Paterson calls for disaster declaration
From The Columbia Paper

Governor David Paterson requested the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designate Columbia and 16 other counties as agricultural disaster areas. Local farmers report problems with tomato, cherry, strawberry, rye, oats, and other crops this summer.

Is Scott Murphy in the clear?
From The In Box

The North Country Public Radio blog reports that national Republicans are not running ads in U.S. Representative (D-20) Scott Murphy's district, and do not seem to be targeting the new Congressman. The Albany Times-Union's Capitol Confidential reported in mid-July that the Democrat hauled in $567,000 from April 1-June 30.

Town Board finally sets public hearing for Comprehensive Plan
From Chatham Courier

CHATHAM — A public hearing has been set for the revised draft of the town’s Comprehensive Plan Aug. 20, after the public hearing for the Leash Law.

Man and Nature: Aurum, an installation by Laetitia Hussain
From The Register-Star

CATSKILL - Andrew Amelinckx's blog reviews Laetitia Hussain's show "Aurum" at Terenchin Fine Art. The Hudson-baes artist, "uses cast-off items, both natural and man-made to talk about the relationship between humanity and nature in its positive and negative aspects," writes Amelinckx. "The work’s gilding helps to integrate the pieces internally and as a whole, they suffer from a loss of the individual color characteristics of the materials used."

LIVE TONIGHT

Mother Fletcher perform at Bard College's Spiegeltent at 7 p.m.

Committee in possible violation of state open meetings law
From The Register Star

I don't understand the word "possible" in that headline: The Columbia County Building and Facilities and Public Works/Waste Board of Supervisors committees met July 22 at Kozel’s restaurant in Ghent without public notice. That is a violation of the Open Meetings Law. They met after a tour of county facilities -- which was announced -- but no mention of the meeting appeared on the county's web site or in the Public Notices section of The Register-Star. No one in the article contradicts those facts.

Ethics panel to investigate allegations against supervisor
From The Daily Mail

JEWETT - The Ethics Committee will investigate Town Supervisor Michael Flaherty, who is accused by Jewett highway superintendent Robert Mallory of for failing to secure a building permit for a project at his home. “I have attended board meetings in this room for 15-plus years. Anyone attending only a few meetings would know that a building permit is required for anything outside of a four-foot fence," said Mallory. “Supervisor Flaherty knew a permit was needed and [for] whatever reason failed to obtain one."

'Twenty tires, three batteries and a ton of scrap metal'
From Unmuffled

HUDSON - The good news: there are not two fuel dumps buried next to M.C. Smith Intermediate School in Hudson. The bad news: it cost $10,000 to find a lot of junk. George Keeler, the Hudson City School District Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, told to the Board of Education about the buried treasure at the Board's meeting Monday.

Kinderhook GOP loses line on Conservative ballot
From The Register-Star

KINDERHOOK - Four candidates the Columbia County Conservative party endorsed to run for Kinderhook town offices will not be appearing on the Conservative line on the ballot at the November Election for failing to to file a certificate of authorization. The candidates are Patrick Grattan, nominated to head the slate as town supervisor, and newcomers Patsy Leader and Glenn Smith for seats on the Town Board, and Incumbent Highway Superintendent John Ruchel, Jr. for a second term in office. Lisa Mills, the Republican candidate for town justice will still be listed on the Conservative line, as candidates for the justice position are not required to fill out the authorization forms.

(Erin Roberts and Jordan Smith at the WGXC booth at the Greene County Youth Fair. Photo by Michael Davis.)

WGXC has added new audio. Click on the links, and then click on the triangle next to the word "audio" on the right, to download and/or listen to the files:

NY State Senator James Seward interviewed by WGXC's Michael Davis and Jordan Smith at Greene County Youth Fair., July 23, 2009. In Cairo, NY.

Alexander Turnquist at Spotty Dog in Hudson, 072609., July 26, 2009. Live performance. 192 kbps mp3.

John Madden and the Deep Sea Divers perform at Spotty Dog in Hudson 072609, July 26, 2009. Live performance. 192 kbps mp3.

DJ Mr. Chips and Eclectic Method at Jason's Upstairs Bar in Hudson_071709, July 17, 2009. Live webstream for community radio station WGXC.

