Opinion: A Yellow Rose

New York City: a sprawling concrete jungle that stretches farther than the eye can see, miles in every direction, with only water cutting off the vast confines of Manhattan from the other four boroughs of lesser prominence. 

What a sight to behold through the virgin lenses of a born and raised country boy.

Few places in the United States, let alone the world, can escort you from the beauty of Battery Park overlooking the Statue of Liberty to the controlled chaos of Times Square, often called the center of the universe (although it doesn't impress the author that much), and finally to a reserve of nature at Central Park; all within a subway wide of each other.

However, beyond the must-see tourist attractions that everyone has booked on their once in a lifetime visit to Manhattan, nothing spells out the amazing character and personality of New Yorkers more than the 9/11 Memorial. 

Situated in the shadow of the One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower), the grounds are somber as thousands pay their respects to the fallen of September 11th, 2001. The noise of the world's grandest city melt away before your eyes, as the compassion of humanity overwhelms your senses. 

The massive size of the Twin Towers become apparent as you observe the solemn waterfalls cascading hundreds of feet below, where the symbols of American prosperity once stood. Surrounding them, are the names of victims who perished during the terrorist attacks etched in bronze plates attached to parapet walls. 

In the midst of this scene, while offering a silent prayer, I noticed the most beautiful and memorable part of my adventure to New York City: a simple yellow rose placed in the name of William Michael Weems, a rose I later discovered was placed to commemorate what would have been his birthday Saturday.

Soon after my girlfriend's sister informed me of this pretty little flower's purpose, I noticed a handful of other carefully placed yellow roses memorializing the birthdays of other victims. To say my heart fell would be an understatement, but to know that almost thirteen years after Mr. Weems' celebrated his last birthday that we still remember it, is a testament to the good in all of us.

So in a weekend full of memories and personal heartache, I walk away with those roses still fresh in my eyes, reminding me of the good that remains in this world and our nation's vow to remember those fell on that fateful day...

Opinion: One Hundred Years of War

One hundred years ago this week, the massive Austrian-Hungarian Empire declared war on the tiny country of Serbia for the actions of military renegades that resulted in the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand in the border city of Sarajevo, Bosnia. 

It would become the bloodiest military campaign in human history, only to be outdone by the next generation of European leaders mid-century. Armies from around the globe converged in support of their respective alliances, and the rest, is the work of historians. 

However, there is one important lesson we often fail to recognize in studying the great conflict: the failures of civilized men that begat World War One set the stage for over one hundred years of war spanning the world.

From the emboldened rise of communism in Russia to the redrawing of the Middle East in the Ottoman Empire's ashes, and even the oppressively written demands of reparations hoisted upon an indebted, weakened Germany following peace, the conditions had been set in place for continued conflict.

Even now, as we sit in the remote comfort of our homely settings, five wars rage across the globe today: civil wars in Iraq, Syria and the Ukraine, while the Israeli Defense Force strikes at Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip. Not to be forgotten, our men and women still deployed in Afghanistan.

We do not fancy ourselves historians at the Schoharie News, but rather students of history. And as students we have come to an understanding that in order to avoid the mistakes of our past we must first recognize what those mistakes were in the first place, and only then can we etch out a new beginning. 

Opinion: One Thousand Articles

As the Schoharie News was in the process of editing our article covering Oorah's legal victory over the Town of Jefferson Monday evening, we suddenly realized a major milestone would be achieved upon its completion and publication: our one thousandth published article. 

Sure, not every article was a masterpiece and several focused on nothing more than cold weather (granted, it was frigid outside and a slow news season to boot a significant portion of the past winter), but that is beyond the point.

The point is: we have been able to achieve something never before seen in Schoharie County, outside of the occasional television news coverage, in that information has been unleashed from a once every seven days experience to one that constantly changes and evolves before our readers eyes. 

Additionally, and this would not have been possible without our unbelievably incredible readership, but we have been able to expend our resources into the type of investigative journalism and healthy criticism of local government that has slowly dissipated from news bureaus nationwide.

