Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 79F; low 54F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 77F; low 54F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Today: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 78; low around 56.


The outlook for the next three days:

Tuesday: Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Chance of precipitation 80 percent. High near 72. Occasional rain and possibly a thunderstorm, then rain likely overnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 59.
Wednesday: Chance of showers before noon. Partly sunny. High near 68; low around 46.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 69; low around 47.

Sunrise today: 6:38 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:01 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 23 min.

Town meetings

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

ATHENS Town meeting at 6:45 p.m. at Town Hall, 2 First Street, Athens (734-3636).
AUSTERLITZ Comprehensive plan meeting at 7 p.m., at 812 Route 203, Austerlitz (392-3260).
CANAAN Planning board meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 1647 Route 5 South, Canaan (781-3144).
GERMANTOWN Town Board meets at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (537-6687).
GREENE COUNTY 6 p.m. meetings of Government Ops and Finance committees, plus party caucuses at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENVILLE Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Offices, corner of routes 32 and 81, Greenville (966-8276).

The day ahead at WGXC: Programming notes:

The fall Open Air Pledge Drive continues. Tune in for special guests and programming this week, and contribute what you can to keeping the airwaves open in Greene and Columbia counties!

4 p.m.: The WGXC Afternoon Show will feature a TCI update from Sam Pratt and Patti Matheney, boat restorer/enthusiast Nick Zachos will talk about the Hudson City Sloop Boat Club, a wrap-up of last week's primary results, plus news, events and much more, with hosts Noah Reibel and Melinda Braathen.

After midnight

120 Hours for John Cage continues:

01:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 3. (58:00)
02:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 4. (58:00)

Michael Ryan in The Daily Mail reports that the Prattsville Bridge over Route 23 is tentatively slated to reopen by midnight Friday, according to Prattsville Town Supervisor Kory O’Hara. O’Hara, in a telephone interview with The Daily Mail, said he was advised by New York State Department of Transportation inspectors the bridge would return to one-lane traffic. It was shut down at midnight Monday after the DOT discovered a fracture while sandblasting and warned the bridge could fall down. Prattsville residents are also contending with a bridge on County Route 10, two miles east of Main St., that is currently closed. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Two Republicans State Senators who voted for same-sex marriage faced more conservative challengers in primary elections Thursday, and those races were the big story of the election night. Kathy Marchione leads incumbent Roy McDonald in the Republican 43rd Senate district primary by very few votes, how many is still unsure, with 1100 absentee votes, in a district including parts of Columbia County and areas to the north. To the south of the WGXC listening area, Steve Saland in Dutchess County led Neil DiCarlo by 42 votes with many absentee ballots.

As of 2 a.m., Kathy Marchione is ahead of incumbent Roy McDonald, who voted for the same-sex marriage bill, by either 49 votes (The Daily Gazette), "fewer then 50" (Albany Times-Union), 136 (All Over Albany), or 138 (The New York Times). Capitol Confidential is quoting a source saying McDonald won Columbia County by 12 votes. There are 1100 absentee ballots (399 from Columbia County) still to be counted. McDonald, at campaign headquarters said, "Wow, is this close or what.... This is certainly going to be one of those absentee ballot counts." Reports are it will take two weeks to deal with the absentee votes. Marchione countered: "If I don't win tonight I'll be on the ballot in November as a conservative candidate. I will actively campaign."

Incumbent Steve Saland in Republican primary against Neil DiCarlo in District 41 leads by 42 votes with 100 percent of precincts in, according to The Daily Freeman. Saland backed same-sex marriage last year in the New York State Assembly. Again, this race will go to absentee votes. Saland formerly represented parts of Columbia County before redistricting.

In the Senate District 46th Democrat primary, Capitol Confidential reports Cecilia Tkaczyk of Duanesburg won the Democratic nomination for the new 46th Senate District, and will face Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, in November. Tkaczyk beat Thomas Dolan and Monica Arias Miranda. This district includes Greene County.

The Register-Star reports that in the 107th Assembly District Democratic primary show candidate Cheryl Roberts leading Keith Hammond by a margin of 703-53 in Columbia County. In Rensselaer County, with twelve of 55 election districts in, Roberts led Hammond 420 to 162 votes.

Assemblywoman Didi Barrett and Republican Challenger David Byrne are both vying for the Independence party line in the 106th District, and Byrne is currently winning by one. In Columbia County Byrne leads 56 to 49, while Barrett is ahead in Dutchess county 112 to 106 with about 50 absentee votes.

