No Country For Sane Men

Hanukkah begins at sundown this evening.

According to a Gallup poll, 61% of Americans either do not believe in evolution or are unsure.

It's been rumored for quite some time that the natural political progression in the south-eastern portion of our county would be that while part-time Assemblyman Greg Ball was off running full-time for Congress, County Legislator Dan Birmingham would be running for the Assembly seat in the 99th district. But things have changed and Mr. Birmingham has decided against a run for the State Assembly.

There were three main reasons Dan gave for not moving up in the political world. For one, he thinks he'd have a hard time asking voters to accept that after he gets sworn in for his three-year Legislative term, a month later he announces he's running for the Assembly. Second, he was concerned that if he did dedicate the time to running for state office, time away from his Legislative responsibilities, that he'd become one of those of the 'governing class', those that  have separated themselves from the day-to-day lives of their constituents. And third, he likes working here in Putnam County.

With all that said, I don't think his constituents would mind all that much if we tapped him to run for County Executive. How about it, Dan?

If you're looking for a musical gift to give this holiday season look no further than some Lake Carmel based musicians. BATIK, a group made up of Barry Hartglass, Tim Ouimette and others, are offering their premier issue CD, VUDU, for only $5 ($4 mp3 download) through the month of December. Get it here.

Indian Point scored a 78.5% rating on its latest siren test and the world is doing everything it can not to go war against Iran.

Iran's stated desire is to produce high-grade uranium for, as they say, domestic nuclear power. But we all know that's the first step in producing The Bomb and, well, letting Iran have access to one of those babies is not a very good idea unless you'd like to see a couple hundred thousand dead Israeli's, an act that would most certainly lead to World War III.

But nuclear power plants such as those being proposed in Iran and existing ones like Indian Point could be using a different fuel, Thorium, a fuel that does not lead to plutonium which does not lead to building The Bomb which does not lead to the End Of The World. India is basing its future nuclear power industry on thorium and the Russians are working on it as well.

Dr. George Baum of Kent, a chemist by profession, has written a short informational paper on its use that should be of interest. You can find it at the News That Matters blogsite.

It's tough to be a photographer in London these days.  As I've reported over the past few months, police in London have this 'thing' about people taking pictures. It's not illegal, not by any means. But heck, if there aren't any real crimes they've got to make it look like they're doing something. In the latest foray into totalitarianism, police surrounded, searched and questioned Grant Smith, quite a well-known personality with a camera and famous for his photographic works, while he was working.

Last week the Association of Police Chief's warned officers to stop being dorks about all this. This week they said, "Photographers should be left alone to get on with what they are doing. If an officer is suspicious of them for some reason they can just go up to them and have a chat with them - use old-fashioned policing skills to be frank - rather than using these powers, [Section 44 of the Terrorism Act] which we don't want to over-use at all."

Alan Scheinkman, a 9th Judicial District Administrative Judge is complaining that the bad economy is hurting attorneys. He claims that unemployment and tightened budgets are preventing people from hiring lawyers and that law firms aren't hiring new lawyers anymore.

I'm trying to feel a sense of pity and sorrow ~ but it's just not coming.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day.

From Wikipedia (in part): The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, Operation Z, as it was called by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters)was an unannounced military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 (Hawaiian time, December 8 by Japan Standard Time), later resulting in the United States becoming militarily involved in World War II. It was intended as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war the Empire of Japan was planning to wage in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The attack consisted of two aerial attack waves totaling 353 aircraft, launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers.

The attack was in response to an escalating trade war between the United States and the Empire of Japan for access to oil and rubber in the Pacific Basin, resources controlled at the time by the United States.

Read more here.

The story was in response to Senator Leibell's public gay-bashing in the State Senate last Wednesday and took this form rather than the first draft which was, in the end, unprintable. I had a lot to say! Much of it used rather simple epitaphs and a few terms with hyphens and a phrase or two you generally wouldn't read in a newspaper.

In the end, though I liked what I had written, I decided that one of my famous faux news articles would be just the ticket and I included just enough clues to tip off long-term readers.

But you newbies! Gotcha!

And I'm also willing to bet reporters from the Journal News who regularly steal my stories without sourcing them had their hands on the phone... for just a moment or two.

But your readiness and willingness to believe the story at face value only underscores the lengths to which government has taken over every aspect of our lives and underscores the myth that we live in a free and enlightened society.

In any case, the Senator should be ashamed of himself. His NO vote, and those of his Republican allies, (along with 8 Senate Democrats) was a cowardly, despicable act more fitting for a dark ages theocracy than a 21st Century democracy.

It's even more unfortunate that his heir apparent actually did write the words attributed to him in the faux-article on Friday, and so the outlook for the government of this state moving forward over the next six years is rather bleak. They can't get their shit together on property tax relief, they can't balance the budget, they can't even agree on who is in charge. Why do we keep electing them? It really is time to clean house, especially locally.

Using a political office to intentionally harm and deny basic human rights to a segment of society should be a criminal act and I can only urge each and every one of you to write the Senator saying so.

Senator Leibell can bring home all the bacon he wants. He can run this county as his own personal kingdom. He can interfere in local elections, steal political parties and press his weight into virtually every aspect of our lives, he can even use his tens of thousands in campaign dollars to crush his opposition but he cannot take away our self-respect as he tried to do last Wednesday.

The Senator may have won the vote but at the same time, lost any moral leverage he's ever had. As Sandy Galef learned two years ago when she first voted against civil and equal rights; civil rights is not ~ and should not be ~ a popularity contest. Would Georgia have voted to free its slaves? Would the state legislatures of Mississippi or Alabama voted for equality for Blacks? Would the US have voted to give women the vote? The answer to all three of those postulations is a resounding NO and yet, we freed the slaves, won legal equality for blacks and women not only have the right to vote but serve in high office. Why should it be any different for anyone else? The Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law and that's all we're asking for.

If you do live out here in Kent Cliffs, the

BREAKING NEWS - December 4, 2009:

Senator Vincent Leibell has introduced the "Support For Marriage Act" [S.6969] which will, in most cases, outlaw divorce in New York State and prohibit the state from recognizing marriages performed in other states.

Senator Leibell said, "In our desire to protect the sanctity of marriage we've taken two important steps. One, we have successfully prohibited gay men and women from gaining legal equality and second, if you have taken the oath, 'till death do us part' then we want to make sure you keep it."

