior housing; $1.67 million for the Mid-Hudson Excelsior Jobs Program of tax credits reserved for future projects; $400,000 to enhance the planned entrance of the elevator at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park and $320,000 to restore of the historic Hoyt House in Staatsburg.

In total, $785 million was awarded to 10 New York state regional economic councils, including the mid-Hudson region’s portion of $67 million.

Along with Leonard Schleifer, president and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Tarrytown, Westchester County, Marist College President Dennis Murray co-chaired the mid-Hudson council. He said, the council’s four-year strategic plan will grow new jobs and keep jobs here.

“The most important part is that we put a good plan together ... and the governor and elected officials stressed they’ll do further rounds of funding in the coming years for projects they liked but couldn’t fund this year,” Murray said.

In the mid-Hudson, 61 projects were selected for funding, with some of the biggest awards going to projects outside Dutchess and Ulster, including: $4 million to develop the New York Medical College’s Biotech Incubator Center for Advanced Research and $5 million to San-Mar Manufacturing, both of Westchester County. The council’s proposed cloud computing center at Marist College that leverages support from IBM and upgrading Stewart International Airport were left out of the grants.

The mid-Hudson region includes the counties of Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester.

Reach Sarah Bradshaw at sbradshaw@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4811.

Fishkill town deficit grows; incoming supervisor says it will take years to pay it off

2011-12-09T08:36:00.001-08:00

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/December/09/TFish_def-09Dec11.html

For more local news, check out the website.

FISHKILL – Supervisor-elect Robert LaColla says it will take several years to pay off an almost $5 million deficit the Town of Fishkill has accrued. The latest figures include a $1.4 million cash shortfall in 2010.

The figures came to light a week ago, one day after the town board approved a new PBA contract that LaColla thinks was excessive to some degree. He now says with a 2012 budget that is bare bones, it is going to be a challenge to run town government in the new year.

“The main thing is we’ve got to get in there in January and see where we really are. Hopefully there won’t be any other last minute disclosures, but we need to get a good sense of what assets we have available to us,” LaColla said. “The employees have been great; I think they are ready to roll up their sleeves and help us dig out of this problem. I’m optimistic that we will get this reversed.”

LaColla said he will have to be “creative” to find ways to run the town given the fiscal constraints facing Fishkill.

PAGONES RELEASES 2010 DEFICIT

2011-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Press release, prepared by Supervisor Elect Bob LaColla on December 4, 2011.

Sunday, December 04, 2011: Town of Fishkill Supervisor and Chief Budget Officer Joan Pagones has released the Annual Financial Report Update Document (AUD) for 2010 showing an increase in the town’s deficit by approximately $1.4 million. The AUD is a report required by New York State that gives an account of a municipality’s financial performance for a given year. Pagones delivered the report nearly seven months after the state deadline of May 1. The town board received the report Thursday evening; one day after Pagones ratified a four-year agreement with the town’s police PBA.

The PBA agreement will require a projected 11.9% increase in base salary in addition to an increase in number of holidays, increase in overtime rate and an increase in differential pay. The town had frozen or lowered compensation for all other employees through the past three budgets.

The New York State Comptroller’s Office delivered an audit report to the town in August 2010 identifying numerous deficiencies and reported a $4.9 million deficit. Pagones has verbally disputed the amount of the deficit.

Supervisor Pagones stated in September 2010 that she had put a plan in place to eliminate the deficit within five years. Pagones said she based the deficit-reduction plan on a worst-case scenario, which would pay down the deficit each year until the deficit was eliminated. She planned to make the first payment in 2011 for $594,000. In the public hearing for the 2012 budget, the town’s comptroller stated that that the town would not be able to make the payment. He cited a shortfall in the 2011 budget of approximately $320,000. Wheeling had previously stated that the deficit reduction plan does not address any increases to the deficit after the 2008 period of the State’s audit report.

Supervisor-elect Bob LaColla questioned the timing of the report’s release. He had demanded financial reports from the supervisor numerous times throughout the past year. LaColla had questioned the town’s ability to pay for any increase in pay while Pagones failed to finance many known maintenance problems in the 2012 budget. “Ms. Pagones withheld the results of 2010, failed to meet her promised response to the audit report, failed to regularly report the financial performance of the town in 2011 and obligated the incoming board with a windfall deal for the police that was negotiated out of view of the entire board. Her behavior defies logic.”

In Fishkill, views differ on approval of cop deal

2011-12-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Written by Susan Campriello | Poughkeepsie Journal For more, check out the paper's website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111205/NEWS01/312050017/In-Fishkill-views-differ-approval-cop-deal?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

FISHKILL — A new, four-year contract between the Town of Fishkill and the Fishkill Police Fraternity Inc. that grants pay raises and adds new holidays into the calendar has been met with mixed reviews.

The agreement, which runs retroactively from 2011-2014, could increase labor spending by close to 11 percent over the life of the contract based on step increases, schedules and a weighted average of current staff and associated levels, according to town and police officials. The contract was accepted in a 3-to-2 vote last week.

Budgeted labor spending will increase roughly from between $12,770 to $19,150 in 2012 and by $56,000 or $62,600 over the life of the contract, town Comptroller Robert Wheeling said.

A roughly $60,000 increase over several years was acceptable to Kurt Buck, a former detective elected to the Town Board in November.

The agreement adds three holidays, two in 2012 and one in 2014 at a pay rate of time-and-a-half, according to the contract. The pay rate for one additional holiday will increase from time-and-a-half to double pay in 2012, and two holidays will increase to double pay in 2013, according to the contract.

Resident Dennis Zack, also a former detective, called the new holidays and pay rates a secret cost. “It is irrational, irresponsible and a financial hardship to the taxpayers of Fishkill,” he said, saying he believed the additional pay would “kill” the budget.The 2012 town budget includes $739,000 for police labor, which represents an increase of $50,000 from the 2011 budget, a figure that exceeds the actual increase for 2012, Wheeling said.

Officers did not get everything they wanted in the agreement, which took roughly eight months to negotiate, according to Police Benevolent Association President Frank Vidal said.

The contract does not provide for higher pay for officers who work midnight shifts or a longevity pay increase. And, salary increases, which he said range from roughly $1 to $3 over the life of the contract for eligible officers, are not as high as officers had wanted, he said.

Still, officers are happy with the agreement, he said.

“No one is complaining,” he said, adding that the negotiations had moved forward as though there would be no administration change in the new year. “(Supervisor Joan Pagones) did it like she’ll be here.”

Pagones, who will leave office at the end of the year, said the town agreed to the raises because officers on the part-time force do not get benefits enjoyed by full-time town employees. Officers will by the end of the contract have 16 holidays, just like other town employees, she said.

Personnel who have not graduated from an academy would not get raises, according to the contract.

She and Wheeling said that the contract increase would have been roughly 10 percent higher if the agreement had included longevity pay increases, and Pagones called the exclusion of the increases “a major concession.” She was also pleased that pay raises would not be applied retroactively to 2011.

She said working with the PBA during the negotiations was a pleasure.

But Councilman and Supervisor-elect Bob LaColla said the agreement seemed rushed and granted officers raises when other employees had wage freezes or salary decreases. The labor attorney’s concerns played into his decision not to vote for the agreement.

Police Chief Don Williams said he is not concerned that the cost of pay increases will force officer layoffs.

“We’re down to a minimum,” he said, adding that cutbacks would compromise public safety and officer safety.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

At a glance

The Fishkill Police Department includes 42 part-time officers and administrators as well as four full-time and roughly 13 part-time dispatchers, police Chief Don Williams said.

The new contract covers 38 patrolmen and women, sergeants and detectives, but does not include the chief, lieutenants, captains and dispatchers, according to department officials.

In 2012, costs could increase by a range of $12,765 or 2.26 percent to roughly $19,154 or 3.42 percent; in 2013, costs could rise by $20,269 or 3.50 percent and, in 2014, costs could increase by $23,171 or 3.87 percent, according to town officials.

The contract mandates that, starting in 2012, the town budget for no less than 1,000 hours of community policing per year, no less than 5,200 coverage hours each year for the detective division and no less than 18,500 coverage hours a year for police officers and sergeants for patrol.

Fishkill supervisor-elect charges terms of PBA contract were presented at last moment

2011-12-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/December/01/TFish_PBA-01Dec11.html

For more local news, check out www.midhudsonnews.com

FISHKILL – The Fishkill Town Board voted 3-2 Wednesday to approve a new three-year contract with its 39 member PBA.

Supervisor-elect Robert LaColla, who is a current town board member who voted against the contract for the part-time police officers, was upset with the process by which the agreement was reached.

“The information itself, the proposed agreement, and limited financial analysis were just delivered to the board members, apparently, [Wednesday] night. I happened to get an early copy of the agreement [Tuesday], but had not seen the analysis until [Wednesday],” he said. “I believe this type of process is what got the town into the financial trouble that it is in.”

LaColla said the pact contains a 12 percent pay hike over the three year life, an increase in the number of holidays, and an increase in differential pay along with an increase in the number of holidays in which officers will receive double time instead of time and a half.

The contract was negotiated for the town by outgoing Supervisor Joan Pagones. The town’s labor attorneys wrote to Pagones in a letter dated November 29 advising the town not to approve certain aspects of the contract proposed by the union saying that in some instances “the union’s proposal will serve to erode the town’s current authority and opens the door for future union demands.”

Fishkill accepts police contract

2011-12-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal. For more check out the website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111130/NEWS/311300048/Fishkill-accepts-police-contract?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

FISHKILL — After nearly a year of negotiations, the Town of Fishkill and the Town of Fishkill Police Fraternity, Inc. have settled on a new contract.

The agreement, which runs retroactively from 2011 to the end of 2014, represents a 9.96 contract-to-contract labor spending increase over the life of the contract, according to town and police officials.

However, increase over the four years could be close to 11 percent when weighted and depending on officer schedules and existing longevity pay increases, according to town comptroller Robert Wheeling.

He said budgeted labor spending will increase by between roughly $12,770 and $19,150 in 2012 depending on those factors. The budget for labor in 2011 was $689,000, he said, adding that the increase was figured into the 2012 budget.

The officers did not receive everything they had wanted but they are happy, according to PBA President Detective Frank Vidal.

“No one is complaining,” he said.

The contract does not provide for higher pay for officers who work midnight shifts or a longevity pay increase as wished, he said. And, salary increases are not as high as officers had wanted, he said.

Salary increases will range from $.25 to $.50 in 2012 over current pay, he said.

The contract adds two holidays in 2012 and pay will increase for an additional holiday, according to the contract. Another holiday will be recognized in 2014.

Supervisor Joan Pagones said this will bring the number of recognized holidays to 16, which is equal to the number recognized by the town.

The contract was accepted in a 3-to-2 vote of the Town Board Wednesday evening.

Reach Susan Campriello at campriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

Fishkill PD investigate racial graffiti

2011-12-01T13:33:00.001-08:00

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/December/01/FishkillPD_graffiti-01Dec11.htm

For more local news, check out www.midhudsonnews.com

FISHKILL – Town of Fishkill Police are investigating an incident of a spray painted racial slur on Plymouth Street in the Dutchess Park area Saturday evening.

Police Chief Donald Williams said a variation of the “N” word was painted across the street, but he is not sure if it was targeted at anyone in particular. An investigator is actively working the case.

Williams said police suspect the graffiti was the work of kids and more sensitivity education is warranted.

“I think a lot of it has to come through the parents, parents have to be aware of what their kids are doing and where they are, and I think they have to discuss these situations with the children and make sure they understand this isn’t appropriate actions that their children may be involved in,” he said. “It needs everybody’s attention and we are not going to tolerate it.”

The chief also said vehicles were spray painted with graffiti on Halloween in two areas of the town, but he had not hear there were any anti-Semitic overtones. One town resident told MidHudsonNews.com there was Nazi propaganda graffiti sprayed in one case.

This activity comes on the heels of racial slurs posted at SUNY New Paltz, which the college is actively investigating.

Poughkeepsie Journal story on 2012 Fishkill budget

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111124/NEWS01/311240002/Fishkill-budget-slows-deficit-cutting-efforts

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal, for more. Go to the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

FISHKILL — Residents and officials in the town believe its $8.06 million 2012 budget will delay the town’s completion of its deficit-reduction schedule.

The spending plan, approved this month by the Town Board, represents a $150,000 decrease from the current budget, and includes a $6.58 million tax levy, or the amount to be raised by taxes, town Comptroller Robert Wheeling said.

The levy is an increase of 3.61 percent over 2010. Wheeling said it meets the state’s mandated 2-percent cap because it is only a 1.61 percent increase when adjusted for the town’s growth rate.

The tax rate for residents will rise by 13 cents, to $1.75 per $1,000 of assessed value, and the non-homestead rate will increase by 4 cents to $2.22 per $1,000 of assessed value, he said.

Owners of a home assessed at $500,000 will see a tax increase of $65, he said. The budget includes $738,000 for deficit reduction. The town’s five-year plan to reduce a $1.3 million deficit drafted last year called for the town to set aside $955,000, he said.

“The 2-percent cap screwed that up or else we would have budgeted to make that,” he said.

Wheeling said the plan could take six additional months or an additional year to complete. But, he noted that the schedule could change yearly.

Fishkill resident Thomas Knips, chairman of the town’s planning board, would have preferred that the town try to override the cap so more money could be set aside for deficit reduction.

“It is important to keep an emphasis on that plan,” he said.

Knips has enjoyed low tax rates for several years, he said, adding that perhaps now is the time for people to pay more so that in the future they will pay less. Supervisor Joan Pagones said she did not consider overriding the cap because she did not want to raise taxes on residents.

The town spent $594,000 this year to reduce the deficit, Wheeling said.

The budget reduces spending on salaries for the supervisor, new council members and some town employees, according to officials.

“Dollars & Sense” explores fiscal or financial issues that affect the public. Reach Susan Campriello ar scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

Property Taxes rise in Fishkill

2011-11-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

According to the November 16th, 2011 edition of the Southern Dutchess News.

The Property Tax Levy, the amount of money the town needs for the year, is up 6.45%.

The Tax Rate, the amount the individual property owner pays, went up 9.01%

Senate committee clears preservation of Fishkill Supply Depot

2011-11-11T09:37:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has given its nod to allow federal funding for the Fishkill Supply Depot property in the Town of Fishkill, a depot for the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

The American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011, which is supported by the National Park Service, must now go before the full Senate.

Senator Charles Schumer has been pushing for the federal designation to clear the way for funding. The current Battlefield Protection Program promotes preservation of Civil War battlefields.

In recent years, hundreds of graves dating back to the Revolutionary War have been found at the site.

Schumer said the bill would be a boost to the Hudson Valley’s “booming” tourism economy, while preserving the landmark for future generations.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/November/11/Fishkill_Depot-11Nov11.htm

Water & Sewer Consolidation in Fishkill?

2011-11-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Recently, Fishkill announced it recieved a grant to consolidate water districts in Fishkill. This is my letter to the editor regarding it.

Last week, Supervisor Pagones announced that Fishkill was the recipient. Of a grant to consider water and sewer consolidation. She mentioned that rent's in districts ranged from $7.70 to $50.40. Let me tell you how this happened. Under the regime of Pagones. She created water and sewer districts that allowed developers to put up more homes per acre. While passing the cost of water and sewer on the new homeowner. These districts include the Merritt Park districts which encompass the huge Toll Brothers development. This district has major water problems, as the NYS Health Department has called for remedial action on this well. One solution is to build a $22 million Reverse Osmosis plant. Bedford NY, a town of our size, is building one at that cost. Should the longtime taxpayer be responsible for Pagones's and the developers mistakes? The Rombout Sewer District that covers 9D. Has a $13 million debt load. Combining districts would mean that long time homeowner. That has paid off their infrastructure costs. Will now get the chance to pay for developers, that made big time cash. Let's take Pagones's numbers as a example. Let's add her numbers, that's $58 and now divide it, it's $29. So Pagones after she already tripled the water rates in Fishkill last year. Wants longtime Fishkill taxpayer. To pay much more, so developers can make make more cash. Think that's bad? What about the $10 million that she borrowed from water and sewer districts across town and transferred to the General Fund and spent? Great way to get rid of that debt on your back huh? The grant will also go to the same engineers and lawyers. That helped Pagones create this mess. No kidding, the people that caused this problem are now going to make even more cash. It pays to donate money to Pagones's political campaign. Fortunately, the citizens of Fishkill had enough of these shenanigans and voted her out and a new town board in.

GOP takes Council seats in close race

2011-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

FISHKILL — Republican candidates Kurt Buck and Tony Curry have won two seats on the Fishkill Town Council, according to unofficial results from the Dutchess County Board of Elections.

Councilman Bob LaColla, also a Republican, has won his uncontested race for supervisor, according to the county's unofficial results.

Buck leads the pack with 1,680 votes, and Curry has received 1,570 votes, according to the unofficial county results.

Mara Farrell received 1,476 votes and Timothy Tuttle received 1,294 votes, according to the unofficial results. Thirteen write-in votes have been cast in the race, according to the county.

Fishkill needs a few Democrats on board

2011-11-01T19:42:00.001-07:00

Fishkill residents will have a new Town Board for 2012. We have seen Republican Bob LaColla transcend politics by putting the town first. Bob has earned the honor to be supervisor.

However, there are two vacant board seats up for election. While both Republican candidates are good men, the brutal reality is Fishkill is now facing millions in deficits and major water/sewer problems due to 5-0 Republican control for the last 20 years.

I urge my Republican friends and fellow conservatives to consider the two Democrats for council.

Mara Farrell was instrumental in stopping a strip mall from being built on a Revolutionary War burial ground in Fishkill.

