I am putting the message board back up and see if we can use it to help better the town.
http://www.mikeaforwoodbury.com/zmichaels/index.php
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Message board is live
I am putting the message board back up and see if we can use it to help better the town.
http://www.mikeaforwoodbury.com/zmichaels/index.php
Fornario in line for Orange County Legislature chairmanship
Fornario - coalition
candidate?
Republicans and Democrats on the Orange County Legislature are putting the finishing touches on an arrangement that would see Republican lawmaker Frank Fornario, Jr. become the chairman in the new year. Sources told MidHudsonNews.com Friday night that the other GOP chairman hopeful, Spencer McLaughlin, has dropped out of the race.
In return, the Democrats, who have one vote less than the majority Republicans, have agreed to back Fornario, the sources said. Democrat Minority Leader Anthony Marino last night would only say that he would have an announcement to make early in the new week.
Fornario is seen by Democrats as a coalition builder who would include the Democrats in leadership positions in the committee process.
Even if many of the 11 Republicans vote against Fornario, he will have the 10 Democrat member votes, his own, and that of his staunch GOP supporter Michael Amo.
The new legislature will vote on a chairman next Thursday.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Cash pours in for student with $1 million Web idea
Cash pours in for student with $1 million Web idea By Peter Graff
Thu Dec 29, 1:05 PM ET
If you have an envious streak, you probably shouldn't read this.
Because chances are, Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from a small town in England, is cleverer than you. And he is proving it by earning a cool million dollars in four months on the Internet.
Selling porn? Dealing prescription drugs? Nope. All he sells are pixels, the tiny dots on the screen that appear when you call up his home page.
He had the brainstorm for his million dollar home page, called, logically enough, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, while lying in bed thinking out how he would pay for university.
The idea: turn his home page into a billboard made up of a million dots, and sell them for a dollar a dot to anyone who wants to put up their logo. A 10 by 10 dot square, roughly the size of a letter of type, costs $100.
He sold a few to his brothers and some friends, and when he had made $1,000, he issued a press release.
That was picked up by the news media, spread around the Internet, and soon advertisers for everything from dating sites to casinos to real estate agents to The Times of London were putting up real cash for pixels, with links to their own sites.
So far they have bought up 911,800 pixels. Tew's home page now looks like an online Times Square, festooned with a multi-colored confetti of ads.
"All the money's kind of sitting in a bank account," Tew told Reuters from his home in Wiltshire, southwest England. "I've treated myself to a car. I've only just passed my driving test so I've bought myself a little black mini."
The site features testimonials from advertisers, some of whom bought spots as a lark, only to discover that they were receiving actual valuable Web hits for a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet advertising.
Meanwhile Tew has had to juggle running the site with his first term at university, where he is studying business.
"It's been quite a difficulty trying to balance going to lectures and doing the site," he said.
But he may not have to study for long. Job offers have been coming in from Internet companies impressed by a young man who managed to figure out an original way to make money online.
"I didn't expect it to happen like that," Tew said. "To have the job offers and approaches from investors -- the whole thing is kind of surreal. I'm still in a state of disbelief."
Thu Dec 29, 1:05 PM ET
If you have an envious streak, you probably shouldn't read this.
Because chances are, Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from a small town in England, is cleverer than you. And he is proving it by earning a cool million dollars in four months on the Internet.
Selling porn? Dealing prescription drugs? Nope. All he sells are pixels, the tiny dots on the screen that appear when you call up his home page.
He had the brainstorm for his million dollar home page, called, logically enough, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, while lying in bed thinking out how he would pay for university.
The idea: turn his home page into a billboard made up of a million dots, and sell them for a dollar a dot to anyone who wants to put up their logo. A 10 by 10 dot square, roughly the size of a letter of type, costs $100.
He sold a few to his brothers and some friends, and when he had made $1,000, he issued a press release.
That was picked up by the news media, spread around the Internet, and soon advertisers for everything from dating sites to casinos to real estate agents to The Times of London were putting up real cash for pixels, with links to their own sites.
