Horse Training Facility Dumps Fill Into Wetlands: Feds

WALKILL, NY — An Orange County horse training facility was accused of illegally filling in wetlands.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Thursday that a civil lawsuit was filed against Thomas Pushkal, Jennifer Vanover, Edward Pushkal, Frances Pushkal and Maplewood Warmbloods LLC for filling wetlands in Orange County that are protected by the federal Clean Water Act.

The lawsuit is asking the court to award injunctive relief and civil penalties for the violations.

Williams said the defendants violated the Clean Water Act by discharging concrete, metal, glass and other fill material into wetlands that are part of the waters of the United States.

“This lawsuit will hold the defendants accountable for allegedly violating their environmental laws and require them to remedy the alleged significant damage they have caused to protected wetlands,” he said.

EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said that wetlands serve a vital role in decreasing water pollution, providing habitat for fish and wildlife and reducing risks from flooding and storm surges.

“Unlawful and unmitigated dredging and filling activities can destroy wetlands,” she said. “EPA will continue to protect these vulnerable ecosystems and fight for the health of wetlands by enforcing the law under the Clean Water Act.”

Prosecutors said, from 2015 to 2019, Thomas Pushkal, Vanover and their business Maplewood Warmbloods LLC discharged fill material without a federal permit into about 3.5 acres of wetlands, referred to as the Bart Bull Road Site and Expansion Site.

The discharges were made in the course of operating and expanding their horse breeding, boarding and training facility in the town of Wallkill.

Authorities said horse facility personnel allowed material to be trucked in and deposited at the site from June 2015 to March 2016, using heavy machinery to spread the material around and raise the grade of the property.

At the end of November 2018, the EPA learned of the activity and, in December 2018, cautioned Thomas Pushkal by phone that he would need a federal permit if he was filling protected wetlands on any additional properties.

In spite of the warning, from December 2018 to April 2019, dump trucks and other heavy machinery engaged in extensive earthmoving, grading and filling to construct private access roads through the Expansion Site.

The roads caused fill to be discharged into 1.5 acres of wetlands, federal officials said.

Some of the wetlands at the expansion site are on property owned by Edward Pushkal and Frances Pushkal, who knew or should have known of, but failed to prevent, the discharges, authorities said.

Government officials said the wetlands are adjacent to the Wallkill River, a traditional navigable waterway.

The fill material dumped into the wetlands included, among other things, dirt, rock, brick, wood, electrical wiring, ceramic, asphalt, concrete, rebar, PVC piping, metal and glass, the government said.

Dua Lipa's Toned Abs (And Underboob) Are On Full Display In IG swimsuit Pics

Dua Lipa Flaunts Toned Abs In swimsuit IG PicsRodin Eckenroth - Getty Images

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While Dua Lipa’s Barbie anthem “Dance the Night” is hanging at the top of the charts, the 27-year-old is kicking it back and relaxing in Greece. And the singer wanted everyone to know she's OOO because she just posted an Instagram photo dump from her trip. TBH, it’s kind of everything.

There’s Dua posing on a sailboat in a swimsuit top, accessorized with a flowy skirt, loose shirt, toned abs, and a little underboob; Dua chilling on a rock; the singer cuddling with her BF at sunset; and Dua lounging on a couch in another string swimsuit top while flashing those epic abs again. Flip on over to Dua holding a sea urchin and various shots of her looking totally blissed out, before finishing with video of the singer splashing around in the sea.

“Sailing through the Peloponnese ⚓️,” she wrote in the caption. Obviously, people cheered her on in the comments. “Dua Lipa makes me wanna chase my dreams and become the best version of my self,” one person wrote. “Her job is beach,” another joked.

Dua has been all about the abs lately. There was this look:

This one:

Aaand this one:

Wondering how this singer gets so epically strong? You're in luck because Women's Health has all the deets. For starters, Dua previously told Refinery 29 that she likes to kick off her day with a walk with her dog, Dexter. “Our walks are the perfect way to get my mind right for the day ahead,” she shared.

After that, she likes to do a morning workout. “Whether it’s on Zoom, doing a workout with my friend Ella in L.A. who leads a kickass workout class called Sculpt With Ella, or with my best friend Bunny who comes over to train me on days when I’m feeling super lazy and need someone to get me motivated, getting physical really starts my day off right,” she said. “I also love to do yoga, Pilates, or strength training. I like to leave my cardio workout to dancing.”

