Give Ulster comptroller Elliott Auerbach some credit. In attacking the “garbage in, garbage out” county resource recovery agency he infused a little life into what was shaping up as a terminally dull campaign. In making the legislature the culprit for a lack of oversight — some of these legislators are the same people who brought us the county jail — Auerbach taps into a deep well of voter resentment. And his opponent, Fawn Tantillo, is a former legislator. A week ago, I suggested the compt...
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Many of us don’t eat lunch at home and have to grab fast food or bring our own eats to work or school. Whether in a Batman lunch box, brown bag, bento box or tiffin, any midday comestible choices we bring in need to be based on health, economy, and ease of preparation. But most important is taste appeal, because if it doesn’t get eaten, why bother? I admit that this week’s column topic choice is motivated by a bit of self-interest. My own kids, aged nine and eight, ate mostly school lunches ...
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Ulster County Creek Week begins today. Though that big river that runs through it tends to hog the spotlight most of the time, our region’s smaller waterways, with their dancing cascades and their quiet pools where trout hide themselves from human view, are an unceasing source of delight that give it much of its character. They deserve their fair share of celebration, and a host of local environmental organizations and municipalities have banded together under the aegis of the Ulster County D...
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The Mayas and ancient Egyptians would have gone bonkers. They loved it when celestial events happened at the same time. They would have adored the sky next week. The idea of “correspondences” or sky-cycles coming together still has wide appeal. That’s why dozens of TV specials and books have desperately tried to find something celestial – some rhythm or event – that will happen just when one of the Mayan calendars turns a page on December 21, 2012. Too bad for them: Nothing’s occurring then...
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Recognizing a familiar face can be a challenge for visually impaired individuals. Print may appear broken, distorted or incomplete. The visually impaired may have difficulty seeing potential hazards such as steps, curbs, calls, uneven surfaces and furniture. Common pleasures most of us take for granted such as cooking, dining out or watching TV can be impossible. At one time, there were few aids to help the visually impaired navigate through life, making the challenges even more overwhelming...
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It’s 10 a.m. and I just came in from the garden, where a temperature already 85 degrees and bright sun bode for a scorcher today. Out there, I sowed seeds of spinach, arugula, maché and Buttercrunch, Romaine and Red Deer Tongue lettuce directly in vegetable beds and in the cold-frame. Despite today’s heat and the sun, and predictions for more of the same, I hope that I’m not too late in planting. This time of year, if you want salad fixings for the next couple of months and on into winter, ...
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