|
|
WDFH's web site
and
webcast are hosted
by
BestWeb
 |
To listen to WDFH's live program stream: click
on one of the webcast links (above left).
Aside from listening live, there are two ways to listen
to selected WDFH public affairs programs on your computer: manually by
clicking on a link, and automatically by having new episodes downloaded to
your computer.
-
Manual (click to listen): To listen manually,
this is the page. The links are below.
-
Automatic Downloads: To get a free
subscription to our podcasts so that programs are automatically
downloaded to your computer, please visit our
podcast page.
Programs available for online listening — click to listen below:
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
Having
a problem hearing our online audio?
Info...
LGBT YOUTH ISSUES
OutCasting
OutCasting is
WDFH's new public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues.
Heard on WDFH every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Produced biweekly.
More about OutCasting, including LGBTQ community
resources and the Trevor Project suicide hotline...
Enter the following address into your podcatching
software to subscribe to the OutCasting podcast (the
subscription is free):
http://wdfh.org/outcasting.xml
More podcasting
info
|
Joseph Birdsong |
On this eighth edition of OutCasting, Mady talks
with
Joseph Birdsong, a YouTube vlogger and musician.
Mady and Joseph talk about growing up gay in a small
southern town and the transition to
college. Joseph is known on YouTube as
disneykid1 and was previously a part of the YouTube channel
5Awesomegays. |
On this seventh
edition of OutCasting, we are joined by
singer/songwriter and transgender activist
Ryan Cassata, a recipient of the Harvey Milk Memorial Award.
Ryan talked with Travis and performed several songs in WDFH's live
performance studio.
On this encore broadcast
of the first edition of OutCasting, we talk with Mary Jane Karger
about the roles of Gay-Straight Alliances in local schools. Mary
Jane is the Hudson Valley regional
co-chair and a national board member of
GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).
Also, we decode what all those letters in LGBTQ actually mean.
On this sixth
edition of OutCasting, we look back at
Prideworks, a regional convention of hundreds of LGBTQ youth and their
straight allies. OutCasting was there and brought back interviews
about more sex education that is inclusive to all, whether their sexual
orientation or gender expression, and about queer cinema. Also, a
workshop was held at which Dr. Jallen Rix, a talked about his
experiences as a "survivor" of so-called "reparative therapy," an often
religious-based effort to try to "cure" homosexuality. Dr. Rix
joined us by telephone from his home to discuss this controversional and
often damaging approach.
On this fifth edition of OutCasting, we observe and discuss the
importance of World AIDS Day, December 1. Joining us are Twanna
Hines, the coordinator of the Comprehensive of Adolescent Pregnancy
Prevention Program and co-chair of the Youth Outreach Committee at
Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, and Santo Barbagiovanni, CHAPS
program supervisor with AIDS-Related Community Services.
On this fourth edition of OutCasting, we talk
with Alex Sanchez, an author of novels focusing on LGBTQ youth,
including Rainbow Boys, The God Box, and most recently
Boyfriends with Girlfriends. Also, a discussion of portrayals
of LGBTQ people in the media and literature and of
how traditional and new media differ in their treatment of LGBTQ
people and issues.
On this third edition of
OutCasting, we talk with David Diamond, a volunteer with the
Westchester chapter of PFLAG — Parents, Families, and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays. We will also discuss online reader comments
responding to an
article about OutCasting in the
October 6 edition of The Journal News.
On this second edition
of OutCasting, we talk with Dan Savage, the nationally-syndicated
columnist, author, activist, and co-founder of the It Gets Better
Project. We also discuss the rash of teen suicides that led to the
naming of October 20 as Gay Spirit Day.
On this first edition of OutCasting, we talk
with Mary Jane Karger about the roles of Gay-Straight Alliances in local
schools. Mary Jane is the
Hudson Valley regional co-chair and a national board member of
GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).
Also, we decode what all those letters in LGBTQ actually mean.
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
LOCAL NEWS AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
In Focus
WDFH's local public affairs discussion program, hosted
by Jane Botticelli and Vinny Cohan, with regular guest
Gary Cahill, publisher and reporter of The Gazette in
Croton-on-Hudson.
Enter the following address into your podcatching
software to subscribe to the In Focus podcast (the
subscription is free):
http://wdfh.org/infocus.xml
More podcasting
info
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
The annual Eagle Fest event will take place on Saturday,
February 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in several locations along the
Hudson River in our area, including the Echo Small Boat and Canoe Launch
in Croton. Binoculars and guides will be available in some locations.
If the weather is inclement, the alternative date is Sunday, February 5.
It is a great opportunity to see many bald eagles who reside in great
numbers each year as they "winter over" here.
As a result of the last census, there is a plan in the
works in Albany to possible reconfigure certain State Legislative
Districts, including that of State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef of
Ossining. The result would be to eliminate the portion of her District
that now includes parts of Putnam County. The State Senate District now
held by Suzi Oppenheimer, however, would change in that the Town and
Village of Ossining would become part of the 38th Senate District, which
is in Rockland County. There is a push against the plan and the
Governor has indicated he may veto such a move.
