Vote in Our New Poll: Independent Fire District in Schoharie?

With Sheriff Anthony Desmond enjoying high approval ratings, the Schoharie News is going to ask a more localized question, with wide-ranging consequences. Schoharie's Fire Department is strongly considering a move to a joint fire district independent of the Village and less reliant on Town influence. Brought up by current Department President Martin Shrederis, the idea mirrors a similar effort in Middleburgh. What do you think of the plan so far? Vote in our sidebar!

Poll: Readers Approve of Sheriff Desmond's Job Performance

Schoharie News readers, by a margin that closely resembles the November election, approve of Sheriff Anthony Desmond as head of Schoharie County's law enforcement apparatus. Mr. Desmond, who previously served as Town of Sharon Springs Supervisor, was recently sworn into his second term in office.

Do you approve of Sheriff Desmond's job performance?

Yes - (132) - 52%

No - (112) - 44%

Undecided - (8) - 3%

And vote in our new poll on our sidebar!

Local Historians to Host Snow Storms Along the Route 10 Corridor Program

Route 10 Corridor Historians are sponsoring a program on Sunday, January 26th, at 2pm that is encouraging local residents in Jefferson and Summit to bring their old photos to be scanned and to share their personal recollections of past major snow storms.

 

The program, aptly named "Snow Storms Along the Route 10 Corridor," will be held at the George Danforth Community Center - in the downstairs Senior Center - on Route 10 in the Town of Jefferson.

Schoharie County Legal Directory

Please visit this introduction article for more information on advertising in the Schoharie County Legal Directory.

                                                     Shawn Smith, Esq. 518-827-8024

The Law Office of Shawn Smith is located on 1847 Route 30 N. Blenheim, N.Y.

and primarily provides services to people in Schoharie, Delaware, Otsego,

Schenectady and Albany Counties. Mr. Smith practices Criminal Defense Law,

Family Law, Real Estate Law, and Wills and Estates. Mr. Smith also serves as

Town Attorney for the Towns of Fulton and Schoharie, Village Attorney for the
Village of  Cobleskill and Town Supervisor of Blenheim.

 

Blenheim Residents Respond to Cherry's Letter

Three weeks after Schoharie County Treasurer and Flood Recovery Coordinator Bill Cherry wrote a scathing letter to members of the Blenheim Long Term Recovery Committee and the Blenheim Town Board over what he described as, "damning and accusatory statements about me personally [by former Supervisor Robert Mann Jr and BLTRC Chairman Don Airey], and more specifically, about my delay in submitting the latest proposal to FEMA relating to the Blenheim Covered Bridge," citizens of the small municipality had the chance to speak out Monday evening, and did they ever.

 

After Supervisor Shawn Smith read aloud Mr. Cherry's letter to the assembled townsfolk, the overall response was unfriendly to say the least. Town Councilman Joe Ward kicked off a thirty minute discussion on the letter and the Blenheim Covered Bridge by calling the Treasurer's comments, " very vitriolic verbiage." One resident, who referred to the Flood Recovery Coordinator as, "Czar Cherry," accused Mr. Cherry of being, "an arrogant liar," that is the crux at the table.

 

Mr. Airey, who was referred to several times in Mr. Cherry's infamous letter, addressed the audience by listing several grievances and corrections, one being that he had, "no issue with Bill Cherry holding the submission," but that he wanted members of his committee and the town board to be afforded the opportunity to review its contents. He would later go on to condemn Mr. Cherry's selective list of Supervisors he sent the email to and its publication in the Schoharie News, while stating that his concerns stem only from being a resident of the Town of Blenheim.

At this point Mr. Smith, who allowed town residents to openly discuss their concerns and offer comments, spoke of Mr. Cherry's abilities in other flood impacted communities across the county and urged that, "If we can all get on the same page, we can work together." He would go on to describe his early relations with the Treasurer as good, although some residents still felt otherwise about Mr. Cherry's intentions, even suggesting that he recuse himself from further handling the Blenheim project and accusing him of, "thumbing his nose at the county Board of Supervisors."

