[caption id="attachment_25053" align="alignright" width="386"] Google Flu Trends Jan. 10, 2013 for Albany, NY. Dark line is 2013, other lines are recent years.[/caption]The flu is almost everywhere this winter, by all accounts, and getting worse by the day. The Center for Disease Control says, as of Dec. 29, that this season's flu is "widespread" in New York and 40 other states. Visits for influenza-like illness were 5.6 percent of all doctor visits, above the usual national baseline of 2.2 percent. Google Flu Trends, which analyzes web searches for flu symptoms without the delay of the CDC, says New York, and the Albany area in particular, are experiencing "intense" flu activity. Locally, the Cairo-Durham Central School District sent home a letter to parents Wed., Jan. 9 warning of multiple flu reports there, and asking parents to keep sick children home. The Register-Star reports that the Columbia County Department of Health still has $35 flu shots, and holds a clinic at its 325 Columbia St., Hudson, offices every Tuesday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The department also holds a clinic on every third Wednesday of the month (next Wed., Jan. 16) from 4 to 6 p.m. by appointment. Columbia County residents should call 828-3358.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="337"] Singer Pete Seeger in Albany, Wed., Jan. 9.[/caption]

Outside the doors of the 2013 State of the State Address in Albany, Wed., Jan 9, more than 2,000 anti-fracking protesters, along with at least 100 pro-fracking advocates, lined the length of the north and south corridor of Empire State Plaza in an effort to send a clear message to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo about the process of gas extraction known as "high volume hydrofracking." The event was a raucous, but orderly noise rally, lasting for more than four hours. The sound of people chanting "ban fracking now," and hundreds of signs and banners greeted Assembly members and invited guests as they made their way into the State of the State Address. Pro-frackers chanting "we want jobs" were drowned out by anti-frackers chanting "we want water." During Cuomo's presentation inside, several keynote speakers spoke out in the corridor, including actress and activist Debra Winger, biologist Dr. Sandra Steingraber, and Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Musician Pete Seeger played his banjo, leading the crowd in "This Land Is Your Land." Seeger said if Cuomo stands up to the gas industry and bans fracking in New York, he could become President of the United States. People came to the event from Buffalo, Oneonta, Binghamton, Syracuse, Ithaca, the Southern Tier, New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Pennsylvania, as well. Cuomo made no mention of the controversial drilling process in his State of the State Address. -- Sam Sebren

PLAY Pete Seeger as he leads the crowd singing "This Land is Your Land." (4:00)
PLAY interview with Mary Finneran of Greene Co. (1:14)
PLAY interview with former Greene Co. Legislator Forest Cotten. (:48)
PLAY interview with pro-fracking activist. The woman declined to identify herself. She spoke to Sebren as they walked together through the corridor carrying a sign that read, "Friends of Natural Gas." (:34)
PLAY interview with Roger Downs, Conservation Director of the Sierra Club, Atlantic Chapter. (2:58)
PLAY interview with Kathleen Gore, Mike Gore and Bill Stinson from Niles (Cayuga Co.). (6:02)
PLAY interview with anonymous Marathon (Cortland Co.) couple. They declined to identify themselves for fear of retaliation. (3:56)
PLAY interview with Rev. Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. (3:07)
PLAY interview with actress and activist Debra Winger. (2:19)
PLAY interview with Erin Heaton of Chenango Co. Heaton talks about farming, leases and compulsory integration. (6:18)
PLAY interview with Tom Salamone of Minisink (Orange Co.). Salamone is involved in a battle to prevent the construction of a compressor station as part of the Millenium Pipeline. (1:58)
PLAY interview with biologist and author Dr. Sandra Steingraber, founder of New Yorkers Against Fracking. (2:08)
PLAY interview with farmer Carleton Corey of Oneida Co. (3:25)
PLAY interview with Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting, Ithaca. (:57)

PLAY Sam Sebren talks about the rally with Philip Grant on the WGXC Morning Show. (29:30)

Jimmy Vielkind reports in the Times Union a state appeals court has ordered election officials to open 99 additional ballots in the close 46th state Senate District race. The five justices were unanimous in the decision, issued Wed., Jan. 9. The move has the potential to erase Republican George Amedore's 37-vote margin of victory. Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk (KAT-chik) filed the case last month, arguing a Montgomery County judge was wrong in invalidating roughly 450 ballots and certifying Amedore as the winner after a three-week court supervised count. Fifty-three of the invalidated ballots were cast by election workers in Ulster County who filled out and submitted special ballots more than two weeks before Election Day. It was not immediately clear when the ballots would be opened. It is also unclear if the ruling will be appealed. Read the full story in the Times Union. A copy of the ruling can be found here.

