The Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted last week to withhold a quarterly payment of $500,000 to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, according to Registar-Star reporter Jeff Alexander. Outgoing CCE Executive Director Andy Turner has been working towards merging the administration of Greene and Columbia county offices. Town of Taghkanic Supervisor Elizabeth “Betty” Young said the Board needed better clarification because Columbia County's money should be used for Columbia County. "Until we get a clearer understanding of what our monies will be used for, we should not pay," Young said. Turner said that the issue has been discussed and voted on in a transparent manner. The directors of both of the extension’s boards voted to move toward a merger at an open meeting in June 2011. Roy Brown (R–Germantown), the current Chairman of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, said he'd received no correspondence from Mr. Turner about any merger, but had received word that he'd acceptance a new position. Turner refuted Brown’s statement and said he had remained in contact with him regarding the merger. "I have sent Mr. Brown letters on this and I have met with the Greene County Legislature and we talked about the process," he told the Register-Star, "I explained what we were doing, and why, and the chair of the committee said something to the effect of expressing support for anything that would be efficient with county tax payer dollars." Responding to Young's concerns, Turner said, "“If she had questions, we were completely available to go over every detail." Turner’s new position will have him serve as liaison between Cornell’s administration and all county offices. Turner is on WGXC's Radio Council, the station's governing board. Read Alexander's article in the Register-Star.

Jeff Alexander reports in the Register-Star on the swearing in of Hudson's new Mayor, William Hallenbeck. The new mayor was sworn in Sun., Jan. 1, in front of a capacity crowd at City Hall. Hallenbeck praised his predecessor, Rick Scalera, and also his opponent, Nick Haddad, for running a tough campaign. The city is in contract negotiations with the Department of Public Works and the Police Deptartment. Hallenbeck told the paper those negotiations and job creation would be his two top priorities once taking office. November's election was close, with the Democrats first insisting on an absentee ballot count and then challenging the counting method. Hallenbeck, a Republican, has appointed a Democrat, Gene Shetsky, to be his aide. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

David Lee of the Register-Star reports that a man was electrocuted in Hudson on Fri., Dec. 30, when his aluminum ladder touched a high voltage power line. According to witnesses at the scene, the ladder hit the primary electrical wires causing a loud roar and knocking the man down. The Hudson Police responded to the scene and the Greenport Rescue Squad rushed the man to Columbia Memorial Hospital. Read Lee's article in the Register-Star.

The Daily Mail reports that police arrested two 13-year-old students Thur., Dec. 29, and charged them with juvenile deliquency for allegedly attempting to set fire to parts of the Coxsackie-Athens High School. The two suspects allegedly threw two Molotov Cocktails at the rear of the gym "section" of the school. The firebombs ignited on the driveway and in front of the rear doors. Authorities also discovered a flammable liquid had been lit along the school’s track. Police also discovered a burglary to the concession building, a damaged school vehicle and graffiti on several buildings. State police said that if the subjects were to be charged as adults, they would be facing first degree attempted arson, third degree burglary, third degree criminal mischief and making graffiti. Both minors were released to their parents and are scheduled to appear in Greene County Family Court at a date not yet specified. Read the story in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now
Hosts: Please announce the current temperature in Hudson, which is in Studio A in Hudson. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Please credit the above temperatures: From the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; and from Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.
On the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page, when the computer at Hawthorne Valley is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information live from Harlemville. Check dates and times at bottom of image to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was last turned off. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Livingston, in Columbia County.
The National Weather Service predicts a slight chance of snow showers before 4 p.m. Tuesday in Livingston, otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 23. Northwest wind between 9 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Tuesday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 5. Wind chill values as low as -7. The forecast for the rest of the week:
• Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 25. Wind chill values as low as -7, and overnight low down to 16. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming south.
• Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 35, and overnight low of 18.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38.

