Lots To Be Heard
Public Hearings On Crossroads Project Start With A Heavy Line-Up Against

By Paul Smart
            Even before they were opened by an administrative law judge's resounding gavel, this week's pair of public hearings on the draft environmental impact statement submitted by Crossroads Ventures on behalf of its proposed mega-resort for Belleayre Mountain and the Big Indian area were all the talk of regional, statewide and even national environmentalists.
            "It's shaping up as a major dogfight," said Eric Goldstein of the National Resources Defense Council on Tuesday, trying to explain the importance of the hearings on a wider stage than Shandaken. "The battle is likely to be waged in several different ways, with this week's outpouring of citizens against the project one of the key aspects of the whole effort."
Continue>>>

---

"Phat Phriday in Phoenicia???"

By Phoenicia Times Staff

            That's the phrase cooked up by event organizer Kimberly, a Phoenicia woman who prefers the one name thing, similar to pholks like Madonna or Jewel.
            Kimberly is responsible for putting together what needs to be a phaboulous evening in this hamlet to bring to a close a phun philled winter phestival week at the end of this month. Phat Phriday will wrap up Belleayre Mountain Ski Center‚s winter fest, a regional celebration that spans from the Delaware County village of Margaretville all the way to Phoenicia for the week of January 26-30,a week following the Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend that usually serves as the winter season‚s biggest..
            Recently, Belleayre's Superintendent and marketing staff unveiled the specifics of the special events slated to take place around the region.
            Starting Sunday January 25 and running through Friday the 30th, special events will take place along the Route 28 corridor.

Continue>>>

Due to a larger than expected turnout, an additional Public Hearing on the proposed Belleayre Resort has been scheduled for Tuesday February 3rd from 4pm to midnight at the Onteora School. Come early to sign up and reserve your chance to speak.

DEC will be accepting written comments until February 24, 2004. Written comments should be addressed to Alexander Ciesluk, Jr. NYS DEC, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561-1620

Email: afcieslu@gw.dec.state.NY.us

---

New Beginnings?
Compromise Scarce As GOP Majority Takes Over; Todd's Recusal Sought

By Brian Powers
            The odds on any quick change in Shandaken's level of political tension appeared no better than 3 to 2 against, at the town's January 5 re-organizational meeting, the first presided over by Supervisor Bob Cross, Jr. and marked by a familiar partisanship between both board members and the audience. Among the 44 resolutions passed, a new Comprehensive Plan Committee was named, Alan Berryann was appointed to the planning board, and Keith Johnson will now chair the ZBA where 30-year veteran Jay Braman, Sr. lost his seat to GOP Club Treasurer Steve Stettine. A resolution to name a town Ethics Committee was tabled, following a request by Councilman Van Blarcum to discuss the matter in executive session with the board. Van Blarcum, backed by fellow Democrat Edna Hoyt was by and large unsuccessful in attempting to table until Febuary a number of other appointments by the new Republican majority, Supervisor Cross and board members Joe Munster and Jane Todd. 
Continue>>> 

---

Artist's Eye

Michelle Spark Brings Fresh Sight To It All

By Paul Smart
            When Michelle Spark was five it was discovered that she had an inflammation in her eyes that would worsen and possibly blind her. So she was given a form of medication that ended up blurring her vision for years on end.
            "In addition to getting quite anxious about all of this, I also started to grow more attuned to what I could see or could not see," Spark remembers of her childhood from then on. "For me, sight became something that was extremely precious. And I also think that's precisely why I became an artist."
            And what a productive artist. Living in Phoenicia, but spending time in New York City on a regular basis, as well as a wide range of artist colonies around the world, Spark has moved from social-realist cityscapes with people to tranquil landscapes. She's currently working on a series of fragment paintings that seek to capture the random kaleidoscopic fashion in which events build to narratives, and eventually understanding. And in addition to her fine art work, she provides a regular drawing to the biweekly Olive Press and Phoenicia Times, to whom she's been contributing for over two years.

Continue>>