Armstrong literally outside the tent
From The Greenville Press (no web site)

CAIRO - Les Armstrong was literally outside the tent at the Greene County Youth Fair in Cairo last weekend. While the Greene County Republicans and Democrats both staffed booths with signs promoting local candidates under a big top, Armstrong had his own sign propped up against his truck at one of the tent's entrances. At one point, this reporter watched as a dog sniffed the sign and...well, we won't go into details on this family blog. Armstrong's candidacy, as recounted in The Press, has had some trouble. He turned in his nominating petitions to run as a Republican for the Durham seat in the Greene County Legislature. Republican Elsie Allen got his in to challenge Democratic incumbent Sean Frey. The day Armstrong turned in his nominations, there were no Republicans in the election office, as they were all attending the funeral of longtime Republican Election Commissioner Frank DeBenedictus. So Democratic Town Commissioner Tom Burker didn't warn Armstrong that he lacked witness statements, a cover page, and numbered pages. So James Karcheck, who lost the Republican nomination to Armstrong in 2006 but remained on the ballot, challenged his petitions, which were disqualified. Frey has to be hoping Armstrong somehow gets on the ballot, perhaps by collecting 40 signatures on an independent nominating petition by Aug. 18.

Wounded soldier returns home from Iraq
From The Daily Mail

NEW BALTIMORE - Sgt. First Class James T. Rundberg returned home to New Baltimore Sunday after being wounded in Iraq by a roadside bomb June 25. Rundberg earlier received a Purple Heart and Sunday took home proclamations and resolutions from the New Baltimore Town Board, NY State Sen. James L. Seward, R-Oneonta, and U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy (D, NY-20).

Catskill Village Board does not meet
CATSKILL - The Catskill Village Board failed to meet Monday night for lack of a quorum. At least five cars turned up at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center for the meeting to see signs announcing that news, while the town's web site continued to proclaim the meeting was on.

Natalie Merchant live and local
From Tivoli Type

Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant performed unannounced Saturday at Bard College's Spiegeltent with, "a piano, a little red notebook of music she compiled in the wee hours the night before, and a pen. She sang, played, joked, and made notes in the margins as she worked through the material. It was as much a songwriter's workshop as a performance, and aren't we lucky to have been there."

Gillibrand leads charge to keep gays in the military
From The Daily Beast

WASHINGTON - New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has secured an agreement from the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” gays-in-the-military policy this fall. It would be the first formal re-assessment of the policy since Congress passed it into law in 1993. Recently, Gillibrand tried to add an amendment to the Military Reauthorization Act that would have temporarily suspended the policy, but withdrew it when she determined the amendment would not pass. This is her latest attempt to solidify support from her left for her 2010 primary election to retain her seat.

Greenway announces $75,000 trail grant program
From The Register-Star

The Hudson River Valley Greenway has applications available for the 2009 Greenway Conservancy Small Grant Program, with $75,000 in matching grants for funding for trail planning and design, construction and rehabilitation, and education and interpretation.

NOTES
Fred Dicker reports in The New York Post that former MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, a major Republican fund-raiser and activist, is endorsing Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for governor....The Daily Mail and The Register-Star recently completed a wonderful redesign of their web sites. Unfortunately, they are charging readers to look at articles more than a few days old. Good luck with that....Columbia County's CCScoop says it is changing to a non-profit web site, and asking for donations. Good luck with that.

Murphy may bring home bacon to Greene and Columbia counties
From The Daily Mail

WASHINGTON - New U.S. Representative Scott Murphy may fund four projects in his District (D-20) with his additions to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act (THUD) FY 2010. If the bill passes the Senate, he will bring $200,000 for restoration and repair of the Hudson Area Library and $100,000 for a trains-to-trails program in Greene County. The Daily Mail reporter speculates that the former Catskill to Cairo rail line will be turned into a recereation path. The $1,140,000 four-item pool Murphy may bring to the region includes $40,000 for sidewalk upgrades in the Delaware County community of Sidney; and $800,000 for upgrade and renovation of Warren County’s Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport.

County, state sales taxes exempted for development
From The Daily Mail

COXSACKIE - The Greene County Industrial Development Agency exempted Coxsackie Waterfront Properties LLC from county and state sales taxes on building materials and construction costs on projects at 45 Reed St., 49 Reed St., and 1 Mansion St. for a projected cost to taxpayers/benefit to the company of $1.2 million. The company, owned by retired businessman Thomas Giamboi, also received a Quantum Fund loan of $260,000 toward that number in October of last year.

Part of Route 212 in Saugerties to be closed this week
From The Daily Freeman

SAUGERTIES - State Route 212 between Railroad Avenue and Teetsel Street in Saugerties will be closed from today through Thursday. Westbound traffic should take Ulster Avenue to Canoe Hill Road to Kraut Road to U.S. Route 9W to Malden Turnpike to state Route 32 and then back to Ulster Avenue. Eastbound traffic should take Ulster Avenue to Route 32 to Malden Turnpike to Route 9W to Main Street and back to Ulster Avenue.

