Ulster County

Letter to the Editor: Catskill Mountain Rail Trail and Kingston

WP Newsroom — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:49:30 +0000

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my support for the proposed Catskill Mountain Rail Trail (CMRT). As a resident of the City of Kingston, I am very excited about the impact this trail will have on our city! The CMRT will begin in Midtown Kingston (near UPAC), continue to Kingston Plaza, pass alongside Kingston’s historic Stockade district, and continue north paralleling Route 28.

If you have ever ridden a bicycle along Albany Avenue or Broadway in Kingston, you know that navigating multiple lanes of traffic, traffic signals, turning lanes, and parked cars can be daunting. Even as an experienced cyclist, it is not something I do on a regular basis with my family, and I know many people share my concerns. The CMRT will give residents and visitors a safe, car-free environment for recreation and transportation. A study by the Federal Highway Administration found that 40 percent of all trips in urban areas are two miles or less, but taken by car 68 percent of the time. Let’s put a dent in that number and make walking and bicycling more attractive; UPAC to Kingston Plaza is less than one mile. The CMRT will make our roads less congested and, perhaps most importantly, our city residents healthier and safer. In addition, I also look forward to seeing the economic boost local businesses will receive. The additional foot traffic from residents and out of town customers using the trail can only help existing businesses and encourage new business opportunities. Read more

Letter to the Editor: Reclaim, restore and repurpose the U&D for shared use!

WP Newsroom — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:10:41 +0000

Dear Editor,

The 38.5 mile U&D corridor was purchased in 1979 for 1.5 million dollars by Ulster County (approximately four million dollars in 2013 dollars). Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) supporters are now urging people to tell County Executive Mike Hein to “give “an indefinite lease” to the CMRR for the entire length of the 38.5 mile corridor. Railroad supporters claim the railroad “has the ability to maintain its own line and has NOT been a burden on the county or taxpayer”.

Really? Millions of taxpayer dollars and the conditions along the corridor shout otherwise. Past public funding received, the FEMA
monies the County has applied for on behalf of the private railroad company, as well as CMRR’s recent application for well in excess of a million dollars in NYS DOT funding are all public funds -- taxpayer monies. Read more

New study: Catskill Mountain Rail Trail a $3.1 million boon to Ulster County

Lissa Harris — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:09:40 +0000

Above: The old Ulster & Delaware rail tracks near Cathedral Glen on Highmount. Photo by Julia Reischel.

A controversial plan to convert Ulster County's old rail corridor into a walking trail from Kingston to Highmount got a boost on Monday, with the release of a new study of the trail's potential economic impact.

If built, the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail would allow hikers and bikers to go all the way from downtown Kingston to the Belleayre Ski Center, with access to the old Ulster & Delaware right-of-way that runs alongside the Ashokan Reservoir, currently closed to foot traffic. For trail advocates, it would be the realization of a long-held vision for the future of tourism and outdoor recreation in the region. Read more

Letter to the Editor: Kids, bikes, freedom, health and the rail trail

WP Newsroom — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:00:41 +0000

Dear Editor,

When I was a kid growing up in a Phoenix suburb, my friends and I rode our bikes everywhere. They were our source of freedom, adventure and comradeship. There were streets throughout the small city that were wide, lightly-trafficked, and safe. We never thought about “having to exercise”. Hours of unstructured fitness every day was just part of what we loved to do.

Kids naturally love adventure. And as parents we should want to support that natural urge—within safe parameters. The proposed conversion of the U&D corridor to a rail trail, (among the many other benefits that have been widely argued in these pages), can provide that kind of safe parameter for the kids in our area for adventure, freedom and health.

Studies have found that today’s kids spend an average of over 7 hours a day in front of electronic devices. The decline of youth health and activity, reflected in childhood obesity and diabetes rates, is a national health crisis. Read more

Route 213 in Rosendale closed

Lissa Harris — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:41:38 +0000

View Larger Map

Route 213 in Rosendale near the intersection with Binnewater Road is closed due to downed electrical wires, the NY Department of Transportation announced at 1:34pm Monday.

The road is expected to reopen by around 5:30pm. Read more

Driver at large in Marlborough hit-and-run

Lissa Harris — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:46:23 +0000

State police are looking for a New Jersey man after a Sunday evening hit-and-run accident in Marlborough that left a woman injured.

At 9:17pm Sunday, a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban was driving the wrong way on one-way Western Avenue, police say. The Chevrolet collided with a 2006 Honda Civic, struck three parked cars, turned onto Route 9W, and struck another parked car. The driver, who police say is 39-year-old Juan Flores-Fernandez of Brick, New Jersey, then abandoned the car and fled.

The driver of the Honda Civic, 27-year-old Marlborough resident Stephanie Mitchell, received minor injuries in the accident. Mitchell was transported to St. Francis Hospital by Mobile Life, treated and released .

Charges against Flores-Fernandez are pending. Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to call New York State Police at Highland at 845-691-2922.

Assisting in the incident, along with state troopers, were the Marlborough Police Department, Marlborough Fire Department and Mobile Life Support.

Flooding, road closures in Catskills as new rainstorms move south

Lissa Harris — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:44:04 +0000

NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

Above: A video report from News 10 of flooding in Middleburgh's Main Street on Friday afternoon.

Just when it was clearing up: Rainstorms moving south through the Hudson Valley prompted a fresh round of flood advisories and a few flash floods on Friday afternoon, a day after an east-moving storm prompted widespread flood watches across the Catskills. Read more

This weekend: A slew of upstate events for Father's Day

Anne Pyburn Craig — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:56:36 +0000

Lady Antebellum, appearing Saturday at the Taste of Country Festival at Hunter Mountain.