The bill would allow divorce only under very specific circumstances. Victims of domestic abuse, if confirmed by hospital and police records, would be able to file for divorce only if the victim can prove the abuse is life threatening and the relationship has not produced any children.

But in all cases, married couples with children will be prohibited from divorce in New York State until after the youngest child has turned 25. Divorces granted outside New York will not be considered valid under the new law so long as either one of the couple remains a New York resident.

"We want to send the right message to our children," said Dutchess county State Senator Steven Saland, a co-sponsor of the legislation, "We want them to understand that a promise is a promise and that nothing is more important to the health of our communities than the sanctity of marriage."

State Assemblyman Greg Ball has introduced companion legislation in that body [A.609] saying, "I  will not pander to an extreme Liberal agenda by supporting "Extra" rights for gays in order to be politically correct, while avoiding larger criminal issues for the protection of all of our citizens.  Furthermore, I do not believe that the homosexual lifestyle should be promoted as an acceptable  alternative of living in our schools and classrooms."*

During a press conference outside the Senate chambers, Senator Leibell added, "While the divorce rate in New York is lower than the national average we believe we can do better. Through this bill we can support healthy families by encouraging men and women to come to an understanding that only God can nullify their promise to him and that the state will not be engaged in second guessing the Lord."

Dan Specter, a spokesperson from the National Organization for Marriage said, "We fully support New York's efforts to not only maintain marriage but to strengthen the bonds between men and women and their relationship with God. We applaud the Senator's efforts on behalf of heterosexual married couples everywhere."

However, Stephen Marker from the National Lawyers Guild questioned the Senate bill. "We don't understand how taking food out of the mouths of the children of professionals such as our members makes marriage any stronger. This bill would result in an almost immediate reduction in the earnings of divorce lawyers across New York forcing them, in these difficult economic times, to find other gainful employment. The disruption this will cause to our society will be profound."

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Is there going to be a Costco in Yorktown at the Taconic and Route 202?

As if the USDA needs to prove that they don't represent us but instead represents the meat industry against us, (think: A Heart Attack With Every Bite!) they've gone ahead and said that the animal rights organization PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is now - officially - listed as a domestic terrorist threat to facilities that do animal testing. As if torturing live animals for a living isn't terrorist enough.

Now, while it's true that some of PETA's methods make even me cringe, when the government goes around calling groups that oppose this intentional and methodical torture of living creatures "terrorists", it's only a matter of time before some uppity PTA somewhere makes the list. You do have to wonder; just how far will steak houses go to maintain their right to give Americans heart attacks and turn their kids into slobbering schnozberries? If this is any indication, pretty damned far.

Time to add another meatless night during the week in your house. Besides, burger fed animal testing lab staff aren't really all that tasty but they sure do make funny noises when you spray chemicals in their eyes!

Spring seed catalogs will be arriving in mailboxes starting in the next few weeks and while you're all agog over those new dark blue geraniums and heirloom blight resistant tomatoes, some new products have hit the market.

One of the most popular activities for children in southern gardens for the past few years has proven to be the growing of donuts. Yes, while you can still go to the Krispy Kreme to get your fill, you can grow your own right in your backyard. New varieties have been developed by Monsanto and Burpee's has them. Check 'em out! They're sure to be a smashing success.

Saturday:

Hike at James Baird State Park

10 AM - LaGrange Easy Hike, about 3 to 4 miles with some ups and downs. Leader Marie Caruso, at mariehv@verizon.net or (845) 452-9086 before 10 pm on Dec. 4  In the unlikely case of snow, we will ski on the golf course instead. Inclement weather cancels. www.MidHudsonADK.org

Putnam Arts Council 15th Annual Invitational Craft Show and Sale

2009 Putnam Arts Council presents their 15thAnnual Invitational Craft Show and Sale ~ Their last official event at their digs at Tilly Foster Farm. The show will be featuring the work of 40+ regional artisans including jewelry, wearables, pottery, wood & metal works, original art and more ~ come see these beautiful and affordable treasures (for anyone on your list!) created here, in your own backyard. Admission and parking free, Tuesday – Sunday from noon-5pm, December 5-20, 2009 at The Lodge (Bldg 8), Tilly Foster Farm, 100 Rte 312, Brewster, NY ~ Special member preview, December 4, 6-8pm Info/directions: putnamartscouncil.com or 845-278-0230

Brewster Holiday Tree Lighting

5PM - At the Southeast Museum on Main Street. Free hot chocolate, cider and cookies. Come at 4:30 for a Holiday ornament making workshop ($5 materials fee). Sing along Main Street and experience the lighting of the village's new tree near the Brewster Train Station and the lighting of the tree at the Walter Brewster House. 845 279-7500.

Family Holiday Concert

7:30 PM - The Putnam Chorale sings seasonal favorites and special pieces at the First United Mehodist Church on Main Street in Brewster. Free.

Putnam Lake Holiday Parade

7:30 PM - Putnam Lake Fire Department's annual Holiday Parade on Sat., Dec. 5th, 7:30 pm, here in Putnam Lake? It's a hoot!  Lots of area fire companies (last year there were at least 30 huge trucks all decorated!), as well as the Highway Dept. and other civic groups decorate the fire and highway trucks with thousands of lights and holiday decorations, and folks make all kinds of floats (again complete with lots of lights) and Santa and Mrs. Claus (Ed O'Connor and his wife, Maryann -- who could be a more perfect pair!!) top it off. The parade route starts at the Shamrock Castle in Putnam Lake and goes towards the Fire House in "downtown" Putnam Lake.  At the end of the parade, folks are welcome to come inside the fire house to meet Santa, and have hot cocoa and donuts, courtesy of the fire dept. CongressmanJohn Hall is coming and is going to emcee the event - announcing over the loudspeakers all the floats and who made them, etc. Best viewing route is anywhere along the parade's path, but the closer you are to town, the larger the crowds are. It's gathering quite the reputation as a local "electric light" parade.

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Sunday:

Sonny Rollins in Concert

2PM - A Benefit performance for the Clearwater. Legendary jazz artist and saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins and his band will perform a special benefit concert for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Tickets: www.tarrytownmusichall.com

Into the Future:

Tuesday, December 8

CWCWC Annual Meeting

Free: 6PM Social Hour, 7PM State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer: The dangers of gas drilling in NYS Marcellus Shale, Assemblymember Sandy Galef: Protecting our forests, County Legislator Pete Harckham: Keeping our water fit to drink. Please come, be counted, show strength in numbers to our Representatives, and meet up with other like-minded activists!  Enjoy fresh produce from local farms! Place: Friends Purchase Meeting, 4455 Purchase Street, Purchase Please RSVP by return email or to 914-234-6470.

