[caption id="attachment_41018" align="alignright" width="300"] New York is drawing more of its electricity from wind power than ever, but that trend could stop if the state abandons its renewable-energy targets this year. Photo credit: Jonathan Percy/CC.[/caption]Derek Hawkins at New York News Service via Public News Service reports New York is drawing more of its electricity from wind power than ever, but that trend could stop if the state abandons its renewable-energy targets this year. The state's renewable-energy standard requires New York to get 30 percent of its electricity from sources such as wind and solar, and the standard is set to expire at the end of 2015. Kit Kennedy, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's energy and transportation program, said the wind industry could feel serious consequences if the state decides not to extend it. "Particularly for wind, it's extremely bad news," she said, "It means that this important policy, which has really supported investment in wind power and the growth that we've had in wind power, will just come to a halt." There are other options for the wind industry if the standard expires. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has created a Green Bank to fund as much as $5 billion in clean-energy investments. The governor's office said the bank is designed to support wind and solar development as well as energy-efficiency projects. In March, New York drew a record-breaking 7 percent of its electricity from wind power - up from virtually nothing 10 years ago. Kennedy said New York should keep up that progress by not only extending but expanding its renewable-energy goals to 50 percent by 2025. "That is both an ambitious and an achievable target," she said, "because, of course, New York state is blessed with great renewable-energy resources - not only wind and solar but a lot of hydropower, which we've successfully harnessed." New York's first wind farm started delivering power in 2000. In the past decade, wind power in the state has grown from about 50 megawatts to more than 1,700 megawatts currently. Click here to hear an audio version of this story. PLAY AUDIO

Local News
Local news Click here for news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., March 29. PLAY AUDIO (3:41)

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

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 38, and a slight chance of snow showers after 2 a.m., with a low around 23.

• Monday: There's a chance of snow showers before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow showers between 11 a.m. and noon, then a chance of rain showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42, and a low around 31.

• Tuesday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 45.

Sunrise 6:41 a.m.
Sunset 7:18 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 2:05 P.M. 3:35 A.M.
Mercury 6:30 A.M. 6:16 P.M.
Venus 8:09 A.M. 10:25 P.M.
Mars 7:32 A.M. 8:58 P.M.
Jupiter 2:19 P.M. 4:43 A.M.
Saturn 11:49 P.M. 9:32 A.M.
Uranus 7:05 A.M. 7:51 P.M.
Neptune 5:41 A.M. 4:39 P.M.
Pluto 2:52 A.M. 12:19 P.M.

WGXC Programming


Radia: Joni Erika Smith
March 29, 2015: 5 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.

This Week in Radio News: Norman Stockwell
March 29, 2015: 5:30 a.m. – 6 a.m.

The Traveling Show
March 29, 2015: 2 p.m.
Wave Farm Radio will produce a live webstream of "The Traveling Show," spoken word, music, dance, visuals and ritual presenting pieces from the anthology published by Deep Listening Publications and The Ministry of Maåt. Performers and artists represented include: Ximena Alarcon, Jo Andres, Sangeeta Laura Biagi, Anne Bourne, Sadee Brathwaite, Donnaldson Brown, Carol Chappell, Andrea Goodman, Anne Hemenway, Jaclyn Heyen, IONE, Andrea Israel, Lisa B. Kelley, Rachel Koenig, Pauline Oliveros, Shirley Parker-Benjamin, Julia White, Julie Winter, and Lorah Yaccarino. The show will be broadcast on WGXC (90.7-FM) at midnight Mon. March 30.

Free Cake For Every Creature, Trace Mountains
March 29, 2015: 8 p.m. – March 30, 2015: 2 a.m.
Live broadcast of performances at Spotty Dog Books & Ale.

