The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) lists the top 11 stories of 2011, though the 11th is about the Sheriff’s jail lieutenant that shot a fellow hunter in 2010. Here are the top ten stories for the paper that covers the northern part of Greene County and southern Albany county:
• 10) “Ex-Durham cop sentenced to prison,” about former police officer Nathan Van Fleet, who got an additional two-year sentence for weapons charges.
• 9) “Police probe Town of Greenville Highway Department,” about an investigation later dropped for, “lack of of witnesses and evidence.”
• 
“Slater sells Cairo’s Great American supermarket to Hannaford,” By the end of the year, the Cairo Planning Board approved plans for the 40,000-square foot supermarket to be built.
• 7) “Superintendent Zeh resigns,” about how Gary Zeh left after 18 acrimonious months fighting the town board in Rensselaerville.
• 6) “Direction of hilltown voting is shifting right,” about how Tea Party candidate Deborah Busch defeated Alexander “Sandy” Gordon for the 39th Assembly seat in Albany that represents Westerlo, Rensselaerville, and parts of Berne and Knox.
• 5) “Water park makes waves in Greene,” about proposed Great Wolf water park for New Baltimore with help from the Greene County Industrial Development Agency.
• 4) “Fire, crash claim the lives of two local high school students,” about the deaths of 17-year-old Erika Cook and 18-year-old Samantha Pagan that occurred in a traffic accident as they turned into the Cairo-Durham High School entrance.
• 3) “Frey steps down,” about Durham legislator Sean Frey’s resignation as part of a deal with the Greene County District Attorney’s office.
• 2) “Resignations shakeup the Greene County IDA,” as Alexander “Sandy” Mathes and, later, four board members resigned from the Industrial Development Agency.
• 1) “Irene,” and the storms and flooding associated with that Hurricane that hit Greene County in late August, devastating several towns.
You are currently browsing articles tagged Sean Frey.
Tags: Alexander "Sandy" Mathes, Greene County Industrial Development Agency, Sean Frey
Retired priest removed, 3 on leave
Cathy Woodruff of the Times Union reports that Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese has placed three retired priests on administrative leave and removed another from the ministry based on allegations that they sexually abused minors. The Rev. Robert Purcell, 76, retired pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Margaretville, Delaware County, was removed from the ministry as the result of a recent abuse claim dating to 1957, 17 years before his ordination. Three other retired priests were place on leave as a result of allegations that they sexually abused a minor in Albany between 1986 and 1991. Two had remained in active ministry. They are: the Rev. Alan Jupin, 73, retired pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Schenectady, and the Rev. Donald Ophals, 77, who served as pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Troy at one time. The third priest placed on leave, Louis Douglas, 82, retired from St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Albany in 1992 and is under medical care in a nursing facility. The Rev. John Bertolucci — a fourth priest accused with Jupin, Ophals and Douglas — was removed from ministry by Hubbard in 2002 based on unrelated sexual abuse allegations.
Young Republicans’ Lincoln Dinner features Gibson
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star reports on the 50th annual Abraham Lincoln Anniversary Dinner, hosted by the Columbia County Young Republicans at Kozel’s restaurant in Ghent on Saturday night, March 19, After 50 years, the first such event to feature a sitting Congressman: Chris Gibson, R-20th District. Gibson was reported saying that the congressional budget impasse for the year is near a resolution in an accompanying story.
38th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade celebrates the Emerald Isle
The Daily Mail has pieces, and photos, from Saturday parades in Greenville and Tannersville held in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day… and probably the advent of sunny skies and warm weather, as well.
Assemblywoman calls on state to distribute iodine pills within 30 miles of Indian Point
Mid Hudson News Network reports that State Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera (D-Bronx) has asked that radiation-blocking iodine pills be made available to all New Yorkers within 30 miles of the Indian Point nuclear power plants immediately. The lawmaker, who is a member of the Assembly Health Committee, called for the pills one week after the devastating earthquake, tsunami and later nuclear power plant radiation in Japan.
Local Politics Notes
Dick May runs over the recent, sparsely-attended Greene County village races, as well as the legislature’s appointment of Republican Patricia Handel to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Sean Frey in Durham. He particularly stresses what he terms “a quaint feature of election law in this State:” the requirement that in order to appear on the ballot, every candidate must “pretend to be the nominee of a political party.”
Residents protest treatment of alleged document leaker
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star also has a story up about a Saturday, March 19 protest in the center of Chatham against the detention and treatment of American serviceman Pvt. Bradley Manning for his role in the Wikileaks release of government materials. The most controversial file leaked by Manning was a gun sight video from an Apache helicopter that shows solders firing not at armed insurgents, but rather at civilians and two Reuters newsmen who were killed along with the others in the attack. From images of the event it seems a little over a dozen were in attendance.
