10/25/2007
Cellular Contract!
A representative from Mariner Tower came to town recently
to discuss contract details to build a cell tower on town
owned land at Glenbrook Park. Town Attorney Paul Kellar
was on hand for the discussion, which took place at town
hall with the town board during a public session held
on October 10th. Mariner Tower had responded to a request
for proposals the town board sent out last summer. The
parties have not yet reached agreement on the language
of the contract, but Kellar pointed out several issues
that need to carefully considered, in particular the amount
of revenues the town would receive from the deal. Kellar
noted that it was the projected revenues in Mariner’s
proposal that made the Company attractive to the town.
However, the contract does not yet outline specifically
how much the town would get.
Open Says Them...
A special town board session originally planned as one
that banned public input ended up having a great deal
of public participation. Supervisor Robert Cross Jr. scheduled
the session at the October 1st regular town meeting, announced
the issues that were to be discussed and then said the
“workshop” was set up for the town board to
do it’s business without being interrupted by remarks
or questions from the audience. Following a scathing editorial
in the Daily Freeman that lambasted Cross for the effort,
the October 10th session was surprisingly open. A presentation
from Dr. Martin Krakauer of Maverick West Family Health
Services in Phoenicia showed plans for expansion of the
Ava Maria Drive complex they now use. Ambulance Squad
Chief Peg Vitarius gave a detailed explanation for her
2008 budget request and the board answered questions about
the status of the Phoenicia Hotel while some board members,
including Cross, vowed to take action to have it torn
down once the October 15th deadline passed.
All along the way the audience listened and was able to
ask questions. At one point Cross asked audience member
Kathy Nolan for information to help the board discuss
an issue about the Town Clerks office.
Ladybugs!
It sounds like a horror movie: 720,000 ladybugs on the
attack in Manhattan. It could also prove a partial explanation
for the increased presence of the critters in our parts
of late, a lot sooner than most of us have grown used
to expecting them.
As it turns out, the red-and-black bugs were unleashed
on the 80-acre grounds of one of New York’s biggest
apartment complexes with a mission: eat pests infesting
the neatly landscaped property. The ladybugs from Bozeman,
Montana arrived at the Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper
Village complex on Manhattan’s East Side about two
weeks ago, packed in boxes shipped by a natural gardening
company. From mesh bags filled with wood shavings, groundskeepers
scattered them in clusters of 72,000 per box. The ladybugs
then quickly took to the skies of the 80-acre rental complex.
720,000 ladybugs are about the right number to clean up
the New York complex. Each insect can take care of a piece
of land measuring about 19-by-19-inches. A ladybug can
eat up to 50 pests a day, plus insect eggs. The huge colony
will consume billions of pests before moving on.
The question then begged is… to where? Hmmm…
Storage Sheds?
The Olive Planning Board is about to begin consideration
of a proposal to build additional storage sheds in the
place of PetFare on Route 28 just west of Shokan’s
business corridor.Neighbors received a notice last week
of the intent by Rob and Russell Oaks to expand their
storage shed business to frontage on the highway, which
has simultaneously become the subject of renewed efforts
on a county and state basis to make it a scenic byway,
thus restricting such uses in the name of beautification
and safety. According to the mailer, the proposal is to
put up eight storage sheds ‘00 foot by 30 foot in
dimensions to total a 23,400 square foot self-storage
facility adjacent to their current sheds on Ridge Road.
The issue has been rendered as an incomplete application
by the Ulster County Planning Board, which felt information
about how the proposed and existing storage shed businesses
would be conjoined, alongside other concerns including
access onto the state roadway, landscaping, lighting levels,
and stormwater drainage.
The issue is currently pegged for discussion on Tuesday
night, October 30, at an Olive Planning Board meeting
scheduled for the town meeting hall at 7 PM.
Flood Studies…
Congressman Maurice Hinchey recently announced funding
for a new study to be undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers to look at ways to prevent flooding along
the Esopus and Rondout creeks. Both waterways include
reservoirs that are part of the New York City watershed
system, and have seen major flood damage in downstream
areas by and large beyond our own coverage area.
Hinchey, Gene Brickman, a planner for the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Ulster Supervisor Nick Woerner and others
officials from Ulster County addressed the issue at a
private residence along the Esopus recently, while county
pundits questioned the efficacy of bringing in the federal
entity many have blamed for the flooding of New Orleans
during the 2005 Katrina disaster.
