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."

Ryan Anglim is reporting in The Daily Mail voters in Greenville overwhelmingly rejected a $5.4 million fire station proposal, Tue., Mar. 24. The final vote was 486 to 84. Fire Commissioner Ted Nugent said the district commissioners will reassess the situation when they meet next week. Nugent said, “The board will re-evaluate the vote and see what different things went on. Then we’ll see which direction we’re going to go." The proposal called for a one-story, energy efficient, 16,000 square-foot, concrete block building in Greenville Center, near the intersection of State Route 81 East and County Route 41. The proposal was the result of a 15-year discussion by the board of commissioners, volunteer firefighters and members of the community. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the Department of Environmental Conservation has accepted a signed Order on Consent from composting facility operator Frederick A. Edwards III to remediate illegally placed fill affecting a wetland. Edwards' facility is located at 2869 State Route 23A, in Palenville. During an on-site inspection in Aug. 2013, the DEC found fill had been dumped over the slope, and into the wetlands, in violation of state regulations. Edwards will pay $2,000, a portion of the potential $11,000 fine, with the signing of the consent order. The remainder of the fine will be suspended as long as he complies with the terms of the order. Edwards must grade back all fill material to create a stable slope away from the wetland boundary and also install an erosion control barrier by June 15. A neighbor complained to the DEC and other public officials alleging Edwards has been filling in the wetland with materials that are contaminating the water. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting at Capital Confidential Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos said Tue., Mar. 24, his conference and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo are close to a deal that would create an expert panel to explore changes in teacher evaluations and other education reforms. Skelos said he is still negotiating with Cuomo on the criteria of what the panel would review. Senate Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins recommended the creation of such a panel in a March 9 letter to Skelos outlining her conference’s budget priorities. Assembly member Amy Paulin, a Democrat from Westchester, said her conference would support the creation of a panel of educators to hash out details of a new teacher evaluation system. Cuomo's communications director, Melissa DeRosa, tweeted Tuesday evening: "...there are a number of [teacher evaluation] proposals floating around — none of them have been agreed to." Read the full story at Capital New York.

A public hearing on changing the "Code of the Village of Athens" will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 25 in the Municipal Building in the Village of Athens. Proposed Local Law No. 2-2015 contains a new curfew, not allowing anyone under 18 on the streets of the village after 9 p.m. if passed. Activists from the Athens Citizen's Development Committee are complaining about another provision in the proposal in which the village, not the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, would regulate the use of wetlands and land adjacent to wetlands within the Village of Athens. See the full proposal here: http://www.visithistoricathens.com/images/docs/codes%20update%202015.pdf

Matthew Hamilton in The Albany Times-Union reports that a Siena College poll out March 23 reported that 80 percent of New Yorkers say public emails of official state business should not be thrown away after 90 days, the current state policy. Only 71 percent of those surveyed, though, knew much about Governor Andrew Cuomo's current policy of automatically discarding emails from public officials after three months. After several lawmakers in Albany introduced bills to change the policy, Cuomo suggested this month that he would consider adopt a new policy, but only if the legislaturors, "agreed to provide the public with greater access to its records," according to The New York Times. The poll surveyed 800 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 48F; low 38F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 49F; 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:

Today: Showers, mainly after 4 p.m. High near 48. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Wednesday night, showers likely, mainly before 11 p.m. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy. Low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: Rain, mainly after noon. Patchy fog before noon. High near 52. Thursday night, rain before midnight, then showers likely after midnight. Low around 39.
Friday: A chance of showers, mainly before 2 p.m. Cloudy. High near 45. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 28.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 39. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 24.

