Emily Masters is reporting in the Times Union Jewish community centers across the country received another wave of bomb threats this week. The latest threats temporarily closed 11 JCCs Mon., Feb. 20, the JCC Association of North America said. Threats were also called in on Jan. 9, 18 and 31. A total of 69 bomb threats have been called into 54 JCCs in 27 states and one Canadian province during the first two months of 2017. All were hoaxes. Two threats were received at the Sidney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center in Albany on Jan. 9 and 18. David Posner, director of strategic performance with the national JCC association said, "While we are relieved that all such threats have proven to be hoaxes ... we are concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats and the repetition of threats intended to interfere with day-to-day life." Read the full story in the Times Union.

Melissa Hale-Spencer reports in The Altamont Enterprise that in Knox, it seems decorum is sometimes lacking at town meetings. Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis consistently gets voted down four-to-one on controversial issues, she reports. On individual issues, things can seem odd. At the December meeting of the Albany County town Lefkaditis opposed adding an electrical vehicle charging station in Knox, claiming most townspeople would say, “Screw this; put in a gas pump, overwhelmingly.” Councilwoman Amy Pokorny persisted though, and the town got a $11,835 DEC grant to install chargers for electric cars. But at the Feb. 14 board meeting, she could not get a second for her motion to accept the grant money. Then some of the 30 or so citizens in the gallery shouted complaints at Pokorny without anyone on the board calling for order. Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.

John Faso, the congressional representative who lives in Kinderhook, did not give a public town hall meeting Jan. 21, but a $20-a-head discussion in a Sullivan County diner. Mid-Hudson News recorded and uploaded video that is on the WGXC Newsroom.

Jeanette Wolfberg reports in The Columbia Paper the Hudson High School will break ground April 17 on a new athletic field. Shaker Flats Landscaping, Inc., of West Lebanon got the $1.9 million contract at the Feb. 13 board meeting. Hudson River Bank and Trust Foundation recently donated $2,500, which may go towards the scoreboard. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Melanie Lekocevic reports in the Ravena News-Herald that Bethlehem Town Supervisor John Clarkson says the waterfront, open spaces, and renovations to Delaware Avenue are the Albany County town's top issues this year. “We are a Hudson River community. It is a regional asset, and we want to maximize our benefits from it,” Clarkson said during his State of the Town address. “I don’t know what the final waterfront plan will look like, but we have a great group working on it, and they will sketch out a bold vision,” he said. Read the full story in the Ravena News-Herald.

Today is Day 8 of the WGXC Radical Radio 2017 Winter Pledge Drive. During the coming days, WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff 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 (President's Day): Partly sunny. High near 52. Wednesday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 37.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: A slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 63. Thursday night, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 41.
FRIDAY: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 57. Friday night, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 49.

Sunrise today: 6:39 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:37 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:58 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the fourth Wednesday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

ATHENS Town Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at community center, 2 First Street, Athens (945-1052).
CHATHAM Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
CHATHAM Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-1651).
COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Sewer Sub-committee meeting, 4 p.m.; Public Works Committee meeting, 5 p.m., both at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE Town Board meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727)
HUDSON Common Council Public Works Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Legal Committee meeting, 6:15 p.m.; both at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
NEW LEBANON Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at junior/senior high school, 14665 Route 22, New Lebanon (794-7600).
WINDHAM Town Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

