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Image provided by: Historical Society of the Town of Middletown, NY
RAILROAD LOSER AGAIN—Another skirmish in the battle between railroads and trucks was recorded in Arkville late Sunday afternoon when this driverless highway rig plunged down an embankment into the front of the long imused passenger station. Damage done by the truck and the efforts to pull it out left a gaping hole in the front of the station. Its interior, however, had long been exposed to the weather through windows bereft of their glass by vandals’ stones, and its sole value, nostalgia to rail buffs, has been diminished by this latest loss. Driveriess Truck Plows Through Arkville Depot A Staten Island man was seriously injured in one of two single-car accidents investigat ed Saturday night by state police of the Margaretville sta tion. Two persons were injured in a truck-car collision Thurs day night, and a runaway milk tanker demolished the Arkville railroad station Sunday night. No one was injured in the spectacular crash at Arkville Sunday night, but a gaping bole was left on the front side of the station, which has not been used by the raUroad in nearly two decades. State police reported that the tractor-tanker had been parked on the south side of route 28 at the top of the grade near Church street. The operator, Richard Moore of Arkville, had left the engine of the tractor running whUe he was away from the vehicle. The brakes of the vehicle became unex- plainedly released and it began rolling downhill, swerving to the right over the steep em<- bankment and into the wall of the station. The momentum carried the tractor a l m o s t completely through the station, and had its rear wheels not broken \ through the old ^oor and dropped into a heater pit, at likely would have crashed through the vwndow bay on the track side. Although the tractor was heavily damaged, the tank, con taining 25 tons of fluid milk, was practically unscathed. After it was extricated from the sta tion, a three-hour task, another tractor from Carlo J. McQueer of Hobart, owner of the vehicle, was attached to the tanker, and it was taken on to New York city. The accident was late in the afternoon. State police said that had it occurred on Friday or Saturday nights, damage would have been much more severe because the area is usually parked full of cars of patrons from nearby restau rants. The swerving of the tanker into the abandoned sta tion was also viewed as fortun ate, rather than have it go down the highway or cross into oc cupied buildings on the other side. John Pallazzo, 26, of Staten In Schoharie Valley Island was taken to the Marga retville Memorial hospital with a broken arm and ribs and pos sible internal injuries following an accident near the Shaver- town bridge about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. State police said the Volks wagen bug driven by Pallazzo was traveling west on the Tremperskill road when he fell asleep at the wheel. The car went to the left and struck the end of a row of guide rails about a mile from the bridge. The driver was ejected. About 11:30 the same night Bogdan Cieslewicz of Floral Park lost control of his car as he was traveling south on the Belleayre mountain road out of Highmount. The large sedan struck a culvert on the east shoulder. Cieslewicz was given a summons for failure to keep right and is to appear before a presiding magistrate in the town of Shandaken. A large oil tractor-trailer tanker owned by the Verona oU company was involved in Thurs- County Planner Spoke at Rotary David Fonseca, newly ap pointed planner for Deflaware county, addressed a joint meet ing of the Roxbury, Fleisch- manns-Pine Hill and Margaret ville Rotary clubs Tuesday night at Kass Inn. He was in troduced by Ronald Brach of Delhi college, chairman of the Delaware county p l a n n i n g board. Mr. Fonseca is the first full time planner in the county, and this was his first local meeting. It was pointed out thait the county is losing 80 farms a year, and it is necessary to de cide what will replace them. The speaker said much can be accomplished by reasonable men sitting down together to work out community problems. He pointed out that Delaware county is going to have growth Euid it is important that the communities put their values q C work to promote and guide stich growth. He also noted that in New York state the vil lages and towns have imlimited control over the use of land. Power Authority Says It Seeks Go-Ahead For Second Project 'MiddJeburgh.