Michael Ryan in the Windham Journal rounds up what little law enforcement officials have let out about the criminal investigation into Windham supervisor Stacy Post. On March 21, a search warrant, carried out by Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents from the state police in Middletown, was part of “an open investigation into potential criminal offenses,” acting DA Charles Bucca said, and led to a computer being seized from Post's office at the town hall. Dennis Schlenker, Post's attorney, wrote a letter to the town board three days after the raid, saying, “it is Ms. Post's understanding that she is the subject of a criminal investigation in connection with her duties as town supervisor" and requested that the town provide Post a legal defense. Now the town board is in executive session often, and the "agitated voices of the council members... easily [could] be heard through the shut door and down an adjoining hallway," Ryan writes of last week's meeting. Columbia County district attorney Paul Czajka is now heading up the case, to avoid conflicts-of-interest in Greene County, and he, like all other law enforcement officials contacted in the story, won't comment. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports Greene County Legislator Linda Overbaugh (R-Catskill) will chair a panel looking for a replacement for Greene County attorney Carol Stevens. A Windham resident, Stevens retires Nov. 30, and has been the Greene County attorney for more than 12 years and was the first woman to hold the position. Stevens previously was a part-time assistant county attorney and a part-time assistant district attorney. County Administrator Shaun Groden said the search committee will meet Oct. 29, and the panel also includes Kevin Lennon (D-Catskill); Larry Gardner (D-Hunter); Kevin Lewis (R-Greenville); James Van Slyke (D-New Baltimore); and Eugene Hatton (R-Athens). 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., Oct. 19. PLAY AUDIO (2:45)

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

• Sunday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46, and a low around 29.

• Monday: A slight chance of rain after 2 p.m., otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 56, and a low around 39.

• Tuesday: There is a 40 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 49.

Sunrise 7:13 a.m.
Sunset 6:06 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 2:59 A.M. 4:02 P.M.
Mercury 6:47 A.M. 5:48 P.M.
Venus 7:04 A.M. 6:08 P.M.
Mars 12:17 P.M. 9:06 P.M.
Jupiter 1:28 A.M. 3:31 P.M.
Saturn 9:25 A.M. 7:25 P.M.
Uranus 5:34 P.M. 6:18 A.M.
Neptune 4:06 P.M. 2:58 A.M.
Pluto 1:07 P.M. 10:37 P.M.

WGXC Programming

Radia: Martin Gambarotta
Oct. 19, 2014: 5 a.m. – Oct. 18, 2014: 5:30 a.m.

Tune in WGXC's "Lodge" event live from Riedlbauer's Resort in Round Top today from Nussy's Biergarten, an outdoor pavilion with a view of the Round Top mountains. Anyone can listen to the sounds from Round Top at direct all weekend at: http://comm.free103point9.org:8000/catskill.mp3.m3u
Starting at 2 p.m. Oct. 18, there is a silent auction featuring work from local artisans and craftsmen, all to benefit the station. Throughout the afternoon, DJs Chris Bishop, Spike Priggen, Tim Livingston, and LunarMoss will keep the live webstream going. Starting at 7 p.m., enjoy live music in Round Top and on the radio from Bishop Allen, Dirty River, Palm, and Slow Collins. Tickets are $20 on the day of the event. All ticket proceeds benefit WGXC 90.7-FM. All ages are welcome, and valid ID for those 21 and up will be required. It will be chilly, so dress in layers. Food and drink are available all day long from Nussy's Biergarten. No outside food or drink permitted.

The Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition hosts a public meeting at 1 p.m. Sat. at the Churchtown Firehouse on the high-voltage transmission power line proposals, with a presentation from Gidon Eshel, PhD., a Bard College Research Professor of Environmental Science and Physics. Members of the group were on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thu., Oct. 16 with hosts Tom DePietro and Ellen Thurston. Ian Solomon, with Farmers and Families for Claverack, Pam Kline of Farmers and Families for Livingston, and Livingston Councilman Will Yandik previewed the meeting on the show. The Churchtown Firehouse is at 2668 County Road 27. The group holds a second presentation at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 on the Bard College campus in the Bertelsmann Campus Center. Click here to listen to the interview.
PLAY AUDIO (20:53)

Local News
PLAY AUDIO (4:22)

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

• Saturday: Scattered showers, mainly after 10 a.m., and again after 9 p.m., are possible. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 60, and a low around 38.

