To Chase Memorial Nursing Home Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Roger Halbert for his many years of service.
Halbert, of Gilbertsville, joined Chase in 1972 while still completing his health care administration courses at the State University College of Technology at Delhi.
He worked with his predecessor, Merritt C. "Doc" Meyers, until Meyers' retirement in 1983, at which time Halbert assumed the position of the campus administrator.
Under Halbert's leadership, Chase expanded its offerings to its residents and the community. A child day care was part of the campus from 1990 to 2008.
In 1992, Chase brought children, companion pets, vegetable and flower gardens and other plant life to the interior portion of the nursing facility, in a program known as the "Eden Alternative."
Halbert will officially retire on Aug. 31, but will continue as a consultant through September.
We wish Halbert the best and thank him for his four decades of service.
To the State University College of Technology at Delhi Culinary team, which won the American Culinary Federation Student Team National Championship last week.
Mathew Howard, Edward Maley, Leonard Messina, James Russell and Stephanie Wickert qualified to represent the Northeast region at a competition in Niagara Falls.
A team from SUNY Delhi also won the national title in 2010. The college has also won 11 ACF state championships and six regional championships.
The Delhi team's winning four-course menu began with seared red snapper, seafood terrine and romesco sauce for the appetizer. The salad course was Delaware Valley greens with hand-crafted artisan cheese and baby artichokes. The main course was a Catskill Mountain trio of lamb. The meal ended with almond and sesame gateau with citrus and figs.
The team is coached by Victor Sommo, a 2001 SUNY Delhi graduate and an instructor at the school since 2009.
We congratulate the team on a job well done.
Jeers
To the House of Representatives for wasting its time by voting _ for the 33rd time _ to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
On July 11, the House voted 244 to 185 to repeal the act, widely known as Obamacare.
The bill will go nowhere in the Democratic-led Senate, and even if it did, President Obama would veto the measure.
The two-day floor debate was orchestrated by the House Republicans just two weeks after the Supreme Court upheld a majority of the act.
This vote was nothing more than political posturing _ as many votes at all levels in government are.
But doing the same thing 33 times is going too far.
Rather than working on something doomed for failure, we'd rather see our representatives working to try to solve the problems facing our nation.
