Seward Man Arrested for Larceny

State Police in Cobleskill arrested a Seward man for Larceny on November 4, 2014 following a complaint of missing property.
 
State Police arrested Ronald Gage age 62 of Seward following a complaint of missing property.  Allegations were made that Gage took items from a marital property that was in violation of a court order.  Gage was charged with Petit Larceny and released on an appearance ticket.
 
Gage is to appear in the Town of Seward Court on November 26, 2014 at 7:30pm to answer the charge

Middleburgh Man Arrested for Criminal Mischief and Contempt

State Police in Cobleskill arrested a Middleburgh man following a domestic incident on November 3, 2014.
 
State Police arrested Christopher E. Costello age 19 following a domestic incident that occurred at a residence in Middleburgh.  Costello allegedly damaged property belonging to a family member during an argument that led to a physical confrontation.  Costello was charged with Criminal Mischief 4^th and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.
 
Costello was arraigned in the Town of Middleburgh Court and released to appear on November 19, 2014 at 7:00pm.  An Order of Protection was issued by the court.

Christopher E. Costello was later arrested by the State Police Cobleskill following a domestic incident that occurred in Middleburgh.  Costello entered a family property and engaged in a verbal domestic violating an Order of Protection in the process.  Troopers located Costello in the Village of Middleburgh and took him into custody.  Costello was charged with Criminal Contempt 2nd, Costello was arraigned in the Town of Middleburgh Court and remanded to the Schoharie County Facility on cash bail. 
 
Costello is to appear in the Town of Middleburgh Court on November 19, 2014 at 7:00pm to answer this charge and previous charges that were lodged from a previous domestic incident.
 

C-R Student Arrested after Confrontation at School

State Police arrested a teen following an altercation that occurred at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.
 
State Police arrested Jordan J. Davenport 18 of Schoharie after he was involved in an altercation with another student at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.  Davenport was 
charged with Harassment 2^nd and Endangering the Welfare of a child following an argument that turned physical.  Davenport was arraigned in the Town of Richmondville Court and released to appear at a later date.  An Order of Protection was issued by the court.

The State Police Cobleskill Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted with the case.

Green Wolf Brewery Opening December 12th in Middleburgh

Middleburgh, as its name implies, is in the middle of everything: it is within an hour's drive of The Catskills, The Capital District, the Mid-Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, and Cooperstown. We have a classic American main street with shops, restaurants, historic buildings, a great museum, and an amazing library. Hiking trails and bountiful farm stands are only minutes away. It is the perfect location for a brewery and tap room. We fill a niche for locals (who no longer need to drive thirty minutes or more for great local craft beer) and for tourists (who see our tap room on Main Street and decide to stop).

All this success doesn't happen in a vacuum. Middleburgh has an active and helpful business association and local government. It is a village on the rise - in the middle of everything that has to do with eastern half of New York State. Green Wolf is proud to be part of such a great community.

We have been brewing beer for five months in our brew house at 315 Main Street and we are excited to say that our tap room is nearly finished. On December 12, 2014, we will have our grand opening celebration during the festivities of Miracle on Main Street. From December 12th onward, the tap room at Green Wolf will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - 4 pm to 9 pm.

We have seven beers in our rotation: Ravens Black India Pale Ale, Pindar's Imperial India Pale Ale, Abbey Gargoyle Belgian-style Dubbel, Hal's Old Singular Belgian-style Strong Ale, Wit's End Wiezenbock, Dire Wolf Whiskey Porter, and Schoharie Pale Ale. We also have specialty ales that come and go throughout the year.

Please stop by, enjoy one of our brews, and (as we like to say) drink - howl - repeat!

Seward Wins Unopposed

State Senator James Seward won unopposed last night in the 51st Senate District, which includes Schoharie County. All of the ballots have not been counted yet, but it appears that he won more than 60,000 votes last night. It is unclear how many write ins there were.

Lopez Wins Unopposed

State Assemblyman Peter Lopez won unopposed last night in the 102nd Assembly District, which includes Schoharie County. He won a total of 28,965 last night. It is unclear how many write ins there were.

