Follow Up on the News

The Budget’s Passed

Overall, teachers will get an 11 percent salary increase over the four years covered by the contract, and will contribute 10 percent into their health care premiums, an increase from five percent.
At Tuesday night’s December 1 Board of Education meeting at Bennett Elementary, Superintendent Leslie Ford said, “I’d like to join the board in thanking the OTA (Onteora Teachers Association) for working through this long process, but I think it was a very productive one.”
The teachers entered their second year without a contract and this past October threatened a strike. This forced the administration and school board to reach an agreement with the union after nearly 24-hours of negotiations.
Interim Assistant Superintendent for Business Don Gottlieb said for the 2008/2009 school year, the new salary went into effect in February, with a 1.75 percent increase. The 2009/2010-school year will average an increase of 3.25 percent, 2010/2011 will have a three-percent increase and a 2.75 increase by year four. Currently, health care premiums are $7,190.28 a year for individual coverage and $16,034.16 for family coverage. Gottlieb said with a 10 percent teacher contribution, “you can see that would translate on a family plan to over $800 giveback on the part of the teachers.”
The district already budgeted potential increases for 2008 through 2010.
“There will be no negative impact on current educational programming,” said Gottlieb.
But Ford then added that, “We still have a contract that is not resolved, so this is still an open issue in terms of looking at encumbered funds.”
The Onteora Non-teaching Employees Association (ONTEA) has also entered their second year without a contract.
Ford said going into the future, the budget will be affected by the salary increases, although possibly by insignificant amounts.
“In different circumstances it would be business as usual because we’ve had higher increases (in salary),” Ford explained, noting that the zero percent growth in the CPI (consumer price index), lower interest rates on tax revenue, and cuts to State and Federal aid “all adds up.”
In other business, the school board agreed to charge the Facilities Committee and administrators with researching the Middle School configuration without initiating a bond. After reviewing past committee recommendations on Middle School expansion, the board appears to be in agreement that the current grade seven and eight configuration is difficult to maintain from an educational standpoint, given that State and Federal standards have increased.
School board president Laurie Osmond said she was still interested in looking at other configurations but cost comes into play.
“Anything that has a building bond attached to it is not a realistic scenario in my opinion because having to expand buildings with new construction right now I don’t think is wise, or would find favor with the voters in any way,” she said.
Trustee Tom Hickey said past recommendations contained changes to the buildings but did not focus on what already exists.
“I think that we should get a sense of what we can do with our existing facilities,” he said. It may turn out that we can’t do much, but at least we can know for sure what is possible.”
The Boiceville site contains grades seven through twelve. Trustees voiced concerns over younger students mixing with high school students.
“Right now we have six grades sharing one cafeteria and we’ve got the library, the gyms so I would like to see if the building can handle it,” said trustee Anne McGillicuddy. “It is my understanding that all the space at the Middle/High School is completely used.”
Ford said that the building is used differently every year and suggested input from building administrators.
Also, the administration has released an auditorium use form available to anyone within the community. Any group wishing to use the new auditorium located in the high school can make a request and may be charged a fee between $27 to $46 an hour. This is for additional custodial and utility use. Policy states that no one can use the space for commercial use, but the board may mull over changes to this in the future. Currently only educational, school related or non-profit organizations can use the auditorium.

