All Entries Tagged With: "Greg Ball"
Ball Earns Recognition, Gets Disabled Vets Bill Passed Through the Senate
Senator Greg Ball (R, C – Patterson) was honored by the members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) with a Special Recognition Award at their yearly convention recently at the Ramada Hotel in Newburgh. The Special Recognition Award is given each year to a leader who best demonstrates inspirational leadership and distinguished [...]
Katz Drops Primary Challenge Against Ball
Assemblyman Steve Katz will not challenge State Senator Greg Ball in the Republican primary, opting instead to seek reelection to the assembly. “I regret that I cannot presently offer the voters of our district a clear choice in the State Senate that pursues the integrity, honesty and Republican principles that they deserve,” Katz said. “Instead, [...]
Murphy Mulls an Assembly Run
With the state primary five months away, Somers Town Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy is contemplating throwing her hat into the mix of Republican candidates running for the 94th Assembly District. “I am considering it,” Murphy said. “People are aware of that just from talking to others so there is no point in not acknowledging that, [...]
Photos: Women of Distinction Hall of Fame Induction
There are many women whose work has left a lasting impression on the local community. Last Friday night, over 30 women from northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess were inducted into the Women of Distinction Hall of Fame sponsored by state Sen. Greg Ball. The women were honored for their service and dedication to their communities. [...]
Ball Urges Fight Against Parochial Busing Legislation
The next step in his quest to mobilize public opposition to a planned state bill that would reduce transportation options to parochial school students throughout the Hudson Valley, State Senator Greg Ball held a conference call with interested stakeholders last Wednesday. The call, which drew more than 100 constituents, lasted about 45 minutes and included [...]
Katz Cops to Arrests; Ball’s Camp Denies Robocall Responsibility
Hundreds of residents within the 40th Senate District received a robocall on Thursday, March 1 stating that Assemblyman Steve Katz (D-Yorktown) was hiding something from the public. In fact, Katz admits he has been arrested twice in his life but says he has never been convicted of a crime. The call, which was done anonymously, [...]
State Legislators Seek New Veterans’ Cemeteries
State Sen. Greg Ball (R-C/Patterson) and Assemblyman Robert Castelli (R-Goldens Bridge) are pushing for legislation that would fund the construction of cemeteries for war veterans in the local region. Ball and Castelli, who spoke at the Mount Kisco American Legion on Feb. 23, called on the state Assembly to pass the Veterans’ Cemetery Bill, which [...]
Ball Introduces N.Y. Security Commissioner, Putnam’s Paladin
With Putnam County within an hour’s commute of New York City, the metro area cannot become complacent when concerning the threat of terrorist attacks, Putnam County Sheriff Donald Smith said during a first responders’ forum this past Friday. “We have to make sure we don’t forget the counties outside of New York City—Putnam County is [...]
Ball Continues Campaign for Tough Fracking Standards
Trying to build on lessons learned from Pennsylvania’s drilling debacle, state Sen. Greg Ball continued his campaign for tougher regulations on hydraulic fracturing in New York State at Lewisboro Library this past Wednesday. Ball’s presentation, which was borrowed from the executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, focused on the environmental impacts of [...]
For Residents and Officials, Storm Response Still Resonates
Carmel resident Mark Baltazar has lived in his home on West Shore Drive for over 15 years. Throughout this time, Baltazar and five other houses that sit within the 2-mile stretch of road have been dubbed the 1 percent. “We are the ‘1 percenters’ when it comes to electricity,” said the CEO and managing partner [...]
Putnam Pushes for 3,000 Shovel-Ready Jobs
Local officials and business leaders throughout Putnam County met outside of the Brewster Metro-North station this Monday to encourage municipalities to move forward with nine “shovel-ready” projects that would produce nearly 4,500 jobs within the area. These projects represent agricultural, technology, commercial, real estate, energy and manufacturing industries throughout Putnam County. According to officials, the [...]
Ball, Fox Screen Film in Peekskill
Continuing his effort in raising awareness about the affects of hydraulic fracturing, state Sen. Greg Ball joined Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Josh Fox for a screening of his film “GASLAND” at the Peekskill Neighborhood Center this past Saturday. Following a press conference outside Mount Kisco Village Hall last Monday, Ball made his second attempt in less [...]
Ball to Cuomo: Get Your Fracks Straight
In contrast to the cool, crisp air and the beautiful sunshine outside Mount Kisco Village Hall Monday, State Sen. Greg Ball delivered a heated speech on hydraulic fracturing, calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to extend the state’s public hearing on the controversial method of extracting natural gas from the earth. Also known as fracking, Ball [...]
Sen. Ball Opposes State Medicaid Takeover
State Sen. Greg Ball told the Somers Town Board on Oct. 13 he opposed legislation calling for the state to take over the counties’ contributions to the Medicaid program. Ball made his comments near the conclusion of his presentation to the town board. Over the past several weeks Ball has discussed state issues during meetings [...]
