Following a search for a home that included the old school field on Kirk Road and the firemen’s field, the Tusten Heritage Community Garden has successfully found a spot behind the Tusten-Cochecton branch building of the library, with the unanimous approval of the library board. Crops will also be grown at SkyDog Farm on Route 23, co-owned by Kevin Vertrees and Andrea Reynosa, and at Fort Delaware. Reynosa, who is also a town council member, is spearheading the project independent of her town duties.  Read more

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Catskill Mountainkeeper and partnering organizations Cornell Cooperative Extension, Center for Workforce Development, Green Village Initiative and Sullivan Renaissance have launched a project called “Catskill Edible Garden Project – Growing the Next Generation of Food Entrepreneurs.”  Read more

In a letter to Honesdale Borough Council President F. J. Monaghan, Janine Edwards, Wayne County District Attorney, exonerated former borough zoning officer Wayne Earley from any wrongdoing in a number of alleged incidents surrounding Earley and his office in the borough building.  Read more

David Jones, left, owner of Kittatinny Canoes, addressed the Highland Town Board during its monthly meeting on May 8. The Pike County, PA resident spoke regarding the proposed Local Law 3, which would ban heavy industrial uses such as gas drilling within the town.  Read more

It isn’t over yet in Shohola. For the last two years, tensions between two of the Shohola supervisors and a contingent of citizens who support Don and Nelia Wall flashed and sparked at every monthly township meeting.

Chairman of the Shohola Township Supervisors George Fluhr and supervisor Gregg Hoeper fired Don Wall as the township zoning officer, and Nelia Wall as the township secretary/treasurer, in March 2010.

“It’s time for a change,” Fluhr said as the explanation, being gagged due to a grand jury investigation that was being conducted at that time.  Read more

TOWN OF HIGHLAND, NY — Flocks of pink flamingoes have begun appearing on lawns around the Town of Highland lately. Not the result of global warming, the plastic birds are placed by members of a community organization focused on helping neighbors in need.  Read more

Every municipality in New York State that issues dog licenses must also appoint an animal control officer to control the dog population, whether domestic or feral.

Municipalities that don’t issue dog licenses have the option of appointing an animal control officer. But there is nothing in the law about the control of domestic cats, and the feral cat populations can get rather high in many municipalities.

The Town of Bethel has developed a plan to help cat owners spay or neuter their cats and, at the same time, help tamp down the feral cat population.  Read more

ALBANY, NY — According to an annual performance report released by state comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli on New York’s Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs), there appears to be limited correlation between higher IDA tax exemptions and job creation.  Read more

The Upper Delaware Council’s Water Use/Resource Management (WURM) Committee seeks to recruit non-voting, advisory members to provide guidance on issues that regularly come before it.  Read more

CAMP HILL, PA — The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) joined other state farm bureaus in a campaign that successfully reversed a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) directive that would have placed limits on the ability of youth to work on family farms. The DOL regulation would have also jeopardized the role of parents in teaching their children the value of on-the-farm work, PFB officials said.  Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government has proposed a new rule related to hydraulic fracturing that would require the disclosure of the ingredients of fracking fluids used on public and Indian lands. The rule has raised criticism from some because the disclosure would come after the fracking has already taken place.  Read more

Workers from the Leeward Company are doing repair work at the Honesdale pool free of charge. “We want to see the pool open for the community so we are donating all the concrete work at the site,” said Eric Linde, owner of the company. Some other businesses have joined the effort and Linde encourages more to come on board.

POCONO MANOR, PA — “She’s the stealth bomber of conservation causes,” declared Delaware Highlands Conservancy (DHC) board president Greg Belcamino as he invited DHC founder Barbara Yeaman to the podium at the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association’s (PALTA) annual conference on May 4. Before a large crowd, Yeaman was presented with the organization’s Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award.  Read more

There were a total of 62 vendors at Foodstock this year, offering a wide array of locally produced culinary delights ranging from cheeses to produce to locally made wine and spirits. The offerings drew a crowd of over 500 people to the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in the Beechwoods.  Read more

Two peregrine chicks that hatched in a nest on the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg, PA will be banded during a live webcast of the event at 1 p.m. on May 9, according to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, which hosts the webcam with which the nest has been monitored.

