William Kemble in The Daily Freeman reports that State Sen. Terry Gipson, a Democrat who represents citizens around Rhinebeck, wants to keep telephone poles on the sides of the highway, and Verizon wants to evolve to a wireless future, in a battle that begins in Fire Island. "In May, Verizon applied for approval of statewide substitution of Voice Link, cellular service for wired service, but was limited by the commission to use only on Fire Island," Kemble writes. But Gipson says wireless service is "less reliable during power outages than copper-based wireline service and this increases customers’ vulnerability to power outages.” Verizon Vice President Tom Maguire counters that wireless won't hurt the environment. “It makes much more sense to go that route considering that most of the customers use wireless devices anyway as opposed to digging up half the place and trying to fix a copper network that there’s no guarantee that anybody is going to use the copper network once we fix it,” he said in May. The public can comment on the Fire Island case, with its statewide implications, via email to secretary@dps.ny.gov, or mailed to Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y. 12223-1350. Comments should refer to “Case 13-C-0197-Voice Link on Fire Island.” Comments can also be made by phone, toll-free, at (800) 335-2120. Press “1” to leave comments. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

[caption id="attachment_10211" align="alignleft" width="224"] Rep. Chris Gibson at Chatham Middle School. File photo.[/caption]U.S.Congressman Chris Gibson, a resident of Kinderhook New York, will be interviewed on "The Right Opinion" by host Holly Tanner. The interview is expected to cover a variety of topics such as immigration, agriculture, and Obamacare.

Local News
Click here to listen to audio report with local news from WGXC Newsroom. PLAY CLIP (3:31)

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

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81, and a low around 52.

• Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 79, and a low around 57.

• Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Sunrise 6:14 a.m.
Sunset 7:39 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 10:03 P.M. 11:21 A.M.
Mercury 6:14 A.M. 7:50 P.M.
Venus 9:30 A.M. 9:07 P.M.
Mars 3:16 A.M. 6:09 P.M.
Jupiter 2:04 A.M. 5:07 P.M.
Saturn 11:39 A.M. 10:18 P.M.
Uranus 9:05 P.M. 9:42 A.M.
Neptune 7:39 P.M. 6:28 A.M.
Pluto 4:31 P.M. 2:06 A.M.

WGXC Programming

Mid- 2 a.m.: "Wedding Favor, War Bonnet"
Live performances at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY are streamed live at wgxc.org, and occasionally broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM. Live performances at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY are streamed live at wgxc.org, and occasionally broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM. Live webstream for this show available from Wave Farm and WGXC at http://comm.free103point9.org:8000/spottydog.mp3.m3u. This show will be rebroadcast on free103point9 Online Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM at midnight (the night of the show), Sun., Aug. 25, 2013. Wedding Favor is the musical endeavor of Philadelphia-based artist Robert Perkins. Characterized bybasic free-formstructures, repetitive patterns, limited elements, and impish lyrics, Wedding Favor’s music simply aims to evoke any emotional response or connection. Hudson-based War Bonnet (nee Noah Reibel) will perform solo experimental guitar, and promises to keep his set “brief, and suited to the idiom.”

4:30 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "The Art of Mudfest"
An update from Prattsville, from Jess Puglisi, who recently spoke with Nancy Barton, Andy Reid, and Suzie Walsh. Barton is the Director of the Prattsville Art Center & Residency, a year old venture which brings together international and local artists in the center of Prattsville. Reid and Walsh are with the Zadock Pratt Museum, now reinventing itself as a gallery as it continues to recover from damages sustained during Hurricane Irene. Both organizations will be participating in Prattsville's second annual MudFest, which will take place on August 23 and 24.

5 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.: "Making Contact: LPFM"
Featuring: Domingo Jacinto & Rolando Salas, WCIW DJ's; Cam Tu Nguyen, Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association community organizer; Brandy Doyle, Prometheus Radio Project Policy Director; Autumn Labbe-Renault, Davis Media Access Executive Director; Jeff Shaw, Davis Media Access Production Manager; Roots & Emmett Brady, KDRT Programmers, Albert Sykes. Young People's Project Director of Policy and Advocacy; Tracy Rosenberg, Common Frequency Board member; John Friedman, Southern Development Foundation President. Explanations about low-power FM, and the window for non-profit organizations to apply for stations in Oct., 2013. From Pacifica Radio.

