Another sign of the times, from the Daily Mail, reports on how the Greene County highway department is trimming costs by cutting back snow plow personnel to one per truck, ending the tradition of sending out a trainee "wingman" on regular runs in exchange for solo runs. In the story, Greene County Highway Superintendent Gary Harvey says the department is already realizing some savings during this winter season, training plow truck drivers to both drive and operate the plow.

A “wingman” to operate the plow would typically sit in the cab with the driver, Harvey said, but due to budget restraints, “We’re down on personnel. People are retiring and not being replaced,” he said. “We’re instituting this year the pilot program for one-person plowing.” Without compromising safety, drivers are now being trained to use the truck’s center console to operate the plows.

Of the 26 trucks sent out around the county during a heavy snow, a majority of them will soon have a single operator, although for safety purposes, a few of the trickier routes will maintain double cab crews due to the windiness or narrowness of the roadway.

Harvey said about four drivers have been properly trained so far and they expect a significant savings by season’s end, though it’s still too early to tell how much.

The county’s annual budget for snow removal exceeds $2.6 million for about 270 miles of county highways. About $1.1 million was budgeted for personal services, which includes hourly and overtime wages. The county is also looking to technology and new municipal plow sharing programs to cut costs.

Plow-tech

New technologies also play a role in saving the county money during the snowy season.

A new truck improvement, Harvey said, has increased the capability of spreading just the right amount of sand and salt.

While salt and sand spreaders are usually installed on the truck’s each season, the fleet’s newest addition has a built-in dispenser.

A computer-operated system allows settings to inputted depending on the conditions — heavy snow, light snow, ice, etc. — so the spreader dispenses the right amount of material.

“It’s more efficient and more effective,” Harvey said of the newest truck.

The county spends about $260,000 on salt and $120,000 on sand annually, with salt being the preferred the material.

“We used to spend a lot on sand but the roads have been getting in better condition for salt,” Harvey said.

Salt, which can be used sparingly but have the same effectiveness as a lot of sand, costs about $60 per ton while sand is $10 per ton.

Plow sharing

The county has also enjoyed an efficient partnership with towns.

Some of the more difficult county roads to access have been plowed by the town for several years, Harvey said.

While the county supplies some money for the town to plow and sand/salt the roadway, it ultimately saves county workers time and fuel.

“It helps our response time in getting over there,” Harvey said.

Some of those county roadways are located close to town highway departments, so it is a sensible efficiency for taxpayers countywide.

The towns of Durham, Halcott, Lexington and Prattsville all help with plowing hard to reach highways, including county routes 6 in Lexington, 11 in Prattsville, 20 in Durham, and 1 and 3 in Halcott.

“It’s really a logistical savings,” said Harvey.

Harvey said there may be a plan in the future for the county to drop the plow on town roads, though nothing concrete has been established yet.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Hudson City Schools, like all in New York State, are facing drastic budget shortfalls, and changes in the way our public education is handled."][/caption]The Register-Star has two unrelated stories on educational issues this morning that, taken together, indicate some of the major challenges our public schools will be facing this year. At a meeting in Kinderhook on Tuesday, they report, 400 people showed up for an Ichabod Crane Community Forum on possible closure of two elementary schools in the local school district, with the most opposition raised when the idea of cutting kindergarten classes to half days was raised, along with the complete elimination of the district's Pre-K program. In Hudson, meanwhile, the paper reports that City School District Superintendent John Howe is now saying he's facing a budget gap for the next 2011-2012 school year of at least $3.6 million. The deficit represents a substantial portion of the district’s expenses, the paper reports, which neared $41 million this year. Driving the shortfall is the fact that the district will lose out on $1.8 million in federal aid that was not renewed for this year, while expenses are set to rise by $1.8 million.

