New York State Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I – Schoharie) may attend a Town Hall community meeting he is hosting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 10 at Hunter Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A in Haines Falls. Due to an "Extraordinary Session" being called in the legislature for November 10, "the Assemblyman may be detained in Albany and prevented from attending this meeting. While he still plans to attend, staff will be in attendance to meet with constituents should he be prevented from attending," according to a statement from the assemblyman's staff.

Deadline, Dec. 31, 2009

free103point9 is pleased to announce the 2010 Distribution Grant for New York State Artists providing support for the distribution of new works in film, video, sound, new-media, and media-installation. Funding is available from free103point9 through a regrant from New York State Council on the Arts' Electronic Media and Film Program. Grant awards will assist artists in making works available to public audiences and may include, but are not limited to: moving image and sound works; duplication of preview, screening and exhibition copies; promotional materials including documentation and schematics of media-installation and new-media works.

Strongtree Organic Coffee Roasters in Hudson is now selling WGXC coffee. Proceeds from every sale benefit your new community radio station. Stop by Strongtree, across from the Hudson Amtrack train station, and buy some beans to help WGXC get on the air. 1 lb bag of special WGXC blend coffee costs $11.

Strongtree Organic Coffee Roasters
60 South Front St. at Train Depot, Hudson, NY 12534
(518) 828-8778


About Strongtree:

"Strongtree is a family owned, quality driven organic coffee roaster located in historic Hudson, New York.

We source 100 percent Certified Organic, premium lots of heirloom Arabica cultivars from master growers who practice responsible land stewardship. All of our coffees come from small farms and cooperative unions where the workers are valued, empowered and rewarded. We guarantee clear traceability, sustainability and responsibility in our supply chain. Strongtree is Fair Trade Certified by TransFair USA and Rainforest Alliance Certified.

Strongtree follows the time honored, traditional methods of our craft to capture and enhance the true flavor of the coffee bean. Our focus is on your great coffee experience through careful selection of premium beans, traditional small batch Probat roasting, hand packaging, advanced brewing technology and personalized service. By putting care into the entire process from seed to cup, we know you’ll taste a difference."

Click on links to listen to archived recordings of local candidate forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Columbia and Greene counties.

MP3 audio plays in Quicktime Player in any browser except Internet Explorer. They will not play in Internet Explorer, use another browser. You can download the mp3s with Quicktime Player Pro. You can click on links or cut and paste urls into your media player.

ATHENS Thu. Oct. 22, 7-9 p.m. at Athens Community Center.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Athens_candidate_forum_WGXC_102209.mp3

CLAVERACK Thu. Oct. 22, 7-9 p.m. at A.B. Shaw fire house.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Claverack_candidate_forum_WGXC_102209.mp3

CATSKILL Sat. Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-noon at Catskill Community Center.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Catskill_candidate_forum_WGXC_102409.mp3

COPAKE Sun. Oct. 25, 1-3 p.m. at Copake Grange Hall, downtown Copake. Sorry, WGXC did not get a recording.

GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE Sun. Oct. 25, 4-6 p.m. at Union Mills Lofts in Catskill.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Greene_County_Legislature_UnionMills_WGXC_102409.mp3

CHATHAM Mon. Oct. 26, 7-9 p.m. at Chatham Town Hall.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Chatham_candidate_forum_WGXC_102609.mp3

KINDERHOOK Tue. Oct. 27, 7-9 p.m. at Ichabod Crane Middle School.
http://data.wavefarm.org/2009/10/Kinderhook_candidate_forum_WGXC_102709.mp3

Click here to hear The Town of Kinderhook candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters 7-9 p.m. Tue. Oct. 27 at Ichabod Crane Middle School.

WGXC hosted a live webcast of this candidate forum for the Town of Kinderhook in Valatie, and has the archived recording above for listening or downloading. Town supervisor candidates Douglas K. McGivney and Patrick M. Grathan; town board candidates Patrice A. Leader, Helen G. Schneider, and Todd D. Grigoli; and justice candidate Lisa M. Mills attended. File will not play in Internet Explorer, use another internet browser. Your computer must have Quicktime Player to listen and Quicktime Player Pro to download

Click here to listen to or download mp3 audio recording of Chatham, NY candidate forum held Mon. Oct. 26 from 7-9 p.m. at Chatham Town Hall live in WGXC.

In Chatham on Monday, candidates for town board (Donald W. Hegeman, Maria C. Lull, Henry Swartz Jr., and Bob Balcom); assessor (Daniel Horst and James F. Forster); and town clerk (Landra B. Haber and Beth Anne Rippel) all spoke at the Chatham candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and WGXC. The Chatham Courier had a story about the forum here.

Click here to listen to or download mp3 recording of the Greene County Legislature community forum Sun. Oct. 25 at Union Mills in Catskill.

