CALLICOON  — What could be better news than a brand-new truck? The Town of Callicoon approved the purchase of a 2024 Dodge 2500 BigHorn, 4-wheel drive, pickup truck in its meeting on Monday, March 10. The new truck comes equipped with an eight-and-a half-foot plow and a bedliner from Robert Green, who won the bid over several other similarly-priced offers listed on a state contract. The new truck, which costs $59,158.44, will replace a 2017 F15 that the Town will now sell at auction for additional funds. 

Highway Superintendent Ryan Bose has been busy sanding and plowing the roads, but he said hopefully that season is almost over. Bose said “we had an issue with one sand truck where the lock underneath the springs broke in half and the whole rear end [became] twisted underneath.” 

After getting it back to the barn, Bose said they were able to fix it with spare parts and had it back up and running in about an hour. Bose also reported that they got their 2020 Ram 5500 4-door pickup back from Robert Green with a new transmission and a new intercooler; this was all warranty work, and the vehicle is now shifting smoothly and running fine. 

“Now that we’re getting  nicer weather, we’ve been having a little bit of an issue on some of the dirt roads with mud and rocks,” Bose said, “so we have been getting freestone from Callahan” to try and fill in the ruts and mud spots. “We’ll be going out with a york rake and raking some of the dirt roads” to help dry and smooth them out.

Code Enforcement Officer Kristofer Scullion reported that Gorick Construction Inc. finished the demolition of a house in Callicoon Center and Delta Engineers completed the final air monitoring – “That’s all done, they did a great job, so that’s one off the list. The grounds are completely clean,” said Scullion. 

He reported that the owner of the corner house in Callicoon Center with a damaged porch has received a permit so the contractor will dig in new piers for the porch when weather allows and fix the broken windows. 

“Now that the weather is nice they’ll get to the barn on Hemmer [Rd],” Scullion said. He finished his report by saying he will go to Lake Placid “for the training conference March 23-27 to get all of my state-required continuing education completed” before he gets too busy with his regular code enforcement duties. 

Town Supervisor Tom Bose explained that this is the time of year they advertise  for necessary supplies and services and the town board unanimously passed resolutions to put out bids for 1) stone, sand, and asphalt, 2) heating fuel, diesel fuel and gasoline, 3) mowing proposals for the 19 Legion St. property and the town park, and 4) hauling proposals for both Spring and Fall cleanup.

Other news 

Scullion announced that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place at Noon this Saturday, March 15, and that the parade will be preceded by a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to Noon at St. George Church. Tom Bose announced that the Youngsville pancake breakfast will be March 23, 7-11 a.m., and that the Jeffersonville Fire Department will hold their 23rd annual chicken barbecue from 1-4 p.m. on March 30.