Gas drilling press conferences
A coalition of environmental groups hold a press conference in Albany Thursday, July 7, to deliver a sign-on letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to ban high-impact hydraulic fracturing gas drilling. The press conference will be at 11:30 am at the Legislative Office Building, LCA Room 120, in Albany. Citizens Campaign for the Environment will release the results of their mapping project of lands leased by gas developers throughout the eight counties in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, showing the threat to agricultural and tourism by the gas drilling. That press conference is at 10 a.m. in the Press Room, at the Legislative Office Building, LCA Room, in Albany.

Justice retires, cites health
Audra Jornov in the Register-Star reports that Valatie Village Justice Edward “Archie” Williams, resigned on Friday, July 1 due to health reasons. Williams had been the town’s justice since 1983, and the Kinderhook Town Board now needs to decide if they will appoint a new judge or wait until the upcoming fall elections. “We are having a regular audit meeting on the 14th of the month. David Dellehunt, from the Office of Court Administration is going to meet with the town board members and talk to them about options for an appointment of justice,” said Town Supervisor Patrick Grattan. “We are just going to talk to him and see what he says.” The story says that Williams is at the Barnwell Nursing Home in Valatie and was unavailable for comment as of press time. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Second quarter patents in Tech Valley slip
"The Tech Valley Patent Index was down significantly [in the Second Quarter of 2011], actually dropping below 800 for the first time in over a year. However, the Capital Region indices remained strong compared to last quarter" said Spencer Warnick, partner at Hoffman Warnick, an intellectual property law firm based in Albany, NY, that tracks patent applications for the region. "The Capital Region numbers, however, are encouraging because they indicate less reliance on the large corporations, GE and IBM, that typically provide most of the issued patents in our area," Warnick says.

The National Weather Service predicts isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Thursday, and otherwise mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Thursday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 58. Friday there is a slight chance of showers, then a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Otherwisem partly sunny, with a high near 80. Saturday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
ANCRAM Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
AUSTERLITZ Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, 812 Route 203, Spencertown (392-3260).
COPAKE Planning Board meets at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GHENT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 8:05 a.m./Low, 2:56 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:31 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 12:43 a.m./ n/a

Birthdays
July 7 Satchel Paige, Pinetop Perkins, Ringo Starr, and Michelle Kwan.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobs present the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting, in English and Spanish. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Norman Keyser updates the morning news, with Ellen Thurston and Joan Geitz on weekend events. 9-10 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Christina Malisoff and Sam Sebren host. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CROSSROADS Alan Skerrett plays jazz, R&B, and more. Noon-2 p.m.
THE ART OF THE HUDSON VALLEY Scheduled Guests: David Anderson, Executive Artistic Director of Walking the dog Theater, who is directing Eurydice, opening at PS21 in Chatham, July 7 with music by Jonathan Talbott. Cara Benson, Program Manager at Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz will also be a guest. Also, photographers Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick will be on the show. Their exhibition at Carrie Haddad Photograph Gallery in Hudson, opens July 7 through August 14 and is titled "Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea." Hosted by Chad Weckler. 2 p.m.
RADIO THEATER Experimental radio art. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Antoine Guerlain hosts. 4-7 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE Cheryl K. hosts. 7 p.m.
69 The Magic Stranger plays psychedelic music from 1969. 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. Friday morning.

Jamie Larson in the Register-Star says that "a high ranking senior official" gave him an email sent this past Saturday, July 2, sent by Supervisor Art Bassin, D-Ancram, to other supervisors and county officials outlining how fast they want to move the Department of Social Services out of Hudson and into the no-abandoned Wal-Mart building in Greenport. Bassin wrote in the message, “we could get DSS into the Town Plaza (Wal-Mart) space by the end of 2011 if we focused primarily on DSS, and were willing to defer the detailed programing and design process on the rest of the potential moves until after the DSS move was done.” The board would have to wait to replace the building’s roof and install the HVAC air quality system until after DSS is occupying the front left 30,000 square foot section of the building. “None of the firms we talked to felt this was a problem,” Bassin wrote, “in fact they pointed out roofs and HVAC systems were replaced in occupied space all the time. We will also defer any cosmetic changes to the building’s exterior, and use the current Walmart entrance for DSS.” Previously, Hudson supervisors have suggested the move will cost too much or county voters should decide on the proposal. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that the Catskill Central School District Board of Education was at a standstill Tue. July 5 until BOE Trustee Matthew Leipman arrived late. After four votes to select a new president and vice-president that all ended in 4-4 ties, Leipman arrived to cast 5-4 deciding votes to make Michael Bulich president, and, then, Karen Haas vice-president by the same margin. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Ceiling collapse injures 9 in Hudson
Randy Simons of CBS6 TV in Albany reports that nine people were injured Monday, July 4 when the ceiling of a three-story home at 410 Warren St. in Hudson collapsed around 8 p.m. Seven children and two adults were taken to the hospital for their injuries. Hudson City Code Enforcement say they will cite the landlord, Phil Gellert with Northern Empire Realty, for blocked exits, no smoke detection, illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles along with a host of other interior and exterior violations, and CBS6 alleges he has problems at some of the other 22 properties he owns. "So statistically with the number of properties and tenants I'm doing better than most people" Gellert told CBS6. "I have a crew of 15-20 people and we always try to do the maintenence to the best of our ability. I'm not an absentee landlord, they can call me at anytime." Gellert says the ceiling collapsed at 410 Warren St. was because of a slow leak, that he was not notified about. Read the whole story with video at CBS6.

