News

By Julia Green
Beneath an American flag flying at half-mast and a solemn gathering of his fellow state troopers, family members and friends, a dedication ceremony was held Sunday afternoon unveiling a memorial to slain New York State Trooper David C. Brinkerhoff, who was shot to death in the line of duty in Margaretville last April.
The memorial, a five-foot tall jet-black granite stone from India, features Brinkerhoff’s likeness as well as a passage about his life and the events that led to his death. It is located in front of the Middletown Town Hall building on Route 28.

By Brian Sweeney
The new Margaretville constable has been put on a leave of absence until the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services reviews the paperwork for his hiring.
Harold Fox began part-time work as Margaretville constable on June 2, but was placed on leave June 24 after a complaint was made questioning the steps followed in his hiring.

The Roxbury Central School District will hold an Asbestos Awareness Presentation on Wednesday, July 9 at 6 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. Roxbury residents approved the Excel Project that will be performed this summer. The project includes the removal of asbestos-containing floor tile and a short span of pipe insulation in the building’s basement.

By Jay Braman Jr.
A precarious section of Chichester’s Silver Hollow Road is at risk of slipping into the drink and state Route 214 is next, residents say, and this week those that live on the dead-end road are warning a host of governments that they would be liable if something happens.
Mack Lipkin and Bruce Barry have sent a letter to everyone from Shandaken Highway Superintendent Eric Hofmeister to Congressman Maurice Hinchey and Governor David Paterson stating that the problem is now years old and that something needs to be done.

Peg Ellsworth, Roxbury’s community resources director, has been named executive director of the MARK Group, said MARK Board President Ernest Steiglehner on Friday.
“It was a consensus decision for all of us on the search committee and affirmed unanimously by our board,” said Steiglehner. “Peg has great experience working with communities. What really sold us was her detailed plan for how to move the organization forward in the next six months and how to interact closely with all the communities we serve, because that community work is MARK’s strong suit and central to our mission.”

Writers in the Mountains (WIM) will hold a reading of work from recent classes in The Hilt Kelly Hall of The Roxbury Arts Group on Sunday, July 6 from 2-4 p.m. There will be short readings and an abundance of food and drinks. Admission is $10. A bound volume of the works included in the program will be available for sale as well.

Irish tenor Ronan Tynan teams up with the Festival Orchestra, under the direction of John Covelli, to open the 2008 Belleayre Music Festival on Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. A gala fireworks display follows the concert.
Introduced to international audiences as a member of the Three Irish Tenors, Tynan quickly became known for his unique voice and irresistible appeal.

The Shandaken Theatrical Society (STS) will present Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, “The Ride Down Mount Morgan” beginning Friday, July 11 in Phoenicia. “The Ride Down Mount Morgan” is one of Miller’s later plays. The author felt that America in the 1980s was suffering from a collapse of values and that self-interest had triumphed over social responsibility.

The ninth annual Golf Tournament hosted by Auxiliary of Margaretville Memorial Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center will be held Sunday, July 20 starting at 11 a.m. at Hanah Country Resort, Margaretville. Mary Fuhrer and her committee members are preparing for this great event which is now being held in memory of Mary’s husband, Howard. The golf package includes coffee, tea, pastries and baked goods at check-in, green fees, golf cart and an after-golf dinner buffet.

Carnival-goers can enjoy rides, games, food and fun at the Margaretville Fire Department’s Annual Field Days at the village park this week. The “Pay One Price” specials, during which carnival-goers can pay a flat fee and go on rides an unlimited number of times, will take place Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.