How About a Little De-Tagging During the Citywide Clean Sweep on April 24th?

In the spirit of the upcoming citywide clean sweep event on April 24th, KingstonCitizens.org is giving away ten “Team D’Arcy De-Tagging Kits”  that include spray paint remover, rubber gloves and a full roll of paper towels (towels courtesy of Kingston Natural Foods).   The first ten residents to arrive at the citywide Neighborhood Watch Meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at the Kingston Library will be given one.

I’m going to keep a kit in the car to remove tags when I see them. How about you?

For more on the upcoming Citywide Clean-Sweep, visit this LINK

BEFORE: Graffiti on Wall Street
AFTER: Citizen and community leader Michael D'Arcy takes matters into his own hands and removes blight from our Uptown business district. It's easy for us all to do.

Be A Part of the Solution- Kingston Neighborhood Watch Meets Next Week

Kingston Neighborhood Watch Flyer. Print and Distribute!

Next week may be one of the more important meetings that I have seen organized since my time being active in community work (back in 2006).

Thanks to the D’Arcy’s, the citizens have a solid opportunity to help become a part of a positive solution for the safety of our community.

The first citywide Kingston Neighborhood Watch meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 13th at the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street.  There is a mixer from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. The agenda begins at 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

We really need everyone to help get the word out. Can you commit to help by printing out the attached flyer to share with a dozen neighbors?  There will also be an opportunity for a last door to door with Ward 5 Alderman Jennifer Fuentes Saturday, April 10th. Citizens are asked to meet at Deisings on Broadway at noon.  You can read her announcement at the Ward 5 Yahoo! Group.

If you need a better copy of the flyer, you can contact Michael and Claudia at:   info@kingston-ny-neighborhood-watch.com

Thanks.

– Rebecca Martin

PART TWO: Council Majority Leader State of the City Report

Ward 7 Alderman and Majority Leader Bill Reynolds.  Below is his state of the city report read on April 6th, 2010. If you have any thoughts or feedback, please use the Ward 7 Yahoo! Group that Alderman Reynolds is a member of.

Public service is an honor for anyone privileged enough to have been chosen by the voters to represent them.  The aldermen here tonight together in this great room with Alderman-at-Large Noble and officials who work in an appointed capacity have lately been particularly honored by the public to serve, because we were elected in the midst of what many are calling the Great Recession.  The voters chose us to do the hard work for them, and to do the best we can on their behalf.

That is why I am here to tell the people of Kingston that – we hear you.  We understand your fears and concerns.   And we will continue to listen to you because we who sit at these desks every month to make new laws and pass budgets don’t have all the answers.  We need your help and your input to make Kingston a better place.

Times have been tough, for sure, and they will continue to be difficult for the remainder of the year.  We are committed to keeping a sharp eye on the bottom line and to make the best use of taxpayer dollars – and we are prepared to make the tough decisions required to keep living and doing business in Kingston as affordable as possible. We are walking a tightrope for sure – but as long as we remain steady and as long as we keep our heads up, we will make it through this recession.

So, let’s focus on the challenges we face:

We need to rectify the safety net inequity that Kingston shoulders.

We need to continue to hold the line on property taxes and ensure that taxpayers are being assessed equitably. Bearing that in mind, we urge the school district to do the same – a 12 percent school tax increase is unsustainable.

On the heels of the ongoing success of the URGENT task force, we signal our support for the new block-by-block sweep program designed to clean up bad influences that pollute and destroy homes and neighborhoods.

We need to focus on getting our act together now, ahead of an economic upturn, by re-focusing on the basics: cleaning up the city, cracking down on crime and blight, and cutting back on a cost structure that’s outgrown our ability to pay for it.

We must continue to focus on the inequity of our “homestead/non-homestead” tax policy, which is steadily eroding the city’s commercial tax base and private-sector job market.  That being said, the immediate source of distress for many taxpayers has been the property revaluation process that was first conducted in 2008. While serious flaws and inequities were apparent in the results produced so far, this is a problem that can and will be corrected with a new revaluation.

Speaking of inequities, we had to learn quite by accident that Kingston was paying social services costs for people not living in Kingston.  And, while we look forward to the mayor working together with the county administration to be sure the city is reimbursed for lost taxpayer dollars, we remain committed to auditing future claims, and will work together with the city and county comptroller as this process unfolds.

