I was amazed at a photo sent showing a huge jackpot at a hunting club up north...It's called Queen of Hearts and it's an amazing attraction for bars designated as not for profit. Who oversees that much money?
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Hochul Has Put Her Interest in NY 21 in Clear View
NY 21 is not only a traditionally GOP district but it's the domain of Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was pushed out of the Gubernatorial nomination in favor on Donald Trump's long time pal Bruce Blakeman...To defeat him and take the seat of the person who could have won would be very appealing to the Governor .,,,
Governor Hochul says she has put dozens of campaign offices and over 199 workers in the district to help Blake Gendebien. The Governor and Hakeem Jeffries.
This is a scalp Kathy would love to have.But is tying Mr. Gendebien to the Governor good strategy ?
Last night the Governor did reference a call she made to the Robbins family in Sackets, who used to be GOP stalwarts but story is they have all changed party...Even the one who used to be a Red Hot Republican.
You Only Get One First Impression
Watching commentary on the brutal first appearance of White House press flack Katie Zacharia , I noticed how FOX glossed over the lousy job she did, with Hannity declaring the other media unfairly pounced.
IT was funny to watch Scott Jennings, who would have done a decent job and was considered, comment on CNN. He was polite but you knew he knew how bad it was,,,
Much of Ms. Zacharia's dilemma was lack of preparation...But she is caught on the issue of whether she is a lawyer and was made to deliver a gushing ten minute tome not on Prompter on the wonders of Trump.
The job is to be a spokesperson and while a bit of grace can be granted day one, there is also the legitimate expectation you can talk with authority, Any of us who have had to publicly speak on the fly rolled our collective eyes yesterday,
Maybe better prep and less unruly hair would help, but my assessment is she tell Trump the job isn't in her skill set and get off the stage.....
A Little Relief
The Maple City, without hydro revenue or an especially lucrative sales tax agreement, is letting taxpayers in that financially beleaguered city off with a 2.3% tax hike, lower water bills and no cuts in staff or services. Ogdensburg lawmakers will surely jump at the deal.....
Sunny Landfill
City Council heard a proposal last night from a consultant on a solar farm on the old city landfill on Water Street. Observers say there appears a lot of up front costs for the City and the concern is its another consultant coming in and wanting to tie up the assets from a Council begging for money to tun a Christmas Parade. I'm always reminded of the old saw, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." But we will see.
Solar farms and their suspect economics are under increasing scrutiny and criticism across Upstate.
Manager Says He Will Assess Golf Proposal and Tell Council What to Do
More details on the proposal from local CPA Andrea Doane to run the Thompson Park Golf Club..,,
She is proposing a one year agreement with family members helping her run the course and clubhouse.
It is said the proposal came moments before yesterday's deadline, so there has apparently been no vetting of the proposal...
A one year lease poses many issues, not the least of which is how is that a plan for the future, and how do you get the Legislature to approve that...and what is the structure proposed...
Property experts have raised eyebrows over what is publicly known...
Further the Times story indicates city staff will analyze and recommend to Council what to do.,,With all due respect , they are in no way qualified to assess this RFP, which of course should immediately be made public.
And what happened to the home rule request pulled from a recent agenda.
The fact Ms. Doane is a CPA does indicate knowledge of finance, payroll, etc and she was involved in running the Rustic for many years, but Council will likely do what they are told, so we will wait and see
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Kathy and Bruce
Getting ready for the debate.
Mr Blakeman calls her Kathy….she says Nassau County crime went down before he was CE….
Governor says she understands our pain on energy costs and that Trump is to blame. Mr Blakeman says Hochul raised utility rate 48 times…She says he wants data centers everywhere…He says she won’t allow fracking and PA will.
She says Blakeman is adoring of Donald Trump….He says actress Deborah Messing supports him.