Tim Tuttle is a young attorney who can save us money. How? Fishkill budgeted $125,000 for lawyers, but spent $450,000 last year by outsourcing.

It's time for some "checks and balances" in Fishkill. For more, check them out at: www.farrelltuttle.com.

Ozzy Albra

Fishkill

Military Honors Funeral for Charlotte Felleman

2011-11-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

by Lindita Lika

OSSINING, N.Y. - Charlotte M. Felleman, a former Ossining resident, died Oct. 31 at Wingate at Dutchess nursing home in Fishkill, N.Y. She was 91.

A Private First Class in the US Women's Army Corp during World War II, she worked as a supervisor at Reader's Digest in Pleasantville for 12 years before retiring in 1975. She moved to Fishkill in 2000.

Mrs. Felleman was born in Staten Island, N.Y. on Feb. 6, 1920 to Frederick and Winifred Agnes Cecelia Kilgallon Bach. She married the late John Felleman on Apr. 13, 1947 in the Bronx.

She is survived by her daughters Jean M. Fiorito of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. and Diane M. Boroom of Cold Spring, N.Y., her sons John P. Felleman of Vero Beach, Fla. and Michael H. Felleman of Hopewell Junction, her sister Dorothy McLoughlin, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, Felleman was predeceased by her daughter Cathleen A. Cavalier, her son Paul S. Felleman, her brother Donald Bach and her sisters Winifred Conroy and Gloria Bachman.

Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at McHoul Funeral Home in Hopewell Junction. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at St. Mary's Church in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Interment will follow at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Putnam Valley with military honors.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

http://www.thedailyossining.com/neighbors/military-honors-funeral-charlotte-felleman

Town of Fishkill candidates

2011-10-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Office sought: Town supervisor.

Name: Bob LaColla.

Age: 52.

Occupation: Business owner.

Party: Republican.

Ballot lines: Republican, Independent, Conservative.

Experience: Owner/operator of a construction/management business, managed multimillion-dollar construction budgets; past president and/or board member of trade organizations, community and charitable organizations; two years on Fishkill's Comprehensive Plan Committee; five years on Fishkill's Planning Board; four years on Fishkill's Town Board; graduate of Pace Land Use Law Program; and 12-year volunteer with John Jay High School's Proscenium club.

Why do you want to serve? I am seeking the office of supervisor to change the way we do business in the Town of Fishkill. I want to bring a business-like approach to the town government in order to deliver quality service to our residents in a cost-effective manner. I will work to put the town government in a position to adapt quickly to the constantly changing conditions that affect the town. Currently, the town is saddled with a large deficit and has a very poor credit rating. A thorough and open analysis of what services the town delivers, how the services are delivered and how the revenue is generated to pay for the services is long overdue. If elected, I will work to correct the town's current financial problems, to make the government more accessible to the public and to develop a 10-year plan for the efficient delivery of services.

Note: Denis White will appear on the Democratic Party ballot line; however, he has withdrawn from the race for supervisor.

Office sought: Town Council .

Name: Kurt L. Buck.

Age: 47.

Occupation: Retired police detective.

Party: Republican.

Ballot lines: Republican, Conservative, Independence.

Education: Undergraduate.

Experience: If you are referring to political experience, I have been in the inner circle of the town's political process for the past 1 1/2 years. I have attended every town board and planning board meeting within that period and have been an appointed member of the town's Zoning Board of Appeals.

Why do you want to serve? I want to run for this very intriguing office because I want to bring back a sense of integrity, transparency, fiscal responsibility and prosperity to the Town of Fishkill. I have been a 30-year resident of this wonderful town. I would like to bring more businesses to the town, as well as more open space for parks and recreation. The Dutchess mall property needs resurrection for the betterment of the town.

Office sought: Town Council.

Name: Tony Curry.

Age: 34.

Occupation: Officer and corporate financial manager recruiter, Wells Fargo.

Party: Republican.

Ballot lines: Republican, Conservative.

Education: Associate degree, Sullivan County Community College/University of Bridgeport.

Experience: Former licensed financial specialist, Wachovia Bank/Wells Fargo, Financial Securities License Series 6 & 63. Promoted from a financial manager in 2011 to corporate recruiter specializing in recruitment of financial managers for Wells Fargo. Served on the Town of Fishkill Zoning Board of Appeals, 2010-11.

Why do you want to serve? I want to bring fiscal responsibility back to the Town of Fishkill. My professional experience and community recognition are major assets supporting my intention to become your candidate for the 2011 election. As your councilman, I will be vigilant in my efforts to be ethical, objective, sensitive, persistent and informed. I will make decisions in a positive and deliberate fashion, putting the town first. The hallmark of my service will be an approach that is open-minded, fair and civil. I believe my strong financial background and experience will provide an important skill set to the task of managing the town's fiscal affairs. I think the central task of any elected official is to make informed decisions, which benefit from public input. My entire professional career has been built on that premise. I would be honored to put that experience in the service of place, the people of Fishkill.

Office sought: Town Council.

Name: Tim Tuttle.

Age: 32.

Occupation: Attorney.

Party: Democratic.

Ballot lines: Democrat.

Education: Bachelor of Science in political science, S.C.S.U.; juris doctor, Hofstra School of Law.

Experience: Worked for Connecticut House of Representatives; three years in marketing; one year at State Farm's Claims Litigation office; currently a litigation attorney in a Hudson Valley law firm concentrating in defense of municipalities and school districts; YMCA Board of Directors and Fund Management Committee; Leadership Dutchess program.

Why do you want to serve? A lack of balance in the composition of the Fishkill Town Board has resulted in an increasing deficit, a harsh assessment from the state Comptroller's Office, a poor bond rating and a deteriorating infrastructure. I plan to work with Mr. LaColla to address the town's financial distress by calling for a forensic audit and engaging in a detailed analysis of the town's finances. I also hope to foster a new era of efficient and responsible government that protects the town's natural and historic resources, such as its water and Revolutionary War burial ground. The town was also approximately $300,000 over budget for legal fees, and as an attorney I can provide some of those services as a courtesy to the taxpayers. In addition to this unique skill and perspective, I'd also provide the informative and transparent approach to government that Fishkill's residents so desperately need and deserve.

Office sought: Town Council.

Name: Mara Farrell.

Age: 56.

Occupation: Owner of Mara Farrell Communications.

Party: Democratic.

Ballot lines: Democratic, Independence and Working Families.

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Sarah Lawrence College; Master of Arts, Columbia University.

Experience: Owner of Mara Farrell Communications (PR and marketing) and co-founder of the Fishkill Supply Depot historic land preservation group in Fishkill. 2011 recipient of the Martha Washington Woman of History Award. Testified before the United States Congress on behalf of proposed legislation to protect Fishkill's historic lands.

Why do you want to serve? As a small-business owner, active community member and co-founder of a historic land preservation group, I am dedicated to bringing a brighter future to the Town of Fishkill. With insight and respect for the job at hand, I pledge to better the lives of all Fishkill residents. It starts with municipal transparency, sound economic planning, improving our infrastructure and safeguarding our water. We have one of the greatest cultural heritage sites in the country, right here in Fishkill, that has been poorly understood and left unprotected by prior administrations. We have great opportunity to revitalize our local economy through heritage tourism. After decades of one-party rule, it is time to bring new voices to town hall. I will stand up for all Fishkill residents and help establish a much needed open environment.

Office sought: Highway superintendent.

Name: Glenn Scofield.

• Did not respond to questionnaire.

Office sought: Town Justice.

Name: Robert J. Rahemba.

Age: 64.

Occupation: Attorney.

Party: Republican.

Ballot lines: Republican, Conservative, Independence.

Education: University of Toledo Law School, Niagara University, Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

Experience: Current Town of Fishkill justice, since Feb. 5, 2011; former Town of Fishkill Planning Board member, served for eight years, current practicing attorney for 38 years.

Why do you want to serve? It is a great honor to serve the residents of the Town of Fishkill as their town justice, and it is something that I always wanted to do as part of my legal career.

Office sought: Town Justice.

Name: Harold D. Epstein.

Age: No answer.

Occupation: Attorney.

Party: Republican.

Ballot lines: Republican, Conservative and Independence.

Education: Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School; Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rhode Island.

Experience: Fishkill Town justice since 2003; former Poughkeepsie town justice; deputy public defender; practicing attorney locally since 1973.

Why do you want to serve? It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as Fishkill town justice for the past eight years. I hope to be able to continue to serve the residents.

Office sought: Town Justice.

Name: Gerald Vergilis.

• Did not submit questionnaire.

For more, check out the Poughkeepsie Journal website or subscribe to it as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111028/NEWS/110280331/Town-Fishkill-candidates?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|p

10/19/2011 Fishkill Town Board Meeting

2011-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/10-19-2011%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

Charge backs for over assessed properties was $169,000 and will be bonded out. Councilman LaColla asked if another $16M was outstanding. Supervisor Pagones said it would have to dealt with next year. Looks like another $200,000 bond for next year.

Supervisor Pagones announced a deal with the PBA. I wonder if it's in the budget, tbd.

Public Hearing set for November 9th for the budget.

10/12/2011 Fishkill Budget Workshop

2011-10-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

The $3.2 M bond that expires in December has not been paid back and will be a issue for 2012.

$200,000 is owed to the county for lower assessments, Pagones indicated that this money will need to be bonded out next year.

Fishkill owes Beacon up to $200,000 for water and sewer, inside sourced indicate that the amount is over $1 million.

The $750,000 that was donated by a developer for Siscar Sewer was placed in the Dutchess Park Sewer District and spent.

Huge rate increases are in store for the Rombout/Merritt water and sewer districts.

Energy costs were left out of the budget.

Councilman Ferguson will be retiring on December 31. That means a open seat for next Novembers election.

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/10-05-2011%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

Tentative Fishkill budget cuts pay for top officials

2011-10-02T08:46:00.001-07:00

FISHKILL – The Town of Fishkill’s tentative 2012 budget of just over $8 million stays within the new state two percent tax cap and reduces salaries for a number of positions, including town supervisor. The tax levy increases by over $229,000, but the 3.6 percent increase is due to a 1.6 percent increase in assessed valuations, town officials said. The proposed tax rates are not yet known, they said.

This is the last spending plan developed by 20 year Town Supervisor Joan Pagones, who will end leave the post at the end of the year. As part of her budget, which must be approved by the town board, incoming supervisor Robert LaColla’s salary will be $58,000, down from the current $66,000.

The town clerk’s pay would drop from $59,000 to $45,000. The receiver of taxes job will be cut from full-time to part-time.

Employee pay in some positions would be reduced to starting salary levels. Those would include the town comptroller, secretary to the supervisor and receptionist.

Among other belt tightening measures would be the elimination of health insurance buyouts for elected officials.

The tentative budget includes just under $860,000 toward the town’s recovery plan to reduce a $1.3 million deficit, the second payment in a five year recovery plan.

The budget now goes to the town board’s finance committee and will be presented to the town board at a special October 5 meeting. A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. with adoption of a final spending plan by November 20.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/October/02/Fishkill_TownBudget-02Oct11.htm

Midhudsonnews.com is a great source for local news, check them out.

Pagones must rise above the fray

2011-10-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

A Poughkeepsie Journal editorial. Go to it's website or subscribe as I do for more.

If anyone is wondering why so many people detest the worst of politics and long for true leadership these days, take a look at what's happening in Fishkill.

Longtime Supervisor Joan Pagones, who could not secure either the Republican or Conversative nomination this year, says there "will be no smooth transition" as the next supervisor takes over.

This pronouncement is a complete outrage and an absolute affront to the hard-working taxpayers that Pagones still represents.

Yes, Pagones has had her run-ins with the presumptive next supervisor, Bob LaColla, who now serves as a councilman. LaColla defeated Pagones in both Republican and Conservative primaries, so the voters have spoken.

And, yes, some of the campaigning against Pagones has been despicable, devised by a select group of small-minded people who clearly have no interest in raising the quality of political debate in the area.

Pagones says LaColla was behind the "smear campaign" that included allegations she stole money and personal attacks against her family. LaColla denies he was involved in these allegations.

Regardless, Pagones must find a way to rise above the contentious campaign and political defeats and do what's best for the town, on behalf of the overwhelming majority of residents who had nothing to do with the low-level attacks against her.

Pagones has served as supervisor since 1992 and had been successfully re-elected since then. She can point to accomplishments. They range from sharing some services with neighboring towns and insisting that affordable homes be part of Fishkill's planning equation, to stressing a balance between development and environmental protection as the town has grown over the decades.

But, over the past few years during the recession, the town has gotten itself into a considerable financial hole. Under Pagones, the town made decisions that the state comptroller's office said went against General Municipal Law practices.

A state audit said Fishkill suffered "chronic fund deficits caused by poor budgeting practices." For instance, the town raided funds that were supposed to be dedicated for specific purposes — such as for water and sewer — to cover other revenue shortfalls, and Fishkill didn't pay back those accounts in a timely fashion.

While Pagones has continually touted her record of keeping property taxes low, budgets are bound to fall out of kilter if other sources of money, such as mortgage and sales revenues, drop off without corresponding cuts to keep the books continually balanced.

But let's also be clear: A spokeswoman for the state's comptroller told the Poughkeepsie Journal the audit's findings were not referred to any criminal prosecutor because that occurs "only when we have clear evidence that a fraud was committed."

Those spreading rumors to the contrary have been engaging in the worst of gutter politics.

Yet, even under these circumstances, Pagones owes it to all Fishkill residents to provide as smooth of a transition as possible — to put public service above politics. She must communicate to the incoming town board any pertinent information and not merely leave piles of paper for that board to decipher. Anything less would be disgraceful and not befitting someone who has served in office for a day, much less for more than 20 years as Pagones has.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111002/OPINION01/110020344/Editorials-Pagones-must-rise-above-fray

Pagones says ‘unrelenting fear and smear campaign’ cost her reelection

2011-09-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

FISHKILL – Outgoing Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones says she wouldn’t mind if she lost the election fair and square, but the 20-year town supervisor, who lost a primary election, said she won’t be on the ballot because of what she says was an “unrelenting fear and smear campaign” by Councilman Robert LaColla.

He defeated her in the Republican primary, paving the way for smooth sailing into the supervisor’s office in November.

LaColla has asked Pagones to meet with him for a smooth transition of power. She lambasted him for his “shocking” campaign, saying “there will be no transition.”

LaColla, meanwhile, said he did not authorize much literature that was distributed during the primary, and now, he just wants to look forward.

“My campaign was based from the outset bringing fiscal responsibility and transparency to the town government,” LaColla said. “I was looking forward to a smooth transition from our current supervisor Joan Pagones. Ultimately it’s her decision how helpful she wants to be, but I am ready to lead and deliver on our promise of responsibility and a more open government.”

Among the literature sent out during the primary campaign was a picture of a milk carton with a picture of Pagones and: “Missing. Have you seen the $8 million spent by liberal Joan Pagones?”

Another flyer read: “Pagones may as well be burning taxpayers’ money. She hid budget deficits…”

Pagones said she will finish out her term at the end of the year, which will include preparation of a 2012 town budget “in the face of the daunting two percent tax cap.”

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/September/30/Pagones_vs_LaColla-30Sep11.html

For more local news check out this website.

Fishkill supervisor Pagones: 'No smooth transition'

2011-09-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

FISHKILL — The town may not see a smooth transition from one administration to the next.

That's according to Supervisor Joan Pagones, who said during a Wednesday morning board meeting that based on the nature of the recent primary election campaigns and cards, she will not work with the presumptive next supervisor and current Councilman Bob LaColla.

"There will be no smooth transition," she said.

Pagones reminded LaColla he has not yet been elected town supervisor. Town elections are held in November.

LaColla defeated Pagones in Republican and Conservative primaries, according to unofficial results.

Pagones is set to issue a statement today, according to town officials.

LaColla had thanked Pagones before she spoke for her service to the town and closed by saying he looked forward to making a smooth transition. Pagones thanked him for acknowledging her service.

LaColla said after the meeting that a smooth hand-off when new terms of office begin Jan. 1 would benefit residents.

"I imagine there will be a steeper learning curve (without one)," he said.

Pagones also said Wednesday a tentative budget for 2012 will be delivered to the town clerk by its due date Friday, and it will be presented to the board during a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Following that, the package will be turned over to the town's finance committee, she said.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110929/NEWS01/109290327/Fishkill-supervisor-Pagones-No-smooth-transition-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|p

For more, check out the papers website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

Poor and Unwanted in Fishkill: The Snow Valley Tragedy

2011-09-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

posted by judgeboyajian
Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:50am

Visiting Snow Valley in Fishkill it is hard to believe that you are in affluent New York State. The poverty here goes beyond Appalachia rivaling the ghettos of Brazil or parts of Africa. You feel that you are no longer in America.

There are Native Americans here from a tribe out of North Dakota that settlers wiped out by killing off their Buffalo food supply and giving them blankets infected with small pox. Now we are unceremoniously throwing them out of their homes with no place else to go.

The sewage system here consists of an open pit that residents pour their refuge into. This pit may seep into the water supply and a nearby stream that runs through the collection of shanty trailer homes.

The owner is a mining company called Montfort and they have issued a 30 day eviction notice to the residents here on the eve of winter. One wonders how they can expect these residents to pack up and move from their long term homes in just 30 days as the snow begins to fall.

HUD, DEC and health authorities in Dutchess County have regulatory authority over this site yet there is no sign of their involvement according to Peter Rostenberg of the Fishkill Ridge Caretakers an environmental group seeking to help out with the situation. Local preservationist Mara Farrell and local attorney Tim Tuttle are also helping out as is educator Ved Shravah and long term county legislator Alison MacAvery who is knocking on the doors of government agencies regarding this situation. Help is also coming as far away as Boston with the involvement of financial worker Cheryl Miller who is an environmental activist.

