The white guy shaking hands of PM Dahal on August 17, 2008 looked eerily familiar to me. Then I searched and there he was, James Simons (aka Jim Simons) of Renaissance Technologies, the biggest earner in the hedge fund industry in 2006. According to the Alpha Magazine, the chronicler of the industry, his take-home pay in 2006 was a staggering $1.7 billion - more than the size of Nepal's budget. In 2007, he earned only $2.8 billion, a lot in an absolute sense but less than John Paulson & George Soros.
Looks like he is supporting health care in Nepal through Nick Simons Institute founded in memory of his son Nick. The Board of the Institute is composed of who's who of Nepal - Dr. Bhekh B. Thapa, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Kunda Dixit and Pravakhar Rana amongst others.
Jim Simons' efforts to help Nepal appear strikingly similar to efforts by another uber Yankee capitalist, Richard Blum of Blum Capital who does his "good work" through an outfit called American Himalayan Foundation.
Hedge funds are so plentiful that people sometimes sniff that anyone can start one. Not everyone, however, can be the Roger Federer or Tiger Woods of investing.
And just as Roger and Tiger have their techniques, so do hedge-fund managers, who used widely divergent strategies to capitalize on the market turmoil of last year. So says Alpha Magazine, which today released its annual listing of the 50 richest hedge-fund managers in the world, ranked by their compensation. Prepare yourself: it is so obscenely high in some cases that it will look almost lurid. (As Alpha cheekily explains, five of the hedge-fund managers on the list earned more than $1.2 billion each last year, or more than J.P. Morgan Chase is paying for all of beleaguered Bear Stearns.) The top 50 did so well that Alpha raised the bar for yearly compensation to $210 million from $200 million, locking out two perennial favorites.
Those who know the hedge-fund business won’t be particularly surprised that there were so many outsize successes. Hedge funds are most profitable when market volatility is high, and 2007’s roller coaster credit crunch certainly provided that. The glaring caveat is that hedge funds can reap profits in those roiling markets only as long as they can stay in business. The markets are fickle, and the threat is that today’s successful strategy can be tomorrow’s liquidation, as the collapse of Peloton Advisors proved. As they say in those fund documents: Past results are no guarantee of future returns.
Deal Journal took a look at Alpha’s list and how the 10 highest-paid managers made their money. We ranked them below by name, firm and the amount of their yearly compensation in 2007. All the returns and compensation numbers below come from Alpha, and you can view the full list on their Web site. As you will see, no single strategy dominated.
SUBPRIME MORTGAGES John Paulson, Paulson & Co., $3.7 billion. Paulson made $3.7 billion last year, mostly by shorting, or betting against, subprime mortgage securities and collateralized debt obligations. One of Paulson’s credit funds earned a 590% return last year, according to Alpha; another racked up a 353% return.
Philip Falcone, Harbinger Capital Parters, $1.7 billion. There is no word yet on how much money Falcone has made from challenging the New York Times board, but shorting subprime mortgages clearly was a profitable decision.
ACTIVISM Timothy Barakett, Atticus Capital, $750 million. Barakett made his money, and reputation, on derailing the Deutsche Borse from buying the London Stock Exchange. Atticus also pushed Barclays to drop its bid for the Dutch bank ABN Amro.
LONG-SHORT Stephen Mandel Jr., Lone Pine Capital, $710 million. Mandel’s firm scored a 57% return through the tried-and-true strategy that hedge-fund managers call “long-short,” or buying some stocks while shorting others. Mandel shorted retail and consumer finance stocks last year.
John Griffin, Blue Ridge Capital Management, $625 million. As hedge funds have become larger and fancier, long-short almost seems a quaint relic, but Griffin scored a 65% net return in 2007 by just doing that.
Andreas Halvorsen, Viking Global Investors, $520 million. Halverson manages $9 billion and scored a 41% return. Last year, he expanded his focus on financial stocks such as Invesco, according to Alpha.
