Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail Democrats in the village of Athens have endorsed three incumbents for re-election in the upcoming village elections. Chris Pfister is seeking a second term as mayor. Bob June is running for his fourth term as trustee, and Anthony Patsky, his second. Pfister said the Democratic team has brought effective government to the village during the past two years; however, there is still much to do. On his wish list for a second term: Renovation of the village office and court building, putting out bids to improve Riverfront Park, building new sidewalks for Brick Row and replacing culverts on Union Street, among other items. Village elections are March 18. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

John Mason is reporting in the Register Star as expected, two companies bidding to buy, renovate and operate the Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center made presentations to the Columbia County Board of Supervisors and members of the public Mon., Feb. 23. The 120-bed county-owned facility is located in Philmont. Approximately 200 people are employed at the center. The board heard from Bruce Peckman, the CEO of Long Island-based Premier Health Care Management. Premier has been in the nursing home business for more than 60 years. The company recently contracted with Kaaterskill Nursing home in Catskill. The second presentation was by CEO Kenny Rozenberg of Centers Health Care of the Bronx. Rozenberg said his company's footprint is mainly in New York state, with facilities in the Finger Lakes, Corning, the Bronx, Buffalo and southern New Jersey. Rozenberg said his company's primary focus is rehabilitation. "People come sick and go home healthy," he said. Most of the questions posed by the supervisors and the public related to the future for existing employees under privatization, pay rates and each company's commitment to the community. Both Peckman and Rozenberg agreed the only departments that would see job eliminations following an acquisition would be payroll, because those duties would be handled from their respective central offices, not in Philmont. The two proposals now head to the county Pine Haven Sub-committee and Health Committee for review. A recommendation to the full board is expected in March. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential a UCLA study is blasting the level at which public schools suspend their students. The Center for Civil Rights Remedies found there is an enormous gap between white and minority suspensions as well as suspensions among those with disabilities. The center crunched suspension data for about 12,000 schools nationwide. The federal government keeps those statistics and found that suspensions overall have increased since the 1970s.  It found the highest suspending state for all students at both elementary and secondary levels was Florida. The full report is available online at Civil Rights Project [dot] UCLA [dot] edu.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 20F; low 5F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 19F; low 8F.[/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: Mostly sunny. High near 16. Wind chill values as low as -11. Tuesday night, a slight chance of snow showers after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 10. Wind chill values as low as zero.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: A slight chance of snow showers, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 28. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 3. Wind chill values as low as -7.
Thursday: Partly sunny. High near 17. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around -2.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 20. Friday night, mostly clear. Low around -1.

Sunrise today: 6:37 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:39 p.m.
Length of the day: 11:02 hrs.

Public meetings
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).
COLUMBIA Economic Development Corporation Board meeting, 8:30 a.m. at 4303 Route 9, Greenport (828-4718).
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
For WGXC Winter 2015 Pledge Drive: Day 13 WGXC's winter pledge drive began Thu., Feb. 12, and will culminate in a celebration of the station's four years of diverse voices and adventurous sounds on the the FM dial, Feb. 28. Tune in throughout the drive for a full slate of remote broadcasts, and turn out for special events in Greene and Columbia counties.

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.
11 a.m.: The Classic Country Show Revisiting classic country favorites. Produced by Tanya Blue.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show Live interviews, local news, weather, events and more. Hosted by Jill Sutton and Neva Wartell. Live from the Catskill Public Library.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: Radio Warfare: Takeover Host Tim Livingston will takeover of the WGXC Acra studio broadcasting and streaming online non-stop, for 48 hours to help keep the voice of community radio alive and independent in Columbia and Greene counties. Livingston will eat, breath and sleep rock ‘n’ roll during the coming days. He will spin punk, garage, power-pop and rock 'n’ roll, all to raise funds as part of the For WGXC! Winter 2015 Pledge Drive. The entire takeover will stream live online at http://comm.free103point9.org:8000/acra.mp3.m3u. Livingston will also be live on 90.7-FM during various blocks of time, and will break in on other WGXC shows.