Of course, such editorial decisions have resulted in allegations of yellow journalism or petty politics from our detractors, but we honestly believe the truth of the matter will always have the final say in how our stories are written and the facts contained within; agree or disagree with them, we digress. 

Although we do not know what the future holds for the Schoharie News, and we are expecting to make several important announcements in the coming weeks, we do know that without the support of our friends, neighbors, and strangers who have made this project the success it is, none of it would have been possible.

Thank you for sticking with us for one thousand articles.

Opinion: The County's Kangaroo Court

Schoharie County's trial of suspended Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington could be seen as the county's attempt to achieve justice for victims of her alleged "reign of terror," while retaining Ms. Ethington's right to a fair and just hearing before a panel of eight Supervisors tasked to sit in final judgment. 

However, as is often the case, reality tells another story altogether. 

From the initiation of proceedings, Ms. Ethington's trial has been marred by chaos and controversy, diluting the reasons for holding these hearings in the first place and revealing the county's lack of preparation for handling this unique under coming. 

Originally scheduled for three consecutive evenings, with the possibility of meeting on additional nights remaining open if need be, the trial was expected to go through several witnesses and be well on its way toward a conclusion by Thursday night, but instead hearings are stalled on the second witness with no end in sight. 

The reasoning for this is two-fold: defense attorney Ron Dunn went on an extensive, often repetitive, six hour back and forth exchange with Schoharie County Labor Attorney Mary Roach; eating up almost three nights worth of time. Meanwhile, the county never put in place the proper protocols to maintain its schedule or to avoid the possibility of a filibuster.

Additionally, the public exclusion of Supervisor Jordan from the panel was mishandled and afforded the first-term legislator no defense against unwarranted embarrassment in front of a packed courtroom of spectators and colleagues; all for evidence that was eventually thrown out on grounds of irrelevancy by Chairman VanGlad. 

With eight days until the proceedings reconvene, there is still time for the county to set the trial on a just and proper path, but if next Tuesday's hearing mirrors that of the first three affairs... It will inevitably devolve into an irreparably damaged kangaroo court that will shed whatever credibility remains of its public standing, if there is any to be found, that is...

Opinion: Time to Can Ethington

The time for justice has come. 

Over eight months have passed since the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors voted to suspend Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington indefinitely with pay for her role in fostering intimidation and mis-conduct in the county workplace, as revealed by the controversial Fitzmaurice Report. 

Several Supervisors would soon after lose their seats on the county board for their role in the scandal.

Now, with three evenings of hearings scheduled to decide Mrs. Ethington's fate starting tonight at the Schoharie County Court House, it is time for the embattled Personnel Director to follow her Conservative Party cohorts out the door, and pursue gainful employment off of the taxpayers dime. 

We are sure to see the familiar evidence presented by both sides for Supervisors (who are serving as the jury in these hearings) to consider in reaching their final decision, but the facts are documented and well known for all to see, whether it be the dismissal of public employees or her takeover of the Health Department. 

Mrs. Ethington's actions are beyond redemption and her acceptance back into the Personnel Office would only destroy what progress has been made in restoring the confidence and faith of the county work force in their public employment. Faith that was so badly scarred and brutalized under her "reign of terror." 

However, this isn't just about the morale of county employees, but rather the integrity of county government in not only moving past the heartache caused by its Personnel Director, as great as it was, but in its commitment to cleansing our government of corruption, illegality, and destructive personal agendas.

None of which can be accomplished until the champion of all the above is found guilty of her crimes, and in a sense of cruel irony, rightfully terminated by the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors at the conclusion of this week's trial, where she will finally taste a spoonful of her own medicine as she sees her way out. 

The choice is simple: it's time to can Ethington

Opinion: Yes to Casino, No to Malik

If Howe Caverns is awarded the Capital District's casino site by the New York State Gaming Commission, millions of dollars and hundreds of decent jobs will be created in Schoharie County. Local tax revenues will increase and county tourism is likely to see a significant boost from new patrons. 

