Locust Grove Enterprises

01/22/2024

NYSEG officials told Town of Middletown Supervisor Glen Faulkner on January 22 that the company is actively working on the on-going power “blips” that are impacting the area.
Specifically, they confirmed it is affecting all 3,300 customers fed from the Arkville substation. NYSEG replaced a voltage regulator over the weekend which was causing “brown-outs” and “over-voltage” issues in some areas. The company is now looking at the power “blips” which may be caused by a faulty underground cable section from the Substation to the Crossroads. There is no ETA on final resolution at this time, officials said.

08/31/2022

Great opportunity for businesses looking to hire.

02/11/2022

Great honor for Jessica Olenych at Home Goods of Margaretville!

Oh you guys. Today is a really, really good day. Some of you know that I have been interviewing for the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program. Well, today I learned that I have been accepted!! Words cannot describe how thrilled I am to be accepted in to the program (if you hear yelling, it's probably me!). There are going to be great things on the horizon for this small business and her amazing team.

Plus, we're open until 6pm today!

12/04/2021

DELAWARE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
99 Main St, Delhi, New York 13753
Amanda Walsh, MPH Public Health Director
Heather Warner Public Health Programs Manager

(607) 832-5200

A SPECIAL STATEMENT FROM DELAWARE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH

DATE: December 3, 2021

Delaware County is currently experiencing its highest surge in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started almost two years ago. It is crucial that we all take steps to try and curb the spread of COVID-19.

The following strategies are proven to help curb the spread:
• Social distancing
• Wearing masks
• Getting vaccinated

We ask you to continue to take these precautions which not only protect you but protect those in our community who are most at risk.

The large number of daily new COVID cases is hampering our ability to return each phone call in a prompt manner, and to immediately perform contact tracking. We are doing our best to keep up. Please be patient as we work through this.

If you are COVID positive, please isolate at home, wear a mask, sanitize surfaces, and practice good handwashing. We ask you to cooperate with any contact tracer that may call you and to complete your interview honestly and accurately. This could save lives.

Remember that your choices now and throughout this holiday season will make the difference between life and death for some members of our community.

This is an ongoing battle, and we understand that many are frustrated and angry. If we work together, we WILL get through this pandemic.

Thank you
Delaware County Public Health

11/03/2021

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic in Delhi
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine-Walk-ins only
• Moderna vaccine- Pre-registration required for Boosters

Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday November 4, 2021 at 97 Main Street, Delhi NY 13753, 2PM-4PM. This vaccination clinic is open to people over the age of 18. Boosters will be available at this clinic, appointments/pre-registration required for all Moderna Boosters.
Registration link for Thursday’s Moderna vaccination booster clinic:
https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?DateID=CFBEF2 AB008A01FCE0530A6C7C155C24

COVID vaccine is also available for people who are receiving COVID vaccine for the first time or completing their first series.

Individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines, the CDC issued recommendations for a single booster dose six months or more after initial series for the following individuals:
• Age 65 years of age and older
• Age 18 and older who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings
• First responders (e.g., healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff)

• Education staff (e.g., teachers, support staff, daycare workers)
• Food and agriculture workers
• Manufacturing workers
• Corrections workers
• U.S. Postal Service workers
• Public transit workers
• Grocery store workers

The CDC has also issued recommendations for a single booster dose for those individuals who previously received a primary dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, at least two months after the administration of the first dose.

Appointments/pre-registration required for all Moderna Boosters Registration link for Moderna vaccination booster clinic:
https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?DateID=CFBEF2AB00 8A01FCE0530A6C7C155C24

For more information, call Delaware County Public Health at 607-832-5200.

10/28/2021

Really proud of this legal victory by Town of Middletown!

