The plan now known as Galvan Quarters, the homeless housing project to be located at 620 State St. in Hudson, is slated for a vote by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Finance Committee, Tues., Aug. 7, one day before the matter moves on for consideration by the full board, Wednesday. The facility, located on the northwest corner of State and Seventh streets (one block from the WGXC Hudson studio), will hold 19 SRO units for use as emergency housing, and 18 studio units for use as transitional housing. Tom Casey reported in the Register Star this weekend on the discussion held at a recent meeting of the Common Council Economic Development Committee. Fifth Ward Supervisor and Galvan Associate Rick Scalera was present and in response to concerns expressed by a Hudson business owner said even though the lease would soon be voted on, the plan must be vetted by several agencies, including the Hudson Planning Commission, before any action could take place. Third Ward Alderman John Friedman disagreed, saying an approval by the full board would effectively put the county "on the hook" for the agreement. The city of Hudson will hold a special meeting to discuss the proposal Aug. 13. The BOS Finance Committee meets 5 p.m, Tues. at 401 State St. in Hudson.

Stories that made the news Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, 2012

Brian Nearing reported in the Times Union the vice president of West Ghent recycler TCI Inc., Brian Hemlock, said the amount of chemicals in the Falls Park Industrial Road plant at the time of last week's catastrophic fire were within permitted quantities and met all regulations. However, Hemlock said, the exact quantities are not, in fact, presently known. "Many of the records pertaining to that were in the building and destroyed," he said. Concerns have not abated over the potential for toxic air pollution throughout the area following the chemical-fueled fire that engulfed the industrial structure for more than 12 hours, beginning late Wed., Aug. 1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said air samples taken near the plant Thurs., Aug. 2, detected no volatile organic chemicals. Test results for PCBs are expected later this week. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is also conducting PCB testing and will expand its sampling to cover a 15-mile radius around the fire scene. On Sat., Aug. 4, members of the Rensselaer County Legislature requested expanded air monitoring and soil testing for farms, vegetation and drinking water wells in their county. Read the full story in the Times Union. A full rundown of WGXC coverage of the West Ghent fire can be found here.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] A bog near Blue Mountain Lake, part of the Finch Pruyn timber easement.[/caption]

Lauren Stanforth reported in the Times Union Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the state has acquired 69,000 acres of the former Finch Pruyn and other Nature Conservancy lands throughout the Adirondacks. It is the largest single acquisition to the Adirondack State Forest Preserve in more than a century. The majority of the lands are concentrated within the central lake and tourist region of the Adirondack Park in the towns of Newcomb, Indian Lake, North Hudson and Minerva. According to the state, the former Finch lands contain some of the most important recreational and environmental assets in the Adirondack Park which will be opened to public use for the first time in more than 150 years. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Nathan Mayberg reported in The Daily Mail on the Home Grown Business Challenge, a one-week summer camp at Columbia-Greene Community College focused on educating high school students about agriculture and developing their business skills, by visiting area farms and hearing from entrepreneurs. The students generated ideas for agriculture-related businesses that included an equipment sharing company, a plan to market potted vegetables, fruits and herbs to city residents, and a dairy stand with ice cream, gelato, bread and cheese. The camp was offered as part of a partnership between Tech Valley Career Pathways Consortium, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="250"]LunarMoss, Al Davis, and Shannekia McIntosh in the Wave Farm Study Center studio.[/caption]Saturday, many WGXC programmers got together in Acra at the Wave Farm Study Center for a series of radio stews. Brian Dewan, Shannekia McIntosh, Al Davis, Matt Bua, Cheryl K., Tom Masterson, Noah Reibel, Jess Puglisi, Sam Sebren, The Magic Stranger, Tom Roe, and others, joined in.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT 2:22
CLICK HERE TO PLAY A WGXC STATION ID RECORDED THIS WEEKEND

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="2592"]Noah Reibel, Jess Puglisi, Tom Masterson, Cheryl K, and LunarMoss in the Wave Farm Study Center in Acra.[/caption]

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 84F; low 55F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 81F low 59F.[/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 will be mostly sunny. High near 84; low around 57.

