Chamber slams St. Charles plan

by PARRY TEASDALE

HUDSON–After meeting with Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) Monday morning, June 22, the Chamber of Commerce adopted motions opposing the county’s plan to lease the St. Charles Hotel for emergency housing of homeless people and calling on supervisors to withdraw the plan.

It was the first in a series of reactions, both private and official, to the county’s plan announced last week to pursue a seven-year lease for all 34 rooms at the hotel and to turn the bottom floor of the building into a satellite office for the county Department of Social Services.

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Public can weigh in on new New Leb zoning

by GAIL HEINSOHN

NEW LEBANON–The face of New Lebanon would not change much under the zoning re-write proposal to be aired at a public hearing Monday, June 29. What would change is the emphasis of zoning, according to re-write committee member John Dax.

In a letter to the Town Board dated May 29, he said the “most significant changes are directed at preservation of open space, farmland, scenic views and small town character and protection of fragile natural resources such as water bodies and steep hillsides, all as required by the Comprehensive Plan.”

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Motorcycle crash kills Taconic Hills graduate

by DIANE VALDEN

STUYVESANT—A Valatie man was killed in a motorcycle crash at 1590 Route 9J between Gibbons and Schoolhouse roads, June 23 at 11:58 p.m.
Matthew N. Tomlin, 24, of Valatie, was riding his motorcycle south, when for an unknown reason he applied his brakes, the motorcycle slipped out from under him and he hit the guardrail on the west side of the road.
Authorities believe he was headed home from his job as a security guard at the SUNY Albany Nano Tech School at the time of the crash.
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Missing fisherman found dead in brook

by DIANE VALDEN

COPAKE FALLS—The body of a Dutchess County man was recovered from the fast moving water of the Bash Bish Brook early June 24 after he was reported missing the night before.
Late Thursday, June 25, officials said that an autopsy revealed that Royal Sherow, 79, of Poughkeepsie, drowned to death.                                                                                                                          Mr. Sherow was fishing with others in the brook within the Taconic State Park, Tuesday, June 23, according to a press release from State Park Police.
At some point, Mr. Sherow became separated from the group. A member of his fishing party began looking for him around 5 p.m.

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Copake Dems nominate many incumbents

by DIANE VALDEN

COPAKE—Incumbent Democratic Town Board members Linda Gabaccia and Bob Sacks and incumbent Justice Brian Herman, also a Democrat, all won their party’s nomination for re-election in the November 3 election.
More than 100 Town Democrats met for their caucus June 20 at Town Hall.
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