The nestlings will be weighed, examined and the sex will be determined before leg bands are attached. The bands will provide for an individual signature that identifies the birds when they fledge, disperse and seek out their own nesting territories.  Read more

WILLIAMSPORT — The Department of Environmental Protection has fined RW Products LLC of Wheeling, WV, $21,029 for the illegal disposal of a reported 800 gallons of waste drilling mud on State Game Lands 219 in Warren Township, Bradford County, in December 2011.

“A driver for RW Products admitted that he intentionally dumped a load of oil-based waste drilling mud onto the ground,” North-central Waste Management Program Manager Patrick Brennan said. “This violated the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and the department’s penalty reflects this blatant disregard for the environment.”  Read more

NEW YORK CITY — The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYDEP) has announced a new agreement with the National Weather Service (NWS) in which DEP will provide the NWS with up to $1 million to help speed up the development of state-of-the-art forecasts of water flows throughout the watershed.  Read more

At a meeting of the Delaware Town Board on April 18, it was decided to propose a law that would move from the current system of three elected tax assessors to a sole assessor appointed by the board.  Read more

Critics of gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing in New York State have long been calling for a study on the possible impacts the process can have on human health. While there is some support for the idea among elected officials in Albany, so far state officials have not been willing to go in that direction.  Read more

The spring gala of the Wayne County Historical Society planned for May 26 will center around a historic hanging in the county’s Old Stone Jail. It will feature a dinner-theater event recalling the historical trial of James McCabe, the last man to be hanged in Wayne County.  Read more

UPPER DELAWARE REGION – A true servant leader is now at rest after making the waters of the Delaware River a much safer place for the past 33 years. Until the day he died on April 17 following a battle with cancer, Richard “Dick” Rhodes was still preparing to save lives during the upcoming season by sending out an email message to fellow river patrol members about their upcoming training.  Read more

The Clarence Foster House, which stands north of the Wayne County Courthouse at 927 Court Street, may have to be taken down. The house, which has been vacant for a few years, will receive an independent review of structural findings and a hazmat analysis by CECO Associates, an engineering firm, according to the recommendation of Stephen J. Knash, county engineer.  Read more

The board of the Town of Bethel became the third in Sullivan County to change their zoning in a way that bans gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The vote at the town meeting on April 26 was five to zero.  Read more

MATAMORAS, PA — A former Matamoras Volunteer Fire Department chief, Kevin DeGroat, and his wife Teresa, former treasurer of the department, were sentenced on Friday, April 20 for theft, and sent to prison for a period of two months to two years.  Read more

After speaking out at a planning board meeting about the matter, Pat Lubin took her concerns to the town board at a meeting on April 16. She said she represented the Loomis Road Neighborhood Watch, and the group’s main goal was to create and maintain a safe neighborhood.  Read more

The Tusten, Highland, Lumberland VFW Post #6427 installed its new officers for 2012-13 in a ceremony conducted on April 14 at the Highland Senior Center in Eldred. Sworn in by Past District II Commander VFW and Sullivan County Chaplain Al Etkin (left front), were Norman W. Sutherland, Surgeon (left rear), Robert H. Grab, Chaplain (left facing); Frederick Bosch, Senior Vice Commander; John Vonsteenburgh, Service Officer; Edward Boyer, Quartermaster; Phil Stropoli, Adjutant; Peter Barnes, Junior Vice Commander; and Peter D. Carmeci, Sr., Commander.  Read more

After being closed for the season since January 1, the Wayne County Historical Society building reopened on Saturday, April 21 with a flourish of events that will last through the summer and continue until the end of November.  Read more

Sullivan County came into possession of the 84-acre property in Kenoza Lake because the owner fell behind on taxes. In 2009, county officials removed the property from the tax auction because they believed it would be a good site for a demonstration farm.  Read more

The Eldred Central School (ECS) District Board of Education, at its meeting on April 19, adopted its proposed 2012-13 budget in the amount of $15,918,581, following many months of relentless cuts. The adopted budget reduces spending in the amount of $612,419, or 3.7%, when compared to the 2011-2012 budget. The tax levy will increase 2.0% and is within the constraints of the Property Tax Cap Legislation for simple majority voter approval.  Read more

Architect Michael Chojnicki and members of the Callicoon Business Association have been working for more than a year on plans to renovate the parking lot and steps that separate Upper Main Street and Lower Main Street.  Read more