The Associated Press reports in his 2013 State of the State Address, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Wed., Jan. 9, called for tougher state bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines of ammunition. Cuomo also would require follow-ups for owners of handgun licenses to make sure they still are qualified to possess a gun based on criminal and other records. He would increase sentences for gun crimes including for using guns on school property and for gang activities. Legislators worked behind closed doors Wednesday, to reach an agreement on the governor’s demand for tighter controls on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. A deal could be announced and acted on this week. Read the full AP story in the Daily Freeman.

Highlights from Cuomo's speech:
Casinos — Three Las Vegas-style casinos built on non-Indian land in upstate New York if the casinos are legalized this year.
Storm preparation — The need to fortify New York’s power and telecommunication systems after Superstorm Sandy. Other proposals among many include: Enhance efforts in workforce training by expanding energy career training, update state building code, update Department of Health’s review of applications for new hospitals and nursing homes, protect New York Harbor, flood-proof subways and bus depots, build redundancies into fuel system.
Minimum wage — Raising the minimum wage to $8.75 an hour from the current $7.25.
Energy — Creating a “Green Bank” to spur private investment in clean energy projects, extending the NY-Sun Solar Jobs program and encouraging local renewable power sources.
Education — Longer school days and years, more prekindergarten, funding based on performance and paying high-performing “master teachers” $15,000 extra a year for four years to teach other teachers.
Gender equality — A Women’s Equality Act to address things like reproductive rights, pay equity, sexual harassment, human trafficking and tougher order-of-protection laws in addition to other forms of discrimination against women.
Campaign finance reform — 48-hour disclosure of contributions over $500, public financing of state elections, lower contribution limits.



Watch live streaming video from newyorkstateofficeofthegovernor at livestream.com New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the "State of the State" address Wed., Jan. 9 at the Capitol in Albany.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 43F; low 25F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 39F; low 25F.[/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: Sunny. High near 46. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 20.

The outlook for the next three days:

Friday: A slight chance of freezing rain and sleet before noon, turning to rain showers in the early afternoon. Cloudy. High near 38. Rain before 10 p.m., with the addition of sleet around midnight. Continued rain overnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 34.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High near 50. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 43.
Sunday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy. High near 53. Rain overnight. Cloudy. Low around 40.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:44 p.m.

Length of the day: 9 hrs., 21 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Thursday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm time and location.)

CHATHAM Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
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

12:02 a.m.: Radio Stew: Ghosts in the Machine First, the news. From Free Speech Radio News: "In Texas, a public school district has been allowed to continue to require students to carry locator chips, according to a ruling by a federal judge Tuesday." And then Layna Berman and Jeffry Fawcett, PhD. discuss electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to children and adults in the short- and long-term. Then, The Magnetic Fields weigh in about "The Machine in Your Hand." Tune in to ghosts in the machine, sounds in the ether, noises from nanotechnology, and other electronic sounds on this show. An excerpt of Hari Kunzru interviewing Joe Banks, author of the book "Rorschach Audio," talking about the use of radio noise and electromagnetic interference in the installation art and electronic music project Disinformation, for Sky TV show "The Lounge" in 1999 will be played. We'll listen to Alan Lamb's recordings of Australian electrical wires, 147 layers of "Call Me Maybe," and Scanner's recorded-and-remixed radio signals, and hear "Haunted Radio" by Dymaxion, and more.
1 a.m.: A Skewed History of Electronica 1939-2012 Produced and engineered by DJ Bennett (chillroom@killradio.org). Set list: John Cage 100th birthday tribute: from Silence / Imaginary Landscape No. 1 (1939) / Empty Words / The Williams Mix (1953) / The Fontana Mix (1958) / Electronica: Can-"Oh Yeah" (1972) / Cabaret Voltaire-Do The Mussolini (Headkick) (1978) / Throbbing Gristle-United (1978) / Fad Gadget-Back to Nature (1979) / Afrika Bambaataa-Planet Rock (1982) single and Planet Rock (Soul Sonic Force) (dub version) (1986) / Kraftwerk-The Model (1978) / Steve "Silk" Hurley-Jack Your Body (1986) / Phuture-Acid Tracks (1987) / The Tape-Beatles-O For Frog (1990) / Arthur Russell-Being It (1986) / 2Unlimited-No Limit (1993) / Massive Attack-Be Thankful for What You've Got (1991) / Burial-Distant Lights (2006) / Burial-Fostercare (2009) / PSY-Gangnam Style (excerpt) (2012) / The Allophone-Bow (2012) (they're a band from Florence Italy founded in 2010) / Julia Holter-This Is Ekstasis (2012) / The Loulees-Send It Back (2012)
3 a.m.: Bob's Slacktime Funhouse: Slouching Toward Graceland Tribute, of sorts, to Elvis Presley.
4 a.m.: Some Assembly Required: Episode 258 Mash-up show featuring work by The Bran Flakes, Ros Bobos, Coldcut, DJ Earworm, Extrakd & Eddie Def, Flying White Dots, g4gorilla, Junk Culture, Lenlow, North American Boat Show, People Like Us and Matmos, Jeffrey Sconce and Twink.
5 a.m.: Radio Theatre: Doubleshot Two recent episodes of "Radio Theatre." First: "Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony" (1930) by Dziga Vertov, 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. Then: "In 1966, then General Manager for KPFK Los Angeles 90.7fm Paul V. Dallas decided to turn to the 24 hour fundraising Marathon technique to raise money for the stations operating expenses. Here is a 5 minute clip from September 13 1966 of a young Pre-Firesign Theatre Peter Bergman and Paul Robbins as they hosted phone calls in their own unique counter-culture way during KPFK's first Marathon fundrive. In the second clip then General Manager Paul V. Dallas speaks to the audience about the program Radio Free Oz after it's first 8 weeks on the air. KPFK was hit with a barrage of letters in support and against this Free Form Radio experiment hosted by Peter Bergman and Paul Robbins. Also included in this show is Dymaxion's "Chase Scene/Transistor Radio," John Ashberry's "Rivers and Mountains" from 1963, and Venus Flytrap from "WKRP in Cincinatti" explaining the atom."

