Windham Town Reorganizes

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - The wheels of government wouldn’t have fallen off and chaos ensued on January 3 if Windham town officials, the night before, hadn’t held a reorganization meeting. 

But they did anyway, as they do at the start of every year, making all the designations and appointments required to keep things humming.

Most of the time, there are few if any changes, and getting their house in order in that regard for 2025 is not an exception.

First on the list of things to do was reinstating members of the local police department with many familiar names and one newcomer.

Town council members, upon the recommendation of police chief Richard Selner, welcomed back longtime, highly respected beat-walkers, brothers James Scarey III and William Scarey.

Mentioned in the same breath are law enforcement stalwarts Greg Thorp and father and son David Sherman and Sergeant David Sherman Jr. 

They will continue to be joined by Peter Varelas, Greg Paspalis, Charles Rion, Thomas Parquez and Reno Romito, along with Stephen Bence, recently added to the ranks.

The police chaplains are Father Jay Atherton, Pastor Cliff Cool and Pastor Ryan Dempsey, covering multiple spiritual inclinations.

Other appointments included:

—Dr. Nikolay Samedov (town health officer), Dr. Craig Stanger (medical director), Patrica Morrow (town historian);

Tal Rappleyea (town attorney), councilman Wayne Van Valin (deputy town supervisor), Troy Aplin (working foreman for the highway department);

Town clerk Bonnie Poehmel (Registrar of Vital Statistics), Sandra Allen (deputy town clerk and deputy registrar of vital statistics);

Dominick Caropreso (code enforcement officer/building inspector), town supervisor Thomas Hoyt and Jessica Leto (persons in charge of fixed assets).

Mountain Eagle (the official town newspaper), Key Bank of Windham, NBT Bank, Greene County Commercial Bank, National Bank of Coxsackie and Bank of Greene County (official town banks).

The five town council members divvied up responsibilities for oversight committees, as follows:

Audit (councilmen Van Valin and Kurt Goettsche), Communications and Webpage (councilmen Goettsche and Ian Peters);

Building and Safety (councilmen Van Valin and Stephen Walker), Fireworks (supervisor Hoyt and councilman Walker);

Highway (councilmen Walker and Van Valin), Union Negotiating (highway superintendent Gary Thorington, police chief Selner, supervisor Hoyt and councilman Peters;

Ambulance operations liaison (councilman Peters), Water Superintendent (Kyle Schwarz, Windham and Cedarwood Engineering Josh Vital, Hensonville); 

Town officer in charge of parks (supervisor Hoyt), town officer in charge of cemeteries (councilman Van Valin);

Planning board liaison (councilman Peters), Chamber of Commerce liaison (councilman Goettsche), Fire Commissioner liaison (councilman Goettsche);

Youth Officer (councilman VanValin) and Schoharie Watershed Advisory Council liaison (councilman Walker);

Town Planning Board and Architectural Review Board members include Thomas Poelker (acting chairman), Claudia Lane, Michael Triccoli, Lisa Jaeger and Nathan Holdridge. The recording secretary is Sandra Allen.

Windham Public Library trustees are Carol Spear (president), Sandra Schellhorn, Margaret Scarey, Cynthia Telles, Peter Peters, Wendy McInerny and Danielle Larsen. 

Board of Assessment Review (Albin Beckmann, Peter O’Brien and Richard Fournier, chairman).

Town clerk Bonnie Poehmel, in the Registrar of Vital Statistics yearly report, noted there were seven deaths and one birth recorded in the town in 2024.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Lost Puppy Has a Happy Ending in Haines Falls

Photo provided by Ellson Chen via Pawboost

By Max Oppen

HAINES FALLS – A heartwarming community effort in the mountaintop Village of Tannersville led to the safe return of Xutu, a beloved 8-month-old Bernadoodle, who went missing near Laurel House Road in Haines Falls during the Holidays.

