Knight: Whose History is it Anyway?

History is a polarizing subject. Either you find it fascinating or you find yourself fast asleep because of it, but regardless of what affect it has on you, its importance can nonetheless be accepted by all as not only a record of the past, but a guide to the future. 

However, the question becomes, whose history is it anyway? 

Now, I'm sure many are confused by the premise of the question, so hear me out on this. 

Historians and teachers tend to engage the past in black and white contrasts: ignoring the culture of the time and substituting our own values in place of them, which at face value may seen acceptable, but in reality cheats the whole learning process out in the end. 

Why is it cheating the learning process out? Well, I'm glad you asked. By substituting our own values in place of historical context, we're taking the conditions that lead to the creation of the history were studying out of the equation rather than understanding them. 

This is a serious problem because the truth of the past gets lost through historical fog. We're casting judgment on the actions of historical events and figures based on twenty-first century morals and values, which has the effect of taking history out of history. 

Take for example the American Civil War. There are three sides to viewing this great national conflict within the United States. There is the Union's side; the Confederacy's side; and, the black slave's side. 

The Union's side is obviously taught as historical record, along with the strong emotional appeal of the black slave's who were freed as a result of abolition. However, that's not the whole story of why the Civil War was fought. 

Yes, slavery was a major part of what the Confederacy represented, but there were other motivating factors behind their separation: including, but not limited to, a belief in greater state sovereignty and a sentiment that the north was attempting to oppress them. 

The great majority of Confederate residents, even property owners and plantation holders, did not own a single slave. They fought for the pride of their homes, families, and selves on the battlefield; not for king cotton and the institution of slavery. 

By no means am I trying to defend the Confederacy, as there is no means by which I could defend them with. They were nothing more than rebels, with a leadership that clung to slavery in a sickening manner. My point is simply to provide a full context to a complicated event. 

A context that, when fully understood, reveals the true contrasts of history to only be available through a prism of grey, because to every story there are multiple sides, and to every truth there are several versions awaiting to be explored further than the accepted account allows. 

So keep this question in mind the next time a conversation of historical record erupts: whose history is it anyway? And from that - the true truth will emerge. 

Letter to the Editor: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Schoharie

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Schoharie,
I look back on ’14, and, man, was it hairy.
What a year it has been for this sleepy valley county,
Of small towns and villages and plenty of bounty.

A community watchdog who’s not afraid to bite,
About eminent domain, he’ll stand up for your rights.
The pipeline, Maranatha, everyone take heed,
After all, what more could any one of us Neid?

No fracking! No casinos! But, a Constitution Pipeline,
Without all three, thank you, we are doing just fine.
A county administrator, well maybe, that would be merry,
But some don’t think we really need Mr. Cherry.

We read the Schoharie News, and Facebook, near and far,
Oh, who be the next Times Journal Star?
With SALT and Schoharie Recovery and lots of Green Shirts, 
We’ve beat that broad, Irene, and healed lots of hurt.

Guilford Mills finally sold and that’s very good news,
We’ll have jobs and employment and many work crews.
A new Stewarts and Wolfe’s and some senior apartments, 
Let’s not even go there, about the Planning Department.

On Lopez! On Gibson! On the Board of Supervisors! 
What happens in Executive Session, well we’re all none the wiser.
A local celebrity, our own Commissioner Ball,
And Galasso will build something, some day, after all.

Those stuck in Schoharie as property values drop,
To sell and go south is a dream they won’t swap.
And so I exclaim as I finish this poem,
Which started so small and turned into a tome.
I say to you all as I close down this gripe,
"Merry Christmas to All, And to All a Good Night!"

- Lisa Mulligan Ovitt

Opinion: Looking for a Bright 2015

Schoharie County has finally logged some wins in 2014. We've seen substantial improvement in Schoharie, Sharon, and Middleburgh and Guilford Mills has finally been sold. Changes in the Planning Department and hopes for a better budget next year is setting the backdrop for possible success in 2015.

However, the lessons learned in 2014 must be applied next year. Hopefully the County Board can finally put away infighting and work together to cement the gains of recent business expansion. For the first time in a long time, the general trend is that unemployment is falling and more businesses are opening.

