CRCS JV Defeats Ichabod Crane 22-8

Photos and information by Karen Cuccinello

Cobleskill-Richmondville's JV football team defeated their counterparts at Ichabod Crane this week.

CRCS JV half time huddle with coach Shuart at Ichabod Crane Central School

CRCS JV Football versus Ichabod Crane 1st touchdown of 3

State Police arrest three men for Burglary following trespass complaint in the Town of Broome

State Police in Cobleskill arrested three Connecticut men charging them with Burglary 2nd and various other charges following a trespass complaint on Bates Hollow Road in the Town of Broome on October 8, 2016.
Troopers arrested Daniel W. Tarantino, age 44, of Waterbury Connecticut, Carl R. Colangelo, age 51 and Matthew J. Colangelo, age 22, also of Waterbury Connecticut, charging all three with Burglary 2nd a C Felony. Carl Colangelo and Daniel Tarantino were also charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th, a Class A Misdemeanor. The arrests were made following a complaint of an active trespass that was received through the Schoharie County 911 Dispatch Center. During the investigation Troopers located the defendants based on vehicle and personal descriptions. Stolen property from the the crime was recovered at the time of arrest. All three defendants were arraigned and remanded to the Schoharie County Correctional Facility in lieu of cash bail and given a return date of October 12, 2016 at the Broome Town Court. This investigation was a joint investigation headed by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation with assistance from the SP Cobleskill Road Patro

Matthew Colangelo

Carl Colangelo

Tarantino

Esperance Man Arrested on DWI Charges

State Police based in Cobleskill arrested an Esperance man for Driving While Intoxicated and multiple drug charges following a traffic stop on October 8, 2016.

 Troopers arrested Roger E. Sulem, age 38, of Esperance charging him with DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 1st, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. The charges occurred after Sulem was stopped for a traffic violation on State Route 20 in the Town of Esperance. Sulem was arraigned on the charges and remanded to the Schoharie County Correctional Facility in lieu of cash bail. Sulem is expected to appear in the Town of Esperance Court on October 12, 2016 at 6:00pm.

MIddleburgh Business Assn Reviews the Last First Friday

Photo and article by Sheila Donegan

The business association in Middleburgh, known as MABA, has experimented with varying times for its regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month. It has varied between morning and evening hours, in the attempt to include as many members and guests who can attend. This month, it was 8:30am today, at the Green Wolf Brewing Co.

 Of course, the conversation began with the most recent First Friday event, October 7, and that will be the last one for this year. It gets darker, earlier, and it was suggested that visiting vendors be told they might want to arrange for some lighting when they participate in the autumn. The event was very well-attended, despite the school homecoming game. Lots of people showed up after that.

 As always, stores and restaurants in the village keep later hours, vendors are allocated a spot to set up, there may be special activities, and there is always music. Curiosity takes people up and down the sidewalks, and everyone seems to have a good time.

Sheriff's Office Unveils Project C.R.A.S.H to County High Schoolers

COBLESKILL - Following months of shooting film and countless volunteer hours, the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office unveiled a twenty-seven minute film to the bulk of the county's high school students at SUNY Cobleskill on Thursday morning as part of the department's Project C.R.A.S.H initiative to discourage distracted teen driving.

Photos by Timothy Knight

Spearheaded by Schoharie County Deputy Bruce Baker, in conjunction with SCCASA, the project began as an idea that soon took on a life of its own. A life that would not have become reality if not for the community's support.

The acronym for Project C.R.A.S.H stands for Creating Real Alternatives & Spreading Hope, which Deputy Baker hopes can fill the void left by DARE and other programs following Irene. 

Operating on the mentality that, "If we're going to impact the community, we need to include the community," Deputy Baker told The Schoharie News in a recent interview that all hands were on deck for this project. 

The film was showed in two viewings, hosted in the
SUNY Cobleskill Ballroom at Bouck Hall.

From involving the county's six school districts and various EMS/Fire Departments to Schopeg and LifeNet, volunteers came out of the woodwork to assist Baker in the development of the emotional video, which depicts the fatal effects of distracted teen driving.

