You can't force someone to put in a new septic, the only recourse when a landowner refuses, and it is a public safety issue, is to condemn the property. Government (whether it be Schenectady County Health, DEC, or the Town of Duanesburg) can not just access private property to do it without permission
Sometimes hearsay is more truth than fiction. It may not be 100% truth, but there is usually some truth to rumors. Unfortunately it is just the waiting game now. In the mean time there are these poor people just hanging in limbo! What a shame!
You can't force someone to put in a new septic, the only recourse when a landowner refuses, and it is a public safety issue, is to condemn the property. Government (whether it be Schenectady County Health, DEC, or the Town of Duanesburg) can not just access private property to do it without permission
Give Metroplex some authority and they can seize it via eminent domain----make folks happy to shop downtown???
Bethesda House: Open to those looking for housing after being kicked out of their sloppy owners trailer park...... >
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Community center ready for public debut BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
After eight years of hard work and fundraising, a group of dedicated area residents has transformed a pasture along the Normanskill Creek into a center to serve the rural areas of Schenectady, Albany and Schoharie counties. The new Duanesburg Area Community Center off Cole Road will open to the public Friday. The 26,000-square-foot facility features a gymnasium, six-lane swimming pool, fitness center and aerobics room. The new building will also feature meeting spaces the nonprofit organization hopes to use for community events from pancake breakfasts to senior learning classes. Center officials received a certificate of occupancy this week and began moving equipment and other furniture from their former location off Mott Road. Once the move is completed this week, the center’s 5,000-square-foot facility will be converted into a day care for infants and preschool children. Patrick Ciraulo, executive director, said, “We’re at the point that we can get the center open and start doing programs.” Once kitchen equipment is installed, Ciraulo said the new building will also host the Duanesburg Senior Dining Program now offered at Our Lady of Fatima Church on School Drive. The meal program is operated by the county Offi ce for the Aging and under contract with Catholic Charities of Schenectady County. Initial efforts to establish the center were launched in 2000 when a group of parents was searching for a place to host youth basketball. Ciraulo said this group formed the center’s board of directors and began formulating a broader vision, of a facility to serve all segments of the town’s population and even areas around it. After nearly three years of fundraising, the organization purchased the former site of Fitness Fanatics on Mott Road. Opened in April 2003, the smaller building was able to support many of the programs initially projected, while the organization continued to seek other sources of funding. In July 2005, the push for an expanded community center received a $250,000 matching grant through the state Environmental Protection Fund. The grant brought the community center fund up to $2.7 million. The project broke ground in December 2006 after Ken Romanski, a major supporter, donated the property off Cole Road. These efforts were furthered in September when Sen. Hugh Farley helped secure $315,000 through the Office of Small Cities’ Federal Community Development Block Grant Program. “It really improves the quality of life and that’s one of the things you really want to do for rural areas,” Farley said Tuesday. “It’s an investment in every facet of the community.” In total, Ciraulo said the project has cost about $5 million, with the new building running nearly $4 million. He said the center is continuing to raise funds and hopes to get the roughly $350,000 remaining through grants and private donations. The nonprofit organization offers memberships much like the YMCA. Ciraulo expects the center’s more than 800 full-time members will more than triple once the center fully opens later this month. “With this kind of facility, the phone has been ringing off the hook,” he said. MARC SCHULTZ/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Duanesburg Area Community Center board president Patrick Ciraulo moves a spinner exercise bike into position at the center’s new facility. The center is located on Victoria Drive, at the corner of Cole Road and Route 395.
