A column by State Senator Tom O'Mara

Left: State Sen. Tom O'Mara

Schuyler County Hall of Famer and community leader Ken Wilson (pictured at right) was honored Thursday as a Jefferson Award recipient by the Chemung Canal Trust Company and Corning Enterprises during a luncheon at the Elmira Country Club. The award is presented for outstanding leadership and volunteerism over the years. Other recipients: David Biviano and Betty Hess, along with Elmira's Carl Hayden, who was named the "National Jefferson Award Representative." Hayden will represent the Twin Tiers region next month at a Jefferson Awards event in Washington, D.C. with about 80 other designees from communities around the nation.

Inspiration, thy name is ...

The editor has turned his attention to annual awards.
It is Top Drawer 24, Athlete of the Year and Susan Award time. Column.

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Anyone caring to advertise may contact the publisher, Charlie Haeffner, at publisher@odessafile.com for information and rates.

Wine and food lovers flocked Saturday -- despite overcast skies and the occasional rain -- to the aptly named (and annual) Seneca Lake Wine & Food at Clute Park in Watkins Glen. About 1,500 people had passed through the entry gate in the first three hours, and another 500 or so were expected before the event ended. Tents with more than 40 area food and wine vendors were present selling their products, and there were wine and cheese seminars along with live music.

Photo: Organizer Jeff Dill.

Friday Scoreboard

Girls Golf
Odessa-Montour 2nd, Watkins Glen 3rd at IAC Tourney.

IAC Track Championships
Watkins Glen's Isobel Scheffey wins the 200; O-M's girls varsity wins the Small Schools championship.

Tennis
T-burg at Odessa-Montour

Stories, photos on Sports

Ground broken for Kayak/Canoe Launch

A groundbreaking ceremony Friday drew village, county and state officials to the site of a planned Kayak/Canoe Launch at the eastern end of Clute Park. Government.

Longtime Board member Harold J. Hoffmeier, right, was among the speakers Friday as The Arc of Schuyler celebrated its 40th anniversary with a luncheon at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel. The main ballroom was packed with Arc supporters and local dignitaries. Said State Senator Tom O'Mara: "Nothing exemplifies community more than the Schuyler Arc does." Assemblyman Phil Palmesano praised The Arc for "improving the quality of life of our most vulnerable citizens. There can be no greater calling or greater mission." Arc Executive Director Jeannette Frank thanked both men for their recent efforts in securing improved wages for Direct Support Professionals, employees The Arc calls "the linchpin in a system of supports that empower people with disabilities to lead self-directed, meaningful, and productive lives."

Watkins Glen placed third in USA Today’s latest 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest! It finished behind Marquette, Michigan, and Florence, Oregon for Best Small Town for Adventure. Voting took place until May 14. Results were announced May 18. Twenty locales were nominated.

Photo: Seneca Harbor Pier.

Speakers set for
Top Drawer celebration

The 13th annual Top Drawer 24 celebration of outstanding area student-athletes will be held June 4 at the Watkins Glen State Park pavilion, with a lineup of compelling speakers. Top Drawer.

And inside

--WGHS junior Isabella Fazzary (right) will attend Empire Girls State in August, sponsored by Rotary. Schools.

--An Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop will be held June 2 at the Montour Falls Library. Workshop.

Odessa-Montour High School senior Hailey Hoose was honored Thursday by the Watkins-Montour Rotary Club as its O-M Student of the Month for May. Hoose was introduced by O-M teacher Lisa Frost, who called the honoree "an amazing and unique individual" who has been "very active in the Odessa school community." Hoose has competed in swimming and tennis and has been part of school musicals for two years while also a student in the BOCES Dental Assisting program. She is known, Frost said, for "her perseverance and caring nature" and for always helping those in need.

Photo in text: Hailey Hoose receives her Student of the Month plaque from Rotary's John King.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 16 at the Sunset View Creamery on the Hoffman farm at Catharine Corners -- marking the grand opening of a new tasting room and retail space for the long-estabished cheese business. "After years in a very humble tasting room," says creamery owner Carmella Hoffman (pictured at right), "we now have a full-size retail shop and tasting area." The ceremony was part of a Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce After-Hours Mixer -- a Chamber tradition offering networking opportunities. Notes Chamber President Rebekah Carroll: "The Hoffmans are an integral part of our agritourism and local food communities."

O-M's 5th marking period Honor Rolls

Odessa-Montour Junior/Senior High School has unveiled its High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the fifth marking period of the 2017-18 year. Honors.

