|
Aug 25
|
Big plans in Fonda’s future
The Leader-Herald – August 25, 2017 – Kerry Minor, Reporter, kminor@leaderherald.com
Shown are conceptual plans for the future of Fonda. (The Leader-Herald/Kerry Minor)
Fonda – The village is planning a new comprehensive plan to plot out what the future of the village might look like. During Tuesday’s unveiling for the new Nathan Littauer Primary Care center, village mayor Bill Peeler discussed the plan, and how the new facility fits into it.
Peeler said the comprehensive plan will serve as a map of the wants of the community. He said the goal is to make sure village residents are getting what they want and not just what village officials preserve them as wanting. “We have a lot of ideas, but we want to make sure that is the vision that our people have,” Peeler said.
Peeler said the village has involved both communities and businesses both in and out of the village in the comprehensive plan. He said a draft plan has been created. Peeler said he is asking residents to let village officials know what they want to see and why they have chosen to live here. “This will go out to the public for approval and changes, amendments and the like, because we want to make sure what ever we are shaping is exactly what folks in our community want to have,” Peeler said.
Primary considerations for the plan is infrastructure and its impact on development. “We cannot have facilities like [Nathan Littauer Primary Care] if we cannot provide them proper services,” Peeler said.
Village Mayor Bill Peeler speaks during the event. (The Leader-Herald/Kerry Minor)
Peeler said recreational facilities are also part of it, along with historical preservation. Residential improvements to the older inventory of homes and creating new housing are touched upon in the plan. Economical development, disaster mitigation and fiscal planning are all a part of the plan. Peeler said the village is also looking at shared services, including meeting with the village of Fultonville. “A river does not separate us, it’s just a river. We are Fonda-Fultonville. We will always be Fonda-Fultonville,” Peeler said. “We want to work with our neighboring communities to keep improving not just our community, but their communities as well.”
Peeler said the village will look into creating a zoning plan. He said Fonda is one of only two communities in Montgomery County without zoning. “That is going to be vital to us getting grant funding,” Peeler said. The plans are not just economic however, Peeler said the village is looking to bring entertainment to the village park with a stage for concerts and other events and creating a campground facility.
Peeler said the county’s plan to move out of the Park Street Office Building and DPW facility will help the village with its waterfront vision. Peeler said the Park Street Building could be turned into condominiums and the DPW facility could be turned into an entrance to the campground. “The goal of our efforts is to make our community a place where we can enjoy our rural culture while seizing economic opportunities. A place you would want to come to visit and live,” he said.
|
Aug 07
|
Mike Fonda: A life fighting sexual violence
January 28, 2015 by The Hudsonian Student Newspaper – Andrea Currie, News Editor
Mike Fonda, a retired Cohoes Police officer who specialized in sexual assault crimes, now does counseling at Hudson Valley once a week.
“This is a perfect retirement job for a guy like me,” said Mike Fonda, a retired Detective Sergeant from the Cohoes Police Department, who works as a Prevention Educator for the Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program (SACVAP) at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. Fonda’s work takes him all over the Capital Region: he teaches personal safety and self-esteem at K-12 schools; he conducts the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program at seven YMCAs; he offers the MVP program to sports teams at local colleges; he conducts the MVP program with inmates at Rensselaer County Jail; and on Wednesday afternoons from 12 – 4 p.m., he offers in-person counseling at the Hudson Valley Health Services office in room 146 of Fitzgibbons Hall.
When Fonda started working at the Cohoes Police Department, he was assigned the traditional role for incoming officers: juvenile officer. “You deal with everything from stolen bikes to the sex crimes,” he said. When a new person joined the department, Fonda asked to keep the job, and when he was promoted to sergeant, he requested to keep working on sex crimes. He said that he thought he had the right demeanor for the job. “I had other police officers come up to me and say, ‘you know, you’re relaxed, you’re fun, people feel safe with you, … they trust you. So I just stayed with it.’”
In 2007, Fonda was hired by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to track down the records of sex offenders who moved in from out of state. There is no central repository for these files, so he had to speak with other police officers, agencies across the country, and, often, call sex offenders and interview them about their convictions. Fonda said that offenders often lied to him during these interviews. “I let them blame the victim. But in that victim-blaming is the truth,” he said, “I’ve learned to give people enough rope to hang themselves.”