Prattsville shares cell service concerns with County Legislature
From The Windham Journal

PRATTSVILLE - This Greene County town has spotty cell phone service. JNS Enterprises was supposed to have put up a new tower in the Fairlawn Cemetery this spring, that was going to share $2,000 a month with the town. But carriers will not commit to JNS because the area will still have spotty service, since Lexington won't commit to a similar plan. So Prattsville town leaders are getting together to write a letter to the Greene County Legislature to do something about it. I guess they couldn't make a call.

Murphy supports Obama health care legislation
From Times Union

While the Working Families Party and other grassroots groups have targeted U.S. Represenative Scott Murphy (D-20) along with four other New York representatives, Murphy wrote an op-ed in the Albany Times Union supporting the plan. "As a small businessman, I understand that health care reform is not only critical for healthy families and strong businesses, but it's also a critical component of long-term economic recovery," he wrote.

Avalon does it again!
From Nippertown!

Woodstock’s Avalon Peacock (of the alt-country band Mechanical Bull) has moved into the Final Four on the CMT country music singing competition cable television show, “Can You Duet.” Judge Naomi Judd raved about Peacock and singing partner Ryan Larkins, You guys are vintage and classic, and yet you’re so now. And you always leave me wanting more.”

Ancram ponders orphaning roads
From The Columbia Paper

ANCRAM - The Town of Ancram is considering cutting back on the maintenance or abandoning several town roads: Crest Lane Extension, Sheppard Road, Rothvoss Road, Ken's Road, School House Road, Altenburg Road, Rabbit Tail Road, Stewart's Road, Bash Road and portions of Sawchuck Road and Over Mountain Road. The Town would change the streets to "seasonal-use roads" and would not have to clear snow.

Planners to invoke independent review clause
From The Daily Mail

HUNTER - The Town of Hunter planning board will for the first time force two applicants, Cortina Mountain Estates and Twin Mountain Estates, to pay for an independent review by an engineering firm. The Planning Board choose Delaware Engineering for the work.

Seward will hold meetings with dairy farmers
From The Daily Mail

CAIRO - State Sen. James L. Seward, R-Oneonta will hold an emergency meeting soon in Cobleskill to address the crisis among dairy farmers, and will schedule other meetings in Greene and Columbia counties, according to a story in The Daily Mail about the Greene County Youth Fair.

Gillibrand vote defeats Thune amendment
From The Albany Project

WASHINGTON - New New York Senator Kirstin Gillibrand cast her most important vote so far Wednesday, defeating the Thune amendment, which would have allowed individuals who are licensed to carry concealed weapons to carry those same weapons in other states that allow for the possession of such weapons. Gillibrand has been attacked by the left-wing of her party as too permissive on gun legislation, and is facing several primary challengers. "It is simply wrong for the federal government to overrule a state's ability to enact reasonable, constitutional gun laws designed to prevent criminals and other violent and dangerous persons from carrying guns in city streets," she said on the Senate floor.The vote was 58-39 to attach the legislation to a defense spending bill, just short of the necessary votes.

Businesses in Catskill close
From Seeing Greene

CATSKILL - Dick May reports that Harold Hanson's Verso gallery is closed (though the Hudson store remains open), and that Valley Dry Cleaners in Catskill will close at the end of August. He also reports that efforts are under way to open the 280-seat Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, in the old Orpheum Theater.

Senior housing draws neighbors’ fire
From The Daily Mail

CATSKILL - Everyone wants local development in this area, but no one wants to live next to it. A plan to change a 18-acre site at 49 Vedder Road in Catskill from 10 mobile homes to 33 manufactured homes geared toward retirees aged 55 years and older called Moonlight Ridge is drawing opposition from the neighbors. Most opposing the plan quoted in a Daily Mail article are named Vedder. The engineer working on the project, Ewald Schwarzenegger, is opposing a new business next to his house in Cairo. A second Catskill Planning Board public hearing about Moonlight Ridge will be held at 7 p.m. July 28 in Catskill Town Hall, 439 Main St.

Town, IDA to tackle wind project
From The Daily Mail

HUNTER - The Town of Hunter and Greene County Industrial Development Agency will split the cost of a wind turbine to power the town's landfill, and eliminate that cost and help the environment.

Appellate Division lifts Ravitch injunction
From Capitol Confidential

ALBANY - Tuesday a judge put on hold Gov. David Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor. Wednesday, The Appellate Division, Second Department, lifted the preliminary injunction preventing the appointment.

