By Pauline Liu
It’s official. According to Roxbury Supervisor Tom Hynes, for the first time in 34 years, the town is “working on” the revaluation of its nearly 3,300 land parcels. The issue was not on the agenda at Monday night’s town board meeting, but that’s where Hynes made the revelation, in response to questions from Ed Dalski, who is chairman of the Roxbury Republican Committee. “The assessor is working on that, but it’s going to take a couple of years to start-and-finish,” said Hynes. “Has he started?” asked Dalski. “Yeah, he’s started,” responded Hynes.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Claiming to not have enough information to make a decision, the Shandaken Town Board on Tuesday tabled the resolution to move the Phoenicia sewer project forward, but this time it may have put the final nail in the coffin of the beleaguered plan.
By not passing a resolution to hold a public hearing on whether or not to create a Phoenicia sewer district, the town board will not meet contractual deadlines with the City of New York, which has allocated millions of dollars to build a system for the hamlet.

By Pauline Liu
More than eight months after Hog Mountain Road was closed due to flood damage, the Town of Middletown is preparing to begin accepting bids for its repair. Highway Superintendent John Biruk explained that a construction technique called “soil nailing” will be used to stabilize the landslide on a quarter-mile stretch of the road. He said the estimated cost of the project is between $150,000 and $200,000, which is about half the original estimate. The work can be done quickly. He expects the project can be completed in four days. Biruk made the announcement at the regularly scheduled Middletown Town Board meeting last Tuesday night..

By Joe Moskowitz
Would you like to buy a used reservoir, millions of gallons of water per mile? Even if you did want to buy one, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) isn’t about to sell any of its reservoirs, or sewage treatment plants. No one ever buys or sells these so-called special properties and that has created a very expensive problem for the City of New York and the municipalities within its Watershed. It is difficult to place a value on something than can never be bought or sold. The City claims it is paying too much in property taxes on its reservoirs. Meanwhile the Watershed towns say the City’s annual assessment challenges are driving them broke. Tim Cox, attorney for the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) told the Andes Town Board at its monthly meeting last week that the assessment challenges have wiped out a $3 million defense fund that had been set up by the Coalition of Watershed Towns.

By Pauline Li
An elderly Manhattan couple died in Andes on May 3, following a minor car accident at the bottom of their 60-foot driveway. Though they desperately tried to get help by placing nine cell- phone calls, help didn’t arrive in time, because there was no cell signal. The circumstances of their disaster attracted extensive coverage from New York City news media. “Learning that numerous 911 calls failed due to poor cellular coverage worsened the loss,” wrote their grandson Jeantet Fields, on his blog, fieldsnet.com. Fields, who is a technology instructor, said he bought his grandmother the cell phone on an AT&T plan to use in case of emergencies..

Margaretville — Erin Filupeit has been named the valedictorian for the Margaretville Central School Class of 2012 and Katelynn Mauro is the class salutatorian.
As a student at MCS, Erin has loved keeping herself busy. She is able to maintain a high average while participating in numerous sports and activities.
She is a member of National Honor Society, Student Senate and Scitamard Society, holding an officer’s position in each organization

By Pauline Liu
According to U.S. Postal Service, several local post offices will see their hours slashed by half over the next couple of years as a way to cut costs, but still “keep the nation’s smallest post offices open for business.”  About 13,000 rural post offices will be effected. However, when the Postal Service made that announcement last Wednesday, very little if anything was said about the fate of the postmasters and clerks, whose services have helped to make their post offices important hubs for the community.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Getting a permit to operate a farm stand in the Town of Shandaken is turning out to be a tough row to hoe.
On Monday, May 21 at 7 p.m. in Shandaken Town Hall a public hearing will be held for just such a permit, but between now and then a few questions need to be answered in order for the planning board to move forward.

Delhi — Town of Middletown Justice Gary Rosa will speak outside the Delaware County Courthouse on Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m., inaugurating his campaign for Delaware County Judge. Rosa, of New Kingston, is the endorsed candidate of the Delaware County Democratic Committee.
Judge Rosa will address “The American Justice System from a Small Town Perspective.” His remarks will touch on the challenges of judging in close-knit rural communities, those of Delaware County specifically.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The Shandaken Town Board balked Monday at a critical decision on the longstanding Phoenicia sewer issue, putting the fate of the project in jeopardy.
Before the board that evening was a resolution to set a public hearing on the creation of a Phoenicia sewer district.
But after harsh criticism of the proposal from both the audience and town board members, the resolution was tabled until a full town board could be assembled.
Supervisor Rob Stanley was on vacation this week.