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| NEWS |
Festival offers parade, pasta, bocce and more
SCHUYLER COUNTY—The annual Schuyler County Italian-American Festival, including a parade, Italian and American foods, craft vendors, amusement rides, carnival games, fireworks and live bands, is currently underway. The annual event that brings thousands of people to Watkins Glen and Clute Park began Friday. This is 31st annual festival weekend. The first evening featured a pasta eating contest and a Tae Kwan Do demonstration, as well as plenty of food, games, entertainment, and rides. Craft vendors will offer a variety of home-made items plus clothing and jewelry. Bingo can be played all weekend, the popular bocce tournament returns, a motorcycle show and other entertainment and events will also take place during the three-day event.
Outside alcohol is prohibited on the festival grounds, but a beer and wine garden is located within the festival that offers alcoholic beverages for those 21 and over. Read More ...
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Hector Fair is this weekend
HECTOR—The Hector Fair will offer three days of entertainment this Thursday to Saturday, at the Hector-Logan-Valois Firemen’s Field on Route 414 in Hector. The fair starts Thursday, July 29, with gates opening at 6 p.m. To celebrate the first day, the fair will offer half price rides and a one price wristband from 6 to 10 p.m. Gates open again at 6 p.m., Friday, July 30. There will also be parade starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, the fair opens at noon. In addition to ride specials, there will be the Gerry Doane Memorial Auto Show from 1 to 5 p.m., featuring 150 cars and trucks. A fireworks display will start at 11:15 p.m. The fair will also include a library book sale tent, commercial displays, Cornell Cooperative Extension animals, games, exhibits, and demonstrations. The Hector-Logan-Valois Fireman’s Field is located nine miles north of Watkins Glen. Read More ...
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Players will perform 'Willy Wonka'
HAMMONDSPORT—The Keuka Lake Players will perform the wacky tale of “Willy Wonka,” Friday to Sunday, July 30 to Aug. 1. The musical will be held at the Hammondsport Central School auditorium, on Main Street. Performance times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices are $8 for children and senior citizens, and $10 for adults. Many people are familiar with the story of “Willy Wonka,” remembering either of the two movies, based on a book and play. The musical focuses on Charlie Bucket, played by Davis Mitchell. Despite his family being poor, Charlie finds a Golden Ticket and gets the once in a lifetime chance to tour the famous chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka (Dale Jacobs). Charlie joins four other children who also found Golden Tickets: Augustus Gloop (Anna Wheaton), Violet Beauregard (Zayna Hartman), Veruca Salt (Bethany Hy), and Mike Teevee (Andrew Lathrop). Read More ...
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Tea Party vets candidates
BENTON—The Finger Lakes Tea Party group hosted a meet the candidates night at the Benton Fire House, Tuesday, July 27, drawing in close to 50 people. The candidates were Phil Palmesano and Steve Kula, both running for the 136th Assembly seat. Tim Chichester, running for U.S. Senate, was also present. Tea Party members asked a series of prepared questions to the candidates, so attendees could compare the same answers, before opening the floor up to audience member questions. The first candidate to speak was Kula, also a Prattsburgh town board member. In his opening comments he said that “Albany is ridden with bureaucracy and we must vote from within our ranks.” He was first asked how he would balance the state budget. Kula said that is something he can’t do alone. He added he has several people helping him look over the budget and where to make cuts, adding his goal would be to see a five percent cut in spending. Kula pointed out one area that could be the source of some cuts: entire programs. Palmesano, who has been an aide to Jim Baccalles, Randy Kuhl, and now George Winner, said his priorities are to cut down on spending. Read More ...
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Dundee has an August court date for Coleman
DUNDEE—The Dundee Central School District has an Aug. 31 date in court about firing tenured teacher, Douglas Coleman, for alleged misconduct. Superintendent Kathy Ring said Coleman, social studies teacher, was suspended without pay for six months, effective June 2, based on the decision of Hearing Officer Dennis Campagna. Ring added the district is still responsible for paying Coleman’s health insurance during this time. According to documents filed with the county court in June, the district became aware that Coleman had allegedly committed various acts of misconduct involving inappropriate touching of students, threats, favoritism, and inappropriate grading and assessment practices. The district said this was all between June, 2006, and February, 2008. Read More ...
