Congressman Scott Murphy will hold a "Kick-Off" for his Columbia County campaign Thu. Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at 731 Warren St. in Hudson. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson.

The Hudson Pride Foundation presents Charlie Ferrusi and Timothy Howard (Hudson High's Prom King and Queen) the 2010 HPF Scholarships.

The New York Daily News is the latest NYC mainstream media elite newspaper writing about how great Hudson, New York is. This time it is about Warren St.'s great taco truck, Tortillaville. Larissa Phillips in the Daily News writes:

When I get a craving for something other than tomato sandwiches, we head into Hudson. This once-depressed city has been thriving recently thanks to an influx of antique shops and art galleries and restaurants and now… a taco truck. Okay, as far as I can tell it’s not run by anyone with roots from south of the border, but it does offer the most satisfying tacos I’ve had since that last time I was in Mexico… or Sunset Park. My kids love the Mexican Coca-Colas, and although I had to lure them there with the hot dog option, they’ve been tempted by tastes of the tacos and now, after years in New York City, nearly three hours from away from Sunset Park, are finally discovering the joys of real tacos.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="358" caption="Catamount People's Museum opening, with creator Matt Bua."][/caption]WGXC was at the opening of artist Matt Bua‘s Catamount People’s Museum at 21 West Bridge St. in Catskill today. The museum is a handmade structure in the form of a lounging bobcat using discarded tree branches and cut-offs from local mills. WGXC had a rain-shortened live webcast today with performances by Bradford Reed and his Amazing Pencilina and Carmen Borgia. From Bua, “The interior of this over-sized Lynx Rufus houses a collection of materials and displays celebrating the people, stories and history of the Catskill Mountains. Content for displays are collected from both historical organizations and the surrounding community. The museum has a unique focus of seamlessly blending the stories, visions and personal collections of residents with the voices of historians. The folk legends, urban myths and favorite, almost forgotten tide bits on display make this new public space a place to soak in what this area is really all about.”

[caption id="attachment_3036" align="alignright" width="112" caption="Carmen Borgia"][/caption]Click here to listen to the first part of Carmen Borgia's performance, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/09/CarmenBorgiapart1_Catamount_WGXC_090410.mp3

Click here to listen to the second part of Carmen Borgia's performance, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/09/CarmenBorgiapart2_Catamount_WGXC_090410.mp3

Click here to listen to Bradford Reed and His Amazing Pencilina's performance, or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/09/BradfordReedAmazingPencilina_Catamount_WGXC_090410.mp3
[caption id="attachment_3039" align="alignleft" width="112" caption="Bradford Reed and His Amazing Pencilina"][/caption]

The much-hyped New York Times travel piece about Hudson's music scene by Carrie Neiman Culpepper turned out to be incomplete. How do you write about Hudson music without featuring Bunnybrains and Alexander Turnquist, the two internationally known figures in town? There is a Nathaniel Brooks photo from the recent WGXC Vetiver fundraiser at the Cannonball Factory; a photo of the (p.m.) wine bar, but no mention that DJ Lunar Moss is a fixture there Thursday nights; and not a word about the hip hop scene or Basilica Industria or Savoia or Club Helsinki, and only a passing reference to a Badila (Mother Fletcher is a reggae band?). In this case, The New York Times can recognize that something is there, but does not understand what exactly it is.

