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.

Both incumbent Scott Murphy (Democrat from Glens Falls) and Chris Gibson (Republican from Kinderhook) released internal polls today showing better results for their campaigns then independent polls have so far. The Gibson internal poll can be seen at Capitol Confidential, the Albany Times-Union's political blog. Gibson touted his new poll this morning, one showing him trailing by four points, 42-38, and, “among the voters most interested in the election, Gibson leads, 41-40 [percent],” Public Opinion Strategies said. Later this afternoon Murphy's campaign announced that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today released a new Grove Insight poll that shows Representative Scott Murphy leading Republican challenger Chris Gibson by 13 percent, 51 percent to 38 percent. Conducted September 28-30, the poll surveyed 400 likely voters and has a 4.9 percent margin of error. An earlier Siena Poll found Murphy ahead by 17 points. That survey was conducted from Sept. 12-14, just as Gibson’s first advertisements were going on air. An earlier conservative poll found the Republican trailing by a smaller margin. Maggie Haberman in Politico is also reporting Murphy raised over $900,000 in July, August, and September. Murphy also announced he will be at VFW Post 770, Sullivan-Teator Post at 539 Main St. in Catskill, at noon Tuesday, and then at the Cairo Library at 1 p.m. to discuss the recent USDA loan and grant to build new a facility. The Cairo Public Library is located at 512 Main St., Cairo. Gibson will be in Germantown Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. for Oktoberfest at Palentine Park along the town's Main St. Gibson's campaign also revealed a new television advertisment today, below.

Will Pflaum recorded the Oct. 2 Stuyvesant special town meeting about the town's garage, and Martin Roby edited it into the recording into sections. Click here to access the mp3 files or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://yesi.am/case/Town%20Information%20Meeting%20October%202%202010.mp3

Congressman Scott Murphy and Republican challenger Chris Gibson have agreed to three more joint appearances before voters decide which one represents NY's 20th District. WGXC has posted YouTube videos of their previous debate, and will post raw recordings of these events whenever possible.

Event 1:
Poughkeepsie Journal Joint Editorial Board
October 13, 4 p.m.
Poughkeepsie, NY

Event 2:
League of Women Voters
October 19, 7 p.m.
Queensbury High School Auditorium
Queensbury, NY

Event 3:
WMHT-TV/Albany Times Union Debate
October 21, 8 p.m.
Troy, NY

Video from the WGXC studio build live from WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising Sun. Sept. 26 from the WGXC Hudson studio. Listen and watch as Dan Meredith from the New America Foundation shows WGXC's Al Davis and Tom Roe how to use Campcaster, the open source automation system volunteers installed over the course of the weekend Barnraising.

Video of the dinner plenary Sat. Sept. 25 at St. Mary's Academy in Hudson during the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising includes Pamela Badila, Norman Douglas (in screen shot above), and other WGXC programmers.

WGXC announces its initial program schedule today at the end of the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising. Much of the schedule still needs to be completed. Click on images to enlarge.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="WGXC Hudson studio built during WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising Sept. 24-26."][/caption]Photos from WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising, Sept. 24-26 at various locations in Hudson, New York.[caption id="" align="alignright" width="320" caption="Ryder Cooley at the Meshell Ndegeocello WGXC fundraiser at Club Helsinki. Photo by Alan Korn."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3337" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="WGXC\'s Hudson studio is almost done being built. The console moved on to the table this afternoon."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Alan Korn posted this photo of the WGXC Hudson studio entrance. Korn was the lawyer that represented WGXC's successful application for the 90.7-FM frequency."][/caption]

Media activist Dee Dee Halleck at the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising Sat. Sept. 25, was interviewed by a representative from the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY. Halleck spoke about the FBI raid yesterday of the homes of six political activists in Minneapolis in connection with a terrorism investigation. Many computer files were seized.

Kaya Weidman, WGXC Volunteer coordinator, talks about community radio at St. Mary's Academy in Hudson during the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising.

A music video made from the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising in Hudson, NY, Sept. 25, 2010. Screen shot above includes Sakura Saunders of Prometheus Radio Project working in the new WGXC Hudson studio.

Governor David Paterson yesterday signed a bill (Senate bill 7287B/Assembly bill 10634B) to simplify procedures to fill vacancies on the D.R.Evarts Library board of trustees. State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta) and Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R/C/I- Schoharie) both sponsored the bill. The law:
* Reduces the number of signatures required on a petition to nominate a candidate for a vacancy on the board of trustees of the Athens library from fifty to twenty-five;
* Allows for the use of absentee ballots in annual elections;
* Provides that, when a vacancy occurs on the board between annual elections, the position may be filled by appointment until the next annual election.