Thursday, December 10

Mid-Hudson Watershed Omelette

8AM - Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System, Featured Speaker:  Alene Onion, HRECOS Coordinator. Alene Onion, Coordinator of the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System [HRECOS], will describe the new collaborative effort among many agencies, research and educational institutions.  HRECOS reports real-time water quality and meteorological data from seven stations on the tidal Hudson between Hoboken NJ and Schodack Island just south of Albany. Its real-time data stream and historical data are available online. In addition to the data streams and forecasting capabilities, the HRECOS website offers examples of stories that can be told using the data available.   Please note, there is a $4 minimum. Location: Plaza Diner, 27 New Paltz Plaza, New Paltz, NY 12561 (Stop & Shop Plaza)

Saturday, December 12

Messiah Sing-Along

8PM - The Putnam Chorale. Sing along to Handel's Messiah with the chorale and live orchestra at the Gilead Presbyterian Church in Carmel. $10.

News That Matters' Annual Fund Drive is in Progress! Just a Few Days Left!

News That Matters' Annual Fund Drive is in Progress! Just a Few Days Left!

My dog managed - somehow - to loose his collar Monday evening while I was in court in Carmel supporting Lori Kemp along with more than a dozen other supporters, much to the bemusement of Judge Spofford. There was a cop there, I'll just call him Officer M, who needs an attitude adjustment and some soft-skills training. He's got to remember that you catch more flies with honey than with the vehement disrespect he regularly showed the public in all the interactions we noticed.

Anyway, the collar... he had it on when I left at 6:30PM and it was gone by the time I got back around 8:30. It's possible he was outside but he rarely goes far from the door when I'm not around. I have looked - finding a bright blue collar against the brown earth and leaves should be easy. But it's not out there. I've also searched the house and it's not in here either. So, either someone was in the house and took it off him (he's never lost it in all the years he's been here) or aliens came down and took it as a souvenir. It's got his license and rabies tag on it... how does one go about replacing those?

"Tareq Salahi was heavily involved with a D.C. charitable polo event called the Courage Cup, an event that drew luminaries such as Bill Clinton, John McCain, Prince Charles, and Oprah Winfrey. The Salahis worked with New York Representative Greg Ball to organize the event. Ball allegedly used some of the funds from the Courage Cup to fund his own political campaign."

Yesterday, the Times Herald Record had this to say:

"In an e-mail message sent by an aide on Monday, Ball confirmed he knew the Salahis through the Courage Cup and other charitable events, but strenuously denied a 2-year-old accusation that has resurfaced as a result of their White House visit: that Ball diverted $10,000 from the polo fundraiser to his 2006 Assembly campaign."

According to a recent data published in the NY Times, 1% of Putnam County residents receive food stamps. 4% in Westchester, 5% in Fairfield, 6% in Dutchess and 8% in Orange and Ulster. Some counties in the US don't fare so well. Fulton County, Georgia, a place where home prices make Putnam's look down-right cheap has about 14% of its residents receiving government assistance and Grundy County, Tennessee, much poorer, comes in with some 19%. And, nearly 50% of all residents in Owsley county, Kentucky receive a monthly food stipend. In the end, 1 in 8 Americans are on the program which has added 10 million people in the last two years.

67% of the current Federal discretionary budget goes to the military but Conservatives don't seem to be bothered by this. Congress wants you to pay, not only for the trillion dollars the Bush administration borrowed to pay for his wars and the ensuing economic collapse but for the $1,000,000 per year per soldier (that's $30 billion per year) the Obama administration wants you to pay for the morass in Afghanistan. See the article on the Federal Budget below.

BBC photographer, Jeff Overs, was stopped from photographing St. Paul's, one of the most photographed buildings in the world, and was told that because of the high-end equipment he was using that he might be an operative for Al-Quaeda. Intense questioning followed. The police were wrong. There are no laws prohibiting photography of public spaces in England as there are no such laws outlawing the same in the US, including in airports - regardless of what TSA agents may say. You'd think that authorities - of whatever rank or wherever they are - would have gotten that memo by now.

Canadians who have traditionally been kinda cool and laid back have, thanks to pressure from the US, become a more conservative and less free society. The latest effects of this are evident in the amount of government censorship surrounding the upcoming Winter Olympic games in Vancouver. More stories than we like to hear of reporters - and citizens - being banned from the nation on the fear that they will speak against the games came to a head the other day when reporter Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) was stopped near Vancouver and questioned for 90 minutes.

"He made it clear by saying, 'What about the Olympics?'" said Goodman. "And I said, 'You mean when President Obama went to Copenhagen to push for the Olympics in Chicago?'"
"He said, 'No. I am talking about the Olympics here in 2010.' I said, 'Oh I hadn't thought of that,'" said Goodman.
"He said, 'You're saying you're not talking about the Olympics?'"
"He was clearly incredulous that I wasn't going to be talking about the Olympics. He didn't believe me," Goodman said.

Goodman said her car was searched and that officials demanded to look at her notes and her computer.

Living in the land of the free....

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1. Lake Carmel garbage truck slipped out of gear before crash
2. This Is Where Each of Your 1.421 Trillion Dollars Is Going In 2010:
3. Weak economy puts Beacon waterfront hotel on hold
4. Invasive carp threatens Great Lakes
5. Rainwater Showers: One Solution for Tybee Island Tourists
6. Amram’s The Man
7. Nader noncommittal to Connecticut Senate run
8. What Happens When Your Country Drowns?
9. Support Our Sponsors
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Lake Carmel garbage truck slipped out of gear before crash

KENT — A Lake Carmel sanitation worker told police that the small garbage truck he stopped this morning for a pickup on a steep street slipped out of park as he was exiting the vehicle, dragging him down a hill before crashing into a tree.

Robert Huestis, 52, was taken by Lake Carmel Ambulance to the Putnam Hospital Center after the 5:50 a.m. accident on Clarkson Road, off Route 52.

He complained of rib injuries and chest pains, although police said his injuries did not appear life-threatening.

