(News Briefs July 20, 2006)

Sue DEP?
Residents downstream of the Ashokan Reservoir this week urged local officials to take legal action against the City of New York, claiming that the damage from last months flooding would have been less if the City’s Department of Environmental Protection did a better job at handling the flows from the Ashokan.
Residents of the town of Ulster say DEP should be forced to drop the reservoirs level when the forecast calls for floods.
As a result of the flood of April, 2005, DEP did reopen a long closed waste channel that drains the Ashokan, but still prioritize the mission of providing plentiful water for half the states population. The waste channel was opened this spring, but only long enough to drop the level of the reservoirs upper basin, then it was closed. The lower basin, meanwhile, continued to flow over the spillway into the lower Esopus Creek.
Residents say DEP should have reopened that channel last month when flood warnings were issued, but did not. Nearly 10 inches of rain fell causing the lower Esopus to swell and cause damage in the town of Ulster.
But DEP spokesman Ian Michaels said during last months flood, the Ashokan Reservoir actually decreased peak flows on the Lower Esopus by around 60 percent.
DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd, who toured the flood ravaged region recently said DEP reservoirs were designed to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for New York City, but that they also provide a secondary benefit of reducing flooding downstream.
“Even when full, they slow the rate at which water cascades downstream, reducing the inundation area,” Lloyd claims.
State Senator John Bonacic was expected to tour the areas damaged by flooding on Wednesday July 19th, with Federal and State Emergency Management officials.
Last winter Bonacic encouraged residents and local governments to file lawsuits against DEP for damages related to the flood of April 2005.

Historic Funds…
A new fund to purchase and rehabilitate historic structures and return them to commercial use was established by action of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) Board of Directors in late June. The $5 million Business District & Historic Structure Rehabilitation Fund will be a program of the Catskill Fund for the Future, the economic development vehicle of the CWC. The intent of the new program is to return to viability deteriorated commercial and mixed-use structures in the business districts, main streets and gateways of watershed villages and hamlets. Buildings will remain on the tax roles and after restoration and repair will be sold to private investors to be used for commercial purposes. Building exteriors and interiors will be restored to the degree practical to preserve notable features. Heating, mechanical and plumbing systems will be upgraded to meet building and fire codes. Telecommunications and computer network wiring may be installed, and energy saving fixtures employed to the maximum extent possible.
“It’s a shame to see once-beautiful buildings fall apart and sit unused in the middle of our business districts,” commented Alan Rosa, Executive Director of the CWC. “But we know restoration projects can be expensive, and many owners just can’t afford to give their buildings the attention they deserve. That’s where the CWC can help. We want to make these buildings useful again, to bring new life and activity to Watershed communities.”
CWC will leverage its own funds and seek grant funds from appropriate sources, including a variety of state grants set up for similar purposes in recent years. Criteria for selection of buildings to be upgraded will be developed by a committee which has yet to be named. Some factors which will be considered include visual and historic significance of the building to the community, estimated economic and social impact to be provided by restoration, availability of the building at appraised value in current condition, potential liability of asbestos or hazardous waste at proposed sites, and compatibility of proposed uses with existing community comprehensive plans. Details of the program are expected to be finalized by this fall.
For more information on this program, or on the CWC’s low-interest loan program, contact Economic Director Michael Triolo, 845-586-1400, ext. 14;
Triolo@cwconline.org.

Ulster RX OK
Ulster Rx, the county-run insurance help program started two years ago, recently came out with a report showing that its pharmacy discount card program has saved 357 members $133,874 in prescription costs. The program, available to any resident of Ulster County, offers an average of 21.9 percent in retail savings at participating drug stores - more if members opt for ordering their prescriptions from Canada. Program manager Arxcel has established similar discount programs in 33 counties across the country, with participation by 40,000 drug stores and pharmacies. A one-time enrollment fee is $15 for individuals and $26 for families.
Program managers are saying that Ulster Rx’s current low membership doesn’t make sense, and attributes it to a general lack of promotion. Ulster County Legislature Health Committee Chairman Robert Parete, D-Boiceville, and committee member Mary Sheeley, D-Ellenville, have said they are currently brainstorming ways to inform the public of the benefits of Ulster Rx, including speaking directly to civic, chamber, senior and other community groups and visiting local drug stores to let the pharmacists more about the program.
Roughly 30,000 to 40,000 Ulster County residents are uninsured, but the number grows significantly when one factors in those who qualify as underinsured.

Flood Aid
New York State recently announced that it will be making available $25 million in aid was being made available to residents and businesses hit by recent flooding in Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware and Orange counties. The money is in addition to a $35 million aid package Gov. George Pataki announced earlier in the month to help flood victims in all 13 counties hit by the late June/early July storms in the Hudson Valley, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley. The additional funds are to be used to address potential gaps in insurance coverage and eligibility for residents and businesses trying to recover.
In Ulster County, the only serious damage to have occurred was concentrated along the lower Esopus Creek in the towns of Marbletown, Hurley and Ulster, but not a single Ulster County resident has applied for individual assistance, according to county Emergency Management coordinator Art Snyder.
Snyder said individuals, businesses and even renters should apply to see if they are qualified for aid. He said flood victims can apply by calling FEMA toll-free at (800) 621-3362 or the New York State hotline at (888) 769-7243. He added that a FEMA community relations team will be visiting flood sites throughout Ulster County to encourage victims to apply for aid, he said.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that the Auxiliary of Margaretville Memorial Hospital will hold a Blood Drive on Friday, July 28 from 1:30-6:30 p.m., at Mountainside Residential Care Center, adjacent to the hospital, in response to a call from the American Red Cross Blood Services, New York-Penn Region, for all eligible donors to give blood to help avoid a serious, impending blood shortage and possible cancellation of surgeries, due to a shortfall in collections caused by the flooding throughout the greater region.
According to the call, blood types O Negative and A Negative are at critical levels and are now being rationed to hospitals, the Red Cross needs to collect approximately 3,600 units of blood, and residents in areas not affected by flooding are asked to give blood to make up for the shortfall.
For information or to schedule an appointment at the Blood Drive sponsored by Margaretville Memorial Hospital, please contact Barbara Randazzo at 845 254-5375.

Open Jail?
The new jail, officially known as the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center but unofficially called a lot of other names, opened its doors a couple of weeks by at least allowing in some of the administrative, criminal, civil and pistol permit divisions to be housed in the remarkably over-budget and years-late facility that has forced many political, and belt-tightening changes on the county. A sign between the new sbuilding and its nextdoor neighbor, the City of Kingston garbage transfer station, jocularly reads, for the moment,”Good guys this way, bad guys that way.”
Of course, that may change as investigations into how the project got so far away from expectations and original selling points progress.
Retiring county Sheriff J. Richard Bockelmann, speaking from his spacious new office at the site, said local voters should remember that the new building was always planned to be more than just a jail and is “designed with service to people in mind.”
The entire complex was supposed to be completed in April 2004 at a cost of about $78 million. Now more than two years late, the cost has been forecast to top $100 million. A recent state audit of the project blamed the problems on mismanagement, inadequate oversight, design flaws and poorly written contracts and is being predicted to lead to indictments of key political players in the coming years.
Bockelmann, after pointing out a magnificent entrance he said was designed to inspire “faith and confidence and instill trust,” added that the building that many say was his demise was designed for needs “20 years down the road,” being designed to hold 800 inmates, as compared to the current jail’s capacity of 300.

Kingston Hospital
First they announced being healthier than they’ve been in years, even decades. Then, within a few days, Kingston Hospital announced $1.7 million in cuts including the postponement of all employee merit raises and other financial awards, plus a greeze on new hirings and a slashing of health benefits, of all things.
Six days earlier, the Hospital’s much-heralded Chief Financial Officer Michael S. Kaminski had started talking about how he and the Hospital had turned an $18 million budget deficit in 2003 into surpluses of $400,000 in 2004 and $500,000 in 2005, leading to local newspaper reports about the long-beleaguered hospital’s renaissance.
Yet in an in-house memo released concurrent with the “good news,” Kaminsky wrote that, “The first six months of 2006 have been a financial struggle for The Kingston Hospital. Unfortunately, patient admissions have not been at budgeted levels and are lower than last year at this time. It is imperative that we put a plan in place to ensure that the hospital finishes 2006, at the very least, at break-even financially.”
The hospital’s budget for 2006 is about $80 million.
Kaminski became the hospital’s chief administrator in November 2004 after several years of difficulty, and a flurry of activity seeking to join it with other, healthier regional health facilities.