Candidates for the Greene County Legislature gathered at Union Mills in Catskill from 4-6 p.m. Sun., Oct. 25. In attendance were William Lawrence (Cairo), Sean Fry (Durham), Kevin Lewis (Greenville), Jim Mulligan (Greenville), Chris Phfister (Athens), Robin DuPuy (Catskill), Joseph Izzo (Catskill), and Forest Cotten (Catskill). Click on the above link to an mp3 file you can play in Quicktime Player, or download in Quicktime Player Pro. Listening or downloading does not work with Internet Explorer. The Daily Mail wrote a story about the forum that is linked here.

Click here to listen to or download Greene County Legislature candidates forum from Oct. 25, 2009 at Union Mills in Catskill.

Candidates for local and county offices in Catskill gathered at the Catskill Community Center from 10 a.m. to noon Sat., Oct. 24. In attendance were Forest Cotten, Robin DePuy, Joseph Izzo, and Keith Valentine (Greene County Legislature); and Robert Antonelli, Joseph Leggio, and Kevin Lennon (town council). Click on the above link to an mp3 file you can play in Quicktime Player, or download in Quicktime Player Pro. Listening or downloading does not work with Internet Explorer. There is an article in The Daily Mail about the forum here.

Click here to listen or download the recording of the Claverack candidate forum from the AB Shaw fire house Oct. 22, 2009. Mp3 recording will not play in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download.

Town Supervisor candidate Robin Andrews, town board candidates Morgen Bowers and Matthew Bowe, and assessor candidate Ian Nitschke attended the forum. The Register-Star wrote a story about the forum that is linked here.

Click here to listen to mp3 recording of tonight's candidate forum in the Town of Athens, live from the Town of Athens Community Center.

Town council candidates Phyllisann Dinkelacker and Paul Hasbrouck, town supervisor candidate LeeAllen Palmateer and county legislator candidate Christian Pfister attended the forum. Recording will play in Quicktime Player in your internet browser. Will not work in Internet Explerer. If you have Quicktime Player Pro, you can download the file. The Daily Mail wrote a story about the forum that is linked here.

Tune in live candidate forums this week

THURSDAY: Claverack and Athens
SATURDAY: Catskill
SUNDAY: Copake and Greene County
MONDAY: Chatham
TUESDAY: Kinderhook

WGXC will have live web streams of each candidate forum for everyone to listen to. In addition, WGXC will post archived recordings of these candidate forums as soon as possible at www.wgxc.org

More details below.


((((( CANDIDATE FORUMS )))))

Columbia and Greene County candidate forums

The League of Women Voters of Greene County and Columbia County are sponsoring seven "Meet the Candidates" forums for politicians running for various offices this fall. Invitations to the events have been mailed to all candidates.

In cooperation with the League, and as a service to all local media and voters, WGXC will air all forums live on an internet web stream at www.wgxc.org if internet access is available, and is coordinating members of the local media to cover the event. Recordings of all events will be posted as quickly as possible at www.wgxc.org and archived for future reference.

To listen live:
Either go to www.wgxc.org and click on the links for each candidate forum, which will open a web stream in your computer's media player (iTunes, etc.) or will also play on your cell phone (iPhone, etc.)
or
Paste this link into "open url" on your computer's media player:
For Columbia County forums:
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/election.mp3.m3u
For Greene County forums:
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/greeneelection.mp3.m3u

Where and when are the candidate forums?

Thursday, October 22, both at 7-9 p.m.
CLAVERACK
Town of Claverack candidates' forum at A.B. Shaw firehouse on Route 9H in Claverack. Listen at:
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/election.mp3.m3u

ATHENS
Athens forum, for candidates for Town Council, Town Justice, and Athens Legislature representation will be at the Athens Community Center, 2 First Street, Athens.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/greeneelection.mp3.m3u


Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.-noon
CATSKILL
The Catskill session for candidates for Town Council, Town Justice, Catskill Legislature representation will be at the Catskill Community Center, 344 Main Street, Catskill.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/greeneelection.mp3.m3u


Sunday, October 25 1-3 p.m.
COPAKE
Town of Copake candidates' forum at Copake Grange Hall, downtown Copake.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/election.mp3.m3u


Sunday, October 25, 4-6 p.m.
GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE
The forum for all Greene County Legislative candidates will be at Union Mills Lofts, 361 Main Street, Catskill.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/greeneelection.mp3.m3u


Monday, October 26, 7-9 p.m.
CHATHAM
Town of Chatham candidates' forum at Chatham Town Hall.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/election.mp3.m3u


Tuesday, October 27 7-9 p.m.
KINDERHOOK
Town of Kinderhook candidates' forum at Ichabod Crane Middle School.
http://comm.free103point9.org/8000/election.mp3.m3u


Journalists confirmed attending:
Melanie Lekocevic, Greene County Local Courier (Athens and Catskill forums)
Colin Devries, The Daily Mail (Athens forum)
WGXC reporters: Tom Morini, Debra Kamecke, Kaya Weidman, Tom Roe


WGXC will post recordings of each candidate forum as soon as possible at www.wgxc.org.