There will be a public meeting at the Ossining Public
Library on February 2, at 7:30 p.m. regarding the problem of "Library
Overlap" involving residents of the Ossining School District, (the tax
entity that pays for the Library) who also live in Briarcliff Manor or
Yorktown and support their own local libraries through other property
taxes. Possible solutions will be discussed by state representatives,
and a task force will be organized among those interested in donating
their time.
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
Ossining High School announced that four seniors have
been chosen as semi-finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search
competition. They are Frances Russell, Evan Olin, Emily Prentiss, and
Amelia Clements. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship and a
chance to become a finalist in the competition.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection
will soon begin a major project to upgrade and replace much of the
internal mechanisms and structure of the Croton Dam. The agency also
announced plans to downsize the original project, which would have
included enlarging the dam to deal with spillway issues when there are
major storms in the area.
Democratic State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer announced that
she will not seek re-election this year, as she requires shoulder
replacement surgery, which will involve a lengthy recovery period.
Senator Oppenheimer is 77 years old and has served in public office for
28 years as both state senator and mayor. Bob Cohen, a Republican who
has challenged Sen. Oppenheimer in the past, announced that he would
seek to replace her. The Democrats have yet to name a candidate for the
seat.
hosted this week by Melinda Battle
The Village of Ossining has filled a vacancy with Ingrid
Richards, who had been interim assistant village manager since last
spring. The part-time position commands a salary of $50,000 and there
was a field of fifteen candidates from whom Ms Richards was chosen.
The Ossining school board has held all informational
meetings on the proposed $41.5 million budget and has decided to send it
to the public for a vote on March 6. There will be no tax impact if the
budget is adopted; necessary repairs will take place and some of the
original wish list items from last year's defeated $69+ million proposal
will also be included.
The People's Caucus in Briarcliff Manor has nominated
two candidates to replace the outgoing Robert Mayer and Anthony Capasso.
Robert Murray is an attorney with planning board experience and Mark
Pohar is a registered nurse now working in administration at St John's.
hosted this week by Melinda Battle
Briarcliff Manor is unusual in its electoral process in
that the village, founded in 1902, holds a People's Caucus open to all
residents eligible to vote. This year's caucus will be held on
Wednesday, January 11, at 8:00 p.m. at the Briarcliff Manor Middle
School theatre. Up for nomination are two board seats being vacated by
Robert Mayer, who is not seeking re-election, and Anthony Capasso, whose
term is up and who is unsure if he will try again. Gary Cahill explains
the procedure for nomination. If more than two candidates are nominated
on the 11th, the issue goes to an actual vote on January 25 at the youth
center between 3:00 and 9:00 p.m. to narrow the field to two.
Briarcliff is proud of its 110-year history of non-partisan politics.
Ossining school board's suggested $41.5 million
improvement package was met with some skepticism at a recent meeting.
At issue are the approximate $18 million dollars in critical
infrastructure repairs which were included in last spring's $69 million
dollar referendum, which was defeated. The repairs still need to be
made, but Ossining High School principal Joshua Mandel says that
additional classroom space is necessary to offer sufficient instruction
to an anticipated increased number of students. Other improvements are
folded into the new amount, which because of debt retirement is not
supposed to increase taxes. The school board meets on January 11 at
7:30 p.m. at the Roosevelt Educational Center to decide if the
referendum will go to a spring vote.
Ossining-based Community Markets is looking to install a
winter-month farmers market in the old Blockbuster building in Croton.
The building, which has been vacant for over a year, is located in the
Van Wyck II shopping center. Residents are concerned about parking for
existing retail stores in the center as well as traffic on the street.
The planning board will meet soon; Community Markets hopes to open on
February 11 for Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
The Town and Village of Ossining newly elected officials
began their new terms on January 1 with an inaugural ceremony held at
noon at the Ossining Community Center. At least 150 people attended the
ceremony as ten new officials were sworn in, including a new Town
Supervisor, Susanne Donnelly, and several judges for the new Town Court
— John Fried and Michael Tawil.
The Town of Ossining recently signed a new contract with
its Teamsters Union (Highway and Parks workers) that contains provisions
requiring payment of health insurance premiums for the first time, which
are variable depending on the level of compensation.
Ossining Public Schools will again float a bond
referendum for capital projects in the amount of $41 million. There
will be a public meeting on Tuesday, January 3, at A.M.D. Middle School,
and Saturday, January 10, at Ossining High School.
hosted this week by Melinda Battle
Community Based Services (C.B.S.) runs 20 or so group
homes in the lower Hudson region, including one on Hawkes Close in
Ossining. The house directly adjacent has been vacant for over three
years, and C.B.S. would like to take it over as well. It is thought
that, should this happen, it would be the only instance of two such
homes next door to each other in New York. It should be noted that the
residents, with mild developmental issues, have so far been good
neighbors. New York's Padavan Law on site selection in these cases may
preclude approval; the town attorney is investigating.
