[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="504" caption="Bettsy Prophonic of NYS DOH at Public Health Assessment hearing on Ravena's Lafarge cement plant. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
WGXC volunteer Sam Sebren recorded audio and took photos at Thursday night's NYS Department of Health (DOH) Public Health Assessment meeting at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School. From Sebren:

"Members of the community clearly expressed frustration and anger at the NYS DOH Public Assessment Hearing, Dec. 9 at the RCS High School in Ravena. After years of requests, there is still no clear data about the contaminants being produced and dispersed by the Lafarge cement factory in Ravena. Ward Stone, retired NYS Wildlife Pathologist minced no words and said, "We need to take care of the environment. Because we're all dependent on it and it's falling apart." This hearing was a chance for people to comment and ask questions. People can still make comments to the DOH until Feb 15."

To listen to the mp3 audio recording of the meeting, click here, or copy and paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/12/RavenaDOHhearing_WGXC_12090.mp3
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Jan Storm of NYS DOH leads DOH hearing on Lafarge Ravena cement plant. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="210" caption="Susan Falzon of Friends of Hudson speaking at the Lafarge DOH hearing in Ravena. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="Slide asking audience for questions at DOH Health Assessment meeting about Lafarge cement plant. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]

Although fracking, the best-known term for the controversial gas drilling procedure that's been a major environmental issue throughout the region this year, has slipped from the front pages following last week's state Assembly vote in favor of a statewide moratorium on such activity into May, and outgoing governor David Paterson's expected signing of that decision into law over the coming weeks, environmentalists and concerned citizens are pointing out that much is still happening in regards to the issue behind closed doors. As well as in neighboring states and on a federal level. The Watershed Post has a compendium story on draft regulations released by the Delaware River Basin Commission's issuance of its long-awaited draft regulations for the development of gas drilling within the river's watershed, which includes parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. which shows both environmentalists and New York City crying foul... calling the release "a black day for the Delaware" while drilling proponents have started talking about how they are "moving the process forward." The regulations -- which some see as an arbiter of what's tgo come from our own state's Department of Environmental Conservation -- won't require a cumulative impact study of the wells before they're drilled, currently being undertaken by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Even though top geologists point out that there are no gas deposits under our region, the issue has gained strength as it raises health and safety issues relevant to many of New York's top urban areas, including the New York City watershed.

For full story click here.

As a reminder of our region's continuing rural nature, the Register-Star has a story today about how firefighters from three agencies worked to drown a silo fire on County Route 10 in Taghkanic with thousands of gallons of water Thursday morning, which was apparently caused by spontaneous combustion. It turns out silage can be spontaneously ignited when the bacteria responsible for fermentation produces too much heat and there is a low moisture level in the silage... as happens in extreme cold. Although there was no damage to the silo, local firefighters are on the lookout for flare-ups over the coming months... turns out this was at least the third time this particular silo has caught on fire this year.

Two interesting tidbits in today's news. First, it seems that despite years of warnings, there are still quite a few folk out there who just don't take to seat belts, no matter the laws. Mid Hudson News Network reports today that over 3,000 tickets were issued statewide on the Thruway during the “Buckle Up NY” seatbelt enforcement program in the last two weeks in November. In 2009, the story adds, 24 percent of all fatal accidents on the Thruway involved motorists not wearing seat belts.... and State Police issued approximately 18,000 tickets to motorists not wearing their seat belts while traveling the Thruway.

As for our skies, the Daily Freeman is running an Associated Press story today about how the Federal Aviation Administration is missing key information on who owns one-third of the 357,000 private and commercial aircraft in the U.S. — a gap the agency fears could be exploited by terrorists and drug traffickers. As a result, it has ordered all aircraft owners to re-register their planes in an effort to clean up its files.

Ah, modern times...

According to today's NY Daily News, the state is considering charging school districts for the mandated Regents exams their students take. Facing a $15 million shortfall in its budget, the Board of Regents has floated the idea of charging districts a flat fee of about $6 per student to cover the cost of administering Regents exams. Another option would be to charge the district for each test taken. Students must score at least 55 on five Regents exams to graduate.

Advocates say that approach gives districts a financial incentive to limit exams outside core subjects, making their exam offerings less academically rigorous.

"It is just plain wrong for the state to essentially tax our school system for simply meeting its academic requirements," said NYC Coalition for Educational Justice parent leader Ronnette Summers.

