Monday, January 31, 2011

News That Matters - Monday, January 31, 2011

News That Matters

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Telling it like it is for 10 years and counting...



"I cannot call to mind a single instance where I have ever been irreverent, except toward the things which were sacred to other people."  - Mark Twain

Good Monday Morning,

It's cold again. It's going to snow again and then it's going to get cold again.

We'd like to know who you are! Take our Reader Survey. Click Here!

NtM would like to welcome back three of it's long-term supporters. Thanks.

A blog site from Yonkers called, "Rising Times" is reporting that Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy gave a company called WPD Concepts, LLC., a significant amount of money during his 2007 election. The article hints that Mr. Levy spent $75,000 to ensure an uncontested race but I'll leave that up to the Feds to decipher.
What is interesting is that WPD Concepts has an address at 41 Bridle Ridge Road in Patterson, the residence of Ray McGuire.

Mr. McGuire must have been well paid as he owns two homes in Patterson, the one on Bridle Ridge (Assessed at $544,000) and another on Tammany Hall Rd ($409,000). Sweet.

A 5 minute Google search shows that WPD also must have been a well connected and profitable business! Registered in 2006, it was the darling of ONLY TWO NY Republican candidates since then. Guess which two?
Payee/Recipient Amt Expense Code Date Disburser Filing Sched Office Dist County
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
19,000.00 CONSL 29-JAN-08 HUDSON VALLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE 2008 July Periodic F N/A N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
10,000.00 CONSL 16-SEP-08 HUDSON VALLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE 2009 Jan Periodic F N/A N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
7,500.00 CONSL 06-SEP-07 HUDSON VALLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE 2007 XX F N/A N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
5,000.00 CONSL 02-APR-08 HUDSON VALLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE 2008 July Periodic F N/A N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
2,500.00 CONSL 08-DEC-08 HUDSON VALLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE 2009 Jan Periodic F N/A N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
20,000.00 CONSL 17-SEP-08 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2008 32 Pre General F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
18,000.00 CONSL 11-JUL-08 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2008 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
12,000.00 CONSL 13-JUL-08 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2008 32 Pre General F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX
PAWLING, NY 12564
10,000.00 CONSL 29-AUG-06 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2006 32 Pre General F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
7,500.00 CONSL 13-JAN-09 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2009 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX
PAWLING, NY 12564
5,000.00 CONSL 22-JAN-07 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2007 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 14-JUL-10 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2010 32 Pre Primary F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 15-MAR-09 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2009 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 15-SEP-10 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2010 Post Primary F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 19-JAN-10 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2010 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 27-MAY-09 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2009 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 09-APR-10 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2010 July Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS LLC
P.O. BOX 375
PAWLING, NY 12564
3,750.00 CONSL 12-AUG-09 LEIBELL SENATE COMMITTEE 2010 Jan Periodic F State Senator 40 N/A
WPD CONCEPTS
BREWSTER
BREWSTER, NY 10509
25,000.00 CONSL 05-FEB-07 THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ADAM LEVY 2007 July Periodic F District Attorney N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS
BREWSTER
BREWSTER, NY 10509
18,000.00 CONSL 23-OCT-07 THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ADAM LEVY 2007 27 Post General F District Attorney N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS
BREWSTER
BREWSTER, NY 10509
16,000.00 CONSL 15-AUG-07 THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ADAM LEVY 2007 32 Pre General F District Attorney N/A Putnam
WPD CONCEPTS
BREWSTER
BREWSTER, NY 10509
16,000.00 CONSL 02-MAY-07 THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ADAM LEVY 2007 July Periodic F District Attorney N/A Putnam
Total Expenses 217,750.00
Source: NYS Board of Elections

The plot thickens! Has the NY Journal News or the Courier written about this yet?



Two weeks ago I wrote about how the middle east would erupt in a blaze of change and the events taking place in Egypt and Jordan represent the second step in sweeping changes that are taking place there.
What the outcome will be is hard to say. The US Administration is furiously racing to alter its long-held position of supporting the totalitarian regimes that are now falling one by one.

It's a little late for President Obama to be calling for "reform" in Egypt after the US has steadfastly backed Hosni Mubarak for the past 30 years and I would suspect that the next government formed may not be all that friendly to us. But what President Obama has not done is called for Hosni Mubarak to step down and that is a tactical and political mistake we will pay for in generations to come.

That we still back tyrants like Mubarak lies at the root of why the US traditionally backs totalitarian regimes even though we claim to "spread democracy" around the world:

When push comes to shove the US stands against democracy as right-wing, totalitarian governments are better for profits.

Anyway, if you'd like to watch the events live, point your browser here.

This is what people do in Putnam County and the percent of the workforce employed:

Government 251 2.80
Agricultural Services 258 2.87
Restaurants 261 2.91
Banks and Financial Institutions 264 2.94
General Construction 266 2.96
Real Estate 285 3.18
Unclassified Establishments 295 3.29
Other Business Services 385 4.29
Specialty Stores 403 4.49
Professional Services 563 6.27
Heavy Construction 579 6.45
Health and Medical Services 747 8.32

82% of all Putnam County based businesses employ less than ten people accounting for more than 7300 jobs and these are the companies that need help, not Camarda*Marts, but the mom and pop business that are the backbone of our communities and our economy. Think about that the next time some rich developer comes, hat in hand, for a taxpayer handout and remember the names of the politicians who give it to them.