The forecast for the next three days:

Tuesday: Sunny. High near 85; low around 61.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. High near 87; low around 64.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, but a chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 89; low around 68.

Sunrise today: 5:54 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:08 p.m.

Length of the day: 14 hrs., 14 min.

Town meetings

Today is the first Monday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting 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).

Programming notes

12 p.m. Monday Musical Matinee with Lincoln Mayorga
3 p.m. Wellness Watch with Linda Karlsson
3:30 p.m. Bound by Books
4 p.m. WGXC Afternoon Show with Sara Kendall and Melinda Braathen
7 p.m. Stone Walls, Steel Bars Bluegrass Show
9:30 p.m. LunarMoss returns

The U.S. Congress left for its summer vacation Thu., Aug. 2 without passing a new farm bill at a time when much of the country's agriculture is facing an epic drought. The U.S. Senate did vote for the so-called "cybersecurity" bill derided by civil libertarians, though not by a large enough margin to overcome a filibuster. New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer voted for the bill. In April, both Columbia County-based Republican Chris Gibson and Ulster County-based Democrat Maurice Hinchey voted against the House version of the bill.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="360"]Photo of TCI fire, about 2 a.m. Thu., Aug., 2. Photo by Jeffrey Lependorf.[/caption]John Mason reported first in the Register-Star that a fire broke out around 10:15 p.m. Wed., Aug. 1 at the TCI equipment recycling business on Route 9H in Ghent. That led to a mandatory evacuation around the site, and a warning for anyone within a 15-mile radius to stay indoors and close windows. Less then two miles away, Jeffrey Lependorf told WGXC he was awoken around 2 a.m. by a flash of light, and then stayed awake for several hours watching the fire shoot in the air, and the smoke drift towards the Hudson River under a full moon. Click here to listen to Lependorf's account. A state of emergency was declared in Columbia and Rensselear counties Thursday morning, Aug. 2, as officials tried to gauge the seriousness of the large fire that caused a series of explosions due to electrical equipment, PCBs, bulk oil, propane, and other dangerous compounds at the site. Multiple county fire departments and the county Hazmat team responded to the fire. Many businesses, libraries, and other public places closed for the day. The blaze continued smoldering into the late afternoon, when Route 9H reopened. At 1:45 p.m., the Columbia County Emergency Management team hosted a press conference (aired live on WGXC, click here to listen to the archived recording), and announced all test results so far have been negative, and there is little to worry about. County Emergency Management Director William Black said Thursday air quality level tests did not reveal any local PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) but the Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Conservation should have results Friday for other volatile organic compounds and dioxins. The 15-mile area of warning was lifted at this time too. "Real-time air testing for particulate and volatile organic compounds found nothing of concern," a statement from the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said. "Swipe tests for PCBs were non-detect. Further confirmatory testing is being conducted with similar results are expected. Soil samples will be taken once we can access the ground but we will not have that information until site is cleared." But David O. Carpenter, Professor at Univ. of Albany with a speciality in health effects of environmental contaminants, said it was too early to determine whether or not there is anything to worry about. Click here to play the excerpt from Carpenter's interview Thu., Aug. 2 on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" with Tom Roe, Richard Roth, and Ellen Thurston. (Click here to play the full interview.) This was TCI’s second fire in less than a year. In January, a fire broke out in two dump trailers filled with pallets and dirty rags, standing next to trailers of mineral oil. That fire was quickly contained.

WHAT TO DO

UPDATE FROM COL. CTY EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Gardens
Discard garden produce with visible soot/ash on its surface. Otherwise, all produce from any garden should be thoroughly washed with clean water and or peeled prior to consumption. Extra care should be taken with leafy vegetables, as their leaves may trap soot/ash. Constituents in soot/ash that may remain on the surface of soil are not likely to be taken up into plants or vegetables. In most areas (i.e., areas where there is no or only minor evidence of ash or soot) ample watering (or rain) is expected to be sufficient to reduce presence of soot/ash in surface soil. However, if there is extensive deposition of soot/ash (e.g., a thick visible layer) you could consider removing and discarding the soot/ash, and then tilling the soil or adding clean soil at a future date.
Pets
Exposure of pets to soot from the fire is not expected to harm them. If your pet is dirty or dusty with soot from the fire, you may wish to wash them with an appropriate shampoo or soap. If the water or food supply for pets is visibly contaminated with soot, it should be replaced. If you are concerned about substantial amounts of soot indoors or outdoors, follow the “General Recommendations for Clean-up of Soot/Ash from the TCI of New York Facility Fire.”
Home Drinking Water Wells
Contamination of home drinking water wells from this event is extremely unlikely. People can continue to use their wells as they normally would.

