Hank Gross

  Former President Bill Clinton made a brief appearance at a rally for Democratic congressional candidate Sean Patrick Maloney Sunday afternoon.  Clinton touted Maloney’s qualifications saying that he was competent in both the White House and in state governance.

“Being elected to Congress is a job,” Clinton said. “It requires a preference for evidence over ideology, for arithmetic over illusion, for shared prosperity over trickle down, for we’re-all-in-this-together over you’re-on-your-own.”

Credit Hank GrossHein, in the Ulster County emergency operations center on Sunday, said they were prepared for Irene a year ago, and are confident they can handle SandyEdit | Remove

  US Senator Kristen Gillibrand came to the Hudson Valley on Thursday to announce her support for the Women’s Enterprise Development Center.

The senator is working to secure a federal investment for the effort that would see creation of a satellite center on the Marist College campus in Poughkeepsie.

“I think we can ignite a very powerful economic engine by just finding these great women with business ideas and helping them get started,” said Gillibrand.

She made her comments at a stop at Oxyvita, Inc., adjacent to Stewart Airport in New Windsor.

  State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office released an audit of the City of Newburgh’s financial oversight that said officials failed to accurately track the city’s budget which led to millions of dollars in shortfalls and a higher than necessary tax hike for its residents.

The audit, released on Thursday, said that the city, after failing to account for a $1.3 million deficit, passed an unbalanced budget in 2010 that created a new $ 6 million cash deficit which was closed the following year with a 41 percent tax levy increase.

  The New Paltz Town ReUse building was officially opened for business on Wednesday, providing a one-stop location for the municipality to collect recyclables and offer them for reuse.

Town Recycling Coordinator Laura Petit said the town has a good track record of reuse with a wide variety of items.

The Environmental Integrity Project and 16 other organizations have petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency to require the oil and gas extraction industry, including those companies engaged in hydrofracking, to report a list of the chemicals they use to extract natural gas.

The issue has become a regional hot potato since fracking in the Marcellus shale and Utica shale areas has been placed on the table.

The City of Peekskill will issue a request for proposals for a new operator to run its Paramount Theatre, which was closed recently by the current non-profit organization, the Paramount Center for the Arts.

“The city is being very aggressive in protecting this vital community asset while we seek out a viable proposal to turn this theater into the economic juggernaut it really should be,” said Mayor Mary Foster.

She said whoever takes over the operation, would be required to offer a wide array of entertainment.

Candidates for the New York State Senate got a chance to meet Ulster County business leaders at a Chamber of Commerce debate held in Kingston Tuesday morning.

Little disagreement was heard from the speakers on topics including casino gambling, mandate reform, and property tax relief. Each expressed support for small businesses, and promised bipartisan cooperation in the state legislature

When the property tax bill comes next year, Ulster County residents won't be spared any pain. But under a new law, the government will be required to tell you where it hurts.

The Taxpayer Relief Insert, announced by county officials Tuesday afternoon, contains an itemized receipt of sorts – as opposed to a mere I.O.U.

The information is designed to show a breakdown of the property tax levy, particularly in terms of unfunded mandates such as Safety Net (welfare) costs, pensions, and related issues beyond local control.

Special Advisor to the Governor on the Tappan Zee Bridge Project Brian Conybeare and Civic Engineer Mark Roche provided an update on the status of a new Tappan Zee Bridge at a session in Sleepy Hollow Monday evening.

“Most people just want information,” Conybeare said.   “They want to be able to ask questions and learn about the project. We’re here to give out the latest updated information on where the project stands and hopefully make them comfortable with what is obviously a pretty big project.”