Ulster County

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Two locals lives blended politics and art

February 13, 2012 in Rensselaerville, Troy, Ulster County by Noah Reibel | No comments

Anne Pyburn offers a tribute to two recently deceased local activists in this month’s issue of Chronogram. First, Dara Greenwald taught and curated art exhibits, focusing on visual representations of radical culture. She and her partner Josh Macphee organized a traveling exhibit called “Signs of Change: Social Movement Culture, 1960s to Now,” that premiered at Exit Art, New York in 2008, before traveling to several other venues.

Also, Gale McGovern was active in the gay rights movement in New York in the 1970s. After moving to Ulster County in 1982, she founded several organizations and led others including WEB (Women Escaping Batterers), the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Youth, the Coalition for an Ulster County Human Rights Law, Friends of Comadres, People Against Racism, the Ulster County Global Warming Project. Read more about their lives and work in Chronogram.

Tags: activism, chronogram, Dara Greenwald, Gale McGovern, visual arts

Foreclosures in the Hudson Valley

February 3, 2012 in Kingston, Poughkeepsie by Tom Roe | No comments

Elaine Fernadez at her WiThePeople blog continues to interview folks about their reactions to economic conditions in the Hudson Valley, and currently features this interview with the Foreclosure Work Group of Occupy Poughkeepsie. The group has been canvassing in Poughkeepsie and Kingston to inform homeowners under foreclosure of their legal rights, and to help them keep their homes. Occupy Poughkeepsie and Kingston are using the Springfield and Boston, Mass., model known as Project No One Leaves to initiate similar actions in the Hudson Valley.

Tags: foreclosures, Occupy Poughkepsie

Redistricting proposal draws criticism, laughter

January 27, 2012 in Albany, Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Hudson Valley, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Ivan Lajara at The Daily Freeman thinks it is no joke that LAFTOR is the acronym for the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment. Their “proposals are laughable” according to Lajara’s headline in the paper, over a story about the redistricting proposals released Thu., Jan. 26. Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner said, “These maps appear to continue the long tradition of partisan gerrymandering we’ve come to expect. There are major demographic changes that are simply not reflected on these maps.” Governor Andrew Cuomo has vowed to veto any redistricting that is not created by an independent body. This plan was created by the the legislators themselves, so, as almost everyone is pointing out, they have drawn the lines to ensure their own re-election. Republican-leaning districts, now lean more. Democrat-heavy districts are heavier. They have created a new 63rd Senate seat, pairing Greene County with Albany and other points north in Senate District 46. Lajara quotes an AP news account and says, “The story continues, ‘The added Senate district would include part of Ulster County (including the city of Kingston), all of Greene County and parts of Albany, Schenectady and Montgomery counties.’ So imagine my surprise when a total of zero public meetings were scheduled in the area.”

Local effects

• Ulster County may be in the worst situation in the entire state. The proposal cuts the county into four Senate Districts, up from two. The people of Ulster County will have almost no representation in the Senate, as those four politicians will care little about its collective well-being, and not even cater much to the few voters they will have there, focusing on their majorities elsewhere.

• Greene County would see much change. Republican James Seward would, under the plan, not be Greene County’s senator anymore, but would retain a very safe seat to the west. The new seat includes all of Greene and Montgomery counties, and most of Albany and Schenectady counties, and several towns in Ulster County to the south. In the Assembly Greene is being split into two separate districts. Assemblyman Pete Lopez would continue to represent Ashland, Windham, Durham, Greenville, New Baltimore, Coxsackie, and Cairo in the proposed 102 District which now also includes Coeymans, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville in Albany County, all of Schoharie County, and towns in Otsego, Herkimer, and Oneida counties in what will continue to be a very safe district for him. The southern half of Greene County — Athens, Catskill, Hunter, Jewett, Lexington, Halcott, and Prattsville — would be in the proposed 101st Assembly District, which also includes much of eastern Delaware County, four Ulster County towns, and two Orange County towns, and Germantown and Clermont in Columbia County.

• In Columbia County, the Senate District used to be dominated by Dutchess County, as Poughkeepsie Steve Saland currently represents the area in Albany. In this proposal, Columbia County moves to Senate District 43, paired with all of Rensselaer County and parts of Washington and Saratoga counties to the north. In the Assembly, most of Columbia County is represented by the 106th District including Stuyvesant, Stockport, Hudson, Greenport, Ghent, Claverack, Livingston, Taghkanic, Copake, Ancram, and Gallatin. Millbrook in Dutchess County, interestingly, is no longer in the district, and the candidates (Republican Richard Wager and Democrat Didi Barrett) trying to replace Marc Molinaro for the 103rd Assembly, which is similar to the proposed 106th, live in Millbrook. So while they may fight for the seat in March, they may be in 105th District election in the fall. As mentioned before, Germantown and Clermont join the proposed 101st District, stretching across southern Greene County to parts of Delaware, and Ulster and Orange counties. The rest of Columbia County — Kinderhook, Chatham, Hillsdale, Austerlitz, Canaan, and New Lebanon — join most of Rensselaer County and two Washington County towns in the proposed 107th district, which is similar to the area Republican Steve McLaughlin represents, though without any of the Greene County towns it used to include.

Public hearings
No public hearings between Albany and New York City. The closest public hearing to our area is this Mon., Jan. 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Legislative Office Building, Second Floor in the Hearing Room. (See the complete list of all public hearings after the link below.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Didi Barrett, elections, James Seward, LAFTOR, Marc Molinaro, New York State legislators, Pete Lopez, redistricting, Richard Wager, Steve Saland

Greene County in proposed new senate district

January 25, 2012 in Albany County, Greene County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that Senate Republicans are proposing a new, 63rd Senate district that includes all of Greene County, and much of Albany and Ulster counties. Vielkind writes that, “the seat is envisioned for Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam. It’s boundaries were revealed to the Times Union by a state official; the official maps for all Senate districts will be released this week.” The district has about 325,000 residents and has more Democrats than Republicans. President Barack Obama won the proposed district in 2008 by a 55-44 margin. See more for the complete list of towns in the proposed district. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Barack Obama, elections, George Amedore, New York State Senate, redistricting

Freezing rain advisory through noon Monday

January 23, 2012 in Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Schoharie County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The National Weather Service issued a Freezing Rain Advisory for all counties in the WGXC listening area from midnight until noon Mon., Jan. 23. Temperatures in the upper 20s overnight will turn to the mid-30s in the morning, and roads could be icy or very slick. Watch for possible opening delays Monday morning.

Tags: Freezing Rain Advisory, weather

Storm to the south may impact our area

January 20, 2012 in Delaware County, Dutchess County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for all areas south of Greene and Columbia counties. Delaware, Ulster, Dutchess, and points south may get hit with up to eight inches of snow tonight, while the forecast for Greene and Columbia counties is just an inch or two.

Tags: snow, Winter Weather Advisory

Hinchey retires

January 20, 2012 in Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Patricia Doxsey in The Daily Freeman reports that U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat who represents an area just south of Greene County, will not seek re-election this fall. Hinchey, 73, was elected to a 10th two-year term in November 2010. Hours after his announcement, his wife, Allison Lee Hinchey, was charged with drunken driving for the second time in eight months in Albany. That story is also in The Daily Freeman.

