Chester Village Board briefs

By Ginny Privitar CHESTER — The Chester Village Board of Trustees discussed the following matters when they met on June 11:

Building inspector John Orr reported that renovation work was completed on the future All Pets Veterinary Care in the Chester Mall. Work at Rushing Duck Microbrewery is underway, and they hope to be producing beer by September.

A building permit was issued for repairs to a condo at 4111 Whispering Hills Dr. to repair damage caused when a car hit the building on May 27.

Normal highway cleanup is underway and has begun at Vista Drive and Grandview Terrace. The highway department is looking at a possible purchase of a new sweeper. Mayor Philip Valastro reminded residents to put brush in a bag and to bundle branches for Friday collections. He cautioned against making the bundles too heavy, stating: “Think about what you can pick up.”

Police Chief Peter Graziano introduced two officers at the meeting. The board approved the chief’s request to appoint Luke Fremgen as a full-time police officer, filling an existing vacancy. An Academic Achievement award was presented to Sgt. Brad Natalizio, who recently earned his master's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College while working for the department and heading the accreditation project and the community policing survey. Mayor Valastro commended him as “A fine role model for young people.” Chief Graziano was heard to say “outstanding” at the end of the introductions.

The mayor, at the request of the Moodna Basin Joint Operation and Maintenance Commission, will solicit bids for a sewer cleaner. The water department attempted to install an additional hydrant on May 25 at Chester Academy, but was unable to locate the water main in the expected location. They will try again after school closes for the summer.

Repairs of the water tower at Whispering Hills are scheduled for the week after Labor Day. In addition to the repairs, the contractor, J&P Contracting, has been notified that they are responsible for the cost of refilling the tank.

Walton Lake is experiencing increased algae growth, due to several factors, including excessive nutrients, too much sunlight and low oxygen levels. Water commissioner Tom Becker thinks the grass carp being used for weed control are overstocked and removing too much of the weed growth along the shallow shoreline, causing the algae to grow. Runoff from residential use of fertilizers also increases the nutrients in the lake, allowing algae to proliferate. The growth is not causing any noticeable problems at this time. Local and regional offices of the state's conservation department have been contacted.

Ed Lugo, president of the Whispering Hills Homeowners Association, asked about sidewalk repair as well as sealing and stripe marking Whispering Hills Drive. The mayor responded that the sealing should commence within the next three weeks. The sidewalk repair is under legal dispute; the homeowners association maintains that the sidewalks were part of the easement when the road was dedicated to the village. The mayor, however, noted that the village has never maintained or repaired the sidewalks there.