Feb 10

Fonda Begins Neighborhood Watch

February 9, 2010 By Amanda Whistle, The Leader-Herald

Fonda, NY – The village is a relatively safe place, according to Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Krug.  Krug and village neighborhood watch coordinator Mark Scott want to keep it that way.  The two organizers hosted the first neighborhood watch meeting in the village Monday night at the village firehouse on Route 5.  Both said the neighborhood watch group is important because it gives citizens the tools to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement, brings the community together and engages youths.

Paul Krug, right, Montgomery County sheriff’s deputy and law enforcement liaison for the Fonda neighborhood watch, answers questions while coordinator Mark Scott, left, and his wife, Susan Scott, look on at the first Neighborhood Watch meeting in the village Monday at the Fonda firehouse.

“It’s not a group of vigilantes,” said Krug, the law enforcement liaison for neighborhood watch groups in the county.  Krug said the group will host programs that will teach residents about “target hardening,” or how to make their homes less of a target for crime, CPR classes, and what to look for if one witnesses a crime.  In the summer, the group would like to have barbecues and start opening up the meetings to be social gatherings as well as educational.

Scott said he’s seen the people in the community become less involved and said the village used to be friendlier.  “I’d love to see it go back to a community,” Scott said. “I walk every day and there isn’t a person I don’t know and it should be like that [for everyone.]”  Krug, who recently moved to the area, said the group can be used to welcome new residents.

“It’s networking with your neighbors,” Krug said. “It gives you an opportunity to meet more people.”  “In general, we don’t have a high crime rate,” said village resident David Stone, who was at the meeting.  “When I lived on Long Island, you go out and half the time you don’t know what you’re going to find.”  “It’s the stupid little things that do happen here,” Scott said.

Interim village Volunteer Fire Department Chief Donald Wagoner attended the meeting and said he hopes the group can get more people in the village involved.  Though the first group meeting didn’t garner much of a turnout, Krug and Scott said they understand people are busy and some are working two jobs to make ends meet.  “When it’s something you care about, you can find the time,” said Susan Scott, Mark Scott’s wife.  The volunteer fire department hasn’t been able to keep a lot of volunteers over the past decade, having gone from 45 volunteers in the 1990s to about a dozen today.

“The problem with the community is that people are so busy and they don’t want to [commit,]” Wagoner said.  “This is one of the safest places and we want to keep it that way,” Susan Scott said.  The village will hold monthly neighborhood watch meetings every second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in the village firehouse.

Amanda Whistle covers Montgomery County. She can be reached at montco@leaderherald.com.

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Jan 28

Crocodiles move into luxury lagoon

Thursday, January 28, 2010 © The Cairns Post

CROCODILES are lurking in the man-made lagoon at a luxury estate at Trinity Beach, posing dangers for pets, children and the area’s wildlife, residents claim.  Residents of the gated community within the Blue Lagoon Resort say at least two crocs have been seen in the estate’s 2ha lagoon.

Danger: Chelsea and Lachlan Fonda at the entrance to Trinity Beach’s Blue Water Lagoon where crocodiles have been sighted swimming.

Pictures: Cairns crocodiles

In 2005 developer John Murphy built a croc-proof fence across a spillway at the northern side of the lagoon after reports of sightings.  Resident Justin Littlefield yesterday said the fence was failing to stop salties from entering.  “The fence until last week had a pipe protruding through into the Coral Sea to pump salt water into the lagoon to control algae growth; now the fence has a hole as the pump and piping has been removed,” he said.  “I observed with other residents a crocodile about 1.5m in length cruising the lagoon on Sunday.

“Other residents report the croc ate a duck swimming in the lagoon. I’m waiting for a little dog to get monstered.”  Resident Charlie Fonda said he saw a croc’s head, more than 60cm long, peering above the lagoon’s surface while walking through the estate with his son Lachlan last week.  “I have to remind the kids to not go too close to the lagoon,” he said.

