Will Pflaum posts the audio file of the Town of Stuyvesant appointing a special counsel against his Glencadia Dog Camp boarding business, which a few neighbors claim makes too much noise, on his own blog, Hudson Sunshine. David Everett, a partner from Whiteman Osterman and Hanna, LLP, is now the lead attorney. Pflaum's version of how a town could appoint a lawyer just to fight one local business:

So here they are appointing a firm after the firm has already handled three planning board meetings, one appearance as special prosecutor, one appearance before the zoning board? Shouldn't you approve the special counsel first, then have the special counsel write tortured secret memos explaining to the zoning board of appeals that they may not be a zoning board of appeals? The tortured secret memo already exists. Shouldn't you approve the special prosecutor to pursue a charge he knows is false without approval of a judge before he actually writes motions? The case is already dismissed. No, the town would say, we did approve the special counsel first in an executive session. No, I say, you didn't. All you did, and it was illegal, was start the process of looking for a lawyer, not hiring one. And only for Planning. Okay, town, why? Why did you hire special counsel? It can't be because I sued you. I sued you on March 28. You signed the contract on March 10. Why? In the audio above the reason seems to be that I'm so terrible that I have all these cases and am filing all these FOILs (two FOILs!) and am so bad they have to get someone in here to put a stop to my lawlessness? But all the charges against me are false, get dismissed, fall away, all false. You can't really blame me for having too many cases, can you? I was charged with the same offense THREE TIMES. I know the constitution says you can't do that, but they did: planning, zoning and criminal court about the same thing: dog barking. The charge of loud barking dogs is impossible according to the laws of physics because the site where the dogs are kept is 1000 feet away from any neighbor or road and sound tests, affirmed by the editor of the leading peer review acoustics journal in the world, says that the barking contributes ZERO decibels to the ambient noise level at 1000 feet.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MP3

Village orders ash tree removal to avoid scourge
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that the village of Catskill will cut down three ash trees on Greene Street because of an infestation by the emerald ash borer, the destructive beetle killing New York’s ash trees.
Village Department of Public Works Superintendent Lewis O’Connor said (at the village meeting Monday, presumably) removing the trees is cheaper than inoculating them with a pesticide every in two years. Elizabeth D’Auria of the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) reported the group's preliminary April 18 inventory of ash trees this spring:
• Two of the 27 trees found showed a potential sign of EAB damage or general stress.
• Seventeen trees were located near an electrical wire.
• Twenty trees were deemed to be generally or very healthy.
Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Daily Freeman's parent company sold to investment firm
Lissa Harris in the Watershed Post reports parent company of the Kingston Daily Freeman, The Journal-Register Company, was sold to investment firm Alden Global Capital. Harris quotes CEO John Paxton, who writes, "Alden has been an investor in our Company for some time and they have had a courtside seat to the Journal Register Company’s radical makeover following our Digital First strategy. They know what we do, they like what we do, and today they are putting their money behind our efforts." She also quotes The Wall Street Journal, which has a different view. "Newspaper acquisitions are a species rarer than the Yangtze River dolphin. But today, for one of the few times since 2007, a newspaper company was bought. For money. Really....We’re still scouring our databases, but it appears the only post-2007 acquisition of a significant newspaper company was the purchase of a duo of Philadelphia dailies in a 2010 bankruptcy auction." Read the full story in the Watershed Post.

Sentence reduction raises questions for DA
Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union first broke the story, but Jamie Larson of the Register-Star does an excellent job following up on all the local angles of the story of a criminal sentence reduction of a Columbia County political insider. In 2009, Timothy McEachern, 46, of Spencertown, was arrested and charged under Leandra’s Law, which made it a felony, punishable by up to four years in prison, to drive drunk with children in the vehicle. McEachern is Columbia County District Attorney Beth Cozzolino’s brother-in-law. "McEachern’s wife, Andrea Gabel, is the sister of D.A. Cozzolino and the couple’s home was the registered campaign headquarters for Cozzolino’s 2007 run for her position," Larson writes. McEachern pleaded to a misdemeanor DWI in May 2010, with a $700 fine and a $400 court fee, and 40 hours of community service, according to state Department of Transportation records. The Times-Union report showed that was a light sentence compared to others convicted of the new law. Greene County DA Terry Wilhelm took the case after Cozzolino recused herself, and he has not returned any reporters calls on the issue. As the story broke last weekend, Cozzolino kicked off her campaign for Columbia County judge at McEachern’s house. The event was attended by numerous Republican party officials, though Larson reports, "U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-20th District, was billed at the top of the event invitation as a host of the fundraiser, but the congressman’s office said Tuesday that he did not attend, never promised to attend, and has not offered an official endorsement." Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Lopez in Greene County for hunting and boxing Saturday
Republican New York State Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who represents Greene and several other counties west of the Hudson River, makes two area appearances Saturday, first speaking at 5:30 p.m. at the Greene County Federation of Sportsmen's Annual Dinner at the Quarry Steakhouse, 100 Grapeville Road in Coxsackie. At 8 p.m. Lopez will be Guest MC at the "Rumble in the Catskills" boxing event, in the Catskill Elementary School's gymnasium.

