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
Click here to play entire WGXC Ski Report with Intro/Outro, report, and interview.
National Weather Service forecasters predict that it may actually feel a bit like winter on the area’s three mountains this weekend. Catamount Ski in Columbia County has 28 trails and four lifts open with 16-36″ of snow. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 14″ and 44″ on 40 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 18″ to 72″ of snow on 43 trails with six lifts.
WGXC’s Paul Smart talked with Hunter Mountain snowmaker Bruce Fansue Wed., Feb. 8 on the “Work” show on WGXC, about just how many people it takes to make all the snow on the mountain. Click here to here an excerpt of that interview.
(Note to hosts: 10-second Ski report bumper is available in Campcaster for intro/outro.)
Another winter week without real snow on the mountains, and higher temperatures. Catamount Ski in Columbia County has 30 trails and four lifts open with 16-36″ of snow. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 14″ and 44″ on 40 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 18″ to 72″ of snow on 45 trails with seven lifts. All three mountains are offering Super Bowl-weekend specials.
(Note to hosts: 10-second Ski report bumper is available in Campcaster for intro/outro.)
Mountain conditions
All three mountains got a little snow this week. Catamount Ski in Columbia County was closed Friday because of the rain, but reopens Saturday with 16-36″ of snow. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 16″ and 48″ on 40 trails with five lifts open. Hunter Mountain‘s snowtubing is closed Friday, but back open Saturday. The mountain has up to 18″ to 72″ of snow on 45 trails with six lifts.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for all areas south of Greene and Columbia counties. Delaware, Ulster, Dutchess, and points south may get hit with up to eight inches of snow tonight, while the forecast for Greene and Columbia counties is just an inch or two.
The Daily Mail reports that the Catskill Village Police Department implement their snow emergency plan Friday, January 20, at 8 p.m. “All vehicles should be parked on the odd side of Village streets from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., vehicles should then be parked on the even side of the street from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vehicles should continue to switch sides of the street every 12 hours, until the snow emergency has been canceled. Parking enforcement will remain in effect for a period of 72 hours for clean up purposes.” The statement says there will be no parking on Main Street from Green Street to Summit Avenue beginning at 7 p.m. on January 20. Read the full announcement in The Daily Mail.
Listen to Jack Ross-Pilkington with an audio ski report here. PLAY CLIP
Meanwhile, Chris Valdez in the Windham Journal reports that at Windham Mountain this weekend, the Adaptive Sports Foundation holds its eighth annual Learn to Ski and Ride Festival for the veterans of the Wounded Warriors Project. The free festival, formerly known as Support the Troops, is a three-day event introducing disabled veterans to skiing, snowboarding, tubing and ice skating on the slope side of Windham Mountain. “It’s one more step for our vets to transition back into civilian life,” volunteer ski instructor and media coordinator Karen Feldman said. “It gives them confidence to try other things, expand their comfort zone and understand their abilities. When they see that they can do this, it empowers them to try other things.” Read the full story in the Windham Journal.
Mountain conditions
All three mountains got a few inches of snow this week. Catamount Ski in Columbia County reports 25 of 33 trails are open, with four of six lifts running, and 16-32″ of snow. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 16″ and 44″ on 41 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 12″ to 50″ of snow on 41 trails with six lifts.
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory throughout the region from 10 p.m. until 10 a.m. Tuesday. Snow, freezing rain, sleet, rain, and ice are expected. The storm should turn to all rain after 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Windham Mountain's first snow of 2012. From Windham Mountain website.
All three mountains got a few inches of snow Thursday morning. Catamount Ski in Columbia County reports 25 of 33 trails are open, with four of six lifts running, and 16-32″ of snow. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 14″ and 40″ on 25 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 12″ to 50″ of snow on 39 trails with six lifts. It is a holiday weekend, so there are discounts available.
This past Tuesday, new Windham Mountain General Manager Chip Seamans joined WGXC’s Nancy Marron on her “Social Graces” show and here he explained how Windham Mountain’s winter has been so far. PLAY CLIP
The local ski resorts did not get the snow they want this past week, but the bitter cold mid-week did allow them to add a lot of artificial white stuff to the mountains. Catamount Ski in Columbia County reports 22 of 33 trails are open (they expect 25 open by Saturday), with four of six lifts running, and 12-30″ of artificial snow. Windham Mountain has an artificial snow base between 12″ and 38″ on 25 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 12″ to 50″ of mostly artificial snow on 36 trails with seven lifts.