Club Helsinki employees have been tweeting: even if there is no show the bar and kitchen will be open at the new Columbia St. club every night Thursday through Monday.

Hunting season -- for turkeys, deer, bears, and other animals -- starts soon in New York. Here are some of the state's guidelines for hunters:

Manner of Taking
It is illegal to take or hunt wildlife:
* while in or on a motor vehicle (except by the holder of a Non Ambulatory Hunter Permit).
* with the aid of a vehicle's lights.
* on or from any public road.
* with any firearm equipped with a silencer.
* with any firearm which continues to fire as long as the trigger is held back (an automatic firearm).
* with a spear.
* with a bow equipped with any mechanical device which is attached to the bow (other than the bowstring) for drawing, holding or releasing the bowstring, except for a hunter with a disability who is in possession of a Modified Archer Permit (compound bows are legal).
* with a spear gun or crossbow except for a hunter with a disability who is in possession of a Modified Crossbow Permit.
* with an arrow with an explosive head or shaft.
* with any device designed or intended to deliver drugs to an animal.
* with any semi-automatic firearm with a capacity to hold more than 6 rounds, EXCEPT the following semi-automatic firearms:
1. firearms using .22 or .17 caliber rimfire ammunition, or
2. firearms altered to reduce their capacity to no more than 6 shells at one time in the magazine and chamber combined, or
3. autoloading pistols with a barrel length of less than eight inches.

Baiting
It is illegal to hunt with the aid of bait, or over any baited area when hunting big game, upland game birds, turkey or waterfowl.

Artificial Lights
It is illegal to hunt deer or bear with the aid of any artificial light including laser sights.

Spotlighting
You may use lights to observe deer and bear under the following conditions:
* You are not within 500 feet of a home or farm building, unless you have permission from the owner or lessee.
* While in or on a motor vehicle and operating a light and no person has a firearm or bow unless:
o the firearm is taken down or the bow is unstrung, or
o the firearm is securely fastened in a case, or
o the firearm is locked in the trunk of the vehicle, or
o the firearm is a handgun.
* For information on hunting furbearers at night, see the Small Game and Furbearer Regulations.

Possession of Firearms
During the open season for deer, it is illegal to:
* possess shotgun shells loaded with slug or ball, unless holding a valid license or permit to take deer or bear, or
* possess a rifle larger than a .22 rimfire (muzzleloading rifles excepted) in areas where rifles are banned for taking deer.

Possession of handguns in New York State requires a NYS Pistol Permit. New York does not recognize permits issued by other states.

Transportation of Firearms
A person may not transport or possess a shotgun or rifle in or on a motor vehicle unless the firearm is unloaded in both chamber and magazine. A loaded firearm may be carried or possessed in a motorboat while legally hunting migratory game birds.
Discharge of Firearms and Bows

It is illegal to discharge a firearm or bow:
* so that the load or arrow passes over any part of a public highway,
* within 500 feet of any school, playground, or an occupied factory or church,
* within 500 feet of a dwelling, farm building or structure in occupation or use unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the family, an employee, or have the owner's consent.
* You may hunt waterfowl, over water, within 500 feet of a dwelling or public structure as long as neither are within 500 feet in the direction you are shooting.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="340" caption="Sara Kendall and Ngonda Badila chat about the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising at a Sept. 20, 2010 WGXC volunteer meeting."][/caption]WGXC volunteers and staff from the Prometheus Radio Project finalized details of this weekend's WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising at WGXC's Hudson studio Monday night. The conference, workshops, skill shares, and studio building will be done at various sites in Hudson, New York this weekend. Bottom photo, WGXC volunteers Norman Douglas and Kieran Riley help organize the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising at a Sept. 20, 2010 WGXC volunteer meeting. Photos by Andalusia Knoll of Prometheus Radio Project.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="340" caption="WGXC programmer Juan Sanchez and Prometheus Radio Project's Cory Fischer-Hoffman at a WGXC volunteer meeting to work on the WGXC/Prometheus Radio Project Station Barnraising."][/caption]

Chris Gibson, Republican from Kinderhook, is airing his second ad (above) in his attempt to unseat Democrat Scott Murphy in NY"s 20th Congressional District, which covers Greene and Columbia counties. The Murphy campaign quickly responded with a press release that does not challenge any facts in Gibson's ads but point out the differences of opinion of the two candidates on health care.

From Lissa Harris at Watershed Post:

This black bear, captured on surveillance video on Hunter Mountain a couple of weeks ago, isn't really getting anywhere in his quest for midnight munchies until around the 1:27 mark. That's when he (or she?) finds the motherlode of donut holes.