March 16, 2018- According to the NYS Department of Environmemntal Conservation, hunters in Hancock and Colchester, Delaware County, lead the state in Black Bear take. On their website, DEC give complete statistics for the entire state, broken down by county, town and Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).
Vicki worked as an agent at Upper Delaware Real Estate at its Downsville, NY location since August of 1999. In addition to being a strong family-centered person, Vicki was a wonderful example of a complete real estate professional and was admired by her colleagues, customers and clients alike. She will be sorely missed.
This long list of summer concerts at the Hancock Town Square this year is only one of the reasons to visit the area. Thanks to the Hancock Partners, Inc. and its supporters for bringing this Summer Concert Series to town!
Upper Delaware Real Estate reports today that its website, www.upperdelawarerealty.com, has surpassed the milestone of 1,000,000 unique visitors. Broker and Company owner Chris Gross stated that "Since each visitor tends to view several pages with each visit, that translates into millions and millions of pages viewed. That means phenominal exposure for each one of our clients who have property listed with Upper Delaware. We were on the cutting edge of technology with the creation of our website in 1997", Gross said. "Now we can be found on Instagram and Facebook, providing even more exposure for our clients".
The long awaited decision has been made. After announcing the results of a health study and after hearing from Department of Environmental Commissioner Martens, Governor Cuomo will permanently ban High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State. The procedure of extracting natural gas from deep below the surface was temporarily haulted by Governor Patterson in 2008.
US Congressman Chris Gibson will be on hand this Sunday May 25th at the Hancock Town Square as part of a program to honor Hancock's World War II Veterans. The program will consist of:
10am to 3pm- WW II reenactors.
11 to 12- Lunch offered by American Legion auxilliary
11:30 to 12:15- Music by Hancock Central School and Family School students
The Official Program is as follows:
12:15- Welcoming remarks and tribute to the "Greatest Generation".
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released statistics for the 2013 Big Game hunting season. The Town of Hancock was second to only one other town in NY State in adult buck kill (age 1.5 years or older), with 429 bucks reportedly taken. Hancock also ended up with a Total Deer Kill (bucks and doe) of 774, which was 12th on the list.
Buddy Barnes of Barnes Stone Masonry, Inc., (www.barnesstonemasonry.com) in Equinunk, Pa., has artfully installed bluestone veneer around the piers of the gateway arch in Hancock's Town Square. The bluestone veneer and capstones were donated by Paul Gustin of Gustin Stone Supply in Lake Como, Pa. It is worthwhile to stop and take a stroll through the new Town Square to see the handiwork of Barnes and that of others who have plyed their trade at the site.
One of the finishing touches to the new Town Square was erected recently- a beautiful new iron sign. The entirely hand-made archway is approximately 15 feet tall and 20' wide and was designed and built by Craft Fabricators of Hackettstown, NJ. The original idea of some sort of sign originated in the first design of the square by landscape architect Dave Lepro. Then, over the next two years, the Hancock Partners collaborated with Chris Smith, owner of Craft Fabricators (www.craftfabricators.com), and Smith's wife Agnieszka, to perfect the design of what you see today. "It was a pleasure to work with Craft Fabricators", said Chris Gross, a member of the Board of Directors of the Hancock Partners. "From design to installation, they remained professional and helped to bring our vision to reality".
The Gateway Arch succinctly says it all: "Town Square. Hancock New York. Gateway to the Upper Delaware". Within minutes of installation, visitors were already posing in front of the sign to have their picture taken and nearly every weekend the same thing happens. The entire square is already a drawing card, as it was intended. The arch will be considered complete once the stone piers are built and lights are installed atop the artwork, scheduled to be completed in the next few weeks.
It's time to strike up the band — the Bainbridge Old Time Band that is. There will be musical history in the air when the 20-musician band performs this Saturday night, August 3rd at the new Hancock Town Square.
That history will come in several forms for concert-goers. The most obvious will come from the type of music that the band plays. In keeping with its name, the band literally plays old-time music. Reed Baker, a long-time band member, said most of the music comes from the early 1900s. The musical repertoire includes marches, waltzes, Dixieland and other popular music of the era.
Official band records date the organization back to 1926, and the band's charter pushes that date back until 1914, when two bands, probably one from the fire department and another from the village, formed the Bainbridge band.
Bring your own chair and join us on the Square, this Saturday night at 7 PM!
The crew of A-1 Landscape and Lawncare augers holes to set the new plantings in the Town Square. Under the direction of Landscape Architect and HCS graduate David Lepro, numerous trees and shrubs are going in to beautify the space. Trees range from the native Sugar Maple and Red Maple to non-native Japanese Maple. Shrubs and ornamentals, such as Dogwood and Arbovitae, are being planted as well. Kevin Caramore of East Main Street, well know locally for his green thumb, has volunteered to look after the plants for the foreseeable future.
