Mistaken identity muddles Catskill candidacy
The Greenville Press (no web site)

CATSKILL - Linda Fenoff scoops everyone with the story of Linda Overbaugh's now potentially failed candidacy for Greene County Legislator. It seems there are two Linda Overbaughs in Catskill, and local Republicans claim a Board of Elections official put the wrong Overbaugh on the petitions to add her to the ballot. Overbaugh, who most political observers deemed a favorite in the race, now may not be on the ballot at all, since all the signatures she received were for someone else, and incumbent Democrat Forest Cotten, who challenged the petition, has a much better chance. (Overbaugh is executive director of Heart of Catskill Association, and full disclosure, was on the WGXC Radio Council for a few months before she said she was too busy and withdrew.) In the story, local GOP officials hilariously seem to say they wouldn't have challenged a Democrat if they would have made a similar mistake. No one believes that. But if a Board of Elections official made the error, perhaps a State Supreme Court judge will rule in her favor on the petitions, as the GOP is petitioning to get her on the ballot. Otherwise, if enough voters write in her name exactly on Sept. 15's primary, she can get back on the ballot.

Greene County OKs new tax on mortgages
From The Daily Freeman

CATSKILL - The Greene County Legislature voted to raise taxes Thursday on new home buyers in Greene County. Voting to raise taxes were Catskill's Karen Deyo (R), Dorothy Prest (R), Keith Valentine (R); Coxsackie's Charles A. Martinez (R) and Wayne Speenburgh (R); Greenville's Kenneth E. Dudley (R); Prattsville, Ashland, Windham, and Jewett's James Hitchcock (R), and Halcott, Lexington, and Hunter's Larry Gardner (D). Legislators Forest Cotten, D-Catskill, and Sean Frey, D-Durham, voted against the tax, while William Lawrence, R-Cairo; Harry Lennon, D-Cairo; James Van Slyke, D-New Baltimore; and Ray Brooks, R-Athens, were absent. Beginning Oct. 1, home buyers in Greene County will be required to pay an additional 50 cents per $100 on new mortgages. This new tax will be on top of the current 75-cents-per-$100 surcharge assessed on all new mortgages, of which 25 cents is paid to the state by the mortgage lender and 50 cents is paid by the borrower to the municipality where the property is located. The total mortgage recording tax will increase to $1.25 per $100, with 50 cents per $100 being paid to the county.

New accountant faces old budget deficit
From The Register-Star

COPAKE - The Town Board fired accountant Brian Fitzgerald Wednesday night after he told them last month they are facing a $175,000 budget deficit at the end of the year. The Town Board did not believe his numbers and fired him for mishandling funds, acting disrespectfully at public meetings to Board members and residents, and sending internal town business e-mails to the Register-Star. They hired accountant Michael Torchia, who told them the deficit was about the same, just slighty more.

Columbia and Greene pork
From The Albany Times-Union
The Times-Union is tracking the pork projects approved by New York legislators for Columbia and Greene counties:
Columbia County:
STUYVESANT FIRE DISTRICT ONE $10,000 GORDON-T STUYVESANT
VALATIE FIRE DEPARTMENT $6,000 GORDON-T VALATIE
NORTH CHATHAM FREE LIBRARY $5,000 GORDON-T NORTH CHATHAM
KINDERHOOK MEMORIAL LIBRARY $4,000 GORDON-T KINDERHOOK
TOWN OF NEW LEBANON $3,000 GORDON-T NEW LEBANON
AIDS COUNCIL OF NORTHEASTERN NEW YORK, INC. FAIRVIEW PLAZA - $2,500 GORDON-T HUDSON
LEBANON VALLEY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION $2,500 GORDON-T NEW LEBANON
COLUMBIA GREENE COMMUNITY COLLEGE $10,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
WEST GHENT FIRE COMPANY $7,500 MOLINARO GHENT
PHILMONT FIRE COMPANY $5,500 MOLINARO PHILMONT
GREENPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT $4,800 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON VALLEY AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. $4,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
GREENPORT PUMPER COMPANY NO. 1 $3,600 MOLINARO HUDSON
CITY OF HUDSON $3,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
CITY OF HUDSON YOUTH DEPARTMENT $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
COLUMBIA COUNTY RIDE PROGRAM $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON VALLEY AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. $3,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $2,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
VFW POST 1314-HUDSON $2,500 MOLINARO HUDSON
HUDSON POLICE DEPARTMENT $2,000 MOLINARO HUDSON
THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP $1,300 MOLINARO HUDSON
CHATHAM HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER $500 MOLINARO CHATHAM
Columbia-Greene Community College $50,000 Saland Hudson
R.I.D.E. Program $9,000 Saland Hudson
West Ghent Volunteer Fire Company $7,500 Saland Ghent
North Chatham Free Library $5,000 Saland North Chatham
Greenport Pumper Co. No. 1, Inc. $3,600 Saland Hudson
Greene County:
TOWN OF NEW BALTIMORE TOWN HALL - $7,500 GORDON-T HANNACROIX
VEDDER RESEARCH LIBRARY $5,000 GORDON-T COXSACKIE
HEERMANCE MEMORIAL LIBRARY $2,500 GORDON-T COXSACKIE
Greene County Industrial Development Agency $18,500 Seward Coxsackie
Greene County Pop Warner Football Association, Inc. $5,000 Seward South Cairo

