A free public screening of the film WWII oral history project “They Answered the Call” will be held 5-9 p.m. November 7, 2009, at the Washington Irving Senior Center in Catskill

The NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs estimates that there were 315 Greene County WWII veterans older than 85 years at the time of the 2000 census. Project Coordinator Cindy Putorti of Catskill initiated this effort in 2007 after a conversation with WWII veteran Dr. DuBois Jenkins (retired longtime Catskill veterinarian). “He casually mentioned that he had worked on a secret chemical research project during WWII,” said Putorti. "I was astounded when he described a joint effort between the American and Canadian militaries in which anthrax was one of the chemical agents being developed at his installation.” Putorti thought that there must be other such stories to uncover in Greene County.

Putorti contacted local independent filmmakers Lisa Thomas and Margo Pelletier of Thin Edge Films in Catskill who agreed to provide the technical equipment, expertise, and mentoring to capture the wartime stories of Greene County veterans. Student filmmakers volunteered from the Catskill, Coxsackie-Athens, and Cairo-Durham school districts. “We also have a SUNY Binghamton film student participating,” said Putorti

Putorti applied for a Decentralization Program grant from the Greene County Council on the Arts and was awarded a small grant to support the effort. The project was also supported by the Catskill Community Center, the Catskill Senior Center, The Fortnightly Club and private individual contributions.

Six Greene County World War II veterans volunteered to share their wartime stories with the student interviewers. “In addition to Dr. Jenkins, we also interviewed Robert Darling who served in an anti-tank unit in Europe. Jack Rivituso was a courier in the Signal Corps in Europe and the Philippines. Stanley Maltzman served as a signal man on the USS Centaurus in the Pacific theater. Irving Hendricks served in an engineer battalion in Europe. Coleman Duncan, a B-24 bombardier, was a Prisoner of War in the Stalag III prison camp, the one depicted in the film ‘The Great Escape.’ Sadly, Mr. Duncan passed away in June one month after our filming. But shortly before his death, he was able to fulfill his dream to travel to England to view his lost prison camp diary that was recovered by a British serviceman and safely installed in a military museum in England,” said Putorti.

Veterans were allowed to discuss whatever they deemed appropriate to share. “We were sensitive to their reluctance to describe their combat experiences,” said Putorti. “We encouraged them to discuss whatever was important to them to share.” In addition to describing combat experiences, veterans discussed their training, buddies, work, good times enjoyed and hardships endured.

All uncut footage will be submitted to the “Veterans History Project” (VHP) authorized by the U.S. Congress in 2004 and administered by the Library of Congress. The mission of the VHP is to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

Students used Apple Computer equipment and Final Cut Pro editing software at the Catskill Community Center (purchased specifically for this project) and the Catskill High School to complete their documentaries. Catskill Middle School teacher and director of the Catskill Independent Film program Bill Maouris volunteered to mentor student filmmakers.

Portions of the six short films of 30-60 minutes each (one for each veteran’s interview) will be presented to the public free of charge at the Washington Irving Senior Center at 5 p.m. on November 7, 2009. Student filmmakers Joey DiStefano, Nicole Lacy, and Emily Sprague of Catskill and John Robert Hammerer of Coxsackie will be available to answer questions. (Robert Handel of Cairo and Sarah Sullivan of Catskill also participated but are now at college and will be unable to attend). Local photographer V. James DiPerna offered his services to create portraits of each veteran. These will also be displayed at the screening as parts of collages of photos and memorabilia of each veteran’s wartime experiences created by Palenville artist Ellen Mahnken. Light refreshments will served.

New York Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I – Schoharie) continues his
extensive Community Meeting series this month with meetings in Athens, Fleischmanns, and Ashland in Greene County. Lopez is holding close to twenty meetings in the 12th Assembly District, which includes portions of seven counties. Contact: Assemblyman Lopez’s Catskill Office: 518-943-1371 for more information. Details below:

Athens Community Meeting
Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Athens American Legion Hall
92 Second Street in Athens

Halcott & Lexington Community Meeting
Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Halcott Grange
264 County Route 3 in Fleischmanns

Prattsville, Ashland & Windham Community Meeting
Thursday, October 22 at 6 p.m.
Ashland Town Hall/Fire Hall
12094 Route 23 in Ashland

Click here to listen to or download Dan Seward's Sept. 7, 2009 "Battlefield Earth" show live from Max Goldfarb's M49 radio truck.

