Category: News

Winter Closings: New Lebanon Board of Education

We just received a call that tonight’s New Lebanon Board of Education meeting has been canceled.

Let us know if you hear of any other closings and we will post here. Just email them to
jeff@columbiacountycurrent.com

Columbia County News: I’m Stuck In The Middle With You

There is an interesting article on the DailyFreeman.com today written by Hugh Reynolds, the Political Editor. The article details Governor Spitzer’s first “State of Upstate” address delivered on Wednesday, in which Spitzer pledged $1 billion for revitalization efforts in upstate New York. However, apparently Spitzer doesn’t consider Columbia County and the rest of the Hudson Valley as part of Upstate NY.

Following is an exerpt from the article:

“If downstate (New York City and its suburbs) is revitalized, and upstate is in need of assistance, where is the Hudson Valley in this equation?” Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, said in a prepared statement.

Last year, the Business Council of New York gave “upstate” (all 57 counties north of New York City) a collective “F” for economic development. But by Spitzer’s definition, the Hudson Valley is a separate entity and not included in the governor’s proposals for upstate New York.

Bonacic said that needs to be addressed.

You can read the entire article, Hudson Valley not part of Spitzer’s ‘upstate’ by Hugh Reynolds, Political Editor, by clicking here.

A New Law For New Lebanon Pet Owners

Dog (and cat) owners are now officially responsible for scooping up after their pets on both public and private lands. Failure to scoop your pet’s poop may result in a fine of $250, which is a pricey poop!

Unfortunately, the law had to be created because dog owners were allowing their dogs to use the field where local little league teams play baseball as a poop park without cleaning up afterward. The poor kids showing up to play ball had to delay games and find shovels to clean up their field before games could get under way.

You might think common sense and decency would have moved a pet owner to pick up after their pet. Sadly, it looks as if that wasn’t the case and now a new law will officially be added to the books to force people to take responsibility for their pets.

Local Projects To Receive State Grant Funding

Governor Spitzer has announced that two projects in Hudson and one in Stockport will receive over half a million dollars of state grant funds. The money will assist with waterfront revitalization projects, historic preservation efforts, expanding open space, and increasing access to public lands.

From The Independent:

“In total, over half a million dollars will go to:
*$200,000 for the Hudson Opera House. Built in 1855, The Hudson Opera House is New York’s oldest surviving theater. This project will restore much of the exterior of the building, staircase and upper level public lobby.
*$250,000 for the Hudson Area Association Library. The library association will undertake a multi-phased project to stabilize and restore the historic building, constructed in 1818, and address issues relating to health and safety, energy conservation, and protecting and preserving the library’s collections, as well as a reconfiguration of the programming space.
*$100,000 for the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc., which will create a passive recreation park on property located in the Town of Stockport. The park will include a hiking trail, wildlife observation areas, pavilion, and interpretive signage on ecologically sensitive riverfront property abutting the Hudson River.”

I’m thrilled to hear about this as any projects with the goal of revitalizing our historic buildings and giving us more park space are my idea of progress.

Please visit The Independent for the full story.