Youngsville fire district gets grant

YOUNGSVILLE, NY — The Youngsville Fire Department has been awarded a $67,450 federal grant to purchase new equipment.

“These federal funds will enable the Youngsville Fire District to purchase a variety of new equipment that will help ensure the safety of firefighters and enable them to respond and manage fires and other emergencies even more effectively than they do now,” said Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who was instrumental in obtaining the funds. “Fire districts often need new equipment, but lack the resources to acquire them, which is why these federal funds are so critical. In addition to enabling the Youngsville fire district to purchase this new equipment, these federal funds will spare local taxpayers the full cost of these needed items.”

The district will use the funds to pay for new extrication equipment that will be used to remove individuals from vehicles that are involved in accidents; a fixed emergency generator for the fire station in Youngsville with funding for the electrical installation; a thermal imaging camera to help firefighters combat fires better and rescue people; two sets of dry suits for the fire department’s divers (the Youngsville Fire District has 8 certified divers who work with the county diving rescue team); and dive rescue training for additional diver trainees.

Chanukah bumps BOCES meeting

LIBERTY, NY — A meeting of Sullivan County BOCES set for December 4, the first night of Chanukah, has been canceled following complaints received about the scheduling conflict.

Monticello school superintendent Pat Michel reportedly had voiced the Monticello school board’s reservations regarding the scheduling to BOCES Superintendent Martin Handler earlier this month. The Monticello board felt that it was inappropriate to interfere with the festivities of the first night of the Jewish holiday. Michel was originally told the meeting would not be rescheduled, and the Monticello school board decided to boycott the meeting.

In subsequently postponing the meeting, Handler cited feedback from school districts. The meeting will be held sometime in January 2008.

Tax forms to help Delaware update address records

DELAWARE, NY — The Town of Delaware will soon be updating the addresses of its residents, thanks to an idea of town clerk Tess McBeath.

Partially due to the use of post office boxes common in rural areas and the recent assignment of 911 numbers—sometimes more than one—the address records in the town have fallen into disarray. In preparation for the upcoming United States Census, the town intends to collect up-to-date addresses for each home in town, so that addresses at the local, county and federal level all match. McBeath’s idea is to contact everyone by enclosing a form that requests them to update and correct their address information along with their tax bill. Those whose tax bills are sent directly to the mortgage holder will receive the form along with their tax receipt.

The decision to send out the forms required a change in the town law to allow for the inclusion of attachments with the tax communications. A blanket law has been drawn up that would allow such attachments, but exclude political content. A public hearing on the law will take place at 6:55 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9.

Suspects arrested in armed robberies

MONTICELLO, NY — Arrests have been made in the case of three armed robberies reported over the last month.

The robberies took place on November 15, when a Sureway Taxi driver was robbed on Hillside Avenue; on October 29, when a man was robbed at gunpoint outside the Broadway Mobil station; and on October 30, when a female Sureway driver was robbed behind the BOCES building on St. John Street.

Jeffrey Herring, 18, has been charged with felonies first-degree robbery and fourth-degree grand larceny, and misdemeanors criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and resisting arrest. He was present at all three robberies. A 14-year-old was also arrested in connection with the November 15 and October 29 events, and has been released to a parent. His case will be dealt with in family court.

Another individual, Julio “Tank” Renta, 18, had been arrested previously in connection with the taxi robbery on November 15.

Legislation would save nursing beds

LIBERTY, NY — Achieve Rehabilitation and Nursing Facility held a public meeting last week to support the passage of legislation proposed by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D-Forestburgh) that would prevent the Berger Commission from eliminating 40 beds at the facility (A.3936). Gunther, a former nurse and chair of the New York State Assembly Subcommittee on Women’s Health, has called the legislation a necessary step in maintaining quality health care for the region.

“Recent statistics show that Sullivan County’s population is on the rise, and state analysis shows us that this county is already short more than 130 nursing home beds,” Gunther said. “Increasing the shortage by cutting another 40 beds at Achieve will only further stress county services and residents.”

Gunther notes that the 2006 Berger Commission’s recommendation to cut beds at Achieve Rehabilitation was based on incorrect and out-of-date statistics that showed a relatively low occupancy and deficient quality of care.

Achieve provides 31 percent of nursing home care in the county. It cares for 153 patients per month and employs 180 people. Ninety-five percent of Achieve’s patients are from the local community. Downsizing could mean the facility would have to close, forcing patients and employees to leave the area in order to get the care and the employment they need and causing the local economy to suffer.

Route Six Honesdale traffic project to begin work on the new bridge

HONESDALE, PA — Project manager Carla Medura of PennDOT announced that crews will begin driving piles for the construction of the new bridge across the Lackawaxen River on Monday, December 3, weather permitting. The bridge, which will extend Church Street, is a key element in the plan to change traffic patterns in the borough.

When the bridge is complete, Main Street will be one-way south and Church Street will be one-way north.

Originally, the borough decided against the project because of opposition by some businesses but reversed itself in order not to totally lose the funding and have nothing.

Years ago, the borough council rejected the construction of a by-pass of Route Six around the borough which many today feel would have been the best solution to the traffic problems that have been a plague to the area.