Scripts and sounds for WGXC radio hosts to play on the WGXC Morning Show or WGXC Afternoon Show. Breaking news, features, local audio, video, analysis, music, links to events in Greene and Columbia counties, NY. www.wgxc.org
Baby Atlantic sturgeon, which could grow to as much as 14 feet and 800 pounds over 60 years. From Hudson Riverkeeper Facebook page.
Juliet Eilperin in The Washington Post reports that the Atlantic sturgeon made the endangered species list Wed., Feb. 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service listed the New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic populations as endangered, and the Gulf of Maine population as threatened. Hudson Riverkeeper’s Facebook page says there are under 1,000 of the endangered species left in the Hudson River:
“Riverkeeper commends the National Marine Fisheries Service for taking this critical step to protect one of the Hudson River’s iconic species. Atlantic sturgeon are magnificent, long-lived creatures which have been an integral part of the Hudson River ecosystem for millennia, but have suffered terribly from overfishing, habitat destruction and power plant intakes, decimating their numbers.”
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>
Kristi Berner in The Columbia Paper reports that Fran Martino of the Greater Stockport Creek Watershed Alliance says her organization tested water at 35 locations in the watershed last summer, “and that 21 of them were rated ‘unacceptable’ due to excess pathogens, which included fecal matter from animals and humans,” Berner’s report said. The Stockport Creek Watershed is the second largest tributary to the Hudson River, starting in the Berkshires. The alliance is looking for volunteers to help with future tests and with stream cleanup and tree planting, among other things. For more information visit the website www.stockportwatershed.com.
Drivers can expect higher tolls on five Hudson River bridges, according to several reports (including this one in today’s Times Herald Record. The New York State Bridge Authority holds a public hearing at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel; Lobby Fl., 40 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, about the plan and, barring any significant objection, will adopt it the following Thursday, Dec. 22. The toll hike, from $1 to $1.25 with E-Z Pass, and $1.50 with cash on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and four other Hudson River crossings, would go into effect Jan. 30. For more info on the plan, the public hearing and the bridges where tolls are going to rise, visit the Bridge Authority’s website: http://www.nysba.state.ny.us/
Tom Casey in the Register-Star reports that Wednesday evening, the Hudson Common Council passed the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and several amendments to local laws at a special meeting at City Hall. The Council voted 9-1 to pass the measures, with only Third Ward Alderman (and WGXC volunteer) Ellen Thurston voting against. “I think the city has gained a real advantage by the zoning, by the ability to begin to consider development, (and) to pursue grants,” said Common Council President Don Moore, according to Casey’s report in the newspaper. Tim O’Connor expressed his disdain for the process from the audience, “asking the council what would happen when “the state rejects the findings statement on the GEIS,” Casey reported O’Conner saying. “I supposed you’ll just move forward with it anyway,” said O’Connor. “You just dig the hole and you get the permit later, that’s what I think is going to happen.” Casey says those comments, “sparked a short shouting match between O’Connor and several of the aldermen until the meeting was adjourned.” Read the full story in the Register-Star.
The GEIS Findings Statement for the Hudson waterfront plan is now on the City of Hudson website here.Carole Osterink at The Gossips of Rivertown blog reported Wednesday that Hudson Common Council President Don Moore announced at the Tue., Oct. 18 council meeting that there was a unexplained “snag,” which prevented the GEIS Findings Statement from being presented that night to the alderman for review before a vote. “He proposed a special meeting on Thursday, October 27, for the Council to review the Findings Statement,” Osterink wrote. Read the full story in The Gossips of Rivertown.
Durham Elementary location of possible charter school
The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) reports that this Tuesday, October 4, the Cairo-Durham Central School District is holding a first meeting to consider turning Durham Elementary into a charter school. Three administrators, four teachers, and six parents have formed a “Parents Choice Charter School” committee to consider the idea. The meeting is at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Cairo-Durham High School, 1301 Route 145, in Durham. The next Cairo-Durham Board of Education meeting is Thu. Oct. 13.
West Nile Virus confirmed in Albany County
The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer reports that the Albany County Department of Health says an adult over the age of 60 contracted West Nile Virus in Albany County, the first ever in that county. Mosquitoes deliver the disease to humans, and there are more mosquitoes in our area than usual, as we have excessive rain since before Hurricane Irene blew through.
Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration & Sailing Society becomes non-profit Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration & Sailing Society Inc., a local group led by Louise E. Bliss that’s attempting to restore the Sloop Eleanor, has been granted official non-profit status, and has a website. Sloop Eleanor is currently protected from the weather at 191 23 B, Hudson. The group will have an information tent set up this Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hudson’s Henry Hudson Waterfront Park, to answer questions about the project.
One month left to register for FEMA aid
The Daily Mail reports that New Yorkers affected by Hurricane Irene have four weeks to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for federal disaster assistance. Oct. 31, 2011 is the deadline. “Registration keeps open the possibility of a wide range of assistance,” said Philip E. Parr, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. “If your insurance coverage comes up short, or other damage appears later, you need to be registered for us to help.” To register, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
New York sports
In baseball, the New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers Sunday, bringing their best-of-five playoff series to a one-to-one tie. Game three is tonight in Detroit. In football, the New York Jets were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens Sunday 34-17. The New York Giants beat the Arizona Cardinals 31-27, and the New England Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders 31-19.
Hudson gets nation’s first Animal Welfare-approved restaurant
William M. Dowd reports in examiner.com that Grazin’, the diner restaurant that opens Saturday, Oct. 1 at 717 Warren St. in Hudson, is the first restaurant in the nation to be an Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) operation. “That means it is first in the U.S. to use only meat, eggs and dairy products certified by the AWA organization. Restaurants can earn the designation only if all such products are from AWA-approved farms,” Dowd writes. Grazin’ is owned by Dan and Susan Gibson and his family own also operate Angus Acres farm in Ghent. The menu includes eight different burgers, all made using their local grass-fed cows. Read the entire story in examiner.com. (h/t The Gossips of Rivertown)
An island unto himself
Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail that on Monday the U.S. Board of Geographic Names approved a proposal to name a Hudson River island after Catskill environmentalist Doug Bush. He, “fished the waters and contributed to the island’s preservation; it continues to be a home for bald eagles and other bird species,” according to Antrim. “My dad would be very proud that this went through,” said Catskill Village President Vincent Seeley, whose late father Jeff was a childhood friend of Bush, who died in 2001. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
DEC issues draft regulations for high-volume hydraulic fracturing
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Wednesday, Sept. 28, issued draft regulations for high-volume hydraulic fracturing based on the proposed requirements contained in the agency’s revised draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement released earlier this month, and also announced four public hearings for citizens to air their views on the issue. The hearings will be held:
• Nov. 16: Dansville Middle School Auditorium, 31 Clara Barton St., Dansville, NY 14437
• Nov. 17: The Forum Theatre, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901
• Nov. 29: Sullivan County Community College, Seelig Theatre, 112 College Rd, Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759
• Nov. 30: Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007
Each public hearing will have an afternoon and an evening session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., respectively. Comments will be accepted in written and oral format at the hearings. Once the comment period is complete Dec. 12, DEC will review the comments on the revised draft SGEIS and proposed regulations and prepare responses to be released with the final SGEIS and final regulations. No permits for high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be issued until the SGEIS is finalized and DEC issues the required Findings Statement. Comments can be submitted online at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/76838.html or by mail to:
Attn: dSGEIS Comments
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-6510
Dilan: GOP is dragging its feet on prison gerrymandering
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union’s political blog, reports that Senate Republicans are challenging the constitutionality of a 2010 law to count prisoners at their last known address instead of their jail cells. A hearing before Albany County Supreme Court Justice Eugene Devine will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4. During a phone interview with the Albany Times Union on Wednesday, Sept. 28, New York State Senator Martin Dilan, D-Brooklyn, alleged Senate Republicans are dragging their feet crunching the new prison counts:
“The Senate majority staff, in the background, has been doing everything behind the scenes to make sure people don’t get counted,” said Dilan. “Publicly they’re saying one thing and behind closed doors they’re doing another. The Assembly has been doing a very good job at trying to geocode and put everyone back in place, but I was informed by my staff was that the majority’s executive director was saying nobody should be counted. They’re not moving forward toward proper geocoding. They’re just looking not to do it.”
