Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that three bridges in Nassau in Rensselaer County will get an upgrade with more than $10 million in federal funding, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Dec. 3. The governor announced 29 flood-prone bridges statewide will get federal funds, including the three in Rensselear, two in Ulster County, and two in Dutchess County. The three bridges in the Town of Nassau carry Route 20 over the Kinderhook Creek. In Woodstock the Route 212 bridge over Beaver Kill gets almost $5 million, and a Shawangunk bridge on Route 52 over Verkeerder Kill gest more than $3 million. In Dutchess County, a Milan bridge on Route 199 over Sawkill Creek gets more than $3 million, and in Union a bridge on Route 82 over Sprout Creek also gets $3 million. See the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 40F; low 33F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 41F; low 35F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: A chance of light rain mainly after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 41. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Friday night, rain, mainly after 9 p.m. Low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Saturday: Rain. High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Saturday night, rain showers before 2 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 41. Sunday night, mostly clear. Low around 23.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 35. Monday night, a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy. Low around 33.

Sunrise today: 7:09 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:23 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:14 hrs.

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

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: Greene County Community Action Local interviews, local news, regional events, music and more, live from Wave Farm in Acra in Greene County. At 9 a.m., host Tom Roe is joined by Florence Ohle, Executive Director of Greene County Community Action who will discuss their programs and emergency services aimed at assisting low income and vulnerable populations achieve self-sufficiency; in support of the organization's mission of "Creating Opportunities, Fighting Poverty, Changing Lives."
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

Katie Kocijanski is reporting in the Register Star Ginsberg’s Foods application for a special use permit for its expansion project was rejected by the Ghent Planning Board on a 5 to 2 vote, Wed., Dec. 3. The board found when considering the proposal the overall size of the building and the overnight high-intensity lighting were problems. The board said the scale of the building and the 24/7 activity at the location was contrary to what was intended for the town's Limited Commercial/Business District. The scale of the building proposed was also cited as a possible hindrance to the development of neighboring properties. The building planned would measure 1,000 feet long by more than 300 feet wide and 50 feet tall. And the board also determined there would be an insufficient supply of water in the event of a catastrophic fire. Ginsberg’s Vice President of Operations John Brusie and Columbia County Commissioner of Planning/Economic Development Kenneth J. Flood were present for the vote. Read the full story in the Register Star.

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman officials in Rosendale, Ulster Co., are offering to help town residents rescind permission they may have given to developers of the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline to conduct surveys on properties along part of a 178-mile route where the company wants to pipe Bakken crude oil and refined petroleum. At a town board meeting Wed., Dec. 4, member Jennifer Metzger said legal reviews have been conducted on the ability of property owners to change their minds about granting access. Metzger said the company has no legal right to enter private property without consent, and does not have eminent domain power. Pilgrim Pipeline Transportation of New York earlier this year sent right-of-entry and survey permission agreements to some Rosendale residents, who were told the company must conduct a survey for environmental and archaeological information. Developers hope to use the state Thruway corridor or adjacent properties to construct dual pipelines that send Bakken crude oil to Linden, New Jersey, and the return refined products to Albany. The  pipeline proposed would traverse Greene County. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

A national protest over the lack of an indictment in the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri is scheduled for Thu., Dec. 4 at 12:01 p.m. Central Time, or 1:01 p.m. in the WGXC listening area. In the Hudson Valley, several specific protests have been announced by organizers. In Poughkeepsie, there will be a protest outside the Marist College library, and in Newburgh at the Newburgh Free Academy, both at 1:01 p.m. In Albany, at 4 p.m. protesters will gather at the police station at 165 Henry Johnson Blvd. There are also protests nearby in West Haven, Conn., Amherst and Northampton, Mass., and in Ithaca and Skidmore, N.Y.

