Greek yogurt enthusiasts were heartened when they read a press release from Governor Cuomo's office yesterday, thanking two upstate mayors "for coming together to resolve" the Great Fage Yogurt Factory Dispute Of 2011. The towns of Johnstown and Gloversville were squabbling about the factory, but the Steamroller got involved and got them to make peace and let the delicious, rich yogurt project move forward. Interesting, apparently Cuomo heard about the two towns' spat by watching the TV.

According to the NY Times, "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was watching TV this week when he spotted a story suggesting that an intercity dispute over a sewer line near a new Wal-Mart was threatening to sink the expansion of a Greek-style yogurt plant in eastern New York. He directed his assistant to put him on the phone with the mayors of the warring communities and with the head of the yogurt company. And, when he had difficulty reaching the mayors after business hours — one mayor’s cellphone had died — he asked for the police to find them. Within hours, the cowed mayors announced that they had agreed to settle the matter, allowing Fage USA to proceed with its plans to double the 85,000 tons of yogurt it produces annually in the Mohawk Valley."

Fage had been trying to buy a two-acre piece of land owned by the two towns, to expand its production at its existing Johnstown factory. But Gloversville decided to take a hard line about sewer lines (more details here) and the standoff was threatening the expansion. Cuomo told the Times that he got involved because, "The whole year, I’ve said we’re trying to change the perception of the State of New York from an antibusiness state to a state that’s open for business. The last thing we should be doing is frustrating businesses."

He also added his daughters like Fage but no word on how Sandra Lee feels about it.