The local ski resorts are certainly bemoaning the lack of real snow so far this holiday season, save for that freak pre-Halloween storm. They are all making lots of artificial snow, and the colder temperatures this past week are helping those efforts. Catamount Ski in Columbia County reports 16 of 33 trails are open, with four of six lifts running, and 10-20″ of artificial snow. Windham Mountain has an artificial snow base between 10″ and 34″ on 19 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 44″ of mostly artificial snow on 29 trails with nine lifts. There are holiday discounts available this weekend.
Greene County’s ski resorts got the season started this weekend, with Hunter Mountain opening Sat., Dec. 10, and Windham Mountain skiing starting Sun., Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. Catamount Ski, in Columbia County, is not open yet. “We are planning a tentative opening day of December 17 based on the current forecast, check back for updates,” according to their website.
A State of Emergency in the Town of Copake ends at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, according to Columbia County Emergency Management officials. There were extensive power outages in Copake and many areas in Columbia County, due to the Saturday night snow storm. “Full restoration of power not expected until sometime Wednesday,” Crowley writes, in a press release. As of Sunday night, NYSEG was reporting about 1,000 homes without power in Columbia County. Copake Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley predicts Copake homes should have power back by 10 p.m. Monday.
Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Greene, Columbia, Albany, Dutchess, Delaware, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties, along with others farther south, because of Saturday’s large snowstorm. Saturday around 10 p.m. there were no major road closures in our area, according to the Governor’s press release.
Snow total prediction from National Weather Service.
It may still be fall, but the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Saturday afternoon and evening. There is the “potential of seven or more inches [of snow] for elevations greater then 1000 feet. Two to six inches is possible in the valleys with a significant impact due to the time of the season with leaves on the trees.
The National Weather Service has issued a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” for this afternoon and tonight as severe thunderstorms may impact the area. Greene, Columbia, Ulster, Dutchess, Albany, and Rensselaer counties are all under the alert. The NWS also warns that a low pressure system visiting our area Thursday might bring the first snowfall of the season.
The calendar may say it is spring, but the National Weather Service has other ideas. They have issued a Winter Storm Watch through late Friday night, saying there may be rain, snow, and other forms of ice over the next two days, with possible significant accumulation Friday. Copake Supervisor Reggie Crowley shares this warning from Columbia County Emergency Management: “Models show a lot of snow, especially above 1,000 feet in elevation. 3-10″ of wet snow in the valleys and up to two feet in higher elevations by noon Friday is not out of the question.”
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.
Firefighting at 90
The Daily Mail’s Colin DeVries has a story about Kiskatom Fire Company member Jim Katt, who joined the company a year after it started and celebrated hisr 57th year as a fireman along with his 90th birthday recently.
Chatham Co-op kicks off Friday Feasts
Paul Crossman writes in the Register-Star about how nearly 40 people showed up at the Chatham Real Food Co-op for the first of three First Friday Feasts on March 4, a series of benefit dinners to help raise money for the educational initiative “Chatham Chickens,” a collective of seven young adults in their late teens and early 20s who are starting an enterprise to raise heritage breed chickens for organic, free-running and pastured egg production.
Ulster lawmakers plan hearings on hydrofracking
The Daily Freeman reports that Ulster County hearings on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas are being planned for May to help county lawmakers gather information about impacts of the controversial process, put together by County Legislature Government Operations and Environmental Services Committee Chairman Brian Shapiro of Woodstock. Shapiro said a date will be set after determining the availability of state Department of Environmental Conservation officials, and expects the sessions will take place at Ulster County Community College.
Get ready for more flooding
Lyssa Harris at Watershed Post reports on flooding in the Catskills, which is at its worst in Delaware County and downstream below the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County. In Greene and Columbia counties, ice and snow abated the flooding, although high waters have been reported on a number of back roads where flooding usually occurs.
State health care oversight lacking bids
The Times Union concludes a weeks-long inquiry with a report on the no-bid situation surrounding most state health insurance, with no one knowing exactly how or why the situation ended up this way, “suggesting the contracts are sort of evergreens that are extended without review.” The Office of the State Comptroller official said that major parts of state insurer United Healthcare’s deals “never got passed on for approval, contrary to what is supposed to happen.”
