Andes Central School has announced its Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2013.
Tristin Tait, the daughter of Dale and Judi Tait of Andes, has been named Valedictorian.
Tristin will be attending SUNY Oneonta in the fall and majoring in biology. While in high school, Tristin has participated in the Drama Club, Travel Club, Outdoor Club, SADD, and chorus. She has been a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council.
Kelsey Little, the daughter of Tom and Susie Little of DeLancey, has been named Salutatorian.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Calling the clandestine effort to get the Village of Fleischmanns to dissolve its government “a distraction,” Mayor Todd Pascarella said last week that he would much rather stay focused on the business of helping the village get back on its feet than go through the rigmarole that happened a few years ago when the village board took a long hard look at the idea before throwing it out the window.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Once again, changes at Belleayre Ski Center are causing anxiety among the locals.
The ski center is owned by New York State, but last fall its operation was handed over to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which made it clear that there would be adjustments made in the operation of the facility.
Within a month of taking over, ORDA angered Town of Shandaken officials by dismantling the town’s long running ski program, which gave residents deep discounts on lift tickets, ski lessons and rental equipment.
Plan is unacceptable

By Jay Braman Jr.
A climber making his way up the rock cliffs along Phoenicia’s Tanbark Trail fell about 40 feet on Sunday, causing severe head injuries.
The man, whose name is being withheld by emergency service officials, is from Manhattan and is 27 years old. He was brought by helicopter to Albany Medical Center for treatment. No further details on his condition were available.

By Geoff Samuels
At last Monday’s Flood Commission meeting, Middletown Supervisor Marge Miller said she had recently attended a meeting in Albany with she had learned that $3 million in Community Development Block Grants is about to be made available to the towns of Middletown and Sidney (on a combined basis) for further flood recovery efforts.

By Brian Sweeney
The second annual gardenFest will be held Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. along Main Street, Margaretville.
The event, which has free admission, will feature a host of interesting offerings, most centered on outdoor themes. There will also be refreshments, live music and children’s activities. In case of rain, the event will be moved inside the Galli-Curci Theater.

By Geoff Samuels
The idea of installing more “city funded” sewer lines in the Town of Middletown has sparked many a spirited debate among residents and town officials to say the least. And since Hurricane Irene, the concept is ever more prescient.

By Joe Moskowitz
Each year some people go to their local schools and vote for or against proposed budgets and usually one member of that school’s board of education. In the case of Margaretville Central School, the turnouts tend to be light as the budget increases are usually considered low and there is often just one candidate running. But things could be different this year.

By Brian Sweeney
The long-planned Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park and a significant expansion of Belleayre Mountain took steps forward last week with the opening of public review periods.

The Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park was announced more than 15 years ago by Crossroads Ventures and has faced a series of challenges, primarily from environmental groups. The project developers have refined their plan for the development, which would be built in Highmount, with portions in the towns of Shandaken and Middletown.

Lenghty process

Highmount — The proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park will be located near the intersection of the boundaries of Delaware County and Ulster counties. The site consists of 739 acres adjacent to the existing state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center.

The overall resort centers around two distinct hotels; Wildacres Resort with an 18-hole championship golf course and Highmount Spa Resort.

The following statistical information was provided by Crossroads Ventures, developers of the proposed resort:

Wildacres Resort