January 16, 2025

Mayor’s Message ALERT [Village Flag Protocol Update Edition]:

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents, visitors, and friends,

On Wednesday, I posted a “Mayor’s Message” that, in part, addressed my decision to follow the stated protocols of the 119th Congress and the House of Representatives, as well as various state governments, in briefly re-raising Village flags during the thirty-day prescribed mourning period for President Carter. What I felt was a reasonable accommodation decision was arrived at with considerable reflection and introspection – related to how polarized this country currently is and how any/every decision seemingly must be filtered through the partisan political prism of what one’s “tribe” prefers. As your mayor for the past four years, I have never made ANY decision subject to politics or “optics.” What continually guides me is what I feel is right, just, and fair. Fairly liberating not being career politician. Promised our community to only seek two terms.

While many understood and supported this accommodation to honor President Carter -- and yet apply a brief exception to policy by re-raising of Village flags to full-mast position to celebrate uniquely American transfer of power in Republic -- others reacted on social media with apoplexy over my decision. It was MY decision, and I own it. But I’m also the guy with the desk nameplate that reads: “Help Me Get to Yes.” No, it wasn’t the threats I received from obvious partisans incapable of accepting the results of the 2024 election and who literally hate the president-elect. It also wasn’t the vocal minority of opponents, some who retreated to Reddit to gin up a petition, in vain attempt to alter Village policy. We live in a wonderful democratic society and I serve ALL of you – not only the ones who support my positions. Our community deserves an advocate and seeks to have individual voices heard. Yet, may happen, as General Colin Powell so aptly put it, that “[b]eing responsible sometimes means pissing people off.”

As I further researched, I determined exists precedent. President Harry S. Truman passed away on December 26, 1972. He was afforded customary 30-day presidential mourning period replete with U.S. flags ordered to half-mast position. This included inauguration ceremonies for President Richard M. Nixon’s January 20, 1973, swearing in on Capitol Hill [see attendant photograph]. I certainly understand that much of the anger at my original decision is rooted in partisanship. No amount of explaining reasoning behind my decision will assuage rabid ideologues and those who adhere to their orthodoxy that ignores frailties in their “tribe,” while eagerly pointing out faults in their political opponents. As I write this, no less a Trump opponent than Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) just directed California’s state flags to be re-raised in honor of inauguration. However, I direct our Village keeps its flags at half-mast position on Monday, January 20th. Isn’t a victory for partisans. It’s – in my mind – the right thing to do now. 

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

January 14, 2025

Mayor’s Message [Public Safety, “Et Alia” Edition]:

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents, visitors, and friends,

Firstly, an apology upfront for what may seem an extended period of absence in the “mayor’s message” communications I do so enjoy sharing with our community. Certainly not a reflection of a lack of matters and issues currently being addressed and resolved. The wheels of progress have continued to grind along unimpeded or obstructed. I simply choose this platform when I sense matters of serious consequence to address – or opportunities to laud our amazing Village employees and volunteer organizations. That said, this will serve as my penultimate written message to you all as mayor of this wonderful Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. My second (and final) term concludes on April 7th and there will be a new elected leader of the Village for us all to rally behind and cheer on continued successes for our elected officials as they continue to lead us into the second quarter of the 21st century. But more on all of that soon.

Let’s begin with several somber reflections. Three days shy of the New Year, the nation lost its 39th president, Jimmy Carter: a native of Plains, Georgia and the leader of the free world during a fairly tumultuous period of our nation’s – and the world’s – history. He led with grace and truly inspired millions upon millions across the globe during his post-presidency efforts with Habitat for Humanity. Village flags have been lowered to half-mast position in keeping with federal guidelines that instruct the observances be held for a full thirty days following a POTUS’s passing. They will briefly be raised back to full-mast position in observance of inauguration day on January 20th and then be re-lowered for the remaining eight days of remembrance in honor of President Carter. I did not *invent this accommodation. It has been announced by a number of state governments and the Speaker of the House of Representatives – to apply to Congress. Please keep President Carter and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

We also lost one of our own beloved elected leaders and community pillars on January 8th. Charles “Rudy” Hahn was a well-respected member of this Village, serving 24 years on our Village Board and as deputy mayor. Difficult to find anyone around these parts who could say a cross word about Mr. Hahn. He built an incredible legacy in Cornwall-on-Hudson – none more so than his children and grandchildren; all deeply embedded in and committed to Cornwall-on-Hudson. Please keep them all in your prayers. Their patriarch made a huge impact in COH.