POLITICAL EVENTS

JOHN FASO Fundraiser, 5:30 p.m. at Fort Orange Club, 110 Washington Ave., Albany. Rescheduled from Feb. 9.
Unofficial JOHN FASO Town Hall, 6 p.m., Feb. 24, at Kingston Town Hall. Organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley. Local activists organized this town hall event for Faso. The first-term Congressman is not holding public meetings with his constituents.
Make Faso Listen March, 2 p.m., Feb. 25, at U.S. Rep. John Faso's District Office, 2 Hudson Street, Kinderhook. Organized by Indivisible CD19NY.
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.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Tue., Feb. 21 (9:26). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail the Friends of St. Patrick's Church has received word from the Vatican that the papal administration will hear the appeal filed by the group with Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. The appeal from the diocese's order is now pending with the Vatican, parishioner and Friend's co-leader Deb Johnson said this week. The Friends of St. Pat's was formed to reverse the diocese's May decision to close the historic church. Once the papal administration in Rome hears from Scharfenberger and evaluates his response, the administration will reach out to the group again with more information, Johnson said. “I’m hoping that the Bishop and the people in Rome will read between the lines and see there’s a disconnect,” she said. “As we wait for a decision from Rome we are moving on.” The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany declined to comment on issues surrounding the church, because of the status of the appeal, the communications director for the local diocese said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star the Columbia County Council on the Arts officially closed Mon., Feb. 20. The group cited the departure of its executive director, along with the majority of its board, as well as financial problems, as the reasons for its closure. The council showcased emerging artists in its Warren Street Gallery and created the annual ArtsWalk event. Former executive director Cynthia Mulvaney said she resigned in mid-May and the organization has been in "hibernation" since. “We had problems that any sort of nonprofit would have,” she said. CCCA Board President Fran Heaney said the council had been in a conundrum since Mulvaney left. “That kind of upset things,” Heaney said. “Her job was to write grants, and when she left, a lot of the board members left.” Heaney also blamed mismanagement in budgeting for the council’s demise. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Victoria Addison is reporting in The Daily Mail on the activities of U.S. Rep. John Faso this week, during the February Congressional recess. Faso will meet with representatives of the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, a farmer’s organization and other groups interested in discussing the Affordable Care Act, including some constituents, Faso's communication director, Courtney Weaver, told the paper Mon., Feb. 20. The Kinderhook Republican met with an unidentified firm that handles health insurance plans for small businesses and public employers, Monday. “We are pretty booked this week because we are dealing with requests we’ve had over the past number of weeks,” Faso said. “There’s interest and issues and I’m trying to accommodate people routinely.” Also on Monday, Faso spoke live with Gary Bischoff and Chris Acosta on WGHQ-AM, Kingston Public Radio. He fielded questions from callers about the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, the appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency, his thoughts on health care and defunding Planned Parenthood, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard's proposal to establish 10 new anchorage locations on the Hudson River. Faso told the hosts he had no intention of holding any town hall meetings because, he said, they turn into "shouting matches," and are "unproductive." Instead, he prefers to meet with individuals and small groups, and to hold roundtable discussions. Addison reports a daily schedule of public events are available on Faso’s Congressional website, but the names of organizations and constituents are not generally posted. The only entry currently on the calendar for this week is the Feb. 21 WGHQ interview.

John Faso speaks with Gary Bischoff and Chris Acosta on Kingston Community Radio (WGHQ-AM) with hosts Gary Bischoff and Chris Acosta, Mon., Feb. 20. Interview begins at 35:02. NOTE: Please do not play advertisements on-air.

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail an ice climber has survived a nearly 20-foot fall at Devil’s Kitchen near Platte Clove Road. The 50-year-old man was ice climbing with a group when the ledge he was on broke, causing him to plunge 15 to 20 feet. First Assistant Chief Steven Toumey from the Tannersville Fire Department said the report came in just before noon, Sat., Feb. 18. The unidentified man was struck with pieces of falling ice. “The witnesses said he didn’t lose consciousness,” Toumey said. “But he got clobbered in the head.” The man was helped out by members of the Twin Cloves Rope Rescue Squad. The man was examined at the scene by emergency services, he refused medical treatment and was released. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting in the Daily Freeman the number of Ulster County residents who volunteer exceeds both the state and national rates, according to a recent report by The Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives. In a survey using the same questions as a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics poll, the Center found that 66,000 county residents, or 45 percent of the population, indicated they volunteered at least once in the past year. That number was nearly double the state rate and almost 20 points higher than the national rate. The Center found women were more likely to volunteer than men; college-educated adults were more likely to volunteer than those without a college degree; adults with children are more likely to volunteer than childless adults; and the employed are more likely to volunteer than the unemployed. According to the report, the majority of volunteers in Ulster County gave their time to religious organizations or social and community service organizations, followed closely by educational, youth, sports, hobby, cultural, or arts organization. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

USA Today is reporting ‘Not My Presidents Day’ rallies took place around the country Mon., Feb. 20, attracting a variety of activists opposed to the current Republican administration. Events took place in more than a dozen locations, including New York and New Paltz. In Manhattan, hundreds of protesters gathered shortly after noon near Columbus Circle, home to the Trump International Hotel and Tower. The Daily Freeman is reporting Move Forward New York organized the rally held Monday on the SUNY New Paltz campus. The event's co-sponsors included the United University Professions and the New Paltz Student Association. Part of the New Paltz rally involved tearing down a symbolic wall, protesting Trump's plan to build a wall on Mexico's border.

Patch.com is reporting New York is ranked fourth in the country for the number of hate groups operating within its borders, according to the latest version of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hate Map released last week. The center tracked more than 900 hate groups nationwide last year. In New York 47 groups were identified, including four groups on Long Island: Two chapters of the Ku Klux Klan, a racist music production company and an anti-Muslim group. The Center also named a black separatist group headquartered in Mount Vernon. The list was complied using information from the groups themselves, as well as police and media reports from around the country. The number of hate groups in the U.S. peaked in 2011, when the Southern Poverty Law Center tracked just over 1,000 groups. The number of groups the Center tracks has more than doubled since 1999. Read the full story at Patch.com.

