Tune in today
TUNE IN WGXC will air the following live shows on WGXC Online Radio Thursday:
•WGXC Morning Show 6-8 a.m./9-11 a.m. live with Casson Kennedy, Mark Lacoy, Kaya Weidman, and Sara Kendall from 6-8 a.m., and with Sam Sebren, Ellen Thurston, Christina Malisoff, Richard Roth, Alan Skerrett, and Nancy Rothman from 9-11 a.m. The latter group's "Tell It Like It Is" airs from 10-11 a.m.
Click here to listen.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Windham Town Hall, from website."][/caption]Town meetings tonight
TOWN OF WINDHAM Regular Town Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 8 p.m. in the Windham Town Hall, located on Main St. in Hensonville.


Weather
COLD Partly cloudy, temperatures in 20s.


Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 9:05 a.m./Low, 4:18 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:23 a.m./4:44 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11:28 a.m./1:17 a.m.


Birthdays
JANUARY 13 Charles Nelson Reilly, Jay McInerney, and Suggs.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="247" caption="NY State Senator James Seward (left) congratulates Surprise resident George R. Federoff as the Senate's new sergeant-at-arms."][/caption]George R. Federoff of the Village of Surprise in the Town of Greenville, is the new sergeant-at-arms of the New York State Senate through 2012, State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta, who represents Greene County) announced Wednesday. As sergeant-at-arms, Federoff acts as the chief security officer of the senate and, when called upon, aids in enforcing order on the floor of the senate, in the lobbies, and in the rooms adjoining the senate chamber.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced Wednesday that taxpayers will have until April 18 to file their 2010 personal income tax returns. The usual April 15 deadline was extended because of the Federal observance of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington D.C. The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the extension of its deadline to the next business day, which is April 18, so New York is moving its due date too.

Want a sense of how the economy's doing, where people's money fears lie, and just how prevalent the idea of "doing it oneself" is these days? Mid Hudson News Network reports today that some 100 people attended a venture capital forum held at Stewart Airport Tuesday night, January 11, to hear from authorities on how businesses can access capital in the Hudson Valley. Entrepreneurs learned what investors look for, what pitfalls to avoid and how to identify the best investors for their business, and all with a major storm threatening. The Accelerator, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation and Upstate Venture Association of New York conducted the conference.

Orange County Business Accelerator Director Michael DiTullo said venture capitalists provide a specific service. “Venture capitalists actually make investments in companies. They become principals, they buy equity, startup, and as the company grows, maybe there is an exit strategy and they participate in whatever profit or windfall that could happen as a result of that,” he said. “They also provide management expertise. Very often, venture capitalists will serve on the boards of directors. Warren Buffet essentially is a venture capitalist. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, makes investments in companies and sometimes acquires them outright.”

On a much more localized level, former WGXC Radio Council member and Greene County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Kathleen Packard noted recently that several clients she's been wooing for her design business have asked to green light projects, a first for the past two years of economic slowdown.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Nanotechnology, as illustrated by the Nanotechnology Investing website."][/caption]A pair of story's in today's Albany Business Review support the regional push to make the Capital District and Hudson Valley the nation's new nanotechnology center, akin to what Silicone Valley was in the 1990s and Austin was last decade, computer-wise. In one story, they report that the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering has been awarded nearly $5 million in federal funding for research, education and work force development, based on a January 11 CNSE announcement that it had received federal money for clean energy, nanotechnology, nanoelectronics and nanomedicine activities. "The funds come from several sources including the federal stimulus and multiple agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory," the story says. At the same time, there's also a report on how computer chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries, who are building a massive new plant in Saratoga County north of Albany that's spurring talk of feeder manufacturers and businesses in Columbia and Greene counties as well, has announced that it will double its capital expenditures to $5.4 billion this year as the company builds its new plant in Malta and expands operations in Germany and Singapore. "GlobalFoundries is investing a total of $4.6 billion to build its Malta plant. Much of that money will be spent this year as the company begins to install multi-million dollar chip making tools," the story reads. "The news comes after Gartner Inc., a Connecticut-based IT research company, announced last month that worldwide semiconductor capital spending more than doubled to $38.4 billion last year from $16.6 billion in 2009.... That competition is being pushed as more integrated-device companies look to spin off or contract out chip manufacturing to reduce overhead costs."

Nanotechnology is the study and practice of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="ATM being hacked in Durham last June, as captured by security camera and published in January 12 Daily Mail."][/caption]A nationwide cash machine scam struck Greene County last year and investigators are seeking tips on catching the suspect, Colin DeVries reports in today's Daily Mail. His story focus on a single instance caught on a security camera in Durham last June, but extrapolates that the incidence may be part of a larger trend that will grow now, at least according to local police.

Investigator S. Williams of New York State Police at Catskill said scammers learn about the hacking method from a “manual” on the Web. Apparently, master codes for various models of ATMs are readily available to hackers online, Williams said, and there are chat rooms where hackers freely exchange code numbers.

In this case, the ATM hacker used a Wal-Mart Visa gift debit card, easily purchased at any Wal-Mart store, and used an ATM master code obtained online to change the currency denominations. The suspect was then able to change the denominations from $20 to $1 at the Durham ATM, making the machine believe it was dispensing one-dollar bills when in fact it was dispensing twenties. For the suspect’s first unauthorized transaction, he requested $100 from the ATM and was dispensed $2,000. In another withdrawal, he prompted the machine to give him $20 and it dispensed $400 — spitting out 20 bills thinking each actual twenty-dollar bill was only a single. The suspect faces felony grand larceny charges and unauthorized use of a computer.

