By Gus Murphy

Town court prepares to take village cases
Melanie Lekocevic reports in the Daily Mail that preparations are underway in the Town of Athens for the town court to take over the Village Court’s cases with that department’s impending dissolution at the beginning of April. Grants will help provide things from new furniture like chairs, lecterns and filing cabinets, to computers and a new security system, saving Athens taxpayers money.

Holcim port’s future cloudy
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star has a story about how the announcement that Holcim Cement Company will be closing its Catskill plant and laying off its remaining workers has spurred discussions in Hudson and Greenport about the company's deep water port on the waterfront in the city of Hudson, which it currently leases to the O&G Industries trucking company for the storage and shipment of limestone aggregate. "Many Hudson residents feel the current operation at the port is incongruous with the city’s development plans for the waterfront outlined in the Draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, a document currently being reviewed by the New York state Department of State," Larson writes. "Those in opposition to the current use of the port and the proposed new truck route to the port through an abandoned railroad bed causeway in the South Bay wetlands foresee a day when the city owns and regulates the large and visible port, but none believe that Holcim’s mothballing of the Catskill plant will lead to a speedy decision to sell the port."

AG tells feds Indian Point relicensing process must account for seismic, other safety risks
How safe is Indian Point, the nuclear plant 75 miles south of us at the north end of the Tappan Zee? Mid Hudson News Network reports that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Friday, March 18 that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must take an even closer look at the Hudson Valley's only nuclear power plant as it continues the license renewal process. The AG called for incorporation of an immediate, full and open assessment of all public health and safety risks posed by the Indian Point nuclear power plant, including those posed by potential natural disasters such as seismic activity, into its relicensing process.

DiNapoli: NY home foreclosures down in 2010, but threat looms
The Albany Business Journal reports on how the number of new home foreclosure filings in the state fell sharply last year, but a growing number of mortgages are delinquent and could wind up in foreclosure, according to a report by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The percentage of mortgages delinquent by 90 days or more averaged less than 1 percent before the housing crisis, but delinquencies grew fivefold to nearly 4.7 percent by the first quarter of 2010, DiNapoli said. He added that although the percentage of homes in 90-day delinquency has eased, the overall share of mortgages in the foreclosure process continued to rise to 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, five times higher than the share before the crisis. The problem is most severe in New York City, especially certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

State may trump town in motocross case
The Register Star has a story about a Stephentown Zoning Board of Appeals meeting in neighboring Rensselaer County over planned changes, and the addition of motorcross events, at the Lebanon Valley Speedway, conceded that the tougher state standard would probably prevail. The speedway would have to prove hardship to get the zoning variance it wants to build a new course away from its main track on Route 20.

The National Weather Service says today will be partly sunny, partly cloudy. High 47F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight will be generally clear. Low 27F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow sunny, high of 50F.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 3:24 p.m./Low, 10:10 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:00 a.m./7:06 p.m.
MOONSET/MOONRISE 6:29 a.m./7:27 p.m.

Birthdays
MARCH 19 Richard Francis Burton, Wyatt Earp, Patrick McGoohan, Ricky Wilson, and Michael Bletsas.

Tune in today
DISTRACT AND DISABLE Glue Blanta (Jonny Farrow) tests listener endurance. 5 p.m.
LAURA ORTMAN AND BRYAN ZIMMERMAN Brooklyn duo who often perform as The Dust Dive perform live in WGXC Hudson studio. 6 p.m.

The New York State Thruway Authority is renovating the New Baltimore Travel Plaza, located on Interstate 87 southbound, and fuel will not be available there beginning Tuesday, March 22, because of the work there. The renovation project is slated for completion in late April. The New Baltimore Travel Plaza, at milepost 127, services both northbound and southbound motorists along I-87 between Exit 21A (I-90 East, Massachusetts Turnpike) and Interchange 21B (Coxsackie, Route 81, Route 9W). Only the southbound Travel Plaza will suspend fuel services during the construction. Fuel services will remain available at the New Baltimore Travel Plaza on northbound I-87.

