Published: July 06, 2008 01:07 am      

GLYNN: Gov. Paterson reminds residents to love N.Y.

NIAGARA FALLS — Whether you live in Niagara County or Montauk Point, Long Island, our governor has some advice on how to spend your summer vacation.

Stay closer to home.

In fact, don’t travel out of state.

That’s the message Gov. David A. Paterson’s office released Thursday — a little late if you were already on the road for the long holiday weekend — as a way to combat rising prices at the pump and across-the-board increases in the cost of living.

Paterson has urged Empire State residents to take advantage of the many special travel packages available through the “I Love New York” campaign.

“This state is a world-class destination spot,” the governor said, noting that with all its beauty and diversity, there’s virtually nothing vacationers will find elsewhere that they can’t find here.

(You might get an argument on that, Governor.)

He cites some of the potential savings for people visiting the state Web site: www.iloveny.com/

summer.

n I Love NY Hotel discounts: offering a third night free at more than 215 participating hotels.

n Rail + car: 20 percent off Amtrak tickets to any New York state destination; 5 percent off rental cars at select passenger stations.

n Camping: Links to reserving campsites at state parks. If you’re interested, it helps to book early.

State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash says that about 90 percent of the state park agency’s campsites were booked for the Independence Day holiday.

“It’s obvious that now more than ever New Yorkers will want to explore destinations that are closer to home, from Niagara Falls to the Adirondack Mountains and to the tip of Long Island,” says Kenneth A. Schoetz, acting upstate chairman for Empire State Development.

It’s ironic that the governor’s office spends so much time and effort touting tourism.

If it’s such a fantastic visitor destination, why don’t the government leaders in Albany strive to make this state more attractive for business and industry to invest?

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OFF & WALKING: Allen James of Sanborn was in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, competing in a 20-kilometer race walk in the Olympic Trials.

James, one of the top race walkers in the U.S. for years, qualified for the Olympics in 1992, when he finished 30th in Barcelona, and in 1996 when he was 24th in a 50K event in Atlanta.

A former marketing and events coordinator for the regional park commission at the Niagara Falls State Park, James works for Toths Sports, a Victor, N.Y.-based company specializing in team uniforms and equipment.

He says his first exposure to running track and field was at age 11, when he started selling shoes at his family’s specialty running store in Seattle.

Before moving to Niagara County, he had lived near Atlanta and in the Albany, N.Y., area.

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ACROSS THE BORDER: A Lewiston couple who recently spent a couple of weeks in the “Cottage Country” of northern Ontario said they were surprised to see few boats out on the lake, even in ideal weather conditions. A major factor for the lack of activity: the high cost of fuel.

On a related note, a survey by Royal LePage, the real estate firm, shows that a number of cottage owners across Canada are seriously weighing the possibility of selling their summer properties to cope with growing financial concerns.

The survey also showed that the price for a recreational property in Canada now ranges between $326,567 and $1,066,389, especially in the posh Muskoka Lakes region.

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ON THE AIR: Mayor Paul Dyster will be a guest on “Viewpoint,” with Tom Darro as host, from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday on radio station WJJL (1440).

Contact reporter Don Glynn at 282-2311, ext. 2246.