DUANESBURG An ambulance is ready, but no crew Corps lacks volunteers to respond to emergency calls BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Nick Ragucci was ready to head out to an emergency call late one evening last March, but instead found himself waiting at the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps station. The volunteer emergency medical technician hustled down to headquarters shortly after receiving a dispatch tone for a local man in severe respiratory distress. When he arrived minutes later, he found himself alone with four ambulances. “There was no crew there,” he recalled. “There was nobody around.” Ragucci drove his own car out to the man’s home and helped stabilize him until another neighboring ambulance service could arrive. Nearly an hour later, the patient was heading to an area hospital. It’s a story Ragucci and other Duanesburg volunteers have become all too familiar with recently, as the ambulance company struggles to find personnel. Often, they say, crews are either overworked or understaffed when emergency calls come in. As of last month, Duanesburg was down to about a dozen active members to serve as EMTs and drivers for the 25-year-old nonprofit ambulance crew that annually responds to more than 600 emergencies along the western edge of Schenectady County. Leadership turnover and a lack of volunteers has caused serious problems for response times, according to Bill VanHoesen, the county’s emergency management director. “They’ve had a problem with response times that has extended for a period of time,” he said. And the problems appear to be getting worse. Duanesburg’s captain of just six months resigned this week out of exhaustion. The lack of personnel has resulted in dozens of mutual aid responses from ambulance services in Rotterdam and Schenectady this year. “So far this year, we’ve missed like 30 calls or so already,” Ragucci said. “It’s definitely a problem for the community.” The ambulance company’s board of directors called a special meeting this week and made an appeal for help to four surrounding volunteer fire departments. Board Treasurer Mary Grimm said the company is in such desperate need for volunteers that they’re exploring whether they can legally use members of neighboring fire departments during calls. “We’ve got to find out what all our options are right now,” she said. “And, in the meantime, we’ve got to get our Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Company in line.” Grimm said finding volunteers for the ambulance company has grown progressively difficult over the past few years. She said the lack of new recruits is compounded by the company’s aging membership. Some of them can no longer physically serve on an ambulance crew. “Unfortunately, they become support members, which we also need, but they can’t go out to the calls,” she said. The shortage of personnel has also caught the attention of the Duanesburg Town Board, which is in ongoing contract negotiations with the ambulance company. Supervisor Rene Merrihew said the town annually contributes about $43,000, which is slightly less than a third of the organization’s overall funding. “People need to volunteer and step up to the plate,” said Merrihew, who is a member of the ambulance company’s support staff. “All the money in the world is not going to go out and get more volunteers.” Grimm said the company will make an appeal for more volunteers at the annual Duanesburg Days celebration next month and plans to pass out fliers at the high school. Though volunteers with any type of medical background are preferred, she said, the company is capable of finding the training for any able-bodied person willing to help. Anyone interested in volunteering with Duanesburg can contact Grimm at 895-2330 or fellow board member Amy Jo Simpson at 875-6209. “Whatever they can give us, we’ll find a niche for them,” she said.
They should encourage their residents to learn CPR at their local center....living in the "wild west" does have it's draw backs---but, that's the cost of privacy, land and views.....
I strongly suggest that folks learn CPR and Basic Life Support and first aide.....farmers do it for the animals....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I strongly suggest that folks learn CPR and Basic Life Support and first aide.....farmers do it for the animals....
Farmers do CPR on their animals? Like Cows and pigs? EEEWWWWWW!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Re Feb. 3 letter by Cathy Shafer, “Spare Hillcrest trailer park residents from cruel eviction”: I’m writing this to thank Ms. Shafer for sticking up for Hillcrest Commons Mobile Home Park. Cathy is right — many of these people have been here for over 20 years. There is one lady, I believe in her 80s, who has been here for over 40 years. How can they expect her to just up and leave? I wish these people would put themselves in our place. How would they like it if they were told just before Thanksgiving or any other holiday, they had to be out of their home within three to five months? I don’t think they’d like it, and they’d want to fight it too. F.P. FUSCO Duanesburg
Duanesburg home damaged by fire February 13, 2008 By Steven Cook (Contact) Gazette Reporter
Volunteer firefighters battle a blaze at a home on Skyline Drive in Duanesburg on Wednesday morning.DUANESBURG — Icy weather hampered firefighters as they battled a blaze on Skyline Drive this morning.
Firefighters from several area companies were called about 8:45 a.m. to 4414 Skyline Drive. Delanson Fire Chief Kevin Morrison said the fire apparently started in the chimney area and engulfed the two-story home.
By 10:30 a.m., the structure still stood, but smoke still billowed from the two-story home. Cold and damp weather kept the ground slushy. Skyline Drive near the scene was closed to through traffic.
The homeowners were at home when the fire broke out, Morrison said, but escaped safely. The Red Cross was on the scene to help, he said.
No injuries were reported, but the home has sustained significant damage. Firefighters are limited to fighting the blaze from outside because they believe the home is unsafe, Morrison said.
“The first floor is gone,” Morrison said.
County property records indicate the home is owned by David and Stephanie Kosier. They have owned the home since 2002.
The Duanesburg Fire Department is leading the fire battle. Delanson, Mariaville, Plotterkill and South Schenectady are among those fighting the fire.
Another Skyline Drive home was destroyed by fire in October, that one near Hilman Road. In December, near the end of Skyline Drive, on Herrick Road also sustained damage, but is being restored.
