The Windham Journal is reporting Route 13 in Lexington between routes 2A and 52 will be closed due to road repair Thu., April 23. The closure will begin at 6 a.m., and the road will remain closed until 5 p.m. Greene County Emergency Services said there is a possibility the road will be accessible to emergency vehicles.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential the latest round of state and federal rail and crude oil tank car checks revealed 84 defects, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office said Wed., Apr. 22. The findings included multiple defects locally in the Colonie, Kenwood and Selkirk rail yards and on tracks between Fonda and Rotterdam. The conclusions varied from non-critical safety defects including loose bolts and joints and thin brake shoes, to critical flaws in gauges, tie plates and bolts. Under the guidelines, critical defects must be addressed immediately, the governor’s office said. Non-critical defects must be fixed within 30 days. Tank car defects must be fixed before the train pulls out of the yard. The inspections are part of ongoing examinations of crude oil shipment by rail statewide. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

[caption width="220" align="alignright"] Chris Gibson, from Wikipedia.[/caption]Andy Greenberg in Wired reports the U.S. House of Representatives voted April 22 307-116 in favor of the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, "a bill designed to allow more fluid sharing of cybersecurity threat data between corporations and government agencies." Privacy advocates say the bill, "threatens to open up a new backchannel for surveillance of American citizens, in some cases granting the same companies legal immunity to share their users’ private data with government agencies that include the NSA." “PCNA would significantly increase the National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) access to personal information, and authorize the federal government to use that information for a myriad of purposes unrelated to cybersecurity,” reads a letter signed earlier this week by 55 civil liberties groups and security experts that includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Human Rights Watch and many others. Locally, Rep. Chris Gibson was one of the minority voting against the bill, with New York City liberals such as Charlie Rangel and Nydia Velázquez. The White House has voiced previous support for the bill, so the last drama lies in the Senate.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 49F; low 32F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 48F; low 32F.[/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: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 53. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. Thursday night, a slight chance of rain showers, mixing with snow after midnight, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy. Low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: Isolated showers after 3 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 52. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 31.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 59. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 35.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 60. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 39.

Sunset today: 7:46 p.m.
Length of the day: 13:44 hrs.

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

CHATHAM Village Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors .1 [point one] Committee meeting, 1 p.m.; Finance Committee meeting, 1:30 p.m., at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Task Force meeting, 7 p.m., Town Building, 7309 St. Route 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GERMANTOWN Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (537-6687).
GREENVILLE Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at high school, Route 81, Greenville (966-5070).
HUDSON Community Development and Planning Agency board meeting, 6 p.m. at 1 N. Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
STUYVESANT Greenway Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
WINDHAM Town Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show The WGXC Morning Show is a radio magazine show featuring local news, interviews with community leaders and personalities, a rundown of public meetings, local and regional events, with weather updates, and more about and for the community. Broadcast live from the WGXC Hudson Studio. Hosted by Michelle Lewis.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: Prison Voices Project: Beth Richie Broadcast of lecture by Dr. Beth Richie recorded live, Apr. 7, at SUNY New Paltz, entitled, "The Problem with Carceral Feminism." Richie's work focuses on the ways that race and ethnicity and social position affect women's experiences around violence and incarceration. She focuses on the experiences of African American battered women and survivors of sexual assault. Richie is the author of "Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence and America’s Prison Nation." Produced by Dr. Karanja Keita Carroll and Dr. Alexandra Cox.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Civil War 2061 An anthology series of dramas and comedies for radio. Produced at KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire. Water...the last resource. Without water life is impossible. And in 2061 the water is disappearing and people are arguing over the right to water. With The United States of America on the verge of a great catastrophe where will all this lead? Produced by Joseph C McGuire. Edited by Jay Charles Performers: The Skagit Radio Repertory Company. Made with a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. From Pacifica Radio.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

