New Paltz Gadfly

Word to the wise

2012-01-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

If I (or any New Paltz resident) asks for your campaign lawn sign and place it on my lawn, and then ask for a replacement when it goes missing, don't say to me, "I always assumed you were voting against me."

The cognitive dissonance of that statement is so very, very strong that I wonder how you can put your pants on in the morning, much less run a village. March of 2015 cannot come soon enough.

We are the 99%, at least in spirit

2012-01-20T15:28:00.000-05:00

At the New Paltz School Board meeting this week, there was a report by a representative from Alliance for Quality Education, a group focused on restoring millions of dollars' worth of state aid to local schools, and to make sure that the aid is distributed equitably.

I heard AQE's director, Billy Easton, speak at an event at Rondout Valley High School a few weeks ago. He was on fire as he showed how the cuts disproportionately harm the poorest districts. In fact, in the latest round of state aid shuffling, Rondout Valley is losing another half-million dollars.

Listening to the AQE rep speaking in New Paltz, I was amazed by the difference. The fellow was hesitant and apologetic as he explained that our district isn't really one of the ones that AQE's mission will help. Finally, Superintendent Maria Rice said it for him.

"We're a wealthy district according to state standards," she said.

Sure enough, while Rondout Valley lost half a million, board members here reported that the new state aid allocation will have them "about even," in Kt Tobin's words.

We may well feel like we're part of the subjugated majority in New Paltz, but there's at least one group out there which thinks we get too big a handout, and wants to take some away.

Occupying New Paltz

2012-01-14T10:36:00.002-05:00

Like most New Paltz residents, I haven't visited Occupy New Paltz in Hasbrouck Park, nor do I think there's anything wrong with that. They're the ones hanging out in tents in the cold; I tend to agree with Jason West that it's their job to reach out and explain to me why.

West is reportedly disappointed with that lack of outreach (but given that the same reporter claimed there was only one protester left, which has been denied by Amanda Sisenstein, the group's informal liaison, at a recent village board meeting, I wonder if that reporter even shows up for the things he writes about).

At that same meeting, former trustee Robert Feldman complained about the protest. That's great. Feldman couldn't be bothered showing up to finish out his term as a trustee - twice - but he finds the time to show up and whine. Does anyone listen to this guy anymore?

I wasn't able to attend that meeting, so I spoke to a trustee who does show up to do her job - Sally Rhoads. Sally is also one of a minority of trustees who still take my calls; apparently in the politics of the village the idea is to be responsive until you're elected, and then to become much too busy to talk to voters and taxpayers.

Sally and I discussed various rumors and conjecturing going on about the local Occupy protest. Are they stealing resources? Making a mess? Causing problems? She told me that these were the kinds of questions the board had, as well.

Electricity is being used by the protesters, taken from an outlet in the gazebo. Apparently that outlet was once locked, but not in my memory. Sally wasn't aware that park users regularly plug in cell phones and other devices to that outlet until I told her. The board feels that paying for the electricity is appropriate.
Fire safety is a concern, given that electric and/or kerosene heaters are being used around nylon tents. Firemen are nervous and the board wants the heaters to go.
Noise complaints were talked about, as well; apparently loud music has been heard in the early morning hours. It's not clear if the police were ever called about that.
Sexual assault of one or more Occupiers hit the news early on; according to Rhoads, the perp never identified himself as part of the movement, and was effectively stalking them. As noted in a letter to the New Paltz Times, the Occupiers turned him in.
The gazebo has been taken over, which was not part of the original plan, and it concerns the board. In the above-referenced article West mentions that people feel like it's an intrusion to visit, so it's safe to assume that those few people who might want to enjoy the gazebo at this time of year don't feel welcome in their own park.
Trash isn't being picked up timely, and my sense is that if sanitation doesn't improve the board will have to act.
Being in the park after dark is now, pardon the pun, a grey area. The board is allowing Occupy to stay there, but according to Rhoads if someone else were to hang out in the park or pitch a tent for the night, it wouldn't be okay. I haven't spoken to the police about their approach to this yet.
Drunk and disorderly people in the park have apparently been our usual locals, who aren't used to their gazebo being Occupied.

So the movement continues, but it's not clear exactly what it is that's being moved. Many progressive people I have spoken to, including explicit supporters of the Occupy movement, are puzzled by Occupy New Paltz. Given the questions asked by the village board, even the members who claim to have visited, our governing body has nary a clue what they're doing in the park and are simply reacting to complaints and rumors by asking village resident Amanda Sisenstein to get answers.

So like most things in New Paltz, we have gone off half-cocked on this protest. Maybe it's a good thing, but even our elected officials can't provide any specific reasons why. There are many complaints, but those complaining are equally ignorant. Maybe the idea of having a nationally-known protest visit our park gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling of radicalism, but thus far the only thing it's accomplished is the creation of rumors and the Occupation of the village board's agenda.

Salary comparison: New Paltz and Lloyd

2012-01-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

This week's New Paltz Times conveniently has the salaries for officials in New Paltz and Lloyd town government on opposite pages. It's an interesting comparison.

New Paltz pays its supervisor $19,312 more than Lloyd
Board members earn $9,469 in Lloyd, $469 more than here
They pay their highway superintendent $19,000 more
Lloyd's town clerk makes an extra $7,755
Our justices get $2,614 less each than theirs

In all, New Paltz pays its town elected officials $14,547 less than its neighbor to the east. The supervisor and highway superintendent are pretty much a wash; for some reason, each town values one of those positions significantly higher than the other. Given that the highway superintendent's budget is part of the budget which the supervisor presents, it seems that New Paltz has had a strong supervisor for many years, while Lloyd's town council is comprised of people who watch out for the salaries of other positions instead.

Of course I'd rather see elected officials get paid minimum wage (with overtime, of course), complete with filling out time sheets, and I'd do it at all levels of government.

Reevaluating recycling

2011-12-30T16:55:00.001-05:00

I haven't talked nearly as much about the New Paltz Recycling Center as I should have. Hidden behind the highway garage on Clearwater Road, it's so unknown that Google Maps confused it with the BMX track.

Recycling in New Paltz has had a tumultuous history. When it was part of the highway department, it was never all that clear how much money it was making or losing, or exactly how many deer carcasses town employees dumped around back. After it was split off and the Hudson Valley Materials Exchange signed a lease, it didn't get much better, because HVME paid little or nothing and again, it wasn't clear how much the place was making or losing. Now HVME is gone, and the trailers of stuff belong to the town and are sold by the "ReUse Center."

The center makes most of its money by selling bulk scrap metal and other recyclable materials. The retail aspect could continue to grow, but I think the way the town collects recycling is bass-ackwards.

Town residents shouldn't pay for a permit, and shouldn't pay to dispose of anything that the center can sell for money. It's insulting to charge me money to drop off something that you can resell. Make the permit to recycle free, and charge for garbage, period. The town of Rochester has a free permit, and they keep it free because supervisor Carl Chipman doesn't want his recession-plagued residents to start dumping garbage on the roads. You can market the free permit and encourage more people to drop off those cash cows. It's even been suggested to me that the town could invest in a bottle machine, or some other method, that would allow the often-idle employees to collect more money by retrieving deposit bottles.

The center makes money, and even if it didn't, it improves the quality of life in the town by keeping crap off of our roads. Let's drop the barriers to recycling and increase how much this underutilized service can make.

Police commission: needed?

2011-12-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Move to dissolve Town of New Paltz Police Commission sparks controversy | New Paltz Times

Is having a police commission, which is not very common, a good thing? My gut is "yes," but I agree that it doesn't work as well as it could. The commission is two broad areas of concern, as I recall:

fiscal issues such as the departmental budget and personnel promotions, and
personnel issues, like promotions and citizen complaints.

A side note here: this is a recollection because I couldn't easily find it on the town web site. I didn't see the link to the town code anywhere obvious, but that thing's search function is so horrible I would rather have the law quoted right on the police commission's portion of the town site.

Five volunteers aren't really able to do both of those jobs justice, and I think they're both critical to maintaining a thoroughly transparent and absolutely right-sized force.

Given the size of the budget, I think it's worth making sure that financial professionals, the kind that will probably never get elected and is willing to work for free, look over this immense spending plan.
At the same time, having a group of people reviewing complaints makes sure that monitoring our protectors doesn't get lost in the wash of town business.

Jeff Logan says that "more government doesn't equal better government," and I imagine he disagrees with his father on the issue of consolidation, but I digress. More government is a problem if it prevents things you want to encourage, or encourages things you want to prevent. A citizen board reviewing complaints makes it easier and faster for a citizen to register one, and for the officer to have the matter resolved. The fiscal oversight in no way slows down the town's budget process - the police commission found savings which weren't implemented because the budget wasn't passed on time. More government in this case means better service for the same cost. What's the down side? The town council is reviewing a thoughtfully prepared budget?

I agree with Ira Margolis that the commission isn't perfect. There's too much emphasis on money, at times, and not enough on the long-term consequences.

Jeff Logan called the donation of a new police dog "the gift which keeps on taking."
Our local police, like departments nationwide, have strong incentives to prioritize crimes which will generate income. Specifically, they get to keep money and property seized in drug crimes, or some portion thereof. It's the flip side of "running a government like a business:" some crimes are literally worth more to the police than others.
Every part-time officer we've hired has eventually become full-time. Part-timers are hired because hey, they're so much cheaper because there's no benefits to pay. Too bad it never stays that way.
Giving SUNY security police status created another police force in the heart of our community, one which has no citizen oversight and heightens the sense that the college is apart from New Paltz. Better to have them pay for the same police protection as the rest of us, just as they do for fire protection.

With the dual responsibilities the commission has, these kinds of decisions and events don't get the scrutiny they deserve. Should we be mitigating for the external pressures on our police? Do we consider the logical progression of our own decisions?

I'd rather see the commission stay. The fact that they've annoyed our elected officials shows they're looking deeper than expected, and I like that.

Retooling and back to work!

2011-12-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, break is over, everyone back on your heads.

The New Paltz Gadfly has been gestating, and is being born anew. There are going to be a few changes to the blog, but never fear, change is good!

First off, it's just me here on in. I enjoyed having kT Tobin blogging alongside me for over two years, but she's decided to move on to other things. I hope she decides to weigh in as a commenter from time to time so that her viewpoint will not be entirely missed.
This gives me a chance to get away from politics! The Gadfly drifted political, but politics was never my personal preference. I prefer talking about government. What does that mean?

It means I'm not going to get caught up on nonsense like political campaigns. Only once has a local politician that I've supported actually been the person I thought he was after he was elected; that was Mike Nielson. It's impossible to tell what someone is really like when they're sidling up to you to curry favor, so I'm putting the curry aside.

This reinvigorated gadfly is going to be interested in what these people are doing once they're in office. If I interview an elected official I am going to try to avoid using direct quotes, which should minimize how much they can use this blog to look good. Instead I will focus on observing their actual behavior, and just paraphrase their excuses. No puffery, just a critical eye.

There's a lot of local government to talk about. The village, the town, the school district are all definitely local, and largely what I've focused on in the past. However, my political campaign helped me to understand how much county government impacts us, so I am sure to pay some attention to our local legislators; one of them is too steeped in the development world to even have an opinion on the most important issue to effect our senior citizens (sure wish he'd mentioned that during the campaign, hmm?) and the other will have plenty of opportunities to show his colors, whatever they may turn out to be.

It's the dawn of a new era, and like a phoenix, this gadfly is ready to set the world on fire.

Hiatus

2011-11-18T11:33:00.001-05:00

This gadfly is taking a hiatus from public commentary and participation. New Paltz has always been able to carry on without me, and right now I need to carry on without New Paltz.

No election results

2011-11-09T11:32:00.003-05:00

Election results are among the most popular posts here, so I'm very sorry they were not posted. You can find all results here. I was busy, and so was my co-blogger.

TPW endorses: Ulster Countywide races

2011-11-04T14:20:00.000-04:00

There are only two countywide races, and only one is contested. Nevertheless, I've thought long and hard about who to vote for.

County Executive

Mike Hein is running for his first full term (the transition to the charter form of government gave him three years to start), and he has no opponents. Considering the amount of money he's spending on billboards, though, I have to ask a simple question:

What office is Mike Hein running for?

If you feel the need to throw up a few lawn signs just to let people know there's an election, fine. It seems paranoid to me, but I'm not a politician, so what do I know?

But Hein is spending money on this unopposed race, which tells me that he has set his eyes on an office that he is not running for. Hinchey's Congressional seat, perhaps?

I take a dim view of people leaving an office they were elected to in order to do something else. It doesn't matter if that something else is political or not, and it doesn't matter if you are leaving a day early or several years in advance. I think it is a fundamental violation of the trust placed in you by the voters.

Obviously it doesn't matter who votes for Hein, but I want to be very clear that if he even sneezes at a higher office I will forevermore consider him just another scumbag politician. I hope not, because I find him to be approachable and engaging. Time will tell.

District Attorney

This has been a difficult decision for me. It's a simple job: prosecute crime. Seems like the simply defined jobs are the toughest ones to evaluate candidates for.

I've gotten a lot of pressure to support each candidate in this race. The political pressure I expected, and a good amount of emotional blackmail from supporters in one camp. That's made me hesitate all the more, because if I feel manipulated I need to take a step back and make a decision for the right reasons.

So what factors are there to consider? Both Sennett and Carnright have long track records as attorneys. Each has worked extensively both prosecuting and defending the accused. That's pretty much the minimum I would expect for anyone running for the DA position.

Carnright is proud of his conviction rate, but it's not a figure that impresses me. The bulk of criminal defendants can't afford a private attorney, and public defenders often only look at case files when they're in the courtroom. Even when the defendant is represented, a plea bargain counts towards the conviction rate. A high conviction rate is to be expected in our present system.

The incumbent is big on "going after" gangs, and I appreciate aggressive prosecution of violent offenders. His challenger says he wants to focus on crimes against youth and the elderly, which is another way to say the same thing: I will be tough on crime. Again, I expect nothing less. To be fair, the police are the ones who "go after" the bad guys; the DA's critical job is to make sure that they go to jail, hence the loudly-touted conviction rate.

While the current officeholder talks about himself, so does his opponent. Lots of attacks have come out about Carnright's being soft on public corruption and unable to distance himself when he needs to. Should he have recused himself in the Tim Matthews case? I think so. Was it wrong for him to keep money in an "off books" account when the law specifically lets him? I don't think so. Do constant attacks say more about the attacker anyway? I tend to believe that.

When a candidate is nothing but an empty suit, someone whose main claim to fame is "I'm not the other guy," it's always tough for me to support him. I never voted for Rick Lazio, and it was only my intense hatred of George W. Bush that got me to hold my nose and vote for John Kerry. This challenger has been aggressive enough that it's commented on by pundits, but I won't say that he is without substance. The posturing makes me think he doesn't choose his campaign staff with the greatest of care, though, because he ran a better campaign when he talked entirely about his vision for the office.

Neither man would tell me that he would be willing to use his discretion as a DA to avoid prosecuting crimes that are immoral in his eyes. If either had I would have wanted to know more about those morals, but frankly I wish I could vote for someone with that sort of character. We've had many DAs prosecute because they found an action personally offensive, like marrying same-sex couples, so it would be nice to see the opposite for a change.

