Gardening with Dee Sally Summer 2009

Hudson RiverDay

New York’s 400th Celebration!


We have the rare centennial privilege of celebrating our great state’s 400th anniversary. 2009 marks the dual 400th anniversaries of the voyage of English Captain Henry Hudson, who led (for the Dutch) the first European expedition to sail up the river that now bears his name, and Frenchman Samuel de Champlain, the first European to gaze upon the waters of the namesake lake. To celebrate these simultaneous quadricentennials – as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s maiden journey up the Hudson River on the first successful steamboat – New York State and its many communities have planned a yearlong series of events. Starting from the harbor of the big apple to our state capitol and up to Quebec we are focusing on the commemoration of the Discovery of New York, celebrating our Dutch, French and English roots and heritage. While we are at it, we are celebrating who we are, unique among other states, with the notable distinction of our embrace of diversity, tolerance and innovation. Most important of all, we are utilizing all of the state resources and agencies to map out a planned legacy of environmental and economic sustainability so that the 500th anniversary of New York is assured. Our slogan: New York’s 400th-celebrating the past, planning for the future!

Our planning for the future includes the New York State Quadricentennial Legacy Projects.
The first at Governors Island, the site of one of New York’s first Dutch settlements and a strategic 19th-century coastal fortification. This legacy project will allow visitors to have access to the entire perimeter promenade for the first time, and will create a park area with unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline. The second, eighty-five miles up the Hudson River, where a world destination will be established when the “Walkway Over the Hudson” finishes the transformation of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge into a spectacular “park in the sky” linking the river’s two shorelines with a 6,767-foot iron span creating the longest elevated walkway in the world. On Lake Champlain, the state is finishing a full restoration of the historic Crown Point Lighthouse . Soon, its beacon will shine again over the stabilized ruins of two nearby forts – Crown Point and St. Frederic – that symbolize the region’s English and French heritage.

By the end of the month, we will have delivered the 400th! flag to every school, town, village, city and county, library, historic and cultural institution in New York City, and the Hudson and Champlain Valleys. These groups can now boast that over 1000 of their Quadricentennial events have been listed on the ExploreNY400.com website. These event highlights include:
River Day!New York Harbor and Hudson Valley-(June 5-13)
Festival of Nations and Crown Point Historic Site Opening-Lake Champlain (September 19)
Governors Island Dutch Festival-New York City (September 13)
Walkway-Over-the-Hudson Grand Opening-Poughkeepsie (October 3)

We are working to help assist all of the libraries as they stock up on Dutch, and New York history books establishing Quadricentennial bookshelves, every Chamber of Commerce as they rally business leaders to co-host events and projects, and the many tourism/visitor bureaus as they work to sponsor welcoming and worthy-of-the-day celebrations, tours and expositions.
The media and regional publications have prepared to devote the whole year on recording this grand commemoration to be memorialized for future generations. Bike and water trail events, yacht races, boat shows, rowing relays the length of the Hudson, and serious competitive kayak races are scheduled including the circumnavigation of Manhattan by international competitors.

4th, 5th, and 7th grade classes are including curriculums of New York’s 400th incorporating what the State Education Department has prepared as well as more than a dozen others prepared by puppeteers, acting troops, the National Parks Service program “Teaching the Hudson Valley”, the NYS DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and most notably Captain Reynolds of Henry Hudson’s replica ship, the Half Moon.

The Port Authority will soon install 400th banners throughout their airports, as will the Bridge Authority on Hudson Valley bridges. MTA has designated all Hudson River train stations and ferries-Quadricentennial stops and boats; and all of New York State’s thruway and canal stops will fly the 400th flag!

West Point has plans for a 400th commemorative concert in June with the West Point Band; and all of our colleges and universities, our great museums and cultural institutions, and the many New York sports teams and clubs, all have planned quad events and programs.