WGXC AUDIO
• Columbia County Emergency Services press conference.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY PRESS CONFERENCE
• Jeffrey Lependorf, Ghent resident, recounts the explosion that woke him up early Thu. Aug. 2.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JEFFREY LEPENDORF'S STORY
• Bill Schwartz, from the New York State Department of Health, explains best procedures for folks near chemical fires. Interview by Richard Roth, Ellen Thurston, and Tom Roe.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY INTERVIEW
• David O. Carpenter, Professor at the University of Albany, with a speciality in the health effects of environmental contaminants, says he thinks it is too early to tell the environmental impact of the fire. Click below to here the interview with Richard Roth, Ellen Thurston, and Tom Roe on the "WGXC Afternoon Show."
CLICK HERE TO HEAR AN EXCERPT OF DAVID CARPENTER'S INTERVIEW
CLICK HERE TO HEAR FULL DAVID CARPENTER INTERVIEW
• Philip Grant interviews Jean Paul of Roxbury Farms in Kinderhook, NY about the TCI West Ghent Fire.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR JEAN PAUL'S INTERVIEW

Tune in WGXC 90.7-FM for a special collage of coverage of the TCI fire Sat. Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The Register-Star's latest account of the story is here.

On Thu., Aug. 2, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced changes to freshwater fishing regulations that go in effect Oct. 1, 2012. Assistant Commissioner for Natural Resources Kathy Moser said, "Input received from anglers and other stakeholders during the public comment period earlier this year resulted in some suggestions becoming incorporated in the final changes announced today." The only nearby differences: A change to the trout regulations for the Esopus Creek, Shandaken tunnel outlet to Ashokan Reservoir (Ulster County) to a daily limit of five fish with no more than two trout longer than 12 inches, and and end to the 12-inch size and three-fish-per day limit for kokanee salmon in Glass Lake (Rensselaer County).

Click on the jump for more changes statewide.



Regulation changes that pertain to walleye:

Prohibit fishing in the following stream sections from March 16 until the first Saturday in May (opening day for walleye) to protect spawning walleye: Lake Pleasant outlet to the mouth of the Kunjamuk River (Hamilton County); and Little Sandy Creek (Oswego County) from the intersection of the channelized area next to Koster Drive downstream of the State Route 3 bridge to the lower boundary of the public fishing rights section located upstream of the State Route 3 bridge.
Remove special walleye regulations (18-inch minimum size and three per day) and apply the statewide regulation (15-inch minimum size and five per day) for Lime Lake (Cattaraugus County) and Bear and Findley lakes (Chautauqua County).
Change the walleye daily limit for Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River to six per day.

Regulation changes that pertain to black bass:

Eliminate the special black bass closed season for Oneida Lake and implement statewide regulations.
Apply statewide black bass regulations for Allen Lake (Allegany County) and Cassadaga Lake (Chautauqua County).

