SusanCampriello: My Works

Pine Plains man charged with murder
Dutchess County resident suspected of killing a man and wounding his wife during a shooting in Greene County
The Register-Star
June 18, 2009

PALENVILLE — A man suspected of shooting a Palenville couple — resulting in one death — just before 2 a.m. Wednesday is in Greene County Jail.

The alleged shooter, 23-year-old Robert N. Wilkinson of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, opened fire with a .223-caliber rifle on the victims, Lucian Haid, 28, and his wife, Taryn, 23, in the driveway of their home at 95 Pennsylvania Ave., following a dispute among the trio earlier in the morning, according to State Police in Kingston.

Lucian Haid was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Richard Viglio.

An autopsy will be conducted Thursday by Dr. Michael Sickarica at Albany Medical Center.

In spite of her injuries, Taryn Haid was able to call Greene County 911 with a description of Wilkinson’s vehicle, a 2008 Nissan. She was transported by ambulance to Albany Medical Center and was treated for her injuries, police said.

Staff at Albany Medical Center Wednesday afternoon had no information on her condition.

Wilkinson was taken into custody fewer than two hours after the shooting by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department after leading a sheriff’s deputy on a pursuit through the county. Wilkinson has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

He entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment in Catskill Town Court Wednesday afternoon in front of Judge Robert Carl.

Wilkinson conferred with the public defender assigned to the case, Dominic J. Cornelius, and stoically looked forward as he was led out of the courtroom by state police. He was transferred to the Greene County Jail.

District Attorney Terry Wilhelm said his office will be prosecuting the case. Wilkinson is expected back in court June 25, he said.

Neighbors in Palenville said the couple appeared to keep to themselves, as few knew who lived in the house 500 feet from the Saugerties town line.

Crane Davis, who lives across the street from the couple, said they were quiet and seemed nice. He said his wife had only met Taryn Haid once, when a package was mistakenly delivered to their home.

Davis said he did not hear any altercation before the shooting and that he thought the first shot could have come from a hunter somewhere.

But, he said, the successive shots hinted otherwise.

“The other four sounded like someone was out to get someone,” he said.

Davis said after the gunfire ended, he heard a woman screaming and he called 911. Emergency crews responded within 10 minutes, he said.

Davis said the couple had only moved to the neighborhood, which is mainly filled with weekend residents, six months ago.

He said it was not uncommon for at least one car to pull into the driveway on any given night but that there did not appear to be many people entering and exiting the house.

“It wasn’t like a constant stream of people,” he said.

According to the State Police at Kingston, Wilkinson was apprehended Wednesday morning after Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Gillespie spotted his vehicle with a defective light. Gillespie called in the license plate number and was told by dispatch that the vehicle belonged to the Palenville shooter.

The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle on Route 32 in the town of Ulster. When the driver did not comply, Gillespie initiated a pursuit.

Gillespie chased Wilkinson through the city of Kingston on Route 9W and into Esopus, where Wilkinson lost control of the vehicle and struck a rock wall along Black Creek Road.

Police from departments in the town of Lloyd, Kingston, Ulster and Saugerties converged upon the crash scene, police said.

Officers from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County District Attorney’s Office and the village of Catskill were involved as well.

Catskill police set up a roadblock at about 1:45 a.m. at the intersection of Route 23A and Route 9W in Catskill, according to Catskill Police Chief David Darling.

He said the State Police were on the scene right away.

“They were on it from the get-go,” he said, “and that is a good thing.”

1 dead, man charged in Palenville shooting
Suspect identified as Robert Wilkinson of Pine Plains
The Daily Mail
June 18, 2009

CATSKILL — Neighbors of a husband and wife shot Wednesday morning in Palenville said the couple was quiet and appeared to keep to themselves.

Few neighbors said they even knew who lived in the house at 59 Pennsylvania Ave., where, according to State Police in Kingston, just before 2 a.m., 23-year-old Robert N. Wilkinson of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, allegedly opened fire with a .223-caliber rifle on the man and woman.

State police said Wilkinson apparently shot Lucian Haid, 28, and his wife Taryn, 23, in their driveway following a dispute among the trio earlier in the morning.

Crane Davis, who lives across the street from the couple, said they were quiet and seemed nice. He said his wife had only met Taryn Haid once, when a package was mistakenly delivered to their home.

