Board modifies Katz salary agreement

ELDRED, NY — Following a July 8 closed, executive session discussion, the Eldred Central School Board of Education announced a modification and reduction of Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz contract salary agreement.

Board member Andrew Boyar explained that Katz three-year salary agreement had become an intractable issue with voters before the recent budget vote.

In response to those concerns, Katz and the board agreed to modify the final year salary step of the contract, which would have provided a $115,000 salary in 2005-06. Instead Katz will make his scheduled $105,000 in the coming school year, but revert to an increase of 3.8 percent in 2005-06, with a 3.9 percent increase in each of the two following years.

The action came during the July meeting, following a reorganization meeting where member Vincent Zike was named president for the 2004-05 school year.

Hinchey recovering from chain saw accident

KINGSTON, NY — U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (NY-22) has been recuperating at home this week following a July 5, chain saw accident.

Late on that Monday afternoon, Hinchey was using a chainsaw to thin an acre of land at his home in West Hurley. After working for several hours, Hinchey had an accident with the saw that resulted in a wound to his right leg below the knee. As he had been working alone, he drove himself to Benedictine Hospital. He was treated at the emergency room and then underwent surgery. Hinchey was released from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

On doctor’s orders, Hinchey requested and received a leave of absence from his congressional duties and has been excused from floor votes this past week. He planned to maintain a limited schedule and returned to Washington last Monday.

Highlanders plan for their main streets

ELDRED, NY — Highland residents on July 8 participated in the second in a series of community workshops aimed at creating a focus group to improve the business atmosphere in the town’s three hamlets.

Facilitator Helen Budrock of the Catskill Center said the four focus groups have come up with projects that ranged from forming a community development corporation and developing a streetscape design plan for Barryville to creating public swimming areas and determining the status of the cell phone tower that has no carrier.

County legislator Kathy LaBuda said the workshops results will be integrated into data being collected for the county’s comprehensive plan and that the county planning department will evaluate individual projects for funding sources and implementation needs.

Budrock said that an additional public meeting will be scheduled in early August to prioritize these ideas and select a handful to move forward with implementation.

Refuse truck driver killed

LACKAWAXEN, PA — State police at Blooming Grove say a Waste Management garbage truck driver was killed on July 5 when he was crushed by his truck.

Police said that the truck, driven by Gary Walter Steich, 57, of Prompton, began to roll backward after Steich stopped on small incline on Blueberry Lane in the Tink-Wig residential development.

Steich chased the vehicle and was attempting to re-enter the cab when the truck hit an embankment which threw him off before rolling over and on top of him.

Bystanders tried unsuccessfully to dig the injured driver out from under the truck.

Pike County Coroner Kevin Stroyan pronounced Steich dead at the scene of the 1:10 p.m. accident.

Proposed rule to increase fees on Route 209

BUSHKILL, PA — The National Park Service (NPS) has proposed to change the fee schedule for those commercial vehicles permitted to travel U.S. Route 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

In a statement NPS said that in recent years, the cost of fee collection has been significantly greater than annual revenue. “The intent of the proposed rule is to increase fees to a level that will allow the program to be completely supported by commercial operators using the route.”

Commercial vehicle fees of $1 to $7 would increase to $3 to $18. If implemented, the new fee schedule will take effect in September of this year.

Railroad crash remembered

SHOHOLA, PA — The Shohola Railroad and Historical Society will hold a July 17 program commemorating the July 15, 1864 railroad collision in Shohola where more than 50 confederate prisoners of war, union army guards and railroad crew died.

When it occurred the collision was the most fatal railroad crash in American history.

The 1:00 p.m. ceremony will be held at the churchyard of the Barryville Congregation Church in Barryville, NY, where two of the confederate dead are buried.

Fire department secretary charged in theft

HONESDALE, PA — Following a state police-FBI investigation, Wayne County District Attorney Michael P. Lehutsky announced Monday that Deborah Lynn Smith, 46, of Starrucca, was arrested in connection with the theft of over $93,000.00 from the Northern Wayne Fire Company.

The thefts allegedly occurred during the period of January 2000, through April, 2004. An arrest warrant was also issued Monday her husband, Ernest H. Smith, 48, in connection with the incident.

Deborah Lynn Smith served as the secretary for the Northern Wayne Fire Company. She is charged with intercepting fire company checks and depositing them in her own bank accounts.