Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that Rep. Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook) raised $245,395 in the last fundraising quarter, and now has $702,022.21 cash on hand to fight off opponents, according to the latest Federal Elections Commission filing. Senior employees of Elliott Associates and Elliott Management, a hedge fund founded by Paul Singer, the chairman of the board of the conservative Manhattan Institute think tank, gave the most. The Congressman, who represents both Greene and Columbia counties, also received $4,000 from the PAC controlled by Goldman Sachs investment firm. Vielkind then relates an old Gibson campaign press releases from his 2010 campaign, when he complained that then-Congressman Scott Murphy accepted money from “Wall Street special interest donors” including Goldman. Gibson’s spokeswoman Stephanie Valle focused on the other half of Gibson’s war chest. “We’re fortunate to receive over half of our contributions from individuals, who include seniors, small business owners, farmers and many others from all walks of life,” she told Vielkind. So far, only Dutchess County legislator, Democrat Joel Tyner, has announced an interest in taking on Gibson in the fall. Read the entire story in Capitol Confidential.
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New York’s Senator Kirsten Gillibrand backed away from the Protect Intellectual Property Act legislation she co-sponsored in what Rebecca Melnitsky called “an especially appropriate manner” in her article in the Times-Union. The Senator used Facebook to acknowledge that her office had been deluged with concerns about the bill and wrote, “I agree there are real concerns with the current legislation and I’m working to make important changes to the bill.” The measure would prosecute websites that “engage in, enable, or facilitate” copyright infringement. Several tech companies shut down their websites last week to protest PIPA and its House counterpart, the Stop Online Piracy Act, out of concern they would stymie the growth and development of online businesses. The Senator acknowledged the, “outpouring of democracy in action,” around the law. In a statement released by her office she said, “It is time for Congress to take a step back and start over with both sides bringing their solutions to the table to find common ground towards solving this problem.” Locally, New York Sens. Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer initially supported the bill while Republican Congressman Chris Gibson opposed the measures. Read Melnitsky’s article in the Times-Union.
Tags: Chris Gibson, Chuck Schumer, Internet, internet freedom, Kirsten Gillibrand, PIPA, SOPA
Rep. Chris Gibson is not supporting SOPA/PIPA. Photo by Tom Roe at Chatham Middle School.
“The Congressman certainly recognizes that online piracy is a significant issue, and one that needs to be addressed. That being said, as SOPA is currently proposed, he believes there are valid concerns. One of the hallmarks of the Internet has been its relative freedom from regulation, and that is something which needs to be preserved. The legislation in the House is currently at the Committee level (on a committee Congressman Gibson is not on) and has yet to be finalized – thus, before making a final decision, we’ll be carefully reviewing what amendments and changes are made. But, if the bill was considered as proposed today, he would vote no.”
ArsTechnica reports 13 U.S. Senators announced their opposition to the bill on Wednesday, Jan. 18, and four co-sponsors of either the House or Senate bills pulled their names off the legislation on Wednesday.
Tags: Chris Gibson, Chuck Schumer, internet freedom, Kirsten Gillibrand, piracy, SOPA
The ProPublica website reports that New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are in favor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) H.R. 3261 (the Senate version is called Protect IP Act or PIPA). The bill would allow U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders far more latitude to fight online intellectual property theft. WGXC has sent a message to Rep. Chris Gibson’s press representative to find out the Kinderhook Republican’s position, which we will then report. Opponents of the bill, who believe eliminates due process and will slow free ideas and commerce, plan to shut down their websites on Wed., Jan. 18, to protest the proposal. Wikipedia announced Mon., Jan. 17 that is was joining the blackout, which also includes Reddit and Boing Boing, while Google and Ebay are also coming out against the bill. On Sunday, Senate leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on “Meet the Press” that he plans to bring the online piracy legislation to a vote next week.
Tags: Chris Gibson, Chuck Schumer, copyright, internet freedom, Kirsten Gillibrand, PIPA, SOPA, Wikipedia
Andrea Macko in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) reports that three students in Greenville High School’s paid internship program with Ulster County’s C2 Biotechnologies discovered a polymer, “with the potential to produce biodegradable plastic.” Local officials, such as State Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R/C/I-Schoharie), and Congressman Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook), were at the high school Wed., Jan. 11 to tout the program. “We went through real-world biotechnical experiments,” says Travis Chicocki, one of the three students. “Activities were actually relevant to the real world.” Read the full story in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer.
Tags: C2 Biotechnologies, Chris Gibson, education, internships, schools
Congressman Chris Gibson will take questions from fifth graders at Ichabod Crane Middle School, in the LGI Room, 2910 Route 9, Valatie at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning.
Tags: Chris Gibson
Congressional Republicans came around to local representative Chris Gibson’s way of thinking and extended the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. Previously, all House Republicans except the Kinderhook Republican and six others, voted against a similar proposal. Gibson, still, is unsatisfied with the measure:
“As the President and leaders of both parties in the House and Senate have previously stated, we need an agreement to extend the payroll tax [cut] for at least a year. In the House, I voted for a comprehensive bill that did just that and reformed and extended unemployment insurance while fixing the reimbursement rate for Medicare providers…. I was disappointed that the Senate chose a 60-day measure instead, but I believe it is the right course of action to enact this stop-gap measure to ensure hardworking American families do not see a tax increase on January 1.”
Tags: Chris Gibson, payroll tax cut, taxes, unemployment benefits
Representative Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook) was one of only seven Republicans who voted Tue., Dec. 20 to extend unemployment benefits and payroll tax cuts. Reps. Charles Bass (R-N.H.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Gibson, Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and Frank Wolf (R-Va.) were the only members of their party to side with the Democrats. Previously, in the Albany Times-Union’s Capitol Confidential, Gibson, who represents Greene, Columbia and nearby counties, said, “Last week, I voted for a comprehensive bill that did that and reformed and extended unemployment insurance…. I was disappointed that the Senate chose a 60-day measure instead. We should immediately vote to go to conference with the Senate to reach an agreement that achieves the year-long goal which everyone desires. As we pursue that, I also plan to support the two-month stopgap to ensure our constituents do not face a tax increase.” The Huffington Post has the full recall vote here.
Tags: Chris Gibson, John Boehner, payroll taxes, unemployment benefits
Rob LeDonne in The Daily Mail reports that Rosemary O’Brien of Oak Hill and Kathleen Whitley-Harm of Freehold have launched a campaign to bring broadband internet access to Greene County. So far they have met with Mid-Hudson Cablevision President James Reynolds, Greenville Town Supervisor Paul Macko, and Mark Wescott, a representative from Congressman Chris Gibson’s office. In Greenville, Mid-Hudson Cable’s contract is up for renewal, and the company recently turned down a giant federal grant to bring broadband to the area. “I would urge anyone to write your local town supervisor, federal officials, and tell them this is important to you,” says Whitley-Harm in LeDonne’s story. “I care about this for the future of the county. Let’s all come together and make a plan. Let’s step into this century.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
Tags: broadband internet, Chris Gibson, Kathleen Whitley-Harm, Mid-Hudson Cable, Rosemary O'Brien
Kyle Glazier in Capitol Confidential reports that the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday passed a budget compromise bill including $338 million in agriculture disaster relief and $6 million for rural high-speed internet. Rep. Chris Gibson (R, Kinderhook), and other Hudson Valley representatives Bill Owens (D-Plattsburgh) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam) voted for the bill, which passed 298-121. The Senate must now approve changes in conference. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
Tags: budgets, Chris Gibson, floods, Hurricane Irene
Kyle Glazier in Capitol Confidential reports that Rep. Chris Gibson (R, Kinderhook), who represents Greene and Columbia counties in Congress, announced Tuesday that disaster funding for farmers hit by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee flooding will be included in a final “minibus” budget bill. The disaster funding had been part of a political fight over budget cuts and taxes. Reps. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, and Gibson, report $338.6 million will be available for two programs aimed at fixing damaged farmland. They will be included in the budget proposals the House and Senate will vote on Thursday. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
Tags: agriculture, Chris Gibson, farms, flooding, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee
Today is Veteran’s Day. From Wikipedia, “It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and falls on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.” Today is also 11.11.11. Several area towns have Veteran’s Day ceremonies today, such as Valatie, which holds a Veterans 5K Run and Ceremony at 10 a.m., with local Congressman and veteran Chris Gibson (R, Kinderhook) running and speaking.
