DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Sun., Oct. 25 (2:48). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/ta/m1/r6/WGXC_local_news_20151025.mp3

The Daily Freeman reports that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was in Ulster County Oct. 23, visiting Minnewaska State Park with a $7.3 million project to improve that park, and a $5 million Catskills region tourism ad campaign beginning in 2016. The tourism ad campaign will feature TV ads, expanded bus service from New York City, and extensive marketing to tour operators and travel agents in international markets, including China, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, and Canada. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Emilia Teasdale reports in The Columbia Paper that the Kinderhook Town Board adopted resolutions against climate change Oct. 19. The board approved the same resolutions already approved by the Towns of Chatham and Hillsdale and the Village of Chatham, all requested by the local chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and representatives from the state’s Climate Smart Communities program. The resolutions passed by a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Paul Voltz voting against, and councilwoman Deb Simonsmeier not present. If Kinderhook sends the DEC Office of Climate Change a copy of the resolution signed by the Town Clerk or notarized, they become a registered "Climate Smart Community." None of this is binding or means any specific action will be taken except that, "We also intend to let those running to replace Congressman Gibson know that Kinderhook, along with other municipalities in Congressional District NY-19, support climate action at the local and national level, and are promising to take action themselves at the municipal level to become ‘climate smart’," according to Jan Storm, a representative for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., Oct. 25 PLAY AUDIO (2:56)

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Acra, in Greene County.

• Sunday: Showers likely, mainly before 11 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 57, and a low around 31.

• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 48, and a low around 33.

• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 52.

Sunrise 7:20 a.m.
Sunset 5:58 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 12:12 P.M. 10:13 P.M.
Mercury 5:38 A.M. 5:37 P.M.
Venus 3:17 A.M. 4:19 P.M.
Mars 3:44 A.M. 4:43 P.M.
Jupiter 3:44 A.M. 4:40 P.M.
Saturn 10:22 A.M. 8:01 P.M.
Uranus 5:49 P.M. 6:44 A.M.
Neptune 4:17 P.M. 3:15 A.M.
Pluto 1:22 P.M. 10:44 P.M.

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

Anyone can add an event to the WGXC Community Calendar, and have their local listing read on the radio and around the world at wgxc.org. Some events from the WGXC Community Calendar this week:

• Second Mystic Krewe of Barkus Pet Parade
Sat. Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. along Warren St. in Hudson.
United Way of Columbia and Greene Counties holds a pet parade and costume contest that lines up at the 7th Street Park at 10 a.m.

• Trick-or-Treat
Sat. Oct. 24, 1-3 p.m. at The Fields Sculpture Park at Omi in Ghent.
Art-making, hayrides, and a candy hunt amongst the sculptures in the park.

• A Great Sorrow
Sat. Oct. 24, 4 p.m. at the Bronck Museum, Coxsackie.
"A Great Sorrow," an early American funeral. Tours begin at 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

• Here Come the VideoFreex
Sat. Oct. 24, 4:30 p.m.; Oct. 25, 8:45 p.m.
Story of the U.S.'s first pirate television station, launched in Greene County in the 1970s. Sat. at Hudson Lodge 601 S. Union St., Hudson, and Sunday in Chatham at Crandell Theatre at 8:45 p.m., both part of FilmColumbia.

• Ghostly Gallop 5K
Sun., Oct 25, 11 a.m. at Hudson Jr./Sr. High School.
15th Annual Ghostly Gallop 5K, benefits the Hudson Area Library.

• Halloween Herd Parade
Sun., Oct 25, 3-5 p.m. at High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding Center, Ghent.
Annual Halloween costume parade, without masks.

James Reed in the Boston Globe reports that efforts have revived to make “Roadrunner,” by the Modern Lovers, the official rock song of Massachusetts. In January, a similar bill could not get a floor vote, but last week there was a public hearing about the new bill. “The song really is a love letter to Massachusetts, about driving around the state late at night with the radio on. It’s just perfect," said State Senator Robert Hedlund. Last time, representatives Josh Cutler and James Cantwell countered with a bill that would have made Aerosmith’s “Dream On” the state rock song. So far this time, there is no announced opposition. Comedian John Hodgman submitted his opinion to the hearing: "The songs says, 'I'm in love with Massachusetts.' What more testimony need be heard?" Richman performs Nov. 11 at The Low Beat in Albany. Read the full story in the Boston Globe.

A roundup of local radio news:

• REBOOT According to the WBCR-LP (97.7-FM) website, "the Berkshire Community Radio Alliance is currently in the process of a reboot." The low-power FM station serves Great Barrington, Mass.