I've seen accusations that our fedora-wearing candidate was in The Bronx DA's office, he "went after" cops. This really goes to the heart of the matter. Do we want a DA who won't prosecute police? I sure don't. I think police protection is a delicate balance, because you want violent and dangerous people off the streets, but you still want to preserve freedom for the rest of us. Cops are not a protected class, nor are they a convenient target.

Those accusations don't trouble me, but they do speak to the commitment against public corruption on all levels. Either man will do a good job prosecuting violent criminals, swindlers and bad people of all stripes . . . except for those in government. I have come to be convinced that the incumbent does soften the blow against police, public officials, and corruption from within, so I think we should give someone else a try. I am supporting the challenger in this race for this reason. I have come to like and respect both men, and I have been treated poorly by some of my so-called friends for struggling with this decision, which nearly caused me to change my mind. I do not think either one is evil, and I am glad I don't have to do that job myself. I've spent far more time thinking about this race than I should have, and I simply hope that my decision doesn't disappoint me as sorely as a vote I cast back in the spring has.

TPW endorses: county legislature

2011-11-03T12:13:00.000-04:00

No one seems to have a clear idea what goes on in county government, which is something I can only blame our current legislators for. Now that we are switching to single-member districts, the new representatives will, I hope, start feeling like they are accountable to their constituents.

District 20

includes the village and those areas that you always thought should be part of the village: I'm running in this district, so I won't spend a lot of time telling you why you should vote for TPW. In fact, I said it best in the New Paltz Times, so go ahead and read it there. It's time for a change, and I'm the change we need. 'Nuff said.

District 17

includes all the rest of New Paltz and a smidgen of Esopus. We have three choices there:

Les Kalmus, an Esopus resident who owned an IT business for many years. Les has classic Republican values (don't spend what you don't have, privatizing always makes things better) and a low-key demeanor. I don't expect Les to grab the spotlight for political gain. Nobody hates him. He's doing this to try to make a difference.
Steve Greenfield, New Paltz resident and former school board member. Steve is an excellent researcher with an inflammatory style. He came out firing both barrels against Susan Zimet before she left this race, and then took her WFP line when she did. I've crossed swords with Steve, even on issues where we agree. Steve is a polarizing force who always backs up his positions with facts.
Ken Wishnick, the replacement for Zimet on the Democratic line. Ken has a lot of experience with planning and administration which could be put to good use on the county level. He also has expressed questionable judgment in the past; when he was on the Town Council he helped write the job description for Town Planner, and then resigned to apply for the job he created.

I can't support Ken for the same reason I can't support Jean Gallucci - he doesn't see a problem with how he handled that issue, and I fear that other morally grey matters will trouble him in the future. Despite the fact that when we disagree it's explosive, I like Steve and his ideas; I just wish that "explosive" wasn't such a common part of his equation. I know that I won't agree with Les on some issues, such as whether we really know enough to decide Golden Hill's fate, but I can tell that he is someone who can work in a diverse group without it getting personal.

I believe that both Steve and Les will work hard, and that I could work with either of them, so for a tie-breaker I look to the town itself. We have seen how bad things get when our supervisor and mayor hate each other; do we want legislators that can work with our community? I do, and I am really not sure if Susan Zimet dislikes Steve Greenfield or Hector Rodriguez more - the evidence of disharmony with both men runs rampant through the news and letters pages. With collaboration as the tiebreaker, I am recommending a vote for Les Kalmus in District 17.

TPW endorses: town races

2011-11-02T07:46:00.001-04:00

I have a pretty harsh view on voting these days - if you don't know anything about the candidates, I don't think you have any business voting. I've gone so far as to suggest we run pure write-in elections to force people to pay attention, or stay home. It's as much about beating myself up for ignorant voting as anybody else . . . I mean, how many people do you know who have a clear idea who they want as a Surrogate's Court judge? Why have I ever found it okay to cast an uninformed vote?

A lot of people vote anyway, either by party line, or based on incumbency ("throw the bums out" or "I know that name"). Voting is important, but finding the time to be informed is not easy. To that end, I continue to share my personal endorsements. I hope that by sharing my reasons for supporting one or another candidate, it will help others cast more thoughtful votes.

Today, the New Paltz town races.

Supervisor and highway superintendent

These are easy: we're down to one candidate each, so it's just a question of which line you want to vote on. No endorsements necessary.

Town justice

I am not voting in this race. There is only one candidate, and I think we can do better. A decade into the 21st century we have a court staff that doesn't know how to use email (a problem they resolved by taking the email addresses off of the town's court site), and yet Justice Bacon is lobbying to raise their pay. He doesn't know how to run an office, his courtroom is always loud and disorganized, and he doesn't appear to know criminal law. I wish we had a better choice, but he's not getting my vote.

Town council

Four candidates are running for two seats this year, making this a big deal.

Kevin Barry is best known for his opposition to the Middle School project and the town's wetlands law. He is passionate about property rights and controlling taxation, neither of which I have a problem with. However, he has to learn to rein those passions in a bit. He can be downright aggressive when he's talking to people who disagree with him, and he has shown a lack of decorum at public meetings, blurting out comments at inappropriate times. I have been told by people I trust that they've felt physically threatened and nearly come to blows with him at times.
Jean Gallucci spent many years working for the town and village, and then served on the village board. Her financial acumen is above and beyond that of anyone on or running for the town council. Her judgment concerns me . . . she got her husband a job with the village as the parking meter guy while on the village board, and doesn't see a conflict of interest there. She also has a poor attendance record as an elected official.
Randall Leverette gets flack as being "anti-police" because of how demanding he is for information as a police commissioner. I know this is not the case - like me, he likes the idea of being safe from crime. Also like me, he doesn't believe that this means just writing a blank check to the department; if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. It's the same kind of common-sense approach that has been used in the highway department. No matter how much we love or hate a particular governmental service, the only way to fairly evaluate it is with hard data. There is nothing wrong with expecting more data from our police, firefighters, clerk, assessor, or any other department.
Ray Lunati is best known for his vocal opposition to laws restricting development on the flood plain. I was on the planning board, and I disagree with him. Notwithstanding the environmental concerns, every inch of asphalt and building we add to our town makes the flood plain more likely to flood, which imperils people on that side of the river. Ray has shown that he is extremely focused on that issue, nearly to the exclusion of all else.

My vote is for Leverette alone. I think Barry will let his passion get the best of him, Gallucci has questionable judgment, and Lunati is simply too focused on one narrow aspect of town governance.

SUNDAY 10/16! New Paltz Flood Aid Benefit Concert at Hasbrouck Park 12-7

2011-10-14T17:58:00.000-04:00

Leading up to Sunday's concert, New Paltz Flood Aid for Farmers, Families, and First Responders has collected over $30,000 from our 10/2 kickoff event and in sponsorships, donations, and concert ticket sales. But we still have a long way to go. What we have collected so far is just drop in the bucket compared to what our affected farms and families have lost. Nearly 250 acres were completely lost by our local New Paltz farmers this season, and many more are still in jeopardy due to the ongoing rains. Many families living in close proximity to the Wallkill River lost all their possessions, including some that have lost their homes forever. We need to continue to collect funds for the most in need in our community in the wake of Hurricanes Irene and Lee.

Our next event is this Sunday October 16^th, from 12:00pm to 7:00pm at Hasbrouck Park, an all day benefit concert. Gates open at 11:00. General admission tickets are $2o for adults, $15 for college students, senior citizens, and children age 12-18; with free admission for children under age 12. There are also $100 VIP tickets.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE NOW!!

This big musical event will include both local bands and musicians from afar - plugged in and acoustic. Our lineup includes: Ratboy Jr., Mark Sager and the Black Horse Riders, the Trapps, Casey Erdman and Friends, the Greyhounds, Mr. Roper, Dzuibecko, Connor Kennedy Band, Hector Tajeda (a local farmer who lost all of his crops), the Bow Thayer Band, Patrick Carlin (George Carlin's Brother), Alexis P. Suter, and Flood Aid All Stars: Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Steven Bernstein (of Levon Helm’s Band), Randy Ciarlante (of The Band), Byron Isaacs (of Levon Helm’s Band & Ollabelle), Jim Wieder (of The Band & Levon Helm’s Band), Erik Lawrence, Vito Petrocitto, Jeremy Baum and much, much more. This event will be streamed live on the Internet via webcast.

For more information about New Paltz Flood Aid, or to find out how to make donations or buy 10/16 concert tickets, visit www.NewPaltzFloodAid.org. If you are a New Paltz family or farm in need, please call Judy Ness at 845-332-8432.

MAKE A DONATION ONLINE NOW!!

BUY TICKETS ONLINE NOW!!

What's up with the school buses?

2011-10-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

I had a meeting at the middle school this morning, and I was leaving around the time that most of the kids were arriving.

Actually, the building was packed with kids, the ones who arrived by bus. Out front, though, was a long line of cars dropping kids off in ones and twos. Each child would dutifully wait until the parent's car pulled to the front of the line before getting out. I saw no child get out of a car more than twenty feet from the front door, and there was a line of cars spilling out onto Manheim.

I assume that this is a daily occurrence. I don't get to the middle school all that often, so it was new to me. It makes me wonder, though, what the problem is with the buses that so many parents drive their kids to school. I have some theories:

The walk from the bus area is too far. This is possible, since no child was traveling as much as fifty feet from car to door.
Bullying happens on buses. I know it did when I was a kid.
The time on the bus is too long from some parents (or children).

Beyond that, I have no clue. Are there any driving parents who can tell me why they do it? It seems like it adds a lot of time to an adult's morning routine, adds even more pollution from idling engines, and doesn't utilize buses that the district has to run anyway. Are one or more of my guesses correct? Is there another reason?

New Paltz Flood Aid - 1st Event Tomorrow 10/2

2011-10-01T11:20:00.002-04:00

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, New Paltz Flood Aid was created to help those most in need after the flooding. The monies generated by Flood Aid will be distributed to the New Paltz farmers, families, and first responders most affected by the flooding.

FIRST EVENT IS THIS SUNDAY!!!!

KICK OFF POTLUCK EVENT

Sunday, October 2nd, 3pm-8:30pm @ Water Street Market

Rain date: Sunday, October 9th
$20 suggested donation

On August 24, 2011, the Village of New Paltz passed a resolution declaring the first week of October the inaugural "New Paltz Local Food Week". Less than a week later, Hurricane Irene hit our region. As a result, this first year's focus will be on helping the people in our community most impacted by the flooding. The kick off event on Sunday, October 2nd will be a potluck fundraiser. Six local bands will be performing: The Love Taps, Ratboy, Seth Davis, SnowBear, The Sweet Clementines, & The Bubba Band. Local chefs will be preparing local food, and there will be raffles contributed by local businesses, and sign-ups for volunteer opportunities.

ALL DAY BENEFIT CONCERT

Sunday, October 16th, 12pm-7pm @ Hasbrouck Park, rain or shine, gates open at 11:00
$20 Individual/General Admission

$15 College Students with ID & Kids 12-18/General Admission

(Kick-off event attendees on 10/2 get these tickets for $5 off the regular price.)

Free to Kids under 12/General Admission

$100 VIP

This all day benefit concert will raise money for the people in our community hit hardest by Hurricane Irene flooding. All proceeds will go to the farmers, families, and first responders in New Paltz who were most impacted by the floods. This big musical event on Sunday, October 16th will include both local bands and musicians from afar - plugged in and acoustic, including: Ratboy Jr., Mark Sager and the Black Horse Riders, the Trapps, Casey Erdman and Friends, the Greyhounds, Mr. Roper, Dzuibecko, Connor Kennedy Band, Hector Tajeda (a local farmer who lost all of his crops), the Bow Thayer Band, the Greyhounds, Patrick Carlin (George Carlin's Brother), Alexis P. Suter, and Butch's Flood Aid All Stars: Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Steven Bernstein (of Levon Helm’s Band), Randy Ciarlante (of The Band), Byron Isaacs (of Levon Helm’s Band & Ollabelle), Jim Wieder (of The Band & Levon Helm’s Band), Erik Lawrence, Vito Petrocitto, Jeremy Baum and much, much more. This event will be streamed live on the Internet via webcast.

The New Paltz Community Foundation will administer, manage, & distribute all the funds. Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley is managing our ticket sales.

DONATIONS: You can make a donation here or donation checks can be made out to "New Paltz Community Foundation" with "FLOOD AID" in the memo. Their mailing address is the New Paltz Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1112, New Paltz, NY 12561.

TICKETS: To purchase tickets for the 10/13 all day concert, you can do so here, or at the 10/2 event - Kick-off event attendees on 10/2 get these tickets for $5 off the regular price!

SPONSORSHIPS!!!: Visit our website to learn about sponsorship opportunities.

Find us at:

www.NewPaltzFloodAid.org

on Facebook, search for New Paltz Flood Aid

on Twitter, NPFloodAid

Safe to drink?

2011-09-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

"I got a notice in the mail two days after the boil order was lifted," said a friend to me yesterday, rolling her eyes. She doesn't spend time on Facebook and had heard about the lifting through friends.

I got emailed the lift notice by the village clerk, and then shared it on Facebook, posted it here, and told everyone I met about it. I'm glad that the village took the extra step of sending out an email, particularly since some water users didn't know about the health alert for two days. Not everyone can be reached via email, and I'm at a loss to suggest a way to get the word out about a health crisis that is as comprehensive as the mail, but not as hazardously slow, although I've suggested some low-cost options like the email alert that could at least increase the message saturation.

The boil order was a pain, but it sure made me think about how we use water. Every time I turned on the tap, or poured from a plastic jug, I pondered how fragile our dependence on water is. We use it to drink, cook, wash, and flush away our excrement. Some people say that after the oil wars, the fights will be over water. It seems abundant here, particularly during a brutal flood season, but this boil order makes me realize that clean, safe water is not guaranteed and should never be taken for granted.

The lack of comments on my posts about our water and sewer problems makes me wonder what this blog's small base of loyal readers thinks about water safety and water usage in New Paltz. Am I the only person who isn't in government who is concerned about water?

2011 Democratic and WFP Primary Results

2011-09-13T21:32:00.003-04:00

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Democratic Primary

Hector Rodriguez 212
Tom Cotton 77
Write in 1

Working Families Primary

Hector Rodriguez 8
Tom Cotton 0
Write in 1

Water ban lifted

2011-09-13T11:04:00.001-04:00

Boil Water Notice Lifted 9/13/11

Village and Town of New Paltz Public Water Supply

The Village of New Paltz in conjunction with the Ulster County Health Department are advising that the municipal water supply is once again, meeting and exceeding the standards set forth in the sanitary codes of New York State.

Therefore, the boil water notice is lifted and consumers of the Village, Town water districts and State University at New Paltz may again consume/ drink the water.

Additionally the Village Board extends their gratitude to all consumers inconvenienced during this event.

Water Boil Alert Over

2011-09-13T09:13:00.001-04:00

New Paltzians no longer need to boil their water. The alert/restriction is over.

Slow boil

2011-09-10T12:13:00.000-04:00

Some village residents may not have known about the boil-water order until today, two days after it was enacted. The notice which came in the mail was postmarked yesterday, at New Paltz, so that's probably the day that it actually got to the post office.

The order is precautionary only - as of yesterday, no tests by the Board of Health have turned up any problems - but I think we need a new way to get the word out than gossip, Facebook, and the mail.

