HOME GROWN SOUNDS BRINGS LOCAL TALENT, FOOD and FESTIVITIES TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT THE ROXBURY ARTS GROUP

ROXBURY –  On Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 3 PM, Home Grown Sounds, an event featuring local musicians and literary talents, food, drink and other festive activities will take place at the Hilt Kelly Hall in the Roxbury Arts Center.  This special event hosted by hosted by Zamyra and Ted Hannan will benefit the Roxbury Arts Group.  Tickets are available with Tiered Equity Pricing and can be purchased in advance at www.roxburyartsgroup.org or at the door. 

"Home Grown Sounds celebrates the incredible depth of talent in our community while supporting the organization that nurtures and showcases that talent year-round," said Jenny Rosenzweig, Executive Director of the Roxbury Arts Group. "This is grassroots fundraising at its finest—neighbors supporting neighbors through the arts."

The afternoon features an eclectic lineup of local performers spanning multiple genres and artistic disciplines. Author Jennifer Kabat will share from her acclaimed twinned memoirs "The Eighth Moon" and "Nightshining," published by Milkweed Editions in 2024 and 2025.  Musical performances include Jeff Entin with Scott Blum offering an eclectic mix of improvisational music performed by two masters of their instruments. Lali and the Pops, born in the backroom of a bowling alley, present an amalgamation of old school and nouveau with their multi-genre five-piece band covering everything from old standards to familiar rock tunes, with original compositions sprinkled throughout each set.

Additional acts include Marilyn Kirby's Bad Math Trio with their "Smooth Adult Retro Contemporary Multi Genre Positive Energy Original Music," the seven-piece classic rock band Sue's Garage with their sprinkling of blues, country, jazz and pop, and Walter Dominicis and His Cuban Blues presenting all original, all acoustic music with Rudy Echeverri on congas and Scott Blum on percussion.  Whiskey Lily, featuring local residents Kyle Faracci, Zach Baldwin-Way, and Phyllis Frome, will perform various vintage classics, while William "Bill" Duke rounds out the afternoon with performances on both the shovel and mountain dulcimer.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the afternoon, with all proceeds benefiting Roxbury Arts Group's year-round arts programming including: creative learning opportunities, world-class performances, community outreach programs, gallery exhibitions and grants and continuing education workshops that support our creative community.  Tickets and information available at the door or at www.roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607.326.7908.

All programs offered by the Roxbury Arts Group are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature, the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, The Community Foundation for South Central New York, the Tianaderrah Foundation, The Delaware National Bank of Delhi, and individual supporters.

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The Greene County Murders - Episode 7

Esther Cohen

Beulah was not a church goer. Not for any real reason. She didn’t define herself as agnostic, but there was something she never liked, even as a child, when her parents would take her, every single Sunday, to a large dark dismal building a few miles away, where everyone would sit together in long lines on hard pews, staring straight ahead and listening to a small man dressed in long white robes, droning on about life lessons. Beulah was never very good at paying attention to what he was saying, but all those clean people sitting in rows made her want to get up and leave. Not that she was ever a rebel. Not even a little. Still, conformity wasn’t her thing either. And as soon as it was up to her, she just stopped going to church.

But after she did a little bit of digging, she found out that Delores’s lover John and his wife Emily, her probable killer, were regular attendees at the big Catholic church in Hudson. Carol was a woman that Beulah could call a sort of friend. For years they’d worked together in the same school, and on occasion, they’d sit together for lunch in the faculty room. Beulah ate the very same lunch every single day for years: cottage cheese, a banana, one slice of bread.

Carol and Beulah led opposite lives. Carol had been happily married to Ed for 40 years. She had three children, two siblings, and many friends. An open, generous person with a large heart, Carol was who Beulah called to ask about John and Emily. Not a small talk person at all, Beulah got right to the point:

“Carol,” she said. Her only attempt at niceties. “Carol,” she repeated. “Do John and Emily go to your church? They’re Catholic, I know.”

“Yes,” replied Carol. “They sit three rows in front of me every Sunday. By the way Beulah. How are you? I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“How am I is besides the point,” Beulah replied. “This summer I am redefining myself. Becoming a detective. Maybe just this once, but if it works, maybe more.”

“A detective,” Carol replied. “How did you decide on that as a new vocation?” Carol retired early to take care of her grandchildren.