Sheriff's Department Arrests Jefferson Man on One Count of Menacing

The Schoharie County Sheriff's Department announced the arrest of a Jefferson man on one count of Menacing in the 2nd Degree in a press release e-mailed to local media yesterday evening. The man, who has been identified as 34 year old Frank Darmody Jr., was arrested Monday at approximately 7:45 following a reported domestic incident in the Town of Jefferson.

 

Mr. Darmody was remanded to the custody of the Sheriff in lieu of $2500 cash bail or $5000 secured bond and is scheduled to reappear in the Town of Jefferson Courthouse on Monday, February 3rd, 2014 to face charges of Menacing in the 2nd Degree, a Class A misdemeanor that could carry up to a one year jail sentence if the defendant is found guilty.

 

 

 

　

 

 

 

 

New Face Leads Blenheim at 2014 Organizational Meeting

For twenty years the Town of Blenheim's monthly board meetings had been led by just one man, former Supervisor Robert Mann Jr., until last night's organizational meeting featured not only the typical new year bookkeeping, but the placement of freshman Town Supervisor Shawn Smith as the rural community's elected head of affairs.

Mr. Smith, who defeated Mr. Mann in a close race this past November, publicly thanked the former supervisor for meeting with him several times between the election and yesterday and for helping to, "make a smooth transition," in the small community of under 400 citizens that has had just a handful of supervisors since the mid-twentieth century.

 

With only enough board members present to meet a legislative quorum (both Councilman Graham and Councilwoman Mattice were absent), the Blenheim Town Board kicked off the new year by naming the Times Journal and the Mountain Eagle as the town's official newspapers, designating the Evening Star as book-keeper and voting to raise the hourly wage of Highway Department employees 50 cents from $16.40 to $16.90.

 

Not every proposal was met with unanimous support. Included in the agenda was Resolution 13, which if adopted, would have changed the manner Highway Superintendent was selected from being appointed by the town board to elected by popular vote, but due to the expressed uneasiness of both Councilmen to making a final decision without the entire board's presence the measure was put on hold until February.

 

However, both Councilman Keyser and Ward also expressed reservations about re-appointing Gerald Felter to the position after it was revealed at the December meeting that he had used town vehicles for personal business while on and off the clock. Mr. Ward stated that he didn't, "want to vote on that[appointing Felter] without everyone here," which Mr. Smith sympathized with but he reminded both councilmen that by state law the town had to have someone in the position.

 

When residents in attendance were asked what they thought about the situation, the public was near-unanimous in their belief that Mr. Felter should be reappointed to the position. One resident spoke of how he helped the town in the aftermath of Irene and his wife praised the Highway Superintendent's abilities by emphasizing that there was, "not a bad thing about Jerry."

Faced with public opposition and the legal requirement to fill the important position, the board voted unanimously after almost an hour of discussion to re-appoint Mr. Felter as Highway Superintendent until all board members are present to make a decision on the position's future and whether it be filled in the future by popular vote.

In other business, the Town of Blenheim set salaries and payment schedules for town employees, heard correspondence, the Highway Superintendent's report and voted to adopt two tax abatements based off of laws passed in the Town of Schoharie in 2013 that will grant new and existing homeowners exemptions for home improvement.
 

Artic Cold Front Freezes Upstate New York

With mid-day temperatures hovering in the single digits, residents of not only Schoharie County but the entire State are dealing with yet another frigid Artic front that is being accompanied this time by twenty to thirty mile per hour wind gusts, creating a potentially dangerous situation to anyone outside for any length of time.

 

Trust me, I wish it was in Celsius... But it's not.

                             

Schools have been closed across Upstate New York due to the harsh temperatures, which have at times felt like almost twenty degrees below zero when you factor in wind chill, while cars and even people begrudgingly made the morning commute. Lows are expected to reach zero and below tonight as the gusty winds continue until tomorrow.

 

But look on the bright side, highs are guesstimated to reach the forties and maybe even the fifties this weekend. A reminder that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and hope in any situation, even when Artic cold fronts are involved.

