County drops a few charges against Nicoletti

MONTICELLO, NY — Early this week Sullivan County Attorney Sam Yasgur dropped several of the charges alleging misconduct by Phil Nicoletti, the suspended deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Works (DPW). Removed were accusations that Nicoletti harassed other employees, thereby creating a hostile work environment; stole a tractor-mounted rotary tiller, gasoline, propane, road millings and lumber from the county; and attempted since January to obstruct the investigation into conduct within the DPW.

At the August 22 hearing session, Yasgur rested his case against Nicoletti, who still faces charges that he broke into county government offices and stole confidential documents, threatened a legislator with a list of wrongdoings alledgedly committed by other county employees and officials, purchased equipment for his personal use and directed DPW employees to repair his son’s motorcycle with county equipment on county time.

Nicoletti has been suspended, with pay, for the duration of the hearings, which were set to continue August 24 with the examination of suspended DPW Parks and Recreation Director Richard Caraluzzo.

Yasgur said he might decide to include the dropped charges at a later date.

Planning board pushes to polish Main Street

NARROWSBURG, NY — Town of Tusten Planning Board members discussed ideas on how to push forward unfinished renovation projects on Narrowsburg’s Main Street at their August 15 meeting. The board agreed to look into enacting a new fee that would accumulate daily as a building owner’s permit remained un-renewed and work unfinished.

Board Chairman Edwin Jackson said he planned to raise the issue for discussion when the Tusten Town Board meets on Monday, September 12.

Berlin seeks to control junk

BEACH LAKE, PA — Berlin Township supervisors said last week that they are working on a nuisance ordinance limiting the number of junked vehicles allowed on certain properties. The supervisors said the ordinance would not be aimed at hurting businesses such as Marshall Machinery, Inc. or landowners who have a handful of cars on a large property. The nuisance ordinance also would address setbacks so junk from one property would not infringe upon another property. According to the supervisors, it will be a while before the ordinance is adopted, in part because the township is not zoned.

Wolf restoration ordered

WASHINGTON, DC — A federal has judge ordered the Bush administration to step up efforts to restore the gray wolf to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Environmentalists called the August 19 ruling a major victory. Anthony Tur, a Fish and Wildlife Service field officer in Concord, NH, said the agency’s headquarters in Washington would decide whether to appeal the ruling.

Environmental groups argued that good wolf habitats exist in northern Maine and the Adirondack Mountains, and that northern Vermont and New Hampshire likely would become an important corridor for wolves migrating between those two habitats.

White Mills sawmill might have buyer

TEXAS TOWNSHIP, PA — A firm has expressed interest in purchasing the Charles D. Roberts sawmill in White Mills, according to Wayne Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) Executive Director Robert Suhosky. WEDCO has been seeking new clients who would use the freight line that runs by the sawmill on behalf of the Lackawaxen-Honesdale Shippers Association. The sawmill shut down earlier this summer.

Suhosky said the interested buyer would continue the industrial use of the facility but said he did not know specifically what they would produce. However, they would use the freight railroad. One problem that would need to be overcome is the repair of the tracks below Hawley, of which Suhosky said, “It’s not cheap.”

Shad spawning runs disappointing

RIVER VALLEY — Locations along the Upper Delaware River such as Narrowsburg, NY become popular spots for shad fishing during late spring and early summer months, though anglers quickly realized this year that the bounty they have come to expect would not arrive.

Now the numbers are in, showing that American shad defied predictions of a big spring spawning run this year and veered away from most river systems along the northeast coast. The Connecticut and Merrimack rivers tallied their worst runs ever, leading biologists to speculate that coastal conditions may have affected the annual migration into freshwater rivers.

There is some hope the fish that stayed away this year may come back to boost spawning runs in 2006, as past dips in spawning runs have often been followed by strong years.

Sullivan 2020 passes environmental review

MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County has determined that its proposed strategic plan, “Sullivan 2020: Defining An Image And Managing Change,” will not cause significant adverse environmental impacts.

The regional planning report will provide recommendations and guidance to the county and its municipalities. Through the recommendations of the report, the county’s Division of Planning and Community Development will work proactively with towns, villages, adjoining counties, and state and federal agencies to cooperatively address regional issues. Specific policy areas discussed in the plan include preservation of open space and natural resources, infrastructure and facilities planning, managing growth, farmland protection and development, redefining tourism, community development and housing, public transportation, community services and emergency management.

The goal of each policy area is to give recommendations concerning technical assistance, education and training, and effective planning resources to help make informed decisions concerning planning and development. Local municipalities can choose to adopt particular sections of the plan. Members of the public can submit comments on the plan until September 16.

To view a copy of the plan, contact William Pammer at 845/794–3000, ext. 5028 or william.pammer@scgnet.us.