• Sunday: Isolated showers before 1 p.m. are possible. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 48, and a low around 31.

• Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Sunrise 7:12 a.m.
Sunset 6:08 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 2:02 A.M. 3:32 P.M.
Mercury 6:57 A.M. 5:53 P.M.
Venus 7:02 A.M. 6:09 P.M.
Mars 12:18 P.M. 9:07 P.M.
Jupiter 1:31 A.M. 3:35 P.M.
Saturn 9:28 A.M. 7:29 P.M.
Uranus 5:38 P.M. 6:22 A.M.
Neptune 4:10 P.M. 3:02 A.M.
Pluto 1:11 P.M. 10:41 P.M.

WGXC Programming

Jill Burton and Jane Scarpantoni, David Grollman and Ryan Krause Duo
Oct. 17, 2014: 8 p.m. – Oct. 18, 2014: 2 p.m.
Amateur Radio Newsline: Ham Radio Moon Orbiter
Oct. 18, 2014: 6 a.m. – 6:30 a.m.
Framework: Radio Cegeste
Oct. 18, 2014: 7 a.m. – 8 a.m.
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?: Oops, Sorry!
Oct. 18, 2014: 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Saturday Morning Serial: Sheri Bauer-Mayorga, Lincoln Mayorga
Oct. 18, 2014: 9 a.m. – noon
RTLSDR (software defined radio receivers) Workshop
Oct. 18, 2014: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Radia: Martin Gambarotta
Oct. 18, 2014: 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday Afternoon Show: Rimas Simaitis
Oct. 18, 2014: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports that the Greene County YMCA opened in Coxsackie Thu., Oct. 16, without hoopla or the pool that was part of the original plan. “Ten years ago we were looking at a 30,000-square-foot facility, which would include a pool, at a cost of $3.7 million,” board member Bruce Whiting said at the opening. “Now, ten years later, we built this facility (without a pool) for $3.5 million.” The facility includes a fitness room, a basketball court, spinning room for cycling classes, and a children’s room. There will be a larger opening from noon-4 p.m. Oct. 25 at the YMCA at 35 Route 81 in Coxsackie. See the full story in The Daily Mail.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="292"] The proposed Berkshire Mountain Club.
(Courtesy berkshiremtnclub.com)[/caption]

Diane Valden is reporting in the Columbia Paper the final decision on the Catamount resort project is still up in the air. Last month the Copake Zoning Board of Appeals deadlocked two-to-two on whether to approve a special permit for the Berkshire Mountain Club, to be located at the Catamount Ski Area. That effectively halted plans for the $80-million, four-season resort, because the law requires an affirmative vote of a majority of board members for permit approval. It turns out there is still time to resolve the issue if the ZBA takes a new vote by Nov. 26. Developers proposed to build a hotel and time-share with 153 residential units in three phases over 10 years. At a recent meeting of the Town Board, Copake resident Mel Salberg told the Town Board the ZBA result was “shocking to me and many of my friends.” Bob Haight, who chairs both the town Planning Board and Land Use Review Committee, called what the ZBA did “an embarrassment to the town.” According to state law a board must make a decision on an application within 62 days following a public hearing. The deadline by an affirmative vote by the majority of the board is Nov. 26. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Rep. Chris Gibson and his Democratic opponent in the 19th Congressional District race Sean Eldridge debated Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. on WMHT-TV and streamed online at http://www.wmht.org/live/. According to the account by Kyle Hughes of nysnys [dot] com, Gibson and Eldridge agreed on the SAFE Act, gun control legislation and various threats posed to the U.S., but little else during the one-hour discussion. Asked to rate President Barack Obama on a scale of 1 to 10 (a "10" being "the best"), Gibson gave the president a "6," while Eldridge rated him "about a 4 or 5." Election Day is Nov. 4. Read Hughes' full account in the Daily Freeman.