5:30 a.m. – 6 a.m.: "CounterSpin: Gary Younge, Susan Ohanian"
This is the 20th year of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's media analysis radio show, hosted by Janine Jackson, Steve Rendall, and Peter Hart. This week: "Gary Younge on "I Have a Dream," Susan Ohanian on Common Core."

[caption width="400" align="aligncenter"] Nancy Barton at the Prattsville Art Center. Photo by Jess Puglisi.[/caption]Prattsville hosts the second annual Mudfest this weekend, a festival that plays off the theme of the mud that covered the town in the wake of Hurricane Irene two years ago. WGXC's Jess Puglisi provides an audio update from Prattsville, two years after the storm. Nancy Barton, Andy Reid, and Suzie Walsh speak with Puglisi about how the town's two art centers -- one historic, one now cutting-edge -- are working to revive the town's fortunes. Barton is the Director of the Prattsville Art Center & Residency, a year old venture which brings together international and local artists in the center of Prattsville. Reid and Walsh are with the Zadock Pratt Museum, now reinventing itself as a gallery as it continues to recover from damages sustained during Hurricane Irene. Both organizations will be participating in Prattsville's second annual MudFest, which takes place August 23 and 24. Congressman Chris Gibson will be among the many local folks at Mudfest Sat., Aug. 24. Click here to listen to the entire report.
PLAY STORY (23:59)

NEWS10 ABC: AlbanyNews10 Albany television station Tue., Aug. 20, about how, "Parents say they know bus rides will naturally be longer because it's a rural district, but they say the plan to bus students in grades K-2 to Durham and students in grades 3-5 to Cairo, despite where they live, makes no sense." See the full report embedded above.

Local News
Click here to listen to audio report with local news from WGXC Newsroom. PLAY CLIP (3:31)

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

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73, and a low around 48.

• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 79, and a low around 51.

• Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.

Sunrise 6:13 a.m.
Sunset 7:31 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 9:28 P.M. 10:17 A.M.
Mercury 6:08 A.M. 7:50 P.M.
Venus 9:28 A.M. 9:08 P.M.
Mars 3:16 A.M. 6:10 P.M.
Jupiter 2:07 A.M. 5:10 P.M.
Saturn 11:43 A.M. 10:22 P.M.
Uranus 9:09 P.M. 9:47 A.M.
Neptune 7:43 P.M. 6:33 A.M.
Pluto 4:35 P.M. 2:10 A.M.

WGXC Programming

On Saturdays free103point9 Online Radio airs on WGXC 90.7-FM, bringing transmission arts to the airwaves in the Hudson Valley, in New York. Tune in Sat., Aug. 24:

midnight – 12:05 a.m.: "Radio News: Headlines"
Radio and media news.

4 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "Low Power Hour: Travelers Information Stations"
No. 76 of the "Low Power Hour": "Travelors Information Stations are low power AM stations licensed under Part 90.242 of the FCC Rules, with support services from I.S.S., Information Station Specialists. Our guest is Bill Baker talking about the fascinating world of radio stations dedicated to public safety information. And, the Low Power in the News segment reports on the six AM NOUOs (Notice of Unauthorized Operation) issued by the FCC so far in 2013. "

5 a.m. – 7 a.m.: "Shortwave Hours: Huntsville Hamfest"
Two hours of shortwave radio-oriented programming, starting with solar weather, news on meteor showers and ham radio, and other reports. Other reports include:
5:15 a.m.: "The RAIN Report" Hosted from Chicago by Hap Holly, KC9RP. This week: "RSGB's Graham Coomber/G0MBI conclude his 2013 Hamvention presentation, looking back at 100 years of ham radio cooperation between the US and UK."
5:30 a.m., "The Shortwave Report" with host Dan Roberts and international news via shortwave radio. This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, the Voice of Russia, Spanish National Radio, Radio Havana Cuba, and NHK World Radio Japan.
6 a.m.: "Glenn Hauser's World of Radio" DX and station news countries all over the world.
6:30 a.m.: "Amateur Radio Newsline" This week: "A trans-Pacific emergency communications demonstration will involve United States MARS; FCC and Industry Canada reach spectrum sharing agreement; the ARRL says no to TCB expansion; Brockton, Massachusetts, takes an unlicensed broadcaster off the air; DX Magazine's most wanted DX entity list is open for voting and a young ham is honored at the Huntsville Hamfest."

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.: "Saturday Morning Serial: Slow Ride"
"Jolene," from Dolly Parton, kicks off a list of slowed-down songs, such as The White Stripes' "Hello Operator." Also Justin Bieber, Superchunk, Van Halen, and others.

