1/14/2008
Primary Results
Democratic voters countywide turned out in droves to hand
Senator Hillary Clinton a narrow victory over Senator
Barack Obama. Republicans, meanwhile, voted in smaller
numbers to give Arizona senator John McCain a decisive
victory over his closest competitor, former Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney.
According to Ulster County Board of Elections’ unofficial
results, Clinton garnered 7,401 votes to Obama’s
7,012 countywide. Former North Carolina senator John Edwards
received 215 votes despite dropping his bid for the White
House last week. Fellow campaign dropouts Bill Richardson
and Joe Biden got 57 and 28 votes respectively. Dennis
Kucinich received 109 votes. The total turnout of 14,822
dwarfed the vote count in 2004’s Democratic presidential
primary, which totaled 6,769.
All five of Clinton’s chosen delegates and the alternate
that appeared on the line with her won countywide majorities.
Shandaken and Olive, though, appeared to belong to Obama.
He swamped Clinton,. 190 to 125 in the former and 306
to 212 in Olive. Obama also topped Clinton in the Ulster
County towns of Hardenburgh (11-8); Marbletown (387-349);
New Paltz (920-715); Rochester (314-282); Rosendale (397-320);
and Woodstock (868-528). In the other 12 towns, Clinton
came out on top.
On the Republican side, countywide McCain received 3,370
votes to Romney’s 1,806. Former Arkansas governor
Mike Huckabee came in with 710 votes, while maverick Texas
congressman Ron Paul got 562 votes. Former New York City
Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who dropped out of the race following
his defeat in Florida’s primary last week, received
223 votes.
In every town in Ulster County favored McCain over Romney
and other challengers.
Casinos Again?
Empire Resorts, the company that owns Monticello Gaming
and Raceway, and Concord, has announced plans to move
the gaming and racing facility it was planning for the
Monticello Racetrack to a 160-acre tract at the site of
the old Concord Hotel in Sullivan County. Construction
on the $700 million, 1.5 million-square foot facility
is expected to begin later this year with a grand opening
in 2010. Under the agreement, the parties said they will
develop a “world-class gaming and entertainment
facility,” which will include a 100,000 square foot
gaming area, convention center, hotel, golf, retail stores,
restaurants and family entertainment. The gaming floor
will be built within the hotel and a 5/8th mile harness
racetrack will be developed next to that.
Officials of this new venture emphasize that engaging
in this deal does not mean Empire Resorts is withdrawing
from its plans to build a Native American casino at the
present racetrack site with their partner St. Regis Mohawk
Tribe. In fact, Empire Resorts’ CEO David Hanlon
said they have offered the Tribe the opportunity to invest
one-third of Empire’s contribution to the new project…
pending a federal decision to bar the casinos off-reservation
ties gets overturned, which many feel unlikely at present.
Sounding quite familiar, Concord Associates’ Managing
Member Louis Cappelli said the “ambitious project
will create thousands of union jobs for the region and
the Catskills.” He said the project will create
“thousands of jobs throughout the entire upstate
economy and bring the former Concord Hotel back to its
glory as one of the region’s truly great convention,
destination and resort hotels.”
A number of public officials, tourism trades people and
construction officials reacted positively about the news.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Catskills
and it has the potential to serve as a foundation for
economic growth in the region,” said U.S. Rep. Maurice
Hinchey, readying for yet another re-election bid for
his Congressional seat.. “I look forward to working
with the community and developers to realize this exciting
potential.”
“We have seen various plans for the redevelopment
of the Concord over the years,” added State Senator
John Bonacic. “The current plan sounds very positive.
We look forward to seeing a shovel in the ground so that
both construction and long-term jobs can be created and
sustained.”
Signs Of History
Three new roadside signs have been installed in Shandaken,
capturing the town’s ever-evolving history. One,
on Route 28 near Alyce & Roger's, reads: “1779;
Fort Shandaken. During the Revolutionary War, a log fort
stood near this spot to defend Kingston from enemy attack.
