The village of St. Johnsville is second only to the city of Albany when it comes to having the best-tasting tap water in New York state, at least according to fairgoers.
The results were announced Tuesday at the State Fair in Syracuse, which hosted the championship round. Ten water systems that had won regional contests competed in an unscientific taste test for the top prize, with the state capital besting St. Johnsville by a vote of 46-34.

Officials will need to hammer out the details of what exactly they would like to see done for the village of Dolgeville’s inflow and infiltration remediation project, while considering what work needs to be done to help prevent flooding on homeowners’ properties.
James C. Smith, environmental project manager with the state Environmental Facilities Corporation, spoke with village board members about the financing involved with the sewer project at a special meeting on Monday.

With the Oppenheim-Ephratah and St. Johnsville school districts having been recently awarded $35,000 in Local Government Efficiency grant moneys for their merger study, the boards of education of both districts have tentatively scheduled a meeting to discuss what’s next.
The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in the St. Johnsville Junior-Senior High School auditorium.

With a three-day music festival coming to town this weekend, residents have again expressed concerns with the traffic associated with the nearby venue.
Richard Becker, of Robinson Road, said tractor-trailers have been going up and down his road in preparation for the moe.down festival being held at Gelston Castle Estate from Sept. 3 to 5.
The estate has been hosting major concerts on its grounds over the past couple of years, with a wave of cars and traffic hitting the area along with each event.

From reciting their ABCs to counting from 1 to 20, kindergartners got a firsthand view of what their days will be like at Benton Hall Academy during orientation on Tuesday.
“I want them to know that this is the safest, best education that their children could ever receive,” said new principal Joe Long, in the school hallway during orientation.
He said about 80 kindergartners, who will be split among five teachers, will start their public school education next Tuesday at Benton Hall.

Students returning to West Canada Valley Central School next week will not be able to access the school’s library due to an extensive renovation project.
Superintendent of Schools Gary Tutty said Tuesday the district’s EXCEL — Expanding our Children’s Education and Learning — capital project is on schedule and that officials knew the library, which had not been addressed since 1963, would not be ready for the Sept. 8 opening of school.

State Senator Hugh Farley Tuesday called on state Democratic leaders to keep the promise they made to the residents of Canajoharie, who are facing significant tax increases as a result of the relocation of the Beech-Nut baby food manufacturing facility to the town of Florida.
“When the state announced the approximately $100 million deal to relocate the Beech-Nut manufacturing facility to another site within Montgomery County, I stood beside then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer as he made a commitment that the residents of Canajoharie would not be harmed in any way,” said Farley, R - Niskayuna, in a news release. “The residents are now left holding the bag for the loss of tax revenues and are facing a dramatic increase — an average of $2,700 per household —- in their tax bills if the state doesn’t step in and do something about it.
“The village incurred substantial debt to install municipal water and sewage systems large enough to accommodate the Beech-Nut manufacturing facility. The Environmental Facilities Corporation should assume that debt and not stick village residents with the bill. That violates the promise the governor and other Democrat leaders made to hold Canajoharie residents harmless.”

Having previously rejected an offer from the Herkimer County Legislature to help pay for wastewater treatment plant upgrades in exchange for a guarantee of sewer service for a proposed correctional facility, the Herkimer Village Board of Trustees Monday night reached agreement on a counteroffer, which is due to the county by Sept. 15.
The board voted 5-0 on Aug. 4 to reject the legislature’s offer of a one-time $400,000 payment for the wastewater treatment plant upgrades and a $20,000 per year for 20 years annual payment to offset the loss of the parcel — the site of the former P&C on Route 28 — from the tax rolls.
In response to the village’s decision, the county Public Safety and Emergency Management Committee voted on Aug. 11 to give the village 30 days to make a counteroffer.

On Aug. 7, the city of Little Falls held a dedication ceremony for its veterans memorial in Eastern Park.
Barely three weeks later, someone defaced what took almost a year to create.
“I am very upset. This memorial was dedicated to Little Falls veterans, all veterans, living and deceased, and for someone to do this is 1. Disrespectful; 2. Reprehensible; 3. Cowardly,” said Don Bronson, a member of the Little Falls Veterans Committee.