Tags: Albany Diocese Catholic Church, Indian Point, iodine pills, Patricia Handel, priests, Pvt. Bradley Manning, Sean Frey, sex abuse, St. Patrick's Day parades, village elections, Wikileaks
Supervisors are divided on closed meetings
Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star follows up on her story about groups of county supervisors meeting outside the public eye in Chatham on a regular basis that gauges board opinion on the matter. Legally, she writes, state OPen Meetings Laws says a quorum can be two things: a simple majority of supervisors — 13, in the case of Columbia County’s Board of Supervisors — or it can be a weighted vote that equals out to just over half of county representation (1,768 votes out of a total of 3,535). According to supervisors who have been at the meetings to talk about county and regional issues, there has never been either sort of quorum — and they’re careful about making sure of that. The real rub, it turns out, is that a handful of supervisors, at least four, haven’t been invited, and even though the meeting supervisors say that wasn’t intentional, those who haven’t gone consider the meetings unethical.
Handel appointed Durham lawmaker
Greene County Legislatures Republicans increased their majority to 9-5 yesterday after appointing 48-year old businesswoman Patricia Handel as the county’s 14th legislator representing Durham on Wednesday night, filling the seat vacated by former Legislator Sean Frey. According to Colin Devries of the Daily Mail, Handel operates the Blackthorne Resort with her husband Roy and manages the Supersonic Speedway, both East Durham businesses. Frey resigned his position after winning two elections because of what he called “an endless investigation” by county powers into mileage reimbursals dating back several years. Frey was a Democrat in this largely Irish, fairly Democratic district.
Quilt stuck in UPS limbo
Cathy Woodruff of The Advocate has a great piece on Coxsackie resident Janet Atkins’ month-long vigil to get her unique, prize-winning quilt, entitled Kaaterskill, out of UPS limbo, where it’s been since getting mailed out of the Golden, CO offices of Quilters Newsletter after a photo shoot on February 16.. The coverlet was to be shipped via two-day air, which should have ensured delivery to her Coxsackie studio by Friday, Feb. 18. But it’s apparently lost in the system…and someone else has filed a claim for it.
Catholic Charities grant splits Council
The Register-Star’s Jamie Larson reports on Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting in Hudson, where “what was easily the most contentious split vote seen in City Hall since Donald Moore was elected Council President” centered on acceptance of a $4,100 grant from Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties to pay for the continued enforcement of underage drinking laws in the city by the Hudson Police Department. “The issue has been simmering with divergent opinions since a Dec. 23 sting operation, also carried out by funding from a Catholic Charities grant, which caught eight out of nine restaurants selling alcohol to an underage informant,” Larson writes. “Business owners and a contingent of council members including Moore and Police Committee Chairman Alderman Christopher Wagoner, D-3rd Ward, have discussed in committee that they would like to see more educational prevention than punishment.” Local businesses caught in the sting, all along Warren Street, said they aren’t the sort of places that attract underage drinkers, because of cost and demographic considerations, making the busts appear that much more like harassment.
Scenic Hudson embraces EPA’s proposed national standard for mercury pollution from power plants
The US EPA has proposed the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants in a move that Congressional Republicans are fighting vociferously. The federal agency was under a court deadline to develop the standards, announced Tuesday. Ned Sullivan, president of Poughkeepsie-based Scenic Hudson, announced yesterday that the new laws, once approved, will have environmental and economic impacts for the better, and help the healthiness of the Hudson Valley.
Prisons: Why not sell Sing Sing?
A Times Union report on the March 16 meeting of the Public Protection joint budget committee, which discussed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plans to lose 3,500 prison beds statewide over the coming year, yielded two items that could save Columbia and Greene county prisons, which are seen as key local employment centers. First, many talked about the “saleability” or marketability of mothballed prisons. Then there was the growing belief that it’s better to house prisoners closer to their homes, for better re-entry and less recidivism odds, which given New York City’s record, could work well for the Hudson and Coxsackie facilities. Cuomo has yet to name the 16 members of a commission he has called for to make final prison recommendations.
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, mercury pollution, Patricia Handel, power plant pollution, prison closures, quilts, Scenic Hudson, Sean Frey, underage drinking, UPS, US EPA
Sean Frey, Democratic legislator from Durham, has resigned his position rather than face allegations related to mileage reimbursement, claiming he's had enough of political witch hunts against him, based on his positions. Image from his Facebook page.
