Multiple Seeking Board Seats in Tannersville, Exploring Question of Dissolution

By Michael Ryan

MOUNTAINTOP - The village of Tannersville did not evanesce and massive interest is being shown in governing the rural Greene County village with elections for three jobs unfolding, next week. We have a related story on the cover this week.

Earlier this year, a public referendum was held on the question, “shall the village of Tannersville be dissolved? Yes or No?”

Voters answered the administrative query with a resounding “no,” and the reverberations are still being felt in the challenge for Tannersville mayor, remaining to be seen if those shock waves influence the outcome.

Tannersville is also experiencing a plethora of potential politicians in the form of four individuals seeking just two seats on the board of trustees.

Meanwhile, it will be business as usual in the village of Hunter, which, like the village of Tannersville, is geographically indistinct from the town of Hunter, within which both villages are contained.

In the village of Hunter, one position is open, that being a board of trustees spot currently held by Jason DiLeo who is seeking re-election, running unopposed on the Republican Party line.

DiLeo, if successful, would continue to be joined by fellow board of trustees member Benjamin Sommers and longtime mayor Alan Higgins.

It is a different story in the picturesquely painted village of Tannersville where a spirited race has emerged for the office of Mayor 

Current deputy mayor David Kashman, appearing on the Republican and Democratic Party tickets, is being opposed by former mayor Dr. Lee McGunnigle, campaigning on the Friends of Tannersville line.

The rejected dissolution has entered pre-Election Day dialogue, fully two months after ballots were cast in what was a rambunctious display of support for the village not vanishing, governmentally speaking.

Voters determined the village should not deliquesce by a whopping 223 to 59 margin, keeping very much alive its 130-year existence.

McGunnigle has claimed Kashman flip-flopped on what became a highly contentious issue, a characterization Kashman strongly refutes.

Kashman, while initially open to the idea, subsequently voted not to put the matter to a public referendum in his role as a board of trustees member,  concluding, after deeper research, it would not benefit residents.

The matter was subsequently decided by voters, not left in the hands of the board of trustees, with Kashman saying the majority had spoken.

McGunnigle questioned the timing of Kashman’s switch, suggesting it was done after the writing was on the wall that the plan would be defeated, further stating the possibility should not have been raised at all.

Kashman has been a member of the board of trustees for 6 years. McGunnigle has been in public service for over thirty years.

McGunnigle, in 2023, lost to current mayor David Schneider by two votes, according to the Greene County board of elections webpage. 

Kashman, asked why he wishes to be mayor, noted his six years on the board, saying, “I want to be very involved with my community.

“I have a couple of kids in school here. My great, great grandparents first started coming here, so my family has a lot of history.

“Over the past six years, I have enjoyed putting in the service to the community. Tannersville is doing great and could be even better. 

“I want to be at the forefront of getting Tannersville to the next phase,” Kashman said. “What that means to me is more business and more infrastructure projects.

“At the same time, I am looking to preserve the way of life we have here,” said Kashman, the owner of Last Chance Cheese Restaurant.

McGunnigle, asked why he would like to return as mayor, said, “I’ve been really disappointed with the performance of the last administration.

“Their ambition to dissolve the village showed they weren’t doing the work of the People. I respect David Kashman. He is a family man.

“But he should have known what the public understood. There was no reason to dissolve the village. There’d be reasons, if there was fiscal instability or lots of duplication of services costing taxpayers money.

“There wasn’t. I’m also disappointed in the job they’ve not done with grants I obtained. They’re blaming the State for things not getting done.

“The squeaky wheel gets things accomplished,” McGunnigle said. “I love this community. I want to get back to being that squeaky wheel that gets things accomplished. If they’d done a good job, I’d have stayed retired.” 

A list of persons wanting the two board of trustees positions includes Kody Leach, Gil Adler, Stephen Tuomey and Rebecca Fitting.

Leach’s name appears on both the Republican and Democratic Party lines. Adler represents the GOP with Tuomey on the Democratic Party slate. Fitting appears on the ticket for The Village.

Whoever is victorious will replace Dylan Legg, who has chosen not to seek re-election, and Kashman, who could ascend the political ladder.

The elections will be held on March 18 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 1 Park Lane in Tannersville.

 

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Out Lexington Way

By Christine Dwon

Congratulations to Dede Terns-Thorpe for being chosen Greene County Person of the year.  Well deserved!  Thank you Dede for everything you do.