Special to The Odessa File

ALBANY, May 16, 2018 -- Assemblyman Phil Palmesano welcomed his predecessor, Jim Bacalles, back to the Assembly during a recent visit by Bacalles to the Capitol.

"It was a real privilege for me to welcome Jim back to Albany," said Palmesano. "Jim is a true friend to this institution. He was a principled legislator who set a tremendous example for all of us. I'm honored to follow in his footsteps."

Palmesano noted that he and Bacalles have maintained an excellent relationship over the years: "Jim was my mentor in government. I worked for him from 1995 to 2004, and during that time I learned so much. He epitomizes what public service should be all about."

Photo: Jim Bacalles, left, and Phil Palmesano. (Photo provided)

A Track Day at WGI

Montour Falls' Bob Brown participates in a learning experience at Watkins Glen International racetrack that is popular among a diverse group of drivers. Track.

A legal column from Ziff Law's Jim Reed

Attorney James B. Reed of the Ziff Law Firm in Elmira offers this regular column, tackling issues that you might encounter in your daily lives. This time: "Always put safety first when boating on the lake." Column.

Left: Attorney Jim Reed

Voters overwhelmingly approved budget proposals Tuesday in the Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour School Districts. The $27.2 million budget passed 207-36 in Watkins Glen, while a proposition to lease buses passed 195-47. In Odessa, the $16.8 million budget passed 221-43, while propositions for the purchase of buses and for an increase in the library tax for the Montour Falls Library passed 209-54 and 165-104, respectively. Incumbent School Board members Barb Schimizzi and Kelly McCarthy ran unopposed for two seats in Watkins Glen, receiving 213 and 190 votes, respectively. Three incumbents -- Rob Halpin, Karen Rock and Jeff Parmenter -- and newcomer Dana Sgrecci ran unopposed. Halpin, Parmenter and Sgrecci will serve three-year terms, and Rock a one-year term.

WGHS holds its annual Spring Concert

Students in grades 7 through 12 perform an array of choral and instrumental music in the school auditorium. Schools.

Photo: The flute section in the Grade 7/8 Band.

Schuyler County Legislators Monday night approved the appointment of Patricia Kelly, NP, as one of two County Coroners to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dr. James P. Coleman III "until such time (as) a general election can be held." The appointment runs from June 1 through Dec. 31.

In other businesss, legislators: --Accepted a bid for construction of a bridge replacement over Johns Creek on North L'Hommedieu Street in Montour Falls.
--Approved Harold J. Hoffmeier Jr. and John Terry as Schuyler County nominees for the 2018 New York State Office for the Aging Senior Citizen of the Year award.
--Heard Chairman Dennis Fagan say Sales Tax for the first four months of 2018 are 8.1% higher than the same period in 2017. "We are experiencing a strong local economy," Fagan noted.
--Approved an independent audit report that, for the second straight year, fournd no significant problems in county finances. The treasurer's office under Harriett Vickio, said Fagan, is doing "a fantastic job."
Photo in text: Legislature Chairman Dennis Fagan at his computer during Monday's meeting.

Watkins Glen Elementary School Special Education teacher Rachel Niegelberg of Trumansburg -- who won a quarterfinal "Jeopardy" match aired May 8 in the popular TV show's annual Teachers' Tournament -- finished second in a semifinal aired Tuesday, ending her TV run. According to a "Jeopardy" fan website, she trailed Claire Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky by $100 entering Final Jeopardy, where both answered correctly -- Niegelberg betting $10,000 and finishing with $25,900, and Bishop betting $15,801 and finishing wih $31,801. The clue was in the U.N. Languages category: "Of the 6 official U.N. languages, it's the one that is written in cursive form only." The correct response: "What is Arabic?" Bishop moved on to the two-show finale in the quest for a $100,000 prize. The two-week tourney -- taped earlier -- has featured 15 teachers from around the U.S. Each received a $2,500 educational grant to help fund classroom projects.

Photo: Niegelberg with "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek.

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

This week's deals at Famous Brands

We are 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.

The long-awaited Burdett Fire Depaartment took a symbolic step toward completion May 11 with a groundbreaking ceremony on the site, fronting Rt. 79 at the eastern end of the village. Various dignitaries were on hand. Groundbreaking.