Frey, the former Democratic minority leader representing the town of Durham (District 9), a contractor who had never held public office before running for the county legislature in 2006, submitted a letter to the Greene County Legislature last Thursday stating he would resign effective Monday, Jan. 31. Personally, he says he made his decision at the start of the year, which is why he pushed his fellow party members to elect Harry Lennon of neighboring Cairo as his replacement in the Minority Leader post. His current term would have expired Dec. 31, 2012, and County Attorney Carol Stevens, in the news last year for having pitched a replacement appointment fight with then Gov. David Paterson after longtime County Treasurer Willis Vermilyea resigned his post in the midst of an election, has said it is now up to the county legislature to name a replacement, presumably Republican, which is now expected in March.
While a Daily Mail story on the matter today stressed the allegations against Frey, all based around his mileage charges for trips to and from county meetings that reportedly included other stops besides his home, as well as Frey’s use of vehicles owned by the companies for which he’s worked as a day job, the legislator himself has pointed out how he’s been pegged for investigations ever since he started questioning majority actions in the legislature. The Daily Mail reports an investigation by Greene County District Attorney Terry Wilhelm and the New York State Police and Wilhelm claiming that Frey would report round trips he would not complete, noting that “criminal charges were avoided in the matter after Frey agreed to a private arrangement between his attorney and the district attorney’s office.” Frey has said no charges or formal indictments were ever filed against him, and that he paid the requested $2,000 in reimbursement funds so he could end the investigation of several years and save his family, his day job with Ulster-Greene ARC, and his Durham constituents from further stress.
He also questioned why Wilhelm did not recuse himself from his case, but did from other legislator’s and county officials’ investigations, all Republican. “During my four years on the Greene County Legislature for Durham, I, at no time, received any monies that I did not believe I was entitled to nor were not in the usual and customary practices by members of the Greene County Legislature. However, rather than putting my family, myself and Greene County residents through a lengthy and perhaps costly public process I made the decision to resign my position as Durham’s legislator. I wish to thank the residents of Durham for the opportunity to serve them over the last four years.”
“You get elected and aim to do good,” he added in his WGXC interview, “and find there’s still some who will do everything they can to bring you down just because they don’t like what you stand for.” In the past decades, Greene County has had a series of major news stories, some involving calls for resignation and most not, including the campaign for reelection of a sheriff found guilty of DWI, the front page arrest of County Majority leader Keith Valentine and his wife for serving alcohol to minors at a party in their home, and the hiring of “interim” county officials directly out of local businesses that had had significant dealings with the county’s development agencies. It seems, however awkwardly, that Greene County’s 2011 legislative election season has begun.
Tags: Carol Stevens, Greene County Legislature, Harry Lennon, mileage reimbursements, resignation, Richard Hussey, Sean Frey, Terry Wilhelm
Harry Lennon, newly named Minority Leader for the Greene County Legislature in a Daily Mail file photo.
The minority leader of the legislature receives an additional $1,000 annually on top of a $15,000 salary paid to each legislator. The minority leader also has ex-officio voting power on all committees, as does the legislature chairman and majority leader. Legislator Keith Valentine, one of four lawmakers representing Catskill, remains the majority leader.
Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, R-Coxsackie, said there were “significant challenges” ahead for 2011, noting how “We believe the state isn’t through passing down some more of the tax problems to local taxpayers.”
Newly-hired Greene Administrator Shaun S. Groden was in chambers during the re-organization meeting Monday night, concluding his first day on the job. Groden was administrator of St. Clair County of Michigan for seven years. Over the weekend, the county swore in its newly elected officials: Greene County Court Judge Charles M. Tailleur and Greene County Treasurer Peter Markou. Tailleur succeeds Greene County Judge Daniel K. Lalor and Markou succeeds Greene County Treasurer Willis Vermilyea.
