12/6/2007
Permanent
Shed
As plans are forged for an expanded Belleayre Mountain
Ski Center, the folks behind the Belleayre Music Festival
have some growth ideas of their own. Last week it was
announced that the festival, held each summer in and around
a temporary tent, is set to establish a 1500 seat performing
arts shed with state of the art sound and lighting.
“Associated with the projected plans for expanded
Belleayre Mountain, we are anticipating building a new
permanent home,” said Joe Kelly, the Chairman of
the Board of Directors for the Belleayre Conservatory.
The new space will also include raised comfortable seating
with unobstructed views.
The Conservatory, which puts on the festival, was founded
in 1992 by a group of community and business leaders who
represented both full-time residents and second homeowners
who had worked to keep Belleayre Mountain Ski Center open
after the threat to close it was made by the State of
New York in 1990. At that time the Conservatory organizers
felt that Belleayre needed to remain an economic catalyst
for the Route 28 communities.
What The Belleayre Conservatory intended to accomplish
was to establish a summer music festival at Belleayre
Mountain utilizing that facility which lay dormant during
the off skiing months of each year. Especially important
was and continues to be the unique partnership created
between the NYS DEC and The Belleayre Conservatory.
The festival, according to Kelly, continues to act as
a major stimulus, during the summer months, to the economic
growth of the region and has demonstrated ability to sustain
and advance long-term partnerships.
Financial support to make the Belleayre Music Festival
successful has been raised through grants, individual
and corporate contributions and fundraisers from both
upstate and downstate individuals and businesses. Grants
from small and large foundations have helped to sustain
and expand the number of performances and the ‘recognition
level’ of the musicians.
The Festival began with a $50,000 budget for the first
concert by the Brooklyn Philharmonic; by 2004 the budget
reached to almost $600,000 with 15 musical events scheduled
during July into September. Ticket sales, Kelly said,
have increased by 20% annually and more and more of the
concerts are sold out.
Asked this past week where a permanent performance shed
would go, Kelly said this past week that by law, it is
unlikely it could go onto actual state-owned ski center
lands, which are pegged for outdoor recreation uses, although
the Conservatory would like to take advantage of the ski
center’s large parking capability. He said discussions
were nearing completion for the donation of a nearby property
that Kelly said he “didn’t think” was
tied to the nearby Crossroads Ventures holdings being
proposed for the controversial Belleayre Resort which
plans to swallow much of the rest of the area, if approved.
Asked whether a property that had been earlier proposed
as a site for a Watershed Museum was in the offing, owned
by Conservatory board member and former Resort spokesperson
Gary Gailes, Kelly said only that the site would be a
good one. That property was also brought up in a Shandaken
board meeting recently when Gailes’ attorney Tony
Bucca, a former state DEC attorney who also does legal
work for Crossroads’ principal Dean Gitter, when
a resolution was asked for and passed formally reneging
any claims the town may have had on it from its previous
status as a potential gift.
Soon after Kelly answered questions about siting for the
shed, Crossroads’ VP Paul Rakov started calling
members of the press asking why things were being “stirred
up” regarding the Conservatory.
In addition to its concerts, the Conservatory also puts
on the “Snowball,” a popular annual social
event held each January as a fundraiser. This year the
Snowball is set for Saturday, January 26th. The Guest
of Honor and Spirit of the Catskills’ recipient
will be Governor Eliot Spitzer.
Tax Lawsuit...
Legal issues between the outgoing Cross administration
and the Shandaken Landowners Association continue to stew,
with its several lawsuits against town officials for past
selective revaluation practices still in various stages
of simmer. All despite an Appelate Court decision holding
up the defeat of the group’s initial Article 78
lawsuit brought against Cross and the town for having
spiked its vacant land values, based on timber sale potential,
as part of what became a settlement of town lawsuits with
the state Department of Environmental Conservation...
and possibly the set-up for the state’s promise
to purchase 1,200 acres of lands at high prices as part
of the pending Belleayre Resort agreement in principle.
In November, a Court of Appeals decision upheld a 2006
procedural filing-date decision by Judge Michael Kavanagh
against the original Article 78 action filed by the 20+
acre landowners. Counsel for the landowners is now seeking
to file an appeal of this by a Dec 27 deadline.
But a separate Civil Rights Case is still pending which
seeks $3 million in damages for what the landowners claim
are unlawful taxation practices by the town. According
to the SLA president Peter Vinci, documents received this
week prove definitively that the town acted against the
recommendations of the State Office of Real Property Services
in unlawfully reassessing some 250 private landowners
in 2005, and that the town withheld proof of that for
two years in violation of FOIL requests... and federal
laws.