Miranda Neubauer in Capital New York reports that New York lags behind the rest of the country in broadband access. More than 25 percent of New Yorkers do not have access to minimal broadband speeds under the Federal Communications Commission's standards, while the number is 17 percent nationwide. In January, the FCC changed the definition of minimum download speed to 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Around 5.4 million New Yorkers, or 27.7 percent of the population, lacked access to broadband as of July, according to the state's data. Around 7 million, or 35.8 percent of New Yorkers, do not have access to 100 Mbps, according to the Cuomo administration. Governor Andrew Cuomo is promoting a $500 million broadband initiative in hopes of bringing universal broadband to the state by 2019. That plan calls for 100 Mbps, though they could offer a speed of 25 Mbps in the "most remote unserved and underserved areas of the state." Read the full story in Capital New York.

• Radio Shack recently announced it is closing many of its stores nationwide, after filing for bankruptcy in February. While neither the Catskill or Hudson locations appear on the stores list of closures, a call to the Catskill Commons location reveals that "maybe in April" the store will cease operations. In Hudson, a store employee said, "we are not" when asked about a possible closure of the store in the Fairview Shop Plaza. Regionally, Radio Shack is closing the Kingston location in the Hudson Valley Mall, the Albany location in the Westgate Mall, and the Cobleskill location in the Cobleskill Plaza.

• NOAA weather radio station WWF-43, at 162.525, remains off the air, but should be back June 1, the National Weather Service reports. The tower, on Mount Greylock in Western Massachusetts, is getting a new transmitter, and is waiting for final permits and spring for installation. The NWS recommends listeners tune to WXM-82 from Egremont, Massachusetts at 162.450 and WXM-68 in Ames Hill, Vermont, at 162.425, until WWF-43 is back on the air.

• Arbitron/Nielsen released winter ratings for the Albany market this week, with classic rock station WPYX (106.5-FM) on top, followed by talk station WGY (810-AM), oldies station WTRY (98.3-FM), adult contemporary station WRVE (99.5-FM), contemporary hits station WKKF (102.3-FM), talk station WGDJ (1300-AM), and sports station WOFX (980-AM).

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sat., March 28. PLAY AUDIO (3:23)

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

• Saturday: A chance of light snow showers, mainly before 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Saturday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 13.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 38. A chance of snow showers after 2 a.m., with a low around 28.

• Monday: A chance of snow showers before noon, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45.

Sunrise 6:43 a.m.
Sunset 7:17 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 1:09 P.M. 2:55 A.M.
Mercury 6:30 A.M. 6:10 P.M.
Venus 8:10 A.M. 10:23 P.M.
Mars 7:34 A.M. 8:58 P.M.
Jupiter 2:23 P.M. 4:47 A.M.
Saturn 11:53 P.M. 9:36 A.M.
Uranus 7:09 A.M. 7:55 P.M.
Neptune 5:45 A.M. 4:43 P.M.
Pluto 2:56 A.M. 12:23 P.M.

WGXC Programming

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?: Ted Cruz
March 28, 2015: 4 a.m. – 5 a.m.
CounterSpin: Darcey O'Callaghan, Natalia Abrams
March 28, 2015: 5:05 a.m. – 5:35 a.m.
This Week in Radio News: Norman Stockwell
March 28, 2015: 6 a.m. – 6:30 a.m.
The RAIN Report: Mike Saeger, N9MS
March 28, 2015: 6:30 a.m. – 6:45 a.m.
ARRL Audio News: ARRL Centennial Points Challenge
March 28, 2015: 6:45 a.m. – 7 a.m.
Off The Hook: FCC Obscenity Fine
March 28, 2015: 7 a.m. – 8 a.m.
Amateur Radio Newsline: FCC Enforcement Cutbacks
March 28, 2015: 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Glenn Hauser's World of Radio: Saudia Arabia
March 28, 2015: 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Saturday Morning Serial: Amanda Dawn Christie, Radio Caroline
March 28, 2015: 9 a.m. – noon
Radius Sketchpad: Kristen Roos
March 28, 2015: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Radia: Joni Erika Smith
March 28, 2015: 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This Week in Radio News: Norman Stockwell
March 28, 2015: 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
ARRL Audio News: ARRL Centennial Points Challenge
March 28, 2015: 6:45 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Framework: Angélica Castelló
March 28, 2015: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday Night Special: Beaux Arts Ball
March 28, 2015: 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail the plan to construct a housing development on the site of the former American Valve plant in Coxsackie is no longer under consideration. Greene County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director Rene Van Schaack said the plan is not viable because of the sewer moratorium imposed on the village by the state several years ago. Van Schaack said that ban prohibits new hookups to the sewer system, thereby making any significant housing development impossible. A spokesman for Concerned Citizens for Coxsackie, a group opposed to the project, said they were pleased with the recent turn of events. Brian Wallace said, "We are very happy that they agreed it was not a good idea to put housing on that site, whether multi-family or single-family housing." Coxsackie officials are now exploring the possibility of the village taking over the site, entertaining the possibility of designating it "forever wild" or creating recreational space. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jim Planck in The Windham Journal reports that a capacity crowd at a March 24 public hearing on Hunter's revised Site Plan Review Law spoke out against the proposal, with all but one speaker expressing concern about the draft. In question is a 25-page revision of a six-page law last updated 18 years ago, according to Planck, and the language addressing timber harvesting got several comments. Under the current draft, a town permit would be required for timbering harvest in Hunter. Board members said that after receiving comments from the Department of Environmental Conservation, a public hearing will be scheduled for further comments. Read the full story in The Windham Journal.