DIVERSIFICATION Ken Griffin, Citadel Investment Group, $1.5 billion. In the past year, Citadel has increased its assets to $20 billion from a little more than $13 billion and has been active in buying businesses in widely divergent areas. Citadel snapped up part of the credit portfolio of troubled (and now defunct) Sowood Capital Management and bought bankrupt mortgage lender ResMAE. It also moved into providing administration services for hedge funds and split off a market maker in derivatives from its main business.
Steven Cohen, SAC Capital, $900 million. Cohen takes a 43% performance fee and had returns of only 13% in 2007. Still, his annualized returns are around 40%, according to Alpha, and his firm pursues everything from vanilla equity investments to credit markets, convertible bonds and emerging markets.
KEEPING THEIR SECRETS George Soros, Soros Fund Management $2.9 billion. Soros’s $17 billion flagship fund scored a 31.7% return last year. How is anyone’s guess, but the fund did reduce its holdings in equities.
James Simons, Renaissance Technologies Corp., $2.8 billion: Renaissance’s flagship Medallion fund was up 73% in 2007.
Jung Bahadur revisited Himal Southasian, July 2008 Ramesh Dhungel
Is there something redeeming for the modern Nepali citizen in this strongman of long ago?
The current confusion in Nepal is not unique in the context of the chaotic nation-building processes of the rest of Southasia. Yet, the country’s 19th-century history was significantly different. At that time, most of the smaller but stronger states of India were disappearing, one after another, from the political geography of the Subcontinent. British power in the region had reached its height, in large part due to its unchallengeable military supremacy. In this scenario, Nepal was the only country in the region that was able to maintain an independent existence, by resisting the military hegemony of the British colonial might in India.
While aspects of historical personalities might indeed be critiqued even centuries later for their possible failings, the role of individuals in the shaping of states bequeathed to the present generation must be acknowledged. Among such personalities linked to the building of Nepal were the founder king Prithvi Narayan Shah, his son, Bahadur Shah, and the shogun Jung Bahadur. Each of these played important roles in making Nepal a strong state, and in maintaining its independence such that, in modern times, the citizens would have the ability to build a society on the basis of sovereignty. The successful military campaign launched by Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha, for its territorial expansion, was by far the most important event in the history of Nepal. Through this military campaign, more than 100 princely and feudatory states scattered within the territory of present-day Nepal were brought under the control of a single unit. The early rulers of the consolidated Nepal – which was actually an enlarged Gorkha – seemed eager to accept the historic name of ‘Nepal’, in order to refer to the entire territory that they had brought under the control of the kingdom of Gorkha.
Prithvi Narayan Shah was not the only stalwart of his dynasty. His youngest son, Bahadur, also distinguished himself in military campaigns meant for territorial expansion, which was the raison d’etre of the fledgling state. The names of several Gorkhali commanders and army officers – including Shivram Singh Basnet, Kalu Pande, Kahar Singh Basnet, Ramkrishna Kunwar, Bakhtabar Singh Basnet, Amar Singh Thapa, Bhakti Thapa and Balabhadra Kunwar – are equally important in recalling this period of military-led expansion. History provides a reminder that a strong state of Nepal, which was capable of resisting at least three major invasions by its giant neighbours, British India and China, was not least a result of Gorkha’s strong military strategy and force projection, based on guerrilla tactics. Indeed, it was due to this historic feat by the early rulers and officials of the country, united through military might, that the inhabitants of diverse ethnic backgrounds were able to preserve their historical and cultural traditions. This might seem an incongruous statement amidst all of the talk of the Gorkhali state having subsumed all ethnicities and regions through the expansionism of the Khas (Nepali) language; but it is also true that Nepal’s ability to remain independent and isolated actually helped identities remain distinct all the way into the modern era, which began for Nepal in 1950.
Thus secured from external invasion, Nepal became a safe haven for traditions of both Vedic and Buddhist origin. Believing that the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of the Indian Subcontinent were under threat by external or non-Indic cultures and practices – ie, Muslim and European (Christian) – Prithvi Narayan Shah took pride in creating a safe state (rajya), where local traditions and cultures of the Himalaya and Subcontinent could be protected and nurtured. Thus, although Nepal was an emerging nation of multiethnic communities, adorned with unique local traditions linked to Hindu, Buddhist and Shamanistic practices, Prithvi Narayan proudly announced that the kingdom he had created was actually an asli hindustana, or an ‘uncontaminated’ land of local and ancient traditions of the Indian Subcontinent. The modern-day commentator might point at this formulation and claim that Prithvi Narayan was seeking to create an exclusive Hindu state, but that is not at all clear; neither is how exactly Prithvi Narayan understood the term Hindu.
