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Thursday headlines

September 8, 2011 in Albany, Durham, Greene County, Hensonville, Prattsville, Tannersville, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

Task force created to ease flooding never met
Brian Nearing in the Albany Times-Union reports that a high-level state task force created to study flood mitigation after the major New York flood in 2006 never met. The task force never took a single step to prepare for future floods, like the ones that are currently affecting much of New York state. “A Cornell University professor [Susan Rhia, earth sciences] named to the group gave up in frustration after repeatedly asking the state Department of Environmental Conservation when the first meeting would be held,” Nearing writes. That was nearly three years ago and “that was the last I ever heard of it … I have been wondering whatever happened to the task force,” said Rhia, director of the New York State Water Resources Institute. “Spokesmen in DEC and the state Canal Corp., which were among eight state agencies in the task force, had no comment Friday when asked what had happened to the group,” Nearing writes. Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Widespread flooding
In Greene County, and much worse farther west and south in New York’s interior, there was widespread flooding Wednesday. The Susquehanna River was expected to exceed the flood stages it reached in 2006, and major parts of Interstate 88 and 90 may still be closed Thursday morning. At midnight the DOT announced:

“The New York State Thruway Authority has announced that due to heavy rain and rising water conditions along the Mohawk River, the Authority anticipates closing the Thruway between Interchange 24 (Albany) and Interchange 33 (Verona) along I-90. Motorists should avoid travel within the Mohawk Valley Region, and seek alternate routes outside of this region, as widespread flooding of area roads is expected. Motorists are advised to visit www.511ny.org to check status the of other roads. Currently, I-88 in Binghamton is closed between Exit 3 and Interstate 81; and I-81 is reduced to one lane, just north of Binghamton, between Exit 6 and Exit 8.”

Other news:
• A small culvert washed out, not a bridge, and has been repaired on CR 10, the alternate way into Prattsville.
• Two teens were rescued from the Hannacroix Creek.
• Greene and Columbia counties Flood Watches were set to end at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, while Albany and Rensselaer counties extends to 6:29 a.m., Ulster to 8:29 a.m., Delaware to 9:16 a.m., and Schoharie until 10:03 a.m.

Boil water orders
• Prattsville: BWO remains in effect. Water restored-temporary line installed not ready to sample.
• Tannersville: BWO remains in effect. Sampling was to begin Sept. 2, no results available yet. Filtered water turbidity levels have been good since late yesterday afternoon. The operator plans to collect bacteria samples from the system on Wed. Sept. 7 and Thu., Sept. 8. If all samples are satisfactory the boil water will be lifted.
• Windham: BWO remains in effect. Water service fully restored, but not ready to sample.
• Hensonville: BWO remains in effect. Water restored but with low pressure, leaks being repaired. Not ready to sample.

School in Greene County?
Previously, Greene County officials said that this afternoon they would announce whether schools there would open on Monday or not. Tue. Sept. 6, Greene County officials delayed opening schools that would have began Wed., Sept. 7. Greene County officials wanted to inspect bridges and roads before making the decision, and since then it has rained more, and flooded more. If Greene County officials do make an announcement WGXC will have that news on the “WGXC Afternoon Show” from 4-6 p.m.

Capital Region Economic Development Council Meeting at Columbia-Greene Community College
WGXC Town Recorder (and Hudson Alderman) Ellen Thurston recorded the public meeting of the of the Capital Region Economic Development Council Tuesday, Sept. 6 at Columbia-Greene Community College. The group — just formed by Gov. Cuomo to spur economic growth regionally — includes Columbia, Greene, Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington, and Warren counties. They are supposed to create a five-year plan to improve the area’s economy. Thurston recorded the entire meeting and you can play any part of it just by clicking on PLAY CLIP.

Fundraiser fetes GOP same-sex marriage senators
Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union’s Capitol Confidential reports that Republican Senator Steve Saland of Poughkeepsie — who represents Columbia County in Albany — is getting large cash donations because of his vote in favor of same-sex marriage. Saland was the thirty-second senator to announce he would vote for the bill, assuring it would pass. “New York City’s billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg, will co-host a fundraiser next month for Republican Senators Steve Saland of Poughkeepsie, Jim Alesi of Rochester, Roy McDonald of Saratoga and Mark Grisanti of Buffalo. Tickets for the Manhattan soiree run as high as $16,800, the maximum amount allowed under the current election law,” Vielkind writes. Hosts for the party include Tim Gill, a software magnate, and Paul E. Singer, the founder of Elliott Management and chairman of the conservative Manhattan Institute as well as gay rights groups Marriage Equality New York, the Gill Action Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. Likewise, the National Organization for Marriage is working to defeat the four senators because of that vote, and campaign spending for his seat will be much larger this campaign. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

One less media voice
Marilyn Bethany and Dan Shaw of the blog Rural Intelligence are shutting down the source for news among the well-monied in Columbia, Dutchess, and Litchfield counties. “Our goal to create an online culture-and-lifestyle magazine that would unite four counties in three states was and remains, as far as we know, unique,” they wrote in their final post last week. “We are proud of the work we’ve done and that we’ve succeeded in fostering a sense of community across state and county lines among full- and part-time residents, as well as visitors.”

Performers announced for storm relief
Performers were announced for the Oct. 1-2 fundraiser for Greene County storm victims at the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural Center in East Durham. The Catskill Glee Club, The Lustre Kings, Michael Packer, Kirsten Thein, Kitty Kelly, Lara Hope & The Champtones, Alexis P. Suter with Connor “The Kidd” Kennedy, Tas Cru, Prof. Louie & The Crowmatix, Phil Brown (of Little Feat) with Rhett Tyler are among the bands Sat., Oct. 1. Solo or duos Saturday include Peter Head, Andrew & Stephanie AKA Lex Ridge, David Kraii, Keith & Joy, Thomas Earl, and Finley & Pagdon. Sunday’s full bands include Michael Farrell School Of Dance, The Michael Louis Band, The Jonny Monster Band, Voodelic, The Five Points Band, Shorty King, John Cerbone, Rhett Tyler Trio, with solo and duos including Abby Lappen, John Holt, Wet Paint, Nick Bukuvalas, Peggy Atwood, and Mike Herman.

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September 8, 2011 local almanac

September 8, 2011 in Chatham, Copake, Gallatin, Greene County, Kinderhook, Livingston, Stuyvesant, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch through 6 a.m. Thursday and predicts showers Thursday with a high near 71. By Thursday night the chance of showers drops to 40 percent, with a low around 61. Friday there is just a 30 percent chance of showers, with a high near 80.

Town meetings tonight
MEETINGS IN TOWNS AFFECTED BY THE STORM MAY OR MAY NOT BE HAPPENING AS SCHEDULED
CHATHAM Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 12:59 p.m./Low, 7:07 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:29 a.m./7:19 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:11 a.m. / 2:45 p.m.

Birthdays
September 8 Jimmie Rodgers, Peter Sellers, Patsy Cline, Bernie Sanders, and Neko Case.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Sara Kendall updates of the morning news, with Ellen Thurston previewing weekend events. 9 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Hosted by Christina Malisoff. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
THE PASSAGE Hosted by Richard Roth.
RADIO THEATER 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Jack Ross-Pilkington and Tom Roe update storm news, and other news. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K. may play President Obama’s economic speech live and discuss it. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger plays psychedelic music from 1969. 9 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

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Wednesday headlines

September 7, 2011 in Albany County, Ashland, Cairo, Greene County, Hunter, Jewett, Prattsville, Preston Hollow, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

Latest Greene County storm recovery update
The Greene County Emergency Services office released this statement Tue., Sept. 6:

“By order of the County of Greene, all Greene County school districts are hereby directed to cancel classes for the week of September 6, 2011 through September 9, 2011. This decision is not solely based upon condition of school facilities, but upon road and bridge infrastructure that has not been adequately inspected and may be compromised. The state of emergency in Greene County is still in effect and travel is limited, particularly in the townships of Ashland, Lexington, Windham and Prattsville. This decision to cancel classes is relative to Article IIB of NYS Executive Law. Further information is to follow to all school districts and state education by Thursday afternoon, which will allow for final determination to re-open schools on Monday September 12, 2011.”

• Windham-Ashland-Jewett schools say they will not open until Sept. 19.
See complete storm recovery update below.

Locavore Cotler wins Locavore Prize
Lisa D. Connell in the Register-Star reports that Amy Cotler, the founding director of Berkshire Grown, won the second annual Victoria A. Simons Locavore Award. Cotler wrote “The Locavore Way,” and received $1,500 from the award, named for the late journalist and first woman on the board of the Columbia County Agricultural Society. Other nominees included: Liz Beals of Beth’s Farm Kitchen; Anna Dawson of Kinderhook, a cook and commercial food preparator of Harvest Kitchen; Amy Locke, a leader behind the Nassau Cooperative Community Food Compact; Ellen Poggi of Hand Hollow Farm in East Chatham; David Robinson of Chatham, a driving force behind the Columbia County Bounty of the County dinner event; Lori J. Selden, of CEO Mexican Radio Restaurant and Co-Founder, Columbia County Bounty. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Voters settle cops’ fate
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper says Copake voters will decide whether or not to eliminate the seven local part-time police force this fall. After $118,000 in unexpected expenses set the town back in July, some residents hope to offset that with $106,980 in savings from eliminating the police department and relying on the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the State Police. There will be a public hearing on the proposed local law at 6:20 p.m. Thu., Sept. 8 at Copake Town Hall, before the regular board meeting. “The board expects to conduct one or more information meetings to provide facts about Police Department services, a cost/benefit analysis and crime rate statistics so voters can make an informed decision. Meeting dates and times will be announced,” Valden writes. Then voters will decide Nov. 8. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Athens FD heads to Schoharie
Athens Fire Department reports on its Facebook feed that it is being deployed to Schoharie County to help with storm recovery. The crew will be deployed on Wed. Sept. 7 and expected to stay for two days.

Greene County bridge closures
• Rte. 23A has alternating one-way traffic over Kaaterskill Creek in Hunter.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington, two bridges over the West kill are closed.
• Rte 23 over Schoharie Creek is closed.
• Rte. 32 over Kaaterskill Creek is closed.

Greene County road closures
• Rte. 23A is open to local traffic only between 296 in Hunter and Rte. 23 in Prattsville.
• Rte. 42 in Lexington is closed from CR 13A to Ulster County Line.
• Rte. 23 is open to local traffic only between Rte. 296 in Windham and Rte. 23A in Prattsville.
• Rte. 23 in Prattsville is closed between Rte. 23 over the Schoharie Creek and Rte. 23A. With no access west of the bridge.
• Rte. 32 in Catskill is closed between Rte. 23A and High Falls Rd.

Albany County road closures
• Rt. 145 and Rt. 81 intersection is shut down, bridge there flooded in Preston Hollow.

Water news
• Boil water order in effect for Windham, Hensonville, and Tannersville.
• The Agroforestry Resource Center, Rt 23 in Acra has water testing kits available. Call 622-9820 for details.

Surveying Greene County
New York State Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Pete Lopez will not tour Prattsville (9:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Windham (11:30 a.m., specific location not disclosed), Hunter (1:30 p.m., specific location not disclosed), and Cairo Wednesday, Sept. 7, as excessive rain cancelled their tour.

To donate
There is not much need for food and clothes anymore, but more specific items are needed: batteries of all types, pressure washers, large raincoats, flashlights, tools, and other items. WGXC recommends you call a specific donation collection center and ask what they need, or donate funds to help. The Watershed Post has a Google spread sheet with many different places to donate.)

• GREENE COUNTY Greene County has specific requests for reconstruction equipment, such as circular saws, cordless drills, crowbars, hammers, screws, shovels, rubber gloves, work gloves, dust masks, wheelbarrows, extension cords, large fans and more. These items can de dropped off at the former Sawyer Automotive location on Route 9W in Catskill, near the Route 23 interchange, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• $10,000 MATCHING DONATION Unk Slater grew up in Prattsville. After taking food out there this week, he is being told they have more then enough, what they need is cash. So his Great American supermarket in Cairo is now collecting cash donations, and will match the first $10,000. That makes $20,000 for storm victims in Greene County. Slater’s Great American Marketplace is at 241 Main St., in Cairo. Sunday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.: 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
• CAIRO Big Top Tent Rentals in Cairo is accepting donations destined for needy folks in Prattsville. They are accepting any common sense items that folks displaced by the storm might need: non-perishable food items, water, batteries, hand sanitizer, baby diapers, wipes, etc. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at 88 Grove St., Cairo.

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Latest storm recovery information

August 31, 2011 in Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie, Hensonville, Hunter, Tannersville, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

Catskill, Sunday, Aug. 28. Photo in by Ann Forbes Cooper.

Hurricane headlines

Wednesday morning, Aug. 31, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressmen Chris Gibson Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden, and other local officials and first responders for a briefing on the flood damage and current conditions in the Catskills at 7:45 a.m. at the Town Highway Facility, 240 W. Main St., in Catskill. WGXC will try to phone in as much of the press conference as possible, and may get a short interview with Rep. Gibson or other officials. The officials are trying to secure federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

WGXC audio

• New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Chris Gibson hold a press conference about the storm and federal help in Catskill.
Recorded by Tom Roe near corner of W. Main St. and Bridge St. in Catskill. PLAY CLIP
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Chris Gibson speak to Catskill Village President Vince Seeeley.
Recorded at the corner of Bridge St. And W. Main St., Catskill. PLAY CLIP

Public events

• Informational Meeting: The Village of Catskill holds an informational meeting about the storm and flooding in Catskill Fri., Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Catskill High School.

Greene County road closures

• Route 23A from CR 18 to Route 32A Town of Hunter, bridge damage
• Rte 23 at Hickory Hill Rd, Town of Windham, due to flooding
• Route 23 at Hickory Hill Rd in Town of Windham, closed due to flooding
• Route 42 in Village of Spruceton, Town of Lexington, bridge washout
• Rte 296 in Town of Hensonville and between Co Rte 23C and Fort Hill Rd
• Rte 145 is closed from Rte 81 to Broome County. The Route 145/Route 81 intersection in Preston Hollow is closed, as the bridge is out.
• Rte 214 is closed from Hunter to Phoenecia
• Route 81 between Maple Ave and School House Rd, Town of Durham, closed due to trees/wires down
• Route 32 at Route 23A, Catskill, bridge washout
• RTE 23 Closed from Country Rd 4 to RTE 23A in the Town of Prattsville due to Flooding

Media sources

• Watershed Post
• WRIP 97.9-FM
• The Daily Mail

Town updates

• Prattsville is completely closed down, and early reports are of massive devastation, with most of the buildings destroyed.
• Ashland is still accessible mainly to locals.
• Windham is now accessible, as State Route 23 is open until you get there. Electricity and cell phone service reportedly returned late Tue., Aug. 30.
• Lexington is very isolated as SR 42 is closed with several bridges out.
• Haines Falls is now more difficult to reach, as State Route 23A is closed.

Boil water advisories

• All county residents on public water systems are encouraged to boil their water before use as a precaution.
• Boil Water Orders are in effect for Windham, Hensonville, Tannersville and Hunter, the Village of Arkville, Coxsackie, and the Village of Catskill.