Rep. Scott Murphy raised $63,000 more than Republican challenger Chris Gibson this summer, and has $1.45 million in the bank, more than Gibson's $526,334, according to the campaigns. Murphy raised $325,000 from July 1 to Aug. 25, and Gibson raised $261,955. Murphy has two ads on the air regionally now, Gibson's campaign has yet to roll out a TV ad. The New York Times has moved the race from "lean Democrat" to "toss-up," and back to "lean Democrat." The Cook Political Report also rates the contest "Leans D." The campaign's first poll is out, from the conservative American Action Forum, and it shows Murphy leading Kinderhook's Gibson 45 to 40 percent, with a 4.9 percent margin of error. Given the poll's conservative bent and the large margin of error, it is possible that Murphy has a slightly larger lead currently, but probably not above the 50 percent mark. The poll also found just 37 percent name recognition for Gibson, compared to Murphy’s 91 percent name recognition. That means Gibson has lots of room to impress voters who will soon know his name when TV ads air. Gibson also is winning more national Republican support lately, which may help make up that fundraising disadvantage. Tuesday Gibson was advanced to the top tier of the National Republican Congressional Committee's "Young Guns" program, who, according to the National Journal, along with 51 others, "represent some of the GOP's top pickup opportunities this fall." Nationally, polls indicate there may be many Republicans replacing Democrats in other House of Representative elections. Locally, Gibson has far more signs on lawns, and has for months, perhaps earlier than some municipalities allow. That may be a sign of passionate, dedicated volunteers, which would help get out the vote on election day. Surely, calling this race one way or the other would be premature.

[caption id="attachment_2987" align="alignright" width="85" caption="Alan Pavese"][/caption]Governor David Paterson appointed Durham financial analyst Alan Pavese interim Greene County Treasurer today. Former Greene County Treasurer Willis Vermilyea retired from the office in July, and the Republican-controlled Greene County Legislature appointed Thomas Tracey interim treasurer. But the Governor believes he has that power, and has appointed Pavese, the Democrats nominee for the job this fall. The Daily Mail's Susan Campriello reports that, "Greene County Attorney Carol Stevens said Thursday she will inform [Peter J.] Kiernan, [Counsel to the Governor] Friday morning that the county does not recognize the Governor’s authority to make such an appointment." Catskill Town Supervisor Peter Markou is running against Pavese for the office this fall. Pavese released a statement saying, "I am honored that the Governor placed his vote of confidence in me as the best qualified person to lead our county through one of its most financially difficult times."

Diners at Mexican Radio on the evening of Sept. 9 will help bring community radio to Greene and Columbia counties, as a portion of the proceeds from all meals will go to WGXC.

Carole Osterink notices the The September-October issue of Preservation Magazine (from the National Trust for Historic Preservation) includes an article about the Plumb-Bronson House, Hudson's National Historic Landmark, and Historic Hudson, called "Hudson River Revival." They have a YouTube video (above).

[caption id="attachment_2874" align="alignright" width="162" caption="Karen Johnson of Charter Realty & Development Corp. explains the proposed supermarket project."][/caption]The Town of Cairo Planning Board held a public hearing tonight about a proposed 40,000-square-foot supermarket on the site between the two banks at the intersection of Route 23 and 23B, and Route 32. This is where a previous supermarket proposal with other suburban-type national chain stores, and housing, called "Alden Terrace" was eventually abandoned after much public scrutiny and a lawsuit. Then, the issues were the town's faulty sewer system, the housing part of the "Alden Terrace" proposal, and other issues. This time, public support in the packed town hall leaned more in favor of the project then against it, with many residents voicing a need for new economic opportunities in Cairo.[caption id="attachment_2875" align="alignleft" width="162" caption="Dot Rosenthal spoke in favor of the proposed supermarket."][/caption]
The only reason suggested by the public for the board to kill the entire project (from longtime Cairo resident Peter Ricci) was that it would suburbanize Cairo just like Catskill did by bringing in Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart and other stores, taking business away from Main St., while not helping the tax base all that much. (These chain stores repeatedly threaten Catskill with lawsuits that the cash-strapped town cannot afford to defend. William Kemble in The Daily Freeman has written excellent stories about Home Depot and Wal-Mart skirting taxes with such threats.) In Cairo tonight, most town residents stated that any new project would be good for the town in the center of Greene County, and the tradition of Cairo saying no to new projects must end. Charter Realty & Development Corporation's Karen Johnson refused to say which supermarket chain wanted to move in to its building, and they are bringing the supermarket project first and then there will be further development, although of what sort is completely unknown on the rest of the surrounding land between Cairo's two busiest roads. Ellsworth "Unk" Slater (photo below), who own's Cairo's only supermarket, Great American just up 23B, voiced several concerns about the project, as did his lawyer and engineer. A few nearby homeowners worried aloud about the planned five wells associated with the project. Slater pointed out that when he put in a gas station next to his grocery store a few years ago, they discovered the gasoline additive, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and, since the ground slopes toward this project, it may affect those wells. Others supported the project, but voiced concerns about the speeding cars and exposed back of the supermarket at the Route 32 entrance, and the light poles in the proposed parking lot peaking into the magnificent view of the Catskill Mountains ridge line. The public hearing remained open and will resume at the board's regular meeting at 7 p.m. Wed. Oct. 6.
[caption id="attachment_2876" align="alignright" width="162" caption="Ellsworth \"Unk\" Slater, owner of the Great American grocery story, had concerns about some of the plans for his future competition."][/caption]
Listen for yourself to what the residents of Cairo thought about the project at the public hearing by clicking here or pasting the following url into your computer's media player: http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/09/CairoPubHearing_supermarketPlanningBoard_WGXC_090110.mp3