The first New York Medal of Discovery will be awarded by Governor Paterson to a distinguished New Yorker as a befitting inaugural event of the Quadricentennial, and the state is host to an International Stamp Expoon the Albany Concourse on the exact day, 100 years later, that the Henry Hudson stamp, a hugely valuable collector’s item was released. The original 1909 commemorative Henry Hudson stamp will be on loan for the show from the National Museum in Washington.

Macy’s has commissioned the Hudson score for the NY Pops to be played at their Quadricentennial Fourth of July event, there are plans for the NATO ships to join the US armed services for Fleet Week in the harbor and we helped sponsor a Quadricentennial sustainability show in the central hall of the American Museum of Natural History this past January for over 10,000 families.

We are looking forward to hosting and welcoming members of the Dutch Royal family to join us for a variety of events in September in New York City, the Hudson Valley and Albany as we did 50 years ago when Queen Beatrix, then Princess Beatrix, paid a commemorative royal visit.

The ever growing list of commemorative events and projects goes on and on. This list will have weekly updates on this website. We are also producing a quarterly e-newsletter featuring valley wide developments-we welcome your announcements for both.

To all of the people of the Champlain Valley, the Hudson Valley and the great city of New York (formerly New Amsterdam) please sign on as we celebrate the most memorable moment in our lifetimes, extraordinary in our state’s history!


NEWSFLASH!!!

Developing details for the NYS Signature event River Day…

Hudson Valley leaders in the boating and waterfront communities including the major Hudson River organizations, have set the schedule for the first annual Hudson River Day and for its beginning to come about as a Quadricentennial legacy event. The enthusiasm and comradery has been the main ingredient to collectively start what will be the premier and linear event in the valley to commemorate 400 years of history of the river, boats and ships, and friends.

The date is set for Hudson River Day to traditionally take place the first week end of June when boat owners typically uncover and spruce up their boats and get on the water. We are very grateful to the Holland Society’s President and his wife for their guidance for this event based on their important involvement with the Seattle Opening Day which we are using as a model.


For 2009, June 6th will be the official day although the celebration and events will be spread out over a few days to accommodate the signature event, the Relay Flotilla.

The flotilla will start the morning of June 6th with the boat and yacht clubs of Manhattan and New York City being the first to send out their memberships around the tip of Manhattan and coming round the statue of liberty led up the river by our New York State heritage flagships tracing Henry Hudson’s path to Albany.
At this time, we have commitments from the flagships; the famous Onrust, Clearwater, the Woody Guthrie, the Half Moon and the Mystic Whaler.

The events along the river at the boat and yacht clubs, the cultural institutions and museums, and all of the waterfront parks will have appeal and activities for everyone as the summer begins an entire season of celebration. We are working to build the land components with parks, the Harbor District in NYC, and countless others. We will host a “launch” celebration in the city the night before the Relay Flotilla as a celebration of New York’s heritage flagships, and then, a welcoming ceremony when the flotilla arrives in Albany.

The promotion of River Day was the centerpiece of the New York National Boat Show this past December with lots of boaters signing on at the show.

That “sign-on” was inspired by the shows greatest exhibit. The exhibit is of the building of the Onrust! This is an exact replica of the first ship (Dutch of course!) built in Manhattan, the first sailing vessel in the United States.

The Onrust will be one of the flagship symbols and national launch of New York's 400th anniversary! The first in a series of fantastic events throughout 2009 to celebrate New York's 400 years of shared history with the Dutch exemplified by the greatest ship building in the world and throughout world history.
Please go to our River Day link to sign on for this great commemorative event!

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Community Garden - Co-Op - Farmers Market

It is admirable that our Government offers Grants so that we may have a nice Village Riverfront Park, a New Kayak Launch and other things that will help beautify our Village. Perhaps it is time to think more about the Residents and the hard times that are upon us all. Prices on everything are going up causing us to tighten our belts by cutting back on necessities. Food should not be one of them.

As Concerned Citizens and Residents of Athens we should join together to watch out for each other during these difficult times. This is what has always made Athens a special community to live in.