Schuyler County Legislator Michael Lausell (right), a Democrat, will soon open a campaign office in Montour Falls as he launches a challenge to incumbent Thomas O'Mara for the State Senate seat held by O'Mara in our 58th Senate District. O'Mara, a Republican and Conservative, was first elected to the Senate in 2010. Lausell has been a legislator since 2013, and was re-elected in 2017. The Senate term runs four years. Lausell, who held a campaign kickoff at his headquarters at 232 W. Main St. in Montour Falls on Thursday, May 17, says he believes voters should have a choice in picking their senator. The election is in November. Lausell is a lawyer, and raises beef cattle, selling some of his product at the Farmer's Market held Thursdays seasonally at the park in Montour Falls directly next to his campaign office.

Watkins Glen High School senior Clara Chedzoy (right) was honored May 10 by the Watkins-Montour Rotary Club as its WGHS Student of the Month for May. Chedzoy -- the class Valedictorian -- was introduced by teacher Kelsey Wood, who called the honoree "a great scholar" and "a truly kind, lovely person. I can't think of a better person to go out in the world to make it better." Chedzoy -- a defensive standout on the school's girls basketball team that won the Class C state title in 2017 and reached the finals of the Section IV tournament this year -- plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and study astrophysics and astronomy. She says she would like a career in Research and Development in the aerospace industry.

Grand Prix Fitness edged into the lead over the 2017 champion, the Humane Society, during the third week of the 2018 Schuyler Steps Out walking competition -- the 12th year of Schuyler Hospital's community walking program designed to get participants from businesses and organizations up and walking in the spring. Grand Prix Fitness, with 16 walkers, has a cumulative average of 321,062 steps, while The Humane Society, with 16 walkers, has an average of 319,311 steps. A total of 308 walkers represented 13 teams. The program, sponsored by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, lasts eight weeks.

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

Looking to advertise on The Odessa File?

We are always looking for advertisers to help promote their businesses and, by extension, our region. For a list of Odessa File Ad rates, click here.

Anyone wishing to contribute to The Odessa File -- which is dependent on advertising and donations -- may do so through a Paypal link in the left column of this page or by sending a check to The Odessa File, P.O. Box 365, Odessa, NY 14869.

The infant girl missing from a Montour Falls residence on Rock Cabin Road -- Gionna K. Harter, 15 days old -- was located "safe and sound" along with her mother in the City of Geneva by Geneva and State Police Officers, the Schuyler County Sheriff's Department reported Thursday night, May 10. The Sheriff's office said the child was removed from the Montour Falls residence by her mother, Katrina M. Harter, over a court order that had granted temporary custody to a third party on May 9. The Sheriff's Department, which said no criminal charges are pending against the mother "at this time," thanked the public "in calling in tips and providing information to assist in the investigation. Law Enforcement followed up on over 100 leads in Schuyler, Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Erie, Seneca, and Yates Counties."

Photo: Gionna K. Harter (Photo provided)

WGHS holds prom at Logan Ridge Estates

The annual prom drew a large gathering of gown-clad young women and tuxedo-clad young men for an evening of fun, food, music and camaraderie. For photos of the night, see Prom.

Left: WGHS senior Amber Benjamin.

The 15th installment of The Answers

Travis Durfee, President of the Watkins Glen Faculty Association, weighs in with The Answers, a monthly column dealing with education in the Watkins Glen School District. This is the 15th installment: "Good Ideas Bloom in Albany this Spring." Column.

Left: Travis Durfee

The annual meeting of the League of Women Voters of Schuyler County was held May 1 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel. Guest speakers were Mike Griffin and Jeremy Ferris of the New York State Department of Transportation, who outlined the Route 14 reconstruction project that has begun in Watkins Glen and will be completed next spring. It is being done in stages that the two men said are designed to minimize disruption downtown. The project includes new sidewalks and roadwork designed to reduce speed as motorists enter the village from the north.

Photo: The DOT's Mike Griffin (left) and Jeremy Ferris.

Ceremony marks breakthrough at park

Various dignitaries were on hand April 30 for a ground-breaking ceremony at the Schuyler County Business Park -- the symbolic start of the planned construction of a beverage production facility there -- the park's first tenant. Business.

Left: State Ag & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.

O-M team wins county Envirothon crown

The Otters, one of five Odessa-Montour teams in the April 30 Southern Tier Envirothon in Owego, won the Schuyler County team title and will compete in a statewide event. Schools.

Left: Billy Tague (left) and Andy Ink of winning Otters.

Watkins Glen High School junior Kathleen Clifford -- an Odessa File intern -- has written about the recent March for Our Lives in Ithaca and elsewhere and about youth empowerment in general as the younger generation has lifted the issues of gun violence and gun control into a national debate. Her thoughts are on Schools.

