Margaretville Remembrance Day - Hurricaine Irene 08 30 12 from VeccVideography on Vimeo.

"On Thu., Aug. 30, the village of Margaretville came together to reflect on the Irene floods. Local videographer Jess Vecchione produced the video above, using footage taken at the ceremony. In it, she juxtaposes shots of the incredible devastation wreaked on the village of Margaretville a year ago with the voices of prominent local citizens talking about where Margaretville is today. Middletown supervisor Marge Miller talks about why the ceremony of remembrance was held: "We really needed something to say, 'We've made it, we're here, we still have struggles and concerns, but we're getting there.'"

Stories that made the news Aug. 30 to Sept. 3.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="256"] Students in classroom
Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School
(Courtesy wajcs.org)[/caption]

New York State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. Thurs., Aug. 30, identified 70 districts, as Focus Districts, under the state's new accountability designations. Three school districts in Columbia and Greene counties were named to the list: Catskill Central, Cairo-Durham Central and Hudson City. NYSED also released a list of Reward Schools, schools that made the most progress or that have the highest rate of achievement in the state. The 400-student, K-12 Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School in northern Greene County was the lone twin counties representative on that list. Focus Districts were identified as a result of their low performance and lack of progress in English Language Arts and math combined, or due to low graduation rates for one or more specific groups of students. Read the full story at unmuffled.

Nathan Mayberg reported in the Register Star the Columbia County Department of Social Services Building Renovation Committee has developed a four-page punch list of repairs and renovations for the building housing the department, located at 25 Railroad Ave. in Hudson. Among the concerns: Lack of privacy for clients and security for staff. The committee hopes to install a new phone system, replace fixtures, countertops and stalls in the bathrooms, expand the parking lot and pedestrian walkways and possibly add a metal detector and security cameras. No word on what the renovations will cost. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Ariel Zanga reported in the Daily Freeman Greene County lawmakers are still considering a proposed local law to establish reporting and filing requirements for dealers in second-hand goods and precious metals, according to Legislator William Lawrence. The Cairo Republican told the paper the Legislature will clean up the wording of the proposed law before the measure is put to a vote by the end of the year. Lawmakers met with resistance from those who own or work in second-hand businesses, including antique dealers, during a public hearing held in July. Speakers complained a requirement to obtain a license and bond was costly, and the reporting mandated by the law were time-consuming and difficult to fulfill. Lawrence said the new law was drafted at the request of the Greene County Sheriff's Office and the NY State Police. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 81F; low 63F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F; 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 Catskill, in Greene ounty:

Today: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 79; low around 64. Tonight, a chance of showers, mainly after midnight.

The outlook for the next three days:


Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 76; low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 83; low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Thursday: Scattered thunderstorms before 8 a.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 8 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 87; low around 61.


Sunrise today: 6:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:25 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs., 02 min.

Town meetings

Today is the first Monday of the month and a legal holiday.
WGXC is unaware of any public meetings scheduled for today.

Amtrak is running on its holiday schedule.
Banks and financial markets are closed.
County, state and federal offices are closed.
No mail delivery; Post Office is closed.

The day ahead at WGXC: Programming note

2 p.m. "Prattsville Remembers Irene" Jess Puglisi and Lynn Sloneker talk with residents of Prattsville and Lexington about their experience during the flooding that resulted from Hurricane Irene that obliterated much of their town, along with observations about the first year of recovery. Prattsville, a town of seven-hundred situated at the junction of the Batavia Kill and the Schoharie Creek, was left in ruins after both bodies of water flooded with unanticipated speed and force. Residents interviewed include Beth and Donald Ballard, Michelle Petricini, Frank Hagan, David Murphy, Ronald Jones, Kaitlynn Cross, Melinda Sokoll, and Lynn Byrne.

“The Eight” by Cooper-Moore & Assif Tsahar from album "tells untold." Free download available.

“The Subtle Body Wears a Shadow” by Diamond Terrifier.

Sic Alps, "Glyphs"

Liturgy covers Shellac's "Prayer to God."

Sigur Ros, "Dauðalogn"

WGXC replays our radio documentary about the storms surrounding Hurricane Irene, and their impact on Greene County one year later. Sun., Sept. 2, these shows will play from 6-8 a.m., and from 9-10 a.m. on WGXC 90.7-FM.

