Mike Hein: Yesterday's Hero-Tomorrows Villain!

February 2011, County Executive Mike Hein reported victory in his battle to curtail turbid water dumping into the Lower Esopus by NYC Dept of Environmental Protection. While the news is received as positive, (the water quality of the Lower Esopus's chocolate brown and full of sediment and impurities as a direct result of the dumping), the situation that now exists is more alarming. Ashokan Reservoir levels have been at 100% since the NYC DEP stopped releasing excess water, with the return of warm weather and spring thaw, the excess water run off into the Lower Esopus has and will continue to cause flooding along it's length. This weekend will tell the tale, heavy rain and snow combined with an above average spring thaw will certainly complicate an already serious situation. With no further water releases planned by the NYC DEP, water levels will surge above flood levels. Will residents think of Executive Hein as hero or villain?

Biddy Basketball Championship

Just in time for the beginning of the Ulster Little League Baseball, the Ulster Biddy Basketball season ended at Miller Middle School tonight. The final game (league championship), between Binnewater & Adam's Fairacre Farms went down to the wire. With less than a minute to play and Binnewater ahead by 2 points 60-58 and both teams in bonus 1 and 1's, it was enough for the hard playing Adam's team to force fouls shots. Binnewater, led by Tyler Robinson was up to the task as he made all but one of his free throws to widen the gap to 5 points by games end. Congratulations to Binnewater and Coach Robinson with but one loss on the season, (a loss to Adams). All the coaches and players are to be congratulated for a successful season.

Open Forum, Your Questions Answered..............

With the Local Election Cycle on the horizon, Ulster is Your Town Too is opening the comment section of this blog up for questions, suggestions and grievances town residents might have for our current Board members and Town Supervisor Jim Quigley.
While it is true that Supervisor Quigley has made himself available to residents at Town Hall during business hours as well as weekends and evenings at his office and at coffee clutches around town, there remain many residents who have not had the opportunity to discuss issues regarding Town policy.

Friends and Neighbors, for the next 28 days the floor is yours, we are confident your issues will be addressed, with one caveat, 'Please keep it clean'!

Recreation Dept...Another Town Success Story!

I realize that the Posts have been few and far between, that's a good thing. With not much going on locally..........politically speaking anyway, there is not much to report out of the ordinary.

The mining operation in Eddyville was handled by the administration efficiently and to the satifaction of town residents, the Open House Saturdays was so well utilized that Supervisor Quigley continues to make himself available for the convenience of the residents.

All in all, the Biddy Basketball league is winding down, playoffs begin March 22nd, Kudos to Jeff Hayner and Eric Kitchen, (all the coaches and kids included), they did a great job making the Recreation Department the success it has become. Saturday was the last sign up for T of U Little League, tryouts are this Wed. March 9th, good luck to all the boys and girls, I'm sure the season will produce a few future High School All Stars.

With the snow finally melting Spring 2011 can't be far behind, just a few short weeks and the planting season will be in full swing.

Open Door Policy

In an effort to accomodate the residents of the Town, Supervisor Quigley is making his office as well as himself more accessibe. Saturdays in January Town Hall and the Supervisor's office is open for business.
As well as being on hand to discuss issues with residents, the Town Clerks office will be open at the same time, 9 AM to Noon Jamuary 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, for anyone wishing to pay their taxes.
It may seem trivial to some but it was a major sticking point with residents during the Woerner Administration, Nick's unwillingness to return phone calls and keep appointments and answer questions as well as respond to the concerns of residents.

YNN at Town Hall

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We at Ulster Is Your Town Too would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends & neighbors the very best of the Holiday Season! It has been an interesting year and we expect next year to be even more interesting.
We would like to thank our loyal readers for keeping with the Holiday Spirit and refraining from base interaction. This blog is dedicated to offering our neighbors a venue for debate and will continue to do so in the new Year.
So, All the Best of the Season, Christmas, New Year, Kwanza, Chanukah, Feliz Navidad, Boun Natale etc., etc. so on and so on ......................Until Next Year!

Looking Ahead!

With a new year just on the horizon and the challenges it will bring we may have to look to one another a little more next year.
Towns, Counties and States will be feeling the economic pinch a little harder as cuts in services and employment continue. With little hope for existing revenue increases, government entities are beginning to look to new areas to tap for funds. These 'New Revenues' may not be tax increases, but make no mistake, they are fees for services for which we are already paying.
The City of New York, lead by the very creative Mayor Bloomberg, (a potential candidate for President in 2012), is the first in New York State's city entities to put forth new taxes disguised as 'Fees for Services Rendered'. In this particular case the City of New York will be charging for such services as automobile fires and accident clean up as well as EMS and Ambulance Services. It was not too long ago such services were considered part of the budget, that is paid for out of the many, many taxes which the city levies on it's residents and businesses as well as sales taxes and additional sin taxes. This is no longer the case and if successful, you can expect municipalities outside of NYC to begin charging for such services.
Mind you there is some legitimacy to Mayor Bloomberg's idea, costs related to non-residents auto accidents on the streets of NYC have thus far been the burden of City Residents, but this law goes further, a sliding scale of fees has been created to charge all accident victims for city services.
These fees will undoubtably be passed along to insurance companies on a no fault basis and then divided among it's customers finding it's way into the annual premiums as higher insurance cost.
The issue at hand is whether or not we allow our elected officials to have unbridled power over our pay checks and let them continue to pick the pockets of their citizenry whenever their excessive spending policy dims their re-election chances.
Don't be fooled by 0% tax levies, pay close attention to the actions of county and city executives as they will be attempting similar methods to raise revenue in difficult economic times.
What's next: Fees for school bus pick-ups, mail deliver charges and winter road maintenence?
Isn't that why we pay taxes in the first place?