Sunrise today: 6:48 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:13 p.m.
Length of the day: 12:24 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.; Legal Committee meeting, 6:15 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
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Normal Stockwell Interview with Norman Stockwell of WORT-FM at the World Forum of Free Media (WFFM) from March 22 to 28, 2015 at the site of the El Manar University in Tunis. The World Forum of Free Media was born as part of the World Social Forum through meetings between activists supporting the freedom of expression and the fight for another form of communication.
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Philippe Foch Episode 974 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 974.
3 a.m.: FCC Budget Hearing The U.S. House’s Financial Services and General Government Committee held a budget hearing for the Federal Communications Commission Tue., March 24.
5:05 a.m.: Project Censored: Abby Martin, Ward Jordan, Michael McCray, Shelby Wade Peter, Mickey and their guests speak about independent journalism, transparency in government, and social justice education. Abby Martin speaks about her years as host of "Breaking the Set" on RT Television. Then Tanya Ward Jordan and Michael McCray examine new legislation meant to enhance whistleblower protection in government and the financial sector. Finally, Sonoma State University student Shelby Wade talks about organizing a Social Justice Week on her campus.

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 Athens Cultural Center board member Neil Smith will discuss the five-week series that will examine the origins and history of jazz. The series is presented by the D. R. Evarts Library and will be held at the Athens Cultural Center, "Jazz A-Z" will focus on a different musician every session. The series runs from March 18 through April 15. Hosted by Michelle Lewis. Plus 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.: The Right Opinion: Robert LaPorta, Michael Milot Veterans Robert LaPorta and Michael Milot, of Claverack, N.Y, will talk about their military experience. Hosted by Ed Fertik.
11 a.m.: Vinyl Rundown: Sly & the Family Stone In honor of Sly Stone's 72nd birthday on Sunday, March 15. This is the second of two shows featuring the music of Sly & the Family Stone, from the group's early albums before their national hits, some early productions of Sly, and a look at Sly's creative peak between the "Stand!" and "There's A Riot Going On" albums. Hosted by Chris Bishop.
2 p.m.: Barbershop Talks: 20150325 Discussion of upcoming Staley B. Keith Social Justice Center events in Hudson, including the third annual State of the Community: Black Lives Matter Showcase, the After Party and the Easter Egg Hunt at Promenade Hill Park. Plus a classic "Truck Stop" from The 18 Wheeler and more. Call-ins are welcome at (518) 828-0290. Hosted by Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson and Janessa Moore.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: All Hopped Up (And Ready to Go): 20150325

New York City is getting into the field recordings game, just like Washington, Boston, Oakland, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. Those cities have installed ShotSpotter, a series of open microphones around the cities that pinpoints the location of gunfire, and wirelessly sends that information back to police. “Today, we are rolling out cutting edge technology to make the city safer, to make our neighborhoods safer, to keep our officers safer,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in The New York Times. “This gunshot detection system is going to do a world of good in terms of going after the bad guys.” William J. Bratton, the New York City police commissioner, claims, “On average, 75 percent of shots fired called in by ShotSpotter are never called into 911.” Critics of the program cite other percentages, such as seven percent. Newsday reports a 2013 study found out of 212 potential shootings picked up by ShotSpotter, about one third were false alarms and only 7 percent turned out to be verified shootings. Eben Moglen, a privacy law professor at Columbia University, told The New York Times that potentially incriminating evidence picked up by the microphones constitutes a warrantless search and seizure by collecting public sounds. Why then, would New York City pick a dubious technology that may violate the Fourth Amendment and only works seven percent of the time? Perhaps because Bratton used to be on the board of California-based SST Inc., the company that makes SpotShotter. He left the board just before he became police commissioner in January 2014, according to Newsday.

