POUGHKEEPSIE – Bipartisan teamwork is alive and well in city government. On Monday evening, Mayor Rob Rolison and Common Councilman Chris Petsas joined forces to help spruce up Waryas Park where Main Street meets the Hudson River.
Joined by a group of volunteers and DPW employees, the two men who have sparred repeatedly on issues put their differences aside to help paint benches and picnic tables.
“One of the things we do quite often is repainting our park benches and tables” and that task was performed on this week while the weather was suitable for painting, Rolison said. “Waryas, like all of our parks, is great and we put a lot of time and effort into maintaining them, and we need to do more of that.”
The mayor credited Petsas with the idea. “It was a good team effort and I’m glad that Chris suggested it.” In addition to the benches and tables, DPW employees painted the light posts that were multi-colored as a result of decisions made by the previous administration.
Joined by friends and a student from Oakwood School, Rolison and Petsas had the tasks completed by 8 p.m. on Monday. Mayor Rolison was also pleased by the number of people visiting the park on Monday night. “It was pretty crowded with both Poughkeepsie residents and out-of-towners who were all taking advantage of the amenities and views offered at Waryas,” he said.
Petsas was also appreciative of the work performed. “I thank Mayor Rolison, our DPW crew members and volunteers who joined in helping to paint the park. It was a beautiful night along the Hudson River and the park benches and lamp posts look great due to everyone’s efforts.”