Dan Seward of John Doe Books & Records and Bunnybrains did his "Battlefield Earth" show live from Max Goldfarb's M49 radio truck in Hudson Sept. 7, 2009. The M49 truck used to belong to the Stockport fire department, and was built by the department in the 1970s.

Click here to listen or download Suzanne Snider's workshop on "Oral Histories" from the Fall Skill Share 092609 at Germantown Community Farm and on WGXC Online Radio.

Suzanne Snider is a writer and oral historian based in Hudson. She teaches courses in Nonfiction and Documentary Studies at the New School University, and has worked as an interviewer for HBO Productions, The Guardian, Columbia University's Oral History Research Office, and the New York Academy of Medicine. She serves on the Judd Foundation's Oral History Advisory Board and co-curates KGB's Nonfiction Night in New York City. She designed and implemented visual and performing arts curricula for visually-impaired students at the New York Institute for Special Education, and consults on numerous community-based oral history projects.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County offers the following workshops at the Agroforestry Resource Center (located at 6055 Route 23 in Acra, New York), unless noted otherwise. Pre-registration is required for all programs by calling Cornell Cooperative Extension at 518-622-9820 or e-mailing greene@cornell.edu.

Landscape Painting in Plein Air
Weekend Workshop with James Coe, October 2, 3 & 4. $200 per person. This intensive weekend program explores the challenges of working in plein-air directly from the landscape and provides an introduction to the traditional methods and materials of alla prima (direct) painting in oil paints.

Siuslaw Sunset Stroll
A Lark in the Park Event at the ARC Friday, October 9. Cost: Free. The “Lark in the Park” is a wonderful way for people to discover the wealth of history, culture, natural resources, and recreational opportunities offered by the Catskill Park and the entire Catskill Mountain Region.

Art at the ARC
Reception: Susan Story, Friday, Oct. 9. Susan M. Story’s passion as an artist is to use the pastel medium to express the many moods and emotions of nature’s landscapes. Susan, a Parsons School of Design graduate, is recognized regionally and nationally for her pastel landscapes.

The Great Northern Catskills Heritage Festival— Food – Farms – Family
Sunday, Oct. 11. Cost: $5 per person/$10 per family. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Historical Catskill Point. Proceeds to benefit Cornell Cooperative Extension. The Festival will feature live music, food, vendors, children’s activities and a series of “Living the Good Life Locally” presentations.

Home Heating with Firewood — Know Your Options
This program will be offered at 11:00 a.m. on Oct. 14 and again on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. $5 per person. With the continued rising costs of home heating fuels, more homeowners are looking at utilizing regional firewood sources as a viable alternative. This workshop will discuss the pros and cons of heating your home with firewood.

NYS DEC Trees for Tribs Planting Project
Wednesday, Oct. 14. Free. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Snake Road, Catskill, NY. Riparian buffers, or streamside plantings, are a major component to maintaining healthy streams. The NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program operates the Trees for Tribs program, which provides native trees and shrubs for streamside landowners who apply to the program. You can enjoy a fun afternoon outdoors and do something positive for water quality by volunteering to help Trees for Tribs plant trees.

Youth Holiday Mail Call for the Troops
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 4:30-6 p.m. Jump into the holiday spirit early by showing your appreciation for our men and women who serve in the armed forces. Drop by and join us in making hand made holiday cards to send away to our soldiers. After the program, our season’s greetings will go to the American Red Cross to start their journey to their recipients. Participants are invited to bring their own scrap booking tools or use the materials provided.

Take Care of Your Land & It Will Take Care of You
A Workshop for Forest Owners. Saturday, Oct. 24, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Cost: $10.00 per person. Columbia-Greene Community College, Route 23, Hudson, NY. This program will include presentations on how one person has balanced his love for his forest with appropriate forest stewardship practices. You will also learn how you can improve the value of your forest and the local resources that can help you.

50-Mile Harvest Dinner
Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. $80 per person/$150 per couple. Chef Ric Orlando, of New World Home Cooking, returns again for this annual CCE fundraiser to prepare another delicious meal comprised of products gathered from local farmers and producers within a 50-mile radius of the Center. There will be live music as well as an auction. This is our Association's primary fund raiser so if you support local agriculture, enjoy the programs we offer and appreciate the work that's done here at the Center, please come out and join your fellow supporters, staff and volunteers for a fun evening.