The time it takes to print out the mailing labels and put them on notices probably took up all day Thursday, which is why it took so long to get them into the mail. I've been knocking on doors anyway, so I have been speaking to a lot of people about this issue. Some of the people I spoke to yesterday evening had only found out a few hours earlier, so Facebook and the like weren't serving some segments of the community well.

The notice was also on local access cable, the village web site, and probably posted in a number of other places that don't reach everybody, but represent a good-faith attempt to get the word out about this issue.

There's been talk about a better way. SUNY uses mass emails and texts to alert its community, and there's also the option of robocalls to reach all village residents (or water users in this case) in time of crisis.

But, these systems are not free, and our village (like every other level of government) has to balance the need for a solid emergency response with the resources to pay for them. I have some suggestions that are, or could be, low-cost or free.

Phone chain. It's an old-fashioned idea that could be very effective in this case. Concerned residents sign up, and village employees call the top person on each list (the number of which would be governed by the number of people participating) to give them the message. With a phone chain, you leave a message if you don't get the person, but you keep calling down the list until you do reach someone. The people who get the word this way will tell their friends, post online, and so forth because that's what people do anyway.
Leverage SUNY by asking them to expand their alert system to include New Paltz residents. It's a successful system that is presumably already paid for, so if the college decided to charge anyway it should be a nominal cost that is much less than inventing our own wheel, so to speak.
Police signs. The New Paltz Police has one or more electronic signs (complete with radar detectors!) that can be rolled into high-visibility locations and programmed with custom messages. Put them in strategic spots with the boil order notice to inform drivers and others.

These infrastructure issues seem to be cropping up more and more, so let's find innovative ways to keep the public informed for a minimal cost.

Announcing: FLOOD AID for New Paltz Farmers, Families, and First Responders

2011-09-09T17:23:00.013-04:00

Photo credit: Vince Looft & Rick Rauch

Announcing: FLOOD AID for New Paltz Farmers, Families, and First Responders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2011

Contact:
Theresa Fall 845.401.4499
kt Tobin 845.206.8853

KICK OFF POTLUCK EVENT
Sunday, October 2nd, 4pm-9pm @ Water Street Market
Rain date: Sunday, October 9th
$20 suggested donation
On August 24, 2011, the Village of New Paltz passed a resolution declaring the first week of October the inaugural "New Paltz Local Food Week". Less than a week later, Hurricane Irene hit our region. As a result, this first year's focus will be on helping the people in our community most impacted by the flooding. The kick off event on Sunday, October 2nd will be a potluck fundraiser. Local bands will be performing: The Love Taps, Ratboy, Seth Davis, SnowBear, The Sweet Clementines, & The Bubba Band. Local chefs will be preparing local food, there will be raffles contributed by local businesses, and sign ups for volunteer opportunities.

ALL DAY BENEFIT CONCERT
Sunday, October 16th, 12pm-6pm @ Hasbrouck Park, rain or shine
There will be two types of tickets sold: Lawn & VIP Tent This all day benefit concert will raise money for the people in our community hit hardest by Hurricane Irene flooding. This big musical event on Sunday, October 16th will include both local bands and musicians from afar - plugged in and acoustic. There will be live auctions of items and gift certificates from local businesses. All proceeds will go to the farmers, families, and first responders in New Paltz who were most impacted by the floods.

Both events will be streamed live on the Internet via webcast. Donated items and gift certificates for the raffle and live auction can be dropped off at The Mudd Puddle, The Antique Barn, or Mixture.

For general information about New Paltz FLOOD AID, email NewPaltzFloodAid@gmail.com or check for updates on Facebook, search "FLOOD Aid for New Paltz Farmers, Families, and First Responders". If you are a New Paltz family or farm in need, please call Judy Ness at 845-332-8432. For information about the 10/2 Kick Off event, contact Theresa Fall at Water Street Market, 845-401-4499; and for info about the 10/16 Benefit Concert call Judy Ness at 845-332-8432.

What turbid water means

2011-09-09T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the boil water order and other issues with water in New Paltz, and I'm sure I'm not the only confused person in the community. I contacted the Ulster County Health Department and spoke with Shelly to get some answers.

Both of our water systems - the water coming out of the tap and the stuff going down the toilet - can have problems during what we used to call "hundred year floods." They are different problems, caused by the same thing - too much water.

The boil order is because of the massive amount of water feeding into the reservoir system that the village taps into. The water gets stirred up (that's your "turbidity"), and because of the volume there's no way for the water treatment plant to filter the stuff back out. The stuff which is stirred up could be just about anything one might find in a body of water . . . silt, sand, fish poop, critters too small for the eye to see . . . hence the precautionary order to boil our water.

Flooding also makes it impossible for the sewer plant to clean up all the water before it goes into the Wallkill. That's the source of the consent order you may have heard the village is under. Our system backs up far too easily, coming out of manholes in its raw and smelly state and getting right into the Wallkill. It's a more serious problem, but since no one is drinking Wallkill river water, most members of the public aren't clamoring for an immediate solution.

I was completely unclear about how the two are related, but that doesn't minimize how serious the problems are. Frankly, the village board needs our help in finding ways to solve our infrastructure problems, with the sewer system being tops on the list.

Sewage plant alert - boil your water, New Paltz!

2011-09-08T13:13:00.001-04:00

Public Notice:

Village and Town of New Paltz Public Water Supply
Due to extended periods of heavy rain the Village of New Paltz is issuing a notice to all Village and Town public water supply users. Water for human consumption must be boiled for a minimum of three minutes to ensure it is safe to drink until further notice. You will be notified when the boil water notice is lifted.

For further information, please contact the Ulster County Health Department at (845) 340-3010. For current update, call the Village of New Paltz Water Treatment Plant at (845) 255-2637. The treatment plant number is for update status only for an emergency call the New Paltz Police Department at (845) 255-1323.

Commentary:

I spoke with Bleu Terwilliger, Superintendent of Public Works, who was quick to point out, "You ain't gonna die." He characterized the boil order as "precautionary" because of the "increased turbidity" due to the amount of water coming through the treatment plant, but said that the plant is functional.

The Village Clerk's office is sending out a media release, a mailing, and delivering notices to affected businesses today. I checked three businesses before the notices were delivered; two had heard unconfirmed rumors of the order.

The owner of one pizzaria asked, "If this is a problem now, why wasn't it after Irene when the flooding was worse?" He hasn't been willing to sell fountain soda since the tropical storm out of concerns for the water quality.

River of Poop?

New Paltz definitely has sewer system problems, and I don't think people realize how serious they are. Our main treatment plant shut down completely during Irene, and lots and lots of Paltzian poop doesn't get processed on its way to the river when that happens. Something similar happened on the Deerfield River in Massachusetts, "resulting in a continuing discharge of untreated wastewater" downstream. I'm not a pro, but untreated wastewater sounds a lot like turds to me.

Under condition of anonymity I learned that the fire department used to pump out the plant directly into the Wallkill, but they no longer support the practice. The DPW handles that now, by doing things like opening up the sewer main on the bottom of Water Street and letting it run into the storm drain. I've seen the spot they're talking about, but as a layman I can't be sure what I'm looking at:

The fines levied against the village, I'm told, are less than the apparently incalculable cost of actually repairing and upgrading the sewer system. I say incalculable because everyone agrees it is more than the village can afford, but not one is willing to hazard a guess as to the actual price tag.

This is a crappy situation, and I don't think most people realize that I mean that literally. I don't think the village government is negligent, just unable to make the upgrades needed to act. What's harder to say is whether people are willfully ignorant of what happens when they flush their toilets, or if better communication would help.

So keep boiling your water, and if you swim in the Wallkill, try not to swallow.

A view from the table

2011-09-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

My second Republican caucus I got to sit at the table - and what a view it was! Politics never gets boring in New Paltz. I went in believing that my remarks as a candidate would be the most memorable part of the night to me, but the place really heated up, and it wasn't because the room was packed.

Although outnumbered by the Democrats in the room, the Republicans were mostly hesitant not to vote for one of their own. Randall Leverette and Ray Lunati got the nod for Town Council over Jean Gallucci and Kevin Barry, both former Republicans who switched registration to Democrat because that's how non-thinking voters in this town usually vote.

The nomination of Peter Cordovano for supervisor came as a surprise to many, although more than one person told me that they believed it was orchestrated some time ago. I thought Peter looked genuinely surprised, but the theory was that his nomination was made to protect Toni Hokanson. Peter would win because Republicans prefer GOP candidates, and then after he declined the committee to fill vacancies would appoint Toni to the line.

I don't buy it. Why? Because if Peter is that convincing an actor (he really seemed stunned), he would not have waffled when he was asked if running and serving would have an impact on his law practice. That waffling was honest, and I'm sure it cost him at least the one vote he fell short. If this had been rehearsed, he would have acted shocked, then recover, and speak with confidence when he accepted instead of saying, "I think I'll do it."

It may well be that Peter would have decided running on short notice was foolhardy, and that the committee (of which he was a member, as well as chairman of the caucus, before his nomination) would have selected Toni. Maybe Diane Lucchesi even had that in mind, although she said she nominated him out of a desire for a Republican candidate for the job. But I don't believe he was in on it.

Politics? Sure. Conspiracy? Bah!

New Paltz Republican Caucus Results 2011

2011-09-07T21:52:00.005-04:00

New Paltz Republican Caucus Results -unofficial

Contested races:

Town Supervisor
Democrat Susan Zimet 28
Republican Peter Cordavano 27
Democrat Toni Hokanson 14

(personally, I thought in the spirit of democracy they should have done a two-way run off)

Town Board
Winners: Republicans Randall Leverette & Ray Lunati
Losers - Democrats Kevin Barry & Jean Galluci

Info / Form for Submitting Damage Assessments

2011-08-31T08:35:00.002-04:00

from Toni Hokanson - FOR PEOPLE & BUSINESSES WITH IRENE DAMAGE ---- Here's a link to the damage assessment form. First, fill out the damage assessment form and turn it into Town or Village Hall. Then, take pictures keep detailed descriptions. Save receipts. Utilize your own insurance first. Get at least 2 estimates before hiring. Keep all records. Everyone who turns in a form will be kept up to date on the process moving forward.

Information about the curfew

2011-08-30T22:35:00.000-04:00

I spoke with Michael Zierler yesterday to get some answers about the curfew, since he was (maybe "is," I'm not certain) acting as public information officer.

The resolution's intent was twofold, he told me.

First was to prevent people from being out in potentially dangerous conditions because they were curious. "You can stand outside your house," Michael told me, but "nobody should be out just to see what's going on outside."

The village and town wanted emergency services personnel to be able to focus on things like downed trees and flooding, instead of people "intentionally swimming in the river or accidentally driving through flood areas," Michael offered as examples.

Likewise, the curfew was to keep the streets clear for essential emergency vehicles. "The entire personnel had been working for 16 hours already," Michael told me, and empty streets removed both a distraction and a potential delay in the form of vehicles.

Police advised downtown businesses to close, and rode up and down the streets announcing the curfew over their speakers. Notifications were spread via social media, local access cable, municipal websites, and over the phone to anyone who called any town or village office.

There was also a countywide ban on driving, Michael said, although New Paltz police were not stopping people "just for driving." No checkpoints were set up to stop drivers.

Another underlying concern was the fact that it was impossible to assess roads for damage. West of the Wallkill, where they won't be checked until the bridge is passable again, there's still a travel ban to the best of my knowledge.

Perfect Timing! Joint Town-Village Meeting Tomorrow 8/31

2011-08-30T21:12:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 31st, there is a previously-scheduled Joint Meeting of the Town Board and Village Board. Public comment starts at 7 pm at Town Hall. If you have a complaint, question, comment or encouragement regarding Hurricane Irene and the response to it, now's your chance, while the memory is still fresh. Reps from the Police, Fire and Rescue Squads will be there to help field questions.

Agenda -
Public comment
Old business: Floyd Kniffen - annexation
3 outstanding requests for water hookup
Contract with Village for Moriello Park
Update on Park Point project
New business: Crossing Guard
Offices formerly used by NPPD
Aqueduct repair update

Classes Resume Tomorrow at SUNY New Paltz

2011-08-30T18:41:00.001-04:00

from SUNY New Paltz: ALL CLASSES WILL RESUME WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31ST! Classroom technology may be limited or unavailable. HAB and SUB staff, please contact supervisors for work locations. Phone service is restored. 2222 and 911 are functional. Records and Registration, Student Accounts, Bookstore, Parking, and Campus Card Services will be relocated to South Classroom Building with limited functionality.

A Message from Mayor Jason West

2011-08-30T18:10:00.006-04:00

Thank you everyone for your patience the past few days. The EMT's, police officers and firefighters all thanked us for yesterday's curfew; they said it made a huge difference. It meant they didn't have to respond to their daily number of calls on top of helping evacuate, rescuing stranded people, and dealing with downed trees and power lines, fires, and other emergencies caused by the hurricane. We've lifted our travel bans on most of the roads east of the Wallkill. We didn't know until later this morning which of our roads were safe to drive on. There is a list of closed roads posted on the New Paltz Police Dept. website. Please don't drive around the barricades: it's inconvenient, but they're there for a reason. Until the Wallkill recedes, we can't get crews and equipment west of the Wallkill to inspect those roads. DO NOT move the barricade blocking the bridge, even if the road looks clear. We will unblock the roads when we know they are safe to walk and drive on. So there is still a travel ban on roads west of the Wallkill. I understand how many people will ignore that unless we physically stand there on every street and stop people from driving. However, please help out by not risking your lives by driving down a street we have clearly told you is unsafe to drive on. The person who put up that barricade knows something you don't. They know what's down that road, and took the time to leave as clear a message as they can to anyone who may see it, that they should not go down there. Please respect that. I know a lot of people were inconvenienced yesterday, but it was necessary to free up enough of our very limited, exhausted people and resources to deal with this crisis. We were very lucky; it could have been much worse, and there will be lots of articles written about it. But be proud of your emergency workers. The police, firefighters, EMTs, Red Cross, community volunteers, Trustees and Town Councillors, the public works employees of the Town and Village, the Town and Village Clerks and others were mobilized coordinating our efforts. And everyone involved did a fantastic job.

Absorbing Irene

2011-08-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

As the sodden ground tries to absorb the flood waters, we are all trying to absorb the impact of Irene on New Paltz.

I've spoken with many people and some public officials about the state of affairs right now and their impressions of same. This is, without a doubt, the worst situation New Paltz has faced in well over a generation.

I don't have time to compile what I've learned quite yet, so only two quick time-sensitive items:

South Oakwood has a short closure due to a tree falling on a power line.
The nursing home on Jansen Road had its entrance bridge completely destroyed . . . again. No vehicle access unless they've finished patching together a temporary solution.

Update from SUNY New Paltz

2011-08-29T18:36:00.003-04:00

SUNY New Paltz All Tuesday classes are canceled.

Student Union Building basement, van den Berg Hall, and Haggerty Administration Building are closed. Employees who report to these locations are asked to contact their supervisors for instruction regarding work location.

All other offices are open, but have limited functionality.

Huguenot Street Farm - Irene Damage Photos

2011-08-29T17:57:00.021-04:00

Many small animals - rabbits, mice, etc - lost their lives after trying to climb up as high as they could on the tomato plants

Yes, that is the Green Works Regatta "boat". Last time I saw it, it was stationary in a field.

