Anthony Fiducia is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Democrat Antonio Delgado was in Hudson Sun., Oct. 8, to make his case for why voters should choose him to face first-term Congressman John Faso in 2018. The gathering was held at a private residence on Union Street. Delgado is an attorney, born and raised in Schenectady. In his comments, he emphasized the importance of bringing opportunity back to the people, affordable health care, investment in infrastructure and solving the problem of inequality. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Ann Friedman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson mayoral candidate Rick Rector has kicked off a series of meet-and-greets, beginning with a gathering close to home in the 1st Ward last week. Rector is running unopposed. The meeting was held at the Hudson Lodge on Union Street and provided an opportunity for residents to meet Rector and ask questions of the candidate. Rector has lived in the city for 10 years and currently serves as the 1st Ward Alderman. He sits on the Common Council Arts, Entertainment and Tourism, Economic Development, and Finance committees; he is also a member of the city's Historic Preservation Commission. In his remarks, Rector said he would prioritize youth and riverfront development as mayor. Rector’s next community meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Tue., Oct. 10 at House Rules Cafe, 757 Columbia Street. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Jon Campbell is reporting in the Poughkeepsie Journal the state's developing medical marijuana program continues to struggle due to a lack of sales. Nearly two years after the program was launched, the state's five medical marijuana companies have failed to generate revenue. According to state tax-collection data, the program grossed only $16 million, before taxes, expenses or other overhead expenses, from April 2016 through August 2017. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Budget Division initially projected $4 million in marijuana tax revenue in 2016-17. For the state to receive that amount, sales would have to total more than $57 million. Revenue has begun to steadily increase in recent months, and supporters hope this means the program is headed in the right direction. The sales figures have medical-marijuana companies questioning how long the state can feasibly sustain the program, especially as the Department of Health moves to add five new companies to the list of approved providers. Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The Times Union is reporting state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is reporting that New York needs $27 billion to repair hundreds of aging, locally owned bridges. Approximately half of the state's 17,000 bridges are owned by local governments, and nearly 13 percent of those spans are considered structurally deficient. Some need repairs to allow them to carry heavier loads; others are prone to floods. Many of the bridges are more than 50 years old. Failure to keep the bridges in good working order will jeopardize public safety and hamper efforts to boost the upstate economy, DiNapoli, a Democrat, said. He said local, federal and state officials would have to work together to find the money for vital repairs. DiNapoli said that while the state has tried to help local governments cover these costs, the federal government will likely need to do more. The full report will be released Tue., Oct. 10. Read the full story in the Times Union.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Mon., Oct. 9 (8:52). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news from Fri., Oct. 6 through Sun., Oct. 8:

Amy Biancolli reported in the Times Union on the Grassroots Radio Conference held in Albany this weekend. The annual national gathering was hosted by WCAA-LP, a new low power station located at Grand Street Community Arts in the city's Mansion Neighborhood. WCAA Station Manager Musa Zwana said the station's call letters stand for “Community, Arts and Activism.” The station, which broadcasts at 100 watts, went on-air in February, roughly three years after receiving approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy was licensed for its low-power station, WOOC, around the same time. Michelle Bradley, an LPFM advocate who tracks low-power stations, said the movement “has changed substantially” over the years. According to Bradley, more than 700 stations are still licensed from the original LPFM application process in 2000. An additional 1,282 exist from the 2013 FCC window.

Richard Moody reported for Columbia-Greene Media people in Greene and Columbia counties are mourning the passing of Emily Brunner, one of the last surviving former residents of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. Brunner died last week at the age of 92. Her father was the keeper of the Hudson beacon from 1930 to 1949, and Brunner was six years old when the family moved to the lighthouse. “We loved her. She was quite a character with a tough personality. She would say what needed to be said,” said Joe Kenneally, who knew Brunner well from his time working for the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society. “She told me she used to walk on the ice on the river to get to school with her younger brothers. She said her father used to make her bring the rowboat with her in case the ice cracked.” Brunner was a graduate of the Hudson School of Nursing and Syracuse University, and she worked as a school nurse at Catskill and Cairo-Durham high schools. Brunner was recognized in 2010 by the Village of Athens and the U.S. House of Representatives for her lifelong service to the community.

Bill Mahoney reported at Politico New York support for the November referendum on whether the state should hold a constitutional convention seems to be in decline, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Fri., Oct. 6. A total of 44 percent registered voters support the idea, compared to 39 percent against. Two other questions also on the ballot in November drew strong support. A proposal to make it easier to strip pensions from public officials who commit felonies was backed 81 to 15, and another to make it easier to make infrastructure improvements in the forest preserves was supported 52 to 33. In the same poll, Gov. Andrew Cuomo scored a 57 percent favorability rating. Among the nearly 800 registered voters polled, 28 percent had a favorable opinion of President Donald Trump, down a point from a month ago.

