Become a WGXC Founding Member

WGXC is trying to get on the air and bring community radio to Greene and Columbia counties. We have the license. We got a grant from the U.S. Commerce Department for half of the money needed for the transmitter, antenna, and major studio equipment. We now have to raise the other half, a little over $71,000. Above, you can see where we are so far. We need your help to get this community radio station on the air. We need you to become a Founding Member today! If you have a business, we need you to become a Founding Underwriter, and underwrite future community radio programs. We need you to go to the fundraising events Feb. 6 and Feb. 13 in Hudson at Sorted and Nicole Fiacco Gallery. We need you to go to www.WGXC.org and get involved in your community radio station.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

New York gets funds for mid-speed rail service

The Daily Mail and other publications are running the press release from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand‘s office touting $151 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build new high-speed rail lines across New York. In reality, the funds, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will slightly upgrade current Amtrak service, rather than create the sort of high-speed rail lines now being built and used in China, Japan, and Europe. The Hudson Valley will only see a portion of $147 million for “Empire Corridor South – Grade Crossing Improvements – CSXT Milepost 75 to 143: Improvements to existing warning devices at 12 grade crossings.” The Albany Times-Union, in an editorial today, said, “That should go a long way toward improvements such as eliminating the bottleneck between Albany and Schenectady responsible for so many delays in Amtrak’s service across upstate. Another $3 million will go toward improving rail service through the Adirondacks and into Vermont and Quebec. The money is just enough, in other words, to get New Yorkers thinking about the level of rail service that’s so common in other industrialized countries.”

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

1929 Catskill fiddler

Dave Ruch uploaded this video of an unidentified Catskill, NY fiddler, age 70 in 1929, from old Fox newsreel footage, posted with permission from University of South Carolina Newsfilm Library. The tune has been identified as “Boyne Hunt.”

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Alexander Turnquist and Kelli Rudick at Hudson Opera House

Recordings from WGXC’s webcast of Alexander Turnquist and Kelli Rudick’s performances at the Hudson Opera House, Sat., Jan. 30.

Click here to listen to an mp3 sound recording of Alexander Turnquist at Hudson Opera House, 013010. Does not work in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download file. WGXC follows Creative Commons.

Click here to listen to an mp3 sound recording of Kelli Rudick’s set at Hudson Opera House, 013010. Does not work in Internet Explorer. You need Quicktime Player Pro to download file. WGXC follows Creative Commons.

Maggio moves on from Cairo to Coxsackie, but Cairo has other plans

Cairo’s old development suitor, Charles Maggio, has moved his plans up the road from Cairo to Coxsackie, The Daily Mail reports. But Cairo may now have a second supermarket on the site where Maggio’s Alden Terrace project would have been, according to The Greenville Press (no web site). Susan Campriello’s Daily Mail story outlines the timeline: In 2007, Maggio proposed a mixed use development, called Alden Terrace, to be built in Cairo but the town’s sewer system could not accommodate the project. An Article 78 lawsuit was filed by taxpayer and community groups in Cairo against Maggio and the town alleging failure to properly conduct state Environmental Quality Review and public hearing procedures, and other residents in Cairo opposed it for other reasons, and the project was widely reported as “controversial.” Greene County Judge George J. Pulver Jr. dismissed much of the lawsuit in March 2009, but recently allowed part of the suit, a position the town is currently challenging. In May 2009, Maggio withdrew his site plan from the Cairo Planning Board. Now Maggio proposes a $50-million mixed commercial use and residential development for Route 9W in Coxsackie called Woods Farm. “Senior units will be reserved for individuals older than 55, he said, and market between $750 to $850 per month for a one-bedroom home and $950 to $1,050 per month for a two-bedroom unit,” The Daily Mail reports. Meanwhile, back on the Alden Terrace site in Cairo, behind the two banks that can be seen as you enter Cairo from the east on Route 23, a new Hannaford or Price Chopper supermarket might soon stand, The Greenville Press is reporting. “Charter Realty and Development Corp… and Creighton Manning Engineering LLP have prepared a two-phase plan that is set to start with a 36,000-square-foot market,” The Greenville Press reports. The second phase would be a strip mall with chain restaurants and retail. Workforce housing and subsidized housing were part of Alden Terrace but are absent from both the Woods Farm and new Cairo development proposals. Maggio made the announcement at the Coxsackie Chamber of Commerce dinner at the Quarry Steak House, and the plan was immediately championed by the likes of Sandy Mathes, executive director of the Greene County Industrial Development Agency.

Eric Carbonara at Spotty Dog on WGXC Online Radio

Eric Carbonara performed Friday, Jan. 29 at Spotty Dog Books & Ale, and WGXC was there to record the show and create a live web stream.

Watch video of Carbonara performance below:

Click here to listen to audio mp3 of Eric Carbonara’s performance at Spotty Dog.

Nick Davis at Spotty Dog and WGXC Online Radio

Nick Davis performed at Spotty Dog Books & Ale Fri. Jan. 29 and on WGXC Online Radio. Watch video of a portion of the performance below.

Click here to listen to a complete audio mp3 recording of Nick Davis at Spotty Dog Books & Ale.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Hudson mayor interview with high school video club

Interview with Hudson, NY Mayor Rick Scalera by members of Hudson High School Video Generation Club. Uploaded by Dan Udell.

