Jaws were agape from bombshell revelations brought to the Mamakating town board at the May 15, 2007 meeting. Approximately a dozen members of the Wurtsboro Hills Community Association (WHCA) appeared to complain about an ongoing series of nuisances and health violations.

Mamakating is divided geographically by two mountain ranges, the Shawagunks (or 'Gunks) and the Catskills, creating numerous small communities that fall off the beaten path. Wurtsboro Hills is one of these places, located towards the inner fringe, about a mile west of Wurtsboro, just north of Skinner Road.

Once a thriving summer bungalow getaway, roughly 500 households remain, some converted into year-round residences, others in various states of disrepair. The area is distinguished with a network of narrow roads, separated by clusters of tiny irregular lots, amidst steep hills. The dwellings occupy three levels of flat land astride the mountain. Pictures of the quaint community lake can be seen at http://www.wurtsborohills.org.

WHCA leader Evelyn DeGuzman addressed the town council. "Two years ago our lake was polluted with an 1800 fecal count [bacteria per milliliter]," she said. "We came to the town because we were being polluted by the streams that run through our community and feed our lake – which ultimately ends up in the Basha Kill. With the help of the code enforcer and Charlie, we got the imminent problem cleaned up so that we could get the lake [re-opened], it also cost us $5,000 to put in an aeration system into the lake to keep it clean."

DeGuzman continued, "About a week ago I got a phone call from somebody who lives on Lake Drive, in regards to dogs being penned on a private piece of property. It turns out that the property is owned by the dog officer, Susan [Gancey]. DeGuzman then related how Gancey, a town employee, allegedly contributed to the closing of the community lake.

"There are visible at any given time, five dogs, four in a kennel, that is situated right on a stream. The neighbors have seen fecal matter pushed into the stream," she disclosed. "The dogs live in their own feces. I was there over the weekend, the stench from this property makes being a neighbor very uncomfortable. The dogs [are] barking 24 hours, seven days a week." She added, "There are other animals contained inside the house on the property. Of course, when I was there I couldn't visibly see how many other animals are caged."

Neighbors are complaining that they have been unable to get the dog warden to enforce herself. "It's the dog control officer, so people are calling about the situation, and we're ignored." DeGuzman stated, "This is a tremendous health issue."

Town clerk Jeanne Dougherty confirmed, "I can tell you that they've been calling dog control for months, if not a year plus, and unfortunately what happens a lot of the time, is when they call into the service, the officer on call is Sue Gancey."

Officer Gancy was fired by Mamakating the next morning, said Town Supervisor Charles Penna. It took code enforcement officer Brian P. McGorman nearly a week to serve the elusive Gancey with notices of violation. Neighbors closely observing the situation claim that Gancey was extremely adept at giving officials the slip, often by a factor of mere minutes. The Ellenville Journal visited Wurtsboro Hills on Wednesday, May 23, the day Gancey got served.

Lorraine and Jon DeCicco reside at 2 Lake Shore Drive, next door to the Gancey residence. Mrs. DeCicco had written a two page letter which was submitted to the town board, along with a petition, at the May 15 meeting. The conditions of stench and noise described in the complaint were not present at the time of this reporter's visit. The DeCiccos explained that Gancey's outdoor kennel had been moved back into the woods a few days earlier, but had previously been situated out in plain sight.

With the DeCiccos' permission, this reporter walked into the woods for a closer look, along the edge of their surveyed lot, bordering Gancey's property. There was observed a rectangular kennel area constructed out of chain link fencing, about twelve feet on the long side. Ms. Gancey was photographed standing in front of the pen, while screaming, "Get off my property!"

"I'm calling the State Police," shouted Gancey, who stood on top of a hill overlooking the DeCicco's backyard fence, while taking pictures of them conferring with this reporter. A teenage girl then climbed on top of a neighbor's shed, somewhat closer to the DeCicco residence, to take more photographs. Eventually, the police arrived, but the trooper did not bother deposing anyone but Gancey.

Mrs. DeGuzman and her husband then escorted the Ellenville Journal to the community lake, offering a tour of the facility and description of its history. Nearly defunct a few years back, the WHCA currently has over a hundred members, and is growing every day, says DeGuzman. The couple says that for the most part, Wurtsboro Hills is a great community, but a few bad apples risk giving the whole area an undeserved bad reputation. Vandalism and speeding are two overt issues plaguing residents.

Some other issues were brought up at the town meeting. "We have homes that are being renovated, they have no permits, they have no wells and they have no septics… People are living in these homes on the weekends; they come up Friday. Where are they getting their water, and where is fecal matter going?" DeGuzman reiterated, "I'm sorry I happen to live next to two of these for the moment." She pleaded with the town council, "This is insanity. I'm begging you. We just really need help."

Penna promised, "We'll take care of it." DeGuzman answered, "We need you back up in the hills. I really don't want to hear ever again, 'We feel sorry for them, there's not enough money'. I work my life away, to clean my properties; it doesn't cost a dime to clean your own trash."

Code enforcer Brian McGorman said, "This is my fifth, going on sixth year, working in Wurtsboro Hills, with the water district, building department and codes." He assured the residents, "Mr. Penna and the town board, they want the problems to stop. They want people to stop dumping. They want them caught and prosecuted. That's my directive, and that's what will be done."

McGorman requested, "If you see something, let me know, even if it's half of a license plate number from somebody you passed at two o'clock in the morning. That half that you can't put together, I have software and computers tied to the state."

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