Tags: Allison Lee Hinchey, Maurice Hinchey

Feeding Ulster families costs more

December 30, 2011 in Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports that it costs 12 percent more this year to feed a family of four in Ulster County than last year, according to the Ulster County Consumer Fraud Bureau. As of Dec. 16, the the bureau says a family of four would spend at least $235.66, $24.91 more than this time last year. The bureau conducts a survey twice a month by averaging the cost of 41 items at each of three local supermarkets. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Tags: food, inflation

Climate report examines impact on region

December 29, 2011 in Columbia County, Hudson, Saugerties, Upstate New York by Noah Reibel | No comments

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail about a region-by-region report on the effects of climate change in New York. Columbia University, the City University of New York, and Cornell University were involved in producing the large study for the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The report concludes that New York State’s climate is changing and divides the state up into seven regions. The study examines the impact of climate change on water resources, coastal zones, ecosystems, agriculture, energy, transportation, telecommunications, and public health and recommend measures for remediation. The report concludes that region #7, which includes Columbia County, will likely see a steady increase in precipitation in the future. It also contains a warning for communities, like Hudson, that rely on a single stream for much of its water. “Only six water supplies in the state appear to rely solely on a single small stream,” it says, noting that two of them are local — the City of Hudson and the Village of Saugerties. “Without secondary sources,” it states, “these run-of-the-river systems with small drainage basins are considered to be at risk for occasionally running out of water under conditions of climate change.” Read Planck’s article in The Daily Mail<./a>

Tags: climate change, Hudson River

Wind Advisory for Western Greene County

December 28, 2011 in Albany County, Greene County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Western Greene County, Western Albany County, and Western Ulster Counties are all under Wind Advisories from the National Weather Service through this evening. A Wind Advisory means that winds of 31 to 39 mph are possible, with gusts of 46 to 57 mph possible. Winds that strong can make driving difficult.

Tags: weather, Wind Advisory

Greene granted $893,000 to improve radio signals

December 21, 2011 in Delaware County, Greene County, Schoharie County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services granted Greene County $893,000 to improve first-responder communications. Sixteen counties received $20 million in the program, with neighboring counties Delaware, Ulster, and Schoharie also awarded funds. The grant precedes Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, but those local storms did show that local communications are lacking. Counties receiving awards can use the funding for mobile radios, and base stations capable of using national interoperability channels and other local mutual-aid channels. Also included are projects to construct new equipment at towers and antenna sites, projects to deploy microwave equipment to provide more reliable transmission between sites and facilities which is needed in mountainous Greene County, and projects to implement gateway technologies for linking county systems. Equipment purchased using these grants will allow different agencies to use common channels during incidents where multiple jurisdictions are involved. This is the first round of awards from the Statewide Interoperable Grant program, a new multi-year, competitive reimbursement program funded from the State cellular surcharge.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: cell phones, communications, emergency communications, Hurricane Irene, microwave signals, radio, radio signals, Statewide Interoperable Grant, transmission, Tropical Storm Lee

Wind Advisory until 1 p.m. Friday

December 16, 2011 in Albany County, Columbia County, Greene County, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory for Western Greene County and Eastern Columbia County through 1 p.m., Fri., Dec. 16. The warning also covers all of Albany and Rensselaer counties, and Western Ulster County. Winds of 15 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts up to 40 and 50 mph.

Tags: weather, wind, Wind Advisory

EPA report links gas drilling to contaminated water

December 12, 2011 in Albany, Greene County, Manhattan, Sullivan County, Ulster County by Noah Reibel | No comments

Film director Josh Fox heralds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s recent report tying hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to contaminated water in the small town of Pavillion, Wyoming in Friday’s Guardian. Fox included the testimony of several Pavillion residents in his 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary “Gasland.” In The Daily News, Glenn Blain writes about how New York’s anti-fracking activists are drawing strength from the EPA report. But DEC spokesman Emily DeSantis told Blain the EPA report was “specific to Pavillion.” “New York would require rigorous casing and cementing standards and a minimum of 1,000 feet of separation between the high-volume hydraulic fracturing activity and the deepest ground water,” DeSantis added. Read the full story in The Daily News.

Tags: EPA, gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracking, Josh Fox, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, southern tier

State of emergency declared for area

October 29, 2011 in Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Greene, Columbia, Albany, Dutchess, Delaware, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties, along with others farther south, because of Saturday’s large snowstorm. Saturday around 10 p.m. there were no major road closures in our area, according to the Governor’s press release.

Tags: Andrew Cuomo, snow, state of emergency

Unemployment ticks up throughout region

October 26, 2011 in Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The Daily Freeman reports that the unemployment rates for counties in the WGXC listening area all ticked up slightly from August to September. Greene County unemployment went from 7.8 to 8.3 percent, and Columbia County went from 6.8 to 7 percent unemployed. Ulster County rose from 7.7 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September, Dutchess County increased from 7.1 to 7.2 percent, and in Delaware County the jobless rate went to 8.1, up from 7.5 percent. Hurricane Irene hit the area in the last week of August. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Tags: Hurricane Irene, jobs, unemployment

More aid for flooded farms

October 5, 2011 in Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Schoharie County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Tue., Oct. 4, that $1.2 million more in aid from the state’s Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund (ACRF) will be distributed among 127 farms to help them recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Locally those farms in the latest round of aid include:
Greene County Soil & Water District – $69,350
Projects: Debris removal, fence repair, grassed waterway repair.
• Crystal Valley Farm, $9,000
• John Falke Farm, $34,500
• Stoneledge Farm, LLC, $12,500
• John J Farber Farm, $13,350
Columbia County Soil & Water District – $64,000
Projects: Access road, stream crossing, fencing repair, debris removal from crop fields and stream bank stabilization.
• Doyle Mtn. Farm, $26,000
• Klein’s Kill Fruit Farm Corp., $14,500
• Robert Meyer Farm, $10,500
• Buster Creek Farm, $13,000
Albany County Soil & Water District – $34,425
Projects: Reconstruction of access roads, stream crossings, fence repair, and gravel deposition removal.
• Kevin Sisson, $13,200
• Robert Rapp, $8,500
• Windy Hill Farm, $9,725
• Kenneth Crawford, $3,000
Delaware County Soil & Water District – $21,280
Projects: Debris removal; fencing; access road replacement and repair, stream bank stabilization.
• James Hull Farms, $6,000
• Dairy Smith Holsteins, $1,180
• Felice Sulla & Jerry Raeder, $14,100
Dutchess County Soil & Water District – $19,139
Projects: Debris removal from pastures, access road repair, fence repair, downed tree removal and vegetative buffer planting.
• FW Battenfeld and Son, $9,639
• Briggs Hollow Farm, $9,500
Rensselaer County Soil & Water District – $800
Projects: Fence replacement and repair; stream bank stabilization, debris removal, and access road repair.
• Terry Wasielewski Farm, $800
Schoharie County Soil & Water District – $207,950
Projects: Debris removal including gravel piles, whole trees, buildings, fuel and propane tanks in crop fields; milk house waste treatment system replacement; fencing; access road replacement and repair’ stream bank stabilization; cover cropping; field repair, water control structure repair.
• Schoharie Nurseries, $29,200
• Barber Family Farm LLC, $58,000
• John Vanderwerken Farm, $36,250
• James Buzon Farm, $7,000
• Chris Lawton Farm, $8,000
• Fox Valley Vail Farm, $22,500
• Eleanor Reinhart Farm, $2,500
• Rock & Pinkster Farm, $21,500
• River Run Tree Farm, $6,000
• Maurice Downs Farm, $3,000
• Theresa Murphy Farm, $4,000
• Mountain Valley Angus, $10,000
Ulster County Soil & Water District – $102,589
Projects: Stream crossing for equipment repair, critical area seeding, irrigation system repair, fencing, orchard repair, debris removal, access road repair and cover cropping.
• Greiner Bros Farm Inc, $30,860
• Pinegrove Ranch Inc., $1,692
• Woodcrest Farms, $4,734
• Watswyck Farm, $1,170
• J & B Trapani Co Inc, $27,095
• J. A. M. of New Paltz, Inc, $10,736
• Jaway Farm, $25,702
• The Farm, $600