—The New York State Power Authority an nounced Tuesday that it ex pects to apply next month for a license to build the million- kilowatt Breakabeen piamped storage power project. The pro posed project, second in the Schoharie valley, would be lo cated between Breakabeen and North Blenheim. The authority is . building the Blenheim - Gilboa project, a similar development, a few mUes to the south. It is sched uled for completion this year. Tentative selection of the Breakabeen site was announced in May, 1971, and detailed studies of engineering, environ mental, social and economic facets of the project have been underway since then. It vras also announced that the authority is studying the feasibility of developing a visit or center-museum complex on the Lansing Manor House prop erty at Mine Kill state park, land already acquired by the Authority in conjunction with the Blenheim-Gilboa project. The preiliminary plan is to utilize existing structures ot the property, locating the visit or center in the classic bam and a museum in the historic house. The autho(rity will recom mend to the FPC that there be only one upper reservoir on the Breakabeen project. Pre liminary studies had showed the feasibility of building a sec ond power plant and upper res ervoir. James A. MtzPatnidc, authority chairman, said Tues day that even in the driest pgurts of the driest summers, water will be released from the Breakabeen reservoir to in crease flows downstream. Such releases wiU more than com pensate for any loss through evaporation. An estimated minimum flow downstream of three million gallons per day is expected. If the community desired re location of the Blenheim town hall and fire hall near the his toric covered bridge at North Blenheim, the authority would move or replace the facilities. The bridge itself would not be disturbed, but tentative plans call for improved access, a park-like setting with picnic area and scenic restpration. It is estimated that the proj ect would encompass 3,266 acres and would require relo cation of aibout 76 persons in the town of Blenheim and e ^ u t 64 persons in the toiwn of Fulton. About four miles of route 30 would be improved and relo cated on the west side of the lower reservoir northward from the present Blenheim bridge. day night’s accident on the Cat Hollow road near the Delaware- Sullivan county line. The tanker was exiting from the Delaware county end of the Roscoe nursing home when its tandem rear wheels were struck by a car op>erated by Joseph D. Pahioci, 22, of DownsvUle. Pahioci was taken to Dela ware Valley hospital in Walton and released after treatment of a cheek laceration on the left side. Susan Pahioci, 20, was admitted to the hospital with lacerations on the left side of her face. The Pahioci car was travel ing north, and the tanker, driv en by John Mead, 59, of Roscoe was swinging to the south at the time of the collision, which was reported at 6 p.m. Tree Fell on Home A strong gust of wind, one of several which occurred dur ing Monday night’s electrical storm, snapped off an ever green tree which fell against the trailer home of Mrs. John Fredenburgh on Cemetery road. The tree also brought down electrical wires, and Margaret ville firemen were called, bttt, there was no blaze. The tree blocked one door and caused minor damage to the dwelling. Teasing Flurries Provide No Snow A few flurries teased the area Wednesday, but brought little relief to the snow-starved Catskills. Wednesday’s flurries whitened the ground and at times came so intensely that one side of a valley was ob scured from the other. How ever, they provided no depth, and skiing and snowmobiling remained a wishful thought to their enthusiasts. Instead, the area and much of the nation has been blessed with the nicest and warmest January weather on record. A plunge Saturday afternoon end ed a mild week that had often brought warm sunshine. Al though temperatures flirted with zero Simday morning, the sun soon showed its expanding power. Thermometers jumped to 60 in the sun, and one ther mometer in a sheltered sunspot in beautiful dovmtown Marga retville touched 90, so The News was informed. Monday night, stiff but warm winds were accompanied by a thunderstorm, wdth brilliant bolts of lightning and heavy rain squalls. There was no usual post - thunder drop in temperature of note until Wed nesday’s snow. Last week Wednesday and Thursday morning brilliant “sundogs” circled the solar body, fading and coloring wdth the shifting cloud patterns. They were clearly visible in the village, but best vantage points were on Palmer Hill, New Kingston moimtain and similar heights. The wail of skiers and snow- mobUers was not completely drowned by reports that real estate agents are having their best winter in memory. The agents report that with snow absent they are able to reach many of the more remote prop erties wath prospective clients seeking mountain properties. Also busy are gravel trucks and construction workers who nor mally would be stymied by the weather. Youth Pays Fine state police reported the arrest Saturday