He said the couple had only moved to the neighborhood of mainly weekend residents six months ago.

It was not uncommon for at least one car to pull into the driveway on any given night but that there did not appear to be many people entering and leaving the house, he said.

“It wasn’t like a constant stream of people,” Davis said.

Davis said he did not hear any altercation before the shooting and at the time he thought the first shot could have come from a hunter in the woods surrounding the neighborhood.

But, he said, the successive shots hinted otherwise.

“The other four sounded like someone was out to get someone,” he said.

Davis said after the gunfire ended, he heard a woman screaming, and he called 911.

Emergency crews responded within 10 minutes, he said.

Lucian Haid was pronounced dead at the scene by Greene County Coroner Richard Vigilo.

An autopsy was scheduled to be performed today by Dr. Michael Sickarica at Albany Medical Center.

In spite of her injuries, Taryn Haid was able to call 911 with a description of Wilkinson’s vehicle, a 2008 Nissan. She was transported by ambulance to Albany Medical Center and was treated for her injuries, police said.

A spokeswoman at Albany Medical Center had no information on Taryn Haid’s condition Wednesday afternoon.

Wilkinson was taken into custody less than two hours after the shooting by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department after leading a Sheriff’s deputy on a pursuit through the county.

Wilkinson has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

He entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment in Town of Catskill Court Wednesday afternoon.

Wilkinson, represented at the arraignment by Greene County Public Defender Dominic J. Cornelius, stoically looked forward as he was led out of the courtroom by state troopers.

Catskill Town Justice Robert Carl ordered Wilkinson transferred to the Greene County Jail.

Greene County District Attorney Terry Wilhelm said his office will be prosecuting the case.

Wilkinson is expected back in court June 25, Wilhelm said.

According to State Police at Kingston, following the shooting, Wilkinson fled the house, located some 500 feet from the Saugerties town line, and drove south along Route 9W toward Kingston.

He was apprehended Wednesday morning after Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Gillespie spotted his vehicle with a defective light. Gillespie called in the license plate number and was told by dispatch that the vehicle belonged to the Palenville shooter, police said.

The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle on Route 32 in the town of Ulster. When the driver did not comply, Gillespie initiated a pursuit.

Gillespie chased Wilkinson through the City of Kingston on Route 9W and into Esopus, where Wilkinson lost control of the vehicle and struck a rock wall along Black Creek Road.

Police from departments in the Town of Lloyd, Kingston, Ulster and the Town of Saugerties converged upon the crash scene, police said.

Officers from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County District Attorney’s Office and the Village of Catskill were involved as well.

Catskill Police set up a roadblock at about 1:45 a.m. at the intersection of Route 23A and Route 9W in Catskill, according to Catskill Police Chief David Darling.

Darling said State Police were on the scene right away.

“They were on it from the get-go,” he said. “And that is a good thing.”

1 dead, 1 in custody following shooting, chase
Suspect arraigned in Catskill Town Court
The Daily Mail
June 17, 2009

One man was killed and his wife wounded in a shooting just before 2 a.m. this morning in Palenville.

The alleged shooter, 23-year-old Robert N. Wilkinson, of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, opened fire with a rifle on the victims, Lucian Haid, 28, and his wife Taryn, 23, in the driveway of their home at 95 Pennsylvania Ave., following a dispute among the trio earlier in the morning, according to State Police in Kingston.

Officials said Lucian Haid was pronounced dead at the scene.

In spite of her injuries, Taryn Haid was able to call Greene County 911 with a description of Wilkinson’s vehicle, a 2008 Nissan. She was transported by ambulance to Albany Medical Center and was treated for her injuries, police said.

Catskill Police set up a roadblock at about 1:45 a.m. at the intersection of Route 23A and Route 9W in Catskill, according to Catskill Police Chief David Darling.

Darling said State Police were on the scene right away. “They were on it from the get-go,” he said. “And that is a good thing.”

Following the shooting, police said Wilkinson fled the scene and drove south along Route 9W toward Kingston.

Wilkinson was apprehended about an hour-and-a-half after the shooting following a brief chase by an Ulster County Sheriff’s deputy. According to State Police at Kingston, Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Gillespie called in the license plate number of Wilkinson’s vehicle when it was spotted with a defective light. Gillespie was told by dispatch that the vehicle belonged to the Palenville shooter.