The Daily Freeman reports With 72 percent of the precincts reporting, incumbent state Sen. James Seward will beat challenger James Blake in the Republican primary in New York's 51st Senate District. Seward led 7,095-1,695, with 188 of 255 precincts reporting. Seward used to represent Greene County before redistricting. His district now stretches from Ulster County west to Tompkins County and north to Herkimer County. In Ulster, it includes the towns of Rochester, Olive, Shandaken and Hardenburgh

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports Kieran Lalor defeated Patrick Manning and Richard Wager for the Republican nomination in the newly created 105th Assembly District. Lalor has 2,907 votes to Manning's 1,564 and Wager's 1,101 in the Dutchess County race.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who refused to prosecute Occupy Albany arrestees, is ahead 57 to 40 percent with 97 percent of results in.

Greene County did not report any results all night. These unofficial results are according to a Democratic party source.
Republican Greene County Legislator Durham
Patricia Handel - 148
Leslie Armstrong - 96

Independence Greene County Legislator Durham
Leslie Armstrong - 13
Patricia Handel - 12

Roy McDonald gave the speech below, posted by the Albany Times-Union.

Jennifer Steinhauer in The New York Times reports that the farm bill is stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives, where there are no efforts to pass it. “Americans want us to work together to get it done for rural America,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan and chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Senator Jerry Moran, Republican of Kansas, also spoke to a crowd of farmers at the Capitol, chiding members of his own party in the House for refusing to bring their own committee’s farm bill to the floor. “Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for something to happen,” he said. The Senate passed the bill earlier in the summer. The House Agriculture Committee's bill, with more cuts, was passed in committee, but House leaders have no plans to vote on either version of the legislation. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Weather right now


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

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 86F; low 63F.[/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: Sunny, with a high near 81. Friday night there is a 50 percent chance of showers, mainly between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.

The outlook through the weekend:

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70, a low around 41.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 66, a low around 44.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 71, a low around 55.

Sunrise today: 6:35 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:06 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 31 min.

Town meetings

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

HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The day ahead at WGXC: Programming notes

7 p.m. Guest DJ Tommy Stinson, the bass player from The Replacements and Guns N' Roses, plays records with Dan Seward, from Bunnybrains.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200"] John Cage would have turned 100 this week. Photo from Wikipedia.[/caption]

120 Hours for John Cage
Sat. Sept. 15, 2012
01:00: the he and the she of it, Bernard Clarke (16:20)
02:00: 5984))NODE, _7397468193684(, -----, ((166720107461622)), Scott Danek (06:04)
03:00: Discrepancy In Flow II (for John Cage), Nathan Hubbard (04:02)
12:00: Talk Radio for John Cage, The WFMU Hoof'n'Mouth Tabernacle Choir led by Kurt Gottschalk (06:02)
13:00: electrostática (Antarctica), Martha Riva Palacio Obón (02:07)
16:00: Failure, A Writer’s Life, Joe Milutis (tbd)
17:00: the he and the she of it, Bernard Clarke (16:20)
19:00: Staticage, David Schafer (32:51)
20:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 1. (58:00)
21:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 2. (58:00)
22:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 3. (58:00)
23:00: Cage Transmitted, Strange Attractor with Stephen Vitiello. Night 1. Part 4. (58:00)


WGXC is currently hosting the WGXC Fall Pledge Drive. Please help us meet our goal of raising $30,000 to cover the station's annual operating expenses. Tune in for special guests and programming all week, and donate online by going to wgxc.org/donate.

State primary races, Sept. 13, 2012

Polls open 12 p.m. (noon) to 9 p.m.

State Senate
District 41

Republican primary

Neil A. DiCarlo v. Steven M. Saland

District 43

Republican primary

Kathleen A. Marchionne v. Roy J. McDonald

Conservative primary

Edward J. Gilbert v. Roy J. McDonald

District 46
Three-way Democrat primary

Cecilia F. Tkaczyk, Monica M. Arias Miranda and Thomas E. Dolan

State Assembly
District 105
Three-way Republican primary

Kieran Michael Lalor, Patrick Manning and Richard Wager

District 107
Democrat primary

Keith Hammond v. Cheryl Roberts

Working Families primary

Brenda J. Mahar v. Cheryl Roberts

GREENE COUNTY PRIMARY POLLING SITES

Greene County Board of Elections: 518-719-3550

Ashland Town Hall
Athens
Dist 1 & 3 Senior Citizens Bldg
Dist 2 & 4 Lime St Fire Co
Cairo
Dist 1 - 7 Lutheran Church Hall
Catskill
Dist 1-6 Senior Center
Dist 7, 8 & 13 Catskill Fire Co
Dist 9 & 14 Kiskatom Fire House
Dist 10 Palenville Fire Co
Dist 11 & 12 Leeds Fire House
Coxsackie
Dist 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 Village Bldg
Dist 4 Earlton Fire House
Durham
Dist 1 & 2 E Durham Fire House
Greenville
Dist 1 - 3 St Johns Church Hall
Halcott Grange Hall
Hunter
Dist 1 & 4 Tannersville Village Hall
Dist 2 Hunter Village Hall
Dist 3 Haines Falls Fire House
Jewett Municipal Bldg
Lexington
Dist 1 & 2 Municipal Bldg
New Baltimore
Dist 1 N Balt Fire House
Dist 2 & 4 Town Hall
Dist 3 Medway Fire House
Prattsville Town Hall
Windham
Dist 1 & 2 Windham Wastewater Plant

