February 4, 2012

Gerrymandered New York: Eagles, Octopi and Aliens. Oh My!

Proposed NYS Senate District 28 (Rockland, Ossining)

by Elijah Reichlin-Melnick In Part I of this two part series, Elijah Reichlin-Melnick looks at the history of the Dark Arts of political redistricting. Part II will examine why it's hard to draw lines everyone agrees are fair. "A mother eagle feeding her young. An octopus after crashing through a … [Read more...]

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Who Will Stop the Tappan Zee Bridge-doggle?

Photo Credit: Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Scoping Information Packet, Oct 2011

by Cap’n Transit Last week the Federal Highway Administration released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Tappan Zee Bridge reconstruction project.  This is big news because it finds, in the words of an Associated Press writer, "no ecology obstacles" to the plan.  However, lots … [Read more...]

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TZB: Damn the Environment, Full Speed Ahead

Tappan Zee Bridge from Tarrytown Train Station, 12/31/2011. Credit: Dave Zornow

NYSDOT Green Lights DEIS; Environmentalists Fume $16 Tolls On The Way? by Dave Zornow Nyack, Jan 27 -- The New York State Department of Transportation released the Tappan Zee Bridge Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) this week and found no reason to back off Governor Cuomo's … [Read more...]

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Mass Transit Yes; New Tappan Zee Bridge No

Postcard of the Nyack Railroad. Source: Historical Society of the Nyacks. "Located along Depot Place (today's Railroad Avenue) reaching to Cedar Hill Avenue. A steam locomotive is shown on the turntable in the rear, where its direction is reversed for the return trip to Jersey City. The railroad service to Nyack began in 1870 and at its peak, ran almost 20 trains daily, in both directions. The "Flyer" left Nyack around 8:00 a.m. each morning, picked up commuters in South Nyack, Grandview, Piermont, and Sparkill, and, after a nonstop run to Jersey City and a ferry ride across the river, delivered its passengers to Wall Street in time for the 9:00 a.m. market opening."

Here's a unique Back-To-The-Future idea about improving Rockland commuters' weekday trip to NYC without building a new Tappan Zee Bridge. The Pedestrian Observations blog says electrifying several of the old rail lines that cross Rockland, Orange and Bergen counties can achieve some of the goals of … [Read more...]

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Gromack Calls For Clarkstown City Study

Alex Gromack 201201

New City, Jan 4 --  At last night's State of The Town address, Clarkstown Supervisor Alexander Gromack called for a serious study of turning the Town of Clarkstown into the City of Clarkstown to let the largest municipality in Rockland County collect its own taxes. Gromack says Clarkstown pays in … [Read more...]

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2011 Images of Nyack

HopperHappens, Veterans Park, May 27, 2011. Photo Credit: Kris Burns

by Dave Zornow Nyack, Dec 30 -- If a picture can conjure a thousands words, here are some of the more memorable photos, illustrations and graphics in 2011. Without further ado and the thousand words, here's our look back at 2011. There was snow -- and lots of it.The first official snow of … [Read more...]

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Mark Dery For Library Board

nyack-library

by Mark Dery As a journalist, book author, and former NYU professor, I've been a weekly user and strong supporter of the Nyack Library since moving to South Nyack in 1993. I believe the library is the heart of our community, a vital center of cultural and social activity. It’s also an … [Read more...]

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All Things Politicized: Revenues At Home, Avenues Abroad

US Congressman Eliot Engel, in a poster in Pec, a city in Kosovo, above a street named in his honor. Source: NYT 5/2/2008

by Ben Wilcox This week's look at Things Politicians Say spans the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean. Governor Cuomo partially plugs a state budget gap, County Exec's speak as one to criticize the governor's Tappan Zee Bridge plan, and why the people of Kosovo love Congressman Eliot Engel … [Read more...]

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New York State Legislature Passes Tax Reform

New York State Capitol, Albany, NY

by Cliff Weathers Albany, Dec 8 -- Almost in the blink of an eye, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for tax-code reform, got support from key State Senate Republicans, and had his plan approved in a marathon legislative session. Late Wednesday night, the Republican controlled NYS Senate … [Read more...]

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The Political Week: Fracking, TZB Financing, Foreign Affairs

JaffeeCarlucciEngelMontebello2011

by Ben Wilcox This week local pols posited on the future Tappan Zee Bridge, hydrofracking for gas in NYS and the release of an American from a Cuban jail. There was one cheer for a post office re-opening while citizens fear the closing of hundreds of others. NYS Senator David Carlucci … [Read more...]

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