(Kaya Weidman, left, and Alex Malmude of WGXC host a broadcast on Warren St. Saturday, interviewing local youth, musicians, artists, officials, and other passers-by. See www.WGXC.org for more information.)

Disgruntled residents go postal about Claverack office
From The Register-Star

CLAVERACK - Local residents are up in arms about the poor condition of the Claverack post office, and have enlisted Congressman Scott Murphy, (D-20th), to write to the facilities manager of the United States Postal Service to fix the problem. Watch the YouTube video outlining the problems with the post office below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5vWEOu32ks&hl=en&fs=1&]

Congressman Murphy to appear in area
With Congress on vacation, U.S. Representative Scott Murphy (D-NY20) will make several public appearances this month. Here are the stops announced in our area this week:
Wednesday, August 5: Groundbreaking for Harrier Hill Park at Rod & Gun Club Road, Hudson, NY, 11 a.m.; Local Ocean Site Visit and Press Conference, Local Ocean, 4269 US Route 9, Hudson, NY, 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 8: Valatie Congress-On-Your-Corner; The Golden Harvest Farm, 3074 US Highway 9, Valatie, NY; 11 a.m.

The Migliorelli Farm store opened this week in Hudson, on the corner of Warren St. and Third St. They also have farm stands at Rt. 199 and River Road in Rhinebeck (the bridge approach) and Rt. 9 in Red Hook across from Rhinebeck Savings Bank.

Seward calls on Paterson to spend stimulus funds on dairy farmers
NY%20State%20Sen.%20Jim%20Seward%20Dairy%20Stimulus%20-%2007-31.MP3
Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I- Oneonta) calls on the governor to release $60 million in federal stimulus funds to save New York farms in the above mp3 audio clip. Seward has written the governor asking him to appropriate $60 million in unclaimed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money to assist farmers in the short term.

Murphy: No more clunker cash just yet
From Capitol Confidential

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 316 to 109 on Friday to provide emergency funds for the so-called "cash-for-clunkers" car-rebate program after the original funding was quickly snapped up. Local representative Scott Murphy (D-NY20) voted against the measure. "Earlier this year, I voted for $1 billion for the Cash for Clunkers program, but before we spend another $2 billion, we should take the time to assess what worked and what didn’t," Murphy said. "I am committed to carefully evaluating these programs to ensure that we are good stewards of your tax dollars."

WGXC will be in Hudson this weekend, with two live broadcasts. Tonight, WGXC Online Radio will have a live web stream with performances from Kyle "Golden Delicious" Clements (Saber Coup), Cyrus Gengras, and Mikey Corcoran (formerly Luxury Flats, Saber Coup). Saturday Kaya Weidman, Alex Malmude, Suzanne Snider, Dan Udell, Jordan Smith, Michael Davis, Tom Roe, and others will set up a live broadcast on the sidewalk next to Dogs of Hudson (near the John Doe Books & Records store) on Warren St. (between 3rd and 4th Sts.). The public is welcome to come by and get interviewed on the air, and learn more about the area's new community radio station. Tune in either broadcast at www.WGXC.org.