I've recently been asked again if I was running for Supervisor in Kent this year. At this point I'll only say that I'm keeping my options - and the campaign account - open.
It's going to be an ugly year in Kent as the Forces of Evil do battle against the Forces of Don't Change Anything with the outcome deciding the town's future for the next few years. A well financed independent candidate running on a non-D or R line might just be able to bring some sanity to things.
With Leibell out of the picture and The Senator Who Shall Not Be Named busy in Albany, the Forces of Evil will have to make do on their own this time.

And now, The News:
  1. Bill Buck in Cape Horn
  2. Walkway Over the Hudson: Poughkeepsie footbridge spurs development and retail boom
  3. Yorktown to raze historic farmhouse
  4. In Symbolic Move, Philadelphia Calls for Gas Drilling Ban
  5. Nan Hayworth seeking to block standards to reduce toxic pollution
  6. More U.S. Soldiers Killed Themselves Than Died in Combat in 2010
  7. Drilling in ANWR back on the map
  8. We Can Do Better: The Overlooked Importance of Professional Journalism
  9. Men more likely to stick with girlfriends who sleep with other women than other men

Bill Buck in Cape Horn

This article was first posted at Plant Talk by Plant Talk.

Ed. note: NYBG scientist and Mary Flagler Cary Curator of Botany, Bill Buck is currently on expedition to the islands off Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America, to study mosses and lichens. Follow his journeys on Plant Talk.

Getting Drinking WaterJanuary 23, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Puerto Consuelo, Seno Chasco, Chile, 54° 32′S, 71° 31′W

Although I am writing this blog daily, it is often impossible to send it. We were told that the modem that we rented would work anywhere, but in reality it needs a clear view to the north. Often times, though, our ship is anchored in a sheltered area with tall, snow-capped mountains on most sides of us. With the severe and changeable weather here, the saying “any port in a storm” takes on extra meaning! So, I continue to write and send them out whenever the modem decides it is in the mood.

Early this morning (5 a.m.) the captain moved the ship from our previous site to the sound directly west. When I awoke to the engine starting, I knew it would be 3-4 hours before we reached our next site, and that we could sleep in for awhile. Maybe an hour later it became obvious that we had left the protected sound for more open waters. The ship started rocking violently. For most of us, it was like rocking a baby in a cradle and put us back to sleep. Only one person felt a little queasy and had to take something for seasickness. Fortunately, so far, no one has actually gotten sick. In my previous trip to the region, on our second day our, we hit a large storm which crashed 12 foot waves over the ship for hours on end. As our bunkroom was transformed into a vomitorium, I was the only non-crew member who didn’t get sick. Since our bunkroom on this trip has minimal ventilation at best, it is a true blessing that this time no one has gotten sick.

It was immediately obvious when we entered the next sound, suddenly the waters were much calmer. At about 8:30 a.m., the ship stopped. I assumed that meant we were at our next site. Such was not the case. Rather, we were taking on  fresh water. To do this, the ship will pull up to a waterfall and one of the crew scrambles up the cliff face with a plastic bucket that is outfitted with a hose coming out of the bottom of it. The bucket goes into the waterfall and the end of the hose is placed into the hatch of the water tank, on top of the ship. We are in a totally uninhabited place, one that gets around 12 feet of rain a year, much of which at higher elevations falls as snow. So even in mid-summer, given that there are no large mammals to pollute it, the snow-melt water is pure and cold, which is good because it is the only fresh water we have. After watching the crew member (José) go up the cliff face like a monkey, I told him now we just need to teach him to collect mosses!

Not long after we replenished our fresh water supply, we arrived at the south end of the sound. Once again the landscape is spectacular. Southern beech forests come right down to the sea and are developed even on very steep slopes in only slightly sheltered places where a bit more soil accumulates. It is amazing to realize that what we are seeing has gone unchanged, except for climatic variation, for hundreds, if not thousands of years. There is virtually no man-made impact in the region, and we do our best to make sure we leave behind only divots where we have collected our specimens. Who knows how many decades it will take these small blemishes to regrow. All growth here is slow due to the cool temperatures.

The                   Don Jose PelegrinAgain today we split up, with Jim and Blanka choosing to go up the slope immediately next to where we were anchored. Juan and I chose to go around the end of the sound to an area where two waterfalls merge near the sea. After our ablutions (didn’t I mention our toilet malfunctioned on the first day?), Juan and I split up. Juan headed to higher elevations where snow not only persists, but is added to with each new storm, while I stayed at a lower elevation and worked along a small, raging stream coming down from a lake. Often I would stop along the stream, lay on the wet ground next to it (is it any wonder I get so wet in the field?!), and reach my hand down into the water, feeling along the bottom for submerged mosses. Some of my most interesting collections have come from doing this. Collecting in this fashion can be slow, but it is important to not get just numerous collections, but also interesting collections. And, with four pairs of eyes in different sites, we are hoping to get as much of the local bryodiversity as possible.

Much to our delight, the plant dryers that we built seem to be working. However, we’re collecting faster than the dryers can work, and so we have to rotate the collections regularly. At this stage we’re still finding species new for the flora as well as new for science. But most are known from the region. However, their distribution in the region is not at all known and so it is important to collect the common species as well as the rare ones. The weather today was the best we have seen so far. We actually saw the sun from time to time, as it alternated with light rain, sometimes repeating the pattern every couple of minutes. This is hardly what most people would think of as good weather, but we do!