This is terribly important, given the cost – $1.2 million in safety net spending this year, up from $400,000 seven years ago. Not only do we take in the county’s disadvantaged, we take on the entire local portion of the bill.

We remain committed to sustaining an infrastructure that up until recently seemed to be crumbling every week.  And, though we have allocated substantial sums to guard against infrastructure decay, we will continue to be sure our infrastructure meets our basic needs.

Bankruptcy is not an option for Kingston, for a whole host of reasons not the least of which such a move would require state legislative action and, quite frankly, you have to be bankrupt after all to declare bankruptcy. Kingston is still well below its tax and bonding limit, although by no means are we in a position to brag about such a thing.  But to declare bankruptcy, as I have said publicly, would be equal to raising the white flag.

That said, the financial situation we face remains serious. Correcting it will depend on how we approach labor contract negotiations.  And while we are pleased two out of three of our unions provided give backs for the 2010 year, we may still need to work with them to be sure we’ll be able to provide required services to the people while holding the line on taxes as we work to assemble a 2011 budget. The mayor has indicated he will include members of the Common Council in discussions and negotiations with the three unions.  That’s the right approach.

Some of the things we could look for would include new flexibility in the way departments are staffed and job responsibilities defined, with a particular emphasis on putting more police officers on the street at critical times each day, and cross-training more firefighters to act as building-code enforcement teams during otherwise idle periods.  We will need to look at realistic contributions by employees toward their health-care plans, recognizing that we must work together to reduce costs.  We just received word, for example, that the premium increase for the Empire Plan for 2011 may be more than 13 percent.

This is not a happy or uplifting speech, I know, but there are times that require us to set aside happy talk and speak to stark reality.  That also means making the hard decisions.  When you say you want to cut costs, you have to mean what you say and follow through on your words.  Cutting costs isn’t easy and it isn’t painless.  You have to back up your words with action, otherwise the things you say and the promises you make will sound hollow and broken.

That isn’t to say I’m not optimistic about this city’s future.  I have always and remain very optimistic that Kingston will one day reach its full potential.  When the cost cutting is over, we will need not only to streamline government but aggressively market this city so we can continue to brag about it being one of the top art destinations in the country, as not only one of the more affordable places to live in the region, but a place where several types of architecture:  beginning with stone houses, through all the great design eras – all exist in one place. We need to continue to show the world what sets Kingston apart from so many other places in the region.

We will work together with a vibrant group of citizens organizations such as the nascent Kingston Digital Corridor, KingstonCitizens.org, Friends of Historic Kingston, the Business Association of Kingston, ASK, the Neighborhood Watch group, and KURA just to name a few.  We were happy to listen to and work together with our business groups in establishing the Main Street Manager, embodied by Nancy Donskoj who has done an excellent job showcasing our city’s assets and opportunities.

I am convinced that with the right combination of marketing and a more sensible tax structure we’ll be able to move this economy forward.  We have some way to go for sure, but Kingston has been through tough times before.  We’ll get through the Great Recession and be stronger and smarter when it’s over.

Thank you.

PART ONE: Council Minority Leader State of the City Report

We have created a two part posting to share both the majority and minority leaders state of the city reports for citizens who were not present this evening.

We’ll begin with minority leader  and Ward 1 Adlerman Andi Turco-Levin (R).  This was her state of the city address presented on Tuesday, April 6th 2010. If you have any thoughts or feedback, please visit the Ward 1 Yahoo! Group where Alderman Turco-Levin is a member.

Thanks.

–  Rebecca Martin

Minority Leader’s Report 2010  Efficiency and Planning

Mr. President, my fellow Council Members, and to all of you here tonight, we want to thank you for this opportunity to share our hopes, visions, and recommendations on how we can move our City forward.

Let’s also take a moment to recognize the hard work of our police and firefighters who keep us safe, to the volunteers of this City who keep our kids off the streets and out of harm’s way from gang violence and drug dealers and also to the private citizens who work to unite our communities.  A heart felt Thank You.

As you know, we are currently forging through very difficult times, not only from an economic point of view but from a quality of life standpoint.  What I hope to outline here tonight is a way for us to recognize how we got here, what we can do to prevent us from continuing in the same direction, and what we can do in order to steer our City towards growth and economic stability.  As with any journey, a roadmap is the key for success.  It outlines boundaries, and allows you to navigate a course to reach your final destination.  We have no roadmap.  The fact that Kingston has not had a complete comprehensive plan done since the 1980’s is evidence.  From one side we wish to welcome development, yet we get mired down with variables leading to lengthy delays, then ultimately leaving us with nothing as the end result.

