Newsbriefs

6/5/2008

Cellular, At Last?
First Shandaken couldn’t get a cell tower in town if it tried. Now it appears they might be popping up in unexpected places. It was announced Monday that Verizon has asked for permission to build it’s own 130 foot tall tower, called a monopole, near the Town Hall in Allaben.
At this point negotiations are just beginning, but Supervisor Peter DiSclafani said that Verizon is offering a flat rate of $1500 a month to the town.
DiSclafani said that Verizon intends to allow the Town Highway Department a spot on the tower for its communications, which currently relies on the use of a 70 foot tall tower on the same property. The old tower would be removed, DiSclafani said and the new would be erected elsewhere on the land, probably behind the highway garage.
Asked what ever happened to the proposed tower for Glenbrook Park, DiSclafani said that construction was in progress, but that Verizon still wanted their own facility.
“They’ve been saying for six months that they don’t feel the Glenbrook tower location is very good,” he said.
Verizon occupies space on the South Mountain Tower in West Shokan and on the tower located atop Highmount.

Climate Change!
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)has announced the release of a Climate Change Assessment and Action Plan, a comprehensive report detailing the extensive work the Department has undertaken to better understand and plan for the potential impacts of climate change on the city’s water and sewer systems. The report outlines specific steps that DEP is taking to refine climate change projections for New York City and its watershed region, better quantify risks to existing systems, integrate climate change data into departmental planning for new projects, and develop both short-term and long-term adaptation strategies for critical infrastructure.
The report states that without proper planning and extensive adaptations climatic change could have a significant effect on New York City’s drinking water delivery, stormwater management and wastewater treatment systems. Preliminary analysis indicates that: Rising temperatures could exaggerate the frequency and severity of droughts and heat waves, increasing demand and straining drinking water supplies; Heavier precipitation could wash additional nutrients and particles into watershed reservoirs, elevating pathogen levels and compromising the viability of DEP’s unfiltered drinking water system; Increased precipitation would also overwhelm drainage systems, treatment facilities and sewer infrastructure; and rising seas could pose a similar threat to key in-city infrastructure, particularly coastal wastewater treatment plants.
The DEP is working to integrate climate change projections into the planning for all new projects... including its review of the Shandaken-based Belleayre Resort and Ski Center Expansion project, for which similar reviews must be undertaken by all parties. Wherever possible, engineering and design specifications are undergoing modification to account for future climatic shifts and changing physical conditions, and existing projects are already undergoing rigorous evaluation to determine if climate considerations can be integrated immediately.
“Climate change is a complex, emerging issue,” said DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. “The timing and extent of change is uncertain, and modifying large-scale infrastructure systems is expensive and takes time, but with proper planning, we can make significant progress and develop adaptation strategies…”
In an effort to reduce the impacts of pollutants such as dioxins, particulate matter and carbon monoxide and to limit the risks of wildfires, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed in early May to extend a ban on open burning statewide beyond the current ban for any municipality with a population of 20,000, a law in effect since 1972.
Once considered harmless, DEC has reported that open burning has been found to release more dangerous chemicals into the air than thought generations ago. A recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with DEC and the State Department of Health, found that emissions of dioxins and furans from backyard burning alone were greater than all other sources combined for the years 2002-04. The study also found that burning trash emits arsenic, carbon monoxide, benzene, styrene, formaldehyde, lead, hydrogen cyanide and other harmful chemicals. Trash containing plastics, polystyrene, pressure-treated and painted wood and bleached or colored papers can produce harmful chemicals when burned.
In addition to releasing pollutants, open burning is the largest single cause of wildfires in New York State such as that which burned in the Minnewaska area earlier this Spring. Data from DEC’s Forest Protection Division show that debris burning accounted for about 40 percent of wildfires between 1986 and 2006 - more than twice the next most-cited source. The proposed rule does allow for a number of exceptions, including camp fires, prescribed burns, celebratory bonfires (where allowed), fire training exercises, specialized burning to protect crops from frostbite and burning of agricultural wastes (though not agricultural plastics). The state is currently conducting a series of public hearings on the proposal, including one at 5 PM on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at the Norrie Point Environmental Center in Staatsburg, Staatsburg, two from 9:30 AM to noon and 5 to 8 PM on Wednesday, June 25, at DE’s Central Office, 625 Broadway, Public Assembly Room 129, Albany, NY
A growing number of local residents in the Catskills have started to vow a fight to protect their burn options… for trash and “the protection of a lifestyle we’ve grown used to,” according to Olive resident Rich Ostrander.
For more info visit www.dec.ny/gov.
Both measures come on the toes of the White House’s final release of a report outlining climate change dangers on a national basis, under court order and four years after it was first promised; and new talk about “greening” industries becoming a major force in the coming decades.
Stay tuned…