WGXC Membership Drive Saturday at Swallow

Christina Malisoff and Tom Roe from WGXC will be signing up new WGXC members, chatting about community radio, giving out applications for to host a show on WGXC, and asking any questions you might have about the new station from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 at the WGXC Membership Drive at Swallow, 433 Warren St. in Hudson.

Read about Swallow by clicking on this Rural Intelligence link.

WGXC volunteers are working hard to launch a 3,300-watt community radio station. More than 78,000 people throughout Greene and Columbia counties will be able to receive the signal on 90.7-FM. WGXC received its license from the FCC and a grant from the US Commerce Dept that will cover 50 percent of our equipment needs. We now need to raise matching funds in order to get on the air.

BECOME A WGXC FOUNDING MEMBER

Stop by Swallow coffee shop Saturday afternoon to become a WGXC Founding Member.

We need folks to step up now and create a local community station. Become a Founding Member and get WGXC on the air and community radio will be beaming into your radio by the end of the year. We are very close to making a giant difference in the community, airing live town meetings, and giving citizens a voice with their local government officials. We are very close to bringing media training to local youth, who will then report on what is going on in the schools for WGXC. We are very close to airing live performances, festivals, and events on WGXC, and being a central information source for local farmers, artists, history buffs, and fans of interesting music. Together we can get that all and more on WGXC if you become a Founding Member.

3,300 watts at $25/watt = 82,500 &
WGXC-FM IS ON THE AIR!

Founding member levels:
ELECTRODES = 1 watt ($25 – 49)
CAPACITORS = 2-4 watts ($50 – 124)
CIRCUITS = 5-9 watts ($125 – 249)
TRANSISTORS = 10 – 20 watts ($250 – 524)
TOWERS = 21 – 40 watts ($525 – 1,024)
ANTENNAE = 41 – 100 watts ($1,025 – 2,524)
TRANSMISSIONS = 101 – 200 watts ($2,525 – 5,000)
DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Go to http://www.wgxc.org to become a founding member online or stop by Swallow coffee shop in Hudson this Saturday.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

Principal out at Catskill High

From Dick May’s Seeing Greene blog:

Gone abruptly and involuntarily from Catskill High School, as of yesterday: the principal, William Ball. According to sources, he has been suspended with pay after refusing to accept a Board of Education-framed choice between having the remainder of his contract bought out or facing charges having to do with willful destruction of school property (ripping out a telephone in a fit of rage). Some bits of the story were disclosed at a special meeting of faculty and staff members yesterday at 1 p.m., but attendance was spotty because, in anticipation of more bad weather, the school was closed at mid-morning. Old complaints about sexual harassment were not immediately involved. For the remainder of the school year, the principal’s duties will fall mainly to Patrick Wemmit, whose present job title is Principal of Special Learning Programs. With regard to the rumors that generated the foregoing notes, Superintendent Kathleen Farrell and Board of Education President Randall Griffin voiced the following comment: “No comment.”

May also reports that Daniela Marino is being forced out of her job as Director of Tourism and Promotion for GreeneLand: “According to reliable sources, Ms Marino’s work has been exemplary but for some local honchos she has been a bit too sophisticated, too literate, too (gasp!) cosmopolitan,” May writes.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

Alexander Turnquist and Kelli Rudick at Hudson Opera House Saturday

The Hudson Opera House hosts Kelli Rudick and Alexander Turnquist at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, and WGXC Online Radio will also provide a live audio webcast at by clicking on a link at www.WGXC.org.

Alexander Turnquist is one of Hudson’s best musicians. Do not take our word for it:

Pitchfork Media says, “By embedding both new age and noise-oriented electronic themes into his pastoral pieces, Turnquist unites disparate traditions and ideals, essentially employing sonic counterweights to construct 57 minutes that are as surprisingly dynamic as they are perfectly beautiful.” – Grayson Currin (Pitchfork Media)

Mojo Magazine says, “Turnquist layers his six and twelve string guitar instrumentals with electronic drones, piano and vibes. This first widely available release is a filmic beauty, its chilly pastoralism distinguished by the physicality of his playing”

The Silent Ballet named his album #6 of 50 of 2009’s best.

“If the album’s title is any indication, Alexander Turnquist has crafted a very dynamic poem of dreamful instrumentation; horizontal simplicity intertwines with vertical complexity in ways that recall the workings of the mind at rest, a permanent harmony of acoustic neurotransmission bristling with small, but enormously significant events in the form of short keys, violin, and cello interventions. The twelve-string guitar functions as the bloodstream of this impressionistic system, taking its textures and minimalist developments forward, backward, sideways, and everywhere in between. Like both a system and a poem, the movements in this music are rhythm and harmony-based, a continuous flow of ideas made in precise short movements that gradually build a greater whole – a whole that is one of this year’s best, one of those albums that is a practically must-listen regardless of musical preference.”(David Murrieta)

