NYS [New York State] Closing 55 Parks, Historic Sites Monday

WCBS-TV ^ | May 17, 2010 | Tony Aiello

[ETL]

Residents Not Pleased With Gov. Paterson's Latest Attempt To Get Legislature's Attention On Overdue Budget

HARLEM (CBS) -- Even as the governor cut the ribbon Monday he slashed hours and services at many New York State parks – and outright closed a number of them.

David Paterson admitted it's a desperate measure to save money, with the state budget deep in the red and long overdue.

Marion Murray is a Riverbank State Park regular one of thousands who work out, enjoy a family picnic or take in the Hudson River views at what many consider West Harlem's backyard.

"It is our Central Park," Murray said.

So Murray is deeply disappointed that Riverbank is one of 55 state parks and historic sites impacted by the budget stalemate in Albany.

More than 30 facilities, including Philipse Manor historic site in Yonkers, are shut down completely.

The rest are seeing service reductions, including the closing of the outdoor pool at Riverbank.

"Not good. Nowhere for the kids to go now. If they take this away, it's gonna really be sad," Harlem resident Izetta Sterling said.

The big iron gates at Riverbank used to swing open at 6 each morning and stay open 'til 11 each night. But no more.

Starting Monday the park opens five hours later and closes two hours earlier.

It's a major inconvenience for many.

"It was great to come here early during the week because I could come here early and then go to work," said Steve Lars of Harlem.

Paterson said with a $9 billion deficit and a budget that's 47 days late, reducing spending on parks is a sad necessity.

"We don't want to kill the summer for everyone. This is, unfortunately, the difficult situation we are in financially," Paterson said.

"He's cutting where he can, but things like this, these are essential services," said Geoff Croft of NYC Park Advocates.

Croft said he believes the governor is making the unpopular cuts, trying to force the Legislature into a budget deal.

"This is punitive, and I do believe they are doing this for political reasons," Croft said.

With no sign of a budget resolution the Riverbank pool could stay empty all summer.

New York State has 178 state parks.

http://wcbstv.com/local/new.york.parks.2.1697787.html

[ETL]

Specific recommended closures and service reductions are detailed below:

Long Island

• Brookhaven State Park (Suffolk)--Close Park
• Bethpage State Park (Suffolk)--Eliminate Winter Sports; Reduce picnic area and polo field
• Caleb Smith State Park Preserve (Suffolk)--Close Park
• Cold Spring Harbor State Park (Suffolk)--Close Park
• Connetquot River State Park (Suffolk)--Close Weekdays

• Heckscher State Park (Suffolk)--Close Swimming Pool
• Jones Beach State Park (Nassau)--Close West Swimming Pool; Eliminate July 4th fireworks
• Montauk Downs State Park (Suffolk)--Close Swimming Pool
• Nissequogue River State Park (Suffolk)--Close Park
• Orient Beach State Park (Suffolk)--Close Park
• Trail View State Park (Suffolk)--Close Park

New York City Region

• Bayswater Point State Park (Queens)--Close Park

• Riverbank State Park (New York)--Reduce Operating Hours; Close Outdoor Swimming Pool; Eliminate Seniors Classes, and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region

• Fort Montgomery Historic Site (Orange)--Close Historic Site
• Harriman SP– Anthony Wayne (Orange)--Close Park Area
• Harriman SP – Group Camps (Orange)--Reduce Maintenance
• High Tor State Park (Rockland)--Close Pool
• Knox Headquarters Historic Site (Orange)--Close Historic Site
• New Windsor Cantonment SHS (Orange)-- Close Historic Site

• Schunnemunk State Park (Orange)-- Close Park
• Stony Point State Historic Site (Orange)--Close Historic Site
• Tallman Mountain State Park (Rockland)--Close Pool