A tremendous thanks to all involved for working together with the Hancock Partners to make this project come to fruition.
The Hancock Varsity baseball team ended the season with a 14-0 loss to Fort Ann in Binghamton today. The loss put the Wildcats in second place in NYS Class D for the year. Hancock, for the 4th year in a row, was section 4 champion and will be returning next season with most of this years roster intact.
The Hancock Wildcat varsity baseball team beat the Smithtown Christian (Long Island) Knights 4-1 today, to advance to the NYS class D finals. The championship game will be played today in Binghamton's MacArthur Park at 5PM.
HariBeth Schwartz and Rob Franciose are proprietors of The Bakery, located at 167 East Front Street in Hancock. This new venture is located in the recently renovated building that, for years, housed the Capital Restaurant.
The atmosphere is great, with a mix of old fashioned and up-to-date. The food is even better with fresh pasteries, regular and flavored coffee, bagels and more. If you want lunch, the menu includes sandwiches like "the turkinator" (turkey), "under the sea" (tuna) and the "tree hugger" (no meat- only vegetables). Hours of operation are Friday and Monday 6:30AM to 3:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 8AM to 3:30. Give it a try; you'll find good food and pleasant company.
A classic bandstand is taking shape on the former Great American lot in the center of Hancock. The 20'x30' building is only one of the prominent features that can be expected in the near future. A foundation is also apparent on the corner nearest the doctors office. This is intended to be the floor of the picnic pavillion, as designed by landscape architect Dave Lepro. A large gateway arch is expected to be constructed at the corner near the Grand Union parking lot. These structures, together with many smaller features such as trees, fencing, benches, old fashioned gas lights and the current walkway, will accentuate the square. This will be a vast improvement over the shabby cinderblock building and pot-holed pavement that inhabited the lot for years.
All work is commissioned by the property owners, the Hancock Partners, Inc, a local not-for-profit organization. The Partners have indicated that anyone wishing to donate to the Town Square can do so at their website, www.hancocknewyork.com. Donors can purchase certain aspects of the project, such as concrete pavers, trees, benches, etc. All donations are tax deductible.
The Hancock Partners have tried to include local contractors as much as possible, the extensive list includes: Como Construction; Greg Gill; Mike Makowski; Chris DuBois; Eberlein Plumbing & Heating; Vernooy Construction; Jacobs, Hunt, Associates and Signs, Etc. Other local businesses who have given partial donations of materials are: Bisbee Lumber, Beaver Mountain Log Homes and Masters Concrete. A thanks goes out to all of those participating.
In a press release on their website dated today, Topps Markets, LLC will acquire 21 stores from GU Markets, LLC, including the Hancock, NY supermarket. The sale is projected to close in the Fall of 2012. An excerpt from the Topps press release reads as follows: " Tops Markets, LLC, is headquartered in Williamsville, NY and operates 132 full-service supermarkets – 127 company-owned and five franchise locations. With more than 14,000 associates, Tops is a leading full-service grocery retailer in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania. Upon completion of the C&S Wholesale acquisition, Tops Markets will be operating 153 full-service supermarkets – 148 company-owned and five franchise locations, with more than 14,500 associates."
Windsor, NY- The Hancock Little League Town Team defeated a tough Greene team today 21-10, to take first place in the Windsor Little League All Star Tournament. The combined pitching efforts of Joe Gross, Lane Bass and Evan Bass stymied Greene hitters, while in the meantime, Hancock batters hammered out 21 runs. Every Hancock hitter reached base at least once in the game. This win left the Hancock outfit undefeated in the tournament, having beaten Susquehanna Valley, Johnson City (twice), and Greene once earlier.
Pictured above are: Front row L. to R.- Mason Karcher, Joe Gross, Garrett Chirico, Owen Wormuth.
Back row- Coach Vaughn Karcher, Nick Haynes, Evan Bass, Lane Bass, lucas Resti, Porter Crawson and Coach Shane Bass.
Missing from the photo were- Nate Walker, Josiah Simmons and Coach Todd Bass.
The boys should be proud. Their next games will be at the Harpursville tournament, in the near future.
Evan Bass delivers as Joe Gross and Mason Karcher get ready.
A pancake breakfast will be held at White Birch Airport on June 10th to benefit the Hancock Youth League Baseball/Softball program. Similar to Little League, the organization has approximately 12 teams consisting of girls softball and boys baseball, ages 7 to 12. Proceeds from the breakfast will go towards field improvements and equipment. You can dine between 8am and 1pm on Sunday June 10th, so come on out and enjoy good food and company.
