Your Award-Winning News Source for the Upper Delaware River Valley Region Since 1975
Vol. 41 No. 41
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OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015
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www.riverreporter.com
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$1.50
Livery operator queries river panel By DAVID HULSE
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ARROWSBURG, NY — An unresolved question of property ownership and his livery business’s future brought operator Fred Reber to the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) for answers and an invitation on October 1. He got the invitation, but the answers are still to come. Reber asked UDC Chair Al Henry why he was not informed or invited to an upcoming October 21 meeting about the issue. He said he had only learned of the meeting through a news media inquiry. He also asked why Henry was “spearheading the revocation of my livery license. What is the reason you’re singling me out?” Henry said he was happy that Reber had come to the meeting but declined to discuss the issue at that time. Henry rose and walked up to Reber and they shook hands, as Henry explained that his position was not personal. Reber persisted, saying “everybody should be involved,” but Henry did not relent, saying, “Not here.” Later in the meeting Henry explained that UDC is responsible for monitoring the Town of Highland’s issuance of permits and that the October 21 workshop is about ownership and management, and issues are subject to litigation.
Years of questions The question involves the land that Attila and Agnes Benke of the
Carriage House Restaurant lease to Reber for his Reber’s River Trips business. Henry has contended that the property, which is just downstream of the Barryville-Shohola bridge, is government owned and an unpermitted business should not be operating there. In July, during a lively discussion of the issue, Henry reminded National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent Kris Heister that she had the discretion to revoke the livery’s NPS license for a violation of state law. Heister then declined. “My position is that if the town has permitted it and the state won’t take any action, it is not a good excuse [to use] my discretion.” UDC has made inquiries to both the town and the state about the issue over the past year. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has mostly recently been credited as the title owner, and a September 15 letter from NYSDOT Regional Director John R. Williams stated that is probably the case. NYSDOT, which has been researching ownership since late July, has discovered that the property downstream of the bridge was acquired by Sullivan County in 1936, prior to the construction of the original bridge at the site, and sold to NYSDOT in 2003 prior to the construction of the new bridge. “Unfortunately, NYSDOT does not have a certified survey of this
Upper Delaware takes a prize
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PPER DELAWARE VALLEY — The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (UDSB), which runs parallel to the Upper Delaware River, took second place in the USA Today survey of scenic byways, as well as the contest in which supporters voted for the Best Scenic Autumn Drive. The UDSB is 70 miles long and runs along NY State Route 97 between Port Jervis, NY and Hancock, NY, and along the way offers some majestic views of the river. At the September meeting of the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Committee, member Laurie Ramie speculated that publicity surrounding
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CURRENTS: Pumpkin Fest
CURRENTS: Artwalk
in Barryville
in Callicoon
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TRR photo by Fritz Mayer
The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway recently took second place in a USA Today contest for the most scenic drives in the country.
the contest lead to an increase in the number of UDSB brochures requested by the public, and also caused the Sullivan County Visitors Association to run out of brochures. The UDSB website notes, “On scenic Route 97 and its various side roads, you’ll find county eateries, art galleries, museums, theaters, antique shops and general stores; all surrounded by undulating hills, long valley vistas and rock cut landscapes. Motorcycle magazines cite Route 97 as being one of the best riding roads in the Northeast region, and portions of Route 97 are National Park Service-designated as Bike Route 17 for bicycling enthusiasts.”
SPANNING 2 STATES, 4 COUNTIES, AND A RIVER THAT UNITES US
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