Leigh Hornbeck of Capitol Confidential reports:

"Asked why [Chris] Gibson [of Kinderhook] is making his announcement outside the 20th Congressional District, Gibson spokesman Rob Clark said it is because that is where the 10 county chair people are meeting and Gibson is having his event there so, 'everyone is in one place.' Retired Army colonel Chris Gibson has an event scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Desmond [hotel in Albany], presumably to announce he has enough votes in the 10-county 20th Congressional District to claim the Republican nomination. Gibson and Patrick Ziegler, a Burnt Hills life insurance salesman with ties to the Conservative Party and the Tea Party movement, are vying for the chance to take on Congressman Scott Murphy, a Democrat from Glens Falls."

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Congressman Scott Murphy (D-NY20) holds public meetings in Hudson and Coxsackie on April 1. Murphy will hold a meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Stageworks in Hudson, at 41 Cross St. At 2 p.m., he will be at the Coxsackie Senior Center, 127 Mansion St. (formerly the Knights of Columbus building).

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

(Kay Stamer presents Hudson Talbott with Distinguished Service Award.)

The Greene County Council on the Arts held their 22nd annual Beaux Arts Ball fundraiser Saturday night at Hunter Mountain, and honored local author, illustrator, and community activist Hudson Talbott with its Distinguished Service Award. Kay Stamer, executive director of the arts council, presented Talbott with the award. Talbott, who is also a member of the WGXC Radio Council, has written many books, including last year's highly praised "River of Dreams."

The Cairo Library and WGXC held a co-fundraiser Talent Show Friday night at Cairo Elementary School, that was a grand success. The Daily Mail has a story about the event here. We will post photos and a recording of the event soon. The winners:
ADULT
First place: Greg Stewart (played guitar and sang an original song)
Second place: Josh Adamson, as "Juan" (played guitar and sang an original song)
TEENS
First place: James Moore (played guitar along with a backing track of Guns 'N' Roses "Sweet Chid O' Mine")
Second place: Alex Hans and Maggie Saez as "Sun and Moon" (played keyboard and sang)
CHILDREN
First place: Keri Mahoney, Colin Mahoney, and Katie Feeney (step dancing)
Second place: Taylor Matzler and Taylor Nussbaumer as "TNT" (gymnastics and dancing)

Click here to listen to an mp3 audio recording of the entire evening, or paste this url into your media player:
http://data.wavefarm.org/2010/04/
CairoTalentShow_CairoLibrary_WGXC_032610.mp3

(WIOX engineer Dan Kelleher in the Roxbury station's new studio.)

New Roxbury community radio station WIOX held a station meeting Saturday morning at their new studios in the town's Masonic Hall, and announced they will begin test broadcasting on weekends this June, with full-time shows on after Labor Day. The station will broadcast on 91.7-FM in Delaware County, just west of Greene County.

The Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center is hosting a free film series:

World Water Day - Monday, March 22nd - 7 p.m. - "Flow"
- Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building [water] crisis, at both the global and human scale, while begging the question "can anyone really own water?"

Wednesday, April 7th - 7 p.m. - "Addicted to Plastic"
- From Styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. What do we really know about this material of a thousand uses?

Wednesday, April 14th - 7 p.m. - "11th Hour"
- How are we impacting the earth's ecosystems, how have we arrived at this moment, and what we can do to change course?

The Hawthorne Valley Family Learning Center is located where the the old store used to be (between the CSA pickup and the new store). If you go out of the new store make a right and follow the pathway to the barn. You will hit another small parking lot after the white house on the right. The Hawthorn Valley Family Learning Center is the house on the barn side, right above the small parking lot (not the one closer to the CSA pickup).

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Dick May's Seeing Greene blog has an exhaustive look at the Tuesday's Village of Catskill elections. May prints candidate statements from incumbent Angelo Amato and challenger Brian Kehoe, and tracks what those two say, as well as current Village President Vincent Seeley, on a variety of issues including taxes, fireworks, promotion, transparency, and alignment. He takes much of the material from the League of Women Voters- and WGXC-sponsored Candidate Forum last Saturday at the Catskill Community Center. (Listen by clicking here.) Polls at 1 Central Avenue, Catskill, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 30. On the ballot are the three Village Board candidates -- Amato, Kehoe, and Seeley -- competing for two spots, and Charles Adsit, who is unopposed in his bid for re-election as Village Justice.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWbrkBGZWk&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Lady Moon performed Feb. 13 at the WGXC fundraiser at the Nicole Fiacco Gallery in Hudson.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

From WRIP in Windham:

Lance Corporal Joshua Williamson, USMC of Grand Gorge, while on patrol in Afghanistan was wounded - shot in the lung. He was operated on in Germany and shipped to Walter Reed Hospital. In order for his parents to be with him, they need financial help. The Mountaintop Detachment #1274 of the Marine Corps League has opened an account for the Williamson family. Send your check, payable to "Josh Williamson Benefit" to
NBT Bank of Grand Gorge
PO Box 380
Grand Gorge, NY 12434
For more information, call Mountaintop Detachment Commander Roy Mower at 518-734-3853.