Perhaps the biggest lesson is that while there are many with potential ideas to fix the many problems in the county, not every person can be front and center. Too much ego and personal agendas always seem to get in the way of cooperation, especially in efforts to one-up.

Here's hoping 2015 will be the year of Schoharie County.

Duanesburg Man Arrested for Possession of Multiple Drugs

On December 18th, 2014 Princetown Troopers arrested Dylan A. Struffolino, 21, of Duanesburg, NY for 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Struffolino was observed on his cell phone in the area of Broadway and Draper Ave. Upon interview, Troopers detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle. As a result of a probable cause search, Troopers seized a clear plastic baggie containing approximately .5 grams of cocaine, one oxycodone pill, 20 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Struffolino was transported to SP Princetown for processing where he was issued Uniform Traffic tickets and an Appearance ticket returnable to the City of Schenectady court on December 30th, 2014 at 9:00am.

Poll: Valley Has Way to Go

Schoharie News readers agree that progress has been made since 2011's horrific flooding. However, the level of such progress is not agreed upon.

It is better than before the flood 16% - 25
It is about the same as before the flood 7% - 11
Not quite there, but getting better 65% - 102
Not at all 12% - 19

157 total

Letter to the Editor: Avitabile, Board's Leadership has Rebuilt Middleburgh

Dear Editor,

Hands down, I would highly recommend Mayor Matthew Avitable and the Middleburgh Village Board for their leadership, their dedication, and the positive impact they have had on my hometown.

Prior to Hurricane Irene, Middleburgh was struggling with a revitalization and storefronts were about half empty.  Compounding that effort came Hurricane Irene.  Rising from the flood waters, there were several components that needed to be addressed in recovery.  It just wasn’t about cleaning up and rebuilding, it was filling empty storefronts and proving to budding entrepreneurs that strength of community far outshone the ravages of a natural disaster.  It takes getting the word out that this community is a special place with wonderful mom and pop shops and events for families to enjoy.  Matt makes a great sales pitch, obvious in the resulting “full house”  and then some we are finally enjoying on Main Street.  It’s not just filling the store fronts, it’s about promotion, enhancing and creating events and seizing every financial opportunity.  Its about follow-up and recruiting people to get the job done.  Its about attracting locals and tourists to sustain those businesses.  Matt works with a great Village Board, who obviously put in a great deal of time and effort that has given our village the outstanding recognition it now embraces. 

Just look at Middleburgh…you have to love its shops, the festive decorations, the murals and the wildflowers…its so exciting to see!  Main Street parking is full, shops are busy, conversation is so positive!

In 2006, I tallied 400 cars in one hour that drove through Middleburgh on a Friday afternoon.  Ten percent of those vehicles stopped while ninety percent drove over the bridge to other destinations.  In 2014, during Miracle on Main Street, I was challenged to walk through the crowded streets with my small Grandsons and parking was nearly impossible.  That Ladies and Gentlemen is WONDERFUL!

Thanks to our Mayor and his outstanding Village Board, Middleburg is no longer the drive-through community it once was… it’s clearly a destination!   Middleburgh's Mayor and Village Board deserve this award.  I applaud them all!

Sincerely,

Debbie Magee

Knight: Where Is Christmas?

My family celebrated Christmas to not only become closer as a unit, but to celebrate the birth of Christ, our Savior. Presents were important, but having each other - and the experiences - were what was most important to us.

However, something changed. Not only within our own family, but through out all of society as a whole. 

Slowly but surely the traditional elements of Christmas - faith and family - were replaced with materialism and who possessed the most objects, or received the most expensive presents, or the latest video game console. 

You see it every holiday season, when hordes of turkey filled consumers rush the doors and fight gladiator style through the aisles at Wal-Mart to get their hands on the latest, and greatest, and not to mention cheapest, vacuum.

Talk about taking Christ out of Christmas. 

It's not all negative. To be sure: acts of kindness still exist, but unfortunately in our culture, they are worthy of media coverage because of their exception to the general rule, and that just... Makes me wonder where it went to hell.

Me, personally? My favorite Christmas memory is of the time my brother Isaiah and I bought each other football's behind the others back, or when my mom and I trudged up the mountain and chopped down our own tree. 