Travel Update

2011-08-29T14:18:00.002-04:00

via Town Supervisor Toni Hokanson: Travel ban lifted with a few exceptions. Do NOT drive around barricades, even if you do not see water. Some roads are compromised and some are not yet evaluated. Mandatory evacuations are being lifted on a case by case basis. Recreational use of the Wallkill River is prohibited.

New Paltz Local Farms Hit Hard

2011-08-29T12:32:00.005-04:00

Many of our local farms are located adjacent the Wallkill River, and were hit hard by the recent flooding. Reports from Huguenot Street Farm, farms on Springtown Road, and Taliaferro Farm indicate major losses.

Here's a video documenting the damage to Taliaferro Farms on Plains Road.

Updates: Irene /Floods In New Paltz

2011-08-29T12:29:00.005-04:00

Dry ice will be available at 3pm from Central Hudson on Rt 9w in Lake Katrine (by the old Mirons) and in Poughkeepsie at Home Depot on Rt 9 opposite Marist Collehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifge.

The missing rafters were found early this morning.

SUNY New Paltz - Hasbrouck Dining hall is stocked and serving continuously until 8 p.m. today. Student Union food service venues are closed. The Athletic and Wellness Center will be open from 2 to 10 p.m. The Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center are open and operating on normal hours.

Irene aftermath

2011-08-29T11:53:00.000-04:00

This morning my Facebook feed was full of damage reports, relief, and frustration about the Irene effect on New Paltz. They included:

Confusion over the New Paltz curfew by citizens, and anecdotal suggestions of confusion by law enforcement as well
Reports about where dry ice is available to people without power
Videos of flooding
Strong defensive reactions by emergency personnel, suggesting to me that people have been giving some of them crap over the above-referenced curfew
Pictures of downed trees
Lamentations about not having power

A lot went on yesterday. Our officials made tough decisions with variable amounts of information. Reports about actual conditions were contradictory and probably sometimes accurate. Information about the curfew was also inconsistent.

I hope to be speaking to Michael Zierler, who assumed the role of public information officer of the town and village during Irene, about the response and how well information was disseminated, and to get a more accurate picture of what actually did happen.

From what I know and believe at this point, emergency services did an excellent job, but communication was, as always, a challenge.

Please feel free to comment on your Irene experience - I'm curious how New Paltzians have weathered this storm.

Irene / Flood News from New Paltz

2011-08-28T20:40:00.009-04:00

Village Mayor Jason West and Town Supervisor Toni Hokanson have declared a State of Emergency in New Paltz - it was enacted for 8:00 pm, Saturday August 27th 2011 & shall be in effect til 8:00 pm September 1st, 2011, or until lifted by a subsequent Joint Executive Order of the Supervisor and Mayor of New Paltz.

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein declared all county roads closed to non-emergency services personnel/vehicles early today. Around noon, the Town and Village of New Paltz banned all pedestrian and vehicle traffic except for Town Village official business or evacuation. Both the mayor and supervisor warned residents that due to the massive amount of water all roads must be checked for structural damage - roads may look fine but actually have structural damage. People are urged to stay off the roads and stay away from the river.

Many areas of New Paltz had mandatory evacuations: Springtown, Sunrise, Kaegill, High Ridge, Dug Road, Coffee Rd., Cragswood Rd., Mountain Rest (from 299 to Canaan Rd, which is at 111 Mountain Rest), Rapp Hill, Julia Avenue, Calvin Blvd., Charles Lane, Lewis Lane. Town and Country Condominiums, western most ground floor units. Water Street, single family homes to the south of the box factory, at the intersection of Pencil Hill, Water St., Plains Rd and Mohonk Ave.

At 8pm Sunday, the Wallkill River was predicted to shortly crest 6 feet ABOVE the road on the Carmine Liberta bridge. The cresting record, last set in 1955, was broken by 7pm. This is a VERY dangerous place to be - there are already (stupid!) people in kayaks and tubes that are missing... Seriously people, stay away from the river - we need the police to focus on emergencies - NOT chasing people away from the river.

There is a curfew for both residents and businesses from 7pm Sunday night till 5am Monday morning. There is also a ban on alcohol sales tonight. (This news was Wall Street Journal worthy apparently.) (Gannett too.)

On the SUNY New Paltz campus - Hasbrouck Dining Hall is open till 9:00 tonight. The lines are long but students have been advised to please be patient and stay on campus. Tomorrow, classes are cancelled, and only essential personnel (University Police Department, Food Service, Maintenance and Custodial) need to report to work. There is an emergency shelter on campus at the Health and Wellness Center.

School district - the New Paltz Central School District will be closed Monday, August 29th, 2011. All activities scheduled for the 29th will be rescheduled.

Central Hudson will be distributing dry ice and water on Monday.

2011 Democratic Caucus Results

2011-08-23T23:01:00.004-04:00

Supervisor
Zimet 167
Hokanson 56

Town Council (2)
Gallucci 162
Barry 148
Leverette 81

Highway Superintendent
Marx 97
Johnson 64
Takacs 54
Lecesse 6

Uncontested:

Town Clerk
Roseanne Mazzacarri

Town Judge
Jim Bacon

Democrats fire their engines

2011-08-17T07:28:00.000-04:00

The race for town supervisor is starting to shape up for registered Democrats in New Paltz. Mid-Hudson News reports that the New Paltz Democratic caucus will take place August 23. In the past it's been held at the high school, so I'm guessing they'll try for that location again.

Once again, the local Democratic party committee is apparently opting not to back the party member who is already in office. In the spirit of "what's old is what's new," they will be supporting former supervisor and current county legislator Susan Zimet for the job over incumbent Toni Hokanson.

I don't know who else will be trying to get the party nod, but here's a tip: be prepared to bring a couple hundred of your registered Democratic friends to secure any nomination from the party. You can be sure that both Zimet and Hokanson will.

Slash Root to Host First Ever Hudson Valley “Hack-and-Tell”

2011-08-11T21:08:00.002-04:00

“Hack-and-Tell”
Tuesday August 16th 8:00pm
Slash Root Cafe and Technology Dojo
60 Main Street New Paltz
(845) 633-8330

Forum will showcase local technology innovation
NEW PALTZ, NY – Following a trend among developing tech-sector regions, the Hudson Valley will hold its first “Hack-and-Tell” next week.

Hack-and-tell is a forum in which technology innovators show inventions, programs, or experiments that they are developing or have completed. No sales pitches are allowed.

“The Hudson Valley is becoming one of the fastest-moving growth zones for the nation's tech sector,” said Justin Holmes, founder of SlashRoot. “We're geographically in the middle of the Hudson Valley and proud to be the leader of the regional innovation culture, so it makes sense for us to host this event.”

Applications from interested participants are due Friday, August 12th at 5:00PM here.

you can RSVP on Facebook

New Paltz Caucus Dates Announced

2011-08-11T20:48:00.002-04:00

Democratic Caucus
Tuesday August 23rd
New Paltz High School
6:30 PM

Republican Caucus
Wednesday September 7th
New Paltz Community Center
7:00 PM

Two primaries for the village County Leg seat - Democrat and Working Families - will be held on Tuesday, September 13th.

Greenfield announces for District 17

2011-07-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

Because I have a sincere interest in getting to know my possible coworkers, I attended Steve Greenfield's announcement that he's running for legislature in the new district 17. The entire announcement should be on Channel 23 sometime soon.

Steve has a problem with incumbent Susan Zimet: he doesn't think it's okay that she has a lobbying business.

By contrast, he pointed to his three years on the New Paltz School Board as proof that he doesn't try to profit from his influence. He also said that he will bring his knowledge of emergency services, infrastructure, education, land use, and transportation to bear upon problems at the county level.

When asked about Golden Hill, the only specific issue which came up before I had to leave, he hedged his bets a bit. He acknowledged that there are some services which can't be provided well by private industry, because there's no profit in it; however, he didn't specifically say that Golden Hill is one of those. He would solve that problem "by the numbers," he said.

Recycling roads

2011-07-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to go down Plains Road with Highway Superintendent Mike Nielson, so I could see what a recycled road looks like.

Plains Road was the first one in New Paltz which was resurfaced by a process that allows for the reuse of the existing asphalt on-site. Reusing materials is nothing new, but typically the road gets ground up and carted away for reprocessing, and ends up on another road elsewhere in the county. This equipment allows it to be ground down, picked up, melted, and mixed with some new material right there; then it's laid back down and rolled.

Here's Mike, annoyed that I have a camera but explaining how the whole shebang works:

There are limits to this technology.

Because of the length of the train, short roads and dead-ends can't be resurfaced like this.
If there are deep cracks in the road bed, a full replacement will be needed anyway. Anything that needs to be ground down more than five or six inches can't be replaced this way.
The process leaves the road pebbly, and it still needs to be sealed, which isn't the case with traditional road replacement.
Nielson hasn't tested it to see if the results can stand up to our highest-wear roads, like Horsenden. (The fact that we send our truck traffic along that narrow, windy road is another problem entirely.)

I haven't looked at a full cost-benefit analysis, but the benefits to the residents are pretty clear: a two-week process, including curing, took six hours to complete. It's also pretty cool to watch:

Making campaign promises is easy. Fulfilling them, not so much.

Video from Rally to Celebrate passage of Marriage Equality Act

2011-06-28T17:38:00.000-04:00

http://www.newpaltzliving.com/new-paltz-living/2011/6/26/rally-to-celebrate-passage-of-marriage-equality-act.html

the Village of New Paltz Official Vegetable

2011-06-24T20:50:00.005-04:00

I vote for Garlic Scapes!! what's your choice??

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My favorite county leg candidates!!!

2011-06-24T20:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture that shows how cool New Paltz is... My favorite count leg candidates!!!

Customer service isn't dead

2011-06-24T09:42:00.001-04:00

I value good customer service, and I believe in using local businesses, so when I find a local business with excellent customer service I think it's worth shouting from the rooftops.

This past week, I found three.

Bill's Garage. Bill has been working on cars in this area for about as long as I've been alive, and there's a reason he doesn't advertise - people really, really like him and his crew. They're professional, they're competent, and they're nice. I have had a frustrating, intermittent battery drain in my car for over a year, and last week I found my battery dead when I needed to be in Kingston for an important appointment. I was panicked, but no need. Billy, one of Bill's mechanics, offered to drive to my house with the mondo insta-charge machine. He showed up fifteen minutes later and I was on my way a few minutes after that. They since pinpointed the problem, my air conditioner relay, and swapped it out for a replacement in a couple of minutes. They didn't charge me for either service.

I had a similar "why bother charging you" experience a couple of years ago. I went to gas up at Stewart's on 32, and my gas door didn't open. That's a problem! Luckily I was near Bill's and they were open. Jody, another excellent mechanic there, determined that the cable had slipped off the hook. He went in through the trunk, reattached it, and sent me on my way. Again, this was a service, and one I gladly would have paid for, but they felt no need because the time they spent was inconsequential.

My wife and I bring all of our auto work to Bill's, and they always let me know if they can't do the job. For example, there are systems in my hybrid car that they are not trained to work on. Instead of farming it out and marking it up, Bill always tells me when I'm better off bringing it to the dealer for service.
New Paltz Eye Care. Formerly located on Plattekill Avenue, this practice was purchased a few months ago by one its doctors, Dr. Elinor Descovich, and moved to a Main Street location last October. They recently joined our health plan, and I am thrilled.

I've had my eyes checked in a lot of shopping-mall eye care chains over the years, and the service has ranged from marginal to terrible. The first doctor to fit me for contact lenses comes to mind: he wrenched my eye open with both hands while sternly ordering me to relax. I've never been entirely confident that my prescription was accurate, and always left feeling at least mildly dissatisfied with the service and competency.

What a difference a local business can make.

First of all, I have never had such a thorough eye exam in my life. Dr. Descovich performed the usual tests for tracking, glaucoma, and the like, but she also did a careful analysis to look for things like tearing and separation of the retina and other eye problems. Throughout the procedures she took the time to answer all of my questions, both about the tests and about her qualifications and experience. There are many different kinds of eye care professionals, and it's important to know who is trained to do what. As it happens, her twin sister is the shop's optician, and takes care of the actual eyeglasses.

I always feel like the refraction tests (which determine your prescription) are a bit subjective. Which one is more in focus, this or that? They fly by quickly and it's so hard to tell. Dr. Descovich made sure I was comfortable with my opinions, and explained why, for the reading glasses tests, she couldn't actually slow down. (For that particular test, the speed of focusing is a key factor. No one ever told me that before.)

One series of tests I had to opt in for, because they involve those dilating drops. In the past, I've had them tossed in my eyes, and then I was sent on my way barely able to see. Since I agreed to have my eyes dilated, I was told that I could relax in their waiting room as long as I needed to. Not only that, but they gave me a sunglasses insert to slip behind my glasses so I wouldn't be blinded when I stepped out into the sun.

This place is a class act.
Wireless Zone. After months of considering it, I made the switch to a smart phone yesterday. I opted to try Wireless Zone, the Verizon reseller near Village Pizza, in part because Verizon has an attractive data plan, and in part because I know the owner, Brian Hons, although I've never been a customer.

I am a pain in the ass when it comes to technology. I believe these tools we use should make our lives easier, and that means that I don't want a huge learning curve. If I have to spend a lot of time learning how to use an application, then the developer has missed the point.

Denise answered all of my questions. She clearly had experience using the Blackberry, the Android, and the iPhone. Although she was very clear that it was personal preference, she had enough knowledge to help me make an informed decision.

Another area that concerns me with phones is what will it really cost me? Cell phone companies love to give you the advertised price, but a lot happens between that number and the amount on the monthly bill. Denise was able to tell me how much my bill would be, and also gave me a good idea of the first month's charges, which tend to be larger and are often a nasty surprise.

I had a moment of panic when I was told that I couldn't transfer my prepaid number to a contract phone with another provider. Instead of telling me there was nothing she could do, Denise double-checked, and found out that a recent change had made it possible after all. I've seen plenty of sales help dig in their heels, fold their arms, and shake their heads; the turning point for me was when Denise chose to ask questions instead.

When I was home with my new phone, I quickly discovered that I couldn't hear incoming calls, but there wasn't any problem with the outgoing. Problem! Was this phone defective?

Back to Wireless Zone I went. I regret not getting the name of the employee on duty yesterday afternoon, but he smiled and told me that the screen-protecting plastic that I had left on was the problem - it covers the microphone. Remove it, and all will be well. That didn't make sense to me at all, but I have an audio engineer in my home, and I asked him about it. He confirmed and explained: it only causes a problem with incoming calls because the plastic impacts the noise reduction.

I loathe dealing with call centers for large companies, and I love the fact that Wireless Zone is a buffer. They deal with the crap, and I get taken care of like a human being should be.

Three cheers for three excellent New Paltz businesses.

New Paltz on Jeopardy

2011-06-16T23:04:00.003-04:00

Thanks Kevin Buso for seeing it on the 7:00 show and recording it on the 7:30!

