Some of the stories that made the news Fri., May 27 through Mon., May 30:

Greg Hudson reported in The Daily Mail despite having their church closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany last week, some parishioners of St. Patrick's Church in Catskill are actively looking for a way to rescue the historic 1885 building. The diocese said it made the decision to close the parish because the structure had fallen into disrepair and it could not be repaired. Parishioner Deb Johnson said that was not the outcome expected when the church was closed in 2008, seemingly for roof and ceiling repairs. Johnson said parishioners were told that ultimately the church would be re-opened. Anthony Petriani said church members raised more than $250,000 in pledges for a capital fund. He said, “To this day, we don’t know if or how it was spent, because repairs were never made to the building.” Petriani alleges the structure was neglected due to managerial error by those in charge of the church. The Friends of St. Pat's group is now organizing a petition, appealing to the diocese to allow for the reopening of the church. Petriani said, in addition to completing the needed repairs, a parish debt in excess of $1.5 million will also have to resolved before the doors can open again. It may be difficult to make this happen, he said, because since 2008, more than 600 families have left the parish and they are scattered among other parishes within the diocese and elsewhere. Petriani said he hoped Albany Diocese Bishop Edward Scharfenberger would make himself available to the Catskill parish as they seek a resolution. He said, “He should come here, show his face and listen to us, his people.”

Josefa Velasquez reported at Politico New York amid a push to curb the use of opioids and heroin statewide, a coalition is pushing the state Legislature to widen access to prescription medications with abuse-deterrent properties. Encouraged by the creation of the governor’s new heroin task force, groups ranging from substance abuse organizations, the NAACP and the Sheriff’s Association are urging support for a bill to do just that. In a memo in support of the legislation, the New York State Sheriffs Association said drugs with abuse deterrent properties can serve as a powerful weapon in fighting prescription opioid abuse. Medications with abuse-deterrent properties are harder to crush or liquefy, making it difficult for people to snort or inject them. Both the Senate and Assembly passed similar bills last year, but the measure was vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In his veto message, Cuomo said that while the intent of the legislation was laudable, research on the impacts of such drugs has only just started, and it was too early to tell whether the law would achieve its intended effect.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reported in the Register-Star local politicians and residents are expressing varying degrees of support for ride-sharing services operating upstate while the state Legislature works on a bill to allow them north of New York City. These types of ride-sharing services use phone apps to connect independent drivers with people in need of rides. The independent drivers are not currently permitted to operate upstate. A bill co-sponsored by Assembly member Pete Lopez and state Sen. George Amedore would establish insurance requirements and regulate companies, such as Uber, and allow them to operate north of New York City. Amedore said having ride-sharing in the area would benefit people in rural areas with limited transportation options. He said, "These types of (ride-sharing) services will complement each other — many of the areas where they will be able to operate don't have cab service options or if it is available it is very expensive." The legality of Uber and other ride-sharing services, has been challenged by governments and taxi companies, who allege that its use of drivers who are not licensed to drive taxicabs is unsafe and illegal.

Brian Hubert reported in the Daily Freeman Tuesday, May 31, marks the last day of the Catskill Mountain Railroad's 25-year lease with Ulster County. The county recently put out a request for proposal for a new operator for two portions of the 38-mile corridor, one near Kingston and the other in the town of Shandaken. Dave Hilliard, the railroad’s vice president, said only that it bid on both the eastern and western portions of corridor. Hilliard said an interruption in the railroad’s popular theme excursions, like the Polar Express, is inevitable. There was a sense of disappointment that the rides would disappear among railroad passengers this weekend. Melissa Bowen, of Pine Plains, came with her daughters. They wanted to ride the train before the railroad closed. Bowen said she was not pleased with plans to convert part of the corridor into a rail trail. “We don’t need another rail trail,” she said.

Jeanette Wolfberg reported in the Columbia Paper at latest count, the Columbia County Department of Social Services houses 46 homeless people in hotels. The report was provided by DSS commissioner Kary Jablonka to the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee earlier this month. According to Jablonka, the 46 include eight families of two or more people. The remainder are single individuals. Not included in the full count are several people with no permanent address staying with friends or relatives. That undisclosed number includes some children, who were identified by their respective school districts.

Rick Karlin reported at Capitol Confidential in his latest ad, 19th Congressional GOP primary candidate Andrew Heaney appears to be tying himself to presumed GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. In the message Heaney says, ”Donald Trump and I represent everything that John Faso and his cronies hate. We don’t take special interest money and we can’t be bought.” Heaney then alludes to his opponent's work as a lobbyist and his tenure in the Assembly, referencing Faso's missed votes. Faso responded, noting that during his 16 years in the Assembly he was recorded as voting 97 percent of the time and cast almost 24,000 votes on the floor and in committee.

Local weather forecast

Today: Sunny. High near 82. Tuesday night, mostly clear. Low around 55.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WEDNESDAY: Sunny. High near 79. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 55.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 77. Thursday night, scattered showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 59.