The New York Press Association is partnering with the state Conference of Mayors and the state Economic Development Council to launch a comprehensive statewide advocacy campaign to urge New Yorkers to spend $25 this Sept. 25 with a Main Street business.
“I want everyone to mark their calendars for Sept. 25,” Little Falls Mayor Robert Peters said Monday. “This will be a day to support and celebrate our city’s Main Street businesses.”

The rumble of motorcycle engines rolled throughout the village of Ilion Saturday morning, as bikers gathered to make a journey to remember a fellow bike and animal lover.
The sixth annual Scotty’s Ride and Poker Run is in honor of Scott Fifield, who died in an August 2004 motorcycle accident in the town of Columbia. The money raised from the ride goes to help the Herkimer County Humane Society, an organization that was close to Fifield’s heart. The $20 ride tickets included doughnuts and coffee at the start of the event, lunch and the dinner at the Ilion Moose Lodge and the chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Melfe’s Shoes. A $15 dinner ticket included dinner and the chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Melfe’s Shoes.

One year after a Herkimer woman disappeared near the Mohawk River, a canine search team Saturday found what are believed to be human remains in that same area, state police said.
Troop D Capt. Francis Coots confirmed Saturday evening that a team from Eagle Valley Search Dogs found the remains while searching a wooded area near Lowe’s Home Improvement on Route 5.
The all-volunteer team was searching the area at the request of relatives of Lisa (Bawolak) Hawkins, 44, who was first reported missing in August 2009.

Residents in Little Falls knew something was up Saturday night when a constant blare of train whistles echoed through the city. That meant only one thing: Something happened on the CSX Railroad tracks that run through the area.
They were right.
At about 10:14 p.m., the Little Falls Police Department was notified by a CSX train operator stating that a “pedestrian was hit somewhere between Lock and Sixth streets.” Upon police arrival, a Jeep SUV was found parked behind Ideal Woods. After further investigation, the body of Terence Bowers, 51, of Mohawk, was found.

The last day of the St. Johnsville Firemen’s Fair started off quietly, but promised to go out with a bang.
“We’re going to do double the fireworks we had last night,” said Myra Rodriguez, first assistant fire chief with the St. Johnsville Fire Department, Saturday from the fairgrounds located at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Field. Saturday marked the end of a week of rides, food, Bingo and a second night of fireworks.

The move of Beech-Nut baby food to a new plant in the Town of Florida Business Park could cost village taxpayers dearly in its old home town.
Beech-Nut moved to the state-of-the-art plant this spring. Now, taxpayers in Canajoharie are facing the prospect of picking up the tab once covered by the plant in their community.
An audit released Wednesday by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that Beech-Nut used 86 percent of the village’s water and wastewater treatment facilities, and provided 11 percent of its general fund tax revenues. To offset Beech-Nut’s loss, auditors said each household could see an increase of $2,700 in taxes and water and sewer bills for years to come.

Local, state and federal dignitaries gathered Friday at the Village of Frankfort Municipal Building to formally announce the state Public Service Commission’s ruling to allow the village to supply low-cost electric service to the 5S South Business Park.
The commission approved a petition to allow the village’s municipally-owned electric utility to supply power to businesses that locate in the parcel commonly known as the “Pumpkin Patch” last week.

Every month, the members of Word Christian Center open their doors to those needing a warm meal. And, a little bit of conversation.
“For a lot of people, it’s just about being with others. At meal time, a lot of folks just eat alone,” said Eileen Kipper, who was helping at Thursday night’s dinner.

When the moe.down festival visits the area next weekend, one fan hopes to leave the schoolchildren better equipped to face the upcoming school year.
Evan Rosman, of Elmont, and a longtime moe. fan, said they will set up collection bins for school supplies for children and teachers at Mohawk’s Fisher Elementary School. Rosman said he decided he wanted to do something since there is a lot of free time when attending the music festivals.

Looking to give Herkimer County a leg up when it comes to attracting business or industry from beyond its geographic boundaries, the county Industrial Development Agency may contract with a local firm to perform a comprehensive assessment of all that it has to offer.

The newest members of the Little Falls Police Department were sworn in Tuesday.
Full-time officers Randy Pasquale Jr., Kenneth Allen and Christopher Zink, and part-time officers  Chad Salls, Vincent Grainer, Angelo Gigliotti Jr. and Jonathan Reska were appointed to their posts earlier this month to fill vacancies within the department. Tuesday morning, surrounded by their family members and city employees, they vowed to protect and serve the community.