Kelli Rudick: Born in the states but raised in Israel, Kelli Rudick spent endless hours playing in the echoing sound of the bomb shelter just outside the family’s house on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. In 2007 Kelli released ‘No One Knows You’re Foreign’, a distinctive work introducing her unique way of accentuating emotionally complex compositions by drawing percussive rhythms from the fretboard and body of the guitar while coaxing chordal melodies and harmonics from the strings. Kelli Rudick has collaborated with notable artists including Nick Zammuto of the aleatoric electro-folk duo The Books, Alon Leventon of the project Drops of Conciousness and the electro-indie group Zigmat, and recorded and toured with internationally acclaimed guitarist Kaki King. She’s scored music for Queer Eye For The Straight Girl, ‘The L Word’ fashion show, and the films ‘A Night in the Sunlight’ and ‘Absolutely I Do’. Kelli has toured throughout the United States and Europe, and has played extensively in her adopted hometown including shows on the main stage of The Knitting Factory, the Blue Note, Galapagos, the Cutting Room, a month-long residency at the Living Room, and headlining a full house fronting her five-piece band at Joe’s Pub in New York City.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

Eric Carbonara and Nick Davis Friday at Spotty Dog

(Eric Carbonara)

Turn out January 29 to Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, when Eric Carbonara and Nick Davis perform, or tune in on WGXC Online Radio. Tune in to a link to a live web stream Friday night at http://www.WGXC.org.

Eric Carbonara is a Philadelphia based multi-instrumentalist & recording engineer, whose search for raw aural expression has led him far and wide – from noise & electro-acoustic music to taking deep root in the bounty of the wooden guitar. Carbonara’s playing draws on the rich musical styles from Andalusian Roma-Flamenco to Hindustani & North African folk to form a kind of exalted pidgin style of playing that covers a wide emotional terrain from meditative calm to restless unease. His live solo performances range from contemplative acoustic meditations to aggressively loud electric sets. Carbonara is a regular collaborator in the improvisational outfit, Evil Eye Sound System & plays with the Philly psych-rock group, Soft People. Carbonara’s full length solo acoustic debut, /Exodus Bulldornadius/ was released in November 2007 on Chicago based Locust Music as part of the label’s ongoing Wooden Guitar series.

Nick Davis is a guitarist from Nottingham, England. Nick’s solitary exploration of the acoustic guitar draws on the modal tunings and freewheeling spirit of British trailblazers such as Bert Jansch, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. His approach is further informed by the expressionist guitarists of the Takoma tradition and the burgeoning contemporary psych-folk movement. Nick also plays guitar and organ for quantum metaphysicists Escapologists. ‘Guitar Recordings Vol. 1’ is his debut release, and has already garnered praise from German virtuoso Steffen Basho-Junghans (‘Beautiful, beautiful!!’), spectral folkster Alasdair Roberts, and UNCUT magazine. The album is available digitally via Tompkins Square, exclusively on eMusic. Work is currently underway on a follow up for Tompkins Square, which will feature collaborations with visionary folk chanteuse Ellen Mary McGee and experimental composer Ed Earl.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Send news to news@wgxc.org.

Assemblyman Lopez on WROW Friday

Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R, C, I – Schoharie) will be interviewed by Susan Arbetter on this Friday’s WROW (590-AM) “Capitol Pressroom” radio show. “Capitol Pressroom” airs from the State Capitol weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Assemblyman Lopez, who represents Greene County, is expected to be interviewed during the second half of the show. To listen to an online audio webstream go to www.capitolpressroom.org.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Hudson River Valley art workshops in Greenville

Hudson River Valley Art Workshops in Greenville is offering weekend and week-long workshops in watercolors, oils, pastels, collage and fiberarts for all skills levels. Classes are limited to 20 students and the studio is available to you 24 hours a day. We have workshops at all levels of skills taught by professional workshop instructors. 2010 enrollment form PDF here.

Local state legislators report income

The Albany Times-Union asked all New York state legislators to disclose their household incomes. Locally, the Senators did not respond and the Assemblymen disclosed. Below is information from the senators and assemblymen representing Greene and Columbia counties:

James L. Seward, Senate, R-51
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $94,000
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $14,500 as Vice Chair of Minority Conference.

Tim P. Gordon, Assembly, I-108
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: Up to $158,300
Comments: Assemblyman responded saying he makes his legislative pay of $79,500; $3,000, interest and dividend income of approximately $800. Wife works for Price Chopper in Schenectady for a salary of between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.

Stephen M. Saland, Senate, R-41
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $92,500
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $13,000 as Assistant Minority Whip.

Marcus J. Molinaro, Assembly, R-103
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $122,700
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 and ranking minority member pay on Election Law Committee of $9,000; $1,500 LILAC Realty Corp. sales referrals; Riding Tide Communications pay of $3,700 as associate publisher; wife is a registered nurse at Health Quest, makes $29,000.

Peter D. Lopez, Assembly, R-127
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $134,500
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $9,000 as ranking Republican on the food, farm and nutrition committee. Spouse makes $46,000 per year as career counselor at SUNY-Cobleskill.

Columbia County’s Serpico

The New York Times profiled Frank Serpico, the New York City policeman who complained about corruption on the force, and got a movie made based on his life. The Times interviews him at a health-food store in Harlemville, near his Columbia County home where he raises chickens and guinea hens on 50 acres with no TV or internet. At the end of the story the writer, Corey Kilgannon, shows Serpico the Al Pacino-starring movie, he claims for the first time, at the Kinderhook library.

OPEN CALL: Farm Film Fest III

Join Chatham Keep Farming Sunday, March 7 from 1-4 p.m. at Crandell Theatre in Chatham for an afternoon of farming films. The group typically shows one professionally produced documentary (60-90 minutes) plus a variety of short films made by and/or about local farms and farming issues. If you are a creative person who might want to make a film or if you know creative people who might like to, films should be 5-20 minutes and submitted in DVD format by February 15, 2010. Making a film is lots of fun and helps us continue to educate residents and visitors about the important role that farming plays in the local economy and food system.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information.