New Paltz School Board Passes Anti Tax Cap Resolution

2011-06-16T11:22:00.004-04:00

Anti-Tax Cap resolution passes 5-0 by the New Paltz Central School District Board of Education, June 15, 2011

WHEREAS, the quality of our public schools is essential to the future of our children, our community's well-being, and the health of our local and statewide economy; and

WHEREAS, as a solution to New York's property tax crisis, the Governor of New York and members of the New York State Legislature have pledged to consider enactment of legislation imposing a 2% cap (or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower) on the annual growth in school district and local municipal tax levies (S.2706/A.3982 or A.7916); and

WHEREAS, viable alternative solutions such as the extension of the Millionaire's Tax (S.5453/A.7802), a Circuit Breaker (S00912A/a.5542A), and full reform (A.00047, S.01152/A.00416) have been rejected; and

WHEREAS, state funding for public education has not kept pace with the inflation of core costs such as health insurance, pension vesting, and energy; in conjunction with a considerable increase in unfunded mandates imposed by Albany, including the substantial new APPR process being added to the local burden with no funding with which to create and test it; and

WHEREAS, decreases in state funding directly impacts the tax levy cap itself, and has no calculated exclusion like the proposed partial pension increase exclusion; and

WHEREAS, state mandated pension fund contributions are one of the largest components of every school district and municipal budget over which local officials have little control, and are increasing at exorbitant rates annually such that bills from the State Retirement System (ERS) will increase 43% and bills from the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) will increase 21% in the 2011-12 school year; and

WHEREAS, any property tax cap must be accompanied simultaneously (1) by ending the practice of pushing state costs onto local school districts and municipalities, and (2) by a repeal of current underfunded or unfunded state mandates that require local municipalities and school districts to significantly increase spending and therefore local property taxes; and

WHEREAS, the New Paltz Central School District has already cut back on staffing of teachers and administration and made considerable program cuts and salary freezes over the past few years; and

WHEREAS, a property tax cap without repeal of costly underfunded and unfunded state mandates will inescapably lead to drastic cuts in essential local school district programs and services, as well as significant layoffs of school district employees; and

WHEREAS, the proposed cap override of 60% a supermajority vote is undemocratic, allowing 40.1% of voters to determine the result; and

WHEREAS, school districts are dependent on real property taxes to fund public education and a 2% tax cap will have significant negative impact on the quality of the New Paltz schools; and

WHEREAS, the proposed cap will not lower existing property taxes; and

WHEREAS, New Paltz Central School District Board of Education is committed to supporting property tax reform that provides actual property tax relief for its community;

BE IT RESOLVED that the New Paltz Central School District Board of Education hereby records its opposition to the passage of the 2% Property Tax Cap and that the Governor of the State of New York and the members of the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly must reform the cost drivers that lead to high property taxes in New York as the central element of any effort to provide property tax relief to the residents and businesses of New York State.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Governor, Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, Assembly Speaker and Minority Leader, and the members of the State Senate and Assembly representing residents of the New Paltz Central School District.

Gadfly throws his hat in the ring

2011-06-14T09:01:00.001-04:00

The political insiders are talking about it, so I should as well. Last Thursday I accepted the Republican nomination for County Legislature in the new District 20, which is comprised of the Village of New Paltz (election districts 1, 4, and 9) and the adjacent Cherry Hill area (election district 8).

I was asked to step up after lamenting the lack of choice in local elections, and I thought hard about it before choosing to accept. I won't say I thought long and hard, because I was asked a week ago Monday, but I didn't agree without thinking it through thoroughly.

Since I entered this race quite late compared to the other candidates, and since I'm not the lifelong political operative typical of these campaigns, I have a lot to learn about the process and about how people in this district feel about their county government. This blog is a testament to my values and my progressive beliefs, which I will apply tirelessly to the job.

I understand that some people don't want to vote for a Republican in this day and age, believing that anyone with that label will blindly follow the GOP in lockstep. There was a similar belief about Roman Catholics voting the Pope's conscience until about 60 years ago. My early supporters include members of the Democratic, Green, Working Families, Republican, and Independence parties, and my heart is warmed by their encouragement.

Please like my Facebook page below to keep in touch as I build my campaign's infrastructure. By tradition, we Gadflies may announce our candidacy here, but we don't use this blog as a campaign platform.

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My Republican Dilemma

2011-06-02T13:20:00.000-04:00

I joined the Republican party a couple of years ago. I wasn't satisfied with my previous registration, largely due to my own ignorance about that party's positions, and I decided to start shopping around for one that fit me better. I don't subscribe to the idea that political parties are inherited on faith like religions (okay, I don't subscribe to that idea for religions, either), but I opted to join the party of my parents to make an informed decision. The fact that Republicans have a reputation for villainy also factored in, because whenever it becomes socially acceptable to bash a group, I want to know more.

So last year I went to the New Paltz Republican caucus for the first time, and it was suggested that I nominate Mike Nielson for Highway Superintendent. He didn't take the line, but his actions since would make any fiscal conservative proud, especially considering that one longtime member told me afterwards, "Let's see if your boy Nielson can do the work with his full-time job in Kingston." It was certainly a splashy way to enter into party politics.

Nevertheless, I regret doing it, and I won't do it again.

As I told Nielson recently, if we're going to have party politics, let's have party politics. Although my nomination failed, at least two registered Democrats ran on the Republican line for town positions last year. I don't think that's right.

There are good reasons for a candidate to want his or her name on more than one line. And with the timing of local caucuses - this year both are expected to be in August - it makes sense to try for as many as possible, to avoid that awkward feeling when your own party gives the nod to someone else. It's legal and it's appropriate.

It also undermines democracy.

In college, I made it a habit of running for the main leadership role of a club I belonged to every year. I never wanted the position, but it bothered me that only one candidate was willing to step up. That's not democracy by any measure I understand, even if it works in countries like China and Russia. Democracy is about choice, and not just the choice of which line to vote for Toni Hokanson on.

I'm a thinking voter, and I do my best to choose a candidate based on qualifications. I've never voted a party line in my life. Many people do vote their party line, though, and don't care about choices, because they only see their preferred row. These folks are also done a disservice, because in their ignorance they can cast a vote for someone who isn't a member of their own party.

So my dilemma is that there are some good candidates in this town who I may vote for in November, but whom I won't be supporting come the caucus because they belong to another party, and in my mind belong on another line. But New Paltz is a town virtually run by a cabal which excludes not only Republicans, but many Democrats and virtually all members of other parties.

In short, there's no qualified Republicans willing to step up. No one willing to help me, to help us have a choice.

To curtail any suggestions to the contrary, I have a career I love which requires me to be out of town when most local meetings are held. That alone makes me an inappropriate candidate for any local elected office, so I can't step up and put my money where my mouth is.

I'd like to shake the trees, though, and help find some willing citizens to take a stab at civic duty. New Paltz has too long been bereft of choice on Election Day, and I for one would very much like to help solve that problem at the Republican caucus by casting a vote for a GOP candidate or two.

New Paltz in Kingston for the County Dem Convention

2011-06-02T08:32:00.005-04:00

New Paltz had a very strong presence at the Ulster County Democratic convention last night. The two top seats - unanimously endorsed - were granted to a former New Paltzian and a current one. Mike Hein, New Paltz high school graduate, will be the Dems incumbent candidate for County Executive. Attorney Jon Sennett, current New Paltz resident, was nominated for District Attorney.

For county legislature, Sue Zimet was nominated for the new District 17. The local committee, lead by Corrinne Nyquist, chose Tom Cotton as their candidate for District 20, not the incumbent legislator Hector Rodriguez. Rodriguez is not giving up easy, he says he will petition so that there will be a primary for the seat in September. According to Hector, when he asked Nyquist why she was not supporting him, she said it was retribution for his support of Jason West in the recent village mayoralty campaign. (West ousted Tom Nyquist from his multi-term stretch as mayor in 2003.)

And with Joseph Eriole the nominated candidate in District 12, we have another New Paltz pol (sort of), because while 12 is the Plattekill district, Joe lives in the southern tip of the school district and has his law office in the village.

Related note: The local Dem caucus will be in August. Yes, August. I don't have an exact date, will post it as soon as I do.

No Petrol Day this Saturday 6/4

2011-06-01T16:28:00.006-04:00

Saturday, June 4 11:00am to 2:00pm at the Water Street Market

The first 100 people to arrive by foot or bike (any other means than gasoline) to Water Street Market this Saturday get a free t-shirt designed by New Paltz Middle School art students. Enter a FREE raffle to receive a mountain bike valued at $400 donated by The Bicycle Depot!! Come get information from sponsors New Paltz GreenWorks, the Climate Action Coalition, and the Bike/Ped Committee and enjoy live music, button making and free popcorn.

No news is . . . no news.

2011-05-31T20:27:00.000-04:00

The special meeting of the village board was cancelled. Mayor Dungan and both working trustees showed up, and there was some confusion on the part of Trustee Osborne about whether a meeting was even scheduled, but no meeting took place.

According to Dungan, the outstanding personnel issue which led to the special meeting "became moot" after discussion with the village attorney, but there was not enough time to cancel it in advance.

A journalist who was present asked about "rampant speculation" that the personnel issue was, in fact, an attempt to replace Trustee Kimbiz. Dungan asserted that such was not the case.

I asked the mayor about his letter to the New Paltz Times, asserting that mayor-elect West should remember that Trustee Kimbiz was elected with over 900 votes, while West was voted in with around 400.

"It was off by a factor of ten," he said, with no further explanation.

The reorganization meeting for the village will take place on June 8.

The Almost End of the Dungan Era

2011-05-28T19:06:00.004-04:00

Correction: The last day in office for Dungan, Gallucci and Osborn is not 5/31. Village law states that "The term of office of each elective village officer shall commence at the start of the official year following his election" which (the official year) "begins at noon on the first Monday in the month following the date of the general village election." Since election day was May 3rd, the first Monday of the next month is June 5. The new mayor and new trustees will be sworn in at noon on Monday June 5th, the last full day of the outgoing elected officials' terms is June 4th.

From the Village website re: the special meeting on 5/31 (which still looks to be their last meeting):

Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees
When:	Tuesday, May 31 2011 @ 07:30 PM EDT - 11:00 PM EDT
Event Type:	Meeting
Where:	Large Meeting Room
Description:	VILLAGE OF NEW PALTZ PUBLIC NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a special meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of New Paltz on May 31, 2011 at 7:30PM at the New Paltz Village Hall for the Board to enter into executive session to discuss the employment status of particular individuals and upon coming out of executive session, any other lawful business. Any resident of the Village of New Paltz is entitled to attend the public portion of the meeting. The Village of New Paltz will make every effort to assure that the meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone requiring special assistance and/or reasonable accommodations should contact the Village Clerk. By order of the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of New Paltz, Dated May 25, 2011 Amanda M. Erickson, Village Clerk

Town Hosts Wetlands Info Session

2011-05-28T10:33:00.000-04:00

from the press release ---

Wetlands Info Session

(New Paltz) The Town of New Paltz will host NYSDEC Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator Laura Heady who will offer an informational program on wetlands, Thursday, June 2^nd at 7:30pm in Town Hall, 1 Veterans Drive. Ms. Heady, of the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University, states, “Most communities recognize the importance of functioning road networks, water and sewer systems, and utilities and communication lines. Sometimes less understood is our dependence on functioning natural systems – those that support clean air and water, for example.” The program will highlight some of the diverse wetland types in Ulster County, the environmental and economic benefits of wetlands, and how local conservation efforts can contribute to the protection of wetlands for future generations. This presentation is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

Snow job

2011-05-27T18:20:00.003-04:00

Remember slogging through the worst winter in 20 years a few months back?

Remember the excellent condition the town roads were in?

I had the opportunity to talk to Highway Superintendent Mike Nielson today about the season. For a guy who people feared wouldn't be able to do the job because he's a firefighter in Kingston, the results are pretty damned impressive.

Mike set himself the goal of keeping our roads clear while saving money. Then, he got hit with the nastiest, harshest winter we've seen in a generation - I've confirmed how bad a season it was by checking with Wayne Kelder, who oversees the highways in the Town of Rochester on the other side of the ridge.

This winter was the one where every single highway department in Ulster County - including the county's - was over budget. It's just one of those things that happens when you're dealing with the mysteries of weather, and towns have budget mechanisms to move money around when that much snow hits the plow.

New Paltz, however, spent 60% of its snow removal budget, and did it without those nasty sand buildups which are pretty much expected during the long, dark days of winter.

How 'bout that?

Here's a few more interesting details about the highway department:

Past practice has dumped 1,800 pounds of sand and salt on the roads. This season it was cut back to 700 - and Nielson feels that it can be done with even less material.
To put it another way, Ulster County spent $35 per lane mile on snow removal. New Paltz did the same job for $13 per lane mile, and Nielson has set a target of $7.
This represents a savings to the New Paltz taxpayers of $84,000 for the season. The superintendent's salary is approximately $43,000, so Nielson has effectively worked for free.

Anyone who doesn't think we got our money's worth voting for Nielson should be prepared to demonstrate why.

The Kimbiz/Kazmin Plot Thickens

2011-05-26T17:36:00.011-04:00

Brittany Turner aka Legislative Barbie has compiled quite the dossier on the Kimbiz/Kazmin situation. (Me thinks the unemployed Brittany should seek employment as an investigative journalist.)

I'll let you get the details from her... here's the big take aways:

* Kimbiz/Kazmin may not even be in Americorps. Yikes!

* There are three legal routes to remove Kimbiz/Kazmin from his seat. (Martin, I believe you owe Brittany a dollar.)

* Pete Healey and Brittany are going to try to get the Kimbiz/Kazmin seat declared vacant via the Public Officers Law. If you would like to participate, contact Brittany via her blog.

ALSO ...
The outgoing board was supposed to have held their last meeting and take their last actions last night but after going into executive session during last night's meeting for purposes of discussing "the employment history of a particular individual" they later announced that they would have a special last (yes, I said "last" again) meeting on 5/31 - which just happens to be the last day of their terms. One can only speculate about what that will be about because they did not specify. I seriously hope it is not last last minute shenanigans.

Water Main Break at Duzine - 12:15 Dismissal

2011-05-25T12:37:00.001-04:00

Water Main Break at Duzine - 12:15 Dismissal

Fat Bob's goes down the toilet

2011-05-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

In a blow to lovers of high-quality low-nutrition food, Fat Bob's fell victim to what was probably a hell of a graduation party over the weekend.

According to owner Bob (who is more notable for his mustache than he is for his gut; blame his kids for name of the place), a braided steel pipe in a toilet broke Sunday night in an apartment over the pizza place, and was unnoticed by its residents. Some ten hours later, an employee came by and discovered that some 10,000 gallons had crashed through the ceiling into the dining room.

This was actually a lucky break, because they were closed on Monday - there's no telling when the apartment residents would have reported the problem.

The dining room, complete with its expensive big-screen television, has been pretty much destroyed, and the shop is closed pending Board of Health approval to reopen.

Bob anticipates that they won't be able to reopen for a week and a half or more while contractors retile the entire dining room and he wrangles with insurance adjusters. I'm hopeful that he won't have to bring a law suit to get paid, but that seems to be standard practice nowadays.

In the past, posts about food have received criticism for being without depth, and rightly so. I am certainly a patron of this establishment, but it's the business disaster, not the chicken-bacon-ranch slices, which compel me to write.

