WGXC volunteer Tanya Blue interviewed Donna Willliams, who is starting Field Goods, a new business designed to deliver food from area farms directly to local and regional consumers. So far they are working with Otter Hook Farm in Greenville, and Hudson Locale in Hudson. So far the new business only has two drop-off locations, Elliott Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine at 876 Columbia St. in Hudson, and at Sleepy Hollow Lake, just north of the Village of Athens, but they hope to connect with large companies in Albany. Field Goods operates much like any other multi-farm community-supported agriculture farm with drop-off sites, pre-paid shares. Like a CSA, subscription customers receive a delivery each week of fruit and vegetables. The contents of the delivery will vary each week depending on what is in season and crop conditions. Click here to listen to the interview with Williams.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Melissa Auf der Maur, from her website."][/caption]Melissa Auf der Maur, who is running the Basilica Industria space in Hudson with Tony Stone, announced on WGXC today that the space will open April 28 with a reading from Will Oldham. On Shannekia McIntosh's "Pure Moods" show at noon to promote her show Saturday night at Helsinki Hudson the former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist announced the opening. Oldham will read from a new audio book, the first in a series from the Drag City record label, and it features local roots. The book is from Hudson resident Rudy Wurlitzer, and is called "Slow Fade." Wurlitzer's partner Lynn Davis, a famous photographer in her own right, will provide visual accompaniment for the evening. Basilica will then host a regional culinary festival centered on ramps, a local root similar to a leek or scallion that is currently the current sensation of the food fashion set. An archived recording of the interview is up on the WGXC website right now or here.

Flooding might not be as bad as feared
The Times Union notes that while water is still rising on local creeks and rivers, meteorologists say lower-than-expected amounts of rain could lessen the amount of flooding in the region. Steady drizzles of rain and occasional showers are expected to linger throughout the day Friday, but precipitation totals in the Capital Region will not be as heavy as anticipated, according to the National Weather Service.

Village mulls new water filtration
John Mason of the Register-Star writes that the village of Valatie was recently informed by the state Health Department that its surface water "may be communicating too well with its ground water, which could mean it needs a multimillion dollar water filtration plant." Representatives from Delaware Engineering presented the Village Board with a proposed water system improvement project earlier this week. The plan includes year-long sampling of the village wells and the Kinderhook Creek. If it were determined at the end of a year that the wells’ groundwater was not “under the direct influence of surface water,” the project would be deemed complete. Everyone's hoping for such a resolution, Mason writes.

MSMA considers Stormwater Specialist position
Michael Ryan of the Windham Journal reports that Mountaintop Supervisors and Mayors Association members, a group of rural Greene County government officials, have been presented with a plan for creating a shared Stormwater Specialist position that would be available to local towns and villages, helping them weave through an ever-growing regulatory maze. The position would be paid for by the Catskill Watershed Corporation's Watershed Assistance Program, which utilizes funding from New York City designed to alleviate development pressures on the city's vast watershed holdings ion the Catskills.

Cut for disabled kids draws ire
The Times Union reports that an estimated 600 disabled students, family members and educators joined legislators at the Capitol on Thursday morning, March 10, to ask Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pull back a planned funding cuts and changes regarding "4201" schools that work with 1,500 students who are blind, deaf or fall within an additional range of disabilities. Cuomo's budget proposal would require local districts to finance the cost, as is the case with other special education schools. The state would then reimburse 85 percent, with the remainder to be paid by the district. The end result would be an average reduction in state spending of 13.5 percent, although the cut sustained by each school would be up to the individual district.

How have you enjoyed this winter?
The Albany Business Journal has completed a business poll survey with the above question. Their findings? How have you enjoyed this winter?
19% loved the snow, and report having skied and snowshoed. 4% "got away from it" and vacationed in the sun. 23% were indifferent to it and "just went about life. 5% stayed inside as much as possible. 46% hated it and stated, "Can't wait for spring!" 3% were "other." No one had "no opinion."

Flooding remains a concern in region
The Daily Freeman is looking hard at the weather, noting that sunny skies aren't expected until Monday. They highlight flood warnings in along the Wallkill River in New Paltz, and planned water releases from the Ashokan reservoir into the Esopus Creek... as well as a wind advisory for western Ulster and western Greene counties that would affect mostly the higher terrains, with winds of 25 to 35 mph, and gusts up to 45 to 55 mph predicted overnight in the Catskill Mountains. A state of emergency has been declared in Shandaken. Roads flooded on Monday in Columbia County are also expecvted to get repeat flooding today and tomorrow.

