Section: Croton-on-Hudson Our Own Croton Watch
July 16, 2008
You Call This a Showroom?
You’ve seen his ads on TV. One proclaims that old saw, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Another is his own coinage, “We have a showroom in every neighborhood.” His name is Mark Franzoso, and he’s your typical siding salesman.
He does indeed have a showroom in one very important Croton neighborhood, and it’s making a very shabby first impression. The neighborhood is the highly touted “Gateway” where Croton Point Avenue joins South Riverside Avenue.
Click picture to enlarge.
With the demise of Croton Dodge, Mr. Franzoso snapped up the lot where the former Dodge franchise used to store its unsold new cars and trucks. As unsightly as that usage may have been, Mr. Franzoso has outdone the previous owner in making the property unattractive.
During the past winter’s election campaign Mr. Franzosos placed a temporary storage building on the property and decorated it with illegal signage for a candidate. The candidate lost by a wide margin. Since then, the lot has been allowed to go to rack and to ruin. It is overgrown with weeds and covered with litter.
On this lot near South Riverside Avenue, a huge (and we do mean bus-sized huge) RV has been parked for weeks. A prominently displayed “For Sale” sign lists a White Plains telephone number. This is clearly illegal. Neither Mayor Schmidt nor Acting Village Manager Zambrano has taken notice of this highly visible stain on Croton’s escutcheon.
Mr. Franzoso is no stranger to doing as he pleases under the noses of this administration, which can be counted on to close its eyes and ignore Franzoso violations. At the Franzoso headquarters farther down Croton Point Avenue, his company cars and trucks are parked indiscriminately all over the sidewalk, impeding the passage of pedestrians. Here, too, no one in this administration seems to notice the many Franzoso infractions.
There’s an old saying to the effect that “It’s not what you know but who you know that counts.” This would seem to be the operating slogan for Mr. Franzoso, who, along with his buddy Mayor Schmidt, can take credit for assisting in Croton’s downhill slide. Zambrano, the apple of Schmidt’s eye, is angling for the post of Village Manager, and will do nothing to displease “The Boss.”
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July 14, 2008
Mysterious Happenings at Nappy's Corner
After Crotonblog called attention to the disappearance of the huge boards that blocked the storm drain at the corner of Benedict Boulevard and South Riverside Avenue, we pointed out that other debris still blocked that drain. A day later we found that something curious had happened. The debris mysteriously moved off the drain grate and now reposes in the gutter a few inches away.
Click picture to enlarge.
What could have caused this to occur? Here are some possibilities:
- An unreported tornado touched down at that corner, picked up the debris and released it only a few inches from the drain.
- A community-minded commuter brushed the debris off the storm drain with a folded newspaper.
- The ghost of developer Clifford B. Harmon, unhappy with the condition of the development that bears his name, huffed and puffed the debris away from the drain.
- An unhappy raccoon, tired of having the entrance to his abode blocked, pushed the debris aside.
We refuse to believe that Croton’s Department of Public Works sent someone to clear off the drain with a broom and neglected to tell the worker to pick up the debris. Readers are invited to speculate about what caused the debris to move off the clogged drain so mysteriously.
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July 12, 2008
The Power of the Press a Blog
Two months ago, a vehicle struck the wooden telephone pole near the kiddie playground on Bungalow Road, leaving it in a condition perilous to life and limb. Crotonblog decided to do something about the lack of official action to correct this situation.
Five days ago we published a series of graphic photos of a hazardous situation that had gone uncorrected for too long.
There will be some who repeat the Mayor’s mantra and say that publication of those photos was an example of how “Crotonblog is destroying Croton.” We disagree. The Mayor has no monopoly on concern for this village.
We publish below—without comment or cut line—a photo made yesterday showing a new pole in place and ready to have the wires transferred and the damaged pole removed.
Click image to enlarge.
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July 11, 2008
The Wheel that Squeaks the Loudest Gets the Grease
Mirabile dictu! Our parochial school Latin teacher would be pleased to see us using that expression. It means, “Amazing to relate.” Yes, amazing to relate, shortly after Crotonblog reported a blocked storm drain at the corner of Benedict Boulevard and South Riverside Avenue, a village crew appeared and removed the two huge boards that had been covering the drain. See the following Before (L) and After (R) photos (Click pictures to enlarge.):
Unfortunately, the powers that be did not read our complaint carefully enough. The assorted other junk that was also blocking the drain is still there, as can be seen in the right-hand photo taken after the boards were removed. We can therefore only give Croton’s Department of Public Works a barely passing grade.
We’re sure the workers were only told, “Get those damned boards out of there.” But there’s still work to be done on this storm drain. So our advice is to break out the brooms and dustpans, and get to work—if the Mayor and Village Manager want an “A” on their report cards for this effort.
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July 10, 2008
Here's Another Fine Mess, Mr. Mayor
According to New York State Department of Environmental Protection regulations, the Village of Croton-on-Hudson must have a storm-water management plan in place—and it does. In fact, the plan is reviewed with great fanfare each year at a public meeting by the mayor and the board of trustees. Furthermore, Croton has laws on the books to ensure that aspects of the storm-water management plan can be enforced.
It appears that the village is violating its own regulations by creating and tolerating a public nuisance and should take itself to court. Clogged drains are clearly a threat to public health, safety and welfare.