Local weather forecast
The National Weather Service predicts Friday will be partly sunny, with a high near 46. Friday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 29. The weekend forecast:
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 50.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
• Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 60.
Town meetings today
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:37 a.m./ 4:43 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:09 p.m. / 7:24 a.m.
Birthdays
November 12 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Grace Kelly, Wallace Shawn, Booker T. Jones, Neil Young, Naomi Wolf, and Kathleen Hanna.
WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Fri. Nov. 12:
• 9 a.m., “WGXC Morning Show,” WGXC will air the 2012 Stuyvesant Budget Public Hearing recorded Wed., Nov. 10 by Martin Roby.
• 3 p.m., “Astrology with A.T. Mann,” Call in for a reading at 828-0290.
• 7 p.m., “Guest DJ,” local band Black Lake will play records, perform, and more.
Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A OFF PSA 20111117 Coop Ext Stream Spotters.mp3
• A OFF PSA EVEERGREEN Hotline Radio Promo (promote tonight’s show!)
Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 6:18 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport. 3:04
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 6:18 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport. 3:04
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 6:18 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport. 3:04
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 6:18 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport. 3:04
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
Tags: Chris Gibson, town meetings, Veteran's Day
New York State Senator James Seward (R/C/I–Oneonta) will be in Greene County Sat., Nov. 5 in Lexington and Prattsville. In Lexington at 1 p.m., Seward will take part in the dedication of the updated Veterans Roll of Honor in the Town of Lexington near the Kenneth Becker Municipal Building. The monument is being updated to include veterans who served in World War I and World War II. At 3 p.m., Seward joins Congressman Chris Gibson ( R, Kinderhook) presenting new flags to the Prattsville Hose Company, at 14563 Main St. The volunteer department lost their flags during the recent flooding associated with Hurricane Irene. Gibson will also be in Catskill at 10 a.m. for the Greene County “Honor-a-Vet” event at 159 Jefferson Heights, Catskill. Monday at 10 a.m. Gibson will be in Prattsville at the Prattsville Fire Department for another storm recovery meeting.
Tags: Chris Gibson, Hurricane Irene, James Seward
Marc Heller in the Register-Star reports that even though Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Chris Gibson crow about being on their respective agricultural committees, they are being completely shut out of negotiations about the current farm bill. This every-five-year agricultural giveway bill is usually hatched out in committees, but this year’s congressional gridlock gave control to the “supercommittee.” “It’s never coming back to the ag committee,” Mary Kay Thatcher, a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, told Heller. “I want to be heard on this topic before decisions are made,” Gillibrand said in a recent interview in her Capitol Hill office, Heller reports. Gibson is also trying to get funds from fellow Republicans to help low-income New Yorkers with their heating bills, Kyle Glazier reports in Capitol Confidential. Gibson, R-Kinderhook, signed a letter with several Democrats to the House Appropriations Committee urging against a change in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The change would mean $152.3 million less for New York this year under the current House Appropriations bill. Read the agriculture story in the Register-Star and read the heating story in Capitol Confidential.
Tags: agriculture committee, Chris Gibson, farm bill, home heating, Kirsten Gillibrand, LIHEAP
Kyle Glazier in Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog, reports that the 11 members of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Georgia Republican Jack Kingston, are determining if local farms will receive additional disaster relief funds. A $3.65 billion Sept. 21 bill was voted down by both fiscal conservative Republicans — who wanted cuts in Democrat-favored green energy programs — and liberal Democrats — who said the funding was not enough. An $2.65 billion Oct. 5 compromise was signed by President Obama, but that is set to expire Nov. 18. “Following the tremendous damage done to farms by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, I have made it a priority to secure agriculture disaster relief funding in the next federal spending measure,” said Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who voted against the bill last time, is more hopeful. “Congressman Tonko welcomes the support from Congressman Gibson and Congressman Welch, which is another indication of the growing bipartisan support for funding he and others have been calling for since the flooding occurred to help farmers who are struggling to recover,” Tonko spokesman Beau Duffy told Glazier. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
Tags: agriculture, agriculture disaster relief, Chris Gibson, farming, farms, Hurricane Irene, Paul Tonko
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.
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
Windham Command Center closes
The Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook page reports that the Windham Command Center — the organizing office for storm recovery in the Greene County town — is closing. They report that the number there (734-4938) is not any good anymore. Calls should now be made to the Windham Town Hall at 518-734-4170. The Windham Command Center on South Street will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. effective Sunday, September 11. Displaced residents in need of housing should call (510) 316-7636. Volunteers to help clean up should call Alyssa at (518) 947-0358.
Farms assess storm’s punch
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that about 150 farms in Columbia County sustained some damage from the winds and rains of Hurricane Irene August 28, but only about 15 were damaged extensively. “Sandra Ferry, executive director of the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Columbia and Greene counties, told The Columbia Paper this week that a monetary estimate of farm damage in the county is still being assessed, but primarily losses were to crops of all varieties and crop land. Little harm came to farm structures and no livestock casualties have been reported, Ms. Ferry said,” Valden writes. Bob Fix at the Fix Brothers Farm in Livingston told Valden they had up to 1,000 apple trees toppled or leaning. “Cherry trees fared well through the storm because the fruit had already been picked, but the apple trees were still heavy-laden. That weight combined with the saturated ground and the wind weakened already shaky root systems particularly on new orchard dwarf trees that require a support network of poles and wires to keep them upright, Valden writes. Andy Szymanowicz of Sol Flower Farm on Wiltsie Bridge Road in Ancramdale estimates they lost 15 percent of their crops. The Kinderhook Creek rose to three feet high in the corn fields on the dairy farm of State Farm Bureau Vice President Eric Ooms. “But my heart breaks for the people in Middleburgh,” said Mr. Ooms in Valden’s story. “They had 20 feet of water in their barns in a matter of minutes, they are burying cows and their house is gone. To get some perspective, we got five-inches of rain, the hill towns got 15. We should feel blessed or lucky or whatever you want to call it.” Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
More storm recovery updates are below.
Elections on Tuesday
From The Daily Freeman (the Greene County Board of Elections has no information about primaries on its website), here are a list of the contested elections in Greene County Tue., Sept. 13.
• ATHENS: Five people are vying for four Republican Committee seats in District 2. On the ballot are Marilyn Farrell, John P. Farrell Jr., Herbert M. Blasewitz, Fred W. Dedrick II and Anthony T. Paluch.
• CAIRO: Six people are vying for four Republican Committee seats in District 5. On the ballot are Carrie E. Anderson, Tara A. Rumph, David Clark, Barbara L. Koerner Fox, Anthony P. Puorro Jr. and Margaret M. Lawrence. Also, Lewis M. O’Connor and Robert F. Hempstead are seeking the Independence Party line in the race for town highway superintendent; and Monika C. Fabiano is seeking the Independence Party line in the race for town clerk.
• 108TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT: Five people are vying for four positions as delegates to the 3rd Judicial District Convention on the Independence line. On the ballot are Sean W. Egan, Anthony F. Cornell, David O. Kelly, Sharon Kelly and Walter Simonsmeier. On the ballot to be among four alternates to the convention are Eileen M. Clyne, Julia L. Crawley, Phillip Lajeunesse Noreen Lajeunesse and Deborah Simonsmeier.
Gibson supportive of Obama’s economic rebuilding plans
Marc Heller of the Register-Star’s Johnson News Service attempts to analzye Rep. Chris Gibson’s body language during President Obama’s jobs speech last Thursday evening which was broadcast live on WGXC. “He even rose and clapped when Obama called on Congress to end Washington’s “political circus,” a line that drew blank stares from most of his GOP colleagues,” Heller wrote. Then he cites an interview with Gibson, though he does not say who conducted the interview or where. “I think there’s common ground,” he quotes the Republican Representative from Kinderhook. “I think the president is addressing impediments to growth.” Read the full story in the Register-Star.
The Power of the Press (or whatever Gossips is)
Carole Osterink’s The Gossips of Rivertown was the first source to report that parking tickets were being issued on Labor Day in Hudson, after city officials previously announced it was one of the holidays on which alternate side of the street parking was suspended. First Ward Alderman Sarah Sterling read the post, and then checked in to why folks were getting parking tickets, and now, sends her this report:
In large measure due to your alert about the parking tickets issued on Labor Day for alternate side of the street violations, and with the assistance of Alderman Sarah Sterling, the matter has been resolved. Hudson Police Department Commissioner Ronald Grant Friday evening informed me that the tickets issued for that infraction were in error and all will be voided. If a ticket has been paid, a refund will be issued. I have expressed my appreciation to the Commissioner and to HPD Chief Richardson for handling the matter professionally and quickly. Last year an agreement was reached with the Common Council to suspend alternate side of the street parking regulations on five holidays. The HPD officers on duty Labor Day were not informed of the suspension of alternate side regulations, the sort of lapse to which we are all subject. The Commissioner has offered his apologies, expressed his appreciation for having the matter called to his attention, and remedied it. For the record, the holidays as conveyed to me by the Commissioner when alternate side parking [regulations] are suspended include: New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve.
Read the entire story at The Gossips of Rivertown.
STORM RECOVERY UPDATES
School closings
• All Greene County schools are closed Mon. Sept. 12. An announcement about when they will open for the year will be made Monday, according to Greene County Emergency Services.
• Windham-Ashland-Jewett CSD is tentatively scheduled to open Monday, Sept. 19, according to its website.
• Hunter-Tannersville CSD has not announced any changes from Greene County’s opening schedule on its website.
• Middleburgh Central School opens Monday, Sept. 19, according to its website. They will hold a special Board of Education meeting, at 7 p.m. Mon. Sept. 12, in the elementary school cafeteria.
• Schoharie CSD opens Monday, Sept. 12, according to its website.
• Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk CSD has no transportation to or from Greene County, due to Greene County’s emergency order. Parent transport only, according to its website.
Tetanus clinics
The Greene County Department of Health is sponsoring free tetanus immunization clinics for adults 18 and over at the following locations:
• Monday, September 12 at the FEMA tent in Prattsville from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and also at the Lanesville Firehouse from 3-5 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 13 at the Lexington Municipal Hall in Lexington from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Mental Health personnel will be available to speak with individuals at the same time that immunizations are being offered. You can also contact the Greene County Mental Health’s main line at (518) 622-9163.
New York State Insurance Department Mobile Command Center comes to region
State Senator James L. Seward reports the New York State Insurance Department Mobile Command Center (MCC) will be in Greene County and Schoharie County this week to assist residents and business owners with questions they may have following recent storms and flooding. The mobile command center is a 50-foot long van equipped with high-speed internet access and telephone equipment that is being used to help property owners file claims and contact their insurance companies. Insurance Department personnel will also be available to answer consumers’ questions. Find it:
• Monday, September 12 at 491 County Route 12, in Windham. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (staff will leave at 7 p.m. if no activity).
• Tuesday, September 13 at Main Street, Middleburgh. MCC will park to the left of the NBT Bank and chiropractor’s office and across the street from the post office. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition to the MCC, New Yorkers with questions about insurance are urged to call the New York State Insurance Department’s disaster hotline, 1-800-339-1759, Monday though Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Insurance-related information can also be found on the department’s website, www.ins.state.ny.us.
Emergency agriculture meeting
Cornell Cooperative Extension holds an “emergency” meeting for local farmers at 1 p.m. this Tuesday, Sept. 13 at the Agroforestry Resource Center, 6055 NYS Route 23, in Acra. “This meeting is designed to offer farmers the opportunity to access all of the different disaster relief efforts being carried on right now by the different organizations and agencies, and all in one place,” according to their press release. “Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA) the Farm Services Agency, (FSA) Farm Bureau, (FB) NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS) Soil and Water Conservation Districts, (SWCD) Farm Net, the Department of Labor, (DOL) the Department of Social Services, (DSS) Crop Insurers, the Watershed Agricultural Council, (WAC) Farm Credit East, and Cornell Cooperative Extension will be on hand to help answer your questions, and help direct you to programs within the disaster relief efforts that can best fit your needs.” WGXC will also be on hand air the meeting live on WGXC 90.7-FM and wgxc.org. For more information, please call the Cornell Cooperative Extension at (518) 622-9820. If you have special needs related to program participation, please contact the Agroforestry Center in advance.
Road open
The New York Department of Transportation reports that Route 145 in the town of Cairo to the Albany County line, is now open to traffic in both directions.
Monday morning sports scores
Football
New York Giants 14
Washington Redskins 28
Dallas Cowboys 24
New York Jets 27
Tonight
New England Patriots at
Miami Dolphins 7 p.m.
Baseball
New York Yankees 6
Los Angeles Angels 5
(The Yankees now lead the Red Sox by 3.5 games for the AL East lead.)
Boston Red Sox 1
Tampa Bay Rays 9
(The Red Sox now lead the Rays by 3.5 games for the AL Wild Card.)
Chicago Cubs 10
New York Mets 6 11 innings
Tags: Andy Szymanowicz, Barack Obama, Chris Gibson, elections, Eric Ooms, Fix Brothers Farm, insurance, roads, Sandra Ferry, schools, Sol Flower Farm, tetanus
Video, courtesy of NYSNYS via Capitol Confidential, of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s visit Wednesday to Prattsville, which was almost completely ruined in Irene-related flooding. Also in Prattsville: Janet Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, and Congressman Chris Gibson.
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, Chris Gibson, Hurricane Irene, storm emergency, weather
Stuyvesant votes for highway bond
Stuyvesant voters approved a $845,000 bond 253 to 170 at a special election Tue., Aug. 16. The bond will repair a highway garage and construct two salt sheds at the highway department storage area on Sharptown Road.
New York flags at half-staff today
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, August 17 in honor of five Fort Drum soldiers who died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on August 11. Army Sergeant Edward J. Frank II, of Yonkers, NY, Army Specialist Jameel T. Freeman, of Baltimore, MD, Army Specialist Patrick L. Lay II, of Fletcher, NC, Army Private 1st Class Rueben J. Lopez, of Williams, CA, and Army Specialist Jordan M. Morris, of Stillwater, OK died recently of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. The soldiers were all assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Drum, NY. Ira Stoll in Reason writes: “According to the iCasualties.org Web site, whose count more or less tracks that of other sites devoted to these statistics, 630 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan operation in the years 2001 through 2008, when Mr. Bush was president, while 1097 American soldiers have died in the years 2009, 2010, and 2011.”
Hannaford moves forward in New Lebanon
A Public Notice in the Register-Star indicates the planned Hannaford grocery store in New Lebanon is moving forward. “The Department [of Environmental Conservation] has made a tentative determination to issue a new/revised SPDES permit to allow for the discharge of 7,000 gallons per day of sanitary wastewater to a tributary of the Wyomanock Creek from existing Valley Plaza. The applicant is proposing to modify an existing SPDES permit to allow for the redevelopment of the plaza which will include the addition of a new Hannaford Supermarket and Pharmacy…. As a tentative determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance and as such, does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project. The facility is located at the northeast corner of US Route 20 and County Route 5A in the Town of New Lebanon. A draft permit us available for review and comment at the NYSDEC Region 4 office. Comment on this project must be submitted in writing to the Contact Person no later than Sept. 9″:
Contact Person
MICHAEL T HIGGINS
NYSDEC
1130 NORTH WESTCOTT RD SCHENECTADY, NY 12306 (518) 357-2069
Ichabod Crane football season saved by donations
CBS6 Staff reports the Ichabod Crane Board of Education officially approved money raised for the football team Tuesday night can be used for the team. The program wasn’t part of the school’s slashed budget, but a booster club got permission from the board to fund the program, if they could raise enough money by August 15. The football team has been self-funded since its first season in 2008, according to the television station’s report. Read the story at CBS6.
Gibson: ‘Ron Paul is a friend of mine’
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential has a post about local Congressional representative Chris Gibson’s fondness for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. Paul, finished a close second in the straw poll of Iowa Republicans last weekend, and Gibson, R-Kinderhook, brought him up as he discussed cutting back military commitments overseas with the Albany Times Union editorial board:
“As I look right now, at all the presidential candidates, I don’t feel we have anyone who articulates what needs to be said on these matters — bureaucratic reform of the national security establishment. You get a glimmer of it here and there. I’ll tell ya: Ron Paul is a friend of mine. We sit together often. I find him very friendly and funny. I agree with him on some things he says. I think we should audit the Fed, you know, I think he’s got something to say as far as that $1.6 trillion that we owe to the Fed, we owe to ourselves, not obligated to anything. I think he’s got some good ideas, so I enjoy my relationship with him.”“On this whole debt ceiling thing, he’s the only one I thought was virtuous — even though I was utterly in disagreement with him — he was virtuous because he said that we default, and we should go into bankruptcy and come out of it stronger. I didn’t go to Washington to do that, let me be clear. If that’s it, I’m not the guy to do that. If you’ve got a plane and two engines are down, have a soft landing, fix the plane and get back up again. I didn’t come to crash the plane. But I will give you this: Ron Paul’s at least virtuous in that he’ll explain his vote. Where does that go? I communicate to my constituents.”