For the next four days WGXC will record performances and create a radio stream of the event. Cairo-Durham High School students Michael Davis and Jordan Smith will host much of the broadcasts. WGXC is looking for other youth to host the event, interview participants, and run the radio show. WGXC's Erin Roberts, Dharma Dailey, Kaya Weidman, Alex Malmude, Tom Roe, and Galen Joseph-Hunter will aid the students, and run the broadcasts when Davis and Smith cannot be there, or if no other trained youth are around. Live from Cairo Town Park, free admission. Thu-Sat, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To join the broadcast team, e-mail info @ wgxc.org. WGXC is free103point9's new community radio station for Greene and Columbia counties in upstate New York. "Hands-On Radio" is the station's slogan.
Greene County Youth Fair.

Proposal leaves DSS in Hudson
From The Register-Star

HUDSON - Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) and Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera stood together at a press conference Tuesday and announced a new proposal that would keep the Department of Social Services in Hudson. The county would buy the One City Centre building on the corner of State and Green streets in Hudson; departments currently in the County Office Buildings at 401 and 610 State Street would move to City Centre. The total square footage of 401 and 610 State Street is 36,000 square feet, 24,000 at 401 and 12,000 at 610 State Street. DSS would stay in its current building on Railroad Avenue for the duration of its lease, which ends in 2011; and then move to One City Centre. Baer called the proposal “a great solution for a difficult problem” and said “I’m looking forward to implementing it.” “The logistics of the planning -- there’s a lot to discuss,” said Scalera. “The commitment to keep DSS in the city of Hudson is what we’ve been working for.” Baer previously opposed such a plan, but switched positions because of falling real estate values. The Register-Star says One City Centre was going for $5 million last year, but now is selling for $2 million. “This is not a done deal,” Baer said. “We are only in discussion with the bank. There are still many pieces that have to be put together in the puzzle.”

Copake Green project set to sprout again
From CCScoop

COPAKE - Large developers bring big projects to small towns in this area, and often get special treatment. Like in Copake last week, where Housing Resources Executive Director Kevin O'Neill got to re-introduce his 139-unit Copake Green project to a Copake Planning Board meeting even though he was not on the agenda. From the CCscoop story:

"Although O’Neill did not request to be put on the agenda ten days in advance of the meeting — the Planning Board requirement — [Planning Board Chairman Marcia] Becker explained that, because there was a light agenda in July and because Housing Resources owns land in the town, she believed allowing O’Neill to make his twenty-minute presentation was the right thing to do.'It caused an uproar that we let him speak. . . . So from now on we are adhering to the ten-day rule,' Becker said."

Medical center, bank storage get green light
From The Daily Mail

CATSKILL - The Catskill Planning Board approved site plans for the 3,000 square-foot Urgent Care facility proposed for Grandview Avenue and for a Bank of Greene County storage facility on Windsor Street after hearing brief presentations on each proposal. The medical facility used Architect Josh Pulver, a relative of planning board member Michelle Pulver. She recused herself when it came to the vote, but as an anonymous reader commented on the story, "Nothing assures the approval of a project better than hiring the relative of a judge and town planner as your architect, and paying him astronomical fees."

Copake opts for outside budget review
From The Columbia Paper

COPAKE--The Copake Town Board hired a second accountant to make sure the first accountant's figures of a estimated $175,000 budget shortfall are correct. “We all agree that our first course of action should be an independent audit to verify the numbers or find out if they are not correct. We have to know where we are,” Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley told the audience at the Town Board's regular monthly meeting July 9.

Court Sides With GOP On Ravitch, Paterson Vows To Appeal
From The Daily News' The Daily Politics

ALBANY - State Supreme Court Justice William R. LaMarca granted the Republican Party's motion for a preliminary injunction that prevents just-appointed Lt. Govenor Richard Ravitch from "exercising any of the powers" of the LG's office, pending a final judgment, noting there is no provision in the Constitution that allows the governor to appoint a replacement LG when a vacancy occurs in that office.

New Department of Social Services proposal?
From The Register-Star

"There will be a press conference at 4:30 p.m. today in the Supervisors' Chambers at the county office building on 401 State St., Hudson, on the future placement of the county Department of Social Services. Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer, the Board of Supervisors, the Hudson Common Council, and Mayor Richard Scalera will discuss the future of a new home for the DSS staff and facilities."

Nonprofit's report cites lack of slaughterhouses in New York
From The Register-Star

Andrew Amelinckx writes an excellent story based on a report by Washington D.C. based consumer watchdog group Food and Water Watch that finds not enough slaughterhouses in New York state and blames federal policies that, it says, favors larger operations. There are two USDA certified slaughterhouses in Columbia County, Van Wie in Stockport and Hilltown Pork, Inc. Robert Beckwith of Hilltown Pork says he is backed up with animals until 2010. “People want to know where their meat is coming from,” he said. “There aren’t enough USDA facilities to meet the demand.”