So far they have bought up 911,800 pixels. Tew's home page now looks like an online Times Square, festooned with a multi-colored confetti of ads.
"All the money's kind of sitting in a bank account," Tew told Reuters from his home in Wiltshire, southwest England. "I've treated myself to a car. I've only just passed my driving test so I've bought myself a little black mini."
The site features testimonials from advertisers, some of whom bought spots as a lark, only to discover that they were receiving actual valuable Web hits for a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet advertising.
Meanwhile Tew has had to juggle running the site with his first term at university, where he is studying business.
"It's been quite a difficulty trying to balance going to lectures and doing the site," he said.
But he may not have to study for long. Job offers have been coming in from Internet companies impressed by a young man who managed to figure out an original way to make money online.
"I didn't expect it to happen like that," Tew said. "To have the job offers and approaches from investors -- the whole thing is kind of surreal. I'm still in a state of disbelief."
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Track Santa's annual flight online
Track Santa's annual flight online
News partner NBC 6
December 23, 2005, 10:48 AM EST
When Christmas Eve comes, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), will track Santa Claus during his annual flight.
NORAD is responsible for handling the air defense of the North America continent. But it has also been tracking Santa's movements on Christmas Eve for the past 50 years.
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa -- radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft.
The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can see heat. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. Thus, the satellites can detect Rudolph's bright red nose with practically no problem.
The tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955, when a local Sears, Roebuck and Co. store ran a newspaper ad urging children to make a phone call on Christmas Eve and talk to Santa Claus. As fate would have it, the phone number was misprinted and, instead of reaching Santa, youngsters found themselves talking with Air Force Col. Harry Shoup of the Continental Air Defense Command at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado.
Rather than hanging up, Shoup and his troops answered every child's call that night with a report of Santa's location. CONAD personnel kept up the practice until 1958, when NORAD was formed and took over Santa-tracking duties.
"We think of it as a geography lesson, because the different places that Santa visits or sightings that we have, a lot of people haven't heard of," said Air Force Master Sgt. John Tomassi, co-director of Santa-tracking operations. "If we can get some children to go and look at a map to find out where Timbuktu is, or where India is, or Pakistan, or wherever, then we feel all the better for that."
Last Christmas Eve, volunteers at Cheyenne Mountain answered nearly 55,000 phone calls and 35,000 e-mails from children around the world. This year, about 500 volunteers -- most of them U.S. and Canadian military personnel and their families -- will report for telephone-answering duty on Christmas Eve. But already, youngsters are sending messages to Santa via the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site.
"E-mails are arriving from India and Ireland and all over the world already from children with their wish lists who want to talk to Santa," Tomassi said. "We receive, on average, 200 e-mails a day."
NORAD Tracks Santa volunteers will answer calls from 2 a. m. MST Dec. 24 to 2 a. m. MST Dec. 25 at 877-Hi-NORAD. You can send also Santa an e-mail at NorthPole@OfficialSantaMail.com
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
News partner NBC 6
December 23, 2005, 10:48 AM EST
When Christmas Eve comes, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), will track Santa Claus during his annual flight.
NORAD is responsible for handling the air defense of the North America continent. But it has also been tracking Santa's movements on Christmas Eve for the past 50 years.
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa -- radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft.
The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can see heat. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. Thus, the satellites can detect Rudolph's bright red nose with practically no problem.
The tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955, when a local Sears, Roebuck and Co. store ran a newspaper ad urging children to make a phone call on Christmas Eve and talk to Santa Claus. As fate would have it, the phone number was misprinted and, instead of reaching Santa, youngsters found themselves talking with Air Force Col. Harry Shoup of the Continental Air Defense Command at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado.
Rather than hanging up, Shoup and his troops answered every child's call that night with a report of Santa's location. CONAD personnel kept up the practice until 1958, when NORAD was formed and took over Santa-tracking duties.
"We think of it as a geography lesson, because the different places that Santa visits or sightings that we have, a lot of people haven't heard of," said Air Force Master Sgt. John Tomassi, co-director of Santa-tracking operations. "If we can get some children to go and look at a map to find out where Timbuktu is, or where India is, or Pakistan, or wherever, then we feel all the better for that."
