Kinderhook’s Gibson to challenge Murphy in U.S. 20th Congressional District

WGXC recorded the nomination speech of Kinderhook Republican Congressional hopeful Chris Gibson today at 3 p.m. at the Desmond Hotel near the Albany airport. Click here to listen to an mp3 recording of Gibson’s short speech plus four questions from the assembled media. WGXC’s Tom Roe asks Gibson what he would do to help struggling dairy farmers in rural Greene and Columbia counties. Gibson said he supported the concept of eating locally grown food, and mentioned a farm workers bill in the state legislature. Gibson will try and unseat Democratic incumbent Scott Murphy in the fall. Gibson was the point guard of the Ichabod Crane High School basketball team, and a Colonel with 24 years in the Army including four combat tours of Iraq and one tour in Kosovo, with an array of medals such as a Purple Heart and two Legions of Merit. He has a Masters in Public Administration and PhD in Government from Cornell University, and served as a Congressional Fellow with U.S. Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA).

Village of Catskill election results

(Brian Kehoe, Vincent Seeley, and Angelo Amato at the League of Women Voters/WGXC Candidate Forum, March 20, 2010 at Catskill Community Center.)

From Susan Campriello in The Daily Mail:

“Catskill voters selected Tuesday incumbent Village President Vincent Seeley and political newcomer Brian Kehoe for two Trustee positions on the Village Board. Trustees serve three-year terms. Seeley, a Republican who was endorsed by Catskill’s Republican and Democratic parties, received 258 votes, Village Clerk Carolyn Pardy announced shortly after the polls closed at 9 p.m. Kehoe, a Democrat, received 218 votes. Incumbent Trustee Angelo Amato, a Republican, received 172 votes to finish out of the running in the at-large election. [Unopposed ] incumbent Village Justice Charles Adsit was re-elected with 186 votes. Adsit has served on the bench since 1996.”

Town of Chatham cleanup

From Local ‘n Green:

“Town of Chatham cleanup Monday, April 5, 4-6 p.m. or Saturday, April 10 noon-2 p.m.; longer if people want to stay and help. Particular location in Chatham to be announced. Please wear grubby clothes and gardening or work gloves if you have them. If you can’t make either date, trash bags are available free at Town Hall during regular office hours, or at the CR13 Town Highway Dept location, and you can clean up whatever Town Road you’d like to see less trash strewn! Once bags are full, drop them in the dumpster behind Town Hall.”

Barrett to challenge Saland

Democrat Didi Barrett will announce her candidacy for the District 41 New York State Senate seat now held by Republican Steve Saland on Wed. April 7 at two locations:
Dutchess County – 10 a.m., Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, Hudson River Pavilion, 75 North Water Street, Poughkeepsie;
Columbia County – 1:30 p.m., Columbia County Courthouse, 401 Union Street, Hudson.

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

Chris Gibson’s YouTube video

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

Kinderhook’s Gibson may have Republican nomination

Leigh Hornbeck of Capitol Confidential reports:

“Asked why [Chris] Gibson [of Kinderhook] is making his announcement outside the 20th Congressional District, Gibson spokesman Rob Clark said it is because that is where the 10 county chair people are meeting and Gibson is having his event there so, ‘everyone is in one place.’ Retired Army colonel Chris Gibson has an event scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Desmond [hotel in Albany], presumably to announce he has enough votes in the 10-county 20th Congressional District to claim the Republican nomination. Gibson and Patrick Ziegler, a Burnt Hills life insurance salesman with ties to the Conservative Party and the Tea Party movement, are vying for the chance to take on Congressman Scott Murphy, a Democrat from Glens Falls.”

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

Murphy coming to Hudson, Coxsackie

Congressman Scott Murphy (D-NY20) holds public meetings in Hudson and Coxsackie on April 1. Murphy will hold a meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Stageworks in Hudson, at 41 Cross St. At 2 p.m., he will be at the Coxsackie Senior Center, 127 Mansion St. (formerly the Knights of Columbus building).

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

Hudson Talbott honored by Greene County Council on the Arts

(Kay Stamer presents Hudson Talbott with Distinguished Service Award.)

The Greene County Council on the Arts held their 22nd annual Beaux Arts Ball fundraiser Saturday night at Hunter Mountain, and honored local author, illustrator, and community activist Hudson Talbott with its Distinguished Service Award. Kay Stamer, executive director of the arts council, presented Talbott with the award. Talbott, who is also a member of the WGXC Radio Council, has written many books, including last year’s highly praised “River of Dreams.”

Cairo Talent Show winners

The Cairo Library and WGXC held a co-fundraiser Talent Show Friday night at Cairo Elementary School, that was a grand success. The Daily Mail has a story about the event here. We will post photos and a recording of the event soon. The winners:
ADULT
First place: Greg Stewart (played guitar and sang an original song)
Second place: Josh Adamson, as “Juan” (played guitar and sang an original song)
TEENS
First place: James Moore (played guitar along with a backing track of Guns ‘N’ Roses “Sweet Chid O’ Mine”)
Second place: Alex Hans and Maggie Saez as “Sun and Moon” (played keyboard and sang)
CHILDREN
First place: Keri Mahoney, Colin Mahoney, and Katie Feeney (step dancing)
Second place: Taylor Matzler and Taylor Nussbaumer as “TNT” (gymnastics and dancing)

Click here to listen to an mp3 audio recording of the entire evening, or paste this url into your media player:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/04/
CairoTalentShow_CairoLibrary_WGXC_032610.mp3

Roxbury community station on the air soon

(WIOX engineer Dan Kelleher in the Roxbury station’s new studio.)

New Roxbury community radio station WIOX held a station meeting Saturday morning at their new studios in the town’s Masonic Hall, and announced they will begin test broadcasting on weekends this June, with full-time shows on after Labor Day. The station will broadcast on 91.7-FM in Delaware County, just west of Greene County.

Towards a Greener Future: Hawthorne Valley Spring movie series

The Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center is hosting a free film series:

World Water Day – Monday, March 22nd – 7 p.m. – “Flow”
– Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building [water] crisis, at both the global and human scale, while begging the question “can anyone really own water?”

Wednesday, April 7th – 7 p.m. – “Addicted to Plastic”
– From Styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. What do we really know about this material of a thousand uses?