Middletown Beats CWC in Tax Challenge

Lawsuit Sought
Tax-Exempt Status
for DEP Portion
of Arkville Building

By Michael Martin
The portion of the Catskill Watershed Corporation’s (CWC) Arkville office building leased to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, has been denied most of its tax-exempt status.
In a victory for Town of Middletown taxpayers, Delaware County Judge Richard Northrup announced his ruling on October 27 that the majority of the property leased to the DEP, roughly half the building, does not qualify as tax-exempt.
The CWC had filed a lawsuit against Middletown arguing that the entire building qualified as tax-exempt. The CWC attorneys had claimed that all city personnel working in the building were performing the same duties as CWC staff and therefore the DEP’s section of the building should not be taxed.
Judge Northrup’s ruling noted that out of the total space occupied by DEP, only 21 percent was deemed tax-exempt, as this portion was engaged in what the court called “support activities” with the CWC.
In supporting Middletown’s position, Judge Northrup wrote, “The town's determination partially revoking the property's exemption was not irrational, arbitrary, capricious, or unsupported by the evidence in the record continued and CWC's first cause of action is denied and dismissed. Likewise, the second cause of action is denied and dismissed except to the extent that the court finds CWC to be entitled to an exemption for 21 percent of the space leased by DEP.”
The judge’s decision upholds the Town of Middletown’s 2020 revocation of the tax-exemption status of the $18 million CWC headquarters. The CWC utilizes about 18,000 square feet of the building, the DEP leases approximately 14,000 square feet and the Water Discovery Center utilizes about 750 square feet.
Asked for his reaction to Judge Northrup’s ruling in favor of the Town of Middletown, CWC Executive Director Jason Merwin did not directly address the outcome.
Instead, he referred to a secondary part of the CWC’s lawsuit. In the event that the judge ruled against upholding the exemption for the portion of the building leased by the DEP, the lawsuit included a section challenging the amount of tax assessment on the state-of-the-art building.
“CWC understands that the court has not yet ruled on CWC’s claim that the town over-assessed our headquarters building, which is expected to be scheduled for expert reports and trial in 2022,” Mr. Merwin commented.
Middletown Assessor Chair Joe Todd said the CWC is contending that the building’s assessment should only be about half of the current amount. He said the town is confident in the valuation it has placed on the building which was completed in 2020.
Mr. Todd said it should be noted that during this lawsuit, the court has not addressed the tax status of the half the building occupied by CWC. In a decision by Middletown later in 2021, the tax-exempt status was revoked for the remaining portion of the property occupied by CWC. That decision was based on the fact that Middletown’s attorneys are examining the CWC’s entire right to tax-exempt status.
Middletown Supervisor Patrick Davis praised the judge’s ruling.
“Our town board knew this lawsuit was wrong and we decided to fight it on behalf of our taxpayers. The town’s assessors did an excellent job presenting factual information and the law firm we hired presented our supporting evidence that clearly outlined the town’s position. I’m pleased with this outcome,” Supervisor Davis state.
Mr. Todd and MegAnne Balcom, Assessor/Clerk for Middletown, issued a statement regarding the judge’s ruling an effort to be transparent and to keep the public informed on the issue of tax-exempt status of the recently constructed CWC offices on Route 38 in Arkville.

09/30/2021

Sign Up for Solar & Save!

Town of Middletown Residents Can Save 10% on Electric Costs and receive a $50 Gift Card when they sign up.
Only a few spots left! Once town reaches its signup goal, it will qualify for a $5,000 Clean Energy Grant.

Signing up is simple and there is NO cost and NO equipment on premises – you merely agree to have a solar farm as your electricity source.

Please visit this link: https://subscriber.nelnetenergy.com/residential?referral=NYSOLAR50
which gives customers 10% off each month and a $50 Visa card.

After these are gone, new signups will have to wait about a year to be assigned to a new solar farm, so if people want the discount and gift card, they need to jump on it. It’s important to use the link, otherwise the Town won’t get credit.

09/13/2021

Two Middletown Highway Positions Open

FULL-TIME MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR: The Town of Middletown Highway department is seeking a full-time MEO with a class B license. Please call 845-586-2653 or send resume to Town of Middletown Po Box 577, Margaretville NY 12455.

Mechanic Wanted The Town of Middletown Highway department is seeking a full-time mechanic with a class B license. Excellent benefits. Please call 845-586-2653, e-mail: [email protected] or send resume to Town of Middletown, PO Box 577, Margaretville NY 12455.