Speaking to The Cairns Post while on holiday in the Philippines yesterday, Mr Murphy said he had not heard of any recent sightings but didn’t rule out the possibility.  “Anywhere in Cairns close to water is prone to crocodiles, it’s quite possible something could get in there,” he said.

“If there have been reports of sightings the EPA will get called to do a search and will relocate the animal but it’s the first I’ve heard about it.”  Mr Littlefield said a croc-warning sign had recently been erected at the entry into Trinity Beach.

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Sep 05

168th Fonda Fair – September 1 – 7

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Aug 30

Lawyer violated stream protection law, police say

The Daily Freeman – August 30, 2008

Mount Tremper, CT – A Mount Tremper man was arrested after operating a backhoe in a protected stream, despite repeated warnings from state Environmental Conservation Police to cease his activities, police said Friday.

Esopus Creek in Mount Tremper

On Aug. 6, Environmental Conservation Police received a complaint from the Shandaken Town Zoning Office about a backhoe in the Esopus Creek, which is protected by the state, off Plank Road. Police charged Algernon Reese, an attorney, with the misdemeanor of disturbing a protected stream, punishable by up to a year in jail or a $10,000 fine, and released him with an appearance ticket for Shandaken Town Court.

Police received another complaint on Wednesday, and found Reese again working at the stream with construction equipment and a small team of contractors. Police said Reese obstructed Environmental Conservation Officer Vernon Fonda‘s investigation, and was arrested.

Reese was charged with the misdemeanors of obstructing governmental administration, disturbing a protected stream, and violating a general prohibition against pollution. “The charges are pending, and he’s right back there 20 days later,” said Lt. Deming Lindsley. “The blatant disregard for what the law indicates makes us very concerned.”

When Fonda attempted to interview the contractors, Reese prevented him, saying he represented them as counsel and forbade them from speaking to him, Lindsley said. Lindsley said that it appeared that Reese was trying to control the stream and prevent flooding from reaching his property. His property lies in the Esopus floodplain.

“He’s put in concrete barries, built mounds, dug trenches,” Lindsley said. “He’s fighting against Mother Nature.” Lindsley said Reese had been “observed comitting violations” for nearly 10 years, but had used his skills as an attorney to fend off accusations. Reese was arrraigned in Shandaken Town Court and released on $5,000 bail.

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Aug 01

Meeting shows support for a Prescott Valley YMCA

The Daily Courier – August 01, 2008

Prescott Valley, AZ – A future YMCA presence here enjoys strong support, judging by nearly 80 people who attended a meeting Thursday night in the Civic Center.  However, supporters need to form a committee and raise an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 to sustain a new YMCA for three years, said Allan Klinikowski, executive director of the Prescott YMCA. More than 30 people filled out signup sheets expressing interest in hearing from YMCA representatives in Prescott.

Prescott Valley YMCA

The community meets at least one criterion that Klinikowski mentioned at the meeting: a population base of about 25,000 people. Prescott Valley has about 38,000 residents. (…)

“We have to decide who wants to lead the charge, ” Skoog said. He added YMCA supporters could meet in the Civic Center.  Some audience members said they had ties with the YMCA dating to their childhoods. They included families, single mothers and senior citizens. At least two women in the audience said they formerly belonged to the YMCA in Prescott and canceled their memberships in part because of gas prices.

Gas prices cost $160 a month for five trips to the YMCA a week from Dewey-Humboldt, said Lynette Schauwecker, a website designer. That is nearly triple what she paid in monthly dues for her family of five. She said she “definitely” would join a YMCA if one came to Prescott Valley.

Ditto for Jennifer Fonda, a single mom who lives in Coyote Springs northwest of Prescott Valley. “And I would do what I could to help,” said Fonda, who is self-employed.  YMCA board member Jim Atkinson, a Prescott attorney, said he was “very impressed” with the turnout. “We are very excited to work with this group.”

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