In yet another indication of the building pushback we've been noticing against across-the-board government cuts and efficiencies, the Daily Freeman reports today that Ulster County officials have scuttled, for now, a plan to replace the hot meals delivered daily to homebound senior citizens with frozen meals delivered weekly. Deputy County Executive Robert Sudlow said on Thursday that legislative “pushback” to the proposal, promted by concerns from seniors and citizens, prompted the decision to abandon the pilot project, which was to start in January. A number of legislators voiced concerns about the loss of daily contact with seniors that the change would cause, he said. Instead, Sudlow said, the administration of County Executive Michael Hein will spend the next three months answering the myriad questions that have been raised about the Meals on Wheels program and the potential impact of the proposed shift to less frequent deliveries of microwavable meals. Sudlow added that the original decision to switch from hot meals delivered daily to frozen meals delivered weekly was driven by program costs and demand. Meals on Wheels is a state- and federally funded program. For 2010, Ulster County received $1.03 million, but the program saw a $125,000 shortfall, which the county had to make up.

For the full story click HERE...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="The Ockawamick School in Philmont, bought by Columbia County for several potential uses, is currently being used for storage. Click on image for a previous Register-Star story on its fate."][/caption]Just as Columbia County has started to look to the old Wal Mart property in Greenport as a new home, its last attempt to relocate to the old Ockawamick School in Philmont has led to a rare call for a key county legislator's removal... by his fellow Republicans, among others. This morning, the Register Star is reporting that the chairmen of the county’s Republican, Independence and Conservative parties have signed a public letter asking for the removal of Hillsdale Supervisor and Columbia County budget officer Art Baer, a Republican, from the county's main legislative body based on “failed policies and initiatives” allegedly spearheaded by Baer. The letter is signed by Matthew Torrey, Conservative Party chair; Greg Fingar, Republican Party chair; and John Miller, Independence Party chair.

Fingar and Miller said the letter, and the sentiment conveyed in it, originated first during the county’s 2008 decision to purchase the Ockawamick School on Route 217 in Philmont and then during the 2009 general election, when supervisors who had been openly supportive of Baer and his policies lost their respective elections.

Baer, who said he was not aware the letter was being drafted, responded after most of the text of the letter was read to him over the phone. He called it “ridiculous.”

“These are the people that want to go back to the good old days, the three men in a room type of government that existed up until a couple of years ago,” he added.

The county purchased the 77,000 square foot Ockawamick School building in October 2008 for $1.5 million for use as possible county offices and, at one time, a potential site for its social services department, since abandoned following public outcry. The building, unheated, is currently being use for storage of county records, old voting machines, and other governmental detritus.



Fingar specifically mentioned former Claverack supervisor Jim Keegan, a Republican, and Democrats Phil Williams, Livingston, and Doug McGivney, Kinderhook as Baer's lost power base.

Baer repeatedly referenced the Board of Supervisors’ voting record on the issues mentioned in the letter. “You will find that I only had one vote,” he said. “All the policies that were discussed were approved by the board.”

“The government [in Columbia County since Baer took office as BOS chairman] worked. It worked well the last few years,” he said. “We saved a lot of money for the county taxpayers. The county government has been downsized dramatically and now we have a budget that represents the smallest property tax increase in living memory.”

“Why would I resign as budget director?” he asked. “I happen to think the budget situation was extremely difficult and extremely effective as far as putting it together. It’s an appointed position for a year. If at the end of this year, the chairman, whoever the chairman is, wants me to be budget director, I would certainly think about it — but I wouldn’t commit to it right now. The budget has been approved. My job is basically done for the year.

BOS Chairman Roy Brown, R-Germantown, declined to comment on the letter; he hadn’t seen it either. He said he had no intention of removing Baer as budget officer. “Legally there is no cause to remove him.”

A letter was also drafted in November from the Columbia County Republican Party asking Brown to remove Baer from the budget officer position, multiple sources have confirmed.

“We stand by our letter,” Fingar told the Register-Star Thursday night. “He has to stand by his record ... we want to see Art Baer removed as budget officer for 2011. That is the sole intent. We know he cannot be removed in 2010.”

“I speak from the heart,” Torrey said. “I see what is best for all the people in Columbia County and that’s why I agree with everything in that letter. I firmly believe the things in this letter are the best things for the people in Columbia County.”

Miller said he’s tried to sit down with Baer multiple times over the years to discuss various issues and policies but Baer never got back to him. “We’ve had it with Art Baer,” he said. “You can’t reason or talk with this man. He doesn’t see the big picture. I know it’s an aggressive move, but we have to make hard choices now ... he doesn’t see there’s a cry from the public. Government is too big, and elected officials just don’t listen.”

County Democratic Party Chairman Christopher Nolan said his signature didn’t appear on the letter because it “goes way too far.”

“I thought it was pretty nasty. I thought it was not really saying what the real issue may be,” he said. “It seems to me that maybe the old guard isn’t able to control Mr. Baer, and they’re not happy about it.”

