Photos Capture Last Moments of Old NAPA Building

Following up on a story we published earlier this week, Middleburgh Business Association secretary Sheila Donegan sent us pictures of the former Oneida Market or NAPA building facing its final moments.

Rotary, Knights Pavilion Opened in Middleburgh

Middleburgh's picnic pavilion was destroyed due to Hurricane Irene in 2011. The disaster was made into a silver lining by the efforts of the Middleburgh Rotary and Knights of Columbus. With help from other local volunteers, Aaron's Electric, and the Village the pavilion was constructed late last year.

Yesterday the community held its celebration as the pavilion was opened. Rotary President Jim Spencer thanked many people who were involved in making the project happen.

Photo credit: Sheila Donegan

The event was well attended and the pavilion sits in the shadow of Vroman's nose. All are encouraged to use the structure.

Wolfe's Laundry Den Hosts Grand Opening

One month after Wolfe's Laundry Den opened their doors to customers in the Village of Schoharie, they officially hosted their grand opening on Friday afternoon with dozens of friends, family, and local officials in attendance to witness the ribbon cutting and the birth of a new business.

Opening the new laundromat was a Wolfe family
affair on Friday - Photo credit: Timothy Knight

Offering few remarks after the cutting, Nancy Ann Wolfe thanked Assemblyman Pete Lopez, attorney Raynor Duncombe and Bank of Richmondville officials for their assistance in helping the project get off the ground, which began after the Wolfe family purchased the building last July. 

The laundromat, which boasts forty-two state of the art American manufactured washers and dryers, is open regularly from six in the morning until ten at night according to the business facebook page, and is located at 299 Main Street in the heart of Schoharie.

MOSA Dissolution Signed Into Law

ALBANY, 04/11/14 – Dissolution of the Montgomery, Otsego, Schoharie Solid Waste Authority has New York State approval under legislation (S.6181/A.8406) signed into law today.  The legislation was sponsored by Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I- Oneonta) and follows a home rule request from the three member counties and the authority.

“The service agreement governing the authority is set to expire at the end of the month, and all three member counties have done their due diligence to plan for their solid waste disposal needs in a post-MOSA world,” said Senator Seward.  “The state legislation follows a similar home rule request to establish the authority 25 years ago.”

Along with formally ending the solid waste authority, the new law also includes a plan for the distribution of the authority’s assets and liabilities among the three member counties.

The Montgomery Otsego Schoharie Solid Waste Authority (MOSA) was formed in 1988 to handle solid waste and recycling needs of the three member counties.  The service agreement governing the authority is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2014.

As the Schoharie News reported last month, the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors have already approved Casella Resource Solutions to operate the county's waste transfer station in Cobleskill to provide continued service for local residents. The details of that contract were not revealed at the time. 

Richmondville Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

The Schoharie County District Attorney's Office has announced that Kelly A. Garreau, aged 48, of Richmondville, New York, has pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony in Schoharie County Court.

According to the press release Ms. Garreau, who plead guilty on Wednesday, April 9, was indicted by a Schoharie County Grand Jury on August 28, 2013 for embezzling over $389,000.00 from local realtor Alton Makely over a period of seven years, from February 2006 through March 2013.

Sentencing has been scheduled for December 3, 2014 where she faces a maximum sentence of up to five to fifteen years in state prison. The matter was investigated by the Cobleskill Police Department with assistance from the New York State Financial Crimes Unit and the Schoharie County District Attorney's Office. 

Popular Wildflowers Get Own Website in Middleburgh

The ever popular wildflowers spread out across the Village of Middleburgh now has their own website where visitors can learn the history beyond the project spearheaded by Village Trustee Bill Morton, information on the Village they are located in, and plans for expanding the blossoming display. 