Tags: agriculture, farms, floods, Hurricane Irene

Tuesday headlines

October 4, 2011 in Albany, Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Nearly 1,000 state layoffs land in Albany County
Jimmy Vielkind reports in Capitol Confidential that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has targeted 3,496 government jobs for elimination, though only eight are in Greene or Columbia counties. Cuomo began the layoffs last week when the Public Employees Federation voted down a tentative contract agreement. The total layoffs per area counties:
• Greene County, 5 jobs
• Columbia County, 3
• Albany County, 998
• Rensselaer County, 49
• Delaware County, 7
• Dutchess County, 115
• Ulster County, 5
Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

High-impact hydraulic fracturing hearing Thursday
While the Department of Environmental Conservation’s public hearings about high-impact hydraulic fracturing will be held farther south away from our area, the New York State Assembly holds a hearing Thursday closer, in Albany. The Assembly’s Committee on Environmental Conservation holds a hearing Thur. Oct. 6 at 9:30 a.m. at Hamilton Hearing Room B, 2nd Floor of the Legislative Office Building in the State Capitol. To testify, one needs to fill out a form.

Greene Dems elect new leader
Greene County Democrats changed leaders Monday, Oct. 3, electing Doreen Davis chair, and Terry McSorley vice-chair, and Marie Metzler at Gallagher’s in Cairo. Davis has been the town of Catskill’s Democratic Committee chairwoman and treasurer for the county party. Previously, Tom Poelker was chairman, Brud Miller was vice chair, and Metzler was secretary.

Occupy Albany meets
WGXC’s Jack Ross-Pilkington attended the Occupy Albany meeting Sunday, where organizers of the offshoot protest movement from Occupy Wall Street, planned similar actions. Ross-Pilkington writes: “When I first got there, there were about 20 people, but the number rose to about 150 by the time I left. There was no apparent leader, and took much pride in that. There were lots of proposals (15) such as providing transportation to NYC, creating a video expressing solidarity with Wall St protesters, and researching possible places for an Albany occupation. They have more videos and information at their website, occupyalbany.org.” Wednesday, union organizers are joining the Occupy Wall Street protest, and there a planned student walkout and protest at SUNY Albany at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Tags: Andrew Cuomo, Doreen Davis, elections, government jobs, high-impact hydraulic fracturing, layoffs, Marie Metzler, Occupy Albany, Occupy Wall Street, Terry McSorley, Tom Poelker

Friday headlines

September 23, 2011 in Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Kinderhook, Prattsville, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Cuomo announces $175,000 for Greene farmers; $44,000 for Columbia County
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $2.4 million from the state’s Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund (ACRF) to 125 New York farms to help recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Specifically, money will go locally to:
Greene County Soil & Water District – $174,650
Projects: Debris removal, fence repair, and grassed waterway repair.
Columbia County Soil & Water District – $44,000
Projects: Access road, stream crossing, fencing repair, debris removal from crop fields, and stream bank stabilization.
Albany County Soil & Water District – $30,250
Projects: Replacement of alternative water supply and reconstruction of an access road, fencing, and gravel deposition removal.
Delaware County Soil & Water District – $101,214
Projects: Debris removal, milk house waste treatment system replacement, fencing, access road replacement and repair, stream bank stabilization.
Dutchess County Soil & Water District – $17,403
Projects: Debris removal from pastures, access road repair, fence repair, downed tree removal, and vegetative buffer planting.
Rensselaer County Soil & Water District – $184,060
Projects: Fence replacement and repair, stream bank stabilization, debris removal, and access road repair.
Ulster County Soil & Water District – $190,252
Projects: Stream crossing for equipment repair, critical area seeding, irrigation system repair, fencing, orchard repair, debris removal, access road repair, and cover cropping.
The Conservation Program is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in consultation with the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee. Applications for funding will be accepted from County Soil and Water Conservation Districts within the eligible counties.

From DEC.

DEC releases pheasants for 2011 hunting season
Hurricane Irene is taking another victim this fall: pheasant hunters. Greene and Schoharie counties may not get any pheasants released on hunting lands, “due to flooding in some areas and other logistical problems, there are currently no stocking sites in Greene County; however, if conditions improve birds may be released during the regular season,” according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The DEC just announced it is releasing 30,000 adult pheasants on lands open to public hunting for the upcoming Fall pheasant hunting season.
In Columbia County there are four release sites:
• Kinderhook – County Rte. 21 southeast of Dahlgren Rd. (RS)
• New Lebanon – South side of Cemetery Rd., west of Royce Hill Rd. (RS)
• New Lebanon – County Rte. 5A and Old Post Rd.- Ask permission (RS)
• New Lebanon – South side of Rte. 20 east of Old Shaker Rd. Access with limited parking on farm road just east of Stewart’s Shop (RS)
Albany County
• Berne – Partridge Run WMA – See maps at all informational kiosks. (YH, RS)
• Knox – Margaret Burke WMA – west side of Cty Rte 254. (YH, RS)
• New Scotland – West side of Diamond Hill Rd. north of Clipp Rd. (RS)
Delaware County
• Colchester – Bear Spring Mtn. WMA – Trout Brook Rd. (YH, RS)
• Franklin- Off Rt. 357 across from Merrickville Rd. on Town property. Must obtain permission to hunt surrounding private land. (RS)
• Harpersfield – Peters Rd. northwest of Bruce Hill Rd. Park at designated parking sign. Two vehicles maximum. (RS)
• Walton – Bear Spring Mtn. WMA – West Trout Brook Rd. (RS)
Dutchess County
• Amenia – Wassaic Multiple Use Area (RS)
• Milan – Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)
• Red Hook – Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
Rensselaer County
• Nassau – North and south of Jefferson Hill Rd. at the intersection with Middle Rd. – Must ask permission by calling 518-766-4346 after 5 PM. (YH, RS)
Ulster County
• Hurley – Gill’s Farm – Must obtain permission from landowner. (RS)
• Rochester – Davis Farm – Must obtain written permission from landowner. (RS)
• Rochester – Kelder Farm – Must obtain written permission from landowner. (RS)
• Wawarsing – Ver Nooy Kill State Forest (Lundy Estate), access from Lundy Road off 209 (RS)
The pheasant hunting season begins on October 1 in our area.