Hudson adopts boot for unpaid parking tickets
Local Law No. 3 of 2011 became law in Hudson last Thursday, June 30. Now parking authorities are empowered to install boot security devices on vehicles with unpaid parking tickets.

Artist grants available
Applications for the Community Arts Grants Decentralization Program for Columbia and Greene Counties are now available for the 2012 funding cycle. For "Community Arts Grants" there is project support for community-based nonprofit organizations, local municipalities, towns, and villages, and support for individuals or artistic teams partnerships with non-profits. Funding is intended primarily to be applied toward artist fees for quality cultural and arts programming in the two counties. Projects must take place in your county, be accessible, and beneficial to the public. Request amounts can be up to $5,000, though most awards are usually fall between $1,200 and $1,500. Deadline for 2012 Project Support & Conduit-Artist applications is Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. The arts councils are holding several workshops. Call the Director of Community Arts Grants at (518) 943-3400 or email Colettegcca@hotmail.com to register.
Columbia County
• Thu., July 21: Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr, Stuyvesant. 6-8 p.m.
• Tue., Aug 2: Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Auditorium, 790 Rte 203 Spencertown. 6-8 p.m.
• Sat., Aug 6: Columbia County Council on the Arts, 209 Warren St, Hudson. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Greene County
• Tue., July 19: Catskill Public Library, 1 Franklin St, Catskill 5:45–7:45 p.m.
• Tue., July 26: Tannersville Village Hall, 1 Park Lane, Tannersville 5:45–7:45 p.m.
• Thu., July 28: Community Room at Cornell Hook & Ladder, 77 Gill Rd, New Baltimore 6–8 p.m.
Individual Artist Grant Seminars & Locations
• Mon, Aug 29: Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street, Hudson. 6–7:30 p.m.
• Thu., Sept 1: Greene County Council on the Arts, 398 Main St, Catskill. 6–7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY AUDIO CLIPS

• Rebecca McBride, author of "Traveling Between the Lines."
Interview by Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. McBride will be signing the book at Village Square Bookstore in Hunter Sat., July 11 at 1 p.m. McBride lives in Chatham. PLAY CLIP.

• Ben Peacock from Tousey Winery in Clermont.
Interviewed by Richard Roth on WGXC Afternoon Show about a local winery and the festival in Clermont this Friday. PLAY CLIP.

The National Weather Service predicts a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Wednesday. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Wednesday night there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Thursday there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 a.m., then mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Town meetings today
CAIRO Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. with a public hearing on the application of Robert Phoenix for approval of subdivision on South Rd., Cairo. At Town Hall, 512 Main Street, Cairo (622-3120).
DEC NYS DEC Division of Coastal Resources Informational Meeting re revision of designated areas as Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitats – 2-4 pm – DEC’s Region 3 Office, New Paltz. Information at 474-6000.
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
TIDES Hudson: High, 7:08 a.m./Low, 2:02 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:31 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:32 a.m./11:32 p.m.

Birthdays
July 6 Alan Freeman, George W. Bush, Sylvester Stallone, Willie Randolph, and 50 Cent.

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. 9-10 a.m.
@ISSUE Victor Mendolia hosts. 10 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
THE SCHOEMER SHOW Noon-2 p.m.
PRISON VOICES PROJECT Hosted by Kaya Weidman and Cory Fischer-Hoffman. 2 p.m.
CATSKILL REVIEW OF BOOKS From WJFF in Jeffersonville. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO Radio Explosion! Feminism Part 2. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Tom Roe hosts. 4-7 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.