Wagner Sets Sights on Jobs, Small Business Growth
Battling unpredictable weather and the roar of oncoming Metro North trains, New York State’s 40th Senate District challenger Justin Wagner delivered a set of job proposals in the heart of Brewster Village last Tuesday. Less than one month after the 30-year-old Croton lawyer announced his run against current state senator Greg Ball, Wagner highlighted his [...]
Officials Break Ground on New Route 6 Sidewalk
Pedestrians walking along Route 6 near Putnam Plaza will no longer need to brave traffic and dodge cars come the completion of a federally-funded sidewalk project this coming spring. State and county officials broke ground on the 1.8-mile sidewalk this past Wednesday, praising the new project as a gateway for pedestrian safety and enhanced accessibility [...]
Croton Lawyer to Challenge Ball for the State Senate Seat
Justin Wagner, a 30-year-old Croton lawyer who was raised in Dutchess County, announced that he has filed the paper work to run for the state senate seat currently held by Senator Greg Ball. Wagner will begin raising money to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 2012 bid. “I am running to talk about two [...]
‘Go Purple’ Kicks Off at Mahopac Public Library
Varying hues of purple filled the third floor of the Mahopac Public Library this past Friday for the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center’s kickoff breakfast for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To celebrate the center’s “Go Purple Campaign,” residents, county officials and other community leaders showed off their wardrobes’ signature purple piece—a color that was proudly [...]
Ball and Katz Call for Forensic Audit of MTA
State Senator Greg Ball and Assemblyman Steve Katz are once again asking Governor Cuomo to do a forensic audit of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The lawmakers believe that now, before the governor appoints a new MTA chairman and chief executive officer, is the right time to have the authority’s finances publicly reviewed for corruption and [...]
Ball Says He’ll Vote Against Same-Sex Marriage
After weeks of saying he was undecided on the issue, Sen. Greg Ball announced Thursday night that he would vote against legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. “Knowing that marriage equality was likely to pass, I thought it important to force the issue of religious protections,” Ball said in a statement, released shortly after 8:15 p.m. Thursday. [...]
Ball Potential Swing Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Law
The past two weeks, Sen. Greg Ball found himself in the forefront in the debate over legalizing same-sex marriage, as the Senate headed is now as little as one vote shy of passing the Marriage Equality Act, according to some reports. Ball is one of a few Republican senators who remains undecided, but has said legislation put [...]
Ball Still Undecided on Marriage Equality Vote
Sen. Greg Ball, seen as a key swing vote on marriage equality legislation in New York, clarified his stance on the issue Wednesday, saying he was still undecided but laying out some provisions that must be in any potential law for him to consider voting for it. Ball said he is seeking guarantees that no [...]
Ball Receives Threatening Package After Heated Hearing
Days after chairing a controversial Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Greg Ball reported receiving a package containing a threatening letter and stuffed animal, both containing anti-Semitic messages. The letter, addressed from Jameela Barnette from Georgia, calls Ball a “Dead Man Walking” and calls the hearing, held last Friday, a “Declaration of War against Muslims.” Ball [...]
Ball to Host Controversial Terrorism Hearings in Manhattan
Sen. Greg Ball will hold a hearing in New York City Friday to discuss the state’s preparedness in the case of a terrorist attack. Nearly 20 guest speakers are scheduled to testify at the hearing on topics ranging from the interoperability of radios among law enforcement officials to the culture of Jihad. Speakers will include [...]
Ball Pushes Pension Forfeiture for Felon Officials
Sen. Greg Ball has introduced legislation that would strip public officials of their pensions if they are convicted of a crime related to their office, and the senator said Friday he expects the bill to pass in the Senate. Ball held a press conference Friday at his office in Brewster announcing the legislation. He was [...]
Ball Seeks Death Penalty for Cop Killers
Sen. Greg Ball called for support for legislation that would reinstate the death penalty for anyone who kills a police officer, peace officer or employee of the Department of Correctional Services. “The men and women who fight for us every day, who stand behind me, do a job that most of us could not do, [...]
Ball Envisions a Paperless Albany
Senator Greg Ball (R, C – Patterson) says that legislation to allow Albany to operate paperless will save the state tens of millions of dollars in overhead each year. “The tons of paper printed in Albany are ridiculous in the 21st Century and a total waste of government resources,” Ball stated.
Ball Meets with Bloomberg on Homeland Security
Senator Greg Ball (R, C – Patterson) met with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday to discuss the city and the state’s security. “Now, a decade after 9/11, in my opinion we’re still not where we need to be to secure New York,” Ball said. “We simply cannot allow the passage of time [...]
Ball Tapped for Cuomo Commission
Republican Senator Greg Ball has been appointed to sit on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission. The SAGE Commission was created by Cuomo through executive order last week. The stated goal of SAGE is to eliminate at least 20 percent of New York State’s government agencies, authorities, and other bodies while also [...]
Ball’s Senate Career Begins
Greg Ball was sworn in Wednesday as State Senator–this time for real. Ball was also one of nine officials who took the oath of office at the Putnam County Swearing-In Ceremony on New Year’s Day. The more recent Wednesday swearing in took place at the Senate chamber and was officiated by Jonathan Lippman, chief judge [...]
