WGXC Newsroom moving again

WGXC Newsroom has moved for the final time: http://newsroom.wgxc.org/

Catskill Farmer’s Market

Interviews from East Durham Irish Festival

WGXC’s Tony Fallon was on the scene last weekend at the East Durham Irish Festival, and contributes these photos and interviews: Click on this sentence to hear an interview with East Durham Irish Festival Director Tom McGoldrick or paste this url into your computer’s media player: http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/06/WGXCsTonyFalloninterviewsTomMcGoldrick.wav Click on this sentence to hear an interview [...]

Audio from Athens Cultural Center reading series

This recording by WGXC volunteer Ira Sher of the Athens Cultural Center reading series May 15, 2010, features poets Brenda Coultas and Christopher Stackhouse and fiction writer Lynne Tillman. Click here or on the ACC logo to listen to an mp3 audio recording of the reading, or paste the following url into your computer’s media [...]

Recording of Cairo Open Mic

WGXC’s Debra Kamecke recorded the Cairo Open Mic, sponsored by WGXC and Cairo Library, as the monthly event finished its seasonal run inside Gallagher’s on Main St. last Friday (it moves to Cairo town park Fri. June 18), with performances from acapella singing group The Cats, poet Tony Fallon, and guitarist Mike Ryan among the [...]

Borchert wins striper contest

River Basin’s Striper Contest ended today with Eric Borchert bringing in the winner, a 47″-er from the Hudson River.

Let the long weekend begin

This weekend: THU-SAT Upstate II at Nicole Fiacco Gallery. Melora Kuhn, Catherine Mosley, Erik Schoonebeek, and Allyson Strafella. Tue-Sat, noon-6 p.m. Dots, Lines and Figures at Carrie Haddad Gallery. Michael McLaighlin, Ben Shecter, Donise English, and Jeff Briggs. “Maii:” The Wonder of Water by Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre with the Hudson Opera House, an [...]

Oatts/Locke Duo performance in Athens

Dick Oatts/Joe Locke Duo performed May 22 at the Athens Cultural Center via Planet Arts.

Greene Dems nominate Woodin for County Judge

The Greene County Democratic Committee picked David E. Woodin as their candidate to succeed retiring Daniel K. Lalor as Greene County Judge in a meeting held tonight at Lange’s in Acra. Woodin has clerked for Hon. John J. Fromer, Hon. James J. Battisti, Hon. George J. Pulver and, for the past 19 years, for Judge [...]

Greene gains, Columbia barely loses population

Marist College’s Bureau of Economic Research just released an “Economic Report of the Hudson Valley.” Some interesting facts: “During the two-year period ending in 2008, total migration into and out of Columbia County resulted in a net loss of 31 households and a $27.12 million increase in adjusted gross income (AGI)” and during that same [...]

Greene County’s new news

The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer debuted this week, and the Greene County Local Courier morphed into the Greene County News, after its recent purchase by Hudson-Catskill Newspaper Corp, and it is great to read more local newsprint. Both papers are fighting for territory best covered by The Greenville Press which closed early this year, and [...]

Listen to the frog sound walk

Liz LoGiudice, Extension Educator at Agroforestry Resource Center, led an “Amphibian Adventure” WGXC fundraiser Friday night, giving a “frog walk” across the street at the Siuslaw Model Forest. We listened to peepers, tree frogs, pond frogs, and found tadpoles and snails. Click here to listen to an mp3 sound recording of the “Amphibian Adventure” or [...]

Seeing Catskill school election

Seeing Greene blog breaks down the Catskill school elections: That result attests to influence exerted by local teachers. The victorious newcomers were endorsed by the Catskill Teachers Association (along with Francesca Daisernia, who finished fifth). Thus, no sitting trustee evoked CTA approval, and the CTA-endorsed candidates presented themselves as agents of “change” in board operations, [...]

Prometheus Radio Project to host Radio Barnraising with WGXC

Prometheus Radio Project teams with WGXC to hold our 12th community radio barnraising later this year! Radio barnraisings are weekend-long radio-building and movement-building events. Individuals from the local community and participatory media folks from around the country come together to share ideas, experiences, and skills in the launching of a community radio station. The overwhelming [...]

Saland talks on floor fourth most of all Senators

New York State Senator Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie who represents Columbia County, spoke the fourth most on the senate floor according to transcripts of floor proceedings that are now posted online and crunched by NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney. H/T Capitol Confidential. Saland spoke 9,251 words this term through April 7, while State Sen James Seward ranks 34th [...]

School election results

Cairo-Durham school election results: School Budget Passed 551-527; Library Appropriation Failed 477-581; Biomass heating system Failed 433-625. Board Member results: Greg Koerner-Fox – 584; Thomas Plank – 564; Beatrice Clappin – 537; Pat Ublacker – 512; Nicole Maggio – 472; Dean Pectal – 456; Sam Mozzillo – 338. The Daily Mail reports Catskill results: Catskill [...]

Vote Tuesday in school board races

Voting for school board members and issues takes place Tuesday in both counties. From The Daily Freeman: Greene County Cairo-Durham (Polls are open noon to 9 p.m.) Cairo-Durham Middle School cafeteria. Catskill (Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.) Catskill High School gymnasium. Coxsackie-Athens (Polls are open 1 to 9 p.m.) District elementary schools. [...]

Greene County Dems endorse Rice for AG

Jimmy Vielkind at Capitol Confidential says Tom Poelker of the Greene County Democratic Committee, and two other upstate county Democratic leaders are about to endorse Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice for the Attorney General race. Cindy Emmer, chairwoman of the Chemung County Democratic Committee, and Mike Kunzwiler of the Oswego County Democrats are also [...]

Village of Catskill Appropriations Meeting

Next Monday May 24 at 7 p.m. at Catskill High School the Village of Catskill holds its annual Appropriations Meeting, where voters get to speak about the village budget.

Nearly all local school districts planning job cuts

Kyle Wind in The Daily Freeman: More than 250 jobs will be eliminated in the region if voters approve school district budgets as proposed Tuesday. All the districts in the area with except Hunter-Tannersville, in Greene County, plan to cut faculty and staff members in response to projected reductions in state aid, and, in some [...]

$200K grant to target small businesses in Greene County

From The Business Review (Albany): A $200,000 state grant will enable Greene County to help small businesses. The grant from the New York State Office of Community Renewal will be funneled into the county’s Microenterprise Assistance Program, which provides grants to small businesses. The county will also offer training classes for small businesses. Start-up companies [...]

Seward in Coxsackie Friday

New York State Senator James Seward will join the Greene Business Alliance, members of the business community, and local elected officials at an Empire Merchants North open house at 11 a.m. Friday, May 14 at Empire Merchants North, 16 Houghtaling Rd., West Coxsackie, NY.

Fireworks in Catskill

Dick May practiced some citizen journalism at the April 26 Catskill Village meeting, forcing the town trustees to go on the record with their decision to move the July 4 fireworks from the Hudson River waterfront to downtown Catskill. He writes, “the Trustees of Catskill Village almost made a controversial decision by stealth. And they [...]

Catskill school candidates meet tonight

Catskill School Board candidates Michael Bulich, Catskill; Carthette Burnett, Catskill; Francesca Daisernia, Leeds; Ronald Frascello, Palenville; Randall Griffin, Leeds; Matthew Leipman, Catskill; Tracy Powell, Palenville; Carol Schilansky, Leeds; Christopher Van Loan, Catskill; and Lisa Warner, Catskill will answer questions at 7 p.m. tonight at Catskill High media center, according to The Daily Mail’s Jim Planck. [...]

Senate, Assembly approve extender budget

From Casey Seiler at Capitol Confidential: The Senate approved the one-week extender on a straight party-line vote, 32-29 [which means Columbia County's representative Steve Saland and Greene County's James Seward both voted against the measure], while the Assembly vote was slightly more mixed: 82-56. From Rick Karlin and Jimmy Vielkind at the Albany Times-Union: Assemblyman [...]

Catskill farmer’s market will close a portion of Main Street on Saturday mornings this summer

Instead of completely closing down Main St., or putting stalls in parking spaces, the Village of Catskill will close one block of Main St. between Thompson Street and the entrance to the municipal parking lot at Willard Alley from 7:30 a.m. to at least 2 p.m., for the Catskill Regional Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market Saturdays [...]

State Senator Seward is a ‘Tenther’

New York State Senator James Seward, a Republican who represents Greene County, is co-sponsoring J4716, a resolution in the State Senate’s Finance Committee to, “Re-Establish our State’s Sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment.” This Legislative Resolution affirms, “the sovereignty of the of the people of the State of New York pursuant to the Tenth Amendment of [...]

Murphy in Greene County Monday

Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) will visit several Greene County fire stations, present a USDA infrastructure grant to the Town of Ashland, and host a town meeting in Windham on Monday, May 10. Details: Murphy at Prattsville Hose Company, Main Sreet, Prattsville, 11:15 a.m. Congressman Murphy and USDA officials to present a grant to Ashland for [...]

Palenville’s pagans

In The Watershed Post, Julia Reischel has an excellent, long feature about Cathryn Platine and The Maetreum, a three-story former inn once known as Central House, is run by a non-profit called the Maetreum of Cybele, Magna Mater (MCMM). While the IRS recognizes the Palenville pagan enclave as a non-profit religion, the Town of Catskill [...]

Greene weekend

FRIDAY Sheila Jordan/Cameron Brown (photo, at right) Duo perform jazz at 8 p.m. at Gallagher’s, 513 Main St., Cairo. $25. SATURDAY Hudson Farmer’s Market reopens for the season from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at parking lot at Columbia and 6th Sts., Hudson. WGXC will have a table at the market. Lex Grey and John Pinder with [...]

Catskill gives Wal-Mart tax break

Town, Wal-Mart settle dispute –The Daily Mail, 05.05.10 Wal-Mart in Catskill gets break on tax bill –The Daily Freeman, 05.06.10 Catskill is reducing the property tax assessment on the local Wal-Mart $1.67 million, reducing their total to $13.5 million, covering the years 2010 through 2012, effectively granting the giant corporation from Arkansas a large tax [...]

Amphibian Adventure

Amphibian Adventure! A Fund-Raiser for WGXC Community Radio May 21, 2010: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Greene County Agroforestry Resource Center 6055 Route 23, Acra, NY 12405 518-622-9820 Support your local community radio station and listen to the sounds of our resident frogs – all in one, fun evening! This [...]

Current leader

23rd annual River Basin Sports Striper Contest update.

Rural Democrats choose Dinallo for AG

Jimmy Vielkind of Capitol Confidential was at the Democratic Rural Conference this weekend in Niagara Falls: As expected, Eric Dinallo won the straw poll for attorney general here at the Democratic Rural Conference with Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice finishing second and Sean Coffey finishing third. Dinallo had the support of 21 county chairs [...]

Opening events

Recommended happenings. FRIDAY Sideshow clothing store opening at 7 p.m. with Bleeding Hearts belly dancers, Evan Randall, and Stephen Bluhm. 707 Warren St., Hudson. Avondale Airforce and Battle Ave Tea Club at 9 p.m. at Market Market Cafe, Route 32 North, Rosendale. $5. Mick Taylor Band and Voodelic at 9 p.m. at Bearsville Theater, 291 [...]

Hunter officials ask to keep park open

From Colin DeVries in Windham Journal: In an effort to save a key piece of the Mountaintop’s economic puzzle, county and local officials are rallying to keep the Devil’s Tombstone Campground open through 2010. A county resolution was unanimously approved Wednesday requesting that New York State reconsider closing the Devil’s Tombstone Campground in Hunter….The campground, [...]

Deadline for WGXC program applications

MAY 1 IS DEADLINE FOR WGXC PROGRAM APPLICATIONS WGXC Program Application Download PDF to apply to host a show on WGXC.E-mail or mail them in to info@wgxc.org or WGXC, 5662 Rt. 23, Acra, NY 12405. Program Applications received: JoAnn Piazzi and Peter Lerner (Windham) Interview show: Politicians, officials, volunteers, activists. John Cleater (Columbiaville) Music: international [...]

Greene County Bancorp’s net income up 5% in 3Q

From The Business Review (Albany): Greene County Bancorp Inc., [parent to The Bank of Greene County], reported a five percent increase in net income for its third fiscal quarter. The Catskill, N.Y.-based company had net income of $1.23 million, or 30 cents a share, for the three months ended March 31. This compares to net [...]

