The Cairo-Durham School Board indicated they will close Durham Elementary after next year's term during their final "Budget Discussion" on Mon., Apr. 16, before voting on a final budget Thu., Apr. 19. The board also indicated it will raise the tax levy 3.8 percent, the maximum amount allowed under the state's tax cap that requires approval by 50 percent plus one in May school elections. Before the meeting last night, the Cairo-Durham School District was still $164,598 short of a balanced budget with the 3.8 percent total increase in school taxes (individual taxes will go up varying amounts, not 3.8 percent). On Monday, the board decided to close that gap first with an "inter-municipal agreement with Greenville" schools, so both districts share bus maintenance costs. That reportedly saves $40,000, leaving a $124,598 gap. To make up that amount, the board decided to, just three days before voting on a budget, ask the teachers unions for some type of concession. Board member Beth Phillips suggested that if unions took two percent less for insurance, it would make up most of the difference. Union officials were not there to respond to this last-minute request. So the school board made a back-up plan, saying that a teacher's job at both Cairo Elementary and the district's middle school, would be eliminated, and an additional $3698 would need to be taken from sports or other after-school activities, if the union's would not agree to some contract restructuring. School board President Greg Koerner-Fox repeatedly steered the conversation to next year's $2.5 million deficit. Because of that, the board indicated it will close Durham Elementary in 2013-2014, saving somewhat less then the $642,742 they would have saved by closing the school next year, which two members advocated. Koerner-Fox indicated that closing the school and negotiating further union concessions is the only solution for that $2.5-million problem, or "we will be cutting 30 teachers next year to make up the $2 million." The public was given a chance to speak after the board made their decisions, and the current Cairo-Durham bus maintenance crew heard the news they were losing their school contract from a text message and arrived to protest. A large group of pro-arts students and teachers were there, as "art and music" were considered for cuts, but the board repeatedly said Monday they were not cutting arts. Few parents begged to keep Durham Elementary open, even as the board reported one other hope. After giving up on turning Durham into a charter school, they are now hearing a "magnet" school proposal from an education company. The Cairo-Durham School Board meets at 7 p.m. Thu., Apr. 19 in the Cairo High School auditorium to vote on the budget. Tune in to a 30-minute recap of the meeting at 2 p.m. Tue., Apr. 17 on WGXC 90.7-FM. And a full recording of the meeting will be here and at wgxc.org soon.

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail on the effort of the Manhattan-based New York State Youth Leadership Council to raise awareness of the educational inequities for undocumented immigrants in New York state. In an effort to inform the public and advocate on behalf of the New York State Dream Act -- due for a vote by state lawmakers in June -- a group of students and their supporters have been walking the 150-mile trip from New York City to Albany. On Sat., Apr. 14, the group did the 17-mile leg up Route 9G from Bard College to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and Catskill. WGXC programmer Cory Fischer-Hoffman not only opened her home to the walkers Saturday night, but she also fed them at the Catskill Community Center. “I think it’s important that people have access to education,” Fischer-Hoffman said. “I think it’s a shame that people don’t have full rights in this country.” The federal Dream Act legislation failed to pass in 2010, but the states of California, New Mexico and Texas have passed their own version of the law. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Listen to the full program at Catskill Community Center.

Cory Fischer-Hoffman interviews walk participant Luis

Cory Fischer-Hoffman interviews walk participant Razine

Bryan Fitzgerald writes in the Times Union, Greene County priest, the Rev. Jeremiah Nunan, was placed on administrative leave after allegations that he sexually abused a minor surfaced. Nunan, 74, is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Cairo, and at Our Lady of Knock Mission in East Durham. During his suspension he is prohibited from officiating at any ceremonies, wearing clerical clothing, or presenting himself as a priest. The victim alleged Nunan abused him as a child between 1996 and 2003, and later when he was an adult, between 2007 and 2011. This is the second time Nunan has been accused of the sex abuse of a minor. In 2006, Nunan was accused of abusing a child beginning in 1967, during the time he was serving at St. Mary's Church in Hudson. Following an 11-month investigation, Nunan was cleared and restored to the ministry. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Weather right now



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Cairo: Mostly sunny; high 67F; low 37F."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Catskill: Mostly sunny; high 68F; low 37F."][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County.
Today, Mostly sunny, with a high near 68; low around 37.

The forecast for the rest of the week:
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 62; low around 37.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68; low around 48.
Friday: A chance of showers, high near 68; low around 50.

Sunrise today: 6:11 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:40 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs. 29 min.; 2 minutes longer than the previous day

Town meetings
This is the third Tuesday of the month
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting time and location.)

COLUMBIA COUNTY Health and Medical Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
DURHAM Town Board meets at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
HILLSDALE Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Main Street (325-5073).
HUDSON 5 p.m. Finance Committee meeting; 7 p.m. Regular Common Council meeting at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
LEXINGTON Town board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall on Route 82 in West Taghkanic (851-7638).

Stories that made the news in Columbia and Greene counties (Apr. 13 to Apr. 15):

Tom Casey reports in the Register Star the proposal for the Hudson Youth Center Senior Annex got a unanimous “thumbs-up” from the Hudson Preservation Commission, Fri., Apr. 13. The Commission gave its approval, expressly noting the materials to be used and the positioning and design of the building were appropriate to the historic district. “I think this is a nice use of a facility tying into another building, but it shows respect for the old historical building,” said member Rick Rector. According to Carole Osterink's account in The Gossips of Rivertown blog, the members approved the proposal, but stipulated that any major, significant changes to the design be submitted to the Commission for review. The project now moves forward to the Hudson Planning Commission for consideration on May 9. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Audra Jornov and John Mason report in the Register Star, the boards of education in both Hudson and Germantown adopted the districts’ 2012-13 school spending plans on Wed., Apr. 11. In Hudson, the board approved a $41.5 million budget and 2.78 percent tax levy increase. The Germantown board okayed a $13.7 million spending plan, along with a 5.2 percent tax levy increase. Boards in Greenville, Cairo-Durham, Catskill, Chatham, Coxsackie-Athens, Hunter-Tannersville, New Lebanon and Taconic Hills will be asked to adopt their respective budgets this week. The annual school board election and budget vote is May 15. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Register Star is reporting Jonathan A. Mills, the man alleged to have robbed the Fairview Ave. branch of the Bank of Greene County, Mon., Apr. 9, has now been charged in Genesee County in connection with the afternoon robbery of the Five Star Bank in the town of Pavilion on Apr. 6. Mills, 24, of Rochester, is currently held in Columbia County Jail. Police believe he may have been involved in other robberies statewide, targeting banks located in Saugerties, Geneva and Rochester. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Lissa Harris writes in the Watershed Post because Hurricane Irene “caused so much death and destruction in 2011" the World Meteorological Organization has retired the name ‘Irene’ from its rotating list of storm names. It will be replaced by the name, ‘Irma.’ According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Irene was responsible for 49 deaths, and $15.8 billion worth of damage in the U.S. alone. In New York, 10 people died and the state estimates damages from the storms Irene and Lee together, total $1.6 billion. Read the full story in the Watershed Post.

Weather right now



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Cairo: Sunny; high 86F; low 54F."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Catskill: Sunny; high 87F; 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, sunny, with a high near 87; low around 54.

The forecast for the rest of the week:
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69; low around 43.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 62; low around 37.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69; low around 46.
Friday: A chance of showers, high near 65; low around 44.

Sunrise today: 6:12 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:39 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs. 27 min.; 3 minutes longer than the previous day

Town meetings
This is the third Monday of the month
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting time and location.)

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

Board of Education meeting

GREENVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 7 p.m. at the Middle School Library Media Center, Route 81, Greenville (966.5070).

The rock band Hole -- including bassist and Hudson resident Melissa Auf der Maur, who also runs Basilica Hudson -- reunited for a couple of songs late Friday, early Saturday April 14, and this YouTube video was posted. Auf der Maur opens the clip, wondering if Courtney Love was going to join them, and then they play "Miss World."

The Columbia County Board of Supervisors approved a retroactive agreement with county 911 dispatchers during a meeting of the full board, Wed., Apr. 11, Nathan Mayberg writes in the Register Star. The contract provides the 11 members of the Dispatchers Benevolent Association pay raises ranging from 2.5 to 3 percent, longevity pay and shared health insurance costs for retirees of 50 percent or 75 percent, depending on length of service. Also on Wed., Chairman Patrick Grattan appointed a 19-member committee to negotiate the purchase of 25 Railroad Ave., long-time home to the Department of Social Services. The county has paid $425,000 a year for the past 20 years to rent the building; the property is currently assessed at $2,056,000. The committee includes supervisors from New Lebanon, Canaan, Livingston, Hudson, Ancram, Taghkanic and Copake,  Read the full story in the Register Star.

 

Lissa Harris reports in the Watershed Post Ulster County executive Mike Hein issued an executive order Thurs., Apr. 12, banning the purchase of any liquid waste product from hydraulic fracturing operations, and the use of that product by any part of Ulster County government. “This action is in accordance with my long standing concern for the environment and my profound concerns regarding hydrofracking,” Hein said in a statement released by his office. Harris reports the use of brine from hydraulic fracturing wells as a cheap replacement for road salt is a controversial practice, and it allows gas companies a way to dispose of the toxin-laced fluid, thereby avoiding the time and expense required to transport it to wastewater treatment plants. A local law banning the use of fracking brine is currently pending with Ulster County lawmakers; a public hearing will be held April 17 in the Ulster County Community College gym.  Read the full story in the Watershed Post.

 

The Associated Press is reporting law enforcement believe a man accused of robbing the Fairview Ave. branch of the Bank of Greene County may be linked to other holdups in the Hudson Valley. Jonathan Mills, 24, of Rochester was arrested in a Westchester County motel, Wed., Apr. 11, and subsequently charged with robbery and grand larceny in connection with the Greenport incident, which occurred Mon., Apr 9. He is currently held in Columbia County Jail without bail. Mills was taken into custody one day following the arrest of two other men from Rochester and an Albany woman. All three were charged in connection with a bank robbery in Saugerties. Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison told the AP the two holdups have not been linked, but the investigation is ongoing. Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.

Lissa Harris reports in Watershed Post Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo appeared in Middleburgh, Wed., Apr. 11, to announce the state's intention to cover the local share of flood recovery costs in 25 New York counties. Cuomo's announcement was made in hard-hit Schoharie County before an audience of 150 local officials and residents. The local share of the costs from flooding last summer adds up to $61 million, statewide. Local governments have been struggling to to cover their share of these projects, and to pay up front for projects they will eventually be reimbursed by FEMA for. Some communities have borrowed large sums of money to keep recovery efforts moving forward, Harris writes. Schoharie County has an estimated $102.6 million in recovery projects, adding up to a local share of $12.8 million. According to the announcement Wed., early $4.5 million will go to Greene County, $3.8 million to Ulster and $4 million to Delaware County. Funding to cover local costs will come from money set aside by the state Legislature and additional federal funds requested by the governor, according to Harris. Read the full story in Watershed Post.

Weather right now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, with a high near 65; low around 35.

The forecast for the rest of the week:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67; low around 44.
Sunday: A chance of showers, with a high near 75; low around 54.
Monday: A chance of showers; mostly sunny, with a high near 82; low around 53.
Tuesday: A chance of showers; partly sunny, with a high near 74; low around 51.
Wednesday: A chance of showers; mostly cloudy, with a high near 62; low around 42.

Sunrise today: 6:17 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:36 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs. 19 min.

Town meetings
This is the second Friday of the month
(WGXC 90.7-FM suggests you call ahead to confirm meeting time and location.)

HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., Central Firehouse [temporary location], Sixth Street, Hudson (828-1030).

Jim Planck reports in The Daily Mail the Village of Tannersville Board unanimously approved its $1.6 million spending plan for 2012-13, on Tues., Apr. 10. Under the new budget, the village tax rate will drop to a new rate of $5.61 per thousand. Mayor Lee McGunnigle estimated the rate will translate into a $25 savings per average household. The budget increased from $1.3 million in 2011-12. "The major increase in the village’s overall budget is in the water fund, which is up almost double...to $706,664," Planck writes. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

 

Trevor Alford reports in the Chatham Courier the Ghent Planning Board unanimously approved an expansion proposal for TCI New York, but opted to continue discussion of the plan to enlarge the Price Chopper at Chatham Plaza. TCI, located in West Ghent, disposes obsolete electrical equipment. The company plans to build a 3,500-square-foot office building and a new truck entrance located next to the existing entrance on Falls Industrial Park Road. The board also addressed aspects of the proposed expansion of Price Chopper. Store officials were asked to border the building with as many indigenous trees as possible to mask its appearance from the roadway. Price Chopper also agreed to build a sidewalk along the outside of the building, if all adjoining properties agreed to the installation. Read the full story in the Chatham Courier.

 

Weather right now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 8 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers; high near 55; low around 33.

The forecast for the rest of the week:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59; low around 38.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67; low around 44.
Sunday: A chance of showers, with a high near 75; low around 54.

Sunrise today: 6:19 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:34 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs. 15 min.

Town meetings
This 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).

HUDSON -- The additional $1.2 million calculated as general fund expenditures last week by Interim Business Manager Jack McKinney were done so in error, according to a brief statement by Kelly Frank, chair of the Hudson City Board of Education Budget Committee, Tues., Apr. 10. During the course of a 45-minute meeting held in the district's central office, the committee finalized its recommendations for presentation to the full board Wed., Apr. 11. The final proposal calls for the elimination of five teaching positions: one elementary and four grades 7-12 positions (business, reading, foreign language and math). The modified sports program will be cut. No mention was made of the secretarial position previously targeted for elimination, or if it remains on the committee's list of suggested cuts. Along with the reduction in force, the proposal includes a 2.78 percent tax levy increase to accommodate the district's projected $1.3 million budget gap for the 2012-13 school year. Superintendent John F. Howe lauded the committee's work, pointing out the tax levy increase is within the state-prescribed budget cap, and the layoffs are "contained, not widespread." He proclaimed it "a good proposal."

Cathleen F. Crowley writes in the Times Union about the tick-born infection, anaplasmosis, that has been showing up more frequently in Capitol region emergency rooms. The infection causes flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, muscle pain, malaise, chills, nausea and confusion. The number of cases is still small compared to the number afflicted by Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis is seen most often in people over the age of 65, an indication that younger people with healthy immune systems are better able to fight off the bacteria. Once diagnosed and treated with the antibiotic doxycycline, patients recover fast. Tick season began early this year because of the warm temperatures. Experts predict this season will be especially bad because of various factors in the tick's ecosystem. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Tom Casey reports in the Register Star the plan for the Hudson Youth Center Senior annex was a subject covered during the informal meeting of the Hudson Common Council, Mon., Apr. 9. The full council heard from project architect, Jane Smith of Spacesmith, present "the schematic phase of design," which included a reorganized floor plan and exterior elevations of the building. “It’s very efficient, it is very functional, it has all of the uses [but the building] is on not a big footprint,” Smith said. The council also received an engineering review conducted by Crawford & Associates Engineering. The Hudson-based firm found some localized items of concern but reported the building in “good to fair condition,” according to Casey. Karen Smith, a neighbor of the facility, said while she appreciated some of the design details, concerns prevail about "the noise and lighting" the annex will create. “The bottom line is it’s going to ruin the property values of my house and all my neighbors’ houses and take away the enjoyment of our backyards,” said Smith. The council is expected to take action on the plan in May. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Daily Mail's Doron Tyler Antrim writes about runner Todd Jennings, 49, of Monroe (Orange County) who is taking on a 315-mile marathon over eight days to raise money for nonprofit environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger in 1969. The group conducts environmental science on the Clearwater, a historic 106-foot-long sloop. The Hudson River Run 2012 will start May 12 at Lake Tear of the Clouds on Mount Marcy — the state’s highest peak — and finish at The Battery Conservancy in Manhattan. Jennings will pass through Greene County on May 16, during a 43-mile stretch from Cohoes to Catskill. He hopes to raise between $50 and $100,000 for the organization. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, a chance of rain and snow showers before 8 a.m., then a chance of rain showers; high near 54; low around 34.

The forecast for the rest of the week:
Thursday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 8 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers; high near 55; low around 33.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59; low around 38.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67; low around 44.
Sunday: A chance of showers, with a high near 75;  low around 54.

Sunrise today: 6:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:33 p.m.
Length of the day: 13 hrs. 13 min.

Town meetings
This is the 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).