Last spring, Ossining residents defeated a $69 million
referendum which included about $18 million in critical repairs and the
balance to cover upgrades for projected enrollment growth. The school
board explained then that due to retiring debt, very low interest rates,
and hungry contractors, it was a good time for the bond, but residents
disagreed. A new vote is planned for June 2012 for $41 million, which
will include the critical repair work and a reduced amount for upgrades.
Informational meetings will be held on:
§
Tuesday, January 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Anne M. Dorner Middle
School;
§
Thursday, January 5, at 10:00 a.m. at the Ossining Public
Library; and
§
Saturday, January 7, at 10:00 a.m. at the Ossining High
School.
Bethel Homes, a senior residential services provider in
Ossining, celebrates its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1911 at
Bethel Methodist Homes in Brooklyn, the nursing home relocated to an
estate in the Camp Woods section of Ossining in 1920. A new building
was erected in 1954 and they expanded about ten years ago. Now located
on Narragansett Avenue in Crugers and Springvale Road in Croton, Bethel
has become a fixture of Ossining area senior care.
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
Gary remembers two men who had a great impact on the
people of Ossining and who passed away recently: Thomas Camberiere, who
was the former Mayor of Ossining and owner of Rocky's Millwood Deli, and
Stan Carney, who was the custodian of Park School for 39 years and
retired several years ago at the age of 84.
State Education Commissioner John King visited Ossining
and congratulated the School District on two creative programs: the
Science Research program at Ossining High School, which has won awards
and resulted in a number of Intel Scholars, and the First Steps program
which, through largely private funding, identifies families with
preschool children in need of literacy and language instruction as a
family so that the children come into the school system prepared to
succeed.
hosted this week by Melinda Battle
Ossining approved its 2012 budget; their fiscal year
follows the calendar. Although the state has mandated a 2% tax increase
cap, there was a public hearing just before the budget vote and Ossining
board members voted to override that, calling it "unreasonable," among
other things. Taxes will go up 4.23%, meaning an increase of about
$120 per year for the average homeowner. The good news is that
there are no town layoffs planned; five positions will clear by the end
of the year through attrition. Mayor Bill Hanauer reiterated his belief
that there should be no reductions in necessary services.
There are 14 municipalities in the Northern Westchester
Energy Action Coalition, including Croton, Ossining, Cortlandt, and
Peekskill. S ome proposed action items are to put solar panels on
municipal buildings, convert government vehicles to hybrid or electric,
and other ideas. One that has been put into action has been to replace
traffic signals' bulbs with L.E.D.s, which consume only 10-20% of that
used by traditional high-pressure sodium bulbs. The N.W.E.A.C.
estimates a two-year payback. County and state roads are in various
stages of doing the same. Some concern over the origin and quality of
the bulbs has been expressed.
Briarcliff schools have two more years on their capital
facilities plan but the viable proposals for fixing the contaminated
fields range from $1.4 million to $3.65 million. Other minor work will
be incorporated into the work. A low-interest-rate bond proposal vote
is slated for May 15.
Croton has a new village historian. Dorothy Dymes
Pezanowski, a third-generation Croton resident, will take up the
position vacated when Mary Lambruschi passed away in October. The
position is strictly voluntary.
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
Briarcliff Manor Public Schools announced that that
first meeting of its Ad Hoc Committee on Facilities will take place at
Briarcliff Manor Middle School Cafeteria on Thursday December 8, at 9:00
p.m. The public is invited to join the committee as voluntary members.
Among the issues expected to be discussed is the remediation of the
contaminated soil on the practice fields at the high school and middle
school complex.
Briarcliff Manor Public Schools came to an agreement
with its teachers recently. There will be a three year contract with
increases of 2.3% per year, as well as changes to the health insurance
benefit package, including lifetime premiums and a minimum service
period before obtaining lifetime coverage.
On Saturday, December 10, at 10:00 a.m., there will be a
site inspection by the Briarcliff Manor Planning Board at the Chilmark
Shopping Center. The Board is considering the application of the owner
of the shopping center, Urstadt Biddle Properties, for an amendment to
the current site plan to allow for building a large C.V.S. store on the
property. The site inspection is open to the public and will focus on
the effects such development will have on parking and traffic flow in
the area.
hosted this week by Jane Botticelli
Briarcliff Manor high school and middle school practice
fields, which have been closed since 2010 due to soil contamination
concerns, can be remediated through one of seven possible options, which
were presented at a public informational meeting recently. The audience
heard from a toxicologist and the Department of Environmental
Conservation. The Briarcliff School Board will either decide on one of
the options or hold further info sessions.
The Croton E.M.S. just contracted with Ossining
Volunteer Ambulance Corps to have OVAC provide a paid E.M.T. available
24/7 to the Croton Service. This will enable them to build up their own
volunteer staff in order to continue to provide 24 hour service and
should result in increased response rates and decreased response time.
The Baker-Collyer Cheer Fund in Ossining is seeking
donations in its 96th year of providing holiday food baskets to needy
area families. The goal this year is $16,500.00, and donations may be
made by sending a check to the Offices of the Town of Ossining, payable
to Baker-Collyer Cheer Fund.