And also, Thursday, January 16th, Cornwall’s own true American HERO and Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Paul W. Bucha, will be formally laid to rest at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy at West Point. Captain Bucha peacefully passed away on July 31, 2024. Thursday’s ceremonies will be replete with full military honors. Please continue to keep his brave wife and Cornwall resident, Cynthia, “Chintz,” Bell-Bucha in your thoughts and prayers.

Now, to serious matters related to PUBLIC SAFETY. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger once perfectly posited that “[g]overnment’s first duty and highest obligation is public safety.” He was spot-on. Nothing – absolutely NOTHING – is as sacrosanct a contract with our community than the one that demands we elected officials do everything within our power and control to keep our communities safe. It’s why this Board compelled our police department to be outfitted with body worn cameras. They assist in keeping the public – and our cops – safe(r). It’s also why some four years ago, we took a hard look at the events in COH that resulted in mass gatherings . It’s no easy (or popular) feat, at times, to pull employees in on holidays, away from their families, and have them staff additional uniformed foot posts or assist in prepositioning heavy equipment and vehicles to provide a greater level of security for crowds of revelers that gather to celebrate. One only has to look at what just occurred in Germany during the Christmas Market attack and the vehicular attack on Bourbon Street that occurred shortly after we celebrated our ball drop in COH. The threat matrix, my FBI background informs, should constantly shift and adjust to blunt the advantage our complacencies provide to terrorists, or those seeking to inflict harm. In Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” he warned of an adversaries’ penchant for acting “like water,” taking the path of least resistance, and always finding the easiest route. Undertaking these “new normal” precautions does not guarantee us 100% safety. But it is a first step in hardening our defenses.

Same necessary defenses the current FBI director warned of on “60 Minutes” on Sunday evening. Speaking of the ominous threats posed by the People’s Republic of China, Director Wray particularly highlighted vulnerabilities within our critical infrastructure grid. And the first vital critical infrastructure sector he mentioned was water treatment facilities – something the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson is responsible for in its role as the lead agency in charge of the Cornwall Water System. In light of this shared intelligence, the Village will seek to begin a comprehensive review of the security template attached to our water treatment plants and reservoirs. It is necessary and timely. Just as we will seek to procure moveable sidewalk bollards to further integrate and increase security posture when we draw large crowds to events. Any resident with additional ideas or concerns in this realm, please come see the mayor to discuss.

Finally, with 83 days left in office, I commit to not limping across the finish line and promise to finish my final days as mayor with the same enthusiasm and commitment to ALL with which I entered on duty. And while I will share more (much more) about the current state of the Village and what lies ahead in my final treatise to the community in March, please know that I have considered the holding of this office to be the honor and the privilege of my lifetime. Thank you.

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Greater Cornwall Area residents, visitors, and friends,

Big doings this weekend around these parts. Thanks to the Town of Cornwall Recreation Department, the Cornwall Youth Committee, and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Special Events Committee, we have a special slate of activities that include the entire family.

This Saturday, October 5^th, starting at 4:30 p.m., the Town of Cornwall Recreation Department, in concert with the Cornwall Youth Committee, will sponsor the second annual Cornwall Color Bash one-mile run. Location is the Donahue Farm Property at 42 Bayview Avenue in the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. There is ZERO cost to participate. The route will take you from farm property up Hudson Street, around the bandstand in Village Square, and back to the farm. Volunteers will help out along the way to provide “color” to all the runners. There will be food available from a number of local vendors, a DJ, and live music provided by the Frozen Peaz. You can pre-register for the run via your cellphone scanning of the QR code on the event flyer.

Please stick around for the Cornwall-on-Hudson Special Events Committee’s outdoor showing of the Barbie movie. Original scheduled date was postponed due to inclement weather. This will be our penultimate outdoor movie experience offering of year. Movie begins around 6:30 p.m.     

On behalf of the Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents, visitors, and friends,

Autumn is here. The smell of pumpkin lattes wafting through the crisp Fall air colliding squarely with football season and teachers and children heading back to classrooms for a new school year.

Couple of quick notes: Tonight (Tuesday) begins the time adjustment for our weekly bandstand concert series in Village Square. The time adjustment takes advantage of better daylight hours in September and moves concerts for rest of month up to 6:00 p.m., with concerts concluding at 7:30 p.m. Tonight’s performance will be by the wonderful duo, ONE NIGHT ONLY. Hope to see you there. Next week’s performance will feature STRINGS ATTACHED.