Read More

This Is Where Each of Your 1.421 Trillion Dollars Is Going In 2010:

The Death and Taxes poster shows every single expense according to the president's 2010 budget request. The circles you see here are proportional in size to their actual weight in the total budget. Each of the figures include the percentage change compared to 2009.

Defense spending is more or less the same, only increasing by 2%. And still, everything else looks minuscule.

See The Interactive Chart Here

Weak economy puts waterfront hotel on hold

The project is part of a much larger environmentally sound redevelopment of the Beacon city waterfront in a project spearheaded by Scenic Hudson.

But, that organization’s president Ned Sullivan said the hotel is not moving forward at this time.

“The financing is what’s key, They had a term sheet from a bank, but because of the credit crunch and the market turn down, it’s on hold,” he told MidHudsonNews.com.

Read More

Invasive carp threatens Great Lakes

Fish and wildlife officials will poison a 6-mile stretch of water near Chicago on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to keep one of the most dangerous invasive species of fish, the Asian carp, out of the Great Lakes.

The Asian carp, a voracious eater that has no predators and negligible worth as a commercial or sport fish, now dominates the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and their tributaries.

The fish has entered the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal — a man-made link between the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes — and is knocking on the door of Lake Michigan. Once inside a Great Lake, the carp would have free rein in the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, imperiling the native fish of the lakes and a $7 billion fishing and recreation industry.

"We've got a chance to beat this thing, but we've got to do everything right," says Joel Brammeier, acting president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a conservation group.

The poisoning will kill an estimated 100 tons of fish, which will be removed by crane and hauled to a landfill. The five-day fish kill will provide time for the Army Corps of Engineers to perform routine maintenance on an electrical barrier that has been placed in the canal to block Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan.

No Asian carp have been found on the Great Lakes' side of the electrical barrier. However, recent DNA samples taken from water indicate the carp may have gotten past the barrier.

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Rainwater Showers: One Solution for Tybee Island Tourists

Let's say you're a small town or village and a large portion of your economy is dependent on tourism. Let's say you are also, while concerned about sustaining your economy, concerned with sustaining the natural environment - the very thing that keeps tourists coming back and thus sustains your economy. How do you ensure that the footprint of all of these aliens is small enough or better yet invisible to protect your island? This is the challenge that Savannah College students were tasked with this semester, reports the Savannah Morning News. Their solution: look to the skies.

Water conservation on an island is of the utmost importance. So, how do you encourage visitors to come to the island while protecting your precious water resources and not expend water unnecessarily? Savannah College of Art and Design students have come up with a plan to use rainwater and natural filtration systems to find a new way to use the same old water. Actually, this project was more than just a classroom exercise. The state of South Carolina has mandated that several communities, including Tybee Island, reduce their water use. The island must save 44,000 gallons of water per day at the start of the new year.

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Amram’s the man

First, Elyse and I, along with her sister Linda and beau Danny, supped at 12 Grapes on Division Street. It was jam-packed, owing in large part to the Michael Feinstein-David Hyde Pierce show at the Paramount around the corner, on Brown Street.

I had arugula salad followed by breast of chicken with spinach and butternut squash. It was succulently delicious. The two glasses of Carmel Mountain chardonnay didn’t hurt either. Wines by the glass at 12G are reasonably priced, $8 to $10, though the capacious goblets give the unfortunate illusion there’s less wine served than is the case. For my 190-pound frame, two glasses was just right, and I sure didn’t feel short-changed in the least.

Elyse had salmon, also praiseworthy, according to her taste buds.

We intended to make 6:00 p.m. reservations, but Grapes owner-hostess Jeannie Credidio counseled me on the phone that it was best we arrive about 5:30 p.m., allowing for wait service that had a full house to serve. She was right on the money, as we dined at a leisurely pace and padded out the door at 7:20 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. scheduled start of David Amram at Bean Runner.

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Nader noncommittal to Conn. Senate run

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Consumer activist and Connecticut native Ralph Nader said Friday he is "absorbing" the reaction he's receiving about a possible bid for the U.S. Senate, saying he wants to first gauge the level of grassroots support before making a decision.

Many people have called on Nader to jump into the hotly contested race to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, who has been struggling in recent polls. Nader said he's getting increasingly more requests from Connecticut Green Party members, independents and supporters of Ned Lamont, the upstart Democrat who challenged Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 election.

"I'm just absorbing a lot of the feedback before I make a decision," said Nader, who appeared at the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford, where he was signing his new book, "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!"

More than 100 people turned out to hear Nader talk about his book, including some Green Party members who held signs that read, "Run Ralph Run!" The state's Green Party has been stepping up efforts to encourage Nader to get into the race, saying this marks one of the best opportunities for the Greens to win a U.S. Senate seat.

Read More

What Happens When Your Country Drowns?

IT'S A BRIGHT, BALMY SUNDAY afternoon and I'm driving through the western outskirts of Auckland, New Zealand, the kind of place you never see on a postcard. No majestic mountains, no improbably green pastures—just a bland tangle of shopping malls and suburbia. I follow a dead-end street, past a rubber plant, a roofing company, a drainage service, and a plastics manufacturer, until I reach a white building behind a chain-link fence. Inside is a kernel of a nation within a nation—a sneak preview of what a climate change exodus looks like.

This is the Tuvalu Christian Church, the heart of a migrant community from what may be the first country to be rendered unlivable by global warming. Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest nation on Earth: six coral atolls and three reef islands flung across 500,000 square miles of ocean, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. It has few natural resources to export and no economy to speak of; its gross domestic product relies heavily on the sale of its desirable Internet domain suffix, which is .tv, and a modest trade in collectible stamps. Tuvalu's total land area is just 16 square miles, of which the highest point stands 16 feet above the waterline. Tuvaluans, who have a high per-capita incidence of good humor, refer to the spot as "Mount Howard," after the former Australian prime minister who refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

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You know that if we've written about some local politician he's usually ready to write/call/sue. That when your organization is having an event, posting in our Things To Do Edition is a sure way to get people to go. That you have called on our sponsors and they've treated you extra-special because you're part of this exciting endeavor.

But with all that said, it still takes time ~ about ten hours a week, 50 or so weeks a year and it's just once a year we ask that you help us out and show your support by donating to the cause.

We have a small handful of regulars who help each year and I love them - and you should too - since without them this column would fail to arrive each Monday, Wednesday and Friday chock full of interesting - and sometimes even useful - information.

So, click on the donate buttons available on the page and help keep News That Matters  coming to your inbox week after week after week.