COLUMBIA COUNTY POLLING SITES

Columbia County Board of Elections: 518-828-3115

Ancram 1 Ancram Town Hall 1416 County Route 7 Ancram 329-6512
Ancram 2 Ancramdale Fellowship Hall County Route 8 Ancramdale 329-0741
Austerlitz 1 Spencertown Firehouse Memorial Drive Spencertown 392-5250
Austerlitz 2 Spencertown Firehouse Memorial Drive Spencertown 392-5250
Canaan 1 Canaan Town Hall 1647 County Route 5 Canaan 781-0113
Canaan 2 Canaan Town Hall 1647 County Route 5 Canaan 781-0113
Chatham Chatham Town Hall, 488 State Route 295 Chatham 392-1655
Chatham Mary E. Dardess Elem. School, 50 Woodbridge Ave. Chatham 392-2255
Chatham Tri Village Fire Dept., 111 County Route 13 Old Chatham 794-7777
Claverack 1 A B Shaw Fire House 67 State Route 23 851-6221
Claverack 2 A B Shaw Fire House 67 State Route 23 851-6221
Claverack 3 Claverack Town Hall 836 State Route 217 672-4468
Claverack 4 Philmont Village Hall 122 Main St. 672-7032
Claverack 5 Churchtown Fire House 2219 County Route 27 851-5194
Clermont 1 Clermont Town Hall 1795 US Highway 9 Clermont 537-6868
Copake 1 Copake Town Hall 230 Mountain View Rd. Copake 329-1234
Copake 2 Copake Recreational Center 301 Mountain View Rd. Copake 329-4242
Gallatin 1 Gallatin Town Hall 667 County Route 7 Gallatin 398-7519
Germantown 1 Comm. & Youth Activity Bldg. 54 Palatine Park Rd. Germantown 537-4600
Germantown 2 Comm. & Youth Activity Bldg. 54 Palatine Park Rd. Germantown 537-4600
Ghent 1 Mary E. Dardess Elem. School 50 Woodbridge Ave. Chatham 392-2255
Ghent 2 Ghent Town Hall 2306 State Route 66 Ghent 392-4644
Ghent 3 West Ghent Community Center 1041 County Route 22 Ghent 822-9599
Ghent 4 West Ghent Community Center 1041 County Route 22 Ghent 822-9599
Greenport 1 Questar III 131 Union Turnpike 828-4157 828-7464
Greenport 2 Becraft Pumper No. 2 257 County Route 14
Greenport 3 Questar III 131 Union Turnpike 828-4157
Hillsdale 1 Hillsdale Fire House 9387 State Route 22 Hillsdale 325-4721
Hillsdale 2 Hillsdale Fire House 9387 State Route 22 Hillsdale 325-4721
Hudson 1-1 St. Mary's Academy 301 Allen St 828-0843
Hudson 2-1 St. Mary's Academy 301 Allen St 828-0843
Hudson 3-1 St. Mary's Academy 301 Allen St 828-0843
Hudson 4-1 Columbia County Office Bldg. 401 State St 828-3115
Hudson 5-1 Hudson Central Fire Station 77 North 7th 828-3009
Hudson 5-2 Hudson Central Fire Station 77 North 7th 828-3009
Kinderhook 1 McNary Center St. 6 Sylvester St 758-6271
Kinderhook 2 McNary Center St. 6 Sylvester St 758-6271
Kinderhook 3 St. John's Parish Hall 1023 Kinderhook St 758-9401 Valatie
Kinderhook 4 St. John's Parish Hall 1023 Kinderhook St 758-9401 Valatie
Kinderhook 5 Martin Van Buren Nat'l Historic Site 1013 Old Post Road 758-9689
Kinderhook 6 Ichabod Crane Central School 2910 Route 9 758-7559 Valatie
Kinderhook 7 Ichabod Crane Central School 2910 Route 9 758-7559 Valatie
Kinderhook 8 Ichabod Crane Central School 2910 Route 9 758-7559 Valatie
Livingston 1 Livingston Town Hall 119 County Route 19 Livingston 851-9441
Livingston 2 Elizaville Fire House 1575 County Route 19 Elizaville 845-756-2140
New Lebanon 1 Church / Immaculate Conception 732 US Highway 20 New Lebanon 794-7651
New Lebanon 2 Church / Immaculate Conception 732 US Highway 20 New Lebanon
Stockport 1 St. John the Evangelist Church 107 County Route 25 Stockport 828-3465
Stockport 2 St. John the Evangelist Church 107 County Route 25 Stockport 828-3465
Stuyvesant 1 Stuyvesant Town Hall 5 Sunset Drive Stuyvesant 758-6248
Stuyvesant 2 Stuyvesant Town Hall 5 Sunset Drive Stuyvesant 758-6248
Taghkanic 1 Taghkanic Town Hall 909 State Route 82 Taghkanic 851-7638

