Nelson Kent, a former tenant of Switzkill Farm who was made to leave the town property in February, was appointed its live-in caretaker by the Berne Town Board

A Berne town board meeting revealed division among members following an inflammatory incident at Switzkill Farm.

There was a violation at Switzkill Farm. It wasn’t the sprinkler system.

Richard J. Ronconi, member, Switzkill Farm Board, Berne

Switzkill Farm’s dark skies and vast landscape make it a promising spot to build an observatory, although the group Helderberg Earth and Sky Observatory is waiting to obtain not-for-profit status before building in the Hilltowns.

In Berne, the town-owned property of Switzkill Farm will be the site Saturday of a day-long species count and biological survey known as Bioblitz.

A town board meeting in Berne last week saw notifications of seasonal road closings and an arranged fee schedule for Switzkill Farm.

Ted Kunker, chairman, Switzkill Farm, Berne

The 21-page proposal for the Helderberg Earth and Sky Observatory came with preliminary drawings of a double-domed building housing two telescopes and a “large wrap-around observation deck.”

Something old is new again in Berne.