Cherry on "the Report": "Justice Should be Served"

With "the Report," conducted by the Fitzmaurice and Walsh Law Firm, set for an explosive release Friday afternoon citizen and public official alike are anxiously awaiting its contents in hopes of finally separating the truth from rumors in regards to accusations of corruption and misconduct in Schoharie County government.

Including County Treasurer Bill Cherry.

When asked for his thoughts concerning the "Fitzmaurice Report" earlier today, Mr. Cherry replied that in his opinion "there was a concerted effort by some county officials to bypass New York State Civil Service Law during a dark period that spanned the past three to four years," and that "If the report shows that county officials abused their position and used their authority to benefit their friends or unfairly punish rank and file employees working in county government, the perpetrators should be identified and justice should be served."

Although the contents are rumored at this point, if confirmed the $300,000 report would essentially indict several public and political officials for creating a culture of intimidation in Schoharie, which Mr. Cherry firmly believes that "There is no room in our county government for individuals who place politics above public service, or personal ambition above the law."

And there is no room for disagreement with Mr. Cherry's assessment. 

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New Schoharie News Poll on Sidebar

With the last Schoharie News poll predicting a large victory for current Schoharie County Sheriff Tony Desmond closed out today, it is time to pick the brain of our readers for their opinion. There is a new question on our right sidebar asking you the readers of Schoharie County: do you support the job performance of the current Board of Supervisors?

Final Poll Results Show Large Lead for Desmond

The final results of the Schoharie News poll are in and they are lopsided in one candidate's favor. The unscientific poll has incumbent Sheriff Tony Desmond winning over his two opponents.

Desmond * (R): 408- 46%
Ethington (C): 242- 27%
Travis (D): 237- 27%
Total: 887
* Denotes incumbent

Desmond's lead has stayed roughly the same over the last month after Todd Ethington jumped into an early lead. Last week's story on the possible revelation of the report seemed to rapidly shift public opinion. All told the poll had an astonishing 887 votes.

"The Report" Followed Multiple Accusations of Misconduct in Human Resources

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors and the taxpayers of the area wait on pins and needles for what will happen next with the "Report" due out later this week. While there have been denials of the newsworthiness of the process from individuals such as Jefferson Supervisor Dan Singletary, other data seems to point otherwise.

The whole process began early last year-- about the same time as large shifts in personnel in the County. There were multiple layoffs in the County Sheriff's Department and around the other departments in late 2011. While some of these jobs were saved, it was a bitter pill to swallow. County Treasurer Bill Cherry called out Human Resources Director Cassandra Ethington-- saying that if there were any layoffs the first should be "the personnel director."

This also comes as some of the laid off have accused the Supervisors and the HR Department of engineering some actions as direct payback for other actions.

Penny Grimes was among those laid off. In April 2012 she launched a suit against Schoharie County, specifically Cassandra Ethington. The suit was ultimately dismissed with Judge Eugene Devine writing in his August 2012 judgement that the dismissal was "not made out of personal malice." Still, the accusations seem to have resurfaced in the research done for the Report.

For example, Ms. Grimes described her entire relationship with the Personnel Director to be "extremely poor," in part accusing that Mrs. Ethington "went out of her way to verbally abuse me, criticize me and attempted to strip me of the responsibilities that I exercised for many years." At one meeting attended by former Richmondville Supervisor Betsy Bernocco in 2010 Ethington allegedly screamed at the plantiff for two-and-a-half hours, resulting in the prescription of an anti-depressant.

One of the central points of the lawsuit was that actions taken by Ethington were political in nature. Grimes alleged that Ethington attempted to force out the backers of the last Health Department chief Kathleen Strack and that Ms. Grimes' firing was part of an ""illegal pattern of hiring younger, inexperienced employees and eliminating older employees."

In the supporting and opposing documentation, the implications reached a fever pitch. Anne MacCuish from the Emergency Management Office submitted in a deposition that she was present for the alleged shouting incident and that Mrs. Ethington was so involved that "I became concerned because of the length of time that the yelling continued." She also states that this was only one incident of several.