Taconic Region

• Donald J. Trump State Park (Westchester)--Close Park
• FDR (Roosevelt) State Park (Westchester)--Reduce Swimming Pool Season
• Hudson Highlands State Park (Putnam)--Close Arden Point Area
• James Baird State Park (Dutchess)--Reduce Golf Course Season

• Mills Norrie State Park (Dutchess)--Reduce Golf Course Season
• Olana State Historic Site (Columbia)--Close 2 Days per Week
• Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site (Westchester)--Close Historic Site
• Rockefeller State Park Preserve (Westchester)--Eliminate Interpretive Programs
• Taconic Outdoor Education Center (Putnam)--Eliminate Interpretive Programs
• Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond (Dutchess)--Close Rudd Pond Area
• Wonder Lake State Park (Putnam)--Close Park

Saratoga-Capital Region

• Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site (Rensselaer)--Close Historic Site
• Hudson River Islands State Park (Rensselaer)--Close Park
• John Boyd Thacher State Park (Albany)--Close Park
• John Brown Farm Historic Site (Essex)--Close Historic Site
• Johnson Hall State Historic Site (Fulton)--Close Historic Site
• Max V. Shaul State Park (Schoharie)--Close Park
• Schodack Island State Park (Rensselaer)--Close Park
• Schoharie Crossing Historic Site (Montgomery)--Close Historic Site

• Schuyler Mansion Historic Site (Albany)--Close Historic Site

Central Region

• Chittenango Falls State Park (Madison)--Close Park
• Clark Reservation State Park (Onondaga)--Close Park
• Fort Ontario State Historic Site (Oswego)--Close Historic Site
• Helen McNitt State Park (Madison)--Close Park
• Herkimer Home Historic Site (Herkimer)--Close Historic Site
• Hunts Pond State Park (Chenango)--Close Park

• Oquaga Creek State Park (Broome)--Close Park
• Old Erie Canal State Park (Onondaga)--Close Park
• Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS (Oneida)--Close Historic Site
• Pixley Falls State Park (Oneida)--Close Park
• Robert Riddell State Park (Delaware)--Close Park
• Selkirk Shores State Park (Oswego)--Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region

• Beechwood State Park (Wayne)--Close Park

• Bonavista State Park (Seneca)--Close Park
• Chimney Bluffs State Park (Wayne)--Close Park
• Newtown Battlefield State Park (Chemung)--Close Park
• Springbrook Greens State Park (Cayuga)--Close Park
• Two Rivers State Park (Tioga)--Close Park
• Buttermilk Falls State Park (Tompkins)--Close Public Swimming Area
• Seneca Lake State Park (Seneca)--Close Lake Swimming Beach
• Stony Brook State Park (Steuben)--Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region

• Canoe Island State Park (Jefferson)--Close Park
• Cedar Island State Park (Jefferson)--Close Park
• Eel Weir State Park (St. Lawrence)--Close Park
• Keewaydin State Park (Jefferson)--Close Park
• Macomb Reservation State Park (Clinton)--Close Park
• Mary Island State Park (Jefferson)--Close Park
• Point Au Roche State Park (Clinton)--Close Park
• Sackets Harbor State Historic Site (Jefferson)--Close Historic Site

Genesee Region

• Hamlin Beach State Park (Monroe)--Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week
• Oak Orchard State Marine Park (Orleans)--Close Park
• Regionwide Multiple Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region

• Joseph Davis State Park (Niagara)--Close Park
• Knox Farm State Park (Erie)--Close Park
• Wilson-Tuscarora State Park (Niagara)--Close Park

• Woodlawn Beach State Park (Erie)-- Close Park
• Regionwide--Reduce interpretive programs

Allegany Region

• Allegany State Park (Cattaraugus)--Close Quaker Area Swim Beach; Close Quaker Cabins Area on December 1st; Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance; Reduce Recreation Programs
• Long Point State Park (Chautauqua)--Close Park

  http://www.nysparks.com/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=776

[traditional1]

How about cutting all the handouts in the form of "needy assistance" first, jackass?