Catskill relocates July 4 fireworks

William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman reports that on Monday Catskill officially moved the July 4 Dutchmen’s Landing waterfront site on the Hudson River to downtown Catskill. They will shoot the fireworks from either the Catskill High School track or a platform along the Catskill Creek. Read the entire article in The Daily Freeman.

Cairo voters approve new library

Cairo voters today approved a bond to finance a new library for the town, 53 to 47 percent. Totals: 283 yes, 248 no, 531 total voting. The vote at Resurrection Lutheran Church today determined Cairo will build a new library. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has offered the town a $3.07 million low-interest loan (4.25 [...]

Cairo voting now on library bond

Voters in Cairo today are turning out to Resurrection Lutheran Church until 9 p.m. to determine whether Cairo will build a new library. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has offered the town a $3.07 million low-interest loan (4.25 percent) and, if the town accepts the loan, a $200,000 grant with a local share match of [...]

With Greene County, Lazio climbs to 51.5

Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential: Greene County Republican Chairman Brent Bogardus endorsed Rick Lazio lat night, bringing to 51.5 percent the amount of the Republican delegates the Long Islander has in his corner for his question to become governor. “The Executive Committee of the Greene County Republican Party interviewed gubernatorial candidates this weekend,” Bogardus said [...]

Feed the Radio benefit May 15 in Germantown

The “Feed the Radio” benefit will be held from 3 p.m. on with an afternoon of activities, workshops, and radio fun! Stay for a delicious dinner and silent auction, followed by an evening of lovely live music and a DJ dance party! This we are hosting a joint benefit party for WGXC, our new local [...]

Cairo Open Mic recording

The Cairo Library and WGXC held the monthly Cairo Open Mic Fri. Apr. 23 at Gallagher’s, across the from the library on Main St. Guitarist Mark Patton; Dawn and Dick Collins; guitarist Michael Ryan, poet Tony Fallon, poet Nancy Henry, (The Daily Mail photographer) Claude Haton and Harry Gottleib (half of the band Wyld Blue), [...]

Scott Murphy speaks to constituents in Palenville

Congressman Scott Murphy held a town meeting in Palenville Monday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m. at the Palenville Fire Department, 717 Rte. 32A, Palenville. Murphy is running for re-election against Republican Chris Gibson. Listen to an audio mp3 recording of Murphy answering questions from constituents (recorded by WGXC’s Debra Kamecke) by clicking here or by [...]

Another busy Saturday

TAP New York with 30 regional breweries representing over 100 individual beers at Hunter Mountain Saturday and Sunday. “Where We Live” by Barbara L. Walter opening at The Broderick Fine Art Gallery above Ruby’s Hotel April 24 from 5-7 p.m. “Polaroids” show opening with William Wegman, Mark Beard, Tanya Marcuse, John Dugdale, Jeri Eisenberg, and [...]

Molinaro talks in Hudson at Space360

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) brought State Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) to a public meeting of about 20 people at Space 360 in Hudson today at 5:30 p.m. The two Assemblymen mingled with the guests including Catskill Town Supervisor Peter Markou, Columbia County Planning and Economic Development Commissioner Ken Flood, and Bill [...]

Striper biting in Hudson River

TomG of River Basin Sports reports on the first day of the 23rd annual River Basin Sports Striper Contest tournament going on today on the Hudson River: Well, it didn’t take too long to get our striped bass contest off to a good start. Early this morning at the crack of dawn John Munno, our [...]

Greene County Arts Council funds cultural institutions

Greene County Council on the Arts awarded 11 County Initiative Program awards: Bronck Museum of the Greene County Historical Society was awarded $2,200 to continue, expand and promote cultural, educational, and arts programming, including Music of History series, Heritage Craft Fair and Chilly Willy Tours; Catskill Mountain Foundation, Inc. was awarded $2,650 toward artist fees [...]

‘Where We Live’ opening Saturday in Freehold

The Broderick Fine Art Gallery hosts the April 24 opening of “Where We Live,” a show of plein air landscapes of the Northern Catskills by Barbara L. Walter. The gallery is located upstairs at Ruby’s Hotel, 3689 County Road 67 in Freehold, just off Route 32. The show runs through May 22 and gallery hours [...]