Roxbury — “She” was the guest of honor at The Roxbury Motel’s lavish and fun-loving gala benefit for Kirkside Home last Tuesday evening. Like the Mummy in the movies, this guest didn’t even have to say a word, yet she was both sought after and mysterious. “She” would be the newest three-bedroom suite, “The Archeologist’s Digs,” soon to be open for bookings and available to view beforehand by arrangement with The Roxbury staff. In the meantime, step this way for the “literary” tour . . .

By Jay Braman Jr.
Last week Tuesday’s torrential downpour hit the entire region, but it was Phoenicia that got the lion’s share of rainfall with no less than seven and-a-half inches recorded.
A state of emergency was declared in the Town of Shandaken on September 18, where flooding did cause some damage.

One spot that got hurt badly was a place that, ironically, was scheduled for flood mitigation work last week.

By Geoff Samuels
Last week Tuesday’s heavy rain flooded the Catskills with the unhappy reminder of what happened here just a little more than a year ago.

And anyone watching TV a tad before nine o’clock on Tuesday night, heard not only the torrent coming down outside, but the “beep, beep, beep” and saw a red screen saying “flash flood warning for Margaretville” and “flood crest expected around the 11-foot level with possible flooding in low lying areas.” That warning screen sent an undeniable chill down more than just a few local people’s spines.

By Brian Sweeney
The recreational boating program on the Pepacton Reservoir continues to be very popular as the first year of the program winds down.

Recreational usage at the Pepacton easily exceeds the boating activity at other reservoirs where the NYC Department of Protection (DEP) authorizes the program.

By Geoff Samuels
New sidewalks, lighting and trees that were slated for the Village of Margaretville this fall have been officially “put on the back burner” until next spring.

The project will likely undergo some type of reorganization with the introduction of a project supervisor to oversee the work. Although at the special village board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 12, it seemed likely that things were ready to roll pending some final bids, evidently there were too many loose ends for the project to proceed.

By Geoff Samuels
At Monday morning’s Middletown Flood Commission meeting, the acronyms were flowing as fast as a raging river.

To anyone not familiar with many of the county and state agencies, understanding all the details about the area’s flood mitigation projects is a daunting task. But when all was said and done, two major themes emerged: Most of the pieces of the short-term flood mitigation program are well underway, while the longer term plans are still in their beginning stages.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Shandaken Building Inspector Richard Stokes, 54, was arrested late last Tuesday, September 18 and charged with forcible touching.

The charges stem from an alleged incident that occurred in April at the opening night party for J Rocco’s, a then new steakhouse in town, and coincide with Rocco’s owner, Eric Risher making a public complaint against Stokes just 10 days prior to the arrest, claiming Stokes has been using the power of his position to harass Risher ever since the grand opening.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Fleischmanns Mayor Todd Pascarella has asked the Delaware County Department of Public Works to do an about face on its recent decision not to replace the Bridge Street bridge in the middle of his village, and he is also calling on the county board of supervisors to immediately support that position.

In a matter of fact letter to the board of supervisors, Pascarella laid out what he wants to see happen, and soon.

“I respectfully appeal to the County of Delaware to fully restore the vehicle bridge on Bridge Street that was destroyed in the flood,” he wrote. “

By Jay Braman Jr.
The City of New York is getting a lower tax assessment on its Ashokan Reservoir property and the move is expected to make the rest of the taxpayers in the Onteora School District pick up the slack.
About $200,000 worth of slack that is.

Earlier this month the Town of Hurley, which hosts a portion of the Ashokan Reservoir, agreed to reduce the assessment of the 5,700-acre reservoir property in the town from $185 million to $155 million.

By Brian Sweeney
The bridge spanning Swart Street in Margaretville bridge is scheduled for replacement next April, Mayor Bill Stanton confirmed this week.

The bridge has sustained damage from floods in 2004, 2006 and was again hard-hit by the historic August 28, 2011 flood. The latest flood blew a hole in the bridge just below the area that had been repaired on the southern end of the bridge.

After the latest flood, the bridge was initially set up for one-way traffic until additional damage developed and the entire structure was shut down.