We are scheduled to stay in this sound for two days before starting back toward Punta Arenas. We will stop at Seno Agostini on the way back because this is the site of Mt. Buckland. This peak is just north of our flora region, but it is the site where a moss was collected in the 1940s (Bucklandia bartramii, named for the peak) but not found since. Since this species is in the genus that Juan is working on for his doctoral dissertation, and he would love fresh material for DNA studies, we are happy to oblige. We are heading back to Punta Arenas to pick up our colleague from The Field Museum in Chicago, Matt von Konrat, who was delayed and couldn’t arrive when the rest of us did. It will also give us a chance to bathe and get clothes washed before heading out again.

Read Original

Walkway Over the Hudson:
Poughkeepsie footbridge spurs development and retail boom

Deborah DeGraffenreid or the NY Daily News

The 14-acre site on Poughkeepsie’s waterfront where Louis Kaufman’s company plans to build a large upscale condo complex is a former lumber-treatment plant abandoned for more than a decade – and looks it.

The only color there is the graffiti that covers the old Dutton Lumber site’s beat-up industrial buildings, nestled by the frozen Hudson River.

“It’s a pretty awesome site, but you have to have vision,” says Kaufman, project manager for the O’Neill Group in Hackensack, N.J. “It’s right by the train station, right on the river, right by the walkway – it’s as good as you can get under the circumstances of today’s economy.”

The 1.3-mile former railroad bridge connecting Highland to Poughkeepsie, now called the Walkway Over the Hudson, looms over the site. The wildly popular pedestrian bridge − the longest in the world, according to the nonprofit behind it − has drawn more than 750,000 tourists, three times the expected number, since its debut in October 2009.

Read More

Yorktown to raze historic farmhouse

YORKTOWN — For 199 years, a farmhouse of one of the town's oldest families has overlooked Crompond Road.

Last used as offices for school administrators, the white, two-story house will be gone by year's end.

Former Landmarks Commission member Raymond Gunther called it a fine example of post-Colonial architecture. "As such we thought it was worth saving," he said.

Gunther researched the farmhouse's storied history, penning a 2004 report for the now-defunct commission.

John Hazzard Strang built it in 1812. His father, Daniel Strang, purchased the surrounding land from Col. Philip Verplanck in 1728.

Read More

In Symbolic Move, Philadelphia Calls for Gas Drilling Ban

This article was first posted at ProPublica: Articles and Investigations by ProPublica.

by Nicholas Kusnetz

As the federal government continues to study a controversial gas drilling technique and the states tinker with their own regulations, some cities and towns are trying to halt local drilling. Philadelphia became the latest to do that on Thursday, when city officials called for at least a temporary ban on new wells in the watershed that serves the city’s taps.

The request was part of a set of recommendations in a report approved by the city council asking federal and state authorities to tighten drilling regulations. The report also urges the city-owned utility to avoid buying gas that comes from the Marcellus Shale, the layer of rock that stretches under much of Pennsylvania and is considered one of the world’s largest gas fields.

But the vote was largely symbolic. The utility doesn’t buy any Marcellus Shale gas and has no plans to — and new drilling in the Delaware River Basin is already on hold. The idea was to send a message, said Michelle Wilson, a spokeswoman for Curtis Jones, Jr., the councilman who sponsored the report.

“Philadelphia is a major city and we’re hoping that behind this push, that we can use it for leverage,” Wilson said.

Read More

Nan Hayworth seeking to block standards to reduce toxic pollution

WASHINGTON – A total of 123 House members from 35 states, including Congresswoman Nan Hayworth (NY-19) are co-sponsoring legislation that would block EPA standards to reduce toxic, smog and soot pollution from industrial plants and other sources, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Carbon Dioxide pollution increases the risk of heat stress, promotes the spread of infectious diseases and makes it more difficult to reduce smog pollution, which threatens the health of asthma sufferers and others with respiratory problems, the group said.

The NRDC’s director of the Climate Control Center, Dan Lashoff, said four bills would attack implementation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

“Our elected representatives should hold big polluters accountable, not help them block the strong safeguards that would protect our health and quality of life,” he said. “Unfortunately these bad air boosters, who have collectively taken over $27 million in campaign contributions from big polluters during their careers, are choosing to standing up for the polluters instead of public health.”

Read More

More U.S. Soldiers Killed Themselves Than Died in Combat in 2010

For the second year in a row, more American soldiers—both enlisted men and women and veterans—committed suicide than were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Excluding accidents and illness, 462 soldiers died in combat, while 468 committed suicide. A difference of six isn't vast by any means, but the symbolism is significant and troubling. In 2009, there were 381 suicides by military personnel, a number that also exceeded the number of combat deaths.

Earlier

this month

, military authorities announced that suicides amongst active-duty soldiers had slowed in 2010, while suicides amongst reservists and people in the National Guard had increased. It was proof, they said, that the frequent psychological screenings active-duty personnel receive were working, and that reservists and guardsmen, who are more removed from the military's medical bureaucracy, simply need to begin undergoing more health checks. This new data, that American soldiers are now more dangerous to themselves than the insurgents, flies right in the face of any suggestion that things are "working." Even if something's working, the system is still very, very broken.



Read More

Drilling in ANWR back on the map

Lisa Murkowski is back in the Senate and once again she is backing opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil production.

Murkowski, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, wasted no time during the committee’s first week back at work, pushing for speed on opening up ANWR.