Community Effort Brings Return of Middleburgh Ice Rink

An effort between the Village and the Middleburgh Fire Department re-opened a skating rink that has been closed for 10 years. After seals on the community skating rink in Bagley Park would not hold water, the rink has lied vacant. Trustee William Morton of the Village Board suggested filling the rink in stages rather than all at once to take a firm hold. Mayor Matthew Avitabile arranged the Department of Public Works crew under Superintendent Dale Nunamann to clean snow out of the rink early last week and for the Fire Department to place the initial ice glaze.

Photo posted on the Middleburgh Facebook Page

With the warm, then cold temperatures yesterday the plan worked and the rink is open today for the first time since 2003.

SALT to Host Martin Luther King Day of Service

Schoharie Area Long Term (SALT) Recovery, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the New York Folklore Society and AmeriCorps VISTA have collaborated to sponsor a Martin Luther King Day of Service on Monday, January 20th, 2014 that will focus on the impact of Hurricane Irene and the Schoharie Valley's path to recovery.

 

 The event, which will be held in the social hall of the Middleburgh Reformed Church on 176 River Street starting at 10 a.m., has officially been named the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Reflection on Service: Stories of Hurricane Irene. SALT's website states that, "The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community."

 

It will consist of a morning workshop on the art of storytelling for volunteers and residents conducted by the New York Folklore Society, followed by a luncheon with a still to be announced guest speaker who will speak on Dr. King's motivation to serve and will conclude with a series of round-table discussions by volunteers, residents, community leaders and AmeriCorps VISTA members about their experiences in Schoharie.

 

Organizers are hoping that the event will encourage, "volunteers and the members of the Schoharie Community who "weathered the storm" will begin to tell and record their stories over the next year about what happened and what drives them to help one another and restore the communities along the Schoharie Creek."

 

Please visit the Schoharie Area Long Term Recovery's website for more information on how to become apart of this event.

Supervisors Appoint Public Officials, Set Committees and Discuss Abatements at Organizational Meeting

Incoming Supervisors had their plates full in Friday night's organizational meeting, as they filled a slew of appointed positions, set committees, discussed the possibility of adopting countywide tax abatements and heard a proposal to hold two monthly board meetings among other business.

 

First off, they kicked off this year's legislative session by electing Town of Gilboa Supervisor Tony Van Glad to serve as Chairman of the Board and former Board Chairman Phil Skowfoe as Vice-Chair, cementing the anti-Conservative Party coalition in power and seemingly avoiding the partisan struggle Americans have grown accustomed to in national and local politics between the two major parties.

 

With Chairman Van Glad at the helm, the Board would go on to approve a series of resolutions that would fill a number of appointed positions and designate the county's official newspapers, banks and a host of emergency related task forces. Among those appointed were Sheryl Largeteau as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Bill Cherry as Budget Officer, Phil Skowfoe as the Supervisors representative on the County Board of Health and Michael West as County Attorney.

 

The Mountain Eagle and the Times Journal were named as Schoharie County's official newspapers, for legal notice purposes, while the Bank of Richmondville, Bank of America, NBT Bank, Community Bank, Key Bank, National Bank of Coxsackie and J.P. Morgan Chase were named as depositories for county funds.  

 

Soon after discussion turned toward committee assignments, which Chairman Van Glad put together in a bi-partisan manner that has both Democrat and Republican members of the board as committee chairmen, with Supervisors Barbic of Seward, Buzon of Middleburgh, Bradt of Carlisle, Lape of Richmondville and Skowfoe of Fulton each head of two.

 

However, feeling that Supervisors aren't educated enough in the workings of the standing committees, Town of Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone recommended holding two monthly board meetings, a proposal that was cast aside in favor of better communication between the respective committees and the board as a whole.

 

Mr. Milone would go on to address freshman legislators on the controversial tax abatements passed in the Town of Schoharie in 2013 and added that he hoped the county board would vote on possibly joining Schoharie's efforts later this month at the regular meeting. Town of Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon backed up Mr. Milone's proposal by telling board members that he was looking at presenting the issue to his own town board and that he felt it, "Could draw people into the area."