OTHER STORIES ON SAME MEETING: The Daily Mail

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="475" caption="Rangda at Cannonball Factory for WGXC Aug. 31, 2010."][/caption]Last night Rangda (underground legends Richard Bishop of Sun City Girls; Chris Corsano who has played with Bjork and Thurston Moore; and Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance), Major Stars, and Bunnybrains, all performed a fundraiser for WGXC at Cannonball Factory.

Listen to Rangda's set here, or paste the following url into your computer's media player: http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/Rangda_Cannonball_WGXC_083110.mp3

Listen to Major Stars' set here, or paste the following url into your computer's media player: http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/MajorStars_Cannonball_WGXC_083110.mp3

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="478" caption="Bunnybrains' Dan Seward curated the evening."][/caption]Listen to Bunnybrains set here, or paste the following url into your computer's media player: http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/Bunnybrains_Cannonball_WGXC_083110.mp3

The Greene County News and Ravena News-Herald both now have websites, styled the same as other Hudson-Catskill Newspapers Corp.'s websites (The Daily Mail, Register-Star, Windham Journal, The Mountain Eagle, and Chatham Courier). Hudson-Catskill Newspaper Corp. purchased The Ravena News-Herald and The Greene County Local Courier (which covers Greenville, Coxsackie, and Athens) April 1, and both print on Thursdays like other HCN papers.

Congressman Scott Murphy will be at the opening of Greene County's Democratic Party headquarters, at 377 Main St., Wednesday at 6 p.m. Murphy is running for re-election against Kinderhook's Chris Gibson. The Democrats candidate for Greene County Treasurer, Alan Pavese, will also be there.

Congressional candidate Chris Gibson will be at Columbia County Fair Friday, Sept. 3 and Saturday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. The fair is located at 182 Hudson Ave. in Chatham, NY. Gibson, from Kinderhook, is challenging incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy in the election this November.

Lynn Sloneker in Unmuffled reports:

The Hudson City Board of Education will hold a special meeting 7 p.m. Monday, in the Hudson Junior High School cafeteria. At that time, the board will discuss the instructional positions to be restored with funding provided by the $10-billion federal Education Jobs Fund program, created early this month "to save or create education jobs." HCSD is projected to receive $580,000. Read the entire story in Unmuffled.

Julia Reischel in The Watershed Post analyzes Steve Israel's reporting in the Times Herald-Record:

The Times Herald-Record's Steve Israel writes that even though a potential moratorium on gas drilling in New York state will only last until May (and that's only if it's approved by the State Assembly and the governor), nobody will be fracking until next August, at least:

Whether the Assembly and governor do what the state Senate just did and approve a moratorium on drilling permits until May, the state Department of Environmental Conservation won't be ready with new drilling regulations until at least then. Drilling of the gas-rich Marcellus shale can't start before that.

And that, he adds, is why the state Senate voted for the moratorium in the first place:

The DEC timeline gave wavering lawmakers the political cover to vote for a delay that may have happened anyway, moratorium or no moratorium.