Matthew Hamilton reports inthe Albany Times-Union that state Republicans went all in on George Amedore's campaign, in hopes of winning a majority in the state Senate. Amedore (R-Rotterdam) lost to Cecilia Tkaczyk (D-Duanesburg) in 2012 by 18 votes, but Amedore won by a large margin this time. Amedore's campaign spent $535,136 between Oct. 24 and Dec. 1, with a $361,000 contribution from the Senate Republican committee, the most the committee gave to a candidate just before the election. Amedore's $535,136 in spending was almost $100,000 more then the next highest big spended, Buffalo-area Democrat Marc Panepinto. Tkaczyk's complete financials were not available from the state Board of Elections as of Dec. 2, but the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee gave Tkaczyk $42,000 from two late-October donations. Amedore's district includes Greene and Schoharie counties, and parts of Ulster and other counties. Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 37F; low 22F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 37F; low 23F.[/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 39. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 23.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: A chance of light rain mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 38. Friday night, rain. Low around 36.
Saturday: Rain. High near 48. Saturday night, rain showers likely, possibly mixing with snow after 10 p.m., then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy. Low around 31.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 37. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 26.

Sunrise today: 7:08 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:23 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:15 hrs.

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

ANCRAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
ASHLAND Planning Board meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 12094 Route 23, Ashland (734-3636).
AUSTERLITZ Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 812 Route 203, Spencertown (392-3260).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Pine Haven Sub-Committee/special Health and Medical Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).
GHENT Town Board informational planning and working session, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Community Development and Planning Agency meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (751-1044).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
STUYVESANT Board meeting workshop, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr., 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
1 a.m.: Cutty Strange: Ryan Page Episode two of "The Cutty Strange," a feature on the work of San Francisco Bay Area-based composer and artist Ryan Page. Produced by Daniel Steffey and Nick Wang, The Cutty Strange focuses on select Bay Area artists with music rooted in the avant-garde, functioning in the world of do-it-yourself and community organization, presented in the style of radio melodramas and operas of days past and present.

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 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.: We the People: The Year in Review Part one of a year-end update on some of the issues discussed on "We the People" in 2014, including the Dewey Loeffel Superfund site; the Columbia-Greene Partnership Academy, the Pilgrim Pipeline and the proposed revitalization of Hudson's 7th St. Park. In today's episode, city of Hudson Superintendent of Public Works Robert Perry, Jr. will be in the studio with an update on the latest news from that department, and more. Hosted by Tom DePietro.
11 a.m. One Size Fits All: 20141204 An hour-long investigation into the idea of amplified sound, beginning with The New Pornographers and concluding with Julia Wolfe. Produced by Your Host. The full playlist can be found at www.Facebook.com/OneSizeWGXC.
2 p.m.: The Art of the Hudson Valley: Amy DiLalla and Hallie Goodman Amy DiLalla and Hallie Goodman will discuss their work for the e-commerce website Etsy.com. Both assist sellers and are sellers themselves. They work out of Etsy's Hudson office. Hosted by Chad Weckler.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Sjamback From Radio Theater Project, an anthology series of dramas and comedies for radio. Produced at KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire. Made possible by grant from the Corporation for the Public Broadcasting and KSVR Studios. "Sjambak": Written by Jack Vance; adapted for radio by Perry Whittle. "Sjambak" a story written in 1953 by Jack Vance. A thoughtful writer of science fiction who writes about the human condition rather than technology. Here is an earlier story about a planet settled by Muslims and a tabloid reporter whose supposed to exploit them. From A-Infos Radio Project.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Christine Abitabile, Susan Simon Christine Abitabile from Upstage Productions will be in the studio to talk about the holiday cabaret at the Sons & Daughters of Italy in Hudson, on Sun., Dec. 14. And food writer Susan Simon will come by to discuss holiday cooking. Plus news, weather, events, music and more. Hosted by Ellen Thurston and Tom DePietro with Jake "The Intern" Ebel.
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News: Agnes Kamara-Umunna Local headlines, weather, listings of local public meetings and more. Also, an excerpt from Agnes Kamara-Umunna's talk Tue., Dec. 2 at Bard College. She hosted "Straight from the Heart," a radio call-in program in Liberia started by Kamara-Umunna in 2004, with funding from the United Nations Mission in Liberia. It allowed Liberians to phone in live and share their stories from the second civil war (1999-2002.) Former soldiers, many of whom were child soldiers at the time of the civil war, were frequent call-in guests, in particular. Kamara-Umunna’s call-in show was a daring experiment in how radio could be used to facilitate open conversations among perpetrators and victims about the shared devastation of war, conversations that would likely not have taken place elsewhere. She discusses that and newer projects.