Fonda briefly worked with SACVAP before joining the state and had stayed in contact with them. In early 2011, they told him they had a prevention educator position open. He jumped at the chance. “Sometimes money isn’t—you know. It’s okay, but I feel like I need to be doing something,” Fonda said. His state job was a good job and paid well. “But you’re basically in an office working with a fax machine, a telephone, and your computer.” He said the prevention educator position was a perfect fit for him, since he has a master’s degree in Community Psychology, has taken many counseling courses, and with his law enforcement background, can talk about the subject from experience. “I know there’s a lot of people out there wondering, did I do something wrong? Who’ll believe me? … Well, I would, ’cause I know. I’ve seen that, the cases with the state police and the Cub Scout leaders and the Kiwanis clubs,” said Fonda.
He said that his favorite part of his job is going out into schools and providing information. He said that he focuses on victim-blaming and why people shouldn’t blame themselves for being assaulted. “I’m hoping to see some lights go on with people saying, Okay, so it wasn’t just me,” said Fonda. Fonda said that the MVP program gives him an opportunity to address men. “These issues, they seem like they’re women’s issues, because you might say, women get raped,” he said, “But it’s men who rape women. And it’s not every guy who rapes a woman.” He says that the MVP program challenges men to speak out and condemn sexual assault. He speaks about men who’ve been sexually assaulted as well and reassures them that they did nothing wrong.
Fonda said that over the time he’s been doing this work, he has observed a change in public attitudes towards sexual assault and rape. “To me, it feels like it’s finally getting the attention it deserves,” he said, “It feels like we’re on a bubble, that all this stuff is about to burst and people are going to know about it, they’re going to understand it, and they’re not going to look at it the same way as … saying, I’m broken, or, it’s the victim’s fault, or … how can you accuse these celebrities of doing that?” Fonda said that sexual assault is never about sex: “It’s about the power. It’s about having that power to do what they want.”
Fonda said that he is proud of SACVAP. “It’s just phenomenal work. It’s not sexy, it’s not glamorous, people don’t want to talk about it, but every day, we’re there, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said, referring to the agency’s sexual assault hotline. SACVAP offers in-person services at Samaritan Hospital at 2215 Burdett Ave. in Troy, including short-term counseling; therapy free of charge; and legal advocates for survivors.
The agency also has opportunities for volunteers. Winter 2015 Volunteer Training starts Feb. 3. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and be willing to sign up for at least three hotline shifts monthly, commit to at least six months with the agency, attend monthly in-service meetings, and complete at least 10 hours of community education.
Interested parties should contact Jamie Seastrand by phone at 518-271-3140 or via email at jamie.seastrand@sphp.com.
|
Jan 26
|
Fonda may study dissolution, mayor says
January 17, 2013 by Arthur Cleveland, The Leader Herald
Village of Fonda, founded in 1850
FONDA, NY – The village may form a committee to look into consolidating more services with the town of Mohawk and possibly dissolving the village. Mayor William Peeler said at a village meeting Monday he is open to the possibility of replacing village services with town services.
At the village meeting, resident John Maher asked about whether the village government would look into dissolving itself. Peeler said a committee may look into the benefits of dissolving the village. “If you can get the [Mohawk] Town Board to cooperate with that, I’ll be the first one to sign,” said Peeler. “Slowly but surely, what we’re trying to do is consolidate everything to the point where the village is no longer in existence.” After the meeting, Peeler said, “Ultimately, I’m all for whatever consolidation we can make. If it makes sense and it’s a duplication of services, why not?”
Ultimately, Peeler said, the dissolution of the village would be up to the residents. He said it could be difficult to push for dissolution of the village. He cited possible opposition from officials in county or town government. Trustee Thomas Healey said dissolution could be hampered by the fact the village shares its water with Fultonville, Mohawk and Glen. Trustee Walter Boyd said he would approve of exploring the possibility of dissolving the village if it could result in significant savings.
Fonda Courthouse, built in 1835
“Every one of us here are village residents, and there’s no way to pay for duplication of services,” said Boyd. Mohawk Supervisor Greg Rajkowski said that, to his knowledge, the village never had discussed dissolution before, but consolidation of services has been brought up. “They’ve [village officials] approached us with three different consolidation efforts,” Rajkowski said, saying that generally town officials have approved of consolidation, except for a request to plow village roads.
Rajkowski said if a merger between the village and town were to occur, certain issues would need to be worked out, such as what to do with the village water services. “We, as the town, do not have a separate sewer and water district,” he said. Rajkowski said if the village were to attempt dissolution, the village and the town would have to work together on it.
According to the New York State Department of State, communities considering consolidation may be eligible for a Local Government Efficiency grant to help with studying the feasibility of consolidation or to help with the consolidation itself. The state also has documents available to help towns and villages in mergers.
