Letter to the Editor: Supers Deserve Credit for Admin Passage

Dear Editor:

Bob Nied recently criticized the County Board for its handling of county executive and county administrator initiatives (Letter, March 12). While I agree that much more could be done, I want to emphasize two big positives which were overlooked.

First, the creation and passage of an Administrator position is a big deal. I’ve seen enough and talked to enough Supervisors to know that many of the recent and current County misadventures would be mitigated or eliminated under the watchful eye of a professional administrator.

Second, the Supervisors represent a wide range of competence, commitment, and achievement. To tar them all with one brush, as Bob has done so regrettably, is counterproductive in the extreme. The best of the bunch have moved this County way ahead of others in the State on a large number of fracking, pipeline, personnel, development, and fiscal responsibility issues.

When a progressive like Bob Nied mocks these determined and caring people, it feels like a stab in the back from a supposed ally, as one Supervisor told me. I hope the rest of your readers will make up for this insult by reaching out with support and thanks to those several Supervisors who are fighting the good fight.

Glenn Sanders

Central Bridge Fire Dept Hosting Benefit to Aid Ill Members

The Central Bridge Fire Department will be hosting its regular monthly pancake breakfast on Sunday, March 22nd, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., but this time it is doubling as a benefit to support two of the fire department's members who are ill. 

Benefiting Fire Police Captain Betty Williams and Senior EMT Oliver Alqoutob, the event will feature the famous firehouse breakfast specials of the Central Bridge Fire Department and a Chinese auction to raise funds.

For more information please visit the event's official page on facebook.

Lopez Calls for Common Core Opt-Out

Assemblyman Peter Lopez (R,C,I – Schoharie) joined fellow assemblymembers, senators, and educators for a press conference at the state Capitol recently to announce legislation that would ensure parents are aware of their ability to decide whether their children will partake in Common Core standardized testing.

"We are fortunate to have such a passionate group of people who care about their children and their futures. It is our duty and obligation as people and a legislature to engage in this bill. Parents need to know they don’t need to force more undue stress on their children,” said Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who is a member of the Committee on Education.  

            The Common Core Parental Refusal Act (A6025) is currently being considered in the Committee on Education, and has bipartisan support in the Assembly and the Senate. The bill would require schools to notify parents of students in New York of their ability to opt out of taking Common Core standardized tests. Students opting out of these exams would not negatively impact the students, teacher or schools.

“We want teachers and parents to do what they were meant to do, which is inspire young people to reach their full potential. They cannot do that if they are forced to teach to a one-size-fits-all test or send their children into unnecessary, stressful situations,” concluded Assemblyman Pete Lopez.

Schoharie Scouts Test Popsicle Bridges

Members of the Schoharie Webelos Den 1, Pack 4 might be fourth graders, but in order to secure their Engineer Activity Badge and Cub Scout Mathematics Belt Loop and Pin, they utilized principles from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

David S. Danner, Webelos Den Leader, Pack 4,
explains to his scouts that the test is not a
competition, but rather an individual exercise.

Conducting a demonstration Monday evening at the Schoharie Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, the Scouts to be tested the compression and tension of several Popsicle Bridges on a device designed to test the dynamic load bearing weight of the bridges. 

The device, which Troop 4's Scout Master Curt Van Steele described as a "contraption," was designed by Van Steele's father, Ronald, a Material Engineer and former instructor at RPI. The test measured how much weight each bridge could sustain.

Scout Master Curt Van Steel explains the
science behind the demonstration, with a
bridge ready to be tested.

Just the next step in securing their Engineer Activity Badges, Webelos pack members Jakob Danner, Joshua Mitchell, and Keenan Repicky constructed their bridges in different sizes and ways, with each design rendering its own strengths and weaknesses. 

Keenan's sister, Molly, a Girl Scout also joined in the fun with her own bridge as well. 

The results were impressive, as it took 40 lbs and 15.3 oz for Jakob's bridge to fail, 17 lbs and 11oz for Joshua's, 09 lbs and 11 oz for Keenan's, and besting all the boys, Molly's took 47 lbs and 5.8 oz of tension before her bridge splintered in pieces. 

