Beck Award Winners Announced

The Joseph P. Beck Scholar Athlete Awards were presented to, the following: from left -  front row: Sophia Dyjak, WAJ; Hannah Collins, South Kortright; Ryleigh Goodchild, Roxbury; Lauren Cox, Gilboa-Conesville and Kailey Whitbeck, Charlotte Valley; back row - Trevor Waid, Charlotte Valley; Grady Glennon, Hunter-Tannersville; Lee Mariggliano, South Kortright Central and Luke Maeurer, WAJ. The presentations are made to students who demonstrate a love of athletics in the spirit of the late Joe Beck, a coach and educator, and who also do well academically. The presentations were made between the championship games of the Delaware League Basketball Championships at SUNY Delhi last Thursday.

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Guilty Plea - Attempted Burglary in the Third Degree

DELHI – District Attorney Shawn Smith announced today that Corey D. Koch, 33, of Deposit, New York, appeared in Delaware County Court on February 20, 2024, and pleaded guilty to Attempted Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class E Felony.       

Koch appeared before the Honorable John L. Hubbard, Delaware County Court Judge, for an arraignment on a Superior Court Information charging Burglary in the Third Degree. The defendant is alleged to have illegally entered the First Baptist Church located in the town of Deposit, and stole property consisting of a silver fork, paper plates and a black plastic container.  

After the arraignment, the defendant pleaded guilty to Attempted Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class E Felony.  This plea was entered as part of a negotiated disposition wherein it is anticipated that the defendant will be sentenced to a 5-year term of felony probation supervision.  If the defendant violates the terms and conditions of his probation, he faces the potential of being re-sentenced to 1 and 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. 

District Attorney Shawn Smith commended State Police Investigator Williams, along with Troopers Kim and Vanwarreby for their thorough investigation into this case.  “My office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that individuals committing property and theft crimes are held accountable for their actions.”

As are all defendants accused of a crime, this defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

Shawn J. Smith

District Attorney

Delaware County 

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Davenport Officials Seek Funds For Food Pantry

Highway Equipment & Sand Shead Needed

By Mary A. Crisafulli

DAVENPORT - Davenport Town Council members discussed ways to increase monies for the food pantry at their regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 20. The pantry is owned by the town, but the Davenport United Methodist Church volunteers handle its day-to-day operations. The pantry is located at 11790 State Highway 23 next to the town hall.

Councilmember Jackie Losie is seeking a grant opportunity through Walmart which offers funds of $250 up to $5,000. Losie said this could significantly support the food pantry if awarded. Operators encourage individuals to donate healthier options to the pantry. The grant would provide the ability to purchase foods individuals are seeking. The most popular sought-after food items include meats, canned goods like fruit, pasta, pasta sauce, and macaroni and cheese. Currently, pantry operators develop a menu of items for individuals to order from which is dictated by the county.

Councilmember Mark Miller reminded the board and others that many different types of meat can be donated including venison and unprocessed beef. He mentioned that dairy and beef farmers could donate cows that might not be 100% up to standards for their processing needs.

Losie said many of the auctioned Delaware County Fair animals are donated to the pantry for processing.

In seeking other ways to fundraise for the facility, Losie suggested allowing one day a week or month for the pantry to collect recyclables as donations. She said the local 4-H club collects recyclables and at times has raised $500 to $600 from one donation.

Supervisor Timothy "Tim" Kelso contacted a meat market in Schenectady that used to have several donated items. The owner informed Kelso that they could get cheap bulk food items through C&S Wholesale Grocers in Brattleboro Vermont. Kelso is seeking additional information since the facility is roughly 100 miles away but said this could be a good option to save funds.

Losie also mentioned that the church volunteers would like the facility to be open more often, but there is not enough staffing available. Currently, the facility is only open from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on the third Friday and 10 a.m. until noon on the third Saturday of each month.

For more information on the food pantry in Davenport call 607-746-1685.

In another discussion, Highway Superintendent Fred Utter was authorized to purchase a screener machine for $15,000. A screener sifts out oversized particles in sand and gravel and can divide items into specific particle size ratio requirements. Gravel and sand are used for road maintenance purposes.