On Wednesday April 18, 2012 at approximately 8:00 AM, a concerned neighbor called the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office to report a suspicious person in the vicinity of 97 Huschke Road in the Town of Liberty. Patrols responded to the scene and located a subject who was in possession of a lawn mower.  Read more

a meeting of the Sullivan County Legislature’s Health and Family Services Committee, public health director Carol Ryan proposed the idea of a health forum to discuss the county’s low health ranking in the recently released national report, “County Health Rankings.” (See “Sullivan County nearly most unhealthy” in last week’s River Reporter.)  Read more

Borough of Honesdale board member Bob Jennings offered a motion on April 9 for the borough to order a forensic audit of all the records of the recently deposed zoning officer Wayne Earley. The motion was questioned by two members.  Read more

In a conversation that has been held frequently over the past several months, residents of the Town of Cochecton urged members of the board to take a stand on gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The board has maintained strict neutrality on the matter, and members have said they will be guided by the new rules being developed by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).  Read more

Alarmed at a process they perceive to be moving too swiftly, representatives of several hunting and fishing clubs in the Town of Highland turned out to raise concerns about a proposed zoning rewrite targeting industrial uses such as gas drilling at the town’s monthly meeting on April 10. The board listened to many of the remarks, but reminded speakers that the session was not a public hearing where comments are received. That hearing has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on May 4 in the Junior/Senior High School in Eldred.  Read more

“We are pulling out drought management plans,” Carol Collier, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) told members of the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) at their meeting on April 5. “We’ve received six inches of precipitation across the basin this year, which is about 4 inches below what it should be at this time.”  Read more

When the call went out at approximately 1:50 p.m. on April 16, the Lava and the Narrowsburg fire departments were directed to 351 Grassy Swamp Road, seven miles south of Narrowsburg on the river side of Route 97. The fire, according to Narrowsburg chief Dave Casey, who was the first to drive down the steep one-lane dirt road, had been spotted from Pennsylvania and the coordinates were not confirmed.  Read more

A tried and true practice that has sustained many farms and the communities they serve is being creatively applied to a respected regional theatre. Having experienced the transformative power of community through the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at Willow Wisp Farm in Damascus, PA, Tannis Kowalchuk, who assists husband Greg Swartz in operating the farm, began to see possibilities for a similar initiative at NACL Theatre in Highland Lake, where co-founder Kowalchuk is artistic director.  Read more

HARRISBURG, PA – Today, a Pennsylvania court issued a preliminary injunction (PDF) <earthjustice.org/documents/legal-document/pdf/act-13-challenge-order> against a portion of a controversial state law – Act 13 – that sought to override local zoning laws related to the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The court ruled these local laws can remain on the books and in effect until they are challenged and found invalid.  Read more

Unexpectedly, Brain Smith, chairman of the Wayne County Commissioners, announced that he was returning to the barn and the milking of cows. The announcement came at the commissioners meeting on March 29.  Read more

MONTICELLO, NY — The next step in the development of the erstwhile Concord Hotel property may be determined by which party, Entertainment Properties Trust (EPT) or Louis Cappelli’s Concord Associates, is considered to be the “master developer” of the project.  Read more

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Estimates just released from the Census Bureau for the 2011 census indicate a slight loss in population for Sullivan County over the last year.  Read more

Those who breathed a sigh of relief when repair work concluded last fall on the snakelike stretch of NYS Route 97 known as the Hawk’s Nest, must now hold their breath to see when the recently resumed activities will conclude.  Read more

The sour economy and actions in Albany are making it painful for officials to create the 2012/13 school budget. At a meeting of the Sullivan West Central School District (SWCSD) Board of Education on April 5, superintendent Dr. Ken Hilton presented the proposed budget.  Read more

SYRACUSE, NY — The River Reporter was judged one of the five top single-flag newspapers in New York State in the New York Press Association’s annual contest at its spring conference last weekend.
The categories that netted the newspaper its top spot are listed below. Where applicable, you can click the links to read the award-winning stories.

BEST NEWS OR FEATURE SERIES: On the Hessinger building, Fritz Mayer
“Hessinger Building slated for demolition”   Read more

MILANVILLE, PA — A detour is in place for motorists who will temporarily be unable to cross the Skinners Falls Bridge connecting Milanville, PA with Sullivan County, NY. During a routine inspection, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials recently identified the need for emergency closure of the bridge in order to repair the structure’s truss member cord.

