Area swimmers make splash at sectionals

Jeff Slater BSP Reporter

Did you know that Rondout Valley High School has a swim team? Many folks do not.

Two swimmers from RVHS did an exceptional job at the recent sectionals. Jack Samko and Andrew Kassian qualified for the sectionals at Valley Central High School and participated in the finals last Saturday. During the finals, Jack placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and third in the !00-yard butterfly. Andrew finished second in the individual medley and second in the 100-yard butterfly. Both Kassian and Samko qualified for the state finals in Ithaca, being held March 3 and 4.

The team is coached by district physical education teacher Heather Crowley. Crowley started coaching the swim team two years ago. She swam competitively for Kingston High and, in college, at SUNY Cortland.

“Rondout and Onteora both ‘shadow’

Briefs

SUNY Cobleskill names Neumann Fighting Tiger Athlete of the Week

The SUNY Cobleskill Athletic Department announced today that junior Gregory Neumann, a Rondout Valley High School alum and a member of the men’s lacrosse team, has been named the athletic program’s Fighting Tiger Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending Feb. 19.

The Accord native led the Fighting Tigers to a season opening 16-7 for Kingston due to the low numbers and the fact that we don’t have our own pool. Kingston has 12 swimmers on the team (three of those being eighth graders and one Crowley’s son), Onteora has two shadow swimmers, and Rondout has three, including freshmen Jack Basten along with Samko and Kassian, both seniors.

With the shadow program both Rondout and Onteora bring their own coaches to practices and swim meets. “We work alongside with the Kingston coach,” Crowley explained. “All three teams swim the same practice and basically run as one team throughout the season. The only difference is Rondout and Onteora cannot score points for their schools until the Sectionals meet – their times count throughout the season.

“My son swims for Kingston so I see this team through a couple of different lenses,” Crowley continued. “This group of 17 boys from different schools come together and become a little family. The seniors welcome in middle schoolers, and victory over host Cairn University on Saturday night on the Highlander’s home turf in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The junior attackman scored five goals, passed out two assists, picked up eight groundballs and forced a turnover on the night in the win.

Cobleskill will return to action on Saturday March 4 when they travel to Aurora, New York, for a non-league meeting with The Express of Wells College with face-off scheduled for 1 p.m.

Gander Special Olympics athletes attend Section 9

Inclusive Youth Leadership Summit

Rondout Valley High School student leaders represented their school district at the Section 9 Inclusive Youth Leadership Summit, held at Newburgh Free Acade- everyone seems to look out for each other. They all push each other during practice and meets. It’s amazing to see as a mom and a coach. Each of the swimmers has hit amazing personal goals and that was great to see. I have always said that swimming is an individual sport and a team sport and that’s why I love it so much.

“I swam for the Kingston coach when I was in high school and then coached alongside him for club swimming, so we have a wonderful coaching relationship”, said Crowley.

Crowley explained that the Kingston High School pool has been under construction since March 2022, and all three schools’ teams have practiced at the Kingston YMCA’s pool. “This has been a little difficult as we are on a strict time constraint,” Crowley said. “Typically, we would like to be able to practice two hours, but because of the time it takes to get to Kingston we usually have 1.5 hours, and less on Wednesdays because we must be out of the pool by 4:30. It will be nice to have the KHS pool back next year.”

Rondout amazingly placed 13th out of 21 schools at the Sectional with only two swimmers competing. Kingston placed sixth at the meets.

Kassian and Samko agreed that “practice hard and hard practices are worth the results. We are hoping to make it back to the finals at the states this coming weekend in our last high school meet.” my last month. Participants worked with Special Olympics New York Unified staff to learn about inclusion, share advocacy initiatives, and plan for how to continue to make a positive impact on their respective school climates.

Samko will be racing in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly, with Kassian qualifying for three events including the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly.

The season runs from November until this weekend.

Good luck to Andrew Kassian and Jack Samko in Ithaca. Go, Ganders!

Connecting with peers from the Arlington School District, the Wappingers Falls School District, and Newburgh Free Academy, RVHS students shared their

See Sports, page 17

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Thank you, BSP team

To the Editor: We want to thank you so much for your wonderful coverage of our Annual Meeting of the High Falls Conservancy in you last issue [Feb. 17]. We had an excellent turnout at the meeting and are certain that running both those pieces about the meeting was a factor in our attendance.

Richard and Carole Eppley High Falls Conservancy

Has Marbletown just done right by its seniors? Yes!

To the Editor: At its Feb. 21 meeting, the Marbletown Town Board voted to raise its property tax relief for limited-income senior homeowners. Although Town taxes are small compared to residents’ county and school tax bills, they matter nonetheless – especially to seniors. And by opting to use the highest senior tax exemption scale that New York state now allows, Marbletown has become a standout example of how localities can help seniors stay in their homes while struggling to make ends meet.

Kudos, Town Board members! You deserve them!

Unsure of how senior property tax exemptions work? Read on.

For decades, New York state has recognized that limited-income senior property owners need a helping hand. In addition to its Enhanced STAR program, which provides some school-tax relief to seniors 65 or older, the state allows towns, counties and school systems to offer limited-income seniors additional property tax relief. The relief comes in the form of a sliding income scale that enables senior homeowners to get a reduction of from 5% to 50% on their home’s taxable assessment value. The state sets the maximum income level for each exemption percentage. Historically, for example, eligible incomes could be no higher than $29,000 for a 50% exemption, and they could be no higher than $37,400 for a 5% exemption. Municipalities are allowed to set lower exemption income caps, but they can’t exceed the state’s maximums.

Last August New York state increased its sliding scale limits. The $29,000/50% exemption was raised to$50,000/50%, and the $37,400/5% exemption is now $58,400/5%.

The update to the state’s sliding scale is terrific news for limited-income senior homeowners. But once voted upon by a municipality, senior exemption scales tend to remain stagnant for long periods. Marbletown adopted the state’s 2010 sliding scale that same year, and both scales remained unchanged for 13 years. The problem with scales that don’t change over time is that seniors’ Social Security incomes do change. They rise, because of annual Federal cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Consider how stagnant exemptions have affected Marbletown senior John Doe. In 2010 his eligible income was $29,000, just low enough to warrant a 50% exemption. But by the beginning of 2023, that income, adjusted for all the intervening COLAs, had risen to $36,120.08. It’s certainly no easier for John to negotiate living expenses in 2023 than it was in 2010. (Many seniors would argue that it’s far more difficult because prescription drug prices and health care