“He’s elected by the people in Hillsdale,” Nolan continued. “It’s up to them to get rid of him ... this was strong arm tactics, like political thugs coming out and slamming their fists on the table and saying, ‘you will do what I say.’ It was disgusting ... and I’m no fan of Mr. Baer .... there’s enough blame to go around for all these failed policies and initiatives that are itemized.”

When told that his own party chair signed the letter that asks for his resignation, Baer said, “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least that Greg Fingar would sign it.”

“His leadership of the Republican Party has basically been reactionary and, quite frankly, uninformed. I wish he would take the time to do a little more analysis before he starts opining on decisions ... he’s not even qualified to make. But he’s entitled to his opinion.”

“Again, the central issue here is that all the decisions that have been made and all the actions that have been taken have been taken by far and away the majority of the board,” he continued.

In a sure-fire sign of changing demographics, and an acceptance that their community has shifted to newer residents in recent years, the Athens Town Council agreed to move ahead with putting a townwide tax revaluation out to bid byy a 3-2 this past Monday. Reflecting the close nature of their decision, however, they tabled a resolution stating the town’s intent to conduct a revaluation.

Revaluations – which can cost a projected $100,000 or so – reassess all of a municipality’s properties, both commercial and residential. While it doesn’t increase the overall taxes that are collected, it is designed to ensure each property is assessed properly, and makes sure each property owner pays their fair share of taxes. The idea is to equalize the rates of payment between longterm proerty owners and newcomers, many of whom claim what has long been termed an unofficial "welcome stranger" system of higher taxation for newer arrivals into our Upstate communities.

Palmateer, a Democrat, and Deputy Town Supervisor Gene Hatton and Councilman Robert Butler, both Republicans, voted in favor of getting bids, while Dinkelacker, a Democrat, and Councilwoman April Paluch, a Republican, voted against the bid. All decided to table the full reval commitment.



During a public information session at E.J. Arthur Elementary School earlier this fall, the proposal attracted a substantial amount of controversy.

At Monday night’s Town Council meeting, officials initially discussed a resolution put on the table by Town Assessor Laura Chase. That resolution stated the town’s intent to conduct a revaluation, but did not commit it to any particular vendor or pricetag. Chase said the resolution is a standard procedure for any town considering a revaluation, and is required by the New York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS). The resolution she submitted for the board’s consideration was taken from a template provided by the state.

But town officials were reticent. They were concerned the resolution represented a commitment by the town to do the revaluation, without having any idea how much it will cost.

Chase said ORPS requires the resolution before the town can even put the project out to bid. Moreover, she added, vendors require it before they will submit bids.

“Other towns tell me vendors won’t even want to spend the time on the RFP (Request for Proposal) and coming up with a bid because they want to know the town is really planning on doing the re-val,” Chase said. “There is no penalty for scrapping it if you decide not to do it.”

Officials, though, remained unconvinced.

“I think it sends out the wrong message,” Town Councilwoman Phyllis Dinkelacker said. “It’s like we are committing to doing the project before we know how much it will cost. People are upset enough with this. I feel very uncomfortable with this resolution.”

Town Supervisor Lee Allen Palmateer said, “I think the board needs to spend a little more time reviewing this. I can’t believe any vendor serious about taking on this job would not move ahead without this resolution.”

Officials decided to table the resolution pending further discussion.

However, by a 3-2 vote they passed another motion putting the revaluation out to bid. While it is unclear whether the town can do that – they will first have to see if the state mandates the other resolution be adopted first – they want to find out what the project’s cost will be.

Palmateer, Deputy Town Supervisor Gene Hatton and Councilman Robert Butler voted in favor of getting bids, while Dinkelacker, a Democrat, and Councilwoman April Paluch, a Republican, voted against it.

“This would at least get the ball rolling so we can see what kind of realistic figure we can get,” Hatton said. “The RFP would not obligate us to accepting anything.”

The Town Council has still not made a decision whether the revaluation will actually be done. The motion only authorizes the town to find out how much vendors would charge for the job.

The Times Union this morning has one of those stories that outlines how things really work beneath the idealistic veneer of modern politics. It's about how outgoing U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, the Democrat who lost re-election to retired Marine Chris Gibson, a Republican riding the recent wave that shifted control of Congress in November, has been evicted from his Washington D.C. office, where callers can no longer leave a message, making it hard for constituents in the 20th Congressional District to reach the representative. The story goes on to point out how Murphy, 40, "is only one among scores of politicians who still have duties to perform even after their constituents voted them out, and has had to move with another 80 or so lame duck members of the House to a cubicle city set up in a banquet room in the basement of the Rayburn Office Building. And to make matters worse, even though votes are continuing over the coming weeks, and constituents back home still want representation, the General Services Administration has told Murphy he would not be able to retrieve messages left on the voice mail in his D.C. office, and all but one of his district offices have closed by order of the GSA... leaving only the one in Saratoga Springs -- where the voice mailbox was full Thursday afternoon.