Compounding the situations are two proposals coming out of Albany. The first is the prospect of a third consecutive year of cuts in state education aid. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that he wants to transform the way Albany doles out aid to school districts, potentially by scrapping the existing formula for school aid and replacing it with a competitive grant program. Schools would be rewarded for making strides in academic performance and for finding cost savings on the administrative side. The second state proposal — also a cornerstone of the newly-minted Cuomo agenda — is for a cap on increases in local property taxes. The cap favored by the governor would limit increases to 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

The ICC meeting, held in the high school auditorium in Kinderhook , was the third of eight forums in which the Board of Education hopes to elicit community response to a variety of solutions to what appears to be an inevitable and unprecedented budget crisis. The next meeting, Jan. 25, will be devoted to electives and other non-mandated programs and increase in class sizes. For more on that story, click here. For more on budget problems in Hudson, click here.

[caption id="attachment_7283" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="By Gus Murphy"][/caption]

Another local crime caught in its midst yesterday demonstrates the desperation many are feeling with the obstinate economy, especially for those without gainful employment of any kind. This morning's Daily Mail reports on how, "a seemingly desperate man" living in a Catskill motel was arrested for allegedly robbing a nearby Italian restaurant at knifepoint Tuesday night.

Nicholas B. Barcomb, 35, who police said was residing at Peloke’s Motel along Route 23, entered Tori G’s restaurant, opposite the motel on Route 23, around 9:45 p.m. and demanded cash. Barcomb allegedly threatened the clerk with a knife and was given more than $700 in cash, police said. Police believe the motive may have been drug-related.

As the man fled he told the person he'd just robbed that he was headed for Poughkeepsie, after which he caught a taxi to the city of Hudson. The Catskill Police Department received the tip on the suspect’s whereabouts and worked with the Hudson Police Department to apprehend Barcomb Wednesday morning. Barcomb was charged with first-degree robbery, a class B felony, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class D felony. He now faces up to 25 years in state prison after being arraigned in Catskill Village Court and remanded to the Greene County Jail without bail.

16 year old Thomas Unser, reported missing from Valatie since Monday, was located around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday by his former stepfather, Todd Breen, at the Walmart store in East Greenbush, according to New York State Police at Livingston, as reported in this morning's Register Star. Once Unser’s family located the teen, they contacted State Police and confirmed he was in good health. The investigation is now closed.

Unser’s family searched for him through the evening Tuesday, said his mother Cheryl Unser. “We had been out since, probably, 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon,” she said. “We had about 10 to 15 of us down in Rensselaer County.” The family followed leads that took them to Schodack, Castleton and Rensselaer, where Cheryl Unser said police located a person who had given him a ride to the Rensselaer K-Mart. There, police learned that Unser had been calling people and trying to get a ride to the Walmart in East Greenbush. Cheryl Unser said she and family members walked around the shopping complex and found nothing. Exhausted, Cheryl Unser returned home to Valatie but her husband went on to the Wal Mart, where a manager took Breen to the store’s video surveillance room, where they saw footage of Thomas Unser entering the Walmart again.

Adding a wrinkle to the story, it turns out there was a warrant for Thomas’ arrest for violating probation; following his discovery at the Wal Mart, the Unser family attended court Wednesday morning and the 16 year old was placed in the Berkshire Farm Center for Youth.

Tune in today
TUNE IN WGXC will air the following live shows on WGXC Online Radio Thursday:
•WGXC Morning Show 6-8 a.m./9-11 a.m. live with Casson Kennedy, Mark Lacoy, Kaya Weidman, and Sara Kendall from 6-8 a.m., and with Sam Sebren, Ellen Thurston, Christina Malisoff, Richard Roth, Alan Skerrett, and Nancy Rothman from 9-11 a.m. The latter group's "Tell It Like It Is" airs from 10-11 a.m.
Click here to listen.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Windham Town Hall, from website."][/caption]Town meetings tonight
TOWN OF WINDHAM Regular Town Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 8 p.m. in the Windham Town Hall, located on Main St. in Hensonville.


Weather
COLD Partly cloudy, temperatures in 20s.


Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 9:05 a.m./Low, 4:18 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:23 a.m./4:44 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:28 a.m./1:17 a.m.