Regulations that pertain to trout and salmon:

Extend the catch and release-only regulation for brook trout into tidal streams in Suffolk County.
Eliminate Suffolk County tidal trout regulations and apply freshwater stream trout regulations to these sections.
Change minimum length for salmonids in the Upper Niagara River to any size.
Change the trout regulations for the Titicus Outlet (Westchester County) and Esopus Creek, Shandaken tunnel outlet to Ashokan Reservoir (Ulster County) to a daily limit of five fish with no more than two trout longer than 12 inches.
Delete the 12-inch size and three fish per day limit for kokanee salmon in Glass Lake (Rensselaer County).
Open Lake Kushaqua and Rollins Pond (Franklin County) to ice fishing for lake trout.
Open Blue Mountain Lake, Eagle Lake, Forked Lake, Gilman Lake, South Pond and Utowana Lake (Hamilton County) to ice fishing for landlocked salmon and reduce the daily limit for lake trout in these waters from three per day to two per day.
Delete the catch and release trout regulation for Jordan River from Carry Falls Reservoir upstream to Franklin County line (St. Lawrence County).
Implement a 12-inch minimum size for brown trout in Otisco Lake (Onondaga County).
Reduce the limit of rainbow trout from five to one in the western Finger Lakes and three to one in the tributaries. Western Finger Lakes include Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Canadice and Hemlock lakes.
Remove the restriction of no more than three lake trout as part of the five trout limit in the western Finger Lakes.
Eliminate trout catch and release section for Ischua Creek (Cattaraugus County) in the village of Franklinville.
Change the minimum size limit for rainbow trout in Skaneateles Lake (Onondaga, Cayuga and Cortland Counties) and Owasco Lake (Cayuga County) from nine inches to 15 inches.
Add the tributaries of Beaverdam Brook (Oswego County) from their mouths to the upstream boundary of the Salmon River Hatchery property to the current Beaverdam Brook fishing closure (which also currently prohibits fishing within 100 yards of any DEC fish collection device).
Delete the special trout regulation for Palmer Lake (Saratoga County) to match the statewide regulation.

Regulations that pertain to pickerel, muskellunge and tiger muskellunge:

Institute a catch and release only regulation for chain pickerel in Deep Pond (Suffolk County).
Implement a 40-inch size limit for muskellunge and tiger muskellunge in the Chenango, Tioughnioga, Tioga and Susquehanna rivers (Chenango, Cortland, Broome and Tioga counties) and a 36-inch size limit at Otisco Lake (Onondaga County).

Regulations that pertain to ice fishing and baitfish:

Delete special ice fishing regulation for Square Pond (Franklin County).
Eliminate the existing ban on the use of tip-ups in Crumhorn Lake (Otsego County).
Allow ice fishing on stocked trout lakes in Allegany, Niagara, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Erie and Cattaraugus counties unless otherwise stated.
Allow ice fishing on specific waters currently deemed as trout waters in the counties of Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence Counties.
Provide for ice fishing at privately managed water in Hamilton County (Salmon Pond).
Include Cayuta Lake (Schuyler County) as a designated water from which baitfish may be commercially harvested.

Regulations that pertain to gear and angling methods:

More clearly specify that attempting to take fish by snagging is prohibited.
Permit the use of multiple hooks with multiple points on Lake Erie tributaries.
For the Salmon River (Oswego County) allow a bead chain to be attached to floating lures. The distance between a floating lure and hook point may not exceed three-and-a-half inches when a bead chain configuration is used.
For the Salmon River (Oswego County) implement a "no weight" restriction (i.e., only floating line and unweighted leaders and flies allowed) from May 1 – 15 for the Lower Fly Area and from May 1 – August 31 for the Upper Fly Area.
Explicitly and clearly indicate that the catch and release requirement for New York City waters does not apply to snakeheads and that any snakeheads caught while angling are not to be returned to the water.

The complete list of freshwater sportfish regulation changes can be viewed under 'Recently Adopted Regulations (Previous Twelve Months)' on DEC's website at www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/propregulations.html. All comments received from the public were categorized and reviewed for substance, and staff responses were compiled. A summary of the "Assessment of Public Comment is available on the Department of State website at www.dos.state.ny.us/info/register.htm.

Permalink: http://readme.readmedia.com/DEC-Adopts-New-Freshwater-Fishing-Regulations-for-2012-2014/4772231

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 88F; low 64F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 88F low 64F.[/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 There is a 30 percent chance of showers after 3 p.m., otherwise partly sunny with a high of 90 and a low of 67.

The forecast through the weekend:

Saturday: Partly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 89; low around 68.
Sunday: There is a 50 percent chance of rain. High near 81; low around 66.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, chance of rain, a high of 77, and a low of 53.

Sunrise today: 5:51 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:12 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 21 min.

Town meetings

Today is the first Friday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting time and location.)
We do not know of any meetings today.

Video streaming by Ustream
Live video of press conference at the Columbia County Emergency Management Office.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="960"]Photo of TCI fire, about 2 a.m. Thu., Aug., 2. Photo by Jeffrey Lependorf.[/caption]UPDATE FROM COL. CTY EMERGENCY SERVICES: Discard garden produce with visible soot/ash on its surface. Otherwise, all produce from any garden should be thoroughly washed with clean water and or peeled prior to consumption. Extra care should be taken with leafy vegetables, as their leaves may trap soot/ash. Constituents in soot/ash that may remain on the surface of soil are not likely to be taken up into plants or vegetables. In most areas (i.e., areas where there is no or only minor evidence of ash or soot) ample watering (or rain) is expected to be sufficient to reduce presence of soot/ash in surface
soil. However, if there is extensive deposition of soot/ash (e.g., a thick visible layer) you could consider removing and discarding the soot/ash, and then tilling the soil or adding clean soil at a future date.
Pets:
Exposure of pets to soot from the fire is not expected to harm them. If your pet is dirty or dusty with soot from the fire, you may wish to wash them with an appropriate shampoo or soap. If the water or food supply for pets is visibly contaminated with soot, it should be replaced. If you are concerned about substantial amounts of soot indoors or outdoors, follow the “General Recommendations for Clean-up of Soot/Ash from the TCI of New York Facility Fire.”
Home Drinking Water Wells:
Contamination of home drinking water wells from this event is extremely unlikely. People can continue to use their wells as they normally would.

UPDATE FROM DEC: Department of Environmental Conservation statement: "Real-time air testing for particulate and volatile organic compounds found nothing of concern. Swipe tests for PCBs were non-detect. Further confirmatory testing is being conducted with similar results are expected. Soil samples will be taken once we can access the ground but we will not have that information until site is cleared."

UPDATE from press conference (in progress) (2 p.m.): Fire is 99 percent out, should be fully out shortly... EPA testing of air quality shows everything is at "normal levels"... residue from soot was tested and found PCB's "non-detectable"... the 15-mile radius "advisory zone" will be lifted... "If wiping soot off with damp rags, they should be placed in a plastic bag and wait further information on what to do with them," according to Columbia County Ememrgency Services website.

UPDATE from Columbia County Emergency Services (12:25 p.m.): The 15-mile radius is still in effect. For information on livestock calling within Columbia County please call 518-301-2021. For information calling outside of Columbia County please call 518-292-2311

UPDATE from Columbia County 911 (7:49 a.m.): Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that anyone with a 15-mile radius of the incident (Route 9H/Falls Rd, Ghent) limit outdoor activity... remain indoors. State Health Department officials are conducting air quality tests in the vicinity of the fire. Out of an abundance of caution, please remain indoors and limit outside activity. Anyone experiencing eye irritation, difficulty breathing or cough should seek medical attention. For additional information, contact the Columbia County Health Department at 518-828-3358 ext. 1293.

John Mason reported in the Register-Star "a state of emergency had been declared and a mandatory evacuation had been implemented for those in a half-mile radius of TCI on Route 9H in West Ghent," at 12:15 a.m. Thur., Aug. 2, A giant fire at the company that has disposed of electrical equipment, PCBs and bulk oil for at least two decades, began before 10:15 p.m. Wed., Aug. 1. Mason reported County Emergency Management Director William Black said the building contained big mineral oil tanks, two tractor trailers of fuel oil, fork lifts with propane tanks, and other hazardous substances. “It’s the combination when they mix we have to be concerned with,” Black said. “There’s sodium in there.” The sodium comes from transformers disposed of at TCI. Multiple county fire departments along with the county Hazmat team responded to the fire. This was TCI’s second fire in less than a year. In January, a fire broke out in two dump trailers filled with pallets and dirty rags, standing next to trailers of mineral oil. The fire was quickly contained. Read the full story at the Register Star.

On "@Issue" with host Victor Mendolia Wed., Aug. 1 on WGXC, Hudson Common Council president Don Moore said he wanted more information and details from the Galvan Foundation about the latest proposal for homeless housing in Hudson. "Galvan Quarters" is the name of the new proposal for emergency and transitional housing at Seventh and State streets (full disclosure: one block away from WGXC's Hudson studio). Moore was a guest along with Columbia County Supervisors Sarah Sterling and Ellen Thurston on the WGXC show with the Hudson Democrat chairman who is also host. On Wed., Aug. 1, Tom Casey and Nathan Mayberg in the Register-Star, reported that state funding for the proposed Civic Hudson housing/police and court facility had been denied. They also reported that the Galvan Foundation had a different story. “They (Galvan Foundation) have no knowledge at this time of the Civic Hudson project not being funded, but at this point it is not really relevant, since they have chosen to transfer all the (housing) interest over to the Seventh Street facility and go into the new direction on Fourth and Columbia,” said Fifth Ward Supervisor and Galvan Associate Rick Scalera Tuesday. Click here to listen to an excerpt from Don Moore explaining what he knows about the new proposal.
PLAY DON MOORE HOUSING CLIP 2:43

From Free Speech Radio News:

[Wed., Aug. 1], the federal government stepped up its assistance to farmers and ranchers hit by the most severe drought in a quarter century. The USDA said more than half of the counties in the US have been designated disaster zones. Wed., Aug. 1, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said his agency is expanding emergency haying and grazing to 3.8 million acres of conservation land and announced a grace period to crop insurance premiums for struggling farmers. Vilsack also expanded the disaster designation to 218 counties in 12 states. The first six months of 2012 were the hottest on record for the US, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Senate lawmakers convened a hearing on extreme weather and climate change today in DC. California Senator Barbara Boxer noted several events in addition to the ongoing drought, such the breaking away of a large piece of the Greenland ice sheet and heavy flooding. “These recent events make it clear that the climate continues to change and the likelihood of extreme events is growing greater, which puts our nation and puts our people at risk.” Dr. Christopher Field, director of the Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works that findings from scientists at the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed to extreme weather on the rise. “In its 2012 report on extreme events and disasters, the IPCC concludes based on observations, not on models that we have experienced increases in three kinds of extremes. Extremes of high temperatures, extremes that are associated with intense precipitation and extremes that are associated with high sea levels, basically storm surge. It also provides evidence that human-caused climate change has played a role in these kinds of extremes.” In July, Scientists at the NOAA released a report that analyzed six extreme weather events of 2011 and the role of climate change. For more, we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Peterson, he’s the lead editor of the report and principal scientist at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center. He joins us from Ashville, North Carolina. To access NOAA's report on extreme weather events of 2011: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/2011.php

CLICK HERE TO HERE FSRN REPORT 7:28

Brian Tumulty reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal recent polling in the newly drawn 19th Congressional District shows freshman Republican Rep. Chris Gibson leading the Democratic challenger, Kingston attorney Julian Schreibman, in the race to represent the upper Hudson Valley in Washington D.C. According to competing Republican and Democratic polls released Tues., July 31, Gibson leads in the race — the GOP poll calculated his lead at 17 points (53 percent to 36 percent), while the Democratic poll Gibson up by 10 (42 percent to 32 percent). Both surveys suggest the race is far from decided, with both candidates unknown to some voters in the new district. Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Governor Andrew Cuomo directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday, August 2, 2012 in honor of a Rochester soldier who died in Afghanistan on July 27. Pvt. 1st Class. Theodore M. Glende died in Logar province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 88F; low 64F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 88F low 64F.[/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 is expected to be warmer than yesterday. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny. High near 88; low around 64.

The forecast through the weekend:

Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 90; low around 65.
Saturday: Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 91; low around 70.
Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 85; low around 70.

Sunrise today: 5:49 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:13 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 24 min.

Town meetings

Today is the first Thursday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting time and location.)

ANCRAM Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
AUSTERLITZ Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 812 Route 203, Spencertown (392-3260).
COPAKE Planning Board meets at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GHENT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

Programming notes

10 a.m. Tell It Like It Is -- Host Christina Malisoff welcomes John Amidon, co-organizer of the upcoming Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference. The theme of this year's event is "Crossing the Line: A Call to Revolutionary Love."
2 p.m. Art of the Hudson Valley -- Jeffrey Lependorf, Director of the Music Omi International Musicians Residency
Program, is this month's guest. Lependorf will be accompanied by the 2012 Music Omi Fellows who will perform live in our Hudson studio in a preview of the free concert at Art Omi on Sat., Aug. 4. Chad Weckler hosts.
3 p.m. Radio Theater
3:30 p.m. Catskill Youth Show with MAtt Bua
4 p.m. WGXC Afternoon Show with Tom Roe, Richard Roth and Ellen Thurston
7 p.m. Jazz Disturbance
9:30 p.m. 69: Underground Sounds from the Year humans Landed on the Moon

Rick Karlin reports at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have added “home environment and family background” as criteria for where kids with special education needs could be sent to school on an out-placement basis in which the home district pays tuition. Critics of the bill claimed it was intended to capture more tuition money for privately run Yeshivas, or schools run by Orthodox Jews, as well as Catholic schools, and amount to another "unfunded mandate." In his veto message, Cuomo said the legislation "constitutes an overly broad and ambiguous mandate that would result in incalculable significant additional costs to be borne by every school district and taxpayer." Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.

Melanie Lekocevic reports in The Daily Mail a dispute over loud music at Dionysos Restaurant on River St. in Athens has made its way to the Village Board. At a recent meeting, the restaurant's River St. neighbors complained about the outdoor performances held late into the night Fridays and Saturdays, and on Sunday afternoon, and called for the adoption of a village noise ordinance. “I understand they are a business and they need to make money, but this is impacting the neighbors,” said Sheila Brady, owner of Brady's Docks. Mayor Andrea Smallwood said the village is currently looking at updating the village zoning code and a noise ordinance could be in the future. Restaurant representatives Frankie Taccetta and Rick Surrano agreed to make certain adjustments to the restaurant's performance schedule in response to the complaints. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.hte

Billy Shannon reports in the Register Star property owners in Greenport are being warned by town officials to ignore letters received from Stamford, Ct.-based HomeServe USA urging them to buy water-line insurance. “This is in no way connected to the town of Greenport and is a scam,” the town posted in a statement, Tues., July 31. While property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing the water service line connection as the letter asserts, town officials said it is "very rare" for that type of break to occur, calling the solicitation "flimflam." The Better Business Bureau reported similar complaints about HomeServe from residents in Minnesota and North Dakota in March, Shannon writes. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Peter Applebome reports in The New York Times on the recent effort to market the Catskills. After sorting through 3,714 slogan submissions in a campaign to rebrand the region, a promotional group formed last year announced five finalists Mon., July 29. The five slogans chosen by the Catskill Park Resource Foundation:

• The Catskills: Peaks of Perfection
• The Catskills: Always in Season
• The Catskills: Time for an Altitude Adjustment
• Find Yourself in the Catskills
• The Catskills: So Near, Yet So Far Out

Joan Lawrence-Bauer, a longtime resident of the Catskills who coordinated the contest, said she felt the finalists were a combination of “traditional, fresh and bold.” She added: “We have quite a range of options for people to choose from.” But Allen Adamson, a managing director of Landor Associates, an international branding and consulting firm, said all but the last finalist were so generic they could be applied almost anywhere. Adamson also said, despite all the effort, in a media-saturated time it will take more than a new slogan to change the Catskill image. Read the full story in The New York Times.

[caption id="attachment_21496" align="alignleft" width="234"] Bourbon Scum at WGXC's Wave Farm studio in Acra.[/caption]

Greene County-based punk band Bourbon Scum stopped by WGXC's Wave Farm studio in Acra to play their new split 7" with The Knyghts of Fuzz, and talk about the state of local punk rock. Click here to listen to the full interview and two songs. Listen to the two songs from the single, "No Romance" and "Rumble" here.