The landowners, according to their counsel Brian Matula,
have been attempting in good faith to settle all issues
with the town, which for its part continues to refuse
to meet or discuss any of the issues.
Vinci, who at one point came to blows with Cross over
the tax matters, has said that he is hoping such matters
will change in the new year, when a new town administration
takes over at town hall.
County Budget…
The Ulster County Legislature was scheduled on Wednesday,
December 5 – after our deadlines — to vote
on a proposed $324.83 million budget carrying a 2.91 percent
increase of $9.18 million. Under the plan there would
be a $72.23 million property tax levy representing a 3.39
percent increase of $2.39 million. The vote was scheduled
after the legislature’s Ways and Means Committee
suggested $1.41 million in reductions that would cut $183,008
from the proposed tax levy. Among the steepest cuts were
a $200,000 loss of funding for new computer equipment
for central data processing, and a reduction of $4,008
from the county personnel expenses for exam fees and conferences.
New additions included another $15,000 for Community Action;
$75,000 to the Ulster County Libraries program; $5,000
to the Resource Center for Accessible Living; and $20,000
for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program.
Cellular, Sort Of
The Shandaken Town Board has agreed to a lease with Mariner
Tower II LLC, allowing the company to build a cell tower
at Glenbrook Park. The tower, which will provide cellular
telephone service along state Route 28 for about three
miles between Golf Course Road and Broadstreet Hollow
Road, is expected to be operational next year.
The board's November decision follows years of debate
over the best way to bring wireless communication to town.
While many believe the plan to be faulty, a majority of
Town Board members decided it was time to roll the dice
and hope for the best. Councilman Rob Stanley was the
only board member opposing the resolution, maintaining
his stance that allowing the company to build only one
tower is like cutting out the center of a pie, leaving
unappetizing scraps for other companies that would otherwise
consider building a wireless network for the entire town.
Town Supervisor-elect Peter DiSclafani, a town councilman,
voted in favor, saying that he has spoken to a lot of
people in town and believes that most want to see some
action.
According to Supervisor Robert Cross Jr., the tower will
provide cell service for police, volunteer fire departments,
rescue squads, and the town highway department, as well
as providing service to the public.
The resolution passed despite calls from townspeople to
let the incoming Town Board members decide how to handle
the towns wireless communications issues.
Big Indian resident Chuck Perez questioned the location
of the proposed tower, noting that it sat atop the town's
gravel bank. Cross responded that the town could dig down
below the tower and install a deeper foundation, then
dig out the gravel from around the tower without having
it fall over.
DiSclafani later said that the owner of Mariner Towers
II is sending letters to landowners in town inquiring
about possible placement for more towers.
"I think he's working on a townwide plan at this
point," DiSclafani said.
Open DEP Lands
New York City has finally decided to open 11,000 acres
of watershed land in the Catskills for hiking and other
recreational purposes.
The city owns more than 100,000 acres around its reservoirs
in the Catskills, but generally requires permits for access
to city-owned land. Under an agreement between DEC and
New York City, the city will open lands adjacent to state
Forest Preserve lands for hiking, hunting, fishing and
trapping. The policy change is scheduled to take effect
with the opening of the 2008 hunting season. DEC hunting,
fishing and trapping licenses will be the only permits
required to use the lands. No permit will be needed for
hiking. DEC also agreed to patrol watershed lands to enforce
regulations and protect the environment.
The plan will open up about 4,650 acres in Ulster County,
2,900 acres in Delaware County, 2,500 acres in Greene
County, 400 acres in Sullivan County and 250 acres in
Schoharie County.
The recent moves resulted, according to participants that
included the Catskill Center for Conservation & Development,
were aided by meetings of the Watershed Partnership and
Protection Council, as well as the Coalition of Watershed
Towns.
“As a long-time angler on streams in the city watershed,
I know how important it is to the local tourism economies
and the sporting community to have consistent access policies
when it comes to city and state lands within the Catskill
Park,” DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said. “This
agreement is a tremendous step towards eliminating barriers
to recreation on city-owned lands, and easing the way
for people to enjoy the region.”
NYCDEP Commissioner Lloyd said: “The City of New
York is committed to working with its partners in the
watershed to improve recreational and economic development
opportunities. We are particularly pleased to join with
DEC in introducing a recreational access program while
vigilantly protecting the high quality of New York City’s
water supply.”
For more information about the Catskill Forest Preserve,
go to the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov. For more information
about NYCDEP’s Watershed Recreation Access Permit,
go to www.nyc.gov/dep .
Weatherization?
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County is hosting
a free Weatherization and Energy Savings Workshop designed
to help people save energy and save dollars. Learn easy
to do weatherization techniques, how to reduce your energy
bill using low-cost and no-cost energy conservation methods.
All attendees ages 18 and up will receive a FREE Energy
Saving Kit. The workshop will be Wednesday, December 12
from 9:00am to 10:30am at the Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Ulster County Phoenicia Office, located in the Phoenicia
Plaza at 5575 Route 28. The session is free and open to
the public.
Participants will learn about actual energy usage of items
in their homes, learn to identify measures that can reduce
energy usage, become aware of energy programs and resources
available and to identify a specific action plan to reduce
the cost of their heating and electric bills.
Pre-registration is required. Please call Barbara Grumberg,
845-340-3990 to reserve a seat or email: bag23@cornell.edu.
For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Ulster County’s events and programs please visit
our website at: http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/ulster
Also at Cornell Extension in Phoenicia will be a “Making
Ends Meet, Free Budget and Credit Card Management Seminar”
on Tuesday, December 11 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Participants
will learn how to develop a spending plan, budgeting and
saving skills, identify opportunities to reduce expenses,
how to manage credit card debt and how to establish and
reach their financial goals.
Staying On…
Ulster County District Attorney Donald A. Williams, who
leaves office on Dec. 31 after choosing not to seek a
third four-year term in the recent election, is expected
to be named a special prosecutor in the second-degree
murder case against Kendall Wade and the vehicular manslaughter
case against Zephyr Dresser-Peck because incoming District
Attorney Holley Carnright, elected three weeks ago, has
worked in a defense capacity in both cases.
Wade, of New York City, is awaiting trial in the January
shooting death of 16-year-old Kingston resident Jarius
“J.R.” Lightfoot on a Midtown street. Dresser-Peck,
19, of Woodstock faces trial in connection with a May
car accident on Glasco Turnpike in Woodstock that killed
Woodstock resident Andrew “Drew” Dean Lipson,
19. Dresser-Peck allegedly was driving under the influence
of alcohol and drugs at the time. He next appears in court
on Monday, December 17, in a second preliminary hearing
leadiung towards an eventual jury trial.
“I promised the families that I would pursue these
cases,” Williams said.
Carnright said he will recommend Williams to Ulster County
Judge J. Michael Bruhn, who has the authority to appoint
special prosecutors. Williams said he will be paid the
standard rate of $100 per hour if Bruhn appoints him.
Library Funds…
$97,500 in additional state funding will be shared by
libraries in the 42nd State Senate District overseen by
Senator John Bonacic, it was announced recently. The aid
can be used by the libraries to make capital improvements
or purchase equipment. Each library will receive $2,500.
The following libraries will receive funding: Ulster County:
Hurley, Ulster, Elting (New Paltz), Phoenicia, Morton
Memorial (Pine Hill), Rosendale, Saugerties, Stone Ridge,
West Hurley, Olive, Woodstock, Cragsmoor, Ellenville,
Gardiner, and Wallkill Public Library in Shawangunk. Orange
County: Middletown Thrall, Port Jervis. Sullivan County:
Bloomingburg, Sunshine Hall (Eldred), Daniel Pierce (Grahamsville),
Liberty, Livingston Manor, Ethelbert Crawford (Monticello),
Roscoe, and Fallsburg, as well as the Delaware, Tusten-Cochecton,
and Jeffersonville Branches of the Western Sullivan Public
Library ($2,500 each branch).
Catskill Visions...
Complimentary healing practitioners, senior citizens,
young families and others from the greater Shandaken area
will gather with others from Delaware County at the Roxbury
Arts Group (RAG) on Vega Mountain Road in the coming week
to discuss the concept of a healing and wellness center
in the community. The meeting, which will be facilitated
by Joan Lawrence-Bauer of the M-ARK Project, is sponsored
by the Catskills Connection for Health and Wellness, a
group of professionals who specialize in a wide range
of healing methods and modalities. Everyone in the community
is invited to the visioning session that gets underway
on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 pm in the RAG building
on Vega Mountain Road. The goal of the evening is to understand
the needs of the community in every arena from health
and wellness to a child care center, from a senior citizens
center to an adult day care facility.
The Catskills Connection for Health and Wellness was formed
nearly two years ago to create a network for the exchange
of information and experiences about holistic healing
methods and practices. One of its goals at formation was
to explore a “bricks and mortar” option –
finding or building a healing space to share rents with
like-minded practitioners. As the group began its visioning,
other needs in the community surfaced. So a joint visioning
session with the M-ARK Project was planned.
Those who participate on the 13th are asked to come with
a vision and some ideas of what it would take to fully
imagine and create it. Among the questions that will be
asked are: If you were to imagine a center for complimentary
healing practices, what would it look like? What color
would it be? How would the offices be decorated? Would
it have a fountain? Would it have a community room, a
kitchen, a place to relax after getting treatments? Participants
will also be asked about combining different types of
uses in a large center and asked where they might put
it how it would it integrate with the greater community
and whether or not it could have a child care center,
an adult care center, a meal site or other amenities.
Anyone who is unable to attend the meeting but is interested
in the concept is invited to submit ideas or comments
in writing to joan@markproject.org. More information on
the Catskills Connection for Health and Wellness is available
on line at www.catskillsconnectionhealth.
Coalition Support
The Greene County Legislature recently voted to support
the Coalition of Watershed Towns’ lawsuit against
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by providing
$25,000 to the economically-strapped entity to help fund
the suit over the federal agency’s decision to grant
a 10-year filtration waiver to New York City. The waiver,
formally known as a Filtration Avoidance Determination,
was granted to the city in August. The Coalition’s
suit argues that the federal agency did not have the authority
to issue the latest filtration avoidance determination
and was supposed to give up its ability to issue the filtration
waiver as of May 15, 2007, turning the authority over
to the state Department of Health. County legislators
also noted a continuing concern with the city’s
plan to spend $300 million to purchase land within its
upstate watershed.
SWN Parties!
The Shandaken Women’s Network is holding its annual
December 18th Holiday Pot Luck Party and Gift Sale from
6 to 9 p.m. at the home of Judith Boggess in Shokan, NY.
The party is open to network members and guests, and will
feature a holiday gift sale of items hand made or offered
by members. Pauline Oliveros will be the guest speaker
as part of the “Wise Women of the Catskills”
series. She will conduct a “Worldwide Tuning Meditation”
and tell about her fascinating life.
Pauline Oliveros, composer, performer and humanitarian,
is an important pioneer in American Music. She has been
honored with awards, grants and concerts internationally.
The Shandaken Women’s Network is an association
of business women in the Catskill and Mid-Hudson region
dedicated to networking and improving their business acumen.
To learn more about the event, the organization or how
to join, go to www.shandakenwomen.net or call network
President, Melody Newcombe at 845-688-5472 or melodyn@ulster.net
for directions and to R.S.V.P.
Solar Consortium
Congressman Maurice Hinchey went to New Paltz Tuesday,
December 4 to announce a new academic coalition between
The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) and five research universities
in New York. The agreement creates a research partnership
between various academic hubs across the state and solar
energy companies that will be based at the consortium
in order to dramatically advance the solar industry in
New York.
Based on the agreement, the universities — Cornell
University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson
University, Binghamton University, and The State University
of New York at New Paltz — will work with TSEC to
solve technical problems from within the solar industry
preventing more efficient and cheaper solar technology
from going to market. The university coalition, which
is expected to grow in size, will also be available to
assist TSEC in consulting public and private organizations
who wish to incorporate solar technology into their facilities.
Currently, the arrangement calls for research to be conducted
at existing facilities located within the universities’
campuses. Eventually, research facilities could be constructed
as part of TSEC’s campus.
Hinchey helped organize and create TSEC, which is a new
industry-driven, non-profit organization that provides
leadership, organization, resources, and support for the
establishment of a major solar energy industry cluster
in New York. TSEC will be the first organization of its
kind for the photovoltaic (PV) industry, encompassing
research and development, manufacturing facilities, industry
promotion and market development. He has already secured
final approval of $3.2 million for C9 Corporation to conduct
solar research and development in conjunction with TSEC.
The congressman has also secured full House approval of
$1.5 million for TSEC to get off the ground. Additionally,
Hinchey helped convince Empire State Development to contribute
a $1.5 million grant to attract solar energy companies
to TSEC. The congressman is continuing to work to secure
additional state and federal funds for the consortium.
“Solar energy is the solution to the country’s
and the world’s energy problems. There is no need
to drill for oil when we can get our energy directly from
the sun,” Hinchey said. “This academic research
partnership helps us take another big leap forward in
our effort to solve the energy crisis, combat global warming,
and establish New York as a national and international
leader on solar research and development. New York has
some of the best schools in the country and now they are
going to collectively be working to solve one of the greatest
problems facing our generation.”
TSEC is expected to provide 300-500 jobs in its initial
phase and create upwards of thousands of jobs in the region
within the next several years. Statewide, TSEC has the
potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs over
the next decade while establishing New York as a global
leader in the development of solar technology.
The Solar Conmsortium has been talking about setting up
at the former Tech City/IBM complex outside Kingston,
although more recent word has it that Saugerties is also
vying to make its Kings Road corridor, home to Markertek
and other businesses, a new high tech corridor for the
region.
Not Innovative
Directors of the Hudson Valley Center for Innovation have
voted to disband the organization now that the Ulster
County Legislature denies its funding request for at least
$125,000 in 2008. Managing Director Les Neumann said that
the board, which met in a telephone conference call on
Tuesday, ordered a committee to review procedures for
closing its business incubator if county lawmakers adopt
a budget Dec. 5 that does not include money for the group..
which seemed all but certain as of presstime..
Asked if the organization would have to leave its 10,000-square-foot
facility at 703 Grant Ave., Neumann said yes. Companies
currently using the facility are Rosenbaum Media, Calleveryone.com,
and Saile Ackerman, PC.
The Hudson Valley Center for Innovation was founded in
2005 with grants of $150,000 from the Ulster County Industrial
Development Agency and $300,000 from the Ulster County
Development Corp. In a Nov. 19 letter to lawmakers, the
center said it has created 15 jobs since 2005, helping
six companies obtain licenses and supporting three small
companies.
The possible loss of the agency stems from a new policy
whereby Ulster County has started instituting performance
standards for its economic development activities, after
its Development Corporation seemed to become an advocate
for a certain segment of the population, including large
support for Dean Gitter’s projects in the Route
28 corridor.
It has been suggested that in order to survive, the Center
for Innovation find funding from other Hudson Valley counties.
Starting in 2006, Ulster County’s direction shifted
from over a quarter century of Republican control to a
new Democrat-majority legislature.
In other development news, it was recently announced that
“Ulster Tomorrow,” the much awaited strategy/action
plan for revitalizing the county’s economy that
was due in mid-November, won’t see the light of
day until January. Lance Matteson, president of the Ulster
County Economic Development Corp., which commissioned
the citizen study last March, said the 14 study committees
were on target for a Nov. 15 “roll out” but
didn’t have reports that were “comprehensive
and concise” for the general public to understand.
He added that the report would be rolled out and presented
at a county Chamber of Commerce breakfast on January 15.
Autism Gaps
Fever can temporarily unlock autism’s grip on children,
a finding that could shed light on the roots of the condition
and perhaps provide clues for treatment. It appears that
fever restores nerve cell communications in regions of
the autistic brain, restoring a child’s ability
to interact and socialize during the fever, the study
said.
“The results of this study are important because
they show us that the autistic brain is plastic, or capable
of altering current connections and forming new ones in
response to different experiences or conditions,”
said Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist at
Baltimore’s Kennedy Krieger Institute, who was one
of the study authors.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, was based
on 30 children with autism aged 2 to 18 who were observed
during and after a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
More than 80 percent of those with fever showed some improvements
in behavior during it and 30 percent had dramatic improvements,
the researchers said. The change involved things like
longer concentration spans, more talking, improved eye
contact and better overall relations with adults and other
children.
People with autism spectrum disorders suffer in varying
degrees from limited social interactions, lack of verbal
and non-verbal communication and other abilities. As many
as 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism, according
to ASA. It is not known what causes the condition.
Storage Sheds…
Talk about coincidence… a group of town residents
in Dutchess County have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn
their town’s Zoning Board of Appeals ruling that
validated a building permit issued for a 12,000-square-foot
storage building. They have based their appeal on numerous
points that allege a variety of flaws in both the town’s
permitting and Zoning Board of Appeals processes.
The appeal, which was submitted to state Supreme Court
Oct. 26 by Pine Plains Attorney Warren Replansky, alleges
that the Zoning Board of Appeals should have scheduled
a public hearing and referred the case to the town Planning
Board as a matter of course. The group also says that
the Zoning Board of Appeals violated the state Open Meetings
Law because the board heard testimony during a closed-door
session.
The applicant’s attorney said that the suit is an
example of the group’s “continued harassment.”
Anyone thinking of any recent decisions along Route 28
that might appear similar?
County Leaders?
Glenn Noonan has been re-elected minority leader of the
Ulster County Legislature by members of the body’s
Republican caucus. The Gardiner native has served as minority
leader since January 2006 and was elected over challenger
Joseph Roberti of Saugerties in secret balloting. Susan
Cummings of Ellenville was elected minority whip, the
No. 2 position in the caucus.
Democrats, who retained their majority in the Nov. 6 election,
are to meet at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9 to nominate a Legislature
chairman and elect a majority leader. Incumbent Chairman
David Donaldson of Kingston is being challenged by fellow
Kingston Democrat Jeanette Provenzano, who currently serves
as majority leader and has said she will not seek another
term as majority leader. Vying to succeed her are Democratic
Legislators Brian Cahill of Ulster and Hector Rodriguez
of New Paltz. Legislator Richard Parete of Accord is the
current majority whip.
Education Grants!
Watershed Education Grant applications are now available
from the Catskill Watershed Corp. for projects slated
to start in the fall of the 2008. Schools and non-profit
organizations in the New York City Catskill-Delaware Watershed,
and in New York City, are invited to apply.
Pre-school through 12th grade students are the target
audience for Round 11 of the Grant Program, designed to
increase awareness and understanding of the City’s
water system and the West-of-Hudson Watershed which supplies
90 percent of the water supply for nine million people.
Guidelines and applications are available on the Public
Education page of the corporation’s web site, www.cwconline.org.
Applicants may also call Education Coordinator Diane Galusha
at 845-586-1400, ext. 29 (toll-free 877-WAT-SHED) to obtain
hard copies of the forms and guidelines. The deadline
for submitting applications is February 1, 2008. Awards
will be announced in the spring.
Medicare Aid
The New York State Office for the Aging is in the midst
of a two month outreach campaign to older and disabled
New Yorkers to help them make informed decisions about
their Medicare coverage. Beginning on November 15, Medicare
beneficiaries can change the plans that provide them with
prescription and health coverage under the program. The
county Office of the Aging in Kingston will have trained
counselors on hand to provide information and assistance
through the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and
Assistance Program, known as HIICAP. Calls to the state
wide HIICAP Hotline 1-800-701-0501 have increased four-fold
in the past month since the federal government mailed
information about this year’s plan selections to
Medicare beneficiaries.
This year there are over 55 Medicare prescription plans
along with thousands of Medicare Advantage, Cost and Demonstration
Plans available in New York State. Couple this with the
need to coordinate drug coverage, and many Medicare beneficiaries
are faced with a complex maze of choices. If the wrong
choice is made, they may be left with inadequate health
coverage or huge out of pocket expenses.
For more information about where to get help, contact
the HIICAP Hotline at 1-800-701-0501 or check the website
Medicare.gov. Ulster County seniors can also call 845-340-3456
for help in this area and to make an appointment with
a HIICAP counselor.
Global Extension
Global warming is more and more a hot topic, so Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Ulster County found someone who
could share his expertise with the public on the issue
at its Annual Meeting on November 29 in Kingston.
In his discussion titled “Climate Change Impacts
on Agriculture, and Controversies in Key Public Policies
for Reducing Emissions,” Sylvester Johnson, Ph.D.
of applied physics in association with the Museum of Earth
Cornell University, took guests through a brief history
of global warming and looked at its continuing impact
on the world. The evening’s agenda began with an
election of new CCEUC board and program committee members,
a treasurer’s report, a review of CCEUC’s
programs of 2007 and CCEUC staff and current board and
program committee member recognition.
Great Alternative!
On Tuesday Nov. 20, 11:30 a group of local teens, many
from Onteora, were on hand at the Ulster County Sheriff’s
office along with all of the county’s judges and
the region’s top politicians for a presentation
on a new Alternative Sentencing Program for offenders
that receive underage drinking tickets. The event, and
program, was put together with the aid of our own Marie
Shultis of Hurley, who explained how the new program is
being offered as an alternative for judges to use as part
of a sentence currently listed in the ABC Law for underage
drinking offenders. The new program involves dealing with
the roots of underage drinking and at risj behavior and
was created with the help of a group of teens who came
together as a result of a fatal accident that occurred
last May on prom night.
More on all that’s entailed in an upcoming issue
of this publication... and our hats off to all involved.
Call 417-1483 for further information.!
