Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Union members and supporters gathered Wednesday April 28 at Academy Park in Albany to remember the 22 workers who lost their lives last year in the capital district and demand safer and better working conditions.

Repercussions from the recent protests and heavy-handed dismantling of a tent encampment at Albany's South Station continued this week as the Center for Law and Justice and NAACP held a press conference, and police officers began appearing at community forums to plead their view of what happened.

Collar City Mushrooms is holding a First Art Experience at its Lansingburgh location here in Troy on Saturday, May 1 from 5 - 7 pm. HMM correspondent Corinne Carey spoke with Avery Stempel, owner of Collar City Mushrooms, Peruvian artist Amara Issel, and Maria Cristine Diotte of Bliss Arts, about the event; plans to ensure that it's COVID-safe; and about the featured art, the music, and the food that will be available. The event is free to the public, and you can learn more about it at collarcitymushrooms.com. Listeners can learn more about Bliss Arts by finding them on Facebook at BlissArtsNY.

Capital District United Left Front is one of ten groups in the Capital District May Day Organizing Committee. It starts on April 30 with a panel on the workers movement. Then a May 1 rally at 1 PM at Albany Med to support the nurses union trying to get a contract followed by speeches and live music at Washington Park amphitheater at 3 PM. Mark Dunlea of HMM talks with Kaleb Winters of Upper Hudson Green Party.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

We begin with an interview with Jamaica Miles of All of US about police reform efforts in the Cities of Schenectady and Albany.

Then, we cover the Earth Day Rally urging Congressmember Tonko to become a true climate champion.

Later on, Willie Terry talks to the head of the Albany Central Labor Council re the importance of May Day, including events planned locally this year

After that, we hear from Tina Lieberman about her workshop at the Sustainable Futures Conference on getting renewable energy in local communities.

Finally, we have a second segment on the conference, talking with Melissa Auf der Maur, of Basilica Hudson about “Climate Change & the Cultural Sector”

Tina Lieberman, volunteer Chair of the City of Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee, talks with HMM's Alexx Weihrich about her session for The Sustainable Futures Conference happening April 27 - 30.

Her section will discuss getting renewable energy to communities how we can all reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

To learn more about the conference, visit www.sustainablefuturesconference.com or go straight to Tina Lieberman's section at https://www.sustainablefuturesconference.com/breakout-session-leaders/tina-lieberman

Climate groups rallied in front of Congressmember Paul Tonko's office in Albany on Earth Day to urge him to be stronger on climate issues, starting with opposing new fossil fuel infrastructure. We hear from Alexis Goldsmith of Beyond Plastics and Lights out Norlite; Grace Nichols of PAUSE and Save the Pine Bush; and Eric Weltman of Food and Water Watch. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Radio Network.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

We begin with a conversation on the redistricting process and how the census might affect the drawing of district lines. HMM’s Corinne Carey speaks with Steve Elliott

Then, HMM’s Paul Smart continues his reporting of the Albany Police Department's South Station by interviewing activist Amy Jones

Later on, the Sustainable Futures Conference is this week, McKenna Conners spoke with presenter James Rath, City Planner for Troy, NY

And then we hear from the youth congress of the conference and hear from Mehr Sharma and August McEachern, interviewed by Water Justice Youth Fellows

Finally, we hear the second part of the interview with Poet, actor, playwright, and stage director Carol Durant by HMM’s Meg Marohn

Melissa Auf der Maur, Co-Founder and Director of Basilica Hudson, will be leading the session “Climate Change & the Cultural Sector” at the Sustainable Futures Conference happening April 27-30.

In this session Melissa Auf der Maur asks, How can arts and cultural leaders in our region leverage their economic development impacts to effect meaningful change for climate action, and support our municipalities to become more equitable, climate-smart communities?

www.SustainableFuturesConference.com

Just yesterday, the United States Census Bureau released the preliminary count from the 2020 Census, and we learned that New York State will lose one congressional seat as the result of changes in our population. It will be a few more months before we see final numbers and how they might affect the drawing of district lines but experts are already preparing for the coming work to ensure that those lines are drawn fairly. In 2014, New York voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing an independent redistricting commission that is set to take over the redistricting process beginning this year. In this second of a multi-part series on New York's redistricting process, HMM correspondent Corinne Carey spoke with Steve Elliott of the Albany County League of Women Voters. Steve talked about the politics of redistricting, efforts to reform redistricting in New York, and the LWVNYS People's Hearing on New York State Redistricting on Thursday, April 29th from 6:30 pm -8:00 pm. Listeners can find out more about the Hearing by visiting the Facebook page for the League of Women Voters of NYS.