SamPratt.com

Fall

Taghkanic (NY)

Shoe-in

Open doorway, 500 block of Warren Street, Hudson (NY)

Kids these days

Two women—one 73 years old in Ghent, the other 68 in Copake—have been busted for cultivating large plots of marijuana on their land by the Columbia County Sheriff's Department, according to The Albany Times-Union’s crime blog.

Will the courts go easy on these wayward youth, so that they can grow up to be productive members of society?

Tooling around with Roody

The Albany Times-Union reports that "former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani will make an appearance with Congressional candidate Chris Gibson at Total Tool in Castleton Wednesday."

20th Congressional District sources also indicate that Giuliani will be making campaign whistlestops at the Jerk Joint, a Saratoga barbecue spot, as well as at Dipstick Depot, the auto lube specialists in Stephentown.

The Big Pool

A short guessing game for Republican Islamophobes

Q: Who said the following?

“When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made... brothers and sisters out of every race -- out of every race.

“America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect.

“In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.

“Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated in America. That's not the America I know. That's not the America I value. I've been told that some fear to leave; some don't want to go shopping for their families; some don't want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they're afraid they'll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.

“Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.

“Now this is a great country. It's a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do.”

A: President George W. Bush , 17 September 2001, address to the Islamic Center of Washington. Bush also was a friend and promoter of Imam Rauf of the proposed mosque near Ground Zero.

 

Last Lap?

Oral arguments are being heard today in the long-running Wilzig racetrack case, by the Third Judicial Department of the Appellate Division. The burden is on Alan Wilzig and his attorneys to prove why a previous court ruling by Judge Patrick McGrath should be overturned, a tall order. In early January of this year, McGrath granted a permanent injunction sought by the Granger Group,

“enjoining the Town of Taghkanic, Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Taghkanic, Town of Taghkanic Planning Board, Dennis Callahan as Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector for the Town of Taghkanic or any other employee or agent of the Town of Taghkanic from issuing a Building Permit, Certificate of Compliance and/or Certificate of Occupancy or Site Plan approval for the sporting course or track located on the Wilzig property and Alan Wilzig and Karin Wilzig are permanently enjoined form using, constructing, or completing the sporting course or track in any way or manner as well as any agent, guest or invitee of Alan or Karin Wilzig.”

Arguments are scheduled to be heard at 1 pm today on the 5th Floor of the Robert Abrams Building at Empire State Plaza.

NKOT(300)B

New shop and music venue in the 300 block -- 3FortySeven, spelled just like that -- managed by Giovanni di Mola, at the former City Glass/John Doe site.

Alley

Hudson (NY).

Also, he did not have political relations with that assessor

Shorter version of Mayor Rick Scalera’s fumbling attempt to “clarify” his contradictory statements about the Hudson tax lawsuit, pointed out in a previous letter by former Hudson Police Commissioner Geoffrey Bagnall:

“It depends upon how flawed your understanding of the word ‘flawed’ is.”

Pot o' Gold

Saturday of Labor Day weekend in Hudson, a bit before 7 pm... Dozens of cameraphones bloomed on Warren Street to capture an electric double rainbow.

 

Death of an Editor

Columbia County’s Larry Ashmead, a famed editor, dies at 78.