Agroforestry Opportunities— Part One-Growing Mushrooms from A-Z/Part Two-Ginseng: A Primer for Beginners
Tuesday, Oct. 27. Mushrooms 1 - 2:30 p.m./Ginseng 2:30 - 4:30. Cost: $10 per person per session or $15 per person for both. This program combines two of the most popular agroforestry products - ginseng and mushrooms. This first session will describe the basics of growing mushrooms from spores to spawn or tissue culture all the way to fruiting on substrates ranging from logs to paper towels! A Ginseng Primer is designed to teach individuals how to get started growing American ginseng on forested land. It will cover basic ginseng botany, economics of ginseng production, site selection criteria, harvesting and marketing.

Youth Beginner Sewing Class
Oct. 29, Nov. 7 and 21. Cost: Cost of materials. Call for times. Participants eight and up may choose one of four patterns selected by the instructor. Youth younger than eight may attend with a parent. Each child will choose to make one of the following: a purse, a shirt, a robe or a pair of pajama pants.

Forest Roads and Trails
Saturday, Nov. 7. 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Cost: $5 per person. Come and learn about the best ways to access your forest while minimizing the maintenance and impact. There is an outdoor component to this program which includes viewing appropriate trail and road designs on the Siuslaw Model Forest so come dressed to go outside.

Wreath Making
Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $10 per person. Have fun making a grapevine swag that can be suitable for any season! We will have plenty of decorative materials available to embellish the swags to make them suitable for the upcoming holidays or any time of year.

Agritourism Program (How Can We Make It Work For Us?)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost: $10 per person/$15 per family. This program will appeal to folks that are interested in beginning an agritourism enterprise from scratch or those that are in the process of transitioning their operations to incorporate agritourism, agrirecreation, or agrientertainment onto existing farms.

Women & Forest Stewardship
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2-4 p.m. Cost: $5 per person. Forest stewardship has been defined as a personal responsibility for taking care of ones forest. We would like to establish and nurture a network of active forest landowners through women friendly, low-key, learning activities that increase their comfort level enough to particpate in in being good stewards of their forests. Anyone is welcomed to attend, just know it will be very women-friendly.

WGXC “Hands-On Radio’ for Columbia & Greene Counties
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7-9 p.m., Cost: Free, but tax deductible donations to WGXC will be accepted. We’re pleased to host an informational session featuring the founders of an exciting grassroots radio and media project that is taking root in Greene and Columbia Counties. WGXC "Hands-On Radio" is a community-run media project, re-envisioning radio a
s an innovative platform to encourage citizen participation in the community. If you cannot make it in person, listen to workshop stream via WGXC Online Radio at www.wgxc.org.

Creating a Community-Based Food System in Greene County
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 6-8 p.m., Cost: $ 5.00 per person. “Buy fresh, buy local,” “I©my farmer,” “Locavore.” During this session, we’ll examine the basic terms and concepts related to agriculture and food systems, collectively identify the aspects of a food system that we most value, and explore opportunities for catalyzing, framing, and sustaining activities in and around Greene County that create the kind of food system that reflects those values.

Special Art Exhibit
Reception Friday, December 4, 5– 7 p.m. Featuring all of the talented artists who have participated in our premier year of “Art at the ARC”.

Harvest and Holiday Forest Farmers Market
Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free event highlights wonderful products such as honey, ginseng and maple products as well as other favorites from local farms to help you make this a delicious and memorable holiday season. There will also be gifts from regional craftsmen to round out your holiday list and lovely items to decorate your home using native materials.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. If you have special needs related to program participation, please contact the office.

Click here to listen to or download mp3 recording of Home Video, Asa Ransom, No Body Parts and DJ P.Josh performances Fri. Oct. 2 at Jason's Upstairs Bar in Hudson, NY.

At right, NoBody Parts perform at Jason's Upstairs Bar, 100209. Photo by Walter Hill.