Montfort was recently seen drilling with a bit as “thick as a human thigh” in this area and may have found something below ground that is the reason why they are evicting everyone here. It seems to be profit above humanity when you are poor and unwanted in the Town of Fishkill.

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/judgeboyajian/poor_and_unwanted_in_fishkill_the_snow_valley_tragedy.html

September 28 Fishkil Town Board Meeting

2011-09-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

It was a quit meeting until it got to the point of new business. When Counciman LaColla thanked Supervisor Pagones for her 20 years of service and asked for a smooth transition, as LaColla beat Pagones at a earlier primary. Pagones said there would be no smooth transition and that she was going to issue a press release soon.

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/09-28-2011%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

White drops out of Supervisors race, cites health reasons.

2011-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

FISHKILL — As Councilman Bob LaColla leads in Republican and Conservative primaries for supervisor in the Town of Fishkill, his Democratic opponent has left the race.

Denis White, who was slated to run for supervisor in November on the Democratic line, cited health reasons for his departure from the contest.

"I am not able to invest the personal energy necessary to pursue this campaign," he said Monday.

White said a recent successful eye surgery took a larger toll than he expected.

Fishkill Democratic Committee Chairman Michael Boyajian said the committee was scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss White's departure and its plan for November's election.

Boyajian said he was saddened by White's decision. But, he said, White's health comes first.

LaColla said he believed White shared his concerns with transparency and fiscal responsibility.

And, he believe a campaign against White would have sharpened both their views on the town's finances.

"I'm sorry to see him back out," LaColla said.

LaColla holds leads over Supervisor Joan Pagones in Republican and Conservative primaries held last week.

The Dutchess County Board of Elections will begin reviewing affidavit and absentee ballots Wednesday; however, the number of those ballots the board has received so far will not affect the outcome of those races.

Board of Elections Commissioner Erik Haight said Monday morning that the board had received so far two affidavit ballots and two absentee ballots in the Conservative contest.

"Results are not certified," he said in an email Monday morning.

On Friday, the board reported LaColla had received 48 write-in votes in the Conservative primary. Pagones received 36 Conservative votes, according to the county's unofficial results.

Haight said the board had received 19 affidavit and 35 absentee ballots in the Republican primary so far.

LaColla received 835 votes and Pagones 337 votes at the polls in that contest Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

Pagones is out of the area this week, and will issue a press release upon her return to the office, her secretary, Pam Garnot, said in an email to the media Monday.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more, check out the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110920/NEWS01/109200314/Democrat-Denis-White-exits-Fishkill-supervisor-s-race-citing-health-reasons?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|p

LaColla knocks Pagones off the ballot in November

2011-09-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

FISHKILL – Town Councilman Robert LaColla chalks up a team effort for his victory in the Republican and Conservative primaries over incumbent Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones.

LaColla won the GOP line 835-337 with one write in ballot. As a write-in candidate in the Conservative primary, he defeated Pagones 50-36 in unofficial tallies.

LaColla said the voters obviously wanted a change in town government.

“I think the message that we had of transparency and openness and providing some diligence in our fiscal planning really resonated with people and our campaign people were really diligent in getting that message out,” he said.

LaColla faces a challenge in the general election from Dennis White, a Republican who was endorsed by the Democrats.

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/September/14/Prim_Fish-14Sep11.html

Thanks for fighting Fishkill development

2011-09-04T07:46:00.001-07:00

We all know that open, green space diminishes every day ... easy money from developers can quickly take precedence over the long-term benefits of a natural treasure like wetlands or biodiversity.

Four years ago residents of Fishkill began actively protesting the proposed development of a 60 or more acre parcel of land on Baxtertown Road through mailings, door to door visits and online. The developer's plans included some 200 high-density housing units on this parcel, squeezed between several acres of protected wetlands.

A few months ago the owner started logging the property. This action combined with the years of opposition by local residents seems to have greatly delayed the project (hopefully for good). The town meeting minutes have just come out, and they really say it all.

I wanted to thank my friends and neighbors in Fishkill who have worked so hard to bring this project to the attention of anyone who loves this town and will fight to see it preserved. I truly hope that the new administration will take into account residents' views on such projects in the future.

Karen Skelton

Fishkill

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110904/OPINION02/109040342/Letters-editor-8212-9-4?odyssey=nav|head

Fishkill disclosure law covers elected officials, some workers; oversight disputed

2011-09-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

FISHKILL — Officials in the Town of Fishkill will have to file new financial disclosure reports beginning next year.

The Town Board has enacted in a 3-2 vote a law requiring elected officials, some town employees and members of some boards to disclose any relationships — including financial interests and affiliations — they or members of their families have with businesses and organizations that conduct business with the town or require town approvals.

Supervisor Joan Pagones, along with Town Board members Heather Malvarosa and Steven Ferguson, voted for the measure.

"I am happy that we have disclosure now," Pagones said.

Councilman Robert LaColla, who along with Councilman Brian Callahan voted against it, said he did not oppose disclosure, but that the legislation, which was modified after a first public hearing held in July, still had a "fatal flaw."

"It still did not have independent oversight," he said.

He would have preferred that the Town Board not be charged with enforcing the law.

As stated, a three-member panel consisting of the deputy supervisor and two town residents may help the board review the disclosures.

Planning Board Chairman Thomas Knips, who made some comments during the July hearing that were addressed by revisions to the law, also said he would have liked oversight to fall to an independent panel or the town's unfilled ethics committee.

"It doesn't apply to elected officials in the same way," Knips said, adding that, for example, a town clerk and highway superintendent are subject to the law but are excluded from any enforcement arm.

But he was happy that a list of town vendors will be provided to individuals, such as himself, who would be required to file the reports.

Entities seeking town approvals also must disclose any relationship they have with a town official or employee.

Pagones said legislative oversight is appropriate. Congress uses panels with its own members for certain oversight of other members, she said.

Pagones said the panel could call in the state if any problems arise.

Denis White, who joins Pagones and LaColla in the race for supervisor, questioned whether the legislation was necessary and was drafted in response to a current disclosure problem.

If not, he said, the board should have spent the same energy on the town's budget and finances as it has on the new law.

The first reports will be due in February.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110903/NEWS01/109030327/Fishkill-disclosure-law-covers-elected-officials-some-workers-oversight-disputed?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

For more, go to the papers website or subscribe to it as I do.

Pagones bounces lawsuit checks

2011-08-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110829/NEWS01/108290320/Checks-made-out-witnesses-Fishkill-election-lawsuits-bounce-firm-says-error-corrected

FISHKILL — Bounced checks in two lawsuits to disqualify candidates from the Town of Fishkill Conservative Party annoyed witnesses in the case who were owed for their service and reimbursed for fees incurred.

Todd Bender, senior processor with Priority Process, a company that issued checks that accompanied subpoenas for more than two dozen witnesses in the suits, said the error has been corrected.

Some checks bounced, according to Bender and some of the witnesses. Bender said a check received last week will cover the payments.

"We are going to go forward from here," he said.

The suits, brought by Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa and Frank Garnot, who, along with two other candidates are vying for two town council seats, were dismissed this month.

Bender said the company did not initially receive sufficient funds from Pamela Garnot, Frank Garnot's wife, to cover the witness payments, which were roughly $20 for each witness per suit.

Garnot said she issued checks to Bender in late July and early August for the amount she believed was owed. "He was paid in full," she said, adding that the problem was "not on our end."

Malvarosa said Priority Process had accepted a check from her campaign committee issued either late last week or early this week, and the company had been paid for its services.

She said she had not been contacted by any witnesses regarding the checks. She would like the race to focus on town issues, she said.

Kenneth Stenger, a lawyer and a witness in the suit, thought there had simply been a mistake the first time his checks bounced and he was not concerned.

But, they bounced a second time, he said, adding that the law holds the parties responsible for the suit responsible also for paying the witness checks.

"They have a special obligation to uphold the law in their own case," he said.

Witness John Kennedy said he wanted someone to apologize for giving him bad checks that left him owing money, rather than receiving it.

Robert Komarek tried unsuccessfully to deposit two witness checks, and tried to rectify the situation with town officials and the bank.

"I'm going to take it out at the ballot box," he said.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more buy the paper or subscripe to it as I do.

Pagones charges Dutchess Conservative leadership is trying to ‘hijack’ the election

2011-08-22T14:10:00.001-07:00

FISHKILL – Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones Monday charged that the leadership of the Dutchess County Conservative Party was trying to “hijack” her campaign by urging party members in Fishkill to vote for her opponent, Republican Councilman Robert LaColla even though she is the endorsed Conservative candidate.

In the meantime, the Fishkill Conservative Party contact person Monday called for the county chairwoman’s resignation.

County Conservative Chairwoman Patricia Killian last week sent a letter to committee members criticizing Pagones for challenging LaColla’s court effort for an opportunity to ballot, meaning he could be a write-in candidate on primary election day next month.

In that primary, Pagones’ name will be the only one to appear on the Conservative line.

“We’ll take our case to the rank and file Conservatives,” she said. “In my opinion, this was a hijacking of other individuals to the chair and vice chair of the Conservative Party.”

Fishkill Conservative Party contact person Steven Ferguson, a town councilman, was critical of Killian.

“Pat Killian disenfranchised every Conservative voter in Dutchess County, and I consider it dereliction of duty when she didn’t get their petitions into the Board of Elections on time,” he said. “I don’t see how they can do this and think they were right and she (Pagones) was wrong. There’s something else going on here.”

What that might be, Ferguson wouldn’t say.

Killian filed the paperwork a day late costing Republican county executive candidate Marc Molinaro the Conservative line in November.

On primary day, endorsed Conservative candidates Heather Malvarosa and Frank Garnot will face a challenge by LaColla’s running mates, Tony Curry and Kurt Buck.

LaColla has the GOP endorsement for town supervisor and Pagones will challenge him in a Republican primary.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/August/22/Pagones_Conservs-22Aug11.htm

Conservative leadership strips endorsement from Pagones, gives it to LaColla

2011-08-19T13:55:00.001-07:00

FISHKILL – The chairwoman of the Dutchess County Conservative Committee says the party is urging its members not to vote for Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones in the September primary, but rather her challenger, current Town Councilman Robert LaColla.

In a letter to Fishkill Conservative Party members dated August 18, Party Chairwoman Patricia Killian said Pagones and her council running mates, Heather Malvarosa and Frank Garnot, have run “destructive campaigns” and that LaColla and his council running mates, Tony Curry and Kurt Buck, “have conducted campaigns that fairly and honestly reflect the true values of our party.”

Pagones had been chosen as the Conservative candidate, but fought an opportunity to ballot challenge in court. When her camp lost, they appealed, but that too, was dismissed.

“Rather than run a campaign on conservative principles, Joan Pagones and her running mates have chosen to conduct themselves in a manner that betrays the basic principles of our party,” Killian wrote to Fishkill party members. “Instead of encouraging participation in the electoral process, these candidates have sought through the courts to disenfranchise the conservative voters in Fishkill and try to silence their voices.” Killian said the Conservative Party leaders “are pleased that the courts sided with the voters.”

LaColla, meanwhile, has the Republican endorsement for supervisor, but Pagones is challenging him in the primary next month.

For more, check out midhudsonnews.com a great source for local news.

Officials set new public hearing for revised disclosure law

2011-08-03T19:26:00.001-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

FISHKILL — Officials in the Town of Fishkill delayed a vote this morning on a law governing financial disclosure from members of town boards and some town employees.

The law, which would require town officials, some employees and board members to disclose the relationships they or their families have with businesses or organizations that conduct business with the town, was revised after a public hearing held Saturday.

Those revisions were introduced to the Town Board this morning.

The board set a new public hearing on the revised proposal for 5 p.m. on Monday, August 29.

The proposed revisions would create a panel to mediate allegations that a report is inaccurate, include of a list of parties that contract with the town and change the filing deadline date.

The re-written law also more clearly defines the scope of business with the town that needs to be disclosed.

During Saturday's hearing, Planning Board Chairman Thomas Knips said the proposal may violate privacy laws for town employees and asks individuals to foresee future business with the town.

He said filling out the disclosure forms would be difficult without being provided a listing of businesses, contractors and affiliates that conduct business with the town.

Joshua Mackey, a lawyer for Councilman Brian Callahan, urged the town to establish a board of ethics, and said the proposal does not lay out who would review the disclosures. He said he has concerns over how someone could be removed from office if the law is violated.

"Political rivals could use the proposed law against each other for political gain," he said.

The law would be enforced by the Town Board, and individuals could face a fine, removal from office or penalties under the penal law for violating the disclosure law, according to the document.

The proposal would require the reports to be filed with the town clerk in the absence of a temporary state Commission on Local Government Ethics, but they would be filed with that commission when it is reinstated, according to town attorney Ronald Blass, of Van DeWater & Van DeWater.

Kenneth Stenger applauded the town for asking applicants before the planning and zoning boards to identify any interest a town official or employee has in their project. But he said the rest of the proposal was problematic and does not clearly define the scope of business with the town that had to be disclosed. He also said the law does not include a standard of proof.

John Halpin called arguments against the proposal "minutiae." He said individuals with nothing to hide should not worry about complying with the law.

"We just need to know what needs to be known," he said.

Dr. Mario Malvarosa noted that contributors to medical journals accompany articles with their affiliations.

He said transparency is needed on all levels of government.

"There's nothing wrong with transparency," he said.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110803/NEWS01/108030319/Officials-set-new-public-hearing-revised-disclosure-law?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

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Fishkill's Financial Outlook Worse than Predicted

2011-07-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

New information regarding a $3.6 million Bond Anticipation Note. Regarding the finances of the Town of Fishkill. I have inluded the bond issued by Jefferies & Company so you can review the information on your own. This is very informative.

http://emma.msrb.org/EP535803-EP417990-EP815416.pdf

The following items should concern the taxpayer.

1.The bank holding the bond for the Merritt Sewer Bond (see page 1 last paragraph) that was due April 21, 2011, opted to not renew an existing $1.9 M note (see table top of page 2)

2.The town does not have the money to cover the note.

3.Due to the town’s current bond rating, the new interest rate will be 4.75% (cover page.) This rate is substantially higher than what other neighboring towns are paying and higher than the rates of the notes being replaced.

4.The proceeds of the bond offering are to be used to repay the cash used for the Merritt bond, other bonds coming due over the next several months and for new borrowing for two water districts. (Table top of page 2)

5.The bond statement discloses that the town incurred an unaudited deficit of approximately $1.2 m in the general and highway funds. (page A-6) Although the water, sewer, lighting and ambulance districts show a surplus, the town is constitutionally bound to use the funds generated in special districts for special district purposes only.

6.The town has not delivered the Annual Update Document that was due May 1, 2011 to New York State. This has a negative impact on interest rates the town must pay.

7.More bonds will be comming due in 2012. Any idea of the up-comming interest rates on those?

8.Pagones has failed to implement GASB Statement 45 regarding health benifit requirments.

Please note, that Supervisor Pagones. Left out a $3.4 million bond that she took out in December 2010. This was to cover 2009 & 2010 OVERSPENDING and was not used for Capital Projects. Ergo, if Pagones is INCREASING the defict by over $1 million, how can she claim to be paying off the debt? It's just like paying off one credit card with another with a higher interest rate.

Fishkill pays down debt as revenue tops expectations

2011-07-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Note: When Fishkill approved it's 5 year plan to deal with the debt. It included monthly updates. After 18 months, not one update has been given. At yesterdays meeting. Councilman LaColla asked Supervisor Pagones about $1.2 million that was missing. Pagones stated that was un-audited and quickly moved to the next item.

What is going on, is that Pagones is claiming to pay off bonds, but is failing to tell you that she is taking out new bonds at a higher rate to do so. Either way you look at it, the town still has a debt load greater than our annual budget.

Written by
Susan Campriello
Poughkeepsie Journal

FISHKILL — Officials report the town saw favorable revenues in the first half of 2011.

Supervisor Joan Pagones said revenues for the general and highway funds totaled $5.88 million through June 30. Expenses through then were $3.41 million, she said.

"This is beyond my expectation of where we would be at this time," she said.

Pagones said Building Department revenue so far has come in at roughly $175,000 this year, about $25,000 higher than expected. Sales tax has come in on target while franchise fees are higher than expected, she said. The town receives these revenues year-round, and property taxes in the beginning of the year, she said.

Fishkill also has paid down roughly $730,600 of debt in its four main funds this year, and will pay down $227,000 more by year's end, town Comptroller Robert A. Wheeling said. On Dec. 31, that debt was roughly $12.9 million, he said.

According to a document from the town's bond counsel, the town's general fund had a negative balance of $3.2 million at the end of 2010. Pagones could not give an exact amount of that balance Thursday, but said the increased revenues will help close that gap.

Wheeling could not immediately state last week the town's expected expenses or revenues for the rest of the year. But Pagones said retirement payments have been made as have some insurance payments.

Councilman Robert LaColla, who is also running for supervisor, said he has not seen a full financial report. A true financial gauge is difficult without one, he said.

"Revenues do not come in evenly, and expenses do not go out evenly," LaColla said.

In March, Pagones and Wheeling reported revenues of $4.48 million and expenses of $1.44 million in the town's four main funds.

Reach Susan Camprielloat scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110731/NEWS01/107310373/Fishkill-pays-down-debt-revenue-tops-expectations?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|p

For more go to the website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

Dam work lowers Fishkill Creek

2011-07-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Written by
Susan Campriello
Poughkeepsie Journal

GLENHAM — Preparation for stabilization work at the Texaco Research Center Dam on the Fishkill Creek has contributed to a drop in the creek's water level, according to officials.