Arthur Cleveland covers Montgomery County news. He can be reached at montco@leaderherald.com
Fonda officials should consider services
January 20, 2013, The Leader HeraldIn recent months, the village of Fonda Board of Trustees led by Mayor William Peeler has been in negotiations with the town of Mohawk Board of Fire Commissioners looking for ways to cut operating costs in Fonda. At an initial savings of about $15,000 a year, a deal to get rid of the village fire department and have the town provide fire coverage looks great on paper.
However, the village fire department has become a local staple, taking the lead on numerous local activities. The Fonda Volunteer Fire Department helps to organize and participate in several local events, such as the annual Fonda-Fultonville Memorial Day parade, the Fonda Halloween Children’s Parade and Open House, and the annual Montgomery County Youth Day. The department also provides safe off-street parking across from the Fonda Speedway for the weekly races, as well as the Fonda Fair.
Without the firemen providing the parking services, there will not be safe off-street parking other than the limited space within the fairgrounds. This will be especially important during fair time when thousands of cars can utilize the parking service. The Fonda department also has one of the only fire department chaplains within the county, who is able to provide an array of services to the community.
Soon, the doors will close, the equipment will be sold and the community will be at a great loss with no local support to turn to. It saddens me to think the current administration only thinks in dollars and cents, and cannot look at the services provided that you can’t put a monetary value on.
John Maher, Fonda Volunteer Fire Department
Closing on March 14
Fonda Fire Department closing
Published: 2/12
A sign hanging on a fence in Fonda that reads: “FONDA FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOU”, but after Monday’s Village Board of Trustee meeting, it really serves no purpose. The Board voted 3 to 1 to completely dissolve the 139 year old volunteer fire department.
“That’s very disappointing they decided not to keep it,” said resident Maria Abraham who feels local home owners are being squeezed. “This is just another sign of that squeeze.”
Avoiding the squeeze on tax payers is what Mayor Bill Peeler says the Board is trying to do. The mayor explained it’s become costly for the Village to maintain the department with its aging equipment. “For the future betterment as well as the current betterment of our situation in fire protection it was better to dissolve the fire department and move on with a contract with our fire district”
The “district fire department” is the Mohawk Fire District. It’s fire house sits just on the edge of the Village. The mayor says Fonda’s 785 residents should see little difference in first responder arrival time — it’s just that the first responders won’t be the same. Fonda Fire Chief Donald Wagoner wishes he and the other volunteers had been consulted before the Trustees decided to go through with a new contract. “We’ve protected the Village this long. We’ve done the best we can and we’re all kind of disgruntled and upset,” said Wagoner, a fire volunteer of 29 years.
As of March 14, the Village of Fonda Fire Department will close it’s doors and the Mohawk Fire District will take effect.
Fonda-Fultonville officials look for help to get more aid
February 12, 2013 by Arthur Cleveland, The Leader Herald
Fonda-Fultonville Central School District traces its roots to the late 1700s, when students in both communities were educated in small, privately owned buildings. Around 1800, two formal school districts were formed, and for the next 150 years, Fonda and Fultonville operated those districts separately. In 1954, the two districts merged.
Fonda – Officials from the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District are scheduled to meet today with state Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk to get her help in securing more state aid for the school. “We just need more money from the state,” said interim Superintendent Ray Colucciello. “There’s just no other way around it.”
Similar lobbying with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara met with some success. Santabarbara wrote a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding the importance of state aid and mentioned the district’s recent budget difficulties. At the end of January, the Fonda-Fultonville school board laid off a business education teacher and the school psychologist as part of a plan to deal with a $500,000 mid-year budget shortfall.
Under Cuomo’s executive budget released in January, Fonda-Fultonville’s aid stands to increase roughly $611,000. However, district Treasurer Carey Shultz said even if legislators adopt Cuomo’s proposal without change, it may not help enough. Shultz said he plans to ask Tkaczyk to get the district an additional $400,000 to try and stabilize the budget for the 2013-14 school year.
Colucciello and Shultz said that is possible if the state abolishes the competitive grant funding portion of Cuomo’s proposal and instead rolls the funds into overall aid. Cuomo, who requested $800 million for state aid usage, wants $250 million to go toward rewarding districts for academic performance and management efficiency.
Since 2010, state aid to the district has been reduced by almost $6 million due to Gap Elimination Adjustment. Costs for pensions and health insurance benefits also increased more than $2 million. “Having those kind of funds ripped out of the budget makes it impossible to stabilize it,” Shultz said, noting the school’s staff has been reduced by 16.5 percent in that three-year time frame, and 25 percent in the last five years.