Jakob Danner's bridge required several weights
in addition to the machine's tension to fail.

Webelos Den 1, Pack 4 was started last fall in Schoharie and its participants have had a perfect attendance record, with meetings held weekly during the school year and bimonthly over the summer. The boys will also be attending the Camp Henderson Boy Scout camp for a week this summer.

Letter to the Editor: DeFeo Frustrated with Middleburgh Government

Dear Editor,

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to your recent coverage of the March meeting of the Middleburgh Town Board. First, I would like to thank you for your attendance at this and our regular monthly meetings. We are very fortunate to have the Press in attendance. Many other Towns within the County do not benefit from this same oversite. It is critical that the Public be kept abreast of the activities of their public officials. I would also add that our Town Board minutes can be found on the Schoharie County Website, although locating them will take some effort.

Rather than attempt to support or refute the many items found in your lengthy article, allow me to make one simple point; 

I have met many people over the years in the numerous civic organizations I have served on. I believe most people would describe me as a pretty soft spoken, level headed person, perhaps a bit of an over-analyzer. However, at the most recent Board meeting I was neither soft spoken, nor apparently very level headed, given the reaction of some people in the room. 

If one can subtract oneself from the drama which was that meeting, perhaps you might ask yourself why would Brian DeFeo act so out of character? This is so unlike him.  In a word frustration. Frustration in what I believe have been a series of irregularities occurring in Middleburgh Town Government.

Jim Buzon has been my friend for almost thirty years, and the Lord willing I hope thirty more. He is very intelligent man. I don't think anybody can question his work drive. Yet, despite these attributes I believe there is a growing dis-connect. I don't necessarily see this as Mr. Buzon's fault. It appears to be the occupational hazard of politicians in general these days. 

I am not a trained social scientist, yet it seems to me the farther a politician comes from the People, the greater the dis-connect becomes. Ultimately, many reach a mind set whereby the 'ends justify the means' and they some how become free from the bounds of good government. This is apparent in both Albany and Washington. 

When this happens reasonable people must come forward to ensure that our Constitutional system of checks and balances within government remains intact. Sometimes there is price to pay for those willing to speak up. Halfway into my first term as a Councilman my late Father (who only gave me advice twice in my life) said to me, "If everybody likes you, you are probably not doing your job". There is great irony in his remark, in that to get a job as an elected public official you must first win a popularity contest. However, to do a good job as an elected public official, you must on occasion do something unpopular. 

In closing, the Citizens of Middleburgh have voted five individuals to their Town Council. I appreciate that wisdom and value their trust.

Brian DeFeo, Councilman

Town of Middleburgh

Sheriff's Arrest Esperance Man for Rape

On March 11, 2015 the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office arrested Kevin J. Madelone Jr., age 23, Esperance, New York for Rape in the Third Degree and 2 Counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child following a brief investigation.

He was arraigned in the Town of Esperance Court with his attorney present and was released on his own recognizance to reappear on April 1st at 6:00 p.m.

On March 16, 2015 the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office arrested Michael C. Diamond, age 21, Schoharie, NY for Stalking in the 4th Degree and Coercion in the 4th Degree, which occurred the weekend of March 14-15, 2015.

Diamond was arraigned in Middleburgh Town Court and released on $5,000.00 bail to re-appear in court on March 18th. 

On March 17, 2015 the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office arrested a 21 year old Schoharie woman for Falsely Reporting an Incident.

Dyann Corey of Schoharie was arrested yesterday for Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree after an investigation into an incident from November of 2014. It is believe that Mrs. Carey gave the police false information that may have hindered an investigation.

Carey was issued an Appearance Ticket to appear in the Town of Schoharie Court on March 23, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

Schoharie News Subscriptions Now Available

To find out more about our special reduced rate of $25.00 for a one year digital subscription, please email theschoharienews@gmail.com for more information. 

With the launch of The Schoharie News print edition in May, we are offering two subscription options to begin with for readers in Schoharie County. The first, being a digital option, is $32.00 per year and will be delivered by email on Monday evenings. 

The second option is an at-home delivery of the paper on Tuesday afternoon's exclusive only (at first) to village residents of Middleburgh and Schoharie at a cost of $35.00 annually. 

For those interested in either subscription option, we would ask that you send the requested information below to theschoharienews@gmail.com with the subject "Schoharie News Subscription."

The billing process will proceed once we receive your name, address, subscription method and payment information. 

Name: __________________________________
Address:_________________________________
Digital or Print:___________________________
Payment - check/digital:_____________________

The Schoharie News will also be available for sale in stores countywide; a full-list of locations will be posted as we approach the introductory issue's first publication on May 19th.

County Moves Forward on Final Stream Bank Site

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors voted to move forward on the AECOM stream bank project Monday night, but not until after meeting for over two hours in executive session to discuss the troubled stream restoration efforts.

Inviting only representatives of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry, and Department of Public Works head Dan Crandall, the session was initiated by Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon.

Supervisors left executive session at approximately 7:30 p.m., with Mr. Buzon immediately making a motion to move forward with the clearing of trees on the Dave Brown Mountain creek site, which passed by a seven-four margin. 

The Dave Brown Mountain site has been delayed for months after the original contractor backed out of the project, but a replacement firm was identified and approved in February. Dave Brown is the shortest of the four creek sites. 

Schoharie County is currently facing a budget shortfall of over two million dollars because of the project, costs that are being passed along to the county taxpayers.

Letter to the Editor: No Representation on Pipelines

Dear Editor,

HERE WE GO AGAIN! Another big gas company is starting the process that will eventually lead to eminent domain. They plan to bury another gas pipeline on our properties, using a separate easement. Any landowner who doesn't want this intrusion and injustice will have no say and not one elected official (PETE LOPEZ) will speak up or try to help. I think what constitution pipeline has already done to the families and landowners that have refused to just hand over their land is nothing short of a criminal act. Now we get to go through the same nightmare and it will end no differently. This second larceny will start next month as the land thieves will hold public meetings. Their spokesman who is sometimes called a communications specialist will spread the usual line of bull, sounding much like a politician. Some of the talking points will be job creation and the large amount of taxes they will be paying. All of this touted as a great benefit to the surrounding areas. The truth is not one permanent job will be created and our taxes will continue to rise regardless of what these companies pay. On top of that we don't even get the benefit of using the gas that is being transported through our county. Next step for the land thieves will be to start throwing money around via grants. They have to show the public how community friendly they are and how much they care. It reminds me of a mobster walking into a room and handing out 50 dollar bills to everybody from the bartender to the bathroom attendant. He doesn't care about anyone he's just buying them off all for his benefit. It won't take long to spend that dirty 50 dollars. Another step for the land thieves, while all of this is going on they will be using the U.S. Postal Service to continually bombard the landowners with mailings. Pretty color pictures will arrive. Some showing one of their communication specialists handing a check to some organization of course everyone is  smiling and why not we all like free money. Other pretty pictures will show how everything looks with the pipe buried in the ground. Beautiful green grass always well manicured, looks like a fairway on your favorite golf course  I would like to see the picture of what was there before they cut, bulldozed, dynamited and dug. Show me the picture of what was there before they destroyed and killed every living thing in their path. They will come right in to first steal our land then destroy it and it will be easy. They'll get no resistance from elected officials (James Seward) . So as the landowners start to get up and dust themselves off from the beaten they just took. Here comes the second bully who will use the same tactics to rough us up once again. I expect most will take the beaten and not say or do much. Finally when the dust settles after the second larceny and Schoharie County becomes an interstate for pipelines. I have to ask are we better off with these pipes running through our county?  The county is already littered with real estate signs. People trying to sell their homes and flee this area and most leaving the state. Who is going to want to buy a house with pipelines on the property? I know I wouldn't.