The film's cast consists of high school students, law enforcement officials, first responders, local stage actors, and News10 ABC reporters, while video was shot and edited by the county's public access station, Schopeg. 

The first of many school buses arriving to drop off
hundreds of Schoharie County high schoolers for the premier.

Unveiled in two premiers to the entirety of the county's Junior and Senior high school students, News10 morning reporter Samantha DiMascio tweeted on the scene that students were crying throughout the film, with some even leaving the room altogether. 

Encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of community support and the students favorable response, Deputy Baker indicated that the Sheriff's Office will be tackling other topics in future films, including substance abuse and suicide prevention. Baker told The Schoharie News that he is eyeing the release of both by this holiday season.

The video has been published online by Schopeg for anyone to view, while the Sheriff's Office has launched a Facebook page to promote Project C.R.A.S.H.

Cobleskill Police Blotter

Monday, October 3, 2016

At 2:00 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Dane Knight, 21, of Cobleskill, NY, for Menacing in the 3rd degree.  He was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and released on his own recognizance.  He is to return to Cobleskill Town Court on October 18th at 5:00 p.m.

Friday, October 7, 2016

At 12:25 a.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Zachary R. Foland, 24, of Cobleskill, NY, for Aggravated Harassment 2nd, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th and 2 counts of Harassment 2nd.  He was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and remanded to the Schoharie County Jail on $1000 Bail / $3000 Bond.  He is to return to Cobleskill Town Court on October 11th at 5:00 p.m.
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At 2:31 a.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Todd Mills, 42, of Cobleskill, NY, for DWI and other vehicle and traffic tickets.  He was released and is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on October 25th at 5:00 p.m.

Fire Heavily Damages Main Street Building in Cobleskill

On Sunday, October 9th, 2016 at about 10:12 pm, the Cobleskill Police Department received a report of a structure fire at 695 East Main Street in the Village of Cobleskill. CPD Patrol units immediately responded and observed smoke coming from the building. Sgt. Harold Wilday entered the structure, a multi-unit apartment building, and was able to evacuate all of the tenants that were still inside of the building, as well as a cat belonging to one of the tenants. All tenants were evacuated safely without injury.

The Cobleskill Fire Department arrived on scene and, with assistance from the Richmondville Fire Department and County FAST team, was able to extinguish the fire.

The New York State Police and Schoharie County Sheriffs Office responded to the scene and assisted with traffic control.

The cause of the fire was investigated by the Schoharie County FIVES team and determined to be of accidental origin.

At this time, the building is uninhabitable, and the former occupants are being assisted by the Red Cross.

Man Arrested in Middleburgh on Weapons Charge

Sheriff's Deputies carried out an arrest in the Town of Middleburgh last week following a traffic stop. On October 6th, Robert D. Cooper, 43, of Schenectady, was arrested following a traffic stop on Route 145 in Middleburgh. He was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree, which is a Class A misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket to reappear in the Town of Middleburgh Court at a later date.

Seward Man Arrested on Weapons Charges

Edward Merwin, 46, of Seward, was arrested on October 6th. He was charged with Menacing 2nd degree and criminal possession of a weapon 4th degree. Both are Class A Misdemeanors. He was issued appearance tickets to reappear in the Town of Seward Court at a later date.

Seward: Standing up to Domestic Violence

By State Senator Jim Seward

Since 1987, our nation has observed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Tragically, nearly one in four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence and abuse.  Domestic violence is a crime that rips apart the very fabric of families.  It can afflict every segment of society and knows no economic, ethnic or geographic boundaries.

I have been a strong voice against domestic violence and have worked to enact laws that combat this crime here in New York State.  Over the years, several measures have been adopted to help innocent victims, provide police and prosecutors with the tools they need to arrest and convict those who commit such heinous acts, and to increase the penalties imposed on the offenders.