Looking West Nepal’s military campaign permanently ended after the Anglo-Nepal War of 1814 and the Treaty of Sugauli of 1816. Thus, the old relationship based on rivalry between Nepal and British India also came to an end. Between 1816 and 1846, Nepal remained entrenched under very ugly internal court conflicts. Most of this period was dominated by the shrewd and autocratic rule of Nepal’s third prime minister, Bhimsen Thapa. In general, Bhimsen’s policies were anti-British, but ultimately his adventurism became counterproductive – both to himself and to Nepal. The country witnessed a period of palace intrigue and wrangling for power that took Bhimsen’s life, but not before the Sugauli Treaty had truncated the empire into the region between the Mechi and Mahakali rivers.
After the Kot Massacre of 1846, which left dead most of the contenders for power, a certain figure suddenly began to tower over Nepali politics: a relative of Bhimsen Thapa’s by the name of Jung Bahadur. Having witnessed the failure of Bhimsen Thapa, and the major territorial and military loss of Nepal caused by his short-sighted anti-British policy, Jung Bahadur decided to move towards securing cordial ties with the British colonial authorities in Calcutta. He even offered Nepal’s military help to the British authorities during what is known as the first independence movement, launched by the Indian princely states in 1857.
Although Jung Bahadur’s image, as portrayed by native and most foreign historians, is not a particularly positive one, historical manuscripts preserved in the Royal Asiatic society and the British Library of London throw a different light on this ruler. Undoubtedly, Jung Bahadur was a ruthless autocrat, as attested to by his leadership of the Kot Massacre. He was also shrewd, and the founder of what would be the more than century-long autocracy of the Rana clan in Nepal. However, his contribution towards territorial gain (if that is to be perceived as a positive thing, so long as it is in historical time) and the building of Nepal’s international identity should not be overlooked.
After the treaty of Sugauli, Jung Bahadur was the only Nepali ruler to be able to change the political boundaries of the country, by gaining a significant territory of the western Tarai, including Banke, Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur. Known as naya muluk, this territory, originally part of the Gorkhali conquest, had been wrested at Sugauli, and was returned with thanks for the services rendered in crushing the ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ in Lucknow. Jung Bahadur himself led the Nepali forces that entered the erstwhile Awadh.
One significant part of Jung Bahadur’s reign was his visit to England in 1850. The main intention of his visit to Europe was to observe the military prowess of England and other major European countries. He returned fully convinced that going against Britain, or British rule in India, would eventually lead to losing Nepal’s independence, as well as the loss of various other direct and indirect benefits for Nepal. Jung Bahadur was well aware that the princely states of India were either under threat of losing their own independence, or had already been swallowed up by the ‘government’ of the East India Company in India. Thus, he wanted to make sure that he did not repeat the mistakes of his uncle Bhimsen.
Instead, he began working to establish a tactful diplomacy with the British authorities, both in India and England. In this way, Jung was able to gain international recognition for himself and Nepal, by establishing and maintaining a special relationship with England. After Prithvi Narayan, Jung Bahadur thus comes across as the most significant historical personality associated with the Nepali nation state. The former established the country, with the capital in Kathmandu; the latter ensured its independent existence through a correct reading of geopolitics and the growing power of the East India Company. Admittedly, Jung Bahadur bowed before the might of the British, and appeased the Company by giving support to the recovery of Lucknow. But modern-day Nepali citizens can perhaps grant him these faults, in light of what he achieved in return.
