The Associated Press is reporting statewide smoking rates in New York are at their lowest recorded levels, according to officials. The state health department reported 7.3 percent of all New York high school students smoked last year. Among adults the rate was 14.5 percent. The smoking rate for high school students in 2000 was 27 percent. In the intervening 15 years, the state banned indoor smoking, imposed taxes to keep cigarette costs high and enforced laws against sales to minors. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Scott Waldman in Capitol New York reports Albany County executive Dan McCoy hosted a forum June 8 to address the dangers posed by the great number of oil trains now moving through New York. “Until you see this for real, you can't imagine what this horror is like,” said fire chief Tim Pellerin of Rangeley, Maine, who responded to an oil train fire in Lac-Megantic, Canada, that killed 47 people in 2013. Albany County recently asked the Cuomo administration to halt the oil trains, releasing a report on the potential environmental effects of a crude heating facility at the Port of Albany. But Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan withdrew from participating in the county's report, under pressure from Cuomo, Waldman reports. Instead, she released her own report, saying oil train traffic falls under the federal government's responsobility. A group of lawmakers are expected to propose a bill in Albany June 9 requiring rail companies increase the amount of insurance they hold in case of disasters. Read the full story in Capitol New York.

Today is Day 7 of the WGXC Radio Active Summer Pledge Drive. Tune in for a full slate of 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 83F; low 64F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 82F; low 65F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.
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: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 83. Wednesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 86. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.
Friday: A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 86. Friday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 63.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 83. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 61.

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:31 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:12 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, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
CLERMONT Planning Board meeting at Town Hall, 7 p.m. at 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors meeting, 7:30 p.m. All 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 Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meeting, 6 p.m. at Bliss Towers, 41 N. 2nd St., Hudson (822-9743).
HUDSON Planning Board meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (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).

The "Citizens Broadband Radio Service" is just like what it sounds, a sort of digital version of the CB radios that became a fad in the mid-1970s, and are still used by truck drivers. The Federal Communications Commission this spring announced the new service. John Anderson at DIYmedia.net explains it uses frequencies, "between 3.5-3.7 GHz that will be opened to both licensed and unlicensed services. This spectrum has traditionally been reserved for military radar and satellite uplinks; now it may become a sandbox for dynamic use of the public airwaves." The spectrum is set aside for devices to sniff around and find non-congested frequencies. Google is working on a database of CBRS users and devices updated in real-time from the devices themselves. The Navy and satellite ground stations will continue to use these frequencies, but they leave plenty of room for other uses from registered corporations with “geographically-targeted, short-term priority rights," but also unlicensed use. Anderson writes, "the FCC will reserve a healthy segment of this band for unlicensed wireless use, providing a critical space to experiment with small-scale mesh networking and other innovative uses of spectrum in concert with smart devices."

Full audio of the Tue., Jun. 9 headlines and weather (6:15). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

http://data.wavefarm.org/r/qp/g3/6p/WGXC%20Daily%20News%20Tuesday%2006092015.mp3

Katie Kocijanski is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia Economic Development Corporation is exploring the possible expansion of the Gerald R. Simons Commerce Park sewer and water system. The park is located south of the Columbia County Airport on Route 9H. The park has its own wastewater treatment plant, which treats 50,000 gallons per day. The CEDC board voted to contract with local engineer Pat Prendergast of Valatie to study the feasibility of expanding the system to within one or two miles of the park. In March, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Government Committee approved funding to fix water flow issues at the plant. That authorization was a response to a state Department of Environmental Conservation consent order. The park is now fully occupied by new businesses, which are expected to create up to 30 new jobs, CEDC Executive Director Ken Flood said last week. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Gail Heinsohn is reporting in the Chatham Courier the PS21's application to build a permanent structure has been approved by the Chatham Zoning Board of Appeals. The town reached an agreement with the 14-year old performance venue late last month, and the ZBA voted to amend the special use permit. One of the concerns the agreement addressed is sound. Over the years, neighbors have complained of what they describe as noise. The appropriate sound level will be determined in pre-testing once the building is constructed. Periodic testing will also be conducted to ensure the recommended sound level is maintained. The new structure will be a 99-seat black box theater in the winter, which will open up in the summer to become a 300-seat open-air theater. The venue will operate from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The project now moves to the Planning Board for site plan review. Read the full story in the Chatham Courier.