For more information:

Fawn Potash/League of Women Voters
518- 929-5764
fawnpotash@yahoo.com

Or

Paul Smart/WGXC.org
518-943-4224
paulsmart@aol.com



Basic Political Debate/Meet the Candidates Event Format

Event should be no more than 90 minutes long.
Candidates need to arrive 15 minutes before start of event.
Substitute speakers are not permitted.
No campaign literature or materials will be allowed inside the room.
Lots will be drawn in advance to determine the order of speakers for opening remarks.
Moderator will be introduced by the sponsoring organization’s spokesperson
Moderator will introduce panel members and go over the rules.
Each candidate will have a 3-minute opening statement.
Audience members will be asked to silence all electronic devices.
The audience will be provided with index cards/writing implements with which to write questions.
1. No statements
2. No personal remarks
3. All questions must be legible
4. The moderator will choose questions and paraphrase for clarity/appropriateness.
The candidates will have one minute to answer. The moderator will call on candidates in succeeding order to answer. The moderator has the right to rule on all questions. No one else will be permitted to see the questions before, during or after the event. [Candidates should be reminded that they may take notes and cover issues/comments they missed during the Q&A as part of their closing statement.]

Depending on time available, questions may be permitted from the floor. Questions will be limited to one minute and will be answered as above. The same rules apply as with written questions.

Each candidate may have a 2 or 3-minute closing statement.

The moderator will close the event and invite members of the audience to remain in order to have personal conversations with the candidates (must be agreed upon in advance by candidates).

SPEAKING TIME WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE OTHER CANDIDATES AND THE AUDIENCE’S RIGHT TO HEAR ALL CANDIDATES SPEAK.

Candidates are encouraged to bring campaign literature. A table should be set up outside the room for the purpose of distributing the literature. Each candidate will be permitted to display a packet of flyers, position papers, and letters of endorsement or other campaign material. However, each candidate will be allowed only ONE stack of information on the table unless the organizer permits more.

New York State Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I - Schoharie) holds a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thu. Nov. 5 at the Catskill Senior Center, 15 Academy Street in Catskill. All residents are invited and encouraged to attend.

WGXC will be covering the Columbia County candidate forums being sponsored by the Columbia County chapter of the League of Women Votors.

Please attend the following events:

Thursday, October 22nd 7-9 p.m. Town of Claverack candidates' forum at A.B. Shaw firehouse on Route 9H in Claverack.

Sunday, October 25th 1-3 p.m. Town of Copake candidates' forum at Copake Grange Hall

Monday, October 26th 7-9 p.m. Town of Chatham candidates' forum at Chatham Town Hall

Tuesday, October 27th 7-9 p.m. Town of Kinderhook candidates' forum at Ichabod Crane Middle School.

WGXC will be recording and live streaming these events if possible.

Hudson Talbott readsfrom and Frank Cuthbert performs his compositions from the "River of Dreams" book and play live from Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson Thu., Oct. 15 for ArtsWalk.

Click here to listen to or download mp3 of Hudson Talbott reading and Frank Cuthbert performance Oct. 15, 2009.

New York State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I-Oneonta) holds a ‘town hall’ style meeting at 7 p.m. Tue. Oct. 20 at Hunter-Tannersville Middle/High School, 6094 Main Street, Tannersville. At the meeting, Seward will visit with constituents, discuss current state issues and take questions. For the first hour, Seward and area residents will discuss state issues with others who are present. Later, Seward will be available to talk privately with those who have a particular state-related problem or would like to meet with him personally.

Click here to listen to the Oct. 6, 2009 town meeting with NY State Senator James Seward. Mp3 file will not play in Internet Explorer browser. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download file.)

New York State Senator James Seward (R/C/I-Oneonta) held a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tue. Oct. 6 at the Catskill Middle School Auditorium, 345 W. Main St. WGXC's Debra Kamecke was there with a recorder to post the mp3 audio file above

Watch video above of Yukari Roja, Jackson Emmer, and Trevor Wilson performing live from Spotty Dog Fri. Oct. 9, 2009 on WGXC.

Click here to listen or download audio mp3 of Yukair Roja's performance.

Click here to listen or download audio mp3 of Jackson Emmer's performance.

Watch video above of Millay Colony writers Melissa Sandor and Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi; visual artists Sabeen Raja, Darren Floyd; and composer Thomas Smith talking at The Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY Oct. 9, 2009 as part of the Columbia County Arts Council's ArtsWalk. Audio recording is below.

Click here to listen to or download an mp3 audio recording of the Millay Colony night at Spotty Dog. Does not play in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download.

Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) will hold a Congress-On-Your-Corner meeting with town officials and local citizens in the Clermont Town Hall Sunday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. Murphy take questions from local residents. Clermont Town Hall is located at 1795 Route 9, Clermont, in Columbia County.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVbHPLB66M0&hl=en&fs=1&]
New York Senator -- and former U.S. Representative for Greene and Columbia counties -- Kirsten Gillibrand has called for Congressional hearings this fall to allow homosexuals to join the military without the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Last night she talked about the issue on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC. Watch clip above.