Podcasts about Cold Spring

Highlights from the May 14 meeting At the Wednesday (May 14) meeting of the Cold Spring Village Board, Mayor Kathleen Foley reported that, after an attempt to approve a sales-tax-sharing plan failed, Putnam County's town and village leaders worked with the four members of state Legislature to draft a revised home-rule request to get it done. Foley said the county Legislature must vote to accept the request and that a special meeting has been scheduled for Monday. The mayor reported that, following recent heavy rains, Village Hall received numerous calls about water flowing out of an old conduit on Craigside Drive near Haldane. Tests showed the water appears to be from an underground stream that shifted course after the severe storms in July 2023. The village is working with the school district and Central Hudson to resolve the situation. Seastreak has canceled plans for summer cruises to Cold Spring. Instead, it has proposed a cruise for Sept. 6, followed by Saturday and Sunday excursions from Oct. 4 through Nov. 9. Friday dockings are proposed for Nov. 7, 14 and 21. The board approved usage-fee increases for the village sewer and water systems effective July 1. The Cold Spring Fire Co. responded to nine calls in April, including three runs to assist other fire companies, two assists to local emergency medical services, two activated fire alarms and two brush fires. Firefighters spent six hours helping to extinguish a 19-acre blaze in Putnam Valley. Chief Matt Steltz reported that volunteers Philip Kean, Lauren De La Vega and Kimberly Seville recently completed basic exterior firefighting training. The Cold Spring police responded to 115 calls in April, including 27 assists to other agencies, eight traffic stops and four motor vehicle crashes. The Village Board accepted Camille Linson's resignation as associate justice, effective June 5. She is moving out of the area. The Historic District Review Board is considering a policy that would require applicants to create escrow funds for projects that require a public hearing to cover expenses. Trustee Eliza Starbuck said she is exploring options for companies that supply parking payment kiosks linked to the ParkMobile app. The board budgeted for two additional kiosks as part of its 2025-26 budget. The board approved a request from the sloop Clearwater to dock at Cold Spring from July 19 to 27.

Marbled Meat to host house concert Strolling down Main Street in Beacon while eating, drinking and making merry on a beautiful weekend day, Aaron Miller outlined his vision for a music series that "builds community," a phrase often bandied about. But he gets things done. His first show with blues guitarist Jon Shain takes place on Sunday (May 18) at an unusual venue: the Marbled Meat Shop on Route 9 in Philipstown. Miller created a logo for what he calls his "butcher block party." "I always wanted to do house concerts and thought it would be a bougie thing with wine and cheese for 20 friends, but my girlfriend figured that we might ruin the carpet," Miller said. The couple decided to hold it outside, but when Lisa Hall of Marbled Meat heard about the plan, she urged caution. "Lisa goes, 'You know, you'll trample the lawn and maybe affect the septic tank, so why not have it here and we can do a pop-up barbecue?' " The BYOB event will raise money and collect non-perishables for the Philipstown Food Pantry. "When I heard about cuts to meals programs, I got fired up and decided that I had to give back," says Miller, who moved to Beacon in January. "On Saturday morning, 63 families signed up to get fed, and that kills me." Hosting the show provides a kid-friendly alternative to live music in a bar, says Hall. After Marbled opened 10 years ago, it presented Tall Country and other groups. "Now the tunes have come back in an organic way," she said. Shain, who lives in North Carolina, attended Duke University in the 1990s. So did Miller, a fan of the guitarist's college band, Flyin' Mice, which broke up long ago. "I guess I was on his short list all these years," says Shain, who will teach and perform at the Acoustic Getaway guitar camp in Stony Point this weekend. Specializing in post-World War I Mississippi Delta blues, Shain plays with bare fingers and often uses a thumb pick to pluck the bottom strings. Strumming is rare. Masters of this mesmerizing form seem to simulate two instruments playing at once. After branching into jazz, ragtime and bluegrass, Shain partnered with a music publisher to release two instructional books, Jon Shain's Fingerstyle Guitar Method and Gettin' Handy With the Blues, a reference to W.C. Handy, author of "St. Louis Blues," one of the genre's oldest and most popular songs. The concert will take place on the covered patio. Inside the shop, shelves showcase goods from local craft creators like LL Pottery and Maria Pierogi, along with Understory Market and Split Rock Books on Main Street in Cold Spring. "We know the experience of running errands down there on the weekends, so we brought some of them up here to support other businesses and help people avoid the crowds," says Hall. Miller is already planning his next butcher block party. "I'm good at stirring up trouble and trying to make a difference," he says. "There's always a sense of community that centers on eating, drinking and music. Marbled Meat was crazy enough to let me do this." Marbled Meat is located at 3091 Route 9 in Philipstown. The concert begins at 3 p.m. on May 18; a $20 donation is requested.

State must approve three-year agreement Central Hudson on Tuesday (May 13) announced a three-year agreement with the state and other parties that would raise electricity and gas delivery rates for most customers. If the plan is approved by the state Public Service Commission, a typical Central Hudson customer will pay $5.43 (5.09 percent) more per month for electricity delivery during the first year, beginning July 1, and $6.25 and $6.62 more for the subsequent two years. Lower-income customers enrolled in an energy-assistance program would see decreases of $3.85 (4.2 percent) per month. The delivery charge for gas would increase by $7.73 (6.6 percent) per month during the first year and $11.27 and $12.37 in subsequent years. After applying $44 million in bill credits, Central Hudson would collect $144 million in new revenue over the three years, according to a summary of the proposal. The company said it would spend that revenue on infrastructure, higher labor costs and bonuses, energy-efficiency and heat-pump programs and a 9.5 percent return on shareholder equity. Central Hudson also agreed to provide customer bills in Spanish, continue outreach to households about energy assistance and award up to $200,000 in grants for workforce training in green-energy fields. Opponents and supporters of the proposal, whose signatories include the state Department of Public Service, have until May 23 to submit statements to the PSC, which scheduled a hearing for June 13. "At Central Hudson, we understand the financial challenges that rising bills place on our customers, and we are committed to easing this burden by implementing a rate plan that balances essential system investments with the need to keep costs as low as possible," said Steph Raymond, the utility's president and CEO. Those costs, however, have been rising for Central Hudson's 315,000 electric and 90,000 gas customers. The most recent rate increase, approved by the PSC in July 2024, was for a one-year hike of $12.65 per month for the average electric bill and $12.25 for gas. The following month, Central Hudson submitted a request for another one-year increase to electric and gas delivery rates of $9 a month. The agreement announced on Tuesday replaces that request. Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, issued his verdict on Wednesday (May 14), urging the PSC to reject the proposed agreement. He said the return on equity is "good for shareholders of Fortis [Central Hudson's parent company] but not for its customers," who include 6,853 households in Beacon, 3,646 in Philipstown, 1,270 in Cold Spring and 326 in Nelsonville.

Philipstown, Dutchess County affected An appeals court on Wednesday (May 7) upheld a law that will shift many county and town elections in New York to even-numbered years, including in Putnam and Dutchess - a change meant to align local elections with statewide and federal races. Democrats argue that the law, which was approved two years ago, will increase turnout in local races. Republicans sued to block it, saying it violates the state constitution and could give Democrats a partisan advantage in higher-turnout election years. State Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat from Orange County who sponsored the legislation, said that town and county elections in odd years typically see 20 percent to 30 percent turnout, while those during presidential years can top 70 percent. The appeals court ruled that the law can take effect immediately. The decision overruled a lower court that struck down the law, enacted in December 2023. The Republican-led Dutchess Legislature voted last year to spend $100,000 to join the legal challenge to the legislation. Under the law, anyone in office before 2025 will complete his or her term, but subsequent terms will be shortened. Here's what that means locally: Two of the four Philipstown Town Board seats, which have four-year terms, will be on the ballot in 2027 for three-year terms. They will be on the ballot again in 2030 for four-year terms. The other two seats, which will be on the ballot in November, will be for three-year terms that end in 2028. The Philipstown highway commissioner and town clerk seats, which have four-year terms, will be on the 2027 ballot for three-year terms, then return to the ballot in 2030 for four-year terms. The town supervisor, who serves a two-year term, will be elected in November to a one-year term and the seat will appear on the ballot again in 2026 for a two-year term. The Dutchess County Legislature seats, which will all be on the ballot in November, will be for one-year terms, rather than two, and return to the ballot in 2026. The election for county executive, a four-year position, will occur as scheduled in 2027, but the winner will serve only three years, until 2030. The law exempts villages, such as Cold Spring and Nelsonville. In cities, such as Beacon, elections can only be changed through a constitutional amendment. The law also exempts county races for sheriff, district attorney, clerk and judges. The law does not affect the Putnam County executive, whose four-year term is on the ballot in even-numbered years and next up in 2026, or Putnam legislators, who serve three-year terms. The Associated Press contributed reporting.

Philipstown artist mounts first solo show When Lisa Diebboll needs inspiration for her landscape paintings, she walks next door from her Philipstown home to a town park that has a meadow and pond. "It's like a laboratory" for creativity, she says. The artist's first solo show, Between Observation and Abstraction, continues through May 31 at the Buster Levi Gallery in Cold Spring. The Rhode Island School of Design graduate says the abstract and formal work together to make a landscape come alive - "all of sudden everything makes sense when you look at it." But, she says, she has little interest in abstraction alone. "I need reality." "I'm looking for certain juxtapositions of shapes and colors, and I use them as my jumping off point," adds Diebboll, who co-owns The Highland Studio, a fine art printmaking business off Route 9 that she established 28 years ago with her husband, Joe. She studied painting and printmaking at RISD (where she met Joe, also a graduate of the school). "I love printmaking and the process," she says. "I love that way of thinking about images and imagery." The business "turned into a way for us to stay in the art world and have a career that could support a family." Lately, Diebboll has taken a step back from the printing business. "In the past five years I've been working to get back to my first love, which is painting, and it's where I'm happiest," she says. To reach that goal, Diebboll reclaimed a home bedroom as a studio. The Buster Levi show includes 15 oil paintings, as well as prints and sketches. A few paintings are framed conventionally, but Diebboll otherwise used a light aluminum support onto which she affixes her works on linen. The aluminum is attached to wood that can be suspended from the gallery's hooks. The result: a strong, light panel that is easier to store than the usual stretched canvas and can be displayed with or without a frame. "Chartreuse and Ultramarine Violet Receding" (2025) "Quarry - Fractured, Askew" (2024) "Squirrel Island Assemblage" (2025) "Tree Figures" (2025) In the works, Diebboll's greens and blues are in dialogue with salmons and pinks; some are energized by yellow and orange. In one small piece, a modest house peeks through trees; hills inject diagonal verve into others. Diebboll says it gives her satisfaction to explore the interplays. Growing up, her family leaned into science more than art, but her father was an accomplished painter in pastels. She remembers being transfixed by her parents' oversized art books, which she would spread open on the floor to gaze at the images. "I always wanted to put marks on paper and draw or paint what I saw," she recalls. Spying her young daughter's interest, Diebboll's mother enrolled her in oil painting lessons; she continued with the same teacher through high school. Diebboll's own two daughters studied art but did not pursue artistic careers. One works in biological and environmental science and the other in the food industry. The opening of her show on May 3 was "a perfectly lovely evening," Diebboll says. She sold several paintings. "My biggest goal now is not to lose the thread and to keep going with the path that I've established." The Buster Levi Gallery, at 121 Main St. in Cold Spring, is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, or by appointment. See busterlevigallery.com.

Customers again will be returned to Central Hudson Philipstown residents and businesses receiving fixed-rate electricity through Hudson Valley Community Power will be transferred back to Central Hudson because the program administrator ran out of time to extend the contract. In what is known as a community choice aggregation (CCA) program, municipalities contract with a third-party supplier to offer residents and businesses a fixed rate for electricity, although Central Hudson continues to provide delivery and billing. Cold Spring, Nelsonville, Philipstown and nine other municipalities (not including Beacon) agreed to participate. Residents and businesses are added to the program automatically but can opt out. Hudson Valley Community Power was negotiating to extend a contract that ends June 30. Mike Gordon, founder and chief strategy officer for the program administrator, Joule Assets, said in a letter to municipalities that "times are deeply uncertain at the moment and electricity prices rose quickly in response." Nelsonville Mayor Chris Winward read the letter at the April 21 Village Board meeting. Although prices have fallen more recently, Gordon said Joule lacked enough time to meet new guidelines created by the state utility regulator, the Public Service Commission, to notify and educate customers about new pricing before June 30. Because the "political and economic environment is so volatile," Joule does expect "opportunities to lock in some advantageous pricing" over the next two to three months. Joule will spend those months learning "how best to work through" the new PSC regulations, said Jessica Stromback, the company's CEO. "The order is, let everybody go back to the utility and not scramble," she said on Wednesday (May 7). "That process is smooth; the utility understands it. There's no interruption in service." Under the current contract, residents and businesses in the CCA pay a default rate of 12.24 cents per kilowatt hour for 100 percent renewable energy in Cold Spring and 11.24 cents per kilowatt-hour for 50 percent renewable energy in Nelsonville and Philipstown. Those customers will be charged Central Hudson's variable rate starting July 1. As of April 10, Central Hudson's standard supply rate was 10.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. Last year's summer rates, when electricity demand is higher, averaged 9.6 cents per kilowatt-hour. (Central Hudson charges a separate rate for delivery.) "[The CCA] pricing was high, but it was locked in and we knew what it would be," Winward said at last month's meeting. "We don't know what the volatility of Central Hudson's rates are going to bring us." The July 1 transition will mark the second time residents and businesses enrolled in Hudson Valley Community Power have been sent back to Central Hudson. A former supplier, Columbia Utilities, defaulted on a contract to provide renewable energy at 6.6 cents per kilowatt-hour for residences and 7.1 cents for small businesses, including those in Beacon, Cold Spring and Philipstown. In April 2022, Columbia notified the PSC that it intended to return customers to Central Hudson. A state judge on Dec. 5 approved a $1.5 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by the municipalities against Columbia Utilities. The company admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to a $1 million payment into a settlement fund and $50,000 monthly payments by June 1, 2025, to cover the balance. The Ulster County judge overseeing the case also approved $286,585 in attorney fees and up to $56,500 in administrative costs. Eligible customers began receiving checks for about $50 last month.