Regards,

Jerry Fiore

Opinion: Keep Administrator As Is

It took the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors fourteen months to establish an administrator to oversee the daily operation of county government. Fourteen months of debate, hearings, research, and soul crushing rehashes of the same arguments for and against. 

And in just one month since the law was enacted, supporters are pushing to amend the administrator to eliminate redundancies of responsibilities between the new position and existing offices, while opponents are pushing to abolish the whole law altogether. 

Worse yet, when voting to set a public hearing on the new administrator proposals, supervisors only set a time and place to discuss the amended version and not the measure to abolish, squashing equal opportunity to continue the ongoing debate in the process. 

By God, only in Schoharie County. 

Let us be frank for a moment: The Schoharie News has stood behind the administrator proposal since day one, because we felt a change in county government is beyond necessary. We didn't stand behind turning this attempt at a solution into yet another problem. 

The original law as written served the needs of county government. The administrator, whomever the poor soul wound up being, would have the authority to oversee the operation of government through all of its faucets, including auditing, budgetary, and financial. 

Guess what? The amended version removes all three of those aspects from an administrator's list of responsibilities because they overlap with existing offices, which apparently justifies their removal and the weakening of an individual not even hired yet.

Again, only in Schoharie County.

Perhaps we are not remembering this accurately, but wasn't the entire purpose of establishing an additional layer of government to serve as a check and balance to the status quo while instituting much needed oversight over all functions of daily operation?

Actually, we just answered our own question, because the answer is definitely yes. Furthermore, if we can't trust an administrator to oversee and work with our exemplary officials and staff in county auditing and treasury, who can we trust him or her to oversee?

With the aforementioned stated, we stand behind the original text of an administrator, and we are opposed to all efforts to either amend or abolish the measure, because if we can't keep this position to help Schoharie County stay on the upright, then we're doomed. 

Buzon Accused of Misconduct by Town Board Member in Testy Exchange

Proceedings of the Middleburgh Town Board descended into chaos Thursday evening when Town Councilman Brian DeFeo accused Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon of improperly conducting himself against the wishes of the town board.

Positioning himself before his colleagues in an unusual display, Mr. DeFeo opened his statement by saying he had "become more concerned about the conduct of our town supervisor," before spending nearly an hour airing several of his grievances. 

Accused of not one, but four charges of misconduct by the town councilman, Mr. Buzon at first listened patiently before barking back at each allegation in turn. Councilman DeFeo accused the town supervisor of:

1. Taking it upon himself to make committee appointments without the council's knowledge.
2. Approving unsanctioned work to be conducted by contractors without previous board okay.
3. Entering into discussions with Constitution Pipeline without informing the town board.
4. Misrepresenting the town board's official position on an administrator to the county board.

Addressing each malfeasance in response to DeFeo, Buzon defended his actions on each account while decrying the councilman's attempt to make policy disputes personal. The supervisor would later insist that he felt insulted during the hostile exchange. 

Arguing on the first and third charges respectively that he had asked a resident to serve as a last second consult in place of a sick committeemen, and had held discussions with Constitution as part of a group of supervisors, Buzon denied any misconduct.

Further stating that he had made his statement indicating the council's support for an administrator after polling a majority of the board in favor, Buzon pointed out that DeFeo had himself "stood before the county board and said we needed an administrator."

On the second charge, where he was accused of authorizing additional work to be conducted by an outside firm upgrading the Town Hall's security system without receiving town board approval first, the supervisor admitted his guilt by remarking he was "unauthorized to spend $200 to fully secure the building."

Town Councilman David Lloyd suggested Buzon should have made a couple of phone calls before making the authorization, while DeFeo persisted that the supervisor had "circumvented the board." Town board members had approved the additional work earlier that evening. 

Buzon, Chairman of the Flood and Re-licensing Committees on the county board, then accused DeFeo stirring sentiments of collusion at the town hall, where a Power Authority truck had been seen parked on multiple occasions during business hours.

Mr. DeFeo is employed by the New York Power Authority. 

