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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Crawford again applies for water grant
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Crawford will try once again to secure
funding for the Dwaar Kill-Pine Bush
Water Supply System, which will provide
water to the town from county lands.
The plan includes the installation of a
treatment building, pumps, accessories
and a transmission main connecting the
Dwaar Kill wellfields to the existing Pine
Bush Water Supply.
Town Supervisor Charles Carnes said
three wells have been tested at the county
owned Dwaar Kill wellfield, two of which
provide adequate water both in quantity
and quality. The third well would need
further treatment and would only be used
if there was a need.
The next phase of the plan is for the
installation of a treatment building and
the transmission main. If approved,
the treatment process will include
chlorination and the removal of iron and
manganese.
The town will apply for a New York State
Environmental Facilities Corporation
grant for the next phase of the project.
The grant would cover about 60 percent
of the project, which is estimated to cost
between $4 and $4.7 million, Carnes said.
The town applied for the grant last
year and failed to receive it. The grant
application for this year is due in
September.
The town is also exploring other
sources of water closer to the hamlet of
Pine Bush.
In the meantime, the town has invested
in its existing water infrastructure with
the help of JCO, Inc. the town water and
sewer administrator. The firm was hired
Jan. 1 after former Superintendent of
Water and Sewer Tom McKelvey retired.
Carnes said the town has spent about
$250,000 this year on improvements for
water safety and quality. The town has
replaced most broken fire hydrants and
flushed water lines.
Carnes said water quality and quantity
has improved, although there have been a
few complaints.
“All lines have been flushed and
quality of water has improved. Supply
is adequate at this time,” Carnes said.
“There are very complaints except for
some black water. This is usually old
pipes in the homeowner lines or sediment
in hot water heaters and water softeners
in homes.”
Still, complaints of poor water quality
persist.
Ida Brown is one of those residents.
In a letter to the town water and sewer
department, Brown said she has been
experiencing black water for more than a
year. Last year when she called the town,
Brown was told the black water was due
to the rain and the construction on NYS
Route 302.
Brown’s in-home filters require
changing every two months, or she gets
black water. Last month, it was difficult
to shut off the water, resulting in black
sludge flooding her basement.
Brown’s neighbors told her the town
replaced supply lines from the street to
their houses, eliminating their issues.
Brown has not had her lines replaced, and
continues to experience black water, as of
her letter on Aug. 6.
Pine Bush resident Jay Deutsch said
his water smells and tastes terrible, and
leaves a yellow stain on shower curtains,
towels and walls. Pictures of his home
show a yellow film on shower curtains
and filmy water. He does not cook, clean
or drink water from the tap.
Deutsch said a Crawford water
inspector visited his home about two
months ago. The inspector said the water
quality is poor and his pipes need to be
flushed.
A 2018 water quality report concluded
there were no violations for water quality
that year and Crawford’s water met or
exceeded state requirements. However,
the report did note two samples from 2017
of E. Coli that exceeded the regulatory
limit.
Gardiner Highway Dept. pays tribute to long-time employee
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
The
Gardiner
Town
Highway
Department and members of the Mid-
Hudson chapter of the Antique Truck
Club of America (ATCA) paid tribute to
a beloved member of both organizations
at the Mid-Hudson Antique Truck Show
last Sunday.
Wayne Otis served the Gardiner Town
Highway for 24 years before officially
retiring on Feb. 1. He passed away on
March 27 at the age of 64.
The Gardiner Highway Department
created a banner commemorating Otis
and placed it on a department vehicle
at the truck show, surprising Wayne’s
widow, Laurie Otis. Wayne was an avid
member and past president of the Mid-
Hudson chapter of the ATCA.
Highway Superintendent Brian Stiscia
described Wayne as a hard-working,
dedicated employee. He worked mostly as
a mechanic, a trade he had practiced for
most of his life.
Wayne began working on automobiles
when he was just 16 years old, Laurie
said. Wayne’s father, who passed away
when he was 15, taught him the tools of
the trade.
Both born and raised in Gardiner,
Wayne and Laurie were high school
The Gardiner Town Highway Department and members of the Mid-Hudson chapter of the
Antique Truck Club of America (ATCA) paid tribute to Wayne Otis, a long-time member of both
organizations, at the Mid-Hudson Antique Truck Show last Sunday.
sweethearts that married at 21 years old.
They raised two sons, John and Aaron,
who gave them two grandchildren, James
and Alice.
Self-described “small town people,”
Laurie said the couple preferred the
charm of Gardiner to the hustle and
bustle of the big city. Wayne was always
willing to help anyone, especially when it
came to cars or trucks or machines.
Wayne passed down his love of cars
to his sons, especially Aaron, who would
often call his father for help on the 1974
Dodge Charger he is restoring.
“We always joked about him being a
phone mechanic,” Laurie said.
Wayne found an outlet for his love of
cars with the Mid-Hudson truck club
about five to seven years ago.
Truck club member Mike Fowler
said Wayne was very involved with
the club from the moment he joined.
A natural people person, Wayne loved
getting involved with the club’s events
and attended every function, despite his
declining health.
“Whatever needed to be done, Wayne
had his hand up to do it,” Fowler said.
Wayne and Laurie had several trucks
they showed and maintained, including
a 1938 Dodge pickup truck, a 1950 two-
and-a-half-ton Dodge truck, a little red
Express, and a 1979 pickup truck that he
drove to and from work each day.
Some of Laurie’s best memories
include spur-of-the-moment cruises in
their old trucks to admire the fall foliage.
Laurie said she was touched by the
highway department’s and the truck
club’s tribute to Wayne at the truck show.
It showed the impact Wayne had on the
people around him and who he was as a
person.
“He was just a good guy,” Laurie said.