Columbia County ranks third in upstate private sector job growth, according to the state Department of Labor's recent Upstate New York Labor Market Report. According to a statement released by the Columbia Economic Development Corporation Thurs., Mar. 28, the county's private sector job growth increased by 3.3 percent between Jan. 2012 and Jan. 2013. "We are encouraged by the numbers and look forward to seeing a continued upward trend," said CEDC Executive Director Ken Flood. The four other upstate counties that made the list: Hamilton, Chenango, Schuyler and Delaware. According to the report, upstate counties saw job gains in educational and health services, leisure and hospitality and trade and transportation and utilities.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 46F; low 30F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 52F; low 32F.[/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 slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 52. Tonight, a slight chance of showers before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 28.

Forecast for the next three days:

Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 53. Mostly clear Saturday night. Low around 29.
Sunday: Showers likely, mainly after 4 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 53. Showers likely, mainly before 10 p.m. Cloudy. Low around 38.
Monday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 51. Monday night, a chance of rain and snow showers, Monday night. Mostly cloudy. Low around 28.

Sunrise today: 6:41 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:18 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:37 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fifth Friday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any regular town meetings scheduled for today.

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Sequestration Cuts at VOA oice of America cuts back shortwave broadcasts to Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries due to Congressionally mandated budget cuts.
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: A Big Mess Disasters, mistakes, tomfoolery, and odd radio art.
1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: Nicole Mitchel Two hours of free jazz from show that also airs on eight Eurpoean radio stations. Click here for playlist.
3 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: Michel Lambert Two hours of free jazz from show that also airs on eight Eurpoean radio stations. Click here for playlist.
5 a.m.: In Other News: Electricity, Gravity, Magnetism Dr Judy Wood discusses her book "Where Did The Towers Go? Evidence of Directed Free Energy Technology on 9-11." We also discuss the viability of directed free energy for practical use and how that would change the world. It starts with the process of managing public perception about free energy technology says Dr. Wood. Electricity, gravity, and magnetism are all related somehow.

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

6 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Call in with your views 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, events, music and more, with host Philip Grant.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the state Senate has restored $30 million of the $120 million Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut in from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. The remaining $90 million may disappear from the state budget, which could leave Coarc, one of Columbia County’s largest employers, vulnerable. Coarc employs more than 400 people countywide. It is not clear how the $30 million restoration will affect them directly at this point. W.T. Eckert reports in The Daily Mail Greene County roads will benefit from a boost in state funding. Cuomo announced Monday, $75 million of increased funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, the first increase since the 2008-09 budget. Greene County will see an increase of 23 percent in CHIPS funding, which will be divided between the county and the towns and villages to support local highway, road and bridge repair projects.

Bard College has announced Wed., Mar. 27, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly, will deliver the commencement address at the college's 153rd graduation ceremony, May 25. Giffords will also receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters for her public service. Honorary degrees will also be awarded to microbiologist Jo Handelsman, orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and chef Alice Waters. Giffords and her husband founded Americans for Responsible Solutions as a way to encourage elected officials to stand up for both the 2nd Amendment and safer communities by communicating directly with their constituents.

Jimmy Vielkind and Scott Waldman report in the Times Union the region's school districts will see significant funding restorations in this year's state budget instead of anticipated cuts, data show. All but one district in the region will see its operating aid rise. Some smaller districts will see double-digit increases in operating aid, according to information released late Tues., Mar. 27. The average increase in operating funding is 6.59 percent, according to a Times Union analysis of budget data. The Albany City School District received the largest aid increase in the region. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 46F; low 32F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 48F; low 32F.[/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 rain and snow showers before 9 a.m., then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy. High near 49. Tonight, mostly cloudy. Low around 31.

Forecast for the next three days:

Friday: A slight chance of showers after 10 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 52. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 30.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 51. Mostly clear Saturday night. Low around 31.
Sunday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 55. Showers likely, Sunday night. Cloudy. Low around 37.

Sunrise today: 6:42 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:17 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:34 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Thursday of the month.
(WGXC recommends 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 Financial Review Committee at 1 p.m., Budget/Salary Committee at 2:30 p.m. and Salary Review Committee immediately following Budget/Salary, at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
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).
HUDSON HCDPA meeting (tentative) at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (571-1044).
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: DIY Cell Phones, Wi-Fi Networks From Boing Boing, David Mellis at the High-Low Tech group at the MIT Media Lab built a DIY Cellphone, making a custom circuit-board and laser-cutting his own wooden case. The files are hosted on GitHub to build your own.
2 a.m.: Selected Songs: Karlheinz Stockhausen From Wikipedia: "Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music." He is known for his ground-breaking work in electronic music, aleatory (controlled chance) in serial composition, and musical spatialization.
5 a.m.: Radio Minds Excerpts from Magz Hall's "Radio Minds" project, including "Commerical Break" and "Active Love."
5:15 a.m.: Off the Hook: DDoS  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. This episode is shortened because of the WBAI transmitter fundraiser, and includes a report about the distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack, Wed., March 27.

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

6 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Call in with your views 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, events, music and more, with host Philip Grant.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: Diplomatic Immunity Radio Theater Project production produced at KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington, available via Pacifica Radio Archives. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire. Story by Richird Sheckley; Adapted by Joseph McGuire. A visitor from outer space has come to earth with a mission: to bring Earth into the empire. Whether we want to or not.
3:30 p.m.: Kid's Brain Radio: More Sound Effects Tune in for a special edition of Kid's Brain Radio with guest co-host Tom Roe, and a box of sound effects, joining Sam Sebren and Dina, and other teenagers for a half hour of spontaneous fun, live from the WGXC studio in the Catskill Community Center.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors are opposed to a proposal that would require counties to allow early voting up to 14 days preceding an election. The idea is being floated by State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, but it is not in the state budget. Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Grattan called the proposal an unfunded mandate the county cannot afford. Board of Elections Commissioner Jason Nastke (Nast-KEY) called the proposal flawed, and said the high cost of labor would make it cost prohibitive. Assembly member Didi Barrett said she supports increasing voter participation but understands the county’s concerns about the increased cost. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Joe Gentile writes in the Register Star the Valley Alliance has challenged the legality of a land transfer approved by the Hudson Common Council. Hudson Mayor William Hallenbeck was recently provided a legal memorandum prepared by the organization that makes the argument the Holcim U.S. transfer of nine acres of land at the city's waterfront was unauthorized, unlawful and void. Holcim U.S. is a division of the Swiss multinational Holcim Corporation. The Valley Alliance claimed city officials allegedly failed to supply sufficient information about what land would transfer and criticized the resolution for identifying the transaction as a Holcim gift to the city in exchange for tax credits. City officials reserved comment pending a full review of the memorandum. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail New York State’s legal fishing season for trout will begin Mon., Apr. 1. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with assistance from Greene County Federated Sportsmen, will begin stocking local waters with brown trout in nine of the county’s major streams and water bodies. The stocking typically begins in March, continuing into May and June. Some stocked trout will be in the 8 to 9 inch category, while others will be as large as 12 to 15 inches. The total anticipated count is more than 26,000 trout for Greene County, with the stretch of the Schoharie Creek from Hunter through Jewett to Lexington targeted to receive 8,600 of those fish. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 45F; low 32F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 48F; low 30F.[/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 slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 47. Tonight, a slight chance of rain showers before 11 p.m., gradually turning to a chance of mixed snow and rain, and then snow after 1 a.m. Cloudy. Low around 30.

Forecast for the next three days:

Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 11 a.m. and noon. Cloudy. High near 49. Mostly cloudy Thursday night. Low around 33.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 51. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 32.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 52. Partly cloudy Saturday night. Low around 31.

Sunrise today: 6:44 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:16 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:31 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Wednesday of the month.
(WGXC recommends calling ahead to confirm time and location.

ATHENS Village meeting at 7 p.m. at Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CAIRO Town Board meeting at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Public Works Committee meeting at 6 p.m., 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
HUDSON Common Council Public Works Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m.; Legal Committee meeting at 6:15 p.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
HUDSON Development Corporation Board meeting at 12 p.m., 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044). Common Council Public Works Committee at 5:30 p.m.; Legal Committee meeting at 6:15 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK Historical Committee meeting at 7 p.m., Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Social Media Surveillance Free Speech Radio News reports that Washington state is considering banning employers from spying on workers' social media.
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: The Sound Effects Man A show about sound effects and foley artists. Tune in for "I'm the Sound Effects Man" by Rufe Davis, "The Sound Effects Man" by Spike Jones and His City Slickers, and Michael Winslow (the sound effects man from the "Police Academy" movies) and DJ Yoda's "The Sound FX Man." Also, interviews with foley artists, sound effects, cartoons, and songs with sound effects. The show ventures inside Dymaxion's "The Haunted Radio," rides M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" and listens to songs with airplane noises from The Box Tops ("The Letter") and The Animals ("Sky Pilot"). Plus, Carl Stalling's "Anxiety Montage."
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Marc Behrens Episode 874 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click here for playlist 874:
2 a.m.: Two Hours of Satisfaction Many, many covers of the song by The Rolling Stones. Mostly curated by Valerie Tevere.
4 a.m.: Spirit in Action: Silence Anne LeClaire is an author whose 20 years of twice-monthly days of silence taught her the potential for rest, healing and growth of the practice. She shares the lessons of the experiment-turned-way-of-life in Listening Below the Noise". She leads workshops and retreats on silence, creativity and authenticity, like the program she'll lead on March 23-24 at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. From Pacifica Radio Archives.
5 a.m.: Shortwave/Pirates: Greg Rosenberg First, "The RAIN report." This week: "Visually-impaired ham Greg Rosenberg, AB9MZ, strategies for emergency preparedness for the disabled." Then, it iss an abbreviated "PiratesWeek." No pirates in the news this week and no FCC Activities. The Free Radio Network is still down, but we look at the HF Underground and the Free Radio Cafe and note stations logged per the Free Radio Weekly. Off Air Recordings include the stations of: Renegade Radio, Radio Ronin Shortwave, Black Cat Radio and the Euro Pirate Black Arrow Radio.

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

6 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Call in with your views 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, events, music and more, with host Philip Grant.
10 a.m.: The Right Opinion: Holly Tanner Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner and host Ed Fertik will be discuss issues regarding female Republicans/Conservatives on today's local political scene. As usual there will also be an excellent selection of modern country music.
11 a.m.: 20th Century Country Music: Tony Fallon WGXC's Irish Show host Tony Fallon curates some of his favorite country tunes.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="136"] Cecilia Tkaczyk
(greenedems.org)[/caption]

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail state Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk (KAT-chik) has been appointed to the Legislature Commission on Rural Resources. The first-time senator said as a member of the commission she will advocate for legislation to stimulate rural economies and create jobs. She will join four other senators and five Assembly members on the panel. In a written statement, Tkaczyk said she was excited for the opportunity to help address the challenges residents of rural regions face statewide, including the lack of broadband, inadequate access to health care and jobs and school aid formulas that shortchange rural schools. Tkaczyk campaigned heavily on fighting for a “fair share” for rural New Yorkers. She owns and lives on a sheep farm in Duanesburg and is the only farmer currently serving in the state Senate. In her new role on the commission, Tkaczyk will engage residents, small business owners, local officials, rural school administrators and other stakeholders to analyze state laws and programs and develop better legislation. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Blue Seal Feeds & Needs store on Hudson Ave. in Chatham has closed, Karrie Allen writes in the Chatham Courier. Blue Seals opened as a dairy feed mill in the village in 1967, growing to offer a full variety of animal products. The store is owned by the Iowa-based company, Kent Nutrition Group Inc. The Chatham store's interim manager said multiple factors led to the closing, including personnel turnover and financial concerns. Blue Seal employed three people: two full, and one part time. At least one of those employees has accepted a position with the Chatham Agway, which will now offer Blue Seal products for sale. Read the full story in the Chatham Courier.

Rick Karlin reports at Capitol Confidential the new state budget has some good news for hunters and anglers. Namely, regulations for hunting and fishing licenses have been streamlined. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Legislature have agreed to simplify the process, hoping to bolster tourism, by attracting outside money to the state and keeping New York money in New York. Among the changes: The state will reduce the number of licenses and types, while maintaining current privileges; eliminate various combination licenses; reduce licensing fees; and change the license year to begin Sept. 1. The proposal would become effective Feb. 1, 2014. Read the full post at Capitol Confident, a Times Union blog.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 41F; low 28F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 45F; low 28F.[/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 47. Tonight, mostly clear. Low around 30.

Forecast for the next three days:

Wednesday: Partly sunny. High near 48. A slight chance of rain showers before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 29.
Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 49. Partly cloudy Thursday night. Low around 31.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 50. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 33.

Sunrise today: 6:46 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:15 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:28 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Tuesday of the month.
(WGXC recommends calling ahead to confirm time and location.

COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors County Government Committee meeting, 5 p.m., at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COLUMBIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION annual meeting, 8 a.m. at Kozel's, 1006 New York 9H, Ghent (828-4718).
GREENPORT Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).

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 news headlines.
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: March 2013 New Music New tracks from Keith Fullerton Whitman, Magz Hall, Christian Marclay, No-Neck Blues Band, Sightings, Distant Correspondent, and others.
1 a.m.: CB Radio and Cell Phones Two recent "Saturday Morning Serial" episodes, one on old transmission technology, one on a later invention.
3 a.m.: Golden Age of Radio: Money Jack Benny, Arch Oboler, others. From Pacifica Radio Archives. Produced by Max Schmid.
5 a.m.: Radio Theatre: Static Mash-up of Twilight Zone episode "Static," with 31 Down's radio play "Dead Dial Tone," and other static and dial sounds. Neptune's "Marconi's Belief" is also included.
5:30 a.m.: PCJ Media Network Plus: 20130326 Weekly media and radio news show.

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

6 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Call in with your views 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, events, music and more, with host Philip Grant.
11 a.m.: 20th Century Country Music: Tony Fallon WGXC's Irish Show host Tony Fallon curates some of his favorite country tunes.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Some of the stories that made the news, Mar. 22 to 25:

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200"] Dr. John King
NYS Education Commissioner
(nysed.gov)[/caption]

Katie Kocijanski reports in the Register Star New York State Department of Education Commissioner Dr. John King visited Chatham Central School District Fri., Mar. 22. King and Gladys Cruz, Questar III BOCES deputy superintendent, toured district buildings with Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo. The commissioner was in Chatham to see how the district has implemented the Regents Reform Agenda. This includes the Common Core Curriculum, data-driven instruction and the new teacher evaluations system. King said he believes Chatham has a coherent instructional vision with a common set of goals, and a real commitment to professional development. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Claude Haton reported in The Daily Mail Cairo Police Chief Christopher Sprague was suspended indefinitely without pay by the Cairo Town Board, Fri., Mar. 22. The board took the action one day after Sprague was arraigned on charges of tampering with evidence and falsely reporting an incident. The board also voted unanimously to appoint Sgt. Richard Busch as Provisional Sergeant and Officer in charge effective immediately. Sprague was not present at the meeting. Town Supervisor Ted Banta said the severity of the charges left the board no choice but to remove Sprague pending the outcome of the case. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jimmy Vielkind reported at Capitol Confidential state senators marked Palm Sunday with a rare afternoon session to consider parts of the state’s $135.1 billion budget. But several large parts of the spending plan, due by April 1, remained unfinished. As of late Sunday, bills that dictate aid to school districts and localities, funding for care of the developmentally disabled, as well as the state’s tax policy had not yet been finalized. People familiar with the negotiations said the district-by-district breakdown of education aid was largely settled. Lawmakers quietly feuded over how big a role legislators would play in controlling the flow of economic development dollars, in addition to efforts to plug a $120 million cut to care for the developmentally disabled. Read the full post at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Patricia Doxsey reported in the Daily Freeman a recent health study put Dutchess County in the top ten healthiest counties in the state, while Greene and Columbia counties ranked in the lower 50 percent. Greene County ranked 55th in overall health of the county, down from its 2012 ranking of 52nd. Columbia County ranked 45th among 62 counties in New York. The study measured 36 items in six categories, including health factors, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. The 2013 report reflected data gathered between 2008 and 2010. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 39F; low 27F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 45F; low 28F.[/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 slight chance of rain and snow before noon, then a chance of rain. Cloudy. High near 42. Little or now snow accumulation is expected. Tonight, a chance of rain and snow showers before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 28. Chance of precipitation both today and tonight is 30 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:

Tuesday: Partly sunny. High near 46. Tuesday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 29.
Wednesday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 46. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 32.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High near 47. Mostly cloudy Thursday night. Low around 34.

Sunrise today: 6:48 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:14 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:26 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Monday of the month.
(WGXC recommends calling ahead to confirm time and location.

CATSKILL Village board meeting at 7 p.m. at Firehouse near Catskill Commons (Wal Mart) (943-3830).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Economic Development / Planning committee meeting at 5 p.m.; Fiscal Oversight, IDA and PILOTS at 6 p.m., 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
HALCOTT Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 813 Route 3, Halcott Center (845-254-9920)
HUDSON Common Council Police Committee meeting at 6 p.m.; Fire Committee meeting at 6:45 p.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
PHILMONT Local Development Corp meeting at 7 p.m., Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
STUYVESANT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).

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 news headlines.
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Fast Talk Negativland's "Fast Talk," and other examples of ridiculous DJ patter are heard.
3 a.m.: Radio Radio: BuffFluxux The BuffFluxux ensemble consisted of Matt Chambers, Rick Royer, Mark Peters, Natalie Basinski and Mike Basinski at the time of this recording. Based in Buffalo, New York, they have performed at venues throughout North America and Europe. For their Radio Radio program they perform "Five Minutes of Eternity," "Breath Song of the Soil Fungi" and other works.
4 a.m.: Songs About Radio Highlights of the "WGXC Afternoon Show" from the Catskill Community Center, March 19, 2013 with hosts Peter Krug and Jill Sutton, and a guest appearance by Brian Dewan.
5 a.m.: This Week in Radio News: 20130325 Radio and media news. Days after FCC commissioner Robert McDowell announced he was leaving, the chairman Julius Genachowski resigns. Both their resignation announcement speeches, two days apart, in the same building, were nearly identical, and this report compares the audio. We also tune in a report about the Mar 19, 2013 House Judiciary subcommittee meeting about updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA). Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), heard here interviewing a Google spokesperson, does not seem to understand how Google uses keyword searches, without retaining email data, to match ads to likely customers. The Google representative explains four different ways, to no avail. This report tunes in the exchange. Also, excerpts from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee today held a hearing titled, "Threats from Space: A Review of U.S. Government Efforts to Track and Mitigate Asteroids and Meteors." Plus, Rush Limbaugh reviews the new Beyonce single.

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

6 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting. Call in with your views 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, events, music and more, with host Philip Grant.
10 a.m.: Law and Disorder: The Stop and Frisk Trial Here on Law and Disorder, we've been covering the stop and frisk case known as Floyd vs. City of New York and the New York Police Department. This is a federal class action lawsuit challenging the New York City Police Departments' practice of stopping and frisking hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year. Some five million within the last few years. The high majority of which are Latino and African American. It's taken the Center for Constitutional Rights along with its allies united with a group called Communities United for Police Reform many years to bring this case to trial. It's an historic moment for challenging these practices in New York and a precedent that will hopefully lead to ending this practice, not only here in New York but throughout the country. The trial began last week in federal court in Manhattan. It will last some four to six weeks.
11 a.m.: The Bedazzled Radio Hour: The Magic Stranger 69 's The Magic Stranger hosts this special edition of The Bedazzled Radio Hour.
12 p.m. (noon): Monday Music Matinee: The Bird Show In celebration of spring tune in for this rebroadcast of "The Bird Show".
3 p.m.: Food Sleuth Radio: Anne Mosness What are the risks of introducing genetically engineered fish into our food supply? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Anne Mosness, former captain of commercial fishing boats from Copper River to Bristol Bay, Alaska. A Food and Society Policy Fellow, Mosness advocates for wild fisheries, healthy coastal economies and ecosystems. If the FDA approves AquaBounty Technologies' GE Salmon, it may enter our food supply as early as 2014. The comment period to FDA ends April 26th.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

[caption width="224" align="alignright"] Marina Abramović at her Columbia County home in 2012. WGXC file photo.[/caption]Performance artist Marina Abramović says, of Hudson, “This place will be unique in the world, there will be nothing else like it,” at a New York City press conference this week, about her planned project in the Columbia County town. “Optimistic point of view is we raise the money next year, open at the end of 2014, that is Plan A,” Abramović said at the press conference, according to Gallerist. “Plan B is whenever we find the money, we will open.” She also said Hudson was her second choice to base the proposed Marina Abramović's Institute for the Preservation of Performance Art. “What’s very special about Brooklyn, for me, I was very interested in Bushwick,” she is quoted in Gallerist. “But when we came to Hudson, we liked what we found. A practical reason that we didn’t, though, is if you wanted to do something, you had to clean it up, everything was so contaminated, it would have cost as much to clean up the building as to buy it. In the end, it was not worth it. We like Hudson.” Read the full story in Gallerist.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 39F; low 21F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 39F; low 30F.[/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 Acra, in Greene County:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43, a low around 23.

Forecast for the next two days:

Monday: A 20 percent slight chance of snow showers, with a high near 39, and a low around 24.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38.

Sunrise today: 6:49 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:13 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:23 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Sunday of the month, and there are no town meetings.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm time and location.)

The day ahead on 90.7-FM
midnight – 12:05 a.m.: "Radio News: Headlines"
12:05 a.m. – 1 a.m.: "Radio Stew: Spiro Agnew vs. Stephen Colbert"
Which is more ridiculous? Spiro T. Agnew's complaints about the media, or Stephen Colbert's performance in front of President George Bush at the 2006 White House Correspondent's Dinner. Then Jon Stewart tells everyone off on CNN.
1 a.m. – 2 a.m.: "Some Assembly Required: Escape Mechanism"
Episode 12 of Jon Nelson's mash-up show. Featuring work by The Button, Escape Mechanism, Laso Halo, Lecture on Nothing, Mag Wheels, Rik Rue, DJ Shadow, David Shea, Silica-Gel and Turntable Trainwreck.
2 a.m. – 4 a.m.: "Arabology: Mike Massy"
"Arabology" is a weekly radio program hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Lecturer in Arabic at Stanford University and airs live on Thursdays 3-5 p.m. (PST) on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM and streams at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu This episode: The March 21 Finale of 'Arabology' features a 4-part interview with Lebanese singer/musician Mike Massy (who is performing at the Merkin Concert Hall in NY on April 25) including his bio and songs.The second part showcases alternative Arabic music from the region.
4 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "Project Censored: Iraqi Frequencies"
Project Censored presents "Iraqi Frequencies," a documentary created for the ten-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion, and produced by Nora Barrows-Friedman. With Dahr Jamail, Sabah al Nasseri, Ali Issa, and others.
5 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.: "Antiwar Radio: Peter Hart"
Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton with Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's Peter Hart on the media's 10-year Iraq War retrospective.
5:30 a.m. – 6 a.m.: "CounterSpin: Diana Duarte, Barbara Miner"
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: Diana Duarte on the Iraq War, and Barbara Miner on 'Lessons from the Heartland.'
8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: "Children's Storytime: Castles"
This week's show focuses on stories about Castles.
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.: "The Irish Show"
Hosted by Tony Fallon.

There are several artist opportunities in the Hudson Valley this spring:

PALENVILLE
The Hidden Gallery Walk of Palenville is looking for artists to create what they call “pop-up” art galleries in unusual locations around the hamlet June 22-23. Deadline is April 6. Click here for more details or contact Jill Burkholder with any questions you may have: 518-678-7186; hiddengallerywalk@gmail.com

ANDES
CycleX is a self-organized residency project which grants carte blanche to groups of artists/farmers/techno-ecologists for a six-month cycle of make art / make farm residence. Located on 21 acres farm land in Andes, in Delaware County. Applications accepted year round. Click here for more information or e-mail now@cyclex.info


TROY

The first International Conference on Deep Listening July 12-13, 2013
 at Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) , Troy, NY Organized by the Deep Listening Institute, Ltd. (Kingston, NY) in conjunction with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "We invite proposals that may include scholarly lectures, a poster presentation, experience-oriented expositions/demonstrations, or a mixture of these two."




From Deep Listening:

"Deep Listening has been developed by Pauline Oliveros over the past 40 years as a way to enhance attention, listening and creativity for all. To this end it draws upon a wide variety of embodied practices as well as theories of cognitive science, and has been applied to a variety of fields. This includes pedagogy across all levels of education, creative arts therapy, the realization of new creative works, developing new performance paradigms across abilities and the pairing with new technologies to advance all of these fronts and more.

The conference Deep Listening: Art/Science invites practitioners and scholars to consider the experience of this practice and its use in creation, communication and education. This call equally invites scientific and philosophical discussions that describe the efficacy of the approach or point towards new directions or applications of Deep Listening. We invite proposals that may include scholarly lectures, a poster presentation, experience-oriented expositions/demonstrations, or a mixture of these two."

All topics on the art and/or science of Deep Listening are welcome, while suggestions include:

Deep Listening in the Curriculum: K-12; Higher Ed; Community education
Deep Listening applications to music technology pedagogy
Integrating Deep Listening in workshop contexts
Deep Listening-related exercises as practice and instructional devices
The science of attention and listening vs. hearing
Deep Listening as compositional framework or way offraming performance
Applications of Deep Listening to other creative fields
(e.g. dance, film, poetry)
Deep Listening community building
Deep Listening and conflict management
Enhancing Interpersonal relationships through Deep Listening
Listening Technologies and Deep Listening
Deep Listening futures: communities, creative paradigms, new applications
The application of psychoacoustics and perception/cognition research to the study of Deep Listening
The science of meditation: linking attention, emotion and action with Deep Listening

Submissions

Submissions will be accepted in one of three forms:

Lectures/Demonstrations/Experiential Presentations that can neatly fit into 20-30 minute time slots, and which can succeed in a conference-style format in an efficient and self-contained manner (e.g. technically, presentationally).
A poster presentation
Workshops which may last 30-60 minutes and include expanded interaction and participation with your audience.
When choosing a format be advised that there are considerably fewer slots available for workshop-style presentations than conference-style or poster presentations.

A subset of Paper-based presentations will be considered for a future collection on the Art and Science of Deep Listening. To be considered for this, authors must include an extended abstract (maximum 1,000 words) with their submission and submit the full paper in advance of the conference.
Submission Deadline TBA.

Submission Form


Additional Details

Confirmed invited presentations include:

Composer/performer and Deep Listening founder Pauline Oliveros
Auditory Neuroscientist Seth Horowitz, author of "The Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind"
Conference goers will also have the opportunity to register for the workshop "Sound Sculpting and Deep Listening Through Electronics" with Doug Van Nort, which will take place in the week leading up to the conference.

Registration fee is TBA, and will include access to all presentations and performance surrounding the two-day conference, as well as meals each day.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 28F; low 19F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 25F; low 18F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Acra, in Greene County:
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers, mainly between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Saturday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43, a low around 19.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 3pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 37. Monday night the rain could become snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Sunrise today: 6:51 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:11 p.m.

Length of the day: 12 hrs., 20 mins.

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., March 16:

Midnight – 12:05 a.m.: "Radio News: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Steps Down"
Days after FCC commissioner Robert McDowell announced he was leaving, the chairman now resigns. Both their resignation announcement speeches, two days apart, in the same building, were nearly identical, and this report compares the audio.

12:05 a.m. – 1 a.m.: "Radio Stew: Burning Down the House"
Art, and sound art in particular, about the destruction of buildings, is included here. Grindcore band Napalm Death were going to play a concert at the Victoria and Albert Museum today, but the museum cancelled the show fearing that "the high level of decibels generated by the performance would damage the historic fabric of the building."

1 a.m. – 3 a.m.: "Frédéric Acquaviva"
From Dec. 1, 2012 "Saturday Afternoon Show," and interview with sound artist Frédéric Acquaviva.

3 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "Golden Age of Radio: Paladin, Burns & Allen"
Radio from a long time ago. From Pacifica Radio Archives.

5 a.m. – 7 a.m.: "Shortwave Hours: Coronal Mass Ejection"
Two hours of shortwave radio-oriented programming, starting with solar weather, news on meteor showers and ham radio, and other reports. This week: China is accused of jamming VOA and BBC shortwave broadcasts, we tune in clips. Other reports include:
5:15 a.m.: "The RAIN Report" "Visually impaired ham Greg Rosenberg, AB9MZ, strategies for emergency preparedness for the disabled. (Part 1, 15 mins)"
5:30 a.m., "The Shortwave Report" with host Dan Roberts and international news via shortwave radio.
6 a.m.: "Glenn Hauser's World of Radio"
6:30 a.m.: "Amateur Radio Newsline" This week: An antenna battle down under pits a ham antenna against a landscape view; a big win in New Jersey as a ham is finally granted approval for his tower and antenna; a Coronal Mass Ejection on the sun hits Earth on St. Patrick's Day; the Federal probe of the so-called zombie attack on the United States Emergency Alert System continues and GPS jamming becomes a threat to public safety in the UK.

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.: "Saturday Morning Serial: Pipe Organs"
WGXC airs a special on church and pipe organs. Talking Head David Byrne sets the scene, with a recent essay in McSweeney's about how sound was created for various settings, including churches. We'll excerpt the part about churches and organs here. Plus, the show will sample all sorts of church organs, and hear Brian Dewan's radio play "King of Instruments." Organ music of all types will be featured from Quintron, Jimmy Smith, Walter Wanderly, Walter/Wendy Carlos, the BBC Radiophonic studio, and others. Anna Friz's radio play "The organ dreams of leaving the grinder" will be featured. From Sept. 29, 2012.

8 a.m. – 10 a.m.: "Open Air: Live from Catskill Community Center"
Anyone can contribute, in many ways, to "Open Air." Matt Bua hosts live from the Catskill Community Center. This is a live transmission art show about local transmissions. As many local frequencies, signals, and transmissions will be mixed in. Check in on CB radio, weather radio, shortwave, scanners, cell phones, strings-and-cups, or whatever else we can tune in. You make up the show with stories, phone calls, messages, requests, further information, and more. WGXC Program Director Shannekia McIntosh will call in and explain the new WGXC program schedule after 9 a.m. Please help be a part of the show. Stop by the Catskill Community Center in person. Call in at 518-219-WGXC. Tweet requests @WGXC. Skype calls at WGXCfm. Talk on Channel 6 on CB radio, we are tuning in.

10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: "Radia: Shadow-walks"
"Radia" is a group of international radio stations, including WGXC/free103point9, interested in new and forgotten ways of making radio. Each week, one station makes a show that the rest air. This week: Radia Show 416: Shadow-walks (Florence) by Viv Corringham for Radio Papesse.

10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m." "Radio Wonderland"
Joshua Fried remixes New York City radio from his Brooklyn apartment every Saturday on 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley.

11 a.m. – noon: "Framework: Maria Papadomanolaki"
This regular edition features Luca Nasciuta, Simon Whetham, Frederic Nogray, Maria Papadomanolaki, and tracks from the new framework:seasonal spring 2013 edition, issue #4, by Jay-Dea Lopez, Flavien Gillié and France Jobin.

Noon – 1 p.m.: "Other Music: Steve Reich/Radiohead"
Trace the connection between the minimalist composer and the rock band here, with covers of each others work, interviews, and original compositions, including an excerpt of Reich's new Radiohead tribute "Radio Rewrite."

2-3 p.m.: "Radius Sketchpad: Ryan ⊥ Dunn"
"Radius Sketchpad" is an ongoing monthly program on WGXC 90.7-FM presented by the Chicago-based platform, Radius. This month features Ryan ⊥ Dunn's "Incidental Music", originally produced for Radius, and is followed by a playlist of works selected by the artist.

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: "Human Machine: Sexbot"
Jeremy Kelly curates.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: "Saturday Afternoon Show: Pledge Drives"
Headlines from the week in radio news, new radio art, and Rush Limbaugh reviews the new Beyonce single. Also, art, and sound art in particular, about the destruction of buildings, is included here. Grindcore band Napalm Death were going to play a concert at the Victoria and Albert Museum today, but the museum cancelled the show fearing that "the high level of decibels generated by the performance would damage the historic fabric of the building." Hosted by Tom Roe live from Wave Farm.

6 p.m. – 7 p.m.: "PiratesWeek: Wolverine Radio"
After the Weekly Presidential Radio Address, "PiratesWeek," with host Ragnar Daneskjold from upstate New York. Pirates in the news this week include a pirate bust in Brockton Mass. Select postings from the Free Radio Network, HF Underground and note stations logged per the Free Radio Weekly. ‭Off Air Recordings include the stations of: The Crystal Ship, Wolverine Radio, the Euro pirate Radio City and another Blast from the past- WDRR. We listen to Allan Wiener describe some of his early pirate transmitters.

7 p.m. – 8 p.m.: "What's the Frequency, Kenneth: CPAC, SXSW"
Host Paul Fischer's weekly musical news mash-up. This week: A review of the star speakers at the CPAC (Conservative Action Political Conference) told through narration,music and soundbites.

8 p.m.: "Joe Crow Ryan, Karen Duffy, Liv Carrow"
Live webstream for this, and most, shows at Spotty Dog Books & Ale available from free103point9 and WGXC at http://comm.free103point9.org:8000/spottydog.mp3.m3u. This show will be broadcast live on free103point9 Online Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM.

11 p.m.: "Songs About Radio"
Highlights of the "WGXC Afternoon Show" from the Catskill Community Center, March 19, 2013 with hosts Peter Krug and Jill Sutton, and a guest appearance by Brian Dewan.