Newsbriefs

6/19/2008

Better Access?
Finally, some long-awaited changes appear on the horizon.The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed amended rules to provide greater accessibility and expanded recreational opportunities on City-owned land in the watershed. The new rules are being promulgated primarily to allow New York City to open certain lands without the need for a DEP Access Permit in a manner that is consistent with recreational uses permitted on New York State-owned recreational lands managed by the NYS Department of Conservation (DEC). Under the amended rules, the only authorization needed on these City lands will be the applicable DEC hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for conducting these activities.
Public hearings on the rules changes, including one at Belleayre Mountain, are set for the coming weeks.
“We are very pleased that Catskills residents and visitors will have access to some City lands and not worry about whether they are trespassing without a permit,” said Alan Rosa, Executive Director of the Catskill Watershed Corporation. “It makes sense to treat publicly-owned lands the same, whether they are owned by the State or by New York City, and we commend the DEP and the DEC for reaching this important agreement.”
Dennis Lucas, Supervisor of the Town of Hunter and Chairman of the Coalition of Watershed Towns, said, “I applaud this positive move by DEP. It is further evidence of the strong partnership between the City and the people of the Catskills. That partnership is helping to achieve our common goals of preserving and enhancing the economic vitality of watershed communities, while protecting important natural resources in the region..”
The amended rules will create a new property designation, “Public Access Area,” where public hiking, fishing, hunting, and trapping would be allowed without any DEP permits. Initially, this category will include the majority of City lands adjacent to DEC-managed properties. The City plans to expand this category to include certain additional lands which are not immediately adjacent to DEC-managed properties.
“Designated Use Area” is another new property designation proposed where DEP may designate specific recreational uses (e.g. hiking and rollerblading). In Designated Use Areas, a DEP Access Permits will not be required.
Hunting will be expanded to include all legal species, seasons, and implements allowed under State law. Trapping will be permitted on certain designated properties. Under the proposed rules, the eligible hunting age is lowered to 12 years old, consistent with State law. However, gun hunting is prohibited within 500 feet of a reservoir or controlled lake.
NYC DEP will hold a hearing on the proposed rules at Belleayre Ski Mountain in Highmount on June 25 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Next up... swimming and canoes?

Hotel Update
Demolition of the Phoenicia Hotel resumed briefly last week, when crews and equipment chopped away more of the burned and rotted remains that were left behind from a suspicious fire that destroyed the old building almost one year ago. This phase, which has halted, follows an initial effort to remove the debris earlier this spring. It remains unclear when the final removal will take place, as the new owner, Declan Feehan, has stated that he intends to leave much of it there while he awaits word on whether the hamlet will get a sewer system installed.
According to town Supervisor Peter DiSclafani, the City of New York, which is offering $17 million to build the system, has not altered the offer rejected by referendum by the Phoenicia wastewater district last year but last month approved funding for a feasibility study for the use of constructed wetlands to replace the drying beds. DiSclafani says constructed wetlands could drastically reduce the operation and maintenance cost of the current designed plant and become the standard for watershed systems.
“The study should be completed some time in July for perusal and Q & A by the district,” he said.
Which means the hotel should be staying much as it is for the summer, in all likelihood.

Sunday Driver
A Route 28 motorist had the fear of God put into her Sunday in Shandaken when her vehicle crashed into vehicles parked alongside the highway in front of the Shandaken Methodist Church during Sunday’s Sermon. Witnesses report that the vehicle’s driver, an unidentified woman, had passed out while behind the wheel, causing her vehicle to veer off course and strike the parked cars. Every Sunday such vehicles line the shoulders of the highway on both sides as Churchgoers attend the morning service.
No arrests were reported, although police said there were injuries...

