"How delicate and strong something can be at the same time," said Dawn O'Neal, speaking of the birds she studies, but perhaps inadvertently referencing herself. She recently became the Huyck Preserve's newest executive director.
Residents had questions about pollution, the tax base, and the potential for the sheriff's office to buy a piece of the East Berne property, the potential location of intermunicipal training facilities and a new firehouse.
The clarifications to ethics board procedures discussed with the town's attorney had the overarching goals of keeping the length and cost of investigations down and included the question of whether or not and how defendants should be reimbursed for attorney's fees.
Interim Superintendent Lonnie Palmer recommended the school board make cuts and share services to reduce non-instructional costs at Berne-Knox-Westerlo and offset spending on training for teachers and additional instructors.
With the option of extending the alternative veterans' tax exemption to school taxes, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school board held a public hearing on the question but hasn't yet taken a vote.
The school board has not yet convened a committee that traditionally combs through the spending plan starting in November. In recent meetings, the board and superintendent have discussed a modified timeline for the budget.
Peter Shunney, Berne-Knox-Westerlo's building and maintenance supervisor for more than 11 years, is concerned he won't be able to keep his role in his department.
The Empire State Winter Games lasted from Feb. 6 to 9 and featured athletes from across the state in Olympic events in a region that has twice hosted the international games.
The company operating the Tennessee pipeline now carrying natural gas underground through Knox, Berne, New Scotland, and Bethlehem has proposed expanding it by 250 miles starting from Wright in Schoharie County.