Those were some great times, but today it feels like I am being strangled by a wall of materialism and hyper commercialism that is destroying the true meaning of the holiday and just replacing it with yet another extension of societal greed. 

And yes, Christmas isn't really about Christ, because it represents a throw back to Ancient Rome and the pagan gods of old, but even that isn't as bad as today's gods of greed and objects. Damn, don't I sound like a bah humbug? 

Say what you will, but each Christmas I feel myself drifting further and further away from celebrating it, because of what it's become. And as time continues to march on, the memories of old are badly fading away.

Leaving me with just this question: where is Christmas? And can it ever truly be recovered?

Babysitter Charged in Kenneth White's Strangulation Death

Five year old Kenneth White's babysitter has been charged in his death. Tiffany Van Alstine, 19, was charged with second degree murder. White's body was found last night by a K-9 unit buried under the snow near the house. She is the cousin of White. Van Alstine's mother had custody of White and his siblings.

The cause of death was discovered through the autopsy as asphyxia due to strangulation.

Credit: WTEN

The babysitter's original story that the boy was abducted by two men was not true. Van Alstine's contradicting stories to the police created red flags. Two other children that were under Van Alstine's care last night are safe.

CSRC Offering Support for Landowners Harassed by Pipeline Companies

The Center for Sustainable Rural Communities encourages all landowners to refuse to cooperate with representatives of the Constitution and NED (Kinder-Morgan) pipelines. When faced with trespassing pipeline crews we urge landowners to immediately call the police and to contact the Center’s toll-free Landowner Response Line 800-795-1467. Available volunteers in Schoharie and Delaware counties will be dispatched to assist landowners in documenting pipeline crew activities. 

Bob Nied
Center for Sustainable Rural Communities

County Unemployment Rate Ticks Up, but Below State Average

In an astonishing turnaround, the County unemployment rate has increased slightly, near its lowest level since 2008. The rate has risen to 5.8%, right near the state average of 5.9%. Unemployment in the area normally increases during the winter, including the recent high of 12.2% in January 2012.

Abducted 5 Year Old Found Dead

Horrible news out of East Berne this morning. Five year old Kenneth White was found dead this morning. He was abducted by someone the police believe is known to the family. The body was found last night with the assistance of a K-9 unit. An autopsy will be completed today.

First information is coming out of WRGB.

Officials confirm that a person of interest in the case has been questioned by authorities, and say that person is not Kenneth's biological mother or father, but knew the family. They expect an arrest will be made in the case soon. Police are planning a briefing on Friday at 1 p.m.

WTEN is reporting that the initial Amber Alert that stated that the boy was taken by two men turned out to be false, says the Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple:

“At this point it’s safe to say that the reports of the masked men in the black truck, those are false,” says Apple.

The Sheriff also believes that there will be an arrest today. There will be a police press conference at 1pm today.

 Berne Knox Westerlo released a statement:

 Dear Parents, It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School community. Earlier this morning, police confirmed that one of our elementary school students was found deceased near his home. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of our student. A student death is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in some students. During this time, as the school community processes the tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement support services to all of our students and staff. A team of counselors, school psychologists and social workers will provide support to any students or staff members in need throughout the upcoming days. The district has also been in contact with local law enforcement to ensure that BKW is a safe environment for your children. Your child may be affected by this tragedy even if he or she did not know the student well. I encourage you to talk with your child about what has happened. Discussing their thoughts and feelings about this situation is important in helping your child work through his or her grief. If you feel that your children need to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know. At this time, very little is known about the circumstances of the student’s death and the resulting investigation. We encourage parents to emphasize to their children that there may be rumors or false information in a situation like this one, and if they want to talk about something they hear, they should talk to an adult. This is a difficult time for all of us, but I know that our students, staff and community will draw together to work through this tragedy together. 

 Sincerely, Dr. Joseph L. Natale Interim Superintendent

Schoharie Leader 2014: Steve Hoard and the SCS Community

There have been few parts of Schoharie County that have weathered the last several years like Schoharie. The Schoharie Central School District has had more challenges than any other local organization since 2011.

Flooding damaged most of the school district. The school served as a major community center while Schoharie got back on its feet. The Schoharie Village offices were placed in the Elementary School as needed.