[caption width="300" align="alignright"] WOOC-LP coverage map. From Sanctuary for Independent Media website.[/caption]• GETTING ON AIR Troy's Sanctuary for Independent Media hopes to get WOOC-LP (105.3-FM) on the air soon. There's a fundraiser for the new station at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 with J.V. and the Cutters, the Heavenly Echoes, and the Agape Blues Company performing at the Troy venue.

• NEW ON AIR WGXC has added many new shows:

A show called "Pyramid Power" hosted by Sarah Van Buren airs the first and third Mondays of the month from 9:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.; "2045" from Alex Benson on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.; "The Chants Beneath Project" from Jeremy Young and Steph Colbourn on the fourth Thursday of the month from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.; "Experimental Composers" from Clocktower Radio on the third Thursday of the month from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.; "Poet's Ray'd Yo" from Chris Funkhouser on the third Thursday of the month from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; "Overlooked" from Rob Saffer on the fourth Thursday of the month from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and "Historic Audio from the Archives of Charles Ruas" produced by Clocktower Radio on the first Saturday of the month from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sat., Oct. 24. PLAY AUDIO (2:55)

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Acra, in Greene County.

• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. There is an 80 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1 a.m. Low around 43.

• Sunday: Showers likely, mainly before 11 a.m. Then cloudy, and gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 55, and a low around 35.

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Sunrise 7:19 a.m.
Sunset 5:59 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 4:27 P.M. 3:36 A.M.
Mercury 5:58 A.M. 5:33 P.M.
Venus 3:22 A.M. 4:12 P.M.
Mars 3:39 A.M. 4:28 P.M.
Jupiter 3:26 A.M. 4:19 P.M.
Saturn 10:01 A.M. 7:40 P.M.
Uranus 5:24 P.M. 6:20 A.M.
Neptune 3:53 P.M. 2:51 A.M.
Pluto 12:59 P.M. 10:21 P.M.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Fri., Oct. 23 (6:41). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/cb/ne/4x/WGXCDailyNews%2020151023.mp3

John Mason is reporting in the Register-Star the owners of the Swiss Hutte Inn and Restaurant in Hillsdale have failed in their attempt to stop the construction of a 153-unit hotel complex located at Catamount Ski Area. Two Article 78 proceedings were filed -- one appealing a decision by the Copake Planning Board and the other against the town's Zoning Board of Appeals. Both petitions were rejected earlier this month by Judge Richard M. Platkin of the State Supreme Court in Albany. Swiss Hutte owners Gert and Cynthia Alper claimed the Planning Board failed to mitigate construction impacts from the development, including vibration, noise, dust, light and visual impacts; impacts to groundwater; and impacts on their business. Platkin ruled the Alpers' desire for stricter controls on the construction process did not provide enough reason for the court to intervene. He also cited a groundwater pump test demonstrating the maximum groundwater draw would not have an adverse impact on the aquifer. And the judge also found the Alpers' charge that ZBA Attorney Ken Dow had a conflict of interest because he was both the attorney for the town and the planning boards was a "baseless claim." The Alpers' attorney, Daniel Tuczinski, said he is reviewing the decision with his clients. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in the Greene County News longtime Coxsackie Town Justice Richard Roberg is retiring after 35 years on the bench. His last day on the job is October 31. Roberg said, “In these 35 years, I learned that if you treat people with courtesy and respect, you will get that back. There is mutual respect and understanding.” In addition to adjudicating court cases, Roberg also officiated at more than 300 weddings, including one at the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse and another on the ski lift at Hunter Mountain. He was voted Magistrate of the Year by the New York State Magistrates Association in 2010. In addition to serving as town justice, Roberg also taught math and economics at Coxsackie-Athens High School for 36 years. Read the full story in the Greene County News.

The Daily Freeman is reporting unemployment rates in seven local counties were lower in September than in the same month a year earlier, the state Department of Labor reported this week. Columbia County had the region’s lowest jobless rate last month at 3.7 percent, down from 4.3 percent a year ago. That also was the best in the state among the 24 counties not classified as part of metropolitan areas. In Greene County, the unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, down from 6 percent in October 2014. There were similar decreases reported in Dutchess, Ulster and Delaware counties, as well. Statewide, the jobless rate in September was 4.8 percent, a full percentage point lower than the year prior, according to the Department of Labor.