Senate GOP rolls out jobs proposal

From Casey Seiler in Capitol Confidential:

Promising tax cuts, a tax credit for the creation of new jobs and a moratorium on regulation, the Senate Republican conference held a press conference this afternoon to introduce its jobs plan — an alternative to Gov. David Paterson’s Excelsior program, which was detailed in last week’s state budget proposal. The Senate GOP plan’s main elements:

*a three-year tax credit of between $2,500 and $5,000 per new job created.
*the early sunset of the temporary personal income tax surcharge on affluent New Yorkers implemented last year and currently slated to expire at the end of 2011. (Cost: $400 million.)
*the elimination of the state’s corporate franchise tax for firms with 50 or fewer employees and less than $2 million in net income. (Cost: $200 million.)
*a five-year moratorium on any new business taxes and fees.
*a five-year moratorium on any new regulations on New York companies promulgated by agencies or other oversight bodies (as distinct from regulations that emerge from legislation).

Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos, joined by more than a dozen of his members as well as representatives from business groups, said the plan would stop the flow of jobs from New York, which is expected to lose some 300,ooo jobs in 2009 and 2010.

More information about WGXC or the WGXC Newsroom at links.

First summer concerts announced

(The Felice Brothers)

The first summer concerts are starting to be announced round these parts, and locals The Felice Brothers will open for the Dave Matthews Band at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 4-5. Hunter’s Mountain Jam is also that weekend, and just anounced a lineup of Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Avett Brothers, Les Claypool, Toots and the Maytals, Yonder Mountain String Band, Matisyahu, Dark Star Orchestra, Dave Mason, Lettuce, ALO, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Elmwood, and The London Souls.

More information about WGXC or the WGXC Newsroom at links.

Colbert on Harold Ford Jr.’s potential NY senate race

The Colbert Report	Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alpha Dog of the Week – Harold Ford Jr.
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

Last night Stephen Colbert took on former Tenn. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., who is considering a challenge to NY Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand later this year in the Democratic primary.

More information about WGXC or the WGXC Newsroom at links.

Molinaro considering challenging Murphy for House seat

Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential is quoting Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, R-Red Hook, saying he might run in the Republican primary for the U.S. House District 20 seat currently held by Democrat Scott Murphy. “It is not beyond the realm of possiblity for me to consider running for Congress, but in all likelihood I am very happy focused on my work in the Assembly.”

More information about WGXC or the WGXC Newsroom at links.

Brown speaks to Register-Star

Francesca Olson holds the Register-Star’s annual interview with the current Board of Supervisors chairman, now Roy Brown R-Germantown. Brown wants Kohl’s to get their PILOT tax break to move into Greenport; is against hiring new workers to handle the increased workload at the Department of Social Services; will not rule out moving DSS to Ockawamick; and does not have enough money budgeted to bring the county courthouse in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Cairo Chamber of Commerce hosting jazz series at Gallagher’s

The Cairo Chamber of Commerce continues their jazz series at Gallagher’s Banquet Hall, 513 Main St. in Cairo, at 8 p.m., Friday, February 19 with Rensselaerville‘s Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers will perform at the Fat Tuesday concert. Tickets are $15 in advance (at Chamber office, 536 Main St., 622-3939).

Hudson waterfront public hearing report

Carole Osterink at The Gossips of Rivertown has the most detailed account of the public hearing on the draft LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Program/Plan) and GEIS (Generic Environmental Impact Study) was held at John L. Edwards School in Hudson last Wednesday. She estimates 150 folks attended, but names the ten people who spoke: a representative of the Hudson Power Boat Association; a spokesperson for the Fugary Boat Club, the squated settlement at the north end of Front Street; Hendrick von Ritter, who has an ongoing lawsuit against the City of Hudson; Elsa Leviseur; Patrick Doyle, owner of Basilica Industria; local business owner and activist Peter Jung; Christopher Reed, board president of Friends of Hudson; Hilary Hillman; Mark Wildonger, planner for Scenic Hudson; and Osterink herself. Click on her blog to read what they all had to say about the future of Hudson’s waterfront.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

OPEN CALL: Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region 2010

The Hyde Collection joins the Albany Institute of History and Art and the University Art Museum (University at Albany) as the third collaborative sponsor of the oldest regional juried art show in the United States. Founded in 1936, this annual exhibition showcases contemporary art by living artists from the Upper Hudson and Mohawk River valleys. The exhibition rotates among the three organizations and will be hosted by The Hyde Collection in the fall of 2010. Charles Desmarais, Deputy Director for Art at the Brooklyn Museum since 2005, will serve as guest juror. At the Museum, he has overseen major exhibitions of the work of Ron Mueck, Takashi Murakami, Hernan Bas, and others. Prior to his appointment in Brooklyn, he spent almost a decade as Director of the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. He was responsible for the widely hailed public, programmatic, and physical transformation of that institution, which culminated in a new building designed by architect Zaha Hadid. Desmarais was director of the Laguna Art Museum from 1988 to 1994. From 1981 to 1988 he directed the California Museum of Photography at the University of California, Riverside, where he oversaw the creation of another award-winning building, designed by Stanley Saitowitz. In the past twenty-five years, Desmarais has organized more than fifty exhibitions, written numerous articles and books, and was awarded an Art Critics Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1979. Information, entry guidelines, and the entry form are available in pdf format here.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Durham motocross may roll

We always complain that The Greenville Press lacks a web site, since the reporting is high-quality. In this week’s issue editor Linda L. Fenoff reports that Supreme Court Judge Joseph Teresi gave a declaratory judgment, saying that the Town of Durham board has discretion to apply its codes. A ruling is expected in “a few weeks” on whether a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review should be conducted for the Handel family’s Blackthorne Resort plan to reintroduce motorized racing to the site.