And then I'll leave you alone. Promise.

Best,

Jeff

PlanPutnam’s Annual Fund Drive is in Progress!

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, observed every year on December 1st, and established by the World Health Organization in 1988. World AIDS Day provides governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic.

This evening at 6PM in Judge Spofford's courtroom in Carmel, Lori Kemp will once again be called to answer a charge against a man she directly ordered to leave her property. The man "fell" and allegedly hurt himself so bad that he would not go through the hassle of filing charges against her. But the cop on the scene (there was a cop on the scene?) decided that he would instead and the case moves forward from there.

You can get some background on Lori and her issues in Carmel here, here, here, here and here. The last time Lori was in court for this charge, when the judge called her name a dozen stood in solidarity with her. Let's see if we can do better than that this evening.

"Inequitable, unconscionable, vexatious and opprobrious," that's what Suffolk county Judge Jeffrey Spinner called OneWest bank just before he wiped out $525,000 in mortgage payments demanded by that California based company (a receiver of more than $700 million in bailout monies) on a LI couple, blasting its "harsh, repugnant, shocking and repulsive" acts. See the story below.

While it seems this next story has had traction these past few days, had I published last week we would have it first!

What does Greg Ball and Michaele Salahi and Tareq Salahi, the gate-crashers at the White House last week have in common? Apparently they're connected. Thanks to an NTM blog reader who sent this link.

This isn't the first time that Greg's been tied to something not exactly kosher as this Washington Post article will renew your memory. Remember CUEG?

"According to New York state newspaper accounts at the time, Citizens United for Ethical Growth was founded in fall 2004 with Ball as its president. Its goals were to promote "smart growth" and regional planning in the small-town and suburban communities north of New York City, with special concern for traffic congestion on state Route 22. The following April, Ball announced he would run as a Republican for state assembly against a longtime incumbent. In December 2005, CUEG -- then described in its press releases as being led by a Dutchess County, N.Y., landscaper, Frank Chiera -- announced it was transferring its $18,000 in assets to Ball's campaign."

Visitors can search for trails in several ways—by trail name, by trail attributes such as length, surface, allowable uses, and distance from a particular location, or by browsing the interactive map. Trailhead parking areas are included, as are directions and nearby bike shops and other amenities such as bicycle-friendly bed & breakfasts.

Tales from Black Friday:

A Wal*Mart in Upland, California, was closed for 3 hours and the customers thrown out the other night as shoppers went crazy, tearing open packages, fighting and running amok through the store.

In Manchester, CT, a Toys R Us store also had to call the police as shoppers tried to cut lines to get ahead of others. Police were called. According to the Courant article, "Eventually, 20 officers from Manchester, South Windsor, East Hartford and the state police managed the line. Police made sure managers did not open the Toys R Us store until the crowd formed into orderly lines -- at 12:55 a.m."

America is not imperial in the traditional sense, of course. We are not colonists. We have little interest in actually conquering territory. But we do have an overabundance of faith in the ability of our military to insure our security and our economic interests

The wheel bearings (or the wheel something-or-other) on my car are shot and there's no time to have them repaired by Thursday so I'm not driving to Long Island on Thanksgiving. Instead, I'm looking for a more progressive way to spend the day than hanging around and painting my house. Is anyone aware of a food kitchen or pantry that's serving that day where I could volunteer?

The State Senate and Assembly are stuck in Albany not doing much of anything but blaming each other for the deadlock in budget negotiations. Republicans blame the Democrats and Democrats put their hands up and say, (fairly, I might add) "give us some ideas!" In the end you know as well as I that your taxes will go up since no one wants to give up any State services and then Republicans will point to the Democrats calling them 'tax and spend' (which is not unlike Governor Pataki who was a 'borrow and spend' Republican.) Whew!

Wednesday's News That Matters will combine news and events for next weekend so if you've got something going on you want your fellow readers to know about please get it in pretty quick. I can't post on Friday as it's the traditional MAD DASH TO THE MALL DAY and I aim to be sitting in traffic, burning fossil fuels, contributing my share of greenhouse gases to global warming while waiting my turn to see Santa and give him my wish list and rudely jostle millions of fellow mall-goers forcing my way past them for that sale at Banana Republic. Honestly, how the heck are the reindeer going to fare after the ice melts?

And now, The News:

1. Praising progress at Peach Lake
2. 300,000 have visited Walkway; lighting being installed
3. Now is the time for Cape Wind
4. The New (Green) Arms Race
5. 8 Steps Obama Could Take to Save Our Food System
6. Why Not Tax Wall Street?
7. Michigan State police want nearly $7 million to fulfill FOIA request
8. Big Foot
9. Support Our Sponsors
   1. TaconicArts.com
   2. Brown Ink
   3. Joe Greico's Out On A Limb

Praising progress at Peach Lake

NORTH SALEM — Tom Duffy, chairman of the Peach Lake Coalition, stood on the porch of the Vails Grove Pavilion at the lake and gave a two-minute summary of the almost 40-year effort to rid the lake of pollution.

His speech carried those who listened from 1971 to Saturday afternoon, from the initial effort to form a lake-improvement district to the receipt of almost $7 million in federal funds and the ceremonial groundbreaking to bring sewers to almost 500 homes.

"The rest is history that is being written at this very moment," Duffy said Saturday.

About 150 residents, community leaders and elected officials came to the shores of Peach Lake to herald the major chunk of funding for the $24 million project and to mark the progress. The project will replace failing septic systems and keep sewage out of the lake that straddles the Westchester-Putnam border. Many of the homes were built as summer cottages on small lots and have failing or inadequate septic systems.

Among those in attendence were Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, who presented a $5 million check to North Salem and a $1.9 million check to Southeast. The amounts included federal stimulus money and other federal grants. Hall said the Peach Lake project, which is expected to create about 30 construction jobs, is why he voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Read More

300,000 have visited Walkway; lighting being installed

Fred Schaeffer wants to make Walkway Over the Hudson the "friendliest park in the world."

More than 300,000 people have visited the linear state park since it opened seven weeks ago, said Dave Barone, park manager.

Schaeffer, chairman the nonprofit group responsible for turning the abandoned Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge into a park, envisions Walkway volunteers, or "ambassadors of goodwill," answering questions, making people feel at home and, yes, reminding guests to clean up after their pets.

