Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Hudson's planning board approved Nov. 9 Basilica Hudson's conditional use permit to convert an a residency center for artists to make and exhibit work into an art gallery. The approval only came after planning board members questioned if anything was changing. “My issue is now it becomes a building of interest for weddings, parties — I mean an art gallery can be used for a party, so are we giving you a platinum card to take this beautiful art gallery and do what you like?” planning board member Theresa Joyner said. But the board approved the art gallery, and project manager David Szlasa said Basilica Hudson would be back before the board soon with new, unidentified plans for its large performance space building. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Today's daily headlines.

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Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that the number of active coronavirus cases in Ulster County jumped 118 percent since Nov. 4. On Nov. 14 the number of active COVID-19 cases in Ulster County was 523, while there were just 204 cases ten days before, more than doubling its case count in the last ten days. Neighboring Dutchess County reported 608 active cases as of Nov. 13, up 62 percent from the 375 total of Nov. 1. Almost all Ulster cases come from the unvaccinated, as Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan reported last week that just 1.15 percent of vaccinated county residents have contracted COVID. Ulster County currently has a 4.4 percent positivity rate among those tested, while Dutchess County is at 2.95 percent. Columbia County has stopped reporting daily COVID-19 figures, but currently has 100 active cases, up 20 from the week before. Greene County, meanwhile, reported 34 more cases Nov. 15, with 129 current active cases, and with a smaller population, that is a much higher rate than across the Hudson River.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that the town of Catskill is asking for public input on whether the town should opt-out of allowing cannabis dispensaries or on-site cannabis consumption bars. Municipalities have until December 31, to decide to take action. The Catskill Town Board will hold a special public forum on this question, on November 17, at the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center in the village. “It’s going to be a public forum where we want to get the feelings of the community,” Catskill Town Supervisor Dale Finch said. “We want to see whether they’re for or against having dispensaries. The other part of the equation is whether or not they want to allow what you could call lounges in the community. So there are two options under the cannabis law. You can opt-out of both of them or one or the other.” Possession and use of marijuana are now legal for adults 21 and older, and the state and municipalities are not allowed to opt-out of that portion of the legislation. The board is not required to hold a public forum, but Finch said he would strongly consider the public’s will before making a decision. “Honestly, I really want to hear from the people of the town of Catskill to get opinions on it first,” he said. “It’s a revenue-driven thing through the state of New York. ...We want to see what other impacts it would have on our community. ...” Finch said the town has received only one inquiry from an outside business about establishing a cannabis dispensary in town. “It wasn’t site-specific at all,” he said. “They really just wanted to feel the town out a little bit to see if we were leaning one way or the other.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Dylan Moscoso is reporting for The Legislative Gazette that a Troy-based barge operation has proposed the construction of a new mooring site on the Hudson River, at the dock of the former Atlas Cement company located just south of Hudson. While the new barge mooring would provide sites for boats to dock for loading and unloading of sand and gravel, the plan is being proposed by a Troy-based operator and would not benefit the local community, and might harm local tourism. In a letter to the Army Corp of Engineers, Scenic Hudson has expressed its opposition to the plan. Citing a concern for the Olana State Historic Site, the group noted that while the proposed one-acre mooring site is past the 5-mile threshold for “visual impact,” it only passes the threshold by a third of a mile and precautionary measures alongside visual analysis of the proposed sites impact is necessary. Scenic Hudson has requested that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hold a public hearing in Germantown to give stakeholders to ask questions and be heard. The group is also asking that the public comment period be held open for at least 30 days after the public hearing is concluded. Hayley Carlock, the director of environmental advocacy and legal affairs at Scenic Hudson, said, “We are also concerned that the action may set a precedent for additional moorings in the vicinity, which would cause cumulative impacts on views and may set precedent for moorings for oil barges in other reaches of the Hudson River.” In 2016, a similar proposal, introduced by the United States Coast Guard, to park oil barges in the Mid-Hudson River, ultimately failed when a law was passed prohibiting the parking of oil barges. However, the loading and unloading of products unrelated to oil are permitted; the current proposal is for the shipment of crushed rocks. Read more at legislativegazette [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics that a new effort is underway to return the name Tappan Zee to the twin cable-stayed bridge that spans the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack. Democrat Assemblymember Tom Abinanti, who represents central Westchester County, has introduced a proposal that would restore Tappan Zee, a reference to the Native Americans who lived in the Hudson Valley region as well as the Dutch settlers in the area, and keep the name Mario Cuomo alongside it. A landing bridge at a welcome center on the Westchester County side of the river would be named in honor of Malcolm Wilson, a Republican who succeeded Nelson Rockefeller as governor. “Tappan Zee symbolizes the history and heritage of the area,” Abinanti said. The bridge was opened in 2018, and lawmakers subsequently approved a bill that named the new bridge after former Governor Andrew Cuomo's father. But the bridge naming was controversial, with Republicans in the Hudson Valley and residents alike backing efforts to change the name to the original Tappan Zee. “It’s time that we all came together and reached a compromise,” Abinanti said. “Let’s stop the war over the name, it’s time to heal.” Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Joseph Spector reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that coronavirus cases jumped 25 percent in New York in the week ending Nov. 14. Most of the new cases came in the Finger Lakes and western New York area where COVID-19 positivity rates were above eight percent for the first time in months. In the Hudson Valley 2.5 percent of those tested had the virus. New York now ranks 27th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, according to USA Today. "As the weather gets colder and the holiday season approaches, friends and family will be spending more time indoors, increasing the risk of transmission and threatening the incredible progress we've made so far," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "In order to keep our loved ones safe and reduce the spread of both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, I encourage New Yorkers to get vaccinated, wear a mask indoors and remember to wash your hands." Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Cloey Callahan reports for the Times Union that a new state law goes into effect Jan. 1 requiring institutions that generate an annual average of two tons of unused food per week to donate excess edible food, and recycle all remaining food scraps if they are close to an organics recycler. The New York State Food Scraps Recycling law will impact restaurants, grocery stores, hotels and motels, colleges and universities, malls, event centers and other large generators of food scraps, but. not hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, farms, and K-12 schools. The hope is it will also impact the environment, and cut greenhouse gas emissions generated by food waste. Much composting has already begun in the Hudson Valley. “I think the law was written as a starting point,” said Josephine Papagni, co-owner operator of Ulster-based Greenway Environmental Services, who started collecting food scraps in 2000. “Many of those who are generating two tons a week are really already collecting and sending their food waste to be composted. The law creates awareness for those few who don’t know, and sets the stage to make sure we have adequate food waste processing resources.” The DEC says about 40 percent of the food produced in this country goes uneaten, and an estimated 2.8 million New Yorkers are food insecure. The hope is the new law moves some of that excess edible food from landfills to hungry mouths. Ulster County passed the similar “Food Waste Prevention and Recovery Act” in 2019 and will move from a two tons per week average requirement to just half a ton per week on July 1, 2023. Bard College is already composting and praises the new law. “It’s like a triple win ­– it helps lower our carbon emissions while saving in our wallets and helping people too,” said Laurie Husted, Chief Sustainability Officer at Bard College. “This is a great opportunity to question the systems we’re a part of and to think can we do things differently, and that’s what a law does. I’m very pleased it’s here.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Heather Bellow reports in The Berkshire Eagle that supply shortages, bidding problems, and cost increases, have made it difficult for the town of Great Barrington to complete various roadwork projects and a downtown parking lot overhaul. Department of Public Works Superintendent Sean VanDeusen said work will be completed soon on front steps at Town Hall, the retaining wall under the railroad trestle on Taconic Avenue, and a downtown parking lot with drainage problems. But coronavirus pandemic-related supply shortages, delays, inflation, and inundated contractors have nearly doubled projected costs. “It’s really crippled our ability to get projects done,” VanDeusen said. “Prices are all over the board. You can’t estimate them properly.” Replacing the Ramsdell Library boiler cost 40 percent more, and its arrival date is a mystery. But the downtown Triplex Cinema lot will be done by Thanksgiving, VanDeusen says, with new lighting and a charger station with two stalls for electric vehicles. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily headlines.

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Endy Cepeda is reporting for The Legislative Gazette that Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed legislation into law mandating that minutes of public meetings be posted online within 14 days of a meeting. The legislation originated with the New York Coalition For Open Government, who reached out to Assemblymember Amy Paulin, who introduced the bill in the Assembly, with Sen. Anna Kaplan introducing the bill in the Senate. The new measure is significant because the state's Open Meetings Law does not currently require that meeting minutes be posted online. At present meeting minutes must be available within 14 days of the meeting at the office of the local government or school board if a person requests a copy. But now government bodies with a regularly updated website must post their minutes online within 14 days of the meeting taking place. In an analysis of 20 local governments conducted by the coalition, only 30 percent of local governments posted minutes of the previous meeting before the next meeting occurred. The law does allow an exemption if a government body chooses to post a video or audio recording of the meeting itself. This exemption was met with some criticism from the coalition. Coalition president Paul Wolf said, “It is also important to have a written record of meeting attendance, motions made and votes taken. It is quicker and easier for an organization like ours to monitor compliance with the Open Meetings Law by reviewing meeting minutes or transcripts than it is by viewing several hours of a meeting recording.” Read more at legislative gazette [dot] com.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that hundreds of law enforcement officers, family and friends paid their last respects November 12, to Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy Bernard Allen Roberts. He was 52. The funeral procession was led by the Sheriff’s Office motorcycle color guard, from the Sacco Funeral Home in Greenport to the sheriff’s office on Industrial Tract, where the procession stopped so Roberts could receive his final call. They continued back onto Route 66 and over Paul Avenue to the Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson, where Roberts was laid to rest. He was an 18-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. Roberts was born Aug. 23, 1969, at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson. After high school he served in the U.S Marine Corps. Upon leaving the service, Roberts began his career with the Sheriffs Office. He was found dead by first responders November 7, when they were called to his home in Rensselaer. The cause of death has not been released. Roberts leaves behind his wife Fulgencia Roberts and six children. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union another water well in Poestenkill in Rensselaer County has tested positive for a toxic "forever chemical," county officials announced Nov. 12. There are now eight private wells that have tested above the state level of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA or PFOS, out of 72 wells with test results so far. Officials are waiting for test results on another 36 wells. State-required testing in January found toxins in wells at the Algonquin Middle School, and the latest sampling results came from sites located north and west of the school. “We can also report the four rounds of testing have yet to reveal a source for the contamination, and we are in fact reviewing whether there are multiple sources involved in the Poestenkill situation,” Rensselaer County Public Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas said. Manufacturing facilities in Hoosick, Hoosick Falls, and Petersburgh have previously poisoned wells with the forever chemicals, and fire-fighting foam used in Cairo in Greene County, and the city of Newburgh, have also poisoned local drinking water supplies. Residents in Rensselaer County have formed “Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water," to share information, and advocate for clean drinking water. “The pace of testing has not given us confidence that all parties will determine the source in a timely manner”, said Phil LaRocque, a member of CCCDW. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Tony Dobrowolski is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle the Schaefer family has spent more than $15 million to upgrade the Catamount Mountain Resort since purchasing the ski area three years ago. The resort is adding two new chairlifts, has put in the resort's first snow tubing park, is upgrading the snow-making system, and has new food options available in a newly renovated lodge. The new chairlifts are expected to be in operation when Catamount opens for the upcoming season. "Mother Nature has the final say on that," said Dave Kulis, Catamount's new assistant general manager. "But, we're looking at early December. We're probably, give or take, a month away right now." Catamount is one of the region's oldest ski areas, having been founded in 1939. It straddles the New York-Massachusetts line with an official street address in Hillsdale. Kulis said the technology of snow-making has greatly improved. "It's much more energy efficient. ... A lot of the new snow guns we've purchased are using enhanced technology ... so we can use more water and less air. We have the ability to make more snow with less energy," he said. The new snow tubing park is located near the base of the mountain and has a separate entrance from the main ski area.  Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily news update.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Copake town officials have voted to allow retail cannabis dispensaries and are considering opting out of on-site consumption locations. The town board held a public forum prior to its regular monthly meeting November 11, and residents offered their opinions on the potential benefits of retail marijuana sales. “I had the sense here that clearly everybody who came to this meeting or sent us something was in favor of us proceeding,” Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said. “I do think when people are talking about allowing the sale of cannabis, what I believe they’re saying is that they want to allow dispensaries.” New York cannabis law allows for any village, town or city to create a local law opting out from allowing retail cannabis dispensaries and or on-site consumption sites within its jurisdiction. Any municipality that creates a local law opting out has the ability to opt back in at any time. Numerous Copake residents spoke in favor of allowing retail sales at the meeting. When it was time for the vote, the board broke the opt-out-in decision into two parts, first votng on opting out of dispensaries and then making the decision on opting out of consumption sites. The motion on the dispensaries question passed with three votes in favor, one against and one abstention. The motion on consumption sites will be decided in December. State law allows municipalities to opt-out of allowing adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site consumption licenses from locating with their boundaries, but they cannot opt-out of adult-use legalization. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Bethany Bump is reporting for the Times Union a new report from the Community Service Society has found that some hospitals systems in New York commonly garnish wages and place liens on the real property of patients with back medical debt. While most hospitals in the state do not report taking such action, the practice is common among some hospital systems that sue for back-owed debt and win. At the top of that list is St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany, followed by Northwell Health and Albany Med, of which Columbia Memorial Health is associated. The report is based on data collected in 2017 and 2018, the most recent available. The practice impacts thousands of New Yorkers a year. The median outstanding debt that triggers the lawsuits is $1,900, according to CSS. When a lien is filed on a person’s home, they generally cannot sell the property without paying off the debt. It can also prevent them from refinancing or obtaining additional loans, such as a home equity loan. CSS found that the practice of taking liens out on patients' homes is most widespread among hospitals in just 15 counties, including Albany, Dutchess, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Ulster counties. Albany Medical Center and its affiliates filed liens on the homes of 482 patients in 2017 and 2018, Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville filed 358 liens, and Ellis Hospital in Schenectady filed 230, the report shows. Not long after the CSS report was released, state lawmakers introduced a bill that would prevent hospitals from this practice. The measure proposed by state Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Richard Gottfried would bar New York hospitals from placing liens or from garnishing wages when they win court judgments in medical debt collection cases. The bill had 16 co-sponsors as of last week, including Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger. Read the full story in the Times Union.