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
LOCAL NEWS AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Eyes on Westchester
A local public affairs discussion program, hosted by
Melinda Battle, with regular guest Faith Ann Butcher,
Editor-in-Chief of The Northern Westchester
Examiner.
Enter the following address into your podcatching
software to subscribe to the Eyes on Westchester podcast
(the subscription is free):
http://wdfh.org/infocus.xml
More podcasting
info
A rash of youth deaths in the Yorktown area over the
last few years has contributed to the reason new supervisor Michael
Grace pushed for the formation of a Community Affairs Board. Despite
various programs and the local Teen Center, endangered teens continue to
be a concern. The new Board will focus on youth and seniors but will
also reach out to the whole community. Yorktown's Bruce Apar has been
pegged to chair the all-volunteer board. For 24/7 assistance or further
info, please call 914-275-6887.
Opposing Nan Hayworth for Congress this year will be
Mayor Tom Wilson of Tuxedo Park, Cortlandt Council member Richard
Becker, Wappinger Falls mayor Matt Alexander, and Duane Jackson, aka the
"Times Square Hero," a street vendor who spotted a NYC bomb in 2010,
thereby averting serious trouble.
And then at length we discuss the new redistricting
announced on January 26, expected to go into effect January 2013.
Several towns are affected by the new legislative borders.
On January 17, Governor Cuomo shared his budget for the
next year. Included is, as promised last year, an increase in school
aid. Needier districts are in line to receive more, but all districts
need to measure teacher performance. New York State pays more per
student than any other state. The governor also pushed for mandate
relief on the local level and promised no raise in income tax levels.
He has brought a $10 billion deficit down to $2 billion.
January 19 unemployment figures show the fewest new
applications since the recession started in 2008. The housing market
also shows improvement with more homes selling, although market values
are still much lower than four years ago.
Teatown Lake Reservation and the Saw Mill Audubon
Society will present the annual Eaglefest on February 4 at Croton Point
Park. There will be guided tours and entertainment as well as much
information on the annual southerly migration of the bald eagle to the
lower Hudson valley area. Admission will be $5 and the festival extends
up to Peekskill's River Green Park.
A performance of "The Vagina Monologues" in Mahopac will
benefit the Westchester Women's Resource Center; Faith Ann Butcher will
be one of the readers. February 10 and 11 at 8pm, and Feb 12 at 2pm,
the Freight House Cafe on Rte 6. $25 for performance, $35 includes
refreshments and wine. No tickets at the door — call 845-628-1872 to
purchase.
On January 10, Reactor #2 at the Indian Point Nuclear
Power Facility was offline due to a leak. We are assured that there has
been no danger to the public. On January 12, coincidentally, there was
a public hearing in New York City. The Riverkeeper group spoke about
the age of the equipment. Even though the initial public comment period
is over, it is possible the Nuclear Regular Commission may reopen it.
Governor Cuomo has stated his desire to begin work at
long last on the aged and decrepit Tappan Zee Bridge by the end of 2012.
Former Governor Paterson has wanted a private-public funding option,
but that is not legal in New York State for state projects. Part of the
funding may come from union retirement funds and public bonds. The Bear
Mountain and Newburgh-Beacon Bridges, meanwhile, are due to see their
tolls increase.
The Yorktown Fire Department had its busiest year on
record in 2011, responding to 778 emergency calls. As there is a
separate ambulance service, those calls were not medical in nature. In
2009, there were 614 (fewer in 2010), but Tropical Storm Irene and the
October snowstorm accounted for about 140 calls last year. Cats in
trees may have added to the total as well; no figures were available.
Susan Siegel, voted out as Yorktown supervisor, and Jim
Martorano, a 20-plus-year veteran of the town board, have always had the
best interests of Yorktown and its residents to heart. Mr. Martorano
says he always kept three things in mind: serving the people of
Yorktown, staying clear of partisanship and gossip, and making lives
better. Ms Siegel, who has been active in the Yorktown area for
decades, feels that good government is the bottom line. Dave Paganelli
succeeds Mr. Martorano on the board, and Michael Grace was sworn in as
Supervisor on January 1.
We discuss some of the points made in Governor Andrew
Cuomo's State of the State address last week and review his progress in
his first year. As a comparatively young leader, Governor Cuomo seems
to be trying to "think outside the box" and come up with creative
solutions to our problems as well as keep New York a progressive and
forward-looking state.
The Yorktown museum, located upstairs at the Community
Center on Commerce Street, is featuring a creative exhibit of miniatures
that are housed in antique clocks. Called "Time to Celebrate," the
exhibit runs until the end of February. Somers' museum, in the
Elephant Hotel, is showcasing, appropriately enough, circus memorabilia
from pre-Civil War days. And at the Ossining Cultural Center, there is
a display of an actual prison cell from "Sing Sing," along with an
electric chair for some shocking verisimilitude.
As the public comment period has been extended to
January 11, we look at hydraulic fracturing, a.k.a. hydrofracking, in
the Marcellus shale: what it is and why we should care. Governor Cuomo
says it will improve upstate economies and allow for power to fill the
vacuum if Indian Point is closed. The Citizen's Campaign for the
Environment (www.citizenscampaign.org) and other concerned groups say
the damage factor is too big.
