School bus, traffic safety issues questioned

Highland Mills resident James Ng voiced his concerns about school bus traffic safety in his community, at the June 26, Woodbury Village Board meeting. According to Ng, some buses were entering cul-de-sacs and making multiple-point turns, creating an unsafe situation for the children who play in those streets.

Woodbury Village Trustee Susan Fries-Ciriello told Ng to bring this issue to the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, which is responsible for busing students to schools within the district, and, in certain, cases schools outside of the district or private schools within Monroe and Woodbury.

Woodbury Village Mayor Andrew Giacomazza said he will reach out to the district and that he has dealt with this issue before.

Maria Hunter, also of Highland Mills, raised the issue of traffic safety in Woodbury, asking the board to do more to discourage speeding on busy roads. She said she would like the village board to contact the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to install a traffic signal or stop signs at the intersection between State Route 32 and Ridge Road.

Also during the meeting, Monroe-Woodbury High School students presented on a project to reduce the impact of fast fashion, while providing clothing to community members in need.

Senior Dorian Tomaras, who was among the students, explained that the project, “Stop and Swap,” sought to address the negative environmental impact of fast fashion, which results in mass disposal of clothes, encourage access to sustainable fashion and create a clothing dispensary in the high school where students could dispose of unwanted clothing in a sustainable manner. The students partnered with local organizations to ensure the clothing goes to those with the greatest need.

Rachel Yoon, also a senior, said the clothing swap was held on May 30 and June 2 in the high school library. She added that at the completion of the project, the students were able to donate usable clothing to centers across the Hudson Valley. Clothing that was not fit for donation is expected to be recycled at the Orange County Recycling Center to ensure they are not going into landfills or being burned, Yoon said.

The students added their hope that the project will continue via the help of partnerships with community organizations.