What fantastic performances by the Hunter-Tannersville Middle/High School Theater Department  presenting “Disney Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” directed by Shannon Sambrook on March 7 and March 8.   The costumes, cast, crew, production team, everyone involved were amazing. 

Happy birthday to Ray Clinton on Friday, March 14.

Saturday, March 15 is Stephanie Pushman’s birthday.

Also celebrating birthdays on March 15 are Grace Berger and Ben Gallagher.

Monday, March 17 is Nancy Albanese’s birthday.

Kevin Aurigema’s birthday is Wednesday, March 19.

March 19 is Lori and Skip Dippold’s wedding anniversary.

Best wishes to all.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Luncheon at the Windham-Hensonville UMC, Main Street, Windham will be Friday, March 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  For $18 you will receive a corned beef sandwich, coleslaw, Bag O’ Chips, dessert, soda or water.  Free delivery of three or more in Windham and Hensonville.  To pre-order or day of sale, call 518-734-4122.

Saturday, March 15 is an All You Can Eat Breakfast hosted by the Ashland Fire Department at 12094 Route 23, Ashland.  Breakfast is from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Come and enjoy eggs cooked to order (no poached eggs), sausage or bacon, home fries, white or wheat toast, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, biscuits and gravy or grilled breakfast sandwich with egg, American cheese, bacon or sausage and side of home fries, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, choice of orange juice, cranberry juice or apple juice.  This breakfast is to benefit the Ashland Fire Department’s 100th Celebration in 2026.  Eat in or take out for a free will offering.

On Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Haines Falls Volunteer Fire Company and Auxiliary is hosting a Maple Weekend Breakfast at the Tannersville Rescue Squad Building, 21 Park Lane, Tannersville.  Menu includes real maple syrup, french toast, scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, coffee tea, hot chocolate, orange juice, apple juice, water – all for a free will offering.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is annually observed on March 29.  It commemorates the hardships suffered and sacrifices made by nine million Americans during the Vietnam War.  However, the holiday does not only honor the former soldiers, but also their families who supported them before and after the war.  Join TGM American Legion Post 187, 94 Second Street, Athens, for a special Vietnam Veterans Luncheon on Saturday, March 29 at 12 p.m.  Free to all Veterans.

There will be a combined service of the Mountain Top Parish Churches on Sunday, March 30 at 10 a.m. in the Ashland Community UM Church, 12216 Route 23, Ashland.  A covered dish luncheon will  follow the service.  All welcomed.

Hensonville Hose Company’s annual Fish Fry will be held on Fridays through April 18.  You can eat in or take out at the firehouse, 432 State Route 296, Hensonville, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Dinners include your choice of fried fish, chicken or clam strips, baked potato or french fries, coleslaw, dinner roll, brownie.  You can add extra fish, chicken or clams to any dinner.  Mozzarella sticks are also available for sale.  Dinners are $20.  Pre-order to avoid the rush, 518-734-3040.

The HTC, NHS and NJHS is sponsoring a Blood Drive at the Hunter/Tannersville Middle/High School, 6094 Main Street, Tannersville, in the gym on Friday, April 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  To schedule an appointment, please see a member of HTC, NHS or NJHS.  You may also visit www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code 6433nyp or call 1-800-REDCROSS,

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Annual Maple Brunch, Sunday, April 13 at 10 a.m. in the West Kill/Lexington Community Hall, 141 Spruceton Road, West Kill.

The Greene County Senior Nutrition Program menu for the week of March 17 – March 21 is as follows:  Monday—Corned beef and cabbage, carrots, boiled potatoes, chocolate cake with Andes Mints; Tuesday—Chicken Dijon, California vegetable mix, mashed potatoes, pineapples/mandarin oranges; Wednesday—Shepherd’s pie, broccoli, peanut butter cookies; Thursday—Turkey burger with peppers and onions, cauliflower Au Gratin, mashed potatoes, pears; Friday—Tuna salad plate, cucumbers, and tomatoes, mixed greens, potato salad, fresh fruit.  All persons 60 and older and spouses, are invited to attend.  Congregate meals served at noon Monday through Friday.  Suggested donations $4 per meal.  Congregate dining reservations are required by noon at least a day in advance.  If you reserve a meal and are unable to attend, please call as soon as you can to cancel.  This helps reduce our food waste.  If you have food allergy, please notify us.  Allergen information is available for prepared food items.  The number to call for the Senior Service Center at the Jewett Municipal Building, Route 23C, Jewett, is 518-263-4392.