From the former uptown parking garage to the scarred waterfront once with promise of the Noah Hotel, now a vacant lot collecting graffiti and trash.  Had a long range plan been in place for the City of Kingston some of those hurdles may have been avoided and the outcome much different from what we have today including more super sized drug store chains.

Getting through difficult issues on a day to day basis is not working.

This approach is not successful in life, and it doesn’t work in government either.  Shortsighted planning has no benefit, especially for the future of our City and what we leave to the next generation of our children who we hope can stay here, earn a living and raise their families too.  It affects every aspect of our City’s well being.

It seems obvious that many of our City’s woes stem from the erosion of our tax base, lack of well paying jobs and the steady decline with quality of life benefits.  To turn this trend around I believe the first line of defense would be to ask that a long range planning committee be formed in order for us to identify what is needed to create a 25 – 30 year plan on how our City grows into the next generation.  In it we can explore how we grow our business zones, protect historic districts and quaint neighborhoods, all while keeping a healthy balance, and an eye on environmental responsibility.  One of the things that people love the most about our City is our heritage, yet we do nothing to protect it, in fact it seems that even the provisions in place are not enforced.  Not only is this an important task to insure our City’s character, it is an untapped source of revenue which will strengthen our financial footing as well.  Perhaps the Economic & Finance Committee should form a task force designed to look at our City’s Codes and Laws and update them to reflect today’s living standards, incorporating ways to create revenue at the same time.  A simple permit fee to remove a shade tree could create funding for much needed sidewalk rehabilitation.  As it is now, the $250 fine when a tree is removed without a permit is not enforced…you do the math.  Simply enforcing our codes can provide a revenue stream which can help restore many of the services to our residents which seem to dissipate on a daily basis.

Part of this plan needs to include public safety for pedestrians and bicyclists which will also encourage less motor vehicle traffic in our urban areas.  This is just one of the many issues that come to mind so let’s move on to the next topic.

Fiscal Crisis:

Efficiency (and Planning) will be what pulls us through.   The current union contracts are crippling our City where ALL parties need to rethink everything from the ground up.  This may not happen until contracts are open at the end of next year, but it MUST happen.  Looking at how things are done now and how things should be done efficiently in the future, which include the merging of services has to be our plan in order to sustain the City without the unlawful burden on the taxpayers.  We ask that union leaders understand the challenges that we face with the budget process in the upcoming months.  The unity of working together is the only solution that will keep us stable.  Cooperation from every component will make the difference between survival and bankruptcy.

Other departments also need to be realigned in order to reflect tomorrow’s government model.  Economic Development needs do more than secure grant money.  Instead let’s come up with an outline on how to encourage small business with tax incentives and perhaps outline areas that could benefit from programs that attract these small businesses.   Let’s give them a reason to come here.

The last issue that we need to address is crime, quality of life, and the confidence our residents have in us to provide it for them.  Our police department works hard fighting to keep our streets safe and gang activity at bay, not an easy task.  The City needs to stay on solid ground in order for us to turn this trend around and take back our neighborhoods.  Fighting crime is important, just as important is engaging our young people early and giving them something to do instead of getting into trouble. Continually cutting programs that offer these options for them is backwards thinking.  Funding police, very important, but we also need to take steps in prevention and this is where the cuts from the Recreation Dept. become the issue.  These programs provide a safe place for them to grow, play and learn.  Cuts from this department show in the deterioration of our City Parks, their Programs, and the mental well being for all our residents young and old.

There are great things coming with new faces on our Common Council, looking at things with a new perspective for change and expecting accountability.  I also want to compliment the Mayor & the City’s Comptroller for uncovering overages in what we spend in Safety Net funding.  This action can save us millions of dollars in the future.  By working together without party lines getting in the way of progress and compromise we can hopefully turn a corner and see positive change.  We also need do a better job of letting the community know what is happening in City Government.  Let’s encourage the flow of information by setting up a Kingston311.com information website.  It’s based on NYC’s information hotline where residents can ask questions on things ranging from City Codes to Recycling Schedules.  We don’t have the funding for a hotline, but a website with vital information would be a welcome resource for our Citizens without much cost and could even become a source of income in the future.

