There are two big stories in Ulster County; the county has its first coronavirus case and the outstanding job that the administration of county executive Pat Ryan and his staff have done in being prepared to deal with it. The county has been making contingency plans for several weeks when its people were called upon to use their plan.

Recently the county was alerted that a male resident from the town of Rochester had symptoms of the coronavirus, by a relative. The county and the man worked out a plan to have the man come in to be checked out at the Health Alliance’s Broadway campus in Kingston. The man drove to the hospital, which had a person waiting for him who took the man to a separate entrance which is used for isolation patients.

The man was placed in an airborne isolation room where his condition was evaluated. The man was released to the county.

What is impressive is that the county had a plan and then followed it. When Pat Ryan ran for county executive I voted for him without really knowing who I voted for. In the future I will vote for him and recommend that others do too.

Record temperatures in Ulster County

On Monday, March 9 the temperature in Southern Ulster County was 68 degrees. This possibly could mean that our apple farmers could have their earliest bloom in history, followed by a killing spring frost, destroying their livelihood for the next year.

Only the old Gene Coy farm, and possibly Jenkins and Luekens can be saved. This is so scary for our growers and it has happened twice before. The first time was in 1945. This happened 20 years ago in Yakima Valley, Washington, but that year there was no killing frost in Yakima. If it does happen here I hope that the farmers will be partially protected by crop insurance. Badly hurt will be the growers of fresh eating apples, pie apples, and grow apples for cider and hard cider.

The late Congressman Maurice Hinchey is responsible for our apple growers getting crop insurance.

This is proving to be the warmest recorded winter, 500 degree days warmer than normal. It has also been a dry winter. Because an El Nina is flourishing in the Pacific, there is a weather prediction of a lot of rain in the United States later this spring and this summer. Because the Pacific is hot, this could cause a lot of evaporation and a lot of flooding in the mid-west. Last year a lot of farmers lost their crops from the flooding, but also some went bankrupt from the Global Warming phenomena.

Apple Greens opened on March 8

Dave Roehrs’ Apple Greens Golf Course almost tied its record for earliest start, as the 27 hole course on South Street, Highland opened on Sunday, March 8 with a sizable crowd of golfers.

The record, set in 2016 is March 7. When Roehrs opened the course over 25 years ago, the course often opened in late April. Now it has opened up to seven weeks earlier and the reason is Global Warming. Apple Greens also has closed as late as December.

Ton of jobs, not enough workers
A newspaper just had a story which could have read, “A ton of jobs, not enough workers.”

This is about a large current worker shortage, and is not about the Amazon Fulfillment Center, which when opened will employ 800 workers, with salaries that start at $32,000. I alerted a friend who is having the minimum wage blues about what looks like a lot of interesting job opportunities.

This story will probably be the most read story this week and explains why I am writing about this subject.

$415 snow removal fine
If the snow is not shoveled in a timely manner in the Village of New Paltz you will be fined $415 even if your sidewalk is a tiny 30 yards long. The village could be renamed “The Parking Meter.”

It is one big parking meter. It is so much easier to shop somewhere else.