Town meetings today
Today is the first Tuesday of the month.
CATSKILL Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COPAKE Park Commission meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
DURHAM Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENE COUNTY Greene County 2012 Organization Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St., Catskill, NY
HILLSDALE The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Hillsdale holds a meeting to consider the following application: A public hearing for a special use permit/variance for Rick Mallette, 335 Dawson Road, Hillsdale, NY to build a 0.9 acre pond on a 26 + acre parcel; A Public Hearing for a special use permit for Nora Hayes, 457 State Route 71, to operate a Dog Day Care Training and Boarding. At 7:30 p.m. at Hillsdale Town Hall, Main St., Hillsdale. 518-325-7563
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Finance Committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State St., Hudson.

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:20 a.m./ 4:40 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 12:28 a.m. / 2:08 a.m.

Sports scores and schedules
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: Toronto Raptors 90 at New York Knicks 85
NBA: Indiana Pacers 108 at New Jersey Nets 94
NHL: New York Rangers 3, Philadelphia Flyers 3
Schedules
NHL: New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m.

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Tue. Jan. 3:
• "Farm Policy: Annette Higby," 3 p.m.: Annette Higby, from the National Farm Union, discusses Federal Farm Bill in an episode in a series of interviews by Severine von Tscharner Fleming about the Farm Bill.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
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Audio clips to play


New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A OFF PSA 20120128 Post Office Stories

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 6:57 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 6:57 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 6:57 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 6:57 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 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="295" caption="Designed by Cathy Cahill."][/caption]New Hillsdale town seal designed by Cathy Cahill via Hillsdale General Store. The building is the new Town Hall, in the old library building.

Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail gives a prisoner in the Coxsackie Correctional Facility the rare chance to be heard, quoting a letter sent from the inmate at the large Greene County prison. "According to letters sent to The Daily Mail by several inmates, guards have meted out their own brand of justice against inmates, especially those who file complaints about alleged abuse," Antrim writes. He first mentions a report from the Correctional Association of New York, an advocacy group that surveyed almost a third of the population at the prison which found, “survey participants and inmates with whom we spoke repeatedly asserted that they were verbally harassed by staff and were retaliated against if they filed complaints about staff conduct.... Some reported physical abuse by staff and others asserted they received false misbehavior reports.” An inmate agreed, writing to The Daily Mail that, “nothing in [the Correctional Association’s] investigation was exaggerated.... The beatings, retaliation, false misbehavior reports aren’t a fabrication at all... It’s “standard operating procedure …'This is Coxsackie' is a saying that you would hear very often.” Antrim also reports, “According to [Department of Corrections and Community Supervision] records, since 2007, there has been only one instance of a Coxsackie security staff member who received a notice of discipline for excessive use of force,” agency spokesman Peter Cutler said. “In that case, an arbitrator found the employee not guilty and returned him to work.” The prison’s administration “didn’t really agree with our assessment,” said Jack Beck, director of the Correctional Association’s Prison Visiting Project. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Rebecca Rothbaum in The Wall Street Journal reports that Philmont's Phillip Patterson has spent the last four years transcribing the King James Bible by hand, all 921,820 words of it. So far, he is three-fourths of the way through. Patterson has AIDS and other related illnesses so some days he works from his bed. “I sit and write and my mind expands and expands and expands,” he said. “You can’t work with this material without having your mind expanded and twisted in a million ways…All the medical stuff just can’t touch that.” Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.

