Community

Oneonta – The Wilber Corporation, parent company of Wilber National Bank, announced Monday net income of $1.383 million and earnings per share of $0.13 for the three-month period ended September 30. By comparison, the company’s net income and earnings per share for the three-month period ended September 30, 2007 were $1.991 million and $0.19, respectively. This represents a 30.5 percent decrease in net income and a 31.6 percent decrease in earnings per share.

Woodstock resident Bob Silverman will be the featured presenter when Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville hosts its 12th annual Fall Quilting Weekend from Friday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 23. Joining Bob will be five returning instructors, Kris Driessen, Ann Foland, Sherry Sega, Katharina Litchman and Kathleen Davies.

By Julia Green
Just behind the Absolute Construction building off Route 30 in Kelly Corners is a large woodpile. Surrounded by a wall of trees, fractured sunlight filters through and throws shards of light on piles of firewood still dusted with early morning frost.
Amid it all is Kelly Corners resident Ralph Felter Jr. wielding a splitting maul, a mortal-sized, modern-day Paul Bunyan in a button-down flannel shirt and dark blue pants held up by similar-colored suspenders. Tarps cover piles of cut wood stacked around the woodlot, which is carpeted by a two-foot thick layer of wood chips and sawdust.

By Matthew J. Perry
The New York Assembly Committee of Environmental Conservation held a public hearing in Albany on October 15 to investigate potential impacts of natural gas drilling. Twenty-four witnesses, including high-ranking representatives of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), gas company executives, independent scientists and environmental activists were invited to testify at what became a day-long event.

Claryville — A unique Nighttime Hike offering a chance for star gazing and watching nocturnal animals is set at Frost Valley YMCA on Saturday, Nov. 1 starting at 6 p.m. Reid Bauer of Frost Valley will lead the hike, helping participants overcome a fear of the dark by exploring how humans and animals adapt to the nighttime environment. The excursion will also be dedicated to learning how to view planets, stars and constellations with both the naked eye and telescopes, which will be provided.

Following are the names of the boys' and girls' soccer players from the Delaware League who have been selected for first-team, second-team, and honorable mention recognition as 2008 Delaware League Soccer All-Stars.

Claryville — Special theme weekends for Girl Scouts, Brownies and Youth Groups are planned this fall in the heart of the Catskill Mountain High Peaks at Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville.
Due to popular demand, Frost Valley has added a second Adventure Badge Weekend for Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7-9. This weekend is geared toward Juniors, Cadets and Seniors and has been scheduled because the Nov. 14-16 Adventure Badge Weekend was quickly filled to capacity.

By Matthew J. Perry
While The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner spoke volumes before the state assembly at an October 15th public hearing in Albany, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) representative presented the equivalent of a few sound bites.
DEP Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush followed DEC’s Peter Grannis to the microphone and spoke for less than 10 minutes. The questioning period that followed was also brief. Grannis, by comparison, testified for nearly two hours.

Margaretville – October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the staff at Margaretville Hospital is encouraging all women to have breast cancer screenings. It is estimated that 182,460 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed each year in women and 1,990 new cases in men. The estimated number of deaths in women annually is 40,480 and 450 for men.

By Matthew J. Perry
By a vote of 17 to 1, the Delaware County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday for a resolution that pushes against proposals to close the New York City watershed to natural gas drilling.
Supervisors were free-wheeling both in defense of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which regulates drilling, and with criticism for interests that have called recently for moratoriums on gas exploration within the watershed.
“Let the DEC do its job,” said Hamden Supervisor Wayne Marshfield. “We don’t need big bullies like the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) pushing us around. It’s just wrong for one municipality to try to control another. The DEC has been so diligent.”