PUBUC UBRARY II:. -- .......................~ 12054 .Primary 18119 10-08-2008 BE1HIEHEM PUBLIC LIBRARY ~l DELAWARE AVE • wrap-up . DELMAR NY 12054-3042 See Page 3 1.. ,"' .r.~n .... r, t .. r.. r•.• 11 .n .... t ..r .. t.tr.r •• t ( Area News Serving the 1bwns of . Bethlehem & New Scotland Rail trail gets Town green light· appoints The Albany County Legisla­ ture gave its approval Monday, . new·. Sept. 8, to the proposed 9.2- • mile Helderberg-Hudson Rail comptroller . Trail from Voorheesville to the Port of Albany by unanimously Suzanne Traylor named supporting the request to enter into a contract to purchase the new. fiscal watchdog; still former railway in Bethlehem. no court clerk I See story on Page 5. I l . By JARRETI CARROLL 1 Spotlight Newspapers [email protected] 0 Let the number crunching be- gin. Bethlehem has a new comp­ troller to replace outgoing Judi Kehoe, who has moved on to a post with the Bethlehem Central School District. The town board . ·_ ~-·- unanimously appointed Suzanne .time last year in the Capit3l District, with an E. Traylor during its Wednesday, u•u:r ...... seem like a· memo- average price of $3.97 per gallon (still a dime Sept. 10, meeting at Town Hall. · • ~is:ri~~·~~~uoie. but like every•year better than the state average).' · Altliough there has been some' ~i,~ . Irish 2000 . · · w to the temper- . Propane's cost rose 35 percent over the controversy over the town's ap- ~· ""; Tlie ·Irish 2000 Music and . atures will continue to drop, and every family past 12·months locally. Kerosene went up over .poiriting practice as of late, espe, '·-- i . Arts Festival. fnc., is hosting its in the Capital District will be faced with the 51 percent to $4.43 per. gallon." Althoi.tgb natu­ dally following the departure of :··~ ·.1 annual festival at the Altamont proposition of turning on their heat. · ral gas has not seen·such a dramatic change, court clerk Patricia Parsons af-' ' :- . Fairgrounds on Friday, Sept. ·19, In a continuing trend, many will be consid­ it is still costly at a· May 2008 price of $1.876 ter less then two monthS on the ·•. ' ering the financial aspect of per thermal unit job, Traylor's appointment was a and Saturday, Sept.lO. keeping warm this winter. smooth and celebrated affair. Though the details vary - A ~ 107 million homes in the The town board hailed Ke- · .Irish 2000 boasts an average 1$i!jrYlUI!: About 8.1 million of the attendance of 14,000 attendees, a bit depending on whom ~~~a~!~~;~~ United States use· heating . ho-e's friend and successor's · you ask, it is agreed that all '1ft.Oitfjifm¥£$'Uh!:hh4i .. oil aS their main sOurce long and impressive resiune as a · ranking it in the top five Irish manner of home heating fu­ V.iDlJ~"Ut.fJitW1letf.jj3tiul of heat, and ~ofe than 80 perfect fit for the town, especial­ festivals in the United States. els have increased in price ------------· percent of those homes are ly in the midst of budget season. See story on Page 25. since last year, and will con- grouped in the Northeast The town has retained Kehoe . tinue to do so into the winter months. The forecast is causing· many residing in to work some hours during the . The most recent numbers from the New colder climes to rethink their heating options busy transition period. York State Energy Research and Develop­ for the winter, and that i_s driving up the sales Councilman Sam Messina, ment Authority show a more than 50 percent of alternative methods for heating the honie. who previously put forth a de­ increase in the cost of heating· oil from this "We've definitely seen an increase in peo' feated proposal to implement 0 Cold.Page 17 appointment guidelines, said he was pleased with the open and I th.orough selection process by the town to nominate Traylor. Noise task force expanded Traylor is a professionally li­ censed certified public accoun­ New nine-member board member and three resi­ .be providing the rest of the board tant with inore than 20 years of dents, as· expected.. Councilman all e-mails, public comm~nts and accounting and educational ex­ Cross country panel to begin Mark Hennessey confirmed he documents pertaining to the pro­ perience. She holds a master's would be workirtg 'with the task posed new law. degree in accounting from the The Bethlehem boys cross drafting local law force, which is headed by Coun­ "I think this is very consistent University at Albany, where she . • country program is rebuilding its cilman Sam Messina. with what were talking about," is an accounting instructor, and reputation one step at a tiine. By JARRETI CARROLL The other three residents. Messina said about the task force a bachelor's degree in business have yet to be named, Hennessey expansion. 