Clarence Fanto is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle that the reopening of the Stockbridge, Mass., Senior Center this week was a much anticipated community event. The center is run by the Council on Aging and is located on the lower level of the town office building. It was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic for the past 30 months. Nearly half of Stockbridge's year-round residents are 60 or older. A lunchtime celebration on September 21 attracted nearly 100 seniors, said Chris McCarthy, council chairperson. “The goal is to get people socializing again, get them out of their homes, getting them back together to seeing their friends, acquaintances and other people,” Town Administrator Michael Canales said. “We know that during COVID, a lot of people shut themselves in.” Only limited programming had been provided during the pandemic with no social functions, he pointed out. Programs up and running again include yoga, classic bingo and a special luncheon on the third Wednesday of the month with guest speakers. A representative of the Stockbridge Police Department will speak about public safety issues at the October 19 luncheon. The Senior Center is open to all full-time and part-time residents 60 and older. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily news update.

Liz Montgomery is reporting for Porcupine Soup that a New York State Supreme Court judge has ordered a tire dump on State Route 81 to be shut down. But as of Sept. 19, six days after the deadline set by the court for all tires to be removed, tires still cover portions of the property. On Aug. 30, Justice Richard Mott signed an order against Green Tire Recycling, permanently prohibiting them from operating a tire dump business at 1113 and 1131 State Route 81 in Climax. The dump contains thousands of tires and according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, does not have a permit to operate despite its ongoing operation since 2020. Mott’s made his ruling after the town of Coxsackie took steps to close the dump, contending the facility is in violation of New York State Property Maintenance Code, New York State Fire Code, Coxsackie Town Code, and Coxsackie Town Zoning Law. Property owners Corey Mergendahl, Sharon Lampman, and Shane Foster had until July 29 to respond to the complaint, but none of them appeared or submitted a response. The trio also failed to respond to notices of violation from the town of Coxsackie that were sent this spring. Their inaction ultimately led to the town taking the matter to state Supreme Court. The town will next seek court-ordered sanctions. Specifically allowing the town of Coxsackie and/or the DEC to remove the tires, refuse, junk and garbage, then adding the cost of that cleanup to the property tax bill owed to Greene County. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

The Daily Freeman is reporting Bard College announced last week it has received $3.2 million to permanently endow the Keith Haring Fellowship in Art and Activism, an annual faculty position within the Center for Curatorial Studies graduate program and the undergraduate Human Rights Program. The endowment is made possible by a grant of $800,000 from the Keith Haring Foundation and matching funds from the Marieluise Hessel Foundation and benefactor George Soros, the college said. First launched in 2014, the fellowship embodies the shared commitment of Bard and the Keith Haring Foundation, and it, “...also speaks to the historic relationship between the college and Keith Haring, which is further honored with CCS Bard’s permanent reinstallation of a wall drawing the artist created in an act of spontaneity while visiting the campus in 1981.” In conjunction with the gift and reinstallation, Bard announced that writer Haytham el-Wardany has been named the 2022-23 recipient of the Keith Haring Fellowship. el-Wardany will be in residence on campus during the spring semester to teach and conduct research. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Barbara Reina is reporting for the Times Union that Purling resident Eric Morabito, the so-called Walking Man, began his 9th annual 220-mile walk for children on Sept. 16, from his home in Greene County. Walking up Route 32, his nine-day trek takes him through Glenmont, New Lebanon, and into Massachusetts, bringing him to Boston by Sept. 24. “I start out the first day with 35 miles, three days of 30, then 20, and the last two days walking 11 and 12 miles, taking it easy at the end,” he said. This year, Morabito is raising money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield, Boston, Philadelphia and Erie; the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region; and the Cyprus Shriners Transportation Fund. He is dedicating the walk this year to Christopher, a teenager from the Catskills who was severely burned as an infant. Christopher has had more than 14 surgeries to date, some at Shriners Children's Boston. He has also been a patient at Albany Med for a neurological issue and stayed at the local Ronald McDonald house. Morabito took his first walk in 2014 with the support of the Shriners. “It was supposed to be a one and done,” he said. “After I did it the first time, I didn’t even know if I’d survive — that’s why I dubbed it ‘Springfield or Bust.’ One of my lodge brothers said, ‘next year, we’ll do better.’ So I thought I’ll try it again next year. And here I am, nine years later, still going at it.” Morabito started his walking regimen for health reasons and now, at 59, his personal health improvement plan has evolved into one that helps others. Morabito is already planning next year’s walk, his tenth, which he said will be his last. “I’d like to do the walk 10 times with the goal of raising a total of $100,000.” He has raised just under $68,000 so far. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Here are some of the playlists for WGXC shows this past week.