The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle on Route 32 in the town of Ulster. When the driver did not comply, Gillespie initiated a pursuit.

Gillespie chased Wilkinson through the City of Kingston on Route 9W and into Esopus, where Wilkinson lost control of the vehicle and struck a rock wall along Black Creek Road.

Wilkinson was taken into custody by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department and has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Police said police from departments in the Town of Lloyd, Kingston, Ulster and the Town of Saugerties responded to Gillespie’s call. Officers from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County District Attorney’s Office and the Village of Catskill were involved as well.

At 1:30 p.m. today, Wilkinson, who was wearing a dark, patterned zip-up jacket, jeans and black and white sneakers, entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment in Town of Catskill Court in front of Judge Robert Carl.

Wilkinson conferred with public defender assigned to the case, Dominic J. Cornelius, and stoically looked forward as he was led out of the courtroom by State Police.

Wilkinson was then transferred to the Greene County Jail.

District Attorney Terry Wilhelm said his office will be prosecuting the case.

Wilkinson is expected back in court June 25, he said.

Run by women: Chamber honors 37 business leaders
Experience, diversity characterize strong economic force
The Daily Mail
June 17, 2009

CAIRO — The Cairo Area Chamber of Commerce honored 37 businesswomen at the first-ever Celebrating Local Women in Commerce event Tuesday at the Cairo branch of the National Bank of Coxsackie.

Chamber Executive Director M.A. Tarpinian announced to applause that women have been in business in Cairo for a total of 587 years.

“Which I think is probably longer than Cairo’s been around,” she said.

Town Supervisor John Coyne said that 30 percent of businesses in the nation are owned by women.

“We are very fortunate to have so many businesses owned by women in our community and successful businesses,” he said. “It is great to see.”

He encouraged the businesswomen to apply for any federal or state assistance they may need and to come to the Town for other assistance.

Each businesswoman received a rose and a certificate recognizing their vital and successful stores, bakeries, resorts, salons and other enterprises.

Cairo area women who owned or run businesses for five years or fewer include Beth Alfeld, of Living Structures, MaryEllen Gallagher of Asisling Yoga, Dawn Monteleone Lynch of Dawn’s Bakery, Marge O’Neill and her daughters Liz Ladik and Lelana Cuti of O’Neill’s Cafe, Laura Stasinski of CairoPropertyManagement, Kathy Westfall of Tellers Picnic Spot, artist Jennifer Van Ness, Ann Vinelli and Dana Vinelli Sophler of Micanda’s, and Laura Wiley, Marlene Todaro and Laurie Snyder of Hair Impressions.

Marie Dempsey, of RiverValley Realty, Diane Giacomino of Hartmann’s, Diane Henke of Sir Walter’s, Hillary Higgins of Hillary’s Bridal. Attorney Patricia Schneider and attorney Janet Schwarzenegger, who also serves as a Cairo councilwoman, were recognized for running businesses for between six and 10 years.

Women who have run businesses for between 10 and 20 years include Gina Marie Cody of Pampered Paws, Donna Capulli of Donna’s Hair Shed, Patrice Magliocca of McDonald’s, Renee Star of ReneeJeanSalon, Robin Ann Stapley of LMT and Claudia Zucker of Living Structures.

Lucille Bertone of Future Homes, Mary-Jo Cords of Cords Realty, Karen Gallo of Karen’s Florist, Helen Lee of His N’Hers and Roseann Plank of Razor’s Edge were honored for running businesses for between 20 and 35 years.

Therese Patterson, who has run Bernie-O’s for 38 years, Clarice Walker, who for 42 years has run True Value, Frances Caizzo, Lazy J Ranch’s owner for 47 years, Purling Roller Rink’s owner for 48 years, Sally Schneider, and Margaret Hasenkopf, who has run CrystalBrook for 49 years, were honored as well.

The Chamber named Frances Caizzo, MaryLou Eisenhardt, Margaret Hasenkopf, Helen Lee, Rose Lennon, Therese Patterson, Sally Schneider, Carol Spohler, who has run the Cairo Market Days for 18 years, Clarice Walker as lifetime members of the Cairo Area Chamber of Commerce.

