LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — The July 8 Cochecton Town Board meeting started with a long moment of silence honoring one of their own. For more than two decades, Hollye Schulman served as the Town of Cochecton Town Clerk. “She was one of the most dedicated persons ever to work for this town,” said supervisor Gary Maas, choking back tears.

“Of course, she ruined my dog. Booger didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘treat’ until he met Hollye.” Booger, the Jack Russell terrier who greets all visitors to the town hall, ran to Hollye’s office first thing each day before beginning his official duties.

Maas recalled how personally Schulman took her job. “You know, before we moved into the new town hall, the town clerk’s office was in the town clerk’s home. I can’t tell you how much town business was conducted there. Until the day she died, Hollye continued to treat everyone who came to her office as if they were guests in her home.

“She was a diplomat, too. During a town board meeting, then supervisor Sal Indelicato and I got into one big, nasty argument. As secretary for the meeting, Hollye didn’t record one word of it. I almost wish she had, because for the life of me, I can’t recall what the argument was about.”

Councilman Paul Salzberg offered his own tribute to Schulman. “She was always joyful, a pleasure to have around.”

To which tax collector Eileen Hennessy added, “That was one hell of a woman.”

The board unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Schulman for her outstanding service to Cochecton and presented copies of it to family members in attendance: her husband, Richard Schulman, her two children, Jennifer Olsen and Mark Clewell, and her stepchildren, Ruthann Schulman-Baler, Jay Schulman and Ronald Schulman.

Wiping his eyes, Maas said, “Well, I guess we should get on with town business; Hollye would have wanted it that way.”

Schulman died at the age of 75 on June 28. On June 30, an emergency meeting of the town board was called to appoint deputy town clerk Peggy Richardson acting town clerk, a position she will hold through year-end 2020.

Upper Delaware Council (UDC) Representative Larry Richardson introduced a resolution for a first-of-its-kind minor amendment to the UDC’s River Management Plan. The amendment addresses utility-scale solar development in the river corridor. Although each UDC member town has adopted solar zoning law, the UDC’s position is that utility-scale solar arrays should not be located within the scenic portions of the river corridor. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

Maas mentioned that the town’s request to the New York State Department of Transportation for a reduction in the posted speed limit on the stretch of Route 52 between Walnut Creek development and Shortcut Road intersection is currently pending. Two hairpin curves in that stretch have been the sites for numerous serious accidents.

Salzberg voiced concern over the county’s plan to sell its Care Center at Sunset Lake, which has been operating at a loss, to a for-profit agency. Maas is in favor of the sale, saying that it will save the county untold expense in the pensions of its 228 county employees. But Salzberg, who is the geriatric care manager of the 126-bed facility, thinks it is the government’s duty to protect and care for its most vulnerable citizens. “Who is more vulnerable than the frail elderly?” asked Salzberg.