Fundraisers/donations

• Big Top Tent Rentals in Cairo is accepting donations destined for needy folks in Prattsville. They are accepting any common sense items that folks displaced by the storm might need: non-perishable food items, water, batteries, hand sanitizer, baby diapers, wipes, etc. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at 88 Grove St., Cairo.
• Nickel Social Friday, Sept. 2, to benefit families on the mountaintop, including those in Windham, Hensonville, and Maplecrest. Money will be given to area fire companies, who’ll in turn give out supplies to needy families. Nickel Social from 6-9 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cairo. For more information or to volunteer, contact Erica DeLong at 845-542-6101.
* Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Irene Benefit Concert sponsored by the Belleayre Convservatory performing to aid flood victims of the Central Catskills. The concert is 8 p.m. Sat. Sept. 3 at Belleayre Ski Center, upper lodge. Tax deductible donations can be made out to:
The Belleayre Conservatory, PO Box 198, Highmount, NY 12441

Facebook resources

• Hurricane Storys group – Photos and news.
• Delaware and surrounding Counties Flooding – Hurricane Irene, August 2011 — Photos and news.
• Catskill Flood disaster group — for locating people.
• Irene in the Catskills relief coordination group.
• Shandaken-Irene Facebook page.
• Windham-Irene Facebook page.

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Storm resources from WRIP, Watershed Post

August 30, 2011 in Albany County, Ashland, Batavia Kill, Cairo, Catskill, Coeymans, Durham, Greene County, Greenville, Haines Falls, Hensonville, Hunter, Jewett, Maplecrest, New Lebanon, Palenville, Prattsville, Preston Hollow, Stuyvesant, Tannersville, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

The bridge in Haines Falls was destroyed in the storm. Photo by Dharma Dailey at 2 p.m. Sun., Aug. 28.

Please tune in to WRIP (97.9-FM) in Windham to hear the most direct vital information about the flooding on the mountaintop from the Hurricane Irene-related storms. Please check the Watershed Post blog for the best information about road closures, shelters, places to make donations, and other vital information. WRIP is taking calls at 734-4747. Here are a number of resources, mostly from those sources, for anyone in need of help in the wake of Hurricane Irene:

Dry ice distribution

Central Hudson will distribute dry ice at the following locations today, Tue., Aug. 30.
• Cairo (Greene County) – Angelo Canna Park, Mountain Ave., Cairo (adjacent to Greene County Office of Emergency Preparedness) .
• Ellenville (Ulster County) – Ellenville Village Hall, 81 North Main St., Ellenville.
• Lake Katrine (Ulster County) – Grace Community Evangelical Church, 160 Seremma Ct, Lake Katrine.
Central Hudson reports that 9,800 folks in Greene County lack power still, with no prediction on when that might change. In Columbia County, 300 lack power, which is expected to return by Wed. Aug. 31.

General bulletins

• A state of emergency has been declared in Greene County due to flooding.
• A boil water order is in effect for Tannersville, Hunter, and the Village of Arkville.
• Dial 211 for local recovery assistance information.
• Access to Village of Margaretville restricted to residents and emergency personnel only.

From Dharma Dailey:
“Word from T-Ville Firehouse this AM: All the bridges out of the Town of Hunter have some damage. Telling people to stay put. Power and net just back.” From Monday, Aug. 29.

Catskill shelters

• First Baptist Church on West Main Street
• Second Baptist Church on Main Street
• Firehouse on Central Ave.

Columbia County shelters

• Stuyvesant Fire House on Route 26A
• New Lebanon Fire House on Route 20
• Churchtown Firehouse

Greene County road closures

Greene County
• Route 23A from CR 18 to Route 32A Town of Hunter, bridge damage
• Rte 23 at Hickory Hill Rd, Town of Windham, due to flooding
• Route 23 at Hickory Hill Rd in Town of Windham, closed due to flooding
• Route 42 in Village of Spruceton, Town of Lexington, bridge washout
• Rte 296 in Town of Hensonville and between Co Rte 23C and Fort Hill Rd
• Rte 145 is closed from Rte 81 to Broome County
• Rte 214 is closed from Hunter to Phoenecia
• Route 81 between Maple Ave and School House Rd, Town of Durham, closed due to trees/wires down
• Route 32 at Route 23A, Catskill, bridge washout
• RTE 23 Closed from Country Rd 4 to RTE 23A in the Town of Prattsville due to Flooding

Albany County road closures

• COEYMANS, per WRIP: NY 32 closed north of the Alcove, Town of Coeymans, Albany Co.

Greene County power outages

• Central Hudson Electric & Gas: 19416 customers offline (69 percent) as of 10 p.m. Mon. Aug. 29.
• New York State Electric & Gas: 2689 customers offline (59 percent) as of 10 p.m. Mon. Aug. 29.

Damage reports and FEMA

• Email reports to Liz Higgins at the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program. More info here.

Facebook resources

• Hurricane Storys group – Photos and news.
• Delaware and surrounding Counties Flooding – Hurricane Irene, August 2011 — Photos and news.
• Catskill Flood disaster group — for locating people.
• Irene in the Catskills relief coordination group.
• Shandaken-Irene Facebook page.
• Windham-Irene Facebook page.

Web resources

• Flooding Recovery info from Cornell Cooperative Extension.
• From NYS Archives – There are several resources in New York to assist your organization recover from Hurricane Irene. The State Office of Emergency Management provides assistance, including access to products and recovery services. Go to: http://www.dhses.ny.gov/.
• The State Library and State Archives have resources to assist you. Contacts, services, and resources are listed below by your organization type. The State Library and State Archives are also responsible for gathering information about the extent of damage to your building and/or collections as well as recovery costs. Contact Barbara Lilley (blilley@mail.nysed,gov) or Maria Holden (mholden@mail.nysed.gov) to report the impact of the storm on your organization.>

Libraries

• State Library staff are available to provide advice on recovering collections. Contact the State Library at (518) 486-4864. For additional resources, go to http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/cp/index.html.

State agencies

• Archives staff are available to provide advice on recovering damaged records. When agency records are believed to constitute a hazard to human safety or health or to property, the agency records management officer may request authorization from the State Archives to destroy or dispose of such records immediately. Contact the Archives at (518) 474-6926 or (518) 473-4254. For a complete listing of State Archives disaster services and resources, go to: http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_disaster.shtml.

Local governments

• The State Archives Regional Advisory Officers are available by phone/email to provide advice on recovering archives and records and to assist you in applying for a recovery grant. Local governments may be eligible for up to $20,000 in disaster recovery funding for damaged records. Contact your Regional Advisory Officer http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/directories/dir_staff.shtml#Advisory or call the Archives at (518) 474-6926 or (518) 473-4254. For a complete listing of State Archives disaster services and resources, go to: http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_disaster.shtml

The Hudson River spilled over into the Athens Waterfront Park. Photo by Sam Sebren.

Red Cross Needs Immediate Volunteers for Storm Relief

Three opportunities for the four-hour fast-track disaster relief training sessions offered by the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York for those who wish to assist with the current disaster relief efforts throughout Northeastern NY, stretching from Poughkeepsie to Plattsburgh. Any person interested in responding to disasters caused by Hurricane Irene who: Is 18 years of age or over; Is able to lift at least 35 pounds; Has a valid driver’s license and can travel throughout Eastern New York; Will consent to a background check (free of charge); Is available for several days over the next two to four weeks. Of particular interest are volunteers who may work for the State of New York and are therefore eligible to invoke NY State’s Disaster Leave Law, which may allow them to be released from work for up to three weeks without penalty. Three opportunities for fast-tracked disaster training will be offered by Red Cross staff and volunteers on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in Albany, on Thursday, September 1, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in Poughkeepsie, and again on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in Poughkeepsie. (Please note: only one training session is required). Following the training, new volunteers will be deployed regionally to the areas in need from Poughkeepsie to Plattsburgh.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 – 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
United Way of the Greater Capital Region
1 United Way, Albany, NY

Thursday, September 1, 2011 – 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Nubian Directions Building
248 Main Street Poughkeepsie NY

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 – 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Nubian Directions Building
248 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY

The American Red Cross needs many additional volunteers to assist in the response to unprecedented flooding, evacuations and power outages following Hurricane Irene. With more than 35 shelters currently open, and the potential for additional shelters in the coming days, volunteers are needed in shelter operations, feeding, bulk distribution of supplies (comfort kits and cleanup kits, etc.), recovery information distribution, disaster assessment, counseling and emotional support, disaster public affairs, disaster nursing, and many other support areas.
Please call the American Red Cross of Northeastern NY at (518) 458-8111 to register.

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Watch storm on local webcams

August 27, 2011 in Albany, Catskill, Delhi, Hunter, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

Greene County:

Catskill webcam: Thomas Cole House Claude Mirror

Hunter Mountain webcams.

Windham Mountain webcam.

Nearby:

I-87, I-90 webcams around Albany.

Delhi Courthouse Square.

Hawley’s webcam, Shandaken.

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Friday headlines

August 26, 2011 in Athens, Hudson, Hunter, Philmont, Upstate New York, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

There is a 40 percent chance of sustained tropical storm-force winds in our area, according to this National Weather Service graphic.


Hurricane Irene causes state of emergency
New York has declared a state of emergency ahead of the predicted arrival of Hurricane Irene in our area Sunday. See the “More” link at the bottom of this entry for a complete list of what the state of New York is doing now in preparation for the hurricane.

Columbia Street in Hudson closed after road collapse
WTEN television reported last night that the construction hole on Columbia St. between 4th and 5th Streets in Hudson opened up Thursday, Aug. 25 after an evening rain storm. In the Register-Star, Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera predicted the road would remain closed for several days, and with lots more rain on the way this weekend, it could tie up traffic in Hudson for a few days. Trucks will be diverted to an alternate route. Read the stories on the WTEN and Register-Star websites.

Robinson beats Cole in hand ballot for Dem nomination
Melanie Lekocevic in the Greene County News reports Athens Democrats backed incumbent Town Justice James Robinson over former Village Justice David Cole, 22-9. Cole was Athens Village Justice until that post was abolished in March. Town Councilwoman Phyllis Dinkelacker nominated Cole for one of the two town council seats no Democrats are attempting to win, but he declined. Read the complete story in the Greene County News.

Philmont will no longer be a chick magnet
Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper writes that Philmont’s Village Board banned chickens from the village at a recent meeting (no date given). Chickens currently living in the village can live out their natural lives, but no new live chickens may be raised in Philmont. Previously, “the Philmont Zoning Code prohibited keeping ‘geese and fowl’ but said nothing about chickens,” Simonds writes, explaining the need for the new law. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines fowl (second definition) as, “a cock or hen of the domestic chicken.” Read the complete story in The Columbia Paper.

Shots fired in Hudson, one man wounded
The Register-Star reports that a man was shot in the elbow near 231 Columbia St. Thu. Aug. 25 in Hudson, and rescue crews picked him several blocks away, at the Hudson post office. Local authorities are looking for information about the shooting, and asking any witnesses to call the Hudson Police Department at (518) 828-3388. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

CMF offers classical music fest
Jim Planck in The Windham Journal previews the “High Peaks Festival: Music With Altitude,” classical music festival in Hunter and Windham Sat., Aug. 27 to Sun., Sept. 4, with performances, films, workshops, lectures, and trail hikes. The Catskill Mountain Foundation is sponsoring the festival, and working with local cellist Yehuda Hanani and artists from all over the world. “The idea is to bring young artists from divergent cultures together,” said Hanani. “Our students are at the same level — if not higher —- than the major festivals.” See www.catskillmtn.org for festival details, and read the full story in The Windham Journal.

See below for a complete list of what New York state is doing in preparation for Hurricane Irene:

Read the rest of this entry »

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August 16, 2011 local almanac

August 16, 2011 in Columbia County, Durham, Hillsdale, Hudson, Hunter, Lexington, Taghkanic by Staff | 1 comment

The National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, cloudy, with a high near 75. Tuesday night there could be patchy fog after 5 a.m., with a low around 56. Wednesday, that fog should linger until 8 a.m., then sunny, with a high near 83.

Town meetings tonight
COLUMBIA COUNTY Health and Medical Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
DURHAM Town Board meets at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HILLSDALE Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street (325-5073).
HUDSON 5 p.m. Finance Committee meeting; 7 p.m. Regular Common Council meeting at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
LEXINGTON Town board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall on Route 82 in West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 5:45 p.m./Low, 11:50 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:06 a.m./7:54 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8:54 p.m./ 8:57 a.m.

Birthdays
August 16 Menachem Begin, Charles Bukowski, Eddie Kirkland, Carol Moseley Braun, Madonna, and Steve Carrell.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates of the morning news, and plays local music. 9 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski plays vocal music. Noon-2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN FAIR’s weekly media show. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth host. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
JMOORE Jeff Moore plays music. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward hosts, and hosts. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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August 11, 2011 local almanac

August 11, 2011 in Chatham, Columbia County, Copake, Gallatin, Greene County, Kinderhook, Livingston, Philmont, Stuyvesant, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts Thursday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Thursday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 56. Friday the prediction is sunny, with a high near 81. Saturday there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, but otherwise mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Sunday there is a 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 75.

Town meetings tonight
CHATHAM Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Columbia County, in consideration of NYS Community Development Block Grant funded programs, will be holding a Public Hearing in the Committee Room at the Columbia County Office Building. The intent of this public hearing is to give a full description of the proposed project, to provide information on the estimated time schedule to accomplish the activity and to provide an opportunity for comment on the proposed 2011 CDBG Hudson Valley Creamery Job Creation Project. The Community Development Block Grant Program must meet one of three national objectives: benefit to low and moderate-income persons, elimination of slums and blight or urgent needs affecting the health and safety of the community. Up to $350,000 will be requested to support equipment purchases resulting in the creation of 20-25 jobs within a 24-month period. Minimally, 51 percent of the jobs will be made available to low-mod persons. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the hearing and offer comment. Written comments and questions can be mailed to Columbia County Planning and Economic Development, 401 State Street, Hudson.
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON The City of Hudson Zoning Board of Appeals holds a public hearing to accept public comment on an application by Christopher Norman Chocolates for a Special Exception Use to manufacture chocolate confectionaries on the first floor of the structure located at 73 North 2nd Street for whole sale distribution. Please be further advised that the Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a meeting following the public hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. At City Hall, Warren St.
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
PHILMONT The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Philmont holds a Public Hearing to consider the application for an area variance by Daniel and Kathy Wheeler for setback relief for a proposed addition with a proposed setback of 70 feet and required setback is 125 feet. The property is located at 34 Summit Street, Philmont, NY 12565, Tax map # 113.13-2-30, in a RLD zone. The applicant is requesting relief from the setback requirement as required pursuant to section 160-20-C of the Philmont Village zoning code. Philmont Village Hall.
STUYVESANT Town Board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 1:38 a.m./Low, 8:18 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:02 a.m./8:01 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 6:36 p.m./ 3:48 a.m.

Birthdays
August 10 Alex Haley, Pervez Musharraf, Bob_Mothersbaugh, Joe Jackson, and Jah Wobble.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Sara Kendall updates of the morning news, and plays local music. Ellen Thurston outlines the weekend events, and interviews Hudson Music Festival organizer Rob Johanson. 9 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Christina Malisoff and Sam Sebren. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
PASSAGES Richard Roth hosts. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Antoine Guerlain hosts. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Join host Cheryl K. for an interview with Hudson Valley-based bassist Michael Bisio. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger hosts. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

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August 8, 2011 local almanac

August 8, 2011 in Ashland, Catskill, Greene County, Hunter, New Lebanon, Philmont, Prattsville, Taghkanic by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts a 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11 a.m. on Monday, otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 86. North wind between 6 and 11 mph. Monday night should be mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Tuesday the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m., drops to 30 percent, and the day should be otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 81.

