Two programs look to expand into Wayne

HONESDALE, PA — Representatives of two programs whose purpose is to enhance communication between groups with similar aims appeared before the Wayne County Commissioners on April 24 to urge that the county assist them in spreading efforts of cooperation.

Sue Currier, Director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, and Peter Wulfhorst of the Pike County Penn State Extension Office represented the first group, called the Pike Conservation Partnership. Laurie Stuart, publisher of The River Reporter, was spokesperson for the second group, called the Upper Delaware River Roundtable.

The Partnership is a non-profit alliance of government, non-government, non-profit and grass roots organizations that share goals and present educational programs for local citizens and municipal officials. The Roundtable is a network engaged in fostering communication and collaboration between partners and shareholders in the Upper Delaware River Valley.

DEP announces drilling permits in Wayne

WAYNE COUNTY, PA — Three drilling permits have been issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Preservation (DEP), the first three in Wayne County. Two are in Clinton Township and one is in Preston Township. DEP would not say exactly where the drilling operations would happen nor the company or companies that were involved.

Drilling remains a hot topic in the area, and several more meetings will be held on the subject, including:

May 3 at 7:00 p.m. Preventing the Dire Effects of Gas Drilling, by the Damascus Citizens for Self Government and Friends, LLC, The Delaware Youth Center, Creamery Road, Callicoon, NY.

May 8 at 7:00 p.m. on Managing Natural Gas Lease and Royalty Income, by Penn State Extension, Wayne County Park Street Complex, 648 Park Street, Honesdale PA.

June 9 at 7:00 p.m. on Natural Gas Wells and Drinking Water, Penn State Extension, Honesdale, PA, location to be announced.

June 10 at 7:00 p.m. on Natural Gas Wells and Drinking Water, Penn State Extension, Montrose PA, location to be announced.

Grants will help Conservancy outreach

ALBANY, NY — The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and the new York-New Jersey Trail Conference have received $70,000 in New York State grants for projects in Sullivan County.

The grants are among 37 grant awards distributed to 30 different nonprofit New York land trusts administered through the Department of Environmental Conservation. The types of land protected include new nature preserves, important habitat, watershed lands, forests and working farms.

The Conservancy plans to use the funding to improve landowner outreach while enabling the land trust to partner with local and state government and increase private land protection activities in Sullivan County.

Sheriff’s office warns of Internet scam

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The Sullivan County Sheriff’s office is investigating an Internet scam that has recently been attempted in our area. The scam involves victims who answer “work at home” advertisements in the newspaper or via email. The scammers send victims envelopes with a set of blank American Express gift checks. The victims are told to cash the checks, keep 10 percent and forward the rest. A few days after the checks are cashed, they are found to be counterfeit, and the victims are liable for the money.

The sheriff’s office was tipped off by a Grahamsville woman who received such an envelope containing four blank American Express checks in the amount of $500 each, and became suspicious. The instructions told her to forward 90 percent of the money cashed to an address in China. The woman became suspicious and notified the sheriff’s office, without following the instructions. Deputies confirmed that American Express does not issue gift checks in $500 denominations. Detectives have contacted the postal inspectors and the fraud departments of DHL, which was used to deliver the envelope, and American Express.

Sullivan arguing for smaller jail

MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County legislators will push for approval of a jail that is smaller than the size currently mandated by the New York State Commission of Corrections, which would cost an estimated $100 million. They argue that the larger jail, which would have 454 beds, would only have been necessary if the United States Department of the Interior had given the go-ahead on the proposed Indian casinos.

Without the special needs required by a culture of gaming, or the population growth projected on the basis of the development of gambling casinos, it may be possible to bring the jail down to a cost of about $60 million.

Legislators plan to bring their new proposal to the state commission after purchasing land for the new jail. That process, however, has hit a snag due to the fact that landowners are asking double the current assessed value of the land. County officials have said they will use power of eminent domain if absolutely necessary, but only as a last resort.

Shohola teen connected to bomb threats

PORT JERVIS, NY — A 17-year-old teenager from Shohola, PA has been arrested in connection with a bomb threat made to Port Jervis High School in early April.

The threat was phoned in as school opened. No explosive materials were discovered, but the start of classes was disrupted.

According to authorities in both New York and Pennsylvania, there is some evidence that the student, Robert A. Phelps, may also have made other threatening phone calls, including one to his own school, Delaware Valley High School. Phelps has been named as “a person of interest” in connection with two bomb threats phoned in against the Port Jervis Police Department, also in April.