Incident Report is an experimental viewing station for visual projects, located in Hudson, NY. We are a model of portability, non-site, no-budget and low-maintenance. We offer an interface between the many publics of the street, and the concepts and issues generated by artists and social thinkers in a wide yet coherent spectrum.

Installation of Jule Lequin's "Car Talk": March 22 - April 19, 2010
Knitting together excerpts from the NPR show of the same name and my own fabricated responses, Car Talk presents a fictional conversation between myself and the two radio icons discussing my linguistic troubles, my Québécoise identity and life as an artist.

Car Talk from J Lequin on Vimeo.

Also one-night performance of Lequin's "Top 30," April 10 with special guests Thomas Morini and Jeremy Kelly. WGXC live broadcast on WGXC Online Radio at www.wgxc.org.

Performances at the Hudson Opera House:
April 10, 6-9 p.m. @ 327 Warren Street - Hudson, NY.

One Night Performance of Julie Lequin's, Top 30
With Special Music/Sound Performances by Jeremy Kelly and Thomas Kiko Morini

Julie Lequin (born in Laval, Quebec in 1979) is a French Canadian artist. She received a BFA from Concordia University (Montreal, PQ) in 2001 and an MFA from Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA) in 2005. Julie's multidisciplinary practice interweaves personal history with fictionalized events and circumstances in a manner that constantly blurs the line between the artist as individual and the artist as self-consciously constructed persona. Julie's first book and DVD project was published in 2007 by 2nd Cannons Publications. In 2008, Julie was awarded a fellowship from the California Community Foundation and residencies at Yaddo, Art Omi, and Macdowell Colony. In 2009, she exhibited at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum in California, White Columns and Horton & Liu gallery in New York City. Julie is currently based in Quebec where she is working towards her next solo exhibition at the Darling Foundry in Montreal.

Thomas Kiko Morini is a two year resident musician of Hudson, NY. From Bogota, grown in Carmel, educated in Great Barrington and set out amongst the lively characters of Hudson. His music is inspired by theatrical integration, socialist fundamentals, and the progressive and active expression of love and spirituality. He is a volunteer for WGxC and has recently helped the station to organize the entertainment for the New Years Masquerade. He will be working this summer on a collective musical/theatrica/mixed medium performance art project to be presented over a full weekend at the Basilica Industria in July. This project will be open to community ideas and installations. He encourages all curiosity to be discussed.

Jeremy Kelly (b. 1980) is an electro-acoustic musician and instrument builder. Blending guitar pieces that have been compared to Six Organs of Admittance, Sandy Bull, James Blackshaw and John Fahey with modular synthesizer, found sound, looping and homemade electronics to create deep, immersing soundscapes. Jeremy has several releases available on his own Night Goat imprint, Digitalis Industries, Tape Drift Records and Reverb Worship, with forthcoming albums on House of Alchemy, Stunned Records And Digitalis. He will be joined by long time collaborator Geoff Maciolek (modular synthesizer, theremin and electronics), and a few special guest performers.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

U.S. Representative Scott Murphy (D, NY20), who represents Greene and Columbia counties, has posted his appropriations requests online. The projects from Greene and Columbia, and nearby, include:

Preservation of Manufacturing Jobs through Renewable Energy and Creation of a Center for Sustainable Manufacturing, Hudson, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, I requested that the FY 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 to establish an investment fund for environmental sustainability projects focused on alternative energy. This project would also provide technical assistance to manufacturers increasing their facility energy efficiencies. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment will increase the use of alternative energy sources among manufacturing companies and small businesses, spurring job growth and technology innovation.
Recipient: Columbia Economic Development Corporation
4303 Route 9
Hudson, NY 12534

New York State Solar Electric Incentive Programs, Copake, New York
Amount: $35,100
On behalf of the Town of Copake, I requested that the FY 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill contain $35,100 to procure and install solar panels on the roof of the Copake Town Hall, adding rows of photovoltaic modules equating to a total rated power of 24.0kw (240v). This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment grows the solar industry, an important sustainable energy source, and stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.
Recipient: Town of Copake
230 Mountain View Road
Copake, NY 12516

Generator for Emergency Shelter, Livingston, New York
Amount: $19,000
On behalf of the Town of Livingston, Columbia County, I requested that the FY 2011 Homeland Security Appropriations bill contain $19,000 to procure equipment needed to provide electricity and heat to the Livingston Town Emergency Shelter during emergency conditions. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment assures public safety and shelter to citizens during times of emergency.
Recipient: Town of Livingston
119 County Route 19
Livingston, NY 12541

The Village of Red Hook Water Project, Red Hook, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of the Town of Red Hook, I requested that the FY 2011 Interior & Environment appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 for the installation of an alternative well field and controls. This is the first step in a plan to rehabilitate the Village's water infrastructure and provide the Village of Red Hook with a reliable source of drinking water. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure that the people of Red Hook have access to reliable and safe drinking water.
Recipient: The Village of Red Hook
7467 South Broadway
Red Hook, NY 128571

Remediation of Vanderburgh Cove Wastewater Project, Rhinebeck, New York
Amount: $233,750
On behalf of the Town of Rhinebeck, I requested that the FY 2011 Interior & Environment appropriations bill contain $233,750 for the engineering and replacement of two Bioclere units at the existing water treatment facility. The project will ensure that residents can continue to enjoy affordable, environmentally safe wastewater collection and treatment services. Failure of the system threatens the Hudson River Estuary, as well as several local drinking water systems. This is a valuable use of tax payer funds because the project will ensure continued wastewater treatment services and will ensure the safety of the area’s drinking water.
Recipient: Town of Rhinebeck
80 E. Market St.
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Camphill Ghent Elder Care Initiative, Copake, New York
Amount: $250,000
On behalf of Camphill Village, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $250,000 for initial construction of building an elder care community in Ghent to provide care for seniors of all levels of income and ability. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because community care best addresses the needs of seniors who require specialized care at dramatically less cost to the individual and the healthcare system.
Recipient: Camphill Village USA
84 Camphill Road
Copake, NY 12516

Ambulance Replacement, Copake, New York
Amount: $123,895
On behalf of the Clausson-Raught Community Rescue Squad, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $123,895 to purchase a new ambulance to replace the current outdated unit that is no longer functional. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will provide critical and prompt emergency medical service to the more than 15,000 people served in the community where those services are currently unavailable.
Recipient: Clausson-Raught Community Rescue Squad
283 Mountain View Road
PO Box 327
Copake, NY 12516

Columbia Memorial Hospital Technology Advancement and Electronic Health Record Program, Hudson, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of Columbia Memorial Hospital, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 to help develop the hospital’s electronic health record system. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because electronic medical records improve patient access to critical health information, reduce medical errors, and drive higher-quality and lower-cost care through the health care system.
Recipient: Columbia Memorial Hospital
71 Prospect Street
Hudson, NY 12534

Northern Dutchess Hospital: Master Facility Plan, Rhinebeck, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of Northern Dutchess Hospital, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 for construction of a medical and surgical addition as well as renovation of the oldest in-patient area in the hospital. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure continued safe access to health care for the surrounding rural communities.
Recipient: Northern Dutchess Hospital
6511 Springbrook Avenue
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

New Cairo Library Construction Project, Cairo, New York
Amount: $400,000
On behalf of the Cairo Public Library, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $400,000 for the planning, design, and construction of a new library in Cairo, New York. The current library facility serves as a central location for library resources, community programming, tax forms, internet, etc. However, the facility is inadequate to meet the growing demand. This is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the library serves as an important resource for this rural community and will increase quality of life in Cairo.
Recipient: Cairo Library
512 Main St.
Cairo, NY 12413

The Claverack Free Library and Reading Room Project, Claverack, New York
Amount: $200,000
On behalf of the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room, I requested the FY 2011 T-HUD bill contain $200,000 to remodel the existing Claverack Firehouse into the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room. Funds would be used for design, engineering, hazardous material remediation, and construction. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the new facility will allow for the expansion of traditional library services, including internet access, to the lo
cal community, as well as serve as an anchor public facility within the town's commercial core.
Recipient: Claverack Free Library
629 State Route 23
Claverack, NY 12513

Columbia Economic Development Corporation Broadband Consortium Project, Hudson, New York
Amount: $100,000
On behalf of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $100,000 to develop a Broadband Improvement Plan in order to attract new businesses to Columbia County. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the development of broadband infrastructure is critical the economic development of the entire region.
Recipient: Columbia Economic Development Corporation
4303 Route 9
Hudson, NY 12534