Patricia Doxsey reported in the Daily Freeman Dutchess County Legislature Chairman Dale Borchet said Legislator Joseph Incoronato will not be censured for the remarks he made last year suggesting women might bear some responsibility for their own rape. Borchet said his fellow Republican apologized for the comments, privately and in a letter. Borchet said it was clear to him that Incoronato did not mean what he said during that meeting and said Incoronato expressed “regret” that he had misspoken and then apologized. “To me that was enough to say I don’t want to consider a censure resolution," Borchet said. In July, the Legislature voted to censure Legislator Joel Tyner, a Democrat, after he repeatedly declined to apologize for remarks other legislators said likened a county official to World War II Nazis.

Melanie Lekocevic reported for Columbia-Greene Media the Coxsackie Athens Foundation for Education has named five local residents for inclusion on the Coxsackie-Athens Wall of Honor. The foundation is a fundraising organization that awards grants to worthy school district projects that would otherwise not be funded. Honorees this year are Ellen DeLucia, Major General G. Larry Gunderman, Dorothy Lovelock, Paul Salvino and Robert Van Valkenburg. All five honorees are Coxsackie-Athens High School alumni. They were chosen based on their professional achievements, and contributions made to the Coxsackie-Athens School District or the community in general. The inductees will be honored at the annual Wall of Honor Gala, Oct. 20.

Matthew Hamilton reported for the Times Union Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration clarified Friday that New York regulations still mandate that birth control be covered by health insurance plans, despite the action taken by the Trump administration last week to roll back the federal requirement. In January, the Cuomo administration proposed rules that require health insurers to cover all contraceptive drugs and devices without co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles. On Friday, Cuomo called the Trump administration's actions "disgraceful" and a "direct assault on women's rights" that showed "a callous disregard for the millions of women who rely on birth control for an assortment of critical medical needs."

Ann Friedman reported for Columbia-Greene Media that although the proposed 2018 city budget has not been made public yet, Hudson Youth Department Director Nick Zachos is already raising concerns about the continued defunding of the department, its programs and facility, located on South 3rd Street. “We’ve really been a neglected department in city government and I think it shows in our facilities and the amount of programs we’re able to offer,” Zachos said. “We’ve been working to get stuff going again, and I think we’re turning a corner and growing the organization, but we really need financial support in order to do that.” The proposed 2018 department budget totals nearly $370,000 and is expected to be presented to the Common Council in mid-November. The amount requested reflects an increase of more than $32,000, far less than the half million plus that Zachos requested. Zachos said he is seeking private, state and federal funding in the hope of raising additional money.

Today is Day 6 of the WGXC 2017 Fall 2017 Harvest Pledge Drive. WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $25,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call (518) 697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate, and make your commitment to programming curated by humans, not algorithms, that is responsive to your needs and interests. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : A widespread rainfall is expected into Monday night. The rain will come down heavy at times, mainly in the morning. High near 72. Monday night, rain continues. Mostly cloudy. Low around 62.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
TUESDAY: Partly sunny. High near 77. Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 53.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 68. Wednesday night, a chance of rain after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 47.

Sunrise today: 7:02 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:22 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 11:19 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Mon., Oct. 9:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

Mon., Oct. 9 is observed as Columbus Day. The Daily Freeman has a list of how various offices and services are affected:
Amtrak: Regular schedule
Banks: Closed
City offices: Closed County offices: Closed
Financial markets: Open
Federal offices: Closed
Greene County Transit: Regular schedule
Mail delivery: None
Metro-North: Regular schedule
Schools: Closed
State offices: Closed

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for the weekend of Oct. 7-8 (3:12). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area. Faso returned to Washington D.C. this week where Fivethirtyeight.com currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 89.4 percent of his votes. This week, much of the news around Faso involved his possible Democratic opponents in 2018. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (8:55).

• U.S. Rep. John Faso, Republican of Kinderhook, announced last week that he has introduced the Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act, in partnership with U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat. Faso said, “Fraudulent ‘organic’ grain" is deceptive to consumers, but artificially drives down the price of real organics, hurting legitimate organic farmers, Faso said. News of the legislation was greeted by farmers and industry leaders alike. Tim Joseph, Founding Farmer, Maple Hill Creamery in Kinderhook, said, "We fully support the bill and are grateful to Congressman John Faso for introducing this important legislation.” Read the full press release at Faso [dot] House [dot] gov.