Murkowski spoke in tones of jobs and international competition to justify drilling in ANWR. “The United States is an Arctic nation because of Alaska. We cannot ignore the fact that Russia will drill in the Chukchi Sea in coming years and that Canada is already exploring the Beaufort Sea. Alaska cannot be forced to sit in the middle of this activity – bearing all the same risk but none of the reward – while our pipeline runs dry and our jobs disappear.”

The Alaskan’s comments didn’t simply come out of left field. They were in response to Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill Commission’s report. Among the

many recommendations coming out of the commission’s report,

came the recommendation for much more study and research to be done on the subject of drilling in the Arctic. Murkowski says she is all on board, but doesn’t want study to be code for delay.


Read More


We Can Do Better: The Overlooked Importance of Professional Journalism

The Web is a galaxy of information that is rapidly expanding. Blogs and online magazines are helping shape the future of this Information Age that we live in. Those of us who read, write and design blogs and online magazines possess extraordinary power and potential. How will we choose to use it?

If you use your website to publish news, events, opinions or interviews, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of journalism. These tools can help us develop and share information that is exciting, intelligent, and responsible. They can provide guidance and support as you pursue a career or hobby writing online.

This article is accompanied by examples of photojournalism, which is the practice of communicating news through photographs. The above photo of a 1940′s newsstand in New York City was taken by photojournalist Ruth Orkin

We, designers, go on all day about the usability of our WordPress layouts and the readability of our typography, but all of those things have been considered in vain if our writing is poorly spelled, riddled with inaccuracies, or based on second-hand assumptions that will leave our audience misled, confused, or worse. Even if you’re just casually writing about why you personally love/hate the iPad (for example), you can do so in a truthful way (truthful to your own opinions and truthful to the information you are discussing).

Read More

Men more likely to stick with girlfriends who sleep with other women than other men

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2011) — Men are more than twice as likely to continue dating a girlfriend who has cheated on them with another woman than one who has cheated with another man, according to new research from a University of Texas at Austin psychologist.

Women show the opposite pattern. They are more likely to continue dating a man who has had a heterosexual affair than one who has had a homosexual affair.

The study, published last month in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, provides new insight into the psychological adaptations behind men's desire for a variety of partners and women's desire for a committed partner. These drives have played a key role in the evolution of human mating psychology.

"A robust jealousy mechanism is activated in men and women by different types of cues -- those that threaten paternity in men and those that threaten abandonment in women," says Jaime C. Confer, the study's lead author and a doctoral candidate in evolutionary psychology.

Confer conducted the study with her father, Mark D. Cloud, a psychology professor at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania.

Read More
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Friday, January 28, 2011

News That Matters - Friday, January 28, 2011 - Things To Do Edition

News That Matters

News That Matters
Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org

Telling it like it is for 10 years and counting...



Good Friday Morning,

The News That Matters Reader Survey is still open. If you have not yet been there, please take 6 minutes and help us get to know you better.

Easter is right around the corner and the family is coming over, as they usually do, and you know as well as I do that your dining room, guest room and living rooms aren't exactly as nifty as they could be. Not that anyone in the family will mind, they're family after all, and will not mention the faded walls, cracks and dents and dinks left over from last year. But you know your cousin Sheila will mention it in a facebook post... Contact Taconicarts today for an estimate on getting that cleaned up and shutting Sheila up for good. Just imagine!

What was this five-to-seven inches of snow predicted for the other day? Here at NtM Central in the Free State we had 9.25" of fresh, slightly heavy snow. Mahopac had eleven inches and East Mt. Road in Philipstown recorded 8.5". Norwalk, CT measured 18" and most of Nassau and Suffolk saw between 14" - 16". But the Grand Prize for the area goes to Staten Island with 20" of freshly fallen snow.



So, what to do with all that snow? If you live in Carmel and you also happen to live next door to Highway Supervisor Michael Simone, you get to dig out of a 7' high wall of snow highway workers dumped in your driveway so that Mr. Simone can get to work and then you watch him excuse the hell out of it saying, "That's the only place to put the snow." He could have said, "Jeez, I'm sorry, let's see what we can do in the future," but hey, it's Carmel!

From the Hudson River Estuary Program:
The Hudson River Estuary Program's "Trees for Tribs" initiative offers free native trees and shrubs for streamside buffer planting/restoration projects in the Hudson River Estuary watershed. Since 2007 the program has been responsible for planting more than 18,000 native trees and shrubs along 35,000 feet of stream with the help of thousands of local volunteers.
 
We are now accepting applications Spring 2011 planting sites. Applications received by March 1, 2011 will be given preference.
 
For further information about the program including project applications and fact sheets, please visit the DEC website, www.dec.ny.gov/lands/43668.html  or contact the Hudson River Estuary Program's Stream Buffer Coordinator, Beth Roessler at (845)-256-2253 or baroessl@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

The hose on my vacuum cleaner is shot and I can't tape it together anymore. Just before it reached the critical - can't use the machine ever - stage I order a part from Sears and they ship on the 21st and it arrives in Yorktown on the 25th and is sent out on a truck. Something happens to the truck, what that is is of no consequence since UPS says it's beyond their control. So the package goes back to the depot to await the next day.
Now, you'd think that UPS might start the route the next day at the spot they left off the day before but, nooooooo. And being at the end of the route means that any delay during the day sets you back another day. Hence, as you can see below, UPS has no control.