Casey Seiler is reporting in the Times Union the state Senate Mon., Jun. 8, approved a bill that would amend elements of the 2013 SAFE Act gun control law. Among its provisions, the measure would scrap the requirement making all ammunition purchases subject to a real-time background check. That provision of the original law has not been implemented because the state police have not developed an online system to carry it out. The Senate bill would also make it legal for the firearms classified as assault weapons to be handed down to an immediate family member in the event of the owner's death. Under current law, those weapons cannot be transferred to another owner. The Senate bill would also make pistol permit applications exempt from disclosure under state Freedom of Information Law. It is unlikely the bill will get any traction in the Assembly, Seiler writes. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that Kinderhook will sell the former Town Hall and surrounding parkland in Niverville if a bill passes in Albany this week before the legislative session ends. "A small group of Kinderhook residents," according to the paper, spoke out against selling the park at a recent town meeting. “We are in need of parkland in the town,” said resident Marsha Anderson. Kinderhook Supervisor Pat Grattan said it was too costly to maintain the building, which will be sold for a residence if the legislature approves, and pointed out the town park on State Farm Road. The next Kinderhook board meeting is at 7 p.m., Monday, June 8 at at the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] From Wikipedia.[/caption]

Paula Ann Mitchell in The Daily Freeman reports that Ben and Cathy Ballone are attempting to reopen the Catskill Game Farm as a 206-acre RV park and campground with a petting zoo. The Catskill Game Farm was open from 1933 until 2006, and now the couple want to turn the giraffe house into a bed and breakfast, "keeping everything on the first floor as original as possible — including marks on the walls where the animals rubbed their heads," according to the The Daily Freeman story. They say about 20 people show up every weekend thinking the farm is still open to see all sorts of animals. The couple is searching for a major investor, and “once we have one, we hope to have everything up and running in a year.” For now, there are music performances on alternating Thursdays for musical gatherings and an optional pot luck dinner, with the next one at 6 p.m. June 18. For more information, go to theoldgamefarm.com.

Today is Day 6 of the WGXC Radio Active Summer Pledge Drive. Tune in for a full slate of 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 76F; low 56F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 76F; low 55F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.
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. There is a slight risk for severe thunderstorms across eastern New York and western New England into Tuesday evening. Any thunderstorm that does form could produce locally damaging wind and large hail, as well as heavy rainfall.

Today: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 80. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Tuesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10 p.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear. Low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High near 83. Wednesday night, isolated showers and thunderstorms after 9 p.m. Partly cloudy. Low around 62.
Thursday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny. High near 86. Thursday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy. Low around 58.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 85. Friday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 65.

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:30 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:12 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 Workshop 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).

There aren't many places left with virtually no radio waves. In the United States, just near Green Bank, West Virginia in the "U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone," a 13,000–square-mile area where most types of electromagnetic radiation on the radio spectrum are banned to minimize disturbance around the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which holds the world’s largest steerable radio telescope. Everywhere else, humans are bombarded by radio and TV broadcasts, Wi-Fi networks, cell signals, baby monitors, NSA bugs, and other radio signals. In May nearly 200 scientists submitted an appeal to the United Nations requesting it to take action against the health risks of electromagnetic radiation. "Cell towers are blanketing our neighbourhoods with radiation. It's particularly frightening that radiation from our telecommunication and power line technology is damaging the DNA in our cells. It is clear to many biologists that this can account for the rising cancer rates," said Martin Blank, a retired special lecturer in the effects of electromagnetic radiation on cells at Columbia University Medical Center. Two days after that report, the Berkeley, California City Council approved an ordinance that would require a notice to cellphone buyers regarding exposure to electromagnetic waves when they carry the devices close to their bodies. "If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is on and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF (radio frequency) radiation," the notice reads in part. A copy of the notice must be given to anyone who buys or leases a cellphone, or be prominently displayed at the retail outlet. Now a month later on June 8, wireless carriers filed suit to kill the cellphone radiation notification plan in Berkeley. The wireless industry’s trade group, CTIA, said the notification plan, “contradicts the federal government’s determination … that cellphones approved for sale in the U.S. do not pose a public health risk.” In 2011, CTIA successfully fought a similar law in San Francisco that required phone sellers to disclose the emissions produced by each model. Now the CTIA says the proposed Berkeley ordinance, "will mislead consumers, and it is unlawful," according to Gerard Keegan, senior director for state legislative affairs for CTIA, an industry trade group. "The proposal is unlawful because it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig, speaking at a Berkeley city council meeting recently about the issue, said he is increasingly concerned that the First Amendment is being used by corporations to bully citizens into inaction.

