Mamma mia... that's a big pumpkin--
over 1500 pounds (
Jamestown
Post-Journal)... 10/4
Debates set for the NY-29 race (
Hornell
Evening
Tribune)... 10/3
Your taxes just went up-- on clothing
(
AP)...
10/3
Fall Foliage Report: Week of September 30
Near peak foliage is beginning to show up in much of the area
this week. Both the New York state tourism agency and the Pennsylvania
state agency is predicting near peak or peak foliage this weekend, just
in time for the Falling Leaves Festival in Salamanca. As of last
Sunday, I checked and found that the leaves were indeed not as far
along as the ones on the hill outside my house, which are at, and
possibly a bit past, peak. As for the rest of the state, somewhat
surprisingly, we're right on pace with the Adirondacks,
Taconics/Berkshires, and Catskills as far as colors go, as both are
firmly at peak, as early adopter Tupper Lake has now past its peak.
Buffalo and the Finger Lakes are listed as "just changing" while the
rest of upstate sits at midpoint.
NEW
YORK
DAILY
NEWS ENGAGES IN PUSH
POLLING... 9/29
Some
prime real estate up for auction next month: in Franklinville, there's a strip of
land, nearly 200 feet long... and only five feet wide... which drops
into a ravine 80 feet deep. Yes, indeed, you can own your
very
own
cliff! (Note: unlike the spring auction, which was held in
Little Valley, in the fall property auction you have to show up at the
site to bid.)
Word of advice for bicyclists: if you're looking to head
from Little
Valley to Salamanca, avoid the Pat McGee Trail on the east side of
Little Valley. The trail has been covered with gravel, making the ride
a very difficult one. Trust me, I learned that from experience on
Sunday. 9/28
Fall
Foliage Report: Week of September 23
Apparently the state
tourism
agency and I are beginning to diverge widely. The state is
reporting that a spotter in Little Valley is saying 20 to 25 percent
color change. Well, apparently they're not looking at the same Little
Valley hills that I am. The color change has progressed at an unusually
rapid pace this year. The hill just to the south of Little Valley has
progressed unusually far for late September and I would almost put it
at near peak, with numerous yellows and oranges and a diminishing
number of greens. I am considering a trip down to Salamanca this
weekend to see what their hills look like. The hills to the north
appear to have significant changes, and although not quite at midpoint,
they will be soon. Bright oranges and yellows have shown early this
year, despite the lack of a frost. Moving on to the rest of the
state... the state tourism agency has now put all of upstate New York
into the "just changing" category or higher. Most of the Adirondacks
and Catskills, as well as a small piece of the Berkshires in New York,
are at midpoint, while traditional early changer Tupper Lake is already
near peak.
Apple
cider has arrived at Brooks Market, the leaves have begun to change
color, and now Pumpkinville
is open for the season! Who needs the equinox? Fall is already here! 9/18
Fall Foliage Report: Week of September
16
The progression of fall colors continues this week at their typical
pace. The state
tourism
agency reports that the entire Adirondacks region and part
of the North Country is now in the “just changing” (10-30%) category,
as are the Catskills, the Berkshires and the Albany, Binghamton,
Syracuse and Buffalo metro areas. Tupper Lake has peak foliage this
week, with 35% color change, with Saugerties not far behind at 25-30%.
The rest of the state is at less than 10% color change; in Little
Valley, the bright greens on the north-facing hillsides have begun to
fade to a paler, yellowish green, in anticipation of the full change
that will take place over the course of the next month or so. Overall
amount of change right now is from 2 to 5% in the region. Update: As of 9/18, the south-facing
trees are showing definite signs of color change and are showing
yellows fairly consistenly. The sunward slopes, on the other hand, are
showing scattered signs of change.
And all
because the Seneca Nation refuses to pay a cut of casino revenue: city of
Salamanca to lay off nearly 50 workers (WGRZ)...