•

This senseless shooting in Las Vegas is absolutely heart breaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims and their families.

— John Faso (@RepJohnFaso) October 2, 2017

Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) released this statement on Twitter after the automatic weapon-massacre in Las Vegas Oct. 1. "This senseless shooting in Las Vegas is absolutely heart breaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims and their families," his tweet read. OpenSecrets.org reports the National Rifle Association donated $5,950 to Faso in the 2016 election cycle.

• Pat Doxsey is reporting in the Daily Freeman U.S. Rep. John Faso is taking heat on Facebook for accepting NRA money in the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 59 people and left hundreds injured. The Kinderhook Republican Tue., Oct. 3, called for better mental health screening of people looking to buy guns and said “it is worth” taking a look at how the shooter in the Las Vegas massacre got the device that enabled him to convert a semiautomatic weapon to a fully automatic one. Before considering any new legislation, though, Faso said he wants to know more about the man who is responsible for the massacre. On his Facebook page Monday, Faso called the shooting an “evil and senseless act” and said his “thoughts and prayers are with the people of Las Vegas and all of the victims and their families in this trying time.” His post prompted a deluge of responses, most criticizing the congressman for taking campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association and calling on him to support gun control. In a telephone conversation with the Daily Freeman Tuesday, Faso said he was aware of the comments posted to his Facebook page and that he pays attention “to all my constituents.” He also said he has yet to take a position on proposed legislation that would allow the use of silencers on guns. Following the Las Vegas shootings, the so-called Hearing Protection Act was pulled from the House agenda indefinitely. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

• The Mid-Hudson News Network reports that Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who represents New York's 18th District, will be back in the 19th District of John Faso later this month. Earlier this year Maloney, a Democrat, held a traditional town hall meeting in Faso's district because the Republican has failed to host any traditional town hall meetings without certain restrictions. Maloney will speak at the annual fall dinner of the Ulster County Democratic Party Oct. 29 at The Chateau in Kingston. Read the full story at the Mid-Hudson News Network website.

• On Oct. 3 Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion for women after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bill passed 237-189, with only two Republicans voting against, and three Democrats voting for the legislation. Vox reports, "The House bill makes a number of claims that contradict scientific consensus." Cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the life of the mother are exempt from the ban, which now moves to the U.S. Senate, where it will need 60 votes.

• Congressman John Faso (R-Kinderhook) announced Oct. 4 that John Billings will now serve as his Chief of Staff. Dain Pascocello was in that role previously. Faso brags that Billings is from nearby New Milford, Connecticut in his press release, and cites his previous Chief of Staff experience for representatives in New Hampshire and Michigan. A 2014 story in Roll Call credited him with turning around the office of Michigan Rep. Dan Benishek, who came in with the tea party in 2010. "Multiple sources chalked up Benishek improvements to his chief of staff, John Billings, who joined the office in 2013. Sources said Billings was able to focus the office and make time for campaigning and official duties," the Roll Call story says. When Benishek retired last year, Billings went to work for the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, "as a senior director for federal affairs, heading up the trade group’s House lobbying team," according to a Politico story from earlier this year. Billings was also previously a "public policy advocate," another title for a lobbyist, for the Food Marketing Institute, according to a 2010 Slate story.

Here are some stories from the Hudson River this week. Click here to hear an audio version of this report. (4:52)

• The Stevens Institute reports temperatures this week in the Hudson River at Schodack Island have been between 68 and 72 degrees.

• Brian Nearing reports in the Albany Times Union that the BASF Corp. will begin cleaning dangerous chemicals out of the Hudson River this fall. The company will begin a $41 million dredging project near a former Rensselaer dye factory installing a steel bulkhead to strengthen a seawall near Riverside Avenue. They will remove PCBs, volatile organics, and toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, mercury, zinc, and arsenic, that got into the river from production sewer and storm water discharge pipes. The former factory, closed in 2000 and torn down in 2010, was not responsible for the PCBs, which flowed downstream from other sites. But PCB levels in the river in this part of Rensselaer County have been measured at up to 270 parts per million, well above the safety standard of 1 part per million. Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.

• CurbedNY reports that the Whitney Museum revealed a rendering for its proposed public art installation on the Hudson River. Artist David Hammons designed the installation titled "Day’s End," that would sit on south edge of Gansevoort Peninsula, directly across from the museum, a tribute to Pier 52 which was once on the site. “We think 'Day’s End' is an inspiring idea that celebrates the history of the Hudson River waterfront,” said Hudson River Park President and CEO Madelyn Wils. “We look forward to hearing the community’s thoughts, and, should the project move forward, to working with the Whitney to make this a vibrant addition to Hudson River Park.”