Library buys new building
John Mason of the Register Star reports on The Valatie Library trustees' announcement this week that they have purchased the former Hummingbird Gardens at 1036 Kinderhook St., a few doors south of Valatie Medical Arts, to provide another 1,900 square feet beyond their current 660-square-foot library building on Church Street. "Library Board President Erica Balon said the library has recently expanded its staff; the goal now is to expand the collection, and have space for meetings, computer use and reading, she said<" Mason writes. The building was purchased for $125,000.

Is rent control request Cuomo’s tax cap opening?
Rich Karlin of the Times Union writes about the sudden emergence of New York City rent control issues into the Albany budget negotiations now underway, and suggests that they may be now a bargaining element in Gov. Andrew's Cuomo push to implement a property tax cap, as well as discussions regarding a number of unpopular budget cuts.

Hearing set on credit-card tax payment plan
Remember that issue involving Greene County's proposal to set up payment plans and credit card options for paying taxes? Colin Devries of the Daily Mail reports that the measure designed to allow people to cover their delinquent taxes will be the subject of a public hearing on April 20 at 6:15 p.m. in the legislative meeting room on the fourth floor of the Greene County Office Building, 411 Main St. in Catskill. "Proposed terms of the installment agreement include only one installment plan per person or business, a 25 percent down payment on owed taxes, quarterly payments over a two- or one-year period, interest and fees calculated into payment plan from date of down payment, and no late additions of parcels or tax years after entering into installment agreement," according to Devries.

Ghent 'landfill' proposal unmoved
Mike McCagg of CCScoop reports that a plan to create a transfer station in West Ghent – which opponents had derided as a landfill – has apparently been dropped. According to McCagg, "Town Planning Board Chairman Jonathan Walters said the proposal by County Waste to create the station on a wooded area off Falls Road, just behind the BAC Sales/Amanda’s Fireplace building, has 'disappeared.'”

Rep pushes for Medicare rural advanced ambulance corps coverage
Mid Hudson News Network Has a piece up about how Congressman Maurice Hinchey of neighboring Ulster County is pushing new efforts to mollify the fact that Medicare beneficiaries are not covered if their residences are serviced by local volunteer ambulance corps and advanced life support services are warranted and called in. Hinchey has asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services Director Donald Berwick to change the policy to cover seniors in rural areas.

Martens: SGEIS might be a tad after June
Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union reports that Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens appeared this morning on The Capitol Pressroom and said the DEC plans to release its Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale…this summer. A moratorium on drilling is in place until June, when the SGEIS — which will measure the cumulative impacts of the process, often called hydrofracking, and suggest mitigation — was supposed to be finalized. “We don’t know how long it’s going to take, number one, for EPA to complete its study. I have a lot of confidence that DEC has the resources – not just at DEC, but the state of New York – we’re taking advantages of the resources of other states, other state agencies, to look at all of these issues,” Martens told Susan Arbetter. “We’re going to do a very thorough job…I’m confident we are going to have all the information we need to complete the supplemental generic environmental impact statement.”

State open burning restrictions back in effect
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that open burning is prohibited from March 15 to May 15. That means yard waste, brush, etc. cannot be burned. Violations of this section of law are misdemeanors... Upon conviction in a local court a fine of not less than $350, and not more than $15,000, can/will be levied at the discretion of the court. Enforcement can be by Environmental Conservation Police, Forest Rangers, State Police, Sheriff or local police agencies.

In a largely symbolic vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday, March 17 to completely defund National Public Radio. The Senate and President Obama both are not expected to favor that plan, so the vote was mostly for show. Local Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-20, R-Kinderhook), voted with many Democrats to keep the funding. “Today I voted against eliminating funding for NPR because I know that our local affiliates - like WAMC and North Country Public Radio - provide a valuable service to my constituents, particularly in our rural communities. This was a vote I weighed carefully as I strongly believe that federal spending needs to be returned to the pre-TARP, pre-stimulus levels of FY 2008, and had this vote been to reduce federal funding to that level instead of eliminating it outright, I would have voted ‘yes.’" National Public Radio spends some of its money each year lobbying against public access to the airwaves -- last year they lobbied heavily to defeat the Local Community Radio Act of 2010 that was passed, and will allow several thousand more low-power community radio stations that will compete with NPR for listeners.