Dealing with the fallout of flooding
The Register-Star has a story about the things one should be aware of when surviving floods, from the avoidance of contaminated water and food to turning the power off in one's basement before evacuating a house, clean-up tips, and ensuring that one stays attentive to cleaning any minor wounds because of the threat of infection from flood waters.

Cuts in state aid hit C-A district hard
Melanie Lekocevic reports in the Daily Mail that the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District is looking for ways it can trim down its budget, facing rising costs for salaries, which will increase by $610,000, employee benefits, which will rise by $680,000, transportation, and a BOCES' increase in addition to sliced aid. This is THE topic of the year, and possibly our younger generation...

We just didn't salt away enough
The Times Union has a story about how Capital Region communities have scraped the bottoms of their salt barrels to clear away the 83.6 inches of snow and ice that have piled up this winter.

USDA: Let’s revise lunch
Andrew Amelinckx of the Register-Star has been asking around to see how local school districts in Columbia County are reacting to the recent proposal by the United States Department of Agriculture to change the way school children eat, and has found that while many are enthusiastic about offering more fresh fruits and vegetables, they are also worrying we may not be able to afford such healthiness.

Assembly proposing a bona fide millionaire’s tax
The Times Union's Capitol Confidential notes that the state Assembly is drafting a budget plan to be introduced next week with an actual millionaire’s tax, meaning that people at seven figures of income and above would be assessed an additional surcharge above the rest of taxpayers. The measure dovetails with similar calls from the GOP-dominated State Senate, and may work to whittle away the state deficit via revenue, despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo's state opposition to renewing such taxes on the wealthy.

NY among country's healthiest states
Need some good news? The Albany Business Journal reports that a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index report says 25 percent—one-in-four—of New York residents are obese, putting it below the national average of 26.6 percent. The state with the lowest obesity rate was Colorado, where 20 percent of its residents are obese. The south and upper Midwest have the worst obesity rates, at present.

The National Weather Service says today will be rains. Cloudy. Periods of rain this morning. The rain may be heavy at times. High 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Additional rainfall may reach one inch Tonight, mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low 37F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%. There is a Flood Watch throughout the area until 6 p.m. tonight.

Town meetings tonight
none, per our schedule

Astronomical bodies

TIDES Hudson: Low, 1:19 p.m./High, 7:16 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:14 a.m./5:56 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 9:17 a.m./12:54 a.m. Saturday

Birthdays
MARCH 11
Lawrence Welk, Astor Piazzolla, Rupert Murdoch, Antonin Scalia, Bobby McFerrin, and Nina Hagen.

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 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.
ASTROLOGY hosted by A.T. Mann, 3:00-3:30 p.m.
KNOCK ON WOOD hosted by Steve Charney 3:30-4:00 p.m.
WGXC AFTERNOON SHOW with Ann Forbes Cooper and Richard Roth. 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

Deadline set for town to accept DEP’s largesse
Michael Ryan of The Daily Mail writes that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is giving the Greene County Town of Lexington until May 6 to move forward on a $9.1 million wastewater treatment project to be paid for by the City and administered by the Catskill Watershed Corporation, which oversees water and development issues for the city's massive watershed holdings in the Catskills. Like neighboring Phoenicia, in Ulster County, the town is split on whether to take the city's largesse or hold out for more, worrying that they might have to pay for Operations and Maintenance in the future, instead of just relying on private septic systems, as the town does now. Over the past 13 years, the DEP and CWC have overseen the construction of dozens of such sewer systems throughout the region as a means of protecting the city's water without it having to build a multi-billion dollar filtration plant.

County eyes eliminating some polling sites
Mike McCagg of ccscoop reports that the county Board of Elections is studying the potential of consolidating or eliminating voting sites and election districts. The county of approximately 60,000 residents currently boasts 42 polling sites and 58 election districts and the study is looking to eliminate polling sites that are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act... as well as "to save county taxpayers money."

City to examine Youth Department's efficiency
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star talked with Hudson Mayor Richard Scalera about the city’s plans to evaluate the cost and programmatic effectiveness of the city Youth Department as a possible area for savings. The current budget for the department is over $450,000. "Any one who watches the news knows youth centers are in jeopardy. We know we need it... I’m not looking at this as taking anything away from our youths, but doing it for a lower dollar amount and not being redundant.”

Cyberbullying: What every parent needs to know
The Times Union has a story about an upcoming panel discussion on cyberbullying to take place on Tuesday, March 15, at the College of Saint Rose, featuring a number of local educators, journalists,police officers, educators and James Preller, author of more than 80 children’s books including his most recent novel, ‘Bystander,’ which tells the story of bullying from multiple perspectives. The event takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Touhey Forum, Lally Building, on the St. Rose campus.

