Diane Cluck at Jean Deux Books and Records in Hudson, NY

Bob McC | MySpace Video
Di­ane Cluck at Jean Deux Books and Records in Hud­son, NY Sat., Dec. 12, 2009.

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

(The Last Conspirators at Jason's Upstairs Bar Saturday, photo by Al Goldberg.)
From Nippertown!:

Over the weekend, Jason’s Upstairs Bar in Hudson shuttered its doors for good, but not before kicking out the jams one final time on Saturday night. The big send-off throwdown featured performances by Mother Fletcher, the Last Conspirators, Young Paris, Lady Moon, Musty Chiffon and others. And while it was certainly sad to see Hudson’s premier nightclub close, the farewell bash was rocking’, rollickin’ affair. The best news of all is that “The Last Hurrah” raised $1,469 for Doctors Without Borders and their Haitian earthquake relief effort.

WGXC is trying to get on the air and bring community radio to Greene and Columbia counties. We have the license. We got a grant from the U.S. Commerce Department for half of the money needed for the transmitter, antenna, and major studio equipment. We now have to raise the other half, a little over $71,000. Above, you can see where we are so far. We need your help to get this community radio station on the air. We need you to become a Founding Member today! If you have a business, we need you to become a Founding Underwriter, and underwrite future community radio programs. We need you to go to the fundraising events Feb. 6 and Feb. 13 in Hudson at Sorted and Nicole Fiacco Gallery. We need you to go to www.WGXC.org and get involved in your community radio station.



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

The Daily Mail and other publications are running the press release from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office touting $151 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build new high-speed rail lines across New York. In reality, the funds, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will slightly upgrade current Amtrak service, rather than create the sort of high-speed rail lines now being built and used in China, Japan, and Europe. The Hudson Valley will only see a portion of $147 million for "Empire Corridor South - Grade Crossing Improvements - CSXT Milepost 75 to 143: Improvements to existing warning devices at 12 grade crossings." The Albany Times-Union, in an editorial today, said, "That should go a long way toward improvements such as eliminating the bottleneck between Albany and Schenectady responsible for so many delays in Amtrak's service across upstate. Another $3 million will go toward improving rail service through the Adirondacks and into Vermont and Quebec. The money is just enough, in other words, to get New Yorkers thinking about the level of rail service that's so common in other industrialized countries."

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

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_q4m4PeEMA&hl=en_US&fs=1&]Dave Ruch uploaded this video of an unidentified Catskill, NY fiddler, age 70 in 1929, from old Fox newsreel footage, posted with permission from University of South Carolina Newsfilm Library. The tune has been identified as "Boyne Hunt."

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

Recordings from WGXC's webcast of Alexander Turnquist and Kelli Rudick's performances at the Hudson Opera House, Sat., Jan. 30.

Click here to listen to an mp3 sound recording of Alexander Turnquist at Hudson Opera House, 013010. Does not work in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download file. WGXC follows Creative Commons.


Click here to listen to an mp3 sound recording of Kelli Rudick's set at Hudson Opera House, 013010. Does not work in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download file. WGXC follows Creative Commons.