Tree Hugger?
Cornell Cooperative Extension has added three new programs to its growing regional Agroforestry Resource Center summer program schedule. Pre-registration is required for all programs by calling 518-622-9820.
A course on Wild Turkey Habitat Management will take place on Wednesday, July 26 (Registration deadline July 24) from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., cost being a free will donation. Presenter will be Doug Little, New York/New England Regional Biologist with the National Wild Turkey Federation, who will discuss the seasonal habitat requirements of wild turkeys and what landowners can do to improve their property to meet those needs.
Next up comes “A Tree Hugger’s Guide to Forest Stewardship” on Saturday, August 12 (Registration deadline August 10) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with a $15 per person.
“Do you love your forest? Many people who move to the country and find themselves owners of forested property often hesitate doing any type of forest management or stewardship program because they are concerned about the potential negative impacts on the plants and animals in their forests,” reads the info on the workshop. “This workshop will explain the benefits of various types of forest stewardship planning that will help you have a diverse, healthy and sustainable forest. There will also be a forester who will outline aspects of a good forest management plan and why you may want to consider having such a plan. This event is co-sponsored by the New York Forest Owner Association, Capital District Chapter.”
Lastly, expect a good crowd for the ever-popular Mushroom Walk and Identification workshop to take place on Saturday, August 19 (Registration deadline August 17) from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, $10.00 per person, with knowledgeable (and quirky) presenter John Boyle.
Visit the Center’s website www.cce.cornell.edu/arc for additional information.

Landowners Meet
Lynette M. Stark, the Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will speak Saturday, July 29, in Dry Brook at the annual meeting of the Catskill Landowners Association. Ms. Stark is expected to speak about invasive species, land conservation and New York City watershed issues.
In addition, a number of executive directors from local organizations will present updates on their work.
The Catskill Landowners Association is an association of landowners dedicated to the preservation of the aesthetic and environmental integrity of Catskill lands, as well as the rights of private property ownership. Their annual meeting has become something of a watershed event for local political issues brewing throughout the year and should be attended by all who treasure these Catskills, or who have major concerns with its direction.
The meeting is open to the public. For directions and more information, call Patricia Odell, Executive Director of the association, at (914)-260-6685.

Bug Repellent!
Scientists are determined to even the score with mosquitoes by developing bug repellents using chemicals in human body odor that the insects hate. They have isolated chemicals in the odor of people who don’t get bitten and hope to use them to improve controls to prevent the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever in developing countries.
“Those of us who don’t get bitten by mosquitoes produce unattractive chemicals, which mask their otherwise attractive odors,” said Professor John Pickett of Rothamsted Research, a charitable scientific trust in England. “It’s extra chemicals that they produce. I think these convey some message to the insect that the would-be host is not as suitable as another individual,” he added in an interview on Monday.
Pickett and researchers from Aberdeen University in Scotland used a technique known as gas chromatography-electroantennography to identify which components of the odor mosquitoes can detect. They are currently comparing their impact to insect repellents approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). So far results have been promising, according to the researchers. In addition to mosquitoes, they are also looking at tics and other disease-carrying insects.
The scientists, who have submitted their findings for publication in a scientific journal, are still working on formulations for the repellent to ensure it lasts for a long time.Because it is such a potent repellent, Pickett said it may not be necessary to apply it to the skin. Putting it on the cuffs of a shirt or trousers may be enough to keep the bugs away.
They hope to develop a formula that will be marketed within about two years.
Yee-ha!

Teen Licensing
Laws that set numerous strict conditions before teenagers can get a license can reduce fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers by up to 21 percent, public health researchers say.In other words… the more restrictions imposed, the greater the reduction.
Examples include a waiting period before a young driver is eligible to move from a learner’s permit to an intermediate license, restrictions on driving at night, required hours of supervision by an adult driver and limits on the number of passengers a teenage driver can have.
States with such restrictions as part of strong graduated driver’s licensing programs showed declines in fatal crashes involving 16-year-olds, according to a study released by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Federal figures show that 16-year-old drivers were involved in 957 fatal crashes that killed 1,111 people in 2004. Those crashes resulted in the deaths of 399 16-year-old drivers and 385 16-year-old passengers.

