Airey Addresses Gathering Place Controversy

By Joshua Walther

BLENHEIM - On Friday evening, the Blenheim Town Board discussed recent correspondence between the county and The Gathering Place and Supervisor Don Airey’s perceived role among the growing controversy.

The Gathering Place is a not-for-profit senior community center started in Cobleskill that has seen great success in recent years, so much so that they’ve expanded with a branch in Oneonta.

With a big emphasis on inclusivity and local support, The Gathering Place has sourced multiple donations from small businesses in the region, and they’ve recently asked Schoharie County for a $100,000 funding grant.

However, with recent allegations of mismanagement from a former employee, the County Board of Supervisors wanted to take a hard, investigative look into some of the financial decisions.

While some supervisors supported The Gathering Place, enough of them did not, and in a lengthy letter to the Board that voiced their displeasure, the community center withdrew their request for funding.

For many, that is where the story ends. However, that final letter named Supervisor Airey of Blenheim and thanked him for his support shown during the county-level discussion.

Feeling like he had no outlet to tell his side of the story, Supervisor Airey took the time during the Blenheim Town Board meeting on Friday to fully state his thoughts.

“I want it clear that I did not approve a motion for $100,000,” he said. “I did support the idea to fund them in some capacity, but not that much.”

He went on to explain that he realizes The Gathering Place’s potential and thinks that they’re a great option to have as a community center.

However, he also believes that any funding provided, whether it be $1 or $100,000, should stay in Schoharie County and not benefit the Oneonta branch, and wants to see an MOU to that effect, should they resume asking for funding.

Supervisor Airey also thinks that there shouldn’t be a full-blown investigation into The Gathering Place’s finances, noting that the current allegations are internal affairs that should be handled by the not-for-profit.

“It’s our duty as the Board of Supervisors to do our due diligence with their records, yes,” he said. “But should we investigate them? I wouldn’t use that term, no.”

And yet, with their latest letter to the county, Supervisor Airey believes that the Board of Supervisors should take a step back from the situation, concluding with “Now that they’ve withdrawn their request, there’s nothing more to do.”