Jim Planck in The Daily Mail reports that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency holds a public meeting about the City of New York’s watershed protection and partnership programs Thursday, July 7, from 7-9 p.m., at Belleayre Mountain, in the Ulster County community of Highmount. This is one of four meetings that have been scheduled, and the closest for Greene County residents. New York City’s West-of-Hudson Watershed includes most of southwestern Greene County, with only a very small part of the Town of Hunter — the east half of Haines Falls and the North/South Lake area — not being within it. The city's watershed protection programs include land acquisition and conservation easements, stream management and stormwater treatment, agriculture and forestry programs, and lowering industrial use, and creating sewer extensions. The City’s also wants to avoid building a multi-billion dollar filtration plant to purify its water, which is reflected in a decision by the EPA, and which is suitably called a Filtration Avoidance Determination, or FAD. Thursday’s meeting is an opportunity for the EPA to learn about opinions on the matter. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="1300" caption="Saugerties Lighthouse, from website."][/caption]The Register-Star has an unbylined story about a day-long cruise on the Hudson River Friday, July 15 of four of the existing lighthouses still operating along the river. The “Tour d’ Four” Cruise visits the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Saugerties Lighthouse, Rondout Light, and Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. Each of these lighthouses has its own special history and is part of a rich Hudson River heritage. Once there were 13, but six have been demolished and are gone forever. The “Spirit of Hudson” departs from Hudson Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. arriving at the final stop, Esopus Meadows, by 5 p.m. Passengers will return to Hudson by bus transportation from the Kingston Maritime Museum and back in Hudson by 8 p.m. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

By Gus Murphy

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, from website."][/caption]Melanie Lekocevic in The Daily Mail reports that the businesses around Athens have a new look since July 1: they are adorned with dozens of lighthouses, mermaids, buried treasure, and other assorted sea creatures. The "Athens Lighthouse Project" is the brainchild of Deputy Mayor Herman Reinhold who wanted to do in Athens a version of the public art projects being done around the region — the cats in Catskill, bears in Cairo and dogs in Hudson, and the Rip van Winkles in Windham, just to name a few. Artists around Athens have been busy creating their own version of the lighthouse, which is a nod to the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse constructed in 1873 on Middle Ground Flats on the Hudson River between the two towns. Read the full story in The Daily Mail. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="344" caption="A sampling of lighthouses in the Athens Lighthouse Project. You can see close-up photos of each lighthouse at the website (click on image)."][/caption]

Village fights its tax bills, winning exemption from town
Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper reports that the Village of Philmont has convinced the Town of Claverack that the Village should not have to pay taxes on properties it owns outside Philmont in Claverack. Village Trustee Brian Johnson spoke at the June Village Board meeting saying that not-for-profit organizations don't have to pay town taxes, with the single exception of the village, and that Philmont residents already pay Claverack town taxes on their own properties. "Last month, the Town Board denied Philmont the exemption by a vote of two ayes, one nay and two abstentions (three ayes were needed to pass the exemption). Then in a special meeting last week the town took up the question again, and this time the Town Board granted the exemption by a vote of three ayes and two abstentions," Simonds reports. The story says the Village now has hopes of getting out of similar taxes from Columbia County and the Taconic Hills school district, and has hired Albany attorney Paul Goldman to work on the project. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Philmont allows chickens
Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper reports in that same article that Philmont Village Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons unveiled a proposal to regulate allow, with a Special Use Permit, livestock, poultry, fowl, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, bees for “personal non-commercial use” on residential properties, provided:
•The critter weighs less than 100 pounds
•The lot where it is kept is not less than an acre (thus keeping animals out of high-density neighborhoods), and the animal area is not less than 100 feet from the property line
•Animal areas are fenced, and animals are provided with shelters to prevent escape or predatory attack
•Animal waste is stored under cover or composted.
•Up to five animals are permitted on any one property; an additional beast is allowed for each 8,000 square feet over one acre. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

A guide to the DEC's latest gas drilling plan
Julia Reischel in The Watershed Post has the most complete coverage of the proposed regulations that would start high-impact hydraulic fracturing natural gas drilling in New York. "It's officially a draft of a draft. But a 736-page document from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, released to the media on Friday, brings New York State one step closer to allowing natural-gas horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing," she writes. The full draft is now on the WGXC Newsroom for anyone to peruse.
59152281 Preliminary Revised Draft SGEIS 7-1-11

The National Weather Service predicts patchy fog Tuesday before 7 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 87. Tuesday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 59. Wednesday, the prediction is for a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Wednesday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms grows to 30 percent. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Thursday there is also a 30 percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.

Town meetings today
CATSKILL Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Finance Committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State St., Hudson.
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).
HUDSON SCHOOLS Hudson City School District Board of Education Annual Organizational Meeting at 6 p.m. at Hudson High School Cafeteria.
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).

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 6:13 a.m./Low, 1:15 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:30 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 10:22 a.m./11:02 p.m.

Birthdays
July 5 Chuck Close, Bill Watterson, Goose Gossage, Edie Falco, and RZA.

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. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
VOCAL CHORDS Andrew Sosnowski plays vocal music. Noon-2 p.m.
COUNTERSPIN From FAIR. 3 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Richard Roth and Ann Forbes Cooper host. 4-7 p.m.
JMOORE Jeff Moore hosts. 7 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.

Gibson says no to new revenue in debt limit deal
Doron Tyler Antrim reports from the East Durham Independence Festival Saturday, where Congressman Chris Gibson on Saturday said he was only interested in cutting spending, and not also raising taxes, to cut the nation's $14 trillion debt. “I think that America spoke pretty clearly last November that they want us to get our fiscal house in order,” Gibson said at the parade and festival in East Durham. “I think what we need to do is get control of our spending.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Hallenbeck calls for public referendums
Jamie Larson in the Register-Star reports that Supervisor and Hudson mayoral candidate William Hallenbeck, R-Hudson 3, said Saturday he is calling for public referendums over the county's two most important issues: spending $16 million buying and rehabbing the former Wal-Mart building in Greenport and moving many county services from Hudson into the building, and creating a county manager. “Given the economic climate of New York State, including the recently adopted 2 percent tax cap, the concerns of many Columbia County employees who could be faced with what is being labeled as "work force reductions" that are nothing short of layoffs, and the 2012 Budget demands being placed on our County Departments, I can not with a clear conscience support the idea of creating a County Manager with the potential of this position possibly carrying an annual salary of $150,000,” Hallenbeck said in the article. “While I appreciate the work of the County Manager Initiative Subcommittee and their case for a County manager, I fail to see the need to move on this position at this time given the potential cost to the taxpayers without truly understanding the full implications of the 2012 budget.” Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Chatham board hires interim principal for middle school
Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that the Chatham School Board appointed Annmarie Barkman interim Middle School Principal at the board's regular meeting Tue., June 28. Barkman takes over from Gordon Fitting, who is retiring. Barkman was interim superintendent at Coxsackie-Athens Central School District until July 1, and was hired for one year at the rate of $550 per day. The Chatham School Board will decide whether to add an extra kindergarten section at its next meeting Tue., July 5 at 6:30 p.m. Read the whole story in The Columbia Paper.

Tattoo street
Carole Osterink of The Gossips of Rivertown blog was on the scene first as Steed Taylor, an artist-in-residence at Art Omi, began drawing a "road tattoo" on Front Street between Allen and Warren Streets in Hudson. Osterink quotes the proposal for the project: "Road tattoos are placed at locations of community significance and are composed of cultural designs previously appropriated to mark skin. Names, or other information, are painted in the design, a nondenominational prayer commissioned for the piece is said and the design is painted in, covering over this information.".... Is this project the sort of thing that is leading to mentions in The Financial Times? Osterink also points out that over the weekend the paper ran a "My perfect getaway" story, and author Gary Shteyngart ("Russian Debutante's Handbook," "Absurdistan," and "Super Sad True Love Story)" said he favoried, "Hudson, New York. A little town upstate where I feel very relaxed." Read the stories in The Gossips of Rivertown.

AUDIO CLIPS FOR MONDAY
Click on the titles to listen to mp3 audio files.

• Peter Finn, Executive Director of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, at new Orpheum Theater in Hunter.
Interview by Philip Grant. The Catskill Mountain Foundation will soon open the Orpheum Theater in Hunter. But construction is still going on, as you can hear in the background of this interview with the Foundation's Executive Director Peter Finn. PLAY

• Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates.
Nadeau is the water and natural resources program director for Environmental Advocates, and discusses proposed hydraulic fracturing regulations that the DEC made public last Friday. Interview by Tom Roe on WGXC Afternoon Show. PLAY 10 mins.

• A Very Incomplete Calendar.
Weekly segment from Terry Doyle's "Imprint" show about Hudson Valley music. This segment looks at a few regional events this week. 5 mins. PLAY

The National Weather Service predicts isolated showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., and patchy dense fog before 8 a.m. Monday. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 80. Monday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 57. Tuesday will be sunny, with a high near 80. Tuesday night should be mostly clear, with a low around 57, and Wednesday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 83.

Closings
The Daily Freeman runs down Independence Day closures:
Amtrak: Sunday schedule.
Banks: Closed.
County offices: Closed.
Federal offices: Closed.
Financial markets: Closed.
Greene Co. Transit: No service.
Mail delivery: None.
Metro-North: Sunday schedule, with extra trains.
State offices: Closed.
Trailways: Extra buses Monday and Tuesday.