Today is Day 7 of the WGXC Radical Radio 2017 Winter Pledge Drive. During the coming days, WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff 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 (President's Day): Increasing clouds. High near 44. Tuesday night, a chance of rain, mainly between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 34. There is a chance of a brief period of light mixed precipitation including freezing rain or freezing drizzle late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. High near 52. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 37.
THURSDAY: A slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 61. Thursday night, a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 41.

Sunrise today: 6:41 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:36 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:55 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the third Tuesday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

COLUMBIA County Local Emergency Planning Committee, 9 a.m.; Board of Supervisors County Government Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HUDSON Common Council Finance Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Common Council regular meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
PHILMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).
VALATIE Village Board meeting (rescheduled from Oct. 11), Village Hall, 3211 Church St., Valatie (758-9806).

POLITICAL EVENTS
JOHN FASO Appearance, 8:30 a.m., Feb. 21 at Miss Monticello Diner, 406 Broadway, Monticello. Faso will discuss his first 50 days in office during a small business forum. Ticketed event.
JOHN FASO Fundraiser, 5:30 p.m. at Fort Orange Club, 110 Washington Ave., Albany. Rescheduled from Feb. 9.
Unofficial JOHN FASO Town Hall, 6 p.m., Feb. 24, at Kingston Town Hall. Organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley. Local activists organized this town hall event for Faso. The first-term Congressman is not holding public meetings with his constituents.
Make Faso Listen March, 2 p.m., Feb. 25, at U.S. Rep. John Faso's District Office, 2 Hudson Street, Kinderhook. Organized by Indivisible CD19NY.
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.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Mon., Feb. 20 (7:51)). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Feb. 17 through Sun., Feb. 19:

Roger Hannigan Gilson reported in the Register-Star approximately 200 people gathered in front of the Columbia County Courthouse in Hudson on Fri., Feb. 17, to protest the removal of three men by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from Hudson City Court, Wednesday. The men were in court to answer charges of drunken driving, according to their attorney, Michael C. Howard and Hudson Police Chief Ed Moore. Attendees at the rally heard from various speakers and waived signs, in resistance to the local incident and in protest of ongoing detentions around the country. An executive order signed by the president last month expanded the country's immigration enforcement priorities. Immigration officials have been directed to prioritize undocumented individuals convicted of any criminal offense, as well as anyone who has "committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense." ICE has repeatedly failed to respond to the paper's requests for comment about the Hudson detentions.

U.S. Rep. John Faso, Republican of Kinderhook, on Thu., Feb. 16, voted "no" on a bill that would help states defund Planned Parenthood. The measure would repeal a rule Barack Obama signed in December that prevents state governments from blocking federal family-planning funding from specific health-care providers for any reason other than competence. Faso was one of only two Republicans to vote against the measure, which passed in the House, 230-188.

William J. Kemble reported in the Daily Freeman Central Hudson has announced its plans to replace nearly 21,000 feet of natural gas lines along 22 streets in the city and the town of Ulster. The work is expected to begin in June, and will be done in phases. A company spokesman said the new lines will be polyethylene and will replace a system of iron and steel. He said most of the lines to be replaced were installed before 1950; in some cases they were put into the ground as early as the early 1900s. The Ulster project is part of a 15-year initiative to update all of Central Hudson’s natural gas lines. The utility will spend $21 million this year to replacie 14 miles of lines. Replacement lines are also scheduled for Catskill, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Cornwall, New Windsor and Wappingers Falls.

Jeanette Wolfberg reported in The Columbia Paper the Columbia County Board of Supervisors approved resolutions relating to sales taxes, bus service and housing at its regular meeting this month. The board renewed its annual request to the state legislature that would allow the county to continue charging a four percent sales tax, one percentage point above the state three percent state default. The current four percent authorization will expire Nov. 30, and the recent request from the Board of Supervisors would extend that okay through November 2019. The board also voted to reassign the county bus contract to Johnston Transportation LLC, effective March 1, through Apr. 12, 2018. The board also authorized the payment of $24,500 to Capital Advocates "to help plan 'for the acquisition of transitional and permanent low income housing.'" The county Department of Social Services reported 95 homeless individuals in its system in December, and 94 in November.