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star officials in Greene and Columbia counties are preparing for a potential oil car accident. Greene County Legislature Chairman Kevin Lewis said the county’s emergency services director, John Farrell Jr., has been conducting training for just such a catastrophic event. Lewis said, “We’ve been way out in front on the issue.” He said the department just held a training session this week. Columbia County Fire Coordinator John Howe said members of the county's hazardous materials team responders also attended the training session. In the event of a derailment or explosion, Columbia County emergency responders would likely be sent to the scene, he said. Howe said trains that run through Columbia County also carry flammable materials such as ethanol. The county is pursuing grant funding for additional training on how to deal with possible explosions, he said. The Pilgrim Pipeline is proposed to run from Albany to New Jersey, running through land near the New York State Thruway (I-87) through Albany, Greene, and Ulster counties locally. The 178-mile pipeline would carry Bakkan crude oil to New Jersey, and refined material back to Albany. Also on Wednesday, Assemblyman Phil Steck (D-Colonie) outlined numerous Capital Region locations as at risk for an oil train accidents. Previous rail accidents have occurred in Albany, Schenectady and Montgomery counties, according to Steck, who said, “The risk is far too great to continue this practice without stringent safeguards in place.” Thu., March 26 New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand and other Democratic senators backed a bill for increased rail safety on oil train cars. “The feds need to know we mean business and expect them to issue the most stringent regulations possible,” Schumer said in a statement. “The people who live in these communities, who want to see tough, new safety standards, cannot wait on the grating gears of bureaucracy.” And on March 24, trustees from the town of Cold Spring unanimously passed a resolution expressing concern over oil trains and barges along and on the Hudson River. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Daily Freeman is reporting the Hudson Valley gained jobs during the 12-month period ending in February, the state Department of Labor said Thu., Mar. 26. Greene County had 500 more non-farm jobs last month than it did in the same month a year earlier, a gain of 3.4 percent, the department said. Greene County's non-farm job total was 15,200 as of last month. Non-farm jobs include government jobs and private-sector jobs other than those in agriculture. Columbia County gained 300 non-farm jobs, an increase of 1.4 percent, during that same period, for a total of 21,000. Similar increases were reported in the Dutchess-Putnam Metropolitan Division and Ulster County, as well. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

 

The New York Times reports Chatham's Lincoln Mayorga, and his 1968 recording "Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues," were among 25 recordings added to the National Recording Registry in 2015. Mayorga, a WGXC programmer, is included on a list with Tennessee Ernie Ford, Lauryn Hill, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Radiohead, and others. See the complete list below.

