- interesting read -

[BargeMonkey]

http://www.theschoharienews.com/2014/06/conesville-gods-country.html?m=1

We made the paper a couple weeks ago, and I wasnt even in the police blotter this time.  8)
I dont know if the web link will work, but its a good article for everyone who believes NY is an extension of nyc. 700 people in the town. There was 14 people in my graduating class in highschool, a "forgotten town". I think the guy could have gotten a better picture of the critters in our farms backyard but oh well.

[thecfarm]

Conesville,sounds like a small town.  ;D  So you must raise deer? I think that is what they are?  We have someone that does that here too. I have no idea what kind they are. We don't even have a school in Chesterville.

[jwilly3879]

Sounds a lot like the Town of Minerva (http://www.townofminerva.us/), I live in the hamlet of Olmstedville. Minerva has about 700 people and last year's graduating class was 8 with a total enrollment on 120. Right now our school budget is up for a third vote, twice it was rejected but a voting machine malfunction is allowing a third. Since the increase in tax levy is over the state 2% cap a super majority is required for it to pass, last vote was 59% for the budget, 41% opposed so it failed. Democracy at its best. This is a rural crisis in NY.

[mesquite buckeye]

I hear there is a grade stake sawmill that Barge Monkey works at. ;D 8) 8) 8)

[BargeMonkey]

 I posted that because some people still "dont believe" that in just over an hour from Albany your in no where. It takes 5 town to make the local highschool, with kids from 3 countys for a total of 230 last time I checked. Yeah the stakes and elk are us.  8)

[Southside]

Barge Monkey,

When we were looking to move east we looked at a lot of really nice land a bit west of you, Herkimer County to Marathon area.  Really beautiful ground and plenty of dairys for sale.  I really liked it and could see us settling down on one.  But man alive the property taxes scared us away.  Literally in most cases they were 5 times what we pay down this way, and that was for land in the farming tax reduction program. 

[clww]

  It takes 5 town to make the local highschool, with kids from 3 countys for a total of 230 last time I checked. 

In Highland County, we have 238 students K-12.

[BargeMonkey]

Barge Monkey,

When we were looking to move east we looked at a lot of really nice land a bit west of you, Herkimer County to Marathon area.  Really beautiful ground and plenty of dairys for sale.  I really liked it and could see us settling down on one.  But man alive the property taxes scared us away.  Literally in most cases they were 5 times what we pay down this way, and that was for land in the farming tax reduction program.

I dont ask, but I know we have to be pushing close to 18-20k a year on the farm and what other land we own, and thats with the large agricultural tax breaks. The problem is our location being 3-4 hours to NYC, alot of our excavation customers @ home think nothing of a new 7-800k vacation home, and if you head towards windham-hunter you can double those prices. A septic system averages 20k for a small house anymore. Its a shame because alot of the kids I went to school with flat out cant afford their parents homes. We put in a place 3yrs ago that was on HGTV, 2 miles from the mill. You cant compete against the people who have 1/2mil a year plus combined incomes, we call it the "haves and have-nots" anymore. I just purchased 3acres in "town" and plan on having a local country store-gas station running by may 2015, you will cry if you see the paperwork. Planning on mortgaging my soul this next time home, Rolly 2 head is going to wait a little while.  8)