Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 88F; low 66F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 93F low 72F.[/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 showers and thunderstorms are likely, mainly after 1 p.m. Some storms could be severe, with heavy rain. Mostly cloudy. High near 90. Showers and thunderstorms continue tonight, mainly before midnight. Low around 72.

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Greater Capital District through the weekend. NWS forecasts a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening. The main threat will be damaging wind gusts and large hail. There is also a threat for supercell thunderstorms with isolated tornadoes.

The outlook for the weekend:

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 83; low around 66.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 82; low around 66.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 86; low around 62.

Sunrise today: 5:43 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:21 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 38 min.

Town meetings

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

CHATHAM Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Budget/Salary Committee at 10:00 a.m.
Public Works Committee at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GERMANTOWN Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (537-6687).
STUYVESANT Greenway Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
WINDHAM Town Board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

HUNTER The Village of Hunter Planning Board will not hold a meeting this evening, as previously planned. It was canceled due to lack of agenda items.

Public hearing

HUDSON The Mayor will hold a public hearing at 3:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson on two proposed local laws, adopted by the Common Council July 17. The first law increases penalties for dog owners who fail to clean up after their pet. The second bans smoking from city parks (828-1030).

Brian Nearing writes in the Times Union the state will create a list of invasive plants and animals illegal for New Yorkers to own, under a new law signed Tues., July 24, by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The Invasive Species Prevention Act will require the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Agriculture and Markets to list species unlawful for people to possess with the intent to sell or introduce. The agencies also will create lists of other regulated species that would be legal to possess, sell, buy, breed and transport, although with restrictions. Invasive species are non-native plants and animals that can harm the environment, and economically important industries like farming, forestry or tourism. Read the full story in the Times Union.

W. T. Eckert reports in The Daily Mail New Baltimore town board members have agreed to change some of the wording in a proposed leash law thanks to input from members in its community, with a new public hearing. Prior to the June regular meeting, a public hearing was held for the original version of the proposed local law but residents of the town said they found the wording of the law confusing. The new wording of the ordinance specifies a timeline for disposal of canine waste, as well as redefining the areas covered by the law, specifically adding "Town Parks" throughout. With the changes in place a new public hearing has been set for Aug. 13 before the next regular town board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at New Baltimore Town Hall. The story, along with the full text of the new law, can be read in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the County Government Committee of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted Tues., July 24, to contribute an estimated $120,000 over 10 years for the county's public bus system as matching funds for a new 10-year agreement with the state Department of Transportation. The agreement will bring nearly $360,000 in grant funding to the county. The county has budgeted for the purchase of four new buses this year. The total transportation budget for 2012 is $375,000. Columbia County owns its buses, but contracts with Coxsackie Transport to provide transportation to Albany at varying costs, from stops in Hudson, Greenport, Columbiaville, Kinderhook and Valatie. Read the full story in the Register Star.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="350"]Mary Lou Nahas, Pres. of Oak Hill Preservation Society, and Nick Nahas, town historian, discuss Oak Hill Day from Wave Farm studio in Acra.[/caption]MaryLou Nahas, president of the Oak Hill Preservation Association, and Nick Nahas, town historian discussed Oak Hill Day with hosts Peter Krug and Tom Roe live from WGXC's Acra studio at Wave Farm on Tue., July 24. Oak Hill Day, this Sat., July 28, includes a classic car show, ice cream social, music, a town-wide yard sale, and more. The Greene County town, once known for 18th Century foundaries, is now known for many historic homes. The festivities this weekend are located along Rt. 81 near Durham and Preston Hollow, with the Yellow Deli there also hosting music Saturday. Click here to hear the full interview.
PLAY EXCERPT :48

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="232"]Hudson's North Bay. Photo from Columbia Land Conservancy website.[/caption]Peter Paden, the Executive Director of the Columbia Land Conservancy, talks with WGXC's Noah Reibel about the CLC's Concept Master Plan for the Hudson North Bay Recreation and Natural Area. The North Bay sits on a former landfill. Click here to hear full interview or hear the interview at 5:30 p.m. on the "WGXC Afternoon Show" Tue., July 24.
PLAY EXCERPT ABOUT NORTH BAY'S PAST AS A LANDFILL :59

[caption id="attachment_21273" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Columbia Land Conservancy's proposal for Hudson's North Bay.[/caption]

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 88F; low 63F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 82F 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 forecast to be cooler than yesterday. Sunny. High near 85; low around 61.

