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Ulster makes parents liable
KINGSTON - Emotional testimony Tuesday night preceded the Ulster
County Legislature's passage of a local law to punish adults who
knowingly allow the consumption of alcohol by minors on private
property.
The law, adopted by a 29-2 margin, had been pursued for months by
former Ulster County District Attorney Donald A. Williams. The
legislation was inspired by the death of Andrew Dean-Lipson, 19, of
Woodstock, who was killed in a post-prom car accident the night of
May 19, 2007. Driving the car that night was 18-year-old Zephyr
Dresser-Peck, also of Woodstock, who faces a nine-count indictment,
including vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and
drunken driving.
The new county law makes it a violation to serve alcohol to
minors on private property, with a penalty of up to 15 days in jail,
a $250 fine, or both.
Williams, who implored lawmakers Tuesday to pass the law, was
joined by the father and older sister of Dean-Lipson, who spoke of
the immense pain and anguish they have endured since Andrew's death.
Howie Dean-Lipson and his daughter, Heather, spoke primarily to
ensure that the law's passage was not delayed any further. Their
comments were in response to Marie Shultis, a parent and volunteer
who works with Onteora High School students against drunken driving
and who has tried to add a mandatory educational component to the
law.
Shultis spoke about the death of her own brother close to 20
years ago at the hands of a drunken teenage driver, saying it
"caused irreversible trauma" to her family. Education, not
punishment, Shultis argued, is the best way to make parents and
teenagers understand the danger of drinking and driving.
Shultis has enlisted the help of Dresser-Peck, who appeared
beside her in front of the Legislature last week, calling for the
educational component. While Dresser-Peck did not speak publicly
that night, the family of Andrew Dean-Lipson has taken exception to
his public advocacy.
"If this bill was in effect May 19, 2007, my son would be alive
today," Howie Dean-Lipson said. He said Shultis' agenda was terribly
misguided and that using Dean-Lipson as a "role model" for younger
kids was "so very wrong."
"Zephyr Dresser-Peck never owned any responsibility for this
tragedy, yet he continues to be held up by Marie Shultis," an
emotional Dean-Lipson said. "This is an insult to the memory of my
son and my family."
Heather Dean-Lipson said Dresser-Peck was the "person who showed
his true character when he pointed to my brother's dead body and
said he was the driver of the car. This is who Marie Shultis has
chosen to put in a leadership position."
The remarks of Howie and Heather Dean-Lipson and Shultis were
followed by a number of Onteora students who argued for the
inclusion of the educational component.
After a debate, lawmakers sided with Williams and the family of
Dean-Lipson, saying the law could always altered at a later date.
Legislature Chairman David Donaldson, D-Kingston, called it the
"most difficult session" he had ever endured.
Robert Aiello, R-Saugerties, and Jeannette Provenzano,
D-Kingston, voted against, saying they wanted the educational
component in the adopted version.
©Daily Freeman 2008
Clinton Faces
Daunting Delegate Deficit
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton must win 57 percent of the remaining primary and caucus
delegates to erase Barack Obama's lead, a daunting task requiring
landslide-sized victories by a struggling presidential candidate.
Obama's victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii on
Tuesday - his ninth and 10th in a row - left him with 1,178 pledged
delegates won in primaries and caucuses in The Associated Press'
count. Clinton has 1,024.
Another 1,025 remain to be awarded, most of them
in contests in 14 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. It takes 2,025 to win
the nomination.
Further complicating Clinton's challenge, Obama
appears particularly well-positioned to win at least one of the
remaining states with ease. Mississippi, with a primary on March 11,
fits a pattern of Southern states with large black populations that he
has won handily, including South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and
Louisiana.
The rival campaigns maintain their own delegate
counts. And while both agree Obama is the leader, they differ on the
significance.
"The only way in this system to amass delegates
is to win by big margins. Close races result in close delegate
distribution," David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, told reporters
in a conference call.
"The only way she can do it is winning states
like Ohio 65-35, Texas 65-35, Pennsylvania, you know, 70-30. and you
go on and on and on. She'd have to win pretty much all the states,
even states where we're considered to have some strength," he added.
Clinton's top aides said Plouffe was
deliberately trying to set unrealistically high expectations for the
former first lady.
"We expect to do well in both those states,"
said Harold Ickes, speaking of Texas and Ohio, which hold primaries on
March 4. "But 65 percent is a far reach and there is no expectation
here that we're going to hit that number."
"We're in the neighborhood of about 75 delegates
behind, that is less that 3 percent of the total number of delegates
who have been elected. We expect to narrow that gap substantially by
the end of this process," he added.
Obama's lead in delegates won at the ballot box
is partially offset by Clinton's advantage among superdelegates -
members of Congress, governors and other party leaders who are
unpledged to either candidate. She leads in that category, 238-173,
cutting Obama's overall margin to 89 delegates in the AP count.
Superdelegates are free to shift allegiances.
And Clinton's recent string of primary and caucuses defeats coincides
with a slow erosion of support among the same party leaders who
established her as the front-runner months before the first votes were
cast.
She has failed to add any since Super Tuesday on
Feb. 5, while Obama is slowly gaining ground.
The former first lady lost two more
superdelegates during the day, both in New Jersey, when one switched
to Obama and the other moved to uncommitted.
Additionally, Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and
Ron Kind of Wisconsin, both superdelegates, endorsed Obama.
"My constituents overwhelmingly chose Barack
Obama to be their nominee, and I am proud to pledge my superdelegate
vote to him as well," Kind said in a statement.
Further underscoring Clinton's political peril,
Rep. David Scott of Georgia announced he would vote for Obama rather
than the former first lady, and Rep. John Lewis said he might switch,
as well.
Superdelegates aside, results in earlier states
show how difficult Clinton will find it to overtake Obama's lead when
the primaries resume in two weeks.
In general, delegates are allocated on the basis
of popular votes within congressional districts, and any candidate who
gains 15 percent of the vote is entitled to at least one.
Clinton won New Jersey with 54 percent of the
vote and Massachusetts with 56 percent on Feb. 5. But because Obama
ran relatively well, particularly in some congressional districts, she
won the delegate competition by only 28 delegates combined in the two
states.
Contrast that to Obama's home state of Illinois,
he won slightly less than 65 percent of the vote - and won 55 more
delegates than Clinton.
The contests left on the calendar include
primaries in Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Rhode Island, Mississippi,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Oregon, Montana and South Dakota as well as caucuses in Wyoming, Guam
and Puerto Rico. There are 44 delegates unallocated from primaries and
caucuses held earlier.
