| News That Matters Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org | ||
| Contact Us | Shop Putnam | Putnam Outdoors | RSS Feed | Visit the Blog | Visit our Sponsor | Donate | Blogsite | Events | ||
| | ||
| Good Wednesday Morning, It's another beautiful May morning out there today. Dry weather, sunny skies, cool but warming today. Hopefully you've got your gardens in and the asparagus and radishes are coming in by now. We're up to some 80 degrees come Friday so get ready! I gave a presentation on Stormwater issues last evening at the Lake Carmel Community meeting. Previewed were four Public Service Announcements I produced for the Town of Kent's Stormwater Committee. You can view the videos here and you should. They're great. Really. Maybe it's just me but I've noticed the price of gasoline has been creeping up again, sometimes a nickel a day. Keep an eye on Exxon's profits and tell me there's no correlation. The NY State Assembly passed important civil rights legislation yesterday. By a vote of 89-52 that body said that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as anyone else. Two years ago Assemblywoman Sandy Galef voted against the bill and if you remember I wasn't kind about that decision, stating that civil rights should not be based on polling data but on justice. This year she voted in favor, stating on the Assembly floor during debate that she had been wrong. Well, kudos to her! In fact, the only lower Hudson member of the Assembly to vote against the bill was Greg Ball. Anyway, call Ms. Galef's office in Ossining at (914) 941-1111 or in Albany at (518) 455-5348 and say, "thanks!" Now it's on to the state Senate where the Speaker says he won't bring the bill to the floor unless he knows he has 32 votes in order for it to pass. But he made promises to two NYC members not to support this bill in order to get them to join his party (and thus hold a majority) and now finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Eh, that's no problem for guys like that who can walk both sides of the line any time they want - even on the same issue.The Town of Kent's planning board meets tomorrow at 7:30 PM to discuss, among other things, Patterson Crossing. Yeah, I'm really tired of typing those words. If you'd like to read the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for yourself, point your browser here and scroll down. It's guaranteed to fill some empty time at the office today. We spent a billion taxpayer dollars (don't worry, you'll get the bill) for a new stadium for the Yankees. You'd think they' could do better than 15-17. We spent less than a billion on the Mets and they're at 18-14 and in first place. Is there a pattern here? Once again a reminder: Friday is the Things to Do edition of News That Matters. If your organization or club or social group is planning an event please let me know by tomorrow. And now, the News:
Benfield's closure, new store to change face of PattersonMichael Risinitmrisinit@lohud.com PATTERSON - Benfield Electric Supply, part of Patterson's downtown since the mid-1980s, closed its Route 311 location recently and is selling the property. The White Plains-based company, which also has operations in England and Japan, owns the low-slung, green warehouse between the Patterson Library and the Metro-North railroad tracks. The company's departure is one of two changes coming to the town's business landscape. Benfield's exit has town leaders and others, such as Patterson Chamber of Commerce President Tony LoMeli, hoping another enterprise moves in to boost the town's business scene. "From a retail standpoint, there was really a hole there anyway," LoMeli said, referring to Benfield's mostly warehouse operation that featured a small retail outlet. "I haven't really heard anything yet." Read More Rethinking a provision in bottle lawProposal considered by Paterson would mandate a two-tiered fee scaleBy CATHY WOODRUFF, Business writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 ALBANY — A provision in the state's new bottle law that increased the handling fee paid to supermarkets would be rolled back under a proposal being floated by Gov. David Paterson. Several people briefed by the governor's staff Monday said the plan would establish a two-tiered fee scale that would save wholesalers money while leaving supermarkets short of cash to implement the new law. Small retailers and redemption centers still would receive increased handling fees of 3.5 cents per container collected, while stores of 10,000 square feet or more — most chain supermarkets — would stay at the previous level of 2 cents per container. The handling fee is paid by wholesalers and bottlers who ultimately receive the containers collected at stores and redemption centers. "We think this is outrageous," said Michael Rosen, a vice president with the Food Industry Alliance of New York State. "The food stores are the guys that make the bottle law work, and this would penalize them just as they're being required to take back an additional 3.2 billion water bottles" each year. Read More 6 heat-oil firms settle over unfit practicesContracts, charges part of NY complaintBy Larry Hertz Poughkeepsie Journal State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday his office had reached settlements with six New York-based home heating oil companies that do business in the Hudson Valley for improper practices involving consumers. The agreements were made with Wilson Oil, of Beacon; Russo Fuel, based in Highland; Paraco Gas Corp, which has offices in Pine Plains and Salt Point; DePew Oil Company, of Newburgh; Vaincourt Fuels of Malone, Franklin County, and Kuno Oil Co. of Canton, St. Lawrence County. The agreements end various deceptive practices and provide refunds to more than 500 consumers who were wrongfully charged, as well as penalties and costs to the state, Cuomo said. Read More Top 10 Most Common Ingredients in Fast Foodby William HarrisOrder a meal in any fast-food restaurant, and you'll likely walk away with a sandwich, fries and a drink. If you had to identify the ingredients of this meal, you might list beef (or chicken), lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup, bread, potatoes and soda. Not complicated, right? Wrong. Burger and chicken joints don't think of the building blocks of a menu item as ingredients. They think of them as components, which are made of ingredients. For example, McDonald's famous Big Mac jingle -- "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" -- suggests the sandwich has seven components. Would you believe it has 67 ingredients? Read More The Ten Saltiest Meals in America
Cash for (Lawn Mower) ClunkersThe Greener Gardens Act would offer up to $1,000 for people who purchase alternative fuel lawn and garden equipment.With Congress moving forward with a flawed "cash for clunkers" bill that will subsidize the purchase of trucks and SUVs that get as little as 15 mpg, it may also consider a brighter proposal: A cash for lawn mower clunkers program. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Greener Gardens Act would offer a 25% tax credit, up to $1,000 for those who purchase fuel efficient alternative energy lawn and garden equipment: "Qualifying equipment would include that powered by a motor drawing current from solar, electricity or rechargeable or replacement batteries, as well as equipment run off other alternatives to gasoline–such as propane or compressed natural gas. It would also include 'hybrid' machines whose cutting systems are powered by a generator or electrical storage device combines with a small engine." Read More Wilderstein’s “1909” Exhibit 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the exploration of the Hudson River by Henry Hudson and many events are planned throughout the Hudson Valley for the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. However, Wilderstein Historic Site dedicated its 2009 special exhibition to see what the 1909 Terecentennial celebration was like a hundred years ago. This “1909” exhibit will allow visitors to step back in time and experience what life was like in the Hudson Valley in the early 1900s. Visitors get to see and enjoy photos and mementos, learn more about the clothing, decorative arts, books, magazines, household gadgets, and overall lifestyle that connected the residents of Wilderstein to the Hudson River 100 years ago. Also, many of the featured pieces will be on public display for the first time ever. Read More |
| |
| Copyright © 2009 News That Matters | ||
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
News That Matters - May 13, 2009
