Senate Resolution No. 1491

BY: Senator GRIFFO

HONORING Peter Radosta upon the occasion of his
designation for special recognition by the Town of
Nelson and Erieville-Nelson Heritage Society with
the Norman Odell Citizen of the Year Award

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies to serve
the best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration
and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Peter
Radosta upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by
the Town of Nelson and Erieville-Nelson Heritage Society with the Norman
Odell Citizen of the Year Award, presented during a ceremony at the
Erieville Fire Hall on Sunday, November 5, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Established in 1996, the Norman Odell Citizen of the Year
Award is bestowed annually on a Nelson resident who has made outstanding
contributions to the town through his or her volunteer work; the award
is named in honor of longtime Nelson resident Normal Odell, who served
as a town planning board member, as the Nelson historian, and as a
volunteer fireman; and

WHEREAS, Residing in the hamlet of Erieville, Peter Radosta is the
founder and president of the Friends of Stoney Pond (FROSTY), a
non-profit organization that exists to foster year-round outdoor
recreation throughout Madison County; he is also a past member of the
Town of Nelson Zoning Board of Appeals, a past director of the Wanderers
Rest Humane Association, and a past president and the current director
of the Partnership for Community Development in Hamilton; and

WHEREAS, Peter Radosta was nominated for the 2023 award for his
volunteer work at Stoney Pond State Forest in Erieville and for helping
to transform winter outdoor recreation in Nelson and the Cazenovia area;
and

WHEREAS, Initiating his trail rehabilitation efforts in 2017, Peter
Radosta started working to improve Stoney Pond after recognizing that a
decade of neglect had left the trail network overgrown and nearly
unusable; he then approached the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation to enter into a Volunteer Stewardship
Agreement for trail maintenance and overall stewardship of the 16-mile
trail network; and

WHEREAS, Forming FROSTY with his wife, Karen Storne, in 2018, the
non-profit organization operates as the stewardship organization for the
DEC Volunteer Stewardship Program and started clearing and preparing
trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and mountain
biking; under Peter Radosta's leadership, volunteers also built walkways
over muddy trails and constructed a classic wooden lean-to; and

WHEREAS, Once the trail network was reestablished, the DEC issued
FROSTY a special permit to enable mechanized snow grooming in the state
forest, which has brought countless families outdoors and onto the

trails during the winter months; the non-profit also invested in
equipment and tools for year-round trail maintenance and snow grooming;
and

WHEREAS, In 2021, FROSTY expanded its services and volunteers to
assist the Cazenovia area; partnering with a myriad of local
organizations, including the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF),
Lorenzo State Historic Park, Meier's Creek Brewing Company, Madison
County Distillery, and the Shoppes at Johnny Appleseed, FROSTY provides
over 30 miles of groomed trails for community use; and

WHEREAS, Peter Radosta has given not only of his time and energies
but also of his competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently
has been designated for special honor; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Peter Radosta has stood constant in
dignity, good grace and humor; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Peter Radosta has displayed
throughout his life; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Peter Radosta upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by the Town of Nelson and Erieville-Nelson Heritage Society
with the Norman Odell Citizen of the Year Award; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Peter Radosta.