Full audio of the Mon., Jun. 8 Weekend in Review (5:34). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

http://data.wavefarm.org/r/am/jx/s7/WGXC%20Weekend%20in%20review%2006072015.mp3

Some of the stories that made the news from Fri., Jun. 5 through Sun., Jun. 7

Today is Day 5 of the WGXC Radio Active Summer Pledge Drive. Tune in for a full slate of 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 80F; low 64F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 80F; low 65F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.
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: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 79. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Monday night, showers and thunderstorms likely before 1 a.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Cloudy. Low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

There might not be much disparaging talk on local television airwaves these days about the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court decision. After the Supreme Court voted to make corporations people in law terms, the Pew Research Center found that revenue at local TV stations grew by more that 48 percent in just two years. $3.1 billion in political advertising revenue now goes to the few corporations, and handful of independent operators, that own TV stations across the United States. ABC, CBS, NBC, Sinclair, Nexstar Broadcasting Group, and Gannett are among the companies with much higher stock evaluations now. The Pew Research Center's State of the Media 2015 Report says:

Local TV stations continued to fare well economically. Much of this is due to political advertising spending, which after the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling seems to guarantee windfalls to local TV stations in even-numbered years. In 2014 total on-air ad revenue for local stations reached $20 billion, according to consulting firm BIA/Kelsey, up 7 percent from the year before.

[caption width="480" align="alignleft"] From Ulster County Department of the Environment via Watershed Post.[/caption]Laney Salisbury in The Watershed Post writes a long story about the impact of the emerald ash borer and how it is killing thousands of trees and impacting the budgets of homeowners and state agencies. “Any ash tree that is untreated will die from emerald ash borer at some point in time,” said Cornell University Forest Entomologist Mark Whitmore. “The emerald ash borer can’t be eradicated,” DEC Regional Forester Jeff Wiegert said at a May 27 meeting of the Ulster County Emerald Ash Borer Task Force. “We can only try to slow the spread.” Towns in the area are already spending thousands removing dead trees and treating live ones to hold off the bugs temporarily. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Chris Bragg in Capitol Confidential reports that union official and former AAA minor league umpire Shaun Francis of Wilton will challenge Republican state Sen. Kathy Marchione of Halfmoon, in her district that covers part of northen Columbia County and Rensselaer County. Marchione, a former Saratoga County clerk, won the seat in 2012 by defeating state Sen. Roy McDonald in a Republican primary, following McDonald’s vote in favor of same-sex marriage. “Roy McDonald was everything you could hope for in a state senator, a Republican moderate, and middle-of-the-road. He’s someone who respected labor and also knew how to make the economy work for business as well,” Francis said. “I’m very distressed that our current state senator took a vote Roy McDonald made for equality — a vote widely respected across New York — and used it for a political opportunity.” Marchione's spokeperson Josh Fitzpatrick responded, saying the senator was working diligently at “delivering real tax relief, making New York more affordable, and our economy more competitive, securing record funding for schools and providing a better quality of life for everyone.” Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Local News
Click here for news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., June 7. PLAY AUDIO (2:46)

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

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Sunday night scattered showers are possible after 2 a.m., with a low around 54.

• Monday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 65, and a low around 56.

• Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers, with a high near 77.

Sunrise 5:19 a.m.
Sunset 8:29 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon Prev Day 10:34 A.M.
Mercury 5:00 A.M. 7:16 P.M.
Venus 8:41 A.M. 11:41 P.M.
Mars 5:26 A.M. 8:39 P.M.
Jupiter 10:09 A.M. 12:21 A.M.
Saturn 6:52 P.M. 4:43 A.M.
Uranus 2:38 A.M. 3:34 P.M.
Neptune 1:09 A.M. 12:11 P.M.
Pluto 10:11 P.M. 7:41 A.M.

WGXC Programming

12:05am
Radio Stew: Data Dump 6
5:05am
Radia: Adeline Debatisse
5:35am
This Week in Radio News: Federal Surveillance

The Daily Mail is reporting after 138 years in business the Saugerties Post-Star is closing its doors. The Post-Star, the Saugerties Pennysaver and Mountain Pennysaver will cease publication, effective July 2. Customers were notified of the decision in a June 3 letter from Anthony McFarlane, advertising manager for the Times Herald-Record/Hudson Valley Media Group. “This has been a very difficult decision, but we feel we cannot continue in the current economic environment,” McFarlane wrote. According to the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce the Post-Star has a circulation of 9,000.