Shifting Chairs?
Longstanding Ulster County Democratic boss John Parete, the owner of the Boiceville Inn who got his political start turning Olive from Republican to Democrat nearly 40 years ago and now has two sons on the Ulster County Legislature, is facing two challengers for party dominance this summer. Former Ulster County Assistant District Attorney Julian Schreibman, who ran for his party’s nomination for County District Attorney last year, announced his intention to seek Parete’s post this week, joining former Democratic D.A. candidate Jonathan Sennett of New Paltz, who announced earlier. A decision will be made in September.
Both former candidates stated last summer that they felt Parete, who also serves as one of two county Elections Commissioners, had intentionally stacked a committee panel to secure a waiver for a third candidate, Vincent Bradley Jr., to run on the Democratic line in the September primary. After Sennett received the party nomination, Bradley ran as a Conservative. The result was a district attorney race in which Republican Holley Carnright won against the split remaining vote, with some charging that Parete had hurt his party’s chances in the process.
Sennett said of his candidacy: “I intend to provide some youth and vigor and leadership in the party. I am very much interested in trying to bring together what appears to be division in the party.”
Schreibman has reserved comment for the time being.
Parete, who has been party chairman for 10 years, said he plans to focus all of his attention on the county comptroller and county executive races while “those other guys worry about getting a job.” He added that he plans to run entirely on his record - particularly the fact that when he took over, six Democrats served in the county Legislature, and now 19 have seats.

Sentenced I
Zephyr Dresser-Peck, 19 of Woodstock, was sentenced to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in state prison for the drunken driving crash that claimed the life of his best friend, Andrew “Drew” Dean-Lipson last May 19, 2007. The sentencing came after an emotional 75 minute court proceeding before Ulster County Judge J. Michael Bruhn that drew so many spectators the proceedings had to be moved to a larger courtroom.
The Dean-Lipson family said they got the maximum they could, which they still felt wasn’t enough. Dresser-Peck’s attorney, Steven Coffey, told the court of his client’s remorse for the accident, his work as a counselor for fellow teens to help them deal with similar drinking and driving problems that led to his tragedy, and read a statement from the boy, who spent much of the hearing in tears.
“Nothing that I can say or do can reverse this tragic event,” Coffey read. “I loved Drew and miss him every day.”
The teens had been among 35 or 40 students drinking at an after-prom party at the Maverick Road home of area attorney Alan Zwiebel, according to former District Attorney Donald Williams, who was special prosecutor in the case. Williams said the grand jury considered the facts and circumstances surrounding the crash and found “there were no charges that could be brought against the homeowners.”
The crash did, however, lead to the adoption of the Ulster County Social Host Law, which makes it a criminal offense for an adult homeowner to knowingly allow minors to drink on their premises.
It has also helped draw interest to the Awareness Program that Dresser-Peck became involved with, and which continues on after his sentencing.
Dresser-Peck, who was 18 at the time of the accident, originally was indicted for vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. In March, he pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter, admitting that he was behind the wheel about 5:40 a.m. on May 19, 2007, on Glasco Turnpike in Woodstock, when he crossed into the oncoming lane, overcorrected, and his vehicle went off the shoulder, became airborne and struck several trees, police said at the time.
Dean-Lipson, 19, of Music Hill Road, Woodstock, was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead at the scene. Dresser-Peck and another passenger, Michael “Mick” Sarandon, were not seriously injured.