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Watkins gets $86K for 'green' curriculum
WATKINS GLEN—The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded Watkins Glen Central School District $86,000 Tuesday, July 27, to be used in teaching about renewable energy. Superintendent Tom Phillips explained that the $86,000 goes towards the $188,000 project. He said that the district pays the rest through in-kind services, like installing the equipment and training the teachers. He added these are all things the district already budgeted for, and are not new expenses. Phillips explained the ARC funds allow the district to purchase the solar panel and wind turbine to be placed on the high school’s roof. The district already got a previous grant to install a solar panel and wind turbine on the middle school. “We could never pay $80,000 for those materials,” he said. The funds will also go to creating a computer-based learning lab where students will monitor the energy created by the panel and turbine. Phillips said students will get the chance to see how renewable energy can impact the energy usage of the middle and high schools. Students will also learn about the science of energy and the whole project will be integrated into the math, science, and technology curriculum. Read More ...
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State superintendent salary now averages $165K
TRI-COUNTY AREA—According to the New York State Education Department, the average salary of a school superintendent is $165,577 for the 2010-11 school year. The information is from the state’s Web site (http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtserv/), as of May 14, 2010. For benefits, the average number was $36,767. Locally, the superintendent’s salaries from five area schools are all somewhat below the state average. The annual superintendent’s salary for Penn Yan is $139,441, plus $27,687 designated for benefits. The salary is up from the 2009-10 school year. According to the state, the salary then was $134,077, while benefits were $28,674. At Watkins Glen, the annual superintendent’s salary is $129,792, plus $25,039 allocated for benefits. This is up from the 2009-10 school year. According to the state, the salary then was $124,800, with $20,720 for benefits. Read More ...
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Superintendent Ann Orman will retire
PENN YAN—Penn Yan Central School District Superintendent Ann Orman announced she would be retiring, effective Feb. 4, 2011. Orman made the announcement at the Wednesday, July 21 school board meeting. District Clerk Katie Dean said that the board of education also approved the resignation at that meeting. "We're all pretty sad she's leaving," said Board Vice President Kathy Guenther. She added, "What she's accomplished in the last five years is tremendous." "It was a good time for me personally," explained Orman about her decision. Dean added Orman wanted to remain on as superintendent until the academy capital project is complete. Orman said all the information she has indicates the project will be done in January. She added that the board of education is just starting to consider options for replacing her. Read More ...
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'Excelsior' program replaces Empire Zone
TRI-COUNTY AREA—Excelsior will replace the Empire Zone as the state’s economic incentive program, but some view it as not as helpful. “It won’t be as useful as the Empire Zone,“ said Ryan Hallings, coordinator for the Finger Lakes Economic Development Center. “But it’s better than no program at all.” Some of the changes between the Empire Zone, which stopped accepting applications June 30, and Excelsior include qualifications for businesses to be eligible for benefits. Hallings said those include the number of jobs a business in a certain sector will create. Kelsey Jones, director of Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED), said those include a manufacturing job must create 25 jobs, agriculture must create 10 jobs, and office (like a call center) must create 150 jobs. Hallings said this poses a challenge because, for example, the average manufacturing business in Yates has about five workers. “It limits smaller projects,” he said. “As a rural area, there aren’t a lot of bigger projects.” Read More ...
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Watkins approves changes to intake plant
WATKINS GLEN—The Watkins Glen planning board approved the preliminary site plan for the village’s new raw water intake plant, at the monthly July 21 meeting. HUNT Engineer Chuck Franzese showed the planning board changes to the project, which were required because the federal government pulled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds from the project. He said it was changed to fit the budget. He had previously told the village board at the July 19 meeting the proposed cost of the water intake building is $1.25 million. However, Franzese said the changes are mostly to the structure of the proposed building on Salt Point Road. He said instead of a complete, three story building, the intake facility will mostly be located within one story. The proposed location is on Salt Point Road. On the east side of the road, there is a drop down to ground that is level with the lake. The top of the structure will be accessible from Salt Point Road. The structure at this point will only house stairs going down, cutting into the embankment. Read More ...
