If you get a moment, check out Monkey Joe Coffee Roasting’s website here, for a movie that was made as part of a test pilot for a TV newsmagazine show. The segment was produced by Frank Basile, veteran filmmaker and editor, and includes yours truly as the newscaster.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Welcome to the blog of KingstonCitzens.org! We’ve added some important links on the right-side column of the website, which includes a monthly magazine, the Catskill Mountain Region Guide, under the media tab and the League of Women Voters Mid-Hudson Region website (under a new tab titled “Citizenship”) as well as the Center for Creative Education, under the Education and Personal Enrichment tab.
The League’s website has an archive of its newsletters, which can be found here. As previously mentioned here on Kingston Citizens, the League is a terrific resource of municipal news.
The Catskill Mountain Region Guide is a magazine that is readily available in print form, but the website has an arts and events calendar that is rich and easy to use.
If you know of any websites that would be good to link to, please let us know.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Steve Hopkins’ just-published article on Kirsten Gillibrand — our newly elevated senator — in the current issue of The Hudson Valley Chronic reveals an interesting political pedigree of the young senator.
Hopkins writes that Gillibrand was groomed as “the scion of a key contingent in the powerful O’Connell dynasty that ran Albany for half a century.”
Gillibrand serves on several senate committees: Special Committee on Aging; Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Committee on Environment and Public Works; and the Committee on Foreign Relations. With the recent stimulus package, it should prove interesting how Gillibrand positions herself on the environment and public works committee.
To see Gillibrand’s senate page, click here.
The Journal Register Co., parent of the Kingston Daily Freeman, said it filed for bankruptcy protection, according to the Associted Press in a story here.
The newspaper chain said in a statement that it was looking to pare down a massive debt load of over $400 million. The voluntary chapter 11 gives the company some breathing room from its creditors while it reorganizes under a “reorganization plan.”
“The Company expects to continue to generate sufficient cash flow to fund its operations and, as a condition to implementation of the Plan, will obtain a $25 million revolving credit facility upon its exit from bankruptcy to further enhance its liquidity position,” the Journal Register said in its statement. “The Company’s existing equity holders would receive no distributions under the proposed plan.”
To see a list of the top 50 unsecured creditors, click here and view “docket 1.”
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
If you’ve not been down to the Hudson recently, make the trip. The ice that has covered most of the river north of the Rhinecliff bridge on our side is breaking up in large chunks. It’s magnificant.
The photo above was taken yesterday afternoon, and includes two brave — and cold — souls walking along the ice at Ulster Landing Park. This is a great reminder to me how valuable the Hudson River is as a natural resource.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
The Daily Freeman reports today that the Kingston City Schools was presented with two renovation plans for the high school by KSQ Architects and Triton Construction.
“Plan A” would cost $151 million, and result in a major overhaul that creates a closed campus.
“Plan B” has a price tag of $101 million and would basicially reconfigure the site to include installation of a track and field.
Either option is pricey, and I suspect given current economic conditions that residents would prefer a “Plan C.”
Triton Construction is a hugh construction firm based in Garden City, Long Island, and specializes in muncipal buildings such as schools, hospitals, libraries and the like. They are big, and think big.
Perhaps there’s another firm out there — a local one — that can offer some lighter fare. A smaller, less costly renovation that uses the existing space in a better way. I bet there are companies out there that can do it. And perhaps even make the site more green.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
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.
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
Yep. Kingston Foods & Gardens is now offering fresh, organic fruit, veggies and dairy at its storefront at 33 Broadway. Organic apples are less than $2 a pound and avocados are $1.09.
The store also sells 7th Generation paper products, eggs, raisins, grains and more. Today, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the Art Walk.
As homeowners struggle with mortgage payments and rising taxes, Vetere Real Estate said it will help residents look at the market value of their property and will walk taxpayers through the necessary steps to help reduce current real estate assessments.
“We cover all angles as to re-grouping, lot line erasures, correct square footage, averaging square foot values, acquiring up-to-date comps and taking you through the proper steps to getting fair assessment values,” the agency said in a statement. “Let us provide you with information dealing with Town and City Assessors. Fees vary through representations that are required. We want you to save on your next tax bill.”
Vetere said it covers all of Ulster County and that the deadline in Kingston is March 1 for the 2010 tax year. For more information call 845 338-0571 or e-mail: kvetere@vetererealestate.com. Ask for Karen Vetere or Regina Melnick.
If there are other businesses out there who can help residents have a more fair assessment, please let us at the KingstonCitizens.org blog know.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said today that it was rolling out a new campaign, “Power Management,” to help consumers save energy as well as money.
The program encourages consumers to use power management technology such as programmable thermostats, “advanced” power strips and other devices to better manage home electronics and appliances that can use energy even when off.
“Using power management products is one of the easiest steps to saving energy at home,” said New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO Francis J. Murray Jr. in a statement this morning. “These devices, coupled with simple energy-saving actions, will help New Yorkers further reduce their power consumption while increasing their energy savings.”
For more details, see NYSERDA’s website here.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
As the Daily Freeman reports today, the mayor is calling on residents to volunteer. James Sottile also cited accomplishments in the city under his watch, and suggested “promoting the city as a place for Web-based entrepreneurs” the Freeman wrote adding that he sees Kingston as an “upstate digital tech-friendly city.”
He must have got Mark Greene’s proposal. As reported here by Kingston Citizens on Jan. 22, Greene suggested in a report to Sottile and majority leader Bill Reynolds that the city market itself as a “Digital Tech-Friendly City.”
To read Greene’s full report, click here.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
City workers got to work on Wall Street early today, removing snow and ice that was piled high from two snowstorms.
Earlier this week several business owners complained out loud that the snow was eating up much of the parking, and making it difficult to park on Wall and North Front streets.
Pictured above is snow that was bulldozed in front of the courthouse before it was loaded onto dump trucks.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Kingston Food & Gardens, an organic and natural foods buying club said today this it will open its doors this Saturday, Feb. 7, night during the First Saturday Art Walk. The storefront, located at 33 Broadway on the Rondout, will be open between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“Come learn about the benefits of the buying club and why organic products are better and healthy for you and your family,” the buying club said in a statement. “Yearly membership is $36, which allows members to experience up to 30 percent off the price of goods found at retail venues.”
“It’s so important that people eat clean, organic food,” said Kingston Food & Gardens President Jennifer McKinley. “Whole grains such as brown rice, millet and quinoa are essential for healthy bodies. We also offer members hundreds of other products such as raw cheeses, yogurt, agave, lentils, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. At the moment, our products are sourced from one of the largest national distributors of organic products. We are also working with a local distributor who specializes in fresh, biodynamic and organic local produce and dairy. And we are in the process of working with local growers, farmers and other producers to bring in their products as well.”
For more information, email us at: kingstonfoodandgardens@gmail.com