Wouldn’t it be neighborly to establish a Community Garden with other Athenians who would like to grow their own vegetables but don’t have space to do it. We could call ourselves the “Greater Athens Community Garden Association”. Besides growing vegetables to feed our own families we may want to grow a little extra for Elderly Athenians who can no longer grow their own and people in need in the Village. We are also exploring the creation of a Food Co-Op to provide that which we cannot grow and a Farmers market to allow everyone access to reasonably priced fresh produce.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGE SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED JUST DROP US A NOTE AT: G.A. Community Garden Assoc. C/O C.A.R.D., P.O. Box, 126 Athens, N.Y. 12015.

“ ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF WE WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY “
Posted by CARD Member at 10:04 AM
Labels: Athens Residents, Community Garden, Food Co-Op, Grants, New Kayak Launch, Village Riverfront Park, Waterfront

Village seeks to buy Elco property
By Susan Campriello
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

ATHENS - The village of Athens, with assistance from the Greene County Industrial Development Agency, hopes to buy waterfront property near Fourth Street upon which Elco Electric Launch Incorporated is located.
Alexander "Sandy" Mathes, executive director of the IDA, said Friday he had been negotiating the terms of a purchase option with the property's owner, Dr. Thomas Glendening, who has been involved with waterfront redevelopment projects in Newburgh.

"We have been talking with him for a couple of months so we can then try to get a business or do something at that site, but at this point there is no agreement," he said.

The village of Athens has scheduled a public hearing for 12:30 p.m. today to discuss a $750,000 Restore NY grant to finance rehabilitation of the property. The hearing will be canceled if an agreement with Glendening has not been reached by that time. The grant application can't be submitted so long as Glendening owns the property, according to Mathes.

Glendening said Sunday he had been "obliquely" approached about selling his property but that no offers had been made. The Daily Mail had not been informed of an agreement before the time of publication Sunday night.

Last September, Elco Electric Launch Incorporated entered into an agreement with the Athens Local Development Corporation to retain and create jobs in Athens.

Operations at Elco ceased as recently as last fall.

Robert Lievense, who owns Elco, was unavailable to speak about the company, according to his wife and the company's co-owner, Judith. She had no comment about a Motion of Summary Judgment In Lieu Of Complaint recently filed by the ALDC to recover from the company almost $280,000, which includes an unpaid balance, late charges and interest. She said she was not aware of any possibility that the land could be sold.

Athens Mayor Andrea Smallwood said over the weekend that she would like to see the Elco building remain as a manufacturing facility and for it to be used by a company able to create and maintain jobs.

She and Mathes said that the village could either keep the waterfront property, if an agreement with Glendening is reached and renovations are completed, or sell it to another business.

"We are trying to make something happen at that building," Mathes said.

To reach reporter Susan Campriello, please call (518) 943-2100, ext. 3333, or e-mail scampriello@thedailymail.net. Village seeks to buy Elco property

ExploreNY400.com

About Us: "One hundred years ago, commemorative events for Hudson, Fulton and Champlain highlighted technological breakthroughs, celebrating recent advances in flight and electricity. Today, the Hudson River-Lake Champlain Corridor is a global center for new technology, transportation and commerce.

The 1909 celebration was a catalyst for scenic, natural and historic preservation. In the Hudson River Valley, Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks were established. The property that is now Crown Point Historic Site on Lake Champlain was conserved, and Fort Ticonderoga was restored to its 18th-century appearance. Celebrations also featured the construction of noble monuments and a re-examination of our regional heritage.



Hudson River

Today, the Hudson and Champlain valleys continue to be places that sustain us. They help us examine the meaning of place and our relationship to the earth and water. These landscapes support us and contribute to who we are.



This sense of place will guide us as we prepare for 2009."