In the meantime, Murphy's office is suggesting constituents call their U.S. Senators... although that's not an option in some other states now left without any Democrats in federal office.



Murphy's chief of staff, Todd Schulte, said the General Services Administration told him he would not be able to retrieve messages left on the voice mail in the office. All but one of Murphy's district offices have closed by order of the GSA, except the one in Saratoga Springs -- where the voice mailbox was full Thursday afternoon.

Schulte said, ideally, constituents should call the Saratoga office, which is staffed. The voice mailbox was overwhelmed by people who called about the tax cut legislation, he said.

"Any implication people aren't around and working is inaccurate," Schulte said.

The outgoing message on the voice mail at Murphy's former office in Washington, D.C. tells callers to contact senators Kirsten Gillibrand or Charles Schumer for assistance, or to call Steve Stallmer, who will be chief of staff for Congressman-elect Chris Gibson. Stallmer said he has spoken to Schulte frequently since the election and the transition is going smoothly. He said he told Schulte to give out his cell phone number to people who want to contact Gibson, but he did not expect to hear it recorded on Murphy's voice mail.

"The problem is, I'm getting calls at all hours from people trying to find Mr. Murphy," Stallmer said.

Schulte said he was in the process of having the message changed and the Saratoga Springs office number added. It is 581-8247.

Other Election Day losers in the New York delegation are handling the issue differently. The voice mail at Dutchess County Rep. John Hall's Washington, D.C. office is full. The outgoing message for Rep. Mike Arcuri in Washington, D.C. says to call his Utica office where a staffer picks up the phone, and a staff member picked up the Washington, D.C. line of Rep. Dan Maffei, D-Syracuse.

Gibson, meanwhile, is assembling staff for when he takes office in January. Stallmer said the congressman-elect will take over Murphy's Glens Falls office at 136 Glen St. but has found different office space elsewhere in the district -- including Saratoga Springs, where Gibson will have an office on Broadway.

Stallmer would not say where, but it will not be the office occupied by Murphy and his predecessor, Kirsten Gillibrand.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="220" caption="Tree in Athens town park before it was cut down. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="220" caption="Tree in Athens town park after it was cut down. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
Last week in Athens the one, big, old tree in the waterfront park downtown was cut down during park renovations. The tree was supposed to have been preserved, and its cutting has caused consternation in town. Athens Mayor Andrea Smallwood addressed those concerns during a live interview Thursday, Dec. 9 on "Tell It Like It Is" on WGXC Online Radio. The show, hosted by Christina Malisoff, Sam Sebren, Richard Roth, and Alan Skerrett, airs live each Thursday during the WGXC Morning Show. Click here to listen to an audio mp3 clip of just the interview with Mayor Smallwood, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://www.wgxc.org/media/uploaded_files/2010/12/AndreaSmallwood_WGXCTellItLikeItIs_120910_20101209_1704.mp3
[gallery]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="186" caption="Elyse Griffin from CASE spoke at the Lafarge DEC hearing 120810 at RCS High. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="248" caption="Lafarge representatives at a Lafarge Environmental impact Statement Public Informational Meeting at RCS High School, Ravena 120810. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
Sam Sebren from WGXC took photos and recorded the Lafarge Environmental impact Statement Public Informational Meeting tonight at RCS High School, Ravena. Click here to listen to mp3 audio recording of the hearing, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://www.wgxc.org/media/uploaded_files/2010/12/LafargeEnvironmentalImpactPublicMtg_120810.mp3

Both The Columbia Paper and the great crime reporter Andrew Amelinckx of the Register-Star have stories today on the first day of the trial of Salvatore Cascino and Bronx County Recycling, LLC on charges of illegally dumping tires, fiberglass insulation, vinyl siding, pipes, electrical wire, asphalt shingles, car parts, plastic tubing, scrap metal and other unprocessed debris. Cascino's trial got underway at the Columbia County Courthouse Monday, December 6, with jury selection and resumed Wednesday, December 8 with opening statements from both sides on two misdemeanor counts of violating state Environmental Conservation Law. This case is separate from actions against Cascino, age 70, for dumping on his Copake Valley Farm property in Copake, where he has been in conflict with local and state authorities for years. The indictment in the case now being tried alleges that between December 31, 2007 and July 1, 2009, Cascino and his company “recklessly disposed of more than 70 cubic yards of solid waste and petroleum” at a site in Clermont on Route 9G, diagonally across from Firehouse Road. The site is now owned by William Cole, who bought it in 2005, but it is known locally as the former LaMunyan dump, which Cascino's defense attorney, Dennis Schlenker, brought up in his opening remarks.

