We had no idea that she was an angler. Turns out, Sally Jessy Raphael is an avid one, so much so that she and her husband will be the first to fish on Saturday morning on April 10 in Roscoe.

The Catskills town of Roscoe, N.Y., always celebrates trout opening in a big way. This year its festivities were moved to April 10, when Sally Jesse Raphael and others will lead the ceremonial 7:30 a.m. event at Junction Pool.

According to the Sullivan County Democrat, this is the second time that Sally has performed this ceremonial role for Roscoe:

... special guest fly fishers Sally Jesse Raphael, her husband, Karl Soderlund, and New York State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther ... will continue the tradition of the ceremonial First Cast of the trout season. Sally was the celebrity fly fishing guest back in 2000 and continues to enjoy casting a fly.

Conservationist Dennis Schvejda, who lives in the New York City watershed area, says that he just got a letter from the Catskill Watershed Corporation offering to pump out his septic tank, conduct a dye test on it, and replace any of its broken parts. For free.

For years, the CWC has had a program which bankrolls the replacement of septic systems owned by permanent residents who live within the watershed area. (There's millions set aside to fund it -- thank you, NYC watershed agreement.)

But this new service is something else, according to Schvejda, who answered our questions in an email:

The New York Times keeps digging, and the hole Gov. Paterson's in keeps getting deeper.

Gov. David A. Paterson personally helped draft a statement last month that he hoped would be endorsed by a woman involved in a domestic dispute with one of his top aides, proposing language asserting that there had been no violence in the encounter, according to three people with knowledge of the governor’s role.

Maria at New Paltz Gadfly would rather not see the New Paltz P.D. packing Tasers.

In order for Taser use to be warranted and effective, a target ideally would be middle aged, of normal build, good health, and sitting down. You would point the taser at the target's middle lower back (aka tramp stamp area). However, a taser would be used on a target who was belligerent, and unable to be restrained. These two points do not make ANY sense...they contradict each other...and they were two points brought before the police committee at their last meeting. Taser misuse can be extremely dangerous. Check out the news- a man was killed last week in Rhinebeck due to irresponsible tasing.

The opposition of Tasers for the NPPD is becoming a cause in town. So, naturally, they have a Facebook page; and, naturally, it's called "Don't Tase Me, Bro."

Margaretville resident Sherry Bush was killed in a head-on auto crash while driving to work in Walton yesterday, the Daily Star reports. Bush's car was struck by another vehicle that was trying to pass a tractor-trailer in a no-passing zone. The other driver, Joshua Stimpson of Masonville, was injured in the crash.

Deputies are attempting to identify the drivers of the tractor-trailer that Stimpson was attempting to pass as well as another, uninvolved, gray color vehicle traveling ahead of the Stimpson vehicle immediately prior to the accident. They are asking anyone with information to call the Delaware County Sheriff's Office at 746-2336.