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

Joseph Spector is reporting at Politics on the Hudson the Greenville Central School District in Greene County is one of 20 upstate school districts that have agreed to new policies for immigrant students enrolling in classes, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Thu., Feb. 19. The agreement with Schneiderman and the state Education Department will require Greenville and the other districts to remove inquiries into citizenship and immigration status from their enrollment materials. The districts must develop new procedures to ensure immigrant students are not facing obstacles when they or their parents seek to enroll them in school, Schneiderman said. The agreement followed an investigation that began in October. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled nearly 30 years ago that all children have an equal right to a public school education, regardless of their immigration status.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="157"] Brian Howard[/caption]

John Mason reported in the Register Star educator and former state Senate candidate Brian Howard died Friday at Albany Medical Center, according to a Troy Board of Education member. Howard succumbed to the injuries he sustained after he fell while clearing snow from the roof of his home, Thursday. Howard ran on the Democratic line for the 43rd Senate District seat in 2014, losing to incumbent Kathy Marchione. He served for many years as a teacher and an administrator in the Chatham Central School District. Howard was 65 years old. He leaves behind his wife, Janet, and three children.

Jim Planck reported in The Daily Mail long-time village of Hunter trustee Michael Tancredi will be seeking his seventh, and final, three-year term in the upcoming village elections. His name will appear on the Independent Mountain Party ballot line, March 18. “I think I’m done,” Tancredi told the paper. “I think I have served my community as much as I possibly can, and will let somebody else take over.” He said during his last term he hopes to see a new, larger firehouse built and to get plans for a pedestrian walkway along Schoharie Creek underway.

The Associated Press reported the federal government is predicting trains hauling crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times a year during the next two decades. Those derailments could cause more than $4 billion in damage and potentially kill hundreds of people if an accident occurs in a densely populated part of the country. The projection comes from a previously unreported Department of Transportation analysis of a July 2014 study of the risks of moving vast quantities of both fuels across the nation and through major cities. The report took on new relevance this week after a train loaded with crude derailed in West Virginia, sparked a fire and forced the evacuation of hundreds of families. Senior federal officials said the event drives home the need for stronger tank cars, more effective braking systems and other safety improvements.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 13F; low -12F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 16F; low -11F.[/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: Mostly sunny. Temperature falling to around 5 by 5 p.m. Wind chill values as low as -13. Monday night, mostly clear. Low around -5. Wind chill values as low as -14.

Forecast for the next three days:
Tuesday: Partly sunny. High near 18. Wind chill values as low as -11. Tuesday night, a chance of snow showers, mainly after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 12.
Wednesday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 27. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 3.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 17. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 0.

Sunrise today: 6:38 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:38 p.m.
Length of the day: 10:59 hrs.

Public meetings
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 Economic Development Committee meeting, 5 p.m.; special meeting of the full Board of Supervisors to hear Pine Haven proposals, 6:30 p.m.; both 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 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, 6:45 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
For WGXC Winter 2015 Pledge Drive: Day 12 WGXC's winter pledge drive began Thu., Feb. 12, and will culminate in a celebration of the station's four years of diverse voices and adventurous sounds on the the FM dial, Feb. 28. Tune in throughout the drive for a full slate of remote broadcasts, and turn out for special events in Greene and Columbia counties.

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.
11 a.m.: Zoom: Brother Peetie Pete! The hour features a special visit from WGXC's very own morning voice, Mr. Peetie Pete. Peetie will stop by the wonderfully nonsensical Zoom program to share some Zoomy musical selections and discuss the importance of pledging to WGXC! Strength in numbers! Tune in! Hosted by Tyson Hauf.
2 p.m.: Roots, Runners, Rhizomes: Nancey Rosensweig Re-imagining women's health care with local certified nurse midwife Nancey Rosensweig. Rosensweig's practice offers holistic gynecology, complete prenatal care, childbirth services and childbirth education. She also runs a free monthly women's health forum at Time & Space Ltd. in Hudson. Hosted by Sarah Falkner and Lauren Giambrone.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Live from the Spotty Dog Live interviews, local news, weather, events and more. Hosted by Kieran Riley, with Sam Sebren. This is the second of two live broadcasts from the Spotty Dog on Warren Street in Hudson during the For WGXC! Winter 2015 Pledge Drive.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