Paul Kirby is reporting in the Daily Freeman Bard College officials are considering what the college can do to help bring the floating concert hall Point Counterpoint II to Kingston. Bard hopes to persuade some of its institutional contacts to aid in the effort to make the Kingston waterfront the concert barge's new permanent home, according to a college representative. Bard is a member of a group seeking funds to buy the Point Counterpoint II from its owner, Robert Bourdeau. The group is led by composer Peter Wetzler, a Kingston resident. Wetzler said last month the barge will not be able to come to Kingston this year once winter sets in. The Point Counterpoint II is 195 feet long and opens like a clamshell to reveal a concert stage, with an estimated price tag of $4 million. Wetzler has said if funding can be found soon, the barge could be brought to dock at the Hudson River Maritime Museum along the Rondout Creek in Kingston. There, Wetzler said, the heated barge could be open for events such as art exhibits even during the winter months. Note: Wetzler is a former WGXC programmer. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Eric Anderson is reporting in the Times Union the Port of Albany looking to add 110 acres on the Rensselaer County side of the Hudson River to its existing port operations. The decision to pursue the purchase was made after a plan to acquire an 80-acre parcel in the town of Bethlehem, on the Albany County side of the river, fell through. Port officials have been working on expansion plans since at least 2010, Richard Hendrick, the port's general manager, said. The property on the Rensselaer County side being considered lies in the Town of East Greenbush, immediately south of the nearly dormant Gold Bond/National Gypsum property, and close to rail lines and highways. "We'd welcome the expansion" of the port, said Robert Pasinella, the county's economic development director. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Dan Freedman and Matt Hamilton report in the Albany Times Union that Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) signaled he might vote to ban bump stocks, or devices that turn semiautomatic rifles into rapid-fire machine guns. "Fully automatic weapons are subject to highly restrictive regulation," said Faso. "Any devices which would allow a semiautomatic weapon to essentially become an automatic weapon should be treated similarly." That seems to align with the National Rifle Association's position. They said Oct. 5 that the devices "should be subject to additional regulations." The NRA gave Faso $5,950 during the 2016 election. "What are we waiting for?" Sen. Chuck Schumer asked about possible new legislation. "The NRA to give us the green light? That is so wrong." Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand co-sponsored a measure introduced Oct. 4 by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California that would ban bump stocks. "We must take gun violence as seriously as we take the threat of terrorism, and I urge all of my colleagues in the Senate to support this legislation to ban bump stocks and keep our country safe," said Gillibrand. In Albany two bills to ban the devices were introduced Oct. 5. Currently it is legal to possess, sell, and manufacture bump stocks in New York. The bill from Assemblyperson Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) and Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) would change that, and it currently has the support of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.

Chris McKenna at The Fray reports that three Democrats who want to challenge John Faso next year to be the local congressperson are eager to brag about how much money they've recently raised. Ahead of the Oct. 15 deadline for filing fundraising totals, Antonio Delgado, Gareth Rhodes, and Pat Ryan announced this week how much they have raised in the year's third quarter. Delgado, an attorney from Rhinebeck, says he has raised more than $400,000; Ryan, an Iraq war veteran and businessman, says he brought in $375,000 in donations in the third quarter; and Gareth Rhodes, a Harvard law student and former deputy press secretary for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, estimated $165,000 in donations. At the last deadline, Delgado and Brian Flynn had more campaign cash than Faso. Sue Sullivan recently ended her Democratic campaign, blaming fundraising in part on her departure. Read the full story at The Fray.

The Daily Freeman reports that Mon., Oct. 9 is Columbus Day and several services are closed or operating on holiday schedules:
Amtrak: Regular schedule
Banks: Closed
County offices: Closed
Financial markets: Open
Federal offices: Closed
Greene County Transit: Regular schedule
Mail delivery: None
Metro-North: Regular schedule
Schools: Closed
State offices: Closed

Today is Day 4 of the WGXC 2017 Fall 2017 Harvest Pledge Drive. During the coming days, WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $25,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call (518) 697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. There is a 30 percent chance of rain Saturday night, with a low around 62.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
SUNDAY: There is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with mostly cloudy skies, and a high near 77, and a low around 57.
MONDAY: There is a 70 percent chance of rain, with a high near 69, and a low around 61.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Fri., Oct. 6 (4:46). (Produced by Neva Wartell.)

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