Wednesday, April 14th – 7 p.m. – “11th Hour”
– How are we impacting the earth’s ecosystems, how have we arrived at this moment, and what we can do to change course?

The Hawthorne Valley Family Learning Center is located where the the old store used to be (between the CSA pickup and the new store). If you go out of the new store make a right and follow the pathway to the barn. You will hit another small parking lot after the white house on the right. The Hawthorn Valley Family Learning Center is the house on the barn side, right above the small parking lot (not the one closer to the CSA pickup).

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

May on Village of Catskill election

Dick May’s Seeing Greene blog has an exhaustive look at the Tuesday’s Village of Catskill elections. May prints candidate statements from incumbent Angelo Amato and challenger Brian Kehoe, and tracks what those two say, as well as current Village President Vincent Seeley, on a variety of issues including taxes, fireworks, promotion, transparency, and alignment. He takes much of the material from the League of Women Voters- and WGXC-sponsored Candidate Forum last Saturday at the Catskill Community Center. (Listen by clicking here.) Polls at 1 Central Avenue, Catskill, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 30. On the ballot are the three Village Board candidates — Amato, Kehoe, and Seeley — competing for two spots, and Charles Adsit, who is unopposed in his bid for re-election as Village Justice.

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

Lady Moon at WGXC benefit at Nicole Fiacco Gallery

Lady Moon performed Feb. 13 at the WGXC fundraiser at the Nicole Fiacco Gallery in Hudson.

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

Help local military family see their son

From WRIP in Windham:

Lance Corporal Joshua Williamson, USMC of Grand Gorge, while on patrol in Afghanistan was wounded – shot in the lung. He was operated on in Germany and shipped to Walter Reed Hospital. In order for his parents to be with him, they need financial help. The Mountaintop Detachment #1274 of the Marine Corps League has opened an account for the Williamson family. Send your check, payable to “Josh Williamson Benefit” to
NBT Bank of Grand Gorge
PO Box 380
Grand Gorge, NY 12434
For more information, call Mountaintop Detachment Commander Roy Mower at 518-734-3853.

Incident Report No.31: Julie Lequin

Incident Report is an experimental viewing station for visual projects, located in Hudson, NY. We are a model of portability, non-site, no-budget and low-maintenance. We offer an interface between the many publics of the street, and the concepts and issues generated by artists and social thinkers in a wide yet coherent spectrum.

Installation of Jule Lequin’s “Car Talk“: March 22 – April 19, 2010
Knitting together excerpts from the NPR show of the same name and my own fabricated responses, Car Talk presents a fictional conversation between myself and the two radio icons discussing my linguistic troubles, my Québécoise identity and life as an artist.

Car Talk from J Lequin on Vimeo.

Also one-night performance of Lequin’s “Top 30,” April 10 with special guests Thomas Morini and Jeremy Kelly. WGXC live broadcast on WGXC Online Radio at www.wgxc.org.

Performances at the Hudson Opera House:
April 10, 6-9 p.m. @ 327 Warren Street – Hudson, NY.

One Night Performance of Julie Lequin’s, Top 30
With Special Music/Sound Performances by Jeremy Kelly and Thomas Kiko Morini

Julie Lequin (born in Laval, Quebec in 1979) is a French Canadian artist. She received a BFA from Concordia University (Montreal, PQ) in 2001 and an MFA from Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA) in 2005. Julie’s multidisciplinary practice interweaves personal history with fictionalized events and circumstances in a manner that constantly blurs the line between the artist as individual and the artist as self-consciously constructed persona. Julie’s first book and DVD project was published in 2007 by 2nd Cannons Publications. In 2008, Julie was awarded a fellowship from the California Community Foundation and residencies at Yaddo, Art Omi, and Macdowell Colony. In 2009, she exhibited at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum in California, White Columns and Horton & Liu gallery in New York City. Julie is currently based in Quebec where she is working towards her next solo exhibition at the Darling Foundry in Montreal.

Thomas Kiko Morini is a two year resident musician of Hudson, NY. From Bogota, grown in Carmel, educated in Great Barrington and set out amongst the lively characters of Hudson. His music is inspired by theatrical integration, socialist fundamentals, and the progressive and active expression of love and spirituality. He is a volunteer for WGxC and has recently helped the station to organize the entertainment for the New Years Masquerade. He will be working this summer on a collective musical/theatrica/mixed medium performance art project to be presented over a full weekend at the Basilica Industria in July. This project will be open to community ideas and installations. He encourages all curiosity to be discussed.

Jeremy Kelly (b. 1980) is an electro-acoustic musician and instrument builder. Blending guitar pieces that have been compared to Six Organs of Admittance, Sandy Bull, James Blackshaw and John Fahey with modular synthesizer, found sound, looping and homemade electronics to create deep, immersing soundscapes. Jeremy has several releases available on his own Night Goat imprint, Digitalis Industries, Tape Drift Records and Reverb Worship, with forthcoming albums on House of Alchemy, Stunned Records And Digitalis. He will be joined by long time collaborator Geoff Maciolek (modular synthesizer, theremin and electronics), and a few special guest performers.

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

Murphy posts appropriation requests online

U.S. Representative Scott Murphy (D, NY20), who represents Greene and Columbia counties, has posted his appropriations requests online. The projects from Greene and Columbia, and nearby, include:

Preservation of Manufacturing Jobs through Renewable Energy and Creation of a Center for Sustainable Manufacturing, Hudson, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, I requested that the FY 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 to establish an investment fund for environmental sustainability projects focused on alternative energy. This project would also provide technical assistance to manufacturers increasing their facility energy efficiencies. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment will increase the use of alternative energy sources among manufacturing companies and small businesses, spurring job growth and technology innovation.
Recipient: Columbia Economic Development Corporation
4303 Route 9
Hudson, NY 12534

New York State Solar Electric Incentive Programs, Copake, New York
Amount: $35,100
On behalf of the Town of Copake, I requested that the FY 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill contain $35,100 to procure and install solar panels on the roof of the Copake Town Hall, adding rows of photovoltaic modules equating to a total rated power of 24.0kw (240v). This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment grows the solar industry, an important sustainable energy source, and stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.
Recipient: Town of Copake
230 Mountain View Road
Copake, NY 12516