Daily News says Cuomo to announce for Governor

The Daily News is reporting that NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will announce in March that he will challenge Gov. David Paterson in a Democratic primary election later this year.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Local food movie screens in Chatham

Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports Carlo DeVito’s new movie “LOCALS: Greenmarkets, Farm Markets and the People Who Grow Your Food” will be screened at The Chatham Real Food Market, 15 Church Street, in Chatham Friday, January 29, at 5:30 p.m. DeVito co-owns the Hudson-Chatham Winery.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

New blog, with plans for Washington Hose detailed

Is it just me or does it seem like the blogs in Greene and Columbia counties all raised their games recently? And there are more good new ones too, such as ccScoop contributor and former Hudson 1st Ward Alderman Carole Osterink’s new blog about local Hudson issues, called The Gossips of Rivertown (h/t Sam Pratt). The first entry, about the new plan for the Washington Hose building at the bottom of Warren St. in Hudson, is detailed, inquisitive, complete, and a great story.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Copake dairy farmer tragedy

Walking around Columbia and Greene counties this weekend, the only story everyone was talking about was the suicide of Copake dairy farmer Dean Pierson, who took his own life Thursday in his dairy barn after he killed all 51 of his milk cows with a rifle. He left 50 heifers and calves alive. The Register-Star story by cites personal issues Pierson encountered lately (and the Albany Times-Union talks to his widow), but also mentions the dire state of the dairy industry. From the story:

“The economic situation is one more piece of the puzzle,” said New York Farm Bureau Vice President Eric Ooms, who operates the A. Ooms and Sons dairy farm in Kinderhook with his father and brothers. “My father’s been a farmer his whole life. He said he’s never seen a year like this. It’s a year like no one has ever seen.”

Jamie Larson’s breaking story ended with a heart-clutching quote: “It’s a hard time to be a farmer these days,” one man said from inside the fence, and The Register-Star should also be applauded for releasing the original breaking news of this story during the afternoon, rather than waiting until it usually releases its news after 2 a.m. each evening. The paper’s Greene County sibling, also broke the Catskill High bb gun story this week as it happened, and it is good to see the two papers joining the 24-hour news cycle here.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Weekend events

FRIDAY

Mother Fletcher
8 p.m. at Main Street Pub, Philmont.

Backburners
Kyle Esposito, acoustic guitar and vocals; Doug Marcus, upright bass and vocals; Manuel Quintana, Drums; Kevin Mau, Dobro.
at Rhinecliff Hotel.

SATURDAY

Vetiver, Kevin Barker, and DJ Jean Deux
The last big show at Jason’s before it closes.
9 p.m. at Jason’s Upstairs Bar, Hudson. $10

Blue Sun
Tommy Sharp on guitar, Johnny Fay (Boombats) on bass and Ben Ziegler on drums perform as Blue Sun.
9 p.m. at Savoia Restaurant, 214 Warren St., Hudson.

MONDAY

Women of Note Haiti fundraiser with Bar Scott, Mary Courtney, Abby Lappen, Rebecca Martin, Erin Hobson, Kelleigh McKenzie, Gail Ann Dorsey and Marta Topferova
6 p.m. at Rhinecliff Hotel. Sponsored by WKZE.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

NY Organic Farming & Gardening Conference in Saratoga

The Northeast Organic Farmers Association has organized the NY Organic Farming & Gardening Conference this weekend in Saratoga Springs, and WGXC has someone making recordings we will share after this weekend. The conference includes more than 80 workshops, three keynote speeches, an organic trade show, entertainment and local organic meals.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Fire district takes heat

Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper wrote an excellent story about The Stiehle house, which was recently sold to the Ancram Fire District, but the Ancram Preservation Group says the transaction was a breach of contract and has filed a lawsuit against both the seller and the buyer.

From the story:

Chairman of the Ancram Fire District’s Board of Fire Commissioners Terry Boyles told The Columbia Paper Tuesday, January 19, that he would have no comment on the matter until the litigation had run its course. The humble, two-story, grimy-yellowish Stiehle house has stood sentinel at the east end of this hamlet at the crossroads of state Route 82 and county Route 7 since sometime in the first half of the 18th century, according to the website for the Ancram Preservation Group (APG). The only thing that separates the front of the house from eastbound traffic on Route 82 is a metal guardrail. To the passerby, for the past 10 or 20 years anyway, the house seemed forgotten, untended, until the rear part of the structure started to collapse down the side hill above the Ancram Mill about two years ago. That’s when the APG stepped in. According to APG President Christopher “Kit” White, the Stiehle house is one of three historic buildings in the center of the Ancram hamlet. The Simons General Store and the Tinsmith house, across the road from the Stiehle house, are the other two. The APG purchased and restored the general store several years ago, and that building is currently for sale.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Where are the Catskill police records?

