Gun Rights in Focus at Middleburgh Protest

A protest in favor of gun rights gathered dozens at the Middleburgh Rod and Gun Club on Saturday. The event, attended by local officials, concerned citizens, and pro-Second Amendment groups highlighted opposition to the 2013 SAFE Act.

The event was covered by both local and Albany press and began with a noon firing of single rounds from the attendees in unified protest. The event then moved inside, led first by Senator James Seward. Seward talked about the process in which the SAFE Act was passed, which he described as rushed. Next was Sheriff Tony Desmond, who spoke of the importance of history in dealing with such a law. He was reminded by the Schoharie Valley being the Breadbasket of the Revolution and how the law was opposed by most of the Counties in the state. It was noted that Sheriff Desmond was the only New York State Sheriff not invited to a conference with Governor Cuomo recently.

There were a series of speakers from local groups that spoke of the importance of gun rights and how they opposed the SAFE Act.

The last speaker was Assemblyman Peter Lopez, who spoke of the logistical challenges of how to overturn the law-- either through the Courts or through the state legistlature. He said that the pressure was like that of boiling lobster-- some pressure is noticeable when amplified.

Middleburgh Falls 86-63 to Visiting Mekeel Christian Adademy

Despite Ryan Bechtold and Tanner Van Aller each contributing a doubt-digit effort in support of Middleburgh's cause Friday night, the Knights varsity squad was simply no match for the visiting Mekeel Christian Academy Lions, who breezed to a comfortable 86-63 victory.

Photo credit: Bob Roney

The Knights, coming off a heart breaking loss to Berne-Knox just before the holiday break, struggled from the opening tip-off. They managed to close the gap at halftime, trailing by just five, but couldn't hold on against the private academy as the Lions outscored Middleburgh 52-34 in the second half.

 

Mike Mann and Alex Mulvey accounted for slightly less than half of Mekeel's overall performance with forty-one points scored combined, thirty-six of which came from successful conversions from beyond the arc - Middleburgh's entire squad could only muster eighteen.

 

Middleburgh 63
Meekel Christian 86
                      1st 2nd 3rd  Final
Middleburgh  13  29  45  63
MCA              20  34  63  86

 

Local Hannaford Praised for Generosity

 

The Duanesburg Hannaford, located less than a mile away from Esperance on Route 20, was praised in a recent letter by the Schoharie County Department of Social Services for adopting a family this past Christmas in a show of kindness and generosity that continues to bring joy to the disadvantaged family. 

Associates, who donated everything from Batman toys to books and clothes for the family, went above and beyond in their support of the Department of Social Services annual program. According to the letter the grandmother was, "literally stunned and cried with joy," to receive such generous amounts of gifts.

 

Gene Prout, store manager of the $3.2 million grocery and fresh foods that employs dozens of area residents, attached a thank you message to the letter where he stated that the generosity of associates was, "another great example of the power of you." He would later add that he was, "proud to be associated," with his employees.

As Schoharie County Considers Administrator Proposal, Montgomery County Welcomes First Executive

Town of Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone's proposed County Administrator position has set off a countywide conversation on a issue that has jumped on and off again the Board of Supervisors radar the past two decades, in a debate that mirrors neighboring Montgomery County's recently reviewed and voter approved change in government.  

 

After operating under a governing system that closely resembles that of Mr. Milone's proposal for approximately twenty five years, where a County Board of Supervisors of fifteen members (10 Town and 5 City of Amsterdam) and an appointed administrator handled public business, Town of Glen Supervisor Larry Coddington successfully initiated efforts that led to the establishment of the County Government Study Committee in early 2012. They were tasked with conducting research into altering the county's form of government.

 

The Committee's findings led to the subsequent creation of the Montgomery County Charter Commission that over three months found that the previous system failed due to the, "personality conflicts and differences of styles between the County Board of Supervisors (legislators) and the County Administrator." 

 

Commission members subsequently drafted and proposed a new form of county government. One that replaced the existing Board of Supervisors with a nine-member legislative body, put in place an elected County Executive and received both Board of Supervisors approval and slightly over 60% of the public's support in November, 2012.

 

Matthew Ossenfort, who previously worked in Assemblyman George Amedore's office as Chief of Staff and holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration, was elected to serve as Montgomery County Executive this past November. Voters also elected nine district level legislators to replace the outgoing Board of Supervisors.  

 

The issue of County Administrator is expected to be discussed at the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors monthly board meeting on Friday, January 24th at 9 am. Lawmakers are not expected to take immediate action on the proposal, but the choices that Montgomery County made may weigh heavily on their own decision making.

Governor Cuomo Nominates Schoharie Farmer as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets

 

The following is an official press release filed by the Governors office:

 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the nomination of Richard A. Ball as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

 

“Richard Ball is a lifelong farmer and advocate for sound farm policy who will bring fresh ideas and strong leadership to the Department of Agriculture and Markets,” Governor Cuomo said. “Agriculture is a vital sector of the state’s economy, providing thousands of jobs, food for people around the globe, and a way of life for generations of New Yorkers. Richard embodies the proud tradition of farming here in New York State and will be a superb addition to this Administration.”