New Futures?
A new economic development committee has been formed by the Shandaken Town Board. The committee is chaired by Pine Hill resident James Krueger, a singer/songwriter and Director of the Pine Hill Community Center. The Committee is rounded out by Heather Roberts, Stephanie Barnes, Steve Witte and Mike Ricciardella. The liaison to the Committee is Councilwoman Doris Bartlett. The Committee came under fire this week when Councilman Robert Stanley questioned its purchase of a $100 banner welcoming visitors expected to attend the Kayak races scheduled for June 7-8. Stanley felt the purchase should not have been made until the town board gave permission.

County Exec…
Ulster County Administrator Michael Hein will be the Democratic nominee for a new County Executive position likely to pay $125,000 a year versus the Republican Party’s pick of an Independent/Conservative, Leonard Bernardo, and a Kingston independent without part affiliation, Allan Wikman.
Ellenville Village Manager Elliot Auerbach defeated Ulster County Legislature Chairman David Donaldson 12,653-10,427 in weighted voting for the county comptroller’s race during the Democratic Party’s convention at the Hillside Manor in Kingston and will remain the party candidate unless Donaldson challenges him in a September primary. He will face Ulster resident James Quigley, who lobbied heavily against the new Charter system of governance for the county a few years ago.
Hein, 42, was appointed Ulster County administrator in 2006. Bernardo, 53 and a political novice, is an Accord resident and owner of the roller rink Skate Time 209.
The Charter Transition Committee is recommending a salary of $125,000 per year for the County Executive. The salary for the Comptroller is the same as elected offices of County Clerk, Sheriff and Treasurer, currently $95,533. The recommended salaries will be voted on by the full Legislature as part of the 2009 budget.
There will be a third Informational Meeting on the Charter shift for the Legislature, press and public on July 2, following the 6 PM Public Hearing on the Ethics Law in the Legislative Chambers, 6th Floor, County Office Building, 244 Fair Street, Kingston, New York. This information session will cover the last portion of the Administrative Code as well as the proposed financial organization.

Flood Controls?
New York City has announced the results of the work of its Flood Mitigation Taskforce, created in response to extreme weather events throughout the City and its watershed last year. The goals of the Taskforce were to first, develop a citywide emergency flood response plan to coordinate agency responses to predicted and in-progress heavy rain events; second, develop community education and outreach materials for empowering residents to protect themselves and their property; and third, identify and examine Stormwater Mitigation Study Areas (SMSAs) for strategies that will improve stormwater management in the most affected areas in the short term.
“One likely impact of global warming is an increase in the intensity and number of the coastal storms that often hit New York,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “In the wake of three severe storms that struck the City last year - one which brought our subway system to a virtual standstill - I convened an inter-agency task force to improve our city’s flood preparation and response. Modernizing our sewer infrastructure is going to take decades. While we’re committed to making these long-term infrastructure improvements, there is also a lot we can do in the short term to help safeguard our city against flash flooding.”
How this all ends up effecting the City’s relationship with upstate watershed communities is, as yet, anyone’s guess.
In related news, a Floodplain Mapping and Management Seminar will be held on June 10 bringing together representatives of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Rondout Creek Watershed Council, Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership and Wallkill River Task Force to educate municipal officials and residents and businesses living or working in flood prone areas in our own region about the latest regulations and technologies for flood prevention, mitigation, and response.
Among points of interest to be discussed are recently changed floodplain maps, which effect availability of flood insurance throughout the county; Army Corps Reconnaissance Studies for the Esopus, Plattekill, Rondout and Wallkill creeks (the Corps is now considering taking the next step to do a Feasibility Study for these watersheds, taking a watershed-wide planning approach, with ongoing input from local municipalities); the Flood Mitigation Capacity of New York City’s Water Supply System, updating on new programs and City attitudes; The importance of Wetlands and Riparian Buffers in Flood Prevention and Mitigation. The individual presentations will be followed by a question and answer session and interactive discussion. Art Snyder, Director of Ulster County Emergency Communications/Emergency Management and DEC flood management staff will be on hand as resource people to join the panel and help answer questions.
Registration and networking will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10 with the program starting at 6:15 at the Rosendale Community Center on Route 32 in Rosendale. For further information please contact: Victor Melendez, Rondout Creek Watershed Council Coordinator at (845) 454-7673 x 112 victor@clearwater.org.