DUANESBURG Occupant flees Skyline Drive blaze Rainy and cold weather hinders firefighters BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter
Fire destroyed a 5-year-old Duanesburg home Wednesday morning but a neighbor alerted the occupant, who escaped safely, officials said. No one was hurt in the fi re at 4417 Skyline Drive. The resident managed to grab a few personal belongings, including a laptop computer, Duanesburg Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Hoffmann said. But the home was a loss. Firefighters could save only the garage area. Firefighters were called just before 9 a.m. after the neighbor alerted the resident to a fi re on the roof. The home had multiple smoke detectors, but the smoke hadn’t made it to them yet, Hoffmann said. “They were going off all day,” Hoffmann said. “But not when the fire was detected — none were going off.” It was unclear how many people lived in the house. Red Cross officials were helping, officials said. By the time the fi rst fire crews arrived, about 10 feet of the roof was already burning. The chimney side of the home was also burning. By 10:30 a.m., billowy gray smoke still poured from the windows. Firefighters initially tried to attack the fire from the inside, but conditions soon deteriorated and they moved outside. Inside floors ultimately collapsed, Hoffmann said. Rainy and cold weather hindered fi refighting efforts. There are no fire hydrants in that part of the county. Firefighters had to go three miles to the nearest water source. That was part of the reason seven fire companies took part in the effort. Duanesburg, Delanson, Plotterkill, Pine Grove, South Schenectady, Mariaville and Rotterdam District 2, all played some role, Hoffmann said. The fire was the third in that area since October. Another Skyline Drive home, near Hilman Road, was destroyed in the first. In December, near the end of Skyline Drive, a house on Herrick Road also sustained damage, but it is being restored. Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122 or scook@dailygazette.net.
DUANESBURG Ambulance corps comes under criticism Supervisor says town may seek new provider Gazette Reporter
Erratic response times, missed calls and lingering doubts over the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps leadership may prompt the town to seek a different emergency service provider, Supervisor Rene Merrihew said Thursday. Duanesburg officials expressed deep skepticism about the nonprofit ambulance service after hearing complaints and concerns from a standing-room-only crowd — including all four members of the company’s Board of Directors — at a Town Board meeting. Merrihew, herself a former volunteer with the ambulance service, said the company’s instability in leadership and inconsistency in responding to calls has placed the town in a difficult position regarding the contract for service. “We need a clear and concise plan from them on how they are going to supply service,” she said. “If the service isn’t being provided, then it’s time for the town to decide what to do with its business.” Many residents who criticized the ambulance service pinned the recent dearth of volunteers on internal turmoil stemming from Bruce Smith, a longtime crew chief who was recently appointed interim captain. The board was presented with a list of more than 20 former volunteers who claimed they quit over Smith’s actions. Smith was not at the meeting. Resident Bob Wall said the ambulance service wouldn’t attract any new volunteers until it corrected “selfgenerated” problems. He said the company leadership uses verbal abuse and intimidation. “The volunteer ambulance corps is not going to survive as it is unless there are some serious changes in leadership,” he said. “It’s going to be a sad day if the company ceases to exist because they weren’t recognized and corrected.” Delanson Assistant Chief Jeff Iveson witnessed the uncertainty of the ambulance company’s response after a Duanesburg High School student fell through a plate glass window earlier this month. Though he was able to stabilize the badly cut youth, he said, it took more than 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive and bring the boy to Albany Medical Center Hospital. “It’s pretty nerve-wracking when you’re waiting and watching a person bleed to death,” he said. This month, Duanesburg was down to less than a dozen active members to serve as EMTs and drivers. The 25-year-old ambulance service annually responds to more than 600 emergencies along the western edge of Schenectady County. The town annually contributes about $43,000, which is slightly less than a third of the organization’s overall funding. Company Treasurer Mary Grimm said she resigned from the board because of leadership problems. Though not naming him directly, she insinuated Smith. “And his wife is chairman of the board,” she said, referring to Sharon Smith. Mariaville Fire Chief Ken Labelle said his department refuses to aid the ambulance service because of confrontations. “Something has to be done or there won’t be an ambulance corps here,” he said. In response, Sharon Smith and fellow board member Tammy Nunez said the company’s main problems stemmed from recent leadership turnover and overall lack of volunteers. “They want an ambulance here, but where are they to volunteer,” she said. But Merrihew said the company’s problems seem to extend beyond a lack of volunteers. She said Duanesburg’s missed calls have increased dramatically over the last quarter and response times this year have averaged more than 20 minutes. “How long can we ask residents to wait?” she asked Smith. “How long will it take before the ambulance corps is viable again?” Smith said she didn’t know and couldn’t “put a timeline on it.” Merrihew has contacted both the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Service and Mohawk Ambulance Service about coverage in the event the board ends the contract with Duanesburg. She said Mohawk, a for-profit company, agreed to dispatch ambulances out of Schenectady and bill patients for the service. “The ambulance corps has some serious soul-searching to do,” she said. “There are too many people lying for too long in places they shouldn’t be.”