Trump tariffs on the table…Hochul says she brought Chobani to NY. She brings up Robbin’s Farm and ICE raid…..Moderator asks what the solution is for Canada not buying US dairy products…No answer.
Here comes Cornell…Have you prejudged the case? Listen, I’m a mom,I’ve dropped a daughter off at a college, said Ms Hochul.
Blakeman says Hochul has failed as a board member of Cornell …
When confronted on immigrant crime Hochul stumbled and retreated to ICE ..And Minnesota shootings….She refused to talk to parents of Sheridan Gorman….
Kathy Hochul tried again to make Trump the issue…
She refused to reopen Indian Point he said yes..
She said there should be a gender neutral bathroom in the Capitol…….
On AI, Blakeman asked why she hadn’t figured out what to do over the past four years….He said she took communities decision making away….with her ban on new data centers.
She said he is trying mislead voters…
They argued crime and Blakeman brought up NYC stores have to keep toiletries under lock and key…She accused him of having his own militia in Nassau County.
Ms Hochul defended her firing of striking prison guards ……He said she is anti union. She says the major unions back her.
Then Mamdani came up with…….Blakeman calling him an anti semite and anti Christian.
Medicaid came up with Hochul vague on unsustainable,costs…..Blakeman said five million are eligible and eight million collect it.
Hochul,supports,getting rid of horse drawn carriages in Manhattan….
They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
I think Mr Blakeman scored many points and as the challenger I’d say he did well …..Governor Hochul of course defended the status quo and stumbled on a couple answers…I doubt many watched and the debate may have helped the Republican as he is so unknown…
Decisions
Is an RFP something the City has to vote up or down on ? Or can they attempt to massage it....It's hard to imagine an offer on the golf club addresses all the many issues, but we hear it was a rigorous process so far and there was in person interviews...Wonder sho conducted them ? Will Council vote on it quickly ? Will a signed agreement have to be submitted to the State or just a vague MOU. ?
Now there's a twist on a different topic....TV 7 reports city residents are halfway there on having a Christmas Parade....Work a little harder please...Santa is being held at an undisclosed location.
The City will piss away more on Harris Beach advising on what to do with the Golf RFP than any parade purportedly costs.
Pope Has Lung Cancer
The World prays today for recovery of Pope Leo who after surgery,today was said by the Vatican to have lung cancer requiring removal of a lobe. It was said earlier in the week the cancer was thought to have been detected early and the Holy Father appears in good health otherwise.
WWNY: Former Rustic Owner Bids on Park Club
City Council will consider a bid from the former owner of the Rustic Golf Club on Pillar Point to operate the Thompson Park Course. Andrea Doane says she and her family want back into the golf business and she clearly has a full knowledge of the business.
Of course the devil is in the details, but a person of this caliber is clearly better than some of the potential scenarios. Council should seek many opinions including that of Jeff Fallon who ran the course this year,
One issue though, is this is not a long term strategy for the Park and is not consistent with the city’s stated intention to operate a course as part of what they are doing.
Another question is does this proposal eliminate all city expense related to operation of the club and is there revenue to the City. There is also the issue of the Clubhouse and all the equipment, not to mention water and electric bills. Term of agreement is certainly an issue. What is the proposed structure. ?Are their personal guarantees ?
Approval from Albany is an unknown., Council is also in the midst of deciding on a zoning issue at the other golf club in town. What is Jake’s position and does have a role in this.
And we don’t know if other investors are involved from Pillar Point or elsewhere.
TU: Tish Spanked
Tish had to participate in that debate against Saritha Kamatireddy under terms of the State’s campaigning matching funds law. But for AG Letitia James it was an hour that couldn’t end soon enough as the younger former federal prosecutor ripped the old girl a new one, according to the TU which actually covers politics.
Voters are not well informed and James is the party choice. Be nice to see the best person win just once…. Ms Kamatireddy became a prosecutor under the Obama Administration.
https://www.timesunion.com/churchill/article/tishjames-komatireddy-trump-22472977.php
Boxes
What are these VSee boxes being sold all over of late ? Is it a way to get programming for free?
FORE!
Waiting to find out about the Golf Course RFP, which I hope produces continued City operation next year....,Don't worry , when the "numbers" come out it will show a better year than expected.
City should continue to operate it....Just do it seriously and sell more than four tee boxes.
Bottle To The Head
A July 4 assault in the Paddock Arcade has finally resulted in an arrest....This really closes the loop on the Paddock Club closing as these type of incidents were not uncommon and the owner of the building had had enough...These kind of events were not a clear liability not just for the licensee but for the owner of the property....That's not the story the media wanted to air for reasons that are obvious.
That's not to say an incident couldn't occur anywhere, but a preponderance of them is an issue. In this case the hallway was not part of of the licensed premises so incidents really accrue to the property owner..
The subject of the attack was an employee.
https://www.newzjunky.com/police-blotter-report-for-tuesday-october-13-2026/
Terrible...Oh and the Ambassador is Toast
Minutes in...it's a bust for Katie Zacharia as she began her first briefing with a long campaign speech for the Presidents and Republicans. She did state some news that the White House had ask Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign.
It was gushing and inappropriate for the moment..,..And learn to look at the camera.....But she looked good..
Mafia Celebrates
You gotta win these type of games and the Bills did last night with an exciting 37-34 OT win over the LA Rams. The Bill are 4-1.
Watch Tonight....,But It Won't Change Your Mind
Easy call for the lead on the late news....as the sole Gubernatorial primary is tonight on Spectrum....Easy three minute package as all the video is shot and you can do your standup next to the editing station,
Veteran newsman John Moore always told me stories where you don't have to leave the building are the best stories...
As for the debate, the Governor may come across as shrill and overbearing, but that's a given..,How does Bruce Blakeman in an hour , convince voters he is capable, in touch with us and likable....
Not easy for a guy for who traveling upstate never strays far from I-90...(With a possible detour up I-87 for races at Saratoga....
The debate will have no impact on the race, and look for a lot of time wasted on Cornell as the Governor is more invested in pledging to protect people at frat parties than worrying about that eleven percent sales tax strangling small business.
No Shame
We pay for having six figure bureaucrats to hold a hearing for a disabled man who has trouble carrying all his groceries in a shopping cart when on the CitiBus......
This is a good example of people elected, making decisions and not placing up a bureaucratic wall to shield them from making decisions,
While a citizen in Ogdenburg has broached the issues of can we afford these people,
The people deciding on the bus issue have likely never ridden a bus in their lifetime, nor are they that tune to the plight of the disabled.....Of course, some will say the rider is just a complainer and the CM stuck up for the taxpayers.
Seeing these stories in the news is kinda like Ambassador Guilfoyle......Embarassing and the people who hear about it are the people who live here..,,the elected Council.,
Winter
Wooly caterpillars and other weather prognosticators are busy handing out guesses on the winter ahead....We are in the could be bad/could be easy category...Gee, I could have told you that...
There is heavier weather predicted for the Atlantic coast..
Bottom line....Winter is coming...There will be cold days, very cold day , snow and one or two significant snow storms. There's your future cast.
Now watch the comments appear that have nothing to do with the weather.
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16190251/winter-storm-snow-east-coast.html
Monday, October 12, 2026
Campaign Dribble
The owner of the Knicks sure does like Bruce Blakeman… It is said he supplies him a plane and now he is hosting a big fundraiser at the Garden featuring his team playing the Raptors in a preseason game.
Top tickets,cost,$50K……No minds are,changed now….its question whether Republicans vote. Not an easy task.
Is Iron Mike Ready To Take a Bite of NNY Politics?
Will Iron Mike Tyson formally endorse Anthony Constantino?.....That's the scuttlebutt and that topic and more is discussed in today's Mayor Graham's View podcast with guest Russ Finley.
NY 24 Debate
On October 20 there will be a debate for the NY24 candidates held,in WNY on WIVB and WROC Claudia Tenney and Alissa Ellman will square off…..Rep. Tenney could duck it without consequence so good for her. It would be nice if it is simulcast here.
Citizen Questions If Maple City Can Afford a CM
The area’s other city with manager form of government is getting ready to sign a new three year deal with CM Fonda Chronis, who has stayed out of controversy and is not controversial in Ogdensburg…But a citizen has presented a petition asking Council to not review the contract automatically….They will as likely in Watertown renew with a raise the $150k contract…Of course the question is can a city with plunging population afford this form of government.? I think that is what the citizen raising the matter was referring to, and it’s a valid concern.
NIMBY Nonsense
People are protesting in Ilion, NY over a proposed data center located in the vacant Remington Arms factory that once fueled the village economy....
Now the NIMBYs want it to sit and decay...These are surely people who already are set in life or have a guvmint job and are immune from the private sector economy.
Remington was driven out because of the hostile firearms atmosphere in NY and now the stoking of fears over data centers seals the deal for Ilion.
Let's put it in those old buildings on Factory Square
Omar's Home Searched
Not big on raiding or ambushing elected leaders...Didn't like the Mar A Lago raid and don't like government thugs breaking into Ilhan Omar's DC tent.
Sure the Somalis are linked to massive corruption in Minnesota, and their folks were engaged in a shooting match of late in Bloomington , MN.
Marrying your brother does not entitle a kicking down of doors.
But if turnabout is fair play, this is it.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omars-home-dc-searched-fbi-pre-dawn-raid
Flag Raising
The Italian flag raising was held yesterday at the Italian American Civic Association...Didn't see much city presence in the video....The Italian flag and Christopher Columbus are out of favor with the woke-stars, who hate the man but like the day off.
Mule Spin Off
Sticker Mule has released an analysis on the firm's economic impact on NY...The figures are lofty and we suspect it is a good thing for Amsterdam, once home to the carpet industry but had become just another decaying upstate industrial city.
Does it have a bearing on how people vote for Congress ? I think that ship has sailed.
Opposition Surges But Tish is a Mighty Oak With NY Voters
Tish James is being tagged by a top Cuomo aide as the biggest hypocrite in Albany...All due to Richard Azzopardi. being a a whistle blower on the sad tenure of the AG of NYS.. Azzopardi was Governor Cuomo's communications director and sparred with the AG over the claims of sexual hijynx on Eagle Street.
Ms. James seems headed for reelection and the barker of the phrase "too male, too pale and too stale" will likely do well in NNY where teachers, cops, prison guards and the college crowd will vote for anyone for AG as long as she is a Democrat. Plus as a sufferer of white guilt, I feel inclined to vote for the person of color....Although her opponent, while not tagged as "black", is said to be brown.
The willingness to vote for anyone due to party was seen some years back when scandal plagued comptroller candidate Alan Hevesi was dutifully elected by NY voters and immediately has to resign, leading to the appointment of Tom DiNapoli.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
DSA Orders Mamdani to Fire Tisch….The Good Tisch , Not the Bad Tish.
The DSA has told its shiny new Mayor that NYCs Jewish police comissioner be fired and that ICE be expelled from the city so that illegals can have free rein.
It was a matter of time before the mob turned on Jessica Tish, the respected head of the NYPD. Let’s see what the Mayor does.
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Done
By a vote of 45-20 Village of Hammond residents have voted to start the process of dissolving the village.
The push to reduce the number of villages started in Andrew Cuomo and a,few,places decided to do so…Places like Herrings are now gone.
Villages are small potatoes..Try getting rid of the massive bloat in schools and see how far you get.
I think Hamm9ndmhas a school district with all those trappings.
https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/09/24/hammond-village-residents-vote-dissolve-into-town/
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