Tags: Harry Lennon, Larry Gardner, legislature, Minority Leader, Peter Markou, reorganization, Sean Frey, Sean Groden, Wayne Speenburgh
Greene County election results
STATE WIDE RACES
52 of 52 (100%) machines reporting (52 total districts)
PROPOSAL #1
Vote for 1
PROPOSAL #1 YES
3540
PROPOSAL #1 NO
1848
PROPOSAL #2
Vote for 1
PROPOSAL #2 YES
3766
PROPOSAL #2 NO
1546
COUNTY WIDE RACES
52 of 52 (100%) machines reporting (52 total districts)
STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE 3RD JD
Vote for 1
Jill Dunn 5336
James P Gilpatric 4237
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 009 RACES
2 of 2 (100%) machines reporting (2 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 9
Vote for 1
Sean P Frey
385
Elsie S Allan
353
Leslie C Armstrong
176
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 008 RACES
7 of 7 (100%) machines reporting (7 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 8
Vote for 2
William B Lawrence
916
Harry A Lennon
830
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 007 RACES
7 of 7 (100%) machines reporting (7 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 7
Vote for 1
Larry F Gardner
549
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 006 RACES
5 of 5 (100%) machines reporting (5 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 6
Vote for 1
James W Hitchcock
801
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 005 RACES
4 of 4 (100%) machines reporting (4 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 5
Vote for 1
James E VanSlyke
690
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 004 RACES
3 of 3 (100%) machines reporting (3 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 4
Vote for 1
Kevin R Lewis 835
James P Mulligan 496
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 003 RACES
4 of 4 (100%) machines reporting (4 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 3
Vote for 1
Chris H Pfister
674
Ray C Brooks
617
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 002 RACES
6 of 6 (100%) machines reporting (6 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 2
Vote for 2
Charles A Martinez
1,203
Wayne C Speenburgh
1,146
COUNTY LEGISLATIVE 001 RACES
14 of 14 (100%) machines reporting (14 total districts)
COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 1
Vote for 4
Keith W Valentine
1,367
Joseph F Izzo
1,328
Karen A Deyo
1,307
Forest Cotten
1,038
Linda H Overbaugh
1,003
C Robin DePuy
592
ASHLAND RACES
1 of 1 (100%) machines reporting (1 total districts)
ASHLAND TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Richard E Tompkins
132
ASHLAND TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Leslie C Holdridge
134
ASHLAND TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Dennis E Mattice
131
Thomas H Soule
130
ASHLAND TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Justine L Koehler
130
ASHLAND SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Larry R Tompkins
129
ASHLAND TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Virginia C Arturi
129
ATHENS RACES
4 of 4 (100%) machines reporting (4 total districts)
ATHENS TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Lee Allen Palmateer
628
John F Lubera
609
ATHENS TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Constance J Pazin
753
ATHENS TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
April Paluch
617
Phyllis Dinkelacker
556
Charles J Dagostino
550
Paul Hasbrouck
445
CAIRO RACES
7 of 7 (100%) machines reporting (7 total districts)
CAIRO TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
John M Coyne
845
CAIRO TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Leland E Miller
772
CAIRO TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Douglas L Ostrander Jr 929
Raymond J Suttmeier 709
Alice Tunison (write-in) 192
CAIRO TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Emily A Feeney
920
CATSKILL RACES
14 of 14 (100%) machines reporting (14 total districts)
CATSKILL TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Robert G Carl
1,407
CATSKILL TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Kevin C Lennon
1,354
Robert C Antonelli
1,043
Joseph M Leggio
1,000
COXSACKIE RACES
6 of 6 (100%) machines reporting (6 total districts)
COXSACKIE TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Alexander L Betke II
934
COXSACKIE TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Richard H Roberg
1,150
COXSACKIE TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Jeffery R Lewis
926
Patrick B Kennedy
735
COXSACKIE TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Bambi L Hotaling
1,137
COXSACKIE SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Michael J Tighe
889
John B Garland
822
COXSACKIE TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Linda J Wilkinson
1,128
DURHAM RACES
2 of 2 (100%) machines reporting (2 total districts)
DURHAM TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Gary J Hulbert
564
DURHAM TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Karen J Tirpak
602
DURHAM TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Jodi L Wood
585
William A Carr Jr
554
DURHAM TOWN CLERK/COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Chris Kohrs
622
DURHAM SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Wesley I Moore
620
GREENVILLE RACES
3 of 3 (100%) machines reporting (3 total districts)
GREENVILLE TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Paul J Macko 851
Peter L OHara 464
GREENVILLE TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Richard P Schreiber 955
GREENVILLE TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Richard Y Bear 864
Kenneth M Stern 771
Kathleen A Whitley Harm 482
Wayne A Nelsen 466
GREENVILLE TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Ronnie J Campbell 979
GREENVILLE SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Richard B Hempstead 839
