Village of Greenwood Lake honors a furry hero

By A.J. Arias
GREENWOOD LAKE — Mayor Jesse Dwyer and Village of Greenwood Lake honored Village Police Officer Michael Dunlop and his K-9 partner Vaughn on Monday, May 21, with a certificate of appreciation for their work in the community.
Vaughn has been a member of the force for five years and in that time has done an excellent job, according to Police Chief John Hansen. Vaughn had not only made several drugs arrests over his time on the force but also additionally prevented many other drugs from being transmitted throughout the area.
Dunlop had worked for many years to get a K-9 on the force, Hansen said, through fund raisers, research and grant work.
Vaughn is retiring from the force but his contribution to the Greenwood Lake community cannot be understated, officials said.
Short rental lawThe short-term rental law will go into affect on June 1. Dwyer told the crowd at the village board meeting that enough notice was given and that there should be no excuse for anyone violating the law.
The law states that for anyone who has a renter in their house without a proper permit will receive a $1,000 fine for each day that they violate the law.
Skatepark to apply for grantThe village board passed a resolution on Monday to allow Greenwood Lake Skatepark to apply for a state grant that normally goes to the village.
The grant for up to $100,000 from state Sen. John Bonacic is offered to municipalities across the 42nd State Senatorial district.
The village will allow the nonprofit organization, whose purpose is to build the skatepark, to apply for the grant directly with the village as its sponsor.
Bonacic deemed the skatepark a worthy cause, according to the mayor.
Sidewalk grantsThe Village of Greenwood Lake received a grant for $50,000 from the New York Department of Transportation and is in the process of applying for an additional $50,000 from New York Housing and Urban Development Department.
The funds will go toward installing a sidewalk that will go all the way from the streetlight by Cablevision to the new firehouse and Public Park.
Dismantling a dangerThe village passed a resolution on Monday to dismantle a pool on Ursa Avenue that was deemed an emergency and a danger to life.
The pool is currently in the backyard of an abandoned house and has a deck attached that allows for easy access.
The village board reached out to the property’s owners, an unnamed bank but the bank refused to take responsibility. The village decided to take matters into their own hand and passed a resolution to dismantle it themselves.
Next meeting: June 18 at 7:30 p.m.