Sarah Trafton reports for Columbia-Green Media that the Catskill Town Planning Board approved a lantern festival at the former Friar Tuck Inn on Dec. 16, despite protests from county officials. The Greene County Planning Board voted against the proposal, so it took five votes from Catskill planners to overturn that decision. Greene County Treasurer Peter Markou was also on record against the project, as all the Friar Tuck land parcels off Route 32 owe the county almost $7 million in taxes. The parcel where the the Hello Panda Lantern Festival will be held Dec. 20 through this March is behind $132,599 to Greene County taxpayers. Planning Board Chairperson Joseph Izzo, Vice Chairperson Larry Federman, Thomas Decker, Teresa Golden, and Bridget Hernandez voted in favor of the lantern festival special-use permit, while board members Charles Holtz and Reid Mower were absent. The festival is also currently being held at Citi Field in New York City until Jan. 26 and at Lake Glenwood in Vernon, New Jersey, until Jan. 5. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.