The package then goes back to Yorktown where (drum roll please...) it starts the process all over again being scanned in as if it were new. Okay, it's sent out for delivery yesterday morning with every road in Putnam County cleared but by noon UPS decides that clear pavement is too much a hassle and so the "movement of the package will resume as soon as the weather conditions allow".

I might have bought that excuse Wednesday afternoon but by yesterday morning when I hit my old, crooked and pockmarked road to shovel out the driveway, it was pretty clear.

Here's the log as of yesterday afternoon. As you can see, at noon they quit. What you cannot see are the floors here at NtM Central and that's for two reasons. One, you're there and I'm here and, two, they are deeply covered in dust, dirt, grime and dog hair and I'm a guy who vacuums every two days without fail. So, Dear UPS! HELP ME!
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/27/2011 12:00 PM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS / THE MOVEMENT OF THE PACKAGE WILL RESUME AS SOON AS THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ALLOW
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/27/2011 7:54 AM OUT FOR DELIVERY
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/26/2011 9:41 PM DESTINATION SCAN
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/26/2011 5:52 PM EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/25/2011 6:58 PM EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL
YORKTOWN HGTS, NY, USA 01/25/2011 6:04 AM OUT FOR DELIVERY

I just checked the UPS website again (09:18AM ) and the package is now (forever?)  lost in "Emergency Conditions Beyond UPS' Control Land", as of 5:40PM last evening.

NYSEG expands energy efficiency program

NYSEG is expanding its Small Business energy Efficiency Program into Putnam and Sullivan counties. For small businesses who use is less than 100 kilowatts, NYSEG is willing to pay up to 70% of the cost of upgrading lighting fixtures along with a free energy audit. Upgrades include the switch to CFL and LED's. Call NYSEG.


Note: Bill Buck lives in the Town of Kent, is my friend and a News That Matters reader. He was on the board of the Putnam County Land Trust and serves with the town on its Conservation Advisory Committee. Because of all that we're going to be carrying his reports from the field which are filed first with the New York Botanical Gardens before the RSS feed picks them up and delivers them to the News That Matters website. The image used in the first report is culled from Panaramio shots taken in the general vicinity of where he's reporting from day to day. Images used in the second report are Bills.

From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn

This article was first posted at Plant Talk by Plant Talk.

 

Ed. note: NYBG scientist and Mary Flagler Cary Curator of Botany, Bill Buck is currently on expedition to the islands off Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America, to study mosses and lichens. Follow his journeys on Plant Talk.

January 21, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile, 54° 30′S, 71° 32′W

The weather caught up with us today. I’ve hardly mentioned the weather, up to this point, because it is such a part of the region that it’s easy to take it for granted. Prior to the trip I warned everyone to be prepared for temperatures around 50ºF, 40 mph winds, and rain. Until today we had been lucky. By that I mean, it has been cool, and somewhat windy, but with only occasional light rain. Here, this is considered good summer weather! Yesterday, our first full collecting day, the weather was cool and breezy with intermittent light rain. Last night when we were discussing the day among ourselves, some of our group hadn’t even noticed that it had rained at all, and it probably rained about a third of the time in the morning. But it was only a light rain and the vegetation is permanently wet, so a little more water was easy to overlook.

Early this morning we left Seno Bluff for the next sound to the west, Seno Sargazos. It was calm waters and overcast but not raining. Right after breakfast we went ashore and collected for several hours along a lake-fed river. I asked the Chileans what they would call the vegetation and was told it was called Magellanic tundra. What a good name! There were only patches of trees in small ravines, the landscape mostly consisted of tussocks of herbaceous plants and bryophytes about 2 feet tall that are very spongy underfoot, with holes between the tussocks. Walking was slow and treacherous. However, collecting was good and we found some real sub-Antarctic mosses.

During lunch we moved the ship to the next sound west, Seno Brujo. Our goal was to get to the southernmost end of it and then work up a river to a large lake we could seen on a map. I guess the rough seas between the two sounds should have been an indication that the weather was changing. When we arrived it was raining hard, but wasn’t too windy, and we decided to go collecting at least for a couple of hours. However, as we suited up in our rain gear, the weather worsened. Once we were standing out on the deck, ready to board the zodiac to go ashore, the rain became torrential and the wind picked up, driving the rain almost horizontally. When it hit your skin it felt like sleet because of the force as well as how cold it was.

The waters were rough with white tops being driven up by the wind. I made an executive decision that we would not go out in the afternoon, much to everyone’s relief. So, we’ll spend the night here tonight, in a slightly more sheltered cove, and go out in the morning. In this part of the world the weather is always a factor, but it is this very weather that results in such lush bryophytes. It is also the reason why the area is uninhabited and the landscape is so stunningly spectacular. But that can wait for morning!

From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn

This article was first posted at Plant Talk by Plant Talk.

Ed. note: NYBG scientist and Mary Flagler Cary Curator of Botany, Bill Buck is currently on expedition to the islands off Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America, to study mosses and lichens. Follow his journeys on Plant Talk.

Magellanic TundraJanuary 22, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo,, Chile, 54° 30′S, 71° 32′W

Yes, we’re in the same place as yesterday. The captain of our ship said that last night, winds of 80 knots (88 mph) were expected, and so he did not want to take the ship out into open water. 88 mph!! That’s hurricane force winds, and indeed during the night the winds howled and the ship was buffeted about.

