NEVERSINK – The Town Board of Neversink formally acknowledged and welcomed new positions at their regular Town Board meeting on January 10.

The new positions were notated by Town Supervisor Chris Mathews before the meeting started. Jim Schmidt and Staci Conjura were warmly welcomed as the new Councilperson to the Town Board and new Town Clerk respectively.

Also in attendance was the new Neversink Town Historian Roger Edwards, who introduced himself to the town. Edwards assumed the position after previous Town Historian Carol Smythe stepped down after thirty years of service, who was acknowledged by Mathews for her longstanding dedication and hard work for the Town.

Edwards mentioned that he and his wife have a great love for history and have been doing multiple geneologies of the earliest families that live in the Neversink area. Edwards also stated that his roots reportedly harken back to the first settlers to the area on Mutton Hill, such as Henry Reynolds, John Hall, and Jeremiah Drake.

“Here I am, I’m happy to be here and very thrilled. I’m very humbled by it,” said Edwards.

Mathews also acknowledged former Town Clerk Lisa Garigliano for her twenty years of service with Janis    Offringa, who served as her staff member for eighteen years. Mathews also thanked Keith Zanetti for nineteen years as a Town Judge, then seven years as a councilman.

Updates on the Ice Rink

Also discussed at the meeting was the success and popularity of the Ice Rink at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds. Member of the Grahamsville Little World’s Fair Board of Directors, Walt Zeitschel, told the Town Board that the rink has been experiencing a pretty good attendance. He noted that on weekdays and weeknights, the rink saw an attendance of roughly twelve to fifteen people.

He also mentioned that on the previous Saturday, the rink had a little over twenty in attendance. The Sunday before that, the rink saw around forty people.

It was also discussed that a padlock had to be placed onto the gate because, despite the signage and Zamboni on the rink, a mother and daughter were reportedly caught skating without permission and were asked to leave.

Building Permit updates

Present at the meeting was Code Enforcement Officer Keith Stryker, who provided the report for December 2023, as well as the 2023 Year End Report.

Stryker noted that 9 building permits were issued, which made for a total of 136 for the year. He also noted that, since 2024 has begun, home construction has gone up. 

As of the meeting, he mentioned that there have been eleven permits to construct new homes.