Middletown

Margaretville — Middletown residents and visitors have long had a love-hate relationship with the Catskills environment: While beautiful and generous in its abundance, its stony ground, weather extremes and flood-prone waterways can be unforgiving.

In “The Great Outdoors,” an exhibit mounted by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM), drudgery, damage and disappointment are banished, while the playful, joyful connection between humans and nature, then as now, is on exuberant display.

Margaretville — The Town of Middletown’s website will go live Wednesday April 18th and can be viewed at the following address: www.middletowndelawarecountyny.org

With financial support from the O’Connor Foundation and a welcoming ‘Home’ page showcasing vintage photos courtesy of the Middletown Historical Society, the website was created by Lisa Tait of Silvertop Graphics in New Kingston.

Delaware County Judge candidate Gary Rosa is an area native and graduated from Margaretville Central School in 1978.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and in 1982 earned a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School in 1985.

Mr. Rosa worked as an associate legislative counsel for the NYS Department of State from 1985-88. He opened his private legal practice in Margaretville on a part-time basis in 1987 and expanded to full-time the following year. He has served as a justice for the Town of Middletown since 1992.

By Pauline Liu
The Middletown Town Board tackled a cornucopia of topics, when it met last Tuesday night, including new flood maps, trash concerns, as well as whether the public should be given a chance to speak at the beginning or end of the meeting.

About 30 people were in attendance as Middletown Code Enforcement Officer Pat Davis presented a 15-minute-long public hearing about the newly-updated flood maps and new flood law. 

By Pauline Liu
After weeks of waiting and a heated confrontation with Town of Middletown Supervisor Marge Miller, the trustees of the Fairview Public Library in Margaretville have finally received $12,500 in funding from the town.

The money, which had been earmarked for the library in Middletown’s 2012 budget, arrived in the mail on Monday. It was at least three weeks late.

Staff report
Town of Middletown building permit activity showed a small increase from the previous year, due primarily to flood-related projects.

Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Patrick Davis presented the municipality’s Building and Zoning Department’s Annual Report to the town board at its February 14 meeting.
Mr. Davis said that the total number of building permits for the township, including the villages of Margaretville and Fleischmanns, rose from 167 to 176 over 2010.

By Pauline Liu
The Town of Middletown is preparing to hold a public hearing on flood law and damage prevention before the regularly scheduled monthly town board meeting on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. at town hall.

Since the town participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, it is being asked to update the current flood law as well as its Flood Insurance Rate Maps to identify the areas with the greatest risk of flooding.

Step in the process

By Pauline Liu
Residents and business owners whose properties were wrecked by tropical storms Irene and Lee may be able to qualify for assistance towards a buyout, an elevation or relocation through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
At the request of the Delaware County Planning Department, Middletown Supervisor Marge Miller has invited about 70 hard-hit residents and business owners to an informational meeting at Middletown Town Hall on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

By Pauline Liu
Members of Middletown Town Board made the difficult decision last Tuesday night to not participate in a 2011 property tax break program for flood victims, because they believe the town cannot afford to.

With new Supervisor Marge Miller at the helm, it was one of the toughest issues tackled by the town board at its first meeting of the new year. 

Margaretville — The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM), established in 2005, finally has a home of its own, thanks to the generosity of the New Kingston Valley Grange (NKVG).
The Grange has donated its clubhouse and seven acres on Cemetery Road, Margaretville, to HSM which will use it for programming, special events, exhibits and office space.

NKVG Master Marian Schimmel emphasized that the Grange, which has occupied the site since 1994, is not disbanding. Its members will continue to meet at the Margaretville-New Kingston Presbyterian Church.