This Sunday May 27th from 8am to 1pm there will be a pancake breakfast at White Birch Airport to benefit a group of local young people who will be travelling to Costa Rica, Central America this summer. The students and their chaperones, who are from both Hancock and Deposit, will leave this summer, July 25th through August 2nd. This fundraiser will help to defray costs as they will travel extensively through Costa Rica to see first hand the culture and language, which they have already been studying. Fly in or drive in this weekend to support this ambitious group of local young folks! White Birch Airport is located off Sands Creek Road north of Hancock.
Posted by: Fri, Mar 30th, 2012 12:00:00 am
May 18th, 19th and 20th will see a return of the Tar Hollow 4WD Expedition at the Tompkins Logging and Hunting property located on Tar Hollow Road in the Town of Hancock, NY. If you want to test your vehicle and have an affinity for driving over rocks, roots and logs, or trying to find the bottom of a muddy pit, look no further. To register, go to http://ok4wd.com/tar-hollow-4wd-expedition-registration.html. They are limiting entry to the first 100 who sign up, so get there quick. A photo gallery of last years event can be seen at http://ok4wd.com/auto/photo-gallery/tar-hollow-4wd-expedition. Find more info. on facebook for this event at http://www.facebook.com/ok4wd. They will be having another one in the Fall, so keep in touch and check back here later as we will be making another post for the October event.
At approximately 10am this morning, the first blows were levelled on the old Great American grocery store building in the center of town and, within an hours time, more than half of the building lay in a heap. Gorick Construction of Binghamton, the winning bidder on the project, had a crew of men working dilligently throughout the day.
Even before demolition began, a crowd amassed and braved sub-freezing temperatures as many reminisced, took pictures and simply watched. Stories and comments filled the air of the past businesses and the people that worked at them: Great American, Victory, American Hotel, Emerich's Esso; Dave Mattice, Bob Forrester, Louise Fish and on and on. But the memories of yesterday are making way for the progress of tomorrow, a NormanRockwell-esque Town Square.
Members of the Hancock Partners were there, too, including Jerry DaBrescia, Mike Argiros and Chris Gross. They cited the long, long time it took to bring this project to this point, but gave assurances that bringing it to fruition will be much quicker. Plans for the Town Square are currently being drawn by Landscape Arcitect Dave Lepro and reviewed by the Partners. A finished product, it is hoped, will be in place by the end of this summer. The Hancock Partners, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation and is sustained, in large part, by donations from benefactors. To support the Hancock Partners work, visit www.hancocknewyork.com and make a tax deductible donation today.
The long awaited closing of the real estate transaction between the Hancock Partners, Inc. and C&S RE of Hancock, LLC occured December 9th, with The Partners purchasing the former Great American grocery store building in the center of the Village of Hancock. According to Jerry DaBrescia, President of the Partners, the building will be demolished in the very near future. At the same time, plans are being developed for the creation of a Town Square to replace it. DaBrescia stated "The idea of a Town Square is reinforced by studies of Hancock, like the Tourism Report for Hancock by Syracuse University and the Hancock Economic and Community Development Plan by Planit Main Street, Inc . Both studies expressly identify the Great American property as the site that would create the most significant impact." Chris Gross, Secretery of the Partners added "The reasoning is partly beautification, but mostly job creation. By making Hancock more attractive, it will bring in more people, or at least retain more people. Tourism as an industry is a theme, but the idea of making Hancock more attractive to an employer, that's most important."
So in the future, keep an eye out for a rendition of the future Square. The Partners have commissioned David Lepro, a Hancock Central School graduate and long time professional Landscape Architect, to illustrate their vision and plan for the future Town Square.
Hancock Partners, Inc. was formed by Jerry DaBrescia, Ron DeLuca Russell Bass and Chris Gross in the winter of 2003. They were soon joined by Mike Argiros, Dave Theleman and Bruce Edwards. Hancock Partners, Inc. is a non-profit, 501c New York State Corporation dedicated to foster and promote the economic and social growth of the Greater Hancock, New York area. To learn more about the Hancock Partners or to make a tax-deductible donation, go to www.hancocknewyork.com.
Now keep track of all of the sporting events of Hancock Central School with this easy website http://48070.digitalsports.com/. Boys, girls, varsity, JV and modified. When, where, start time and more.
Today the organizing committee for the inaugural Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon decided to cancel the event for this year. Low registrations with only three weeks left to hit minimum targets, and large financial and time commitments, that needed to be made in the next few days, were the main reasons for the cancellation. The CAT Race was planned to be an adventure type triathlon featuring run and bike legs, with the swim replaced by a paddle.
The Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon organizing committee wants to thank the numerous volunteer efforts from the staff of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Economic Development, the town and village of Hancock, local and state highway departments, the Delaware County Sheriff’s office and Emergency Management Service, New York State troopers, the Hancock Chamber of Commerce, Hancock Partners, as well as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Catskill Watershed Corporation.
"It is unfortunate that all the parties involved with the first inaugural Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon had to make a decision to cancel the event for lack of participation. I believe the overall economic condition in our region at this time have made possible participants very cautious when it comes to spending their entertainment dollars." stated Jim Eisel, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Delaware County.
