News

Region getting education about natural gas drilling

By Matthew J. Perry
The Central New York Landowners Association will bring a lawyer, a geologist and 55,000 acres of land to a forum at 7 p.m. tomorrow night at Delaware Academy in Delhi to spread awareness of the gas-bearing formation called the Marcellus Shale, which is locked thousands of feet under the Catskills, and the complicated means of getting it out.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Greene County interests remain relentless in their efforts to put Belleayre Mountain’s finances under a microscope. Last week that county’s legislature adopted a resolution urging Gov. David Paterson to sign a bill establishing an independent commission to examine competition in the state’s outdoor recreation industry.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The City of New York must pay for all upgrades to private sewer systems that protect the quality of the Big Apple’s water supply in the region. That’s the decision by the State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, which this month upheld a ruling by Delaware County’s State Supreme Court Justice Michael Coccoma, who last year agreed with the Coalition of Watershed Towns that the city needed to pay for maintenance and upgrades at Worcester Creameries, a dairy processing business in the Town of Roxbury.

Opening this week is a new collective show by the Longyear member artists, featuring a collection of paintings on rust-printed rice paper by Gerda van Leeuwen. The artists’ reception will take place at Longyear Gallery on Saturday, July 26, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Highmount, — Broadway and TV star Bebe Neuwirth will perform at the Belleayre Music Festival in Highmount on Saturday, July 26 at 8 p.m.
Bebe Neuwirth is an Emmy and Tony award-winning theater, film and television actress, dancer and singer. After making her Broadway debut in 1980 as Sheila in A Chorus Line, she went on to perform in stage revivals of Little Me, Damn Yankees, and Sweet Charity, for which she won a Tony award.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The tiny American Flag tacked up on a ceiling beam at the Glenbrook Park Pavilion was a hint that the Shandaken Democratic Caucus, though necessary, was going to be as informal as such an event could be.
The 30-plus party diehards that came out for the evening last Tuesday pledged their allegiance to that mailbox sized flag, and within a few minutes cast one vote to unanimously endorse current town council member Doris Bartlett to run this November to continue her term for one more year, that year being the remaining part of current Supervisor Peter DiSclafani’s four-year term on the council.

By Matthew J. Perry
The Bovina Planning Board is reviewing laws from other municipalities in Delaware County to prepare for the possibility of cell tower construction inside its borders. With input from Delaware County Planning Board consultant Justin Shaw, the board reviewed its own existing zoning regulations on Monday night, in addition to poring over details from laws that have been passed or drafted in the towns of Kortright and Meredith.

The Auxiliary of Margaretville Memorial Hospital/Mountainside Residential Care Center will hold its 40th annual Antique and Flea Market featuring antiques, crafts, and general merchandise on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Margaretville Village Park, behind the A&P.

By Matthew J. Perry
The Town of Andes dedicated its new town hall on Saturday in a ceremony made especially official by the attendance of the man whose name has been lent to the building.
At noon sharp, State Senator John Bonacic was on hand to cut a purple ribbon at the doors of the new facility, which is located on Delaware Avenue next to Andes Central School. Officials of Andes unveiled a plaque, now placed in the building’s lobby, honoring the senator for his work with the town and the district at large.

The 34th annual Fleisch-manns Tennis Tournament will take place this Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27 at the village courts, which have been newly resurfaced this past week by Copeland Coating.
First round sets are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue through the semi-finals. The four final matches, men’s and women’s singles and men’s and mixed doubles will be concluded on Sunday, followed by the trophy and awards presentation, benefit auction and a buffet luncheon.