Birthdays
JANUARY 13 Charles Nelson Reilly, Jay McInerney, and Suggs.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="247" caption="NY State Senator James Seward (left) congratulates Surprise resident George R. Federoff as the Senate's new sergeant-at-arms."][/caption]George R. Federoff of the Village of Surprise in the Town of Greenville, is the new sergeant-at-arms of the New York State Senate through 2012, State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta, who represents Greene County) announced Wednesday. As sergeant-at-arms, Federoff acts as the chief security officer of the senate and, when called upon, aids in enforcing order on the floor of the senate, in the lobbies, and in the rooms adjoining the senate chamber.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced Wednesday that taxpayers will have until April 18 to file their 2010 personal income tax returns. The usual April 15 deadline was extended because of the Federal observance of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington D.C. The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the extension of its deadline to the next business day, which is April 18, so New York is moving its due date too.

Want a sense of how the economy's doing, where people's money fears lie, and just how prevalent the idea of "doing it oneself" is these days? Mid Hudson News Network reports today that some 100 people attended a venture capital forum held at Stewart Airport Tuesday night, January 11, to hear from authorities on how businesses can access capital in the Hudson Valley. Entrepreneurs learned what investors look for, what pitfalls to avoid and how to identify the best investors for their business, and all with a major storm threatening. The Accelerator, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation and Upstate Venture Association of New York conducted the conference.

Orange County Business Accelerator Director Michael DiTullo said venture capitalists provide a specific service. “Venture capitalists actually make investments in companies. They become principals, they buy equity, startup, and as the company grows, maybe there is an exit strategy and they participate in whatever profit or windfall that could happen as a result of that,” he said. “They also provide management expertise. Very often, venture capitalists will serve on the boards of directors. Warren Buffet essentially is a venture capitalist. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, makes investments in companies and sometimes acquires them outright.”

On a much more localized level, former WGXC Radio Council member and Greene County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Kathleen Packard noted recently that several clients she's been wooing for her design business have asked to green light projects, a first for the past two years of economic slowdown.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Nanotechnology, as illustrated by the Nanotechnology Investing website."][/caption]A pair of story's in today's Albany Business Review support the regional push to make the Capital District and Hudson Valley the nation's new nanotechnology center, akin to what Silicone Valley was in the 1990s and Austin was last decade, computer-wise. In one story, they report that the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering has been awarded nearly $5 million in federal funding for research, education and work force development, based on a January 11 CNSE announcement that it had received federal money for clean energy, nanotechnology, nanoelectronics and nanomedicine activities. "The funds come from several sources including the federal stimulus and multiple agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory," the story says. At the same time, there's also a report on how computer chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries, who are building a massive new plant in Saratoga County north of Albany that's spurring talk of feeder manufacturers and businesses in Columbia and Greene counties as well, has announced that it will double its capital expenditures to $5.4 billion this year as the company builds its new plant in Malta and expands operations in Germany and Singapore. "GlobalFoundries is investing a total of $4.6 billion to build its Malta plant. Much of that money will be spent this year as the company begins to install multi-million dollar chip making tools," the story reads. "The news comes after Gartner Inc., a Connecticut-based IT research company, announced last month that worldwide semiconductor capital spending more than doubled to $38.4 billion last year from $16.6 billion in 2009.... That competition is being pushed as more integrated-device companies look to spin off or contract out chip manufacturing to reduce overhead costs."

Nanotechnology is the study and practice of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="ATM being hacked in Durham last June, as captured by security camera and published in January 12 Daily Mail."][/caption]A nationwide cash machine scam struck Greene County last year and investigators are seeking tips on catching the suspect, Colin DeVries reports in today's Daily Mail. His story focus on a single instance caught on a security camera in Durham last June, but extrapolates that the incidence may be part of a larger trend that will grow now, at least according to local police.

Investigator S. Williams of New York State Police at Catskill said scammers learn about the hacking method from a “manual” on the Web. Apparently, master codes for various models of ATMs are readily available to hackers online, Williams said, and there are chat rooms where hackers freely exchange code numbers.

