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Follow Up on the News
Onteora Talks New Supers

Gregory pointed out that there were some incoming Bennett students who lived closer to Phoenicia or Woodstock and transportation was already in place if they needed to go to another school. The two extra Kindergarten teachers would then become Academic Intervention Specialists (AIS). This is a State-mandated service that addresses students who score below a level three, out of four levels, in the State English Language Arts and Math exams.
But not all people agreed with Bennett only having one class. A small group approached the board towards the end of the meeting, protesting the board's motives. Bennett Kindergarten teacher Lynn Clinton mentioned the unfairness at the board's focus on Phoenicia School's two classrooms if it consisted of more than 20 students. She pointed out that the board found it reasonable to slate 23 students for one classroom at Bennett.
"I have very serious concerns about a very full single section at Bennett Elementary School," said Clinton. "Bennett also has a primary special ed class, with Kindergarten students that will be mainstreamed this year." She also listed the possibility of new students moving into the district, a hypothetical that the board used for Phoenicia classrooms.
A district press release was issued that said the bar for the state tests has been raised; therefore, more kids will be scoring lower than level three. Preliminary results of the 2010 district school report card are available to administrators but not yet available to the public.
According to Gregory, the results reveal that more students will need academic support.
"My biggest concern is because they raised the test scores on Level one, two, three and four, more students now are going to be identified in need of AIS services," she said.
BOCES Superintendent Marty Ruglis then met with the board in a workshop for the purpose of the new superintendent search. An informational brochure was fine-tuned for the purpose of distributing to potential candidates ,and the board agreed upon the scope of advertising. The search will cover the Hudson Valley, Upstate New York, part of New Jersey and Connecticut. A classified ad will be place in the New York Times, local and educational papers. Qualifications sought include three years of central office experience; ability to successfully integrate and maintain a high level of trust with the board staff and community; and a candidate who must be a strong advocate for progressive education.
The board has targeted October as the deadline for collecting applications. Potentially, three finalists will be chosen. As part of the final interview process, the candidates will meet with district administrators, a board-selected shared decision making committee, and the board for final interviews.
In a sports discussion, it was noted that Onteora Modified and Junior varsity soccer will be sharing the field on Route 28 across from the Emerson with a Shandaken start-up youth soccer league. Athletic director Nick Millas said, "While I was on vacation, I got notification from the town of Shandaken that we wouldn't be allowed to use the fields. That was a miscommunication and misunderstanding and we worked out a resolution where we will be able to use the large field for our games." During practice days the youth league will be using the larger fields and Onteora teams will be able to use the smaller fields.
In other sports news, Millas said that the three-mile all-purpose trails for cross-country have been renovated and are in good safe working condition. He said Cross Country participants, community volunteers and Eagle Scouts helped with the work. The athletic code of conduct and the coaches' handbook have been revised and updated.
Finally, it was announced that the school campus at Boiceville will soon have its sewer hooked up to the new Boiceville wastewater treatment plant. Director of Building and Grounds Jared Mance said a bid was accepted and it appears a hookup may happen in October around Columbus Day weekend. There will be some excavation taking place around the grounds of the High School.
Next summer, the two buildings will receive new grease interceptors. The bus garage will also be receiving a new oil and water separator.

Keeping The Byway Alive

"We decided to wait until September, " said Manning. "Many people are on vacation right now, so we will pick things up next month."
In July, local officials made it clear that the small municipalities within the proposed byway area - Ulster County towns of Hurley, Olive, and Shandaken, the Villages of Fleishmanns and Margaretville and the Delaware County towns of Middletown and Andes - do not have the resources to fund the project in the long term.
Manning said he is glad that those officials have made that clear, and noted that those same officials are participating in exploring other ways to keep the ball rolling, something that Manning says is important at this stage of the game.
The Collaborative is at the point of requesting that New York State declare this section of Route 28 a Scenic Byway. Manning said it is critical that a long range plan be established now, during the request phase.
"If they (the state) bestow this designation on you they want to know you are going to take it forward," he said.
Formed two years ago just prior to the economic crash, the Central Catskills Collaborative has been working toward getting a 50 mile section of Route 28 designated as a Scenic Byway, under the notion that such a designation would open the door for funding opportunities for the region that would otherwise not be available.
The CCC was formed based on receiving a state-level grant to pay the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development to handle the administration responsibilities but, ironically, that funding never materialized as state finances fell into shambles.
Then, the Catskill Watershed Corporation was asked to fund the CCC, and that agency's Board of Directors contributed $50,000 of start up funds to take the place of that state money that never arrived.
Manning added that, in his view, much is being accomplished regardless of the byway designation because anytime a group of local officials get together and work together, identifying goals and ways to achieve them, there is always a benefit.
In other words, it is the relationship forged between the communities that counts.
"A Scenic Byway (designation) is a byproduct of that relationship," he said.

Our Very Own Festival

"Visitors to this year's Festival will be regaled with exhibits, displays, food, and opportunities to try their hand at nature photography, artistic expression through writing and drawing, fly casting, and much more," DeWan said of what's become one of the revived campus' key happenings each year. "This year's event marks the beginning of 'the greening of Ashokan' as the Center launches it newly-designed energy-efficient building project. Tours of the campus will include the future site of 'buildings that teach' sustainability and community building."
Also of key interest next weekend will be the arrival of new Ashokan Center Executive Director Wayne Turner, fresh from Grand Teton National Park and the Teton Science Schools. "The Ashokan Center is thrilled to welcome Wayne and his family from the Rockies to the Catskills," said Board President Jay Ungar of the new addition this week. "He brings extensive experience and knowledge, and is coming back home to his East Coast roots to plant new seeds of experiential learning for the next generation to nurture and harvest."
"It is an honor and a privilege to lead the Ashokan Center into the next chapter of its long and distinguished history as a pioneer in hands-on environmental education and community building," said Turner, former Director of Development and the Teacher Learning Center at the Teton Science Schools. "Having just driven across this magnificent country, my family and I are excited by this new adventure and the many treasures of the Catskill region. I can think of no better way to start than be celebrating the spirit of the Catskills at Ashokan's Eco-Heritage Festival."
Starting at 11a:00 AM on September 4, Festivalgoers can come for the day, have an outdoor dinner at 5:00 PM and then enjoy an evening concert and dance featuring folksingers Magpie, and Jay Ungar & Molly Mason.
Among special activities will be visits to the campus' teaching garden, fresh baked pizza from Ashokan's own hand built clay wood-fired oven, geological walks with pre-eminent Catskill geologist Dr. Robert Titus, flyfishing lessons and demonstrations, a bird walk with NYS Parks Deputy Commissioner Tom Alworth, a forest ecology walk with Violet Snow, poetry and prose from authors and poets Will Nixon and Michael Perkins, and much more.
The Festival will be topped off by a 7:30 PM concert featuring folk singer/songwriters Magpie (Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino) , as well as Ashokan Center founders Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, who will serenade with old-time tunes, "harkening back to the music that has flowed from the hills of the Catskills over the years."
The evening is expected to conclude with a foot-stomping square dance.
Gates open Saturday at 11:00 AM. After a full day of activities, demonstrations and exhibits from then to 5:00 PM, dinner will be served outdoors at the Killian Pavilion from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
For a full schedule of events and list of offerings visit www.ashokancenter.org or call 657-833 For more on Turner, read our next issue.