Casey Seiler is reporting at Capitol Confidential Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s analysis of four and a half years of data from the rental site Airbnb found more than two-thirds of reservations violated New York law. The report, “Airbnb in the City,” is being released to coincide with the creation of a joint task force designed to shut down illegal hotels in the city. Among the report's findings: Up to 72 percent of Airbnb listings are illegal; numerous units appear to serve as illegal hostels; and, gentrified neighborhoods account for the vast majority of Airbnb revenue. Lawmakers’ displeasure with Airbnb resulted in a recent upstate skirmish after a Brooklynite was evicted from her rental of a Stuyvesant barn she was subletting on Airbnb and similar sites, much to the barn owner’s displeasure. Read the full report at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports that the Greene County Legislature voted 12-0 Wed., Oct. 15 to exceed the tax levy cap for next year's budget. According to report, the lawmakers said the vote was a precaution, as they hope to present a budget within the state limit by Nov. 1. For 2015, Greene County can increase its property tax levy by 4.05 percent and still meet the state cap, County Administrator Shaun Groden said in the story. See the report at The Daily Freeman.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 70F; low 50F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 71F; low 51F.[/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: Partly sunny. High near 71. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 52.

Forecast for the next three days:
Saturday: A slight chance of showers after 10 a.m. Mostly sunny. High near 67. Saturday night, a slight chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 40.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 55. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 34.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 59. Monday night, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 38.

Sunrise today: 7:11 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:09 p.m.
Length of the day: 10:58 hrs.

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

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: Craig Taborn Episode 28 of 2014 of two-hour free jazz show that airs on eight European radio stations and Wave Farm Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, in New York, in the United States. Click on title to access the playlist.

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 interviews, local news, regional events, music and more. Live from the Acra studio, in the Wave Farm Study Center. 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: Cathy Start, Maureen Forester, Peter Nussbaumer Host Tom Roe is joined by Cathy Start and Maureen Forester of the Friends of the Cairo Public Library to discuss their upcoming Antiques Appraisal event. Also, Peter Nussbaumer from Riedlbauer's Resort in Round Top, tells us a little about the history of the resort, and previews the WGXC "Lodge" event this weekend.
10 a.m.: ¿Qué cocinaré hoy?: Bernardo Galvez, Enrique Rob Lunski Discussion about the recently opened United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office at the Armory in Newburgh, and dates for upcoming Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals clinics in the area. Interview with the Spanish journalist, writer and film director Bernardo Galvez about his most recent book, "100 Miles from Manhattan." Enrique Rob Lunski, president of Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows Inc. (GET) talks about the upcoming entrepreneurial expo and conference, and the GET 10th anniversary luncheon, where co-host Mariel Fiori will be honored as one of five Entreprenerial Women of the Year. Hosted by Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: Guest DJ: Lodge Live remote broadcast from Riedlbauer's Resort in Round Top as DJs Tim Livingston and Spike Priggen kick-off the weekend-long retreat. Tune in, or turn out in person to Riedlbauer's. DJ Effie will follow at 10 p.m. Saturday night will feature live music from Slow Collins, Palm, Bishop Allen, and Dirty River.

[caption id="attachment_36692" align="alignright" width="224"] David Ginsberg, the owner of Ginsberg's, at a Columbia County IDA public hearing Oct. 15, 2014.[/caption]

The Columbia County Industrial Development Agency held a public hearing Wed., Oct. 15, on plans to grant Ginsberg’s Foods a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, agreement on the purchase of a 33-acre parcel located in Ghent and Claverack. The company intends to build a new refrigerated facility at that location, across from the Gerald R. Simons Industrial Park on state Rte. 66. Already under public scrutiny with headlines in the Register-Star such as "Ginsberg’s to pay CEDC $1 for 33 acres," this hearing was packed with both supporters of the local business -- mostly their employees and employees from businesses that work with the food company -- and citizens concerned about their tax bills. Owner David Ginsberg spoke early in the meeting about his company's deep roots and current business dangers. "Our competitive landscape is changing dramatically," Ginsberg said. "The two biggest companies in our industry -- Cisco and U.S. Foods -- announced they will merge.... And just a few weeks ago, Driscoll Foods, a competitor of ours in Northern New Jersey, received $18.5 million -- $18.5 million -- in tax credits to move nine miles down the road and build a new warehouse the size of what we're going to do." While Ginsberg certainly knew the exact figure his competitors got from government, many of the numbers here were not so clear. The value the business adds, and the expansion of the business will add, to the local economy was in much dispute throughout the meeting. IDA member James Mackerer, during a

[caption id="attachment_36720" align="alignleft" width="300"] The A.B. Shaw Firehouse in Claverack was standing room only for the meeting.[/caption]

presentation at the beginning of the meeting said, "I think that's roughly a payroll around $15 million a year," but then admitted that the construction spending included in those locally-added annual employment figures would end in three years. Others wondered aloud how much of those taxes on the millions in payrolls were headed to Albany or Washington, rather then to Columbia County coffers. Near the end of the meeting, the produce buyer at Ginsberg's just wanted to know where to put all the apples from Valatie's Yonder Farms that were piling up. "We have to rent tractor trailers to put the apples that we are selling to the local school districts."

Click here to listen to a WGXC recording of the entire meeting. PLAY AUDIO (1:14:38)

Click here to hear David Ginsberg, owner of Ginsberg's, speak about the food company's proposal for a PILOT with the Columbia County IDA. PLAY AUDIO (6:12)

Click here to hear Columbia County IDA member James Mackerer outline Ginsberg's PILOT proposal. PLAY AUDIO (5:26)

Click here to hear Ken Flood speak on the Columbia County IDA's cost-benefit analysis of the Ginsberg's proposed PILOT deal. PLAY AUDIO (4:51)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="500"] Ginsberg's website includes this artist rendering of the proposed building.[/caption]

Read Arthur Cusano's take on the meeting in the Register-Star.

Max Oppen is reporting in The Daily Mail the village of Catskill has engaged the services of the Hudson-based engineering firm Crawford & Associates to implement immediate action on issues recently identified by the Catskill Waterfront Resiliency Task Force. The firm will specifically look at smart building technologies and ways to strengthen the shoreline, Catskill Village President Vincent Seeley said. Crawford's senior engineering consultant Donna Verna said the firm will also generally assess the risks to village assets presented by flooding and sea-level rise. The waste-water treatment plant at Catskill Point is a major concern, she said. Scenic Hudson has led the exhaustive effort to improve, preserve and protect hard-hit areas in Catskill that resulted from Tropical Storm Irene and Hurricane Sandy. Those two major storms exposed vulnerable low-lying areas within the village. The Catskill task force's full, and final report will be available to the public at the end of October. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Associated Press reports in The Daily Freeman that New York manufacturing growth slowed to its softest pace since April. The Empire State Manufacturing index of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York dropped 6.2 points in October, down from a five-year high of 27.5 in September. Factories, though, are still adding workers, the report indicated with its measure of hiring jumping seven points to 10.2. The report also said that inflation remains slow and prices for manufactured goods declined. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 68F; low 52F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 70F; low 53F.[/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, western Massachusetts, southern Vermont and northwestern Connecticut. A widespread, one- to two-inch rainfall is expected through Thursday. Embedded bands of heavy rain will lead to locally higher amounts. Due to recent dry conditions river flooding is not expected; however, minor flooding of urban and other drainage locations will be possible, especially where fallen leaves clog storm drains. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible. Some of the thunderstorms may produce brief gusty winds.

Today: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m., then rain likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 72. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Thursday night, a chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 71. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 52.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 67. Saturday night, a slight chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 43.
Sunday: Partly sunny. High near 53. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 34.

Sunrise today: 7:10 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:11 p.m.
Length of the day: 11:01 hrs.

