The Catskill Chronicle

MONTICELLO, NY – The Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development is proud to announce that Philip Coombe, Jr. has been selected as the recipient of the Walter A. Rhulen Award.  Each year, the Sullivan County Partnership bestows its most prestigious award on a Sullivan County citizen who reflects the best of Sullivan County business, community and charitable leadership. 

This award will be presented at the Partnership Annual Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2010 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at The Lodge at Rock Hill in Rock Hill, NY.  The award is intended to recognize the fine ideals that were personified by the late Walter A. Rhulen.

At this event, the Partnership will also pay tribute to Walter Garigliano, who will be honored with the Partnership’s Distinguished Service Award.

Mark your calendars now for the Annual Meeting of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development  and call or email the Partnership Office for tickets or sponsorship information: 845.794-1110 or cori@scpartnership.com

The young thespians include (bottom row left to right) – Ilyssa Weiner, Dameion Nedd, Grace Strauss (top row left to right)  Deanna Pereira, Mekayla Perneszi, Jamie Mann, Arye Gittleman, Deija Davis.

SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY - The Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop has sponsored a Youth Theatre Workshop this summer. Actors have enjoyed working on improvisation techniques, theatre games and exercises, scripting, all phases of theatrical presentation and acting.

Sally Gladden of Woodridge instructed the 10-13 age group while Amber Schmidt of Hurleyville instructed the teenagers. Bunny Woloszczak and Heather Strauss have assisted the instructors.

Participants include: Deija Davis, Rebekka Robinson and Dameion Nedd (Monticello), Christina Kackos (Neversink), Arjun Malhatra (S. Fallsburg), Jamie Mann, Arye Gittleman and Ilyssa Weiner (Woodridge), Mekayla Perneszi and Nina Seehausen (Hurleyville), Gracie Strauss of Rock Hill, Deanna Pereira of Mountaindale, Teah Sisti of Loch Sheldrake, Gina Dolgas of (Woodbourne), Kathleen O’Rourke (Forestburgh), Sidnye Stepanov (Grahamsville), Diana Nunnally, Austin Nunnally and John Waller of Middleltown.

On Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m., the young thespians will stage their final performance for the public at the Rivoli Theatre, 5243 Main Street (Route 42) in SouthFallsburg. Featured are skits, short plays, comic routines and Reader’s Theatre – all designed by the young people. There is no charge for the presentation. SCDW encourages everyone to come out and support these young actors!

LIBERTY, NY -  Every once in awhile, you get the opportunity to participate in something so astronomically awesome that you think that the organizers must have invited you by accident. This was the case for Dannielle Gray, Roscoe Central School; Zachary Cordero, Tri-Valley Central School; Stephen Rogers, and Sara Molusky, both from Livingston Manor School. All four of these culinary students were invited to participate in the renowned annual Citymeals-on-Wheels. The event took place on June 14, 2010 at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Not only were they selected to participate – they were selected to assist some of the star chefs preparing the food for the gala fundraiser. The event took place with the intent of raising money for the preparation and delivery of meals to the elderly in the five boroughs of New York City. This year the theme was Silver Spoons, in celebration the gala’s 25^th anniversary.

This was a big honor for the students and BOCES, only twelve culinary arts students from New York State were selected to participate in this once in a lifetime event. Of the twelve, four student were from the Career and Tech Program at Sullivan County BOCES. The students had to be prepared to jump in wherever needed to work hard when called on and be prepared to be an observer at times, as well as a worker even if it was to help mop up a spill. Under the direction of their culinary arts teacher, Kathleen Poppo, the students were up for the challenge.

More than 40 of the restaurant industry’s most acclaimed chefs participated in the event preparing a series of dishes for the more than 1,000 attendees to sample. The gala raised $700,000, which will go toward the preparation and delivery of nutritious meals.

A few of the chefs who participated in this year’s event included Jody Adams of Rialto in Cambridge, Mass.; Daniel Boulud of restaurant Daniel in New York; Larry Forgione of An American Place in St. Louis; Ed Brown of Ed’s Chowder House in New York; Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill in New York; Wolfgang Puck of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group in Los Angeles; and Bradley Ogden of Bradley Ogden at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Stephen Rogers had the opportunity of working with Daniel Boulud & Jean Francois Bruel which will create great discussion when he goes to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) this fall and a perfect addition to his resume. Sara Molusky is also planning on attending CIA in the fall. Dannielle Gray has plans to continue her culinary education at Paul Smith’s College. Both Sara and Dannielle had the pleasure of working with Massimo Bottura of Modena Italy. Zachary Cordero had the opportunity of working with Alfred Portale and will be attending SUNY Sullivan. All of the colleges are known for their culinary programs.

For more information on the Culinary Program or any of the other Career & Tech Programs at Sullivan BOCES please contact the BOCES Career & Tech Dept at (845) 295-4152.

Citymeals-on-Wheels is an organization that most New Yorkers know is an important staple of the community. It is a not-for-profit organization and public-private partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging that raises private funds to prepare and deliver weekend, holiday and emergency meals to the homebound elderly throughout the boroughs of New York City. Last year, Citymeals underwrote the preparation and delivery of 2.1 million meals to 17,000 aged New Yorkers.

Captions for above photos – Photo #1 (top left) -  Dannielle Gray and Sara Molusky work to gather supplies. Photo #2 (right) – Jean Francois Bruel and Stephen Rogers take a minute to relax.