Kevin Lynch at the guinnessworldrecords.com reports that a Dutchess County family has regained its record for the most Christmas lights. The Gay family in LaGrangeville, regained the record for "Most Lights on a Residential Property" this year they they previously won in 2012. The family has 601,736 lights on two acres with more than 200 songs on an unlicensced FM frequency so passersby can listen from inside their cars. Visitors are allowed to drive up their driveway, with a donation bin to collect money for local charities. A national cracker company is sponsoring the display. Read the full story on the Guiness site.

Brian Nearing reports in The Albany Times-Union that earlier this month state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli refused Gov. Andrew Cuomo's request for a half-million dollars from an oil spill cleanup fund to support planning, staff, and equipment to deal with potential oil spills from the Bakken crude rail shipments now crowding local railways. Now the Cuomo administration wants to beef up the 36-year-old fund, which currently spends millions more on spill cleanups than was collected from polluters. Those polluters are suppossed to support the fund, but Nearing reports, "most state-ordered cleanups under the fund were supported not by polluters, but by a gasoline tax paid by consumers in the state. Consumers are kicking in about $30 million a year to the fund." Petroleum shipped through New York is not taxed, so those profiting from flood of Bakken crude oil trains won't pay if the fund is used to clean up their mess. As of March, the fund only had $28 million, with $175 million due from polluters and $86 million written off as uncollectable. Cuomo wanted the half-million dollars from DiNapoli to support updated spill cleanup plans for the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, and Mohawk River rail corridors; to hire more DEC staff to handle spill planning, for training and response; and to buy spill response equipment to be stored in "sensitive areas" in advance of potential spills. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="290"] Kaaterskill Care
Courtesy columbiamemorial.com)[/caption]

Max Oppen is reporting in the Register Star Columbia Memorial Hospital has announced plans to sell Kaaterskill Care to a private management corporation. According to a statement released by the hospital Tues., Dec. 2, ownership of the 120-bed facility in Jefferson Heights will be transferred to Premier Healthcare Management within the next 12 months. Premier is a for-profit company. CMH president Jay P. Cahalan called this a "transformative" time in healthcare, and said it has become clear a new operating model was needed for the nursing home. "Stand-alone facilities are less able to achieve the economies of scale necessary to operate in today's environment," Cahalan said. Premier already owns several nursing homes in New York state and the company has an excellent record of staff retention, a hospital spokesman said. Kaaterskill Care employs approximately 100 people. CMH will maintain ownership and operation of the attached Greene Medical Arts building. That facility currently houses diagnostic services and physician practices. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the town of Catskill is looking at the advantages of changing the job of highway superintendent from an elected position to an appointed one. Catskill Town Supervisor Joseph Leggio said Tues., Dec. 2, the town is now able to consider the potential for achieving efficiencies by combining highway and other duties into a Superintendent of Public Works position. The change would require voter approval. Leggio said while the state's focus is always on consolidation of services to save money, it would never be possible for the town and village of Catskill to share highway and public works services as long as the village has an appointed position and the town an elected one. The current highway superintendent will retire Dec. 31, with one more year left in his term. The consensus among the board was the proposal should be brought to the voters, given the potential financial savings that could result from the change. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential a pair of activist groups, the Alliance for Quality Education and Center for Popular Democracy, have released a report containing suggestions for better policing and monitoring of public charter school finances. Approximately 90,000 students are enrolled in charters statewide, most in New York City. The report asserts that since charters are not subject to all the reporting requirements required of public schools, there has been waste and abuse. It contends the state could lose $54 million to fraud at charter schools this year, based on an accounting system used by fraud examiners. The two groups that released the report are not charter-friendly: the Alliance is funded in part by the state teachers union; the Center is aligned with the national teachers union, among other groups. Both organizations are calling for a moratorium on charter expansion. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

School closings and delays, Wed., Dec. 3:

Hunter-Tannersville Central School District | Delayed two hours.
Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School District | Delayed two hours.

Sources: Times Union and Fox 23 Albany

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 46F; low 28F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 45F; low 29F.[/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 drizzle. Mostly cloudy. High near 47. Wednesday night, a slight chance of showers before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear. Low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 9 a.m. Mostly sunny. High near 39. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 24.
Friday: A slight chance of rain after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 39. Friday night, a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow. Cloudy. Low around 35.
Saturday: A chance of rain and snow before 8 a.m., then a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy. High near 45. Saturday night, scattered rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 33.

Sunrise today: 7:07 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:23 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:16 hrs.

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

CAIRO Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
GHENT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature Health Services, County Resources and Public Safety committees, 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).
HALCOTT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Halcott Grange, 254 Co. Rte. 3, Halcott Center (845-254-9920).
HUDSON Common Council Youth & Aging Committee meeting, 6 p.m.; Arts, Entertainment & Tourism Committee meeting, 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUDSON Hudson Development Corporation meeting (tentative) at 12 p.m. (noon) at 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
NEW BALTIMORE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 3809 Co. Rte. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
PHILMONT Library Board of Trustees meeting, 7 p.m. at Library, 101 Main St., Philmont (672-5010).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Kare Kohlberg Episode 958 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 958.
2 a.m.: Tabs Out: Howard Stelzer Settle in for a few hours of riveting and wise discussions ranging from novelty basketballs to doll shoes to tapes by Floralplasm, Roan Linden, Cave Bears, Special People, Thomas Gerendás, Joe Bastardo & Howard Stelzer, Death’s Dynamic Shroud.wmv, Drophead vs. Silent Land Time Machine, Mincemeat Or Tenspeed, Cenote Glow, Sunroom, Hello Keller, QBLA, Wizards Tell Lies, Jaques Le Shot, and Xunholm.
5 a.m. The Rain Report: Shel Epstein/K9APE The first of two conversations with the late Shel Epstein/K9APE from host Hap Holly, KC9RP.

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 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.: @Issue: Linda Swartz, Michele McClave Newly elected Taghkanic Town Board member Democrat Linda Swartz will be in the studio. Plus, Michele McClave, Executive Director of the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York will discuss the agency's mission and plans for the future. Hosted by Victor Mendolia and Debora Gilbert. Mendolia is the chair of the Hudson City Democratic Committee.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News: Agnes Kamara-Umunna Local headlines, weather, listings of local public meetings and more. Also, an excerpt from Agnes Kamara-Umunna's talk Tue., Dec. 2 at Bard College. She hosted "Straight from the Heart," a radio call-in program in Liberia started by Kamara-Umunna in 2004, with funding from the United Nations Mission in Liberia. It allowed Liberians to phone in live and share their stories from the second civil war (1999-2002.) Former soldiers, many of whom were child soldiers at the time of the civil war, were frequent call-in guests, in particular. Kamara-Umunna’s call-in show was a daring experiment in how radio could be used to facilitate open conversations among perpetrators and victims about the shared devastation of war, conversations that would likely not have taken place elsewhere. She discusses that and newer projects.

The National Weather Service has issued a "Winter Weather Advisory" for snow, sleet, and freezing rain from 4 p.m. Tue., Dec. 2, to 6 a.m. Wed., Dec. 3. One to two inches of snow is predicted before turning warmer. The Advisory covers the entire Hudson Valley and Catskills, including Greene, Columbia, Dutchess, Ulster, Rensselear, and Albany counties.[caption width="750" align="alignnone"] From National Weather Service, precipitation due through Tuesday.[/caption]