In 2013, beloved Elementary school teacher Rebecca Coughtry died unexpectedly at the age of 60. The school united around her contributions to the district and to her students. It seemed like more than any school district should ever have to bear.

This year was another set of challenges. A series of retirements began to change the long running administration of the school. However, the community has been resilient and knew that it had a base of teachers and staff that continued to serve the community with distinction.

Few, if any, of SCS's teachers was more distinguished than Steve Hoard. Mr. Hoard was at the district for 13 years and quickly became one of the most popular and well respected members of the faculty. His love of Star Wars, history, and of making sure that every student got a fair shot were just several of his positive attributes. For one year, he even served as the Assistant Principal when needed. He was always there to coach and advise, whether for Key Club, track, wrestling, or Student Government. His smiling face and sense of humor were second to none.

You will not find many teachers like Steve Hoard, and the school's loss will be a desperate one to fill. However, the resolve of the community and the SCS campus has shown that Steve Hoard was one of many that made Schoharie the strongest school in the County.

Please make a contribution to the Steven Hoard Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Schoharie CSD PO BOX 430 Schoharie, NY 12157.

Insiders: Howe Caverns Proposal Plagued by Missteps

Even before the December 17th decision to not accept the Howe Caverns Casino proposal, there have been rumblings about how the project was pieced together. By interviewing local officials, former Howe Caverns employees, and those involved in the push we have been able to piece together part of why the Howe Caverns project was not accepted.

The fight began unexpectedly. The Board of Supervisors rejected a motion to accept a local casino and most locals seemed against it. Just several days later a political earthquake hit the area, with the announcement that Howe Caverns would be pursuing the process. The County Board swiftly reversed itself under pressure from Cobleskill Stone Vice President and County Republican Vice Chair Chris Tague. With the Howe Caverns name attached to the project, the public also backed the project.

April and May seemed to pick up momentum for the project. Howe Caverns anted up $1 million for the gaming application, got our endorsement, said that it had an environmental study done early, and received the unanimous backing of the Cobleskill Town Board.

However, many of the early moves seemed to get the horse before the cart. The early enthusiasm seemed to get the public relation effort ahead of the actual bread and butter of the project's inner workings. According to the State Gaming Commission, the actual proposal to the state didn't indicate a solid plan for how the casino would be funded. Second, multiple surrounding municipalities were not asked for opinions on the casino. Beyond this, deeper structural problems affected the project.

First, the naming of the Howe Caverns Casino owner dropped the ball. The potential owner, Michael Malik, received as much criticism as he did attention. His past involvement in domestic abuse, a ponzi scheme, and election fraud drew attention away from the project itself.

Beyond this, Howe Caverns' own strategy was confusing. Its failure to open its announced Dinosaur Park and Waterpark seemed to underscore larger plans without the funding or the logistics behind to finish them. Furthermore, a recent drop in tourism and gutting of many employees highlighted an atmosphere of instability at the site. One former employee described the efforts as inexplicable.

Still, public support remained high. The project's backers seemed to switch their efforts from the gaming commission process to one of relying on public opinion. Howe Caverns would bus in supporters in t-shirts to every event, winning plaudits for effort. A powerful ad that some believed to be manipulative was launched.

This line of attack seemed to avoid questions about the project's profitability and feasibility. Concerns were regularly replaced with constant shouts of "IT'S OUR TIME," in person or on Facebook. Emails flew from at least one County agency supporting the project using a County email address. Furthermore, the project did not actually have the correct SEQR, as it was claimed earlier.

The project seemed to be relying on a local base of support. Cobleskill Stone Vice President Chris Tague became the public face of the project. He organized the moderately attended Fill the Hill event.

Tague's approach rallied the faithful but seemed heavy handed to some officials. Rather than reinforcing the underwriting or actuarial basis for a local casino, the emotion of Irene was used to support the project. Heavy backing from the County Planning Department and Alicia Terry seemed to indicate the casino's role as a potential savior of the local economy. A PR firm was hired and attention was paid to direct supporters to swamp news polls, but the underlying questions never seemed to receive answers.

By Wednesday the effort seemed to peter out. Sure, there were supporters in t-shirts at the Commission and scattered applause when Howe Caverns was mentioned in the opening statement, but the stone faced commissioners acted more like accountants than emotional cheerleaders for the project. At the end, one of the major concerns was that the Caverns did not complete a basic accounting for how the project would be funded. All of the other work hung on this major error.

