December 22, 2005 / Home / Editorial / POV / Masthead / Contact The Phoenicia Times / Letters to the Editor

Even though legendary developer Dean Gitter was nowhere in sight Monday for the photo op of the groundbreaking of the new Emerson Inn, his son Alex was, after apparently being handed the reins of the project by his father, along with town supervisor Bob Cross Jr., county Chamber director Ward Todd, soon-to-be-replaced Ulster County Development Corps director Chester Straub, and a host of Emerson employees. Plans for the rebuilding, which the Gitters are saying they want done by next July, will see construction of 24 new four-star suites, the renovation of the old Spotted Dog into a classy restaurant, and the creation of a new, expanded spa. Unlike the Emerson of old, located across Route 28, and the r4egion’s top hotel until it burned tragically last April, everything in the new complex will be joined together in mall fashion. To ensure that ground could actually be broken this past week, pre-event work was done with an excavator on site. Let’s wish everyone luck at meeting their fast deadline!

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Play View From Space for BIG SAVINGS!

READYING FOR THE SOLSTICE... Cara Cruickshank is back in town, getting kids ready for Joy In the World! A Multicultural Festival of Light featuring guest performances by the Mammals and Maputo Mensah from Ghana. at the STS Theater in Phoenicia at 6 PM on Wednesday, December 21..

Major Flood Danger
City’s Need To Maximize Portal Flow
Endangers Creek Properties Thru Winter

By Paul Smart
So here’s the skinny... the Esopus is going to be flowing, from the portal on down, as if it were just short of a flood for the coming months. And if there is a flood, through rain or thaw -- or both -- it’ll just flow that much higher.

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Poncic Moves Ahead
Controversial ‘Water Harvesting’ Plan
Creates Planning Board Confusion

By Phoenicia Times Staff
Now that the Shandaken planning board has accepted the environmental impact statement on a long-proposed water harvest project as complete, the plans can move forward for site plan review.
At least that’s what most people think.

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A Year To Remember?
An Analysis of 2005 In Shandaken

By Brian Powers
Whether this year now passing will be one to wax nostalgic about or one we should be thankful to see gone, it’s nearly behind us. Before it falls off the calendar though, we figured a last look back would be in order. Here goes:

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Bird Man Of The Catskills


By Harold Goldberg

On the top of a mountain in The Catskills, near the end of an unmarked road past a “Keep Out” sign nailed to a tree, Herb Cytryn took a rare gryfalcon from its chamber and placed it onto his elk skin glove. With calls loud enough to be heard for over a mile, the bird screamed at Mr. Cytryn over and over again. “This is Utah. He’s mad at me because I’m a little late with feeding,” he said.

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Administrative Law Judge Richard R. Wissler Calls for Adjudication of 12 Resort-Related Issues