New Paltz Tax Grievance Day 05/26/11

2011-05-23T20:09:00.008-04:00

New Paltz Tax Grievance Day is Thursday 5/26

If you think the assessed value of your home is higher than it should be, this is your chance to argue your case. But you can't just show up, appointments are mandatory. Call ahead - Assessor's Office at 255.0103.

New locations for Government Efficiency & Effectiveness Forums

2011-05-22T16:23:00.003-04:00

FROM THE PROJECT WEBSITE/FLYER TO ANNOUNCE THE MEETINGS:

Does it make sense for New Paltz to have one local government?

New Paltz Government Efficiency & Effectiveness Project Seeks Input from Area Residents
Public Meetings have been scheduled to hear your ideas and concerns.
* Tuesday, May 31st 7PM at the New Paltz Community Center (behind Town Hall)
* Saturday, June 4th 9AM at the New Paltz High School cafeteria
* Monday, June 6th 5:30PM at the New Paltz Middle School cafeteria

The Town and Village of New Paltz have joined with the New Paltz Central School District and SUNY New Paltz to explore ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local government in the New Paltz community. We would like to hear your thoughts about how local government should be structured in New Paltz. A draft report was recently completed that describes what a full consolidation of town and village government might mean for New Paltz. The study outlines the potential impact on taxpayers and raises important issues about how a single government for New Paltz could be organized.

Among these questions are:
Would consolidation improve efficiency and effectiveness of local government?
Should the consolidated municipality operate as a Town or a Village?
Should it provide some services through special districts?
Which executive positions should be elected or appointed?
Should elections be “at large” or based on a ward system?
How should fire protection be organized and provided?
What other thoughts do you have about the way New Paltz should structure its government?
The focus of these meetings is community input.

The goals of this process are to control property taxes, improve government responsiveness and deliver services efficiently, all while maintaining our community character. Please join us so your voice can be heard. You can download the draft report and/or confirm the meeting dates, times and venues at the project website at http://newpaltz.ning.com.

So, Who Is Going to Run?

2011-05-21T17:45:00.007-04:00

Now that we have gotten through the village and school district elections, and the county has determined the new county legislative districts, it's time to move on to the speculation about who is going to run for the several county and town level offices open this fall in New Paltz.

The town seats that are up for grabs include:
Town Supervisor - incumbent, Toni Hokanson
2 Town Board seats- incumbents, JaneAnn Williams and David Lewis
Town Clerk - incumbent, Marion Cappillino
Town Highway Superintendent - incumbent, Mike Nielson
Town Judge - incumbent, Jim Bacon (I think, not too sure on that one.)

The only incumbent I am nearly certain will run again is Toni Hokanson.

Our two county leg seats (with the majority of constituents in New Paltz) are now currently held by Sue Zimet who lives in the town and could run for new district #17, and Hector Rodriguez who lives in the village and could run for the new district #20. I fully expect Hector to run, but the last time I saw Sue she said recently she's being introduced as "our next Congresswoman", but she was non-committal when I probed about what this meant for her future aspirations. Certainly making her district town-only somewhat increases the chances of a Republican or Independent taking a shot at that seat, but not by much. And the county Republicans are in disarray after Robin Yess's departure as chair so candidates cannot expect from a lot of help from that committee.

So, what will be the salient issues in the town elections? Government consolidation? Taxes? How about county leg - what will bring out candidates in the those two elections? Golden Hill? This is a huge issue in Kingston and in county-wide circles, but aside from a few lawn signs, there's been nary a word of it in these parts.

There is not a lot of time for contenders to step up, petition, rally committee support, and start campaigning. Of course, last minute campaigns and write in efforts are not uncommon here and the New Paltz Democratic Committee endorsed village election candidates this year, but not for town races the past few years. Pretty ironic (being kind here) considering the town elections are under their purview, but not the village elections. I'm not sure what date they have set their caucus for, which in political circles is known as the real election given Democrat enrollment numbers. I recently resigned from that committee (a blog post for another day) so I don't know what they are up to - at this point, I can only assume the caucus will be in September.

So,what do Gadfly readers think - who is going to run? (& does anybody care?)

Brian Kimbiz, it's time to resign

2011-05-20T15:29:00.003-04:00

The poll we have running here at the Gadfly is currently 18-0 in favor of Brian Kimbiz resigning is seat on the village board. Kimbiz is now on vacation, a situation I find unacceptable. Kimbiz already as the third-worst attendance in the last decade (as compiled by Brittany Turner), and I can't imagine his taking off to find himself is going to make him a more effective trustee. His belief that simply not taking money and staying in touch via email is insulting to village residents, as well as completely unrealistic.

Not surprisingly, there is no policy or law which requires trustees to show up, much less gives anybody the power to kick them out of office. To his credit, Mr. Kimbiz would be within his rights to continue to collect his salary.

It's time to quit, Mr. Kimbiz. We have had three trustees who barely show up for a long time now, and we can't afford to have one who isn't around at all. It takes trustees to run a village, and you're not here to vote, which is the only thing that you're actually paid to do. Vote on things, after studying and debating them. If you can't vote, you need to go.

Mind you, if Kimbiz leaves, there's going to be yet another special election for a single trustee seat's unexpired term of one year, and that will cost money. I certainly hope that the attendance policy which the new board passes will include a clause that would shift that cost onto the exiting trustee except in rare circumstances. Patrick O'Donnell and Robert Feldman also left their seats early, and should have paid for the election to find their replacements. Mr. O'Donnell made a business decision, and Mr. Feldman (so I'm told) resigned because he couldn't handle working with his opponent in the mayoral race of 2003, Jason West.

New Paltz residents should not have to put up with absentee trusteeism; nor should we have to pay for special elections when our trustees leave to make more money, do good deeds elsewhere, or just as a form of temper tantrum.

Mr. Kimbiz, it's time to man up and resign. We'll send you a bill for the special election in a few months.

Disclosure: I contacted Mr. Kimbiz via Facebook around the last village elections, asking him to comment on a rumor that he was planning on resigning. He did not directly respond, but he did remove me from his friends.

Update: Mr. Kimbiz has advised me that the defriending took place "well before" my inquiry.

Posted on the Village of New Paltz Website: Trustee Vacation?

2011-05-18T08:07:00.005-04:00

From the Village website homepage:

To the Residents of the Village of New Paltz,

Americorps is a program organized by the Federal Government that links individuals looking to serve their communities with local or national public service projects. Participants in the various programs earn a Segal Americorps Education Award to pay for college or grad school, or to pay back qualified student loans. As a recent graduate who is dedicated to public service, I decided to apply and was accepted to a three month program in Nevada. I am positive that this experience will challenge me and give me new skills that will broaden my capabilities as a Trustee.

During my absence I will remain in contact with my fellow members of the Board and constituents via email, and stay up to date on all pressing issues, ie. My copy of the Draft Study of Full Municipal Consolidation Options is packed and ready to go along with me. Additionally, I have decided to forgo my Village salary for the time that I will be away. I could not in good conscience accept a wage wile unable to execute my duties as a Trustee fully.

Although it pains me to miss a summer in New Paltz, I believe that this is something that I have to do in order to grow as an individual and member of our community. I am confident that the Mayor and Trustees’ elect will transition seamlessly to conduct the daily business of the Village. New Paltz is my home and I am excited to return with greater insight into the meaning of public service.

Please feel free to contact me at briankimbiz@villageofnewpaltz.org and have a great summer!

Most Sincerely,
Brian Kimbiz

(Is this the same person that got 7 write-in votes in yesterday's school board election? Oh no, that was Brian Kazmin ;) )

New Paltz divided in redistricting plan

2011-05-18T07:53:00.000-04:00

The Ulster County Legislature approved a redistricting plan which divides New Paltz, village against the rest of the town.

This is good for the county, because multi-member districts are not only bizarre but ripe for dodging accountability, but is it good for New Paltz? The community has been studying consolidation for some time, and it should be interesting to see how having different legislators represent the village and the rest of our community impacts that process.

New Paltz School Board and Budget Election Results 2011

2011-05-17T18:54:00.003-04:00

School Budget - Passed
Yes 1094
No 641

Bus Proposition - Passed
Yes 903
No 760

School Board
Brian Cournoyer 756
Stephen J. Bagley 799
Patrick Rausch (incumbent) 809
Michael Hekking 550

Write-ins
Brian Kazmin 7
Marianne Tozzi 1
Erin Quinn 1
Jeff Logan 1

VOTE! School budget and board elections today 05/17/11

2011-05-17T08:16:00.002-04:00

Today school budget and board elections are held across New York State. New Paltz Central School District votes at the high school (130 South Putt Corners Road) from noon to 9pm.

I'm supporting Brian Cournoyer for the board in New Paltz and encourage Rondout voters to take blogger Eve's advice and Kingston voters to support Robin Jacobowitz.

kt tobin

Failing to dodge the bullet (or ball)

2011-05-16T22:33:00.000-04:00

I got roped into playing dodge ball at a scholarship fundraiser over at the high school today. This was the first year that the school board fielded a team (called "School Bored"), and it's no easy feat: the board is seven members, but a team needs at least 8 to qualify (and can have 10 on the court at once). Maria Rice says that 7 is the ideal number for a board, but not if you're playing dodge ball. Some highlights:

Sally Rhoads, who volunteered to be mascot, rolled up her sleeves and played in both games (it was best two out of three, no third game necessary for us). She lasted until the bitter end of both games, and hopes there will be proof to show her husband and grandchildren.
Patrick Rausch showed up for moral support, and joined the team in his button-down shirt, dress shoes, and slacks. He showed amazing agility and took out more than one opponent, but hurt his ankle during the first game. He played on the injury for several minutes before it was noted and he was pulled. Patrick is the only school board candidate who played.
Steve Greenfield was no lame duck on the court, particularly after Patrick's injury. Rausch was the last man standing when he was pulled, and Greenfield switched in for him for the last minute, starting at a four-to-one deficit. He took one of the cocky bastards out before going down.

I'm hoping the school board passes a policy requiring board participation in this event, which is put on by NPUT to raise money for various scholarships. I suggest that board members must play on the team, unless the either 1) find two replacements (we need to build membership) or 2) contribute _____ dollars towards buying the players cool shirts like the other teams had, or some combination of the two.

Bravo to the oldest team to hit the courts today in this, the most vicious sport ever devised for schoolchildren.

Please remember to vote in school district elections tomorrow, May 17!

New Paltz Efficiency & Effectiveness Public Forums

2011-05-11T17:59:00.001-04:00

The New Paltz Government Efficiency and Effectiveness Project Steering Committee have announced the dates for the public information sessions:

Tuesday May 31 7:30- 9:30 p.m. Community Center (pending confirmation)

Saturday June 4 9:00-11:00 a.m. Community Center (pending confirmation)

Monday, June 6 5:30-7:30 p.m. Middle School cafeteria

For more information, visit the project website.

UPDATE - CLICK HERE FOR NEW LOCATIONS

School Board "Meet The Candidates" Night

2011-05-11T17:47:00.000-04:00

The New Paltz High School PTSA is hosting a "Meet The Candidates" Night on Thursday, May 12th at 7:00 in the New Paltz High School Cafeteria. The forum will be moderated by a representative from the Mid-Hudson Region League of Women Voters. This year 4 candidates will be running for 2 available seats. Candidates are incumbent Patrick Rausch, Michael Hekking, Stephen Bagley and Brian Cournoyer.

Not all politics are underhanded

2011-05-10T06:37:00.000-04:00

Chasing the elusive student vote

Mother's Day in New Paltz - Human (Daisy) Chain to shut down Indian Point

2011-05-07T10:24:00.002-04:00

via organizer Alice Andrews -

MOTHERS & OTHERS UNITED to SHUT DOWN INDIAN POINT

The tragic nuclear disaster at Fukushima is proving to be a frightening reminder of what could go wrong here. While Governor Cuomo is in favor of shutting Indian Point down, it's far from closing. Let's remind Cuomo, and other powers that be, that this should be a priority and that we want it shut down now!

If you're a mom, have a mom, want to be a mom, or know a mom, come join our... human (daisy) chain on Mother's Day--in New Paltz*, NY.

Sunday, May 8 · 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Please bring a daisy or another flower of your choice. We will hold or wear these flowers for Mother's Day--to celebrate nature, life, simplicity, and beauty. For peace.

The chain will start on Route 299 near Wallkill View Farm Market in New Paltz, NY. (15 Rt 299.)

We will have a moment of silence for Japan and its people.

RAIN DATE: SUNDAY, May 15th at 1pm.

*New Paltz is about 50 miles from Buchanan, NY, the site of the Indian Point nuclear plant. FIfty miles is significant, as the US NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) recently recommended a 50-mile-radius evacuation at Fukushima.

Here's a little clip to get you in the mood for Sunday's Human (Daisy) Chain to shut down Indian Point!

Seeing Red

2011-05-06T15:24:00.000-04:00

Did you know that postal service machinery can't be used to scan red mail? They use a red laser to read bar codes, so putting a bar code on a piece of red mail is a waste of time.

On the other hand, selecting red as the color of your mailer means you don't need to use a bar code that will contain the sender's return address.

I got this tidbit from Hector Rodriguez, a county legislator for New Paltz who has a lot of experience in the mailing business. His mailing experience comes from working for Cornerstone, the source of the red card, and his political experience includes working on Jason West's 2003 and 2011 campaigns, and he admits that he has some biases in this case. He's also an expert with knowledge in all these areas, which is why I picked his brain regardless.

I find the direct mail regulations to be daunting, but Hector assures me that nobody broke any laws with that mailer. However, while I have maintained that Cornerstone failed by simply taking the business, Hector believes that their expertise was critical in making it a success: he does not believe that anyone in New Paltz could have sent that mailing and kept it legally anonymous without expert help. Not only was red a good choice to avoid having to use a bar code, the permit used also has two standard formats. The other one would have disclosed the name and address of Cornerstone's client.

The red card was cheap to produce and inexpensive to mail. It probably wasn't greed that led Cornerstone to take the job, because profit margins are razor-thin and Hector assured me that no one got rich off of this job.

While the mailing itself was cheap, Hector believes that the anonymous culprit didn't get his or her money's worth with the list they bought. He's been trying to reconstruct it based on his knowledge of mailing and the board of elections. The BOE will provide lists for free, but adding in a charge for acquiring the data is one of the ways that Cornerstone makes money off its clients. (I don't think there's any ethical problem with that; if Cornerstone does the work they deserve something for it. Hector disagrees, feeling it's a form of fleecing.)

Based on the people dead and alive who received the mailing, Hector doesn't feel the sender got a mailing which was very well targeted. Like many people, he believes that West's campaign may have benefited from it. And I didn't ask him if the campaign did it themselves, because he volunteered that information: "We couldn't have come up with a strategy like that if we tried."

My gut is to believe that statement. The idea of someone pulling a massive switch like this to garner votes by appearing to drive them away fails to meet the Occam's razor test. I will remain skeptical of any such charges unless evidence is produced to back them up.

My gut further tells me that no mayoral candidate was involved, but time will tell if my gut needs a checkup. Evidence is far more effective than speculation. Readers have been kind in providing me with five or six suspects, at last count, but all I've been able to compile is one piece of extremely circumstantial evidence to implicate one prominent New Paltz resident. I won't insult my readers or risk libel charges by claiming I am anywhere close to reaching an answer, but I thank the readership for helping. This is not a mystery which can be solved by only one of us.

