
News
Here are the Hill Country Observer’s news articles, listed from newest to oldest. The Hill Country Observer covers town events, local government, community stories and more — from public health to housing to education and freedom of mind in New York, Vermont and Western Massachusetts.
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Issue: July 2015
Mold forces removal of artwork
Georgi Museum seeks funds for repairs, restoration By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer SHUSHAN, N.Y. The Georgi Museum has closed and more than 60 works of art have been removed from the property while the museum’s leaders raise funds to remedy a mold infestation. George Bouret photo An infestation of mold has forced the Georgi Museum… read more
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Issue: June 2015
Along the Hudson, some see Dollar General as a poor fit
By THOMAS DIMOPOULOSContributing writer SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. Byron Peregrim says his grocery store in downtown Schuylerville, which has operated under various owners since the 1920s, could be driven out of business if the Dollar General chain wins approval to build a new store on the outskirts of town. Thomas Dimopoulos photo Byron Peregrim has much… read more
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Issue: June 2015
From mountains to fertile swamp
Projects aim to preserve diverse swath of land at eastern edge of N.Y. By JOHN TOWNESContributing writer NEW LEBANON, N.Y. The Shaker Swamp, which extends over nearly 500 acres in New Lebanon, is one of two areas that would be preserved from development under pending conservation projects in the town. John Townes photo A… read more
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Issue: May 2015
Local groups get creative in fight against hunger
By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer GREENWICH, N.Y. Caryn Tindal has become a regular visitor in recent months to the Comfort Food Community pantry in Greenwich, N.Y. She said her husband was laid off from a job he held for 21 years, and his new job pays 50 percent less. The food pantry, she said, helps… read more
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Issue: May 2015
Vermont weighs options for veterans home
Bennington facility’s subsidy becomes a target amid state budget squeeze By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer BENNINGTON, Vt. Residents of the Vermont Veterans’ Home gather for an activity in late April. State officials have lately been debating how to fund the facility, which currently receives a $5 million annual state subsidy, and some have even suggested… read more
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Issue: May 2015
Matching farmers, landowners in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley program matches aspiring farmers to landowners By JOHN TOWNESContributing writer PINE PLAINS, N.Y. Miriam Goler and Mark Stonehill are starting their first season at Full Circus Farm on 15 acres of leased land in Pine Plains, N.Y. They found the property through a database that matches aspiring farmers with landowners who want… read more
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Issue: April 2015
Developers push to change Saratoga’s outer greenbelt
In golf club’s plans, some see threat to Saratoga’s greenbelt By THOMAS DIMOPOULOSContributing writer SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. The landscape around Exit 14 of the Northway, on the east side of Saratoga Springs, remains largely wooded as a result of open-space protections the city adopted more than 20 years ago. Critics fear that could change… read more
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Issue: April 2015
Group rallies to buy former Girl Scouts camp
By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer FORT ANN, N.Y. A group of campers hike through the woods at Camp Little Notch, a former Girl Scouts camp in Fort Ann, N.Y. The Girl Scouts decided to close the camp in 2008, but a group of former campers and staff rallied to reopen it as an independent operation.… read more
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Issue: February-March 2015
From ancient Egypt to Vermont
New Manchester library points a way forward for rural communities By TELLY HALKIASContributing writer MANCHESTER, Vt. More than two millennia have passed since the first of several destructions of the Great Library of Alexandria. With each catastrophe, the educated world mourned the loss of centuries of knowledge, and the citizens of that ancient Egyptian… read more
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Issue: December 2014-January 2015
Region’s colleges turn more to part-time teachers
A second tier of instructors is growing in New York By TRACY FRISCH Contributing writer QUEENSBURY, N.Y. Neal Herr and Rebecca Cash are among nearly 200 adjunct faculty members at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, N.Y. The college has increased its roster of part-time instructors from 154 to 196 in the past 10 years. Rebecca Cash… read more







