Above: A chest freezer donated to the Matthew 25 Food Pantry by the Shoprite in Hudson, after the pantry at 298 Main Street was damaged by fire. Photo from the Matthew 25 Food Pantry's website.
The Matthew 25 Food Pantry in Catskill, which was shut down by fire a month ago, is moved to a new location at 8 Union Street and once again open for business, the Daily Mail reports:
Above: The Grist Mill Real Estate building at 265 Main Street in Saugerties, where a man fell to his death early Sunday morning. Image via Google Street Map.
On Sunday morning at 6:08am, 27-year-old Saugerties resident Donald E. Briggs was found unresponsive in a parking lot on 265 Main Street.
According to a release from the New York State Police, police responded to a call to Ulster County 911. An investigation by the New York State Police, Saugerties Police Department, and the Ulster County Sheriff's Office found that Briggs had fallen off the roof of 265 Main Street and suffered fatal injuries. The evidence indicated an accident, police said.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information related to the case should contact the New York State Police at Kingston, (845) 338-1702.
A call to Grist Mill Real Estate was not immediately returned.
Above: Kayaking on the Pepacton Reservoir, lucky ducks. Photo by Tina Schvejda in the Watershed Post Flickr pool.
Although commenting on the weather is this column's part-time vocation, there's little editorializing needed today: the weather is amazing, so read this quickly then get out there and enjoy your weekend!
Above: Ribbons (and a cow butt) much like the contestants at the Walton Regional Livestock Show will vie for this weekend. Photo by Flickr user Lottery Monkey on Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.
The second annual Walton Regional Livestock Show comes to the Delaware County Fairground tomorrow. The driving force behind the WRLS is to keep interest in farming high among young farmers and, in that spirit, the show offers a showmanship divisions for competitors under 18, as well as a division for 18+. Pigs, cows, goats and sheep will be judged, with $4,000 in prizes at stake. For more information, visit the listing in our calendar. -- Andrea Girolamo
Above: A video featuring actor Mark Ruffalo advocating for the New York Solar Jobs Act (S.4718/A.5173).
Actor Mark Ruffalo is known around the world for his recent role as The Hulk in "The Avengers" -- and locally, for his crusade against hydrofracking. Callicoon's most famous denizen is now on a new campaign in the battle against fossil fuels: The fight to make solar power a major energy source for New York State.
Ruffalo recently began campaiging for the New York Solar Jobs Act. If passed, the bill would mandate utility companies to buy solar energy credits, pumping a multi-billion dollar investment into the state's small but growing solar energy industry. Utility companies are opposing the bill, claiming that it would increase consumer energy costs, but a recent poll found that most New Yorker voters support it.
Yet another local Walmart is facing the wrath of regulators -- this time, for workplace safety violations.
A Walmart store in Cobleskill is facing over $50,000 in fines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for repeatedly violating workplace safety standards, according to an OSHA press release issued last week.
Federal inspectors found blocked emergency exits, missing fire extinguishers and other violations at the store:
OSHA found that emergency exit access from a receiving and storage area was obstructed by the storage of pallets containing merchandise and equipment, and employees were not able to safely operate pallet jacks in aisles and passageways that were obstructed by stacked merchandise. In addition, portable fire extinguishers were not mounted and located in safely accessible areas, and the lack of a protective fitting and strain relief for an electrical conduit entering a control box presented an electrical hazard...
Above: A Betsy Ross flag. Photo by Flickr user Northfielder, used under Creative Commons license.
Stamford celebrates the red, white and blue this evening with a Flag Day parade down Main Street, beginning at 6 pm. For more information, visit the listing in our calendar. -- Andrea Girolamo
Above: Republican Congressman Chris Gibson. Photo courtesy of the Gibson campaign.
While Democratic candidates Joel Tyner and Julian Schreibman will face a June primary before one of them moves on to the November election, Republican Congressman Chris Gibson is already campaigning for New York’s new 19th Congressional District. Gibson currently represents New York's 20th district, about half of which will be in the new NY-19 next year.
He may be facing a tough race in November. The district Gibson is hoping to represent is much more evenly split between Republicans and Democrats than the one he won in 2010: The new NY-19 has a 3 percent Republican advantage, as compared to 13 percent in the old NY-20.
Above: You're bearly there! Photo of Frost Valley YMCA's welcome bear from the YMCA's Facebook page.
This weekend, the Frost Valley YMCA is leading a free hike through its Model Forest. The Model Forest is one of Frost Valley's four watershed research and demonstrations sites created to "blend of best management practices, ecosystem research and interpretive education." Participants will learn about the effect of foresting practices on the land, air and water. For information on how to register for the hike, visit the listing in our calendar. -- Andrea Girolamo
A collision between an ATV and a dump truck on Route 30 in Gilboa early this afternoon left two teenagers dead, a 16-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
YNN reports that the two teenagers drove the ATV out of a field and into the road:
The Schoharie County sheriff confirms that the victims are a 16-year-old male and a 12-year-old female.
The sheriff said the ATV entered the southbound lane of Route 30 from a field and were struck by the dump truck.
The driver of the dump truck was not injured and he refused medical treatment at the scene. He was transporting supplies to the Gilboa Dam construction site.
The boy was from North Blenheim and the girl was from Gilboa. The two teens were not related. No tickets were issued in the case and it is still under investigation.