The Jazz Disturbance
Sept. 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.. Hosted by Cheryl K.
Artist / Song / Title / Label
Muhal Richard Abrams/Afrisong/Afrisong/India Navigation / Whynot [5:07]
Melody Gardot, Philippe Powell/What of Your Eyes /Entre Eux Deux/Decca [4:31]
Tigran Hamasyan/I Should Care/StandArt/Nonesuch [3:49]
Trio Xolo/Obsidian Eucalyptus /In Flower, In Song/577 [6:59]
Almog Sharvit/Mx. Bean/Get Up or Cry/Unit [6:32]
Dan Neville and Xiomara Torres/Tio/La Voz del Ma/Patois [4:39]
Jesse Garland/Dos Gardenias/De Mi Corazon' (From My Heart)/Jesse Garland [3:18]
Honolulu Jazz Quartet/Right Back with the Snack/Straight Ahead [5:23]
Miguel Zenón/Opresion Y Revolucion/Música de Las Américas/Zenón Miel Music [8:45]
Dana Fitzsimons/Number Six/Fault Lines/Dana Fitzsimons [5:03]
[SINGLE] Freeez/Alone/Far Out Recordings [6:06]
The Comet is Coming/Code/Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam/Impulse! [4:15]
Machine/Why Can’t People (Be Colors Too)/Machine/WeWantSounds [4:38]
Henry Franklin/The Griot/Henry Franklin JID14/Jazz Is Dead [4:31]
Antonio Sanchez/Mi Palabra/Shift: Band Hombre Vol. II/Warner Music [4:00]
Ana Nelson/Blue Flower/Bridges/Ana Nelson [7:42]
Bill Cole’s Untempered Ensemble/Family/Margaret and Katie/Bill Cole [13:06]

WGXC Morning Show
Hosted by Tom Roe, Mon-Sat, 9-10 a.m.
2022 releases played this week:
Angel Olson/Sturgill Simpson, "Big Time"
Spoon, "On The Radio," Adrian Sherwood Reconstruction
Chris Pellnat, "What We Are," and "EarthShaker" from "Go" album
Bobby Previte, "The Surveyor," "Pioneer," and "Explorer" from "Dark Current" album
Karen and Peter, "Grief Forest," "Taconic Gate," and "Weekend in the Berkshires" from "Aggro Dolce" album
Matthew O'Neill, "Wrong Response" and "Listen" from "Songs of Connection" album
DJ Olive, "Ahsans Wish" from "Somewhere" album
Hitomo Moriwaki, "Numbers" from "Subtropic Cosmos" album

In My Room
Saturdays, 1-3 p.m., Playlist:
:zoviet*france:-Muzzled
The Books-A True Story of True Love
Thor Harris/David Haab-Day 62 of Quarantine
Pita-~-
Emeka Ogboh-Verbal Drift
Jon Hassell/Brian Eno-Delta Rain Dream
BifiBoy/Caykh-Hitti
Bomis Prendin-Hit by a Moon Rock
Chaircrusher-Xerothermic
Pan-American-Virginia Waveform
Pita-Seven Tons Revised
Robert Fripp/Brian Eno-Dirt Loop
Sage Martens-Riding Fences
Claire Rousay/More Eaze/Bloodz Boi-Overcast
Philip Jeck-Arcade 3
Mark Cunningham-Nick Drake
Mat Ball-Within the Billow III
Insect Factory-Become the Birds

Afrosonic Taxi
Mondays 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Playlist:
1. Me & Me by Les Nubians (France/Cameroon)
2. La Petite Espece by Baloji (Congo/Belgium)
3. Te Invite by Free Hole Negro (Cuba)
4. C'est la Vie by Inna Modja (Mali)
5. Rise Up to the Occasion by Bantu feat. Ayuba (Nigeria)
6. Wahala by Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana/USA)
7. Believe System by Nneka (Nigeria)
8. Miss You by Thias Diarra (Mali/Switzerland)
9. Solo Savarigne by King Kora feat. Brandy Butler (Gambia/Switzerland)
10. Creida by Boogat (Mexico/Canada)
11. Malemicita by JJC & 419 Squad (England/Nigeria)
12. Cafe by Interactivo (Cuba)
13. Palestine by Gokh-Bi System (Senegal)

