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Sullivan rolls the dice and five is a winner

County endorses Pataki casino plan

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY—With a packed hearing room and media from around the state watching them, the Sullivan County Legislature conditionally endorsed Governor George Pataki’s Indian land claim settlement legislation that could bring as many as five Native American casino resorts to the county. The February 10 vote was 6-3.

The amendments to the legislation sought as conditions included complete environmental reviews, indemnification against the non-payment of mitigation fees and the county’s right to advise and offer input to any board overseeing the casinos.

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Septic fails and Eldred takes another financial hit

By DAVID HULSE

ELDRED, NY—Financially, it’s been a bad century for the Eldred Central School (ECS) District and things didn’t get better on February 10 as officials learned that four septic fields at the MacKenzie Elementary School in Glen Spey have failed, some 12 years after installation.

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Railroad hangs in the balance

By CHARLIE BUTERBAUGH

RIVER VALLEY—Railroad entrepreneur Walter Rich of Cooperstown, NY hopes to convert the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s Port Jervis mainline into a passageway that supports and advances local industry.

Two agricultural feed mills, Narrowsburg Feed and Grain and Cochecton Mills, already utilize the line, but Rich believes the railroad’s potential is broader.

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Other stories in this issue:

• PA Growing Greener boosts Main Street renewal
• Hendricks wins regional honor
• Eldred school board member Marsha Hunter dies

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S