Questioning why DeFeo hadn't offered the town supervisor, "The respect to go into executive session," Councilwoman Sue Makely commented that she was beside herself, and, "horrified," by the exchange her colleague on the board had initiated. Town Highway Superintendent Dale Nunamann walked out in disgust. 

The next day DeFeo sent out sent out an email to town officials and members of the press expressing his apologies for the manner of which he conducted himself the previous evening.

Second Annual Life in Schoharie Photo Contest Submissions

Ladies and gentlemen, we have nineteen beautiful photographs submitted from all over Schoharie County to consider in the Second Annual Life in Schoharie Photo Contest. The winner and runner-up will be decided by the number of votes cast by our readers in our poll located on the right-hand sidebar. 

Readers have until Friday at noon to make their decision. The winner will be awarded a $20 gift certificate to Wal-Mart, with the runner-up receiving a $10 gift certificate to The Olde Corner Store. 

Goodluck to all of our submissions and goodluck!

"Beauty in the Hills"

Oorah/The Zone, Jefferson

"The Guarded Fort"

Christy Quinn, Cobleskill

"We'll Never Forget"

Mackenzie D. Hall, Cobleskill

"Beauty in Contrasts"

Aimee Lauterbach, Schoharie

"America's Breadbasket"

Sandy Cornell, Esperance

"A Nose Eye View"

Christian McCance, Cobleskill

"Barn in the Moonlight"

Shelly Bishop, Richmondville

"Valley Serenity"

Ron Forstell, Schoharie

"Winter's End"

Bobbie Borucki, Central Bridge

"Pasture Scenes"

Brianna Guckemus, Howes Cave

"Fall Delight"

Deb Roberts, Altamont

"Where Seasons Collide"

Michael Fahey, Howes Cave

"The First Snow"

Jeannie Jo Balogh, Lawyersville

"Mush, Onward!"

Vic DiSanto, Middleburgh

"Backyard View"

Kesha Haskin, Breakabeen

"Stunning Delight"

Lillian Johnson, Sharon Springs

"Summer's Flourish"

Joan Radliff, Richmondville

"An Evening Dip"

Joe Redmond, Cobleskill

"Staying Classy"

Dr. Best House, Middleburgh

Reminder: DEC Burn Ban in Effect Through May 14

Note: This is a 2012 article from the Department of Environmental Conservation explaining its annual statewide brush burn ban beginning on March 16th and lasting through May 14th.

All residential brush burning is prohibited in smaller communities during the state's historically high fire-risk period from March 16 through May 14, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens reminded New Yorkers today.

"This time of year has the most risk of fires and the risk is even greater this year due to the extremely mild winter we've seen across the state," Commissioner Martens said. "Since the open burning regulation passed in 2009, there have been fewer fires reported in New York state. In an effort to protect the health and safety of our children, families and our natural environment, we remind residents that brush burning is banned statewide beginning this week."

In 2009, New York toughened restrictions on open burning to reduce harmful air pollutants and help prevent wildfires. While the burn ban regulation allows residential brush burning for most of the year in towns with a populations of less than 20,000, it prohibits open burning in all communities during early spring when the bulk of New York's wildfires typically occur. The state regulation prohibits the burning of garbage at all times and in all places.

Several factors enable wildfires to start easily and spread quickly at this time, including the lack of green vegetation, abundance of available fuels such as dry grass and leaves, warm temperatures and wind.

Open burning is the largest single cause of wildfires in New York state. Data from DEC's Forest Protection Division shows that debris burning accounted for about 36 percent of wildfires in the state between 1985 and 2009, which is more than twice the next most-cited cause. In addition, from 2000 to 2009 New York's fire departments responded to an average of 2,300 wildfires each year from March 16 to May 14. That represents about 46 percent of all wildfires for the year.

Fire department data for 2010 and 2011 indicated a 26 percent reduction in wildfires during the burn ban period for those years when compared to the previous 10 years (2000-2009). In addition, 86 percent of all communities across the state had a reduction of wildfires compared with the previous five years.