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Officials considers bridge work
PENN YAN—Although it is more than one year away, plans have been ongoing for rerouting traffic in Penn Yan during the six months the Liberty Street bridge is closed for replacement. Construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2011 and work will continue through the winter, ending in June, 2012. The details of traffic rerouting are expected to be discussed at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Penn Yan village board. The Keuka Lake Outlet divides the village in half and the Liberty Street and Main Street bridges are the two main routes between the north and south sections of the village. A third bridge over the Outlet on Cherry Street has more limited use due to its location, a sharp curve, and steep hills on each side of it. Read More ...
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Welliver, Glenora will sponsor Vintage Grand Prix
WATKINS GLEN—Welliver McGuire, Inc. and Glenora Wine Cellars, will be the new sponsors for the Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver McGuire, Sept. 10 to 12. Watkins Glen International announced 2010 will be the first year all major races at WGI have been sponsored and Welliver McGuire will be the first title sponsor of the event since Zippo realigned their sponsorship dollars to the NASCAR race weekend in 2006. The Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver McGuire, is held in conjunction with the Grand Prix Festival in the village of Watkins Glen on Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. The 2009 U.S. Vintage Grand Prix expected over 400 car entries and WGI does not expect that to change in 2010. The weekend’s featured Marque in 2010 is Alfa Romeo. Read More ...
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| SPORTS |
Lincoln and Mazur win at Black Rock
DUNDEE—Loren Lincoln managed his first win since 2008, Friday, July 23, in the Sportsman Feature. Lincoln, from South Bristol, did not take command of the 30-car field until the final lap, when leader Ray Bliss Jr. developed a flat right rear tire during a caution flag. In the one-lap shootout, Lincoln’s No. 2L pulled away and made no question about it. “It’s about time,” said Lincoln. “The only chance I thought I had for the lead was on the restarts but I’m grateful to make it work out tonight.” The event started slow, with crashes on the first and third laps hindering the flow. When the field was set to restart on lap four, early leader Serenity Sutherland had to pull off the track when her No. 37 was overheating. Read More ...
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Five Mustangs play in All Star games
VICTOR−Five recent graduates from Penn Yan competed in the second annual Herb Fitch Lacrosse Senior All Star Games in Victor, Saturday, July 10. Two games were played, for both boys and girls. Players were chosen from many area high schools. The three boys were Scott Miller, Nate Nichols, and Adam Trombley, playing on the boys white team. Their team won 15-12, and even had the lead during halftime with 9-4. Nichols had one goal, and two assists. The two girls were Sam Sisson and Morgan Basler, for the girls white team. Sisson and Basler's team lost, with a close 19-17. In the first part of the game, both teams were neck and neck, but the girls blue team gained the upper hand by the end of the first half and kept it. Basler contributed two consecutive goals. Taylor Fitch, Herb Fitch's son, explained this competition was created in honor of his father. He said Herb died in 2006 before he could witness the event get started though. Fitch added his father was responsible for starting lacrosse programs at several schools, including Penn Yan. Read More ...
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Power provides fireworks on Fourth of July
WATKINS GLEN—Will Power claimed Team Penske's first IZOD IndyCar Series victory at Watkins Glen International, winning the sixth Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen.
Series points leader Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske entry, passed his teammate Ryan Briscoe with six laps to go and held off Dario Franchitti and Briscoe for his third IZOD IndyCar Series victory of 2010.
Briscoe passed Franchitti on the final lap to help Team Penske record its first 1-2 finish since Edmonton in 2009. Brazilians Raphael Matos of de Ferran Dragon Racing and Mario Moraes of KV Racing Technology completed the top five.
In all, there were seven teams represented among the top 10 finishers in the race.
Also on July 4, French rookie J.K. Vernay strengthened his Firestone Indy Lights championship points lead with a victory in the Corning 100 at Watkins Glen International. Read More ...
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Area players' team wins Eddie Meath game
ROCHESTER—Five football players from Dundee and Penn Yan played in the 28th Annual Eddie Meath All Star Game, Sunday, July 4, at St. John Fisher College. The four players from Dundee were Ryan Ballard, Steven Webb, Jesse Jayne, and Pat Perez. Penn Yan’s Silvano Roman was also selected. The five were on the east team, which beat the west team, 55-35. East had the lead through the entire game, leading at half time with 34-14. This was also the east team’s sixth consecutive win. Players for the east team came from a number of schools, including Rush Henrietta, Lyons, Waterloo, Canandaigua, and DeSales. The coach for the winning team was Chris Urban from Webster Schroeder. The west team’s head coach was Andy Englert from Avon. Dundee Coach Sheldon Gibson said this was the first time four Dundee seniors had been selected for the All Star team. He explained players are chosen from the league by a committee. Read More ...