Honour and diplomacy Manuscripts relating to the triangle of correspondence between the British envoy Brian Hodgson in Darjeeling, Governor-General Charles Canning in Calcutta and Jung Bahadur in Kathmandu throw fascinating light on Jung’s efforts to bring the lost territory of the western Tarai back under Nepali sovereignty. These sources also highlight the shrewd moves by Jung Bahadur on multiple occasions, for Nepal’s (and, doubtless, his own) prestige and general benefit. During the early 1830s, Brian Hodgson, the British Resident in Nepal, submitted a report on the Nepal Army to the governor-general, in which he formally proposed establishing a separate Gorkha regiment in the British Army. Hodgson’s proposal offered benefits for both countries, and his intention was to employ the unused army personnel of Nepal in service of British colonial strength in India.
In the beginning, the authorities in Calcutta and London paid scant attention to Hodgson’s suggestion. It was only after more than a decade that Jung Bahadur used the proposal to solve the employment problem among the so-called ‘martial tribes’ of Nepal, in order to build a deeper and lasting relationship between England and Nepal. Thereafter, by remaining in close contact with Hodgson in Darjeeling, Jung Bahadur took the initiative of establishing a separate Gorkha regiment in the British Army.
While Jung Bahadur was always looking to please the British authorities, he was careful not to do so at the cost of his own and Nepal’s prestige. He was very sensitive about the status of both his person and his country. One notable instance of this was when Jung Bahadur, claiming to be a plenipotentiary ambassador of the sovereign king of Nepal, declined to attend a formal meeting with Queen Victoria, unless he was escorted by a cavalry of 22 soldiers, as per his title. The British authorities were forced to postpone the meeting for two hours to ready the required horses. During his visit to England in 1850, Jung Bahadur was honoured with a 19-gun salute, considered to be quite high according to British tradition, with only the kings of powerful states of India and other parts of the world receiving such honours. He would have been quite happy with that.
In consideration of Jung Bahadur’s friendly service to the British Empire, Queen Victoria eventually awarded him one of the highest British medals, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. A special ceremony to confer the medal was held in Calcutta, with the governor-general of India assigned to grant the medal on behalf of the queen. By that time, however, most British Indian officials of high rank, including the governor-general, had become suspicious of Jung Bahadur’s shrewd way of, somehow, always coming out of situations on top. Evidently, they were also envious both that such a high British honour was being bestowed on him, and of his growing popularity in England and abroad. Consequently, Calcutta decided to humiliate Jung Bahadur by giving him only a 17-gun salute during the awarding ceremony. In addition, Jung Bahadur was unhappy with the way that the medal was conferred during the ceremony, including the fact that the governor-general used his left hand to pin the medal on his chest.
Jung Bahadur did not take the slight lying down. Immediately after his return from Calcutta, he asked James Cannyon, an English tutor to his sons and son-in-law, to transcribe a letter that he would dictate in Nepali. A copy of this letter was also sent to Brian Hodgson. In it, Jung Bahadur requests that a message of his dissatisfaction be forwarded to the secretaries of Queen Victoria, as well as to other high-ranking palace officials. He even warned that he would return the medal if he did not receive an apology from the British authorities. In his letter (see pic), he wrote:
My pay was my salute of 19 guns; it has been cut down to 17 and I am told to keep quiet. Her Majesty the Queen most graciously conferred on me the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, but Her Viceroy while giving it to me with one hand with the other took away my two guns, and while thus disrating me … Col. Ramsay (the British Resident in Kathmandu) told me that it was useless to say any thing of it.
At a time when kings, nawabs and satraps were falling like nine-pins all over 19th-century Southasia, Jung Bahadur emerged as a man of international stature in the Subcontinent of the day. He was probably a tyrant, probably a man of personal avarice; but we cannot forget that he was a product of his time, one who found the opportunity to wield power and grabbed it. He can be (and is) critiqued for having drafted the civil code that relegated various ethnicities of Nepal to specified levels in the hierarchy of ‘touchability’. He consolidated the legal system, and established the role of succession such that the Rama regime would stand for a century. He dared to transgress the traditional stricture against travelling across the kalapani (black water), in order to understand global geopolitics. He came back convinced that the British Empire could not be fought, but rather had to be appeased.