of a Pennsyl vania youth in Margaretville on a charge of sixth degree pos session of narcotics and posses sion of a narcotics implement. Arraigned before Town Justice Donald Fenton, he pleaded guilty as a youthful offender and was fined $30. Mourning Causes Second Mail Delay The second official day of national mourning to fall on a Thursday within a month has again caused delay of distribu tion of weekly newspapers, which depend mainly on mail for circulation. Post offices are closed today, Thursday, in mourning for the late President Lyndon Johnson as they were closed for President Harry Tru man on Dec. 28. Efforts will be made to have this edition on newsstands throughout The News circula tion area Thursday. However, with post offices closed, there is no way it can be delivered to mail subscribers before Fri day. Halcott Couple At Inauguration Mr. and Mrs. John Baust, who have moved to Halcott from Massapequa, L. I., following his retirement, attended the second inauguration of President Nixon in Washington Saturday. They also witnessed the parade and one of the president’s inaugural balls, as well as the ball for Vice President and Mrs. Spiro Agnew. Mr. Baust, who had worked for the President since 1960, was presented with cuff links and Mrs. Baust a gold charm with' the Presidential seal. Deak Bank Reports 1972 as Best Year The annual meeting of the shareholders of Deak National bank at Fleischmanns was held at the bank. It was disclosed that the bank had completed its best year in history. All directors were reelected and the oath of office was taken by Michael Cettei, Nicholas Deak, Herman Gottfried, Ber nard Kovner, Stanley Migdol, Rcihard Lynch and Clarence Tobias Jr. Officers elected for another year included Mr. To bias as chairman of the board, Mr. Deak as president, R. F. Heyler as vice president, Robert Morse as cashier, and Richard Tait and Romayne Sims as as sistant cashiers. Mr. Heyler stated that net income for 1972 amounted to $146,838, as compared with $101,349 a year ago. A 10 per cent stock dividend was de clared payable to shareholders of record Jan. 31. Mr. Deak discussed the rapid growth of the bank, revealing that total resources increased from $5.6 mdUion to $9.4 mil lion during the last year. De posits were now more than $8 million, as compared with $5.1 mmion at the close of 1971. The total growth of the bank was attributed to increased numbers of depositors moving into the area. Charge Is Denied Karen E. Pucci, 26, of Grand Gorge pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated harass ment Friday before Town Jus tice Andrew Schuman Jr. in Roxibury. She was released on her own recognizance pending the setting of a trial date on the charge, which state police of the Margaretville station said, .was brought on the com plaint of Irene Hinkley of Grand Gorge. A t RCS and MCS DR. E. C. KELLY 269 SOUTH MAIN AVB. ALBANY. M.T., X2208 NOV. 197- CATSKILL MOUNTAIN NEWS Vol. 110—30 10 Pages—2 Sections MARGARETVILLE, N. Y., THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1973 Published Weekly 15c CopV Second-Class Postage PaM __ at MargaretviUe. N. Y. 124S5 $(.oU Y e a r Pictured above. Dr. James V. Ferraro Jr., a member of the board of directors of the Margaretville Memorial hospital, answers a question at Sunday afternoon’s meeting. Other members present from left to right are Richard Lynch, Dr. Gilbert M. Palen, Mrs. Earle Woolheater, Isaac Finkle, Ivan Miller, Peter Halpern, Dr. Ferraro, President Miss Harriet Smith, Francis Sweeney, Miss Marian Connell, Douglas Faulkner (partly hidden), Robert Hubbell, Gregg Babykin, Bruce Parizo. Keene Roadman is completely hidden. Present, but also hidden, is the institution’s accountant, Thomas Dorr of Kingston. Right, Question is raised by Mrs. Vernon Prater at Sunday’s meeting on the alternatives to closing the OB unit at Margaretville Memorial hospital. Other members of an ad hoc committee who went to Albany last week Wednesday to seek information from state Department of Health included Mrs. Victor Arnao, Mrs. Jerry Hersch, Mrs. Ray Barkman, Mrs. Stanley Migdol, Mrs. Milton Laub and Mrs. John Cromwell. Public Meetings Unable To Change Hard Reality On Closing Of OB Unit Two public mass m eeting and several private confronta tions have not changed the de cision of the board of directors of the Margaretville Memorial hospital to close the obstetrical unit as of March 1. The most recent meeting was with the fuU board a t the Mar garetville central school Sim day afternoon. W ritten ques tions, previousily submitted, were answered, as were ques tions from the audience. Lloyd Johns, principal of the Andes central school, acted as mod erator for the session, which began at 3 o’clock and ended at 5. The most frequently asked question was why the hospital could not support