New York State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I-Oneonta) holds a fall town hall-style meeting in Catskill at 7 p.m. Tue. Oct. 6 at the Catskill Middle School Auditorium, 345 W. Main St. 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. “My decisions and thinking on various issues more accurately reflect the people of my senatorial district when I visit the folks I am honored to represent,” Seward said in a press release. “I schedule these meetings each fall so that the off session can be spent listening and interacting with people.”

Columbia County final primary election results from Columbia County Board of Elections:

OFFICIAL Columbia County Primary Election 2009 Results
9/24/2009
City of Hudson
Ward 1 - District 1
Alderman
DEM
1A
Geeta Cheddie
44
3
47
***
(vote for 2)
DEM
2A
Sarah H. Sterling
51
4
55
***
DEM
3A
Carole Osterink
42
4
46
Total Votes
137
11
148
Ward 4 - District 1
Supervisor
IND
1C
William Hughes (write-in)
2
1
3
***
Total Votes/Voters
2
1
3
Supervisor
CON
1D
Samuel Santiago
1
0
1
CON
1D
William Hughes (write-in)
2
0
2
***
1D
Geraldine E. Nero (write-in)
1
0
1
Total Votes/Voters
4
0
4
Town of Canaan
District 1 and 2
Supervisor
IND
1C
Richard Keaveney
13
0
13
***
IND
1C
Gary Flaherty (write-in)
2
0
2
Total Votes/Voters
15
0
15
Supervisor
CON
1D
Richard Keaveney
8
0
8
***
CON
1D
Gary Flaherty (write-in)
1
0
1
Total Votes/Voters
9
0
9
District 1
Committee
REP
2B
Susan C. Johnson
27
0
27
(vote for 2)
REP
3B
Jo-anna R. Michalek
49
0
49
***
REP
4B
Gary Flaherty
33
0
33
***
Total Votes
109
0
109
Town of Copake
District 1 and 2
Twn Justice
IND
1C
Brian J. Herman
19
0
19
***
IND
2C
Wil iam Kane
17
0
17
Total Votes/Voters
36
0
36
Assessor
IND
3C
David Gordineer
14
0
14
IND
4C
Loredana Delventhal
16
0
16
***
Total Votes/Voters
30
0
30
Town of Livingston
District 2
Committee
REP
1B
Geoffrey T. Bagnal
32
0
32
(vote for 2)
REP
2B
Donald R. Kline
80
0
80
***
REP
3B
Benjamin Scrodin
65
0
65
***
Total Votes
177
0
177
Town of Taghkanic
District 1
Supervisor
IND
1C
Elizabeth L. Young
2
5
7
IND
2C
Loretta Hoffmann
13
6
19
***
Total Votes/Voters
15
11
26
Twn Clrk/Tax C
IND
3C
Cheryl E. Rogers
5
5
10
IND
3C
Audrey Koran (write-in)
9
5
14
***
Total Votes/Voters
14
10
24
Twn Justice
WFP
4E
Raymond Dalrymple (write-in)
1
2
3
***
4E
Jeff Tal ackson (write-in)
0
1
1
Total Votes/Voters
1
3
4
Twn Council
IND
5C
Tom Kiely
3
5
8
(vote for 2)
IND
5C
Joyce Thompson (write-in)
9
6
15
***
IND
6C
Larry Kadish
13
5
18
***
6C
James Romaine (write-in)
0
5
5
Total Votes
25
21
46
Twn Council
WFP
5E
Joyce Thompson
0
1
1
(vote for 2)
WFP
5E
Tom Kiely (write-in)
1
2
3
***
WFP
6E
James Romaine (write-in)
1
2
3
***
6E
Larry Kadish (write-in)
0
1
1
Total Votes
2
6
8
Hwy Super
IND
7C
Edward E. Waldron
3
6
9
IND
7C
Tom Youhas (write-in)
9
5
14
***
Total Votes/Voters
12
11
23
Hwy Super
WFP
7E
Edward Waldron (write-in)
1
2
3
***
7E
Tom Youhas (write-in)
0
1
1
Total Votes/Voters
1
3
4
Committee
DEM
8A
Diane M. Rodriguez
96
2
98
***
(vote for 2)
DEM
9A
Cheryl E. Rogers
29
1
30
DEM
10A
Gary L. Stoller
100
3
103
***
Total Votes
225
6
231
L:\2009 Primary Election\PE09 Results
4:34 PM

Assemblyman Pete Lopez (NY-127, R, C, I – Schoharie) will visit the Athens American Legion Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tue. Oct. 6 for a town meeting. "These meetings will allow me to spend some more, in-depth time in each community and really listen to the concerns of my neighbors across the district so that I can better represent our rural community in Albany," Lopez said in a press release. The Athens American Legion Hall is at 92 Second Street in Athens.