Thank you to all law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, dispatchers, healthcare providers, volunteers, veterans and actively serving military, farmers, truck drivers and so many more.

Prayers for all who are dealing with loss, illnesses, healing, difficulties, our country, our military and their families, the world.

Until next week take care, be thankful, be respectful, be safe and please be kind to one another.  Your act of kindness may change someone’s life.

 

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Lexington FD Gets New Tanker, Exploring New Highway Garage

Volunteer firefighters from the Town of Lexington Fire District check out their new 2,000 gallon tanker.

By Michael Ryan

LEXINGTON - It isn’t necessarily a bad thing that government leaders in Lexington are getting antsy about the new highway department garage.

Their eagerness to begin the multi-million dollar project is welcome and understandable but merely not doing them much good.

Town supervisor JoEllen Schermerhorn reported, at a meeting last week, that a strict timeline has been set for launching aspects of the effort.

That startup schedule of March 25 is linked to $1,131,662 the town has been awarded through the State Department of Environmental Conservation Climate Smart Communities grant program.

Local taxpayers need to come up with the rest of the estimated $2.26 million cost which is partly why officials are feeling all aflutter about initiating whatever can be initiated.

There is a lot to do, most importantly, seeking and hopefully finding other outside funding sources while also having talks with banks and potential bond counsellors related to securing bonds for eventual borrowing.

That element is being diligently researched, and the design of the structure has already been accomplished by Lamont Engineers.

But things like actually putting the job out to bid must wait which is enough to make grown women and men fidgety, and not exactly sitting still.

A special building committee formed in relation to the project is tentatively slated to assemble soon, leading up to the town council’s next regular monthly meeting on April 1.

As the various details unfold, enthusiasm has not waned for the new garage which was already considered long overdue.

Schermerhorn, when the DEC grant was announced in December, said she was “ecstatic” about the windfall which was seeming like a pipe dream following so many years of wishing.

“This happened because of many people working together,” the supervisor said at the time, currently continuing to praise the engineering firm, members of special committee and the community as a whole.

The need for upgrades in the highway department dates back two decades and more, to the period when the late Kenneth Becker was supervisor, searching diligently for external economic help.

It was well known the old highway garage, located along Route 42, had been the target of multiple flooding incidents, most dramatically in the summer of 2011 and Tropical Storm Irene.

Becker’s earlier town board efforts set the groundwork for current plans to have the Department of Environmental Protection buy that property thru their flood mitigation program.

Lexington’s road department is currently spread out, housed primarily in makeshift quarters at Mosquito Point, along Route 23A, while using the deteriorating Route 42 structure for some storage.

There is also a modern winter sand storage building along Greene County Route 13 where the new facility will be constructed.

Lexington’s new home base will be a single story 58-by-152-foot wood-framed structure constructed to the southwest of the existing salt shed,” documents from Lamont Engineers state.

“The building will have six 16-foot-wide by 14-foot-tall truck bays, as well as administrative/office areas, storage, a break room, and unisex restroom with shower,” Lamont Engineers states. 

Dollars brought in by the sale of the old garage to DEP will be invested in the new facility, and after the new headquarters are done, the Mosquito Point building can be sold, recouping more money.

In other matters:

—Town council members reported the purchase of a firefighting truck by the Lexington Fire District, taking delivery on February 28.

The new, 2025 vehicle is a 2,000 gallon tanker, armed with a capacity to pump 1500 gallons per minute, according to fire chief Paul Dwon.

It has a Kenmore chassis and was purchased from Bulldog Fire & Emergency Apparatus in Albany on a $400,000 bond.

The bright and shiny red rig - more gleaming than the rest of the fleet only because it is au courant - replaces a 1995 Mack tanker that will shortly have a different home in the State of Washington.

—Town council members reported the retirement of longtime highway crewman Allen Cross, a hometown Lexingtonian, possessing over a quarter-century of service. His last official day is March 31.

 

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LEGISLATURE STUFF - Tip of the Cap to 250

By Michael Ryan

CATSKILL - The country has a noteworthy anniversary coming in 2026, prompting the Greene County Legislature to create a 250th American Revolution Commission.

Lawmakers agreed to establish the Commission following a presentation by county historian Jonathan Palmer during a legislative County Resources committee meeting, last week.

