The Hudson Opera House, Assemblymember Didi Barrett, and a consortium of regional cultural organizations, historic sites, galleries, shops, dining, and lodging establishments, launched a survey for visitors of "the greater region." The Hudson Area Visitor Survey is now online at www.hudsonareavisitorsurvey.com. George Wachtel of Audience Research & Analysis and Larisa Ortiz Associates is conducting the survey that covers a 50-mile radius from Hudson. “Cultural tourism plays an important role in drawing visitors to enjoy our historic treasures and vibrant arts scene,” says Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “It’s a key economic driver, and the Hudson Area Survey will help us to understand the tourism market to meet our growing needs. I wish to thank the State of New York for its generous support of this important initiative, and the Hudson community for working together to undertake this timely and useful survey.” ​ ​

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Fri., Mar. 3 (10:59). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman the mayor of Tivoli and two members of the Village Board are seeking re-election on March 21. All three candidates are running uncontested and their names will appear on the Tivoli First line on the ballot. Mayor Joel Griffith is seeking a second term. Griffith, 42, is a lifelong village resident and is an artist and painter. Before he became mayor, he was a member of the Village Board. The top priority for the village, he said, “is the water and sewer system, which is now 80 years old.” Susan Ezrati is seeking a sixth term on the Village Board. Ezrati, 71, is a retired pension investment manager for General Motors, and has lived in the village for 11 years. Ezrati cited work on the village waterfront and an improved village water system as her priorities. Christopher Murphy is seeking his first full term on the board after being appointed to fill a vacancy in May 2016. Murphy, 46, is a chef at the Traghaven Whiskey Pub and a lifelong resident of the village. Murphy said a priority for the village is restoring its recreation program. The polls will be open on March 21 from noon to 9 p.m. at the firehouse at 2 Tivoli Commons.

Bethany Bump is reporting at Capitol Confidential state education leaders are seeking public input on a developing statewide plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal law that replaced No Child Behind last year. Specifically, the State Education Department wants ideas on how to hold schools accountable for student success, potential alternative testing methods and possible interventions for low performing schools. State Ed will hold public meetings across the state this month in an effort to gather input from students, teachers, administrators and parents. Questar III BOCES will host four meetings at its central office in Castleton on March 8, 9, 11 and 17. The meetings will cover 14 questions on issues like: Potential new innovative assessment practices New York may wish to pilot; assessment and accountability requirements for English language learners; and, the design of the state's public school accountability system. Those interested in attending must RSVP the meeting organizer to participate. Information, including the most recent list of locations for the proposed meetings, can be found at P 12 [dot] gov [slash] accountability [slash] Winter Regional Meetings 2017. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will visit A. Ooms & Sons Dairy Farm in Valatie at 10 a.m. March 3 and host a roundtable discussion with local farmers and producers. Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, will hold a discussion about local agriculture issues.

Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper that New York's Department of Environmental Conservation just purchased 689 acres in Ancram and Taghkanic to create the Doodletown Wildlife Management Area, Ancram Town Supervisor Art Bassin said at the February 16 town board meeting. The Ancram land amounts to 325 acres and lies between Doodletown and Westfall roads, said the supervisor. The DEC will make a formal announcement about the purchase in a few weeks. DEC Natural Resources Supervisor Peter Innes wrote the the board, “The DEC is interested in protecting and enhancing important habitat for [a] variety of wildlife species, especially the New England Cottontail rabbit. This is a species of greatest conservation need in New York, and a candidate species for federal listing as threaten[ed] or endangered." Eventually the DEC might acquire up to 1,500 acres in Ancram and Taghkanic to expand the wildlife area. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Emily Masters and Robert Gavin report in The Albany Times-Union that Maria de Jesus Canterero Mercado from Hudson was not detained by immigration officials in Albany March 1. Her husband, Ramiro Martinez-Chacon was arrested by federal immigration officers Feb. 7 in his driveway as his 12-year-old and 6-year-old sons watched. The family is from El Salvador. Martinez-Chacon, now in the Rensselaer County jail, faces criminal prosecution for re-entry after deportation, a federal felony punishable by up to 20 years. Twenty-five protesters from the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement and the Capital Region group New Sanctuary for Immigrants protested outside March 1 as Mercado checked in with immigration authorities in Albany, fearful that she would also be deported. The mother of two holds monthly meetings with immigration officials to verify her whereabouts and activity. "If she was deported, what would happen to the children?" the Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo said Wednesday after Mercado's latest check-in. She was not arrested, and, for now, will continue to check in with immigration officials each month. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that there will be rolling road closures in Kingston March 4 for the planned “People’s March for Education Justice.” The march, one of several throughout the country, begins at 1 p.m. at Academy Green, at Clinton and Albany avenues. Between 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Maiden Lane will be closed between Albany and Clinton avenues, and Broadway will be closed between St. James and Andrew streets. Organizers are protesting the education policies of President Donald Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Congressional representatives of people who live in the Hudson Valley released statements March 2 about investigations into Russian interference in the recent presidential election in the United States. Congressman John Faso (R-Kinderhook) issued a statement that was little more than what he has said before: “An investigation into Russia’s influence on the 2016 election must be handled in a secure manner so that our vital national security information is not leaked and used against us by our enemies. I believe that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is the most appropriate venue to do that and I am encouraged that both the committee’s Republican and Democratic members agreed to proceed with a deeper investigation into these allegations.” While Faso wants to keep things secret, New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand released much more specific statements after revelations that Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not answer a question at his confirmation hearing accurately. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants Sessions to resign after reports that Sessions spoke to Russia's ambassador twice last year, while Sessions was working as a top adviser and surrogate for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. "There cannot be even the scintilla of doubt about the impartiality and fairness of the attorney general, the top law enforcement official of the land," Schumer said. "Because the Department of Justice should be above reproach, for the good of the country Attorney General Sessions should resign." On Twitter, Kirsten Gillibrand said, "It's clear that A[ttorney] G[eneral] Sessions gave false testimony under oath at his hearing. This should disqualify him from leading the Justice Department. I'm calling for a special prosecutor and a 9/11 style commission to get to the bottom of Russia's ties to the Trump admin and election hacking."

The WGXC Radical Radio 2017 Winter Pledge Drive continues! WGXC must raise $20,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call (518) 697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:

TODAY: Scattered snow showers, mainly after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 33. Friday night, scattered snow showers, mainly before 9 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 11.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 23. Saturday night, clear. Low around 4 Wind chill values as low as -8.
SUNDAY: Sunny. High near 33. Sunday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 18.

Sunrise today: 6:25 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:48 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 11:23 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the first Friday of the month.

WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today

POLITICAL EVENTS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD Fundraiser, 5 p.m., Mar. 3 at Traghaven Whiskey Pub and Co., Tivoli. Bard's Jazz Today and The Cupcakes perform.
PEOPLE'S MARCH for Education Justice, 1 p.m., Mar. 4 at locations across New York: Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Kingston and New York City. Organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley and Alliance for Quality Education of New York.
HUDSON VALLEY PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY, 6:30 p.m., Mar. 9 at Newburgh Armory Unity Center, Newburgh. Meeting with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman organized by Community Voices Heard.
NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION Day of Action, Mar. 13. Action at State Capitol in Albany by the NYCLU against policies of the Republican administration.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Wednesday, March 2 (4:33). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)