Library petition succeeds

PIKE COUNTY, PA — With the help of a group of about 75 volunteers, the Pike County Public Library (PCPL) has collected about 1,500 signatures from Pike County voters requesting that the Pike Commissioners place a dedicated library tax question on the November 3 ballot. The final tally of signatures to be submitted to the Board of Elections had not yet been announced as of press time, but the 1,500 signatures gathered at that time was already more than double the necessary minimum.

Passing the library tax referendum is PCPL’s next objective in its effort to maintain current library service levels and to achieve its plans for growth and countywide expansion. “Without a dedicated library tax, our public library system will wither and decline from a lack of critical funding,” said Tom Hoff, vice president of the PCPL Board.

For more information visit www.pcpl.org/everyonebenefits or call 570/296-8211.

DUI crackdown planned for Labor Day

MATAMORAS, PA — The Eastern Pike Regional Police Department will have its officers out in full force during the Labor Day holiday period, beginning August 21. They will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies throughout the nation as they take part in the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” crackdown on impaired driving. The enforcement blitz will last through the holiday weekend.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.

Empire gets $55 million from Malaysia

MONTICELLO, NY — The Malaysian company that financed the startup of Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut and the Seneca Niagara Casino in New York has entered into an investment agreement with Empire Resorts, owner of Monticello Gaming and Racing in Monticello, under which the company will invest $55 million.

Kien Huat Realty III Limited will provide the new equity capital to the company in two capital structure transactions in exchange for common stock representing just under 50 percent of the voting power of the company. Afterwards, Kien Huat will provide $10 million in credit for working capital and to pay off $4.4 million in loans from The Park Avenue Bank of New York. Under the investment agreement, Kien Huat will appoint three members to the board of directors including a non-executive chairman.

Empire Resorts is in litigation over $65 million in other notes.

Flooding, possible tornado hit Sullivan

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Following the latest flooding in the Jeffersonville area after heavy rains on Saturday, the Sullivan County Division of Public Works has begun the process of reviewing the bridge area on County Road 164 near the car wash in Kohlertown to determine if replacing the existing bridge would mitigate flooding in that area.

Such a replacement would require a major redesign of the stream direction, reconstruction of the stream bank and a full replacement of the bridge, which would also require special permitting from the NYSDEC and the acquisition of property on both sides of the roadway.

The flooding followed a high-wind event on Friday afternoon that ripped through Narrowsburg, Bethel, Kauneonga Lake, Swan Lake and Liberty. The National Weather Service is studying the event to determine if there was a wind funnel or tornado, and county manager David P. Fanslau expects the results of their study within the next couple of weeks.

Tafton fire company seeks sonar

TAFTON, PA — Recently, a man drowned in Lake Wallenpaupack and his body could not be found for two weeks.

“He literally popped to the surface—otherwise we may still be searching for him,” said Jon Tandy, president of the Tafton Fire Company.

Tandy and his company are seeking funds to purchase a new state-of-the-art sonar underwater search system in order to prevent this kind of occurrence. A sonar system would have found the body much faster and reduced the danger to divers.

An effective system costs around $23,000, he said. PPL is donating $4,000 to the cause. Such a system would help to relieve the distress of the victim’s family and reduce the negative effect on tourism, Tandy said. “Many people would not go into the lake until the body was found,” he said.