With New York's GOP set to take the same slim 32-30 majority state Democrats have had for the last two years, given a current judge's ruling against further recounts in a close Long Island race holds, all eyes are now on how incoming Governor Andrew Cuomo will work with one Republican and one Democratic chamber of the legislature, come January. State pundits are beginning to ponder how such a split between Upstaters, who will make up all of the Senate north and west of Westchester, barring two Democrats in urban Syracuse and Buffalo, and Downstate interests will be playing out, particularly without disgraced Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a master of spreading pork barrel spending amongst his upstate supporters, at the helm. And furthermore, with a two percent cap on property tax, meaning all local town and school, and most county spending, starting to seem locked in for the coming term, with both the GOP and Cuomo backing such a plan. The chief wrench in the works, notes Nick Reisman of the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin in a particularly astute bit of commentary today, may very well be "geographic conflicts over drilling for natural gas," which has most of its supporters in the Republican caucus, who are touting the controversial fracking process as a must-do for Upstate economic development, at present. But also some leading opponents.

For Resiman's piece, click here and stay tuned over the coming months.

Lynn Sloneker's Twitter feed reports on the agenda for tonight's Hudson school board meeting. There will be a "follow-up discussion from November meetings," presumably the meetings discussing student fights and assistant principal disputes. There also will be a "JLE Principal Search Update" with Sloneker guessing, "Tonight could be the night. Spicer to JLE; Gavin with Abitabile as his #2 at HHS." That would split up current dual assistant principals Steven Spicer and Tom Gavin (they were involved in the recent incident at the school board meeting). And in new business, "Student Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy #0115." Hudson School Board link. Gavin's wife, meanwhile, wrote a letter to the editor of the Register-Star, printed Saturday, and in it alludes to the Hudson DA recently dismissing charges against her husband. She writes, "After 3 weeks of false accusations and rumors, the city of Hudson now knows that Steven Spicer and his 'community entourage' lied about the 'hallway incident.'"

Following last week's meetings on Lafarge's plans for its Hudson Valley cement plant and the first phase of an ongoing state Department of Health review of the facilities history, local coverage has started to shift somewhat, acknowledging opposition to and concern over the plans and studies that belied Lafarge representatives' predictions, while meanwhile Lafarge has started beefing up its behind-the-scenes dissemination of its own materials to local press. Recent editions of The Daily Mail and Register-Star have run stories about the informational meetings held last week at Ravena High School, leading off today with a prominent mention of how the main Wednesday meeting saw a crowd of "roughly 50 people turned out" and emphasizing Lafarge's "recently completed DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement)" and the fact that the state Department of Environmental Conservation "recently renewed the Lafarge air permit for its existing plant,and the company is now focusing on moving forward with the modernization which requires its own set of permits." Comments are being accepted by the DEC until Feb. 22, 2011. DEC has also scheduled a Legislative hearing Jan. 20 for all “persons, organizations, corporations, or government agencies which may be affected by the proposed project to submit oral or written comments.” DEC will then determine whether “substantive or significant issues” were raised during the public comment period and legislative hearing warranting an Adjudicatory Hearing/Issues Conference. Project documents including the DEIS and draft permits are available for review at http://lafargeravenafacts.com, a company-sponsored website being promoted by the daily newspapers at present.
•WGXC recording of DOH Lafarge hearing Dec. 9 at RCS High, Ravena.
•WGXC recording of Lafarge Environmental impact Statement Public Informational Meeting Dec. 8 at RCS High School, Ravena.

Average retail gasoline prices in New York have risen 2.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.23 per gallon Sunday. This compares with the national average, which has increased 1.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.96, according to gasoline price website NewYorkStateGasPrices.com. Including the change in gas prices in New York during the past week, prices Sunday were 40.5 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 15.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 7.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 35.4 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago. Statewide, the lowest prices are under $3 on Indian reservations in the west of the state, then $3.05 in the Auburn area in the middle of the state. Highest prices are near $3.90 on Long Island and in New York City. Locally, the highest prices are $3.25 at service stations on the Thruway, in the $3.20 range in northern Dutchess County, in the $3.19 range in Greene County, and around $3.13 per gallon in Columbia County.

With crude oil prices at the highest level in more than two years, Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at Wall, N.J.-based Oil Price Information Service, is saying in a Daily Finance report that prices are likely to drop a bit for the winter... and the reach much higher prices likely by springtime. Crude oil hit $90 a barrel last week, its highest point since 2008, when prices were plunging from that summer's high of $145 a barrel in the worst energy crisis of the last decade. Driving the higher prices is increased demand in China and developing nations around the world, forcing demand to rise above output in what may be a first demonstration of the concept of Peak Oil. More specifically, a many analysts are pointing to a more immediate cause being problems at a refinery in Nova Scotia that hit the U.S. East Coast in recent weeks. Kloza believes gasoline prices will hover around $3 a gallon until Christmas, and then drop back until spring. But then he expects them to surge dramatically, perhaps as high as $3.50 a gallon, although he that he doesn't think it will be long-lasting.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="St. Patrick's Parish Church in Catskill, seen when its steeple was repaired a decade ago."][/caption]A group of about 70 Catholic congregants, their families and friends stood in the rain Sunday morning at the footsteps of Catskill's shuttered parish church, St. Patrick's, chanting Hail Marys and praying for a swift resolution to a long-awaited renovation project that would see their church's doors reopen in the coming year. The church on the corner of Bridge and Spring Streets was closed in spring, 2008 for needed repairs to its plaster ceiling, its roof and the parking area due to decades of water damage and mold problems, resulting in many of its congregants joining other congregations around the region. According to a story in today's Daily Mail, Kerns Group Architects of Arlington, Va. have estimated the total project cost would be $2.5 million. The first priority phase, which included parking lot drainage, mold remediation, and roof flashings replacement, was estimated to cost about $600,000. The consensus among the dozens huddled under dripping umbrellas on Sunday was that the work on the church, consecrated in 1884 after replacing a first church built in the 1850s on nearby Williams Street, was not happening fast enough.



Deborah Johnson, one of the event organizers, said the priority for the Albany diocese should be to re-open the church before working on the parking lot.

“We’re hearing from them it’s about money, it’s the parking lot,” she said. “We just don’t feel there’s good reason for the church to be closed.”

Kenneth Goldfarb, communications director of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, said Sunday that the goal of the work was to prevent seepage into the church building, which entailed repairing the parking area’s drainage issues.

“Before you can make any interior repairs — painting and conditioning — you have to seal the building,” he said.

Some parishoners are not convinced.

“They want to start with the parking lot, we want to get in the building,” said Anthony Vespucci, a lifelong member of the St. Patrick’s Church.

Vespucci, with his wife Tonilee, have been attending services in Cairo and Palenville since the church was closed.

“It’s such an old church. We need it. It’s such a part of this community,” he said, adding that his children were baptized in St. Patrick’s.

Like the Vespuccis, many of the church’s parishioners have found communities outside of the parish. Some would rather go to Cairo or Hudson than attend services in the parish center behind the St. Patrick’s Church.

Johnson, who attends services in Hudson, said she would prefer attending services in a church — something she hopes the gathering Sunday would convey to the diocese.

“It’s been a staple of the community for so long,” she said. “We have to get it back.”

After the church was closed in spring 2008, Goldfarb said, the parishes of Athens and Catskill were combined and Saturday mass was alternated between the Catskill parish center and St. Patrick’s Church in Athens. Sunday masses are still held at both locations every week.

The reorganization, Goldfarb said Sunday, was additionally an example of broader impacts occurring in the Catholic church across the Northeast.

“With a dwindling number of priests available, what we ended up doing was merge administration from Athens and Catskill,” he said. “We don’t have enough priests to go around to administer parishes. The diocese has been at the forefront of developing these parish life directors and sacrimental ministeries.”

Parish Life Director Sr. Mary Mazza is the current administer of the Athens and Catskill parishes.

“You have to look at the resources, both personnel as well as financial,” Goldfarb said. “Catskill has not really grown in recent years and the number of Catholics have dropped, probably, as well.”

Goldfarb said the Albany diocese has developed several programs to revitalize Catholicism in the region and preserve the current congregations, including a program to renew Catholic schools around the state.

In an e-mail sent by Goldfarb Sunday, there are plans for the Catskill parish financial council to launch a capital campaign for St. Patrick’s starting in early 2011.

“The campaign brochure will outline details of the repairs needed to promote, preserve and restore the church and to ensure the safety of the parishioners now and for many years to come,” he said in the e-mail.

Parishioners can review the reconstruction and remediation plans by appointment at the parish center, Goldfarb said.

The greater impact, locally, Goldfarb said, was that the congregation was not as unified as in the past.

“It’s unfortunate that people have left the parish,” he said. “It’d be better if people were there to help solve the problem. If everyone united, this could get done quicker.”

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="Coxsackie-Athens Community Band got a big ovation at their Christmas concert at the Reformed Church in Athens. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]
From Sam Sebren, WGXC volunteer:
On Saturday, Dec. 11 the Coxsackie-Athens Community Band, under director Ann Clapper, gave their annual Christmas concert at the Reformed Church in Athens. Close to a hundred people enjoyed the beautiful holiday music and were treated to several new arrangements this year. Also performing was the Reformed Church Choir under director Kathy Boyer. The beautiful voices of the choir were wonderful on the festive song, "Goin' on a Sleigh Ride." This concert was in conjunction with the newly revived, annual Athens Victorian Stroll which took place all day, all over Athens. The recording below starts with the CACband performing "A Christmas Flourish," "A Most Wonderful Christmas," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "In the Bleak Midwinter," "Happy Holiday," and "White Christmas." Next is the Reformed Church Choir singing "Noel, Noel," "Lullaby," and "Goin' On a Sleigh Ride." The CAC band returned to finish the evening with "A Fireside Christmas," "On This Day Earth Shall Ring," "Sleigh Ride," "Christmas 'Pop' Sing-Along," and "A Christmas Festival." To listen to mp3 audio recording of the performances click here, or paste the the following url into your computer's media player:
http://www.wgxc.org/media/uploaded_files/2010/12/CACB_RFC_WGXC_121110.mp3

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="508" caption="The Athens' Reformed Church Choir performed a holiday concert at the church. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]

Town meetings tonight
Hudson Common Council Informal Meeting, 7 p.m. at Hudson City Hall.
Hudson City School District Board of Education Meeting at 7 p.m. at Junior High School cafeteria. Agenda for meeting here.
Town of New Baltimore Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Second Monday of each month at New Baltimore Town Hall, 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix.
Town of Prattsville Board Meeting 7 p.m., Regular board meeting held second Monday of each month at Town Hall, 14517 Main St.

Birthdays
Dec. 13 birthdays include Mary Todd Lincoln, Lester Bangs, and Tom Verlaine.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="573" caption="The Rhys Tivey Quintet performed at the Athens Cultural Center. Photo by Sam Sebren."][/caption]From Sam Sebren, WGXC volunteer:
On Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Athens Cultural Center, the Rhys Tivey Quintet performed new arrangements and improvisations of Louis Armstrong songs with video projections on two screens by artist Hap Tivey accompanying the band. The standing-room-only crowd concert was the final event in the Athens Victorian Stroll. Click here to listen to an mp3 audio recording, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://www.wgxc.org/media/uploaded_files/2010/12/RhysTiveyQuintet_ACC_WGXC_121110.mp3

The 111th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is this Tuesday, with thousands of volunteers helping the census. Locally, the Catskill-Coxsackie count is headed by two local ornithological enthusiasts, Richard Guthrie and Larry Federman and covers a fifteen-mile radius centered at Green Lake, and branches out 7.5 miles in all directions. New Baltimore marks the territory's northern boundary, while the eastern line extends into Columbia County. A team will cover the Hudson River from Coxsackie to Athens, another will focus on grasslands preserves, another on Round Top, and a Coxsackie Flats group. Imbought Bay at the tip of Catskill marks the southernmost border. E-mail Richard Guthrie at gaeltic@capital.net to get involved. In Dutchess County, contact Susanne Norris at 845-229-0174 or make reservations at 845-486-1966 for meeting from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Wallace Center, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, in Hyde Park.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="145" caption="Gov. David Paterson"][/caption]Per Capitol Confidential, Gov. David Paterson tonight vetoed the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation in New York. He also issued an executive order that does not permit fracturing until July 1, 2011. His statement in part:

Governor David A. Paterson has issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct further comprehensive review and analysis of high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. The Executive Order requires that, if approved, high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing would not be permitted until July 1, 2011, at the earliest. This should allay any fears that high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling under study by DEC will commence without assurances of safety.... The Governor issued the Executive Order contemporaneously with his veto of S.8129-B/A.11443-B, which would have suspended the issuance of new oil and gas drilling permits through May 15, 2011, including all conventional, low-volume, vertical oil and gas wells. This legislation, which was well intentioned, would have a serious impact on our State if signed into law. Enacting this legislation would put people out of work – work that is permitted by the Department of Environmental Conservation and causes no demonstrated environmental harm, in order to effectuate a moratorium that is principally symbolic,” Governor Paterson said. “Symbols can have great importance, but particularly in our current terrible economic straits, I cannot agree to put individuals out of work for a symbolic act.”

The Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York's Executive Director Brad Gill said:

"We are grateful to Governor Paterson for his courage and clear-headed judgment in vetoing S.8129-B (Thompson)/A.11443-B (Sweeney). This bill would have had far-reaching consequences to the state's oil and natural gas industry, and to the communities in which our member companies work." Gill added, "We are very pleased that the governor saw the bill for what it was – a flawed piece of legislation replete with unintended and dire consequences for the people and businesses in our industry. Our members are aware of the considerable pressure put upon lawmakers and the governor to approve this bill. We're hopeful that the governor's veto today will set the stage for a more reasoned and rationale public discussion about these issues going forward."

Richard S. Ostfeld and Charles D. Canham's story "Acorn glut signals Lyme risks" appeared in the Poughkeepsie Journal, although it seems to be missing from their site, but has reappeared at the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, where they work as scientists. The article is definitely worth the archiving.

"Our research predicts the acorn bumper crop of 2010 will cause a mouse population explosion in 2011, which in turn will result in abnormally large numbers of infected nymphal ticks in the summer of 2012."

Ostfeld and Canham write that this year the four most common oak species — red oak, black oak, white oak and chestnut oak — all are producing bumper crops of acorns, known as a "mast year." "In the 20 years we've been monitoring tree seed production, this is the first time we've seen such an acorn glut," they write. Acorns are loaded with protein and fat and are eaten by many wildlife species: squirrels, chipmunks, mice, deer, raccoons, turkeys, blue jays, and bears all eat acorns. The evolutionary idea is "predator satiation," so that in bumper years not all seeds are eaten, and some become trees. White-footed mice, the most common mammal in our region, eat a lot of acorns, they report. In mast years, mice can stay put near acorns and avoid owls, hawks, and foxes. Well-fed mice start their spring breeding season earlier than usual, so, "We expect the forests and fields to be teeming with mice in the summer of 2011," they write. So more acorns lead to more mice, which leads to more ticks:

"Research we've conducted with Bard College biologist Felicia Keesing shows newly hatched blacklegged ticks that feed on white-footed mice are much more likely to survive than are ticks that feed on any other mammal or bird host. We've also established that about 90 percent of the larval ticks that feed on mice become infected with Lyme disease bacteria. So, we predict that in 2011 large mouse populations will lead to an increase in the survival and infection of ticks. This is bad news for human health. Mouse-fed larval ticks from 2011 will sit quietly on the forest floor for almost a year until they emerge as nymphs — the stage responsible for transmitting the vast majority of Lyme disease cases. Our research predicts the acorn bumper crop of 2010 will cause a mouse population explosion in 2011, which in turn will result in abnormally large numbers of infected nymphal ticks in the summer of 2012. We have been tracking acorn production by Hudson Valley oaks for 20 years and have consistently seen a spike in cases of Lyme disease in Dutchess County residents two years after large acorn mast years."

Richard S. Ostfeld and Charles D. Canham are scientists at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Ostfeld has studied the ecology of tick-borne diseases for more than 20 years. He recently published "Lyme Disease: The Ecology of a Complex System," available from Oxford University Press.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="177" caption="Salvatore Cascino"][/caption]Want some good courtroom drama? Andrew Amelinckx of the Register Star and Jamie Larson of ccscoop.com have been closely following the state's prosecution’s case against Salvatore Cascino and his Bronx-based waste hauling company for allegedly illegally dumping debris in Clermont and releasing petroleum into the environment. The case is being tried in Columbia County Supreme Court before Judge Jonathan Nichols, just off Allen St. in Hudson.

Cascino, a 70-year-old Larchmont, Westchester County resident and his company, Bronx County Recycling, were indicted in April by the state Attorney General’s Office on two class A misdemeanors — operating an unpermitted landfill and fourth-degree endangering public health, safety, or the environment.

Both parties stand accused of illegally dumping more than 70 cubic yards of solid waste and releasing petroleum at an unpermitted facility off Route 9G, just south of Firehouse Road, in Clermont between Dec. 31, 2007 and July 2009. The maximum penalty for the crimes is two years in prison.

According to Larson, "Witness credibility appeared to be as much on trial as the charges."

Read these gripping stories, which play with issues involving our local environment and continuing downstate attitudes towards our upstate scenery, as they continue unfolding over the coming week, here and here.

The Times Union reports this morning that New York State sent out pink slips to 891 state employees on Friday, December 10, notifying them they were on track for termination as of January 1. By being notified on Friday, the state has met the 20-day notice requirement for state work force reductions. State agencies varied in how they notified workers: most provided personal notification as well as a mailed or parcel post delivery of letters explaining the terminations.

Outgoing governor David Paterson has maintained the layoffs are needed to achieve a goal of $250 million in workforce savings, and he has noted that unions rejected earlier calls for give-backs. Union heads counter that the savings are minimal in light of the $9 billion budget deficit looming next year and the firings won't account for added expenses in unemployment insurance and lost tax revenue.

Due to the cutbacks in staff, the state is looking to close public access to one of the entrances to the Capitol complex and most likely will close the State Street door to the Legislative Office Building to all but employees.



When the dust settles from Gov. David Paterson's layoffs next month, fewer than the approximately 900 people who've been targeted will actually lose their jobs, state officials predicted Friday.

"It is fair to say by the end of the year not all of those 891 people will be on the street as the result of layoffs," said Erik Kriss, spokesman for the state Division of Budget.

"You still have essential positions in state government that are open and need to be filled," he said, adding that in some cases jobs like correctional officers or direct care workers become vacant unexpectedly. In those instances, people on the layoff lists would have the first shot at filling those jobs.

Additionally, Kriss noted that some employees on layoff lists are able to retire and at least one person has recently died.

Nonetheless, 891 state employees on Friday received notices that they were on track for termination. By being notified on Friday, the state has met the 20-day notice requirement for state work force reductions.

State agencies varied in how they notified workers: most provided personal notification as well as a mailed or parcel post delivery of letters explaining the terminations, effective Jan. 1.

Unions representing state employees blasted the cuts, with CSEA President Danny Donohue saying they were done out of "political spite," and PEF President Ken Brynien calling it "unnecessary and unconscionable."

Paterson has maintained the layoffs are needed to achieve a goal of $250 million in workforce savings, and he has noted that unions rejected earlier calls for give-backs.

Union heads note the savings are minimal in light of the $9 billion budget deficit looming next year and the firings won't account for added expenses in unemployment insurance and lost tax revenue.

The targeted workers were bitter, noting they are entering the worst job market in years.

"Merry Christmas guys," said Don Bush, a mechanic at the Belleayre ski center.

He's relatively lucky -- he has the option of going from full- to part-time status -- meaning a pay cut of approximately $22- to $18-an-hour, after 24 years of experience.

He knows of co-workers who will earn even less and they are wondering how they'll pay rent or make car payments. One co-worker is about to give back the new truck he purchased.

"People are very nervous and very afraid," he said.

To be sure, New Yorkers across the state will see some reduction in services right off the bat, said Chris Hickey, vice president at New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc.

Park rangers are being laid off at Riverbank and Roberto Clemente state parks in Manhattan and the Bronx, he said.

Two educational centers run by the Department of Environmental Conservation -- Rogers in Sherburne, Chenango County, and Stony Kill Farm in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County -- will be closed.

Also closing is Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, Erie County.

And 33 full time and seven hourly security screeners in the Capitol complex are on the termination list.

Adding insult to injury, Hickey said the state Office of General Services is advertising to hire a private security firm in the Empire State Plaza.

OGS spokeswoman Heather Groll stressed the openings are for security during off-hours events, such as car shows, which would be paid for by the sponsors, not taxpayers.

"This has been going on for a number of years," said Groll, who said the ad was not related to the layoffs.

Hickey noted the security screeners had in past years helped guard special events on an overtime basis.

"We were an easy mark," said Alfred Christian, the screeners' chief union steward.

Christian added that, due to the cutbacks in staff, the state is looking to close public access to one of the entrances to the Capitol complex.

Most likely, they will close the State Street door to the Legislative Office Building to all but employees.

This could make for longer lines during legislative sessions, when scores of people descend on the Capitol to lobby for various causes, press events and other activities.

The state hasn't officially announced plans for the access points.

Additionally the Empire State Games are being cancelled and the State Museum in Albany will close on Sundays.

State employees weren't the only public workers getting bad news this week. As of Wednesday approximately 1,000 employees of the New York City Off Track Betting Corp. were jobless after the Senate on Tuesday failed to pass a bill that would have rescued the bankrupt organization.

Germantown schools had a day-long police presence this past Tuesday after an anonymous tip that a student had threatened to bring a gun in. But, according a story in Saturday's Register Star, who first received the tip, nothing happened. According to the paper, a woman caller phoned in at 10:00 PM on Monday night and said she was giving an anonymous tip, and then said a student had threatened to bring a gun to school the following day. When asked for more information, she said it was up to the newspaper to do its own investigating, and hung up. The newspaper then passed its information on to the New York State Police and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, who informed Germantown Superintendent Patrick Gabriel of the tip at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday morning. Relying on the district’s crisis plan, “we took immediate action, and, with the cooperation of the Sheriff’s Office and the troopers, increased security,” he said. Police were stationed at all school entrances when students arrived and stayed for several hours, after which a sole officer remained for the rest of the day. Talk about being prepared.

The Mid Hudson News Network, along with the Register Star, have pieces in this morning's editions about meetings U.S. Rep.-elect Chris Gibson had with state Assemblymen Marc Molinaro and Pete Lopez, fellow Republican, in several locations yesterday, including the Elks Club in Hudson, where Gibson said growing the economy by repealing “paternalistic legislation” is his top priority and added that he would push for the building of a nuclear power plant in the area. Concerns voiced by the public during the discussions included reducing spending, managing healthcare reform, protecting agriculture and small businesses, prohibiting the addition of new taxes, and hydrofracking. Gibson said that his first priority is to grow the economy by focusing on reform of “paternalistic legislation” that inhibits economic growth, as well as developing more intelligent ways of balancing the economy and the environment.

Gibson also said he was open to the building of two nuclear power plants in the overall region, one north and one south of Albany.

The sprawling 20th Congressional District comprises all of Columbia, Greene, Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties and parts of Dutchess, Otsego, Rensselaer, Delaware and Essex counties. In Northern Dutchess, the district includes Hyde Park, Clinton, Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Milan and Pine Plains.

For full stories click here or here.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Pamela Dalton's papercutting open house is a must see in Columbia County's Harlemville."][/caption]The Village of Athens will be holding its annual Victorian Stroll today,under the auspices of the Athens Cultural Center. According to the Daily Mail, he day starts out at E.J. Arthur Elementary School, where kids and families can enjoy Breakfast with Santa, and where the school will hold its annual crafts sale. Then you can head over to the Athens Cultural Center, where children will be able to take free photos with a Victorian Santa throughout the day. Collector Rob Halley will also be on hand with his vast collection of antique Christmas ornaments and the Center will be all dolled up with its holiday tree, put up by the Athens Garden Club. There will also be refreshments, a harp performance and readings by musician Ann Carter, including not-often-heard Christmas carols and Celtic music. Performances will be held at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. At 3:30, teens from the teen acting class will perform several scenes from “Our Town” and “True West." And at the D.R. Evarts Library, kids’ activities will include a performance by “Tales ‘n Tunes” at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., while in the afternoon at 2 p.m. the Coxsackie-Athens Community Band will perform at First Reformed Church on Church Street, where cider and donuts will also be served.

In the evening the Cultural Center will host a jazz quintet, including Elizabeth Taylor’s grandson and the new Crossroads Brewery will be open 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. for tastings of their microbrews. In Hudson, meanwhile, Time and Space Limited on Columbia Street is hosting a kids event, presenting works by those students who have been participating in TSL actrivities this fall, at the institution's Columbia Street digs from 11 a.m. to noon.

Back across the river in Catskill, Open Studio, at the corner of Main and Thompson, is holding a special open hour from 5 to 7 p.m. an always cheerful event full of art, decorations and a goodly bit of surreal glee, to boot. Finally, out in Harlemville, in the town of Hillsdale, renowned paper-cutter Pamela Dalton will be holding her Annual Open House Sale in her home at 322 County Route 21C, right next to Hawthorne Valley School, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 12, alongside four other artists, “kindred spirits” specializing in early 19th-century American art. Forget the cold and threat of bluster, it's a weekend to get out and about!

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="504" caption="Ward Stone, former NYS DEC wildlife pathologist, speaking at DOH Public Health Assessment meeting about Ravena's Lafarge cement plant. Photo by San Sebren."][/caption]
Ward Stone, who resigned as a pathologist at the Department of Environmental Conservation earlier this year, spoke at length at the Department of Health's Public Health Assessment meeting Thursday night at RCS High School in Ravena. Sam Sebren recorded Stone's comments. Click here to listen to an audio mp3 recording, or copy and paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://www.wgxc.org/media/uploaded_files/2010/12/WardStone_DOHLafargeHealthAssessmentmeeting_RCSHighSchool_120910_20101211_0037.mp3

While Greene County's ski slopes opened last weekend, skiing begins Saturday at Columbia County's Catamount with discounted lift ticket prices for this weekend at $40 for adults, $20 for Juniors or Seniors, and $10 a child, with nine trails open and four lifts operating. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Since 2005, EMPAC has hosted over 40 artists and their collaborators, spanning theater, dance, music, video, and installation in residency. While EMPAC will continue its open call residency program, they have announced four additional focused initiatives:
•Audio Production / Post‐Production
For sound recording, development of multichannel sound works, documentation, mastering, mixing, film scoring, or any other task involving microphones, speakers, consoles, and computers.
•Creative Research
Provides artists, writers, and theorists with the opportunity to conduct research over extended periods of time (minimum six weeks).
•Dance / Theater
To rehearse, workshop, or finalize a production. Provides a group of up to six individuals a two‐week rehearsal period in a 3,300 sq. ft. black box space with full production support.
•Video Production / Post‐Production
For multiple camera shoots, documentation of a performance, development of multichannel video projection, digital video post‐production, or any project involving HD video cameras, computers, and projectors.



EMPAC’s unique facilities offer four major venues including a Concert Hall, Theater, and two black box Studios, in addition to artists in residence studios and a state of the art infrastructure. To apply, please include a letter of intent, a project description, a resume or CV for all major collaborators, as well as works, samples, and other supporting materials. Proposals are reviewed by EMPAC curators four times a year. Upcoming reviews will take place on January 14, April 15, July 15, and October 15. In general, residencies are scheduled six months to one year in advance.

For more information, please visit: http://www.empac.rpi.edu/residencies/artist/.

Congressman Scott Murphy released this statement Thursday:

“If the tax cut compromise outlined by President Obama comes to the floor as currently proposed, I will support it. As with any compromise, there are provisions that I do not agree with, but I firmly believe that in this package the good outweighs the bad. This plan would help businesses create jobs and help middle class families by easing their tax burden. It also keeps in mind the massive deficit and debt that have been built up by the poor decisions of the last ten years. It is important that it is not a permanent extension that we can't afford but rather a targeted deal that will help get the economy moving and keep our long term fiscal crisis in mind."