Community

By Brian Sweeney
A public hearing on renovation plans for the A&P plaza will be held by the Margaretville Village Planning Board on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the village offices. The Mount Vernon-based PSK Supermarkets purchased the A&P plaza last year. The company plans to take over the space occupied by the A&P and convert the store to a Freshtown Supermarket.

By Matthew J. Perry
So far, debate over natural gas drilling in the Catskills has swirled between a fixed set of participants: the gas industry, its proponents and opponents, and state and city regulators. But if a new bill passes through congress, the federal government will also have a seat at the table.

Delhi — Looking to don that Santa’s cap a little early this year? Christmas can’t come soon enough for you? If you want to catch the Holiday Spirit early, the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society (HCHS) invites you to their annual Holiday for the Heart Celebration and Tree Raffle.
Each year, the animal shelter hosts Holiday for the Heart, a collection of holiday trees which are raffled off at the end of a weeklong display. This year’s fund-raiser will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Delaware County Historical Association (DCHA) on Route 10, Delhi.

Oneonta — In August the joint efforts of the Foothills Performing Arts Center, Orpheus Theatre and the ARCs of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties resulted in an exuberant and entertaining production of “Circus in the Wind,” a play by Aurand Harris. The performers were all ARC residents, dressed in dazzling costumes that matched the liveliness of the spirits that swirled around the story.

Grand Gorge – The following area ONC BOCES, Northern Catskill Occupational Center students, were named to the Principal’s List and Honor Roll for the first quarter of the 2008-2009 school year.

By Julia Green
The ball is back in Invenergy's court.
Following its October meeting, the Town of Roxbury Planning Board submitted to Invenergy, the company behind the proposed Moresville Wind Farm, requests for additional information and studies needed prior to issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – a key step in the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process.

By Matthew J. Perry
County officials and a representative of Downeast Group, which is preparing an economic impact survey of Delaware County, toured four towns last week to discuss preliminary study findings and solicit community input. On Nov. 20, Margaretville became the tour’s last stop.

Claryville — A hike focusing on Green Technology will be held at Frost Valley YMCA on Saturday, Dec. 6 starting at 9 a.m. The event will feature a two-mile walk along the Neversink River. Participants will also get a firsthand look at the ways in which Frost Valley is doing its part to minimize the facility’s impact on the earth.

By Matthew J. Perry
The Delaware County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on its proposed 2009 budget on November 25 at noon. Presently, the county has proposed a spending plan totaling $99,706,075 and a 4.97 percent increase in the tax levy, a substantial increase over last year’s increase of one percent.

By Jay Braman Jr.
An organization that opposes the Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park has asked Governor David Paterson, who is this week seeking $2 billion worth of cuts to the state’s budget, to reconsider the $60 million expenditure currently earmarked for a proposed public/private partnership project at Belleayre Mountain, saying that now is not the time for this type of public spending.
But the developers of the project quickly countered with an announcement that they feel the region needs this type of public spending now more than ever.