In summary, we need to look at the Big Picture from top to bottom and re-think how things are done with a long range plan.  Without it we have nothing, no public safety, no funding for police and fire,  no infrastructure, no technology, no youth programs, no business…All of these components lay the foundation for economic stability ending our financial crisis.  Planning and Efficiency is our mantra.  If done right we will see a stronger community with less spending, more revenue which ultimately leads to lower taxes.   We will have a City which offers quality of life for its residents, economic strength for our businesses, and a solid and affordable education for our children.

We look forward to working with all members of the Council and Administration towards this goal.   The city of Kingston is the Jewel of the Hudson.  Let’s put some polish on her and make her shine.

Thank you.

Respectfully Submitted,

Andi Turco-Levin

Minority Leader

Alderwoman Ward 1

Upgrading the YMCA Playground by Making Community and Children’s Gardens

This just in! I am so happy to learn of the news, as that play area is really beautiful and completely underutilized.

Good news indeed.

– Rebecca Martin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 6, 2010

Citizen Help Sought for YMCA Park Clean up and Garden Projects

DEP volunteers launch initiative at YMCA playground that includes creating community and childrens gardens.

Employees from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection office in Kingston have volunteered to clean up the YMCA playground as well as install a community garden and children’s garden at the site, which is behind the YMCA building on Broadway in Midtown. The coordinators are conducting the first cleanup this Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and need community volunteers to help.

The work involves making repairs to the jungle gym as needed, cleaning up trash at Summer and Susan streets, and removing brush, dead limbs and trees as well as removing invasive plants. Additional cleanups are also planned in the coming weeks.

For more information about the clean up as well as to help out with the garden project, contact Ed Blouin at eblouin@hvc.rr.com or by calling him at (845) 616-2677.

For more information about other community garden projects in Kingston, contact Arthur Zaczkiewicz of the Kingston Land Trust at zaczkiewicz@yahoo.com.

Common Council Majority/Minority Leaders Give State of the City Reports This Week

Imagine the joy in my heart when I noticed that the city of Kingston finally posted the Common Council’s agenda to the meeting calendar page. For those of you who have been following this work for years, you’ll remember how we petitioned the council to do so, and asked month after month for over a year with no response.

Alas – it is up, and citizens should follow along. Important to note that the agenda often changes after caucus the evening before, so it may include or exclude points depending.

City of Kingston Meeting Calendar

Common Council Agenda, April

This month, the Common Council Meeting on April 6th at 7:30pm at City Hall will include the Majority and Minority Leaders State of the City reports. This is an important meeting to attend – so make plans to be there if you are able to.

– RM

Why Residents Must Continue to Recycle

With the abrupt change made this week to the recycling schedule (that is now bi-weekly) we grew deeply concerned. Not because we think weekly pick-ups are ‘the way to go’. But because the change was made without any effort to inform or educate the public. As it is, through the hard work of Julie and Steve Noble and Jeanne Edwards, Kingston was sort of on the up and up on improving it’s recycling numbers. That might be history unless something is done and soon.

Sure, not every municipality offers recycling to their residents. That may even be where we are heading. The fact of the matter is, Kingston has offered it as a service and we have come to expect it. If more people now feel inconvenienced and decide to trash their plastics and all, we are not only heading in the wrong direction but we are also encouraging a whopper of an expense in the long run.

Why? At this time, Kingston pays UCRRA (Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency) $71 a ton to then ship our garbage up the river some 250 miles. That’s what makes it so expensive. Weigh that against the national average, which is around $42.08 per ton.

Landfills are close to capacity. Perhaps not this year or next, but in the very near future our garbage may be shipped even further away. Now does that make any sense?

So please, hold onto your recycling until your new scheduled pick-up day. Give your bottles and cans an extra wash out to prepare them to sit for a week longer. That only takes a few seconds of your time. If you simply can’t wait, delivering your recyclables, yard waste and brush to the transfer station is free.

Encourage your Alderman to help solve this problem through good discussion and solid examples by looking outside of Kingston to see what might be useful to us.

– Rebecca Martin

Here are a couple of helpful links.

City of Kingston: New Recycling/Yard Waste Pick-Up Schedule

KingstonCitizens.org: Why Pay As You Throw?