 

A native New Yorker, Mr. Ball has made a living in agriculture his entire life. His inspiration to become a farmer came from his grandparents, who were lifelong dairy farmers. At 18 years old, Mr. Ball began his career in agriculture as a farm worker at a vegetable farm in Rhode Island. He later became operations manager of that same farm. After 20 years in Rhode Island, Mr. Ball moved back to the Empire State with an opportunity to become a farm owner. For the past 20 years, he has been the owner and operator of Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, NY, which consists of 200 acres and produces a wide range of vegetable crops, small fruits and greenhouse crops. The farm serves both retail and wholesale consumers through an onsite farm market known as “The Carrot Barn” and ships to brokers and restaurants in the local area as well as New York City.

 

Mr. Ball has held a number of positions within agriculture and community organizations at the local, state and national level, including:

• Vice President - New York State Vegetable Growers Association
• Board of Directors, Member of Executive Committee, Member of Audit Committee, Chairman of Labor Committee – New York Farm Bureau
• Member of Labor Committee (past Chairman) – American Farm Bureau
• Representative for Schoharie County – Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council
• Board of Directors (past President) – Schoharie County Farm Bureau
• President – Schoharie Valley Association
• Chairman – Schoharie Recovery, Inc., a non-profit formed to help the recovery effort from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
• Past President – Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce.

 

Mr. Ball, his wife Shirley, and his three children are actively engaged in farming with a growing number of future farmers among the grandchildren.

 

Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau, said, “New York Farm Bureau could not be more pleased with the Governor’s outstanding selection of Richard Ball to be the next Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture and Markets. As a farmer, Richard understands the needs and challenges we all face on our farms. That knowledge and the respect he has among his peers will serve the state’s agricultural community well. We look forward to continuing Farm Bureau’s strong partnership with Richard and Governor Cuomo to support every farmer in New York.”

 

Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, said, “On behalf of the faculty and staff at CALS, I extend my congratulations to Richard Ball on this appointment. We look forward to working closely with Mr. Ball on key issues facing New York State’s farmers and producers. This is an exciting time for agriculture, and I am confident that his experiences and expertise will help New York State continue to lead the way.”

 

Mark Henry, President of the New York State Vegetable Growers Association, said, “The New York State Vegetable Growers Association is proud and excited to hear about fellow vegetable farmer, Rich Ball’s, nomination as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. Rich is first and foremost a farmer. He’s watched his land flood, worked through blizzards, and watched the first green tips push their heads above soil every spring in spite of all the challenges. With the nomination of Rich Ball as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, the New York State Vegetable Growers Association feels that 2014 is starting out on a positive note.”

 

Jim Allen, President of the New York Apple Association, said, “I’ve known Richard Ball for a number of years and have worked with him on many different initiatives, including the Pride of NY program. He has an astute knowledge of all aspects of agriculture. His operation in Schoharie is a destination for thousands every year and I think he is an absolutely wonderful choice as our state’s next Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets.”

 

GrowNYC Executive Director Marcel Van Ooyen said, “On behalf of GrowNYC, I’d like to congratulate Richard Ball on this well-deserved nomination as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. Richard Ball understands the importance of building relationships between upstate agriculture and downstate consumers, and we look forward to working with him to expand opportunities for New York agricultural producers across New York City in the future.”

 

Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, said, “Governor Cuomo’s selection of Richard Ball as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets is a strong choice, and great news for the state’s vibrant wine and grape industry. Mr. Ball understands that pro-growth agricultural policies lead to a robust farm sector. We’ve seen it already with the growth of our farm-based beverage industry and in a number of other industries across the state. I look forward to working with Commissioner Ball on Taste NY and other state initiatives designed to promote New York products.”

Tillapaugh Appointed Chief Deputy in Sheriff's Office

The Schoharie County Sheriff's Department has announced the appointment of Deputy Sheriff Duane Tillapaugh, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Sheriff against incumbent Tony Desmond in last year's election, as the Chief Deputy (and third in command) of the county's law enforcement force. 

Chief Deputy Tillapaugh has served in the Sheriff's Office for twenty-five years, during which he has obtained multiple certifications and attended additional training in many areas, including: Civil Law Training, Crime Scene Processing, Law Enforcement Photography, CPR/First Responder training and Composite Drawing/Indenti-Kit training.

Having started his law enforcement career at the jail as a Corrections Officer in 1988, Tillapaugh attended and graduated from the Zone Five Law Enforcement Training Academy at HVCC in the spring of 1990, after which he was assigned to the Town of Middleburgh, a paid contract for police coverage between the Town and the Sheriff's Office.

He has also served as a President and Vice-President of the SCSO Road Patrol Union, which has given him extensive experience in negotiations and working with police unions. More recently, Tillapaugh has been involved in handling many of the day to day responsibilities within the Sheriff's Office, ranging from supervising the County Sex Offenders Registry to handling arrest warrants.

In addition to a lifetime of law enforcement service, Tillapaugh has been a devoted husband of twenty-six years and is the proud father of two daughters. 

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.