Local lawmakers back party front-runners in presidential race
By Hugh Reynolds, Political Editor
Local officeholders have, for the most part, circled the wagons
around the two front-runners in the New York presidential primary on
Tuesday, with Republicans backing U.S. Sen. John McCain and
Democrats supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Clinton rival Sen. Barack Obama has put on a vigorous campaign
and has opened several campaign headquarters in the region. Former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has said he will contest McCain in
New York.
State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, R-Tivoli, called McCain, a Navy
veteran of the Vietnam War and a former prisoner of war, "a genuine
American hero, and that means something. He reaches out to
independents and moderates, and that's what we need."
State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, R-Rensselaer, announced
on Wednesday that his entire 32-member caucus is backing McCain.
Local Republican senators include William Larkin of
Cornwall-on-Hudson, John Bonacic of Mount Hope, Vincent Leibell of
Carmel and James Seward of Milford.
Bruno, in a prepared statement, said Senate Republicans initially
supported former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a "favorite
son," but when Giuliani quit the race after finishing third in the
Florida primary, they switched their support to McCain, R-Ariz.
Giuliani has endorsed McCain.
Bruno was among state Republican leaders who conspired to keep
McCain off New York's ballot in the 2000 primary won by George W.
Bush.
U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, has said the entire New York
congressional delegation is backing Clinton, New York's junior
senator. Clinton has appeared several times in Hinchey's district on
the congressman's behalf, and her husband, President Bill Clinton,
came to Kingston in 2000 to campaign for Hinchey.
Assemblymen Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, Peter Lopez, R-Schoharie,
and Joel Miller, R-Poughkeepsie, could not be reached for comment.
Ulster County Democratic Chairman John Parete said the committee
does not support a specific candidate in the primary. "That's the
way we do it," he said. "People take sides and away we go. The party
doesn't get involved."
On Thursday night, a group of Ulster County Democratic women, led
by county Legislator Jeanette Provenzano, D-Kingston, hosted a
"debate party" in Clinton's honor at Portobello, a restaurant on
John Street in Uptown Kingston.
Fredrica Goodman of Hyde Park, Dutchess County coordinator for
Obama, said three Democratic Dutchess legislators are backing her
candidate: Legislature Chairman Roger Higgins of Wappinger, Margaret
Fettes of Millbrook and Barbara Jeter Jackson of Poughkeepsie.
At an Obama rally later Thursday, those lawmakers were joined by
fellow Democratic county Legislators Joel Tyner of Clinton, William
McCabe of LaGrangeville, Pete Wassell of Dover Plains, Alison
MacAvery of Fishkill.
Goodman, a 1990 candidate for state Assembly, predicted Obama,
D-Ill., will "make some incredible inroads" in Tuesday's
winner-take-all primary in New York. "There could be some very big
surprises," she said.
Goodman said Obama's state coordinator, Joyce Stanley Johnson, is
the daughter of former Dutchess Legislator Columbus Stanley,
D-Poughkeepsie.
While Clinton carries a solid lead in public opinion polls going
into Tuesday's primary, Obama has strong support in New York and has
delegates running in all 29 congressional districts. Locally, Obama
headquarters have been established in Rosendale, Saugerties,
Poughkeepsie and Hudson.
Clinton has more than 30 headquarters in New York.
Former U.S. Sen. Thomas Daschle, D-S.D., one of 12 co-chairs of
the Obama campaign, said he expects his candidate to make a strong
showing in the Empire State.
Interviewed by phone about a number of campaign issues, Daschle
said Obama's relative lack of experience - he has 25 months in the
Senate, compared to Clinton's more than six years, plus eight years
as first lady - is an asset, not a liability.
"Judgment plays a far greater role than experience," Daschle
said. "Sometimes people think experience brings judgment, but I dare
say recent experience doesn't warrant that judgment."
Daschle, a former Senate majority and minority leader who left
office in 2005, characterized Obama as a "man of quiet confidence
(who) knows what he doesn't know."
"As such, he is not afraid to reach out for the very best advice
available," Daschle said. "He has the vision to lead this country
and the capacity to learn."
Daschle, citing Clinton's traditionally high negative ratings,
called the New York senator "a divisive force" and Obama "a truly
transformational candidate."
On foreign policy, another flashpoint for Obama critics, Daschle
said: "I don't know what would be more transformational than the
inauguration of a president who looks like 80 percent of the rest of
the world."
Hinchey now opposes
Belleayre plan
KINGSTON - Despite having authored
many of the key provisions in a Belleayre development compromise
negotiated by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey on Tuesday
disparaged that agreement for its lack of meaningful job creation and
the "intense" level of development on Ulster County's side of the
mountain.
Hinchey, D-Hurley, spoke at a press conference at his Wall Street
district office, where he was also sharply critical of the national
economy under the Bush administration.
Under the pact announced last September and initially praised by
Hinchey, developer Crossroads Ventures agreed to eliminate
construction on 1,216 acres on the eastern side of Belleayre Mountain
- as per Hinchey's October 2005 recommendation - and sell the land to
the state to be preserved as forever wild. A considerably scaled-down
project would be built on about 200 of the remaining 700 acres on the
western side, including land in the Ulster County town of Shandaken.
Hinchey said he was not a party to that agreement.
Hinchey said development on the west side, as envisioned by Spitzer
and endorsed by a host of local environmental and citizen action
groups is "much too intense." He did not detail how he would further
downsize the development, which has been under review since 1999.
Hinchey also dismissed the project in terms of economic
development. "I see the billboards where they're talking about 525
jobs," he said. "Those are not real jobs. They're not full-time jobs."
Hinchey said the "only people" who will benefit from the Belleayre
development will be "the investors and a few others."
Joseph Kelly, president of Citizens to Save Belleayre for more than
30 years, supports the Spitzer plan and praised the governor for
"stepping right in."
"This thing needed to be solved. It was holding up everything
else," he said of the Spitzer proposal.
Economic conditions in the Catskills "are as bad as I've ever seen
it," Kelly said. "All kinds of businesses are either gone or on the
ropes. We have a lot less of the amenities we had 20 or 30 years ago."
In the meantime, a consortium of local groups has filed suit in
state Supreme Court seeking a judgment against the way Spitzer's plan
was negotiated and its scope.
In another development, the Environmental Committee of the Ulster
County Legislature on Monday asked the state to extend the deadline
for public input on the environmental review of the project.
Ulster Environmental Committee wants
more answers on Belleayre Resort project
Kingston – The Environmental Committee
of the Ulster County Legislature Monday asked the state to consider
additional information in its SEQRA review for the Belleayre project.