10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: "Radia: Imaginary Radio Band"
Radia Show 438: Imaginary Radio Band No. 1 (Radia edit). "Radia" is a network of international station interested in creative and forgotten ways of making radio. Each week, one station makes a show to air on all the others. This week, from Resonance FM in London, England: "A radiophonic live performance as part of the Addicted2Random festival by Radio Corax in Halle, 10th July 2013. Special augmented edit for Radia on behalf of Resonance104.4fm by Xentos ‘Fray’ Bentos. Musicians: Knut Aufermann (DE), electronics, voice; Andre Damião (BR), computer, voice; Børre Mølstad (NO), tuba, voice; Sarah Washington (UK), electronics, voice; Xentos ‘Fray’ Bentos (UK), guitar, voice."

11 a.m. – noon: "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?: Trending"
This week: "The Hillary Hypothesis" (a timely example illustrating why punditry isn't journalism) ....Politicians...not all of them Republicans..insist racism isn't a problem because we have a black president...despite many recent instances... Also, .just when i think it would not be possible for my colleagues in the media to trivialize/sensationalize adoption stories any more than they already have...they go ahead and find a way to top themselves....and finally, some real news...a change at the top in drug enforcement policies. From host Paul Fischer. Via Pacifica Radio.

noon – 12:30 p.m.: "Noon News: The Art of Mudfest"
An update from Prattsville, from Jess Puglisi, who recently spoke with Nancy Barton, Andy Reid, and Suzie Walsh. Barton is the Director of the Prattsville Art Center & Residency, a year old venture which brings together international and local artists in the center of Prattsville. Reid and Walsh are with the Zadock Pratt Museum, now reinventing itself as a gallery as it continues to recover from damages sustained during Hurricane Irene. Both organizations will be participating in Prattsville's second annual MudFest, which will take place on August 23 and 24.

12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.: "Other Music: Voodoo Orchestra North"
Rebroadcast from Aug. 19, 2013, from Helsinki Hudson. The Voodoo Orchestra North, led by jazz drummer, improviser and composer Bobby Previte and featuring upstate New York musicians, will kick off a regular series of performances devoted to exploring Miles Davis’ eternal electric jazz-funk masterpiece, "Bitches Brew." Live broadcast from Helsinki Hudson on WGXC features Marco Benevento, electric piano; Mike Gamble, guitar; Marty Ehrlich, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone; Michael Kammers, tenor sax, electric organ; Jonathan Talbott, violin; Dave Dreiwitz, electric bass; Terence Murren, string bass; Otto Hauser, drums; and Bobby Previte, drums and conductor.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: "Radius Sketchpad: Satisfacción Lab"
Radius Sketchpad presents Episode 33: Satisfacción Lab. Trying To Learn Kobaïan In 15 Days. Sketchpad is an ongoing monthly radio program produced for free103point9. free103point9 is a nonprofit arts organization based in New York State that defines and cultivates the genre of Transmission Art by promoting artists who make work with, for, and about the electromagnetic spectrum. The Sketchpad program features a re-broadcast of previous Radius episodes. Each episode is followed by a playlist of works selected by that episode’s artist. The series seeks to highlight the peripheral work that influences the research and production of the episode.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: "Saturday Afternoon Show: Random Rainbows Musical Comedy Variety"
The Random Rainbows -- two boys from Philadelphia and two girls from Baltimore -- will do sketch comedy, radio theatre, and more. Hosted by Brooke Kearley and Stacey Jurgenson.

6 p.m. – 7 p.m.: "Off The Hook: Leaking"
After the Weekly Presidential Radio Address, and the Republican Response.
Do not call during rebroadcast. Off The Hook, from the hacker zine 2600, airs every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET in New York City on WBAI 99.5 FM, and is rebroadcast the next morning at 5 a.m. on WGXC and free103point9 Online Radio. It is simulcast online via streaming MP3 and via shortwave on WBCQ The Planet at 5110 KHz. Join #offthehook on irc.2600.net to chat during the show. Email show at oth [at] 2600.com Do not call during the 5 a.m. rebroadcast.

8 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.: "Saturday Night Special: Screw Music Forever"
Two of the founders of Screw Music Forever -- Eric Morrison and Tim Kearley -- perform fictionalized interviews with partially improvized soundscapes in between. Music and more. Some of the broadcast may come live from the woods at Wave Farm, at the Remote Audio Outpost around a campfire. Random Rainbows may also intercede.