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

6 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. Philip Grant, host.
10 a.m.: Tell It Like It Is: Stephanie Kelton “The Deficit is Too Small, We’re Not Broke and Saving Social Security from its Saviors,” by economist Stephanie Kelton at the S17 Occupy National Teach-In on Inequality, Originally a livestreamed teleconference held Sept. 17, 2012. Hosted by members of the #OWSTeachin Team. Introduction by Cindy Sheehan. Hosted by Christina Malisoff.
11 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
2 p.m.: The Passage: Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Music by Steve Reich and Fred Frith, and a talk by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, author of Mindfulness in Plain English and Abbott of the Bhavana Society Meditation Center at High View, West Virginia. Hosted by Richard Roth.
3:30 p.m.: Radio Theatre: After These Messages Fake and real radio commercials, from yesteryear and the future.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera Englishear
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News
7 p.m.: The Jazz Disturbance: Max Roach Host Cheryl K celebrates Jazz legend Max Roach's birthday.

Thomas Kaplan reports in The New York Times Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will propose Wed., Jan. 9, one of the country’s most restrictive bans on assault weapons. New York is one of seven states with a ban of at least some assault weapons on the books. However, Cuomo has said he wants to broaden the number of guns and magazines covered by the law while also making it harder for gun makers to tweak their products to get around the ban. Since the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, Cuomo has been trying to negotiate an agreement with state lawmakers. The talks continued this week in advance of the State of the State address Wed., when Cuomo is expected to outline the proposal. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail five positions on various boards in the town of Cairo remain open as the town reorganizes itself for the new year. At least two of the positions — chairman of the board of appeals and president of the library board of trustees — have generated some controversy as the town board insists on long-time members undergoing a fair interview process for the positions. Town Supervisor Ted Banta said it was not his intention to remove people from those positions. Instead, he said, it was his hope to open the process up to fair competition for other community members. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star Hudson Common Council President Don Moore announced this week new data for reallocating the weighted vote for the Council and the city's representation on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors is expected soon. The data was generated by a Rutgers University study, nearly a year in the making. The Common Council and Board of Supervisors each utilize a weighted voting system, in which representatives hold varying numbers of votes, based on population. Moore said Council will be presented with several potential changes to the weighted vote numbers at its meeting, Tues., Jan. 15. He said a decrease in the population of the city's Third Ward, combined with a large increase in the Fifth Ward will have a major impact on the Council. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Melanie Lekocevic reports in The Daily Mail the Athens Town Council recently hired labor relations consultant Michael Richardson to help with upcoming negotiations. The labor expert will work with the Council to negotiate an agreement with the town's highway workers. Richardson consults with numerous counties and municipalities throughout the state, including the towns of Catskill and Coeymans. The funds to cover the cost of Richardson's consultant services were included in the 2013 town budget, according to officials. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 45F; low 34F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 43F; 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: Mostly sunny. High near 45. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 27.

The outlook for the next three days:

Thursday: Sunny. High near 40. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 26.
Friday: Scattered snow showers before 10 a.m., turning to rain showers. Cloudy. High near 44. Scattered showers overnight. Cloudy. Low around 37.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High near 51. Mostly cloudy overnight. Low around 41.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:42 p.m.

Length of the day: 9 hrs., 19 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Wednesday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm time and location.)


