 Town Board Votes to Dedicate Roads in Memory of Fishkill Combat Veterans
At the January 4, 2023 Town Board meeting, the Board voted to dedicate four roads in the Town of Fishkill in memory of notable Fishkill combat veterans.
Wednesday's meeting was the annual reorganizational meeting, at which the Town Board performed a number of start-of-year functions and customary business. However, four Resolutions carried special weight.
The Board voted to dedicate four roads to combat veterans who lived in Fishkill:
- Route 9, from the Wappinger town line to the Phillipstown town line, in honor of Sgt. Elijah Briggs
- Route 52, from the City of Beacon line to the East Fishkill town line, in honor of Sachem Daniel Nimham
- Route 82, from the Route 52 intersection to the Wappinger town line, in honor of Cpl. Derick Brinckerhoff
- Route 9D, from the City of Beacon line to the Wappinger town line, in honor of Pvt. Sidney A. Scofield
Remembering Service and Sacrifice
At Wednesday's meeting, Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra said three of the four Fishkill veterans were killed in combat, with Chief Nimham a notable casualty of the American Revolution. Sidney Scofield lost his life charging up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, while Derick Brinckerhoff was killed in Korea. Both Scofield and Brinckerhoff are believed to be the only Fishkill soldiers killed in either conflict.
Civil War veteran Elijah Briggs, however, survived wounds sustained at the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864 and went on to earn the Medal of Honor at Petersburg. He settled in Fishkill after the war and died in 1922, when he was buried in the Fishkill Rural Cemetery.
Supervisor Albra said the Resolutions will be forwarded to State Senator Rob Rolison and Assemblyman AJ Beephan, who represent the Town in Albany. Supervisor Albra extended his special thanks to Councilmen John Forman, Carmine Istvan and Brian Wrye for their support to pass these Resolutions.
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An Ongoing Commitment
Promoting Fishkill history and honoring Fishkill veterans has been a longstanding initiative of Supervisor Albra. In 2020, Supervisor Albra partnered with County Executive Marcus Molinaro to dedicate three county roads in the Town of Fishkill in honor of three Fishkill men killed in combat in Vietnam, and host a special ceremony on Veterans Day, which was attended by Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Assemblymen Kieran Lalor, and the brother of Richard Robert Smith, a Marine Corps tanker who was killed in Vietnam (photo below).
 In 2021 and 2022, Supervisor Albra and the Town Board dedicated a statue of Chief Nimham, located at the Arrowhead intersection of Routes 52 and 82. The ceremony was attended by dozens of representatives of the Native American community, local dignitaries including County Sheriff Kirk Imperati, and hundreds of residents.
Looking Ahead
Supervisor Albra said the Town is looking forward to the State legislature moving ahead with Resolutions to officially dedicate the roads as resolved by the Town Board, and continuing to promote the veteran community with the Fishkill Veterans Committee established last year.
The Town is also pleased to be launching the Hometown Heroes Banner Program this year! The program launch was announced at the December 7 Town Board meeting by Councilmember Louise Daniele, who has worked on this initiative with Councilman Carmine Istvan and Town Board aide Greg Totino, with the banners to be mounted on utility poles on Route 52 in the Town of Fishkill.
Hometown Heroes banners give Fishkill residents the chance to honor a loved one, past or present, who lived in the Town of Fishkill during their lifetime and served our nation in uniform. Banners are available to reserve by submitting the Hometown Heroes application form to hometownheroes@fishkill-ny.gov
As this is the first year of the program, banners will be limited to the first 100 completed applications received. To make sure your loved one receives their banner, don't delay, fill out your application and submit it today!
 Fjord Trail Phase I to Move Forward
The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail is set to move forward with Phase I of its project after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a approval for the plan.
The Fjord Trail comprises more than seven miles of walking/bicycle trails and other amenities, along the shore of the Hudson River, connecting the Village of Cold Spring and the City of Beacon. Much of the proposed project lies in the Town of Fishkill, north of Breakneck Ridge.
Phase I of the project involves the construction of the Breakneck Connector and Bridge, a 445-foot walking and cycling bridge over the Metro-North train lines, connecting the shoreside path to Cold Spring with the inland path adjacent to Route 9D near Breakneck Ridge, at an estimated cost of $85 million, according to reporting by the Highlands Current.
In 2022, the Town of Fishkill supported the plan and served as host for a Public Hearing overseen by the Department of Transportation, which issued its preliminary approval last fall. Now, DEC approval has paved the way for the construction of Phase I later this spring.
Further elements of the project include proposals for additional parking areas, safer pedestrian crossings, and a total of 7.5 miles of trails between Beacon and Cold Spring, much of which lies within the Town of Fishkill. The Town will keep residents updated with information about future development of the project.
 A Glimpse At History
On Wednesday, December 28, Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra, Councilman Carmine Istvan and Planning Board member Felix Lopez visited the Holiday Open House at the Van Wyck Homestead Museum.
Refreshments and cookies were served, which those in attendance enjoyed as they listened to live music and stories from a storyteller. Museum representatives offered tours of the historic building dating to the 1730s.
Steve Lynch, president of the Fishkill Historical Society, took a moment to point out a photo of the brave men of the Protection Engine Company, taken on the steps of Van Wyck Hall in the village around 100 years ago.
The museum is always looking for volunteers, and those with a passion for history can reach out at FHSinfo@yahoo.com
As always, Supervisor Albra invites any resident with questions about anything related to the Town of Fishkill to contact him at any time by email at supervisor@fishkill-ny.gov or by phone at (845) 831-7800 ext. 3309, or you can contact Town Councilmembers Louise Daniele, John Forman, Carmine Istvan or Brian Wrye by email through the Town Website, or by phone at (845) 831-7800 ext. 3393.
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