Lindsay Nielsen at WTEN in Albany reports that Schoharie officials are moving ahead with a jail at a new location, despite complaints from local residents near the Seebold Farm just north of the village on Route 30. “The best solution here is how about in nobody’s backyard,” Schoharie resident Doug Cornwell said at a meeting July 6. “Let’s buy some property that meets the needs that is more secluded, more isolated, and not surrounded by 40 private residences.” Some residents wanted to put the jail on its old site, which was damaged by the storms associated with Hurricane Irene in 2011. But flood recovery manager Bill Cherry said, “If we were to say, ‘Oh, we’re going to put it right back where it was,’ New York State would immediately withdraw their 25 percent,” he explained. Read the full story at WTEN.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 82F; low 59F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F; 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, Wed., Jul. 8. There is a chance of non-severe thunderstorms into Wednesday evening, mainly south of Interstate 90. However, any thunderstorm will be capable of producing heavy downpours in a short period of time, which could produce minor flooding of urban or poor drainage areas.

Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 82. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Wednesday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 61.

Ellen Nakashima reported in The Washington Post that the Senate Intelligence Committee last week approved legislation that would require web sites to report on suspected terrorist postings. The measure is in the 2016 intelligence authorization, and would need to be voted on by the full Senate, and get through the House and President too. If a website is not currently monitoring their site for content, they won't be forced to start now. The story says the measure applies to “electronic communication service providers,” including e-mail services such as Google, Yahoo, Twitter, and Facebook. Twitter has already been busy looking for terrorist tweets, removing 10,000 accounts over two days in April. Any online company that “obtains actual knowledge of any terrorist activity . . . shall provide to the appropriate authorities the facts or circumstances of the alleged terrorist activity,” under the proposal. Removing the content is not mandated, just reporting. “The intelligence bill would turn communications service providers into the speech police, while providing them little guidance about what speech they must report to the police,” said Gregory Nojeim, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology. “If it becomes law, their natural tendency will be to err on the side of reporting anything that might be characterized as ‘terrorist activity’ even if it is not. And their duty to report will chill speech on the Internet that relates to terrorism.”

Full audio of the daily headlines and weather for Tue., Jul. 7 (5:47). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/4c/8x/mp/WGXC%20Daily%20News%20Tuesday%2007072015.mp3

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="476"] Devil's Kitchen
(From Hudson Valley Hikers website.)[/caption]

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail a 39-year-old man from Gardiner, Ulster County, survived a 75-foot fall in Platte Clove last week. Christopher Lamme [LAMB], a rigger for Madison Square Garden and an experienced climber, was successfully rescued Thu., Jul. 2, after nearly seven hours by fire, rescue, environmental, and law enforcement personnel. Officials said Lamme had rigged a transverse line, which is like a tightrope, across Devil's Kitchen gorge at the head of Platte Clove, and accidentally fell. He suffered numerous injuries, including broken ribs and fractured legs and ankles, but Tannersville Fire and Rescue Squad Assistant Chief Stephen Tuomey [TWO-oh-mee] said Lamme came through the ordeal well. “He was talking to us,” said Tuomey. After being extricated Lamme was flown by helicopter to Albany Medical Center. As of Friday, he was listed in stable condition. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register-Star a southbound Amtrak train arrived in Hudson Mon., Jul. 6, with its undercarriage on fire. City firefighters were called to the station around 4:40 p.m. following a report of smoke coming from the wheels of the train, caused by multiple fires in the undercarriage. A Hudson fire official said the fires broke out after dead leaves in the wheel wells ignited. The Poughkeepsie-bound Empire Service train was delayed for an hour. An Amtrak spokesman said the train crew was forced to call for help after they were unable to put out the fires using the fire extinguishers on board the train. No injuries were reported. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting at Capital New York a report from the pro-Common Core group High Achievement New York released Mon., Jul. 6, recommends improving the implementation of the Common Core and related testing so schools can gain more benefit from the higher standards. The report is consistent with the group’s advertising campaigns, which were designed to combat critics who argue the state should ditch the Common Core. During the unprecedented parent-led boycott of state math and English exams in April, the group ran radio ads encouraging parents to “opt in” to the tests. Among other recommendations, High Achievement New York wants the state to “commission an independent review of the state assessments that would gauge quality, effectiveness and alignment with the standards.” The group is also advocating for the use of so-called adaptive testing, and wants teachers to have access to their students’ test results before the school year ends. Read the full story at Capital New York.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="175"] Tom Casey
(From Facebook)[/caption]

Dick Lindsay is reporting in the Berkshire Eagle former Register-Star reporter Tom Casey has died. Casey, 26, was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Route 7 in Lee, Mass., early Fri., Jul. 3. He was driving south at about 12:30 a.m. when his SUV crossed into the northbound lane, hitting the driver side of a pickup truck driven by a Lenox man, according to Lee Police Chief Jeff Roosa. Casey was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver was taken to Berkshire Medical Center, treated and released. At the time of his death Casey was the news coordinator for the Berkshire Record, a weekly newspaper based in Great Barrington, Mass. Casey covered the city of Hudson for the Register-Star in 2011 and 2012, but was fired in November 2012 after he insisted his byline be removed from an edited story. He described the circumstances in an interview with Victor Mendolia on WGXC: PLAY (1:51) According to friend and former colleague William Shannon, before coming to the Register-Star Casey wrote for The Legislative Gazette in Albany and graduated from SUNY New Paltz. He grew up on Long Island. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Read the full story in the Berkshire Eagle.

