Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 78F; low 54F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 79F; low 56F.[/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: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74, and a low around 59.


Forecast for the next two days:
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 80, and a low around 65.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83, and a low around 62.

Sunrise today: 6:01 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:58 p.m.

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

Second Thursday of the month
CHATHAM Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

Full audio of the local headlines and weather for Wed., Aug. 12 ( 6:28). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/zx/tq/2v/WGXC_local_news_20150812.mp3

John Mason is reporting in the Register-Star the Hudson Common Council will vote next week on a plan to reduce the cost of the proposed police/court center by paying its architect more than $30,000 to modify the building plans. The modifications could reduce the overall price of the project by $600,000 to $700,000. The total cost of the facility, to be located at 701 Union St., is estimated to be $3.1 million. The resolution now before the council would authorize a payment of $33,500 to the architectural firm Sabir, Richardson & Weisberg, and would require the modifications be completed by Oct. 1. Mayor William H. Hallenbeck said if the project goes out to rebid and then on to the construction phase, it will be under new leadership. Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry will be the clerk of the works, replacing Mayor’s Aide Gene Shetsky. The aldermen will also vote next week on whether to sell the existing police station and court building on Warren St., once vacant, and use those proceeds to defray the costs of the new facility. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson will sit down with a Daily Freeman reporter for a question-and-answer session Wednesday morning. The interview will be shown live on the Web. The conversation will begin at 10 a.m. at the newspaper’s office in Kingston and can be viewed online at live [dot] dailyfreeman [dot] com. The Kinderhook Republican is serving his third and final two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gibson announced in January 2015, he would leave Congress at the end of 2016 and possibly run for statewide office two years later. Go to newsroom [dot] wgxc [dot] org for more information.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City officials announced Tue., Aug. 11, they are drafting uniform regulations to combat Legionnaires’ disease. The statewide regulations will be implemented by the governor using his executive authority. The regulations will mandate timeframes and processes for cooling tower maintenance, include fines for those who don’t comply. A statewide registry of cooling towers will also be established. The regulations are on track to be completed in the next few days. The death toll from the Legionnaires’ outbreak in the city has risen to 12. More than 100 cases have been reported in the South Bronx. Officials have traced the legionella bacteria to cooling towers in more than a dozen buildings. The elderly are especially at risk from this form of pneumonia. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the state comptroller’s office criticized the weak Town of Saugerties information technology procedures in a review last year. The audit said that the town board did not restrict administrative access on a need-only basis, or create a town computer policy. It also noted that Saugerties was unprepared for hacking or disaster recovery. Town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel replied that, “the town has and will continue to institute corrective actions to improve its information technology as described/encompassed in the future projects and goals and several policies.” Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News.

Three pipelines are proposed to criss-cross the northern Hudson Valley, with the Constitution Pipeline running along the I-88 corridor in Schoharie County, the Pilgrim Pipeline running from Albany south through Greene and Ulster counties, and a third Kinder Morgan Pipeline crossing Rensselear and Columbia Counties into Massachussetts. WNYT reports that on Tue., Aug. 11 protesters outside the state headquarters of the Department of Environmental Conservation called on the DEC and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reject the Constitution project. Scott Waldman at Capitol New York reports, "Even though Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned fracking, a move that converted some of his harshest critics into his advocates, he has actively worked to make the state more reliant on natural gas... and... more natural gas means more pipelines are needed." On Aug. 10 Capitol New York reached out to both sides to report the status of the Consitition Pipeline. "A spokesman for DEC declined to comment on when or how the state will rule on the pipeline," the online journal reported. "A spokesman for the Constitution pipeline effort, Christopher Stockton, said the company was ready to move forward, as soon as DEC signed off on some of the final documents." Read the full story in Capital New York.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 78F; low 54F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 79F; low 56F.[/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 Catskill, in Greene County:

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the region, including Greene and Columbia counties. There is a chance of non-severe thunderstorms the afternoon of Wed., Aug. 12.

Today: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny. High near 78. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.


Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 78. Thursday night, clear. Low around 55.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 84. Friday night, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy. Low around 65.
Saturday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 87. Saturday night, a chance of thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy. Low around 63.