"The Storm Breaks"
WGXC recounts its pre-storm interview with Greene County Emergency Services director John Farrell, and replay station recordings as the first rain fell Sat., Aug. 27, 2011, until WGXC lost power early Sun., Aug. 28, 2011. PLAY SHOW 28:00

"The Water Recedes"
Paul Smart drives around the area immediately after the storm, and one year later, with a report on the differences. WGXC will also replay other reports in the first days after the storm, including rumors that the Gilboa Dam was going to open, fake charity scams, and an quick network of individuals and groups banding together to help their neighbors. Dharma Dailey talks to the folks behind "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" that formed out of the storm's aftermath. We will interview many other local residents one year later. PLAY SHOW 1:28:11

"The Watershed Post"
Dharma Dailey interviews the folks behind the most important source of news during the storm's immediate aftermath, the blod "The Watershed Post." WGXC will also replay parts of their live radio show after the storm with Gov. Andrew Cuomo jumping in during the show. PLAY SHOW 28:11

"Between the Lines"
Ann Forbes Cooper talks with Professor Robert Titus, known as the "Catskill Geologist," and Carolyn Bennett, historian of the Zadock Pratt Museum in Prattsville and Larry Gambon, a photographer who shot extensive footage of the damage done by the Hurricane Irene, about Prattsville one year on. PLAY SHOW 28:07

THIS WEEK

"Prattsville Remembers Irene"
Mon. Sep. 3
2-3:00 p.m., "Prattsville Remembers Irene" Jess Puglisi and Lynn Sloneker talk with residents of Prattsville and Lexington about their experience during the flooding that resulted from Hurricane Irene that obliterated much of their town, along with observations about the first year of recovery. Prattsville, a town of seven-hundred situated at the junction of the Batavia Kill and the Schoharie Creek, was left in ruins after both bodies of water flooded with unanticipated speed and force. Residents interviewed include Beth and Donald Ballard, Michelle Petricini, Frank Hagan, David Murphy, Ronald Jones, Kaitlynn Cross, Melinda Sokoll, and Lynn Byrne.

"Forum on Flood Coverage"
Wed., Sept. 5
12-2 p.m.; 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 will share our findings in the Forum on Flood Coverage at Scribner Hollow Lodge in Hunter, on Sept. 5. The Forum will be recorded for broadcast on WGXC 90.7-FM 2 p.m., Sept. 13.

Ariel Zangla at The Daily Freeman reports that Greene County lawmakers are still pursuing a proposed local law to establish a reporting system and filing requirements for dealers in second-hand goods and precious metals. According to Greene County legislator William Lawrence (R-Cairo), the county plans to clean up its wording before voting on the measure. He said he also plans to meet with interested parties in the coming weeks to discuss the law, but has not yet set those meetings up. “I think the law was substantially misread, but a lot of that has to do with the wording, which could have been a great deal clearer,” Lawrence said. In July, the Legislature held a public hearing on the proposed law as originally written and received several complaints and concerns from people who own or work in second-hand businesses, including antique dealers. The speakers criticized both the proposed law’s requirement that such businesses obtain a license and bond, which they said can be costly, as well as the requirement that such businesses keep detailed records of each transaction. More on this story can be found at The Daily Freeman.

WGXC's Philip Grant was at the Columbia County Fair in Chatham Thu., Aug. 30 and reports of a father/daughter watermelon-eating team that merged to sweep the competition. Richard and Emily Morris took first place in the over-16, and 9-to-16-year-old categories. Click here (1:51) to listen to the interview with the winners. Grant also spoke with Larry Stickels, who finished second in the watermelon-eating contest. Stickels was also one of the participants in the Columbia County Fair Demolition Derby. Click here to hear his story. (2:10). Click here (:51) to listen to an interview with Hirshin Lafferty, a 4H member whose entry for the animal judging contest is a goat. The fair is open through Mon., Sept. 3.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Inside the Zadock Pratt Museum, after the flood. Photo by Larry Gambon.[/caption]Ann Forbes Cooper talks with Professor Robert Titus, known as the "Catskill Geologist," and Carolyn Bennett, historian of the Zadock Pratt Museum in Prattsville and Larry Gambon, a photographer who shot extensive footage of the damage done by the Hurricane Irene, about Prattsville one year on. Click here to listen to the entire show.

Hosneara Kader previewed the second annual Bangladeshi Festival in Hudson Sat., Sept. 1 with an appearance last week on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" with Richard Roth, Ellen Thurston, and Tom Roe. Kader is host of "The Bangla Show" at 5 p.m. Sundays on WGXC (and on the governing Radio Council), and one of the organizers of the festival held on the Hudson waterfront. Click here to listen to the interview.

