ALTAMONT — Jessica Lynch, granddaughter of Benjamin M. Crupe, traveled from Manhattan last Tuesday to ask the village board to honor its 2001 commitment to include Crupe’s name on the entrance sign to Bozenkill Park.

While the bronze plaque in the park pavilion does indicate “Benjamin M. Crupe Bozenkill Park,” the entrance sign does not.

“Ben was my grandfather,” said Lynch. “Everyone in the village knew him. He served 50 years with the fire department, owned a grocery store, and he was a huge aspect of St. Lucy’s Church. It would mean so much to us to name the park what it was supposed to be named.”

Crupe died on Oct. 21, 2000 at age 76 after his car struck a sports utility vehicle on Route 20 in Guilderland; Lynch was a passenger in her grandfather’s car.

Mayor James Gaughan explained that, after Crupe’s death, the mayor and village board decided to rename the park in honor of Crupe, but had never changed the entrance plaque to reflect his name.

“I do not know why it was not done,” said Gaughan, “but I felt we needed to honor the commitment made to add his name to Bozenkill Park. I want to reiterate the honor that was bestowed on Mr. Crupe. We loved and adored your grandfather and your father. We need to complete something that was started a decade ago.”

Trustee William Aylward moved to endorse the resolution to add Crupe’s name to the Gun Club Road sign, and the motion was unanimously passed. Lynch told The Enterprise via e-mail that she is working with Mayor Gaughan to schedule a park sign dedication ceremony this spring. The original dedication ceremony took place in the fall of 2001.

Other business

At its Feb. 2 meeting, the board also:

— Heard from Jeff Perlee, owner of the building that houses Hungerford Market, during the public comment portion of the meeting concerns related to how the national recession will affect local small businesses. Perlee requested that the board consider a moratorium on charging local businesses additional fees, and anything else that could be done to help both small businesses and real estate.

“In 1990 to 1992, a number of businesses in Altamont closed up and building owners were denied a stream of income,” said Perlee. “Several buildings went into foreclosure and buildings went derelict. Unless we’re proactive, in thinking what to do, macroeconomic conditions will manifest themselves as a problem and it will affect the look and feel of the village. We’re coming into a perfect storm.”

The trustees and the mayor thanked him for his comments but did not respond;

— Passed a resolution to hold budget workshops on Feb. 23 and March 9 at 6 p.m.;

— Heard from Donald Cropsey, zoning administrator, that the planning board committee had approved two waivers of subdivisions for two minor lot land adjustments, and approved a concept plan from Bill and Nancy Turner to transform half of the space of Altamont Wine and Liquor on Main Street into a coffeehouse. The next step will be a public hearing prior to granting the Turners a special-use permit;

— Heard from Gaughan a thank-you to the fire department for following through on the purchase of two American flags that are currently displayed — one for inside the village hall community room and one for outside; and

— Approved authorizing Gaughan to sign and submit the Capital District Bike Rack Program agreement to the Capital District Transport Authority to apply for a free bike rack under the Travel Management Program.