Help sought in search for missing teen
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is distributing flyers to local businesses in hopes of locating 13-year-old Raven Barger, who disappeared from his New Baltimore home on Friday night, Feb. 18, around 7:30 p.m. when his parents checked his room and found him gone, with the window open. The 5 foot 5 inch, 155 pound teen has left home before but has never disappeared for this long, according to a report in the Times Union.
Catskill man who killed police officer shot self twice, autopsy shows
All the local papers are leading with another installment in the story of Lee Welch, the Catskill man who shot killed his wife, Jessica, and then killed a Poughkeepsie police office after having his three year old daughter wrestled from his arm. Now it seems he shot himself twice in the head before dying.
Justice drops charge against highway chief
Hillsdale Justice Russ Immarigeo dismissed the second degree harassment charge against Hillsdale Highway Superintendent Richard Briggs February 14, Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper. Briggs, 41, of Hillsdale, was charged last August 13 because of a complaint signed by a Highway Department employee who alleged that he made sexually suggestive statements. Hillsdale Town Supervisor Art Baer and the Town Board cast a vote of no confidence in Briggs in August, Valden reports, even before he was charged, and called for his resignation. Baer told The Columbia Paper Wednesday that he and board, “were disappointed that the matter did not go all the way through the judicial process.”
Catskill declares snow emergency for Monday
The village of Catskill declared a snow emergency effective 8 a.m. this morning, Feb. 21, 2011 to remain in effect for 72 hours, until 8 a.m. on Thu., Feb. 24, according to The Daily Mail. Residents must follow posted alternate parking regulations and any vehicle parked on the roadway in violation of parking regulations which hinders the removal of snow will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
Study: NY ranks No. 23 for CO2 output
This Albany Business Journal piece is a nice surprise, given the concentrations of cities and manufacturing still in our state. The worst offenders for power generators? Texas, by a huge amount, then Florida, Ohio and Indiana. Cleanest? Ah… Vermont!
Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports about yet another town reconsidering its snow law in the face of actual snow this winter. In Athens, Town Attorney Tal Rappleyea, “is expected to draft a new law for the village at the board’s next meeting,” Lekocevic writes, then quotes Village Mayor Andrea Smallwood saying, “Our attorney… thinks the law that is on the books in Catskill works well.” They may want to sit in on the Public Hearing Feb. 28 in the Meeting Room of the Catskill Fire Department that will reconsider Snow Emergency parking regulations in that town.
Food costs continue to inch upwards
Wondering why those grocery bills have been so hard to keep in line with your budget? Mid-Hudson News Network reports that dairy and beverage cost hikes are offsetting slight drops elsewhere, according to the Ulster County Consumer Fraud Bureau survey for the week ending January 28.
Freehold Civil Service Air Patrol flying high
The Daily Mail has a piece about the Civil Air Patrol Vanguard Composite Squadron located in Freehold, who held a benefit dinner at the Quarry Steakhouse on Feb. 12, and how they maintain old-style air force-like training in old WW2 cockpits. Cool.
Heavy snowfall creates slippery sidewalk debate
Who should shovel sidewalks, the municipalities we pay taxes to or we the people? The idea of efficiency stretched to the reality of sharing resources to buy a good village snowblower in Kinderhook, where the inconsistencies of local walking became a real issue last week.
Selkirk man arrested on weapons charge
The Times Union has a blotter item, with photo, about a man of color pulled over for undisclosed reasons in Albany and then busted for pot, as well as a loaded 9mm handgun with hollow point rounds in the chamber of the gun and the magazine.
Gas prices stay steady in Albany area
The Albany Business Journal reports that a gallon of gas was selling for an average price of $3.345 in the Capitol Region on Feb. 11, up slightly from $3.343 a gallon, a week ago, and $3.282 a month ago, a lot more than $2.829 a gallon a year ago, but at a slower rate of rising than we’ve gotten used to this winter.
Claverack town board changes meeting days
They now get together the second Thursday of every month, rather than the first Wednesday. Why? The Register-Star doesn’t say, but it may have to do with the loss of weekly newspapers throughout the region.
WGXC Town Recorder Sam Sebren reports from the WGXC aired a live broadcast of the SnowFlow festival at the Full Moon Resort Sat. Feb. 12 in Big Indian, in Ulster County, in the middle of the Catskill park. The event celebrated water, with artist Matt Bua creating a snow house warm enough for him to sleep in for two nights, and others skiing down Belleayre Mountain with no-fracking signs, and all sorts of talks about the Catskills’ water supply. Saturday night’s broadcast was run by WGXC Town Recorder Sam Sebren, and included performances from Kingston’s legendary Pauline Oliveros; Tianna Kennedy and Hannah Marcus; and Bard professor Miguel Frasconi and and former Mercury Rev member Suzanne Thorpe. Frascone and Thorpe literally played with water, with Frascone’s poured into glasses of different amounts, and Thorpe playing a mixture of snow and Pop Rocks in some type of instrument. Click here to listen to a recording of Kennedy and Marcus opening up the show. Click here to listen to Thorpe and Frascone perform. WGXC Town Recorder Sam Sebren also made lots of other recordings of snow, ice, water, and people talking about all those things. Those recordings will be posted in the coming days.
Congressman Chris Gibson, who represents Greene and Columbia counties in the U.S. House of Representatives, released a statement Wednesday evening saying he is trying to secure disaster aid for local farmers hit hard by heavy snow this winter. “Several farms have experienced barn collapses, loss of livestock, and other damages,” Gibson’s statement said. “My office is working with the USDA to seek the disaster designation for the counties impacted to ensure that relief is available for those that need it. My staff is also available to assist farmers in 20th District wherever possible, and I encourage anyone who has questions regarding federal assistance to contact my office.”
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning from 7 a.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. Thursday. Up to two feet of snow and sleet is possible in the next 48 hours. According to Hudson Common Council President Don Moore, the City of Hudson has declared a Snow Emergency beginning Tuesday at 8 p.m. and ending Thursday at 8 p.m. Vehicles must be parked on the even side of the street during the 24-hour period beginning Tuesday at 8 p.m., and then on the odd side of the street beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The fine for parking on the wrong side anytime during the 48-hour of the snow emergency is $25. An additional $25 administrative fee will be issued if a vehicle is about to be towed. Towing can happen anytime between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., when the Department of Public Works removes snow.
The National Weather Service has posted a Winter Weather Advisory with 2-4″ of snow forecast after midnight, with temperatures dropping to five degrees Friday night, and only rising into the teens Saturday.
Town meetings tonight COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY Six-course dinner to benefit Columbia Land Conservancy farm and agricultural programs with full menu at www.local111.com. Reservations at 672-7801 or info@local111.com at 6:30 p.m. at Local 111, 111 Main Street, Philmont.
Weather SNOW Ending by morning then turning colder.
Live on WGXC Friday
*6-8 A.M.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Casson Kennedy, and Mark Lacoy. A mix of news headlines, audio features, and conversation. This morning there will be updates about the storm, possible closings, and more.
6:30 A.M.: WGXC Farm Report
7 A.M.: WGXC Newsroom Headlines
7:15 A.M.: Paul Smart calls in with live news update.
7:30: Audio recordings from Thursday night’s legislative hearing in Ravena about the Lafarge cement plant modernization. Seven sound clips from last night’s speakers.
*2-3 P.M.: Que Cocinare Hoy? Mariel Fiore and Antonio Flores-Lobos host an hour en espanol.
The National Weather Service has posted a Hazardous Weather Outlook with snow forecast late Thursday/early Friday and then frigid temperatures with wind chills below zero forecast this weekend.
Snow totals
From the National Weather Service, snowfall totals from the latest storm: COLUMBIA COUNTY
KINDERHOOK 3.0 1138 AM 1/19 TRAINED SPOTTER
LIVINGSTON 3.0 1110 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
TAGHKANIC 2.5 730 AM 1/19 WEATHERNET6
NORTH CHATHAM 2.0 538 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
CHATHAM CENTER 2.0 504 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
ANCRAMDALE 1.5 538 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
CLAVERACK 0.5 1146 AM 1/19 WEATHERNET6 GREENE COUNTY
WINDHAM 6.0 754 AM 1/19 WINDHAM MTN SKI AREA
HUNTER 5.0 500 PM 1/18 WTEN
EAST JEWETT 4.3 630 AM 1/19 CO-OP OBSERVER
DURHAM 4.0 413 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
SE NEW BALTIMORE 3.3 700 AM 1/19 COCORAHS
KISKATOM 3.0 558 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
CAIRO 3.0 700 AM 1/19 CO-OP OBSERVER
CATSKILL 2.0 850 PM 1/18 WEATHERNET6
Town meetings tonight LAFARGE LEGISLATIVE HEARING A formal legislative hearing on proposed changes at the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena, billed by the company as an modernization but seen by opponents as an expansion, will take place at the Ravena High School at 6 p.m. CITY OF HUDSON Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency board meeting at noon at City Hall.
Weather SNOW Snow starts late Thursday then Friday temperatures drop.
Live on WGXC Thursday
*6-8 A.M.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Casson Kennedy, and Mark Lacoy. A mix of news headlines, audio features, and conversation. This morning there will be updates about the storm, possible closings, and more.
6:30 A.M.: WGXC Farm Report
7 A.M.: WGXC Newsroom Headlines
7:15 A.M.: Paul Smart calls in with live news update.
7:30: Story and audio about votes in Washington and Albany.
9 A.M.: WGXC Newsroom Headlines with Richard Roth, Alan Skerrett, Joan Geitz, Christina Malisoff, Sam Sebren, and/or Nancy Rothman.
9:15 A.M.: WGXC Farm Report
9:30-10 A.M.: Sam Sebren and Ellen Thurston preview weekend events in Greene and Columbia counties.
10 A.M.: “Tell It Like It Is” with Richard Roth, Alan Skerrett, Joan Geitz, Christina Malisoff, Sam Sebren, and/or Nancy Rothman.
NOON-2 P.M.: Crossroads Jazz show hosted by Alan Skerrett.
The National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook forecasting continued snow showers through Friday morning (possibly several more inches) and a bitter cold after that. Saturday and Sunday forecast highs are in the teens. Wind chills are expected to make it feel much colder this weekend.
Image from 511ny.org shows current traffic accidents in the area.
This image of accidents in Greene and Columbia counties at 4:49 p.m. Tue. Jan. 18 shows that the weather — a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain — is making driving conditions spotty in some areas.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning from midnight Monday/Tuesday through 7 a.m. Wednesday morning for the Mid-Hudson Valley to Lake George and into western New England. In the Mid-Hudson Valley, snow and sleet are expected, with snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches, with .10″ of ice. The NWS warns travel could be dangerous, and wet snow or freezing rain could cause tree branches and power lines, so power outages may occur. Temperatures should start out Tuesday Tuesday between 10 and 20 degrees, and rise to around freezing by late in the day and the evening.
Seven to 14 inches of snow are expected Tuesday night, and the National Weather Service has now updated conditions to a Winter Storm Warning for our area through Wednesday, beginning 7 p.m. Tuesday. Driving conditions may be dangerous Wednesday morning, and schools and businesses may be delayed or closed. More snow is expected in the Lower Hudson Valley, and the New York State Thruway Authority, “advises motorists to avoid any unnecessary travel in the New York region during this severe weather event.”
Snow fell fluffy and fast and was being whipped by high winds. WTEN reports a foot of snow had fallen by 1 a.m. in Canaan and Hillsdale. In Cairo, only four inches had fallen by 2:30 a.m. Eastern sections of Columbia County saw the worst of the storm. National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement warning of heavy snow until 4 a.m. Dutchess County is under a Blizzard Warning until 5 p.m. Winter Storm Warning for Greene and Columbia counties continues until 5 p.m. Athens, Cairo, and Catskill in Greene County declared snow emergencies. Columbia County had 68 employees working Sunday night with 29 plow trucks out on the streets. WGXC monitored scanner reports throughout the evening, including minor car accidents or incidents in Copake, Livingston, and Germantown. The National Weather Service canceled its winter storm warning for the Mid-Hudson Valley, but announced a winter weather advisory will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday. The advisory is for strong winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, resulting in blowing and drifting snow. Driving could be hazardous. Columbia County issued a state of emergency, so no one should be driving there. Snow totals from Fox23: Columbia County
•Kinderhook 21 inches
•North Chatham 20 inches
•Hillsdale 20 inches
•Ghent 20 inches
•Claverack 18 inches Greene County
•East Jewett 15 inches
•Freehold 11 inches
•Cairo 8 inches
•Maplecrest 17 inches
•Greenville Center 11 inches
•Ashland 11 inches Windham Mountain say they have 13 new inches of snow, and shot this video, which includes driving through the streets of Windham this morning:
Closings TIMES-UNION reports COARC Adult Transportation, Columbia County: No transportation, staff report; Giving Tree Day Care Center, Catskill, closed.