1. Vernacular Wax Cylinder Recordings at University of California, Santa Barbara Library (c.1890-1910)
2. The Benjamin Ives Gilman Collection, recorded at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago (1893)
3. "The Boys of the Lough"/"The Humours of Ennistymon," Michael Coleman (1922)
4. "Black Snake Moan"/ "Match Box Blues," Blind Lemon Jefferson (1928)
5. "Sorry, Wrong Number," from "Suspense" radio series (1943)
6. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," Johnny Mercer (1944)
7. Radio Coverage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Funeral, Arthur Godfrey, et al. (1945)
8. "Kiss Me, Kate," original cast album (1949)
9. "John Brown's Body," Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, and Raymond Massey; directed by Charles Laughton (1953)
10. "My Funny Valentine," The Gerry Mulligan Quartet featuring Chet Baker (1953)
11. "Sixteen Tons," Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
12. "Mary Don't You Weep," The Swan Silvertones (1959)
13. "Joan Baez," Joan Baez (1960)
14. "Stand by Me," Ben E. King (1961)
15. "New Orleans' Sweet Emma Barrett and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band," Sweet Emma and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964)
16. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin,'" The Righteous Brothers (1964)
17. "The Doors," The Doors (1967)
18. "Stand!" Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
19. "Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues," Lincoln Mayorga (1968)
20. "A Wild and Crazy Guy," Steve Martin (1978)
21. "Sesame Street: All-Time Platinum Favorites," Various (1995)
22. "OK Computer," Radiohead (1997)
23. "Songs of the Old Regular Baptists," various (1997)
24. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," Lauryn Hill (1998)
25. "Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman," Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor; Joan Tower, composer (1999)

Rick Karlin in Capitol Confidential reports the state Board for Historic Preservation nominated 22 locations for inclusion as state and federally-designated Historic Places, including one in Columbia County. The Charles H. Coons Farm in Germantown, a fruit farm that includes a Picturesque-style farmhouse, ca. 1880, and a ca. 1810 timber-frame New World Dutch barn, was among the nominees. Three locations in Albany County -- two in Coeymans, one in Rensselaerville -- and one each in Ulster and Dutchess counties were also included on the list.

Other local nominees:

Albany County
• Brigadier General David McCarty Stone Cottage, Coeymans –stone cottage from the mid-18th century that was the home of General David McCarty, an active participant in the events leading up to the American Revolution and served in the Continental Army.
• Conkling-Boardman-Eldridge Farm, Rensselaerville – established in 1806 by one of the community’s founding families under the feudal patroon system, it emerged to function as an independent working farm in the late 19th century following the Anti-Rent War and evolved into a “gentleman’s farm” by the beginning of the 20th century.
• Former parsonage of the Reformed Dutch Church, Coeymans – the highly intact local example of late Queen Anne-Colonial Revival style residential architecture was built in 1892 and displays features of popular trends of the era.

Dutchess County
• Murphy Grist Mill, Beekman – built in 1889 on the site of an earlier 18th-century mill, the water-powered grist and saw mill represents nearly 200 years of continuous use at the site, serving local farmers and the hamlets of Beekmanville and Poughquag through the early 1930s.

Ulster County
• Alligerville Historic District, Accord – the hamlet was created and developed around a lock on the Delaware & Hudson Canal, one of the earliest canals completed in the United States, built 1825-1828.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 45F; low 27F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 46F; low 28F.[/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 rain and snow showers before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy. High near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Friday night, a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 9 p.m., then a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Saturday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 32. Saturday night, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear. Low around 14.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 38. Sunday night, a chance of snow showers after 2 a.m. Partly cloudy. Low around 28.
Monday: A chance of rain and snow showers before noon, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 49. Monday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 31.

Sunrise today: 6:45 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:15 p.m.
Length of the day: 12:30 hrs.

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

CLERMONT Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission public hearing on the application of Robert Greenberg for a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the building at 330-336 Warren St., Hudson, followed by a regular meeting, 10 a.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
3 a.m.: FCC March Meeting The March Open Committee meeting of the FCC from March 26 airs.
5:05 a.m.: The Shortwave Report: 20150327 This week's show features stories from NHK World Radio Japan, Radio Havana Cuba, Radio Deutsche-Welle, Spanish National Radio, and Sputnik Radio.

