Engine 407, a 1940s-era veteran of the Long Island Railroad and the Staten Island Railway, could easily have ended up on the scrap heap, Staten Island Advance reports. Instead, the little blue engine is getting buffed and polished and put into service on the Catskill Mountain Railroad, starting Memorial Day weekend.

Taken off its wheels to be lifted by crane onto a flatbed truck for the journey to the Kingston area, the bright blue 407 arrived late last week, and was reassembled.

Despite 407's advanced age, "this one is above-average because it was well cared-for and is in fantastic condition," said Bill Hayes of American Railway Technologies.

Even in sleepy Greene County, a lot has changed since 1997 -- the last time the county's administrative manual got an update. Yesterday, county legislators began to tackle the sticky question of what their social-networking policy should look like, the Daily Mail reports.

The draft policy doesn't prohibit county employees from Facebooking on their own time, but it does imply that the boss will be looking over their shoulders:

Be respectful to the county, other employees, customers and clients. Speak respectfully about the county and its current and potential employees, customers and clients. Do not engage in name calling or behavior that will reflect negatively on the county’s reputation. Note that the use of copy righted materials, unfounded or derogatory statements, or misrepresentation or any confidential or proprietary information is not viewed favorably by the county and can result in disciplinary action up to and including employment termination.

Last week, Covidien, one of the largest employers in Delaware County, announced that it was making the first layoffs of its almost 20 years in the tiny village of Hobart. This week, the Daily Mail Mountain Eagle has the numbers: 90 hourly and salaried positions are gone out of 700 at the plant.

According to the spokeswoman who talked to the Daily Mail Mountain Eagle, it's all globalization's fault:

“Manufacturing operations for Covidien’s Pharmaceuticals segment have been impacted due to decreasing volumes and increased global competition. To sustain the business, it is critical to control costs at our Hobart facility and align our operations with customer demand.”

Broadcasting live from the Rhinecliff Hotel in just a couple of hours: The inaugural webcast of Hudson Valley Green Drinks, whose members will be downing libations and talking about local sustainable food this evening. Tune in here for live "moderated talks with local green food producers," including Ken Greene of the Hudson Valley Seed Library and Marcus Giuliano of Aroma Thyme Bistro.

Fed up with a plague of feral cats in his neighborhood, Robert Senor, Democrat of Ward 8, wants to limit the number of cats per house in Kingston, the Freeman reports.

The alderman envisions a limit of between three and five cats, and his legislation will call for fines to be levied against people who have more than that, though perhaps not right away if other accommodations can be found for the excess cats.

Bonus points to Senor for using several pet-themed metaphors to justify the fines:

“We have to put teeth in this law, or we are barking up the wrong tree,” Senor said of including fines in the legislation.