Delivery of the item could cost between $3,500 and $4,000, said Utter. The department spends roughly $4,200 annually on renting screener equipment.

Councilmember Trevor Bell was in favor of the purchase stating it would pay itself off in roughly five years. 

Utter also requested council members to start discussing the possibility of building a sand shed to protect sand from inclement weather conditions. Utter said the sand can become very muddy in rain and snow. He is hoping for a 70' x 24' x 100' structure with a concrete floor and walls and a metal roof. A cost estimate for design plans from Forbes Engineering of Oneonta was $20,000. Forbes constructed the salt shed which Utter said he is happy with. 

Kelso will reach out to state and federal representatives to discuss ways to fund the project. 

Miller suggested holding a barbeque fundraising event and inviting state and federal representation.

The council will continue to seek options for the undertaking.

In other business:

Losie was permitted access to the town bank accounts and ability to sign checks as the deputy supervisor.

The town assessors and clerk will attend a three-day training conference in Albany starting April 21. At the conference, they will obtain their notary recertification for $60 each.

Kelso rolled over two CDs (certificates of deposit) of $50,000 and $36,000. CDs require the town to keep funds in a bank savings account for a specified amount of time to earn interest. Withdrawing funds early typically results in a penalty fee.

The town transfer station sold 84.83 tons of scrap metal. The monthly transfer station report will now include a breakdown of monies earned from scrap metal.

The next town council meeting is scheduled Tuesday, Mar. 19, at 7 p.m.

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DEC Wetland Regulation Updates Have Potential Issues For Other Programs, Watershed Stakeholders Say

By Mary A. Crisafulli

ARKVILLE - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) published its proposed revisions to freshwater wetland regulations to be initiated in January 2025.

Coalition of Watershed Towns (CWT) Attorney Jeff Baker believes the possible issues are state-wide and not New York City Watershed specific.

The revisions include the discontinuation of pre-mapped wetland areas. This adjustment means more in the field assessment which could lengthen timelines for projects and increase costs, said Baker. Issues could arise for New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) projects, he explained, since they are built off state regulations. While Baker is unsure of how the regulations will be interpreted by DEP staff, he said there could be the assumption that everything is a wetland and will need to be evaluated by DEC before moving forward with a project. This interpretation would cause significant delays for simple undertakings. For example, Baker said an individual seeking development of one dwelling on a property could experience up to a year delay awaiting DEC approval and could end up spending an additional $10,000. He said DEC's proposed changes do not appear to include plans for additional staffing necessary to execute regulations.

Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) Executive Director Jason Merwin said some of the CWC programs could be affected by elongated timelines. Specifically, Merwin is concerned about the septic program which provides homeowners reimbursement for septic repair or replacement within the watershed. He said the program is written to have a required two-year work completion timeframe which would need to be adjusted if the wetland proposed regulations disrupt it. He added that wetland areas were more easily avoided with the pre-mapped system DEC had in place.

Another issue Baker foresees with increased field evaluation is the opportunity for mischievous or incorrect evaluations to be conducted. Baker gave an example of an issue that went to court in the late 80s or early 90s. A pond being evaluated in Long Island was found to contain Tiger Salamander eggs, which in this location, Baker said, discovery of any of these eggs deem the pond a wetland. Current DEC pond regulations have one regulatory measure that includes a field evaluation for invasive or endangered species. Ponds could be subject to wetland regulations if invasive or endangered species eggs are found in or around the waters. The number of eggs that deem the waterway a wetland is different depending on location throughout the state. The Long Island pond owner sued DEC regarding its determination that his pond was a wetland and won the case, said Baker. It turned out that the DEC evaluator had lied, which was determined after the owner conducted a study that found the waters to be too acidic to sustain Tiger Salamanders. Baker foresees a greater opportunity for situations like the Long Island pond case to surface with the increased field evaluations.

The smaller property owners are the ones who will be negatively affected by this, said Baker, arguing that the larger development companies could handle the proposed adjustments. "This seems counterintuitive to the affordable housing initiative," Baker added.

