Class project prompts protest on Glen street

Watkins Glen High School students in Marie Fitzsimmons' Model United Nations class, joined by other history students, marched south and north on Franklin Street in Watkins Glen Wednesday evening protesting the proposed storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Inergy-owned salt caverns north of the village. The protest was part of a class project -- and is scheduled to be repeated this evening (Thursday). Schools.

Left: WGHS students march, led by Model UN class Secretary General Sam Gill (front).

Watkins 5th, O-M 7th
at IAC Golf Tourney

Watkins Glen High School's boys varsity golf team was 5th in the Large Schools Division and Odessa-Montour's was 7th among Small Schools Wednesday at the IAC Golf Tournament at the Soaring Eagles Golf Course.

Track and Field

Boys: O-M 3rd in Class D
Girls: O-M 4th in Class D

Stories on Sports.

Left: Watkins Glen's Mitch Mangus.

Budgets pass; Hazlitt, Franzese win in WG; Westervelt and Tuttle win in Odessa-Montour

The proposed Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour 2013-14 school budgets passed easily Tuesday, 378-150 in Watkins and 319-77 in the O-M district.

In the race for two available seats on the Odessa-Montour School Board, incumbent Scott Westervelt won re-election with 292 votes, and newcomer Robert Tuttle was elected to his first three-year term with 217 votes. Wendy Shutter tallied 147, and Sharon Lewis 118.

Kristin Hazlitt and Mark Franzese earned spots on the Watkins Glen School Board, grabbing the two available seats with 283 votes and 248, respectively. Tom Lewis received 212 votes, Heidi Pike 172, and Barbara Schimizzi 157. The terms are for three years. Incumbents Joe Fazzary and Brian O'Donnell did not seek re-election.

K-9 dogs receive protective vests

Schuyler County Sheriff's K-9 dogs Teaka and Rex have received protective Kevlar ballistic vests courtesy of Barb Cook and her Salty Dog Rescue Team, which raised the $1,000-plus needed for each vest.

Sheriff Bill Yessman unveiled the vests Tuesday at a press conference in front of his department on 10th Street in Watkins Glen, and presented Cook with a certificate of recognition.

Cook said the idea for the vests came from the death of an FBI dog during a recent incident in Herkimer. The vests, said Yessman, are Class 2 vests that can stop knife thrusts and a variety of handgun rounds.

Teaka is a 5-year-old female Black Shepherd, while Rex is a 10-year-old Belgian Malinois.

Left: Barb Cook and Sheriff Bill Yessman.

This week's deals at Famous Brands

We are now carrying the weekly ad showcasing the latest deals available at Jim Guild's Famous Brands store on Franklin Street in downtown Watkins Glen. For a look, click here.

A much-needed voice

Writer Meredith Beardsley tells about the importance of the Farm Bureau in New York State and Schuyler County. See SchuyLines.

Glen School Board awards project contracts

The Watkins Glen School Board Monday night approved contracts for various portions of the Consolidation Capital Project that will lead to the closing of the Middle School and the consolidation of school services onto one campus. The contracts, totaling $14,212,741, will lead to a June 3rd shovel ceremony celebrating the start of groundbreaking on the project -- which will include renovations at the high school, some new classrooms, an expanded cafeteria, and conversion of the old pool to a gym, among other things..

Zonta Club features JBK fashions

Scores of women were on hand in the audience Monday night as the Zonta Club held its annual fashion show at Lakewood Vineyards, this year featuring gowns from JBK Bridal and Prom, which opened in Montour Falls last December. Models included Natasha Patel, Chelsey Marusarz, Meghan Orbin, Denise Horein, Hayley Guild, Katelin Pierce, Kristyn Penhollow, Jenelle Bleiler, Sydney Eberhardt, and Terri Galvin-Cannioto.

A column by State Senator Tom O'Mara

New York State Senator Tom O'Mara graces our pages with a weekly column from his Albany office. This week: "The work of freedom." Column.

Left: State Sen.Tom O'Mara

A. Moralis returns

The pseudonymous columnist touches this time on self-fulfilling prophecies, unintended consequences and related legislative actions. Column.

Now available on Kindle: The Maiden of Mackinac

This story -- which spans 700 years and ranges from our region to Northern Michigan -- tells of a quest for the truth behind a legend ... the legend of a Native American maiden reputed to be centuries old. It was written by Charlie Haeffner, and is available now on Kindle at Amazon.com. To see the ad, click here.

Left: Cover art by Jon Haeffner

Visit Jerlando's Ristorante & Pizzeria

Three locations: in Watkins Glen, Horseheads and Montour Falls

Click here or on the photo at left to go to the Jerlando's website. There you will find information about all three locations, plus menus.