[caption id="attachment_41629" align="alignright" width="300"] Animal-rights advocates say legislation pending in Albany won't cure local coyote problems. Instead, they predict ending a ban on live-restraint cable traps will subject many animals to torture. Photo credit: Marya/Flickr.[/caption]Mike Clifford of New York News Connection reports for Public News Service that animal-rights activists are sounding the alarm about legislation pending in Albany that would end the state's longstanding ban on snare-type animal traps. Brian Shapiro, New York state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said there is good reason live-restraint, cable-type traps have long been outlawed in the state. He said they don't kill animals outright, but instead subject them to what he called "a cycle of torture." "An animal can break its teeth chewing on the cable, trying to get out, struggling over and over again in these types of devices," he said, "and we are hoping that Albany lawmakers will do the humane thing." Bills are pending in both the Assembly and Senate, and Shapiro said his group is urging New Yorkers to let their lawmakers know their views about ending the ban on this type of trap. Proponents of the measures say the cable traps are inexpensive and work better in colder weather than other types. They believe allowing the traps will help counties such as Westchester deal with the growing number of coyotes in the area. Shapiro disagreed. "Legalizing these types of traps is not going to effect the coyote population," he said. "It's going to cause a lot of suffering for other animals." Shapiro said some in the hunting community also have expressed concerns that the traps are both ineffective and inhumane. The legislation is online at assembly.state.ny.us. Click here to play an audio version of this report. PLAY AUDIO (1:27)

Siobhan [SHIV-on] Barton is reporting in the Register Star the Ancram Town Board last week passed an unsafe building law in an attempt to “protect the public from unsafe buildings and structures....” The law is intended to give the municipality more power to enforce needed repairs and gives town Code Enforcement Officer the power to deem buildings unsafe or dangerous based on certain criteria. Supervisor Art Bassin said, "A building is deemed unsafe because it could become dangerous, in anticipation of what could happen.” Under the law the town can recover from property owners any costs it incurs to repair, demolish or remove blighted buildings. If property owners cannot pay for the demolition or repair, the property would be subject to foreclosure by Columbia Co. Opponents of the law believe it opens the door to discrimination against middle- and low-income property owners, and provides town officials with the opportunity to target distressed properties for acquisition. Read the full story in the Register Star.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="731"] Hudson Common Council, Apr. 21, 2015.
(Source: Michael Chamiedes)[/caption]

In front of a standing room only crowd, Hudson Common Council voted Tue., Apr. 21, to approve an agreement between the city and Columbia and Greene counties to share a SWAT team. WGXC's Michael Chameides attended the meeting, and filed this report: PLAY (5:05).

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the Catskill Town Board has approved the plan to take the Ambulance Department up to paramedic level response. Administrator George June received the go-ahead last week. Town Supervisor Joseph Leggio said the town will now move forward with ensuring its ambulance department is ready to meet the public’s needs with paramedic Advanced Life Support. He said the change could save the town $20,000 in the first year and as much as $40,000 in the second. Leggio said the next step will be to receive approval for the upgrade from the state Department of Health, which governs ambulance licensing. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting at Capital New York state education officials appear to have some discretion over whether districts or schools lose federal funding because of the boycott of standardized testing this month. State officials had previously suggested the matter was out of their hands. Representatives for the U.S. Department of Education and the state Education Department have said the federal government could withhold funds if fewer than 95 percent of students in an individual school or district take the tests. But public statements and regulatory guidance from both the U.S. and state education departments suggest the decision is not totally up to the feds. State Board of Regents chancellor Merryl Tisch said Tue., Apr. 21, federal officials are now indicating the state has discretion in the matter. “If we do have discretion, we intend to use it,” she said. Tisch has said she hopes students won’t be punished for a disagreement among adults, attributing the so-called “opt out” movement to the fight between the state and teachers’ unions over controversial performance evaluations. According to unofficial totals compiled by parents, more than 100,000 children refused state English language art tests last week. Read the full story at Capital New York.

[caption width="592" align="aligncenter"] From Champlain Hudson Power Express website.[/caption]Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that Transmission Developers Inc. announced April 21 that it has received the last of the federal and state siting permits the company needed to build the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 333-mile buried transmission line bringing electricity from Quebec to New York City. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Department of Army permit for the HVDC transmission line that moves brings renewable hydropower from Lake Champlain to lower New York. Locally, the proposed line is in the Hudson River a little north of Coeymans in Albany County, and stays there until well past the southern end of Columbia County. On April 8 Capital New York reported that the $2.2 billion price tag is way under budget, and the planned main source of hydropower has not committed to the project yet. The Times-Union earlier reported that customers in in Greene and Dutchess counties could see lower rates if the project is a success. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Larry Rulison in the Albany Times-Union says several reports indicate federal regulators have major reservations with Comcast's acquisition of Time Warner, with the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission unlikely to approve the deal. In February 2014 Comcast said it wanted to buy Time Warner Cable for $45 billion, but would need approval from federal regulators and several states, including New York. The Public Service Commission in New York has repeatedly delayed any decision, lately saying it was waiting for federal decisions. Now, Rulison reports, Comcast is considering giving up the deal. "We have not seen any reason yet why New York consumers would be better off if the merger was approved," Richard Berkley, executive director of New York's Utility Project, an Albany-based consumer advocacy group, told the Times Union on April 20. "The standard for approval of things like this merger is that they must be in the public interest. At this point in time, neither of the companies nor the (commission) have produced any evidence that a merger would do (that)." Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 58F; low 35F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 58F; low 35F.[/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 eastern Catskills, Mid-Hudson Valley, southern Berkshires and northwestern Connecticut for Wed., Apr. 22. Scattered and non-severe thunderstorms are expected Tuesday afternoon. Frequent lightning could occur in any thunderstorm, and some could contain small hail and gusty winds. The thunderstorms are expected to move to the northeast at 30 to 40 mph.

Today: Scattered showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 1 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Mostly cloudy. High near 64. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. Wednesday night, showers and thunderstorms likely before midnight, then scattered showers. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Mostly cloudy. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: Isolated showers. Partly sunny. High near 55. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 24.
Friday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers. Partly sunny. High near 53. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 34.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 57. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 36.

Sunset today: 7:44 p.m.
Length of the day: 13:42 hrs.

Public meeting
Today is the fourth 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, 7 p.m. at Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CAIRO Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Public Works Committee meeting, 6 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Hamlet Revitalization Task Force meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Rd., Copake (329-1234).
HUDSON Common Council Public Works Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUDSON Development Corporation meeting, 12 p.m. (noon) at 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
KINDERHOOK Historical Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
PHILMONT Village Board Workshop meeting, 7 p.m., Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Walt Thisney Episode 978 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 978.
5:05 a.m.: Project Censored: Cindy Sage, Sandi Maurer, Kenn Burrows Hosts Mickey Huff and Peter Phillips devote this week's program to a look at the many hazards of smart meters, including both the health problems caused by electromagnetic fields (EMF), and other concerns such as the sale of meter data to third parties without the knowledge or consent of the utility customers. The guests address these issues, and recount how California regulators encouraged the state's largest utility company, PG&E, to install smart meters systemwide despite the health issues. Cindy Sage heads an environmental consulting firm. Sandi Maurer is with the EMF Safety Network. Kenn Burrows is director of the Holistic Health Learning Center at San Francisco State University. From Pacifica.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show: Tara Licata, Andrea Macko Greene County Agricultural Society President Tara Licata and Vice President, Andrea Macko, will discuss the organization's mission to advance agricultural education, and the plans underway for the 61st Annual Greene County Youth Fair. The fair will be held July 23 through July 26 at Angelo Canna Town Park in Cairo. The WGXC Morning Show is a radio magazine show featuring local news, interviews with community leaders and personalities, a rundown of public meetings, local and regional events, with weather updates, and more about and for the community. Broadcast live from the WGXC Acra Studio at the Wave Farm Study Center in Greene Co. Hosted by Tom Roe.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: The Right Opinion: P.J. Keeler Columbia County Treasurer P.J. Keeler will be in the studio with special guest host Holly Tanner for the hour. Keeler is a lifelong Columbia County resident and businessman. He is the owner of KD Cards, Inc., located in Greenport and Catskill. He is a member of the Greenport Rescue Squad, Columbia County Ambulance Association/EMS Advisory Board and the A.B. Shaw Fire Company. Keeler has served as the Columbia County EMS Coordinator since 2000. Tanner currently serves as Columbia County Clerk.
12:05 p.m.: The Bedazzled Radio Hour: Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche (1937–2000) was a musician, arranger, producer, songwriter and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s working with producer Phil Spector. He went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others. He also worked extensively in film scores, winning a song of the year Oscar in 1983 for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" (from "An Officer and a Gentleman"). The show will feature Nitzsche solo recordings and demos, as well as ones he engineered, produced or played on. Produced by Spike Priggen.
2 p.m.: Barbershop Talks: Parenting Conversation about a new fatherhood program created by Fathers for Fathers. The initiative is intended to help create a bond between father and child, and serve as a support group to provide insight and opportunities for fathers of all ages. Plus Big Vern wears a pregnancy suit for most of the day and then reports about it live on air. Hosted by Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson and Janessa Moore.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: P.O.P.S. Discussion of the P.O.P.S. Program (Promise Opportunity Parenting Services) created by fathers for fathers. Also, highlights from the Jordan Brand Classic, one of the best-known high school All-American basketball events in the country. Plus, Grand Finale's “Soundcheck,” an exclusive from Brandon Elliot Smith’s “Mutual,” your "5:30 Freestyle" and much more! Hosted by Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson and Ranier Blue.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

