Lights On program promotes vehicle safety
“We have too many people in our community, and many other communities, who are living paycheck-to-paycheck or not quite making it,” a member of the audience said at the Saugerties Town Board meeting on June 14. Acknowledging that this is a complex problem, she praised the Town Board and Police Department for having taken “one tiny little step forward: I’m referring to the ‘Lights On’ program. I saw in a tiny news item that Saugerties was the first town in New York State to adopt the program. I think of someone who is in financial distress — it’s always a tense situation to have that blue light flashing behind you and to pull over.”
While the resident said that she can afford to have the lights on her car fixed, “It’s always a tense situation. An officer says, ‘You have a taillight out.’ Not a big deal, but it’s a safety issue, and I’m not saying don’t stop people for that, because we want our people to be safe. But for someone for whom getting that repaired is one more burden that they can’t meet, it can be traumatic. So, I think that when you hear a police officer say, ‘I can get you a voucher to have that repaired,’ that’s a win/win for everybody. It’s a win for the person that was stopped; it’s a win to have that car repaired; it’s a win for the public who have one safer vehicle on the road; and it must be a win for the police officer who can present himself as a servant of the public.”
“We joined that a couple of years ago and we were one of the first, and we’re still very proud of that,” said Saugerties supervisor Fred Costello.
“The program is doing well,” said Police chief Joseph Sinagra, adding that he has been seeking foundation grants to help fund the program. “Our funds are running low, so if there’s anyone who would like to donate to the Lights On program, what’s nice about it is that for every dollar that is donated to the program, microgrants will donate a dollar, so if I can raise $5,000 I end up with $10,000 in the bank…To date we have issued about 135 vouchers. Suffolk County is working on a program, but right now we are the only department in New York State that offers Lights On.”
Costello said that he is proud that Saugerties is part of the Lights On program: “Thank you for offering it.”
Saugerties pickleball courts to open soon
Pickleball players can look forward to the opening of courts in the Town of Saugerties recreation center, buildings and grounds superintendent Greg Chorvas told the Town Board at its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 14.
“We’re getting close; we’re getting very close. If everything goes according to plan — I don’t want to speak for Mr. [department of public works supervisor Ray] Mayone, but next week we may be installing the coarse mix.” There is also work to be done such as installing fencing, Chorvas said. The courts may be usable within two weeks.
Highway superintendent praises Saugerties workers
Highway superintendent Ray Mayone had great praise for the workers in his department at a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, June 14. After reporting on work being done or completed on Churchland Lane, Bigelow Road in Malden, Market Street in Glasco and several other jobs, Mayone said, “All the work that I do, I would just like to say, some days we have two or three, even four crews out and about. I’m only as good as my men are, and I have to say my men have been phenomenal in different crews. One day they may be working on pipe, another on blacktop. I put a lot of the success I’ve had over the last year forward to my men.”
Food trucks coming back to Saugerties
The Food Truck Festival is set for July 3, Saugerties councilwoman Leeanne Thornton reported at the Town Board’s regular meeting on June 14. There had been some doubt as to whether the event could go on, as new regulations on equipment would drive vendors away.
The festival will be the first of the season, and it will raise money for the reconstruction of the town’s playground, Thornton said. The festival starts at 4 p.m. and will wrap up at 9 p.m.
Thornton also reported that registration for the Saugerties Public Library’s summer reading program started on June 20. “I would urge parents to go to the library’s website, and there’s a wonderful video explaining to the kids of all ages the summer reading program and the type of awards and prizes they can win. Adults are not excluded this year. There will be a raffle where an adult reader will get a bingo card, and when that is filled you can get raffle tickets for various gifts. There’s also going to be an outing — basically exploring Division and Market Streets — to get the kids outdoors and connecting with the reading group.”
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