"The Jazz Disturbance" and "Between the Lines" on WGXC feature interviews this week and next with the artists, educators, and performers in two local jazz camps. On Thursday, June 21, host Cheryl K. on "The Jazz Disturbance" (7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays at 90.7-FM) speaks with young artists and educators of The Catskill Jazz Factory’s one-week residency program in The Catskill Jazz Factory’s program at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, that begins on Mon., June 18. The Catskill Jazz Factory, with the support of Friends of The Orpheum (FOTO) and the Catskill Mountain Foundation, is a new non-profit program dedicated to jazz performance, heritage, artistry, and educational outreach. All workshops and rehearsals at the Orpheum are open to the public for observation and free of charge. The week will culminate in a live concert featuring Artistic Director and pianist Aaron Diehl and the Catskill Jazz Factory Sat., June 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center. On Thu., June 28, artist manager/educator/ LVanHart Artist Productions Director Laura Hartmann and producer/engineer/bassist Malcolm Cecil will be live in the WGXC Hudson studio talking about the Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (SPAF) Summer Jazz Camp that begins on Monday, July 9. The camp will offer three different two-week courses: Jazz Improv Workshop, Small Ensemble Workshop, and Guitar Ensemble. That program concludes on Fri., July 20 at SPAF in Saugerties, with a public concert that includes both students and faculty. Also on Thu., June 21, Ann Forbes Cooper on her WGXC program "Between the Lines" (2 p.m. at 90.7-FM) interviews jazz pianist Aaron Diehl, and Crouch has written about jazz for years. All three are forces behind the Catskill Jazz Factory. Cooper talks to them about the week-long program and that live show June 23, at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville.

There is another election this year, a primary on Tue., June 26 on the Democratic side between Julian Schreibman and Joel Tyner to face incumbent Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook) in a newly-aligned Congressional District 19. The demographics in the new district is slightly more Democratic than the 20th District that Gibson won from Democrat Scott Murphy during the Republican landslide of 2010. Schreibman worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, receiving the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for assisting in the prosecution and conviction of four al Qaeda members for bombing U.S. embassies. He has also worked as a federal prosecutor, and moved to Ulster County in 2005, where he has worked as Senior Assistant District Attorney. Click here to listen to an interview with Schreibman on many topics from farming to fracking to medical marijuana and more, with hosts Jack Ross-Pilkington and Samir Alygad on the "WGXC Afternoon Show."

PLAY INTERVIEW 32:22

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Dallas Trombley and WGXC host Tom Roe in the Acra Wave Farm studio Fri. June 15."][/caption]Dallas Trombley announces his effort to run for the 102nd Assembly district seat at Wyche Park in his New Baltimore hometown at 3 p.m. June 16. Trombley is seeking the Independence line, and creating his own Main Street Party, to run against Republican Pete Lopez in the district, which will now cover Greene and Schoharie counties, much of Albany county, and Saugerties, Stuyvesant, and Stockport. Trombley talked on the WGXC Morning Show in Acra about his candidacy. Click here to listen to that interview.

PLAY INTERVIEW 19:59

(Photo montage above from Cairo Historical Society)
The Cairo Historical Society throws the second annual "Temperance & Tommy Guns" salute to the area in the 1920s, Sat., June 16 along Main St. There will be history, highlights of the Prohibition Era, and lots of talk about Jack "Legs" Diamond, the gangster who lived part-time off Route 23 in Acra during the era. Main Street in Cairo will be closed for the day for the festival, which begins at 11 a.m. and includes Irish and German dance, a barbershop Quartet, the Kitty Kelly Band from East Durham, book signings by author Patrick Downey for "'Legs' Diamond, Gangster," antique cars, and a petting zoo at the Town Park. Listen here to hear an interview with Cairo Historical Society Vice-President Sylvia Hasenkopf on the "WGXC Morning Show" about the festival.

PLAY INTERVIEW 8:59

A report from Thomas Kaplan at the New York Times details the tenacious ability of the Republican Party to keep their hands on the lever of power in New York State, in spite of being dramatically outnumbered by registered Democrats. While no Republican has been elected to a statewide office in a decade, they continue to have strong influence in Albany, thanks to a pragmatic alliance with the state’s Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo. But in regional and local races, the party appears in much better shape. New Yorkers elected six new Republicans to Congress in 2010, and the redistricting map put in place by a federal court — Albany lawmakers could not agree on one — is quite hospitable to the Republicans. They are also generally favored to retain their control of the State Senate, thanks to gerrymandering designed to protect their incumbents, a strong fund-raising advantage, and a Democratic minority tainted with a reputation for corruption and division. More details can be found online at The New York Times.

In Washington, Free Speech Radio News reports, the U.S. Senate is set to begin debating the nearly one trillion dollar Farm Bill. But before taking up the massive legislation, lawmakers must first wade through more than 200 amendments dealing with everything from sugar subsidies to rural broadband access to foreign aid to Pakistan. One current battle pits powerful crop insurance companies against defenders of the food stamp program. More than 22 million U.S. families depend on food stamps to meet their nutritional needs, but proposed cuts in the House and Senate versions of the bill have put that assistance in jeopardy. On Capitol Hill, Alice Ollstein reports for Free Speech Radio News.

LINK TO AUDIO NEWS STORY 4:01

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star after months of delay, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors recently approved $500,000 in funding for Cornell Cooperative Extension. The funds were budgeted in December, but the supervisors waited nearly six months to distribute the money after concerns arose over CCE's use of the funds. Board of Supervisors Chairman Pat Grattan told the paper the board questioned whether Columbia County funds were being used to support staff and services for CCE's Greene County program. The twin county CCE programs merged in January as a way to cut administrative expenses, according to Linda Tripp, CCE Interim Executive Director. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides technical assistance to local farms, helps local 4H groups, offers educational programs, a summer camp for students to explore agricultural careers, and gives support to community garden projects and farmers markets. According to Mayberg, Columbia County's allocation to CCE has decreased by 14.5 percent since 2010. Read the full story in the Register Star.

W.T. Eckert reports in The Daily Mail, the two-year, $1.9 million Columbia-Greene Community College Capital Reinvestment Project is drawing to a close. Columbia and Greene counties provided a combined total of $950,000 for the project, while the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York financed the state's 50 percent share. College President James Campion recently reported to the C-GCC Education Committee the work accomplished, included: New roofs for the arts and technology buildings; repair of water-damaged ceilings and floors; some unanticipated asbestos abatement; repairs to the large, mechanical gym door; and, a complete renovation of the facility's plumbing system, and rehabilitation of the water tank. Everything came in under budget, Campion said. Project clean up and some additional work to roadways and sidewalks remain. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail a public hearing will be held Tues., June 19, on the proposed fire district merger between the Village of Catskill and areas within the Town of Catskill already served by the village fire department. Village of Catskill Vice President Patrick McCulloch told the paper the consolidation process, started in 2003, is nearly complete. This will make the fire district a separate entity and give taxpayers more control, McCulloch said. Fire commissioners will be elected by residents of the district, he said. Smith’s Landing is not included in the merger plans. The area will continue to be served by the Malden-West Camp Fire Company. The hearing will be held 6 p.m., Tues., at Catskill High School.  Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128" caption="Cairo: High 77F; low 52F."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Catskill: High 77F; low 52F."][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Today, Sunny. High near 78; low around 52.

The outlook for the weekend:

Friday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 80; low around 52.
Saturday: Sunny. High near 81; low around 60.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Hhigh near 82; low around 53

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:34 p.m.
Length of the day: 15 hrs., 16 min.

Town meetings
Today is the second Thursday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM 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).

 

According to the Wed., June 13 story in The New York Times, the gas-drilling technique known as high-impact hydraulic fracturing (or "hydrofracking") may be coming to New York state. However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a plan that limits it to counties bordering Pennsylvania. Those areas are located in the southwest New York region, primarily Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Steuben and Tioga counties. And, hydrofracking will only occur in communities in those counties that support the process. This means that if this as-yet-unproposed plan were to become law, hydrofracking would be banned in Catskill Park, aquifers and nationally designated historic districts, and not anywhere near the WGXC listening area, the Times reported. Further details at the New York Times.

Susan Campriello writes in The Daily Mail that the Cairo Town Planning Board approved site plans for three prayer buildings, a truck access road and a 225-space parking lot at the Mahayana Buddhist Temple retreat in South Cairo on Ira Vale Road following a public hearing Tuesday night and determination that that the project would not have a significant effect on the environment. Engineer Elliott Fishman, representing the retreat, told the board the new prayer buildings will resemble others at the complex, while the parking lot would accommodate visitors during the retreat’s infrequent larger gatherings, such as its Chinese New Year celebration. You can read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Barbara Reina reports in the Register Star Greene County resident Dallas Trombley intends get his name on the November ballot in the 102nd Assembly district. He is seeking the endorsement of the Independence Party; in the alternative he will run as an independent candidate. The former analyst for the state Assembly is planning a walking tour of the 102nd to personally connect with voters, one-on-one. Trombley told the paper his ideas are a mixture of real statutory reform, real and permanent cost benefits and community involvement. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union spoke with Duanesburg School Board President Cecilia Tkaczyk prior to the formal kick-off of her state Senate campaign, Tues., June 12. Tkaczyk (pronounced KOTCH-ick) is one of three Democrats competing to run against Republican Assemblyman George Amedore in the newly established 46th district. Tkaczyk told Vielkind she supports an increase in the minimum wage, legislation to subject hydro-fracking drilling fluids to hazardous waste regulations and allowing local governments to zone for drilling within their boundaries. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128" caption="Cairo: High 73F; low 50F."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="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, temperatures are expected to be much the same as yesterday. A slight chance of showers before 7 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 75; low around 54.

The outlook for the next three days:

Thursday: Partly sunny. High near 77; low around 52.
Friday: Sunny. High near 79; low around 52.
Saturday: Sunny. High near 79; low around 54

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:33 p.m.
Length of the day: 15 hrs., 15 min.

Town meetings
Today is the second Wednesday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM 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).

Erin Vannella at YNN TV reports that the Albany County Legislature passed a two-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling on county owned lands Mon., June 11. The measure was put forward by Chris Higgins, a lawyer for Senate Democrats, who is running for an open Assembly seat representing much of Albany and Albany County. He is one of several local politicos vying for the Democratic nod, which would almost guarantee election in this heavily Democratic area. The resolution calls for a moratorium on high-impact hydraulic fracturing (better known as “hydrofracking”) and horizontal drilling for natural gas for at least two years. In a related story, Neil Springer of the Albany Business Review reports that lower natural gas prices mean Albany County expects to save $80,000 a year on its energy bills once its contract with Hess Corp. takes effect November 1. "The county locked in lower prices for natural gas used to heat 19 buildings it owns," Springer writes.

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail hundreds of Greenville school district residents attended the Board of Education meeting Mon., June 11, in protest of recent budget cuts. The meeting was moved from the school library to the auditorium to accommodate the massive crowd. Among the complaints offered by a variety of speakers: The board refused to work with the teachers' union on alternatives to personnel and program cuts, the cutback in the elementary nursing staff puts the district  students at risk and the elimination of the Japanese program was unfair to students. Late last week, an email petition was circulated within the community, accusing the board and administrators of secrecy, procedural violations and fiscal misrepresentation, and called upon residents to attend the public meeting. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jimmy Vielkind writes at Capitol Confidential on the rate of money flowing to Albany politicians from various lobbying firms, as reported by the New York Public Interest Research Group. In the year leading up to January 12, 2012, lobbying firms, their affiliated PACS and employees made more than $1.8 million in direct contributions to various campaigns, or four percent of all money raised, NYPIRG reported. The top recipients of lobbyist money are Democrats Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Steve Saland, Republican member of the state Senate for the 41st District, was listed 19th on NYPIRG's list of 25 candidates and party committees that received the most from lobbyists. Saland's district includes most of Dutchess County and all of Columbia County. NYPIRG is pushing for stricter limits on how lobbyists can give in any upcoming campaign finance reforms. Read the NYPIRG "pay to play analysis" at Capitol Confidential.

Casey Seiler reports at Capitol Confidential the prescription drug oversight legislation known as the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act, or I-STOP, unanimously passed in both houses, Mon., June 11. The bill will result in a real-time database that gives physicians information on a patient’s prescription history before prescribing the most powerful and addictive drugs; will require pharmacists to provide information for that purpose; reclassify hydrocodone and tramadol to reflect the risk of abuse that comes with their use; and kicks off the process to establish “e-prescribing” of controlled substances by the end of 2014 to prevent runaway prescription fraud. The bill also establishes a safe drug disposal program for expired or unused medication. Read the full story at the Times Union's Capitol Confidential.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128" caption="Cairo: High 72F; low 57F."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Catskill: High 72F; 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, temperatures are expected to be much cooler yesterday. Showers likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy. High near 74; low near 60.

The outlook for the next three days:

Wednesday: A chance of showers before 8 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 77; low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Thursday: Partly sunny. A slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. High near 79; low around 56.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 79; low around 54.

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:33 p.m.
Length of the day: 15 hrs., 15 min.

Town meetings
Today is the second Tuesday of the month.
(WGXC 90.7-FM 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).

Jimmy Vielkind reports on Capitol Confidential the New York State Senate and Assembly are slated to take up the bill known as ISTOP, designed to strengthen the state’s system for tracking dangerous prescription medications. Last week, the Times Union reported on the three-year effort to hammer out an agreement on the legislation, which would upgrade the state's database of prescription drugs. It would also prohibit automatic prescription refills for some common painkillers, and eventually require they be prescribed electronically. Read the program bill and memo at Capitol Confidential.