The National Weather Service predicts patchy fog before 8 a.m. Friday, Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 83. Friday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 58. Saturday, sunny, with a high near 85. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

Town meetings today
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 4:02 p.m./Low, 10:17 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:37 a.m./8:26 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8:37 p.m./ 6 a.m.
Full Moon: 1:41 a.m.

Birthdays
July 15 Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida, Trevor Horn, Johnny Thunders, and Ian Curtis.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mark Lacoy and Casson Kennedy present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Tom Roe updates the morning news and more. 9 a.m.
COUNTERSPIN From FAIR. 10:30 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
PURE MOODS Shannekia McIntosh hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
QUE COCINARE HOY? Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos hosts. 2 p.m.
ASTROLOGY With A.T. Mann. 3 p.m.
KNOCK ON WOOD Hosted by Steve Charney. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe hosts. 4-7 p.m.
YASSOU BENEDICT Live performance from Club Helsinki. 8 p.m.
HOTLINE RADIO L. Dot Dinero and They Guy host. 9:30-mid.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Sunday morning.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Mac-Haydn Theatre tech cast building burnt down Wed. July 13, 2011. Photo by Phillip Grant."][/caption]Fire destroys Mac-Haydn Theatre cast house
A building the Mac-Haydn Theatre used to house crews for its shows at 162 Hudson Avenue, in the village of Chatham burnt completely early Wednesday morning. Jesse DeGroodt of the theater spoke to Tom Roe on the WGXC Afternoon Show and explained no one was hurt. Click the cursor here to play the file on your computer or on the radio. Karrie Allen in the Register-Star reports that, "East Chatham, Valatie and Niverville fire companies were requested to the scene, while Austerlitz stoodby in the Chatham station for Chatham and Ghent. Kinderhook stoodby in Valatie." No one knows why the fire started yet. DeGroodt says financial donations can be made to P.O. Box 204, Chatham, NY 12037 or call the box office at (518) 392-9292 for credit card donations. Email machaydnfire@gmail.com for more information. Read the full story in the Register-Star or play the WGXC interview by clicking here.

Groups partner to protect farmland, Olana views
The Open Space Institute (OSI), Scenic Hudson, The Olana Partnership and the Omega Institute have a conservation easement on the 95-acre Pleroma Farm adjacent to the Olana State Historic Site, the groups announced Wed. July 13. The Pleroma Farm, in Greenport, is "a diversified biodynamic farm and therapeutic retreat center" located at the base of the hill on which renowned Hudson River School painter Frederic Church built his home. Currently, poultry and Dutch belted cattle are raised on the land.

Local reps back farm bill
United States Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and local Congressman Chris Gibson (R, NY-20) and others in the New York Congressional Delegation are sending a letter to the U.S. Labor Department asking them to expedite the H2A visa application process for New York farm workers. The represenatives cite labor shortages on farms. “Through my Agriculture Advisory Council, my day spent working on a farm in Valatie, and individual meetings with New York farmers, I am keenly aware that trouble accessing qualified, reliable labor is a principal problem in our shrinking rural communities," Gibson said in a press release. "Thus, it is imperative that the H2A program work in a swift and secure manner, to avoid delays, and provide growers with the workers they need to harvest their crops. Our family farmers are central to the fabric of our Upstate communities, and I remain committed to working on their behalf here in Washington.”

The National Weather Service predicts Thursday will be sunny, with a high near 81. Thursday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 55. Friday the prediction is sunny, with a high near 84. Saturday and Sunday, sunny, with a high near 85.

