Volume 16, Issue 19
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Friday, August 21, 2009
Ad hoc committee on Tractors on parade Powder Ridge picks operator By Sue VanDerzee Town Times At a meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the ad hoc committee on Powder Ridge unanimously selected the partnership of CDF and Associates LLC of Windham, NY and Snow Time Inc. of York, PA to operate Powder Ridge. The decision was made pending a “successful financial review,” according to committee chair Dave Lowry. Lowry noted that the CDFSnow Time compliance with the parameters set up in the town’s Request For Qualifications (RFQ) and their “complete responses” to the committee’s questions and concerns led to their selection. (The complete RFQ, which contains fascinating information about the ski
area as it stands now, is available on the Midstate Regional Planning Agency website at wwwmidstaterpa.org. The committee made the selection in open session following a two-hour executive session spent discussing the two applicants. The second applicant was Alpine Associates, an international ski consulting firm whose principals were familiar with Powder Ridge because of having skied there in the past. The process next becomes one of negotiation between the ad hoc committee and the selected applicant. That negotiation will determine whether the deal is ultimately a lease or sale, what exactly will happen on the 115+/acres, and what the timing will be. Any sale would have See Powder Ridge, page 27
It’s beginning to look like school days ...
Photo by Stephanie Wilcox
The Durham Fair Foundation’s annual Tractor Cruise-In on Sunday, Aug. 16, was another success. As can be seen above, people of all ages love to drive tractors! More photos on page 14 and text on page 26.
Agricultural Commission holds first meeting By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times
Incoming John Lyman School kindergartners got to take their practice bus ride on Wednesday, Aug. 19. School begins for District 13 students next Thursday, Aug. 27. See pages 17-23 for our pull-out bus schedules and a D13 calendar. More photos by Stephanie Wilcox on page 27. Brewster School bus ride photos next week.
The newly formed Durham Agricultural Commission has officially launched after meeting together for the first time on Aug. 17. In attendance were Warren Herzig, Melissa Greenbacker, Dick Porter, Vivian Caturano, Fred Mastele and Joe Pasquale. Roger Passavant and Geraldine Lombard were not in attendance, and there were only two members of the public, Sue White and Casey Cordes. First Selectman Laura Francis spearheaded the meeting to get the commission organized, and explained the meeting format and how things will go from here. At the top of the meeting agenda was the election of officers, which was a slow
process as no one was eager to volunteer themselves. In the end, Warren Herzig was elected chairman, Vivian Caturano was elected vice chairman and recording secretary will be arranged on an alternating basis. Francis suggested that the commission not worry about a treasurer at this time because, “As you know, you have no budget yet.” Green-
backer, echoed by the others, was quick to respond: “I like that you said ‘yet.’” After setting their meeting dates on the first Tuesday of each month in the third floor meeting room of the town hall, the group got down to business with a general discussion.
Web poll question
In this issue ...
Are you covered by health insurance?
Back-to-School ..........17-23 Calendar ..........................4 Durham Briefs...............11 Middlefield Briefs .........12 Minii Page .....................13 Obituaries ......................25 Sports.................28-32 & 40
yes or no? Go to www.towntimes.com to answer.
See Agriculture, page 11