KingstonCitizens.org: Plastics By Numbers

Leave It On The Lawn, Kingston! Mulching and Composting Brochure

Breaking It Down: Community Development Block Grant Administrative Costs

Thanks to Michael Murphy, Executive Director of the Community Development department in Kingston for being helpful and responding quickly to provide the information below.

On the consultant side, we were told that currently the only outside consultant used is one that audits his department and is covered by the budgeted administrative costs (as noted below).

If you have any further questions, in addition to being in touch with Michael directly, you can also contact Ward 7 Alderman Bill Reynolds who chairs the Community Development committee. You can find all of Bill’s current information by visiting the Ward 7 Yahoo Group

There is apparently a meeting for the Community Development Committee on April 7th to vote on the grant items that were listed in the paper this week. Although it is not yet on the calendar, please check the city of Kingston’s website municipal calendar for April to learn more.

– Rebecca Martin

“I am the Director of Community Development and oversee the CDBG money for the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. The department consist of 3 individuals including myself.

The Office of Community Development funds many needed organizations throughout the Midtown Area which directly benefits over 700-800 youths as well as needy Adults. Every year the office tries to spread out the money to as many organizations and projects as possible. These programs and projects do not run by themselves, they have to be administered, as required by the Federal Government. Our office has 3 full time individuals and the administrative cost pays for salary and benefits. In addition, our office has to pay for our own supplies, office furniture, office equipment(Computers,etc.)and auditor fees out of the administrative part of the grant. The grant requires a full audit by an independent CPA firm.

The following is the Office Budget:

Salaries(3): $101,250.00
Benefits(3): 30,312.00
CPA Audit: 12,000.00
Office Eqiup: 4,000.00
Office Furn: 1,400.00
Office Supplies: 2,800.00
Public Notice Ads: 3,150.00
Misc: 2,000.00
TOTAL: $156,912.00

The City of Kingston DOES NOT pay one cent to fund this office. It is completely autonomous.”

Administrative Costs For Allocating Federal Funds in Midtown?

Does it strike anyone funny that from an $815,000 grant for Midtown projects, $163,000 is going towards administration costs? We’re assuming that is what it costs to provide Michael Murphy and his staff their yearly salary. That’s a pretty hefty amount if you ask us.

Along the way, there has been mention of additional outside consultants hired by the office. If so, how many throughout the year and how much does it cost taxpayers?

We’d like to understand better what this department does year round for the amount of money they are being paid and think it’s important to look into for the administrative costs used by grant money alone.

* Addendum: This thought process was inspired by today’s article in the Daily Freeman. You can read it HERE

Citizens Share Their Ideas on Building a New Local Economy

When it comes to good ideas there is certainly never a lack of them. The problem is always finding ways to funnel and collect this information so it can make an impact.

With that in mind, we decided to reach out to the citizens of Kingston to learn what it is that they think the city should pursue in the way of building a local economy.

I’d like to keep this going so to hear from more of you.   If you’d like to participate, answer the question below and include your name, occupation and community affiliation (s).  Send it to us at: info@kingstoncitizens.org

Thanks.

– Rebecca Martin

What kind of industry or small business venture would you like to see in the city of Kingston? What incentives could the city of Kingston offer to attract it, and what obstacles are currently in the way?


Diane Reeder
Executive Director, Queens Galley

“In 1987 the entire state was in a recession and Martin Marietta, the community’s major employer, had laid off several thousand employees. There were nearly a million square feet of vacant retail space and downtown vacancies were approaching thirty percent. Kicked off the project in 1989 with the idea that “economic gardening” was a better approach for Littleton (and perhaps for Kingston too!) than “economic hunting”.  Simply grow our own jobs through entrepreneurial activity instead of recruiting them. They have developed a model that WORKS…and at least 14 other communities have used that model successfully. We can too.”

Adam Snyder
Writer/Musician/KMOCA Founder

“A supermarket located right off 9W would draw drive-up as well as neighborhood business. Something less obvious but important would be a place to mail things combined with photocopying and such (The US Post Office is cutting back at the moment which is why I think it would have to be a Mailboxes Inc type thing).  Restaurants alone will never be enough, not even for a seasonal/weekend economy.  If we want small businesses to operate in the Rondout, we need to give them the basic resources to do so. This includes businesses in commercial spaces as well as cottage industries out of nearby homes. Cottage industries may not seem like much, but in an era when it’s hard to attract medium-to-large businesses, a patchwork of smaller businesses may be what sustains us. Rondout isn’t the only neighborhood in Kingston, but what’s good for Rondout is good for Kingston. And more resources downtown means less traffic jams along Broadway.”