City code snags homeless housing — again
According to Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star, the Columbia County Department of Social Services’ plan to rent apartments in Hudson as transitional housing hit another roadblock this week when a Human Services Committee resolution authorizing a lease bumped against discovery that the city’s code requires all transitional facilities to have 24/7 staffing, plus six other very specific stipulations. The lease in question would have been for two four-bedroom apartments on Eighth Street. The matter was tabled.

Board awards bids for sewer plant project
Melanie Lekocevic of the Daily Mail writes that the Athens Village Board has voted to award contracts for its $3.3 million sewer plant upgrade project to the two lowest bidders – general contractor Kingsley Arms and electrical contractor Stilsing Electric. Initial construction could begin in about two weeks, and equipment could start arriving at the sewer plant in a month.

Knolls cleanup draws ire
The Times Union follows up on the radioactive leaks from an atomic power research facility north of Albany in the wake of Japan's nuclear meltdown. At a "public airing" this week, local residents lambasted the troubled radioactive cleanup of the Knolls Atomic Power Labs. More than dozen residents spoke during a meeting of the Niskayuna Town Board where officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, and the project's former and current private cleanup companies explained what went wrong and promised mistakes would not happen again.

Nilsson Nominated for JBF Award
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown reports on how Daniel Nilsson of DA|BA is a semfinalist for a James Beard Foundation Award as Best Chef in the Northeast. The gala awards ceremony will take place at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. He is one of 20 nominees who will be whittled down to just five on March 21. The other nominees include Francesco Buitoni of Mercato in Red Hook, Serge Madikians of Serevan in Amenia and Bjorn Somlo of Nudel just over the border in Lenox, Massachusetts.

DOT creating road blocks for planned Hannaford
The Chatham Courier reports that a planned Hannaford's supermarket and pharmacy in New Lebanon is facing opposition form the state Department of Transportation regarding its location at the corner of routes 20 and 22, which would require closing all of the existing entrances and exits, relocating five telephone poles, removing parking spaces and confining their trucks to County Route 5. The town has been categorized as a “food desert,” defined on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website as “areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food” since the New Lebanon Supermarket closed in December 2009. The project manager for the new supermarket said he would seek a county override of the state position... or take his plans elsewhere.

County homeless population on the rise; current plan unsustainable
CC Scoop's Mike McCagg takes on the issue of Columbia County homelessness in a story reporting beyond a recent update on the issue given to county supervisors. “Homelessness is not just a problem in the City of Hudson, it’s everywhere as you can see by the numbers,” Adam Kirkman of CARES Inc. told a board meeting last week. He outlined an April, 2010 survey that found there were 88 homeless people in the county being housed by the Department of Social Services. That compared to a 26 people in 2005, 31 people in 2006, 33 people in 2007, 51 in 2008 and 79 in 2009.

The National Weather Service says today will see mostly cloudy skies this morning becoming partly cloudy this afternoon. High 64F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy. Low 37F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow will be sunnier and in the 50s.

Town meetings tonight
none, per our schedule

Astronomical bodies

TIDES Hudson: High, 2:34 p.m./Low, 9:22 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:02 a.m./7:04 p.m.
MOONSET/MOONRISE 5:59 a.m./6:08 a.m. Saturday

Birthdays
MARCH 18
Edgar Cayce, John Updike, Wilson Pickett, Bill Frisell, James McMurtry, and Vanessa Williams.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW hosted by Casson Kennedy & Mark Lacoy. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW 8-9 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW with Andrea Cunliffe. 9-12 a.m.
SHANNEKIA MCINTOSH SHOW 12 - 2 p.m.
QUE COCINARE HOY? hosted by Mariel Fiore and Antonio Flores-Lobos. 2-3 p.m.
INSIGHTSbi-weekly psychic show with Michael Gogger, 3:00-3:30 p.m.
KNOCK ON WOOD hosted by Steve Charney 3:30-4:00 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW with Tom Roe 4:00-6:45 p.m.
NEWS ESPANOL 6:45 p.m.
GUEST DJ 7:00-9:30 p.m.
HOTLINE RADIO… L. Deniro and the Guy's hip hop show. 9:30 p.m. - midnight