Sentenced II
A Phoenicia woman, 49-year old Carol Williams, was sentenced recently to one to three years in state prison for causing a head-on crash last summer in the town of Olive that killed a 78-year-old Roxbury man. Williams, who pleaded guilty in March to vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving, was sentenced in Ulster County Court by visiting Judge Paul Czajka for her culpability in the accident that took the life of Jose Hurtado.
The prosecution offered “no specific (sentencing) recommendation,” Ulster County Assistant District Attorney Gerard Van Loan said in court. Williams’ attorney, Ulster County Assistant Public Defender Michael Gould, asked that his client be given five years’ probation. The sentence handed down by Czajka fell in between the two.
Gould said Williams was seriously injured in the crash and is no longer “physically or legally capable of driving.” He said his client spent 40 days in Westchester Medical Center following the crash, underwent several surgeries for broken feet and legs and was in intensive care for weeks. He added that Williams poses no threat to the public, is suffering from both guilt and physical pain, and attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings regularly.
The crash occurred at 12:19 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2007 when Williams, who was westbound on Route 28 in Olive, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck Hurtado’s vehicle head-on. Hurtado was taken first to Benedictine Hospital in Kingston and died while being transferred to Westchester Medical Center.

Local Lectures “Learning about nature through the words of John Burroughs,” will be the topic of a talk by Tom Alworth Saturday, June 7 at 11 a.m. at Woodchuck Lodge in Roxbury. This is the second of a summer series of family-friendly presentations about Burroughs and nature to be offered at the Lodge where the renowned nature writer spent summers during the final 10 years of his life. The Lodge is about two miles off NYS Route 30 just north of the hamlet of Roxbury. Turn off Route 30 onto Hardscrabble Road, and then Burroughs Memorial Road. Alworth, a former member of the Woodchuck Lodge Board of Directors, served until recently as the Executive Director of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. He holds a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), has worked as a curriculum writer and educator for the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo, and served as Assistant Director of the Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station in Albany County. Woodchuck Lodge will be open for guided tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 and 8, as well as the first weekend of each month through October. There is no admission charge, but donations towards the restoration and upkeep of the building are greatly appreciated. Also upcoming are a series of talks about the historic Byrdcliffe Colony and its role as a center for the arts in the great Woodstock area since the early 20th century, all to take place at the historic property’s White Pines home of colony founders Ralph and Jane Whitehead. They start Saturday, June 14 at 2 PM with a talk about “Woodstock in Summer: The Art Student’s Life at Byrdcliffe” and continue the second Saturdays in July and August.
For further information visit www.woodstockguild.org or call 679-2079.

Trails Day!
National Trails Day hits on Saturday, June 7, with a flurry of back woods activities throughout the region. Here in the Catskills, one of the big events is a Catskill Center for Conservation and Development hike of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, which runs from Margaretville and the East Branch of the Delaware River south over Balsam Lake Mountain to the Beaver Kill. Thedifficult 15 mile hike will be split into two sections, allowing participants the opportunity to join in for one or both legs of the journey. A group will leave the Margaretville trailhead at 9AM, and then the Mill Brook road parking area at 2PM en route to the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower.
Bring lunch and plenty of water. No pets please. Registration required by June 5th. For more information, and to register please contact Ben Murdock or Peter Manning at 845-586-2611.
Much is also being organized through the Adirondack Club, including work on the Ashokan High Point Loop in the Sundown Wild Forest, where side cutting, drainage maintenance and blowdown removal will be focused on; the Giant Ledge-Panther Trail in the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area will be worked on from Fox Hollow to Panther Mountain, as well as from Giant Ledge to Panther Mountain; the Haynes Mountain trail in the Big Indian Wilderness Area will be cleared beginning at Rider Hollow; the Mount Tremper trail in the Phoenicia Wild Forest will be worked on from the junction of the Willow and Warner Creek Trails to Mount Tremper itself; and the West Kill Mountain trail will be sidecut in its entirety.
So… any excuses NOT to get in the woods this Saturday?