Dick May’s “Seeing Greene” blog takes on the Catskill Police Department‘s lack of transparency as Village Police Chief Dave Darling will not release arrest reports. In the best local internet drama of the week, May accuses and lets Darling respond.

He pretends, contrary to established law, that his officers’ incident and action reports are not public documents. For his success in sustaining that fiction, Chief Darling depends on the acquiescence, if not the active support, of his employers: the Village Trustees. And for the endurance of their collusion in this law-snubbing practice, the Trustees and the chief depend on the passivity of appropriate protestors, such as publishers of newspapers and, gulp, of news blogs.

Chief Darling disputes our version of his position. When asked (on Thursday, 1/14) to respond to the preceding paragraph, he said “It’s not fair, and it’s not accurate. I never said that our reports are not public documents.” He maintained, however, that “I have no way of giving you free access to our ‘blotter’. Our incident and action reports are now done on-line; no more ring binders full of paper. Internet access to the on-line reports is restricted to authorized personnel. And I’m not going to let just anybody come into a secured area at police headquarters, and sit down for an hour or more in front of one of our computer screens reading a day’s or a week’s reports.”

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

AG: New York settles with Lafarge over emissions

From Casey Seiler in Capitol Confidential:

[A] multistate settlement, just announced by the office of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, includes 11 other states and affects operations at 13 cement plants — including the Ravena facility that’s been the subject of controversy for years.

According to the Attorney General’s press release, the settlement requires LaFarge to take the following steps:

* Eliminate a total of over 9,000 tons of nitrogen oxide and 26,000 tons of sulfur dioxide each year from its plants, including those in upwind states whose pollution impacts New York.
* Either construct a new Ravena plant – as the company has proposed – or retrofit the existing facility with aggressive air pollution reduction technology. In either case, Ravena’s air pollution emissions will be cut by roughly 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxide and 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide each year – equivalent to reductions of more than 30% and 80%, respectively.
* Pay a civil penalty and provide funding for environmental benefit projects totaling $5.07 million, with $3.38 million of that amount going to the federal government and the coalition of states receiving $1.69 million. Of that amount, New York State will receive $490,000 to fund energy efficiency and pollution reduction mitigation projects in communities near the Ravena plant.

Chatham movie theater owner dies

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports that Crandell Theater owner,

“Anthony Quirino Jr., better known as Tony, died suddenly Sunday. He was 62. Mr. Quirino’s father, Anthony Sr., bought the Crandell in the 1960s, but Tony owned and operated the theater for the last 25 years. He did just about everything at the theater from selling tickets to running the projector to cleaning up. He and his wife, Sandy, who worked concessions, were there most every night. He had other jobs and worked at different businesses, including owning an auto repair shop in Ballston Spa. He was a Vietnam veteran who received a Bronze Star. But he grew-up in the Crandell, telling this reporter during an interview once how he used to fall asleep behind the screen while his parents ran the theater The Crandell opened on Main Street in 1926 and has only been run by two different families in the intervening 84 years. Mr. Quirino was actually on the verge of retiring when he died unexpectedly. The Chatham Film Club has been raising money, through the Crandell Legacy Campaign, to buy the theater and plans to maintain his tradition of low ticket prices and family-friendly films.”

OPEN CALL: Lumina

The Greene County Council on the Arts and the Greene County Camera Club welcome submissions for “Lumina,” a juried group exhibition of photographs exploring light as a subject, concept or process. Juried by Arts Council and Camera Club representatives, Fawn Potash and Jill Burkholder. To be eligible:

* Join both organizations for the discounted price of $40. Current GCCA members include $20 to join the GCCC. Current GCCC members include $20 to join the GCCA. Current members of both organizations submit for free. Discounted Senior/Student memberships available.

* Include your name, address, phone and email at the top of a list of image titles with frame sizes, purchase price or insurance value. Jpegs should be 600 dpi on the widest dimension, jpg or sRGB format, 72 dpi. Label each jpeg with last name, first initial and image number (ex: SmithJ1, SmithJ2, etc…)

* Send up to 10 jpegs by mail or on CD. If mailing jpegs, please compress the files into a zip file, because some email servers may limit file size. Sending files in several emails is OK.

* Email your entry to jill@danburkholder.com or post to Jill Burkholder, 67 Woodland Lane, Palenville NY 12463.

Submission Deadline: February 1, 2010
Location: Catskill Gallery, 398 Main Street, Catskill NY 12414 518/943-340
Exhibition Dates: February 20th – April 10, 2010
Jury Notification: by February 8, 201
Accepted Print Drop-off: February 15 -16, 2010
Applications available at www.greenearts.org or by calling 518/943-3400.
Call Jill Burkholder for Greene County Camera Club membership info at 518-678-7186.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

WGXC fundraiser: Hudson Sound + Voice + Image

Feb. 13, 2010: 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
at Nicole Fiacco Gallery, 336 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534
518-828-5090

Admission: $10

Curated/Organized by: Paul Smart & Max Goldfarb

This event benefits WGXC‘s fundraising efforts to launch its FM signal in 2010. The evening will include performances and readings (with MC Norman Douglas) by: Bunnybrains, Brian Dewan, Cornelius Eady, Maggie Estep, Peter Head, Lady Moon, Bernadette Mayer & Philip Good, Prana, George Quasha, Jody Rael, David Rothenberg & Matt Bua, Luc Sante, Sparrow, Studio Stu, Kimberly Truitt w/Peter Head, Sam Truitt, Peter Wetzler & Julie Hedrick, and Rebecca Wolff.

