It S Not Too Late to Help Neighbors in Need by Donating to the Rochester Food Pantry

Food Pantry No casinos for Ulster County. Town Government Cahill renews call for VLTs after Ulster County is denied casino license One of Ulster County’s 10 most wanted is caught Join the Rochester Residents Association

It’s not too late to help neighbors in need by donating to the Rochester Food Pantry. Mail donations to: Rochester Food Pantry, PO Box 12, Accord, NY 12404. Slightly more than $10,000 has been received so far – very generous support, but less than the $14,000 we raised last year.

No casinos for Ulster County. The NYS Gaming Commission’s Gaming Facility Location Board decided not to recommend that a casino at the Nevele in Ulster County be approved.

Town Government The Rochester Town Board adopted a resolution on December 4th opposing the Pilgrim Pipeline, which is seeking approval to build a dual crude oil/ refined products pipeline from Albany to New Jersey and would be expected to traverse through Rosendale.

The Town Board also discussed dilapidated buildings on Main Street in Accord and elsewhere in town as well as the potential route of a rail trail extension that would connect Rochester’s trails with others in the county.

The Town Board also adopted proposed changes to the Town’s zoning and subdivision laws and a resolution supporting the designation of the Alligerville Historic District.

Cahill renews call for VLTs after Ulster County is denied casino license

KINGSTON >> Following a state siting board’s decision to bypass the former Nevele hotel in Wawarsing for a casino license, Assemblyman Kevin Cahill is calling on the state Legislature to reconvene immediately and consider his months-old legislation to authorize video lottery terminals at two locations in Ulster County.

“While I do not believe that the establishment of gambling venues is a panacea, the passage of this measure will assure that interested local resorts will be able to diversify their attractiveness as a choice for regional travelers in the face of new competition,” Cahill, D-Kingston, said in a statement emailed to local media. Cahill’s legislation would allow VLT licenses in Ulster County for two existing resorts and would require community support before being allowed to take effect.

Acknowledging Ulster County’s disappointment in the selection of a Sullivan County site for the only Catskills-Hudson Valley casino license, Cahill said, “It is time to band together as a larger community to help enhance Ulster’s overall tourism outlook.”

Cahill and state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, first proposed allowing VLTs in Ulster County this past spring, but the Legislature adjourned for the year in late June without taking action.

The bill, under which the VLTs would have been operated by the Catskill Regional Off- Track Betting Corp., was opposed at the time by Ulster County leaders and other local government officials because they feared it could damage the county’s chances of securing a casino license.

Last year, the owners of the Pine Grove Ranch and the Hudson Valley Spa and Resort, both in Kerhonkson, asked Ulster County lawmakers to adopt a resolution calling on the state to allow video lottery terminals at the two resorts. That measure was pulled, however, when it became clear it wouldn’t be approved.

The Cahill-Seward bill would have allowed VLTs in up to two hotels in Ulster County with more than 100 rooms that had been in continuous business for at least three years. The bill did not mention potential host sites but said several locations in Ulster County would qualify. Cahill cited the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz and Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland as examples.

VLTs, essentially electronic slot machines, already are in use at several harness racing tracks in the state.

The state Gaming Facility Location Board this week favored Empire Resorts’ proposal for a casino at the site of the former Concord hotel in the Sullivan County town of Thompson. It rejected the Nevele plan, one other Sullivan County plan and six proposals for Orange County sites.

The board also recommended casino licenses for one site each in Schenectady and Seneca counties. (Freeman 12/19/14)\

One of Ulster County’s 10 most wanted is caught LLOYD >> A sex offender who was one of Ulster County’s 10 most-wanted fugitives has been arrested and faces multiple felony charges, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

Shawn L. Conklin, 35, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies and Lloyd police at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Atlas Motel in Lloyd and charged with failing to notify officials about an address change, failing to notify Internet accounts and access providers and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing, all felonies.

On Nov. 7, Conklin filed a change of address, reporting that he had moved from Sullivan County to Cherrytown Road in the town of Rochester, deputies said. But after making several attempts to verify Conklin’s address, deputies found he had not moved to Rochester. Conklin’s whereabouts then were unknown for several weeks.