NEW: Burglars steal cigarettes from Getty Station
The Chatham Courier reports that their town's police department is investigating a burglary that occurred at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, March 10, at the Getty Station on Hudson Avenue in Chatham where someone threw a cement block through the west side entrance glass door and then entered the store, went took approximately 25 cartons of cigarettes.


Hudson, The Frenetic City
Uber-blogger Sam Pratt has a rundown on all the talk around the coming November races in the Columbia County seat, with nods to the chief candidates for mayor of Hudson going to former Mayor Dick Tracy on the GOP side and electrical supply business owner and native Nick Haddad eying a Democratic nomination.

Columbia County Board of Supervisors March 8, 2011 from glencadia on Vimeo.

Martin Roby sent us this raw footage of Stuyvesant's William Pfaum confronting the Columbia County Board of Supervisors on the evening of March 9 regarding an ethics complaint he's made to the entire Board relating to what he has termed "punitive actions" taken against him by his town supervisor, Valerie Bertram, who chairs the Columbia County Ethics Board. Bertram has denied all Pfaum's charges... but also denied all of the man's FOIL requests for documentations regarding her actions, and Stuyvesant's, against him. As can be seen and heard, the Board of Supervisors again denied Pfaum his chance to make a statement. Pfaum, who owns a business in Stuyvesant that's facing zoning problems he believes are not justified, was told that he was trying to make his point in the wrong context, at the wrong time, by trying to make a statement in the middle of a public hearing on another subject. In other business, the board noted that it will start to publicize its resolutions agenda online before each meeting. In normal business, a presentation was heard from the county Soil & Water Agency, and pay for last November's election commissioners was finally approved. Finally, there was much discussion about the dangers this past winter's storms have put on the county's infrastructure, from roads and bridges to dams protecting local reservoirs. More on that single issue tomorrow...

‘We’re all going to face significant pain’
Representatives from nearly every level of Greene County government came together in Cairo for a session, streamed live by WGXC and set for linking soon the Newssroom blog later today, where the proposed two percent tax cap and other budgetary challenges were discussed. According to a story on the meeting in the Daily Mail, Colin DeVries reports that Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, R-Coxsackie started the meeting with a brief slide presentation that showed the projected increases in the cost of state services, which would be impossible to fund under the 2 percent cap without drastic cuts to other services or overriding the cap. Much discussion ensued, ranging from party line talk of decades-long "spending binges" to accounts of the county's real needs. Several town supervisors lamented the costs of paying public workers, who they thought should chip in more for their own benefits, while others brought up problems in the tax cap legislation, which has yet to move through the Democrat-controlled state Assembly. State Senator James Seward and Assemblymen Steve McLaughlin and Pete Lopez, all Republicans, defended the current bill and spoke of the need to make hard cuts.

State of emergency extended in Taghkanic
The Register-Star reports that Town of Taghkanic has extended its state of emergency until 5 p.m. Saturday due to heavy rain, snow, ice and ice melt. These conditions have have caused various hazards which “threaten or imperil the public safety” of the town, including flooding, road closures and power outages, according to town officials.

Unemployment jumps in all Mid-Hudson counties
The Daily Freeman has a story about how unemployment rose sharply across the Mid-Hudson Valley from December to January, reflecting both continued weakness in the job market and the usual high number of layoffs that occur after the December holidays because seasonal jobs are eliminated. Changes from January 2010 to January 2011, however, were far less dramatic. In Greene County, unemployment was at 9.2 percent, compared to 8.5 percent a month earlier and 9.5 percent in January 2010. In Columbia, the rate was 8.6 percent, compared to 7.3 percent in December and 8.7 percent in January 2010. In Ulster County, the jobless rate this past January was 9.2 percent, up from 8.0 percent in December but lower than the 9.3 rate recorded in January 2010. The same pattern was true in Dutchess County, where January joblessness was 8.5 percent, compared to 7.7 percent in December and 8.8 percent in January 2010. Sullivan County hd the region's highest unemployment rate at 10.6 percent.

State revisits PCB cleanup
No... the Times Union is not reporting on the massive cleanup of General Electric spillage into the Hudson River north of Albany, a PCB-tainted industrial drum company near the old Champlain Canal that was declared cleaned up 15 years ago by the federal EPA, but according to the state needs $7.3 million new funding to finish the job.

Bonacic: Keep the millionaires' tax
The Watershed Post follows up on a New York Times blog item that had GOP state senator John Bonacic, whose district includes territory from Delaware, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties, throwing his support behind a move to extend the so-called "millionaires' tax" in New York State. Provided it can be tweaked so it only applies to actual millionaires, that is. Their story notes how Bonacic and other GOP senators are starting to react to growing protest against service cuts by state educators, healthcare professionals, and others.