Other readers encourage my boycott of Cornerstone until they apologize, and complaining to the USPS itself. Interested citizens may call the Newburgh office at 567-2331 or complain using this form.

Please keep your theories and evidence coming, but remember that evidence is what drives any investigation.

A look at the red card

2011-05-04T16:29:00.003-04:00

If you don't live in the village, or you weren't on the special mailing list, you might be curious what the "red card" is all about. I've scanned in what arrived in our mailbox on Saturday. Click on the image to see a larger version:

Red card front: The use of ALL CAPS immediately drew my attention to the amateurish design

Red card back: note the spelling errors ("in block" and "Dugan")

The permit is owned by Cornerstone Services, a New Paltz-based mailing business, which employs local people. The owners will not release client information due to confidentiality concerns, which I support. What I don't support is Cornerstone's policy of accepting political mailings without a valid return address, regardless of legal requirements. I would like to see the company publicly apologize for doing so, and agree to review that policy. Just because you're allowed to do something doesn't mean you should. I have fired clients, and refused to take others on, because of ethics concerns; I for one prefer the companies I do business with to do the same.

I would feel this way no matter who the candidate named on the red card had been. It's the anonymity of the mailer which annoys me, and I am very interested in exposing the culprit. There are a number of opinions floating about, implicating every single mayoral candidate (yep, I meant all four) and a number of non-candidates as well.

I didn't allow the red card to affect my vote, although I have it good hearsay that other people decided to vote for West after receiving it. The hearsay did not tell me if these alleged enraged were changing their votes, or were polarized to vote when they otherwise would not have done so.

Please, do not accuse any specific individual of mailing the red card unless you are willing to provide your name and your evidence. Libelous comments won't be permitted.

Lessons learned from the 2011 village elections

2011-05-04T09:27:00.000-04:00

This was a great year for political junkies and others in New Paltz. Four mayoral candidates, 7 competing for two trustee seats, and two more vying for a two-year term in a cursed seat. I heard a lot of different views and watched many different strategies. Here's a smattering of what I learned. Hopefully it will help candidates in future elections.

Negative campaigning doesn't work. Watching the debates, I got the impression that three people were running for mayor, but the fourth was running against Jason West. This strategy is often employed when an opponent has a hate club, but it always seems to fail. Rick Lazio has made a career out of having no qualifications other than not being Hillary or not being Cuomo. John Kerry was possibly the only man alive who could have lost to Bush in 2004, all due to his "I'm not George" campaign. People want to know what you are,, not what you're not.
Turn your signs around. One candidate's lawn signs were always placed parallel to the sidewalk, where they were visible mostly to residents and neighbors across the street. Unless you've got several hundred very obedient tenants, turn your signs so we can read them as we walk and drive by.
Public speaking matters . . . somewhat. Not every candidate was cut out for public speaking. One earned my respect because he was willing to try anyway. He got nearly 300 votes despite that disadvantage.
Knock on doors. I got two door-knocks that I know about, one of which caught us at home. Both the knockers won last night. It's the only way to reach out, particularly if you have trouble speaking to large groups. Walk around. Talk to people. Be memorable.
The red card. Whoever sent the anti-West "red card" out just prior to the election most likely got him votes. No matter who it was, it was slimy and underhanded. One candidate was implicated by some due to his public anti-West comments (see how keeping things positive helps?), and fair or not, I think the votes West due to the red card may have been destined for that other candidate. I will publicly disclose that person's identity as soon as I have proof.
Seniors matter even more. Senior citizens are more likely to vote, have more time to pay attention, and have the experience to form solid opinions about what works and what doesn't. Woodland Pond has made it possible to reach out to a big chunk of the senior community easily, and I saw a lot of residents voting when I did. I also heard a lot of condescending remarks aimed at seniors during the campaign ("you're lucky to be here"), and the folks on line with me confirmed that yes, they were indeed insulted. Senior citizens know more than younger people, and see things with a perspective we just can't grasp at a younger age. Ignore them, or patronize them, at your peril.

Here's hoping for a nondysfunctional village board.

New Paltz Village Election Results 2011

2011-05-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

Two-year trustee

Osborn 337
Glenn 377

Full-term trustee

Cohen 37
Crocetti 73
Sherow 187
Bunt 262
Ruger 299
Rhoads 331
Basco 372

Mayor

Cohen 31
Healey 158
Gallucci 314
West 381

Write-in votes for various candidates.

A Message from Don Kerr about the New Paltz Village Elections

2011-05-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

Friends,

I have attended 2 of 5 candidate forums during this Village NP election season and feel that New Paltz is blessed with a wealth of qualified candidates.

I will be voting for Sally Rhoads, Ariana Basco and Stewart Glenn for Village Trustee.

Sally has served our Village so well in so many different capacities over the years, that she can be counted on to bring reason and vision to the table. Sally is an advocate who is able to compromise - a rare combination. Having watch Ariana work on the Police Commission, I have been impressed by the tough questions that she has asked and for not backing down when challenged. She's is smart and tough. Stewart Glenn has been involved in local governments for years - just not in New Paltz. We could use his experience in law, government and business on the Village board.

I will not be endorsing Mayoral candidates - some friends running against each other.

I WILL say that the anti West election eve attack post card that I received in today's mail - with info too late to refute - was one of the more cowardly and sleazy things I have seen in a local election in a while. That tactic - employed successfully by bigot US Senator Jesse Helms - shows that one of the other candidates for NP Mayor is unfit to hold the office. What a low blow .....

Whomever you choose to vote for, please come out and fulfill your responsibility to our democracy.

Regards,

Don Kerr

Grow up and vote!

2011-05-03T07:33:00.000-04:00

A New Paltz lawn decoration

I invited all the mayoral candidates to put a sign on my lawn. Only one responded, and my wife saw the sign, but I never did. By the time I stepped outside on Sunday, both our sign and the one across the street (for the same candidate) were gone.

This has happened before, and I warned the candidates of the possibility. But I was expecting signs to go missing in the dark of night, when the students are crawling back to bed, and that they would be replaced with lawn decorations. When I have invited businesses to put a sign on my lawn, that's usually what happens. They disappear, either to be tossed into the undergrowth or to hang on a dorm room wall.

But these signs disappeared on a Sunday morning, when the alcohol which promotes mischief has moved on to creating stupor and hangovers. My previous political sign took effort to remove, so I suspected foul play; this one was much easier to take, but I think it was more likely an opponent, not an admirer, who nicked it.

I guess over 200 years of being a college town takes its toll on the adults, too. But I still love this town, despite the ninnies and cowards who share it with me.

TODAY IS THE DAY NEW PALTZ!

2011-05-03T07:25:00.002-04:00

Today is the day Village of New Paltz!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

12-9 at the Village Fire House

As if we did not have enough candidates

2011-05-03T07:23:00.001-04:00

Who am I voting for?

2011-05-01T21:28:00.000-04:00

This year's village elections are so interesting that it seems like half the letters in this week's paper were from out of town. It's not an easy choice, and I haven't actually made it yet, because I don't like closing my mind off to the possibilities. Voting is an art perfected by procrastination - you never know what may change someone's mind.

I like to ask questions which are unorthodox, because they provide a lot of insight. Like whether or not you'd be willing to wear a top hat if elected mayor, or whether you support a village militia. Questions like that tell me a lot about how a candidate views the job, or views the village. I know that I've only got one vote, but we all know how important one vote is in the Village of New Paltz, don't we?

I know that the clever voters are only voting for one four-year trustee spot, because they don't want their votes to counteract each other. I can't tell you which pairs of candidates would cause that to happen, but there are plenty of people closer to the pulse of the voters than I.

More and more I am finding that I trust candidates who have lived in New Paltz for more than twenty minutes (that's Dener minutes, each one equals a year). I don't care if the candidate's family hauled stones for Jean Hasbrouck, though; just because you're related to history doesn't mean that you have any knowledge or appreciation of it.

My bias towards age is in part fueled by two subpar trustees which we've elected in the past ten years. We've also had plenty of terrible trustees and mayors who were much older, so I don't completely trust my gut on this one. At least one young candidate strikes me as being completely unaware about village concerns and issues. Another seems quite the opposite.

I'd like to see the residency requirements monitored and enforced more aggressively. There's no reason for rumor or expectation of trustees not living in the village; we need a rule that can be tracked and verified so the situation can be dealt with. I'd like to add to that an attendance requirement. I don't care if the village board meets twice a year or 200, but trustees should be attendance for the vast majority of the time.

At the Chamber of Commerce forum I came to realize that village politics do not have to be dominated by people with engaging public speaking skills. This is a small town, so if we choose, we can elect someone who is shy, or suffers from stage fright, or whose reflective personality doesn't lend itself to quick, off-the-cuff answers. We also don't have to vote for one person because it will improve the chances of someone else being elected. No, we can actually choose to vote for the people that will put the best foot of New Paltz forward.

Sorry I don't have any endorsements, or even decisions, quite yet. Elections are just too important to rush.

My Picks in the Village Election

2011-05-01T10:51:00.004-04:00

For mayor, I'll be voting for Jason West and for the 4-yr trustee seat I'll be voting for Ariana Basco.

kt tobin

(I think Terence is still undecided, not sure if we will be hearing his picks anytime soon.)

Crossroads Project is Dead!

2011-04-28T17:44:00.003-04:00

Remember STOP Crossroads?

Well, it is officially "stopped". The Crossroads Project is Dead!

There's a new "For Sale" sign on the Plesser property; the asking price is $4.5m for the 2 parcels or $2.975m for each separately.

Last Meet-and-Greet Tonight at Main Course

2011-04-27T12:04:00.002-04:00

6pm at Main Course, all candidates were invited, hosted by Butch Dener

Plenty of time to schmooze before heading over to Village Board.

Word on the street is that there might actually be a sighting of Martin (McPhillips, not Sherow), he'll be the one wearing the fez.

Video from the Deyo Hall Debate

2011-04-26T17:53:00.001-04:00

nppa23 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Last Village Debate, and Other Options

2011-04-25T08:08:00.003-04:00

Tonight is the last village election debate, at Deyo Hall on Broadhead Avenue, sponsored by the New Paltz Chamber of Commerce, 7:00. If you can't make it, I believe it will be taped and put on Channel 23 for rebroadcast later in the week. The election is next Tuesday, May 3 from 12-9 at the Village Fire House.

If you have seen enough debates, come check out "An Evening with the Fellows:Financing Smart and Sustainable Place-making", which I'll be moderating at the College Terrace at 7:30. This event will also be taped and broadcast on Channel 23.

If neither of those interest you, there is a New Paltz Government Efficiency and Effectiveness Community Advisory Committee meeting at Town Hall at 7:00. On the agenda is the recently released draft report.

Draft "Full Consolidation Study Report" Released on Web

2011-04-22T17:40:00.001-04:00

Draft "Full Consolidation Study Report"

From newpaltz.ning.com:

The DRAFT Full Consolidation Study report provides a detailed account of the Steering Committee's efforts to analyze and compare the feasibility and impacts of various options for consolidation of the Town and Village of New Paltz. The report focuses on the creation of a Coterminous Town/Village as the preferred option for consolidation, though there is discussion of other options that have been identified (including Village Dissolution and the creation of a City).

Previous versions of the draft were reviewed with the Steering Committee, and comments or questions received were used to make revisions. A summary of the questions and the response to each is also provided in Appendix A (Question Log).

This version of the DRAFT Full Consolidation Study report is being made available to residents of the Town and Village, as well as members of the Community Advisory Committee, for the purposes of gathering public input regarding the pros and cons of consolidation. It is hoped that the details provided in the DRAFT report regarding how consolidation might occur and the impacts it would have on taxes and other areas will help residents as they consider their position on the matter.

A series of public meetings will be scheduled in order to gather public input on the findings documented in the DRAFT report. These meetings will be publicized here on the project web site calendar and via other means, so stay tuned.

Video from the Village Hall Debate

2011-04-22T00:42:00.000-04:00

nppa23 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

New Paltz School Board Candidates 2011

2011-04-19T21:16:00.003-04:00

Four candidates have submitted their names for election to the New Paltz School Board on Tuesday, May 17th. In ballot order:

Brian Cournoyer

Stephen J. Bagley

Patrick Rausch (incumbent)

Michael Hekking

Incumbent Steve Greenfield did not submit petitions to get on this May's ballot.

Village Elections Debates and Forums Schedule

2011-04-13T22:25:00.004-04:00

This is to the best of my knowledge - if anything is missing or wrong, I'm sure our not shy readers will let me know.

Friday 4/15 7pm /root Debate, 60 Main Street - Mayoralty and Trustee candidates

Sunday 4/17 1pm TownGownConnect Debate @ Village Hall - Mayoralty candidates only (Broadcast LIVE on Channel 23)

Thursday 4/21 8pm SUNY New Paltz Debate - Mayoralty candidates only

Monday 4/25 7pm Chamber of Commerce Debate @Deyo Hall - Mayoralty and Trustee candidates

Wednesday 4/27 6pm Main Course Meet-and-Greet with all candidates, hosted by Butch Dener

Tuesday 5/3 ELECTION DAY 12-9 at the Village Fire House

Update - Oracle coverage and video of the Woodland Pond debate on 4/11
Reminder - Debate today at Village Hall will be broadcast live on Channel 23

Southlands

2011-04-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

I arrive in Florida without incident, even manage to get upgraded to 1st class on the flight down. My friends meet me at the airport and all is wonderful. since this is Florida, on Tuesday, we go to the Everglades for an airboat tour. We see about 5 alligators in the wild. This is a real tourist place and has alligator wrestling. It's kind of low-key and low-budget but interesting nonetheless. I go to pick up the bike. One of the arms of the trailer had gotten bent slightly and one of the nuts hiolding he seat had managed to fall out. All is better now. It was close to 90 today! Whew. We'll try for the early morning start. Not much shade in this state!

Unhappy Gadflies

2011-04-11T18:13:00.005-04:00

Today was the monthly meeting of the New Paltz Government Efficiency and Effectiveness Study Working Group. I read this statement during public comment:

This statement is respectfully submitted to the New Paltz Government Efficiency and Effectiveness Study Working Group (WG) (renamed during the project as the Steering Committee) and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) co-chairs, signed by seven CAC members.

We, the undersigned, have grave concerns about the study process and product to date. Concerning process, the WG rejected the CAC’s request to hold evening meetings, to provide detailed meeting minutes, including rationales for major decisions, and to abide by the Core Values for Public Participation1 guidelines (International Association for Public Participation; http://www.iap2.org).*

The study proposal, which was submitted to the New York State High Priority Planning Grant program as part of the grant application, clearly states, “Concrete processes and strategies will be incorporated into the process in order to communicate facts and promote a dialogue that will facilitate a high level of civic engagement.” The RFP for the project also states, in bold, “An enhanced public involvement plan to promote wide scale participation in the process is required.”

Despite these guidelines, from the start, there has been a lack of public participation and clarity about the CAC’s role in that public process. One CAC member asked, “Is the CAC expected to merely inform the public of decisions, or will the public be invited to engage in meaningful participation?” Another said, “I thought our job was to gather public input [in order to] inform the process of the study, not to just garner support for its conclusions.”

