C-G feels sting of deep aid cuts
Jeff Alexander in The Daily Mail reports that Columbia-Greene Community College, like every other New York institution, is facing budget cuts. “Our institution is primarily funded through three revenue streams; state of New York base aid, our county sponsors and student tuition,” President James Campion says in the article. “In the past few years, we have had a decrease in state aid because rates have dropped dramatically. This year there is well over a $300,000 decrease.” The state is making up its lower totals by raising tuition costs, with a proposed bill allowing the SUNY Board of Trustees to set annual tuition, provided that it does not increase by more than 5.5 percent per year, for each of the next five years. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Air filtration company reportedly bringing 150 jobs to county
Jamie Larson follows up Carole Osterink's reporting in The Gossips of Rivertown that the North Carolina-based Flanders company will reopen the Kaz factory on Route 9 in Greenport, hiring as many as 150 local workers. "An official announcement of the substantial industrial addition to the county economy is expected to come from Gov. Andrew Cuomo today," Larson writes. The local venture will be called Precisionaire Of Hudson New York and makes air filters. Larson speculates that the company may be asking for a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). The county Industrial Development Agency, which would have to grant the PILOT tax break, meets this morning at 8:30 a.m. at the IDA’s office at 4303 Route 9 in Greenport.
Read the full story in the Register-Star.

UPDATE: Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports from that IDA meeting this morning:

"The county IDA approved a resolution to begin the process of awarding Flanders a 10-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement that would forgive 25 percent of the company’s annual taxes dependent on the property’s assessed value, which is currently around $4 million, though the purchase price, when finalized, is expected to be $3.2 million. Columbia County Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development Ken Flood said that the PILOT is similar to the one held by Kaz in the final years of its operation. At the current tax rate, the PILOT will reduce Flanders’ annual payment from nearly $84,000 to $61,000. In the contract, the North Carolina based Flanders has agreed to provide 180 full time positions, but expects to hire more than 200 when fully operational. Flood said the full-time positions will include a similar — if not better — benefit package to that of Kaz."

Portin wants to challenge Cozzolino in primary
John Mason in the Register-Star reports that today is the first day for candidates to gather signatures to get their parties’ endorsements, and that County District Attorney Beth Cozzolino is facing a primary challenge from within her own parties to her plans to run for County Court Judge this fall. Mark Portin, 52, a judge in the village of Chatham, the town of Ghent, and the city of Hudson, will primary Cozzolino in September for the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines. Cozzolino has been endorsed by the executive committees of all three parties, but the full parties decide in the Sept. 13 primary who will face probable Democratic opponent Richard Koweek in the November election. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

NY assembly extends fracking ban for another year
Dan Wiessner reports for Reuters that Monday the New York State Assembly passed a one-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, the method of natural gas drilling sometimes called "fracking" that is currently under a temporary ban in the state while the Department of Environmental Conservation studies the practice, which has gone on in the Western U.S. for years and recently came to Pennsylvania and New York. The proposed moratorium on new drilling permits would extend to June 1, 2012, replacing the current ban set to expire later this summer. The measure now goes to the Republican-controlled state Senate to become law. Read the Reuters story here.

Local sports results
Empire State Baseball League
Sunday, June 5th-DH in Amsterdam, NY
13U Coxsackie Owlz 15- Amsterdam 6
13U Coxsackie Owlz 11-Amsterdam 6
Zach Girvin and Seaver Martin each contributed three hits sending the 13U Coxsackie Owlz (2-1) to a 15-6 victory over the Amsterdam Rams in the first game of a double header. Girvin went 3-5 with an RBI double and a two-run double. Martin was 3-3 with an RBI double. Also for the Owlz, Sam Palmateer went 2-5 with 4 RBI's, while Justin Maldonado was 2-4 with 2 RBI's. David Gabrielsen went 1-2 with 2 RBI's and Derrek Dupont was 1-4 with an RBI. Taylor LeClair gets the win in relief of Chris Zwoboda. LeClair went 4 innings giving up 1 unearned run on 3 hits, 2 walks and struck out 4. Zwoboda went 3 innings giving up 5 runs, 2 earned, on 4 hits, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. In the second game, the Owlz (3-1) took over in the sixth inning, coming from behind andscoring 7 runs for an 11-6 win. David Gabrielsen went 2-2 with an RBI double. Matt Mitchell was 1-2 with 2 RBI's, and Kyle Roberts was 1-3 with an RBI double. Zach Girvin held the Rams to 1 run on 2 hits, a walk and 2 strikeouts in 3 innings of relief to earn the win. Justin Maldonado started on the mound going four innings giving up 5 runs, 2 earned, on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts. The 13U Owlz play a double header against Clifton Park in Coxsackie, next Sunday, June 12 at noon and 3 p.m.