Hot wheels at Monticello Airport?

MONTICELLO, NY — Developer Michael Kaplan is proposing to build a track club including a three-mile track for sports cars and a clubhouse at Monticello Airport. Local reactions to the plan so far are mixed. Shirley Blabey, president of Forestburgh’s Civic and Taxpayers’ Association, is concerned that the sound of the racing cars would disrupt the quiet of her neighborhood at Lake Joseph. Thompson Supervisor Tony Cellini, however, supports the proposal. In a press release, he wrote: “This is a track club for wealthy folks to come and play in their Ferraris and Porches. The Town of Thompson would like these visitors, wants the tourism dollars that will result and wants this track as a magnet for further growth.”

Delaware Valley Job Corps student killed in car crash

CALLICOON, NY — The Delaware Valley Job Corps is mourning the loss of one of its students. Efthemia Prakas, a student in the Culinary Arts program, was killed on Tuesday, April 11, when a motorist ran a red light near her home on Long Island, and crashed into the vehicle in which she was riding. Prakas was a front-seat passenger in a 1998 Nissan Sentra. Police said drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the accident.

Prakas, who was known by the nickname Effie, had begun her training at the job corps last October. She was an active volunteer in the local community. Three weeks ago she volunteered to assist the Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce in serving refreshments at the Rally New York race.

Smart growth to be topic of conference

HAWLEY, PA — Peter Hausmann, a real estate developer from Chester County, PA, and a leader in smart-growth development, will speak at a conference at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 27 at the Woodloch Springs Clubhouse.

Hausmann will show how his efforts to benefit the environment also resulted in a strong economic growth in his area.

The Pike County Conservation District, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, the Pike County Chamber of Commerce and the Hawley/Lake Wallenpaupack Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the event.

For more information and to register, call Michele Ulmer, 570/226-8220. The conference is free and includes a continental breakfast.

Millennium Pipeline meeting scheduled

CALLICOON, NY — The Sullivan County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) will hold a public hearing on the planned Millennium Pipeline project at 1:00 p.m. on May 22 at the Delaware Youth Center. The company proposes to sink a new 30-inch pipeline next to the existing 12-inch line, which was built in the 1940s.

The pipeline travels through seven upstate counties, including Delaware and Sullivan Counties, and is also the alternative route proposed by New York Regional Interconnect for new high voltage power lines.

Millenium Pipeline officials are asking for significant tax breaks from the industrial development agencies of all the counties along the route.

Hinchey joins media caucus to fight for net neutrality

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and members of the Future of American Media (FAM) Caucus have called on House telecommunications leaders to strengthen the net neutrality provisions in the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act. Net neutrality would prevent large Internet service providers from exerting influence over the accessibility of Internet content by giving more bandwidth to the sites that can afford to pay them the most. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is set to consider the COPE Act this week and finalize the measure before sending it to the full House for a vote.

The FAM Caucus has written a letter to leading committee members saying in part: “Any attempt to limit information access on a pay-for-play basis is antithetical to the goal for which the Internet was initially created: to supply content from all sources without discrimination. Our country cannot afford to allow media giants to assume control over what information citizens view online.”

Preservation bond board members named

MILFORD, PA — The Pike County Commissioners has named new board members for the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Board.

They are Eleanore Nelia Wall, Steven Vitale and Susan Delling for terms ending December 31, 2006; Anthony Waldron, Ross Banach and Christie Karpiak for terms ending December 31, 2007; and Edward Nikles, Peter Helms and Thomas Zetterberg for terms ending December 31, 2008. Alexander Schmalzle and Richard Gross were named alternates.

The terms were staggered to avoid a situation in which all members would have to be replaced in the same year.

The role of the board members, who serve without pay, is to advise the commissioners in the implementation of the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Bond Act, which aims to preserve open spaces and fund programs of the county planning department.

Demonstrations scheduled for new voting machines

PIKE COUNTY, PA — The Pike County Board of Elections has updated the locations at which new electronic voting machines will be demonstrated. All Pike County voters are encouraged to stop at one of these locations to try out one of the new voting machines.

A voting machine will be on display for voters to try in the Pike County Board of Elections Office, in the Pike County Administration Building, 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m Monday through Friday until May 15 2006. On May 2, a machine will be on display at Hemlock Grove Methodist Church in Greentown from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and on May 4 there will be a machine at the Matamoras Borough Hall at 1:00 p.m.