Crime Stats…
FBI statistics for total number of crimes and numbers of violent crimes in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions in 2007 show some counties facing more and some less. In terms of total crime, the numbers decreased from 2006 to 2007 in Columbia, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester. They stayed the same in Putnam County and rose in Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, and Sullivan. Violent crimes increased last year in Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, and Rockland counties. Violent crimes fell in all other counties with Putnam seeing the greatest drop at almost 24 percent.
Delaware County had an increase of just under 17 percent. Ulster and Westchester each saw drops of about 11 percent. Rockland saw slightly above eight percent and Sullivan had just under eight percent increase.
Violent crimes rose just over seven percent in Orange County, by 4.6 percent in Dutchess County and by under four percent in Greene County. Columbia County violent crime rose by three percent.

CWC Business
Three projects in Greene County and one in Ulster County were approved for funding under a new Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) program intended to reduce the potential for damage and injury resulting from floods.
The Stream Corridor Protection Program funds proposals to mitigate or correct conditions that present an imminent and substantial danger to people or property in hamlets, villages and populated areas. At its May 27 meeting, the CWC Board of Directors approved the first four grants under the program.
Ulster County Soil & Water Conservation District will use $48,112 to repair and rework some aspects of an Esopus Creek stream restoration demonstration project in Woodland Valley. Damage done to the project by flooding in 2005 will be corrected by the installation of two rock veins extending into the creek, grading the slope and planting vegetation.
The CWC Board of Directors also approved four low-interest loans on May 27. John Houshmand (Houshco LLC) plans to use his loan to expand and relocate his high-end wood furnishings manufacturing facility to a new location three miles from the current site at Scotch Valley Ranch on Roses Brook Road near Hobart, Delaware County. Houshmand creates specialty items from walnut, cherry, oak and other woods and markets them around the world. New Paltz psychologist Kathleen Caproni, doing business as North Star Sun Creek Building, will utilize her loan to construct and develop a behavioral psychotherapy and healing arts practice with five other practitioners. The 2700-foot, two-story office building will be built at 8 Sun Creek Lane, Stone Ridge, in the Watershed Town of Marbletown. Marietta Hanley and Caroline Ciraulo (SparrrowHawk Affaires LLC) will purchase and operate the SparrowHawk Bed and Breakfast on Route 209, Stone Ridge. The mother/daughter business team will also add a greenhouse and grow organic vegetables to serve at the inn.
The CWC is a non-profit, local development corporation responsible for several environmental protection, economic development and education programs in the New York City Watershed West of the Hudson River. For more information, go to www.cwconline.org, or call toll-free 877-928-7433.

28 Accident…
A 76-year-old Kingston woman was flown to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie with head injuries on Thursday, June 12 after the car in which she was riding was rear-ended on state Route 28. State police said Samantha Brightly, 32, of Hudson, had stopped her Nissan sedan on Route 28 about 5 p.m. when a Jeep driven by Amie Sinnott, 31, of Saugerties, crashed into the back of the car, causing extensive damage. Caroline Matzen of Kingston, the front-seat passenger in the Nissan, suffered a head injury, which police said was not life-threatening. Matzen was taken by ambulance to a helicopter landing zone near the state police barracks on U.S. Route 209 in Ulster and was flown to the hospital from there.
Police said Sinnott was at fault in the accident, because she was driving too close to the Nissan, but they did not know how fast she was going. They did say Sinnott’s speed did not appear to be excessive and that she would not be ticketed.
Brightly suffered minor injuries and was taken to Kingston Hospital by ambulance, and Stinnott refused medical attention, police said.
The accident scene took about an hour to clear, but Route 28 stayed open throughout, police said.

Gas Drilling?
A Pennsylvania property owner who leases his land for natural gas drilling told members of the Sullivan County Partnership recently that local landowners need to exercise caution when signing to allow drilling on their property. The Catskills, many are saying, could see hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact should more property owners in the region decide to contract with gas companies to drill for natural gas on their land, but one man warned that poor planning could result in disappointments.
Thomas Shepstone, a Wayne County, Pennsylvania resident, leased his land along with over 40 other landowners – an association totaling nearly 5,000 acres – and gave members an idea of what to look for in a “suitable” contract.
“I think what matters is that you get the proper addenda in there to deal with issues like the upfront well fee, the shut-in fee, some of the environmental protections,” Shepstone advised at the meeting. He also warned homeowners to not led greed get in the way. “The money is obviously important, but it’s a balance between the upfront fee and the royalties, and the whole addenda. Those things all have to be balanced.”

