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Ariel Zangla of The Daily Freeman reports on the live webstream the paper hosted Fri., Feb. 24 with NY Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald. She addresses infrastructure concerns in the area after last year's storms, and said last week State Route 42 in Greene County was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, the final major road repair after the August storms. Read the full story and watch videos of the interview in The Daily Freeman.



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[caption id="" align="alignright" width="609" caption="Schoolhouse No. 5 in Delaware County. Photo from NRHP."][/caption]The Potter Hollow School House on County Route 354 in the Town of Rensselaerville, in Albany County, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 4, according to an article in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer. The one-room schoolhouse was built in 1853, according to the article, "in response to the educational reform movements of the mid-nineteenth century." The school, also known as Potter Hollow District #19, closed in 1954. It is owned by the Greenville School District and the Greenville Educational Foundation is restoring the building. Schoolhouse No. 5, a one-room facility in Hamden in Delaware County also known as Upper Dunk Hill School, open from 1858 to 1954, also got the National Register distinction June 10, 2011.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Shohei Shigematsu via Art Info, courtesy OMA."][/caption]Janelle Zara in Art Info interviews lead architect Shohei Shigematsu, "the man at the helm of the Hudson project," Marina Abramovic's planned Center for the Preservation of Performance Art at the corner of Columbia St. and 7th St., in the former community tennis building. He details some of the project that is to include architect Rem Koolhaus:

• Inside the main space will be a sort of main theater space with wide angles and very comfortable chairs for endurance performances.
• Plans also include a "library, meditation room, gym, something to do with body and mind, and a basic back of the house, including offices, meeting rooms, storage, and classrooms."
• The budget varies from bare-bones $4 million to a world of lifting stages at $15 million.

Then lead architect Shohei Shigematsu ends the interview with this exchange:

"We were thinking about redeveloping Hudson into an art destination. That’s also part of her ambition — not just this venue, but Hudson, as a city, to become a place where many performances and events can happen."

Art Info: Can you tell us more about her proposed hotel?

"We are conceptualizing where the hotel would be. There’s a vision in the main scheme which includes a main square where the hotel would sit and have synergy with the venue. The performance venue will look into this square. It’s a similar thing, almost like a reflection of what’s happening in our building itself: Many activities happen around the main stage."

Art Info: Is OMA taking on the design of the hotel, too?

"Design, no — this is an existing building. She’s talking to many hotel developers, including Andre Balazs, but we don’t know anything yet. The idea is to make a more focused presentation to potential donors and potential artists and developers — whoever wants to contribute."

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 East Durham, in Greene County.
The National Weather Service predicts a slight chance of rain after 4 p.m. Monday in East Durham. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 48. Monday night there is a slight chance of rain, mixing with snow after 10 p.m., with a low around 29. The forecast for the rest of the week:
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40, low around 25.
• Wednesday: A chance of snow before 1 p.m., then rain and snow likely between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., then rain, snow, and sleet likely after 4 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Overnight, snow and sleet likely, becoming all snow after 7 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 29.
• Thursday: A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 35, low around 24.

Town meetings today
Today is the fourth Monday of the month.
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).
STUYVESANT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:35 a.m./ 5:43 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9 a.m. / 11:39 p.m.

Last night/Today's big games
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: Western Conference 152 at Eastern Conference 149, Kevin Durant and Lebron James had 36 points each.
Schedules
NHL: New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (TV: NBCSN)

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Mon. Feb. 27:
• "Monday Musical Matinee," Noon-2 p.m.: Lincoln Mayorga hosts the classical music show on WGXC.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
The information below are options of pre-recorded material hosts can choose to play.