Cairo's old development suitor, Charles Maggio, has moved his plans up the road from Cairo to Coxsackie, The Daily Mail reports. But Cairo may now have a second supermarket on the site where Maggio's Alden Terrace project would have been, according to The Greenville Press (no web site). Susan Campriello's Daily Mail story outlines the timeline: In 2007, Maggio proposed a mixed use development, called Alden Terrace, to be built in Cairo but the town's sewer system could not accommodate the project. An Article 78 lawsuit was filed by taxpayer and community groups in Cairo against Maggio and the town alleging failure to properly conduct state Environmental Quality Review and public hearing procedures, and other residents in Cairo opposed it for other reasons, and the project was widely reported as "controversial." Greene County Judge George J. Pulver Jr. dismissed much of the lawsuit in March 2009, but recently allowed part of the suit, a position the town is currently challenging. In May 2009, Maggio withdrew his site plan from the Cairo Planning Board. Now Maggio proposes a $50-million mixed commercial use and residential development for Route 9W in Coxsackie called Woods Farm. "Senior units will be reserved for individuals older than 55, he said, and market between $750 to $850 per month for a one-bedroom home and $950 to $1,050 per month for a two-bedroom unit," The Daily Mail reports. Meanwhile, back on the Alden Terrace site in Cairo, behind the two banks that can be seen as you enter Cairo from the east on Route 23, a new Hannaford or Price Chopper supermarket might soon stand, The Greenville Press is reporting. "Charter Realty and Development Corp... and Creighton Manning Engineering LLP have prepared a two-phase plan that is set to start with a 36,000-square-foot market," The Greenville Press reports. The second phase would be a strip mall with chain restaurants and retail. Workforce housing and subsidized housing were part of Alden Terrace but are absent from both the Woods Farm and new Cairo development proposals. Maggio made the announcement at the Coxsackie Chamber of Commerce dinner at the Quarry Steak House, and the plan was immediately championed by the likes of Sandy Mathes, executive director of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency.

Eric Carbonara performed Friday, Jan. 29 at Spotty Dog Books & Ale, and WGXC was there to record the show and create a live web stream.

Watch video of Carbonara performance below:


Click here to listen to audio mp3 of Eric Carbonara's performance at Spotty Dog.

Nick Davis performed at Spotty Dog Books & Ale Fri. Jan. 29 and on WGXC Online Radio. Watch video of a portion of the performance below.


Click here to listen to a complete audio mp3 recording of Nick Davis at Spotty Dog Books & Ale.

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

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxLnudRhWOo&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Interview with Hudson, NY Mayor Rick Scalera by members of Hudson High School Video Generation Club. Uploaded by Dan Udell.

Christina Malisoff and Tom Roe from WGXC will be signing up new WGXC members, chatting about community radio, giving out applications for to host a show on WGXC, and asking any questions you might have about the new station from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 at the WGXC Membership Drive at Swallow, 433 Warren St. in Hudson.

Read about Swallow by clicking on this Rural Intelligence link.

WGXC volunteers are working hard to launch a 3,300-watt community radio station. More than 78,000 people throughout Greene and Columbia counties will be able to receive the signal on 90.7-FM. WGXC received its license from the FCC and a grant from the US Commerce Dept that will cover 50 percent of our equipment needs. We now need to raise matching funds in order to get on the air.


BECOME A WGXC FOUNDING MEMBER

Stop by Swallow coffee shop Saturday afternoon to become a WGXC Founding Member.

We need folks to step up now and create a local community station. Become a Founding Member and get WGXC on the air and community radio will be beaming into your radio by the end of the year. We are very close to making a giant difference in the community, airing live town meetings, and giving citizens a voice with their local government officials. We are very close to bringing media training to local youth, who will then report on what is going on in the schools for WGXC. We are very close to airing live performances, festivals, and events on WGXC, and being a central information source for local farmers, artists, history buffs, and fans of interesting music. Together we can get that all and more on WGXC if you become a Founding Member.

3,300 watts at $25/watt = 82,500 &
WGXC-FM IS ON THE AIR!

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)
DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Go to www.wgxc.org to become a founding member online or stop by Swallow coffee shop in Hudson this Saturday.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

The Hudson Opera House hosts Kelli Rudick and Alexander Turnquist at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, and WGXC Online Radio will also provide a live audio webcast at by clicking on a link at www.WGXC.org.

Alexander Turnquist is one of Hudson's best musicians. Do not take our word for it:

Pitchfork Media says, "By embedding both new age and noise-oriented electronic themes into his pastoral pieces, Turnquist unites disparate traditions and ideals, essentially employing sonic counterweights to construct 57 minutes that are as surprisingly dynamic as they are perfectly beautiful." - Grayson Currin (Pitchfork Media)

Mojo Magazine says, "Turnquist layers his six and twelve string guitar instrumentals with electronic drones, piano and vibes. This first widely available release is a filmic beauty, its chilly pastoralism distinguished by the physicality of his playing"

The Silent Ballet named his album #6 of 50 of 2009's best.