BantuNauts RAYdio
Sundays, 9-11 a.m., Playlist:
Chris Brown, Wizkid - Call Me Every Day
Dorian Concept - Let It All Go
Roy Ayers, Fela Kuti - 2000 Blacks Got To Be Free
P-Square - Enemy Solo
Burna Boy, Victony - Different Size
The Brothers Johnson - Caught Up
Harry Styles - Daydreaming
DJ Snake, Summer Walker, Spinnall, & Ayanna - Power (Remember Who You Are)
Black Party, Childish Gambino - I Love You More Than You Know
Black Thought, Danger Mouse - Violas and Lupitas
Valentino Khan - Pump
Bob Sinclar ft. Steve Edwards - World Hold On (Fisher Rework)
Fela Kuti - Shenshema
Ladipoe, Crayon, Mavins, Ayra Starr, Magixx, & Boy Spyce - Overloading (Overdose)
Oxlade - Ku Lo Sa
Bonobo - Closer
Vieux Farka Toure - Tinnondirene
Suzanne Vega - Freeze Tag
Zeal Onyia - Zeal Anata
Telex - Moskow Diskow
Hiatus Kaiyote - Red Room
Yuni Wa -Ivy League
Leaders Of the New School - Connections

Vital Weekly
Mondays, 2-3 p.m.
Tracklist for Vital Weekly 1352:
0000 Tune
0014 Hunter Complex - Dirty Snow
0336 PS Stamps Back - Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone
0647 Flu D'Etat - How To Come To Love Your Fear
0956 Ilpo Väisänen - Keskipäivän Hetken Sumea Vaillinaisuus
1310 +DOG+ - My Friends
1624 Phil Maguire - Zeeschuim
1935 Nick Storring - Part III
2245 Simon Whetham - Angry Earth Venting 3/Portals
2552 Great Waitress - Before
2902 Sun Dog - Glaciere
3206 Abdou Boni - Miroir D'eau
3516 TBC - Tschernobyl
3827 String Noise & john King - Centripedal Light
4138 Heavy Cloud - Altered palimpsest
4448 Stephen Barber - Stop
4610 Anteloper - Delfin Rosado
4921 Smiljana Nikolic - Hollow
5228 +DOG+ - An Owl
5538 Tune

Global A'GoGo
Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon
Manu Chao | France-Spain | La Primavera | Próxima Estación... Esperanza | Virgin | 2000
Manu Chao | France-Spain | Me Gustas Tú | Próxima Estación... Esperanza | Virgin | 2000
Bomba Estéreo & Manu Chao | Colombia-France-Spain | Me Duele | Me Duele - Single | Elegancia Tropical | 2022
Bomba Estéreo | Colombia | Sintiendo | Elegancia Tropical | Soundway | 2013
Fatoumata Diawara | Cote D'Ivoire-Mali-France | Nterini | Fenfo - Something To Say | Shanachie | 2018
Rokia Traoré | Mali | Kènia | Né So | Nonesuch | 2016
Dogo Du Togo | Togo-USA | Zonva | Dogo Du Togo | self-released | 2022
Bil Aka Kora | Burkina Faso | Fulu | Fulu | Shamar Empire | 2019
Lorraine Klaasen & Mongezi Ntaka | South Africa-Canada-USA | Sekusile (Kikirikiki) | Ukubonga (Gratitude) | Justin Time | 2022
Dark City Sisters | South Africa | Ngiboniseleni | Vulelani / Ngiboniseleni - Single | His Master's Voice | 1959
Miriam Makeba | South Africa | Into Yam | The World Of Miriam Makeba | RCA Victor | 1963
Mahotella Queens | South Africa | Mama Thula | Mama Thula - Single | Gumba Gumba | 1968
Izintombi Zesimanjemanje | South Africa | Awufuni Ukulandela Na? | Next Stop. . . Soweto: Township Sounds From The Golden Age Of Mbaqanga | Strut | 2010-1974
The Movers | South Africa | Phukeng Special | Volume 1: 1970-1976 | Analog Africa | 2022-197x
Super Djata Band De Bamako | Mali | Farima | Authentique 80 | Numero Group | 2022-1980
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Serejugu | Sonbonbela | Sublime Frequencies | 2022
Etoile De Dakar | Senegal | Thiely | Absa Gueye | Sterns | 1993-1979
Omar Pene & Super Diamono | Senegal | Mouride | Direct From Dakar | Real World | 2022-1995
Etoile 2000 | Senegal | Boubou N'Gary | Dakar Sound Volume 1 | Dakar Sound | 1993-1981
Shotnez | Israel | Contagious | Contagious - Single | Batov | 2022
Zion80 | USA | Wandering Stone | Warriors | Chant | 2017
The Apples | Israel | Kings | Kings | Freestyle | 2010