Robert Gavin in the Albany Times-Union reports that a state appeals court said on Feb. 19 that Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka (pronounced CHAI-kah) served altered documents to a Kinderhook village court without a judge's permission. The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court called the DA's actions "startling" and "grave and disturbing." The story emerges from the actions of David Dellehunt, a justice in Kinderhook's town and village courts, who asked for sanctions to be imposed on Czajka to at least cover legal fees for the town and village he estimated at $20,000. The appeals court only learned of the altered documents from Czajka's own arguments in the case. "It certainly bears significant consideration that, as an elected district attorney, petitioner's apparent involvement here may be deemed to constitute a substantial violation of the rules of professional conduct," Justice Elizabeth Garry wrote in the decision. She was supported by Justices John Egan, Michael Lynch and Christine Clark. Czajka could face discipline from the Appellate Division's Committee of Professional Standard ranging from an admonishment to censure to disbarment, or no action. Czajka emailed a statement to the paper: "I accept full responsibility for the circumstances described in today's (Thursday's) decision. Although I delegated the preparation of the papers to another and although I had no personal knowledge of the 'amended petition' until much too late, I recognize that I am not relieved of responsibility as an institutional matter." Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman reports that longtime Woodstock radio station WDST (100.1-FM) doesn't want to let new Woodstock radio station WIOF (104.1-FM) call itself "Woodstock 104" even though it is a radio station in Woodstock on the 104 frequency. WDST General Manager Richard Fusco on Feb. 20 said the use of “Woodstock 104” will confuse listeners. “We’re are not looking in any way, shape or form not have her do it or in any way interfere with what (WIOF Chief Executive Officer Randi Steele) is doing, or in any way want to squelch her project,” he said. “We just saying do whatever you want to do, just don’t infringe on our trademark.” WDST says it trademarked the phrases “Radio Woodstock” in 1994 and “Woodstock Radio” in 2002. “The geographic location is what she is legally able to use," Fusco said. "But associating it as the name of the entity...is an infringement on the trademark.” Isn't the only information contained in the phrase "Woodstock 104" geographic location on land and on the dial? Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Local News
Local news Click here for news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., Feb. 22. PLAY AUDIO (3:53)

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

• Sunday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 9 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 33, and a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -15.

• Monday: Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 5, and a low around -9.

• Tuesday: Cloudy, with a high near 16.

Sunrise 6:40 a.m.
Sunset 5:37 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 8:47 A.M. 10:23 P.M.
Mercury 5:30 A.M. 3:18 P.M.
Venus 7:53 A.M. 8:00 P.M.
Mars 7:51 A.M. 7:59 P.M.
Jupiter 3:51 P.M. 6:09 A.M.
Saturn 1:10 A.M. 10:49 A.M.
Uranus 8:19 A.M. 8:59 P.M.
Neptune 6:56 A.M. 5:50 P.M.
Pluto 4:07 A.M. 1:34 P.M.

WGXC Programming

Mambo Italiano: Live from Ca'Mea
Feb. 22, 2015: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

"Off The Hook," the radio show from the 2600.com hacker collective, airs on WGXC Saturday mornings at 7 a.m., but first airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on WBAI in New York City. The new low-power FM Woodstock station WIOF (104.1-FM) has also been airing it live. For the past four weeks, WBAI has stopped airing the show, and the hosts have released this statement explaining why:"

We've been trying to work things out with WBAI for quite a while now, but the time has come to be a little more public about what's been going on.

For months we've been attempting to resolve the many premium issues that remain at the radio station involving our weekly hacker program that has been airing since 1988 at 99.5 FM in New York City, as well as over the net at http://www.2600.com/offthehook. (For those who don't know, premiums are items sent to listeners as a thank-you for pledges to the radio station. Traditionally, they are donated to WBAI by 2600.) We've had many listener complaints about premiums dating back for years that have not been delivered as promised. Some progress was made on this front last year, but our attempts to follow up have been met with either silence or a circular passing of responsibility to someone else. And we have yet to receive ANY update on the Autumn 2014 fundraiser, where we donated 64gb thumb drives containing all talks from the HOPE X conference. Not one person who pledged to the station during that fund drive has received what was promised to them.