“The state is supposed to be an equal partner in education, 50-50,” Colucciello said. “The state now pays for about 39 percent, and the rest is on the backs of the local taxpayers.” Colucciello said he is “cautiously optimistic.” “In my experience, the governor proposes and the Legislature disposes,” he said. The 2013-14 budget is still in the works, with members of the board waiting on the final numbers before completing it.
|
Oct 22
|
Recycling is Fun…
Posted on October 12, 2011 by BagsRevolt
I had the immense pleasure to meet the founder of Recycling is Fun, Sara Fonda, who has been actively spreading this important message for thirty eight years now. I was obviously interested in visiting their shop, since I was warned it had more than 3000 samples of creative projects to get inspired with.
Recycling is Fun is a Non for Profit Organization which aims to promote crafts as a means of improving well-being. “ Craft relieves stress and boredom, bringing purpose to life, improving self esteem and creating a sense of fulfillment and achievement.”
They work with councils and community groups through out Victoria. One of their projects is the “Home-bound” ready made kits which include materials, patterns, projects and instructions for a wide variety of crafts, tailored to the abilities of the person. It gives the opportunity for a social worker, carer, relative or friend to bring dignity and meaning to people who are unable to or do not want to leave their homes.
Anyone interested is welcomed to make an appointment to their showroom at 66 Punt Rd, Windsor in Melbourne. There you can view hundreds of exciting, fun and enjoyable projects created from recycled household waste. The materials are beautifully organized by types, themes as well as levels of difficulty and are given at NO COST!
This visit has helped me broaden my view on the importance of Recycling. I had previously concentrated mainly on the environmental aspect of it and not so much on the social side of it. From an individual point of view, making something with your hands, expressing yourself in new ways, creatively, while recycling, gives enormous satisfaction. I have been experiencing this in my life for some time now. What is completely new to me is realizing that crafting is a powerful tool to connect with others as well as to make someone´s life a bit more happy!
I was lucky enough to experience this first hand at the workshop abandoned sock characters creation at the Eco Center. I went to help Chloe Farmer who was giving the workshop, and also to learn since I had never myself used socks to create characters. What a huge surprise I got when the participants arrived: 9 older men with disabilities. Most of them had never even sewn before, but the workshop was awesome! It felt great to help them out with simple things like treading their needles. The end products were all beautiful! The most rewarding part were the huge smile on their faces and the laughs we had together. Here is a picture of one of these little creatures created from a lost sock and other materials that Chloe got from Recycling is Fun for this workshop.
Recycling is fun for everyone, even men!
|
Jul 21
|
Church to be Demolished to Expand Store
WNYT-TV, Albany, NY – 07/20/2010 – Subrina Dhammi
170-yr-old Church in Fonda to be Demolished
Fonda, NY – For the first time in about 170 years, there will no longer be a place of worship at 42 W. Main Street in Fonda. In 1842, a group of methodists built a small wooden church at that address. It was so popular, they had to expand a year later. “Then on April 12th, 1912 there was a fire that started in the drug store next door,” said Fultonville Village Historian, Ryan Weitz. He’s also the unofficial Historian for the village of Fonda. Weitz is putting together a piece on the history of the old church. At 18 years old, he’s the youngest Historian in New York State. He was appointed to the position when he was 15 years old.
After the fire, Weitz says the church was built again, this time it was brick. The building was vacant from 1967 to about 1986, when the Village Bible Church bought it. Then in 2005, the House of Zion moved in. Today, the stained glass windows on the historic structure are gone. Tarps flap in the wind, covering the openings. The doors are locked. And the sign displayed, letting everyone know what kind of church this is, is gone.
On Monday, the entire building is expected to come down. “It’s a shame to see an old building like this be torn down for the expansion of a gas station and small convenience store,” said Weitz. The Stewart’s store two doors down at 38 W. Main street is often congested. The parking lot is small and gas pumps cramped. Stewart’s approached the land owners of 40 W. Main Street, and 42 W. Main Street, which is where the church is located. Both agreed to sell the land.
The most recent congregation at the old church, was Messianic Christianity, lead by Pastors Richard and Denise Allen. For the past five years, they’ve rented the building. “It’s such a beautiful building, and it still had some life left in it,” said Pastor Denise Allen. Messianic Christianity combines the teachings of both Christianity and Judaism. “We had 3 pastors ordained as Messianic Rabbis in that building, and that’s historic,” said Pastor Allen. She will continue to hold services at a church she built on her property at 580 Dillenbeck Road in Palatine Bridge. The small white building has a blue border, and the letters are decorated with glitter. Flowers surround the entrance. No more than 30 people can fit inside the church at one time. “Some people say gee, we never met anyone like you, I say thank God, it’s ok to be different.”
If you want to find out more about Pastor Denise Allen’s church, email her at Deniseallen01@aol.com