Terry L Williams 503
GREENVILLE TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Mary Yeomans 1042
HALCOTT RACES
1 of 1 (100%) machines reporting (1 total districts)
HALCOTT TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
A Innes Kasanof
46
HALCOTT TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Chris DiBenedetto
48
Alan S White
46
HALCOTT TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Stacey L Johnson
49
HALCOTT SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Russell C Bouton
50
HALCOTT TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Ruth A Kelder
53
HUNTER RACES
4 of 4 (100%) machines reporting (4 total districts)
HUNTER TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Dennis M Lucas Sr
247
HUNTER TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
James A Volker
331
HUNTER TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Dolph J Semenza
327
Daryl E Legg
317
HUNTER SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
John G Farrell
331
JEWETT RACES
1 of 1 (100%) machines reporting (1 total districts)
JEWETT TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Carol A Muth
185
Georgette E Krauss
155
JEWETT TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
William C Trach
209
Steven C Jacobs
199
Marianne Romito
131
Frank P Steinherr
93
LEXINGTON RACES
2 of 2 (100%) machines reporting (2 total districts)
LEXINGTON TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Greg T Cross
193
Dixie L Baldrey
161
LEXINGTON TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Robert A Basil
332
LEXINGTON TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
John W Berger Jr
208
Glenn E Howard
165
Mary T Cline
156
Maurice Nelson
111
Susan Jo Falke
29
LEXINGTON TOWN CLERK/COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Rose M Williams
337
LEXINGTON SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Frank G Hermance
172
Larry M Cross
147
Larry G Falke
27
NEW BALTIMORE RACES
4 of 4 (100%) machines reporting (4 total districts)
NEW BALTIMORE TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Susan K ORorke
587
Arthur A Byas
573
NEW BALTIMORE TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Joseph F Cosenza
675
NEW BALTIMORE TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Barbara M Finke
623
Michael T Meredith
577
James E Coe
531
Lee A Davis
531
NEW BALTIMORE TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Janet A Brooks
764
Paula A Rebusmen
404
NEW BALTIMORE TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Lynn Taylor
681
PRATTSVILLE RACES
1 of 1 (100%) machines reporting (1 total districts)
PRATTSVILLE TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
Kory P O’Hara
151
Richard E Morse
130
PRATTSVILLE TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Robert J Blain
176
PRATTSVILLE TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
James M Thorington
184
Steven H Oliver
138
Lisa L Hamilton
118
CJ Rion
87
PRATTSVILLE TOWN COUNCILMAN UNEXPIRED
Vote for 1
Patrick T Mattice
234
PRATTSVILLE TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Kath
leen D Sherman
168
Switlana Breigle
80
PRATTSVILLE SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
William C Sutton
211
Stanley R Vanhoesen
60
PRATTSVILLE TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Jody M Briggs
142
Anita Creazzo
129
WINDHAM RACES
2 of 2 (100%) machines reporting (2 total districts)
WINDHAM TOWN SUPERVISOR
Vote for 1
T Patrick Meehan
297
WINDHAM TOWN JUSTICE
Vote for 1
Christopher Mattiace
276
WINDHAM TOWN COUNCILMAN
Vote for 2
Robert J Pelham
297
Wayne E VanValin
226
WINDHAM TOWN CLERK
Vote for 1
Carolyn J Garvey
299
WINDHAM SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS
Vote for 1
Thomas F Hoyt
283
WINDHAM TAX COLLECTOR
Vote for 1
Dawn L Hitchcock
314
Tags: Bill Lawrence, Charles Martinez, Chris Pfister, elections, Forest Cotten, Harry Lennon, James Hitchcock, James Mulligan, James Van Slyke, Joseph Izzo, Keith Valentine, Kevin Lewis, Larry Gardner, Linda Overbaugh, Ray Brooks, Robin DePuy, Sean Frey, Wayne Speenburgh
Brown replaces Scheer as deputy on county board
From Parry Teasdale in The Columbia Paper
HUDSON — Chairman of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) shuffled the leadership of the board, with Germantown Supervisor Roy Brown (R) replacing Gallatin Supervisor Lynda Scheer, as a deputy chairman of the board. Baer’s announcement of the move Friday said that Ms. Scheer resigned from the post “for personal reasons.” Brown stood with Baer on his controversial plan to buy the Ockawamick School building on Route 217 in Claverack and, initially, move much of the Department of Social Services there from Hudson. The change takes effect September 1.
Copake board finds ways to agree except on the deficit
From Diana Valden in The Columbia Paper
COPAKE – This is the sort of amazing story about local town meetings that is almost never written ’round these parts. Instead of deciding one of the night’s actions constituted a story and the rest did not, Valden bullet points 10 items that the usually contentious-across-party-lines town board agreed on last week. Then she writes how Councilman Bob Sacks, who has advocated cutting the town’s police force to cover the recently discovered large deficit, reported he was told by the Sheriff’s Office that patrols from that office cover Copake and all of Columbia County 24/7. Sacks also quoted the supervisors of other towns saying they could not afford their own police force and had no need for one because of coverage by the Sheriff’s Office and State Police. Copake Town Police Commissioner Jeff Nayer, then shouted, “Other towns don’t set what we do!” Mr. Nayer said that the Police Department had offered to cut 17 percent of its budget to help the town deal with the deficit, while other departments offered nothing.