Town meetings tonight
ASHLAND Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland. (734-3636)
CANAAN The Canaan Town Board holds a workshop meeting concerning wind power. The regular monthly meeting will immediately follow the workshop meeting at 6 p.m. at Canaan Town Hall, 1647 County Route 5, Canaan.
CATSKILL Village meeting at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE holds Buildings & Grounds, Conservation, Public Safety, Highway, Government Operations, and Finance committee meetings at 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Common Council workshop meeting at 7 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Village meeting at 8 p.m.
NEW BALTIMORE Town meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
NEW LEBANON The New Lebanon Town Board has introduced a Local Law to amend the Campgrounds Ordinance of the Town of New Lebanon as set forth in Chapter 88 of the Town Code. The proposed changes to the ordinance incorporate the Camping Grounds regulations set forth in the Town of New Lebanon Zoning Ordinance adopted 8/9/2010; replace specific requirements set forth throughout the ordinance with reference to the appropriate State or County regulatory authority or Code including the New York State Sanitary, Building, Fire, and Property Maintenance Codes; and clarify the application process. A copy of said proposed law is available for public review in the office of the New Lebanon Town Clerk during regular office hours. A public hearing upon said proposed local law will be held at the American Legion Hall at 7 Mill Road in New Lebanon at 6:45 p.m. and that an opportunity to be heard will be given to those favoring or opposing the passage of said proposed law.
PHILMONT The Village of Philmont holds a public hearing on Government Immunity to Zoning Laws as it relates to the proposed DPW garage (Pursuant to Monroe v. Rochester, 72 N.Y.2d 338) prior to the regular monthly board meeting. At 7 p.m. at Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont. 518-672-7032
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).
TAGHKANIC Public Hearings on: Draft Local Law Small Scale Excavation 7 p.m..; Draft Local Law Sole Assessor 7:10 p.m.; Highway Garage/Salt Shed 7:20 p.m. A copy of the Draft Local Laws are available for viewing on the town’s web site at www.taghkanic.org, and copies are available at the office of the Town Clerk, 483 County Route 15, Taghkanic. If unable to attend the hearing all comments may be sent to Cheryl E. Rogers, Town Clerk, 483 County Route 15, Elizaville, NY 12523 or crogers42857@gmail.com. The regular meeting will immediately follow. At 7 p.m. at Taghkanic Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic. 518-851-7638

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 11:35 p.m./Low, 5:41 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:59 a.m./8:04 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 4:17 a.m./ 12:48 p.m.

Birthdays
August 8 Benny Carter, Webb Pierce, Rory Calhoun, Keith Carradine, and The Edge.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates of the morning news, and plays local music. At 10 a.m. local musician Greg Stewart will perform live in the WGXC Hudson studio. 9 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
MONDAY MUSIC MATINEE Lincoln Mayorga surveys local classical musicians with international reputations. Noon-2 p.m.
THE AG SHOW Kieran Reilly talks farming news. 2 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Greg Osofsky and Kaya Weidman host. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
STONE WALLS, STEEL BARS Cowboy Jim hosts the bluegrass show. 9:30 p.m.
LUNARMOSS DJ Lunar Moss plays mostly vinyl. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

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Tour of the Catskills starts at Hunter Mountain

August 5, 2011 in Greene County, Hunter, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments


Lissa Harris in the Watershed Post blog reports that over 800 cyclists will trek through Greene and Ulster counties for the fourth annual Tour of the Catskills, a three-day road race that over almost 200 miles with amateur and professional cyclists that begins Fri., Aug. 5 at Hunter Mountain with a 12-mile individual time trial. From the Watershed Post:

The video above shows a few of last year’s cyclists pushing through the infamous Devil’s Kitchen stretch of Platte Clove Road in Saugerties, which was added to the race just last year. It’s a notoriously punishing climb, with some stretches over 22% grade; local biking blog Capital District Road Climbs calls it “quite possibly the most hellacious climb in New York State, and one of the most difficult climbs in the Northeast.”

The Watershed Post’s radio show, “The Half-Hour News Hour,” which airs on WIOX in Roxbury, will also air today, Fri., Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. on WGXC 90.7-FM.

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Wednesday headlines

August 3, 2011 in Albany, Hensonville, Tannersville by Tom Roe | No comments

‘Fracking’ comment period firm
Brian Nearing in the Albany Times-Union reports that New York Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens spoke with the Times Union Editorial Board about High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing and said the department is unlikely to extend its 60-day comment period on the proposed rules. “I am inclined to stick with the 60 days,” said Martens. “In 2009, when DEC first unveiled proposed draft rules on hydrofracking, there were nearly 14,000 comments for the department to consider, prompting the department to come back with the revised draft rules,” Nearing reports. Martens said the department was considering increasing the bond that well drillers must provide to pay for the cost of unforeseen environmental cleanups, now just $5,000. Read the full story in the Times-Union.

Mountain Top Arboretum adds cell phone tours
The Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville, has added cell phone-led audio tours of the grounds and podcasts of information about the site at MTArboretum.org. The arboretum has three distinct zones: the West Meadow with native and non-native conifers, and exposed, 375-million-year-old, Devonian-era bedrock, and a butterfly garden; the Woodland Walk is a deer-fenced area designed to preserve the native habitat, including the native wildflowers and Mountain Laurels planted there; and the East Meadow includes the Pine Grove, Fern Trail, and Pump House, an early 20th century building now used as an irrigation system for the meadow. Call 518-261-8300 for the audio tour that takes about a half hour for each of the three zones.

Black Dome Press changes hands
Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that publisher Deborah Allen of Black Dome Press in Hensonville, is retiring, selling the company to long-time Black Dome editor Steve Hoare, of Delmar. “We’ve had great authors, loyal readers, wonderful supporters, active distributors and dealers — everyone that it takes to make a publishing house successful,” Allen told Planck. Hoare will keep up the imprint’s local tradition. “The intention is to stay ‘local’,” he said in the story, “focusing on books of interest to readers in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Adirondacks, Capital Region, Lake George and Lake Champlain, Berkshires, and Mohawk Valley.” Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

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August 2, 2011 local almanac

August 2, 2011 in Catskill, Columbia County, Copake, Durham, Hillsdale, Hunter, Lexington, Livingston by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts Tuesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Tuesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Wednesday there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, but otherwise mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Thursday, should be sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
CATSKILL Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COLUMBIA COUNTY There will be a meeting of the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency at 8:30 a.m. and the Columbia County Capital Resource Corporation 9 a.m. for the purpose of discussing any matters that may be presented to the Corporations for consideration. At 8:30 a.m. at 4303 Route 9, Hudson.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Finance Committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State St., Hudson.
COPAKE Park Commission meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM The Durham Town Board holds a Public Hearing on the following Site Plan Applications: Property owned by Edward Armstrong, parcel 49.00-6-30 located at 1105 Hervey Sunside Road, Cornwallville consisting of approximately 54.80 +/- acres. Their wish is to place a 140’ wind tower on this parcel. And Property owned by Robert Stefanko, parcel 63.00-3-8 located at 7591 Rt 23, East Windham consisting of approximately 17.10 +/- acres. Their wish is to place a 120’ wind tower on this parcel. Durham Town Board will hold a Public Hearing on the following proposed subdivisions: Property owned by Janina Rachubinski, parcel 21.00-4-57 located at 446 Stonitch Road, East Durham consisting of approximately 12.22 +/- acres. Their wish is to subdivide into two parcels of 2.04 +/- acres and 10.18 +/- acres. And Property owned by Barry Nesson, parcel 21.00-4-68 located at 4178 Route 145, Durham consisting of approximately 4.40 +/- acres. Their wish is to subdivide into two parcels of 1.7944 +/- acres and 3.7519 +/- acres. Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HILLSDALE Hillsdale The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Hillsdale holds to consider the following application: A public hearing on a variance for Norman and Sandra Reisman, 4 Stonehill Drive, to build a bedroom addition on to existing house. At 7:30 p.m. at Hillsdale Town Hall, Main St.
HUNTER The Town of Hunter Planning Board meeting scheduled for Tues. Aug. 2 has been canceled. The next Planning Board meeting is Tues. September 6, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall in Tannersville.
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 5:51 p.m./Low, 12:07 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:53 a.m./8:11 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9:19 a.m./ 9:35 p.m.

Birthdays
August 2 Hank Cochran, Garth Hudson, and Caleb Carr.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Updates of the morning news. 9 a.m.
WORK Hosted by Max Goldfarb and Laura Kunreuther, on this program, they, “talk to neighbors in and around Columbia County about their experience and relationship to work, as well as the relationship between their work and the places they live.” Different episodes of this show will air at 10 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday this week, and then take up a regular spot in the schedule the second Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski plays vocal music. Noon-2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN FAIR’s weekly media show. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Carl Ritchie, director/writer of The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County Musical, discusses his latest work, his career and what it was like to go to High School in the Himalayas. Hosted by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
JMOORE Jeff Moore plays all sorts of music. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward plays even more all sorts of music. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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Friday headlines

July 29, 2011 in Ancram, Hunter, Washington by Tom Roe | No comments

Gillibrand bill addresses Community Supported Agriculture
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation Wed., July 27, that would create a competitive grant program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA members pay for a share of a farm’s produce, and throughout the season, members receive a weekly amount of vegetables. “Community Supported Agriculture can be a key component for providing our families with more locally grown produce,” said Senator Gillibrand in a press release. “Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs over the years, bringing fresh, vitamin-rich fruits, vegetables, eggs, homemade breads, meats, and cheeses to tables all across America.” Gillibrand says there are 350 CSAs in New York, and several in Columbia and Greene counties. The Community Supported Agriculture Promotion Act’s would award federal funds to non-profit organizations, extension services, and state and local government agencies to provide marketing and business assistance to new or current CSA farmers, as well as assist in the development of innovative delivery and distribution programs.

Are there rattlesnakes in Hunter?
Jim Planck in The Windham Journal investigates whether there are Timber Rattlesnakes in the Town of Hunter. He says the Silver Hollow area down toward Edgewood, may have them, but Kaaterskill Clove does not have the Threatened species. Planck says posts at www.catskillmountaineer.com tipped him off. “While existing Timber Rattlesnake populations occur on Overlook Mountain and Mount Tremper, both in northern Ulster County, the Silver Hollow one — if verified by the NYS Department of Conservation — would be Greene County’s first one, as the Department’s Timber Rattlesnake distribution map shows no populations in Greene County,” Planck writes. “DEC did receive a report, with a photograph, from a hiker last fall,” DEC press officer Lori Severino told Planck, “of a Timber Rattlesnake he found last August in Greene County a few hundred feet from the Ulster County line…. It was on/near Plateau Mountain,” she said — which adjoins Silver Hollow. But the writer does not discover if there is antidote locally. “Asked if there is, in fact, a rattlesnake antidote or treatment, Severino replied, ‘Yes, though the Albany area hospitals may or may not have a supply of it.’” Read the entire story in The Windham Journal.

Is the boss here?
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper writes that the Ancram Board of Ethics found, “that Highway Superintendent James MacArthur violated the local Ethics Law by appointing his brother Robert to serve as highway boss when he took a vacation in late March of this year,” Valden writes. Superintendent MacArthur, who is directly elected by town voters, explained at the town’s July 21 meeting that at he never used to take a vacation at all, but started to take them after getting re-married about four years ago. He said he had his brother, who “previously worked for the Highway Department,” sworn in by a town justice, so that employees would get more done in his absence. “They say I violated the ethics law for nepotism, and I suppose that is true, but deputy highway superintendent is not a paid job. I can appoint anybody my deputy,” Mr. MacArthur explained. The board said he took action, “without having fulfilled the required prior notice, permissions and clearance from the Town Board” to make the appointment or authorize his brother’s payment. “Because Mr. MacArthur rescinded the appointment and his brother resigned, the ‘primary legal and ethical infraction… was corrected,’ said the decision, which went on to recommend that the draft of the new Highway Employee Handbook be reviewed and finalized as soon as possible, and that a clear and concise job description for highway superintendent be established,” Valden wrote. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

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July 21, 2011 local almanac

July 21, 2011 in Ancram, Chatham, Columbia County, Copake, Durham, Ghent, Hunter, Kinderhook, Taghkanic, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts that it is going to be hot. An Excessive Heat Warning is out through this afternoon, and a Excessive Heat Watch through Friday afternoon. Thursday should be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97, and a heat index value as high as 106. Thursday night, there is a 20 percent chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., with a low around 73. Friday, a 20 percent chance if isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., with a high near 96, and heat index values as high as 104.0 Friday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Saturday: A slight chance of showers and mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Sunday should be sunny, with a high near 86.

Town meetings today
ANCRAM Board meeting at 7 p.m. in Town Hall at 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
CHATHAM Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. Town Hall, 488 State Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Safety Committee meeting at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
COPAKE Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town board meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham.
GHENT Town Board meeting at the Ghent Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644)
HUNTER The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees holds a Public Hearing to discuss a proposed Un-mowed Frontage Law and will have a Special Meeting at 6:15 p.m. to discuss procedures for enforcement of building code violations. Meeting at 6 p.m. at Hunter Village Hall, 7955 Main St.
TAGHKANIC The Taghkanic Town Board holds a special meeting for the purposes of conducting interviews, together with such other and further business as may come before the board. Meeting at 6 p.m. at Taghkanic Town Hall, 909 Route 82.
TANNERSVILLE The Tannersville Zoning Board of Appeals holds a Public hearing for an area variance on the Mockin Property located at 96 Park Lane, tax map # 166.17-3-2. Meeting at 6 p.m. at Tannersville Village Hall, 1 Park Lane.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 8 a.m./Low, 2:17 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:42 a.m./8:22 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:16 p.m./ 12:07 p.m.

Birthdays
July 21 Marshall McLuhan, Cat_Stevens/Yusuf Islam, Garry Trudeau, Robin Williams, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more, in English and Spanish. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Norman Keyser updates the morning news, with weekend events from Joan Geitz and Ellen Thurston. 9 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Sam Sebren and Christina Malisoff host. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
BETWEEN THE LINES Ann Forbes Cooper hosts. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Antoine Guerlain hosts. 4-6 p.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 6 p.m.
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS 6:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more midnight through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

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July 19, 2011 local almanac

July 19, 2011 in Columbia County, Durham, Hillsdale, Hudson, Hunter, Lexington, Philmont, Stuyvesant, Taghkanic by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts patchy fog before 7 a.m. Tuesday and then, mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Tuesday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 62. Wednesday should be sunny, with a high near 92. Thursday there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, and it will remain mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Town meetings today
COLUMBIA COUNTY Health and Medical Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
DURHAM Town Board meets at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HILLSDALE Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street (325-5073).
HUDSON 5 p.m. Finance Committee meeting; 7 p.m. Regular Common Council meeting at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
LEXINGTON Town board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
PHILMONT The Planning Board of the Village of Philmont holds a Public Hearing to consider the following: The application by Doris Rossman, 33 Main Street, Philmont, NY and Monte E. Jennings, 37 Main Street, Philmont, NY for a minor subdivision pursuant to Section 130-7 of the Code of the Village of Philmont. Meeting is at 7 p.m. at Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont.
STUYVESANT The Town of Stuyvesant Zoning Board of Appeals holds a special meeting to address the zoning interpretation request of William Pflaum regarding the Glencadia Dog Camp. Meeting at 7 p.m. at Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant.
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall on Route 82 in West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 6:30 a.m./Low, 1:02 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:40 a.m./8:24 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 10:26 p.m./ 10:10 a.m.

Birthdays
July 19 Buster Benton, Brian May, and Rick Ankiel.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Phillip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Phillip Grant updates the morning news and more. 9 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN Presented by FAIR. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth host. 4-7 p.m.
JMOORE Jeff Moore plays music. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward hosts. 9:30-mid.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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July 11, 2011 local almanac

July 11, 2011 in Ashland, Catskill, Copake, Greene County, Hudson, Hunter, New Baltimore, Prattsville, Upstate New York by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts Monday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Monday night there is a 20 percent chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm after 10 p.m. Tuesday there is a 30 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 91. Tuesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
ASHLAND Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636)
CATSKILL Village meeting at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE holds Buildings & Grounds, Conservation, Public Safety, Highway, Government Operations, and Finance committee meetings at 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Common Council workshop meeting at 7 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Village meeting at 8 p.m.
NEW BALTIMORE Town meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671)/
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 12:18 p.m./Low, 6:47 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:34 a.m./8:28 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:23 p.m./ 2 a.m.

Birthdays
July 8 Yul Brynner, Leon Spinks, Peter Murphy, and Suzanne Vega.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news, with Terry Doyle’s “A Very Incomplete Calendar” and more. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
MONDAY MUSICAL MATINEE WGXC’s Monday Musical Matinee, with Lincoln Mayorga, will be devoted to the artistry of the late pianist, Sofia Cosma. Mayorga will
play concertos by Saint Saens (pronounced “san SAWNS”) and Strauss, and solo piano music by Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Beethoven, and Poulenc. Sofia Cosma is the subject of a documentary motion picture, “A Suitcase Full of Chocolate”, which opens at Time & Space Limited in Hudson, Saturday, July 16 at 8 p.m. Noon-2 p.m.
THE AG SHOW Kieran Riley talks farming. 2 p.m.
WELLNESS WATCH Linda Karlsson hosts. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Kaya Weidman and Greg Osofsky host. 4-7 p.m.
AMERICANA SHOW Kurt and Doug host. 7-9:30 p.m., after that internet-only.
LUNARMOSS DJ Lunar Moss plays mostly vinyl. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

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Independence Day in Greene and Columbia

July 1, 2011 in Catskill, Clermont, Durham, Germantown, Greenport, Hunter, Kinderhook, Saugerties, Windham by Philip Grant | No comments

Saturday, July 2
Bing Bang Boing: It’s Your Patriotic Duty 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Uncle Sam’s Parade at 11 a.m. on Main St. from Farmer’s Market on Church Street to the old Freightmaster’s Building at Catskill Point. Bring instruments. At the Point, the Greene County Council for the Arts presents a Bing Bang Boing concert of renowned musicians playing their own hand-made instruments, ending with a massive drum circle to which all are invited. There will also be kids’ activities, including marshmallow airgun contests and kite flying, a bouncy house. Park at Dutchman’s Landing, at 2 Main Street by the river. Shuttles and/or cabs will be available. Call 943-3400 or visit www.greenearts.org for information.

Rep. Chris Gibson at Chatham Middle School, at town meeting March 23. Photo by Tom Roe.

East Durham Independence Day 11 a.m. – Quill Festival Grounds, East Durham, NY 12423, 518-634-2286. Marching Bands, Bagpipers, Floats and Color Guard from many organizations will be in parade at 11 a.m. Congressman Chris Gibson will be in the parade. Prizes awarded for Most Patriotic, Most Unique, Best Junior Group, Funniest Entry and Best Overall. After the Parade, join us on the Festival Grounds for games and rides for the kids. Fireworks display on the Festival Grounds at 9:15 p.m.
• WGXC interviewed Helen Hauswald about the East Durham Independence Day Parade and Festival. Click here to listen to mp3 audio of the interview.

You’re a Grand Ole Flag. Noon-2 p.m.: Olana State Historic Site, 5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534. One could celebrate the Fourth of July by creating a quilt of your own at this event. This easy-to-do, no-sewing quilt will be inspired by Frederic Church’s painting “Our Banner in the Sky.”  Please call 518-828-1872 x109 for more information or to register, or email shasbrook@olana.org for more information or to register.

Bear Creek Landing Fireworks: A restaurant and recreational park in Hunter with day activities such as horseback riding, paintball, and indoor/outdoor dining. At corner of Rt. 214 & 23A, Hunter.

Sunday, July 3
Chatham Family Fun Fest 3 p.m.: Columbia County Fair Grounds, Route 66, Chatham, NY. The fairgrounds gates open at 3 p.m. for the Family Fun Fest. Activities include free kiddie rides, a climbing wall, hay maze, Fuddi-Duddy the Clown, pony rides, Electric Blue Dee Jay, and lots of food, with a fireworks display at dusk.

Our Banner in the Sky: An interpretation through music and dance: Wagon House Education Center, Olana State Historic Site, 5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534. A performance by Cu Dubh bringing Frederic Church’s painting “Our Banner in the Sky” to life through music and dance is at Olana Sunday. Bring a picnic blanket and basket. Please call (518) 828-1872 x 109 or email shasbrook@olana.org for more information.

Fireworks/band at Cone-E Island/Mountain T-Shirts in Catskill: Activities begin at 2 p.m., music starts at 4 p.m. with Steppin’ Out performing at 6 p.m and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. 8 West Bridge St., Catskill.

Monday, July 4
Kinderhook Peoples Parade 11 a.m. This is a participatory parade, so one could decorate your car, stroller, wagon, tractor, or bicycle to join the parade, or watch. Parade starts at Rothermel Lane and ends in the Village Square.

Old-Fashioned Independence Day 2 p.m.–10 p.m.: Clermont State Historic Site, One Clermont Ave., Germantown, 12526. 518-537-4240. 18th Century music and entertainment, food and the Saugerties fireworks display.

Village of Saugerties 4th of July Parade and Fireworks 11 a.m.: Parade starts from Saugerties High School. The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties and the Saugerties Fire Department will team up for the Saugerties 4th of July celebration.

Windham Mountain: Windham Mountain keeps its zipline and Skyride open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a parade through Windham at 7 p.m., barbeque and a DJ (7:30-10:30 p.m.), and fireworks at 9 p.m.

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June 30, 2011 local almanac

June 30, 2011 in Hudson, Hunter by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts a beautiful week:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
July 4: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Town meetings today
HUDSON The City of Hudson holds a public hearing in the Common Council Chambers on the proposed Local Law which was adopted by the Common Council on June 21, 2011: Proposed Local Law Intro. No. 2 of 2011. A local law authorizing the installation of a boot security device on vehicles with unpaid parking tickets. Hearing is at 4 p.m. at Hudson City Hall, 520 Warren St.
HUNTER The Town Board of the Town of Hunter holds a special meeting to discuss personnel/employment matters at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 23A, Tannersville.

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 3:18 p.m./Low, 9:41 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:28 a.m./8:31 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 4:40 a.m./8:02 p.m.

Birthdays
June 30 Lena Horne, Stanley Clarke, and Mike Tyson.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and in English and Spanish. This morning with recordings of last night’s Cairo School Board meeting. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Norman Keyser updates the morning news, and Joan Geitz and Ellen Thurston look at local events. 9-10 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Christina Malisoff recorded a Bill McKibben talk recently at Hawthorne Valley. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts, plays jazz, soul, R&B, and other styles. Noon-2 p.m.
SOUND FORMS Peter Wetzler talks to composer George Tsontakis. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER Radio art. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe hosts 4-7 p.m. At 5:10 p.m. WGXC will air the complete recording of the Cairo School Board meeting.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K. hosts. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger plays psychedelic music from 1969. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

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Thursday headlines

June 23, 2011 in Albany, Coxsackie, Hudson, Hunter, Tannersville by Tom Roe | No comments



Cuomo says SSM, big ugly, will wait
Capitol Confidential links to the video above from Kyle Hughes of NYSNYS of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s press conference Wednesday, June 22, explaining what progress has been made at the end of the legislative session, and where the New York State Senate is with the proposed same-sex marriage bill. The other video above is also from Capitol Confidential links to the video above from Kyle Hughes of NYSNYS with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver speaking to the media after emerging from a 90-minute meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Legislators will attempt today to wrap up the session, finalizing rent control, the property tax cap, and other outstanding measures. No one is positive if Senate Republicans will allow the same-sex marriage bill to reach the floor for a vote. If so, several news organizations are reporting there may be at least one other Republican State Senator willing to vote for the measure, which would give it the needed 32 votes to pass. It is sure to be a busy day in the capitol, with the continuing singing contest between the pro- and anti- same-sex marriage forces, and a planned 2 p.m. protest by groups against natural gas hydraulic fracturing extraction, disappointed by the lack on their bills that would stop the practice in New York.

State’s new deer plan aims to recruit young hunters, protect young bucks
Julia Reischel in The Watershed Post reports that last week New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation released its new Deer Management plan. The new hunting guidelines for deer make several changes:
* Include an index of deer impact on forests when setting deer population objectives;
* Establish deer management focus areas with liberalized antlerless harvest rules in areas with overabundant deer;
* Establish a special youth deer hunting weekend in early October for junior hunters to aid in the recruitment of new deer hunters;
* Open the bowhunting season in the Southern Zone on October 1, rather than the current opening in mid-October; and
* Continue the mandatory antler restriction program in wildlife management units (WMUs) 3C, 3H, 3J, and 3K, and expand antler restrictions to seven additional wildlife management units (WMUs 3A, 4G, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4S, and 4W) in southeastern New York.

Some hunters, according to the Daily Mail, oppose the new regulations:

Chuck Parker, a retiree from northern New York who hunts in the Tug Hill region, said the big game youth hunting license is a great idea but a special youth weekend is unnecessary and would cut into field time for small game and waterfowl hunters because landowners commonly deny them access during the deer season. Parker, who is first vice president of the New York State Conservation Council, also opposes the DEC’s proposal to open the bow hunting season in the southern zone on Oct. 1 rather than the current opening in mid-October. “Generally, bow hunters already enjoy a high-quality hunting time to be in the woods,” said Parker, who’s from Mexico, in Oswego County. “Giving them additional time will only lessen the opportunity of success for those that hunt during the regular gun season.”

The DEC is accepting public comments on the draft Deer Management plan until July 28. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Meeting erupts as school board appoints Garland to vacant seat
Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports that at the Tuesday, June 21 meeting of the Coxsackie Board of Education outgoing President Joseph “Seph” Garland was appointed back on the board to the seat vacated by Vice President Mark Gerrain, after he lost his seat in May elections, which caused board member Stephen Oliveira to throw down his papers, resign, and storm out of the room. Gerrain resigned because professional commitments required him to be out of town often over the next couple of years Outgoing president Garland then said, “The board has three options – leave the slot unfilled until the next election in May, hold a special election, or appoint a person to fill that spot,” Lekocevic quotes him at the meeting. Board member Carroll Mercer then suggested they appoint the person with the next highest number of votes from the recent board elections, which would be Garland. “My feeling is that I am uncomfortable with an eight-member board. I recommend we appoint someone for a one-year term, and we take the person with the next highest number of votes in the last election,” Mercer, and board member Maureen Hanse agreed. “You are going against what the people voted for. You should wait to hear what the people have to say. We need a special election,” Oliveira said as some in the audience applauded. “You are saying, ‘Let’s not listen to what the people said.’ I think this is totally wrong.” He noted that voters rejected three incumbents for three newcomers, saying they wanted different voices on the board. But he was the only vote against bringing Garland back on board. “I resign,” Oliveira said. “You people are not doing this correctly. I am not doing this anymore.” Lekocevic writes that, “the board decided not to accept Oliveira’s resignation, saying it was done in anger and was not in writing. It remains to be seen if he will return.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Wurster pushes for permit fee hikes
Jamie Larson in the Register Star reports that Hudson Code Enforcement Officer Peter Wurster wants to raise the cost of fees and permits issued by his departments. Before the city Finance Committee Tuesday, June 21, Wurster suggested building permits go from $35 to $50, plumbing permits raised to $50 for the first four fixtures, annual plumbing permits increased from $100 to $150, and non-residential permits lowered to one $300 permit rather than two that currently cost $350. Wurster guessed the department takes in about $35,000 in fees and $35,000 in fines annually, but that the city does not keep specific records of that income. “Regardless of what people are thinking, Hudson has maintained a high level of activity,” Wurster said in the story, “All those young entrepreneurs coming in, it’s a good thing.” Read the entire story in the Register-Star.

Coach Friedman to retire after 25 years
Billy Shannon in The Daily Mail writes that Hunter-Tannersville Wildcats varsity baseball coach Jeff Friedman will retire from coaching, after 25 years at the school. “Beginning as an assistant coach of the varsity baseball team in 1986 and taking over as head coach in 1990, Friedman also coached girls varsity basketball from 2004-11, girls modified soccer from 2003-05 and boys modified soccer in 2006-07,” Shannon writes in the newspaper. “My kids are all graduated now,” Friedman told the reporter. “And (with my contracting business) it was just starting to get very difficult to put in the proper time to do a good job at coaching.” Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

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June 21, 2011 local almanac

June 21, 2011 in Ancram, Columbia County, Durham, Hillsdale, Hudson, Hunter, Lexington, Taghkanic by Staff | No comments

June 21 is the first day of summer, technically starting at 1:16 p.m.

The National Weather Service predicts isolated showers between noon and 1 p.m. today, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are also predicted overnight, with a low around 61. Wednesday more scattered showers are possible, with thunderstorms also possible after noon and a high near 75.

Town meetings today
ANCRAM Town of Ancram Zoning Board of Appeals holds two public hearings to consider an application by Jerry Peele, of Herondale Farm, who is seeking a special use permit and an area variance to operate a farm store in an existing barn located at 90 Wiltsie Bridge Road. Also under consideration is an application by Tom and Wendy Borgeson who are seeking an area variance to construct an addition to their house, located at 554 Hall Hill Road, closer to the front property line than is permitted by zoning regulations. At 7 p.m. at Ancram Town Hall, 1416 County Route 7, Ancram (518-329-6512).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Health and Medical Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
CLAVERACK The Town of Claverack Republican Party for enrolled Republicans for the purpose of nominating candidates for election to town offices at the General Election to be held on November 8, 2011 will be held at the Claverack Town Park, at the rear of 91 Church St.
DURHAM Town Board meets at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HILLSDALE Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street (325-5073).
HUDSON 5 p.m. Finance Committee meeting; 7 p.m. Regular Common Council meeting at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
LEXINGTON Town board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall on Route 82 in West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 7:52 a.m./Low, 2:23 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:25 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:59 p.m./11:23 a.m.

Birthdays
June 21 Jean-Paul Sartre, Lalo Schifrin, Ray Davies, Nils Lofgren, Berkeley Breathed, and Juliette Lewis.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
OPERA SHOW Ed Beatty hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Richard Roth and Ann Forbes Cooper host. 4-7 p.m.
JMOORE Jeff Moore plays music. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH A Demographic of One with Dan Seward. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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June 13, 2011 local almanac

June 13, 2011 in Ashland, Catskill, Copake, Germantown, Greene County, Hudson, Hunter, New Baltimore, Prattsville by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts a 30 percent chance of showers Monday, mainly after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Monday night there is also a 30 percent chance of showers, with a low around 54. Tuesday the 30 percent chance of showers returns, with a high near 66.

Town meetings today
ASHLAND Town Board Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636)
CATSKILL Village meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GERMANTOWN The Germantown Town Board holds a workshop at 6 p.m. at the Germantown Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Rd, Germantown. The board will meet with a representative from Barton and Loguidice to discuss the Waste Water Treatment Plant analysis and available options for the board to consider in making upgrades to the Plant.
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE holds Buildings & Grounds, Conservation, Public Safety, Highway, Government Operations, and Finance committee meetings at 6:00 PM. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Common Council workshop meeting where the Council may discuss the LWRP and GEIS and when a special meeting to consider those documents will be held. Tonight’s meeting is at 7 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUDSON SCHOOLS Hudson City School District Board of Education Special meeting at 7 p.m. at Junior High School Cafeteria.
HUNTER Village meeting 8 p.m.
NEW BALTIMORE Town meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671)/
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 1:36 p.m./Low, 7:59 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:24 a.m./8:27 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 6:29 p.m./3:17 a.m.

Birthdays
June 10 Basil Rathbone, Malcolm McDowell, Stellan_Skarsgard, Ally Sheedy, and Lukas Ligeti.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CLASSICAL SHOW Lincoln Mayorga hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
THE FARM SHOW Keiran Reilly hosts. 2 p.m.
YOUTH SHOW Youth-produced radio. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Kaya Weidman and Greg Osofsky host. 4-7 p.m.
NOVELLER, U.S. GIRLS, ALEXANDER TURNQUIST, AND DJ LUNAR MOSS Live experimental music show from Spotty Dog Books & Ale on Warren St. in Hudson, with local 12-string guitarist Turnquist, and WGXC DJ Lunar Moss, plus two internationally recognized experimental sound artists. 7 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

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June 9, 2011 local almanac

June 9, 2011 in Chatham, Copake, Gallatin, Greene County, Kinderhook, Livingston, New Baltimore, Stuyvesant, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts a chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday, mainly after 2 p.m. Some storms could be severe, with heavy rain. Otherwise, Thursday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Thursday night, a low around 61. Friday, should be partly sunny, with a high near 79.

Town meetings today
AUSTERLITZ Town Of Austerlitz holds a Public Hearing about Local Law #2 regulating signs in Austerlitz. At 6:45 p.m. at Austerlitz Town Hall, 812 Route 203, Spencertown.
CHATHAM Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance and Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
NEW BALTIMORE The Planning Board holds a Public Hearing about the application of Patricia Schiller for a minor subdivision of property located on Route 144 in the Town of New Baltimore. At 7:45 p.m. at New Baltimore Town Hall, 3809 County Route 51, Hannacoix.
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 10:09 p.m./Low, 4:24 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:25 a.m./8:25 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 1:41 p.m./12:58 a.m.

Birthdays
June 8 Cole Porter, Les Paul, Jackie Wilson, Patricia Cornwell, and Natalie Portman.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. in Spanish and English. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Norman Keyser updates the morning news, and Ellen Thurston covers area events. 9-10 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Hosted by Christina Malisoff and Sam Sebren. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
PASSAGES Richard Roth hosts. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Sara Kendall hosts. 4-7 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K. hosts. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger plays psychedelic music from 1969. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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June 7, 2011 local almanac

June 7, 2011 in Catskill, Copake, Durham, Gallatin, Hunter, Lexington, Livingston, Taghkanic by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts Tuesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Tuesday evening could bring isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., with a low around 61. Wednesday there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., with a high near 92.

Town meetings today
CATSKILL Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Finance Committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State St., Hudson.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Columbia County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Board meets at 8:30 a.m. and the Columbia County Capital Resource Corporation Board meets at 9 a.m., both meetings at 4303 Route 9, Greenport.
COPAKE Park Commission meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Public Hearing to review the amended Site Plan Application for Stiefel Laboratory/GSK. Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GALLATIN The Town of Gallatin Zoning Board of Appeals holds a Public Hearing to review the application and supporting documentation and make a possible decision on the application submitted by Matthew Kluge 17 Pond Rd. Elizaville, NY, map # 193.-2-44.100. The owner is requesting relief of Article 4.3 of the Town of Gallatin Zoning Ordinance. The Board will also hold a hearing regarding the application submitted by Clayton Brooks, 270 Hull Rd. Elizaville, NY map # 183.-1-45. The owner is requesting relief from Sect 4.3 of the Town of Gallatin Zoning Ordinance. 6:30 p.m. meeting at Gallatin Town Hall, 1643 Jackson Corners Road at the intersection of the Taconic State Parkway.
HUNTER Hunter Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Hunter Town Hall, 5748 23A, Tannersville.
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
TAGHKANIC Town of Taghkanic Planning Board holds a Public Hearing at 7 p.m for the application for a lot line revision Wenzel East Klein Road. The Regular Meeting will start at the close of the Public Hearings. At Taghkanic Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic.

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 7:20 a.m./Low, 2:26 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:25 a.m./8:24 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:20 a.m./n/a

Birthdays
June 7 Dean Martin, Harry Crews, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Johnny Clegg, Mick Foley, and Damien Hirst.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news. 10-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
EDUCATION Hilary Corsun from Hawthorne Valley hosts. 2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN FAIR’s media show. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth host. 4-7 p.m.
LONG HAIRS Antoine Guerlain’s music show. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward hosts. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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Friday headlines

May 27, 2011 in Columbia County, Hunter by Tom Roe | No comments

USDA Raises Dairy-Price Forecast But Keeps Food Inflation Steady
Tom Polansek in The Wall Street Journal reports the U.S. government raised its forecast for retail dairy prices Thu. May 26, but left its food-inflation prediction at 3 to 4 percent for 2011. “Officials said the overall forecast didn’t increase because higher prices for dairy products were offset by lower prices for other goods. The USDA didn’t adjust the forecast range for any category except dairy. Yet the government did note pork prices slipped 0.3 percent last month, while its fresh-vegetable index dropped 3.5 percent,” the story noted. Retail prices for dairy products are now forecast to jump 5 percent to 6 percent in 2011, up from an April forecast of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent, due to higher prices for milk. Greater demand linked to the global economic recovery, and rising fuel prices, are cited as factors in the price spikes. Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.

GOP announces slate of candidates for county positions
John Mason in the Register-Star writes that the Columbia County Republican Party Committee nominated candidates for fall elections Thu. May 26. Among the candidates:
•District Attorney Beth Cozzolino was nominated for the county judge seat recently vacated by Paul Czajka.
•Czajka was chosen to run for Cozzolino’s district attorney seat.
•County Judge Jonathan Nichols will run for state Supreme Court.
•P.J. Keeler, county Emergency Medical Services coordinator and owner of KD Hallmark, will run for county treasurer, the post Ken Wilber is leaving after four terms.
•And former Sheriff Jim Bertram was nominated for county coroner.
Hudson City Judge Mark Portin was on hand, Mason reports, hoping to challenge Cozzolino for the judgeship, but no one made the nomination for Portin. “I’m really pleased with our slate. We have experienced, proven vote-getters in Beth Cozzolino, Paul Czajka and Jim Bertram and well-known local businessman Paul ‘PJ’ Keeler running this year. I think they are all winners,” county Chairman Greg Fingar told the paper. Read the entire story in the Register-Star.

Familiar faces, one newcomer make up Dem slate
John Mason also covered the Columbia County Democratic Committee nominations at Space 360 in Hudson Thu., May 26. Nominations included:
•Hudson City Judge Richard Koweek, was nominated for county judge.
•Gene Keeler was picked to run for district attorney. In 2008, Keeler lost the DA race to current DA Beth Cozzolino.
•Newcomer to politics Peter Stoll was chosen to run for county treasurer.
•George Davis will seek re-election as county coroner.
Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Misdemeanor against Valentines tossed out
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that the misdemeanor charge against Keith Valentine, the Greene County Legislature’s Republican majority leader, and his wife Cynthia, for unlawfully dealing with a child, was dismissed Wed. May 25 according to Columbia County First Assistant District Attorney Michael Cozzolino. The Valentines were arrested last August on a class A misdemeanor charge and violation of a county local law after police determined alcohol was available to teen-agers at the couple’s Catskill home during a Fourth of July party and graduation celebration in 2010. Cozzolino said completion of a state Alcohol Training Awareness Program, which the Valentines completed May 9, allowed for the dismissal. Defense attorneys have also filed a motion to also dismiss the local law violation. The Columbia County District Attorney’s Office has until June 29 to respond to the motion. Mr. Valentine voted for the Greene County Local Law No. 1 of 2007 as a legislator: “No person having control of any residence shall allow an open house party to take place at said residence if such person knows that any alcoholic beverage is being unlawfully possessed, served to or consumed by a minor at said residence.” The case is in Hunter Town Court. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society elects officers
The Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society Inc. elected officers at a meeting Wed. May 25: Louise Bliss, President, Joseph Rapp, Vice President, Marjan Schiereck, Recording Secretary and Katrina McEwan, Treasurer and a Board of Directors including Bennett McEwan, Joseph Kenneally, Maryellen Reidy, Leo Ponter, Mike Aquier, Nick Tipple, and Casson Kennedy. The group is working to restore the sloop Eleanor along the Hudson waterfront. The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on June 30 at 7 p.m. at 609 Warren St.

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School election results

May 17, 2011 in Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Chatham, Coxsackie, Germantown, Hudson, Hunter, New Lebanon, Tannersville by Tom Roe | 2 comments

Cairo
Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail that newcomer Beth Phillips led everyone with 638 votes, and board members Bill Alfeld and Susan Kusminsky, both of Cairo, with 491 and 434 votes, were re-elected. Pat Ublacker of South Cairo, lost with 338 votes. Cairo-Durham’s $27.2 million budget passed 529-408 with a 3.45 percent tax levy increase. Voters also denied the Cairo Library a $2,000 increase in the appropriation, from $18,500 to $20,500 by a vote of 523 to 393 and approved a proposition, 461-442, to buy nine new 66-passenger school buses for more than $925,000.

Catskill
The Daily Freeman reports: Budget ($37.2M) passed, 565-301; Leading race for to Board of Education seats: Karen Haas (578), Michael Maloney (511), William Fiske (490). Ward Osborn trails by six votes with 10 affidavit ballots still to be counted; also Longer walking distance for grades 6-12 from a half-mile to one mile passed, 617-233; and Catskill Public Library $580,896 budget passed, 558-292.

Chatham
The Register-Star reports the Chatham Central School $27,138,001 budget, with a 1.98 percent tax increase, passed 479 to 229. Proposition one, $140,850 for the purchase of one 66-passenger bus and one seven-passenger bus, passed 475 to 236 and proposition two to allow a student representative to sit on the school board as a non-voting member both passed 554 to 133. James Marks was re-elected with 479 votes, Francis Iaconetti with 458 and James Toteno with 445. All serve three-year terms. Jim Cartin won a two-year term as a write-in candidate with 86 votes.

Coxsackie-Athens
Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports that the $25.1 million budget was approved 854-449 and three newcomers three newcomers — Bonnie Ecker, 770, CarolAnn Luccio, 747, and Richard Jewett, 713 votesdefeated three longtime incumbents — President Joseph “Seph” Garland III, 511, and board members Joseph Cardinale, 482, and Michael Petramale, 502.

Germantown
The Daily Freeman reports: Budget ($13.9M): Passed, 311-192; Elected to Board of Education: Brittany Bohnsack-Dufresne (272), Ronald Moore II (268), Cynthia Smith (219), and Donald Coons (210).

Greenville
Miguel Madera reports in The Daily Mail that the Greenville School District budget of $26,075,037 with a 1.9 percent tax levy was approved 582-255. Greg Lampman and Rosanne Stapletonwon unopposed with 630 and 582 votes. Town members voted 531-285 to approve an increase of $1,000 for the Greenville Public Library to $38,000.

Hudson
1673 voters: 1249 against the budget proposal, 424 in favor. The Hudson School Board then voted by a 4-3 vote to ignore the will of the people and accept the budget anyway. Peter Merante, Emil Meister, Jeff Otty, and Mary Daly voted in favor of an almost ten-percent tax increase that also eliminated more jobs than other area districts, and Peter Meyer, Elizabeth Fout and Jery Chapman voted against.
Lynn Slonecker of the Unmuffled blog tweets, “Landslide budget defeat…1249 to 424…. Jeri Chapman sworn in…takes Peter Rice’s seat…. Staggering turn of events…BoE disparages those who voted to justify adoption of rejected budget…. Daly, Meister, Merante and Otty rejected the voters’ decision because the BoE couldn’t work any harder and there was nothing left to cut…. Teachable moment…after meeting had to explain to my son — who voted for the first time today — how this could happen.”

Hunter-Tannersville
The Daily Freeman reports: Budget ($13.2M): Passed, 181-97; Elected to Board of Education: Brian Byrne (224); School bus purchase proposition passed, 177-100; Hunter Public Library Budget passed, 162-114.

Ichabod Crane
John Mason in the Register-Star reports, “In what appeared to be a decisive rejection of taxpayer-supported football, Ichabod Crane voters Tuesday turned down a $33,837,503 budget for 2011-2012 by a 64-40 ratio. The budget carried a relatively modest tax levy increase of 3.98 percent. This means the district is most likely headed for a second budget vote on the third Tuesday in June.” President Andrew Kramarchyk and John Chandler retained their seats and newcomer Susan Ramos won the third spot, and the budget failed 1,594 to 1,089.

New Lebanon
The Register Star reports that the New Lebanon Central School District passed the $12,426,151 budget with no tax increases 294 to 66. A proposition to establish a Capital Reserve Fund succeeded 173 to 131 votes. Christine Sotek and Michael Bienes, a write-in candidate, won the two open board seats.

Taconic Hills
The Register-Star reports, “voters approved the district budget and one incumbent retained her seat on the school board while the other lost his. Christine Perry managed to hold onto her seat. George Lagonia Jr. lost his and voters selected Steve Argus to fill the five-year term instead.”

Windham-Ashland-Jewett
Michael Ryan in The Daily Mail reports that the $10,576,366 budget passed 178 to 65.

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May 17, 2011 local almanac

May 17, 2011 in Columbia County, Durham, Hillsdale, Hunter, Lexington, Philmont, Taghkanic by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Greene and Columbia counties and predicts showers will continue through the weekend. High near 60 with a 90 percent chance of rain, between a quarter and half of an inch. Tuesday night brings more showers and possibly a thunderstorm, low around 52. Wednesday more showers are forecast, with thunderstorms possible after noon and a high near 65.

Town meetings today
CAIRO at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
CATSKILL at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Human Services meeting at 4 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
GHENT Planning Board session at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature meeting at 6:30 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 4:33 p.m./Low, 10:54 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:37 a.m./8:08 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9:52 p.m./6:19 a.m.

Birthdays
MAY 18 Perry Como, Brooks Robinson, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), George Strait, and Tina Fey.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, and other features, agriculture reporting, and more, with news of the school board elections. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant and Norman Keyser read the news, plays music, and more. This morning they will preview today’s school board elections. 9-10 a.m.
@ISSUE Victor Mendolia hosts with guest Hudson Common Council President Don Moore talking about the LWRP. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
THE JUKE IN THE BACK Classic R&B. 2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN FAIR’s media show. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Richard Roth and Ann Forbes Cooper host. 4-7 p.m.
JMOORE SHOW Jeff Moore plays all sorts of music. 7 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward hosts. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more. Overnight through 6 a.m. Sunday.