Not So Green
Americans rank last in a new National Geographic-sponsored survey released recently that compares environmental consumption habits in 14 countries.
Americans were least likely to choose the greener option in three out of four categories - housing, transportation and consumer goods - according to the assessment. In the fourth category, food, Americans ranked ahead of Japanese consumers, who eat more meat and seafood.
The rankings, called “Greendex,” are the first to compare the lifestyles and behaviors of consumers in multiple countries, according to the National Geographic Society. It plans to conduct the 100-plus question survey annually and considers trends more important than yearly scores.
India and Brazil tied for the highest score - 60 points out of a hundred. U.S. consumers scored 44.9. In between, China scored 56.1, Mexico 54.2, Hungary 53.2, Russia 52.4, Great Britain 50.2, Germany 50.2, Australia 50.2, Spain 50, Japan 49.1, France 48.7 and Canada 48.5.
To see how you score, take an abbreviated version of the survey. It’s at nationalgeographic.com/greendex

Bad On 28?
Following the lead of several residents, the Shandaken town supervisor has lodged an official complaint with the Region 8 office of the New York State Department of Transportation, saying Route 28, the main travel artery through the area, has become so riddled with potholes and craters that it is unsafe for motorists.
In a letter dated May 16, Shandaken Supervisor Peter DiSclafani told Region 8 Director Joan DuPont that something needs to be done to the state-owned road.
“This letter is in regards to the very poor and unsafe conditions of ... Route 28 throughout most of Shandaken,” DiSclafani wrote, adding that the state’s other roads in the area, including Routes 212 and 214, also are in bad shape. “They need immediate attention, not just cosmetic repairs. They need reconstruction and capital improvements.”
DiSclafani wrote that town officials “receive complaints about these roads on a daily basis” and that the state should “give this matter serious consideration.”
But DOT spokeswomen Sandra Jobson said that there are no plans, at least for the next several years, to overhaul Route 28 or the other roads cited by DiSclafani
“I’ve looked into if we have planned repaving projects (for that area), and we do not,” Jobson said. “We do not have any major reconstruction plans out over the next five years, and we do not have any resurfacing projects planned. We usually have those planned out over the next two years.”
Besides typical potholes, Route 28 in Shandaken has areas where coats of pavement, in some cases as large as a car, have stripped away, leaving indentations of 2 or 3 inches. Striking such a patch at the speed limit, 55 mph, can be risky.

Up At Tech City
After a decade’s pause, things finally seem about to start happening at the old IBM campus in the Town of Ulster, outside Kingston, currently known as Tech City. After several months negotiations, the first Ulster County funds to flow to the new Solar Consortium will make it into the pipeline this week. Ulster County Development Corporation President Lance Matteson announced that $130,000 of the $200,000 earmarked by the county legislature will be presented to the group to help the planned Solar Energy Consortium get started and operational and to deliver specific services to the county in terms of growing the solar industry in Ulster County . The remaining $70,000 will be parceled out over the course of the year.
The Solar Consortium is working to attract company’s involved in solar technology to set up shop at Tech City in the Town of Ulster.
Also of late, the Hudson Valley Film Commission and Matteson announced that TechCity has officially been granted certification as a qualified film studio by the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, allowing potential film productions to use facilities at TechCity to meet the requirements set forth by the recent NYS Film Credit.
NYS film credit regulations state that productions must use a soundstage measuring at least 7,000 square feet in order to comply. TechCity is a 27 building campus located in the heart of New York State’s emerging technology corridor. Available spaces measure in size from 7,000 to over 200,000.
Matteson and HVFC head Laurence Rejto have noted that the site, which served as IBM world headquarters, is ideal for future film productions… with three major possibilities currently in negotiations.
“The eventual goal however is to get several operating film studios settled in at TechCity full time–with staff, equipment, carpentry and prop buildings, the works,” said Rejto, also a founder of te Woodstock Film Festival. “It’s not an easy task but this is a step in the right direction. In order for the facility to thrive, it will need management and steady income to pay the nut. A legitimate network or cable talk show or cooking show would be an ideal first step. If the next Oprah reads this, please have her call our office.”
Got that?

