l Wayland-Cohocton

Voters in the Wayland-Cohocton school district approved a $27.69 million budget, up $206,000, or 5.67 percent, from the $26.19 million budget passed last year, by a vote of 405-149.

In the budget, the school will levy $6.45 million in property taxes on the district, up $2.24 percent from $6.3 million in the 2007-08 budget.

Taxpayers wil see a tax rate of $17.06 per $1,000 of true assessed property value, up $0.38, or 2.28 percent, from last year’s tax rate of $16.68 per $1,000.

A property owner living in a $50,000 house with the Basic STAR exemption will pay approximately $511.80, up $11.40 from last year’s $500.40.

The public will see the full budget at a hearing at 7 p.m. May 13 in the Large Group Instruction Room at the Wayland campus.

Incumbent John Sick received 431 votes in his bid for re-election, and newcomer Philip Trautman garnered support for the other open post on the board with 382 votes.

Other propositions included increasing the schools payments to local libraries. Under the proposition, the Wayland Free Library Association will receive an additional $5,000, the E.J. Cottrell Library in Atlanta will get $2,000 more and an additional $10,000 is earmarked for the Cohocton Public Library. The proposition was approved by a vote of 392-144.

Voters also approved a proposition establishing a new vehicle and equipment reserve fund, which will ultimately set aside $2 million for new buses and other equipment, by a vote of 399-133.

THANKS TO ALL THE "GOOD" CITIZENS OF THE WAYLAND-COHOCTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. THE BUDGET HAS PASSED. YOUR VOICES HAVE BEEN HEARD.

UPC Wind changes name

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By Bob Clark
The Evening Tribune
Thu May 01, 2008, 12:18 PM EDT

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Newton, Mass. -
There’s a new name on the Cohocton and Prattsburgh wind projects, but no change in operations should be seen.

UPC Wind became First Wind this morning, according to John Lamontagne, director of corporate communications for the company.

“Nobody knew about it because we didn’t tell anyone,” he said.

“It happened about an hour and a half ago,” Lamontagne added during a 9:30 a.m. phone call.

Company president and CEO Paul Gaynor posted a letter on the company’s Web site this morning, saying the name change should be good for the company.

“We believe this name change to First Wind more clearly reflects who we are as a company, and more clearly reflects our commitment to being a leader in clean, renewable energy development in North America,” he wrote. “Although our name has changed, our core values remain the same.”

According to the letter, the planning, construction and operation of the company’s projects will not change.

First Wind, as UPC Wind, was founded in 1995. The Newton, Mass.-based corporation is currently constructing a 50-turbine, 125-megawatt wind turbine project on Dutch, Lent, Pine and Brown hills near Cohocton, as well as a project in Prattsburgh.