Secondly, if you’ve been following Village board meetings, you know that we are in process of passing a Tree Preservation Law. The Cornwall Conservation Advisory Council, under the able leadership of Carla Castillo, worked diligently to fashion a solid piece of legislation focused on “land development activities” and “clearing activities” . The Town recently passed this legislation with little to no opposition. Counsel for the Village reviewed the law and made some minor tweaks -- tailoring it to Village-specific considerations. The proposed law is posted on the Village website. Go to drop down “Welcome,” find “Village Board,” and then “Proposed Laws” to read the document. There will be a public hearing scheduled for September 16, 2024, allowing for written or public comments related to the proposed legislation. Any issues/concerns – you may also stop in at Village Hall, 325 Hudson Street, to confer with the mayor. This is NOT designed to make difficult the life of the fictional “Mrs.McGillicuddy.” No one will interfere with her removal of a nuisance tree on her private residential property. We all reside in a beautiful region of the state and we want to endeavor to protect our green spaces. Necessary fine balance here for sure. Check out the proposal and come see me with questions.  

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents, et al,

This tough to share. Below the LTE I shared to The Cornwall Local re: Mr. Cashman’s passing:

The phone rang and I dreaded the forthcoming news. Mary Jane Pitt, editor of The Cornwall Local (now News of The Highlands), had promised me an update on the precarious medical condition of 83-year-old Kenneth W. Cashman. Word here had spread rather quickly early last Wednesday that he had fallen ill and with the help of his family was receiving critical care in Middletown. The dreaded news confirmed by MJP, whose voice cracked as she relayed it, that he had passed, shook me to my core. So many now impacted who had the honor and privilege of knowing Mr. Cashman. Conversations with local elected officials and fellow members of American Legion Post 353 ensued. Ken Cashman, a Vietnam-era U.S. Army veteran, was a longtime member of our Cornwall Post. The sober conversations and remembrances that followed centered around this description of the Monroe resident: He was humble and kind.

So just how, pray tell, does a resident of a neighboring community become so synonymous with Cornwall? In fact, if one had to characterize Mr. Cashman, it would be thusly – he was and remains quintessentially Cornwall. Across the years of covering our children at their athletic events, the sports journalist wrote poignant and compelling tales of their exploits and never pretended to be objective in his accounts. He was an unrepentant “homer.” Truth be told, Ken Cashman bled Dragon green and white. He never made himself the protagonist in any of his writings and while serving as longtime editor of The Cornwall Local. His self-effacing columns poking fun at himself were presented under the (wink, wink) self-deprecating nom de plume, “Mr. Know-it-all.” He sang beautiful renditions of “God Bless America” at Cornwall events. He shook hands and kissed more babies than any politician around these parts. Not because he sought patronage, but because he truly LOVED our community. And we LOVED him back.

In 2021, Mr. Cashman sheepishly climbed into the back of a convertible and as he whispered to me, “accepted his fate”; recipient of one of Cornwall’s highest honors -- grand marshal of the annual Fourth of July parade. In 2022, he was awarded “Citizen of the Month” by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus. The distinction much more a “lifetime achievement” acknowledgement than casual monthly nod to his community commitment. Whether acting as Sunday School superintendent or chairman of Bicentennial committee, coaching Little League or Pop Warner, Kenneth W. Cashman lived a lifetime of service and he will be desperately missed.

After we rightly grieve his passing, we, celebrate his life and ensure that his principle of community involvement remain enduring. He certainly set an example for all of us to aspire to emulate. Personally, I will miss his visits to Village Hall to ensure that something he was going to publish was accurate. I’ll miss his wry smile and the twinkle in his eyes as we fiercely debated the appropriateness of the Oxford comma and whether a volleyball serve ace was a “true ace” or not -- if the opposing team touched the ball. Godspeed, Mr. Cashman. You left the world a better place than you found it. You will never be forgotten in your adopted hometown of Cornwall.

With somber remembrance and on behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York was recently awarded a $54,000.00 grant from the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST), which is a capital grant program administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). DASNY serves as New York State’s public finance and construction authority. This was also the grant administration authority that the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson utilized to secure monies to aid in the construction of the beautiful pavilion at Donahue Memorial Park.

The CREST program served as a useful mechanism to aid in replacing one of the Cornwall-on-Hudson Police Department’s older vehicles. Our COHPD automotive fleet is undeniably aging and coupled with supply chain issues and inflation at record levels, this grant award serves to help us continue to focus on public safety for our Cornwall-on-Hudson community while avoiding hitting the taxpayers in their wallets. A total win-win for Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY.

The greater Cornwall community has also been recently blessed with the awarding of a $4.5 million NY Forward grant award. The Village then secured a $223,875.00 grant award for construction of the Dock Hill Road connector trail – awarded through the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Recreational Trails Program. What this all means is that New York State believes that reinvestment in Cornwall-on-Hudson is a great idea!