Generator for Emergency Shelter, Livingston, New York
Amount: $19,000
On behalf of the Town of Livingston, Columbia County, I requested that the FY 2011 Homeland Security Appropriations bill contain $19,000 to procure equipment needed to provide electricity and heat to the Livingston Town Emergency Shelter during emergency conditions. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this investment assures public safety and shelter to citizens during times of emergency.
Recipient: Town of Livingston
119 County Route 19
Livingston, NY 12541

The Village of Red Hook Water Project, Red Hook, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of the Town of Red Hook, I requested that the FY 2011 Interior & Environment appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 for the installation of an alternative well field and controls. This is the first step in a plan to rehabilitate the Village’s water infrastructure and provide the Village of Red Hook with a reliable source of drinking water. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure that the people of Red Hook have access to reliable and safe drinking water.
Recipient: The Village of Red Hook
7467 South Broadway
Red Hook, NY 128571

Remediation of Vanderburgh Cove Wastewater Project, Rhinebeck, New York
Amount: $233,750
On behalf of the Town of Rhinebeck, I requested that the FY 2011 Interior & Environment appropriations bill contain $233,750 for the engineering and replacement of two Bioclere units at the existing water treatment facility. The project will ensure that residents can continue to enjoy affordable, environmentally safe wastewater collection and treatment services. Failure of the system threatens the Hudson River Estuary, as well as several local drinking water systems. This is a valuable use of tax payer funds because the project will ensure continued wastewater treatment services and will ensure the safety of the area’s drinking water.
Recipient: Town of Rhinebeck
80 E. Market St.
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Camphill Ghent Elder Care Initiative, Copake, New York
Amount: $250,000
On behalf of Camphill Village, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $250,000 for initial construction of building an elder care community in Ghent to provide care for seniors of all levels of income and ability. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because community care best addresses the needs of seniors who require specialized care at dramatically less cost to the individual and the healthcare system.
Recipient: Camphill Village USA
84 Camphill Road
Copake, NY 12516

Ambulance Replacement, Copake, New York
Amount: $123,895
On behalf of the Clausson-Raught Community Rescue Squad, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $123,895 to purchase a new ambulance to replace the current outdated unit that is no longer functional. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will provide critical and prompt emergency medical service to the more than 15,000 people served in the community where those services are currently unavailable.
Recipient: Clausson-Raught Community Rescue Squad
283 Mountain View Road
PO Box 327
Copake, NY 12516

Columbia Memorial Hospital Technology Advancement and Electronic Health Record Program, Hudson, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of Columbia Memorial Hospital, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 to help develop the hospital’s electronic health record system. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because electronic medical records improve patient access to critical health information, reduce medical errors, and drive higher-quality and lower-cost care through the health care system.
Recipient: Columbia Memorial Hospital
71 Prospect Street
Hudson, NY 12534

Northern Dutchess Hospital: Master Facility Plan, Rhinebeck, New York
Amount: $1,000,000
On behalf of Northern Dutchess Hospital, I requested that the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill contain $1,000,000 for construction of a medical and surgical addition as well as renovation of the oldest in-patient area in the hospital. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure continued safe access to health care for the surrounding rural communities.
Recipient: Northern Dutchess Hospital
6511 Springbrook Avenue
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

New Cairo Library Construction Project, Cairo, New York
Amount: $400,000
On behalf of the Cairo Public Library, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $400,000 for the planning, design, and construction of a new library in Cairo, New York. The current library facility serves as a central location for library resources, community programming, tax forms, internet, etc. However, the facility is inadequate to meet the growing demand. This is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the library serves as an important resource for this rural community and will increase quality of life in Cairo.
Recipient: Cairo Library
512 Main St.
Cairo, NY 12413

The Claverack Free Library and Reading Room Project, Claverack, New York
Amount: $200,000
On behalf of the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room, I requested the FY 2011 T-HUD bill contain $200,000 to remodel the existing Claverack Firehouse into the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room. Funds would be used for design, engineering, hazardous material remediation, and construction. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the new facility will allow for the expansion of traditional library services, including internet access, to the local community, as well as serve as an anchor public facility within the town’s commercial core.
Recipient: Claverack Free Library
629 State Route 23
Claverack, NY 12513

Columbia Economic Development Corporation Broadband Consortium Project, Hudson, New York
Amount: $100,000
On behalf of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $100,000 to develop a Broadband Improvement Plan in order to attract new businesses to Columbia County. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the development of broadband infrastructure is critical the economic development of the entire region.
Recipient: Columbia Economic Development Corporation
4303 Route 9
Hudson, NY 12534

Washington Hose Fire Company Renovation Project, Hudson, New York
Amount: $500,000
On behalf of the City of Hudson, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $500,000 for the planning, design, and renovation of a 150 year-old vacant firehouse. The renovated building would be used as a tourism center and house offices for the Chamber of Commerce and local economic development organizations. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will rehabilitate a vacant, historically significant building while attracting new economic development in downtown Hudson.
Recipient: City of Hudson
520 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534

The Mellenville Grange Hall Restoration Project, Mellenville, New York
Amount: $83,160
On behalf of the Mellenville Grange, I requested that the FY 2011 T-HUD Appropriations bill contain $83,160 to restore and repair the leaking slate roof of the historic Grange Hall building. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will allow the Grange to preserve its historic structure, as well as continue its community service work in this rural community.
Recipient: Mellenville Grange #1255
803 Gahbauer Rd.
Mellenville, NY 12544

See the complete list of requested appropriations here.

WGXC needs $1075 to extend matching grant deadline

Last week we asked for your help in raising $5,000 by the end of March. Thank you to all that have responded so quickly. We are now $1,075 away from reaching that goal.

Over the last few months, we’ve been working tirelessly producing benefit events and preparing for the launch of WGXC’s FM signal on 90.7-FM later this year. Please see the below about some exciting forward movement regarding our Hudson studio location.

As publicized, WGXC received a large matching grant from the US Department of Commerce to purchase the equipment (transmitter, antenna, etc) needed to get the WGXC-FM signal on the air. We must match this grant. Fundraising at the community level will demonstrate that we have local support for this effort that will sustain WGXC into the future. We’ve secured the means to extend our fundraising efforts towards the match into the summer, as long as we reach our goal of raising $1,075.00 by March 31st, which is one week from today!