Since November of 2014, we have been attempting to get this information so we can provide or replace the premiums. We've also made it clear to the station that we cannot offer new premiums until this situation is addressed, out of fairness to our listeners. The only response to this has been an order from the general manager to not talk with anyone else about this and what appears to be an indefinite suspension from the schedule.

This is not a situation we can continue to tolerate. Our listeners have been extremely generous in their support of our program and of the radio station. Through this problematic period, we have never told people not to support the station in order to keep it on the air. We simply want to make sure those people who are there for us get what we have promised them. The failure of the station to return any of our email or telephone messages is simply inexcusable. It's also self defeating, as "Off The Hook" listeners have brought in many thousands of dollars in recent fundraisers. The replacement programming hasn't done nearly as well. More importantly, treating a highly relevant and popular program like "Off The Hook" in this way is bound to have an alienating effect on our listeners.

We hope to see this situation resolved quickly, as it should have been months ago. We will not be silenced or intimidated into not addressing the issue, on air or off. We are all losing a valuable forum to discuss issues such as net neutrality, online censorship, leaks, and hacker issues at a time when such topics have never been more relevant. A look at our archive at http://www.2600.com/offthehook should be enough to demonstrate the importance of this program remaining on the radio where the mainstream can continue to have access to it.

If you have pledged to WBAI through "Off The Hook" and have not gotten a premium you were promised, please email us at oth@2600.com. We know that nobody has gotten anything they pledged for in the October 2014 fundraiser, as we have not been given any information on fulfillment, so there is no need to email us if you're still waiting for something from that period. For other periods, it's possible that WBAI has lost track of them, in which case we will do our best to replace them ourselves. Rest assured, we will keep attempting to get all of this resolved, no matter what anyone else tells us. We hope that cooler heads will prevail and put our show back on the air so we can resume the valuable service it provides for our many listeners. We apologize for the void this has created."

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sat., Feb. 21. PLAY AUDIO (4:53)

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

• Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 3 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 21. Wind chill values as low as -10. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Periods of snow continue to midnight, then periods of snow, possibly mixed with sleet. Low around 21. New snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

• Sunday: Rain showers, snow, and sleet likely before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Sunday night partly cloudy, with a low around 4.

• Monday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 9.

Sunrise 6:41 a.m.
Sunset 5:35 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 8:10 A.M. 9:12 P.M.
Mercury 5:30 A.M. 3:18 P.M.
Venus 7:55 A.M. 7:58 P.M.
Mars 7:53 A.M. 7:59 P.M.
Jupiter 3:55 P.M. 6:13 A.M.
Saturn 1:14 A.M. 10:53 A.M.
Uranus 8:23 A.M. 9:03 P.M.
Neptune 7:00 A.M. 5:54 P.M.
Pluto 4:11 A.M. 1:37 P.M.

WGXC Programming

Other Music: Pure Moods
Feb. 21, 2015: 12:05 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Radio Camp: Cairo Library Open Mic
Feb. 21, 2015: 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

