Housatonic Valley Association opens in Wassaic

WASSAIC — Right before the beginning of the Wassaic Project on Friday night, a party was held to celebrate the grand opening of the new location of the Housatonic Valley Association on Furnace Bank Road.

According to the Web site hvatoday.org, the organization, founded in 1941, helps conserve the natural character and the environmental health of communities in the area through its programs.

"This is our first office in New York.We have offices already in Connecticut and Massachusetts," said marketing associate Jane Bakker. "[Tenmile River Coordinator] Tonia Shoumatoff has been working out of her house for five years. It’s going to be good for us to have our own office."

Tony Zunino owns the house the organization will be operating out of and said he is happy to bring the organization to the area.

"We think that the Wassaic area is a very special place environmentally," Zunino said. "The area is surrounded by mountains and not open to sprawl. Because Route 22 passes by it and not through it, Wassaic has an identity of its own."

Shoumatoff said opening the office in Wassaic will help protect the area’s environment.

"The watershed covers 200 square miles and contains farmlands, wetlands, residential areas, wide flood plains and high wooded areas," Shoumatoff said. "Wassaic is right in the middle of the watershed so this is a perfect place to have an office because we can travel far and wide to towns that share the watershed."

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro said at the event that preserving the environment in the state is very important.

"I think it’s impressive for this hamlet to be working so aggressively to protect its heritage," Molinaro said. "Wassaic has a wonderful history and this community has been struggling to redefine itself. Land use and zoning is not about how many things we can put on a piece of property or on an acre, but about preserving our natural resources and environment."