We are asking you to dig as deeply as you can to ensure that WGXC stays on track and can meet our matching deadline. If you are not yet a member, please consider becoming one at the highest level possible. If you are already a member, thank you, and we hope you’ll consider increasing your membership to the next level.

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)
Become a member by making your donation online at http://www.wgxc.org

Or send a check payable to

WGXC
5662 Route 23
Acra, NY 12405

Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

You can become a Founding Member of WGXC by making a donation with a credit card through Paypal below:

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

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, 7/15-18/10

From Nippertown!:

At their annual awards ceremony in Nashville last year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as the Bluegrass Event of the Year. Not just in New York State. Not just in the U.S. But in the world! And it’s right here in our own backyard…. The fest returns to the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill [in Greene County] again this year from Thursday-Sunday, July 15-18, and once again Grey Fox has put together an amazing line-up of talent, including the Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Kathy Mattea and David Grisman, as well as Nippertown local favorites like John Kirk & Trish Miller and the Gibson Brothers. The folks at Grey Fox promise that they’ll be adding many more musicians to the festival schedule soon, but in the meantime, here’s how the schedule lines up so far:

THURSDAY, JULY 15
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Greensky Bluegrass; Donna the Buffalo; Crooked Still; The Josh Williams Band; The HillBenders; Buddy Merriam & Back Roads; John Kirk & Trish Miller

FRIDAY, JULY 16
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; The Del McCoury Band; The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience; Railroad Earth; The Greencards; Donna the Buffalo; Crooked Still; The Wilders; Sarah Jarosz; The Josh Williams Band; The HillBenders; John Kirk & Trish Miller

SATURDAY, JULY 17
The Dry Branch Fire Squad; Sam Bush; Tim O’Brien; Kathy Mattea; The Gibson Brothers; The Greencards; The Wilders; Sarah Jarosz; John Kirk & Trish Miller

SUNDAY, JULY 18
The Dry Branch Fire Squad

DEC clarifies O&G trucking permits

Jamie Larson reports in the Register-Star:

Hudson River environmental advocacy organization Scenic Hudson has withdrawn its appeal of the issuance of a Freshwater Wetland permit by the Department of Environmental Conservation to the O&G trucking company for “maintenance” to a section of the controversial old railroad bed causeway through the city of Hudson’s south bay.

…because the DEC has explained the limits of O&G’s current permit. O&G trucking company was issued a Fresh Water Wetland Permit on Oct. 30, 2009 to fix a road (or turn-around) for trucks, along, “two 200+/- foot spans along adjacent shoulders of Route 9G where the Hudson causeway emerges on the west side of the road and on the east side where the causeway continues on to Greenport,” Larson reports. But the company, “will need a Certificate of Occupancy to actually run any trucks over a potential new road,” the story states.

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

Cairo Library/WGXC Talent Show

(Bill Lawrence will MC the Talent Show.)

The Cairo Public Library and WGXC are holding a co-benefit Talent Show Friday, March 26 at Cairo Elementary School, on Main St. in Cairo from 6:15 p.m. All types of performers are welcome — musicians, jugglers, dancers, dog and pony shows, hula hoop artists, mimes, rope tricks, poetry readers, whatever talent you have. Performers have all signed up and attended a rehearsal last week. Talent Show will be MC’d by Mr. Bill Lawrence, Greene County Legislator for Cairo, and former science teacher at Cairo High. Mark Patton will also perform music at the beginning of the show. The Pipe Band of Greene County will perform halfway through the show, led by Pipe Major John Gallagher. $5 admission to attend with proceeds to both organizations. The Cairo Library will also have a raffle, and WGXC will sign-up new Founding Members of the community radio station, and sell t-shirts and bumper stickers. Call 622-9864 for more information.

The Town of Cairo will hold a referendum about funding a bond issue to create a new building for the town library on April 27. The bond will not exceed $3 million and cost taxpayers, at most, $50 a year.

Saland and Molinaro hold economic summit at Columbia-Greene Community College

New York State Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C, Poughkeepsie, who represents Columbia County) and Assemblyman Marcus J. Molinaro (R,I,C, Red Hook) will hold an Economic Development Roundtable on Wednesday, March 24 at Columbia-Greene Community College. Approximately 25 local business leaders will join Senator Saland and Assemblyman Molinaro to discuss such topics as what the State can do for its businesses; what tools the State currently provides are working and what can be improved; and what else the State should be doing to help businesses create jobs and expand. The Roundtable will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 612 in the Professional Academic Center (PAC) on the campus of Columbia-Greene Community College.

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

CCHS holds printmaking workshops

The Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) is hosting a two-day intensive printmaking workshop with artist Kate McGloughlin, offered in partnership with the Woodstock School of Art, in honor of the Society’s 2010 exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World. Learn about relief and intaglio prints by trying your hand at making a block print and an etching. The workshop will be held at the Woodstock School of Art on May 15 and 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Just for CCHS members, the materials fee has been waived and regular registration fees discounted. No experience necessary, beginners welcome! Ms. McGloughlin will lead a free demonstration for the general public on May 7 at 7 p.m., at the James Vanderpoel House, 16 Broad St., Kinderhook. This demonstration is open to everyone, but people considering taking the two-day workshop are encouraged to attend. To register, call CCHS at 518-758-9265. Registration for CCHS members is open March 10th-31st ($215 +$15 matriculation fee). Registration for non-members is open April 1st- May 12th ($240 + $15 matriculation fee and $10 for materials). The exhibit Inked Over: Our Printed World opens Saturday, April 24 at the Columbia County Historical Society Museum & Library. The exhibit explores how the ability to print at a reasonable cost on many different surfaces made our world a very colorful place and transformed how we communicated and how we presented ourselves to the world. This free demonstration and special two-day course are opportunities to experience firsthand the technology behind this transformation of our world. The Columbia County Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of Columbia County. For more information about the Society please call 518-758-9265 or email cchs@cchsny.org.