§ 196-26. Injunctive relief.
It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this article. If a person has violated or continues to violate the provisions of this article, the SMO may request the Village Attorney to petition for a preliminary or permanent injunction restraining the person from activities which would create further violations or compelling the person to perform abatement or remediation of the violation.
§ 196-27. Violations deemed public nuisance.
In addition to the enforcement processes and penalties provided, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this article is a threat to public health, safety, and welfare, and is declared and deemed a nuisance, and may be summarily abated or restored at the violator’s expense, and/or a civil action to abate, enjoin, or otherwise compel the cessation of such nuisance may be taken.
In the Harmon section of Croton, however, one storm drain has escaped the notice of the village. It is certainly not exempt from application of the law. This drain, located at the southeastern corner of South Riverside Avenue and Benedict Boulevard, is completely obstructed by debris. Not only obstructed by litter, gravel, leaves and twigs—but by two massive six-foot-long 2” by 6” and 2” by 12” pieces of lumber. So overloaded is it by such an illegal and unseemly mess, one can barely see the plaque cemented next to the drain that cautions about dumping anything there because it drains directly to the Hudson River. Here’s pictures of the storm drain on taken on July 7 and 9, 2008 (Click each photo to enlarge.):
Croton, beautiful Croton… The clogged storm drain at this ugly corner adds insult to injury.
Would you believe that Croton regards this as a working storm drain?
Oblivious to the mess, a Croton Water Department truck drives right by the clogged storm drain.
Crotonblog continues to be baffled by the shameful neglect of the village of Croton by Mayor Schmidt, who seems to be able to close his eyes to the obvious. Although he rants and raves regularly, throws public temper-tantrums, and attempts to villainize Crotonblog for pointing out the ills that are being papered over on his watch, we must again ask the pointed question, “Mayor Schmidt, who’s minding the store?”
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July 7, 2008
Close this Kiddie Playground, Mr. Mayor, Before a Fatal Accident Happens
Two months ago the tranquility of the kiddie playground in the Duck Pond Park was shattered when an errant motorist struck a telephone pole at the edge of the park on Bungalow Road. But more than the tranquility of the park was shattered. The telephone pole itself was splintered and left teetering at a crazy angle. A work crew was quickly dispatched and rendered first aid to the wounded telephone pole. Their impromptu therapy was laughable by the standards of even the most amateur of home handymen.
First, they planted a metal pole nearby in the ground with a menacingly sharp edge pointing upwards. Using yellow nylon rope, they then jury-rigged what can only be described as a temporary Bandaid for the pole, which was tilting at an alarming angle. Whoever masterminded this laughable lashup had obviously never earned a merit badge for knot tying in the Boy Scouts. Finally, proud of their creativity, the work crew went away, leaving their amateur handiwork for all the world to see and admire.
That was two months ago, and this charade has persisted, unnoticed by village government all this time. One can only surmise that no one bothered to call Verizon or Con Ed report a situation hazardous to life and limb. The pole also carries high tension wires, now sagging in alarming fashion.
When vehicle meets telephone pole, this is the inevitable result. Click picture to enlarge.
This telephone pole is now raw material for toothpicks. Click picture to enlarge.
Croton’s own “Gordian Knot” was not tied by any Boy Scout. Click picture to enlarge.
Would you let your child play on this toy car in the shadow of the broken pole? Click picture to enlarge.
As if the perilous pole was not enough, the condition of this kiddie park is disgraceful. Part of the splti-rail fence is down, leaving an opening through which a child could wander out onto Bungalow Road. Elsewhere, the fence is broken and has been repaired with yellow “caution” tape. This kiddie playground was once alive with the joyous shouts of children playing under the watchful eyes of parents or nannies. It is seldom used, and for good reason. The playground with its hovering broken telephone pole is an accident waiting to happen.
Mayor Schmidt is fond of blaming others for pulling Croton down by telling the truth about its deficiencies. The mayor obviously doesn’t get around much in the village. His limited itinerary takes him from home to his chiropractic office and the Municipal Building with an occasional detour to Peekskill and Chamber of Commerce luncheons, where he is held in high regard. He apparently does no mayoral patrolling in Croton, or he would have noticed this alarming situation long ago. Yet he claims to be on top of everything that goes on in this village. We’ve got news for him. It’s officially neglectful situations like this that are really pulling Croton down. Who’s minding the store, Mr. Mayor?
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July 6, 2008
Please Fix the Weather Station Again, Mr. Mayor
Click image to enlarge.
You’re always accusing others of pulling down Croton and destroying it. But it’s the little things that are neglected by your administration that really pull Croton down and diminish the quality of life here. Little things that your administration does nothing about.
In this new feature, called “Our Own Croton Watch,” Crotonblog will point out and show photos of some of the more egregious violations. And then we’ll keep score and see how long it takes your administration to correct them.
Take, for example, the expensive village weather reporting system installed with great fanfare. It has been out of action for the entire Fourth of July weekend. It stopped running at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 3rd. It seems to break down regularly and for long periods of time. This obviously proves that no one in village government is charged with checking on it to make sure that it’s operating properly.
You are sure to include the weather reporting system in your reelection campaign literature as one of your accomplishments. Don’t you think that delegating the task of making sure it’s up and running is your responsibility? Who’s minding the store, Mr. Mayor?
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