[caption width="300" align="alignright"] From REC Networks website.[/caption]REC Networks filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the Federal Communications Commission April 20, intended to help listeners tune in LPFM stations better within their current three-mile service area, as well as reach more rural ears. Under the proposal, 50 to 75 percent of currently authorized LPFM stations could increase their effective radiated power from 100 watts (based on 30 meters height above average terrain) to 250 watts. This would increase the average protected service contour from 3.5 miles to about a 4.5 mile radius, according to REC Networks. The Amherst Alliance and the Catholic Radio Association previously made similar proposals before that focused on signal expansion in rural communities, but were tabled by the FCC due to disagreement in the LPFM community. In 2013, Radio World reported that LPFM advocates Don Schellhardt and Nickolaus Leggett petitioned the commission to consider licensing an LP-250 service with the support of the Prometheus Radio Project. So this is the latest attempt to expand low-power FM service. REC has also asked the FCC to allow 100-watt LPFM stations to move up to 6.9 miles, and upgraded LP-250 stations up to 8.7 miles (14.1 km) as a minor move, and other adjustments to current broadcast law. REC Networks, established in 1984 is one of the activist groups responsible for getting the Local Community Radio Act passed, and many LPFM station on the air. REC also provides various free online services including mylpfm.com, FCCdata.org and http://fcc.today, the dashboard for activity at the FCC Media Bureau, while REC Broadcast Services, provides professional FCC filing services for LPFM stations and other radio services.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="453"] Ferry St. Bridge, Hudson.
(Courtesy bridgehunter.com)[/caption]

John Mason is reporting in the Register Star an engineering report on Hudson's Ferry Street Bridge puts the full cost of its replacement at $1.83 million. If a higher bridge is needed, that estimate would increase to $2.14 million. The bridge extends over the railroad tracks from lower Front St. to the city waterfront. The report was submitted by Creighton Manning Engineering of Albany. Mayor William H. Hallenbeck Jr. ordered the 110-year-old bridge closed last year as a result its deteriorating condition, after the New York State Department of Transportation downgraded its rating. Creighton Manning recommended building a new superstructure, a new concrete seat and backwall, using the existing abutments. The new bridge would accommodate two lanes of vehicle traffic and include two, five-foot-wide sidewalks. The firm also called for closing the Broad Street at-grade crossing. According to the report, the crossing should be closed as a safety measure. City officials are studying how to fund the project. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail on the 2015-16 budget proposed by the Coxsackie-Athens school district. The spending plan would total $29.4 million, a more than three percent increase over the current year. The proposal would require a 1.05 percent tax levy increase. While the budget includes some savings, including teacher retirement system contributions, bond refinancing and negotiated health insurance savings, it also includes staffing changes. Two social studies teachers and an administrator would be reduced from full- to part-time and one open math position would not be filled, under the current proposal. At the same time the district would add a full-time American Sign Language teacher and school psychologist. District Superintendent Randall Squier told the Board of Education during a recent budget workshop the reduction in instructional staff would not impact students. He also said the district would offer additional courses next year, most via distance learning. The annual budget vote and school board elections will be held statewide, Tue., May 19. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Behold! New Lebanon, the nation’s first living museum of contemporary rural American life, announced Mon., Apr. 20, it is has been awarded a $100,000 grant from The Educational Foundation of America. The grant will cover the development of new programming and other operational support for the museum. Behold! also announced it has received a provisional charter from the New York Board of Regents. The "museum without walls" is comprised of a variety of guided tours, which introduce visitors to contemporary rural America. More than 50 “Rural Guides” introduce visitors to their farms, studios and workspaces, where they practice cooking, farming, cattle raising, automobile racing and mechanics and more. Behold! will operate its first full season July 4 through Sept. 26. Its Visitors Center is located at 438 State Rte. 20, New Lebanon.