Gibson: I’m disappointed in [Wednesday] night’s vote
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that Rep. Chris Gibson (R, Kinderhook) voted unsuccessfully Wed., Sept. 21 to pass a larger House spending bill directing storm aid to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency with open offices in Greene and Columbia counties, and an agency that may run out of money this week. “I was disappointed to see my colleagues on both sides of the aisle vote against this CR, which provided critical aid money for FEMA and our district,” Gibson said in a statement. “Helping our communities rebuild is far more important than playing political games. I will continue to advocate for immediate passage of FEMA disaster relief and urge leaders from both parties to come together and get this done. I will vote for any legislation we consider in the House that provides disaster relief funding.” Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Cuomo announces food stamp benefits for local storm victims
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced The Disaster Food Stamp Benefits Program for residents in counties affected by Hurricane Irene became available as of Thu., Sept. 22. Greene and Columbia county residents affected by the recent storms are covered by the program, as are those living in Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Schoharie, and Ulster counties. The federal government oversees the Food Stamp Program, which is operated in New York State by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). To qualify for disaster food stamp benefits, applicants:
· Must have lived in one of the designated counties at the time of the disaster. Applicants may be eligible if they are temporarily living outside of the disaster area but within the State at the time of the disaster.
· Must plan on purchasing food during the month of September.
· Must have experienced at least one of the following:
o Loss of food or food stamp benefits.
o Damage to, or the destruction of, the household’s home or self-employment business.
o Disaster-related expenses not expected to be reimbursed during the month of September (e.g. home or business repairs, temporary shelter expenses, etc.).
o Loss or inaccessibility of income including reduction or termination of income, or a delay in receipt of income for half a month.
o Inaccessible liquid resources (e.g. banks are closed due to the disaster).
Call 1-800-342-3009, or contact your local department of social services for more information.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers to close on Sundays
Lissa Harris in the Watershed Post reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and New York Office of Emergency Management Disaster Recovery Centers operating in New York State will now be open only six days a week. Hours are now Mon-Sat, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at these locations:
Greene County: Main Street, Prattsville.
Delaware County: Sidney Civic Center, 21 Liberty Street, Sidney.
Schoharie County: Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 East Main Street, Cobleskill.
Ulster County: Belleayre Ski Center, Route 28, Highmount.
Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Tags: agriculture, budget cuts, Chris Gibson, DEC, farm flooding, FEMA, hunting, Hurricane Irene, pheasant hunting, pheasants, Tropical Storm Lee

Thursday headlines

September 22, 2011 in Albany, Catskill, Kingston, Prattsville by Tom Roe | No comments

Photo from Prattsville Hose Company's website.

House Democrats, tea party Republicans block GOP leaders on federal disaster aid
The Daily Freeman reports the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Sept. 21 rejected a measure providing $3.7 billion for disaster relief as part of a bill to keep the government running through mid-November by a vote of 230-195. The AP reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency only has a few days’ worth of aid left in its disaster relief fund. FEMA currently has emergency relief centers in Greene and Columbia counties. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Prattsville Hose on the web
The Prattsville Hose Company is a volunteer fire and rescue company, and like much of the rest of Prattsville, it was hit hard by flooding. The company has just set up a new website, enabling folks to donate directly to the Prattsville Hose Company. Go to www.prattsvillehosecompany.org, or 14563 Main Street, Prattsville, or call 518-299-3288 for more information. The New York Post reported Sept. 18 that Benjamin Ellis Freedland posed online as someone collecting donations via Paypal on behalf of the Fire Department in Prattsville, and the state Attorney General’s office is investigating, according to the Watershed Post.
Click here to listen to the Watershed Post’s weekly “Half-Hour News Hour” that airs Wednesdays at 3 p.m. on WGXC.

Zerega’s reopening
Patricia Morrow and Jay Fink at WRIP (97.9-FM) report that Zerega’s Restaurant in Windham expects to be open by the Columbus Day weekend, but take-out pizza only. “The dining room is being completely rebuilt and enlarged,” Fink reports.

Hurricane Irene recovery grants
The National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman’s Emergency Fund is allowing the New York Council for the Humanities to offer small grants to help arts organizations recover from damage from the recent storms. Grants of up to $1,000 are available from the Council for tax-exempt cultural groups in New York State whose buildings or collections were damaged by Hurricane Irene. These grants are to be used to defray salary costs for professional staff members’ work associated with storm clean-up and recovery. Organizations must be tax-exempt and have at least one paid staff member. Organizations that have already received Council grant support in 2011 may still apply for a Hurricane Irene Recovery Grant. Questions about eligibility and the application process for these special grants should be emailed to grants@nyhumanities.org or you can call 212-233-1131. Applications for these special grants will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 31, 2011.

Storm refuse cleanup in Catskill
Friday will be the last day for storm-related refuse pickup in the Village of Catskill, according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Lewis O’Connor. Residents should place the refuse on the curb, according to a report in The Daily Mail.

Poll: New Yorkers support gambling
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that a poll released Wed. Sept. 21 by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, shows a plurality of support statewide for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale and clearer support for legalizing casino gambling. The poll found slight support, 45-41, just outside the margin of error, in favor of high-impact hydraulic fracturing. “Voters in New York City are divided 41-41, upstate voters oppose drilling 47-43 because of concerns about the environmental implications from drilling. Voters in the New York City suburbs support drilling 56-31,” Vielkind writes. On gambling, voters support 56-37 the creation of casinos they have in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,016 registered voters, and its results have a 3.1 percent margin of error. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

WAMC goes digital
Northeast Public Radio’s two local frequencies, WAMC 90.3-FM in Albany and WAMK 90.9-FM in Kingston, both upgraded to digital HD Radio technology with grant support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Digital Radio Conversion Fund. The station claims the stations now have, “a stronger digital coverage,” according to a press release.

Tags: arts, gambling, grants, high-impact hydraulic fracturing, Hurricane Irene, Northeast Public Radio, radio, trash, Tropical Storm Lee, WAMC, WRIP, Zerega's

Tuesday headlines

September 6, 2011 in Albany County, Catskill, Columbia County, Delaware County, Greene County, Greenville, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Repair work on Route 73 near Keene, being repaired Mon. Sept. 5. Photo from NYS Governor's Office.

Enter Tropical Storm Lee
If the storms associated with Hurricane Irene weren’t enough, there were heavy rains late Sunday night and late Monday night, and more rain is expected Wednesday and Thursday as what is left from Tropical Storm Lee dumps more water on overly saturated ground. Last time that happened, with Irene, Western Greene County was devastated, and is still digging mud out, repairing bridges, and assessing unfathomable damage. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Greene, Columbia, Delaware, Schoharie, Rensselaer, Ulster, and Albany counties through 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Greene Grime
Dick May, in his Seeing Greene blog, reports yet another local business has abandoned downtown Catskill. Last Wed., Aug. 25, Jeffrey Meyers closed Café 355 telling May, that “I can’t afford to stay open” and is working in Albany. Read the full story in Seeing Greene.

Hundreds turn out for Republican caucus
Melanie Lekocevic reports in The Greene County News that Greenville Republicans picked justice candidate Jens Lobb, incumbent Town Supervisor Paul Macko, Tax Collector Mary Yeomans and Councilman Greg Davis, town clerk candidate Jackie Park, and incumbents Highway Superintendent Richard Hempstead and Councilman John Bensenat at the Greenville Public Library Monday Aug. 29. Macko, Davis, and Bensen were unopposed. Lobb defeated Walter Schelling 110 to 97. Christine Wickes. For town clerk, Park beat Christine Wickes 120 to 85. Hempstead defeated Joseph Licata 118 to 84 for Highway Superintendent. Read the full story in The Greene County News.