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the Catskill Town Board is moving forward with its plan to convert the position of town highway superintendent from an elected office to an appointed one. Catskill Supervisor Joseph Leggio said the change would allow the town to consolidate management of its roads, cemetery, and buildings and grounds responsibilities under one authority. If the transition is approved, the elected position would be abolished Jan. 1, 2016, and the appointed position simultaneously created the same day. The board will hold a public hearing Tue., April 14. Following the public hearing and board adoption, the matter will then go to a public vote in a special election, June 23. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia County Airport has received verbal approval of its new FAA status designation. Columbia County Engineer Dean Knox shared the news with the Board of Supervisors Airport Sub-committee Mon., Mar. 24. The county is seeking approval for a change in the airport designation from D-2 to B-2, based on the number of landings and takeoffs at the Ghent location. The reclassification will make compliance with FAA safety code regulations easier. Knox told the supervisors he hopes to have the plans for the construction of a new 300-foot safety area and other improvements submitted to the FAA by the fall, with work to begin sometime next year. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Matthew Hamilton and Rick Karlin are reporting in the Times Union a state Supreme Court justice has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a state teachers union in an attempt to force the state to scrap its property tax cap and tax freeze. In his ruling, Supreme Court Judge Patrick McGrath rejected each of the New York State United Teachers' claims, including that the tax mechanisms violate First Amendment rights by incentivizing compliance. The cap and freeze are designed to keep spending closer to the rate of inflation unless a supermajority of 60 percent votes for a greater increase. Certain cost increases are exempted from the overall calculation. The ruling is the second time McGrath has denied a NYSUT lawsuit against the cap. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Julia Reischel in The Watershed Post reports that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) wants to, for the first time, divert some of the water in the Schoharie Reservoir. Since it opened in 1927, most of the water from the Schoharie Reservoir goes through an 18-mile tunnel into the Esopus Creek in Ulster County, then to the Ashokan Reservoir and, then supplies residents of New York City with 15 percent of its drinking water. Schoharie Valley residents, the story says, fear flooding from the 19.6 billion gallons of water in the reservoir, held back by the Gilboa Dam. The DEP's proposal would empty 10 percent of the reservoir from October 15 to March 15. The DEP announced the plan at the March 20 Schoharie County Board of Supervisors meeting. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Debby Mayer in The Columbia Paper reports that a petition signed by 80 town residents wants a moratorium on commercial development on Route 9G while the town updates its comprehensive plan. Currently, Route 9G is zoned commercial, with a proposed Dollar Store just north of the Main St. intersection. “I think it’s a good idea to do the moratorium, as soon as possible,” Germantown resident Lee Wurtzburger said at the meeting. “We’re uncertain about how things will play out with Dollar General, and it’s a bigger question that that. We’re uncertain and we ought to be certain.” Councilman Michael Mortenson did not like the idea. “I’m not in for a moratorium,” he said, “We just got brand-new planning and zoning." The 80 signatures equals 4 percent of the town’s population. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 41F; low 20F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 41F; low 21F.[/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: Sunny. High near 40. Tuesday night, mostly clear. Low around 18.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: Increasing clouds. High near 48. Wednesday night, a chance of showers, mainly before 3 a.m. Cloudy. Low around 40.
Thursday: Showers, mainly after 9 a.m. High near 57. Thursday night, showers, mainly before 9 p.m.. Low around 38.
Friday: A chance of showers before 9 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 47. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 27.

Sunrise today: 6:50 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:12 p.m.
Length of the day: 12:21 hrs.

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

CANAAN Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1647 Co. Route 5, Canaan (781-3144).
CATSKILL Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
CHATHAM CENTRAL Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at high school, 50 Woodbridge Ave., Chatham (392-2400).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Government Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Agriculture & Farming Protection Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Rd., Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY Tourism Advisory Committee meeting, 9:30 a.m. at 411 Main St., Catskill (943-3223).
GREENPORT Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Winter/Spring Animal Collective say goodbye to winter, and hello to spring with two new tracks released this week. "Farewell Winter, hello Spring. In honor of snow on the equinox yesterday, check out New Psycho Actives Vol.1 - a free digital split 12” from Avey Tare and Geologist. Features vocals by Tickley Feather on Geo’s side."
5:05 a.m.: The RAIN Report: Mike Saeger, N9MS 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: "Mike Saeger/N9MS talks about the Midwest Vintage SSB Net and website."

