Lissa Harris
About us:
Lissa Harris is the founder and publisher of the Watershed Post.
Articles
May. 19, 2011
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, the Ulster County Legislature approved a redistricting plan that will reduce the size of the Legislature from 33 to 23 members, eliminate at-large legislators, and create 23 new districts that each have a single... Read more
May. 18, 2011
Yesterday, New Yorkers went to the polls to decide the fate of 2011-2012 school budgets. And, for the most part, the results are in.
In Ulster County, every budget passed except Saugerties, whose budget failed for the second year in a row, 1,631-1,369. [... Read more
May. 18, 2011
Results are in for the Onteora school district: the budget passed 755-607, all three school board candidates on the ballot were reelected (no big surprise there), and the proposition to create a capital reserve fund passed.
Here are the results, from the... Read more
May. 17, 2011
Just starting now: A 7pm public meeting to discuss the Ulster County Commission on Reapportionment's plan to redraw the county's legislative districts. The Legislature will be voting on whether to accept the new plan immediately after the hearing.
It's... Read more
May. 17, 2011
This just in from the Town of Shandaken's Facebook page:
Verizon contacts have informed the Town that Service in the 254 exchange and a portion of the 688 exchange (approx. West of Rte.42) will remain without service until approximately 12 Noon... Read more
May. 17, 2011
As we reported earlier this morning, some Delaware County residents in the 845 area code are unable to reach 911 today, in the wake of a transformer explosion on a utility pole in Shandaken early this morning. (And some Ulster County residents are... Read more
May. 17, 2011
A notice on the Onteora Central School District's website says that a power outage has moved Phoenicia Elementary classes to the high school, but that school elections will still be held at the school this afternoon:
Power is out at Phoenicia Elementary... Read more
May. 17, 2011
As of 8 A.M., and continuing through tomorrow evening, a flood watch is in effect over eastern New York and western New England. A warning message from NY-Alert says that locally, Ulster, Greene and Schoharie counties should watch out for heavy rainfall... Read more
May. 16, 2011
On Tuesday, May 17, New Yorkers from Buffalo to the Bronx are voting in school elections -- or, at least, some of them are. (Turnout for school budget elections is usually abysmally low. We're hoping local voters will buck the trend tomorrow.)
This year... Read more
May. 16, 2011
A man whose body was pulled from the Hudson River last Friday has tentatively been identified as missing 27-year-old Troy resident Matthew Rafferty, the Troy Record reports:
Troy Police Capt. John Cooney said that Rafferty’s family has been notified of... Read more
May. 16, 2011
Tomorrow, voters across New York State turn out to decide the fate of school budgets and school boards. In the Onteora school district (which spans Shandaken, Olive, Woodstock, Hurley, and a sliver of Lexington), polls will be open at all four elementary... Read more
May. 13, 2011
This just in from the Daily Freeman: The body of an unknown man was recovered from the Hudson River near Saugerties late this morning.
[Saugerties police chief] Louis Barbaria said it looked as though the body had been in the water for “a considerable... Read more
May. 12, 2011
A closed-for-business sign at Sweet Sue's. Photo by Julia Reischel.
Rejoice, O pancake-starved Phoenicians: Sweet Sue's, closed since March due to a flood-related septic system failure, is slated to open again by next weekend, owner Suzanne Taylor told... Read more
May. 11, 2011
Yesterday, we reported that the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) was considering granting a permit to ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy to withdraw water for hydraulic fracturing from a trout stream in Broome County. According to a press release... Read more
May. 11, 2011
The roar of a mother black bear protecting her cub might strike terror into the heart of any hiker, but it's usually a bluff, says Stephen Herrero, a biologist at the University of Calgary and the author of an enlightening new study on aggression in... Read more
May. 10, 2011
The Cannonsville Adventure Triathlon, a bike/run/kayak event planned for the first weekend in June on the Cannonsville Reservoir, has been cancelled. From an announcement on the CAT race's official blog:
We are sorry to announce, but the organizing... Read more
May. 9, 2011
This just in from the Ulster County Sheriff's Department:
Ulster County Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum reports the arrest of Sean W. Ryan, age 41, of West Hurley, N.Y. for the charges of Official Misconduct and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance... Read more
May. 9, 2011
The Freeman reports that a bus destined for a local home for disabled residents was hit by a pickup truck on Route 145 in East Durham this morning, injuring both drivers and two passengers:
Police said the driver of the truck was airlifted to Albany... Read more
May. 9, 2011
Can't tell a beech from a birch? There's an app for that. Last month, scientists from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian released Leafsnap, a free iPhone and iPad app that promises a simple way to identify Northeastern U... Read more
May. 7, 2011
Photo from the family collection of Doc Searls, of his aunt Ethel Searls in the shadow of the Tremper Mountain Fire Tower. Reproduced by permission.
While poking around on Flickr, we recently discovered a wonderful little cache of photos from a bygone... Read more