Last June, a white male with short dark-colored hair, wearing baggy jeans and an oversized button-down shirt, was photographed by security cameras at the Milk Run convenience shop on Route 145 in Durham hacking an ATM and stealing cash.

The man, state police said, stole $2,400 and used a method of hacking that has caught on around the nation.

While state police have been working with the FBI on this crime since last year, more information has been requested from the public or other agencies.

If anyone has any knowledge of this crime which occurred on June 14, 2010 at 9:08 a.m. and 10:48 a.m., contact New York State Police at Catskill by phone, 518-622-8600 and refer to case number 3580407.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Senator Chuck Schumer addresses federal cuts to emergency radio communications in photo by Times Union's (John Carl D'Annibale."][/caption]If the Capital Region and Hudson Valley were ever under the threat of terrorism, it could be vulnerable. That's the message Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered under snow flurries and surrounded by police Tuesday on the steps of City Hall according to a piece in today's January 12 Times Union, which goes on to say that Schumer issued the warning after a cut of $913,000 meant to pay for radios that enable emergency agencies throughout the region to communicate. "Our first responders behind us need the resources," Schumer said, adding that the region has the 10th-busiest train station in the country in Rensselaer and is an international leader in nanotechnology, with plants in Albany and the emergence of GlobalFoundries in Saratoga County. It also holds important assets as the state's capital. All of those factors make the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, between Albany and the City, more likely to be threatened, Schumer is further reported as saying.

The region received $1.9 million in 2009 under the Urban Areas Security Initiative program to pay for the improvements, Schumer said, but the number was cut in 2010, even though the overall amount of money distributed by the program increased. The Capital Region was one of two areas in the state to have its 2010 funding cut under the program enacted after the 9/11 terror attacks. The other was Syracuse.

Schumer did not specify how much money it would take to buy the equipment, and only said he wanted funds back to 2009 levels.

"As 9/11 becomes further and further away, some forget how important it is to make inter-operation a reality," he said.

As it stands, police, fire and other emergency responders in the five-county area spanning Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Schoharie and Saratoga counties do not have the technology it takes to be able to communicate with each other via radio. Schumer said technology would be essential during a large-scale disaster such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a major ice storm or a pandemic.

Schumer was joined on the steps of City Hall by a number of politicians including Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton and Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino.

Stratton said the region needs the money in light of recent national attention paid by President Barack Obama, who was to visit Schenectady on Tuesday, but postponed after the weekend's deadly shootings in Arizona.

Schumer addressed Saturday's killings, where a congresswoman is fighting for her life after being shot in the head, but said he would not comment on specifics until an investigation reveals all the facts. He said Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., are reviewing whether Congress needs additional security.

"I am going about my job," he said, "the same way I did it before Saturday."

Schumer said he is informed about a handful of threats against lawmakers every month, but they usually come from mentally unbalanced people rather than political extremists.

"Being out and about all the time helps me do my job," he said. "There's got to be a balance."

Current forecast from National Weather Service.

Seven to 14 inches of snow are expected Tuesday night, and the National Weather Service has now updated conditions to a Winter Storm Warning for our area through Wednesday, beginning 7 p.m. Tuesday. Driving conditions may be dangerous Wednesday morning, and schools and businesses may be delayed or closed. More snow is expected in the Lower Hudson Valley, and the New York State Thruway Authority, "advises motorists to avoid any unnecessary travel in the New York region during this severe weather event."

School closings, snow emergencies, and more after the jump.

•SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Cairo-Durham, Catskill, Chatham, Columbia-Greene Community College, Coxsackie-Athens, Germantown, Greenville, Hawthorne Valley School, Hudson, Hunter-Tannersville, Ichabod Crane (Kinderhook), New Lebanon, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Taconic Hills, and Windham-Ashland-Jewett schools have announced they will be closed Wednesday.

•OTHER CLOSINGS:
•Columbia County ARC (COARC):  No transportation on Wednesday; Staff to report; Ulster-Greene ARC (Catskill), open, but no transportation.
•Columbia Co Nutrition Program (Philmont)
•Giving Tree Daycare (Catskill)
•Greene County Senior Centers

•HUDSON SNOW EMERGENCY: A snow emergency has been declared for the City of Hudson, effective 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Starting 8 a.m. Wednesday, all vehicles are to be parked on the odd side of the street for 24 hours. At 8 a.m. Thursday, vehicles should be moved to the even side of the street for another 24 hours. The snow emergency will end 8 a.m. Friday morning unless otherwise extended.

•CATSKILL SNOW EMERGENCY: starts Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. All vehicles should be parked on the odd side of village streets from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. At 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., all vehicles should be parked on the even side of the street. Vehicles should continue to switch sides of the street every 12 hours until the snow emergency has been canceled. There will be no parking on Main St. from Greene St. to Fairview Ave. beginning at 11 p.m. Jan. 11, 2011 to ensure that Main Street is one of the first streets to be cleared of snow. Violators will be ticketed and eventually towed.

•CAIRO SNOW EMERGENCY: "All residents are asked to park their vehicles off of the main roads and side streets to allow highway plows to clear the streets of accumulating snow,” said Cairo Police Chief Chris Sprague in <a href="http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2011/01/12/news/doc4d2d35f836bfa300090419.txt">a statement in The Daily Mail</a>. “All Main Street residents are reminded to follow the regulations posted on the alternate side parking street signs.”

•STATE ACTION: Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday the activation of 224 DOT trucks in the Hudson Valley for the snowstorm. The New York State Thruway is closed to tandem trucks between New York City and Exit 25A (Schenectady) until further notice.

•CURRENT FORECAST:
Overnight: Snow. Low around 22. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow. High near 29. North wind between 16 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Scattered snow showers before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 16. Northwest wind around 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

A Chatham man faces felony charges after he allegedly led State Police on a chase early Tuesday, according to this morning's Times Union, which is reporting that Robert E. Perez, 29, is charged with resisting arrest, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, felony DWI, reckless endangerment and marijuana possession after he failed to stop at a stop sign and led police on a 10-mile chase through Columbia County. Around 2:30 a.m., troopers in Livingston said Perez failed to stop at a stop sign on Route 203. Perez did not pull over for police and drove about 10 miles on various roads before finally stopping at Route 21 and Pheasant Lane in the town of Hillsdale. Perez refused to leave his car and allegedly resisted when police tried to remove him by force, troopers added. Perez's breath had a strong alcohol odor and he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, troopers said, and he also allegedly had some marijuana. Perez was arraigned in Greenport Town Court and sent to Columbia County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday.

The Daily Mail reports January 12 that the Cairo Zoning Commission is continuing to shift its first-ever zoning ordinance by now agreeing to expand the list of potential uses in its already-amended commercial/mixed-use district on Route 145 in the direction of neighboring Durham. And while the amended uses include new agricultural allowances for those looking to grow crops for commercial purposes, with no requirement for minimum acreage, Doron Tyler Antrim reports that the commission also decided to put uses such as bed and breakfast operations, day care centers, or nursery schools up for full site plan reviews. In addition, all proposed educational training facilities, wind towers, and hotels or motels must now apply for a special-use permit, too. A bar or tavern must apply a special-use permit to operate in the Mountaintop district, only. The commission plans to review at its next meeting regulations in the new Main Street commercial district, which runs from the intersection with Route 23 near the Bank of Greene County to Route 32. Following a public hearing by the zoning commission, the law will be handed to the town board. The board must then hold its own hearing.

The zoning commission also made minor adjustments to the minimum lot size in the Purling, Acra, South Cairo and Round Top hamlet districts. The minimum size will be 10,000 square feet where water and sewer is available and 20,000 where such infrastructure is not available. The adjustment brings all the hamlet districts in line with what is called for in the Cairo hamlet district. Under the zoning law, all existing uses will be allowed to stay. Copies of the law are on file in the town hall and public library at 512 Main St. All the documents, as well as the public comments, can be viewed online at www.planningbetterplaces.com/cairo.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="New York City's Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, center of a new lawsuit over muddy water releases at flood times."][/caption]The Daily Freeman reports this morning, January 12, on what at first looks like an Ulster County-specific story regarding that county's having filed a notice of claim to sue New York City for discharging muddy water from the Ashokan Reservoir into the lower Esopus Creek, but which seems to us a harbinger of things to come throughout our area. While Bill Kemble reports on Ulster County Executive Mike Hein's afternoon press conference about filing notice in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York, citing 79 days of muddy discharges and several flood situations exacerbated by the city's actions - filed under the terms of the federal Clean Water Act - what people are watching are the repercussions for municipal water systems and water ownership issues everywhere.

Hein, visibly angry during the press conference, was joined by county legislators, environmental experts and agriculture representatives.

“New York City ... is showing a blatant disregard for the health and welfare of our residents and the lower Esopus environment,” Hein said. “They need to stop the discharges immediately and make things right. If they are unwilling to cease their actions, the county ... will use every resource at our disposal to protect natural resources, property and the economic prosperity of our community.”

New York City spokesman Farrell Sklerov said “rather than threatening legal action, everyone should work together to reach a solution” and that a meeting scheduled for Friday is intended to resolve some of the problems that led to the legal action. We do not believe we are violating any state or federal law, but we will review any legal actions when they are received,” he said. “We understand that turbidity in the lower Esopus is undesirable and could have some adverse impacts on local communities ... but today’s announcement seems to disregard the interconnected nature of the water system, which must balance water supply from various sources to provide clean water.”

Stone Ridge farmer Bruce Davenport said the damage from the turbid water in the creek is affecting recently sprouted spinach and could leave soil unusable for some types of plantings.

“In the lower Esopus valley, there’s about 2,000 acres of fresh-market produce that’s being sold,” Davenport said. “This is stuff that goes to your supermarket every day ... (from) about a half a dozen family farms that make their living on this land.”

