HONESDALE - It's still legal to walk your dog in Honesdale's parks.

A proposed borough ordinance banning dogs from public parks for consideration at this week's council meeting was withdrawn.

The measure was being considered in response to owners not picking up after their pets. But several residents and council members agreed that dog walking should not be discontinued at the local parks, admitting that everyone would be unfairly penalized by the proposed ban.

ARKVILLE - Communities in the Catskills interested in pursuing Main Street revitalization will get a boost from over $30,000 in grants awarded to the non-profit Catskill Center for Conservation and Development by the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O'Connor Foundation.

As part of its Community Planning program, the Catskill Center will be hosting an eight-part training institute in spring 2001, and will be bringing a "downtown design team" to four communities in the region. The team concept consists of a planner, architect and landscape architect who will conduct a walking tour and assessment of a community's downtown business district. Based on their observations and a facilitated discussion with local leaders and business owners, a report is compiled that summarizes the team's recommendations.

For more information call 845/586-2611.

BUSHKILL - Rangers at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area have arrested two people for breaking into a vehicle at the Farview Trailhead in the park's New Jersey District.

The arrests culminated an investigation to curb a series of auto break-ins, or "car clouts," in the park.

Arthur F. Whelan, Jr. and Aimme M. Miele were arrested on September 24 after Whelan broke into a vehicle by throwing a rock through the driver's side window and stole a purse lying on the seat.

Rangers stopped Whelan, who had fled in a vehicle with Miele and their four-year-old daughter in the back seat.

Whelan and Miele have been linked to a dozen other car clouts in the park and in Worthington State Forest, dating back to Labor Day.

State and federal charges have been filed against the pair. Whelan is being held in the Morris County Detention Center on numerous charges and Miele has been released on her own recognizance.

PARKSVILLE - A 12-mile-long ride on Route 17 in the wrong direction proved to be a lucky ride for an Ohio woman on October 5.

New York State Police say Barbara Blymiller, 52, of Mineva, Ohio, apparently got on State Rt. 17 at the Parksville exit traveling west in the eastbound lanes. Troopers were able to stop her just prior to the Horton exit in the Town of Colchester.

No accidents or injuries occurred as state police say CB radios and truckers were of assistance in locating the vehicle and keeping police posted as to her exact location. Blymiller was issued numerous tickets and released.

ELDRED - Highland Town Board members got the word officially on Tuesday night that the town's six highway department employees have opted to join a union.

During the evening board meeting, Supervisor Allan Schadt read a fax from a representative of Laborer's International Union of North America, Local 17, notifying the town that the employees had joined the union and that the town until October 12 to recognize the union or the union would seek intervention with the state employee relations board.

The town and the employees have for months been negotiating a formalization of employee benefits and work rules, which board members say provided generous benefits for the employees.

Highway employees, speaking off the record, say the union move was the result of town officials' apparent lack of concern for framing the rules as a contract.

MONTICELLO - Spending in the Town of Thompson's tentative budget is scheduled to be cut by 27 percent in the 2001 budget, Supervisor Tony Cellini says.

The decrease, to $7.95 million from $8.27 million in the current year is largely due to the recently finalized lease agreement the town signed with the Villa Roma for the Holiday Mountain ski area.

Thompson had been running Holiday Mountain at a loss for many years.

The decrease marks the sixth consecutive year of decreases in town spending, Cellini said.

MONTICELLO - A lawsuit by Attorney Monroe Davis against the Sullivan County Legislature, attempting to force adoption of a local law, was dismissed by the State Supreme Court earlier this month.

Davis had filed an Article 78, show cause action, to press for action allowing petitioning that would have allowed for a vote on a return to the Board of Supervisors.

Justice Anthony Kane agreed with the county's interpretation of the law, finding that Davis has misinterpreted Municipal Home Rule Law in filing his suit.