Kate Seckinger is reporting in The Daily Mail the high rainfall in June has improved the drought status of Greene and Columbia counties. Last week, the National Weather Service in Albany announced the Capital Region received 6.70 inches of rainfall in June, with the average at 3.79 inches. This followed a dry spring and according to a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, the region was in a moderate drought by early June, but an abundance of rain came along and the fears of a more serious drought vanished. If the area had received a little more than half an inch more precipitation, June 2015 would have made the list of “Top 10 Wettest Junes" on record since 1826. The precipitation level is predicted to remain above normal in July, according to the Climate Prediction Center. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 83F; low 66F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 82F; low 68F.[/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, Tue., Jul. 7. Thunderstorms are possible throughout the day and into the night. Any thunderstorm will be capable of producing heavy downpours in a short period of time, which could allow for minor flooding of urban or poor drainage areas.

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 3 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 82. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Tuesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 78. Wednesday night, a slight chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 57.
Thursday: A chance of showers, mainly after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 69. Thursday night, a slight chance of showers before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 61.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 83. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 60.

Sunrise today: 5:26 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:34 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:07 hrs.

Public meetings
Today is the first 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 Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COPAKE Park Commission meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HUDSON Conservation Advisory Council meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (263-4020).
ICHABOD CRANE Central School District Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at Ichabod Crane High School, 2910 Route 9, Valatie (758-7577).
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).

Full audio of local headlines and weather for Mon., Jul. 6 (5:13). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

https://data.wavefarm.org/r/c6/tf/4h/WGXC%20Weekend%20in%20review07062015.mp3

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Jul. 3 through Sun., Jul. 5

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="136"] Joe Martens
(Photo from dec.ny.gov)[/caption]

Brian Nearing reported at The Green Blog Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens is stepping down from the agency and will return to the not-for-profit land conservation group he formerly led. The Open Space Institute said Martens will join them this summer as a consultant on climate change issues. Martens served in the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for more than four years. The announcement came immediately after the DEC issued its report to finalize the state ban on natural gas hydrofracking. According to the Open Space Institute, in his new role Martens will focus on policy work, environmental education and the effort to increase recreational access. He previously served as the institute's president from 1998 through 2010.

Kate Seckinger reported for Columbia-Greene Media the Hunter-Tannersville Middle/High School has been named to U.S. News and World Report's list of the top 1,000 high schools in the country. The district ranked 978th and was awarded a silver medal.The school is ranked 104th out of more 1,200 high schools in New York state, according to usnews [dot] com. Hunter-Tannersville students perform above the state average in both English and mathematics. “We have an excellent core of educators that care deeply about their students,” said Superintendent Patrick. Darfler-Sweeney. The middle/high school has 177 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12 and employs 25 teachers.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="123"] (From homedepot.com)[/caption]

The Associated Press reported state lawmakers have passed a bill that would require new smoke detectors contain 10-year non-removable batteries. The bill would take effect in 2017. The legislation would make it illegal to sell smoke detectors with replaceable batteries or those incapable of powering the device for at least 10 years. A spokesperson for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said the bill will be reviewed.

Emilia Teasdale reported in the Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board held a special meeting last week to hear arguments for and against granting a hardship waiver to Adam Slone. Slone is the Thomas Road property owner who wants to build several tennis courts and host a not-for-profit tennis camp. However, he cannot begin work without first convincing the board to waive the town’s moratorium on new construction along unpaved roads. Slone said at the meeting between his initial investment in the property, and the subsequent delay, along with the fees and costs to required to cover the application for a special use permit have caused a financial strain on his fledgling foundation. Slone's attorney, Andrew Howard, pointed out in a letter to the board there were no applications before the ZBA that concerned properties on unpaved roads except for his client's, suggesting the moratorium only affected this project. Approximately 60 residents attended the meeting at the North Chatham firehouse, and many of them spoke against the waiver request and in support of the moratorium. The board heard public comment, but did not make a decision. Another meeting on the issue will be held 6 p.m., Tue., Jul. 7 at the North Chatham firehouse.

Michael Ryan reported in Windham Journal history could be made as Democrats seek a majority on the Greene County Legislature this November. The Greene County Democratic Committee's legislative candidates were announced Thu., Jul. 2, following a meeting in Cairo. The list of contenders included three challengers: Crane Davis in District 1, Lori Torgersen in District 6 and Aidan O'Connor Jr. in District 9. The incumbents seeking re-election are Joseph Kozloski, Kevin Lennon and Vincent Seeley in District 1, James Van Slyke in District 5, Harry Lennon in District 8 and Larry Gardner in District 7. Democrats also selected Marie Metzler as the party's board of elections commissioner. She will replace Thomas Burke who is stepping down after 25 years of service. The committee also voted to support Christine Ryba for state Supreme Court for the Third Judicial District.

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