Sunrise today: 6 a.m.
Sunset today: 8 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs.

Public meetings
Today is the second 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 Village Board meeting, 6:30 p.m at the Athens Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CATSKILL Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
CLERMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors meeting, 7:30 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Hamlet Revitalization Task Force, 7 p.m.; Environmental Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GHENT Planning Board Application meeting and Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. both at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Planning Board Public Hearing on the amended site plan application for 347 Warren St. and the full Planning Board meeting are cancelled (828-1030).
JEWETT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m., at Municipal Bldg. 3547 Co. Rt. 23C (263-4626).
KINDERHOOK Town’s 9 & 9H Corridor Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
KINDERHOOK Village Board meeting and budget hearing, 7 p.m. at 6 Chatham Street, Kinderhook (758-9882).

Full audio of the local headlines and weather for Tue., Aug. 11 ( 7:58). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/x2/h5/n2/WGXC%20Daily%20News%20Tuesday%2008112015.mp3

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail mandated water plant repairs may cost the village of Athens $1 million. The Athens Village Board last week passed a resolution to raise the funds needed for improvements to the village water plant and its lagoons. The action was taken following the issuance of a consent order by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, July 15. Mayor Chris Pfister said the lagoons have not been cleaned out in years, allowing residue from the water filtration plant to build up. He said the substance is very thick, like mud, and interfering with the system's ability to function. “This is worse than we anticipated,” Pfister said. The DEC has given the village until Dec. 1 to remove the sludge from the two existing lagoons, and until Mar. 1, 2016, to submit engineering plans for construction of a third lagoon. Although the resolution approved by the board authorized the issuance of up to $1 million in bonds, it is still unclear exactly how much the project will cost. Based on initial estimates however, the repairs will translate into a projected increase of $51 per year on residents' water bills. The board's bond resolution is subject to permissive referendum. Residents who oppose the proposal have 30 days from Mon., Aug. 3, to collect sufficient signatures and force a village-wide vote on the plan. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Katie Kocijanski is reporting in the Register-Star after 30 years, longtime Columbia County Industrial Development Agency member Bruce Bohnsack [BAHN-sack] will step down as chairman, at the end of this month. “I’ve stayed on for 30 years because it was exciting to me, there is always something happening,” Bohnsack said. “It’s time to move on to something else.” Bohnsack is a third generation president and general manager of GTel, formerly the Germantown Telephone Co. The county IDA is now under the direction of interim executive director F. Michael Tucker and the corporation will elect a new president in October. Tucker said he would be working to have a contract with the county in place by the end of September. Once that agreement is reached, funding discussions can begin, he said. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Andrea Sears and Tommy Hough are reporting for Public News Service the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed the first-ever comprehensive overhaul of performance standards for the Head Start program. Advocates say much has changed since current Head Start standards were adopted in 1975, and while proposed revisions have generally received a positive reaction, concern remains about eliminating the requirement to establish parent committees. Shanequa Levin, campaign director at Every Child Matters Long Island, says parental involvement is critical. "Head Start will give them exposure and make them feel like this is what you're supposed to be doing for your child," she says. "It helps them stay connected, and bridges that gap from home to school." New standards would also more than double the required minimum hours, making Head Start a full-day, full-year program. HHS estimates that would cost $1 billion, but Congress has yet to appropriate the funds. Ouida Foster Toutebon, president of the New York State Head Start Association, says the full-day requirement may force some programs to accept fewer children. "You have half-day classrooms, now you have to make them full-day," she says. "In order to keep the same number of children, you have to be able to have new space. So, if they could back that up with some funding, that would be really helpful." Toutebon says in some areas the locally designed, half-day programs serve the community better than it would to require a full-day program. Levin says the longer schedule would be easier for parents who have full-time jobs, and would provide added benefits for children. "This may be the only place the child is getting several meals a day, and actually experiencing developmental growth that stimulates them this way," she says. A public comment period for the new Head Start performance standards ends Aug. 18.

