News

By Pat Bradley

Plattsburgh, NY – The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks is voicing its opposition to a proposed wind turbine project near Gore Mountain in the Adirondack Park. The group is concerned that it would not only compromise the region's aesthetics, but would also endanger the Park's constitutional protections. But the project is getting support from community leaders who note that it would be built on private land, and is a positive step towards renewable, non-polluting power. WAMC's North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley has more.

By Karen DeWitt

Albany, NY – Environmentalists called for expansion of the bottle law and for a cap on pollution from New York power plants as part of an Earth Day lobby day held at the State Capitol. WAMC's Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt has more.

By Allison Dunne

New Paltz, NY – New York's Department of Environmental Conservation has put out a draft action plan with the goal of restoring the Hudson River. It's the DEC's first such agenda for the river that emphasizes teaming up with a range of Hudson Valley organizations. In addition, Governor Pataki announced more than $1-point-3 million dollars in Hudson River Estuary Grants to more than 45 projects. WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne has this report.

By Eesha Williams

Northampton, MA – In the past four years, Massachusetts has cut its spending on public libraries by nearly a quarter. The result has been shorter library hours and less new books. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Eesha Williams reports.

By Allison Dunne

New York, NY – Some arrested during the Republican National Convention in New York City at the end of the summer are receiving settlement checks. The settlement between the City and the plaintiffs comes with the stipulation that the plaintiffs' claims of contempt be dismissed. WAMC's Allison Dunne caught up with a few Hudson Valley residents who were arrested during the Convention, and who plan to pursue further legal action.

By John Krol

North Adams, MA – The Massachusetts Department of Education has ruled in favor of two parents who filed a complaint alleging several violations by the North Adams Public Schools in its special education program. Now, the schools are being ordered to take corrective action. WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief John Krol spoke with one of the complaintants.

By Pat Bradley

Albany, NY – The New York State Health Department has issued its annual fish consumption advisory. The warning, to women of childbearing age and youth to avoid eating most species of fish caught anywhere in the Adirondacks and Catskills, is the first time the state has issued such a broad-based mercury advisory. WAMC's North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley has more.

By Eesha Williams

Amherst, MA – The University of Massachusetts in Amherst has a higher percentage of white professors than the state's overall population. The university recently released a plan to hire more non-white professors to more accurately reflect the racial make-up of the state. Now a conservative group from Virginia says it will sue U-Mass if it implements the plan. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Eesha Williams reports.

By Joe Donahue

Albany, NY – We finish up with Gene Wilder this morning. We have been talking about his new memoir - Kiss me Like a Stranger.

In this book, he talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting and later comedy (his first goal was to be a Shakespearean actor), and how a Midwestern childhood with a sick mother changed him.

By Joe Donahue

Albany, NY – From The Producers to Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Gene Wilder has had a pretty amazing career.

But, lately he has been hard at work on his just-released memoir titled Kiss Me Like a StrangerThe book is not an autobiography in the usual sense of the word, and it's not a celebrity "tell-all." Instead, Wilder has chosen to write about resonant moments in his life, events that led him to an understanding of the art of acting, and - more important - about love.