Cuomo Wins Statewide in Surprisingly Tight Race

Governor Cuomo won by a significantly lower margin than predicted statewide with some Upstate Counties still to come in. Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has peeled off a large protest vote against Cuomo from the left. With 81.6% of the polling stations in, Cuomo has won:

A. Cuomo (D)  1,432,448 - 54.4%
R. Astorino (R)1,053,422 - 40.0%
H. Hawkins (G)134,190 - 5.1%

Gibson Wins Re-Election by Wide Margin

Congressman Chris Gibson has won re-election to his third term. With half of the vote in, he is leading by a healthy margin:

 C. Gibson: 60,479 - 65.9%
S. Eldridge: 31,256 - 34.1%

Gibson Easily Defeats Eldridge in Schoharie

Congressman Chris Gibson appears to be headed for a third term tonight, with results from Schoharie coming in:

Gibson (R): 7,241 - 78.6%
Eldridge (D): 1,977 21.4%

Astorino Wins Big in Schoharie

With the results in, it is apparent that Rob Astorino has handily defeated Andrew Cuomo in Schoharie County:

Astorino (R): 5,884 - 64.3%
Cuomo (D): 2,468 - 27.0%
Hawkins (G): 705 - 7.7%

Town of Conesville Highway Superintendent Race

Candidate	Votes	Vote Percentage
Porter, David (R)	140	67.3%
Hilliker, Paul (D)	68	32.7%

Town of Blenheim Council Results

Incumbent Republican Renee Grabowski wins in Blenheim tonight:

Grabowski, Renee (R)	72	60.0%
Mattice, Michael (D)	48	40.0%

Schoharie Mourns Unexpected Death of Beloved Educator

From the Schoharie CSD website:

he Schoharie Central School District community is mourning the loss of dedicated educator and friend Steven Hoard, who passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Nov. 3, 2014.

Mr. Hoard, who taught 7th and 8th-grade Social Studies at Schoharie Jr./Sr. High School for 13 years, was beloved by staff, students and their families for his caring, enthusiasm and sense of humor. In addition to teaching, Mr. Hoard coached varsity track and wrestling at Schoharie, where he also had served as advisor to the High School Student Government Association and Key Club. He was also known for being an avid Star Wars fan.

The district’s crisis team met Monday night to plan how to best support students and staff, and steps are being taken to provide assistance and support during this difficult time. Grief counselors are available on campus to help the school community cope with the unexpected loss.

SCS is thankful for the support and assistance offered by the Board of Education, former staff, neighboring school districts, the Capital Region BOCES and the community.

Final arrangements for Mr. Hoard are pending.

Mr. Hoard was a resident of Berne who graduated from Mohonasen High School. He is survived by his wife, Nikki and son, Benjamin, and his mother and sister.

NY Rising Blenheim/Fulton Meeting Thursday

A NY Rising Community Reconstruction joint meeting with the Towns of Fulton and Blenheim will take place on Thursday November 6, 2014 at the West Fulton Fire Station, 807 West Fulton Rd. from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend and hear about projects that are being discussed in your communities.

Middleburgh, Schoharie Churches Holding Community Thanksgiving Dinners

This year the villages of Middleburgh and Schoharie will be hosting an ecumenical Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner on November 27, 2014. The dinners will be held at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church Social Hall in Middleburgh and the United Presbyterian Church Education Hall in Schoharie. The meal, seating 110 at each location, will be served at 1 PM and BY RESERVATION ONLY. Reservations may be made by calling 518-231-2416 by Friday, November 14. Regretfully, there are no take-outs or deliveries. All are welcome and all meals are free.

Vote in Our Poll: How Has Schoharie County's Economy Changed Over the Last Year?

Vote in the poll on the sidebar and let us know how you think the local economy has done over the last year.