The growing demand for a ‘history from below’ is proper and necessary. After all, it is certainly true that, for too long, the writing of history has been limited to the exploits and glorification of rajas and nawabs. Amidst the larger stream of the Subcontinent’s history-writing, those that form a side-stream can oftentimes be neglected. At the same time, the trend towards ‘histories from below’ can potentially lead to the neglect of certain contributions of days past – even by tyrants. Clearly, it will be necessary to come to a more full understanding of Jung Bahadur, even in his excesses, in order to understand better the history of 19th-century Nepal to the present.
Nepal palace massacre survivor finds new love Macau News.Net 7th August, 2008 (IANS)
The man who witnessed the gunning down of his loved ones at the horrific massacre in Nepal's royal palace and survived despite injuries will start a new life seven years after the tragedy. Gorakh Shumsher Rana, the son-in-law of assassinated Nepal king Birendra, is set to get married this year.
Like Devyani Rana, the girlfriend of Nepal's late crown prince Dipendra, who decided to bury the past and exchange wedding vows with Indian Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh's grandson Aishwarya, the Nepali aristocrat will take the plunge in December.
Rana had his life turned upside down by the carnage in June 2001. Besides witnessing the slaying of the king, queen Aishwarya and other royal relatives, he also saw his wife, princess Shruti, die in the hail of bullets that was blamed on a drinks and drugs-crazed Dipendra.
Rana himself received bullet injuries but survived.
He was also a key witness who described the incidents before the commission formed to investigate the massacre that sowed the seeds of destruction for Nepal's royal dynasty.
The 39-year-old, who was married to the princess in 1997 and has two daughters by her, will plight his troth again to the niece of former royalist prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand.
The bride, Dipti, is a humanities student at Kathmandu's Padma Kanya campus. Rana, an economics graduate and MBA from the US, is currently working for the Standard Chartered Bank in Nepal.
Only four people who had attended that fateful family dinner on June 1 survived while 10 died. Besides Rana, the other three were the then queen mother Ratna, who had retired before the shooting started, Aishwarya's sister Komal who later became queen, and Komal's son Paras, who later became the crown prince.
The three-day wedding from Dec 8 however promises to be at a much lower key than Devyani's, which was the marriage of the year and celebrated with pomp in both India and Nepal.
The marriage is likely to be attended by deposed king Gyanendra and his wife Komal, who have also been leading a quiet life on the outskirts of Kathmandu since the abolition of monarchy and their ouster from the royal palace in June.
Rana has been a staunch opponent of the various conspiracy theories that began to arise after the palace massacre. Some people believe that the gunman was actually a hired assassin from abroad who wore a mask resembling Dipendra and killed the heir to Nepal's throne as well.
Nepal's Maoists have alleged that Gyanendra's family was involved in the slayings that paved the way for his ascent to the throne.
Others hint at the complicity of external agencies like the CIA and India's RAW agency.
Rana however has staunchly maintained that he saw Dipendra go berserk and let fly with the gun, killing his family.
Later, Dipendra is said to have turned the gun on himself.
Fewa action plan needed eKantipur, 12-Jul-08 By Raman Grandon
The existence of Fewa Lake is in peril. Human encroachment, unsustainable tourism development and lately, 'invasion of foreign species' remain the three major threats.
Fewa Lake is one of the best examples of freshwater ecosystem, where hundreds of species rely for food and water including human beings. Fishermen and boaters make their living by Fewa Lake day in and day out and tourists in hundreds flock to admire the surrounding beauty. Not to mention hoteliers, restaurateurs, tourist guides, peddlers and the public at large who make their living from increasing number of tourists. The lake is a prime habitat throughout the year for such migratory bird species as Cukoo, Pochard, Duck, Sandpiper, Woodcock, Hobby, Falcon etc. And what could compare with the scenic and serenity of Pokhara valley adorned by the majestic mountains. Indeed Fewa Lake is the pride of Nepal's tourism industry and a strong cause for local tourism revenue.
The recent media reports on encroachment of the Lake by a certain foreign plant called Eichhornia Crassipes is possibly the worst case scenario. While the weeds covered half of the lake obstructing all recreational activities of tourists, it also gave a picture of what could become of the lake if we are not to act promptly. It was obvious to see lack of coordination among local bodies over the management of Fewa Lake, with authorities butting against each other.