Monday was the deadline for receiving comments.
Committee Chairman Brian Shapiro sent a letter to the
DEC asking for the additional issues to be included.
“The Environmental Committee is requesting that the
New York State DEC, as the lead agency, revisit and look at the New
York State comptroller’s 2006 report titled, ‘Belleayre Resort
Development Review’,” he said. “We have concerns regarding investment
proposals and secondary growth impacts.”
Shapiro pointed to findings in the report which said
the draft environmental impact statement contains “incomplete and
contradictory information.” It said the proposal “fails to address a
number of local economic development concerns.” And the report said
that is important “since the proposed resort would be located in the
middle of the constitutionally protected Catskill Forest Preserve.”
Ulster County legislator receives statewide committee appointment
Kingston - Ulster County Legislator
Brian Shapiro, chairman of the Environmental Committee and Ulster
County Board of Ethics has been appointed to serve on the Economic
Development, Environmental and Rural Affairs Committee for the New
York State Association of Counties. NYSAC represents, educates, and
advocates for all 62 counties in the state and the thousands of
elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario said, “Legislator
Shapiro's experience and knowledge will add to the quality of our
deliberations. NYSAC's standing committees play an important role in
helping us shape our policies and positions on legislative issues."
“The Economic Development, Environmental and Rural Affairs
Committee focuses on issues that are of great importance to Ulster
County, and all of upstate New York,” said Shapiro.
New year, new board
Moran takes
oath, sets agenda as supervisor |
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Jeff Moran takes oath before Town
Justice Richard Husted.
[ Dion Ogust ] |
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1/3/2008
by George
Pattison
Less
than 24 hours after the long-lived Wilber administration expired
amid an outpouring of praise from local political activists and
public officials, Woodstock's newly constituted Town Board, led by
supervisor Jeff Moran, took the reins of government in a festive
ceremony on a wintry New Year's Day at the town's Comeau Drive
offices.
About three dozen friends, relatives, and supporters made their
way through a snowstorm to attend the noontime swearing-in of
seven town officers on January 1. Against a backdrop of holiday
trimmings and a table laden with punch and pastries for the party
to follow, town justice Richard Husted administered the oath of
office to Moran; new Town Board member Terrie Rosenblum; deputy
town clerk Lynn Sehwerert; town justice Frank Engel; highway
superintendent Mike Reynolds; deputy highway superintendent Kevin
Peters; and town clerk Jackie Earley. Newly elected Town Board
member Jay Wenk was unable to attend the ceremony, Earley
announced.
In an interview, Moran cited three priorities for his incoming
administration: the expeditious completion of the Town Hall
renovation project; the relocation of the town's skateboard park
to a site that accommodates its users, its neighbors, and the
Youth Center; and the development of ways to engage Woodstock's
citizens in the operations of their government.
Moran's timetable for the Town Hall project calls for
architectural and engineering plans to be finalized and requests
for proposals, or RFPs, to be sent to qualified, bondable bidders
by late February, with the renovation completed in approximately
14 months. The new supervisor, who has professional experience as
a builder, plans to monitor the project's progress and costs
closely, especially since the state's Wicks Law requires the town
to pay regional prevailing wages for much of the contracted work.
"It's crucial to watch pennies on this project. Pennies add up,"
he said.
The skateboard park must be moved from its current location, which
is adjacent to the Youth Center and close to neighboring
properties on Rock City Road, to a site that is still near the
center but farther removed from its neighbors - possibly a spot
closer to the nearby softball diamond on Andy Lee Field, said
Moran. The new location will reflect a compromise among the
interests and needs of the skateboarders who use the park, the
Youth Center, and the park's neighbors, who have been affected by
the "kind of relentless" noise associated with skateboarding, he
noted.
His administration will attempt to "reach out to interested
citizens" by making optimal use of the three media - the press,
public access television, and the Internet - that traditionally
inform residents about town government, said Moran, adding that as
a first step he hopes to make the town's website,
www.woodstockny.org, more user friendly.
More jobs,
greater connection
Other goals on Moran's agenda include promoting the health of the
town's business community, forging relationships with volunteer
and other nongovernmental organizations, and maximizing the number
of jobs available in Woodstock. "Before Simulaids left town,
Woodstock had the highest incidence of light-manufacturing jobs in
Ulster County. I will try to restore that level of local
employment. Allowing people to work in Woodstock saves fuel and
supports the town's Carbon Neutral Initiative," he said, noting
that the town's task force on that initiative, which proposes that
Woodstock achieve "carbon neutrality" within ten years, will
present findings at the Town Board's January 15 meeting.
Meanwhile, as dusk gathered on New Year's Eve, outgoing supervisor
Jeremy Wilber and Town Board members Steve Knight and Bill McKenna
completed their terms in office at an emotional meeting in which
residents strode to the microphone to express gratitude for their
service and the departing officials thanked their families and
colleagues who had supported their efforts. The board's two
holdover members, Chris Collins and Liz Simonson, were absent.
Simonson, according to Wilber, was at work on an estuary grant
that the town expects to receive imminently.
Before the leave-taking began, the board unanimously passed a
series of routine measures, including the transfer of surplus
budget funds from one line to another, a delineation of the
responsibilities of the highway superintendent and his secretary
in the management of the town water and sewer departments, and the
donation to the Woodstock Historical Society of an antiquated
Underwood typewriter that has occupied Wilber's office throughout
his term.
McKenna, whose bid for reelection as a write-in candidate fell
short in November's election, announced after the meeting that he
would run again for a Town Board seat in 2009. Earlier, he lauded
Wilber as "a fearless leader and true gentleman"; described the
town's employees, including the town clerk and the highway
superintendent, as Woodstock's biggest asset; and praised
colleagues including Knight and former board members Gordon Wemp,
Michael Stock, Brian Shapiro, and Don Gregorius. In turn, McKenna
received compliments from Wilber, Knight, and Rosenblum, who
presented him with a hardhat-bedecked bobblehead doll as a memento
of their collaboration, when she was a member of the Planning
Board, on the highway garage project.
Wilber received encomiums from Knight, who cited his generosity
with his time and willingness to listen, and local publisher Kiki
Randolph, who declared that no previous supervisor had been as
charming and diplomatic as Wilber, or could quote Shakespeare in
radio interviews, as he had. When his turn came to speak, Wilber
thanked McKenna and Knight, his frequent allies in a 3-to-2 voting
majority, and Joan Schwartzberg, the town's longtime documents
coordinator. He then shared an embrace with Angela Stockwell-Sweet,
secretary to the supervisor, before ceremoniously bequeathing to
his successor, Moran, the gavel with which he had presided over
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Ulster lawmakers begin the year on an unusual spiritual note |
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Kingston – If Ulster
County Legislature Chairman David Donaldson seemed to be wearing
something a bit unusual when he delivered his State of the County
message last week, he felt perfectly comfortable. The pale
yellow scarf was a ‘kata’, a traditional Tibetan offering.