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

DEC to close Devil’s Tombstone campground

Devil’s Tombstone in Hunter is one of seven state campgrounds the Department of Environmental Conservation will close this summer due to proposed budget cuts, Casey Seiler at Capitol Confidential reports. The DEC’s press release says, “Individuals who have made reservations for the 2010 season at these campgrounds will be contacted about making alternative camping reservations or will be provided with a refund. Each of the selected campgrounds have other DEC campgrounds nearby.” The alternate location near Devil’s Tombstone the DEC lists is North-South Lake in Haines Falls.

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

Deal reached on Kohl’s store tax break

From Chris Simonds in The Columbia Paper:

The developer of the Greenport Commons shopping plaza on Fairview Avenue presented a new PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) proposal for a Kohl’s department store to the county Industrial Development Agency last Friday, March 12. The IDA board voted unanimously to consider the PILOT application and set a public hearing Wednesday, March 31, at 9 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 555 Joslen Boulevard in Greenport.

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

Catskill board rejects increase in taxi fees

Susan Campriello of The Daily Mail reports:

The Catskill Village Board voted unanimously Monday evening not to raise the fees local cab companies and drivers must pay to operate within the Village. The rates will remain at $100 per car and $50 per driver. The vote was held immediately after an hour-long public hearing on a proposal that would have increased the fees to $200 annually during which cab dispatchers and drivers as well as residents who do and do not use taxis questioned the Village’s motives for the change and implored the board not to approve the measure as written.

Village President Vincent Seeley proposed the increase a few weeks ago, but ended up voting against the measure. Village of Catskill elections are next week.

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

Stec drops out

Leigh Hornbeck in Capitol Confidential reports Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec is dropping his efforts to win the Republican line and challenge Congressman Scott Murphy in the 20th CD. Stec’s departure leaves Patrick Ziegler, who received the Essex County endorsement Friday night, and Chris Gibson, who was endorsed by the Saratoga County Republicans Friday. “So now it’s down to a blank-slate veteran supported by the establishment and the tea party candidate,” one commenter on the Albany Times-Union blog wrote.

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

Catskill Candidate Forum

(From left, Brian Kehoe, Vincent Seeley, and Angelo Amato, candidates in the Village of Catskill election.)

Current Village President Vincent Seeley, current Trustee Angelo Amato and Democrat challenger Brian Kehoe all participated in the Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and WGXC and held Saturday March 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the Catskill Community Center. The Village election will be held March 30 for the two seats on the Village Board. Sitting justice Charles Adsit has no challenger in his bid for re-election, and did not participate in the forum.

To listen to a recording of the candidate forum, click on the following link, or paste it into your computer’s media player:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/CatskillCandidateForum_WGXC_CCC_032010.mp3

Susan Campriello of The Daily Mail reports on the forum here.

Harper not seeking Congressional nomination

Maury Thompson of The Post-Star reports David Harper, of Saratoga Springs, dropped out of the Republican race to challenge Democratic Congressman Scott Murphy in New York’s District 20 on Friday. Harper endorsed Chris Gibson, who along with Patrick Ziegler and Dan Stec, are trying to win the Republican nomination. On Thursday the Ballston Republican Committee in Saratoga endorsed hometown candidate Patrick Ziegler, and the Warren County Republican Committee, which holds 9.4 percent of the weighted vote, endorsed Ziegler on Monday.

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

Defrost at Spotty Dog Books & Ale

Come out to support community radio in our area! The Spotty Dog invites you to drop in on the Vernal Equinox for a day of music, arts, books, and community! 3 p.m. to late fundraiser for WGXC!

Today at Spotty Dog Books & Ale:

*Crafts with Lady Moon, suitable for the young and non-young alike! Invoke spring with some paper roses and sundry other festive crafts from this diversely talented lady. She’ll be here starting at 3:00 to guide your nimble fingers!

*An array of local musicians, busking the afternoon away! Feel free to bring your own instrument and participate!

*A tasting with the LEE BROTHERS, whose latest cookbook, SIMPLE, FRESH, SOUTHERN picks up where their James Beard-award winning Southern Cookbook left off! The charming Brothers Lee will bring along some of their southern delicacies for sampling, all recipes featured in their lushly illustrated, spectacular new book. http://mattleeandtedlee.com/lee-bros/

*At 7:00, music from an array of local talent: DJ Lunar Moss (aka Hank Flick): Having invigorated the Hudson nightlife with his Thursday night “Lunar Tonic” series at (p.m.), Moss’ diverse collection of vinyl will see us through the evening.

Rob Hervey, master digeridoo-trance wild man will invoke the season with his blissed-out sonic stylings. http://cdbaby.com/cd/rhervey also check out http://www.myspace.com/robhervey

Lady Moon’s soulful, ever-shifting sound has recently reached new heights of ephemeral beauty. Settle in and absorb her spell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwHO9N5YGo Evan Randall and his jazz-drenched old-time antics reimagine tunes both familiar and obscure in his idiosyncratic and unbearably endearing personal style. http://www.myspace.com/evanrandall

Matthew O’Koren’s percussive stylings form the backbone of his metal band, COSMOPOLITAN, though he proves equally compelling as Alexander Turnquist’s go-to man for ambient back-up. Come see him perform solo, where his wit and weirdness can be explored in full.

Brian Dewan’s vocal music is of a sort that tends to reference folk music, hymns, century-old popular music and rock music, and features his genius original instruments. A pillar of insane, singular talent. http://www.dewanatron.com

Alexander Turnquist’s luminous guitar is at once rousing and somnolent, a meditation in aspic. Watch his fingers make mincemeat of his twelve-string, and hear his latest compositions. http://www.myspace.com/alexanderturnquist

The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534
518-671-6006

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

Murphy to vote yes on health care

(Scott Murphy in Valatie in Aug., 2009.)

Congressman Scott Murphy (D, NY-20) is voting yes on the health care bill on Sunday. The Representative in Congress for Greene and Columbia counties told the Glen Falls Post-Star:

“You know what we hear consistently from everybody in the district is that these health care costs and the rate their going up is just killing them. I was just talking to Todd Feigenbaum (of Glens Falls) earlier this week – you know Feigenbaum cleaners – and the premiums increased 26 percent this year for their plan. It’s just unsustainable and you see those numbers and you look at it as I’m looking at my kids and what’s life going to be like when they grow up. We’ve got to do something that’s going to slow the growth of our health care costs.”