In 2012, a landmark law was enacted increasing penalties for those convicted of domestic violence, creating several new crime classifications, and expanding protections available to victims.  Then in 2015, a pair of measures that were part of the senate’s Women’s Equality Agenda were signed into law:

Senate bill 5 prohibits discrimination against domestic violence victims in housing, and, under the provisions of the law, a violation of this prohibition would be a misdemeanor. The new law amends the Real Property Law to protect victims of domestic violence from discrimination when they attempt to rent or lease housing and provides victims a defense in eviction proceedings.  The legislation also allows the option of a civil action for a violation of the prohibition;

Senate bill 6 allows domestic violence victims to electronically file for orders of protection.  Victims of domestic violence face too many obstacles in securing protection from their abusers.  Some victims require immediate temporary orders of protection, but have no means to travel to the appropriate family court.  The legislation creates a pilot program to allow domestic violence victims to seek temporary orders of protection through electronic means rather than having to appear in person.   The new law also requires the Office of Court Administration to review and update their policies and services for all crime victims in the courts to make sure that their needs are being met so victims are truly protected.



The new laws are both key steps in assisting victims of domestic violence, however, there are additional measures I am continuing to fight for.  This year, a pair of bills were passed by the senate:
                   
S.6658 – The Domestic Violence Protection Act, also known as Brittany’s Law, that would create a publicly accessible registry of all individuals convicted of a violent felony and allow local law enforcement to keep track of their location.  The registry would be accessible to the public, similar to the registry of sex offenders that the state currently has in place;

S.3087 – Allowing domestic violence victims to testify via closed circuit television to avoid courtroom intimidation by alleged abusers. Current law only allows children who are considered vulnerable by a judge to testify via closed-circuit television. This legislation would also give domestic violence victims the option of testifying outside of the physical presence of their abusers to help facilitate cooperation with prosecutions.

While both bills passed the senate, the state assembly failed to bring either to the floor for consideration.

Domestic violence victims are often dealing with both physical and emotional trauma.  These bills ensure that victims are not mistreated further and are able to start rebuilding their lives.  In addition, Brittany’s Law would increase community awareness of predators and help strengthen public safety.

We are also fortunate to have several local organizations providing help to vulnerable individual.  I have consistently secured grant funds for these agencies to help them in their efforts to make our communities safer.  These agencies are lifelines and, in many cases, are all that stand between a domestic violence victim and a tragic situation.


By toughening our laws -- and continuing to increase public awareness -- we will better protect victims of domestic violence, while also bringing perpetrators of this terrible crime to justice.

Schoharie ARC Partnerships Fund Charity Partnerships

By Tammy Ruise

Schoharie County ARC's Toe Path Redemption Center has been working with the Wright-Schoharie Valley Lions Club on a collaborative recycling effort. Every Saturday morning, Jim Lord greets smiling faces of those returning cans & bottles at the Town of Wright Transfer Station. Mr. Lord saves the returns for pick up from the Schoharie ARC's Toe Path Redemption Center. The recycling efforts help raise over $2,000 to benefit many local charitable programming efforts sponsored by the Wright-Schoharie Valley Lions Club including: hearing and sight initiatives, scholarship and student leadership programming, the Regional Food Bank and the Joshua Project to name only a few. Pictured are David DiNicola, General Manager for Schoharie ARC's Toe Path Redemption Center; Jim Lord, Chair of the Lions Club Recycling Program and club director; Tom Snowdon, the Club's vice-president; and Kirk Playford, an employee at the Toe Path Redemption Center. Schoharie ARC has also partnered with the local Lions Club on other fundraising projects including pumpkin sales. Donations of redeemable cans and bottles (and other recyclable items) can be made at the Town of Wright Transfer Station on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00 and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m.) For more information on the Lions Club, their recycling program and their charitable efforts, please contact Ellen Snowdon at snowdeersnow@msn.com. Schoharie ARC's Toe Path Redemption Center is open Mon-Fri 9-4 and is located at 121 Opportunity Drive, Schoharie NY. Donations for the Lions Club may also be made at this location during regular business hours. For more information on Toe Path Redemption Center, Please call 51-295-8130.