These are all reasons why we stand 100% behind the creation and development of a casino in Schoharie County. We may not like the negative societal impacts that will tag along with estimated $450 million project, but the financial advantages are just too great to ignore at this point in time. 

However, we do not stand behind the casino's recently announced owner and operator, Michael J. Malik Sr., who exemplifies everything wrong with the gaming industry today and makes the Howe Caverns bid look just that much unappealing to already queasy residents opposed to the project. 

As we reported last week, Mr. Malik has a laundry list of disturbing actions from his past ranging from child abuse to election fraud and fiscal mismanagement to personal involvement in ponzi schemes. Additionally, he was once disqualified from holding a gaming license in his own state of Michigan in the 1990's. 

Besides our worries over the competency of the Howe Caverns team in selecting Mr. Malik to serve as the public face of the proposed casino, we believe that the morally challenged magnate's further involvement in the bid will ultimately cause it to fail from either lack of local public support or the Gaming Commission's distaste for characters of his nature.  

There is no reason to mince words on this subject, Mr. Malik's involvement in the project will cause it to fail if he remains the proposed owner and operator of the Howe Caverns Resort and Casino. The remedy is apparent for project managers: replace Malik with someone reputable, or be prepared for millions of dollars and hundreds of man hours to be wasted in a futile bid to the state. 

Opinion: Taxation Without Proper Representation

We like to beat up on the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors here at the Schoharie News, often on matters of ideological or philosophical differences, but lately we've become more set in our opinion that many of the board's faults can be attributed more to the system of government itself rather than those administering it.

Take for example last month's contentious decision to move forward on the controversial stream bank project. Nine of sixteen Supervisors voted against county taxpayers shouldering the burden of approximately $2.6 million in additional non-budgeted costs, but due to the board's antiquated weighted vote system, it passed nonetheless. 

In fact, when you take into consideration that Cobleskill Supervisor Leo McAlister's one vote in favor of resuming the project was worth more than almost five of his colleagues votes in opposition, it's a wonder that legislators from Blenheim, Conesville, or any of the small towns continue to participate in this farce of democracy at all. 

If tomorrow morning residents of Schoharie County were informed that their votes would no longer be counted equally in countywide elections, but that it would be distributed based on their town's respective share of the county's overall population, immediate lawsuits and protests would (rightfully) flood the state's legal system. 

With that in mind, why doesn't the same hold true of our representatives in county government? Because, "legally," the weighted vote system is 100% constitutional and okay, even though its origins emerged out of a landmark Supreme Court decision that found non-proportional representation to violate the concept of "one man, one vote."

But rather than adopt a system where one man or one woman had just one vote, dozens of counties statewide adopted legislative forms of government where one man could have more than five or six men's votes on any given issue, which has had the effect of creating a situation where the solution is far worse than the original sin. 

A sin Schoharie County lawmakers have ignored for far too long. 

We don't pretend to know what the right course of action is on this disconcerting state of unequal representation on the county board, although we have our own ideas, but we do believe that if the Board of Supervisors is willing to examine the status of county government through a workshop committee or charter commission, that no harm can come out of working for the public's interests. 

Opinion: County Board Needs to Unify Around Common Cause

The 2014-15 Schoharie County Board of Supervisors has a dynamic group of members tasked with overseeing the administration of government in this county; from lawyers to union officials and small businessmen to farmers, all facets of rural Upstate New York are represented in this legislative body. 

However, and perhaps unfortunately to some extent, the result of having a diverse set of individuals convene to conduct public policy is that with whatever positives they bring from their personal life, it's inevitable that at least a few negatives will come along with them. Namely, large egos and set attitudes. 

Both, again unfortunately, are at the root of dysfunctional county government, and while it would be easy to just point fingers and yell at the supervisors to put aside their petty differences, we are not naive or idealistic enough to believe sixteen individuals will agree on anything contentious, let alone retinue business.

With that said, we do believe the county board can come together on a broad set of similar principles that can serve as a unifying measure between supervisors that although they have different ideologies and distinct personalities, that they all have a common desire to see Schoharie County succeed in their own way.