Four abundant patches of beautiful wildflowers emerged from the fertile Valley floor over the summer of 2013 and soon became one of Middleburgh's more popular tourist and photographically inclined destinations, which has prompted the community to declare itself the "Wildflower Capital of New York." Designed by Mayor Matthew Avitabile, the site is hoping to expand the influence of the project beyond the County.

Opinion: County Board has Little to Show for First Hundred Days

Earlier this week the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors capped their one hundredth day of the 2014 legislative session. For many Presidents and state Governors this is the first time you can really pause and examine their progress in office, and we feel the same is necessary of our local unicameral legislative body. 

Promise

When the current slate of Supervisors were elected last November, there was a sense that things were going to change in county government and the good 'ole boy network would be washed away, or at the very least, handicapped in their ability to effect public policy. How wrong everyone was... 

One hundred plus days later, our county sits in disarray. We have no full-time personnel officer; no public health director; no IT director, and thus far no sensible reforms to hedge against the possibility of another Fitzmaurice or AECOM debacle. In short, the county appears to be operating under no stated mission or agenda, apparently satisfied with simply drifting aimlessly from one board meeting to the next with no idea of what their purpose is. 

Politics

Unfortunately, another side effect of last November's election was the reintroduction of party government in Schoharie after operating in 2013 under a bi-partisan coalition manner. Where both sides were publicly in agreement in December, they suddenly reversed in January and fractured along those dreaded Democrat and Republican lines. 

This isn't true of the entire board, as there are a collection of mavericks who work outside the party-line framework to achieve common goals, but as in the case of the casino - one can see how those lines are still in effect and embarrassingly so. 

Success?

The question mark is there because we simply don't know if the county board's successes will be ultimately successful at this point. Take for example tax abatements: in theory they create incentives for first-time home buyers to come into Schoharie County and take a chance on us, however, we have no idea how they will perform in action. 

And honestly, besides the tax abatement legislation and the casino resolution, Supervisors have accomplished little to nothing outside the inertia of county government, which is to be expected when there is no leading motivation or goal-point to strive for. 

Conclusion

It doesn't need to be restated: our county is one in disarray, and the only people who can change that are the sixteen men and women who sit around the U-shaped table on the third floor of the county building, which if the first one hundred days have any foreshadowing on future events, they are unlikely to alter their ways the next hundred.

Updated Story: State Police Nab Gallupville Man to End Standoff

The Schoharie News has received additional information on last night's standoff in the hamlet of Gallupville:

On Wednesday night at approximately 6:15 PM the man, who is still unidentified, smashed the windshield of a car and assaulted a female at the Schoharie Dunkin Donuts on Route 30A. The woman is suspected of being either his current or ex-wife. 

He then fled the scene to his residence in Gallupville, where shortly thereafter State Police arrived and he refused to vacate the residence; he was reportedly armed with a shotgun. State Police responded by bringing in the Mobile Response Team and a negotiator. 

Around 11:00 PM the subject came out of his house and surrendered to law enforcement. He was taken into custody at the State Police station in Cobleskill. Schoharie County Sheriffs also assisted in the standoff; the second of which that has occurred this past week.

Two Local Businesses Compete for $1,500 Start-up Grant

Two Schoharie County business have entered into the 2014 All Over Albany Startup Grant, which is being sponsored this year by Staff Ciampino & Company P.C., Certified Public Accountants, that will award $1,500 to the local business that receives the most public support by way of voting on AOA's website. 

Nineteen startups have applied for the $1,500 grant provided by Berkshire Bank, including the Richmondville based Earthly Remedies by Erin that produces organic skincare products and the local Olde Country Store that is looking to relocate from their current spot in Gallupville to Middleburgh. 

Both local businesses exemplify the county's innovative character and hard working spirit, but need extra help moving their dreams to the next step. You can vote for only one business per day until the contest ends on April 11 at 1:00 pm. 

Easter Egg Hunt in Central Bridge April 19

The Central Bridge Civic Association will be holding the Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19 at 11:00 am. The event will be held rain or shine at the Central Bridge Community Park for youth 12 years of age and under. There will be three chances to win an Easter Basket. 