Counter Attack
Billboards, bumpers stickers, and lawn signs started appearing this week in support of the expansion of Belleayre Mt. Ski Center and the construction of the Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park. According to Partners for Progress Chairman, Lewis Kolar, the effort is part of a greater campaign to push the long-studied Agreement to completion.
“We started last November in preparation for public hearings and scoping sessions on the Agreement in Principle to build these facilities,” said Kolar last week, “and we’re not going to stop until we see a shovel in the ground.” Kolar said that a newsletter outlining reasons for supporting the compromise will hit local mail boxes next week and that a petition drive launched in December will continue on the group’s website, www.supportthecompromise.com
Kolar, along with Coalition to Save Belleayre Chairman Joe Kelly, are spearheading efforts to “educate the public on the benefits of the compromise and the importance of having supporters speak out.

Rotary News
Phoenicia Rotary sure has been busy of late. Coming up, they will be sponsoring the annual Crazy Quacker Duck Race on July 13, with the duck release in Stony Creek (across from the Cobblestone) at 1 pm, and the finish line at the Main Street Bridge. The proceeds from this 19th Annual Duck Race fund raiser are used for various community projects and needs throughout the year. They will be selling tickets for the event on Main Street, Phoenicia on Saturday, June 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, throughout the Independence Day weekend, and on Saturdau and Sunday before the big event itself.
The Rotary Club of Phoenicia has also congratulated the sophomore students at Onteora Central School who were selected to receive full scholarships to the 2008 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference, which will be conducted at Mount St. Mary’s College, Newburgh, from June 29 through July 3, 2008. The scholarships were awarded to Yaxkin Rodriquez and Giovanni Holmquist both of Phoenicia, who qualified as students who demonstrate leadership potential in the school and /or community.


Rec Ready!
Shandaken’s popular summer recreation program is all set and ready to go according to Recreation Director Jessica Proverdi. It starts July 8th and runs through August 14th, with programs running at Pine Hill Lake on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM until 4:30PM. Proverdi suggests that campers be sent with a bagged lunch, although there is a concession stand at the lake for those that come empty handed. Applications are now being accepted, but must be turned in before July 4th. The program is for kids between 5 and 14 years old. Transportation is provided, with bus stops in Mount Tremper, Phoenicia, Shandaken, Big Indian and Pine Hill. Special trips are planned to the Bronx Zoo and to the Zoom Flume Water Park. For more information call town hall at 845-688-7165.

Talking Poverty
Family’s Michael Berg, the Rev. Darlene Lee Kelley and county social services Commissioner Roberto Rodriguez will discuss “Poverty in Kingston” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, 320 Sawkill Road, Kingston. Panelists are expected to discuss the problems of those under financial stress in our area; such as low paid workers, single parents, seniors, the unemployed, etc. Topics to be covered will include the significance of poverty in Kingston, the programs available to address the problem, sources of funding, and the quality of support from the community and public officials.
Kelley is pastor of the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church in Kingston and director of the Caring Hands Soup Kitchen. The church has a daily lunch and food pantry program, sponsors a GED class, hosts weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and offers a free legal clinic. Berg is the executive director of Family of Woodstock, Inc., which maintains residences for runaway and homeless youth, a 19-bed shelter for men and women, a soon-to-be 27-bed shelter for homeless families, a 17-bed domestic violence shelter; and two supervised living programs for homeless adolescents. There are a variety of non-residential programs and Family is a lead agency in the development of HIV/AIDS services. Rodriguez, commissioner of the Ulster County Department of Social Services, oversees a staff of 320 employees. His department is responsible for the delivery of such social services programs as Temporary Assistance, Medicaid, adult and children’s services, nutritional programs, and daycare. He has worked to improve access and communication with clients, providers, and collaborating agencies.
For information, call 340-9512.

