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The Daily Mail Copyright 2017, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 225, No. 244
All Rights Reserved
A neighborly time Athens Victorian Stroll to step off Saturday Inside, A3
The nation’s fourth-oldest newspaper • Serving Greene County since 1792
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017
n WEATHER FORECAST FOR CA TODAY TONIGHT
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Jail sharing depends on law
By Daniel Zuckerman Columbia-Greene Media Partly sunny Partly cloudy A little snow
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n SPORTS
Patroons sign former Siena star Edwin Ubiles to play for new team this year PAGE B1
CATSKILL — For the Twin Counties to share a jail, state law would have to be changed, but Greene lawmakers are pressing ahead with their idea anyway. The concept of a joint facility was discussed during a Greene County Legislature Public Safety committee meeting Wednesday. Legislator William Lawrence, R-Cairo, said because Greene County is looking to pursue sharing a jail with Columbia County, lawmakers from both counties
met Tuesday to discuss the matter. “We are going to have to shut down all our corrections,” Lawrence said of the existing jail. “We would not own the facility.” If Columbia County lawmakers agree to a shared facility, the existing Greene County Jail in Catskill would be shut down and all inmates would be transported to the Columbia County Jail, Lawrence said. Only the Greene County Sheriff’s Office would remain open. If inmates have court dates, they would be transported
to Greene County courts and then driven back to the Columbia County Jail at the end of the day. Greene County Jail corrections officers would serve as drivers because they have the appropriate credentials, Lawrence said. The Columbia County Jail facility would not be able to hold Greene County’s inmates, Lawrence said, adding an expansion would be required to house them all. “It’s not as easy as adding cells,” Lawrence said. The addition would have to include a kitchen and
recreation and visiting areas, which are all required by the state Commission of Correction. Such an addition is estimated to cost $10 million. Greene County would foot most of the bill for the expansion at $8 million, while Columbia County would contribute $2 million, Lawrence said. The Greene County Legislature also has to plan how to budget for the inmates that have to be transported. “Those things all have to be ironed out,” Lawrence said. “They have to be looked at by
Stewart House sold for an undisclosed amount
n NATION
both boards.” The Columbia County Jail holds 135 inmates, but the Greene County Jail has an inmate capacity of 40 because one section is closed off, Greene County Jail Superintendent Michael Spitz said. The section was deemed uninhabitable because of asbestos and structural issues by the state Commission of Correction. With all sections open, the jail has a capacity of 56 inmates. The Columbia County Jail is 35 years old and the state does See JAIL A2
Final tax bill may repeal ACA mandate By Richard Moody Columbia-Greene Media
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Stewart House in Athens on the Hudson River.
By Anthony Fiducia Columbia-Greene Media
Moment of truth for Trump? A state court may hear a defamation lawsuit filed against the president by a woman claiming harassment PAGE A5
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ATHENS — The Stewart House on North Water Street on the Hudson River in Athens was sold earlier this week. Owner Owen Lipstein said the one condition he attached to the sale of the 134-year-old restaurant and inn was the next owner be an experienced professional who can take the Athens landmark to the next level. Lipstein identified the buyer as Lon Ballinger, but would not reveal where Ballinger is from or if he owns any other businesses. The original real-estate listing for the building was $1.995 million, but the purchase price was not disclosed. “We’re silent about the price, but I’m happy about how it went,” Lipstein said. The property record was not available through the Greene County Clerk’s Office on Thursday. The Stewart House is a nine-room hotel, restaurant and bar that opened in 1883. Lipstein bought the property in 2001 and put in nearly 15 years of renovations. Lipstein said he has enjoyed great success with the hotel over the years. “I’m delighted about it,” Lipstein said of the sale. “He [Ballinger] reflects well on what has been done and what can be done.” Lipstein is the former owner and publisher of the magazines Spy, Psychology Today and Mother Earth News. He launched American Health magazine at 30.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The bar inside the Stewart House in Athens.
The publication won the National Magazine Award for Excellence in 1985. “I think [Ballinger] is going to hit it out of the ballpark,” Lipstein said. “He understands what needs are to be met from the community. He’s been in this business and had great success — he’s very enthusiastic about it and so am I.” In 1986, Brazilian director Hector Babenco filmed parts of the movie “Ironweed,” based on William Kennedy’s award-winning novel, at the Stewart House. Key scenes with stars Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep were filmed in rooms at the Athens hotel, which doubled as
a flophouse in Great Depression-era Albany. Lipstein recently moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and 4-month old daughter, Charlotte. He said the future of the Stewart House is in good hands. “[Ballinger] is a complete professional and I think he understands the area and the potential of the area,” Lipstein said. “It’s really gratifying for me — spending all this time into something and seeing it taken over in this manner — it’s a good success story.” Lipstein also owns Shakespeare on the Hudson, which is 2 miles south of the Stewart House off Route 385 in the
town of Catskill. Although Shakespeare on the Hudson is not for sale, Lipstein is trying to sell his father’s estate in Hillsdale, a 59-acre compound, for $2.5 million. The Stewart House is closed for interior and exterior renovations until next spring, but an open house will be held Dec. 9 at noon — the day of the Athens Victorian Stroll. Everyone is invited to stop in to meet the new owners and for live music and refreshments. To reach reporter Anthony Fiducia, call 518-828-1616 ext. 2309 or email afiducia@registerstar. com.
U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-19, said moving the controversial tax reform legislation into a conference between the House and Senate is a last chance to improve it to the point he feels comfortable voting for it, but now reports are saying that the final bill could include a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, something else Faso has opposed. At the same time Congress is scrambling to at least pass a temporary federal spending plan now that the Dec. 8 deadline for a budget has arrived. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee are working out a deal to bring a single, final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act up for a vote. The bill was moved to conference Monday with a supporting vote from Faso, who said it was better to get another opportunity to amend the bill than to just take on the Senate’s version as part of the reconciliation process through which the bill was passed. As part of those negotiations the House and Senate are leaning toward agreeing to include a repeal of the individual mandate, which would be the last straw for the ACA. The Senate’s version of the bill already included the repeal, but the House bill did not. Faso said he disapproves of handling issues with health care and the individual mandate through the tax reform legislation back when he announced he was not going to vote for the House’s bill in November. Faso maintained that position, stacking the chips higher as he waited to see what Congress does with other provisions he opposes, including a provision that would repeal most itemized deductions for See FINAL A2
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