THE CONCERNED CITIZEN

Feb 24, 2009 09:54:54 AM, hodgesdolo2@verizon.net wrote:
Hi Folks this is the second edition of our Newsletter send me your comments......Dee


THE CONCERNED CITIZEN
Published by: CONCERNED CITIZENS for RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT Inc.
P.O. Bx. 126 ATHENS, N.Y.12015 concernedusa.org
__________________________________ PRESERVATION of... ATHENS ..PRESS….2nd edition February, 2009…page..1
“KEEPING ATHENS CITIZENS IN THE LOOP”

Welcome Readers to the second edition of the Concerned Citizen. This newsletter will be published periodically to keep you informed of news and events which may affect the “Quality of Life” here in Athens now and for generations to come……………………..

The Village of Athens will hold a General Election on MARCH 18th to elect a new Mayor and two new Trustees. Trustee and Deputy Mayor Chris Pfister will not be running for any office this year leaving his seat vacant and the Trustee position held by Tom Sopris is up for challenge.

Until a day or two before the Republican Caucus Tom Sopris was committed to run on the Republican ticket against Andrea Smallwood and challenge her position as Mayor …….BUT……in the final hour he withdrew his bid and left the Republican Party without a Candidate to run against Smallwood. The Following letter will explain how it came about that Ron Coons has successfully gathered the necessary support to run for the position of Mayor of the Village of Athens. He will be challenging incumbent Andrea Smallwood on MARCH 18th in the Village Election to be held from Noon to 9pm at the Athens Senior Center on 2nd St.


A Letter from : Ronald A Coons Sr. the Concerned Citizens Candidate for Mayor

I would like to formally apologize to the Residents of the Village Athens for any misunderstanding as to why I am running for Mayor. When someone makes the mistake of telling me I don’t have a choice I feel it necessary to challenge that concept. Our forefathers fought for our rights and most of all our freedom of speech and choice. Please let me explain what I mean. It may seem to you that the Concerned Citizens Group has given up our fight for the right to protect our property and the Village from the newly proposed zoning laws. This is the furthest thing from the truth and I felt it was time to explain the chain of events that have brought us to writing this newsletter. ( Cont on pg 2 )

Page 2……

On December 15th Mayor Smallwood wrote a rebuttal in the Catskill Daily Mail to an article that was written by their reporter in reference to a Concerned Citizen of Athens meeting held on December 5, 2008. On December 16 th Mr. Reinhold a Village trustee wrote a letter to the editor making several accusations about the Concerned Citizen group and also made accusations about Dee Hodges and myself. On December 18 th , two days after these article appeared in The Daily Mail, Dee and I both wrote a rebuttal in our defense.

It seems the Daily Mail for whatever reason is not allowing us the right to rebut those articles in our defense. Over two months have passed and they have not yet appeared in the paper. Since they have chosen not to print our rebuttals we have decided to exercise our constitutional rights using this newsletter as our means of keeping the residents of Athens informed of what is happening in our community.

What make our nation so great is the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights which allows us both freedom of speech and Freedom of the press. The Daily Mail appeared to be our way of defending ourselves against what was said about us in their paper and should have allowed us to exercise free speech as citizens or so we thought. A reliable source has informed us that the Daily Mail was told not to print anything derogatory against the Athens Village Officials. As a result of this it appears our rebuttals have now fallen on deaf ears.

Both the Village Board and the newspapers seem to think that we have a hidden agenda because of the way we have addressed what may happen to our village in the future. The only agenda we are guilty of is exercising our Constitutional Rights as property owners by caring about the village we live in and the repercussions that may occur if the proposed zoning laws are passed in their present form. We believe in open government have done the research and presentation with the intention of keeping the residents informed and up to speed on what is happening in our community. Dee Hodges and I both felt we could serve the community better as a Concerned Citizen Group keeping the residents informed of controversial issues facing the Village.

We were told that Tom Sopris a long time registered Republican, who is currently serving on the Village Board as a Democratic Trustee had asked the Republican Committee to indorse him to run on their ticket for Mayor. Three days before the caucus he withdrew his offer to run on the Republican Ticket. Since the present Deputy Mayor, Mr. Phister was not running for re-election Mayor Smallwood offered the Deputy Mayor position to Mr. Sopris if he stayed with the Democratic Party.