An Appeal To Readers

That, I think, has changed, and both this newspaper's presence and the information we've been providing you has had a lot to do with it. We're proud of these newspapers, and we're often told by government and media types that our reporting and analysis has long been amongst the most respected in the state.
Few people I'm sure have thought much about what it takes to sustain newspapers like these, delivered free to everyone in an area the size of Westchester County. The answer isn't money, although that's a component. What it really takes is a willingness to accept responsibility for it week after week and year after year. That, and a huge amount of time and work by a handful of dedicated people.
These newspapers operate as a very small business. We have no office, we all work from home and we work hard. Many of the paychecks I write each month are small but they're still important locally. My wife Maxanne long carried by herself the papers' heavy administrative workload, even while serving on Onteora's School Board. But the truth is there's just so many full-time volunteer jobs that any one family can handle. Eventually, that administrative burden came back to me and I struggle to manage it along with everything else it takes to get our papers out to you. But as we enter our tenth year of publication, it's become increasingly difficult for me to continue to do this without help.
I'm 52 and have worked in media and marketing most of my life. I believe within just a few years, the advertiser-supported community newspaper model we've created here will be the only weekly or biweekly newspaper format that's left in America. In our quickly changing media environment, newspapers are becoming something people don't pay for but simply "get," like radio, or like you, our readers, have come to expect. In communities like ours everywhere, papers like this will soon be the only viable and cost-effective print advertising media, as well as the only source of solid local news available to everyone. But whether The Phoenicia Times and The Olive Press will continue to lead by example or even continue to publish is something I'm reassessing.
Our problem as a business is that we're operating as one that's too small. You - all of our readers - don't add up to quite enough people to assure the wide advertiser-base we need to stay viable through difficult times like these. To sustain ourselves we need to grow by launching new papers throughout the region, something we're quite prepared to do although not without help. I've reached out to appropriate media companies, I've had great discussions and no one in the business has ever argued that our model isn't right. But as many of us know it's a difficult investment climate out there. And what may be needed here is the involvement of someone who shares our emotional commitment to the future of these communities and this region.
What's needed to sustain and to grow these newspapers isn't huge investment, for some of us what's required might seem manageable or even modest. So I'm looking for a partner, or partners, and a way to share some of the responsibilities. I've no conditions or preconceptions, nearly anything's possible. But I'm hoping to hear from someone who believes that what we've been doing all these years has helped make our community a better place. I know many of you do feel that way, people tell me this often and I'm always grateful when they do. So I hope sincerely to hear from some of you now, and I appreciate your reading this through. I answer my phone and check email often and remain an optimist by nature and years of practice.
Brian Powers, publisher
The Phoenicia Times & Olive Press
845-688-5051 or tiskilwapk@aol.com.

What's Up With 28A?

"Construction was suspended over concerns with storm water pollution protection practices, potential impacts on wetland areas and construction activity incursion onto private property," noted DEP spokesperson Mercedes Padilla this week. " During design an approved storm water pollution protection plan was issued; however, prior to construction, these regulations were revised. Also, prior to commencing construction, inconsistencies were discovered in the land transfers made in the 1960's raised issues as to the location of the City-owned Right-of-way and the extent of easements for maintenance of the road."
Padilla added that the issues that arose have since been resolved through minor realignment of the roadway, addition of enhanced storm water treatment retention ponds to protect water quality, addition of a second wetland mitigation area, and the obtaining of new easement rights from private property owners. She added that there were no settlement costs regarding the property issues.
CAT-244, Route 28A Realignment and Reconstruction, as the Olive project is being called, is the region's biggest roadbuilding project in decades, and came about in answer to complaints from Olive residents about their main roadway's curves, after the popular Monument Road cutoff popularly known as "the Lemon Squeeze" following the 9/11 attacks. The city has long said that their concerns were with safety along the twisting roadway, which has been under their purview for decades.
Substantial completion of the project is expected by December, 2011, including ongoing replacement of most of the roadway's bridges.
Meanwhile, it was announced this week that reconstruction work has begun on Stone Church Bridge, the last of seven nearly 100-year-old bridges the New York City's Department of Environmental Protection has been upgrading around the perimeter of the Ashokan Reservoir in the towns of Olive and Marbletown. The $36 million reconstruction project on the bridges began in 2008 and work on five of the seven bridges has been completed.
Work on the Stone Church Bridge is scheduled to be finished by next summer. The project is intended to improve the structural integrity of the bridges and extend the life of four of the bridges for at least 20 years and for at least 50 years for the others.