To share your views with the governor, go to
www.governor.ny.gov and click on Contact, or write him at
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York
State
N.Y.S. State Capitol Building
Albany NY 12224
You can also write to the NY State Department of Environmental
Conservation at 625 Broadway, Albany NY, 12233-6510, attention "DSGEIS
comments," (http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/58440.html).
Yorktown passed its 2012 budget, but not without some
re-votes due to confusion on the part of some board members. After the
third round when all went well, it turns out that New York State law
would have required the original budget to go into effect after all.
Fatal accidents in Somers and Mahopac and on the Bear
Mountain Parkway have created concern at the Department of
Transportation. Discussion is ensuing about banning the use of cell
phones, among other things. A median suggested a while back for the
Bear Mountain has been in the planning stage, but there is no money for
the project; accidents may push that agenda forward.
Community partnerships among several non-profit groups
in the Yorktown area are helping with the difficulty those entities are
facing finding donation funding. By combining resources, they have been
able to help make ends meet.
Voters in the Hendrick Hudson school district voted by
an almost two-to-one ratio against the proposed $25 million bond in a
December vote. Part of the money was earmarked for classroom upgrades,
repairs to fields and fences, fixing the broken septic tanks in two
elementary schools, roof repairs to one school, tech upgrades, music and
art programs, and the like. Included in the bond, however, was $11.2
million for a new community-use performing arts center at the high
school. In a high turnout, voters emphatically stated (1,777 to 977)
that the bond was unacceptable; thoughts are that the theatre was the
breaker. A referendum for the important repairs may be added to the May
school budget vote.
As part of the municipal housing settlement, 31
communities in the area need to provide at least 750 low-income housing
units. North Castle developer Crabapple Properties has proposed some
single family units on the Cider Mill property as well as some middle
income properties. In order for them to create low-income spaces, North
Castle needs to pass the law supporting the settlement. Outgoing
supervisor Weaver is in favor, incoming supervisor Arden is not.
Senator Greg Ball headed up a roundtable discussion
recently in Yorktown with local officials and representatives of Con
Edison and N.Y.S.E.G. to assess the response to recent storms. Among
other things, it was determined that Con Ed's practice of proactive tree
trimming near power lines was helpful; customers were 66% less likely to
lose power in those cases where branches were kept at least ten feet
from transformers. N.Y.S.E.G. has agreed to step up their tree-trimming
efforts. Communications issues were also discussed; Con Ed's "all
hands reporting 24/7" policy also received kudos.
At around 2 a.m. on December 9, the Westchester
legislature agreed on the 2012 budget, despite a lack of concession from
the unions on contributing to their healthcare costs, among other
things. The bipartisan vote was 16-1 (a Democrat was the holdout) in
favor. The budget has saved 187 jobs, kept the nature centers open,
continued legal aid programs, kept 22 positions in the probation
department, and still avoided a tax increase. Some facets may still be
vetoed by County Exec Rob Astorino; it will be a done deal by December
27.
The Westchester Medical Center has a shortfall of $61
million and is facing layoffs of 250 people. Its proposed budget is
$871 million. The state will be helping.
The state has extended tax hikes on those making more
than $200,000 annually, but most Dutchess and Ulster small business
owners with less than $1.25 million in payroll will no longer be
required to pay the M.T.A. tax, only corporations and municipalities
(not schools). Flood relief from Irene and Lee is forthcoming.
Blythedale Children's Hospital unveiled a new $65
million unit to help children with complex medical needs. This is the
hospital's first renovation and, started in 2009, the unit adjoins the
existing building. Northern Westchester Hospital has healthy cooking
classes for cardiovascular patients and their families.
We share a bunch of holiday-oriented happenings around
the county including tree lightings, charity gifting options and
concerts among others. Tune in for details!
The Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt near
Peekskill recently unveiled a beautiful new cancer treatment facility.
The space, which adjoins the existing hospital by a bridge, is
scheduled to open on December 1 and will provide state-of-the-art
techniques to test, treat, and monitor cancer. One goal was to provide
a level of care that patients must currently travel to New York City or
elsewhere to find. Bruce Lindenbaum was a major donor for the new
clinic in memory of his wife, Cheryl, who passed away from breast cancer
in 2005. www.hvhc.org
The town of Bedford has been the focal point for the
Energize Northern Westchester initiative. Called Energize Bedford, the
program, which has been in place for about ten years but needed some new
public push, offers an energy analysis of residents' homes followed by
recommendations for upgrades to improve energy efficiency. The analysis
is offered free or at a reduced cost to households with income under
twice the county median of $209,000 per year. After the analysis,
owners are given a list of suggested upgrades and local contractors to
choose from, and subsidies and low-interest financing options are
available. www.energizenorthernwestchester.org or energizebedford.org
Some New Castle neighborhoods which are on septic are
sullying the Croton watershed. Almost 300 parcels in the town are being
considered for upgrade to town sewers, but the additional flow of an
estimated 200,000 gallons per day is worrying Yonkers residents.