[caption width="236" align="alignleft"] Chuck Schumer, from Wikipedia.[/caption]Eric Anderson in the Albany Times-Union reports that the oil tank cars that exploded in West Virginia Feb. 16 wouldn't meet proposed new federal safety standards, according to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Thursday. "Yet again, we have seen a rupture-prone rail car carrying volatile crude oil wreak havoc on a community, and it further demonstrates that the federal Department of Transportation and Office of Management and Budget must release tough, comprehensive rail car standards to help avoid a future tragedy," Schumer said in a statement. "The CPC-1232 may be a newer rail car model, but it is just barely stronger than the more infamous DOT-111s." Currently, oil trains daily run along the west side of the Hudson River, with many in the Albany yards between I-787 and the river. Activists in Albany on Feb. 19 called for the Albany Common Council to follow the the Albany County Legislature in asking state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens to ban oil train traffic in the state. Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Derek Hawkins of New York News Connection for Public News Service reports that as President Obama prepares to veto a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline, New York landowners are gearing up for a fight over a different pipeline - one that could cut right through their backyards. The Constitution Pipeline would carry gas through 126 miles of forests and waterways in central New York. Anne Marie Garti, a lawyer fighting the project, says the pipeline would devastate people who live in its path. "They're losing their land. They're losing what their land means to them, because once this pipeline goes through it - in some cases very, very close to people's homes - nobody will ever want to buy this land again," Garti says. "Who wants to live next to a ticking time bomb?" The Constitution Pipeline Company has reached agreements with some landowners to build the pipeline on their property, but others are holding out. Attorney Michael Faherty represents property owners who aren't interested in a deal with Constitution. He says the company has asked for a court order allowing it to use property without permission, under the power of eminent domain. "What they're seeking is to have the judge rule, essentially, that there are no barriers to them having possession of the property rights immediately," explains Faherty. He doesn't expect a ruling for at least several weeks. In the meantime, the Constitution Pipeline still needs permits from state regulators. Garti says the pipeline would require the company to cut down thousands of acres of trees and cross hundreds of streams and wetlands. Her organization, Stop the Pipeline, is urging the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to reject it. "It is total madness to propose to build a pipeline in this part of New York state," says Garti. The Constitution Pipeline Company says it intends to pay landowners for any easements it receives under its eminent domain claims. See the full story at Public News Service.

Ryan Anglim is reporting in The Daily Mail Greene County has reached an agreement with employees who work at the county's four solid waste transfer stations. The workers are represented by Greene County Public Employees, Teamsters Local 294. The union approved the four-year contract on Feb. 11. The Greene County Legislature ratified the agreement, Wed., Feb. 18. The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013, and it will expire Dec. 31, 2016. It includes a two-percent wage adjustment retroactive to Jan. 1, which is contingent upon the union's change in health care coverage. The contract provides for a 2.5 percent wage adjustment in 2016, as well. Workers will also receive additional time off in the coming year, and employees who use their personal vehicles for making bank deposits on behalf of the transfer stations will now receive a mileage reimbursement. Transfer stations in Greene County are located in Catskill, Coxsackie, Hunter and Windham. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Michael Ryan in The Daily Mail reports that thirty counts of felony eavesdropping and official misconduct charges were included in an indictment against Windham Town Supervisor Stacy Post by a Greene County grand jury Feb. 18. Post, the former Windham police chief, was indicted after nine hours of testimony from 18 civilian and police witnesses. Post did not testify at the proceedings, according to the story, and her attorney, could not be reached. Post was arrested Jan. 12 on three counts of eavesdropping, a Class E felony, and the misdemeanor possession of devices charge, and on Jan. 29 rejected a deal from special prosecutor John Sandleitner that would have resulted in her resigning as supervisor and reducing all the charges to a single count of disorderly conduct, with a promise not to sue Windham or town employees. Post currently continues serving as supervisor. The next election is this November. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver was indicted by a federal grand jury Thu., Feb. 19. On January 22, Silver was arrested and charged by federal authorities with with taking $4 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for pushing policy favorable to real estate developers and securing state grants for a New York City doctor’s research. The three-count indictment that was handed up Thursday accuses the Manhattan Democrat of committing one count each of honest services mail fraud, honest services wire fraud and extortion under color of official right. The indictment outlines what Silver must forfeit if he is convicted, including money in multiple bank and investment accounts; funds, assets, accounts or notes held by multiple LLCs and LPs and right, title and interest in a Sullivan County property and two Manhattan apartments. Silver's attorneys, Joel Cohen and Steven Molo said their client is not guilt. Read the full post at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

More than 2.1 million people signed up for health insurance by the end of the second open enrollment period, which began on Nov. 15, 2014 and ended on Feb. 15, 2015, New York State’s official health plan Marketplace. Most enrollees -- 88 percent -- say they were uninsured at the time they enrolled. According to a survey, 92 percent of New Yorkers are satisfied with their health insurance and 84 percent are using their coverage to access care. On Feb. 13, NYSOH announced that individuals who had started their application before the Feb. 15 deadline, but were unable to finish, will have until 11:59 p.m. Feb. 28 to complete their applications and select a health plan for 2015.

