By Rob Sample
James Ventriglia, a social sciences teacher and soccer coach at Marlboro Middle School, received the Pride of Marlborough Award from the Town Board on Monday, October 23.
The award presentation took place during the Town Board’s biweekly meeting and drew a host of Ventriglia’s students, family members, friends, and neighbors. In 2021 Ventriglia launched a Salute to Service ceremony, set to take place on the soccer team’s first Saturday afternoon soccer game of the season. That first ceremony, on September 11, 2021, happened to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.
“He told me he wanted to honor all the first responders who ran toward the chaos in an attempt to save others,” said Officer Curt Fulton of the Marlborough Police Department, who nominated Ventriglia for the award.
“Unfortunately, shortly before this soccer game at an airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, 13 servicemen and women died helping with the evacuation of Americas and allies during our withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
In their honor, the team placed pairs of boots on the sideline that were donated by West Point cadets. Soccer players placed roses on the boots as names were read aloud.
“This year, we also had a ceremony honoring first responders and the Kabul 13,” said Fulton. “We know that people place flowers at the World Trade Center Memorial honoring birthdays and veterans with yellow and white roses. We added that aspect to this year’s ceremony.”
“In the wake of 9-11 I knew I’d work in public service in some capacity,” noted Ventriglia, whose father was also a teacher. “As a social studies teacher I try to teach my students to have appreciation for the past and what we have today in America.”
Marlborough Town Supervisor Scott Corcoran noted that Ventriglia and Fulton had started an important new tradition for the middle school, the soccer team and the town as a whole. “You’ve started a tradition of honoring our fallen soldiers,” said Corcoran. “You just do it because it’s the right thing to do. We all thank you for that.”
Within the business portion of the meeting, the Town Board unanimously approved the final budget for 2024; Councilman Manny Cauchi was absent from the Board meeting and thus did not vote. Total expenditures for the budget is $12,403,993 – less revenues and unexpended balance equals $8,719,642 to be raised by taxes. That figure keeps next year’s tax increase on Marlborough property owners below the 2 percent statewide cap.
Under this law, property taxes levied by local governments and school districts generally cannot increase by more than 2 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. Corcoran noted that the increase will translate to approximately $56 yearly for a $300,000 property.
One of the expenditures that will directly benefit Marlborough residents is the town’s community center on Route 9W, which is now undergoing a major remodel. Much of the exterior work that faces the highway is now complete, and Corcoran expects the facility’s new front doors to be installed within the next two weeks. Additionally, about three-fourths of its plumbing and electrical work is now complete.
“So that’s moving along nicely,” said Corcoran. “Within the next two weeks we will have bidding for the interior work.” One of the last hurdles before occupancy will be repaving of the parking lot and the installation of a new flagpole. Corcoran said the building is still on target for spring occupancy.
Among other business, the Town Board approved the following measures:
• The creation of a Child and Youth Abuse-Prevention Program. It will be outlined in the town’s employee handbook.
• The approval of a bid for site and landscape improvements at the Milton Landing Waterfront Revitalization Project. The winning bidder is LandVscape, Inc. of Carmel, also known as Nicky Diggs Excavation. The bid total, $595,417, was the lowest among six firms that sought the contract.
• Hiring Greenman-Pedersen to provide engineering, design, and construction services for the renovation and expansion of the town’s Highway Department facility at 1650 Route 9W. Greenman-Pedersen is based in Babylon, Long Island with a local office in Kingston.