Ellson Chen, his partner Ariel Xiong, and another couple visiting from NYC were spending time in the area when the incident occurred. After a day of skiing at Hunter Mountain on January 2, Chen and Xiong began their journey home, leaving Xutu with their friends. The friends decided to visit Kaaterskill Falls, parking on Laurel House Road. During the outing, Xutu escaped, sparking a two-day search involving community members, local authorities, and rescue volunteers.

An hour south on their way home, Chen immediately turned the car around when he received the call about Xutu. “We slept in the parking lot on Laurel House Road that night,” Chen said. With temperatures dipping below 20 degrees on the first night and 14 degrees the next, according to weather.com, concerns grew over Xutu’s safety. “The temperatures were cold. Very cold,” he added.

The search drew significant local support. Village of Tannersville Mayor David Schneider, NYS Troopers, and Town of Hunter police officers joined the effort alongside two drone operators with heat-seeking technology, Alfie’s Pet Rescue members, and a number of community members, including two keylocals, MaryEllen and Jill.

“Our friends saw Xutu multiple times,” Chen explained. “The dog wouldn’t come to them. I thought she would just come over to me if I was there if she saw me. But when I got there, we couldn’t locate her.”

Chen quickly printed and distributed posters while spreading the word through online platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook. The Facebook group named Pawboost specializes in reuniting lost pets with their owners, and was instrumental in helping this story have a happy ending. One post gained over 800 shares, drawing even more volunteers to the area. “At different times, at least 10 people were helping that first day,” Chen said. “The next day, even more volunteers with four-wheelers and cars stopped by to help.”

Despite initial setbacks, the search gained momentum. Drone operators Leon Taufield and another local resident searched by air, while officers with powerful flashlights combed the area.Town of Hunter Police Officer Marino Romio, off-duty at the time, also assisted by flagging down drivers to alert them about the missing dog.

Chen saw Xutu briefly for the first time on Friday morning, darting across North Lake Road. Later that night, she appeared again in the same area. Acting on advice from MaryEllen and Jill, Chen adjusted his approach, leaving items with his scent and food around the area. They explained that Xutu was likely in “feral mode,” a survival state where animals become wary of everyone, even their owners.

“They advised me to sit down on the ground once we saw Xutu, not make eye contact, and slowly throw out food toward her,” Chen said. Jill and MaryEllen also helped disperse food around the Laurel House parking lot to lure Xutu out of hiding.

The breakthrough came Friday night around 10 p.m. when Xutu was spotted near the treeline at Laurel House Road and North Lake Road. Chen followed the advice he’d received, sitting down and calling her name. “She heard my voice and walked over a little but was hesitant and kept backing up,” he said.

Finally, Chen tried calling his other dog’s name, Bobo, who was at home. “The moment I called Bobo, Xutu started getting closer and closer,” Chen said. He believes it was either jealousy or the familiarity of her sibling’s name that made her trust him. Xutu cautiously approached as Chen continued to toss chicken to her. “At a point when she was right by my hand, there was a split second where she smelled my hand, caught my scent, and you could see her snap out of feral mode. She then jumped into my arms.”

Chen expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved in the search. “If we didn’t have Maryellen and Jill, we wouldn’t have known how to approach her,” he said. “We are super thankful for everyone’s help.”

The Village Mayor also played a role, bringing his Labrador, George, to track Xutu’s scent. “Mayor David Schneider was really nice,” Chen noted.

The safe return of Xutu was a testament to teamwork, kindness, and perseverance. 

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Princess Lockerooo and the Fabulous Waack Dancers - Dance Battle at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center

Hunter – Presented by Catskill Mountain Foundation in partnership with  Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Princess Lockerooo and the Fabulous Waack Dancers battle it out at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville on Saturday, January 11,  2025 at 7:00 PM.  