Despite being turned down in a Senate appropriations bill,
Hinchey noted that he was able to secure over $200,000
in funding for the study, which could take about three
years. The study is expected to look at possible channel,
watershed improvements and erosion control along the two
creeks.
“It will eliminate the need for evacuations,”
Woerner, said of the possible outcome of the studies.
It was also added that the federal involvement could help
solve stream-fixing logjams involving current jurisdiction
battles between the state, city and local officials.
Hotel Quandary
The cutoff date has passed for proof that the Phoenicia
Hotel, severely damaged by fire on July 29, can be salvaged.
Shandaken town officials are now expected to begin legal
actions to force the owner to tear it down in the coming
weeks.
At an informal Shandaken town board workshop in recent
weeks, Shandaken Supervisor Robert Cross Jr. said he expected
deadlines set by the board for action on the matter would
pass without owner Richard Stokes providing a structural
report to counter the town building officer’s opinion
that the structure must be demolished. Stokes has offered
his own opinion that the building could be saved, but
not backed it up with any actual paperwork or action.
The deadline, Cross said, included requirements to secure
the building and remove a large sign hanging off the structure
over the Main Street sidewalk in Phoenicia. Cross said
there was concern that the sign was no longer secured
properly to the building and could crash onto the sidewalk,
which remains closed to pedestrians in front of the hotel.
Jamey Umhey, a town resident who requires a wheelchair
for mobility, complained to the board that too much time
has passed with the sidewalk blocked. He said he is forced
to drive his wheelchair out into traffic on Main Street,
putting him at risk of injury.
Councilman Robert Stanley said Stokes will be issued a
violation notice and be brought into court by the town
to force him to carry out the demolition work. If he does
not comply, the town will do the work and charge Stokes
for the cost.
The legal process, however, may take a couple of months,
Stanley added.
Nine fire companies converged on Main Street early Sunday
morning, July 29, to battle a blaze of suspicious origin
that ultimately destroyed the historic hotel, which was
established in 1854 and was a haunt for the likes of Babe
Ruth and bootlegging gangster Dutch Schultz. While firefighters
fought to keep the blaze from spreading to neighboring
buildings, the Key Bank building next to the hotel suffered
water damage to the roof and its hung ceiling, as well
as to carpeting and computer equipment.
The two-story, wood-frame hotel, which was a fixture on
Main Street, had been vacant for months. Before that,
it served as a hotel with rooms on the second floor and
a restaurant and bar on the first. It also had three storefronts.
By Tuesday, October 23, the dangling sign was done and
access to the sidewalk restored.
Let’s see what happens next...
Union Action
Lawyers and officials for the Civil Service Employees
Association, the chief union for New York municipal workers,
including the crew at the highway department here in Shandaken,
filed Improper Practice charges against Highway Superintendent
Keith Johnson, an incumbent running on the Republican
line for re-election, for having threatened union employees
if they filed an action against him. The complaint, filed
on Tuesday, October 23, notes that Derek Stapleton and.
Neil Grant , CSEA representative. Filed an earlier grievence
only to find that on Monday, October 22, Johnson accused
them of damaging town mowing equipment and threatening
discipline when, “there was no damage to said equipment.
Also on Monday, October 22, Keith Johnson told Mr. Stapleton,
in the presence of the majority of the highway department’s
bargaining unit, that if he pursued his grievance, Johnson
would “write him up for insubordination.”
Under U.S. Taylor Laws, the CSEA is taking action on to
the state Labor Board, “For the protected activities
of Mr. Grant and Mr. Stapleton, Keith Johnson is interfering,
restraining and coercing said employees for the purpose
of depriving their organizational rights and discriminating
against said employees for the purpose of discouraging
participation in the activities of the Union.”
Stay tuned…
County Budget...
Speculation surrounding the state of the 2008 county budget
being prepared for release Tuesday by the Ulster County
Legislature has been for a spending document incorporating
a 7 percent increase in the property tax levy, about the
same as in 2007. But County Administrator Michael Hein,
the official closest to budget preparation, was saying
prior to the document’s release that it waqs too
early to make predictions, and suggesting that actual
increases could end up being less than predicted.
Hein’s proposed budget will be released to the public
at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 in the legislative chambers at the County
Office Building on Fair Street in Kingston.
