Final village gavel sounds
Melanie Lekocevic of the Daily Mail reports that the Athens Village Court was officially dissolved on Monday, April 4 when Village Justice David Cole’s term of office concluded. "All cases that used to go before the Village Court will, from now on, come before the Town Court instead," she writes. "Village officials, police and court personnel have held a series of meetings to ensure the consolidation went smoothly, and to make sure tickets and violations are all answerable to the Town Court."

Contempt of court charge gets dropped
Andrew Amelinckx writes in the Register-Star that a criminal contempt of court charge was dropped against Columbia County Department of Social Services commissioner Paul Mossman, after he agreed to adopt policy changes for DSS. Mossman was facing criminal contempt charges for the alleged failure of DSS to follow a March 3 court order relating to a social services case involving two young children in foster care. The order had required that DSS provide the two children, age 6 and 7, with 24-hour supervision. Mossman has agreed to instill and oversee better communication within the agency as well as with other involved parties.

Legislation to protect against domestic violence announced
Mid Hudson News Network reports that State Senator Steve Saland, who represents most of Columbia and Dutchess counties, announced the passage of several pieces of legislation that enhance the safety and the amount of protection available to victims of domestic violence, as well as redefining key language that strengthens law enforcements’ ability to intervene "before things escalate." The announcement came at a press conference in Poughkeepsie on April 4 in honor of Domestic Violence Advocacy Day. Leah Feldman, chairwoman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, said there have been four domestic violence related homicides in Dutchess County since July, some of which may have ended differently had the victims been better protected by the system. In three out of these four instances, she said, the victims were making attempts to leave their abusers. Last month, one such instance ended up in a tragic murder/suicide that took three lives in the vicinity of the Poughkeepsie train station.

Bad News from the HCSD Budget Workshop
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown has the first report out on the April 4 Hudson School District budget workshop - the last before the board votes on a final budget on April 11. $300,000 in leftover capital reserve funds will be used to keep the local tax levy increase "to a mere 12.6 percent," according to Osterink. That's with 28 positions eliminated... and after quite a bit of internal dissension from board members.

2011-12 budget: Classroom cuts and an unprecedented tax levy increase
Lynn Slonecker takes a different look at the same figures, before the meeting, in her Unmuffled blog. She finds that despite board assurances that “everything was fair game, the cost-saving measures recommended focus on the classroom. None of the cuts will result in an average class size greater than 30 students (class size is contractually limited), but the loss of personnel will have an impact, especially at the primary level." She adds that no serious cuts were recommended in the school's administration. A formal board vote on the budget is expected next week. The public's annual budget vote and school board election is May 17.

Pondering Hudson Correctional’s future
Jamie Larson writes in the Register-Star about the checkered future of the Hudson Correctional Facility, and whether it will survive current budget cuts to state prisons. In addition to noting that part of Hudson's recent population drop, according to U.S. Census figures, can be attributed to drops in the prison population over the past decade, he speaks with Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera, a former correctional officer at the prison, who suggests the facility may be on the block. In other news of late, major new construction projects at the state's other big prison in the area, Greene County's Coxsackie Correctional Facility, suggest no changes there.

The National Weather Service says there will be rain early...then things will remain cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 56F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Rainfall near a half an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight, partly cloudy skies. Low around 35F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Tomorrow, scattered showers and highs in the upper 50s.

Town meetings tonight
CATSKILL town board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill.
COPAKE Park Commission meets at 7 p.m.
DURHAM town meeting, with public hearing on a subdivision proposal, at 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham.
LEXINGTON town board meeting at 7:00 p.m., at Municipal building.
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m., at Town Hall.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Finance Committee at 5 p.m.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: Low, 11:35 p.m./High, 5:13 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:31 a.m./7:25 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 7:05 a.m./9:49 p.m.