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

Youth band performances at Catskill Contra Dance

On March 12, 2010, WGXC and the Catskill Community Center hosted a benefit at the community center that included a contra dance, and youth bands performing. Here are the recordings of those bands:

Click here to listen to Jonathan Woodin’s performance:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/JonathanWoodin_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to No Solutions’ performance:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/No_Solutions_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to Seminal Stain’s performance:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/Seminal_Stain_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Click here to listen to Loud Youth’s performance:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/Loud_Youth_CCC_WGXC_031210.mp3

Coxsackie’s drive-in opens tonight

Nippertown! reports that The Hi-Way Drive-In on Route 9W in Coxsackie is opening its summer season tonight. The drive-in will be showing “Cop Out” with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan with “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock. The Hi-Way Drive-In will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the screenings are scheduled to begin at about 7:30 p.m.

Gibson takes Halfmoon, Harper takes Mechanicville

From Leigh Hornbeck in Capitol Confidential:

Two of the four Republicans vying for the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls (NY-20), grabbed endorsements this week in Saratoga County. Mechanicville went to David Harper, a Saratoga Springs lawyer and the Halfmoon committee chose retired Army colonel Chris Gibson, from Kinderhook. The Saratoga County committee meets next Saturday, March 27, to vote on a candidate.

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

Town of Cairo will vote on proposed library funding

The Town of Cairo will hold a referendum about funding a bond issue to create a new building for the town library on April 27, the town’s board decided at tonight’s meeting. The bond will not exceed $3 million and cost taxpayers, at most, $50 a year. Listen to the entire meeting here:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/TownofCairo_meeting_031710.mp3

Before the public meeting, the town held a Public Hearing about the proposed library. Listen to that entire meeting here:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/TownofCairo_LibraryPublicMeeting_031710.mp3

WGXC Gibson Les Paul guitar raffle

Ken Ytaurte of Greene County won the Gibson Les Paul guitar today at the raffle drawing at Musica in Hudson. Watch the video below:

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

Election results

The Register-Star reports that Carol Weaver will become the Mayor of the Village of Kinderhook, with 77 votes to trustee Richard Phillips, an incumbent, with 69 votes, and newcomer Brian Murphy with 75 votes. In Coxsackie, The Daily Mail reports that Republican Village Trustee John Oliver received 368 votes, Republican Trustee Dianne Ringwald received 356 votes, Democrat Darryl Proper received 289 votes, and Democrat Tony D’Arcangelis got 269 votes. The Daily Mail story implies but does not implicitly say that Oliver and Ringwald will take the two seats available. The Daily Mail also reports that in an uncontested Athens vote, incumbent Democrat Trustee Herman Reinhold received 92 votes and Democrat Gail Lasher received 103 votes. The Daily Mail reports that in Tannersville, incumbent Democratic Trustee Linda Kline got 31 votes, two of which were absentees, out of the total possible of 44 for another two year term and Democrat Leigh J.V. McGunnigle, who drew 25 votes, including two absentees. There were also 16 write-in votes in the uncontested election, with outgoing Trustee Mary Sue Timpson drawing six of them, and Tannersville resident Scott Myers getting five. In Hunter, incumbent Trustee Alan Higgins, who ran on the Hunter Pride Party, took all 33 votes, The Daily Mail reported.

Health care reform protest at Murphy’s Hudson office

Four-time Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner (Rhinebeck/Clinton) organized a “Brown Bag Lunch Vigil for Healthcare Not Warfare to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq” today from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Rep. Scott Murphy’s offices in Hudson at 623 Warren St. A small crowd marched in front of the Congressman’s office hoping to sway him towards a yes vote on the health care reform vote.

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

Opus 40 for sale

The Watershed Post is reporting that Opus 40, a massive bluestone sculpture built by Harvey Fite over 37 years on an abandoned quarry, is for sale for $3.5 million. The Saugerties property includes a house with 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,860 square feet of living space, and that world-renowned earthwork. From the story:

Since Fite’s accidental death in 1976, Opus 40 has been maintained and kept open to the public by his family. The current owner, Fite’s stepson Tad Richards, wants to sell the property so he can retire. Susan Barnett of WAMC reported today that the town of Saugerties is looking into buying Opus 40. Special projects coordinator Vernon Benjamin hinted that it might qualify for federal stimulus funds: Opus 40 is shovel ready, so to speak, for cultural and arts organization type use. That’s a bit of a shift from last week’s Daily Freeman story, which reported that the town was looking for a nonprofit to take over the site. What seems clear is that Saugerties has a stake in the future of Fite’s masterpiece–and that Opus 40 becoming a private playground would be a great loss, both for the town and for the cultural heritage of the region.

Waiting for Hudson school layoffs

From Lynn Sloneker’s excellent Unmuffled blog about the Hudson school system:

Superintendent John F. Howe chose to speak [at last night’s school budget meeting] in general terms, emphasizing that the list of potential [staff] cuts (currently in circulation), can and will change, as he distributed an amended “draft” of that same list to members of the board, minutes before the matter formally came up on the agenda. While Howe said his plan will eliminate 52.5 jobs, he offered little of substance beyond the number. He did admit his plan was still $50,000 short of the $3.8 million mark. At the same time, Howe told the board it must be ready to “move to a resolution of this list” soon, because the district had to be administratively prepared for layoffs. In addition to the elimination of all modified sports and fields trips, Howe’s proposal calls for the elimination of the New Employee Mentoring Opportunity (NEMO) Program, as well as the Alternative Learning Program. Howe acknowledged the plan will have an impact on class size. “It is bound to go up,” he said. Howe said classes that now contain 18 to 19 students will increase to 23 or 24 students. Classes of 22 or 23 students will grow to 25 or 26.

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

Trying to sway Murphy’s health care vote

Democratic Congressman Scott Murphy, who represents Greene and Columbia counties as part of NY-20, is turning out to be one of the key swing votes on the health care reform bill. Murphy voted no against the early version of the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, as the Senate and the House attempt to reconcile two bills, his vote is being sought by protesters and other groups buying ad time.