Alderman arrested for selling alcohol to minor
Both the Register-Star and Daily Mail report that Hudson Second Ward Alderman Abdus Miah was arrested Friday, March 4 for selling alcohol to a minor at the Green Market convenience store, on Route 145 in Cairo, Greene County. Miah, who owns and operates the convenience store, along with another in Catskill, said he was working alone at the time and had a lapse in judgment.

The National Weather Service says there will be rain today with snow and sleet in the morning in higher elevations. High 46F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Rainfall near a half an inch. Localized flooding is possible. Tonight, more rain. Low 44F, 38F in higher elevations. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Rainfall possibly over one inch. Flooding is possible in flood prone areas. Tomorrow, even heavier rains expected early, then showers. High 52F. There is a Flood Watch throughout the area.

Town meetings tonight
CHATHAM, Village meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street
COPAKE town board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake
GALLATIN 6:30 town board meeting at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram
HUDSON Industrial Development Agency meeting at 5 p.m. at City Hall
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19
STUYVESANT Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, Hensonville.
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. in county office building, Catskill

Astronomical bodies

TIDES Hudson: Low, 12:42 p.m./High, 6:32 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:16 a.m./5:55 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8:36 a.m./11:56 p.m.

Birthdays
MARCH 10 Bix Beiderbecke, James Earl Ray, Osama bin Laden, Sharon Stone, and Timbaland.

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, with guest Joel Kovel 10- noon
CROSSROADS Jazz with Alan Skerritt noon - 2 p.m.
THE PASSAGE Arts coverage with Richard Roth 2-3 p.m.
RADIO THEATER 3 - 3:30 p.m.
ROE JAN ROOKIE RADIO kids programming... produced by Roeliff Jansen Library. 3:30-4:00 p.m.
THE AFTERNOON SHOW with Tom Roe 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="attachment_9843" align="alignright" width="300" caption="NWS Hudson Valley alerts as of 2:30 a.m. Thursday, March 10."][/caption]The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch through Friday afternoon for Greene and Columbia counties, specifically citing the towns of Hunter, Tannersville, Windham, Catskill, Coxsackie, Athens, Cairo, Jefferson Heights, Hudson, and Chatham as likely to see high water. The New York State Office of Emergency Management issued a press release Wednesday warning many areas will flood this weekend:

“The storm system that is moving into the state tonight is carrying a lot of moisture and will possibly produce several inches of rain over the next few days,” said Andrew X. Feeney, Director of State OEM. “This rain, coupled with the forecasted warmer temperatures and melting snow, will raise the levels of already swollen rivers and tributaries in many areas of the state and probably will result in flooding.”

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Reggie Crowley, from Copake website."][/caption]While one storm comes in, repercussions from Monday morning's ice/snow storm are still being felt. Copake Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley reports as of Wednesday afternoon 1590 folks still had power out in Copake, mostly in the Copake Lake/Craryville area, and that power to this area may not be restored until Friday.

Shops to be banned from displaying tobacco products
The Guardian reports that tobacco displays in England will have to be kept out of sight in shops from April 2012 for large stores and April 2015 for all other shops, according to a government announcement. Ministers will also start a public consultation over whether England should become the first country in Europe to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products while insisting they are keeping "an open mind" on the issue.

China to build 10 million low-cost homes
The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong reports that China will invest around 1.3 trillion yuan this year in affordable housing, according to a senior official's May 8 pronouncement. Beijing is struggling to address mounting public concern over runaway property prices.

Rebel leader calls for no-fly zone; bounty offered for him
CNN reports that the head of the interim government in eastern Libya pleaded Wednesday for the international community to move quickly to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, declaring that any delay would result in more casualties. Abdul Jalil resigned his post as minister of justice several weeks ago when he broke with the government of Moammar Gadhafi. His remarks, meanwhile, came shortly after Gadhafi's regime announced a reward Wednesday for Abdul Jalil's capture, branding him "an agent spy."

Copts, Muslims clash in Cairo
At least 11 people have been killed and around 100 others injured in the second set of religious clashes with Muslims in the Egyptian capital Cairo this week. A security source told Al Jazeera that of the 11 that were killed on Tuesday, six were Coptic, five were Muslim and that at least 25 people were arrested by the country's military police for their involvement in the clashes.

Governments 'not ready' for new European privacy law
The BBC is reporting that European rules aimed at giving consumers more control over how their web browsing is tracked will not be enforced come May. No European government has yet drawn up the guidelines for how the ePrivacy directive will be enforced. The laws are supposed to ensure that websites seek consent from users before using tracking technologies.

BP oil spill set for big screen
The Guardian has a story about how a major Hollywood company, Summit Productions, is developing a drama "showing the courage of workers on board the Deepwater Horizon rig in the moments leading up to April's disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico." The rights were picked up to a New York Times article published in December which evoked the "raw emotion" experienced by those on board prior to the explosion which caused the spill, when 11 workers were killed and another 17 injured after methane gas from the well shot up out of the drill column and caught fire, creating one of the worst environmental catastrophes in US history. "This is a perfect fit for us – a suspenseful and inspiring real-life account of everyday people whose values are tested in the face of an impending environmental disaster," added Ricky Strauss of film company Participant, which is also involved in the project.

Number Of Underwater Mortgages Rises As More Homeowners Fall Behind
Derek Kravitz of Huffington Post has a story on how the number of Americans who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth rose at the end of last year, preventing many people from selling their homes in an already weak housing market. About 11.1 million households, or 23.1 percent of all mortgaged homes, were underwater in the October-December quarter, according to recent reports. That's up from 22.5 percent, or 10.8 million households, in the July-September quarter. The number of underwater mortgages had fallen in the previous three quarters... but mostly because more homes had fallen into foreclosure.

National debt ceiling 101: Is a crisis looming?
Mark Trumbull of the Christian Science Monitor looks closely at the national issue of the day, and asks what's involved. His exhaustive story finds that, "With or without help from the debt-ceiling debate, the question is whether the needed political statesmanship will arrive before a debt crisis – a spike in interest rates or a credit-rating downgrade – forces the issue."

Government shutdown opposed by Americans in poll faulting cuts
The Washington Post reports that almost 8 in 10 people say Republicans and Democrats should reach a compromise on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit to keep the government running, according to a Bloomberg National Poll. At the same time, lopsided margins oppose cuts to Medicare, education, environmental protection, medical research and community-renewal programs.
Among the few deficit-reducing moves majorities back are cutting foreign aid, pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and repealing the Bush-era tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 a year.
Fewer than half of respondents say cutting Medicare benefits or raising the age at which Americans receive Social Security retirement benefits would have a large impact on the deficit, and only 2 in 10 favor cutting Medicare benefits. When given five choices for the most important issue facing the nation, unemployment and jobs ranked first with 43 percent - - down from 50 percent in Bloomberg's December 2010 poll -- with the deficit and spending cited by 29 percent, up from 25 percent. Health care was chosen by 12 percent, the war in Afghanistan by 7 percent, and immigration by 3 percent. Asked to choose between jobs and the deficit, 56 percent called creating jobs the government's more important priority now, while 42 percent said cutting spending was. President Obama and congressional leaders have until March 18 to break an impasse over funding the government through the end of the 2011 fiscal year or risk a shutdown

Obama Ignoring the Constitution?
Fox News' Judge Napolitano announced on the Glenn Beck Show yesterday, March 8, that the President's new push for the incarceration of persons in Guantanamo Bay for the duration of their natural lives, even after acquittal, is not legal. During the previous administration, he argued the other side.

Chambers of Commerce weigh in on biz climate
Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star reports on the 25th annual business climate survey, which polls the members of area Chambers of Commerce in the Capital Region, including the Columbia County Chamber. The survey, put together by Marvin and Company, P.C., and the University at Albany School of Business, finds that the Columbia Chamber seems optimistic about the future, with 52% of respondents believing their businesses would “remain stable” in 2011, 37% saying they believed their business would increase and 11 percent saying they thought business would decrease. Only 6.7 percent, meanwhile, saw their employment levels dipping in any way.

Peckham to expand with Greene IDA help
Mid Hudson News Network has a story about how Peckham Industries will lease and redevelop more property in the Town of Athens, with the aid of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency. The transaction will provide for the expansion of the existing Peckham material business and its facilities and creation of five new jobs. Now to see what happens with the proposals in terms of local planning reviews and public hearings...

Redistricting debate roils Senate
The Times Union ports on yelling and threats in the state Senate this week as Senate Republicans rejected the Democratic minority's attempt to push for a public hearing on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's redistricting bill, which would create a nonpartisan commission to draw new district lines based on recent census figures, instead of leaving such matters to existing majorities and incumbents, with the GOP is saying is the only way to do things now, legally.

Flood watch is issued
The Daily Freeman has passed on a flood watch from the National Weather Service in Albany for the region from Thursday morning through Friday afternoon. The combination of 1 to 4 inches of rain expected, snow melt due to warmer temperatures, poor drainage from blocked storm drains, and lack of rainfall infiltration due to a frozen ground could result in flooding. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

State job cuts negate private-sector gains
The Albany Business Journal has a story in which it is noted that losses of government jobs in the Capital Region swelled at the start of 2011, easily negating private-sector gains, according to new data. The Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area, covering five counties, had a net gain of 1,000 private-sector jobs from January 2010 to January 2011. The health care sector led the way, along with one covering scientific, engineering and technical jobs. But the region had a net loss of 6,400 jobs over the 12-month span, a drop of 1.5 percent. No other metro market came anywhere close to that decline. “There’s just so much government here, it’s hard for the private sector to outweigh those losses,” said James Ross, an analyst with the state.

Where to find shelter, supplies
The Register-Star reports that the Red Cross Shelter at the Taconic Hills High School on County Route 11 in Craryville will close at 8 a.m. today so school can resume there, with a two hour delay. Two new shelters will be opening at the Taghkanic Fire Company on Route 82 in Taghkanic and the second one will be at the Copake Community Building located at the Copake Town Park on Mountain View Drive. Additionally, dry ice and water will be available at the Copake Fire Department located at 390 County Route 7A Copake or the Ancram Firehouse at 1306 County Route 7 Ancram. Several thousand are still without power in the area and local fire companies have been going door to door in the northeastern portion of Columbia County to check that folks are alright.

School officials look into future of employment
Colin DeVries of The Daily Mail reports that a delegation of Greene County school officials and economic developers toured the $4.6 billion GlobalFoundries semiconductor manufacturing facility being constructed north of Albany, getting a first-hand look at "the future of employment in the region." GlobalFoundries, an international computer chip producer, will be hiring about 1,400 people by the end of 2012, many of whom will be educated at community colleges, receiving two-year degrees in electronics, science and semiconductor manufacturing. The Greene County Industrial Development Agency accompanied officials and school board members from Cairo-Durham Central School District, Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, Greenville Central School District, and BOCES Questar III.

Dems fire first volley at Molinaro
Mid Hudson News Network notes that regional Democrats have started firing shots at the just-announced candidacy of State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro for Dutchess County executive, with that county's party chairwoman, Elisa Sumner, saying Molinaro is “unfit” to be county executive. Sumner pointed to an audit of the Village of Tivoli, where Molinaro served as mayor for 11 years after first being elected to the village board at the age of 18, noting the state comptroller’s office was critical of the municipality’s “financial condition.” She added that a few potential candidates have expressed interest in running for the county’s top job, some in government and others in business. New York State Bridge Authority Executive Director Joseph Ruggiero and Beekman Town Supervisor Daniel French have been mentioned as possible candidates on the Democratic ticket.

More snow days might mean canceled days off for schools
The Times Union looks into the situation regarding weather days in the Capitol District... as we've known here, none are left... meaning special days off are gone for the remainder of the year, with the probability growing that we'll be pushing the 2011 school year up to its end-of-June legal limit this year.

Union, TH board relations deteriorate
John Mason of the Register-Star reports that relations between Taconic Hills school officials and its employee unions, already strained, took a turn for the worse last week when a board member claimed he was being personally attacked by the union, and a union president said he was physically threatened by the board member. On Friday, March 4, many teachers wore orange to school to signify “anti-bullying,” after Faculty Association President Kevin Reis filed a complaint with the police and the district alleging Board Vice-President George Lagonia Jr. had threatened him. The chain of events began with union officials filing a petition with the board seeking the removal of three Taconic Hills school board members for being employed by the district as sports coaches, or having siblings also on the board... citing State Education Law that stipulates that board members cannot be employed by the school board they belong to, and that no more than one family member shall be a member of the same board of education.

Changes seen for Farmers' Market
The Daily Mail reports on a recent discussion about the coming Catskill Farmers Market by village officials, including the possible appointment of a market manager, which market participants don't see the need of, and prospects of opening the market to those receiving federal assistance for food purchases.

Cops look for flasher
The Register-Star reports that New York State Police at Livingston are looking for a man who allegedly exposed himself to minor children while inside the Walmart department store at Greenport Commons on Feb. 24 between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. The man was observed, authorities said, driving a red or maroon medium sized hatchback or small SUV style vehicle.

The National Weather Service says today will be partly cloudy in the morning, becoming overcast during the afternoon. High 44F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight, mostly cloudy with snow flurries and snow showers, especially overnight. Low 32F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Tomorrow, a wintry mix in the morning will transition to mainly rain in the afternoon. High 47F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Snow accumulations less than one inch.

Town meetings tonight
VILLAGE OF ATHENS meets at 6:30 p.m at the Athens Community Center, 2 First St., Athens
CLERMONT Planning Board, town hall at 7 p.m.
COLUMBIA COUNTY holds a full Board of Supervisors meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at 401 State St. in Hudson.
CITY OF HUDSON Planning Committee meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
GREENE COUNTY holds an informational session on the state property tax cap and its local effects at the Emergency Management Services, 25 Volunteer Drive, Cairo
JEWETT Town Meeting at 7:00 p.m., town hall.

Astronomical bodies

TIDES Hudson: High, 5:53 p.m./Low, 11:54 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 6:17 a.m./6:16 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8:02 a.m./10:56 p.m.

Birthdays
MARCH 9
Samuel Barber, Yuri Gargarin, John Cale, Juliette Binoche, and Ornette Coleman.


Tune in today
WGXC MORNING SHOW Philip Grant and Reid Ishmael are on-air guides. 6-8 a.m.
DEMOCRACY NOW! 8-9 a.m.
WGXC MORNING SHOW 9-10 a.m.
THE UNION EDGE A Prometheus Radio Project production on the Local Community Radio Act 10-11 a.m.
@ISSUE with Victor Mendolia and Francesca Olsen, talking to Hudson supervisor William Hughes 11 a.m. - noon
THE SCHOEMER SHOW with WGXC Musical Director Karen Schoemer 12 noon - 2:00 p.m.
NEWS ESPANOL with Magdalena Castellanos 2-3 p.m.
THE CATSKILL REVIEW OF BOOKS with Ian Williams of WJFF 3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
RADIO EXPLOSION! kids programming... by kids. 3:30-4:00 p.m.
THE AFTERNOON SHOW with Ann Cooper and Richard Roth 4-6:45 p.m.
RADIO ESPANOL 6:45-7:00 p.m.
GREENE COUNTY MEETING live coverage of a meeting on state tax cap effects on local governments, 7 - 9:30 p.m.
SIMON WHETHAM, GILL ARNO & BEN OWEN from Experimental Intermedia of Manhattan, 9:30 - midnight

Rebels set demands for Gaddafi exit
Al Jazeera has the original reporting about an offer Libyan rebels have made to embattled dictator Muammar Gaddafi that they will not pursue him for crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post in the next 72 hours. Other news organizations are now saying Gaddafi is considering the deal.

China considers relaxing one-child policy
The Guardian reports that "Beijing is considering whether to adopt a two-child policy within the next five years, ending the three-decade-old one-child rule." Experts are warning that the country's population of 1.3 billion is becoming dangerously unbalanced, with too few adults of working age supporting too many of their elders.

Oil prices volatile as Opec ministers hold discussions
The BBC has a story about how members of the Opec cartel of oil producing nations have been informally discussing whether to hold an emergency meeting to discuss output levels. Kuwait's oil minister said Opec would now have to decide if there was a need to increase production to make up for losses caused by unrest in Libya and other sources.

Boeing Deals Show Rising Clout of Asian Airlines
The International Herald Tribune reports that airline manufacturer Boeing is saying that it has reached deals to sell a total of 43 aircraft to two Chinese airlines, underlining the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region, and China in particular, for airlines and aircraft makers.

Che's motorcycle companion dies
Al Jazeera reports that Alberto Granado, who accompanied Che Guevara on an epic road trip credited with fuelling the revolutionary's sense of injustice, has died in Havana. Granado, a biochemist, and Guevara, then a young medical student, embarked together in 1951 on an epic road trip which took them the length of South America from their native Argentina. Granado's writings about the trip were later made into the film, The Motorcycle Diaries.

Democrats roll out climate change big guns, Republicans remain immune
The Guardian reports, incredulously, about the March 8 congressional hearings on climate change, where the nation's partisan divides failed to shift and more Republicans backed the idea that the world's scientific community was wrong. The House GOP is readying to move as early as March 10 to vote on a bill that would permanently block the Environmental Protection Agency from reducing greenhouse gas emissions from factories and would block any further reductions of car exhaust emissions after 2016.

Tea party steeped in redistricting
Alex Isenstadt at Politico has a piece about how tea party activists are now taking on redistricting across the nation, attempting to further the political gains it made last fall by working with state legislators to redraw the congressional landscape in their favor.

Tri-Valley fallout: US Senators ask for crackdown of illegal use of student visas
The Times of India looks into a little-known effort by four American Senators, including Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein, to launch an "immediate crackdown" on illegal use of student visas by foreign nationals to attend sham universities. "While many in India believe the students were victims, the U.S lawmakers said in a letter to immigration authorities that universities which exist solely to allow any foreign national with sufficient resources -- including potential criminals and terrorists -- to unlawfully enter the United States could endanger American national security." Talk about two perspectives...

House GOP Plans For More Short-Term Funding Extensions
Huffington Post's Elise Foley has some original reporting on House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy reaffirming that House Republicans would push for another temporary extension on government funding, despite concerns from the White House that heated debates surrounding a string of short-term budget stopgaps could roil skittish markets. He said Republicans will include at least $2 billion in funding cuts per week to meet their goal of trimming $60 billion from the budget by fiscal year's end. He added that the GOP still has "quite a few" ideas for additional cuts.

Machete-Wielding Sheen 'Free' After Sitcom Firing
Fox News runs a story on the Hollywood bad boy near the top of its webpage, noting how "Charlie Sheen waves machete after Warner Bros. terminates actor from CBS' 'Two and a Half Men'"

Shelter to remain open
The Register-Star reports that Columbia County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Roy Brown and Emergency Management Director William Black announced that the Red Cross Shelter at the Taconic Hills High School in Craryville will remain open through Wednesday, March 9 for anyone who has lost power and needs assistance. There will be sleeping areas and food available for anyone who needs these services... just don't bring pets, officvials are asking. For further information call the American Red Cross at 518-458-8111. If someone is need of transportation to the shelter and have no other way to get there please call 518-828-1212.

Nine Curves health clubs to reimburse prepaid memberships in region
Mid Hudson News Network reports that Hudson Valley residents who prepaid memberships for Curves fitness clubs will be reimbursed under an agreement announced Tuesday by State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The agreement was reached with Curves International, the franchisor of the local clubs. Statewide, 60 such closed shuttered their doors that year, according to the attorney general’s office.

Historic site closures questioned
The Times Union reports that a bipartisan group of six state legislators, including Sen. James Seward, have said they are "deeply concerned" by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation's decision to close four historic sites around the state, a move they say is unprecedented. They are principally concerned about Herkimer Home State Historic Site in the Mohawk Valley, the Colonial abode of a Revolutionary War hero for whom Herkimer County is named. "It is troubling that your office has apparently interpreted that the Legislature's conveyance of significant power to the commissioner to care for state park lands was also meant to enable him or her to act in a harmful way toward those same public assets," the group wrote. "We believe that neither closing a site nor removing its collection objects is authorized in the language of the existing statute."

Board debates fee for using Canna park
Cairo officials are debating charging a fee for use of Angelo Canna Town Park and Acra Community Center, a first for the town. Key in the discussion... how much revenue WOULD be brought in by such a move, and how would it effect those groups renting the facilities now.

$100,000 study would look at pollution, hydrology of South Bay
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star reports that the Army Corps of Engineers may soon be coming to Hudson to undertake a $100,000 fully funded environmental study of the South Bay wetlands. A resolution was moved forward for the city to become a “local non-federal sponsor” of a congressional bill authorizing the funding for the ACE study at the informal meeting of the Hudson Common Council Monday. If approved by Congress the study would not need matching funds from the city, as some grants do, and would not require the approval of the land’s owner, the Holcim Cement Company. Key to the study is a proposal by Holcim to put a road in across the wetlands to "divert" truck traffic.


NY lobbyists see record year in 2010
The Albany Business Journal reports that lobby groups spent about $211 million in 2010 to influence legislators on bills they were facing in the state. New York Public Interest Research Group says the biggest campaign—$12.9 million—was spent by soft-drink companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi to try to quash a soda tax.

By Gus Murphy

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="The closed Ockawamick School in Philmont was turned down, by the village, as a potential home for a countywide skilled nursing facility."][/caption]Francesca Olsen of the Register-Star reports that the county-owned Ockawamick School on Route 217 in Philmont will no longer be considered as a potential option for the new incarnation of the county-run Pine Haven nursing facility after Philmont Mayor Skip Speed met with county Public Works Commissioner David Robinson last week and told him his community didn't want to cover the costs of water and sewer hook-ups. Two weeks ago, the county Board of Supervisors’ Public Works Committee passed a resolution to pay for a study examining the feasibility of putting the new Pine Haven facility at the facility, which had earlier been seen as a possible home for the county's social services department. At that time it was noted that since Ockawamick is not connected to any public water or sewer system, it would have had to connect to the Philmont sewer plant at an unknown cost. The county okayed a stipulation that the county would only spend the money to do the study if Philmont was on board, since the village owns the sewer plant and would have to approve any additional capacity it would take in. The Village Board is opposed to the idea. Speed added that his community likes the Pine Haven facility just where it is. The mayor later commented on the string of faulty county study decisions of late. “They’re just spending money foolishly,” Speed told Olsen. “They’re trying to do Walmart, they’re trying to do Ockawamick now — come on, guys! You guys are just out of control here. That’s not their money. That’s everybody else in Columbia County’s money.” At present Ockawamick is being used as a county facilities workshop and dry storage for central services and other departments. County officials say they have no other ideas for use of the facility at this point in time.