The rap on the railroaders is that they’ve had 20 years to realize their dream of rehabilitating the tracks and running tourists trains — estimated at the time to draw at least 200,000 visitors a year — and they haven’t done it. The decades of back-breaking work by hundreds of volunteers flies in the face of the new reality that developing rail-trails is cheaper than the expense of trains for a limited audience. Hein, with a $2.7 million startup price tag on his newest venture, isn’t saying how much converting some 30 miles of railroad into trails will ultimately cost. Perhaps that will be in his next surprise press release.
It’s hard to argue with the economics, though. I feel badly for the railroaders, volunteer underdogs ambushed by powerful government forces. I watch them appear by the dozen at county legislature meetings to plead their case: sincere, intense, frustrated, angry at times. I am reminded of the futile attempt by county infirmary advocates to reverse that policy.
Given the forces now arrayed against them, perhaps all that can be expected for the railroaders is the best of a bad hand.
Standing treasure
City historian Ed Ford hasn’t missed an installment of the on-going Senate House site lecture series, Kingston’s Buried Treasures and now Ford is about to observe a landmark of his own. On April 15, the venerable historian will turn 95.
Ed Ford. (Photo by Phyllis McCabe)
Upbeat and positive-minded, Ford apparently inherited his wry sense of humor from his mother. “When I was a boy, she used to ask me whatever happened to the Red Baron after I was born,” he recalled. The German fighter ace was killed in combat six days after baby Ford arrived.
On Monday, Ford, basking on a curbside bench on a warm spring morning, observed the relocation of a “Tappen House” state historical marker from the junction of Crown and Green streets to Wall and North Front where it rightfully belongs. The marker, erected on that site in 1927 (the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the state constitution in Kingston), records that Gov. George Clinton lived in the Tappen House (owned by his in-laws) during his early years as the state’s chief executive. The stone house was demolished in the late 19th century.
The sign was taken down “for safe-keeping” when the Pike Plan was erected in the mid-1970s and temporarily relocated to another “Tappen House” (law offices of Christopher Tappen, Clinton’s nephew) a few blocks away.
“I didn’t think it would take 35 years,” Ford said. Property owner Mike Spada allowed the refurbished marker to be moved to North Front and Wall.
In the meantime, Ford has been designated one of Ulster County’s senior citizens of the year by the county office for the aging. Also being honored is long-time historian Marion Dumond of Ellenville.
The ninth in the Buried Treasures series continues on Friday, April 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Senate House Museum with historically minded county Commissioner of Jurors Paul O’Neill holding forth on the history of the county courthouse.
Maybe we could all sing happy birthday to our esteemed historian.
[…] Kingston Times […]
The county reps have a nasty conflict of interest that does not serve the pubic and this is exacerbated by their actually taking their personal differences to the floor… yuck that they are getting front page coverage in the Freeman: all of this is an active disservice to the community.
[…] Kingston Times […]
hmmmmm… tearing out tracks for a one-time gain of $700,000.
and if you ever wanted them back (as the possibility of a ride on a train through gorgeous countryside might one day appeal to folks) the cost would likely be well beyond $10 Million.
“Politician Math” is strange.
Gerald, Gerald, and plenty of BIGOTRY–the most bigotry accrues from elected officials to what they regard as the plebescite. Nothing new there, as we both know.
The “surprise” press release, for those of you reading this from Mars or out of county or out of state or out of mind–is Mr. Reynolds’ way of saying exactly the opposite–in other words, he is being facetious here since press releases are the specialty of the county exec you see.
(one might wish to view a blog called Ulster County Mojo for let us say a “differing view” of the county exec–in more ways than one).
When Ed Ford dies, I bet there will no longer be a city historian, or a historian employed at any local government agency. The politicians will take it for themselves and or their incessant drive to replace the vacuum left by the permanent void left by IBM with everything law enforcement. All the historians will then be available if and when anyone wants to visit the local jails. We are not sure there will be a place to go that is affordable for anyone in their old age, although we could restart the old Infirmary by kicking out the folks in there now and relocating them to….the probation department…mmyahhh, that’s it…the probation dept. Old and sick folks are always left out on proverbial permanent “probation” anyway–it’s very symbolic, you see…
And to think–none of this would be possible without that good money from NYC from the transplants from there–or at least some of them. Yes, we SHOULD prevent Mr. Hein from going to NYC to march in the latest Occupy Wall Street–after all, he may be a sadist, but he clearly isn’t also into masochism, so at least we need to insist he at least be consistent here in what looks like will be his such long rein as to rival that of King Solomon–devoid of quite Solomon’s degree of wisdom, of course.