Khenpo Karthar
Rinpoche, Senior Lama of the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in
Woodstock, was both the recipient and giver of the kata, to
Donaldson, and Legislator Brian Shapiro, who presented the kata to
the Rinpoche:
“The Rinpoche can
either keep it, or if you are very lucky, he will bless it and
return it to the person who is giving it to him, and thus, the
reason why I am wearing this wonderful kata, and also the chairman
of the legislature this evening,” said Shapiro.
By the way,
“Rinpoche” is an honorific title in Tibetan Buddhism.
Shapiro introduced
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche to give the invocation for the opening
session of the 2008 county legislature, in the spirit of
recognizing the diversity of religious practice in Ulster County.
Shapiro watches as Donaldson accepts the kata
from Karthar
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Washington – US Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has denied
the proposals to develop Native American casinos at Monticello
Raceway and at Bridgeville, both in Sullivan County.
In
order for both to have been approved, Kempthorne would have had to
grant off-Indian reservation land in trust at the sites of both
planned projects. He refused to do that.
The
St. Regis Mohawks want to build at Monticello Raceway and the
Stockbridge Munsees wanted to construct a casino at Bridgeville.
Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who received a call
from Kempthorne advising him his decision, said he would have hoped
the casinos would have breathed new life into the Catskills and
Hudson Valley. But, he said the decision by the secretary was not
unexpected.
As
for the future of casinos, Hinchey said that would depend upon who
is elected president.
“Secretary Kempthorne’s decision is an arrogant determination by an
arbitrary and distant government bureaucracy,” said State
Senator John Bonacic. “We need our Senators in Washington
to hold Secretary Kempthorne accountable for this poorly made
decision.”
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who supported the casinos, called
Kempthrone’s decision “totally inappropriate.”
Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis denounced the
rejection.
Sullivan County Legislature Minority Leader and District Seven
lawmaker Leni Binder called the rejection “a slap in the face” to
former Governor Pataki and Gov. Spitzer, as well as countless other
officials “who cooperated and acted in a bipartisan manner to see
these projects realized.”
Charles Degliomini, senior vice president of Empire Resorts, owner
of Monticello Gaming and Raceway, said while they are disappointed,
the decision was not unexpected.
“In
no way do we think the Tribe will let this be the last word.
Kempthorne has offered a prejudged, paternalistic opinion that reeks
of ‘Washington cowboys know what is best for American Indians’.”
Degliomini said the decision, “completely throws New York and the
people of Sullivan County under the wagon. There is an undeniable
and irrefutable record that makes this decision arbitrary, capacious
and laughable. In the end, the record will not support a denial.”
In
the meantime, Empire Resorts will continue to look at “every
opportunity to realize the promise of jobs and economic development
for the people of Sullivan County,” he said.
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Woodstock voters OK
Town Hall improvements
By William J. Kemble, Correspondent
WOODSTOCK - Town
residents on Friday vote 226-168 in favor of authorizing a $1.45 million
bond to fund renovations and environmental upgrades at the Town Hall.
Town Supervisor
Jeremy Wilber and several others hugged in celebration when the result
was announced.
"I'll tell you
why I'm happy - because as grateful as we are to our forebearers for
building the building in the first place at a time when it was much more
a sacrifice than this is now, I really believe that future generations
will be grateful to us for rehabilitating that building and making it
21st century," said Wilber, who is stepping down as supervisor at year's
end.
Under the
resolution, the 11,000-square-foot Town Hall at 76 Tinker St. will
undergo various improvements in the areas occupied by the Town Court,
police department and emergency dispatch department. There also will be
upgrades to a meeting room that's used for theatrical productions.
Wilber said he
was relieved the Town Hall project was better received the town library
budget, which was rejected recently in a 991-196 vote.
"I think the key
is really just putting forward something sensible, something the
community can accept," the supervisor said.
Councilman
William McKenna, who also is stepping down, said safety improvements in
the police area will be the most significant changes.
"The police
department is going to increase in size by about 195 percent ... and go
from having to walk down the hall past the bench with criminals," he
said.
"All the
departments will benefit," McKenna added. "It's going to be a better
building. It's going to be more comfortable. It's going to be better
heated. It's going to be better lit. It's going to be better
ventilated."
Resort opponents turn out in
number
HIGHMOUNT - Opponents of a controversial 946-room golf
resort say their numbers overwhelmed project supporters at recent
"scoping" sessions designed to identify the environmental issues of the
proposal.
With more than 300 people in attendance over a two-day
period, approximately 100 speakers took turns airing opinions. According
to the organizers of Save the Mountain, a citizens' group opposed to the
planned Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, the crowd weighed heavily on
the side of those concerned about the project's potential negative
impacts.
The proposed resort would comprise two complexes, both
located west of the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center along Ulster County
Route 49A and south of state Route 28. One complex, called Wildacres,
would include a 250-room hotel and 139 lodging units in townhouse-style
units surrounding an 18-hole golf course. The other, the Highmount Spa,
would consist of a 120-room hotel, a spa, 60 lodging units in two
multi-unit buildings and 60 detached lodging units in up to 52
buildings.
The resort is being designed as a ski-in, ski-out
development, connecting with the state-owned Belleayre ski center
through a 78-acre expansion of the state's holdings.
The meetings, held at the ski center's lodge Tuesday and
Wednesday, provided opportunities for the public to outline concerns
about the project - concerns that the state Department of Environmental
Conservation could require the developer, Crossroads Ventures LLC, to
address in an upcoming environmental review.
"The public speakers were (charitably) four-to-one in
opposition to Crossroads Ventures' real estate proposal," said Save The
Mountain representative Julie McQuain.
McQuain also noted the thunderous applause given to
Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro, D-Woodstock, at the beginning of
the first meeting. Shapiro provided a detailed list of specific concerns
that he said require in-depth studies and review by the state
environmental department, including community character issues that a
previous speaker that evening, Shandaken Supervisor Robert Cross Jr.,
tried to downplay.
"Strong feelings exist in local communities that issues
relating to community character have not been properly evaluated,"
Shapiro said. "The community character issue has been mischaracterized
as the sentiment of those who reject all changes in our community. I
request a realistic review of projected financial impacts upon our
school, fire, police and other districts that will result from realistic
projected increases in needs of services. I do not find that prior
models have accurately evaluated this important question."