Part of the documentation implied that Mrs. Ethington used her position to benefit her mother. While there was a shake-up at the Health Department, Mrs. Ethington's mother was hired as the Nursing Supervisor. It was alleged that later, when the County was forced to downsize, the supporters of the previous coordinator were placed on the chopping block directly organized in a list by the Personnel Director.

Karen Karker, a Preschool Special Needs Assistant also alleged to be witness to the pattern. She stated that she was berated by Mrs. Ethington for moving her desk. There were other incidents-- to the point that Ms. Karker indicated on a self-assessment conflict with her supervisor-- for which she was "vigorously criticize[d]."

While Mrs. Ethington's office determined that Ms. Grimes simply "handed out pamphlets," as implied in the court paperwork, there are multiple documents indicating otherwise. Kathleen Strack, the immediate prior Health Director stated that during her tenure that was not the case. Meanwhile there were five documents coming from various sources including Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and others, stating that Ms. Grimes was an integral part of supporting their operations.

Mrs. Ethington's deposition denied all wrongdoing. As far as the alleged shouting incident, she stated:

"[Ms. Grimes] was particularly resistant to doing the time logs, saying she felt they were demeaning. Again, Ms. Bernocco and I tried to explain to her that the Board of Supervisors wanted all positions evaluated in light of the difficult fiscal times faced by the County."

She stated that she had "lost a degree of patience" but never raised her voice during the meeting. In addition, a deposition by Betsy Bernocco backs up this version of events, saying that Mrs. Ethington did not raise her voice once. Ms. Bernocco also saw no personal dislike of Ms. Strack by Mrs. Ethington.

Mrs. Ethington also writes that she had a largely "professional" relationship with Ms. Strack, including taking their children to a lake to swim and holding a Pampered Chef party at her house.

In another lawsuit filed in April 2012, former Planning Department employee Sean Jordan alleges in part that Mrs. Ethington mislead him about compensation and advancement in his job. This lawsuit was also dismissed. In a deposition filed, Mr. Jordan states that Mrs. Ethington led him to believe that additional workload would be additionally compensated. Instead, his research was used by the Personnel Director to create a position meant to replace him. Mrs. Ethington stated in a separate deposition that she had followed proper procedure and did not promise anything untoward.

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Desmond Endorsed by Congressman Gibson

Tony Desmond has picked up the support of Congressman Chris Gibson, who forwarded a letter to him. In part, the letter read that Sheriff Desmond is "a true professional who always put public safety for all the citizens of Schoharie County at the forefront of his decisions."

Photo credit Tony Desmond Facebook page

SALT to Hold Green Shirts Celebration

Come and join in a commemoration of all of the good works done by the Green Shirt volunteers since Irene. SALT is coordinating an event to mark the departure of these volunteers and to thank them for helping to put Schoharie County back together.

County Democratic Party Sees Rapid Ascent Halted

The Democratic Party of Schoharie County seemed to be relegated to minority status forever. It faced large losses in enrolled voters and elected officials in the mid-2000s. Through a shift in electoral strategy it saw a large boom several years ago culminating in several major victories. Now, the party appears to be headed the other way.

Looking at the United States in 2008, you see a broad revival of the Democratic Party nationally. While the party saw gains in this County the GOP still controlled the County Board and all elected officials. A more aggressive strategy would be necessary to change fortunes.

The Democrats received some assistance from an overlap with the Conservative Party. Some Democratic-leaning voters and officials were willing to vote along New York State's multiple-party balloting-- allowing a candidate to run under several different parties at once.

The Democrats made a major push in 2009. They convinced Sharon Supervisor Tony Desmond to shed the Republican Party and re-register as an independent. Desmond was then nominated by the Democrats and the Conservative Party. His dual lines gave him the advantage over Bill Slater-- and gave him his narrow victory.

The effort was tried again in 2011. The Democratic Party nominated another Republican-turned-independent for a County office but this time with disastrous effects. Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes gained the Democratic line for County Clerk only to lose to Indy Jaycox 64-36%.

However, on the County Board level, 2011 was a watershed year. The Supervisors of Sharon, Middleburgh, and Schoharie all went to the Democrats-- giving them (on paper) the first majority in the chamber since the 1990s. However, legislative infighting has complicated the situation and has resulted in a fractured Board. Whether the Democrats can regain the majority after this year's election is not clear.