Construction of the Walkway was completed in September , but finishing touches are still being added. That includes LED lights under the railings, additional signage and an elevator that would take people from the Poughkeepsie Railroad Station up to the bridge. Benches, shade structures and permanent bathrooms are also on the agenda, according to Walkway officials.

Schaeffer opens the park’s gates each weekend morning, often a little before 7 a.m. so people can catch the sunrise.

Read More

Now is the time for Cape Wind

Today in the NY Times, there's an exciting article about efforts to develop deepwater, floating wind turbines. The article makes it clear that there are still engineering and major costs hurdles, but I'm hopeful that one day floating wind farms will provide bountiful zero-carbon electricity. But we have to get started today, and fortunately we can. The Cape Wind project proposed for Nantucket Sound is ready to be built now.

Unfortunately, with seemingly endless review, the future of Cape Wind continues to hang in the balance. On Tuesday, NRDC sent Secretary Salazar a letter (PDF) urging him to require that the Interior Department complete the review of the Cape Wind project and issue a final decision prior to the commencement of the U.N. Climate Change Conference on December 7, 2009. This letter echoes a similar message to the Secretary from Congressman Markey. It is time to have a clear indication from our federal government that offshore renewable energy is a priority in this country.  As the administration and the world gear up for next month's meeting in Copenhagen, action approving the Cape Wind project would speak louder than words.

Read More

The New (Green) Arms Race

Hobbled by opposition from the carbon incumbents and their short-sighted allies on Capitol Hill the Obama administration acknowledged this week that it would not return from Copenhagen with any groundbreaking commitment to control green house gases. Meanwhile, Congress is backsliding on the administration's wise commitment to impose a rational price on carbon. Behind the logjam, a treacherous U.S. Chamber of Commerce, always willing to put its obsequious scraping to Big Oil and King Coal ahead of its duty to our country, has battled every effort to accelerate America's transition to a market-based de-carbonized economy.

The Chamber has continued to argue, idiotically, that energy efficiency and independence will somehow put America at a competitive disadvantage with the Chinese. Meanwhile, the Chinese have shrewdly and strategically positioned themselves to steal America's once substantial lead in renewable power. China will soon make us as dependent on Chinese green technology for the next century as we have been on Saudi oil during the last.

Indeed, the Chinese are treating the energy technology competition if it were an arms race. China is spending as much or more on greentech as it does on its military, hundreds of billions of dollars annually on renewable energy and grid infrastructure improvements. Those investments, if not vigorously countered, will effectively erode America's greentech industry leadership and secure China's dominance. China's economic stimulus package, targeted 38% of spending on greentech, as compared to a miserly 12% of the U.S. stimulus program. By 2013, greentech will account for 15 percent of the Chinese GDP. While the United States is projected to roughly triple its wind generation by 2020, China will increase its capacity twelvefold to a wind generating capability more than twice that of America's. And, while the United States is projected to increase its installed solar generation a modest 33% by 2020, China's solar generation is projected to increase 20,000%.

Read More

8 Steps Obama Could Take to Save Our Food System

The landscape of health has changed. No longer are our families guaranteed a healthy livelihood, not in the face of the current rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's and allergies. In the words of Elizabeth Warren, Harvard University law professor who is head of the Congressional Oversight Panel, "We need a new model," and we need a new food system. It's our health on the line.

8 Steps Obama Could Take to Save Food:

1. Evenly distribute government moneys to all farmers. The current system allocates the lion share of our tax dollars (approximately $60 billion) to farmers growing crops whose seeds have been engineered to produce their own insecticides and tolerate increasing doses of weed killing herbicides. As a result, these crops, with a large chemical footprint, are cheaper to produce, while farmers growing organic produce are charged fees to prove that their crops are safe and then charged additional fees to label these crops as free of synthetic chemicals and "organic". If organic farmers received an equal distribution of taxpayer funded handouts from the government, the cost of producing crops free from synthetic chemicals would be cheaper, making these crops more affordable to more people, in turn increasing demand for these products which would further drive down costs.  If we were to reallocate our national budget and evenly distribute our tax dollars to all farmers, clean food would be affordable to everyone and not just those in certain zip codes.

2. Reinstitute the USDA pesticide reporting standard that was waived under the Bush administration. In 2008, the USDA waived pesticide reporting requirements (a procedure that has been in place since the early 1990s) so that farmers and consumers would know the level of chemicals being applied to food crops. Given a report just released that reveals a 383 million pound increase in the use of weed killing herbicides since the introduction of herbicide tolerant crops in 1996 and the potential impact that this glyphosate containing compound is having on both the environment and on our health, perhaps the "don't ask, don't tell" policy assumed under the previous administration should be reversed.

Read More

Why Not Tax Wall Street?

Washington is experiencing a rare and disorienting moment. Big ideas for financial reform that have languished for years are suddenly gaining momentum. Instead of taxing folks to clean up after reckless Wall Street bankers, why not tax Wall Street? Instead of tolerating behemoths regarded as "too big to fail," why not break them up before they do more damage to the country? Instead of genuflecting before the mysterious Federal Reserve, why not strip the temple of its secrets and cleanse it of the self-interested bankers who shape Fed policy?

The fact that these and other unsanctioned propositions are in play and even proposed by respectable figures indicates how deeply the established order has been rattled by the financial crisis. It also demonstrates that members of Congress who bailed out the bankers with public money are quite terrified of voter retribution in the next election.

The center is not holding. That's good news for the Republic, because the center has long been subservient to the demands of financial power. Cynics will say this is a passing tempest that will come to nothing. They might be right. But reformers should make the most of it, at least to agitate the fears of elected politicians--including the president.

Welcome to Mardi Gras, Washington-style. It feels like carnival time, when up is down and down is up, when humble folks parade as kings and queens and the reigning royals are dressed as clowns. As someone who has written about these heretical ideas for decades, I feel a bit giddy at the opportunities for real change, though mindful that the anarchy may not last long.

The most startling evidence of reversal is Chris Dodd, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, who has been a loyal friend of Wall Street and especially Connecticut-based insurance companies. Dodd proposes to strip the Fed of its regulatory functions because of its "abysmal failure" to protect the public, and to replace it with an overarching regulatory administration. Dodd is no doubt motivated by his weak prospects for re-election next year. Still, he earns courage points for violating the longstanding taboo against criticizing the central bank. Likewise, Senator Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on banking, wants to eliminate bankers' insider influence over regulation at the Fed.