VILLAGE OF ATHENS Board meets at 6:30 p.m at the Athens Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CLERMONT Planning Board meets at Town Hall at 7 p.m. at 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
COLUMBIA COUNTY holds a full Board of Supervisors meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
COPAKE Resource Advisory Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GHENT Planning Board Application meeting and Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. both at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Planning Commission (tentative) meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
JEWETT Town meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal Bldg. 3547 Co. Rt. 23C (263-4626).
KINDERHOOK Town’s 9 & 9H Corridor Committee meets at 7 p.m. at at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
KINDERHOOK Village Board meeting and budget hearing, 7 p.m. at 6 Chatham Street, Kinderhook (758-9882).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

12:02 a.m.: Radio Stew: January 2013 New Music New sounds from Wooden Wand ("Southern Colorado Song" from "Blood Oaths Of The New Blues"); Neptune ("The Feedback Organ"); Scanner, "Elemental Force (excerpt);" Devendra Banhart ("Für Hildegard von Bingen"); Lorn, ("On the Ice"); Apache Dropout ("Don't Trust Banks"), Mike Shiflet, ("Live at Skylab, 12.28.12 Excerpt"); Yo La Tengo ("Ohm" from "Fade"); Excerpts from Robert Turnamn's "Macro" C-30 cassette (FAB023); "Dubai Dhow Port Night Exploring" Published by Grey Filastine, "from a night spent in Dubai taking fotos and timelapses. Found this port full of beautiful wooden dhows transferring their cargo of washing machines, tires, or sacks of grain. The koranic recitation is direct from car radio, kept it blasting all that night." And other songs.
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: 20130112 Tracklist for Vital Weekly 863, a weekly experimental new music show, formerly by folks behind Staalplaat: 0000 Tune; 0014 P16.D4 - Half Cut Cows; 0313 Martin Schulte - Mental; 0617 Brodrov - Swirl; 0926 Aki Onda - The Sun Clings To The Earth And There Is No Darkness; 1225 Pierre Juillard & Frederique Bruyas - Les Pensees Douces; 1527 Sachiko Nagata & Chiharu MK - Blue Flow IV; 1833 Carlos Suarez Sanchez - Vulgus Veritatis Pessimus Interpres; 2136 Francisco Meirino - The Basement; 2432 Ernie Althoff - Northbrook House Installation; 2738 Florian Wittenberg; 3040 Martin Tetreault; 3329 Vromb Francoeur; 3609 Aljeandro Franov; 3906 Le Syndicat MMX - Obéissance; 4209 Justin Marc Lloyd - Beautiful Erasure; 4446 Tune.
2 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: 20130109 Free jazz, avant-garde jazz, creative improvised music, and poetry/spoken word radio show on eight European radio stations and WGXC/free103point9 in the United States. This week's playlist: Thee Unhip: rent romus and the lords of outland; wig live at the ironworks: ig henneman sextet; pfmentum autobiography of a pronoun: michael vlatkovich ensemblio; el gallo rojo aire: pierro bittolo bon, as bari sax/ riccardo marogna, cl, bcl/ marco quaresimin, b/ niccolo romanin, dr; karl 2000 karl 2000: daniel rovin, sax/ austin white, b/ david miller, dr; delmark gather: fred lonberg holm's fast citizens; andy haas notes on the miasms: andy haas, sax, elec/ ken aldkroft, g; creative sources white smoke: jeffrey morgan, ss, ts/ mike goyvaerts, perc, toys/ willy van buggenhout, ems synth; leo emergent: paul giallorenzo's gitgo; le vent et la gorge: frank gratkowsky quartet; roguart graffiti in two parts: joe morris quartet; drip hemlock: ratchet orchestra.
4 a.m.: Selected Songs: Matthew Shipp Tune in selections from jazz pianist Matthew Shipp's "Greatest Hits" CD due to be released Jan 29, 2013 on the Thirsty Ear label. This show will feature some of those songs, and other "greatest hits" from the pianist.