Mark Hendrickson, project manager with Chevron Environmental Management Co., said the water level above the dam, which also is called the Beacon Technology Center Dam, dropped about a foot after workers removed three "stop-logs" last week ahead of the work.

Chevron will install new tie-down anchors to help stabilize the dam starting in August. Work will continue through the fall, he said.

"The project requires the level of the mill pond to be lowered behind the dam to allow for safe working conditions," Hendrickson said in an email. "The creek flow will continue to fluctuate with natural seasonal conditions during the construction period."

Some people familiar with the creek fear the low levels will harm the ecosystem and prevent people from swimming and boating in the area.

Michael Schetter of Wappingers Falls, who grew up along the creek, said the water level looks at least 4 feet lower than normal and the creek can't be used for kayaking or swimming.

"The creek is no longer. It's gone," he said. "This is a very important thing to us."

Glenham resident Robert Dross shared Schetter's concern, adding the creek looks lower than it has in 34 years.

Hendrickson said 1,200 to 4,800 gallons of water were drawn from the creek to spray debris during building demolition at the adjacent Texaco Research Center in June and July. Water is now drawn from municipal water sources, for which Chevron pays, he said.

Work at the center and the dam is permitted, according to Hendrickson and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Wendy Rosenbach, DEC spokeswoman, said staff are aware of residents' concerns. Staff have visited the creek, the DEC said. She said the low level could be due in part to the dry summer.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110731/NEWS01/107310370/Dam-work-lowers-Fishkill-Creek?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|s

For more, go to the website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

7/30/2011 Fishkill Town Board meeting

2011-07-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

The meeting was held at Shepheard Park on Route 82. There was a spirited public hearing regarding a proposed finance disclosure law. Also there was alot of downward assessments to the tune of millions. I am sure those costs will be absorbed by the taxpayer.

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/07-30-2011%20%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

Also under new business, Councilman LaColla questioned a $1.2 million amount and asked if it was un-accounted for. Supervisor Pagones stated that was a un-audited amount and quickly changed the subject.

Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane opened in 1892

2011-07-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

FISHKILL — A series of red- brick buildings now part of Fishkill Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in the Town of Fishkill and City of Beacon, was constructed in 1886 as Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

The hospital, situated on the former Dates Farm and acquired for $25,000, accepted its first 261 patients in April 1892. The initial patients were transferred to Matteawan from New York's first — and soon overcrowded — criminal asylum in Auburn, Cayuga County.

The Dutchess County site was deemed a viable location for the hospital because of easy access to rail transport, its tillable land and its peaceful surroundings. Matteawan, built to accommodate up to 550 patients, except for tighter security, functioned in the same manner as other New York civil hospitals for the insane.

Using theories and practices developed in the early 1800s, doctors held patients in a stress-free environment and treated them with compassion. Those who were capable were assigned occupational therapy tasks such as cooking, maintenance or farming.

While the complex atop Asylum Road was generally quiet and unassuming, it housed some notorious patients, including New York City's mad bomber George Metesky, artist-sculptor and admitted multiple-murderer Robert Irwin and Harry K. Thaw, a millionaire who in 1906 shot and killed architect Stanford White in a jealous rage at Madison Square Garden.

"Thaw got out of the murder charge because he was judged to be insane and was sent to Matteawan," Beacon Historical Society President Robert Murphy said. "He escaped from Matteawan in 1913 and went to Quebec, Canada."

By the late 1940s, new procedures that included electric and insulin shock treatments were employed regularly at the hospital. Hypnosis and group therapy sessions followed and three lobotomies were performed.

Despite expansion projects that eventually accommodated 1,000 patients, overcrowding became the norm at Matteawan. By the late 1940s, it housed about 1,500 men and 250 women.

(Page 2 of 2)

The hospital's cemetery, which includes the remains of nearly 1,000 patients that died there, is just south of the new Beacon High School on Matteawan Road.

"There are no names on the headstones there, just numbers are listed," Murphy said. "Every now and then people call the Historical Society to locate a decedent that died at Matteawan. One person from Iowa found their great-grandfather through a corresponding name-number cemetery list stored in Albany."

In the mid-1960s, a series of court decisions brought an end to prison hospitals and resulted in new institutions operating simultaneously at the Matteawan site throughout the next decade. In the late 1970s, the Fishkill Correctional Facility was established and continues to occupy the site.

"When you look up at the correctional facility while driving along Interstate 84, all the red-brick buildings were the old ... hospital," Fishkill Correctional Facility Superintendent William Connolly said. "We still use the Main Building for offender housing."

"Dateline" appears every Wednesday. To suggest a topic, call 845-437-4834. Anthony Musso can be reached at railcommute@aol.com.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110727/NEWS01/107270322/1006/news01

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Fishkill Police called to Congresswoman Hayworth's office

2011-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

FISHKILL — Police were called to the Fishkill office of U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth today after dozens of constituents tried to meet with the lawmaker’s staff without appointments.

Shortly after noon, the privately owned building’s management called Fishkill town police to turn away visitors who did not have appointments with the Republican congressowman’s staff, according to Nat Sillin, Hayworth’s communication’s director.

However, staff did meet with about 50 individuals who did not have appointments inside the office and with more outside the building, he said. About 30 cars were turned away, he said.

But Fishkill resident Sharon Morgese said some constituents, many of them senior citizens, were barred from entering the building and did not meet with the congresswoman’s staff.

“I was furious,” she said.

MoveOn.org had encouraged people to visit the office at noon today to speak about the debt ceiling and other issues, according to an email from the organization.

Hayworth is in Washington, D.C. today, Sillin said.

Town police did not immediately respond to calls about the incident.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110726/NEWS01/110726017/Police-called-lawmaker-s-office-building

For more, go to the Poughkeepsie Journal website or subscribe to the paper as I do.

Fishkill candidate says nominating-petition signers being intimidated

2011-07-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

FISHKILL — A candidate running for the Fishkill Town Board says people who signed his nominating petitions are being intimidated by investigators going door to door asking for signature verifications.

Kurt Buck, who is a Republican, said he has been told two private investigators visited a number of people at their homes this week and asked them questions and to verify their signatures on a petition to allow him to run in a Conservative Party primary for a seat on the Fishkill Town Board. He said signers felt pressured to rescind their signatures. He said 31 people signed his petition.

Buck said he believes candidates endorsed by the county Conservative Party, Supervisor Joan Pagones and Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa, who are running for re-election, and Francis Garnot, who is also running for the council, are behind the investigation. Pagones, Garnot and Malvarosa also filed petitions to run on Republican lines.

Pagones, Garnot and Malvarosa could not be reached for comment.

Tony Curry, who like Buck was endorsed by the Fishkill Republican Committee and is seeking to run for council on the Republican and Conservative lines, said he also heard about the private investigations. He and Buck fear the questioning can isolate voters and discourage them from participating in the political process.

Buck, who is a former police detective, said he knows first-hand how people react to an investigator coming to their door and asking questions.

"It is very intimidating," he said in a statement. "We need to get away from the dirty political wrangling and do what's going to benefit the people of this wonderful town."

Reach Susan Camprielloat scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more please visit the Poughkeepsie Journal website or subscribe to it as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110722/NEWS01/107220329/Fishkill-candidate-says-nominating-petition-signers-being-intimidated?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

Moody's report raises concers over Fishkill & the 2% tax cap

2011-07-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110718/NEWS/107180327/-1/7daysarchives/Moody-s-report-raises-concerns-about-property-tax-cap-s-effect-Fishkill-other-municipalities

Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones said the town has taken steps to lower its debt after Moody's last year rated it with a negative outlook. Town officials said they are paying down the town's roughly $30 million debt and not taking on any additional borrowing.

"It's not going to affect us any more than any other municipality," Pagones said of the tax cap. "We're dealing with it the same way everyone else is going to deal with it."

However, Pagones said, the town might seek to override the tax-cap limit next year because it would be hard-pressed to keep the growth in taxes to less than 2 percent.

She predicted other local governments might also seek to exceed the cap.

"I think most towns in Dutchess County are planning to do that," she said. "Most towns are furious with this."

Pagones hasn't fixed Fishkill finance crisis

2011-07-17T19:36:00.001-07:00

Letter published in 7/17/2011 Poughkeepsie Journal

At the Jan. 5 Fishkill Town Board meeting, Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones stated that Moody's Investors Service was going to give Fishkill a new rating, based on Pagones's five-year plan that addresses Fishkill's $5 million debt.

On July 7, both MidHudsonNews.com and EmpireStateNews.com interviewed Moody's analyst Robert Weber. The story stated that "Weber singled out the Town of Fishkill and City of Newburgh as municipalities that are of particular concern since they face 'already significant financial pressure.'" This is in regards to the new 2 percent property-tax cap signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Pagones was also quoted in the same article saying that her town's financial recovery plan is working well. If her plan is working well, then why did Moody's call out Fishkill? Better yet, why has Moody's not given Fishkill a better rating?

The reason is simple. They know you cannot continue to borrow your way out of debt as Fishkill is doing. Part of the Pagones plan is to do monthly budget updates. This was included in her remedial plan to the New York state comptroller. As a resident who has attended every Town Board meeting in the last four years, guess how many monthly reports were presented to the board? Hint: none.

The Town of Fishkill is facing an economic crisis. The great concern that Moody's has should concern you. As Fishkill falls deeper into debt by the Pagones administration, the harder and more costlier it will be to get out of.

Ozzy Albra

Fishkill

New BBQ pit opens after Pagones closes down little guy with no Due Process

2011-07-12T18:16:00.001-07:00

It pays to be a Joan Pagones political supporter.

NEW BUSINESS
Fishkill gets barbecue franchise — The national franchise Dickey's Barbecue Pit recently opened for business in Fishkill at 18 Westage Drive. Charlie Cassara is the general manager. The Texas-style barbecue restaurant serves nine different slow-cooked, hickory-smoked meats. On Sundays, kids eat for free. Cassara said that after visiting the original location in Texas, he felt it was a great fit for the hard-working, family-oriented community of Fishkill. Call 845-896-9680 or visit www.dickeys.com.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110712/BUSINESS/107120314/1003/business

Sunday, June 12, 2011Supervisor Pagones shuts down small business without Due Process
Recently, Pagones shut down a small business owner that was operating a BBQ stand at Route 9 and South Terrace Rd. (Accross from the cemetary)The owner had the proper permits and was given a stop work order by the building inspector. According to the Town Code, he was entitled to a Public Hearing. There was no such Public Hearing. The business was doing great business and a BBQ stand was viable in Fishkill. This stand was shut down, and a BBQ stand is now being opened in the Town Center (Movie Theatre site). The property owner is a long time Pagones political contributor.

The towns position is that he operated outside the permit. I have no problem with that issue. My problem is that he was denied a hearing that was REQUIRED under Town Code which is below.

§ 112-10 Revocation or suspension of license; hearing.

A. Permits and licenses under the provisions of this chapter may be revoked by the Town Board after notice and public hearing for any of the following reasons:

(1) Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement contained in the application for license.
(2) Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement made in the course of carrying on the business licensed under this chapter.
(3) Any violation of this chapter.
(4) Conviction of any crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
(5) Conducting the business licensed under this chapter in an unlawful manner or in such a manner as to constitute a breach of peace or to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.
B. Notice of hearing for revocation of a license shall be given in writing, setting forth specifically the grounds of complaint and the time and place of hearing. Such notice shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the licensee at his last known address at least five days prior to the date set for hearing.
C. The Town Supervisor shall have the power to temporarily suspend any license upon receipt of a written complaint, pending the hearing provided for herein.

Pagones to override new 2% Property Tax Cap

2011-07-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones said the town has taken steps to lower its debt after Moody's last year rated it with a negative outlook. Town officials said they are paying down the town's roughly $30 million debt and not taking on any additional borrowing.
However, Pagones said, the town might seek to override the tax cap limit next year.

She predicted other local governments might also seek to exceed the cap.
"I think most towns in Dutchess County are planning to do that," she said. "Most towns are furious with this."

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110712/NEWS05/107120332/Moody-s-report-raises-concerns-about-property-tax-cap-singles-out-Rockland

Moody's Shows great concern for Fishkill and 2% tax cap.

2011-07-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

"Of particular concern are the issuers who already face significant financial pressure," said Weber, listing as examples the towns of Colonie, Fishkill, and East Greenbush, and the cities of Newburgh and Glen Cove.

http://www.wtaq.com/news/articles/2011/jul/05/ny-property-tax-cap-may-hit-cash-poor-cities-report/

Supervisor Pagones shuts down small business without Due Process

2011-06-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, Pagones shut down a small business owner that was operating a BBQ stand at Route 9 and South Terrace Rd. (Accross from the cemetary)The owner had the proper permits and was given a stop work order by the building inspector. According to the Town Code, he was entitled to a Public Hearing. There was no such Public Hearing. The business was doing great business and a BBQ stand was viable in Fishkill. This stand was shut down, and a BBQ stand is now being opened in the Town Center (Movie Theatre site). The property owner is a long time Pagones political contributor.

The towns position is that he operated outside the permit. I have no problem with that issue. My problem is that he was denied a hearing that was REQUIRED under Town Code which is below.

§ 112-10 Revocation or suspension of license; hearing.

A. Permits and licenses under the provisions of this chapter may be revoked by the Town Board after notice and public hearing for any of the following reasons:

(1) Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement contained in the application for license.
(2) Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement made in the course of carrying on the business licensed under this chapter.
(3) Any violation of this chapter.
(4) Conviction of any crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
(5) Conducting the business licensed under this chapter in an unlawful manner or in such a manner as to constitute a breach of peace or to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.
B. Notice of hearing for revocation of a license shall be given in writing, setting forth specifically the grounds of complaint and the time and place of hearing. Such notice shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the licensee at his last known address at least five days prior to the date set for hearing.
C. The Town Supervisor shall have the power to temporarily suspend any license upon receipt of a written complaint, pending the hearing provided for herein.

Fishkill Supervisor Pagones disputes LaColla as GOP nominee, calls party vote she lost a 'straw poll'

2011-06-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110610/NEWS01/106100342/Fishkill-Supervisor-Pagones-disputes-LaColla-GOP-nominee-calls-party-vote-she-lost-straw-poll-

FISHKILL — The race for Fishkill supervisor heated up again Thursday amid a dispute about who is the real GOP candidate.

The Fishkill Republican Committee endorsed Councilman Robert LaColla's candidacy for supervisor in April, when he edged out Supervisor Joan Pagones in a 17-16 vote.

Pagones, however, said the party's preferred candidate would emerge only after a primary.

"(LaColla) is the straw-poll winner, not the designated candidate of the Republican Party," she said.

LaColla said he was surprised Pagones called the committee vote a "straw poll."

He said the committee's nominating process had been organized and orderly from its selection of voters to its endorsement of him as its candidate for supervisor. LaColla said he and Pagones addressed the committee in April for 40 minutes each before he won.

"It was a decision made in good conscience with the best intentions of the town in mind," he said.

Fishkill Republican Committee Chairman Felix Lopez said an argument can be made that a candidate is not set until after a primary is held. But, he said, LaColla secured the committee's endorsement.

"He is the designated nominee. He won in our committee," Lopez said of LaColla. "He is the person we have designated as our nominee."

Pagones said her candidacy has been endorsed by the Dutchess County Conservative Party, and she also has gathered enough signatures to face LaColla in a Republican primary Sept. 13.

The Conservative Party also recently endorsed Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa in her re-election bid and Frank Garnot as a candidate for Town Board, Malvarosa and Garnot said Thursday.

They both said they are seeking Republican support to run in primaries against Kurt Buck and Tony Curry, the board candidates endorsed by the town Republican committee.

Candidates who hope to run in primaries must file petitions by July 14, said Thomas Connolly, state Board of Elections spokesman. Republicans in Fishkill must collect 193 signatures to appear on the ballot, county Deputy Election Commissioner Christopher Baiano said.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

Fishkill Supervisor Pagones announces primary bid against GOP's LaColla

2011-06-12T16:14:00.001-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110609/NEWS01/106090338/Fishkill-Supervisor-Pagones-announces-primary-bid-against-GOP-s-LaColla&odyssey=mod%7Cmostcom

FISHKILL — A fundraising letter sent out in Fishkill indicates Town Supervisor Joan Pagones intends to run in a September primary for her seat.

The letter, dated June 7 and signed by Pam Garnot, says Pagones "will face a primary challenge as supervisor." The Fishkill Republican Committee, however, nominated Councilman Robert LaColla in April in his bid for supervisor.

LaColla said the letter misrepresents the status of Pagones' candidacy and the rejection of her candidacy by the town Republican committee.

"I sincerely hope that anyone who might carry her petitions will correctly represent her status as primary challenger, not the other way around," he said.

Pagones could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

The letter goes on to say Pagones is funding a primary campaign, and election rules enable her to receive up to $1,000 per person or entity. Contributions "will enable her to forge ahead and retain her name on the election ballot this September," the letter says.

The letter identifies Garnot as a Friends of Joan Pagones committee member, and not as in her official capacity as secretary to the Fishkill supervisor.

State election laws do not prevent a supervisor's secretary from working on that supervisor's campaign, said Thomas Connolly, state Board of Elections spokesman, "as long as she does not work on it during working hours or with town resources."

The letter asks recipients to consider making a contribution payable to Friends of Joan Pagones, at P.O. Box 775, Glenham, NY 12527. That address appears as the committee's address in past campaign filing disclosure reports.

Felix Lopez, chairman of the town Republican committee, said supporters are gathering signatures to allow Pagones to challenge LaColla in a primary.

He said supporters also are circulating petitions to allow Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa and Garnot's husband, Frank, to run in primaries against the council candidates endorsed by the committee, Kurt Buck and Tony Curry.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

CRM-Majestic scandal heats up

2011-06-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Our sources at OAR have just learned that Pagones crony Michael Archer (the Fishkill millionaire and secret political weapon) received monies from CRM while Joan was there as a trustee.

