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TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018
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Walton Trustee Joe Cetta Resigns, Appointed as Walton Supervisor Election for Walton Supervisor to be Held Nov. 6
By Lillian Browne WALTON - Walton Trustee Joe Cetta resigned from his position and was appointed as Walton Town Supervisor on June 27, following the death of former Supervisor Charles Gregory on June 25. The Walton Town Board issued a statement following the appointment, saying, ““We are pleased to welcome Joe to the board to help us carry on the vision and projects that Charlie Gregory so passionately pursued. While we are saddened by the events that precede this appointment, we are confident that Joe can help us continue the progress made for the future of Walton.” An election for the position of supervisor will be held on Nov. 6. Nominating petitions must be filed between July 9 and 12. The number of signatures required are: Independent 69; Democrat 37; Republican 75; Conservative 4; Green or Working Party; 1 and Independence Party 8. If necessary, a primary will be
Rosie Cunningham/The Reporter
Gil (pictured) and Kathy Becker of Franklin showed off their 1956 Chevrolet Bel air.
Contributed Photo
Walton Town Clerk Ronda Williams administers the oath of office to Joe Cetta, who was sworn in as Walton Town Supervisor on June 27. held on Sept. 13. The next regularly scheduled Walton Town Council meeting will be held on July 9 at 6 p.m.
Delaware County Logging Industry Suffers China Tariffs By Lillian Browne DEPOSIT - One of Delaware County’s foundational industries - logging - has taken a hit due to recently imposed international trade tariffs. China is one the country’s largest importers of raw lumber and it has responded to U.S. tariffs on its own exported goods by imposing a new middle-of-the-night regulation on U.S. lumber, with no advance notice, that left millions of dollars worth of U.S. logs and lumber en route to China, stuck in port. Congressman John Faso, representing New York’s 19th Congressional District, came to the defense of the county’s logging industry by joining the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to facilitate a quick resolution to the trade
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Daniel Schaefer, a broker at Cannonsville Lumber in Deposit, said the market is moving again after logs have sat idle in port. Here, he stands with debarked ash logs - four loads, averaging 5,000 feet per load comprising 20,000 board feet, awaiting shipment. war. China’s retaliatory move hurt Delaware County’s logging industry by forcing exporters to shoulder the additional expense of phytosanitary certification on exports. “These shady trade practices by the Chinese government hurt local New York loggers, and all the jobs that the logging business supports,” said Faso via a press release. “By implementing these new regulations with no advanced notice, millions of dollars in products are stuck in limbo. This situation is detrimental to our hardworking loggers, and is a concerning event for future trade dealings with China.”
See Del. Co. Logging page 5
Dedicated Collectors Beat the Heat at the 41st Annual Antique Car Show By Rosie Cunningham STAMFORD — It was a hot day which featured even “hotter” cars on Sunday at the Archibald Field in Stamford for the 41st annual car show. From the classic, the custom and even the modern - the event, sponsored by the Stamford Rotary Club, featured less than 50 automobiles at the Archibald Field in Stamford. The number is down from last year when 115 cars were displayed, according to Stamford Rotary President Frank McMahon. “The heat kept a lot of people away, but it went smoothly,” he said. “Those that attended said they enjoyed the day and look forward to next year.” McMahon added that the event was a success due in part, to the assistance of the Stamford Inner Wheel Club, and area students from Stamford and Gilboa Central Schools. “We had about 20 or so vol-
unteers total,” he said. Cadillacs, Camaros, Corvettes, trucks, Porsches, Avantis, a Gremlin and a Rolls Royce were some of the many highlights of the show. Thomas St. John, of Oneonta, proudly displayed his 1986 Pontiac Fiero SE, which he acquired three years ago. He said he travels to about 15 shows each season. “I got a Fiero from a guy and just started having fun with it,” said St. John. “When I retired four years ago I just started to go to car shows. I had three Fieros and sold one and bought another. I like the idea of the midengine and they are fun to drive - they are not powerful, just fun to drive.” St. John said one of the draws about going to car shows is interacting with other car enthusiasts. “I know many men who come - they are regulars,” he said. “It’s a group of good guys, we banter back and forth and have a good
time.” Peter Halaquist of Franklin showed off his turquoise Pristine Impala which boasts perfect white leather seats. Halaquist said he travels to car shows each week during the summer and a passing fellow showman joked that he takes home all of the trophies. “I have three cars, one of which is a 1960 Chevy convertible and I usually show that, but this one is a crowd favorite,” he said. The Franklin resident acquired the Impala from Dave Cronk out of Downsville. “My brother ran sprint cars in the 1960s and I got used to traveling,” he said. “We were in one state or another every weekend - we would leave the farm where I grew up. I started this up seriously in 2016. I had a 1960 Chevy convertible when I was a teenager and sold it off when I got drafted - so, I got another one later in life. I got a Best in See Stamford Show page 4
Conflict Over Price Stalls DPW Facility Site Negotiations By Rosie Cunningham DELHI - After more than a year of attempting to wrangle a new site for the Delaware County Department of Public Works (DPW) facility, negotiations are at a stalemate. The county board of supervisors Public Works Committee and the Bishop family are offering two versions as to communications over the facility site and what the price tag will be. During a March county board meeting, a resolution to enter into an option to pursue the purchase of the McFarland farmland property in Delhi for the potential Department of Public Works facility was shot down. However, a non-prefiled resolution was brought forth, created and approved in the event the above mentioned resolution did not pass. The supervisors agreed to investigate the purchase of the Bishop property in Hamden as part of a hybrid option for the build-out of the DPW facility. If the option to purchase the McFarland farm property had been approved, the county would
have entered into an option with the landowner to determine the suitability of the site for a DPW highway facility and the county would have paid $120,000, and if subsequent extensions were required, for $60,000 per year to enable environmental, archaeological and physical studies would be completed to determine if the site was suitable for the development of the DPW facility. In a statement released by the Public Works Committee on Thursday, there are conflicts on what the committee and the Bishops believe the Hamden property (Site 11) is worth. “Site 11 consists of 59 acres with the current asking price of $1.2 million with an additional $120,000 for a one-year option to do the required environmental research,” states the Public Works Committee release. “An appraisal ordered by the county attorney came in at $400,000. After much deliberation by the Board, an offer of $600,000 was made and promptly rejected. At this time, the county attorney advised the property owners’ counsel that they should seek their own ap-
praisal and that perhaps that would have all parties coming to a common ground. “The property owners to date have not pursued getting their own appraisal and have been unwilling to negotiate. In an effort to show good faith as well as to keep the process moving, the county attorney found another appraiser to do a second appraisal at the county’s expense. However, to date, the property owners have not agreed to a time when the second appraiser can make a site visit. “Therefore, the Public Works Committee gave a report to the County Board of Supervisors’ at the June 27, 2018 Board meeting in order to inform the entire Board of the status of the negotiations or the lack thereof. The Committee needed direction from the Board on how to proceed. It was explained to the Board that if eminent domain was going to be used to purchase the property, a very strict process will have to be followed. First, access to the site will have to be obtained so on-site surveys, environmental research and archaeological research can