Deluge causes states of emergency in 4 towns
From The Columbia Paper

The Columbia County towns of Kinderhook, New Lebanon, Stuyvesant and Chatham all declared States of Emergency after a long downpour late Wednesday and early Thursday. Travel within those townships is restricted, and the rain returned on Friday which will cause more problems. About 40 roads in Columbia County have been closed due to flooding or other rain-related problems. The Daily Mail reports Coxsackie saw the worst of the rain in Greene County.

NYCLU blasts Cairo for seeking fees from plaintiffs
From The Daily Mail

CAIRO - In May, The New York Civil Liberties Union decried a resolution passed by the Cairo Town Board as “chilling.” The Cairo Town Board passed a resolution April 15 to try to recover more than $13,000 in attorney fees from plaintiffs in a recent Article 78 lawsuit against the Town Ellsworth “Unk” Slater, the Cairo Township Taxpayers Association and Cairo First. The lawsuit was dismissed in March but is currently being appealed. Councilman Richard Lorenz, who offered the resolution, Councilman Raymond Suttmeier and Town Supervisor John Coyne voted for the resolution. Councilwoman Janet Schwarzenegger voted against the resolution. Councilwoman Alice Tunison abstained from the vote because she wanted to discuss the matter with Town Attorney Tal Rappleyea before making a decision. “We believe that there is no legal provision for the recovery of the fees from the plaintiffs, and efforts to recover fees from them would be illegal,” wrote Melanie Trimble, of the NYCLU.

WRIP celebrates a decade of broadcasting on the mountaintop and beyond
From Windham Journal

WINDHAM - Excellent Windham radio station WRIP (97.9-FM) celebrates its 10-year anniversary in and old airport hangar that had been converted into a bowling alley.

CSEA endorses Gillibrand
From The Albany Project

The largest public employees union in New York, CSEA, endorsed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for Senate in the 2010 elections. "Senator Gillibrand is an important ally for CSEA members and other working people," CSEA President Danny Donohue said. "She understands the pressures that our members experience on and off the job and she has consistently worked with us.

‘Taking Woodstock’ premieres in Chatham
From The Register-Star

CHATHAM - Oscar winning director Ang Lee’s new film "Taking Woodstock" premiered Thursday at the Crandall Theater in a fundraiser for the Chatham Film Club and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

Paterson calls for disaster declaration
From The Columbia Paper

Governor David Paterson requested the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designate Columbia and 16 other counties as agricultural disaster areas. Local farmers report problems with tomato, cherry, strawberry, rye, oats, and other crops this summer.

Is Scott Murphy in the clear?
From The In Box

The North Country Public Radio blog reports that national Republicans are not running ads in U.S. Representative (D-20) Scott Murphy's district, and do not seem to be targeting the new Congressman. The Albany Times-Union's Capitol Confidential reported in mid-July that the Democrat hauled in $567,000 from April 1-June 30.

Town Board finally sets public hearing for Comprehensive Plan
From Chatham Courier

CHATHAM — A public hearing has been set for the revised draft of the town’s Comprehensive Plan Aug. 20, after the public hearing for the Leash Law.

Man and Nature: Aurum, an installation by Laetitia Hussain
From The Register-Star

CATSKILL - Andrew Amelinckx's blog reviews Laetitia Hussain's show "Aurum" at Terenchin Fine Art. The Hudson-baes artist, "uses cast-off items, both natural and man-made to talk about the relationship between humanity and nature in its positive and negative aspects," writes Amelinckx. "The work’s gilding helps to integrate the pieces internally and as a whole, they suffer from a loss of the individual color characteristics of the materials used."

LIVE TONIGHT

Mother Fletcher perform at Bard College's Spiegeltent at 7 p.m.

Committee in possible violation of state open meetings law
From The Register Star

I don't understand the word "possible" in that headline: The Columbia County Building and Facilities and Public Works/Waste Board of Supervisors committees met July 22 at Kozel’s restaurant in Ghent without public notice. That is a violation of the Open Meetings Law. They met after a tour of county facilities -- which was announced -- but no mention of the meeting appeared on the county's web site or in the Public Notices section of The Register-Star. No one in the article contradicts those facts.

Ethics panel to investigate allegations against supervisor
From The Daily Mail

JEWETT - The Ethics Committee will investigate Town Supervisor Michael Flaherty, who is accused by Jewett highway superintendent Robert Mallory of for failing to secure a building permit for a project at his home. “I have attended board meetings in this room for 15-plus years. Anyone attending only a few meetings would know that a building permit is required for anything outside of a four-foot fence," said Mallory. “Supervisor Flaherty knew a permit was needed and [for] whatever reason failed to obtain one."