I got up in the night and went out onto the deck at 3:45 a.m. The deck was illuminated with moonlight, many stars were visible, and the snow glowed on nearby mountains; however, the wind was strong and I held onto the railing to make sure I wouldn’t be blown overboard. Moments like this, alone in the glory of nature, are the moments I treasure above almost everything else. When I came out again at 6:15 a.m., the sun had risen, the winds had died down and the sky was mostly clear. If nothing else, the weather here can change quickly.

By the time we were ready to go into the field, it had started to rain again, but this time only lightly, and the winds, and thus the sea, remained calm. We headed toward what we initially thought was a lake but instead turned out to be a shallow inlet of the sea, accessible by zodiac. We split up and Jim (video) headed toward a large, glacier-fed waterfall because of his special interest in rheophytic bryophytes, those that grow on rocks in moving water. Some rheophytes are only in the water seasonally, following rain patterns, and others are permanently wet. Juan headed up the mountain, toward the snow, because the moss genus he is working on for his dissertation often grows on exposed rocks. Blanka collected along the shore of the small inlet, and I headed for the rocky peaks near the shore and the pockets of forest in more sheltered sites.

Our goal, which seems overwhelming given the immensity of the landscape and the small fraction of it which we are able to collect from, is to document the diversity of mosses and liverworts in the Chilean Antarctic Province (Provincia Antártica Chilena). It’s because of this goal that we spread out in the field and try to sample as many microhabitats as possible.

As the day progressed, the weather worsened. What had been light, intermittent rain became steady light rain, and as the time approached for us to be picked up, the rain increased in intensity until it almost seemed like sleet, it was so cold. The collections, which are put into paper bags, were saturated with water, even after I wrung them out with my hands. The wind was beginning to intensify, and as I waited for the zodiac to pick me up, I began to wish I was wearing  another layer of clothing (in addition to the five layers I already had on!). When we arrived back at the ship we looked like drowned rats, cold and wet. We hurried into the galley, which is constantly warm from the stove, to disrobe. The wet rain gear was carried to the engine room, which now looks like a Chinese laundry with all our wet clothes draped over the pipes.

After a hot lunch (I’ll have to talk about our food another day) we processed our specimens from the morning. All were sopping wet, and by now the paper bags were disintegrating. We have dryers for our mosses, but the heat source consists solely of 100 watt light bulbs. To expedite the drying process it is best to remove as much water beforehand as possible, so every specimen is wrung-out by hand and then placed into a new, dry paper bag. After all our specimens were processed and put on the dryers, we intended to go back into the field for the afternoon and early evening. However, around that time, the wind picked up again–it howled and white caps covered the water. We were told it was too dangerous to take the zodiacs out. We are trapped on the ship (which gives me time to write this). After two days like this, we’re just hoping it won’t become a pattern and thus limit our collecting to the mornings.


What's Going On?

Ed note: If you would like your event(s) listed here, please send a plain text press release with the who, what, where, why, when and how. PDF and JPG files, though they're nice, take a lot of time to retype by hand. So, unless you're going to be sending me two comp tickets to the event please remember, just the text. Nothing but the text. Thanks!


Friday, January 28

Snow is Good

7PM - CIES Talk. Most people pay attention to climate change in the summer, when faced with heat waves, hurricanes, and severe thunderstorms. In the northeast, climate warming is actually more marked in the winter, and the loss of snow cover can have a ripple effect on tree growth and groundwater recharge. Cary Institute scientist Dr. Peter Groffman will discuss how mild winters threaten soil productivity, plant growth, and freshwater resources. Event is free. Location: Cary Institute's auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Steve Chizmadia   

7:30PM At the Beanrunner Cafe in Peekskill. Steve's been singing and playing guitar since he was knee high to a Gibson J-200. He studied acting while attending NYU and studied with Robert Perillo and Stella Adler among others. He performed Off Off Off Off Broadway, in Houston Texas, in Myrtle Beach South Carolina, all the while carrying a guitar and note pad, scribbling lyrics, scratching them out, scribbling new ones.

In 1998, after a twenty year gestation period, the songs started to come. 2003 found Steve a Kerrville New Folk finalist. In 2005 his song "This Old Town" received honorable mention from the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. He began recording his debut C.D. with friend, mentor and producer Fred Gillen, Jr. in early 2006, which was completed in early 2007 and released in September of that year to good airplay on many folk radio programs. He has showcased at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance in New York. Admission: $7

Saturday, January 29

River Explorers:  Hands-on Nature Programs for Ages 5 – 12

11AM - Noon With this event themed “Winter Hide and Seek,” children are welcomed to Beczak Environmental Education Center to learn about hibernation and migration patterns of Hudson River animals. Event is free and open to the public.  Funding is provided thanks to a grant from ConEd. Registration required at vgarufi@beczak.org / (914) 377-1900 ext. 12.  For more information please visit www.beczak.org.
Location: Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701.

Documentary: War Made Easy

5PM War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death (2007, dirs. Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp, 72 mins., PG-13, http://www.warmadeeasythemovie.org/ )

A documentary featuring media critic Norman Solomon and based on a book by him, and narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, chronicles how propaganda has been used to sell wars to the public.

From the filmmaker: "War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. The film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity from the present alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past."

Moderating a discussion about the film will be Vassar College Sociology Professor William Hoynes.

Cost: Free.

Location: Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street, Rosendale, NY 12472 Contact: 845 658-8989. Sponsored by: the Rosendale Theatre Collective and the Children's Media Project, with funding by the New York Council for the Humanities.