Although the extra sewage would be a very small fraction of the amount
handled in the county facility there daily, residents are worried about
odors and other issues. The N.Y.C. Department of Environmental
Protection has cleared the way for land use by offering to sell it for
one dollar, and the MS4 program will help financially as well. If
Yonkers executive Jenkins goes up against Rob Astorino for County
Executive, as is rumored in some circles, will that change his
perspective?
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
HEALTH
Recovery Talk
WDFH's pioneering program about resilience in
recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, and more, hosted by Robyn
Leary.
Enter the following address into your podcatching
software to subscribe to the Recovery Talk podcast (the
subscription is free):
http://wdfh.org/recoverytalk.xml
More podcasting
info
Robyn died unexpectedly on June 6, 2011, and starting
with the June 13 episode, we will be presenting earlier programs in her
memory.
Sub-Saharan Africans suffering from AIDS get a
helping hand from New York high school students.
Leah Horowitz and Dana Kayser are seniors at New
Rochelle High School in New York. Leah Horowitz is president of the
Face AIDS chapter whose mission is to help raise money and awareness for
HIV and for those who suffer from it. Dana Kayser is the organization’s
vice president. Together they work to help the 24.5 million adults and
children in sub-Saharan Africa who are living with HIV. Tune in to this
show and learn about the kind of work young Americans are doing for
others less fortunate around the world. And why.
Autism: What is it? How is it treated? And what
are the scientific outcomes of treatment?
On this edition of Recovery Talk, Meghan Shawn
O’Reilly-Green, treatment team leader at the Brooklyn Autism Center in
Brooklyn, New York, discusses the challenges that face educators and
therapists who work with autistic children. Ms. O’Reilly-Green has been
working as an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist for children
diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder for over eight years. Tune in
and learn what all this means, and what it means for families and their
children afflicted by this disease.
Date rape, the stigma of addiction and recovering
from it, and combat stress injuries and recovering from them
Pam Woll is an addiction treatment consultant and
trainer based in Chicago. In recent years, her focus has been on trauma
and the resilience that protects us and the many processes that help
people get back in balance. Ms Woll has a lot to say about returning
veterans with combat-stress injuries and what it takes to begin
recovery.
New technologies in neuroscience step to the
forefront in treating depression, PTSD, stroke, and Parkinson's
Dr. Ross Hoffman, a former cardiologist, is Robyn
Leary’s guest on this edition of Recovery Talk. Dr. Hoffman left
a lucrative heart practice seeking a solution to one of his children’s
neurological problems. He wound up developing an electrical brain
stimulation device that’s used on the skull via electrodes and delivers
direct electrical stimulation to the brain, which, in the end, resets
abnormal brain signals. This is big news for those who suffer from
depression, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), Parkinson’s disease —
even TBI (traumatic brain injury). Tune in and stimulate your brain.
The Betty Ford Institute
Garrett O'Connor, M.D., is
chief of the Betty Ford Institute which, by name, is appended to the
Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Tune in and learn
what's going on in the nation's foremost think-take on recovery.
Autism: What is it? How is it treated? And what
are the scientific outcomes of treatment?
On this edition of Recovery Talk, Meghan Shawn
O’Reilly-Green, treatment team leader at the Brooklyn Autism Center in
Brooklyn, New York, discusses the challenges that face educators and
therapists who work with autistic children. Ms. O’Reilly-Green has been
working as an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist for children
diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder for over eight years. Tune in
and learn what all this means, and what it means for families and their
children afflicted by this disease.
Date rape, the stigma of addiction and recovering
from it, and combat stress injuries and recovering from them
Pam Woll is an addiction treatment consultant and
trainer based in Chicago. In recent years, her focus has been on trauma
and the resilience that protects us and the many processes that help
people get back in balance. Ms. Woll has a lot to say about returning
veterans with combat-stress injuries and what it takes to begin
recovery.
New technologies in neuroscience step to the
forefront in treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder,
stroke, and Parkinson's disease
Dr. Ross Hoffman, a former cardiologist, is Robyn
Leary’s guest on this edition of Recovery Talk. Dr. Hoffman left
a lucrative heart practice seeking a solution to one of his children’s
neurological problems. He wound up developing an electrical brain
stimulation device that’s used on the skull via electrodes and delivers
direct electrical stimulation to the brain, which, in the end, resets
abnormal brain signals. This is big news for those who suffer from
depression, PTSD, Parkinson’s disease — even traumatic brain injury.
Tune in and stimulate your brain.
Understanding the integration of psychotherapy and
twelve-step programs
Dr. William A. Knack, a well-known thinker in the field
of addiction treatment, is Robyn Leary’s guest this week on Recovery
Talk. Dr. Knack is a clinical psychologist and associate professor
at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury. In this
interview, Dr. Knack discusses his recently published article,
"Psychotherapy and Alcoholics Anonymous: An Integrated Approach,"
published in the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration.
In his article, Dr. Knack argues that integrating AA
self-help and psychotherapeutic approaches yields a more significant
outcomes than either approach in isolation.