The definition of wetlands of "unusual importance" could potentially cause issues as well, continued Baker. The proposed changes include 11 newly established criteria for what is considered a wetland of unusual importance. Such wetlands are permitted to be smaller than the current 12.4-acre minimum limit for determining something a wetland.

Another proposed adjustment is that DEC's default size threshold of 12.4 acres will decrease to 7.4 acres in 2028.

The wetland changes are being adjusted after the State Legislature changed the wetland law through budget approval in 2022. Written comments on the proposed changes closed on Feb. 20. Baker said a secondary comment period is anticipated in the summer. For more information visit dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/wetlands/freshwater-wetlands-program

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Delaware League Standings

Delaware League Varsity Boys Basketball (7 league games)

*SKCS                          7-0        18-2

Margaretville               6-1         12-7

Charlotte Valley          5-2         15-5

Gilboa                          4-3         6-12

Roxbury                       3-4         9-11

HTC                              2-5         4-15

Jefferson/Stamford    1-6          3-17

Windham                      0-7         1-18

Delaware League Varsity Girls Basketball (6 league games)

*SKCS                          6-0        16-4

Stamford/Jefferson    5-1         11-9

Charlotte Valley          4-2         11-8

Gilboa/Windham         3-3         7-12

HTC                              2-4         7-10

Margaretville               1-5          1-16

Roxbury                        0-6         2-17

Delaware League JV Boys Basketball (4 league games)

*SKCS                           4-0          12-3

Jefferson/Stamford     3-1           9-11

Charlotte Valley           2-2           12-5

Margaretville                1-3           2-14

Roxbury                        0-4           0-12

Delaware League JV Girls Basketball (3 league games)

*Charlotte Valley          3-0          14-3

Stamford/Jefferson     2-1            14-4

SKCS                             1-2            5-9

HTC                               0-3            8-7

Delaware League Varsity Boys Skiing (7 league races)

*1st - Windham

2nd - HTC

3rd - Roxbury

4Th - Margaretville

Delaware League Varsity Girls Skiing (7 league races)

*1st - Windham

2nd - HTC

3rd - Margaretville

4th - Roxbury

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‘Forgotten Spaces’ Draws a Huge Crowd to Roxbury

Photographer Joe Damone joined by his friend sculptor and painter John Sanders 

Jen Ferguson’s ‘Last Sighting’ oil on canvas 

By Robert Brune

ROXBURY — This past Saturday, artists and patrons of the arts were packed into the Walter Meade Gallery of the Roxbury Arts Center on an afternoon that began with passing snow squalls. Just prior to RAG opening the doors to the public, the skies dumped a half-inch of snow on the ground. By 3:15 pm the clouds parted and the stream of people attending filled the venue to see the 27 artists participating in this exhibition’s opening reception.  

Executive Director Jenny Rosenzweig, in her announcement to the full gallery, expressed well-deserved appreciation to Ursula Hadak for curation of this excellent collection of eclectic artists of contemporary landscapes, abstracts, impressionists, collage, video art, and photography. 

Jen Ferguson is an artist who grew up in the Hudson River Valley. Her art has been shown in Rhinebeck, Paris, and Los Angeles, and seen on HBO’s ‘Bored to Death’.  This was the first time Ferguson has shown her work in Roxbury, “I’d been to the gallery before, and thought it was a beautiful space to show art. I love the theme of “Forgotten Spaces”, so I was thrilled to have my painting included in their exhibition.’ With her oil on canvas on display in this exhibition called ‘Last Sighting’, she describes this piece as leaving out detail and striving to keep the forms suggestive rather than defined, “In a way, my work is impressionist, but also influenced by the Barbizon School of painting, in which there’s an emphasis on subtle variations of light, atmosphere and depth- with a more subdued color palette than the Impressionists favored.”  For a moment, upon gazing into this work of art, it was a relief to forget about the cold temperatures and escape in her warm color choices. 

