As you may or may not have noticed, the Hudson Valley Chronic hasn’t been what you could call “active” for some time. I sincerely apologize for having let this experiment in regional journalism fall into a prolonged sleep, and confess that I don’t know at this point whether I have the passion to keep it [...]
In This Issue
Lynn (Lyndsey) Watson, nee Hopkins
The official obituary of a great singer and spiritual leader with roots in the Hudson Valley
biffthuringer • December 20th, 2012
LYNN (LYNDSEY) H. WATSON, 62, of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, died peacefully at home on Monday, December 17, after a short, unexpected illness. She was in the presence of her mother, eldest brother and dear friends Evelyn Lisitzky and Mardi Bolton. Lynn was born on May 28, 1950 in Bronxville, New York. She is survived by [...]
The Trillion-Gallon Loophole: Lax Rules for Drillers that Inject Pollutants Into the Earth
Thanks to ProPublica for sharing this important story with readers of the Hudson Valley Chronic
Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica • September 20th, 2012
On a cold, overcast afternoon in January 2003, two tanker trucks backed up to an injection well site in a pasture outside Rosharon, Texas. There, under a steel shed, they began to unload thousands of gallons of wastewater for burial deep beneath the earth. The waste – the byproduct of oil and gas drilling [...]
Executive indecision
AN INTRIGUINGLY MATCHED PAIR OF YOUNG CONTENDERS VIE TO LEAD DUTCHESS COUNTY OUT OF STEINHAUSIAN STASIS
Steve Hopkins • November 3rd, 2011
Whatever happens on November 8, come January at least two of the Mid-Hudson region’s county executive offices will be managed by a relatively young, dark and toothsome gentleman sporting a haircut you can set your watch to. Call it a trend. The greater Hudson Valley, and particularly this region, is becoming renowned for fast-tracking young, [...]
New Paltz FLOOD AID
Farmers, Families & First Responders Kick-Off Event
Scott Patrick Humphrey • September 22nd, 2011
Hurricane Irene tore its way up the East Coast in late August, ravaging local communities in its wake. The Hudson Valley was hit extremely hard by Irene, and many towns, local farms, and individuals’ lives were devastated. The region’s citizens are gathering and offering their help to those who need it most. Ulster County was [...]
Magnificent obsession
Intrepid hikers’ quest to scale Catskills’ 35 tallest peaks … dressed to kill in ball gowns
Steve Hopkins • July 16th, 2011
The Catskill Mountains, those shadowy blue-green humps that undulate mysteriously across New York State’s pie-shaped lower extremity, have always had a transformational effect on human psychology and behavior. Stories abound of people wandering into the mountains and emerging years later, changed beyond recognition, their outlooks softened and feminized, their facial features calmed and beatific, like [...]
Fracking our lives away
Study by the Center on Global Change at Duke University outlines the many toxic consequences of horizontal hydraulic fracturing
Scott Patrick Humphrey • June 28th, 2011
Whether anyone has heard of it or not, there exists unequivocal proof concerning the environmental and human health risks associated with horizontal hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking). The study on horizontal “Hydro-Fracking” by the Center on Global Change at Duke University outlines all of the contamination of well water from methane and other chemicals that occurred within the [...]
For once, history doesn’t repeat itself
Steve Saland puts Marriage Equality over the top in New York
Steve Hopkins • June 25th, 2011
Last fall when I loudly endorsed State Sen. Steve Saland’s opponent, Didi Barrett, and subsequently publicized my failure to vote for him in his landslide victory, I had no idea that he was a changed man. I had no idea that he was going to have a soul transplant a few months later and use [...]
The Weiner vs. the Tornado
Viewers of CNN can be confident that when it comes to national news priorities, a good penis joke will beat a developing regional disaster, hands down --- so to speak. A video report from our partners, After the Press.
Steve Hopkins • June 14th, 2011
It’s been a very bad year for tornadoes, and nothing this year can compare to the devastation in Joplin, Missouri, an event that was covered extensively by the national press as it was happening. But on June 1, 2011, almost the entire East Coast of the U.S. was under a tornado watch, including NYC and Boston. Tornadoes are not [...]
Riverkeeper: Hudson River Water Quality Report
First sampling patrol of 2011 - May 16 through May 19
John Lipscomb • June 8th, 2011
The good folks at Riverkeeper (http://www.riverkeeper.org/), New York State’s vigilant clean water advocate, have been patrolling the waters of the Hudson River this spring, and have some interesting results to present. They’ve kindly agreed to let the Chronic post these results here. Highlights: Our May patrol was rainy, wet and nasty. It rained between 1.2 [...]