Sunrise today: 5:21 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:25 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 15:03 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the fifth Tuesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

CANAAN Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1647 County Route 5, Canaan (781-3144).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Finance Committee meeting, 2 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).

Click here to play or download an audio version of this report.

The "Frequency" movie from the year 2000 with Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan, who, because of a giant solar flare, can speak with his dead father, Dennis Quaid, on his dad's ham radio, is coming back from the dead itself, returning as a CW television series this fall. This time, it is a father Riley Smith speaking through radio from the dead to daughter Peyton List. When radio was first invented at the turn of the 20th Century, there was a common belief that one could speak to the dead through radio airwaves.

The Daily Freeman reports on the following closed or altered services for Mon., May 30, Memorial Day.
Amtrak: Holiday schedule.
Banks: Closed.
County offices: Closed.
Columbia County Solid Waste: Closed.
Federal offices: Closed.
Financial markets: Closed.
Greene County Transit: No service.
Mail delivery: None.
Metro-North: Sunday schedule.
Schools: Closed.
State offices: Closed.
Trailways: Holiday schedule.

Memorial Day Events (Mon., May 30)

7 a.m.: Ghent VFW Post 5933 members are to meet at the Post, followed by a ceremony at 7:30 a.m. at the Spencertown monuments with Chatham Post 42 American Legion. At 8:30 a.m. members will line up on Maple Ave. and intersecting streets in the Ghent development for the parade. Following the ceremonies in Ghent, units will proceed to Chatham to participate in that parade and ceremonies, sponsored by Chatham Post 42, American Legion.

9 a.m.: The Minkler-Seery American Legion Post 252 of Philmont will begin Memorial Day services with a veterans’ breakfast at 7 a.m. at the Vanderbilt House. All veterans are welcome to attend. Following the breakfast, the parade will line up at 8:30 a.m. at the old American Legion building and step off at 9 a.m. Marchers will parade down Main St., ending at Memorial Park on Main St. Legion members will decorate the graves of veterans at the Claverack, Philmont, Mellenville, Hollowville and Martindale cemeteries. All children in the village are invited to the parade with their decorated bicycles for the bicycle content. Awards will be given for the best decorated bike with the theme Memorial Day.

10 a.m.: A ceremony and parade will be held beginning at the Germantown Reform Church cemetery. The parade will then march down Main Street to Palatine Park, where light refreshments will be served.

10 a.m.: The Greenville Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10 a.m. and conclude at 11 a.m., with an observance saluting America's war dead at VFW Post 3175, Route 6.

10:15 a.m.: The Hudson Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10:15 a.m. at the Seventh St. Park Veterans Monument with the call to assembly and the laying of the wreath. Flags are to be flown at half-staff until noon. Seventh Street will be closed from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The parade will process from Seventh St., down Warren and across Fourth St. to the Court House Park where Memorial Day services will be held. Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell will deliver the keynote address. Warren Street will be closed from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. East and West Court streets will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m.: Hillsdale and Roe Jan area veterans will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Flag Bearer monument that stands in the Hillsdale town center.

10:30 a.m.: The village of Hunter will hold its commemoration at 10:30 a.m. at the war memorial located at Hunter Elementary School.

10:45 a.m.: The Chatham Memorial Day parade will line up at 10:45 a.m. at the American Legion on Woodbridge Ave. and step off at 11 a.m., then proceed over Woodbridge Ave., up Kinderhook St. to Central Square, and down Main St. to the gazebo adjacent to the veterans memorial at Main St. and Park Row.

11 a.m.: Cairo Memorial Day Parade at Angelo Canna Park, the Cairo town park, just behind Main St. The parade processes from town hall to the park. The annual event is sponsored by American Legion Mohican Post #983. Refreshments will be served.

11 a.m.: The town of Kinderhook’s Memorial Day Parade will move out on Catskill View Dr., up Route 9, and stop at the Village Square. Following a short memorial service, the Kinderhook Fire Department will provide hot dogs and refreshments on the Kinderhook Bank lawn. Line-up begins at 9 a.m. on Berkshire Dr; parade steps off at 10 a.m.

12:30 p.m.: The Prattsville Memorial Day parade will be held at 1 p.m., sponsored by the American Legion Virgil E. Post Unit #1327. Lineup takes place at 12:30 p.m., on Maple Lane, near the site of the old American Legion post.

1 p.m.: The Coxsackie Memorial Day Parade will begin at Appleblossom Lane and proceed down Mansion Street.

4 p.m.: Memorial Day Parade along Catskill Main Street with a ceremony at Court House.

Local weather forecast

Today: Scattered showers, with thunderstorms, also possible after noon. Mostly cloudy. High near 82. The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the region. Isolated thunderstorms are possible, which may produce gusty winds. Monday night, a slight chance of showers before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 60.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
TUESDAY: Sunny. High near 82. Tuesday night, mostly clear. Low around 58.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny. High near 79. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.

Sunrise today: 5:21 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:24 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 15:02 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Memorial Day observed.
All non-essential federal, state, county and local municipalities are closed. Post offices, banks and schools are also closed today.