Refreshments will be served and all are welcome in the community.

Man Surrenders to Police in Gallupville Standoff

Schoharie County faced another tense standoff with police late today as a man accused of breaking a window at the Route 30A Dunkin Donuts and assaulting a woman surrendered to police at his Gallupville home.

Channel 10 is reporting that the standoff ended peacefully after police surrounded the man's home and closed off part of Route 443. The situation ended around two hours ago:

The man surrendered around 10:20 p.m. and was taken to the State Police Cobleskill barracks. His name has not been released. Charges are pending.

Expect more updates as this story develops.

NY 19 Race Gains National Attention Contrasting Two Candidates

On the sidebar of Real Clear Politics today there is a link to a Politico article about the contentious NY-19 Congressional race between incumbent Chris Gibson (R) and newcomer Sean Eldridge (D). With both candidates likely to win their parties' primaries, the backgrounds of the candidates is coming under close scrutiny.

Gibson, 49, is a decorated veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq. Eldridge, 27, is funding his effort through a private equity firm he founded with money from his husband's profits from co-founding Facebook.

Photo credit: Politico

Politico tracked both candidates down and found different approaches in their styles and substance:

Regarding Eldridge:

Chartock came away without any real sense of the candidate. 

 Eldridge sounded like “what a young person thinks a politician should sound like,” the radio host said in an interview. “He’s right on all the issues, but what I think people are looking for is a person. He’s extremely bright, has all the assets that you need to run. But it’s cookie cutter.”  

 .....

 For a while, Eldridge had his eye on another congressional seat. In 2011, he and Hughes, who had been living together in a SoHo loft, purchased a $5 million estate in Garrison, N.Y, positioning Eldridge to run in the neighboring 18th District. But in November 2012 that district’s Republican congresswoman, Nan Hayworth, lost reelection to a Democrat. So Eldridge looked north to the 19th District, where Gibson had just won a second term.

Regarding Gibson:

On Feb. 24, 2005, during combat in Mosul, Iraq, Gibson suffered shrapnel wounds in his right leg and the right side of his face. A few fragments remain in his leg. In his Washington office, the congressman keeps a piece of the rocket-propelled grenade that hit him.  

Gibson says his modest means helps him identify with voters in the middle-class district. During a daylong car ride through the area’s rural back roads, he said an “empathy factor” would play a prominent role in the race.

Cobleskill Resident Arrested for Breaking Into "Taste of Europe" Twice

From the New York State Police:

On April 7, 2014 the State Police at Cobleskill arrested Andrew P. Harte, 48 years of age, of Cobleskill, NY for two counts of Burglary Third Degree. In June of 2013 a burglary was reported to a local restaurant, "A Taste of Europe" located on State Route 145 in the Town of Cobleskill. Forced entry was gained into the restaurant where an investigation revealed alcohol was stolen. 

Andrew Harte

Then two months later on Labor Day weekend of 2013 a second burglary was reported. This time food items were taken from the business. A ten month investigation has lead to the arrest of Harte. He was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and remanded to the Schoharie County Correctional Facility on $7,500 cash bail or $15,000 secured bond. He is to return to court at a later date.  

Schoharie School Band to March in Central Bridge, Esperance Memorial Day Parades

Months of brewing contention between two local communities and the Schoharie Central School District over the use of the school's marching band on Memorial Day weekend has been resolved, according to a press release issued by the school. 

Controversy was ignited last fall when the school dropped Central Bridge from their parade route, citing scheduling conflicts, and was further inflamed by the Esperance Fire Department when they uninvited the band in solidarity with their neighboring community. 

In a meeting held last week between representatives of all parties and Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who mediated the conflict, a compromise was agreed upon in-which the high school band will march in the Central Bridge parade and the elementary/junior varsity squad will do likewise in the Village of Esperance.