LIBERTY, NY – A $742 check was presented to Sullivan County 4-H’ers Michael Hahn and Kaitlyn Smith, teen members of the 4-H Program Advisory Committee at their meeting July 19^th. Frank Funicella, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing for Advanced Recovery, Inc., made the presentation and offered congratulations for an outstanding first time E-Scrap Recycling event by the 4-H Program.

With promotional support from the Sullivan County Division of Solid Waste & Recycling, community and business participation was tremendous. Ultimately, the event prevented 58,574 lbs. of mixed electronics from being dumped into landfills, including 712 assorted CRT monitors and laptops.

“E-Scrap Recycling Day,” held in June, was the first of the semi-annual electronics recycling events planned by 4-H to raise money for youth development programming. The next event will again be held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building on 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road in Liberty, November 5^th for businesses and 6^th for the public.

Encouraged by the outstanding support of community, the Sullivan County 4-H Program is looking forward to its continuing efforts in keeping E-waste out of the disposal chain while raising money for youth development, an opportunity to keep the county and its 4-H Program “green”

WHITE LAKE, NY – The seasonal supermarket in White Lake has gotten a facelift, thanks to a cooperative effort among the United Talmudical Academy, owner of the supermarket, the Town of Bethel and Sullivan Renaissance.

Located at the corner of Routes 17B and 55, the building was converted to its current use as a supermarket several years ago after serving as a movie theater in generations past.  It is now called Motty’s Supermarket.

This year the United Talmudical Academy (UTA) received a seasonal demonstration grant of $5000 from Sullivan Renaissance to help with the improvements.  These matching grants are awarded to seasonal communities such as bungalow colonies, camps and second home developments to encourage projects that improve the appearance of their properties and serve as a demonstration to others.

For this project the UTA made $20,000 in improvements including power washing and painting the building, replacing the old theater marquee with a new canopy and pillars, refurbished panels on the storefront, replacing an upper story window and restoring an exterior light fixture.

Mordechai Wercberger, the UTA’s liaison to the project, said that he looked at the clock tower across the street and the new Jeff Bank being built nearby and knew he had to do a good job, not only for his organization, but for the residents who live there all year.

Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm said, ‘This is a wonderful example of what can happen when groups work together toward a common goal.  The town sees this project as opening the door to a new era of cooperation and mutual respect with the United Talmudical Academy.”

“We were impressed with the scope of the UTA’s commitment in both time and money,” said Richard Sush, who oversaw the project for Sullivan Renaissance.

The supermarket is one of several Sullivan Renaissance seasonal projects this summer:

• Regency Estates, a second home community in Woodridge, replaced an expanse of chain-link fence with a modern, yet classic wood fence and planted a colorful array of flowers along the road.  This is a continuation of last year’s project.  Two seasons ago, the community replaced entryway fencing and a corroded gate by constructing a stone wall with new gate, signage and shrubbery.
• Main Street Mall in Woodbourne is installing an awning over its storefronts and painting the building façade to create a unifying look and screen the unsightly air conditioning units.  Several stores in Woodbourne have improved their interiors with new paint, murals and tables.
• Garden View Cottages in Loch Sheldrake is new to the program.  The project involved improving the entryway by planting flowers and shrubs, and moving the sign to a new location.
• Merchav at Camp Morris in Woodridge undertook an ambitious project to move the entrance to the staff housing to increase safety and visibility at the road.  It landscaped the area as part of the project.

“Each year, new seasonal communities choose to participate because they are inspired by the work of others,” Sush said.  “While there is still much to do, we’ve seen a measurable improvement.  Many seasonal communities have cleaned up and beautified their properties on their own, and more join each year.  It’s very encouraging.”

In addition to matching grants, Sullivan Renaissance seasonal beautification activities include:

- Mini-grants awarded to summer communities;

- Hands-on workshops on spring and summer gardening basics in May and July, and a workshop on improving storefronts in June;

- Publishing the “Building Seasonal Partnerships” brochure for area camps and colonies with the support of Thompson Sanitation;

- Participating in Sullivan County’s “Building Better Relations with Summer Residents” Committee;

- Conducting a mailing to summer camps.

Sullivan Renaissance is a beautification and community development program principally funded by the Gerry Foundation.  Additional funding has been secured by U.S. Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, NYS Senator John J. Bonacic and Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther.  Sponsorships have also been provided by WSUL/WVOS for Category A projects and by Thunder 102 for Category B projects. For information, contact 845-295-2445 or www.sullivanrenaissance.org.

NYS Senator John J. Bonacic is instrumental in obtaining funding for large community development projects in Category C. At last year’s Award’s Ceremony he thanked all those involved in Renaissance projects for their beautification efforts. – Leni Santoro photo.

MONTICELLO, NY – The Sullivan Renaissance 2010 Awards Ceremony will honor the volunteers who are improving communities throughout Sullivan County on Monday, August 9 at Monticello High School Auditorium.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with light refreshments; the program begins at 6:45 p.m. 

Sullivan Renaissance will thank the thousands of volunteers who have been planting the seeds and nourishing the vision for ten years.  “This has been ten years of blossoming, ten years of teamwork, ten years of making a difference,” said Sandra Gerry, who chairs the Sullivan Renaissance Steering Committee, “At this rate, can you imagine what we will all accomplish in the next few years?”

This year volunteers have been busy working on beautification projects in dozens of communities since April.  Projects judged the most successful in completing their efforts will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and receive additional grants between $1000 and $50,000. 

