Andes

Three area schools have announced the names of their valedictorians and salutatorians for the 2007-08 academic year. Andes Central School recognized Cheyenne Tait and Carrianne Fairbairn as valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Roxbury Central School named Alisa Fersch and Michelle Massell, while Margaretville Central School named Nevin Perez and Aja Jenkins.

By Julia Green
An Andes committee is participating in the national Wreaths Across America program, and is seeking community support. The Christmas Wreaths Committee in Andes, led by Carol Tubbs, has placed canisters at a number of area establishments to collect funds for the project, including Hogan’s General Store, Woodies Country Kitchen, The Slow Down Café, The Tremperskill Country Store, The Andes Hotel, and Cantina. An account will also be opened at the National Bank of Delaware County in Andes to accept donations.

By John Bernhardt
It was the classic tale of City Mouse/Country Mouse last week at Andes Central School. Andes played host to guests from New York City, students attending the School of Law and Social Justice located in Washington Heights. The visit was sponsored by the Catskill Center as part of their “Green Connection,” a collaborative grant program funded by Catskill Watershed Corporation bringing together students from urban and rural settings in an effort to develop a deeper understanding of the Watershed and the importance of man’s greatest resource.

By Matthew J. Perry
The Town of Andes is on schedule to begin work on a new highway garage this summer, and is still expecting to occupy the new facility by the end of the year.
On Monday, during the first board meeting in the new town offices, officials received an encouraging update from Delaware Engineering, which has handled the project’s design.

Two 50-pound bags of birdseed in the trunk of a Town of Andes man’s car was more temptation than a hungry bear could stand Sunday night.
Arthur Antonison, who lives on Finkle Road off Route 28 at the top of Palmer Hill, told the News Monday morning that a bear ripped the rear bumper off his 2004 Nissan Sentra in an attempt to get at the birdseed.

Kick off your shoes and start off your summer fun with a concert of Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountain folk songs, ballads, square dance tunes, and instrumental medleys by The Barefoot Boys. You’ll relish this high energy, string band trio’s rollicking renditions of regional music, played on nine different instruments and sung with three-part harmonies. The concert, sponsored by The Andes Society for History and Culture (ASHC) will take place on Saturday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at The Pleasant Valley Meeting House on the Tremperskill.

The Andes Public Library will sponsor a benefit tour of 12 gardens on Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., with the theme of “The Early Summer Garden.” Maps showing the location of each garden may be purchased that day at the library, 242 Main Street, Andes, for a suggested donation of $10. Admission for children is free.

The Andes Central School Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) contest culminates this Saturday, June 7 with the winning students dropping buckets of slime, water balloons, and whipped cream on the folks they selected as targets. 
The fun starts at 10:30 a.m. and all the action will take place behind the Andes school.  The public is invited to watch and help applaud these students for their reading efforts.

Staff report
Margaretville, Andes and Roxbury voters easily approved school budgets for 2008-2009 during voting last Tuesday.
The Margaretville budget was up 6.9 percent overall and totaled $10,673,038. The tax levy increase will be 4.8 percent.
District voters approved the measure by a margin of 103-36. Randall Moore of Margaretville was elected to fill a vacancy on the school board and received 125 votes.

By Matthew J. Perry
Voting on May 20 saw the 2008-2009 budget for Andes Central School approved and its two nominees for the educational board, Michael Tuch and Gerald Murphy, elected with 99 and 97 votes, respectively.
But some financial issues remained unsettled when the board convened on May 22. The school finds itself in a bind created by two proposed upgrades to the school building.