At the corner of Maple and Crescent in Clintondale is the Clintondale Christian Church and on its grounds is a 500 year old monument, the largest and possibly the oldest tree in Ulster County, a giant White Oak, with a circumference of 20 feet, six feet above its base. The tree was in its infancy when in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America.

The giant White Oak has been the lungs of Clintondale since the first settlers arrived in Ulster County in 1650 in Kingston, and before that when this land was controlled by the Lenape Indians.

Clintondale is the home of another monument, which was used starting in the American Revolution, Route 44-55.

Route 44 starts in Plymouth, Massachusetts and goes all the way to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. During the Revolution on horse and buggy men went to the Nelson House in Poughkeepsie, which at that time was the sitting capital of New York State. Constitutional conventions in 1787-88 followed. And there they ratified the U.S. constitution in 1788. To get there one of the safest ways was Route 44-55.

Copies of the minutes of the convention occasionally are up for auction. And 10 years ago a copy was sold in Kingston.

The City of Poughkeepsie was officially chartered in 1854, but the Town of Poughkeepsie was established much earlier in 1788. During the American Revolutionary War, Poughkeepsie became the sitting capital of New York.

Trump’s tariff plan is under attack
The Wall Street Journal has found a tariff role model for Donald Trump. It is Mr. Depression, Herbert Hoover.

The American economy was shaky when Hoover came up with an idea: Smoot-Hawley tariff protection plan. Hoover then guided the United States into the Depression. The Wall Street Journal is not a fan of President Trump nor are the business writers of the New York Times.

In the WSJ, an author writes that because of the tariffs “the US is not a winner in the trade war? Jobs are leaving the USA, export sales have been declining, and USA has been forced to cede business to China and other competitors. Then they brought up Herbert Hoover. Smoot-Hawley took the United States economy right over a cliff, and there is a possibility that history will repeat itself.

For your information, google Smoot-Hawley. and develop your own opinion.

Will there be another Hurricane Dorian?
Just as Hurricane Dorian was hammering North Carolina another heat wave was hitting the south. Houston was 101 degrees, and Dallas and New Orleans were both 99 degrees as the Gulf of Mexico continued to hit a mini-boil. Hurricanes get their energy from warm or hot water and the Gulf is the warmest/hottest body of water in the world.

If another hurricane hits the Caribbean this fall and angles its way into the Gulf as a Category 5 FEMA could be dealing with a $70 billion storm, which like Michael can power 155 mph winds. Those winds flattened Puerto Rico, Mexico Beach and the Bahamas. Because Global Warming is cumulative next year’s Hurricane Dorian could pack 165 mph winds. Pictures of the Bahamas tells us what we will face in the future or worse.

In response, Democrat presidential candidates all have plans that include such renewables as solar and wind. Some support emission free nuclear plants. Solar will pay for itself. The sooner the solar the quicker that the growth of Global Warming will slow down.

Trump has no plan.

45 years ago, girls could not wear jeans
When I see female high school students on Facebook it seems like all of the girls are wearing jeans unless it is their wedding. This is not like it was 50 years ago.

In the early 1970s at Highland High School Principal William Miller had a dress code, and in it girls were not allowed to wear jeans.

Well, Miller encountered a mother, who vehemently disagreed. She supported her daughter being allowed to wear jeans. Today the exception to the rule is a girl, who wears a dress, whereas 50 years ago that was the rule.

In 1951 when my parents moved from New Jersey to New Paltz, I was with my father, and he was wearing Bermuda shorts. Other men looked at him as if he was different. The shorts were standard in New Jersey, but not in New Paltz in 1951. Now an awful lot of guys wear shorts.

Some colleges get high marks from the Wall Street Journal
Recently the Wall Street Journal ranked 500 colleges and universities. It ranked the first 400 in order and then put all the colleges and universities ranked 401 or higher in the same pool.

This ranking is only of New York state schools. One local one is not included by the Wall Street Journal.

Cornell, 9; Columbia, 15; NYU, 31; Colgate, 48; Barnard, 51; Hamilton, 51; Vassar, 56; University of Rochester, 58; SUNY Stony Brook, 105; University of Buffalo. 110; Union, 115; RPI. 115; Syracuse, 123; Yeshiva, 140; Hobart and William Smith, 143; SUNY Binghamton, 153; RIT, 155; Sarah Lawrence, 157; Fordham, 176; St. Lawrence, 187; SUNY Albany, 196; CCNY, 205; Clarkson, 205; Adelphj, 208; Hofstra, 228; Ithaca, 234; Pratt, 237; Molloy, 256; Bard, 264; Manhattan, 266; NY Tech, 266; Pace, 292; Siena, 295; Syracuse Forestry, 299; St. John Fisher, 308; Wagner, 311; Albany Pharmacy, 317; SUNY New Paltz, 337; Canisius, 343; Hartwick, 360; and then grouped between 400 and 500, Iona, LeMoyne, LIU, Marist, St. Bonaventure, St. John’s, and SUNY Buffalo and Plattsburgh.

Not listed are SUNY Fredonia, Oneonta, Brockport, Potsdam, Purchase, and Cortland, The United States Military Academy at West Point, FIT, LIM, College of St. Rose.and Mt. St. Mary.

I believe the College of Nano Technolgy, which is part of SUNY Albany, would stand out, as in its field it is number one in the United States and the world, and there is a line-up of firms looking for its graduates. The SATs of its students may rank in the top 10 in the nation.

An early fall frost could kill the ragweed
I suffer from fall allergies and after the early frost of 1980 I had a great fall, and was looking forward to more early frosts. I am still looking. Because of global warming frosts are sometimes not occurring until November. For our farmers, for some vegetables, it has allowed them to extend their growing season.

Also Apple Greens in Highland has had its golf season often extend to December, something that was unheard of 40 years ago when courses closed in late October.