Special note: A boil water advisory is still in effect for the Town of Coxsackie due to the lightning strike, Mon., July 23, which caused the town's water treatment plant control system to fail. The advisory is expected to stay in effect through Wednesday.

The outlook for the next three days:

Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 89; low around 72.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 87; low around 65.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 84; low around 63.

Sunrise today: 5:42 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:22 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 40 min.

Town meetings

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

ATHENS Village meeting at 7 p.m. at Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CAIRO at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).*
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Works Committee at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
HUDSON Department of Public Works Committee meeting at 6 p.m.; Legal Committee meeting starts at 6:45 p.m at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK Historical Committee meeting at 7 p.m., Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).

Making sense of public communication during Irene

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="327"] Flood damage in Schoharie County, Aug. 29, 2011.
(Courtesy Governor's Office)[/caption]

One motivation for starting WGXC 90.7-FM was to improve access to essential information in emergency situations. Our first chance to make a difference during disaster came just a few months after we went on air. On Aug. 28, 2011, much of our listening area experienced record-breaking flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. To our chagrin, the deluge knocked out our transmitter, diminishing our ability to serve the listening area in its time of need in the way we had hoped. As we approach the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene, WGXC 90.7-FM is launching a special project to revisit how public communication flowed during the record-breaking weather calamity that rocked our region last August. In the coming weeks, we will interview the folks who covered the event as reporters, citizen journalists, bloggers, Tweeters and Facebook updaters. 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. The file will also be archived at wgxc.org. For more information, contact Dharma Dailey at dharma@wgxc.org.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="378"] Prattsville, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2011.[/caption]

On Sat. and Sun., Aug. 25-26 the Town of Prattsville will commemorate the one-year anniversary of when Hurricane Irene nearly washed the town away with its "1st Annual MudFest." “It is important for everyone to see that we are still working, motivated and determined to come back bigger and better than before!” said Greg Town of the Prattsville MudFest Committee. “With the help of volunteers, family and friends, we have grown as a community and made great progress towards our future greatness. This is a celebration of how far we’ve come and how far we are willing to go to come back from the brink of disaster.” Visitors to MudFest will see mud drinks, mud ice cream, mud pies, mud games, mud sculptures, and more mud. In addition, there will be art exhibits, music, crafts, and food, the play, “Water, Water, Everywhere!” by local children and the Soup-2-Nuts Theater Company, and fireworks at the Conine Field location Saturday night. For more information, please contact prattsvillemudfest@gmail.com.

The American Cancer Society details cancer rates in New York State, county by county with its first "Cancer Burden in New York State" report released Mon., July 23, at acscan.org/ny. Prostate cancer is New York’s most common cancer with almost 16,000 men diagnosed in 2011. Female breast cancer (15,710 new cases) and lung and bronchus cancers, with 14,200 new cases, were the second and third most frequent, respectively. There were also 9,480 new cases of colon and rectum cancer. Locally, the results:
• Greene 19.4 percent above state average
• Columbia .7 percent below state average
• Rensselear 16.6 percent above state average
• Albany 7.2 percent above state average
• Schoharie 1.4 percent below state average
• Delaware 1.8 percent below state average
• Ulster 5.3 percent above state average
• Dutchess .3 below state average

Susan Campriello reports in The Daily Mail nearly 2,000 households were without power for several hours after storms rolled through Greene County and the Hudson Valley during the late afternoon, Mon., July 23. The outage mainly effected the towns of Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie and New Baltimore. A power outage at the WGXC transmitter site put the station off the air for several hours, late Monday. A utility spokesman said winds caused the majority of outages, although some may have been due to lightning strikes. Between two and three inches of rain fell in northeastern Greene County between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Albany. The storm continued into the evening, when lightning struck the Coxsackie Water Treatment Plant. “During the storm on Monday afternoon, the Coxsackie Water Treatment Plant took a direct lightning strike and knocked out the operating control system which supplies the chemical feeds,” Mayor Mark Evans told The Daily Mail, in another story. “Our plant personnel were automatically notified, responded immediately and within a couple of hours the control system company was on-site making repairs.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 88F; low 59F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 86F low 61F.[/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 88; low around 55.

The outlook for the next three days:

Wednesday: Sunny. High near 84; low around 60.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 86.; low around 67.
Friday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 85; low around 65.

Sunrise today: 5:41 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:23 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 42 min.

Town meetings

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

COLUMBIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Board meeting, 8:30 a.m. at 4303 Route 9, Greenport (828-4718).
GREENPORT Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).

The National Weather Service in Albany extended a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Southeastern Albany County, North Central Columbia County and Southwestern Rensselaer County and now extended to North Eastern Greene County until 4:45 p.m., July 23. At 2:26 p.m. EDT the National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter-sized hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. Heavy rain, lightning, and thunder have been spotted throughout the northern area of WGXC's radio coverage area.

UPDATE: The storm knocked power out in part's of Cairo, including where WGXC's transmitting tower is located. WGXC returned on air around 9 p.m.

UPDATE: Another Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued through 12:15 a.m. for parts of NE Columbia County, NW through Rensselear County, through the NE Albany County.

Stories that made the news July 20 through July 22, 2012

Melanie Lekocevic reported in The Daily Mail the Town of Coxsackie is talking anew about how to replace its aging highway garage with something better, but affordable. Last year the town proposed a new structure be built for approximately $3.4 million. "We don’t have to do what was originally designed by the engineers, but we might be able to do something on a smaller, less expensive scale,” Town Supervisor Alex Betke said recently. The current building has a leaky roof, crumbling foundation, cracked walls and a host of other problems. Construction is not expected to begin for another year or two, at least. Enough time to pull together a feasible proposal the town can afford, officials said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail

Jim Planck reported in The Daily Mail three local supermarkets will be acquired by Tops Friendly Markets. The Grand Unions in West Coxsackie and Tannersville, along with Bryant's in Greenville, are expected to be under new management by fall. Bryant's is a Grand Union store operating under the Bryant's banner. Tops is based in Williamsville, Erie County, and operates 153 stores throughout western and central New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Current employees will be offered continued employment with Tops, and all stores will operate without interruption of service. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg reported in the Register Star talks are under way between Columbia County and the owners of Meadowgreens, a nine-hole golf course in West Ghent, for the purchase of 18 acres, intended to provide a runway protection zone for the Columbia County Airport. Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development Ken Flood said the county was directed to acquire the land by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is expected to fund 90 percent of the project, Flood told the paper. Meadowgreens' principal owner Carmen Nero said the county was interested in purchasing the entire property two years ago, but he declined. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Trevor Alford reported in the Register Star the Chatham Village Planning Board decided the Price Chopper site plan application is incomplete without a special use permit, a decision in direct conflict with the Chatham Village Board's vote granting an exemption for the project. At issue is Price Chopper's plan to construct a new, 43,000 square foot store in Chatham Plaza. Upon review of the application, the village Planning Board had questions about the scale of pictures presented, the adequacy of screening over time and concerns over negotiations between Price Chopper, Chatham Plaza and Francis Greenburger, a private property owner. Price Chopper’s options are to ask for clarification of the local law and exemption by the Chatham Village Board, or to take the matter to court for a decision on the exemption. Read the full story in the Register Star.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="480"] Rendering of the front side of Hampshire Real Estate's proposed remodel of Price Chopper in Chatham Plaza. (Courtesy of Protect Chatham)[/caption]

Over the weekend, WGXC broadcast several live recordings of musical performances.

The Columbia County-based Slink Moss Orchestra performed Sat., July 21 at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson. Click here to hear the entire second set. Click here to hear just the last song, "Ghost Train."
PLAY SLINK MOSS ORCHESTRA'S GHOST TRAIN 3:32

Friday night at Spotty Dog, three groups performed.
(These are long sets, but you can play from the beginning and fade out anytime.)

• Von Himmel (includes Jeremy Kelly, Ged and Cyrus Gengras, and Rafi Bookstaber). Click here to play Von Himmel set.
PLAY VON HIMMEL SET

• Hudson-based Alexander Turnquist played 12-string guitar with drummer Otto Hauser. Click here to hear that set.
PLAY TURNQUIST HAUSER DUO'S SET

• Brother Ong, aka the Reincarnation of Mike Tamburo from Pittsburgh, performed last on Saturday. Click here to play Brother Ong set.
PLAY BROTHER ONG SET

NOTE: Anyone recording local music, poetry, etc., WGXC will excerpt your recording on the radio Monday if you get us the file by Sunday at 6 p.m. at info@wgxc.org

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 93F; low 68F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 90F low 70F.[/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 there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 88; low around 66.

The outlook for the next three days:

Tuesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny. High near 86; low around 60.
Wednesday: Sunny. High near 82; low around 58.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. A chance of showers Thursday night. High near 81; low around 62.

Sunrise today: 5:40 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:24 p.m.
Length of the day: 14 hrs., 44 min.

Town meetings

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

CATSKILL Village board meeting at 7 p.m. at Firehouse near Catskill Commons (Wal Mart) (943-3830).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors’ Economic Development/Planning/Tourism/Agriculture/Transportation Committee Meeting, 5 p.m at 401 State St., Hudson.
HALCOTT Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 813 Route 3, Halcott Center (845-254-9920)
HUDSON Common Council Police Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall; Fire Committee Meeting at 6:45 p.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
PHILMONT Local Development Corp meeting at 7 p.m., Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
STUYVESANTPlanning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).

School board meetings
HUDSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Workshop on school report cards, 6 p.m.; regular meeting of the Board of Education, 7 p.m., Hudson High School library, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson (828-4360).

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="1536"]Musicians perform late Wed., July 19 at McGrath's during Irish Arts Week. Photo by Kenji Suzuki.[/caption]WGXC's team of reporters -- host of "The Irish Show" Tony Fallon, Jess Puglisi, Brian Dewan, Hank Flick, and Kenji Suzuki -- descended on East Durham Wed., July 19 to record the sights and sounds of Irish Arts Week. The festival continues through Saturday, with a day-long series of concerts with Andy McCann and others at the Michael J. Quill Center on Sat., July 21.

PLAY CLIP FROM MUSICIANS AT SALOON OF EAST DURHAM

PLAY CLIP FROM LATE NIGHT JAM AT BLACKTHORNE RESORT

PLAY CLIP OF TONY FALLON IRISH ARTS WEEK UPDATE #1

PLAY CLIP OF TONY FALLON IRISH ARTS WEEK UPDATE #2

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1536"]Musicians late Wed., July 19 at Blackthorne Resort. Photo by Kenji Suzuki.[/caption]

Livingston resident Tom Davis died at his home Thu., July 19, of throat and neck cancer. Davis, 59, was half of a famous comedy duo with now-U.S. Senator Al Franken. According to Wikipedia, "In 1975, Davis got his big break as one of the original writers for 'Saturday Night Live,' where he and Franken also performed together. Franken and Davis also wrote the screenplay for, and appeared in, the film 'One More Saturday Night,' and had cameos in 'Trading Places' and 'The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash.'" On July 13, 2011, Davis was a guest on "@Issue" with Victor Mendolia on WGXC. Click here to listen to the full edition of "@Issue," that includes the Davis interview. He discusses the city of Hudson and his cancer in the interview. He bought his house in Livingston, near the Happy Clown, in 1985 with Franken, and bought him out in 1990 when the duo broke up. Franken issued a statement Thu., July 19:

"Today is a sad day for all of us who loved Tom. I spoke with his mom this afternoon and she recalled fondly all the laughter that would come from the basement when Tom and I first got started in comedy. I visited Tom two weeks ago, and though he was deathly ill, we did a lot of laughing. He was a great friend, a good man, and so funny."

PLAY EXCERPT OF TOM DAVIS INTERVIEW ABOUT HIS CANCER 1:22
PLAY EXCERPT OF TOM DAVIS INTERVIEW DISCUSSING HUDSON AND LIVINGSTON 3:49

WGXC's Peter Krug was at opening day of the Greene County Youth Fair Thu., July 19 in Cairo's Angelo Canna Park. Krug spoke with members of the Greenville High School chapter of the FFA including 16-year-old FFA secretary Megan Terrell, and also Brent Bogardus, chairman of the Greene County Republicans, and other locals at the fair. He also recorded the sounds of some of the fair's animals, including turkeys, cows, chickens, goats and sheep. The Greene County Youth Fair runs through Sunday.


Click here to listen to Peter Krug's news report about the Greene County Youth Fair.
PLAY NEWS REPORT 5:36

Hudson Third Ward Board of Supervisors representative and co-host of the "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays on WGXC Ellen Thurston announced Thu., July 19 that performance artist Marina Abramović will be in Hudson Sun., Aug. 12, for a presentation about her proposed Marina Abramović Institute for the Preservation of Performance Art in the former Community Tennis building at 7th St. and Columbia St. in Hudson. Thurston said she spoke with Abramović representatives who told her to tell the media in Hudson. In May, Abramović gave a press conference about the plan in Queens at PS1, that WGXC broadcast live on 90.7-FM.