Glenn Nealis, Director of Economic Development for Delaware County, sees promise in a future reincarnation of the CAT Race. “Our goal is to promote this access to the Cannonsville Reservoir and the recreational opportunities in Delaware County. We will take another look at what type of race we can hold here that will highlight those assets and be easy for racers to participate in. What that will look like for 2012 will be decided over the coming months – be it a true triathlon, biathlon, paddle only event or adventure race with different components.”
“The cooperation between all these organizations must be applauded.” stated Mary Beth Silano, Executive Director of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone was incredibly professional, accessible, and thorough in putting together their portion of the event. While we are all disappointed we could not start it this year, we are eager to put what we learned to work for a great event next year.”
In 2009, the DEP launched a three-year pilot program to expand recreational boating opportunities at Cannonsville Reservoir, which meant that kayaks, canoes, rowboats and small sailboats were allowed on the reservoir. The Cannonsville Reservoir features nine boat launch sites that ring the shoreline, all outfitted with parking areas and port-a-johns. During the first year, 185 permit holders requested 407 boat tags. Last year, about 160 permit holders requested 344 boat tags. (Each tag is valid for one week with the requirement that the boat be kept on reservoir grounds.) All person in the boats using the Cannonsville waters must acquire an Access Permit from DEP. Permits are free and easy to obtain online at www.nyc.gov/dep. DEP boating access rules require that the canoes and kayaks be steam cleaned prior to going out on the water. There is a fee for the boat cleaning.
The reservoir is open for recreational boating from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend, from dawn until dusk. The waters, while flat, do have currents and good winds, providing a great boating or sailing experience. Bald eagles nest along the eastern portion of the reservoir and can often be seen scouting the waters for fish. A free map with rules and regulations for boating on Cannonsville Reservoir is available by calling 866-775-4425, emailing info@greatwesterncatskills.com, or stopping by the Delaware County Chamber office at 5 ½ Main Street in Delhi.
To stay informed of future plans for the race, participants should bookmark the race blog at cannonsvilletriathlon.blogspot.com.
Contact: For more information, please contact Mary Beth Silano at msilano@delawarecounty.org.
Registration is OPEN and participants are signing up. We are only taking registration for the race online. Step One: Get your NYC DEP Access Permit HERE(it's online and free). Early registration ensures closer proximity to the waters edge for your boat. Step Two: Register at IMAthlete HERE. Step Three: Make your appointment for boat cleaning early and get the best time for your schedule.
Details of the first annual Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon are firming up as members of the Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Industrial Development Agency, New York City Department of Environmental Protection and others plan this groundbreaking event. Teams or individuals may compete and there will be many classes with several cash prizes. The one day event will culminate in Hancock, NY. For more details click hereor check back here.
Posted by: Chris Gross Wed, Mar 23rd, 2011 12:00:00 am
Upper Delaware Real Estate is a real estate broker, licensed in New York State and Pennsylvania. It was founded by Chris Gross in 1997, who remains its owner and Principal Broker today. Its main office is located in Hancock, NY 607-637-5588 and has branch offices in Downsville 607-363-2008 and Windsor, NY 607-655-2151. All offices are fully staffed with agents, each of whom have a great depth of knowledge of the area and the local real estate market. You can view all of our listings at the website http://www.upperdelawarerealty.com/. Our site is approaching 1,000,000 visitors and has been seen in over 52 countries around the world.
Our focus is the sale of country properties, purchased mostly by New York City Metropolitan (including New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island and Westchester County) area folks, who desire weekend retreats, retirement homes, hunting land or waterfront property.
I'll tell you more about our area in future posts. In the meantime, please enjoy our website.
transaction between the Hancock Partners, Inc. and C&S RE of Hancock, LLC occured December 9th, with The Partners purchasing the former Great American grocery store building in the center of the Village of Hancock. According to Jerry DaBrescia, President of the Partners, the building will be demolished in the very near future. At the same time, plans are being developed for the creation of a Town Square to replace it. DaBrescia stated "The idea of a Town Square is reinforced by studies of Hancock, like the Tourism Report for Hancock by Syracuse University and the Hancock Economic and Community Development Plan by Planit Main Street, Inc . Both studies expressly identify the Great American property as the site that would create the most significant impact." Chris Gross, Secretery of the Partners added "The reasoning is partly beautification, but mostly job creation. By making Hancock more attractive, it will bring in more people, or at least retain more people. Tourism as an industry is a theme, but the idea of making Hancock more attractive to an employer, that's most important." 
Details of the first annual Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon are firming up as members of the Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Industrial Development Agency, New York City Department of Environmental Protection and others plan this groundbreaking event. Teams or individuals may compete and there will be many classes with several cash prizes. The one day event will culminate in 