Vote in Our Poll: Your Choice for President

2016 has proven one of the most interesting election cycles in memory. With the debate tonight, it seemed fitting to have our poll be about the race. Make sure to vote in our poll, located on the right hand column of the site. We'll be publishing the results later this week.

The Schoharie News, WSDE 1190 AM Announce Partnership

WSDE of Cobleskill and the Schoharie News have announced a partnership. The two media organizations will share news resources and reporting, including breaking news from across Schoharie County. The Schoharie News aims to send original content for WSDE LITE FM 94.3 AM 1190, including interviews of local officials, history programs, and more.

The Schoharie News' owner Matthew Avitabile said that the partnership was a natural choice, praising Ed Sherlock's leadership at WSDE. "I know we can make great things happen," he said, "We will leave no stone unturned."

WSDE owner Ed Sherlock said that he was excited for the endeavor and looked forward to the partnership.

The Schoharie News and WSDE announced a 30% discount for ads taken for both mediums for periods three months or longer. Both companies aim to expand their coverage and move in a mutually beneficial direction for media consumers in Schoharie County. For more information please contact Mr. Sherlock at ed@1190wsde.com or the Schoharie News at theschonews@gmail.com

Laraway Leads Middleburgh Cemetery Cleanup

Photos and information from Karen Cuccinello

The Middleburgh Central School Schoharie County History class spent the day at the Middleburgh Cemetery on October 7th. The 22 students first cleaned up some sections of the cemetery and then went on a tour, given by their teacher Wes Laraway, highlighting some of the more significant residents of the cemetery.

Class and students stood up the grave stone of Harriet (Chase) Neville who died February 24, 1862 aged 23 years.

The day closed with pizza from Hubie's and goodies made by Bunnie Bates, and a tour of Wes's NY Wildlife Rescue Center. The lunch was provided by the Middleburgh Historical Society.

Best House Part of Successful First Friday Celebration

Article and Photos by Karen Cuccinello

The last 1st Friday Street Festival, for the 2016 season, was held in Middleburgh on October 7. The Dr. Christopher Best House and Medical Museum has offered classic car Cruise-Ins and assorted other activities during all of the Street Fests that took place June through October.

One of the highlights of the evening was when Bobbi Ryan, director of the Dr. Best House, raffled off a gas grill and television. The grill raffle was a way for the Best House to thank the participants of the classic car Cruise-Ins. The raffle tickets for the grill were given only to Cruise-In participants every time they parked their classics at the Best House. Tom and Beth Tilley, of Freehold, NY won the grill. Barb Coons owner of Sears Hometown Store of Cobleskill and Hilltown Pools donated the grill.

The television raffle was a fundraiser for the Best House. Terri Jeffrey, of Gallupville, won the 32” television.

Bulldogs Claim Homecoming Victory in Rout

The Cobleskill-Richmondville Bulldogs demolished the visiting Ichabod-Crane Riders in a 48-12 rout on Friday night, earning their third victory of the season. 

Aided by a strong running game and impenetrable defense, the Bulldogs routed in front of a packed crowd to cap off the school's annual homecoming celebration.

Now 3-3 on the season, the Bulldogs have claimed all three victories at home while struggling on the road, where they will return next Saturday in their season ending match-up against the Albany Academy for Boys.  

NY State Historian to Speak at Oneonta Next Saturday

The Otsego County Historical Association welcomes the newly appointed New York State Historian Devin Lander to speak to municipal historians, members of local historical societies and other historians on Saturday, October 15, 9 a.m. to 12n at the Morris Conference Center, SUNY Oneonta.   The event is co-sponsored by the SUNY Oneonta History Department.

Lander assumed this new position on May 19th, 2016, and is especially suited for the position of NYS historian as his interest in history is coupled with public policy.  For the past two years Lander was the Executive Director for the Museum Association of New York (MANY).   Prior to this he spent six years as Deputy Legislative Director for the New York State Assembly.   He received his undergraduate degree in American history from SUNY Plattsburgh and his graduate degree in Public History from SUNY Albany.