Photo at right: At the Ithaca March for Our Lives. (Photo provided by Kathleen Clifford)

The annual Burdett Dinner-Dance hosted by the Burdett Fire Department drew more than 400 people April 28 to the Watkins Glen Community Center. The event -- featuring thousands of dollars in raffle prizes -- is a major fund-raiser for the department, with proceeds going toward the purchase of trucks and equipment. One such truck, a new rescue vehicle, was put into service a week ago.

Photo at right: A buffet dinner was served by Carol Bower Catering.

The annual Watkins Glen Fire Department banquet drew a crowd April 28 to the Hidden Valley lodge. The evening saw the installation of officers by Watkins Glen Mayor Sam Schimizzi: Charlie Smith 3rd as Chief, Derek Bacon as 1st Assistant, Robert Gruver as 2nd Assistant and Jason Hudson as 3rd Assistant. There were Years of Service awards, Appreciation awards, and Training and Response awards.

The annual Paint the Town Purple fund-raiser -- aimed at helping finance cancer-cure research -- was held April 28 at the Montour Firemen's Carnival Grounds. The event, with a flea market, chicken barbecue and various displays, also featured a car show with a wide range of vintage vehicles. The 1941 Ford Super Deluxe pictured in the inset was for sale at $22,000 by its owners, Don and Mary Paterson of Elmira, who said they could be reached at (607) 739-7051. Other vehicles were there for show.

OFD installs officers, gives annual awards

The Odessa Fire Department's annual banquet Saturday, April 21 at the Fontainebleau Inn drew 125 to a dinner evening marked by the installation of incumbent chiefs (and one new one) and the distribution of response and longevity awards. See another photo on People.

Left: Keith Pierce, honored for most fire calls last year, and Charlene Mahnke, the top rescue responder.

France Family will be honored on June 28

The fifth annual Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports will be presented to the France Family -- now led by patriarch James C. France -- during a dinner ceremony at the Corning Museum of Glass. People.

Employees in the Schuyler County Clerk's office and Department of Motor Vehicles, along with other county workers, have been supporting New York's Donate Life campaign by wearing t-shirts, pins and bracelets touting the movement, which encourages organ and tissue donations. The campaign is of special interest to Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, who years ago donated a kidney to his sister and often preaches the benefits of the program. (Photo provided)

A transplant journey: the Schmidts' story

Deb Schmidt of Watkins Glen recounts -- in the third person -- the experiences she and her husband Gary underwent as Gary received lung and kidney transplants and Deb donated one of her own kidneys. The couple were guests at a Rotary Club meeting on Thursday, April 19 at which Assemblyman Phil Palmesano spoke of the importance of organ donations. Journey.

Tyrone meal site celebrates 25 years

The Office for the Aging and Tyrone Methodist Church hold an anniversary gathering at the church. 80 attend. People.

Photo: Legislature Chair Dennis Fagan and OFA Director Tammy Waite at the event.

Odessa-Montour High School senior Trevor Dunn (right) was honored April 19 by the Watkins-Montour Rotary Club as its O-M Student of the Month for April. Dunn was introduced by teacher Peter Fitch, who described the honoree as "a leader and a positive role model" who has twice been a GST BOCES Student of the Month while studying welding there. He has also been involved for years in robotics, and is on the seven-member team from FLARE (Finger Lakes Area Robotics Education) that has qualified for robotics competition at a world gathering next week in Detroit, Michigan. Dunn, who Fitch said is always "willing to try things" that others might shy from, plans to pursue a college degree in engineering technology.

The 12th annual Business Expo -- organized by the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Elmira Savings Bank -- was held April 18 at the Watkins Glen Community Center. It started with a public portion of the event from 4 to 5 p.m., and then transitiioned into the Chamber's monthly After Hours Mixer with refreshments, a raffle and networking. Dozens of businesses and organizations participated, providing information booths explaining or touting their various services or products.

The Watkins Glen School District -- which recently held a safety forum focusing on physical safety and the threat of guns in schools -- shifted gears to another piece of the gun debate Tuesday night, April 17: "Mental Health Services and Psychological Safety." On hand were counselors, psychologists and a social worker from the schools, and a representative from the nearby Mental Health Clinic on Porter Street. They discussed their roles and that of the district in assessing troubled students who might be helped -- a key element, they said, in a two-prong approach (with physical preventative measures) needed in the effort to keep the schools safe. "It truly takes a village" -- parents, teachers, counselors, mental health experts, the community and fellow students -- "to ensure the mental health of our students," said one speaker. That, in turn, some experts say, should help prevent tragedies like the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida school recently. The forum was live-streamed from the Watkins Glen Elementary School auditorium.