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 Local news, weather, events, music and more. Live from the WGXC Hudson Studio. Hosted by "Mr. Peetie Pete" Lievense.
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.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

After the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, and the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) imposed a $550,000 fine against CBS and its affiliates for airing a woman's breast on the public airwaves in the early evening hours, when children might be watching. On March 23, Michael Malone at Broadcasting and Cable reports, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, plans to fine the Virginia television station WDJB $325,000, its maximum amount, after it aired "graphic sexual images" from an adult film, during a news story. The report, from the 6 p.m. news July 12, 2012, was about a former adult film star then volunteering with a rescue squad, and was accompanied by images of the volunteer's past roles. The video clip in the news story briefly showed male genitalia and a sexual act being performed, according to the Roanoke Times. "Our action here sends a clear signal that there are severe consequences for TV stations that air sexually explicit images when children are likely to be watching," said Travis LeBlanc, FCC Enforcement Bureau chief. But Jeffrey Marks, the Roanoke station's general manager, said in a statement, "We are surprised and disappointed that the FCC has decided to propose to fine WDBJ for a fleeting image on the very edge of some television screens during a news broadcast. The story had gone through a review before it aired. Inclusion of the image was purely unintentional. The picture in question was small and outside the viewing area of the video editing screen. It was visible only on some televisions and for less than three seconds." That sounds like a "fleeting image," sort of like a "fleeting remark." In 2003, U2 singer Bono said, during a televised Golden Globes ceremony, "this is really, really, f------ brilliant." "We have previously found that fleeting and isolated remarks of this nature do not warrant commission action," then FCC Enforcement Bureau chief David Solomon said after calls for a fine in the Bono incident. That decision may have led to another, in 2012, when the Justice Department argued that there was no "fleeting images exemption from indecency enforcement," but the Supreme Court and Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals disagreed, and tossed out the fines against CBS for the brief Super Bowl nudity. So, WDJB might consider appealing this fine too.

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Mar. 20 through Mon., Mar. 23:

Jimmy Vielkind is reporting at Capital New York a new poll finds a majority of voters believe Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo should separate his proposed changes to the state's ethics and education plans from the $141.6 billion spending plan currently under negotiation with lawmakers. The Siena Research Institute found 56 percent of the 800 voters surveyed wanted to see the education plans dropped. And 54 percent wanted to see ethics addressed as a separate bill. Cuomo has said he won't approve a budget that isn't linked to a five-point ethics plan. He's also connected a proposed $1.1 billion increase in school aid to changes in the teacher evaluation and tenure laws, an increased number of charter schools statewide, the extension of tuition assistance to undocumented immigrants and a tax credit on donations to private and parochial school scholarship funds as well as public schools.

Katie Kocijanski reported in the Register Star on the response from residents of the Germantown school district following the failed capital project proposal. Opinions offered at the board of education meeting meeting Wed., Mar. 18, ranged from support for the failed vote to disapproval of moving forward with a second referendum. The $11.3 million proposition was defeated March 10. The project had been a point of contention within the community at large for some time. The board will hold a special meeting 6 p.m. Tue., Mar. 24, to discuss the next steps for the project. The public will have another opportunity to express its opinion at that time.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] (defensehelp.com)[/caption]

Arthur Cusano reported in the Register Star a settlement between five New York counties and the state over the handling of public defender services has been finalized. Under the agreement, the state will adopt major reforms in Ontario, Onondaga, Schuyler, Suffolk and Washington counties. The case addressed the state’s failure to create and support a public defense system that ensured indigent criminal defendants would receive meaningful and effective assistance of counsel. The settlement of Hurrell-Harring vs. [versus] New York, requires the counties to hire a sufficient number of lawyers, investigators and support staff to ensure that criminal defendants who cannot afford attorneys receive legal representation. It also mandates that every qualifying criminal defendant be guaranteed a lawyer at the first court appearance. It is hoped the provisions of the settlement will eventually be applied to all New York counties, according to a spokesman for the plaintiffs in the case.

In a statement released late last week, the Dyson Foundation reported its leadership will change in June. After leading day-to-day operations of the private, grant-making foundation for nearly a quarter century, Diana M. Gurieva will step down. Andrea L. Reynolds will succeed her. Gurieva will continue to serve as an adviser to the foundation. Reynolds has been president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley since 2005. The Millbrook-based Dyson Foundation has a major funding program in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 30F; low 15F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 31F; low 15F.[/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: Sunny. High near 32. Monday night, mostly clear. Low around 10.