Last year the Appellate Court in Pokhara had directed an interim order to save Fewa Tal from the increasing menace of water hyacinth. A month long campaign was also started the same month to rid the Lake of weeds in the participation of environment committee, fisherman association, boaters, hoteliers as well as Nepal Tourism Board. But this year, it seems, the euphoria died down before the rainy season took the toll.
Originally from South America, Eichhornia or water hyacinth are labeled as weeds and are notoriously known to create problem by clogging waterways and shipping passages. It can float above the water with ease and lacks 'natural predators' which all points out to its rapidly growing abilities. Except for absorbing water pollutants and utilizing its fiber for paper production, it is regarded to be problematic and a danger to ecology. The problem of weed invasion persists in many parts of the world. Though the solution to curbing its growth varies, scientists are still in search of a much effective solution. In Nepal, water hyacinth has posed an insurmountable threat to many wetland and freshwater sites including the most famous Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and Bish Hajari Tal near Chitwan National Park. My own observation of the wetland in Koshi Tappu made me come to terms with the depth of the crisis posed by Eichhornia and its impact on local ecology. The weed is growing so rapidly that is has threatened to dry up and disappear the entire Koshi Tappu wetland. The wetland invites hundreds of migratory birds which come from as far away as Siberia and Australia to hatch eggs and survive the ordeal of winter there. And they have been an inseparable part of the local ecosystem as well as offering a great deal of spectacle for the burgeoning eco tourism in the area over the years. Till now no such effective ways has been developed to control it except by employing people to uproot the weeds manually. Until now, Nepal has rarely introduced biological and chemical control measures.
With no wetland, the existence of these entire species of birds and other creatures will also be at loss. Similar is the case in Bish Hajari Tal, one of the inscribed Ramsar site where a record 556 species of birds have been accounted. Quite recently locals of Chitwan have devised a new way of utilizing the weed to produce Bio Gas (THT, July 8), which could be an alternative way to get rid of this weed. There is an immediate need to identify the best ways to tackle this problem and implement it effectively in all the affected areas of Nepal.
Human encroachment that involves doing daily chores like washing and bathing, and disposing effluent and sewage have helped in further polluting the Fewa Lake. With no proper facility for waste water treatment and pollution prevention methodology, the Lake is undergoing a considerable deterioration in quality. Findings taken over the years have revealed that the total area of the Lake has dramatically reduced from 2000O ropanis to just around 12000 ropanis, given that the depletion rate is 0.18 sq. km. every two years. Recently locals in groups have also started to engage in wheat plantation in the marshy tracts of the Lake. In fact the volume and the area occupied by the Lake in recent years have shrunk which is fast replaced by agricultural marginal lands. Moreover, the draining of the chemicals used in agriculture in the nearby villages has gradually jeopardized the ecological balance.
Another problem concerns the unplanned construction of concrete structures along the lake. In a bid to compete for ever-growing tourist revenue, tourism infrastructures like hotels and resorts have been built without taking social and natural sustainability into account. Unlike in other eco-minded destinations like Sri Lanka and Maldives, Nepali government has given little or no consideration to surveying and imposing strict policies and regulations to balance between tourism activities and nature. Instead of opening up eco resorts, entrepreneurs are blindly engaged in installing concrete structures, thereby undermining the beauty of Pokhara Valley. Pokhara is the second most popular destination within Nepal and is the gateway to the famous Annapurna Treks, but it seriously lacks strategy for destination marketing and a comprehensive plan for future tourism activities.
Given the magnitude of the risks the Lake and entire Pokhara Valley is facing, there is a need for the local authorities and government of Nepal to immediately draw up a Fewa Action Plan in participation of all stakeholders. The action plan should focus on promotion of sustainable tourism while conserving the rich biodiversity. Such an action plan must offer an integrated management strategy for tackling all the issues and at the same time provide a set of schemes to put all the concerned stakeholders into action on a periodic basis. Sustainability of Fewa Lake and Pokhara Valley is not just crucial to tourism but for future generations to come.