The breakdown of enrollees as of the February 15, 2015 end of open enrollment is as follows:
· Total cumulative enrollment: 2,109,634
· Total Medicaid enrollment: 1,545,319
· Total private coverage: 564,315 (407,488 Qualified Health Plan and 156,827 CHP)
· Total new 2015 enrollment: 552,993
· Total new 2015 Medicaid enrollment: 373,518
· Total new private coverage: 179,475 (137,410 in Qualified Health Plan and 42,065 in CHP)
· Renewal rate in QHP coverage: 87 percent

[caption width="190" align="alignright"] George Amedore, from NY State Senate website.[/caption]State Senator George Amedore (R-Rotterdam) introduced a bill (S.3808) Feb. 17 that would impose term limits for members of the New York State Senate and Assembly. Members of the Legislature would be ineligible to serve more than six two-year terms in either the Assembly or Senate beginning in January 2017 if the bill were to pass both chambers and get Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature. “Holding office is a civic duty, and a way of giving back to the community in the form of public service,” Amedore wrote in a released statement. “New voices and ideas will help to keep our government innovative and responsive to the people, while bringing fresh perspective to the issues that plague our state, including the high cost of living and the need for good-paying jobs to revitalize our economy.” Assemblymember Mark Johns of Rochester sponsored same-as legislation in the Assembly. Amedore, who represents Greene, Schoharie, and parts of Ulster and Albany counties, has also co-sponsored a constitutional amendment with Columbia and Rensselear County Senator Kathy Marchione (S.57) that would increase the term of office for the Legislature from two years to four years, and would limit members of the Legislature to serving three terms.

Closings and delays for Fri., Feb. 20

UMC Daycare Norton Hill is closed due to frozen pipes.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 14F; low -7F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 14F; low -6F.[/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:

A Wind Chill Advisory from the National Weather Service in Albany remains in effect for the WGXC listening area, including the greater Capital Region, Mid-Hudson Valley, the Taconics and Berkshires, until 10 a.m., Fri., Feb. 20. West winds of 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph and temperatures of 1 to 10, will result in wind chill values of 15 to 25 below zero in most areas.

Today: Mostly sunny. High near 12. Wind chill values as low as -21. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around -6. Wind chill values as low as -16.

Forecast for the next three days:
Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 26. Wind chill values as low as -21. Saturday night, snow. Low around 24.
Sunday: Snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet before 1 p.m., then a slight chance of rain showers between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow showers after 4 p.m. High near 37. Sunday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 12.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 13. Monday night, partly cloudy. Low around -5.

Sunrise today: 6:43 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:34 p.m.
Length of the day: 10:51 hrs.

Public meetings
Today is the third Friday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today.

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
For WGXC Winter 2015 Pledge Drive: Day 9 WGXC's winter pledge drive began Thu., Feb. 12, and will culminate in a celebration of the station's four years of diverse voices and adventurous sounds on the the FM dial, Feb. 28. Tune in throughout the drive for a full slate of remote broadcasts, and turn out for special events in Greene and Columbia counties.

1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: Ofir Klemperer 

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 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.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Live from the Cairo Library A special pledge-drive edition live from Cairo Public Library in Cairo, NY. Hosted Mark Bailey and Gregor Trieste.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News One-hour For WGXC! Pledge Drive edition. Live from the Cairo Public Library.
7 p.m.: WGXC Cairo Library Open Mic Lend your voice to an open mic at the Cairo Library, broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM. Come out and share your spoken word, music, comedy, and more. Sign-up to participate in-person at the Cairo Library, by phone at 518-622-9864, or by emailing info@wgxc.org. All ages are welcome to participate. Winning performances will be featured in a special Radio Camp broadcast on Saturday, Feb. 21, 3:30 p.m.