In this case, the ATM hacker used a Wal-Mart Visa gift debit card, easily purchased at any Wal-Mart store, and used an ATM master code obtained online to change the currency denominations. The suspect was then able to change the denominations from $20 to $1 at the Durham ATM, making the machine believe it was dispensing one-dollar bills when in fact it was dispensing twenties. For the suspect’s first unauthorized transaction, he requested $100 from the ATM and was dispensed $2,000. In another withdrawal, he prompted the machine to give him $20 and it dispensed $400 — spitting out 20 bills thinking each actual twenty-dollar bill was only a single. The suspect faces felony grand larceny charges and unauthorized use of a computer.

Last June, a white male with short dark-colored hair, wearing baggy jeans and an oversized button-down shirt, was photographed by security cameras at the Milk Run convenience shop on Route 145 in Durham hacking an ATM and stealing cash.

The man, state police said, stole $2,400 and used a method of hacking that has caught on around the nation.

While state police have been working with the FBI on this crime since last year, more information has been requested from the public or other agencies.

If anyone has any knowledge of this crime which occurred on June 14, 2010 at 9:08 a.m. and 10:48 a.m., contact New York State Police at Catskill by phone, 518-622-8600 and refer to case number 3580407.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Senator Chuck Schumer addresses federal cuts to emergency radio communications in photo by Times Union's (John Carl D'Annibale."][/caption]If the Capital Region and Hudson Valley were ever under the threat of terrorism, it could be vulnerable. That's the message Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered under snow flurries and surrounded by police Tuesday on the steps of City Hall according to a piece in today's January 12 Times Union, which goes on to say that Schumer issued the warning after a cut of $913,000 meant to pay for radios that enable emergency agencies throughout the region to communicate. "Our first responders behind us need the resources," Schumer said, adding that the region has the 10th-busiest train station in the country in Rensselaer and is an international leader in nanotechnology, with plants in Albany and the emergence of GlobalFoundries in Saratoga County. It also holds important assets as the state's capital. All of those factors make the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, between Albany and the City, more likely to be threatened, Schumer is further reported as saying.

The region received $1.9 million in 2009 under the Urban Areas Security Initiative program to pay for the improvements, Schumer said, but the number was cut in 2010, even though the overall amount of money distributed by the program increased. The Capital Region was one of two areas in the state to have its 2010 funding cut under the program enacted after the 9/11 terror attacks. The other was Syracuse.

Schumer did not specify how much money it would take to buy the equipment, and only said he wanted funds back to 2009 levels.

"As 9/11 becomes further and further away, some forget how important it is to make inter-operation a reality," he said.

As it stands, police, fire and other emergency responders in the five-county area spanning Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Schoharie and Saratoga counties do not have the technology it takes to be able to communicate with each other via radio. Schumer said technology would be essential during a large-scale disaster such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a major ice storm or a pandemic.

Schumer was joined on the steps of City Hall by a number of politicians including Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton and Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino.

Stratton said the region needs the money in light of recent national attention paid by President Barack Obama, who was to visit Schenectady on Tuesday, but postponed after the weekend's deadly shootings in Arizona.

Schumer addressed Saturday's killings, where a congresswoman is fighting for her life after being shot in the head, but said he would not comment on specifics until an investigation reveals all the facts. He said Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., are reviewing whether Congress needs additional security.

"I am going about my job," he said, "the same way I did it before Saturday."

Schumer said he is informed about a handful of threats against lawmakers every month, but they usually come from mentally unbalanced people rather than political extremists.

"Being out and about all the time helps me do my job," he said. "There's got to be a balance."

Current forecast from National Weather Service.

Seven to 14 inches of snow are expected Tuesday night, and the National Weather Service has now updated conditions to a Winter Storm Warning for our area through Wednesday, beginning 7 p.m. Tuesday. Driving conditions may be dangerous Wednesday morning, and schools and businesses may be delayed or closed. More snow is expected in the Lower Hudson Valley, and the New York State Thruway Authority, "advises motorists to avoid any unnecessary travel in the New York region during this severe weather event."

School closings, snow emergencies, and more after the jump.

•SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Cairo-Durham, Catskill, Chatham, Columbia-Greene Community College, Coxsackie-Athens, Germantown, Greenville, Hawthorne Valley School, Hudson, Hunter-Tannersville, Ichabod Crane (Kinderhook), New Lebanon, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Taconic Hills, and Windham-Ashland-Jewett schools have announced they will be closed Wednesday.