Last Christmas Eve, volunteers at Cheyenne Mountain answered nearly 55,000 phone calls and 35,000 e-mails from children around the world. This year, about 500 volunteers -- most of them U.S. and Canadian military personnel and their families -- will report for telephone-answering duty on Christmas Eve. But already, youngsters are sending messages to Santa via the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site.
"E-mails are arriving from India and Ireland and all over the world already from children with their wish lists who want to talk to Santa," Tomassi said. "We receive, on average, 200 e-mails a day."
NORAD Tracks Santa volunteers will answer calls from 2 a. m. MST Dec. 24 to 2 a. m. MST Dec. 25 at 877-Hi-NORAD. You can send also Santa an e-mail at NorthPole@OfficialSantaMail.com
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Suit aims to stop developer
Suit aims to stop developer Woodbury board jumped gun on 451-home OK, opponents say By Chris McKennaTimes Herald-Recordcmckenna@th-record.com
Woodbury - Opponents have sued to stop Bill Brodsky's proposed 451-home development, using as ammunition a dispute between the Town Board and Orange County planners over the project's merits.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn five laws the board adopted giving the Rockland County developer the zoning accommodations he needed to move forward with his development, which is now being reviewed by the town Planning Board.
The litigation rekindles a bitter fight that dominated town politics for a year and culminated with the Nov. 3 Town Board decision and the election - five days later - of John Burke, a leading critic of the housing proposal.
Burke unseated Supervisor Sheila Conroy, a supporter who argued the proposal offered the town abundant benefits.
A subplot within the saga is a clash between the Town Board and the Orange County Planning Department over whether those benefits justified zoning changes that tripled the number of homes Brodsky could otherwise build at the 400-acre site.
County planners raised sharp doubts while reviewing the project this year and finally disapproved it on Nov. 17 - after the Woodbury board had already made its decision.
In his letter to town officials, Planning Commissioner David Church said they'd voted prematurely because they didn't give his office the 30 days required by state law to review all project documents, including ones submitted to the county after Oct. 21.
Opponents have made that a main argument for overturning the Nov. 3 votes. They also claim the proposal had a flawed environmental review and would violate the town master plan.
Woodbury officials dispute Church's interpretation of the law. In a nine-page reply, Conroy argues the 30-day clock started not on Oct. 21 but on June 28, when Woodbury sent copies of the proposed zoning laws to the county Planning Department for review.
Conroy's letter goes on to describe how the town complied with some of the county's recommendations and explains why it rejected others. Two concessions were requiring Brodsky to plan a second entrance to the development and build a gravel parking lot for a park at the site.
"We were disappointed that the county did not see the benefits to the community," Conroy said in an interview. "Obviously, somebody did not read this document."
Church replied yesterday that two planners worked on the review, including a senior staff member who spent 20 to 30 hours looking at Woodbury's materials.
"We did not lightweight this," he said. "In fact, I had the opposite conclusion - I thought we were spending too much time."
Woodbury - Opponents have sued to stop Bill Brodsky's proposed 451-home development, using as ammunition a dispute between the Town Board and Orange County planners over the project's merits.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn five laws the board adopted giving the Rockland County developer the zoning accommodations he needed to move forward with his development, which is now being reviewed by the town Planning Board.
The litigation rekindles a bitter fight that dominated town politics for a year and culminated with the Nov. 3 Town Board decision and the election - five days later - of John Burke, a leading critic of the housing proposal.
Burke unseated Supervisor Sheila Conroy, a supporter who argued the proposal offered the town abundant benefits.
A subplot within the saga is a clash between the Town Board and the Orange County Planning Department over whether those benefits justified zoning changes that tripled the number of homes Brodsky could otherwise build at the 400-acre site.
County planners raised sharp doubts while reviewing the project this year and finally disapproved it on Nov. 17 - after the Woodbury board had already made its decision.