Tune in Hudson Common Council
Monday night the Hudson Common Council held a Special Meeting about the LWRP — the proposed waterfront development plan — at the Hudson Central Fire Station and Dan Udell was there to record it for WGXC. The public did not get the opportunity to speak to their representatives at the meeting, but the public can hear the meeting at 4 a.m. early Friday morning, Sept. 30 on WGXC 90.7-FM. The Hudson Common Council passed the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program at the meeting. Click here to listen to the recording of the entire meeting
The State of Education in Hudson
Carole Osterink in The Gossips of Rivertown breaks down standardized test scores for the Hudson City School District, and finds them, “mediocre at best.” She sums up another story:
Think about the lackluster performance of HCSD students when you read Audra Jornov’s report in the Register-Star on the continuing stalemate with the Hudson Teachers’ Association: “HCSD board: Speed up talks.” The teachers’ contract expired on June 30, and the teachers’ union has not agreed to schedule a meeting to resume contract talks until October 12. In May, the HTA rejected a salary freeze that could have saved five or six teaching positions. In a report released in June by the Albany Business Review, HCSD ranked 10th highest in teacher pay among the 93 school districts included in the study, with a median salary of $60,997.
Catskill to teach Mandarin Chinese
Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail that Catskill High School will soon offer Mandarin Chinese language instruction. “Catskill has been invited to participate in a New York State initiative to bring native speakers to New York to teach high school students Mandarin,” Catskill Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Farrell said to The Daily Mail, “and to introduce the language to middle and elementary school students…. The State Education Department will accredit Chinese teachers so high school students will earn course credit, and may use Mandarin to meet foreign language requirements for graduation.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
Riverkeeper warns of sewage pollution, swimming risks in the Hudson
The Daily Freeman reports that environmental group Riverkeeper says that swimming in the Hudson River is unsafe 21 percent of the time because of pollution from sewage, and the section of the river between Catskill and Bear Mountain was cited as particularly problematic. Riverkeeper released a report based on water samples from the Hudson River. The report said that most of the time the river is relatively clean. “That would certainly not have been the case a few years ago,” said Andrew Jule of Columbia University, one of two scientists who took part in the study. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.
Cuomo talks to reporters
Governor Cuomo spoke to reporters Wed., Aug. 10 in this video, courtesy of Kyle Hughes at NYSNYS.com, about proposed Port Authority toll hikes, and the CSEA contract vote, and other issues.
One of the biggest mountain biking events in the world will be happening in Greene County this weekend: The 2011 Mountain Bike UCI World Cup. The most formidable bikers from around the globe will gather at Windham Mountain Saturday and Sunday to jockey down rocky slopes and blow through mud puddles. The race — the 7th in the 2011 World Cup series — is the core of a four days of biking events, including a block party, a concert, and a race for kids. If you can’t make it in person, you can watch the races live on the Race Windham website right from your couch. Windham NY 2011 Mountain Bike World Cup Festival, July 7 – July 10, Windham Mountain, Windham, NY. www.racewindham.com.
Hinchey, Gillibrand renew effort to get national park designation for region
The Daily Freeman staff reports that U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who represents the Hudson River Valley just south of the WGXC listening area, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have reintroduced legislation to make the “Hudson River Valley” part of the National Park system. “Under such a distinction, the region would benefit from greater national attention, additional federal resources to support and preserve heritage sites and increased regional tourism, all of which would contribute to job creation and economic growth, the congressman and senator said in a joint press release issued by Hinchey’s office,” the Freeman story says. “The Hudson River Valley is truly one of America’s richest treasures,” Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in the statement. “From the Adirondacks to the busy ports of New York City, the Hudson River fuels our economy, inspires our artists, and provides New Yorkers with miles of adventure and endless recreation.” Areas along the Hudson River in Columbia and Greene counties are included in the proposal. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.
Cement plant clears first important hurdle
Hilary Hawke in The Daily Mail reports that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has accepted the Final Environmental Impact Statement from the Lafarge Cement Plant in Ravena as complete. After a ten-day waiting period, the DEC can release a “Findings Statement,” and according to Hawke’s story Lafarge is eager to get started on the plant modernization if approved. The story suggests “project construction which could start as early as fall of 2011 with grounds preparation, grading and drainage.” Hawke outlines the timeline in the company’s efforts to modernize the plant:
• Aug. 2008: DEC accepted the Lafarge Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
• Nov. 2010: Public comment and a legislative hearing was held in January, 2011.
• Jan. 2011: Legislative hearing.
• April, 2011: DEC sent the document to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a mandatory 45-day review, which ended in mid-June. According to a Lafarge Environmental Manager John Reagan, the EPA provided no further comments.
The new plant’s production would increase from roughly 1.7 million tons currently to 2.8 million tons each year. The article also provides links to Lafarge and DEC documents on the matter, but failed to link to CASE, the local environmental watchdog group that has often been critical of the company. Read the story in The Daily Mail.
Village may find water’s cost hard to swallow
Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that Chatham Village is about to get a $2.3-million sewer upgrade that will cost residents $90 more a year on their water bill. At the town’s Public Works committee meeting last week, Teasdale also reports that the village reservoir leaks about 50,000 gallons of water a day, according the Pat Prendergrast, the village engineer. And the water tower leaks. Prendergrast suggested to the committee that the village close the reservoir. He asked village officials to look at “your long term plan for your 48-year-old water tower and your reservoir that nobody likes.” Water and Sewer Commissioner George Grant defended the reservoir, saying, “This reservoir had been good to us since 1907,” and then weighed in on the tower: “If we maintain it and coat it every 10 years like we were supposed to it would last for another 30 to 40 years,” he said. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
Claverack skate park
The Town of Claverack wants to build a skate park in the town on an already installed foundation. Anyone who wants to make a bid on the project can contact the town (518-672-7911) for more details, but must have four printed copies and a PDF at Town offices at 91 Church St. in Mellenville, by 10 a.m. July 22.
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.
Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports that the businesses around Athens have a new look since July 1: they are adorned with dozens of lighthouses, mermaids, buried treasure, and other assorted sea creatures. The “Athens Lighthouse Project” is the brainchild of Deputy Mayor Herman Reinhold who wanted to do in Athens a version of the public art projects being done around the region — the cats in Catskill, bears in Cairo and dogs in Hudson, and the Rip van Winkles in Windham, just to name a few. Artists around Athens have been busy creating their own version of the lighthouse, which is a nod to the Hudson-Athens Lighthouseconstructed in 1873 on Middle Ground Flats on the Hudson River between the two towns. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
A sampling of lighthouses in the Athens Lighthouse Project. You can see close-up photos of each lighthouse at the website (click on image).
Hudson street stories
Hudson is making it easier to park in town on the weekends this summer, but perhaps more difficult for anyone with several parking tickets. Hudson Common Council President Don Moore announced Thursday that the City of Hudson is suspending alternate side of the street parking regulations on weekends from 8 p.m. Fridays to 8 p.m. Sundays beginning July 1 and lasting until October 31, 2011. Moore says that since the reason for alternate side parking is to clean the streets, and since the city does not clean the streets in the summer on weekends, why not eliminate the regulation. In the winter months, crews often do plow on weekends, so the policy will be revisted after Election Day. Thursday at 4 p.m. Hudson holds a public hearing to consider a new law, “authorizing the installation of a boot security device on vehicles with unpaid parking tickets.”
Police, city dispute pay for snow day
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports that the city of Hudson and the Hudson Police Department are in arbitration to settle a contractual dispute over pay for two snowy winter days in December. “On December 27, 2010, a county-issued winter weather state of emergency resulted in the closing of City Hall and a day off for “nonessential” city employees. The same situation occurred on February 2 of this year, during a Columbia County-issued snow emergency. HPD officers did not receive either day off, and now they would like to be compensated two additional days worth of pay for working on days other city employees had off,” Larson writes. Hudson Mayor Richard Scalera does not agree; hence the arbitration. Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Berkshire Taconic awards Hudson Opera House $10,000 Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced Wed., June 29 that it is awarding the Hudson Opera House $10,000 as part of its Berkshire Taconic Capitalization Initiative to address the economic challenges facing arts and cultural organizations. The Opera House also gets to work with the consulting firm TDC to create long term strategic financial plans (valued at $43,000) that, “link the organization’s mission to the realities of the environment.” “The Capitalization Award comes at a vital moment for the Hudson Opera House,” said Opera House CEO Gary Shiro. “Despite some funding reductions, we have successfully expanded our programs and are poised for our greatest leap yet as we finish the restoration and move toward opening the second floor auditorium. I know the expert guidance that will come our way through this award will help insure that HOH is an arts center that is sustainable for the long term.”
DEC alters Hudson River baitfish rules
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Wed., June 29 changes to state regulations that formerly banned the overland transport of uncertified baitfish by anglers, including baitfish that were personally collected. The new rules allow for the overland transport of personally-collected baitfish within three specified transportation corridors, including the Hudson River from the Federal Dam at Troy to the Tappan Zee Bridge. The baitfish must be used in the same water body from which they are collected. New York’s current fish health regulations were established shortly after Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) was first confirmed in New York waters in May, 2006 in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. VHS is a disease that causes hemorrhaging of the fish’s tissues, including internal organs. There is no known cure for VHS. In June 2007, DEC finalized regulations to help prevent the spread of VHS and other fish diseases into New York’s inland waters. See the new rules on the DEC’s website.
Empire State Baseball League
13U Coxsackie Owlz 12 – N. Colonie Shakers 2
The 13U Coxsackie Owlz (9-1, 11-3) beat the N.Colonie Shakers 12-2 Tue., June 28. Caleb Davies went 3-4 with a two-run double. Also for the Owlz, Seaver Martin went 2-4 with an RBI double. Zach Girvin pitched his fourth win, giving up two runs on one hit, five walks with five strike outs.
McDonald is 31st vote for same-sex marriage
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that Tuesday New York State Senator Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, told the Times Union that he will vote for a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, becoming the 31st senator to say they will vote for the bill. It needs 32 votes to pass. “I’m trying to do the right thing,” he said. “Rather than wait I worked with the governor…I’m not out to alienate anybody…. It’s my own evolution…. I think there’s going to be a vote on Friday.” He voted against the bill in the Senate in 2009 and in the Assembly in 2007. The Conservative Party says it will pull its endorsement from any senator that votes to legalize same-sex marriage. McDonald has run on the party’s line in the past. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential, the Times-Union’s political blog.
A Resolution to Oppose
Carole Osterink reports in The Gossips of Rivertown from Monday’s Hudson Common Council meeting, and captures the the essence of the discussion about a proposed resolution opposing Columbia County’s efforts to moving many social services to the former Wal-Mart building in Greenport. She reports:
• Fourth Ward Supervisor Bill Hughes alleged that the county is “in a feverish rush and cutting corners” because “they didn’t notify Concra that they wanted to extend the lease” on 25 Railroad Avenue and are now desperate to relocate the Department of Social Services as soon as possible and that the building, “has a fifteen-year life expectancy, and it’s now seventeen years old.” He also said that the $16 million cost to buy the building and convert it represents a 1.7 percent increase in the tax levy and if the proposed two percent tax cap goes into effect, it would leave only an additional .3 percent to meet the county’s rising costs.
• First Ward Alderman Geeta Cheddie said the move would, “free up some pretty nice buildings in Hudson.”
• Third Ward Alderman Ellen Thurston said that the current lack of adequate transportation to the site was a weak argument against the move because “it can be corrected.”
• Fifth Ward Alderman Robert “Doc” Donahue said, “We’re all going to vote yes, so why all this rhetoric?”
The council will vote on the resolution Tuesday, June 21, and the Walmart purchase comes before the Columbia County Board of Supervisors on July 11. Read the entire story in The Gossips of Rivertown.
Power line clears another NY hurdle
Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that the proposed 330-mile power line “Champlain-Hudson Power Express” from Canada to New York City, much of it in the Hudson River, was approved by the Department of State. Many other agencies must also sign off on the project, but the DOS ruled the project is consistent with the state’s coastal policies. DOS did mandate several changes, Planck reports, including the depth the cables are buried in the riverbed, how the line enters or leaves the water, the path in the river, and when the construction seasons will be performed, if Transmission Developers, Inc. updates all the project’s federal permit filings by July 8. The proposed line will re-enter the water three miles north of Coeymans, with the project’s original routing showing it near the middle of the river until just north of Coeymans, where it runs along the east shore until past New Baltimore. It then moves closer to the western shore past Catskill, except for a to get around Rattlesnake and Coxsackie islands. Just before Smith’s Landing in Catskill, it moves back to mid-river and stays there until well past the southern end of Columbia County. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.
Empire State Baseball League results
14U Coxsackie Owlz 8 – Bethlehem Bosox 7
14U Coxsackie Owlz 11 – Bethlehem Bosox 3
In the first game of a doubleheader sweep for the 14U Coxsackie Owlz (4-4), the Owlz open up a 7-0 lead and hold on for an 8-7 victory over the Bethlehem Bosox. Leading the way for the Owlz was Brian Ellis going 1-4 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Also Elliott Palmateer and Dylan Donovan each were 1-3 with an RBI. Sam Palmateer 1-1 and Zach Muller 1-4. Taylor LeClair gave up 3 hits and struck out five over 5 innings to earn the win. Muller got the final six outs to pick up a save. In the second game the Owlz pounded out 11 hits while beating the Bosox 11-3. Ben Palmateer lead the way this time going 3-3 with a double. Kyle Roberts 1-2 with a 2-run double. Matt McDonald 1-3 with 2 RBI’s. Seaver Martin 1-4 with an RBI double. Sean O’Connor 1-1 with an RBI. LeClair 2-3. Donovan was 1-2 with an RBI and Sam Palmateer 1-4 with an RBI. Zach Girvin went 6 innings to get the win giving up 6 hits with 3 strike outs. Muller closed out the final inning giving up 1 hit with 1 strike out.
Morning scores
New York Mets 4
Atlanta Braves 3
Texas Rangers 4
New York Yankees 12
Boston Red Sox 0
Tampa Bay Rays 4
Wednesday audio clips Click on the top line of each to play mp3 interview.
Cairo American Legion holds Memorial Day ceremony
WGXC recorded the Memorial Day Ceremony put on by the American Legion Mohican Post #983 from Cairo Mon. May 30 in Angelo Canna Park. Click here to listen to an mp3 recording of the ceremony.
Cairo American Legion Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. Photo by Tom Roe.
Crews at the ready, but Phase II of Hudson River dredging delayed by Spring flooding
Paul Post in The Saratogian reports General Electric’s dredging crews return upstream on the Hudson River this week, restarting a PCB cleanup project delayed this spring by Hudson River by nearly a month. “River flows need to come down on a sustained basis,” said Mark Behan, a GE spokesman, in the story. “There’s still fluctuations over the last day or so. We’re monitoring it daily.” GE must clean up 40 miles of river bottom from Fort Edward to Troy. The company discharged PCBs into the Hudson from the 1940s to 1977. In 2009 the company removed 283,000 cubic yards of PCB-laden sediment from the river. After studying that sediment, in December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported more than twice as many PCBs as originally predicted in the Hudson River. Read the full report in The Saratogian.
Stewart’s recalls some ice cream
The Columbia Paper reports that local Stewart’s Shops recalled 19 ice cream items manufactured in its Greenfield plant since May 19 because “foreign material” may have gotten in the ice cream. The following flavors, sizes and product codes may be affected: No Sugar Added, pint , 1136; Cookie Whirled, 3 gallon, 5/17/2011; Mint Chip, half gallon, 1137; Crumbs along the Mohawk, half gallon, 1137; Crumbs along the Mohawk, pint, 1138; Vanilla Chocolate, half gallon, 1138; Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, half gallon, 1139; Peanut Butter Pandemonium, half gallon, 1139; Rainbow Sherbet, 3 gallon, 5/20/2011; Rainbow Sherbet, half gallon, 5/20/2011; Chocolate Trifecta, half gallon, 1140; Chocolate, half gallon, 1143; Chocolate Marshmallow, half gallon, 1143; Black Cherry, pint, 1144; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, pint, 1144; Mint Cookie Crumble, 3 gallon, 5/24/2011; Mint Cookie Crumble, half gallon, 1144; Rainbow Sherbet, 3 gallon, 5/25/2011; Rainbow Sherbet, half gallon, 1145. “All of the above flavors were distributed in cartons or boxes bearing Plant #36-3918 directly to Stewart’s Shops in New York and southern Vermont. Anyone who has one or more of these items with the above mentioned product code, should return it to the shop where it was purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact Stewart’s Shops Consumer Affairs at (518) 581-1201 X 2130.,” the story reports. Read the full report in The Columbia Paper.
Pulcher out, successors line up
Mike McCagg in ccSCOOP reports Stockport Supervisor Leo Pulcher will not seek reelection in November because his wife has been battling a serious illness. “If I weren’t up for reelection, I would probably resign,” said Pulcher, who has held office for a decade. “Family comes first.” McCagg considers who might replace Pulcher, a discovers a startling statistic: “A vacancy on the Town Board earlier this year drew 13 applications, one for about every 220 residents in the town.” McCagg names board member Matt Murrell, Stockport fire chief Jeff Seymour, and Ernie Belanger, as those who might run for Pulcher’s seat. Read the whole story in ccScoop.
Cuomo expands ‘hydrofracking’ review NY1, The Associated Press, and many other outlets are reporting Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has ordered an expanded environmental review of proposed natural gas “hydro-fracking” in New York after an accident in Pennsylvania in April caused a well to leak chemically tainted water for two days, driving a handful of families from their homes. A leaked internal memo dated Friday said the Pennsylvania accident raised issues about the technology and extraction method, which has been assailed by some environmentalists as unsafe. Read the whole story at NY1.
Local water quality
It will be hot today, and you may consider getting in some body of water to cool off. Riverkeeper, the local water advocate group, has posted water quality tests for our area, and the first results went up May 19. All of the local tests show “unacceptable” water quality due to high enterococcus count. Heavy rains this spring have muddied local waters. (Clinical infections caused by Enterococcus include urinary tract infections, bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis, diverticulitis, and meningitis, according to Wikipedia.)
•Athens:
o Athens Sewage Treatment Plant Outfall (119 enterococcus count)
•Coxsackie:
o Coxsackie Waterfront Park (378)
o Gay’s Point midchannel (260)
•Catskill:
o Catskill Creek – East End (816)
o Catskill Creek – First Bridge (727)
o Catskill Creek Launch Ramp (147)
o Hudson Launch Ramp (238)
o Inbocht Bay (411)
Summer looks busy–and fun–for Ancram kids
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that Ancram’s summer camp program for youngsters was approved at its May 19 meeting. “Ruth Thomas, who will direct the program, said with an enrollment of 50 kids, she expects the program to make a $3,500 profit,” the reporter wrote. “Mrs. Thomas, the wife of Councilman Chris Thomas, asked the town for $2,500 up-front to buy a used tent, fix the basketball court and install a railing to help people negotiate a steep hill near the pool.” The program includes swimming lessons at the town pool, and run from July 5 through August 12, Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $65 for Town of Ancram residents and $75 for non-residents. Adrienne Citrin of the Ancramdale Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization said the group will provide two five-week scholarships for youngsters whose families can’t afford to pay. Ancram residents must register for the program at the Town Hall, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 4 or 11; non-residents register June 18. Potential campers must bring proof of residency and immunization records. Anyone with questions should contact Mrs. Thomas at (518) 329-7309. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.
Radio, Radio
Word of two new local radio stations coming on the air soon with local content. Well, one is new, and one returns to the airwaves. Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that WCKL returns to 560 AM at 6 a.m. June 15. “Our proposed programming will be family-oriented — everything from music to talk shows,” General Manager Brian Dodge of Ghent told the newspaper. “We’ll bring back some of the old things that WCKL used to do — like the Swap Shop, and the Talk of the Town, with people invited in.” The new station at Bard College, WLHV (88.1-FM), won’t be on the air for another year, but is kicking off its “fundraising and promotional campaign” June 3 at the Black Swan Pub in Tivoli with:
•TULiP members Raissa St. Pierre and Tim Davis spinning 78s
•Members of the dynamic ensemble Contemporaneous performing works for violin and clarinet
•Three readings by faculty in Bard’s Language and Thinking Program
•Punk band El Front performing a radio-themed set
•A radio theater performance by Douglas Stone
•Different Guns (Ben Fundis, John Rosenthal, and Sasha Pearl) performing an acoustic set
Hamlet expansion plan draws little comment
Michael Ryan in the Windham Journal writes an in-depth story about development in Windham that looks 40 years into the future as the town looks to expand now. Town board members recommended that 2,797 acres be added to the 1,148 acres set aside as off limits to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is buying land in the Catskills to protect the New York City watershed. Lands the DEP controls through fee simple or conservation easements are permanently restricted from development, and the Coalition of Watershed Towns, an advocacy group for towns and villages throughout the watershed, has a study that says the town of Windham has a land area of 29,009 acres, but might only have 1,100 acres of land that could be developed by 2048. As of July, 2009, the DEP had locked up 2,889 acres in Windham and could purchase an additional 2,127 acres between now and the end of 2022, if the current trend continues, the CWT report states. “If you are an ordinary landowner in this town, you are practically precluded from developing your land anyway by having to jump through all the [watershed regulatory] hoops, and what I want to know is will we be subjected to future regulations promulgated by this board?” said Stanley Christman, from Christman’s Windham House resort, at one of the public hearings about the land acquisitions. Read the whole story in the Windham Journal.
Columbia County’s population ages: Now the third oldest in NYS
Mike McCagg in ccSCOOP News reports the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 results show Columbia County’s median age is 45.3 years, the third-oldest median age in New York State. “The county’s median age is seven years older than the state median age of 38,” McCagg writes. “But, while the state’s median age grew by three years since the 2000 census, the median age of Columbia County’s population advanced five years in the past decade, up from 40-years-old at the turn of the century.” Those aged 45-49 accounted for 8.4 percent of the county population, as did those aged 50-54, and 55-59-years-olds made up 8 percent of the population. Those 60-64 made up 7.5 percent of the population. Of younger demographics, the 40-44 age group, with 6.9 percent, and the 15-to 19-year-old age group, with 6.6 percent of the population, led. The Associated Press reported last week that a NY1-YNN-Marist College poll finds one in three New Yorkers under age 30 plans to move to another state at some time, while one in four adults overall plans an exodus from the Empire State within five years.
Ethics panel reprimands councilman
Hilary Hawke in The Daily Mail reports that the Greene County Board of Ethics admonished New Baltimore Councilman Art Byas for violating the town’s code of ethics. From the story:
According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Town Attorney David Wukitsch read into the public record a letter from the county board censuring Byas. The letter was addressed to 11 New Baltimore complainants including the highway superintendent, the assistant highway superintendent, the town clerk, the town supervisor’s husband and six other town employees. It stated Byas obtained private information — social security numbers — of 54 town employees in an email. It went on to state Byas admitted to having the information and had refused to return or destroy it.
The story says county ethics board members say Byas did not respond to their questions and they had “no other choice” than to base their findings on a Nov. 24, 2010 Daily Mail article. Three New Baltimore councilmen, including Byas, wrote a letter to the editor of The Daily Mail published on Dec. 4, 2010, that claims the Nov. 24 article is full of inaccuracies. “How can the Greene County Board of Ethics issue a ruling based on an inaccurate article without making direct contact with me, or attempting to subpoena me?” Byas asks in The Daily Mail’s latest article on the subject. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.
Hudson River fishing report River Basin Sports in Catskill continues its striped bass contest, and continually updates its website with the latest fishing conditions. Its current report says:
“The river, at 57 degrees, is still running off color with plenty of debris floating down – gotta be careful out there!… Latest fishing reports we’ve received show the Kingston area to be on the slow side; Glasco flats, just to the south of Saugerties, has been good; Malden to Cheviot has been good; Germantown, very good; upper Catskill Creek (head of tidewater), excellent; Stockport, very good; 4 Mile Point to Coxsackie, excellent; New Baltimore to Coeymans fair; Bethlehem spotty but improving; Albany to Troy poor but with water conditions improving and herring abundant. With the water temp running about five degrees below the optimum for spawning it looks like we should get another two weeks or more of good fishing before the run starts to dwindle away.”
Greenville High School announces top ten graduates of 2011
A staff report in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no web site) lists the top ten graduates at Greenville High School this year: 1) Vaeldeictorian Emily Bobrick; 2) Salutatorian Kerry Brown; 3) Michelle Jackson; 4) Matthew Marshall; 5) Dixie Oullette; 6) Patrick Ostoyich; 7) Scott Goodfellow; Marta Kelly; 9) Bonnie Harvey; and 10) Steven Nevins.
Fresh starts
Scott Baldinger in the Word on the Street blog covers the changes in Hudson’s home furnishing stores of late. He reports that Chris Lehrecke, who creates contemporary light fixtures, tables, and shelving with wood, has moved from 428 to 415 Warren St; Lillie K. Traders has been “sprucing up” 444 Warren St.; and Hudson Home’s building at 356 Warren is getting a new coat of paint. Read the entire post on Word on the Street.
AUDIO CLIPS
• A Very Incomplete Calendar
Terry Doyle’s weekly roundup of area music events for his “Imprint” show about Hudson Valley music on Sundays at 11 p.m. on WGXC. Click here to listen to the mp3.
Taconic Hills budget doesn’t say how many jobs might go
Debora Gilbert in The Columbia Paper reports that while the Taconic Hills School Board’s budget plan has a modest 2.78 percent increase in the tax levy, officials so far do not know how many jobs will be cut. “Two-thirds of the budget goes to pay salaries and benefits, but it remains to be seen whether the teachers’ union, now in contract negotiations, will make any concessions like a salary freeze or larger contributions to the union’s healthcare plan. One board member said collective bargaining is not going well, and the head of the support staff union said that unit could not get the superintendent to sit down and talk with union negotiators,” Gilbert writes, quoting school officials but no union representatives. She does cite David Luck, a parent from Ghent who suggested at the April 13 meeting of the board that District Superintendent Mark Sposato take a 20 percent cut to his $187,000 salary. In the Albany Times-Union, Scott Waldman writes that, “200 of 700 school districts statewide have negotiated concessions, although some of those talks did not go anywhere, according to New York State United Teachers.”
Greene jail population soars as US figures drop
Colin DeVries in The Daily Mail digs into data from a report released earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. The Greene County Jail in Catskill had an average daily jail inmate population in 2010 of 78 with the highest daily count being 94. That increased by 12 inmates from 2009. In 2008, the average was 62 inmates. In 2010, 914 inmates were received, up 59 from a year earlier and 106 more than in 2008. “The New York State Commissions of Corrections restricts capacity of local jails to 80 percent, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, meaning there couldn’t be more than 45 inmates per day housed in Greene County Jail. The average number of inmates housing in the jail per day in 2010 was 51.5,” DeVries reports. “Fees to board out Greene County inmates ranges from $75 to about $125 depending on the county.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.
Docks blindside HFD
John Mason reports in the Register-Star that Hudson’s expanded tour boat dock now under construction on the Hudson River abuts the city Fire Department’s docks, which might have to be removed. At Monday night’s Police Committee meeting, the issue came up. “The Hudson Powerboat Association owns the line of docks north of the tour boat docks,” Mason wrote. “The HFD, Greenport Rescue Squad and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office all use the three HPBA docks closest to Hudson’s docks.” First Assistant Fire Chief Craig Haigh said the construction makes it difficult for HFD boats to maneuver, dock, or embark and Fire Chief Robert Pulver Jr., said they will have to sit down with all involved to resolve the problem. Read the entire story in the Register-Star.
Exotic animals lost in fire
Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail that a fire destroyed a reptile enclosure at Bailiwick Ranch and Discovery Zoo in Catskill Monday evening, killing baby chicks, ducks, a couple of small turtles and a snake. Kiskatom Volunteer firefighters doused the fire, Antrim reports was blamed on an electrical unit for heat lamps. The riding ranch became a zoo in 2006, shortly after the closing of the nearby Catskill Game Farm. The entire story is in The Daily Mail.
Capital Region patent applications even
Hoffman Warnick LLC (HW), an intellectual property law firm based in Albany, NY, announced its Tech Valley Patent Indices for First Quarter 2011, tracking the number of patent applications from technology firms in Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties including IBM and GE as an indicator of the area’s economic health. In the first quarter, “the Tech Valley Patent Index was up again compared to last quarter, while the Capital Region numbers were down slightly” Hoffman Warnick’s Spencer Warnick said. “I don’t believe the slightly lower numbers are anything to worry about for the Capital Region. Most likely a mild beginning of the year slow down within the US Patent and Trademark Office.”
The new state budget has already meant one change for anyone fishing for striped bass on the Hudson River: you no longer need a license. Fri., April 8, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that, “a recreational marine fishing license is no longer required to fish in the marine district of New York, including fishing for migratory fish from the sea (e.g. striped bass) on the Hudson River below the Troy Dam.” Anglers no longer need to purchase licenses through DECALS, the online license sales system. Legislation included in the final state budget directs DEC to establish a no-fee registry to take the place of the marine license, but that won’t be in place until June. The DEC will also provide refunds to holders of lifetime recreational marine fishing licenses later this year, with an announcement about that process coming soon.
Indian Point Nuclear Plant, on the Tappan Zee, is one of a handful of nuclear plants in New York State.
The stated wish by our region’s new congressman, Chris Gibson, to build at least one new nuclear power plant in the Hudson Valley is starting to get serious scrutiny, with The Daily Freeman and other papers doing stories this weekend, and today, on past efforts in this area and the mountains of opposition that ultimately killed them. Two plants were proposed for the greater Capital Region: one directly across from Saratoga National Historical Park, and another in the Mid-Hudson Valley just below Catskill, before the whole nuclear power effort halted following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. New York currently has four nuclear plants — three on Lake Ontario and one on the Hudson River, two of those with double reactors. In the late 1970s, Consolidated Edison proposed another nuclear plant on farmland straddling the Clermont-Red Hook border but that plan was eventually “modified” to a coal-burning plant, before being dropped entirely by the utility in the 1990s. Read the rest of this entry »
Hudson Common Council President Don Moore, from city's website.
Thursday morning WGXC”s “Tell It Like It Is” featured a long interview with Hudson Common Council president Don Moore and Friends of Hudson President Christopher Reed. WGXC’s Richard Roth and Alan Skerrett asked about the Hudson waterfront, the LWRP plan, possible new businesses nearby, environmental issues, and other topics for a full 45 minutes. Click here to listen to an mp3 recording, or copy and paste the following url into your computer’s media player:
Ice on the Hudson surrounds the Athens Lighthouse.
The Coast Guard has begun icebreaking operations on the Hudson River to allow the flow of oil and other barge-carried goods to continue through the rest of winter. Oil barges navigate up the Hudson between New York and Albany and the ice must be broken up to allow them to continue their travel, said Petty Officer Thomas McKenzie in a Mid-Hudson News Network story on January 25. “Approximately 300 vessels transit the Hudson River during the winter months carrying five million barrels of petroleum products to the communities of the north region that includes home heating oil impacting hundreds of thousands of people who live in that area,” he said. “The Coast Guard does maintain a presence on the river during ice breaking season which runs from December 15 until the end of March.” The Coast Guard also conducts daily reconnaissance flights, providing updated information about ice conditions, which is them transmitted to waterway users. The price of fuel up and down the Hudson Valley, when not locked in through special offers usually made the previous summer, fluctuate wildly based on the river’s condition and cost of ice cutting.
Photo from Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society website.
WGXC’s Mark Lacoy recorded the meeting at Wunderbar Thursday night about the historic Hudson River Sloop Eleanor and the new not-for-profit being organized to restore the ship. The Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration and Sailing Society, hopes to restores the 108-year-old Sloop Eleanor, which has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Putting the boat back in the Hudson River for locals and tourists might be one outcome of these just-beginning efforts. Casson Kennedy, a ship restorer from Martha’s Vineyard and WGXC volunteer, and Louise Bliss, whose father, the late Philip Egan, acquired Eleanor in 1951, are behind the efforts. Listen to an mp3 audio recording of the meeting here, or copy and paste the following url and open a url with your computer’s media player:
Riverkeeper, the member-supported environmental organization that defends New York waterways, is touting several victories this past year:
• Riverkeeper succeeds in convincing New York State to deny Indian Point a key water quality certificate for failure to prevent fish kills, damaging IP’s prospects for relicensing.
• EPA issues a historic directive to General Electric to remedy decades of PCB contamination in the Hudson River. General Electric later agrees to EPA’s terms.
• New York imposes a moratorium on gas drilling using the controversial “horizontal hydrofracking” method, after Riverkeeper’s Fractured Communities report reveals widespread environmental damage caused by fracking in other states
• The federal government settles Riverkeeper vs. EPA federal government settles Riverkeeper vs. EPA, and commits to new regulations to prevent up to a trillion fish kills each year at 500 power plants and industrial facilities nationwide.
It’s not everyday you get environmentalists praising an admitted polluter for compromising. Then again, stories such as General Electric’s payments for dredging of the Hudson River north of Albany to clear up years of carcinogenic PCB deposits are rare, themselves. The Times Union this morning has a story about how an announcement that the General Electric Co. had agreed to the Environmental Protection Agency‘s new guidelines for dredging toxic PCBs from the Hudson River is being hailed as a major victory for the river’s future, despite that agreement being a compromise. “This is truly a watershed moment for the Hudson River and all the people of New York,” Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, is quoted as saying. “I congratulate GE and the EPA for reaching this milestone.” GE informed EPA officials Thursday that the company will perform the final phase of the dredging project under new technical guidelines for removing toxic PCBs from the river bottom. Have we entered a whole new age with this compromise thing, now? Read the rest of this entry »
The federal government tells General Electric to dig deeper, take better samples and cap less of the Hudson River bottom when it starts the second phase of PCB cleanup in the waterway next year. The Environmental Protection Agency says Friday the company must cap a maximum of 11 percent of the total project area, not counting rocky or other hard-to-reach areas. That compares with 22 percent allowed in the first phase completed last year. Environmentalists worried that EPA would allow up to 24 percent to be capped, in which PCBs are left in the river and covered over. The EPA also says GE must take better samples to determine the extent of pollution. The agency found poor sampling meant dredgers didn’t go deep enough the first time around.
“This is not going to be negotiated. There is no more opportunity to compromise,” Judith Enck, an EPA regional administrator, said in a conference call with reporters….
“The statement about GE asking for a delay is flatly false,” said Mark Behan, a GE spokesman. “As for her (Enck) combative rhetoric, it’s unfortunate. We’ve had a constructive relationship with EPA during technical meetings this fall and we anticipate we’ll continue with phase two of dredging if it reflects our understanding with EPA, if it’s based on sound science and it can be achieved in the challenging conditions of the upper Hudson.”
ALBANY — The prolific and spot-on Brian Nearing of the Times Union reports today that state and environmental groups are warning the federal Environmental Protection Agency against releasing a plan they claim could allow more PCBs to remain behind in the Hudson River. Both the Department of Environmental Conservation and a coalition of environmental groups wrote the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week, warning against a potential plan that could allow more PCBs to be capped over and left on the river bottom. But a spokesman for General Electric Co., which is running and paying for the massive Superfund cleanup, said both the state and the river advocates are wrong and misunderstand the plan that EPA is expected to release on Monday.
GE plants in Fort Edward and neighboring Hudson Falls discharged PCBs into the river for decades before the lubricant and coolant was banned by EPA in 1977. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are considered probable carcinogens. The last decade was filled with heated battles, regionally as well as in Washington, as to how to treat the cancerous pollution in the state’s main river.
The current EPA Regional Director for the region is Judith Enck, formerly in charge of environmental matters for the governor in Albany.
Manna Jo Greene Environmental Action Director from Hudson River Sloop Clearwater interviewed about PCBs.
Tune in to recent radio made for WGXC. Click on the titles to listen to an mp3, or copy and paste the code after each item into your computer’s media player.
Special Hudson School Board Meeting
Alan Skerrett recorded the special Hudson School Board meeting Mon. Nov. 29 at John L. Edwards School, to discuss recent student
violence, and problems among assistant principals at a recent board meeting.
“Tell It Like It Is” weekly show on WGXC part of Morning Show at 10 a.m. Thursdays, 120210 edition.
Guests include Ellen Thurston about Columbia County events and Winter Walk; Katrin Hecker from Animalkind; and Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Action Director
for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
We like Mid-Hudson News Network’s story today about the Coast Guard starting to pull its buoys out of the Hudson River… a “seasonal retrieval of navigation aids that guide mariners” that happens due to “decreased vessel traffic and to minimize damage from ice and severe winter weather.” It’s all handled by the 49-foot vessel BUSL, commanded by BMC Christopher Sheppard, which started its slow-paced job pulling the agency’s 90 to 100 navigational aids in early September and replacing them with “winter can and nun buoys as far north as Troy” by late December. “When the river freezes, the Coast Guard use icebreaker vessels to keep a channel open for commercial boat traffic,” the piece concludes. Talk about reminding us all of the constant lyricism the Hudson provides us all, no matter the political shenanigans and other news that transpires along its banks, and far inland… or the re-occuring flooding.
Perry picked for Taconic Hills school board
Christine Perry was chosen to fill the vacant seat on the Taconic Hills School Board at a meeting last Wednesday, according to the board’s website. Perry becomes a replacement for John Mastropolo, who resigned in September. Usually, voters decide on school board officials, but this time the board took over the entire process, making all decisions in executive session. The board picked between Perry, Sally Williamson, and Joan Spencer. In a story about this issue, John Mason in the Register-Star writes, “According to Robert Freeman of the state Committee on Open Government, the only court decision dealing with how school boards may select new members found that such decisions should be made in open, not closed, session.” Perry’s seat will be decided by voters again in May 2011.
Ravitch has low opinion of Capitol press coverage Casey Seiler in Capitol Confidential reports on the interview between host Susan Arbetter of the “The Capitol Pressroom” (which will air live Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. on WGXC) and Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch. The outgoing Lt. Gov. told Arbetter that too much coverage of state government was devoted to scandals and “gotcha” journalism, at the cost of a more complete look at pressing problems such as infrastructure decay and the fiscal troubles affecting the state and nation. Ravitch, for instance, said more ink/bytes had been devoted to former Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s antics than to the actual state budget. “What the media does by putting so much emphasis on the misdeeds of very few is to create a culture in which going into politics isn’t attractive,” he said.
Central Hudson cleanup video
Albany-based television station YNN is hosting a video from Central Hudson showing their experiments in cleaning the Hudson River. From YNN, but sounding like it came straight from a press release: “Crews were hard a work using a crane to pull the two ton mats off the river floor. Central Hudson says the mats have been in the river for more than a year and says they are testing them to see how well the mats trap contaminants that have made it into the river from the company’s old Manufactured Gas Plant site. The plant closed in 1972 and the site is on the Poughkeepsie waterfront. The company says they expect the project to last until the end of the month.”
Skiing this weekend?
WGXC reported Friday that Windham Mountain began making snow last weekend, and both Hunter Mountain and Catamount Ski in Hillsdale in Columbia County report they will begin snowmaking after this week’s rain passes. Hunter and Windham hope to be open this weekend.
NAPA Auto Parts store in Catskill on former site of Catskill Chrome Plating Company and later a Superfund site.
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reported last week that a residential property on Cauterskill Road in Catskill may be taken off the state Superfund list in January, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. “Records show the former property owners to be Patricia and Paul Helmadach, who once owned the Catskill Chrome Plating Company on West Bridge Street,” Antrim wrote. “That site was listed as a federal Superfund site until March 2007. The half-acre property, located at 5040-5048 Cauterskill Road, was used for the storage and disposal of plating solutions and untreated sludges from the mid 1980s until 1993, according to DEC records. Soil samples showed significant levels of cadmium, chromium and cyanide contamination.” Google maps (View Larger Map) show 5040 Cauterskill Road is perhaps the location — it is within a mile of Kaaterskill Creek. Antrim’s story says the cleanup there took five years with 2,000 cubic yards of soil removed, costing $385,000.
