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Wednesday headlines
Sep 07, 2011 12:10 am
Latest Greene County storm recovery update
The Greene County Emergency Services office released this statement Tue., Sept. 6:
• Windham-Ashland-Jewett schools say they will not open until Sept. 19.
See complete storm recovery update below.
Locavore Cotler wins Locavore Prize
Lisa D. Connell in the Register-Star reports that Amy Cotler, the founding director of Berkshire Grown, won the second annual Victoria A. Simons Locavore Award. Cotler wrote “The Locavore Way,” and received $1,500 from the award, named for the late journalist and first woman on the board of the Columbia County Agricultural Society. Other nominees included: Liz Beals of Beth’s Farm Kitchen; Anna Dawson of Kinderhook, a cook and commercial food preparator of Harvest Kitchen; Amy Locke, a leader behind the Nassau Cooperative Community Food Compact; Ellen Poggi of Hand Hollow Farm in East Chatham; David Robinson of Chatham, a driving force behind the Columbia County Bounty of the County dinner event; Lori J. Selden, of CEO Mexican Radio Restaurant and Co-Founder, Columbia County Bounty. Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Voters settle cops' fate
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper says Copake voters will decide whether or not to eliminate the seven local part-time police force this fall. After $118,000 in unexpected expenses set the town back in July, some residents hope to offset that with $106,980 in savings from eliminating the police department and relying on the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and the State Police. There will be a public hearing on the proposed local law at 6:20 p.m. Thu., Sept. 8 at Copake Town Hall, before the regular board meeting. "The board expects to conduct one or more information meetings to provide facts about Police Department services, a cost/benefit analysis and crime rate statistics so voters can make an informed decision. Meeting dates and times will be announced," Valden writes. Then voters will decide Nov. 8. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
Athens FD heads to Schoharie
Athens Fire Department reports on its Facebook feed that it is being deployed to Schoharie County to help with storm recovery. The crew will be deployed on Wed. Sept. 7 and expected to stay for two days.
Greene County bridge closures
• Rte. 23A has alternating one-way traffic over Kaaterskill Creek in Hunter.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington, two bridges over the West kill are closed.
• Rte 23 over Schoharie Creek is closed.
• Rte. 32 over Kaaterskill Creek is closed.
Greene County road closures
• Rte. 23A is open to local traffic only between 296 in Hunter and Rte. 23 in Prattsville.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington is closed from CR 13A to Ulster County Line.
• Rte. 23 is open to local traffic only between Rte. 296 in Windham and Rte. 23A in Prattsville.
• Rte. 23 in Prattsville is closed between Rte. 23 over the Schoharie Creek and Rte. 23A. With no access west of the bridge.
• Rte. 32 in Catskill is closed between Rte. 23A and High Falls Rd.
Albany County road closures
• Rt. 145 and Rt. 81 intersection is shut down, bridge there flooded in Preston Hollow.
Water news
• Boil water order in effect for Windham, Hensonville, and Tannersville.
• The Agroforestry Resource Center, Rt 23 in Acra has water testing kits available. Call 622-9820 for details.
Surveying Greene County
New York State Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Pete Lopez will not tour Prattsville (9:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Windham (11:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Hunter (1:30 p.m., specific location not disclosed), and Cairo Wednesday, Sept. 7, as excessive rain cancelled their tour.
To donate
There is not much need for food and clothes anymore, but more specific items are needed: batteries of all types, pressure washers, large raincoats, flashlights, tools, and other items. WGXC recommends you call a specific donation collection center and ask what they need, or donate funds to help. The Watershed Post has a Google spread sheet with many different places to donate.)
• GREENE COUNTY Greene County has specific requests for reconstruction equipment, such as circular saws, cordless drills, crowbars, hammers, screws, shovels, rubber gloves, work gloves, dust masks, wheelbarrows, extension cords, large fans and more. These items can de dropped off at the former Sawyer Automotive location on Route 9W in Catskill, near the Route 23 interchange, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• $10,000 MATCHING DONATION Unk Slater grew up in Prattsville. After taking food out there this week, he is being told they have more then enough, what they need is cash. So his Great American supermarket in Cairo is now collecting cash donations, and will match the first $10,000. That makes $20,000 for storm victims in Greene County. Slater's Great American Marketplace is at 241 Main St., in Cairo. Sunday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.: 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
• CAIRO Big Top Tent Rentals in Cairo is accepting donations destined for needy folks in Prattsville. They are accepting any common sense items that folks displaced by the storm might need: non-perishable food items, water, batteries, hand sanitizer, baby diapers, wipes, etc. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at 88 Grove St., Cairo.