In his letter to town officials, Planning Commissioner David Church said they'd voted prematurely because they didn't give his office the 30 days required by state law to review all project documents, including ones submitted to the county after Oct. 21.
Opponents have made that a main argument for overturning the Nov. 3 votes. They also claim the proposal had a flawed environmental review and would violate the town master plan.
Woodbury officials dispute Church's interpretation of the law. In a nine-page reply, Conroy argues the 30-day clock started not on Oct. 21 but on June 28, when Woodbury sent copies of the proposed zoning laws to the county Planning Department for review.
Conroy's letter goes on to describe how the town complied with some of the county's recommendations and explains why it rejected others. Two concessions were requiring Brodsky to plan a second entrance to the development and build a gravel parking lot for a park at the site.
"We were disappointed that the county did not see the benefits to the community," Conroy said in an interview. "Obviously, somebody did not read this document."
Church replied yesterday that two planners worked on the review, including a senior staff member who spent 20 to 30 hours looking at Woodbury's materials.
"We did not lightweight this," he said. "In fact, I had the opposite conclusion - I thought we were spending too much time."
Friday, December 02, 2005
Parade of champions this Saturday at 3
Parade of champions this Saturday at 3
Monroe - The Village of Monroe will play host to a parade for the state champion Monroe-Woodbury football team, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday at Airplane Park.
The parade will come down Lake Street and turn onto Spring Street where it will end in Smith Clove Park.
The football team, the Monroe-Woodbury High School band, local police, fire and ambulances corps members and local politicians are expected to participate.
“We are encouraging people to come out and cheer them on,” said Monroe Police Chief Dominic Giudice. “We also want to advise residents and local businesses that there will be the periodic closing of streets to accommodate the parade as well as some temporary traffic delays.”
Blog to monitor antisemitism
Blog to monitor antisemitism
Woodbury —The Southern Orange County Antisemitism Watch (SOCAwatch) started up at http://socawatch.blogspot.com on Tuesday. The Woodbury-based blogger has been posting messages “to increase public awareness of antisemitic rhetoric from politicians, media, and ‘grassroots’ organizations in southern Orange County.”
According to its Web site: “Some of the words on this site are hateful. Some perpetuate stereotypes. Some demonstrate great prejudice. I post them here for your review, your commentary, your analysis.
“To me, what is scary is that these words are not necessarily being mumbled by one private citizen to another, but they are being shouted by our political leaders. Our media is dedicating an excessive amount of negative coverage to a minority community. This blog is not meant to inflame a hateful situation. It is meant to lift up the carpet and expose it to the light.”
Several of the first postings reprinted a letter from Spencer McLaughlin, an Orange County legislator, about water supply problems at Kiryas Joel in Monroe.
Another was merely fun. Congratulating the Monroe-Woodbury football team, SOCAwatch wrote: “Good luck in Syracuse! For the first time in history, Jews root for the Crusaders.”
To which “Anonymous” replied: “Can you show proof that this is the ‘first time in history’?”
Woodbury —The Southern Orange County Antisemitism Watch (SOCAwatch) started up at http://socawatch.blogspot.com on Tuesday. The Woodbury-based blogger has been posting messages “to increase public awareness of antisemitic rhetoric from politicians, media, and ‘grassroots’ organizations in southern Orange County.”
According to its Web site: “Some of the words on this site are hateful. Some perpetuate stereotypes. Some demonstrate great prejudice. I post them here for your review, your commentary, your analysis.
“To me, what is scary is that these words are not necessarily being mumbled by one private citizen to another, but they are being shouted by our political leaders. Our media is dedicating an excessive amount of negative coverage to a minority community. This blog is not meant to inflame a hateful situation. It is meant to lift up the carpet and expose it to the light.”
Several of the first postings reprinted a letter from Spencer McLaughlin, an Orange County legislator, about water supply problems at Kiryas Joel in Monroe.
Another was merely fun. Congratulating the Monroe-Woodbury football team, SOCAwatch wrote: “Good luck in Syracuse! For the first time in history, Jews root for the Crusaders.”