Joan Pagones was a CRM trustee (she was appointed on Feb. 6, 2002). Joan accepted the trustee position without Town of Fishkill Board approval. It gets better... Here comes the kicker folks... Who do you think is paying for her legal bills? That's right you are... You the people of the Town of Fishkill are paying attorney Jim Loeb to defend her for her acts as a private citizen. Go Joan!

It is important to remember that the NYS Workers Compensation Board shut down the trust that Joan was trustee of and has demanded that the Town of Fishkill pay back nearly $300,000--. Joan has already made a six-figure payment to the Board.

When reached for comment Archer replied, "In light of the ongoing CRM investigation, I'm not going to discuss this." A employee at Fishkill Town Hall, also indicated that Pagones was unavailable for comment and refered all questions to the attorney handling the case.

Conservative Party 2011 endorsements

2011-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

They endorsed Pagones for Supervisor, Malvarosa and Garnot for Council.

I quess the Conservative party likes the borrow and spending policies of Pagones.

Record debt and tax increases appear to be the hallmark of the Dutchess County Conservative party.

Fishkill Independence Party endorsements for 2011

2011-06-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

The party has endorsed the following candidates.

Robert LaColla for Supervisor

Mara Farrell for Councilwoman

Kurt Buck for Councilman

Gerald Vergilis for Town Justice

Harold Epstein for Town Justice

Glen Scofield for Highway Superindendant

Allison MacAvery for County Legislator

James Miccio for County Legislator

"Fishkill: Where Cronyism and Nepotism go unchallenged and friends of Pagones' are rewarded"

2011-06-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

We doubt there is another township in New York State where those with connections are so protected and rewarded. Everybody knows how Supervisor Joan Pagones takes care of and rewards those who are closer to her. Take the Garnot family as an example: Pam is Joan's loyal confidant and bulldog (few would call an $70,000-- per year employee a "secretary"), her husband Frank has a contract to clean Town buildings (and is rumored to be her running mate should Joan primary Bob Lacolla) and their daughter is a receptionist for the Town of Fishkill. That's right, all 3 members of the Garnot family make their living thanks to you the people of the Town of Fishkill. The Garnot's support their lavish lifestyle with a six figure income thanks to their "service" to the Town of Fishkill. Or, shall we say, their loyal service to Joan Pagones.

I have just learned that another Pagones crony is about to be rewarded. Michael Archer, a lifelong Fishkill resident, is a famous forensic scientist. A few years ago he was seriously injured at work. He is a longtime pal of the Pagones family. Archer owns and/or controls millions in real estate in the Town. It is well know that he is a secret source of funding for local republicans. There are rumors that he is a former federal agent and the inspiration behind the character on the FX show "Archer" (code name: "Dutchess"). You should know that Archer worked for a few years as an Investigator for Dutchess County. Do the math people.

So here comes the kicker: What judge was Archer's injury case assigned to? You guessed it... Judge Pagones. Joan wants her people taken care of... Even to the bitter end.

When reached for comment Archer replied as follows:

"I just last week learned that my PI case was assigned to Jim (note that he refers to Judge Pagones by his first name). I plan on asking my attorney to file a recusal motion. I believe that the appearance of impropriety is by itself enough to seek-out a new judge. The facts of my case will stand on their own without any outside help."

With regard to the FX show, Archer replied, "That's absurd."

Again folks... You do the math... It pays to be a friend of Joan!

June 4th 2011 Fishkill Town Board Meeting

2011-06-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/06-04-2011%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

Of interest is a proposed law for "Financial Disclosure." The law appears to be a act of retaliation for a town board member who is challenging the Supervisor for her job.

$40,000 rec facility sign an extravagance SDN 6/1/2011

2011-06-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Last weeks paper covered Fishkill's new Senior Center $40,000 electronic sign. As quoted by Supervisor Pagones. The sign will be paid for by the Parklands Trust Fund. Last year at Novembers Budget Meeting. I asked the Comptroller how much money was left in the fund. The Comptroller responded that there was between 18-24 months left in the fund. Also quoted by Pagones, the fund is replenished by developer fees. Since we all know that development is nearly at a standstill. Is it wise for Pagones to spend $40,000 on a sign? Should we not use that money to pay off the center first? Or how about fixing the leaking roof on the $3.6 million facility? What happens when the money dries up after this years Election Day? Does the debt come out of the General Fund or does Pagones continue to borrow money. Like she did to balance this years budget by borrowing $1.8 million to avoid a 45% tax increase.

While employees and citizens continue to suffer through record tax increases and givebacks in the last 3 years. Pagones continues to spend money like a sailor on leave with a unlimited credit card. You would think that Pagones who has us in record debt would be more frugal with what little resources we have. But alas, there is also a leaking roof at Town Hall. Look at it as you drive by on Rt.52. Multiple shingles have been missing for over a year. When will Pagones act? When the plywood and frame are so rotted out that the cost will be $40,000 instead of a couple of hundred bucks for simple maintenance?

Finally, I would like to say thank you to President Obama. Who amended a Presidential disaster declaration to allow Fishkill to recover $40,000 during the storms. (We all know we need the money) I would also like to commend the President for directing the operation that eliminated bin Laden.

Ozzy Albra
Fishkill

Pagones, Journal are wrong about Fishkill (May 21, 2011)

2011-06-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, The Poughkeepsie Journal ran the story, "Fishkill to get revised budget report," (March 14). On March 26, Fishkill Councilman Steven Ferguson wrote a letter to the editor, complaining about the coverage ("Fishkill article is negative on budget"). In it, he suggested that the Pagones administration be given credit for a problem "they" created, by lowering Fishkill's $4.9 million debt by $594,239. He then slammed the paper, suggesting it was biased against Supervisor Joan Pagones. He finished by saying the story should have read, "Fishkill on track to reduce deficit."

For those that don't know, here are some reasons that Fishkill is in an economic mess.

Pagones/Ferguson disregarded the warnings of the upcoming housing crisis from its outside auditor in 2006 - well before the housing crash.

The botched 2008 re-evaluations rose property values, only to see them drop.

"Zero Based Budgeting," which Ferguson himself touted in this paper. The town essentially has believed it didn't need a reserve because it was making department heads justify all expenses, especially new ones.

Now the shocking news - according to Fishkill Comptroller Robert A. Wheeling at the budget meeting: Fishkill is borrowing $1.8 million to balance the 2011 budget to avoid a 45 percent tax increase. I know, I asked him the question!

But one thing is certain, both Ferguson and this paper have it wrong. The headline should have been, "Fishkill borrows money to pay off debt." Thus, I suggest this paper do investigative work regarding Fishkill's finances, instead of doing hit pieces on her political opponents.

Ozzy Albra
Fishkill

Texaco research center demolition plans aired

2011-05-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

Written by Susan Campriello

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110525/NEWS01/110524019/Texaco-research-center-demolition-plans-aired?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|s

GLENHAM – Most of the roughly 60 buildings at the former Texaco Beacon Research Center will be demolished by the end of the year, according to Chevron Environmental Management Company's Mark Hendrickson.

Hendrickson told Beacon and Fishkill residents during a project open house residents Tuesday at the Slater Chemical Fire Company, in Glenham, Tuesday that asbestos removal in the former campus' buildings has begun, and demolition will commence soon.

Roughly 40 buildings will be torn down to the ground during the first phase of a demolition project that could end in 2014 with only their slabs remaining, he and Craig F. Butler, a senior project manager with engineering and design firm and project contractor Parsons, said. Then, soil and groundwater beneath the slabs will be tested for any contamination left over from when the buildings were used as an oil refinement research center, they said.

Texaco operated the research center between 1931 and 2003. Chevron acquired Texaco in 2000.

Residents Tuesday said they were pleased that Chevron and its contractors made themselves available to the public to discuss the project.

Bill Murnane, 50, said his concerns regarding air monitoring during the work had been addressed during the meeting. Steve Carne, a safety manager with demolition contractor Brandenburg, said the location of monitors would change as work moved and winds shifted.

Robert Principe, 44, said Chevron has satisfied the community's need for information, but he would have liked if a representative of the state Department of Environmental Conservation had been present Tuesday to discuss specific environmental impacts on soil and water around the buildings.

Hendrickson said earlier in the evening that monitoring wells exist on the site and no drinking water wells nearby show contamination.

Linda Stevens, 61, said she hopes Chevron will completely clean up any contamination found on the site and remain in contact with the town and its residents throughout the process.

“I just hope they continue to have the community be involved,” she said.

Ori Brachfeld, 44, agreed, saying that keeping the community informed on all plans for the site is important. The demolition worked signifies the “end of an era” when Texaco and Chevron had a local presence, he added.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

Fishkill Supply Depot site deserves preservation

2011-05-19T08:55:00.001-07:00

Written by Mara Farrell

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110519/OPINION/105190310/Fishkill-Supply-Depot-site-deserves-preservation?odyssey=nav|head

Right now there is an unprecedented opportunity for a living historic park in the Town of Fishkill. The 21st century rediscovery of the spectacular Revolutionary War Fishkill Supply Depot and the largest Continental Army burial complex in the nation can provide the impetus for one of the most exciting Hudson Valley projects in decades — one that will celebrate a spectacular American legacy and recharge the valley with a long-term plan for economic growth and cultural enrichment.

Town planning decisions of recent decades have resulted in the paving over of areas within the National Register Fishkill Supply Depot historic site. Retail progress — defined as strip mall development and big box stores — has been favored over the honoring of a remarkable piece of American history, a central part of our great nation's foundation.

The conceptual plan for the Fishkill Living Historic Park, developed by landscape architect Linette Straus, gets it right.

The park would stretch over both sides of the southern portion of the Hudson Highlands Route 9 corridor. The vision for the Continental Army Burial Complex encompasses a series of gardens and memorials for enjoyment and contemplation. Ongoing archaeological and scholarly study of the depot complex will inform a series of interactive learning and interpretive centers. Areas of a former mall site would be returned to Native American farming and agricultural use, with portions reforested and meadows established to encourage habitat. There would be ample recreational opportunity for visitors, with hiking along the greenway trails, rock climbing, and even scaling of the walls of retrofitted mall structures.

Although the Fishkill Supply Depot has been in the news countless times, many do not know that it was established by command of Gen. George Washington in 1776. Thousands of Continental troops, officers, militia and their families resided at the depot complex until April 1783, five months before the Treaty of Paris ended the war. Funded by the Continental Congress, this military "nerve center" matured into the central and most extensive Northern military logistical center for munitions and war supplies of all types. The highest level of American technology was in action at this fascinating military city. Without the Fishkill Supply Depot, the war, in the words of General Washington, would simply not have been won.

It is essential that the major decision makers in the county understand the drama that is currently playing out in Fishkill. Critical lands belonging to the Fishkill Supply Depot are for sale and could be forever lost to commercial development. We simply can't let this legacy slip away. Last month, Sen. Charles Schumer re-introduced legislation that could open up federal funding for land acquisition, urging "that this legislation be brought forward in the service of our national historical legacy in unique and precious sites like the Fishkill Supply Depot."

As a county that sees the influx of millions of tourist dollars every year, we all should be fighting hard for this kind of future. Look at the phenomenal success of the Walkway Over the Hudson — it started with a vision.

We need our sacred places of greatness, places where memory and honor are celebrated. We need to honor as well the physical space where our American story played out, a space where our youth can also understand better the magnificent but fragile world of the Hudson Highlands, witnessing how the natural, cultural and historic threads come together in the unique fabric of a remarkable place.

As a co-founder of the Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot, and as someone who has testified before the U.S. Senate in support of Sen. Schumer's legislation, I urge our regional leaders and influencers to view the creation of a Fishkill Living Historic Park as an unprecedented opportunity for Dutchess County and for the whole nation. Let's start the conversation. It's a big dream, but it speaks to the heart and soul of our Hudson Valley region, our legacy, and our promise for a brighter future.

Mara Farrell is co-founder of the nonprofit land preservation group Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot and recent recipient of the 2011 Martha Washington Woman of History Award.

May 11th, 2011 Fishkill Town Board Meeting

2011-05-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/05-11-2011%20%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

The town settled a lawsuit with TCG Fishkill II, LLC for $58,000. The town will pay $30,000 and the insurance company will pay $58,000.

The town also accepted a bid of nearly $40,000 for the new Recreation Sign to be installed in front of the Senior/Recreation Center, with those monies being paid for by Parklands Trust Funds.

1864 chapel was once used as town hall, court in Fishkill.

2011-05-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Written by Anthony P. Musso For the Poughkeepsie Journal.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110511/NEWS01/105110326/1864-chapel-once-used-town-hall-court-

FISHKILL — St. Mary's Chapel on Bedford Avenue was built in 1861 as a mission church administered to by St. Joachim parish in Beacon. It was constructed to accommodate employees from the nearby Glenham-Wollen Mill, which produced cloth uniforms for the Union Army during the Civil War.

While many of the mill's workers were Catholic immigrants, Fishkill was void of a house of worship for them. In 1861, St. Joachim's pastor, the Rev. James Coyle, purchased property on Bedford Avenue for $200. Three years later the church was completed at a cost of $1,500.

"The chapel was built so Fishkill Catholics could walk to church rather than have to rely on a horse and buggy," Town of Fishkill Historian Willa Skinner said. "The nearest Catholic church at that time was in Fishkill Landing, now Beacon."

In October 1864, the Very Rev. William Starrs, vicar general of the Diocese of New York, dedicated the chapel and named it St. Mary's. Priests from St. Joachim routinely traveled to Fishkill on Sundays and holy days of obligation to say Mass.

The mission church remained in constant use through the 1950s. Being a small structure that spanned 25 feet by 30 feet, it became so well attended that an overflow crowd of worshipers regularly spilled out onto Bedford Avenue to participate in Sunday Mass.

As the population of Fishkill grew, in 1953 a parish separate from St. Joachim was established in the town.

When St. Mary's School was built on Jackson Street in 1955, Sunday services were relocated from the Bedford Avenue site to the school's auditorium. Ground was broken for a new St. Mary's Church in June 1965 and upon its dedication in 1967, the congregation made its final move to the new building.

"When religious services moved to the school, the chapel continued to be used occasionally for different church functions and meetings," St. Mary's parish council member Geraldine Fuller said. "In 1970, the chapel was sold to the Town of Fishkill for $11,000."

The structure was utilized as Town Hall and the municipality's court was also in the building. In 1988 the chapel once again became part of St. Mary's parish.

"St. Mary's pastor, Father Charles Quinn, felt that as a registered landmark and an important part of the history of St. Mary's parish it was a pity that it wasn't a part of the parish anymore," Fuller said. "The town didn't want it anymore and the parish bought it back for $100,000."

A severe storm during the last decade resulted in the chapel's roof collapsing.

Debating their options, the St. Mary's church council elected to restore the structure to its original luster.

On May 22, as part of the New York Landmark Conservatory's 25th anniversary of the Sacred Sites program, St. Mary's Chapel — along with Fishkill's Dutch Reformed Church on Main Street — will stage an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. for public visitations.

"Dateline" appears every Wednesday. To suggest a topic, call 845-437-4834. Anthony Musso can be reached atrailcommute@aol.com.

Fishkill Borrowed 400K to fund lobbyist

2011-04-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

The records, NYPIRG said, show that the town of Fishkill, Dutchess County, and the village of Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, had lobbying contracts that they didn't fund in 2010 — as did the city of Mount Vernon.

That amount was $400,000

ALBANY — Yonkers, White Plains and several Rockland communities enlisted lobbyists last year amid fights to avoid state budget cutbacks.

Statewide, local governments and affiliated organizations paid more than $7 million for lobbying in 2010, according to data compiled by the New York Public Interest Research Group from the state Commission on Public Integrity.
But some advocates wonder if taxpayers should foot the bill for insiders to argue for one level of government against another.
"I think it's strange that local governments have to lobby," said White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, who took office this month. The city has two lobbyists.
Yonkers and Clarkstown both paid for a powerful lobbyist who's been caught up in a series of corruption scandals.
Patricia Lynch Associates, an Albany-based lobbyist, paid a $500,000 fine last year and admitted arranging campaign contributions, gifts and other favors to gain access to the state comptroller's office for clients selling investments.
Lynch's lobbying firm was singled out by then-Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo as a major broker in Albany's corrupt "pay to play" political culture.
"Gifts, favors and campaign contributions are not a legitimate basis for government contracts or special treatment," Cuomo said in December. "Lobbyists whose stock in trade is pay to play have no business appearing before government agencies that safeguard taxpayer dollars."
Yonkers still appears as a featured client on Lynch's website and Facebook page. The city paid her $78,486 last year to lobby on state budget bills in the state senate and assembly.
Lynch also represented Forest City Ratner, the developer of the controversial Ridge Hill project.
Lynch was paid more than $400,000 by American Traffic Solutions to lobby for a bill allowing the red-light cameras in Yonkers and other cities.
The legislation was introduced in the Assembly by Mike Spano, who went on to work for Lynch's firm after leaving the Assembly.
Lynch is also an equity partner in Empire Strategic Planning, a consulting firm founded by former Republican state Sen. Nick Spano, Mike Spano's brother.
(Page 2 of 2)
Clarkstown, which hired Lynch in 2008 to monitor legislation and seek grants, terminated its relationship with her last year after spending $3,486.
The town of Ramapo and the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority also paid lobbyists.
White Plains has a contract with two lobbyists, records show: for $44,000 to The Roffee Group and Pinsky and Skandalis to help on issues such as sales-tax extenders, police pension funds, industrial development and tax credits on homes.
The contracts expire in November, and Mayor Roach said he's considering discontinuing them.
But around the state, some municipalities defended the expense, saying that in tough fiscal times it becomes even more important to have added influence at the Capitol.
Bill Mahoney, research coordinator for NYPIRG, said the municipalities are walking a fine line.
"I think towns and counties want to have their influence in Albany," Mahoney said. "But I don't think it is necessary to pay hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to some of the most politically connected people in the state."
Binghamton University spent more than $300,000 on lobbying last year — second among SUNY schools to the University at Albany, which spent $387,924.
Binghamton University spokeswoman Gail Glover said that its lobbyists were essential to helping university programs and facilities.
"Their (Binghamton University's lobbyist, Ostroff, Hiffa & Associates, Inc.) proximity and monitoring of the legislative process in Albany has offered Binghamton University better access and information on state activities," she said.
Despite SUNY's lobbying efforts, $289 million was still cut to the SUNY budget in the current fiscal year, which started April 1.
Whether or not that cut will mean a reduction in the government affairs office for SUNY and other schools remains to be determined, said Morgan Hook, spokesman for SUNY.
Some local governments have cut back on lobbying expenses.
The records, NYPIRG said, show that the town of Fishkill, Dutchess County, and the village of Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, had lobbying contracts that they didn't fund in 2010 — as did the city of Mount Vernon.
In lieu of their own lobbyists, most local governments pay to be part of larger associations whose mission is to represent its members on legislative issues in Albany.
The Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials, a coalition that represents cities in the state, spent more than $380,000 on lobbying in 2010, NYPIRG found. It does its own lobbying without hiring an outside firm.
The state Association of Counties spent more than $700,000 lobbying lawmakers on bills ranging from expanding the types of convicted criminals that should have a DNA sample taken to a bill establishing a mandatory four-day workweek Mark LaVigne, deputy director of the Association of Counties, said he doesn't expect a slowdown in the group's lobbying.

