Community

By Matthew J. Perry
Will $4 a gallon gas wreak havoc on tourism in the Catskills this summer?
For many, it’s a premature question. Predicting the strength of a summer tourism season in a region with erratic weather patterns and no beaches is always a dicey proposition. There are good and bad years, and the best any merchant can do is take care of customers and coax them to return.

Low-interest loans approved by the Catskill Watershed Corporation Board of Directors on April 22 will help renovate a wedding and conference center, purchase a fitness facility, start a bike rental shop and acquire property housing a popular catering business.

Nine Delaware County teams are entered in this year’s junior American Legion baseball league. The league will also include two teams from One­onta, which will not be eligible for the Delaware County title, but will battle for the championship in Otsego County.

The All-Star break marks the midpoint of the Major League baseball season. Stars from the American and National Leagues come together to play a feel-good contest that is as much about camaraderie and a good time as it is about winning.
Locally, the Pete Wright Memorial Tournament marks a midpoint of sorts for the Delaware County Horseshoe League. Horseshoe pitchers from around the county come together at the barn in Andes for a day of great company, mixed competition, and a good time. In the process, participants raise money for a local cause. This year the tournament raised $500 donated to the Andes girls’ basketball program to be used to help fund participation in summer hardwood camping excursions.

The Kayak and Canoe Club of New York, a northeast regional kayaking club, will host its 42nd annual kayak and slalom races on the Esopus Creek the weekend of June 7 and 8.
Racing will start at noon on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. The starting line will be at the Woodland Valley bridge, off Route 28, just north of Phoenicia.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The owner of a controversial farm stand, which is said to be in violation of the local zoning code, has taken his case out in the open this week, claiming that in the court of public opinion he has been found innocent and should be left alone.
Al Higley, representing his son’s Mount Tremper-based produce stand called Hanford Farms, appeared before the Shandaken Town Board Monday with an attorney and several supporters. The visit comes as Hanford Farms faces a court appearance for allegedly being in violation of the town’s laws.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Following the lead of several town residents, the Shandaken Town Supervisor has lodged an official complaint with the Region 8 office of the New York State Department of Transportation, saying that Route 28, the main artery which travels through the entire town, has become so pothole- and crater-ridden that it is unsafe for motorists. In a letter written on May 16, Supervisor Peter DiSclafani notified Region 8 Director Joan DuPont that something needs to be done to the state-owned highway.

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.

Foes of changing district configuration score with bd. voters

By Jay Braman Jr.
In a record-setting turnout, Onteora School District voters came out in force to elect a new slate of trustees to the board of education and adopt the district’s proposed budget and three other spending propositions. Voters swarmed four polling places throughout the district Tuesday, with the vast majority sending the message that they do not want to see Onteora reconfigured in the way the incumbents envisioned.

The New York State Education Department (SED) has announced grant awards for their 21st-Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Programs funded through the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.