However, part of the Democrats' gambit is failing. The party looked for candidates for District Attorney and failed. Sheriff Tony Desmond withdrew his support of the Democratic Party and re-registered as a Republican and was nominated by that party over the summer. The de facto Democratic-Conservative alliance is largely dead, with former Desmond supporter Todd Ethington gaining the Conservative line for Sheriff.

The Democrats certainly have a chance this fall but much of their success of 2009-2011 has faded.

Opinion: We Want Answers on "The Report" Now

Following months of public intrigue and political wrangling, the long awaited $300,000 "report" on corruption and intimidation within county government is set to be released on Friday - when the Board of Supervisors convenes for their monthly meeting - the result of which will be nothing short of the absolute upheaval of Schoharie County's political landscape.

While we do not know the specifics of Friday's pending report, The Schoharie News can confirm it will likely shape the outcome of several of this fall's elections due to names we have heard repeated from multiple sources over and over this past week and that the aftermath could be a "bloodbath."

Although just a handful of days stand between full knowledge of "the report" and what we know now, and we could simply wait for the aftermath, that isn't how this news site works. We work for you and as your response indicates very clearly: you want answers. Now.

And so do we.

We want to know exactly what does the report say about the way our county government operates? And who is named in this report. Why? And why haven't supervisors (besides a select few) been calling for the report's release in a timely manner?

And we want to know now, which is why we're going to keep digging until we get those answers and why we're not content with just waiting for the news to develop... Because we're in the news of developing the news to best inform you, the reader, on the state of public and political affairs inside the halls of power in Schoharie County.

Candidates Sweep Middleburgh Parade

All three Sheriff's candidates were present for the Middleburgh Harvest Parade.

Photo credit Larry Travis and Todd Ethington Facebook profiles. No Tony Desmond photos at the moment-- email us if you have one for publication!

It's Official: The Report to be Released Friday

Sources close to the Board of Supervisors have confirmed that "the Report" that has developed over the last two years is due for imminent release. The $300,000 price tag for the compilation has become a bone of contention at the Board of Supervsiors. The Supervisors have read the transcripts of the interviews conducted but have not seen the final draft of the report. One source has said that the attorneys compiling the Report came to the County Building on Friday to conduct an exit interview but have been turned away.

The Report's contents have not been fully divulged but one official has indicated that the aftermath could be a "bloodbath." Multiple current and past officials will likely be implicated but it is not clear if there will be criminal charges. Judicial code appears to show that immediate charges may not be possible, but firings could follow through civil service.

Middleburgh's Heroes Present to Elementary School

The Middleburgh Fire Department has been the rock of the community for over 125 years now and have been teaching citizenship to the young people of the area. This was on display this week as the volunteers came to the Middleburgh Elementary School. Photos from the FD's Facebook page. They were also assisted by the Tri-Village and Schoharie FDs.

Taken Down Awning Reveals Original Signage

Middleburgh's Good Earth was a central part of the local economy until it moved out of town around 2002. Since the flood the former location has been in rough shape. Recently the 20-year old awning has been removed, revealing Good Earth's original signage in front of the building.

Opinion: Avoid the Same Mistakes at the County Level

This year's fourteen Town Supervisor races seem to hold an even greater importance than even two years ago. The 2011 elections in the aftermath of Irene appeared to be the ones to remake the County-- and in a way they have.

Divided government is not the way to go.

Most of the members of the Board of Supervisors-- whether we endorse them or not-- are honorable people of both parties. Almost all of them have brought good ideas forward and have been able to attempt to rebuild damage from the flood.

However, for much of the term, this hasn't worked.

Personality and politics-- both electoral and office-- seem to have gotten in the way for much of the progress needed. The continual reshuffling of the Board of Supervisors, coupled with the poisonous rhetoric of some (paging Mr. Singletary) have severely reduced the effectiveness of our public servants.

Fortunately, we have seen advances-- much coming from the Treasurer's, District Attorney's, and County Clerk's offices respectively-- almost picking up the pieces of policies that needed to be pursued by the Board Committees themselves.