Sure, perhaps our youthful idealism is clouding the realities of political discourse, but we strongly believe that it the sixteen men and women sitting around the U-shaped table on the third floor of the county board can spell out their similarities for wanting this county to thrive, then maybe they will be more willing to consider each others differences. 

Opinion: Convene Committee to Study Administrator, County Government

In a letter to the editor last week, Conesville Town Supervisor Bill Federice wrote that he agreed with the county board's vote against a county administrator because he felt that they, "simply did not have all the facts yet to conduct a final vote on the subject."

We feel that there has been a substantial and meaningful amount of debate on the subject, but that Mr. Federice made a valid point later in his letter that, "More information such as salary, job description, expectations of an Administrator, qualifications, etc. need to be discussed with specificity."

To this point in time discussion of adopting an administrator has largely centered around the need of adding an additional layer of oversight to a county government run amok, but has not yet touched on the finer details of the proposed position or, and perhaps more importantly, the structure of government as it stands with a Board of Supervisors system. 

Discounting the system's often inadequate and antiquated functions in the twenty-first century, one has to look no further than the Supreme Court's 1964 Reynolds v. Sims decision to realize the current board's configuration is wholly out of step with the principle of "one person, one vote" and that we have operated under a questionable charter for five decades.

However, for the sake of not sounding repetitive, we believe that in the spirit of fostering greater awareness and knowledge of not only the proposed administrator but also the status of government, that the Board of Supervisors should appoint a committee of legislators, legal experts, public advocates, and citizens to examine the state of our county charter today. 

If such a committee is convened by the county board in June and meets over the course of the summer months on a biweekly basis, there should be no reason why a full report on the status of government and what changes, if any are deemed necessary, should not be available for supervisors to make an educated and reasonable decision on an administrator this fall. 

This, however, will only occur if the county board is willing to act and open to listening. 

Letter to the Editor: Federice Responds to "Unwilling to Act" Editorial

Editor's note: the original op-ed published on the Schoharie News Wednesday afternoon can be found here. We appreciate Mr. Federice's response and hope other Supervisors will in join the discussion as well, as debate is essential to our thriving democracy. 

Dear Editor, 

I find unfortunate your assertion that the Schoharie Board of Supervisors is unwilling to act.  The vote against a County Administrator you cite as an example was not on the agenda.  Supervisor Milone who brought up the subject was not asking for a vote at that time. He was asking when we could could continue the conversation.  Unfortunately, the discussion turned into a debate which frankly we were not prepared to have.

I voted against the Administrator with the comment during the role call vote that we need to continue this discussion.  We simply did not have all the facts yet to conduct a final vote on the subject.  More information such as salary, job description, expectations of an Administrator, qualifications, etc. need to be discussed with specificity. Perhaps, in my view, an Administrator may not be a good idea for Schoharie County but in all fairness the discussion has not covered all the points to make a final decision.     

Lastly, I take umbrage at your characterization of the monthly Board Meetings being a three ring circus. We frequently have disagreements and we can be passionate in arguing for what we think is best.  What is wrong with that?  Isn't that what our founding fathers had in mind in establishing a representative democracy?    

Bill Federice, Conesville Town Supervisor

Opinion: Unwilling to Act

Supervisors concluded hours of emotional and fiery debate Friday afternoon by voting down the concept of a county administrator. Only four of them - Barbic of Seward, Jordan of Jefferson, Milone of Schoharie, and Smith of Blenheim - supported the idea first introduced by Mr. Milone in January.

What a disgrace.

Now our opinion at the Schoharie News is that what we really need is an elected executive to oversee the daily operation of county government, but in reality we accept that anything is better than maintaining the status quo of our three ring circus better known as the monthly county board meeting. 

If that means appointing a qualified individual with graduate-level college experience to act as the check on government run amok, so be it. Trusting the people at-large with that decision is our preference, but we understand such as Rome wasn't built in one day; neither will Schoharie be reformed in one vote. 