“A dead body inspired me,” said Beulah. “Someone I knew a little. People liked her. I don’t know exactly why, but I thought it might be a good idea to find out who kllled her. I’ve slowly been gathering clues.”

“How in the world are you doing that?”

“Carefully,” said Beulah. “I’m not an impulsive person, as you know. I make lists of what I know, and constantly revise them. But what I know is very little. I know Delores was well-loved. She had many friends, none of whom seem like likely suspects. I haven’t been able to build much of an enemies list. As for her relatives, even they seemed to like her. Imagine that,” said Beulah.

“Don’t your relatives like you?” Carol sounded surprised.

“I have two cousins, both single. They both live far away from here. Haven’t talked to them in years. I have no idea if they like me but if I had to guess, I’d say Not Much. They don’t call me and I don’t call them. Daughters of my mother’s sister Mary. One funny fact: they’re both librarians. But they live far from one another too. Ours wasn’t a close family.”

“You can say that again,” laughed Carol. And Beulah, not known for her sense of humor, repeated the sentence, just for fun.

“By the way,” she asked. “Can I join you for church on Sunday? What time do you go?”

“”Church?” Carol laughed. “I thought you hated churches. We go to the 10 o’clock service. Are there suspects there?”

“I* can’t say,” said Beulah. “But I’ll tell you one thing for sure: God didn’t do it.”

 

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ASF to Hosting Multi-Sport Summer Camp

WINDHAM – The Adaptive Sports Foundation will host its Multi-Sport Summer Camp for individuals with disabilities which started yesterday, Aug. 14 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 17, in Windham.

Twelve campers, ranging in age from 15 to 44, are expected to attend.

The ASF’s Multi-Sport Summer Camp provides fun, accessible exercise opportunities at CD Lane Park and other locations in the Windham area. The first three days of the four-day session will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with lunch at 11:30 a.m. The final day will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at noon with a barbecue at the ASF lodge.

The camp kicked off Thursday at CD Lane Park, where participants will meet ASF staff and volunteers before starting the day with a morning hike around the lake and through wooded trails. After the hike, the group will head to the soccer fields for drills and a game before breaking for lunch. After lunch, the group will take the ASF shuttle bus to Christman’s Windham House for a golf session at the driving range and putting green.

On Friday, campers will return to CD Lane Park for a morning of Wiffle ball and disc golf. In the afternoon after a break for lunch, the participants will shoot some hoops on the basketball court and will have the opportunity to ride bikes around the park before getting picked up.

Saturday is a lake day at CD Lane Park, where campers will enjoy kayaking, pedal boating and swimming in the morning. After a lunch break, lake activities will continue in the afternoon. For those participants who prefer to stay on land, the ASF will offer playground games like red rover, tag and cornhole. Campers can also enjoy the park’s beach volleyball court.

Saturday also coincides with an ASF Adaptive Skateboard Camp session, which will also be held at CD Lane Park. Some campers may choose to strap on some pads and participate in the skateboarding activities, learning tricks from coach Johnny O’Connor and the rest of the ASF skateboard team.

On the final day, campers will meet at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center and take the ASF shuttle to Prattsville to visit Heidi Ruehlmann’s Alpaca Farm. Frank Cabrera, ASF snowboard competitions coach and a familiar face at the organization’s skateboard camps, cares for Ruehlmann’s herd and will guide campers as they feed and interact with the alpacas. Campers will return to the lodge for a barbecue lunch before departing.

Campers are asked to bring a bagged lunch and snacks, a bathing suit, towel, appropriate footwear and any necessary personal items.

For more information, visit www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org/summer-programs.

 

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Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

How time flies the older one gets!  Remember when summer seemed to last forever?  Now it's the second week in August. The daylight is getting noticeably shorter, the air has a sleepy feel to it, the colors are starting to take on the yellow hue.  By 6:30, we're looking for a sweater to put on to ward off the evening chill.  It is great sleeping weather, but the lakes are cooling off for those who enjoy swimming, making it refreshing, but not lounging around in a wet bathing suit.  Reminder:  start thinking about Halloween, and get your candy before it's sold out.  I couldn't believe the aisles were full of Halloween products  last week.  Rush the season!

A few weeks ago the President said he wanted to bring back the Presidential Physical Fitness program inaugurated by JFK.  Several of the "old timers" reminisced about their school days when gym class started out with a quick run around the gymnasium to get the old heart rate up.  In the warm weather it was once around the field which was a mile run.  Oh yes, there were many who cheated on that run.  Some changed quickly and ran to the last quarter mile post and when the instructor came out, pretended they ran the entire distance.  When talking to many friends, it's surprising just how many did that.  We then did warm up exercises, before the many sports.  When I was in high school we enjoyed archery (not me, I was probably the reason why they stopped), track and field, baseball, soccer, basketball.  We had gym every day.  We enjoyed the time using up our excess energy.  Now they have gym every other day in most schools, and kids get to sit and watch.  In the '60's they started the President's Physical Fitness program and for a few weeks each student had to have their progress recorded to monitor how the school was doing.  I  personally have no problem with PE exams.  Better than sitting and vegging out.

Don't forget the Jewett Fire Department Brooks chicken BBQ this Saturday (Aug 16)  starting at 4:30.  The Ashland  Community Church will be having a bake sale on the grounds.  Pick up some extra dessert or breakfast bread while you're there.

The North Settlement Church Restoration will be unveiling their new Historic Market on Saturday, September 13 at 11.  Pastor Mark Hamann will offer prayers, The Greene Room Players Songbirds will sing.  Old photos will be on display and cookies will be served.  If you have any old photos relating to the NS Church, please bring them along.  The church will be 200 years old next year. Let's make sure it lasts another 200.

Mitchell Hollow Chapel Service is Sunday, August 17th at 2 PM.

Peach Shortcake and Roast Beef Dinner on Tuesday August 19th, Take out only at the Tannersville Rescue Squad Building for the benefit of the Kaaterskill UMC. 

Pete O'Brien celebrated his 99th birthday on Aug 8, and Carol Yost will be 90.  Take the time to send a card or a phone call .

Jack Gates was up from North Carolina visiting Joan.  Keep them in your prayers.  Opal will be coming home from rehab this week.  Continuing prayers for Joyce Valenti, Claudia Bracallello, Eric Towse, Janice Maben , Greg Beckmann and Pat Decker.  

Thanks to all who attended the East Jewett Pancake dinner and Ice cream social. It was a fundraiser for the Albany City Rescue mission . The shelter has provided care for over 300,000 and counting.  

AS I REMEMBER IT

A few weeks ago while I was at the dentist, Peter asked me if I knew anything about the local ponds, and who is in control of them.  His office is right in Windham, across from the cemetery, and if you didn't know it was a pond, you'd think it was just a yucky lawn.  Many years ago, the insurance writers and the government asked farmers and people with no water near them to dig a pond for fire fighting purposes.  With new construction, most developments need catch ponds to control flooding.  They are beautiful, but with hot weather and no rain they turn into a green, slimy mess because of algae.  Many homeowners put in aerators to move the water to keep the dreaded mosquito under control.  Watching TV, the news is reporting on a rise in West Nile and other mosquito bite related diseases.  

The pond in Windham is the Creamery Pond which was the cooling system for the creamery.  In the winter the workers would cut ice and put it in the ice house with sawdust for summer use.  The cool water of the pond was circulated into big concrete vats to store the milk cans in when they were brought in.  Now it just sits and turns green.  

Have you ever spent a summer day in the middle of a lake doing absolutely nothing but floating?  The sun shining off the lake makes it glimmer and then the breeze comes and it ripples.  Fish jump, bullfrogs croak, dragonflies buzz eating bugs.  Maybe you hear the buzz of a lawnmower in the distance, sometimes people talking from a distance, but it's mostly pure bliss and solitude.  

Hopefully you will be able to experience the total decadence of a day floating on a pristine lake—-with no yucky green algae.

 

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Out Lexington Way

By Christine Dwon

The Greene Room Players Songbirds will have a free concert celebrating midsummer on the Mountain Top on Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Mountain Top Library 6093 Main Street, Tannersville.

Next Lexington Farmers Market is Saturday, Aug. 16 under the pavilion at the Lexington Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  There is a basket at the market to collect unexpired non-perishable food donations for the Hunter Community Fridge.  Volunteers from the Farmers Market deliver the donations to the Community Fridge Pantry.

Be sure to head over to the Jewett Fire Department, Route 17 on Saturday, Aug. 16 for their annual Brooks Chicken BBQ starting at 4 p.m. at the firehouse.  Full dinner includes half chicken, baked potato, corn on the cob, coleslaw, dinner roll and a Cosmic Brownie for $15.  Half a chicken only is $10.  Ashland Community Church will be hosting a bake sale with proceeds going to repair their church belfry.