New parties make ballot for November
From Jim Planck in The Daily Mail
Have A Voice candidates Karen Deyo, Keith Valentine, Linda Overbaugh, and Joseph Izzo will appear on the November ballot, as will Grassroots of Durham candidate Les Armstrong. The Have a Voice folks are Republicans, joining fellow GOPer Overbaugh in this bid to stay on the ballot for the four Catskill Greene County Legislature seats, after errors in her previous petitions kept her off the Republican line. Likewise with Armstrong, a Republican attempting to primary against Elsie Allan but now facing Allan and Democrat Sean Frey for the Durham seat on the legislature. Overbaugh and Armstrong’s third-party bids went unchallenged by opponents.
State parks in Columbia County fare better than most
From Mike McCagg in ccScoop
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation shows attendance at parks in the Taconic Region of the state park system, which includes Columbia County, is down 3.7 percent in the period from July 2008 through July 2009. Across New York, park attendance is down 4.5 percent, to 27.2 million visitors. Attendance dropped at the Clermont State Historic Site 18.5 percent to 43,456 visitors, at the Clermont State Historic Site 4.1 percent to 61,896 visitors, at the Olana State Historic Site 14.1 to 61,896 visitors, and at Lake Taghkanic State Park, 5.2 percent, to 95,862. At Taconic State Park in Copake attendance was up 12.9 percent to 13,313, and in Copake Falls attendance rose 5 percent to 73,066 visitors.
Farmland Protection on the way
From Francesca Olsen in The Register-Star
Last Tuesday the Planning and Economic Development Committee passed a resolution to apply for state grant funding for developing a Farmland Protection Plan, with matching funds to be provided by the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), as Columbia County is one of the few in the state without such a plan. The Columbia County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board submitted drafts of a plan to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, but was not approved.
Mario’s moves forward with new warehouse
From Paul Crossman in The Register-Star
VALATIE — Mario’s True Value Home Center is planning a new 20,000-square-foot lumber supply warehouse, and hopes to have closed on the new location by sometime in early September, with winter construction.
Tags: Bob Sacks, Col. Cty. DSS, jobs, Joseph Izzo, Karen Deyo, Keith Valentine, Lake Taghkanic State Park, Linda Overbaugh, Sean Frey
Signs of the times
McBride’s Resale Shop at 465 Main St. in Cairo was shut down this week. Read all about it in these two images. A sign on the building still calls it Main St. Cafe, though that business has been closed awhile.
Over two thousand without power in Columbia County
National Grid reports over 2300 homes without power in Columbia at 10:30 p.m., with power not expected to be restored until 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Sam Pratt’s Facebook status reports that 23B, 9H & Rt. 23 into Hudson are closed, and power lines are down on 29. He also says it seemed dark in Taghkanic, Claverack and Greenport.
Attorney General’s new web site not very up-to-date
The attorney general’s office showed off its new Sunlightny.com open-government web site Thursday with workshops in Valatie and Cairo. Perhaps Mr. Cuomo will update the site before his gubernatorial campaign starts — right now the site’s Greene County listings do not include any Cairo officials, and report John Bull is still mayor of Coxsackie.
Town trapped in shallower hole
From Jamie Larson in The Register-Star
COPAKE – Through a combination of adjusted revenue statements and reduced spending, the Copake Town Board cut the town’s newly-discovered deficit down from an estimated $180,000 to $80,000. On party lines, the board then voted to borrow $100,000 from The Salisbury Bank and Trust Company to cover the revenue shortfall and tax the town based on assessed value in a one-time tax. The loan will be paid back in 2010. Republican supervisor Reggie Crowley, and board members Daniel Tompkins and Walt Kiernan voted to take out the loan, while Democrats Bob Sacks and Linda Gabaccia voted no.
Someone’s watching
From Linda L. Fenoff in The Greenville Press (no web site)
CATSKILL – Democrat Robin DePuy of Palenville may have joined the never-dull election for the four Catskill seats on the Greene County Legislature, by forming the “Common Sense” party. Earlier, Linda Overbaugh was ruled not eligible to run on the Republican line because of petition errors, and started the “Have a Voice” party to get on the ballot. Now Overbaugh may be knocked off that line too, as witnesses witnessed two of the “Have a Voice” candidates collecting signatures without witnesses. Can I get a witness?
Team Dudley deflates political football
From Pat Bone Cominos in The Greenville Press (no web site)
Retiring Greene County Legislator Ken Dudley (R-Greenville) withdrew his $80,000 Quantum Fund loan application for his business Tip Top Furniture in Greenville. Minority leader Sean Frey (D-Durham) said he thought the loan was, “not illegal, but unethical for the county to make a Quantum loan to a business owner who is also on the Greene County Legislature.”