Some towns are designated "fire towns" primarily in and around the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park. Under the Environmental Conservation Law, open burning is prohibited in these municipalities without a written permit from DEC. Open burning is prohibited at any time in these municipalities. To find out whether a town is a designated "Fire Town" and/or to obtain a permit, parties should contact a DEC regional office. For a directory of the DEC Regional Offices, visit the DEC website.

Violators of the open burning state regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC (1-800-847-7332), or report online on DEC's website.

A list of questions and answers on the open burning regulation is available on DEC's website.

County Board to Meet Tonight in Special Session

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors are holding their second special board meeting in five days this evening. According to sources on the board, the meeting is being held to discuss the stream bank project.

Supervisors are scheduled to meet at 5:00 p.m. on the third floor of the Schoharie County office complex.

Although nothing is specifically spelled out in the official agenda, the flood committee - which oversees the financially troubled stream rehabilitation effort - is slated to address an issue with the whole board.

Stay tuned for updates.

Middleburgh Welcomes New Bistro

Middleburgh's growing business community welcomed a new member Saturday afternoon with the opening of The Green Iguana Bistro on the corner of Wells Avenue and Main Street.

Featuring artisan burgers and sandwiches, the bistro has been the brainchild of partners Eric Crater and Bob Stevenot, who have worked since 2013 to renovate the one-time Middleburgh Library into a beautifully decorated dining establishment.

Photos by Sheila Donegan

Offering a wide variety of sandwiches and salads, The Green Iguana takes traditional American style food and shapes it with a modern twist. In addition to the menu options, the bistro offers an extensive wine and beer bar.

Joining an ever increasing number of businesses to have opened on Main Street Middleburgh the past fifteen months, the bistro's opening is just another step in the community's long journey to recovery following the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene.

Preceded by Fish Tales & Fur, The Valley Pharmacy, The Olde Corner Store, and Green Wolf Brewery, Crater and Stevenot's creation is in good company for future success. Success that has already been obtained, if you ask their first customers this past weekend.

State Police Conduct School Zone Speed Enforcement in Sharon

New York State Police stationed in Cobleskill recently performed a school zone speed enforcement details at the Sharon Springs Central School in the Town of Sharon, according to a press release issued today.

The detail was executed during the afternoon and encompassed the dismissal time of students as well as various after school activities. Six motorists were issued traffic citations for speeding violations.

This detail was run in conjunction with ongoing traffic safety initiatives that are focused on highway and pedestrian safety. Troopers plan more efforts in the future to ensure highway safety in Schoharie County.

Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust in Coby

State Police arrested a Cobleskill man on a drug charge following a traffic stop on State Route 7 in the Town of Cobleskill.

Dak A. Kruglak age 18 of Cobleskill was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of Marihuana following a traffic stop.  Kruglak was stopped for a Vehicle and Traffic Violation and found to be in possession of approximately 5 grams of Marihuana.  

Kruglak was issued an Appearance Ticket to appear in the Town of Cobleskill Court on March 17, 2015 at 4:00 PM.
 

DOT Reduces Speed on Two Middleburgh Roads

Drivers in the Town of Middleburgh will have to slow down on a pair of local roadways. 

Announcing that the New York State Department of Transportation has recently completed two speed reduction studies on the municipality's request, town officials informed residents of the speed changes at Thursday evening's monthly town board meeting. 

The new restrictions are limited to Frisbieville and Middlefort Roads and will soon be going to effect.

Slicing the maximum speed a motor vehicle can travel on either road down to thirty miles per hour, the Middleburgh Highway Department will be responsible for acquiring the necessary signage to properly post the new speed limit for motorists. 

Department of Transportation officials signaled a desire to reduce speed on the Town of Schoharie's share of Frisbieville Road as well, but it can only be done so if their municipal board requests a study be conducted on the merits of a possible reduction.

Tennessee Gas Announces Public Houses to Address Second Pipeline

Laying the groundwork for a second natural gas pipeline to come through Schoharie County, Kinder-Morgan's North East Direct (owned by Tennessee Gas) has announced a series of public houses to address the public's concerns on their project. 