Washington Hose Fire Company Renovation Project, Hudson, New York
Amount: $500,000
On behalf of the City of Hudson, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $500,000 for the planning, design, and renovation of a 150 year-old vacant firehouse. The renovated building would be used as a tourism center and house offices for the Chamber of Commerce and local economic development organizations. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will rehabilitate a vacant, historically significant building while attracting new economic development in downtown Hudson.
Recipient: City of Hudson
520 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534

The Mellenville Grange Hall Restoration Project, Mellenville, New York
Amount: $83,160
On behalf of the Mellenville Grange, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $83,160 to restore and repair the leaking slate roof of the historic Grange Hall building. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will allow the Grange to preserve its historic structure, as well as continue its community service work in this rural community.
Recipient: Mellenville Grange #1255
803 Gahbauer Rd.
Mellenville, NY 12544

See the complete list of requested appropriations here.

Last week we asked for your help in raising $5,000 by the end of March. Thank you to all that have responded so quickly. We are now $1,075 away from reaching that goal.

Over the last few months, we’ve been working tirelessly producing benefit events and preparing for the launch of WGXC’s FM signal on 90.7-FM later this year. Please see the below about some exciting forward movement regarding our Hudson studio location.

As publicized, WGXC received a large matching grant from the US Department of Commerce to purchase the equipment (transmitter, antenna, etc) needed to get the WGXC-FM signal on the air. We must match this grant. Fundraising at the community level will demonstrate that we have local support for this effort that will sustain WGXC into the future. We’ve secured the means to extend our fundraising efforts towards the match into the summer, as long as we reach our goal of raising $1,075.00 by March 31st, which is one week from today!

We are asking you to dig as deeply as you can to ensure that WGXC stays on track and can meet our matching deadline. If you are not yet a member, please consider becoming one at the highest level possible. If you are already a member, thank you, and we hope you’ll consider increasing your membership to the next level.

Founding member levels:

· ELECTRODES = 1 watt ($25 - 49)
· CAPACITORS = 2-4 watts ($50 - 124)
· CIRCUITS = 5-9 watts ($125 - 249)
· TRANSISTORS = 10 - 20 watts ($250 - 524)
· TOWERS = 21 - 40 watts ($525 - 1,024)
· ANTENNAE = 41 - 100 watts ($1,025 - 2,524)
· TRANSMISSIONS = 101 - 200 watts ($2,525 - 5,000)
Become a member by making your donation online at www.wgxc.org

Or send a check payable to

WGXC
5662 Route 23
Acra, NY 12405

Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

You can become a Founding Member of WGXC by making a donation with a credit card through Paypal below:



Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

From Nippertown!:

At their annual awards ceremony in Nashville last year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as the Bluegrass Event of the Year. Not just in New York State. Not just in the U.S. But in the world! And it’s right here in our own backyard…. The fest returns to the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill [in Greene County] again this year from Thursday-Sunday, July 15-18, and once again Grey Fox has put together an amazing line-up of talent, including the Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Kathy Mattea and David Grisman, as well as Nippertown local favorites like John Kirk & Trish Miller and the Gibson Brothers. The folks at Grey Fox promise that they’ll be adding many more musicians to the festival schedule soon, but in the meantime, here’s how the schedule lines up so far:

THURSDAY, JULY 15
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Greensky Bluegrass; Donna the Buffalo; Crooked Still; The Josh Williams Band; The HillBenders; Buddy Merriam & Back Roads; John Kirk & Trish Miller

FRIDAY, JULY 16
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; The Del McCoury Band; The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience; Railroad Earth; The Greencards; Donna the Buffalo; Crooked Still; The Wilders; Sarah Jarosz; The Josh Williams Band; The HillBenders; John Kirk & Trish Miller

SATURDAY, JULY 17
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; Sam Bush; Tim O’Brien; Kathy Mattea; The Gibson Brothers; The Greencards; The Wilders; Sarah Jarosz; John Kirk & Trish Miller

SUNDAY, JULY 18
The Dry Branch Fire Squad

Jamie Larson reports in the Register-Star:

Hudson River environmental advocacy organization Scenic Hudson has withdrawn its appeal of the issuance of a Freshwater Wetland permit by the Department of Environmental Conservation to the O&G trucking company for “maintenance” to a section of the controversial old railroad bed causeway through the city of Hudson’s south bay.

...because the DEC has explained the limits of O&G's current permit. O&G trucking company was issued a Fresh Water Wetland Permit on Oct. 30, 2009 to fix a road (or turn-around) for trucks, along, "two 200+/- foot spans along adjacent shoulders of Route 9G where the Hudson causeway emerges on the west side of the road and on the east side where the causeway continues on to Greenport," Larson reports. But the company, "will need a Certificate of Occupancy to actually run any trucks over a potential new road," the story states.


Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

(Bill Lawrence will MC the Talent Show.)

The Cairo Public Library and WGXC are holding a co-benefit Talent Show Friday, March 26 at Cairo Elementary School, on Main St. in Cairo from 6:15 p.m. All types of performers are welcome -- musicians, jugglers, dancers, dog and pony shows, hula hoop artists, mimes, rope tricks, poetry readers, whatever talent you have. Performers have all signed up and attended a rehearsal last week. Talent Show will be MC'd by Mr. Bill Lawrence, Greene County Legislator for Cairo, and former science teacher at Cairo High. Mark Patton will also perform music at the beginning of the show. The Pipe Band of Greene County will perform halfway through the show, led by Pipe Major John Gallagher. $5 admission to attend with proceeds to both organizations. The Cairo Library will also have a raffle, and WGXC will sign-up new Founding Members of the community radio station, and sell t-shirts and bumper stickers. Call 622-9864 for more information.

The Town of Cairo will hold a referendum about funding a bond issue to create a new building for the town library on April 27. The bond will not exceed $3 million and cost taxpayers, at most, $50 a year.

New York State Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C, Poughkeepsie, who represents Columbia County) and Assemblyman Marcus J. Molinaro (R,I,C, Red Hook) will hold an Economic Development Roundtable on Wednesday, March 24 at Columbia-Greene Community College. Approximately 25 local business leaders will join Senator Saland and Assemblyman Molinaro to discuss such topics as what the State can do for its businesses; what tools the State currently provides are working and what can be improved; and what else the State should be doing to help businesses create jobs and expand. The Roundtable will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 612 in the Professional Academic Center (PAC) on the campus of Columbia-Greene Community College.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

The Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) is hosting a two-day intensive printmaking workshop with artist Kate McGloughlin, offered in partnership with the Woodstock School of Art, in honor of the Society’s 2010 exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World. Learn about relief and intaglio prints by trying your hand at making a block print and an etching. The workshop will be held at the Woodstock School of Art on May 15 and 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Just for CCHS members, the materials fee has been waived and regular registration fees discounted. No experience necessary, beginners welcome! Ms. McGloughlin will lead a free demonstration for the general public on May 7 at 7 p.m., at the James Vanderpoel House, 16 Broad St., Kinderhook. This demonstration is open to everyone, but people considering taking the two-day workshop are encouraged to attend. To register, call CCHS at 518-758-9265. Registration for CCHS members is open March 10th-31st ($215 +$15 matriculation fee). Registration for non-members is open April 1st- May 12th ($240 + $15 matriculation fee and $10 for materials). The exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World opens Saturday, April 24 at the Columbia County Historical Society Museum & Library. The exhibit explores how the ability to print at a reasonable cost on many different surfaces made our world a very colorful place and transformed how we communicated and how we presented ourselves to the world. This free demonstration and special two-day course are opportunities to experience firsthand the technology behind this transformation of our world. The Columbia County Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of Columbia County. For more information about the Society please call 518-758-9265 or email cchs@cchsny.org.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Devil’s Tombstone in Hunter is one of seven state campgrounds the Department of Environmental Conservation will close this summer due to proposed budget cuts, Casey Seiler at Capitol Confidential reports. The DEC's press release says, "Individuals who have made reservations for the 2010 season at these campgrounds will be contacted about making alternative camping reservations or will be provided with a refund. Each of the selected campgrounds have other DEC campgrounds nearby." The alternate location near Devil’s Tombstone the DEC lists is North-South Lake in Haines Falls.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

From Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper:

The developer of the Greenport Commons shopping plaza on Fairview Avenue presented a new PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) proposal for a Kohl's department store to the county Industrial Development Agency last Friday, March 12. The IDA board voted unanimously to consider the PILOT application and set a public hearing Wednesday, March 31, at 9 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 555 Joslen Boulevard in Greenport.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Susan Campriello of The Daily Mail reports:

The Catskill Village Board voted unanimously Monday evening not to raise the fees local cab companies and drivers must pay to operate within the Village. The rates will remain at $100 per car and $50 per driver. The vote was held immediately after an hour-long public hearing on a proposal that would have increased the fees to $200 annually during which cab dispatchers and drivers as well as residents who do and do not use taxis questioned the Village’s motives for the change and implored the board not to approve the measure as written.

Village President Vincent Seeley proposed the increase a few weeks ago, but ended up voting against the measure. Village of Catskill elections are next week.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.