Journey of the American Eel

7PM - Learn about the fascinating life cycle of the American eel, plus see and touch live eels, with Sarah Mount, DEC Hudson River Estuary Educator.  The event will cost $10 / teachers half price. For more info contact vgarufi@beczak.org, (914) 377-1900 x 12.  or visit www.beczak.org.  “Eels are amazing!” says Sarah Mount, a young NYS Department of Conservation educator who is paid to think about, watch over, study and teach others about America eels. 

American eels hatch in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the Atlantic Ocean west of the Bahamas, not far from what is known as the “Bermuda Triangle.” Ocean currents carry the transparent “glass eels” over one thousand miles to the U.S. coast, where they swim up the rivers of the northeast, including the Hudson River. After reaching these freshwater bodies they feed and mature for approximately 10 to 25 years before migrating back to the Sargasso Sea where they spawn and die. “Right now larval stage eels are floating along the Gulf Stream heading towards the Hudson and other estuaries along the coast. The older eels that are already upriver and in freshwater systems have gone into a sort of hibernation—they’ve burrowed down under some rocks and won't be seen or heard from until the water gets warmer,” says Sarah Mount, Hudson River Estuary Educator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program and Research Reserve.

How do adult eels make the open ocean journey back to the Sargasso Sea? Why do all eels, worldwide, spawn in that region? Why is the eel population declining drastically?  These are some of the questions scientists are studying and that Sarah Mount will discuss at Journey of the American Eel. She will also bring samples of elvers and adult eels for attendees to see and touch.
Location: Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701.

Jazz Singer Michelle LeBlanc

7:30PM at Hudson House River Inn 2 Main Street, Cold Spring NY  10516 Reservations 845 265 9355 www.michelleleblanc.com

Sunday, January 30

The Last Sunday of the Month Theater Series

4:30PM - At the Beanrunner Cafe, Peekskill. With "Bloom Off the Rose-The Virgin Stories", a drama by Missy Stone. The Peekskill Playhouse Presents "Bloom Off the Rose", a collection of monologues about diverse characters set in the shadow of their lost virginity and the path each followed beyond that pivotal point in their lives. The performance will be followed by a wine and cheese tasting and an hour of Hot Jazz for a Cold Winter's Night. Admission $12.

Into The Future

Tuesday, February 1

Photographs: Little People

A Photographic exhibition by Chris Casaburi. As complex as big people, Little People captures the individuality and uniqueness of people in the early stages of their life, featuring commissioned photographs and personal work.

As you walk into the Kent Library make a hard right turn, then look to your right you’ll see a wall of large colorful prints. This exhibit celebrates the wonders of childhood…  up one minute and down the next, moods can swing in an instant. It’s important to work quickly when photographing children. They tend to have little patience. They meet me and the lights and the camera, and they play along for awhile. Little People runs til Feb. 28, 2011. Kent Library, 17 Sybil’s Crossing, Kent Lakes, NY 10512. ph845-225-8585

Known in the commercial and editorial world for his colorful and engaging portraits of corporate executives, Chris’ work with children reveals a different side in this series of large color photographs. In this exhibit Chris celebrates the wonders of childhood. As complex as big people, Little People captures the individuality and uniqueness of people in the early stages of their life.

Saturday, February 5

Town Meeting with Sandy Galef in Garrison

1PM - 3PM - Come meet with me to hear an update on what is going on in Albany. Bring your ideas and suggestions for what needs to be done to improve our state. At the Desmond Fish Library, 472 Route 403 in Garrison.

Open Casting Call for "Rhymes With Banana"

Noon - 6PM. An open casting call will be held for "Rhymes With Banana", a feature film starring Zosia Mamet (The Kids Are All Right, Parenthood, Mad Men, The Art of Love) and Jee Young Han (The Art of Love, Meet Monica Velour).

"Rhymes With Banana" is a contemporary comedy written by Christina Mengert (Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding; The Art of Love) and Joseph Muszynski (Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding). The film is to be directed by Mr. Muszynski and Peter Hutchings (co-writer of The Art of Love), and will be produced by BCDF Pictures.

Shooting will take place locally in the Hudson Valley from the end of February to the end of March.

The production is seeking local actors and artists for:
• Male roles (ages 18-60)
• Female roles (ages 20-60)
• Male child role (ages 8-12)
• Male role (ages 30-50) with deep bass voice and the ability to sing gospel for a two-line chorus

Requirements: Please bring a headshot or a recent photo. Screen Actors Guild and non-SAG artists welcome.

When: Saturday, February 5, from 12-6pm
Where: The Kingston Media Factory/Stella May Gallery Theatre
101 Greenkill Ave, Kingston, NY 12401

Thursday, February 10

Forest to Faucet

9AM - Noon - What does a watershed need to produce clean water? The Hudson River Watershed  Alliance and the Hudson River Estuary Program present a new Geographic Information System mapping tool that can help identify important watershed attributes.  Donald Steinmetz of the Highlands Environmental Research Institute will present this new GIS tool, based on data developed by the US Forest Service.  Fran Dunwell and Scott Cuppett from the Hudson River Estuary Program, and Jennifer Grossman from the Highlands Coalition and Open Space Institute will discuss the importance of clean water and watershed management in the Hudson Valley. To Register Contact Barbara Kendall, HRWA Coordinator:  barbara@hudsonwatershed.org  914 474 2759
Snow Date: February 17
Location: Sterling Forest Visitor Center, 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo, NY 10987

This event will be followed by a meeting of the Highlands Coalition. Contact Janet Burnett for more information.