Written by
Jacob Fischler and Tim Henderson Journal News

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011104170365

LaColla wins Fishkill GOP backing for supervisor

2011-04-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

FISHKILL – By a one vote margin, Fishkill Town Councilman Robert LaColla has been selected by the town Republican Committee to run for town supervisor this fall. He defeated incumbent Joan Pagones 17 to 16 in a vote taken Wednesday night.

LaColla said he looks forward to running a solid campaign to lay out his plan to move the town forward.

It is unclear if Pagones will challenge LaColla in a GOP primary election in September as she has been unavailable for comment.

No Democrat has stepped forward for the town’s top job at this point.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/April/14/LaColla_GOP-14Apr11.htm

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110414/NEWS01/110414004/LaColla-nabs-GOP-endorsement-Fishkill?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

Fishkill Highway Super honored at Dutchess Manor

2011-04-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Town Highway Super Glenn Scofield was honored today at Dutchess Manor, for 50 years of service. Supervisor Pagones dedicated the Highway Building to him. By naming the building after him.

What I found interesting as a retired Police Officer. Was the fact that Scofield, and Police Chief Williams. Began public service as Deputies for the Sheriff Department. I am pretty sure that both also were instumental in forming the Town of Fishkill Police Department.

April 9, 2011 Fishkill Board Meeting

2011-04-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

Supervisor Pagones failed to provide a budget update as promised to the press and public. She blammed it on a computer error.

Councilman Callahan announced a Health Department program that had to do with Lyme disease and that the HD would spray your yard if you joined a study group. Applications at Town Hall.

More consent orders that lower business property assessments.

Pagones approved Flo-Rida to play at Dutchess Stadium.

Here is a clip of his work, that demeans woman.

http://www.musicloversgroup.com/flo-rida-right-round-lyrics-and-video/

Letter in 4/6/2011 Southern Dutchess News

2011-04-06T17:40:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, the paper published. A "story" that the Town of Fishkill was "On Track To Erase Deficit." For regular readers, I have some good news and some bad. First the good news, to all my friends and foes who complain that my letters are too long. Let me tell you that this letter will be short.

Now the bad news. How can Fishkill be reducing it's deficit. When it's "Borrowing-Bonding" $1.8 Million to balance the 2011 budget to avoid a additional 45% tax increase? Yes, it's true, I asked the Fishkill Comptroller. At the budget meeting and this is what he told the audience, in front of Supervisor Pagones! You could have seen it too. But Fishkill is the only Southern Dutchess municipality that does not televise it's meetings. Now you know the reason why.

Ozzy Albra
Fishkill

Rare 1777 print of N.Y. Constitution listed on eBay

2011-03-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Written by
Richard Liebson Journal News (Westchester Paper)

For more go the site at:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110321/NEWS02/103210331/Rare-1777-print-N-Y-Constitution-listed-eBay

The constitution was drafted by local founding father John Jay, who lived at various places in the Lower Hudson Valley and would later become the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court and the second governor of New York state. The first copies were printed by Samuel Loudon in Fishkill. Klos' copy was printed in Philadelphia by Styner and Cist.

Fishkill to get revised budget report

2011-03-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

FISHKILL — While the supervisor says the latest report on town spending shows good news, the man who wants her job argues the document is incomplete.

The report on spending and revenue through March 8 that was released to the Town Board shows the town has spent $1.44 million, or about 18 percent, of it's budget. The report comes months after the state Office of the Comptroller issued an audit critical of the town's finances .

Supervisor Joan A. Pagones said the year-to-date report showed the town was "on budget" for spending.

"We're in terrific shape with budgeting and revenues at this time," she said.

The report, however, does not list the 2011 budgeted town expenses as approved by the town board last fall or revised budget numbers.

Councilman Robert LaColla, who is seeking the Republican Party nomination for supervisor, said the omissions mean the document fails as a spending gauge.

"It is missing the information we need to do the analysis to do the year-to-date comparison," he said. It also lacks a narrative explaining the numbers, he said.

Pagones and Town Comptroller Robert Wheeling said town staff had difficulty feeding 2011 budget numbers into the software used to generate the budget report. Pagones said a complete document would be printed this week, when the software problem is fixed.

Each council member has a copy of the final budget, she said.

"All they have to do is follow along with their budget booklets," she said.

Councilman Brian Callahan said a budget report should reconcile revenues and expenditures with the actual budget numbers.

"We shouldn't have to," he said.

Pagones said she would provide board members with updated budget reports around the time of every board meeting, and that reports would be on meeting agendas.

Wheeling said $316,900 has been used for debt payments. He said payments are due at certain times in the year.

In August, the state Comptroller's Office issued an audit that showed a deficit of $4.9 million from 2008 through February 2010. Pagones has disputed that figure.

The budget report shows that $1.02 million in revenues had come into the townwide general fund, and $680,700, or 17.9 percent of the fund's budget, had been spent so far. The town has received $1.27 million in revenues for the town-outside-village general fund, and so far $450,500, or 15.9 percent of the fund's budgeted amount, had been spent. Revenues for the townwide highway fund had come in at $545,600 and its expenses at $83,100, or 14.9 percent of the fund's budget.

Town-outside-village highway fund revenues were $953,300, and expenses have cost $228,800, or 23.9 percent of the budgeted amount.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more, go to the Poughkeepsiejournal.com and subscribe to the paper as I do.

Fishkill Revolution War/Burial Ground story

2011-03-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, New York’s Revolutionary War-era Fishkill Supply Depot historic archaeological district represents one of the least understood threatened cultural landscapes in the nation.
Established by General George Washington, the Fishkill Supply Depot thrived as a sophisticated military city center for the bulk of the Revolutionary War. The self-contained establishment—one of the most extensive of its time—functioned as a small city and the site of one of the largest early military cemeteries in the nation. In spite of its great historical significance, in the latter half of the 20th century, rapid suburbanization obscured its stories and threatened its preservation. While the heart of the complex remained, much of the cultural landscape was sacrificed for commercial development. Currently, two essential open space properties at the heart of the Depot Complex are at risk of further development.

In the town of Fishkill, several miles from the Hudson River and surrounded by the Hudson Highlands, lies the physical space that defines the Fishkill Supply Depot. Stretching over more than 70 acres on both sides of the heavily trafficked Route 9 in Fishkill and trimmed by Interstate 84, a portion of the site is now home to the Dutchess Mall, built in the early 1970s and a Hess gasoline station, built in the 1990s. Although it remains true that aspects of the site have been impacted by prior commercial development, critical areas of this historic landscape remain, and are now threatened with a fresh round of development.

History

Established by command of General George Washington in 1776, thousands of Continental troops, Militia, and their families, resided at the Depot complex until April 1783, five months before the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the Revolutionary War. Funded by the Continental Congress, this military “nerve center” matured into the central and most extensive Northern military logistical center for munitions and war supplies of all types. The highest level of American technology was in action at the Fishkill Supply Depot. Simultaneously, it was home to a medical complex, a prison facility, powder magazines, store houses, artillery park and numerous artisan workshops—as well as residences for officers and barracks for thousands of soldiers during the fight for independence. Although under British surveillance, the Depot was never attacked. Its stalwart position in the Hudson River Valley prevented enemy advances. General George Washington stated the war would simply not have been won without the Fishkill Supply Depot.

Although the Depot itself was never under fire, hundreds—likely thousands, perished there. War wounds, hypothermia, dysentery, and small pox were leading causes of death. Periods of starvation were also endured by troops during the Depot's seven years of service.

In the 1960s and 1970s archaeological excavations helped bring attention to the Fishkill Depot property. These surveys helped spur the restoration of the officer’s headquarters—the Van Wyck Homestead—by the Fishkill Historical Society. The restored structure is now home to the Van Wyck Homestead Museum.

In the Spring of 2006, as plans for further commercial development were gathering steam, local historians and activists banded together to advocate for permanent protection of the properties within the Fishkill Supply Depot historic district. The first step taken by the group, now known as Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot, was to lobby for further archaeological review of the endangered acres. Through extensive study of previous archaeological reports, it became clear that the undeveloped acres contained important unrecorded archaeological resources. Previous cultural resource management surveys had recommended these properties simply be written off and developed. Signatories of a petition calling for further review, included archaeologists, historians, environmentalists, and concerned citizens throughout the country. The group’s advocacy work, pressing for further study proved successful and further archaeological work was conducted with a refined methodology geared to Revolutionary War military sites.

It was during this final round of testing that a significant archaeological discovery was made on the grounds of the Fishkill Supply Depot—on one of the parcels primed for commercial retail development. Archaeologists working closely with the New York State Office of Historic Preservation’s archaeological program analyst, uncovered part of a large soldiers’ burial ground. Evidence indicates the presence of hundreds of graves, a monumental discovery, as the exact placement of one of the nation’s first and largest identified military cemeteries known to exist in the area has eluded historians and archaeologists for decades. Current research suggests that this is the largest Continental Army Burial Complex identified in our country’s history.

Threat
The at-risk properties within the boundaries of the Fishkill Supply Depot historic archaeological district are currently for sale or under private ownership. Their fate remains unclear. Senator Charles Schumer has been leading the preservation efforts in D.C. and has vowed to protect the historic lands of the Depot and the Continental Army Burial Complex as a sacred place of national memory. However, unless funding is secured and these properties are permanently taken off the market, the threat to this cultural landscape remains.

Get Involved
If you or your organization would like to contribute resources to protect the endangered lands of the Fishkill Supply Depot, please send an e-mail to info@fishkillsupplydepot.org, or write directly to: Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot, PO Box 311, Fishkill, NY 12524. Volunteers are also encouraged to get involved in a range of research activities and events held throughout the year.

Letters advocating permanent protection of the historic lands of the Fishkill Supply Depot can either be mailed to: Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot at the address above or e-mailed to info@fishkillsupplydepot.org.

Resources
Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot

The Dutchess Historian

Hudson Valley Times Article

USA Today Article

Senator Charles E. Schumer Press Release

Baumann Photography

About the Author:
Mara Farrell is co-founder of the historic preservation advocacy group, Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot, and owner of Mara Farrell Communications based in Beacon, New York.

http://tclf.org/landslides/fishkill-supply-depot-threatened

Link contains pictures.

3/9/2011 Fishkill Town Board Meeting

2011-03-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Meeting began with a moment of silence for retired Legislator Ballo who passed away last week.

Big news was the Consent Orders/Judgements that will result in lower taxes for the following properties.

RPA Associates
Stadium Plaza
Chelsea Waterfront
Wingate
Wachovia

We will not know the chargeback to Fishkill until November. These properties bring alot of tax dollars in.

The Town will be taking possesion on the Wal-Mart pumping station. What's unique about this. Is that the electric service is on the same panel as the traffic lights.

Also, it was mentioned that Villages are allowed to use the old level election machines.

Deputy Supervisor Ferguson writes letter to PJ claiming Stimulus was not used for Rombout Sewer project on Rt.9D

2011-02-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

Letter misstates sewer project facts

I am writing in response to a recent letter, "Hayworth business policies strike out" (Feb. 16). In his letter, Mr. Albra stated; " ... the stimulus saved Fishkill taxpayers more than $700,000 in financing for the Rombout sewer project along Route 9, according to Republican Supervisor Joan Pagones."

As usual, Mr. Albra was wrong.

1. Supervisor Joan Pagones never said anything about the stimulus in regard to the Rombout sewer project.

2. The Rombout sewer project was financed through the state of New York Environmental Facilities Corporation, which provided a low interest loan through private financing at less than 1 percent interest. Because of the hard work of our supervisor and comptroller in concert with our consulting firms, we were able to submit a very competitive plan that resulted in the EFC providing funding for our project.

3. Only those residents who are served by the Rombout sewer district will be responsible to pay off the loan.

4. The Town of Fishkill received no stimulus money for the Rombout sewer project.

What did save the Rombout sewer district taxpayers many dollars was the use of a Project Labor Agreement to build the project. The project came in ahead of schedule and under budget, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars.

Steven V. Ferguson

Deputy Supervisor, Town of Fishkill

Town of Fishkill

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Here are the facts:

From official Town of Fishkill Board Meetings minutes of March 25, 2009. That were compiled by the Town Clerk.

This is what the Town Attorney said, prior to the vote to apply for the Stimulus.

Ronald Blass stated that Rombout Sewer District construction of the new treatment plant, this is all a DIRECT FUNCTION of the federal STIMULUS MONIES and is hoped that the projected monies will trickle down to the EFC and down to Fishkill.

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoa ... inutes.pdf

Stimulus voted for on 3-25-2009 by Fishkill Town Board

Application signed on 3-31-2009 by Supervisor Pagones

Application received by EFC on 4-6-2009

Quote from Ferguson

"What did save the Rombout sewer district taxpayers many dollars was the use of a Project Labor Agreement to build the project. The project came in ahead of schedule and under budget, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars."

The original bond was for $11.914 M the new one was for $12.754 M. That is a additional $840,000.

Just think, Ferguson who admitted to "robbing Peter to pay Paul", and who has Fishkill in record debt. Is now the Conservative Party representative in Fishkill.

LaColla announces town supervisor bid

2011-02-24T21:34:00.001-08:00

FISHKILL – Fishkill Town Councilman Robert LaColla Thursday announced that he would seek the town Republican Committee’s nomination to run for town supervisor this fall.

LaColla said he believes he can “correct our current fiscal problems and stabilize the Town of Fishkill’s finances as we move into 2012.” He pointed to the state comptroller’s report last year which was critical of the town’s finances.

He could wind up in a primary fight as current Town Supervisor Joan Pagones, a fellow Republican, is expected to seek re-election.

LaColla is the owner of a construction services company.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/February/24/LaColla_supv-24Feb11.htm

Officials: Fishkill saves $68,000 by switching insurance carriers

2011-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Susan Campriello • Poughkeepsie Journal • February 16, 2011

FISHKILL — A change in insurance carrier has saved the town $68,000, town officials say.

The town approved new coverage through New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal that will cost $175,000 in 2011, according to Supervisor Joan Pagones and Comptroller Robert Wheeling. The premium for coverage provided in 2010 by the Spain Agency, Inc., cost about $243,000, Wheeling said.

"Like any smart consumer, we carefully checked out the market to find the best deal," Pagones said.

Coverage includes liability, insurance and commercial insurance, as well as insurance on town buildings and vehicles, she said.

Wheeling said the plan this year includes the town's new sewage treatment plant while previous plans didn't, and adding the new coverage will still cost the town less money.

"It's probably better coverage," he said.

Wheeling said the town's premium in 2009 was $241,706 and in 2008 was $221,090.

The Wladis Law Firm, of Syracuse, assessed four coverage quotes the town received last year, Pagones said.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more go the papers website, www.poughkeepsiejournal.com or subscribe to the paper as I do.

NOTE: Previous Councilpersons wanted to save money in the past, but were blocked. The last carrier was a Supervisor Pagones political contributor.

Fishkill appoints new town, village judges

2011-02-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Susan Campriello • Poughkeepsie Journal • February 13, 2011

FISHKILL — The town and the village have new judges.

Robert Rahemba and Michael Boyajian have been appointed as judges in the town and the village, respectively.

The Town Board named Rahemba to Fishkill Justice Court and the village Board of Trustees tapped Boyajian as acting Fishkill Village justice.

Rahemba, 63, an attorney, said he sometimes dreamed of becoming a judge but never thought it would happen. Rahemba's 30-year career as an attorney has brought him before judges in several towns, but he heard his first cases as a judge last week.

"I'm trying to be fair, just and compassionate," he said.

Rahemba will fill out the term of judge Francois Cross, who died in December 2010, that will lapse at the end of the year.

Rahemba, a Republican, said he will seek a nomination to run in November for his own four-year term on the bench. He previously served on the town's planning board.

Boyajian, 52, is no stranger to the judicial process. His career includes time as an administrative law judge for the state Division of Human Rights, the state Unemployment and the state Employment Relations Board. He has also worked as a law clerk in Kings County Supreme Court and as an attorney.

"I have a very strong judicial background," he said.

Boyajian replaces Dutchess County Judge Stephen Greller, who was elected to the Dutchess County Court in November.

He will take the bench in mid-March and serve until the village's June reorganization meeting.

The former candidate for village trustee resigned as president of the Fishkill Democratic Committee upon his appointment.

Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more local news, subscribe to the paper as I do.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110213/NEWS05/102130366/Fishkill-appoints-new-town-village-judges?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:fadb9d31-24de-440d-a2bf-69e865f81a77

Congradulations to our new Justices!!!

Fishkill Woman to recieve Martha Washington Woman of History Award

2011-02-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Newburgh, NY … February 3, 2011) Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site announced that this year’s recipient of the Martha Washington Woman of History Award is community activist, Mara Farrell.

Ms. Farrell, owner of Mara Farrell Communications, a Beacon-based public relations and marketing firm, was the co-founder of the historic preservation advocacy group, Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot. The non-profit advocacy organization is committed to permanent preservation, stringent archeological review, and protection of the historic lands comprising the Fishkill Supply Depot, which is listed on the National Register. At present, she is a Senior Advisory Board Member of the same organization, actively involved in the major preservation initiatives of those lands, located within the Hudson Highlands ecosystem. Ms. Farrell is working on a master site plan entitled “Fishkill Living Historic Park” that would honor the Hudson Valley and its strategic importance during the Revolutionary War, while also paying homage to the heritage of Native Americans in the area.

The Depot, constructed by troops in 1776 under General George Washington’s orders, was used for munitions and war supply storage and as a camp, hospital, and ultimately, a burial ground. It was in use for seven years as a point of defense for the northern armies.

Funded by the Continental Congress, it matured into the central and most extensive northern logistical center for munitions and distribution, serving simultaneously as a medical complex, prison facility and residence for military officers and thousands of soldiers during the Revolutionary War. General Washington acknowledged he couldn’t have defeated the British without it.

Through archeological testing, hundreds of Continental Army soldiers’ remains have been discovered. According to Ms. Farrell, “It is New York’s Valley Forge.”

The Depot also served as a location for highly skilled artisans to produce their wares throughout the duration of the Revolutionary War. Ms. Farrell was motivated to save the last remaining twenty acres from the original seventy, after they were used for non-historical purposes, such as the building of the Dutchess Mall and a Hess gasoline station. Ms. Farrell, feeling the hallowed ground needed an advocate, successfully undertook the task.

In May, 2009, Ms. Farrell was the recipient of the United State Congressional Certificate of Recognition. July, 2009, Ms. Farrell testified before the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks on behalf of legislation to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program. In December of the same year, Hudson Valley Magazine profiled her as a 2010 “Person to Watch.”

In June 2011, Ms. Farrell will be presenting a paper on the land preservation initiatives and the recent archeological discovery of the Fishkill Supply Depot’s Continental Army burial complex at the Conference on New York State History in Cooperstown.

The presentation of the “Martha Washington Woman of History Award” will take place on March 26th at Washington’s Headquarters, during their Woman’s History Month program, “The General’s Lady.” The public is welcome to attend the program, starting at 1:00 PM. For further details or directions, call 845-562-1195.

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site is a registered national historic landmark. It is located at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets within the city of Newburgh’s East End Historic District. The site is one of 35 historic sites within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is one of 24 facilities administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in New York and New Jersey. For further information contact: (845) 562-1195. For more information about New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.nysparks. com.

MARA FARRELL

www.marafarrell.com

Beacon cites unplowed Fishkill roads for Thursday school closing

2011-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

Susan Campriello Poughkeepsie Journal• February 1, 2011

BEACON — The city's school district says school was canceled Thursday because Fishkill roads weren't plowed in time for school, despite an initial two-hour delay for classes.

The town Highway Department says the district jumped the gun in closing school and that the roads were plowed Thursday morning.

Beacon schools closed Thursday based on the condition of some roads at 7 a.m. A two-hour delay was called earlier in the morning, and roads were reassessed at 7 a.m.

Later that day, a letter from Superintendent Fern Aefsky explaining the closure was posted on the district's website. It said roads in Fishkill, including Chase Drive, where Glenham Elementary School is, were not plowed by 7 a.m.

"At 7 a.m. there was some concern with roads not plowed," said Charles Symon, Beacon City School District's assistant superintendent of media and operations.

Fishkill Highway Superintendent Glenn Scofield said each of the roughly 14 members of the Highway and Parks departments' staff who plow or sand roads follows a specific route and clears the more major roads and streets in the town's higher elevations before moving on to other roads.

As for Thursday, Scofield said a plow driver reached Chase Drive along his route at 7:06 a.m. He said the district might have "jumped the gun" by blaming that road's condition for the closure, adding that the road was clear more than two hours before the school would have opened that day.

Symon said the letter wasn't written to blame the town but to explain to inquiring parents why schools were closed. Roads must be passable when busing begins, roughly 60 to 90 minutes before the start of the school day, he said.

District buses carry both students at Beacon schools and at parochial schools in the area, he said, adding that Beacon's schedule could be affected if one of the nondistrict schools closes or opens late.

"Anything can break that opening," he said.
Reach Susan Campriello at scapriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more, go to the Poughkeepsiejournal.com or buy a copy at your local store.

Texaco Research Center in Glenham faces uncertain future

2011-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Craig Wolf • Poughkeepsie Journal • January 30, 2011

GLENHAM — The former Texaco Research Center here stands as it has for years, empty and full of old buildings.

Work had ceased in 2003. The owner, Chevron, plans to demolish most or all of the buildings so the site can be used for something else.

But it's been slow going. Some work has been done, but a project to hire demolition contractors hit a snag when litigation came up, said Mark Hendrickson, project manager for Chevron's Environmental Management Company.

"We were working diligently to complete what we said we were going to do," Hendrickson said. "We feel sad that last year the work didn't get done."

A new round of bidding is close, and Hendrickson hopes that contracts can be awarded within the first quarter for the removal of the buildings. Actual work would follow in the second quarter, he said, including asbestos removal, and then building removal.

Chevron's Environmental Management Company is in the process of assessing the environmental condition of the property and planning and permitting. To do it right, the buildings have to be taken down. Then, the plan is to drill through the ground slabs and see if pollution exists under them.

Eventually, the slabs, too, will go. Asked if all buildings will be demolished, Hendrickson said, "It may not be eventually all, but it will certainly be the large majority of the buildings."

Chevron is evaluating whether there might be any uses for specific buildings among dozens that would merit saving for future use.

"I think the ultimate end will be that we will sell the property, but as of now, we have no plans on what the ultimate use will be," he said.

Part of that answer depends on whether the site can be cleaned of pollution. Under state standards, varying degrees of remediation are required, depending on the type of use. For example, going back to industry would be less demanding than creating a housing development.

The Fishkill Town Board has long desired that the 90 acres on the south side of the Fishkill Creek, known as the recreation area, become a town park. That area is among those to be assessed, Hendrickson said.

Texaco did two previous cleanups at that site.

All of the work must be done under the eye of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Chevron has started forming a local community advisory panel, according to Stan Luckoski, a spokesman for the company. The members are a cross section of people from the Fishkill area.

"The purpose of the group is to understand issues and concerns people may have about the site and encourage communication between Chevron and the community," and it will meet again in March, he said.

Deborah Davidovits, who lives near the site and is a member of the Friends of Glenham group, said she has two concerns. One is about the present activity, the cleanup, and "whether they are going to do it in a way that's safe and considerate." The other is for the long term reuse of the land, "where we want to have a lot of input on what's going to be built on the site."

She favors the park idea for the old recreation area.

"The whole town, the entire region, is quite concerned as to its future," said Willa Skinner, a Fishkill resident who is the town historian.

While the future of the site is far from clear, its history remains an example of the rise and fall of industry in business cycles.

It was the geography of the area that led to its commercialization, Skinner said. The Fishkill Creek borders the site and had a natural waterfall. When a dam was built, water power was handy and the flat plain bordering the creek offered space for building mills.

"Glenham did have a heyday with the start of the Industrial Revolution," Skinner said. "The mills attracted hundreds of workers and immigrant laborers."

The Glenham Woollen Mill was started in 1823.

"It was the biggest source of employment in the town during the Civil War," she said. The factory made indigo blue wool cloth that went into the making of the uniforms worn by Union soldiers.

The mills lasted until the Panic of 1873 swept the nation , part of a global depression, and the mills failed.

A few years later, A.T. Stewart, who owned an emporium in New York that later became Wanamaker's, bought the mill property at auction and restarted the woollens business. He also began a carpet mill downstream in Groveville, now part of Beacon. Stewart died, and his heirs continued the business through 1890, when it failed again, Skinner said.

The buildings fell into decay and the site was quiet until The Texas Co. came to town and bought it in 1931. The company, born out of the discovery of oil gushers in Texas in 1901, eventually moved its headquarters to New York and set up a research center in Glenham.

The company later became known as Texaco. The Glenham labs at one time had as many as 1,100 employees, Skinner said.

The 1990s brought a period of shrinkage. Chevron acquired Texaco in 2001. The site closed in 2003.

Chevron maintans a website with further information at www.texacobeaconinfo.com.

Craig Wolf at cwolf@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4815.

Beacon City School District blames Town of Fishkill for Snow Day

2011-01-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Determination of School Delays and Closings

January 27, 2011

Dear School Community,

It has been a very snowy and cold January. Questions have been posed regarding how school delays and closings are determined.

On days there is snow or weather-related concerns, our Director of Transportation and Assistant Superintendent for Media and Operations are on the roads between 3:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., communicating with the City of Beacon, Town of Fishkill and neighboring school officials. They report the information to the Superintendent between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. When there is a chance we can open, a two hour delay is called, and within the next hour or so, the determination is made whether schools can be opened based on road conditions in the entire district.

In order for us to open, our busses need to be able to pick up all students in the district who receive transportation, and our students who walk to school (determined by district policy and mileage from home to school) must be able to get to all schools safely. There are times when some roads are very clear, and others are not passable.

Our goal is to have school in session everyday, but weather conditions sometimes interfere with our ability to ensure student safety. Today, for example, the Town of Fishkill did not plow roads, including Chase Drive (Glenham School), for the first time until after 7 a.m. Side roads were not clear enough for our busses to get through in Fishkill.

Please contact my office at 838-6900 ext. 2010 if any additional information would be helpful.

Dr. Fern Aefsky

Superintendent of Schools

http://beaconcityk12.org/news.cfm?story=16520&school=0

Fishkill saves $68,000 with new insurance plan

2011-01-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

FISHKILL – The Town of Fishkill has signed up with a new municipal insurance plan and cut $68,000 off its annual bill.

As all municipalities continue to tighten their belts, Supervisor Joan Pagones said the town reduced this cost substantially.

The premium was $243,000, which has been reduced to $175,000 this year. “It’s not business as usual,” she said.

The town has gone with New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, a non-profit statewide property and casualty insurance program for local governments in the state.

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/January/28/TFish_ins_save-28Jan11.html

NOTE: Prior Councilpersons wished to save money on insurance. It was blocked by Supervisor Pagones many times.

Last year, the owner of the local insurance company, which sold us the insurance died, and so did the campaign contributions to Pagones.

Fishkill tax payers could have been saving this money for years.

Chevron-Texaco Up-Date

2011-01-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

Neighbor:

The purpose of this letter is to update you about activities under way at the former Texaco Beacon Research Center located in Fishkill, NY.

As you may recall, as part of the ongoing environmental remediation work at the site, Chevron (which acquired Texaco in 2001) was to begin removing buildings this year. Regretfully, that work did not happen because of unexpected contractor issues.

Chevron currently is in the process of re-bidding the work. We expect to select a qualified contractor by the end of the first quarter of 2011 and for the building removal process starting with asbestos abatement in site buildings to begin in the second quarter of 2011. In advance of work startup, we plan to host an informal Open House and Public Information Session to discuss the project and answer questions. A meeting announcement will be distributed once the meeting date and time have been arranged.

This delay will not affect the timing of any possible future development. Chevron is working through the site closure process required by state and federal regulatory agencies. That process is expected to continue for several years beyond the building-removal stage.

We did make progress in 2010 with respect to the broader environmental work plan as well as other activities at the site. Highlights included:
Five wells were installed to assess the potential for contamination on the property to migrate toward the southwest section of the Beacon facility and confirmed no off-site contamination issues.
Site-wide sampling of 74 groundwater monitoring wells indicated a general decrease of volatile organic compounds since the last sampling event in 2008.
Chevron acquired the Potter Brothers property to create one contiguous property to enhance future development.
As a reminder, Chevron has established a website (www.texacobeaconinfo.com) to keep interested parties apprised of our progress and specific developments as they occur. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at (713) 432-2634 or by e-mail at Mhendrickson@chevron.com.

In closing, let me extend to you best wishes for a happy and safe 2011.

Sincerely,

Mark Hendrickson
Project Manager, Chevron

Fishkill environmental board needs 2 new members

2011-01-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

If you are pro-development and anti-enviornment, give Supervisor Pagones a call, she needs a few new members to help her finish developing the town.

FISHKILL — The Town of Fishkill is seeking two new members to round out its Environmental Advisory Board.

The volunteer panel advises the Town Board and Planning Board on land preservation, open space and other issues affecting the town's natural resources, Chairman Bob Hoose said.

Supervisor Joan A. Pagones said the board has served as an "effective watchdog" for the town. "But we really need a full complement of nine members to continue that effectiveness."

The board currently has seven members.

Meetings, which members must attend, are held the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m. in the police community room, 801 Route 52. The police facility is next door to Fishkill Town Hall.

Residents interested in serving should contact the supervisor's office at Town Hall, 807 Route 52. The phone number is 831-7800, ext. 3318.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110110/NEWS01/101090364/1001/NEWS/Fishkill-environmental-board-needs-2-new-members

January 5th, 2011 Fishkill Re-Organization Meeting

2011-01-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/pdfs/TownBoardAgendas/2011Agendas/01-05-11%20TB%20Agenda.pdf

The 5th was Fishkill's re-organization meeting. This is the yearly meeting where professional services are hired by the town for the year.

The town went to Spain Insurance for it's coverage after many years of service with Brinkerhoff Insurance. The savings is $60,000 yearly. Mr. Brinkerhoff passed away last year at a early age.

Councilman LaColla was involved in a spirited debate over the re-newal of the Wladis Law Firm. http://wladislawfirm.com/ The law firm stated that it saved the town $600,000, after the town spent $400,000 on it's services. LaColla mentioned that a application was pulled by the town, which was re-submitted by Wladis, for the Rombout Sewer District. LaColla indicated that the town was going to recieve the grant without Wladis assistance. LaColla and Councilman Callahan voted no on the re-hiring.

Councilman LaColla then requested that the town hold it's meeting in the evening so resident's could attend, as Fishkill is the only local in Dutchess that holds it's meetings in the morning. Supervisor Pagones shot that idea down.

Deputy Supervisor Ferguson Face Books Municipal Finance advise

2010-12-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

The following was found on Face Book.

Steve Ferguson

It appears, based on recent comments in the Local newspapers and at Town Board meetings, regarding town board action on financial matters that there are others in the Town of Fishkill that have attended the Ozem Albra school of municipal finance.

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WOW, I quess Ferguson forgot that under his leadership. Fishkill is at least $5M in debt.

For those that do not know, I am debt free and never spent more than I have.

I can balance a checkbook, it is clear that the Town of Fishkill's Finance Committee, consisting of Supervisor Pagones, Councilwoman Malvarosa and Ferguson can not.

Pagones approves NYS Comptroller Audit Cap plan 5 weeks late

2010-12-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

At today's Fishkill Town Board meeting. The board by a 3-2 margin. Approved of the NYS Comptroller Audit Corrective Action Plan. Which was submitted on November 18, 2010. Yes votes were, Pagones, Malvarosa and Ferguson. No, were LaColla and Callahan.

Other meeting notes:

Overlook Point Lighting District was formed serving 260 new housing units.

The Lower Melzingah Dam at Dutchess Junction will be breached.

Acorn Merritt Storage recieved a 1 million assessment reduction. There are also 40 Cert cases on deck.

The police are going to lease 3 new cars at a cost of 24K each. At the end of the lease the purchase price is one buck. Good job PD.

The town will also be saving 65K in insurance. It appears that Pagones will
begin saving such money in her 20th year. Imagine the savings if she began earlier.

Amid questions, Fishkill renews $1.8M tax note, with approval for $4M

2010-12-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

Southern Dutchess News

By Kristine Coulter Staff Writer

Fishkill- In a three to two vote the Town of Fishkill town board voted to renew a $1.8 million tax anticipation note (TAN) at it's Wednesday, December 15 meeting.

"This could be compared to a line of credit," stated Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones, before the vote took place.

Councilman Bob LaColla stated, "I personally would like more time to review [the matter] because of all the implications."

Pagones responded that the note must be renewed.

"What happens if this does not get that (a super majority of the board's vote)?" asked LaColla.

"I believe we pay our interest and go from there," responded Pagones.

The matter was necessary, said Pagones, because tax revenues for 2011 would not be recieved until early February and the town has bills to pay.

"We feel this is necessary today. We're going to go ahead," said Pagones.

Pagones, Councilman Steve Ferguson ans Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa approved the renewal. LaColla and Councilman Callahan voted against the renewal.

"All [the town's] money doesn't come in, in the calender year," Fishkill Town Comptroller Robert Wheeling said recently.

"It's really a cash flow tool, it's not a financial tool," he said.