Honorees expressed hopes for the future, divulged the secrets of their success and recalled the days of old.

Karen Gallo, who just celebrated the 25th anniversary of Karen’s Florist, said she enjoys working with Cairo residents in good times and in bad.

Although her shop is located in Cairo, she dispatches her delivery team all across Greene County.

Hillary Higgins said the economy has impacted the bridal industry.

But she is optimistic about her autumn lineup of bridal and bridal party gowns and tuxedos.

And, she said, “We are coming out of an awesome prom season.”

She said her bridal shop got off to a slow start, but nine years later, it has become a destination shop for brides-to-be from as far away as Rochester and Queens.

Liz Ladik, Lelana Cuti and Marge O’Neill said they have not had trouble drawing customers to their cafe, which they opened nearly three years ago.

“Once you have a reputation, you have a following,”O’Neill said.

The three have also run a tavern in East Durham and a concession truck over the years.

The women said the key to a successful restaurant was maintaining consistency and a lot of work.

“We just like work,” Ladik said.

Mary Lou Eisenhardt, who has been in the resort business for 62 years, recalled that before the construction of Route 23, Main Street in Cairo was a traffic nightmare of visitors coming to stay in Cairo’s many resorts.

“Tourism was a force to be reckoned with,” she said.

She said changing vacation patterns and school and work schedules in recent years has driven a decline in resort-goers. Poor weather hurts the tourism industry, too, she said.

Vacationing families can contribute to the local economy, Eisenhardt said, because they boost all facets of the local economy to eat, shop or get their hair cut.

Eisenhardt, who served as chamber president in the 1980s and 1990s, said she was happy to see the Chamber so active.

Some events the Chamber runs include the Music Under the Stars season, which begins this Saturday at Angelo Canna Park, Cairo Market Days, which begin their season June 30, and the continuing Bears and Butterflies Henry Hudson Quadricentennial Quest.

The Chamber recently opened a new office at 536 Main St. Their gazebo will soon reopen at the Stewart’s Shop on Route 23.

Planners OK medical facility site plan concept
Mountaintop physician wants to build center on Grandview Avenue
The Daily Mail
June 16, 2009

CATSKILL — The Village of Catskill moved one step closer to bringing an urgent care center to the area Monday night when the Village Planning Board approved a Concept Site Plan for a medical facility. The address for the proposed facility will be 10 Grandview Ave., adjacent to the yet-to-be-built Lincoln Place.

Dr. Robert Schneider, of Urgent Medical Care, PLLC, and municipal planner and consultant Mark Hyer presented their concept to the Planning Board and other Village officials.

“What we propose to do down here in Catskill is provide what I feel is a much-needed care facility,” he said.

Schneider said staff at the medical center will provide acute care, trauma care, fracture care, resuscitative needs and even some obstetrical needs, including delivering babies in an emergency.

The center will employ three or four physicians, Schneider said, as well as a nurse practitioner and a physician’s assistant. The center will employ x-ray technicians and a lot of support staff, he said, adding that he hopes to hire graduates of Columbia-Greene Community College’s nursing program.

Schneider said medical staff will be trained in family medicine, pediatric care and adult life-saving procedures.

“We will be fairly equipped to do just about anything down at that facility,” he said.

The facility will be open for roughly 12 hours every day of the year.

“That is what I want to bring to Catskill,” he said, “I am very excited.”

Schneider said having an accessible facility in Catskill could cut driving time from the Mountaintop to medical care.

Schneider, who also runs the urgent trauma care center at Hunter Mountain and has a medical office in Tannersville, said he has heard from residents from several Greene County and Ulster County residents in support of his facility.

“It is well-received and I think it will be a fantastic addition to this community,” he said.

Hyer explained to the board that Schneider has proposed to pave a section of Roosevelt Avenue, which is currently unpaved, at his own expense but under the supervision of the village DPW superintendent.

Hyer said the road will allow ambulances to reach the facility through an entrance off Roosevelt Avenue and leave onto Lincoln Place before heading to Grandview Avenue via Roosevelt Avenue.

Directional arrows on the pavement will indicate the traffic flow, he said.

Although the full lighting plan has not been developed, Hyer said, lights in the parking lot will have a full shield and will be turned off while the facility is closed.

“That will minimize any impact on the neighbors and the rest of the area,” he said.

Hyer said the plan will include aborvitae screening along the parking lot. The lot will accommodate at least 12 cars, he said.

Hyer said the building will be at least 3,000-square-feet in size, handicapped-accessible and will be painted with either neutral or earth-tone colors, although its final plans have not been worked out.

“It will blend in with the character of the neighborhood,” he said.

Catskill Village Planning Board Chairman William Zwoboda said he was looking forward to seeing the project’s final plans.

“Urgent care is needed very greatly in our community,” Zwoboda said.

The Planning Board set a public hearing for the Site Plan for July 6, at 7 p.m.

Ex-officials asked state for audit in 2004
The Daily Mail
June 15, 2009, online

Former Cairo Supervisor Joseph Calcavecchia and former Deputy Supervisor Gerard Aprea said the Comptroller’s Office was called for a formal audit in 2004, three years before an audit of 2007 was conducted, but the state did not respond.

“We begged the Comptroller to come in from day one,” Calcavecchia said.

Aprea said the Comptroller’s Office did not send a representative to audit the town when asked in 2004.

The next year, he said, someone from the state did come to look at financial records but did not conduct a full audit.

The representative told the town that things looked all right and the town had a lot of money in its accounts, Aprea said.

Calcavecchia defended statements in a recently released audit report from the state Comptroller’s Office that indicate contracts and work lacked a paper trail saying that he had trouble obtaining documents from other town officials and staff.

Calcavecchia and Aprea said the first few years of their terms in office were difficult. They said they were faced with a legacy left to them by the previous administration.

“When you have political warfare going on and in house problems, you’re not going to get half the stuff you needed,” Calcavecchia said. “There was a lot of bad blood going on at the time.”

Calcavecchia said conflicts between Brian Fitzgerald, an accountant he had hired shortly after taking office, and the town clerk made obtaining certain files difficult.

Town Clerk Tara Rumph said she had approached the town board prior to 2007 regarding accounting and bookkeeping issues.

Board members said they believed the accountant complied with guidelines and state law.

The accountant presented monthly reports to the town board, Councilman Richard Lorenz said.

Councilman Raymond Suttmeier said he trusted the accountant and his work.

Aprea requested an auditor to visit Cairo a second time, in 2007, to investigate town clerk records regarding a grant writer.

The town board had other concerns with town clerk reports that led to a lawsuit; of which the town clerk was later cleared of all allegations.

Calcavecchia and Aprea said that the audit was politically motivated because the auditor did not see the town clerk’s records as they had hoped.

Other members of the town board said the auditor had been directed not to enter the Town Clerk’s Office, saying they assumed that the auditor’s superiors had made the call.

Aprea said Calcavecchia ran the town “like a business” and worked hard to obtain and maintain funds needed to fix the town’s sewer system.

He said that when he and Calcavecchia left town government, the town had a $1.5 million surplus and a developer had been interested in working to revitalize more of Main Street beyond the scope of the proposed Views at Alden Terrace development.

He said the problem with the 2007 audit lies with the state’s earlier inaction.

“They did not come in and do an audit of the town and they need to do an audit of the town,” he said. “They never did what we asked them to do.”

According to the report from the 2007 audit, which was released in May, auditors gathered materials through interviews with officials and staff as well as reviews of cash receipts, bank statements and personnel files.

William Reynolds, a spokesman for the Office of the State Comptroller, said in an e-mail that the period of examination spanned 2004 to 2007.

A previous audit, which looked at records from 2000 and 2001, was conducted in 2002, he said.

According to its report, the earlier audit showed no indication of balance or fund deficiencies, no evidence that policies and procedures to ensure capital projects were properly authorized were inappropriate and no indication that the town clerk did not maintain adequate records and reports to ensure money was properly recorded, deposited, disbursed and reported.

Shelly Brown, records access officer with the Office of the State Comptroller, said in a Freedom of Information Law response letter that records from the Town Clerk’s Office had been included in the 2007 audit process and audit personnel had entered the Town Clerk’s Office.

The letter stated that the audit was conducted by a team including Ken Madej, Theresa Bonneau and Joseph Noto and that no member from the team was asked not to enter the Town Clerk’s Office during the audit process.

Brown’s letter also stated that the town clerk’s records had not been subject to their own audit between 2006 and 2009.