The Greene County Emergency Services office released this statement Tue., Sept. 6:
"By order of the County of Greene, all Greene County school districts are hereby directed to cancel classes for the week of September 6, 2011 through September 9, 2011. This decision is not solely based upon condition of school facilities, but upon road and bridge infrastructure that has not been adequately inspected and may be compromised. The state of emergency in Greene County is still in effect and travel is limited, particularly in the townships of Ashland, Lexington, Windham and Prattsville. This decision to cancel classes is relative to Article IIB of NYS Executive Law. Further information is to follow to all school districts and state education by Thursday afternoon, which will allow for final determination to re-open schools on Monday September 12, 2011."
• Windham-Ashland-Jewett schools say they will not open until Sept. 19.
See complete storm recovery update below.
Locavore Cotler wins Locavore Prize
Lisa D. Connell in the Register-Star reports that Amy Cotler, the founding director of Berkshire Grown, won the second annual Victoria A. Simons Locavore Award. Cotler wrote “The Locavore Way,” and received $1,500 from the award, named for the late journalist and first woman on the board of the Columbia County Agricultural Society. Other nominees included: Liz Beals of Beth’s Farm Kitchen; Anna Dawson of Kinderhook, a cook and commercial food preparator of Harvest Kitchen; Amy Locke, a leader behind the Nassau Cooperative Community Food Compact; Ellen Poggi of Hand Hollow Farm in East Chatham; David Robinson of Chatham, a driving force behind the Columbia County Bounty of the County dinner event; Lori J. Selden, of CEO Mexican Radio Restaurant and Co-Founder, Columbia County Bounty. Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Voters settle cops' fate
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper says Copake voters will decide whether or not to eliminate the seven local part-time police force this fall. After $118,000 in unexpected expenses set the town back in July, some residents hope to offset that with $106,980 in savings from eliminating the police department and relying on the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and the State Police. There will be a public hearing on the proposed local law at 6:20 p.m. Thu., Sept. 8 at Copake Town Hall, before the regular board meeting. "The board expects to conduct one or more information meetings to provide facts about Police Department services, a cost/benefit analysis and crime rate statistics so voters can make an informed decision. Meeting dates and times will be announced," Valden writes. Then voters will decide Nov. 8. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
Athens FD heads to Schoharie
Athens Fire Department reports on its Facebook feed that it is being deployed to Schoharie County to help with storm recovery. The crew will be deployed on Wed. Sept. 7 and expected to stay for two days.
Greene County bridge closures
• Rte. 23A has alternating one-way traffic over Kaaterskill Creek in Hunter.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington, two bridges over the West kill are closed.
• Rte 23 over Schoharie Creek is closed.
• Rte. 32 over Kaaterskill Creek is closed.
Greene County road closures
• Rte. 23A is open to local traffic only between 296 in Hunter and Rte. 23 in Prattsville.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington is closed from CR 13A to Ulster County Line.
• Rte. 23 is open to local traffic only between Rte. 296 in Windham and Rte. 23A in Prattsville.
• Rte. 23 in Prattsville is closed between Rte. 23 over the Schoharie Creek and Rte. 23A. With no access west of the bridge.
• Rte. 32 in Catskill is closed between Rte. 23A and High Falls Rd.
Albany County road closures
• Rt. 145 and Rt. 81 intersection is shut down, bridge there flooded in Preston Hollow.
Water news
• Boil water order in effect for Windham, Hensonville, and Tannersville.
• The Agroforestry Resource Center, Rt 23 in Acra has water testing kits available. Call 622-9820 for details.
Surveying Greene County
New York State Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Pete Lopez will not tour Prattsville (9:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Windham (11:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Hunter (1:30 p.m., specific location not disclosed), and Cairo Wednesday, Sept. 7, as excessive rain cancelled their tour.
To donate
There is not much need for food and clothes anymore, but more specific items are needed: batteries of all types, pressure washers, large raincoats, flashlights, tools, and other items. WGXC recommends you call a specific donation collection center and ask what they need, or donate funds to help. The Watershed Post has a Google spread sheet with many different places to donate.)
• GREENE COUNTY Greene County has specific requests for reconstruction equipment, such as circular saws, cordless drills, crowbars, hammers, screws, shovels, rubber gloves, work gloves, dust masks, wheelbarrows, extension cords, large fans and more. These items can de dropped off at the former Sawyer Automotive location on Route 9W in Catskill, near the Route 23 interchange, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• $10,000 MATCHING DONATION Unk Slater grew up in Prattsville. After taking food out there this week, he is being told they have more then enough, what they need is cash. So his Great American supermarket in Cairo is now collecting cash donations, and will match the first $10,000. That makes $20,000 for storm victims in Greene County. Slater's Great American Marketplace is at 241 Main St., in Cairo. Sunday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.: 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
• CAIRO Big Top Tent Rentals in Cairo is accepting donations destined for needy folks in Prattsville. They are accepting any common sense items that folks displaced by the storm might need: non-perishable food items, water, batteries, hand sanitizer, baby diapers, wipes, etc. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at 88 Grove St., Cairo.