Windows Through Time

I have, in recent years, had a growing sense that something has been going on with our climate, right here in the Hudson Valley. I have been thinking that a pattern has been developing. Scientists notice patterns and we seek to understand them. I had better explain.

Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:17 AM EDT

Greene History Notes

Most people with an interest in Greene County history have heard of Charles L. Beach, the iconic proprietor of the Catskill Mountain House and founder of the Catskill Mountain Railway. I suspect that not nearly as many are familiar with the name George W. Harding, the original owner of the rival Hotel Kaaterskill. This may be due to the fact that the Mountain House had such a long and storied history in Greene County compared to the relatively short existence of the Hotel Kaaterskill. It might also be due to the fact that Beach was a lifelong resident of the county and Harding was an outside investor. Whatever the reason, Harding’s life and accomplishments were as interesting as Beach’s — on a national rather than a regional scale.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 6:19 AM EDT

Property tax relief is overdue

For many people the great American dream is to own a home. Unfortunately, once you achieve that dream in New York, the nightmare known as property taxes can keep you up at night. According to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research group based in Washington, D.C., New York routinely leads the nation when it comes to high property taxes. In fact, between 1977 and 2008, the Empire State ranked first of second in the country for its state-local tax burden compared to the U.S. average.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 2:17 AM EDT

The Talk of the Town

GREENVILLE — If anyone needed a reminder that we really do live in the great Northeast, the end of February definitely provided just that. Throughout the storms (a.k.a the “snowicane”) myself and many emergency response officials held conference calls with Central Hudson. These calls proved highly informative and definitely helped Central Hudson ascertain and prioritize outages. Greenville was one of the harder-hit towns in the area and Central Hudson officials said this was the largest service interruption in the company’s history with more 150,000 customers without power.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 2:18 AM EST

Gardening Tips

Now that many of us have had snow on the ground for a couple of weeks, some people have spotted a somewhat unusual and unique insect called a snow flea. Snow flea is the common name for a type of insect that is about the size, shape and color of a dog or cat flea that also seems to hop like a flea when disturbed. Snow fleas inhabit snow banks however and not pets or humans or human homes. They are completely harmless to humans and animals. Snow fleas may be occasionally observed by the thousands on banks of snow in late winter and look from a distance like moving soot. These interesting insects are actually a type of springtail which “hop” by rapidly uncurling their abdomen. They probably feed on decaying organic matter. Unlike most other insects, snow fleas are most active at this time of year due to the fact that their blood is comprised of what we use in our car radiators, antifreeze. Snow fleas are commonly observed by people who are out in the woods right now collecting maple sap in order to make that wonderful liquid known as maple syrup.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 2:18 AM EST

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