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Wednesday headlines and audio

Jun 15, 2011 12:11 am
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.

Suhrawardi Gebel interview about Summer Meditation Camp at Abode of the Message in New Lebanon.
Interview by Richard Roth, Ann Forbes Cooper, and Tom Roe on WGXC Afternoon Show. Abode of the Message is a residential commune of the Sufi Order International.

David Paulson interview about art show "7 New York Painters" at BRIK Gallery.
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth on WGXC Afternoon Show. The art show Paulson put together opens at BRIK Gallery in Catskill Sat. June 18 at 6 p.m.

Dina Bursztyn from The Open Studio Catskill talks about her new children's book "The Land of Lost Things."
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. Interview of Argentinian artist who now lives in Catskill. Her book is in both Spanish and English.
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