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

6 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: Law and Disorder: The State of Civil Rights and Public Policy A few weeks ago the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund released secret documents obtained by Freedom of Information Act requests revealing that the Occupy movement was treated as a terrorist threat by the FBI. This is despite agency acknowledgement that the organizers called for peaceful protests. The documents also show massive resources used to track the Occupy movement, a month prior to the encampment in Zuccotti Park. FBI and counter-terrorism agents in offices across the country, from Anchorage to Jacksonville, to Tampa, Virginia, Milwaukee, Birmingham, Memphis and Denver, coordinated with various local and federal law enforcement, to monitor and collect intelligence on OWS. The documents obtained by the PCJF are heavily redacted and the tip of the ice berg says our guest attorney Mara Verheyden Hilliard. We also talk with Mara about her thoughts on the state of civil rights for the year moving forward. WGXC Broadcasts WBAI's Law and Disorder via Pacifica Audioport.
10 a.m.: @Issue: Don Moore Hudson Common Council President, Democrat Don Moore will discuss plans for, and issues facing the city in the year to come. @Issue is hosted by Victor Mendolia, Chairman of the Hudson City Democratic Committee and Second Vice Chairman of the Columbia County Democrats.
11 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
3:30 p.m.: Radio Explosion
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera Englishear
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Ariel Zangla reports in the Daily Freeman the Greene County Legislature's Public Safety Committee Mon., Jan. 7, endorsed a proposed three-year contract with the union that represents the county’s 24 sheriff’s road patrol deputies. The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2011. The proposal provides no raise in the first two years of the contract, but a 1.5 percent pay raise in 2013. County Administrator Shaun Groden said the contract is similar to those made with other employee unions. He said the proposal has already been ratified by the deputies’ union. The agreement must be approved by the full Legislature. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail Meadow Fields Apartments will withdraw its application for a senior housing complex in the town of Cairo, according to the company’s attorney. The company is completely frustrated with the town, Attorney Michael Esslie said. The developer has experienced nothing but harassment since the process began, he said. Meadow Fields proposed to convert a former resort on Mountain Ave. in Purling into senior housing. The company was in talks with the town planning board when a six-month moratorium on development went into effect. The town renewed the moratorium for an additional six months in December. “I have to make decisions that work in the best interest of the entire community,” Town Supervisor Ted Banta told the paper. Meadow Fields is now considering Coxsackie or Catskill as potential locations. The fate of the Purling property is unknown. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jimmy Vielkind is reporting at Capitol Confidential a panel of five appellate justices suggested they would count 53 ballots cast early by poll workers in Ulster County. Lawyers for Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk (KAT-chik) and Republican George Amedore were present Mon., Jan. 7, and questioned by the justices in the appeal filed by Tkaczyk last month after a Montgomery County judge certified Amedore the winner of the 46th Senate District race. The final margin was 37 votes. On Monday, Tkaczyk's attorney argued hypertechnical mistakes on ballots should not disenfranchise otherwise qualified voters. Amedore's attorney said qualified voters should vote, but if they fail "to vote the they're supposed to, they're not entitled to have that ballot cast,..." The justices could make a decision as early as Tues., Jan. 8. The state Senate holds its first session of the year Wed., Jan. 9. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 43F; low 32F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 43F; low 23F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.
FAR LEFT:The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

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

Today: Sunny. High near 41. Mostly clear overnight. Low around 24.

The outlook for the next three days:

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High near 44. Mostly clear overnight. Low around 28.
Thursday: Sunny. High near 43. A slight chance of rain and sleet after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 29.
Friday: A chance of freezing rain and sleet before 10 a.m., then turning to rain showers. Cloudy. High near 41. A chance of showers overnight. Cloudy. Low around 36.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:41 p.m.

Length of the day: 9 hrs., 18 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Tuesday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm time and location.)


CHATHAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COPAKE Board of Ethics, 7 p.m.; Comprehensive Planning Comm., 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234)
COXSACKIE Town board at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

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

6 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting.
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.
11 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
3 p.m.: Social Graces: Carolin Dempsey Carolin Dempsey, owner of Bed and Breakfast in Cooperstown, NY joins host Nan Marron.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera Englishear
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News

Stories that made the news, Jan. 4 to Jan. 7:

Joe Gentile reported in the Register Star Hudson Mayor William Hallenbeck Jr. announced Fri., Jan. 4, the city has been awarded a federal grant for the construction of 3,000 feet of sidewalk on Harry Howard Ave. The town of Greenport filed a similar application to build sidewalks from Joslen Blvd., near Rite-Aid, to Livingston Parkway. One-third of Hudson students live within two miles of school, according to Hudson superintendent Maria J. Suttmeier. The mayor anticipates a two-year wait before construction will begin. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Jim Planck reported in The Daily Mail Catskill town officials have announced the Washington Irving Senior Center is now available for additional purposes. A restriction placed on the use of the center was tied to federal and state funding received in 2006. The Town Board will now begin to develop a facility use policy. The space is now available for a variety of events, including bridal showers, Knights of Columbus meetings and Village Board of Trustees meetings. Village President Vincent Seeley said with the allowable change in use, the village meeting Wed., Jan. 9, will be held at the center. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg reported in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors once again chose Supervisor Patrick Grattan to a second year as chairman of the board. The Kinderhook Republican was elected during the board's organizational meeting, Fri., Jan. 4. Grattan's agenda for the coming year includes tourism, economic development and farmland protection. Matt Murrell of Stockport was chosen as majority leader. William Hughes of Hudson was chose as minority leader. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Claude Haton reported in The Daily Mail the former Savoia Auction site on McLaren Road Extension in South Cairo was destroyed by fire, early Fri., Jan. 4. The huge warehouse, visible from State Route 23, housed a variety of heavy equipment including a semi-tractor and large mowers. The location was an auction house for 30 years before former owner Richard Savoia sold it a year ago to the property's current owner, Joe Naugle. The fire was ruled accidental. It was believed to have been caused by the use of electric heaters to thaw pipes. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