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Michigan State police want nearly $7 million to fulfill FOIA request

A communications specialist at the center requested information after the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general released a report that detailed multiple implementation problems in how $129 million in security grants was spent in seven Michigan counties between 2002 and 2004.

The center filed a follow-up FOIA request for all documents relating to homeland security grants in the state since 2002, but the state police department, which administers homeland security grants in Michigan, said there would be more than 2 million pages and that it would cost $6.9 million to process the request.

Read More

Big Foot

by Michael Specter February 25, 2008

A little more than a year ago, Sir Terry Leahy, who is the chief executive of the Tesco chain of supermarkets, Britain’s largest retailer, delivered a speech to a group called the Forum for the Future, about the implications of climate change. Leahy had never before addressed the issue in public, but his remarks left little doubt that he recognized the magnitude of the problem. “I am not a scientist,” he said. “But I listen when the scientists say that, if we fail to mitigate climate change, the environmental, social, and economic consequences will be stark and severe. . . . There comes a moment when it is clear what you must do. I am determined that Tesco should be a leader in helping to create a low-carbon economy. In saying this, I do not underestimate the task. It is to take an economy where human comfort, activity, and growth are inextricably linked with emitting carbon and to transform it into one which can only thrive without depending on carbon. This is a monumental challenge. It requires a revolution in technology and a revolution in thinking. We are going to have to rethink the way we live and work.”

Tesco sells nearly a quarter of the groceries bought in the United Kingdom, it possesses a growing share of the markets in Asia and Europe, and late last year the chain opened its first stores in America. Few corporations could have a more visible—or forceful—impact on the lives of their customers. In his speech, Leahy, who is fifty-two, laid out a series of measures that he hoped would ignite “a revolution in green consumption.” He announced that Tesco would cut its energy use in half by 2010, drastically limit the number of products it transports by air, and place airplane symbols on the packaging of those which it does. More important, in an effort to help consumers understand the environmental impact of the choices they make every day, he told the forum that Tesco would develop a system of carbon labels and put them on each of its seventy thousand products. “Customers want us to develop ways to take complicated carbon calculations and present them simply,” he said. “We will therefore begin the search for a universally accepted and commonly understood measure of the carbon footprint of every product we sell—looking at its complete life cycle, from production through distribution to consumption. It will enable us to label all our products so that customers can compare their carbon footprint as easily as they can currently compare their price or their nutritional profile.”

Leahy’s sincerity was evident, but so was his need to placate his customers. Studies have consistently demonstrated that, given a choice, people prefer to buy products that are environmentally benign. That choice, however, is almost never easy. “A carbon label will put the power in the hands of consumers to choose how they want to be green,” Tom Delay, the head of the British government’s Carbon Trust, said. “It will empower us all to make informed choices and in turn drive a market for low-carbon products.” Tesco was not alone in telling people what it would do to address the collective burden of our greenhouse-gas emissions. Compelled by economic necessity as much as by ecological awareness, many corporations now seem to compete as vigorously to display their environmental credentials as they do to sell their products.

Read more

I know that there are 450 or more people who receive this each day by email (I could name you all, if you'd like?) and another couple hundred who read online. I also know that those who most write to critique, comment or ask for access have never helped us out. What's with that?

Yesterday was World Toilet Day and I would appreciate it if someone were to ask the Town of Kent why they're spending tens of thousands of recreation dollars on a toilet facility at Farmer's Mills park when for $5000 they could have a two-stall composting toilet dropped on the site instead.

I once asked the current board why this was and was told that the Putnam County health department would not allow it but Scenic Hudson is using them at the Cold Spring Foundry. I also found that all the town needs is a waiver from the health department and they're good to go. So why haven't they pushed for one?

Then we have to ask why, in these times of tight budgets and the greening of all we do there's crews about to go out there digging wells, laying pipe, digging a leach field, running power and plumbing when a prefab deal would do just as well, be much more inexpensive and have the added benefit of producing compost for the Beautification committee?

Composting toilets are in use all around the world with stellar results. They're here in the valley. They're in state and national parks and nature reserves and they're in extensive use at the Clear Lake Boy Scout reserve which, if the maps are correct and I know they are, is right in the heart of Putnam County. They're, well, they're everywhere but here in the Town of Kent. What's with that?

(Image: Composting Toilet in use on the Poughkeepsie Side of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park)

Putnam CAP is gearing up for the distribution of Thanksgiving Baskets beginning on Monday, November 23rd.  We make every attempt to include a pie for a traditional Thanksgiving dessert.  As of now we expect to be distributing 500 baskets, but have only received commitments of approximately 200 pies (or other desserts).

Still needed are boxed pies, preferably frozen, that can be included in each basket.  (Storage of pies is difficult and while homemade is by far the best, it doesn't store or stack well in their limited space.)

Please consider donating or coordinating a collection of boxed pies with your friends, neighbors or co-workers.  Help us to get the word out by forwarding this e-mail to your contacts.  Apple and pumpkin are the most desired traditional fare, but any type of boxed pie would be appreciated.

We are open Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30.  On Wednesday we are here until 6:30 pm.  This weekend 11/21 + 11/22 we are here from 4:30-7:00. Best Regards for an enjoyable Thanksgiving,

Judy Callahan, Director, Putnam Community Action Program, 121 Main Street, Brewster NY - 845-278-8021 x 17 or pcapjc@bestweb.net

The weather this weekend is supposed to be pretty fair so get out there and do something. And please remember, when you blow your leaves out into the street they go somewhere and that somewhere is often the nearest lake or stream or other body of water adding phosphorus and other pollutants that screw things up. Bag 'em or compost 'em.