It is fully expected a resolution toward that end will be officially accepted when the legislature holds its regular monthly meeting on March 19.

America was philosophically formed on July 4, 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence even as the Revolutionary War continued for an additional five years, culminating in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Palmer initially approached the legislature two years ago, wanting to get the ball rolling on what will be a multi-year celebration of freedom, coinciding with the span between 1776 and 1783.

Nothing is close to being etched in stone but Palmer, in a letter to local lawmakers, spelled out the reason for the Commission.

“National, State and private entities are now in the midst of organizing commissions charged with the diverse responsibilities to plan and promote events.” Palmer wrote.

Key to that effort will be identifying and allocating funding, “in order that the Nation’s 250th will be an event both worthy and beneficial to the public,” Palmer wrote

“This year, the State Legislature passed a bill organizing a New York State 250th Commission. Many of our neighboring counties have followed suit.”

Those counties, and now including Greene County, are “organizing their own commissions in order that an administrative framework would be in place through which planning could be accomplished and potential funding could be channelled,” Palmer wrote.

“While it remains unclear what the full scope of 250th celebrations could be, and though we are uncertain what kind of federal and State funding will be made available, it is nonetheless imperative that Greene County organize a commission,” Palmer wrote.

It is expected the Commission, at the outset, will call upon 13 individuals, in honor of the 13 original colonies, Palmer said.

Those members would tentatively include the county administrator or the legislature chairman, representing county government.

Other members would tentatively be representatives from the county Tourism office and Veterans Services, and the county historian.

They will be joined by a county Chamber of Commerce member, a primary school administrator and educator and representatives from the county-based Library Association and Daughters of the American Revolution.

The Commission would be completed with representatives from the county Historical Society, the Mountaintop Historical Society, the Zadock Pratt Museum and Thomas Cole National Historic Site.

As time passes and the grassroots group’s role is clarified, it is hoped an enthusiasm grows, spreading to every community and home.

“We can get this started but let’s not do this only as a legislature or only these certain organizations,” says legislature chairman Patrick Linger.

“Let’s get the whole county involved, the schools, the towns and villages, their local history groups. Local people know their history best and then hopefully we can tie all these ideas together,” Linger said.

The legislative resolution states the Commission has been assembled because, “milestone anniversaries commemorating significant historical events give our citizens the opportunity to reflect on our past and gain a better understanding of the way these people, events and ideas shaped our county, state and nation.

“The 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution will be observed from

2025 through 2033, and throughout that period the geographical area that would become Greene County played a significant role in several events, meetings, raids, and supply and logistical efforts.

“In the year 1775, two hundred and twenty-five residents of the Coxsackie

and Great Embought Districts of Albany County became signatories to an article of association declaring their allegiance to the revolutionary Continental Congress and Provincial Convention of New York.

“These two hundred and twenty-five signatories did further align themselves by providing both civil and military service in defense of and in service to the Revolutionary cause,” the resolution states.

“Following the successful conclusion of the Revolution, the geographical area that would become Greene County experienced an influx of new settlement by families who had likewise provided service to the Revolutionary cause in the various states of New England.

“In testament to the enduring commitment of the people of this place to the

ideals of the Revolution, a new County was formed on March 25, 1800, through a partition of Albany and Ulster Counties and named in honor of revolutionary hero General Nathanael Greene.

“In recognition of this rich heritage, it is appropriate for Greene County to

commemorate this anniversary by facilitating events and activities that engage its citizens and provide an opportunity to learn about our common heritage, develop pride of place and celebrate our shared history.”

 

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(MORE) LEGISLATURE STUFF - Did You Say 4 Million Dollars More?

By Michael Ryan

CATSKILL - It was always going to boil down to how much this would cost and that number is closer to being known but not ironclad as the Greene County Legislature continues its talks on emergency medical services.

Lawmakers held their latest meeting on the possibility of creating a county ambulance system, on Wednesday night (too late for this edition).

Leading up to that session, separate sit downs have been taking place with current ambulance administrators and other rescue personnel in the field.

The purpose was to combine their facts, figures and perspectives on the issue with those of an outside consultant brought in by the county to conduct a thorough study of the existing system.

All those findings were slated to be shared, Wednesday, with municipal leaders who have been an integral part of the discussions since they began, late last fall, aimed at cutting through all previous rigmarole.

Similar discussions occurred a decade or so ago, coming to the precipice of moving to a unified county network, only to have key town officials retreat in the eleventh hour, dooming the plan.

While no such dead end is anticipated this time around, with many county leaders privately saying they are prepared to move ahead with or without acceptance from the fourteen towns, the goal is reaching total support.

Before anything can happen, lawmakers want to present a black-and-white bottom line to local government leaders, hoping to do so by this summer.

Multiple variables will determine that figure, such as higher pay and health benefits for workers, buying out current municipal squads (in terms of equipment, supplies, etc.) and potentially purchasing new rigs.

Initial estimates to operate a single system, rather than disparate municipal units, have been put at between $10 to 12 million annually, officials say.

That dollar amount would represent an increase of a minimum of $4 million, based on how much the towns are currently paying, along with what the county contributes to overall emergency medical response.

While no hard-and-fast number has been arrived at, as yet, “I don’t think it will be less than that,” legislature chairman Patrick Linger says.

Linger and county administrator Shaun Groden have been spearheading the conversations. “We’re on the right track,” Linger says.

“If we’re going to build a system from the ground up, we have to take all preconceived notions out of play. It’s up to the legislature to do that.”

While the current system of separate groups is not broken, the county’s best emergency medical people, and town officials in charge of their municipal budgets, acknowledge it is not sustainable.

And it is widely agreed the days of individual ambulance teams inevitably are over, even if no one is exactly sure how the future is going to look.

“We’e still calculating the money,” Groden says, noting one major key to the final expense will be the number of fulltime and parttime workers.

Differing totals for the necessary, at-the-ready ambulances have been proposed by the group of administrators and the consultant.

The top number is 12 ambulances during peak daytime hours with 9 at night, when emergency calls are, on average, lessened.

As few as 10 daytime and 9 nighttime rigs have been suggested, a small distinction, seemingly, but one with significant fiscal ramifications.

“If we want to do 10 and 9, I can tell you how many manhours that is on an annual basis,” Groden says. “Obviously, if we go 12 and 9 that would be different. We’re talking about more staff, more everything.

“Do we even have that personnel now, spread over the various towns and the flycars?” Groden said, referring, in the latter, to the Greene County Emergency Medical Systems Inc. system.

The flycars are currently manned and womaned 24/7, literally on the road, immediately responding to the scene with a paramedic on board.

That system does not offer patient transport to a hospital, however, presenting an equally daunting shortcoming to be remedied. 

“Will we have the personnel to do this, if we go to twelve ambulances?” Groden says. “If we don’t, where will we get them?”

It is hoped that a countywide network, with a sweet benefits package and greatly higher salaries, linked to the State retirement system, will draw individuals already in the workplace or interested in a career.

Training and an opportunity to advance in the county-based department will, again hopefully, make Greene County a prime job destination.

“On paper, it is relatively easy to take what would be the new hourly pay rates and health benefit factors for X number of workers, and give the legislature that number,” Groden says.

“But what if they say, ‘Umm, excuse me Shaun, did you say an additional four million dollars?’ That’s a hard pill to swallow in the short term even if reading off the same hymnal is better over the long haul,” Groden says

“And then there’s the question, ‘How will this impact each town,” Groden says, in terms of taxation that will likely be factored on assessment.

Bearing the cost in mind, and its still unknown elements, Linger says, “this isn’t something we can do nothing about anymore. This is town officials telling us something has to change, not the legislature.

“I believe a county system is the way to go,” Linger says. “And if a town wants to do something else on their own, that’s up to them.”

 

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Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - Kid’s Fishing Derby Marred by Misguided Enforcement

