Plaque dedication recognizes donors to Doc Rogers Park renovation project

By Carol McIntire

Editor

Amsterdam Mayor Jim Phillips and members of village council publicly expressed appreciation to Jefferson County commissioners and the Charles M. Pugliese and Thelma M. Pugliese Foundation during a ceremony Oct. 9 at Doc Rogers Park. 

The ceremony included the dedication of a plaque for the funds provided by commissioners through the county’s recreational grant program and the Pugliese Foundation.

“Since I took over as mayor about six years ago, we have done amazing upgrades to this park,” Phillips said. 

“It was always a nice park but was in need of repairs. We didn’t have the nice playground equipment, new concrete and nice restrooms -basically there were no restrooms. For a small town like us this just wasn’t attainable.”

“A couple years ago, we were blessed by the Pugliese Foundation. They bought us that new piece of playground equipment. It cost about $40,000,” Phillips continued pointing to the playground where the large, modern play equipment is located. 

He told the crowd that basically everything they saw in the park that was upgraded was thanks to recreation grants and the Pugliese Family and a few other donations.

“With their help, we have completely rewired the pavilions. We have all new concrete, thanks to a grant from the Pugliese Family last year.  This year, the commissioners helped us out with new picnic tables as well as some new picnic tables last year. The restrooms have been completely redone. The final step was new floor coverings this year we can actually mop.”

“Also, we got half of our third-mile walking track repaved in the last five years. The second half of that project is coming up soon,” he said, adding there was never a time when the village asked that you guys haven’t, in one way or another, filled.

He also thanked the Pugliese family for the donation towards the purchase of a new snowplow truck for the village. 

“You can’t see it here, but it will be arriving soon,” Phillips said, adding the donation was about $25,000.

“I just want to say thank you to the Pugliese Foundation trustees and county commissioners for their hard work. I know it’s difficult. Funding is tight and the ask is always bigger than what is available. Both have always been very generous to myself, and my residents and I humbly thank them.”

Jefferson County Commissioner Dave Maple, speaking for fellow commissioners Tony Morelli and Eric Timmons, thanked the mayor and council members for the plaque. 

“It’s been a pleasure to work with the mayor and village,” Myers said, noting he is completing his 20th year as commissioner and opted not to seek re-election this November. “I’ve worked with the village during this entire project. You’ve been passionate about this park and make great success of the money we give them.”

Morelli thanked Maple for taking the lead on the recreational grants for the park. 

“He’s been a part of the entire project. We are certainly going to miss his expertise.”