However, the true crux of the situation lies with the county board's unwillingness to take decisive action on the issue at hand. That issue being the county's inability to function without either ineptitude or hidden agendas bogging down the effective operation of local government, but that in itself explains the county board. 

Change rarely, if ever, occurs at a breakneck pace, but we had hoped it would receive more than just four votes on a Schoharie County Board of Supervisors consisting of six newly elected members and ten veteran lawmakers, who all either ran against or witnessed in person, the horrors of county corruption and governmental ineffectiveness that has plagued local politics.

But.... We digress. 

Opinion: Both Sides Offer Hope for Future

Over the past two weeks, as editor of this publication, I have been fortunate enough to be invited to and attend both the local Republicans "Lincoln Day Dinner," and the Democrats "FDR Dinner," where elected officials and party faithful alike joined together to celebrate their respective parties past, present, and future.  

As I observed leaders in both parties espouse confidence, hope, and optimism for the future of Schoharie County, it dawned on me that neither side was that much different from the other. Sure, there are underlying ideological disputes, but nothing too serious that they shouldn't be able to work together. 

The only exception to that rule would be Democratic candidate for Congress Sean Eldridge, who in stark contrast to Representative Chris Gibson, spent a significant amount of time attacking his opponent in the upcoming congressional election and reflected the worst of party politics today.

However, for the most part, I walked away from both events feeling more hopeful about this county's future, because at the end of the day we all want what is best for our friends and neighbors. Our views might differ, and elections still occur, but our goal of creating a stronger Schoharie County is  - thankfully - a bipartisan platform we can all get behind. 

Opinion: We Say Yes to the Howe Caverns Casino

After carefully considering the project, the Schoharie News has come to the same conclusion as most county residents: we need the Howe Caverns Casino proposal to succeed in order to stimulate economic growth and local employment in Schoharie County.

As editor of this publication, I will be the first to admit my personal vote against the statewide referendum last November on the question of whether New York State should permit the construction of gaming venues outside the Indian Reservations.

My reasoning was two-fold, as I hold strong moral objections to gambling in principle and I believed that we shouldn't compete against the interests of existing facilities, due to the unemployment disparities that already existed in those areas. 

However, after the announcement of Howe Caverns interest in hosting a potential casino and the debate that followed, it has become harder to oppose the concept when we have over one thousand residents jobless in the latest unemployment report with seemingly no viable options to reverse the county's long-term plunge into the economic abyss. 

Sure, there are lingering concerns over the societal and infrastructural impacts of having a casino located in Howes Cave, but local officials ranging from Sheriff Desmond to Public Works head Dan Crandell have publicly announced their support for the project, while discounting the arguments that directly target their areas of expertise. 

In the end, all we can do in Schoharie County is show New York State our support for building a casino in our community, and if we can help push the proposal get a little bit closer to that goal-line, we'll be in better shape for it. 

Opinion: County Board has Little to Show for First Hundred Days

Earlier this week the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors capped their one hundredth day of the 2014 legislative session. For many Presidents and state Governors this is the first time you can really pause and examine their progress in office, and we feel the same is necessary of our local unicameral legislative body. 

Promise

When the current slate of Supervisors were elected last November, there was a sense that things were going to change in county government and the good 'ole boy network would be washed away, or at the very least, handicapped in their ability to effect public policy. How wrong everyone was... 

One hundred plus days later, our county sits in disarray. We have no full-time personnel officer; no public health director; no IT director, and thus far no sensible reforms to hedge against the possibility of another Fitzmaurice or AECOM debacle. In short, the county appears to be operating under no stated mission or agenda, apparently satisfied with simply drifting aimlessly from one board meeting to the next with no idea of what their purpose is. 

Politics

Unfortunately, another side effect of last November's election was the reintroduction of party government in Schoharie after operating in 2013 under a bi-partisan coalition manner. Where both sides were publicly in agreement in December, they suddenly reversed in January and fractured along those dreaded Democrat and Republican lines. 

This isn't true of the entire board, as there are a collection of mavericks who work outside the party-line framework to achieve common goals, but as in the case of the casino - one can see how those lines are still in effect and embarrassingly so. 