Four-time Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner (Rhinebeck/Clinton) has organized a Brown Bag Lunch Vigil for Healthcare Not Warfare to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq tomorrow, Mar. 17, from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Rep. Scott Murphy’s offices in Hudson at 623 Warren St.

The Albany Times-Union uploaded this ad that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running on Albany TV stations, urging Murphy to vote against the bill:

The Times-Union has also spotted this ad from MoveOn.org, urging Murphy to vote for the bill:

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

Murphy under ‘primary pressure on health care vote’

From Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight:

Unions, activist groups and Democratic thought leaders are all starting to urge primary challenges against Democrats who vote against the health care bill. In many cases, it’s an idle threat. Want to primary Dennis Kucinich, for instance? It’s too late: Ohio’s filing deadline passed in February.

I identified 10 Democrats, however, for whom all of the following criteria are true:

1. In a state in which the filing deadline for primary candidates is April 1st or later. I assume that at least some lead time is required to launch a primary challenge. This eliminates a number of important states, including California, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
2. Not yet committed yes votes on health care. According to David Dayen’s whip count.
3. In districts with a PVI of R+4 or bluer. This is a critical threshold because Nancy Pelosi could permit all non-retiring Democratic members in districts with PVI’s of R+5 or redder to vote against the bill and still have (barely) enough votes for passage. Everyone in a district of R+4 or bluer would have to vote for the bill, however.
4. Been in office for less than 10 years. It’s very hard to primary incumbents who have a decade or more of service time in their districts, except in the case of gross misconduct, etc.
5. Are not retiring.

Here is that list:

[Number seven Silver lists as Scott Murphy, the Democratic Congressman who represents Greene and Columbia counties as well as the rest of NY-20. Murphy voted against the first version of the health care bill that passed the U.S. House in December. Silver reports that Murphy is leaning towards voting yes on the new health care bill, and only has $700,000 in the bank to ward off a possible Democratic primary challenger if he votes against the bill, and the same amount to fight one of four Republicans who are vying to get the chance to roll with a possible large Republican tide in the fall.]

Six of the ten vulnerable Democrats are in New York State, which offers a number of advantages to primary challengers: it has a very late filing deadline, and it has a lot of mobilizing infrastructure between strong unionization, the presence of the Working Families Party [The Working Families party says it will decline their line to anyone who votes against health care. Murphy was presented on Sunday with 7,000 signatures gathered by the WFP urging him to support the bill.], and the number of activist groups working in and around New York City. It’s hard to imagine that the threat of a primary challenge wouldn’t be at least a little bit persuasive to NY-24’s Mike Arcuri, for instance, who has just $400,000 in cash on hand and voted for the health care bill originally. The unions have also explicitly threatened a primary challenge against NY-13’s Mike McMahon, although he hasn’t moved off his no vote so far….

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

WGXC special announcement

Dear WGXC community members,

Over the last few months, we’ve been working tirelessly producing benefit events and preparing for the launch of WGXC’s FM signal on 90.7-FM later this year. Please see below for an exciting announcement regarding Prometheus Radio Project (a Philadelphia-based group that helps community stations like ours) who will help get WGXC on the air this September.

Urgently, however, we now need to ask you directly for your financial help.

PLEASE HELP WGXC RAISE 5,000 IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

As publicized, WGXC received a large matching grant from the US Department of Commerce to purchase the equipment (transmitter, antenna, etc) needed to get the WGXC-FM signal on the air. We must match this grant. Fundraising at the community level will demonstrate that we have local support for this effort that will sustain WGXC into the future. We’ve secured the means to extend our fundraising efforts towards the match into the summer, but WE MUST RAISE 5,000 IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

We are asking you to dig as deeply as you can to ensure that WGXC stays on track and can meet our matching deadline. If you are not yet a member, please consider becoming one at the highest level possible. If you are already a member, thank you, and we hope you’ll consider increasing your membership to the next level.

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)
Become a member by making your donation online at http://www.wgxc.org

Or send a check payable to

WGXC
5662 Route 23
Acra, NY 12405

Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

You can become a Founding Member of WGXC by making a donation with a credit card through Paypal below:

PROMETHEUS BARNRAISING NEWS

As part of our launch preparation efforts, Station Manager, Kaya Weidman, and Program Manager, Tom Roe, put forth an application for WGXC to be considered a candidate by Prometheus Radio Project for one of their renowned radio station barnraising events.

We are delighted to report that WGXC has been selected! What this means is that in late September, radio experts from Prometheus will descend on WGXC for a weekend of events, workshops, studio perfecting, and engineering. Events will take place across Columbia and Greene Counties. Stay tuned for further details regarding the date and schedule, and we hope to see you then. Thank you Prometheus!

Thank you for your time and attention,
Galen Joseph-Hunter, Executive Director (galen@wgxc.org)
Tom Roe, Program Director (tom@wgxc.org)
Kaya Weidman, Station Manager (kaya@wgxc.org)

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

May: Athens’ Stewart House selling to a local

Athens’s Stewart House restaurant is being sold, Dick May is reporting. “Owner Owen Lipstein has entered into a sales contract with Reggie Young of Athens, a food industry veteran who leads a small syndicate of investors,” May wrote in his Seeing Greene blog earlier today. May reports the 100-seat restaurant would attempt, “a small market focusing on local products,” next door, and…”the upstairs rooms would be renovated,

‘with soundproofing and modern amenities,’ shaping a 12-room ‘comfortable hip hotel environment.’ Also, ‘Further development of the facility’s garden, dock and waterside features,’ would be undertaken, the centerpiece being a 60-seat, ‘outdoor wood-fired pizza shack.”

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

Listen to Scott Murphy Tele-Town Hall

Listen to a recording of Rep. Scott Murphy’s Tele-Town Hall from 6:30 p.m. March 10, 2009 on WGXC Online Radio by clicking here. Rep. Murphy represents NY-20, which includes Columbia and Greene counties.

That link should open an mp3 recording in Quicktime Player on your computer. Note: This does not work in Internet Explorer, use a different browser. If you have Quicktime Player Pro, you can download the recording.

You can also paste this in to your iTunes, or whatever media player you use, under “Open URL”:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/ScottMurphy_TeleTownHall_WGXC_031010.mp3

WGXC a third of way towards fundraising goal

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. So far, WGXC is 33 percent of the way towards our goal.

