Flanked by local officials at the offices of the Catskill Watershed Corporation, State Senator John Bonacic and Assemblyman Clifford Crouch call on Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to fire watershed inspector general Philip Bein. (Left to right: Hamden supervisor Wayne Marshfield, Harpersfield supervisor Jim Eisel, Bonacic, Crouch, Coalition of Watershed Towns chairman Dennis Lucas.) Photo by Lissa Harris.
The Daily Freeman reports that Woodstock dentist Michael Tischler (who's also a photographer) recently started a foundation that will:
...raise money to provide high-quality dental care to underprivileged children and raise awareness about the importance of good oral hygiene to overall health.
Adventures in the Outdoors reports from a cross-country ski trip from South Lake to Boulder Rock, with photos.
The trip out to Boulder Rock from South Lake is probably the 'classic' backcountry cross-country ski trip in the Catskill Mountains. It is not an overly long trip or difficult trip, but the trip out to Boulder Rock is pleasant enough and then the ski back offers plenty of opportunities for long downhill cruises with just a bit of climbing back up to the car at the South Lake dam.
Part time, spring through summer/fall. From Ulster Corps:
Nestled next to the southwest side of the Marlboro Hills, ten minutes from the center of college town New Paltz, New York, Liberty View Farm is a boutique farm and orchard of organically grown apples. Certified Naturally Grown by Hudson Valley peer review process, farmer Billiam van Roestenberg and René de Roneqe community-acclaimed farm business boasts a traditional American farmhouse; chickens, goats, bees and sheep; ornamental vegetable garden and hoop house.
The recession has squeezed the 30-year-old gallery from both ends: their building's owners can no longer afford to give them a break on rent, and the state budget crisis has eliminated much of their funding.
Stamer said that does not mean she nor her Board of Directors — who would have the decision-making power — are not interested in hearing from prospective landlords who might have an empty facility they would be interested in leasing to the arts group at a reduced rate — Windham or elsewhere.
“There is always hope,” Stamer said. “We are not closing our doors to any viable suggestions.”
From the Catskill Daily Mail.
How cold is it in upstate New York? A sampling from the Twitterverse:
@CatskillsCyclng 0F outside and a Phoebe is whistling its summer "Feee-beee" call. Someone has to lead the charge, eh? Sign me up!
@sleepjunky 4 degrees Fahrenheit, without the wind chill. It's like I woke up in Upstate New York or something.
@GarrettYankou -6 degrees right now in the Catskills. Then there's the wind. So stop you're bellyaching.
Founder Mark Greene is leaving for NYC, wants to leave the org in good hands.
Join Mark Greene at his home Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 5:30 PM for a discussion on the future of the KDC.
At an emergency meeting yesterday, watershed leaders scrambled to respond to a surprise attack by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on local hospitals that have been disposing of drugs by flushing them down sinks and toilets.
“I feel the action was wrong,” Jim Eisel, the supervisor of Harpersfield and chairman of the Delaware County Board of Supervisors, told his fellow board members of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) on January 28 at the CWC’s headquarters in Margaretville.
“It discriminates against the people in the watershed communities,” he said. “These are facilities we count on. They're very rural and very poor.”
On January 12, Cuomo announced that five local hospitals and nursing homes, including the O’Connor Hospital in Delhi and Margaretville Memorial Hospital in Margaretville , would pay fines and change their policies.
On the face of it, the situation in Delaware County looks like a straightforward case of polluters brought to justice. Hospitals and nursing homes have been disposing of drugs by flushing them down sinks and toilets, a practice of dubious legality that poses a threat to drinking water and wildlife. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo caught them at it. Rather than face the full wrath of the A.G. in court, the hospitals settled for fines and policy changes. Press releases were issued; the usual suspects in the environmental community applauded. Heckuva job, as they say.
Beneath the surface, the situation is far more complicated. Cuomo's sting operation has effectively confirmed local suspicions that the state is run at the whim of New York City at upstate expense, undone years of behind-the-scenes work on better ways to dispose of pharmaceutical waste, and put financially struggling rural hospitals in jeopardy with their creditors. It may be that the AG has overplayed his hand.
Want to be a farmer? Farm Catskills, a Delhi nonprofit that helps farmers find ways to sustain careers in agriculture, wants you to apply to its "Growing New Farmers" program. They've put out a call for "new or aspiring farmers," according to the The Greenhorns, a blog about a documentary film profiling young farmers and their "agricultural revival:"
Depending on your own needs and resources, the “Growing New Farmers” program can provide you with paid training, business planning, or affordable access to land and equipment to start your own business. If you are interested in starting your own farm or career in agriculture, please apply to the Growing New Farmers program. In our internship track, hard-working individuals can gain the hands-on experience needed to succeed in agriculture and ultimately start their own farm. A limited number of paid internships are available.