Map Extension
The state Assembly recently passed legislation to permanently extend a law giving municipalities located within the Catskill Park the option of participating in the Hudson River Valley Greenway program. If this bill is not enacted by the end of the year, the Towns of Denning, Olive and Woodstock will lose their status as Greenway Communities.
The towns in Ulster and Greene County which are in the Catskill Park were expressly prohibited from joining the Greenway under the 1991 law which created the program. In 2006, the Legislature passed legislation expanding the initiative to include the Towns of Denning, Shandaken, Olive, Woodstock and Hardenburgh. After gaining eligibility, Woodstock, Olive and Denning all joined the program. This new bill is needed by the end of the year to allow these towns to continue to participate in the Greenway if they so choose.
Shandaken was withheld from applying after its former administration balked at the outside help.
State Senator John Bonacic is now expected to help marshall the measure through his branch of the state legislature.

Cultural Help…
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has given 86 Picturing America awards to schools and libraries within New York’s 22nd Congressional District. Picturing America is a free initiative that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of the country’s great art directly to classrooms and libraries.
In New York’s 22nd Congressional District, 86 institutions have been awarded Picturing America. They join the over 26,000 schools and public libraries across the country that will participate in the program. Successful applicants will receive 40 large, high-quality reproductions of great American art and a comprehensive teachers resource book to assist educators using the works of art in core subjects. Delivery of these materials is scheduled for August 2008. The schools and libraries in New York’s 22nd Congressional District receiving the awards include Accord, Grahamsville, Highland, Kingston, Liberty, Livingston Manor, Marlboro, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Roscoe, and Saugerties.
The NEH will offer Picturing America to more schools and libraries through a future enrollment opportunity beginning in August 2008. All eligible schools and public libraries in the U.S. and its territories who have not previously received Picturing America may apply for the program from August 4 through October 31, 2008 at PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.
In addition to schools and libraries, through an interagency agreement, NEH and the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work together to make Picturing America available to the 20,000 Head Start centers around the nation. This partnership will provide for the development of materials to supplement Picturing America and ensure that the program will enhance early childhood development and family literacy. Picturing America is distributed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association.

That Other Resort
The would-be developers of the massive Tom Carvel property planned for a major golf and condominium resort near the Taconic Parkway in Dutchess County are working to put “something else on the table” for the town Planning Board to consider. The goal is to develop a plan that works for developers while addressing the environmental, social and cultural concerns of the community, after years of controversy..
A total of 951 residences initially were proposed for the 2,200-acre property, split between the towns of Milan and Pine Plains. The Durst Organization and Landmark Land Co. are partners in the planned housing and golfing community.
Numerous local residents opposed the size and scale of the project during recent public hearings.
A new staff ecologist for the proposed development has said he is now considering ecosystems and cultural and rural character along state Route 199 and noted that he identified seven important views along the road, including vistas of bogs, farmland and hills. The next step is to complete a new environmental analysis and then develop a plan around it.
P lanning Board member Sarah Jones said she was “very encouraged” by the developers’ new approach but said she was confused about which direction the project was going… except that it still plans to stay a major golf resort.