Cairo board appointments
From Susan Campriello’s blog for The Daily Mail
CAIRO – Cairo Town Supervisor John Coyne says individuals involved in lawsuits against the town can be appointed to positions on Cairo boards. Several Cairo officials wanted to institute such a ban during a discussion about the ethics board. In a May 5 letter to Supervisor John Coyne, Cairo Town Attorney Tal Rappleyea, and the Town Board, Melanie Trimble, of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the board should not reject a party interested in serving on a board based upon their involvement in such litigation. “Such blanket exclusion must be viewed as retaliation against people for exercising their rights,” the letter said.
September auditions for radio theater
From The Mountain Eagle
COBLESKILL – The Theater Project of Schoharie County will hold auditions for an evening of radio theater. Two plays: “His Honor, the Mayor” and “The War of the Worlds” plus commercials and musical interludes. Auditions: Sept. 10 6 – 9 p.m. and Sept. 13 2 – 5 p.m. at Teen Town, 45 North Grand St, Cobleskill.
Tags: Linda Overbaugh, Sean Frey
(David Woodin and Jonathan Woodin performing at Cairo Open Mic 081409. Poet Nancy Henry reads her recent work, including one that topped the library’s poetry contest. Photos by Tom Roe.)
Cairo open mic night
Click here to listen or download mp3 of Jonathan and David Woodin_081409 performing at Cairo Open Mic.mp3
Click here to listen or download mp3 of Tony Fallon_poetry_081409 performing at Cairo Open Mic.mp3
Click here to listen or download mp3 of Nancy Henry_poetry_081409 performing at Cairo Open Mic.mp3
The Town of Cairo Public Library and WGXC, your new community radio station, co-sponsored the second Cairo Open Mic last night in the Cairo town park. Lots of performers, including the three audio clips above. We will post the band 7 Second Delay’s set tomorrow.
Seward/Lopez in Athens Saturday
From Seward’s office
New York State Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Peter Lopez will join the West Athens-Lime Street Fire Company for community inspection day as officials unveil two new fire trucks at 1 p.m. Sat. Aug. 15 at the West Athens-Lime Street Fire Company, 921 Schoharie Turnpike, Athens, NY.
Second attempt, but with 3rd party
From The Daily Mail
DURHAM – The Democrats knocked Republican Linda Overbaugh off the Catskill ballot and she is starting a new political party to stay on the ballot for a Greene County Legistlature seat; in Durham, the Republicans are keeping one of their own, Les Armstrong, off the ballot, and he is starting the Grassroots of Durham Party, to stay on the ballot, for the Legislature seat now held by Democrat Sean Frey. In 2006, Armstrong beat GOP challenger James Karkheck in the Republican primary, but Karkheck was on the general election ballot on the Conservative line, and Frey won by 11 votes.
Tags: James Seward, Les Armstrong, Linda Overbaugh, Pete Lopez, Sean Frey
Mistaken identity muddles Catskill candidacy
The Greenville Press (no web site)
CATSKILL – Linda Fenoff scoops everyone with the story of Linda Overbaugh’s now potentially failed candidacy for Greene County Legislator. It seems there are two Linda Overbaughs in Catskill, and local Republicans claim a Board of Elections official put the wrong Overbaugh on the petitions to add her to the ballot. Overbaugh, who most political observers deemed a favorite in the race, now may not be on the ballot at all, since all the signatures she received were for someone else, and incumbent Democrat Forest Cotten, who challenged the petition, has a much better chance. (Overbaugh is executive director of Heart of Catskill Association, and full disclosure, was on the WGXC Radio Council for a few months before she said she was too busy and withdrew.) In the story, local GOP officials hilariously seem to say they wouldn’t have challenged a Democrat if they would have made a similar mistake. No one believes that. But if a Board of Elections official made the error, perhaps a State Supreme Court judge will rule in her favor on the petitions, as the GOP is petitioning to get her on the ballot. Otherwise, if enough voters write in her name exactly on Sept. 15′s primary, she can get back on the ballot.