Amber Alert Activated for Abduction of 5 Year Old

The Albany County Sheriff's Office has activated the New York State AMBER Alert and is investigating a child abduction that occurred on Thatcher Park Road, in Berne, NY at about 1:20 PM on 12/18/2014.

The CHILD, Kenneth White is a White male, approximately 5 years old with short, brown hairand brown eyes. He is approximately 3 feet 5 inches and weighs about 45 pounds. Kenneth was last seen wearing Jeans and checkered white short sleave shirt.

The SUSPECT, is a White male. He is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall. The suspect was last seen wearing black clothing, including a ski mask, black boots, and black gloves. There was a second suspect, unknown race, wearing similar clothing.

The VEHICLE has been identified as black pickup truck. The truck is a 4 door with unkown license plate

The VEHICLE was last seen traveling on Thatcher Park Road.        Two suspects wearing all black and ski masks, forced entry into a home and abducted 5 year old victim. They fled the scene in an unknown make 4-door pickup truck color black.

Anyone with any information on this abduction is asked to call the Albany County Sheriff's Office at (866)N Y S-AMBER or dial 911 to provide information on a report or sighting.

Video of Green Wolf Brewery Opening

Reader Radenko Sarac sent us a video of the opening of the Green Wolf Brewery being opened in Middleburgh this past Friday, December 12th. The brewery is open Thursday through Sunday 4-10pm.

 

Video of Grocery Grand Opening in Middleburgh

A reader sent us a video of last week's grand opening of the Olde Corner Store in Middleburgh last week:

 

Intoxicated Middleburgh Man Arrested for Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest

On December 16, 2014, State Police in Cobleskill arrested Jordan J. Davenport, age 18, of Middleburgh, for Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest. Troopers responded to a residence in Middleburgh for a report of an active domestic dispute and encountered Davenport in an intoxicated condition. Davenport had destroyed property in the home and was combative with officers who were able to take him into custody. He was transported to SP Cobleskill where he was processed and then subsequently arraigned in the Town of Middleburgh Court. Bail was set and Davenport was remanded to Schoharie County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in the Town of Middleburgh Court on December 17, 2014.

Vote in Our Poll: Who Should be Schoharie Leader Runner Up?

The Schoharie Leader award will be chosen by us later this week. However, we will give our readers to choose the runner up. The winner of this poll, if not our choice for the Schoharie Leader, will become its runner up. If the winner of the poll is our choice, then the poll's second place finisher will become the runner up. Review the nominees here.

Who Should be the Schoharie Leader?

Steve Hoard

Matthew Avitabile

Scho County Quilt Barn Trail

Nancy Brumaghim

Domenic Saldamarco

Alicia Terry

Janet Mayer

The Beekman Boys

Norine Hodges

James Landauer

Matt and Michelle Strobeck

Josh DeBartolo

pollcode.com free polls

Schoharie Leader Nominees

The following have been nominated for the Schoharie Leader award, which we will decide in the coming days:

- Steve Hoard, SCS Social Studies Teacher
- Matthew Avitabile, Mayor of Middleburgh
- The Schoharie County Quilt Barn Trail, with sites across the County
- Nancy Brumaghim, essential part of many Cobleskill community projects
- Domenic Saldamarco, Irene volunteer
- Alicia Terry, County Planning Department
- Janet Mayer, who retired after 41 years as Middleburgh's Village Clerk
- The Beekman Boys of Sharon
- Norine Hodges, SCAASA
- James Landauer, for community service
- Matt and Michelle Strobeck, FIT Coalition in Cobleskill
- Josh DeBartolo, Irene volunteer, founder of Schoharie Recovery

Commission Press Confernce: Howe Caverns Had the Most Heart

The NYS Gaming Commission is currently undergoing a press conference regarding the various casino projects approved and denied today. They said that Howe Caverns had the "most heart" with the most public support. However, the Commission had to do what made "financial success," and needed to avoid "setting communities up for failure."

Furthermore, the Commission did not believe that the nearby Saratoga Racino would destroy the Schenectady project. The Commission said that the group was constricted in what decisions it made to follow current NYS law.