•OTHER CLOSINGS:
•Columbia County ARC (COARC):  No transportation on Wednesday; Staff to report; Ulster-Greene ARC (Catskill), open, but no transportation.
•Columbia Co Nutrition Program (Philmont)
•Giving Tree Daycare (Catskill)
•Greene County Senior Centers

•HUDSON SNOW EMERGENCY: A snow emergency has been declared for the City of Hudson, effective 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Starting 8 a.m. Wednesday, all vehicles are to be parked on the odd side of the street for 24 hours. At 8 a.m. Thursday, vehicles should be moved to the even side of the street for another 24 hours. The snow emergency will end 8 a.m. Friday morning unless otherwise extended.

•CATSKILL SNOW EMERGENCY: starts Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. All vehicles should be parked on the odd side of village streets from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. At 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., all vehicles should be parked on the even side of the street. Vehicles should continue to switch sides of the street every 12 hours until the snow emergency has been canceled. There will be no parking on Main St. from Greene St. to Fairview Ave. beginning at 11 p.m. Jan. 11, 2011 to ensure that Main Street is one of the first streets to be cleared of snow. Violators will be ticketed and eventually towed.

•CAIRO SNOW EMERGENCY: "All residents are asked to park their vehicles off of the main roads and side streets to allow highway plows to clear the streets of accumulating snow,” said Cairo Police Chief Chris Sprague in <a href="http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2011/01/12/news/doc4d2d35f836bfa300090419.txt">a statement in The Daily Mail</a>. “All Main Street residents are reminded to follow the regulations posted on the alternate side parking street signs.”

•STATE ACTION: Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday the activation of 224 DOT trucks in the Hudson Valley for the snowstorm. The New York State Thruway is closed to tandem trucks between New York City and Exit 25A (Schenectady) until further notice.

•CURRENT FORECAST:
Overnight: Snow. Low around 22. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow. High near 29. North wind between 16 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Scattered snow showers before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 16. Northwest wind around 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

A Chatham man faces felony charges after he allegedly led State Police on a chase early Tuesday, according to this morning's Times Union, which is reporting that Robert E. Perez, 29, is charged with resisting arrest, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, felony DWI, reckless endangerment and marijuana possession after he failed to stop at a stop sign and led police on a 10-mile chase through Columbia County. Around 2:30 a.m., troopers in Livingston said Perez failed to stop at a stop sign on Route 203. Perez did not pull over for police and drove about 10 miles on various roads before finally stopping at Route 21 and Pheasant Lane in the town of Hillsdale. Perez refused to leave his car and allegedly resisted when police tried to remove him by force, troopers added. Perez's breath had a strong alcohol odor and he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, troopers said, and he also allegedly had some marijuana. Perez was arraigned in Greenport Town Court and sent to Columbia County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday.

The Daily Mail reports January 12 that the Cairo Zoning Commission is continuing to shift its first-ever zoning ordinance by now agreeing to expand the list of potential uses in its already-amended commercial/mixed-use district on Route 145 in the direction of neighboring Durham. And while the amended uses include new agricultural allowances for those looking to grow crops for commercial purposes, with no requirement for minimum acreage, Doron Tyler Antrim reports that the commission also decided to put uses such as bed and breakfast operations, day care centers, or nursery schools up for full site plan reviews. In addition, all proposed educational training facilities, wind towers, and hotels or motels must now apply for a special-use permit, too. A bar or tavern must apply a special-use permit to operate in the Mountaintop district, only. The commission plans to review at its next meeting regulations in the new Main Street commercial district, which runs from the intersection with Route 23 near the Bank of Greene County to Route 32. Following a public hearing by the zoning commission, the law will be handed to the town board. The board must then hold its own hearing.