Emerson $$$
The Town of Shandaken has found itself named in a lawsuit filed in State Supreme Court by an Electrical Contractor that is seeking to collect $136,255 for work done at the Emerson Resort and Spa last year.
Whitman Electric, Inc. filed the suit on April 24, 2008 against a slew of people and entities including Dean Gitter and many of the companies he is involved with. The suit also names other contractors that appear to have Liens against the Emerson.
In the 14 page complaint the companies vice president, Dale Whitman, states that his company worked at the Emerson between June 2006 and June 2007 and had an agreed price of $974,813.78. According to Whitman, $136,255.18 remains unpaid. He also claims that Gitter’s Spotted Dog Ventures,LLC., the General Contractor for the project, has refused to pay despite due demand, but never challenged the claim or disputed its accuracy.
Whitman filed a lien on the Emerson Property and claims “knowledge of other liens filed on the property and such lienors have been named as defendants to this action.”
One “lienor,” is the Town of Shandaken. Supervisor Peter DiSclafani said Monday that Attorney Paul Kellar is reviewing the lawsuit and believes it is a legal maneuver by Whitman to get to the front of the line for payment. The amount owed to the other lienors remains unclear.
The lawsuit asks the court to order that the Emerson be sold in order to pay the debt. It also asks the court to demand the defendants to account for the $4 million loan they received from the Roundout Savings Bank to build the Resort and Spa. That mortgage lists the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency, Spotted Dog Ventures, Kaatskill Development Holdings and Fort Shandaken Associates as mortgagers.

Our Scenic Cloves
The public is invited to discuss the Mountain Cloves Scenic Byway at Hunter Elementary School cafeteria at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2008. The meeting will focus on a proposal to extend the Scenic Byway within Hunter and preserve and upgrade existing and new segments of the Scenic Byway.
Dennis Lucas, Town of Hunter Supervisor, said “Our mountain cloves are unique natural, cultural, recreational and historic resources. The cloves and the routes that connect them have been attractions for over a century. This Scenic Byway project focuses on ways to protect and enhance the special qualities and recreational opportunities which are the underpinnings of our local and regional economy”.
State Routes 23A (Kaaterskill Clove) and 214 (Stony Clove), as well as Platte Clove Road, were designated NY State Scenic Roads in 1991 under the leadership of the town with assistance from the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. These routes subsequently became State Scenic Byways. In order to qualify for financial aid to protect and enhance the Byways, a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) is being developed by a broad-based Steering Committee. Project participants include the town Chamber of Commerce, the Hunter and the Catskill Mountain Foundations, Mountain Top Historical Society, and local, county, State and non-profit transportation, environmental and economic development stakeholders.
The project proposes to link the existing Byway into a continuous, connected Scenic Byway ‘loop’ through the designation of new segments. The CMP identifies the unique qualities of the Byway and Hunter’s environs and suggests organizational, marketing and planning actions that will preserve the most salient features of the Byway. This will enhance the visitor experience and promote overall economic development of Hunter and the Catskills.
The Project Steering Committee will facilitate the meeting and draft plans are available for review. For more information, visit the ‘public announcement’ section of the Town of Hunter web page: www:townofhuntergov.com, or call Town Supervisor Dennis Lucas Sr., Town Supervisor at (518)589-6151 x317.