[caption width="300" align="alignright"] From Skyhighfarm.net[/caption]Andrew Amelinckx in Modern Farmer reports about Sky High Farm in Pine Plains, where the produce and meat are donated to New York City food banks. Amelinckx writes, "In 2013, their first year, the farm produced a little less than 2,000 pounds of produce. The following year they grew to 6,000 pounds of produce and about 4,000 pounds of beef. This year, under the guidance of farm manager Sam Rose, they have doubled the farm’s output, providing about 12,000 pounds of produce, 5,000 pounds of beef, and 3,000 pounds of pork to those in need." Artist Dan Cohen is applying for nonprofit status for the farm. “I intended only to turn an old barn into a sculpture studio, which I did,” he says, but, “it started to feel wasteful to have all the land—like all it really was was something to point at and say ‘that’s mine.'” Read the full story in Modern Farmer.

Matthew Hamilton in the Albany Times-Union reports that out-of-area donors are filling the coffers of candidates who want to take over Chris Gibson's 19th Congressional seat in the U.S. House of Represenatives. The Kinderhook-based Republican has said he's not running for another term in 2016, and seems to be considering a run for governor in 2018. Republicans Andrew Heaney and John Faso announced early to take over Gibson's seat, and New York Assemblymember Pete Lopez just recently announced his intentions to run. In the first quarter of this year (before Lopez announed) Heaney raised $643,256, and Faso $624,750. A review by Times-Union reporters showed that most of those donors were from outside the district. Heaney, a Dutchess County businessman, had 200 donors from outside New York and got $1,000 from Julia Koch, wife of David Koch, of the Wichita-based Koch Industries. Faso, a former assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate, gor 55 donations from outside the state. Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Today is Day 9 of the WGXC Dead Air Pledge Drive. Tune in for special remote broadcasts, and turn out for special events. Your tax-deductible contribution will help sustain WGXC as a public platform for information, experimentation and engagement. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York’s Greene and Columbia counties. Donate now!

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 50F; Low 29F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 50F; Low 31F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County:

Today: Sunny. High near 53. Friday night, clear. Low around 28.

Forecast for the next two days:
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 57. Saturday night, showers likely, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 44.
Sunday: Showers likely, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 59. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 36.

Sunrise today: 7:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:01 p.m.
Length of the day: 10:42

Public meetings
Today is the fourth Friday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
(All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.)

CLERMONT Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission meeting (tentative), 10 a.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Thu., Oct. 22 (6:44). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/g2/ex/rh/WGXCDailyNews%2020151022.mp3

Parry Teasdale is reporting in the Columbia Paper Scenic Hudson has acquired a 105-acre parcel at the junction of US Route 9 and state Route 23, outside of Hudson. This latest acquisition is part of the Scenic Hudson Saving the Land That Matters Most campaign. In a press release issued last week the organization said the land plays a critical role in maintaining the quality of the local public water supply. The parcel includes more than 40 acres of farmland, forested ravines and wetlands, and a 750-foot segment of South Bay Creek. It is located within the view seen from the Olana State Historic Site, and is just upstream from wellheads for the town of Greenport’s drinking-water supply. The land was previously owned by the Lambert family and was used mostly for growing hay, said Seth McKee, director of land conservation at Scenic Hudson. “We hope to lease it to a farmer and have public access to it” with conservation and public trail easements. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Michael Ryan is reporting in The Daily Mail Windham Fire Company No.1 declared its independence at a recent meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners in Windham. Fire chief Michael Scarey presented a letter from the Pinsky Law Group to the commissioners, advising them the process to dissolve district has begun. The existing district, made up of Hose Company No. 1 and the Hensonville Fire Department, was established 43 years ago. Board chairman John Albert said before commenting on the situation he would first need to speak with the attorney for the fire district. “We don't really know what all this means or what the process might be,” Albert said. It is unclear if the dissolution would be subject to a public referendum, or if the decision rests with the fire commissioners and/or the town board. The Windham Board of Fire Commissioners meets in open session every month, on the second Wednesday, at the municipal building in Hensonville. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Bethany Bump is reporting at Capitol Confidential the New York State Education Department Wed., Oct. 21, launched an online survey seeking detailed feedback from New Yorkers on the state’s Common Core standards. The results of the survey, the department says, will be used to inform changes to the standards as the department undergoes a review of the program. The survey will be open until Nov. 30. An advisory group will review the results and then make recommendations to the department. Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia (EH-lee-uh) encouraged teachers, administrators, school board members, parents, the business community and “anyone with an interest in the future of our schools” to participate. The survey can be accessed via a new website launched by the department at NYSED [dot] gov [slash] Aim High NY.

Paula Ann Mitchell in The Watershed Post reports that Molly Ringwald, James Franco, Christian Slater and other actors have been filming “King Cobra” around the Hudson Valley this month. There have been several reports that a film crew is in Saugerties, and Slater filmed scenes at the Kingston Ulster airport last week. The film is, “the story of a rising actor and the murder of the producer who brought him fame and glory,” according to a publicist. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.