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: Chris Pfister, Owen Lipstein, Marla Butler, Rick Surrano Jr., Nora Adelman, Mike Siciliano, Jacqueline Goddeau, Brandon Bruner Hear excerpts from the Athens public hearing March 25 about proposed local laws that would establish a curfew, and many other new regulations. Also, many of the songs inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2015 will be featured. Plus local news, regional events, weather updates, and more about your community, live from Acra in Greene County. 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.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: Guest DJ: DJ Previte Drummer, composer, bandleader and improviser Bobby Previte presents "People You Should Know." The evening will feature the music of composer, keyboardist and record producer Wayne Horvitz.

Protesting museums reached a critical mass this week, for two different reasons. First, three dozen scientists sent a letter to two science and natural history museums, and started a petition, calling on them to cut ties with the Koch brothers and anyone else with connections to the fossil fuel industry. The petition calls for David Koch to be taken off the boards of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. The Koch brothers are billionaire donors to both musuems, and own Koch Industries with extensive fossil fuel holdings and have funded climate denial. There is currently a large protest movement to get companies, schools, and others, to divest fossil fuel funds, similar to the efforts in the 1980s to get companies to divest from investments in South Africa during the apartheid era. The scientists writing the letter say museums of science and natural history should not be associated with, “those who profit from fossil fuels or fund lobby groups that misrepresent climate science,” according to The Washington Post. The campaign is backed by the new mobile Natural History Museum. At the same time, in the art world, voices are rising against the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and its Curator-at-Large Klaus Biesenbach. Earlier this week, Christian Viveros Faune at artnet News wrote a through account of the issue calling for the firing of Biesenbach. He's being criticized for celebrity exhibitions that are not art, most recently one celebrating the pop singer Bjork. That show was called out by prominent art critics as a “fiasco" by Jerry Saltz, an “abomination" by Deborah Solomon, and the show that turned “MoMA into Planet Hollywood" by Michael Miller. Others complain about Kraftwerk's eight-gig show “Retrospective 12345678" in 2012, and the actress Tilda Swinton sleeping inside a glass box at MoMa, a rip-off of conceptual artist Chris Burden's 1972 "Bed Piece." And Biesenbach has organized only one solo show by a black artist at MoMA and MoMA PS1 since 1996. One anonymous source told artnet News, “Lots of trustees are unhappy with Biesenbach right now, but breaking ranks is a big deal. Change will come about only when the trustees who are in dissent get enough ammo to make their will explicit."

[Updated Mar. 27]
Nearly 50 residents, business owners and other concerned parties gathered in the Athens Village Clerk's office Wed., Mar. 25, for two public hearings on two pending local laws. Local Law #2 would authorize an override of the state-imposed tax levy cap. Local Law #3 would allow for the adoption of the newest version of the village code. The majority of those who spoke were there to comment on the new village code. Citizens spoke out on numerous issues within the proposed code amendments effecting curfew, dogs, grass height, noise, skateboarding, tree trimming, garbage cans, village police and more. Following the hearing Mayor Chris Pfister announced the board would consider the comments offered and vote on passage of the laws at a later time. Trustees Robert June, Anthony Patsky and Peter Alberti were in attendance along with Pfister and village attorney Tal Rappleyea. Trustee Gail Lasher was absent.

Audio
(Recorded and produced by Sam Sebren)

PLAY Peggy Snyder, Acting Village Clerk reads the public notice; Mayor Chris Pfister introduced the code (5:34).
PLAY Owen Lipstein, Stewart House owner, commented on the new village code provisions and enforcement (1:44).
PLAY Maria Marla Butler, newly elected Village Trustee discussed who is "we," the historic district and fences (3:54).
PLAY Rick Surrano Jr., former mayoral candidate, commented on the noise the section of the code and how it applies to commercial business (5:54).
PLAY Nora Adelman, Athens Dog Warden and Kris Garvey discussed needed changes to the section on dogs, and noted the "hostile language" aimed at children and dogs contained in the code (4:25).
PLAY Mike Siciliano spoke about the curfew; Win Morrison commented on the code and business (5:54).
PLAY Jacqueline Goddeau and Sam Sebren spoke about the skateboarding restrictions contained in the code (3:16).
PLAY Contractor Brendon Brunner questioned noise restrictions during the day (1:19).
PLAY Ralph Favicchio spoke about the curfew; village attorney Tal Rappleyea responded (5:54).