Mortality IQ?
The difference in death rates between highly educated and poorly educated people in the United States is very wide and growing wider, according to new research.
For Americans with less than a high school education, the risk of dying prematurely is on the increase - rising most quickly for white women in that category. In contrast, the risk of premature death among college graduates is falling - fastest of all for black men.
White high school dropouts are four times as likely to die young as white college graduates, up from a threefold difference in the early 1990s. Among blacks, the trend is similar but less dramatic.
The study, published online, is the second this spring to reveal an ominous trend toward worsening health and earlier death in disadvantaged segments of the population, especially in certain groups of women.
A co-author, Robert N. Anderson of the National Center for Health Statistics, said the growing gap “says something about the overall health of our population.” He added: “The haves seem to be doing quite well, and their mortality is going down. But those who don’t have their resources are not doing so well.”
White female high school dropouts had the greatest erosion in their health, with their mortality rate rising by a little more than 3 percent a year over the nine-year period. A greater number of accidents, heart attacks, and cases of emphysema and cancer were responsible for about half this increase. White male high school dropouts also had an increase in their risk of dying prematurely rise, by about 1 percent a year. Increasing numbers of accidents, suicides and cancers were largely responsible.
White male high school dropouts were 4.4 times as likely to die prematurely as white male college graduates. For white women, mortality in dropouts was 3.8 times that of college graduates.
In general, education had a stronger influence on mortality in men than in women. This was true for both blacks and whites.
The study did not explore the reasons for the disparities, but the researchers were willing to speculate: tobacco, obesity and high blood pressure.

Police Kudos…
Margaretville Hospital received a Special Recognition Award from the New York State Police on May 28 in honor of the facility’s work during the April 2007 shootings involving three police officers.
Chief Executive Officer Ed Morache accepted the award on behalf of the hospital in a ceremony in Albany. The certificate was presented “In recognition and acknowledgement of outstanding service to the division of state police.”
At the ceremony, State Police Colonel Anthony Ellis recalled the hospital staff’s professionalism and expertise in treating the wounded troopers by reading a letter composed by State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt. The superintendent recalled the events of April 25, 2007: “Upon Trooper Richard G. Mattson’s arrival at the hospital, he was immediately attended to by a group of physicians, physician’s assistants and nurses. The medical staff focused their efforts on stabilizing Trooper Mattson and stemming the heavy bleeding emanating from the traumatic, life-threatening gunshot wound to his left arm. The medical staff worked expeditiously to stabilize Trooper Mattson’s wound, protect against further hemorrhaging and prepare him for transport to Albany Medical Center.”
The letter continued: “As Trooper David Brinkerhoff arrived at Margaretville Hospital, the Emergency Room staff assured state police personnel that all possible measures were being taken. A third trooper, Matthew Gombosi, was shot and wounded the previous day triggering a massive manhunt that ended with the death of Trooper Brinkerhoff and fugitive Travis Trim.

Teen Personas!
Some 39% of those ages 30+ in a recent survey said their high school persona impacted their careers. The CareerBuilder press release said its poll of 6,000 full-time employees at least 30 years old asked participants to describe their high school persona - athlete, honor society, drama club, class clown, etc. - and then compared those personas with respondents job level, salary, industry ,and job satisfaction.
“While there are a variety of factors that determine one’s career path, high school involves learning experiences inside and outside the classroom that can shape interests and personal networks at an early age. It’s essentially a stepping stone into a world of opportunity,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com, in the announcement.
The study suggests cheerleaders were more likely to hold a vice president role. Those who were in student government and teacher’s pets had the greatest number in director/manager/team lead positions today (24%). Teacher’s pets also had the greatest number of workers holding administrative/clerical positions (41%). Former honor society members,
athletes and geeks were more drawn toward professional and technical services positions at 59%, 55% and 52%, respectively.
The study found former student government members were more likely to report making a six-figure salary, with 12% stating they are paid an annual salary of $100,000 or more. Ten percent of honor society members said they earn six figures, followed by 7% of athletes, geeks, and class clowns.
Student government and honor society members and athletes ranked highest among those who earn an annual salary of $50,000 or more at 49%, 47%, and 45%, respectively. Teacher’s pets were more likely to report earning less than $35,000 per year (37%).
Drama club was also ranked as one of the highest among personas in public administration/government. More geeks reported holding positions in engineering and retail than other personas, while teacher’s pets were ranked as one of the highest in construction and banking and finance.
Job satisfaction levels are highest among teacher’s pets and cheerleaders. Eighty-one percent of teacher’s pets and 76% of cheerleaders said they are satisfied with their jobs . Geeks and class clowns had the greatest number who reported dissatisfaction with their jobs at 21% and 18%, respectively.