 

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 34F; low 21F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 34F; 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: Mostly sunny. High near 36. Mostly clear overnight. Low around 20.

The outlook for the next three days:

Tuesday: Sunny. High near 40. Mostly clear overnight. Low around 26.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High near 45. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 28.
Thursday: Sunny. High near 41. Partly cloudy overnight. Low around 26.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:40 p.m.

Length of the day: 9 hrs., 16 min.

Town meetings

Today is the first Monday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm time and location.)


ANCRAM Conservation Advisory Council at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
ATHENS Town meeting at 7 p.m. at 2 First Street, Athens (734-3636).
CLAVERACK Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Church Street, Mellenville (672-7911).
CLERMONT Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
TAGHKANIC Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The day ahead on 90.7-FM

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

12:02 a.m.: Radio Stew: 20130107 After the news and weather at the top of the hour, new music from Scanner, KK Null, Yo La Tengo, Lawrence English, Alvin Curran, and others. The Premio Internazionale Arti Sonore (International Sonic Arts Award) has a Jan. 31 deadline for (paid) entries. But they also have a free download of the "Lontano: Homage to Giancinto Scelsi," and this show will feature tracks from the project.
1 a.m. David Ware Tribute Legendary free jazz saxophonist David S. Ware died Thu., Oct. 18. We will play some of his most amazing moments. There is a memorial for him Jan. 7, 2013 in Manhattan.
3 a.m.: Liminal Transmission Rebroadcast from Aug. 30, 2012. "Liminal Transmission" is a theoretical and experiential research-based project concerned with testing the limits of FM radio's frequency response (30Hz - 15kHz). Using tone generators and sound art works that employ frequencies situated along the upper and lower ranges of human auditory perception, this broadcast will probe the poles of the FM frequency response spectrum through a live experiment conducted on WGXC.
5 a.m.: Radia Doubleshot Two episodes of "Radia," including the most recent. "Radia" is a collective of international radio stations interested in new and forgotten ways of making radio art. Each week, one station in the group makes a show for all the others.

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

6 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Hosted by Philip Grant. Morning news, music, interviews features and agriculture reporting.
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.
11 a.m.: Al Jazeera English
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Al Jazeera Englishear
6:30 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News
9:30 p.m.: LunarMoss: ColdWaveNewYear In the belly of winter's cave, juggling icicles, what better than an cold stab of synth, and metronomic beat. Some new sounds off the Clan Destine label, Ela Orleans, Dirty Beaches, and Tropic of Cancer, will be featured.

Tune in to transmission arts programming all day Saturday on WGXC 90.7-FM.

Midnight-2 a.m.: "Alexander Turnquist, Luca Sigurta + Loren Dent + Rotted Psyche"
Rebroadcast of live webstream for this show at Spotty Dog Books & Ale from Jan. 4 at 8 p.m.

4 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?: Which of These News Stories Is Not Like the Others?"
Weekly news mash-up show.

5 a.m. – 7 a.m.: "Shortwave Hours: 20130105"
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"
"The conclusion of Frank Beafore, WS8B's 2012 Hamvention talk on 'Physics & the 1st Antenna' (p.2, 12 mins)."
5:30 a.m., "The Shortwave Report"
With host Dan Roberts and international news via shortwave radio. This week's show features stories from NHK World Radio Japan, Radio Deutsche-Welle, China Radio International, Radio Havana Cuba, and the Voice of Russia.
6 a.m.: "Glenn Hauser's World of Radio"
6:30 a.m.: "Amateur Radio Newsline"
The FCC begins work to create a new Citizens Broadband Service; the ARRL asks the FCC to create a new low frequency band from 472 to 479 kHz as Ireland gives that same spectrum to its ham radio community; the 2013 International DX convention finds a new home at the Visalia California Convention Center and the transistor reaches age 65. Find out the details as we ring in the New Year with Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1847.