Special credit goes to Cornwall-on-Hudson Police Chief Steve Dixon and Village Clerk Doris Wickiser. Chief Dixon identified the available CREST grant, secured Board approval to proceed, and handled process of stewarding the application through the portal with able assistance of Mrs. Wickiser. We are lucky to have such dedicated public servants like this on our Village team.

[L-R in photo]: Village Clerk Wickiser, Mayor Gagliano, Chief Dixon, Deputy Mayor Kane, and Trustee Paliotta. Trustees Carnright and Braine were unavailable for photo.

 

On behalf of the Village Board,

James A. Gagliano

Mayor

August 6, 2024

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Extreme Weather Notice from Cornwall-on-Hudson Mayor’s Office:

We share the following available cautionary weather updates provided by Cornwall’s Office of Emergency Management Director Kurt Hahn, as well as some helpful guidance related to the Town’s and Village’s cooperative efforts to make sand bag materials available to greater Cornwall area residents and businesses. This is “One Team, One Fight” against Mother Nature.

Significant rain is expected beginning tonight (Tuesday) into Wednesday morning. As a result, the Village Bandstand Concert Series event scheduled for tonight is postponed. Another round of wet weather is expected to arrive Friday night and roll into Saturday afternoon – all the result of Tropical Storm Debby, which is moving up the Eastern Seaboard from Florida. Flash flooding is possible in certain areas of our community, as we have experienced with recent weather events.

Both the Town’s Highway Department and the Village’s Department of Public Works have been proactively clearing storm drains, catch basins and open culverts of weather-related washout and debris in order to ensure hyper-localized storm water is able to drain free of obstructions. Please understand this is an ongoing operation and our crews will be attending to days/nights all week.

NOTE: Sand & Sandbags are available (free of charge) at the Donahue Farm Property, located at 42 Bayview Avenue in Cornwall-on-Hudson for residents of both the Town and the Village. Honor System in place -- please limit to ten sandbags per household.

Dial 9-1-1 for Emergencies

Document Storm Impacts:

https://ready.cornwallny.gov/disaster-reporter and tag @cornwalloem in your media posts.

Report Power Outages & Check Status at Central Hudson @stormcentral.cenhud.com.

Please stay safe and follow @cornwalloem for latest information as it becomes available.

Please stay safe and reach out to your respective local government officials with issues/concerns.

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents,

It is with heavy heart that we share in announcing the passing of Cornwall resident and Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Paul “Buddy” Bucha. Captain Bucha was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (MOH) for his gallantry in action in the Binh Duong Province of the Republic of Vietnam between March 16th and 19^th in 1968 – the peak of combat operations and U.S. force deployments during the Vietnam War. The MOH also represents the nation’s highest award for conspicuous courage and heroism. For details related to Captain Bucha’s uncommon valor while serving as commanding officer of Company D, please visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s webpage. Reading his citation will leave you humbled and appreciative of the sacrifice and courage exhibited by him and his men during fierce combat actions near Phuoc Vinh.

I was honored to first meet him during the mid-Eighties when he spoke at a formal cadet company dining-in. As a young cadet, to me his prepared remarks and words of encouragement were beyond inspiring and were, in part, the reason I decided to join the Infantry. West Point’s natatorium (indoor pool) is also named in his honor, as he served as captain of the Division I intercollegiate Academy swim team before his graduation in 1965. A longtime resident of Ridgefield, CT, we were lucky to share him in the greater Cornwall area when he returned to a family home near his beloved alma mater several years ago. It was then that he stopped in to the mayor’s office to visit with me and yet again leave me humble and inspired. His famous words resonated yet again. “The Medal of Honor, he once said, “is proof that ordinary men and women have within them the potential to challenge fate and literally change the course of history. It only requires the courage to try.” What a sober challenge and one he more than answered in 1968.

President Lincoln famously challenged our fledgling democracy that “[a]ny nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” With this in mind, I have ordered all flags on Village properties to be lowered to half-mast position today, Friday, August 2nd until Tuesday, August 6^th. I have also spoken with Supervisor Josh Wojehowski and members of the “Hometown Heroes” committee for Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson. In coordination with American Legion Post 353, we will seek to have Captain Bucha be our first nomination for recognition via banner along our main streets when the first batch of nominees is considered and selected.