Dental Dangers
Silver dental fillings contain mercury, and the government for the first time is warning that they may pose a safety concern for pregnant women and young children. The Food and Drug Administration posted the precaution on its Web site earlier this month, to settle a lawsuit - making the move a victory for anti-mercury activists. The warning, they say, is not aimed at the general population, only at two groups already urged to limit mercury from another source - seafood - because too much can harm a developing brain.
The fillings, formally known as dental amalgams, “contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses,” reads the FDA Web posting. That doesn’t mean it truly harms, the FDA adds, advising against removing existing fillings.
The agency still is studying whether the small amount of mercury vapor released by chewing and brushing is enough to cause neurologic disorders or other problems in youngsters. There have been only a handful of rigorous studies comparing children given either amalgam fillings or tooth-colored resin composite fillings that are mercury-free - and those studies haven’t detected any brain problems.
Nor has that research settled the long-simmering scientific controversy. Two years ago, the FDA’s own independent scientific advisers said that while amalgam fillings were safe for most people, more research was needed about potential effects on fetuses and children under 6. And this spring, the FDA put dentists on notice that it is considering additional controls, including whether to require warnings that would advise consumers of the mercury in amalgams before they have a cavity filled, or perhaps even restrict use in small children and certain other patients. It is accepting public comments until July 28.

Shower Safety
Plastic shower curtains and liners sold at big-box retailers release chemicals associated with cancer, liver and nervous system damage, an environmental group contends.
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice wants the feds to recall and ban all polyvinyl chloride bath curtains and liners.
“The familiar ‘new curtain smell’ may be toxic to your health,” said Mike Schade, the center’s PVC campaign coordinator. “It’s really surprising that retailers are manufacturing products that contain and release harmful chemicals in our homes.”
The Washington, D.C.-based group tested five house-brand curtains and liners sold by Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, K-Mart and Sears. All contained phthalates, chemicals that make plastic soft, and metals. One curtain made by Wal-Mart expelled high levels of gases called volatile organic compounds for the first three days after it was opened.
Consumers have complained on company Web sites about headaches and nausea after opening the items. But critics said the study was flawed and tested too few products to be conclusive.
No studies have connected the products to illnesses in consumers. Exposure to high levels of chemicals in PVC-manufacturing plants and in animal tests has been associated with increased disease risk.
Airing out a plastic curtain for a week before hanging it up should bring volatile organic compounds down to acceptable levels.

Rural Crisis...
So gas is high. What, besides our distances, are the current disadvantages to driving in rural areas?
Across broad swaths of the South, Southwest, the upper Great Plains, and rural New York state, the combination of low incomes, high gas prices and heavy dependence on pickup trucks and vans is putting an even tighter squeeze on family budgets. People are giving up meat so they can buy fuel. Gasoline theft is rising. And drivers are running out of gas more often, leaving their cars by the side of the road until they can scrape together gas money.
The disparity between rural America and the rest of the country is a matter of simple home economics. Nationwide, Americans are now spending about 4 percent of their take-home income on gasoline. By contrast, in some rural counties, that figure has surpassed 13 percent. As a result, gasoline expenses are rivaling what families spend on food and housing.
Economists say that despite widespread concern about gasoline prices, the nationwide impact of the oil crisis has so far been gentler than during the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s, when shortages caused long lines at the pump, set off inflation and drove the economy into recession.
Americans on average now spend about 4 percent of their after-tax income on transportation fuels, according to Brian A. Bethune, an economist at Global Insight, a forecasting firm. That compares with 4.5 percent in early 1981, the highest point since World War II. At its lowest point, in 1998, that share dropped to 1.9 percent.
Sociologists and economists who study rural poverty say the gasoline crisis, if it persists, could accelerate population loss and decrease the tax base in some areas as more people move closer to urban manufacturing jobs. They warn that the high cost of driving makes low-wage labor even less attractive to workers, especially those who also have to pay for child care and can live off welfare and food stamps.
“As gas prices rise, working less could be the economically rational choice,” said Tim Slack, a sociologist at Louisiana State University who studies rural poverty. “That would mean lower incomes for the poor and greater distance from the mainstream.”