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Current Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko, from the 20th District, votes with the positions of President Joe Biden 100 percent of the time, according to the fivethirtyeight.com website. Republican Elise Stefanik, currently representing the 21st District, votes with Biden's positions 19.3 percent of the time. Democrat Pat Ryan just began represented the 19th District, and has yet to be included in the rankings. Click here to listen to this report.

News10 in Albany reports that incumbent Democrat Paul Tonko has proposed a WMHT debate in the 20th Congressional District election this fall, and Republican challenger Liz Joy wants multiple debates. “I’m looking forward to debating Paul and our campaign is currently in discussions with multiple organizations that have proposed debates, including WMHT," Joy said. “Unlike Paul Tonko, who in 2020 refused to debate me when over 100 business owners requested a forum. We need to hear directly from Paul as to why he supports policies that are making New York unaffordable and unsafe with skyrocketing crime and weak borders allowing deadly fentanyl to flow into the country.” Because of Joy's participation in the rally in Washington D.C. Jan. 6, 2021, Tonko seems eager to debate this fall. “Those running for the people’s house should be held to account and open to public scrutiny,” said Tonko last week. “My opponent organized a bus trip to the Capitol on January 6th where police officers died, and insurrectionists tried to overturn an election. She has also expressed support for total abortion bans, even in cases of rape and incest. These are extreme views that are well out of touch with Capital Region voters, and they deserve to be scrutinized." So far, their are no specifics, except possibly using the local public television station, WHMT, as a venue. See the News10 website for more details on this story.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Theodoric Meyer explain in The Washington Post the possible reasons why Rep. Elise Stefanik announced last week she would run again for the position of House Republican conference chair position. That would be giving herself a demotion if Republicans retake the House of Representatives, as they expect to. Stefanik would move down from the Number Three spot in House GOP leadership to Number Four in the hierarchy if Republicans are in the majority. Why? Three other Republicans recently announced they would run for the Number Three spot, as House Whip. So she would face more competition than for Conference Chair, the position she now has, with Rep. Byron Donalds from Florida as the only competition. And being whip means you have to build consensus between moderate and conservative Republicans, which is not Stefanik's specialty these days. “It's going to be a really, really difficult job,” one senior Republican aide said of the whip position. As conference chair, “you're just lobbing bombs at the administration.” And just lobbing bombs at the administration is what Stefanik is doing now, and makes her better suited to become a vice-presidential candidate for someone such as former President Donald Trump if he runs again in 2024. “Trump has encouraged Stefanik to run again, and he is very happy with the job she's done,” said a source close to Stefanik. Read the full story in The Washington Post.

Alex Gault reports for Northern New York Newspapers that the National Rifle Association has given Rep. Elise Stefanik an A plus, and given her opponent, Democrat Matt Castelli an F, and he is upset about his grade. Castelli, a former CIA officer and Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council who served in both the Obama and Trump White Houses, says he is a gun owner. And he says he would not support a ban on assault weapons sales that many Democrats are talking about in Congress. At a Sept. 14 town hall meeting, Castelli said he prefers legislation to keep all weapons out of the hands of those who would use them to harm others, people he defined as “cop killers, kid killers, domestic abusers and terrorists,” according to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Castelli also says he opposes the recent gun control legislation passed in New York. He says the National Rifle Association never asked him anything about his positions on guns, and cannot understand why they would give him an F grade. “(The NRA is) misleading the public with the claim that they rank political candidates based on voting records, public statements and their response to an NRA-PVF questionnaire,” he said. “The corrupt NRA has abandoned its original values of responsible gun ownership, cut funding to gun training and safety, and now represents corporate interests, not law-abiding gun owners.” Castelli is challenging Stefanik in New York's new 21st Congressional District, which includes Rensselaer County, in the election Oct. 29 through Nov. 8. Read the full story at nny360.com.