'We will be ramping. and French from the University After a couple~~ down years, Spotlight Newspapers . [email protected] said. up our meetings." of Colorado. the Eagles are looking· to be­ "Titis is something that ·is Councilman Kyle Kotary, who Some of her work experience come a factor in the Suburban As · recommended at the very important," said Hennessey. recommended the expansi9n at includes working for the state Council again. Wednesday, Sept 10, Bethlehem 'This will be a new local law." the previous meeting, said he Dormitory Authority, Pricewa- See story on Pa.ge 40. Town Board meeting, the Noise Tiie current task force in­ thinks it was the right choice. Ordinance. Task Force has been cludes Deputy Police Chief Tun "I think this is great to expand 0 Town Page 17 expanded from five members to Beebe, chief code enforcer Gil and havefour more members on nine as the group prepares to be­ Boucher, and residents Robert. the [task force]," Kotary said fol­ Comments invited gin drafting a new local noise Jaw Jasinski and Jennifer DeFranco. lowing the vote. "I'm very sup­ 11111111 for the town. Messina said he planned to portive of this." on building size cap 6. The board unanimously ap­ increase the number of meetings ·see Page 18 THE SPOTUGHT$.75 proved the addition of one town the task force holds and would 0 Noise Page 18 - , . .. - ... 0 A 0 o . ' ' . .... ' ~.,,... ..... :_· ;· . - . ~. "l.- ' ...,_. ~ . ..• .... ... YAARSU OUBU't tv~.:IH3JHT38 Oba·ma ·supporter· a_ll.egedly· ~ssaulted . Awomen claims she was attacked on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1:35 p.m. 140 pounds. • vehicle with a BAC of.08 percent or Police said she was scheduled to ' after leaving a Barack Obama by Richard Reeves-Ellington, who "We need to get the word out. greater; aggravated DWI, operating appear in town court on Tuesday, . fundraisingeventatBeffsrestaurant is listed on the site as living in Delmar/Bethlehem is considered . a motor vehicle with a BAC o(.18 Sept. 2, and she was released to inDelmar,andsaysherattackerused Delmar. a very safe neighborhood. Some_ percent or greater; and driving on the custody of her mother without a racial Sl\11' before assaulting her. "Our 'neighbor reported the locals think this is the work'of the shoulder. incident.' • 1 Bethlehem Police have confirmed incident to the police that night She· an outsider. I rather suspect that Police said a patrol car saw Maki •Craig S. Dragun, 25, of Ravena, , to the media that an incident did . carne to tell us yesterday. We cidled this thug lives among us," wrote driving south on Route 9W and was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 30 on occur outside ofSt Thomas'sChirrch the local Obama office and Jack ReeveorEllington. "You should all be stopP,ed her after she was seen Route 9W for DWI; operating a motor on Delaware Avenue and that an Cunningham,' the Bethlehem Town careful, particularlyifyou.arewomen driving on the shoulder of the vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent - investigation is currently underway: Supervisor," ReeveorEllington wrote. wearing Obarna buttons. This was a roadway. Police smelled alcohol of greater; a muffler violation; a Allegedly happening just before "He stopped_by last nigh_t ~d went ·race-and-gender-based h~te crime." and saw signs of intoxication when visibility infraction, broken glass; 1 midnight on Friday, Sept. 5, the t~seeourne1ghbor. She1~n!'~ally.;, To report information, call interviewing her, according to the and operating a motor vehicle with victim was wearing· an Obama frightened and wants to wrutuntil she -Bethlehem Police at 439-9973. arrest report an unsafe tire. · :- . campaign button when she says she can think more clearly before she . Maki was transported to the Bethlehem Police said they ~~ . was assaulted from behind, verbally decides what el~~ she might do.and · · · - ' • Bethlehem Police Department where · Dragun driving south on 9W near _accosted, and then hit in face once how much publioty she wants. Other arrests she submitted to a chemical test and Maple Avenue in the northbound falling to the ground. Police said they are looking •Amy F. Maki, 28, of Ravena, was it was discovered that she had a BAC lane while "rapidly accelerating," The incident was first reported for the suspect, describing him as ·arrested -by Bethlehe~ Police on nearly triple the legalliinit, the report which resulted'in ·a loud noise on the Obarna campaign Web site a white male in his 40s, 5 foot, ~ Aug. 25 for DWI; operating a motor states.· · · coming from his muffler. inches tall, and weighing around When Dragun ,was stopped, officers could smell alcohol when interviewing him and observed ·him display signs of intoxication, ~-The~ Parisian Cottage according to the arrest report. ,, . ~ nWllllll. hllk!J®~ ?ifts for the Home, Garden, and Dragun failed a field-sobriety -~ ~oul -test and tested positive for alcohol 0 before being taken into custody arid Ink Stimulus Program Summer Bl"w"ut Salel transported to the Bethlehem Police ' .