Crossroads Ventures spokesman Paul Rakov stopped short
of agreeing that the opponents won the day this week - only that the
meetings were structured to bring out the naysayers.
"The very nature of a public scoping session is to hear
issues people have so they can be considered," Rakov said Friday. "It is
then logical to assume that there are going to be more negative
comments. People supporting a project don't have any issues with it and
are therefore silent."
Ulster County's open space
plan OK'd
KINGSTON - Environmental issues highlighted the final
meeting of the current Ulster County Legislature.
An open space plan, the object of 15 months of work and
several months of public input sessions, was given final approval by the
lawmaking body after some last-minute debate over whether all aspects of
the issue had been covered, including complaints from hunting groups
that they had not been heard.
In the end, the plan was approved in a party-line vote,
with minority Republicans opposed. The final tally was 20-7, with six
legislators absent.
Environmental Committee Chairman Brian Shapiro said the
plan achieves the balance Ulster County needs.
"It doesn't say that there shouldn't be any growth,"
said Shapiro, D-Woodstock. "What it does is allow specific areas to grow
within. Doing that protects not only our environment, but our economy as
well. It's been shown that areas that properly plan for growth do
succeed economically, as opposed to those who do not."
Shapiro said the plan will be reviewed at least every
five years.
©Daily
Freeman 2007
Woodstock Democratic Committee endorses Town Hall Renovation
12/3/2007
Whereas the all Democratic
Woodstock Town Board voted 5- 0 in favor of renovating the Woodstock Town
Hall and to subsequently go to a referendum on December 14th
2007, allowing the town to bond up to $1,450,000 and
Whereas the project is
environmentally progressive and is in keeping with the town’s proposed
carbon neutral efforts incorporating a geo thermal heating system, the
existing solar array, and meeting a silver LEEDS certification, and
Whereas the facility will allow
our employees a safer standard in their working conditions employing
modern health and safety practices along with separate bathrooms and
locker rooms for the female and male employees and
Whereas the facility will allow
safer and humane conditions in the police rooms, dispatch and courtroom
for the citizens of Woodstock along with a separate space for juvenile
interactions and
Whereas the meeting room will
enjoy the benefits of year round air conditioning, enhanced public
restrooms and a changing area for performing art groups adding to the
cultural availability of Woodstock we hereby
Resolve to support and endorse
the Woodstock Town Board in their efforts to bring the Woodstock Town Hall
and its incorporated departments into the 21st century and
encourage all registered voters to vote yes on the fiscally responsible
bond proposal of $1,450,000.00 on Friday December 14th, 2007,
at the Community Center between the hours of Noon and 9pm. and further
Resolve to inform the Woodstock
Town Board, the Woodstock Times, The Ulster County Townsman, and the Daily
Freeman of the committee’s endorsement.
The Woodstock Democratic Committee
Ulster lawmakers to ask for extension on comment period for Belleayre
|
Footprint of what Crossroads Ventures proposes
at Belleayre
|
Kingston – The state Department of
Environmental Conservation has set from December 11 through January
7 for comments during its scoping period on the Crossroads Ventures
project.
The Environment Committee of the Ulster County
Legislature Tuesday evening voted to ask the state for a two-week
extension because people are pre-occupied with the holidays and
family, said committee Chairman Brian Shapiro.
He said the DEC has been responsive to their
requests in the past.
“Four years ago the Ulster County Legislature
crafted a similar resolution asking for extra time during public
hearings at earlier stages of this project,” he said. “So, the DEC
has been attentive to these requests to extend public comment and I
am hopeful that they will do so this time. It’s in everybody’s
interest to do so.”
The full county legislature is expected to take
up this resolution tonight and Shapiro does not expect any
opposition to it.
|
By Robert M. Miraldi, Freeman
staff
12/04/2007
NEW PALTZ - U.S. Rep. Maurice
Hinchey on Tuesday announced an academic union between The Solar Energy
Consortium and five research universities in New York state in another
step toward the advancement of solar research technology in the region.
Hinchey, speaking in the lobby of the Haggerty
Administration Building on the SUNY New Paltz campus, said the
institutions involved are Cornell University in Ithaca, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute in Troy, Clarkson University in Potsdam and SUNY
Binghamton and New Paltz.
"We cannot overstate how important this new research
partnership is for the growing solar industry in New York," said
Hinchey, D-Hurley. "Through this new partnership, we are further
establishing (the consortium) as the pre-eminent voice of solar
technology in New York and the country."
The universities are expected to work with the
consortium to solve technical problems from within the solar industry -
problems that currently prevent more efficient and cheaper solar
technology from going to the market.
"This is a huge undertaking in terms of individual
expertise," said Nag Patibandla, a research professor from RPI. "We're
all working to advance the same technology, so we do not see each other
as competition."
In a related matter, Alan Ginsberg, the owner of
TechCity in the town of Ulster, said he on Tuesday that he will, at no
charge, offer the consortium space at the former IBM plant for the
undertaking.
"I would like to offer physical space on behalf of The
Solar Energy Consortium free of charge," he told the gathering, though
he declined to elaborate later when asked about the offer.
"TechCity is a landing zone for when this happens," said
Vincent Cozzolino, the consortium's chief executive officer. "There
isn't a set deadline."
In a news release, Cozzolino said the consortium will
find problems within the solar industry for university researchers to
work on. The solutions will, in turn, be delivered back to industry to
increase efficiency, simplify installation and "create (solar panels)
best suited for urban environments."
Hinchey said the number of universities working with The
Solar Energy Consortium is expected to grow. Cozzolino said the group is
actively seeking institutions in and around New York City.
Additionally, Cozzolino said the consortium will seek to
advance solar research projects for the U.S. Department of Energy and
Department of Defense, along with New York state agencies.
"The scale and breadth of this academic consortium is
unique in this country and in this industry," Cozzolino said. "What is
unique about New York state is, if it works here, it will work anywhere.
We know how to do big projects here."
The formation of The Solar Energy Consortium was
announced in July, and Hinchey has been an instrumental figure in its
development, helping to secure $3.2 million in funding for the C9 Corp.,
which will conduct solar research and development in conjunction with
the consortium.
Hinchey has also helped secure House approval of $1.5
million to get the consortium started, as well as another $1.5 million
grant from Empire State Development to attract solar energy companies.
John Harrington, the consortium's vice president for
research and development, said that when it comes to funding, "we need
to make our mark by being competitive at the federal level."