Success?

The question mark is there because we simply don't know if the county board's successes will be ultimately successful at this point. Take for example tax abatements: in theory they create incentives for first-time home buyers to come into Schoharie County and take a chance on us, however, we have no idea how they will perform in action. 

And honestly, besides the tax abatement legislation and the casino resolution, Supervisors have accomplished little to nothing outside the inertia of county government, which is to be expected when there is no leading motivation or goal-point to strive for. 

Conclusion

It doesn't need to be restated: our county is one in disarray, and the only people who can change that are the sixteen men and women who sit around the U-shaped table on the third floor of the county building, which if the first one hundred days have any foreshadowing on future events, they are unlikely to alter their ways the next hundred.

Opinion: Schoharie's Unsustainable Unemployment Crisis

We really don't need to make any case to back up the title of this op-ed piece, as the New York State Department of Labor did that for us in last month's statewide unemployment report that showed Schoharie County is not only at the bottom of our region in terms of employment, but also the entire state.

Facing an uphill battle to address the county's staggering 9.2% rate of unemployment, which accounts for roughly 1,400 local residents out of work, Schoharie County has actually seen the number of employed citizens decline by roughly one hundred compared to the same time last year, with little to no workable solutions to resolve the problem. 

Wherein lies the crux of the situation: Schoharie's long-term working goal to stimulate job growth has publicly relied on luring in an interested entity to either lease or purchase the long-vacant Guilford Mills property in Cobleskill, in hopes of reclaiming hundreds of jobs that were lost in the facility's closure almost thirteen years ago.

Meanwhile, we have watched the $5.3 million partially publicly funded Maranatha Fitness Center rise and fall in the Town of Richmondville, while just a few miles down the road on Route 7 government inaction and community tension contributed to Lowes deciding not to build a store near the existing Wal-Mart supercenter. 

In the end, with our past economic failures hanging over the county's head, our lone salvation to over a decade of chronic economic stagnation may be the proposed Howe Caverns casino, which has split our county's electors and electorate in half since the issue first erupted in February.

However, besides publicly approving the concept of a local casino in their March meeting, the Board of Supervisors can do little but hope New York State chooses Schoharie over Saratoga, and that we reap the economic benefits of expanded gambling while not suffering under the tag-along societal repercussions.

One more alarming factoid from last month's unemployment report: the number of people without work in Schoharie County declined from 1,800 to 1,400 since last year without any corresponding increase in employment, which means either able bodied workers have moved elsewhere in search of jobs, or our neighbors have simply given up.

Either way, something must be done to address what is truly an unsustainable unemployment crisis in this county. We don't have the answers to this, and quite frankly no one might, but maintaining the status quo on economic growth is flat out unacceptable any longer. 

Opinion: County Administrator Won't Cut It

In the midst of two hours of back and forth arguing over the $2.6 million stream bank project budget shortfall this past Friday, Town of Broome Supervisor Bill Smith voiced his first public support for adopting a county administrator to provide additional oversight in Schoharie County government. Two months ago, the Schoharie News would have agreed; today, not a chance. 

There is no telling how we have reached this point in county affairs, as the tale varies depending on who you talk to in power, but one thing is for certain: there are no easy fixes to this crisis of mismanagement and corruption, and no band-aid solutions that will correct our county's faulty heading. 

Supervisors Milone and VanWormer should both be applauded for recognizing the status quo needs to be disrupted in some form on the county board, and that local government is in desperate need of real oversight after the Ethington and AECOM scandals. However, elevating one person - whether it be an administrator or an empowered Chairman - just wont cut it anymore.

The reason being is that nothing would change. Occupants of both proposed positions would be beholden to the county board for reappointment or reelection, and as such, they would be temperate in leadership as to not jeopardize their status. In addition, what's to say either position wouldn't become just a scapegoat of the very entrenched power they are being proposed to oversee?

