Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Do you know those machines you find at tourist attractions? Those machines where you insert four quarters and a penny to crush the penny with a souvenir print? Well, The Sanctuary for Independent Media has been holding onto Igor Vamos’s coin crusher, and he came by the studio to crush some pennies for an exhibition in Berlin and tell us what’s it all about. He spoke with Sina Basila Hickey

Garden Coordinator and Groundskeeper at the Sanctuary is Jen Travison. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and fazing out monoculture lawns. In addition to working at the Sanctuary, Jen runs a business, Travison Garden and Landscaping.

Congress has agreed to allocate more than $500 million to help clean up the PFAS toxic forever chemical. It also agreed to a moratorium on the incineration of PFAS, which was secretly burnt at the Norlite hazardous waste facility in Cohoes NY in recent years. Colin O'Neil, Legislative Director of the Environmental Working Group, discusses the issue with Mark Dunlea with the Hudson Mohawk Radio Network.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

We begin with hearing from Poestenkill Town Board Member Eric Wohllberger about his call for New York state to provide blood testing for residents in areas concerned with water contamination;

Then, Reif Larsen of Future of Small Cities talks about the migration of people out of big cities and how small cities are changing;

Later on, Aileen Javier interviews “Ms. Q” who was recently released after 3 years in ICE detention and four months in Rensselaer County Jail;

After that, Molly Belmont of the Community Loan Fund talks to Brea Barthel about ways you can improve your financial literacy and more;

Finally, we head into our archives for a story that was broadcast exactly one year ago in which the Water Justice Fellows interview Heather Bruegl.

Are you just starting to create personal wealth? Find out how to develop your "financial literacy" through training and experience. Molly Belmont of the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region talks with Brea Barthel about ways that individuals can learn concepts and strategies for improving personal finances, through workshops and a structured approach for investing in the community while building financial stability. For more information and a list of upcoming events, visit mycommunityloanfund.org.

Reif Larsen of Future of Small Cities spoke to HMM's Sina Basila Hickey about the the migration of people out of big cities and how small cities are changing. Main Streets is the theme of the upcoming virtual event, and Larsen spoke about how main streets have functioned thus far and what themes will arise in the upcoming event.

Our Future Main Streets: Flexibility, Inclusion, Experience

Tuesday, December 14, 2021, 11:00 AM 12:30 PM

futureofsmallcities.org/events

With microphone and headphones in tow, Hudson Mohawk Magazine visited the Oakwood Community Center to give a "Tell Your Story Through Media" workshop. Full of giggles and energy, the youth imagined themselves with super powers and later spoke about the people who give them power and strength in their lives.

CC image of hand prints by John Morgan

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

First we hear why Cindy Doran is calling for County Executive McLaughlin to resign;

Then, Rennselaer Plateau Alliance joins us to talk about their conservation work;

Later on, labor correspondent Willie Terry reported from the CodePink event calling to Abolish The Space Force which includes comments from Congresswoman Maxine Waters;

After that, Brea Barthel investigates the process of the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region;

Finally, we ask youth at Oakwood Community Center about their super powers and support systems.

Annie Jacobs and Jeff Briggs of Rensselaer Plateau Alliance join us to talk about forest preservation and the importance of wetlands. These are necessary for our community's climate resilience.

Andrea Cunliffe and Sina Basila Hickey spoke with RPA. More info at https://www.rensselaerplateau.org/

In January, the drinking water at the middle school in Poestenkill was found to be contaminated with the toxic forever chemical PFOA. Since then state and county officials have slowly begun to test some nearby wells and have found more contamination. Town Board Member Eric Wohllberger discusses his call for the state to provide free blood testing of residents and to more aggressively seek to identify the source of the contamination. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Radio Network.

Cropped CC image by Julien Harneis