Local weather forecast
The National Weather Service predicts Wednesday will be sunny, with a high near 56. Wednesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 31. The rest of the week:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 47.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.

Town meetings today
CAIRO Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main Street, Cairo (622-3120).
GHENT There will be a public hearing before the Ghent Planning Board in connection with the application of the Nature Institute for site plan review and special use permit for premises located at Mayhill Road, in the Town of 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).
LIVINGSTON Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:26 a.m./5:52 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 1:46 p.m. / 12:36 a.m. Thu.
First Quarter Moon: 11:39 a.m.

Birthdays
November 2 Daniel Boone, K.d. lang, Burt Lancaster, and Nelly.

WGXC Program Notes

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

• Interview with Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry's.
Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry's explains why he is scooping free ice cream for Occupy Wall Street protesters. Interviewed Oct. 31, 2011 at Occupy Wall Street by Kelly Benjamin for WGXC. PLAY CLIP 1:12

• Report from Occupy Wall Street after rain storm. Recorded Oct. 30, 2011 by Cory Fischer-Hoffman at Occupy Wall Street. After over six weeks of occupying New York's financial district, participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement continue to protest corporate what they consider to be greed, increasing poverty and inequality, and a broken democratic system. Despite the snow storm which hit the northeast Sat., Oct. 30, participants in Occupy Wall Street spent Sunday morning, hanging clothes to dry, re-configuring their gear, and continued to protest. WGXC reporter Cory Fischer-Hoffman interviewed participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement and here is what they had to say. Cory Fischer-Hoffman is a WGXC volunteer. 5:29 PLAY CLIP 1:12


New PSAs
• A OFF PSA 20111115 Acres Co-op Membership
• A OFF PSA 20111130 NANO HW Coffee for event in Cairo.

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 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 Business Review in Albany reports that beginning Mon. Oct. 31, Amtrak’s Empire Service line with its stop in Hudson, and 11 other East Coast routes, now have free WiFi. WGXC heard several reports that it worked in the afternoon on Halloween. The entire line runs from Buffalo, though Albany, to New York City. Several other northern East Coast routes began offer free WiFi on Oct. 31, but only on certain cars. They are: The Ethan Allen Express, which runs from New York City to Rutland, Vermont; the Vermonter, which runs from Washington, D.C. to Albans, Vermont; and the Maple Leaf, which runs from New York City to Toronto. Cars on those routes that are equipped with WiFi will display window stickers. Amtrak’s Acela Express route, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Boston, already offers WiFi. Read the full story in the Business Review.

Michael Ryan in The Daily Mail reports that Greene County's Route 17 in Jewett will not be repaired soon, after five miles of the road between Route 23 and Route 23A were largely washed away in the flooding associated with Hurricane Irene. Ryan writes that a 1/8-mile section of the road was 100 percent destroyed, and there are major problems in several other areas. The steep backroad detours around the highway are proving troublesome for local residents and emergency officials as winter nears. Ryan speaks with county deputy highway superintendent Robert VanValkenburg, who says no repairs will be made in 2011 and it is “unknown” if repairs will begin in the spring or summer of 2012. Preliminary work, such as shoring up the eroded banks of the East Kill, are already in progress. Ryan also looks at the long-term issues, and reports that the town of Windham, the Greene County Legislature, and the Delaware County Board of Supervisors all passed resolutions in October urging the Department of Environmental Protection to move funding from its Land Acquisition Program to flood mitigation. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced the extension of some tax filing and payment deadlines for affected taxpayers, tax preparers and relief workers in counties that were declared disaster emergencies by Governor Andrew Cuomo after Hurricane Irene. Visit the department's website for a complete list of taxes that will be accepted later from anyone affected by the storm in Greene, Columbia, Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties. Phone calls may be directed as follows:
• Forms and Instructions: 518.457.5431
• Withholding Tax: 518.485.6654
• Miscellaneous Business Tax: 518.457.5735

Amelia Waters reports for Fox23 television that Windham Mountain ski resort has added helmets in their rental packages this year. Helmet usage is not mandatory in New York State. But last winter, in separate instances, two women not wearing helmets ran into trees on Windham Mountain and died. The last ski-related fatality at Windham Mountain occurred more than 15 years ago. According to the National Ski Areas Association, an average of 40.6 people have died skiing/snowboarding per year in the U.S. in the past decade. Read the entire story on the Fox23 website.

Hudson resident Meshell Ndegeocello's new album, the Joe Henry-produced "Weather," is released Nov. 8. National Public Radio previews the new record here, where you can listen to it in whole or as individual tracks.

The United Nations is predicting that world population will reach 7 billion people on Mon., Oct. 31, only 12 years after global population hit the 6 billion mark. WGXC's Kelly Benjamin recently spoke with William Ryerson, founder and President of Population Media Center, about the level of population growth and what it means for humanity and the planet. Click here to listen to an mp3 recording of the interview. 7:40

Traffic may be a bit thicker heading into Albany Tue., Nov. 1, as there will be temporary lane closures on I-87 northbound from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., the New York State Thruway Authority reports. Repair work on the bridge over the Normans Kill Creek will only affect northbound traffic just south of Exit 23 (Downtown Albany, I-787, Route 9W). And you can tune in in the vicinity to the Highway Advisory Radio (1610-AM) for information.

Local weather forecast
The National Weather Service predicts Tuesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 53.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.

Town meetings today
ANCRAM Conservation Advisory Council at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
ATHENS Town meeting at 7 p.m. at 2 First Street, Athens (734-3636).
CLAVERACK Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Church Street, Mellenville (672-7911).
CLERMONT Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
HUDSON Informal meeting of Common Council at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
TAGHKANIC Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82,West Taghkanic (851-7638).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:25 a.m./5:54 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 1:12 p.m. / 11:32 p.m.

Birthdays
November 1 Lou Donaldson, Lyle Lovett, Charlie Kaufman, Fernando Valenzuela, and Calvin Johnson.

WGXC Program Notes

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

• Interview with William Reyerson.
The United Nations is predicting that world population will reach seven billion people this month, only 12 years after global population hit the 6 billion mark. WGXC's Kelly Benjamin recently spoke with William Ryerson, founder and President of Population Media Center, about this level of population growth and what it means for humanity and the planet. PLAY CLIP 7:40

New PSAs


Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 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

A State of Emergency in the Town of Copake ends at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, according to Columbia County Emergency Management officials. There were extensive power outages in Copake and many areas in Columbia County, due to the Saturday night snow storm. "Full restoration of power not expected until sometime Wednesday," Crowley writes, in a press release. As of Sunday night, NYSEG was reporting about 1,000 homes without power in Columbia County. Copake Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley predicts Copake homes should have power back by 10 p.m. Monday.

Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that while New York State Senate staffing has dropped eight percent since July 2010, Greene County's representative there, Republican James Seward, has hired an additional temporary staffer. Columbia County's representative in Albany, Republican Steve Saland, also did not cut staff, as his remained the same from last year. Most departments of New York government have seen staff cuts in the past year. See the full Senate information through the link, and read the full story in Capitol Confidential.



Senate Staffers by Office

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that in Chatham, after Town Board member Tom Meyn died October 20 of cancer, he has been replaced in the coming election on the Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party lines by Jean Rohde, a current Town Board member and Democrat. Rohde had announced her retirement, but says that Meyn asked her to run in case his health got worse. Now she's switching to "No Party" and taking the endorsements. “I'm still going to vote the way I think,” she told Teasdale, commenting on her party switch. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

#Occupy Delhi NY - October 29, 2011 from VeccVideography on Vimeo.

"Around the 1:45 mark, Andes resident Bill Piervincenzi explains why he's occupying Delhi: 'Students who can't pay their loans, veterans who can't get a job, homeowners who are losing the value of their homes, the callousness of people making policy, corruption because of money in the election process. There's just so many things, and maybe the cumulative effect of all of them is what's making me stand here today in the cold.'"

Local weather forecast
The National Weather Service predicts Monday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 51.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 33.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

Town meetings today
Generally, few meetings, including none we know about, are planned for the fifth Monday of the month.

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:24 a.m./5:55 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 12:31 a.m. / 10:27 p.m.

Birthdays
October 31 Dan Rather, Ali Farka Toure, Kinky Friedman, Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices, and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys.

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming on Mon. Oct. 31:
• WGXC Pledge Drive continues.
Please repeatedly give out the phone numbers and make great radio.
518-828-0290
518-697-7400
518-291-WGXC

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

• A Very Incomplete Calendar: 20111031
A weekly guide to Hudson Valley music events by Terry Doyle, host of the Imprint program on WGXC, which will now be on Fridays at 10 a.m. PLAY CLIP 5:02

• Interview with William Reyerson.
The United Nations is predicting that world population will reach seven billion people this month, only 12 years after global population hit the 6 billion mark. WGXC's Kelly Benjamin recently spoke with William Ryerson, founder and President of Population Media Center, about this level of population growth and what it means for humanity and the planet. PLAY CLIP 7:40

• Occupy Wall Street News Report: Voting for bike power
News report by Kelly Benjamin for WGXC about Occupy Wall Street protesters voting to implement bike power at the protest site. PLAY CLIP 4:26

New PSAs
A OFF PSA 20111030 Pledge Drive "Root Down" Beastie Boys excerpt :54 (This is good for talking over.)
A OFF PSA 20111030 Pledge Drive2 "Root Down" with collage of WGXC voices and phone numbers included. :54
A OFF PSA 20111030 Pledge Drive3 "Root Down" with collage of WGXC voices w/out phone numbers :54
A PLEDGE PSA Amy Goodman Roots Down
A PLEDGE PSA Goofy Phone Numbers
A PLEDGE PSA 2 Goofy Phone Numbers
A PLEDGE PSA Watershed Post explanation pitch

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 4:33 PLAY CLIP.
• 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

Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Greene, Columbia, Albany, Dutchess, Delaware, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties, along with others farther south, because of Saturday's large snowstorm. Saturday around 10 p.m. there were no major road closures in our area, according to the Governor's press release.

A snow emergency has been declared in the city of Hudson through Halloween. Cars must be parked on the even side of the street from 8 p.m. Sat. Oct. 29 through 8 p.m. Sun., Oct. 30. Then, cars need to be parked on the odd side of the street from Sunday at 8 p.m. through Mon., Oct. 31 at 8 p.m.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="725" caption="Snow total prediction from National Weather Service."][/caption]It may still be fall, but the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Saturday afternoon and evening. There is the "potential of seven or more inches [of snow] for elevations greater then 1000 feet. Two to six inches is possible in the valleys with a significant impact due to the time of the season with leaves on the trees.

Kyle Glazier in Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union's political blog, reports that the 11 members of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Georgia Republican Jack Kingston, are determining if local farms will receive additional disaster relief funds. A $3.65 billion Sept. 21 bill was voted down by both fiscal conservative Republicans -- who wanted cuts in Democrat-favored green energy programs -- and liberal Democrats -- who said the funding was not enough. An $2.65 billion Oct. 5 compromise was signed by President Obama, but that is set to expire Nov. 18. “Following the tremendous damage done to farms by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, I have made it a priority to secure agriculture disaster relief funding in the next federal spending measure,” said Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who voted against the bill last time, is more hopeful. “Congressman Tonko welcomes the support from Congressman Gibson and Congressman Welch, which is another indication of the growing bipartisan support for funding he and others have been calling for since the flooding occurred to help farmers who are struggling to recover,” Tonko spokesman Beau Duffy told Glazier. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Audra Jornov in the Register-Star reports that the paper is sponsoring a debate between the candidates for Columbia County district attorney, Democrat Eugene Keeler and Republican Paul Czjaka, at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Space 360 on Warren Street in Hudson. The county judge candidates, Republican Beth Cozzolino and Democrat Richard Koweek, will also speak to the audience. Questions for the candidates will be accepted until 5 p.m. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

A reader of Carole Osterink's The Gossips of Rivertown blog reported to her that a cheese at Hudson's Grazin', the first Animal Welfare-approved restuarant in the United States, came from the Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery. Rose Marie Belforti is the cheese maker, there, and also the town clerk in Ledyard, NY. At that post, she refused to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple. Osterink reported that fact, and within hours, Grazin' website said they, "no longer [will] be offering blue cheese from Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery." Read the full story in The Gossips of Rivertown.