Tags: Flash Flood Watch, Greg Davis, Jackie Park, John Bensenat, Mary Yeomans, Paul Macko, Richard Hempstead, weather

Listening to WGXC

August 26, 2011 in Albany County, Columbia County, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Ulster County by Staff | No comments

WGXC coverage map.

WGXC’s Technical Director Al Davis prepared this map of WGXC’s effective coverage area. We will be beaming signals to the areas above all weekend long, live during Hurricane Irene’s arrival in our area.

Tags: radio, WGXC

Wednesday headlines

August 24, 2011 in Albany, Greene County, Greenport, Ulster County, Upstate New York by Tom Roe | No comments

Wood quarantine extended to Orange County
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Tue., Aug. 23 added Orange County to its eastern state quarantine area (Ulster and Greene Counties) to prevent the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a tree-killing beetle. The Emergency Quarantine Order encompasses all of Orange County and restricts the movement of ash trees, ash products, and firewood from all wood species in order to limit the potential introduction of EAB to other areas of the state. Nineteen counties in New York are quarantined, and Greene and Ulster counties joined that list last year. On July 13, 2011, an adult EAB was discovered in an EAB purple prism trap in an ash tree on the West Point campus. The order prohibits certain wood — mostly ash — from being transported between counties, and now, also from Pennsylvania. The Emerald Ash Borer first appeared in the U.S. in southeastern Michigan in 2002, and has since killed tens of millions of ash trees here. New York has more than 900 million ash trees, representing about seven percent of all trees in the state; all are at risk should EAB become established across the state. For more information on EAB, please visit DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html.

Work finally set to begin on Greenport hotel, entertainment complex
Mike McCagg in ccSCOOP News reports that demolition of the former V&O Press building on Route 66 is expected within “two or three weeks.” Developer Harbalwant Singh said they are currently removing asbestos and other pollutants. Then they will build an A&W restaurant and drive-thru, Mobil gas station, retail unit, and a liquor store. Then they plan a 100-room Comfort Suites Hotel with a restaurant and bar, and, eventually, a bowling alley, an indoor play area, a climbing wall, a laser tag facility, and arcade. “We have to be up by December 2013, but we hope to be up and running before that,” Singh told McCagg. Read the full story in ccScoop.

Wall Street Journal names Albany ‘Where the Action Is’
Emily Maltby in The Wall Street Journal names Albany one of “the hottest spots across the country for starting a new business.” Albany’s emerging nanotechnology research is making for a positive business climate, the paper says. “The city now boasts more than 4,000 people in the industry, centered on the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany,” Maltby writes. “The school has doubled in size during the recession to its current 800,000-square-foot complex. Dozens of nanotechnology companies have established a presence there to take advantage of research facilities and business incubators; since 2008, nearly 50 new start-ups have launched within its walls.” Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.

Latest round of prison gerrymandering filings
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog, reports on the battle about whether prisoners count in the census where they are incarcerated, or where they live. “A coalition of civil rights groups is fighting a Republican motion to rule unconstitutional a 2010 law, known as Part XX, which mandates prison inmates be counted at their last known address, not their jail cell,” Vielkind writes. Greene and Columbia counties would lose sizable populations — and various government monies proportioned by population — if the law is allowed to stand. Last week Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed counter-motions and Monday, Aug. 22, Sen. Martin Malave Dilan filed an amicus brief supporting that same argument. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Tags: ash trees, census, Comfort Inn, emerald ash borer, Eric Scheiderman, forests, nanotechnology, prisons

John Esposito Quartet on WGXC Thursday

August 22, 2011 in Hudson, Kingston by Cheryl K. Symister-Masterson | No comments

Pianist John Esposito, saxophonist Stacey Dillard, bassist Otto Gardner and drummer Peter O’Brien appear on “The Jazz Disturbance” with host Cheryl K. Thursday, August 25, from 7-9:30 p.m. The quartet performs at the Summer Series of Jazz at the Stella May Gallery Theatre in Kingston on Saturday, August 27, 2011.

Tags: jazz, John Esposito, music, WGXC

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.

Tags: bicycles, cycling, Hunter Mountain, Tour of the Catskills

Greene and Columbia in Capital Region Council

July 29, 2011 in Albany, Albany County, Columbia County, Coxsackie, Delaware County, Dutchess County, Germantown, Greene County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

Governor Andrew Cuomo launched his Capital Region Regional Economic Development Councils Thu., July 28, setting up regional development groups. Greene and Columbia counties are included in the Capital Region Regional Council, led by Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Michael Castellana, President and CEO of SEFCU, who will serve as Regional Co-Chairs over Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties. Donald E. Gibson, President, CEO & Director, The Bank of Greene County is included on the council, as are spots for the Chairman of Greene County Legislature, which is currently Wayne Speenburgh (R-Coxsackie), and Chairman Columbia Board of Supervisors, which is currently Roy Brown (R-Germantown). “New York can no longer afford one-size-fits-all economic development plans that ignore the unique assets and challenges of the state’s many diverse regions,” Governor Cuomo said in a press release. “Today, we are taking a groundbreaking approach that will send a clear message that New York is open for business. With the Regional Councils, we will empower individual areas like Capital Region to chart their own course for economic growth, bringing jobs and investment to New York.” Dutchess and Ulster counties are included in the Mid-Hudson version of the council, while Delaware County is in the Southern Tier.

Capital Region Regional Council Members
Regional Co-Chairs
Michael J. Castellana, President and CEO, SEFCU
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

General Members
Joseph F. Raccuia, President & CEO, Finch Paper LLC
Gary Dake, President, Stewart’s Shops
Bill Hart, Controller, Irving Tissue Inc.
Victor R. Abate, Vice President, Renewable Energy, General Electric
Peg A. Murphy, Corporate Secretary/Director of Human Resources, Espey Manufacturing &
Electronics Corporation
Omar Usmani, Executive Partner, Aeon Nexus Corporation
Ann C. Moynihan, President, Documentation Strategies Inc.
Linda Davis Pedlar, Owner, LDP Consulting Group, Inc.
Christine Edgerly, President, Adirondack Mechanical Services LLC
Jeff Stark, President, Greater Capital Region Building Trades Council
George M. Phillip, President, University at Albany
Karen Bilowith, President & CEO, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region
James J. Barba, President & CEO, Albany Medical Center
Todd Erling, Executive Director, Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation
F. Michael Tucker, President & CEO, Center for Economic Growth
Dennis Brobston, President, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation
Linda Hillman, President, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce
Donald E. Gibson, President, CEO & Director, The Bank of Greene County

Elected Officials
Albany County Executive
Chairman of Schenectady County Legislature
Rensselaer County Executive
Chairman Saratoga Board of Supervisors
Chairman Warren Board of Supervisors
Chairman Columbia Board of Supervisors
Chairman of Greene County Legislature
Chairman Washington Board of Supervisors
Mayor of the City of Albany
Mayor of the City of Schenectady
Mayor of the City of Troy
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Andrew Cuomo, Capital Region Regional Council, Donald Gibson, Roy Brown, Wayne Speenburgh

Monday headlines and audio

July 18, 2011 in Catskill, Greenport, Hudson, Saugerties by Tom Roe | No comments

Known unknowns: New location, buyer for library
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports the Hudson Area Library has a buyer for its current historic library building at 400 State St. and is close to finalizing a sale and a lease agreement at a new location in the city, according to library officials. In April the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move out of the historic old stone building which the board recently purchased. The building, built in 1818, has been a homeless shelter, insane asylum, girls academy, a private residence, an orphanage, and a library. Larson writes that the board is considering four locations. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Saugerties drops plans to buy Opus 40
Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports that the town of Saugerties has withdrawn a $400,000 grant that would have been used to help buy the Opus 40 property and turn it into a public park. Opus 40 is a giant bluestone sculpture that took Harvey Fite his lifetime to make. Town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel released a letter Wednesday, July 13 saying the town had withdrawn acceptance of the $400,000 state Environmental Protection Fund grant and is no longer seek ownership of Opus 40. The town wanted to turn the landmark into a museum to attract more tourists, who also visit nearby Dia:Beacon and the Storm King sculpture center. Zangla reports a new proposal would give, “Fite’s studio and the Quarryman’s Museum, both on the grounds of Opus 40, a historic designation.” Lissa Harris in The Watershed Post has links to more information on the story, and mentions that tonight, Monday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. the town’s Historic Preservation Commission holds a informational “conversation” in the Saugerties Town Hall’s Building Department Conference Room at its regular meeting. There is a full public hearing on the matter Aug. 15. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Neighbors, conservancy agree: some dog owners misbehave
Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper reports three residents complained to the Greenport Town Board at its monthly meeting Wednesday, July 6, about dogs making noise early in the morning and running loose at the Columbia Land Conservancy’s Greenport Conservation Area off Daisy Hill Road. There are signs in the area telling folks dogs must be on leashes, but no one enforces that rule. “It is not the case that we invite people to bring their dogs and let them off the leash,” said CLC Executive Director Peter Paden. “We have rules that a dog must be on a leash and cleaned up after.” Town Attorney Carmi Rapport suggested closing a loophole in the existing town leash law all dogs must be on a leash, and the board agreed a public hearing on the matter should be held soon. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Catskill justice resigns
Ariel Zangla reports in The Daily Freeman that Catskill village Justice Charles Adsit left the bench after 15 years Thu. July 14. “Adsit, 68, resigned from his position due to a hearing impairment that it is making it difficult to do the job, he said,” and he will be replaced by attorney Maria Larosa, until an election next year. Before becoming judge in 1996, Adsit was a village police officer for 30 years, retiring a sergeant, and also serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 to 1965. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

MONDAY AUDIO CLIPS
Click on the headlines or “Click here to play” to listen.

• A Very Incomplete Calendar: 20110718
Produced by Terry Doyle, from his “Imprint” show Sundays at 11 p.m. on WGXC. This is a look at music events this week in the Hudson Valley. 4:49
CLICK HERE TO PLAY

• World Listening Day/Week on WGXC 60-Second PSA
Tune in to field recordings, acoustic ecology, sounds of nature, and more after 1 a.m. and all night July 17-23 on 90.7-FM. WGXC will feature composers such as Pauline Oliveros and groups such as the New York Society for Acoustic Ecology with sounds of the air, sea, mountains, airwaves, ice, animals, and others.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY

Tags: Charles Adsit, Columbia Land Conservancy, Greenport Conservation Area, Hudson Library, local audio, Opus 40, town meetings

Bard College radio ready by 2012

July 8, 2011 in Dutchess County, Ulster County by Staff | No comments

WGXC’s Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos interview Danielle Riou, who is heading up efforts to bring WLHV 88.1-FM, a radio station for Bard College. The station will launch next summer, and cover much of Ulster and Dutchess counties. Riou is a professor at the school and Director of the Human Rights Project at Bard. Click here to listen to an interview with Riou about the station.

Tags: Bard College, Danielle Riou, local audio, radio, WLHV

EPA holds hearing on watershed filtration

July 5, 2011 in Ulster County, Upstate New York by Philip Grant | No comments

Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency holds a public meeting about the City of New York’s watershed protection and partnership programs Thursday, July 7, from 7-9 p.m., at Belleayre Mountain, in the Ulster County community of Highmount. This is one of four meetings that have been scheduled, and the closest for Greene County residents. New York City’s West-of-Hudson Watershed includes most of southwestern Greene County, with only a very small part of the Town of Hunter — the east half of Haines Falls and the North/South Lake area — not being within it. The city’s watershed protection programs include land acquisition and conservation easements, stream management and stormwater treatment, agriculture and forestry programs, and lowering industrial use, and creating sewer extensions. The City’s also wants to avoid building a multi-billion dollar filtration plant to purify its water, which is reflected in a decision by the EPA, and which is suitably called a Filtration Avoidance Determination, or FAD. Thursday’s meeting is an opportunity for the EPA to learn about opinions on the matter. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Tags: EPA, water, watershed

Four lighthouses highlight Hudson River tour

July 5, 2011 in Athens, Hudson, Saugerties by Philip Grant | No comments

Saugerties Lighthouse, from website.

The Register-Star has an unbylined story about a day-long cruise on the Hudson River Friday, July 15 of four of the existing lighthouses still operating along the river. The “Tour d’ Four” Cruise visits the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Saugerties Lighthouse, Rondout Light, and Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. Each of these lighthouses has its own special history and is part of a rich Hudson River heritage. Once there were 13, but six have been demolished and are gone forever. The “Spirit of Hudson” departs from Hudson Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. arriving at the final stop, Esopus Meadows, by 5 p.m. Passengers will return to Hudson by bus transportation from the Kingston Maritime Museum and back in Hudson by 8 p.m. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Tags: Hudson River, Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Saugerties Lighthouse

July 4, 2011 local almanac

July 4, 2011 in Clermont, Kinderhook, Saugerties, Windham by Staff | No comments

The National Weather Service predicts isolated showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., and patchy dense fog before 8 a.m. Monday. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 80. Monday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 57. Tuesday will be sunny, with a high near 80. Tuesday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 57, and Wednesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Closings
The Daily Freeman runs down Independence Day closures:
Amtrak: Sunday schedule.
Banks: Closed.
County offices: Closed.
Federal offices: Closed.
Financial markets: Closed.
Greene Co. Transit: No service.
Mail delivery: None.
Metro-North: Sunday schedule, with extra trains.
State offices: Closed.
Trailways: Extra buses Monday and Tuesday.

Fourth of July events
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.

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 5:22 p.m./Low, 12:32 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:30 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9:11 a.m./10:32 p.m.

Birthdays
July 4 Calvin Coolidge, Rube Goldberg, Bill Withers, Ron Kovic, and Pam Shriver.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. July 4 features today on safety and local events. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news, with more on local Independence Day activities. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CLASSICAL SHOW SLincoln Mayorga hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
LIVING LIGHTLY ON THE LAND Liz LoGiudice from the Agroforestry Center hosts. 2 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Kaya Weidman and Greg Osofsky host. 4-7 p.m.
BLUEGRASS SHOW Cowboy Jim hosts. 7 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 through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Tags: July 4

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.