Artworks (see special preview hours) will be on view and available by Yura Adams, Nancy Azara, Doug Beube, Vincent Bilotta, Darla Bjork, Dawn Breeze, Marco Breuer, Victoria Brill, Carl Van Brunt, David Chambard, Sasha Chermayeff, Nicole Cherubini, Leona Christie, John Cleater, Steven Courbois, Peggy Cyphers, Sue Daley, Dan Devine, Jeanne Englert, Jacques Flechemuller, Clyde Forth, Alsion Fox, Mimi Graminski, Steve Gross, Jan Harrison, Peter Head, Christine Heller, Jeremy Hoffeld, James Holl, Philip Howie, Rainer Judd, James Krewson, Melora Kuhn, Lisa LaMonica, Ken Landauer, John Lees, Ruth Leonard, Gay Leonhardt, Justin Lieberman, Mimi Lipson, Amy Maddon, Paul Matthews, Ieva Mediodia, Wayne Montecalvo, T.P. Moynihan, Portia Munson, Annie Nocenti, Caitlin Parker, Margo Pelletier, Chris Piazza, Myron Polenburg, Fawn Potash, Lucio Pozzi, Christopher Quirk, R. Keith Rendall, Howard Saunders, Sam Sebren, Nancy Shaver, Slink Moss, Allyson Strafella, Kianja Strobert, Oscar Strodl, Deirdre Swords, Nitin Vadukul, Susan Wides, Jennifer Zackin, Jared Handelsman, Ryder Cooley, Kahn & Selesnick, Jason Middlebrook, Tim Clifford, Earl Swanigan, Jackson, Nitin Vadukul, and others.

Special thanks to Nicole Fiacco for generously hosting this event.

WGXC is a community-run media project, re-envisioning radio as an innovative platform for local participation. Our inclusive programming connects diverse voices, and distributes information across the public spectrum in New York’s Greene and Columbia counties. This multi-faceted project will be much more than just a radio station. With studios in Catskill, Cairo, and Hudson, WGXC activities will include special exhibitions and events, workshops and media training for youth and adults, a news blog with writing and photography, and a local calendar of events, meetings, and other resources.

WGXC volunteers are working hard to launch a 3,300-watt community radio station. More than 78,000 people throughout Greene and Columbia counties will be able to receive the signal on 90.7-FM. WGXC received its license from the FCC and a grant from the US Commerce Dept that will cover 50 percent of our equipment needs. We now need to raise matching funds in order to get on the air. Join us on February 13 and help launch WGXC-FM.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Saugerties Village Board votes to dissolve police force

From Ariel Zangla in The Daily Freeman:

The Village Board on Tuesday unanimously endorsed abolishing the village police department, pending a possible public vote on the matter…. Village residents now have until Feb. 22 to decide whether to challenge the board’s action. If a petition carrying the valid signatures of at least 625 registered village voters is submitted by that date, the village will hold a vote in which residents will decide whether to abolish the police force. If no petition is submitted, or if a vote is held and the results support the board’s action, the village police force could be dissolved by Jan. 1, 2011…. If the police department is disbanded, law enforcement in the village would be handled by a consolidated town of Saugerties police force. That force, which would use some officers from the current village department, would have 13 officers, five sergeants and two detectives…. Village officials previously said if the village police force was not abolished by the end of 2010, there could be a village property tax increase of at least 25 percent to maintain current services.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser Jan. 31 for Catskill Community Center

The Catskill Community Center will hold a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser Creekside Restaurant, 60 W. Main St (943-6522), in Catskill on Sunday, January 31 from 3 – 6 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Community Center’s year-round programming. Tickets are available at the Community Center or at the door, $10 per person (children 2 and under are free.) Call the Community Center at 719-8244 or stop by our 344 Main St. location for more information or to purchase tickets. WGXC will have a small studio in the Catskill Community Center when we go on the air later this year.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Chatham voters OK tax-neutral spending plan

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper reports:

The January 12 special school referendum results in Chatham were:
*395 Yes votes and 102 No votes on Proposition #1 for $4.2-million, which will pay for the bulk of the work on the three school buildings and the campus for the elementary and high school.
*308 Yes votes and 183 No votes on Proposition #2 for $320,000, to replace the aging, inefficient lights at the athletic field.

See WGXC.org for more info about WGXC.

Haiti fundraisers in the works locally

There are several musical fundraisers in the works locally for the earthquake victims in Haiti, as James Taylor just sold out the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington Jan. 22; the “Women of Note” show with Bar Scott, Mary Courtney, Abby Lappen, Rebecca Martin, Kelleigh McKenzie, Gail Ann Dorsey organized by WKZE takes place 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at The Rhinecliff Hotel; and, we are hearing about a possible benefit in Hudson soon too. Mother Fletcher‘s Azouke is from Haiti and has been affected by the earthquake. UPDATE: Taylor added a second show on Jan. 23, and WAMC (90.3-FM) will air it live, according to WTEN. And the Hudson Moose Lodge 1184 is accepting donations of money, shoes, sneakers, clothes, and bottled water for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.