Get moving in the New Year with Princess Lockerooo, hailed by The New York Times as the  “Queen of Waacking”. Direct from performing on Dancing With the Stars: Soul Train Night, and  following a sold out performance with Works & Process at Lincoln Center, Princess Lockerooo  will share the history of Waacking, teach a mini lesson, and her company The Fabulous Waack  Dancers will perform culminating in a dance battle, all before headlining the Guggenheim  Rotunda as part of the Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival. 

In the 1970s, a dance form called waacking was born in the Black gay underground clubs of Los  Angeles. Inspired by old Hollywood films and distinguishable by its rotational arm movements,  posing and emphasis on expressiveness, waacking entered the mainstream becoming a global  

dance phenomenon associated with Toni Basil, performed on “Soul Train” by dancer and  pioneer waacker Tyrone Proctor, Princess Lockerooo’s teacher. It eventually was picked up by  celebrities and even featured on tour with Diana Ross. 

Princess Lockerooo and the Fabulous Waack Dancers will surprise and entertain the audience  with dramatic larger-than-life dance moves. This competitive, artistic and creative performance is off-the-charts fun! Start the new year with Princess Lockerooo and the Fabulous Waack  Dancers performing at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center, 6050 Main Street, Tannersville,  NY on Saturday, January 11 at 7:00 PM. Get tickets at https://bit.ly/cmfPrincessLockerooo or  www.catskillmtn.org.  

About Catskill Mountain Foundation 

The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s (CMF) aim is to provide educational opportunities in the arts for youth  and lifelong learners, to bring the experience of the arts to the Catskill community, and to support artists  and art organizations in the development of their work through residencies. Since its founding in 1998,  CMF has presented hundreds of music, dance, and theater performances; screened over 1,000 films to  tens of thousands of audience members; provided studio arts classes to thousands of students of all  ages; and served thousands of art-loving patrons in the Catskill Mountain Foundation Gift Shop. The  Catskill Mountain Foundation operates the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, the Orpheum  Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, and the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts in Maplecrest, NY. 

Since 1998, CMF has raised, generated, and invested close to $16 million in facility development and an  excess of $42 million in programming operations, for a total investment in the Catskill community of over  $58 million. Catskill Mountain Foundation is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts, the  Greene County Cultural Fund administered by the Greene County Legislature, The Jarvis and Constance  

Doctorow Family Foundation, The Royce Family Foundation, The Samuel and Esther Doctorow Fund,  The Orville and Ethel Slutzky Family Foundation, Platte Clove Bruderhof Community, Bank of Greene  County Charitable Foundation, The Greene County Youth Bureau, Marshall & Sterling Insurance, All  Souls’ Church, Stewarts Shops, Windham Foundation, and by private donations. CMF believes that the  arts can transform the lives of those touched by it and can transform the community. Like us on  Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

About Works & Process 

Championing performing artists and their creative process for each step from studio to stage, Works &  Process features artists both those from the world’s largest organizations and emerging new talent.  Works & Process amplifies performing arts traditions that transcend the proscenium, and encourage  audiences to spectate, participate, and continue the conversation beyond the stage. Works & Process  programs blend artist discussion and performance highlights, with post-performance receptions at the  Guggenheim Museum and beyond. During the summer, Works & Process curates and presents free  outdoor dance programs with Manhattan West and City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage. 

Works & Process Artists-in-Residence are provided with commissions and made-to-measure LaunchPAD  creative residencies that are fully funded and sequenced, offering fees of $1,050 per artist/per week, 24/7  studio availability, on-site housing, health insurance enrollment access, and transportation to fifteen  residency partners across MA, NJ, NY, and VT. These residencies culminate in public events with local  communities. Culminating performances in New York City provide artists with fees of $400 per  performance. 

Princess Lockerooo and The Fabulous Waack Dancers at Works & Process’s Underground Uptown Dance Festival at  Lincoln Center on January 12, 2024. Photo: Lawrence Sumulong

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

The Art Hub Opens in Cairo

By D.M. Kamecke

CAIRO –The Art Hub, a new multimedia art studio and retail space, is yet another example that “Cairo is really blossoming,” says Beth Stewart, the President and Executive Director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon cutting ceremony held by the Chamber on January 3 had a large and enthusiastic turnout of people who praised the venue while enjoying refreshments from See and Bee, the farm-to-table eatery located across the street.