Also in the mix? Exercises like hill sprints and bodyweight workouts, per Women’s Health UK. But it's not all cardio and strength training. Dua makes sure to stretch it out with some yoga, and she’s even shared several videos of herself doing a tripod headstand. Check her out doing this challenging move on a paddle board while floating on the water (but also know that she can do it on land, too—because she’s a versatile queen):

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Sometimes, Dua's daily hard sweat involves some boxing (which, by the way, is a great cardio workout with lots of arms and abs toning involved). “I like doing it for fitness [and] I like doing it just to kinda clear my mind,” she told Beauty Crew. “I really enjoy it. I like that it's definitely a full body workout. Since starting boxing I've probably been in the best shape ever.”

With all that working out, it's important this singer stays properly fueled up for her long days. Dua told Refinery 29 that she often cooks at home or orders in. “I love cooking and being surrounded by my favorite people, though I also love ordering from the fantastic restaurants in my area," she said.

Keep doing you, Dua!

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Inside The Challenges Of The Post-Covid Travel Industry’s Soaring Demand

Demand for travel is high and rates are even higher – an average of $1,600 per night for hotel bookings during 2023/24 festive season. Happy (but stressed) travel advisors and suppliers are delighted to see you swarming back, often in record numbers. The only challenge is meeting your expectations, something that has never been more difficult. Fifty-seven percent of you say, “Creating a travel experience that best fits my expectations is more important than price.” Making sure you have a bon voyage these days takes more time and creativity, even if it’s often hidden behind those smiles. Welcome to the post-Covid travel industry.

Matthew Upchurch, Chairman of luxury travel agency network Virtuoso, urges advisors who are ... [+] generating record sales, but spending more time dealing with post-Covid logistical challenges, to focus their businesses on clients who are both profitable and appreciate their work. The group's annual conference, Virtuoso Travel Week, attracted over 5,000 professionals, and ended yesterday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Virtuoso, a network of travel agencies that cater to HNWs and UHWNs and sell around $30 billion in luxury travel annually, its members have seen a 69% jump in sales versus 2019 numbers. Hotel and cruise segments are up 173% and 122%, respectively. Despite wavering forecasts about the economy and world disorder, future sales, compared to 2019, the previous high-water mark, are tracking 107% higher.

Jack Ezon, CEO of EmbarkBeyond, says he recently launched Embark Together for small groups of family and friends. The programming includes sending a coordinator along with the customers to organize activities and ensure no letdowns.

For everyone, it’s a challenge, say executives attending Virtuoso Travel Week, which ended yesterday in Las Vegas and drew over 5,000 participants.

Consumer want travel advisors to help them plan and navigate the post-Covid travel world. Despite ... [+] increasing prices, both advisors and say that's becoming ever more difficult. Still, 99.1% of customers would recommend their Virtuoso advisor.

Sometimes, the answer is no. Mina Agnos of Travelive, a destination management company in Croatia, says, “We had to say they were sold out for the first time ever. They just couldn’t find any additional qualified drivers and tour guides.”

Paul Tumpowsky, CEO of Skylark Travel, says it flows back to travel advisors. “The DMCs are understaffed. There are plenty of hotels, but not the people on the ground to help their clients,” he says.

Rebecca Masri, Founder of Little Emperors & Co, adds, “There’s a lack of English tour guides. The transfer companies are understaffed. There are not enough drivers.”

Most frustrating is providers who take bookings months ahead of time and email hours before a client’s arrival to say no drivers or guides are available.

For advisors, who are often independent contractors, it means more work, which means they have less time to take on new clients and to take a breath.

Matthew Upchurch, Chairman of Virtuoso, urged advisors in his keynote to analyze their customer lists and eliminate the ones who are hard to deal with or have low revenue.

However, firing customers isn’t necessarily easy. Over 99% of Virtuoso clients say they would recommend their advisors, so most new ones come as referrals, making it stressful to dump that nightmare client if they came by way of a big spender.

Still, Upchurch says advisors need to put their mental wellness first in a job that means checking text messages and solving problems 24/7.