Murphy plans steps to help dairy farmers
From The Columbia Paper

With milk prices falling to 1979 levels and New York dairy farmers expected to lose $650 million this year, new U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy plans to introduce legislation to help. The proposed legislation would further subsidize dairy farmers, and create a herd retirement program meant to curtail supply. “This proposal works two-fold, by providing immediate relief to our struggling dairy farmers today, and stabilizing the dairy industry for tomorrow. Before more small farmers are forced out of business, we need to bring fast relief and stability to the industry.”

Lates poll: Maloney 33% Gillibrand 27%
From Rasmussen Reports

In a very early poll, New York City congresswoman Carolyn Maloney leads appointed Senator Kristen Gillibrand with 33 percent of the vote to 27 percent and nine percent preferring some other candidate. Thirty percent are undecided.

City wants to charge for parking at Amtrak
From The Register-Star

HUDSON - Jamie Larson writes that the Hudson Common Council will consider a new tax on mass transit use, charging for parking at the city's Hudson train station to bring in $197,000 to the city. He only reports the interests of the city, though, and fails to mention which of the two parking lots will feature the up-to-$3-a-day charges, and how the city will deal with folks who stop by for a few minutes to pick someone up and will now, I am guessing, be waiting in the street causing a bit of a traffic mess.

Copake accountant now puts everything in writing
From The Register-Star

COPAKE - Jamie Larson writes that Copake Town Accountant Brian Fitzgerald is now only reporting town budget issues in writing after mysterious town officials who are never indentified in the story blamed him for the town's estimated $175,000 2009 shortfall. These mystery officials, Larson reports, say Fitzgerald never warned them of the impending deficit. Fitzgerald says they were warned and spent too much money. Why no one else is quoted in this story is the real mystery.

PCBs (not) in the Hudson River
From CCScoop

The Environmental Protection Agency’s current clean-up of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the north Hudson River has not polluted the river downstream, CCScoop reports. "There hasn't been any significant change in the concentrations in the lower river," said Patrick Palmer of the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Water Supply Protection. The EPA is monitoring the river's PCB levels at Green Island, Poughkeepsie, Port Ewen, and Rhinebeck. Those municipalities were selected for monitoring every two weeks because they rely on the river for their water supplies.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Local housing groups get $650,000 in grants
From The Daily Mail

The Hunter Foundation, in Tannersville, and the Catskill Mountain Housing Development Corporation, in Catskill, were notified Thursday that they are each a recipient of grants — $300,000 and $350,000, respectively — from NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), the administrator agency for federal U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. The money is part of a statewide package of $31.4 million in housing grants announced by Gov. David A. Paterson Thursday.

Wilzig track foes win latest round in court
From The Columbia Paper

State Supreme Court Judge Patrick J. McGrath handed down an interim decision last week denying Alan Wilzig's petition for dismissal of a complaint filed by the Granger Group in regard to his private motorcycle track. Mr. Wilzig received site plan approval and designation as a permissible recreational use from the Town of Taghkanic's Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board earlier this year. But he was unable to proceed with paving the track because of an injunction against further construction on the facility. The injunction was obtained by the Granger Group, an association of citizens opposed to the track and concerned about enforcement of town zoning law, and by neighbors to the Wilzig property who believe that the track is not allowed under the zoning laws.

Hudson antique dealers struggling
From The Register-Star

Antique sales in Hudson are down around 20 to 30 percent, according to Hudson Antiques Dealers Association president Frank Rosa. Jennifer Arensksjold, co-owner of Arenskjold Antiques Art and Modern Design says sales actually fell more after the recession associated with the World Trade Center attack, which also coincided with a change in buyers' tastes.

Falling dairy prices strain farmers
From The Daily Mail

A top official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture defended his agency’s response to tumbling milk prices as “extremely aggressive” but showed little appetite Tuesday for immediate and far-reaching measures that some lawmakers say would keep thousands of dairy farmers in business. The Daily Mail story does not mention New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's work on this issue:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing legislation that would increase the amount farmers get through the Milk Income Loss Contract -- or MILC --program. MILC pays dairy farmers cash when milk prices fall below certain levels. When demand is up, prices tend to be up as well. The program is aimed at helping small and midsize dairy farmers weather low prices. But Gillibrand says that under the current pricing structure, farmers aren't receiving enough income to cover the costs of staying in business. She's introducing a bill this week that would double the amount of money farmers get from the MILC program retroactive to the low point of the pricing crisis in March. Another bill would increase the MILC rate to account for inflation.

Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop
From The New York Times

A highly contagious fungus that destroys tomato plants has quickly spread to nearly every state in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, and the weather over the next week may determine whether the outbreak abates or whether tomato crops are ruined, according to federal and state agriculture officials.

Trippi's weird "apology"
From The Albany Project

"Joe Trippi, who has been working secretly for Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) in her primary challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for more than a month, posted an odd "apology" for his deception (which occurred at Daily Kos, Huffington Post and with several reporters) on his website yesterday." This comes after PolitickerNY found Maloney's second quarter FEC filing and found a $10,500 check to Trippi dated June 5, well before he stopped writing about Maloney as if he was an unpaid observer.

LIVE TONIGHT:
Mark Eitzel will perform at 8 p.m. Jason's Upstairs Bar, 521 Warren St. in Hudson.

Greene Supports Cement
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/07/16/news/doc4a5e963a75857373047517.txt

CATSKILL — Greene County lawmakers on Wednesday roundly endorsed operations of local cement manufacturers to remind state and federal officials that the industry is important to the local economy. The support was given in a unanimous vote, with one absence, during a county Legislature meeting, where officials asked that funding for modernization be considered for Holcim U.S. and Lehigh Northeast Cement Co. in Catskill as well as LaFarge North America in Ravena in Albany County.

Ulster has first swine flu death
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/July09/17/swineflu_UC_fatal-17Jul09.html

KINGSTON – Ulster County Thursday reported its first swine flu associated fatality. The individual was a man from Saugerties who had been hospitalized with underlying medical conditions in addition to the flu.

Hudson Valley Job Losses
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/July09/17/unemp-17Jul09.html

The Hudson Valley lost another 18,300 jobs year over year in June, bringing to 746,400 the number of people who have become unemployed in the last 12 months, the state Labor Department reported Thursday. Putnam is feeling the least relative pain, with a 7 percent jobless rate last month. At the bottom, Sullivan and Greene, close to 9 percent.

DOT: Portions of Route 23 to close
http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2009/07/16/windham_journal/news/doc4a5e4e126cd25036863359.txt

ASHLAND - The Department of Transportation will be close a section of Route 23 between the towns of Ashland and Prattsville starting July 20 to address long-recognized slope stabilization problems adjacent to the old Catholic church. Both lanes will be shut down to fix the road. This is the first of three jobs, totaling $2.2 million, on Route 23, though the other two will not shut down both lanes. A detour will be set up on Route 296 in Windham and then onto Hensonville and Hunter, where they can connect with Route 23A into Prattsville, more than 20 miles out of the way.

Utility ratepayers could get stuck for millions in unfunded stimulus program
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/July09/17/util_rates-17Jul09.html

ALBANY – The federal stimulus package is going to providefunds for New York utilities – including Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation and Orange and Rockland Utilities – but the money would only pay for half of the cost of the $1 billion program. Smart grid utility projects proposed by the utility companies may qualify for stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The term smart grid refers to the application of various digital technologies to, among other things, modernize and automate transmission and distribution assets to anticipate and respond to system disturbances, enable greater use of variable energy sources, including renewable energy, and provide the capability for customers to control their energy consumption effectively.

Greene Lawsuit Settled
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/07/17/news/doc4a5fe6fec5bb0085621011.txt

CATSKILL — Greene County lawmakers have agreed to pay an engineering firm $35,000 to settle a lawsuit over disputed bills for services. At a Legislature meeting Wednesday, officials said the county had withheld $24,899 from Crawford and Associates Engineering for services on the county Mental Health building in Cairo and $30,368 from the firm for its alleged failure to include required electrical services in the design of the county Highway Department building in Athens. The firm had sought $95,000 in its lawsuit against the county.

Artist and musician Roger Mason moves studio into Chatham’s clock tower
http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2009/07/16/chatham_courier/news/doc4a5e0592ac5c1176339793.txt

CHATHAM - Musician Roger Mason, who has played with Bob Dylan, Itzhak Perlman, John Denver, members of The Band, the Carradine Brothers and Larry Campbell, who produced Levon Helm, is moving his studio into the third floor of the clocktower in Chatham.