However, with the balance of the Board of Supervisors in the balance in less than a month we must learn from the lessons of the last two years. Cliques are no longer acceptable. There is a need for the Supervisors that are often united by political party or personal relationships to work together even when electioneering rhetoric could cause problems.

Another divided Board and a constant game of musical chairs is simply unacceptable. If this happens again, the question will shift from how to make the members work together to how to throw the bums out.

Fortunately, we're not there yet. We have honorable people already in office and some newcomers that would be up to the job. Let's learn from our own actions and use this brainpower for the common good.

Questions Rise Over NY-19 Candidate's Experience

Two-term Congressman Chris Gibson appears to have his toughest challenge yet in a 27 year old named Sean Eldridge. Gibson won twice under difficult circumstances in 2010 and 2012. In 2010 he was filling a void left by the Democratic incumbent Scott Murphy. In 2012 his district was radically altered-- leaving him in NY-19, which voted Democratic on the presidential level.

Now Gibson is facing Sean Eldridge, a multi-millionaire married to a co-founder of Facebook. Mr. Eldridge is running his first campaign and recently moved into the district-- which includes Schoharie County and parts of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Eldridge sees himself as a contender-- as does Gibson's campaign. Still, the two differ greatly on the issue of experience.

Mr. Gibson is an Army Colonel and professor at West Point. He is a decorated combat veteran of three conflicts and now has three years in Congress under his belt. He won NY-19 53-47% in 2012.

Sean Eldridge believes that he has the experience to carry the district and be an effective member of Congress. Profiled in July by the New York Times he shows confidence: 

In an interview, he dismissed any suggestion that his move to the 19th District was motivated by politics. “The Hudson Valley is my home,” he said. “It’s where I work. It’s where I got married.”

However, this is not translating into immediate backing in the area. Mr. Eldridge is running in the difficult 2014 cycle that is likely to depress Democratic Party turnout. His New York City financial planning background may not lend itself to this largely rural, economically depressed district.

While this background may be a bit alien to the residents of the 19th District, Mr. Eldridge has little of the resume of the incumbent. Three years in the House and military experience seem to outweigh no direct involvement in the area that Mr. Eldridge lives today.

Setting Our Sights on Cobleskill's Mayoral Race

Following the success of our interview series with this fall's sheriff candidates, we have decided to reach out to the candidates in the county's second most important race: Cobleskill's mayoral race between incumbent Mark Galasso and Village Trustee Linda Holmes.

 

Although often over-shadowed in significance by its town counterpart, the Village of Cobleskill is both the economic and political hub of Schoharie County - its decisions on pivotal issues such as Guilford Mills, economic development, dissolution and police enforcement - set the standard for an area lacking effective leadership.

 

Which is why this fall's election between Mr. Galasso and Mrs. Holmes will have such a significant impact on not only residents of Cobleskill, but the county's political realm as a whole. And thus our interest in discovering more about these two vastly different candidates.

 

We have already reached out and interviewed Mrs. Holmes and have not yet received a response from an email sent to Mr. Galasso's account, but we hope to hear back soon and have a conversation with him as well.

Opinion: County Budget on Target

With the next proposed budget almost ready for a vote, let's take a look at the efforts of the current County Board of Supervisors and Treasurer Bill Cherry's efforts to deal with the current issues.

With rapidly declining property values in flood-damaged areas and the national recession, the natural increase of home prices continues to lag, putting severe pressure on the bottom line. Couple this with unfunded mandates and shifts in aid from New York State and the situation should seem dire.

Fortunately, we've had a man like Bill Cherry guarding the purse strings or we would be in trouble.

The fact that the County remains without debt and has effectively managed its budget during prosperity, recession, and the aftermath of the flood shows the acumen that Cherry has lent to the taxpayers of the County.

This is reflected in the current budget.

It is not perfect, but a work in progress crafted by someone that has spent countless hours on task. Yes-- there was a 2.62% levy increase but this still came in under the tax cap and during such trying circumstances. On top of this, there was an increase in revenue sharing with the individual municipalities of the County-- in and of itself quite an accomplishment.