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Local school election information

May 16, 2011 in Ashland, Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Chatham, Coxsackie, Germantown, Greenville, Hudson, Hunter, Jewett, New Lebanon, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

WGXC’s Philip Grant has compiled information for voting in elections Tuesday, May 17. Links to local news stories, interviews, audio clips, and other information to consider.

Columbia County

Chatham Voting 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at Elementary school.
•Candidates hope to fill board seats
Paul Crossman’s story in the Register-Star is about candidates for the Chatham Central School Board and New Lebanon Central School District.
•Schools chief says contracts trigger pay hikes
Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports on the budget.

Germantown Voting noon-9 p.m.
•District will vote on $14 million budget plan
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports on the budget.
•Four hopefuls vying for two spots on school board
Jamie Larson profiles the candidates in the Register-Star.

Hudson Voting noon-9 p.m. at J.L. Edwards School, Greenport #1 Pumper Co., Claverack Firehouse, Stockport Town Hall, and Livingston Town Hall.
•@Issue: Hudson School Board radio program mp3 file.
May 11, 2011, WGXC show hosted by Victor Mendolia and Deborah Gilbert. With guests Jack Howe, Superintendent of Hudson schools; school board member Peter Mayer; Unmuffled blog writer Lynn Slonecker; and others.
•Unmuffled blog by Lynn Slonecker.
Continuing, exhaustive coverage of the Hudson school system and education in general.
•No opposition for HCSD Board of Ed candidates
Audra Jornov in the Register-Star reports that three candidates are vying for three seats in Hudson.

Ichadbod Crane School Board Voting 8 a.m.-9 p.m. at Ichabod Crane High School gym.
•Debate over football funding clouds ICC budget outlook
Emilia Teasdale reports in The Columbia Paper about the $34-million Ichabod Crane school budget proposal, with a 3.98 percent tax levy increase, which includes $31,000 for the football program.
•At least 5 seek 3 seats in Ichabod Crane District
A staff report in The Columbia Paper profiles the five candidates running for three seats on the Ichabod Crane School Board of Education.
•ICC board candidate John Chandler
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•ICC board candidate Landra Haber
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•ICC board candidate Andrew Kramarchyk
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•ICC board candidate Susan Ramos
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•ICC board candidate Cheryl Trefzger
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.

New Lebanon Voting noon-9 p.m. at W.B. Howard Elementary School
•Candidates hope to fill board seats
Paul Crossman’s story in the Register-Star is about candidates for the Chatham Central School Board and New Lebanon Central School District.

Taconic Hills Voting noon-9 p.m. at Taconic Hills Veterans Community Room.
•TH cuts workforce to save tax rate
John Mason in the Register-Star reports on the Taconic Hills School District’s $32,046,446 budget.
•TH school board candidate — Steve Argus
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•TH school board candidate — Arnold Anderson
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•TH school board candidate — Justin Kutski
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•TH school board candidate — George W. Lagonia Jr.
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.
•TH school board candidate — Christine Perry
John Mason profiles the candidate in the Register-Star.

Greene County

Catskill Voting 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catskill High School gym
•Catskill School Board Meet the Candidates Forum mp3 file.
April 26, 2011. WGXC recording by Philip Grant. Forum at Catskill High School.
•Catskill school budget keeps sports, activities
Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports on Catskill’s proposed $37.2 million budget.
•Four candidates seeking three seats on Catskill school board
Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman profiles Karen Haas, William Fiske, Michael Maloney, and Ward Osborn.
•District to decide 3 seats in Catskill
Jim Planck in The Daily Mail also profiles the candidates.

Cairo-Durham Voting noon-9 p.m. at Durham Middle School cafeteria.
•4 candidates battle for three seats in C-D
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail profiles the candidates — newcomer Beth Phillips, and incumbents Susan Kusminsky, Bill Alfeld, and Pat Ublacker — and reports on two propositions on the ballot:
•Would authorize a $2,000 increase in the appropriation for the Cairo Public Library, from $18,500 to $20,500.
•Would authorize the purchase of nine new 66-passenger school buses at a cost of more than $925,000. More than three-quarters of the cost would be returned to the district in the form of state aid. If approved, the proposition will allow the district to replace buses with between 50,000 and 150,000 miles in the past 10 years.

Greenville Voting 1 p.m.-9 p.m. at Scott M. Ellis Elementary School
•School board summaries: Greenville Central School District
Miguel Madera in The Daily Mail writes about unchallenged candidates Paul Lampman and Roseanne Stapleton.

Coxsackie-Athens Voting 1 p.m.-9 p.m. at either Edward J. Arthur Elementary School, Athens or Coxsackie Elementary School.
•Voters to decide on $25.1 million budget
Melanie Lekocevic writes about the school budget meetings in the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District in he Greene County News.
•Community gets to Meet the Candidates
Melanie Lekocevic covers the Meet the Candidates event May 10 in Coxsackie.
•6 candidates vie for 3 open board seats
Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports three newcomers challenge three incumbents in the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District.

Windham-Ashland-Jewett Voting 1 p.m.-9 p.m. at the school cafeteria.
•Budget hearing draws little comment or concern
Michael Ryan’s report in The Daily Mail about the budget.

Hunter-Tannersville Voting 1 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Hunter Elementary School cafeteria.
•Budget, one candidate on Hunter-Tannersville ballot
Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports on the Hunter-Tannersville election and $13.2 million budget.
•School board summaries: Hunter-Tannersville Central District
Jim Planck writes about unopposed incumbent Brian Byrne.

Albany County

Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk
•Eight candidates vie for three Board of Ed seats
Hilary Hawke profiles the candidates in The Ravena News-Herald.

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May 12, 2011 local almanac

May 12, 2011 in Chatham, Copake, Coxsackie, Gallatin, Greene County, Hudson, Kinderhook, Livingston, Philmont, Stuyvesant, Tannersville, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts today will be sunny, with a high near 72. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 45. Friday a slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. is forecast, with a high near 71. Friday night the chance of rain grows from 20 to 30 percent, with a low around 50. Saturday there is a 40 percent chance of showers, with a high near 64.

Town meetings tonight
CHATHAM, Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting will discuss possible bike lane in road construction project at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE The Village of Coxsackie Planning Board holds a Public Hearing to consider a minor sub-division of property belonging to Paul and Rose Marie Craw located on South River Street in the Village of Coxsackie. Also to be considered on the same night is a Special Use Permit for Jennifer Dunne and Richard Moore located at 21 Freleigh Place in the Village of Coxsackie. 7 p.m. at Coxsackie Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie.
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Industrial Development Agency meeting at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
PHILMONT The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Philmont holds a Public Hearing to consider the following: The application for an interpretation of Section 160 of the Philmont Village zoning code for the keeping of chickens in the Village of Philmont, by Chris Hoppe, 61 Summit Street, Philmont; and, for the application for an area variance by Andre Juste for 6 feet setback relief for a proposed in-ground pool and deck and for relief for lot coverage as the pool and deck may exceed the 30% lot coverage limit by approximately 2% located at the property of 32 Church Street, Philmont, NY 12565, Tax map # 112.12-1-70.200, in a Hamlet 1 zone. The applicant is requesting relief from the 30-foot setback requirement and lot coverage requirement as required pursuant to section 160-8-D, Table 3 of the Philmont Village zoning code. 7 p.m. at Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St.
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 11:30 p.m./Low, 5:51 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:43 a.m./8:02 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 2:40 p.m./2:25 a.m.

Birthdays
MAY 12 Katharine Hepburn, Archibald Cox, Burt Bacharach, Yogi Berra, George Carlin, Gabriel Byrne, and Tony Hawk.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mark Lacoy and Casson Kennedy present the morning news, and other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Christina Malisoff reads the news, and Ellen Thurston and Joan Geitz present weekend events. 9-10 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Christina Malisoff and Sam Sebren welcome Susan Falzon, Director of Friends of Hudson, in the studio to talk about a lobbying event she just returned from in Washington D.C., “50 States United for Healthy Air,” coordinated by EarthJustice. Also joining “Tell It Like It Is” in the studio will be Ron Perez, President, CEO, and Investigator for the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA and Katrin Hecker, Executive Director of Animal Kind, to discuss issues of spaying and neutering, emergency rescue, and abandonment and cruelty cases of animals in Greene and Columbia counties. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Allan Skerrett plays all jazz, R&B, and other styles. Noon-2 p.m.
PASSAGES Richard Roth hosts. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER Dan Seward presents a a play with Robinson Crusoe and Osama Bin-Laden. Plus Gregory Whitehead, 31 Down, Tianna Kennedy, Anna Friz, and more. 3 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe host an in-studio interview and performance with The Grand Slambovians, who will be performing at Helsinki Hudson on Saturday, May 14. 4-7 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K hosts with special guest Burrill Crohn, who has made documentaries, mostly about music, for over 30 years. He wrote, directed, and produced the seven-part “Women in Jazz” series and the five-part “History of Jazz” series. He was a consultant on two Academy Award-nominated documentaries, “A Great Day in Harlem” and “Genghis Blues.” Crohn’s latest project is “Playing with Parkinson’s,” a documentary about musician Sangeeta Michael Berardi, as he faces Parkinson’s disease. Further information, and excerpts from some of his documentaries, can be found at www.burrillcrohn.com. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger plays psychedelic music from the summer of ’69. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more. Overnight through 6 a.m.

Monday headlines and audio

May 9, 2011 in Ashland, Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Chatham, Coeymans, Coxsackie, Durham, Germantown, Hudson, Hunter, Jewett, New Lebanon, Ravena, Selkirk, Tannersville, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

Holcim pays $423K in fines
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that the Holcim cement plant’s $423,000 bill for 311 citations there since 2008 have been paid, according to records from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The international cement company is contesting $2,800 in fines, over that period, but has paid the rest. Antrim’s story details the many infractions at the Catskill plant over the past three years. “Safety is our number one priority at Holcim,” Bernard Terver, the company’s president and chief executive, is quoted in the story in announcing last year the completion of the first company-wide safety month. “We continually emphasize the importance of safe behavior and strive to develop a mindset and culture focused on safety.” Two months ago, Holcim announced the plant closes June 13, “although the terminal will remain open for remaining customers,” Antrim writes. Read the complete story in The Daily Mail.

Bike shop on Main Street opens
Doron Tyler Antrim profiles Catskill Cycles in The Daily Mail. The bicycle shop opened at at 347 Main St. this past weekend. Bryan Hunter, a former park ranger with the National Park Service, opened the sales and repair shop with mountain and road bikes, hybrids and folding bikes. Hunter is also considering a rental program, according to the story. Catskill Cycles is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Read the whole story in The Daily Mail.

Furlong’s latest closure in East Durham
Furlong’s bar in East Durham announced on its Facebook page this week that it is closing. “We would like to Thank All Our Friends & Patrons who have supported us for the last 24 yrs at Furlong’s Pub and Motel in E. Durham, NY. Due to family health issues, we regret to inform you that we will not be re-opening Furlong’s,” the announcement said. “We will be listing Furlongs for sale. Thank you all for the fond memories, fun, music, & laughter. Those memories we will always treasure. All the Best! Sincerely,Tom & Yvonne Furlong.” The bar hosted some performances during Irish Arts Week in East Durham each year. Recently, the Irish American Heritage Museum left East Durham for Albany.

Old Chatham Post Office faces possible closure
Paul Crossman in the Register-Star reports how some closures can affect a town’s personality. Residents in Chatham, he reports are worried because the postal officials are considering closing the Old Chatham post office. Locals are worried that Old Chatham, if it loses its address and zip code in the future, might lose its identity. “There is a good chance it could close, but there is an equal chance it could not,” Post Office Operations Manager Eric Tiemann told a crowd of nearly 50 people at Chatham Town Hall last Tuesday evening. Crossman says the United States Postal Service is considering closing the Old Chatham office because they are, “currently without a postmaster and that any post office without one — and any post office with their lease running out — was part of the study. He explained that the USPS had ordered a hiring and promoting freeze for just this reason, so that they could begin deciding which post offices should be closed,” Crossman writes. Read his whole story in the Register-Star.

2011-12 proposed school budgets
WNYT NewsChannel 13 lists many of the 2011-2012 regional school budgets, which will be voted on May 17.
Some local examples:
Cairo-Durham Central School District: $27.2 million, 3.45% tax levy increase, no field trips, no new technology purchases, but sports and academics remain untouched
Catskill Central School District: $37.2 million, 1.14% tax levy increase
Chatham Central School District: $27.1 million, 1.98% tax levy increase, two bus runs eliminated
Coxsackie-Athens Central School District: $25 million, 2.92% tax levy increase
Germantown Central School District: $13.9 million, 2% tax rate increase
Hudson City School District: $41.2 million, 9.8% tax levy increase
Hunter-Tannersville Central School District: $13.2 million, 1.49% tax levy increase
Ichabod Crane Central School: $33.8 million, 3.98% tax levy increase
New Lebanon Central School District: $12.4 million, 0% tax levy increase
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District: $42.5 million, 3.39% tax levy increase, uses $500,000 from reserves
Taconic Hills Central School District: $33 million, 2.78% tax levy increase
Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School: $10.6 million, 1.73% tax levy increase, uses $250,000 from fund balance.
Compare all the budgets at WNYT.

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Wednesday headlines and audio

May 4, 2011 in Ancram, Athens, Austerlitz, Canaan, Catskill, Chatham, Claverack, Copake, Germantown, Ghent, Greenport, Hudson, Hunter, Kinderhook, Livingston, New Lebanon, Round Top, Stockport, Valatie by Tom Roe | No comments

Jail lieutenant gets day in court
Colin DeVries in The Daily Mail reports that the Greene County Jail lieutenant who shot a fellow hunter in Round Top last year when he said he was aiming for an animal that is illegal to shoot has a pre-trial conference at 10:30 a.m. today, Wed. May 4, in Halcott Town Court before Justice Anton Kasanof. On Nov. 20 last year, opening day of deer season, Greene County Jail Lt. Kenneth Leis allegedly opened fire on a mammal known as a fisher, but hit the backpack of another hunter, Robert Warrings of Round Top. Warrings was tracking a bear at the time; Leis says he thought he was shooting at a fisher, mammals of the weasel family which are permitted to be trapped in New York State, but not shot. Leis was charged with a DEC violation of attempting to take protected wildlife. He pleaded not guilty on Dec. 23, 2010 to that charge. “This is still pending with a trial date for the Environmental Conservation Law violation (attempting to take a fisher),” said DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino in an e-mail to the newspaper Tuesday. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

Attention campers: Fun is on the way… maybe
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that the wife of a Town Councilman in Ancram is requesting the town fix up a ballfield, and revive a summer youth day camp that has been out of commission for 13 years. Ruth Thomas, “brought a detailed proposal to the Town Board’s April 21 meeting hoping eventually to gain approval and a financial commitment from the board to do some fixing up at the town’s Blass Memorial Field, which includes the town pool and basketball court,” the story says. Valden also talks with Columbia Health Department Public Health Sanitarian Ed Coons, who tells her the proposed Ancram program, is considered a day camp, and would become the 16th municipal program in the county with others in Germantown, Claverack, Copake, Chatham, Ghent, Greenport, Hudson, Livingston, New Lebanon, Stockport, Canaan, Austerlitz, Kinderhook and West Ghent, and one coming soon to the Village of Kinderhook. There are also four private day camps and eight resident/overnight camps in the county, he said in the story. Read the entire story in The Columbia Paper.