Another, along Route 214, reads, “Chichester: Factory
town and furniture- making center founded by the Chichester
family in 1864, later operated by William O. Schwarzwaelder.”
Lastly, a sign along Woodland Valley Road just past the
bridge and intersection with High Street reads, “
Simpson Ski Slope: First downhill ski area in New York,
in operation from 1935 to 1970s.”
The blue and yellow cast metal markers are the first roadside
historic markers to be erected in Shandaken since the
late 1990s. The three sites were selected by the Bicentennial
Committee, and the project was supported by grant funds
from the Catskill Watershed Corporation. The Fort Shandaken
marker is the only one on State Rte. 28 between Shokan,
at the Reformed Church, and Highmount. They add to other
Shandaken markers which include the Empire State Railway
Museum, the Zen Mountain Monastery and, in Pine Hill,
the Morton Memorial Library, Schoolhouse District No.
14 (the Shandaken Historical Museum), and two stone arch
bridges built by mason Matthew Thompson.
More Pressures…
Two Northern Dutchess communities, Milan and Pine Plains,
are being roiled by a new proposal by the Manhattan mega-developers
Durst Organization who are planning to build a massive
golf community geared toward Manhattanites on property
once owned by ice cream mogul Tom Carvel surrounding historic
Stissing Mountain near the Taconic Parkway. A group calling
itself Pine Plains United has formed in opposition to
the project and brought forth 300 residents to the first
of a series of public hearings on the project, which could
result in nearly 1,000 new housing units in the two rural
communities. The hearing was held by the Pine Plains Planning
Board as part of its review of the project under the State
Environmental Quality Review Act.
The DurstOrganization has partnered with Landmark Land
Co. to create a “vacation and second home community”
on roughly 2,200 acres straddling the Milan-Pine Plains
border. About 1,772 acres are in Pine Plains and 428 are
in Milan. The plan calls for the construction of 951 homes,
some single-family and some attached, along with private
recreational amenities, including a golf course to be
designed by the award-winning Landmark Land Co.
“Our goal for the Carvel land is to create a second-home,
premiere community that is a model of sustainable development,”
the developers have said.
Critics say the project, which could double the population
of the community, has the potential to crush Milan and
Pine Plains under the weight of thousands of new residents.
Olive Accident
A two-car accident on Dancing Rock Road in Olive caused
five people, including two young boys, to be taken to
the hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries Saturday,
Department of Environmental Protection Police at Olive
said.
The accident occured at 4:50 p.m., when an eastbound vehicle
driven by Nadejda Solntseva, 35, of Queens, slid on the
snowy road and entered the westbound lane. The car collided
at an angle with another vehicle, driven by Charles Youmans,
52, of Neversink, police said. The crash caused all airbags
in both cars to deploy.
Solntseva’s had two children in the car with her,
ages 6 and 7. The three of them were taken by ambulance
to Benedictine Hospital. Police said that one boy had
stomach pain, and the other had a cut lip.
Youmans and his passenger, Abby Klotz, 43, of Neversink,
were taken to Kingston Hospital. Youmans complained of
lower back pain and a cut on his left ankle. Klotz had
nonspecific pain.
Police said that poor road conditions contributed to the
accident. No tickets were issued.
Domestic Safety
About a quarter of U.S. women suffer domestic violence,
U.S. health officials have reported, with ongoing health
problems that one activist likened to the effects of living
in a war zone. And even some men also experience domestic
violence, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
survey found. The CDC said 23.6 percent of women and 11.5
percent of men reported being a victim of what it called
“intimate partner violence” at some time in
their lives. They defined this as threatened, attempted
or completed physical or sexual violence or emotional
abuse by a spouse, former spouse, current or former boyfriend
or girlfriend or a dating partner. The CDC estimates that
1,200 women are killed and 2 million injured in domestic
violence annually.
Women of all income and education levels suffer such abuse,
although it was more frequent among the poorest and those
who attended but did not graduate from college. The CDC
added that women who suffer domestic violence are three
times as likely to engage in risky sex and 70 percent
more likely to drink heavily than other women. They are
also twice as likely to report that their activities are
limited by physical, mental or emotional problems and
50 percent more likely to use a cane, wheelchair or other
disability equipment, the CDC survey found. These women
also were 80 percent more likely to have a stroke, 70
percent more likely to have heart disease or arthritis
and 60 percent more likely to have asthma.
The CDC has called for doctors to ask women about possible
domestic violence if they are showing signs of stress
or other symptoms indicating possible violence.
Home Sales?
Sullivan County took the biggest hit in terms of lost
sales of single-family homes in 2007, according to the
New York State Association of Realtors. The county experienced
a 46.7 percent drop as compared to 2006. Greene County
sales fell by over 19 percent, while Orange fell by a
little over 12 percent and Dutchess dropped by almost
12 percent.
Sales of existing single-family homes fell by 10 percent
in Putnam County and by under six percent in Rockland.
Sales dropped by over four percent in Ulster County, by
under four percent in Columbia County, by under three
percent in Delaware County and by one percent in Westchester.
Statewide, sales fell 8.5 percent from 2006 levels.
The highest median price for an existing single-family
house in 2007 was in Westchester County at $685,000. In
Rockland County, the median price was $495,000; in Putnam,
the price was $400,000; in Dutchess, the price was $335,000;
in Orange County, the median price was $322,000; in Ulster
County, the price was $255,000; in Columbia County, the
price was $237,5000; in Sullivan County, the price was
$175,000; in Greene County, it was $171,000; and Delaware
County, at $120,000.
Revitalize!
Communities situated along the Upper and Lower Esopus
Creek would be eligible to apply for Environmental Protection
Fund grants through the Department of State’s Local
Waterfront Revitalization program under legislation approved
in the Senate and Assembly. Senator John Bonacic sponsored
the measure in the Senate; Assemblyman Kevin Cahill sponsored
it in the Assembly.
“This designation is especially crucial, given the
annual flooding occurrences in many communities and given
the fact that existing flood management systems are not
working,” said Bonacic.
“Giving communities along the Esopus the opportunity
to tap into these waterfront revitalization funds will
be a boon to efforts to preserve the natural beauty of
the region while at the same time enhancing opportunities
for both visitors and residents to enjoy all that the
area has to offer,” said Cahill.
Projects that will be grant eligible as a result of the
creek’s inclusion as a state inland waterway include
implementing water body/watershed management plans designed
to mitigate flooding, urban waterfront development, and
resource management and planning.
The bill has been sent to the governor for his consideration.
Green Phoenicia
Phoenicia Elementary School’s environmental awareness
and newly instituted green program, begun in September
with a school-wide recycling program coordinated by the
PTA, is already showing measurable results, according
to Phoenicia PTA President Christina Himberger.
The Phoenicia PTA decided to implement a program called
“The 5 Rs – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle” and encouraged faculty to incorporate the
program into their curriculum. An expanded version of
the familiar 3R’s, the program emphasizes that recycling,
while important, is at the end of the checklist. They
then enlisted the help of Waste Management’s Jeff
Budik, who met with school administration, maintenance
and PTA members to advise them and supply receptacles
for recyclable materials. The PTA purchased stackable
recycling bins for each classroom, and Mrs. McInerney’s
class volunteered to be responsible for overseeing the
day-to day operations of the program.
Waste Management monitors its accounts quarterly, and
the results are making Phoenicia proud. “Your school
is off to a great start with an increase of .29 tons of
additional recycled material compared to the same time
frame as last year. That’s awesome considering the
short time this new program has been in existence,”
praised Budik. The students were especially thrilled that
their efforts translate into 26 trees saved in just a
few months.
As a member of the GoGreen Initiative, Phoenicia Elementary
also found itself eligible to receive a grant from NYSAR,
the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and
Recycling. The grant is being used to set up worm composting
bins, allowing for environmental education and the 5R’s
to be applied in the classrooms. Worms take waste materials
like food scraps and shredded paper and turn it into nutrient
rich compost for the school flower gardens.
The school’s library also has benefited from Green
thinking. During the summer, Phoenicia Elementary parents
banded together to refurbish the school’s library,
donating considerable time and carpentry skills to construct
new tabletops, bookcases and a custom-designed librarian’s
desk, using local and sustainable materials and bamboo.
Walls were painted using low VOC paint and the computer
lab was redesigned creating a more welcoming, inspiring
space that now also includes, of course, a special display
of books focusing on the environment.
The principal of Phoenicia Elementary, Mrs. Sella, states:
“I didn’t realize initially that our impact
would be so great. We are a small school. But since September
we have recycled 1.83 tons of cardboard, office paper,
and co-mingle. Imagine the impact on our environment if
every school recycled!
Better Energy…
An informational meeting on green building and solar energy
will be held at the Olive Free Library on Thursday February
21,from 7 to 9 PM. Pat Courtney Strong, Coordinator Of
Mid Hudson Energy Smart Communities, will describe the
information and financial incentives available from New
York State to help home owners, businesses and institutions
become energy efficient and move toward renewable energy.
Larry Brown, Owner Of Sun Mountain Solar, will explain
how to be more efficient in the use of electricity, how
to generate a portion of your electricity from the Sun
and what financial incentives are available in New York
State to help pay for these systems.
For further info contact Brown at Sun Mountain, 657-8096
or Sunmountain@netstep.net.
Spilt Milk
A Saturday night mishap resulted in the Bushnellville
Creek turning white for a short period time when a fully
laden milk tanker tipped over on route 42 in Shandaken,
dumping it’s 6000 gallons of contents into the water.
At about 10pm Saturday night on 42 about 1 mile north
of its intersection with Route.28, the tanker slid out
of control on a patch of ice and took out a telephone
pole and power along Rte 42 north to the town of Lexington.
A Hazmat team responded from Dutchess county to handle
the clean up, which included taking care of a little oil
in the creek that leaked from the truck during it’s
removal. The driver is reported to be okay.
Ah, Tomorrow…
Ulster County Legislative Chairman David B. Donaldson
was set to give “Privilege of th Floor” time
to representatives of “Ulster Tomorrow” at
the Legislature’s February 13 meeting. The “Ulster
Tomorrow” team to be introduced will include newly-elected
UCDC Chairman Ron Marquette; Ulster County Development
Corporation (UCDC) President Lance Matteson; “Ulster
Tomorrow” Steering Committee Chair Tony Marmo and
Industrial Development Agency Chair March Gallagher.
“While the Legislature is quite familiar with ‘Ulster
Tomorrow’ initiatives for County-wide sustainable
economic development, our objective here is to provide
a supportive focus by presenting the new leadership team
and to ensure that this legislative body will do all we
can to help them succeed with a very ambitious but fully
achievable plan,” commented Chairman Donaldson.
“This will be our opportunity to thank these legislators
for their vote of confidence when they significantly added
to last year’s allocation of funds for the UCDC,”
said Matteson. “The increase followed our introduction
of ‘Ulster Tomorrow,’ a strong signal that
they share our views on how to improve living standards
and the quality of life throughout Ulster County.”
Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the Ulster County
Development Corp. will have to meet a series of benchmarks
created by the county Legislature to continue to receive
funding. The Legislature, which awarded the agency $200,000
last year, has seen little return on its investment in
recent years… which have included large backing
for Dean Gitter’s Emerson Resort, among other projects.
To ensure that its money is being spent well, the Legislature
is set to pass a resolution that requires the agency to
meet certain levels of job creation and retention.
“This guarantees a return on our investment and
that is a huge deal,” said County Administrator
Michael Hein. “We understand the importance of economic
development; now we’re trying to guarantee that
we’ll see the development we expect.”
The guidelines set by the resolution include: A $750 award
for every “quality” job retained in the county.
