News

By Pauline Liu
Residents and business owners whose properties were wrecked by tropical storms Irene and Lee may be able to qualify for assistance towards a buyout, an elevation or relocation through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
At the request of the Delaware County Planning Department, Middletown Supervisor Marge Miller has invited about 70 hard-hit residents and business owners to an informational meeting at Middletown Town Hall on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

By Brian Sweeney
Michael Balboni of Long Island was presented with the Spirit of the Catskills Award at the Coalition to Save Belleayre’s 25th annual Snowball held on Saturday.
The guest of honor is a former state senator and currently serves on the governor’s Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission.

By Brian Sweeney
The Margaretville Central School District is proposing a building upgrade project that would create a Middle School computer lab and address building repairs.
The project will be the subject of a public vote on Tuesday, March 13 from 2-8 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Superintendent Tony Albanese said the project, if approved, would cost no more than $500,000. He added that the project would not raise taxes because the money is available in the district’s capital reserve fund and from an unexpended EXCEL grant.

By Pauline Liu
If the newly proposed state legislative district maps are approved, the Central Catskill Region would lose two popular lawmakers.
Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch (R, I- Guilford) of the 107th Assembly District and Senator John Bonacic (R, I-Mount Hope) of the 42nd Senate District would no longer represent eastern Delaware County or the Town of Hardenburgh in Greene County. 

By Brian Sweeney
Three sewer extensions will soon be implemented as a result of a $7.4 million project to upgrade the Margaretville Wastewater Treatment Plant.
New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials said with the added plant capacity, they will undertake previously planned extensions of the sewer collection systems.

By Pauline Liu
Five months after having been destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Irene, the Margaretville Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop has reopened.
Getting the shop, at 850 Main Street in Margaretville, back into operation was a community effort. As the Thrift Shop opened today, February 1, auxiliary volunteers agree that it looks better than ever. If the inside feels warmer and brighter than before, that’s because it is.
“We’re got a new heating system and new lights,” said Sue Adams, the auxiliary’s new secretary.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Phyllis McGill, the superintendent of the Onteora School District, has a wish.
She wishes that she knew what New York State was going to do to this and other districts in the region before she and the board of education make major reconfigurations under the existing set up.
Why, she asked aloud during an informal chat with the audience before a school board meeting last week, should such changes be made in the dark?

By Jay Braman Jr.
The New York Senate Republican majority announced a legislative redistricting plan last Thursday, proposing newly defined election districts into some odd shapes.
Critics of the plan, like Democratic Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, claim the effort connects Republican pockets in an attempt to ensure Republican re-election victory at the polls.
One of the districts that stands to be changed radically is right here in the Catskills.

Roxbury — The Roxbury Arts Group invites the public to attend a screening of “Like Water for Chocolate,” the first in a series of films about food on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
Each screening will be followed by a selection of deliciously appropriate culinary treats served during a panel discussion with actress, director and farmer, Dorothy Lyman. The final film in the series, “Big Night” will be preceded by a family style, Italian, fund-raising dinner hosted by Cassie’s Café in Roxbury.

Roxbury — Denver resident Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes of Cornell Cooperative Extension will offer a presentation on nutrition for the February RLA Tuesday Forum program on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Roxbury Library,
Regular RLA Tuesday Forum attendees will provide refreshments following Ms. Gilmore-Barnes’ presentation.
The Roxbury Library Association welcomes the public to all RLA Tuesday Forum programs, activities, and gatherings, which are free of charge.