Laura Margolis, director, and Danielle Skraastad, actress, discussed the new premiere production at Stageworks, Kieron Barry’s “Tomorrow in the Battle” last week on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" with Richard Roth and Ellen Thurston. Michael Eck in the Albany Times-Union wrote, "[Playwright] Kieron Barry's Tomorrow in the Battle is onstage in Hudson and it's one of the most remarkable pieces of theater in recent memory. Brilliant would be the word." This is the final weekend for the play. Click here to listen to the interview.

WGXC's Sam Sebren reports from the Wed., Aug. 29 the Athens Village Board Meeting, where one of the items on the agenda was about a proposed noise ordinance. About 25 members of the public, including local musicians and nearby homeowners and business owners, were in attendance regarding the noise ordinance issue. Four of those people signed up to speak to the Board. The first speaker was Sheila Brady who gave each Board member a file folder containing copies of noise ordinances from other nearby cities and villages from Albany and Troy to Tivoli and Saugerties. She said she provided those as examples for the Board members to look through later. Brady is in favor of the Board adopting a noise ordinance. Then Ric Surrano, Jr., manager of Dionysos, spoke briefly to explain the concessions they have made to their outdoor music, which sparked the issue. The restaurant says it has turned down the volume, turned the bands and the PA away from the houses and out toward the river, and built a sound barrier fence, and stopped bands playing at 11 p.m. He then introduced Phil Massaro, a local musician who has played multiple outdoor venues in Athens and other local towns. Massaro pointed out that the music is being being played in an area that is zoned for it, and said, "The amount of sales tax generated is astronomical -- it's part of Athens tax base." Next, Ron Puhalski spoke and talked about the difficulty of enforcing a noise ordinance. He brought up the example of Tivoli where the Black Swan has bands starting to play at 11 p.m. until 4 a.m., and that Tivoli has a noise ordinance which they have had trouble effectively enforcing. As a resident of the village in audible distance of numerous music venues, Puhalski was not in favor of a noise ordinance. Next, Martin Miller, a local musician, spoke about the need for places for musicians to play and that he thinks there is no need for a noise ordinance in Athens. Then, comments were made from other citizens in the room and Board members. Sheila Brady said, "This has begun a dialogue. I think that's the positive that has come out of this. This is a small, condensed village and so businesses and residents have to get along. We never ever presented to the Board or to the business next door (Dionysos) that they should not be allowed to have outdoor music. We've asked for an understanding of the level of sound and a time (limit). This is a case of, there's nothing on our Village books to give us guidance." Mayor Andrea Smallwood replied, "It's very old, but we do have, in the code, a 'Disturbance of the Peace.' It needs to be updated, but when you get the law enforcement coming in, and you feel like your peace is being disturbed, they will do whatever they can to stop that disturbance. We'll be reviewing what you gave us and seeing what works for Athens. Different communities have different issues." Ric Surrano, Sr., director of the Athens Performing Arts Committtee (APAC) which organizes a summer series of music in the Athens park, commented: "I would hate to see something like a noise ordinance come down with APAC because we've been going on for years now. We don't have a noise ordinance and we really don't have a problem." He also mentioned that he has observed Dionysos having made many concessions. Overall, the majority of people in attendance were not in favor of a noise ordinance.

Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, for the Republican nomination for president.


The Clint Eastwood speech.

Rick Karlin from Capitol Confidential points toward The Joint Commission on Public Ethics website, which announced the names of 60 candidates for New York State Senate and Assembly who have failed to file a financial disclosure statement as required by law. Locally, Republicans Patrick Manning and Richard Wager, running for Assembly in the 105th District in Dutchess County were on the list. The law-breaking duo are running against Kieran Michael Lalor (who is also running on the Independence Party ticket) in the Republican primary Sept. 13 (Wager is also running on the Conservative Party ticket). Paul F. Curran is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for the same seat, and also on the Working Families Party ticket. The general election takes place on November 6. Candidates for statewide elected office or for seats in the Legislature must file a financial disclosure statement within ten days of certain election petition and nominating deadlines, all within recent weeks. Under New York State Public Officer’s Law, the Joint Commission must identify and publish the names of candidates who have not timely filed. Anyone who knowingly and willfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure may be subject to a civil penalty of up to $40,000. Wager's website has no mention of the filing, but it does say that on Thu., Aug. 30, former New York City mayor Richard Wager endorsed Wager.

Today is a blue moon day, the second full moon of the month. The last blue moon was Dec. 31, 2009.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 84F; low 5F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 84F; 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 Round Top, in Greene County:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Friday night isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible before 9 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. There is an "Air Quality Alert" for Ulster and Dutchess counties from noon to 11 p.m.

The outlook through the weekend:


Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82, a low around 52.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, a low around 52.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Monday night there is a 30 percent chance of showers, with a low around 56.

Sunrise today: 6:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:30 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs., 10 min.

Town meetings

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

The day ahead at WGXC: Programming notes

8 a.m. Democracy Now! Breaking with Convention: War, Peace and the Presidency An expanded two-hour broadcast all this week during the 2012 Republican National Convention. Amy Goodman and the Democracy Now! crew will travel to Tampa Bay, to report from the streets, to the suites, to the convention floor.
10 a.m. Imprint Host Terry Doyle tracks music in upstate New York.
3 p.m. "After the Flood: Between the Lines" Ann Forbes Cooper talks with Professor Robert Titus, known as the "Catskill Geologist," and Carolyn Bennett, historian of the Zadock Pratt Museum in Prattsville and Larry Gambon, a photographer who shot extensive footage of the damage done by the Hurricane Irene, about Prattsville one year on.
7 p.m.Cairo Library / WGXC Open Mic The return of the open mic from the Cairo Library, live from Cairo's town park broadcast on WGXC 90.7-FM. Come out if you want a turn at the mic. Spoken word, music, and more.

Singer/songwriter Spencer Day leads a songwriting workshop at Stageworks/Hudson Sept. 15 and 16, and also performs at a fundraiser for the Hudson Opera House Sept. 29. Ellen Thurston and Richard Roth from the "WGXC Afternoon Show" interviewed him and played several of his songs, on Thu., Aug. 30. During the interview, Day says he spends much time in Hudson and is considering moving here from New York City. Day has three albums, with "Vagabond" on the Billboard's charts 47 weeks. His single "Till You Come to Me" reached number one on the Jazz chart. His upcoming album, "Shadow Man" (Concord Records), is due in January 2013. Click here to listen to the interview.

Maryann Lee from Spencertown Academy previewed the Seventh Annual Festival of Books with "WGXC Afternoon Show" hosts Richard Roth and Ellen Thurston. Click here to listen to the interview about the book sale and the arts academy in Columbia County.

Executive Director Brian Kehoe talks about the New York Bicycle Coalition's campaign to secure bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure funding in New York. Ron Diamondstein talked with Kehoe about the issue on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" at the Catskill Community Center.
Click here to play the interview with Kehoe.

The New York State AFL-CIO, a federation of 3,000 affiliated public sector, private sector, and building trades unions throughout the state representing 2.5 million members, have announced their endorsements for this year's congressional elections in New York. Current U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) was issued support for her re-election bid, while in our newly drawn 19th Congressional district, Julian Schreibman(D, WP) got the nod over incumbent Rep. Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook). Additionally, endorsements were offered for candidates running for State Senate and Assembly. No endorsements were offered for our area's newly made Districts 41, 43 or 46. As for local Assembly Districts,   Kevin Cahill (D, I, WF) was tapped for the 103rd, Frank Skartadatos (D, I, WF)  was chosen for the 104th, and Didi Barrett (D, I, WF) earned the endorsement for her new 106th district. You can access new district maps here.

Republican David Byrne kicked off his campaign to represent the 106th Assembly District, on Wed., Aug. 29. Byrne spoke to local officials, volunteers and supporters during an event held at his campaign headquarters in Hyde Park (Dutchess Co.). In a statement released by his campaign Tuesday, Byrne said, "New York...is at a crossroads. We can continue to be one of the highest taxed states in the nation, with one of the worst business climates, or we can lower these burdens on our families and businesses and make this state great once again." This is Byrne's first run for statewide office. A resident of Milan, he runs a real estate business and is a former member of the Milan Town Board; he is a West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran. Byrne received endorsements from Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner, former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and State Senator Steve Saland. Byrne will face Democrat Didi Barrett in the November general election. The new 106th AD includes parts of Columbia and Dutchess counties.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="375"]Prattsville, after the flood. Photo by Larry Gambon.[/caption]Dharma Dailey interviews the folks behind the most important source of news during the storm's immediate aftermath, the blog The Watershed Post. Their liveblog became the shared source of news for the local mainstream media, and a place where anyone could contribute information. WGXC will also replay parts of their live radio show after the storm with Gov. Andrew Cuomo jumping in during the show.
Click here to play Julia Reischel from The Watershed Post with update on storm aftermath in the Catskills and Greene County in particular on Aug. 31, 2011.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240"]Lissa Harris. Photo by Julia Reischel from The Watershed Post.[/caption]Click here to listen to Lissa Harris discusses The Watershed Post and its coverage of Hurricane Irene from April 4, 2012.
Click here to listen to the full show "After the Flood: The Watershed Post" 28:10