Active Rain April 11, 2011

Good News and Bad News Around Ossining

Two follow up pieces of news on topics I have blogged on recently: 

  1. Ossining voters have overwhelmingly rejected the $69,000,000 bond proposal for the expansion and renovation of the school buildings. I wrote a piece voicing my own opposition to the proposal, and evidently, other school district voters agreed with me by a 57%-43% margin. Over 2000 voted no, a little over 1500 voted in favor. 
  2. On April 8 I wrote a post supporting the closure of Sing Sing Prison in favor of more suitable use of the land. The news that local politicians were asking Governor Cuomo to close the place was the impetus for the piece. Unfortunately, the Journal News ran a story today on why that closure isn’t likely. I can’t say that I am shocked. 
Sing Sing has been there forever in my life, so I can live with status quo. And the old local axiom that any prisoner who would escape would be unlikely to hang around Ossining very long is true. I’d just like some tax relief.
As for the referendum on the bond being voted down, that is good news but isn’t likely to bring tax relief. There is work needed on the Ossining schools, and they are unlikely to take my advice and buy or lease the soon to close Saint Ann’s school. They’ll just raise the school budget, which will at least save us from a massive debt service.