 

The idea of countywide tax abatements was met with opposition by Town of Carlisle Supervisor Larry Bradt, who felt taxpayers would eventually have to make up the difference in cost, to which Mr. Milone adamantly stood behind his proposal stating, "There is no cost that is shed to anyone else on this," adding later that, "If it doesn't work, nothing changes."

 

Chairman Van Glad ended discussion by telling lawmakers to, "study your work," as Mr. Milone intends to bring the issue to a vote at the regular January meeting, scheduled for the 24th at 9am, to see whether there is a consensus on abatements, which will be followed by a public hearing if there is.

Opinion: There and Back Again

The leather-bound volume caught my attention in a section of books, as if by its simple elegance it knew I would be drawn to its content.  Content that, although previously familiar with, caused instant curiosity - even a mix of excitement - deep inside this fantasy aficionado and compelled a timely purchase at the store's checkout.

 

Volume in hand, and temperatures outside reaching well below freezing, there was but one option to consider, and that was to enjoy a classic work of mid-20th century fiction that spurred a trilogy of subsequent books that have longed imbedded their character into the fabric of modern pop culture and how we view the fantasy genre.

 

And enjoy did I. Over the course of several weeks, between work and attending to the daily functions of my existence, the volume followed me wherever I went and enthralled my senses a few pages at a time, carefully unfolding a well written adventure in a time before our own and a place foreign to our modern imaginations.

 

It caused several, seemingly conflicted emotions within the reader, from amazement of the primary character's development to sadness over the hero's passing and even anger directed toward ignorance displayed by all but a few. However, its greatest achievement was not only maintaining a colorful and thoroughly enjoyable world you could envision yourself in, but also a plot that employed so many twists and turns that you found yourself a little dazed by the story's conclusion.

 

Of course, I am referring to J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit: There and Back Again, one of the more important works of fantasy ever composed. It set the gold standard for not only the Lord of the Rings trilogy and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in terms of imagery and creativity, but came to define an entire genre of how we view such mythical creatures as elves, dwarfs, dragons, and yes, hobbits.

 

One does not simply read The Hobbit, as it takes you on a journey that you can taste, feel, smell and imagine being there yourself all at the same time... As if you are reliving the youngest days of your youth when imagination still existed and where evil was clearly defined and was always vanquished by the seemingly least expected characters who over the course of an entire volume, or even a trilogy, would grow from callous cowardice or indifference and ultimately transform into our heroes.

Middleburgh Library to Host Community Wellness Fair on January 11th

The Middleburgh Library will be hosting a Community Wellness Fair on Saturday, January eleventh from 9 am until 2 pm with over twenty vendors in attendance to provide visitors with information on healthy eating, smoking cessation, exercise and mental health.

 

 

There will also be a raffle to benefit the Middleburgh Library that will include many health related prizes.

New Poll Up: Do You Approve of Sheriff Desmond's Job Performance?

In this new poll, we are asking readers to weigh in on whether they approve or disapprove of Sheriff Tony Desmond's performance as head of Schoharie County's law enforcement apparatus. The Sheriff was re-elected to a second term in November, receiving slightly less than fifty percent of the vote.

 

This poll will be open until Friday and is located on the right-hand sidebar on the Schoharie News website.

 

Note: The results of our previous poll, asking who readers supported for County Board Chairman, were disqualified due to vote-rigging by supporters of Mr. Van Glad and Mr. Skowfoe, which is very unfortunate considering the importance of the poll topic.

Milone Proposes Creation of County Administrator

Town of Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone, who told the Schoharie News after the Fitzmaurice Report's first section was released that such a change was needed, introduced Local Law No. 2 - providing for the establishment of the position of County Administrator for the County of Schoharie - for consideration of his fellow Supervisors last night.

 

The law, which if enacted would create a weaker administrative position than other counties have implemented, would require the Board of Supervisors to either appoint a full-time Administrator or assign the position's duties to an existing county official, although members of the County Board are prohibited from dually serving.

 

To be even considered for the position, you must possess either a  Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Business or Public Administration and have six to four years of experience in the field. In addition to the appointee being required to become a resident of Schoharie County within 90 days, the Board may set other qualifications as they see fit.