Play full audio of this report (1:43)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/4c/e3/pv/OverhaulofHeadStartPerformanceStandards_PNS_20150811.mp3

Ellyn Gaydos is reporting in the Columbia Paper the New Lebanon Town Board held a public hearing last week to receive feedback on two proposed local laws that would affect the Lebanon Valley Speedway on Route 20 in West Lebanon. The proposals were the direct result of a petition targeting the speedway, signed by 168 people and submitted to town officials in June. Only 45 signatures of the 168 contained on the petition were from New Lebanon residents. One of the proposed laws would limit speedway operations to specific days and times. The second law would impose a noise control code. The speedway includes a half-mile oval dirt racetrack, drag strip and go-kart track, plus a camping area. It has been in operation for 63 years and employs 80 people. The track brings visitors and revenue to the town and has the highest attendance of any single attraction in the county. Town Supervisor Mike Benson suggested that both the speedway and its opponents pick three representatives for further negotiations, with the hope of avoiding a protracted legal battle. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Digital First Media is reporting average retail gasoline prices in New York have fallen nearly four cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.80 per gallon Sun., Aug. 9. This compares with the national average, which has fallen more than five cents per gallon in the last week to $2.60, according to New York State Gas Prices [dot] com. The prices per gallon cited were lower than the same day one year ago. The national average has fallen more than 16 cents per gallon during the last month, and stands nearly 88 cents per gallon lower than this day a year ago.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 76F; low 59F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 74F; low 61F.[/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 Catskill, in Greene County:

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the region, including Greene and Columbia counties. There is a chance of thunderstorms into the evening of Tue., Aug. 11. There is a marginal risk for a few of the storms to become severe during the afternoon and early evening hours. Also, some of the thunderstorms could produce locally heavy rainfall resulting in isolated minor flooding of urban, poor drainage or low-lying areas.

Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 76. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Tuesday night, showers and thunderstorms likely before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. 


Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny. High near 78. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.
Thursday: Sunny. High near 78. Thursday night, mostly clear. Low around 57.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 85. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 61.

Sunrise today: 5:59 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:01 p.m.
Length of the day: 14:02 hrs.

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

CATSKILL Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
CHATHAM Central School District workshop/business meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Chatham High School library, 50 Woodbridge Ave., Chatham (391-2400).
CHATHAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COPAKE Land Use Review Committee, 7 p.m.; Board of Ethics, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234)
COXSACKIE Town board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).
DURHAM Chamber meeting, 7 p.m. at Town building, 7309 St. Rte. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
LEXINGTON Planning Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 3542 Rte. 42, Lexington (989-6476).
STUYVESANT Trails Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr., Stuyvesant (758-6248).

Play full audio of the local headlines and weather for Mon., Aug. 10 (5:57). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/b4/gw/1m/WGXC%20Weekend%20in%20review08102015.mp3

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Aug. 7 through Sun., Aug. 9

Patricia Doxsey reported in the Daily Freeman Ulster County has installed nine electric car-charging stations, and they can be used for free by the general public. “We have the most municipal-sponsored locations in the state of New York,” said Amanda LaValle, coordinator of the Ulster County Department of Environmental Conservation. Using state and federal grants and county labor, the county located charging installations at the Ulster County Office Building, Golden Hill, the Law Enforcement Center, and the Department of Public Works facility in Ellenville. Ulster County Executive Mike Hein said the new electric car chargers could prove to be a boost to tourism in the area, and serves as part of the county’s ongoing effort to become a leader in the use of green energy as well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ranked Ulster County government 23rd nationally in its use of green power. It is the only municipality in the state to gain a spot on the list. And Ulster is the first county in the state to be net-carbon neutral.

John Mason reported in the Register Star the New York State Authorities Budget Office has recommended the Hudson Industrial Development Agency be dissolved. The IDA's mission is to attract businesses to and retain existing enterprises in the city as a way to increase employment opportunities. The 40-year-old agency maintains a seven-member board of directors and employs no one. Its only active project at present is the Hudson Terrace housing development on Front St. The ABO recommended the IDA be closed down, saying the Front St. project’s purpose is to provide low-income housing and not to create jobs, and since the IDA is not actively marketing the property for economic development and "other economic development entities are serving the city of Hudson, we question whether the IDA is needed.” According to the ABO report, the IDA board considered dissolving the agency and letting the Columbia County IDA take over its duties in 2011, but the board has done nothing in this direction since.