Get wild: Camping in the Great Outdoors amNewYork, 7-Aug-08 By Ron Bishow
Living in New York City you can go weeks without seeing grass, and when was the last time you actually saw stars? Nature, however, is not as far away as you might think. Within just a few hours of the Big Apple you have some of the most majestic parks and lakes in the Northeast. What better way is there to enjoy them then rolling out a sleeping bag and a tent?
Beaver Pond Campsite, Harriman State Park. 800 County Route 106, Stony Point, NY 10980 nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=57 (845) 947-2792; $13 base rate Getting There: Short Line Bus from Port Authority to Harriman. Trip takes about an hour.
Just 50 miles northwest of the city, this scenic destination has two public camping areas from where you can enjoy the 31 lakes and reservoirs, 200 miles of hiking trails, three beaches, and not a building in site. Each site at Beaver Pond has a picnic table and fire ring; comfort stations, showers, and laundry facilities are also available because nothing says camping like doing your whites.
New York Recreational Adventures Campground (RAC) Newburgh/New York City N KOA Box 134D Plattekill, NY 12568 www.newburghkoa.com 800-562-7220 $41.79-$42.99 base rate (Weekend Rates; based on two adults) $45.99-$51.99 water/electric (Weekend Rates; based on two adults) Getting There: I-84 Exit 7 North or I-87 Exit 17, North 3 miles on New York 300, North 6 miles on New York 32 to Freetown Highway. Trip takes about an hour and 40 minutes
If you are looking for a more activity-based camping experience, then this 65-acre Hudson Valley destination is for you. With a playground, basketball court, fishing pond, two swimming pools and hiking trail you will never go wanting for something to do. You can also go apple or pumpkin picking, or check out the local wineries. Also, antique stores abound in the area.
Lake Sacandaga, Adirondak Foothills RV Campground 1327 County Highway 110, Broadalbin, NY 12025 www.visitsacandaga.com 518-883-5025 $40 a night water/electric Getting There: I-90 (NY Thruway) at Albany, take exit 24 (I-87). Go North on I-87 past Saratoga Springs to exit 17N. Trip takes about two and a half hours
Originally home to the Mohawk Indians, Lake Sacandaga is now a bastion of outdoor fun just 180 miles from the city. Since it is a lake with 125 miles of shoreline, water activities like boating and fishing are the main draw, but you can also go off-roading, horseback riding or hunting, if so inclined. There are also eight golf courses within driving distance and plenty of places to stay if you don't feel like roughing it.
Heckscher State Park Heckscher Pkwy, Field 1, East Islip, NY 11730 http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=153; 631-581-2100 $8 per vehicle; $17 per night Getting There: LIRR to Great River Station. Trip takes about an hour and a half.
With 69 campsites, this beautiful Suffolk County shoreline area has twenty miles of trails for hiking and biking, and the Great South Bay and a swimming-pool complex for taking a dip. There are also picnic areas, a boat launch, playing fields and much more. Plus, you can't put a price on being able to take the train instead of trying to rent a car. (Note: Reservations have been suspended due to a potential outbreak of west nile virus that could cause the park to close without warning)
Hither Hills State Park 50 South Fairview Avenue, Montauk, NY 11754 http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkId=48; 631-668-2554 $24 a night Getting There: LIRR to Montauk. Trip takes about three hours.
Camping in the Hamptons Always wanted to go to the Hamptons but don't have the disposable income? Well, just bring your tent! This 168-site campground has an ocean view for a fraction of the price of a rental in the nearby ritzy community. You can fish year-round and check out the "walking dunes" of Napeague Harbor, some of which are 30 feet high.
Bear Spring Mountain, the Catskills 512 East Trout Brook Road, Downsville, NY13755 www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24454.html; 845-786-2701 $16 Getting There: Route 17 to Exit 90, East Branch take Route 30 north to Shinhopple; turn left on East Trout Brook Road. Trip takes about two hours and forty minutes.
You won't have Patrick Swayze teaching you to dirty dance, but there is still plenty to do up in the Catskills. Forty-one tent and trailer sites are available at this site created in 1885 to protect the region's water resources. It is a great place to hit the water (canoe and boat rentals are available) or go horseback riding if you like. This is no frills camping by the way, no hook-ups and no showers, but how comfy is camping supposed to be anyway?