Former Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan was sworn in as the new Congressperson in New York's 19th Congressional District on Sept. 13, and cast his first votes in the past week. The 19th Congressional District had gone months without any representation, as Antonio Delgado resigned to become lieutenant governor, and Ryan won a special election in August against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro to fill in the final weeks of his term. Ryan's first vote, the day he was sworn in, was "To extend by 19 days the authorization for the special assessment for the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund," which passed unanimously. On Sept. 15, Ryan voted for the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act, which passed 221-203, and would establish, modify, and expand certain whistleblower protections for federal employees. On Sept. 19, Ryan voted for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act, which passed 290-125. On Sept. 21, Ryan voted for the Presidential Election Reform Act, from California Democrat Zoe Lofgren and Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney, The bill would confirm that the vice president's role in overseeing the Electoral College count after each presidential election is purely ministerial, and passed by a 229-203 vote with only nine Republicans joining all Democrats with yea votes. Locally, Democrat Paul Tonko voted for those last three bills, while Republican Elise Stefanik voted against them. Go to the House of Representatives voting web page to see all of Ryan's first votes.

Today's daily news update.

Greta Jochem reports in The Berkshire Eagle that Donald Trump's big lie about the 2020 presidential election is having real effects on local election officials. In Western Massachusetts, election officials are being overwhelmed with requests for information about the serial numbers of voting machines, voter ID numbers, and other issues. “I don't know how many different ways they want this information. It's the same numbers, they aren’t going to change,” said Lenox Town Clerk Kerry Sullivan. "What are you trying to accomplish by creating all this extra work for people? We’re not hiding anything.” The election information requests are being made around the country, fueled by Trump's lie that the 2020 election was full of fraud and stolen from the former president. The election was fair, as over 60 lawsuits failed in the courts. “They are looking for very specific reports that, unless we have a certain type of software, we don't have the capacity to produce those reports," said Williamstown Town Clerk Nicole Beverly. Great Barrington Town Clerk Jennifer Messina said, "It's getting old.... We've got big things on our plate right now," Messina said about upcoming elections. "We don't have time for this. It feels like they are threats." Documents about federal elections must be kept for 22 months, so the influx of information requests may end soon. Or not, as many of the messages demand that the election information be retained longer. "They are basically saying they might take us to court," Messina said. "They are telling us we should not throw it away." Messina sent those emails to the town counsel for a legal review. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Republican candidate for governor, Lee Zeldin, is playing a game of political chicken with Gov. Kathy Hochul on debates before voting starts. After calling Hochul "Scaredy Kat" for not committing to a debate with him, now that Hochul has agreed to one debate, he is not clear whether he will participate. "This offer of Kathy Hochul to do just one debate at the end of October is a nonstarter," Republican Zeldin, who represents Long Island in the U.S. Congress, said during a virtual news conference on Sept. 22. He would not say plainly whether he would take part in the one debate Hochul has agreed to, Oct. 25 at Pace University that would be broadcast by NY1 and Spectrum News. Now a spokeswoman for Hochul's campaign is calling Zeldin chicken. Zeldin voted to overturn the results of the fair 2020 presidential election, and Hochul is currently facing controversy about paying more than other states for COVID-19 supplies to a campaign donor. Voting begins Oct. 29 and continues through Nov. 8. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

WNYT reports that Albany County schools are starting a program to add cameras to the red stop signs on school buses, to capture images of the license plates of cars passing buses when they are picking up or dropping off children. Officials there say nearly 50,000 cars illegally pass stopped school buses in New York every day. Albany County is working with the BusPatrol company on the initiative, with the company taking 60 percent of the collected $250 fines, and the county getting the other 40 percent. The South Colonie School District is the first to get the cameras, with two buses outfitted so far. Read the full story at the WNYT website.