The Town of Cairo may end up suing the folks behind the Alden Terrace project. Developer Charles Maggio withdrew the project -- retail stores and housing on a large empty lot with stunning mountain views -- in May from the Cairo Planning Board. It turns out, though, that the Planning Board and the town didn't properly secure an escrow account from Maggio, and now they are due thousands of dollars for work done on the project. At Wednesday's Town Board meeting (click here and turn the "audio" triangle around to download or listen to the meeting) Unk Slater -- who owns a grocery store in Cairo that might have been run out of town by the project, and who sued the town over its long-broken sewer system -- asked why the town might need to litigate, since the Planning Board law mandates an escrow account, town attorney Tal Rappleyea didn't really have an answer. "At the time the project was ongoing with a lot of work that was happening week to week and month to month and it fell into a deficit situation," he said. Town Board member Janet Schwarzenegger said, "I don't think he gave us any money in escrow, it was specifically for the sewer and water study." Near the end of the meeting, while signing checks, Schwarzenegger was told that there was no signed agreement between Maggio and the town. Clearly, Alden Terrace was getting different treatment than other projects before the Town Planning Board. The Town may have decided in executive session what to do about the issue, but no announcement was made. In other news, Town Board member Raymond Suttmeier said he visited Cairo's new reservoir park and complained about, among other things, folks visiting the park without first getting the required permit. Town Clerk Tara Rumph confirmed Suttmeier did not get a permit for his visit.... Down Main St. in Cairo the Dragonfly Performing Arts Center has started theater workshops for local youths. They are still facing the Cairo Planning Board for approval to turn the empty former department store on Main St. into a theater with plays, movies, perrformances, and other workshops and activities for young people and adults. Rita Carver's Dragonfly Performing Arts group just put on "Cats," but had to do it at Columbia-Greene Community College. The Planning Board will host a public hearing on the project Aug. 5.... The Daily Mail and The Register-Star, the area's two largest newspapers which also publish The Mountain Eagle, Windham Journal, and Chatham Courier, relaunched their web sites today, with many new features including blogs from reporters; most popular, most commented, and most e-mailed festures; and other expanded services.... As the local economy has cratered, more people are turning to Columbia County's Department of Social Services for help, according to The Register-Star. There has been a nine percent increase in cases for temporary assistance, 17 percent in cases for Safety Net, a 27 percent increase in food stamp cases and an eight percent increase in Medicaid cases, and an 82 percent increase in temporary assistance.... The Register-Star also reports that Housing Resources of Columbia County owes the city of Hudson $34,873.94 in unpaid water and sewer bills dating back to 2007. They say they do not have any money to pay it back, yet have spent almost $400,000 on the “Copake Green” development which will put 138 housing units a Copake corn field.... Capitol Confidential says Howard Dean has endorsed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and links to the YouTube video (see below) as proof.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd-A1pfcWxs&hl=en&fs=1&]

Carolyn Maloney is now getting some push-back from the press for her decision to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from New York. PolitickerNY has a profile of Maloney headlined that she is "all over the place" and that implies she is a bit difficult to work with. The Albany Project compares Maloney and Gillibrand political positions and finds that while Maloney charges Gillibrand with being too conservative for New York, she doesn't exactly have a progressive voting record. "As Swing State Project revealed back in March, Carolyn Maloney is among the top 30 Democratic members of Congress whose records are significantly more conservative than the voting patterns of their districts," the site says. For instance, Maloney believed the Bush nonsense and voted for the Iraq war and The Patriot Act; she also voted to repeal part of The Glass Stegall Act, which many observers think led to much of the current financial mess; she criticizes Gillibrand for being anti-immigration but voted for the silly Mexican border fence; and voted to formalize long-term trade with China, despite their many human-rights abuses.... The Ancram Town Comprehensive Plan Committee completed its work Monday and will present the finished Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board at its Thursday meeting, according to The Columbia Paper.... The Daily Mail reports Republicans in the Town of Hunter endorsed Dolph Semenza for a board seat, incumbent James Volker for Town Justice (beating Hunter businessman Paul Solodar 59-21), incumbent councilman Daryl Legg, who last ran on the Democratic ticket, for the second seat on the council, and Democrat John Farrell, the incumbent Highway Superintendent.... The Daily Mail also reports that the Catskill Village Board approved a new, two-year $1,051,000 contract with the Catskill Police Department Monday night, though the story fails to mention whether this is an increase or decrease.

Organizing for this year’s 15th Annual CCCA ArtsWalk is already underway. The CCCA would like to take this early opportunity to inform its artist members of its plans in order for them to have advance notice of the criteria for submission, if they intend to participate. Download the PDF application here.

THE MEMBERS OPEN SHOW will include a minimum of 1 piece to be shown from any member artist submitting. Each member will be represented provided that the guidelines for submission have been met.