Herein lies the crux of the county's dilemma - if we cannot trust the system we have to work, and neither of the proposed solutions would move the football beyond supplying the county board with a public scapegoat - then what other course of action is left but to consider taking the ultimate step and approving the creation of a county executive. 

Although the proposal is the bane of the board's existence, can we look at this objectively for one minute: is there any conceivable way having an elected, full-time county executive who would have the power to check the excesses of the Board of Supervisors, while monitoring the actions of department heads and ensuring all gears of county government work properly turn out bad? 

We don't think there is, but we could be wrong, of course. The editorial view of this internet newspaper has and always will be that reform is needed to sweep the ills of corruption, mismanagement and the public's lack of faith in local government out of the county system once and for all. But what do we know? We're just idealists... The only people who can change the system are the people of Schoharie County.  

Opinion: Abatements Offer Welcomed Incentives

     Schoharie County Supervisors voted solidly Friday afternoon to approve two local laws that offer generous tax assessment exemptions to first time home-buyer construction and specific home improvements. Good, it was the right decision - as Mr. Milone has argued for months - nothing bad can come from offering these incentives. 

      If just one family decides to move into Schoharie County because of them; and they build a new home, enroll their children in local schools, and help fuel the economy, the abatements can be deemed a success. While growing the struggling tax base is their primary reason for implementation, encouraging young families to settle in county is at the heart of the issue. 

     Take for instance the editor of this publication. Although I am currently renting and getting by paycheck to paycheck, my intention is to one day purchase or build my own home. And the exemptions adopted last week give me hope of that home being located one day in Schoharie County, with a head start from my community to ultimately succeed.

     Consider how the abatements work: if you choose to purchase a plot of land and build your own house, the assessed value of that construction will be halved that first year and will gradually be brought up over five years. The effect will be not only the increased value of that property, but the expansion of the local tax base.

     It would afford young families the opportunity to build their dream home without facing the burden of significant taxation right out the gate. That in itself is a noble cause, but the law's side effect of potentially bringing in fresh, economically vibrant blood is the true upside to abatements, if they take a foothold.

     Local schools are facing significant challenges from declining enrollment, and small towns are lopsidedly aging without the next generation there to fill the void fifteen, twenty years from now. These exemptions have the potential to both draw in young people to take a chance in Schoharie County, and to keep them here - as in my case - to settle permanently. 

     Of course, we will only be able to examine whether abatements result in increased residential construction when the three year sign-up period lapses in 2016 and they sunset entirely in 2021, but even if they fail to meet a majority of the county board's expectations... At least they tried, and they weren't afraid to explore new paths to make our community better.

      

Off-Beat Science: Water on Europa?

After it was announced in December that the Hubble Space Telescope detected massive geysers (or vapor plumes) erupting on Jupiter's moon Europa, scientists immediately began calling for further exploration into the possibility of liquid water existing elsewhere in the solar system. Europa is Jupiter's second largest of the Galilean moons and its surface is made up entirely of frozen water.

 

Because we don't have enough of liquid H2O here...

Astrobiologists, understandably giddy over the discovery, are hoping the possible presence of liquid H2O on Europa could also lead to the uncovering of life outside of our immediate universe, as their field's central dogma maintains that water + carbon = life, with water being the near impossible piece to the galaxy's puzzle.

 

Do Astrobiologists have to justify their field's existence like
my Biology professor had to during sixteen weeks of classes?

But, and this is a big but, scientists are completely missing the most important aspect of this story: tidal force. Tidal force is a secondary component of gravity, responsible for oceanic tides and in some cases severe gravitational strain that could theoretically result in the self-implosion of planets or moons under the right circumstances.

 

Alderaan never stood a chance against the intense
gravitational effects of the Empire's Death Star

Also, and proven scientifically, Europa's geysers or vapor plumes erupt only when the smoothest moon in the galaxy and Jupiter are at their farthest points, in accordance with tidal force predictions. Since we know tidal force could possibly strain moons to the point of implosion (or having all of its ice ripped off), couldn't it also be simply breaking massive chunks of ice off of Europa's surface and into the abyss of space?