Considering all of the increased stream remediation costs and other herculean efforts, every taxpayer has a certain thanks for the Board's decision-- but especially Mr. Cherry. After all, wouldn't you rather pay a debt of gratitude than the County debt the Treasurer erased?

Cobleskill Race a Sharp Contrast Between Styles

For current Cobleskill Supervisor Tom Murray, his blunt attitude is an asset. His actions in office are still ongoing and in his own words continuing.

In 2009, Murray beat Town Councilwoman Linda Angell by the barest of margins-- a 50.3%-49.7% squeaker. In 2011, the margin increased against Councilman Ken Hotopp 56.5-43.5%.

Murray's second term has been a mixed bag with a smaller amount of controversy than the first. Mr. Murray's efforts to extend the Village of Cobleskill's water district along the Route 7 corridor has been a success, even as public opinion was not unanimous. However, another economic development plan pushed by the incumbent failed despite him having the most weighted votes on the County Board of Supervisors. Despite a plea from Mayor Mark Galasso and Mr. Murray the Butternuts Brewery second mortgage plan died after a narrow vote.

Murray's role in the contentious issues on the County Board of Supervisors have also left many confused. Mr. Murray currently caucuses with most of the Republicans in the chamber despite being a Democrat and has been involved in the see-sawing of committee appointments and seating changes. His de facto alliance with Jefferson Supervisor Dan Singletary on the issue of the $300,000 human resources report has drawn eyebrows but as of today no negative (or positive, for that matter) consequences.

Mr. Murray's economic development plan is similar to his past promises-- which have seen Cobleskill in similar economic shape as when he first took office after the 2009 elections. From his campaign site:

The former Guilford Building has remained vacant too long; the unemployment rate of Schoharie County is one of the highest in the State of New York. The Mayor and I along with our respective boards and County Planning Director Alicia Terry have made it our priority to getting the lights back on and bringing new life to the building, and badly needed employment to our community and all of Schoharie County.

Murray faces another local business owner, Leo McAllister. Mr. McAllister has much of the name recognition that is necessary for a race such as this, such as Mr. Murray has.

Even from the start, the demeanor shift is stark. Mr. McAllister cuts a much more quiet profile, thought preceding every measured word. His time on the Cobleskill-Richmondville School Board, Rotary, and Cobleskill's Planning Board have built an impressive resume, similar to the incumbent's.

Mr. McAllister's platform is similar to Murray's, as well. He hopes to take his professional expertise in accounting and use it on the Town of Cobleskill's budget. McAllister hopes to prevent tax increases, allowing a more business-friendly environment.

Personal animus is not a major factor in this race, either as the two have a remarkably friendly disposition towards each other. The two differ in how they have reacted to the race. Mr. McAllister seems like the community spirit of old-- his Rotary experience leading to a folksy, includive message. Meanwhile Mr. Murray's seriousness show a sense of political skill and a different era of retail politics.

Come November, only one will be Cobleskill's executive for the next two years.

Rapid Shift in Sheriff's Polling

The Schoharie News has run the only poll of this election season, seeing the unscientific poll receiving much opinion and over 200 comments. With less than a week left to go in the lifespan of the poll, fortunes have changed dramatically.

Date	Desmond	Travis	Ethington
30-Sep	37	21	43
1-Oct	40	20	40
7-Oct	42	21	37
10-Oct	48	23	29

While our poll is not absolute, it does have 695 votes and shows a large amount of interest in the largest race in the County.

Travis Picks up SUNY Cobleskill University Police Support

Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis, the Democratic nominee in this fall's Sheriff race in Schoharie County, has had a busy week thus far: announcing/releasing a new design for his yard signs that are dotting county roadsides and the endorsement of his campaign by the University Police Department of SUNY Cobleskill:

With election day just 26 more days away, Chief Travis and his opponents still have a lot of work to come out on top of the polls, but one this is for sure - all three of them are energized and heading towards the final stretch at full speed.

Landis Featured in NYS DEC Publication

Schoharie County's own Landis Arboretum has been recognized for its great views of nature and the spirit of the area. In this month's Outdoor Discovery newsletter, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation profiled just a part of what Landis Arboretum offers. It notes that "The arboretum is home to dozens of species of birds and other wildlife."

From the DEC's website