Keon Center: a place where the not-so-profitable get
paid
Rebecca Davis is the Workshop Director at the Keon
Center, a non-profit agency that provides programs and paychecks to the
mentally retarded and developmentally disabled.
Located in Peekskill, New York, the center has been
paying the mentally handicapped for their work since 1954.
On this edition of Recovery Talk, we learn how
empowering is the labor and socialization of the handicapped — and how
it has transformed lives.
Three-part series on women in the
military returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:
A portrait of women warriors returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan
Former Marine Lance Corporal Jessica Goodell was a
diesel mechanic before she took off for Iraq. In Iraq, she
volunteered for an assignment in Marine Mortuary Affairs. There her job
was picking up and recovering body parts of the dead and sending them
home. Join Robyn Leary on this edition of Recovery Talk and
learn the inside story of some of the unfathomable and grizzly realities
of war. (Part 3 of a 3 part series).
Iraq and back
Before Colonel Olson started her career helping
veterans, she served in the Air Force for 25 years. She was part of the
first generation of female military pilots with nearly 4,000 hours of
flying time. Tune in on this edition of Recovery Talk with Robyn
Leary and learn what Iraq and back is all about.
(Part 2 of a 3 part series.)
Women warriors: she’s back, but she’s not the same
Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead is Robyn Leary’s
guest on this edition, the first of a three part series on WDFH's
Recovery Talk. General Halstead served in the U.S. Army for 27
years and was the first female graduate of the United States Military
Academy to be promoted to General Officer. She served in both
Afghanistan and in Iraq, commanding over 20,000 soldiers. Tune in and
learn what it’s like to re-enter from the harrowing experiences in
combat and what it takes to readjust to civilian life.
(Part 1 of a 3 part series.)
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
ENVIRONMENT
AND SUSTAINABILITY
Village Green
Village Green
explores environmental and social issues reflecting the greening of our
communities – here in the lower Hudson valley and across the globe.
Village Green, hosted by Maxine Margo Rubin,
builds awareness and promotes
grassroots efforts in the areas of energy use, alternative energy
sources, food and local farming, water and land use, and more
eco-friendly personal habits.
Enter the following address into your podcatching
software to subscribe to the Village Green podcast (the
subscription is free):
http://wdfh.org/villagegreen.xml
More podcasting
info
Ossining Organic Garden, the Cornell Co-op Extension,
eco-art and sustainable landscape design
Our guest this week on Village Green is Donna
Sharrett, a master gardener who helped organize and now runs the
Ossining Organic Community Garden. She is also an eco-artist who uses
the land to create natural designs called "knitted sticks." We discuss
the intergenerational aspect of the Community Garden and its special
component of accessibility for those people who are wheelchair-bound.
In addition, we talk about her art, which has been recognized by
critics and curators around the world as soulful and beautiful and that
humanizes its materials.
Hudson River water quality, Riverkeeper Shad Fest
Our guest this week on Village Green is John
Lipscomb, the boat captain for Riverkeeper, a Westchester based
environmental organization. Mr. Lipscomb patrols a 200-mile stretch of
the Hudson by boat from the Battery in N.Y.C. to Troy, seeking out
polluters and reporting them. He is the "neighborhood watch" for the
river. He does habitat mapping and navigational surveys and conducts
studies to see how fast and well the river flushes impurities out of the
system. We discuss water quality and the Shad Fest and other issues
involving the river.
Cleantech, Energy Trading, and Energy Efficiency
Our guest this week on Village Green is Dan Unter,
a corporate and technology attorney with Cleantech Law Partners. We
discuss renewable energy, energy trading, and energy efficiency. We
also get into the problem with Chinese drywall and why it is important
to use natural/green products to build new homes and office buildings. Cleantech
will lead us to a cleaner, greener planet, as it is important to work
with new energy companies, municipalities and to work to enact
legislative changes via building codes and zoning laws to produce more
sustainable practices, products, buildings, and energy.
Sustainability education and environmental literacy
programs
Our guests this week on Village Green are
Westchester area high school students Amelia Schwalb of the Hackley
School and Gaemin Lee of Horace Greeley High School. They were
co-leaders of the Education/Activism group at a recent Summit on
Sustainability, sponsored by the Children’s Environmental Literacy
Foundation, CELF, which promotes curriculum on issues of sustainability
for grades K-12. We also have Patti Bressman, Program Director of CELF
on the show. Collective action of students and educators is of great
importance in teaching topics which relate to issues affecting the
environment. Bringing young people together to participate in
environmental forums is essential to teaching students about climate
change, human rights, farming, alternative energies, sustainable design,
and social activism.
How herbal remedies can be used to promote personal
health and help to remove toxins within our bodies and in the water we
drink and the air we breathe
Our guest this week on Village Green is Bonnie
Rogers, a clinical herbalist and herbal educator who believes there are
healthy solutions to many health issues that do not require the
perpetual use of pharmaceuticals. Her philosophy is to eliminate
chemicals from people’s lives, and she does this by working with plants
and water filters, as we need to eliminate the toxins contained in the
water we drink and the air we breathe.
