Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Several Times Union reporters write about how May 18 is election day for school boards and school budgets this year. Last year school votes were delayed because of COVID-19, and even with the pandemic waning, there will still be a lot of absentee or mail-in voting this year. School district voting times vary by district, with most held on school grounds. Check the website of your local school district for details on voting, school board candidates, and school budgets. Plus Hudsonvalley360.com has reports about the candidates and budgets of each district in Greene and Columbia counties, while the Times Union has reports about the elections in Albany and Rensselaer counties.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media voters in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School District will vote on a proposed spending plan on May 18. The budget represents a decrease in spending of just under $40,400, or .083 percent less than the current year. The tax levy will remain the same for the second year in a row, School Business Manager Joanne Moran said. However, she noted, the final tax rate will not be known until property assessments are finalized, by mid-July or August,. State aid has increased and is expected to continue to increase over the next couple of years. The district is projected to receive an additional $175,000 for each of the next two years under the state’s plan. Two other propositions on the ballot include one for the purchase of four new school buses. Each would be a 65-passenger gas-powered Blue Bird Vision bus, with cameras installed. The second proposition would authorize the district to increase the amount it can set aside in its capital reserve fund. The current limit is $5 million; district officials are asking the amount be raised to $8 million. Voters will also elect three board members. All three incumbents — Howard Engel III, Kristin Hill-Burns and Edward Reville — are running unopposed. Read the full story at revenanews [dot] com.

Susan Arbetter is reporting for Capital Tonight the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation last week conducted a public forum to convince the residents of the village of Hoosick Falls that the agency's chosen water source proposal is the best option available. Hoosick Falls' drinking water was contaminated by PFOA discharged by St. Gobain and Honeywell, resulting in the village being designated a Superfund site. After two years of waiting, the DEC is now proposing the polluters pay for two new groundwater wells south of Hoosick Falls, each outfitted with a granular activated carbon filtration system or GAC. However, questions remain around the proposal, according to Elizabeth Moran, environmental policy director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG [NIE-PERG].One of the outstanding issues Moran mentioned was the safety of the new wells. “How sure is DEC that these two groundwater wells are safe from future pollution? There’s a lot of concern about the Hoosick Valley. The plume from Saint Gobain in Hoosick Falls isn’t the only pollution plume,” she explained. But DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos told Arbetter in a televised interview he is confident that the wells selected by the DEC are safe now and will continue to be safe in the future. The public comment period for the DEC’s new water source runs through June 4. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union the members of the University at Albany’s faculty senate are calling on their pension fund administrator to divest from fossil fuel companies. “In passing this resolution calling upon TIAA to divest its fossil fuel holdings, the academic and professional faculty of UAlbany took a strong stand on behalf of environmental justice and sustainability,” said Ron Friedman, a UAlbany associate professor of psychology. Friedman helped push through the divestment resolution, which was approved May 13. TIAA, or Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, is the 1.3 trillion-dollar fund that invests on behalf of State University system instructors. The SUNY system is TIAA’s largest university client. A statewide resolution for divestment passed on April 24. TIAA reportedly has $10 billion invested in industries promoting fossil fuel production, distribution and consumption. The fund has also invested in firms that are cutting down forest land in Brazil. A TIAA spokesperson said, "We are actively exploring more investments, companies and technologies – and agricultural and timberland properties – that support a transition to a low-carbon economy or that remove carbon from the environment," adding that it still has a fiduciary obligation to participants or retirees who rely on its funds. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County Board of Supervisors has unanimously taken a position against the proposed Shepherd's Run solar project in Copake. The board adopted a resolution stating that county officials are opposed to the construction of a 360-acre, 60-megawatt installation on agricultural land in the hamlet of Craryville. Hecate [HEK-uh-tee] Energy, the developer behind the proposed project announced last month it would be moving the project forward using a new citing process called 94-C. “I am very grateful for the Board of Supervisors’ support of Copake and their strong opposition to both the project as currently envisioned and the violation of Home Rule which recent legislation represents,” Copake Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said in a statement. The board cited the loss of prime farmland and natural resources, displacement of native and endangered wildlife and birds, degradation of rural viewsheds and a major thoroughfare to the Taconic State Park, Catamount Mountain Resort, the hamlets of Hillsdale, Copake and neighboring Berkshires, as the rationale behind its decision. Darin Johnson of the advocacy group Sensible Solar for Rural New York thanked the board for its vote. "There must be [a] reasonable and real balance between our state’s fight against climate change and respecting the zoning laws, natural resources...and agriculture-centric economies of rural New York,” he said. Hecate Energy Project Developer Alex Campbell said he hopes the company and the town can find a middle ground solution that works for all concerned. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics attorney Debra Katz confirmed early Sat., May 15, that Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has received a subpoena as part of the state attorney general’s investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment leveled against the governor. The New York Times reported that Bennett, along with three other women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior, have all been ordered to appear. The subpoenas indicate the investigation is entering a new stage at the same time a separate impeachment probe of Cuomo by the Democratic-led Assembly is ongoing. Lawmakers are reviewing the administration’s reporting of nursing home fatalities, the use of government aides to help the governor write a book last year and the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project. Bennett reported that Cuomo made unwanted advances and would say inappropriate things to her in the workplace. She indicated an eagerness to speak with investigators. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media preliminary plans for a new warehouse and light industrial park on Route 9W in the town of New Baltimore were presented to the town planning board last week. Albany-based engineer Dan Hershberg outlined the plan that includes the construction of five warehouses to store products and space for light industrial work, such as product assembly. The company making the application is owned by principals in Long Island and Westchester County and is called U.S. Route 9W, LLC. The project would involve 25 acres located on Route 9W, immediately next to Kreitmeier Road, Hershberg said. The site is currently vacant and the area is zoned for commercial use. The five proposed warehouse buildings would measure roughly 30 feet tall and be constructed one or two at a time. No tenants have signed on yet, Hershberg said. Also, the applicant does not know what would be stored in the warehouses, but Hershberg assured the planning board they would not be toxic or dangerous chemicals. The company was attracted to New Baltimore because it provides access to both the CSX railroad line and the New York state Thruway. The project will require an Environmental Impact Statement under State Environmental Quality Review regulations. It will also require approval from state agencies including the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers due to the impacts on wetlands, Hershberg added. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting for the Daily Freeman Saugerties High School English teacher Hope Antonelli has been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation into an assignment she gave students last week that was viewed by members of the community as racist, Superintendent Kirk Reinhardt said. “The district is investigating allegations of an inappropriate journaling assignment at the high school level," Reinhard said in a statement posted on the Saugerties school district website. "... The district takes allegations of this nature very seriously and wishes to emphasize that there are existing procedures under its Dignity for All Students Act policy to make complaints or to bring to the district’s attention, any issues of this nature." Reinhardt’s statement did not provide specifics, such as where Antonelli was reassigned or explain the nature of her current responsibilities. On Tuesday, Saugerties Town Board member John Schoonmaker, two candidates for Town Board and some parents demanded that Antonelli be fired for structuring a writing exercise around the idea that George Floyd's death was not caused by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin's actions. Antonelli asserted instead that Floyd died from a heart attack and drug overdose. Reinhardt said he could not discuss whether Antonelli might be fired because of the controversy or how difficult it might be to terminate the employment of a tenured union member of the faculty, other than to say, “I’m sure there’s due process and protocol.” Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Emily Jacobs and Juliegrace Brufke are reporting for the New York Post House Republicans approved U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik to the GOP's No. 3 leadership position May 14, officially replacing U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney who was forced out earlier this week. Stefanik landed the position on a vote of 134-46 tally after receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump and without a serious challenger. Speaking to reporters following her win, Stefanik thanked the former president “for his support.” “[Trump] is a critical part of our Republican team,” she said before going on to thank “the voters of New York’s 21st congressional district, whom I’m honored to represent each and every day.” While she received prominent endorsements, a good number of conservatives expressed concerns about Stefanik’s voting record, which was more moderate than her predecessor's, arguing it could hinder her ability to speak for the conference. Read the full story in the New York Post.