New York state's legislature passed news laws that go into effect in 2012, including middle-class tax cuts, a two-percent tax cap for municipalities, and others. About 4.4 million taxpayers will receive a total of $690 million in personal income tax relief, from that measure. The tax-cap law imposes a cap on the growth of school district and local government property taxes of two percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. Other laws that go into effect Jan. 1, 2012:
• ORALLY ADMINISTERED CHEMOTHERAPY COVERAGE: Health insurance plans in New York State are now required to cover orally administered chemotherapy treatments. The law (Chapter 559, L.2011, Sen. Lanza) corrects a discrepancy and ensures that chemotherapy treatment, no matter how administered, is covered by insurance companies.
• ROADWAY SAFETY: Drivers are now required to exercise additional caution when approaching, overtaking, or passing any hazard vehicle. Current law requires drivers to move over to adjacent lanes when approaching or passing an emergency vehicle on the side of the road, but not for other hazard vehicles.
• MERCURY: A new law will strengthen DEC’s authority to ban products that contain mercury (Chapter 20, L. 2011, Sen. Grisanti).
• FISHING: A new law will further reduce the number of commercial fishing licenses and permits issued by DEC to ensure the economic viability of the commercial and consumer fishing industry (Chapter 383, L.2011, Sen. Johnson).
• DEFIBRILLATORS: A requirement that dental health facilities possess automatic external defibrillators on their premises (Chapter 65, L.2011, Sen. Golden).
• PIPES: A ban on the sale of hookahs, water pipes, and shisha to minors (Chapter 131, L.2011, Sen. Golden). “Shisha” is any product made primarily of tobacco smoked or intended to be smoked in a hookah or water pipe.
• FIRING FIRE COMMISSIONERS: An authorization for the removal of fire commissioners for dereliction of duties including having an excessive number of unexcused absences from regularly scheduled meetings (Chapter 462, L.2011, Sen. Lavalle).
• BEAR GALLBLADDERS: A new law (Chapter 468, L.2011, Sen. Grisanti) bans the possession and sale of bear gallbladder and bile, a valuable commodity used in some forms of ancient medicine. In New York, black bears have been illegally killed for their gallbladders and bile. New York is one of only five states that currently place no restrictions on the trade in bear gallbladders and bile. The loophole complicates law enforcement, encourages poaching, and puts bears at risk.
• PHOSPHORUS: A new law (Chapter 205, L.2010, Sen. Hassell-Thompson) will ban the sale of household dishwasher detergents that contain phosphorus, which is harmful to lakes, rivers and other water sources. A ban on phosphorus dish detergents used by commercial establishments will not take effect until July 1, 2013. The new law also places new limitations on the use of lawn fertilizers that contain phosphorous.
• CAR SALES: A new law (Chapter 548, L.2011, Sen. Dilan) requires motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors to get the consent of franchised motor vehicle dealers to participate in sales promotion programs that include an expense for the dealer.

The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) lists the top 11 stories of 2011, though the 11th is about the Sheriff's jail lieutenant that shot a fellow hunter in 2010. Here are the top ten stories for the paper that covers the northern part of Greene County and southern Albany county:
• 10) "Ex-Durham cop sentenced to prison," about former police officer Nathan Van Fleet, who got an additional two-year sentence for weapons charges.
• 9) "Police probe Town of Greenville Highway Department," about an investigation later dropped for, "lack of of witnesses and evidence."
• 8) "Slater sells Cairo's Great American supermarket to Hannaford," By the end of the year, the Cairo Planning Board approved plans for the 40,000-square foot supermarket to be built.
• 7) "Superintendent Zeh resigns," about how Gary Zeh left after 18 acrimonious months fighting the town board in Rensselaerville.
• 6) "Direction of hilltown voting is shifting right," about how Tea Party candidate Deborah Busch defeated Alexander "Sandy" Gordon for the 39th Assembly seat in Albany that represents Westerlo, Rensselaerville, and parts of Berne and Knox.
• 5) "Water park makes waves in Greene," about proposed Great Wolf water park for New Baltimore with help from the Greene County Industrial Development Agency.
• 4) "Fire, crash claim the lives of two local high school students," about the deaths of 17-year-old Erika Cook and 18-year-old Samantha Pagan that occurred in a traffic accident as they turned into the Cairo-Durham High School entrance.
• 3) "Frey steps down," about Durham legislator Sean Frey's resignation as part of a deal with the Greene County District Attorney's office.
• 2) "Resignations shakeup the Greene County IDA," as Alexander "Sandy" Mathes and, later, four board members resigned from the Industrial Development Agency.
• 1) "Irene," and the storms and flooding associated with that Hurricane that hit Greene County in late August, devastating several towns.

The Daily Freeman runs down holiday closings for the day after New Year’s Day, which is a holiday as Jan. 1 was a Sunday. Here's what's different today:
• Banks: Closed Monday.
• County offices: Closed Monday.
• Federal offices: Closed Monday.
• Financial markets: Closed Monday.
• Greene County Transit: No service on Monday.
• Mail delivery: None Monday.
• Metro-North: Holiday schedule on Monday.
• Schools: Most closed Monday.
• State offices: Closed Monday.

Weather right now
Hosts: Please announce the current temperature in Hudson, which is in Studio A in Hudson. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Please credit the above temperatures: From the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; and from Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.
On the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page, when the computer at Hawthorne Valley is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information live from Harlemville. Check dates and times at bottom of image to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was last turned off. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Hannacroix, in Greene County.
The National Weather Service predicts a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Hannacroix, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4 p.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 34. Monday night there's also a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -3. West wind between 11 and 15 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. The forecast for the rest of the week:
• Tuesday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -6. Tuesday night the temperature drops to 6.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24, low around 21.
• Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35, with a low around 20.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 33.

Town meetings today
This is the holiday for New Year's, so no meetings.

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:20 a.m./ 4:39 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:56 a.m. / 1:10 a.m.

Sports scores and schedules
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
Dallas Cowboys 14 at New York Giants 31. The Giants host the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
New York Jets 17 at Miami Dolphins 19. The Jets will play next in September.
Buffalo Bills 21 at New England Patriots 49. In two weeks the Patriots play the winner of this week's Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos game.
New Jersey Nets 82 at Cleveland Cavaliers 98.
Schedules
Mon., Jan. 2, Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 2, Indiana Pacers at New Jersey Nets, 7:30 p.m.

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Mon. Jan. 2:
• "Monday Musical Matinee," noon-2 p.m.: Lincoln Mayorga plays classical music and more.

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 20120128 Post Office Stories

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 7:10 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 7:10 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 7:10 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 7:10 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport n/a
• 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

Free coffee and hot tea will be available to travelers at the 27 travel plazas on the New York State Thruway on New Year's Eve from 11 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2011, through 7 a.m. Sunday, January 1, 2012. "Sleepiness and fatigue are major contributors to highway accidents," said Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Thomas J. Madison. "This New Year's Eve tradition in partnership with Thruway's vendors is intended to remind motorists to take breaks to prevent drowsy driving on the Thruway and other roadways. As motorists head to their destinations during the holiday period, drivers should be aware of the dangers of drinking and driving." Locally, there is a travel plaza in New Baltimore along I-87.

The local ski resorts are certainly bemoaning the lack of real snow so far this holiday season, save for that freak pre-Halloween storm. They are all making lots of artificial snow, and the colder temperatures this past week are helping those efforts. Catamount Ski in Columbia County reports 16 of 33 trails are open, with four of six lifts running, and 10-20" of artificial snow. Windham Mountain has an artificial snow base between 10" and 34" on 19 trails with six lifts open. Hunter Mountain has up to 44" of mostly artificial snow on 29 trails with nine lifts. There are holiday discounts available this weekend.

WGXC's Events calendar has many details on New Year's Eve events throughout the WGXC listening area and beyond. Here is a roundup:

Uncle Rock
Dec. 31, 2011: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
at Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker St., Woodstock. 845-679-4406
There will be face painting and rock and roll portraits on stage. Uncle Rock and the Playthings will start singing at 7:30 p.m. and the ball will drop at 8:30 p.m.

Freehold New Year's Ball
Dec. 31, 2011: 7 p.m.
at Ruby's Hotel, 3689 County Route 67, Freehold.
Music by Dr. Porkchop and her Magic Box. Reservations: 518-634-7790

New Year's Dinner Party
Dec. 31, 2011: 7 p.m.
at Athens Firehouse, 39 Third St., Athens.
The Athens Fire Department and West Athens Fire Department hold a dinner party with music and dancing. Call 928-4042 for reservations.

The Catskill 45s
Dec. 31, 2011: 9 p.m.
at Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, 34 Tinker St., Woodstock.
A dance party to benefit Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild's arts programming. The Catskill 45s are: Tony Fletcher, Josh Roy Brown, Nancy Howell, Mark Lerner, Lukas Lerner, and Robert Burke Warren.

Durham New Year's
Dec. 31, 2011
at Blackthorne Resort, 348 Sunside Road, East Durham.
Kitty Kelly and other Irish performers on New Year's Eve.

Diva and the Dirty Boys
Dec. 31, 2011
at Bavarian Manor, 866 Mountain Ave., Purling.
Dance band performs New Year's Eve.

DJ T-Bone/ DJ Counsel
Dec. 31, 2011
at Mexican Radio, 537 Warren St., Hudson. 518-828-7770

DJ Doug Mara/ MC Summer John
Dec. 31, 2011
at Slopes, 6002 Main St., Tannersville. 518-589-5006

The Felice Brothers/ The Robots
Dec. 31, 2011
at Club Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia St., Hudson. 518-828-4800
Ulster-based band The Felice Brothers perform.

Uncle Salty's New Years Ball
Dec. 31, 2011
at Fernwood Restaurant, Malden Ave., Palenville. 518-678-9332
Local musicians play Aerosmith covers.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Harold Hanson, from his blog, Threads."][/caption]WGXC's Richard Roth spoke to Harold Hanson, who runs Verso, on Warren Street. Hanson started selling antiques in Hudson in the 1980s, and has also had a store in Catskill. He spoke with Roth about a recent upswing of business in Hudson. Listen to the interview here. PLAY CLIP

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Greene County (NHNGC), the group formed after the storms and flooding associated with Hurricane Irene, has grown to become a countywide resource with a new website, www.neighborshelpingneighborsgreenecounty.com. Besides raising money and help for victims of the storms, the group is now working on other efforts, like their Prom Dress Drive. Anyone with prom dresses to donate, should search out www.neighborshelpingneighborsgreenecounty.com.... Michael Ryan in the Windham Journal reports that the Windham Area Recreation Foundation says it gave out $162,501 in donations to 64 citizens and 46 merchants affected by the storms associated with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that Columbia County District Attorney-elect Paul Czajka hired the following assistant district attorneys:
• David Costanzo, who worked as an ADA for more than 10 years under the last DA, Beth Cozzolino.
• James Carlucci, a Kinderhook attorney, who was appointed and served as town justice, but lost the November election.
• D.J. Cornelius, a Greene County public defender, who is moving to Columbia County.
• Robert Gibson of Kinderhook, who has been an attorney in Columbia County for 10 years. The story does not say whether he is related to Rep. Chris Gibson, the Kinderhook Republican.
• Carl G. Whitbeck, an attorney with the Rapport Meyers law firm in Hudson.
• Neal Conolly, who will continue to work on appeals.
• Lisa Bleau, who worked in Mr. Czajka's office while he was county judge, will be confidential secretary to the new DA. Ms. Bleau was formerly the county clerk.
Mr. Czajka, 57, was first elected DA in 1987 through 1994, when he was elected County Court judge. He resigned last spring in the middle of his second term to run for district attorney again, winning against Democrat Eugene Keeler, also a former DA. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Alice Ollstein with Free Speech Radio News reports that overuse of antibiotics in livestock is creating drug-resistant strains of bacteria—or Superbugs—that pose a serious threat to human health by rendering common antibiotics ineffective. But the federal government is moving to weaken regulations. While public attention was focused on the holidays and Congress’ payroll tax cut showdown, the Food and Drug Administration quietly canceled its plans to ban two major antibiotics from livestock feed. The agency said last week it will instead urge pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily restrict sales of their products. Alice Ollstein reports the story here from Washington. 4:36

Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman reports that it costs 12 percent more this year to feed a family of four in Ulster County than last year, according to the Ulster County Consumer Fraud Bureau. As of Dec. 16, the the bureau says a family of four would spend at least $235.66, $24.91 more than this time last year. The bureau conducts a survey twice a month by averaging the cost of 41 items at each of three local supermarkets. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.