Election

I bought a T-shirt recently that says “Barack to the Future.” It’s written in the “Back to the Future” movie font in large bold capital orange and yellow letters. I found it in a small T-shirt shop on Broadway just above Canal Street. The guy who owns the shop told me that Michael J. Fox has one. Who knows? He should, if he doesn’t.

I bought a slightly more subtle Obama shirt in Union Square last weekend, a tan shirt with a faded dark-brown caricature portrait. The guy I bought the shirt from is reaching the end of his stint in Union Square and is about to continue his tour around the country at college campuses. He donates 20 percent of his profits to Obama’s campaign.

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From vision to reality: the role of local government

By SUSAN SULLIVAN

At one of the first educational forums organized by the Upper Delaware Visioning group, I learned how visions become reality. A guy from Pace Land Use Center gave a clear explanation of how local government works. I learned that writing a comprehensive plan puts our collective vision in writing. This plan, by New York State law, becomes the basis for local zoning laws, which, as they are enforced, move our vision into reality over time. In New York State, home rule simply means we get to do the plan, write the local laws, and then, by attending meetings and being vigilant, make sure such laws are consistently enforced.

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