Thomas Kaplan writes in The New York Times on the primary fight facing State Senator Roy McDonald in the 43rd Senate District, Thursday. The newly drawn 43rd includes Columbia, Rensselaer and parts of Saratoga and Washington counties. McDonald, who Kaplan describes as a blunt-spoken son of the old mill city of Troy, has held elected office for more than three decades. But even in a year in which economic issues are dominating many local and national campaigns, McDonald, 65, is having a hard time making job development the subject of his re-election bid. Instead, his campaign has become a referendum on a single decision: His choice to cast one of the key votes that made same-sex marriage legal in New York last year. McDonald’s challenger, Kathleen Marchione, the Saratoga County clerk, is accusing McDonald of deceiving the voters who elected him by changing his position on same-sex marriage, which he opposed in the past. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 84F; low 50F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F; low 55F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Today: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Sunny. Clear overnight. High near 82; low around 55.

The outlook through the weekend:

Friday: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms overnight. High near 82; low around 56.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 73; low around 47.
Sunday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 72; low around 47.

Sunrise today: 6:33 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:08 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 35 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Thursday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting 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 at WGXC: Programming notes

6 a.m. to 9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show: Liv Carrow Following "Democracy Now!" (at 8 a.m.) and local news headlines (at 9 a.m.) Hudson singer Liv Carrow is on the air singing and talking with host Philip Grant.
10 a.m.: Tell It Like It Is: John Amidon and Megan Rice John Amidon, anti-nuclear activist and chapter head of the Capital Region Veterans for Peace will be in studio, joined on the phone by sister Megan Rice. Sister Megan Rice, 82, is a Roman Catholic nun of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and two male accomplices carried out what nuclear experts call the biggest security breach in the history of the nation’s atomic complex, making their way to the inner sanctum of the the Oak Ridge nuclear reservation where the United States keeps crucial nuclear bomb parts and fuel. With flashlights and bolt cutters, the three pacifists defied barbed wire as well as armed guards, video cameras and motion sensors to penetrate the facility, early on July 28. They splashed blood on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility — a new windowless, half-billion-dollar plant encircled by enormous guard towers — and hung banners outside its walls. “Swords into plowshares,” read one, quoting the Book of Isaiah. “Spears into pruning hooks.” The plant holds the nation’s main supply of highly enriched uranium, enough for thousands of nuclear weapons. Sister Rice spent 6 months in a federal prison Tune in to find out why and more. Hosted by Christina Malisoff.
12 p.m. (noon): Crossroads in Rhythm
2 p.m.: After the Flood: Forum on Flood Coverage WGXC's Dharma Dailey talks to reporters, citizen journalists, bloggers, Tweeters and Facebook updaters about how they covered the storm. In the hope we can face the next emergency a bit better prepared, we share our findings in the Forum on Flood Coverage, held at Scribner Hollow Lodge in Hunter, Sept. 5.
7 p.m.: The Jazz Disturbance: Tom Masterson and Chud Fusk Host Cheryl K. Masterson welcomes WGXC DJ Chud Fusk ("The Chud Fusk Show") and WGXC programmer Tom Masterson ("Your Friendly Neighborhood Economist") to co-host this special Open Air edition.
9:30 p.m.: '69: Brian Dewan Join the Magic Stranger and Catskill musician Brian Dewan as they discuss the demise of the Beatles and other current events from September 1969.

After midnight

120 Hours for John Cage continues:

01:00: Cashier Concerto, Ingeborg Entrop (03:20)
02:00: I met John Cage On The Road To Skibbereen & Walls Have hEars p433, Danny McCarthy (09:34)
03:00: Slow Birds, Ecoarttech (28:00)

Nathan Mayberg reports in The Daily Mail the village of Catskill has been identified for a priority project by the Capital Region Economic Development Council, for downtown and waterfront enhancement, as part of the construction of the Catskill Creek Walking Loop. The announcement was made Tues., Sept. 11, during a meeting of CREDC at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. At the same time the Council announced a list of new projects, it announced that just $1 million had been disbursed to businesses approved last year for approximately $63 million in funding. The Town of Prattsville was also identified for a priority project calling for the acquisition of property and redevelopment of the hamlet above flood stage to create new housing and commercial opportunities. Projects at the Olana Historic Site and Catamount Resort in Columbia County were also identified. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The New York State Department of Transportation released the following press release Tue., Sept. 11:

[The NYS DOT] has temporarily closed the Route 23 bridge over the Schoharie Creek (Prattsville Bridge) in Prattsville, Greene County, after bridge engineers found structural defects in the bridge's steel. "The Department fully understands the inconvenience and hardship that the bridge closure will cause to the traveling public," said NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. "Our goal is to get the bridge repaired and safely re-opened as quickly as we can." DOT crews are conducting field analyses to determine the repair plan. A signed detour is in place, directing motorists along State Routes 23, 30 and 990V, as well as County Roads 53, 7 and 39. This is not related to last year's damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Those storms caused washouts of the bridge's approaches and abutments necessitating closure. They did not affect the steel structure. NYSDOT will provide updates as repairs progress.

The Water Well Journal breaks down the numbers from a new U.S. Geological Survey showing slightly more than half —53 percent— of New York state’s groundwater contains a detectable amount of methane. "The USGS compiled the information from its National Water Information System because of the growing controversy about whether shale gas drilling contaminates groundwater," the Journal reports. "Hydraulic fracturing is required to extract gas from the Marcellus Shale. But fracturing doesn’t cause methane contamination. Stray gas is usually attributed to faulty well construction." Two percent of the groundwater here has methane at a level that the Office of Surface Mining says warrants “immediate action,” the report says. and 7 percent has enough of gas to warrant investigation of whether it’s being used for drinking water. Read the whole story in the Water Well Journal. The link for a USGS press release is below at the WGXC Newsroom.



A recent study that looked at groundwater samples from more than 200 wells across New York State found levels of naturally-occurring methane high enough to warrant monitoring or other actions in nine percent of the water samples tested, according to U.S. Geological Survey research.

While 91 percent of samples tested found no dissolved methane, or levels below the threshold that would require monitoring, seven percent of these wells tested at levels above 10 milligrams per liter, the level at which well owners should contact local health departments for information on monitoring or remediation. An additional two percent tested at levels above 28 milligrams per liter, a level that requires removal of any potential ignition source and venting the gas away from confined spaces to avoid possible explosive conditions.

In the state of New York, an estimated six million people get their drinking water from groundwater. The findings of this study highlight the importance of well owners understanding the source and quality of their drinking water.

"Methane in groundwater has been much in the news on account of the potential association with unconventional energy development, but citizens need to be aware that methane occurs naturally in some groundwater systems," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "When present, methane can be dangerous and yet difficult to detect by the consumer, hence the importance of testing groundwater for the presence of this dissolved gas."

The findings are based on randomly selected water wells that draw their water from either bedrock or unconsolidated aquifers. The samples were collected and analyzed by USGS from 1999—2011 across the state as part of several groundwater-quality studies. The findings for New York are similar to those seen in studies of other northeastern U.S. states.

"The research is important because it raises the awareness of the natural quality of people’s drinking water" said William Kappel, lead author of the study. "Well owners should work with local health departments to understand the quality of their drinking water to know if methane or other chemicals are present."

Methane is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can be flammable or even explosive. It can trigger an explosion in enclosed or confined spaces containing oxygen coupled with an ignition source such as an open flame or electrical spark. Methane can also displace air in structures and act as an asphyxiate at high concentrations, replacing oxygen in the circulatory system. The burning of methane can also produce toxic gases.

Methane comes from several different sources, and can be naturally released to the land surface in its gaseous state or from drinking-water wells as dissolved methane across most of New York and surrounding states. Because of this, methane may be present in drinking-water wells, in the water produced from these wells, and may accumulate in the associated water-supply system.

These findings provide background information on the presence of dissolved methane in New York’s groundwater as more research on dissolved methane in well water is planned across the state, allowing residents to understand more about the quality of their drinking water. With ongoing unconventional gas development in Pennsylvania and surrounding states and possible unconventional gas development in New York State, knowing the current quality of groundwater is important to establish baseline water-quality conditions for individual and public water-supply wells.