Birthdays
April 5 Thomas Hobbes, Joseph Lister, Booker T. Washington, Bette Davis, Peter Greenaway, Dave Swarbrick and Agnetha Faltskog.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="651" caption="WGXC's Hudson Talbott interviews guests of honor Robert Manno and Magdalena Golczewski, co-founders and directors of the Windham Chamber Music Festival."][/caption]Well, there was no actual red carpet at the Greene County Council on the Arts annual Beaux Arts Ball Saturday night on Hunter Mountain. WGXC's Hudson Talbott was asking entrants questions that ranged from their political views, opinions about the value of the arts, to what they were wearing. The ball is the arts council's biggest fundraiser, a dress-up event that's an annual event of local arts patrons. Talbott talked with Robert Manno and Magdalena Golczewski who were honored with this year's "Distinguished Service Award" for their work running the Windham Chamber Music Festival. He also spoke with David Slutzky, from Hunter Mountain and the President of the arts council; local artists Iris Kaplan and Sheila Troutman; and New York Assemblyman Pete Lopez. WGXC's Tom Roe also interviewed Lex Grey, who performed at the ball and is helping to organize the Rip Van Winkle Wine Festival May 7 in Catskill.

Flickr link to photos by Galen Joseph-Hunter.

Columbia County Jail inmates to train dogs
In the morning, the Daily Freeman had a story about police dogs in Greene County. Now, Mid Hudson News Network reports that homeless dogs are being given food, shelter and training by inmates at the Columbia County Jail with an eye toward adopting them out once they have completed a six week program. The “New Leash on Life” program is being run in cooperation with the Columbia Greene Humane Society/SPCA and the Peaceable Kingdom Animal Rescue. The program was developed and is overseen by Corrections Capt. John Davi, who said they have three dogs in the program for now, staying with inmates in crates within their jail cells. During the program, the dogs will be taught basic obedience training and other skills by the inmates, who can experience a feeling of giving back something positive to the community, said Sheriff David Harrison, Jr.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters and bowling
The Daily Mail has a story about the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greene County “Bowl for Kids Sake” that took place at Hoe Bowl in Catskill on Saturday, April 2. The event was held the day after a check for $2,000 was presented by the Greene County Democratic Committee to the organization.

Gas prices up 8 cents in a week
The Albany Business Journal reports that gas prices rose 8 cents a gallon in the past week. A gallon of gas is selling for an average price of $3.802 in the Capitol Region on Monday, April 4, up from $3.722 a gallon last week, according to figures released by the American Automobile Association. A month ago, a gallon of gas was $3.641. And a year ago, Albany residents were paying $2.929 a gallon. Other upstate averages are: $3.784 per gallon in Buffalo, $3.87 in Nassau-Suffolk, $3.907 in New York City, $3.765 in Rochester, and $3.765 in Syracuse. Nationally, a gallon of gas sells for $3.662, up from $3.584 a gallon a week ago.

A Reason to Get Up Early
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown reminds everyone that Tuesday, April 5, at 8:30 a.m., the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency meets to consider the request for a PILOT for Greenport Crossings. The request for a Payment In Lieu of Taxes is for a 100 percent exemption from property taxes for 20 years on the proposed family entertainment center and the 80-room Comfort Suites hotel. The meeting takes place at 4304 Route 9 in Greenport--the Holcim office building.

Lindsay Pollack's Art Market Views is reporting that NADA, the New Art Dealers Alliance, "is poised to launch a new art fair July 30-31, in a brick 19th century former foundry in Hudson, New York." The non-profit dealer group, which ran a successful fair concurrent with Art Basel Miami Beach in December, is currently soliciting applications for exhibitors wishing to present artworks, sculptures and performance pieces at the Basilica, the 8,000 square foot building where WGXC ran a New Year's Eve bash in 2009/2010. The space is currently owned by musician/photographer Melissa Auf Der Maur, filmmaker Tony Stone, and Tony Stone Sr. and Nancy Barber-Stone, and kicks off new programming with “Slow Fade: A literary reading with Will Oldham and Rudy Wurlitzer” on April 28 and an April 30th culinary event featuring chefs from upstate and New York City making dishes featuring ramps. A similar upstate NADA event, County Affair, took place in the Sullivan County town of Callicoon last July.