He is cutting off what is of SOME benefit to those who fund all the handouts (the REAL TAX-PAYING PUBLIC, as opposed to those who pay no taxes and live on the public dole).

[EagleUSA]

This is the liberals idea of cost cutting. How about welfare, illegal immigrants and increasing revenues by reducing taxation? Oh, God forbid....PARKS TO DO NOT VOTE!!!

[Dan Nunn]

Long Point State Park (Chautauqua)--Close Park

This one is about a half hour from me. The local newspaper said it costs NY State $44,000 per year to operate the park. For a state that's billions and billions in debt, they are closing a park that costs $44,000 per year to operate. Unbelievable!

That's not counting the revenue it brings into the state. Being a park near the NY/PA/OH border, it brings in a lot of out of staters, especially rich doctors from Ohio, who put their boat in the attached lake and spend a weekend there.

Tripping over dollars to save pennies.

[P-Marlowe]

Now where are all the illegal aliens going to go to picnic on weekends?

Closing these parks is racist!

[colonialhk]

Spank the money first take away the benefits of being the good citizen...perhaps we could use the parks without your supervision?

[Grampa Dave]

Illegals, so called homeless, the druggies and alcoholics will set up permanent camps/homes in those parks and will be killing each other and any outsider dumb enough to go into those parks.

When Willie Brown drove our Californicator economy off the track over a decade ago. Squatters from the above took over a hell of a lot of our parks, state, county and city. Then the liberals in control, later, refused to do anything about them.

It will be worse with the high unemployment and crappy economic conditions under 0haha and his Chicago/Ivy league thugs.

[Clemenza]

Nah, the illegals tend to use the city parks for their BBQs. The state parks are for closet homosexuals to cruise for eachother.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Who needs state employees to enjoy a state park? Crash the gates!

[Sacajaweau]

Gov is just plain dumb...These parks keep folks in NYS...and provide cheap entertainment for familes....

We went every other week to Hamlin State Park. It didn't cost us a dime...

It's just plain wrong to close and/or restrict these places.

[Reagan69]

NYS has some might beautiful parks.

Of course, don’t cut the handouts to the illegals.

As-s-es

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Struggling County Spends Millions On Illegal Aliens’ Dialysis

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2009/aug/struggling-county-spends-millions-illegal-aliens-dialysis

[savedbygrace]

Governments at all levels, faced with a budget crunch, will always, always, always cut spending and programs that will catch the immediate attention of taxpayers and inconvenience them the most.

Always.

[edcoil]

Peoplepay for parks and should remain open. We don’t pay for bloated salaries and massive unfunded pensions.

[freedumb2003]

Hey, liberal democrat New Yorkers! This just in! ELECTIONS HAVE CONCEQUENCES!

All those years of supporting socialist programs and legislators (and POTUS’) and now the bill has come due.

This is just the beginning, trust me (/L.A. resident)

[ETL]

Gov nixes vow to cut own salary by 10%

By BRENDAN SCOTT
May 14, 2010

ALBANY -- A day after Gov. Paterson revoked hefty salary increases for several key aides, he has reneged on his pledge to take a voluntary pay cut.

Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook said yesterday that the governor would not return 10 percent of his salary -- or $17,900 -- to the state treasury, as he did last year in a "symbolic" gesture of solidarity with budget-squeezed public-employee unions.

"He has no intention of giving back 10 percent of his salary this year," Hook said. ..."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/gov_nixes_vow_to_cut_own_salary_DZErqI5IQxa6QNO0EPXcIJ

[ETL]

Central Region

• Chittenango Falls State Park (Madison)--Close Park

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/130/details.aspx

[libertarian27]

I bet ya’ there’s a boatload of stimulus money that has been poured into many of these parks already - GONE

[RVN Airplane Driver]

“Pardner”...you ain’t seen anything yet....the shan if about to hit the fhit.....

[philetus]

Has anyone checked the closed parks to see how many illegals are living in them?