Ryan Anglim in The Daily Mail reports Black Dragon Rugby co-founder Peter Velonis held his first clinic on the sport in Dutchmen’s Landing on the Hudson River April 18, in hopes of bringing a club to Catskill. Anglim does not report exactly how many people turned out, but quotes several: “It goes right from big people to really skinny people,” Karl Schwebke of Catskill said. “You can pick up a team anywhere, and you automatically have friends,” Mike Gilfeather of Catskill said. “Once we get enough numbers to form a club, we will move forward with that,” Velonis said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

[caption id="attachment_41569" align="alignright" width="280"] From Syracuse.com[/caption]Syracuse.com reports that over 40 percent of students at Cairo-Durham, Hudson, and the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk schools are overweight or obese according to the state Health Department. The website contains an interactive map tracking each school district in the state. Kay Stearns Bruening, associate professor of nutrition at Syracuse University, said obesity rates tend to be higher in rural areas where travel to the nearest supermarket takes longer. "Rural communities may have a convenience store, but that's not where people usually get their whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables," she said. Read the full story at Syracuse.com.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 62F; low 38F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 62F; low 39F.[/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, mainly before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 63. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Tuesday night, a slight chance of showers after midnight. Partly cloudy. Low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: Showers likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Increasing clouds. High near 58. Wednesday night, a chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 37.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 52. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 34.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 52. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 34.

Sunset today: 7:43 p.m.
Length of the day: 13:39 hrs.

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

COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors County Government Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature Economic Development and Tourism, Government Operations and Finance committees, plus party caucuses, 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HILLSDALE Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street, Hillsdale (325-5073).
HUDSON Planning Board special meeting to vote on the site plan for 78 Green St., 4 p.m.; Common Council Finance Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Formal Common Council meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting, 7 p.m., at Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
PHILMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
5:05 a.m.: The RAIN Report: Leo Meyerson Hap Holly, KC9RP, produces this 10 to 15-minute weekly amateur radio program, featuring timely interviews, occasional thought-provoking commentaries from other hams, excerpts from Hamvention Forums, and other items of general interest to the ham radio community at large. This week: "Leo Meyerson/W0GFQ was a true radio pioneer."

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show: Jeff French Jeff French, General Chairman of Sean’s Run Weekend, will discuss the 14th edition of the event, which kicks off in Chatham, Sat., Apr. 25. The WGXC Morning Show is a radio magazine show featuring local news, interviews with community leaders and personalities, a rundown of public meetings, local and regional events, with weather updates, and more about and for the community. Broadcast live from the WGXC Hudson studio. Hosted by Laura Reed.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: Music Maestro Hour: Earth, Wind and Fire Earth, Wind and Fire recorded live in concert for the hour. Founded in 1971, EWF is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, rock, Latin, African and gospel. Hosted by James White.
12:05 p.m.: The Irish Show Rewind: 20150421 Rebroadcast of The Irish Show from Sun., Apr. 19, 2015. Recorded live at the WGXC Acra Studio at the Wave Farm Study Center in Greene Co. Hosted by Tony Fallon.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

Video recordings of police officers on the job are now ubiquitous, with dash-cams and body-cams being installed constantly in new precincts, municipal and private security cameras everywhere, and citizens with cell phone cameras on every corner. The New York Times reports that a lawyer representing Feidin Santana, the North Charleston, South Carolina man who recorded police office Michael Slager killing Walter Scott on his cell phone, is sending out cease-and-desist orders to media organizations for their continued airings of the video. Fair use allows footage of such news value to be aired around the time of the news, but the copyright holder regains more rights after the initial newsworthiness wears off. The rights of citizens to record the police are not wearing off, and if anything are becoming clearer. A few years back Reason rounded up rules for recording the police that still apply. Most importantly, look up what the law in your state is. Many states allow one-party consent recording. A few states require both parties to consent to any recordings, such as in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. No matter, look up the exact laws in your state before attempting to record police officers. The Reporter's Committee for the Freedom of the Press has a detailed "Reporter's Recording Guide" that also applies to any citizen. So, if possible, record police encounters visibly in the open, and remain calm, and do not lie to police officers if approached. You may be ordered away from the scene for other reasons, such as security. In the United States there’s no law requiring you to carry a government ID. In 24 states if police have reasonable suspicion that you are involved in criminal activity they may require you to identify yourself. You may have to ask an officer “Are you detaining me, or am I free to go?” to find out if they have a reasonable suspicion of you. It is best to cooperate as much as you can and move as far away from the officer's attention to still record whatever is going on. Reason recommends posting any video to YouTube rather then turning it over to police. If an officer orders you to stop recording or you will be arrested, they may be wrong, but you still are likely to be arrested if you continue recording. Reason recommends using streaming apps that automatically show the video instantly as well as archive a recording for later and always passcode smartphones. Reason stresses that phones, cameras, or any devices should never be pointed as guns.