PennDOT hasn’t yet determined when the bridge will reopen, but repair time is estimated to be three to four weeks, according to safety press officer, Mike Taluto.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has completed a $12.5 million project to modernize a wastewater treatment plant located on the Neversink River at Port Jervis. Modernization work will help protect the water quality of both the Neversink River and the Delaware River immediately downstream.  Read more

NARROWSBURG, NY – Working with the River Management Plan for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River was the subject of a recent training workshop targeted to town and township officials in New York and Pennsylvania.

The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) and National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (NPS) co-sponsored the March 24 program held at the Tusten Town Hall meeting room in Narrowsburg.  Read more

The Honesdale Borough Council has hired a temporary replacement for Wayne Earley, who was fired on March 12. The replacement is Robert Bates of Honesdale.  Read more

NEW JERSEY & PENNSYLVANIA — In a major win for two utilities that want to build a $510 million power line, the National Park Service (NPS) has backed a route that would take the line through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic River and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.  Read more

At a meeting on March 21, the Pike County Commissioners stated their intention to adopt the new Act 13 Impact Fee Gas Drilling law, saying, however, that it wasn’t clear whether they should adopt it or not.  Read more

In an attempt to dispel rumors and reduce concerns, the Wayne Conservation District (WCD) is renewing efforts to provide education and assistance related to the recently released Manure Management Manual in Pennsylvania with two new workshops scheduled for May 3.  Read more

The plan to build an esplanade behind the shops on Main Street has been on the drawing board for a couple of decades. In the offices at the Tusten Town Hall, there are a series of sketches, which were part of a study called the Big Eddy Waterfront Revitalization Program.  Read more

Monticello - Chancellor Livingston LLC, previously designated by the County Legislature as the preferred developer for the East Broadway Redevelopment Project (The former Apollo Mall property and the former Landfill Phase II property) has notified County officials that they are withdrawing from this project. Sullivan County will recognize their withdraw, and the County Legislature will consider options that will move the development of the area forward.  Read more

In perhaps one of the final acts of the long-running Toronto Reservoir saga, workers on March 27 began disassembling the wall that had blocked the road to the public access area by the dam at the reservoir.  Read more

Eileen Haworth Weil of Summitville died at her home on March 23, after a battle with cancer. She was 69.  Read more

“The jury is out,” said Anthony Waldron, solicitor at Lackawaxen Township. Waldron spoke at the township meeting on March 21, and was referring to the Act 13 Impact Fee in Pike County. (Since then, county officials have indicated they will adopt the fee.)  Read more

Callicoon’s Girl Scout Junior Troop #356 is aiming to get its bronze medal, and the idea they’ve come up with to get it is called “Doggie Day in Callicoon.” Presented to the Town of Callicoon Town Board at its latest meeting by troop leader Joanne Rosenberger—with a phalanx of the girls backing her up—the idea is to hold a day for dog owners and their pets in Callicoon Creek Park that combines an opportunity to have fun with education about maintaining a clean park.  Read more

All residential brush burning is prohibited in smaller communities during the state's historically high fire-risk period from March 16 through May 14, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens reminded New Yorkers today.  Read more

Ground will be broken for a two-story 5000-square-foot addition to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum (CFFCM) Paul Dahlie Education Building at the opening day ceremonies at the museum on April 1. The addition will house the Catskill Rodmakers Workshop and Heritage Craft Center on the lower level and on the upper, the Wulff Gallery.  Read more

NEW YORK STATE — State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C - Mount Hope) invites local residents from the 42nd Senate District to nominate friends, coworkers and neighborhood leaders whose outstanding work on behalf of their communities make them deserving of a special recognition by the State Senate as a New York “Woman of Distinction.”  Read more

The Town of Lumberland Town Board began discussing the need to address noise levels at its monthly meeting on March 14. The move came in response to a letter of complaint filed by the Loch Ada Taxpayers Association (LATA) as well as the first permit request of the upcoming camp season, which seeks a “noise permit” allowing sound to be generated until 11:30 p.m. on most weekends through the summer, as well as some weekdays.  Read more

The Sullivan County Legislature on March 15 held a public hearing on a new law that regulates the second-hand sale of jewelry, gold and other precious metals. With the price of gold soaring and the recession still hurting, thefts of jewelry from private homes have spiked in recent months.  Read more