Cuomo: Schools have waste and fraud, can weather cut
Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union reports on the governor countering claims that his proposal to cut $1.5 billion in education aid would hurt the kids by calling such statements “threats” and “a game.” Cuomo said his proposed cuts could be weathered by districts by trimming waste, abuse, and administrative overhead. “They have to say we’re perfectly managed. We are the Swiss watch of organizations,” Cuomo said in what Vielkind described as a four-minute rant at the conclusion of a meeting with four leaders of the legislative conferences. “They want to oppose the cuts politically, so what do they say? ”They want to hurt your child.’ ”

HCSD lays out high, low budget scenarios
Andrew Amelinckx reports in the Register-Star that the Hudson School Board has started to take serious looks at their budget for the coming year, albeit without any definite figures from the state. But looking at matters from both a high and low end, all options appeared "dire." “We’ve been dealt a crappy hand to play,” Amelinckx quotes BOE President Emil Meister saying. “Everything is fair game.” Possible scenarios, at present, included the loss of 10 teaching positions and other cuts that would result in a 21 percent tax increase to another that included the loss of more than 60 teaching jobs to produce a 3.9 percent tax increase.

25-cent meal increase would yield $19K in new school revenue
Jim Planck of the Daily Mail reports that Catskill Board of Education members were provided an assortment of potential cost-saving and revenue generating scenarios for the 2011-12 budget by district officials Wednesday night, March 16, including a plan by Food Services and Transportation Director William Muirhead to save a potential $19,300 in new revenue available by forcing school meal prices up a quarter. The board is starting to move beyond its initial zero-based budgeting stance and speak about actual savings and revenue enhancers, instead of cutting all programs to the bone.

Palenville man arrested on child pornography charges
The Watershed Post report a State Police release about the arrest of a 24 year old Palenville man for "Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child," a class E Felony. The young man was arrested after an investigation conducted by the New York State Police and the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (I.C.A.C.), and was released on an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Town of Catskill Court later today. Prosecution of this case is being conducted by the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office.

Sheriff opens eastern front
Diane Valden of The Columbia Paper reports that later this year, the Columbia County's Sheriff Office will establish its first-ever substation in the Hillsdale Town Hall on Route 23, just west of the Route 22 intersection, which will be vacated for new premises in the coming months. Sheriff David Harrison, Jr., and Captain David Bartlett appeared at the Hillsdale Town Board meeting March 15 to propose that the Town Board enter into an agreement with the Sheriff's Office to use the old Town Hall as a substation when the town moves into its new digs at the former Roe Jan Library, across from the supermarket on Route 23.

Joke gone wrong lands man in hospital
Andrew Amelinckx of the Register-Star writes about a Ghent man who was seriously injured after falling out of a truck and being run over by that vehicle during an apparent practical joke that went wrong Wednesday afternoon, March 16. Benjamin Keyser, the passenger in a Ford F350 pick-up truck headed south on Route 66 in Chatham, stood up in the vehicle and began exiting through the truck’s moon roof, according to the New York State Police, the investigating agency. “He immediately lost his balance, slid down the windshield and front hood … and the truck ran him over,” said State Police Capt. Scott Brown. The accident occurred just north of Crellin Park in Chatham just before 6 p.m. Wednesday.

by Gus Murphy

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="134" caption="ssemblyman Pete Lopez, as seen on his official website. "][/caption]Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I - Schoharie) has been appointed to serve on the Joint Budget Conference Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Housing, according to a press release from his office on March 17. The committees were formed the evening of March 15, after each house passed their own one-house budget proposals, and initial meetings were held yesterday throughout the Capitol. "I am encouraged to see the budget conference committee process underway and the budget process moving forward. I will continue to advocate for the families, businesses and communities from throughout the seven counties I represent," said Assemblyman Lopez. Lopez' district includes most of Greene County and a ribbon of towns in Columbia County.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="198" caption="State Senator Stephen Saland"][/caption]The state budget battles come into the Hudson Valley today as a Rally To Save NYS with the Millionaires Tax gets set to take place in front of state Senator Steve Saland's and Assemblymember Joel Miller's offices at 3 Neptune Rd. Poughkeepsie (by Red Lobster just off Rt. 9) this afternoon, March 17, starting at 4:00 p.m. In addition to representing Dutchess County, Saland's district covers Columbia County while Miller's is solely within Dutchess. Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner (D-Clinton/Rhinebeck) was set to be in attendance, along with community activists Earl Brown, Mae Parker-Harris, Mary Spriggs, and possibly a contingent from Columbia County. The effort is to convince the state Senate, and Assembly Democrats, to find ways of adding revenue that would be lost should a current tax surcharge for those making over $200,000 per year lapse instead of cutting education, healthcare, and other key programs.

Supervisors are divided on closed meetings
Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star follows up on her story about groups of county supervisors meeting outside the public eye in Chatham on a regular basis that gauges board opinion on the matter. Legally, she writes, state OPen Meetings Laws says a quorum can be two things: a simple majority of supervisors — 13, in the case of Columbia County’s Board of Supervisors — or it can be a weighted vote that equals out to just over half of county representation (1,768 votes out of a total of 3,535). According to supervisors who have been at the meetings to talk about county and regional issues, there has never been either sort of quorum — and they’re careful about making sure of that. The real rub, it turns out, is that a handful of supervisors, at least four, haven’t been invited, and even though the meeting supervisors say that wasn't intentional, those who haven't gone consider the meetings unethical.

Handel appointed Durham lawmaker
Greene County Legislatures Republicans increased their majority to 9-5 yesterday after appointing 48-year old businesswoman Patricia Handel as the county's 14th legislator representing Durham on Wednesday night, filling the seat vacated by former Legislator Sean Frey. According to Colin Devries of the Daily Mail, Handel operates the Blackthorne Resort with her husband Roy and manages the Supersonic Speedway, both East Durham businesses. Frey resigned his position after winning two elections because of what he called "an endless investigation" by county powers into mileage reimbursals dating back several years. Frey was a Democrat in this largely Irish, fairly Democratic district.

Quilt stuck in UPS limbo
Cathy Woodruff of The Advocate has a great piece on Coxsackie resident Janet Atkins' month-long vigil to get her unique, prize-winning quilt, entitled Kaaterskill, out of UPS limbo, where it's been since getting mailed out of the Golden, CO offices of Quilters Newsletter after a photo shoot on February 16.. The coverlet was to be shipped via two-day air, which should have ensured delivery to her Coxsackie studio by Friday, Feb. 18. But it's apparently lost in the system...and someone else has filed a claim for it.


Catholic Charities grant splits Council
The Register-Star's Jamie Larson reports on Tuesday night's Common Council meeting in Hudson, where "what was easily the most contentious split vote seen in City Hall since Donald Moore was elected Council President" centered on acceptance of a $4,100 grant from Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties to pay for the continued enforcement of underage drinking laws in the city by the Hudson Police Department. "The issue has been simmering with divergent opinions since a Dec. 23 sting operation, also carried out by funding from a Catholic Charities grant, which caught eight out of nine restaurants selling alcohol to an underage informant," Larson writes. "Business owners and a contingent of council members including Moore and Police Committee Chairman Alderman Christopher Wagoner, D-3rd Ward, have discussed in committee that they would like to see more educational prevention than punishment." Local businesses caught in the sting, all along Warren Street, said they aren't the sort of places that attract underage drinkers, because of cost and demographic considerations, making the busts appear that much more like harassment.

Scenic Hudson embraces EPA’s proposed national standard for mercury pollution from power plants
The US EPA has proposed the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants in a move that Congressional Republicans are fighting vociferously. The federal agency was under a court deadline to develop the standards, announced Tuesday. Ned Sullivan, president of Poughkeepsie-based Scenic Hudson, announced yesterday that the new laws, once approved, will have environmental and economic impacts for the better, and help the healthiness of the Hudson Valley.