Crossroads named best brewery in Hudson Valley
Larry Rulison in the Albany Times-Union reports that Crossroads Brewing Co. in Athens was named the “Best Craft Brewery” in the Hudson Valley last weekend at the TAP New York beer and food festival on Hunter Mountain. The brewery, which has just a tasting room but will soon open a brew pub in downtown Athens, also won two other awards. “Crossroads won a bronze medal for its Outrage IPA in the category for best individual craft beers in the Hudson Valley, and it won the John Calen Memorial Award for the best English style pale ale in the state, also for Outrage Ale, a 7 percent IPA,” the story says. When Crossroads opens later this year owner Kenny Landin and partner Janine Bennett will have ten beers and two sodas on tap. Read the story in the Albany Times-Union.

Public invited to weigh in on fuel storage plan
John Mason in the Register-Star reports about an April 27 Valatie meeting so packed he was among the crowd spilling out in the hallway. The meeting concerned the sale of the Hein’s Equipment Co. at 4020 Chatham St. to to Hein’s Fuel Service, which wants to store and sell propane, kerosene, and other materials there, in the area that is zoned residential. The Valatie Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing to consider a variance May 18 at the larger Barnwell Nursing Home, 3230 Church St. Read the whole story in the Register-Star.

Tranquility at hearing echoes modest tax hike
Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports the reason that Catskill Central School District’s budget public hearing Tuesday night was so sparsely attended is that the projected tax levy increase of 1.14 percent is “the second lowest in the region,” according to Catskill Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Farrell. The Superintendent did say if the two percent property tax cap passes the legislature in Albany the district will have to do more cutting for the 2012-2013 budget. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

Tony Caio of The Rattles interviewed on WGXC Afternoon Show.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. The Rattles are a band for children and adults, and will be at the Hudson Children’s Book Festival Saturday at Hudson High School.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE AUDIO OF THE INTERVIEW.

Barbara Lehman interviewed about her children’s books and the Hudson Children’s Book Festival.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth on WGXC Afternoon Show Tue. May 3, 2011.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE AUDIO OF THE INTERVIEW.

Richard Klin and Lily Prince on WGXC Afternoon Show.
Interview by Richard Roth and Ann Forbes Cooper. The local author and photographer talk about their book “Something to Say.”
CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE AUDIO OF THE INTERVIEW.

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Friday headlines

April 22, 2011 in Albany, Ancram, Ashland, Athens, Capital District, Catskills, Claverack, Columbia County, Copake, Halcott, Hudson, Hudson Valley, Hunter, Jewett, Kinderhook, Lexington, Prattsville, Upstate New York, Windham by Paul Smart | No comments

Robinson residents: Leave our street alone
Jamie Larson reports in the Register-Star on the April 21 Hudson Historic Preservation Commission public hearing on a proposal to declare Robinson Street in the Second Ward an historic district. Local residents came out en masse, according to Larson, to put forth their belief that the designation would drive the many low income, aging, longtime homeowners and renters from their homes. “Many stated the burden of having to maintain their houses to the historical standards of the commission would make maintaining their homes impossible,” Larson writes. “Residents from and around Robinson Street in Hudson spoke out with skepticism, disapproval and at times anger against a plan proposed by the non profit preservation group Historic Hudson to designate their neighborhood a new historic district.” Supervisor and Robinson Street resident Rev. Edward Cross, D-Second Ward, has taken a hard line on the issue, saying that he believes this is the first step in a conscious effort by Hudson’s upper class to push the poor out of the Second Ward so they can gain access to the quiet, out of the way Robinson neighborhood and eventually the properties overlooking the river where the majority of the city’s low income residents live in project housing. To create a new historic district the HPC would have to make an official recommendation to the Common Council and the aldermen would have to approve it. If approved, residents would have to get certificates of appropriateness from the HPC if they wanted to get a building permit from the zoning enforcement officer for things like putting up siding, changing windows, additions to the front or the restoration of a visible roof. The HPC does not approve plans for putting up vinyl siding but does make determinations about the appropriateness of paint color choice The next meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission is May 13.

Watershed towns race to shift hamlet boundaries
Blake Killin reports in the Daily Mail on the ramifications of a June 22 deadline within the New York City Watershed, which includes all of Greene County’s Mountaintop towns, for making changes to town’s official hamlet boundaries. Lands within such designations are exempt from New York City land acquisition policies and some of its watershed regulations. The towns are notifying affected property owners and conducting public hearings explaining the proposed changes and how they might affect property owners. “Under the 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement, NYC was permitted to avoid having to filter the water from the West of Hudson Watershed by imposing regulations designed to protect the water supply of some nine million New Yorkers,” Killin writes. “Part of that agreement allowed NYC to purchase environmentally sensitive vacant land from willing sellers at fair market price.” When a Filtration Avoidance Determination came up for renewal before the federal Environmental Protection Agency last decade, NYC was told to increase the amount of money dedicated to land acquisition to $300 million.

Home improvement forecast not good for contractors
The Albany Business Review has a story about the longterm forecast for home improvement spending following an expected burst of activity this spring. According to a report released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University,contractors, hardware stores and material suppliers are facing trouble ahead. The Joint Center points to a slow recovery in the housing market and concern over the pace of economic growth nationally as reasons why home improvement spending will be tempered. Such spending dropped sharply during the recession, bottoming out at $112 billion during the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There was a mild recovery last year. But spending is forecast to fall in the second half of the year, dropping to $115.2 billion in the fourth quarter.

Cell towers on the rise
Diane Valden writes in The Columbia Paper that Mariner Tower of Maine is seeking approval for a new higher-than-usual cell tower from the Copake Planning Board. Mariner has an existing tower at the Catamount Ski Area on the New York side of the border and has just wrapped up approvals for a new 140-foot tower on the Egremont, MA, side, also at Catamount. The company is also currently building a new tower on the southwest side of Route 23 between the Martindale Xtra Mart and the Martindale Diner, just east of the Taconic State Parkway in Claverack. And the company is “actively pursuing” an appropriate cell tower site in Ancram. Mariner agent Christopher Ciolfi told The Columbia Paper this week that the company calls its communications towers “neutral hosts” that benefit the community by letting emergency services use the facility rent free, while leasing tower space to multiple users to minimize the number of towers in an area. “Four or five providers use one tower, rather than each one having their own tower,” said Mr. Ciolfi. The Copake Planning Board will take up the proposed cell tower at its Thursday, May 5 meeting.

Athens village contemplates 3.38% tax hike
Melanie Lekocevic writes in the Greene County News about a sparesely-attended Athens Village Board public hearing to gauge public reaction to a tentative budget for the coming year which includes a 3.38 percent tax rate increase. While some questioned cuts to the community’s growing cultural center, which offers art classes and numerous performances and events, Mayor Andrea Smallwood noted, “We are going to try to get that down… This is a draft budget – we are still reviewing it.”

Highway super says this winter one of ‘roughest’
John Mason writes in the Register-Star that Kinderhook Town Highway Superintendent John Ruchel has noted that his highway crew is about two weeks behind on spring tasks such as brush pickup and road cleaning. “This winter was huge,” he said. “The snow never left the ground after December. Every week there were potential weather threats.” Meanwhile, meteorologist Thomas Wasula of the National Weather Service in Albany said that this winter’s 87.2 inches of snow, measured at Albany Airport, is 14th on the all-time list, which goes back to 1885. It was 25 inches above the average snowfall of 62.7 inches. It was the heaviest snowfall since the 105.4 inches recorded in 2002-2003, and not far behind the 94.2 inches that fell in 1992-1993.

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More school district candidates announced…

April 19, 2011 in Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Chatham, Columbia County, Coxsackie, Durham, Germantown, Greene County, Greenville, Hunter, Jewett, Kinderhook, New Lebanon, Tannersville, Windham by Paul Smart | No comments

All but three of the WGXC listening area’s school districts have announced candidates for the upcoming May 17 budget votes and elections. Those who haven’t returned their ballot choices are either on Spring Vacation at present, or haven’t closed their petition process yet. Hudson, being a small city, has until April 27 to close that part of the process.

Ichabod Crane School District will see four candidates vying for three three-year seats. Incumbent board president Andrew Kramarchyk and incumbent John Chandler will be facing newcomers Cheryl Francouer Trefzger and Susan Ramos. Current board vice president John Phillips will not be running for another term.

In New Lebanon School District, there will be one candidate, newcomer Christine Sotek, for two seats left open by current board members Tim Smith and Tim Lambert, who decided to not run for another term. The district is hoping another candidate arises as a write-in candidate.

In Taconic Hills School District, there are five candidates for two seats, each with a five year term. Incumbents board vice president George Lagonia, Jr. and incumbent board member Christine Perry will be faced by Justin Kutski, Arnold T. Anderson and Steve H. Argus.

In Greenville, incumbents Greg Lampman and Roseanne Stapleton will be seeking another three year term with no opposition. Similarly, in the Windham-Ashland-Jewett School District, incumbent Teri Martin wekk be seeking for fourth five year term as a board member, unopposed.

Both Chatham Central Schools and Hunter-Tannersville Central School were on vacation this week, with their offices closed.

Eslewhere, it was earlier reported that in the Catskill School District, there will be four candidates for three Board of Ed seats carrying three-years terms including two-term incumbent Karen Haas and newcomers Michael Maloney, William C. Fiske and Ward Osborn. Current board members Andrew Jones and Matthew Leibowitz are not seeking re-election. In Germantown, four people will vie for two seats including incumbents Donald Coons and Cynthia Smith, plus newcomers Brittany Bohnsack-Dufresne and Ronald Moore II. In the Cairo-Durham School District, three incumbents and one challenger are jockeying for three, three-year seats, with incumbents Susan Kusminsky, William Alfeld and Patricia Prapolsky Ublacker seeking re-election, and challenger Elizabeth Phillips seeking to unseat an incumbent. Each of the incumbents in Coxsackie-Athens faces a challenger for his or her seat. Incumbent Joseph Garland is being challenged by Richard Jewett, incumbent Joseph Cardinale is facing Carol Ann Luccio, and incumbent Michael Petramale will face off against Bonnie Ecker.

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Tuesday headlines

April 19, 2011 in Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Claverack, Columbia County, Coxsackie, Durham, Hunter, Philmont, Tannersville by Paul Smart | No comments

Candidates file petitions in school board races
The first listings of candidates for upcoming school elections on May 17 were listed in the Daily Freeman, indicating that incumbents who have decided to stick with their posts are being challenged in most districts. In Catskill, there will four candidates for three Board of Ed seats carrying three-years terms including two-term incumbent Karen Haas of Leeds, Michael Maloney of Bogardus Lane; William C. Fiske, of Broome Street; and Ward Osborn, of Five Mile Woods Road. Andrew Jones and Matthew Leibowitz are not seeking election. In Germantown, four people will vie for two seats including incumbents Donald Coons of Elizaville and Cynthia Smith of Sharp’s Landing Road; facing Brittany Bohnsack-Dufresne, and Ronald Moore II, both of Germantown. In the Cairo-Durham school district, three incumbents and one challenger are jockeying for three, three-year seats on the school board, with incumbents Susan Kusminsky of Freehold; William Alfeld of Cairo; and Patricia Prapolsky Ublacker of Leeds seeking re-election, and challenger Elizabeth Phillips of East Durham seeking to unseat an incumbent. Each of the incumbents in Coxsackie-Athens faces a challenger for his or her seat. Incumbent Joseph Garland of the town of Coxsackie is being challenged by Richard Jewett of the village of Coxsackie; incumbent Joseph Cardinale, of the Town of Coxsackie is facing Carol Ann Luccio of Earlton; and incumbent Michael Petramale of Athens will face off against Bonnie Ecker of the Village of Coxsackie. In Hunter-Tannersville school district officials declined to provide information on petitions that have been filed and expect to have a list available today. In Columbia County, we will have full lists of candidates later today. Candidates in the city of Hudson school district, being under a different timeline jurisdiction, have until April 27 to complete all petitions.

And then there were four
Francesca Olsen has a story in the Register-Star on how the county Board of Elections will be consolidating Claverack’s six election districts down to four, largely for cost-saving purposes. She reports that a large crowd heard how polling places at the Mellenville Grange and the Churchtown Firehouse would be eliminated, and the new A.B. Shaw Firehouse being constructed on Route 23 would be incorporated as a poll site, as well as Claverack Town Hall and other already-used sites. In addition to saving money, Democratic Commissioner of Elections Virginia Martin said the BOE is consolidating districts to eliminate poll sites that aren’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act “so anybody who wants to come to vote … comes to a site that is really as easy to get into as possible.”

10-year-old foster abuse case settled
Colin DeVries reports in the Daily Mail on a final conclusion to a 10-year-old civil case involving the physical and sexual abuse of seven children by their foster father, with abuse victims dividing a $1 million settlement. “Jose Serrano, the now-56-year-old former Cairo resident serving a maximum 50-year sentence in prison for the abuse of his foster children, was sued by estates of the abused children, with the first suit filed in July 2001,” DeVries writes. “Greene County and the Greene County Department of Social Services were also sued by the abuse victims, with claims that the department was negligent in hiring, training and evaluating Serrano as a foster care provider.” Serrano was convicted in 2001 of sexually abusing the seven children between 1997 and 2000. Most of the children were teenagers when the abuse occurred, according to court documents. The civil case against Serrano and the county was concluded with a settlement of $1 million, all to be paid by insurance companies, instead of the $9 million originally claimed… and set for what promised to be an arduous jury trial in the coming weeks.

Poll: New Yorkers not saving, just hoping
Bryan Fitzgerald writes in the Times Union about how the majority of New Yorkers who are not retired haven’t invested heavily in their retirement savings over the past six months, fear Social Security will be gone by the time they retire, and think saving enough money for retirement will be a problem, according to a new Siena Research Institute Poll. However, he adds, they are not worried about maintaining their current standard of living when they stop working. 44 percent of the not-retired polled said they had not contributed significantly to their retirement savings in the past six months. Twenty-nine percent said they had contributed a small amount. Just 12 percent said they had contributed a great deal to their retirement savings while 9 percent said they had withdrawn from their retirement accounts. Moreover, 50 percent said they had put money into a savings account over the last two years, 23 percent said they had met with a financial adviser to discuss retirement. Nine percent polled said they hadn’t saved for retirement in the past two years. Thirty-three percent said they currently do not have a savings account with over $1,000 in it.

Will village become part of the ‘Roost Belt’?
Chris Simonds reports in the Columbia Paper on recent objections to an anti-chicken ordinance in the VIllage of Philmont, similar to ongoing battles over city egg farming that have been reported in the Times Union, regarding Albany, as well as in other cities around the nation. Locally, the issue arose when it was pointed out that the wording of the Philmont ordinance — “No person shall keep, maintain or harbor within the Village of Philmont any cattle, swine, ducks, geese or bees” — does not specifically mention chickens. Alternate wording was proposed that would allow roosters. The board did not take immediate action on the request.

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Saturday headlines

April 16, 2011 in Cairo, Columbia County, Dutchess County, Germantown, Greene County, Hudson Valley, Hunter, Round Top, Tannersville, Ulster County, Upstate New York by Paul Smart | No comments

Police plan ‘Move Over Act’ enforcement detail
Andrew Amelinckx reports in the Register-Star that New York State Police will be out in force, beginning Saturday, April 16, looking for drivers who are not obeying the new Ambrose-Searles “Move Over Act” that requires drivers to use “due care” when approaching an emergency vehicle that has its emergency lights on and is parked, stopped or standing on the shoulder of a road or highway. Drivers must reduce their speed and if they are on parkways, interstates or other roadways that have multiple lanes, they must move from the lane adjacent to where the emergency vehicle is located, if they can do so safely.

Greene officials test the water
Doron Tyler Antrim writes in the Daily Mail about the fact-finding mission Greene County officials made on April 15 to the Poconos to learn about its indoor water park and hotel — a resort that a developer wants to replicate along the New York State Thruway in New Baltimore. Under a plan announced last June, the Greene County Industrial Development Agency has agreed to sell its option on an expansive property south of Exit 21B in New Baltimore to developer MAR Holdings (of Medusa, in Albany County) for the purpose of building a resort of the same size and scope as the one visited. Specifically, the plan calls for an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park, 400 hotel rooms, 25,000-square-feet of meeting space, two restaurants, an arcade and other amenities. Details of the transactions, which were reported as a “deal” awaiting Greene County approval now in an April 15 Albany Business Review story, will be outlined in the coming weeks. Reportedly, over $110 million in investments, a future outlet store mall, and about 1500 jobs are entailed.

Attack victim: Spare the bear
Bryan Fitzgerald follows up on his own story in the Times Union with an update about how the victim in the Greene County bear attack is asking that any bears caught in a trap by her Round Top home NOT be euthanized immediately. “Joy Bayer-Mozynski’s northern Catskills home is smeared with sweet-scented syrup and lined with yellow snack cakes. A plastic jug half-filled with honey is tied to a rod in the back that, when pulled hard, will trigger a front door to fall, sealing the cylindrical trap,” reads the story. “Bayer-Mozynski thought she would die when a bear pinned her down in her driveway Wednesday, but she said she doesn’t want the animal killed by state environmental officials, who said there is no way to know if any bear caught is the one that injured the 53-year-old mother of five.” “I don’t want it killed. I don’t know why they can’t take it out into the wilderness. It’s just another one of God’s creatures,” she said Friday, shortly before leaving Albany Medical Center Hospital. “It was just hungry, looking for food.” Bayer-Mozynski was picking up spilled trash — possibly upended by the hungry bear — when the creature approached her, pushed her to the ground and pinned her with a paw. She said the animal held her down while it snatched a white bag of trash. “There wasn’t one second where I thought I was going to live. I begged to God and my guardian angel that my daughters would still have their mother,” she said to Fitzgerald.

Three more months to buy a dirty outdoor wood boiler
Julia Reischel reports in the Watershed Post that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation just gave a small reprieve to anyone who sells outdoor wood boilers, the controversial home heating furnaces known as OWBs. As of April 15, sellers have three more months to sell any old OWBs that don’t meet the state’s new emission standards. The department made the announcement in a press release.

Gtown School budget passes with 2.48 percent increase
The Register-Star reports that the Germantown Central School District Board of Education adopted a 2011-2012 proposed budget with a 5-1-0 vote tally. Shortly after the April 13 budget vote, the board voted to approve an agreement between the district and the Germantown Administrators Association which provided for approximately $49,000 in gift backs to the district over the next two years. It was stressed that as a result of staff reductions over the last two years he and the Board of Education did not want to reduce faculty and staff again this year. In the end they chose to deplete reserves a little more rather than cut into programs and services that would equate to fewer opportunities for students.

HTC adopts $13.2 million budget
Jim Planck reports in the Daily Mail that the Hunter-Tannersville School District has approved a $13,224,338 budget for fiscal year 2011-12, a decrease in total funds of $24,374, or .18 percent, from the current year’s budget of $13,248,712. The tax levy will see an increase of 1.49 percent from 2010-11, for a total of $9,647,540 to be raised by taxes. The administration set a goal for its tax levy amounts and dropped administrative and program expenses while upping capital funds somewhat.

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Thursday headlines PM

April 14, 2011 in Albany, Athens, Capital District, Catskills, Columbia County, Coxsackie, Hudson, Hunter, Lexington, Prattsville, Tannersville, Washington, Windham by Paul Smart | No comments

C-A Board of Ed adopts tentative $25.5M budget with 2.92% tax levy increase
Melanie Lekocevic reports in the Greene County News about the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District Board of Education unanimous passage of a tentative 2011-2012 budget of $25,458,597, which if approved by the voters in May would levy a 2.92% tax increase on homeowners. The vote was unanimous. Most of the increase in the tax levy is due to losses in state aid along with increases in expenses – most notably jumps in the cost of employee salaries and benefits, which account for 95% of the budget increase. Amongst jobs on the chopping block to keep taxes low were a .22 art teacher, four teaching assistants, two teacher’s aides, one clerk/typist, two AIS teachers, two special education/consultant teachers, .4 English teacher, 1.4 math teacher, .5 social studies teacher, one elementary grade 6 teacher, a .5 physical education teacher, one administrator, .4 foreign language teacher and .5 social worker. Originally, one full-time social worker had been cut, but was restored to a part-time position. Other reductions remain as they did in previous discussions about the budget, including some programs, after-school transportation and other budget items.

Public divided over municipal mergers
Doron Tyler Antrim writes in the Daily Mail that consolidating government services is on the minds of local lawmakers across New York, even though a new poll released this week shows the public largely split over the issue. “The Marist College poll found 54 percent of state residents outside New York City, which is mostly consolidated, favored consolidation for their local government, although support varies depending on the service,” Antrim writes. “Among the services most favored for consolidation include public transportation, at 73 percent, and road and highway maintenance, at 68 percent. Park and recreation programs, prisons and public libraries were also favored for consolidation by more than half of the respondents, while less support was aired for consolidation of police and fire rescue services. At 45 percent, consolidation on public schools received the least support.”

Tuition for veterans
Scott Waldman has a story in the Times Union about U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer introducing legislation that would allow veterans to keep the tuition benefits they were promised under the 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill. “Veteran students were eligible for full tuition benefits at public institutions, or they could receive up to the same benefit amount if attending a private institution,” Waldman writes. “However, a 2010 law would cap that amount at $17,500 for private institutions. Under the current rules, students at private institutions are able to receive up to $1,010 per credit hour or $25,250 for a typical full-time academic year.” The change could have meant about 1,000 students would have to drop out. “This legislation will fix this inequity and ensure that our veterans receive the full benefits they were promised and rightly deserve,” Schumer said in a statement. “It will make sure we don’t change the rules in the middle of the game.”

Deadline nears for decision on grant money
Michael Ryan writes in the Windham Journal about a deadline drawing near for government leaders in Lexington to either use or lose a $9.1 million block grant from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to build a wastewater treatment system in their central hamlet. There is a very real possibility the money could be lost, Ruan writes. “Town board members, at a meeting last week, decided to hold off until the last available moment to let the Catskill Watershed Corporation, administrators of the DEP dollars, know if they will push forward with the pre-construction phase of the proposed sewer project.” CWC executive director Alan Rosa has given local officials a May 6 ultimatum to either take or leave the DEP offer, stating in a letter, “if the town has not passed a resolution by that date, CWC will accept that your town is not interested and move on to the next community on the list.” In the late 1990s, New York City created a priority list to improve wastewater treatment in 22 watershed communities. The New York City agency has already built systems in the nearby towns of Ashland, Hunter, Prattsville and Windham, among over a dozen altogether.

Civil War Sesquicentennial
Carole Osterink has a reminder about the Friday, April 15 gala opening for a special Columbia County exhibition commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War taking place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Hendrick Hudson Chapter House of the Daughters of the American Revolution at 113 Warren Street in Hudson. Her Gossips of Rivertown blog adds that a public opening for the exhibit will take place Saturday, April 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. Centering the new exhibit is a restored historic flag.

Bear in DEC’s cross hairs after woman attacked
Brian Fitzgerald reports in the Times Union that the Department of Environmental Conservation has set up a large trap outside the home of a woman who was knocked down by a bear in her driveway on April 13. They plan to euthanize the first large bear that is caught, according to DEC spokesman Rick Georgeson. He added that the DEC will not know for sure whether or not a bear caught in the trap is the same one that attacked the woman, but that the first large bear caught will be killed. Because the woman said she was attacked by a fully grown bear, Georgeson said the DEC will not euthanize any cubs or smaller bears that are trapped. “It basically will be up there until we catch one,” he added. “We’re going to err on the side of caution.”

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Monday headlines

April 11, 2011 in Claverack, Columbia County, Greene County, Hannacroix, Hillsdale, Hudson Valley, Hunter, Kinderhook, Livingston, Philmont, Shandaken, Ulster County, Upstate New York, Windham by Paul Smart | No comments

Hannacroix Creek dumper caught
Colin DeVries reports in the Daily Mail that a 79-year-old Coxsackie man was charged with illegally dumping into the Hannacroix Creek on Saturday, April 9, state police said after a report of a suspicious person dumping household garbage into the creek was reported to them. Lawrence J. Burke was found traveling in his vehicle on County Route 61 and ticketed by police. Police said Burke had dumped a bag of household garbage, containing rancid meat, into the creek. The bag was located and returned to Burke, who was ordered to properly dispose of the refuse.

NYSP makes arrest in underage drinking investigation
The Register-Star reports that a 19-year-old has been charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor, after the New York State Police at Livingston arrested him April 8 following an investigation March 18 by the State Police at Kinderhook, who looked into a report of an underage drinking party being held at a private Kinderhook residence. Troopers located an 18-year-old female described as “obviously intoxicated” and turned her over to her parent. Continued investigation into the incident led to the Friday arrest, with police alleging that Pinkowski intentionally interfered with the troopers’ official duties. He was arraigned in the village of Kinderhook court and released, pending court appearance on April 19.

Goodbye, but not forever
Andrew Amelinckx reports on a ritualistic walking of a labyrinth on Sunday, April 10,to honor Benedicta Bertau, the co-artistic director of Hudson’s Walking the Dog Theater. Bertau, who is originally from Germany, is leaving the country for an unknown amount of time while her immigration status is determined. She and fellow Walking the Dog Theater director David Anderson created the labyrinth on the Philmont Village Green two years ago. “Friends came out to say good-bye to Bertau and help clean up the labyrinth, raking leaves and twigs off the stone structure,” Amelinckx writes. “While Bertau is gone—she said it could be up to a year—WTD will continue to produce shows.” Bertau has been in the U.S. for six years working with WTD under a H1-B visa, a non-immigrant visa that allows non-residents to work in specialty areas. A lawyer is trying to help her secure a green card, but while the process unfolds she will have to be outside the country.

Greene County ski season officially ends
Colin DeVries writes in the Daily Mail about the end of the ski season up at Hunter Mountain, who called it quits for the snow on Sunday, April 10, with ski center reps calling the past year “fantastic.” Hunter Mountain ended its 2010-11 ski season with some mud-skimming revelry a week after Windham Mountain closed on April 3. Also closing on April 10 was state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort in Ulster County, which faced major state budget cuts and accompanying job losses earlier in the season. Catamount, located in Massachusetts between Hillsdale, NY and Egremont, MA, closed in late March.

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Red carpet coverage of the Beaux Arts Ball

April 5, 2011 in Catskill, Hunter by Staff | No comments

WGXC's Hudson Talbott interviews guests of honor Robert Manno and Magdalena Golczewski, co-founders and directors of the Windham Chamber Music Festival.

Well, there was no actual red carpet at the Greene County Council on the Arts annual Beaux Arts Ball Saturday night on Hunter Mountain. WGXC’s Hudson Talbott was asking entrants questions that ranged from their political views, opinions about the value of the arts, to what they were wearing. The ball is the arts council’s biggest fundraiser, a dress-up event that’s an annual event of local arts patrons. Talbott talked with Robert Manno and Magdalena Golczewski who were honored with this year’s “Distinguished Service Award” for their work running the Windham Chamber Music Festival. He also spoke with David Slutzky, from Hunter Mountain and the President of the arts council; local artists Iris Kaplan and Sheila Troutman; and New York Assemblyman Pete Lopez. WGXC’s Tom Roe also interviewed Lex Grey, who performed at the ball and is helping to organize the Rip Van Winkle Wine Festival May 7 in Catskill.

Flickr link to photos by Galen Joseph-Hunter.

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Summing up the cuts for our local schools

March 31, 2011 in Albany, Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Chatham, Copake, Durham, Germantown, Greenville, Hudson, Hunter, Jewett, Kinderhook, New Lebanon, Tannersville, Windham by Paul Smart | No comments

An actual list of what cuts to state education aid will be affecting which school districts, statewide, accompanied the final budget figures and bills voted on in Albany late on March 30. Here is how it breaks down for Columbia and Greene Counties, in broad strokes:
Taconic Hills: State aid went up $188,540, a rise of 1.97 percent. This has the effect of a 0.58 percent hike in a total $32 million annual budget.
Chatham: The district loses $326,701 in state school aid, or a drop of 5.17 percent. That represents a 1.22 percent drop in a total $26.6 million annual budget.
Germantown: State school aid will drop by $22,286, or 4.74 percent. That’s 1.6 percent in a total $13.6 million budget.
Hudson: They will lose $1,025,346, or 5.03 percent of their total from this year. That’s 2.5 percent of their $41 million annual budget.
Ichabod Crane School District, in Kinderhook, is losing $588,691 in school aid, or 6.67 percent, representing 2.22 percent of their $37.3 million annual budget.
New Lebanon will see their state school aid drop by 2.61 percent, or $88,808, representing 0.7 percent of their annual $12.6 million budget.
Cairo-Durham School District will lose $1,474,442 of school aid, of 10.8 percent, which represents 5.31 percent of their $27.7 million annual budget.
Catskill will see their school aid drop $531,981, or 3.48 percent from this year’s figures, representing a 1.5 percent drop in their total $35.4 million budget.
Coxsackie-Athens School District will see figures drop $632,384, or 7.62 percent, representing 2.5 percent of their $25 million budget.
Greenville will see a $574,683 drop in state school aid, down 5.6 percent from this year. That’s 2.2 percent of their annual $26 million budget.
Hunter-Tannersville will have a $472,417 cut in school aid, or 19.2 percent from this year’s figures. That’s 3.6 percent of their annual $13 million budget.
Windham-Ashland-Jewett will see a $174,781 cut in state aid, or 12.4 percent from this year. That’s 1.65 percent of their total $10.5 million annual budget.
More on exact breakdowns of these figures, and other cuts, in the coming days…

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Greene hunters killed 49 bears last year

March 29, 2011 in Ashland, Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie, Durham, Greene County, Greenville, Halcott, Hunter, Jewett, Lexington, Prattsville, Windham by Tom Roe | No comments

From Wikipedia.

Hunters took down 49 black bears in Greene County in 2010, according to figures released Tuesday, March 29 from the Department of Environmental Conservation. Statewide, hunters took 1,064 black bears last fall, similar to levels of 2005-2007. Greene is part of the DEC’s Southeastern bear hunting region, where totals were down 20 percent from 2009. Here are the Greene County totals by town:

B = Bowhunting, M = Muzzleloader, R = Regular, T = Total
GREENE B M R T
Ashland 1 0 0 1
Cairo 1 1 8 10
Catskill 6 0 3 9
Coxsackie 0 0 1 1
Durham 1 0 0 1
Greenville 1 0 0 1
Halcott 1 0 0 1
Hunter 5 0 3 8
Jewett 1 0 2 3
Lexington 3 0 4 7
Prattsville 0 0 1 1
Windham 2 0 4 6
TOTAL 22 1 26 49

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