'Twenty tires, three batteries and a ton of scrap metal'
From Unmuffled

HUDSON - The good news: there are not two fuel dumps buried next to M.C. Smith Intermediate School in Hudson. The bad news: it cost $10,000 to find a lot of junk. George Keeler, the Hudson City School District Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, told to the Board of Education about the buried treasure at the Board's meeting Monday.

Kinderhook GOP loses line on Conservative ballot
From The Register-Star

KINDERHOOK - Four candidates the Columbia County Conservative party endorsed to run for Kinderhook town offices will not be appearing on the Conservative line on the ballot at the November Election for failing to to file a certificate of authorization. The candidates are Patrick Grattan, nominated to head the slate as town supervisor, and newcomers Patsy Leader and Glenn Smith for seats on the Town Board, and Incumbent Highway Superintendent John Ruchel, Jr. for a second term in office. Lisa Mills, the Republican candidate for town justice will still be listed on the Conservative line, as candidates for the justice position are not required to fill out the authorization forms.

(Erin Roberts and Jordan Smith at the WGXC booth at the Greene County Youth Fair. Photo by Michael Davis.)

WGXC has added new audio. Click on the links, and then click on the triangle next to the word "audio" on the right, to download and/or listen to the files:

NY State Senator James Seward interviewed by WGXC's Michael Davis and Jordan Smith at Greene County Youth Fair., July 23, 2009. In Cairo, NY.

Alexander Turnquist at Spotty Dog in Hudson, 072609., July 26, 2009. Live performance. 192 kbps mp3.

John Madden and the Deep Sea Divers perform at Spotty Dog in Hudson 072609, July 26, 2009. Live performance. 192 kbps mp3.

DJ Mr. Chips and Eclectic Method at Jason's Upstairs Bar in Hudson_071709, July 17, 2009. Live webstream for community radio station WGXC.

Armstrong literally outside the tent
From The Greenville Press (no web site)

CAIRO - Les Armstrong was literally outside the tent at the Greene County Youth Fair in Cairo last weekend. While the Greene County Republicans and Democrats both staffed booths with signs promoting local candidates under a big top, Armstrong had his own sign propped up against his truck at one of the tent's entrances. At one point, this reporter watched as a dog sniffed the sign and...well, we won't go into details on this family blog. Armstrong's candidacy, as recounted in The Press, has had some trouble. He turned in his nominating petitions to run as a Republican for the Durham seat in the Greene County Legislature. Republican Elsie Allen got his in to challenge Democratic incumbent Sean Frey. The day Armstrong turned in his nominations, there were no Republicans in the election office, as they were all attending the funeral of longtime Republican Election Commissioner Frank DeBenedictus. So Democratic Town Commissioner Tom Burker didn't warn Armstrong that he lacked witness statements, a cover page, and numbered pages. So James Karcheck, who lost the Republican nomination to Armstrong in 2006 but remained on the ballot, challenged his petitions, which were disqualified. Frey has to be hoping Armstrong somehow gets on the ballot, perhaps by collecting 40 signatures on an independent nominating petition by Aug. 18.

Wounded soldier returns home from Iraq
From The Daily Mail

NEW BALTIMORE - Sgt. First Class James T. Rundberg returned home to New Baltimore Sunday after being wounded in Iraq by a roadside bomb June 25. Rundberg earlier received a Purple Heart and Sunday took home proclamations and resolutions from the New Baltimore Town Board, NY State Sen. James L. Seward, R-Oneonta, and U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy (D, NY-20).

Catskill Village Board does not meet
CATSKILL - The Catskill Village Board failed to meet Monday night for lack of a quorum. At least five cars turned up at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center for the meeting to see signs announcing that news, while the town's web site continued to proclaim the meeting was on.

Natalie Merchant live and local
From Tivoli Type

Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant performed unannounced Saturday at Bard College's Spiegeltent with, "a piano, a little red notebook of music she compiled in the wee hours the night before, and a pen. She sang, played, joked, and made notes in the margins as she worked through the material. It was as much a songwriter's workshop as a performance, and aren't we lucky to have been there."

Gillibrand leads charge to keep gays in the military
From The Daily Beast

WASHINGTON - New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has secured an agreement from the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” gays-in-the-military policy this fall. It would be the first formal re-assessment of the policy since Congress passed it into law in 1993. Recently, Gillibrand tried to add an amendment to the Military Reauthorization Act that would have temporarily suspended the policy, but withdrew it when she determined the amendment would not pass. This is her latest attempt to solidify support from her left for her 2010 primary election to retain her seat.

Greenway announces $75,000 trail grant program
From The Register-Star

The Hudson River Valley Greenway has applications available for the 2009 Greenway Conservancy Small Grant Program, with $75,000 in matching grants for funding for trail planning and design, construction and rehabilitation, and education and interpretation.

NOTES
Fred Dicker reports in The New York Post that former MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, a major Republican fund-raiser and activist, is endorsing Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for governor....The Daily Mail and The Register-Star recently completed a wonderful redesign of their web sites. Unfortunately, they are charging readers to look at articles more than a few days old. Good luck with that....Columbia County's CCScoop says it is changing to a non-profit web site, and asking for donations. Good luck with that.

Murphy may bring home bacon to Greene and Columbia counties
From The Daily Mail

WASHINGTON - New U.S. Representative Scott Murphy may fund four projects in his District (D-20) with his additions to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act (THUD) FY 2010. If the bill passes the Senate, he will bring $200,000 for restoration and repair of the Hudson Area Library and $100,000 for a trains-to-trails program in Greene County. The Daily Mail reporter speculates that the former Catskill to Cairo rail line will be turned into a recereation path. The $1,140,000 four-item pool Murphy may bring to the region includes $40,000 for sidewalk upgrades in the Delaware County community of Sidney; and $800,000 for upgrade and renovation of Warren County’s Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport.

County, state sales taxes exempted for development
From The Daily Mail

COXSACKIE - The Greene County Industrial Development Agency exempted Coxsackie Waterfront Properties LLC from county and state sales taxes on building materials and construction costs on projects at 45 Reed St., 49 Reed St., and 1 Mansion St. for a projected cost to taxpayers/benefit to the company of $1.2 million. The company, owned by retired businessman Thomas Giamboi, also received a Quantum Fund loan of $260,000 toward that number in October of last year.

Part of Route 212 in Saugerties to be closed this week
From The Daily Freeman

SAUGERTIES - State Route 212 between Railroad Avenue and Teetsel Street in Saugerties will be closed from today through Thursday. Westbound traffic should take Ulster Avenue to Canoe Hill Road to Kraut Road to U.S. Route 9W to Malden Turnpike to state Route 32 and then back to Ulster Avenue. Eastbound traffic should take Ulster Avenue to Route 32 to Malden Turnpike to Route 9W to Main Street and back to Ulster Avenue.

Prattsville shares cell service concerns with County Legislature
From The Windham Journal

PRATTSVILLE - This Greene County town has spotty cell phone service. JNS Enterprises was supposed to have put up a new tower in the Fairlawn Cemetery this spring, that was going to share $2,000 a month with the town. But carriers will not commit to JNS because the area will still have spotty service, since Lexington won't commit to a similar plan. So Prattsville town leaders are getting together to write a letter to the Greene County Legislature to do something about it. I guess they couldn't make a call.

Murphy supports Obama health care legislation
From Times Union

While the Working Families Party and other grassroots groups have targeted U.S. Represenative Scott Murphy (D-20) along with four other New York representatives, Murphy wrote an op-ed in the Albany Times Union supporting the plan. "As a small businessman, I understand that health care reform is not only critical for healthy families and strong businesses, but it's also a critical component of long-term economic recovery," he wrote.

Avalon does it again!
From Nippertown!

Woodstock’s Avalon Peacock (of the alt-country band Mechanical Bull) has moved into the Final Four on the CMT country music singing competition cable television show, “Can You Duet.” Judge Naomi Judd raved about Peacock and singing partner Ryan Larkins, You guys are vintage and classic, and yet you’re so now. And you always leave me wanting more.”

Ancram ponders orphaning roads
From The Columbia Paper

ANCRAM - The Town of Ancram is considering cutting back on the maintenance or abandoning several town roads: Crest Lane Extension, Sheppard Road, Rothvoss Road, Ken's Road, School House Road, Altenburg Road, Rabbit Tail Road, Stewart's Road, Bash Road and portions of Sawchuck Road and Over Mountain Road. The Town would change the streets to "seasonal-use roads" and would not have to clear snow.

Planners to invoke independent review clause
From The Daily Mail

HUNTER - The Town of Hunter planning board will for the first time force two applicants, Cortina Mountain Estates and Twin Mountain Estates, to pay for an independent review by an engineering firm. The Planning Board choose Delaware Engineering for the work.

Seward will hold meetings with dairy farmers
From The Daily Mail

CAIRO - State Sen. James L. Seward, R-Oneonta will hold an emergency meeting soon in Cobleskill to address the crisis among dairy farmers, and will schedule other meetings in Greene and Columbia counties, according to a story in The Daily Mail about the Greene County Youth Fair.

Gillibrand vote defeats Thune amendment
From The Albany Project

WASHINGTON - New New York Senator Kirstin Gillibrand cast her most important vote so far Wednesday, defeating the Thune amendment, which would have allowed individuals who are licensed to carry concealed weapons to carry those same weapons in other states that allow for the possession of such weapons. Gillibrand has been attacked by the left-wing of her party as too permissive on gun legislation, and is facing several primary challengers. "It is simply wrong for the federal government to overrule a state's ability to enact reasonable, constitutional gun laws designed to prevent criminals and other violent and dangerous persons from carrying guns in city streets," she said on the Senate floor.The vote was 58-39 to attach the legislation to a defense spending bill, just short of the necessary votes.

Businesses in Catskill close
From Seeing Greene

CATSKILL - Dick May reports that Harold Hanson's Verso gallery is closed (though the Hudson store remains open), and that Valley Dry Cleaners in Catskill will close at the end of August. He also reports that efforts are under way to open the 280-seat Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, in the old Orpheum Theater.

Senior housing draws neighbors’ fire
From The Daily Mail

CATSKILL - Everyone wants local development in this area, but no one wants to live next to it. A plan to change a 18-acre site at 49 Vedder Road in Catskill from 10 mobile homes to 33 manufactured homes geared toward retirees aged 55 years and older called Moonlight Ridge is drawing opposition from the neighbors. Most opposing the plan quoted in a Daily Mail article are named Vedder. The engineer working on the project, Ewald Schwarzenegger, is opposing a new business next to his house in Cairo. A second Catskill Planning Board public hearing about Moonlight Ridge will be held at 7 p.m. July 28 in Catskill Town Hall, 439 Main St.

Town, IDA to tackle wind project
From The Daily Mail

HUNTER - The Town of Hunter and Greene County Industrial Development Agency will split the cost of a wind turbine to power the town's landfill, and eliminate that cost and help the environment.

Appellate Division lifts Ravitch injunction
From Capitol Confidential

ALBANY - Tuesday a judge put on hold Gov. David Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor. Wednesday, The Appellate Division, Second Department, lifted the preliminary injunction preventing the appointment.

For the next four days WGXC will record performances and create a radio stream of the event. Cairo-Durham High School students Michael Davis and Jordan Smith will host much of the broadcasts. WGXC is looking for other youth to host the event, interview participants, and run the radio show. WGXC's Erin Roberts, Dharma Dailey, Kaya Weidman, Alex Malmude, Tom Roe, and Galen Joseph-Hunter will aid the students, and run the broadcasts when Davis and Smith cannot be there, or if no other trained youth are around. Live from Cairo Town Park, free admission. Thu-Sat, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To join the broadcast team, e-mail info @ wgxc.org. WGXC is free103point9's new community radio station for Greene and Columbia counties in upstate New York. "Hands-On Radio" is the station's slogan.
Greene County Youth Fair.

Proposal leaves DSS in Hudson
From The Register-Star

HUDSON - Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) and Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera stood together at a press conference Tuesday and announced a new proposal that would keep the Department of Social Services in Hudson. The county would buy the One City Centre building on the corner of State and Green streets in Hudson; departments currently in the County Office Buildings at 401 and 610 State Street would move to City Centre. The total square footage of 401 and 610 State Street is 36,000 square feet, 24,000 at 401 and 12,000 at 610 State Street. DSS would stay in its current building on Railroad Avenue for the duration of its lease, which ends in 2011; and then move to One City Centre. Baer called the proposal “a great solution for a difficult problem” and said “I’m looking forward to implementing it.” “The logistics of the planning -- there’s a lot to discuss,” said Scalera. “The commitment to keep DSS in the city of Hudson is what we’ve been working for.” Baer previously opposed such a plan, but switched positions because of falling real estate values. The Register-Star says One City Centre was going for $5 million last year, but now is selling for $2 million. “This is not a done deal,” Baer said. “We are only in discussion with the bank. There are still many pieces that have to be put together in the puzzle.”

Copake Green project set to sprout again
From CCScoop

COPAKE - Large developers bring big projects to small towns in this area, and often get special treatment. Like in Copake last week, where Housing Resources Executive Director Kevin O'Neill got to re-introduce his 139-unit Copake Green project to a Copake Planning Board meeting even though he was not on the agenda. From the CCscoop story:

"Although O’Neill did not request to be put on the agenda ten days in advance of the meeting — the Planning Board requirement — [Planning Board Chairman Marcia] Becker explained that, because there was a light agenda in July and because Housing Resources owns land in the town, she believed allowing O’Neill to make his twenty-minute presentation was the right thing to do.'It caused an uproar that we let him speak. . . . So from now on we are adhering to the ten-day rule,' Becker said."

Medical center, bank storage get green light
From The Daily Mail

CATSKILL - The Catskill Planning Board approved site plans for the 3,000 square-foot Urgent Care facility proposed for Grandview Avenue and for a Bank of Greene County storage facility on Windsor Street after hearing brief presentations on each proposal. The medical facility used Architect Josh Pulver, a relative of planning board member Michelle Pulver. She recused herself when it came to the vote, but as an anonymous reader commented on the story, "Nothing assures the approval of a project better than hiring the relative of a judge and town planner as your architect, and paying him astronomical fees."

Copake opts for outside budget review
From The Columbia Paper

COPAKE--The Copake Town Board hired a second accountant to make sure the first accountant's figures of a estimated $175,000 budget shortfall are correct. “We all agree that our first course of action should be an independent audit to verify the numbers or find out if they are not correct. We have to know where we are,” Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley told the audience at the Town Board's regular monthly meeting July 9.

Court Sides With GOP On Ravitch, Paterson Vows To Appeal
From The Daily News' The Daily Politics

ALBANY - State Supreme Court Justice William R. LaMarca granted the Republican Party's motion for a preliminary injunction that prevents just-appointed Lt. Govenor Richard Ravitch from "exercising any of the powers" of the LG's office, pending a final judgment, noting there is no provision in the Constitution that allows the governor to appoint a replacement LG when a vacancy occurs in that office.

New Department of Social Services proposal?
From The Register-Star

"There will be a press conference at 4:30 p.m. today in the Supervisors' Chambers at the county office building on 401 State St., Hudson, on the future placement of the county Department of Social Services. Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer, the Board of Supervisors, the Hudson Common Council, and Mayor Richard Scalera will discuss the future of a new home for the DSS staff and facilities."

Nonprofit's report cites lack of slaughterhouses in New York
From The Register-Star

Andrew Amelinckx writes an excellent story based on a report by Washington D.C. based consumer watchdog group Food and Water Watch that finds not enough slaughterhouses in New York state and blames federal policies that, it says, favors larger operations. There are two USDA certified slaughterhouses in Columbia County, Van Wie in Stockport and Hilltown Pork, Inc. Robert Beckwith of Hilltown Pork says he is backed up with animals until 2010. “People want to know where their meat is coming from,” he said. “There aren’t enough USDA facilities to meet the demand.”

Murphy plans steps to help dairy farmers
From The Columbia Paper

With milk prices falling to 1979 levels and New York dairy farmers expected to lose $650 million this year, new U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy plans to introduce legislation to help. The proposed legislation would further subsidize dairy farmers, and create a herd retirement program meant to curtail supply. “This proposal works two-fold, by providing immediate relief to our struggling dairy farmers today, and stabilizing the dairy industry for tomorrow. Before more small farmers are forced out of business, we need to bring fast relief and stability to the industry.”

Lates poll: Maloney 33% Gillibrand 27%
From Rasmussen Reports

In a very early poll, New York City congresswoman Carolyn Maloney leads appointed Senator Kristen Gillibrand with 33 percent of the vote to 27 percent and nine percent preferring some other candidate. Thirty percent are undecided.

City wants to charge for parking at Amtrak
From The Register-Star

HUDSON - Jamie Larson writes that the Hudson Common Council will consider a new tax on mass transit use, charging for parking at the city's Hudson train station to bring in $197,000 to the city. He only reports the interests of the city, though, and fails to mention which of the two parking lots will feature the up-to-$3-a-day charges, and how the city will deal with folks who stop by for a few minutes to pick someone up and will now, I am guessing, be waiting in the street causing a bit of a traffic mess.

Copake accountant now puts everything in writing
From The Register-Star

COPAKE - Jamie Larson writes that Copake Town Accountant Brian Fitzgerald is now only reporting town budget issues in writing after mysterious town officials who are never indentified in the story blamed him for the town's estimated $175,000 2009 shortfall. These mystery officials, Larson reports, say Fitzgerald never warned them of the impending deficit. Fitzgerald says they were warned and spent too much money. Why no one else is quoted in this story is the real mystery.

PCBs (not) in the Hudson River
From CCScoop

The Environmental Protection Agency’s current clean-up of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the north Hudson River has not polluted the river downstream, CCScoop reports. "There hasn't been any significant change in the concentrations in the lower river," said Patrick Palmer of the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Water Supply Protection. The EPA is monitoring the river's PCB levels at Green Island, Poughkeepsie, Port Ewen, and Rhinebeck. Those municipalities were selected for monitoring every two weeks because they rely on the river for their water supplies.

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Local housing groups get $650,000 in grants
From The Daily Mail

The Hunter Foundation, in Tannersville, and the Catskill Mountain Housing Development Corporation, in Catskill, were notified Thursday that they are each a recipient of grants — $300,000 and $350,000, respectively — from NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), the administrator agency for federal U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. The money is part of a statewide package of $31.4 million in housing grants announced by Gov. David A. Paterson Thursday.

Wilzig track foes win latest round in court
From The Columbia Paper

State Supreme Court Judge Patrick J. McGrath handed down an interim decision last week denying Alan Wilzig's petition for dismissal of a complaint filed by the Granger Group in regard to his private motorcycle track. Mr. Wilzig received site plan approval and designation as a permissible recreational use from the Town of Taghkanic's Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board earlier this year. But he was unable to proceed with paving the track because of an injunction against further construction on the facility. The injunction was obtained by the Granger Group, an association of citizens opposed to the track and concerned about enforcement of town zoning law, and by neighbors to the Wilzig property who believe that the track is not allowed under the zoning laws.

Hudson antique dealers struggling
From The Register-Star

Antique sales in Hudson are down around 20 to 30 percent, according to Hudson Antiques Dealers Association president Frank Rosa. Jennifer Arensksjold, co-owner of Arenskjold Antiques Art and Modern Design says sales actually fell more after the recession associated with the World Trade Center attack, which also coincided with a change in buyers' tastes.

Falling dairy prices strain farmers
From The Daily Mail

A top official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture defended his agency’s response to tumbling milk prices as “extremely aggressive” but showed little appetite Tuesday for immediate and far-reaching measures that some lawmakers say would keep thousands of dairy farmers in business. The Daily Mail story does not mention New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's work on this issue:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing legislation that would increase the amount farmers get through the Milk Income Loss Contract -- or MILC --program. MILC pays dairy farmers cash when milk prices fall below certain levels. When demand is up, prices tend to be up as well. The program is aimed at helping small and midsize dairy farmers weather low prices. But Gillibrand says that under the current pricing structure, farmers aren't receiving enough income to cover the costs of staying in business. She's introducing a bill this week that would double the amount of money farmers get from the MILC program retroactive to the low point of the pricing crisis in March. Another bill would increase the MILC rate to account for inflation.

Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop
From The New York Times

A highly contagious fungus that destroys tomato plants has quickly spread to nearly every state in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, and the weather over the next week may determine whether the outbreak abates or whether tomato crops are ruined, according to federal and state agriculture officials.

Trippi's weird "apology"
From The Albany Project

"Joe Trippi, who has been working secretly for Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) in her primary challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for more than a month, posted an odd "apology" for his deception (which occurred at Daily Kos, Huffington Post and with several reporters) on his website yesterday." This comes after PolitickerNY found Maloney's second quarter FEC filing and found a $10,500 check to Trippi dated June 5, well before he stopped writing about Maloney as if he was an unpaid observer.

LIVE TONIGHT:
Mark Eitzel will perform at 8 p.m. Jason's Upstairs Bar, 521 Warren St. in Hudson.