Nothing to sniff at: Canine adds new tool at Greene County Sheriff's Office
Ariel Zangla-Girard of the Daily Freeman has a feature story on the training of Blaze, a 2-year-old German Shepherd that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office purchased on March 5, 2010. The dog and his handler, Deputy Gregory Stewart, completed training in April 2010 and were certified for road patrol work by the end of last June. In the past year dog and handler have found a lost Alzheimers patient in the Village of Catskill and a suicide who had burned his mother's home in Athens. In a few months, Zangla-Girard adds, Blaze will get his state certification for narcotics work, something Stewart said he is excited about.

Escaped state prisoner recaptured
Mid Hudson News Network has a bit more about the Hudson prison break on Saturday night, April 2. Prison officials at the Hudson Correctional Facility called State Police at Livingston at 10:11 p.m. reporting the escape of inmate Daniel Tariol, 25, who fled into a wooded area adjacent to the work release facility where he was incarcerated. A head count of the inmates revealed his disappearance. He was then located at about 10:40 p.m. and charged with escape in the first degree. Tariol was serving one to three years at Hudson Correctional on a conspiracy charge.

Coxsackie man charged with church arson
Colin DeVries has a story in the Daily Mail about 25-year-old Evan David Donnelly, a one-time resident of Coxsackie, who has been charged in the arson and burglary of a church in Pennsylvania. He has been charged with arson, burglary and institutional vandalism and was apprehended after being observed driving in circles in a field, while bleeding from cuts and scars. Turns out he tried setting fire to a Lutheran Church and ran his Subaru into a non-denominational Bible Church nearby. His passport was found in fire debris in the Lutheran Church and Donnelly said he did what he did, “because someone told him to do it.”

Conference brings area trailblazers together
John Mason of the Register-Star reports on the Columbia Land Conservancy’s daylong conference on Columbia County Trails that drew 70 to the Columbia-Greene Community College on Saturday, April 2. Promises made for progress on a long-planned extension of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail system north of Millerton, as well as creation of a shorter trail in the Kinderhook area.

Bureaucracy still hasn't corrected 2000 census error in Ulster County
Adam Bosch of the Times Herald Record reports that a paperwork error committed during production of the 2000 census that put state correctional facility populations from one town into another has new ramifications as the effected towns showed huge drops and gains in population in the 2010 count. "The original mistake was caught by Ulster County officials when block-by-block data showed roughly 1,000 people living in a batch of trees in Saugerties," Bosch writes. "Those people were actually behind bars in Wawarsing." "I don't have a good reason for why we don't correct things," census spokesman Robert Bernstein told Bosch when Saugerties showed a significant loss in population for the 2010 census, after a decade of growth, while Warwarsing showed gains, despite losing over 700 people.

Board of Education meeting
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown reminds us that the Hudson City School District's Board of Education meets Monday, April 4, at 7 p.m., in the Hudson High School Cafeteria. "This apparently is the last meeting before a special meeting scheduled for April 11 at which the BOE votes on the 2011-2012 school budget," she writes. "Remarkably, in this devastated economy, it appears that the budget for 2011-2012 may be increasing by 1.7 percent over 2010-2011, from $40,932,878 to $41,629,018, while the revenue from local property taxes may be increasing by 14.3 percent, from $17,538,876 to $20,051,754."

The National Weather Service says that today will be cloudy with periods of rain. High near 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Rainfall near a half an inch. Tonight will see scattered thunderstorms, with a steadier rain arriving overnight. A rumble of thunder is possible. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Tomorrow, windy with a steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Morning high of 60F with temps falling to near 50F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph.