“Ron Paul at least makes an argument. I disagree with it. But Michele Bachmann — has she explained her no vote? But I want to bring that up because Ron Paul is a guy who has enunciations as far as a more modest foreign policy. There are some things that he says that I think fit within what I’m talking about, but I haven’t seen a full blossoming of that in terms of how it would relate to the full reform, and then how we, as a country, then move forward.”
“I haven’t seen anybody else tackling that. Have I missed it?”
Tags: Chris Gibson, elections, football, Fort Drum, Hannaford, high school football, Ron Paul, schools
Congressman Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook) will be in Hillsdale, Chatham, Stuyvesant, and Germantown this weekend. He starts out on Sat., Aug. 6 at the 2011 Summer Paw Picnic in North Chatham from 12:15-1:30 p.m.; then from 2:15–4 p.m. at Hillsdale Day, in Hillsdale; then from 5-6:45 p.m. at the Rededication of the Ernest R. Lasher Jr. Memorial Park in Germantown. On Sunday, Aug. 7 he will be at the Clambake at the Stuyvesant VFW – Stuyvesant from 4-5 p.m.
Tags: Chris Gibson
Daniel Strauss in The Hill reports that New York’s U.S. Senators split today, Tue., Aug. 2, on the vote to raise the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand voted against the bill, and Chuck Schumer voted for it. “The fact is, there is nothing in this deal that will address the significant jobs crisis we are facing,” Gillibrand said in a statement shortly after the legislation passed. “This deal, cut behind closed doors with zero transparency, is an unbalanced approach that cuts deeply into discretionary spending while being overwhelmingly stacked in favor of large corporations who exploit loopholes and the wealthiest among us. It is simply not in the best interests of the middle class and the larger economic recovery,” she said. Schumer agreed, those there votes were different. “There is nothing in this deal that will address the significant jobs crisis we are facing,” Schumer said Tuesday, according to The New York Observer. On Monday, local representative Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook) voted for the bill.
Gibson votes for budget bill
Congressman Chris Gibson (R, Kinderhook) voted Monday, Aug. 1 for the Budget Control Act of 2011, that raises the nation’s debt limit with a $2.1 trillion cut in spending. The vote was 269-161, and Gibson, who represents Greene and Columbia counties in NY’s 20th Congressional District, released this statement. “This evening, after careful review, I voted yes on the final compromise agreement to avert our current debt crisis while cutting spending. The legislation cuts $2.1 trillion in spending, while protecting Medicare and Social Security. To be clear, my preferred approach was the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act. However, I believe the final agreement embodies those principles, and makes significant changes that will put us on a path of restoring fiscal responsibility. This is accomplished through cuts, enforceable caps on future spending, and a requirement to vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.”
Relatively unknown GOP presidential candidate coming to Hudson and Catskill
Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail that Republican presidential candidate John Davis stops by Catskill and Hudson this Thursday. Davis, is a self-employed home builder from Colorado who has never held elected office, on a nationwide bus tour attempting to visit all 3,143 counties in the United States. “So far, he’s been to more than 900 counties in 29 states, logging more than 39,000 miles,” Antrim writes. This Thursday, Aug. 4, Davis will be at Village Pizza II on Main Street in Catskill, and then at American Glory in Hudson at 3 p.m. Antrim looks up his finanacial records and finds he has received $14,884 in individual contributions, and has $7,800 cash-on-hand. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
From DEC website.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation holds its 15th Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey to estimate the number of wild turkey poults (young of the year) per hen statewide. “Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during the breeding and brood-rearing seasons can all significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival,” the DEC says, and survey predicts fall harvest potential. During the month of August, survey participants record the sex and age composition of all flocks of wild turkeys observed during normal travel. Those interested in participating can download a Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey form along with instructions and the data sheet directly at http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/48732.html. Survey cards can also be obtained by contacting a regional DEC office, calling (518) 402-8886, or by e-mailing fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us (type “Turkey Survey” in the subject line).
Even as Financial Fears Mount, Real Love Outweighs Gold
Zarchary Woolfe in The New York Times reviews Sunday’s performance of “Die Liebe der Danae,” Richard Strauss’ 1940 opera that is part of the Bard SummerScape festival, with conductor Leon Botstein and his American Symphony Orchestra. “With gorgeous music and a plot seemingly tailor-made for our troubled times, it is one of those operas that make you resent the stubborn smallness of the standard repertory,” he writes, mentioning that the show will be performed again on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (Aug. 3-7) at the Bard SummerScape festival at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. Read the full review in The New York Times.
Tags: American Symphony Orchestra, Bard College, Chris Gibson, DEC, Leon Botstein, turkeys
For the second time in two weeks, since congressional Republicans voted for the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Bill,” a small group of protesters gathered outside of the Kinderhook office of freshman Congressman Chris Gibson Tue., July 26. The hastily organized protest involved a number of groups, but was primarily organized by Moveon.org. Unlike last week’s protest, these folks, mostly senior citizens, were quite loud, angry, and emotional. They went into the congressman’s office, and filed an official complaint with his staff. Neither Congressman Gibson or a spokesperson were available for comment, but they did provide a written response what said: “I have already voted for a bill that raised the debt ceiling while making the long-term structural changes necessary to ensure our nation’s fiscal health, with no cuts to Medicare or Social Security. This is an approach, cut, cap and balance that two-thirds of Americans support, based on a CNN poll conducted last week, and that passed the House with 234 votes.” The Congressman’s statement concluded saying, “I will review every provision carefully to determine if it is an approach I can support. Additionally, I’m willing to consider new sources of revenues from closing tax loopholes – a tax reform approach I already voted for in April.”
Tags: Chris Gibson
Three charged with breaking ash tree quarantine
Brian Nearing in the Albany Times-Union reports that Jeff Meltz, vice president of Meltz Lumber Company in Hudson; Forest Mayer, president of Forest Mayer Log & Timber Co. in Bennington, Vt.; and Paul Kelly from Paul Kelly Trucking in Catskill, have been charged with violating a quarantine on ash trees, shipping the timber out of Greene County this spring. Emerald Ash Borers, a Chinese beetle, have been killing off New York’s ash tree population, and have been recently found in Greene County. “The alleged violations happened at least eight times during February, March and April, when quarantined wood was shipped to Rensselaer and Columbia counties, according to DEC,” Nearing reports. The three business owners face up to 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which is trying to slow the bugs devastation, since they arrived in western New York in 2009. Ten percent of New York’s trees are ash trees. The three men will be arraigned on Aug. 18 in Catskill Town Court. Read the full story in the Times-Union.
School officials fault lack of response from union
Debora Gilbert in The Columbia Paper reports that Superintendent Jack Howe and Board member Peter Meyer complained bitterly about the teachers union’s deliberate delay tactics, at the regular Hudson school board meeting last week. Howe brought up the Triborough Amendment to the Taylor Law. “The amendment allows employees to receive automatic salary increases during the bargaining, a condition that critics say removes incentives for speedy contract negotiations,” Gilbert writes. The district’s contract with the Hudson Teachers Association expired four months ago, and Howe says the bargaining unit did not answer the last two e-mails from the board seeking to schedule a bargaining session. “Now those discussions won’t take place until October,” Gilbert reports. “The union… should be taken to task — if not to court — for their disrespect of the law and taxpayers of this district,” Board member Meyer said. :A member of the teachers’ bargaining unit attended the meeting but did not comment on the status of the contract or on Meyer’s statement,” Gilbert writes. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
DCCC robos Gibson over deficit ceiling
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching robocalls against Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, beginning today, Tue., July 26, over his vote for the Republican budget bill last week. “The audio says Gibson and House Speaker John Boehner “would rather our country default just to protect tax breaks for big oil companies and billionaire jet owners.” It also predicts interest rates and gas prices will rise if a deal is not worked out,” Vielkind writes. The Congressman’s spokesperson released this statement: “Congressman Gibson supports a negotiated solution that averts the current crisis and responds to what the credit rating agencies say we need to prevent a downgrade – a credible plan to reduce our deficits.” The “Rebuild the Dream” group is holding protests around the country at noon, Tue. July 26, including at Gibson’s Kinderhook office. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
Tags: ash trees, Chris Gibson, emerald ash borer, forests, Hudson Teachers Association, Jack Howe, Peter Meyer, trees
The “Statewide Caravan to Restore the American Promise,” protesting at various New York Congressmen’s offices to save “social safety net” programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, from Federal cuts, comes to Kinderhook at 1 p.m. Thu., July 21, to protest in front of Rep. Chris Gibson’s office, 2 Hudson St. On Tuesday, July 19 Congressional Republicans, including Gibson, passed the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Plan” 234-190 which the activists believe would cut many of these social programs. Gibson disagrees. “Importantly, we make absolutely no changes to Medicare, Social Security, or Veterans Benefits in this bill, and leave open the option of significant cuts in defense spending in future years to bring our budget into balance,” he said in a statement.
Tags: budget cuts, Chris Gibson, taxes
Mill demolition raises ire in Stottville
Mike McCagg in ccSCOOP reports that contractors are tearing apart the former L&B Furniture and Ferris mill in Stottville and its eight-story water tower on Town Garage Road near County Route 20, and one unnamed resident filed a complaint with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to halt the further demolition of the mill. The anonymous resident told McCagg he wanted to turn the mill into something else, and Sergei Dubois, a spokesman for the anonymous developer, says in the ccScoop article that plans for an “international research center in the abandoned factory” that would have employed “a dozen people” and “brought people from across the globe” were in the works, with a war memorial. Town Supervisor Leo Pulcher told ccSCOOP that he knew about the war memorial but not the research center. Pulcher did not know who is demolishing the mill, and said that no permits for the work had been issued. But he won’t interfere. “What happens if we go in there and stop them? Does the state now say to the town you are responsible for the site and we are stuck paying one, two, five million dollars to clean it up?,” Pulcher told the web site. Read the full story in ccScoop.
Efforts to slow the spread of Lyme Disease
Congressman Chris Gibson (R, NY-20) Tuesday, July 19 announced he is co-sponsoring legislation to create a new $250,000-annual committee to work on Lyme and other tick borne diseases. H.R. 2557, the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2011, establishes a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee, “composed of scientists, representatives from government agencies, health care providers and patient representatives. The Committee is charged with ensuring that a broad spectrum of scientific and stake-holder viewpoints are represented in public health policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced. Locally today, Wed. July 20 The Adult Learning Institute of the Columbia-Greene Community College will have Rick Burstell from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene and Columbia Counties in Room 136 of the Main Building discussing the many steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. That workshop is today from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY AUDIO CLIPS
• Caroline Krumpacker discuss Millay Colony Open House July 23.
Interview by Richard Roth and Ann Forbes Cooper about the local writer’s retreat.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY MP3
• Sylvia Hasenkopf and Russ Oeschle discuss Cairo clockmaker Joel Curtis.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. Hasenkopf is a member of the Cairo Historical Society, which is giving a presentation by Oeschle Thursday at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21 at Gallagher’s, 513 Main St. in Cairo.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY MP3
• Al Jazeera English PSA for WGXC.
Recorded by Al Jazeera English staff. “Al-Jazeera English” will now be airing on the WGXC Afternoon Show at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, followed by “Free Speech Radio News” at 6:30 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY MP3
Tags: Al-Jazeera English, Caroline Krumpacker, Chris Gibson, Lyme disease, Russ Oeschle, Sylvia Hasenkopf, ticks, WGXC
Village orders ash tree removal to avoid scourge
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that the village of Catskill will cut down three ash trees on Greene Street because of an infestation by the emerald ash borer, the destructive beetle killing New York’s ash trees.
Village Department of Public Works Superintendent Lewis O’Connor said (at the village meeting Monday, presumably) removing the trees is cheaper than inoculating them with a pesticide every in two years. Elizabeth D’Auria of the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) reported the group’s preliminary April 18 inventory of ash trees this spring:
• Two of the 27 trees found showed a potential sign of EAB damage or general stress.
• Seventeen trees were located near an electrical wire.
• Twenty trees were deemed to be generally or very healthy.
Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
Daily Freeman’s parent company sold to investment firm
Lissa Harris in the Watershed Post reports parent company of the Kingston Daily Freeman, The Journal-Register Company, was sold to investment firm Alden Global Capital. Harris quotes CEO John Paxton, who writes, “Alden has been an investor in our Company for some time and they have had a courtside seat to the Journal Register Company’s radical makeover following our Digital First strategy. They know what we do, they like what we do, and today they are putting their money behind our efforts.” She also quotes The Wall Street Journal, which has a different view. “Newspaper acquisitions are a species rarer than the Yangtze River dolphin. But today, for one of the few times since 2007, a newspaper company was bought. For money. Really….We’re still scouring our databases, but it appears the only post-2007 acquisition of a significant newspaper company was the purchase of a duo of Philadelphia dailies in a 2010 bankruptcy auction.” Read the full story in the Watershed Post.
Sentence reduction raises questions for DA
Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union first broke the story, but Jamie Larson of the Register-Star does an excellent job following up on all the local angles of the story of a criminal sentence reduction of a Columbia County political insider. In 2009, Timothy McEachern, 46, of Spencertown, was arrested and charged under Leandra’s Law, which made it a felony, punishable by up to four years in prison, to drive drunk with children in the vehicle. McEachern is Columbia County District Attorney Beth Cozzolino’s brother-in-law. “McEachern’s wife, Andrea Gabel, is the sister of D.A. Cozzolino and the couple’s home was the registered campaign headquarters for Cozzolino’s 2007 run for her position,” Larson writes. McEachern pleaded to a misdemeanor DWI in May 2010, with a $700 fine and a $400 court fee, and 40 hours of community service, according to state Department of Transportation records. The Times-Union report showed that was a light sentence compared to others convicted of the new law. Greene County DA Terry Wilhelm took the case after Cozzolino recused herself, and he has not returned any reporters calls on the issue. As the story broke last weekend, Cozzolino kicked off her campaign for Columbia County judge at McEachern’s house. The event was attended by numerous Republican party officials, though Larson reports, “U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-20th District, was billed at the top of the event invitation as a host of the fundraiser, but the congressman’s office said Tuesday that he did not attend, never promised to attend, and has not offered an official endorsement.” Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Lopez in Greene County for hunting and boxing Saturday
Republican New York State Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who represents Greene and several other counties west of the Hudson River, makes two area appearances Saturday, first speaking at 5:30 p.m. at the Greene County Federation of Sportsmen‘s Annual Dinner at the Quarry Steakhouse, 100 Grapeville Road in Coxsackie. At 8 p.m. Lopez will be Guest MC at the “Rumble in the Catskills” boxing event, in the Catskill Elementary School’s gymnasium.
Tags: Andrea Gabel, ash trees, Beth Cozzolino, boxing, Chris Gibson, emerald ash borer, Greene County Federation of Sportsmen, media, newspapers, Pete Lopez, Terry Wilhelm, The Daily Freeman, Timothy McEachern, trees
Bank of Greene County wins Catskill Little League title
The Daily Mail reports that Logan Worth threw a no-hitter to lead Bank of Greene County over Lacy’s 4-0, to win the Catskill Little League majors baseball championship Sat. June 18 in Catskill. Worth also went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double, and Brandon Eacott hit a double, a single and scored two runs, and Justin Worth also scored a run in the championship victory.
C-GCC opens doors to Holcim workers
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that workers laid off last week when the Holcim cement plant in Catskill closed can enroll in a retraining or academic programs and may be eligible for up to $15,000 in special benefits. The story says the benefits include up to $8,250 to pay for a one-year program or $15,000 for a two-year program and an extension of unemployment insurance, and workers over 50 could get a boost up to $10,000 to cover some of the difference between their old and new salaries. M.A. Wiltse, director of the Columbia-Greene Workforce Investment Office at Columbia Greene Community College, is administrating the effort, according to the story. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
Martin Van Buren School closing
Martin Van Buren Elementary School holds a closing ceremony at 6 p.m. Mon. June 20, a victim of budget cuts this past year. Congressman Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook), who attended Martin Van Buren Elementary School while growing up in Kinderhook, will be among the speakers. The school is at 25 Broad Street, Kinderhook.