This is a serious concern particularly for the senior citizens who reside in the town. The DVAC has for years been managed well. It is unfortunate that politics and mismanagement are reported to be the cause of its current woes.
What occurred previously that resulted in the resignation of the former Captain? Is there an external force/presence behind the turmoil that is not identified in the news column?
How much current support is there for the interim captain Bruce Smith? Why can he not be replaced in an effort to attract those who served faithfully for years and have since resigned?
That is a serious matter for any municipality. If the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corp can not resolve this matter in a timely manner, I would move ahead with obtaining cost and contract information from other emergency entities. I would then present it to the people of Duanesburg for public discussion to get their input and ultimately let them decide.
Or you could pay to have a study done like we do in Rotterdam.
DUANESBURG Board shuts down town’s corps Delays reported in response times BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
The Duanesburg Town Board effectively pulled the plug on the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps late Thursday night, deciding that all emergency calls should be answered by the Rotterdam or Mohawk ambulance companies. Town Board members said it was a difficult decision, but that hours of testimony from residents proved the town’s ambulance corps was unreliable. “It isn’t getting any better. We needed to act. We had to act,” Supervisor Rene Merrihew said Friday. At Thursday’s meeting, a school official described watching a Duanesburg High School student nearly bleed to death while they waited for an ambulance after the teen fell through a plate glass window. Others offered similar stories of long waits in harrowing conditions. Ambulance volunteers said the delays were caused by the fact that most of them have left the company over disputes with Capt. Bruce Smith, who leads the corps. He did not return a call seeking comment. In the past, some EMTs have said Smith responds to criticism by demoting crew members or leaving them at the emergency scene and telling them to find their own ride home. Town Board member Jean Frisbee, who drives ambulances for the company, said Smith made her wait for 40 minutes before responding to a woman who had fallen in her kitchen and couldn’t get up. He wouldn’t answer the call until an emergency medical technician from Schenectady arrived, she said, even though he is a trained EMT and had been answering calls all day. “I don’t know,” she said when a reporter asked her why Smith waited. “That was Bruce’s decision. We waited a long time.” Merrihew said testimony made it clear the corps will not survive unless Smith steps down. “Based on the information, that’s going to be the only way we’re going to increase membership,” she said. But the Town Board has no authority over the independently run company. All it can do is withhold the town’s annual payment and contract with another ambulance company. Last year, the town paid the corps $43,000. That was due to increase substantially this year, because corps members painted a “dire picture” of the corps’ finances when contract negotiations began in September, Merrihew said. Among the information: the corps had a $199,000 budget but revenues of just $126,000, including the town’s funding. Later, it turned out the corps spent $123,000 in 2007, ending the year with a $3,000 surplus. “The financial part of it is not as big a crisis as we thought,” Merrihew said. The town offered to help anyway, proposing a $50,000 contract plus $20,000 held in escrow to reimburse the corps for new medical equipment. “But in return, we need you to meet us halfway. We need you to try to reduce your expenses,” Merrihew said she told them. She wanted the corps to drop one of its four ambulances, saving roughly $3,000 in insurance; stop traveling to the Iron Man and other out-oftown events; and charge Knox and Princetown for covering medical emergencies there. The corps never responded to the offer, Merrihew said. MONEY NOT THE ISSUE Now, she added, it’s clear that money was never the real issue. “It doesn’t matter how much money they have — it won’t help with the volunteers,” she said. This isn’t the first time medical workers have left the corps in protest of Smith’s leadership. In 2003, half the EMTs walked out and refused to answer calls for three weeks, saying they would not return until Smith resigned. Most of them eventually agreed to come back with the promise of a new grievances committee, which could review Smith’s decisions and overrule them. But that committee was never created, Frisbee said. “I don’t think that ever materialized,” she said. She agreed with Merrihew that the corps can’t continue with Smith running the show. But, she said, the corps also won’t continue without him. At a recent corps meeting, members asked for nominations for the captain position. “Bruce was the only one that stood up,” Frisbee said. The board voted 4-0 — with Councilman Francis Potter absent — to stop sending ambulance calls to the corps. On Friday, state police dispatchers were told to redirect the town’s 911 calls to the Rotterdam and Mohawk ambulance services.
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