Raymond Pignone is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media voters in the Chatham School District on May 18, will be asked to approved a $33 million spending plan for the 2021-22 school year. The proposal includes a 1.76 percent increase in the tax levy. There are no special propositions on the ballot this year. Voters will also be asked to choose two new members of the school board. The three candidates running are Denise Barry and incumbents Beth Hover and Christopher Spencer. Spencer is the father of three and has lived in Chatham for six years. He owns an architectural firm with offices in the Hudson Valley and New York City. He was elected to the school board in 2020, and has served as board president. He is also a member of the Chatham Zoning Board of Appeals. Hover is seeking a third term on the board. She is a mother and a grandmother and is currently employed as a realtor. Hover was formerly a teacher for 35 years. Barry is a Chatham High School graduate. She was employed as a special education teacher for 40 years in the Hudson and Albany city school districts and had a separate 30-year career as a teacher and administrator in local prisons. She currently serves on the boards of Coarc and Catholic Charities. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily headlines.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Edward McKinley reports in the Times Union that Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended himself May 13 against allegations that he made inappropriate sexual advances toward eight women, by saying that, "Harassment is not making someone feel uncomfortable. That is not harassment. If I just made you feel uncomfortable, that is not harassment. That is you feeling uncomfortable." The newspaper quotes several experts who disputed Cuomo's comment. “Certainly the statement the governor made, if that’s the law, I mean there’s no sexual harassment. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," said John Bailey, an Albany employment attorney. Debra Katz, the lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, one of the women who accuse the governor of sexual harassment said, that "For someone who signed the law defining sexual harassment in New York state, and who claims to have taken the state’s mandated sexual harassment training every year despite Ms. Bennett seeing someone else take it on his behalf, Gov. Cuomo continues to show an alarming degree of ignorance about what constitutes sexual harassment." Cuomo also said this during a new conference in the Bronx May 13: “I never said anything I believed was inappropriate. You could leave this press conference and say, ‘Oh, the governor harassed me. You can say that.’ I would say, I never said anything that I believed was inappropriate. I never meant to make you feel that way. You may hear it that way, you may interpret it that way, and I respect that and I apologize to you if I said something you think was offensive.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media recruiting material for the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front was found in Palatine Park in Germantown, May 12. It has since been removed. A total of four such stickers or flyers have been found in Columbia County in recent months. “This is an anti-Semitic group,” local activist Michael Richardson said. “At a different time, Patriot Front would be the KKK, they are anti-Semitic, they’re anti-Catholic, they’re white nationalist.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that formed in the aftermath of the August 2017, “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The organization broke off from Vanguard America, a neo-Nazi group that participated in the Charlottesville demonstration. Patriot Front is the most active of the white nationalist groups to use the dissemination of flyers, banners and stickers as a recruitment tool, with more than 3,500 incidents reported in 2019 and 2020. Richardson said similar fliers or stickers have also been found in the villages of Chatham and Philmont. Richard runs the website "Hate Watch Report," a tool for receiving and reporting news about hate or extremist groups and informing the public about them. Germantown Town Supervisor Robert Beaury said the sticker was removed and destroyed by a maintenance crew when they saw it. “It must have been put up in the evening and the very next morning it was taken down,” Beaury said. The supervisor said it disturbed him that this kind of thing could happen in any community, and that it has no place in a civilized society. “Free speech does not mean you can incite violence with hate,” he said. According to Richardson, Patriot Front has a strong presence in Warwick, Orange County, and New Rochelle, Westchester County. He said he was surprised to see their materials this far north. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Attorney General Letitia James [Luh·tee·shuh Jeimz], in a statement May 13, warned businesses against price gouging at the gas pump after the Colonial Pipeline was shut down for several days following a major hack of the company. State law bars sellers of fuel and other necessary goods from excessively increasing prices during a market disruption, including supply shortages, as a way to generate a windfall profit. The pipeline is back online, but delivery is not expected to return to full capacity for several days, and the hack caused some temporary supply issues in parts of the country that led to panic buying. James said, "To be clear, the price gouging of fuel in New York state will not be tolerated for a moment. If our office sees profiteers take advantage of consumers by boosting prices to excess levels, we will not hesitate to take legal action. ..." The average price of a gallon of gas in upstate New York and suburban counties remains around or below $3 and just above $3 in New York City as of early Thu., May 13, according to Gasbuddy [dot] com. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Raymond Pignone is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media voters in the Cairo-Durham School District will be asked to approve a $32.2 million budget proposal for the 2021-22 school year, as well as a proposition to spend $665,000 on five new 65-passenger buses and one new Chevy Suburban for the district’s bus fleet on Tue., May 18. The budget proposal includes a 4.45 percent increase in the tax levy, the maximum allowable under state law. Five candidates are competing to fill four open seats on the Board of Education. Three of the available seats carry three-year terms; the winner of the fourth seat will serve a one-year term. The candidates are Tonya Frickey, Carolyn Miller and incumbents Brian Coletti, Elizabeth Daly and Christopher O’Connell. Frickey grew up in Acra and now lives in Round Top with her family. She is a part-time lecturer at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. She was formerly employed as teacher with the Taconic Hills and Germantown school districts. Miller has lived in the district since 2009. She is a lifetime Greene County resident and has two children. Miller is an assistant principal of the Children’s Home in Kingston. She is the former interim assistant principal of Cairo-Durham Middle/High School. Coletti has lived with his family in Cairo for 26 years. He is a bookkeeper for a large dental practice in Ulster County, and is also employed as a real property mold assessor. Coletti is the vice president of the Cairo-Durham board and a member of the board's Audit Committee. Daly is the mother of three children. She has worked in public education for 28 years as a school counselor and has served on the Cairo-Durham Board of Education since 2012. Christopher O’Connell is a lifelong resident of the district. He lives with his family in Cairo. He is a high school history teacher and has taught 23 years. O'Connell has served on the Cairo-Durham board for six years Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.