"If the album’s title is any indication, Alexander Turnquist has crafted a very dynamic poem of dreamful instrumentation; horizontal simplicity intertwines with vertical complexity in ways that recall the workings of the mind at rest, a permanent harmony of acoustic neurotransmission bristling with small, but enormously significant events in the form of short keys, violin, and cello interventions. The twelve-string guitar functions as the bloodstream of this impressionistic system, taking its textures and minimalist developments forward, backward, sideways, and everywhere in between. Like both a system and a poem, the movements in this music are rhythm and harmony-based, a continuous flow of ideas made in precise short movements that gradually build a greater whole - a whole that is one of this year’s best, one of those albums that is a practically must-listen regardless of musical preference."(David Murrieta)

Kelli Rudick: Born in the states but raised in Israel, Kelli Rudick spent endless hours playing in the echoing sound of the bomb shelter just outside the family's house on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. In 2007 Kelli released 'No One Knows You're Foreign', a distinctive work introducing her unique way of accentuating emotionally complex compositions by drawing percussive rhythms from the fretboard and body of the guitar while coaxing chordal melodies and harmonics from the strings. Kelli Rudick has collaborated with notable artists including Nick Zammuto of the aleatoric electro-folk duo The Books, Alon Leventon of the project Drops of Conciousness and the electro-indie group Zigmat, and recorded and toured with internationally acclaimed guitarist Kaki King. She's scored music for Queer Eye For The Straight Girl, 'The L Word' fashion show, and the films 'A Night in the Sunlight' and 'Absolutely I Do'. Kelli has toured throughout the United States and Europe, and has played extensively in her adopted hometown including shows on the main stage of The Knitting Factory, the Blue Note, Galapagos, the Cutting Room, a month-long residency at the Living Room, and headlining a full house fronting her five-piece band at Joe's Pub in New York City.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

(Eric Carbonara)

Turn out January 29 to Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, when Eric Carbonara and Nick Davis perform, or tune in on WGXC Online Radio. Tune in to a link to a live web stream Friday night at www.WGXC.org.

Eric Carbonara is a Philadelphia based multi-instrumentalist & recording engineer, whose search for raw aural expression has led him far and wide – from noise & electro-acoustic music to taking deep root in the bounty of the wooden guitar. Carbonara's playing draws on the rich musical styles from Andalusian Roma-Flamenco to Hindustani & North African folk to form a kind of exalted pidgin style of playing that covers a wide emotional terrain from meditative calm to restless unease. His live solo performances range from contemplative acoustic meditations to aggressively loud electric sets. Carbonara is a regular collaborator in the improvisational outfit, Evil Eye Sound System & plays with the Philly psych-rock group, Soft People. Carbonara’s full length solo acoustic debut, /Exodus Bulldornadius/ was released in November 2007 on Chicago based Locust Music as part of the label’s ongoing Wooden Guitar series.

Nick Davis is a guitarist from Nottingham, England. Nick's solitary exploration of the acoustic guitar draws on the modal tunings and freewheeling spirit of British trailblazers such as Bert Jansch, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. His approach is further informed by the expressionist guitarists of the Takoma tradition and the burgeoning contemporary psych-folk movement. Nick also plays guitar and organ for quantum metaphysicists Escapologists. 'Guitar Recordings Vol. 1' is his debut release, and has already garnered praise from German virtuoso Steffen Basho-Junghans ('Beautiful, beautiful!!'), spectral folkster Alasdair Roberts, and UNCUT magazine. The album is available digitally via Tompkins Square, exclusively on eMusic. Work is currently underway on a follow up for Tompkins Square, which will feature collaborations with visionary folk chanteuse Ellen Mary McGee and experimental composer Ed Earl.


Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I - Schoharie) will be interviewed by Susan Arbetter on this Friday's WROW (590-AM) "Capitol Pressroom" radio show. "Capitol Pressroom" airs from the State Capitol weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Assemblyman Lopez, who represents Greene County, is expected to be interviewed during the second half of the show. To listen to an online audio webstream go to www.capitolpressroom.org.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Hudson River Valley Art Workshops in Greenville is offering weekend and week-long workshops in watercolors, oils, pastels, collage and fiberarts for all skills levels. Classes are limited to 20 students and the studio is available to you 24 hours a day. We have workshops at all levels of skills taught by professional workshop instructors. 2010 enrollment form PDF here.

The Albany Times-Union asked all New York state legislators to disclose their household incomes. Locally, the Senators did not respond and the Assemblymen disclosed. Below is information from the senators and assemblymen representing Greene and Columbia counties:

James L. Seward, Senate, R-51
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $94,000
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $14,500 as Vice Chair of Minority Conference.

Tim P. Gordon, Assembly, I-108
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: Up to $158,300
Comments: Assemblyman responded saying he makes his legislative pay of $79,500; $3,000, interest and dividend income of approximately $800. Wife works for Price Chopper in Schenectady for a salary of between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.

Stephen M. Saland, Senate, R-41
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $92,500
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $13,000 as Assistant Minority Whip.

Marcus J. Molinaro, Assembly, R-103
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $122,700
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 and ranking minority member pay on Election Law Committee of $9,000; $1,500 LILAC Realty Corp. sales referrals; Riding Tide Communications pay of $3,700 as associate publisher; wife is a registered nurse at Health Quest, makes $29,000.

Peter D. Lopez, Assembly, R-127
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $134,500
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $9,000 as ranking Republican on the food, farm and nutrition committee. Spouse makes $46,000 per year as career counselor at SUNY-Cobleskill.

The New York Times profiled Frank Serpico, the New York City policeman who complained about corruption on the force, and got a movie made based on his life. The Times interviews him at a health-food store in Harlemville, near his Columbia County home where he raises chickens and guinea hens on 50 acres with no TV or internet. At the end of the story the writer, Corey Kilgannon, shows Serpico the Al Pacino-starring movie, he claims for the first time, at the Kinderhook library.

Join Chatham Keep Farming Sunday, March 7 from 1-4 p.m. at Crandell Theatre in Chatham for an afternoon of farming films. The group typically shows one professionally produced documentary (60-90 minutes) plus a variety of short films made by and/or about local farms and farming issues. If you are a creative person who might want to make a film or if you know creative people who might like to, films should be 5-20 minutes and submitted in DVD format by February 15, 2010. Making a film is lots of fun and helps us continue to educate residents and visitors about the important role that farming plays in the local economy and food system.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

From Casey Seiler in Capitol Confidential:

Promising tax cuts, a tax credit for the creation of new jobs and a moratorium on regulation, the Senate Republican conference held a press conference this afternoon to introduce its jobs plan — an alternative to Gov. David Paterson’s Excelsior program, which was detailed in last week’s state budget proposal. The Senate GOP plan’s main elements:

*a three-year tax credit of between $2,500 and $5,000 per new job created.
*the early sunset of the temporary personal income tax surcharge on affluent New Yorkers implemented last year and currently slated to expire at the end of 2011. (Cost: $400 million.)
*the elimination of the state’s corporate franchise tax for firms with 50 or fewer employees and less than $2 million in net income. (Cost: $200 million.)
*a five-year moratorium on any new business taxes and fees.
*a five-year moratorium on any new regulations on New York companies promulgated by agencies or other oversight bodies (as distinct from regulations that emerge from legislation).

Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos, joined by more than a dozen of his members as well as representatives from business groups, said the plan would stop the flow of jobs from New York, which is expected to lose some 300,ooo jobs in 2009 and 2010.