Audio clips to play

New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A OFF PSA 20120309 free103_15anniv
• A OFF PSA 20120310 Coop. Ext. Forest Stewardship.mp3

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 6:46 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:05
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 6:46 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:05
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 6:46 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:05
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 6:46 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:05
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Jonathan Meiberg from Shearwater, on WGXC Sun., Feb. 26. Photo by Ron Diamondstein."][/caption]Jonathan Meiberg from Shearwater stopped by the WGXC studio Sun. Feb. 24, and talked with Ron Diamondstein about their show Sunday night at Helsinki Hudson that was a fundraiser for the community radio station. That interview was broadcast in the midst of WGXC's one-year anniversary party at the Catskill Community Center. Performers included Brian Dewan, Trixie the Clown, Kinko the Clown, Steve Charney and his dummy Harry, and others. Click here to listen to the Shearwater interview. PLAY CLIP
[caption id="attachment_18102" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Brian Dewan performing at WGXC's first anniversary party Sun., Feb. 26 at the Catskill Community Center. Photo by Tom Roe."][/caption]

Violet Snow in the Woodstock Times reports that Michael Koegel in Phoenica has ordered a broadcast transmitter kit over the internet, and is looking for someone to help him solder it together. He says he wants to put the transmitter at his Mama’s Boy Cafe and Market in Phonecia, where he would pick up the internet webstream of WIOX (91.3-FM) Roxbury. He says the signal would reach a mile around, which is not true of the tiny micro-transmitters legally sold in stores for iPods to broadcast on personal radios. Read the full story in the Woodstock Times.

The National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for Greene and Columbia counties through 7 p.m. Sat., Feb. 25. Expect winds between 20 and 40 mph and gusts up to 65 mph.

All three local ski resorts hope the mix of snow and sleet and rain predicted for this weekend stays snow on the mountains. Catamount Ski in Columbia County has 31 trails and six lifts open with 18-40" of snow. Night skiing is tentative so check beforehand. Windham Mountain has a snow base between 14" and 44" on 40 trails with six lifts open, and evening skiing Sat., Feb. 25 until 8 p.m. Hunter Mountain has up to 18" to 72" of snow on 47 trails with eight lifts. Sun., Feb. 26 Hunter hosts "Hope on the Slopes," an all day ski and snowboard event that raises money to support the mission of the American Cancer Society.

In The Daily Freeman, Ariel Zangla interviews John Gerner, managing director for Leisure Business Advisors, who, on Wed. Feb. 22, gave a fiscal opinion to the Greene County Legislature’s Government Operations Committee about the proposed Great Wolf indoor water park resort in New Baltimore. The water park's hotel would need to maintain a 40 percent occupancy rate over 30 years to pay back the $26.9 million in infrastructure improvements from a room rental fee. Occupancy rates at other Great Wolf resorts are all above 60 percent, according to Lerner. "The county has been asked to borrow up to $15.6 million to pay for infrastructure improvements at the Kalkberg Commerce Park in New Baltimore," Zangla writes. The $115-million project includes a 400-room hotel, an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park, restaurant and lounge, and an 18,000-square-foot space for a conference center, arcade, gift shop and other services. The proposed park has come up with local resistance, particularly from Durham, and the Zoom Flume Water Park owners there. Read the full story, and watch the video interview with Lerner and Catskill Legislator Joe Izzo in The Daily Freeman.

Tom Casey writes in the Register Star candidates for the 103rd Assembly District vacancy were out and about in Dutchess and Columbia counties, Wed., Feb. 22. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer appeared with Didi Barrett at her Red Hook campaign headquarters to officially endorse the Dutchess County Democrat. "We need strong voices who understand average folks... I know her as a person who is motivated by the best in our politics, she cares," Schumer said. He has been Barrett's personal friend for 35 years. Also on Wed., GOP candidate Rich Wager visited with local farmers and toured the Tollgate Holsteins farm in Ancramdale with owner Jim Davenport. The discussion covered a variety of concerns, including mandated paperwork, regulations and undocumented workers. Wager said he disagreed with any policy that requires the deportation of workers. The special election will be held March 20. Read both stories in the Register Star.

GalVan Initiatives Foundation has added 364 Warren to its expanding portfolio of historic Hudson properties. The building located at Warren and Third streets was the site of the city's original jail and has been home to the local newspaper since 1862. GalVan Initiatives was founded by developers T. Eric Galloway and Henry van Ameringen in 2011. Tom Swope, a former real estate broker and the former chair of the city Historic Preservation Commission, along with Supervisor Rick Scalera (D-Hud5) hold key posts in the fledgling organization. In an interview with the Register Star in Dec. 2011, Swope estimated GalVan owned "'30 or 40 properties' in the core of Hudson." In the announcement published Wed., Feb. 22, Tom Casey wrote the Register Star's parent company, Johnson Newspaper Corporation, chose to sell the property after it was "decided the building was much larger than it needed for its operations." The paper is expected to relocate to the JNC property in Catskill, where The Daily Mail is published. Swope did not disclose GalVan's plans for the Warren St. property. Read the full announcement in the Register Star.

The Associated Press is reporting the state may turn the Tappan Zee Bridge into a greenway, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wed., Feb. 22. The 57-year-old, three-mile long bridge is slated for demolition when a new span is completed. The estimated cost of the demolition is $150 million. The idea of turning the old bridge into parkland was floated last year by Paul Feiner, supervisor of the town of Greenburgh, and other politicians and environmentalists in the Lower Hudson Valley. A review is now underway to determine if the greenway idea is feasible for so large a structure. Similar projects in Poughkeepsie and Manhattan are major public attractions, but both are smaller than the Tappan Zee. Construction on the new bridge, which links Rockland and Westchester counties, could begin this year. Read the full story in the Times-Union.

Most local schools are on winter break now, and closed all week.

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 Acra, in Greene County.
The National Weather Service predicts snow, overnight in Acra, turning to rain showers, snow, and sleet, Friday morning, and becoming all rain after 3 p.m. A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for western Greene County and eastern Columbia County through 3 p.m. High near 36. Friday night there is a chance of rain showers before 8 p.m., then a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. The weekend forecast:
• Saturday: A slight chance of snow showers before 1 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 36, low around 14.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 30, low around 11.
• Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41.

Town meetings today
Today is the fourth Friday of the month.
CLERMONT Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:39 a.m./ 5:40 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 7:31 a.m. / 8:44 p.m.

Last night/Today's big games
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: New York Knicks 88 at Miami Heat 102, Lebron James 20 points, Carmelo Anthony 19.
Schedules
NHL: New York Rangers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. (TV: MSG)

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Fri. Feb. 24:
• "Hotline Radio," 7 p.m.: Early edition this week of "Hotline Radio."
• "Live Broadcast," 9:30 p.m.: WGXC One-Year Anniversary DJ Dance Party live from Savoia in Hudson with DJ's Ready Able (DJ T-Bone and Body Counsel) and New York-based DJ airlab.AM.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
The information below are options of pre-recorded material hosts can choose to play.

Audio clips to play
play Shearwater songs in Campcaster

New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A OFF PSA 20120226 WGXC First Year Membership
• A OFF PSA 20120226 WGXC BIRTHDAY PARTY.mp3
• A OFF_PSA _20120226_WGXC ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY .mp3Pamela Badilla Produced By Shannekia McIntosh
• A OFF PSA 20120224_WGXC_1_YR_DANCE PARTY 20120224.mp3

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the western part of Greene County and the eastern part of Columbia County, as one to three inches of snow are expected to fall in the mountains and hills in the area. The Advisory is through 2 p.m. Friday, though the snow is expected to turn to rain in most of the area earlier in the day.

An early morning structure fire in Athens caused a major service outage for Mid-Hudson Cablevision customers in Columbia County, Wed., Feb. 22. Cable, Internet and phone service was interrupted after 6:30 a.m., and fully restored by mid-afternoon, according to a statement released by the company, and other government announcements. Claude Haton is reporting in The Daily Mail that Slice of Athens, a pizza show on Washington Ave. in the village, was gutted. The remains of the structure were later leveled by the Department of Public Works. Owner Donna Passaretti said she was told the fire was caused by an electrical short in a freezer unit. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Mireya Navarro writes in The New York Times a New York state judge ruled Tues., Feb. 21, the town of Dryden in Tompkins County can ban natural gas drilling within its boundaries. It is the first ruling in New York to affirm local powers in the ongoing controversy over the process commonly known as hydrofracking. In August, Dryden used its zoning laws to ban the process within the town limits. A month after the ban went into effect, Colorado-based driller Anschutz Exploration filed a lawsuit, arguing the town lacked the authority to ban or regulate gas drilling. Anschultz has 22,000 acres under lease in Dryden. In the decision, Justice Phillip R. Rumsey of the State Supreme Court said state law "does not preclude a municipality from using its power to regular land use to ban oil and natural gas production." Read the full story in The New York Times.

Emilia Teasdale writes in the Columbia Paper about the Ichabod Crane Board of Education's discussion on how to resolve a projected $1.2 million budget gap for the 2012-13 school year. The board's recently held third budget forum focused on sports and extracurricular activities, but the topic shifted to state aid cuts and how the district should address the shortfall, Teasdale reported. Ichabod Crane is currently projecting a 3.25 percent tax levy increase for the coming year. Unlike other county districts, Ichabod Crane's state aid is expected to decrease, Superintendent Lee Bordick said. "It's not a problem of expenditures, it's a problem of revenues," Bordick said. Potential reductions were discussed, but no decisions were made. The board's next budget discussion on Feb. 28, will focus on Special Education. The board plans to approve its 2012-13 spending plan in early April. The annual budget and school board election is May 15. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Most local schools are on winter break now, and closed all week.

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 Earlton, in Greene County.
The National Weather Service predicts Earlton has a chance of rain and snow showers before 9 a.m. Thursday. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Thursday night there is chance of rain before 2 a.m., then rain and sleet likely. Increasing clouds, with a low around 33. The forecast for the rest of the week:
• Friday: Rain and sleet, becoming all rain after 10 a.m. High near 48, rain, and perhaps a little snow Friday night, with a low around 30.
• Saturday: A slight chance of snow, mixing with rain after 10 a.m., then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a high near 38, a low around 17.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 36.

Town meetings today
Today is the fourth Thursday of the month.
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).
HUDSON Historic Preservation Committee at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
STUYVESANT Greenway Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
href="http://www.townofwindham.com">WINDHAM Town Board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:40 a.m./ 5:39 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 7:05 a.m. / 7:45 p.m.

Last night/Today's big games
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: Atlanta Hawks 82 at New York Knicks 99; Jeremy Lin led Knicks with 17 points and eight assists.
Schedules
NBA: New York Knicks at Miami Heat, 7 p.m. (TV: TNT)

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Thu. Feb. 23:
• "Sound Forms," 2 p.m.: Peter Wetzler speaks with Hudson Valley singer/songwriter and activist Rebecca Martin and bassist Larry Grenadier, back from his tour with Pat Metheny.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
The information below are options of pre-recorded material hosts can choose to play.

Audio clips to play
play Shearwater songs in Campcaster

New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A OFF PSA 20120226 WGXC First Year Membership
• A OFF PSA 20120226 WGXC BIRTHDAY PARTY.mp3
• A OFF_PSA _20120226_WGXC ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY .mp3Pamela Badilla Produced By Shannekia McIntosh
• A OFF PSA 20120224_WGXC_1_YR_DANCE PARTY 20120224.mp3

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 6:45 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 3:07
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport

Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail Matthew 25 Food Pantry is moving, and asking for donations of money and labor to repair its new space in a vacant former county office building on Union Street in Catskill. This will be the pantry's third location since it was founded in 2009. It is currently located at 298 Main Street. The pantry will enter into a 10-year lease with Greene County for the new location at the cost of $1 per year. In an interview with Antrim, pantry Executive Director Patti Dushane said the new space is "a mess," but expects to transition into the Union Street space by June 1. In addition to food, Matthew 25 offers clothing, outerwear, shoes and has a book exchange. It is open 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Jim Planck writes in The Daily Mail owners of catastrophically damaged properties in Catskill can now qualify to participate in a federally funded buyout program as the result of action taken by the Greene County Legislature. The program allows owners of property irreparably damaged during last summer’s tropical storms to sell their property to the Town of Catskill for up to 75 percent of its appraised value. The property title is transferred to the town and must remain as open space or park land. Catskill Councilman Kevin Lennon said 13 sites potentially qualify. The program was designed to relocate people from flood-prone areas. The Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning, and the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District will administer the flood-prone property acquisition program. Funding is through the federal Hazard Mitigation Grants Program. Applications are available at the town hall, and must be completed and received by Greene County Soil and Water by Thurs., Feb. 23. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.