Super News Day

PRIMARY ELECTION VOTING. 5675 GreeneLanders turned out for Tuesday’s presidential primary elections, and their voting patterns resembled what took place in the State as a whole. John McCain won decisively in the contest for Republican presidential nominee, with 1500 votes to Mitt Romney’s 774. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton out-polled Barack Obama, with 1408 votes to 909. (246 absentee ballots remain to be counted). The Republican voters gave remarkable support to candidates other than their two front-runners: 343 votes to Mike Huckabee, 285 to Ron Paul, and 103 to Rudy Giuliani (still on the ballot even though he had withdrawn). Consequently, while he out-polled Mr Romney by a two-to-one margin, Mr McCain picked up only half of the votes cast by GreeneLand Republicans. Meanwhile, in the 20th Congressional District, of which GreeneLand is a part, Mr Obama’s score was enough to earn two of five delegate seats at the Democratic nominating convention. That ratio eventuated in most of the State's Congressional districts, with Ms Clinton winning 139 convention delegates to Mr Obama’s 92. Those delegates will be joined by 49 other New Yorkers who, by virtue of being elected legislators or party officials, are entitled under party rules to seats (and votes) at the nominating convention. They are not formally pledged to any candidate.

Nationally, as conservative columnist Robert Novak says, “The overriding story is that twice as many Democrats as Republicans voted on Super Tuesday, and the gap in enthusiasm was even larger. McCain as nominee faces a massive task ahead.” That observation also fits the GreeneLand situation. Turnout on the Republican side amounted to about 25 per cent of party registration. The Democratic figure on turnout was about 38 per cent of party registration. And in the matter of absentee voting, Democrats actually surpassed Republicans, 125 to 118.

BIGGEST BUSINESS NEWS this week, locally, is the announcement that Dyna-Bil Industries will soon be undergoing a major expansion, with a $6 million new investment and anticipated addition of 120 new employees. This was announced Monday night (2/4/08) by company president Paul Burton. Physical expansion will be into 33,000 square foot space in the Greene Business & Technology Park. It is in the Empire Zone, whose business occupants get tax breaks for 10 years. Much of the money comes from grants from State Office for Small Cities and from State’s Empire State Development fund. PUMPED UP. While the nationwide average for regular this past week has been $2.97, the East Coast average $3.01, the New England average $3.08, the State average $3.21, GreeeneLanders are stuck with prices of $3.24 per gallon at best. In New Jersey: $2.88. (Elderly GreeneLanders can recall when the price went up to 40 cents a gallon, as well as when cigarettes went up to 25 cents a pack).

HELP SOUGHT. Local members of the New York Correctional Officers union, campaigning to keep the Hudson minimum-security prison operating, contrary to announced plans of the State’s prison commission, have asked Catskill’s Village trustees to support their campaign of resistance, by calling for all sorts of impact studies. This action is reported in The Daily Mail (1/29/08) as calling for studies “to evaluate overcrowding” and study “the oversized capacity of the prison”. As to how the Village Trustees have responded, maybe you can work it out from this verbiage:

The village of Catskill has already taken the necessary steps to support this action [not identified] and will be mailing letters supporting the opposition of the facility’s closure in the days ahead [sic.] presented before the Catskill Village Board of Trustees from a representative of the Hudson Correctional Facility, in the hopes that it would support the opposition against closing the facility.

HONORED by American Coin-Op magazine, with “special honor” designation in its Coin-Op Beautiful 2007-08 selections: Mr. Sudz Laundromat, owned and operated by Jeffrey Nucey and Clinton Bugg at 491 Main Street in Catskill. Although the honor is based on exterior look as well as interior layout, it surely is not based on compatibility of exterior look with the period style of neighboring Main Street buildings.

DISHONORED. “Mophead” posted on Trip Advisor this review of a GreeneLand hostelry:

Myself and my girlfriend came out [to Friar Tuck] for new year's celebration. First when, we check in our room. we found following problems, toilet doesn't stop running, Lack of pillows, No remote for tv. I call front desk to report These problems. Two hours later the maid show up for extra towels. Later that evening When we report to our room. About 130am. There Is loud Rude Noises. Of teen-agers. Music blasting from nightclub on 1st floor Note my on 3rd floor. Loud Couple Next to our room. I Called Front Desk Twice. Told Me There Is No noise Going on. The music Stopped 4am from Nightclub. Slept for 4 hours. I Would Not want to experience this again. I felt I Got Ripped Off.

PUMPED UP. While the nationwide average for regular gasoline this past week has been $2.97, the East Coast average $3.01, the New England average $3.08, the State average $3.21, GreeeneLanders are stuck with prices of $3.24 per gallon at best. In New Jersey: $2.88.(Elderly GreeneLanders can recall when the price went upto 40 cents a gallon, as well as when cigarettes went up to 25 cents a pack).

NIMBY NEWS. Local rock diva Lex Grey will NOT be part of a “Kiss and Tell Burlesque” show here tonight, along with Miss Asstrid, Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, Tigger and Bambi, plus kissing booth and spanking booth, presented by Kate Valentine and Thirsty Girl Productions, and billed as “Worth the walk of shame in the morning.” She will, however, be part of that show at The Zipper Factory on West 37th in Manhattan. And on Saturday, from 3pm to 7, Lex and the Urban Pioneers will rock the Windham Mountain Lounge.

PUNDITRY NOTE. “So,” said Associated Press writer Dennis Waszack Jr last Saturday, “you think it’s easy explaining, without hesitation or reservation, why the New England Patriots will complete a perfect season and win the Super Bowl? Well, you’re right. It is.”