Happy 34th wedding anniversary to Tina and Ray Albino on Saturday, Aug. 16

Happy birthday on Aug. 16 to Nancy Nelson.

Diane and Tom Cross celebrate their wedding anniversary on Sunday, Aug. 17.

Happy 21st birthday to Zachary Wolney Sunday, Aug. 17.

Monday, Aug. 18 it’s happy birthday to Matthew Bulich.

Jack Jordan celebrates his birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Also celebrating a birthday on Aug. 19 is Harvey Truesdell.

Stephanie (Simpfenderfer) Minervini’s birthday is Aug. 19.

Wednesday, Aug. 20 is Anna Spinneti’s birthday.

Best wishes to everyone.

The annual meeting of the West Kill Community Cemetery, Inc. will be held on Monday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. in the West Kill/Lexington Community Hall, 141 Spruceton Road, West Kill.

On Monday, Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Conesville United Methodist Chapel, 1295 State Route 990V, there will be a Fox News Crew talk led by Lee Hudson of the Gilboa Historical Society and Gilboa Museum with a showing of the silent newsreel created from archival Fox News footage of the building of the Gilboa Dam and the last days of the old village – “Gilboa in 1925, the Village, the Reservoir, the Fox news Crew.”  This is a free program in collaboration with the Gilboa Museum/Gilboa Historical Society.  You may email conesvillehistoricalsociety@gmail.com if you have questions.

Tuesday, Aug. 19 don’t miss the Roast Beef and Peach Shortcake Dinner hosted by the Kaaterskill UMC at the Tannersville Rescue Squad Building.  Takeouts only from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Free will offering.

There is one more Sunday Worship Service in the West Kill UMC on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. Service will resume in the Lexington/West Kill UMC in Lexington at 9 a.m. on Sunday Aug. 24.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. there will be a combined worship service of the Mountain Top Parish Churches at C. D. Lane Park, Maplecrest followed with a covered dish picnic.  All are invited to join.

The Greene County Senior Nutrition Program menu for the week of Aug. 18 – Aug, 22 is as follows:  Monday—Sloppy Joes, broccoli, brown rice, tropical fruit;  Tuesday—Turkey burger with peppers and onions, carrots. Au Gratin potatoes, peach crisp; Wednesday—Tortellini, sausage, Italian mixed vegetables, tiramisu cup; Thursday—Birthday celebration—roast turkey dinner with gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, birthday cupcake; Friday—Chicken Cobb salad with bacon, egg, tomatoes, mixed greens, blue cheese crumbles, red wine vinaigrette, potato salad, fresh fruit.  All persons 60 and older and spouses are invited to attend.  Meals served at noon, suggested $4 donation for each meal.  Congregate 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.  Allergen information is available for prepared food items.  The number to call for the Senior Service Center at the Jewett Municipal Building, 3547 County Route 23C, Jewett is 518-263-4392.

Some events coming up in September:

Greene County Seniors Citizens Day, “A Day at the Races,” sponsored by Greene County Department of Human Services on Friday, Sept. 12 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Warehouse at the Historic Catskill Point.  Lunch, music, vendors and door prizes.  You must RSVP by Aug. 22.  Please call 518-719-3555.

There will be a Victorian Tea to benefit the Zadock Pratt Museum, Prattsville, on Saturday, Sept. 13 with seatings at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. You are invited to an elegant afternoon of tea, finger sandwiches, homemade desserts set in the historic charm of the Zadock Pratt homestead.  There will also be gift basket raffle and prizes.  The cost is $35 per person and reservations are required.  Dressy attire encouraged but not required.  To make your reservation, please text Lisa – 713-594-8118.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 13 is Greene County Vet2Vet and Greene County Veterans Service Agency Community Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Angelo Canna Town Park, Cairo.  This is a free event for all ages.  There will be a BBQ, inflatables, games, Corn Hole Tournament (must register), live music by The Lost Cowboys and more honoring those who served our country and their families.  Proceeds from event go to Veteran Children’s Scholarship Fund.

Next free Rabies Vaccine Clinic for Greene County residents will be Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Angelo Canna Town Park, Cairo.  Preregistration is required.  Call Greene County Public Health at 518-719-3600 option 1.

Thank you to all law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, dispatcher, volunteers, healthcare providers, veterans, 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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BETTER THAN HEARSAY - The Candidate Speaks

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - Connor Exum was recently nominated by the Windham Democratic Party to run for town supervisor in November, opposing incumbent Republican Thomas Hoyt.

