Hilltowns

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo board members have overseen a period of the district’s history that, between overfunding from the state and the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout, has been as auspicious as it has been challenging. 

“This is the East Berne firehouse but it’s the community’s place,” said Mary Alice Molgard, who chairs the board of fire commissioners.

WESTERLO — What would otherwise have likely been an uncontroversial and even welcome law drew significant criticism from Westerlo residents before their town board passed it on Tuesday in a 3-to-2 vote. 

Democrat Hébert Joseph, of Rensselaerville, is challenging Conservative Albany County Legislator Chris Smith, of East Berne, for his seat representing the mostly-rural 39th District. A court challenge from Smith centered around Joseph’s nominating petition got the Democrat removed from his own party’s line, though he will still appear on the ballot on at least the Working Families Party line.

Berne resident Kevin Crosier is gearing up to sue his town for violating his civil rights after Supervisor Dennis Palow ordered him removed from a February public hearing without justification. 

SCHOHARIE — Late in the 19th Century, stone was king of building materials and much of the cut stone that helped transform New York into the Empire State came from Schoharie County.

Superintendent Timothy Mundell told The Enterprise this week that the skills the district learned from the National Dropout Prevention Center’s trauma-skills institute will help give Berne-Knox-Westerlo students structure, organization, and resilience as they balance personal hardships with their potential for achievement. 

The moratorium is designed to give the town’s planning board some breathing room as it juggles multiple solar projects at once, Supervisor Russell Pokorny said. 

Andrew Gibson was sentenced to a minimum of 10⅔ years in prison and a maximum of 32 years, in accordance with a plea deal, for the death of Berne resident Lisa Sperry in May 2021 and for jumping bail early in 2022. 

The free, self-guided Arts Around Greenville Studio Tour, on May 20 and 21, will showcase the works of more than two dozen local artists, half of whom will open up their studios to visitors, while the rest will have their art on display at the Greenville Public Library and the Gristmill, which is also in Greenville.