Fourth of July events
Kinderhook Peoples Parade 11 a.m. This is a participatory parade, so one could decorate your car, stroller, wagon, tractor, or bicycle to join the parade, or watch. Parade starts at Rothermel Lane and ends in the Village Square.
Old-Fashioned Independence Day 2 p.m.–10 p.m.: Clermont State Historic Site, One Clermont Ave., Germantown, 12526. 518-537-4240. 18th Century music and entertainment, food and the Saugerties fireworks display.
Village of Saugerties 4th of July Parade and Fireworks 11 a.m.: Parade starts from Saugerties High School. The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties and the Saugerties Fire Department will team up for the Saugerties 4th of July celebration.
Windham Mountain: Windham Mountain keeps its zipline and Skyride open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a parade through Windham at 7 p.m., barbeque and a DJ (7:30-10:30 p.m.), and fireworks at 9 p.m.

The skies above
TIDES Hudson: High, 5:22 p.m./Low, 12:32 a.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 5:30 a.m./8:30 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9:11 a.m./10:32 p.m.

Birthdays
July 4 Calvin Coolidge, Rube Goldberg, Bill Withers, Ron Kovic, and Pam Shriver.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant presents the morning news, music, other features, agriculture reporting. July 4 features today on safety and local events. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! Hosted by Amy Goodman. 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant updates the morning news, with more on local Independence Day activities. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH International news. 11 a.m.
CLASSICAL SHOW SLincoln Mayorga hosts. Noon-2 p.m.
LIVING LIGHTLY ON THE LAND Liz LoGiudice from the Agroforestry Center hosts. 2 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW Kaya Weidman and Greg Osofsky host. 4-7 p.m.
BLUEGRASS SHOW Cowboy Jim hosts. 7 p.m.
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 Independent Film Channel has posted the video for "Hallway of Mirrors," the title track from the new album by Hudson-based 12-string guitarist Alexander Turnquist of the same name. The video was created by Otto Stockmeier and Derek Van Gorder, shot on location in both Hudson NY, and Berlin Germany.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens held a press conference at 11 a.m. this morning to announce new proposed regulations for high-volume hydraulic fracturing natural gas extraction. Click here to listen to a mp3 recording of the press conference.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced Fri. July 1 the members of the High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel that will be charged with:
• developing recommendations to ensure DEC and other agencies are enabled to properly oversee, monitor and enforce high-volume hydraulic fracturing activities;
• developing recommendations to avoid and mitigate impacts to local governments and communities; and
• evaluating the current fee structure and other revenue streams to fund government oversight and infrastructure related to high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
The initial panel members will include:
• Stan Lundine, former NYS Lt. Governor
• Kathleen McGinty, Former Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality under President Clinton
• Eric A. Goldstein and Kate Sinding, Senior Attorneys, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Robert Hallman, Board Chair, NY League of Conservation Voters
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President of the Waterkeeper Alliance
• Robert Moore, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates
• Mark Brownstein, Chief Counsel, Energy Program, Environmental Defense Fund
• Heather Briccetti, Acting President & CEO, Business Council of New York State, Inc.
• Robert B. Catell, Chairman, Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at SUNY Stony Brook
• Mark K. Boling, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Southwestern Energy
• Senator Tom Libous, Deputy Majority Leader
• Assemblymember Donna Lupardo

Saturday, July 2
Bing Bang Boing: It’s Your Patriotic Duty 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Uncle Sam’s Parade at 11 a.m. on Main St. from Farmer’s Market on Church Street to the old Freightmaster’s Building at Catskill Point. Bring instruments. At the Point, the Greene County Council for the Arts presents a Bing Bang Boing concert of renowned musicians playing their own hand-made instruments, ending with a massive drum circle to which all are invited. There will also be kids’ activities, including marshmallow airgun contests and kite flying, a bouncy house. Park at Dutchman’s Landing, at 2 Main Street by the river. Shuttles and/or cabs will be available. Call 943-3400 or visit www.greenearts.org for information.

[caption id="attachment_10211" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Rep. Chris Gibson at Chatham Middle School, at town meeting March 23. Photo by Tom Roe."][/caption]East Durham Independence Day 11 a.m. – Quill Festival Grounds, East Durham, NY 12423, 518-634-2286. Marching Bands, Bagpipers, Floats and Color Guard from many organizations will be in parade at 11 a.m. Congressman Chris Gibson will be in the parade. Prizes awarded for Most Patriotic, Most Unique, Best Junior Group, Funniest Entry and Best Overall. After the Parade, join us on the Festival Grounds for games and rides for the kids. Fireworks display on the Festival Grounds at 9:15 p.m.
• WGXC interviewed Helen Hauswald about the East Durham Independence Day Parade and Festival. Click here to listen to mp3 audio of the interview.