Please keep Captain Bucha’s family – especially his wonderful wife Cynthia – in your thoughts and prayers. And reflect on Captain Bucha’s humility when he was presented the MOH from President Nixon and flatly advised the president that “[t]he medal that I wear, I wear on behalf of others, not myself.” Stirring words indeed. Rest in peace, Captain Bucha. A grateful nation and your greater Cornwall community will never forget your heroism and sacrifices on our behalf.  

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents,

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR HIKERS:

The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson will be conducting an “oil and chip” repair to the roadway that leads off of Bayview Avenue to the Donahue Farm Property on Monday, July 1, 2024. This roadway is the ingress/egress to the Esty & Hellie Stowell Trailhead at Storm King and is overseen by Scenic Hudson. The Village’s plan to improve the roadway to the parking lot at the trailhead have been signed off on by Scenic Hudson. Why are we doing this? Because the Donahue Farm Property is owned by the Village and we are required to maintain it. Having our DPW equipment remove snow and maintain access to the trailhead puts a severe beating and wear-and-tear on our fleet of vehicles. By utilizing “oil and chip” treatment – or commonly referred to as “chip seal” or “bituminous seal coat” – the existing roadway is covered with “a layer of oil and stone that seals blacktop and provides a wearable surface at a fraction of the cost of resurfacing.” Ergo, Monday – the roadway to the trailhead will be CLOSED. You can walk in to gain access to our hiking trails. But the roadway will not reopen until Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

If you have been to the farm property of recent, you’ll also notice that the Village – in concert with Scenic Hudson and our very own volunteer-led Donahue Committee – recently razed the kennel building. This is part of our improvements and beautification efforts and tied to the recent awarding of project monies from the NY Forward grant. We worked around some mature growth trees and will restore landscape to nature until the Donahue Committee puts forth a plan to erect a structure in the kennel’s footprint that supports our long-term property improvement goals.

Make sure to swing by the Hudson Highland Nature Museum’s Wildlife Education Campus (WEC) on the Boulevard. The Village was able to assist in repaving the parking lot last Fall, improving drainage issues in the process, and recently had a local business (Foley Landscaping Contractors) construct a new paver walkway and repair the steps leading into the WEC.

I have nine months and four days left in office. I will make the most out of every moment left. With a multitude of FEMA and USDA storms-related projects to proctor and oversee, as well as stewarding the NY Forward projects through engineering and design assessments and bids and contracts, there is a lot left to handle. Make no mistake about it – this Village Board is up to the daunting tasks ahead. Buckle up. Trust me -- you’re going to like what you see in the Village.

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Dear Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson residents,

This Saturday evening, June 15^th, the Cornwall-on-Hudson Special Events committee will be featuring the hit Broadway spectacular, “Hamilton,” as their first 2024 “Movies on the Hudson” offering at Donahue Memorial Park. This will also serve as a fundraiser for the Cornwall Independence Day committee. Attendees will have opportunities to help effort by taking advantage of various culinary offerings, as well as available adult libations. The production will be shown on our 30’ screen shortly after dark. But come early to park and secure a good seat.

HUGE shout-out and debt of gratitude to the two plank holders of Cornwall-on-Hudson Special Events, Mike Trainor and Dominic Cordisco. Their vision and “elbow grease” have served as the margin of victory for so many fun events since the committee’s humble beginnings in 2016. This year’s committee includes Regina Shaver, Lori Beth Paliotta, Buffy Heldt, Sarah Creagan, Sally Hildebrand, and Tiffany Gagliano. We all recognize the names of these tremendous volunteers. Without Mike and Dominic and this next generation of visionaries and dedicated and committed volunteers, there would be no spectacular events for all of us to enjoy in our wonderful village. We’d be remiss in failing to mention the Sherpa-like work of Charlie Quinn, Sr. (and Jr.), Tommy Trainor and the inestimable volunteer, Drew Quimby. These guys make it happen.

Mark your calendars as upcoming events include: Cornwall Youth Committee (CYC) sponsored “Barbie” movie event at Donahue Memorial Park (DMP) on July 5^th, a Jimmy Buffet tribute concert on August 24^th (also at DMP), the Donahue Farm Oktoberfest Movie and Music event on September 21^st, the October 5^th CYC-sponsored Color Bash Run (held in both Village and Town), the Halloween-themed movie event on October 26^th at the SKE2 firehouse, and the annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop event in Village Square at midnight (with the Junior Ball Drop to be held at 6:00 p.m.). Lots to look forward to due to our incredible volunteer cadre.

Hope we see you on Saturday evening for “Hamilton,” along with some historic 16mm video footage of Cornwall’s Fourth of July parades from bygone eras. You won’t want to miss that or the film “intro” featuring two of your favorite local D-List actors. You might recognize them.

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor