The Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) is hosting a two-day intensive printmaking workshop with artist Kate McGloughlin, offered in partnership with the Woodstock School of Art, in honor of the Society’s 2010 exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World. Learn about relief and intaglio prints by trying your hand at making a block print and an etching. The workshop will be held at the Woodstock School of Art on May 15 and 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Just for CCHS members, the materials fee has been waived and regular registration fees discounted. No experience necessary, beginners welcome! Ms. McGloughlin will lead a free demonstration for the general public on May 7 at 7 p.m., at the James Vanderpoel House, 16 Broad St., Kinderhook. This demonstration is open to everyone, but people considering taking the two-day workshop are encouraged to attend. To register, call CCHS at 518-758-9265. Registration for CCHS members is open March 10th-31st ($215 +$15 matriculation fee). Registration for non-members is open April 1st- May 12th ($240 + $15 matriculation fee and $10 for materials). The exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World opens Saturday, April 24 at the Columbia County Historical Society Museum & Library. The exhibit explores how the ability to print at a reasonable cost on many different surfaces made our world a very colorful place and transformed how we communicated and how we presented ourselves to the world. This free demonstration and special two-day course are opportunities to experience firsthand the technology behind this transformation of our world. The Columbia County Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of Columbia County. For more information about the Society please call 518-758-9265 or email cchs@cchsny.org.

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Devil’s Tombstone in Hunter is one of seven state campgrounds the Department of Environmental Conservation will close this summer due to proposed budget cuts, Casey Seiler at Capitol Confidential reports. The DEC's press release says, "Individuals who have made reservations for the 2010 season at these campgrounds will be contacted about making alternative camping reservations or will be provided with a refund. Each of the selected campgrounds have other DEC campgrounds nearby." The alternate location near Devil’s Tombstone the DEC lists is North-South Lake in Haines Falls.

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From Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper:

The developer of the Greenport Commons shopping plaza on Fairview Avenue presented a new PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) proposal for a Kohl's department store to the county Industrial Development Agency last Friday, March 12. The IDA board voted unanimously to consider the PILOT application and set a public hearing Wednesday, March 31, at 9 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 555 Joslen Boulevard in Greenport.

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Susan Campriello of The Daily Mail reports:

The Catskill Village Board voted unanimously Monday evening not to raise the fees local cab companies and drivers must pay to operate within the Village. The rates will remain at $100 per car and $50 per driver. The vote was held immediately after an hour-long public hearing on a proposal that would have increased the fees to $200 annually during which cab dispatchers and drivers as well as residents who do and do not use taxis questioned the Village’s motives for the change and implored the board not to approve the measure as written.

Village President Vincent Seeley proposed the increase a few weeks ago, but ended up voting against the measure. Village of Catskill elections are next week.

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Leigh Hornbeck in Capitol Confidential reports Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec is dropping his efforts to win the Republican line and challenge Congressman Scott Murphy in the 20th CD. Stec’s departure leaves Patrick Ziegler, who received the Essex County endorsement Friday night, and Chris Gibson, who was endorsed by the Saratoga County Republicans Friday. "So now it’s down to a blank-slate veteran supported by the establishment and the tea party candidate," one commenter on the Albany Times-Union blog wrote.

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(From left, Brian Kehoe, Vincent Seeley, and Angelo Amato, candidates in the Village of Catskill election.)

Current Village President Vincent Seeley, current Trustee Angelo Amato and Democrat challenger Brian Kehoe all participated in the Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and WGXC and held Saturday March 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the Catskill Community Center. The Village election will be held March 30 for the two seats on the Village Board. Sitting justice Charles Adsit has no challenger in his bid for re-election, and did not participate in the forum.

To listen to a recording of the candidate forum, click on the following link, or paste it into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/CatskillCandidateForum_WGXC_CCC_032010.mp3

Susan Campriello of The Daily Mail reports on the forum here.

Maury Thompson of The Post-Star reports David Harper, of Saratoga Springs, dropped out of the Republican race to challenge Democratic Congressman Scott Murphy in New York's District 20 on Friday. Harper endorsed Chris Gibson, who along with Patrick Ziegler and Dan Stec, are trying to win the Republican nomination. On Thursday the Ballston Republican Committee in Saratoga endorsed hometown candidate Patrick Ziegler, and the Warren County Republican Committee, which holds 9.4 percent of the weighted vote, endorsed Ziegler on Monday.

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Come out to support community radio in our area! The Spotty Dog invites you to drop in on the Vernal Equinox for a day of music, arts, books, and community! 3 p.m. to late fundraiser for WGXC!

Today at Spotty Dog Books & Ale:

*Crafts with Lady Moon, suitable for the young and non-young alike! Invoke spring with some paper roses and sundry other festive crafts from this diversely talented lady. She'll be here starting at 3:00 to guide your nimble fingers!

*An array of local musicians, busking the afternoon away! Feel free to bring your own instrument and participate!

*A tasting with the LEE BROTHERS, whose latest cookbook, SIMPLE, FRESH, SOUTHERN picks up where their James Beard-award winning Southern Cookbook left off! The charming Brothers Lee will bring along some of their southern delicacies for sampling, all recipes featured in their lushly illustrated, spectacular new book. http://mattleeandtedlee.com/lee-bros/

*At 7:00, music from an array of local talent: DJ Lunar Moss (aka Hank Flick): Having invigorated the Hudson nightlife with his Thursday night "Lunar Tonic" series at (p.m.), Moss' diverse collection of vinyl will see us through the evening.

Rob Hervey, master digeridoo-trance wild man will invoke the season with his blissed-out sonic stylings. http://cdbaby.com/cd/rhervey also check out http://www.myspace.com/robhervey

Lady Moon's soulful, ever-shifting sound has recently reached new heights of ephemeral beauty. Settle in and absorb her spell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwHO9N5YGo Evan Randall and his jazz-drenched old-time antics reimagine tunes both familiar and obscure in his idiosyncratic and unbearably endearing personal style. http://www.myspace.com/evanrandall

Matthew O'Koren's percussive stylings form the backbone of his metal band, COSMOPOLITAN, though he proves equally compelling as Alexander Turnquist's go-to man for ambient back-up. Come see him perform solo, where his wit and weirdness can be explored in full.

Brian Dewan's vocal music is of a sort that tends to reference folk music, hymns, century-old popular music and rock music, and features his genius original instruments. A pillar of insane, singular talent. http://www.dewanatron.com

Alexander Turnquist's luminous guitar is at once rousing and somnolent, a meditation in aspic. Watch his fingers make mincemeat of his twelve-string, and hear his latest compositions. http://www.myspace.com/alexanderturnquist

The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534
518-671-6006

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(Scott Murphy in Valatie in Aug., 2009.)

Congressman Scott Murphy (D, NY-20) is voting yes on the health care bill on Sunday. The Representative in Congress for Greene and Columbia counties told the Glen Falls Post-Star:

"You know what we hear consistently from everybody in the district is that these health care costs and the rate their going up is just killing them. I was just talking to Todd Feigenbaum (of Glens Falls) earlier this week - you know Feigenbaum cleaners - and the premiums increased 26 percent this year for their plan. It's just unsustainable and you see those numbers and you look at it as I'm looking at my kids and what's life going to be like when they grow up. We've got to do something that's going to slow the growth of our health care costs."

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On March 12, 2010, WGXC and the Catskill Community Center hosted a benefit at the community center that included a contra dance, and youth bands performing. Here are the recordings of those bands:

Click here to listen to Jonathan Woodin's performance:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/JonathanWoodin_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to No Solutions' performance:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/No_Solutions_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to Seminal Stain's performance:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/Seminal_Stain_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to Loud Youth's performance:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/Loud_Youth_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Nippertown! reports that The Hi-Way Drive-In on Route 9W in Coxsackie is opening its summer season tonight. The drive-in will be showing “Cop Out” with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan with “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock. The Hi-Way Drive-In will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the screenings are scheduled to begin at about 7:30 p.m.

From Leigh Hornbeck in Capitol Confidential:

Two of the four Republicans vying for the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls (NY-20), grabbed endorsements this week in Saratoga County. Mechanicville went to David Harper, a Saratoga Springs lawyer and the Halfmoon committee chose retired Army colonel Chris Gibson, from Kinderhook. The Saratoga County committee meets next Saturday, March 27, to vote on a candidate.

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The Town of Cairo will hold a referendum about funding a bond issue to create a new building for the town library on April 27, the town's board decided at tonight's meeting. The bond will not exceed $3 million and cost taxpayers, at most, $50 a year. Listen to the entire meeting here:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/TownofCairo_meeting_031710.mp3

Before the public meeting, the town held a Public Hearing about the proposed library. Listen to that entire meeting here:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/03/TownofCairo_LibraryPublicMeeting_031710.mp3

Ken Ytaurte of Greene County won the Gibson Les Paul guitar today at the raffle drawing at Musica in Hudson. Watch the video below:


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The Register-Star reports that Carol Weaver will become the Mayor of the Village of Kinderhook, with 77 votes to trustee Richard Phillips, an incumbent, with 69 votes, and newcomer Brian Murphy with 75 votes. In Coxsackie, The Daily Mail reports that Republican Village Trustee John Oliver received 368 votes, Republican Trustee Dianne Ringwald received 356 votes, Democrat Darryl Proper received 289 votes, and Democrat Tony D’Arcangelis got 269 votes. The Daily Mail story implies but does not implicitly say that Oliver and Ringwald will take the two seats available. The Daily Mail also reports that in an uncontested Athens vote, incumbent Democrat Trustee Herman Reinhold received 92 votes and Democrat Gail Lasher received 103 votes. The Daily Mail reports that in Tannersville, incumbent Democratic Trustee Linda Kline got 31 votes, two of which were absentees, out of the total possible of 44 for another two year term and Democrat Leigh J.V. McGunnigle, who drew 25 votes, including two absentees. There were also 16 write-in votes in the uncontested election, with outgoing Trustee Mary Sue Timpson drawing six of them, and Tannersville resident Scott Myers getting five. In Hunter, incumbent Trustee Alan Higgins, who ran on the Hunter Pride Party, took all 33 votes, The Daily Mail reported.

Four-time Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner (Rhinebeck/Clinton) organized a "Brown Bag Lunch Vigil for Healthcare Not Warfare to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq" today from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Rep. Scott Murphy's offices in Hudson at 623 Warren St. A small crowd marched in front of the Congressman's office hoping to sway him towards a yes vote on the health care reform vote.

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The Watershed Post is reporting that Opus 40, a massive bluestone sculpture built by Harvey Fite over 37 years on an abandoned quarry, is for sale for $3.5 million. The Saugerties property includes a house with 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,860 square feet of living space, and that world-renowned earthwork. From the story:

Since Fite's accidental death in 1976, Opus 40 has been maintained and kept open to the public by his family. The current owner, Fite's stepson Tad Richards, wants to sell the property so he can retire. Susan Barnett of WAMC reported today that the town of Saugerties is looking into buying Opus 40. Special projects coordinator Vernon Benjamin hinted that it might qualify for federal stimulus funds: Opus 40 is shovel ready, so to speak, for cultural and arts organization type use. That's a bit of a shift from last week's Daily Freeman story, which reported that the town was looking for a nonprofit to take over the site. What seems clear is that Saugerties has a stake in the future of Fite's masterpiece--and that Opus 40 becoming a private playground would be a great loss, both for the town and for the cultural heritage of the region.