• Tonight:
  • Michelle LeBlanc Trio
• Saturday:
  • Thomas Paine Lecture
• Sunday:
  • Driven to Abstraction
  • Black Bears in New York
• Into the Future:
  • Friday, November 27
    • Class Action
  • Friday, December 4
    • 5th Annual  Green Buildings & Energy Conference
  • Saturday, December 5
    • Putnam Arts Council 15th Annual Invitational Craft Show and Sale
• Support Our Sponsors
  • TaconicArts.com
  • Brown Ink
  • Joe Greico's Out On A Limb

Tonight:

Michelle LeBlanc Trio

7:30 PM - at The Division Street Grill, 26 North Division Street, Peekskill NY 10566. Featuring:

Bill Crow is a legendary string bass player whose career has included performances and recordings with jazz greats like Benny Goodman, Stan Getz, Marian McPartland, Mose Allison, Chet Baker, Ray Brown, and Milt Jackson. Bill has toured extensively through Europe and also in Japan and Russia. Bill writes about jazz and has authored two entertaining books: From Birdland to Broadway and Jazz Anecdotes.  Visit him at www.BillCrowBass.com

Tom Kohl, composer, arranger and jazz pianist, has performed, recorded, and taught throughout the Northeast since 1982. He has worked with Quincy Jones, Clark Terry, Richard Davis and Marc Johnson. Tom's early studies with Archie Shepp and Dr. Horace Boyer instilled a deep sense of ensemble dynamics and harmonic adventure in his playing. Visit him at www.TomKohlmusic.com

Michelle LeBlanc, jazz vocalist, has been performing in Hudson Valley jazz clubs and concert stages since the early 1990's.  She has worked with many Hudson Valley jazz greats, including Bill Crow, Tom Kohl, David Amram, Joe Puma, Ed Xiques, Michael Abene, Carmen Leggio, and also with Calloway Brooks at the Rainbow Room in New York City. Michelle was awarded annual grants for ten years in a row from New York State Council on the arts supporting her series of shows titled "JAZZ: The American Story" in which she traces the development of jazz and the history that gave rise to this uniquely American art form.  Visit her at www.michelleleblanc.com

Saturday:

Friends of the Kent Library - Mini Book Sale

10am to 2:30pm -- The last of three Mini Book Sales will be held in the Program Room of the Kent Public Library (large selection - great for holiday gift giving). Be there!

Thomas Paine Lecture

2PM - The Southeast Museum will host a free lecture by  Dr. J. Ward Regan. This talk is an examination of the life and writings of Thomas Paine at the end of the eighteenth century. By looking at his early political writings in England, Common Sense, and The Crisis Papers, the talk explores the integral role of Paine in not only the American Revolution, but also in the creation of a "democratic political ideology."  The presentation will also explore the characterization of Paine as a preeminent philosopher, the genesis of radical politics, and a force in world events.

Sunday:

Driven to Abstraction

1-4 PM With Jeanne Demotses. Presented by the Putnam Arts Council at Tilly Foster Farms. We will look at the principles which all artists rely upon to develop their paintings and discuss how those principles are used in abstract painting. Lecture & demonstration. Fee $40.

Black Bears in New York

2PM - As part of the Friends of the Great Swamp's (FrOGS) Annual Meeting, Matt Merchant, a Senior Wildlife Biologist, NYS DEC will talk about our local black bear population. Matt met the black bear as a student in the Wildlife Management Program at the University of Maine when he participated in a study of bear habitat use and spent one summer live-trapping bears in northern Maine. After a decade with the DEC office in Stamford, NY, Matt is now in charge of NYS DEC’s bear program for Region 3 as well as head of their Sportsman Education Program. The event will be held at the Lalor Building at the intersection of Routes 164 and 311 in Patterson. The event is free.

Into the Future:

Friday, November 27

Class Action

9 PM - At O'Malley's Bar and Grill, 30 East Main Street Mt. Kisco, NY. Featuring, Gary Cusano, Greg Kuczinski, Mike Latini, Rich Block and Matt Daus.

Friday, December 4

5th Annual  Green Buildings & Energy Conference

9AM- 4:40PM - Education & Workforce Development for the 21st Century Economy at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. Sponsored by the Hudson Valley Regional Council, the Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University, & Schein Media Green Business+Careers

Join regional leaders for a working conference on linking business, education, local government, workforce training and community development.

     ·        Presentations and panel discussions will feature emerging trends, case studies, roundtable dialogue and networking opportunities, focusing on energy efficiency, green buildings, solar energy, water, local food and sustainable agriculture sectors.  We’ll provide an overview of emerging training, education and workforce development programs and discuss how these programs can be tailored to fit the emerging economy.

·        This program is designed to help identify and advance regional opportunities to benefit from the growing green economy.  Building on previous programs, we will address key challenges and obstacles to be overcome, as well as potential solutions and mechanisms that can work for the Hudson Valley region.

·        The program will highlight job-creation opportunities for organizations, businesses, and local government in the Hudson Valley region, and introduce examples from other areas in NY State where public-private partnerships are working to address these emerging needs and opportunities.  It will also include discussion about educational goals for developing a deeper literacy in ecological issues that may be critical to realizing the full potential in these economic sectors.

Register now – space is limited.  Visit    http://www.hvregionalcouncil.org/   or call 845-564-4075 for more information.

Speakers and panelists will include Vince Cozzolino, The Solar Energy Consortium; William Schlesinger, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Wayne Williams, U.W. Marx Construction;  Paul Mankiewicz, Gaia Institute; Lisa Cleckner, Syracuse Center of Excellence  Frank Surdey, NY State Dept. of Labor; Rick Alfandre, Alfandre Architecture & US Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter; Simon Gruber, Hudson Valley Regional Council; Tom Bregman, Antioch New England Graduate Center; Jonathan Schein, ScheinMedia;  Judith LaBelle, Glynwood Center; Chris Marx, SUNY Ulster; William Makofske, Ramapo College;  Hanah Ehrenreich, CNY Works;  Melissa Everett, Sustainable Hudson Valley;  Alan Berkowitz, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Mark Thielking, Town of Bedford; Martin Ping, Hawthorne Valley Association; Stephen Mitchell, SUNY Sullivan.

Co-sponsors include Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Sustainable Hudson Valley, US Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter, Syracuse Center of Excellence, Building Performance Contractors Association of NYS, Mid-Hudson Energy $mart Communities, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Edible Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance (list in formation.)

Saturday, December 5

Putnam Arts Council 15th Annual Invitational Craft Show and Sale

2009 Putnam Arts Council presents their 15thAnnual Invitational Craft Show and Sale ~ Their last official event at their digs at Tilly Foster Farm. The show will be featuring the work of 40+ regional artisans including jewelry, wearables, pottery, wood & metal works, original art and more ~ come see these beautiful and affordable treasures (for anyone on your list!) created here, in your own backyard. Admission and parking free, Tuesday – Sunday from noon-5pm, December 5-20, 2009 at The Lodge (Bldg 8), Tilly Foster Farm, 100 Rte 312, Brewster, NY ~ Special member preview, December 4, 6-8pm Info/directions: putnamartscouncil.com or 845-278-0230