Turning the Dial

RADIO PROJECT. Tom Roe of Wave Farm in Acra is spearheading a drive to establish a new GreeneLand-centered community radio station. The contemplated station would be a “voice for local artists” as well as meeting “educational and journalistic…needs in the community.” To this end Tom needs to couple prospective grants from outside non-profits with local pledges of financial support. In October the Federal Communications Commission will review applications for full-power educational radio stations. A preliminary engineering study shows that there is room for such a station covering most of GreeneLand plus the western half of Columbia County and the southern fringe of Albany County (or 36 ZIP codes). “That's all the good news,” says Tom. “The bad news is we have very little time, and need to raise a good deal of money quickly to apply for the frequency. To apply, you need to have a full-fledged engineering report done, and you need a broadcast lawyer to fill out the application (the FCC throws out applications if even one line is filled out incorrectly). This costs between $5000 and $8000. We do have some national groups seeing about fund-raising and grants to apply to our efforts, but we need to raise most of this money in the local community.” Seeing Greene pledges $200. Tom is at tr@free103point9.org and (518)622-2598.

GAS AGAIN. In GreeneLand this week, gasoline prices out west, in Tannersville and Palenville among other places, were lower than prices in the river towns. And yet the volume of business per station and the costs of delivery to stations are lower in the river towns. Meanwhile, as usual, GreeneLanders paid more than other Americans, on average; and more than most East Coast residents, and more than most New England residents, and more than Massachusetts residents, and more than most New Yorkers. The national average for regular was $2.85. The averages for the other areas mentioned ranged from $2.86 to $ per gallon. In Greene-Land the range was from about $2.97 up past $3.12.

VETERAN WOES. Many GreeneLand vets’ claims for pensions and compensation have taken a year and even more to get processed by the Veterans’ Administration in Washington. The delays are part of the legacy of James Nicholson, departing head of the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, who achieved notoriety for, among other things, bestowing bonuses on key subordinates as rewards for efficiency.

BARRY HOPKINS, who taught art to Catskill school pupils for 37 years, died last Sunday after a prolonged battle with a cancerous brain tumor. Mr Hopkins was an active artist, a vice-president of the GreeneLand Arts Council, an avid runner, and the principal creator of the Catskill schools’ “Greater Sense of Place” program. He led many hikes to mountainous sites that had been memorialized by famous Hudson River School artists. These trips paved the way for the Thomas Cole National Historic Site’s Art Trails development. Mr Hopkins was 61. He leaves a widow, Karen; two children, Drew and Ashley; two grandchildren; three siblings, and many friends. A memorial service is being planned. Contributions in his name would fittingly go to local environmental and art organizations.

NAME GAME: The Grateful Bed was the name of a vacation rental business in the Tannersville area, now deceased. But the title’s use is alive and well in California and British Columbian hostelries.

WHEN? Catskill’s scintillating web site www.welcometocatskill.com gives times of events in 5 digits, as in “7:00:00PM.”

WHERE? In his advertising leaflet Countywide Opportunities, publisher/editor Leonard Young lists his address as “66 Green Street” in Catskill. Oops. It’s Greene Street, Leonard; as in General Nathaniel Greene, George Washington’s best Revolutionary War officer.

LIVE KIOSKS will be coming to Catskill, eventually. Instead of, or in addition to, the usual printed messages, they will tout the latest wonders of ever-improving Catskill by means of animated video screens. They will not eventuate as soon as the pocket park at the end of Greene Street, the kayak and canoe moorings and lockers along the creek west of the county building, and various Main Street beautification measures. They are yet another component of Vinnie’s vision

TONIGHT (Friday, Aug. 3)

Catskill: Musical benefit for leukemia victim Hilary Manning-Lundy. Lots of hot musicians playing, and DJ’s too, from 5pm until late. At the Wilder Studio, 375 Main St. Plus silent auction.

Athens: Free show by The Digits at Riverfront Park, Water St, from 7pm.

Greenville: Bluegrass music (& camping, & crafters) from today through Sunday on Chris Ahlf farmlands. See www.freeeholdaviation.com (One of the performing groups, according to a Daily Maul wordsmith, will take the stage with a “plinka-plunk twang” that is “indistinguishable.”

Cairo: Music & activities at Angelo Canna Park, from 6:30pm.

Windham: Civil War Heritage Foundation encampment & exhibits at Windham Center Church. See www.77thballadeers.com

SATURDAY

Hunter: new Pleshakov Piano Museum opens in the Doctorrow Center for Performing Arts, from 5pm, with Beethoven pieces performed on authentic period instruments. The program will be repeated on Sunday after a 1pm tour of the new museum. www.catskillmtn.org

Catskill: Another lively day, starting with the Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market at Historic Catskill Point (from 9am, with folk music by Coosheen from 10:30), coinciding with a Tag Day at the Catskill Fire Station. On upper Main Street, the big draw is a new art show at BRIK--“Cowgirls 2,” an “eclectic all-woman group show” curated by Brooklyn’s Richard Timperio—kicked off by a barbecue plus Catskill’s own Mae West/Tina Turner/Janis Joplin/Bette Midler, Lex Grey. Across the creek, meanwhile, at Sean Meagher’s aptly named Creekside Restaurant, a “summer fest” of musicians commences at 6pm. For more live music, check the main stage at The Point along with ‘Positive Mental Trip’ at Doubles II (25 Church St). [This paragraph was altered 14 hours after posting so as to purge the blunder whereby today, August 4th, was described as a "second Saturday."]

(And across the river, departing at noon from Hudson’s Waterfront Park “near the Amtrack train station,” Hudson Cruises offers an aquatic jaunt fortified by 2 masseuses and 4 psychics)

SUNDAY

Athens (Riverfront Park) to Catskill (Dutchmen’s Landing), from 11am: Wacky Raft Race. Find a viewing spot along the river. Check www.welcometocatskill.com

NIMBY NEWS

The Sally Trafelmayer who, upon discovering that her little daughter had eaten some ants, administered a dose of ant poison, is NOT a GreeneLander. And Sgt. Rick Deyo of the Catskill police did NOT summon backup to the Dandelion day care center because a kid there was resisting a rest.