“The Town Clerk’s records were not audited, but they were assessed. There was no report issued as a result of that assessment,” the letter states.

Calcavecchia noted that he was absent from meetings with the Comptroller’s Office and from the town government at the end of 2007 for personal reasons.

Calcavecchia said he had not seen a copy of the 2007 audit report.

“I don’t have to read it, it was done by my enemies,” he said.

Remembering the flag and what it symbolizes
The Daily Mail
June 15, 2009, online

DURHAM - Members of two Greene County Elk Lodges, scout troops and veterans, as well as servicemen and servicewomen gathered Sunday in Durham to celebrate Flag Day.

Exalted Ruler Barbara Squires of Cairo-Durham Lodge 2630, Maggie Good, exalted ruler of Catskill Lodge 2630, and their lodge officers guided the audience through the history of the American Flag from the Pine Tree Flag, used during the time of the American Revolution, to the current flag, bearing 13 stripes and 50 stars, representing every stage of nationhood from the Thirteen Colonies to a country of 50 states.

“The evolution of the American Flag marks the progression of the American government,” Trustee and past Exalted Ruler George Olsen, of the Cairo-Durham Lodge, said.

He was assisted by members of Boy Scout Troop 43, who paraded each flag before the audience.

After the history was completed, members of the American Legion fired a salute and a trumpeter sounded “Taps,” while the Greene County Marine Corps League stood by. Members of the Civil Air Patrol served as color guard as well.

Greene County Sheriff Greg Seeley gave a response to the parade of flags, saying he does not know why the flag is less visible today than it was in the months after Sept. 11.

But now, he said, it seems to be Elks, veterans and their families who celebrate Flag Day and who know the meaning behind the flag’s colors.

“Let us realize that the meaning today is the same as it was on Sept. 11, 2001 just the same as it was July 4, 1776,” he said.

In his address, State Assemblyman Pete Lopez, R,C,I-Schoharie, said that the evolution of the flag represented the progression of American culture as well as American government.

He said the flag continues to be tested but that the ideals it symbolizes still exist.

“The United States is still the land of the free and the home of the brave,” he said.

He said the flag is still a symbol of freedom across the world and a symbol of unity in the face of aggression. It is an expression of respect for fallen soldiers and of comfort to mourning families.

“Our flag, flying proudly,” he said, “[shows that] as Americans, we have the ability to overcome great challenge and great adversity.”

During the ceremony, the lodge recognized Hanna Verhoeven, Rebecca Scahill and Alison Schlobhon, who won scholarships through the Elks National Foundation.

Last month, the Lodge donated materials for Bingo night to Catskill Lodge 1341, after that lodge building was damaged in a fire.

The Catskill Lodge Flag Day ceremony Sunday afternoon also featured a parade of historic flags, the playing of “taps” and comments from Lopez.

Members of Cub Scout Pack 44 Den 2 and Den 4 served as color guard during the ceremony. They displayed the country’s flags, as well as a Prisoners of War/Missing in Action flag, which calls to mind the service of soldiers who remain unaccounted for or who might still be held as prisoners by their enemies.

David Schermerhorn gave a response to the display, saying that the flag must be won and re-won by every generation until the end of time.

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance,” he said.

He named the numerous battles and conflicts in which servicemen and servicewomen engaged and recalled images of the flag being flown over the ruins of the World Trade Center, draped over the Pentagon and being raised near the Pennsylvania crash site of Flight 93.

He said the flag still flies as a tribute to members of the armed forces, but also to law enforcement officers and firefighters, who serve their communities, as well.

Before the ceremony, the scouts said they had spent time getting to know about the flags they would bear.

Although they could not agree on their favorite flag that has represented the United States during its more than 230-year life, they said they learning the history of each flag was important.

“It helps us respect our country,” scout Michael Sandor, said.

Entrepreneurs undeterred by weak economy
Several new businesses springing up in village
The Daily Mail
June 13, 2009

CATSKILL — Catskill is alive and well, according to Village President Vincent Seeley.

Seeley said several new enterprises in the Village show that the economic downturn has not deterred entrepreneurs from making Catskill their home.

“People still believe in Catskill as a viable business opportunity,” he said Monday.

Seeley said his phone has been the businest it has been in five years with calls from potential business owners.