Noting the high price of oil, currently around $88 a
barrel, Hinchey said it is imperative that the research and development
of solar energy continue in order to reduce the nation's dependence on
foreign oil.
"Solar energy is the solution to the country's and the
world's energy problems," Hinchey said, adding that the latest
partnership "helps us take another big leap forward in our effort to
solve the energy crisis and combat global warming."
The consortium hopes to create 300 to 500 jobs in its
initial phase and thousands of jobs in the region within the next
several years.
By William J. Kemble, Correspondent
WOODSTOCK - Town voters will
decide on Dec. 14 whether to authorize a $1.45 million bond to finance
the renovation of the former Town Hall at 76 Tinker St.
Voting will be from noon to 9 p.m. at the Woodstock
Community Center, 56 Rock City Road.
Under the proposal, improvements to the
11,000-square-foot building would include work on the Town Court,
police department, emergency dispatch department and a meeting room
used for theatrical productions.
Town Supervisor Jeremy Wilber said police and court
personnel, as a result of the proposed improvements, would no longer
be at risk from criminal suspects being brought to an exposed holding
area.
"It's just a miracle that anyone hasn't suffered any
sort of injury," said Wilber, whose terms ends Dec. 31. "I know
they've suffered injury to their dignity."
The proposition was met with a sharply divided
reception from the audience at Tuesday's Town Board meeting.
"It is commendable that emphasis in the design is in
line with the town's official carbon-neutral footprint policy and will
allow the town to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) gold certification," said Carol Sas, a town
employee. "However, on the practical side, the proposed renovations
will add only minimal additional space relative to the actual needs of
the three departments."
Former Councilman Gordon Wemp said the improvements
would make up for years of indecision over work needed, make
departments more efficient and add value to the building.
"It's not that hard to comprehend," he said.
Councilwoman Elizabeth Simonson was concerned the
991-196 defeat of the Woodstock Library budget earlier this year would
spill over to the bond vote, and that having the vote so soon would
not provide enough time for residents to become familiar with the Town
Hall project.
"It's not really been on everybody's plate that we're
actually now ready to just get you to decide that, yeah, we're going
to spend this money," she said.
|
Ulster
lawmakers look into impeachment resolution |
|
Shapiro: "dangerous
times"
|
Kingston – The Ulster County Legislature
next month may take up a resolution calling on Congress to the
possibility of wrongdoing in the President’s taking the nation to
war and the torture of prisoners.
A committee of the legislature, on a
straight partisan vote, has already approved the measure and sent
it on to the full lawmaking body. The one ‘no’ vote came
from one of two Republican members of the committee. The
other Republican was absent.
Legislator Brian Shapiro, a member of the
Efficiency and Reform Committee, said it is an important issue,
even on the local level.
“Regardless of what our federal officials
decide to do, and especially if there is inaction at the federal
level, it is more important than ever for people at the local
grassroots level to speak out, defend the Constitution – these are
very dangerous times were are going into and I do think it is
important for locals to speak out regardless of the actions that
our federal representatives do or do not take,” he said. |
Hinchey Fighting To Push Comprehensive Energy Legislation
Through Congress To Lower Gas Prices In Short & Long-Term
Washington, DC --
With negotiations on energy reform
legislation heating up among House and Senate members, Congressman
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) is making a strong push to ensure that any
energy-related bills include provisions to help lower gas prices now
and ensure that the United States invests heavily in renewable energy
so that the country ends its dependence on both domestic and foreign
oil. Hinchey spoke directly with Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi last week to urge her to include critical tax credits for solar
energy use in order to make it easier for the solar energy industry to
flourish in New York and so that solar panels become much more
affordable for all Americans
"Since President Bush took office, the
price of gas at the pump has shot up 128 percent in New York and a
barrel of oil has quadrupled in cost. The rate of increase for
the cost gas and oil is so far beyond the rate of inflation it is
almost unfathomable and is absolutely unacceptable," Hinchey said.
"It's not a coincidence that we've seen gas prices rise so
dramatically at a time when we have the most oil industry-friendly
president and vice president since the Teapot Dome scandal.
Congress must act swiftly to regulate off-market oil and gas trading
that is partially responsible for an increase in prices and we must
also prevent a closed market for retailers so that we can foster fair
competition for gas prices. All of these things will help reduce
the cost of gas in the short-term as we work to shift away from oil
dependence in the long-term."
Hinchey is working with Congressman Bart
Stupak (D-MI) to pass the Prevent Unfair Manipulation of Prices (PUMP)
Act to regulate off-market trading of oil.
An increasing amount of crude
oil, gasoline, and natural gas trading is being done in off-market
deals, known as “over-the-counter” (OTC) trading as opposed to the
traditional practice of trading those commodities on the New York
Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) with oversight by the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission (CFTC). Over-the-counter trading is conducted
without any regulation or oversight by the federal government.
Regulators cannot even tell us how much of this trading is going on,
but most agree that the OTC market is as least as big, if not bigger
than NYMEX.
The PUMP Act would require off-market traders to play by the same
rules that traders participating in on-market trading already do.
By providing transparency and oversight to off-market trading, this
legislation would allow the CFTC to better monitor these deals to
prevent market manipulation, and improve confidence in the market. The
PUMP Act would provide better oversight, quicker enforcement, and
stricter penalties to prevent market manipulation. Economists
estimate that if OTC markets were properly regulated, the price of
crude oil could drop by as much as $20 a barrel. Earlier this
year, Hinchey worked with Stupak to pass the Federal Price Gouging
Prevention Act, which is designed to crack down on the price gouging
of gasoline, natural gas, and other energy sources. A similar
measure is still pending in the Senate.
Hinchey is also working with Congresswoman
Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Congressman John Larson (D-CT) to pass the
Eliminate Gas Price Discrimination Act. That measure would end
the practice of zone-pricing whereby oil companies control the price
individual gas stations charge by allowing stations to purchase gas
from only one local wholesale distributor and prevent them from
shopping around for lower prices offered by other wholesale
distributors not in their local "zone."
As part of a long-term solution, House and
Senate leaders are working to complete a broad energy reform bill.
Hinchey helped the House pass its version of the energy bill over the
summer and is fighting for key provisions to remain intact during
negotiations for a final bill that reconciles any differences with the
Senate. The House energy reform bill seeks to lower energy
prices over the long-term by requiring that 15 percent of electricity
in the U.S. come from renewable sources; making an historic investment
in new energy technologies and innovation such as solar power to
create new jobs; improving energy efficiency for a wide range of
products, lighting and buildings to reduce energy costs to
consumers—and in doing so reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly
twice the annual emissions of all of the cars on the road in America
today; making the federal government a leader in reducing energy usage
and greenhouse gas emissions; and strengthening research and
diplomatic efforts on climate change to protect our planet.