Photo: Watkins Glen Elementary School Psychologist Katie Richardson was among the speakers.

Just when we think we're out of the winter, it keeps pulling us back in. Snow paid a return visit to Schuyler County -- mostly in the higher elevations -- on Tuesday, April 17. The photo here was snapped from College Avenue in Odessa looking out onto Route 224 in the afternoon.

Keith Pierce, mayor of Odessa for the past nine years and a village official for the past 13 -- resigned Monday night, April 16 at the outset of a meeting of the Village Board -- which in turn named as his successor Gerry Messmer, 53, a retired Army Lt. Colonel who moved to the village last year. Messmer, a 31-year Army veteran with significant administrative experience during a career that took him to various combat areas, lives with his wife Cathy at the corner of Church Street and Speedway. Both run their own businesses -- Cathy in custom embroidery and Gerry in powderhorns. He will serve the final year of Pierce's latest two-year term, and indicated an intent to seek election next year. Pierce explains his decision in a column here.

Budget approved: The Village Board, after Messmer was sworn in, approved a 2018-19 budget. It shows a drop in the tax rate from $6.35 per $1,000 of assessed value to $6.23, but with full-value assessment recently instituted, tax totals have gone up in many cases. The tax levy: $159,662.

Photo: Keith Pierce, facing camera, shakes the hand of Fire Chief Mike Tomassi after leaving the mayor's post Monday.

A final column by Mayor Keith PIerce

Keith Pierce presents his final column as he leaves the post of Odessa Mayor -- one of more than 30 Odessa File columns he has written over the past few years. In this farewell, he explains his decision to give up his seat as he assumes another role -- that of 3rd Assistant Chief in the village fire department. Column

Left: Mayor Keith Pierce

Four candidates are vying for four openings on the Odessa-Montour School Board in the May 15 election. Positions on the ballot were determined April 16 in the district office when Superintendent Chris Wood picked names of the four out of a paper cup, the first name getting the top ballot position, the second the next position, and so on.

Incumbent Board President Rob Halpin has the top spot, followed by incumbent Karen Rock, newcomer Dana Sgrecci, and incumbent Jeff Parmenter. Three of the vacancies are for three-year terms, and one to fill the unexpired year of a seat held by Mel Switzer before he left the board several months ago. The top three vote-getters earn the three-year terms.

Watkins Glen drew for ballot positions April 17. Two seats are up for grabs -- each for three years -- and there are only two candidates: incumbents Barbara Schimizzi and Kelly McCarthy.

Photo: O-M Superintendent Chris Wood holds the last name drawn -- that of incumbent board member Jeff Parmenter.

Arc Grand Prix held in thick fog; 600 on hand

The fifth annual Arc of Schuyler Grand Prix Run/Walk on the Watkins Glen International racetrack Saturday morning, April 14, was fog-shrouded as 600 participants tested their physical capacities and raised money at the same time for The Arc. Grand Prix.

Photo: During the National Anthem.

Odessa-Montour holds its annual prom at WGI

The annual gathering -- on Friday night, April 13 -- of students wearing gowns and tuxedos had the theme of "Garden Gala." Junior and Senior Class courts were announced at 11 p.m. For story and photos, click here.

Photo: Lexi Castellaneta makes an entrance at the prom.

Montour Falls officials on April 13 unveiled a new electric-car charging station (right) -- the first in Schuyler County -- installed the day before at the rear of the park along Main Street that is often used for Farmers' Markets. The $16,000 station -- which cost $1,600 thanks to local DPW labor and a NYSERDA rebate -- can charge two electric vehicles at a time. On hand April 13 was a 2016 Tesla and its owner, recruited from the Green Grand Prix being held that day at Watkins Glen International. The owner, Patricia Enriquez of Brooklyn, was in touch by phone with the station operator, EV Connect -- which is located in El Segundo, California, and controls the station through the internet. Electric car drivers with proper apps will be able to find the station through remote guidance from EV Connect. The station was an action item tackled by Village Trustee Jim Ryan, in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, that was a prerequisite for application for a $50,000 grant -- which, if attained, might be used to enhance the Village Hall's second floor to make it usable year-round.

Looking to advertise on The Odessa File?

We are always looking for advertisers to help promote their businesses and, by extension, our region. For a list of Odessa File Ad rates, click here.

Anyone wishing to contribute to The Odessa File -- which is dependent on advertising and donations -- may do so through a Paypal link in the left column of this page or by sending a check to The Odessa File, P.O. Box 365, Odessa, NY 14869.