Ball to Highlight Conference on Food and Farming

A Celebration of Our Agricultural Community at The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, will inform and inspire farmers and the public, unifying and driving the agricultural economy in Central New York on Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 9 am-5 pm

The conference's keynote speaker is Richard Ball, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Addressing the topic of food systems will be Jason Evans, Assistant Professor of Agriculture, SUNY Cobleskill. Doug Thompson of G&T Farm will speak on the impact farming has on our communities and economies, as well as pasture management.  Don Smyers, Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties, will address opportunities driving agricultural economic development in Central New York.

For farmers, the conference will provide information and networking opportunities to connect with potential partners and prospective customers. Local farms and businesses will share information on heritage-based as well as biotech farming and ways in which traditional techniques can and should inform modern ones.

Open to the public and free of charge, the conference will empower the public to become educated and engaged consumers, providing opportunities for people to get involved. By fostering a deeper appreciation for and understanding of farming, we support and stimulate the agricultural evolution that is so vital to the health and well-being of people, animals, and land.

"This conference will be a place for new ideas to be shared and relationships to be built," according to Danielle Henrici, the museum's director of education.  "As a direct result of the conference, both farmers and the general public in attendance will have the tools and inspiration to take positive action:  Farmers will have the latest and best information to grow their businesses and products well.  General attendees will learn how to better their families and their communities by making informed choices."

As a prelude to the conference, the documentary The Great American Wheat Harvest will be shown Friday, November 14 at 6:00 pm at the Fenimore Art Museum (across the road from The Farmers' Museum).

Admission to the conference and the documentary are free and advance registration is not required. Farmers and agricultural partners are invited to share their products or information at the conference for a small fee; contact Joan Cullen at 888-547-1450 extension 461.

The Conference is sponsored in part by SUNY Cobleskill, Lutz Feed Company, and Cazenovia Equipment Company.

The Farmers' Museum is located at 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY. For more information, visit FarmersMuseum.org/food-farm

Jefferson Woman Arrested for Larceny

On October 26th the State Police in Princetown arrested Toby E. Scala, 33, of Jefferson, NY for petit larceny, a misdemeanor. Troopers received a report of a person pumping gas at the Stewarts Shop in Rotterdam and driving away without paying. According to Troopers, Scala stole gas from Stewarts on two separate occasions totaling $70.82.

Photo credit: State Police

 Scala turned herself into Troopers on October 26th and was released on an appearance ticket. Scala is scheduled to appear in the Town of Rotterdam on 11/6/14.

Poll: Change Planning Department

Schoharie News readers back the recent budget proposals to change the Schoharie County Planning Department into two separate agencies, including the elimination of Director Alicia Terry's position.

Do You Agree with the Proposed Restructuring of the Planning Department? 
Yes 53% - 139 
No 44% - 117 
Don't know 3% - 7 
 263 total

Three Arrested Following Burglary in Carlisle

State Police in Cobleskill arrest three subjects on Felony charges following a Burglary complaint in the Town of Carlisle. 
 
On the early morning hours of October 25^th 2014, State Police in Cobleskill responded to a complaint of a four wheeled ATV in a ditch on State Route 145 in the Town of Carlisle.  Subsequent investigation led to the discovery that the ATV had been stolen during a Burglary that was committed at a local property.  A check with the land owner determined that both a residence and a barn had been broken into, and property was missing from both.  During the investigation Troopers determined that a vehicle belonging to a caretaker on the property had also been stolen during the crime spree.  The stolen passenger vehicle was recovered by Troopers on October 26 while they continued the investigation.

Photo credit: NY State Police

On October 30, 2014 State Police Aviation was contacted  to assist following a tip from a local citizen,  they successfully located the stolen ATV’s in a wooded area near Gardnersville Road in the Town of Seward during a flyover.  Three local men were located and charged in the crimes.  Thomas Raggi 17 of Seward was charged with two counts of Burglary and one count of Grand Larceny.  Matthew C. Meyers 18 of Seward was also charged with two counts of Burglary and one count of Grand Larceny.  Cody F. Nolette 17 of Cobleskill was charged with two counts of Burglary; all three were arraigned and remanded to Schoharie County Correctional Facility in lieu of cash bail.  The investigation is continuing.