A series of regional meetings between Ulster County towns and the New York City DEP recently resulted in the discovery that the City had been quietly flushing large amounts of water from its massive Ashokan Reservoir into the nearby Esopus Creek, which runs through much of the county's northern half.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a former legislator, warns in a new release and report against quick budgetary fixes through privatization."][/caption]As the state starts to look into ways of cutting expenses and raising revenues via privatization, that public policy behemoth that first came into view 30 years ago during the Reagan era, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued a cautionary press release and report on privatization earlier this week notes the hidden expenses of such exchanges, which have included everything from private prisons to the sale of the Arizona statehouse in recent years. "As New York state grapples with cost-effective solutions for its estimated $250 billion in infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, the state should examine both the opportunities that public-private partnerships offer as well as the underlying financial risks associated with forming those partnerships, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. "Our public infrastructure needs a lot of improvements – $250 billion in improvements over the next 20 years,” DiNapoli said. “The big question is, how are we going to pay for that? Public-private partnerships are a good option to look at, but those partnerships don’t come risk-free. It makes good sense for the state to look at public-private partnerships based on experience in other states, but we have to ensure public assets are not squandered and taxpayers are protected.”

DiNapoli’s report noted that in order for public-private agreements to successfully enable the state to move forward with much-needed capital projects, there are four underlying financial risks in public-private partnerships that must be fully addressed:

· Failure to identify the full value of public property. Public-private partnerships may underestimate the value of public assets and in doing so, short-change the public.
· Unfavorable pricing mechanisms. Public-private agreements may include pricing mechanisms that burden the public with unwarranted costs such as excessive fees and toll increases.
· Unrealistic expectations and poorly drafted agreements. Public-private partnerships may create unattainable expectations when the private entity promises more than it can deliver or contracts fail to detail the private partner’s obligations adequately.
· Budget gimmickry. Public-private agreements sometimes provide short-term fiscal relief that ultimately pushes increasing costs to the future while increasing the public’s debt burden.

To avoid the underlying financial pitfalls of public-private agreements, DiNapoli recommends policy makers must first:
· Identify the best practices for valuation of public assets and make sure taxpayers are not short-changed by an artificially low valuation;
· Keep private sector profits within reason and ensure resulting services are affordably priced for its public users throughout the life of the public-private agreement;
· Carefully draft agreements that specify what the private entity promises to deliver in exchange for the opportunity to participate in the partnership while not including unrealistic or inaccurate financial projections; and
· Adopt financing rules that prevent any disproportionate shift of current capital costs to future generations of taxpayers.

DiNapoli’s report focused on the financial implications of public-private partnerships. The report noted there are many additional policy concerns that may be raised by public-private partnership agreements, such as regulatory oversight, workforce impact, and the effect on local communities, which are beyond the scope of the report but require comparable consideration.

In November, DiNapoli released a report detailing specific reforms to the state’s capital planning process by placing increased restrictions on the use of debt and capital spending. These reforms included imposing a strict and effective cap on public debt, restoring control of debt to voters, ending off-budget capital spending and using a comprehensive, statewide approach to prioritizing capital projects.

To view DiNapoli’s report on public-private partnerships, visit:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/infrastructure/pppjan61202.pdf.

To view DiNapoli’s report on long-term capital planning, visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/nov10/113010.htm.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Tom Unser, also known as Tom Lussie, 16, has been missing since Monday morning from his Valatie home. "][/caption]What's with all the people going missing from the center of Columbia County? The Register Star reports this morning that the day after a missing Valatie man turned up, another Valatie resident has apparently gone missing, this one a 16-year-old boy. According to reporter Andrew Amelinckx, Tom Unser, also known as Tom Lussier, went missing Monday morning, according to his parents who are asking for the public’s help in finding the young man. who is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds with long, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a pierced left ear. He was last seen wearing a black element jacket and blue jeans with black and gray skater sneakers. According to the missing boy’s mother, Cheryl Unser, no family or friends have heard or seen him in more than 24 hours. State Police Senior Inv. Gary Mazzacano said the boy apparently had a fight with his parents and left home. Anyone with information can contact Cheryl Unser at 518-610-3100 or the New York State Police at Kinderhook at 518-758-7010.

The other missing man who returned home Monday, 31-year-old Kenneth French, had been staying with friends in Albany but didn’t tell anyone where he was going before he left.

A Ghent woman, Gwendolyn Fuks, 51, remains missing as well. Fuks is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She may be driving a 1998, white, four-door Toyota Camry. She was last seen in the Albany area Dec. 30.

According to Mazzacano, Fuks sent a letter to someone that “caused concern. We’re looking to check on her welfare.”

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="379" caption="Lake Taghkanic State Park snowmobiling, from their website."][/caption]As the snow comes down today, you may want to get out in it. Here are some suggestions. Much credit for this compilation of information goes to Ellen Thurston, and others. Today we are asking you to add other public spots in the comments, or send a note to info@wgxc.org.


Hudson Park The former Sunset Meadows location on Route 9 offers ice skating Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., depending on weather conditions. No charge, but bring your own skates. Call 851-2228 to determine ice condition.


Lake Taghkanic State Park Cross-country ski and snowmobile trails, plus ice skating and ice fishing are permitted when conditions are appropriate. Please call the park office at (518) 851-3631 to check ice thickness.


Kiwanis Ice Arena Located in Saugerties, and operates from middle of August to the beginning of April. The ice rink surface is 197 feet long x 85 feet wide.


Art Omi Trails through the sculpture fields and woodlands for cross-country skiing. They claim 2.5 miles of groomed track and skate lanes (for skate skiing.)  Trails will be groomed all winter long as conditions permit. The café in the visitor center is open on weekends from noon to 4 p.m. 1405 County Route 22, Ghent.


Columbia Land Conservancy is offering spontaneous snowshoe hikes when there is adequate snow and the weather conditions are good. CLC will let you know when that time is. Beginners are welcome. CLC has a limited number of showshoes to lend. To register for the snowshoe e-mail alert system go to www.clctrust.org or call 392-5252.


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="216" caption="Cross-country skiing at Copake Country Club, from their website."] [/caption]


Copake Country Club offers cross-country ski packages (skis, boots, poles, and bindings) for $25, or $10 if you bring your own equipment. Trails are groomed in varying lengths and are well-marked. Information at 325-0019, 44 Golf Course Road (off Lake Shore Drive).


Elliot Park What became of the Catskill ice-skating rink that opened last year?




Beattie-Powers House, owned by the Village of Catskill, overlooks Olana, Frederick Church's home, as well as the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and has a great long sledding run, often filled with local families.

Ramshorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill, owned and operated by Scenic Hudson, is not only the Hudson River's largest tidal swamp forest, but also hosts a great cross country trail through woods, swamp edge, and wide fields.

Town parks in Cairo, Athens and Coxsackie, the latter two by the banks of the Hudson, usually end up with impromptu cross country ski trails whenever it snows. Check them out!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Columbia County's biggest industry is agriculture, as seen in this image from the Columbia Land Conservancy."][/caption]Columbia County government has formed a coalition to craft a plan to support and promote local agriculture. The success of the 18-month process will depend upon broad public input, especially from the farm community, according to a press release sent out on January 11. Five public meetings are planned over the next three months, starting Saturday, January 22 in Chatham, and a survey is being mailed to agricultural producers in order to assess the state of local agriculture and design a county-wide farmland protection plan. The press release from the Columbia Land Conservancy goes on to note that Columbia County is taking advantage of the Farmland Protection Program created by the NY State Legislature. Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation is working with the Columbia Land Conservancy to facilitate the Program with the County’s Ag and Farmland Protection Board. The Program establishes a methodology for local governments to assess the status and potential of farming in every community. Economic value, open space value, and consequences of conversion will be analyzed. A survey has been developed to be distributed to the County’s producers to compliment dialog produced through the five public meetings. The farmland protection plan is expected to be finalized by mid-2012. The process is lead by the County Farmland Protection Board, and a working committee headed by Todd Erling, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation. Other organizations represented on the committee are the Columbia County Department of Planning, Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District , Columbia Land Conservancy, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Farm Credit East (formerly First Pioneer Farm Credit).

“Farming is an important engine of economic activity and with strategic planning it could play a larger, more beneficial role in our economy,” says Ken Flood, the Columbia County Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development

Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for Columbia County’s economy. As of 2007, there were 554 farms in Columbia County which generated $66,000,000 in annual revenue. As the demand for local and healthy food increases, a smart farming plan will ensure that the County’s economy grows along with it. Over the past 10 years, New York farmers had a 57% increase in annual direct market sales.

Working farmland nets greater revenue for county and municipal budgets than industrial or residential properties. Working land produces the most tax revenue for the services needed.

Farming is beneficial to the economy, but money isn’t the only reason to think about farming. Peter Paden, executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy points out, “Supporting a flourishing farm sector is one of the best ways to conserve our wildlife habitats, landscapes, and our rural quality of life.”

Everyone involved or concerned about farming is encouraged to attend one of the public meetings that will shape the farmland protection plan. Residents can attend the meeting closest to them, or choose to attend any or all other meetings. The schedule is:

• Saturday, January 22nd, 10 to Noon. North Chatham Fire House, 653 County Route 32, North Chatham. Snow date: Monday, January 24th, 7 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, February 3rd, 7 to 9 p.m. Cornell Cooperative Extension, 479 Route 66, Hudson. Snow date: Saturday, February 5th, 10 to Noon.

• Saturday, February 19th, 10 to Noon. Copake Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake. Snow date: Tuesday, February 22nd, 7 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, March 3rd, 7 to 9 p.m. Kellner Activities Bldg. 54 Palatine Park Road, Germantown. Snow date: Saturday, March 5th, 10 to Noon.

• Saturday, March 19th, 10 to Noon. Stuyvesant Town Hall , 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant. Snow date: Monday, March 21st, 7 to 9 p.m.

For more information contact, Ellen Jouret-Epstein, Columbia Land Conservancy’s Land Protection Manager, at 518.392.5252, ext. 208 or ellen@clctrust.org.

Tune in today
TUNE IN WGXC will air the following live shows on WGXC Online Radio Wednesday:
•WGXC Morning Show 6-8 a.m. live with Casson Kennedy and Mark Lacoy. They most likely will stay on the air longer and be joined perhaps by others for morning updates.
Click here to listen.

Town meetings tonight
PUBLIC HEARING Columbia County Board of Supervisors shall hold a special meeting and a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors meeting hall, concerning the enactment of two local laws relating to the levels of exemption of payment of real property taxes for 1) senior citizens, which shall occur at 7:20 p.m., and 2) low income disabled citizens, which shall occur at 7:25 p.m. At Columbia County Board of Supervisors, 401 State St. meeting hall, first floor, Hudson.

Weather
SNOW A Winter Storm Watch continues Wednesday, and 2-6" of more snow may fall.

Astronomical bodies
TIDES Hudson: High, 8:23 a.m./Low, 3:15 p.m.
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:23 a.m./4:44 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 11 a.m./12:16 a.m. (First Qtr begins at 6:33 a.m.)

Birthdays
JANUARY 12 Jack London, Rush Limbaugh, and Howard Stern.

WDST's Mountain Jam festival will be June 2-5 this year, adding a fourth day of camping this year, with a lineup that includes Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes Band, My Morning Jacket, North Mississippi Allstars, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and local band Voodelic. Tickets for the seventh annual Mountain Jam Music Festival () at Hunter Mountain, in Hunter, NY from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, 2011. For the first time, Mountain Jam will expand to include four days of music and camping. Early bird tickets are now available at MountainJam.com.Complete press release from WDST if one follows the link.

MOUNTAIN JAM RETURNS TO HUNTER MOUNTAIN, NY JUNE 2-5, 2011

GOV’T MULE, MY MORNING JACKET AND THE WARREN HAYNES BAND TO HEADLINE

FESTIVAL ADDS FOURTH NIGHT OF MUSIC AND CAMPING

(January 11, 2011, Woodstock, NY) – Radio Woodstock and acclaimed guitarist Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Allman Brothers Band) present the seventh annual Mountain Jam Music Festival (MountainJam.com) at Hunter Mountain, in Hunter, NY from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, 2011. For the first time, Mountain Jam will expand to include four days of music and camping. Early bird tickets are now available at MountainJam.com.

Gov’t Mule will headline Mountain Jam for the seventh consecutive year on Saturday, June 4. Gov’t Mule’s two-set performance at Mountain Jam VII will be one of only a few select appearances for the group in 2011. Modern rock heroes My Morning Jacket will return to the festival after five years to headline on Sunday, June 5. The newly formed Warren Haynes Band, a soul-infused ensemble will make its debut northeast festival appearance, headlining on Friday, June 3.

“It’s been great to watch Mountain Jam grow over the last seven years from a one-day concert to a multi-day, destination event,” says Haynes. “I’m really looking forward to this year’s line-up and to performing with both Gov’t Mule and the Warren Haynes Band.”

Mountain Jam favorites Michael Franti & Spearhead, hot off the smashing success of their latest hit album The Sound of Sunshine, will return for their sixth consecutive Mountain Jam appearance. The festival’s eclectic lineup will also see return appearances by crossover punk-Americana sensations The Avett Brothers, and modern blues-rock trailblazers North Mississippi Allstars.

A diverse array of first-time Mountain Jam performers will also join in, such as high-energy, hippie folk-pop collective Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, cross-genre banjo wiz Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, legendary blues-rock masters Electric Hot Tuna, rhythm & blues and gospel icon Mavis Staples, high-energy psychedelic rockers Portugal. The Man, West African-influenced Asheville, NC improvisers Toubab Krewe, and Dave Matthews’ collaborator and guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds & TR3, among others.

Each night Mountain Jam will present additional late night entertainment both outside and inside Hunter Mountain’s Colonel’s Hall. The late night sets include the return of the hot, electronic jamband Lotus, the Canadian dance trio The New Deal and the recently formed supergroup, 7 Walkers featuring Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Papa Mali, and Matt Hubbard (Willie Nelson).

For the first time, Mountain Jam will also provide music for early arrivals on the night of Thursday, June 2nd starting at 8pm. Funk/soul trio Soulive, will headline Thursday night’s offerings with a set of instrumental Beatles songs from their latest album Rubber Soulive. Rising Brooklyn-based soul-rockers The London Souls, and a late-night band still to be announced will round out Thursday’s entertainment.

“We are really excited to bring this amazing group of artists to the Mountain in 2011 and to expand the fun to a fourth night”, said Mountain Jam Founder, and Radio Woodstock President/Owner, Gary Chetkof. “Every year we strive to make the Mountain Jam experience better than the year before, and this year we know we are going to take this over the top!”

The festival’s forward-thinking Awareness Village will once again host a special acoustic stage, as well as exhibits from not-for-profit organizations and environmental groups, children’s entertainment, performance and sculpture art, physical and spiritual healing, a beer and wine garden, and much more. The Festival will also be continuing its greening efforts with recycling, carbon offsets, and free water refills to reduce the usage of plastic water bottles.

Originally conceived in 2005 as a single-day celebration of Radio Woodstock’s 25th anniversary, Mountain Jam has blossomed into a four-day, multi-stage event, featuring onsite camping, and one of the northeast’s most pristine natural amphitheaters. Over the years, Mountain Jam has hosted some of the top names in live music, including The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & RatDog, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ray LaMontagne, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Les Claypool, Dave Mason, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Hold Steady, Coheed & Cambria, Drive-By Truckers, Dr. Dog, Medeski Martin & Wood, Mike Gordon, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, Galactic, Umphrey’s McGee and Robert Randolph & The Family Band, among many others. Last year, the festival presented Levon Helm’s 70th Birthday Jubilee with very special guests Warren Haynes, Donald Fagen, Ray LaMontagne, Sam Bush, Steve Earle, Patterson & David Hood, Jackie Greene and Allison Moorer.

The Hunter Mountain Lodge will provide fans with 24-hour access to both food and indoor bathrooms, while onsite camping and a variety of nearby hotels, lodges and ski chalets will ensure that all attendees have a wide variety of accommodations. This year Mountain Jam will also offer expanded VIP options, and will bring back its highly acclaimed “Tavern in the Woods” featuring private bar area and Hammock Grove, as well as a shaded hospitality tents, early arrival access at no additional charge, private camping areas, and a variety of gourmet food and beverages. Mountain Jam will also offer options for VIP on-site lodging and a VIP RV area on the Mountain.

Following the sellout of Mountain Jam’s Holiday Presale tickets, Festival Passes are now available at Early Bird prices for $142.50, and with camping for $172.50. For an additional $25, attendees can enjoy early admission to the campgrounds on Thursday afternoon and music on the Mountain starting at 8 pm. A limited number of VIP Festival Passes are now on sale for $414.50 which includes Thursday admission.

Hunter Mountain is located within a short drive from anywhere in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

For complete lineup, full details and ticketing, please visit MountainJam.com.

About Radio Woodstock
Radio Woodstock is a global multi-media company that includes the award-winning radio station, Radio Woodstock 100.1 WDST, Woodstock’s hometown radio station, as well as internet radio stations, Radio Woodstock 69, and Radio Woodstock LIVE. All three are available online at RadioWoodstock.com.

Radio Woodstock Presents, a major upstate New York promoter, produces 40+ concerts per year in the Woodstock and Hudson Valley area, in addition to Mountain Jam and the new Bluestock Music Festival, which will debut at Hunter Mountain at the end of August. Radio Woodstock Presents also records many of the artist performances for release through its digital distribution company Radio Woodstock Music.

Listen online:
http://www.wdst.com
http://www.radiowoodstock.com

About Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the 23rd Greatest Guitarist of All Time and most recently among the few top “Guitar Gods.” Haynes is a Grammy winner for his work with Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band. He’s been called both an “American treasure” and a “legend in the making” by his peers.

http://www.warrenhaynes.net
http://www.mule.net

Mountain Jam 2011 Lineup

Gov’t Mule

My Morning Jacket

Warren Haynes Band

Michael Franti & Spearhead

The Avett Brothers

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Béla Fleck & The Flecktones

Mavis Staples

Electric Hot Tuna

Lotus (late night)

North Mississippi Allstars

7 Walkers featuring Bill Kreutzmann, George Porter Jr. & Papa Mali (late night)

Soulive

The New Deal (late night)

Portugal. The Man

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Tim Reynolds & TR3

Dawes

Toubab Krewe

Zach Deputy

Ryan Montbleau Band

The London Souls

Chris Barron (of The Spin Doctors)

Civil Twilight

The Heavy Pets

Orgone

Kung Fu

Alternate Routes

Dangermuffin

Moon Taxi

Ari Hest

TAB The Band

Morning Teleportation

Bronze Radio Returns

The Erin Hobson Compact

The Big Takeover

Voodelic

Livingston Leo

The above taped interview from is important for the clues it gives us all in the WGXC listening area as to what the new year portends, politically. Key in the talking points captured is Cuomo's blunt insistence that "his push for a property tax cap shouldn’t be linked with changes to the current schedule of rent stabilization laws," as the Times Union's Capital Confidential blog put it this morning, January 11. “I think that these are separate issues, and they should be analyzed as separate issues,” Cuomo says. “One of the mistakes we’ve made in the past is that the Legislature has tended to take issues and group them together in a negotiating style rather that analyzing the individual issues, and making the best policy on that issue.”

Cuomo also firmly addressed the idea of any extension of the so-called millionaires’ surcharge, indicating any action there would face his veto pen: “My position is, has been, will be, that I’m against new taxes. In my opinion, that’s a new tax, therefore I’m against it.”

Cuomo further noted that he's expecting to deliver an on-time budget by the start of February, although he wouldn't confirm a specific date... yet. But he did add that he would push for formal discussions of his proposed 2 percent property tax cap before that time, and not let its implementation get bogged down in the state's always arduous three way budget discussions,

In past years, New York City rent control laws -- and the state's involvement in them -- have played a large role in political bargaining and discussions, and not always in Upstate/Downstate split opinions. On numerous occasions, representatives from Assembly and Senate districts with large second home populations have been told, or noted themselves, the importance of city rent controls on second home real estate and renovation economics.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Durham School Services provides bus transportation for 300 school districts nationwide, and is increasingly facing union frustration with their budget cuts."][/caption]It may not involve the news directly in our listening area, but a story in today's January 11 Daily Freeman about bus drivers still working despite their union's strike vote has local interest because of the ways in which it invokes shifts in Labor's power after a half century of effort against the previous half century's gains for employees, as well as what's at stake in the year to come as folks try cutting away at education expenses wherever they can.

"Employees in the union representing 175 Durham School Services bus drivers and monitors are continuing to work despite a strike vote before students went on Christmas break, as negotiations have moved forward since the vote," the piece by Kyle Wind reads.

“Progress continues to be made, but more is still to be accomplished,” said company spokesman Carina Noble in a prepared statement. “We have set the next meeting date as Jan. 25 and are optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement for our drivers and monitors. In the meantime, we have commitments from union leadership of no work action prior to our next bargaining session.”

Following those negotiations, Adrian Huff, the secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 445, said he will meet with membership and “follow their lead.” Huff has said the vote to strike was nearly unanimous. He said the 175 workers unionized last year and are 18 negotiating sessions into creating a first contract with management.

Durham, a subsidiary of National Express Corp. of Great Britain, handles all busing for the Rhinebeck school district and three routes for special education services for the Rondout Valley school district. Thus far, transportation has not been disrupted. It is the nation's second largest school bus operating company.

The current threat of union action is the first in the area of transportation to affect a local school district, many of which are now eying cuts to teaching and other staff, as well as programs and even schools, to meet what is anticipated to be a shrinking of our educational opportunities tied to tax reforms being called for by older voters sick of covering for others' kids, as some have started to say..

Huff has said Durham offered 3 percent raises, but the union found that “insufficient.” Huff noted Durham’s bus drivers do not get paid for sick time and do not receive employer-subsidized health insurance. As such, Huff has said employees, many of whom are making at or near minimum wage, often can’t afford to miss work when they are sick and risk spreading illness to students and co-workers.

Before the Christmas break Huff said the Teamsters would work with schools districts on when the strike was going to begin. “The last thing we want is to leave kids waiting in the cold,” he said.

Huff has said employees are often exposed to illness.

Rhinebeck district Superintendent Joseph Phelan said the company has looked into ways to continue to provide its service if the union does follow through on the strike vote after Jan. 25 so the district’s program would not be interrupted. If non-union workers were brought in from outside the area, Huff has indicated the union would consider picketing school districts.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Shaun Groden, new county administrator, is profiled in this morning's Daily Mail, who also took this photo."][/caption]The Daily Mail has a story in their January 11 issue this morning welcoming Greene County's new administrator, Shaun Groden,who flew in to his new job last Sunday with his family, leaving behind him over six years of leadership in Michigan’s St. Clair County and a track record of positive municipal growth and development. His furniture was expected to arrive this week, according to the story by reporter Colin DeVries.

Groden, 53, is a native of Rochester and a successful leader in business and government. Coming from a county of similar wealth but with more than three times the population size, Groden expects to have a different but extremely constructive experience in Greene. St. Clair County’s annual budget is about $100 million compared with Greene County’s $99.3 million budget. According to 2009 census data, the population of St. Clair County was 167,000 and Greene County’s was 48,947. The mean income per household in St. Clair County was $61,088 in 2009, and $59,773 in Greene County.

DeVries' story continues with comparisons between here and midwestern Michigan, which makes us look pretty progressive, and even affluent.

Though the population of St. Clair County vastly exceeds Greene County’s, 20 percent of people there are unemployed, Groden said. Much of that due to the reduction in the auto industry around Detroit, 60 miles to the southwest of the St. Clair County city of Port Huron.

Unemployment hovers around 8 percent in Greene County and Groden intends to work toward improving that.

“At the end of the day, jobs are the issue,” he said during an interview last week. “I intend to be very active in economic development.”

During Groden’s job search last year, he was pleased to find that Greene County already had quality shovel-ready business parks with significant acreage for development. In fact, Groden said he had pushed his own county lawmakers in St. Clair County to purchase land for similar parks.

In Michigan, Groden had been president of St. Clair County’s Economic Development Alliance — similar to the Greene County Industrial Development Agency — and implemented a workforce training program for high school students called the National Career Readiness Certification Program. The program is becoming more popular among employers to test aptitude on prospective employees.

“We’re trying to branch out into new sectors,” he said. “We need to find where the jobs will be for tomorrow.”

Groden, who has a masters in public administration from SUNY Brockport, said change is the key to success in economic development and the job market.

“We need to keep up with the times,” he said. “If you were doing your job the way you were trained, you’re doing it wrong.”

The order of doing business continues to evolve and demands new efficiencies to save money, Groden said, making adaptability to changes paramount in importance.

As St. Clair County administrator Groden implemented an efficieny by cutting paper use — swapping case files in the district attorney’s office with laptops, for example.

He was also able to save the county money on a jail project when he first became St. Clair County administrator at the end of 2004, identifying savings through financial accounting.

He said he kept the budget balanced each year and improved the county’s credit rating, while making the budget process more transparent and open to public input.

Another efficiency he implemented in Michigan was continuity of services, allowing for more sharing of services and realizing a cost savings throughout the county. He also consolidated some departments to avoid duplicative waste.

St. Clair County can be described as an agrarian, waterfront community, similar to Greene County, but Groden knows there are significant differences and challenges ahead.

“I wanted to be able to come to something that needed change,” he said. “I was looking for an area in distress.”

Groden equated the principles of business to public administration as far as budgeting and the need to uncover new revenues or cut expenditures.

With New York’s depleted fiscal state, Groden knew Greene County may face significant mandates coming forward — something he is ready for.

While earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Groden “fell in love” with the budget process during an internship with the Monroe County budget office.

Forgoing an FBI career to become a public servant, Groden went on to work 15 years with the town of Greece. There he worked as director of finances on a $50 million budget.

After leaving Greece in 1997, he went into the private sector for several years until he returned to public administration in St. Clair County as administrator, a job he left in support of his family’s wishes.

Though he had other job offers, he chose Greene County for its forward-thinking business development, its solid credit rating and fiscal status, its recreational opportunities and an environment suitable for his wife and three children (all in their 20s).

It also helps that he loves to ski.

“I am not here by accident, I’m not here by happenstance,” he said. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Now here, Groden intends to make a positive impact on Greene County economics and apply his knowledge of municipal government and finances to inspire growth.

“When you have a career in public administration,” he said, “it’s of a desire to do something for the greater good.”

Groden’s three-year contract was unanimously approved by the county legislature at a salary of $132,000.