To further the goal of public participation, the grant application specifically required the creation of a project website to facilitate information-sharing between the WG, CAC, and community at large. In addition, the application stated, “Dedicated pages on both municipalities’ websites will provide a record of the study progress and include links to all relevant documents.” The website, through the members-only Ning site, failed to meet the basic access needs of many members, continues to have multiple outstanding and unanswered questions, and supplies limited, unclear documentation to outline the process as it has unfolded. Requests from the CAC for additional information and better explanations have also been denied. The Village and Town were complicit in these obstacles to public access, failing to even link to the site until the project had been underway for months, and never providing additional resources. While the consultants have repeatedly suggested that questions, comments, and suggestions be funneled through the website, their responses have been exceedingly slow or, more frequently, absent altogether.

Whether deliberate or unintentional, this failure to engage the public has led us to feel that the WG is secretive and disinterested in process. These concerns were reinforced when the WG chose not to release the draft report to the public. Perhaps as a result of this decision, not one CAC member commented on the substance of the draft report, either due to stated issues with the lack of disclosure (at least four members voiced this concern), or speculatively, disengagement due to lack of clear process and transparency. One CAC member stated, “I hardly think it's fair to presume that this relatively small group can adequately represent the diverse perspectives of all of New Paltz, when all of New Paltz has not had any opportunity to review such a document.” Another member said, “How can there be such a recommendation when the information leading up to this conclusion has not been disclosed to the CAC, let alone the public? This whole report is lacking public input. There should not have even been a draft without public input.”

In terms of product, while the work to date has included a thorough analysis of dollars (efficiency), there has been barely any discussion about governance (effectiveness). We refer again to the study proposal, which states, “[T]his project will not only review opportunities for efficiency, it will also consider all potential governance models.”

Although the WG has discussed some governance models, none of these discussions included or even considered public feedback. The draft report rejects many possibilities (e.g., city, village dissolution, a model of our own design, status quo) without any public discussion. This process and the conclusions concerning possible governance models fly in the face of the study proposal, which states, “[t]his neutral feasibility study will not presume any preconceived outcome, and instead will consider all options, including the prospect of alternatives not currently defined by law and the option of continuation of the existing structure(s).”

The proposal also says, “Dissent will be an acknowledged component of the discourse and will not be an impediment to the process.” We feel strongly that our dissent and our concerns (which have been expressed repeatedly to you) have been ignored. Furthermore, we deeply hope that the WG will recognize our commitment to this project, and will listen to and act on our constructive criticisms. We want to be ambassadors for this project, but as one member noted, “the CAC can only act as translators if they are informed. Information on the process thus far and decisions that have been made are not readily accessible in its entirety.”

Lastly, since the CAC, to date, has provided no feedback to the WG on the substance—only on process—of the report, we respectfully request that the language that the CAC provided “input and involvement” on the draft report be deleted. Perhaps if the process improves, then the final report can properly acknowledge the contribution of the CAC. The CAC has been eager and prepared to contribute, however it is impossible to do so when the group has not been given the authority, autonomy, or information necessary to fulfill the expectations outlined in the original proposal.

In closing, we wish to make clear that we have a desire to provide the citizens of New Paltz with the information necessary to make sound, reasoned, and informed decisions about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our government. We have made it clear that to do so, we must engage the public early and often. Failure to do so will almost surely result in rancor, discontent, and mistrust. In this regard the CAC accurately reflects the sentiments of the community.

Signed,
John Logan
Ira Margolis
Amanda Sisenstein
Caryn Sobel
KT Tobin
Brittany Turner
Michael Zierler

* Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation
1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
2. Public participation includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.
4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.
5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.
6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.
7. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

Village Ballot Lottery Complete, Maybe

2011-04-11T17:57:00.005-04:00

Today was the lottery drawing for the ballot order in the upcoming Village of New Paltz elections. Here are the results, in order of how they will appear in the voting booth:

1 Positive Party - Ariana Basco, Trustee (4 year seat)
2 One Community Party - Pete Healey, Mayor; Sally Rhoads, Trustee (4 year seat); Martin Sherow, Trustee (4 year seat); Stuart Glenn, Trustee (2 year seat)
3 New Paltz Party - Kip Ruger, Trustee (4 year seat)
4 Village Unity Party - Jean Gallucci, Mayor
5 Cooperative Party - Jason West, Mayor
6 Balance Party - Rick Bunt, Trustee (4 year seat)
7 Groovy Blueberry Party - Jon Cohen, Mayor; Amy Cohen, Trustee (4 year seat); Emily Crocetti, Trustee (4 year seat)
8 Community Connection Party - Shari Osborn, Trustee (2 year seat)

According to mayoral candidate Pete Healey, there is some concern/confusion about a few issues:
1 - Whether or not the ballot has room for 8 separate parties and if the last 2 or 3 may need to "share" a ballot line (and whether or not there is room for that)
2 - Whether or not it is legal to use the municipality name, "New Paltz", in a party name
3 - Whether or not more than one party can use the same word, in this case, "Community" in their name

Village of New Paltz Candidates for the May 3rd Elections

2011-04-02T13:04:00.002-04:00

Mayor
Jon Cohen
Jean Gallucci
Pete Healey
Jason West

4 Year Trustee (two seats)
Ariana Basco
Rick Bundt
Amy Cohen
Emily Crocetti
Sally Rhoads
Kip Ruger
Martin Sherow

2 Year Trustee (one seat)
Stewart Glenn
Shari Osborn

A three-point position

2011-03-20T18:53:00.000-04:00

Fact: there is no problem that can't be made worse by introducing competitiveness among the stakeholders.
Fact: there is no political process that doesn't make the participants automatically see the world as a big strategy map which details where "us" and "them" are located.
Fact: New Paltz loses every single election because of the two above facts.

2011-03-11T17:10:00.003-05:00

In a recent letter to the editor, the writer started their letter by stating “..this is not an attack on any one teacher.” They then proceeded to attack the entire New Paltz teaching staff by sharing some of the contractual language of their contract. The first two paragraphs stated the minimum amount of time that teachers are required to work. While these numbers are correct, they do not accurately reflect what happens in real life. Many, if not most teachers are at school well before or well after the official “start and end” times on a regular basis. During that time, they prepare the classroom for the day. Others continue the work they did at home the night before, marking papers. Some are meeting with parents who need an early morning meeting. Other are providing enrichment for students who can come early or stay late, either in groups or individually. Others stay to meet with their colleagues on an informal basis, planning how to work together collectively, discussing practice, sharing resources. Some are taking in-service courses. At night, teachers are marking papers, developing assignments, researching lessons and talking on the phone with parents.

During those summers off, most teachers further their education with ongoing professional development, engaging in programs and projects to increase their skill, expand their knowledge base and help to make them better teachers. To maintain a teaching license in NYS, all teachers must take 175 hours of coursework over a five-year period, one week a year. For at least one week prior to school, many teachers, especially but not exclusively those at the elementary level, come in to prepare the classroom for the student’s arrival. They put their room back together after it has been serviced by maintenance, unpack their supplies, do massive amounts of paperwork to get ready as well as be available to meet students who always come in so see who is their new teacher(s).

The writer then goes on to examine the benefits teacher’s receive. This is the local echo of the now national mood to incite people against public employees. This has resulted in a review of this compensation. Studies have shown that when accounting for level of education, public employees, including teachers, make less than their counterparts in the private sector when salary and benefits are considered. In NYS, all teacher must have a Master’s degree in Education.

But this outrage belies a more troubling trend in our public discussion. It is true that public employees, workers who are about the only group left with powerful unions, have a decent wage, for which they work hard by the way!
It is more of a concern that others wish to pull them down rather than say, “Why don’t I have good health insurance, more vacation time, better retirement options, and the ability to have a say in my work rather than be dictated to?” Why do we not seek to aspire to all of us having a better economic life? There is enough money out there. But we don’t have it. Guess who does!

This shift of wealth upwards coincides with the decline of unions since the early 70’s. What has happened in our society is a massive transfer of wealth to the top 2% and within that, the big winners by far are the top one-tenth of one percent. Over the last 30 years, this vast accumulation of wealth--how many mansions can you own?--has led to vast amounts of money being used to legally bribe and buy politicians of both parties. What has resulted is an abandonment of a middle class society. What is now clear, although it has been happening over time, is the creation of an oligarchy, a society that is being run for the benefit of the wealthy. In NYS, since 1990, the top 1% of earners, those earning over % 633,000 in today’s dollars with the average income being 2.3 million, have doubled their share of income, from 17% to 35.3%. The top 5% of all earners, those with incomes from $209,000 up, take home 49.4% of all NYS incomes. The rest of us now share the remaining 50.6%. The bottom 50% of all earners in NYS take home only 9.1% of all income, down from 13.9% in 1990. Moreover, that top 1% pays only 8.4% of their income in NYS taxes while those with incomes from $33,000 to 209,000 pay between 10.7% and 11.0% of our income in taxes.

We, the bottom 95%, are being squeezed. We are being pitted against each other. Who benefits?

David Dukler
Gardiner

Every Week Should Be No Name Calling Week

2011-02-01T09:03:00.004-05:00

Just sayin'

No Name Calling Week

Ulster Launches Anti-Bullying Effort

School District Policy - as in, what we expect of our children and should model:

Policy 3420: POLICY ON HARASSMENT/HAZING/BULLYING
The Board of Education is committed to providing a safe, productive and positive learning environment, free of harassment and intimidation. The Board condemns all forms of harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, or disability, weight, or the use of a recognized service animal. The Board condemns all forms of hazing and bullying. The Board specifically prohibits harassment, hazing, and bullying on school grounds and at all school-sponsored events, programs and activities, including those that take place at locations off school premises.
It is the policy of the New Paltz Central School District that no member of the school community - board members, students, faculty, administrators, or staff, parents/guardians, vendors/contractors and others who do business with the School District, as well as school district volunteers, visitors, guests and other third parties - may harass or intimidate any other member of the community.

What is Harassment?
Verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of that person’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity age, marital status, military status, veteran status, disability, weight, or use of a recognized guide dog, hearing dog or service dog animal. Harassment can also occur if conduct is directed toward a person's relatives, friends, or associates. Harassment does one or more of the following:
a) Has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or is used as a basis for employment decisions (including terms and conditions of employment) affecting such individual and/or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment;
b) Has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a student's academic performance or participation in an educational or extracurricular activity; and/or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive academic environment; and/or effectively bars the student's access to an educational opportunity or benefit; or
c) Otherwise adversely affects the employment and/or educational opportunities and benefits provided by the District.

New Paltz GreenWorks Endorses Complete Streets

2011-01-25T18:43:00.002-05:00

(Letter to the Editor, New Paltz Times 01.26.11)

On Tuesday, February 8^th, the Town of New Paltz Highway Department will be sponsoring a Complete Streets workshop. Kudos and thank you to the town for making this event free to New Paltz residents. We think it is wonderful that our town and highway department are taking a leadership role in this endeavor, because Complete Streets is a framework that many of us embrace and recognize as a viable path towards creating roadways that are safe and welcoming to everyone: walkers, joggers, bikers, wheelchair users, and motorists.

The Complete Streets (www.CompleteStreets.org) initiative is built upon the premise that roads are not just for automobiles. However, most roads were designed only for cars, and engineers and planners are confronted with the challenge of a) finding ways to retrofit existing roads to safely accommodate other users, and b) designing, planning, and approving any future roads to meet the needs of all users. The challenges are great, but not insurmountable. For example, in parts of our village, we have the legacy of very narrow roads that were built for horse and buggy travel! But that does not mean we should not rise to the challenge of creating a walkable-bikeable community that is safe and can accommodate everyone.

This workshop will give decision makers and policy makers the tools they need to implement the Complete Streets program in their community. It will be held from 8:00am to 3:30pm at the New Paltz Fire House (next to Village Hall). For more information, contact the New Paltz Highway Department at 845/255-5050 or download an application form at www.townofnewpaltz.org (click on Departments, Highway Department).

As proponents of green living and all efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, we wholeheartedly endorse this workshop and encourage a high turnout from our New Paltz elected officials, planning board members, planners, engineers, and activists.

Theresa Fall and KT Tobin, New Paltz GreenWorks

New Paltz Gadfly

Word to the wise

We are the 99%, at least in spirit

Occupying New Paltz

Salary comparison: New Paltz and Lloyd

Reevaluating recycling

Police commission: needed?

Retooling and back to work!

Hiatus

No election results

TPW endorses: Ulster Countywide races

County Executive

District Attorney

TPW endorses: county legislature

District 20

District 17

TPW endorses: town races

Supervisor and highway superintendent

Town justice

Town council

SUNDAY 10/16! New Paltz Flood Aid Benefit Concert at Hasbrouck Park 12-7

What's up with the school buses?

New Paltz Flood Aid - 1st Event Tomorrow 10/2

Safe to drink?

2011 Democratic and WFP Primary Results

Water ban lifted

Water Boil Alert Over

Slow boil

Announcing: FLOOD AID for New Paltz Farmers, Families, and First Responders

What turbid water means

Sewage plant alert - boil your water, New Paltz!

Public Notice:

Commentary:

River of Poop?

A view from the table

New Paltz Republican Caucus Results 2011

Info / Form for Submitting Damage Assessments

Information about the curfew

Perfect Timing! Joint Town-Village Meeting Tomorrow 8/31

Agenda - Public comment Old business: Floyd Kniffen - annexation 3 outstanding requests for water hookup Contract with Village for Moriello Park Update on Park Point project New business: Crossing Guard Offices formerly used by NPPD Aqueduct repair update

Classes Resume Tomorrow at SUNY New Paltz

A Message from Mayor Jason West

Absorbing Irene

Update from SUNY New Paltz

Huguenot Street Farm - Irene Damage Photos

Travel Update

New Paltz Local Farms Hit Hard

Updates: Irene /Floods In New Paltz

Irene aftermath

Irene / Flood News from New Paltz

2011 Democratic Caucus Results

Democrats fire their engines

Slash Root to Host First Ever Hudson Valley “Hack-and-Tell”

New Paltz Caucus Dates Announced

Greenfield announces for District 17

Recycling roads

Video from Rally to Celebrate passage of Marriage Equality Act

the Village of New Paltz Official Vegetable

My favorite county leg candidates!!!

Customer service isn't dead

New Paltz on Jeopardy

New Paltz School Board Passes Anti Tax Cap Resolution

Gadfly throws his hat in the ring

My Republican Dilemma

New Paltz in Kingston for the County Dem Convention

No Petrol Day this Saturday 6/4

No news is . . . no news.

The Almost End of the Dungan Era

Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees

Town Hosts Wetlands Info Session

Snow job

The Kimbiz/Kazmin Plot Thickens

Water Main Break at Duzine - 12:15 Dismissal

Fat Bob's goes down the toilet

New Paltz Tax Grievance Day 05/26/11

New locations for Government Efficiency & Effectiveness Forums

So, Who Is Going to Run?

Brian Kimbiz, it's time to resign

Posted on the Village of New Paltz Website: Trustee Vacation?

New Paltz divided in redistricting plan

Agenda -
Public comment
Old business: Floyd Kniffen - annexation
3 outstanding requests for water hookup
Contract with Village for Moriello Park
Update on Park Point project
New business: Crossing Guard
Offices formerly used by NPPD
Aqueduct repair update