Town budget to keep property tax rate under cap

Christmas came early for town of Woodbury residents at the December 7 town board meeting, where news was shared that the town’s property tax increases for 2024 would fall below the 2% New York State Property Tax Cap.

The town board also held a lengthy executive session period that started just after 8 p.m. and finished just before 10 p.m. No members of the public were present when the board returned and approved the memorandum of agreement between the town and the PBA for full-time and part-time dispatchers.

Saving Pearl Harbor Day

During the town board meeting, Maria Hunter raised concerns about the fading away of Pearl Harbor Day from public consciousness, as she remarked that the holiday came and went with little discussion or coverage in the local media. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has shared that, of the 16.1 million Americans who served in World War II, only 119,550 are alive today. World War II veterans are dying at the rate of 131 veterans per day, meaning that within the next three years, the last of the WWII veterans will be gone.

The Photo News spoke with Alex Prizgintas, president of the Woodbury Historical Society, about how to stop Pearl Harbor Day from fading into obscurity. “I think such a sentiment underlines the vital importance of local historical societies as repositories of our past that are ever-lasting, even while the memories of actual individuals may ‘fade into obscurity,’ as you state. At the Woodbury Historical Society, we keep an extensive archive of veteran material, including a substantial collection of photographs of veterans from all U.S. conflicts. Such material is promoted at community events, most recently being an engagement at the Cemetery of the Highlands on Veteran’s Day this year. Ultimately, supporting these local organizations is a sure way to provide community awareness of local history long after those who experienced the past have passed away.