Hinchey is keenly focused on ensuring that
the final energy bill invests heavily in solar energy technology.
The congressman is leading the effort to create The Solar Energy
Consortium (TSEC) --
a group of private and public companies
and institutions that will research and develop new ways to
efficiently and effectively deliver energy from the sun.
TSEC, which would be
based in Kingston's Tech City, is expected to initially
provide 300-500 jobs and create upwards of thousands of jobs in the
region within the next several years. Statewide, TSEC has the
potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs over the next decade
while establishing New York as a global leader in the development of
integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems technology.
A critical part of fostering the solar
research, development, and manufacturing industry in New York and
across the United States is ensuring the continuation of federal tax
credits for the use of solar power. Those credits make solar
energy more affordable for Americans and in turn enable the solar
industry to continue growing and become more mainstream. Hinchey
spoke directly with Speaker Pelosi to let her know how essential it
was for those solar tax credits -- as well as other renewable energy
credits -- to be included in the final energy bill. The
congressman will continue pressing the issue with House and Senate
leaders to ensure the credits remain in the bill just as they were in
the House version.
"Instead of destroying the earth by using
irreplaceable resources such as oil for our primary energy source, we
must begin to use renewable sources of energy such as the sun.
The solar industry is about to take off in a very significant way in
this country and New York has the opportunity to play a leading role
in advancing the necessary technology. I will continue to
aggressively push leadership in the House and Senate to include solar
tax credits in the energy bill so that the use of solar panels for
energy becomes a much more common way to deliver energy."
Additionally, Hinchey is pushing for a
dramatic increase in the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), which determines the minimum
number of miles to the gallon on which vehicles in the United States
can operate. The original House version did not include CAFE
standards -- something with which Hinchey strongly disagreed.
However, it is expected that both House and Senate leaders are
working to ensure that an increase in CAFE standards are included in
the final version of the energy bill that both chambers will pass.
An increase in CAFE standards would save Americans money in gas since
they would not need to fill up their cars as often.
It is expected that Congress will vote on a
House-Senate reconciled energy bill shortly after the Thanksgiving
recess.
Write-in
candidate drew 474 votes in losing effort
11/17/2007
KINGSTON - A Woodstock Town Board member who ran as a
write-in candidate didn't get re-elected but did collect 474 votes,
according to a final tally by the Ulster County Board of Elections.
Bill McKenna, an enrolled Republican, trailed the two
winners - Democrat Terrie Rosenblum, with 1,283 votes, and Democrat
Jay Wenk, with 1,113 - and third-place finisher Janine Mower, who drew
953 votes, election officials announced on Friday.
In Rosendale, meanwhile, Republican Bob Gallagher and
Democrat Rich Minissali have captured two seats on the Town Board,
according to the election board's final tally. Gallagher received
1,000 votes, and Minissali got 922.
Out of the running were Democrat Daniel Sherrer, with
955 votes, and Republican Tim Morrison, with 890.
©Daily Freeman 2007
Large volume of election night hits was more than county's web site
could take
By Hugh Reynolds, Freeman staff
KINGSTON - Overwhelmed by
an unanticipated flood of hits, Ulster County's vaunted real-time online
election reporting system crashed late Tuesday, leaving officials,
candidates, media and the general public with incomplete returns.
"It was very disappointing to have a system go down the
last 25 or 30 minutes and leave people hanging," said county Republican
Committee Chairman Mario Catalano. "You would think the technology
department would have backup systems or a collateral system that would
have continued to feed the information."
County Democratic Chairman John Parete, who also is an
elections commissioner, said it was "discouraging" not to have had the
usual near-complete returns before 11 p.m. Tuesday, but added, "What the
hell am I going to do? I don't know how these things work."
"It's always worked well in the past," Parete added. "I
guess it's that more people have computers and they want that
information online."
"Simply put, we took in more than the processor could
handle, so somebody - Verio Systems, the county's vendor in Dallas, Tex.
- shut it down," said Sylvia Wohlfahrt, the county's director of
Information Services.
"Maybe we advertised too well," she said. "When people
find out you've got a good site with easy access and good graphics, they
come in."
A hotly contested three-way race for Ulster County
district attorney also may have contributed to the heavier-than-usual
Web traffic.
The system went down at 10:40 p.m., when it usually
would be issuing wrap-up reports and final unofficial figures in most
races. Fifteen town races went completely unreported, and a number of
other races were not updated. The system was restarted about 11 a.m. on
Wednesday with almost complete returns.
Wohlfahrt said she and
senior staffers worked until after midnight to get the system restarted
but were unable to connect with Dallas at that late hour.
Wohlfahrt said the part of the system that dealt with
election returns had a capacity of 40,000 hits - "in round figures" - a
threshold she said that had not been approached in elections dating to
2002, the year the county retained Verio Systems as a processing
monitor.
"What should the capacity be?" Wohlfahrt said. "Maybe
100,000 would be conservative. Should it be limitless? How much would
you pay to get full results the same night, rather than the next day?"
The director indicated that "public service" was the
priority, not monetary considerations. Verio, she said, is paid "less
than $1,000" a year for its services.
County Legislator Brian Cahill, D-Ulster, chairman of
the committee that oversees Information Services, said a thorough
evaluation of the county's systems and its capacity was under way before
the system went back up Wednesday morning.
"This will be a committee recommendation," he said. "We
will ask our technical experts to advise us prior to taking any kind of
harsh action, like firing the vendor. We want to make sure this never
happens again."
Wohlfahrt said the county's Web site has seen a steady
increase in hits over the last two years, rising from 681,000 in 2005 to
an estimated 860,000 this year, up about 25 percent.
She also said she would recommend the county continue to
offer same-night election returns on the Web. "After all, how do you put
a price on public information?" she said.
The Board of Elections was flooded with phone calls
after the system went down but is not responsible for compiling returns.
The system calls for individual poll workers in the county's 164
election districts to phone in returns to Information Services after
polls close. Information Services then assembles the data and puts it on
the Board of Elections' Web site, which is part of the county's Web
site, www.co.ulster.ny.us.
"The county didn't lose any money Tuesday night,"
Wohlfahrt said, "just a lot of good will."
Ulster County was the first in the region to offer
comprehensive real-time election returns through its Information
Services system, an operation "that worked quite well until Tuesday
night," Catalano said.