The legislature’s Republican minority leader, Glenn
Noonan, said that the county’s 2007 budget, at $315
million, was the first in recent history to show a slight
$57,000 decrease in spending from the prior year, but
it raised the tax levy by 7.25 percent.
It also was the first budget in nearly a quarter-century
prepared under a Democratic majority in the Legislature.
The 2006 budget, the last submitted by outgoing Republicans,
raised the levy by almost 39 percent.
Complicating matters have been a series of unfounded mandates
the legislature is seeking moneys for, pending union contract
negotiations, and questions about new taxes on services
that could offset spending, which is expected to rise
in the 3 percent range. In addition, social services spending
is expected to rise by between $700,000 and $1 million,
based on changing state and federal funding patterns,
including a 3.25 percent Medicaid cap instituted by the
state.
Some have chastised the Democratic majority for submitting
it’s budget nearly a month after its promised October
1 deadline, although Dems counter by noting that that’s
earlier than old GOP patterns, which saw the budget released
just before county belections.
Final passage isn’t required until Dec. 20.
New Department
The Ulster County Legislature has finally created a new
Department of the Environment, the state’s first.
The department will begin operations in 2008 with a department
coordinator, at a salary yet to be determined, to be appointed
by the Legislature until the new county executive takes
office in January 2009.
The department will coordinate Ulster County’s environmental
initiatives such as storm water management, “green”
building initiatives and minimizing the county’s
“carbon footprint.”
“Ulster County has taken great steps in making environmental
protection a top priority,” cLegislative Environmental
Cmmittee co-chairman Brian Shapiro, D-Woodstock, said
in a press release. “By establishing a fully independent
Department of the Environment, we will continue to lead
in this field, and set a great example for other counties
in New York state to follow.”
If the department has a primary agenda, it would seem
to be an effort to increase efficiency by coordinating
environmental services. At present, seven different departments
handle environmental issues. The Department of the Environment
will coordinate efforts from the county offices for Information
Services, Health, Public Works, Soil and Water, Planning,
Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Environmental Management
Council.
The department, which will consist of a coordinator, deputy
coordinator and administrative aide, will report to the
county administrator, who in turn reports to the Legislature.
The current Environmental Management Council, under fire
for alleged mismanagement this past year, will essentially
act as a check of the department, periodically reviewing
operations. The council will use the department’s
annual list of goals and strategies, formulated at the
beginning of every year, to make sure the department is
achieving what it set out to do.
The annual list of goals will be planned in conjunction
with other county departments and create a budget tied
directly to that plan. The department’s goals are
subject to change to accommodate input from entities such
as the Global Warming Advisory Committee, the Recycling
Oversight Committee, and others charged with environmental
oversight responsibilities.
Sex Offenders…
A community information meeting on the housing of sex
offenders, an issue that arose in rural Olive in the last
year when a googling parent found evidence that a Texas
sex offender had placed an Olive address for his residence
– then moved to state land near Samsonville –
was scheduled to take place at Kingston City Hall this
past Wednesday, October 24, just before our printing.
We will cover the event more comprehensively in our coming
issue. Participants in the meeting were set to include
Nancy Schmidt from the county Probation department, Chris
Farrell from Mental Health, Commissioner Roberto Rodriguez
from Social Services, and Detective Gerry Schatzel from
Kingston Police.
In advance of the meeting, Alderwoman Jennifer Ringwood
suggested that rather than addressing various neighborhood
watch meetings, a city-wide forum be held to inform residents
of the status of sex offenders in Kingston. Dart stated
that although he and Legislator Jeanette Provenzano have
staunchly opposed housing sex offenders in the old Ulster
County Jail, he wanted the public to be informed on what
Ulster County is presently doing, and what the future
might hold.
Chris Farrell was set to speak about various myths associated
with sex offenders, including county numbers pumped up
by demographics for the prison population in the county.
Nancy Schmidt was going to talk about how Ulster County
is managing sex offenders in Ulster County. Commissioner
Roberto Rodriguez was to speak about the problems he faces
as the person responsible for finding housing for sex
offenders. Detective Gerry Schatzel addressed specifics
about how the City of Kingston registers sex offenders
and how Kingston notifies area schools and keeps track
of Kingston’s sex offenders.