Exum has asked to express his views on a proposed Zoning Law that is the subject of an upcoming public hearing, and two years in the making by a specially formed Zoning Commission.

This will be the first in what could be a series of public hearings ultimately resulting in adoption - or not - by the a majority of the Windham town council. Exum’s perspective on the important issue is as follows:

Is Windham Zoning Out Locals? 

I am asking everyone to come to the August 19th public hearing at the Center Church in Windham at 7 p.m. to voice your concern about the Zoning Proposal.

I am making this request as a concerned citizen and candidate for Town Supervisor of Windham. Please, I hope you will take a moment to read my reasoning on why this Zoning Plan is detrimental to the community’s future well-being. 

Cost of living is one of the most pressing issues for any community in America. In New York State, this issue is tied to the ability to afford housing. 

According to a study by Cornell and the NYS Department of Labor in 2024, 10.5% of people polled about intrastate migration moved due to the need to find affordable housing.

Other communities on the Mountain Top (Prattsville and Tannersville) are tackling the problems of affordability in the housing market, but Windham is planning no such strategy for the future.

Windham can no longer avoid these basic facts about the state of New York State’s cost of living. Nor can Windham avoid the fact that our housing market cannot be supported by our job market.  

Our community’s proposed Zoning Plan promotes a rapid increase in the housing market’s value while putting negative pressure on the ability to create corresponding economic growth.

This is the primary reason our community is rapidly transitioning into a second-homeowner-only community.  According to the Windham Comprehensive Plan of 2020, our town is already facing an issue with vacant/seasonal homes (67.1% of the total homes) that dot our landscape. 

We’re also facing the issue that only 17% of the housing stock is owned by 25-44-year-old families in our community. Many in Windham are already painfully aware of these conditions.   

Facts such as these seem to have had little impact on the planning process for the zoning proposal. Why the zoning commission has adopted policies such as restricting future lot minimums of 5 acres in the Rural Residential district (the majority of land on the zoning map) and 2 acres in the Hamlet districts is difficult to comprehend.

This policy will only make our land shortage more acute and increase the value of our properties, further excluding many potential buyers from the housing market completely.

By not increasing the amount of mixed-use and cluster zoning in the community, we will leave our community devoid of population and economic growth now and in the future.  

Parking mandates will make developing future businesses in our community that much more costly and difficult.

One such mandate requires 1 parking space for every 3 seats. A 60-seat restaurant will then require 20 parking spaces. Where is one to find  20 parking spaces within 500 feet of your establishment on Main Street, Windham, or worse yet, in Hensonville?

The unfortunate answer is that these spaces cannot be accommodated on Main Street without demolishing existing properties.  This is why the requirements of mandating parking are, at this point, considered outdated by most planners.

Why is our Zoning Commission attempting to add every obstacle to prevent affordable growth in our community with provisions like this?  A viable Main Street is livable and has employment options.

This Zoning Plan’s goals are contrary to a Main Street that is vibrant and livable. Once again, the zoning plan roadblocks these goals by limiting dwelling units to 4 per acre in business districts such as our Main Street. 

The Zoning Commission should be championing affordable homes right on our Main Streets with zoning that creates row housing or multi-family apartment buildings. 

I’m perplexed as to why our zoning plan seems to avoid any possible creation of a full-time residential base on Main Street. The fact is a strong presence of living space and employment on a Main Street drives up value and increases economic growth. 

Perhaps, this low-density policy is an attempt to reduce short-term rentals? If so, more effective legislative measures exist.  Simply banning short-term rentals from the Main Streets of Windham and Hensonville is more effective. 

The current proposed approach will only limit short-term rentals, not remove them, and they will still crowd out the development of affordable long-term homes we desperately require on our Main Streets.  

Instead of embracing the development of common spaces and cluster zoning in our Hamlet Regions and Districts, we’ve embraced an older style of land development that will see the creation of more urban sprawl.

Urban Sprawl like this will create a more congested and more car-dominated future in our community while also driving up the prices of natural resources.

Make no mistake, this community will never have enough parking along Main Street (Windham or Hensonville) to satisfy this type of expansion that the Zoning Plan is creating.

By placing the emphasis on the size of individual lots of 2 acres (Hamlet District) and 5 acres (Rural Residential) instead of clustering them together to save space, our community will force residents into using cars for even the most mundane of trips to Main Street. 