Participants in all Sullivan Renaissance programs will be acknowledged and three Community Development Grants will receive special recognition.  Scholarships for Sullivan Renaissance volunteers will be announced by the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Counties, and the SCCC Foundation.

NYS Senator John J. Bonacic was instrumental in obtaining funding for large community development projects in Category C.  One of these communities will also receive the $50,000 “Golden Feather Grant” secured by Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther.  Sponsorships have also been provided by WSUL/WVOS for Category A projects and by Thunder 102 for Category B projects.

For information, contact 845-295-2445 or www.sullivanrenaissance.org.

Sergeant Brian Harrell(Upper left), Deputy Debra Votee, (right), and Sergeant Luis Alvarez (lower right) with children who are on their way to summer camp. – Provided photo.

MONTICELLO, NY - 27 children from Sullivan County gathered at the Sheriff’s Office in Monticello on Sunday, July 18, to say goodbye to their parents. No, they weren’t in trouble. They were on their way to the New York State Sheriff’s Association Camp Iroquois on Lake Keuka, near Penn Yan, NY.

Each year the Sheriff’s Office sends deserving children from Sullivan County to summer camp in the Finger Lakes. Sheriff Michael Schiff thanked the citizens of the county for making donations that have made the Sheriff’s Camp possible.

This year, Deputies Richard Rodrigues, Kyle Muthig and Blake Starner are escorting the children to camp. The Sheriff acknowledged Sergeant Luis Alvarez, Confidential Secretary Marilyn Bastone, and Cook/Manager Dale Frasier for their efforts in putting this summer’s program together.

The Sheriff’s Camp serves underprivileged children from around the state who could not otherwise afford to go to summer camp. For more information on the Sheriff’s camp go to:  http://www.sheriffsinstitute.org/sheriffs-summer-camp.

NY-ALERT – The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a “Severe Thunderstorm Warning” for South Central Broome County in Central New York, South Central Delaware County in Central New York, Northwestern Sullivan County in Central New York, Northern Susquehanna County in Northeast Pennsyvania and Northern Wayne County in Northeast Pennsylvania until 5:45 p.m.

The National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing golf ball size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph.

This storm was located near Brackney and moving east at 30 mph.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR… CONKLIN AND KIRKWOOD BY 502 PM EDT… GREAT BEND BY 508 PM EDT… HALLSTEAD BY 510 PM EDT… NEW MILFORD BY 514 PM EDT… SUSQUEHANNA BY 524 PM EDT… LANESBORO BY 526 PM EDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA.

When you can do so safely, please report hail or damaging winds to the National Weather Service by calling toll free at 1-877-633-6772 or by e-mail at BGM.STORMREPORT@NOAA.Gove.

If you are in the path of this storm – seek shelter indoors and stay away from windows!

Please stay tuned to your local radio or TV stations for more information.

Christina Kackos, Nat Tompkins and Christopher Whipple attended WLC July 6-10, representing the Tri Valley Central FFA Chapter.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—­­­Students from across the nation attended the 2010 Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) this summer in the nation’s capital. The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization, sponsored by Monsanto as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. Christina Kackos, Nat Tompkins and Christopher Whipple attended WLC July 6-10, representing the Tri Valley Central FFA Chapter.

The week-long program helps FFA members improve their leadership skills and prepare for leadership roles in their chapters, communities and their future careers. They attended sessions on developing authentic leadership, serving their communities and participating in civic engagement. They also participate in service learning events.

“We live in an increasingly competitive world,” says Dr. Larry Case, National FFA Advisor and Coordinator, Agricultural and Rural Education with the U.S. Department of Education. “Tomorrow’s leaders must develop skills in these areas to effectively compete. Every student leaves WLC with an advantage because it gives those young people cutting-edge leadership skills and valuable insight for productive citizenship.”

The National FFA Organization coordinates WLC, with the sponsorship of Monsanto, which attracts participants from across the country. This summer, more than 2,000 FFA members will attend one of the conference’s seven week-long sessions. Monsanto is dedicated to the future success of agriculture by investing more than one million dollars to the National FFA Foundation in 2010 as part of a broad commitment to support agricultural youth.

Students also increase their understanding of the nation’s heritage with visits to, Arlington National Cemetery, the Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt Memorials and other historic sites in Washington, D.C. A highlight of the week was a visit to the office of their local U.S. Representative or Senator.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 506,199 student members – all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture – as part of 7,429 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.

Monsanto’s sponsorship of the Washington Leadership Conference reflects the company’s sole focus on agriculture and commitment to American farm families. Monsanto has a long tradition of supporting agriculture youth through scholarships, education and leadership development programs. The company is proud to be the largest ag sponsor of the National FFA and also partners with 4-H and other prominent, nationwide organizations that are making a marked difference in the lives of young people and helping them become tomorrow’s leaders in feeding, fueling and clothing the world.  For additional information, visit www.monsanto.com.

Issued By:  NWS
Affected Jurisdictions:  Sullivan County

Severe thunderstorm warning EAS activation requested. Severe thunderstorm warning from the National Weather Service in Binghamton.

The national weather service in Binghamton has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for… Southern Sullivan County until 4:15 pm. At 3:35 pm the National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail and destructive winds in excess of 70 mph.

This storm was located near White Sulphur Springs and moving Southeast at 35 mph. The severe thunderstorm will be near Hurleyville and Loch Sheldrake by 3:50 pm, Kiamesha /Monticello and Fallsburg by 3:54 pm, Thompsonville by 3:58 pm.