The meeting was designed to inform county residents on
what restrictions sex offenders may have as far as where
they may live and work, and also advise people on what
they can do to protect their children. A question and
answer period was to follow the presentations.
Gas Hikes Again
Stable gasoline prices over the last two months have shielded
U.S. consumers from the impact of galloping crude oil
prices, but drivers will face more pain at the pump if
the cost of crude remains high into next spring, according
to industry watchdogs and economists pointing out how
the cost of crude oil has surged about 14 percent over
the past few months to a record over $85 a barrel. Analysts
now expect gasoline prices could rise to a never-before-seen
$3.50 or $4 a gallon if oil prices hold near current levels
into next spring when drivers hit the roads in greater
numbers. That could further strain consumers already facing
a housing slowdown.
Crude prices, industry pundits say, have been driven higher
by expectations of tighter supplies in the winter amid
ongoing production restraint by OPEC. However gasoline
futures have lagged crude oil, rising only 3.8 percent
over the same period.
The potential surge in gasoline prices at the end of winter
would come at a time when U.S. consumers are already facing
a declining housing market in many parts of the country.
The one hope for drivers could be a correction in the
oil market, which some analysts believe is becoming overvalued.
Speculative investors have been buying crude oil and other
commodities as a hedge against inflation and the declining
value of the U.S. dollar.
“A lot of this market is dependent on what happens
this winter and where supplies are when we come out of
it,” said Eric Wittenauer of A.G. Edwards in St
Louis. “If the winter is warm as it has been forecast,
we could see a correction.”
However any correction is likely to be limited by the
rising cost of producing oil in non-OPEC countries and
continued strong demand for crude oil.
Quilt Heaven
Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville will host its “11th
annual Quilting Weekend” from Friday, Oct. 26-Sunday,
Oct. 28. The longtime favorite activity at Frost Valley
YMCA is geared toward quilters of all ages and experience
levels. Guest instructors will be: Katharina Litchman,
White Sulphur Springs, Kris Driessen Albany, Sherry Sega
of upstate NY, Bonnie Turner of Clarksville, and Anne
Foland of Claryville.
Participants have the option of attending for the entire
weekend or during attending workshops on a daily basis.
Registration is limited and there are openings left in
only two of the classes. Reservations are accepted on
a first-come, first-served basis.
To make reservations or get further info, please call
(845) 985-2291, ext. 205 or visit www.frostvalley.org.
Off The Grid…
The state Public Service Commission has ordered Central
Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation to raise the cap on
how much electricity generated by homes with solar installations
can be sold back to the grid in return for credits on
their utility bill.
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill of Kingston, a co-sponsor of
the measure, sought to have the cap raised. The PSC ordered
it be raised from 1.8 Mw to 10 Mw, beyond the initial
request of 3 Mw filed by Sustainable Hudson Valley and
New Solar Energy Industries Association.
“Net metering is a critical incentive for people
considering investing in solar energy systems for their
homes,” said Cahill.
The PSC decision is an “encouraging development
that will allow the Mid-Hudson Valley to move ahead in
expanding its uptake of renewable power, benefiting not
only residents but the region’s innovative economy,”
he said.
Coop Dinner!
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County and the
Ulster County Farm Bureau will be putting on an evening
of celebration with fine food and top notch entertainment
for their annual dinner at The Hillside Manor on Route
32 in Kingston on Saturday, November 3, at 6:30pm.
Each year CCEUC recognizes individuals for their countless
hours of volunteering and dedication to select programs.
This year’s Friends of Extension honorees are the
Davenport Farm Families of Ulster County, Lori Rotolo
of Ulster County Healthy Start and Betty Burgher of Saugerties.
Business and organization honorees for philanthropic support
are New Paltz Agway and the Ulster County Agricultural
Society.
To make reservations call CCEUC at 845-340-3990 before
Friday October 26.
Kids & Colds
Very young children simply should not take some commonly
used cold and cough medicines, federal health officials
say in recommending that the “consult your physician”
advice to parents on the labels be dropped. The preliminary
recommendation, from Food and Drug Administration safety
officials, would apply to decongestant use in children
under 2, and antihistamines in those younger than 6. The
more than 350 pages of documents are part of a broad and
ongoing FDA examination of whether the roughly 800 medicines,
many popular and widely used, are safe and effective in
treating children’s colds and coughs. The review
came in response to a recently filed petition by Baltimore
city officials, who charged that many over-the-counter
cough and cold remedies can harm toddlers and preschoolers.
Those officials, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics,
cite evidence that suggests the drugs are not only risky
but also don’t work in the very young.
An FDA review of side-effect records filed with the agency
between 1969 and September 2006, found 54 reports of deaths
in children associated with decongestant medicines made
with pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine or ephedrine. It also
found 69 reports of deaths associated with antihistamine
medicines containing diphenhydramine, brompheniramine
or chlorpheniramine. Most of the deaths were children
younger than 2.
Wolves!
Anyone interested in learning more about wolves—and
possibly their own dog’s behavior—should be
intrigued by Mission: Wolf, a popular annual event in
the Senate Gymnasium on the Stone Ridge campus of Ulster
County Community College. The presentation, featuring
Maggie, a female adult wolf, will be held on Friday, October
26. There will be shows at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with
doors open at 4:30 and 6:30 before each presentation.
Each show will begin with a short DVD about Mission: Wolf,
a sanctuary and teaching facility in the Rocky Mountains
of Colorado. The sanctuary provides a refuge for more
than 40 captive wolves and wolf-dog hybrids—animals
that would be unable to survive in the wild. Experts from
the sanctuary travel coast-to-coast with “ambassador
wolves” like Maggie to explain the nature of wolf
behavior and the need for habitat protection for the wolves’
survival. They will also debunk the “big, bad wolf”
misconceptions that many people have about these animals.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. No flash photography
is allowed.
Justice Shift
The Justice Department under the Bush administration has
retreated from prosecutions of mobsters, white-collar
criminals, environmental crimes and traditional civil
rights infractions, new department data show. As part
of a series of policy shifts that have greatly transformed
the administration of federal justice, the department
has strongly emphasized immigration and terrorism-related
investigations. It has also devoted new attention to areas
important to conservative activists, such as sex trafficking
and obscenity, according to the department’s own
performance and budget numbers.
From 2000 to 2006, for example, there were large drops
in the number of defendants related to environmental offenses
(down 12 percent), organized crime (38 percent), white-collar
crime (10 percent), bank robbery (18 percent) and bankruptcy
fraud (46 percent), according to Justice Department statistics
provided this week to The Washington Post. Money-laundering
prosecutions related to drugs were also down nearly 25
percent, while the number of drug cases overall was stagnant.
There were simultaneous jumps in prosecutions related
to immigration (up 36 percent), weapons cases (87 percent),
official corruption (15 percent), and, most dramatically,
terrorism and national security cases (876 percent). Indeed,
Justice Department funds devoted to counterterrorism programs
in Washington have tripled since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Department officials say the surge in resources for national
security and terrorism probes, in particular, reflects
the intense administration efforts to prevent another
attack. But the number of terrorism-related defendants
has been relatively small: Prosecutions peaked at 818
in 2003 and fell to 635 by 2006, and most of these were
not for terrorist acts or plans.
The result is a department far less focused on the mob
bosses, drug kingpins and bank robbers who have dominated
much of its history, even as new FBI studies show a substantial
rise in murders and other violent crimes over the past
two years. The change has been so marked that, in a speech
to a police group this week, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller
III signaled a desire to reinvigorate the department’s
emphasis on traditional crime-fighting.
Most strikingly, the department’s statistics show
that Justice is now in large part an immigration enforcement
agency: More than 19,000 defendants were charged with
immigration violations in federal district courts in 2006,
surpassing every other category except drug crimes.
Gene R. Voegtlin, legislative counsel for the police chiefs’
organization, said the federal government’s retreat
from local crime-fighting has greatly frustrated local
law enforcement agencies. Federal assistance has fallen
from $2.5 billion in 1997 during the Clinton administration
to $1.1 billion in the Bush administration’s 2008
budget proposal, according to the police group.
The assistance has declined steadily, while violent crime
rose 1.9 percent last year, following a 2.3 percent rise
in 2005, FBI records show. Those two years saw the first
steady increase in violent crime since 1993.
Annex Autism…
The Children’s Annex will host an evening of celebration
as it dedicates a new Autism Support Center and thanks
the many friends of The Annex who have contributed to
their 30th Anniversary Capital Campaign on Monday, November
5th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Kingston Children’s
Annex.
Recent changes to be celebrated include the addition of
a new wing, the Autism Support Center, extensive renovations
to the center’s lobby and reception area, administrative
and accounting offices and staff room. They will also
unveil a Donor Wall, thanking by name their many generous
friends, parents, staff, board members, and corporate
and foundation donors.
This event will also provide an opportunity for The Children’s
Annex to kick off Phase II of its current Capital Campaign
to complete the vision for a facility including a Preschool
Program Extension and Internal Physical Restructuring.
Founded in 1976, The Children’s Annex is a not-for-profit
program designed for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Its center-based schools in Kingston and Ellenville serve
students between the ages of 3-12, and community based
programs provide educational services for toddlers and
preschoolers throughout the Hudson Valley.
Rumble Ready
Garage Rumble , the teen band battle dedicated to promoting
and launching talented and musically diverse young bands
from Upstate New York’s Hudson Valley Region, is
in its third year! Eight emerging bands will get a chance
to perform before our judge’s panel of music industry
movers and shakers including:
Gold and Platinum singer, songwriter, Donna Lewis…..
Chronogram Music Editor and Roll Magazine contributing
writer, lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of New
York band the Chrome Cranks, Peter Aaron….. Publicist,
Promoter and Empress of Chill Media Maven, Elissa J Mastel…..
Artist Manager and Studio Manager of the beautiful Allaire
Studios, Mark McKenna….. and Frankie McGinnis crispy,
power pop balladeer, and guitarist of the fab duo Frankie
and his Fingers– click here for more detailed info
our 2007 Judges Panel
On Sunday, November 11th, 2007, from 3-8 PM, eight teen
bands will raise the roof at the historic Bearsville Theater
, built by legendary impresario Albert Grossman, as a
part of his Bearsville Sound Studio complex. With full
proscenium stage, lights, and a fantastic house sound
system, The Bearsville Theater is the premier and prestigious
music venue in the Hudson Valley region!
http://www.bearsvilletheater.com
Garage Rumble
100.1 WDST is now the official radio station of the Garage
Rumble and is offering an Honorable Mention/second place
prize of two days use of the legendary Utopia Studios
Sound Stage in Woodstock. Bands will rumble to win the
grand prizes of a session with veteran engineer, Chris
Andersen, at the renowned Nevessa Production Recording
Studio and an opportunity to perform live on the Hudson
Valley’s exclusive music TV show, Poughkeepsie Live
on Time Warner Cable 6.
More super prizes, band gift bags, and back line will
provided by our very generous and growing list of national
and local sponsors including Tech 21 USA, Vox, Marshall,
ESP Guitars, Barcone’s Music, Audix Microphones,
D’Addario Strings, Planet Waves, Evans Drumheads,
SWR Bass Amplification, Woodstock Music Works and many
more!
For details on how to submit your band or more info on
Garage Rumble 2007, click on garagerumble.com. Submissions
must be postmarked by October 27th, 2007.
Library News
The Phoenicia Library has been spending the week of October
21 to 28 celebrating its Friends of the Library group.
The Friends of the Phoenicia Library were established
in 2005 and have helped raise funds for the Library. These
active volunteers assist with fundraising efforts that
include the annual Library Fair, and the Book Store.
"The library has always played such an important
role in my life and in my family’s life," said
Friends president Michelle Spark. "I truly enjoy
being able to give something back - and being an active
member of this group is fun!"
"Our library is so enriched by the help of the Friends,"
said library director Regina Johnson. "We would like
to thank the Friends for providing the library with a
brand new vacuum cleaner this month. I think most patrons
would be pleased to learn of the programs that are supporte
by the Friends."
Please contact the library at 688-7811 to find out how
to become a member of the Friends of the Phoenicia Library.
The book store at the library needs an additional volunteer
to sort book donations, organize the children's books,
keep the store shelves stocked, etc. Anyone interested
should call or e-mail the library. Even just a couple
hours a week at your volunteer's convenience would be
very helpful.
Bad Fumes
Inhaling diesel exhaust fumes causes a threefold increase
in stress on the heart by altering its electrical activity,
say researchers from the University of Edinburgh. Working
together with colleagues from Sweden, they reported in
last month’s New England Journal of Medicine that
in addition to triggering heart attacks, diesel fumes
also increase the risk of blood clots. In the study, twenty
men were made to inhale dilute diesel exhaust while riding
an exercise bike in a laboratory.
Nicholas Mills who lead the study, said that diesel engines
generated 10 to 100 times more pollutant particles than
gas engines. The findings could increase pressure for
diesel powered vehicles to be fitted with pollution filters.
Another recent US study suggested that long term exposure
to traffic fumes increases the risk of death from heart
attack and stroke by 76%.
Press Freedoms
The House of Representatives has strongly backed the right
of reporters to protect the confidentiality of sources
in most federal court cases, saying that right was crucial
to a free and effective press. The White House threatened
a veto, saying the bill would encourage leaks of classified
information.
Under legislation that passed by 398 to 21, reporters
could still be compelled to disclose information on sources
if that information was needed to prevent acts of terrorism
or harm to national security. But that was not enough
for the White House, which said the privileges given to
reporters “could severely frustrate - and in some
cases completely eviscerate - the ability to investigate
acts of terrorism or threats to national security.”
Press freedom advocates have pushed the issue this year
after several prominent cases involving journalists who
were asked to identify sources, including subpoenas issued
for reporters to testify in an inquiry into the leak of
the identity of a Central Intelligence Agency operative.
Supporters of the bill, including more than 50 news organizations,
pointed to news reports on Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq,
clandestine C.I.A. prisons and shoddy conditions at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center as examples where source confidentiality
was crucial.
Representative Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana, a conservative
who sponsored the bill with Representative Rick Boucher,
Democrat of Virginia, said he promoted it because “I
believe the only check on government power in real time
is a free and independent press.” The bill, Mr.
Pence said, “is not about protecting reporters;
it’s about protecting the public’s right to
know.”
A similar bill, sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter, Republican
of Pennsylvania, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee
this month, but it is uncertain if the full Senate will
take it up in the final legislative weeks of this year.
Adoption Heart!
A special exhibit will greet visitors to the Kingston
City Hall on November 8, during “National Adoption
Awareness Month” in Ulster County. The Heart Gallery
exhibit is being brought to Kingston for three days in
recognition of the county’s efforts to find adoptive
families for children in its foster care and adoption
program and also to recruit potential foster parents.
The exhibit will be on display in the main lobby from
November 8th – 10th , with an opening reception
to be held on November 8 at 4:30 pm. The Heart Gallery
features 25 beautiful, professionally photographed portraits
of some of the children in foster care throughout the
Mid-Hudson region who are waiting to be adopted. There
are many children in New York State who are freed for
adoption and in need of an adoptive resource.
This exhibit will debut in Westchester County from October
18 – 20 at the Westchester County Center and will
then travel to Putnam County at the Putnam County Office
Building from October 22-26. Dutchess County will host
the exhibit at the Poughkeepsie Galleria from November
2 – 4. The exhibit will then appear in Ulster County
at Kingston City Hall from November 8 – 10, followed
by Orange County from November 15 – 17 at the Galleria
at Crystal Run. The Heart Gallery will conclude in Rockland
County from November 30 – December 2 at the Palisades
Mall in West Nyack.
To learn more about this exhibit or how to become a foster/adoptive
parent, call 334-5400 at the Ulster County Department
of Social Services.
No Heat Help?
About 30 million low-income American households who will
need help paying heating bills this winter from a U.S.
government program will be left in the cold because of
a lack of funding for the program. The government’s
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP
and long a major program in these parts, only has enough
funding to cover 16 percent of the 38 million poor households
eligible for the program. The current $2.16 billion LIHEAP
budget in only $300 million more than what the program
had when it was created by Congress in 1981. Despite higher
energy costs, the Bush administration has proposed cutting
the program’s budget.
The Energy Department forecasts that household expenses
for all heating fuels will rise this winter from last
year, with costs for heating oil up 22 percent, propane
up 16 percent, natural gas up 10 percent and residential
electric bills up 4 percent.
About two-thirds of the households that receive LIHEAP
assistance have annual incomes of less than $20,000. Because
more people asked for help, the average grant under the
program fell from $451 last year to $314 this year.
LIHEAP has an interim annual budget of $2.16 billion,
but the White House wants to cut the program to $1.78
billion for the 2008 spending year that began on October
1. The House of Representatives has passed legislation
to boost the program to $2.66 billion, while a Senate
committee has cleared a bill keeping LIHEAP at its current
$2.16 billion budget.
Vetoes loom…
Slipping Recruits
Fast on the U.S. Marines formal request that it shift
operations from Iraq to Afghanistan, the U.S. Army announced
that it has met its recruiting goals for the last year…
but enlisted thousands of new soldiers with criminal records
and fewer who have earned high school diplomas. The spike
of new enlistees given “character” waivers
for fiscal 2007 continues a steady upward trend in the
number of recruits with past arrests and convictions allowed
into the Army since the start of the war in Iraq.
More than 11 percent of the Army recruits needed waivers
for problems with the law - up from 7.9 percent the previous
year and more than double the percentage in 2003, the
year the U.S. invaded Iraq. Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick,
commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, stressed
that a vast majority, about 87 percent, of those allowed
in with waivers had misdemeanors for such offenses as
joy riding or violating curfew. Most faced little punishment
beyond community service for their actions, Bostick said.
But at the same time, the number of enlistees with felony
convictions and arrests in their pasts has increased.
In 2003, the Army allowed 459 enlistees with felony arrests
and convictions into the service compared to 1,620 this
past year.
The Army met the annual recruiting goal after missing
its May and June targets. About 18.5 percent of the recruits
needed some kind of waiver, including those for medical
problems and drug and alcohol issues. More than half of
the new recruits brought in between July and Sept. 30
were paid $20,000 “quick-ship” bonuses. The
bonuses require recruits to report to boot camp within
30 days of recruitment.
Lowered Benefits
The cost of living adjustment means that the monthly benefit
for the typical retired worker in 2008 will go from $1,055
currently to $1,079 next year. The adjustment, announced
by the Social Security Administration, will go to more
than 54 million Americans. Nearly 50 million receive Social
Security benefits and the rest get Supplemental Security
Income payments aimed at helping the poor.
The 2.3 percent increase is the smallest since a 2.1 percent
rise in 2004. It compares to an increase of 3.3 percent
last year and a jump of 4.1 percent in 2006, which had
been the biggest advance in 15 years.
“Social Security recipients are going to feel like
they are getting squeezed,” said Mark Zandi, chief
economist at Moody’s Economy.com. “For most
households out buying gasoline and a loaf of bread, it
feels like inflation is high.”
Part of the Social Security increase will be eaten up
by a rise in the cost of Medicare, the giant health care
program that covers the elderly and disabled. The government
announced earlier this month that Medicare premiums will
rise 3.1 percent next year or $2.50 to $96.40 per month.
That is the lowest Medicare premium increase in six years.
The average retired couple, both receiving Social Security
benefits, will see their monthly check go from $1,722
to $1,761, an increase of $39. The standard SSI payment
for an individual will go from $623 per month to $637.
The average monthly check for a disabled worker will go
from $981 to $1,004.
Sustainable?
With sustainable building the new guiding principle for
communities and institutions, advisors are needed to guide
employers and clients in strategies and tools for implementing
current and future standards. SUNY Ulster, in conjunction
with the National Sustainable Building Advisors Program,
will offer a training course beginning in January for
working professionals who wish to become certified sustainable
building advisors.
A free information session will be held on Friday, October
26, at 4:30 p.m. at the Business Resource Center on Ulster
Avenue in the Town of Ulster. The Sustainable Building
Advisor Certificate Program will run from January through
June, 2008, at three week intervals, from 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. on Fridays and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Instructors are architect Janus Welton, AIA, BBEC, IFSG,
and e j George of Ithaca Building Alliance, Natural Builders
Northeast and the Upstate New York chapter of the U.S.
Green Building Council.
Professionals who would benefit from this course include
facilities and capital project managers, developers and
contractors, and those who work for design and engineering
firms or research, educational and sustainability institutions,
public utilities, or government agencies, resource conservation
organizations and consultants.
The curriculum was developed by the leading sustainable
building training program in the United States. Building
professionals will study key building practices and learn
to apply relevant criteria and guidelines, including LEED™
and BUILT GREEN™, analyze costs and benefits, establish
goals and take advantage of financial incentives and technical
assistance offered by governments and organizations. Hands-on
team projects, instruction by respected experts and field
trips are enhancements to the effectiveness of the training
course.
For more on the free information session and the training
course, contact Ann Songayllo at (845) 687-5012 or songayla@sunyulster.edu.
