Sullivan chamber promotes Hess as new president

LIBERTY, NY — The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously voted to promote Terri Hess, 25, as their new president and CEO on June 30.

A native of Jeffersonville, NY, Hess now lives in Woodridge. She is the former director of public relations and marketing for Achieve Rehab and Nursing Facility in Liberty.

Hess, who had recently been hired as the chamber’s vice president, took over as interim president and CEO on May 1 after Jon Westergreen resigned.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the business community. I am positive that under my direction, the chamber is not only moving onward, but upward,” Hess said. “I plan on following through completely with all of the initiatives that Jon [Westergreen] and I established as well as developing some of my own programs.”

Hess said that she is working on “a merchants or restaurants tours conference,” which will take place in lieu of the chamber’s annual casino conference. The conference would assist entrepreneurs in marketing their businesses in Sullivan County and examine the role location plays in a local business’s success, Hess said.

The chamber is currently searching for a new vice president. Lori Malone will remain its director of communications and marketing projects.

Cayuga land-claim suit thrown out

ALBANY, NY — A panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on June 28 threw out the Cayuga Nation’s lawsuit against New York State and local landowners over possession of 64,000 upstate acres. The decision jeopardizes the Cayuga’s proposal to build casinos in Sullivan County, which had been linked with the settlement of their land claim.

The Seneca Cayugas have been negotiating to build a casino at The Concord in Kiamesha Lake, while the Cayuga Nation of New York has been in talks with Mighty M Gaming at Monticello Raceway.

The decision is the second setback in two weeks for proponents of Native American gambling casinos in Sullivan County. On June 23, a bill that would have established a St. Regis Mohawk casino at Kutshers in the Town of Thompson as part of a land settlement deal was killed in committee by Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who was holding out for a three-casino deal.

The majority in last week’s 2-1 opinion relied on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent opinion in City of Sherrill v. Oneida, in determining that the defense of laches, or undue delay, was applicable in the Mohawk case. The judges also said the nature of the initial complaint, which would have resulted in the eviction of current landowners on 64,000 acres of land, presented far too much of a burden on non-Indians.

It is expected that the Cayuga Nation will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Acid spill at landfill prompts DEC response

MONTICELLO, NY — Hydrochloric acid spilled into a working phase of the Sullivan County landfill on June 30 when a compactor crushed a 30-gallon canister that was concealed in a roll-off solid waste box.

State Department of Conservation (DEC) spokesman Michael Knipfing said that “no more than 30 gallons” spilled into the landfill. The chemical, also known as muriatic acid, is often used to prepare masonry for painting or sealing.

The box came from the Divri-Yoel bungalow colony, Knipfing said. The colony is located on Route 55 between White Lake and Swan Lake on Route 55, said Sullivan County Commissioner of General Services Harvey Smith.

It was delivered to the landfill by one of the county’s garbage haulers, and as a normal function it was run over by the landfill’s compactor at about 10:00 a.m., Smith said.

Officials followed emergency protocols and notified the DEC. The following morning, Luzon Environmental dug the contaminated waste out of the landfill and sealed it in six barrels, which were stored in “a safe location” on the landfill’s property off East Broadway, Smith said. He described the contaminated waste as “a relatively small amount.” DEC oversaw the cleanup.

No injuries resulted from the incident, nor did the spill pose a danger to the nearby community, Smith said.

The investigation is still ongoing to determine if Divri-Yoel will face any penalties or fines, Knipfing said.

Blabey to sell WVOS to WSUL

LIBERTY, NY — Watermark Communications, LLC, announced last week that it has filed with the Federal Communications Commission to purchase Liberty radio station WVOS AM and WVOS FM for $1.7 million.

Watermark Communications is the owner of WSUL 98.3, located in Monticello.

WVOS owner Eugene Blabey, 66, said he plans to turn his professional attention to the railroad business in which he is already involved extensively. He is the chairman and CEO of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad and CEO of Livonia Avon and Lakeville Railroad Corporation.

“I’m at the point in my life when I have too many balls in the air,” Blabey said.

WSUL General Sales Manager and a Watermark principal Helen Manzione said, “Our goal is to keep providing the best variety of music, public affairs, and up-to-date news that have made WSUL and WVOS the leading radio stations in Sullivan County.”

PennDOT lists 2005 projects for Pike and Wayne

NORTHEASTERN PA — The 2005 summer construction season is well underway in Northeastern Pennsylvania with more than $131 million worth of new construction projects this season and another $25.6 million worth of projects that are continuing from 2004.

Among the major improvements are more than $55 million in new bridge replacement or repair projects; $32.5 million in new paving contracts covering more than 320 miles of state roadways in Northeastern Pennsylvania; and approximately $39 million in a variety of other improvement projects ranging from roadway widening, to intersection, to downtown improvement projects, to walking trails and bicycle routes.

Drivers can keep track of the progress of ongoing construction projects in PennDOT District 4 by checking out PennDOT website: neparoads.com.