Saland still undecided on marriage bill
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star wrote this Saturday, but it is still true Monday, June 20: “Local veteran State Sen. Stephen Saland, R,C,I-Poughkeepsie, remains under an intense national spotlight this weekend as he continues to represent the deciding vote needed for the passage of the New York State Marriage Equality Act, proposed earlier this week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.” This weekend Hudson held its second Hudson Pride festival, and every speaker at the ceremony WGXC broadcast live Saturday afternoon including Alderwoman Ellen Thurston, Common Council President Don Moore, Hudson treasurer Eileen Halloran, and Democratic mayoral candidate Nick Haddad called for Senator Saland, who represents Columbia County in Albany, to vote for the measure. Click here to hear all the speakers near the beginning of this mp3 audio recording from the Hudson Pride festivities Saturday afternoon. Local politicians and Albany pundits are predicting a vote in the State Senate on Wednesday.
Male Room at Hudson Pride 2011 live on WGXC 90.7-FM.
Mother Fletcher at Hudson Pride 2011 live on WGXC 90.7-FM.
Audio Clips
Click on each headline to play mp3 audio clip.
• A Very Incomplete Calendar: 20110620
Produced by Terry Doyle. Weekly listings of regional music events from the Hudson Valley music show “Imprint” on WGXC.
• Hudson Pride 2-4 p.m. live broadcast.
Performances and speakers on WGXC 90.7-FM. Live from Promenade Hill in Hudson, with speakers including Ellen Thurston, Don Moore, Eileen Halloran, and others, and performances from The Providers, The Landlines, Mother Fletcher, and others.
• Hudson Pride 2011 First Hour.
Live on WGXC 90.7-FM from Promenade Park. Includes Male Room performance and DJ Abel.
• Harvey Wasserman talk “From Fukushima to Solartopia: Winning a GreenPowered Earth.”
Recorded by WGXC volunteer Kieran Riley. Wasserman spoke at Oakwood Community Center, 313 10th St., Troy, NY.
Tags: Bank of Greene County, Chris Gibson, Columbia-Greene Community College, Don Moore, Eileen Halloran, Ellen Thurston, Hudson Pride, Little League, Martin Van Buren Elementary School, Nick Haddad, youth
IDA discusses PILOT for Flanders
Jamie Larson reports in the Register-Star about how the new Flanders air filtration company purchasing the former Kaz Industries building on Route 9 in Greenport may get a tax break from the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency. The county IDA approved a resolution Tuesday morning June 7 to begin the process of, “awarding Flanders a 10-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement that would forgive 25 percent of the company’s annual taxes dependent on the property’s assessed value, which is currently around $4 million, though the purchase price, when finalized, is expected to be $3.2 million.” The PILOT will reduce Flanders’ annual taxes from roughly $84,000 to $61,000. The North Carolina company to be known as Precisionaire of Hudson New York agreed to provide 180 full time jobs, but says it may hire more than 200. Columbia-Greene Workforce Employment Career Center has been tracking a percentage of the employees that were laid off when Kaz moved its operations to Mexico, and will contact those workers about a planned job fair. Larson says the company decided on Hudson, “to move its residential product line closer to their Northeast distribution centers.” Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Gibson among top 10 House freshmen staff salary spenders
Sarah Tung in Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog, reports that Rep. Chris Gibson, Republican from Kinderhook, spent $202,705 on staff expenditures in the first quarter, ranking eighth among House freshmen who spent the most on staff salaries, according to a recent analysis conducted by Colorado Pols. “Each office is given the discretion with how to spend that budget,” Gibson spokewoman Stephanie Valle explained to the newspaper. “(We) prioritize our overall spending to make sure the constituents have access to (qualified) staff.” Read the entire item in Capitol Confidential.
Strawberry Season is Officially Here In New York State
The New York State Berry Growers Association says Father’s Day usually marks the beginning of the New York strawberry harvest, which lasts about a month. The group’s website lists some, but not all, local strawberry sources. Pickyourown.org lists other spots in Greene and Columbia counties. The growers association says that when the strawberries run out in July, local raspberries and blueberries should be ready. Some local strawberry sources:
GREENE COUNTY
• Story Farms, 4640 Route 32, Catskill, NY 12414. 518-678-9716
COLUMBIA COUNTY
• Thompson-Finch Farm, 750 Wiltsie Bridge Road, Ancram NY, 12502. Phone: 518-329-7578. Open: Strawberry picking begins in early June and goes through July 4; Open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organic.
• Samascott Orchards, 5 Sunset Ave., Kinderhook, NY 12106. 518-758-7224, samascottorchard@aol.com
New York flags at half-staff Thursday
Governor Andrew Cuomo directed flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday, June 9 in honor of a soldier from Cohocton who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 4. Army Specialist Devin Snyder died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device struck her vehicle during a mounted patrol in Lagham province. She was assigned to the 164th Military Police Company, of the 793rd Military Police Battalion, part of the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. “On behalf of all New Yorkers, I express our sympathy to the family, friends, and fellow soldiers of Specialist Devin Snyder,” Governor Cuomo said. “We join with them in mourning her death and honoring her dedication and service to our nation.”
Roe Jan Library now open Sundays
Copake’s Roeliff Jansen Community Library is now open on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., only the second library in Columbia County open Sundays. “Sunday hours are helpful for students and anyone who works weekdays,” said library director Carol Briggs in a press release. “Since we started construction we’ve had many requests from weekenders for Sunday hours so they more easily can take advantage of our great new facility.” The library opened a new building last November, and since then visits to the library have doubled and over 500 new library cards have been issued. The library is located at 9091 Rt. 22 in Hillsdale, approximately one-half mile south of the light at the intersection of Rts. 22 and 23.
WEDNESDAY AUDIO CLIPS
Click on title of each item to play audio mp3 clip.
• Joan Kutcher interview about Mountaintop Arboretum.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper on WGXC Afternoon Show. Joan Kutcher talks about summer activities at the Mountaintop Arboretum in Greene County.
• Patrick Milbourne and Sasha Chermayeff interview.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper, Richard Roth, and Tom Roe. Milbourne’s M Gallery in Catskill has an opening this Saturday for an exhibit, “Hudson Valley Art and Wine,” with art from Chermayeff.
• Peter Pehrson interview about proposed Hudson Food Co-Op.
Interview by Richard Roth and Ellen Thurston. Pehrson is spearheading efforts to bring a Hudson Food Co-Op, with a meeting June 14 at First Presbyterian Church in Hudson.
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, Chris Gibson, Roeliff Jansen Community Library
Gibson supports Ryan’s budget
Kinderhook’s Congressman Chris Gibson sits down for a long interview with the “All Politics is Local” column in the Post Star, and says he believes the plan proposed by Republican Congressman Paul Ryan will prove popular. “As it relates to the Republican budget, look, we’ve talked about this before. I support it because it’s pro-growth and it’s fiscally responsible,” Gibson says in the interview. “When you talk about Medicare — look the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) and the trustees of Medicare itself have said publicly that the program’s going to be broke in a decade. We’ve got the only proposal that saves Medicare.” Read the entire story in the Post Star.
Cuomo Q&A: ‘We’re making progress’
Rick Karlin reports from a press gaggle with Governor Andrew Cuomo at SUNY Stony Brook Wed. June 1. With ten working days left before the legislature is scheduled to leave town, the question in Albany is will they reach deals on all the issues they are attempting to finalize. “We’re working on rent, ethics — all of these matters are being discussed,” the Governor told the assembled reporters. “We do not have a three-way agreement yet on these issues — not on ethics, not on rent. We announced a three way agreement on a property tax cap, and we’re working through the details. … I’m optimistic that we are going to have accomplishments by the end of the session. … People make decisions when they have to make a decisions.” Read the entire story in Capitol Confidential, the political blog of the Albany Times-Union.
State Senator Steve Saland with Hudson school Superintendent Jack Howe at the Hudson Children's Book Festival. Photo from Saland's website.
State Senator Steve Saland, who represents Columbia County, got a bill through the New York State Senate Wed. June 1. S4921-2011, “Prohibits bullying on school property and enacts the “Law to Encourage the Acceptance of All Differences (LEAD).” The bill now heads to the Assembly and then perhaps the Governor unless someone stands up against it.
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, Chris Gibson, Steve Saland
Nomad market finds home on Church St.