When you can do so safely…please report hail…or damaging winds to the national weather service by calling toll free at 1-877-633-6772…or by email at bgm.stormreport@noaa.gov.

Precautionary/preparedness actions… If you are in the path of this storm…seek shelter indoors and stay away from windows!

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 8:00 pm Wednesday evening for Central New York and Northeast Pennsylvania.

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY – If a Rolls Royce were slowly cruising down the street, you might turn your head for a little rubber necking as the sleek, presumably shiny status symbol passed you by. A comparable chance for gawking could happen when a very special Hamburg rolled into Jeffersonville on July 12. If only it were a car.

That’s the day that ProPiano of Manhattan ever so carefully packed up and hauled what shop manager Daigo Sai says is "what we like to think of as the Rolls Royce of pianos" to town for Weekend of Chamber Music’s (WCM’s) 17th summer music festival.

Not surprising that he’s referring to a Steinway piano, but this is not just any Steinway – "it’s a Hamburg" – a nickname that causes piano-people to go all a-twitter. The piano was made in Hamburg, Germany, one of only three Steinway factories in the world (the others are in New York and Boston), and its particular ‘sound’ has become the stuff of legends.

Mr. Sai says "European pianists love it the best because they are more accustomed to it. It has a brighter, sharper sound in many cases." Technicians, he explained, can make a difference in the sound, too, with what they do in "voicing" and tuning the instrument.

Pianists anywhere seem to get really excited about the prospect of performing on such an instrument. WCM’s Festival pianist Tannis Gibson, who participated in the a “Tea Time Concert” at the Eddie Adams Farm in Jeffersonville in the late afternoon on July 17, is no exception.

"What a treat to think of playing on a Hamburg Steinway," she wrote in a recent email. "The Hamburgs are known for their beautiful "cantabile" (singing) tone quality. Perhaps it’s more bell-like in sound – and alongside this I find the instrument is capable of creating great warmth…The full size concert Ds that I played throughout China were simply amazing, capable of that warmth and singing, but also very powerful and seemingly limitless in their possibilities."

Even flutists get excited. "It’s such a wonderful piano," said Judith Pearce, WCM’s artistic director and flutist. "We finally have an instrument that is appropriate for the pianist that’s going to play it!"

While performing all those Hamburgs touring China, Ms. Gibson said she "felt as though I were behind the wheel of a fast foreign car with a powerful engine, and all I had to do was steer rather effortlessly to get it to do what I wanted."

Determined to improve on the substandard, even broken-down pianos the festival has had over the last few years and hoping to find a ‘champagne’ piano on a ‘beer’ budget, Ms. Pearce and harpsichordist Kenneth Hamrick went searching at ProPiano. There they agreed the 6-foot 11-inch Hamburg’s sound was far richer than others they’d heard, and when two generous donors stepped up to provide the extra funds needed, the deal was sealed.

So, on Monday, July 12, the legs came off; the lid was removed and WCM’s Hamburg was wrapped in specialty protective moving covers, and three big guys hauled the 740-pound instrument into a truck, out of the city, and into the barn at the Eddie Adams Farm.

Festival tickets and information are availabe at WCMconcerts.org. The Festival Hotline is 845-887-5803.

Read Barry Plaxen’s review of the July 17 concert featuring pianist Tannis Gibson and harpsichordist Kenneth Hamrick here.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

MONTICELLO, NY – A standing-room-only crowd of supporters greeted New York State Attorney General and candidate for NY State Governor, Andrew Cuomo on Monday, July 19, as he made a campaign stop in Monticello.

Arriving at the Ted Stroebele Center on Jefferson Street in an RV that he drove himself, Cuomo was greeted by two women who held signs that supported him, but also asked for his help.

He was accompanied by his three daughters as he entered the room to a standing ovation.

Cuomo billed the trip as a combination of “family time, sight-seeing, and please-let’s-get-Dad-elected-Governor tour,’ while several signs around the room announced that this was “The Drive for a New New York.”

Acknowledging the many Sullivan County politicians and celebrities in the room, Cuomo gave special accolades to Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who he called “a superstar.”

And then he talked about running for governor. “Politics have overtaken public service. A lot of the fights are about political labels. … They are elected to represent the people, not to represent their political parties.

Cuomo focused on “cleaning up Albany once and for all. … I’ve been watching government for a long time. … I have never seen it as bad as it is today. It has to be changed, it has to be changed fast and it has to be changed dramatically.”

Regarding New York State’s overdue and unbalanced budget, Cuomo said that we have to face the “economic reality, the state has to be able to balance the budget, like every family … we have 1,000 state agencies. Consolidate the 1,000. We have over 10,000 local governments in the State of New York  … more and more every year, including every municipal water district and sewer district … We pay some of the highest property taxes. There are 176 local governments just in Sullivan County. You know how many governments that is? It’s too – too many governments.”

Cuomo then talked about his experience. “I believe that I can help … I believe I have the know-how, I believe I have the independence to stand up and do the right thing. And I believe I know how to get the government to move.”

Telling the crowd that the “Politicians listen to the people,” he asked for people to speak up. “If you’re really fed up, if you really want Albany to change … the power of democracy truly is with the people. … I want to be part of a chorus of New Yorkers that says ‘enough is enough.’”