New business ventures featuring food include ice cream shop Spoon Me, on Main Street, under the same ownership of the adjacent MOD Cafe, Frank Guido’s Port of Call, also on Main Street, near the Catskill Point, Souper Sammies, on West Bridge Street, and River Street Bakers, on Brandow’s Alley.

The bakery and Wayne’s World Video, which opened on West Bridge Street earlier this spring, will celebrate their grand openings today.

Herz and Mine Treasure Chest, on Main Street, also recently opened for business.

Seeley said he has worked to attract niche businessees, like Main Street’s Somersault Woods gallery and shop, which also recently opened.

He hopes that a store selling beer will soon come to the former Eckert building, on Route 9W.

“That will clean up that corner,” he said.

He said the new owners, who run a Hampton Inn in Kingston, have begun the site plan review process with the Village Planning Board.

Seeley is also working with a local doctor to open an urgent care facility on Lincoln Place.

Seeley said the lack of accessible medical services is the biggest problem with health care in the area.

“That is going to be a great addition to meeting our health care needs,” he said.

And finally, Seeley is looking for interested owners to open a resturant in the former Firehouse Taven, also on Main Street. The building is being fixed up by the film crew for use in the movie “Meskada.”

“That will be restaurant-ready,” he said.

He said the Catskill Revitalization Action Team is still working hard on plans and proposals for areas along the Catskill Creek waterfront. While Seeley did not say how certain parcels would be used, he suggested that an area at the end of Church Street could make a good depot for a new trolley-bodied bus service in Catskill.

Seeley said other improvements to the Village include new picnic tables and grills at Dutchmen’s Landing.

He said the Village is installing four security cameras at the park to ensure safety.

Recently, ropes were cut at a new fishing dock there and flowers have been pulled out from urns along Main Street and some urns have been knocked over.

Police officers have been reviewing security tapes as part of an investigation into the vandalism acts, Police Chief David Darling said. He and Village Trustee James Chewens warned that any individual caught vandalizing property will be prosecuted.

Chewens said at a meeting of the Village Board that he was tired of hearing about the damage, which he thinks is perpetuated by only a few people.

“If you get caught, I am going to pursue it to the fullest extent of the law,” Chewens said. “We are not kidding.”

Drive-ins thrive as blockbusters, DVDs flourish
Theaters defy pressure from real estate values, changing market
The Daily Mail
June 13, 2009

GREENE COUNTY — Residents of Greenville can enjoy an evening movie under the stars once again now that the Greenville Drive-In has reopened.

The theater was closed in 2007.

The theater’s new manager, Don Brown and concessions manager Patricia Creigh bring with them years of experience from running a theater in Delaware. That theater closed in 2008, allowing the pair to look for a change of scenery.

Brown said he started working with owner Mark Wilcox to manage the theater on Route 32, in Greenville, and reopened the theater earlier this month.

Creigh now serves up snacks including popcorn and candy but nachos, fries and hot dogs, as well.

Brown warns that although the box office opens at 7 p.m., movies may not begin until shortly before 9 p.m., or when the sky darkens.

Patrons familiar with the drive-in may notice that the theater has a new steel screen.

He said that already patrons who have come to the theater for the last 50 years have come to thank him for reopening.

Brown said he has known many drive-in theaters to close in the recent years due to a rise in property taxes, which made running a theater or a theater chain less efficient than it once was.

“It just wasn’t as viable,” he said. “The market was over-saturated.”

The United Drive-In Theater Owners Association boasts a membership of 178 drive-in theater operators for the 2008-2009 year.

Association members operate 151 theaters in 40 American states and territories, including 14 in New York State, and run a total of 300 drive-in screens. The Association has more than 30 corporate partners, according to its Web site.

Brown has already lined up showings of new movies at the theater all summer long.

This weekend, movie-goers can catch “Up” and “Angels and Demons.” In the coming weeks, Brown will screen ”Ice Age 3” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

“Up” and “Angels and Demons,” along with “Pelham 123,” “The Hangover,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Star Trek,” “A Night at the Museum 2” and “Land of the Lost,” will play at the Hi-Way Drive-In, on Route 9W, in Coxsackie, this weekend.

Roger Babcock, who has owned and run the theater since the 1970s, will begin screening films on a nightly basis beginning on Fri. June 12.