PLAY full public hearing on Athens Local Law #2 of 2015 to authorize the override of the tax levy limit (11:06).

PLAY full public hearing on Athens Local Law #3 of 2015 to adopt the new village code (1:05:00).

Ryan Anglim is reporting in The Daily Mail members of Civil Services Employees Association Local 7000 conducted a brief informational picketing session around the Greene County Office Building in Catskill, Wed., Mar. 25. The shouting protesters served as a reminder that the union’s contract expired at the end of 2012, and that negotiations with the county remain unresolved. Chris VanKuren, a senior caseworker for the Greene County Social Services Department, said the union rejected yet another offer from the county this month. The proposal entailed no raise for 2013 and 2014, a non-retroactive, two percent raise for 2015, a 2.5 percent raise for 2016 and a $750 stipend to compensate for the two years with no raise. VanKuren called the increases insufficient. The union is attempting to stabilize an agreement on health care rates for its members, as well. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Will Brunelle is reporting at Capital New York Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is facing debts and liabilities of nearly $1 billion, and has seen a sharp decline in its overall net assets over the past 13 years, according to an analysis of the school’s tax returns by the the student newspaper, "The Polytechnic." The university, located in Troy, had the value of its assets decrease by 55 percent since the year 2000. In addition, the university ended nine of the last 13 years with an operational deficit, including $18.1 million at the end of 2013, according to the paper. The report assigned much of the blame to R.P.I.'s decision in 2001 to build the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, for which it issued $160 million in bonds to help cover construction costs. Those costs ended up being much higher than originally projected. David Brond, R.P.I.'s vice president of strategic communications and external relations, said the school has “balanced the operating budget, every year, for the past 15 years,” though he did not dispute the deficits or total liabilities cited by the student paper. "The Polytechnic's" full report can be found at Poly [dot] RPI [dot] edu. Read the full story at Capital New York.

NY1 reports State Senator Tony Avella introduced a bill in Albany this week that would allow people who've been charged with resisting arrest twice before to face felony charges the third time, calling it "aggravated resisting arrest." Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz is introducing the bill in the other legislative chamber. In February, New York Commissioner Bill Bratton asked lawmakers to raise the penalty for resisting arrest from a misdemeanor to a felony, NPR reports, But The New York Post reports the charge is often misused as only 6.2 percent resisting arrest charges resulted in convictions, with charges dismissed in almost half of the cases. WNYC's Robert Lewis reported that since 2012 just five percent of officers accounted for 40 percent of all resisting arrest charges. Activists worry that this bill, and another, Bill A02899, that would make resisting arrest a Class E felony, are targeting protesters, some of whom complain about police brutality.

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says the former Bouchard Junkyard site in New Lebanon is safe enough now to delist as a state Superfund Program site. The site on Route 20 was an automobile junkyard from 1959 to 1971, with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) removed in 2009. Testing reports indicate only a strip of land on the Route 20 right-of-way exceed "DEC’s soil cleanup objectives for unrestricted use" and that “A Site Management Plan and Environmental Notice are in place to ensure appropriate handling of any remaining contamination in the event that future road construction occurs within the right-of-way.” The DEC is taking public comments through April 5 to Lawrence Thomas, Project Manager, NYS Department of Environmental Conservations, Division of Environmental Remediation, Remedial Bureau E, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7017 or by email to Lawrence.Thomas@dec.ny.gov or phone at 518 402-9813. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 51F; low 36F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 51F; low 38F.[/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 east central New York, including Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Rensselaer and Ulster counties, for Thu., March 26. A half an inch to three quarters of an inch of rainfall is expected during the day and into the evening, which will likely combine with some snow melt to produce significant rises on rivers and streams. There is also the potential for isolated ice jams as ice breaks up on some rivers and streams.