U.S. Representative Scott Murphy (D-NY 20) announced a $16,306 grant through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program for Raymond Wendover of Pine Plains to purchase a Bergey Excel 10kW class wind turbine. The project is expected to generate 12,836 kW per year covering 101 percent of the business’ energy costs.

From Helena Kosorek in Greenville:

Hudsonic Series, No. 5 by Sam Truitt
The Point, Catskill, Greene County
September 18, 2009, 4:43 PM
1.5 MB (1:11 minutes) MP4 A dog barks, and a Dutchman conducts a crowd in song as music plays.
Hudsonic%205.mp3


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Mary and I did a number of interviews with students and supporters after Obama's policy address at Hudson Valley Community College. Here is one of them.

Hudson, NY – Today, Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) announced that WGXC was awarded a grant of $71,486 from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration through their Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, which will fund half the equipment needed for the station to go on the air on 90.7 FM. WGXC will be a 3,300-watt non-commercial community radio station, with shows about agriculture, local history, the arts, education and local issues. WGXC will broadcast from a studio in Hudson, and at the Catskill Community Center.  This will bring the first public radio signal to more than 12,500 people.

“This funding will help bring an essential new resource for residents in the Hudson-Catskill region by helping to provide them with access to important news and information through the radio,” said Rep. Murphy.  “In addition, this funding will improve the infrastructure of the region that is critical to rebuilding our economy and improving the quality of life for its residents.” 

Kaya Weidman, a member of the WGXC Radio Council, and founder of the Germantown Community Farm, said: “The station will provide programming for farmers and rural people to exchange ideas and information, share resources, hear regionally specific news, market price reports, as well as weather, crop, pest, and disease information. This resource will strengthen our local food system, support our area farmers, keep people informed of environmental issues, and ultimately contribute to our vibrant rural community.”

Hudson Talbott, a member of the WGXC Radio Council and Vice-President of the Catskill Community Center and Thomas Cole House, said: “The Catskill Community Center is thrilled to be hosting WGXC. Catskill is in the process of re-imagining itself and the community center is at the heart of the new vision. We are sharing information, participating in activities, and joining together for local events as never before. The radio station brings exactly what our revitalized community needs right now - a voice.”

WGXC will need to match the funds in the PTFP grant before the station’s debut next summer.

Here are some shots from yesterday's presidential visit.

Hudsonic Series, No. 4 by Sam Truitt
Marianne Courville Gallery, 341 Warren Street, Hudson, Columbia County
09.13.09, 6:34 pm (02.59 minutes)
3.7 MB, MP4
The microphone lies on a table. Crowd voices.

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The Hudson City Democrats and the Columbia County Common Sense message board both mention a public meeting at 7 p.m., Thur. Sept. 24 in the community room at Bliss Tower, that concerns redevelopment of Bliss Tower. The message board guesses that Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera; Exec. Dir of HHA Jeff First; 4th Ward Supervisor William Hughes Jr.; Omni housing developer, COO Duncan Barrett; a member of Congressman Murphy’s staff Benedict MacCafree; and others will attend the meeting about the housiing project between N. 2nd and N. 3rd Sts. and Columbia St. in Hudson. Anybody want to make a recording and upload it here?

This is an audio recording of President Obama's Monday, 9-21-09 visit to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. He was introduced by Dr. Jill Biden, educator and wife of Vice President Biden. We also interviewed four people after the address to get their reactions: two students and two Obama supporters.

Because of the file size, we cut it into a number of parts. This is the introduction.

This is an audio recording of President Obama's Monday, 09-21-09 visit to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. He was introduced by Dr. Jill Biden, educator and wife of Vice President Biden. We also interviewed four people after the address to get their reactions: two students and two Obama supporters.

NY State Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Peter Lopez will be at the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Agroforestry Resource Center, 6055 Route 23 in Acra, NY at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for the 40th anniversary of Environmental Awareness Days, and to honor the event's founder Eric Rasmussen.