Doron Tyler Antrimreports in the Daily Mail that the Catskill Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday, April 11 to relocate the community’s seasonal farmers market to the county parking lot along Church Street, perpendicular to where it was last year. The move is a change of opinion since Saturday, when village officials met and agreed the market would remain on Main Street this year, although with a new look. It was decided it would be unsafe to have traffic and kids events simultaneously. The proposal now needs approval from the Greene County Legislature.
Word from the BOE Meeting
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown was the first to report on the June 11 Hudson City School District Board of Education meeting, noting how they voted to accept the proposed budget, “which at $41,249,180 involves the elimination of 26 positions and a 9.8 increase in the tax levy.” Four board members–Emil Meister, Jeffrey Otty, Mary Daly, and Peter Merante–voted to accept the budget; three–Peter Meyer, Elizabeth Fout, and Peter Rice–voted against accepting it. “When asked by an audience member what would happen if the voters rejected the budget, three options were explained: (1) the BOE could propose the same budget for a second vote; (2) the BOE could further reduce the budget and propose a new budget; (3) the BOE could go directly to contingency, which would mean that the budget now proposed would be the budget, since a 9.8 percent increase is within the parameters allowed bu the state for a contingency budget.” We will have more from this event, with audio, in the coming hours.
Lawsuit could slow Greenport Crossings project
John Mason of the Register-Star reports that despite receiving an unprecedented 20-year tax abatement agreement from the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency,the Greenport Crossing complex is facing a $1.5 million lawsuit. “Developer Harbalwant Singh, in the midst of a brownfield cleanup, said he has decided to forgive both the parties named in the suit and will be dropping it,” Mason writes. Singh sued the man he bought the property from for allegedly lying to him about environmental factors on the property. He now says he will forgive the lie and drop his lawsuit so development can proceed.
Drilling foes make point
Brian Nearing reports on the April 11 anti-fracking rally in Albany in the Times Union, noting that “several hundred people descended on the state Capitol to urge lawmakers to reject horizontal hydrofracking, which delivers a high-pressure mix of water, chemicals and sand to free natural gas trapped in shale formations deep underground.” He observed the presence of Josh Fox, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Gasland,” among a crowd of about 450 people who had signed up to lobby lawmakers against horizontal hydrofracking. The drilling technique remains under study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A decision on rules to control the practice could be released sometime this summer after about three years of study… “Also Monday, the gas industry — which defends the process as safe — wrote to the governor to ask that he speed up the DEC review,” Nearing continues. “The state, the industry says, is missing revenue available in states that allow the process, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.” “New York cannot afford to allow protests rooted in misinformation to halt the tremendous economic development activity that awaits our state,” wrote Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York, which represents about 400 energy companies. Also, several Democratic state lawmakers on Monday announced a package of proposals, from an outright ban on hydrofracking to strict controls on the chemicals, some toxic, used in the process as well the large amounts of tainted wastewater that hydrofracking creates.
Gibson calls economy a bipartisan problem
Michael Ryan reports in the Daily Mail that U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson of Kinderhook, R-20th, called the economy “a bipartisan problem” during his town hall meeting in Windham on April 11, where he was joined by State Senator James Seward, R-Milford. Asked to respond to the nuclear power plant emergency in earthquake ravaged Japan and the role of nuclear power in America, the congressman reiterated that he remains a proponent of nuclear power… “when it is done right.” “I strongly support all renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geo-thermal but at the end of the day, when you realistically look at what we consume as a nation, I say let the science go forward,” he said. “If a community doesn’t want nuclear, it shouldn’t be forced on them. There are communities that will want it.”
Gasoline prices continue upward surge
The Daily Freeman notes what we all have noticed: average retail gasoline prices in New York have risen 8.8 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.92 per gallon on April 10. This compares with the national average, which increased 7.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.74, according to gasoline price websiteNewYorkStateGasPrices.com. Including the change in gas prices in New York during the past week, prices April 10 were 95.4 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 18.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 21 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 87.2 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.
Close the creek?
Following up on his own story, Colin DeVries of the Daily Mail writes that area sportsmen have called for a 45-day stay on fishing the Catskill Creek in order to save the fish’s sensitive spawning habitat. Six men were charged with illegally catching walleye there earlier this month and Walter Bennett, president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Greene County, addressed county lawmakers on April 11, urging support to close a section of Catskill Creek from March 16 to April 30. Walleye season is from the first Saturday in May through March 15 of the following year.
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, anti-fracking, Brad Gill, Catskill Creek closing, Catskill Farmers' Market, Chris Gibson, Columbia County Industrial Development Agency, Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Greene County, gas prices, Greenport Commons, Harbalwant Singh, Hudson City School District, Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York, James Seward, Josh Fox, nuclear power, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, protests, walleye
Panel: Act now on health care reform planning
Barbara Pinckney of the Albany Business Review reports on a Friday, April 8 Power Breakfast on health care reform put on by the publication that featured Maggie Moree, director of federal affairs for the Business Council of New York State, James Connolly, CEO of Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, and Dr. John Bennett, CEO of Capital District Physicians Health Plan in Albany. All agreed that it was time to take the new law seriously, despite political and legal challenges. Moree said employers need to plan now for new W2 rules, Medicaid tax changes and other provisions scheduled to take effect over the next few years. “As business owners you are part of the solution,” Bennett said. “All care is local. You will solve this problem with us.” He later added that rate increases will mirror the rise in medical costs—just as they did before the reform act. The reform act itself, he said, did nothing to control medical costs. Connolly said businesses need to stop thinking of health care as a “purchasing decision” and start investing in employee wellness and become engaged in looking at the data for their workers, to know what their employees are consuming and how much it costs. About 250 businesspeople were in attendance.
Division mirrors House
Leigh Hornbeck writes in the Times Union about the ways in which two local congressmen have been offering starkly different narratives on the possibility of federal shutdown. U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, voted Thursday in favor of a GOP-backed continuing resolution that would fund the Department of Defense for the rest of the fiscal year while cutting current spending by $12 billion. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, voted against the measure, which passed 247-181. “Rather than pointing fingers, I want to see us come to an agreement. I don’t want to see either side dig in so we shut down the government,” Gibson said. But then he pointed fingers, noting how, “the last Congress didn’t make a single cut.” Tonko countered by pointing out that the previous Congress made $41 billion in cuts during the lame-duck session at the end of 2010 and have proposed $33 billion in additional reductions that are now on the table. “We have moved three-quarters of the way toward their original request” for $100 billion in cuts, said Tonko. “You don’t get everything you want at the negotiating table.” Tonko said Republicans were guilty of “moving the goal line” due to “the reckless, insensitive and extreme response from the tea party…. It’s not about the numbers, it’s about politics — petty, partisan politics.”
Catskill man charged with sexual abuse of 4-year-old
Colin DeVries reports in the Daily Mail on a 28-year-old Catskill village man charged with sexually abusing a 4-year-old Catskill girl. Peter J. Lentz was arrested after the Catskill Police Department received information that Lentz had been abusing the girl over a period of time. In the midst of a longer investigation, Lentz was found in possession of a substantial amount of child pornography on personal computers, police said. He faces a charge of first-degree sexual abuse, a class D felony, and possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child, a class E felony. Lentz was arraigned before Athens Town Justice James Robinson and remanded to the Greene County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash and $50,000 bond.
ITW to bring 25 new jobs to Millerton
Whitney Joseph, editor of The Millerton News, writes that a new business moving into the Route 22 corridor will bring two dozen new jobs to the WGXC listening area. ITW, or Illinois Tool Works, Inc., will be expanding its local presence from a current Lakeville, CT plant by opening a second operation in a 25,000-square-foot space at Arnoff Moving and Storage on Route 22, just south of the Columbia County line. The ITW division that is moving to Millerton will be producing “seating components for the automotive industry,” according to a press release. They are expecting to hire 25 local workers.
Tags: arrest, Business Council of New York State, Chris Gibson, government shutdown, healthcare, ITW, new jobs, Paul Tonko, sexual abuse
Rep. Chris Gibson at Chatham Middle School, at town meeting March 23. Photo by Tom Roe.
Tags: Chris Gibson, town meetings
Hannaford in New Lebanon is a go
Gail Heinsohn of the Chatham Courier reports that Hannaford Bros. announced in a press release on March 31 that it has reached a compromise with the state Department of Transportation and will be proceeding with the building of a supermarket/pharmacy in the town. The area to be served by the Hannafords has no nearby supermarket.