Quality jobs are defined as those that meet the Ulster
County Development Corp.’s long-term job standard:
the median county wage, including benefits; A $1,000 award
for every quality job created; A $25,000 award for each
new business in Ulster County that commits publicly to
creating 10 or more jobs and is recruited with significant
involvement of the Ulster County Development Corp; A $50,000
award for each new business in Ulster County committing
publicly to 100 or more jobs and recruited with significant
involvement of the agency; and a 50 percent match for
all non-governmental funds raised by the agency.
Septic Help!
The Catskill Watershed Corporation recently authorized
reimbursement of eligible costs for residential septic
repairs and replacement conducted anywhere in the West-of-Hudson
Watershed between July 2, 1999 and December 31, 2007,
regardless of whether those systems are located in the
current priority areas for the CWC’s septic repair
program. If you live within the New York City Watershed
in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan or Ulster Counties,
and can prove that your septic system was repaired or
replaced between the above dates, you may be eligible
for reimbursement. Call the CWC at 1-845-586-1400 (toll
free (1-877-928-7433) to request a reimbursement form.
You must also produce contractor receipts and proof of
construction approval from the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP). Systems installed in
conjunction with construction of new homes are not eligible
for reimbursement.
The CWC Board determined in January that adequate funds
exist to extend reimbursement to homeowners who have corrected
septic problems though they were not eligible for direct
assistance from the program at the time their systems
were repaired.
Currently, the program is focused on properties within
150 feet of a watercourse, or 500 feet of a reservoir
or reservoir stem. Homeowners within the eligibility distance
may sign up to have their system pumped out and inspected.
A call to the CWC to arrange an initial visit with technical
staffers is the first step.
The CWC Board also revised rules for the Septic Maintenance
Program, extending eligibility for pump outs of systems
replaced through the CWC’s Septic Program since
November 1, 1995. Watershed homeowners who received construction
approval from the NYC DEP from November 1, 1995 and whose
systems are at least three years old may arrange for a
pump-out and inspection of the system and apply for 50%
reimbursement from the CWC.
For more information on these and other programs designed
to assist homeowners and businesses in the New York City
Watershed, please call the CWC, or go to www.cwconline.org
Warming Vs. War
Despite growing recognition in the Pentagon and the intelligence
community that global warming poses serious national security
threats to the United States, Washington is spending $88
on the military for every dollar it spends this year on
climate-related programs, according to a new study released
by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). The study,
entitled “Military vs. Climate Security”,
found that the government has budgeted $647.5 billion
for the defense budget in 2008 - more than the defense
budgets of the rest of the world’s nations combined
- compared to $7.37 billion for climate-related programs.
Of the latter total, moreover, only $212 million is devoted
to helping poor countries obtain clean, renewable energy
sources that do not contribute to global warming - less
than what U.S. military forces in Iraq spend each day
on operations there.
“While we spare no expense to wage war, we seem
to have no money to spare on averting climate disaster,”
said Miriam Pemberton, the report’s author. “The
increasingly dire warnings from climate scientists make
clear that changing these federal spending priorities
can’t wait.”
Indeed, the report comes amid unprecedented global concern
that climate change could have devastating consequences
for much of the earth. Hardest hit will be the world’s
poor countries, which have fewer resources to cope with
the threats posed by global warming, including more extreme
weather events, prolonged droughts, and sea-level rise,
which most scientists believe are inevitable if the world
fails to quickly stabilize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The martial analogy has been taken up by the Pentagon
and the intelligence community, which have produced several
reports about the national security consequences of changes
in the world’s climate.
Last May, a group of retired generals and admirals issued
their own report, “National Security and the Threat
of Climate Change”, which found, among other things,
that the consequences of warming were likely to promote
inter-state conflict over vital resources, such as fresh
water; political turmoil and extremism within nations;
food shortages and mass migrations.
Despite the all-but-unanimous scientific consensus that
climate change is well underway and proceeding at an accelerating
rate, the second largest portion of the climate-change
budget - nearly two billion dollars - is earmarked for
a science program designed to help resolve “the
fundamental scientific uncertainties associated with climate
change.” Most of those funds, the study notes, will
go to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), whose director, Michael Griffin, recently told
public radio that, while he did not doubt that a warming
trend exists, “I am not sure it is fair to say that
it is a problem we must wrestle with.”
Meanwhile, global warming ranks far down the concerns
of the world’s biggest companies, despite world
leaders’ hopes that they will pioneer solutions
to the impending climate crisis, a startling survey will
reveal this week. Nearly nine in 10 of them do not rate
it as a priority, says the study, which canvassed more
than 500 big businesses in Britain, the US, Germany, Japan,
India and China. Nearly twice as many see climate change
as imposing costs on their business as those who believe
it presents an opportunity to make money. And the report’s
publishers believe that big business will concentrate
even less on climate change as the world economy deteriorates.
Rhe survey, carried out by the consulting firm Accenture,
found that only 5 per cent of the companies questioned
- and not one in China - regarded global warming as their
top priority. And only 11 per cent put it in second or
third place. Overall it ranked eighth in business leaders’
concerns, below increasing sales, reducing costs, developing
new products and services, competing for talented staff,
securing growth in emerging markets, innovation and technology.
Although most are taking limited action to reduce their
own emissions, almost one in five had done nothing.
The report makes it clear that - in contradiction of the
Bush administration’s position - business is waiting
for governments to take the lead.
Time To Apply
The Platte Clove Residency program, the only one in the
country situated in the historic landscapes which were
the inspiration to the founders of the Hudson River School
of painting, provides a rustic workplace and retreat for
artists working in a variety of disciplines in the living
landscape where American art began. The residency (June
15 - October 15, 2007) at the Catskill Center-owned Platte
Clove cabin is near the towns of Tannersville, Hunter,
and Windham. Artists will reside in a two-floor cabin
in the middle of 208 wild, pristine acres full of hiking
trails, multi-tiered waterfalls, and old growth forests.
The residency is open to visual artists, writers, playwrights,
composers, and performing artists who have an affinity
for the natural world. The work produced should foster
the appreciation of the environment through the aesthetics
of art. Artists can choose to stay from a couple of days
to a solid week to two weeks in the months mentioned,
depending on availability. An exhibition will be held
the following May at the Catskill Center’s Erpf
Gallery. The works to be exhibited will be chosen by the
curator from among all the pieces done during the residency
or inspired by time in the cabin. The work may be traditional
or experimental.
The deadline for application is March 1st. Artists who
are interested in applying can download the application
form from the website at catskillcenter.org. You will
find it on the home page under Artists-in-Residence. Any
questions can be e-mailed to inverna@catskill.net.
Trim Lawsuit…
The widow of the state trooper who died in theshootout
last year near Margaretville plans to sue St. Lawrence
County for $100 million, claiming officials there failed
to properly handle a warrant that could have led to a
fugitive gunman’s arrest months before her husband
was killed. Trooper David Brinkerhoff, who lived in the
Greene County town of Coxsackie, was killed by friendly
fire during a gunfight in a Delaware County farmhouse
on April 25, 2007. He was in a group of troopers who stormed
the home where 23-year-old Travis Trim was hiding the
day after shooting another trooper during a traffic stop,
according to police. Trim also was killed in the Margaretville
shootout, and Trooper Richard Mattson, a Northern Dutchess
resident, was shot in the arm by Trim. The trooper who
was shot the day before was wearing a bullet-proof vest
and escaped injury. Trim’s body was found after
most of the Margaretville house was destroyed by a fire
that may have been started by a police tear gas canister.
A notice of claim filed on behalf of Barbara Brinkerhoff
and her infant daughter, Isabella, says her 29-year-old
husband was killed due to the negligence of the probation
department in Trim’s home county.
Sperm Cells?
Spending hours on a cell phone each day may affect the
quality of a man’s sperm, preliminary research suggests.
In a study of 361 men seen at their infertility clinic,
researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found an association
between the patients’ cell phone use and their sperm
quality. On average, the more hours the men spent on their
cell phones each day, the lower their sperm count and
the greater their percentage of abnormal sperm.
The findings, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility,
add to questions about the potential health effects of
cell phones and other wireless devices. Some studies,
for example, have linked long-term cell phone use to a
higher risk of brain tumors, though many other studies
have found no such connection. The concern is that, over
time, the electromagnetic energy emitted from mobile phones
could theoretically harm body tissue — by damaging
DNA, for example.
In general, the researchers found, sperm count and sperm
quality tended to decline as daily cell phone hours increased.
Men who said they used their phones for more than four
hours each day had the lowest average sperm count and
the fewest normal, viable sperm.
New Surveys!!!
A new project is starting up in the area designed to achieve
five goals including the encouragement of transient tourists
to become second homeowners; making new second homeowners
feel more welcome; encouraging more active involvement
from the second home community; the building up of more
support for new full timers who have recently made the
transition from some other place to this area.; and the
supporting of full time professionals living and working
in the area.
To determine how best to achieve their goals, the new
group – organized by the Margaretville nonprofit
M-ARK Project’s director Joan Lawrence Bauer, also
known for her years of work on behalf of the Belleayre
Resort, is passing around a new survey and putting together
two different focus groups to address the issues. The
survey is available by going to www.surveymonkey.com;
the focus groups are meeting on the morning and afternoon
of Saturday, February 16 “at or near Belleayre Mt.
Ski Area.”
For further information contact Bauer at 586-3500 or visit
www.markproject.org.
Four Star
Each year the Mobil Travel Guide, now celebrating its
50th year, announces what the publication views as the
cream of the destination crop. For the forth year in a
row the Emerson Resort & Spa has been awarded the
accolade of a four-star rating from Mobil Travel Guide
– one of only four spas in New York State to receive
that honor. It is the first time the Resort’s new
Spa, which opened in 2007, has been award the four-star
designation. For the previous three years, the achievement
was awarded to the original Spa adjacent to the former
Emerson Inn. Emerson Resort Spa Director Susan Keene credits
the Mobil recognition to the Emerson’s international
décor along with the personal service provided
by her staff. The other 2008 four-star spas in New York
State are The Peninsula and The Four Seasons, both in
Manhattan, and the Mirbeau Inn and Spa in Skaneateles.
Oil Donation
Barry Motzkin, vice president of Kingston Oil Supply Co.,
has agreed to donate an additional 1,000 gallons of heating
oil to the United Way of Ulster County for distribution
to Ulster County residents who qualify for fuel assistance.
Su Marcy, vice president of the United Way, said KOSCO’s
original donation of 1,000 gallons was distributed to
20 different families throughout Ulster County in less
than 30 days.
Individuals who are in need should call one of the following
agencies: Catholic Charities, (845) 340-9170; Family of
Woodstock, (845) 331-7080; People’s Place, (845)
338-4030; Rural Ulster Preservation Co., (845) 331-2140;
Salvation Army, (845) 331-1803; or Ulster County Community
Action, (845) 338-8750. Applications are reviewed and
screened for eligibility by the American Red Cross, which
administers the program.
For more information contact Marcy at 331-4199.
Cut Science?
Scientists are chafing at the U.S. government’s
unfulfilled pledge to boost funding for basic scientific
research, the source of innovations ranging from the World
Wide Web to high-tech cancer treatments. The estimated
$500 million sliced out of the fiscal 2008 federal budget
for research projects seeking answers to fundamental questions
such as the nature of the universe could trigger a brain
drain, scientists and others warn. Roughly 700 planned
science projects have gone unfunded as a result, jeopardizing
facilities in the United States and elsewhere.
The field of high-energy physics was the hardest hit;
among the innovations credited to high-energy physics
are the Internet and machines whose beams target cancerous
tumors, design new materials or peer into chemical reactions.
The funding problem has also reached into the medical
field, disappointing researchers who must spend more time
seeking grants or who may opt for clinical practice.