Andrea Grisdale of IC Bellagio, a DMC in Italy, says, “You need to know when to say when. There is always the idea of just hiring more people. It’s not that easy.”

“It’s no longer, okay, there are hotel rooms. The answer is there is a limited supply of people, guides and drivers who can provide the right experience,” she says. “For the first time in 24 years, they stopped sales. All of their trusted providers were booked.”

The solution, she hopes, is to extend the season. Seasonal hotels are closing a week or two later and will open in a bit earlier in 2024. She believes it is up to the industry to be creative. That means selling the benefits of slow-season travel.

“In June, any restaurant in Rome is going to be packed. You will not get the same level of personalized attention as in October or November,” she says.

She is working with the World Travel & Tourism Council to exchange ideas with members in other regions to see what tactics work and then replicate the good ideas.

Regent Seven Seas Senior VP Sean Tubman says his ships have no issues. However, executing shore excursions that are part of the luxury cruise experience at the level clients expect remains challenging. “We have to work hard to ensure travelers understand the reality,” he says.

In some cases, technology helps. Guests on Princess Cruises wear or carry a medallion that transmits their photo and profile as they approach crew members so they can be welcomed by name and served their favorite libations right away.

Other times, it’s helpful to come from a powerful family. Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, which just debuted its first vessel, says having MSC, the world’s largest shipping company as its parent, gives it clout with sticky supply chains. So far, so good. Explora I earned an 89 net promoter score on its maiden voyage.

In the case of Claudio Meli, GM of The Place Firenze, it helps that while other hotel managers come to their properties from other places, stay for a couple of years and move on, as a native Florentine, he has local connections and lifelong relationships.

Being candid is the first step to solving the problems, says Jerry Mpufane of South Africa Tourism. International arrivals are back to 82% of pre-lockdown, and Americans, the highest spending market, are at 95%.

He says the good news is that popular camps had extensive renovations and introduced new concepts. However, “Ramping up is bittersweet. They accept the criticism that they aren’t moving fast enough, but they are doing the best they can, and they want their valued visitors to know they are trying.” To help things along, the government has set-up new funds for tourism start-ups and is supporting hiring and training efforts by the industry.

Gilberto Salcedo Ribero of Pro Colombia says it has been easier for his country since it reopened in September 2020, meaning fewer people left the industry.

Companies have also had to change how they recruit. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts CEO Mark Willis says staffing challenges vary by region, with the biggest holes in Europe and North America.

The Accor luxury brand launched its first-ever PR initiative to attract employees.

“The message is they are hiring from attitude. You don’t need experience. We’ll train you. We’re in the make people smile business. It’s not that difficult,” he says.

Another change is job candidates “want to be sold. They interview us about sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.”

Still, guests get frustrated when staff don’t know what to do. Auberge Resorts Senior VP Evan Altman says, “We had a hall pass for two years to charge high rates with service lapses. That’s not okay anymore.”

The group prides itself on being a gateway to experiencing the destinations where its properties are located, something that, before Covid, provided a winning formula for creating jobs in those local communities.

However, in some places, it’s just not possible at the level guests expect, which has meant a bigger focus on figuring out ways to entertain you on the property.

In other cases, it means new solutions. At Wildflower Farms in New York’s Hudson Valley, a “hard labor market,” Auberge now has employees lead its guided hiking program, something he says costs more but was “the only way to have consistent quality.”

Red Carnation Hotels CEO Jonathan Raggett says he was supported by the owning Tollman family, who did not layoff staff when hotels were closed.

In an industry known for overnight shifts and working on the holidays, the post-Covid world means meeting employees where they want to be. “You want to work Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. That’s fine. We’ll do it,” he says.

He believes Red Carnation has been able to navigate around supply chain issues because it has strong relationships with its suppliers. “We pay everyone promptly. Vendors are not their bank,” he says.

Virgin Hotels CEO James Bermingham says the biggest help in recruiting for the fast-growing brand is simple. “People want to work for Virgin. People want to work for (Sir) Richard (Branson).”

Despite all the best efforts, supply chains sometimes just run out of supplies. S.B. Fuller, a senior data analyst and vegetarian was surprised when a major restaurant at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York told him they had run out of vegetables for the vegetable tacos.