kingston

Ev Mann on Carnegie Library Project

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Robert ‘Evry’ Mann, founder of the Center for Creative Education, took some time with the KingstonCitizens.org blog to update the community on the next steps in the Carnegie Library Project as well as why this work is important for youth of our community. He also said the Bank Street College of Education approved a proposal to work with CCE to develop an academic program at the Carnegie Library.

Editor’s Note: I was going to format like a traditional Q&A, but thought his responses work well as a straight narrative.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

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Today’s Image: A Kingston Cave

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wilbur-cave

Kate Lawson’s photo this week reveals another Kingston treasure:

While walking around Wilbur in search of a potential site for a small piece of the Kingston Victory Garden Project, I got to thinking about the cave that is just around the first curve of Rodney St.  It’s been about 100 years since I last saw it.  A make-shift fence now blocks the mouth of the cave so I couldn’t go in and wander around. 

Instead, I stuck my camera through the mesh fencing and took a couple of shots.  It reminds me of what a unique place Kingston is.  We have beauty from majestic waterways, rolling hills and mountains, and even a subterranean land few of us know anything about.

— Kate Lawson

An Ancient Order

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The Freeman’s story today about Mayor Jim Sottile’s “credit” on the costs of police overtime for organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will certainly stir some critics as the $1,000 break comes after the Rondout Business Association pulled its parade due to costs.

In the Freeman story, alderman Robert Senor said the move by the mayor was a “slap in the face” to the Rondout businesses.

Debacle aside, what was interesting to learn was that Sottile, Senor and council president James Noble are all members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which are the organizers of the St. Patrick’s parade.

This is a reminder that Kingston is a tightly knit community, with deep immigrant roots. Organizations such as the AoH not only organize parades, but work as a community group on a variety of projects.

The Ulster County chapter’s website has a detailed history page on the organization that says the national AoH is the oldest Catholic lay organization in the country. Read about it here.

The national AoH website has even more information, including an archive and can be seen here.

High-Speed, Wait, Slow Down

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Did you hear that Amtrak was looking for several billion dollars of the stimulus package to use for its rail upgrades, specifically high-speed rail development?

The idea is to pour money into several projects across the country, which would make high-speed travel possible in routes such as the New York City to Albany corridor. The Federal Railroad Administration website has details of the Empire Corridor, which would allow people to travel between Albany and New York City in two hours.

This would have a profound impact on commuters, home prices and refined gas sales for autos. The prospects are intriguing for someone like me who used to spend five hours a day commuting from Kingston to NYC. If there was a high-speed train that stopped in Poughkeepsie, presumably the halfway point to Albany, the trip would take an hour. Sign me up!

This sort of commute would put us on par with many of the high-speed rail lines in Europe. Then again, the U.S. Feds have been talking about developing high-speed rails since 1965 when the first bits of passenger rail legislation were introduced.

Currently, the outlook without the stimulus money is grim. Amtrak has a plan in place for high-speed travel. But according to the FRA, Amtrak’s commitment to the corridor upgrade plan that’s been sitting idle “is contingent on adequate federal funding of Amtrak’s capital program – which is not being provided – and accordingly all activities to implement the plan are presently deferred.”

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

The Mayor’s State of the City

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We’ll try this again…

Here’s Jim Sottile’s state of the city address:
State of the City
of Kingston 2009

Before I review the state of the city of Kingston this year, I first want to reflect on the gratitude I feel for the people of this community. No matter what challenges we have faced or what the future brings, we have always drawn strength from each other. In this small, tight-knit community, that means everything. Our rich history is woven together by its people. From Sojourner Truth to George Clinton to the modern day heroes of Kingston, who care for the children, drive the busses and pick up the garbage, we can be grateful.

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A Cooper on Brewster

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hawk

Early Saturday morning I noticed a large hawk that swooped down from my neighbor’s house on Brewster Street and grabbed a small bird that was preoccupied at a bird feeder.

In a burst of small feathers, the attack was quickly over and the larger hawk then perched itself on a tree branch to enjoy the meal. I snapped a few photos, including the one above, and looked up the bird. Based on the lateral, thick bands on its tail, I take this bird of prey to be a Cooper’s Hawk.

If you can help me confirm this, that would be appreciated. And if you have any similar bird or wildlife stories, I’d love to hear it.  That’s one of the things that makes Kingston a great place to live: we’re in a city, but also blessed with some wonderful wildlife.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Brooklyn in the Catskills?

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Mark Greene, Kingston’s own Emmy winner and founder of Pecos Design, just submitted a proposal to the mayor that essentially rebrands the city as a tech hub, a sort of “Brooklyn of the Catskills” where hip, smart and small-biz savvy folks can relocate and thrive in an urban setting — yet be strikingly close to assets such as the Catskills, the Gunks and the Hudson.

“The city has a brand, but it is dormant,” Green said. “It needs to be brought back to life, and this is one way to do it.”

To see his entire proposal, read on…

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In Need of a Plan

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At the City of Kingston Planning Board meeting tonight, which included public input over design guidelines for the proposed CVS on Washingston Avenue, several residents urged the board to carefully consider the historic attributes of the city in designing the building.

There were also concerns about the need for another drug store in the city. Isn’t four enough?

Tom Hoffay, alderman, said he was concerned that the site plan included a curb cut that would allow cars heading south on Washington Avenue to make a left-hand turn — across three lanes of oncoming traffic — into the proposed CVS lot. That’s not safe, Tom said.