On Saturday, August 7, 2010, Grand Street Community Arts hosted "The Conquest of Saturn," a daylong festival of audio art. From noon to 6 p.m., ((audience09)), a program of 5.1 surround sound artworks presented as “cinema in the dark” was “screened” in the GSCA Gallery. The program (running time, 110 minutes) was repeated three times. From 7 p.m. on ((audience)) hosted a concert of improvisational electro-acoustic music featuring Ed Bear and Lea Bertucci (Brooklyn), Michael Peters (Albany) and Tianna Kennedy (Andes, NY) in collaboration with surprise guests. A recording of the concerts, made by Sam Sebren, produced by free103point9 for broadcast later in the year on WGXC, are included below. "The Conquest of Saturn" was organized by Alexis Bhagat of ((audience)) and co-produced with free103point9.
Click here to hear the bell ringing at GSCA or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/audience_churchbell_GSCA_WGXC_080710.mp3

Click here to hear Twisty Cat at GSCA or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/audience_TwistyCat_GSCA_WGXC_080710.mp3

Click here to hear Michael Peters at GSCA or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/audience_MichaelPeters_GSCA_WGXC_080710.mp3

Click here to hear John Also Bennett at GSCA or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/audience_JohnAlsoBennett_GSCA_WGXC_080710.mp3

Click here to hear Tianna Kennedy at GSCA or paste the following url into your computer's media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/08/audience_TiannaKennedy_GSCA_WGXC_080710.mp3

Jimmy Vielkind notes in Capitol Confidential that Rep. Scott Murphy released his second television advertisement (above) of his re-election campaign, another 30-second spot on television stations around the 10-county 20th district, this one in with small business owners touting his praises. Murphy, the Democrat incumbent, is running against Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson, who has not yet aired television advertisements. "He has said he will 'compete in the air' and Republican sources suggest he’ll go up closer to Labor Day," Vielkind reports.

From a Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation press release:

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today that seven of its scholarship funds awarded $29,000 in scholarships to students from Columbia County. The funds— CHA-NEL Scholarship Fund, Sean French Scholarship Fund, Quailwood Fund and Jeannine Triau Scholarship Fund—made awards to 31 students. The CHA-NEL Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for Chatham and New Lebanon High School seniors, awarded a total of $12,000 this year to the following 14 students: Katherine Behrens to attend Ithaca College; Brianna Diskin to attend College of St. Rose; Jayne Gavrity to attend University of Rochester; Kristine Greco to attend Hudson Valley Community College; Hannah Hogan to attend SUNY Oneonta; Brianna Laraway to attend Morrisville State College; Susan Matthews to attend Dartmouth College; Elyse Miller to attend Drexel University; Leah Miller to attend Drexel University; Wade Okawa-Scannel to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Daniel Padrick to attend CUNY Hunter; Molly Risko to attend Penn State; Lily Siegel to attend Brandeis University and Kaylie Warner to attend Berkshire Community College. The Sean French Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to graduating seniors of Chatham High School. This year, the $1,000 scholarship, which honors the memory of Sean Patrick French, was awarded to Joseph Cozzolini and Aimee Palleschi both of Chatham. The $500 scholarships for Section II school athletes who are winners of the Good Sportsmanship Award have been awarded to Rachel Cyrus of Burnt Hills and Zach Nelson of Delanson. The $500 scholarships awarded to seniors of Chatham High School for “Love of Running” have been given to Emma Gryner, Molly Koweek, Philip Mastrosimone, Cordero McCall, Chloe Meltz and Thomas Shevar. The Quailwood Fund, which provides scholarships to residents of Red Rock, NY, awarded a total of $8,800 in scholarships this year. Scholarships were awarded to Caroline Eigenbroot, Jennifer Nightingale, Ryan Nightingale, Emily Tuczinski and Joseph Van Allen. The Jeannine Triau Fund awarded a scholarship to Jacquita Ferguson of East Nassau to attend Mass College of Liberal Arts in the fall and Geneva Furlano of Canaan to attend University of Rochester. To make a contribution to any of these funds or for information on grant deadlines, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/grantseekers or call 413.528.8039.

The speech by valedictorian for the Coxsackie-Athens Class of 2010 Erica Goldson has gone viral, with coverage yesterday in The Washington Times.