Katie Kocijanski is reporting in the Register Star Dawn Brownson was appointed to the Clermont Town Board, Mon., Dec. 1. Brownson was one of two candidates considered for the seat formerly held by Edward Kahle. She will serve the remaining year of Kahle's term, through Dec. 31, 2015. Kahle resigned from the board in October. Brownson, a Democrat, ran for a seat on the board in the 2013 elections. She currently serves as town historian. Brownson is a native of Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., attended Catholic Central High School in Troy and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Siena College. She is the former chief financial officer at Kingston Hospital. Brownson currently works part-time as an accountant for the Columbia County Historical Society. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Max Oppen is reporting in The Daily Mail the town of Hunter is in need of volunteer emergency medical technicians, according to comments recently made by town councilman Dolph Semenza. He believes most towns in Greene Co. are experiencing the same challenge. "Many [volunteers] have other jobs, and don't have the time," he said. The town of Hunter currently has two ambulances and two full-time EMTs. Semenza said full-time EMTs are paid hourly based on a 40-hour week. The full-time employees are supported by volunteers who are paid stand-by and shift pay. Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of two shifts per month. The town now has eight active volunteers, but increasing that number to 12 would cover the ambulance squad, Semenza said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Several New York State agencies released a status report Dec. 1 outlining 66 actions taken to protect New York’s communities and environment from the potential risks associated with the transport of crude oil. In the past year there have been several major accidents with oil trains around the country, and several minor accidents locally as rail traffic has increased around Albany and through the Hudson Valley. Governor Andrew Cuomo defended his state's safety record by attacking the federal government. “Over the past six months, our administration has taken swift and decisive action to increase the State’s preparedness and better protect New Yorkers from the possibility of a crude oil disaster,” Cuomo said. “Now it is time for our federal partners to do the same. The federal government plays a vital role in regulating this industry, and Washington must step up in order to expedite the implementation of safer policies and rules for crude oil transport.” The state reports shipments of volatile crude oil from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota cross nearly 1,000 miles of New York State, and says it has recently increased rail safety inspections; trained first-responders in the Hudson Valley, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo and took part in three preparedness training exercises sponsored by Canadian Pacific railroad and Global Partners LLP; updated response plans; and also asked industries to increase their safety. Read the full report here.

John Mason in the Register-Star reports Hudson Mayor William Hallenbeck announced free parking throughout the city of Hudson for the month of December. The meters at the Amtrak South Front Street Parking Lot still need to be fed, but not the ones on Warren St. through Jan. 1, 2015. See the full story in the Register-Star.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 35F; low 30F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 34F; low 31F.[/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 Winter Weather Advisory for snow, sleet and freezing rain, from 4 p.m., Tues., Dec. 2, through 6 a.m., Wed., Dec. 3, in the Mid-Hudson Valley, eastern Catskills, the Capital Region,  Schoharie Valley, Taconics and Berkshires. Light snow is forecast to develop between 4 p.m.  and 7 p.m., Tuesday. Snow will change to a mix of sleet and freezing rain between 9 p.m. and midnight. Precipitation will turn to rain between midnight and 6 a.m., Wednesday. Hazardous travel conditions are anticipated.

Today: A chance of snow, mainly after 4 p.m. Increasing clouds. High near 35. Chance of snow is 30 percent. Tuesday night, rain, snow and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 1 a.m., then rain and sleet. Cloudy. Low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: Rain likely, mainly before 7 a.m. Cloudy. High near 47. Wednesday night, a slight chance of showers before 8 p.m. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing. Low around 30.
Thursday: Sunny. High near 42. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 28.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 38. Friday night, scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 32.

Sunrise today: 7:06 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:24 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:17 hrs.

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

CATSKILL Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COPAKE Park Commission meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HUNTER Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (263-4020).
ICHABOD CRANE Central School District Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at Ichabod Crane High School, 2910 Route 9, Valatie (758-7577).
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board 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.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.:Leprous Garden: Gojira Join your host Mantas for the final Leprous Garden show of 2014. Aside from the usual sampling of the finest extreme metal from then and now will be another installment of Metallurgy, the Study of Metal, featuring the best records of the year. Tune in for the region's only all-metal broadcast from the likes of Deicide, Gojira, Opeth, Demigod, Terrorizer, The Black Dahlia Murder and many more than can be listed. Visit us on the web at www.leprousgarden.com for metal reviews, interviews, opinions and analysis.