Greene County OKs new tax on mortgages
From The Daily Freeman
CATSKILL – The Greene County Legislature voted to raise taxes Thursday on new home buyers in Greene County. Voting to raise taxes were Catskill’s Karen Deyo (R), Dorothy Prest (R), Keith Valentine (R); Coxsackie’s Charles A. Martinez (R) and Wayne Speenburgh (R); Greenville’s Kenneth E. Dudley (R); Prattsville, Ashland, Windham, and Jewett’s James Hitchcock (R), and Halcott, Lexington, and Hunter’s Larry Gardner (D). Legislators Forest Cotten, D-Catskill, and Sean Frey, D-Durham, voted against the tax, while William Lawrence, R-Cairo; Harry Lennon, D-Cairo; James Van Slyke, D-New Baltimore; and Ray Brooks, R-Athens, were absent. Beginning Oct. 1, home buyers in Greene County will be required to pay an additional 50 cents per $100 on new mortgages. This new tax will be on top of the current 75-cents-per-$100 surcharge assessed on all new mortgages, of which 25 cents is paid to the state by the mortgage lender and 50 cents is paid by the borrower to the municipality where the property is located. The total mortgage recording tax will increase to $1.25 per $100, with 50 cents per $100 being paid to the county.
New accountant faces old budget deficit
From The Register-Star
COPAKE – The Town Board fired accountant Brian Fitzgerald Wednesday night after he told them last month they are facing a $175,000 budget deficit at the end of the year. The Town Board did not believe his numbers and fired him for mishandling funds, acting disrespectfully at public meetings to Board members and residents, and sending internal town business e-mails to the Register-Star. They hired accountant Michael Torchia, who told them the deficit was about the same, just slighty more.
Columbia and Greene pork
From The Albany Times-Union
The Times-Union is tracking the pork projects approved by New York legislators for Columbia and Greene counties:
Columbia County:
STUYVESANT FIRE DISTRICT ONE $10,000 GORDON-T STUYVESANT
VALATIE FIRE DEPARTMENT $6,000 GORDON-T VALATIE
NORTH CHATHAM FREE LIBRARY $5,000 GORDON-T NORTH CHATHAM
KINDERHOOK MEMORIAL LIBRARY $4,000 GORDON-T KINDERHOOK
TOWN OF NEW LEBANON $3,000 GORDON-T NEW LEBANON
AIDS COUNCIL OF NORTHEASTERN NEW YORK, INC. FAIRVIEW PLAZA – $2,500 GORDON-T HUDSON
LEBANON VALLEY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION $2,500 GORDON-T NEW LEBANON
COLUMBIA GREENE COMMUNITY COLLEGE $10,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
WEST GHENT FIRE COMPANY $7,500 MOLINARO GHENT
PHILMONT FIRE COMPANY $5,500 MOLINARO PHILMONT
GREENPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT $4,800 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON VALLEY AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. $4,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
GREENPORT PUMPER COMPANY NO. 1 $3,600 MOLINARO HUDSON
CITY OF HUDSON $3,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
CITY OF HUDSON YOUTH DEPARTMENT $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
COLUMBIA COUNTY RIDE PROGRAM $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON VALLEY AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $2,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
VFW POST 1314-HUDSON $2,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON POLICE DEPARTMENT $2,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP $1,300 MOLINARO HUDSON
CHATHAM HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER $500 MOLINARO CHATHAM
Columbia-Greene Community College $50,000 Saland Hudson
R.I.D.E. Program $9,000 Saland Hudson
West Ghent Volunteer Fire Company $7,500 Saland Ghent
North Chatham Free Library $5,000 Saland North Chatham
Greenport Pumper Co. No. 1, Inc. $3,600 Saland Hudson
Greene County:
TOWN OF NEW BALTIMORE TOWN HALL – $7,500 GORDON-T HANNACROIX
VEDDER RESEARCH LIBRARY $5,000 GORDON-T COXSACKIE
HEERMANCE MEMORIAL LIBRARY $2,500 GORDON-T COXSACKIE
Greene County Industrial Development Agency $18,500 Seward Coxsackie
Greene County Pop Warner Football Association, Inc. $5,000 Seward South Cairo
Tags: Bill Lawrence, elections, Forest Cotten, Harry Lennon, James Hitchcock, James Van Slyke, Karen Deyo, Ken Dudley, Larry Gardner, Linda Overbaugh, Ray Brooks, Sean Frey
On The Air
WGXC is on 90.7-FM now, at full-power, 3300 watts. We cover all parts of Greene County except parts of the mountaintop, and all of Columbia County except for a bit of Western Columbia County south of Germantown. WGXC also covers a large part of southern Albany County. We have heard reports that the signal is getting from Delaware County to Great Barrington, from Selkirk to Saugerties, from Pine Plains to the I-90 extension.
Local weather/webcams
National Weather Service, Albany
Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page
When the computer is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information in Harlemville. Check dates and times to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was turned off.
Greene County webcams:
Catskill webcam: Thomas Cole House Claude Mirror
Nearby webcams:
Recent Comments