Melanie Lekocevic reports in The Daily Mail the golden arches may be coming to the site of a former tobacco store on Route 9W in Coxsackie. Local developer, Russell Francis, president of R&S Francis Holdings, Inc., "...has been trying to bring McDonald's to the area for four years," Lekocevic writes. The project site plan is under review by the Town of Coxsackie Planning Board. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin as soon as this spring and be completed in four to six months. The restaurant will be housed in a 3,200-square-foot building with two retailers attached -- a Dollar Tree and another, as yet unidentified store. The national restaurant will be a boon to the local economy, Francis said. The project is privately funded and will not utilize county taxpayer dollars, Lekocevic writes. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star the state of New York is launching a tourism and economic development project aimed at getting motorists off the Thruway to visit historic sites, museums and cultural attractions, including several in Columbia and Greene counties. The "Path Through History" initiative will include the Lindenwald, the home of Pres. Martin Van Buren and the Van Alen House, both located in Kinderhook, and Olana in Greenport. The Fireman’s Association Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, may also be included, Mayberg writes. Signs will be installed along the highway to direct travelers to the locations, and information kiosks will be placed at rest stops. "We know that there's a high volume of traffic that goes by Greene County," Warren Hart, the county's director of tourism, economic development and planning, said. "Anything we can do to spotlight the history or tourism attractions that are in the Catskills is a great idea." Read the full story online.

The Associated Press is reporting New York is one of two states nationwide to post a double-digit increase in its graduation rate. A study released Sunday, Mar. 18, by a coalition of education advocacy organizations found the state's graduation rate went from 60.5 percent in 2002, to 73.5 percent in 2009. New York finished second behind Tennessee, among 24 states showing improvement. The national graduation rate is now 75.5 percent, according to the report. Approximately 32,000 more New York students graduated in 2009 than in 2002; 130 schools statewide had a graduation rate of 60 percent or less in 2010, down from 145 in 2002. The improved rate was attributed to "a sharper focus on high-needs districts and a strong commitment to getting diplomas into the hands of all students." Read the full Associated Press story online.

The Cairo-Durham Central School District is currently looking at a budget gap of $924,000 for the 2012-13 school year. At the budget discussion held Wed., Mar. 14, district business manager Lisa Gillette explained district expenditures, projected revenues and the tax cap to an audience of students and community members. She reported Cairo-Durham's top three expenses are salaries (46 percent), benefits (23 percent) and debt service (11 percent). Cairo-Durham's fund fund balance is eroding, she said, but "we are in better shape than many of our neighbors in Greene and Columbia counties." The majority of the district's revenue (87 percent) comes from state and federal aid (44.6 percent) and the tax levy (42.6 percent). "The tax cap has been purposely misrepresented by the governor," Gillette said. She said it is "not really a 'cap,' but rather a way to set a higher threshold for voter approval of school budgets. Based on the tax cap formula, the maximum allowable tax levy increase for Cairo-Durham in 2012-13, is 3.8 percent. Cost-savings proposals under consideration include redistricting 91 Cairo students to Durham, or closing Durham Elementary School. Gillette emphasized the budget process is "far from over" at this point. Board president Greg Koerner-Fox said when considering cost-cutting options, the board is "looking for cuts that least impact students." Listen to the full meeting online (Part 1 and Part 2) at WGXC.org. (Recorded by Anne Horst.)

