For the 2024-25 season, and for the first time in 70+ years, the Town of Cornwall will only have a sixth, seventh and eighth grade basketball league.

Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said at the Town Board’s November 19 meeting that due to a new program sponsored by the Cornwall Central School District, there are not enough players to field the younger leagues.

“We’ve been running our program for more than 70 years,” the supervisor said,” but we aren’t going to be able to do it this year; there just aren’t enough players signed up.”

As well, the players in the town league will be playing in a new location this year – the New York Military Academy gym. “It’s actually a really awesome facility,” he said, “and we’ll play on Friday nights. I’m thankful they are able to accommodate us.”

The cost to play at that location is about the same as what the town paid to the CCSD for use of its facilities. Because the new program uses the CCSD facilities, there weren’t good time slots available for the remaining recreation league.

Wojehowski said he hopes that for the 2025-26 season, with some time to work on it, the town will again be able to host all ages of young players for the fun play. The school district’s league, he said, is more instructional, to serve as a feeder program for the high school teams. He said this year there just wasn’t time to adapt.

“It was sprung on us,” he said, “and their registration went out right before ours. There wasn’t much communication, and we would have liked a bit more of a heads up.”

He commended Recreation Department’s Laura Kirby and Phylis Murphy, and Mike Anderson, who helps run the program, for their hard work with it each year.
In other board member comments from the meeting, the supervisor again praised New Windsor Cornwall EMS for their work in the community, noting that 100 percent of all calls were covered, with an average response time of 5:34 in Cornwall and 6:22 in Cornwall-on-Hudson.

“As I look across the county and see what other municipalities are having to do, I still say that this would totally explode our budget if we weren’t so lucky to have worked this out (EMS coverage) with such a fine organization,” he said. “I am very glad we were able to do this.”

Wojehowski said that town and village officials are currently working with New Windsor EMS on a new contract. While the current one does not expire until June, he hopes to get it resolved this month or next.
Wojehowski also noted that negotiations continue with the Cornwall Police Department PBA on its new contract.

It’s cordial and professional,” he said. “but we’re still in the back-and-forth stage.”

From other board members, Councilmember Karen Edelman-Reyes said the Building Department issued 28 permits, conducted 62 inspections, and currently has 30 ongoing projects with the Planning Board. The Planning Board does not meet in December, she added – “They had a busy year, so a month off is well-deserved.”

Councilmember Rokhsha Michael-Razi thanked the Town Board, Main St. Revitalization Committee, Highway Superintendent Tom Gschwind and RPC Electric for the work that was done getting the new snowflakes put up on Main St. utility poles. She also noted that the star on Christmas tree in Chadeayne Circle was donated by Highland Engine.

Councilmember Tim McCarty gave the Sewer, Highway, Building and Grounds reports, and noted the Hometown Heroes banners had been hung.

Councilmember Virginia Scott spoke about several Senior Advisory Committee activities, and also thanked Cornwall-on-Hudson Water Superintendent Mike Trainor for keeping the board members, and community, informed on the lead line status in the town and village.