If you are looking for official election results for every town in Columbia County, check out the Columbia County Board of Elections site by clicking here.
The site gives you a full breakdown of every vote cast for each candidate. Here’s an example of what you will find on the site:
For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent on Facebook, and twitter @CoCoCurrent.
Today at 1pm, there will be a live debate between the two candidates running for New York’s 19th Congressional district seat. The candidates are Republican John Faso and Democrat Zephyr Teachout. The race to replace retiring GOP Congressman Chris Gibson is one of the most closely-watched in the state and country.
The debate by WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, at The Linda in Albany, will be hosted by WAMC’s President and CEO Dr. Alan Chartock — anchor of WAMC’s Congressional Corner segment — co-moderated by WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne, and Times Union state editor Casey Seiler. The debate, which will be broadcast live over WAMC’s 29 radio frequencies can also be heard online at wamc.org
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Did you see the PBS documentary, Earth Days, that aired this week? It’s an inspiring history of the events and people who created Earth Day. I have to admit that before watching Earth Days, I really didn’t know anything about the origins of Earth Day. The documentary does an amazing job of pairing interviews and narration with video illustrating what is being discussed. I was surprised to learn how much of a positive impact Richard Nixon had on the environmental movement and the establishment of Earth Day. Nixon even gave a rebel-rousing speech extolling the advancement of energy sources that would decrease the country’s need on foreign oil. It was during Nixon’s presidency that OPEC nations began cutting off the supply of oil to the United States leading to the energy crisis of the 1970s.
This crisis continued to dominate the times into President Carter’s term and Carter responded with further initiatives to alleviate America’s dependance on oil including laws that forced Detroit to make cars that ran longer on less gas. Did you know that Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House? I had no idea. These panels generated enough energy to heat all of the hot water within the building, which is fairly impressive considering the size of the White House and the limited solar technology available at the time.
This “Green” movement took place during the 1970’s and real advancements were made–pollution was slowed, lakes and streams were cleaned, air quality was improved, alternative energy development sources utilizing the sun and wind were built. 40 years after the first Earth Day we should all have affordable and easily acquired access to solar and wind energy. Gas guzzling automobiles should be as antiquated and odd-looking as Gremlins and Novas, the concept of “Green” should be so passe that we are already onto something better.
So what happened? Simply put, Ronald Reagan happened. Reagan campaigned on a notion that we are Americans and we shouldn’t have to conserve anything. He convinced people that alternative energy was a showing of weakness and set the Republican party, which had been an eco-conscious group, on it’s steroid-laden post industrial binge. After taking office, Reagan began systematically destroying almost everything the environmental movement had achieved. He started by cutting the funding to groups working to further reduce the oil dependency, repealed the strict automobile efficiency standards and, in a public display, tore down the White House’s solar panels erected by Carter.
Imagine what our world could be like today if Reagan furthered the environmental movement or, at the absolute least, left it alone.
Despite Reagan’s efforts, Earth Day continues today and the principles it was founded on seem to be finding more of a following than ever before. People of all walks of life (not just radical hippies) are making changes in their lives to reduce the destruction of the Earth.
If you haven’t watched Earth Days yet, I highly recommend it. You can watch it now on PBS.org by clicking here or check your TV’s guide channel for more showings.
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.
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.
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