Democrats lose a seat, but keep control of Ulster County Legislature
By Robert M. Miraldi,
Freeman staff
KINGSTON - Democrats on
Tuesday preserved their control of the Ulster County Legislature, though
it appeared they will lose one seat, according to unofficial results.
The Democrats, going into the election with a 20-12
majority over Republicans and one non-enrolled legislator, saw their
lead over the GOP slip to 19 to 13, with Independence Party candidate
Paul Hansut winning in District 11.
"We still have the majority," said Legislature Chairman
David B. Donaldson, D-Kingston. "I think what you will see happen is
we'll continue with our agenda of creating financial stability. Over the
past two years our target has been strictly financial, to get county
finances stable because they had been in disarray."
Donaldson said the focus will shift a bit now.
"I believe we'll begin to focus on more traditional
Democratic values," he said. "We've got things like the Environmental
Department and we're also looking to increase promoting tourism through
the arts."
The most notable loss for the Democrats was the
unseating of Legislator Peter J. Lieppman of New Paltz, giving the
Republican Party control of all three seats in District 8. Non-enrolled
Legislator Tracey Bartels, who caucused with the Democrats, did not run
for re-election in the district. Newcomers Kenneth Ronk Jr., 22, and
Catherine Terrizzi, 52, won election to the two seats, along with
Republican Minority Leader Glenn Noonan of Gardiner.
"The margin is going to be closer," Noonan said. "We
worked very hard and we have a lot of new young blood. I'd like to think
the results show that the Republican Party is back in Ulster County."
Former Ellenville Mayor T.J. Briggs, a Democrat,
received 2,448 votes in winning a seat in District 1, edging out fellow
Democrat Leonard Distel. Briggs joins incumbent Democrats Joseph P.
Stoeckeler, Jr. and Mary Sheeley and Republican Susan Cummings.
With Democratic Legislator Mike Berardi stepping down,
the Republicans gained another seat in District 5 with former Legislator
James Maloney winning his old seat back. Incumbent Democrat Brian
Cahill, a Democrat, kept his seat.
All four Republican candidates retained their seats in
District 9. Democrat Joseph P. Eriole had challenged the district's
Republican incumbents' experience on planning and development issues,
and had brought into question Legislator Frank Felicello's less than
stellar attendance record. In addition to Felicello, GOP legislators
Richard Gerentine and Wayne Harris, and newcomer Kevin Roberts won
seats.
With both incumbent
legislators stepping down, District 11 posed the most wide-open race
coming into Tuesday's election. Hansut and Democrat Jon Decker won seats
in their first campaigns for Legislature.
Woodstock Democrats Brian Shapiro and Donald Gregorius
defeated Republican challenger J. Sam Mercer, keeping their seats in
District 2.
There were no changes in District 4, with incumbent
Republicans Robert Aiello, Joseph Roberti and Dean Fabiano and Democrat
Gary Bischoff all keeping their seats.
City of Kingston Legislators Frank Dart and Jeannette
Provenzano, both Democrats, handily defeated Republican challenger Ellen
DiFalco to retain their seats. Provenzano is the Legislature's majority
leader and Dart heads the Criminal Justice and Safety Committee.
Republican Laura Petit picked up the seat vacated by
longtime GOP Legislator Joan Every in District 7. Democrats Phil
Terpening and Alan Lomita kept their seats.
In District 12 in the city of Kingston, two of the
Legislature's more powerful figures, Donaldson and Democratic running
mate Peter Loughran won handily.
Two races were unopposed: Democratic incumbents Peter
Kraft, Richard Parete and Robert Parete in District 3 and Hector
Rodriguez and Susan Zimet in District 10.
While the majority did not change hands, Noonan seemed
pleased with the increase in the Republican caucus. "People are
realizing the Democrats don't know how to run the county and that
they've made significant mistakes," he said.
Donaldson said the Democrats will simply have to prove
Noonan wrong over the next two years.
"I really do feel the best is yet to come," Donaldson
said. "Unfortunately we lost a few good people but we also picked up
some good ones. We feel good."
©Daily Freeman 2007
Carnright wins Ulster
County DA's race
By Hugh Reynolds,
Political Editor
KINGSTON - With Democrats
splitting the vote, Republican Holley Carnright was elected Ulster
County district attorney by an unofficial 4,090 votes over Democrat
Jonathan Sennett on Tuesday. Conservative and Independence party
challenger Vincent Bradley Jr. tallied 10,133, or just over 22 percent.
With only about 43 percent of the county's 106,000
registered voters casting ballots, overall voting was light, considering
the candidates spent at least $400,000 combined in their quest to
succeed retiring Republican District Attorney Donald A. Williams, who
did not seek a third term.
With 162 of 164 election precincts reporting Tuesday
night, Carnright garnered 43.4 percent of the 45,907 votes counted,
Sennett, 34.5 percent.
Carnright said he was "deeply humbled" by what he called
"a really historic race."
"We had three aggressive, well-run well-funded
candidates," he said. "This was a difficult one to handicap."
Carnright said he wasn't "thinking ahead at the moment,"
but will meet with Williams as soon as possible to discuss the
transition. He takes office Jan. 1.
As expected, Carnright prevailed in his native
Saugerties, crushing Sennett by an unofficial count of 3,061 to 1,159.
Bradley, despite an election eve endorsement by Rep. Maurice Hinchey,
D-Hurley, polled just 872 votes in Sawyertown. Hinchey hailed from
Saugerties during his 18 years as a state assemblyman.
Sennett prevailed in his hometown of New Paltz, but not
by nearly enough to offset Carnright's Saugerties advantage. Unofficial
results there showed Sennett with 1,569 votes to Carnright's 594.
Bradley had 290.
Kingston, Bradley's hometown, elected Democrats across
the board, but gave Carnright an unexpected 2,515 to 2,326 victory over
Bradley, the son of the late state Supreme Court Judge Vincent Bradley.
Sennett polled 1,689 votes in heavily Democratic Kingston.
Sennett prevailed in Woodstock as expected - 1,239
against 641 for Carnright and 209 for Bradley - but ran far behind
Democratic county legislators Brian Shapiro and Donald Gregorius, who
averaged almost 2,600 votes with no major party opposition.
Carnright, 55, was a chief assistant district attorney
for three years, ending in 1982 when he entered private law practice
with his father, Robert Carnright, in Saugerties. Carnright was a public
defender for over 20 years, ending when Democrats took control of the
county Legislature in 2006.
Sennett, 39, a former Bronx County assistant district
attorney, is an Ulster County public defender. He was also endorsed by
the Working Families Party.
Bradley, 39, a former assistant district attorney in
Manhattan, is a Kingston native.
|