In an online biography, Lander notes that one of his roles as New York State Historian is to support and coordinate the work of local historians, academic historians and historical associations.  This is exactly what he will be doing at SUNY Oneonta on October 15th.   He will be listening to the local issues and providing encouragement to local collaborative efforts.

The first half of the morning will be devoted to participants sharing their concerns with Lander.  The second half of the morning will be a presentation by the New York State Historian Devin Lander.

Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York to hold Fall Festival October 15/16 at SUNY Oneonta

The Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York will present their 16th Annual Classical Guitar Fall Festival Saturday and Sunday, October 15th and 16th, 2016 in the SUNY Oneonta Fine Arts Building.

Saturday, October 15th events will begin at 10:00 am which will include members’ performances, presentations and demonstrations, followed by a concert featuring Classical Guitarist, Celil Refik Kaya at 7:30 pm in Fine Arts M201.  Sunday, October 16th Masterclasses will be offered with Celil Refik Kaya and Dr. Ken Meyer beginning at 9:00 am in Fine Arts 212, followed by Collegiate Honors Recital at 1:00 pm in Fine Arts M201.

The Festival is free to SUNY Oneonta Students with College ID.
Visit www.cgsuny.org for more concert and guest artist information.

Sen Seward: Support Fight Against Breast Cancer

By State Senator James Seward

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an ideal time to discuss the importance of early detection and mammograms.  It is also a perfect time to highlight a valuable resource available in New York – the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program.
         
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, aside from skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), over 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States in 2015 with an estimated 40,000 women expected to die from the disease. Today, there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States.

The two most significant risk factors are being female and getting older. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer have no other known risk factors.  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). While the overwhelming majority of breast cancer cases are found in women, about one percent of all cases affect men.

Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health. While mammograms can miss some cancers, they are still a very good way to find breast cancer.  Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a regular exam by a health expert, preferably every 3 years.

I have worked to update New York State laws on a number of occasions to improve detection and treatment of breast cancer while enhancing resources available to the public.  This year, I helped win approval of a major new initiative that:

Expands Breast Cancer Screening by Eliminating Insurance Cost Requirements: This measure removes the cost-sharing (e.g. annual deductibles or coinsurance) requirements for screening and diagnostic imaging for the detection of breast cancer. Eliminating these insurance barriers will prevent women from paying out-of-pocket for breast cancer screening, including imaging for the detection of breast cancer, diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);

Extends Hours for Mammography Services: To help individuals whose schedules may prevent them from finding available appointments to schedule mammograms, this bill requires hospitals and their extension clinics that provide mammography services throughout the state to provide extended hours in the early morning, evening, or on the weekend, in two-hour increments on at least two days, for a total of at least four hours each week. Facilities can choose between the following time slots to fulfill the requirements: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday or Sunday.

New York State programs are plentiful and we are also fortunate to have another terrific resource, the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program.  The program is a project of Adelphi University and is the only New York statewide breast cancer hotline.  Adelphi provides services to women and men of all ages, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.  About 4,000 calls are made to the hotline each year and another 350,000 people visit the Adelphi website annually.

The Adelphi program has been in existence since 1980 providing information, support and hope.  One feature that really sets the program apart from similar services is that most of the volunteers who staff the hotline are breast cancer survivors themselves.  What this means is that when someone calls the hotline, distraught over a breast cancer diagnosis and not knowing where to turn, she is immediately met with a knowing, comforting voice and a living example that breast cancer is beatable.


For additional information, call the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program at 1-800-877-8077 or visit their website, www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer.

First Friday in Middleburgh October 7th

Tomorrow marks the last First Friday of the season for the Middleburgh business district. Put on by the Middleburgh Area Business Association and the Village of Middleburgh, the event promises specials from stores, vendors, music, and more. There will be a special exhibit at the Best House museum on Clauverwie. A Farmer's Market will be set up on Main Street.

For more information please see the event's Facebook page.