Strange Attack
The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an assault on a man in his apartment that took place in the early morning hours of Friday, June 6 in rural Rochester near the Olive hamlet of Samsonville. Four Hispanic men are reported to have gone to 22 Leghorn Road looking for a man who lives in an upstairs apartment. The resident of the downstairs apartment asked them who they were looking for and at that point, they forced their way into his apartment where his finance and young children were. One of the men punched him in the head and another pointed a handgun at him. The tenant was able to fend off the attackers and struck one in the face with the butt end of a legally owned shotgun.The four assailants fled in an unknown direction in a white Ford Expedition with no front license plate.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ulster County sheriff’s Office at 845-338-3640. All calls will be kept confidential.

Younger Voters
Voting is as American as mom and apple pie - the more votes cast, the better for democracy, right? Not necessarily. Efforts to gradually increase California’s pool of voters by targeting young teenagers are splitting the Capitol along party lines. Democrats support, Republicans oppose.
The issue came to a head recently with California Assembly Bill 1819, which would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote, qualifying them automatically when they reach 18. The bill passed the Assembly and was sent to the Senate last month on a party-line vote, 45-31, with no GOP support.
“The truth is, when you’re young you tend to think like a liberal,” opponents said. “As you get older and wiser ... you tend to become more conservative.”
Polls by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California have found that among voters 18 to 24, Democrats lead in voter registration with 40 percent, followed by independents, 31 percent; Republicans, 22 percent; and minor-party supporters, 7 percent. Nearly half of California’s public school students are Latino, a key Democratic constituency, so boosting high school registration also could increase the proportion of minority voters gradually - potentially affecting legislative priorities.
GOP lawmakers say young teens are not mature enough to choose a political party; campus sign-ups could spark partisan recruiting; counties would incur record-keeping costs; and 18-year-olds who leave town for college would have to reregister anyway.

Stronger Pot
Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released recently by the White House. The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 through 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 percent in 2007, compared with 8.75 percent the previous year. The 9.6 percent level represents more than a doubling of marijuana potency since 1983, when it averaged just under 4 percent.
While the drug’s potency may be rising, marijuana users generally adjust to the level of potency and smoke it accordingly, said Dr. Mitch Earleywine, who teaches psychology at the State University of New York in Albany and serves as an adviser for marijuana advocacy groups. “Stronger cannabis leads to less inhaled smoke,” he said.
The White House office attributed the increases in marijuana potency to sophisticated growing techniques that drug traffickers are using at sites in the United States and Canada.
The project analyzed data on 62,797 cannabis samples, 1,302 hashish samples, and 468 hash oil samples obtained primarily from seizures by law enforcement agencies in 48 states since 1975.

Dead Hiker
A man found dead along a hiking trail in the Catskill Mountain State Park community of Hunter had a history of heart disease, according to state police. Three women who were hiking the Pekoy Blue Trail in Tanneresville on June 12 discovered the body of 59-year-old Terry Finger of Columbia, Mo., according to troopers at the Catskill barracks. Finger used to live in Saugerties and was in the area visiting relatives, police said. Senior Investigator Scott Youngblood said Finger had a history of heart problems and, based on evidence at the scene, foul play did not appear to be a factor in the death. An autopsy was being conducted at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
Finger, who family members told police was an avid outdoorsman, signed a park visitor’s log the day before he was found after parking his vehicle. Police were unsure exactly when Finger entered the trail but said he hiked between 2 and 3 miles before he died.