Melissa Everett, Ph. D.
Excecutive Director, Sustainable Hudson Valley

“Kingston could distinguish itself by developing a green building materials and products cluster, with appropriate manufacturing and assembly as well as distribution, sales and marketing, installation and support. Green building is a vast, fast-moving industry. From structural materials to windows to paints to roofing to lighting to landscaping materials, the industry is developing new technologies with reduced carbon footprints, less toxic emissions, greater materials and water efficiency and use of recycled materials, and lower impacts on the surrounding site. LEED, the primary industry standard, also gives points for sourcing supplies within a 500 mile radius of a job site. As New York and the Hudson Valley strengthen their commitment to green building codes within the state’s energy and climate action plans, opportunities to supply the construction and renovation industries will grow. Kingston has a solid cluster of relevant businesses already, including lighting, appliance, electronics and masonry supply outlets, solar installers, and a flagship publication, New York House. It has a local commitment to the “green corridor” along Broadway, where bike racks will soon be installed on every block. It also has complementary clusters in arts and the digital/ creative economy. Green alternatives in building move into the marketplace when consumers find them not only practical but beautiful. The potential for marrying green building with artistic and creative applications from furniture and interior design to landscape architecture, could give Kingston an enormous advantage in developing a green building cluster.”

K.J. McIntyre
Realtor and Co-Founder, Kingston Digital Corridor

“Years ago, George Allen suggested an architectural collete, maybe part of SUNY, based in Kingston. We really do have a great inventory of American architecture, a little weak on the contemporary but that’s within easy reach”.

Paul Joffe
Entrepreneur, Selling and Renovating, slowly.
– Read Paul’s article “Tourism In Kingston” from 2008.

“Kingston needs to make residency a 6 month process to avoid new residents who can not support themselves without local taxpayer assistance for six months. Kingston needs to hire a lobbyist in albany to advocate and promote itself. Crime is a quality of life deal-breaker, a dis-incentive to investment and settlement, and will lead to a spiral that can not be turned around. The city police are a valuable resource led by a competent, responsible chief and one of the best investments that can be made in the short term with the limited funds available. contracts with other city employees must be re-negotiated however possible. those who contribute their time and enthusiasm towards the improvement of the city should be recognized and given jobs. where salary is not available, real power to make change is often a sufficient substitute. those who agree on 90% should not spend any of their time arguing about the other ten. in a crisis only clear basic changes can be made, energy should go to consensus. by law, the subject and time of all meetings must be made public and easily available well in advance (1 week or more). those who schedule unannounced public meetings should be fined substantially. the subject of public meetings must be determined a week in advance and not be changed within a week of the meeting. notices must be unavoidable so that even the busiest citizen is informed. that means all forms of media must be notified and all public meetings should be scheduled such that working people are able to attend. the object is to have the greatest number of attendees under strict parliamentary rules limiting speaking time and relevancy to the subject of the meeting.”

Andrea Perrino
Student

“We need to extend Technology jobs and consulting jobs into the Hudson Valley/Kingston area and get away from Retail/Medical industry. SUNY NP has a program and contest in the Business program on Business Plans (I’m currently working on one). They have great ideas”.

Gerald Berke
Founder, KingstonCorridor.com

“We recently lost to the town of ulster a food packaging company. That, and others like solar manufacturing.  I don’t know what the city did in the way of offering either business incentives to be in Kingston or why we might have lost.  Some years ago, a random thing, a business man was telling me about his considerations for Midtown.  He said, to my surprise, it was hard for people to find the place, hard to give directions. We need better signage in the city inside and out! The idea about a KIngston Corridor struck me about then, and I’ve been poking at it for some years, rather ineffectively.  I brought the idea and some drawings to the city a long time ago, but there were no ears.  That seems to be changing now.  We have kingstoncitizens.org which is making a huge difference as there is someone observing and encouraging.

Some public celebration of new business: I know of none. This city does nothing, no welcome, no publicity, no thanks.  I would think having the mayor or a city committee,  meeting and greeting new business and getting that in the paper would help a lot to show we are friendly. What we see, surely, is that we are not.  For instance, there is no guidance on the web site for new business out reach.  One lady who recently bought a house from the city and has repaired and improved it gloriously had reached out to me to help her get through delays that threatened her ability to close the deal.