The Register Star has Trevor Alford's profiles the four candidates vying for two seats on the Chatham Village Board in the March 20 election. Incumbent George Grant will face off against former mayor Paul Boehme, Adrienne Morrell and Lenore Packet. Grant has held a seat on the Village Board for 17 years. He counts the transfer of Union Station from the railroad and an improved village sewer system as two important accomplishments during his tenure. He would like to be involved in the final stages of the sewer plant upgrade and believes a compromise must be found between Price Chopper and the owner of the Chatham Plaza. “It does frustrate me that they don’t seem to be talking to each other,” he said. Boehme served as mayor for 20 years and "used his accounting background to keep the village budget within 1.4 percent over a period of 10 years," Alford writes. He also worked to improve the village water system and its roads. Boehme is interested in joining the board "because...there is a lot of activity in Chatham right now." He, too, believes a solution to the Price Chopper controversy can be found if the parties sit down and talk. But before any expansion can happen, he said, the sewer infrastructure must be upgraded. Morrell grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and attended New York University. She is the executive director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, located in Williamstown, Mass. Her two children are enrolled in the Chatham schools. Morrell's biggest issues are to work within the limits of the 2 percent property tax cap and encourage more residents to volunteer their time to various causes throughout the village. She believes her experience with a non-profit makes her a good candidate for Village Board. As for the Price Chopper controversy, Morrell hopes the planning boards will "balance the increased need for groceries against 'the desire of many of us to protect the beauty and open spaces of Chatham.'" Packet is a Chatham native and the director and teacher of Chatham Preschool. If elected, she told Alford, she "will work with the mayor, other trustees and village department heads to cut costs and 'keep taxes under control.'” Packet said the Price Chopper expansion would be out of her hands as a village trustee, but would prefer the existing mall be expanded. "She likes having some open space that breaks up commercial sites in that area," Alford writes. “We should tread lightly on what open land we have. Once you’ve paved it you’ve lost it,” Packet said. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Emilia Teasdale writes in The Columbia Paper the Ichabod Crane Central School District will receive more than $400,000 as part of a health insurance settlement that may help reduce the district's projected $1.2 budget gap for the 2012-13 school year. Board member John Antalek called the settlement with the Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene Health Insurance Trust and Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare, "a one-time windfall for the district." Interim Schools Superintendent Lee Bordick stressed "this is money the district may never see again," Teasdale writes. "How do we not squander it?” Antalek asked. Bordick said the funds could be used to reduce the deficit in 2012-13, but it would not fill the entire gap. Because ICC will see greater cuts in state aid than other schools in Columbia County, board members will travel to Albany and meet with state representatives this week. The board is encouraging members of the public to write state officials, as well. Contact information for the governor and other state representatives is now posted at www.ichabodcrane.org. Read the full story in the Mar. 8 edition of The Columbia Paper.

John Mason writes in the Register Star Alderman Larissa Parks, D-Hudson1, has resigned. Parks notified city officials of her decision by email Mon., Mar. 12, after serving the residents of Hudson's First Ward slightly more than two months. Parks was elected in Nov. 2011, and took the seat in January. Common Council President Don Moore announced the resignation at the informal meeting of the full council, Monday. The council must now appoint an interim replacement "in not less than 10 and not more than 20 days" to serve out the year, Mason writes. An election will be held in November to select an individual to complete the remainder of Parks' two-year term. The council will meet 7 p.m., Thurs., Mar. 22 to "entertain expressions of interest in the position," Moore said. Two candidates have come forward -- former First Ward Alderman Geeta Cheddie and former mayoral candidate Nick Haddad. If the council fails to agree on a candidate within 20 days, the task of filling the seat falls to Mayor William Hallenbeck. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Tom Casey reports in the Register Star plans are underway for the second annual Bangladeshi Festival, Sept. 2, and organizers have now secured financial support from the city of Hudson. “People had a good time and they’re asking to do more this year,” said Hosneara Kader, one of the event’s organizers. Kader and Muhammed Rony estimated a total budget of $6,500 for the event. The Hudson Common Council Arts, Entertainment and Tourism Committee recently agreed to contribute $1,500 to underwrite the cost of the sound system, entertainment and marketing for the cultural festival. This year's event will be "more polished and prepared" than last, Casey writes. “It’s not really an event just for the Bangladeshi community,” Rony said. “We want it to be an event to showcase the Bangladeshi community.” Read the full story in the Register Star.

Patricia Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman the former head of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency, Alexander "Sandy" Mathes, has been hired by the Ulster County Legislature to fill the part-time post of deputy clerk of finance, effective March 5. Mathes was named head of the county IDA in 2002. Despite a tenure marked by economic success, he left in 2011 amid criticism over his salary and bonus structure. Among those successes, Doxsey writes, was the attraction of Empire Merchants North (formerly Colony Liquor and Wine Distributors) to a Greene County Empire Development Zone from a site in Kingston. Mathes remained on the Greene County payroll through last month, continuing to draw a weekly salary of approximately $2,500. “We’re just tremendously lucky to have this guy,” said Ulster County Legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

The Columbia Paper reports Stewart's Shops has donated its vacant storefront located at 116 Main Street in Philmont, to Philmont Beautification, Inc., a community development organization. Stewart's vacated the 2,100-sq-ft. building on a 1.1 acre site in December 2010, at the same time it opened a new store in Chatham. "The donation has provided a head start for renovating the building and site and taking the next steps of Main St. development in Philmont. Discussions are on-going with the Philmont Market and Café Cooperative to determine how renovations for the building can meet the needs of the start-up cooperative," Philmont Beautification Executive Director Sally Baker said. Stewart's Shops is an employee- and family-owned business based in Saratoga Springs. It operates seven stories in Columbia County, as part of a network of 328 stores throughout upstate New York and southern Vermont. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

John Mason reports in the Register Star the Bingham Mills Road Bridge will not be replaced any time soon, according to Columbia County Engineering Director Dean Knox. The bridge was the focus of a recent Clermont Town Board meeting. The single lane bridge crosses the Roeliff Jansen Kill where Bingham Mills Road meets Mill Road on the Clermont/Livingston border. The span was closed in mid-July after it was red-flagged by the state Department of Transportation. The bridge carries 400 cars a day, Knox said. As a result of the bridge closure, Bingham Mills Road and Mill Road now dead-end. In a report released in January, Ryan-Biggs Associates estimated the cost of bridge repairs at $560,000 to $670,000. Knox said the bridge's ultimate fate will be determined by the county Board of Supervisors. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Lisa D. Connell writes in the Chatham Courier the Chatham Central School District is forecasting a $1.46 million budget increase for the 2012-13 school year. District Business Administrator Chuck Snyder presented the proposed spending plan to the public in a recent Board of Education meeting, outlining a variety of spending increases. The district has "no control" over growing retirement contributions and health insurance premiums, Snyder said. The total cost of benefits, which includes the retirement funds, social security and workers compensation, Connell reports, is $7.76 million next year, an increase of 13.46 percent. Instructional salaries, hardware, instructional software and BOCES services are expected to increase 13.06 percent. Snyder said the district reduced costs through refinancing some of its debt to take advantage of lower interest rates. A public hearing on the budget will be held May 8. Read the full story in the Chatham Courier.

Michael Gormley of the Associated Press reports the New York Senate and Assembly will try to shift $200 million from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed school incentive program back to the traditional school aid stream when budget resolutions are released Monday. Cuomo proposed setting aside $250 million for competitive grants in his 2012-13 budget. Under his plan, the grants would go to schools that showed improved instruction or innovation. Majority Leader Dean Skelos said the Senate will recommend $200 million of that amount go to traditional aid, instead, to be disbursed as usual to the 700 school districts statewide. According to sources, the Assembly Democrats may make the same recommendation. Cuomo had no immediate comment. A budget agreement is due by April 1, but lawmakers believe the spending plan can be approved "around March 21," Gormley writes. Read the full Associated Press story online.

Nathan Mayberg reports in the Register Star that Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Grattan, R-Kinderhook, and County Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons have announced their intention to negotiate the purchase of 25 Railroad Ave. from its owner, Tony Concra. Grattan said an environmental study recently confirmed the property, which includes a closed landfill, is environmentally sound. The county has leased the building to house the Department of Social Services at the cost of $425,000 a year for the past 20 years. The 40,000-square-foot structure is assessed at $2,056,000. The decision over where to locate DSS has plagued county leadership for several years, beginning with the decision in 2008 to purchase the former Ockawamick School for $1.5 million, based on a plan to move DSS, along with other essential services, six miles outside the county seat of Hudson. More recently, the county lost $120,000 on the option it placed to buy the former Walmart property located on Fairview Ave. in Greenport. Hudson Mayor (and former Third Ward Supervisor) William Hallenbeck applauded Grattan's announcement, Wed., Feb. 7. "It is a wise decision," he said. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Nathan Mayberg reports in Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors is no longer considering a five-acre farm in Livingston and a seven-unit apartment building on upper Warren St. in Hudson as potential sites for transitional or homeless housing. A representative of Poughkeepsie-based non-profit Maranatha Human Services shared that organization's vision for a facility with 13 dormitory-style rooms for individuals, and seven rooms to shelter families at a meeting of the board's Human Services Committee, Wed., Mar. 7. Under its proposal, Maranatha would house and provide services and maintain 24-hour staffing, including a nurse to handle medications. The non-profit would provide transportation and counseling, as well. Maranatha does not have a specific location for the facility in mind; it is estimated the shelter could be fully operational in three to five years. Department of Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman said Maranatha is the most comprehensive provider the county will find. At the close of the special meeting, the committee instructed Mossman to reach out to other organizations for additional proposals, including Catholic Charities. Columbia County expects to spend $490,000 to house the homeless at motels this year. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Melanie Lekocevic writes in The Daily Mail the Village of Athens is in the final steps of adopting a new zoning code. A public hearing on the matter was recently held and attracted 20 residents and business owners. Mayor Andrea Smallwood said the changes were made in an effort to bring the zoning laws in line with the village's comprehensive plan, adopted a couple of years ago. “Our main goal is to make sure development is controlled in a way that the comprehensive plan indicates was what the public wanted to see for the future of Athens,” Smallwood said. A major change is the decision to concentrate businesses on Second St. Attendees discussed how the law should support the historic district and new energy alternatives. Officials promised to take the public comments into consideration before the final document is approved by the village board. The code was already reviewed and approved by the count, Lekocevic writes. Residents have until Fri., Mar. 9 to submit their comments in writing. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Nathan May reports in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Finance Committee approved a resolution Tues., Mar. 6, moving forward a $12 million bonding proposal needed to fund the court-ordered renovation of the Columbia County Courthouse. The full Board of Supervisors will vote on the resolution, Wed., Mar. 14. The county estimates the project will cost up to $10 million to bring the historic early 20th-century building into compliance with the federal American with Disabilities Act. The project includes new elevators, ramps, bathrooms and aid for the hearing impaired. Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Grattan, R-Kinderhook, said after a decade of work, 90 percent of the plans are complete and approved by the New York State Office of Court Administration. The board expects to use $2 million to "pay itself back" for a new security system at the county jail, for capital improvements at Columbia-Greene Community College and a new software program for the county’s financial administration. If approved by the full board, $6.2 million will be bonded in 2012, and $5.8 million in 2013. Read the full story in the Register Star.

In the Register Star, John Mason profiles the three candidates running in the upcoming Philmont village election. Two incumbents hoping to retain their seats will be challenged by a political newcomer, Mason writes. Trustee Brian Johnson is seeking his seventh two-year term. Johnson is a self-employed carpenter, born and raised in the village. Johnson said the board was productive during the last seven or eight years and successfully "kept taxes down." Barbara Sagal has served on the Village Board for 10 years. A self-described "stay-at-home wife and mother," Sagal has been a village for 28 years. Like Johnson, Sagal said one of the current board's major accomplishments is the upgrade of the Department of Public Works building. The work, Sagal said, is “sorely needed.” She also cited the projected decrease in the tax rate this year, and attributed it to “careful fiscal planning.” Matt Perry, a Web site developer and Philmont native, returned from California seven years go. Perry said he wants to improve Philmont's business climate and make the village a self-sufficient community. He has served as a library board trustee since 2006, and has been its president since 2008. The polls will be open noon to 9 p.m. on March 20. Read the full story in the Register Star.

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.
The National Weather Service predicts Catskill will be sunny, with a high near 57 and an overnight low around 37 Tuesday night. The forecast for the rest of the week:
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Thursday night a 50 percent chance of showers, with a low around 41.
• Friday: A slight chance of showers before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 47, low around 26.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 44, low around 24.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.

Town meetings today
Today is the first Wednesday of the month.
CAIRO Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main Street, Cairo (622-3120).
GHENT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, P.O. Box 98, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Meetings for Human Services, Health, and Education Committees at 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENPORT Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).
HUDSON Hudson Common Council Youth & Aging Committee meeting, 6 p.m., and Arts, Entertainment & Tourism Committee meeting at 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
KINDERHOOK The Town Board holds a special meeting to meet with the members of the Valatie Rescue Squad. 7 p.m. at Kinderhook Town Hall.
LIVINGSTON Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:21 a.m. / 5:54 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:29 p.m. / 5:29 a.m.

Last night's big games
Scores
NBA: New York Knicks at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
Schedules
NBA: New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m. (TV: MSG)

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Wed. March 7:
• "@ Issue," 10 a.m.: Tom Swope, executive director of the GalVan Initiatives Foundation; David Marston, First Ward alderman; and Carole Osterink, the writer of The Gossips of Rivertown blog discuss the GalVan Foundation.
• "The Old Soul Radio Show," 7-9 p.m.: Kenny Siegal from Old Soul recording studio in Catskill plays music recorded there.

Rosie Cunningham reports in The Mountain Eagle four candidates will vie for two open trustee seats on the Hobart Village Board in the Mar. 20 special election. Two incumbent trustees -- David Hotaling and recently appointed Jim Quarino -- will be challenged by Evelyn Kuhn and Gordie Key. Elections will be 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Hobart Community Center. In other news, Cunningham writes, Hobart Mayor Aaron Kaufman pronounced the ongoing water plant pump issues "...a disaster." Two of three pumps at the water plant no longer work, 45 days after being installed. The manufacturers are in the process of manufacturing new pumps, Kaufman said. He said during the past three years, the village spent $40,000 on water pumps "...and no pumps work." Cast iron pumps with brass bearings and stainless steel pumps will be obtained by at no cost. The board also discussed the Maple Ave. Bridge, unpaid taxes, the issuance of the Covidien Sewer permit and the South Kortright sewer project. Read a full account of the meeting in the Mar. 1 edition of The Mountain Eagle.