Cuomo referred to his father, the former Governor Mario Cuomo and his love of the debate. “If you said ‘good morning’ to him, he’d debate you about it.” But, he said, when the debate was over, everyone shook hands. “We were the model for the nation for state government, we were the model for the federal government … not this what you’re seeing now, I don’t know what this is, but it’s not NY State government at its best …”

Saying that he was doing this “for my daughters, for your daughters, for your sons, for your nieces and your nephews, because this is the greatest state in the nation,” Cuomo said he wants to “make sure as a parent and a citizen that I leave this state for my children better than I got it from my parents. … a state that is safer and sweeter and fairer to make their future better than our future. I don’t want them moving away.

Vowing that “I’m staying here, they’re staying here,” (referring again to his daughters), Cuomo ended by telling the gathering “that’s what we’re here to do together, together.”

To see more photos or to purchase prints from Andrew Cuomo’s Campaign Stops in Monticello, visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY – When Steve Vegliante first took office as the new Supervisor of the Town of Fallsburg back in January, one of the first things he did was sit down with his department heads to talk about growth in the town. Because he did this, he was one of the first supervisors in the state to find out about a change in the policy determining grants and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency. ”Unfortunately,” said Vegliante, “I found they changed the rules on rural communities, all of a sudden we’re excluded from grants …”

When U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey came to town on Friday, July 16, he thanked Vegliante for bringing the matter to his attention. Hinchey was in town to talk about his efforts to reverse the policy change.

“The set of circumstances to help small towns and provide grants and low interest loans is essential for maintenance of very small towns,” said Hinchey, “Unfortunately the USDA Rural Development agency stopped low interest loans for communities that go up over 10,000 people. That’s a number that should be changed. They have looked at this in the wrong way.”

Hinchey further remarked that the “misinterpretation causes very serious consequences. … It is critically important to work this out. They are misinterpreting the word rural in a way that will exclude significant numbers of communities.”

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Hinchey, along with other members of the New York State Congressional Delegation including Kirsten Gillibrand, Scott Murphy and John Hall, urged the department to “reconsider its new interpretation of the definition of rural and rural area in New York State with regard to the USDA’s Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal program. We believe that many communities in New York are being unfairly excluded from this program at a time when they desperately need federal assistance.

“As you know,” the letter continues, “current law limits USDA Rural Development grants to towns with a population under 10,000. … In New York, some towns include incorporated water or wastewater districts which only provide water services to a specific service area within the town. Many towns also include incorporated villages that provide an array of municipal services only within the village limits, often including drinking water and wastewater services. Through the end of last year, many of these water or wastewater districts, villages and the surrounding towns with populations below 10,000 were appropriately treated as separate entities and were eligible for Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal grants and loans.

“Unfortunately, last year USDA Rural Development reinterpreted its definition of towns. Following that decision, in January, 2010, the agency determined it would not issue grants and loans to a number of towns in New York that were previously eligible to receive them. The agency decided, on its own accord, to combine the population of a town with the population of an incorporated village and/or incorporated water or wastewater district for purposes of determining eligibility instead of counting them separately as it did before. As a result of this change, many towns and water or wastewater districts which were once eligible for grants have lost their eligibility. …”

Hinchey and the other representatives took the agency to task for issuing the new policy in an internal memo, “which was not subject to public review or comments. In addition, this new policy was never shared with affected members of Congress. …”

Vegliante characterized the move as a “way of steering money out of NY.” He further pointed out that if the town is able to “upgrade our water and sewer plants, (that) will have an economic impact on jobs and purchases.” When asked what the alternative was, he responded, “I’m not sure we have a strong alternative, we can’t move that much of a burden onto our taxpayers.”

Hinchey agreed that the rules change is harmful to economic growth and will stop projects, new jobs, new business and area progress. He called the situation “harmful to economic growth. … I am working directly with the Department of Agriculture and in the Congress to address this issue, and I am hopeful that it will be resolved favorably. Local governments in Sullivan County and throughout New York rely on these Rural Development water and wastewater grants and loans to take the burden off local taxpayers, and it is absolutely essential that we reverse the USDA’s misguided rules change."

In other news, Congressman Hinchey also addressed the unemployment extension for people whose benefits had expired. Saying that the unemployment rate is currently at 9.3 percent, he reported that the House had passed the extension, and expressed hope that the Senate would vote on the measure this week.

To read more about Congressman Hinchey views on this issue, visit Hinchey Leads Push for USDA to Reverse Policy Change.

To see more photos or to purchase prints from Hinchey Visits the Town of Fallsburg visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

Lou Monteleone may be Italian, but there are times he reminds you of a leprechaun – boundless energy, unable to sit still, animated and lovable. Like that mythical Irish creature, Monteleone is sure he knows where the treasure is (it’s in your pocket). Unlike the Irish elf, though, he wants to share it.

And on Sunday, September 12, he wants the rest of America, and maybe a foreign country or two to join him. This man does not dream small.

Monteleone is one of those people who really has dreams about things he winds up bringing to fruition. He dreamed about creating a gigantic sleigh on the back of a flatbed and bringing it around town spreading Christmas cheer – the Santa Express. “One lady at work said to me, ‘You’ve told us you had this dream five times, just do it,’” said Monteleone.

These days his charity of choice is St. Baldrick’s, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancers. To that end, Monteleone has created a day which includes people shaving their heads, people standing in the street holding letters that spell words of encouragement or names of loved ones affected by the disease, and people standing in the streets doing a conga dance.

Why St. Baldrick’s? “When you see these kids with no hair and tubes in the hospital bed at two and four years old, that was it for me. And to see people, especially women, part with beautiful long, curly hair … it’s part of what makes them, that’s who they are. To shave that hair for those kids … there is no greater cause out there.”