On January 29th Dee and I decided to attend the Republican Caucus to see how they nominated their candidates for election. This would enable us to learn more about the process. Much to our surprise when the role call came there was no candidate for Mayor. What this meant is Mayor Smallwood would run uncontested for the position of Mayor.

Page 3 ….
We questioned a committee member after the Caucus and he informed us that I could have thrown my name in during the Caucus but it was too late now because the nominations were closed. Dee and I in
desperation decided to call the board of Elections the next morning to find out what could be done to insure an opponent for the position of Mayor. After all this is America and we as citizens deserve to have a choice.

They informed us that we could file an Independent Nominating Petition which would require fifty signatures if we had a candidate who wanted to run. This all had to be done by Tuesday, February 10th. It was at that moment I decided to step up and throw my hat in the ring. I felt that the people of the Village of Athens should have the right to chose who they wanted for Mayor. We got the petitions on January 30th and I went on Vacation February 1st . While I was gone Dee and my supporters commenced to get the required amount of signatures. While on vacation I made the necessary phone calls to people and kept track of their progress. I arrived home on February 8th at 3 am. By 9 am Dee and I were working on a strategy to get more signatures. At 12 noon we went to the Board of Election with 107 signatures and registered me as a candidate for Athens Mayor under the Concerned Citizens of Athens Party.

My platform is for open and honest government as our forefathers intended it to be, for the People and by the people. The only way we can achieve this goal is if “We the People” join together with a common understanding and vote the incumbents out of office. It is time to gather our thoughts and ask ourselves............

Whatever happened to the things we were taught as youths in our schools? We were raised to love and respect our government and flag of this great nation we live in.

We were taught what an honor it was to serve our country and to respect those that chose to serve in our military. As a youth in high school we were taught that a strong dollar was good for the economy and if it was American made it was a quality product. Bonuses and dividends were not paid until the end of the year and only if companies showed a profit. Government did not interfere in the running of business in the private sector. It seems that our way of thinking has changed.

We often think that the problems of government will not hamper with us on this small village level but they do. Too often the local village boards make decisions that will change our way of life forever. They feel they know what is best for us and are acting in our best interest!

Who is better to determine what is best for us than WE the People? A phrase this great nation was built on.

Our Government was established for the people and by the people and represents the things that We the People want from life, not the other way around.

Where have these values that we were taught and cherished gone? Has the world changed so much that the people no longer have a say in what their government does? It is not only our responsibility but our constitutional right to be Concerned Citizens and be allowed to participate in our government?
Page 4……
Perhaps it time to remind the politicians that they were elected by us to do the things We the People would like to see done to benefit our needs as local residents.
If we wish to change the way our government works the place to start is at the village level elections. This is how our great nation was established and the way our for-fathers intended it be.

Remember, voting is the most powerful tool we as Concerned Citizens have to insure our rights and protect our homes. Whichever candidate you may choose the most important thing is to vote and voice your concerns.

Your vote can and will make a difference!
Ronald A. Coons Sr.
The Concerned Citizens of Athens Candidate for Mayor
VOTE MARCH 18th from Noon to 9 pm at the
ATHENS SENIOR CENTER
There is a picture of a flag that goes here

Picture of house Page 5……


ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO wants to

Dissolve Villages …..in NY State

GOVERNOR PATTERSON supports his plan.

Did anyone ask your opinion ?

You can go to the web site http://www.oag.state.ny.us/ and click on

Reforming Local Government

There you will find a Video of a speech which Atty. General Andrew Cuomo gave on Dec.11, 2008
Below is a quote from his website:
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ENABLE REFORM AND EFFICIENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

“On December 11, 2008 Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo proposed legislation to empower communities across the state with the ability to fundamentally reorganize and consolidate local governments. Simply put, our system of local government is broken. It has been outpaced by globalization, regionalization, and an ever changing marketplace. The density of local government in New York is astounding. There are 10,521 overlapping government units, providing duplicative services creating needless, wasteful bureaucracies.