Prisons: Why not sell Sing Sing?
A Times Union report on the March 16 meeting of the Public Protection joint budget committee, which discussed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plans to lose 3,500 prison beds statewide over the coming year, yielded two items that could save Columbia and Greene county prisons, which are seen as key local employment centers. First, many talked about the “saleability” or marketability of mothballed prisons. Then there was the growing belief that it's better to house prisoners closer to their homes, for better re-entry and less recidivism odds, which given New York City's record, could work well for the Hudson and Coxsackie facilities. Cuomo has yet to name the 16 members of a commission he has called for to make final prison recommendations.

The National Weather Service says today will be partly cloudy. High 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight will see partly cloudy skies with a few showers developing late. Low 47F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Tomorrow will be windy with a high in the low 60s.

Town meetings tonight
ANCRAM Board meeting at 7 p.m. in town hall on CR 7.
CHATHAM Town Board Meeting at 7 p.m. town hall, 488 State Route 295, Chatham.
COPAKE Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.
DURHAM Town board meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham.
GHENT Town Board meeting at the Ghent Town Hall, Route 66 .
VALATIE Neighborhood Watch Meeting at 7 p.m. at Barnwell
WINDHAM board meeting 8 p.m. at Town Hall, Hensonville.
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Safety Committee meeting at 6 p.m.


Astronomical bodies

TIDES Hudson: Low, 1:41 p.m./High, 8:34 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:04 a.m./7:03 p.m.
MOONSET/MOONRISE 5:28 a.m./4:50 p.m.

Birthdays
MARCH 17
Nat King Cole, Rudolph Nureyev, Paul Kantner, William Gibson, Billy Corgan, and Melissa Auf Der Maur.

Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Casson Kennedy and Mark Lacoy are on-air guides. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! 8-9 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW 9-11 a.m.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS Hosted by Christina Malisoff, Sam Sebren, Richard Roth and Alan Skerritt 11am to noon
CROSSROADS Jazz with Alan Skerritt noon - 2 p.m.
BETWEEN THE LINES Art * culture with Ann Forbes Cooper, 2 - 3 pm
RADIO THEATER 3 - 3:30 p.m.
YOUTH RADIO kids programming 3:30-4:00 p.m.
THE AFTERNOON SHOW with Tony Fallon doing a riff on St. Patrick's Day 4-7 p.m.
THE JAZZ DISTURBANCE with Cheryl K. Symister-Masterson, 7 - 9 p.m.
THE MAGIC STRANGER'S 69 9:00 - midnight

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="90" caption="Francesca Olsen. Photo from Register-Star website."][/caption]Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star wrote a bombshell of a story in her account on how members of the county Board of Supervisors have been meeting on a monthly basis at the Chatham Town Hall to discuss county and regional issues purposefully away from the public eye. The Register-Star reporter's story was brought up during "@Issue" on WGXC, which she co-hosts with Victor Mendolia. Interviewing Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera and Hudson Common Council President Don Moore on the show, she explained the story, and got their responses. In the Register-Star story she also talked to Bob Freeman of the state’s Committee on Open Government, who confirmed that New York Open Meetings Law does not extend to supervisors meeting if there is no quorum of that public body. In Columbia County's terms, no more than 13, at which point public notice would have to be posted in local media. Olsen corroborated reports from several supervisors that between six and ten supervisors meet at once and they’re careful about not inviting too many to attend. Supervisors Ed Nabozny, I-Greenport, and Bill Hallenbeck, R-Hudson3, said they were invited but declined; William Hughes, D-Hudson4 has not been invited. Hillsdale Supervisor Art Baer, R-Hillsdale, said the meetings are “totally nonpolitical” and the supervisors discuss “issues the county is facing.” Click here to listen to clip of Francesca Olsen explaining her story in Register-Star on "@Issue" program on WGXC.

The new Chatham United Party won the biggest victory in the handful of village elections Tue. March 15, with Tom Curran taking over the Chatham Village Mayor role. Curran, a political novice, beat out longtime Mayor Paul Boehme 423 to 231. Curran’s running mate Joanne Delrossi also defeated incumbent trustee Pat Wemitt 422 to 252. The large turnout was the result of the new party’s pushback against a proposed 12 percent spending hike in 2010 that Boehme whittled down to under 5 percent, after pressure from Curran and others. Click here to listen to the interview with Tom Curran Wed. March 16 on the WGXC Afternoon Show, and hear his ideas for Chatham.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="173" caption="Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera is now looking to run for the Columbia County Board of Supervisors"][/caption]Victor Mendolia and Register-Star reporter Francesca Olsen interviewed Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera on this morning's March 16 edition of "@Issue." Scalera, a Democrat, broke the news that he intends to seek the position of Supervisor representing Hudson's 5th Ward on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. The seat is currently held by Bart Delaney, a Republican, and carries the highest weighted vote in the City of Hudson on the Board. Scalera who is currently serving his seventh (non-consecutive) term as mayor had previously stated that this would be his last term in that position. But this is the first time that he has indicated he intends to become a player on the county level. Scalera has often had a contentious relationship with county leadership, particularly with former Board of Supervisors Chair Art Baer. The Hudson City Democratic Committee has already endorsed Scalera for Fifth Ward Supervisor and will officially be announcing that endorsement and a number of other endorsements at a benefit on March 27th at Club Helsinki. "@Issue" is hosted by Mendolia and Olsen and can be heard Wednesdays at 11 a.m. on WGXC. Click here to listen to a recording of the entire "@Issue" program.

DEC Advises Public on the Potential for "Winterkills" On Area Waters
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is warning that as ice melts across the state, there will likely be reports of fish kills in small ponds. Reports of fish mortalities have already been received from some small waters in the southeastern portions of the state, including Columbia and Dutchess counties. "Whenever large numbers of dead fish are observed, there is concern that a pesticide spill or disease caused the mortality," the release reads. "However, in most cases fish kills that become obvious when the ice melts can be attributed to 'Winterkill,' a natural phenomenon that occurs when waters rich in nutrients, algae, and other aquatic plants are covered with ice and snow for long periods of time."

Courthouse benches quashed; Izzo claims budget overruns
Colin Devries of the Daily Mail reports that the Greene County legislature's buildings and grounds committee discussed whether the $12.5 million Greene County Courthouse project was overbudget or not, with the purchase of new handcrafted wooden benches caught in limbo as a result. Greene County Legislator Joseph Izzo, R-Catskill, said he would not support the purchase because he was trying to look at the project from a cash basis, and saw debt... and not overall budget figures. The seven custom-built wooden settees would be used in the courthouse’s main rotunda.

Budget moving along, Silver not drawing line on tax
Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union reports on the first day of bonafide budget discussions, a day after the state's two legislative chambers passed their own spending plans for the coming year. He noted that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he was optimistic a budget could be completed on time and wasn’t drawing a line in the sand about continuing an income tax on millionaires he wants to use to fund social service programs and soften education cuts. A $132 billion spending plan is due by April 1. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that “deadlines are deadlines” and that passing the budget by the beginning of next month was “an important statement,” but added that there was “good conversation, positive conversation.”

Union & First Streets: Important Correction
Carole Osterink of Gossips of Rivertown reports that tonight's meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will consider requests for area variances for Eric Galloway's proposed plan for Union and First Street, begins at 6:30 p.m., not at 7:00 as previously reported. The Historic Preservation Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the project for Thursday, March 24, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="The Cannonball Factory in Hudson, where Etsy will be setting up new offices in the coming months."][/caption]Both Huffington Post and Salon are running stories about Etsy, the Brooklyn-based company that is setting up new offices in the Cannonball Factory building on Columbia Street in Hudson, and how the online vintage and craft marketplace recently sparked outrage after the site's buyers suddenly discovered that their feedback posts, purchases, user profiles and, in some cases, their real names had been made public and searchable. On Tuesday, March 15, Etsy "bowed to customers' demands and tweaked its privacy defaults," according to Huffington. Turns out, the story goes on, that the whole problem occurred innocently:

Last week the site rolled out a People Search tool, which let users search for other users by name. Designed to make Etsy more "social," the new search feature was intended to help users create "Circles" of friends, who could view one another's purchased and "favorited" items.


Continued...

Users' purchasing histories had previously been public on Etsy, but only sellers were searchable by name, writes Gothamist. The People Search feature apparently made everyone searchable--buyers and sellers alike.

Etsy CEO Rob Kalin and COO Adam Freed responded to the controversy in a post on the Etsy Blog this week. They wrote:

Were there changes to Etsy that made my purchases public? No. The issue here is our Feedback system, which has not changed in six years. We do not directly publish your purchases on Etsy. However, when a seller leaves feedback for an item you bought, or you leave feedback for an item you purchased, we would link to the item. Our Feedback system has always worked this way; our original thinking was that it's important to know more about the transaction, to better establish trust in the marketplace. We added the option to enter your real name when registering. Right next to this text field, it says: "Your full name will appear on your public profile. This is optional." Some people enter their name, some don't. As of right now, 25% of people (including us) have entered their real name. It is the confluence of these two things that led us to this position: if you enter your real name, purchase an item, and the seller leaves feedback for this item, this purchase will be publicly visible via our Feedback system. Search engines index our site, which means this data can turn up there, too. It's been this way since October... We believe that markets are conversations. We want people to discuss what they purchase, although this will often mean discussing it in private. As such, we have removed the link from a piece of feedback (which is public) to the item that was purchased (which is now private).

Later, the company added that Purchases and feedback will be private for both buyers and sellers. Sellers' feedback ratings will still be visible, as will a seller's feedback left for others. Etsy is also working to mitigate the damage done by the indexing of users' feedback in search, information that linked to details about users' purchases and personal information. "We are working to remove existing Etsy feedback pages from Google’s index. Feedback pages will not be indexed by Google and other search engines going forward," they posted.

Two more chains lock in plaza store slots
Chris Simonds of The Columbia Paper reports that Greenport Commons, where the Wal Mart and Lowes are, along with the new Kohls that opened last week, will be seeing two new stores: a PetSmart next to the TJ Maxx store and a Five Below youth-targeted retailer just behind the Applebee's restaurant.

Holcim to close Catskill plant
Doron Tyler Antrim of the Daily Mail carries the story about the decision to mothball the Holcim cement plant in Catskill with union comments from the local International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, whose chairman Dennis Smith said Holcim is going “above and beyond” for workers during the transition, including offering a good severance package and paying for resume writing and computer skills classes. Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh said county officials have made a special effort to help the company stay here, but noted that the closing was "inevitable" given all it put into a new, energy-efficient facility on the Mississippi River in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Sandy Mathes, executive director of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency, added that it would take a major reconstruction of the Catskill plant, similar to what Lafarge plans for its Ravena plant, for Holcim to remain in Greene County. The plant was built in the 1960s.

Hinchey, Schumer introduce legislation to protect drinking water from hydrofracking
Mid Hudson News Network has a story about how Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-New York) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) are among the cosponsors of legislation aimed at protecting drinking water from hydrofracking to mine natural gas. Hinchey was supported in the House proposal by Members Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Jared Polis (D-CO). Schumer was joined in the Senate by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). New York lawmakers are concerned about drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation by pumping, under high pressure, chemicals to fracture the shale and release the natural gas.

Sinkhole closes roadway
The Daily Mail reports that County Route 41 in Cairo, aka Lakes Mills Rd. was closed this past Saturday, March 12, near the Cairo wastewater plant due to a sinkhole depression that had developed alongside a failing four foot culvert running beneath the roadway. Jim Young, site foreman with the Greene County Highway Department Site, said work will begin in earnest today, March 16, at 8 a.m. when the roadway is ripped up and a new four foot pipe installed, and should be completed by Friday evening, with final repaving taking place sometime in the future.

Town shuts north end of Merino for safety reasons
The Register-Star has noted that the north entrance of Mt. Merino Road at Route 9G has been closed temporarily by Greenport Highway Superintendent Mark Gaylord. A section of roadway has deteriorated as a result of reoccurring flooding and is deemed to be unsafe for vehicle traffic. Morris Associates, the town engineering firm, is determining the best way to ensure a safe roadway repair. Two sections of the roadway are being looked at in relation to repairs.