Beam From Ground Zero
Will Get Tri-State Escort
By Ken Baumel
PORT JERVIS — On Thursday, a World Trade Center relic recovered from Ground Zero after 9/11 is coming to the Tri-State area.
Deerpark and Port Jervis police departments are going to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sept. 2 to take possession of an 11.5-foot steel beam to be donated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Deerpark Police Chief William Werner, Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden, and Deerpark Town Clerk Flo Santini reported that last year, during an emergency service meeting among Tri-State emergency providers, the idea of asking Port Authority to donate a relic was discussed, according to Santini.
Calls to Port Authority last year were fruitful.
Werner said that throughout its journey from Kennedy Airport, the beam would be displayed on an open trailer towed by police.
At approximately noon, other police units, an honor guard, and regional fire, police, and emergency medical providers from the Tri-State area will escort the trailer to a staging area in front of the former Grand Union store at the K Mart Plaza, off Routes 6/209 in Westfall Township.
From the staging area, an Eastern Pike Regional Police Dept. motorcycle escort will lead the motorcade to Deerpark Town Hall on Route 209. The beam is to be permanently displayed at Town Hall, according to Santini. She invited the public to view the procession.
The expected procession schedule is Pennsylvania Avenue in Matamoras Borough at 12:04 p.m., Matamoras/Port Jervis Bridge at about 12:06 p.m., and Front Street in Port Jervis at 12:08 p.m.
From there, the route is through Jersey Avenue onto East Main Street at about 12:10 p.m., East Main Street past Port Jervis Middle School at about 12:12 p.m., Kingston Avenue intersection at 12:14 p.m., and onto Route 209. The escort should pass Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School/Port Jervis High School campus at 12:17 p.m., to Deerpark Town Hall at 12:22 p.m...for complete story, get this week's issue.
District Trims School Tax Rate
Increase By Half Percent
By Ken Baumel
PORT JERVIS — The Port Jervis School District (PJSD) property owners are getting some good news: tax rates are lower than initially projected and those who qualify for STAR and Enhanced STAR exemptions will get more than last year.
The Board of Education approved a tax rate slightly lower than the rate used to calculate the 2010-2011 school-year budget voters approved in May.
The increase was lowered from 2.95 percent to 2.5 percent, according to Port Jervis School District (PJSD) Asst. Superintendent for Finance Lori Case.
The board approved a tax warrant that authorizes the district to collect the 2010-11 tax levy. The action took place at a brief regular board meeting held last week at the High School at the Route 209 campus.
Case explained that the tax rate used to develop the budget presented to voters is typically only an estimate.
The final rate cannot be fixed until a taxing formula for a school year is calculated during the summer.
Port Jervis Tax Assessor Yvonne Duryea said that the formula includes total population in each community (such as Port Jervis or Deerpark), total real-estate market value within each community, and a New York State equalization rate set for each community.
Since market values for similar properties typically vary from community to community, the equalization rate adjusts the total market value of real estate within each town. The equalization rate helps bring those values closer together to facilitate each community kicking in a fair share of taxes.
Case said that under equalization, the tax rate for a home owner in Port Jervis for the 2010-2011 school year is $60.11 per $1,000 of assessed property value, while the tax rate in Deerpark is $44.76 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Port Jervis’ equalization percentage is 35 percent while Deerpark’s is 47.
Property owners can view the rates in each community online at www.pjschools.org/district/Budget/district_schooltaxes.htm or call the district at (845) 858-3175...for complete story, get this week's issue.