College Costs
The $26,688,913 budget for Ulster County Community College presented to the Ulster County Legislature maintains the faculty, staff, equipment and facilities needed to offer nearly 50 college programs to the community via a 4.7% overall increase. Tuition for full time study is expected to increase by $60 a semester to $3420 a year. Part time tuition will increase by $10 to $130 per credit hour. The contribution by the County of Ulster is proposed to increase by $275,000 over last year for a total of $6.2 million. State base aid is expected to remain level over last year at $2,675 per funded FTE. State aid comprises 25.3 % of the College’s budget, while the County’s contribution comprises 27.1% and tuition accounts for 33.4% in the proposed budget.
The full legislature is expected to vote on the College’s budget at its meeting on June 11.

Our Rail Trail…
Ulster County’s Draft Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, which calls for eventual transformation of the long-dormant Ulster & Delaware Rail lines from Kingston to Highmount into a combined railroad and bicycle route, is now available for review… and up for a public hearing next week. The proposed Non-Motorized Transportation Plan includes more than 30 miles of shared use paths throughout the county, along with on-road bikeways, pedestrian improvements and supporting programs. The plan also identifies a county-wide system of non-motorized infrastructure, recommendations for Safe Routes to Schools, Complete Streets Policies, and a countywide bike parking program. A public meeting will be held to gather your comments on Tuesday, June 10 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM in the New Paltz BOCES Conference Room, 175 Route 32 North, New Paltz. The draft document for the Ulster Non-Motorized Transportation Plan is now available at the County’s website: www.co.ulster.ny.us/planning/bikeped.html.
We’ll keep you updated… and see you at the hearing!

Obituary...
Marilyn A. McManus, 76, of West Shokan, NY died Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at Freedom Square Nursing Home in Seminole, Florida after a battle with cancer. She was born in Kingston, NY on October 15, 1931, the daughter of the late Clifford and Teresa (Madden) Schryver.
A 1949 graduate of Kingston High School, she was a lifetime resident of the Hudson Valley having worked as a Bookkeeper/Secretary at Kingston Oil Supply Corp (KOSCO) for over fifteen years, managing her husband's construction business for the past 37 years and most recently working as a bus aide for the Onteora School District. She was also an avid New York Yankee fan and animal lover. Marilyn was a caring, generous and dedicated wife and mother and will be missed dearly. She is survived by one daughter, JoAnn DeCicco of Largo, FL; two sons Shawn McManus of Elkridge, MD. and Michael Bodnar of Pine Bush, NY; one brother Clifford Schryver, Jr. of Sawkill, NY. Seven grandchildren, four great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews also survive. She is predeceased by her husband John McManus, daughter Donna Benson, and previous husband Joseph A. Stephano, Jr. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Saint John's Church, Holly Hills, West Hurley, NY. Burial at Hudler Cemetery in Mt. Tremper, NY.

Food Shortages
World leaders are to meet next week for urgent talks aimed at preventing tens of millions of the world's poor dying of hunger as a result of soaring food prices. The summit in Rome is expected to pledge immediate aid to poor countries threatened by malnutrition as well as charting longer-term strategies for improving food production.
Hosted by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, it will hear calls for the establishment of a global food fund, as well as for new international guidelines on the cultivation of biofuels, which some have blamed for diverting land, crops and other resources away from food production. The urgency of the meeting follows historic spikes in the price of some staple foods. The price of rice has doubled since January this year, while the cost of dairy products, soya beans, wheat and sugar have also seen large increases.
A fortnight after the UN meeting, the EU council will focus much of its time on the food crisis. A ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in late June will make a last-ditch attempt in Geneva at agreeing the lowering of international trade barriers, with the aim of cutting food prices and making it easier for farmers in poor countries to export their produce. Food and climate change will also be the twin top themes of the G8 summit in Japan in early July, and then in September a UN summit will attempt to put the world back on course towards meeting the millennium development goals, agreed eight years ago, one of which was the halving of the number of the world's hungry.