8 p.m. – Aug. 25, 2013: 2 a.m.: "Wedding Favor, War Bonnet"
Live performances at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY are streamed live at wgxc.org, and occasionally broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM. Live performances at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY are streamed live at wgxc.org, and occasionally broadcast live on WGXC 90.7-FM. Live webstream for this show available from Wave Farm and WGXC at http://comm.free103point9.org:8000/spottydog.mp3.m3u. This show will be rebroadcast on free103point9 Online Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM at midnight (the night of the show), Sun., Aug. 25, 2013.

Wedding Favor is the musical endeavor of Philadelphia-based artist Robert Perkins. Characterized bybasic free-formstructures, repetitive patterns, limited elements, and impish lyrics, Wedding Favor’s music simply aims to evoke any emotional response or connection. Hudson-based War Bonnet (nee Noah Reibel) will perform solo experimental guitar, and promises to keep his set “brief, and suited to the idiom.”
Community Calendar Event (this event is not organized by WGX

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="212"] (sleepyhollowlake.org)[/caption]

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail the Greene County Legislature Wed., Aug. 31, approved a resolution to take legal action against the Association of Property Owners of Sleepy Hollow Lake for failing to uphold a contract. The Legislature alleges the owners of Sleepy Hollow Lake, a gated housing development in Coxsackie and Athens, located on a lake of the same name, breached a 2007 contract when it failed to purchase lots taken through foreclosure. County Attorney Carol Stevens said an agreement was in place between the county and the association to purchase the lots for a price set by a formula specified by the contract. Stevens said she believes the matter will be settled without litigation. Sleepy Hollow comprises hundreds of lots on more than 2,000 acres around the lake. It is self-contained, with its own utilities, water and sewer and public safety department. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Register Star is reporting the the state Department of Transportation has announced the Claverack Creek Bridge on State Route 23B will reopen, as planned, Fri., Aug. 30. There may be intermittent lane closures after the bridge opens, a Department of Transportation spokesman said. The bridge deck was replaced with concrete, with new railings on the side and steel repair underneath. The $4.26 million project was funded through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NY Works program. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Marina Abramović Institute raised its $600,000 Kickstarter goal, according to a Twitter announcement Thu., Aug. 22. "We are thrilled to announce the Marina Abramović Institute Kickstarter has been fully funded!" the Twitter statement said. The online fundraising began July 27, and the performance artist did all sorts of publicity for the campaign, including hosting a nude Lady Gaga video shoot at her Columbia County retreat. Abramović has now raised over $2 million of $20 million (about 10 percent) needed to open the Marina Abramović Institute, a performance and education center, in Hudson in 2015. So far the proposed center looks unimproved at 6th 7th St. and Columbia St. in Hudson, next to a WGXC studio.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 79F; low 52F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F; low 54F.[/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: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny. High near 82. Friday night, mostly clear. Low around 51.

Forecast for the next three days:

Saturday: Sunny. High near 79. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 53.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 82. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 58.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 82. Monday night, a chance of of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 62.

Sunrise today: 6:12 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:43 p.m.

Length of the day: 13:30 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Friday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


CLERMONT Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
HUDSON Historic Preservation Committee (tentative) at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

Midnight to 5:59 a.m.: Free103point9 Transmission Arts overnight

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Headlines Radio and media headlines.
12:05 a.m. Radio Stew: William Parker Jazz bassist William Parker plays with many different players, and we'll sample tracks with David S. Ware, Matthew Shipp, Roy Campbell, and others.
1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: Ivo Perelman Episode 19 of 2013 of two-hour free jazz show that airs on eight European radio stations and free103point9 Online Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, in New York, in the United States. Click on title to access the playlist..
3 a.m.: Bitches Brew Rebroadcast from Aug. 19, 2013. The Voodoo Orchestra North, led by jazz drummer, improviser and composer Bobby Previte and featuring upstate New York musicians, will kick off a regular series of performances devoted to exploring Miles Davis’ eternal electric jazz-funk masterpiece, "Bitches Brew." Live broadcast from Helsinki Hudson on WGXC features Marco Benevento, electric piano; Mike Gamble, guitar; Marty Ehrlich, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone; Michael Kammers, tenor sax, electric organ; Jonathan Talbott, violin; Dave Dreiwitz, electric bass; Terence Murren, string bass; Otto Hauser, drums; and Bobby Previte, drums and conductor.
5 a.m.: Bobby Previte Interview Rebroadcast from Aug., 19, 2013. Cheryl Symister-Masterson interviewed drummer/composer Bobby Previte of The Voodoo Orchestra North about the kickoff of their performances from Helsinki Hudson, the premiere of which will be live on WGXC on Monday, August 19 from 8-9:30 p.m.

