Long Eddy teen killed in crash

LONG EDDY, NY — Seventeen-year-old Mason Rosello of Long Eddy was ejected from the passenger seat of the 1999 Ford Ranger in which he was riding on Friday when the vehicle was struck by a small dump truck on Route 97. He was pronounced dead at the Callicoon facility of Catskill Regional Medical Center.

State Police Senior Investigator Mike Orrego said the Ranger slid sideways when the driver, Mason’s twin brother John Paul, lost control of it on the icy pavement. Forty-two-year-old Robert Sanzoverino was driving the dump truck that crashed into Rosello’s vehicle. His 18-year-old son, also named Robert, was riding with him. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. John Paul Rosello suffered minor abrasions and was not hospitalized.

Rosello lived on Hungry Hill Road as do the other three involved in the crash.

Sullivan West votes to change system

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — A unanimous decision from the Sullivan West Board of Education at the December 7 meeting will give the district voters the opportunity to change the way school board members are elected. Currently, when someone decides to run for a term as school board member, they must run for a particular seat. The proposed measure would create “at-large” candidacies, with candidates who receive the top number of votes overall awarded a seat.

Board members feel that this will benefit the public by forcing candidates to concentrate more on the issues and less on opponents. It would also expand voter choice by letting voters pick candidates in order of preference, rather than having to rule out one of two candidates competing for a single seat.

The measure will be presented to the public as a proposition at the budget vote in May.

NY Senators propose school energy relief

WASHINGTON, DC — New York State Senators Schumer and Clinton have proposed a bill that would help to relieve the high cost of energy for school districts across the country. Transportation fuel budgets in New York State have increased by 18 percent in the past year, and similar or greater increases are expected for fuel costs. Under the bill the School Energy Crisis Relief Act (S.1997), the Department of Energy would review and award grants to high-need districts on a competitive basis. “A choice between books and fuel is not one that any school should have to make,” said Schumer.

Liberty schools fighting mold

LIBERTY, NY — Gary Sawyer, the Director of Facilities for the Liberty Central School System, told board members at the December 12 meeting that he and his staff are aggressively treating mold and water problems at the school. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found serious problems, including extensive mold and rotting wood, when it inspected the schools in June. Sawyer said the visible mold has all been removed, ceiling tiles replaced and the leaks are being addressed. It was not sufficient for some teachers, who complained that the school board members were not addressing the issue adequately. Teachers said the mold issues were causing illness in students. Board president David Burk noted that the board has committed up to $350,000 to remedy the problem, which has been ongoing on for at least 10 years.

Proposed bill would ease reservoir levels to prevent flooding

ALBANY, NY — State Senator John Bonacic has written a letter to City of New York Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd asking how the city plans to deal with high reservoir levels. On December 1, the city reported its reservoirs were more than 25 percent above normal levels. “We... cannot forget that April is now less than four months away, and area residents should not be exposed to questionable dams at the same time the reservoirs are being kept at high levels. The city should reduce all reservoir levels and they should do so now,” Bonacic wrote.

Bonacic has sponsored legislation requiring New York City to draw down reservoir levels to prevent flooding, a bill that gained support in the State Assembly this year when State Asemblywomen Aileen Gunther sponsored the bill.

Casino proposal draws fire from residents

TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP — A proposal to build a high-rise casino complex at Pocono Manor has drawn intense opposition from some local residents. A citizens group opposed to the height of the proposed building, more than five times the current limit of 38 feet, has set up two web sites from which one can download a petition asking Tobyhanna supervisors to refuse the request to change the maximum height to 300 feet ( www.ppia-inc.com and www.poconopetition.com ). Other zoning changes being sought by developer Greg Matzel include an increase in the maximum size of signage and revisions in parking requirements.

The issue has attracted so much interest that a December 27 hearing on the requested zoning changes has been moved to a location that will accommodate a substantial crowd. The hearing is now slated for 4:00 p.m. at Elementary Center, off Old Route 940 near Pocono Pines. Tobyhanna Supervisors are expected to vote whether to approve the zoning changes at a special meeting immediately after the hearing.