Seventy-two Become New US Citizens

From Louise Flood:

Whew! just home from Ulster County's Naturalization Court. It's the first that it has been held here since 1992...a swift calculation of 16 years. Our people have had to trek to NYC.

Many years ago it was sponsored by the County Court and Daughters of the American Revolution.

We Daughters handed out flags and lapel pins today and were given "catbird" seats to witness the 72 newcomers sworn in. They came from 37 countries...Albania to Zaire.

Judge Peters gave an impressive address. So did Assemblymen Cahill and Lopez. That takes something for me to say, who never sits still for political addresses. They were both touching.

The Sheriffs provided refreshments and many photos were snapped. The Woodcrest Choir rendered the necessary patriotic tunes.

I think it's something every native born American should witness at least once in order to appreciate their birthright. It was a 2-hour sit that was so well worth it.
Louise

Photo by Brittney Bush

6/11/08: Go Green, Live Rich book discussion in Kingston

Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach
Wednesday, June 11, 7 PM
Barnes and Noble, Route 9W, Kingston

Join Holly Anne Shelowitz, Certified Nutrition Counselor, as she leads this lively discussion about what "going green" can mean for you, how to eat local food and what that means, support your community, be healthier, and save money at the same time. Go to Nourishing Wisdom to learn more.

6/10/08: John Burroughs lecture in Kingston

Tuesday, June 10, 7 PM
Hudson River Maritime Museum
50 Rondout Landing, Kingston

HRMM Lecture Series:
John Burroughs and the Hudson River
Dr. Stephen M. Mercier, Marist College English Dept.

Admission:

$5 (adults)
$4 (students & seniors)
free (museum members)

Urge the Assembly to support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill

Parks and Trails New York sent me this message today. As a former director of recycling for NYC I can tell you that the current bottle bill made a major impact on both the litter problem and recycling. I encourage you to support this update of the bill. Thanks, Ruth Wahtera

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill:

• Reduces waste

• Provides more money for the environment, including significant funding for parks and trails

Call or email your Assemblyperson today.

Calls or emails are needed to Assembly members in support of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (A-8044-A/Sweeney). Let your Assemblyperson know that you support this expanded beverage container law and urge him or her to support it when it comes to the Assembly floor for a vote – possibly as early as Wednesday of this week.

If you’re not sure who your Assembly member is you can search by zip-code using this link - http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

If your Assembly member supports the Bigger Better Bottle Bill thank him or her for the support and urge them to remain committed to this important piece of legislation.

Background/Talking Points

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill reduces waste

• Since its inception, the current Bottle Bill, which requires a deposit on beer and soda containers, has been one of New York’s most successful waste reduction and recycling programs.

• In the years since the Bottle Bill was first enacted our drinking habits have changed dramatically.

• The Bigger Better Bottle Bill updates the existing law to include non-carbonated beverage containers, including bottled water, sports drinks and iced teas which now make up a significantly greater portion of the drink market and account for a greater percentage of the litter we find in our parks and on our roadsides.

• According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, nearly 2.5 billion water bottles are sold every year in New York State alone.

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill provides financial benefits for the environment, including significant funding for parks and trails projects

• By redirecting the unclaimed nickel deposits from the beverage bottling companies to the state the bill provides a much needed source of additional revenue for the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

• The EPF is the primary source of funding for myriad environmental programs including municipal parks, trail projects, land acquisition, state land stewardship, and recycling programs.

• It is estimated that the unclaimed nickels, which the bottlers currently keep, could total between $100 and $200 million in additional funding for the EPF annually.

Passing the Bigger Better Bottle Bill will benefit all New Yorkers for years to come. Whether it results in reduced litter in our parks, on our beaches and roadsides, and/or increased funding for EPF programs, the Bigger Better Bottle Bill is win-win legislation.

Thank you for your support of parks and trail

Image by headcase

KINGSTON LIBRARY HOSTS: Joseph Cavano

From ViVi Hlavsa:

KINGSTON LIBRARY HOSTS:
Author Talk with Joseph Cavano

Tuesday June 10th, 2008
6:00-7:30 pm

Joseph Cavano, longtime Kingston resident, retired Kingston High School English teacher and sometime jazz musician, will read from his new collection of short stories Half-Past Nowhere and lead a discussion of writing and the relationship of music to the creative process.

Half-Past Nowhere is a collection of short stories that follows a young boy from "innocence to experience." as he comes of age in Upstate New York. Two stories in the collection, "Phineas Rising" and "Mountain Men" have been selected as finalists in the prestigious Glimmer Train Short Story Contest.

Mr. Cavano will use his own experiences as well as many from famous writers and musicians. He'll spend some time discussing the craft of writing (perspiration versus inspiration) and point out what some well-known writers thought about it and how they went about perfecting their craft. Mr. Cavano also encourages those who love to write to
discuss their own experiences. Questions from the floor are encouraged and often lead the author to an "off the cuff" discussion that may be the highpoint of the talk. Like playing jazz and writing itself, you never know where you are going until you get there.