You can become a Founding Member of WGXC by making a donation with a credit card through Paypal below:

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

Media Management in a Digital Universe at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy

1-5 p.m. Sunday, March 14 workshop at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy.

Independent media creation is flourishing with the proliferation of affordable cameras and recorders. The ability to digitally shoot and store more material than was feasible in an analog model has been a boon, but it has also produced greater amounts of material to organize and manage, as well as engendering new sets of concerns regarding the persistence of media collections.

David Rice, a consultant on a wide range of preservation topics, has years of experience as an archivist with media organizations and in developing recommendations for metadata standards. He will be giving practical training on the management and maintenance of digital media through best practices and the nuts-and-bolts uses of metadata that will help you better organize, access, re-use, and preserve your materials.

This workshop covers four key areas:

Creating Digital Materials: Whether you’re digitizing audio or video from tapes or migrating born-digital media, the settings, software, hardware, and other options available as part of the process have a definite effect on the long-term quality and ability to access your work. Luckily there are a number of best practice standards for creating digital media that can be applied whether you’re using a high-end editing bay or the many open source and affordable solutions out there.

Asset Management: Systems for digital asset management offer lots of promise but not always adequate results for the many specific needs of production and maintenance of audiovisual materials. Learn what you need to be aware of when deciding how to manage your files and what kind of cost-effective options are available.

Metadata Matters: In the midst of a project we’ve all had the experience of saving and documenting files in whatever seems like the quickest, most convenient manner at the moment, only to try and return to them 6 months later and spend too much frustrated time searching for them on the hard drive or trying to determine which file is the correct version. Find out how consistent application of metadata practices can help you manage your files as well as better re-use, share, distribute, and monitor them for quality.

“Digital formats and materials are inherently fragile and any strategy that can help you access and preserve them for future use is essential. Media management is a basic necessity for anyone working in a digital environment,” says Jeanne M. Keefe, who took last season’s digital archiving workshop. Keefe is Media & Digital Assets Librarian at RPI.

You can find out more about workshop leader David Rice and his work at www.avPreserve.com.

Workshop details

$40. Advance registration required. Contact workshop – at – mediasanctuary.org or call (518) 272-2390 for more information.

More about our Spring 2010 “Be The Media” Workshop Series:

Our “Be The Media” workshop series provides local artists, producers, and citizen journalists with opportunities to acquire and improve the skills necessary for successful and powerful independent media-making. We offer an interdisciplinary approach to diverse media arts practices with new technologies, with core focus on creative practice and artistry.

Scholarships are available. We recognize that while this is a pretty good deal for a media workshop, not everyone can afford it. We highly value having a diverse group of workshop participants, and we encourage anyone who is interested in attending, but unable to pay the fee, to apply for a scholarship. Do you know someone who could use a scholarship?

The Be The Media! workshop series is presented with the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center and funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts.

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

Hudson, Athens get boat launch funds

The New York Environmental Protection Fund’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program will provide $38,542 for the city of Hudson to construct a canoe/kayak launch at the southern end of Henry Hudson Riverfront Park with a secure storage rack for canoes/kayaks will be provided and $22,500 for the village of Athens to construct a dockage system for non-motorized boaters to complete its Fourth Street boat launch, The Business Review (Albany) reports.

Village of Catskill candidate forum March 20

WGXC and the Mid Hudson League of Women Voters will host a “Meet the Candidates” forum at 10:30 a.m. Sat. March 20 at the Catskill Community Center for politicians running in Village of Catskill elections.

WGXC will air the forum live on an internet web stream at www.wgxc.org, and is inviting all members of the local media to cover the event. Recordings of the events will be posted as quickly as possible here and at www.wgxc.org.

For more information:
Fawn Potash/League of Women Voters, 518-929-5764, fawnpotash@yahoo.com

Basic Political Debate/Meet the Candidates Event Format

Event should be no more than 90 minutes long. Candidates need to arrive 15 minutes before start of event. Substitute speakers are not permitted. No campaign literature or materials will be allowed inside the room.

Lots will be drawn in advance to determine the order of speakers for opening remarks. Moderator will be introduced by the sponsoring organization’s spokesperson. Moderator will introduce panel members and go over the rules. Each candidate will have a 3-minute opening statement.

Audience members will be asked to silence all electronic devices. The audience will be provided with index cards/writing implements with which to write questions.

1. No statements
2. No personal remarks
3. All questions must be legible
4. The moderator will choose questions and paraphrase for clarity/appropriateness.

The candidates will have one minute (or two, depending on number of candidates and time available) to answer. The moderator will call on candidates in succeeding order to answer. The moderator has the right to rule on all questions. No one else will be permitted to see the questions before, during or after the event. [Candidates should be reminded that they may take notes and cover issues/comments they missed during the Q&A as part of their closing statement.]

Depending on time available, questions may be permitted from the floor. Questions will be limited to one minute and will be answered as above. The same rules apply as with written questions.

Each candidate may have a 2 or 3-minute closing statement.

The moderator will close the event and invite members of the audience to remain in order to have personal conversations with the candidates (must be agreed upon in advance by candidates).

SPEAKING TIME WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE OTHER CANDIDATES AND THE AUDIENCE’S RIGHT TO HEAR ALL CANDIDATES SPEAK.

Candidates are encouraged to bring campaign literature. A table should be set up outside the room for the purpose of distributing the literature. Each candidate will be permitted to display a packet of flyers, position papers, and letters of endorsement or other campaign material. However, each candidate will be allowed only ONE stack of information on the table unless the organizer permits more.

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

Julie Lequin at Hudson Opera House April 10

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

Congressman Murphy hosts tele-town hall Wednesday

Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) will host a tele-town hall Wednesday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the economy and job creation. Residents of the 20th District (which includes Greene and Columbia counties) can participate in the call by registering with Congressman Murphy’s office at 202-225-5614 or email NY20.townhall@mail.house.gov with your name, address, and home phone number by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9. Those who have signed up will receive a phone call Wednesday evening inviting them to join the call. WGXC Online Radio will also air the tele-town hall, so if you do not register in time you can listen to the WGXC web stream online at http://www.WGXC.org. When you click on the link there, the stream will play in your computer’s default media player.

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