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It’s All In The Deal

But well past the November 15th deadline they imposed on Crossroads Ventures LLC for action, those groups have still not back peddled out of the deal, which if moved forward would spare those 1200 acres from development but also allow a $450 million project to be constructed just a couple miles away.
Discussions on how to proceed now that the deadline has passed, however, are taking place, according to Eric Goldstein, the Executive Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Nothing new yet, but we expect to hear from the other parties shortly and will be back in touch with you as soon as there is something to report,” said Goldstein in a November 30 e-mail in response to questions about the status of the matter.
Gary Gailes, a consultant working on the resort project for Crossroads, said that the plan to sell the land is still on.
“There’s little to report except that everyone involved in the land transfer is pushing forward as fast as possible to complete the transaction as quickly as the state bureaucracy will allow,” he said, also via e-mail. “I believe the various organizations who wrote to Crossroads several weeks ago about the land transfer know that Crossroads is proceeding in good faith to complete the transfer as quickly as possible, and to the extent it is taking more time than expected, it is the result of what some might describe as typical bureaucratic delay.”
According to Joe Martens, President of the Open Space Institute, a land trust which had been expected to serve as a conduit for the transfer pending the availability of state funding, the group, once “intimately involved” in the negotiations, is no longer a party to them.
“We are not in the middle of this,” said Martens, who indicated they had withdrawn from the process several months ago and had not been asked by the state to provide interim financing or otherwise serve to expedite the transfer.
As to the land’s final purchase price, Martens indicated that although they had commissioned their own appraisal, he wasn’t free to share that information. Indications, however, are that the purchase price would likely be in the $6 million range, less than half the value conceptually agreed to by the state at the time the AIP was signed in 2007. But such an approximate value of $5,000 per acre would still represent the high side of market value for comparable land sales, according to a number of regional appraisers and real estate brokers.
Funding for the purchase would come from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, which contains about $60 million for land acquisitions statewide and allocates funding monthly to DEC, state parks, and other agencies.
“I know this is a priority for DEC,” said Martens.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation, the agency actually doing the negotiating, remains tight lipped on the entire subject. As of Tuesday, its spokesman Yancey Roy would say only “It’s still under review. Talks are continuing.”
On September 15, a letter signed by representatives of seven environmental groups that joined then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer in forging the “Agreement in Principle” that was signed in September 2007 was sent to Crossroads. The groups — including Riverkeeper, Trout Unlimited, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, the National Resources Defense Council, the New York Public Interest Research Group and the Zen Environmental Studies Institute — said in the letter to the developer: “We are writing to you today because of our continuing concern that, despite the passage of more than 730 days, the necessary action to conserve these lands has still not taken place. Indeed, we believe that the failure to complete a contract for sale of this parcel to the state, or to a recognized land trust, within the next 60 days would constitute a breach of ... the spirit of the Agreement in Principle.”
The agreement was reached after more than eight years of review of Crossroads’ plan to develop the 1,200 acres as part of a private resort complex surrounding the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center. Under the agreement, the 1,200 acres would be sold by Crossroads to the state and stay “forever wild,” and Crossroads, which is owned by local developer Dean Gitter and other investors, will be allowed to develop its remaining 760 acres to the west of the State owned Belleayre Ski Center more densely than originally planned.
The agreement also calls for the state to invest heavily, reportedly in excess of $50 million, to expand the ski center. Under the plan outlined in that non-binding agreement, the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park is to straddle the border of Ulster and Delaware counties with a 923 guest room resort comprised of two complexes: one a 250-room hotel and 139 townhouse-style lodging units surrounding an 18-hole golf course; the other a 120-room hotel and spa plus 60 lodging units in two buildings and 60 detached units in up to 52 buildings.
Gailes also said Monday that those eagerly awaiting the long anticipated Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement from Crossroads, a document that responds to environmental concerns about the proposed project, would have to wait longer. The Draft was first expected out in the spring of 2008..
“It would appear that the public and various public officials will be spared from having their Christmas/New Year’s holiday interrupted by reviewing another lengthy document,” Gailes wrote. “They will have to wait until ‘early’ in the new year.”
As to any significance for the land purchase or the larger resort project connected to the departure of Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck, who brokered the AIP and said this past summer that she didn’t expect any movement on the project, or growth plans at state-owned Belleayre Mountain for the next two years, Open Space Institute’s Martens indicated only that, “her departure doesn’t help the situation.”