Because this moon screams breeding ground for organisms

Maybe, the science is unsettled. However, I suspect we'll never know until some country is fooled into investing millions of dollars into the search for life on Europa, after which we will all watch in horror as tidal force ironically causes the Galilean moon to shatter into a million pieces - revealing the lack of liquid H2O after all...

Opinion: Sophomoric Management Fails Valley Communities

Governor Cuomo's initial announcement of $12 million for four of Schoharie County's worst hit communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee seemed like a miracle for the Villages of Middleburgh and Schoharie and the Village and Town governments of Esperance. It offered a chance to not only further rebuild their communities, but to offer local incentives to small business, conduct stream remediation efforts and much more.

And then it didn't.

 

Rather than allowing the local municipalities to decide where the money would best be spent, as was originally intended, the NY Rising program was altered and local elected officials lost control of the funds and were left with only submitting ideas for consideration to the Community Reconstruction Program (CRP) committee. Even worse, funds no longer had to be earmarked for specific boundaries - meaning the end result could theoretically have all $12 million going into a single route 30 corridor wide project.

It would be unfair to everyone involved to not describe the state's poor handling of these funds as nonsensical, due primarily to the bind it places on local officials within their own communities by having them explain why "their money" might end up going to some other project. Not to mention the lets put it together as we go along mentality of the NY Rising program screams of sophomoric management by the governor's administration. There have been heroic efforts on the parts of the CRP Committee and Co-Chairs Georgia van Dyke and Sarah Goodrich to make sure that the money is well spent, but this in no way excuses the format of the program set up by the governor's office.

Now the Community Reconstruction Program is reportedly close to prioritizing projects for funding under the NY Rising Program and elected officials are preparing for the committee's next meeting on Thursday, January 23rd, 7pm at the Schoharie Town Hall (the 300) to weigh in on their communities specific priorities. Great, but the real question remains: will their last minute pleas make any difference?

At this point, we already know the answer to that.

All we can do is hope that the committee acts reasonably and that the state doesn't repeat its mistakes with the new $12 million in funding the Schoharie News exclusively reported has been awarded to the Towns of Blenheim, Fulton, Middleburgh and Schoharie. Once again, however, we probably already know the answer to that...

Opinion: There and Back Again

The leather-bound volume caught my attention in a section of books, as if by its simple elegance it knew I would be drawn to its content.  Content that, although previously familiar with, caused instant curiosity - even a mix of excitement - deep inside this fantasy aficionado and compelled a timely purchase at the store's checkout.

 

Volume in hand, and temperatures outside reaching well below freezing, there was but one option to consider, and that was to enjoy a classic work of mid-20th century fiction that spurred a trilogy of subsequent books that have longed imbedded their character into the fabric of modern pop culture and how we view the fantasy genre.

 

And enjoy did I. Over the course of several weeks, between work and attending to the daily functions of my existence, the volume followed me wherever I went and enthralled my senses a few pages at a time, carefully unfolding a well written adventure in a time before our own and a place foreign to our modern imaginations.

 

It caused several, seemingly conflicted emotions within the reader, from amazement of the primary character's development to sadness over the hero's passing and even anger directed toward ignorance displayed by all but a few. However, its greatest achievement was not only maintaining a colorful and thoroughly enjoyable world you could envision yourself in, but also a plot that employed so many twists and turns that you found yourself a little dazed by the story's conclusion.

 

Of course, I am referring to J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit: There and Back Again, one of the more important works of fantasy ever composed. It set the gold standard for not only the Lord of the Rings trilogy and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in terms of imagery and creativity, but came to define an entire genre of how we view such mythical creatures as elves, dwarfs, dragons, and yes, hobbits.

 

One does not simply read The Hobbit, as it takes you on a journey that you can taste, feel, smell and imagine being there yourself all at the same time... As if you are reliving the youngest days of your youth when imagination still existed and where evil was clearly defined and was always vanquished by the seemingly least expected characters who over the course of an entire volume, or even a trilogy, would grow from callous cowardice or indifference and ultimately transform into our heroes.