St. Baldrick’s is mostly about shaving heads. People get pledges, and then get their heads shaved      – in public. The people who do the shaving are often owners / workers of local salons who donate their time.

But Monteleone, being the enterprising man that he is, decided that shaving heads wasn’t enough to raise the $10,000 he has his heart set on. So he created what he calls the “Line of Hope” – hand-holding paper dolls that encircle the walls at The Corner in Eldred, NY, a combination restaurant, ice-cream stand, gift shop. Each doll represents a $1 donation to St. Baldrick’s. There are currently 1750 or 265 feet dolls, and Monteleone says “People can still buy the dolls, I’ll make the dolls for them and put them up on the wall. I got room for another 500, and then … if I have to go outside …”

In addition to the dolls, Monteleone created two more events which will take place this year on Sunday, September 12 after the head shaving and entertainment and food and face painting, the Human Line of Hope and the Conga Across America.

“The Human Line of Hope is a replica of what I did with the paper dolls holding hands in solidarity, so I said I can do the same outside using humans to unite everybody together, hold hands, play some great music that has to do with hope and courage and bravery, and dedicate it to all those children and adults who are battling this disease, or to people who been lost to cancer.”

Monteleone has 12 x 16 letters which people pay $10 each for. The letters can spell out words or names of loved ones, or a sentence even. Some names to appear on the Human Line of Hope are the five child ambassadors from St. Baldrick’s. Other’s are local children who are victims of this insidious disease. Some folks will bring enough people to wear their word, but other’s won’t. So Monteleone is counting on other people to come out and wear a letter that’s already paid for.

“There’s nothing more powerful than everybody getting together for the same cause at the same moment, and I’m really hoping to replicate this all over the country.”

After the Human Line of Hope, “we’ll go into a little patriotic song to remember our veterans and our troops. Everybody is going to have an American flag to hold, and then we’ll go right into the Conga Line.

The Conga Across America is another Monteleone invention. “It costs $10 to stand in line, and we’re going to conga up as far as we can go for about five or 10 minutes,” he said.

The New York event is a full day of fun and activities starting with head shavings by Pam’s Cutting Corner of Eldred at 11:00 a.m. There will be entertainment by the SJP Band, line-dance lessons, a performance by comedian Ava Levy, family fun, games and plenty of food. “We’re also looking to do a flash mob dance to the Black Eyed Peas song “I Got a Feeling,” said Monteleone. “I’ve got solicitations out for face painters and clowns, things like that. Anyone who wants to participate with goods or services can let me know.”

As far as multi-state participation, Monteleone has heard from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Iowa and Pasadena, California, the headquarters for St. Baldrick’s. But he would like to expand the event.

“Anybody that knows anybody in a different state, or another country, I want people to host a Line of Hope, a Conga Across America, whichever. Get a few friends or family together, 15, 20, 25 people it doesn’t have to be hundreds of people, just solidarity with what we’re doing here – in your backyard, at a football game, wherever you’re going to be on Sunday, September 12 at 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Monteleone thinks this is a great event for Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies, Veterans Groups. “It’s a great teaching experience for your kids, to be part of something bigger than what they are.” He’s looking for participants in other areas to “snap a picture, take a video, we’ll try to put it all together whether it’s on Facebook, or local newspapers.

“I want people to envision this, picture in their heads, this country needs people to get together. You never know what’s going to happen. You get a couple of hundred people holding hands outside you never know what that will change, whether it’s a spiritual or emotional thing, just the fact that you’re paying tribute to a lost loved one or a child who’s going through cancer, it means a lot to these kids, it’s a wonderful cause. It’s a terrible disease, no kid should have to go through this, no adult either. …”

At 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 12, Monteleone would like to be able to say that people in – insert state name here – are gathering in support of kids with cancer.”

Next month, Monteleone is planning to slip away to California to meet with the people who run the organization he’s dedicated so much time to. “Those people have been so inspirational for me,” he said. “They’ve sent me cards, they sent a little fishing pole with little paper fish attached, cause I’m the Lord of the Trout. … And they’ve been behind this from the beginning. They all bought the Conga Against Cancer t-shirts, and they stood in a Conga line in Pasadena and sent me a picture. Now these are ordinary volunteers that happen to be in California, and they picked me to support and send words of encouragement to – it meant a lot, it really did.”

To get involved in any or all of the four ways Monteleone is raising money for St. Baldrick’s: The Line of Hope Dolls, the head shaving, The Human Line of Hope or the Conga Across America, call Monteleone at 845-557-3321 or 845-557-8616.

You can also log in to the St. Baldrick’s Web site, and type the word conga in the search box. There you can donate by credit card, sign up to get shaved, or create your own event.

Find out more information by contacting Monteleone on any of the following Facebook pages: Conga Across America, Human Line of Hope, The Corner in Eldred, Lord of the Trout Fan Club, or Lord of the Trout’s Conga Across America.

“Facebook has been a blessing,” said Monteleone, “because there’s people from all over the world, and if friends pass it along to friends, that doesn’t cost any money.”

And you just know what this lovable little man is thinking: More money for St. Baldrick’s, and the kids.