Given the current fiscal crisis New York is facing, reorganization of some governmental entities to more efficiently provide vital services is needed. In some cases, consolidation or dissolution may be necessary to reorganize government to meet the needs of their communities. However, current law is unable to solve the problem for it is inconsistent, often nonsensical, poses legal barriers, and includes anachronisms that make operational reform virtually impossible. (cont. on page 6 )

Page 6……
The Attorney General is proposing legislation that streamlines existing processes, eliminates inane inconsistencies, and strikes from the law offensive anachronisms such as requiring property ownership in order to vote in a special town election on a proposition to consolidate water districts.
You can now see what a complex issue the Dissolution of Village and Town Governments has become……………………..
But is it as complicated as Albany would have you believe ?
There have been independent studies done which strongly suggest that the dissolution of Towns and Villages will not hold taxes at their present rate and may even create more cost. The provision of services which is now administrated by your local Town or Village government would then be provided to you by the County and administrated by County Officials.

The County would then need to hire employees and provide benefits for those employees to provide functions now done by elected local officials such as the Village Mayor who receives as little as $ 5,000. Per year in small Villages and a Board of 4 Trustees who each receives $ 3,500. This amounts to a total of $ 19,000 yearly for the services of a Mayor and Board of Trustees. Other services are provided by part time employees who do not receive the same pay or benefits as full time County Workers.

Where is the Savings ?

The Governor would have you believe that by contracting with “private contractors” to provide County wide services there will be a savings. Anyone who has run a small business knows that to save any money the “private contractors” would have to be gigantic corporations who were able to make profit on enormous volume. Small local contractors and local medium range corporations would not be competitive and would have to go out of business or allow themselves to be purchased by these large corporations. As we all know once the large corporations have their foot in the door and have wiped out the local small business competition, the prices will go up.

If all this is starting to sound like Big Government supporting Big Business at the expense of the citizen/ taxpayer …..keep reading.

Think about a local election in your Town or Village.
· Did the Candidate receive coverage on the TV or Radio News ?
· Did the Candidate purchase advertising spots on Radio or Television ?

Now picture what it will be like when the Towns and Villages have been dissolved and all elections are for County Level positions. The Candidate will have to campaign across a large territory and will need
$ MONEY $ to purchase radio and Television Advertising.

Page 7………
Looks like the average citizen will not be able to afford to run for County office without financial help from a large group of supporters who give $ MONEY $. Would this make it harder for you to run for office ? How many favors will this candidate owe to Party Leaders and large contributors ?

The Governor and Atty. General Cuomo would have you believe that they are empowering citizens by making it easier to start proceedings to dissolve Towns and Villages but the opposite is true……the dissolution of Towns and Villages dilutes the power of your one vote and the new law states that you do not have to be a property owner in the Town or Village to start the dissolution process or vote on it. This dilutes your property rights. If this is not enough to make you stop and think here is another bit of info.

LET’S DO THE MATH………………..

· In a Town or Village of 2,500 voters your one vote counts for .0004% of the total.
· In a County of 10,000 voters your vote counts for .0001% of the total votes

Your vote in this example has lost 75% of it's strength to elect an official.

Plug in the numbers for your Town or Village which is in danger of being dissolved and then plug in the numbers for the County in which you live to see what strength your vote has now and what it will have when you are voting with the rest of the County.

Mr. Cuomo uses the consolidation of school districts as an example of a successful consolidation carried out in NY State in the past. This is a quote from his website: “Take for instance school districts. In 1947, a statewide Master Plan for School District Reorganization was enacted an although not a compulsory plan for reorganization, the Master Plan guided state level efforts to encourage reduction in the still-large number of school districts. The result was the reduction of the number of schools from 10,000 to less than 700 today. “

Did the quality of education improve since you were a high school student ?

Did costs go down ?

I find it interesting that Attorney GENERAL CUOMO should use the phrase “carpe diem” to reinforce the idea that “ NY State should “ sieze this moment” to abolish Towns and Villages and with them our strength to vote and our property rights. This phrase “carpe diem” is a quote from the Roman Nobleman and Conquerer, Quintus Horatius Flaccus a rather rich and ruthless fellow.

