As predicted, it was a nail-biter of a mayoral election in the village of Margaretville on Wednesday, with deputy mayor John VanBenschoten emerging with a three-vote victory over his opponent, Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carol O'Beirne. VanBenschoten received 69 votes to O'Beirne's 66.

By Brian Sweeney
Environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr. has agreed to co-chair a leadership chair for the capital campaign for the proposed Water Discovery Center in Arkville.
Organizers of the Water Discovery Center (WDC) planned for Arkville are hoping to involve a number of heavy-hitters to assist with their fund-raising efforts for the $25 million project. Mr. Kennedy is the first big name to come on board. He is an environmental lawyer and a professor at Pace University Law School.

By Julia Green
Voters head to the polls today in Fleischmanns and Margaretville to cast their ballots for mayor and trustee positions.
On the ballot in the Margaretville mayoral election are Deputy Mayor John VanBenschoten and Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carol O’Beirne. Current trustee Iris Mead and Margaretville resident Wallace Patterson are running for two open seats on the village’s board of trustees.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Stream gauges used as tools to help predict flooding in the New York City Watershed are on the chopping block as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) mulls closing them as a cost saving measure.
The small buildings housing the gauges can be seen along the banks of streams all over the region.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Making it clear that it is still “just a draft,” Onteora Superintendent of Schools Dr. Leslie Ford outlined the proposed 2009-2010 budget for listeners in Shandaken Town Hall Monday. Ford and school board trustees have been on a district tour with the plan, going to town meetings to explain the spending plan and get feedback from residents. Following that process, Ford is scheduled to present her recommended budget on March 31, and the school board is scheduled to adopt a budget on April 22. Voters will weigh in on May 19.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Whoever said, “You can’t fight City Hall,” obviously never met Al Higley.
Higley and his son Alfie run a farm stand on Route 28 in Mount Tremper. After years of battling the Town of Shandaken and allegedly being in violation of zoning laws, Higley says he now faces another threat to his livelihood- a new law that regulates farm stands in a way that, according to Higley, would put him out of business.

By Jay Braman Jr.
At a time when every dollar counts, the owners of local lodges and eateries received welcome news this week when it was announced that Belleayre Mountain Ski Center would remain open longer than originally planned.

By Julia Green
Voters in Margaretville will go to the polls next Wednesday to cast their ballots in the mayoral election for the village, as well as to fill two seats on the board of trustees.
In the mayoral election, voters will have a choice between John VanBenschoten, who has served as a village trustee for the past four years, and Carol O’Beirne, the executive director of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce. Current Margaretville Mayor Bill Stanton announced in January that he would not be seeking another term.

By Jay Braman Jr.
With two people running for the job of mayor and three people running for two village trustee seats, voters in the Village of Fleischmanns have a hotly contested election on their hands year.
In the race for mayor, incumbent Malcolm Becker faces a challenge from Dave Morell, a member of the village’s planning board.

By Brian Sweeney
Delaware County hunters led the way in a statewide surge in deer take during the 2008 season. The deer take in Delaware increased nearly 24 percent overall and the buck take was up about 19 percent, according to figures released last week by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These figures were much higher than the overall state increase in the deer harvest that went from 219,141 to 222,979.