Katie Kocijanski reported in The Daily Mail hundreds of passengers were detained at the Hudson Amtrak station late Sat., Aug. 8, following a reported bomb threat. The train had been traveling south from Albany when it was stopped around 11 p.m. The Hudson City Police Department, New York State Police, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and Amtrak police emptied the train. “We had our dogs go through all of the bags and luggage,” Hudson Police Chief Ed Moore said. “No arrests were made, it is believed to be a hoax.”

Paul Nelson reported in the Times Union the man who remained submerged under water in Hudson's Oakdale Lake for nearly half an hour last week remained hospitalized in stable condition at Albany Medical Center, as of Friday afternoon. "It's a miracle," said Hudson Police Chief Ed Moore. "He's breathing on his own, though we were not given specific information on his brain activity." Police identified the man as Manuel Chiqui [CHEE-kee], 51, of Peekskill, Westchester Co. Chiqui tried to retrieve a soccer ball kicked into a non-swimming area at the lake. Hudson resident Kejana Jackson was fishing nearby and called 911. He then tried to save the man, but had to abort his efforts because the water was too murky, police said.

Colby Hamilton reported at Capital New York the Affordable Care Act’s birth control exemption for religious groups goes far enough to relieve the burden on their religious freedom, a federal appeals court in New York ruled Fri., Aug. 7. Three Catholic institutions argued the act’s exemption for nonprofits, known as an accommodation, did not go far enough to protect their religious freedom and posed an unfair burden on their beliefs. The accommodation allows employers who object on religious grounds to providing contraception to opt out of paying for health coverage, while allowing individual employees to seek coverage from a third party. A federal court in Brooklyn agreed with the plaintiffs, but the Second Circuit reversed that ruling, finding that the exemption imposed a minor burden. The Second Circuit noted similar claims are being denied throughout the country.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 83F; low 61F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 83F; low 63F.[/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 Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: Partly sunny. High near 84. Monday night, scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3 a.m. Cloudy. Low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 76. Tuesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 66.
Wednesday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 79. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 79. Thursday night, mostly clear. Low around 55.


Sunrise today: 5:58 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:03 p.m.
Length of the day: 14:04 hrs.

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

ASHLAND Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636).
CAIRO Town Board meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
CANAAN Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1647 Co. Rte. 5, Canaan (781-3144).
CATSKILL Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
CLAVERACK Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 91 Church St., Mellenville (672-7911).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature County Services, Public Works  committee meetings, 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON City School District Board of Education budget meeting, 7 p.m. at Hudson Jr. High School cafeteria, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson (828-4360).
HUDSON Common Council Informal meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Village Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Village Hall, 7955 Main St., Hudson (263-4020).
NEW BALTIMORE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
PHILMONT Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).
TAGHKANIC Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail that the New York State Bridge Authority will get more than more than $417,000 over the next ten years from the fiber optic cables running across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. “The Bridge Authority does not receive any tax money,” said Executive Director Joseph Ruggiero, “These dark fiber leases help the bottom line, and while they will never replace tolls as a principal source of revenue, help keep our tolls low.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

[caption width="650" align="alignnone"] From the Delaware County Broadband Initiative Project website.[/caption]Robert Cairns in The Watershed Post reports about the Delaware County Broadband Initiative, and how members of the Delaware County Electric Cooperative, the Delhi Telephone Company, and the Margaretville Telephone Company are visiting local town boards seeking a broadband solution. DCEC General Manager Mark Schneider said the group is trying, “to get broadband service to as many cooperative members as we can with the money we have.” The money they have includes a $2.9 million state grant from the Connect NY Broadband Program and approximately $3.8 million invested from the two telephone companies. “We're moving at state government pace,” he said. “We do think we're pretty close to having contracts signed.” Schneider said that the state grant, announced in December 2014, “was the only broadband grant that was approved by the state that year.” Read the full story in The Watershed Post.