We know what happened when the Romans decided that Big Government could just keep on growing !

Page 8……..
Cuomo Dissolves Villages ( Cont from pg 7 )
Concerned Americans Newsletters aim to be fair so below are excerpts from the Buffalo News and a Paper by a Binghampton professor. If you wish to discover for yourself the many opinions on this subject follow up on these and other articles on the internet.
A Story in the Buffalo news states: The proposal affects only local governments and does not include counties or cities. The state cannot mandate any of the consolidations. The plan makes it easier for citizens to dissolve local agencies and even villages. It allows 10 percent of the voters or 5,000 people, whichever is less, to petition a local entity to begin its dissolution or consolidation process. A local vote by residents would then be held, and, if approved, the targeted entity would have to dissolve or consolidate operations.
Local entities also could start the process. Under the plan, special districts would be able to dissolve themselves. A referendum would be required to dissolve a town or village.
The Cuomo plan also gives expanded powers to county governments to dissolve local entities, subject to a countywide referendum.
The idea did not sit well with some local government officials.
"It sounds like it's giving counties the ability to abolish towns. I don't know why counties are any more qualified to think that local governments are good or bad within them," said Jeffrey Haber, executive director of the Association of Towns of the State of New York.

And a Binghampton NY professor who has written a 16 page study on this subject states:
( Google this Title and read his whole paper )

Is Governance Eroding the Boundaries of Local Government?
Thomas AP Sinclair, Associate Professor
Department of Public Administration
College of Community and Public Affairs
Binghamton University
sinclair@binghamton.edu
“How do theories of governance and institutionalism address the increasingly
tenuous relationship between village governments and their residents? The fundamental
activities of some local governments in this new era of governance are under scrutiny.
Specifically, American villages and towns (or townships) are being encouraged to share
municipal service delivery, consolidate operations, or even dissolve as local governments.
Are trends toward intersectoral governance and market based service delivery
contributing to the erosion of boundaries that once distinguished viable communities?
Villages in the state of New York provide good cases for this theoretical inquiry because
residents can create these governments of general jurisdiction, and dissolve them, without
any approval from the towns within which they are nested, or the state government. The
paper argues that the rise of governance with its distributed responsibility and diffused
accountability, under some circumstances, is decoupling the traditional linkage between
services and geographic local governments.

PSC

Cathera is a Liver Transplant Recipient.

Cathera received two liver transplants, the first one in December of 1998, given by a living friend of Cathera's who donated 40% of her own liver. This transplant became infected and slowly over the course of a month became non-functional.

During this month Cathera lay in intensive care heavily sedated, on life support, fighting a raging infection and many times near death.

Much of the work, which Cathera has produced since then, deals with the places her spirit visited as well as experiences she had during this incredibly difficult ordeal.

Cathera feels that she had the choice of "crossing over" or coming back to this reality. As she now says, "I've been to the other side."

In January of 1999 a donor liver from a deceased person was available and Cathera underwent a second transplant followed by a slow, difficult, but "incredible" recovery. Cathera wishes to acknowledge the dedicated, exceptionally skilled doctors and staff of Mt. Sinai Hospital, especially Dr.'s Emre and Fishbien as well asTransplant Coordinator Lindsey Arnott.

My Best Friend Dee Hodges

Most people enjoy the inferiority of their best friends
To find a truly greaty friend, you have to keep one eye closed-to keep her,two.True friend are those who are there for you unconditionally. Never do they question, but always offer support no matter what the circumdtances are.Best Friend are the people worth living for .

Iris 'Vanity'

A Originally native to Europa, bearded irises have been hybridized and are now prized worldwide for their elegant beauty.
The 3 top petals are called standards, the 3 lower ones are called falls,.

Resident Dee Hodges

With the lot owner hesitant to sign an extension on the one year lease the Village siged for the new N Frankiin St. Municipal parking lot, plans for a fesce for the property are still up in the air .