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Falls Village sees 12.4% rise in school costs

FALLS VILLAGE — Education spending for Falls Village will increase by $371,641 (12.4 percent) to a total of $3,433,670 under the proposed spending plan for 2019-20, presented to the Board of Finance by Board of Education Chair Pat Mechare on Monday, March 25.

The bulk of the increase is in the towns assessment for Region One, which is $1,456,345, an increase of $278,986 (23.7 percent).

The increase for Lee H. Kellogg school, is for $92,655 (4.92 percent), for a total of $1,977,325.

Most of the LHK increase is in salaries ($21,083) and benefits ($70,673).

The town’s school board is in contract negotiations with non-certified staff. Mechare said she hopes the employees will agree to change their health insurance plan to the same state plan the certified staff use. She said the switch could take “thousands and thousands of dollars” off the bottom line.

But those negotiations will probably not conclude until early May, she added. 

Typically, the finance board holds the public hearing on the municipal and education spending plans in April and the town meeting occurs in mid-May. 

The meeting adjourned without setting a public hearing date. The next regular meeting of the Board of Finance is Monday, April 8, 6:30 p.m.

Lakeville Journal

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Lelah M. Somers

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DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

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