The Art Hub is aptly named. It is located next to the Bear Pocket Park in the middle of Main Street in Cairo, the geographic center of Greene County. Its visionary, Yuliya Benoit, is positioning the open-studio space to be a center that encourages creativity and community engagement. 

Activities available at the site include paint-your-own pottery, painting on canvas, finger painting, working with clay, and glass art. These programs provide all necessary materials at a set price and allow use of the space for an entire day. The fine-art option provides a canvas, acrylic paint, brushes, and an easel starting at $18. Yuliya, an artist herself, is on hand to guide you.

When she was an infant, Yuliya’s family moved from Ukraine to California, first to Los Angeles and then to San Diego. She says she grew up “wanting to create things.” She got her start with community programming by volunteering at her family’s apartment complex teaching crafts to other residents. A figure skater from age 4, Yuliya advanced to national competitions before channeling her energies into art and dance. Her college years led her down a different path: studying criminal justice. After marrying  serviceman Eric Benoit, then stationed at Camp Pendleton, Yuliya moved back with him to his home town of Cairo. She quickly became known for her crowd-pleasing work on figures for the Cairo Development Foundation’s annual Bears project. This past year, she created four bears for the auction, a major fundraiser for the Foundation. One of those was the popular South Cairo Airport 1st Proprietor bear, sponsored by local business owner Allen Veverka in tribute to a former barnstormer.

The Art Hub space is a 3,000-square-foot open area housed in the same building as the Cairo Development Foundation. Diana Benoit, one of CDF’s founders along with Sherry True, says the organization’s goal of revitalizing Cairo includes growing its “creative economy.”

In addition to the studio space, The Art Hub features retail items from multiple Greene County artists. These include functional art and home goods like ceramics, wine glasses, jewelry, bottle stoppers, mugs, and handcrafted wood items such as cutting boards. While it is not conceived as a gallery, there are also a limited number of paintings for sale that are hung throughout the studio. 

Yuliya says her vision is to have the venue be a place to “hang out and create.” She is looking forward to engaging with a variety of organizations such as local schools as well as partnering with seniors and veterans. Her first collaboration, the Paint Your Veteran holiday program, was with the Greene County Vet2Vet organization. The program was held in December at the local Red Rooster Bar and Grill. Arin VanDemark, Director of Vet2Vet, which is also located in the town of Cairo, reports, “We had a wonderful turnout for our Paint Your Veteran event sponsored by The Art Hub. Forty veterans and their families came out and enjoyed each other's company.”  VanDemark also thanked the staff of the Red Rooster “for the superb dinner and service!”

The light and airy studio is available for events and parties such as birthdays or bridal and baby showers. Additional information is available at thearthubcairo.com.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Written Locally - The Catskills in Vintage Postcards

By Bradley Towle

CATSKILLS REGION — The Catskills in Vintage Postcards is a 1999 collection by historian Irwin Richman. Richman, a professor emeritus of American studies and history at Pennsylvania State University, had written about the region in other books, including Borscht Belt Bungalows: Memoirs of Catskill Summers, Catskill Hotels, and Hudson River: From New York City to Albany. The Catskills in Vintage Postcards joins his Postcard History Series (which includes Hudson River). Richman opens the book by making the argument that "the concept of domestic tourism" began in the Catskill Mountains. Turnpikes, railroads, and, of course, the Hudson River all facilitated access and travel to the picturesque and even daunting region. The first chapter of his collected postcards, "The Lordly Hudson: Gateway to the Catskills," explores the area from the vantage point of the river's relationship to the area, from postcards depicting scenic views and tourism to a rather macabre 1940s postcard of an electric chair from Sing Sing prison. 

