By Brian Sweeney
Margaretville Central School officials have recently been notified of two grants awarded to the district.

The district will be receiving a VAP (Virtual Advanced Placement) grant through Ulster BOCES and a Replication Grant from the State Education Department.

By Jay Braman Jr.
An attempt by neighbors of the Phoenicia Library to stop expansion of the library building was unsuccessful in State Supreme Court, County of Ulster.

On March 4, Justice Richard Mott said in his motion that the Shandaken Zoning Board of Appeals acted according to law when it gave the library five separate variances last December.
Phoenicia Librarian Liz Potter was pleased upon hearing the news.

By Geoff Samuels
Last Thursday’s Village of Margaretville Board meeting saw the resurfacing of the somewhat infamous Binnekill bulkhead dispute.

At present, the “bulkhead” consists of a 20-foot-long culvert that runs from the East Branch of the Delaware River and carries water to the head of the Binnekill Stream. It is situated on property owned by village resident Lauren Davis, and the maintenance and development of this small but important location has been a source of contention between the village and Davis for the last decade.

Muddy mess

By Jay Braman Jr.
Thanks to Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center has its own chunk of state funds, even though it’s now in the hands of the Olympic Region Development Authority (ORDA).
ORDA, which took over operation of the mountain from the state just last fall, normally gets state funding to help run its other facilities, Whiteface and Gore, in the Adirondacks.

By Joe Moskowitz
A portion of Arkville’s new water system has been approved by the New York State Department of Health and is pumping away.

Late last week, Arkville Water District Commissioner Terry Johnson flipped the switch to start pumping water out of the hamlet’s new primary well. It’s located off of Franks Street behind the Delaware and Ulster Railroad. “Flipping the Switch’ is a gross understatement. It is a technologically highly advanced pumping and filtration system.

Andes — Bassett Healthcare Network has opened the doors on a much needed and highly anticipated new primary care practice on South Main Street in Andes.

The 2,800-square-foot health center was constructed by O’ Connor Hospital and is staffed by Bassett providers. Dr. Susan Fiore, a well-respected and well-liked physician who lives in the area, is the facility’s medical director.

By Brian Sweeney
Political newcomer Diana Cope will be Margaretville’s new mayor following a 102-24 win over longtime village resident Lauren Davis on Tuesday.

Ms. Cope ran a low-key campaign during her first try for public office.
Mr. Davis was seeking the village mayoral post for the third time. He waged a public battle during his campaign, often criticizing the actions of current Mayor Bill Stanton and the board of trustees.
The new mayor will take office on April 1.

Staff Report
An application by Bennett Bloom to sell used cars on Route 28, Arkville is the subject of an April 11 Middletown Planning Board public hearing.

Mr. Bloom’s application for a special permit was reviewed at the town planning board’s March 14 meeting and the board requested that he present a dimension of the road frontage and an outline of the area where the vehicles will be displayed. The applicant has indicated that he would like to have 10-15 cars on the lot.

By Brian Sweeney
With resolutions from the towns of Shandaken and Olive supporting designation of Route 28 as a Scenic Byway, the plan is continuing to more forward.

Peter Manning, the planner who has been guiding the Scenic Byway effort for more than four years, told the News that with support resolutions secured this month from Shandaken and Olive, the Corridor Management Plan will be finalized and submitted to the NYS Scenic Byways Program. The program falls under the auspices of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and officials there will now review the document.

aBy Jay Braman Jr.
The Shandaken Planning Board needs more information about fire and flood safety before deciding whether or not to allow expansion of the Phoenicia Library.

The delay came March 13 after a public hearing on the project where the son of an adjacent landowner warned that the proposed expansion not only put neighbors at higher risk of fire but also that the expansion, if allowed, would cause higher flooding on Main Street.

Lawsuit underway