The zoning commission also made minor adjustments to the minimum lot size in the Purling, Acra, South Cairo and Round Top hamlet districts. The minimum size will be 10,000 square feet where water and sewer is available and 20,000 where such infrastructure is not available. The adjustment brings all the hamlet districts in line with what is called for in the Cairo hamlet district. Under the zoning law, all existing uses will be allowed to stay. Copies of the law are on file in the town hall and public library at 512 Main St. All the documents, as well as the public comments, can be viewed online at www.planningbetterplaces.com/cairo.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="New York City's Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, center of a new lawsuit over muddy water releases at flood times."][/caption]The Daily Freeman reports this morning, January 12, on what at first looks like an Ulster County-specific story regarding that county's having filed a notice of claim to sue New York City for discharging muddy water from the Ashokan Reservoir into the lower Esopus Creek, but which seems to us a harbinger of things to come throughout our area. While Bill Kemble reports on Ulster County Executive Mike Hein's afternoon press conference about filing notice in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York, citing 79 days of muddy discharges and several flood situations exacerbated by the city's actions - filed under the terms of the federal Clean Water Act - what people are watching are the repercussions for municipal water systems and water ownership issues everywhere.

Hein, visibly angry during the press conference, was joined by county legislators, environmental experts and agriculture representatives.

“New York City ... is showing a blatant disregard for the health and welfare of our residents and the lower Esopus environment,” Hein said. “They need to stop the discharges immediately and make things right. If they are unwilling to cease their actions, the county ... will use every resource at our disposal to protect natural resources, property and the economic prosperity of our community.”

New York City spokesman Farrell Sklerov said “rather than threatening legal action, everyone should work together to reach a solution” and that a meeting scheduled for Friday is intended to resolve some of the problems that led to the legal action. We do not believe we are violating any state or federal law, but we will review any legal actions when they are received,” he said. “We understand that turbidity in the lower Esopus is undesirable and could have some adverse impacts on local communities ... but today’s announcement seems to disregard the interconnected nature of the water system, which must balance water supply from various sources to provide clean water.”

Stone Ridge farmer Bruce Davenport said the damage from the turbid water in the creek is affecting recently sprouted spinach and could leave soil unusable for some types of plantings.

“In the lower Esopus valley, there’s about 2,000 acres of fresh-market produce that’s being sold,” Davenport said. “This is stuff that goes to your supermarket every day ... (from) about a half a dozen family farms that make their living on this land.”

A series of regional meetings between Ulster County towns and the New York City DEP recently resulted in the discovery that the City had been quietly flushing large amounts of water from its massive Ashokan Reservoir into the nearby Esopus Creek, which runs through much of the county's northern half.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a former legislator, warns in a new release and report against quick budgetary fixes through privatization."][/caption]As the state starts to look into ways of cutting expenses and raising revenues via privatization, that public policy behemoth that first came into view 30 years ago during the Reagan era, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued a cautionary press release and report on privatization earlier this week notes the hidden expenses of such exchanges, which have included everything from private prisons to the sale of the Arizona statehouse in recent years. "As New York state grapples with cost-effective solutions for its estimated $250 billion in infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, the state should examine both the opportunities that public-private partnerships offer as well as the underlying financial risks associated with forming those partnerships, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. "Our public infrastructure needs a lot of improvements – $250 billion in improvements over the next 20 years,” DiNapoli said. “The big question is, how are we going to pay for that? Public-private partnerships are a good option to look at, but those partnerships don’t come risk-free. It makes good sense for the state to look at public-private partnerships based on experience in other states, but we have to ensure public assets are not squandered and taxpayers are protected.”

DiNapoli’s report noted that in order for public-private agreements to successfully enable the state to move forward with much-needed capital projects, there are four underlying financial risks in public-private partnerships that must be fully addressed:

· Failure to identify the full value of public property. Public-private partnerships may underestimate the value of public assets and in doing so, short-change the public.
· Unfavorable pricing mechanisms. Public-private agreements may include pricing mechanisms that burden the public with unwarranted costs such as excessive fees and toll increases.
· Unrealistic expectations and poorly drafted agreements. Public-private partnerships may create unattainable expectations when the private entity promises more than it can deliver or contracts fail to detail the private partner’s obligations adequately.
· Budget gimmickry. Public-private agreements sometimes provide short-term fiscal relief that ultimately pushes increasing costs to the future while increasing the public’s debt burden.