See www.wgxc.org for more info about WGXC.

Ghent planning board to unveil plans for Price Chopper store

The public can view the plans for a proposed Price Chopper store on Rt. 66 in the Town of Ghent at the Ghent Planning Board’s next regular meeting on February 3 at 7 p.m., according to an article in ccScoop by Mike McCagg. The 43,000 square-foot store, on land adjoining the existing Price Chopper Plaza, would be adjacent but separate from the existing plaza. The plans include many trees blocking the view of the store from the road, according to the story. The store would be next to a proposed extension of the Harlem Valley Trail from its current northern end in Copake to Chatham.

From the ccScoop story:

“[Planning Board Chair Jonathan] Walters said town planners are generally pleased with the proposal as it stands…the project still has some major hurdles to clear. Among them, developing a plan to deal with the wetlands in the area to satisfy the State Department of Environmental Conservation, traffic entrances and exists that meet with the Department of Transportation’s guidelines, and the extension of water and sewer lines from the Village of Chatham. The latter has been the subject of great debate among village leaders, some of whom are supportive of extending the lines for a fee and others who question the ability of the current system to handle a new demand.”

Governor takes to breaking through the Indian tax wall

From James M. Odato in Capitol Confidential:

“Gov. David Paterson is directing in his budget plan that the Department of Taxation & Finance drop its policy of holding off on a plan to make sure Indian cigarette retailers sell taxed cigarettes. Paterson is telling T&F to end its Pataki-era policy of “forbearance.” The department is being asked to plan to make sure that the Indian merchants, who believe they are free to sell untaxed products, be required to get tax stamps on each pack of cigarettes sold….Budget Director Bob Megna thinks $218 million might arrive from increasing the tax on cigarettes….Efforts to tax Indian sales in the past resulted in protests and, in some cases, violent demonstrations along Indian reservations, particularly in western New York. Any plan to tax cigarettes would have to come with the expectation of substantial commitment of resources by the State Police as hundreds of troopers would be assigned to the Seneca territory alone, state officials have said. Paterson said he will try to direct his plan “in a peaceful and efficient manner.”

See www.wgxc.org for more information about WGXC: Hands-On Radio for Greene and Columbia counties, NY.

Rep. Murphy releases 4th quarter fundraising numbers

From Leigh Hornbeck in Capitol Confidential:

Although no candidate has stepped forward (yet) to challenge [Democrat] Rep. Scott Murphy after his narrow win in the 20th Congressional District, the freshman is building a war chest. The congressman’s staff said today he has $722,108 in the bank after raising $403,280 during the fourth quarter of 2009, Oct. 1- Dec. 31. The full report won’t be out until Jan. 31, but according to press secretary Josh Schwerin, 6,709 contributors gave money to Murphy.

See www.wgxc.org for more information about WGXC: Hands-On Radio for Greene and Columbia counties, NY.

Hudson School Board waffles over open seat

Today Andrew Amelinckx in The Register Star has an excellent story about the strange Hudson school board meeting last Monday. The board had an open seat, and as they attempted to fill it, violated open meetings law while discussing it in executive session, according to an opinion from Robert Freeman, executive director for the NYS Committee on Open Government. Then, they failed to choose someone to fill the slot. The story ends with this quote from board member Peter Meyer:

“This was an insult to the four good citizens, all eminently qualified, who had answered the board’s request for volunteers and were then snubbed,” he said. “Following the bizarre vote (Dec. 14) to increase the Superintendent’s salary by 3 percent in the middle of an economic crisis, (Monday night’s) hijinks suggests that the board needs to get its act together.”

See www.wgxc.org for more information about WGXC: Hands-On Radio for Greene and Columbia counties, NY.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand at Local Ocean

From Columbia Dems:

Slideshow of fundraiser for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at Local Ocean, a brand new aquaculture facility in Greenport/Hudson NY in Columbia County, from Sat., Jan. 16, 2009.

See www.wgxc.org for more information about WGXC: Hands-On Radio for Greene and Columbia counties, NY.

Standing room only at the West Athens-Lime Street Fire Company Pancake benefit.

Sponsored by the West Athens-Lime Street Fire Company #1 Inc., all proceeds at this pancake breakfast this morning benefited the Ashland Fire Department, which lost all apparatus and equipment due to a fire last week. The event was packed, standing room only.

WRIP fundraiser for Ashland fire

Tomorrow, Jan. 18, WRIP (97.9-FM) in Windham will hold an 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on-air fundraiser for The Ashland Fire Department and Ashland Town Hall Restoration Fund. The station hopes to raise $20,000 in twelve hours to help after fire destroyed the town buildings last week. Proceeds will be split 50/50 between the two funds. $20 or higher donations and you can make a song request. To make pledges, call 518-734-4747.

See www.wgxc.org for more information about WGXC: Hands-On Radio for Greene and Columbia counties, NY.

Help Haiti locally

From Karen Schoemer, a great music writer based in Columbia County, a way to help earthquake victims via a trusted local source:

“Carline Murphy runs the Haitian Community Development Project in Hudson, NY. She is working to fill a 40-foot container with supplies to go directly to friends and relatives in Haiti. Monetary donations can be sent to HCDP, PO Box 35, Niverville NY 12130.”