To see more photos from Human Line of Hope / Conga Line Across America visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Matt McNeil, Sr. Director of Programming and Marketing with Bethel Woods Center for the ArtsÕ 500,000th fan, Anne Jarema of Suffern  and Livingston Manor, NY at the sold-out Santana concert on Saturday July 17.  Fittingly this historic event at the five year old arts center marked SantanaÕs first appearance in 41 years at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. – Photo courtesy of MICHAEL D. BLOOM/Bethel Woods/mb@michaelbloomphoto.com

BETHEL, NY - Forty one years ago, a half million gathered for three days of peace, love and music, and on July 17th Bethel Woods will honor its 500,000th fan when Santana once again takes the stage at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.

Bethel Woods is celebrating its fifth anniversary by presenting the its 500,000th concert attendee with a VIP Concert Experience including two seat upgrades to a private Bethel Woods box suite; two 2010 Season Lawn Passes; two passes for the VIP Concession area; two Museum tickets, $150 Museum Shop gift certificate, a $100 Aramark dining gift certificate and roundtrip luxury car transportation.

Lucky guest, Anne Jarema of Suffern, NY purchased two tickets to the July 17th Santana concert at 8:34 a.m. on Friday, April 23, 2010, and in that transaction bought the 500,000th ticket to a Bethel Woods concert. Bethel Woods, ranked #39 among Worldwide Amphitheaters for 2009 by Pollstar magazine, will officially celebrate this milestone when Ms. Jarema walks through the gates for the concert, becoming the 500,000th concert attendee at the arts center located at the site of the Woodstock festival in Bethel, N.Y.

Matt McNeil, Sr. Director of Sales and Programming explained, ““Like that long August weekend 41 years ago, we have accomplished to provide half a million a beautiful place to gather in peace and music. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with Ms. Jarema and thank all our guests and Members in our 5th season.”

Ms. Jarema said, “I am just overjoyed at winning. I think that Bethel Woods is one of the best things that has happened to Sullivan County, where we have a second home, in a long time.  I’m a great believer in the future of the county as an entertainment destination, and Bethel Woods plays an important role in building that future.”

A limited number of tickets are still available for Santana’s historic return to Bethel with special guest Steve Winwood on July 17th.  Please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org or visit the Box Office to pick up your tickets to this historic event while they last.

To be among the first to hear, sign up for the E-Club at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org, text CONCERT to 38714 on your mobile phone, follow us on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook.

For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

MONTICELLO, NY – County Manager David P. Fanslau announced that the proposed Sullivan County Community College 2010 – 2011 budget has been placed on the County Manager’s page of the Sullivan County website, www.co.sullivan.ny.us , under the public documents link. The proposed College budget of $16.162 million would anticipate a $4 million contribution from the County’s General Fund or Property Tax Levy.

“Last year, I commenced a protocol of placing the proposed Sullivan County Community College budget on the Sullivan County website as a public service that provides an opportunity to the citizenry to access these public documents without having to file a Freedom of Information Law request,” said Fanslau.

Sullivan County is the local sponsor of the Sullivan County Community College. New York State Regulations requires that the local sponsor appropriate an amount of contribution to the college budget that would provide maintenance of effort. The Community Colleges of the State University of New York were established with the statutory intent that the State of New York would provide the financial support of 33.3% of each Community College budget, the Local Sponsor would provide the financial support of 33.3% of the Local Sponsor’s Community College budget, and student tuition would provide the financial support of 33.3% of the respective Community College budget.

“The State University of New York has consistently failed to provide for the statutory intent for the financial support of the Sullivan County Community College. In fact, after Governor Paterson’s veto of the line item in the recently adopted New York State budget, SUNY will only provide 19.85% of the financial support for the Sullivan County Community College 2010 – 2011 budget,” said Fanslau.

“The funding regulations are yet another example of the State of New York not fulfilling its statutory obligations, but leaving their mandates in place that require the Sullivan County Real Property Tax Levy and student tuition to fund the college budget,” added Fanslau.

The proposed SCCC 2010 – 2011 budget and supporting charts and documents may be accessed by using the following link: http://webapps.co.sullivan.ny.us/docs/cmgr/2010-11SCCCProposedBudget.pdf

The Sullivan County Legislature must approve a SCCC 2010 – 2011 budget by September 1, 2010. There will be a public hearing on the proposed SCCC 2010 – 2011 budget on Thursday, August 19, 2010 at 1:50 PM in the Legislative Hearing Room at the Sullivan County Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello, New York. The public is invited to make comments on the College budget during the public hearing.

FALLSBURG, NY – After a year of planning the Fallsburg Central School District has four dugouts for their baseball fields thanks to the efforts of the Construction Technology class at Sullivan County BOCES.

Tim Bult, Athletic Director for the Fallsburg CSD was the person who contacted William Drasher, Construction Technology Teacher at BOCES to ask for help – a request that BOCES was glad to lend a helping hand. Not only did the students build the dugouts they also drafted the plans and worked with Mr. Bult to make sure the district was getting exactly what they were looking for. The class completed the dugouts this past spring, as a community service project for the Fallsburg CSD.

Five of the students who helped with the project were from Fallsburg: Jason Helm, Jonathan Quinlan, Steven Teri, Dylan Vazquez and Joseph Smith. The other students who helped with the project were Charles Crespo, Livingston Manor; Michael DiGirolamo, Monticello; Jesse Durant, Sullivan West; Angel Ferrer, Monticello; Sean Gadsden, Monticello; Heriberto Hernandez, Monticello; Brandan Laymon, Monticello; Anthony Maltese, Liberty; Robert Mann, Monticello; Jason Moss, Monticello; Michael Snowden, Monticello; Chris Strysko, Liberty; Ramzi Abdelrahim, Liberty; Robert Dudek, Tri-Valley; Christian Garcia, Liberty; Robert Johnson, Monticello; Patrick McDaniel, Sullivan West; Walter Schoonmaker, Monticello; and Bryan Telesky, Monticello.