Slated to follow a similar path of that of Constitution Pipeline, which has received the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's blessing, Tennessee Gas has begun the process of plotting their own gas transportation route to reach new energy hungry markets.

Two public houses are scheduled to be held in Schoharie County: April 6th in Schoharie at the Days Inn & Suites and April 14th in Richmondville at the Radez Elementary School. Neither date has an announced time as of publication.

Center for Sustainable Rural Communities representative Bob Neid told The Schoharie News in an email exchange on Wednesday that, "I believe this is not just an environmental issue it is an economic and class issue as well. "

He would further comment that he thought, "Low income rural communities with little political clout are being exploited and abused."

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors has taken a series of stands against the incursion of additional pipelines in recent months, with one resolution being passed just last month signaling their opposition to the use of eminent domain against county residents.

Second Annual Life in Schoharie Photo Contest

It's that time of the year again, Schoharie County. As we have stated in the past, The Schoharie News utilizes photos on a regular basis to add a visual component to our articles, because they add a little something extra to our pieces. 

However, nothing gives us more pleasure than seeing your work behind the camera displayed for all to see. 

With that in mind, we would like to announce our second annual "Life in Schoharie Photo Contest," where you can submit one photograph of anything Schoharie County related to be considered for a pair of gift certificates.

Last year's inaugural winner Cheyla Bevins won the prize
after submitting this beautiful photo of the Schoharie Creek. 

The winner of the contest will be judged by the readers of The Schoharie News, who will have three days to review the photos before voting on their favorite submission on the right-hand sidebar of the website. 

A $20 dollar gift certificate to Cobleskill Wal-Mart will be awarded to the victor, with the runner-up receiving a $10 gift certificate to the Olde Corner Store in Middleburgh.

All contest entries must be e-mailed to theschoharienews@gmail.com, with the subject "Schoharie News Photo Contest," by noon on Monday. Shortly thereafter, all photos will be published on the website for our readers to take into consideration. 

You must include your name and town of residence for your submission to count.

Goodluck!

Comic-Con Coming to Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs, NY - Due to the rising pop culture and comic book fan demand, Saratoga Springs will be hosting a comic-con platform on Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 8:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. with a pre-party scheduled for the prior Friday evening. 

This one-day event will feature:

• WWE Superstar Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake, Erica Schroeder voice actress from Pokemon, Yu-GiOh, and more, Blake Foster from Power Rangers, and more special appearances to come
• Top comic book artists like Mark Mckenna, Paul Abrams, Richard Clark, Kevin Conrad, Michael Oppenheimer, Victor L. Castro and more! · Cosplay group Hero Army, Kathrine Zan, Ruby Rinekso, and Jennifer Rose will make a special appearance
• Vendors and dealers from all over the North Eastern states
• Show floor events will include Artists, Celebrities, Gaming, Free Movie Theater, Costume Contest, Panels, Live Podcasts, KITT – from Knight Ranger, and other pop culture fun

General admission tickets are $7 for online purchase of single day passes ($10 at door day of), and VIP packages for $25 and $50 are available for purchase on www.chasecon.org. Children under 4 are free.

There is a  $10 entrance fee to attend the pre-party unless you buy a $50 VIP ticket, which will include the pre-party ticket fee. 

ChaseCon, is a New York privately owned company dedicated to following the mold of the traditional comic con - while providing the perfect mix and experience of current pop culture events. ChaseCon Expo, will include features such as: artists/illustrators/writers from the comic industry, film/television celebrities, book authors, science fiction/fantasy, gaming, Cosplay, and educational opportunities. 

ChaseCon believes that community participation is essential in creating a successful event, therefore we believe it is an important priority for us to give back through supporting local businesses and charity events. Since 2014, ChaseCon Expo has consistently listened and studied the desires of the “comic con attendee” to create the ultimate atmosphere and experience. For more information on ChaseCon Expo please visit chasecon.org or e-mail at chaseconexpo@hotmail.com