A Jar Of Olives...
Where The Eyes Go

Even though we could have very hot, sunny weather in September, my bathing suit goes into storage for another year. I no longer make macaroni salad and coleslaw, and my Crockpot gets used more than the outdoor grill. Don't get me wrong-I really don't want summer to end. It's just that the season runs out of steam, and I allow it to dissipate in favor of pumpkins and colored leaves.
A friend of mine defines the seasons in the northeast as four months of winter, two months of spring, two months of summer and four months of late fall. I think we savor summer so much, with its mild, favorable weather, because we know that the long heating season is just around the corner.
Olive Day, which is just around the corner and a sure sign of summer's end, will be held on September 11, the ninth anniversary of the Nine-Eleven tragedy. Troop 163 of Boys Scouts will be conducting a memorial service at 9 a.m. at the bluestone bench that was placed there in remembrance. The senior art class will have an art exhibit. Frogs will be jumping: eggs will be tossed, and lots of good food will be consumed. Wayfinders will be there to lead boys and girls in a dramatic adventure. Prizes abound in the Penny Social. The Ben Rounds Band and the X-Files will provide an afternoon of continuous music. George and Sherry Thomas and their students will demonstrate a medley of Line Dances under the pavilion at the lunch hour.
The Kent Reeves 5K Race will be run as a fundraiser for Jason Jones who is undergoing treatments for Cancer. Fred Perry, Jason's former coach, is arranging for the Stock Car Fantasy # 25, Marine NASCAR Race Car to be at Olive Day. The simulator will allow drivers, young and old, to experience a real race. Bucky Every is one "youngster" who wants to try it out. The very reasonable $3.00 a race fee will be donated to Jason Jones. I am reminded of what Enzo, the dog, says in my favorite book THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein: "The car goes where the eyes go." Well, all eyes are focused on helping Jason back to good health.
My book club and the Library Book Club have chosen the same novel to read in September. Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP will be discussed on Saturday, September 25. Book clubs expand our reading choices and provide a social network. Refreshments are usually tied to the theme; expect some old fashioned southern hospitality for this book.
Thanks to all who shared advice on the subject of publishing. I especially appreciate my personal editors, Jo Chin and Robert Tischler, who have made my rough draft into something much more polished and almost ready to launch. Maybe some day my memoir/biography can be a book club choice. I'll serve Greek treats like baklava.
On September 18, the Reservoir Methodist Church will have its annual chicken barbecue. The Samsonville church just had its barbecue last Saturday. Always try to find out when the local churches and civic organizations have their suppers. They are the best. Good cooking at reasonable prices.
With all that good eating, you may want to join dance off some calories at one of the dance classes being offered this fall at the Reservoir Methodist Church. Ballroom dancing at $100.00 a couple is scheduled at 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 p.m. for groups at different levels. Swing, rumba, cha-cha, foxtrot, waltz, and tango will be taught. For more information, call Cheryl Kosarek at 657-6783 or email ckosarek@aol.com.
Or perhaps, line dancing is more your style. George and Sherry Thomas will offer two classes, 6:30 for singles and 7:30 for couples, at $45.00 a person on Thursdays, September 23 to November 11. Call 657-8854 or email sherryt54@hotmail.com.
If Terpsichore is not your cup of tea, you might want to join one of the yoga groups around town. Roxy Newberry teaches two classes at the Reservoir Methodist Church. One is at 4:30 on Wednesdays, and the other is at 10 a.m. on Thursdays. The Olive senior yoga group, led by Kathy Carey, meets at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesdays, at the Olive Free Library.
Senior art class resumes on the first Monday after Labor Day, which will be September 13. Judith Boggess (657-9735) will continue to facilitate the class, from 10 a.m. until noon at the Reservoir Methodist Church, for any artists or art lovers who want to dabble in oils, acrylics, or watercolor.