To avoid the underlying financial pitfalls of public-private agreements, DiNapoli recommends policy makers must first:
· Identify the best practices for valuation of public assets and make sure taxpayers are not short-changed by an artificially low valuation;
· Keep private sector profits within reason and ensure resulting services are affordably priced for its public users throughout the life of the public-private agreement;
· Carefully draft agreements that specify what the private entity promises to deliver in exchange for the opportunity to participate in the partnership while not including unrealistic or inaccurate financial projections; and
· Adopt financing rules that prevent any disproportionate shift of current capital costs to future generations of taxpayers.

DiNapoli’s report focused on the financial implications of public-private partnerships. The report noted there are many additional policy concerns that may be raised by public-private partnership agreements, such as regulatory oversight, workforce impact, and the effect on local communities, which are beyond the scope of the report but require comparable consideration.

In November, DiNapoli released a report detailing specific reforms to the state’s capital planning process by placing increased restrictions on the use of debt and capital spending. These reforms included imposing a strict and effective cap on public debt, restoring control of debt to voters, ending off-budget capital spending and using a comprehensive, statewide approach to prioritizing capital projects.

To view DiNapoli’s report on public-private partnerships, visit:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/infrastructure/pppjan61202.pdf.

To view DiNapoli’s report on long-term capital planning, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/nov10/113010.htm.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Tom Unser, also known as Tom Lussie, 16, has been missing since Monday morning from his Valatie home. "][/caption]What's with all the people going missing from the center of Columbia County? The Register Star reports this morning that the day after a missing Valatie man turned up, another Valatie resident has apparently gone missing, this one a 16-year-old boy. According to reporter Andrew Amelinckx, Tom Unser, also known as Tom Lussier, went missing Monday morning, according to his parents who are asking for the public’s help in finding the young man. who is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds with long, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a pierced left ear. He was last seen wearing a black element jacket and blue jeans with black and gray skater sneakers. According to the missing boy’s mother, Cheryl Unser, no family or friends have heard or seen him in more than 24 hours. State Police Senior Inv. Gary Mazzacano said the boy apparently had a fight with his parents and left home. Anyone with information can contact Cheryl Unser at 518-610-3100 or the New York State Police at Kinderhook at 518-758-7010.

The other missing man who returned home Monday, 31-year-old Kenneth French, had been staying with friends in Albany but didn’t tell anyone where he was going before he left.

A Ghent woman, Gwendolyn Fuks, 51, remains missing as well. Fuks is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She may be driving a 1998, white, four-door Toyota Camry. She was last seen in the Albany area Dec. 30.

According to Mazzacano, Fuks sent a letter to someone that “caused concern. We’re looking to check on her welfare.”

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="379" caption="Lake Taghkanic State Park snowmobiling, from their website."][/caption]As the snow comes down today, you may want to get out in it. Here are some suggestions. Much credit for this compilation of information goes to Ellen Thurston, and others. Today we are asking you to add other public spots in the comments, or send a note to info@wgxc.org.


Hudson Park The former Sunset Meadows location on Route 9 offers ice skating Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., depending on weather conditions. No charge, but bring your own skates. Call 851-2228 to determine ice condition.


Lake Taghkanic State Park Cross-country ski and snowmobile trails, plus ice skating and ice fishing are permitted when conditions are appropriate. Please call the park office at (518) 851-3631 to check ice thickness.


Kiwanis Ice Arena Located in Saugerties, and operates from middle of August to the beginning of April. The ice rink surface is 197 feet long x 85 feet wide.


Art Omi Trails through the sculpture fields and woodlands for cross-country skiing. They claim 2.5 miles of groomed track and skate lanes (for skate skiing.)  Trails will be groomed all winter long as conditions permit. The café in the visitor center is open on weekends from noon to 4 p.m. 1405 County Route 22, Ghent.


Columbia Land Conservancy is offering spontaneous snowshoe hikes when there is adequate snow and the weather conditions are good. CLC will let you know when that time is. Beginners are welcome. CLC has a limited number of showshoes to lend. To register for the snowshoe e-mail alert system go to www.clctrust.org or call 392-5252.