Andi Turco-Levin
Realtor and City of Kingston Ward 1 Alderman

“A historic preservation program associated with the college, perhaps to offer some sort of degree at the end. Somewhere in the mix, the City of Kingston could work with targeted neighborhoods to restore the blocks of vintage Queen Anne architecture (like Downs or Elmendorf Sts for example) There is grant money for historic preservation in some places. Perhaps the program would draw young people looking to learn about historic preservation (which is a growing industry) to live in Kingston while studying. We need to recognize how important this is to the future of the historic neighborhoods of Kingston. This city has a gold mine of potential preservation projects.”

Barbara Sarah and Jennifer Schwartz-Berky
Mother/Daughter
Barbara is founder of the Oncology Support Program at Benedictine Hospital and the director of Third Opinion. Jennifer is Deputy Director, Ulster County Planning Board and Visiting Lecturer in Environmental and Urban Studies at Bard College.


“Kingston should create “cultural districts,” which is something that over 100 cities across the US have done in the last decade.  Many of these communities have successfully positioned the arts at the center of their revitalization strategies.  A number of well-documented studies demonstrate a very high return on local governments’ investments in such a strategy.  This “place-based” policy typically involves tax credits and other incentives for artists and arts-related businesses to support their work and the improvement of spaces within specific mixed-use areas of the city that are targeted for revitalization.  According to a study by the Americans for the Arts, “Cultural districts boost urban revitalization in many ways: beautify and animate cities, provide employment, attract residents and tourists to the city, complement adjacent businesses, enhance property values, expand the tax base, attract well-educated employees, and contribute to creative, innovative environment.” The New York State Department of Labor reports that Ulster County has nearly twice the number of artists (1.9 times the average) of any place in the country, which is high even compared to our neighboring counties (which average 1.3 times the average). Kingston is the perfect candidate for a successful cultural districts strategy.”

Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Freelance Writer and Editor and Garden Committee Co-chair, Kingston Land Trust

“Bicycle (repairs and rentals) and Fishing Tackle shop in the Rondout. During the warmer months, bikes and fishing is the merchandising focus while snowshoes and snowboards are sold and rented during the winter. A recent Sea Grant Study revealed that the number one natured-based activity for tourists and residents of Kingston, Beacon and Cold Spring was bicycling. The number one water recreation activity was fishing. And the number one cultural activity was visiting the waterfront to dine and shop.

Urban Organic and Hyrdoponic Farming Industry. Take the old Kings’ Inn and convert it to a hyrdoponic farm, which sells vegetables year-round to the community. Can employ between 10 and 15 people, perhaps in a co-op profit sharing model. The roof can be modified with solar panels to help offset the energy costs.

Redevelopment Initiative of Existing Commercial and Industrial Space. Here, new businesses would be encouraged to participate in this program with tax abatements and other incentives. They would relocate into existing buildings in Kingston that are refurbished by Kingston-based contractors who hire local helpers who may have been under or unemployed. This helps local contractors as well as local people while making use of preexisting buildings (green) instead of building new, which is not green or sustainable. Tax breaks would be big enough to discourage new construction.

Incentives: City-awarded tax abatements and tax breaks — especially for small businesses or start ups.

Obstacles: A lack of creative thinking.”

The Chronogram Nominated For an Utne Independent Press Award

Dear Readers,

If you’re like me, then you can hardly wait for the 1st of the month to pick-up your new edition of the Chronogram. They are truly one of the best publications in the Hudson Valley – and have set up shop in the city of Kingston. Not only are they are a great publication, but they are the first to step forward to support any initiative that is arts related or in helping any number of organizations who are making a big difference in the lives of many all throughout the Hudson Valley.

Join me now in congratulating them on being nominated for an Utne Independent Press Award.

A big shout out to Jason, Amara, Brian and the entire staff for their dedication in reporting on real issues and by helping to put Kingston on the map.  I’m one of your many fans.

Let’s celebrate!