Joe Damone embarks on the very first showing of his marvelous photography with his ‘Winter Barn’ shot in the South Kortright area. Damone is very appreciative and stated, “Although I have been a professional commercial photographer for over 20 years photographing weddings, portraits, tourism, headshots, and real estate this is my first journey into the fine art world of photography. At the end of 2023, I decided to start printing work and purchased a Cannon professional inkjet printer and have been experimenting with different kinds of paper and ways to frame and present work. My first show started this week at Roxbury Arts Group’s Forgotten Spaces exhibit and I was thrilled to see my work presented in a gallery setting. Moving forward I will be working on a solo exhibit and will also present work for other group shows. Many thanks to RAG for the opportunity” It was nice to see John Sanders come out to support his friend Damone dipping his toe into the gallery arena in Roxbury. Damone is also known for performing with the Catskills Jazz Quartet throughout Delaware and Ulster County. 

This is an exhibition with many of the artists we have featured in the Mountain Eagle and several new people; Laura Sue King, Gary Gissler, Brita Helgesen, Wenda Habenicht, Carrie Bobo, Jessica Farrell, Caitlin Parker, Elaine Grandy, Megan Irving, Wijnanda Deroo, Alexandra Bingham, Irene Dalski, Jody Isaacson, Nola Tully, Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes, Timothy Cleary, Rianna Pauline Starheim, Amy Masters, Helane Levine-Keating, Kathleen Sweeney, Bea Ortiz, Brita Helgesen, and Rebecca Andre. The backdrop for these great artists, Lauren Whritner’s sound installation of ‘Bittersweetness,’ provided the perfect complement to this exhibition.  Again, great credit to Ursula Hadak for compiling the profiles in the handouts of each artist and their touching personal stories of ‘Forgotten Spaces’ preserved in their artwork.

For more information on this exhibition and other events with Roxbury Arts Groups: See www.roxburyartsgroup.org

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Gouache Weekend with Lisbeth Firmin

The Roxbury Arts Group is excited to welcome contemporary American realist Lisbeth Firmin for an inspiring weekend workshop of gouache painting. Often described as a middle ground between watercolor and acrylic painting, gouache paints are a water-medium paint that is great for creating vibrant, colorful paintings – and it’s perfect for beginners. Students can opt for an intensive one or two day workshop which will take place at the Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main St in Stamford, on Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The fee for a one-day workshop is $75 and $125 for two days. All necessary materials are available for purchase through our website with registration for an additional $15. 

During this workshop, participants will work with painter Lisbeth Firmin in an exploration of one of her favorite mediums. At the beginning of each day, Lisbeth Firmin will lead a painting demonstration followed by participant practice from still-life and other source materials. Each day will end with participants engaging in a discussion of all the paintings done that day.

Teaching artist Lisbeth Firmin is a contemporary American artist whose imagery explores the relationship between people and their environment, depicting modern life while exploring timeless themes of solitude and isolation, and interpenetrating the light and shadow that describe the human form in a specific moment. Firmin skates the rails between realism and abstraction in much the same way as David Park or Richard Diebenkorn.

Don’t miss this chance to expand your artistic horizons in gouache with Lisbeth Firmin! Join us at Headwaters Arts Center for one or two days of gouache on March 9 and 10. Registration and additional information is available at roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607-214-6040.

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New York issues regulations for homegrown cannabis

By Jennifer Patterson

New rules that would allow anyone 21 or older to cultivate their own marijuana plants at home were adopted last week by the state Cannabis Control Board.

The proposed regulations, which are still subject to a 60-day public comment period before they go into effect, were approved nearly three years after marijuana was legalized in New York State. They also include a provision that would allow retail cannabis stores to sell starter plants to customers.

New York residents will be able to grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use. This total can consist of three mature and three immature plants (those that do not have visible flowers or buds). Households are subjected to a maximum limit of twelve plants – six mature and six immature. 

People growing pot at home can possess up to five pounds of trimmed flowers from their homegrown plants, although the legal limit for carrying marijuana is capped at three ounces. 

For individuals that make concentrate, the limit on how much they can possess will be the equivalent of what the product would represent in weight from cultivated cannabis.

Plants grown at home must be kept in a secure, non-public location inaccessible to anyone younger than 21. 

While New York legalized adult-use marijuana through the Marihuana Regulations and Taxation Act in March 2021, the implementation of the legislation for the creation of the legal market was subjected to several challenges and delays, including confusion about homegrown cannabis.

The law led many people to believe that they could grow their own marijuana without a license or medical prescription, which was not the case. 