6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: WGXC Hands-On Community Radio

6 a.m.: Gary Null Show New evidence for a murder of Princess Diana - a look at the controversies surrounding the official report of Diana's death - with John Morgan.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Also local news, previews of events in Greene and Columbia counties, music, and more. Call in to have your say at (518) 828-0290.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues with local news, weather, and events. Call 518-828-0290 to comment during the "WGXC Morning Show.
10 a.m.: ¿Qué cocinaré hoy?: Immigration Reform Hosts Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos discuss the push for immigration reform during the Congressional recess, and the open forum held in Hudson, August 22. Also, an interview with the Rev. Rolfi Elivo Lopez, from Warwick Reformed Church, Arturo Vazquez, President of the Corporación Ministerio Hispano and Enrique Murillo, creator and coordinator of the Proyecto de Liderazgo Comunitario.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Jimmy Vielkind reports at Capitol Confidential state officials are urging homeowners who claim the STAR exemption to register with the Department of Taxation and Finance. The new requirement is being implemented this year to crack down on fraud. The exemptions can be worth an average of $700 on annual school tax bills, and is granted for a person or family’s primary residence if their annual income is less than $500,000. The application process for the exemption normally goes through the local assessor and until now, there's been no database of the roughly 2.6 million exemptions statewide. It is being implemented to catch people who might cheat and claim exemptions on multiple properties. New Yorkers have until December 31 to register. Property owners can register online or call (518) 457-2036 for information. There is also an online tutorial and video. Read the full post at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Kyle Adams is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greene County Legislature Wed., Aug. 21, approved Columbia-Greene Community College’s $17.4 million 2013-2014 budget. A public hearing preceded the vote. The budget was approved by the college’s Board of Trustees in June and by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Aug. 14. CGCC President James Campion thanked Wayne Speenburgh and the legislators for supporting the school's mission. He said, “We...look forward to delivering the high-quality programs that they expect of us.” The approved budget increases spending by just over 3 percent and tuition by 4.4 percent. In other business, the Legislature also gave to the go-ahead to ink a deal between the county and Greene County Emergency Medical Systems, Inc. and solve an unexpected workers’ compensation glitch. The Legislature agreed to amend its contract with the paramedics to pay an additional $40,000 in the next budget cycle to help offset $82,000 unexpectedly incurred in workers’ compensation coverage earlier this year. Catskill Legislator Vincent Seeley was the lone dissenting vote on the agreement, calling it a mini bailout. He said the group should not rely on the government to resolve the problem. He said, “I’m just trying to be responsible with county money.” Read both stories in The Daily Mail.

The Daily Freeman is reporting health officials are urging New York residents to take precautions after mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus were found in the state. Two human cases of West Nile virus were identified in Staten Island and one case was identified in a horse in Oneida County. Most people infected with the mosquito-borne virus either show no symptoms or suffer a flu-like illness. A small number develop a serious illness that can lead to neurological damage. Protective measures against mosquitoes include eliminating standing water, using repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and repairing doors and screens for tight fits.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 86F; low 63F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 88F; low 64F.[/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 northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts, east central New York and southern Vermont through Thursday night. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected mainly this afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front approaching from the Great Lakes. Some stronger thunderstorms are possible with gusty winds and downpours, especially north and and west of the Capital District late Thursday afternoon into early evening.

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Patchy fog before 10 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny. High near 86. Thursday night, Scattered showers and thunderstorms between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 63.

Forecast for the next three days:

Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 81. Friday night, mostly clear. Low around 56.
Saturday: Sunny. High near 79. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 52.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 81. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 57.

Sunrise today: 6:11 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:44 p.m.