About Methane

Methane is formed through two different processes:
Biogenic methane is produced through 'recent', within the last 20,000 years, decomposition of organic matter at shallow depths and low temperatures, as in swamps or landfills; it is also produced within glacial deposits that have decomposing organic matter (drift gas).
Thermogenic methane is produced from organic matter buried millions of years ago and has undergone physical and chemical changes at great temperatures and pressures.
Methane, while highly flammable and potentially explosive, shares similarities with the carbon dioxide used to make beverages 'fizz'. When under pressure, the methane or carbon dioxide is dissolved in the fluid, but when the pressure is reduced, the gas is released from the fluid. This release of pressure releases the carbon dioxide gas to create the fizz in beverages. In the case of methane, the release of pressure releases the gas that might accumulate in the airspace above the water in a well or in the plumbing of a home.
Dissolved methane found in groundwater and as gas in the air space above the water in a well does change seasonally and even daily. Seasonal changes in groundwater level and even barometric pressure changes can change the concentration of methane found in wells. Therefore a single methane concentration value is just an indication of the presence or absence of methane at the time of the collection of the water sample.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 82F; low 50F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F; low 54F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Today: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Sunny. Clear overnight. High near 81; low around 52.

The outlook for the next three days:

Thursday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 82; low around 54.
Friday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 81; low around 55.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Partly cloudy overnight. High near 76; low around 53.

Sunrise today: 6:32 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:10 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 38 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Wednesday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting 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 Committee 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 at WGXC: Programming notes

12 p.m. (noon): The Schoemer Show: Vetiver In celebration of the WGXC Fall Pledge drive theme Open Air, Vetiver will stop by the WGXC Hudson studio for an interview and live acoustic performance in advance of the band's show that evening at Helsinki Hudson.
2 p.m.: Work Show Host and producer Paul Smart looks into the sometimes delicate and usually rewarding interplay between volunteer and spec work and paying jobs, especially as they relate to WGXC. Interviewees include writer and wordsmith Deborah Artman, a regular interviewee of Catskill-area artists for the station; station manager Lynn Sloneker, and music producer and writer Karen Schoemer (whose show precedes the Work Show.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Sam Alvarez from the Catskill Public Library will join us for a conversation on the challenges that face libraries in a digital age of limited public funding. Plus news, events and music from Jill Sutton, Peter Krug, and Ron Diamondstein live from the Catskill Community Center.
9 p.m.:  Live from the Red Dot Open Mic: Open Air Pledge Drive How better to embrace Open Air than by sharing tunes and tricks at the Red Dot Open Mic? Tune in or turn out to listen or contribute your own sounds for this special pledge drive edition of live at the Red Dot Open Mic. If you'd like to participate, please contact rob@midhudsonmedia.com or jess@wgxc.org to confirm your performance spot. The Red Dot is located at 321 Warren St. in Hudson.

After midnight

120 Hours for John Cage continues:

01:00: Riverbroadening , Matt Davis (28:30)
02:00: The butterfly flip, Emmanuel Mieville (03:31)
03:00: The truth we know', Sally Rodgers/Steve Jones (05:25)

Lissa Harris is reporting at the Watershed Post the company behind the Constitution Pipeline will hold two meetings this week, in Cobleskill and Oneonta. The Constitution Pipeline is a planned 121-mile natural gas pipeline that will bring gas from Susquehanna County in northern Pennsylvania to the Iroquois and Tennessee pipelines in Schoharie County. The pipeline has drawn opposition from some landowners whose land its proposed route would cross. Locals and elected officials have pressed the company to route it along the I-88 corridor to minimize the impact on the landscape. This so-called, "Route M" will be the main item on the agenda during the meetings this week. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which must approve the pipeline before construction can start, will hold public hearings later this month. Read the full story at the Watershed Post.

[caption id="attachment_22763" align="alignright" width="240"] Image from 511.[/caption]At midnight Tue., Sept. 11, the Department of Transportation closed the Rt. 23 bridge over the Schoharie creek in Prattsville after they found a fracture Mon., Sept. 10 while sandblasting. "We were told it is a critical fracture and could cause the bridge to fail at anytime," the Prattsville Hose Company posted on its Facebook page. The bridge was damaged in the floods surrounding Hurricane Irene a year ago. Route 23 is closed at the Town of Prattsville/Town of Ashland line. The NYS DOT's 511 map of traffic and transit information announced the Prattsville bridge closure at 12:35 a.m., after it was widely announced on social media. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Fri., Sept. 7 that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) received two Best of New York awards from the Center for Digital Government – the Most Innovative Use of Social Media award and the Demonstrated Excellence in Project Management award – for the Department’s 511NY traffic conditions notification system. But the 511 map was widely criticized as inaccurate after the floods surrounding Hurricane Irene in our area last year. WGXC's Dharma Dailey surveryed many members of the local media about the map, and many said they found the 511 map "useless." A Columbia County man, Don Meltz, created his own map that was shared among the local media through The Watershed Post that all agreed contained better information. The DOT suggest motorists use Prattsville-Gilboa Road, Prattsville Road, 990V, and Route 30 to get around the bridge closure "until further notice."

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 75F; low 43F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 72F; low 46F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Today: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Sunny. Clear overnight. High of 75; low around 49.

The outlook for the next three days:

Wednesday: Sunny. Clear overnight. High near 82; low around 54.
Thursday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 84; low around 54.
Friday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 82; low around 56.

Sunrise today: 6:31 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:12 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 41 min.

Town meetings

Today is the second Tuesday of the month.
(WGXC suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting 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 at WGXC: Programming notes

2 p.m. Open Air with Matt Bua Matt Bua beams in from WGXC's Catskill Studio for a special hour-long broadcast in honor of WGXC's Fall Pledge Drive, Open Air.
4 p.m. WGXC Afternoon Show: Prattsville WGXC revisits the biggest story in this region in years, and for years to come. Prattsville was nearly wiped off the map with the floods surrounding Hurricane Irene. We will report on the Route 23 bridge in Prattsville, closed at midnight again after fractures were found Mon., Sept. 10. The show will feature several interviews that WGXC's Jess Puglisi and Lynn Sloneker did from Prattsville recently. Plus, we will look back at Sept. 11, 11 years later. Plus a new report about how 53 percent of New York's ground water contains methane. And the show previews new albums released Sept. 11 from Hudson-based Buke & Gase ("Function Falls" EP) and Bob Dylan ("Tempest" LP). Plus news, music, and Greene County events from Peter Krug.
7 p.m. Long Hairs: Arvo Pärt, Sam Sebren A special two-part show. First, on this day of his birth 75 years ago, in recognition and reverence of the great composer Arvo Pärt, we'll be playing an hour (or so) of his shimmering, beautiful, minimalist music. Then, as the fullness of night settles upon us, Sam Sebren enters the Hudson studio for a DJ tag-team set. On this WGXC Open Air Pledge Drive Special edition, you will be begging us to take all of your money in order for 'Long Hairs' to continue forever. Turn it up and give us a call.

After midnight

120 Hours for John Cage continues:

01:00: Talk Radio for John Cage, The WFMU Hoof'n'Mouth Tabernacle Choir led by Kurt Gottschalk (06:02)
02:00: electrostática (Antarctica), Martha Riva Palacio Obón (02:07)
03:00: Ghosting, Jeremy Kelly (19:33)

Some of the stories that made the news, Sept. 7 to 10.

Trevor Alford reported in the Register Star the state Department of Environmental Conservation has declared the Bouchard Junkyard no longer a significant threat to public health or the environment. During an $8 million cleanup in 2008, 78,000 tons of the junkyard's PCB-contaminated soil was removed. The 17-acre site, located on the north side of U.S. Route 20 in New Lebanon, was used as a junkyard in the 1960s and closed in 1971 after it was found to be operating without a license. In 1980, General Electric provided information to the DEC suggesting drums of oil and PCBs had been improperly disposed of on site. While the site will require continued management, most of the contamination is under control and the site will be properly closed, according to the DEC. Read the full story in the Register Star.

W.T. Eckert talked to Charles M. Brooks, the newly appointed executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, for The Daily Mail. Brooks outlined some personal goals for his first  90 days, including: Developing a working relationship with staff, building relationships with board members, preparing for the development of a written five-year strategic plan for the organization and to gain some understanding of the cooperative's finances. Brooks called CCE a very responsible organization with great staff and great programs. Brooks succeeded Andy Turner as CCE executive director. Turner was a member of the WGXC Radio Council, the community radio station's advisory group. Read the full interview in The Daily Mail.

Melanie Lekocevic reported in The Daily Mail the battle over outdoor music and a potential noise ordinance continues in Athens. A recent Village Board meeting drew a large crowd of residents expressing opinions on both sides of the controversy. The issue was raised early in the summer when neighbors on S. Water Street, local musicians and Dionysos Restaurant sparred over how late, and how loud, music performed in the eatery’s outdoor pavilion could be performed. Mayor Andrea Smallwood said there are no plans to ban outdoor music. “The issue is timing and volume, but not to ban it," she said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 70F; low 43F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 72F; low 45F.[/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. Clear overnight. High near 71; low around 44.

The outlook for the next three days:

Tuesday: Sunny. Clear overnight. High of 73; low around 48.
Wednesday: Sunny. Clear overnight. High near 82; low around 52.
Thursday: Sunny. Mostly clear overnight. High near 83; low around 54.

Sunrise today: 6:30 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:13 p.m.
Length of the day: 12 hrs., 43 min.

Town meetings

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

ASHLAND Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636)
CATSKILL Village meeting at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE holds Buildings & Grounds, Conservation, Public Safety, Highway, Government Operations, and Finance committee meetings at 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Informal meeting of Common Council at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Village meeting at 8 p.m.
NEW BALTIMORE Town meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671)/
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).

School board meeting

HUDSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m., Hudson High School library, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson (828-4360). Meeting begins with a Special Education workshop.

The day ahead at WGXC: Programming notes

12 p.m. Monday Musical Matinee: New Ideas The Piano of John Cage & Friends The palette of piano sounds was expanded in the hands of John Cage and his teacher Henry Cowell. Listeners will hear music by both composers, as well as students and contemporaries who were part of the stream of new ideas about the piano as a sound source: Morton Feldman, Bunita Marcus, Sorrel Doris Hays, et al.
3:30 p.m.  Bound by Books: Battle of the Books, Quinn Gunter Emily Chamedies and the Bound By Books tweens will be talking about the Battle of the Books, Quinn Gunter's two years of radio-making and why WGXC is so important! Listen this afternoon and call in to make a pledge in support of youth radio on WGXC!
9:30 p.m.: LunarMoss: Alexander Turnquist, Logan Visscher, and Peter Aaron For WGXC's Open Air Fall Pledge drive DJ LunarMoss brings in Alexander Turnquist, Logan Visscher, and Peter Aaron for a round-robin DJ set.

After midnight

120 Hours for John Cage continues:

01:00: Gowanus Mix, Jean-philippe Antoine (29:04)
02:00: Heaven Is Already Gone, Lee Rosevere (05:26)
03:00: Leave It or Double It, Gregory Whitehead (33:33)

These songs and albums are in heavy rotation this month on WGXC, especially during the "transmission arts" moments after midnight and all day Saturday at 90.7-FM.

Animal Collective, "Centipede Hz" (Domino)

Steven Hyden in Grantland writes: "There is much to admire about the construction of Centipede Hz. It is a loose concept record about the radio; specifically, what happens to all those commercials and station identifications once they escape the Earth and get flung into outer space.... There is no "story" to Centipede Hz, and the concept is hardly overbearing, but it does inform the sound of the record: The songs crackle and move in and out of focus; sometimes, like on the violently metallic opener "Moonjock," snippets of alien melodies and disembodied voices appear suddenly in the mix."

Bob Dylan "Tempest" from "Tempest" (Columbia)
The title song of Bob Dylan's latest album is a 14-minute epic with a bit less structure and a slower gait then "Hurricane," telling the story of the Titanic sinking. There are strings on deck near the end, and references to the artist Leo. The sinking of the ship led to the Radio Act of 1912 in September, mandating radio-monitoring onboard ships and coasts. The song below is not the song in question, but another from the album in stores Sept. 11.


Samara Lubelski, "Wavelength" (DeStilj)
With a vague radio title, this latest collection of whispered songs from the Hall of Famer is another classic. She includes Hall of Famers PG Six on guitars and Helen Rush on Casio; plus Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley on drums; Moritz Finkbeiner on keyboards; Thilo Kuhn on Mellotron and vibraphone; Werner Notzel on organ guitar; and Willie Lane and Brian Sullivan contributed guitar parts as well.


Scanner, "Heart and Soul," unreleased demo for Live_Transmission project with Heritage Orchestra, re-scoring and arranging the music of Joy Division.

"This is my early studio demo that was then arranged for the orchestra and live band to be performed on stage at the Brighton Festival in May 2012. It's a twisted take on Joy Division's Heart and Soul," writes Scanner.

Swans, The Seer (Young God)
Saugerties-based Michael Gira's latest is getting great reviews, as audiences have caught up with the band's sound. National Public Radio previewed this album, if that is any indication of the widespread acceptance of a once fringe band.

Cooper-Moore and Assif Tsahar “The Eight,” "tells untold" (Hopscotch)
Free download available of track from two NYC free jazz legends.


Chris Lee, "Bury the Kings," "Bury the Kings" (Vampire Blues)
"Bury the Kings" is the fourth album by Brooklyn's Chris Lee, and was produced by Steve Shelley at Sonic Youth's Echo Canyon studio with by David Nagler on keyboards, Aaron McClellan on bass, Joey McClellan on guitar, and Shelley on drums.

Chris Lee: Bury The Kings from rumur on Vimeo.

Six Organs of Admittance, "Waswasa," "Ascent" (Drag City)


Jim Jarmusch and Jozef Van Wissem with "The Sun of the Natural World is,"
Jarmusch, the filmmaker, and Van Wissem make music for a short film by Diego Barrera that references mythology, the elements, and symbolism.


Aaron Dilloway and Jason Lescalleet, "Grapes and Snakes" (Pan-Act)


Bob Mould, "The Descent"

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a potentially significant damaging wind event across much of the northeastern U.S. on Saturday afternoon. Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across the northern Mid-Atlantic region into New England during the afternoon and evening hours. So far, there is a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" for the entire area. "Tornado potential will be maximized during the mid-late afternoon hours from NE Penn. into the Hudson Valley," according to the alert.