We should instead focus our development on creating Complete Street-compliant streets throughout the community. Complete Streets will encourage the building of sidewalks and bike lanes.

These features will increase both bike and foot traffic, which will be the catalyst for economic growth in our community.

It seems all of these considerations were not given a moment's thought in our Zoning Proposal. We are sleepwalking ourselves into a future where many residents will no longer be able to live in our community. 

The segment of the local population that cleans the homes, mows the lawns and takes care of the day-to-day necessities of this community will be the first group no longer able to live on the Mountain Top.

But, make no mistake, this group will not be the only part of our community disenfranchised. The proud old families that claim 8 or 10 generations of living in these cozy hamlets will no longer be residents with our current job market - a job market that will not allow for the 9th and 11th generations of these families the type of livelihoods that will afford the housing market we are creating in this community.

 

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LEGISLATURE STUFF - In the Way of Flood Waters

By Michael Ryan

CATSKILL - If there is a piece of property that would be suitable for a rather large highway department garage in the town of Ashland, Greene County highway superintendent Scott Templeton would like to know about it.

Templeton recently gave his usual monthly report to the county legislature, giving updates on several projects involving culverts and bridges, etc.

Lawmakers listened with rapt attention, knowing that citizens are pretty persnickety about roadways, ease of travel and, in particular, detours whenever and wherever work is being done.

Details were also given on the summer paving season but prior to that, a resolution was passed related to county highway garage #3, situated in Ashland, along State Route 23.

Money has been made available for a feasibility study on moving the facility which is smack dab in the middle of the Bataviakill flood plain.

The resolution states that a Catskill Watershed Corporation 'Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program” has approved the dollars for reasons dating back to Tropical Storm Irene and beyond.

Irene’s flooding blasted the mountaintop, leading to the writing of various Local Flood Analysis reports in affected municipalities and the county.

There is a “flood mitigation overview” offered on the Catskill Watershed Corporation website stating that the, “CWC is a key player in a suite of programs intended to improve the flood resilience of local communities.

“In recent years, multiple flood events in the New York City Watershed West of the Hudson River have prompted emergency response programs to repair roads and other infrastructure, remove stream debris and assist homeowners and businesses in the weeks and months immediately following a natural disaster,” the website states.

“The long term goal of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Implementation Program is to supplement existing sources of funding for structural and nonstructural projects to improve the flood resilience of communities located within the boundaries of the New York City water-supply watershed, west of the Hudson River,” the website states.

“Repeated flood damage endangers residents and degrades regional water quality, and challenges Watershed communities in their efforts to achieve economic stability and sustainability,” the website states.

CWC works with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and county-based Soil and Water Conservation Districts to “help property owners prepare for the next flood,” the website states.

“Projects supported by this Program will assist in preventing and mitigating flooding impacts,” the website states, with the county highway building in Ashland fitting that description to a T.

Lawmakers approved hiring LaBella Associates for engineering services, paying the Latham-headquartered firm $9,900, channeled through the Catskill Watershed Program.

Templeton, in a followup phone interview said, “the DEP wants our salt barn and other facilities out of there, out of the flood plain.”

The county currently owns the land and infrastructure along with a dozen plow trucks, a few pickups and other equipment and materials onsite.

DEP also reportedly wants the facility to stay in Ashland although that may be easier said than done, depending upon there being the right spot.

“The first stage is to find out if suitable land is even available,” Templeton said, noting the involved parties, if none is found in the ensuing weeks,  shall cross that logistical bridge when they come to it.

Greene County highway garage #3 primarily services the towns of Ashland and Windham, as well as parts of Prattsville and Jewett.

In terms of the paving season, Templeton said roughly 30 miles of roadway is being either blacktopped, moto-paved, micro-paved or chip-sealed, depending upon current conditions.

“We’re dealing with outside contractors doing multiple jobs and everybody wanting their job finished yesterday, but we’re on course for a very good year,” Templeton said.

Those pavings include:

—Town of Ashland (County Route 19 from Steinmetz Road to County Route 10 (1.21 miles);

—Town of Hunter, County Route 23C from State Route 23A to Cranberry Drive (0.86 miles);

—Town of Jewett, County Route 23C from County Route 78 to County Route 40 (3 miles);

—Town of Jewett, County Route 23C from Natty Bumpus Road to State Route 296 (0.61 miles).

 

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