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

ANCRAM Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. in Town Hall at 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
CHATHAM Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 488 State Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Office for the Aging public hearing on the proposed 2015-16 Annual Implementation Plan, 11:30 a.m. at the Philmont Area Senior Community Center, Albert L. Tripp Center, 93 Main St., Philmont (828-4258).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COXSACKIE-ATHENS Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at high school, 24 Sunset Blvd., Coxsackie (731-1800).
COPAKE Land Use Review Committee meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-6122).
GHENT Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Ghent Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
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.: Selected Songs: Bob Bellerue Bob Bellerue, recent artist-in-resident, is featured.
5 a.m.: Arts Express Radio: John Waters John Waters talks Lennon, also world television and poetry. From Pacifica Radio.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show
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. Hosted by Jess Puglisi. News, weather, events and music, along with audio from the Ginsberg's public hearing held Wed., Oct. 15. Live from the Hudson studio. Call in and have your say: (518) 828-0290.
10 a.m.: We the People: Tiffany Martin Hamilton Hudson FORWARD founder Tiffany Martin Hamilton will be in the Hudson studio to discuss the citizens' group and its agenda. Call (518) 828-0290 to have your say. Hosted by Tom DePietro.
11 a.m.: One Size Fits All: 20141016 An hour long investigation into the idea of amplified sound, with Your Host. We will begin with Lata Mangeshkar and conclude with Grachan Moncur lll. Full playlist found at www.Facebook.com/OneSizeWGXC
2 p.m.: Between the Lines: Rosary O'Neill A show with a distinctly New Orleans flavor. Local author, screenwriter, playwright, director and scholar Rosary O'Neill Ph.D., a New Orleans native, discusses her new book, "New Orleans Carnival Krewes: The History, Spirit and Secrets of Mardi Gras." She will also delve into her play about Edgar Degas in New Orleans, and discuss a TV series based on her own family's story. So dust off that carnival mask and spend a little time in the Big Easy. Hosted by Ann Forbes Cooper.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Edgar Allan Poe Lou Reed, William S. Burroughs and MC Lars, and "Tha Bells."
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News: Public Hearing on the Ginsberg's Proposal Special hour-long edition with recordings from the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency's public hearing on the Ginsberg’s PILOT proposal will be aired. The hearing was held Oct. 15 at the A.B. Shaw Firehouse in Claverack. The hearing was conducted for public comment on the tax breaks and incentives in the proposed PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program for the Ginsberg's expansion project.

Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential shows off PDFs of 12 different campaign mailers from various groups -- left, right, one group that supports both Republicans and Democrats, but none from the Greene Party -- in the 46th State Senate race between incumbent Cecilia Tkaczyk and Republican George Amedore. Just two years ago, Tkaczyk beat Amedore by just 18 votes, and, with the Senate in balance between the two parties, potential voters in Greene, Schoharie, Albany, and other counties in the large district, have lots of mail to sort. Wikipedia reports, "In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 44 percent of junk mail is discarded without being opened or read, equalling four million tons of waste paper per year, with 32 percent recovered for recycling."

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail the state has extended the timeline on the review process for the power line proposed by West Point Partners. The extension was granted to give the company additional time to explore alternative routes, specifically an existing right-of-way owned by National Grid. West Point has been directed to explore the possibility of using lands adjacent to the existing route, which also runs through Greene Co. but mostly through uninhabited lands, and where power lines already exist. Under the proposal put forward by West Point a power line would be routed from a converter station, through the village of Athens' most heavily populated area and under the Hudson River to its ultimate destination in New York City. Opponents have cited a number of concerns, including safety, the impact on health and property values, and the effect the construction project would have on the community. According to the new schedule, the company has until Nov. 5 to identify an alternative route and converter station site. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star Ginsberg's Foods is making plans to create a food hub in Sullivan County. The project is a partnership with the American Farmland Trust Farm to Institution Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. The distribution center would serve as a departure point for trucks transporting goods to the New York City area and elsewhere, allowing area farmers and artisan food producers to gain wider distribution for their products. Ginsberg's Vice President of Operations John Brusie said the new distribution center will not replace the company's Columbia Co. facility. The Sullivan Co. Industrial Development Agency has obtained grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture for the project, and has promised more than $250,000 in matching funds, as well. The Columbia County Industrial Development Agency will hold a public hearing tonight (Wed., Oct. 15), on plans to grant Ginsberg's a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, agreement on the purchase of 33-acre parcel located in Ghent and Claverack. The company intends to build a new refrigerated facility at that location, across from the Gerald R. Simons Industrial Park on state Rte. 66. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Columbia Paper reports the Claverack Town Board hosts a public informational meeting Sat., Oct. 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Churchtown firehouse on the proposed power line project that would go through the town of Claverack. The state Public Service Commission is reviewing proposals to run new high voltage lines from further upstate to a Dutchess County site to supply more power to New York City and Long Island, and some of those would go through Claverack. "Claverack Supervisor Clifford “Kippy” Weigelt and board members Stephen Hook, Brian Keeler, Bill Gerlach and Ms. Cashen released a statement from their workshop meeting saying they were “extremely disappointed to learn that, despite widespread public concern and thousands of comments filed with the PSC, the PSC has apparently ignored the public and instead decided to move forward with its plans to entertain proposals from developers, with no obligation or incentive to keep the line within the existing right-of-way. There seems to be, in fact, very little evidence that the concerns of Hudson Valley residents were taken into account at all.” Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.