Town meetings today
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 3:14 p.m./Low, 9:28 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:36 a.m./8:27 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8 p.m./ 4:54 a.m.

Birthdays
July 14 Woody Guthrie, Gerald Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Harry Dean Stanton, and Tanya Donelly.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, with reports from Chatham, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Norman Keyser updates the morning news and more, and Ellen Thurston and Joan Geitz preview weekend events. 9-10 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Hosts Sam Sebren and Christina Malisoff. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
PASSAGES Richard Roth hosts. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW 4-7 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K. hosts. 7-9:30 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger hosts. 9:30-mid.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

Habitat designations to shift, expand
Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that the NYS Department of State held an informational meeting Monday, July 11 at the Catskill Town Hall, where DOS Natural Resources Management Bureau Chief Fred Andersis how they are updating and expanding the number of Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat designations along the full length of the Hudson River, including the creation of seven new ones, five of which, plus a new combined unit, will be in or near Greene and Columbia county waters. Planck writes:

Five of the new units will include “South Bay Creek and Marsh,” which is within the municipal bounds of the Town of Greenport and the City of Hudson; “Catskill Deepwater,” within the towns of Catskill, Greenport, Germantown, and Livingston; “Stuyvesant Marsh,” within the Town of Stuyvesant; “Smith’s Landing,” within both the Towns and Village of Catskill, plus the Town of Saugerties; and “Brandow Point Marsh and Flats,” within both the Town and Village of Athens and the Town of Greenport. Additionally, the currently separate units of Hannacroix Creek and Coeymans will be combined into one, the “Coeymans Hannacroix Creek Complex,” within both the Towns of New Baltimore and Coeymans and the Village of Ravena. Seven of the 14 units recommended for boundary expansion are also within the area. They include “Roeliff-Jansen Kill,” within the Towns of Germantown, Livingston, and Clermont; “Inbocht Bay and Duck Cove,” within the towns of Catskill and Germantown; “Stockport Creek and Flats,” within the towns of Coxsackie, Greenport, Stockport, and Stuyvesant, and the City of Hudson; “Coxsackie Island Backwater,” within both the Town and Village of Coxsackie, and the towns of New Baltimore and Stuyvesant; “Rogers Island,” within both the Town and Village of Catskill and the Town of Greenport; “Ramshorn Marsh,” within the Town of Catskill; and “Shad and Schermerhorn Islands,” within the towns of Coeymans and Bethlehem. The other six existing units in the area are not expanding, and will see only updated narrative listings to reflect current scientific data and habitat conditions. They are “Catskill Creek,” “Germantown-Clermont Flats,” “Coxsackie Creek,” “Mill Creek Wetlands,” “Vosburgh Swamp and Middle Ground Flats,” and “Schodack and Houghtaling Islands and Schodack Creek.”

The DOS and DEC hold a joint public hearing to for comment on the DEC’s recommendations on July 27, from 6-9 p.m., at the Norrie Point Environmental Education Center, in Dutchess County. Written comment will be accepted through Aug. 15. See: http://www.nyswaterfronts.com. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Hudson in the Art World News
Carole Osterink in The Gossips of Rivertown blog reports that Hudson, New York is featured as "Up and Coming" in The Art Newspaper, in the July/August 2011 issue. The article mentions Steven Johnson and Walter Sudol, new owners of the Charles Williams School that they will turn into an arts center called The Second Ward and the Marina Abramovic Foundation for Preservation of Performance Art, which is due to open in 2012 in the Community Theater building at Seventh and Columbia streets, and the New Art Dealers Alliance fair at the Basilica Hudson July 30 and 31. ">Read the entire piece in The Art Newspaper.

Take them to their leader… later
Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper says the The Town of Ghent and the Village of Chatham planning boards are having trouble solving a big problem: postponed who is lead agency on the Price Chopper supermarket move proposal. The two boards canceled a Wednesday, July 6 hearing of the two boards hosted in Ghent. Jonathan Walters, chairman of the Ghent Planning Board, told Teasdale that the Chatham Planning Board wants lead agency status on the state environmental quality review, or SEQR, the state's way of evaluating the environmental and economic impacts of proposed development projects. Walters says “90% of the project is in Ghent” and is disputing the designation. “We have no interest in being lead agency,” said Rick Georgeson, a regional public information officer at the DEC told Teasdale. "Calls to the village of Chatham Planning Board were not returned by deadline," Teadale wrote. Charles Chisholm, a real estate representative for Price Chopper, told Teadale, “Nothing has changed for us with the replacement store,” and that, “We'll be back in front of the Planning Board.” Read the entire story in The Columbia Paper.

Rumble in the Catskills boxing show has local punch
A story in The Daily Freeman previews this Saturday's third annual "Rumble in the Catskills" boxing show Saturday at Catskill Elementary School sponsored by World Class Promotions in Catskill. “Right now, it looks like we have 17 gyms that will bring fighters,” said promoter Ernest Westbrooke. “This is by far the highest level of participation and I think the quality of the fights are going to be well matched.” The first "Rumbles" were held at Catskill High, but repairs there forced the move. Read the whole story in The Daily Freeman.

DiNapoli: ‘Serious questions’ about IDAs
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports that New York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released a report on New York State’s Industrial Development Authorities on Tue., July 12. “For four years, I’ve called on IDAs to improve the accuracy of the jobs data,” DiNapoli said. “Taxpayers should know if the projects they’re paying for are creating the jobs that were promised. Year after year, we’ve had serious questions about the effectiveness of IDAs. We need to make sure that the tax breaks given for these projects are promoting job retention and growth. New York has a lot of local economic development entities; developing a regional, coordinated approach is very difficult. We have to fix that.” From the report:

The overlapping nature of these economic development efforts can make the task of establishing a regional, coordinated approach difficult. Moreover, there have been and continue to be persistent problems and questions related to local governments’ use of LDCs, and to IDA performance and accountability. In response, Comptroller DiNapoli recently advanced a reform package that would limit municipal use of LDCs to finance local government operations and the acquisition or improvement of their assets. He has also increased oversight of IDA operations through audits, issuance of an annual performance report and more rigorous review of IDA reports. Presently, if an IDA’s annual audited financial statement is not filed or is found to be incomplete, the IDA’s authority to offer financial assistance which provides exemptions from certain State taxes is suspended.

• IDAs provided total gross tax exemptions of $1.2 billion in 2009. These exemptions were partially offset by the receipt of payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs) totaling nearly $700 million, resulting in net tax exemptions of almost $500 million. Net exemptions declined by almost $150 million from 2008 due largely to ongoing adjustments in reporting methods by the New York City IDA. These adjustments also affect the average cost per job gained.
• Projects receiving IDA assistance employed 724,390 full-time equivalent workers in 2009. This represents a cumulative net gain of 204,172 jobs from IDA projects over the life of the projects.

Ida Performance 2011
Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

The National Weather Service predicts scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Wednesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Thursday should be sunny, with a high near 81. Friday, mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
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).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 2:22 p.m./Low, 8:37 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:36 a.m./8:27 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 7:16 p.m./ 3:50 a.m.

Birthdays
July 13 Julius_Caesar, Bob Crane, Albert Ayler, Roger McGuinn, and Michael Spinks.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, with reports on hydrofracking, Prattsville, and more. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news and more, and plays an interview Joan Geitz did with a youth group fixing up homes in Cairo. 9-10 a.m.
@ISSUE Host Victor Mendolia talks to Tom Davis (half of the legendary comedy duo Franken and Davis) about his days on "Saturday Night Live," his comedy partner Senator Al Franken, and life in Livingston in Columbia County. The second half of the show will feature Terry Gipson, who is running for State Senator, the seat currently held by Stephen Saland, that represents Columbia County in Albany. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
THE SCHOEMER SHOW Karen Schoemer hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe hosts. 4-7 p.m.
THE IRISH SHOW Tony Fallon hosts live from Blackthorne Resort in East Durham during Irish Arts Week. 7-9 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Thursday morning.

WGXC's Tom Roe, Ann Forbes Cooper, and Richard Roth spoke with Dr. Robert Titus, professor of geology at Hartwick College, Tuesday, July 12 on the WGXC Afternoon Show and asked him his opinion about high-impact hydraulic fracturing in New York State. "I'm hoping that they can pull it off. I'm a geologist, and we," he said by phone. Titus also said that there is no marcellus shale in eastern Greene County, and much of the western part of the county is protected as a state park. "I've never heard of a permit in Greene County," he said, admitting he might not know about a possible site nearby. Titus talks about the local "Ice Age Geology" at a lecture he will give Sat., July 16 at 2 p.m. at the Greenport Conservation Area. In the full interview on the WGXC Afternoon Show, he also discusses how the first mastadon was discovered in this area, and how the area was once under 3,000 feet of ice. Titus writes a regular column for the Register-Star and The Daily Mail.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO FULL INTERVIEW.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THREE-MINUTE CLIP ABOUT HYDROFRACTURING.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Anti-frack Attacks
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

On Monday, July 11, comedian Stephen Colbert took on high-impact hydraulic fracturing and spent five minutes convincing viewers how it will be good for New York.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="The Zadock Pratt Museum, from its website."][/caption]WGXC volunteer Ann Forbes Cooper spoke with Prattsville historian Carolyn Bennett about the town and the Family Fun Day at the Zadock Pratt Museum Sat., July 16. The afternoon includes a walking tour of Prattsville’s Main Street and children painting a mural of Prattsville in the 21st century.

Click here to listen to a five-minute-long mp3 recording of the interview.

WGXC's Joan Geitz has an interview with the volunteers of Reach Workcamps, a Christian organization based in Colorado that works with teens from around the country to rehabilitate older houses, and is working in the Cairo-Durham school district this week. “I really think this model works,” said Mike Jones, Reach’s co-founder and the workcamp director, in an interview with Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail. “I picture service never going out of style.” The group is staying at the Cairo-Durham high school, and is working on homes in Acra, South Cairo, East Durham and Cornwallville. Each teen camper in the group pays $399 to paint, add or patch drywall and roofs, and building steps, porches, and wheelchair ramps. See The Daily Mail story for more details, and listen to the 15-minute mp3 audio recording of Geitz's interview with the group here.

Group pickets Saland's home over marriage vote
The Mid-Hudson News Network reports in The Daily Freeman that New York State Senator Steve Saland had protesters in front of his Poughkeepsie home Sunday complaining about his deciding vote to allow same-sex marriage in New York. Saland, a Republican, represents Columbia County in the New York State Senate and had previously voted against same-sex marriage. “Mr. Saland was elected to stand up for the values of his constituency. We put him in there with a certain understanding he would vote in a certain manner, and on this issue he caved,” said Jeff Mahoney, of Hyde Park, in front of the senator’s driveway with a flag that said, ‘Don’t Tread on Me.’ Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Cairo sewer improvements going out to bid
Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that construction could start in August or September and would last about a year on Cairo's sewer system, which will satisfy requirements to lift a consent order not allowing any new hook-ups in the town. The project costs almost $3 million, funded mostly by a grant from the state Environmental Facilities Corp., increasing Cairo's capacity to 150,000 gallons of water per day. Alan Tavenner of Delaware Engineering said bids for the project will go out this week and be presented at the next Cairo Town Board meeting Aug. 3. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Tonight at City Hall
Carole Osterink in The Gossips of Rivertown blog writes that at Hudson's informal Common Council meeting Mon., July 11, First Ward Alderman Sarah Sterling reintroduced her resolution authorizing Mayor Rick Scalera to enter into negotiations with Holcim to buy the company's properties in Hudson's South Bay including a deep-water port. Sterling first introduced this in January, Holcim told city attorney Cheryl Roberts no, they did not want to sell. This time, Osterink writes, Sterling wants to "get serious and put this on the record." Council President Don Moore then referred the resolution to the Legal Committee, while Fifth Ward Alderman Robert "Doc" Donahue called it "ludicrous" and "a waste of time." Read the full story in The Gossips of Rivertown.


Stop high unemployment among military veterans, Sen. Gillibrand says
Lore Croghan in The New York Daily News reports that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing to pass legislation to help military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with jobs. "They have an unrivaled work ethic - but too many do not have a road map ... to help them leverage their skills," said Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who is co-sponsoring the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which would require military members receive job-search skills training through the Transition Assistance Program. Currently, participation in the program is voluntary - and up to one-third of military personnel leaving the service do not get any job training. Read the full story in The New York Daily News.

The National Weather Service predicts Tuesday a slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 7 a.m., and a high near 92. Tuesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Wednesday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Thursday should be sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
CHATHAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COPAKE Board of Ethics, 7 p.m.; Comprehensive Planning Comm., 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234)
COXSACKIE Town board at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 1:24 p.m./Low, 7:43 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:35 a.m./8:28 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 6:23 p.m./ 2:52 a.m.

Birthdays
July 12 Buckminster Fuller, Oscar Hammerstein II, Andrew Wyeth, and Bill Cosby.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news and more. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski presents singers of all stripes. Noon-2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN From FAIR. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth host. 4-7 p.m.
LONG HAIRS Antoine Guerlain hosts. 7-9:30 p.m.
BATTLEFIELD EARTH Dan Seward hosts. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Tom Davis of Livingston will be a guest Wed., July 13 on "@Issue" at 10 a.m. hosted by Victor Mendolia on WGXC. Davis will talk about his days on "Saturday Night Live," his comedy partner Senator Al Franken, and life in Columbia County. The second half of the show will feature Terry Gipson, who is running for State Senator, the seat currently held by Stephen Saland. Above, a clip Davis as Keith Richards to Al Franken's Mick Jagger.

Insider deal in Columbia County DWI case?
Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union reports that, a "politically connected" Columbia County man was able to plead guilty to a misdemeanor when he should have faced a felony charge under Leandra's Law, a Times-Union review of court records shows. Timothy McEachern, 46, paid a $700 fine instead of four years in prison for driving drunk with his kids as passengers. McEachern is a major political supporter of Columbia County District Attorney Beth Cozzolino, his wife's sister. Vielkind writes that, "McEachern was deeply involved in Cozzolino's successful 2007 bid for district attorney." Then, her campaign committee was registered to his Spencertown home. Now McEachern and his wife Andrea hosted a fundraiser Saturday, July 9, to kick off Cozzolino's campaign to replace Paul Czajka as Columbia County judge. Cozzolino's office recused itself from the McEachern case after it was brought, asking that it be handled by a special prosecutor from the office of Republican Greene County District Attorney Terry Wilhelm. Wilhelm declined to return calls from the Times Union, but Cozzolino's opponent for Columbia County Judge this November returned Vielkind's call. "This only points out that if you're a member of the club in Columbia County, you'll be taken care of. It's a classic example," said Gene Keeler, a former Columbia County district attorney, and a Democrat. "According to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, Columbia County prosecutors disposed of seven cases under Leandra's Law: One was dismissed, three resulted in felony convictions, three in misdemeanor convictions. Two defendants were imprisoned, three were sentenced to probation, and one -- McEachern -- was fined," Vielkind writes. Read the complete story in the Albany Times-Union.

DEC releases hydraulic fracturing statement
The 2011 draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for high-volume hydraulic fracturing is now available on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/75370.html. A link to the draft SGEIS webpage can also be found on DEC's homepage at http://www.dec.ny.gov/index.html.

Town picks up where zoning panel left off
Doron Tyler Antrim reports in The Daily Mail that the Cairo Town Board will not do anything about the proposed zoning law until September. “We will continue going forward with this document,” Town Supervisor John Coyne said. “I don’t want to see it put on the shelf.” The Board took over the proposed zoning law from the zoning commission Thu. July 7 and the zoning commission was disbanded after four years and a 163-page proposal. A public hearing will be held before the Board votes on the proposal. The zoning commission held a public hearing April 26, available to hear in the WGXC archives, with many critics speaking and only two favoring the proposal. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Historic Hudson looks at other ways of preserving Robinson
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports that the local architectural preservation group Historic Hudson has at least temporarily abandoned its efforts to get the Hudson Historic Preservation Commission to designate Robinson Street a historic district. “Although we have not abandoned the goal of preserving this unique Hudson neighborhood,” Historic Hudson President Timothy Dunleavy wrote in a statement read at Friday’s HPC meeting by the group’s vice president Carole Osterink. “We have come to realize that a great deal of education is required to make property owners in the proposed district comfortable with the idea of historic designation.” Historic Hudson considers the working class, turn-of-the-last-century houses on Robinson St. interesting historically. At an April meeting, Robinson resident and Second Ward Supervisor Rev. Edward Cross led protests from homeowners and renters worried the historic preservation guidelines would be expensive. Read the story in the Register-Star.

MONDAY AUDIO CLIPS

• A Very Incomplete Calendar: 20110711
A weekly round up oh Hudson Valley music events from Terry Doyle, who hosts "Imprint" on WGXC which looks at the regional music scene. PLAY CLIP.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Aaron Gwin wins the UCI World Cup on Windham Mountain Sunday, July 10. From Windham Mountain's Facebook page."][/caption]

The National Weather Service predicts Monday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Monday night there is a 20 percent chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm after 10 p.m. Tuesday there is a 30 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 91. Tuesday night should be partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
ASHLAND Town Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636)
CATSKILL Village meeting at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE holds Buildings & Grounds, Conservation, Public Safety, Highway, Government Operations, and Finance committee meetings at 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Common Council workshop meeting at 7 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Village meeting at 8 p.m.
NEW BALTIMORE Town meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671)/
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 12:18 p.m./Low, 6:47 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:34 a.m./8:28 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:23 p.m./ 2 a.m.

Birthdays
July 8 Yul Brynner, Leon Spinks, Peter Murphy, and Suzanne Vega.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news, with Terry Doyle's "A Very Incomplete Calendar" and more. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
MONDAY MUSICAL MATINEE WGXC's Monday Musical Matinee, with Lincoln Mayorga, will be devoted to the artistry of the late pianist, Sofia Cosma. Mayorga will
play concertos by Saint Saens (pronounced "san SAWNS") and Strauss, and solo piano music by Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Beethoven, and Poulenc. Sofia Cosma is the subject of a documentary motion picture, "A Suitcase Full of Chocolate", which opens at Time & Space Limited in Hudson, Saturday, July 16 at 8 p.m. Noon-2 p.m.
THE AG SHOW Kieran Riley talks farming. 2 p.m.
WELLNESS WATCH Linda Karlsson hosts. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Kaya Weidman and Greg Osofsky host. 4-7 p.m.
AMERICANA SHOW Kurt and Doug host. 7-9:30 p.m., after that internet-only.
LUNARMOSS DJ Lunar Moss plays mostly vinyl. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a "Notice of Complete Application" to Stiefel Laboratories, Inc., last week. The East Durham business, was going to close a few years ago, but is now transitioning from a facility manufacturing dermatological products to one making toothpaste. The proposed site development includes construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), decommissioning of the existing WWTP, construction of raw material bulk storage silos and aqueous storage tanks, expansion of an existing building, expansion of an existing access road and conversion of existing site gravel access ways to asphalt. The total acreage of new impervious area is 2.27 acres. Total acreage of site disturbance is approximately 11.6 acres, of which approximately 1.5 acres is conversion of the existing pond into a stormwater treatment pond. Impacts to jurisdictional waters of the U.S. will be related to construction of an access road to the new wastewater treatment plant and conversion of the existing isolated pond to a stormwater treatment pond. Approximately 0.046 acre of federally regulated wetlands and 140 linear feet of stream channel will be permanently impacted by the project. Mitigation will comprise placement of a restrictive covenant on the unnamed tributary of Thorpe Creek that flows through the southern section of the facility property. Additionally, a restrictive covenant will be placed on an adjacent 50 foot buffer on both sides of the stream or to the property line where the distance between the stream and the property line is less than 50 feet. Comments on this project must be submitted in writing to the Contact Person no later than July 21.
Contact Person: Karen M. Gaidasz, NYSDEC, 1130 N. Wescott Rd., Schenectady, NY 12306
Case # DM1T07/08#54616

WGXC's Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos interview Danielle Riou, who is heading up efforts to bring WLHV 88.1-FM, a radio station for Bard College. The station will launch next summer, and cover much of Ulster and Dutchess counties. Riou is a professor at the school and Director of the Human Rights Project at Bard. Click here to listen to an interview with Riou about the station.

Windham Mountain Bike World Cup Festival
Julia Reischel in the Watershed Post reports on the abundance of bicycles in Greene County this weekend:

One of the biggest mountain biking events in the world will be happening in Greene County this weekend: The 2011 Mountain Bike UCI World Cup. The most formidable bikers from around the globe will gather at Windham Mountain Saturday and Sunday to jockey down rocky slopes and blow through mud puddles. The race -- the 7th in the 2011 World Cup series -- is the core of a four days of biking events, including a block party, a concert, and a race for kids. If you can't make it in person, you can watch the races live on the Race Windham website right from your couch. Windham NY 2011 Mountain Bike World Cup Festival, July 7 - July 10, Windham Mountain, Windham, NY. www.racewindham.com.

Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Hinchey, Gillibrand renew effort to get national park designation for region
The Daily Freeman staff reports that U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who represents the Hudson River Valley just south of the WGXC listening area, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have reintroduced legislation to make the "Hudson River Valley" part of the National Park system. "Under such a distinction, the region would benefit from greater national attention, additional federal resources to support and preserve heritage sites and increased regional tourism, all of which would contribute to job creation and economic growth, the congressman and senator said in a joint press release issued by Hinchey’s office," the Freeman story says. “The Hudson River Valley is truly one of America’s richest treasures,” Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in the statement. “From the Adirondacks to the busy ports of New York City, the Hudson River fuels our economy, inspires our artists, and provides New Yorkers with miles of adventure and endless recreation.” Areas along the Hudson River in Columbia and Greene counties are included in the proposal. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.


Cement plant clears first important hurdle
Hilary Hawke in The Daily Mail reports that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has accepted the Final Environmental Impact Statement from the Lafarge Cement Plant in Ravena as complete. After a ten-day waiting period, the DEC can release a "Findings Statement," and according to Hawke's story Lafarge is eager to get started on the plant modernization if approved. The story suggests "project construction which could start as early as fall of 2011 with grounds preparation, grading and drainage." Hawke outlines the timeline in the company's efforts to modernize the plant:
• Aug. 2008: DEC accepted the Lafarge Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
• Nov. 2010: Public comment and a legislative hearing was held in January, 2011.
• Jan. 2011: Legislative hearing.
• April, 2011: DEC sent the document to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a mandatory 45-day review, which ended in mid-June. According to a Lafarge Environmental Manager John Reagan, the EPA provided no further comments.
The new plant’s production would increase from roughly 1.7 million tons currently to 2.8 million tons each year. The article also provides links to Lafarge and DEC documents on the matter, but failed to link to CASE, the local environmental watchdog group that has often been critical of the company. Read the story in The Daily Mail.

Village may find water's cost hard to swallow
Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that Chatham Village is about to get a $2.3-million sewer upgrade that will cost residents $90 more a year on their water bill. At the town's Public Works committee meeting last week, Teasdale also reports that the village reservoir leaks about 50,000 gallons of water a day, according the Pat Prendergrast, the village engineer. And the water tower leaks. Prendergrast suggested to the committee that the village close the reservoir. He asked village officials to look at “your long term plan for your 48-year-old water tower and your reservoir that nobody likes.” Water and Sewer Commissioner George Grant defended the reservoir, saying, “This reservoir had been good to us since 1907,” and then weighed in on the tower: “If we maintain it and coat it every 10 years like we were supposed to it would last for another 30 to 40 years,” he said. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Claverack skate park
The Town of Claverack wants to build a skate park in the town on an already installed foundation. Anyone who wants to make a bid on the project can contact the town (518-672-7911) for more details, but must have four printed copies and a PDF at Town offices at 91 Church St. in Mellenville, by 10 a.m. July 22.

The National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Friday night there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, otherwise mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Saturday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 88.

Town meetings today
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission meeting at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 9:50 p.m./Low, 3:56 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:32 a.m./8:29 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 1:55 p.m./ 12:03 a.m.
First Quarter Moon: 1:31 a.m.

Birthdays
July 8 Nelson A. Rockefeller, Billy Eckstine, Marty Feldman, Kevin Bacon, and Beck.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mark Lacoy and Casson Kennedy present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Tom Roe updates the morning news, and plays readings from Rebecca Wolf and Sarah Falkner. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
PURE MOODS Shannekia McIntosh plays all kinds of music. Noon-2 p.m.
QUE COCINARE HOY Hosted by Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos in Spanish. 2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN FAIR's weekly media program. 3 p.m.
KNOCK ON WOOD Steve Charney hosts this comedy show. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe hosts. 4-7 p.m.
BRIAN DEWAN The Catskill musician performs live from the Spotty Dog Books & Ale store in Hudson. 7-9:30 p.m., after that internet-only.
HOTLINE RADIO L. Dot Dinero and The Guy host. 9:30 p.m.
TRANSMISSION ART Radio theater, experimental sound, field recordings, radio art, mash-ups, shortwave radio news, and more through 6 a.m. Sunday morning.