He is also working on adding a fourth screen to the complex, which will allow him to keep showing more films for a longer period of time.

He explained that, for example, 98 percent of ticket sales and tax during the for the movie “Spider-Man 3” during its first week run went to the production company and only a small amount of revenue came into the theater.

After the first week, cuts to production companies decrease, so the longer a movie stays in a theater, the more money a theater can make, he said.

He said most theater revenue comes in through concession stand sales.

His concession stand offers customers snacks as well as fries, Philly cheese steak and pulled pork sandwiches and chicken fingers, among other food. He is adding ice cream cones and sundaes to the menu this summer.

Babcock said his movies draw a wide range in customers, spanning from die-hard drive-in fans of the Baby Boomer generation to children, in to see kid-friendly films.

Now that theaters broadcast sound over radio frequencies, rather than through the small, tinny speakers of the past, families can settle into their cars, babies, pets and all.

“It’s just like sitting in your home theater except you are in your little car,” Babcock said.

Other changes to the complex include a new women’s bathroom and a handicapped-accessible bathroom.

More renovations in the complex are planned, he said.

Neither Babcock nor Brown are worried about their theaters competing with each other’s, they said. Babcock said he had a friendly relationship with Mark Wilcox and his family when they ran the theater. He said he expected that moviegoers will give the new management of the Greenville Drive-In a chance.

Don Brown said the Greenville Drive-In will continue to attract residents and visitors in the area.

Greene County, he said, still has a sort of road-side culture to support drive-in theaters.

The skyline shows trees and mountains, he said, and lacks big-box stores and shopping centers.

“It is a beautiful area that has not been exploited,” he said. “It is not homogenized.”

For showtimes and more information about the Greenville Drive-In, please visit www.greenvilledrivein.com or call (518) 966-8500. The Hi-Way Drive-In can be reached at www.hiwaydrivein.com or (518) 731-8672.
Both theaters charge $8 for adult tickets and $3 for child tickets.

Surplus equipment auction nets $25,000
Proceeds from Internet sale returned as unappropriated funds
The Daily Mail
June 11, 2009

CAIRO — The Town of Cairo made more than $25,000 recently in an auction of surplus equipment, according to Highway Superintendent Steven Rumph, who announced the sales at a Town Board workshop last week.

Money raised by the auction, which was administered over the Internet, will be disbursed to the individual department from which the equipment came as unappropriated funds, Rumph said.

“I think we did a good job,” Councilman Richard Lorenz said of the sale.

“We made more than we expected,” Highway Superintendent Steven Rumph added.

Surplus items auctioned include an ambulance, a dump truck and several plows and sanders.

Although some items, including an ambulance, were sold at prices higher than expected, some buyers claimed items for very little money, which concerned Rumph and the Town Board.

Rumph and the board discussed whether the scrap price was more than the sale price and whether a different buyer would offer more money for some items.

They agreed such items should not be sold.

For example, the winning bid on a 1992 Ford pickup truck, worth $1,950 in Rumph’s estimate, was $1,800.

“The tractor definitely has to stay,” Lorenz said.

Another bidder won three sanders for $6 each.

“We have the right to refuse,” Town Supervisor John Coyne said. “We can get a lot more than $6.”

Members of the Town Board met with Rumph after the meeting and decided to deny the sale of the pickup and sanders.

The Town kept a 1976 Fiat Track loader that Rumph said requires rare parts.

“It took us eight months to find a starter,” he said about the piece.

The highest bid on the loader was $4,500 and Rumph estimated that it was worth $5,000. Rumph said he and staff investigated the prices of other equipment as reported online but did not present the board with a price comparison for each item sold.

Board members requested that those estimates be provided.

“What we do not have is comparative prices,” Councilwoman Janet Schwarzenegger said.

Lorenz said an appraiser would have to come and assess each piece of equipment in order for the Town to obtain an accurate worth estimates.

Bookkeeper Luann Arp pointed out that two different people should have obtained price estimates and administered the auction.

Arp said final sales should be authorized by the supervisor and councilmen.

“The Town Board should really be looking at the prices and making the determination,” she said.

Councilwoman Alice Tunison said members of the Board should learn about the equipment so they could make informed decisions on equipment sales.