The Board of Education and Mr. Bult presented a plaque of appreciation to the Steven Teri, William Drasher, and Denise Sullivan, Director of Career & Technical Education at BOCES at the June 2^nd Board meeting. Mr. Bult also surprised the class with pizza and donuts to show his appreciation of their efforts. The dugouts will be used for boys and girls sporting events throughout the year.

For more information about the dugout project or any of the programs offered by the Career and Technical Education Program at BOCES please contact call (845) 295-4152 or log onto the website at www.scboces.org.

Kylee Funcheon is a senior at the Liberty Central School District.

LIBERTY, NY -  Career and Technical Education (CTE) students from Sullivan County BOCES once again participated in the SkillsUSA State Conference in Syracuse, competing against students from other BOCES, technical career centers and high schools from across New York State. The competitions are designed to demonstrate the students’ proficiency and knowledge within their perspective fields, first place winners then move on to the national competition.

Under the tutelage of Peggy Schleiermacher, Health Occupations II Teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, Kylee Funcheon, took advantage of the situation and excelled as she competed and won third place in the Basic Health Care Skills Statewide Competition where she demonstrated her knowledge and skills in CPR, blood pressure, and other basic health care skills. Part of the competition consisted of presenting a project to the judges. Kylee choose Diabetes for her project. According to Ms. Funcheon, “The competition was a great experience and a lot of fun. I never expected that I would place in the competition,”

Kylee Funcheon is a senior at the Liberty Central School District. She was enrolled in the Health Occupations II program at BOCES, where she has obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license. After graduation she is going to Broome Community College for liberal arts.

SkillsUSA is a national organization comprised of a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. Its purpose is to help each student excel. Formerly known as VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. SkillsUSA has more than 250,000 student and professional members annually, organized into more than 13,000 chapters in 50 states and three territorial associations: Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

We are proud of all of our students who attended the competition.

For more information on the Health Occupations Programs, or the SkillsUSA competition please contact the BOCES Career & Tech Dept at (845) 295-4152.

LIBERTY, NY – The Town of Liberty is inviting members of the public to attend a public hearing to learn about proposed changes to the Town of Liberty Zoning Law. The meeting is being held on Thursday, July 22, beginning at 7 p.m. in the CVI Building in Ferndale.

The proposed Zoning changes are the outcome of a 2-year review process that began in early 2008, after the Town of Liberty adopted its joint comprehensive plan with the Village of Liberty. The Zoning Committee was charged to review and propose changes to the existing Zoning provisions to bring them into line with existing and perceived future needs; and to incorporate comments and priorities that were agreed upon by residents in community planning sessions during the comprehensive plan process. A first, informal public information session on the proposed changes was held in May 2010.

This public hearing now is part of the formal adoption process of the future Zoning Law: the related documents are available on the Town of Liberty website (www.townofliberty.org) or can be viewed in person at the Town of Liberty Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

CALLICOON, NY – Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center has announced  that it has appointed Gerard Manzi as the Club at Villa Roma’s new Executive Chef.

Manzi brings more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry to the Club at Villa Roma Restaurant. Most recently, he was a consultant at Main Street Café in Narrowsburg, N.Y., and served as Executive Chef at Gaetano’s Café & Lounge in Mongaup Valley, N.Y. Additionally, he is the former Chef and Owner of Gerard’s Continental Kitchen in South Fallsburg, N.Y., and previously apprenticed with Francesco Scarfolato, a Master Italian Chef who spent much of his life as a cook before becoming a Master Chef at restaurants from southern Sicily to northern Italy.

“We are delighted to appoint Gerard as the new Executive Chef at the Club at Villa Roma,” said Paul Carlucci, the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center’s Vice President. “He has a large following and is well-known throughout Sullivan County and the Hudson Valley for his tremendous culinary skill. He has valuable experience in the industry and we are confident that our guests will enjoy his delectable creations.” 

The Club at Villa Roma, one of Sullivan County’s premier restaurants, offers guests a beautiful view from its dining area, overlooking rolling hills and the Villa Roma’s 18-hole championship golf course. The extensive menu includes Italian-American Cuisine, an all-you-can-eat Grand Buffet on Wednesday nights, seafood specialties and many other culinary delights. All guests of the Villa Roma and the General Public are welcome to dine at The Club at Villa Roma, although reservations are requested.  The Club at Villa Roma is open Tuesday nights through Saturday nights. To make a reservation, call 845-887-4880 ext. 7100. 

Villa Roma, located in Callicoon, N.Y., recently completed a $27.3 million construction of a new main hotel facility and an enhancement of guest amenities. The reconstructed hotel features many renovated 1- and 2-bedroom luxury suites and new amenities, including a 600-seat ballroom, lounge and dance club, 150-seat café, 30-person Jacuzzi spa and an outdoor water playground.

Villa Roma also offers its guests a total of five pools, indoor tennis and fitness center,  1,000-seat night club and show room, 18-hole championship golf course, club house and catering facility, arcade, bumper boat pool, go-cart track, horseback riding, spa, gift shop, bowling facility, supervised children’s programs, wireless Internet and corporate meeting rooms.

For more information, call 845-887-4880 or visit the resort’s Web site at www.villaroma.com.