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Fog complicates racing at WGI
WATKINS GLEN—The drivers were at the track, the cars were ready to go, but a dense fog had other plans for a day of racing on Sunday, June 13. At around 12:30 pm it seemed that the Legends of Motorsports event scheduled to start at 1:00 pm would have to end early due to the conditions at WGI, which included fog that made the track nearly impossible to see. Even though the track did not completely improve, drivers of the USRRC/Can Am/FIA Championship of Makes class took to the track at 1:51 pm for 12 laps of racing action. At the completion of their race and with introductions and starting ceremonies beginning for the F5000 Feature Race, the fog again rolled in leading race officials to wait for a clearing in the weather. These cars are winged, open-wheel machines made by the likes of Lola, Chevron, Lotus and March. Eventually the race was run. An Enduro race was scheduled after the F5000 class, along with a Trans Am class.
Read More ...
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Watkins ends season, gives athletes awards
VESTAL—Watkins’ Shelby Olafson ended the regular spring track and field season at states, Saturday, June 12. Olafson cleared 5’ 4’’ in the high jump at state qualifiers June 3 to make it back to Vestal Saturday. However, at states Olafson was unable to clear the high bar the three times she tried. She was seeded number eight. Olafson came in number 27 out 34 placers. Jane Olafson explained her daughter struggled against a leg injury this season, and that now she would be taking the summer to recover before next school year. Coach Kelsey Wood said a stress fracture was found in Shelby’s right shin over the winter. “It’s pretty amazing the journey that Shelby has taken this year,” said Wood. Read More ...
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Penn Yan honors athletes
PENN YAN—Penn Yan athletes from the 2009-10 school year were honored at the 44th Annual Sports Awards Program, Wednesday, June 9. Student athletes were presented with awards in the new academy gymnasium. At the end of the program, the girls and boys Coach’s Trophies were given out. For boys, the winner was Adam Trombley and for girls the winner was Kate Disbrow. Each also recieved other honors that night. Read More ...
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Odessa holds Athletic Awards
ODESSA—Odessa-Montour honored its student athletes at the annual Athletic Awards, Wednesday, June 9. The Harold Lynch Female Athlete of the Year award went to both Rebecca and Whitney Ayers. Dan Stephens took the Harold Lynch Male Athlete of the Year. Stephens recently ended the spring season in tennis with Nate Kemmerer in the doubles competition in states. The two faced teams from Owego, and Chenango Valley. Read More ...
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Dundee presents athletes with awards
DUNDEE—The student athletes from Dundee’s 2009-10 year were honored at the annual Athletic Awards ceremony, Tuesday, June 8. One of the accomplishments recognized were overall MVPs for boys and girls. Ryan Ballard and Sam Clingerman took those two honors. The MVPs for individual team sports from the year included Ane Shoemaker, Susan Sprague, Ballard, Clingerman and Tommy Pratt. The Lee Gibson awards were given to Jake Wilmott, Morgan Jensen, Corrina Booth, Kyle Spinks, and Nick Irwin. Recipients of the Scholar Athlete Award were Shoemaker, Raelene Zimmer, Garrick Conyers, Casi Strait, and Jordan Cady. Sports Boosters Appreciation awards were given to Richard Andrews, Lauren Edmister, James Deane, Shea Maloy, and Courtney Ahrens. Recipients of the Colonel Lawrence J. Bolvig Awards were Chris Davis and Kate Zebrowski. Read More ...
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Telmex dominates at Watkins Glen
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen Saturday June 5 in the Daytona Prototype class. This is the third consecutive time they have been able to pull off a win at WGI. Their car was very strong in qualifying on Friday as it broke the track lap record with a time of 1:40.562 (121.716 mph).
The No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley of Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney, and Jimmie Johnson was also a strong competitor, however a spin late in the race took them out of contention for the win.
Max Angelelli, who placed second in the June 5th race, was competitive as expected in the SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara based on his previous finishes of third in 2006, 2007, 2008 and second last year.
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