For now, only people with medical marijuana prescriptions are allowed to legally grow at home, after receiving that authorization in October 2022. But that will change after the 60-day public comment period expires. 

For information, go to https://cannabis.ny.gov

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Honor Rolls

SOUTH KORTRIGHT CENTRAL SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL HONOR ROLLS

Q2 2023-2024

12th GRADE

Superintendent’s list – Hannah Collins, Norah VanBuren, Alexander Ellis, Elsa Morganstern, Kailee Huffman,  

High Honor Roll –Gracie Deysenroth, Connor Quarino, Zackary Anderson, Katherine Reinshagen, Jeffrey Palmatier, Gabriel Taylor, Darren Dengler

Honor Roll – Damon Pietrantoni, Jacob Staroba, Makenna Wright, Hunter Larsen-Wright, Aurthur Shelightner

11th GRADE

Superintendent’s list – Kylie Gregory, Elsa Marigliano, Caitlyn Deysenroth, Lauren Dengler, Madison Larsen-Wright, Chance Molina, Alex Terry

High Honor Roll – Adelynn Eckert, Finton Kennedy, Montana Specht, Zander Fortune, Pat Warren, Kiersten Hobbie, Cole Thomas, Brooke Muthig-Currie, Jesse Hungerford, Hannah Ransford

Honor Roll – Brian Warner, Lance McClure, Jack Byrne  

10th GRADE

Superintendent’s list – Carlee Dropp, Melania Escobedo, Annlyse Haynes, Daphne Vasilakis, Sally Kuhn, 

High Honor Roll – Layla Boudreau, Daniel McClure, Madysen Reeves, Nova Sazonova, Jackson Hudson, Langston Comer, Hunter Morganstern,  

Honor Roll – John Byron Trimbell, Clyde VanBuren, Parker Popp 

9th GRADE

Superintendent’s list – Lily Marigliano, Evan Smith, Emma Smith, Alexis Hendrickson, Patrick Trimbell, Neleh Brown

High Honor Roll – Emma Pelletier, Neleh Brown, Jansen Sturniolo, Jacob Tanner, Autumn Larsen-Wright, Elizabeth Oakley, Jacob Mierop,

Honor Roll – Kody Weaver, Gavin Walsh, Nora Trimbell, Boston Quarino, Jaiden Stoesser, Skylar MacIntyre, Andrew Sanders 

SOUTH KORTRIGHT CENTRAL SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR ROLLS

Q1 2023-2024

8th GRADE

Superintendent’s list – Aurelia Comer, Emma Sicari, Alyssa Tucker, Kaitlyn Brinkerhoff-Hood, Brianna Big Back

High Honor Roll – Zara Houshmand, Ellis LiCalzi, Garrett Dropp

Honor Roll – Cody Hager, Zariah Fortune, Ella Byam, Paxton Popp, Olivia Morton, Zahara Fortune, Braeden Rockefeller, Ty Komosinski, Shae Trimbell, Hans Stelmashuck,

7th GRADE – 

Superintendent’s list – Vivian Morse, Charleigh Brown

High Honor Roll – Harley Johnson, Kylie Whittaker, Elizabeth Baldi, Aydan Oakley, Suzannah Wayman, Haylee Wilcox

Honor Roll - Carter Moore, Adrianne Big Back, Rylee Dorosky

6th GRADE

Superintendent’s list - Scout Lamport, Blakley Haynes, Brooke Hitt

High Honor Roll - Adrian LiCalzi, Emmett Magnan, 

Honor Roll –Mark Silano, Gunnar Deysenroth, Kendall Howard, Monica Holcomb

5th GRADE

Superintendent’s List -Lydia Vitarius, Brooklynn Trimbell, Brayden Barnhart, Jasper Dibble, Hollyn Tucker

High Honor Roll – Brynn Moody, Gideon Knapp, Charleigh Macaluso, 

Honor Roll –Addyson Olsen, Logan Ballard, Schuyler Larsen-Wright, Viera Cambier, Brayleigh Dougherty, Jacob Olsen, Nicholas Brown, William Smith, Liam Wellington-Skog

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