Father’s Day is upon us -- an opportunity to honor and enjoy the dad in your life. This weekend, the various venues and organizations of the Catskills region and beyond have a varied batch of opportunities on tap for celebratory good times.

Some of the events listed below aren’t specifically planned with Father’s Day in mind -- but hey, paternal units come in all sorts of flavors. If you and Pater decide something is a Father’s Day outing, we’re sure the organizers won’t mind.

DELAWARE COUNTY

The Delaware County Fairgrounds in Walton will be taken over for the weekend by the Walton Regional Livestock Show -- more prize pigs, goats, cows and sheep than you can shake a dad at. Special this year: New bull show events, with a $100 prize for the champion. Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16. Read more

Ulster County issues legal ultimatum to Catskill Mountain Railroad

Lissa Harris — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:51:34 +0000

On Wednesday, a simmering dispute over the future of the Ulster and Delaware rail corridor in Ulster County erupted in legal action: County executive Mike Hein has served the privately-operated Catskill Mountain Railroad with a legal "demand to cure" notice, alleging that the railroad has violated the terms of their 25-year lease with the county, signed in 1991.

In the letter (embedded below), Hein states that the railroad has defaulted on nine separate points of the lease, and demands that the railroad come into compliance within 30 days, or risk forfeiting their lease and having their property seized.

Hein and county officials claim the railroad has committed the following lease violations: Read more

Storm tracking south, but flood watches still in effect

Lissa Harris — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:26:35 +0000

A rainfall prediction issued by the National Weather Service in Binghamton early Thursday morning, calling for 2 to 3 inches of rain in the southwestern Catskills region.

The latest forecasts for a rainstorm sweeping through the area Thursday and into Friday are calling for slightly less rain than originally predicted in some areas, but flood watches remain in effect throughout the Catskills region.

As the rainstorm has moved into the area from the southwest, it has tracked slightly more south than initially expected, Hudson Valley Weather reported late Wednesday night:

Storm looks to be taking a more southerly track and also a bit weaker as well. While the HV is still under the gun for a 1-3 inch rainfall the 4-5 inches looks a bit less likely. While the 2-3 is still enough to cause some issues with flooding it is a better solution. If the storm trends any further south we may see another reduction is projected rainfall. Read more

Man stabs himself to death on Thruway

Lissa Harris — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:22:58 +0000

An Elmont man stabbed himself to death while driving on the New York State Thruway in the Ulster County town of Plattekill on Tuesday, according to a statement by New York State Police.

Around 7:25pm on Tuesday, police say, two witnesses saw a 2002 Volkswagen sedan driving erratically on the Thruway, and then pulling off the road and into a wooded area. When police responded to the scene, they found 48-year-old Elmont resident Jon D. Sheppard unconscious in the car, suffering from apparently self-inflicted stab wounds.

Efforts to revive Sheppard were unsuccessful, and he was transported to St. Luke's Hospital in Newburgh where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was performed on Wednesday, and found that the cause of death was suicide by self-inflicted stab wounds.

Chichester man arrested for burglary and stalking

Lissa Harris — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:47:18 +0000

A 55-year-old Chichester man was arrested Monday on burglary and other charges and jailed.

According to a brief statement from the Shandaken Police Department, Randy J. Ostrander was arrested at 6:40pm on Monday, June 10. He faces charges of second-degree burglary, forcible touching and second-degree stalking.

Ostrander was arraigned in Shandaken town court and remanded to the custody of the Ulster County Sheriff's Department on $30,000 cash bail or $60,000 bond.

Several calls to Shandaken police for more information on the circumstances of Ostrander's arrest were not returned. The New York State Police, who assisted with the case, declined to release any information since the case fell under the jurisdiction of Shandaken police. Read more

Ulster County officials take sides in railroad battle

Lissa Harris — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:16:52 +0000

Above: The Catskill Mountain Railroad's Kingston City Shuttle. Photo from the Catskill Mountain Railroad website.

An ongoing battle between rail and trail supporters intensified this week, when the chair of Ulster County's Railroad Advisory Committee (RAC) resigned in protest of "closed door meetings" held by the county to discuss the future of the railroad corridor. Read more

Flood watches in effect across Catskills region

Lissa Harris — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:58:01 +0000

Above: 24-hour precipitation forecast for Thursday, June 13, issued Wednesday, June 12. Source: National Weather Service.

Heavy rain is expected to fall across southeastern New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and New England on Thursday, prompting flood watches across the region.

Flood watches have been declared across all five Catskills counties. A flood watch declared by the National Weather Service in Albany, covering Ulster, Greene and Schoharie counties, is in effect from Thursday morning through Saturday morning. In the western Catskills, Delaware and Sullivan counties are under a flood watch from Thursday morning to Friday morning. Read more

Diabetes Educational Seminar: Foot Care for People with Diabetes June 19

HealthAlliance of the Hudston Valley — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:53:15 +0000

With Dr. Douglas F. Tumen, DPM, FACFAS

Dr. Douglas F. Tumen has been practicing podiatry in the Kingston area for more than 25 years. A graduate of the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Tumen is a Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgeons- Board Certified in Foot Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Dr. Tumen is a marathon runner and former Race Director for the annual Kingston Classic 10K race, for which he was recently inducted into the Kingston Classic Hall of Fame. Active in community events, Dr. Tumen has served on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Kingston; was an Honorary Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Walkathon; a recipient of the “Pride of Ulster County” award from the U.C. Legislature; and a frequent guest speaker on WAMC National Public Radio’s Medical Monday talk show.

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013, 4:30-5:30pm

HealthAlliance Diabetes Education Center 37 Albany Ave, Kingston, NY Read more

The Watershed Post's News from Local Businesses column carries news from local businesses in our directory. Visit this business's page:

Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley