Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors defeated a proposed new ethics law which would have required supervisors and a number of other county employees to provide more detailed information regarding their personal finances, property holdings, income, assets and family members. The proposal made by the county’s Ethics Committee, chaired by Richard Washburn. Washburn said the committee followed guidelines laid out by the state when forming the new law. The proposed new disclosure process would have required more detail about the personal and business interests of county officials. Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Grattan said a number of supervisors found the proposed legislation “overly intrusive.” Read the full story in the Register Star.

Jimmy Vielkind is reporting at Capitol Confidential for the second year in a row, Rep. Chris Gibson broke ranks with fellow Republicans to vote against the House of Representatives’ one-house budget drafted by Wisconsin Rep. and former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Gibson has said he prefers a bipartisan budget plan along the lines of the proposal he supported in 2012, which specifically protects the middle class and its spending priorities. In 2011, he voted for Ryan’s budget, and was severely criticized for it during his re-election campaign. In a statement released Thurs., Mar. 21, Gibson said that while the Ryan budget is substantive, it is not the best plan for upstate New York. Gibson also opposed the budgets proposed by the House and Senate Democrats. Read the full post at Capital Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 37F; low 23F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 39F; low 27F.[/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: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 39. Daytime accumulation of less than an inch possible. Tonight, a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 26.

Forecast for the next three days:

Saturday: A slight chance of snow showers before 9 a.m. Mostly sunny. High near 43. Partly cloudy, Saturday night. Low around 25.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 45. A slight chance of rain and snow, before 11 p.m., then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy. Low around 27.
Monday: A chance of snow before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow. A chance of snow overnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 29.

Sunrise today: 6:53 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:10 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:16 hrs.

Town meetings

Today is the fourth Friday of the month.
(WGXC recommends 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 Regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission (tentative), 10 a.m. at City Hall, 520 Warrn St., 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: The Electronic Communications Privacy Act On Mar 19, 2013 a House Judiciary subcommittee met 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.
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Magnetic Fields Sounds from the earth's magnetic fields, and songs from the band by that name.
1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: 20130322
3 a.m.: Selected Songs: Gold Sparkle Band Selected songs from the free jazz band from Atlanta, and now in New York City too. Several recordings from free103point9 events are included.
5 a.m.: Michael Slate Show: Matthew Shipp An hour talking with avant-garge jazz pianist Matthew Shipp about his music, his life and the ideas behind the universe of music he has brought into being over the last 30 years. Shipp has recorded more than 50 cds over the years in all kinds of formations and reaching across many musical genres from his free jazz base all the way through electronica and hip-hop.

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.: ¿Qué cocinaré hoy?: Passero Journalists Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores Lobos talk with three of the members of the Hudson Valley-based Passero band, who also play four live songs, two of them composed by the leader of the group, Rafael Gsrritano.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

W.T. Eckert reports in The Daily Mail on Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh's State of the County Address, presented Wed., Mar. 20. Republican Speenburgh of Coxsackie called the address a "picture-in-time outline" intended to give residents an understanding of the issues facing the county. The county's partnership with state government, in Speenburgh's words, continues to be challenging. He was especially critical of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on several points. Speenburgh cited the state's continuing failure to provide mandate relief, the challenge of FEMA red tape and a disconnect between the state Regional Economic Development Councils and the counties as significant issues. The chairman lauded the creation of the county Tourism Advisory Committee, the county's strong finances and the Legislature's ability to work through and solve community issues together. Responding to the chairman's address, Democrat James Van Slyke of New Baltimore agreed with the assessment of the county's financial situation. Van Slyke said the signs of an improved local economy are a welcome change. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Joe Gentile writes in the Register Star Hudson Mayor William Hallenbeck Jr. announced Wed., Mar. 20, he will seek a second, two-year term as Hudson mayor in November. In a released statement, Hallenbeck said, "I am proud of the bipartisan and professional team I have assembled and the work we have accomplished during my first year in office." Hallenbeck will seek the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Independence committees. He said he is seeking a second term because he wants to see various first-term issues through to completion. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Jimmy Vielkind reports in the Times Union a state budget is within reach. Top state elected officials held a news conference Wed., Mar. 20, to praise a conceptual budget agreement. However, several key details in the spending plan are still not settled. And issues being simultaneously negotiated — including changes to state gun control and marijuana laws — also are unresolved. For the third year in a row, the budget is on course to be adopted on time. Excluding federal money for Superstorm Sandy recovery, the budget will be roughly $135.1 billion for the fiscal year that begins April 1. Read the full story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman is reporting a new statewide poll shows New York voters for the first time now oppose by a clear margin the process of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. The Quinnipiac University poll released Wed., Mar. 20, showed voters opposed, 46 to 39 percent. Upstate voters divided 44 to 42 percent in favor of drilling. While Republicans and independent voters support drilling; the majority of Democrats oppose the process. "New Yorkers might be getting impatient with the long delay over natural gas drilling. They're turning negative on the basic idea and more of them see foot-dragging by Gov. Andrew Cuomo rather than a careful evaluation," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 36F; low 18F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 37F; low 19F.[/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 38. Mostly cloudy tonight. Low around 19.

Forecast for the next three days:

Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 38. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 25.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High near 44. Mostly clear, Saturday night. Low around 25.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 45. A chance of rain and snow, Sunday night. Mostly cloudy. Low around 31.

Sunrise today: 6:54 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:09 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:14 hrs.

Town meetings

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

ANCRAM Board meeting at 7 p.m. in Town Hall at 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
CHATHAM Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. Town Hall, 488 State Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Safety Committee meeting at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
COPAKE Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town board meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham.
GHENT Town Board meeting at the Ghent Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644)
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Works Committee at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
HUDSON Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting is cancelled.

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: FCC Commissioner Steps Down "Free Speech Radio News" reports that Republican FCC commissioner Robert McDowell (R) announced during the Federal Communications Commission's monthly meeting, that he would be exiting the agency "in a few weeks."
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Deeper Into Movies Songs about movies, and clips from films, are featured. Including every pop culture reference, chronologically, in Quentin Tarantino films. Songs include "Deeper Into Movies" by Yo La Tengo; "The Right Profile" by The Clash, "Cassavetes" by Fugazi, "B-Movie" by Elvis Costello, ""Like Dylan in the Movies" by Belle & Sebastian; "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran, "Celluloid Heroes" by The Kinks, "Western Movies" by The Olympics, "It's All in the Movies" by Merle Haggard, "Mae Jean Goes to Hollywood" by The Byrds, and others.
2 a.m.: A Skewed History of Electronica From "The Chill Room," 14 September 2012, on killradio.org via Radio4All.org.
3 a.m.: U.S. House Hearings: Meteors and Asteroids The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing March 19, 2013 titled, "Threats from Space: A Review of U.S. Government Efforts to Track and Mitigate Asteroids and Meteors."
5 a.m.: Off the Hook: 20130321 Do not call during rebroadcast! Shortened edition due to WBAI transmitter fund pledge drive. 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.

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.: Education Radio: Diane Ravitch A talk by Education Historian and Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch. Ravitch presents arguments against No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, within a larger critique of neoliberal education reform politics. WGXC broadcasts Education Radio via the Pacifica Audioport.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: The Most Dangerous Game From Radio Theater Project, KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington via Pacifica Radio. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire.
3:30 p.m. Kids' Brain Radio live from the Catskill Community Center. Hosted by Matt Bua and Sam Sebren.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Thomas Kaplan is reporting in The New York Times Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders are finalizing a deal to extend a high-tax bracket for the state’s top incomes. The bracket, first approved by lawmakers in late 2011 as a temporary response to disappointing revenues, does not expire until the end of 2014, an election year. Cuomo, who in 2011 described a new high tax bracket as a “short-term solution” to help the state weather a financial emergency, did not mention his desire to extend the new tax bracket when he publicly announced the executive budget proposal in January. The Legislature has not held hearings or debate about the tax proposal. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting in The Daily Mail Democrat Chris Pfister won the Athens mayor race, Tues., Mar. 19, but the first-time candidate did not run unopposed, as expected. Current Mayor Andrea Smallwood received 63 write-in votes, though she previously announced her decision not to run for re-election. Incumbent trustees Robert June and Anthony Patsky, both Democrats, defeated independent candidates Rick Surrano and Francesco Taccetta. The Republican Party had no candidates in the race. Two ballot proposals to extend the terms of elected officials were defeated. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail with the initial machine votes counted, Catskill incumbent Village President Vincent Seeley and former trustee Stanley Dushane have tentatively taken two seats on the village board of trustees, pending absentee ballots. Seeley ran on the Democrat, Republican and It’s Catskill’s Time party lines, while Dushane ran on the Republican and Constitutional party lines. Village trustees serve three-year terms. A president will be appointed at an upcoming reorganizational meeting. Kate Izzo, who ran unopposed, was elected village justice for a two-year term. She was appointed last fall to finish the term of William Wootton. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Register Star is reporting in village elections Tues., Mar. 20, Chatham mayor Tom Curran was re-elected to a second, two-year term. Curran defeated Maria De Marco by 77 votes. Michael Wollowitz and Jay Rippel Jr. were chosen village trustees. Daniel Brackett was elected town justice unopposed. In Kinderhook, incumbents Dale Leiser and Robert Puckett rain unopposed to keep their seats on the village board for another two years. In the village of Philmont, Mayor Clarence "Skip" Speed was re-elected without opposition as well, as were trustee incumbents Douglas Cropper and Larry Ostrander. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Barbara Reina reports in the Register Star Diane Argyle soundly defeated longtime Valatie Mayor Gary Strevell Tues., Mar. 19, to become the first woman elected as mayor of the village. Argyle’s victory ends Strevell's five consecutive two-year terms in the village's top spot. Incumbent Philip Bickerton and newcomer Frank Bevens won the two open village trustee seats. Argyle thanked supporters Tuesday night. She said, "Being chosen as the first woman mayor is something special." Argyle ran as an advocate for transparency and greater engagement by village government. She hopes to see the village board more involved in municipal decision-making. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 34F; low 12F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 39F; low 18F.[/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 40. Tonight, mostly cloudy. Low around 19.

Forecast for the next three days:

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High near 37. Mostly cloudy Thursday night. Low around 22.
Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Partly sunny. High near 39. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 25.
Saturday: Sunny. High near 41. Mostly clear, Saturday night. Low around 23.

Sunrise today: 6:56 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:08 p.m.

Length of the day: 12:11 hrs.

Town meetings

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

CATSKILL at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Human Services meeting at 4 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
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 Public Hearing at 6 p.m., to accept and consider public comment on an application submitted by James Spoor and David R. Smith seeking a side yard variance to build a garage at 17 Aitken Avenue, Hudson, NY.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: Near Earth Objects 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."
2 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Alexandr Vatagin Episode 873 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click here for playlist 873:
3 a.m.: New Noise: Keith Fullerton Whiteman New tracks from noise bands are featured including Keith Fullerton Whitman live at Lilypad, Cambridge, MA, March 17, 2013 and an Oct., 2012 set from 2/5bz on the Istanbul Courthouse steps.
5 a.m.: Shortwave/Pirates: Last Man Standing First, "The RAIN Report," with John Amadeo, NN6JA, talking about producing "Last Man Standing," the ABC sitcom with an amateur radio angle. Then, "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.

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.: @Issue: Carole Osterink and Debby Mayer In this edition of @Issue the tables will be turned. Host Victor Mendolia will be questioned by Carole Osterink, author of The Gossips of Rivertown blog, and reporter Debby Mayer of the Columbia Paper. Mendolia recently stepped down as chairman of the Hudson City Democratic Committee and as 1st vice-chair of the Columbia County Democratic Committee. Mendolia will share his thoughts on the successes and disappointments that made up his five-year tenure, along with some ideas for the future.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera English
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Kyle Adams reports in the Register Star the availability of on-campus housing for Columbia-Greene County Community College students is not a possibility anytime soon. The school's board of trustees were told Mon., Mar. 18, given the current low demand, the idea was economically impractical. President James Campion said based on what was learned from a recent feasibility study, Columbia-Greene could now reasonably support a 100-bed housing unit. But a unit that size would not generate enough initial revenue to support quality construction. The school's current enrollment is about 2,100 students; half attend full time. Campion said good material came out of the study that will help the board move forward, even if it is not in the direction of on-campus housing. Read the full story in the Register Star.

W.T. Eckert reports in The Daily Mail Cedar Terrace in Cairo is being offered a $40,000 loan for its anticipated rebirth. The new owners of the former resort, Steven and Julie Freemann, are expected to take possession of the property at the end of the month. The couple intends to open a retail shop, retirement rental units for individuals 55 years and older, a bed and breakfast, along with several of the already existing motel units. The goal is open the retail shop and several motel units in the first year. Financing is expected to come from the Quantum Fund, The Bank of Greene County and Freemanns, personally. The Quantum Fund loan will be secured by a second mortgage on the property. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

L. Edward Moore was sworn in as Hudson's new police chief in a packed Central Firehouse on the city's northside, Mon., Mar. 18. With his wife Diane alongside, Moore took the ceremonial oath administered by his brother, Livingston Town Justice Robert Q. Moore. In the speech that followed, Moore spoke about the city and his goals for the department. PLAY Moore's remarks (3:41). Moore is a 32-year veteran police officer. He previously served as the First Sergeant of the State Police’s Troop K. He is a graduate of Germantown High School.

-- Philip Grant

Greene County

Cairo-Durham Central School District / Closing early: elementary 11 a.m.; middle school/high school 10 a.m.; no afternoon Pre-K
Catskill Central School District / Two-hour delay; no morning Pre-K.
Catskill Public Library / Closed. No Tiny Tots or NAAMP Program.
Circle Of Friends (Ravena) /
Coxsackie-Athens Central School District / Closing early; elementary 1:30 p.m.; middle school and high school 12:30 p.m.; no after-school programs; no after-school events. Board of Education meeting postponed to Mar. 26.
Early Childhood Learning Center / Two-hour delay.
Grapeville Christian School / Closed.
Greene County Nutrition Program /
Greenville Central School District / Closed.
Hunter-Tannersville Central School District / Three-hour delay.
Questar III, Catskill Academy / Two-hour delay.
Twin County Recovery Services Inc. / Closing at noon. No groups.
Ulster-Greene ARC (Catskill) / Open. No transportation.
UMC Daycare Norton Hill /
Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School District / Closed. No after-school events.

Columbia County


Berkshire Union Free School District /
Chatham Central School District / Two-hour delay.
Chatham Kids Club / Two-hour delay. Opens at 8:30 a.m.
COARC Adult Transportation / Two-hour delay.
Columbia Christian Academy / Closed.
Columbia County Healthcare Consortium /
Columbia County Senior Meals / Closed.
Columbia-Greene Community College /
Germantown Central School District / Two-hour delay.
Hawthorne Valley School /
Hudson Area Library /
Hudson City School District / Two-hour delay. No morning Pre-K or Questar classes; no tutoring center; no breakfast will be served. No afternoon activities. All after-school activities canceled, including MCSIS ELA night.
Ichabod Crane (Kinderhook) Central School District / Two-hour delay.
Mountain Road School /
New Lebanon Central School District /
O.K. Kids, Inc. / Two-hour delay.
Questar III Columbia-Green Education Center / Two-hour delay. No morning BOCES.
Taconic Hills Central School District /
TLC Day Care / Two-hour delay.

Sources: WRGB-TV Channel 6 News and timesunion.com

The National Weather Service's Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 8 p.m., tonight throughout the WGXC listening area. Snow accumulation of an additional 2 to 4 inches, with a glaze of ice is expected. An intermittent wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will continue this morning will likely mix with, or change to only rain for a period of time from late morning into the afternoon. Northeast winds of 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph are expected.