John Mason writes in the Register Star the Clermont Town Board has embarked on a study of hydrofracking. The proposal was put forward by Councilman Edward Kahle at a recent board meeting. Kahle was moved to ask, he said, because someone in Germantown was approached by a fracking company, and Ancram and Claverack have each passed resolutions to support home rule rights in the legal challenges mounted by the towns of Middlefield and Dryden. Supervisor Ray Staats said the matter should be looked into, and he and Kahle agreed to dig for more information. In other Clermont Town business:

• The board approved the outlay of $3,000 from the Highway Department budget to buy a used road grader from the town of Germantown. Staats said the current road grader is a 1953 Cullen model in poor condition and “is starting to have a lot of issues.”


• The board appointed Robert Queirolo as the new Planning Board member, and Luke Kumburis as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.


• Staats said Red Hook Central School District Superintendent Paul Finch would make a presentation at the next Town Board meeting about school consolidation issues.

Read the full story in the Register Star.