Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media online voting began Wed., Aug. 11, to select a new mascot for the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District. There are 14 choices on the ballot, and voters are being asked to select their first, second and third choices. Mascot names being considered are Black Bears, Blue Jays, Blue Thunder, Coyotes, Cyclones, Eagles, Firebirds, Pride, Raptors, Rip Tides, Riverhawks, Storm, Sturgeon and Wolfpack. Voting concludes at 4 p.m. on August 18. Only one vote per person is allowed. Following the first round, a final public vote will be conducted on September 13, after school reopens. Once the final votes are tallied, the board of education will make the final decision. In June, the Coxsackie-Athens Board of Education voted to retire the district's long-time mascot, the Indian. The decision was contested by opponents who claimed the mascot was a part of the district’s heritage and that it was a positive symbol of strength and determination. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.