Mike McCagg in ccScoop writes about the proposed power line to be placed in the Hudson River, from near the Albany county line down to New York City. McCagg quotes Scenic Hudson’s Hayley Mauskapf, an environmental advocacy associate, about the proposed 420-mile power transmission line would be buried along the bottom of the Hudson River from near Selkirk down the river into Yonkers and Manhattan:
“We see that there is a potential to bring some renewable energy to New York State and to get rid of some of the coal or nuclear sources we have,” said Scenic Hudson’s Hayley Mauskapf, an environmental advocacy associate. However, she added, “a project of this type and magnitude is unprecedented in the Hudson Valley, so of course we have some concerns.” Among those are the impact of the electromagnetic field, the installation process effects, the thermo effect and the impact of the re-suspension of PCBs in the river sediment, she said.
McCagg’s story says the $1.9 billion plan will bring 1,000 megawatts of renewable wind and hydropower from Quebec to Westchester County, New York City and Bridgeport, Conn. Read the entire story in ccScoop.
Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) will join Scenic Hudson’s Seth McKee, Tivoli Mayor Tom Cordier, and others at a press conference July 28 celebrating the Village of Tivoli’s purchase of Hudson Riverfront property. This land preservation effort will secure permanent public access to the Hudson River. The press conference will take place at the Tivoli waterfront at Broadway and Friendship St. on Wednesday, July 28 at 1:30 p.m.
Jim Planck has a terrific story in The Daily Mail about the U.S. Department of Energy hearing Tuesday night in Kingston about a proposal to route a high voltage Direct Current line from Canada to New York City. Highlights:
The project applicant, Transmission Developers, Inc. has applied for permission to run the line’s twin cables underneath the bottom of Lake Champlain, then the Champlain Canal, where it would come out of the water and circuit around the PCB dredging project above the Hudson by utilizing railroad rights-of-way, then enter the Hudson River at Coeymans and submerge beneath its bottom, and run down to the Metropolitan area, where the DC would come back on land at a converter station and be turned back into useable AC current…. Speaking at the project’s scoping session at Kingston — one of seven DOE is holding along the route — TDI President Donald Jessome told those present that an original part of the plan which had called for a companion set of cables to serve southern Connecticut by way of the Long Island Sound had been dropped…. Jessome said the project is thus now a 1,000 megawatt, $1.9 billion plan, with an in-service date of 2015.
Planck quotes Riverkeeper’s Hudson River Program Director Phillip Musegaas, and Sierra Club Ramapo-Catskill Chapter conservation chair Jurgen Wekerle, who spoke about the dangers to fish and the possibility of kicking up the PCB’s in the Hudson River when putting the cable in the water. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.
Tonight’s Hudson Common Council meeting was about the city’s LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Program/Plan) waterfront plan. The meeting was recorded by WGXC volunteer Victor Mendolia. Click here to listen to an mp3 audio recording or paste the following url into your computer’s media player:
David Gargill (seated), being introduced by Susan Falzon at Beattie-Powers Place.
WGXC recorded a live webstream with noted journalist David Gargill’s talk at the Beattie-Powers Place in Catskill. Gargill spent much of last year investigating the Hudson River cleanup, and his report on the subject (“The General Electric Superfraud: Why the Hudson River Will Never Run Clean”) was Harper’s December 2009 cover story (available at www.davidgargill.com). Mr. Gargill presented his findings and provided an update on remediation efforts. Mr. Gargill has written for Harper’s Magazine, GQ, The National, Our Town, and other publications. Click here to listen to the lecture from Beattie-Power Place or paste the following url into your computer’s media player:
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that an Environmental Impact Statement, including regional public scoping sessions, is necessary for a proposed 2,000 megawatt high-voltage direct current line from Quebec down to NYC and southwestern Connecticut. Locally, the line will essentially run under the bed of the Hudson River, between Greene and Columbia counties, after entering the river in Coeymans…. Locally, the two scoping session meetings are at Kingston and Albany.Their format will be in two parts, first an informal workshop discussion that is not recorded, and then a formal taking of comments with a court stenographer. The Kingston one is Tuesday, July 13, at the Holiday Inn, 503 Washington Ave., from 7-9 p.m., and the Albany one is Wednesday, July 14, at the Holiday Inn, 205 Wolf Road, from 7-9 p.m. The public scoping period officially started Friday, June 18, with publication of the notice in the Federal Register, and will run until Aug. 2. Attendance at any of the scoping sessions is not required to provide input, as written comments received or postmarked by Aug. 2 will be equally considered. Requests to provide oral comment at a scoping session can be written to DOE on or before July 6, which will yield priority in the speaking order, but requests to speak may also be made at the meetings. Comments on the scope of the EIS and/or requests to speak should be sent to Dr. Jerry Pell, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. DOE, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, or by e-mail to Jerry.Pell@hq.doe.gov. Additionally, all comments received will be summarized by DOE in a Scoping Report, which will afterwards be available for distribution, including electronically. To view the complete application, including maps and drawings, visit http://www.oe.energy.gov/permits_pending.htm, and select PP-362 (Application). Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.
Carole Osterink was at last night’s informal Common Council meeting in Hudson and reports that Holcim attorney Donald Stever and O&G’s Kenneth Faroni sent a letter in response to one from CC president Donald Moore, and anyone following the current waterfront discussion in Hudson will find it and the comments on Osterink’s Gossips of Rivertown blog fascinating. Osterink also says that, “Mayor Scalera reported that CSX had agreed to repair the Ferry Street bridge in time for the Flag Day parade. They will replace the rotted planking ‘to get through the weekend’ and put plywood on the footbridge. CSX also said they would ‘try to put it in some capital plan.’” NY Senator Chuck Schumer will attend the Flag Day parade, and Osterink says Scalera will show him the bridge then, and ask for help.
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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.
WGXC Town Reporters
These folks currently occasionally post to the WGXC Newsroom.
Phillip Grant
Cheryl K. Symister-Masterson
Noah Reibel
Tom Roe
Sam Sebren
Paul Smart
WGXC Correspondents These folks occasionally post reports to WGXC from far and wide.
Kelly Benjamin
WGXC Town Recorders
The following folks have recorded town meetings and other events that aired on WGXC. You could too! Email info@wgxc.org.
Tanya Blue
Ann Forbes Cooper
Dharma Dailey
Crane Davis
Tony Fallon
Joan Geitz
Christina Malisoff
Victor Mendolia
Fawn Potash
Kieran Rielly
Martin Roby
Richard Roth
Nancy Rothman
Melissa Sarris
Sam Sebren
Alan Skerrett
Ellen Thurston
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.
Marta Kelly; 9) Bonnie Harvey; and 10) Steven Nevins.
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