09/11/2021

So pleased to work with Ben Fenton, Village of Fleischmanns and the MARK Project on these kiosk signs near the eastern entrance to the community. The pandemic could not derail this project! Of course, thanks to Lisa Tait at Silvertop Graphics for making it all happen.

05/29/2021

Belleayre Mountain Needs Your Support
Sign the Online Petition for Increased Funding

This alert is to make you aware of the grossly inequitable distribution of economic development funding that has left the Catskill Region out in the cold! Catskill residents, businesses, advocacy groups, towns and villages should be outraged and enraged!

A recent article in the Mid-Hudson News defined plans for next year as follows: “A total of $2 million would be applied toward upgrades to snowmaking equipment, $1 million for facility improvements and $125,000 for expanded summer programming.” If accurate, this approximate $3 million investment represents 2.3% of the overall allocation to ORDA in the 21-22 budget. While the upgrades defined are important, there are serious needs at Belleayre being ignored or delayed, namely the replacement of an unreliable chairlift, the trail expansion needed to safely accommodate increased skier traffic, the replacement or upgrading of the antiquated and non-compliant Overlook Lodge.
This barely 3MM capital infusion of economic development funds comes amidst an influx of, according to the Adirondack Enterprise, hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for capital projects for ORDA’s Lake Placid centric venues.

Belleayre fans, regional business owners and government officials appreciate the impact of recent investments, yet the 2021-2022 allocations are an egregious insult, especially when contrasted to the funding planned for the north country that exceeds $100 million for this year alone.
Given recent trends, Belleayre is the ORDA venue that has demonstrated the most increased revenues and the likelihood that such revenue growth will continue. It serves the most populous downstate area.

We call for immediate steps to devote essential funds to the replacement of Chair #7 and the construction of the ski bridge or tunnel that will improve both mountain access and safety, as well as an upgraded Overlook Lodge. These investments assure that new families flocking to Belleayre enjoy a quality experience, cementing Belleayre’s role as the gateway to the winter sports industry in New York State.

Join us in advocating for continuing the investments that will make Belleayre and the Catskills Region the gateway to snow sports and tourism in our state.

Write to the Governor and the Chair of ORDA at the addresses below and sign the online petition at
http://chng.it/2qMGrY2r

Sincerely,
Coalition for Belleayre

Andrew Cuomo, Governor, New York State Kelly Cummings, Chair of the ORDA Board
New York State Capitol Building [email protected]
Albany, NY 12224

Michael Pratt, ORDA CEO [email protected]

Equitable Distribution of Capital Improvements by ORDA for Belleayre

05/22/2021

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given, that the Town of Middletown is soliciting proposals from qualified solar PV providers to design and build a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic on the Town Hall Building.
MANDATORY Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Walk are scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, 2021 9:00 a.m. at the Town Hall, 42339 State Highway 28, Margaretville, NY 12455. Attendance at the site showing is mandatory, and any proposals received from contractors that did not attend the entire site showing, will not be accepted. Please submit the names of those attending the Site Walk by Tuesday, June 2, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. to: [email protected].
Written proposals must be received by the Town Clerk at 42339 State Highway 28, PO Box 577, Margaretville, NY 12455 by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Proposals must be in written form and shall be addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office, and shall bear on the envelope the name and address of the bidder along with “Bid for the Town’s Proposed Solar Array”. The proposals will be opened and presented to the Town Board at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. The project will be awarded at the meeting.
A fully-executed contract will be due at the Town Clerk’s Office no later than July 15, 2021. The system operation date will be no later than September 15, 2021.
The Town of Middletown reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive informalities in the bidding.

By Order of the Town Board.

Dated: May 12th, 2021

Patricia F. Kelly
Town Clerk
Town of Middletown

03/23/2021

HELP WANTED - Part-Time Deputy Town Clerk - Must be a Town of Middletown resident. Extensive experience with data entry, record keeping and proficient with computers, Microsoft Office and Excel programs. For Application and Job Description, contact Town Clerk, Town of Middletown, 42339 State Route 28, PO Box 577. Margaretville. NY 12455 or email [email protected].

Deadline for submitting application is April 16, 2021.

All questions should be directed to the Town Clerk at 845-586-4566.