9/16
Fullervision 2010 New York Primary Election
Results/Projections:
New York Governor (Republican): Carl P. Paladino defeats Rick Lazio
New York Governor (Conservative): Rick Lazio leads Ralph Lorigo
Lieutenant Governor (Republican): Edwards narrowly
leads Ognibene
New York Attorney General (Democratic): Schneiderman wins
U.S. Senate, special election (Republican): Joseph J. DioGuardi
narrowly leads David Malpass
U.S. Senate, general election (Republican): Jay Townsend defeats Gary
Berntsen
U.S. House, District 29, general election (Republican): Thomas W. Reed
is unopposed
Scott Douglas of WESB/WBRR informed me last night that his former
station, WQRS (98.3) in Salamanca, has switched to an all-satellite
country music format, dropping its longtime classic rock format after
rock-leaning classic hits WGWE/Little Valley signed on... the station
now becomes the third country outlet in Cattaraugus County, behind
market leader WPIG/Olean and younger-leaning WBYB/Portville... WQRS has
had signal problems as of late and what used to come in clearly in
Little Valley now gets drowned out by an adjacent-channel WKSE (98.5)
all the way from Niagara Falls... 9/15
Senator Schumer claims price gouging by the coffee industry overseas (
Syracuse
Post-Standard)... 9/14
Fall Foliage Report: Week of September 9
Yes, indeed, it's time once again for the annual fall foliage reports.
The
state
tourism
agency is reporting the first hints of significant color in
the state in their traditional locations, the Catskills and the
Adirondacks. Tupper Lake, a frequent early changer, is currently in the
lead with 25% change. The rest of the state has only minimal change;
there have been a few spotty trees around the area that have seen a
little bit of change in the leaves but I'd put that number at 1% or
less at this point, and the hills remain predominantly green. I am
quite excited about this year.
Shock: union rate in New York State double
the national average! 70% of our government is unionized, compared to
half that in other state governments (
New
York
Times)... 9/8
Proof that New York state restrictions on
cigarettes are all about money: in the past six years, a period
where smoking cigarettes has become more and more restricted (can't
even smoke in a bar for crying out loud) and taxed more and more
heavily, the proponents would have you believe it's to lower smoking
rates, but they'd be wrong-- it's failed to make any difference (
WGRZ)...
9/8
BUSTED: State comptroller Thomas
DiNapoli, just after warning that he's going to force municipalities to
kick in more for pensions, is caught encouraging state workers to pad
their pensions (
Gannett)...
9/3
Convenience store lobby demands: If
you don't collect taxes on the Indians, we want the taxes cut so we can
compete (
press
release)... 9/2
Village of
Cattaraugus chief of police accused of harassing a local minister by
phone (
WIVB)...
8/30
THE
SENECAS
ARE
THREATENING
US... 8/25 UPDATE 8/30: Reports flying-- "rally"
scheduled for the state thruway at the 438 interchange tomorrow at
2:30, no tire fires reported yet... per
WGRZ...
Report: major seizure of marijuana in Dayton... developing... 8/20
I was wondering what she was up to: my former neighbor, Brandi Bartlow,
arrested a few days for stealing a car last year (
WESB)...
8/20
Volk off the ballot officially-- fails to get enough signatures to
qualify as a third party... it's Zeller vs. Reed this fall (
Hornell
Evening
Tribune)... 8/18
BUDGET NOT PASSED: GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNED WRONG BUDGET BILL (
Buffalo
News)... 8/11
Convenience store lobby claims: areas around reservations, near PA
border lose half of their cigarette business due to tax increases this
past July, while across the borders and on the rez, business has as
much as quadrupled (
Business
First)...
8/11
IRS threatens several area nonprofits with revocation of tax-exempt
status (
WGRZ)...
8/11
State of New York intercepts shipment
of untaxed cigarettes being shuttled by one of the litigants in the
Senecas' lawsuit against the PACT Act (
WGRZ)
(
WIVB)...
8/10
Update
8/11:
Never
mind,
BN
says the shipment will be returned....
Seneca gambling enterprises return to profit (
Business
First)... 8/8
Young comes out against the prisoner reallocation, calling it
unconstitutional (
Jamestown
Post-Journal)... 8/8