Forecast for the next three days:
Tuesday: Sunny. High near 40. Tuesday night, clear. Low around 19.
Wednesday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny. Hgh near 48. Wednesday night, a chance of showers. Patchy fog after 2 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy. Low around 42.
Thursday: Showers likely. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. High near 58. Thursday night, showers likely. Mostly cloudy. Low around 38.

Sunrise today: 6:52 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:11 p.m.
Length of the day: 12:19 hrs.

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

CATSKILL Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at firehouse near Catskill Commons (Walmart) (943-3830).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Airport Sub-committee meeting, 5 p.m.; Economic Development Committee meeting, 6 p.m.; Environmental Management Council, 7 p.m.; all at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
GERMANTOWN Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Rd., Germantown (537-6687).
HALCOTT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 813 Route 3, Halcott Center (845-254-9920).
HUDSON City School District Board of Education budget workshop, 6:30 p.m., full board meeting, 7 p.m. at Hudson High School library, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson (828-4360).
HUDSON Police Committee meeting 6 p.m.; Fire Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
NEW BALTIMORE Town Board work meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 3809 Co. Route. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
PHILMONT Development Corp meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
STUYVESANT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TAGHKANIC Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).

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 Local news, weather, events, music and more. Live from the WGXC Hudson Studio. Hosted by "Mr. Peetie Pete" Lievense.
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 Albany Report: Jeff Friedman, David Colby Jeff Friedman, Executive Director, Greene County Chamber of Commerce and David Colby, Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will be in the studio to discuss local businesses and the changes they would like to see in state government. Call (518) 828-0290 to go on air during the show, or send your comments or questions via email to info@wgxc.org. Or take three minutes and record a question or comment ahead of time at (518) 291-WGXC (9492). Hosted by Cecilia Tkaczyk.
11 a.m.: Zoom: Finding Sacrilegious Books at Church Rummage Sales There is always perverse pleasure in finding sacrilegious books at church rummage sales, be they evolutionary sci-fi, voodoo, Krishna consciousness texts, Watts, Burroughs, Darwin, old pagan tomes. Anything that challenges the religious order; anything that (book in hand) makes me look around to see if anyone is watching me! Tune in for some sonic rummage! -- Tyson Hauf, host
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

The “Local Radio Freedom Act” is winding its way through Congress now, and the name sounds like something almost anyone could get behind. Of course, generic friendly named bills are standard practice in Washington D.C. now. Similar versions of this bill have failed before with names such as the "Performance Rights Act" (2009), and the "Free Market Royalty Act" (2013). So forget the name, this is a non-binding resolution backed by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and introduced by U.S. Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and K. Michael Conaway (R-TX). The resolution proposes: “…Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.” Songwriters get paid each time a song airs on terrestrial radio, but performers do not, though they get paid from airplay on digital or satellite radio, a distinction these days, that's not all that clear. Radio airplay is considered promotion for the record, advertising that drives sales, which leads to the performer getting paid. The radio industry has long argued that heavy airplay leads to record sales. Does that sound reasonable? It does in China, Iran, and North Korea, some of the only other countries that also do not pay performance royalties for airplay, according to Olivia Brown at the Future of Music Coalition. "For decades, local radio airplay has jump-started and sustained the careers of countless musicians and record label moguls," said NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith, in a statement in Billboard magazine last month. "Local radio's unparalleled promotional value drives increased record and merchandise sales and sells out concert venues. NAB applauds lawmakers for standing with hometown broadcasters in opposing a job-killing performance royalty that would damage the number one platform for exposing new music." And while the "Local Radio Freedom Act" sounds like something concerning mom-and-pop locally-owned broadcasters, the NAB mostly represents just five corporations. Billboard says that of 11,357 AM and commercial FM stations in the U.S., 850 are owned by iHeartMedia, 450 belong to Cumulus Media, 300 are run by Townsquare Media, 130 belong to CBS Media, and 130 are owned by Entercom. AllAccess.com reports that last week, 13 more House members signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, with two more Senate co-sponsors. Radio World reports that four lawmakers — Darrell Issa (R-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Conyers (D-MI), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) — publicly oppose the LRFA, noting in a letter that the resolution, “impedes future debate, it stifles innovation, and it will continue to maintain an unfair playing field.”