Nobody has more esteem than I for the dedicated men and women who work hard at DEC. All too often, although it may not have been my original intention, I find I’m writing articles critical of DEC’s policies. For this week, I had planned to write an optimistic column about the coming of spring and trout season. That unfortunately got derailed when I learned of an unpleasant incident in Schoharie County.     The Schoharie County Conservation Alliance (SCCA) held a kid’s ice fishing derby a few weeks back on the Franklinton Vly off Route 145 in Livingstonville. The sportsmen and women-volunteers were teaching kids to fish, connecting them to nature and a healthy outdoor activity, while promoting sportsmanship and perhaps more importantly, what becomes possible when community volunteers get together to give back. Sounds idyllic, and it was. That is, until the arrival of NYS DEC Forest Ranger Aaron France, who brought with him not a single measure of support, but did bring a healthy dose of aggressive government overreach. Ranger France immediately confronted sportsmen-volunteer and SCCA President, Greg Warner, stating he was in violation for having driven his ATV across state lands to get onto the ice. Greg told Ranger France he did not cross any state lands as he and the other operators of ATVs on the ice had accessed the pond going solely over private land which is not a violation of any law.   The Ranger summarily dismissed his explanation, then issued three tickets to Gregg and two other volunteer-sportsmen for operating ATVs on state lands. During the encounter, the Schoharie County president reports the Ranger was quite rude and intimated he might have shut the whole kid’s derby down because of the alleged violations. Exasperated at the statement, the Schoharie County Sportsmen’s Alliance president asked why he would do such a thing to a kid’s fishing derby? Ranger France reportedly replied, “Because I can.”   That ludicrous sequence of events begs the question, why Forest Rangers are even on the ice checking fishermen? It’s the mission of ECOs to enforce fish and game laws pertaining to ice fishing and the like, while Rangers are experts in search and rescue, forest protection, and combating wildfires.   Kids learning to fish through the ice are typically greeted by ECOs who assist and educate them. The same ice fishers can then be subjected to Rangers checking them with an eye to writing tickets, or as in this case, issue erroneous tickets for violations that do not exist. The regulations prohibiting access to the Vly using ATVs and snowmobiles are circumspect at best and should be considered for amendment or repeal as there is no demonstrable environmental benefit to the resource. The president of SCCA stated, “You got people in charge making up these rules that don’t care about the public.”   Upon a request for their view of the information surrounding this incident, DEC spokesman, Jeff Wernick, responded with the following statement: “Three adults were issued tickets for operating ATVS on a Wildlife Management Area. After further evaluation of the evidence, the tickets were dismissed.”  The tickets were dismissed by the Town of Broome Court because there was absolutely no reason for their issuance, just as SCCA President, Greg Warner had explained to the Ranger at the onset of their encounter.  SCCA is a highly respected and responsible charitable organization. They had obtained a permit from DEC for the event in question which allowed one fully registered snowmobile to cross a portion of the state land to transport elderly volunteers, heavy supplies, BBQ’s etc, necessary to feed a hot lunch to the many kids and volunteers in attendance. It takes a lot of help to put on such a wonderful free kid’s fishing event. Volunteers include many very senior members of the community as well as a cadre of SUNY Cobleskill students who help support the kids by providing live bait.    SCCA remains an icon of sportsman-based volunteerism, charity, and support in Schoharie County. The list of their generosity in terms of time and money for worthy causes is exhaustive but a few are worth noting. They include a venison donation program where this year, over 1,000 pounds of nutritious, lean venison was delivered to eight different food pantries throughout the county. It cost SCCA $2,270.00 for the meat processing alone. They host a disabled veterans shooting program, summer and winter kids fishing derbies, support SUNY Cobleskill students with the Dorwin Hamm Scholarship, and donate funds to support fish and wildlife students traveling to pertinent charitable national events. They created and fund a winter Youth Archery Program attended by 85-150 kids per week from ages 3-16. That includes purchase of all equipment, bows, targets and support for the program. They donate lifetime hunting and fishing licenses to youths to recruit the next generation of hunters and fisherman and even obtain grants to improve habitat and access for the public for outdoor recreation.    Organized sportsmen and women’s groups like SCCA deserve better. All those who recreate deserve better. Even if the volunteers had committed some minor violation, such heavy and ham-handed enforcement at a kid’s fishing derby was entirely unwarranted. Many of DEC’s current programs like fish and pheasant stocking, hunter education, hunter and trapper task forces, and citizen science efforts were either built, or bolstered by organized sportsmen groups like the SCCA. They should be given awards, not tickets.

News and Notes

Shed Hunting Presentation at Westkill Brewing Co. on April 5th; 

CORRECTION: Turkey Calling Seminar on April 13th 

The Westkill Brewing Company at 2173 Spruceton Road in West Kill NY is hosting an antler shed hunting presentation at a cost of $30.00 per person on April 5th at 11:00 am. For tickets and further information go to their website at https://www.westkillbrewing.com/. 

The following week they will host a free turkey calling seminar on April 13th beginning at 

1:30 pm. There will be instruction, raffles, 50/50s and much more. No registration is required for the turkey calling seminar.

Remember to report poaching violations by calling the 24-hour ECO Dispatch at: 

1-844-DEC-ECOS.

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