Boonville News

Activists rally in Goshen for gay-marriage rights By John Sullivan Times Herald-Record Posted: November 09, 2009 - 2:00 AM Goshen — The secret to a long and successful relationship? Louise Houghtaling, 64, and her partner thought for a moment before answering. "Well, communication is a big thing," Houghtaling began. "And acceptance and tolerance: We often tend to try to mold people into what we want instead of appreciating what we've got." Such wisdom is hard-earned, and having learned many of the lessons, Houghtaling and her partner of 16 years, who asked not to be named, wanted what any other couple wanted — the right to have their relationship recognized by law. On the village square in front of them gathered a crowd of about 50 or so people, rallying for their cause. "Here in New York, it is imperative that we insist on a vote on marriage equality in our state Senate," shouted Cathy Marino-Thomas, president of Marriage Equality New York. "We must not allow our civil rights to be postponed again."

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Levi Johnston is going for the ultimate exposure - the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin's grandchild will pose nude for Playgirl, his attorney said Wednesday. To get ready for his close-up, Johnston is training three hours a day, six nights a week at an Anchorage gym with a local body builder. A formal agreement hasn't been reached with the online magazine, but the photo shoot is a "foregone conclusion," said Johnston's attorney, Rex Butler. Johnston fathered a son with Bristol, the 18-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate who resigned as Alaska's governor in July.

BOONVILLE, N.Y. - A million dollar daycare center is creating jobs in Boonville and allowing parents to remain worry-free while at work.

CDC: Up to 6 million swine flu cases in few months ATLANTA (AP) - Health officials think that as many as 5.7 million Americans were infected with swine flu during the first few months of the pandemic. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that between 1.8 million and 5.7 million Americans were infected from April through July. The estimate is the CDC's most specific calculation to date. Officials had simply been saying millions have been infected. The estimate is in an article in a CDC publication called Emerging Infectious Diseases.

USA TODAY As snow and temperatures start to fall, it's "peephole driving" season in the USA. Many Americans have done it: gone outside to an ice-covered vehicle on a cold winter's morning, chipped just enough ice off the windshield to see through and driven away. Peephole driving dramatically reduces a driver's field of vision, and it increases the likelihood that snow or ice can become dislodged and hit another vehicle or a pedestrian, according to police and safety advocates.

Godless advertise their goodness in Chicago Those familiar with Twitter trends may have noticed on Tuesday that the favorite search terms of the day went from "No God" to "Know God." The Chicago Coalition for Reason wants to harness both concepts. As part of a Chicago campaign also launched on Tuesday, they erected a billboard in the Loop promoting the ethical principles of people who know no God. Emblazoned across a cloudy sky looming above the corner of LaSalle and Grand avenues is the message: "Are you good without God? Millions are." Hemant Mehta, coordinator of the Chicago Coalition of Reason, a group of nine diverse but similarly secular organizations in the city and suburbs, said the billboard aims to encourage humanists, atheists and agnostics to come out of the closet and join a growing community of people who seek alternatives to religious world views or care for other humans simply because it’s the right thing to do. Members include Wheaton Atheists, Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland, Chicago’s Center for Inquiry, Secular Students Association of Elmhurst College, two local chapters of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Chicago Secular Singles, Chicago Brights, North Suburban Chicago Freethinkers and Kol Hadash, a Humanistic Jewish congregation in Lincolnshire.

Rome Sentinel BY NICOLE A. HAWLEY Staff writer.

BOONVILLE — Allegations about mismanagement of funds and lack of an open government are issues that have surfaced as an Air Force veteran and a retired state police trooper face off for the supervisor seat in the Nov. 3 election. Supervisor Guy C. Case, of 8411 Jackson Hill Road, a contractor for Rome Laboratory and a veteran, lost the Republican primary to newcomer John C. Gaylord, of 115 James St., retired trooper and former owner of Slim’s Restaurant on Main Street, 282-210. Case is still in the running, however, on the Independence and Conservative lines on the Nov. 3 ballot. Case said Gaylord has made false and misleading accusations against him and the town board during his candidacy. To set the record straight, Case said he has invited Gaylord to partake in a public debate at his convenience so that some issues can be addressed. In a letter addressed to Gaylord and the residents of Boonville, Case said, "On Sept. 10, 2009, my opponent, Mr. John Gaylord, charged me and our current town board with ‘mismanagement of funds’ and the need for a ‘more open government,’ implying that our current board may be keeping something ‘secret.’ I assure you, there are no secrets. My question to Mr. Gaylord is, if you feel this way, why haven’t you said so before now? On behalf of the town board members, I ask Mr. Gaylord to meet me in an open forum that the public is invited to attend." Case said during his term as town supervisor, Boonville has seen the creation of new businesses, jobs and programs. "While I have been the Boonville town supervisor, we have created jobs for the town of Boonville as we brought in Owl Wire, new jobs created with the New Hand in Hand Childcare Center, bringing affordable day care for working parents to Boonville," he said in a statement. "We passed the Cold War Veterans Tax Exemption law, the first ever in the history of Boonville. We are helping to keep Boonville beautiful with the annual Town/Village-wide Clean-up, which includes free large appliance drop-off along with free yard clean-up for home-bound residents." "We brought the DMV (state Department of Motor Vehicles) satellite office to Boonville weekly at the town/village offices," Case continued. "We passed the first town of Boonville Dog Control Law. We also increased the senior citizen tax exemption for the first time in 17 years.

Observer-Dispatch Posted Sep 07, 2009 @ 04:04 PM Last update Sep 10, 2009 @ 02:17 PM BOONVILLE — .Fiscal responsibility, job development and open government are among the key issues in the competition for the Boonville town supervisor position. Incumbent Guy Case, 46, will face off against John Gaylord, 64, in the Republican primary Tuesday, Sept. 15. Case said his primary focus is on bringing new businesses and job opportunities to the town, while Gaylord said he wants to see a tighter rein on spending. Case, who has worked as a contractor for Rome Labs, said seeing projects he's worked on come to fruition made him decide to run for a third term. He noted bringing new jobs to Boonville through the Hand in Hand Child Care Center, instituting a town-wide clean up day and increasing the town's senior citizen tax exemption among his accomplishments during his past four years in office. “I like the job,” Case said. “I like helping out the community.” But Gaylord, a retired New York state police officer, said he decided to make his first foray into the political realm because he wasn't satisfied with the town's current administration. “I would also like to see a more open government wherein the taxpayer can get information from the elected officials,” Gaylord said. “I just think the people deserve to have access to know where their tax money is being spent,” Regardless of which candidate wins the Republican primary, the two will face off again in November. Case is running on the Independence and Conservative lines in November. Both men also will run on independent lines.