Tags: Clermont State Historic Site, Independence Day, July 4, Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre, Olana

Wednesday headlines

June 29, 2011 in Greene County, Hudson, Saugerties by Tom Roe | No comments

Mathes resigns from IDA
Doron Tyler Antrim reports that Alexander “Sandy” Mathes resigned as the executive director of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency Tuesday morning. The decision was “mutually agreed to,” according to a statement fro the IDA Board of Directors. “I cannot express strong enough my appreciation to the Greene County IDA Board of Directors for the opportunity given to me in 2002,” Mathes said in a prepared statement. “I was hired on a 90-day non-guaranteed contract and now over nine years later by working together with local communities and leaders we have accomplished much…. Now it is time to pursue other professional challenges.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Farmers wage war on stink bugs
Adam Bosch in the Times Herald-Record reports that the Hudson Valley is beset by brown marmorated stink bugs, which have made it as far north as Saugerties. “This is unlike any insect we’ve ever seen,” said Doug Glorie, from the Glorie Farm Winery in Marlborough, who found two adult stink bugs and one mass of eggs on his hilltop farm. “We are, without a doubt, very nervous.” “The nickle-sized bug inflicts most of its damage by jabbing its strawlike beak into a fruit or vegetable and sucking out seeds and other contents,” Bosch writes. The bug bites can blemish vegetables and fruit or change their taste, and when the bug is frightened or killed it smells very badly. Farmers are experimenting with soaps and oils, which might clog the stink bug’s respiration system. Read the full story in the Times Herald-Record.

Lunches to cost more in 2011-12
Audra Jornov in the Register-Star reports that the Hudson City School District raised school lunch prices from a dime to a quarter at a School Board meeting Monday. “Proposed prices of school lunches, as discussed in the last meeting, were as follows: Breakfast for grades K-2 would go up 15 cents to $1.25, and for grades 3-12 it would go up 15 cents to $1.50. The lunch for grades K-2 would go up 10 cents to $1.75, and for grades 3-12 would go up 25 cents to $2.25,” Jornov wrote. Read the entire story in the Register-Star.

Tags: brown marmorated stink bugs, education, Greene County Industrial Development Agency, Hudson schools, Sandy Mathes, school lunches, stink bugs

Wednesday headlines

June 22, 2011 in Albany, Catskill, Saugerties by Tom Roe | No comments

Several issues solved, same sex marriage still undecided
In the video above (you can play audio on computer) from Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog, Governor Andrew Cuomo crowed about tentative agreements between Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature about rent control, a property tax cap, SUNY tuition increases, and a few other issues. No movement yet on the same-sex marriage bill, which passed the Assembly and has 31 announced out of 32 needed votes in the Senate. The capitol has been jammed with protesters on both sides of the issue, singing hymns, and shouting chants. The Republicans who control the Senate have not allowed a vote yet, and negotiations are ongoing to bring it to the floor. Cuomo made Tuesday what sounded like a prediction for a vote on the same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday. “I believe it will be brought to the floor for a vote, I believe it should be brought to the floor for a vote, and I’m cautiously optimistic that it’s going to pass,” he said. The governor would not say if would extend the legislative session in Albany to Thursday or Friday if same-sex marriage legalization hasn’t been approved. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

RCS budget passes
Albany’s YNN television reports voters in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk district voted Tue. June 21 for a $42 million budget with a 2.5 percent tax levy increase, after rejecting a previous budget May 17 that was $100,000 larger. The station did not report the specific vote totals but did quote school board president Scott Hughes saying, “This budget passing is very good for our students, gives us an opportunity to move forward educationally. Our business official and administration did an excellent job of making sure that they’ve taken into account all the money and all the revenues that have come in and it’s a credit to them to make sure that what we’re spending is accounted for and it’s tracked very well.” See the video report here.

Revised school budget proposals fail in Saugerties, Pine Plains
Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports that voters in Saugerties and Pine Plains rejected revised budget proposals Tue., June 21, forcing both districts to enact contingency budgets. The Saugerties $53,327,601 budget lost 1,380-1,322, with 32 affidavit ballots still to be counted. In Pine Plains, the $27,701,705 budget had 450 votes for and 462 opposed, and an unknown quantity of absentee or affidavit ballots that might change the outcome. The proposed Saugerties budget would have increased spending by $641,622, or 1.22 percent, with a property tax levy increase of 6.4 percent. The Pine Plains plan increased spending 3.1 percent over the current budget of $26,869,411, with a 3.4 percent tax levy increase. Voters in both school districts rejected the original budgets put forth in the May 17 school elections. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Free fishing weekend
The State Department of Environmental Conservation has designated this weekend, June 25-26, “Free Fishing Weekend” in New York State, a two-day window for fishing without a license. “In effort to increase fishing participation in New York State, this weekend is an ideal opportunity to introduce someone to the great sport of fishing,” said Commissioner Joseph Martens in a press release. “This is also an excellent time for out of state residents to visit and sample all that New York has to offer a freshwater angler. Both residents and non-residents can fish for free during this two-day period.” Although a state fishing license is not required during Free Fishing Weekend, all other fishing rules and regulations remain in effect. Marine anglers 16 years of age and older are also reminded that they must enroll in the no-fee saltwater fishing registry to fish for migratory saltwater fish species or in the marine district. To register, anglers can go to the usual outlets for sporting licenses, or register online anytime on DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6101.htmlhttps://nyfgisales.appsolgrp.com/fgnyia/html/index.jsp. Anglers can also register by phone by calling 1-86-NY-DECALS (1-866-933-2257). Visit the DEC’s Places to Fish page at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7749.html or contact your regional DEC office for recommendations on places to go.

Jacob Rivera is one of the first local fisherman to catch a black bass when the season opened June 18. Photo from River Basin Sports website.

Tags: elections, fishing, River Basin Sports, same-sex marriage, school budgets

Harrison’s play in Woodstock this weekend

June 16, 2011 in Woodstock by Tom Roe | No comments

Today on “Between the Lines” at 2 p.m. on 90.7-FM, WGXC host Ann Forbes Cooper interviews playwright Carey Harrison, who runs a Woodstock theater and is the son of the actor Rex Harrison. The Watershed Post offers this preview of the play, “Midget in a Catsuit Reciting Spinoza,” he is debuting this weekend:

This weekend, playwright Carey Harrison, the artistic director of The Woodstock Players, will toss Nazis, historical figures, immortality, Jewish identity, and a bunch of “pantomime rats” together in his latest play, the surreal-sounding Midget in a Catsuit Reciting Spinoza. Midget enjoys its world premiere this Friday at the Byrdcliffe Theater, and, in addition to all the disparate items listed above, will also include some “nudity of a non-sexual nature.”

Tags: Carey Harrison

Natural gas industry rep debates environmentalist

May 31, 2011 in Stone Ridge by Staff | No comments

WGXC Town Recorder Sam Sebren recorded a debate on hydraulic gas fracturing sponsored by Ulster County Legislature recorded at SUNY-Ulster student lounge Wed. May 25 between natural gas industry representative Scott Cline and Ronald Bishop, a chemistry and biochemistry professor at SUNY-Oneonta. The two sides of the controversial “fracking” debate are rarely in the same room. Read a story by William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman about the Stone Ridge event here. Or listen to the audio mp3s by clicking on them:
•Audio recording of the debate.
•Audio recording of question and answer session.

