TRR photo by Sandra Deckelman Miss Sullivan County Pre-Teen Emma Sadowski from Bloomingburg and Young Miss Sullivan County Mackenzie Esselman from Narrowsburg made their first parade appearances at the Narrowsburg Fireman's parade this past Saturday. (Click for full story)

By CHRIS CONROY

BETHEL - There was good news and bad news at the Bethel Town Board meeting on August 31. The good news: a multi-million dollar performing arts center. The bad news: local residents are still waiting for answers about the mid-August Green Party political rally that disrupted their lives.

Starting on a positive note, supervisor Allan Scott repeated the announcement that had been made by Governor George Pataki on August 29. A $40 million performing arts center will be built on the site of the 1969 Woodstock concert, located on Hurd Road, once part of Max Yasgur's farm.

Then Scott turned to the other Woodstock-related matters that the public had gathered to hear about. On the weekend of August 11, a Green Party political rally took place on land owned by Roy Howard and Geryl Abramson. For neighbors, it was a nightmare. For the town board, it was a reminder of an ongoing problem.

"The event was not in the best interest of the Town of Bethel," Scott said.

Neighbors of the site, which, while not part of the original Woodstock concert site was part of Yasgur's farm, then began to speak their minds. No one had much good to say about the event.