There’s a Winter Storm Warning for Columbia and Greene counties until noon Monday, and this Weather.com map forecasts between a half-foot and a foot of snow falling in our area as a Nor’easter rides the coast. Earlier in the week, forecasters though the storm would be more off-shore, but now it is forecast slightly to the west, bringing more snow our way. The National Weather Service has the storm playing out this way (Catskill forecast):
•Sunday: Snow likely, mainly after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 27. North wind between 6 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
•Sunday Night: Snow and areas of blowing snow. Low around 19. Blustery, with a north wind between 17 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.
•Monday: Snow likely and areas of blowing snow before noon, then a chance of snow between noon and 4pm, then a slight chance of snow after 4pm. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 27. Blustery, with a north wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Roberta Davis, from Columbia County Democrats website.
Democrats say Roberta Davis elected Columbia County Coroner
The Columbia County Democrats’ website is crowing that Roberta Davis has beaten Republican Deborah Simonsmeier, citing an unofficial count of absentee ballots:
Roberta Davis: 1,062
Deborah Simonsmeier: 671
“The margin is well ahead of the dozen or so votes she was behind on Election Night,” the Democrats’ website says, and would make her Columbia County’s Third County Coroner with Angelo Nero and George Davis M.D. Mrs. Davis ran on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.
Murphy votes for tax cut
Outgoing Congressman Scott Murphy voted Thursday for a permanent extension of tax cuts that apply to every family’s first $250,000 of income. The tax cut passed the House of Representatives 234-188, and is expected to be filibustered by Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Republicans there want to extend the tax cuts to all incomes, while Democrats believe families with higher incomes then $250,000 should be taxed more to pay down the debt or stimulate the economy. Chris Gibson, who defeated Murphy in November and takes over the District 20 seat in January, is out of the country, and could not be reached about how he would have voted on the bill.
Slopes open this weekend Windham Mountain starts their 50th anniversary season Saturday at 8 a.m., according to their Facebook page. “Last weekend’s snowmaking held up and Team Snow had the system charged up at midnight,” the site says. Windham opens with two lifts, three trails, two boxes, and three rails this weekend. Hunter Mountain’s website says “anticipated opening Sun. Dec. 5.”
Audio from Hudson special school board meeting Monday
WGXC’s Alan Skerrett and Joan Geitz attended the special Hudson board meeting Monday, and made an mp3 recording you can listen to by clicking here. Read several different accounts of the meeting here.
But we didn’t need to tell you that. WGXC staff have witnessed a tree on a house in Hudson (at intersection of Fairview Ave. and Columbia St., around 2 p.m.), have seen one lane blocked by a tree on State Route 23 in Claverack just east of the intersection with 23B (around 3 p.m.), and witnessed both north and south-bound lanes of Route 145 in Cairo closed just where the road meets Route 23, with excessive water runoff on the road. There are many other accidents, trees down, and large amounts of water on the roadway, and the temperature is dropping and the last of the precipitation tonight may be snow. Currently, National Weather Service has two warnings in our area: the Flash Flood warning in Greene County ends at 6:15 p.m., and the Flood Warning continues until 10 a.m. Thursday in both counties. UPDATE: At 9 p.m. Route 145 in Cairo is back open, the precipitation has stopped, and the region is drying out.
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.
Windham Mountain’s Facebook feed reports they turned on their snow guns today and will continue to make snow throughout the weekend if temperatures allow. While a predicted warming may thwart their plans, skiing and riding is hoped for by Saturday, December 4.
WGXC is a community-run media project, re-envisioning radio as an innovative platform for local participation. Our inclusive programming connects diverse voices, and distributes information across the public spectrum in New York’s Greene and Columbia counties.
Send items, tips, press releases, and more to news@wgxc.org.
Call in to WGXC studio at 518-828-0290.
Hosts of the WGXC Morning Show and WGXC Afternoon Show should use the tools on this page to find information, sounds, music, local recordings, event listings, and more to host a WGXC Morning Show or WGXC Afternoon Show. Follow these links, and the others below, to help produce the program.
WGXC ARCHIVES WGXC EVENTS CALENDAR WGXC SCHEDULE
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.
The calendar may say it is spring, but the 
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