Bowman Lake State Park, Finger Lakes 745 Bliven Sherman Rd, Oxford, NY 13830 http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=16 607-334-2718 $13 basic rate Getting There: Off Route 220, 8 miles west of Oxford. Trip takes about four hours.
A great launching point for exploring the Finger Lakes region of New York with roads that wind through forests filled with evergreen and hardwood trees, where deer run wild. When walking through, make sure to look up and maybe you will spot one of the 103 species of birds that live here. The lake is also filled with trout. Hunting is permitted, but only in season, naturally.
A Construction Code Official for the Township of West New York, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to extorting and accepting more than $30,000 in corrupt cash payments, as well as other benefits, in exchange for official favors, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.
Franco Zanardelli, 58, a resident of West New York, admitted accepting from individuals and business owners located in Hudson County corrupt cash payments and other benefits in exchange for exercising and agreeing to exercise his official influence as the Construction Code Official for the Township of West New York in their favor.
Zanardelli, who was expected to resign today, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information before U.S. District Judge Garrett E. Brown, Jr. The Information charged him with extortion under color of official right. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Howe.
Today was Zanardelli’s first appearance in court in connection with the corruption investigation. Judge Brown released him on an unsecured $100,000 personal cognizance bond pending sentencing scheduled for Nov. 10.
From at least in or about 2002 to on or about June 25, 2007, Zanardelli was the Construction Code Official for the Township of West New York. In that capacity, Zanardelli stated he was responsible for inspecting work performed, issuing permits and Certificates of Occupancy, and enforcing the construction code to ensure compliance with pertinent federal, state, and local regulations. During that time period, Zanardelli admitted that he accepted from individuals and business owners corrupt cash payments and other benefits. In exchange, Zanardelli admitted that he expedited permits, certificates of occupancy, and other approvals for the payors.
By way of example, Zanardelli admitted that he accepted a series of corrupt cash payments in connection with exercising his official influence in connection with a building project on Johnson Place in West New York. In total, Zanardelli admitted that he accepted more than $30,000 in corrupt cash payments and other benefits in exchange for exercising his official influence as West New York’s Construction Code Official.
In addition to his position as West New York’s Construction Code Official, Zanardelli became the Construction Code Official for the Town of Guttenberg in or about 2006, having first been employed as a Building Inspector by that Town from in or about 1999 to in or about 2006. Also, Zanardelli was employed as a Building Inspector by the Town of Secaucus since in or about 2004.
Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Howe, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecution’s Unit in Newark.
Latest security upgrades at city transit hub cost $100M AM News, 1-Aug-08 By Matthew Sweeney, msweeney@am-ny.com
The best evidence of the beefed up security at the Port Authority Bus Terminal might be that a guy snapping photos inside can get stopped three times — twice by Port Authority employees and once by a plainclothes cop — within five minutes.
“They don’t like it when people start taking pictures,” a Port Authority employee said before escorting a reporter and photographer to the bus station’s administrative office where the confusion was cleared up.
The busiest bus station in the world, where some 200,000 passengers come through each weekday, has taken steps to boost security during the past year.
“It has all the attributes of a suburban shopping mall and a major transportation facility,” said Ernesto Butcher, the Port Authority’s chief operating officer. “It is in the category of those kind of facilities that have been targeted around the world.”
At a cost of $100 million, the Port Authority has added steel cross braces to the south side of the south building as a seismic retrofit — a halfway-completed project to help the structure with stand natural disasters. Exterior columns were strengthened. Security cameras were added.
Bollards (barriers that are often disguised as large planters) along Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street are designed to keep vehicles from ramming the building.
The glass in the doors and the walls along the east and north sides of the building has been made shatter-proof.
Since the 9/11 attacks, the Port Authority has spent more than $200 million on security at the bus terminal.
Nicholas Casale, a security consultant, said that while it’s impossible to thwart all attacks, you can make it as difficult as possible and minimize the damage.
The watchful eyes at the Port Authority, however, may be some of the best deterrents to attacks at the terminal.
Nick Simons Institute