There are, of course, "The Great Resorts" like The Catskill Mountain House, The Laurel House, and The Mountain House at Lake Mohonk, all depicted on postcards with dramatic photographs. There are the elaborate mid-20th Century Borscht Belt retreats like Grossinger’s and The Concord. Chapter Three, "Life in The Rearview Mirror: Looking for The Good Old Days," explores the use of postcards to tap into nostalgia for the slower, seemingly simpler times that the Catskills could offer. Bucolic images of horse-drawn carriages, farmers with hay, covered bridges, and spartan shacks romanticize what are more likely images of just how hard life in the mountains could be. Irwin includes the legend of Rip Van Winkle in this chapter. Images of the character and the road (Route 23), bridge, and lookout point utilizing the famous name made Irwin's cut—postcards that imply a sleepy legend for a relaxing retreat. 

Richman uses The Catskills in Vintage Postcards as not only a visual story of the region as a destination but also as a glimpse of how the area's tourism shaped how The Catskills saw itself, reflected in its own depiction of its wonders in roughly a century of postcards. 

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Traditionally Speaking….by Pat Larsen - Growing Older…Together

It might seem that this is an obvious reference to the married couple who has spent a lifetime together. 

Of course, to most this makes the most sense to highlight. I am part of one such couple. Each day growing in love but always haunted by the potential of the days dwindling. My intent is not to sound melancholy, although, in re-reading these words, that’s exactly what the intimation would indicate.

As a couple, we often speak of cherishing the days, we laugh about what the potential could indicate should the inevitable occur and we are left in that solo state navigating this world, our world, leaning heavily on the moments that were shared and holding on tight to those memories.

There is another  important aspect of this inevitability to consider. As Baby Boomers, we often married young and within a few years we had our families. Now, in our 70th and 80th years of life, it’s our children that we are growing older with. It’s they who are witnessing our changes and our process of limitations creeping up month after month.

My parents were among the pioneers who were able to retire early and then packed up the homestead and headed out to the southern states where they lived out their lives.

We were immersed in the work years where vacation time was limited and the kids' vacations were dictated by that annual school calendar from September to June.

Visits with the grandparents, at first, were often coupled with  trips to amusement parks. Then they dwindled to less and less time together as the kids grew older and sports or camp took up the majority of the free time even for the parents.

The point of all of this history is to demonstrate that the collective families were growing older…continuing to live their lives but ultimately not “together” per se.

Proximity to each other mattered but had sadly changed.

Then, this happened. Our folks not only grew older, the image that we had held in the recesses of our memory vaults of the parents we recalled, changed.

They aged. We were aging.  All our appearances changed. Their health shifted. Our ability to spend that time together as we had before changed.

The timeline, as we knew it, as we grew older and they grew older, was not as it had been when our grandparents and great grandparents had lived so much nearer.

Witnessing aging seems to be much kinder as it is occurring. As our patience for slowing down would match the actions that we could actually witness day by day alongside our folks, it would be far easier to accept as the days dwindle for all.

So as we, my husband of 51 years and I grow older together, it is our desire to grow older and allow our kids to witness this process so as to ease the process for them as well. It’s probably the last honest gift we can give…acceptance of life as it unfolds.

Pat Larsen, lives, works and plays in Greene County and writes as a syndicated columnist for most local papers.

Her first book, Reflections…anything  but an ordinary life is available on Amazon or KDP.

Pat’s always available to chat at 518-275-8686.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Obituary - Jeanne Soule

JEANNE CLAIRE (THOMPSON) SOULE, aged 80, was called home to glory on December 22, 2024, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.