Financing Education Through Income Taxes

7PM - 9PM State Assemblywoman Sandra Galef has invited Assemblyman Kevin Cahill to discuss his bill A447 which would shift the burden of school funding from property taxes to income taxes. Joining Mr. Cahill will be Frank Mauro from the Public Policy Institute, Edmund J. McMahon, the director of the Empire Center for New York State Policy and Martin Reid, Deputy Director of Government Relations from the NY School Boards Association. At the Desmond Fish Library, 472 Route 403 (at the intersection of Route 9D). Call 914 941-1111 for more information.

Saturday, February 12

Town Meeting with Sandy Galef in Putnam Valley

10AM - Noon - Come meet with me to hear an update on what is going on in Albany. Bring your ideas and suggestions for what needs to be done to improve our state. At the Putnam Valley Library, 20 Oscawana Lake Road, Putnam Valley

Town Meeting with Sandy Galef in Kent Lakes

1Pm - 3PM - Come meet with me to hear an update on what is going on in Albany. Bring your ideas and suggestions for what needs to be done to improve our state. At the Kent Public Library, 17 Sybil's Crossing, Kent Lakes.

Tom Chapin

7:30PM - Described as "totally captivating" by Billboard Magazine, Tom Chapin is a singer, guitar player, TV personality, concert performer, actor, composer, and recording artist.  Tom's concerts span generations and stereotypes, and his recordings have earned him awards from Parent's Choice New York Music Awards, and Emmy and Peabody Awards for his work with ABC's Make a Wish. Tom is also renowned for carrying on the work of his brother, the late Harry Chapin, in combating world hunger.

For more than 30 years and through 20 CD's, Chapin has entertained, amused and enlightened audiences of all ages with life-affirming original songs told in a sophisticated array of musical styles.  Tom's remarkable musicianship, great songwriting and personal warmth shine though whether he's performing in a concert hall, an outdoor festival, a school, in front of a symphony orchestra or in an intimate coffeehouse.

Tom Chapin's adult concerts and recordings are sparked by strong, intelligent songwriting with clear, engaging vocals and the intricate, melodic guitar work that has become his trademark.

The Coffeehouse takes place in Asbury Hall in Memorial United Methodist Church, located at:
250 Bryant Avenue, White Plains, NY   

Doors open at 6:30 PM- Open Seating So arrive early, get yourself a cup of fair trade coffee, with some delicious cookies or cake and take part in our Informal Teachabout with Walkabout at 6:45 PM. Main Performance Starts at 7:30PM Tickets in Advance: Adults- $20.00; Children- 6-12 $10.00 - Door Price: Adults-$25.00;  At Door with Student ID- $15.00

Thursday, February 17

Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop

NSCW 2011: What Does the Future Hold?  Workshop Topics Include: • Transit-oriented Development • Alternative Energy • Innovations in Brownfields Redevelopment • Sustainable Communities, and more!

Join us in this dynamic workshop to discuss how sustainable communities are created.  The program for this workshop is intended to be a half day of intensive, high energy exchanges between stakeholders sharing varied perspectives on the issues surrounding sustainable redevelopment, alternative energy, and more. 

Stakeholder perspectives that include real estate finance, government at all levels, corporations, community representatives, NGOs and consultants who provide a range of technical expertise will be invited to participate in interactive sessions that focus on best practices and the challenges to their implementation.  Join us for this unique conversation! The 2011 Northeast Sustainable Communities aWorkshop is being coordinated by the Brownfields Coalition of the Northeast.  Workshop Fees: Government/Non-Profit: $40 Private: $75 Student: $25 Keynote Lunch Speaker: Bill Finch, Mayor City of Bridgeport. See attached information.

Location: Bridgeport, CT (Housatonic Community College)

Sunday, February 27th

Winter Ecology Walk

2PM Join Cary Institute educators for an interpretive stroll along our snow-covered trails. While bears and chipmunks are sleeping away the winter, there are still signs of life on our grounds. Put on your hat and boots and discover animal tracks, ice bell formations, cold weather insects, and the wonders of winter survival. Meet at the main campus parking area, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Rte. 44) in Millbrook, NY. RSVPs are required; let us know if you are signing up for the adult walk or the family-friendly walk. Contact (845) 677-7600 x 121 or e-mail freemanp@caryinstitute.org.

Friday April 22 - Earth Day

An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater

We're excited to announce Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater, which will be held at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY, on April 22 at 8pm.

The show will feature Pete Seeger & Tao Seeger, Peter Yarrow & Bethany Yarrow, Bernice Johnson Reagon & Toshi Reagon, and David Amram and Family. Performances by Clearwater friends and special guests including Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Guy Davis, Rufus Cappadocia and the Power of Song, will round out this special celebration. 

Clearwater's environmental mission is about inspiring and educating the next generation, and we have applied this theme to music. Honoring tradition while looking toward the future has always been a major part of the Clearwater Festival. The Generations concert is all about classic Clearwater artists performing with and inspiring their children and grandchildren in order to carry on their legacy through song.

Tickets for the Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration concert range from $48 to $98.  A limited amount of $250 tickets include premium seating, a post concert reception with the artists, as well as special Clearwater gifts. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
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