Fatal accident on Thruway near Catskill
Lissa Harris at The Watershed Post writes about the fatal accident on the Thruway Friday night, April 1, that closed northbound lanes between Catskill and Coxsaxkie for several hours. A New Jersey man was killed when his car, which was stopped in the northbound passing lane on the New York State Thruway, was struck from behind by a New York City driver. Investigation of the collision is ongoing.
Prison break
Carole Osterink has a story about the front page news from Saturday night, when a prisoner escaped from the Hudson Correctional Facility. “A reliable source reported that shortly before 11 p.m., the Catskill side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge was teeming with state troopers who were checking all the cars coming from the east side of the river,” Osterink writes. “On our side of the river, there were roadblocks on both Route 9G and Route 9 entering Hudson.” She goes on to note that “a Gosspis reporter” observed the escaped convict on Route 9 near Ten Broeck Lane, where he was surrounded by police and handcuffed.
Knott intends to seek supervisor post in Stuyvesant
John Mason reports in the Register-Star that Stuyvesant Town Councilman Ron Knott has announced that he’s challenging fellow Republican Valerie Bertram for the town supervisor position she first won in 2003. Unofficial word is that Bertram has decided not to run for another term. Democratic Party Chairwoman Lee Jamison, who lost to Bertram by “eight or 10 votes,” in 2009, said she has been thinking about running again. Knott, a former planning board member who was also involved in comprehensive planning for Stuyvesant, said he has no intention of seeking the Democrats’ backing.
Gibson: Nuclear only one option
It seems that Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, is backtracking somewhat form his pro-nuclear stance of the past months. Gibson spokeswoman Stephanie Valle told the Register-Star this week that the congressman is not focused on any one solution to the energy shortage. John Mason’s story includes reporting on a recent teleconference from NYPIRG on newly unclosed dangers and hidden leaks at a host of U.S. nuclear plants, including Indian Point further down the Hudson River at the north end of the Tappan Zee.
Tags: Chris Gibson, escaped convict, fatal accident, Hannafords, Indian Point, Lee Jamison, nuclear power, prison break, Ron Knott, state DOT, Thruway, town supervisor race, Valerie Bertram
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- Rep. Chris Gibson at Chatham Middle School, at town meeting March 23. Photo by Tom Roe.
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- Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin at Chatham Middle School.
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- Assemblyman Marc Molinaro at Chatham Middle School. Photo by Tom Roe.
Click here to listen to the entire town meeting from the WGXC broadcast.
Click here to listen to an interview with Rep. Chris Gibson after the meeting.
Late season snow leads to accidents
Mid Hudson News Network reports how snow accumulated fast in the region Monday morning with slippery conditions resulting in vehicles sliding on road surfaces. Route 23 from Route 32 to Route 23B in the Town of Cairo was closed at mid-morning due to an auto crash. It has since been re-opened. The precipitation is supposed to ease up and stop later in the day.
A Big Week for Public Hearings
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown has a story up on two Columbia County public hearings this coming week. On Wednesday morning, March 23, at 9:30 a.m., the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency will be hearing views on Greenport Crossings, a project including an 80-room Comfort Suites hotel and a family entertainment center proposed for the site of the old V&O plant on Route 66 in Greenport. The developers are seeking a 100 percent property tax abatement for twenty years. Public comments can relate to the financial assistance sought by the project or the nature and location of the project. The public hearing takes place at Greenport Town Hall, at the end of Town Hall Drive, off Healy Boulevard. Then, on Thursday, March 24, at 6 p.m., the Hudson Historic Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing on the new residential building project proposed for the corner of Union and First streets by Eric Galloway’s Galvan Partners. This public hearing takes place at City Hall.
Area home sales tumble, but prices stable
The Times Union’s Business Editor Eric Anderson reports that sales of new and existing single-family houses fell 20 percent in February in and around the Capital Region, according to a new Greater Capital Association of Realtors report released March 21. But the average and median sale prices both edged higher. The median price, the point at which half the houses sold for more and half for less, rose 1 percent to $185,500, its highest point since 2008. The average price rose 2 percent to $211,437. The data come from an 11-county area including the Capital Region.
New Lebanon Town Board Action – The Robert Mittnight Jr. Court Case
Thaddeus Flint of the Eastwick Press reports that a New Lebanon man ordered to remove materials from his Route 20 yard or face fines and possible jail time came before the town board to plead his case but was told they can’t reverse court actions. In other local business, it seems recent floods have harmed an historic Shaker-built stone bridge that the town wants the nearby Shaker Museum to take the lead on fixing.
Gibson: ‘Not the time’ for U.S. action in Libya
The TImes Union reports that Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, released a strongly worded statement on Monday, March 21, opposing U.S. involvement in the international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya. “Now is not the time to take on new missions,” said Gibson, who will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting at the Chatham High School this Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Tags: Chris Gibson, Greenport Crossings, Libya, Route 23, snow
Village elections in Columbia and Greene counties
Four Columbia County and five Greene County villages hold elections today, from 11:00 am or noon to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Most races have no challengers, but look for action as candidates face off in Chatham, Philmont and Tannersville.
Replacement for Frey could be named
The Daily Mail’s Colin DeVries reports that Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh is saying that a new Greene County legislator for Durham could be appointed at the legislature’s meeting on Wednesday, March 16. The county legislature’s District 9 seat has been vacant since former legislator Sean Frey resigned effective Jan 31. Any appointment is contingent on approval by the full legislature, which currently holds an 8-5 Republican majority after Frey’s resignation, and will be up for a special election in November.
In wake of Japanese nuclear crisis, Riverkeeper calls for shut down of Indian Point
Mid Hudson News Network writes that Hudson Riverkeeper Paul Gallay told a special session of the Westchester County Legislature’s Environment and Energy Committee on March 14 that the Indian Point nuclear power plant should be shut down until it can be scientifically proven that it could withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The session was called in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions in Japan that began last Friday. Gallay said more study must be done immediately into the “what if’s” at Indian Point.
Gibson maintains support of nuclear power
The Register-Star is running a story about a conference call on March 14 where Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, told reporters that he remains a big promoter of nuclear energy, even as Japan struggles with radiation releases from plants crippled by last week’s earthquake and tsunami. “I want this done and I want it done safely,” Gibson said of his push to build more nuclear facilities in the United States. “We’re not looking at building your father’s nuclear power plant.” Gibson is proposing two new nuclear plants for the Hudson Valley, one north of Albany and the other in Greene County south of Catskill.
Schools bank, spend more of reserves
Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union reports that Capital Region schools districts, including those in Columbia and Greene Counties, have more money in their reserve accounts than the state average, but more of them are raiding their reserve funds than other districts in the state. The comptroller’s survey found Capital Region schools — in Albany, Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Columbia, Greene, Warren and Washington counties — have an average of 11.7 percent of their overall budget in reserve. The statewide average was 10.8 percent, the report found. But Capital Region schools tapped their reserves last year at a higher-than-average rate. The reserve figure went down in 23.2 percent of local districts, compared with 20.5 percent statewide. DiNapoli’s report concluded that, examining 22 indicators of fiscal health, Capital Region schools fared better than others around the state. Because of a more precipitous decline in property tax values, districts on Long Island and in the mid-Hudson Valley were hit hardest.
Greene lawmakers consider delinquent tax installment plan
Ariel Zangla Girard of the Daily FReeman reports that Greene County lawmakers are considering a proposal allowing eligible property owners to pay their delinquent taxes in installments over a two-year period, but only after signing an installment agreement to avoid foreclosure. Under the agreement, taxpyers would be required to pay 25 percent of the total bill up front and make quarterly payments on the balance of the delinquent amount. Additionally, property owners would be required to remain current on all new taxes assessed on the property or the county would begin the foreclosure process again. Interest charges would also be included…
Tags: Chris Gibson, delinquent taxes, foreclosure, nuclear power, reserves, Riverkeeper, school budgets
On The Air
WGXC is on 90.7-FM now, at full-power, 3300 watts. We cover all parts of Greene County except parts of the mountaintop, and all of Columbia County except for a bit of Western Columbia County south of Germantown. WGXC also covers a large part of southern Albany County. We have heard reports that the signal is getting from Delaware County to Great Barrington, from Selkirk to Saugerties, from Pine Plains to the I-90 extension.
Local weather/webcams
National Weather Service, Albany
Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page
When the computer is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information in Harlemville. Check dates and times to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was turned off.
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