Payola Payouts
$15 million in settlement monies from New York’s investigation into large entertainment company’s “Payola” payments to radio stations in recent years have started going out to not-for-profit arts groups around the state that promote alternative music to the public. Locally, grants were announced, all in the $100,000 range, to WAMC-FM radio, Bard College’s Fischer Center, and New Paltx’s Unison Arts & Learning Center. More such grants are expected to be announced by summer’s end, likely including more organizations in Ulster and surrounding counties. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer slapped the world’s largest record companies with the largest fines in radio airplay investigations. Spitzer’s investigation determined that Universal, SONY and other major corporations had offered a series of inducements to radio stations and their employees to obtain airplay. Among the artists mentioned who benefited from the “pay for play” system were Nick Lachey, Ashlee Simpson, Brian McKnight and Lindsay Lohan. The settlement required the companies to cease payments and other inducements to radio stations, discontinue the employment of indie promoters, hire a compliance officer and implement an internal system to detect future abuses. The music companies did not acknowledge guilt but did admit individuals were partaking in illegal practices. All decisions on the collected fines’ distribution were made by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Class Reunion... The Onteora High School Class of 1971 is having its 35th Reunion Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 6 and classmates are reminded that if they have not sent in their
reservations, to do so before it is too late. The Class of ‘71 has also extended the invitation to the Class of ‘70 and ‘72 to be part of the 35th Reunion festivities. Organizer Ellen Wranovics-DiFalco is asking if anyone still has an interest in
attending, they should contact her as soon as possible to make their reservations. Please call 845 331 7497 to confirm your participation in the reunion events. As a reminder, there is a Friday night casual mixer and a banquet on Saturday night.
If other graduates from other classes would like to attend these events as well, please contact Mrs. DiFalco. Domestic Benefits A proposal to extend county employee benefits to domestic partners being championed by District Two legislator Brian Shapiro is under review by the Ulster County Legislature’s Health Committee. To quiet critics, the proposal will come with a set of parameters to ensure a couple does not abuse the system. For example, phone bills, a house deed or electric bills can prove that a couple is, indeed, living together. Legislators say they do not know how many county employees would be eligible for the proposed program and have gone to lengths to note that, “It’s not a pro-gay or pro-lesbian issue, nor is it a pro-heterosexual issue, but a way to make benefits available to more of Ulster County.”.
Eating Memory? Several new studies suggest that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, adding to a store of evidence that links the disorders. The studies involve only Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind, which is usually related to obesity, but the connection raises an ominous prospect: that increases in diabetes, a major concern in the United States and worldwide, may worsen the rising toll from Alzheimer’s. The findings also add dementia to the cloud of threats that already hang over people with diabetes, including heart disease, strokes, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. But some of the studies also hint that measures to prevent or control diabetes may lower the dementia risk, and that certain diabetes drugs should be tested to find whether they can help Alzheimer’s patients, even those without diabetes. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s can provide only a modest improvement in symptoms and cannot stop the progression of the disease. Alzheimer’s affects 1 in 10 people over age 65, and nearly half of people over 85. About 4.5 million Americans have it, and taking care of them costs $100 billion a year, according to the association. The number of patients is expected to grow, possibly reaching 11.3 million to 16 million by 2050, the association said. But those projections do not include a possible increase from diabetes. Not everyone with diabetes gets Alzheimer’s, and not all Alzheimer’s patients are diabetic. But in the past decade, several large studies have found that compared with healthy people of the same age and sex, those with Type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The reason is not known, but researchers initially suspected that cardiovascular problems caused by diabetes might contribute to dementia by blocking blood flow to the brain or causing strokes. More recently, though, scientists have begun to think that the diseases are connected in other ways as well. In both, destructive deposits of amyloid, a type of protein, build up: in the brain in Alzheimer’s, in the pancreas in Type 2 diabetes. About 20 million people in the United States have Type 2 diabetes. The number has doubled in the past two decades. An additional 41 million are “prediabetic,” with blood sugar rising toward the diabetic level. Diabetes rates are expected to increase because rates of obesity are rising, and epidemiologists predict that one in three American children born in 2000 will eventually develop Type 2 diabetes. One of the new studies found that even people who had borderline diabetes were 70 percent more likely than those with normal blood sugar to develop Alzheimer’s. And the incidence of dementia was highest in borderline diabetics who also had high blood pressure. Another study found that in people with diabetes, the higher their blood sugar, the greater the risk of dementia. Higher levels of blood sugar mean the diabetes is severe or is being poorly treated, or both.