Photo of New York Cardinal-Archbishop Timothy Dolan, circa 2009. Via Wikimedia Commons.
On Monday, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world by announcing that he would resign on February 28. As the New York Times noted in a front-page story, he will be the first Pope to step down since 1415, when Gregory XII resigned to put an end to a schism in the Church.
Weather advisories are in effect across the Catskills this morning, as snow and freezing rain make for a slick commute on local roads. The slippery stuff is expected to shift over to rain by noon.
The following is an open letter to Ulster County Executive Mike Hein from Harry G. Jameson III, the Chairman of the Catskill Mountain Railroad Company. Jameson submitted this letter as a letter to the editor. For other letters about the future of the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Ulster County, click here, here and here. -- Julia Reischel
Dear Mr. Hein,
I am writing in response to the State of the County Address which you gave last week. We understand that you are still intent upon shutting down the Catskill Mountain Railroad Company’s Kingston operations for the plan of creating a hiking trail to the Ashokan Reservoir. The assumption you are making is that rail and trail are incompatible. We disagree. The CMRR will soon be publishing a study of the corridor that will clearly show that rail and trail can share the right-of-way. We wish that you had consulted with us before you launched your campaign to eliminate us, but we assume others gave you incomplete information. We would like to set the record straight. Read more
Sean Eldridge may be best known to the national press as "Chris Hughes's husband" -- the guy whose high-profile marriage to the wealthy Facebook co-founder and New Republic publisher made the New York Times's "Weddings" section last summer. But by the time the 2014 election season gets underway, odds are the 26-year-old investor will be a household name in his own right. Read more
This letter was sent by Michelle Sidrane, the president of Fleischmanns First and the owner of the Breezy Hill Inn, to Olympic Regional Development Authority CEO Ted Blazer following his appearance at the Boiceville Inn in Olive on January 24, 2013. (See our coverage of Blazer's appearance here.) Sidrane also submitted the letter as a Letter to the Editor. -- Julia Reischel
Mr. Blazer,
I am so sorry not to be able to attend this evening's event.
I write to you as the President of Fleischmanns First, an organization devoted to the economic redevelopment of Fleischmanns and the owner and manager of Breezy Hill Inn. The continuing success of Belleayre Ski Center is integral to the success of my business in the winter and the economic fortunes of Fleischmanns as well. So far this year, our numbers are below last years for skier and boarder stays. In fact, my reservations for the ski season looking forward are less than my reservations for June, July and August. Although President's weekend is looking good, the rest of the season is not. I am spending more on marketing this year to try to compensate for the reduction in marketing at Belleayre. Read more
By August, news outlets around the country are reporting, the U.S. Postal Service will put a halt to Saturday mail delivery in an effort to cut costs at the struggling agency.
The USPS hasn't made an official announcement yet -- a press conference will be held later today -- but the Associated Press has gotten a sneak peek at the agency's news release. From an AP story published this morning:
Material prepared for the Wednesday press conference by Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO, says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs. Read more
This morning, a joint legislative budget hearing was packed to the gills as Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner Joe Martens testified to legislators about hydraulic fracturing.
Astronomer and Woodstock local Bob Berman visited Bennett Intermediate School in Boiceville on January 30, bringing meteorites and a spectroscope to Bennett's after-school science club.
Ulster BOCES Community Relations staffer Valerie Havas (who also works as a publicist for the Onteora School District) was onhand to take photos of the students checking out Berman's tools of the astronomical trade. She shared a few of her photos with the Watershed Post.
Above, Berman watches as Gracie Foster looks at a cloud through a spectroscope. Below, Samuel Buono examines a meteor.
Photos by Valerie Havas/Ulster BOCES Community Relations. Used with permission. Read more
