Today's local headlines

Time to end name game
The Greenville Press, no web site, no links

RENSSELAERVILLE - Linda Fenoff reports in The Greenville Press that 40 members of the Chase family hold elected, appointed, or paid positions in Rensselaerville. The town's Budget Committee wants a job description for all appointed town positions. A nepotism law failed there last year, but the code of ethics was updated. The budget committee has also recommended that the Town Board use a zero-base budget, starting each budget proposal from zero rather than basing each year's budget on the past year.

Greene Rooms
http://seeinggreene.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

GREENE COUNTY - Dick May's Seeing Greene blog digs deeper into one of his favorite subjects, the Friar Tuck Resort on Route 32. Friar Tuck recently filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and, according to May, owes, "Ulster Savings Bank ($3.1 million), tax authorities ($400,000), a fuel supplier ($266,000), and food providers." May uses the story to troll Trip Advisor for consumer reviews of local resorts. He finds that Friar Tuck, Catskill's Quality Inn, and Hunter's Kaatskill Mountain Club get bad reviews, while Freehold's Sunny Hill; Acra's Lange’s Grove Side and Acra Manor; Windham's Catskill Lodge, Catskill Maison, Hotel Vienna, and Thompson House; Hunter's Hunter Inn and Scribner Hollow Lodge all get glowing notices.

Central Hudson Raising Rates
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/06/19/news/doc4a3b0de85bb6a375184110.txt

POUGHKEEPSIE — Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. won permission from the state Public Service Commission on Thursday to raise the rate it charges for electricity delivery by 8.5 percent and the rate it charges for natural gas delivery by 23.5 percent. The rate hikes, which take effect July 1, were approved in a unanimous vote by commissioners, who agreed with the recommendations of state Administrative Law Judges David Prestemon and Jeffrey Stockholm that Central Hudson be allowed to raise its revenue projections by $38 million for electricity delivery and $13.6 million for natural gas delivery.

Unemployment Down In Greene County
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/06/19/news/doc4a3b0c0387195406564277.txt

ALBANY — New York’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.2 percent in May, up from 7.7 percent in April, the state Labor Department announced on Thursday. The may rate is the state’s highest since February 1993. Locally, the unemployment rates rose from April to May in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Orange and Sullivan counties. Joblessness decreased slightly in Greene and Delaware counties. In New York City, the May unemployment rate was 8.7 percent, an increase from 7.8 in April 2009 and a significant jump from 4.8 percent in May 2008. The highest rate outside New York City — 9.7 percent — was in Steuben County. The lowest unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in Tompkins County.

LIVE TONIGHT:

First Gay Pride Festival in Greene County, all day, Catskill with Chrissy Budzinski, Anthony Michael, Nedra Johnson, Cantinero, The Young Brothers, Amy Serrago, and others.

Downtown Ensemble with Brian Dewan, accordian, Bill Hellerman, voice, Yvette Perez, vocals/keyboard, and Peter Zummo, trombone, 8 p.m. at Hudson Opera House. $15.