Home energy efficiency, comprehensive home energy
assessments
Our guest this week on Village Green is Thomas
Bregman, Director of Energize Bedford, a community-based energy
efficiency program which works to dramatically increase home energy
efficiency upgrades. We'll talk about how homeowners can apply for home
energy audits and what local communities can do to encourage residential
efficiency, as a staggering 53% of greenhouse emissions come from single
family homes.
Better School Food and Slow Food, as well as what
ties food security, climate change, the economy, and peak oil together
Our guest this week on Village Green is Dr. Susan
Rubin, Founder of Better School Food and Slow Food Westchester. We’ll
talk about what we need to do to improve the food environment in schools
and how that intertwines with food security, climate change, peak oil,
and the economy. Within our daily lives, we seem to be disconnected to
nature. We must reconnect with the land in order to nourish ourselves
and our children and better understand the world around us. After all,
our sustenance and survival depends on what the earth gives us, and we
must take care of it in order to better take care of ourselves.
Adventures in eco-conversion — ways to reduce your
environmental impact
Our guest this week on Village Green is Colin
Beavan, the founder and executive director of the No Impact Project, an
international environmental non-profit initiative that encourages others
to make choices that better their lives and lowers their environmental
impact. Colin spent a year of his life in which he and his family
attempted to reduce their net environmental impact to zero. He produced
a documentary and wrote a book called No Impact Man detailing of
those adventures in eco-conversion.
We'll talk about cows, elevators, candle light,
bicycles, solar panels, toilet paper, Farmers’ Markets, planting
gardens, and pot-in-pot refrigeration. We will delve into the trials
and tribulations of washing clothes in your bathtub, having a compost
box with worms in your apartment, and what surprises that might bring in
the warmer months, and much, much more.
How meditative music in the form of Vedic chants are
used to grow crops, and the connection between spirituality and
sustainability
Our guests this
week on Village Green are Elizabeth Taggart and Sam Katz.
Elizabeth is the owner of Amba Farms, a 2.5 acre organic farm in
Bedford, New York. She is also a teacher and practitioner of
Transcendental Meditation. Elizabeth studied under the Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi, also known as the guru to The Beatles. Sam Katz, is a
graduate of Maharishi University and has been a certified T.M.
instructor since 1974. He and his wife Melody are directors of the T.M.
program in Westchester, and they serve as the national directors for T.M.
Expansion.
We’ll talk
about how meditative music, in the form of Vedic chants, are used to
grow crops. We will also discuss how spirituality affects
sustainability and the benefits of slow food and its importance on
nutrition and health. We all need to nourish our bodies and our
intelligence and follow our spiritual paths, as according to Vedic
knowledge, it is pure consciousness, energy, and creativity that
underlies all nature.
Legal challenge to Indian Point Nuclear Plant’s
license renewal, status of G.E.’s clean-up of the Hudson River, and
Riverkeeper’s continued work to protect the drinking water of 9 million
New York City and Hudson Valley residents
Our guest this week on Village Green is Phillip Musegaas,
Hudson River Program Director at Riverkeeper. He oversees attorneys and
investigators whose mission it is to safeguard the ecological integrity
of the Hudson River. Phillip is also the Indian Point Policy
analyst and has helped prepare legal challenges to the license renewal
of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.
We'll talk about the where the legal battle stands in
determining whether the plant can renew its license, as the
facility continues to heat the water and kill aquatic life in the Hudson
River. We will also discuss the status of G.E.’s clean-up of the river,
as well as the fight to stop hydrofracking in the most pristine areas of
New York State.
-
OutCasting —
a unique public radio program giving voice to LGBTQ youth issues,
produced right here at WDFH!
-
In Focus
— local news discussion on issues in the lower Hudson valley
-
Eyes
on Westchester — local news discussion on issues in central and
northern Westchester
-
Recovery Talk
— recovery from illness, addiction, trauma, domestic
violence, and more; interviews with people in recovery as well as
professionals in the field
-
Village Green
— environmental sustainability
Midnight run documentary
(2006), also broadcast nationally on the Pacifica program Sprouts
and on other community radio stations across the United States.
Listen now
More info
Having a
problem hearing WDFH's online audio?
To listen to WDFH's online audio,
you need mp3 player software to listen
— Winamp, Windows Media Player, iTunes, Real
Player (or the cleaner Real Alternative), or
another player of your choice. (See
our Listen
page for links.) Make sure your computer is set to launch
your mp3 player software when you open files
with a .m3u or .mp3 extension.
If you have questions, please
e-mail us at info --at-- wdfh
dot org with the subject line "online
audio question" in the subject field.
Support for WDFH's
web site and online audio
is provided by:
-
BestWeb, a local provider of Internet access for home or business in
Westchester and the surrounding counties north of New York City, New
York City itself and all of Connecticut. BestWeb also provides
dedicated internet access including T1’s, web design, e-commerce,
and hosting.
-
Members of WDFH's treasured and prized crew of
volunteer staff and Board of Directors.
Thanks to all!
|