Jeanne was born on October 30, 1944, to the late Clifford and Agnes (Brinkman) Thompson; the third of five children. Family meant the world to her and she wore the title of daughter, sister, wife, mom, grandma/mema and aunt proudly. In fact she was known colloquially as “Aunt Jeanne” to many children growing up in the Jewett area over the years. She is survived by her three sisters: Barbara Andrus; Elizabeth Holdridge; and Peggy Rappleyea; and sister-in-law, Pamela Thompson & Dorothy (Soule) Giordano. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert Thompson and her loving husband, Clarence Soule. Jeanne & Clarence were childhood sweethearts and married on November 3, 1962; together they had 4 children: Sarah Mader; Yvonne (Kevin) Mead; Clifford (Maureen) Soule and Jessica (Jim) Franz; as well as 2 bonus children: Carolyn (Phil) Butt and Wesley (Becky) Benson. Their family circle continued to grow with grandchildren: Dane Swann; Tonya (Thomas) Weber; Dillon (Elizabeth) Mader; Veronica Underwood; Kevin (Sue) Mead; Miranda (Michael) Mead; Ariana and Kyle (Brier) Creech; and Haley Benson; and great grandchildren: Shaun; Gerald; Jacob; Jackson; DeAnna; Taylor; sadly, predeceased by Kaiden and Johnathan.

Jeanne and Clarence served as the inseparable dynamic duo as pillars of the mountaintop community. She was a disciple of Jesus and loved to share the good news. Her life verse was Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” and did it ever through her warm smile, laughter and a heart to help anywhere and everywhere she could. She was always concerned for the welfare of others above herself and gave of herself tirelessly and unselfishly. While being a member of the Jewett Presbyterian Church for most of her life, she loved to teach about Jesus in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and serve on the Ladies Aid Committee. She taught Junior Grange. She was one of the first female members of the Jewett Fire Dept., and a charter member of the Jewett Rescue Squad; serving as an EMT, and Ladies Auxiliary member for many years. She didn't love politics but stood up for what she felt was right which resulted in her being a member of the Jewett Democratic Committee, WAJ school board, and serving as a poll worker. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels and was also in charge of the Jewett Food pantry. She and Clarence were NYS and Greene County Senior Citizens of the Year in 2005. A life lived in service to others. A true gem!

Visitation will be held Sunday, December 29th from 1-3 PM at the Jewett Presbyterian Church, on Rte 17, Jewett, NY; with the funeral service at 3pm. Dinner and fellowship will immediately follow at the church hall after. Interment will be at a later date in the spring. In lieu of flowers, she would be honored to have a donation made to your favorite charity or to Alzheimer's Disease Research.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Airey Addresses Gathering Place Controversy

By Joshua Walther 

BLENHEIM - On Friday evening, the Blenheim Town Board discussed recent correspondence between the county and The Gathering Place and Supervisor Don Airey’s perceived role among the growing controversy.

The Gathering Place is a not-for-profit senior community center started in Cobleskill that has seen great success in recent years, so much so that they’ve expanded with a branch in Oneonta. 

With a big emphasis on inclusivity and local support, The Gathering Place has sourced multiple donations from small businesses in the region, and they’ve recently asked Schoharie County for a $100,000 funding grant.

However, with recent allegations of mismanagement from a former employee, the County Board of Supervisors wanted to take a hard, investigative look into some of the financial decisions.

While some supervisors supported The Gathering Place, enough of them did not, and in a lengthy letter to the Board that voiced their displeasure, the community center withdrew their request for funding.

For many, that is where the story ends. However, that final letter named Supervisor Airey of Blenheim and thanked him for his support shown during the county-level discussion.

Feeling like he had no outlet to tell his side of the story, Supervisor Airey took the time during the Blenheim Town Board meeting on Friday to fully state his thoughts.

“I want it clear that I did not approve a motion for $100,000,” he said. “I did support the idea to fund them in some capacity, but not that much.”

He went on to explain that he realizes The Gathering Place’s potential and thinks that they’re a great option to have as a community center. 

However, he also believes that any funding provided, whether it be $1 or $100,000, should stay in Schoharie County and not benefit the Oneonta branch, and wants to see an MOU to that effect, should they resume asking for funding.