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="216" caption="Cross-country skiing at Copake Country Club, from their website."] [/caption]


Copake Country Club offers cross-country ski packages (skis, boots, poles, and bindings) for $25, or $10 if you bring your own equipment. Trails are groomed in varying lengths and are well-marked. Information at 325-0019, 44 Golf Course Road (off Lake Shore Drive).


Elliot Park What became of the Catskill ice-skating rink that opened last year?




Beattie-Powers House, owned by the Village of Catskill, overlooks Olana, Frederick Church's home, as well as the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and has a great long sledding run, often filled with local families.

Ramshorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill, owned and operated by Scenic Hudson, is not only the Hudson River's largest tidal swamp forest, but also hosts a great cross country trail through woods, swamp edge, and wide fields.

Town parks in Cairo, Athens and Coxsackie, the latter two by the banks of the Hudson, usually end up with impromptu cross country ski trails whenever it snows. Check them out!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Columbia County's biggest industry is agriculture, as seen in this image from the Columbia Land Conservancy."][/caption]Columbia County government has formed a coalition to craft a plan to support and promote local agriculture. The success of the 18-month process will depend upon broad public input, especially from the farm community, according to a press release sent out on January 11. Five public meetings are planned over the next three months, starting Saturday, January 22 in Chatham, and a survey is being mailed to agricultural producers in order to assess the state of local agriculture and design a county-wide farmland protection plan. The press release from the Columbia Land Conservancy goes on to note that Columbia County is taking advantage of the Farmland Protection Program created by the NY State Legislature. Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation is working with the Columbia Land Conservancy to facilitate the Program with the County’s Ag and Farmland Protection Board. The Program establishes a methodology for local governments to assess the status and potential of farming in every community. Economic value, open space value, and consequences of conversion will be analyzed. A survey has been developed to be distributed to the County’s producers to compliment dialog produced through the five public meetings. The farmland protection plan is expected to be finalized by mid-2012. The process is lead by the County Farmland Protection Board, and a working committee headed by Todd Erling, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation. Other organizations represented on the committee are the Columbia County Department of Planning, Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District , Columbia Land Conservancy, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Farm Credit East (formerly First Pioneer Farm Credit).

“Farming is an important engine of economic activity and with strategic planning it could play a larger, more beneficial role in our economy,” says Ken Flood, the Columbia County Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development

Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for Columbia County’s economy. As of 2007, there were 554 farms in Columbia County which generated $66,000,000 in annual revenue. As the demand for local and healthy food increases, a smart farming plan will ensure that the County’s economy grows along with it. Over the past 10 years, New York farmers had a 57% increase in annual direct market sales.

Working farmland nets greater revenue for county and municipal budgets than industrial or residential properties. Working land produces the most tax revenue for the services needed.

Farming is beneficial to the economy, but money isn’t the only reason to think about farming. Peter Paden, executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy points out, “Supporting a flourishing farm sector is one of the best ways to conserve our wildlife habitats, landscapes, and our rural quality of life.”

Everyone involved or concerned about farming is encouraged to attend one of the public meetings that will shape the farmland protection plan. Residents can attend the meeting closest to them, or choose to attend any or all other meetings. The schedule is:

• Saturday, January 22nd, 10 to Noon. North Chatham Fire House, 653 County Route 32, North Chatham. Snow date: Monday, January 24th, 7 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, February 3rd, 7 to 9 p.m. Cornell Cooperative Extension, 479 Route 66, Hudson. Snow date: Saturday, February 5th, 10 to Noon.

• Saturday, February 19th, 10 to Noon. Copake Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake. Snow date: Tuesday, February 22nd, 7 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, March 3rd, 7 to 9 p.m. Kellner Activities Bldg. 54 Palatine Park Road, Germantown. Snow date: Saturday, March 5th, 10 to Noon.

• Saturday, March 19th, 10 to Noon. Stuyvesant Town Hall , 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant. Snow date: Monday, March 21st, 7 to 9 p.m.

For more information contact, Ellen Jouret-Epstein, Columbia Land Conservancy’s Land Protection Manager, at 518.392.5252, ext. 208 or ellen@clctrust.org.