Your Award-Winning News Source for the Upper Delaware River Valley Region Since 1975
Vol. 41 No. 32
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AUGUST 6 - 12, 2015
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www.riverreporter.com
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$1.50
Proposed demolition in Jeffersonville Making way for a better bridge
By FRITZ MAYER
J
EFFERSONVILLE, NY — Like the bridge in the neighboring hamlet of Youngsville, the bridge over Laundry Creek in Jeffersonville has been damaged by flooding numerous times over recent years. Also, as with the bridge in Youngsville, the bridge is on a special state list, and every time it rains, the state must pre-position heavy equipment near the bridge and have the bridge monitored by state personnel. In order to have the bridge removed from that list, it will have to be rebuilt and made less prone to flooding. The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has come up with a plan to rebuild the bridge, which it will discuss at a public hearing at the Jeffersonville Fire Department on State Route 52 on August 11 at 6:30 p.m. There will be an open house segment, along with a formal presentation, and the DOT will accept public comment.
TRR photo by Anne Hart
The building known as the Blue Victorian is one of three building proposed for demolition as part of the New York Department of Transportation plan to reconstruct the bridge over Laundry Creek on State Route 52 in Jeffersonville. The meeting is being held as per the policies of the state eminent domain law, because the DOT plan calls for the demolition of three buildings. One is the building known as the Blue Victorian, which for a while was an antiques store and art
gallery but is now empty. The other two buildings are a bowling alley and ice cream store, which are also empty at this time. These once figured heavily in a television show called Town Haul, in which the program producers gave the town a
Part of the Blue Victorian building is currently being supported by temporary wooden columns. facelift in front of TV cameras. The plan calls for raising the bridge surface by 1.7 feet, and expanding the length of the bridge from 23 feet to just over 30 feet. The plan also calls for new sidewalks in the area and new retaining walls.
Planning board grills ASTI executives Forestburgh neighbors don’t want the noise
By FRITZ MAYER
F
ORESTBURGH, NY — Members of the Town of Forestburgh Planning Board on July 29, questioned executives with Advanced Skills Training Institute (ASTI) who are seeking a special-use permit to open what they call a recreational facility on a 300-acre parcel currently owned by developer Shalom Lamm. James Sherman, CEO and founder of ASTI, said a closing on the property is scheduled for the end of August. In addressing what sorts of activities will be going on at the facility, Sherman said, “adventure race course, mountain biking, archery, marksmanship, fitness, health, wellness, motocross, ATVs, pistol, rifle—we’re going to
TRR photo by Fritz Mayer
The limit for the number of people allowed in this meeting room the Forestburgh Town Hall is 35, but twice that number are jammed into the room to participate in a planning board meeting.
have all of that.” There was quite a bit of discussion about who would be the clientele. Sherman said mostly it would be members of the public who would want to be trained in how to do these activities. He added, however, that the facility might also be used to train law enforcement officials. Many of them, such as the Sullivan County Sheriff and the police chiefs of Liberty and Monticello, have signed letters of support for the project. When planning board chair Susan Hawvermale asked Sherman for more information about training law enforcement officials, he said, “My personal background is very specifically the highest level of Israeli hand-to-hand combat. By doing that I met top law enforcement and top Continued on page 3
SPANNING 2 STATES, 4 COUNTIES, AND A RIVER THAT UNITES US
NEWS: Volunteers
CURRENTS: Music men
to the rescue
Forestburgh & DVO give boffo performances
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The River Reporter