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WGXC Morning Show: Rita Seiko Payne, Climate Action Council (Audio)

Dec 02, 2021

In the latest Hudson Valley Word of Mouth segment, Julia Joern visits Rita Seiko Payne, the artist behind Beiko Ceramics. Her large barn-like studio — once a lumber operation, then later a fur trapper and trader business — is located in the small town of Cherry Valley in Otsego County. Through the process of slip casting, she creates ‘functional art’ from ordinary and often disposable objects, as well as from fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Many of her designs come directly from her family's or friends’ yards and gardens, such as serving plates cast from giant sunflowers, or bowls cast from an acorn squash, an oversized pumpkin, and even a head of cabbage. Many years in the making, she’s also created her own food-, oven-, and dishwasher-safe signature-colored turquoise pottery glaze, which she’s aptly named ‘Dr. Payne.’ Payne’s work can be found locally at Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs in Schoharie County, and at Riverwood in Cooperstown, a village in Central New York that’s also home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The Farmers’ Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, and The Glimmerglass Festival. Plus, last month, the world’s leaders conducted the 26th COP – the climate international summit – in Glasgow. The two week event ended without the deep cuts in greenhouse emissions that scientists had pleaded for. Here in New York, the state is still in the process of implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that state lawmakers approved 2 and a half years ago. On Tuesday, the Climate Action Council set up to develop a plan for state action on climate met to finish its work on the first draft. Andrea Cunliffe talked to Mark Dunlea about how climate change policy is developing in New York.

The "WGXC Morning Show" is a radio magazine show featuring local news, interviews with community leaders and personalities, reports on cultural issues, a rundown of public meetings and local and regional events, with weather updates, and more about and for the community, made mostly through volunteers in the community through WGXC. The Catskill Makers Syndicate produce the "Better Weather" for the show. Rob Gelles produces the Columbia County history segment "Rob Around The County" and "This Month in History" for the show. Julia Joern produces the "Hudson Valley Word of Mouth" interview segment every Thursday. And Jack Sencabaugh contributes the "Backtracks in Time" segment about local history. Some reports come from our partner station, WOOC-LP in Troy, out of The Sanctuary for Independent Media. Tom Roe also cuts up local and national news with songs and sounds for the show. At 9 a.m. "The WGXC Daily," with local headlines, weather, and previews of community events, airs. Also tune in for national headlines from the Public News Service on WGXC. Sometimes national, state, or local press conferences, meetings, or events are also broadcast live here.