Tags: fracking, hydraulic fracturing, Natural Gas

Unemployment falls in Greene and Columbia

May 24, 2011 in Albany County, Capital District, Columbia County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Rensselaer County, Ulster County by Tom Roe | No comments

The New York State Department of Labor released unemployment figures for April on Tue. May 24 that show joblessness fell in both Greene and Columbia counties, as well as Ulster, Dutchess, and the Capitol Region. In Greene County, the unemployment rated was 8.6 percent, down from 8.8 percent last month and a year ago. In Columbia County, the rate was 7.3 percent, down from 7.9 percent in March and down from 7.5 percent a year ago. In Ulster the rate was 7.7 percent, and Dutchess it was 7.3 percent, down from 8.1 and 7.7 a month ago, respectively. The Capitol Region (Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie counties) fell to 6.8 percent, the lowest in two years, and down from 7.2 percent last month, and 7.1 percent last year. Looking closely at the numbers, there were fewer employed as well as fewer unemployed in Greene County in April. Now, only 20,900 roughly are employed, where in March there were 21,600 jobs, and a year ago 21,400. In Columbia County the number of employed rose slightly to 27,500 from 27,300 in March, but down from 28,500 jobs a year ago.

Tags: jobs, unemployment

Tuesday headlines

May 24, 2011 in Catskill, Saugerties by Tom Roe | 1 comment

Bill would give farmers break on tolls
Senate bill S742A-2011 is on the Floor Calendar in Albany for Tue. May 24 and would, “Provide that farmers shall receive an exemption from tolls when transporting product to N.Y. city for consumption in the city.” The bill is sponsored by Catherine Young (R, C, I-57th), who represents an area south of Buffalo. The bill says, Farmers are stressed with the price of gas to transport their products to the city for consumption to make little profit after the cost of gas and tolls are included. To help offset these expenses, farmers should be exempt from tolls when transporting product to NYC for consumption in the city.”

Ichabod adopts budget — minus football
John Mason in the Register-Star reports the Ichabod Crane Board of Education voted Mon., May 23 to approve a contingency budget of $33,795,494, after voters rejected their original proposal of $33,837,503 in May 17 school elections. The $42,009 savings comes from cutting football ($31,000) and other items mandated by contingency budget rules ($11,009). When voters reject a budget, boards can pass a contingency budget that is equal to or lower than the cost of living increase, or Consumer Price Index. The board already trimmed $3.9 million from the 2011-2012 budget by closing two elementary schools and cutting staff and programs. “On April 12, the board passed its budget, but in a 5-3 vote added $31,000 for football,” Mason writes. “Football had been funded for the past three years by the Booster Club in a pilot program.” Community members asked at the meeting Monday if football could remain funded by the booster club, and the board punted, postponing that decision until a later meeting, Mason reports. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Vitaliy Bobkov's proposal to turn the Friar Tuck Resort into a magical place.

Friar Tuck reappears?
Vitaliy Bobkov of the B&B Lounge in Catskill is floating a proposal on his website and a Facebook page to turn the now-vacant Friar Tuck Resort into a magic theme park. Bobkov’s business is a little north of the empty Friar Tuck on Rt. 32 in Greene County, and his proposal hopes to also revive the Catskill Game Farm and Carson City attractions in the same area.

Details: Hudson River School Art Trail and Catskill, N.Y.
Becky Krystal in The Washington Post last Thursday has a thin travel piece about Catskill and the local “art trail.” She visits the Thomas Cole House in Catskill and Olana just across the Hudson River, as well as Catskill’s The Post Cottage, Bell’s Cafe, and Village Pizza II. Read the entire story in The Washington Post.

Saugerties comedian on NPR
Jimmy Fallon, who grew up in Saugerties, was interviewed on National Public Radio by Fresh Air’s Terry Gross on Mon., May 23. On May 11 he gave a shout-out to Woodstock radio station WDST on his Twitter feed: “Listening to 100.1 WDST Woodstock Radio. Good morning guys!”

Tags: agriculture, Bell's Cafe, farm, farms, Friar Tuck Resort, Ichabod Crane School District, Olana, schools, The Post Cottage, Thomas Cole House, Village Pizza II

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.

Tags: bear attack, Germantown School District, Hunter-Tannersville School District, MAR Holdings, Move Over Act, New York State POlice, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, outdoor wood boilers, school budgets, water park

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.

Tags: Belleayre, Benedicta Bertau, Catamount, David Anderson, Huntyer Mountain, illegal dumping, ski season, underage drinkers, underage drinking, Walking the Dog Theater, Windham Mountain

Wednesday headlines PM

April 6, 2011 in Albany, Capital District, Columbia County, Dutchess County, Greene County, Hudson Valley, Ulster County, Upstate New York by Paul Smart | No comments

Awareness key to progress against sexual violence
The Daily Freeman has a story about a presentation given by Dutchess County Family Services where it was acknowledged that many abuse victims still never report the crime and that creating greater awareness of what’s involved in sexual abuse may get more victims to step forward. District Attorney William Grady said a big step forward is more humane treatment of the victim, who should no longer traumatized by having to wait in a public emergency room with a police officer. Local hospitals, he added, are finally starting to set up private ways of treating such patients. The event was attended by law enforcement and social services officials. Also announced was an upcoming “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event, in which men literally walk a mile in women’s shoes to raise awareness about sexual assault and support survivors. The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 30 at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

Ulster starts ball rolling to form inter-county emergency communications system
Mid Hudson News Network reports that the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee of the Ulster County Legislature has approved the first step toward joining other Hudson Valley counties in the formation of an emergency communications consortium. The six-county group is working towards fulfilling a state directive to address communications with a regional approach. The goal is to enable emergency services agencies to communicate on the same radio channels in the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester. Maybe Columbia and Greene should start a similar effort?

Redistricting reforms constitutional, group says
Stephanie Lee of the Times Union writes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for a nonpartisan redistricting system has been deemed constitutional… by leaders of a redistricting reform campaign. “Organizers of ReShapeNY presented a legal memo from Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP that defends the constitutionality of the governor’s proposed bipartisan legislative committee, which would draw redistricting lines without consideration to political advantage,” Lee writes. “ReShapeNY is organized by good-government groups that include Citizens Union, the New York Public Interest Group and the League of Women Voters.” Cuomo’s plan is backed by 89 members of the Assembly, where Democrats hold the majority of the seats. The challenge to his plan’s constitutionality comes from Senate Republicans, who have proposed to create a redistricting panel that wouldn’t draw lines until 2022. New lines will be drawn in 2012, in wake of the just-released census data.

Albany NanoTech awarded $57.5M for solar research
Robin K. Cooper of the Albany Business Journal reports that the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering will receive $57.5 million in federal money for solar-cell research and development. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the award on April 5. SUNY Albany will use the same technology it uses for computer-chip innovation to help make New York a hub for photovoltaic research, the university says. Sen. Charles Schumer had pushed for $100 million in federal funds to help form a Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium with more than 80 corporate and university partners, which mirrors similar efforts in the Mid-Hudson Valley being pushed by Congressman Maurice Hinchey.

Tags: Andrew Cuomo, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, domestic violence, Family Services, Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, redisticting, ReShapeNY, Senate Republicans, sexual abuse, shared services, SUNY Albany, victims

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