Today's daily news update.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman that the Harvey Fite house, surrounded by the Opus 40 sculpture park in Highwoods, Ulster County, has been listed for sale, with an asking price of $1.5 million. The parcel includes 1.7 acres. It was previously listed for $3.9 million in 2010 and $3.5 million in 2021.“This majestic home overlooks his magnificent six-acre earthwork sculpture and a quarry pool, cleared out and shaped for a swimming pool by Harvey Fite, with marvelous natural spring water,” according to the real estate listing. Homeowner Tad Richards said in a statement that generations have loved the house. It has been Richards’ home since 1944, when his mother, Barbara, married Harvey Fite. Richards and his wife spent 30 years as caretakers of Opus 40. Listing Agent Laurie DellaVilla-Miller said Opus 40 operates separately from the home and will remain open to visitors after a sale is made. In December, the Opus 40 sculpture park received a $300,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the repair and conservation of the park’s bluestone sculpture. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that 58 fiberglass and acrylic feline sculptures were sold last weekend during the 16th annual Cat’s Meow Gala and Auction at Historic Catskill Point. More than 300 people attended the event. The auction raised $85,000, the largest amount generated by the event in recent memory, according to the Heart of Catskill Association. The first 30 percent is paid as commissions to the individuals who created the sculptures, and the rest "go right back into worthy causes in and around Catskill," according to the association's Facebook page. After two pandemic-constricted years, this was the first auction since 2019 that the association was able to host a gala and auction with full public participation. “Purrfect Nights” by South Cairo artist Ray Sperzel sold for $3,700, the highest bid in the auction. “Spirit Wings” by Nancy Whelan sold for $3,500 and “Indigo Blues” by Marjorie H. Sisak-Yonker and “Geisha Kitty” by Victoria Lake sold for $3,100 apiece. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Steve Barnes is reporting for the Times Unionthe 16-month-old Cafe Mutton at 757 Columbia Street in Hudson, within the past week was named by two major national publications among the best places to dine in America. The restaurant serves lunch four days a week, dinner only once and it does not take reservations. Bon Appetit magazine's October issue, out last week, included Cafe Mutton among its 10 Best New Restaurants, calling it "the country’s most uncompromising restaurant." The New York Times' list of "50 places in America we’re most excited about right now," published online, called Cafe Mutton "refreshingly down home." Chef-owner Shaina Loew-Banayan said, "It's pretty exciting." Although they knew long in advance about the recognition from Bon Appetit, "The New York Times was total surprise that I woke up to yesterday," they said. The restaurant, which seats 26 inside and another 10 outdoors, set business records Friday, Saturday, and Sunday last week and was forced to close early on Saturday because food ran out despite unprecedented levels of prepping, Loew-Banayan said. Read the full story in the Times Union.

New York's latest foliage report shows leaves just beginning to turn colors locally. "In Greene County, spotters reporting from the upper elevations of the towns of Hunter and Windham predict up to 35 percent color change, with green, yellow, and red leaves of average brilliance. Spotters in Catskill expect 15 percent foliage change featuring orange and red leaves of average brilliance," the report says. "In the Hudson Valley, Columbia County foliage spotters in Hudson expect just about 10 percent change this weekend and mostly yellow leaves, while Dutchess County spotters reporting from Hopewell Junction expect up to 10-15 percent color change and red leaves of average brilliance. Spotters in Beacon are predicting up to 10 percent transition with some yellow leaves of average brilliance appearing." Read more about this at New York State's foliage report.

Today's daily news update.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that the city of Hudson's Industrial Development Agency is changing how it awards tax breaks to new construction projects with a vote Sept. 21 to adopt new criteria focused on community benefits. The Hudson IDA was recently criticized for giving tax breaks to high-end hotels. That led to a series of public workshops about reimagining the way it gives tax breaks. Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson, a member of the IDA, said, "We want to make sure that everything new has a direct benefit to the existing city." The new criteria for tax breaks include asking developers to provide well-paying jobs; to give workplace-advancement training to employees; to provide workforce housing; and to improve the environment and offer goods and services that will benefit the community. Proposed projects are awarded points based on those criteria, and scores determine if a project gets a tax break, and how much that discount is. Read the full story in the Times Union.

On Sept. 21, Gov. Kathy Hochul's campaign agreed to debate Republican challenger Lee Zeldin once. Hochul agreed to a NY1 debate at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at Pace University in New York that will be broadcast statewide. Hochul had two debates during her primary election campaign, and Zeldin wanted more than one debate this fall. "This is absolutely unacceptable just how much contempt Kathy Hochul has towards New Yorkers that she is trying to pathetically get away with just one General Election debate over a month after absentee ballots start going out. We should have a live, televised debate right now," Zeldin said in a statement. Zeldin voted to overturn the results of the fair 2020 presidential election, and Hochul is currently facing a controversy about paying more than other states for COVID-19 supplies to a campaign donor. Voting begins Oct. 29 and continues through Nov. 8.