 

Mr. Milone didn't go into specifics of what powers and duties said administrator would have, but according to a hard copy of the proposed law, "the County Administrator shall be the Budget Officer and shall be responsible for the overall administration of County Government," including the ability to make recommendations for appointments of department heads, supervise and evaluate all county departments, to serve as advisor to the Board of Supervisors, Director of Labor Relations and to have such other powers as conferred upon by the County Board.

 

No action was taken, as the Schoharie Supervisor wanted members to fully digest its contents before the January meeting on the 24th, which Town of Cobleskill Supervisor Leo McAllister expressed concern over by asking Mr. Milone if he expected them to a reach a decision by then. Mr. Milone did admit that his personal recommendation for the position would be for Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry to be appointed in addition to his already elected duties.

 

County Attorney Mike West, who informed Supervisors that the creation of an executive or administrator had been looked at several times in the past, said that it, "doesn't hurt to look at change." A sentiment concurred by Town of Seward Supervisor Carl Barbic, who stated he was in favor of such a implementation and Mr. Milone who concluded his remarks by telling freshman legislators that "something more is needed than what is in place right now."

Van Glad Elected Chair of Board of Supervisors, Skowfoe Vice-Chair

Town of Gilboa Supervisor Tony Van Glad was elected by fellow members of the County Board to serve as Chairman for the 2014 legislative session in a split party-line vote early Friday evening. He received 1693 weighted votes to previous Board Chairman and Town of Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe's 1281.

 

Mr. Skowfoe would then be elected Vice-Chairman near unanimously, receiving fifteen of sixteen supervisors support, with only Town of Seward Supervisor Harold Vroman casting a vote for Town of Richmondville Supervisor Richard Lape, resulting in Skowfoe being elected the County's number two by a lopsided 2862-112 margin.

Newly elected Board Chairman Tony Van Glad,
photo courtesy of the Daily Gazette

The vote, which was conducted by call of the roll, mostly followed party-lines with Town of Broome Supervisor Bill Smith, a Republican, being the exception by supporting Democrat Phil Skowfoe, who was elected in 2013 as the head of a bipartisan coalition aligned against the Conservative faction.

 

After a brief intermission to allow Chairman Van Glad and Vice-Chairman Skowfoe to recite the oaths of their newly elected offices, Van Glad thanked a majority of the Board for supporting his candidacy and said that he would, "like to think we could have a bipartisan year," signaling the coalition of Mr. Skowfoe's administration is alive and intact.

 

Board of Supervisors Chairman Election Roll Call

 

Barbic of Seward - Phil Skowfoe

Bleau of Wright - Tony Van Glad

Bradt of Carlisle - Tony VanGlad

Buzon of Middleburgh - Phil Skowfoe

Federice of Conesville - Tony Van Glad

Jordan of Jefferson - Tony Van Glad

Lape of Richmondville - Tony Van Glad

Manko of Sharon - Phil Skowfoe

McAllister of Cobleskill - Tony Van Glad

Milone of Schoharie - Phil Skowfoe

Skowfoe of Fulton - Phil Skowfoe

Smith of Blenheim - Phil Skowfoe

Smith of Broome - Phil Skowfoe

Van Glad of Gilboa - Tony Van Glad

Van Wormer of Esperance - Tony Van Glad

Vroman of Seward - Tony Van Glad

 

 

 

New Supervisors to be Seated in County Board Organizational Meeting

Five new Supervisors* will take their place around the County Board's u shaped table tonight, setting in place a politically diverse and interesting mix of freshman and incumbent legislators for the 2014 session that will begin with the election of a Board Chairman and Vice-Chairman.  

Some freshman lawmakers, including Supervisor Federice of Conesville and Supervisor McAllister of Cobleskill, have already held or were scheduled to hold organizational meetings in their respective Town before tonight's countywide initiation of affairs, while for others this will be their first acts in elected office.

It also ushers in a trio of younger, more politically independent lawmakers that the County Board of Supervisors has not seen in quite some time, they include Supervisor Bleau of Wright (who took her seat in December), Supervisor Jordan of Jefferson and Supervisor Smith of Blenheim, all three of whom have extensive knowledge of local government from previous elected office or public employment.

