Orangetown Highway Department Honors Volunteers, Employees

Larry Giannetta was driving home from work one day in April when he noticed a car up against a curb on Western Highway.

The engine was revving, and the driver was slumped over the wheel.

Giannetta pulled over, turned the man’s car off and started to pull the man out of the car with another person who stopped to help. A woman pulled over who happened to be a nurse and started giving the man CPR. Volunteer medics arrived on the scene shortly after and revived the man.

On Tuesday, Giannetta was awarded the Town of Orangetown Highway Department’s Highway Hero Award, just the third given out by the department.

“We like people to know that these are the kind of people we have working for us in the Town of Orangetown,” James Dean, superintendent of the department. “He’s a young man, just became a member of our department. He’s been with us a year.”

Dean was at Tuesday’s Town of Orangetown Town Council meeting to give out the annual Highway Awards.

He also honored students from the Summit School in Upper Nyack who took part in the Summit School Summer Youth Employment Work Program.

“Part of their program is to have their students go out in the field and learn what it is to have a job and go to work every day and do something. That’s part of their curriculum,” Dean said. “We’ve been doing this for, I think, 10 years with Summit School. It’s worked out great for the Town of Orangetown. They come to us once or twice a week, as they’re available.”

Dean presented a beautification award to the KFC in Pearl River.

“When appropriate, we give a beautification award. We don’t always find what we think is someone working hard at it. Kentucky Fried Chicken in Pearl River, we’re giving them a beautification award,” Dean said. “They’ve been doing this for years, and I don’t know why we missed it before. They’re on Route 304 and Jefferson, and they have some of the most beautiful flower arrangements.”

Dean also honored the group at Robin’s Road in Pearl River on the five-year anniversary of their Adopt-A-Spot program. In the program, groups can adopt an area in town and clean it up if they think it’s not being paid enough attention to.

“We’ll work with them. If they clean up, we’ll pick up whatever they bring out there,” Dean said. “If they need supplies, we’ll get them some soil. We try to work with them.”

The awards just don’t honor volunteers, however. They also honor department employees.

“We have employees in the Highway Department who are very dedicated to what they do,” Dean said.

One such employee is Highway General Forman Mike Yannazzone, who earned an award for his 100 percent attendance last year. It was the sixth time in the last seven years and 15th time in the last 16 years he’s had a perfect attendance. Tom Caputo also earned a perfect attendance award.

Dean said while they had four people with perfect attendance the year before last, last year the department had 11 people with a 99 percent attendance.

“That’s pretty amazing,” Dean said. “It shows the dedication those people have. They’re ready and willing to come to work every day for the Town of Orangetown.”

Highway Awards:

Summit School Summer Youth Employment Work Program Students:

• Edward Antonellis
• Velval Bochner
• Joseph Carlino
• Richard Davis
• Jonathan Mangual
• Christopher Melville
• Kevin Pizzuti
• Brandon Price
• Donovan Ramses
• Stephen Rock
• Tereik Telfair
• Alexis Vilceus

Beautification Award: Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pearl River

• Joseph Cavegn, owner
• Janette Bachmeier, landscapper

Adopt-A-Spot 5 Year Anniversary: Robin’s Nest, Robin Road, Pearl River

• Dottie Dean
• Lisa and Jeffrey Chanin

Highway Perfect Attendance Award:

• Tom Caputo
• Michael Yannazzone

Highway Department Retiree:

• Steven Bello

Highway Department Promotions:

• Michael Catania - HMSII
• Mike Dillon - HMSI

Road Master I Certification:

• Stephen F. Munno

Highway Hero Award:

• Larry Giannetta

Check back with Patch later for more from Tuesday's Orangetown Town Council meeting.