To which “Anonymous” replied: “Can you show proof that this is the ‘first time in history’?”
about $1 million a year
ChesterC&S revives plans for new warehouse C&S Wholesale Grocers is renewing plans to build a 90-foot-tall warehouse in the Chester Industrial Park just over a month after it pulled out of the venture, former Chester Mayor Joseph Battiato said. He said he negotiated a deal to bring the wholesaler back on track to build the 373,547-square-foot refrigerated warehouse next to C&S's existing warehouse. C&S pulled out of the planning process in October. Critics feared the building would block their mountain views, use too much water and create traffic. Battiato said the Town of Chester's concerns were addressed by C&S officials, but the village would not budge on traffic and road maintenance issues. The building would straddle the village-town line, requiring approval from both municipalities. Battiato said he stepped in to protect the potential tax revenue to be generated from the new building – estimated at about $1 million a year. Battiato said he mediated a deal in which village officials agreed to speed up their review of C&S's plans in return for the company's commitment of more than $100,000 to village water and risk management funds
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
a symbol of justice, mastery and honesty
A bronze statue of Bruce Lee, a Chinese-American martial arts master in a typical fighting pose, is unveiled during a ceremony in Mostar November 26, 2005. A new symbol of unity was erected on Saturday in the ethnically divided Bosnian city of Mostar - a statue of Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee, worshipped by Muslims, Serbs and Croats. A group of enthusiasts in Mostar, the scene of fighting between Muslims and Croats in 1993-1994, agreed they needed a symbol of justice, mastery and honesty - virtues upheld by the late Chinese-American actor. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
Monday, November 28, 2005
HOW THEY VOTED
HOW THEY VOTED
Gannett News Service
Your representatives in Albany
The Journal News tracks legislative votes by members of the regional delegation on key bills selected by our Albany bureau. There are two ways to use this feature.
•Click on the description of any bill listed below to learn more about that bill and to see how all area legislators voted on the measure.
•Select a member of the Assembly or Senate delegations from the dropdown menus to see how that legislator voted on all of the bills in the list.
Gannett News Service
Your representatives in Albany
The Journal News tracks legislative votes by members of the regional delegation on key bills selected by our Albany bureau. There are two ways to use this feature.
•Click on the description of any bill listed below to learn more about that bill and to see how all area legislators voted on the measure.
•Select a member of the Assembly or Senate delegations from the dropdown menus to see how that legislator voted on all of the bills in the list.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Actor Pat Morita Dies at 73
Actor Pat Morita Dies at 73 By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer
13 minutes ago
Actor Pat Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" earned him an Oscar nomination, has died. He was 73.
Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on "Happy Days," had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."
In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills.
Morita said in a 1986 interview with The Associated Press he was billed as Noriyuki "Pat" Morita in the film because producer Jerry Weintraub wanted him to sound more ethnic. He said he used the billing because it was "the only name my parents gave me."
He lost the 1984 best supporting actor award to Haing S. Ngor, who appeared in "The Killing Fields."
For years, Morita played small and sometimes demeaning roles in such films as "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and TV series such as "The Odd Couple" and "Green Acres." His first breakthrough came with "Happy Days," and he followed with his own brief series, "Mr. T and Tina."
"The Karate Kid," led to three sequels, the last of which, 1994's "The Next Karate Kid," paired him with a young Hilary Swank.
Morita was prolific outside of the "Karate Kid" series as well, appearing in "Honeymoon in Vegas," "Spy Hard," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "The Center of the World." He also provided the voice for a character in the Disney movie "Mulan" in 1998.
Born in northern California on June 28, 1932, the son of migrant fruit pickers, Morita spent most of his early years in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis. He later recovered only to be sent to a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II.
"One day I was an invalid," he recalled in a 1989 AP interview. "The next day I was public enemy No. 1 being escorted to an internment camp by an FBI agent wearing a piece."
After the war, Morita's family tried to repair their finances by operating a Sacramento restaurant. It was there that Morita first tried his comedy on patrons.