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.: "Saturday Morning Serial: Shadows"
"The Shadow" radio theatre show debuted on CBS Jan. 5, 1932. Eighty years later we listen to shadows and go "Shadow Danincing" with Andy Gibb. Listen to old episodes, songs about shadows from Sonic Youth ("Shadow of a Doubt"), Tom Petty ("Shadow of a Doubt [A Complex Kid]"), The Magnetic Fields ("Love in the Shadows"), Yo La Tengo ("Shadows"), Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin ("Me and My Shadow"), Britney Spears ("Shadow"), Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Little Shadow"), Elvis Costello ("Complicated Shadows"), Joni Mitchell ("Shadows and Light"), Lonnie Liston Smith ("Shadows"), and others.

8 a.m. – 10 a.m.: "Open Air: 20130105"
Live from the Catskill Community Center. Host Matt Bua will take calls and suggestions, and accepts walk-in guests live at the Catskill Community Center. Literally "open air"waves for you to take part in. Also weather radio, solar weather, the WGXC Ski Report, and more. Feel free to call in 518-291-WGXC. Tweet song requests @WGXC.

10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: "Radia: Sound Effects"
From free103point9 in upstate New York, a story of sound effects, subverting a documentary-style radio with bits of radio theatre created entirely of sound effects. Music from Spike Jones, Rufe Davis, and Dymaxion, with fake commercials, and more.

10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.: "Radio Wonderland: 20130105"
Joshua Fried remixes New York City radio live from his Brooklyn studio.

11 a.m. – noon: "Framework: Katie Gately"
"Framework," the show about field recordings, acoustic ecology, and found sounds, is on holiday break. This repeat edition of framework:afield, produced in the U.S. by Katie Gately, was first aired on 2008.01.20.

noon - 2 p.m.: "Soundwalk Collective: 10th Anniversary Series"
Over the past ten years, Soundwalk Collective has won international recognition for their work of abstracting and re-composing narrative sound pieces through fragments of reality, and by forging evocative journeys in sound that are exhibited in the form of sound installation and performance. This Anniversary Series will showcase selected works that have both defined and defied the soundscape genre. At noon on Saturdays in the month of January, Soundwalk Collective will showcase eight places on the planet, and their unique sounds. These programs were broadcast first in Nov., 2012 on Resonance FM in London.
Soundwalk Collective is an international art collective based in Berlin and New York City. Since 2000 they have been sonic nomads, embarking on never ending journeys from the desolate land of Bessarabia to the desert of Rub al Khali. By exploring and documenting the world around us through its sounds, the Collective abstracts and re-composes narrative sound pieces through fragments of reality to form distinct audible journeys.
Kill The Ego
New York recordings 2002; Jan. 5, 2012 // Noon ET 6 p.m. GMT
Death Must Die
Recordings from Varanasi India 2004; Jan. 5, 2012 // 1 p.m. ET 6 p.m. GMT

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.: "Dizziness"
Live collage by DJ Dizzy.

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: "The Human Machine"
Weekly show tracing line between man and machine by Max Goldfarb.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: "Saturday Afternoon Show: 2013 Radio Preview"
A survey of the year ahead in radio, including the low-power FM application window in October, and the FCC's current consideration of lowering prison phone call rates, and increasing minority ownership of broadcast stations. There will also be previews of radio art events such as "Deep Wireless" in Toronto in May, Art's Birthday broadcasts around the world Jan. 17, and other events. And this show will preview free103point9 Transmission Art events in 2013, including a week-long Scanner special in February, and live events at Wave Farm in the summer. New recordings from Lorn ("On Thin Ice"), and Mike Shiflet will also be aired, and a rare John Cage television appearance, and more new sounds. Plus reports on local and international shortwave radio, solar weather, and more.

6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: "Mind Over Matters: LPFM"
Interview with Jim Goettler about the upcoming opportunity for non-profits to apply for new low-power FM licenses available in some areas for non-profit organizations. The Federal Communications Commission has set an October, 2013 deadline for groups applying for low-power FM stations. Goettler is a non-profit consultant, community organizer, and national political activist, and former board member for several nonprofits, including Reclaim the Media, and is a past president of the board of the Seattle Folklore Society. Hosted by Mike McCormick. "Mind Over Matters" airs on KEXP 90.3-FM in Seattle.

7 p.m. - 10 p.m.: "The Status of Sound: Writing Histories of Sonic Art"
Presented as a special series broadcast at 7 p.m. on the first three Saturdays in January, The Status of Sound: Writing histories of sonic art was a day-long conference at the Graduate Center City University of New York on November 30, 2012. free103point9 is delighted to share the following presentations and discussions from this lively and important conference with WGXC audiences.
Saturday, January 5, 2012, 7 p.m.:
Sound Practice: Working Across Disciplines
Moderator: Meredith Mowder, Doctoral Student, Art History, The Graduate Center
"Sound Art/Music: Performing Nam June Paik's Early Compositions" Miki Kaneda, MoMA, Ph.D., Music (Ethnomusicology), University of California Berkeley
"Valie Export and the Sexual Politics of Sound" Amalle Dublon, Doctoral Student, Literature (with Certificate in Feminist Studies), Duke University
"The Other Side of Time: Vibration, Mythscience, and the Tapes of DJ Screw" David Michael Perez, M.A. History of Art with Honors, Goldsmiths, London
"Physical Memories: The Audio-visual Assemblages, of Oneohtrix Point Never" Hisham Awad, M.A., in Aural and Visual Cultures, Goldsmiths, London
The Status of Sound is sponsored by the PhD program in Art History, John Rewald Endowment of the PhD Program in Art History and the Center for the Humanities at the Graduate Center. free103point9 extends a special thank you to Andrew Cappetta, Kendra Sullivan, Sarah Resnick, and Katherine Carl for making this broadcast possible.

10 p.m. – 11 p.m.: "Vital Weekly: 20130105"
A weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat.

11 p.m.-midnight: "Alexander Turnquist, Luca Sigurta + Loren Dent + Rotted Psyche"
Rebroadcast of live webstream for this show at Spotty Dog Books & Ale from Jan. 4 at 8 p.m.

midnight - 12:30 a.m.: "What is Music? Radio Play"
Brian Dewan answers George Quasha's question "What is art" or "what is music?" with some radio theatre, followed by a discussion. Recorded at Wave Farm, during a live version of Quasha's "art is?" Quasha records artists answering the question, and this version was recorded live on WGXC 90.7-FM.

12:30 a.m. - 3 a.m.: "Battlefield Earth"
Dan Seward counts down rock critic Chuck Eddy's top singles of 2012.

3 a.m. – 4 a.m.: "Some Assemby Required: Episode 233"
Mash-up show from Featuring work by DJ 8-Ball, B'O'K, The Beige Channel, Escape Mechanism, Steve Fisk, Girl Talk, Go Home Productions, I Cut People, Idiom Creak, Madlib, McSleazy, Bob Ostertag, John Oswald, Poj Masta and team9.

4 a.m. – 5 a.m.: "Pop Defect Radio: Pirates of the Air"
Compilation/Collage of stations id's, clips, samples and songs about shortwave/lpfm Pirate Radio. Produced, mixed by Skidmark Bob from 2004. Some of the stations include Hope radio Intl, Voice of Laryngitis, Radio Caroline, Free Radio Austin FCC Raid on air, WTO Radio Cascadia the program ends with Radio northseas last transmission after being firebombed. Pirate Radio songs playlisted: Ramones We Want The Airwaves; Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper Pirate Radio; AK Subs Rebel Radio; Jiker Pirate Radio; Buckethead A Pirates Life For Me; U Utah Philips NPR Blues; Rage Against The Machine Gurella Radio; Molitov Cocktail FCC; Seth Radio is my Bomb; Refused Liberation Frequency; Jus Kiddin Free the Air. WARNING: Show contains "strong" language.

5 a.m. – 6 a.m.: "This Week in Radio News: 20130106"
Preview of events in radio art in 2013, plus radio-controlled drones, pirates, open calls, and more. New music from Mike Shiflet, others.

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail the Town of Catskill is hiring a part-time administrator to assist with the day-to-day operations of town government. The Town Board gave the green light for the search, Wed., Jan. 2. Officials said funding for the job was included in the town's 2013 budget. The members also chose not to appoint a new councilman to join their ranks. The fifth seat was left vacant following the election of Kevin Lennon to the county Legislature. The four members expressed their preference to allow the voters decide on Lennon's successor in November. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail is reporting a portion of West Bridge St. in Catskill will be limited to one-way traffic, Friday. Central Hudson Gas & Electric is repairing gas lines near the Department of Public Works. Drivers traveling west, from the bridge, will be detoured via either Broome St. or Division St. West Bridge St. will remain open to drivers traveling east, toward the bridge. Delays are expected.

Jimmy Vielkind is reporting at Capitol Confidential George Amedore filed an oath of office, Thurs., Jan. 3. The Rotterdam Republican is prepared to sit in the Senate chamber when it convenes next week, despite an active court case that could undo his election. Amedore was certified as the winner of the 46th Senate District seat over Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk last month. Tkaczyk's campaign has filed a legal appeal of Amedore's certification, contesting the judge's decision to invalidate approximately 450 ballots. In a statement released Thursday, Amedore said he has "tremendous respect for the appellate process" and that he looks forward to a swift decision. A hearing on the matter is set for Mon., Jan. 7. The state Senate is scheduled to meet in session for the first time this year on Tues., Jan. 5. A spokesman said Amedore intends to sit in the chamber next week and could vote as required. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.