Rick Karlin reported at Capitol Confidential Republican state Senator Kathy Marchione is sponsoring legislation that would mandate annual staff surveys at Office of Children and Families Services facilities. The survey would take note of how many non-administrative employees are on duty, and provide information on the number of employees out with workers compensation claims or who have suffered on-the-job injuries. Marchione took the action in the wake of the controversy concerning recent staff attacks and staffing levels at OCFS facilities, such as the Brookwood Secure Center youth facility in Claverack. In December, a Brookwood employee was hospitalized after a resident struck him on the head with a "Wet Floor" sign while the man was working as an aide. Assaults on youth center employees has long been a controversial area and it seems to be continuing as a point of contention between unionized workers and management, Karlin writes.

Victoria Addison reported in the Register-Star the New Lebanon Board of Education last week rejected a measure that would have provided an alternative tax exemption for veterans who own real property in the district. Five of six board members voted against the resolution; one abstained. The alternative exemption would have provided a reduction in school taxes for veterans who served in overseas conflicts. The amount of the reduction would vary depending on where the veteran served, and if they have a service-related disability. New Lebanon Town Supervisor Colleen Teal said Fri., Feb. 17, she was disappointed with the board’s decision. “But, I also recognize that the school district is an important part of the community and I think it’s really important we work collaboratively,” Teal said.

Amanda Purcell reported in The Daily Mail the Catskill Central School District is currently in talks with a candidate for superintendent. The final candidate was chosen from a field of three finalists February 1. An announcement is anticipated “soon,” Board of Education President Kyle Lyles said. If negotiations are successful, the new superintendent will begin work July 1, he said. “We are not able to release any details about the candidate, but we will as soon as everything is official,” Lyles said. “However, until the contracts are signed, it is not official.” The district has been without a schools chief since Kathleen Farrell left the position in November 2015. Interim School District Superintendent Annemarie Barkman is expected to continue to serve in the district's top spot until June 30. The new superintendent will be paid an annual salary of $140,000. Farrell earned a base salary of $213,000 a year, and a benefits package worth $43,000, during the 2015-16 school year.

Mon., Feb. 20, is Presidents Day. The Daily Freeman has a rundown of how various offices and services are affected.

AMTRAK: Holiday schedule
BANKS: Closed
COUNTY and CITY OFFICES: Closed
FEDERAL OFFICES: Closed
FINANCIAL MARKETS: Closed
GREENE COUNTY TRANSIT: Regular schedule
MAIL DELIVERY: None
METRO-NORTH: Saturday schedule
SCHOOLS: Closed
STATE OFFICES: Closed
TRAILWAYS: Call (845) 339-4230

Today is Day 6 of the WGXC Radical Radio 2017 Winter Pledge Drive. During the coming days, WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff 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 (Presidents Day): Sunny. High near 41. Monday night, mostly clear. Low around 21.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
TUESDAY: A slight chance of rain after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 41. Tuesday night, a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy. Low around 33.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. High near 53. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 35.

Sunrise today: 6:42 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:35 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:52 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the third Monday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

ATHENS Town Board meeting, 6:45 p.m. at community center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1052, ext. 2).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENVILLE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 11159 Route 32, Greenville (966-5055).
HUNTER Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
PHILMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
TAGHKANIC Zoning Commission meeting, 3:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).

POLITICAL EVENTS
NOT MY PRESIDENTS DAY Rally, 12 p.m., Feb. 20, on the SUNY New Paltz campus at the JFT Concourse. Organized by Move Forward New York.
PAUL TONKO Town Hall, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 20 at Schenectady County Community College, 78 Washington Ave., Schenectady.
JOHN FASO Appearance, 8:30 a.m., Feb. 21 at Miss Monticello Diner, 406 Broadway, Monticello. Faso will discuss his first 50 days in office during a small business forum. Ticketed event.
JOHN FASO Fundraiser, 5:30 p.m. at Fort Orange Club, 110 Washington Ave., Albany. Rescheduled from Feb. 9.
Unofficial JOHN FASO Town Hall, 6 p.m., Feb. 24, at Kingston Town Hall. Organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley. Local activists organized this town hall event for Faso. The first-term Congressman is not holding public meetings with his constituents.
Make Faso Listen March, 2 p.m., Feb. 25, at U.S. Rep. John Faso's District Office, 2 Hudson Street, Kinderhook. Organized by Indivisible CD19NY.

Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted Feb. 16 against a bill that would help states defund Planned Parenthood. The measure would repeal a rule Barack Obama signed in December that stops state governments from blocking federal family-planning funding from specific health care providers for any reason other than competence. Faso was one of only two Republicans to vote against the measure, which passed 230-188.