Because prospects for a Japanese-American standup comic seemed poor, Morita found steady work in computers at Aerojet General. But at age 30 he entered show business full time.
"Only in America could you get away with the kind of comedy I did," he commented. "If I tried it in Japan before the war, it would have been considered blasphemy, and I would have ended in leg irons. "
Morita was to be buried at Palm Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife and three daughters from a previous marriage
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Why did less then 50% of Woodbury stay home on Election Day?
Why did less then 50% of Woodbury stay home on Election Day?
Could be a few reasons, but the same could be said of Monroe, Chester and all of Orange County. I knocked on so many doors this year and many of them all have the same issues; more baseball and soccer fields. Traffic along Rt 32, when are we going to fix the pond, bigger beach area for the Rez, a place for teens to go, what are you doing about our taxes. The one thing everyone spoke about was taxes, school taxes, town taxes, county taxes and how they can’t afford to live here any more. It could be a lot of then stayed home because they don’t care because they plan to leave ASAP. So many told me “Mike when our kids finish school we are out of here”. I heard only 42% voted in Woodbury but ones who voted I think voted for change. More to come
Could be a few reasons, but the same could be said of Monroe, Chester and all of Orange County. I knocked on so many doors this year and many of them all have the same issues; more baseball and soccer fields. Traffic along Rt 32, when are we going to fix the pond, bigger beach area for the Rez, a place for teens to go, what are you doing about our taxes. The one thing everyone spoke about was taxes, school taxes, town taxes, county taxes and how they can’t afford to live here any more. It could be a lot of then stayed home because they don’t care because they plan to leave ASAP. So many told me “Mike when our kids finish school we are out of here”. I heard only 42% voted in Woodbury but ones who voted I think voted for change. More to come
GOP to hold one-vote margin in 2006
Orange County Legislature GOP to hold one-vote margin in 2006
Three close Orange County Legislature races have been recounted at the Board of Elections and it appears that the Republicans will hold a slim one-vote margin over Democrats in the new year.
Democratic County Elections Commissioner Susan Bahren said three Democrats captured the trio of contested seats. Absentees and affidavits have all been counted and Wayne Decker topped Dennis Simmons by 11 votes in the 13 th District. Decker is the incumbent. In the Eighth District, Democrat Noel Spencer defeated Republican incumbent Dimitrios Lambros by 32 votes. In the 15 th District, Democrat Chris Eachus defeated Republican Christine Longinott. That was an open seat.
County Democratic Party Chairman Jonathan Jacobson said county residents voted for an independent county legislature.
“With the Democrats now within one vote of the majority, the people wanted the Democrats to have a strong say and I expect that we’ll be there representing the alternative point of view,” he said.
This year, Ulster County Republicans held a one-vote majority over Democrats, but the new legislature will have a 21-12 Democrat majority. Democrats also narrowed their wide gap on the Dutchess County Legislature.
Three close Orange County Legislature races have been recounted at the Board of Elections and it appears that the Republicans will hold a slim one-vote margin over Democrats in the new year.
Democratic County Elections Commissioner Susan Bahren said three Democrats captured the trio of contested seats. Absentees and affidavits have all been counted and Wayne Decker topped Dennis Simmons by 11 votes in the 13 th District. Decker is the incumbent. In the Eighth District, Democrat Noel Spencer defeated Republican incumbent Dimitrios Lambros by 32 votes. In the 15 th District, Democrat Chris Eachus defeated Republican Christine Longinott. That was an open seat.
County Democratic Party Chairman Jonathan Jacobson said county residents voted for an independent county legislature.
“With the Democrats now within one vote of the majority, the people wanted the Democrats to have a strong say and I expect that we’ll be there representing the alternative point of view,” he said.
This year, Ulster County Republicans held a one-vote majority over Democrats, but the new legislature will have a 21-12 Democrat majority. Democrats also narrowed their wide gap on the Dutchess County Legislature.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
write-in candidate
High School Student Sworn in As Mayor By AMY F. BAILEY, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 22, 5:44 AM ET
Michael Sessions began talking about running for mayor when he was a sophomore in high school. He realized that dream before he got his diploma.