You’re a Grand Ole Flag. Noon-2 p.m.: Olana State Historic Site, 5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534. One could celebrate the Fourth of July by creating a quilt of your own at this event. This easy-to-do, no-sewing quilt will be inspired by Frederic Church's painting "Our Banner in the Sky."  Please call 518-828-1872 x109 for more information or to register, or email shasbrook@olana.org for more information or to register.

Bear Creek Landing Fireworks: A restaurant and recreational park in Hunter with day activities such as horseback riding, paintball, and indoor/outdoor dining. At corner of Rt. 214 & 23A, Hunter.

Sunday, July 3
Chatham Family Fun Fest 3 p.m.: Columbia County Fair Grounds, Route 66, Chatham, NY. The fairgrounds gates open at 3 p.m. for the Family Fun Fest. Activities include free kiddie rides, a climbing wall, hay maze, Fuddi-Duddy the Clown, pony rides, Electric Blue Dee Jay, and lots of food, with a fireworks display at dusk.

Our Banner in the Sky: An interpretation through music and dance: Wagon House Education Center, Olana State Historic Site, 5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534. A performance by Cu Dubh bringing Frederic Church's painting "Our Banner in the Sky" to life through music and dance is at Olana Sunday. Bring a picnic blanket and basket. Please call (518) 828-1872 x 109 or email shasbrook@olana.org for more information.

Fireworks/band at Cone-E Island/Mountain T-Shirts in Catskill: Activities begin at 2 p.m., music starts at 4 p.m. with Steppin' Out performing at 6 p.m and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. 8 West Bridge St., Catskill.

Monday, July 4
Kinderhook Peoples Parade 11 a.m. This is a participatory parade, so one could decorate your car, stroller, wagon, tractor, or bicycle to join the parade, or watch. Parade starts at Rothermel Lane and ends in the Village Square.

Old-Fashioned Independence Day 2 p.m.–10 p.m.: Clermont State Historic Site, One Clermont Ave., Germantown, 12526. 518-537-4240. 18th Century music and entertainment, food and the Saugerties fireworks display.

Village of Saugerties 4th of July Parade and Fireworks 11 a.m.: Parade starts from Saugerties High School. The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties and the Saugerties Fire Department will team up for the Saugerties 4th of July celebration.

Windham Mountain: Windham Mountain keeps its zipline and Skyride open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a parade through Windham at 7 p.m., barbeque and a DJ (7:30-10:30 p.m.), and fireworks at 9 p.m.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Friday will release its revised recommendations on mitigating the environmental impacts of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (high-volume fracturing), and will lift the temporary ban on hydraulic fracturing in New York State. The DEC will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday announcing the proposed changes. The recommendations contain these major revisions:
• High-volume fracturing would be prohibited in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds, including a buffer zone;
• Drilling would be prohibited within primary aquifers and within 500 feet of their boundaries;
• Surface drilling would be prohibited on state-owned land including parks, forest areas and wildlife management areas;
• High-volume fracturing will be permitted on privately held lands under rigorous and effective controls; and
• DEC will issue regulations to codify these recommendations into state law.
Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York Executive Director Brad Gill said Thursday that, "Allowing natural gas development to expand in New York will bolster the state's economy, provide thousands of new jobs in the near term and move our nation to greater energy independence. After so many months of waiting and delay, we look forward to the chance to get people working and our economy growing."

Read the entire press release from the DEC outlining the proposed regulations after the jump.




Drilling Banned Within All Primary Aquifers and on State-Owned Land Including State Forest and Wildlife Management Areas

Drilling Permitted on Other Private Land with Rigorous and Effective Protections

Advisory Panel on Implementation to Be Appointed

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) tomorrow will release its revised recommendations on mitigating the environmental impacts of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (high-volume fracturing). The recommendations contain these major revisions:

* High-volume fracturing would be prohibited in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds, including a buffer zone;
* Drilling would be prohibited within primary aquifers and within 500 feet of their boundaries;
* Surface drilling would be prohibited on state-owned land including parks, forest areas and wildlife management areas;
* High-volume fracturing will be permitted on privately held lands under rigorous and effective controls; and
* DEC will issue regulations to codify these recommendations into state law.

These recommendations, if adopted in final form, would protect the state's environmentally sensitive areas while realizing the economic development and energy benefits of the state's natural gas resources. Approximately 85 percent of the Marcellus Shale would be accessible to natural gas extraction under these recommendations.

DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens said, "This report strikes the right balance between protecting our environment, watersheds, and drinking water and promoting economic development."

The ban on high-volume fracturing in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds represents a reversal of the Department's 2009 draft report, which would have permitted drilling in those watersheds. The New York and Syracuse watersheds are unique in that they are the only unfiltered supplies of municipal water in the state and deserve special protection. The prior report also would have allowed high-volume fracturing surface drilling in primary aquifers and on public forests, wildlife areas and parkland; the 2011 report reverses all of these recommendations.

There will be more opportunity for review and comment on the Department's recommendations. DEC plans for a 60-day public comment period commencing in August. There is no administrative or discretionary moratorium on high-volume fracturing. By law, no permits may be issued until the public comments are reviewed and considered and the final Supplement Generic Environmental Impact Statement is released.

DEC enforcement and oversight of high-volume fracturing will be rigorous and effective. No permits will be issued until DEC has the proper enforcement capacity in place to monitor all fracturing activities.

In preparing the new recommendations, DEC engaged independent consultants to perform research, sought further information from the gas drilling industry, considered more than 13,000 public comments and studied other states' regulations and experience, including site visits by Commissioner Martens and DEC officials to Pennsylvania incident sites. Since September 2009, DEC staff has spent approximately 10,250 hours updating the document. The 2011 version contains more than 900 pages, including more than 150 additional pages of data and analysis compared to the 2009 version.

The Department's extensive review has resulted in recommendations for rigorous and effective controls on high-volume fracturing on private lands. These state-of-the-art controls include such permitting rules as:

Protecting Drinking Water

* Well water protection and other water protection: No permits would be issued for sites within 500 feet of a private water well or domestic use spring. No permits may be issued for a proposed site within 2,000 feet of a public drinking water supply well or reservoir at least until three years of experience elsewhere have been evaluated. No permits will be issued for well pads sited within a 100-year floodplain.
* Additional Well Casing to Prevent Gas Migration: In most cases, an additional third, cemented well casing is required around each well to prevent the migration of gas. The three required casings are the surface casing, the new intermediate casing and the production casing. The depths of both surface and intermediate casings will be determined by site-specific conditions.
* Spill control: All new guidelines will require that flowback water on site must use watertight tanks within a secondary containment. No open containment may be used. A secondary containment will also be required for all fracturing additive containers, additive staging areas and flowback tanks to ensure any spills of wastewater or chemicals at the well pad do not migrate into water supplies.
* Stormwater Control: New permit process requiring strict stormwater control measures to prevent stormwater from contaminating water resources.
* Regulating Water Withdrawals:

New Legislation: Pursuant to the Governor's signing of DEC's Water Withdrawal legislation, which the State Legislature recently passed, a special permit will be required to withdraw large volumes of water for industrial and commercial purposes to ensure there are not adverse impacts.

Permit Condition: All withdrawals from surface water bodies will be subject to limits to prevent impacts upon ecosystems and other water quantity requirements. Identification of the water source an applicant intends to use will be required and an annual report must be issued on the aggregate amount of water it has withdrawn or purchased.

Properly Handling Flowback Water:

Since the 2009 SGEIS, many drilling companies have started to recycle much of the flowback water, greatly reducing the need for disposal.

* Flowback Water Disposal: Applicants must have DEC-approved plans for disposing of flowback water and production brine.
* Drilling & Production Waste Tracking: DEC would institute a process to monitor disposal of flowback water, production brine, drill cuttings and other drilling waste streams that is similar to the handling of medical waste.
* Water Treatment Facilities: Requires full analysis and approvals under existing state and federal water laws and regulations, which must be completed before a water treatment facility could accept flowback water. This would include a treatment capacity analysis for any publicly operated treatment works facility (POTW) and a contingency plan if the primary disposal for wastewater is a POTW.

Taking Local Governments & Communities into Account:

* Local Government Notification: DEC would notify local governments of each well permit application for high-volume fracturing.
* Local Land Use & Zoning: Applicant must certify that a proposed activity is consistent with local land use and zoning laws. Failure to certify or a challenge by a locality would trigger additional DEC review before a permit could be issued.

Identifying Fracturing Fluid Chemicals:

* Chemical Identification: The 2011 SGEIS identifies 322 chemicals proposed for use in New York and includes health hazard information for each as identified by the NYS Department of Health. Applicants must fully disclose to DEC all products utilized in the high-volume fracturing process. In addition, applicants must agree to publicly disclose the names of the additives, subject to appropriate protections for proprietary information.
* Chemical Alternatives: Operators will be required to evaluate using alternative additives that pose less potential risk.

Protecting the Air:

* Air Quality: Requires enhanced air pollution controls on engines used at well pads. DEC will monitor local and regional air quality at well pads and surrounding areas.
* Greenhouse Gas Impact: Requires use of existing pipelines when available rather than flaring gas.

Conserving Habitats:

* Private Forestland: Disturbing the surface of the land is strictly restricted in forests of 150 acres or more by requiring applicants to comply with best management practices.
* Private Grasslands: Disturbing the surface of the land is strictly restricted in grasslands of 30 acres or more by requiring applicants to comply with best management practices.

Making Sure We Get It Right – Community Impacts Still Under Study:

The 2009 SGEIS did not adequately consider the community and socioeconomic impacts of high-volume fracturing. To address this deficiency, DEC has engaged independent consultants to thoroughly research these types of effects.

Specifically, researchers are examining both baseline data and the potential effects of development in the areas of:

* Socioeconomic conditions including positive and negative impacts;
* Transportation infrastructure, current road use and the impacts of increased traffic; and
* Visual and noise impacts.

DEC expects the research to be completed by July 31, 2011. This research will be considered and reflected in the final draft of the report.

Appointment of Advisory Panel to Develop Implementation Plan:

Upon final adoption of the permitting standards, the Department will implement a system of oversight, monitoring and enforcement. The successful implementation of high-volume fracturing policy will also require close consultation with local governments and communities.

Commissioner Martens will announce the formation of the High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel, which will be composed of outside environmental and industry experts, and local government representatives. The Panel will be charged with developing recommendations for:

* funding to ensure the proper oversight, monitoring and enforcement of mitigation measures, including both state and county agencies responsible for drilling activities and reviewing water sampling data;
* measures to minimize socioeconomic and other impacts on local governments and communities;
* a fee structure for drilling development; and
* a mechanism for the funding of infrastructure improvements.

The complete 2011 SGEIS will be available on DEC's website at www.dec.state.ny.us on July 8.

Permalink: http://readme.readmedia.com/New-Recommendations-Issued-in-Hydraulic-Fracturing-Review/2754263

Prisons close, but not here
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closing of seven state prisons on Thursday, June 30, and none of the closures were in Greene or Columbia counties. Announced for closure are four minimum-security facilities for men: Buffalo Work Release in Erie County, Camp Georgetown in Madison County, Summit Shock in Schoharie County and Fulton Work Release in Bronx County, and three medium-security facilities for men: Arthur Kill in Richmond County, Mid-Orange in Orange County, and Oneida in Oneida County. Those working at the facilities new such cuts were coming, and they came in the order of 3,800 beds, but not facilities in Coxsackie or Hudson. "The closings of these facilities not only will force "double bunking," which puts two dangerous criminals in a space designed for one, it will greatly reduce the "step-down" treatment of inmates," said New York State Public Employees Federation President Ken Brynien.

Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk superintendent resigns after two years
Carol DeMare in the Albany Times-Union reports that Daniel A. Teplesky, superintendent of Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District for the last two years, is moving to the Monticello School District in Sullivan County effective Aug. 1. A district press release said that Teplesky steered the district "through unprecedented fiscal pressures" faced by the district "as a result of historic reductions in state aid and a weak economy," DeMare writes. "I'm proud of the work we have accomplished during the past two years in preparing for the state's more rigorous learning standards and improving student achievement," Teplesky said in the article. Read the full story in the Albany Times-Union.

Here comes the boss?
Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that the Columbia County Manager Initiative Subcommittee's 36-page report, "The Case for a County Manager," released last week (and available online) makes the case that someone should bottom-line the county's $150 million budget, its 1,000 employees, the 300 retirees it supports, its 28 operating departments and the four unions it negotiates with on a full-time basis. Supervisor Art Bassin (D-Ancram) served on the subcommittee and told Valden on Tuesday that the committee's research “led to the conclusion that this county is not well managed.” Twenty-three part-time town supervisors are managing a $150 million annual budget and “it's not being done very well,” he said. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Empire State Baseball League
13U Coxsackie Owlz 6 - Clifton Park 1
Justin Maldonado threw a complete-game four-hitter to lead the 13U Coxsackie Owlz (10-1, 12-3) over Clifton Park 6-1 on Thursday, June 30. Maldonado allowed one unearned run while walking three and striking out tenand went 2-2 at bat with 2 RBIs. The 13U Owlz finished the regular season tied for second place.