Port Jervis new key to city; Bluestone question resolved

Anya Tikka
Posted 8/21/12

PORT JERVIS, NY — Mayor Kelly Decker came up with the idea of getting a locally made ‘key’ to the city, after examining the old key and realizing it was not made in America. In a recent council …

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Port Jervis new key to city; Bluestone question resolved

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PORT JERVIS, NY — Mayor Kelly Decker came up with the idea of getting a locally made ‘key’ to the city, after examining the old key and realizing it was not made in America. In a recent council meeting, he held up the gilded key that used to be given to visitors. He said, “This is the city key given to special people who come to visit. It said ‘made in China’ on the back, I thought, ‘you must be kidding.’”

He approached local business owner Charles Gillinder of Gillinder Glass in order to work on something more appropriate.

“Why don’t we have a sun catcher for the city?” he suggested.

Gillinder Glass manufactures a broad line of products, including lights used in the aerospace and defense industries, but having been in business since 1861, it also maintains its old traditions, and the gift store is full of glassware, including sun catchers.

Charles’ wife Allyson Gillinder really loved the idea, Decker reported. He continued, “Charlie Gillinder took me on a tour in the factory. I gave them the idea, and they loved it.”

It took only a short time for the Gillinder Glass to come up with a model, and Decker was invited to do the first pressing.

He held up the finished, new sun catcher in the meeting, adding, “It’s the city seal. They just put it out today in there. It comes in different colors. This is what we’ll give away to visitors as the key to the city now. It has text in it about Port Jervis’ history, the southernmost point of entry to the Upper Delaware River Valley.”

Gillinder’s started in 1861 in Philadelphia, and moved to Port Jervis in 1912, taking over the defunct Orange County Glass Works premises. At the time, there were also other glass works in town.

Decker added, “Glass was the first American industry. It started in 1609 in Jamestown, and they sent some to England, but couldn’t keep the kilns hot enough.” There will be a feature story on Gillinder Glass in our Upper Delaware Magazine, to hit the newsstands on September 17.

In other business, the bluestone issue Church Street was brought to a conclusion by the council, which voted 9 to 1 to accept Peter Hill’s offer to buy the old stones, and replace the city’s broken sidewalks in several places as part of the deal.

Decker explained, “Lately Mr. Hill made the offer. There were Facebook comments, and it became an issue. We held a special meeting, and gave one week for bids. This city is always accused of moving too slowly, now... that we’re moving too fast. The impact for many is sentimental.”

The deal was put to bid, and, “We received three proposals,” Decker reported. He also explained there was a thread on Facebook about the bluestone that got heated.

“Some said I, as the leader, don’t pay attention to people. I don’t know how I can make this office more accessible to people.” He added, “I sometimes think people wake up and believe all they dreamt about is true.”

Decker then reported, “There’s a request to suspend the proposal.”

Councilmember Stanley Siegel made the motion to suspend, but it was not seconded.

The council moved to an executive session, and when it reconvened, Hill’s proposal was accepted after considering other proposals that were deemed not as favorable.

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