Sessions, an 18-year-old senior, became the city's youngest mayor on Monday when he took the oath of office. The crowd included city residents, photographers and dozens of video cameras — some from news agencies as far away as Russia and Japan.
"The first couple of days are going to be rough, I think, on me. I've just got to get acquainted with the job," Sessions said earlier Monday as he took reporters on a tour of the city, which has a population of 8,200 and is located about 100 miles southwest of Detroit. "My confidence is gaining a lot each day."
Sessions beat Mayor Doug Ingles, 51, by two votes in the Nov. 8 election despite Sessions' status as a write-in candidate.
Sessions, who used $700 from a summer job to fund his race, already has appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman" to read the Top Ten list titled "Good Things About Being an 18-year-old Mayor."
Richard Moore says the national spotlight on Sessions means more exposure for the community.
"I think people at first were like `What's going on here?' but I think as people got to know Mike, they realized he's not your average high school senior," Moore said. "It takes a special person to run for office at any age."
Tue Nov 22, 5:44 AM ET
Michael Sessions began talking about running for mayor when he was a sophomore in high school. He realized that dream before he got his diploma.
Sessions, an 18-year-old senior, became the city's youngest mayor on Monday when he took the oath of office. The crowd included city residents, photographers and dozens of video cameras — some from news agencies as far away as Russia and Japan.
"The first couple of days are going to be rough, I think, on me. I've just got to get acquainted with the job," Sessions said earlier Monday as he took reporters on a tour of the city, which has a population of 8,200 and is located about 100 miles southwest of Detroit. "My confidence is gaining a lot each day."
Sessions beat Mayor Doug Ingles, 51, by two votes in the Nov. 8 election despite Sessions' status as a write-in candidate.
Sessions, who used $700 from a summer job to fund his race, already has appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman" to read the Top Ten list titled "Good Things About Being an 18-year-old Mayor."
Richard Moore says the national spotlight on Sessions means more exposure for the community.
"I think people at first were like `What's going on here?' but I think as people got to know Mike, they realized he's not your average high school senior," Moore said. "It takes a special person to run for office at any age."
Monday, November 21, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Where do they all go?
Where do they all go?
The other day I was looking at a sign that had the Town Board from 1988. As I looked at the names I asked my self where are these people now. Only one was still around and that was Sheila who was a councilperson back then. Then I started to think when was the last time we saw a former board member other then Ralph attend a meeting? After you finish your term do you never come back? What about all the candidates that ran for office where they are too? I don’t think any of the persons who ran against me ever came back after they lost, why is that? Do you think anyone knows who the Supervisor was in the 1990’s or the 1980’s?
The other day I was looking at a sign that had the Town Board from 1988. As I looked at the names I asked my self where are these people now. Only one was still around and that was Sheila who was a councilperson back then. Then I started to think when was the last time we saw a former board member other then Ralph attend a meeting? After you finish your term do you never come back? What about all the candidates that ran for office where they are too? I don’t think any of the persons who ran against me ever came back after they lost, why is that? Do you think anyone knows who the Supervisor was in the 1990’s or the 1980’s?
Thursday, November 17, 2005
hey
So it’s been a while since I posted my own thoughts, but I am thinking its going to be a good 2006. Now that the election is over its time to move forward and get some work done for the better of the town. But first a few house cleaning topics: for those who read this I do not proof read my posting it’s a blogg not a term paper, just random thoughts so don’t expect it to get any better. There will always be spelling, grammar and other errors. FYI I was not able to attend a Republican committee either so I went out and won a seat to attend them and would like also to see them open to everyone some day. Last time I checked with myself I am able to make decision on my own. I also won an election I was not put into my seat by the board. I was voted by the other park commissions to be the chairmen not the Republican committee or the Town board. Oh and by the way I did show up for Town Board meetings when I was not in office for a few years before I ran. Yes I had a lot of fun growing up just like everyone else. Ok let’s move on I care about this town just like the rest of you on UB but we do have many other things in common. Time to go
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