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Waiting For Winter

Even so, Belleayre and the region’s other two major ski centers, Hunter and Windham, are saying they expect the coming season to be a good one.
These things matter to Olive because much of our winter business, based on Route 28 traffic, is driven by these destinations and how they’re doing.
Amid Indian summer temperatures a couple of weeks back, Belleayre’s staff met to decide whether to continue with the facility’s plan to open to skiers early. The result, said Belleayre spokeswoman Georgia LoPresti Meckes, was to wait and see because the ski center’s snowmaking equipment can churn out the powder quickly.
“All we need are two cold nights, and we may get them,” Meckes said in mid November, adding that the center’s annual Tap Into Winter party planned for THAT Saturday would go on with or without snow.
This past week, they said plans whether to open the ski center on December 5th would be announced at 5:00 AM that day.
Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl, meanwhile, had originally prepared to open Nov. 20, but spokeswomen Jessica Pezak said at the time that was only a hope, and has since noted that they would basically be opening whenever they could.
“We are always open by Thanksgiving,” Pezak said as well last month. “Today, it’s over 60 degrees already, so we are really watching the weather.”
In the weeks since then, the operators of the area’s ski resorts have hinted that they think that Mother Nature and Old Man Winter need to have a talk.Especially now that the region, despite a new shared ski pass, has seen its first Thanksgiving weekend with no skiing in the Catskills.
“With the entire Northeast covered with unseasonably warm temperatures, everyone is anxiously awaiting the arrival of winter,” said Belleayre spokesman J. Blake Killan just before Thanksgiving. “It will only take a couple of cold nights to blanket several trails with enough snow to offer skiers and riders an enjoyable experience. And with each passing night, more trails will be covered, groomed and ready for action. The snow making system is tested and ready to go.”
But Belleayre’s plan, as outlined by Killan, now seems to be an ambitious one, at least compared to what the other two facilities have in mind.
At Windham, spokesman Kirt Zimmer said they have set their sights set for “before Christmas.”
“The current forecast calls for snow and cold weather,” said Zimmer more recently. “We should be able to begin snowmaking soon, but not be open for this weekend. The next weekend is looking good, but the disclaimer is always ‘weather permitting.’”
Of the three ski centers, Hunter seems to be handling the matter the best. Pezak said that they will simply open when they are ready.
“As far as I can see, our opening weekend is going to be the first or second weekend in December,” she said. “I think the days of racing to be the first resort open are over; right now we want to wait on good weather, make good snow, and have a great opening weekend.”
Windham’s Zimmer added that no business this part of the season would surely sting in the short term.
“This delayed start certainly cuts into our bottom line, but with some good weather in December we should be able to catch up,” he said. “The first week or two of the season aren’t typically very busy. Things really pick up in mid-December. Luckily, the long-range forecast is for a cold, snowy winter. Our season pass and value card sales this summer and fall were very strong, so that bodes well for the interest level of the marketplace. I visited a dozen ski shops last week and found a lot of positive energy for this season. I think there’s a lot of pent up demand and we’ll recover from the delayed opening just fine.”
According to the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Office of Climate Change, however, this ski season’s late start may be a hint of things to come.
Between 2010 and 2039, says climate project coordinator Mark Lowery, who spoke at Belleayre last month as part of the Catskill Watershed Corporation’s Local Government Day, New York State’s climate will be more like Pennsylvania’s if carbon emissions are not curbed substantially. By 2040, New York may very well feel more like North Carolina. By 2070, Georgia.
In terms of the current climate, at least business-wise, Pezak pointed out that Hunter’s nine-chute, two-tow snowtubing park has been upgraded significantly this year with the addition of 14 new snow guns. Six more guns, she said, will be placed throughout the ski and snowboard terrain.
In recent years, Pezak said, the increase in snowtubing business has been “tremendous.”
And Bruce Transue, who heads Hunter’s snowmaking department, said better snowmaking capability will be a big help.
“The new guns will allow us to make more snow and make it fast,” he said. “Snowtubing will be easier to open, to leave open, and will be more accessible to more people than ever before.”
At Windham Mountain, spokesman Zimmer said his outfit has also beefed up its snowmaking arsenal.
“Before the advent of modern snowmaking, skiers were completely at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Zimmer said. “These days, we still need a little help from her in the way of cold temperatures, but we have the snow part covered.”
Zimmer said Ted Davis, director of mountain operations for Windham, and his team are constantly working to make the system more efficient and productive.
“This continues the theme of our development, which is to create more of an alpine environment,” Zimmer said. “Guests are really responding to the timber and stone elements on and around the lodge. We think the smell of a natural wood fire fits the romance that people expect to find at a ski lodge. We even have plans to sell s’more kits so people can make their own treats around the fire.”
At Belleayre, advance sales have been brisk, prompting the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which owns the facility, to plan to operate the ski center at full bore as opposed to last season.
Launching its new “Snow Therapy” concept to the public, Belleayre is offering a variety of new ski and snowboard programs. To integrate holistic health with Nordic lifestyle recreation, Snow Therapy at Belleayre will offer special ski school workshops, discounted partner amenities and a variety of complementary mountain activities. In addition, the program’s partners, including Woodstock Physical Therapy and the Mid-Hudson Athletic Club, are giving Snow Therapy participants several more reasons to make Belleayre Mountain their “on snow” therapeutic venue this winter.
With the snow issue thus covered, at least if the cold weather comes, all that remains is skiers. And even with the economy still sour, Hunter’s Pezak said early indicators point toward a strong showing.
“Early season sales are up in every sector here at Hunter,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of excitement on behalf of customers; I think that, due to the fluctuating gas prices and the questionable economic future, people will be sticking close to home and cutting costs whenever possible. Between our close proximity to the metro (New York City) area, and with the additional boost of products, this is an excellent opportunity for the Catskill region and for Hunter to stand out as a place people can travel a short distance to enjoy skiing and riding, even in hard economic times.
“While I think that destination resorts may see some challenges, the economic crunch will continue to bring attention to the Catskills,” Pezak said.