Left: The front of the recently renovated Jerlando's at Franklin and 4th Streets, Watkins Glen

Rekczis wins spot in State tournament

Watkins Glen High School sophomore Keith Rekczis (pictured at right) advanced Saturday to the New York State Golf Tournament when he shot an 82 on Cornell University's par-72 Robert Trent Jones Golf Course and then survived a playoff. Rekczis, Vestal's Nick Barney and Corning's Alex Hepburn all finished at 169 in the 36-hole Section IV State Qualifying Tournament -- tied for 8th, 9th and 10th places with just the 8th and 9th slots available on the Section IV team that will compete against squads from other sections at States. Rekczis registered a bogey on the first playoff hole, as did Barney -- with Hepburn eliminated with a double bogey. Forty-five golfers started the Qualifying tourney Thursday, with 25 eliminated that day. Susquehanna Valley's D.J. Griffiths and Trumansburg's Dan Lapp tied with the tourney's low total, 154, but Griffiths was awarded medalist honors on a tiebreaker. The State tournament will be played on the Cornell course on June 2-3.

A voice
of experience ...

Scott Westervelt (left) is running for re-election to the Odessa-Montour School Board, and in the editor's opinion is the top choice. Sponsors.

Bridge replacement project begins

Mill Street, which connects the north and south portions of the Village of Odessa, was closed Monday, May 20 as work began on a project to replace the street's bridge, which crosses over Catlin Mill Creek. The work is expected to continue through the summer. Silverline Construction, Inc. won the project with a low bid of $735,249.

5th marking period Honor Roll unveiled

The Odessa-Montour Junior-Senior High School releases its High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the 5th marking period of the 2012-13 school year. Honors.

Hospital tests its emergency preparedness

Schuyler Hospital took part May 14 in a region-wide test of its emergency preparedness, handling an influx of "patients" -- volunteers from Watkins Glen High School and The Arc of Schuyler -- "injured" in a natural disaster. In this test, the disaster was flooding. The hospital, which a spokesperson said conducts such a test annually, coordinated with Schuyler Ambulance and the county's Emergency Management Office for the event. Among the WGHS students were members of Margaret Swinnerton's health class as part of the course's required community volunteerism.

Photo in text: Sign in a hospital hallway.

Varsity, faculty play basketball for Devon

Play for Devon, a fundraiser pitting the Watkins Glen High School boys varsity basketball team against school faculty members in a hoop contest in the WGHS Field House, drew a supportive crowd May 11th. All proceeds will go to Devon Shaw and his family to offset medical costs as Devon continues his battle against cancer. Basketball.

Juror: It all came down to the text messages

A juror in the Alice Trappler murder trial says text messages arranged in a timeline helped convince the jury of Trappler's guilt in the killing of her former lover, Daniel Bennett. The first day of deliberations, the juror said, ended in an 11-1 vote. The one holdout made it unanimous within a half-hour on the second day. Juror.

Photo at right: Alice Trappler

Trappler found guilty on all counts

A Schuyler County jury on May 8 found Alice Trappler guilty on all counts in connection with the murder of Daniel Bennett on April 19, 2012 in his Town of Dix home. Trappler -- who gave a little shake of her head but was otherwise impassive upon hearing the verdict -- faces 25 years to life in prison when she is sentenced by County Judge Dennis Morris on July 11.

The jury returned the verdict only a half-hour after beginning its second day of deliberations, with the foreperson intoning "Guilty" on each count read by Morris: 2nd Degree Murder, Burglary 1st and 2nd Degree and Conspiracy 2nd Degree. Said District Attorney Joe Fazzary: "The jury had it spot on." Added Alecia Bennett, sister of the victim: "Justice prevailed." Defense attorney Susan BetzJitomir, who said she was "floored," promised to appeal. Verdict and Reactions.

Photo in text: Alice Trappler leaves court after the verdict.

Watkins Police study: 1st phase is in

The first of two phases in the study by the Center For Governmental Research on The Future of Law Enforcement in Watkins Glen has been completed -- a baseline report of existing law enforcement operations in the village that will lead in the near future to recommendations regarding options for the Village Police Department and the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office. Those options, the report says, "can range from continuing in the status quo, to sharing more services, to modeling a full consolidation of the two departments." The baseline report can be found by clicking here and then on "Baseline Report."

Speakers set for
Top Drawer 24 party

The 8th annual Top Drawer 24 celebration at the Watkins Glen State Park on Thursday, June 6 has a lineup of four distinguished speakers. To see who they are, click here.

Odessa's latest report on water quality

To see the Village of Odessa's latest Water Quality Report, click here.