Congressman pays visit to veterans center Day Room

Early results show surprises

November 6, 2009 by Parry Teasdale

HUDSON—The results below are, for the most part, the Election Night results from voting machines at polling sites around the county. The results are all unofficial and no final outcomes will be certified until absentee ballots and ballots generated by the new electronic ballot marking devices are counted by the county Board of Elections next week.

(The print edition of The Columbia Paper erroneously failed to list the vote tallies for the candidates.)

Candidates who ran on multiple ballot lines are shown on only their first line with the total of all the machine votes they received. Also, candidates who ran in Hudson wards with more than one district are shown with the total number of votes they received

The votes for the statewide propositions reflect only the votes those measures received in Columbia County. Likewise, the results of the race for state Supreme Court judge in the Third Judicial District show only the total here, though the district covers many counties.

Statewide Proposal Number One, An Amendment

Yes 5957

No 2354

Statewide Proposal Number Two, An Amendment

Yes 6351

No 2198

Greenport Library Budget

Yes 414

No 432

Hudson Library Budget:

Yes 472

No 208

H1N1 vaccine expected mid-November

November 6, 2009 by STAFF

HUDSON—With the number of cases of H1N1 flu increasing and not enough vaccine to meet current needs, the Columbia County Health Department urges residents to stay home if they are sick and follow other preventive measures to limit the spread of the flu.
“Flu activity is currently widespread and increasing across New York State. While vaccine offers the greatest protection from the flu, there are currently not enough H1N1 flu vaccine supplies to meet the demand due to delays in production reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we wait for vaccine to become more plentiful in the coming weeks, there are important measures Columbia County residents can take to reduce their chances of getting and spreading the flu,” Nancy Winch, county public health director, said in a press release.
Read more…

Plane crash lands in Clermont, pilot is OK

November 5, 2009 by DIANE VALDEN

CLERMONT—A pilot from Virginia, who purchased a plane in New Hampshire and was flying it home, was forced to make an emergency crash landing in a field off County Route 8, November 4 around 3 p.m.
Livingston State Police Investigator David Comesanas, who was on the crash scene, told The Columbia Paper that pilot Jay Morrissett, 50, of Virginia, had been in the air for 1½ to 2 hours in his newly acquired 1946 single prop airplane when the craft began to experience mechanical problems.
The investigator said the engine was stalling and sputtering and the pilot believed there was a problem with the fuel.
Read more…

Updated: Grattan defeats McGivney in K’hook super race

November 4, 2009 by PARRY TEASDALE and DIANE VALDEN

Incumbents fall in some towns but GOP still controls county

HUDSON–The face of politics in Columbia County underwent some notable changes this week if not the overall balance of power. As the evening wore on Election Night, a number of incumbent supervisors were either swept aside or face cliffhanger decisions as absentee ballots are counted next week.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election show that Kinderhook, the largest municipality in the county, has elected a new town supervisor, former Valatie Mayor Pat Grattan, a Republican. He soundly defeated incumbent Democrat Doug McGivney 1,873 to 1,014. Paper ballots remain to be counted, although they are not likely to change the result.

County reaches out to seniors with heating help

November 3, 2009 by STAFF

HUDSON–An outreach worker from The Columbia County Office for the Aging is now available at locations around the county to answer questions and assist those who wish to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

To qualify for HEAP through the Office for the Aging, an applicant must be 60 years or older and not receiving food stamps, or be disabled and receiving Social Security Disability.