“What is this case really about?” asked the State's Assistant Attorney General, James Woods. “It’s about convenience and greed.”

According to Schlenker, his client was “suffering the sins of the fathers who polluted the site.” The defense will try and prove that local municipalities used the site, over recent decades, for their own dumping purposes, as well.

Expect this one to get interesting, with original WGXC reportage coming.

For today's stories, click here or here.

The Register-Star reports this morning that the Ichabod Crane School District in Valatie has scheduled a series of community forums for January, February and March, 2011, at which the Board of Education hopes to receive substantial community input on the direction the district should go. Amongst the options that have arisen, in the face of growing drops in state school aid, are the closure of Martin Van Buren and Martin H. Glynn elementary schools, the contraction of all high school extracurricular activities, the curtailing of interscholastic sports programs, the elimination of one classroom per grade in grades 1 through 6, the elimination of kindergarten, and the institution of a single-bell bus system. And over the summer, the district will consider another cost-cutting measure: whether it should merge with the Schodack Central School District.

Pushing the sense of immediacy to all education funding worries around the state is a proposed two percent cap on all property taxes being entertained... which would force all public schools to make drastic cuts to survive.



In November, Interim Superintendent Lee Bordick called the continuous decline in state aid “unprecedented,” and said if it continues, the result could be an 18 percent tax levy increase. State aid, he said, has gone down 14 percent in two years, after steadily rising for years before that.

Now paired with the plummeting aid figures comes news that a 2 percent property tax cap, with the backing of Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo, is gaining traction in New York state. This would be a draconian cut for the schools.

“If it is 2 percent, the maximum the district could raise taxes would be $400,000,” Bordick said. “The employee health insurance increase alone is in the neighborhood of $800,000.”

Should that be enacted, along with the other cuts, Bordick told the school board Tuesday, “the public school system we know will be fundamentally different.”

“We had a high teens tax increase projected,” he said. “We’re working to decrease that number. But now we have this other number. We decided to take this on earlier, because we feel there needs to be a clear consensus on what does an Ichabod Crane education look like. We have to make tough decisions. Part of that is to investigate things that have been unthinkable.

“All of a sudden, we’re asking a different question than we were several months ago,” Bordick said. Positions that come open by resignation or retirement are carefully scrutinized to see whether they can be abolished with the duties filled in other ways.

A part-time budget analyst resigned and is not being replaced. Secretaries in the high school have been reduced. Scheduling in the transportation department has been adjusted to eliminate overtime.

“Every area of the budget” is being scrutinized, Bordick said. “It’s clear we have challenges. I’m confident we have the staff to do it right.”

Board President Andrew Kramarchyk said at their recent retreat, board members identified a number of critical areas they need to have a consensus on going forward. These will be the topics of the upcoming forums.

At the first community forum, 7 p.m. Jan. 11, 2011 in the high school auditorium, Bordick will report back to the board the administration’s findings on the feasibility of closing Martin Van Buren Elementary School in Kinderhook Village and Martin H. Glynn Elementary School in Valatie, and moving all those buildings’ students to Ichabod’s main campus at Route 9 and State Farm Road. The administration will report on potential savings and costs and on the adequacy of the main campus for housing the students.

The second forum, 7 p.m. Jan. 25, 2011, will address high school extracurricular activities, whether they should be contracted or eliminated; and whether efficiencies could be improved by increasing class sizes K-12.

“We bandied about putting electives on a rotational basis, so you wouldn’t have [the same ones] every year,” Kramarchyk said.

The remaining forums will be conducted Feb. 8, Feb. 15, March 15, and March 29, 2011. Topics to be addressed include, Kramarchyk said:

* Examining all interscholastic sports programs to see what efficiencies could be gained.
* Examining and exploring the impact and cost savings of reducing one section in each grade from grades 1 through 6.
* Possibility of going to half-day kindergarten or eliminating kindergarten altogether.
* Going to a single-bell bus system.
* Restriction or elimination of bus service within a 2-3 mile radius of campus.
* Alternative uses for the two village elementary school buildings.

“The intention of the board is to have a methodical process,” Bordick said, “so we start early to engage the community, so that ultimately, when the decision is done, it’s a thoughtful decision, not one made under pressure.”

Meanwhile, Bordick said, another area of cost-cutting, namely shared services and consolidation, is being looked at: Requests for proposals have been sent out for study of a merger of the Ichabod Crane and Schodack central school districts.

This is the result of a $49,100 grant the districts obtained from the New York state Department of State to study consolidation and shared services. The study will examine one, the feasibility of merging both districts in a cost-effective way, and two, whether there are services both districts can consolidate to improve efficiencies.