Praising the Schoharie Central School District's commitment to volunteer fire departments and emergency rescue squads to join in honoring this country's veterans, Assemblyman Lopez stated that he was "very pleased that his office could help bring everyone together to work through this." He would later add, "this is the right thing to do." 

Central Bridge Fire Chief Scott Johnson thanked all parties involved for coming together and reaching a compromise that will see Schoharie's youth participate in both communities Memorial Day parades, which will be held on Monday, May 26th. Superintendent Brian Sherman added that both bands have been practicing in anticipation. 

Cobleskill Police Blotter (April 8, 2014)

The Cobleskill Police Department submitted the following press release/police blotter for the last day of March into the first week of April. 

Monday, March 31, 2014

    

     At 2:10 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Tracy A. Lord, 41, of East Worcester, NY, for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 3rd.  She was released and is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 15th at 5:00 p.m.

     At 2:15 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Nikki Lord, 20, of Richmondville, NY, on an Arrest Warrant for Criminal Mischief 3rd.  She was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and released on $1000 Bail.  She is to return to Cobleskill Town Court on April 1st at 5:00 p.m.

    

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

     At 12:45 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Dave R. Malivert, 22, of Cobleskill, NY, for Petit Larceny.  He was issued an appearance ticket and released.  He is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 22nd at 5:00 p.m.      

     At 5:00 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested John Garrow, 23, of Delanson, NY, for Petit Larceny.  He was issued an appearance ticket and released.  He is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 22nd at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

     At 1:00 a.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Sam L. Bindier, 23, of Central Valley, NY, for Criminal Possession of Criminal Substance 7th and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  He was issued an appearance ticket and released.  He is to return to Cobleskill Town Court on April 29th at 5:00 p.m.

    At 5:08 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Andrew D. Benson, 21, of Cobleskill, NY, for DWI, and Operating a motor vehicle with a BAC greater than 0.08%, and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  He was released and is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 19th at 5:00 p.m. 

Middleburgh NAPA Comes Down in Heap of Rubble

In what was once the historic Oneida Markets grocery store, located on the corner of Baker and Main in the Village of Middleburgh, is now a heap of rubble after construction crews began the process of demolishing the rundown building that has been abandoned by Middleburgh NAPA since the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene in 2011. 

Construction crews sealed off Baker Avenue
as they began the process of tearing the old
NAPA down - Photo Credit: Sheila Donegan

A crowd of residents and passersby gathered to watch the demolition unfold, as for years the vacant eyesore has left much to be desired within the village's buzzing business district, which has seen tremendous expansion and growth in post-flood recovery.

Mayor Avitabile watches on as NAPA reaches
its destined end - Photo Credit: Sheila Donegan

Demolition should be completed by the end of the week, but the space will not be empty for long as Mayor Matthew Avitabile teased on the community's facebook page that out of the building's rubble several store fronts are expected to rise, perhaps within the next year. Middleburgh's NAPA auto parts has since relocated to 158 Wells Avenue. 

State Police Arrest Middleburgh Man Following Domestic Dispute

Earlier this evening State Police stationed in Cobleskill announced the arrest of Jacob I. Armlin, twenty, of Middleburgh for Harassment in the 2nd degree and Coercion in the 2nd degree subsequent to a domestic dispute that occurred on April 1, 2014. 

It is alleged that Mr. Armlin pushed and then physically forced the victim to sign over the title of her vehicle to him while threatening to harm her if she refused his demand. Mr. Armlin was arraigned in the Middleburgh Town Court and remanded to the custody of the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office in lieu of $500 bail or a $1000 bond. 

The suspect is scheduled to reappear in court on April 9, 2014 at 7:00 PM. In addition, according to the State Police press release, Mr. Armlin may possibly face further charges for another domestic dispute with the victim that occurred two days later. 

Charity Basketball Game to Raise Funds for Children with Cancer

The Stamford and Jefferson Fire Departments are working hard to raise money for two local children with cancer. The departments will face off against each other on April 11th at the Stamford High School at 7pm to raise money for Scout Lamport and Bryc Cole. All are invited!

Information from the Schoharie County Fire Wire facebook page.

Savor Schoharie to Raise Money for Flood Recovery

SALT is hosting another push to raise funds for flood victims later this month. The Savor Schoharie meal offers some of the best cuisine of the County in three different locations.

Find out more information about the April 26th event on the Facebook page.

Letter to the Editor: "Rural Myth" That Lowes Was Pushed Out of Cobleskill

Dear Editor:

The Schoharie News recent op-ed piece discussing Schoharie County’s unemployment crisis was important and timely. By repeating a “rural myth,” however, the piece serves to mire the discussion in persistent misinformation. The Editor recounts the reoccurring notion that a Lowes Home Center was not built in Cobleskill because of “inaction and community tension.” Simply repeating something over and over again does not make it true. The unfounded Lowes legend is no exception. What is true is there is absolutely no documentation to support the claim that Lowes’ decision not to invest in a store in Cobleskill was anything other than a reasoned and careful decision made by an experienced corporation after a lengthy analysis of economic conditions and demographic data.

While people like former Cobleskill Supervisor Murray successfully spun the Lowes’s myth to help promote an unnecessary and absurdly expensive water and sewer expansion to Howes Caves and former Mayor Galasso leveraged the same myth as an excuse to attack the most basic of zoning protections, Lowes did not “leave” because of water or sewer issues or onerous zoning regulations. In fact, they didn’t leave at all. They were never here, only exploring one of many siting options in a manner that is consistent with its business model.

Lowes rejects potential sites far more than it finalizes them. For example, In 2011 Lowes decided against building in the populous community of Huntington Station, Long island after it had spent millions to acquire land. (See http://thehuntingtonian.com/2011/11/07/opinion-lowes-demographics-costs-etc/). They did so because they knew the store could not be sustained in even a densely populated location with a declining economy. When Lowes identifies a potentially profitable location it overcomes obstacles far more complex that a small town zoning regulations or the need for a commercial scale septic system. The reality is that building a large home store in an area like Schoharie County with a depressed economy, near zero home growth, high vacancy rates and below average median income (11% living below the poverty level) is not prudent. A visit to the often near empty Lowes store in Oneonta drives this point home. The population density of Oneonta is more than 2,000 people per square mile. The population density of Cobleskill is 110 people per square mile. For Lowes, investing in Cobleskill made absolutely no sense.

What also doesn’t make sense is the absolute lack of a County-wide economic development plan that is informed by sound policy or infused with even the slightest amount of energy and creativity. Schoharie County Economic Development Agency, in particular, continues to grasp at an outdated model that dreams of the large employer or big box store to solve the county’s employment problem, waits like a dejected lover for a manufacturing company to bring its operations back from China and buy the old Interknitting building or falls head over heels for a half-baked business plan and money grab for public funds, in the style of Maranatha.

Economic development in Schoharie County will only be successful when new approaches are embraced like the wide-spread expansion of high speed Internet access to fuel the growth of home-based, entrepreneurial business; non-traditional agricultural markets that benefit small farms, market gardens and boutique farm product production; proactive and aggressive searches within high-tech sectors for small startup business willing to locate in the County; and a serious push for tourism that incorporates progressive community planning, support for eco and agri-tourism and a real effort to resist the bland and off-putting landscape of fast food corridors like Route 7. Finally, the community must throw real energy behind addressing the relatively low number young people with college degrees (nearly 13% lower than the State average) and the uptick in dropout rates (almost 9%). Without an educated workforce we have little to offer.

Alternatively, we could all sit back and hope that Lowes or Home Deport will come to the rescue. If that is the choice, we should be prepared for a long wait and ever-growing unemployment. 

- Bob Nied