The Sheriff’s Office, acting on leads, located Conklin at the motel in Lloyd and arrested him without incident as he returned to his room, deputies said.

According to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services’ sex offender registry, Conklin is a Level 3 sex offender who engaged a 15-year-old female in sexual conduct without consent on Aug. 8, 2008. He was convicted on Dec. 16, 2008, and was sentenced to six years of probation. Conklin had no previous convictions and was not a stranger to the victim, according to the registry.

Level 3 sex offenders present a “high risk of repeat offense, and a threat to public safety exists,” according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

After his most recent arrest, Conklin was sent to the Ulster County Jail without bail. (Freeman 12/4/14)

Join the Rochester Residents Association

Dear Neighbors:

Since the Rochester Residents Association was started in 2000, we have succeeded in creating a community-wide forum to discuss the future of our Town in the face of potential development pressure. Our primary tool has been to provide news and information about the Town of Rochester in order to assist people in making their own informed decisions about the future of our community. To this end, our volunteers have:

 Emailed the Town Crier, a periodic free news bulletin that contains local news, announcements, and legal and governmental notices to more than 1,200 people. The Town Crier is the main way many people keep informed about local news.  Established the Town’s first comprehensive website promoting local businesses and organizations with additional information on local history, artists, and artisans in our community and an archive of news about our Town. We also published a report on the Town’s registered historical properties, complete with maps and photos, to assist the Town in complying with the State’s Historic Preservation Law.  Established a college scholarship fund for graduating high school seniors. To date, we have awarded more than $20,000 scholarships to local students.  Assisted residents in the Town’s assessment process by posting the Town’s tax roll and other information on the tax re-assessment process on the internet for everyone to see and use. This is the first time that a town tax roll has been published online in Ulster County.  Been the principal sponsor of the Town’s annual town-wide Thanksgiving Dinner held at the Community Center.  Organized the annual fundraising drive for the Rochester Food Pantry, which provides food assistance to local families in need.  Provided financial donations to local families who have been temporarily displaced by fires and flooding.

Most recently, we have been working with the Town on efforts to improve cable television/broadband services in our under-served community.

There is clearly a need in our Town for an organization to represent the residents of our community. Development pressures, if not properly reviewed and mitigated, threaten to destroy the bucolic rural character and natural beauty that has drawn us to Accord, Kerhonkson, High Falls, and the surrounding hamlets.

We believe we have been successful in bringing development issues in our Town to light, the topics that we have advocated for years have been addressed: the Town Board has updated our Town’s Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 1969. The Town Board also passed a new trailer park development law, based in part, on research provided by our volunteers. Most importantly, people in our Town, including our Town government, are now talking about and addressing issues that have been ignored for many years. Significantly, after years of community discussion, the Town Board updated our Town’s zoning and subdivision laws in 2009, providing a structure for intelligent future growth.

We ask for your help in continuing our efforts by renewing your membership or becoming a member of the Rochester Residents Association. We’d also like to ask you to consider making an additional gift to help us in new open space and historic preservation initiatives. All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your continued interest and support. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at [email protected] or call me at 626- 3285.

Sincerely,

Zali Win, President PS: Our TownCrier email distribution has been disrupted by a change in service providers, which has inadvertently dropped a number of subscribers. We have recently changed our email platform, hopefully restoring all subscribers. If you are not receiving these email, please send your email address to: [email protected].

(cut here) Membership Application To join the RRA, please complete this form and mail it with a check payable to the “Rochester Residents Association” PO Box 257, Accord, NY 12404. All contributions are tax deductible.

Name: ______

Address: ______

City, State, Zip: ______

Tel: ______

Email: ______

( ) Individual, $20.00 ( ) Family, $25.00 ( ) Sponsor, $50.00 ( ) Other ______

I’d like to enclose an additional amount to help with ( ) $____ Historic Preservation Initiatives ( ) $____ Open Space Preservation ( ) Please send voter registration information ( ) Please contact me about volunteering