All of these concerns are valid, and the developers of the site should listen carefully. After all, the residents of the city are the ones who have to live with this for years to come after it is built.

From my perspective, the proposed CVS is just another clear example of why Kingston needs a comprehensive plan.

Like others who attended the meeting, I’m not against development. I’m for smart development, projects that are environmentally sound (think low-carbon footprint or better yet, zero-net energy), support local businesses, bolster the tax base and differentiate the area from other towns and cities.

A comprehensive plan can guide smart development and would act as a blueprint for Kingston’s future. A CP could have clear design guidelines that help maintain the historic aspects of the city. The CP could include development guidelines that encourage mixed use buildings. The CP could set guidelines for our historic districts, waterfront (expanding the recently completed waterfront plan) and gateway areas.

For their part, several city officials — especially city planner Suzanne Cahill — understand the need for a comprehensive plan. Perhaps with strong public support, steps can be made to create one.

As far as funding is concerned, I think there are grants out there that Kingston can tap. That can help us get started.

If you are interested in pursuing this idea, let me know. Let’s do it. Let’s do something. A CP that has not been updated in nearly 50 years is an embarrassment.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Being Local, Part 2: Insourcing

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At the City of Kingston Common Council meeting last night, the aldermen signed off on city vouchers — “general bills.” This included many services and administrative costs such as phone, electric and plumbing bills.

I was a little stunned to see a bill paid to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for $5,210.72. According to the city clerk’s office, the bill was for gifts that were purchased for homeless kids and victims of domestic violence — a noble cause indeed. But why did they have to buy the gifts at Wal-Mart, which is in the Town of Ulster and a company that sends its profits back to Bentonville, Ark.?

In the spirit of “being local” and “buying local” the city should be a good neighbor and patronize local shops and businesses.

For toys, there’s a great toy store on lower Broadway in the Rondout, next to the Kingston Foods & Garden site. There’s also Bop to Tottom in the uptown and the Parent Teacher Store as well. These are local businesses that need our support. Wal-Mart does not.

In all fairness, there are other local businesses that sell goods and services to the city. The general bills from last night included money spent with Binnewater Ice, Herzog’s, Timely Signs, and Speigel Bros. Paper Co.

But the city can do a better job of supporting more local businesses, and it should look more carefully at what it can source from within the city.

Soup’s On!

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stone-soupMidtown East has new eats: The Stone Soup Food Company.

Opened for the past two weeks, the eatery is located at 470 Broadway across from the midtown neighborhood center.

The menu features freshly made soups (of course), chili, bisque, salads, sandwiches, wraps and comfort foods such as mac and cheese, crab cakes and a real meaty lasagna.

Call for daily specials: 845.340.0470

It’s nice to see a business open in this part of town, which serves the workers of city hall, the high school, telephone building and other businesses.

Please show your support and stop buy for a sandwich.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

China Biz Trip Timing is Off, Look Regionally Instead

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Did you catch the news today that economic developers in the county are looking to send manufacturers from the area on a trade mission to China?

An “Ulster County Business and Trade Mission to China” is being formed to send business representatives to China in May to tap that country as a direct export partner. The intentions of such a mission are good, but the timing is way off.

As reported last week, the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index set a 28-year low. The index tracks new orders, production, inventories, prices and exports, among other things.

Simply put, this is the wrong time to look for opportunities in China. The bulk of goods found here are sourced from China, which faces — for the first time ever — overcapacity. This means they have too many factories and goods to meet current demands in China as well as globally.

As U.S.  retailers just experienced the worst holiday shopping season in four decades, stores remain full of unsold inventories. Consumer spending is expected to slowly bounce back, perhaps later this year, according to a recent interview I held with Alan Sellitti of consulting and accounting firm BDO Seidman. “It will be slow, and the promotional activity at retail will continue for some time,” he said.

Perhaps a better use of time, energy and resources by economic developers would be finding regional markets that can benefit from Ulster County’s goods. Targeting smaller markets such as New York City, Boston and Chicago would require more creativity, but shipping goods to these places instead of overseas would result in better margins.

Better yet, why not pool resources and open direct-to-consumer outlet  stores of Ulster-only goods? Imagine being a tourist visiting a shop in NYC that sells Ulster County wine, beer, meats, gifts (such as Woodstock Chimes), pottery and art? The store could have books by local authors, and promotional material to attract people to the area.

In fact, why not set up Ulster County kiosks that feature our products from NYC to Albany, along the thruway? This would replace the tired brochures that are at the rest stops now.

In the meantime, it might be better to wait for market conditions to improve before sending a trade mission to China.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Let’s Be Clear

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As a former newspaper reporter who covered a variety of beats such as law enforcement, the courts, government, education and social issues, obtaining accurate information was an essential part of my job.

Being a reporter opened many “doors” on my beat. But as a citizen, these doors tend to be shut – tightly. It doesn’t have to be this way, and a good government demands open doors.

Municipalities should be as transparent as possible to its constituencies. This, though, is only half of what is needed. Elected officials need to garner opinions of their taxpayers before laws are set. This means going beyond posting agendas or encouraging residents to attend meetings.

There should be a clear line of communication with citizens, which is one of the goals of KingstonCitizens.org. For example, before an agenda item is discussed in caucus, feedback from citizens – not special interest groups, developers, friends of lawmakers or other power brokers – should be sought. This “beta” testing with citizens will result in much-saved grief between taxpayers and its government.

So let’s urge our lawmakers to chat with citizens on all issues of importance. Let’s work toward clarity, transparency and mutual trust. Only good things can result.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz