Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the state of New York is launching a tourism and economic development project aimed at getting motorists off the Thruway to visit historic sites, museums and cultural attractions, including several in Columbia and Greene counties. The "Path Through History" initiative will include the Lindenwald, the home of Pres. Martin Van Buren and the Van Alen House, both located in Kinderhook, and Olana in Greenport. The Fireman’s Association Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, may also be included, Mayberg writes. Signs will be installed along the highway to direct travelers to the locations, and information kiosks will be placed at rest stops. "We know that there's a high volume of traffic that goes by Greene County," Warren Hart, the county's director of tourism, economic development and planning, said. "Anything we can do to spotlight the history or tourism attractions that are in the Catskills is a great idea." Read the full story online.