Supervisor Airey also thinks that there shouldn’t be a full-blown investigation into The Gathering Place’s finances, noting that the current allegations are internal affairs that should be handled by the not-for-profit.

“It’s our duty as the Board of Supervisors to do our due diligence with their records, yes,” he said. “But should we investigate them? I wouldn’t use that term, no.”

And yet, with their latest letter to the county, Supervisor Airey believes that the Board of Supervisors should take a step back from the situation, concluding with “Now that they’ve withdrawn their request, there’s nothing more to do.”

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Auto Racing News

By Tom Coughlin

If you would like to get outdoors in this cold weather and do some hill climbs and other fun trail riding with your four-wheel drive truck. The ADK Jeepers Club will be celebrating their two-year anniversary at the NYS Off Road Park located at 301 Lape Road in Esperance. 9:00 am, is listed as the start time, but I believe that you can show up a little late and still be able to take part in the activities. Driver fee is $30. and the passenger fee is $10. No glass bottles. no side by sides, and no 4 wheelers.

 The Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club (AMEC) has released a tentative (Ice Dependent) date for 2025 first up is Sunday, January 12 at Lake Algonquin in Wells. With the current weather forecast the possibility of good ice is looking positive for some hard water racing.

 Did you not find that perfect gift for someone ? Semi-retired, Hall of Fame modified driver and Mountain Eagle contributor Bob Vedder is now an author and has published a book titled "Thoughts to Live By.” The book is available at several locations in the Schoharie area and retails for $6.99. Bob will be holding a few book signings in the future. The book is also available on Amazon.

 Elmo’s Speed & Supply and Jam Performance & Consulting will present the 2025 version of the North East Dirt Modified Race Car Seminar on March 8, 2025. The day will start at 9:00 am. at the Polish Community Center 225 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, N.Y. 12205. Cost for

the event is $100 per person which includes entry, lunch, and raffle ticket. Topics will include pre-track preparation, at track best practices, driving for success, and more. Featured speakers will include Demetrios Drellos, Ryan Susice, Bob Slack, Bobby Hackel, Kurt Wiegel, Bob Henry. To get your tickets call or message Elmo's at 518-429-4746.

 The Second annual Vermont Motorsports Expo, will take place on Friday and Saturday March 28 & 29,2025. The new location will be announced shortly.

 The first outdoor race of 2025 in upstate New York has taken place as they were racing in the cold on New Year's Day at the Utica-Rome Speedway where they held their 100-lap Enduro race. Gene Whipple outlasted 42 other competitors to win the $500 winners prize.

 On Saturday, out west at the Tulsa Shootout in Tulsa, Oklahoma, modified driver Anthony Perrego finished 12th. in the Stock non-wing A-main 30-lap feature. Perrego did run in the top ten for a few laps mid race. In the Outlaw non-wing division Perrego made it as far as the B-main, but did not qualify for the A-main feature. 

 One of the on scene announcers/ broadcast crew was former Fonda Speedway announcer Chris Moore. Moore has taken a position at the New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey and will not be in the booth at the Track of Champions. Longtime race chasing announcer Paul Szmal will now become part of the weekly announcing team.

 Utica-Rome Speedway recently released their 2025 schedule. A few highlights include open practice on Friday, April 11. Opening night on Sunday, April 11, with the Honoring Alex feature. Other notable nights include the $5 grandstand nights, $1 hot dog night, meet & greets, Christmas in July, and the season will end with the Victoria Weekend on September 26 & 27,

 Weekly division will consist of the 3 Bastards Brewing modifieds, Taylor's Trailers crate 602 sportsman, Next Generation GraphiX pro stocks, Fastline Performance limited sportsman, Fonda Fair 4-cylinders. Special nights during the season will include 358 modifieds, winged sprint cars. late models, slingshots, Senior and Junior. The High Limit Racing Series will return with their 410 $12,000 to win sprint show. Also returning is the Zerbini circus for three nights in mid-June.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD