GFC - Voter - Poll - Track 2 NY CD 20 Key Fiindings Memo POS[1]
Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential reports: Chris Gibson’s campaign released a poll this morning by Public Opinion Strategies showing he leads his Democratic opponent, Rep. Scott Murphy, by two points. This POS poll shows Gibson, a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook, leading 44-42; an earlier POS poll showed Gibson within “striking distance,” trailing Murphy, D-Glens Falls, by six. A poll by the National Republican Congressional Committee leaked to the Washington Post showed Gibson leading 48-45. The last public poll, Siena College’s survey in September, showed Murphy leading. There are risks to believing leaked polls, especially when campaigns only summarize their findings (a memo is above) without showing the questions asked. But it’s been a long time since the Siena poll, and the general consensus among observers in the district is the race will converge to within the margin of error — which both Republican polls show. Gibson said during a radio interview with Fred Dicker that he was “encouraged” by the result, but the only poll that matters is on election day.

Kyle Wind in The Daily Freeman reports that today the Greene County Legislature's Finance and Education committees will discuss whether to add $421,800 toward a $1.9 million capital project to improve aging infrastructure at Columbia-Greene Community College, and the full Legislature should vote on the proposal at Wednesday’s meeting, according to Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh, (R-Coxsackie). The Columbia County Board of Supervisors approved its share of the costs — $528,200 — unanimously on Wednesday. The state will match the counties’ $950,000 contribution, if the Legislature approves. Read the entire story in The Daily Freeman.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="280" caption="Alan Pavese and Peter Markou, candidates for Greene County Treasurer."][/caption]WGXC broadcast a live online webstream tonight from the Greene County Meet the Candidates forum organized by Town and Country Women's Network at the Pegasus Restaurant in Coxsackie. All four candidates vying for county-wide seats attended, Judge candidates David Woodin and Charles Tailleur, and Treasurer candidates Peter Markou and Alan Pavese. A crowd of about 50 ate dinner, then listened to candidates give short speeches, and then answer questions collected from the audience. Click here to listen to an mp3 recording of the forum, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/GreeneCtyMeettheCandidates_PegasusRestaurant_WGXC_101410.mp3

[caption id="attachment_3618" align="alignright" width="300" caption="David Woodin and Charles Tailleur, candidates for Greene County Judge."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3623" align="alignleft" width="112" caption="Joan Young of Town and Country Women\'s Network introduced the candidates."][/caption]

In a story by Colin Devries in The Daily Mail about how a judge removed Michael Smith's name from the Democratic line in the Nov. 2 election, local Republicans and Democrats both announced they have flip-flopped from their 2009 positions on local election law. Last year, the Democrats challenged Linda Overbaugh's listing on the Republican line for a technicality -- the name of a different Linda Overbaugh appeared on her nomination form. The Republicans then said that no matter the technicality, voters needed the choice. Now, the technicality is just fine with Republicans, and the Democrats think voters need the choice. Albany County Court Judge Joseph Teresi ruled Wednesday that Smith's name be removed from the Democrat line because Forest Cotten, a Catskill representative at the Greene County legislature and former Catskill committee chair, did not sign the certificate to nominate Smith. Smith will still be on the ballot, on the Justice Party line. Cotten realizes there is flip-flopping going on -- “Apparently, (Republicans) have had a change of heart from last year,” he told the Daily Mail -- but doesn't admit his own party's switch. WGXC called up Greene County Republican committee chairman Brent Bogardus to ask him if he also was changing positions. "I think this is apples to oranges," he said, claiming this case was cut and dry and Overbaugh's was much more open to question. "Yes, I would prefer if candidates stayed on the ballot.... All of this nit-picking is out of control, but you cannot unilaterally disarm.... If both parties want to agree not to play this game any more [on technical issues] we could agree to that." Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

The Poughkeepsie Journal's editorial board met with U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, and Chris Gibson, a Republican from Kinderhook, who are vying for the 20th Congressional District seat, yesterday. They have three videos up on their site of the discussion.
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Lady Moon -- who performs at countless benefit fundraisers for many different community issues, and works with local youth -- releases "The Earth is Blue" CD with a performance at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24 at Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren St.

Rep. Scott Murphy and Kinderhook-based Republican challenger Chris Gibson released ads attacking each other this weekend. Murphy and Gibson face a Nov. 2 election to see which one represents NY's 20th District, which includes Greene and Columbia counties. Gibson's ad:

Murphy's ad:

Hudson-based band Bunny Brains performed at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn Aug. 29, 2010 with film projections by noted film artist Martha Colburn (who also recorded and uploaded this video). There is a longer video here.

[caption id="attachment_3554" align="alignleft" width="324" caption="Alexander Turnquist at \"We Are Magnets\" show at Spotty Dog Books & Ale Oct. 8, 2010."][/caption]
Alexander Turnquist (pictured, above) curated the "We Are Magnets" show tonight at the Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson. Liam Singer (second photo) also performed. We will update this post throughout the evening with photos and audio. Sarah Lipstate, as Noveller (below), also performed. Dream Massage (very bottom photo) completed the evening's entertainments.

Click here to listen to Alexander Turnquist's final song, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/Noveller_SpottyDog_WGXC_100810.mp3


Click here to listen to Liam Singer's set, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/LiamSinger_SpottyDog_WGXC_100810.mp3

[caption id="attachment_3570" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Noveller (Sarah Lipstate) at Spotty Dog Books & Ale."][/caption]
Click here to listen to Noveller's set, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/Noveller_SpottyDog_WGXC_100810.mp3

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Dream Massage at "We Are Magnets" show at Spotty Dog Books & Ale."][/caption]
Click here to listen to Dream Massage's set, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/DreamMassage_SpottyDog_WGXC_100810.mp3

Finally, Summer Mummy opened the evening. Click here to listen to Summer Mummy's set, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/SummerMummy_SpottyDog_WGXC_100810.mp3

Rep. Scott Murphy, Democrat from Glens Falls, tours Solaqua Power and Arts campus in Chatham at 11 a.m. Tuesday and will present a nearly $50,000 USDA grant to power a new solar manufacturing division of SunDog Solar, 343 Route 295, Chatham, NY. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook-based Republican Chris Gibson.

Someone has started a "Greene County For Sale" Facebook page. "The purpose of this page is for Greene County individuals (not business) to sale and seek items," says the info page of the site.

Matt Bua and Laura Nancy Anderson from the new Catamount People's Museum in Catskill have been collecting historical artifacts and recordings to share, and recently interviewed Charles B. Swain, a minority Greene County historian (pictured at Catamount Museum), about Catskill history over the last 500 years. Charles B. Swain is the minorities' historian for Greene County. His was the first such appointment in the United States. He is the author of several books: "African-Americans in Early New York State," "Black Cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers & Black Pioneers of the American West," and "Black Population From Greene County From 1748." Click here to listen to the mp3 audio recording of the interview, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/CharlesBSwainGreeneCountyMinorityHistorian_interviewedMattBuaLauraAnderson_Catamount_WGXC.mp3

You can call and leave your own oral history for the Catamount People's Museum by calling toll-free 1-877-679-4283:
Press #1 to leave a story about the past.
Press #2 to talk about the future.

Town and Country Women's Network (formerly known as Business and Professional Women) present a Meet the Candidates event with the four candidates for Greene County office Thursday, Oct. 14 at Pegasus Restaurant, Route 9W, Coxsackie. Candidates for Greene County Judge David Woodin Esq. and Charles Tailleur Esq. are seeking the position currently held by Daniel Lalor Esq. who has served 20 years and will retire at the end of this year. Alan Pavese and Peter Markou are seeking the position of Greene County Treasurer formerly held by Willis Vermilyea who recently retired. Elections will take place on Tuesday November 2, 2010 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at each regular polling location. This will be the first general election to be held using the new scanner voting system in every location. A brief explanation of this new system will be included. Each candidate will have an opportunity to network, give a brief presentation and distribute literature and those attending will have an opportunity to ask questions. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with dinners ordered from the menu at 6:30 with separate checks provided. The public is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Reservations are encouraged so the restaurant can plan seating and staffing. Questions and reservations call Joan Young 945-2653 or e-mail JMY@MHonline.net. WGXC Online Radio will have a live webstream of the forum, and will put an archived recording on the Newsroom website within a few hours of the event.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican challenger Joe DioGuardi, an ex-congressman from Westchester County, will debate Oct. 21 at Russell Sage College in Troy televised on the networks of Time Warner Cable and Oct. 15 in New York City televised on WABC, according to Capitol Confidential.

Matt Bua and Laura Nancy Anderson from the new Catamount People's Museum in Catskill have been collecting historical artifacts and recordings to share, and recently interviewed Bob Hallock, the President of the Greene County Historical Society, about Catskill history over the last 500 years. Click here to listen to an mp3 audio recording, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/10/BobHallock_PresGreeneCtyHistSociety_interviewMattBuaLaura_WGXC_082810.mp3

You can call and leave your own oral history for the Catamount People's Museum by calling toll-free 1-877-679-4283:
Press #1 to leave a story about the past.
Press #2 to talk about the future.

Register in person at the local county Board of Elections by Friday, though new citizens and military voters have until Oct. 22. Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by midnight Friday, Oct. 8 and received no later than Oct. 13 to be valid for the general election, Tuesday, November 2.

Rick Karlin at Capitol Confidential reports that the Authorities Budget Office released its Compensation Report, a letter from Director David Kidera, about the payment situation at the Greene County Industrial Development Authority. The letter focuses on Executive Director Alexander ["Sandy"] Mathes, and a series of raises and bonuses that critics around the county have condemned. The report reaches four conclusions:
1) $130,000 of $282,500 in bonus payments to Mathes "cannot be justified" and "While the Authorities Budget Office implies no wrongdoing on the part of the Executive Director, we believe the GCIDA board has a fiduciary duty to recover this $130,000."
2) Salary increases to Mathes in 2009 and 2010 were awarded without new employment agreements authorizing these salary levels, and the, "increases should not have occurred."
3) "The board's decision was arbitrary and inconsistent with the intent of the State Comptroller's opinion" with regard to how bonuses were awarded.
4) "A neutral, objective observer may well conclude that the work performed by the Executive Director that earned him a bonus just as easily falls with the range of his normal activities."s

Capitol Confidential's Rick Karlin, quoting NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney, reports on "32-Day Fundraising" filings, which show all local incumbents with large cash advantages over their challengers. Republican incumbent State Senator Steve Saland has $240,833 on hand while Democrat challenger Didi Barrett has $135,258 in the New York State Senate District 41 contest to represent Columbia and Dutchess counties. Independent incumbent Tim Gordon, running to retain his seat in New York State Assembly District 108 which covers northern Greene and Columbia counties, has $17,195 on hand against Republican challenger Steven McLaughlin's $2,035. In the New York Assembly District 103, which covers Columbia County, incumbent Republican Marc Molinaro has $19,806 to Democrat challenger Susan Tooker's zero. Republican incumbent Pete Lopez, running unopposed in the New York State Assembly District 127 that covers much of Greene County, has $35,424 on hand. Likewise, State Senator James Seward, representing Senate District 51 which covers Greene County, is unopposed, and has $189,091 on hand.

Colin DeVries reports in The Daily Mail that at 9 a.m. this morning Albany County Court Judge Joseph C. Teresi will hear arguments on whether town justice candidate Michael Smith can remain on the ballot as a Democrat for the Nov. 2 election. The last line, about the missed deadline, may tell the story:

A lawsuit claiming that town justice candidate Michael Smith is not an eligible Democratic nominee for the November election was filed last week by his Republican challenger [Peter Margolius]. The Sept. 30 verified petition claims that the certification of nomination naming Smith as the Democratic candidate was not filed properly, therefore invalidating Smith from being on the ballot. The suit states that both the presiding officer and secretary of the town of Catskill Democratic caucus did not sign the certificate, ruling it invalid. It additionally states that members of the caucus committee to fill vacancies did not list an address for “purported” member Stan Raven, making the certificate incomplete.... The suit refers to a two-sentence letter of objection signed by Janice Cammarato of Catskill, a co-petitioner in the lawsuit, stating the certificate was “not signed by the presiding officer and secretary as required by the election law.” That letter was filed with the Greene County Board of Elections on Sept. 23 — two days after the deadline to submit the certificate. Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.

Debora Gilbert in The Columbia Paper reports the Hudson school board appointed Peter Rice at a meeting last Monday, over former board member Pat Abitabile, who resigned her seat last summer due to now-resolved family problems, and Bob Conte, a retired district teacher. Mr. Rice replaces Justin Cukerstein, a laid-off teacher just reinstated.