MEMBERS’ OPEN SHOW
1. Artist must be a current member of the CCCA.* (No artist has ever been excluded from ArtsWalk for lack of ability to pay.)
2. All work submitted should have been created from 2006 to the present.
3. Work should not have been shown in the previous ArtsWalk exhibits.
4. SUBMISSIONS FOR CONSIDERATION MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, JULY, 25 2009. NO EXCEPTIONS!
5. Artists may submit representations of up to 6 pieces of painting, photography, sculpture, video, installation or original works on paper in the form of digital / photographic prints, or CDs .
6. Each submission should be marked with artist's name, title of work, framed size, medium, price, and date.
7. All work MUST BE WIRE HUNG AND READY for installation, and sale.
8. CCCA charges a 30% commission on sales for all work shown during ArtsWalk
8. Artists are responsible for delivering selected artwork to their designated exhibition location by, drop off deadline, to be determined, sometime in September. Artists are also responsible for the timely pickup of work after the Exhibition closes.

THE PERFORMING ARTS AT ARTSWALK are being expanded this year; the Performing Arts Showcase will be back as well as other theatrical, dance and music offerings. Proposals and questions concerning The Performing Arts at ArtsWalk may be directed the same as visual art submissions. For more information and to be considered, please contact ArtsWalk Co Chairs Chad Weckler and RobRoy MacGregor at chadweckler@earthlink.net or kweetak@yahoo.com.

For more information, contact CCCA at 518-671-6213, info@artscolumbia.org or the office and gallery at 209 Warren Street in Hudson.

*A “hanging fee” of $30 or three-hours of volunteer time during ArtsWalk is also required. This is not a “fee”, but a correction of a situation in which some artists have donated uncountable hours of work and others have not. Some artists happily opt to pay the fee rather than to work. This allows us to hire youngartists desirous of work to help out with the enormous logistical task of mounting ArtsWalk.

If unmuffled, Lynn Sloneker's reporting on the Hudson school system, isn't the best blog in Columbia County, I do not know what is. Sloneker relentlessly reports the raw data about what is going on in Hudson's troubled schools like no other reporter in the area. Like last Tuesday the Hudson Board of Education approved vacation day buy backs for district administrators, going back to the 2006-07 school year: Daniel Barrett (district Business Manager) - $5,401.50; Thomas Baumgartner (principal) - $8,840.86; Mark Brenneman (assoc. principal) - $4,769.98; Barbara Boyce (Director of Student Services) - $2,461.28; William Clark (admin, technology) - $2,995.92; Thomas Gavin (principal) - $5,680.20; Ryan Groat (principal) - $15,622.44; Terry Harcleroad (admin, technology) - $4,130.70; John Howe (superintendent) - $2,812.50; Derek Reardon (assoc. principal) - $3,799.40; Steven Spicer (principal) - $4,961.88; Maria Suttmeier - $4,807.24. She also reports that New York State Education Department has awarded the Hudson City School District Afterschool Program $3.5 million in 21st Century Community Learning Centers Round 5 grant funds (one of 60 winners out of 387 applicants), and that the Hudson school board is moving its meetings back to the second and fourth Mondays this year. Best is her reporting of last Tuesdays board meeting, where Emil Meister was elected BoE president, Jeff Otty was voted vice-president, Maria J. Suttmeier was appointed Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Derek Reardon was promoted to fill the newly created junior high school principal job, and the board considered creating a curriculum committee:

Meyer then put forward a separate resolution to establish curriculum as the fifth board committee. A vigorous conversation took place, during which Superintendent Jack Howe, Fout, Daly and Abitabile all opined that the time was not right for the board to get involved with district curriculum.

"I think it's best to wait," said Howe. "We can revisit this after the [district] reorganization."

"This is too important to put off," Meyer said. "It's the perfect time to do it. It will send a message to the district that the board is serious about curriculum."

In the end the vote to establish the curriculum committee was 4 to 3, with Fout casting what appeared to be a tentative -- and decisive -- "yes" vote. (Meister, Otty, Meyer and Fout voted in the affirmative.)

Read the rest of her post to see all the appointments, and other news.... CCScoop says the new Wal-Mart in Greenport is scheduled to open on September 7, and the 103,000-square-foot Lowe’s, both in the Widewaters development, is scheduled to open on September 28 or 29. This reporter heard that Hudson's long-delayed Club Helsinki has bookings in early October, so should be ready by then.... The Columbia Paper reports that about $15 million in stimulus money is reaching Columbia County.... ccScoop also reports that the Village of Valatie saw a 9.4 percent increase in residents, up to 1,882 residents, between 2000 and 2008. Philmont recorded an 8.1 percent decrease, down to 1,366 residents, while Hudson reported a 7.7 percent decline, down to an estimated 6,925 residents. The Village of Chatham lost 4.2 percent of its population, with 1,682 people residing in the village.