Town meetings tonight
ANCRAM Conservation Advisory Council at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. ATHENS town meeting at 7 p.m. at 2 First Street, Athens
CLAVERACK Planning Board Meeting at 7 p.m. at town hall.
CLERMONT Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at town hall.
HUDSON Informal meeting of Common Council at 7 p.m.
TAGHKANIC town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82,West Taghkanic.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 4:38 p.m./Low, 10:59
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:33 a.m./7:41 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 6:36 a.m./8:48 p.m.

Birthdays
April 4
Arthur Murray, Muddy Waters, Maya Angelou, Andrei Tarkovsky, Robert Downey, Jr., Heath Ledger, and Mix Master Mike.

[caption id="attachment_10439" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cody Mellott, Wes Gillingham, and Mark Ruffalo at Bard College. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]WGXC's Sam Sebren recorded a question and answer session from activists campaigning against hydraulic fracturing drilling for natural gas in New York at Bard College. He reports:

A standing-room only crowd of students, faculty, local residents, and activists filled the 350 seat Olin Auditorium at Bard College Thur., March 31 for a screening of the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, "Gasland." After the movie there was a Q&A session with Wes Gillingham, Program Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper; Mark Ruffalo, actor and activist, and Sullivan County resident; and Cody Mellott, Bard student in their Environmental Studies program whose family in Pennsylvania has leased land to gas drilling companies.

Hannaford in New Lebanon is a go
Gail Heinsohn of the Chatham Courier reports that Hannaford Bros. announced in a press release on March 31 that it has reached a compromise with the state Department of Transportation and will be proceeding with the building of a supermarket/pharmacy in the town. The area to be served by the Hannafords has no nearby supermarket.

Fatal accident on Thruway near Catskill
Lissa Harris at The Watershed Post writes about the fatal accident on the Thruway Friday night, April 1, that closed northbound lanes between Catskill and Coxsaxkie for several hours. A New Jersey man was killed when his car, which was stopped in the northbound passing lane on the New York State Thruway, was struck from behind by a New York City driver. Investigation of the collision is ongoing.

Prison break
Carole Osterink has a story about the front page news from Saturday night, when a prisoner escaped from the Hudson Correctional Facility. "A reliable source reported that shortly before 11 p.m., the Catskill side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge was teeming with state troopers who were checking all the cars coming from the east side of the river," Osterink writes. "On our side of the river, there were roadblocks on both Route 9G and Route 9 entering Hudson." She goes on to note that "a Gosspis reporter" observed the escaped convict on Route 9 near Ten Broeck Lane, where he was surrounded by police and handcuffed.

Knott intends to seek supervisor post in Stuyvesant
John Mason reports in the Register-Star that Stuyvesant Town Councilman Ron Knott has announced that he’s challenging fellow Republican Valerie Bertram for the town supervisor position she first won in 2003. Unofficial word is that Bertram has decided not to run for another term. Democratic Party Chairwoman Lee Jamison, who lost to Bertram by “eight or 10 votes,” in 2009, said she has been thinking about running again. Knott, a former planning board member who was also involved in comprehensive planning for Stuyvesant, said he has no intention of seeking the Democrats’ backing.

Gibson: Nuclear only one option
It seems that Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, is backtracking somewhat form his pro-nuclear stance of the past months. Gibson spokeswoman Stephanie Valle told the Register-Star this week that the congressman is not focused on any one solution to the energy shortage. John Mason's story includes reporting on a recent teleconference from NYPIRG on newly unclosed dangers and hidden leaks at a host of U.S. nuclear plants, including Indian Point further down the Hudson River at the north end of the Tappan Zee.

The National Weather Service says today will be mostly sunny. High near 55F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight, partly cloudy skies will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 41F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Tomorrow, rain. High 57F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 4:02 p.m./Low, 10:22 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:34 a.m./7:23 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 6:11 a.m./7:48 p.m.

Birthdays
APRIL 3 Washington Irving, William M. "Boss" Tweed, Sally Rand, Doris Day, Richard Manuel, Richard Thompson, and Eddie Murphy.

Officials question re-val vendors
Melanie Lekocevic of the Register-Star reports that the Athens Town Council has been interviewing firms to undertake a townwide tax revaluation. "Re-vals," she writes, "are conducted to ensure all properties in a municipality are assessed fairly so that all property owners pay their fair share in taxes." Town board memebrs found out that the entire process takes roughly 15 to 18 months. Bids for the project ranged from $93,000 to well over $200,000.

Baseball player sprains ankle on high school field
Andrew Amelinckx writes in the Register-Star about a Hudson High School baseball player spraining an ankle in a pothole on the school district's playing field. What makes this news? Earlier in the week, angry parents came out demanding that the team keep playing at Greenport Park because the high school facilities weren't up to par, a charge the school board said was untrue. Amelinckx adds that the matter will now be discussed, again, at the next Board of Ed meeting on Monday, April 4.

Neglected for decades, Hanover Hill burns to a crisp
Stephen Kaye writes in the Millbrook Independent about one of the last great farms along the Route 22 corridor in northern Dutchess County burning to the ground on the afternoon of March 26, setting off a cloud of smoke seen for miles beyond the Harlem River Valley. "An eyesore seen by hundreds of motorists driving on Route 22, the 120-foot main barn with hip roof had been abandoned and falling down for years," Kaye writes. "Hanover Hill Farm was, until 1968, a showplace, producing some of the finest dairy cattle in the country. In 1972 it was sold to Tony and Theresa Indriolo who owned an automobile business in Yonkers. They had never before run a dairy farm. The property ran down through neglect..." Fire companies from Millerton, Pine Plains, Connecticut and elsewhere, over a half dozen in total, fought the blaze for three hours.

The National Weather Service says there will be a mixture of sunshine and clouds today. High 53F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight, mostly clear with a few passing clouds. Low 37F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow sunny with a high of 55F.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 3:25 p.m./Low, 9:47 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:36 a.m./7:21 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:47 a.m./6:48 p.m.

Birthdays
APRIL 2 Charlemagne,Giacamo Casanova, Max Ernst, Dr. Demento, Camille Paglia, Greg Camp, and Emmylou Harris.

Washington extends deadline for hospitals to compete construction with federal funds
Mid Hudson News Network reports that federal officials have agreed to extend a construction completion deadline for capital and other projects at Hudson Valley hospitals and other health facilities paid with federal dollars. Previously those facilities had to have their projects completed by September 30 of this year or have the funding cut off. Impacted facilities include the Columbia County Community Healthcare Consortium, Inc. in Hudson and Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson.

Will traffic and history collide?
Diane Valden has a story in the Columbia Paper about growing concerns regarding the intersection between County Route 7 and State Route 82 in the Ancram hamlet. "Over the years, many solutions have been advanced to fix it, including hanging mirrors to help drivers see around corners and installing a full traffic light, but the state Department of Transportation was never on board," Valden writes. "Now there is renewed interest fixing the intersection and a possibility that it might just happen, though historic preservation may affect the outcome of the intersection issue." The difficulty sits with an historic home that many are afraid would fall down if the embankment it rests on were tampered with.

Spring race attracts cyclists from all over northeast
Melanie Lekocevic of the Greene County News reports that the second leg of the three weekend Trooper David Brinkerhoff Memorial 2011 Spring Series bicycle race was held on on March 26, with hundreds of racers coming to town from all over the northeast, including Canada. While it’s still early in the racing season, the Coxsackie event – a largely flat route with few challenging hills - has become a popular training race for cyclists competing throughout the region later in the season. This was the race’s eighth year; it was formerly known as the Johnnycake Lane Race Series.

NY No. 2 in women-owned businesses
The Albany Business Journal reports that an American Express report has found that New York is home to the second greater number of women-owned businesses, with more than 636,000 firms. California is home to the most women-owned firms in the country, with 1.08 million companies. Nationally, the number of women-owned businesses has increased 50 percent since 1997, the report said.

