State misses court school funding deadline

ALBANY, NY — With the state legislature’s failure to meet a July 30 deadline to come up with a new court-ordered plan for fairer distribution of aid money between upstate and city schools, Governor George Pataki last week began the process himself.

The governor reported last Friday that he’s begun to take the “necessary and responsible step” of submitting his educational reform plan to the State Supreme Court, and is submitting a list of potential “special master” candidates to oversee the court order.

School aid funding became this spring’s centerpiece for the legislature’s annual failure to produce a budget by the April 1 beginning of the state’s fiscal year. The legislature remained deadlocked on a budget as they recessed for the summer. New York has not had an on-time budget approved in nearly two decades.

State acts against Pike dam owner

HARRISBURG, PA —The Department of Environmental Protection announced last week a petitioning Commonwealth Court will enforce administrative orders against a Pike County dam owner and the owners of four other dams across the state who have failed repeatedly to respond to DEP’s requests to create emergency action plans for their high-hazard dams.

George T. Schmidt, owner of a dam on Beaver Pond in Delaware Township, and the four other owners face civil penalties of up to $10,000, plus $500 for each day of continued violations. Enforcement actions could lead to the eventual draining and breaching of the dam at the owner’s expense, according to DEP.

“We have given these dam owners every opportunity to comply with the law, but still they have not taken the steps necessary to ensure the safety of downstream lives and property,” DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty said in a statement.

Gardening advice available at farmers market

PORT JERVIS, NY — If you’ve got a bug in your garden you can’t get rid of or a bush that just won’t grow, help is on the way.

The Port Jervis Farmers Market, with the assistance of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Program, is now adding the services of Master Gardeners.

Master Gardeners are volunteers who go through intensive training that enables them to become experts on gardening and environmental issues. Whether you have questions on houseplants, outdoor shrubs, or lawn care, Master Gardeners will be on hand to assist you.

The Port Jervis Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Municipal Lot located between Ball and Front Streets.

For more information, contact the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce at 845/856-6694.

Tropical storm nears North Carolina coast

MIAMI, FL — Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center report that a hurricane warning was in effect on the coast of North Carolina for the season’s first east-coast tropical storm, Alex.

Alex, moving slowly to the northeast, was expected to pass over the Outer Banks on Tuesday. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, was expected to intensify and reach hurricane strength by landfall.

On Tuesday morning, Alex was expected to veer further out to sea and miss the mid-Atlantic coast.

Hiker killed in fall

BUSHKILL, PA — The National Park Service reports that an Effort, PA woman was killed on July 31 when she fell off a log crossing 30 feet above Raymondskill Creek.

The NPS reported that Tatiana Culvert, 44, was with a party of six people crossing the log. The others straddled the log and crossed safely. Culvert attempted to walk across and lost her footing. Witnesses said the woman briefly grasped the log, then fell into the 10-inch deep creek below.

One member of the party hiked to the trailhead to call for assistance after the 4:00 p.m. incident.

Culvert was unconscious and not breathing when rescue workers reached her.

Culvert is survived by her husband and five children.

Neighbors want mushroom plant details

WURTSBORO, NY — Concerned neighbors complained when sponsors of the proposed Yukiguni Maitake mushroom growing plant in Mamakating submitted only one copy of their draft environmental impact study to town planners last week.

The company’s attorney said Yukinguni would provide additional copies for a price, but would not commit the study to a CD-ROM digitized version.

Planners set a September 27 deadline for public comment on the project and scheduled an August 31 public hearing to gather input on the project.

The multimillion-dollar, 925,000-square-foot plant would be located on some 47 acres along Route 209, at the old Wurtsboro airport.

Subdivision design workshop

SHOHOLA, PA — Shohola Township is hosting a community workshop on conservation subdivision design. The workshop is being made possible by funding from the Visioning Committee of the Upper Delaware River Corridor and will be held at the Shohola Municipal Building on August 26, 2004 at 6:30 p.m.

Carson Helfrich, a veteran community planner, will make the presentation and answer questions regarding conservation design.

Sponsors said the free workshop is open to the public and should be especially valuable to local developers, realtors and anyone concerned with conserving the area’s valuable natural resources.