By Jay Braman Jr.
Belleayre Ski Center Superintendent Tony Lanza is in awe of the luck the Catskills’s ski industry is having.
“We’ve got 14 inches of new snow at the top already,” he said Tuesday morning during a snowstorm. “We’re so excited because we’ve got feet and feet and feet of snow up here.”

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.

Margaretville —The second annual Holiday Treasure Express, a community-wide celebration and “shop local” campaign, has its official launch this Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m with a parade up Main Street, Margaretville. 
The parade boasts over 30 units, including a band, the Delaware County Dairy Princess, floats, antique cars, fire trucks and promises a little something for everyone. 

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.

By Matthew J. Perry
Delaware County has scheduled four public meetings on New York City’s land acquisition program for the week of Nov. 17 to 21. Watershed commissioner Dean Frazier and representatives from Downeast Development Group, a consulting firm from Nova Scotia, will officiate at each meeting.

By Matthew J. Perry
At a Nov. 13 public hearing on the proposed Catskill Recreation Center in Arkville, local residents viewed preliminary drawings, asked questions and politely voiced their concerns.
In turn, they were informed politely that the project’s financing, scope and lifetime are nowhere near finalization, and that it will be months before they even know if the pool will function only in warm weather or year-round.

By Matthew J. Perry
The Town of Bovina adopted a 2009 budget after a public hearing on October 30. Residents can expect a 4.07 percent rise in the tax levy over this year.
At its regular meeting last Tuesday, the town board expressed satisfaction with the increase, which is considered modest considering the difficult economic climate. The tax levy increase was offset by the application of $56,000 in highway funds that were left over from 2008 provisions.

Staff report
A second public informational meeting to review changes to a proposed upgrade plan for the Arkville Water District is set for Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Middletown Town Hall.
Based on input received at the initial public meeting on October 16, the loan portion of the project has been reduced by $128,000. This amount was originally projected to be $875,175 and is now estimated to be $747,175.

By Brian Sweeney
The 2008 Big Game Hunting Season in the Southern Zone, which opens Saturday, Nov. 15, is shaping up to be another strong one, according to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Following several years of low harvests, the 2007 deer take numbers were up sharply across most of the state. DEC officials expect the higher deer take trend to continue this year, but at a slower growth rate.