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Kinderhook honors Dunhams by renaming park
Emilia Teasdale reports in The Upstater that the Village of Kinderhook held a dedication ceremony July 29 for the newly named Dunham Park. Village Mayor Michael Abrams said that, “the village park at the western corner of Broad and Hudson streets [will] be named Dunham Park in honor of James C. Dunham and the Dunham family, in recognition of the many ways Dunham family members have benefited Kinderhook through their legacy of public service and sacrifice.” James “Jim” Dunham served on numerous village boards and committees, including multiple terms as mayor and village trustee. Dunham did not run for reelection as mayor in 2020. Instead, he's getting the pocket park next to the bandstand and Village Square, where a statue of former Kinderhook resident and U.S. President Martin Van Buren is seated on a bench, named after him. The motion passed by the Village Board on July 12 to rename the park also honors his wife, Bonnie Becker Dunham for her work, “As a long-serving, dedicated, and skilled educator, Bonnie impacted the lives of many young people and their parents. She also assumed lead volunteer positions at local organizations, including the Columbia County Historical Society and the Kinderhook Reformed Church.” Read more about this story in The Upstater.