The consultant will be named by the end of January, Bordick said, and the study will be conducted in the spring. A decision on whether to move forward with the merger would be made in late August. Were the board to approve the merger study, it would set up public hearings, and the final decision would be made by the district voters.

Whether merger is accepted or rejected, the board will also consider a menu of areas in which the two districts could improve efficiencies by sharing services, such as transportation and business systems.

The Columbia Paper's version of events are here.

The Daily Mail follows up on the all-but-forgotten story of how the governor’s office is continuing to withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars over what the county is calling its home-rule treasurer appointment, and county officials are "continuing negotiations to prevent a courtroom battle."

Greene County Attorney Carol Stevens was careful in discussing the issue Wednesday morning, according to reporter Colin DeVries, saying that negotiations with the state have not yet failed and there was still hope to avoid a lawsuit.

“We’re trying to work the governor’s office for a resolution that meets both our needs,” she said. “I hope we are going to resume talks today.”

The state is withholding more than $700,000 in federal and state reimbursement funding. They are withholding the funds because the county-appointed interim Greene County Treasurer Thomas Tracey was not duly appointed by the governor’s office, therefore Tracey’s signature on reimbursement funding documents is viewed by the state as invalid.

According to state law, the vacancy of an elective county office shall be filled by gubernatorial appointment, with the exception of the county coroner’s office. Greene County has argued, however, that the home-rule statue of New York State allows the county legislature to make the interim treasurer appointment.

Stevens said that while negotiations were hopeful, the county was prepared to file suit over the funds.



Tracey took over the office on July 31, the same day longtime Greene County Treasurer Willis Vermilyea retired from the office. Tracey was the treasurer office’s director of administrative services since January 2008. He did not run for election as treasurer.

Catskill town supervisor Peter Markou, a Republican, was elected as treasurer on Nov. 2, with a 1,607-vote margin over Democratic challenger Alan Pavese.

Both the governor’s office and the county agreed to appoint the winner of the election as treasurer, though the county pre-empted the governor’s appointment. Markou, who desired transition time for his duties as Catskill supervisor, was appointed by county lawmakers Nov. 17 and began serving as interim treasurer on Dec. 1, a month prior to his official swearing in.

Wayne Speenburgh, chairman of the Greene County Legislature, said during a special meeting Tuesday night that negotiations had gone “south” since the appointment.

A resolution, drafted with the assistance of the New York State Association of Counties, to formalize the treasurer’s office transition and resolve the funding dispute was submitted to the governor’s office. It was returned with undisclosed changes, furthering the impasse.

Stevens said one of the proposed solutions to release the funds was to have Markou retroactively approve reimbursement documents Tracey had signed since taking office, essentially validating them with a state-recognized treasurer’s signature.

The governor’s office did not return inquiries Wednesday morning.

Estocia Berry, long-time president of the Columbia County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), died Wednesday morning at the Pines at Catskill Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. She was 85 years old. Berry’s niece, Rae Banks, said Berry -- who lived on Columbia Street in Hudson -- suffered from congestive heart failure and lung cancer.

Friends and family of Berry described her as a strong leader who worked tirelessly to localize national issues. Alan Skerrett, a WGXC programmer and Radio Council member who took over leadership of the Columbia County NAACP when Berry resigned in the early 2000s, told the Register-Star today that everyone who worked with Berry stood by her side and dedicated themselves to helping her.

Before she came to Hudson, Berry served in various state government positions in Albany, including providing administrative support for four different governors. She then went on to help organize the office of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and also worked as the secretary to the chancellor of the state Board of Education. Locally, Berry served as chairperson of the Mayors’ Advisory Board during Richard Scalera’s first two terms and sat on Columbia-Greene Community College’s Multicultural Committee.

Funeral services, being handled by Bates and Anderson Funeral Home of Hudson, will be held Monday at Shiloh Baptist Church at 14 Warren St., according to the funeral home. Visiting hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with services being held at noon. Interment will take place at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.



“When Estocia was NAACP president, she had officers that worked with her and they were very loyal to her — they were at every meeting, and did things with her,” said Skeritt. “When I was NAACP president, I couldn’t get someone to stay on as a treasurer for more than a couple of weeks... I never had officers who were willing to be accountable and responsible, but she had people who worked with her for many years.”

Skeritt has since “put the chapter into inactive status.”

“(Berry) had been very supportive to me and my efforts to keep it going, but she also realized it was kind of short-lived,” said Skeritt. “People liked her, and I don’t have that kind of energy we had 30 years ago, especially when nobody is joining in the fight with you.”

Rae Banks said before she came to Hudson, Berry served in various state government positions in Albany, including providing administrative support for four different governors. She then went on to help organize the office of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and also worked as the secretary to the chancellor of the state Board of Education.

Berry also served as chairperson of the Mayors’ Advisory Board during Richard Scalera’s first two terms and sat on Columbia-Greene Community College’s Multicultural Committee.

“Estocia Berry was a longtime upstanding citizen in the city of Hudson,” said Scalera. “She was a great community activist and a great friend — somebody that helped the city enormously with taking on the responsibility of that position (NAACP president).”

Scalera said Berry was equally revered and treasured among both blacks and whites.

“She was a very outspoken woman, and fun to deal with,” said Scalera.

Berry’s long-time friend and ally Mary Lou Groll called Berry “a great person, a great organizer.”

“She was so active,” said Groll. “She was determined ... We need more people like her in the community, because she was certainly a go-getter.”

Groll said one of Berry’s proudest accomplishments during her time as NAACP president was her organization of yearly awards dinners for young people who did well in school. “That was a big thing,” said Groll.

“Just her whole personality ... You knew exactly how she felt about things,” said Groll. “It was an honor to know her, work with her and be a friend of hers.”

Alderwoman Sheila Ramsey, D-Hudson4, remembered Berry as “a dedicated worker and president of the NAACP for a long time.”

“She worked very hard and was very conscientious,” said Ramsey. “She was willing to listen and take on any issues she thought needed to be addressed.”

Darryl Banks, Berry’s nephew, said while Berry’s commitment to the community was plentiful — “She used the community itself as a microcosm of what the organization represents,” he said — she viewed everyone as her family, first and foremost.

“Family is the word for Sto — there’s no question about that,” said Darryl Banks. “That extended beyond relatives. Humankind was her family. She was that kind of person — very globally oriented with people. She could warm up to them right away, and vice versa.”

Funeral services, being handled by Bates and Anderson Funeral Home of Hudson, will be held Monday at Shiloh Baptist Church at 14 Warren St., according to the funeral home. Visiting hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with services being held at noon. Interment will take place at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.

Want a sense of how the next year's reapportionment battles are going to look across the region, let alone the entire nation? Consider today's story, from Mid-Hudson News Network, on what's happening in neighboring Dutchess County, where the heavily-Republican legislature overturned a law, adopted last year, to create a nonpartisan citizen's panel for drawing new district lines for itself... after midnight, and a seven-hour meeting, no less. Democrats objected, noting the late hour, and noting that all but one of the citizens who had intended to speak during public comment, had long since left. Republicans countered that elected officials knew better about what their districts needed. Democrats came back, winning several GOP members to their side -- but not enough -- by pointing out how the citizen's commission (such as many states adopted) called for Democrats to appoint two members, Republicans to appoint two, and for those four to appoint a fifth person who was from neither of those parties.

The legal change passed 14-10. Stay tuned for more such re-alignments across the board in coming weeks...



Leading the charge was Legislator Michael Kelsey, who noted he is the first Republican to represent his district since the last reapportionment. Kelsey said this gives the redistricting authority back to where he claims it belongs: the county legislature.

“I think that like we just passed this budget, that some of the authorities given to us are non-delegable. We should not be delegating to private citizens to adopt the county budget, nor should we do that to draw the lines,” he said. “We are the legislators who knock on doors, we know the streets, we know the roads in the towns we represent. This redistricting should not be a partisan political thing. It should have a fair process and the legislators are the best ones to do that.”

The Republicans currently have a lopsided 18-member majority on the 25-member legislature.

This is the “highest form of a political game,” said Democratic Minority Leader Sandra Goldberg.

“What the Democratic majority did a year ago was to try to take the partisan aspect of drawing district lines out of a political arena. Yes, it called for two Democrats … It actually called for Democrats to appoint two, the Republicans to appoint two, and for those four to appoint a fifth person who was from neither of those parties.”

Three Republicans … Chairman Robert Rolison, Majority Whip Angela Flesland and Marge Horton … sided with the Democrats in the final 14 to 10 vote to repeal last year’s local law and turn control of redistricting back to the legislature.

ALBANY -- The Times Union reports this morning that a national report has named the Capital Region one of the fastest growing areas in the country for technology jobs. The CyberCities 2010 report, released Wednesday by the TechAmerica Foundation in Washington, D.C., found that the area's strength is its research and development labs -- such as Albany NanoTech and GE Global Research in Niskayuna, and found 21,274 high-tech jobs in the Capital Region with average annual pay of $78,000, which is $37,000 more than the average local private-sector salary. The most significant finding was that the Capital Region is the third-fastest growing high-tech area in the country, behind only Oklahoma City and Huntsville, Ala, and is 19th nationally, as a region, in terms high tech employment opportunities.