From Lynn Sloneker's excellent Unmuffled blog about the Hudson school system:

Superintendent John F. Howe chose to speak [at last night's school budget meeting] in general terms, emphasizing that the list of potential [staff] cuts (currently in circulation), can and will change, as he distributed an amended "draft" of that same list to members of the board, minutes before the matter formally came up on the agenda. While Howe said his plan will eliminate 52.5 jobs, he offered little of substance beyond the number. He did admit his plan was still $50,000 short of the $3.8 million mark. At the same time, Howe told the board it must be ready to "move to a resolution of this list" soon, because the district had to be administratively prepared for layoffs. In addition to the elimination of all modified sports and fields trips, Howe's proposal calls for the elimination of the New Employee Mentoring Opportunity (NEMO) Program, as well as the Alternative Learning Program. Howe acknowledged the plan will have an impact on class size. "It is bound to go up," he said. Howe said classes that now contain 18 to 19 students will increase to 23 or 24 students. Classes of 22 or 23 students will grow to 25 or 26.

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Democratic Congressman Scott Murphy, who represents Greene and Columbia counties as part of NY-20, is turning out to be one of the key swing votes on the health care reform bill. Murphy voted no against the early version of the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, as the Senate and the House attempt to reconcile two bills, his vote is being sought by protesters and other groups buying ad time.

Four-time Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner (Rhinebeck/Clinton) has organized a Brown Bag Lunch Vigil for Healthcare Not Warfare to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq tomorrow, Mar. 17, from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Rep. Scott Murphy's offices in Hudson at 623 Warren St.

The Albany Times-Union uploaded this ad that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running on Albany TV stations, urging Murphy to vote against the bill:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkuTNNJCUZ4&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

The Times-Union has also spotted this ad from MoveOn.org, urging Murphy to vote for the bill:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv8LYdrFPOQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
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From Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight:

Unions, activist groups and Democratic thought leaders are all starting to urge primary challenges against Democrats who vote against the health care bill. In many cases, it's an idle threat. Want to primary Dennis Kucinich, for instance? It's too late: Ohio's filing deadline passed in February.

I identified 10 Democrats, however, for whom all of the following criteria are true:

1. In a state in which the filing deadline for primary candidates is April 1st or later. I assume that at least some lead time is required to launch a primary challenge. This eliminates a number of important states, including California, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
2. Not yet committed yes votes on health care. According to David Dayen's whip count.
3. In districts with a PVI of R+4 or bluer. This is a critical threshold because Nancy Pelosi could permit all non-retiring Democratic members in districts with PVI's of R+5 or redder to vote against the bill and still have (barely) enough votes for passage. Everyone in a district of R+4 or bluer would have to vote for the bill, however.
4. Been in office for less than 10 years. It's very hard to primary incumbents who have a decade or more of service time in their districts, except in the case of gross misconduct, etc.
5. Are not retiring.

Here is that list:

[Number seven Silver lists as Scott Murphy, the Democratic Congressman who represents Greene and Columbia counties as well as the rest of NY-20. Murphy voted against the first version of the health care bill that passed the U.S. House in December. Silver reports that Murphy is leaning towards voting yes on the new health care bill, and only has $700,000 in the bank to ward off a possible Democratic primary challenger if he votes against the bill, and the same amount to fight one of four Republicans who are vying to get the chance to roll with a possible large Republican tide in the fall.]

Six of the ten vulnerable Democrats are in New York State, which offers a number of advantages to primary challengers: it has a very late filing deadline, and it has a lot of mobilizing infrastructure between strong unionization, the presence of the Working Families Party [The Working Families party says it will decline their line to anyone who votes against health care. Murphy was presented on Sunday with 7,000 signatures gathered by the WFP urging him to support the bill.], and the number of activist groups working in and around New York City. It's hard to imagine that the threat of a primary challenge wouldn't be at least a little bit persuasive to NY-24's Mike Arcuri, for instance, who has just $400,000 in cash on hand and voted for the health care bill originally. The unions have also explicitly threatened a primary challenge against NY-13's Mike McMahon, although he hasn't moved off his no vote so far....

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