Plans to challenge Putnam incumbent as independent Larry Burke, a former officer-in-charge for the Cold Spring Police Department, has announced a campaign to challenge incumbent Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville in the fall election. Both men live in Philipstown. Burke said he plans to collect signatures for a nominating petition by a May 27 deadline to get on the ballot as an independent. McConville is seeking his second, 4-year term on the Republican and Conservative lines. Burke, 59, has worked in law enforcement for 37 years, including 26 years with the New York City Police Department. He joined the Cold Spring department in 2013 and served as officer-in-charge for seven years. He resigned in 2024 but continues as a part-time officer. Burke has also served as a firefighter with North Highlands Fire Co. for 12 years. He spoke with The Current on Thursday (May 1). His responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. What was your role with NYPD? I was a transit police officer for five years, riding and patrolling the subways in all the boroughs, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. After that, I did regular patrols in the 40th precinct, South Bronx, for two years. I moved to the community policing unit, where you patrol a five- to 10-block area. You get to know people, the residents, store owners and the bad guys. You learn about cultures; that people from Colombia, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic are different culturally in how they bring up their family, how they do certain things. It's how I learned community policing. You get into people's lives, understand them, understand their kids, understand where they're from. They might distrust the police because the military may have run the police department [in their native countries]. It was a learning experience for me, a white police officer in a predominantly minority neighborhood. It was good. It was about gaining friendships and mutual respect. There must have been culture shock coming to Cold Spring. The crime was a lot less than what I dealt with before! One school, one neighborhood, stores on Main Street. You get to know people a lot quicker. I was experienced but still had to start on midnights. I found it a little hard to adjust to seeing three deer in the middle of the street but no people at 2 a.m. When I started day shifts, I got out of the patrol car, started walking, got to know the community. Is being an officer-in-charge enough experience to be sheriff? I had to run a small police department. I knew how to be a patrol officer, but I didn't know about budgets. I didn't know about manpower. I didn't know how to deal with the county, the state. I learned a lot in seven years. I went through seven budget processes, learned what we could and couldn't afford, what to fight for, what to let go until the next cycle. I learned about hiring people and letting people go. As my responsibilities increased, it built my confidence. I did the administrative work and I know I can do that with the county. I will reach out and hire a staff with expertise in the civil unit, the corrections unit, captain of patrol, captain of communications and other positions. I want to surround myself with intelligent people who know the police world. I want mutual support and to do the best job I can. Is running as an independent realistic? It is to me. There should be no politics in policing whatsoever, especially with today's atmosphere. Everyone's fighting at the national, state and county level. I'm a police officer and a volunteer firefighter. We don't look to see who's a Democrat and who's a Republican. We serve. I knew it was going to be hard running as an independent, but I'm not going to push one political party or another. And no one should run unopposed. Why should residents vote for you? I've dealt with Sheriff McConville personally. I've been in meetings with him, along with the chiefs of other police departments in the county, and what I've seen is division. It's his way or the highwa...

Towns, villages would split sales-tax revenue Putnam legislators on Monday (April 28) discussed a plan to share sales taxes with the county's municipalities - including Cold Spring, Nelsonville and Philipstown - two weeks after County Executive Kevin Byrne outlined a proposal. Members of the Audit Committee reviewed a proposal to distribute $3 million of $90 million in reserves to aid the county's six towns and three villages. The money, allocated based on population, could be used on infrastructure and capital projects and "essential services," but not payroll. Legislator Toni Addonizio suggested increasing the outlay to $5 million and allotting the same amount in 2026. She referenced a charge by Cold Spring Mayor Kathleen Foley that Putnam was "hoarding" money. "We don't want to hoard money; we want to give it out," said Addonizio. Putnam's surplus, including savings allocated to expenses, hit $134 million this year, a level which Legislator Paul Jonke called "obscene." Michael Lewis, the finance commissioner, said Monday that unspent funds from unfilled positions and inflation-driven increases in sales-tax revenue fueled the surplus. Legislator Greg Ellner said that Putnam's next annual audit, when released, will show another $8 million to $12 million in the surplus. By sending some of that money to municipalities, Putnam would join 50 of the state's 62 counties that share revenue. Dutchess, for instance, distributes 2.35 percent of sales taxes collected to Beacon, 5.41 percent to the City of Poughkeepsie and 9.5 percent to its towns and villages. A proposal unveiled by Byrne on April 15 and endorsed by the municipalities would share one-ninth of the 1 percent of sales-tax intake, which would have amounted to about $2.3 million based on 2024 revenue. It would take effect only if the state passes a pending bill allowing Putnam to continue collecting 4 percent, which it has done since 2007 when the state permitted the county to raise its rate by 1 percent. The 4 percent rate has been repeatedly extended but expires on Nov. 30. State lawmakers must pass another extension before the end of the current session on June 12 or the rate will revert to 3 percent. The total sales tax in Putnam is 8.375 percent, which includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. Legislator Nancy Montgomery, who represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley, said she likes Byrne's proposal because it is based on sales-tax revenue. If the county came to a point "where we have no fund balance," the money would not be distributed. Montgomery, who once proposed a plan in which the municipalities would receive 50 percent of sales taxes over the amount budgeted, offered several amendments to the Audit Committee resolution: (1) that Byrne be involved in crafting the agreement, (2) that municipalities be allowed to spend on personnel "tied to short-term and public needs" and (3) that it include reporting and audit requirements. "While I appreciate the efforts in including our municipalities in the resolution that you wrote, I think it requires a lot more," she told her colleagues. "I really wish you would have considered my resolution." Foley, who was at the meeting, also expressed concerns, including that the proposal does not establish a minimum amount that municipalities would receive. Byrne's plan guarantees each town and village at least $50,000, a commitment particularly important for Nelsonville, whose 600 residents make it the county's smallest municipality. Foley called for assurances that revenue-sharing would continue beyond next year, such as the long-term agreements Dutchess and other counties have in place. Because of the surplus, the Legislature voted last month, 5-4, to ask the state to allow the county to lower its sales-tax rate to 3.75 percent, but Byrne vetoed the resolution and proponents did not have the six votes needed to override. The county executive cited the loss of a...

A hobby - but also disaster response It wasn't marked by parades, fireworks or an interview on 60 Minutes, but World Amateur Radio Day was April 18. For many, amateur, or "ham" radio, is viewed as a hobby from the past. But it's very much alive and more than a pastime, locally and internationally. The century-old International Amateur Radio Union estimates there are 3 million operators in 160 countries, including 700,000 in the U.S., 540 in the immediate area, 50 in Philipstown and 43 in Beacon. For many, interest in ham radio began early in life. As a 10-year-old, Joe Barbaro of Cold Spring loved listening to English-language, shortwave broadcasts from Germany, Russia and other faraway countries. "Radio Moscow was a favorite," he said. "Even at a young age I knew they were full of it, but it was fun to listen to." He graduated to ham radio at age 14. "England was about the best I could do" for conversations, he said. "I didn't have powerful enough equipment for beyond that," he said. "I was kind of a minor-leaguer." Another Cold Spring resident, Damian McDonald, got started at age 6. "My uncle was a Franciscan priest based in Bolivia, and the only way we communicated was ham radio," he said. "It was kind of magical, even with the static." It motivated him to build his own ham radio from a Heathkit; today he has a mobile ham station in his car. Before he retired from a career in cybersecurity, he enjoyed conversations with other operators during his daily commute to New Jersey. "I could hold a conversation with the same person all the way down," he recalled. McDonald noted that "emergency preparedness is still a core tenant of amateur radio," and Anesta Vannoy of Beacon would agree. She got into ham radio in 2018 as a disaster response chaplain. She wanted to assist at emergencies but, as a senior citizen, thought it could be difficult getting to the scenes of incidents. She belongs to four networks: Westchester Emergency Communications Association, Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club, Orange County Amateur Radio Club and the Harlem Emergency Network. "I like that I'm preparing myself to help others," she said. She hones her skills at events such as the New York Airshow at Orange County Airport and the St. Patrick's Day parade in Wappingers Falls. She also attends trainings led by "elmers" from her networks - lingo for more experienced operators. Part of her weekly routine is checking her five radios to ensure each is charged and operational. Her son, Raheem, will soon take the entry-level test for licensing by the Federal Communications Commission. Operators must pass tests at progressive levels: Technician, General and Amateur Extra. Raheem is relearning Morse Code, a skill he acquired as a Boy Scout. Although Morse Code is no longer required, "it can still be useful in certain emergency situations," he said. First responders see ham radio as an asset. Ralph Falloon, a Philipstown resident who is deputy commissioner of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services, said operators are considered part of the county's emergency preparedness network and provide vital backup in situations such as interruptions to the power grid. "The Putnam Emergency and Amateur Repeater League, or PEARL, has an office in our building," in Carmel, he said. "They have radio equipment here and mobile towers they can set up for mini-networks." Robert Cuomo, Putnam's director of emergency medical services, offered an example: If the grid goes down and a hospital generator fails, ham operators could set up on site and communicate with ambulances. That's what happened in 2005 in New Orleans when the region's infrastructure was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. "In many cases, the only communication in and out was ham radio," he said. PEARL hosts field days for operators. It includes contests to see who can speak to the most people around the world[ but also covers disaster training, Cuomo said. "They can't use commercial power - just a battery or generator....

Federal court rulings reassure board members The Haldane school board plans to reinstate the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy at its Tuesday (May 6) meeting, two weeks after suspending the standards in a bid to safeguard $450,000 in federal funding threatened by the Trump administration's opposition to DEI programs. The reversal came after federal judges in Maryland, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., on April 24 temporarily blocked the administration from cutting funding to schools with what the White House characterizes as "illegal" practices. Those rulings occurred the same day the administration chose as the deadline for local school districts to certify they had eliminated DEI policies and operated in compliance with Title VI the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination in federally funded programs. The Haldane board also passed a resolution asserting the latter. A day later, New York and 18 other states filed a federal lawsuit challenging the certification requirement. They called the directive "unprecedented and unlawful," and said DEI initiatives actually support civil rights law. Haldane voted unanimously on April 22 to suspend its DEI policy pending "clarification of the conflict between the respective positions of the state and federal governments regarding Title VI and DEI," according to the resolution. On Wednesday (April 30), the district issued a statement that said its legal counsel had advised that the federal rulings could be interpreted to mean "there is no longer an imminent risk of losing funds." The statement said the board will reinstate the DEI policy "without modification and will continue to address all policy revisions through its standard review process." Carl Albano, the interim superintendent, said the five-member board made the decision after meeting in a closed session on Tuesday with Michael Lambert, its attorney from Shaw, Perelson, May & Lambert, which represents and advises many area districts. Haldane Statement On April 29, 2025, the Haldane Board of Education met in executive session with legal counsel from Shaw, Perelson, May & Lambert. Counsel advised that, based on the April 24, 2025, rulings by three federal court judges temporarily blocking the U.S. Department of Education from implementing and enforcing its Feb. 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter, the Feb. 28, 2025, Frequently Asked Questions and the April 3, 2025, certification requirement, there is no longer an imminent risk of losing Title funds related to the Title VI certification requirement. As a result, the Board intends to reinstate its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy at its May 6, 2025, meeting without modification and will continue to address all policy revisions through its standard review process. Read Haldane letter to community. "The board was surprised by the level of acrimony" from the community in response to its vote, said Peggy Clements, its president. "Many of us wish we had said more during and after the [April 22] meeting to explain that the suspension was temporary, that this was a difficult decision for us given our commitment to the aims of the policy, that we believed federal funding was truly at risk if we didn't act by April 24, and that we were making the decision because we believed that protecting the funds was in the best interests of students." Clement said that she and another board member will be at a Haldane PTA meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday (May 5) at the Butterfield Library in Cold Spring to answer questions about the DEI policy. Albano said that district residents told him they had hoped the board would take a more defiant stance, as Harvard University did when it refused changes demanded by the administration despite a threat to end $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts. "We don't have a $53 billion endowment like Harvard," said Albano. The Haldane district has an annual budget of about $30 million. The $450,000 in feder...

Linda George, parishioner at St. Boniface in Cold Spring, shares how listening plays a role in discernment process – listening to others, to research, to the Holy Spirit. She provides examples of discernment from her life, methods she finds useful and even a nugget of wisdom her daily devotional brought forward on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph.

Endorses revenue sharing with towns, villages Putnam Executive Kevin Byrne this week vetoed a sales-tax reduction passed by the county Legislature and announced a long-discussed plan to share revenue with towns and villages if the rate remains unchanged. In a memo sent Monday (April 14) to the Legislature, Byrne called on lawmakers to convene an emergency meeting to rescind their 5-4 vote requesting the state allow Putnam to lower the county's portion of the tax on purchases from 4 percent to 3.75 percent. The reduction would cost the county an estimated $5.3 million annually. The higher rate has been in place since 2007, when the state enacted a law allowing Putnam to increase its sales tax from 3 percent to 4 percent. A series of extensions have kept the higher rate in place, but the most recent one expires on Nov. 30, requiring passage of another bill before state lawmakers end their 2025 session on June 12. Consumers in Putnam County pay 8.375 percent sales tax, which includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. With the reduction, the total tax would fall to 8.125 percent. Preserving the rate will allow the county to continue reducing property taxes and fund capital projects, Byrne wrote in his memo. Flanked by officials from Philipstown, Cold Spring, Nelsonville and Putnam's other towns and villages, Byrne also announced outside Kent Town Hall on Tuesday that if county legislators renew the extra 1 percent, one-ninth of its revenue would be distributed annually to municipalities for infrastructure and capital projects. If sales-tax sharing had been in place in 2024, Putnam would have distributed $2.4 million to the county's six towns and three villages on a per capita basis, said Byrne during a news conference. Each would be guaranteed at least $50,000. With the move, Putnam would join 50 of New York's 62 counties that share sales tax revenue with their municipalities, according to the state Comptroller's Office. Dutchess' 2025 budget includes $46 million in sales-tax distributions, with an estimated $6.1 million for Beacon. Extending the current rate will also help fund a $1 million reduction in the property-tax levy that Byrne says he will propose for the 2026 budget. The reduction would be the largest in county history, he said. Addressing the Legislature on April 1, Cold Spring Mayor Kathleen Foley accused legislators of "hoarding" money because Putnam has accumulated $134 million in savings. Speaking at the news conference, Foley said the village has stormwater impacts it needs to address and that extra revenue could also help the village manage tourism. Dan Birmingham, the legislator who initially proposed a reduction to 3.5 percent, said the size of Putnam's savings, or fund balance, justified giving residents a break. During his first stint as a legislator, from 2004 to 2012, Birmingham supported the 2007 increase to 4 percent to cover county losses attributed to the Great Recession. Now, Putnam is "sitting on top of the largest fund balance-to-budget ratio this county has ever seen," he said. When Nancy Montgomery, who represents Philipstown and part of the Putnam Valley, predicted before the April 1 vote that Byrne would veto the lower sales tax, Birmingham said that unless the Legislature has six votes to override a veto, "you return to the status quo" after Nov. 30 - the 3 percent rate that existed before 2007. Byrne said on Tuesday that sacrificing the full 1 percent "would not help the towns; it would hurt this county" because the annual revenue loss would total about $20 million. In 2022, the Legislature unanimously agreed to pass along sales tax that exceeded what the county collected the previous year. In what turned out to be a one-time distribution, it shared $5 million, sending $369,670 to Philipstown, $101,671 to Cold Spring and $31,945 to Nelsonville, which used its portion to study the feasibility of building a sewer system. Nelsonvil...

Cites support for NYC toll, interest in Lawler seat A Philipstown resident who represents Putnam County on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board rejected a demand by the county executive that he resign because of his support for congestion pricing in lower Manhattan and his interest in the U.S. House seat held by Rep. Mike Lawler. Neal Zuckerman, a Democrat who chairs the MTA board's Finance Committee, served on the Metro-North Commuter Council for six years before being appointed in 2016 to the MTA board with a recommendation from then-County Executive MaryEllen Odell, a Republican. He was reappointed, to a term that ends in 2026, by the state Senate in 2023 with a recommendation from Byrne, also a Republican. Byrne, a former Assembly member elected as county executive in 2022, is an ally of Lawler and a critic of the MTA's 3-month-old congestion-pricing program, which launched on Jan. 5 with a $9 toll for passenger and small commercial vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. Zuckerman supports the toll, which is higher for buses and trucks, and raised $48 million in the first month while reducing traffic and travel times in lower Manhattan, according to the MTA. In an April 3 letter, Byrne claimed that Zuckerman "conveyed a genuine desire to work across the aisles regardless of political differences" during a meeting in 2023 for his reappointment but had since "outright opposed the policy positions" of the county and "openly assailed several officials duly elected by the people of Putnam County." He called on Zuckerman to resign "in a manner which is dignified and appropriate." Byrne also referenced news reports about Zuckerman's interest in seeking the 17th District congressional seat held by Lawler, a Republican in his second term. Philipstown is within the district's borders. Those reports "make clear that you intend to present yourself as a candidate for public office and seem to be using your position in furtherance of that pursuit," said Byrne. "It is imperative that we have a representative on the board who is dedicated to the position." Byrne copied his letter to President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, both U.S. senators from New York, Lawler, four members of the state Legislature, the MTA board chair and the chair of the county Legislature. Individual legislators were also asked to sign a separate letter from Bill Gouldman, who represents Putnam Valley, calling for Zuckerman's resignation. Lawler said in a statement on Wednesday that Byrne's letter "speaks for itself. If Neal Zuckerman is not representing the interests of Putnam County residents on the MTA board, he should resign." In a letter responding to Byrne, Zuckerman said that chairing the board's Finance Committee has enabled him to champion projects that benefit Putnam riders, who use both the Harlem and Hudson lines. Those projects include repairs at the Cold Spring and Garrison stations and funding in the 2025-29 capital plan to buttress the Hudson Line against flooding, he said. He said his support for congestion pricing "should come as no surprise" since he had voted in 2019 for a capital plan that relied on it. "At recent board meetings, I have lamented the added burden of yet another fee on residents of our region," he wrote. But the program, enacted by state law in 2019, will help fund $15 billion (25 percent) of the MTA's capital plan for 2025-2029, which will "improve the system that is essential to the livelihoods of Putnam County commuters and, indeed, for the region's economy," said Zuckerman. He said that 69 percent of Putnam residents who visit the congestion zone get there by train but will benefit from the toll collected from drivers. If Zuckerman decides to pursue Lawler's seat, he could face at least four other Democrats declaring their candidacies: Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator; Jessica Reinmann, founder of the nonprofit 914Cares in Westchester County; Cait Conley,...

Cold Spring church operated day care for 57 years The Community Nursery School and Learning Center operated by the First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown will close in June after 57 years, in large part because of the loss of 4-year-olds to prekindergarten programs launched by public schools with state aid. Community Nursery opened in 1968 at the Cold Spring church on Academy Street as an "affordable alternative," the school said in a news release. It was directed for much of its history by Rosemary Rodino, whose 38-year tenure ended with her retirement in 2023. "We are grateful for the rich history of the school and the efforts made by students, teachers, parents and church volunteers for helping the school to thrive for so long," the Rev. Brian Merritt, the pastor at First Presbyterian, said in a statement. "This was a very tough and emotional decision for us." The Sunday morning service on June 8 will be dedicated to the school. Because of state regulations, Community Nursery operates for just under three hours in the mornings. It considered expanding to a full-day program but found it too expensive to comply with the licensing requirements, said Laura Reid, who serves on the oversight committee for the school. She said the school has 16 students enrolled but that 10 will turn 4 by Dec. 1, making them eligible for pre-K programs such as those newly offered by Haldane and Garrison. "We're applauding the fact that Universal pre-K has come to the community, but unfortunately it means that the Community Nursery School is not viable," she said. "We would be losing most of our 4-year-olds." St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Garrison has a preschool that has operated for 64 years, since 1960. Like the Community Nursery, it runs for just under three hours in the morning. It has 24 students but saw a dramatic drop in 4-year-olds when the Garrison School across the street launched a pre-K program two years ago, said Betsy Alberty, its director. The school, which has space for 30 children, had 14 four-year-olds then and now has five. In response, St. Philip's began accepting more 2-year-olds. "We had to be flexible," Alberty said. Ilana Friedman, the director of the preschool at the Beacon Hebrew Alliance, said pre-K has not had such a dramatic effect because all but one of its 13 students are 2 or 3 years old. The rise of pre-K at public schools has impacted licensed day cares, as well. In years past at Stacy's House, a preschool operated by Stacy Labriola at her home in Philipstown, as many as half of the children were 4. Today, only two of 16 are that old. "It's free - you can't compete with that," she said of pre-K programs.

Program would connect city with Newburgh Two area residents have been awarded $100,000 by New York State to explore a bike-sharing program that would connect Beacon and Newburgh. Thomas Wright, a Beacon resident and head of the city's Greenway Trail Committee, and Naomi Hersson-Ringskog, an urban planner who lives in Newburgh, were awarded the funding through a Clean Mobility program overseen by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). It aims to add zero-emission connections to public transportation in underserved communities. The award is not to create a bike-share program but to plan how one could work. Wright, who works in Newburgh, and Hersson-Ringskog will be paired with WXY Architecture + Urban Design to develop a blueprint for a program similar to New York City's Citi Bike initiative. Wright and Hersson-Ringskog said they envision stations with eight to 10 bikes each, some electric, which users could check out for a fee or perhaps at no charge because of sponsors. The duo foresee their plan leading to a public-private partnership like Citi Bike's, which partners with the New York City Department of Transportation and Lyft, the ridesharing company. A combination of private funding, sponsors and memberships support the program. Officials on both sides of the Hudson River have indicated they're supportive of bikes for transportation, Hersson-Ringskog said. In Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou has endorsed the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, a 7.5-mile linear park that Scenic Hudson is planning between Beacon and Cold Spring. The city is equally enthusiastic about a proposed Beacon-to-Hopewell rail trail. Both projects would significantly increase safe bike routes. Beacon also has applied for funding from Dutchess County for a rehab of Beekman Street, which leads to the Metro-North station. The project, still several years away, could include bike lanes that would build on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's "first mile, last mile" initiative for environmentally friendly ways for passengers to connect to trains. In Newburgh, Hersson-Ringskog's nonprofit, Dept of Small Interventions, in 2020 partnered with the city's Transportation Advisory Committee to create a community bike action plan, while monthly "critical mass" community rides take place from April to October. "You feel proud of your community that you're not starting from zero," Hersson-Ringskog said. She and Wright are also working to create the "Regional Connector," a 1-mile path that would connect the Metro-North station in Beacon to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. That effort, they say, could unify a growing network of trails. A bike-share program could accelerate the campaign, Wright said, "by providing a means of mobility which gives users much greater range. When you add in e-bikes, the options are further multiplied." WXY plans to survey residents in both cities (see linktr.ee/newburgh.beacon.bike), while Wright and Hersson-Ringskog will make presentations to community groups. WXY will also help with data analysis, mapping and exploring partnerships for maintenance, operations and funding. "We hope to uncover the voice of a broad cross-section of the communities that desires this," Hersson-Ringskog said. "Here you have a transportation system that could really unite Beacon and Newburgh. We're stronger together, essentially." The bike-share grant was one of 29 - totaling $2.9 million - that NYSERDA announced in March. Projects elsewhere in the state will explore the feasibility of charging hubs, scooter-share programs and electric-vehicle car shares. Ten of the 29 are in the Hudson Valley, including in Kingston, Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. With "transformational" developments being considered in the region, Wright said he believes "multi-modal systems" that can alleviate congestion without polluting the environment "are so important to think about."

Program spurred by federal cuts Hudson Valley farmers reeling from cuts and freezes to federal funding will get some help from one of their own as the growing season gets underway. On Tuesday (April 8), the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Philipstown announced it is accepting applications for private aid designed to buoy operations as the U.S. Department of Agriculture cancels grants, produce purchases for food pantries and schools and funding for other farming initiatives. Describing its Hudson Valley Farm Relief Fund as a "time-limited emergency response," Glynwood hopes to raise as much as $1.5 million to distribute to farmers in Dutchess, Putnam and nine other counties who have lost funding from nearly 20 federal programs. Applications are open through April 21 at dub.sh/HV-farm-aid. Recipients can use the funds "in the most impactful way for their business," according to Glynwood. The funding freezes and contract cancellations began after Brooke Rollins took the oath as the USDA's secretary on Feb. 13. A week later, Rollins said the agency's programs "are focused on supporting farmers and ranchers, not DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility] programs or far-left climate programs." Some of the frozen contracts were for the USDA's Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities program, which awarded grants to the Hudson Valley and three other regions to improve the ability of farmers to adapt to drought, extreme heat and other threats from climate change. Glynwood, which oversees the program, hired Zach Wolf of EZ Farms in Columbia County to develop plans for eight farms. The practices included planting cover crops, as well as integrating more trees to act as a windbreak, improving soil, water and air quality and providing perennial crops in the form of fruit. "We have partners who received letters out of the blue telling them that their government contracts - contracts that have been signed and that they were already doing work toward - have been canceled," said Megan Larmer, the senior director of programs at Glynwood. On Wednesday (April 9), U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, lambasted cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, through which the USDA purchases locally grown farm products for food banks to distribute to hospitals, pantries, schools, senior centers and soup kitchens. Some of the local beneficiaries, such as the Philipstown Food Pantry, receive TEFAP-purchased food through the Regional Food Bank in Montgomery, which said it expects the cuts to cost it 200 tractor-trailer shipments delivering an estimated 8 million pounds of food from farmers. "I had to read this five times before I believed it," said Ryan of the canceled shipments. "We're all already feeling the crunch of the affordability crisis, which is made immeasurably worse by Trump's tariffs. Now he's ripping food away from hungry children - it's absolutely disgusting." Hudson Valley farmers who benefited from the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance funding are among those eligible for Glynwood's emergency aid. Along with another program facing cuts, Local Foods for Schools, LFPA funding allows food banks, schools and childcare programs to buy food from farmers. Using LFPA funding, the state's Food for New York Families program awarded $2 million in 2023 to the Regional Food Bank and $2 million to Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County, which has bought and distributed 290,000 pounds of farm products via pantries and a truck whose stops include the county senior center and Chestnut Ridge in Cold Spring and the Brookside mobile home park in Philipstown.

150 Years Ago (April 1875) The shoe stores of Thomas Martin and Hugh Patterson were burglarized by culprits who fled toward Breakneck in a light wagon. "Strange to say, no reward was offered and, consequently, no pursuit was made," The Cold Spring Recorder reported. A week later, several pairs of ladies' gaiters were found in a buggy stored in an unoccupied building on Market Street that was once the Presbyterian Church. Allen Brewer appeared to have "skedaddled" from Nelsonville with all his family's goods except the calico. A miniature steam engine puffed away in a hole on April 2 opposite Patterson's shoe store to thaw a frozen pipe 2 feet below the surface that had prevented any water from flowing below Chestnut Street. The work continued for more than two weeks. On April 15, the engine exploded outside Mr. Murry's store and a piece of burning charcoal landed between the collar and neck of Jimmie Mellravy, causing a blister. Charles Emerson, who lived near Mekeel's Corners, claimed he killed six crows with one shot from his English fowling piece. Jackson Tompkins of Putnam Valley said he shot 12 foxes over the winter. The Episcopal bishop of New York visited Cold Spring for a Saturday morning service to install the Rev. Mr. Isaac Van Winkle as rector of St. Mary's Church. Van Winkle then left for a 10-day vacation. Twice in a week, a train was stopped by a malfunctioning south signal, which did not instill confidence in the system. Dr. Griffin of Nelsonville opened a branch office at the corner of Main and Stone streets that he manned daily from 7 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Officer McAndrew caught two truants from the Rock Street School after "a lively chase." After guests at the Pacific Hotel heard wild geese honking on the river, they began to shoot at them for sport. The Recorder editor reported that Jacob Levi and Barny Clinton exchanged "a great many small rocks and vile epithets" just outside the newspaper office. A freight engine, while taking water at the station, sent a spark onto the roof of a shed, but a young man spotted the smoke and climbed to put it out. William Conroy drove to Sandy Landing Cove to wash the mud off his wagon, but the horse sank in the sediment. When Conroy climbed down to get it out, the horse knocked him into the water. After determining that the oath given to members of the Nelsonville board had been improperly administered, the village petitioned the state Legislature to legalize its past proceedings. The governor vetoed a bill giving the Garrison and West Point Ferry Co. a half-mile monopoly. He said it was unconstitutional to give exclusive benefits to a private corporation. The father of Miss Warner, author of Wide Wide World, died at the family home on Constitution Island. She sent for two clergymen to conduct the service but, when they failed to show, knelt by the coffin and led the prayers. There was a split in the Baptist Church among parishioners who wanted to dismiss the Rev. Benjamin Bowen and those who wanted him to stay. When a deacon said taking a vote would be illegal, most people left. Those who remained then voted to keep Bowen for another year. 125 Years Ago (April 1900) The M. Taylor Granolithic Co. rented the Truesdell property on Main Street to manufacture the liquid it used in its patented sawdust flooring. The Cold Spring Hose Co. changed its name to the Cold Spring Fire Co. No. 1. Dr. Lewis Morris, a former Cold Spring physician, was engaged to Katherine Clark, whose father planned to give the couple a mansion on Fifth Avenue. After Thomas Coe began selling 26 eggs for 25 cents [$9.50] at his dry goods store, Truesdell offered 30 for 25 cents; Morris, 35 for 25 cents; and Secor, 36 for 25 cents. Morris then went to 50 for 25 cents. Charles de Rham hired King Quarry Co. to cut a $1,500 [about $57,000 today] fountain and horse trough (shown today, below) for the highway near Indian Brook as a memorial to his late wife. Mrs. Michael Clare reported to the village po...

Also, council member protests Trump policies The Philipstown Town Board agreed on April 3 to form a committee to draft a permitting system and operating standards for short-term rentals such as those booked through Airbnb and Vrbo. The regulations would apply outside of Cold Spring, which approved its own code in 2021 that has yet to be enforced. The Village Board is revising the rules, saying they would have been too cumbersome. Philipstown discussed restrictions as recently as 2022, when residents complained at a Town Hall workshop about a long-running rental in Garrison. On April 3, Van Tassel also referenced a recent fire at an Airbnb in Dutchess County that killed a Cape Cod woman and her infant daughter. According to prosecutors, the rental in Salt Point did not have smoke detectors, although the listing said it did, and the hosts did not have a town permit for short-term rentals. Pledge protest Council Member Jason Angell remained seated during the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the meeting. He said he was protesting actions by the administration of President Donald Trump that he considers unconstitutional. Reading a 2½-minute statement after the pledge, Angell said he "didn't recognize my country" when masked immigration agents arrested Rumeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University student from Turkey, on March 25. Öztürk is accused of violating her student visa. The administration has not provided a reason for the detention, but she co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper demanding that Tufts "acknowledge the Palestinian genocide" and divest from companies with ties to Israel. Angell also cited the Trump administration's decisions to cut funding and programs approved by Congress. Those decisions are being challenged in lawsuits. "When an elected official takes office, they take an oath to uphold the Constitution," said Angell. "What happens if a person believes their federal government is violating the Constitution? Should they pledge allegiance to their government or to upholding the Constitution?" Van Tassel said he agreed with much of what Angell said, but not with sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. "But I appreciate your courage," he said. Angell, whose term ends Dec. 31, is not running for re-election. Town justice to resign The town approved a letter of intent to appoint Cold Spring attorney Luke Hilpert to replace Camille Linson, who plans to resign from her town justice seat in June, according to Van Tassel. Linson ran unopposed on the Democratic and Conservative lines in winning a third, 4-year term in November. She joined the court after defeating Hilpert in a Democratic primary in 2016 and Republican Faye Thorpe in the general election. She ran unopposed in 2020. Both Linson and Philipstown's other justice, Angela Thompson-Tinsley, recommended Hilpert to fill the vacancy until the November election. Under state law, the winner will serve for a full term, rather than the 3½ years remaining in Linson's term, according to town attorney Steve Gaba. Oil moratorium The board scheduled a May 1 public hearing on a law that would extend for another six months a moratorium on projects with oil tanks exceeding 10,000 gallons. Philipstown enacted the moratorium in December 2023 to give an advisory committee time to revise zoning regulations that allow tanks with a capacity of up to 399,999 gallons. Allowing tanks that large puts drinking-water sources like the Clove Creek Aquifer at risk from leaks, spills and damage from natural disasters or extreme weather, according to the town. While the draft law allows for two more six-month extensions, the committee is expected to finalize its recommendations soon, said Gaba. Depot Theatre A site near the water tower at the Recreation Department's property off Route 9D is still the optimal location for a facility the Philipstown Depot Theatre initially proposed for a town-owned parcel off Route 403, said Council Member Judy Farrell. The Depot wants to consolida...

Demand surges at libraries, but they are expensive A trip to the library used to mean driving into town, searching the shelves for the latest bestselling novel and taking the book to the circulation desk. These days, more residents are opening their smartphones or tablets, scrolling through digital shelves and tapping "borrow." Librarians in the Highlands report dramatic increases in apps like Libby and Hoopla that allow patrons to borrow e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines. "You can bring a piece of the library with you on the road," said Johanna Reinhardt, director of the Butterfield library in Cold Spring. Reinhardt said the library circulated nearly 20,000 e-books, audiobooks and other electronic material last year, compared to 2,200 in 2015. The demand is similar at the Howland library in Beacon and the Desmond-Fish library in Garrison. In January alone, nearly 80,000 e-books, audiobooks and other digital materials were circulated through the Mid-Hudson Library System to patrons using Libby. Ten years ago, it was 16,000. Librarians Scramble as Trump Targets Agency Gillian Murphy, director at the Howland, said that digital loans will soon be dominant. "We're still lending more print books, but it's going to flip in the next couple of years," she said. Dede Farabaugh, the director at Desmond-Fish, added: "We have patrons who never see us because they're just doing things electronically." The growth of digital lending brings financial challenges because libraries must purchase licenses that are sometimes more expensive than the physical copy. For example, a digital copy of a bestseller may cost $15 on Amazon, but libraries often must pay $50 or more and are limited in how many times it can be lent. With print books, libraries may pay $30 for a bestseller and lend it out until it falls apart. Last year, Butterfield reduced the e-books and other items that patrons can check out on the Hoopla platform from 10 to five per month because of a surge in usage that raised costs. Public libraries have lobbied for legislation to reduce e-book prices, but Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill that would have compelled publishers to lower digital prices for libraries. She said the legislation would violate federal copyright laws that give publishers and authors the right to determine what to charge.

Institute sends $8 million annually to New York Local librarians are campaigning against a March 14 executive order issued by President Donald Trump that could cripple a New York agency that distributes state funds to local libraries. The Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C., which has a $290 million budget, sends federal money to cultural institutions and state library associations, including $8 million annually that funds the New York Division of Library Development. The DLD is responsible for distributing state aid to public libraries - including $70 million annually to those outside New York City - through regional organizations like the Mid-Hudson Library System, whose 66 members include the Howland in Beacon, the Butterfield in Cold Spring and the Desmond-Fish in Garrison. The DLD also oversees $45 million in state funds distributed each year for library construction projects. The Mid-Hudson Library System, which is based in Poughkeepsie and has a $3.74 million budget, provides support services, programming grants and negotiates discounted group licenses from software, e-book and database providers. "The absence of DLD staff to facilitate aid programs that impact us is our largest, immediate concern," said Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, executive director of the Mid-Hudson system. "Severe delays in receiving our operating aid could deplete our reserve funds and compromise our ability to pay our bills." Along with shared resources, the Howland library expects to receive $8,200 in grants from MHLS in 2025; Desmond-Fish, $4,000; and Butterfield, $54,000 for an HVAC project. "We pushed to finish the project so as not to incur additional costs as we were told by contractors that prices were set to increase in April due to tariffs" implemented by Trump, said Joanna Reinhardt, the director at Butterfield. "This was prior to learning of the IMLS news; we may have held off had we known." There are 762 public libraries in New York. Gillian Murphy, the director at the Howland, feels that same sense or uncertainty. "Grant money may not come through or will come late because lack of staff," she said. "We have construction grants that we rely on and who knows what will happen to those." The IMLS, created by Congress in 1996, is one of seven small agencies named in Trump's executive order, titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. It directs that the agencies be "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." The acting director of IMLS, Keith Sonderling, said on March 20 that he planned to "revitalize" the agency and "restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country's core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations." The federal money sent to states by IMLS should be funded through October, Smith Aldrich said, but 60 of the agency's 70 employees have been placed on administrative leave, which "calls into question if this is happening. The Grants to States Program may need to be reauthorized this fall by Congress," which is a focus of lobbying. IMLS also distributes grants to museums. The Greater Hudson Heritage Network received $269,038 in 2024 to conserve 35 objects at 10 museums, including Maj. John Andre's flute at Boscobel in Philipstown. Catching Up with… The Howland Public Library (Beacon) The Julia L. Butterfield Library (Cold Spring) The Desmond-Fish Public Library (Garrison)

Philipstown resident sees program frozen If things had gone as planned, Sophia Ptacek would be making the final arrangements for her Fulbright fellowship, a nine-month stint working on industrial decarbonization and air pollution reduction for a Colombian government ministry. But because the Trump administration paused funding for her program, the 28-year-old is living with her parents in Philipstown and checking her email. "I'm holding on to hope that it could still happen," said Ptacek, who grew up in Garrison and Cold Spring and attended the Poughkeepsie Day School. "But I am in limbo. It's sad." Ptacek last year completed a dual master's program at Yale University in environmental management and public health. She also was selected for a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship, part of a U.S. State Department international exchange and education program suspended by the White House in February. Founded in 1946, the Fulbright program typically awards 9,000 scholarships each year to promote international cooperation and an exchange of ideas. "The freeze on State Department grant programs threatens the survival of study abroad and international exchange programs that are essential to U.S. economic and national security," said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, based in Washington, D.C. "Halting inbound and outbound exchanges shuts the United States off from a vital flow of ideas, innovation and global understanding and influence, creating a vacuum that could easily be filled by competing nations." Ptacek wants to help reduce air pollution in Colombia. "There's quite a lot of manufacturing and heavy industry, and as a result, a lot of air pollution that has public health impacts for communities near these plants," she said. The details of her fellowship were still being confirmed, but Ptacek was scheduled to travel to Bogotá to work for the ministry of health, environment or energy and mines. Last month she received an email telling her to "pause making travel arrangements" because of "ongoing administrative issues affecting the transfer of funds from the U.S. State Department to Fulbright implementing partners." Last week she received a second email informing her of layoffs at the Institute for International Education, the organization that administers her program. As to what happens next, "I have no clue," said Ptacek. Because of the uncertainty, she has taken a job with Turner Construction helping clients figure out how they can implement energy-efficiency measures, electrification and building decarbonization, she said. She'd also like to work in maritime decarbonization, moving ships and ports away from fossil fuels to mitigate climate change and reduce air pollution.

Designs would 'calm' traffic, protect pedestrians Rutgers University has released a traffic study of Cold Spring that includes recommendations to improve safety at four busy village locations. The study was conducted by the Voorhees Transportation Center at the university and funded by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC). It outlines measures to reduce and "calm" traffic and improve pedestrian safety. NYMTC, created in 1982, is the metropolitan planning organization for Putnam, Westchester and Rockland counties, New York City and Long Island. The report, posted at dub.sh/CS-traffic-study, makes recommendations for Main Street at the Visitors' Center; Fair Street; Lunn Terrace at Market Street; and Main at Route 9D. It also considers the trolley operated by Putnam County. During its research, Voorhees conducted a resident survey and hosted a workshop. Its 39-page report was also reviewed by Putnam County and state agencies. Main Street at Visitors' Center The report notes this is the only Main Street location where legal U-turns can be made and is a busy area with frequent encounters between drivers and pedestrians. It recommended adding high-visibility paint and patterns to crosswalks; adding a crosswalk across Main; and installing signage and pedestrian lighting. It also suggested the village consider a mini roundabout. Fair Street The street is a challenge because it's narrow, frequently used by delivery trucks and congested with hikers on busy weekends. Inconsistent parking rules and one-way traffic on weekends create confusion, the report said. It recommends adding sidewalks to both sides between Main Street and Mayor's Park, installing pedestrian lighting, restricting on-street parking and encouraging drivers to use the municipal parking lot. Lunn Terrace at Market The area is described as "the most challenging" of those examined for the study because it provides the only vehicle access to the Metro-North parking lot and the lower village, and it's busy. It suggested a crosswalk across Market and better signage, road markings and striping to direct pedestrians and drivers. It also said the village could consider a small roundabout with splitter islands and a flashing sign at the crosswalk. Cold Spring trolley The researchers observed what most residents already knew - people don't know how to find it and can't get real-time data about its schedule. The recommendations included payment options besides cash; route modifications to encourage ridership; updated signage with timetables; and shelters at popular stops. Main Street at Route 9D The researchers found that, between 2019 and 2022, there were 68 vehicle crashes in the village, and that 44 percent were on Route 9D and 20 percent at its intersection with Main Street. Its recommendations included reflective crosswalk markings; the removal of obstacles that interfere with driver sightlines ("daylighting"); no parking within 25 feet of the intersection; increasing the interval on pedestrian crossing signals; and streetscaping to slow traffic. It also suggested examining the addition of left-turn lanes on Route 9D. In response to the report, Mayor Kathleen Foley said there is a perception that the village is so overrun with visitors, that it can't do much on its own. But she said the report "emphasizes steps that are common sense and simple, and that we can do ourselves to improve traffic and pedestrian movement for residents and visitors alike." She noted that the report could help the village make the case for grants to address the issues it identifies. Foley said eliminating parking on Fair Street has made driveways safer, reduced driver confusion and created a wider roadway for trucks, buses and emergency vehicles. "Shifting Fair to one-way northbound during the busy season, as we did in the fall, provided an alternate loop for vehicles to move around the village and eliminated tangle-causing left turns onto Main Street," she said. Stronger vi...

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.A spring garden in ceramics Cindy Pope is a ceramic artist from Waite Park. She got a dose of early spring by visiting the ceramics exhibit “Garden Party” at the Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud. Created by Stacy Larson, who is originally from Cold Spring, the exhibit features wheel-thrown and hand-carved cups and tableware that look like delicate leaves and flowers, glazed in springtime colors. The exhibit runs through March. Voices of the Asian American experienceJulia Cheng of Duluth had a chance to hear the world premiere this fall of “mOthertongue: Lived Experience in Asian America.” Soprano Jennifer Lien of Duluth performs three song cycles commissioned by Asian American women composers, accompanied on piano by Lina Yoo-Min Lee. Lien commissioned these new works in partnership with the Cincinnati Song Initiative with support from the Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individuals grant. The duo has continued to perform these works in what Cheng refers to as “a living collaboration.” They'll perform highlights of the song cycles at the College of St. Scholastica's “Lunch With Friends” on March 25, with the full performance on March 28 at the college's Mitchell Auditorium. Julia Cheng was touched by the performance and looks forward to hearing it again.“I have to say that, as the child of immigrants from China, these songs really resonated with me,” Cheng said. “I always wondered, you know, how did they deal with the dislocation of leaving home, family, language, culture, developing new community, the wrenching loss of being separated from family? These are all things that I heard bits and pieces of in the song cycles by Melissa Dunphy and the other two composers.” Wood sculptures at Tettegouche Annalisa Buerke follows her former colleague artist Rick Love on Instagram, where she enjoyed watching his process of creating a series of sculptures now on view at the Tettegouche State Park Visitor Center in Silver Bay.The five sculptures are all made of wood — some painted, some charred — that celebrate both forests and sustainability. The works evoke the moon, the sun, a tree, a waterfall and Lake Superior. They'll be on view through March.Tettegouche State Park's Visitor Center includes both juried art shows (of which Love's exhibit was one) and an artist-in-residence program. 

On September 13, 1868, the bodies of Jacob and Nancy Young were discovered brutally murdered along the bank of the White River in Cold Spring, Indiana. Police would eventually set their sights on a charming and fascinating confidence woman named Nancy Clem, who happened to be involved in some extremely shady business dealings with Jacob Young at the time. My guest is Wendy Gamber, author of "The Notorious Mrs. Clem: Murder and Money in the Gilded Age". She tells us all about the colorful Nancy Clem, the Cold Spring murder case, and shares theories on how and why the murders might have really happened. The author's Indiana University page: https://history.indiana.edu/faculty_staff/faculty/gamber_wendy.html The author's publisher page: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/authors/wendy-gamber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was yesterday. Tree time and people time are different and in the decades of growth that an oak needs to reach its full size, humans age out or move on. That makes planting a hopeful cast for future generations to enjoy the benefits of a maple or white pine. As the window closes to avert the worst effects of climate change, any day is a good day to plant a tree. Trees offer shade and cooling, clean the air and store a lot of carbon. They are critical parts of our ecosystems. Recognizing their role in mitigating global warming, the state's 25 Million Trees by 2033 initiative is part of New York's goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Using a tracker developed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, you can add your tree plantings to a statewide map at dub.sh/tree-tracker. There aren't any reports of new trees in Putnam County and only three reports for 18 trees around Beacon. But it's new! Give us time. Annabel Gregg is the program coordinator at the DEC. Her job is to coordinate public and private efforts to fill gaps and get people excited about planting trees. Why 25 million trees? It begins with the Climate Action Plan of 2019. To reach carbon neutrality by 2050, the scoping plan sets out to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 85 percent and sequester 15 percent using trees and forests. To hit that goal, we need to establish 1.7 million acres of new forest by 2040. The reforestation plan is nearly final and Gov. [Kathy] Hochul wanted to get us started. That's why the 25 million trees by 2033 launched last year. We need to scale up and do it fast. How does the tree tracker fit into this? We launched it a month ago, so we're still adding data from 2024. We can use the tracker to measure progress. With Arbor Day coming on April 25, it's a great time to celebrate trees. There will be a lot of planting events. By this time next year, we can tell how well the tracker has integrated into what people are doing and make this part of the norm. How is tree loss accounted for? New York is 62 percent forested. The U.S. Forest Service conducts an inventory every five to seven years. New York state lost 1 percent of its forest cover between 2017 and 2022, the year of the most recent survey. [Pamela's note: The inventory lists Putnam County with 76 percent cover and Dutchess County with 53 percent. Throughout the state, 73 percent of forested land is in private hands. See dub.sh/forest-inventory.] Are there new approaches to reach the goal? I'm wondering about the dense plantings pioneered by Japanese forest ecologist Akira Miyawaki. We're setting up the first pilot project of a Miyawaki forest at the Five Rivers Education Center in Delmar [near Albany]. We're hoping that kids who come to the project will see all these species in a small space. We're studying the best reforestation and afforestation [planting where there has been no recent covering] strategies and there are programs like Regenerate New York for landowners to support things like slash walls [made of logs to protect young trees from deer]. Sources for trees The Tree Tracker explains how to plant trees and has a calendar of tree-planting events. Until Saturday (March 15), the Butterfield library in Cold Spring and the Desmond-Fish library in Garrison are offering free seedlings to children. Sign up at their websites. Beacon residents can purchase any of six species through the city at a discount. See dub.sh/beacon-trees. The deadline to order discounted seedlings from the DEC is May 14. For example, it offers 25 red-oak seedlings for $30. If you can't plant them all, consider sharing an order with friends or donating some. But act quickly because many varieties are already sold out. See dub.sh/DEC-trees.

150 Years Ago (March 1875) Three of the four children in the James Robinson family of Garrison - John (16), Willie (10) and Jennie (19) - died of diphtheria over 10 days. Shortly before she died, Jennie asked for James Meade, her Sunday School teacher: "Tell my young friends to seek the Lord, while he may be found, and meet me in heaven." After a storm, a classified ad appeared in The Cold Spring Recorder offering a reward for a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter with plated barrel and rosewood stock lost in the snow, probably on Main Street between West and Church. Because of the snow, Garden Street was reduced to a single lane, forcing Charley Warren to load one side of his wagon with bystanders to turn around, "like a sailor does the windward gunwale in a gale," according to The Recorder. Mr. VanWinkle complained that a transcript of his lecture on Egypt and the Nile, reprinted in The Recorder, contained many errors, including "some of words altered to others that were not dreamed of when writing." After poultry went missing, Theodore Adams, his father and his brother-in-law found the dead birds buried near the Fishkill line. They set a steel trap and returned to find it gone. They followed the path of bushes where the trap had snagged and branches chewed off to release it. At Kings' Chest Cave, by smoke and bullets and dogs, they drew out and killed a 33-pound wildcat with the trap around its foot. The men had it stuffed and brought it to the village. A burglar broke into the slaughterhouse of Charles Miller and stole $5 [about $150 today] worth of pork, beef and veal. Burglars stole $50 [$1,450] worth of liquor and cigars from Tevan's basement saloon by breaking a window. To add insult to injury, the culprits uncorked and spilled the demijohns and smashed the glass bar backing. The Rock Street door of Baxter's Hardware was jimmied and the money drawer relieved of $4 [$115] in change. In a letter to The Recorder, a resident called for $500 of the $1,000 [$29,000] allocated by the Cold Spring Village Board for streets instead be spent to install kerosene lampposts on every corner to "keep our stores from being plundered night after night." Milton Lawrence's hay and William Odell's red cow were seized for back taxes. A young man who raised alarms when he walked down Main Street at 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday with a bandaged head and bloody clothes said he had been injured working at Miller's slaughterhouse. The Library Association hosted a discussion of the question: "Will the centennial of a republican form of government be celebrated by the United States, as a unit, more than once?" The Glee Club also sang. P. Nichols of Parrott Street said his 17 hens produced 118 eggs in 12 days. Thomas Richards was killed at Croft's Mine in Putnam Valley when he drilled into an unexploded ordnance. A year after Michael O'Brien broke his arm in a fight near the depot, he was finally able to return to his job at the foundry, where a hoist rope broke and a casting crushed his arm. A police officer from Orange County came to Cold Spring to arrest John Wyant on a charge of bastardy. Wyant returned home after posting a $1,000 [$29,000] bail. In Nelsonville, Charles Van Voorhis sold 50 chances at $1 [$30] each to win a scene he crafted with stuffed birds and squirrels. Elijah Warren of North Highlands, at 70, took his first train ride, from Cold Spring to Garrison. He said his daughter told him to keep his head inside the window. "Dear Lord, how we did sail!" he said. "After I got settled, I could have rode clean to [New] York." 125 Years Ago (March 1900) Michael Pendergrast, 48, the brother of George Pendergrast of Cold Spring, was killed in the railroad tunnel south of Anthony's Nose. He was clearing the ceiling of hanging ice when he was struck by a southbound express. Pendergrast had been employed by the railroad for 25 years and left a widow and eight children. Iona Island, the popular picnic resort, was purchased by the federal government to us...

No commitments yet as feasibility study continues Although it's not yet known if Dutchess County will commit to a 13-mile rail trail connecting Beacon and Hopewell Junction, a planning firm it hired told the City Council on Monday (March 3) that it has found no major roadblocks. "This is all buildable," Tom Baird, an engineer from Barton & Loguidice, the Albany firm conducting a feasibility study with the county, told the council. "There aren't big obstacles, there aren't major environmental concerns. We don't have any real hazardous materials to worry about, either." Dutchess County released a report on conditions along the Beacon Line, an abandoned rail spur, in November. A final report, with detailed concepts, cost estimates and phasing recommendations, should be finished by the summer. The Monday presentation to the City Council can be viewed at highlandscurrent.org/rail-trail-deck. The proposed trail would begin at the Beacon Metro-North station, a stone's throw from the Hudson River, then wind for 4 miles around the city's southern perimeter before running parallel with Tioronda Avenue and the east end of Main Street. Major crossings would include Churchill Street and East Main Street (at the dummy light). The trail would run underneath Route 9D (at Tioronda Avenue) and hug northbound Route 52 (Fishkill Avenue) to the city line. The trail would connect with the proposed Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail near the bridge at Madam Brett Park, where the planners said a trailhead could be located. Scenic Hudson, which is building the Fjord Trail between Beacon and Cold Spring, is a member of the Beacon-to-Hopewell Trail Advisory Committee. Once the rail trail leaves the city, it would veer back and forth over Fishkill Creek on its way through the Village of Fishkill and the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill. At Hopewell, it would connect with the Dutchess Rail Trail, the Maybrook Trailway and, overlaying both, the 750-mile Empire State Trail. The abandoned rail line is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. A year ago, Metro-North, an agency of the MTA, "railbanked" the line, reserving the right to revive service, although an agency representative told The Current in February 2024 that it had no plans to do so. The important takeaway from the conditions study is that "the majority of the corridor is in really good condition," said Chris Hannett, another Barton & Loguidice engineer, on Monday. There are two options for constructing a trail, although one would be a much heavier lift. A "rail-with-trail" conversion, in which the tracks remain in place, would present many challenges, including a 20- to 25-foot buffer required between the tracks and any trail. Bridges in the corridor, which are no longer safe for trains, would have to be rebuilt, adding significant cost and environmental impacts, and right-of-way acquisitions would be required. The second option, a "rail to trail," would permit the reuse of bridges and ballast stones, the rocks used to stabilize the tracks, but the rails would be removed. A rail to trail would minimize environmental impacts, with little and possibly no rights-of-way needed. When the study began, Metro-North's abandonment of the line had not been approved by the federal Surface Transportation Board, so the engineers studied both options. The final report will include both but won't recommend either, instead letting "the engineering and the cost speak for itself, as well as the environmental impacts," Baird said. The planners anticipate a 12-foot-wide path made with a crushed-stone mix or asphalt, depending on the location. It would likely be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and could be lighted because of its proximity to dense urban areas. Baird said the county is conducting the study because funders often consider projects "and some will scratch their heads [and say], 'Can they really do that?' " With a report analyzing environmental impacts and other factors, "it...

Some people happy with life in pieces Tessie Monck designed her Cold Spring kitchen with jigsaw puzzles in mind. "This counter had to be one slab with no seams where I could do my puzzle," says Monck, a retiree who typically starts a 1,000-piece puzzle every Friday. "It's like my Friday night date. Opening a puzzle is like Christmas morning. I'm full of joy." Along with being fun, jigsaws provide "meditation and peace for my brain," says Monck, who started puzzling about 20 years ago, around the time her husband died and she was dealing with her own health issues. A recent jigsaw boom began during the pandemic, when some manufacturers saw their orders quadruple. "Jigsaw puzzles saved my business," says Fran Farnorotto, who owns The Gift Hut on Main Street in Cold Spring. "I didn't sell anything else, but I sold puzzles." During the shutdown, Farnorotto accepted orders online, then "drove around Philipstown and dropped them off on people's porches." She opened her shop 14 years ago with her late husband, Jim, after working in retail merchandising for JCPenney. Farnorotto stocks about 100 jigsaws, many featuring covers from The New Yorker. As a lifelong puzzler, she understands the joy. "There's something satisfying about that moment when you put the piece in place and you know it's the right piece," she says. In Beacon, about 40 people participated in the Howland Public Library's inaugural puzzle swap in January, says Michelle Rivas, the adult services and community engagement librarian. Rivas expects to have another later this year. The Desmond-Fish library in Garrison and the Butterfield library in Cold Spring also have held swaps. At the Howland event, Maria Hernandez grabbed a puzzle made by Bgraamiens (the name scrambles the letters from brain and games), a brand that specializes in puzzles with complex designs. This one had a kaleidoscope of colorful, swirling squares. The brand's puzzles are so difficult that the backs of the pieces are numbered, as a cheat code. Hernandez doesn't cheat. She has her own system for tough puzzles. "I have little bowls and put the same shapes together," she says. The Beacon resident fell in love with jigsaws growing up in Puerto Rico. She returned to them in recent years in part to deal with chronic depression. "It distracts me - I don't have to think," she says. As Hernandez has learned, there is evidence that puzzles provide mental health benefits such as improving mood, cognitive function, problem-solving, patience and relieving loneliness. At the Friendship Center for seniors in Beacon there is always a jigsaw in progress. Felicita Pinto, 76, is usually there, poring over the pieces with her one good eye. "It helps keep her mind clear," says her daughter and translator, Jenny Ayala. Her mom also does puzzles at home. "That way she's not just watching TV," she says. Pinto always tackles a puzzle on the annual trip to Puerto Rico at Christmas to visit family. Last year it was a picture of Snoopy. "Everybody in the family has to contribute," says Ayala. "You have to put in at least one piece. That's the rule." Fran Pergamo says her first jigsaw was a map of the U.S. that she put together repeatedly. That was 60 years ago, before she could read. As it happened, she had the map upside down; she still tends to imagine the U.S. with Florida in the northwest corner. At her Cold Spring home, she is working on a puzzle obtained from a "friend of a friend" she met at a dinner party. When they discovered a mutual love for jigsaws, they arranged a swap. "She opened her trunk, and I picked out a couple of ones I wanted." Pergamo prefers new jigsaws because secondhand puzzles sometimes have missing pieces. She always has a puzzle going and has 80 stacked on basement shelves. When she finishes a puzzle, she doesn't linger. "I smooth it out and look at it," she says. "Then I drag it apart so I can move on to the next one."

The Landisi siblings are hoops standouts for Beacon. Their mom was among the best ever to play for Haldane. Jen Moran Landisi, 48, oversees Beacon's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball program, which has 200 players in kindergarten through the eighth grade. Otherwise, she is probably watching her daughter, Reilly, and her son, Ryan, play for Beacon High School. The girls' and boys' teams compete on Monday (March 3) in the first round of the state tournament. Jen knows a bit about being a standout. By the time she graduated from Haldane High School in 1994, she had set a scoring record with 1,776 points that held for 14 years until Brittany Shields scored 1,945. (Reilly has 1,293 points for Beacon; she is also an All-State soccer player who will compete this fall for SUNY Oneonta.) Described as a "whirlwind of hustle" when she was inducted into the Haldane Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, Jen led the Blue Devils to three state Final Fours. Her teams went 97-15. She began playing for the varsity in eighth grade, was named first-team All-State as a senior and went on to score nearly 1,000 points for St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill. "I remember the gym [at Haldane] was always full - that's not always the case for girls' games," Jen recalled. She said a running joke at the time was that the best time for burglars in Cold Spring was during state finals weekend, when the entire village decamped to Glens Falls. "It was the community support I remember most," she says, "and having a really great coach." That was Ken Thomas, who, she said, "knew the game, made us love it and didn't put up with much." She and her teammates were inspired by the 1989 girls' team, which won the school's first state title. (Haldane also won in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2008.) "We wanted to do just as well," Jen said. Young fans also helped motivate the team. "Win or lose, they'd ask for our autographs," she said. Jen began playing at age 5 in the Philipstown Recreation League, with her mom and dad as coaches. "I don't know if I had a choice, with them coaching," she said. "But there was no question I loved it." Her children also began playing at an early age in the Beacon CYO program. "I loved it right away," says Reilly, 18. "I always wanted to go practice, looked forward to games and my best friends were on the team." While Reilly feels ball handling and playmaking are her strengths, she needs to "pull up and shoot more, instead of always driving to the basket." The Bulldogs enter the tournament at 15-5, with a 12-game winning streak that included a win at previously undefeated Pine Bush after losing to the same team by 20 points earlier in the season. Reilly said she especially appreciates rival games, such as the Battle of the Tunnel series against Haldane. "That game is always fun," she said. "There's a larger than usual crowd, and if we win, we get a big trophy!" She was diplomatic regarding whether she or her younger brother, a junior center who averages nine points and 5.5 rebounds for the 16-4 boys' team, is the better player. "We play different positions," she said. Ryan also started basketball in Beacon's CYO, during the first grade, and also loved the game immediately. "It's fast-paced, so it can't really get boring, plus I've been playing with the same group of kids since I was little," he said. "It's fun when you have a team that's good and knows how to play together." He said Beacon's biggest rival is New Paltz, which beat them 73-66 early in the season. New Paltz was also the opponent in the game he remembers most after 2½ years on the varsity, in the state tournament when the Bulldogs won despite having one of their best players out sick. He concedes his sister is probably the better ballplayer. "I'm just bigger," he said, with a smile. Mom said she squirms a bit when watching her kids play. "I'm a nervous wreck because they're my babies!" she said. "I just want them to do well, for themselves."

Renews support for Cold Spring 'pause' The Philipstown Town Board on Wednesday (Feb. 26), by a 4-1 vote, approved more than 100 comments on a draft environmental impact statement for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail and a letter renewing a request to pause construction of a boardwalk between Dockside and Little Stony Point parks. In addition to an 18-page document containing its comments about the state's Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS), the Town Board approved, by the same 4-1 vote, comments crafted by the Conservation Board in response to HHFT's proposal. Board Member Judy Farrell, who said she does not support delaying or pausing the Dockside-to-Little-Stony Point segment, cast the lone "no" votes. Completion of the southern end would boost accessibility to the riverfront and there are "a lot of people in the community who have been waiting a long time" for the trail, she said. "Of course there are going to be problems with this project, but I think we can work them out as it progresses," Farrell said. The HHFT plan comprises a 7.5-mile trail between Cold Spring and Beacon, with a segment containing a boardwalk elevated over the river between Dockside and Little Stony Point. It also includes a bridge over the Metro-North tracks north of the Breakneck tunnel, new platforms at the Breakneck train station, expanded parking and the redevelopment of Dutchess Manor into a visitor's center. State parks, which is the lead agency for the project, released the 700-page draft in December and set a deadline of Tuesday (March 4) for public comments. A consultant with Tim Miller Associates, which reviewed the DGEIS for Philipstown, on Feb. 19 shared some of its concerns, which largely mirror those expressed by elected officials in Cold Spring and Nelsonville. (Update: The full document was released by the town on Monday, March 3.) Primarily, the DGEIS is "lacking in details," said Steven Marino, a senior environmental planner with the firm. For example, he said the document does not sufficiently address increased traffic as the Fjord Trail draws more visitors or the dispersal of sediment when more than 400 concrete pilings are installed in the Hudson River for the section between Dockside and Little Stony Point. Marino also said that HHFT's conclusions about the boardwalk's impact on riverviews along Fair Street and Route 9D between Breakneck and Cold Spring "don't seem to tell the whole story" and need more analysis. He said there are questions about whether the width of the walkway will accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and other users traveling in both directions at the same time. "It is our feeling that, in some ways, the presented DGEIS is too lacking in details or so interested in moving the project forward that some aspects of the plan, especially the potential impacts on community character, congestion and quality-of-life issues are overlooked or downplayed," he said on Feb. 19. On Feb. 26, Van Tassel read a letter the Town Board approved sending with the comments. It reiterates the town's stance that the southern segment should end at Little Stony Point. The town also requested that HHFT pay for emergency services along the trail and calls for a two-year "purpose pause" after the phases north of Breakneck are completed to assess their effect on reducing congestion and traffic. "If the train station and Breakneck work, if Dutchess Manor works, we come back to the table and say, 'Let's see how we can bring the trail to Dockside in a reduced version, in a full version,'" he said.

For our newer segment Out to Lunch, we get out of the studio and into the community, where news and life is happening. We sit down with people you may have heard from on the show and get to know them at a deeper, personal level over lunch.In this episode, we hear a conversation with the Republican Speaker of the House, Lisa Demuth. Earlier this month, she became the first Black person and Republican woman to hold the role in the Minnesota House of Representatives.Speaker Demuth has served in the House since 2018 and represents the Cold Spring area, just southwest of St. Joseph. Before becoming speaker, she served as the Republican House Minority Leader when Democrats had full control of the House, Senate and the governor's office.

Concerns include community character, funding The Cold Spring Village Board on Wednesday (Feb. 19) received a report from a consultant it hired to examine how the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) for the Hudson Highland Fjord Trail addresses potential impacts on the village. Ted Fink of Greenplan, who attended via Zoom, reviewed his 42-page analysis with the board and went over what he considers shortcomings, including: New York State Parks, the lead agency for the DGEIS, chose the generic approach to assessing the Fjord Trail, rather than a Site-Specific Environmental Impact Statement. A more detailed analysis may be required in certain areas, such as the proposed route from Dockside to Little Stony Point, he said. "The Little Stony Point to Dockside stretch is a perfect place for a site-specific deep dive," Mayor Kathleen Foley said in response. "Drill down at a level of specificity that the village, our waterfront and our community deserve. Once you build in the river, there's no going back." The assessment of HHFT's impact on village character is inadequate, Fink said. The DGEIS relies on a consultant's assessment of regional impacts rather than Cold Spring's vision of itself. State courts have stated that defining community character is the municipality's prerogative, he said. The relevance of Cold Spring's Comprehensive Plan, Local Waterfront Revitalization Strategy and local zoning law assessments is not adequately considered, said Fink. DGEIS statements of "no impacts" are not substantiated and the assessment of zoning laws fails to address impacts on residential areas, he said. New revenues are needed to offset village HHFT-related expenses, he said, despite the DGEIS conclusion that HHFT will have no impact on community services funded by the village. Details regarding a required HHFT endowment have not been made available for public review as part of the review process, he said. The report understates HHFT's potential impact on emergency services, he said. Village police and other first responders have expressed concern in particular about Dockside Park, which has only one road in and out. Fink was asked to condense his findings and provide an executive summary that highlights the major concerns. The board will review the update at its Wednesday (Feb. 26) meeting. In other business … After closing a public hearing, the board granted a 10 percent property-tax exemption to volunteer first responders with two years of service. Putnam County, Philipstown, Nelsonville and the Haldane and Garrison school districts have enacted similar legislation.

When internet scammers targeted Priscilla Goldfarb last month, she was horribly jet-lagged after traveling 22 hours to meet her son. The 81-year-old Cold Spring resident was in a hotel room in Singapore, getting ready for bed when she checked her phone. "I had a message from my bank asking me to verify a transaction that I had made on PayPal," she said. "There was an intimation that there could be fraud. They wanted to make sure it was a valid transaction. I absolutely considered clicking on the link. I was halfway around the world. Who knew what could happen?" But Goldfarb hesitated. "I know that I am more likely to be subjected to scam attempts because of my age," she said. Rather than click on the email link, she called the customer service number listed on the back of her credit card. "They told me they had not sent me any fraud alerts," said Goldfarb. Goldfarb was one of about 20 seniors who attended a presentation held Feb. 13 at the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison on avoiding scams and identity theft. The program was organized by Philipstown Aging at Home and led by Ryan Biracree, the digital services librarian. I attended at the insistence of my wife, who tells our children that I'm vulnerable to scams because I once responded to a robocall claiming to alert me to a problem with my Amazon account. I spoke with a lovely woman with a foreign accent for 10 minutes before my wife said, "Who are you talking to?" and made me hang up. For the record, I did not share any personal information. "You may think that you're too smart to fall for something," Goldfarb told me. "But anybody can fall for something. It's that sense of urgency [the scammer creates], that you could be in jeopardy." Protect Yourself • Scammers often pretend to be from an organization you know, like the IRS, Amazon, Medicare or your local utility. They create a sense of urgency and demand payment. If you get this kind of call, hang up and call the organization directly. • Scammers claim there is an urgent problem, such as a family member with an emergency. Don't act immediately. Tell them that you'll call them back. Or ask them a question that only the family member would know. • Scammers claim you have a computer virus. Hang up on anyone you don't know. If you get a popup warning on your screen, don't call the number. • Scammers say you won a prize but you have to pay a fee to collect. • Scammers will pressure you to act immediately. Resist. • Scammers tell you to pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app or gift cards. • Block unwanted calls and text messages. • Don't use customer-service numbers you found through a Google search. Start by visiting the merchant's website. • Don't give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn't expect. • If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it's real, it's still prudent not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. • Before acting, talk to someone you trust. Source: Federal Trade Commission Online scams are a growing business. In 2023, they cost U.S. residents an estimated $12.5 billion, almost four times the losses in 2019, according to FBI data. That's a conservative estimate because only 20 percent of cybercrime is reported. New York ranks fourth in losses, with over $700 million. Californians lost three times that. The scams vary. There are phishing emails or robocalls that claim to be from your bank, Amazon, your health insurer, the IRS or the Social Security Administration, where scammers ask for personal information to help clear up a "problem with your account." There are also phony job offers, phony investment opportunities, romance scams where suitors seek your money and phony medical cures for everything from erectile dysfunction to poor eyesight. There are computer security scams: You get an email or call allegedly from Apple or Google telling you that you n...

Many, but not all, in city favor proposal Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou was the first elected official to speak when the state Department of Environmental Conservation held two virtual hearings last month on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) for the proposed Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. The hearings came after the state parks department's release in December of its 709-page review of Scenic Hudson's plans to construct a 7.5-mile linear park connecting Beacon and Cold Spring. Ninety people spoke during the hearings; written comments are being accepted until March 4. Offering "enthusiastic, unqualified" support, Kyriacou's comments stood in contrast to the reception the project has received from some elected officials and residents in Cold Spring and Philipstown. "There will be greater access, not only to the Hudson Highlands, but for the first time to large sections of the Hudson River that previously were inaccessible due to the railroad tracks," he said during the Jan. 14 hearing. "Along the Hudson will be flat trail sections, broadening access to those who cannot easily do mountain hikes - including seniors, persons with disabilities, cyclists, runners and those simply wanting less strenuous options." In addition, he said, the north end of the trail, which would begin at Beacon's Long Dock Park - a former junkyard transformed over 15 years by Scenic Hudson - will link many open spaces: Dennings Point State Park, Madam Brett Park, Seeger Riverfront Park, the Klara Sauer Trail and the city's Fishkill Creek Greenway & Heritage Trail, which is being created in segments around Beacon's perimeter. Then there's the biggest connection of all: If Dutchess County commits to constructing a trail along 13 miles of dormant railroad from Beacon to Hopewell Junction, the Fjord Trail would connect to the Dutchess Rail Trail, Walkway Over the Hudson and the 750-mile Empire State Trail. Turn Lane Weighed for Dutchess Manor Would serve cars at Fjord Trail center A lane for vehicles turning left from northbound Route 9D into the former Dutchess Manor site is being analyzed as part of the proposal to remake the property as a visitors center for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. In a memorandum submitted to the Fishkill Planning Board for its meeting on Feb. 13, planning consultant AKRF said anticipated traffic volumes during Saturday and Sunday midday and late-afternoon peak hours exceeded the threshold for a left-turn lane for drivers turning into the property. Aaron Werner, AKRF's senior technical director, said during the meeting that HHFT has "started conversations" with the state Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over Route 9D, while engineers for the project examine the feasibility of adding a lane. Exceeding the threshold "does not automatically mean that turn lanes are required, as other factors, such as impacts to drainage or right-of-way constraints, should be considered," said AKRF. HHFT's plans for the property include demolishing three additions to the original structure built between 1947 and 2007, restoring a slate roof and adding a parking area with 181 spaces, upstairs offices, bathrooms and an area where shuttles and buses can drop off and load visitors to the Fjord Trail. While Fjord Trail opponents in Cold Spring have bristled at the number of tourists they say the project will bring to the village, Kyriacou said he welcomes more visitors to Beacon's mile-long Main Street. "The Fjord Trail helps Beacon far more than any ancillary problems that it may create, and that we will manage," he said. The mayor has worn his support for HHFT for months, donning gear with the organization's logo during City Council meetings. Given the mixed reception the proposal has received elsewhere, he has suggested many times that construction in Beacon begin sooner rather than later. Kyriacou isn't alone. In 2023, Dan Aymar-Blair and Justice McCray, both members at the time of Beacon's City Council, host...

It's been a HOT minute since we got to have a good old fashioned rambling episode, but A LOT has happened in the last few weeks. This episode Mike and Erica dive into the latest winter tour posters, specifically for Dave & Tim Mexico 2025 and the Goose Winter Tour. There's a ton of prints to discuss, including (but not limited to) D&T prints by artists Josh Noom, Brian Steeley, Daniel Danger, Max Mahn, Joaqun Nava, and Goose prints by artists Tiffany Chin, Schnitzelbearstudios, James Flames, Lewy Jones, Dave Kloc and Max Loffler. Deep dives coming soon for a few prints we were able to get in hand. Also, heading into 2025, what would you like to see from the podcast! Please like and share episodes on the socials, and subscribe for first notifications on all streaming platforms!

Survey highlights mental health challenges Beacon firefighter David Brewer has performed CPR on five people he knew, including a friend who collapsed on Labor Day weekend in 2023 and died despite his efforts. Then there are the other stressors: being away from his family for 24-hour shifts, the rush of adrenaline when an alarm sounds and the anxious efforts to extinguish a fire. A panic attack hospitalized him on Christmas Eve a few years ago, said Brewer. "Your bucket just gets filled up and filled up and filled up until, eventually, it overflows," said Brewer. That is the situation for many first responders, according to an inaugural statewide survey of 6,000 emergency personnel, including 900 from the Mid-Hudson region, that asked about their mental health. Released on Feb. 5, the report is a collaboration between the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Institute for Disaster Mental Health and the Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives at SUNY New Paltz. Of the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency dispatchers and emergency managers surveyed, 94 percent cited stress as a challenge and nine out of 10 mentioned burnout and anxiety. A majority also reported stress from traumatic events such as shootings and accidents (56 percent) and suffering symptoms of depression (53 percent). Another 40 percent experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and 16 percent thought of suicide. Being exposed to constant trauma "can destroy relationships, it can destroy families, it can destroy that person," said Aaron Leonard, a lieutenant with the Cold Spring Fire Co. and the newly appointed CEO of Guardian Revival, a Beacon organization that provides services for veterans and first responders, including peer counseling. "I have had my own experiences of sitting at my house having dinner, and then five minutes later, I'm doing CPR, the person passes away and you just go back home," he said. "Where do you unpack that experience?" The list of barriers that prevent first responders from getting help is long, with about 80 percent citing the stigmas surrounding mental health and concerns that colleagues will deem them unreliable. Others worried that seeking help would impact their career or cause supervisors to treat them differently (74 percent), or lead to losing their firearms license (68 percent). "It used to be, push that stuff down," said Brewer, whose 43-year firefighting career includes 25 years as a volunteer. "You were a lesser firefighter if you talked about that." Brewer was "circling the drain" before a 45-minute phone call with a peer counselor at Guardian Revival helped him understand that he did everything possible to save his friend. He has also attended a Guardian Revival workshop where veterans and first responders congregate around a campfire to talk about stressors. "Sometimes you go, 'Wow, I'm not alone,'" said Brewer. "Sometimes you go, 'I'm not that messed up.' " In addition to peer counseling, survey respondents expressed interest in training on topics such as managing stress and coping with anxiety or depression. Their wish list of solutions includes access to gym memberships or in-house equipment, like the weight room at Beacon's new firehouse, and paid time for mental health care. Guardian Revival has memorandums of understanding to assist 25 fire departments in Dutchess and Putnam counties with wellness programs, said Leonard. The Cold Spring Fire Co. launched its program on Monday (Feb. 10) with a yoga class for firefighters and their families. Shari Alexander, a Cold Spring firefighter, coordinates the program with Leonard's wife, Leslie, who teaches the yoga class. Alexander said two personal trainers have volunteered to lead strength training, she will lead a class on breathing techniques and there will be a pushup challenge and sessions on topics such as healthy eating. "Calls can be difficult and emotional and taxing," she said. "Part of it is preven...

While living in Brooklyn in the early 1990s, Neil Caplan saw a drawing of Bannerman's Castle on Pollepel Island - situated between Beacon and Cold Spring. Inspired, he set out to gain stewardship of it, shore up its historical features, create a system for public access and ultimately stage theater there. The result is the Bannerman Castle Trust: one part historic preservation, one part public park and one part arts organization. This spring Neil will be honored by the Howland Cultural Center at its annual gala. Current gallery exhibitions at the Howland and Bannerman's Island Gallery feature art and artifacts from the island. Learn more at Bannermancastletrust.org.  Photo credit: Michael Isabell   

CREATING A CULTURAL HUB. Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu are the co-founders of Magazzino Italian Art, a museum and research center dedicated to postwar and contemporary Italian art that is located in Cold Spring, New York. Magazzino opened in 2017 at the former manufacturing site of Cyberchron rugged military computer systems. The name Magazzino translates as "warehouse". “Magazzino made the step that has made Arte Povera better known today.” “Magazzino will never stop displaying the 13 heroes that we have in the group of Arte Povera, so the original ‘main building' will always remain a museum dedicated to Arte Povera.” “The donkeys in Sardinia were on the verge of extinction and were under very strict protection with laws that would not allow their export outside Sardinia.”

The guys sit down with Luke Junjulas, owner of LJ Property Maintenance to hear about how he got his start doing some very unique residential snow properties, and his plans for the future

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCORPIO!!!!Enjoy November, Scorps! In a special twist, there are two full moons this month and Susan Miller believes that Scorpio will enjoy both of them. Laura kicks off this episode with a tale of finding treasure in the wild. In this case, the treasure is the 2025 Astrology Zone calendar and the wild is a boutique in Cold Spring, NY! The gals then have a discussion about Susan's election-related content. Despite the fact that Susan tends not to make predictions about current events (and she made no exception for the election), there is plenty to chat about regardless. Next Laura and Alex recap Susan's Note to her readers, in which Susan explains why the horoscopes were late: she went to China! Despite Susan explaining otherwise, the forecasts this month are a bit abbreviated, but that's the trade-off for being introduced to Susan Miller Traveler. And while the trip did delay the horoscopes, there is, of course, more to the story, including a respiratory illness and even more stress related to her move. Alex then tells her fellow Scorpios what they can expect during their birthday month, such as money and the adoration of VIPs! The Scorps should also watch out for strange behavior from their partners, be they spouses, colleagues, or, as Laura surmises, Parcheesi partners. Laura then fills Taurus in on everything they need to know for November. They too must keep an eye on their partners and should consider doing their holiday shopping early to avoid complications caused by the many planets that are about to retrograde. Laura and Alex discuss the following at these timestamps: Note from Susan Miller: 8:37Scorpio: 20:19Taurus: 32:50Share your own thoughts on Susan Miller's Astrology Zone with us by emailing astrologyzoned@gmail.com.Links:Read each episode's transcript at our website: astrologyzoned.comHelp Laura reach the full potential of her Susan Miller legacy by buying her romance novels: http://Lauralovelybooks.com

Send us a textWhat if you could transform a dream into reality amidst the chaos of a global pandemic? Hartwell Carson did just that, and we're here to share his journey of turning a piece of family land into the Cold Spring Basecamp. Discover how this family-friendly destination swaps cumbersome tents for cozy cabins, positioning itself as the ultimate launchpad near popular hiking, biking, kayaking & fishing spots.Join us as we explore the unique features and craftsmanship of this rustic retreat, including a professionally built tree house that offers a luxurious escape. We'll uncover the decision-making process behind the various accommodations, from open-air solar-powered cabins to tent camping. The retreat's bathhouse amenities, like outdoor showers and a naturally spring-fed cold plunge, cater to guests seeking both seclusion and modern conveniences. With walnut countertops and barn wood accents in the climate controlled tree house, Cold Springs Base Camp crafts a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, all fueled by Hartwell's passion and commitment to family-driven exploration.https://www.coldspringbasecamp.com/Your Adventure Starts Here: https://www.coldspringbasecamp.com/en/your-adventureMike AndressHost, Exploration Local828-551-9065mike@explorationlocal.comPodcast WebsiteFacebookInstagram: explorationlocal

No Notoriety Campaign: www.nonotoriety.comDon't Name Them Campaign: www.dontnamethem.comCredits:Narrated By: JT HosackWritten By: Mari ColeCreated, Researched, & Edited by: Kat MorrisDisclaimer By: Lanie Hobbs from True Crime with LanieVisit us online to view original documents pertaining to the cases we cover and more! www.podcastactive.comActive Shooter: The Podcast is a Hi 5 Holly Production.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/active-shooter-the-podcast--3688663/support.

In this episode, I chat a bit about how the Bhagavad Gita, which I consider a kind of human being instruction manual, gives guidance about the qualities of someone who is more "divine" vs. someone more "demonic." Since our political situation has become one where the opposite sides are so at odds, I thought Chapter 16 of the Gita could provide a little insight. And make your plan to vote this November!If you have an interest in the Gita, I would recommend starting with the translation and commentary by Eknath Easwaren.I'm teaching two workshops this fall. One at ISHTA Yoga on Meditation for beginners or people who have trouble trying to meditate. The other at Ascend in Cold Spring is about gaining a richer yoga practice to use in challenging times. For details, see https://ishtayoga.com/workshops and https://www.ascendcenter.com/special-events/richer-practice-richer-life-with-peter-ferko-yogirajPlease support Peter's Podcast on Patreon. Thank you!

Carole Osterink writes The Gossips of Rivertown, a blog that is news and commentary (and takes its name from a novel by a Hudson writer). It's a must-read for all of us who live here. This episode tune into Carole's story, how she chooses what to cover, if she considers herself a journalist andtr advise if you want to start a hyperlocal news sources like it in your town.  I hope you have something like it where you live. And I hope it's written by someone like Carole.  Hyperlocal newspapers & blogs (pls send in more!): A Little Beacon Blog (Beacon) Croton History & Mysteries (Croton) The Daily Catch (Red Hook and Rhinebeck) Daily Freeman (Ulster, Green & No. Dutchess Counties) The Gardiner Gazette (Gardiner): The Gossips of Rivertown (Hudson) The Highlands Current (Philipstown, Cold Spring, Garrison) The Hudson Valley Pilot (Rhinebeck) Hudson Valley One (Ulster County) Hudson Valley Post IMBY (several counties) Kingston Wire (Kingston)  Mid-Hudson News Ossining History on the Run (Ossining) Tgazette (Taghkanic) Plus, Mat is recently interviewed on the Rhinebeck Scoop podcast about Cidiot. There also are many good visitor and travel blogs to the Hudson Valley but that's a separate list. Let me know if I should put one together.  Cidiot® is the award-winning podcast about moving to the Hudson Valley. Please rate & review the show at Cidiot.com, join the mailing list, and get in touch about what you like—and what you'd like to hear about. And come visit. Cidiot® 2024. All Rights Reserved. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cidiot/support

#AUSTRALIA: Cold Spring, Angry Magpies, Swarming Great Easter Browns. Jeremy Zakins, NSW. 1918 Brisbane, Queensland

Strange and funny-ish is the paranormal world! Joining me is a great storyteller and Hudson Valley native, Thomm Quakenbush! Thomm was born in Cold Spring, NY. He is an American author of speculative fiction including his Night's Dream series. He lives and teaches in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York. https://thommquackenbush.com/LIKE, share your thoughts, and subscribe to support the Mystic Lounge channel!Please leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you!Quakenbush grew up reading the works of Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice, and Terry Pratchett. He later became a fan of humorous non-fiction, such as the works of David Sedaris and Bill Bryson, all of which has informed his style. He was raised in the Hudson Valley during the famous UFO Flap on the middle 1980s, igniting an interest in the paranormal, causing him to read widely about fortean phenomena. Additionally, he devoted himself to pagan religions in childhood, giving him a wide background in supernatural theories and the particulars of witchcraft, which he incorporates heavily in his works, most notably the Night's Dream series. In 2010, he received his contract for We Shadows. He subsequently published three sequels and has several others in the works. In 2011, SyFy Channel solicited the rights to We Shadows, though the deal did not proceed further. He has worked on comics with DC Comics artist Dezi Sienty under the now-defunct label of Cave Drawing Ink. He is known for askew takes on commonplace myths and the history of the Hudson Valley.PLEASE HELP THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL GROW ☕️ SUBSCRIBE, like, comment, and click the Notification Bell so you don't miss a show. Thank you! https://www.youtube.com/mysticloungeHALF LIGHT documentary: https://tubitv.com/movies/678744/half-lightCheck out other fantastic Un-X shows at https://www.unxnetwork.com/show

It's time for another Valley Girls adventure to kick off season 2! This time the Valley Girls spent the weekend soaking in art - first in Cold Spring where we explored Magazzino Italian Art, then in Saugerties for the Artist's Studio Tour. In this episode we also chat about pizzas we love, a great lunch spot on Main Street in Cold Spring, and our new favorite incense. And we introduce two new segments - A Capital Idea with Rebecca Ash, highlighting everything there is to do in the Albany area, and The 411 of Westchester with Danielle Centofanti-Davidson, giving us the info on what's happening in the Rivertowns. Thanks for listening! To help support The Valley Girls, please follow our podcast from our show page, leave a rating and review, and please spread the word and share our podcast with others. We really appreciate your support! To stay up to date and for more content you can find us at valleygirlspodcast.com, at instagram.com/ValleyGirlsPodNY, at YouTube.com/@ValleyGirlsPodcast, and starting this season check out the Newsletter and Pod Squad tab on our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletter and join our new Facebook Group so you never miss a thing! All links can also be found in our Instagram bio. Episode music by Robert Burke Warren entitled Painting a Vast Blue Sky can be found at robertburkewarren.bandcamp.com/track/painting-a-vast-blue-sky.

One of Minnesota's leading Republicans reacted to Gov. Tim Walz becoming the Democratic candidate for vice president by saying she views it as an opportunity to shine a national spotlight on his record ahead of crucial local elections in November. House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, joined Liz Collin Reports this week.Support the Show.

On this episode of Regeneration Rising, we sit down with Nicole Scott, farm director of livestock operation and farm outreach at The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, New York. Nicole shares her story about getting started in agriculture and the different experiences that shaped her journey from apprentice to farm director. She describes what it was like to build confidence to do farm work after studying agriculture in classrooms in college, how her perspective changed as she gained more responsibility on the farm, and how she motivates herself and her apprentices to continue careers in agriculture.

July 2024 - Week 4 - DAR Today PodcastNational Society Daughters of the American RevolutionPresident General Pamela Edwards Rouse WrightBrooke Bullmaster Stewart, National Chair DAR Today Podcast CLICK HERE to visit our YouTube (video) version of this podcastSpeeches featured in this Episode:President General Pamela Wright speaking on the important mission of preserving Memorial Continental Hall - video "If These Walls Could Talk" https://youtu.be/mwJni0oS8uQ?si=mcb1cqnW9qYDg7SxAmerican History Essay Contest Winner, 6th Grade: Dheer Mehrotra from Bogart, GeorgiaAmerican History Essay Contest Winner, 7th Grade: Jackson Nerenberg from Monroe, OhioAmerican History Essay Contest Winner, 8th Grade: Ananya Mandrekar, Short Hills, New JerseyDAR Good Citizen Winner Christina Gogzheyan, Cold Spring, Kentucky2024 DAR Outstanding Teacher of American History Award Winner Lois MacMillanAll-American DAR Chorus! "This is Anerica" lead by Jeanie Joesbury, accompanist Paige RumbleChaplain General Virginia Lingelbach speaking on her visit to France for the D-Day Commemoration in June 2024DAR Patriot Award presented to Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant United States Coast Guard - read about Admiral Linda Fagan: https://www.prweb.com/releases/18-honored-with-awards-before-3-500-members-and-guests-at-the-daughters-of-the-american-revolutions-133rd-continental-congress-302194398.htmlAnnouncment of $100,00 donation by the National Society to the National Coast Guard Museum Association to underwrite a museum overlook area dedicated to the American Revolution!Col. Allison Black, United States Air Force, Ret., presented with the Margaret Cochran Corbin AwardCol. Maria Bruton, United States Army Nurse Corps, awarded the Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee AwardElsie Van Beek, awarded the National Outstanding Youth Volunteer for the Year 2024Barbara Grant, National Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Volunteer of the Year Award for 2024Brigadier General Arthur G. Austin, Jr, awarded the National Outstanding Veteran Volunteer for the Year 2024  All music is copyright free and provided by Epidemic Sound - songs in this order:Forest Moon by Gavin LakeUnpainted Canvas by David CelesteOne Land, One Heart by Brightarm OrchestraAmerican Flag by KikoruTogether We Can by AiraeImage of You by Johannes BornlofAmerica the Beautiful (Marching Band Version)Veterans Day by Francis WellsDays of Glory by ExperiaElegance by Megan Woffard All music free of copyright and provided through Epidemic Sound! Check out this amazing source for music at https://share.epidemicsound.com/xr2blv For more information about the Daughters of the American Revolution, please visit DAR.orgTo support the goals and mission of the DAR, please visit our web site at DAR.org/Giving