Interestingly, the largest technology work force is in metro New York City, not Silicon Valley in California. And Washington, D.C., is also ahead of Silicon Valley. The New York City area has more than 300,000 high-tech workers, while Washington, D.C., has 293,000 workers, which is roughly 70,000 more than Silicon Valley.



"To be recognized as a national leader in high-tech job and wage growth is testament to the success of New York's pioneering nanotechnology strategy," said Alain Kaloyeros, chief executive officer of the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which operates Albany NanoTech.

The CyberCities report, which evaluated 2009 data, found 21,274 high-tech jobs in the Capital Region with average annual pay of $78,000, which is $37,000 more than the average local private-sector salary.

The most significant finding was that the Capital Region is the third-fastest growing high-tech area in the country, behind only Oklahoma City and Huntsville, Ala.

That's on a percentage basis. Albany created only 341 high-tech jobs in 2009, but that was a 1.63 percent increase, enough to rank it third.

Oklahoma City had 5.44 percent job growth in the tech sector, creating nearly 1,000 jobs in 2009.

Interestingly, the largest technology work force is in metro New York City, not Silicon Valley in California. And Washington, D.C., is also ahead of Silicon Valley.

The New York City area has more than 300,000 high-tech workers, while Washington, D.C., has 293,000 workers, which is roughly 70,000 more than Silicon Valley.

High-tech employment in all the major tech cities, including Boston, declined in 2009, according to the report, which makes Albany's gains that much more striking.

The Capital Region is actually ranked No. 19 on the list of cities with the largest number of employees in high-tech research labs, at 7,731, although the area lost 150 jobs in that area in 2009. That's double the number of tech R&D jobs in Austin, Texas, -- no surprise, since hundreds of jobs from the Sematech semiconductor research consortium have moved from Austin to Albany as the group relocated its headquarters and major programs to Albany NanoTech over the past several years.

And the Capital Region is likely to improve even more as GlobalFoundries completes its $4.6 billion computer chip factory in Saratoga Springs.

The report classified tech jobs as those in the computer, telecommunications, software, electronics and engineering fields. Medical equipment manufacturers were also included, as were biotech research labs.

The CyberCities report counted only 75 semiconductor manufacturing jobs in the Capital Region as of 2009, but once GlobalFoundries starts hiring toward its goal of 1,600 workers by 2013, that number could increase dramatically. Albany would then rank near the top 10 regions in the country in terms of semiconductor manufacturing employment.

CATSKILL — The Daily Mail reports this morning that the village of Catskill has won a small claims lawsuit that argued its decision to partially close Main Street to accommodate the seasonal farmers’ market negatively affected business at DiStefano’s Barber Shop. In a terse judgment, the story runs, Cairo Town Justice Tanja Sirago said the village “has been found not liable for any costs” laid out in the suit. Shop owner Pete DiStefano was seeking $3,000 in reparations, less than the amount he purports to have lost as a result of the road closure. DiStefano said Wednesday he was “bewildered” by the lack of reasoning in the court’s decision and that the outcome of the case “empowers” the village to do what it pleases.

The market — known officially as the Catskill Regional Farmers and Artisans Market — was held on Saturdays for 20 weeks starting in June, and the Village announced its move from Catskill Point last winter. The regular event became a gathering place for village residents throughout its run, and was deemed by all involved as a success.



DiStefano called the decision a “sad day for merchants of Main Street.”

DiStefano was not joined by any other business owners in the lawsuit, but a letter endorsed by more than a dozen merchants seeking a remedy to the situation was entered into evidence.

“I went there for them, too,” DiStefano said.

The letter stated “closing the street causes harm rather than good.”

The market — known officially as the Catskill Regional Farmers and Artisans Market — was held on Saturdays for 20 weeks starting in June.

It was announced months prior to the opening that the market, held for many years at Historic Catskill Point, was to be relocated, although village officials and market organizers were still hammering out the details.

In court papers, DiStefano said in April he told Catskill Village Vice President Jim Chewens a relocation to Main Street was welcome only if the road remained open. Closing the road, he said, would “inhibit vehicular traffic from passing any of the businesses, thus doing harm to those businesses.” He added detours would “frustrate and annoy people trying to use Main Street.”

It was announced in May that part of the road — two blocks from Church Street to the municipal marking lot — would be closed to traffic.

DiStefano told the village board of trustees of his intentions to sue Aug. 23.

In the court papers, DiStefano provided financial data showing a significant decline in business on weekends in June through October of this year as compared to the same period in 2009 — a sign, he says, that the road closure hurt his business.

The market was open from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. On Saturdays, the barber shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

DiStefano represented himself in court. The village was represented by attorney Peter Lauricella.

By Gus Murphy