By Gus Murphy

The Columbia County Commission Of News Article Viability And Reality Oversight Organization (CCCONAVAROO) held a Special Emergency Public Forum General Meeting Of Urgency (commonly called an SEPFGMOU) on Thursday March 31 to determine the viability of a recent "epic" news story regarding a quilt and UPS. The story, which will not seem to die, was determined to be, in fact, true by the CCCONAVAROO at the SEPFGMOU, despite sounding made up. Consequently, no charges have been filed, however, CCCONAVAROO Chairman Clint Ring said, “There is still a question as to whether Mr. Smart acted irresponsibly.” Ring explained, “ I mean, does that story even sound real?” When asked by reporters what he thought a “responsible” approach to the story might have been, Ring said, “Make something up. If that’s news, I mean, If that’s really all you’ve got for a NEWS story, I think the public would rather you just flat out invent an interesting story to report. Who cares if it’s true.”? Speaking under condition of anonymity, a high-ranking Fox News exec dining at Wasana's in Catskill echoed Ring’s sentiments, saying, “Of course you should fabricate the news. Duhh.” Smart refused to comment in depth, saying only, “I have to get Milo to the bus,” which prompted CCCONAVAROO to question whether this “Milo” really exists. No further SEPFGMOUs have been called.

April Fool’s coastal storm takes aim at the county: Eastern Greene under winter weather advisory; 3”-7” of snow possible
The Daily Mail has a front page story by Doron Tyler Antrim about "a no-joke April Fool’s snowstorm" that "swirled toward the Northeast Thursday, a cruel prank on a region that was finally seeing a reprieve from its long, white winter." The story goes on to predict up to a foot of snow in some areas. So much for making news from weather predictions. Anyone ready for that Mercury in Retrograde special on Fox tonight?

Mossman will face contempt charge
Andrew Amelinckx reports in the Register-Star that Paul Mossman, the county Department of Social Services commissioner, will be facing a criminal contempt of court hearing in Columbia County Court in Hudson on Monday, April 4. He is being charged for allowing DSS to not follow a court order given by Judge Jonathan Nichols in regard to a social services case involving two young children. Nichols issued an order in early March that the two children, six and seven years of age and in foster care, be given 24-hour supervision. On Thursday, March 31, Mossman, DSS attorney Christopher Muller and county attorney Robert Fitzsimmons appeared before Nichols as did the children’s parents and their attorneys. In early October 2010 DSS released a study written by William Moon, the DSS commissioner for Delaware County, the results of which alleged that family court trends in Columbia County may contribute to the “high number” of children in foster care. The rate of entry into foster care in Columbia County is four times higher than peer districts, according to the report. In 2008, the most recent year for which figures are provided, 171 county children were in foster care.

Building inspector unconvinced planning board has site plan review authority
Hilary Hawke of the Ravena News-Herald writes about a sticky situation in the Albany County Town of Coeymans, where Building Inspector Larry Conrad is saying the local planning board does not have the authority to do site plan reviews. Conrad even went so far as to state that he will refuse to take anyone to court over site plan issues until a thorough review is completed. He said he based his opinion on a study of town documents going back as far as 1961, when the town's zoning laws and zoning board were established, even though it wasn't until 1967 that the town set up a planning board. The town's attorney, and planning board, disagree.

The way to safe: It’s not easy for domestic violence victims to get justice, but they have allies in law enforcement
Jessie Smith of the Kingston Times has a detailed, in-depth look at the ways in which domestic violence is being battled back these days. In 2009 and 2010, police in Ulster County logged about 5,000 Domestic Incident Reports, which are mandatory whenever officers have reason to believe that a call involves violence or threats of violence between family members or intimate acquaintances, whether or not an arrest is made. Of those 5,000 DIRs, 800 resulted in arrests. “Five-thousand DIR’s in two years, that’s 200 per month, 48 each week, seven a day,” said Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright. “The numbers are staggering.” Smith goes on to look into the effectiveness of the laws, with interviews from various abuse victims. It's a haunting, important story.

Funding help for livestock farmers
The Register-Star is running a story on how livestock farmers in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Montgomery Counties will have an opportunity to apply for financial assistance to establish or improve grazing systems on their farms. The project is funded through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) that was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. In partnership with the Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will offer farmers the opportunity to apply for conservation practices that will protect soil and improve water quality on grazing lands.

Threat of snow forces cancellation of past week's budget votes
The Rural Town Riser has a front page story on how the March 31 weather predictions for over a foot of snow forced a late night Red Room negotiating session in the state capitol early April 1. That gathering, they note, has resulted in a complete cancellation of this week's epochal state budget votes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver all said that given the call for snow, they had great misgivings about ALL their predictions for the coming year and wanted to start back at square one. In the interim, they announced that the state lottery winnings set to go to a group of Albany employees would be rerouted to the state university system for restoration of Classics and foreign language classes for the 2011-2012 school year. Budget protesters who have been overnighting in the capital expressed sorrow that all their troubles had again been upended by weather forecasters.

April Fool’s Day, or All Fool’s Day, is today. From Wikipedia: “In some countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and South Africa, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an “April Fool.” Elsewhere, such as in France, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S., the jokes last all day. The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392).”

The National Weather Service says snow this morning will taper to showers of rain and wet snow this afternoon. High 39F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 90%. 1 to 2 inches of snow expected in the valley towns, 2 to 4 in higher elevations. Tonight, cloudy with rain and snow diminishing. Partial clearing overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 40%. Tomorrow clouds and sun and a high of 52F.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 2:47 p.m./Low, 9:09 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:38 a.m./7:20 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 5:25 a.m./5:50 p.m.

Birthdays
APRIL 1 Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alberta Hunter, Abraham Maslow, Debbie Reynolds, Ronnie Lane, Gil Scott Heron, and Rachel Maddow.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW With Mark Lacoy and Casson Kennedy. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! 8 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW With Andrea Cunliffe and Tom Roe. Athens musicians Yves Goldberg and Amy Serrago preview their performance at the Beaux Arts Ball Saturday. 9-11 a.m.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 11 a.m.
SHANNEKIA MCINTOSH Music at noon.
QUE COCINARE HOY? What’s Cookin’ Today in Spanish, with Mariel Fiori and Antonio Flores-Lobos. 2 p.m.
KNOCK ON WOOD Steve Charney’s comedy show for all ages. 3:30 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW With Jackie Thomas. 4-6 p.m.
CAIRO TALENT SHOW Live broadcast from Cairo Elementary School, a fundraiser for Cairo Library and WGXC. 6 p.m.
HOTLINE L.Dinero and The Guy 9:30 p.m.-midnight
RADIO THEATER Every night at midnight.

Board unveils $37.1M draft school budget
Jim Planck of the Daily Mail reports on the presentation of a budget to an SRO crowd in Catskill on March 30. It calls for a spending package of $37,191,010, up from the current year’s of $36,699,599. The $491,411 difference — a 1.34-percent increase — is part of a $781,565 tax levy increase, with projected revenue for next year is $290,154 less than needed. The draft tax levy represents a 4.89-percent increase. Cuts include Pre-K transportation, now up to parents, an expansion of the no-busing zone around the school to one mile for all 6-12 graders, and seven staff positions for art and music, science, foreign language and social studies teachers, plus a social worker. Most, however, involve early retirements. The ski team was also eliminated.

Schodack, ICC merger study moves forward
John Mason of the Register-Star writes that the Ichabod Crane Board of Education has agreed to conduct a feasibility study on a potential merger with the Schodack Central School District in Rensselaer County. In August 2010, Schodack and Ichabod received a state grant for the study in the amount of $49,500. The districts issued an RFP for a qualified contractor to do the study and received three responses. Total cost of the study is $54,500. The $5,000 over and above the grant amount will be shared between the two districts. Also Monday, the board approved the closing of two elementary schools, Martin Van Buren and Martin H. Glynn, and created a committee to explore all possible uses of the buildings. Elementary students will move to the district's main campus in Kinderhook.

Disgraced horse breeder Paragallo loses appeal
The Times Union reports that horse breeder and owner Ernie Paragallo lost his appeal of a March 2010 conviction for starving thoroughbreds at his Center Brook Farm in the Greene County community of Climax. Paragallo, 52 of Long Island, asked the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court to overturn his conviction because of questionable things that were included in a probation report compiled before his sentencing. The appeals court said Greene County Judge George J. Pulver Jr. did not consider the issues Paragallo objected to when he imposed a two-year sentence to local jail on May 18. He was convicted on 33 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. The Columbia-Greene County Humane Society and the Equine Rescue Resource cared for the 177 emaciated horses after they were seized.

NYSEG plans new 115 kV lines
Kristi Berner of The Columbia Paper writes that NYSEG, the power company which serves much of northern and eastern Columbia County, is planning a new power substation in Ghent and a new electricity transmission line that could run through parts of four towns in the county. The idea is to alleviate power outages. "The project faces multiple hurdles in various federal, state and town approvals, but if all goes as NYSEG officials expect, the new substation and transmission line would be in place by the fall of 2012," Berner writes. The new transmission line would connect NYSEG's existing Klinekill substation in Chatham, National Grid's existing 115-kV transmission line and a new NYSEG substation proposed for Ghent. The new 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line would likely through the towns of Ghent, Chatham, Kinderhook and Stockport. Town officials have been speaking with NYSEG, but public review still needs to happen.

Hannaford confirms attendance at meeting
Doron Tyler Antrim has a story in the Daily Mail that confirms that Hannaford Supermarkets owill be on the agenda at next week’s Cairo planning board meeting on Wednesday, April 6. This will be its inaugural meeting with local officials, and the Cairo public, since the grocery store chain announced in January that it will acquire Slater’s Great American and build a new store on the property.

The state Assembly and Senate completed work on its $132.5 billion state budget early Thursday morning, March 31. Stephanie Lee of the Times Union reports that the Senate passed the budget at about midnight and the Assembly followed at 1 a.m. while protesters in the halls of the capital, and all members of the public, were barred from each chambers' viewing galleries. Now, the plan's many cuts, and the budget process, are drawing press releases and comments from a wide range of protesting organizations. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, released his own video speech about what happened. It's the first time the process has finished earlier than its April 1 deadline since his father, Mario Cuomo, was in office.

Patrons hold vigil for bar owner
Andrew Amelinckx and Jamie Larson of the Register-Star report on the aftermath of the March 28 fatal shooting death at the Half Moon Saloon in Hudson. They note that it seems to have been a suicide, even though the Hudson Police Department is continuing its investigation. A candlelight vigil was held by more than 50 friends on Wednesday evening, March 30, for the bar’s owner, Fred Martin of Catskill. The death occurred in the early afternoon and involved a long rifle, according to police.

Census: Number of vacant homes rising in Greene Co.
Colin DeVries of the Daily Mail writes about how homes are being increasingly vacated in Greene County and the Hudson Valley region, according to census data released last week. While the total number of housing units increased in 2010 compared to 10 years ago, the number of vacancies in the county increased 13 percent. DeVries also notes that the total number of countywide housing units increased 10 percent since a decade ago, now totaling 29,210 units throughout the 14 towns of Greene County.

Burglars who used Facebook plead guilty
Andrew Amelinckx of the Register-Star reports on two 18-year-old women pleading guilty to using Facebook to figure out the best time to attempt a break-in at a Hillsdale home. Jessica Schwed and Jennifer Montague, both of Philmont, appeared with their attorneys in Columbia County Court this week and admitted to stealing a flat screen TV, computer, video game system and a large quantity of alcohol while the homeowner was on vacation and the homeowner’s daughter was at work. Schwed and Montague agreed to jointly pay a total of $6,969.90 in restitution. They were sentenced invidividually, to five years of probation and up to six months in jail for Schwed, and five years of probation for Montague.