Knowledge that all sixteen Supervisors will have to use in breaking down their personal political barriers and to form a governing coalition behind one of three leading candidates in this evening's vote.

For many in the room, this will be their twentieth plus time they elect a Chairman of the Board, but with the six newly elected members comprising a third of the overall weighted vote total, 2014's freshman class holds a lot of political power for incoming legislators, and as such, should act with great responsibility.  

* Broome Supervisor Bill Smith included

2014 Simple Personal Health Tips by Karen Maher

Editors note: Ms. Maher submitted the following article, offering a variety of simple personal health tips for the New Year, and the Schoharie News is pleased to publish her commonsensical approach to medical wellbeing.  

 

2014 is marking healthcare as the year that, your personal healthcare is your business now more than ever. Personal health means engaging and increasing the interactivity in your personal health condition, medical condition, immunizations, pharmaceutical history, especially if you travel away from home any distance. Here are a few tips for an adult (21ys +), that you may need this year:

• Do your 2014 insurance benefits meet your personal healthcare needs? Make a short list of your needs to address with your primary care for possible solutions.

• Invest time in your health maintenance and keep documentation in a date and time format of your process. This information can be shared with your primary care and insurance if you need new prescriptions, labs or images.

• Know your personal health history like you know how much money you have in the bank. Personal history includes acute and chronic illness. Clinics and Hospitals do not have to keep records longer than 6 years according to the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health), depending on the medical facility and the state you live. Know where your records are and how long they will be kept, in hard copy and/ or maintained electronically.

• Don’t assume standard of insurance coverage remains the same in 2014. Become proactive, question your physician diagnosis, question the drugs prescribed, as well as your deductibles and what insurance will pay, document your history carefully and review any documents healthcare facilities and insurance company will send to you. If you are in the Exchange, learn what this means in detail, take charge of your healthcare!

• If you commute or travel ask about immunizations and safety, this information can change annually. For example, in case of an emergency will telemedicine be covered by your insurance?

• In an emergency, know your personal health history, prescription and vitamin intake; and allergies, have your facts in order to receive the care you expect during any emergency or scheduled routine care.

• Carry a contact name and phone number and your insurance card in case of an emergency. Have a living will in place with a medical facility and with your contact (preferably a loved one or family member).

Governor Cuomo Declares State of Emergency

Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared the entire State of New York in emergency, via WNYT:

NEW YORK (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo says some major commuter highways around New York City will be shut down overnight as a coastal storm brings snow and blizzard conditions to the region.

Cuomo says Interstate 84 in the Hudson Valley will be closed to commercial traffic starting at 5 p.m. Thursday and to all traffic at midnight. He says the Long Island Expressway will also be closed at midnight in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Thruway will be closed from Albany south.

Cuomo says plans are for the highways to reopen at 5 a.m. Friday, but a decision will be made by 4 a.m.

The governor also declared a statewide state of emergency Thursday and urged people to "seriously consider staying in their homes."

He says mass transit isn't expected to be hampered.

Stay safe Schoharie County

Brandow Appointed Conesville Highway Superintendent

After months of interesting details have emerged concerning the Town of Conesville's bizarre tied Highway Superintendent election between incumbent Republican Larry Brandow and Democrat challenger Stephen Young, who each received 154 votes, the Conesville Town Board appointed a temporary office holder yesterday morning to serve until another election can be held next fall.

 

From the exclusion of one absentee ballot due to its owners unfortunate passing to the revelation that a town employee received eighteen write-in votes, the Town of Conesville's contentious race to fill the small community's most important position has sparked the curiosity of people across Schoharie County.  

 

Curiosity that the Conesville Town Board put to bed in their 2014 organizational meeting yesterday by appointing incumbent Highway Superintendent Larry Brandow to continue serving until voters have the opportunity to have their voices heard, again, this upcoming fall in a special election that interestingly enough will be followed next year by the regularly scheduled election.

 

There is no word on whether Mr. Young will seek the position again this fall.