Length of the day: 13:33 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Thursday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


CHATHAM Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Works Committee at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GERMANTOWN Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (537-6687).
STUYVESANT Greenway Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
WINDHAM Town Board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

Midnight to 5:59 a.m.: Free103point9 Transmission Arts overnight

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years Radio and media headlines.
12:05 a.m. Radio Stew: New Nixon Tapes On Aug. 21, 2013, the Nixon Library at the National Archives just released the last 340 hours of the infamous White House tapes recorded by then-President Richard Nixon, whose estate lost a three-year court battle to have the them destroyed. The new tapes’ 2,905 conversations aren’t yet transcribed. Here's a taste.
1 a.m.: Max Neuhaus "Radio Net" (described below), and other compositions.
2 a.m.: Selected Songs: Home Screw Music Forever artists Home are featured.
3 a.m.: Lucky Pierre Works from Pierre Boulez, Pierre Henry, Pierre Schaeffer, and other Pierres.
5 a.m.: Off The Hook: Leaking Do not call during rebroadcast. Off The Hook, from the hacker zine 2600, airs every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET in New York City on WBAI 99.5 FM, and is rebroadcast the next morning at 5 a.m. on WGXC and free103point9 Online Radio. It is simulcast online via streaming MP3 and via shortwave on WBCQ The Planet at 5110 KHz. Join #offthehook on irc.2600.net to chat during the show. Email show at oth [at] 2600.com Do not call during this rebroadcast.

6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: WGXC Hands-On Community Radio

6 a.m.: Gary Null Show Declassification of CIA documents proving US spearheaded the 1953 Iranian coup to depose the democratic government of Mossadegh, with Fariba Amini. Fariba Amini is a freelance writer and journalist who writes regularly on Iranian history and human and women’s rights. Her father was the mayor of Tehran, a member of the ruling National Front party, and the personal attorney and close friend to the democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, who was deposed by a US-British led coup in 1953. She has written and edited several books including “Faces of the Most Successful Iranian Americans” that was published by the U.S. State Department, “Letters from Ahmad Abad: Mossadeq’s Letters to Noss-rah-toll-lah Ah-meen-ee,” and “Little Black Fish” -- a translation of children’s stories by one of Iran’s most famous story tellers, Samad Bay-rang-ee. Fariba has degrees from George Mason University and a masters in history from Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences in Paris.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Also local news, previews of events in Greene and Columbia counties, music, and more. Call in to have your say at (518) 828-0290.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues with local news, weather, and events. Call 518-828-0290 to comment during the "WGXC Morning Show.
10 a.m.: Prison Voices Project: Felon Disenfranchisement & the Struggle for Universal Suffrage Nearly six million people are denied the right to vote in the United States because of laws that prohibit people with felony convictions from voting. In New York state, 89 percent of those who cannot vote due to felon disenfranchisement are African American. Tune in to the Prison Voices Project to hear Dr. Alice Green, Executive Director of the Center for Law and Justice in Albany explain the historical roots of felon disenfranchisement and the current movement for universal suffrage. The show also includes Jazz Hayden of New York City's Riverside Church's Ministry to End the New Jim Crow; Bernard Byran, President of the Albany branch of the NAACP and Maurice Mitchell of the New York Civic Engagement table.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Enthusiasm! Dziga Vertov's (1896-1954) "Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (1930)." Original soundtrack excerpts, recorded in 1929-30, 26'30". Written and directed (composed): Dziga Vertov; Sound: P. Shtro; Sound-Recording Station: Timartsev, Chibisov, Khariyonov & Molchanov; Recorded: Shorin System; Additional Music: Donbassa March by Timofeyev; Produced: Ukrainfilm Kiev Film Studio, 1930.Extracts taken from the DVD Entuziazm (Sinfonia Donbassa), Osterreichisches Filmmuseum 2005 via Ubuweb. "Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony" (1930) is possibly Dziga Vertov's most revolutionary achievement: a symphony of abstract industrial noise for which a specially designed giant mobile recording system was constructed (it weighed over a ton) in order to capture the din of mines, furnaces and factories. For Vertov, the introduction of sound film didn't mean talkies, but the opportunity to collage, montage and splice together constructions of pure environmental noise. Denis Arkadievitch Kaufman (b. Bialyskov, Poland 1986 - d. Moscow 1954) adopted the name Dziga Vertov as an adolescent; a futurist pseudonym loosely translated as "spinning top". He studied piano, violin and psychoneurology, at the same time writing poetry and recording natural sounds with a phonograph for his Laboratory of Hearing (1916). By 1918, he had begun to work w ith cinema and - with his future wife Elisaveta Svilova - created the group Kinoks [Kino-Eye]. Concentrating on documentary films, they championed "what the eye doesn't see" . Between 1925 and 1929, he developed the idea of Radio-Pravda [Radio-Truth] and Radio-Ear (from "I hear").
3:30 p.m.: Kids' Brain Radio: 20130822 Nora from Athens, D'Lisa from East Durham, and Echo from Acra are at least some of the kids dropping by the WGXC studio in the Catskill Community Center. Any kid is welcome to step up to the mic and have their say, or sing their song. Hosted with Matt Bua and Sam Sebren.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Kyle Adams is reporting in The Daily Mail the Cairo-Durham school district Board of Education has directed a review of the district's elementary grade-level realignment plan be conducted during the first half of the coming school year. The results are due to the board no later than Dec. 31. The proposal was put forward at a meeting of the full board, Tues., Aug. 20, and passed unanimously. Board member Gary Warner, said, the study help the board make "fact-based decisions to ensure a rational, educational and fiscally responsible path for our students.” Warner is an opponent of the plan which created a K-2 school in the former Durham Elementary building and a grade 3-5 school in the former Cairo Elementary building. Parents, teachers and community members have expressed concerns about the transportation plan, which they say will detract from educational time. In response to criticism of her leadership on the realignment plan, Superintendent Mary Fassett said Tuesday, she acts at the behest of the board. She said if the board chooses to change course and close a building, "you’re going to see me very enthusiastically turn around and work toward that end.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg is reporting in the Register Star the 31.5-acre parcel on Route 9 in Greenport occupied by Local Ocean since 2009, was sold at auction Tues., Aug. 20, on the front steps of the temporary Columbia County Courthouse in Claverack to the man holding the mortgage, Michael Spielman. Spielman purchased the property from himself for $3 million. He was the only bidder at the auction. Spielman said following the auction the purchase would be "good for the town. The building will be utilized." The largest problem facing the new owner are the thousands of live fish in approximately one million gallons of salt water still inside the facility. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has recommended the mature fish be donated to food pantries and the rest be disposed of at a solid waste facility. Spielman said he would be glad to sell the fish to whoever wants them. He said, “If anybody does eat fish, come by." Read the full story in the Register Star.

The unemployment rates in Columbia and Greene counties declined from July 2012 to July 2013, according to data released by the New York State Labor Department Tues., Aug. 20. In Greene County, the jobless rate dropped from 9.4 percent to 7.6 percent; unemployment decreased in Columbia County from 7.6 percent to 6.2 percent. The downward trend was repeated throughout the Hudson Valley. Unemployment rates also fell in Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam and Sullivan counties. Statewide the private sector job count increased by nearly 130,000 between July 2012 and July 2013. The lowest unemployment rate was reported by Hamilton County, located in the north central part of the state.

 

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 86F; low 61F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 87F; low 65F.[/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: Patchy dense fog before 10 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 87. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 65.

Forecast for the next three days:

Thursday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms, after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 87. Thursday night, scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 66.
Friday: Isolated showers before noon. Mostly sunny. High near 79. Friday night, mostly clear. Low around 56.
Saturday: Sunny. High near 75. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 55.

Sunrise today: 6:10 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:45 p.m.

Length of the day: 13:35 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the third Wednesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


CATSKILL at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill.
GHENT Planning Board session at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature meeting at 6:30 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting (tentative) at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

Midnight to 5:59 a.m.: Free103point9 Transmission Arts overnight

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Al Jazeera America Starts Broadcasting Current TV changed to Al Jazeera America at 3 p.m., Aug., 20. "Al Jazeera English" will no longer air on WGXC, because of the corporate change. Al Jazeera America airs on Ch. 173 of Mid-Hudson Cable. Also, from "Free Speech Radio News": "Press freedom advocates are raising concerns after law enforcement in the UK targeted The Guardian for its coverage of mass government surveillance. Watchdogs and journalists say the detention of reporter Glenn Greenwald’s partner under a terrorism law and forcing the newspaper to destroy hard drives containing the files leaked by Edward Snowden, are a form of intimidation. FSRN’s Alice Ollstein reports."
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Chris Watson Episode 893 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 893.
2 a.m.: Selected Songs: Home Screw Music Forever artists Home are featured.
5 a.m.: Shortwave/Pirates: Akron/Family No "PiratesWeek" this week, so instead, two parts of an interview on "The RAIN Report": "RSGB's Graham Coomber/G0MBI conclude his 2013 Hamvention presentation, looking back at 100 years of ham radio cooperation between the US and UK." Also, tune in the Akron/Family's new song "Sand Talk," with a video recorded with car lights synchronized through pirate radio transmissions. (Full disclosure: Akron/Family called Wave Farm, WGXC's parent organization for help with a transmitter, on a few hours notice. Wave Farm recommended a L.A. microcaster.)

6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: WGXC Hands-On Community Radio

6 a.m.: Gary Null Show Rocky Anderson was the 2012 presidential candidate for the national Justice Party, which he was instrumental in founding. He is a former two-term mayor of Salt Lake City, having served from 2000 to 2008, and is the executive director for the organization: High Road for Human Rights.  A former member of the Democratic Party, Rocky left over its evisceration of the Constitution and it having morphed into a poor alternative to the GOP.  He is highly critical of both the Bush and Obama administrations, and seeks to put the government control over the Federal Reserve, end corporate personhood and the military industrial complex’s stranglehold on Washington. Prior to entering politics, Rocky practiced law in Utah for 21 years and was listed among the Best Lawyers in America.  Business Week listed him as one of the top 20 activists on climate change and he has received many awards from various environmental organizations.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Also local news, previews of events in Greene and Columbia counties, music, and more. Call in to have your say at (518) 828-0290.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues with local news, weather, and events. Call 518-828-0290 to comment during the "WGXC Morning Show.
10 a.m.: The Michael Slate Show: Prison Hunger Strikes, Police State and Freedom Riders The California Prisoner Hunger Strike enters its second month with hundreds of prisoners throughout the continuing to refuse food in protest of the inhuman torture of solitary confinement. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has struck back hard as prisoners talk of physical and mental retaliation. One prisoner has already died after the authorities refused to get him medical help when he requested it. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Beard, the head of the CDCR, has published a vicious attack on the strike, declaring that it is not about protesting torture but about gangs and power. Dix joins us to talk about the strike, this vicious op-ed by Beard and what it is that is really revealed by the Prisoners Hunger Strike. Lindorff joins us to talk about the attacks on Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, Ed Snowden and Aaron Swarz and what they have to do with the growth of the American police state. Taylor reports from the front lines of the Abortion Rights Freedom Ride as it pulls into the belly of the anti-abortion and anti-woman beast in Wichita, Kansas.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: The Art of MudFest Interviews with Nancy Barton, Andy Reid and Suzie Walsh of Prattsville by Jess Puglisi. Barton is the Director of the Prattsville Art Center & Residency, a year-old venture which brings together international and local artists in the center of Prattsville. Reid and Walsh are with the Zadock Pratt Museum, now reinventing itself as a gallery as it continues to recover from damage sustained during Hurricane Irene. Both organizations will be participating in Prattsville's second annual MudFest, which will take place on August 23 and 24. Plus music, news, weather and local events. Hosted by Ron Diamondstein from the Catskill Community Center.
6 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="302"] Traffic heads west on Route 23 near Windham, Greene Co., past roadway damaged during Hurricane Irene (Aug. 2011). (Philip Kamrass / Times Union)[/caption]

Kyle Adams is reporting in The Daily Mail Greene County has spent nearly $15.2 million in reconstruction as a result of Tropical Storm Irene, according to a report prepared by Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden. August 28 will mark the second anniversary of the massive storm and unprecedented flooding. The funds were spent on numerous tasks, including: closing flooded roads and creating detours, assessing damage to public infrastructure, debris removal and disposal, emergency repairs to roads and temporary bridges. Eight temporary bridges were brought in, and the highway department and contractors worked on about 100 emergency work sites for road, culvert and bridge repairs. There were seven large bridge replacement projects, three large culvert replacement projects, one large roadway washout project, one large slope stabilization project and three large dam repairs. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

John Mason reports in the Register Star the Ghent Town Board and the citizens’ group Protect Ghent have appealed to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to take a close look at the electric transmission line proposed to run through the towns of Ghent, Stockport and Chatham. The Town Board unanimously passed a resolution at its recent meeting, stating the power line “would have a severe detrimental effect to the town and to the environment,” and urging Cuomo “to insure that this project receives the utmost scrutiny and careful consideration, including a close look at all reasonable alternatives.” The resolution supported a letter to Cuomo from Protect Ghent. The New York State Electric and Gas Company proposal is currently undergoing an evidence-gathering and public-hearing phase by the state Public Service Commission. The commission is expected to render its final decision in fall 2014. Read the full story in the Register Star.