– Rebecca Martin

Contact: Brian K. Mahoney, (845) 334-8600×103, bmahoney@chronogram.com

Chronogram magazine nominated for Utne Independent Press Award
Kingston, New York
3/24/10

Chronogram magazine has been recognized by Utne Reader for editorial
excellence for 2009 in the Health and Wellness category. In the past year,
Chronogram has covered health and wellness topics as diverse as: the
efficacy of the swine flu vaccine, women’s reproductive health, a two-part
investigation into Lyme Disease diagnoses and treatments, mentoring for
young women and young men, lifelong learning, debunking myths about calcium
supplements, and thriving and surviving through serious illness.

Chronogram is in good company with the other nominees. The 21st Annual
Independent Press Awards nominees include The New Republic, Orion,
Mother Jones, Columbia Journalism Review, The Believer, Audubon, The
Chronicle of Higher Education, and 30 other titles. The finalists were
chosen from a pool of 1,300 independent publications. The winners will be
announced on April 25 at the Magazine Publishers of America-Independent
Magazine Advisory Group (IMAG) conference in Washington, D.C.

The Utne Independent Press Awards recognize the excellence and vitality of
alternative and independent publishing. Nominees in 10 categories represent
the best in independent political, social/cultural, arts, science/tech,
health/wellness, environmental, international and spiritual coverage, as
well as best writing, and general excellence.

Utne Reader’s editors select nominee publications through an extensive
reading process and careful, yearlong examination, rather than via a
competition with entry forms and fees. In this way, the magazine honors the
efforts of small, sometimes unnoticed publications that provide innovative,
thought-provoking perspectives often ignored or overlooked by mass media.

Chronogram Editorial Director Brian K. Mahoney believes that the
nomination just goes to show that the magazine has been on the right track
for the past 16 years. “We’re thrilled to be honored in this way,” he says.
“This nomination reinforces our conviction that quality editorial—putting
real information into the hands of readers—is an end in itself. And while
our mission is to nuture and support the creative and cultural life of the
Hudson Valley, there’s no question that the material we’re producing
transcends the region. Readers, no matter where they live, are hungry for
honest, insightful editorial. It has always been our goal to provide that.
And kudos to our Lorrie Klosterman, our health and wellness editor.
Lorrie’s engaging and insightful writing and editing has elevated our coverage to
national prominence.”

Luminary Publishing, founded in 1993, is a multimedia company headquartered
at 314 Wall Street in Kingston. Its flagship publication, _Chronogram_, is
distributed free every month at 750 locations across the Hudson Valley.
Luminary Publishing’s mission is to nourish and support the creative and
cultural life of the Hudson Valley.

The Meagher Elementary School Garden Need Volunteers

The Meagher Elementary School is seeking a few volunteers to help turn soil in two garden beds next week while school is on recess. Anyone interested in helping should contact Jen Farmer at jenfarmer23@gmail.com. Volunteers need to bring shovels and gloves.

Farmer said the Kiwanis Club has offerd to build the raised bed boxes. “We can still use more help maintaining the garden over the summer as well as harvesting food for donation,” Farmer said in a recent update note to officials adding that Nell Donovan, Meagher librarian, has “volunteered to house and catalog garden related books for students and resources for teachers in the school library.”

Farmer said the garden site is “on a flat, grassy patch behind the school.  There is plenty of room for a few beds and room to expand in the future. We have also discussed putting in a pumpkin patch on the hill, next to the flower garden.”

Julie Noble, environmental educator for the City of Kingston and co-chair of the Community and School Garden Committee, will be coming to Meagher in early April to meet with staff interested in working on the garden.

Citizens Submit! On Growing a Local Economy in Kingston

KingstonCitizens.org is creating a piece by compiling the ideas of Kingston citizens on what the city of Kingston could do to help improve and grow its local economy. In a paragraph, please share with us and be sure to include your name, occupation and current local endeavors/affiliation.

Send it off to me, Rebecca Martin at: info@kingstoncitizens.org

“What kind of industry or small business venture would you like to see in the city of Kingston?  What incentives could the city of Kingston offer to attract it, and what obstacles are currently in the way?”

UCRRA Collects Pharmaceutical Waste in April

The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency is hosting its annual April collection on the 17th. This year they will be collecting Pharmaceutical waste in an effort to keep residents from flushing them where pharmaceuticals end up in streams, wells, and other waterways.

Here is an article from the New York Times titled “Drugs In The Water. Does It Matter?” to give our readers a bit of insight on the problem.

For more on this upcoming event and to print a PDF flyer visit this LINK.