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A Jar Of Olives...
Unplugged

This year I will put up an artificial tree since our woodstove cooks our real evergreens into needle-less twigs in less than a week. I “won” this tree in an auction, 28 Exchange, and will attempt to reassemble its parts next week. I need to be in the mood to decorate the house, and today’s sixty-degree sunshine just didn’t inspire me. I am sure that next week’s festivities will get me into holiday gear.
Friday night, December 4, at seven at the Town Meeting Hall on Bostock Road, the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place. If you have never attended, you are really missing an event that reassures even the most “Bah-Humbug Scrooge” that Christmas is a special time to rediscover the child in all of us. The extended Sorbellini family and their closest friends organize this celebration that is complete with home-made sugar cookies to decorate and crafts to create your own holiday ornaments. There will be coffee, cider and hot chocolate to warm your tummy, and watching Santa and his elf handing out candy canes and presents to the little ones will warm your heart.
The next morning, Saturday, December 5, Santa and his trusty elf will be at Breakfast with Santa, sponsored by the Olive Democrats, at the Boiceville Inn. Children under the age of twelve will be treated to a free breakfast and will get a gift from Santa. For all others a breakfast of pancakes, eggs and sausage will cost $5.00.
After a hearty breakfast, you can continue up the road to the Onteora High School and watch the Onteora Obliterators challenge the Harlem Wizards in a game of basketball at one o’clock on Saturday, December 5. Advance tickets are $8.00 for students and seniors and $10.00 for adults. At the door, tickets will cost two dollars more, so plan ahead.
Speaking of planning ahead, plan to do some holiday shopping at the annual Library Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 12.
We were without power for eighteen hours after the windstorm. Even though we ran a generator, we rationed our use of electricity. We unplugged. The phone didn’t ring. I felt no guilt about foregoing the daily vacuuming of dog fur. We ate cold, leftover turnkey sandwiches. The computer wouldn’t connect to the Internet. Dishes reclined in the dishwasher; dirty clothes stayed in the hamper. I read in the sunlight and dozed in the dusk. We went to bed early and rose when the sun did. We took a vacation from the laborsaving machines that demand our daily attention and labor. We were unplugged from all the secondary reality devices that have become such a part of our lives. We lived first hand. It was simply delightful.