The tax anticipation note is addressed in the town's five-year plan, he said. The five-year plan was presented at meetings held by town officials in the fall, to explain how they would deal with the town's current financial situation. Moody's, the leading provider of credit ratings, research and risk analysis, downgraded Fishkill's bond rating from Baa3 from A1, which means "protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable." Earlier this year, the New York State Comptroller's Office released the results of an audit conducted on the town. No wrongdoing was found, but the Comptrollers Office was critical of the town for not balancing the town's budget every year. The office was also critical of the millions of dollars in deficit the town has.

Wheeling said the $1.8 million and interest is part of the five-year plan.

"We've also talked to the bank. They had no problem with it." said Wheeling.

Resident Lex Harvey attended the meeting.

"The approval of the renewal of the note itself I can understand, due to the horrific state of the Town of Fishkill's finances. I think the wording of the resolution sets up the town for even more disasterous result(s), namely unlimited borrowing by a single individual with absolutely no oversight whatsoever," remarked harvey.

Ferguson said there are some who ask why the supervisor has the power to control all of this. He said Pagones is in town hall on a daily basis and "that's her job, that's her role." The town board members, he said, are part-time at the town hall.

"The sole reason for having a town board, as I understand it, is to make sure we have more than one person making the decisions, and to keep one person from having too much power," stated Harvey. He said he commended Callahan and LaColla, "who stood up for the residents of Fishkill" and added he was disapointed in Ferguson and Malvarosa for their votes. Harvey said he would have liked the vote to have been delayed and asked "If we didn't pay it back in 2010, what makes us think they can pay it back in 2011 when the economy is still in a state of uncertainty?"

The $1.8 million the town borrowed, though the town has authorization for $4 million, "gives us the flexabilty to pay bills that would have been late," said Ferguson.

LaColla said he fears the measure would allow debt to be issued without the public's knowledge or input.

"Today we have moved our our current debt from one virtual 'credit card' to another," said LaColla. He added the funds that pay for "these debts" should be used to pay for taxpayer services.

The way the resolution was written, said Wheeling, "this way it's set. We can do it until we pay it off." He emphasized the $1.8 million, and the interest, is in and is one part of the five year plan.

Fishkill Supervisor allowed to borrow $4M without oversight.

2010-12-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

This weeks Southern Dutchess News has a front page article regarding Fishkill bonds. The reporter stated that the bond limit was $4M, that Supervisor Pagones could borrow without oversight.

Councilman Ferguson is quoted as saying, they gave her the power since she is full-time and is town hall every day.

No mention on how Pagones has us at least $5M in debt.

Fishkill supervisor authorized to issue tax notes; critics cite lack of oversight

2010-12-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

Susan Campriello • Poughkeepsie Journal • December 16, 2010

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20101216/NEWS01/12160342/Fishkill-supervisor-authorized-to-issue-tax-notes-critics-cite-lack-of-oversight

FISHKILL — Some residents are concerned that a resolution passed by the Town Board authorizing the supervisor to sell and issue tax anticipation notes without board approval gives the official too much power.

The board approved the measure, which lasts 10 years, in a 3-2 vote during a meeting Wednesday.

"All it does is have an option to borrow money between tax seasons," Supervisor Joan Pagones said.

Councilman Steve Ferguson, who voted for the resolution along with Pagones and Councilwoman Heather Malvarosa, said the measure made sense because the supervisor is the only board member who's in the town office on a daily basis. The supervisor is also the town's budget officer and chief financial officer.

Resident Lex Harvey said he would have liked it if the public had been allowed to comment on the issue. He also noted that questions Councilman Bob LaColla tried to ask about payments toward retiring a $1.8 million debt during the meeting were not taken up either.

"I'm very concerned," Harvey said. "The best way to do things is to do them out in the open."

The resolution gives the supervisor a carte blanche, he said, and all liability would be on the supervisor, rather than spread across the board, if something were to go wrong with a note.

Pagones said the town is paying interest toward the debt, which will be retired after the town collects an anticipated $1.4 million in taxes early next year.

LaColla, who voted against the measure along with Councilman Brian Callahan, fears it will allow the town to issue debt without public knowledge or board oversight.

"I find the majority decision to ignore our sworn duty by handing the supervisor a blank check completely irresponsible," LaColla said.
Reach Susan Campriello atscampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more Fishkill news, go the website and subscribe to the paper.

Pagones passes $1.8 M bond extension and further stifles debate

2010-12-15T11:03:00.001-08:00

On December 15, 2010, Supervisor Pagones held a Special town board meeting. That Fishkill residents should be aware of. Pagones introduced a resolution. That extended a $1.8 Million Bond into 2011. This bond was to be paid off in 2010. Instead, that bond will be renewed and it accounts for about 20% of Fishkill’s 2011 budget. The interest on this bond is $65,000 per year according to the Fishkill Comptroller.

At the budget meeting last month, which I attended. The Fishkill Comptroller indicated that if we did not extend the bond. Fishkill taxpayer’s would be hit with a additional 45% Tax Rate increase, to go along with the 14% tax increase for 2011. For Fishkill residents, the financial news grows worse. Earlier in the year, Moody’s Investors downgraded the town, to just above junk bond status and just a few months ago. The NYS Comptroller determined that Fishkill was running a $4.9 million deficit.

While the press has requested openness and the administration said it would be. The Pagones Administration continues to stifle debate. Councilman LaColla attempted to ask questions, but was shut down using procedural moves. Additionally, the publics right to address the board was further diminished. Until 2004, the public was allowed to ask ‘any’ questions toward the board. In 2004, Pagones changed the law for questions available only for “Agenda items“. At this meeting, Pagones further restricted free speech, by not allowing any Agenda questions. Thus, no citizen was able to speak about the $1.8 million bond.

Senior Center News

2010-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

According to reliable inside sources. The Town of Fishkill Senior Center will be short around $30,000 this month. This will have significant impact as Fishkill is already broke and all revenue is needed to pay bills.

Also note that the Senior Center was bonded out for $3.6 million. So far it has been paid for using development fees, called the Parkland Trust Fund. According to the Fishkill Comptroller, there is about 2 years left of payments in that trust. As development dwindles in Fishkill, it appears that Fishkill Fishkill residents will be on the hook for those payments very soon.

Note: Fishkill's energy bills have went from $150,000 to $300,000. This is clearly in part of the new Senior Center. It was built to use electric for heating and cooling. There is also no back up generators, and cannot be used for a emergency shelter. This was built using bad planning.

Just think of all the money that could have been saved using Geo-Thermal energy.

Environmental officers tour Rombout sewer plant

2010-11-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

By Kristine Coulter

Staff Writer Southern Dutchess News

FISHKILL — Officials from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) made a presentation to approximately 80 people at the Fishkill Town Hall recently. Officials from EFC and the town then toured the Rombout Sewer plant.
"I kind of have a sympathetic ear for people on the local level," stated Matthew Driscoll, EFC President and CEO. Driscoll was the mayor of Syracuse.
"I want my folks to see the challenges that people face," he said.
The NYS EFC has a triple A bond rating, remarked Driscoll. It was announced EFC will begin accepting applications to its 2010 Green Innovation Grant Program, which will offer $15 million to municipalities, non-profit organizations and businesses that wish to implement progressive water conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental projects.
Driscoll emphasized that EFC is looking for green projects to aid.
"It seems like many times over the years," said Driscoll, towns that have not maintained their water infrastructure plants have been rewarded compared to those that do take care of their facilities.
He asked those in attendance, "Are you charging enough for your water and sewer rates for the loan?" then added "from where I stand we need to consider that."
According to EFC release, last year the Corporation established the Green Innovation Grant Program. That fulfills its "green" building requirements, which are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, complies with the Clean Water Act and the State Revolving Fund criteria. In 2009, the EFC received approximately $460 million in grant requests.
The Rombout Sewer plant, which cost approximately $13 million, was called "state of the art" by Driscoll. The facility replaced a 25-year- old one that was showing signs of corrosions.
The Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP), stated Suzanna Randall, can be applied for by school districts, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, partnerships, not-for-profits and associations.
The number one item on the evaluation criteria, explained Randall, is "water quality."
Last year, said Driscoll, the EFC had money to use from the stimulus, this year it does not. Forty-nine of the 295 applications received last year were funded, he said.
The words "shovel ready," as in shovel ready projects, which were touted last year, are not being used this year in the process, said Randall.
"Our project was a big project," stated Supervisor Joan Pagones. She went on to say it was the partnership with EFC that made the project happen.
"At the end of the day you have to persevere. You can get it done," said Pagones and called EFC a success story.
_________________________________________________________________________
Just think, Pagones was a speaker at the Tea Party at Dutchess Stadium. There she hammered the President over the stimulus. The EFC is in part stimulus money.

http://www.nysefc.org/home/index.asp

FYI: Driscoll is the former Mayor of Syracuse, the same place where the Wladis Law firm is. Stay tuned for more.

Fishkill 2011 Budget voted on 11/6/2010

2010-11-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

On November 6th, 2011, I attended the Fishkill town board meeting regarding the 2011 budget. I believe the following should interest Fishkill taxpayers. The Tax Rate increased from 1.26 for 2010 to 1.44 for 2011. A overall Tax Rate increase of 14.87% and a overall 45% Tax Rate increase for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Based on lower assessments, Fishkill claims it to be a Actual Value increase of 9.89%. Note that Fishkill used the Tax Rate, to claim tax decreases from 1997-2007.

Fishkill continues to transfer funds from water, sewer and lighting districts to the General Funds, to balance the budget. The Comptroller stated that the money owed to those districts is $3.3 million. The NYS Comptroller, in it's audit. Recomends against such practice. As Fishkill is unable to repay such funds, within the fiscal year as required.

Most important, is that Fishkill will continue to use Bond Anticipation Notes to balance the budget. For next year Fishkill will bond out $1.8 million, which is about 20% of Fishkill's 2011 budget. The interest on this, will add to the deficit, the amount of $66,000 a year. This also does not include the percent that is loaned from the above special districts. Thus, the percent loaned and or borrowed to balance the 2011 budget is greater that 20%. Councilman LaColla, indicated that the BAN may have to go up another million to $2.8 million.

I asked the Comptroller what the Tax Rate increase would be without the $1.8 million bond and he stated 45%.

Vote: Supervisor Pagones, Councilman Ferguson and Councilwoman Malvorosa YES. Councilman LaColla NO, Councilman Callahan excused for funeral.

As a side note, Judge Pagones, led a large clapping cheer in support of his wife, Supervisor Pagones. This is contrary to the law created by Supervisor Pagones, that makes clapping illegal at town board meetings.

Recent decisions in Fishkill "chilling" November 3, 2010

2010-11-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

Letter published in todays Southern Dutchess News

Last week the paper covered two very important stories in Fishkill. The first was the front page story about how Supervisor Pagones passed a resolution thjat makes it harder for a councilperson to place a item on the agenda. At the meeting, which I attended, Pagones clearly showed her displeasure when a councilman dared to question how $320,000 of taxpayer money was spent, in regard to payments made to a Syracuse law firm. For those that don't know, that firm was hired to apply for grants to cover the massive debt in Fishkill. As of now, not one grant has been recieved due to his work, during a nine month period. As we all know, Fishkill is at least $4.9 million in debt. Highway equipment has broken down. Police cars are running well over 100,000 miles and basic needs such as road flares and paper products are lacking. But Pagones found $320,000 to pay lawyers up front, while town employees and residents are left with scraps. Pagones also indicated that the rule was put in place to prevent a filibuster. Well, why would you need that rule when the board is 5-0 Republican? We all know the reason and it's truly "chilling."

The next story, on page two, was about the budget. In that story, Pagones created a "finance committee," consiting of herself and councilpersons Malvarosa and Ferguson, the same exact people that that put us $4.9 million in debt. This is contrary to law, which requires a public meeting if a "quorum" is met. In this case three out of the five board members present. But as Fishkill residents know, rules never stopped Pagones from doing what she wants.

The Deadly Mystery of the Disappearing Fishkill Bog Turtle

2010-11-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

posted by judgeboyajian
Wed, 11/03/2010 - 2:51pm
The Town of Fishkill is suffering from diminishing open space as developers take the back hoe to woodland after woodland across the region even threatening at one point to pave over the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers. In fact, development has destroyed precious animal habitat in Fishkill to such an extent that starving wild animals are showing up at the back doors of homes in search of food.

Now a mystery has arisen from some time ago whereas a thriving population of bog turtles has disappeared from their wetlands marked for development off Rt. 9 near a tire company. Two Environmental Protection Agency scientists who lived in the area reported that there was a thriving healthy colony of the bog turtles there but they suddenly disappeared in an “unnatural” fashion.

The pretty turtles have a brown shell with yellow or orange spots on their necks and an orange red splash on their bodies. They are four inches in length resembling those found in pet shops but with one major distinction. The bog turtles are on the Endangered Species List viewed as threatened on the Federal level and are also found on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s protected list. According to DEC there are but 74 bog turtle locations in the state but only a quarter of them currently support populations.

It is hard to say what has happened to the turtles off Rt. 9 but one thing is for sure they are very susceptible to “pesticide runoff, industrial discharge” and other poisonous agents that enter the wetlands where they are found. Over development which divides bog turtle habitats causes extreme population crashes.

Were the bog turtles the victims of foul play? It’s unsure but one DEC worker has said don’t think for a minute that “a property owner will not push an eagle’s nest out of a tree” if it suits their purposes. Let alone wipe out a peaceful colony of little turtles.

The turtles have also been victimized by poachers indicating that it is easy to catch and remove them if someone wanted to get rid of all traces of them. These tiny creatures live 30 to 50 years if undisturbed.

The problem now is that the Town of Fishkill turns a blind eye towards the actions of developers and that there does not seem to be a champion for the turtles. They are also said to have disappeared from a half dozen other sites in the town that have been developed reducing the active statewide population.

But perhaps those that live at other undisclosed locations can be saved and the perpetrators of the lost Rt. 9 colony brought to justice. Anyone with information about the disappearance of these turtle should contact DEC. Perhaps the commercial activity in the area should be re-evaluated to determine its impact on the habitant and a consideration should be made to reestablish the lost colony of bog turtles.

End

http://www.r8ny.com/comment/reply/154798

Altered meeting rules anger Fishkill residents

2010-10-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Susan Campriello • Poughkeepsie Journal • October 24, 2010

FISHKILL — New meeting rules in the Town of Fishkill are being likened to those of a dictatorship and not of a democracy. The rules, which limit how a meeting agenda is set and prohibit public debate during town board meetings, were enacted by a recent board vote of 3 to 2.

Councilman Brian Callahan, who along with Councilman Bob LaColla cast a dissenting vote, said he was "flabbergasted" to see a resolution that he said makes the town less transparent.

"It's not a democracy, it's a dictatorship," he said.

The rules state board members may speak only twice on an issue unless a board majority allows further debate, the supervisor and clerk set meeting agendas, and items can only be added during a meeting through a board majority vote. Also, the public may speak only about agenda items and may not boo, clap or otherwise disrupt meetings upon penalty of possible ejection by the supervisor.

Supervisor Joan Pagones said the rules prevent a filibuster by barring members from taking a recess or referring an item to committee during a debate. She said the rules were patterned after ones in decorum manuals and by the Association of Towns of the State of New York.

Callahan fears a board majority could block issues from being discussed in public, saying some matters he's hoped to address have been omitted from past calendars. He said limiting the ways items may be added to a docket impedes public input in the town's overall agenda.

"The people should have a voice," he said. "We shouldn't be stifling them."

Callahan said the town should address its budget and deficit rather than meeting decorum, but Councilman Steve Ferguson said established rules became necessary after a particularly rowdy meeting this summer and a newly elected board member offered an agenda item during a different meeting. Ferguson said he was "disturbed" by his colleague's action, which left no time for him to consider the item before discussing it publicly.

"I thought it would be a good idea to make (the rules) very clear," he said.

Ferguson, Pagones and Councilwoman Healther Malvarosa voted to approve the rules.

Lori Mithen, counsel to the Association of Towns, said municipalities can establish rules so long as they comply with state regulations and the open meetings law. That law gives members of the public the right to attend a meeting but not to speak, she said.

But Fishkill resident Renita Principe worries the supervisor's power to set an agenda and remove audience members from a meeting makes the town a dictatorship. She has attended meetings in other municipalities during which public debate is allowed and said it is healthy.

"This is supposed to be a government of democracy represented by the people," Principe said.
Reach Susan Campriello at scampriell@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4518.

For more, please visit the Poughkeepsie Journal's website.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20101024/NEWS01/10240362/Altered-meeting-rules-anger-Fishkill-residents

Retail plaza planned for Fishkill

2010-10-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

Craig Wolf • Poughkeepsie Journal • October 22, 2010

FISHKILL — A retail plaza to be called the Shops at Nine is being built now in the village.

Tenants lined up so far are a Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant, a revival of the King Kone ice- cream stand, a bank branch of the Orange County Trust Co. and the developer's own Pizza Shop.

Nick Citera, a restaurateur who has become a developer, is one of the owners of the project. Gaspare Costanzo and Nicolas DeBrizzi are the other owners. They acquired three parcels at Route 9 and Broad Street, owned under the name Bistecca LLC. The site formerly housed the Via Nove restaurant and the ice-cream stand.

For more visit the Poughkeepsie Journals website.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010220330

Fishkill hotel tax idea draws fire

2010-10-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Susan Campriello • Poughkeepsie Journal • October 19, 2010

FISHKILL — Hoteliers in Fishkill say a possible occupancy tax is unjustified and would be unfair to guests.

Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones said hotel guests use town services, such as its police and fire departments, and should pay the town through a 2 percent hotel occupancy tax.

For more, go to the papers website.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20101019/NEWS01/10190321/Fishkill-hotel-tax-idea-draws-fire