both an OB unit and a cardiac section. This was answered with figures Mini-Semesters Spark Interest Of Students On Many Subjects Students and teachers at Roxbury central school will par ticipate in three days of stu- dent-selected courses, outside speakers and other events dur ing the mini-semester seminar Monday, Tuesday and Wednes day. This is the third year of the RCS mini-semester pro grams run between the fall and the spring semesters. This year’s program consists of two major parts. The regu lar program of study will be composed in the mornings of courses taught by members of the high school faculty, by stu dents, parents and others in and outside of the community. These courses wiU be given be tween 8:40 a.m. and 12:15 pjn., and several courses will be of fered more than one period. A second phase of the pro gram is an extension and modi fication of the seminar pro grams which were held the last two years. During an afternoon period, from 1 to 2:55, outside speakers covering a broad range of subjects will be invited. They will address students and then lead discussions on the subjects of their presentations. A number of crafts, includ ing macrame, knitting, cro- creting and montage will be offered. Basic skills in cheer- leading, baton twirling, fencing and wrestling are intended to attract the more athletic stu dents. Instruction in chess and chess tournaments and math puzzles wall be offered as mind stretchers. A coiirse in guitar instruc tion and another OQpceming humor and protest in American folk nuisic will be ainaed at stu dent musicians. Techniques of sewing with double knits, tele vision techniques, and the his tory of religion roimd out the three-day sequence. Among the features for the afternoon sessions are discus sions of sleep and dreams, a subjective view of the Soviet Union, love as a serious busi ness, the law and teenagers, our energy supply, bias in the news and a workshop in sculp ture and drama. Margaretville central high school students may choose among 67 courses, to be offered Monday and Tuesday during “Mini-Semester 1973.” This two-day program will feature electives taught by 17 commu nity members, 17 MCS students and 21 faculty members. The courses cater to a va riety of interests and include among them “The Mid-East Today,” a slide presentation of the people, places and the dy namics that make the Middle East a crucial area. Also fea tured are creative photography, radio - television productions, chess for beginners, introduc tion to bridge, and the musical development of rock music. Other courses will focus on handwriting analysis, commer cial art, psychology of color and aircraft pUot training. This mond-semester 1973 is held between the faiHl and spring semesters. It focuses on topics that relate to subjects present ly being taught in school or to careers that lie beyond high school graduation. Students must attend school both days of the mini-semester. which show (that the OB unit accounted for only three per cent of the patient days in the hospital last year. This is p art ly becaiise of the short stay of most of these cases. Cardiac patients on the other hand usu ally are hospitalized for a much longer period and would give the institution a higher per centage of occupancy. The en tire hospital has been threat ened by loss of revenue from Medicaid and Blue Cross be cause of the small percentage use of the OB section. Margaretville is the ninth hospital in eastern New York state to close an OB unit. Among the others are Albany medical center. Cohoes, Balls- ton Spa, Granville, Corinth and Lake Placid. On a question regarding daily costs. Miss H arriet Smith of Roxbury, board president, point ed out that the hospital is currently being reimbursed by Medicaid and Delaware coimty social service patients at $80.75 a day. A $92 daily rate re ferred to by Soci^ Services Commissioner Francis Comins of Delhi in a previous meeting was only paid from Aug. 1 to Nov. 30 to reimburse the hos pital for previous lower pay ments. In comparing Margaretville with other hospitals in the county, it was brought out that Stamford has only nine extend ed care beds and is paid a lower rate. The opening of a new wing there Saturday with 31 more beds will raise the costs to within 85 cents a day of the Margaretville rate. Terrance McCarthy of Den ver asked if the possibility of cooperative services among the various hospitals of the com munity would not solve some of the problems of each insti tution trying to maintain serv ices which are not fully util ized. This was answered by Dr. G. M. Palen, who listed several such services already being done. Dr. Palen also said that this arrangement was not practical for a cardiac imit because the first few minutes are often critical in saving such a patient’s life. In answering questions