Today: Rain, mainly after 11 a.m. High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Thursday night, rain before 1 a.m., then rain and snow likely. Low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: A chance of rain and snow showers before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 42. Friday night, a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 23.
Saturday: A slight chance of snow showers, mainly before 2 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 33. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 18.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 45. Sunday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 31.

Sunrise today: 6:47 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:14 p.m.
Length of the day: 12:27 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 (tentative), 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
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Sonic Youth Songs by the New York art rockers are broadcast, with excerpts from bassist Kim Gordon's autobiography, "Girl in a Band."
3 a.m.: House Judiciary Hearing The House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Federal Communications Commission’s Net Neutrality rules. Officials from the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission testify, along with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.

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: Neil Smith Local news, weather, events, music and more. 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: Mishi Faruquee, Jonathan Gradess, Khalil Cumberbatch Discussion of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's proposed legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York, featuring interviews with Mishi Faruquee of the American Civil Liberties Union and Jonathan Gradess, the Executive Director of the New York State Defenders' Association. Plus a conversation on the language of punishment with Khalil Cumberbatch, an advocate with the Legal Action Center. He is also a member of the leadership team of Just Leadership USA, a new organization devoted to cutting the prison system in half by 2030.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Naudsonce An anthology series of dramas and comedies for radio. Each week a program will be made up of one radio play. 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. This week: "Presenting FuturePast science fiction drama. Once agian we present a H Beam Piper TerroHuman future history story. What happens when empire star explorers run into primitive alien race? It's either them or us." Edited by Jay Charles. Made with a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. From Pacifica Radio.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: James Randi, David Marston Conversation with James Randi, retired stage magician and scientific skeptic. He is the subject of the 2014 biographical feature film documentary "An Honest Liar," directed and produced by Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom. Plus local news, weather, events, music and more. Live from the WGXC Hudson studio. Hosted by Thomas DePietro with Jake "the Intern" Ebel. David Marston will fill in for the absent Ellen Thurston.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: The Jazz Disturbance: Richie Goods Bassist and composer Richie Goods got an early start playing in church and clubs while still attending the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School. After he moved to New York City, he studied with jazz bassists Ron Carter and Ray Brown and credits jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller for helping him hone his skills early in his career. Currently he tours with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti. Goods’ new release with his fusion/funk band Nuclear Fusion is called “Three Rivers.” Quote from Goods: " “Three Rivers” is a project I’ve nurtured for the last couple of years, writing six new compositions, arranging some fabulous but obscure pieces and finding just the right performers to deliver my vision for this work." Hosted by Cheryl K.

The print journalism business lost revenue from many sources in its transition to digital, online news. Craigslist, the common wisdom goes, sucked the classified ad business out of newspapers. Now another online force, even larger, Facebook, is threatening to do more of the same. The New York Times reported this week that Facebook has been quietly holding talks with at least half a dozen media companies, including The New York Times, about hosting their content inside Facebook rather than users clicking a link to an external site. Bloggers these days are having problems with Facebook: they write an article that goes viral on Facebook, but no one clicks on their site, because all the information is on Facebook. Without clicks on a site, ad revenues plummet. So The Times' announcement has a can't-beat-'em-so-join-'em quality to it. "Such a plan would represent a leap of faith for news organizations accustomed to keeping their readers within their own ecosystems, as well as accumulating valuable data on them," The Times article says. The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic are said to be the first partners willing to post their reporting to Facebook in exchange for a cut of their ad revenue. Others are pushing back. "Several employees of The Guardian, for example, have informally suggested to colleagues at other publications that publishers should band together to negotiate deals that work for the whole industry, and should retain control of their own advertising, whether content is hosted on Facebook or not, a person with knowledge of the discussions said," The Times reported. Will Oremus at Slate summed up the two sides: "Collectively, news media would be foolish to put their fate in Facebook’s hands. Individually, however, they might be foolish not to."