on fi nances, several board members pointed out that the hospital must be run on a business basis and, if it is to stay open, must keep nearly full. The break even point is 90 per cent of occupancy. The 1972 rate was 68.5 and 1071, 84. Interest on the bonded indebtedness is from $700 to $800 weekly. The first mass meeting at the school last week Wednes day was mostly given over to emotioiml statements, emd no decisions were reached. There were 12 board members pres- entt but as observers on^, and they were not prepared to an swer questions. The Sunday . meeting was largely free of emotional out burst, with a few exceptions most of which were generated by inability of patients to ob tain the services- of a physician at the hospital emergency room. Dr. Palen was asked why he was practicing in Walton in stead of MargaretviUe. He re plied that the question could not be answered without getting into personalities, which he did not wish to do. He said he was doing what he could to help Margaretville by service on the hospital board. The meeting was closed by Miss Smith with the reading of a letter from Mrs. Morton Scud- der urging all residents to band together to help save the hos pital from “the common enemy, centralized bureaucracy.” The letter said in part: “Certainly the Board of Di rectors of the Margaretville Me morial hospital has and has had the interests of the hospital at heart. A board member spends uncounted hours, not only at meetings, but also in conduct ing interviews, reading perti nent information, investigating complaints and making per sonal observations. It is an unpaid, unsung, thankless job at best. Being composed of men and women with human feelings, undoubtedly the board has made mistakes in judg ment, but not in their desire to provide the best in medical care for the community imder difficult circumstances. “Certainly the committee of concerned women has the best interests of the hospital at heart. In an attempt to re verse the decision of the Com missioner of Health, these wo men donated time and money. Committee to Aid Vietnamese Young The committee for peace in Vietnam met Monday night at the Margaretville United Meth odist church and voted to start a fund to procure artificial legs and arms for Vietnamese chil dren. The 13 present started the fund with initial contribu tions of $22.83, which will be turned over to the Friends committee which is working on this project. Edward Lindgren was elect ed treasurer, and Mrs. Rose Beers was elected seo-etary. The group win meet again at 8 pjn. Monday atjH ie (SMiicit to dhoose a foxmal' name for the organization. The meeting is open to anyone. Their whirlwind campaign has broken through the lethargy of the community. They have the commitment and drive of youth with occasional errors of judg ment concomitant with moti vated enthusiasm. \ . . . In this area served by Margaretville Memorial hospi tal, we need from each person the best of his talents. The need to retain our hospital takes precedence over private feelings about personalities. Our commimity effort to keep our hospital from closing en tirely, will require the utmost expenditure of time, energy, patience, tolerance and unity against the state’s dictum.” Two Teachers Are Leaving March 1 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hinds have resigned from the faculty of Margaretville central school to move to Malone, where he will be engaged in the selling of real estate. Their resigna tion, which was accepted by the board of education Tuesday night, is effective March 1. Mr. and Mrs. Hinds taught in Italy under a leave of absence during 1971-1972 school year. Mr. Hinds teaches high school mathematics and Mrs. Hinds middle school languages. In other action the board approved the itinerary for the senior class trip to several cities in Canada during spring recess. Three members of the class, together with their advisor, Mrs. Gertrude McCune, ap peared before the board with complete details of the trip. Also approved were educational trips to Italy, Sp^n and Eng land at no expense- to the district. Tutoring at home for Mike Ballard of Fleischmanns, who was injured in a shooting acci dent last fall was approved. Harry Solomon has agreed to do the instruction. The board also approved a contract with BOCES for speech correction, data process ing, guidance, driver education; music, educational TV, psycho logical services and a full-time nurse at the Fleischmanns building. Bookmobile Coming The next visit of the Four- County library system bookmor bile to this area will be Thurs day, Feb. 2. It will be at the fire hall in Margaretville front noon until 3 pm., at the HaJ- cottvUle post office from 3:30 to 3:50 pjn. and at the vBlagft paiking iot on Grand Gorie from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
