Podcasts about dutchess

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.

Infections nationwide top 1,000; most in Texas The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases on Friday (May 9), including three cases reported this week in Orange County. Texas still accounts for most cases, with 709 confirmed in an outbreak that has spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. Two unvaccinated elementary school children died in West Texas, along with unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. Other states with outbreaks - which the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as three or more related cases - include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. New York has confirmed seven cases, including three in New York City, one on Long Island and the three in Orange County. The state Department of Health said the Orange County cases involve children younger than 5 years old who recently traveled internationally. No exposures outside immediate family members are known, it said. Orange County Deputy Health Commissioner Lisa Lahiff told the Times Union that because the cases were reported to the local health department in close succession, "we believe this is not indicative of local transmission." Officials declined to say whether the children were vaccinated, citing patient privacy. Earlier this year, the state Department of Health reported that Orange County has the lowest first-dose measles vaccination rate among 2-year-olds in the region, at 64.9 percent. A rate of at least 95 percent is needed to provide "herd immunity." The Putnam County rate is 86.6 percent and the Dutchess rate is 83.1 percent. The first of two vaccine shots is recommended between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. As the virus takes hold in U.S. communities with low vaccination rates, health experts fear that spread could stretch on for a year. In 2019, the U.S. had 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don't need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from "killed" virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don't need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have "presumptive immunity." Measles infects the respiratory tract, then spreads through the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees, according to the CDC. Most children will recover, but the infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. There's no specific treatment, so doctors try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

Checking in with CEO of Pattern for Progress Pattern for Progress, a nonprofit think tank based in Newburgh, is celebrating its 60th year. We spoke with Adam Bosch, its president and CEO. How did the organization begin? When we were founded in 1965, the Hudson Valley was going through a lot: urban renewal in city centers, people moving from New York City to suburban areas, the beginning of the environmental movement and the seeds of innovation at places like IBM in Poughkeepsie. In addition, the U.S. Army was getting ready to sell Stewart Airbase into private hands. There was a need for an objective, independent research and planning organization. Today, we're again in a period of rapid change. We have a housing crisis in affordability and availability. We have a new wave of technology in the form of AI and remote work, and we have generational investments being made in our downtowns, bringing small cities back to life. And the pandemic drove tens of thousands of residents into the region. Our job is to look at those things, measure them and try to explain their effects on our communities and regionwide. What are you working on in 2025? We're creating community-driven plans for the reuse of buildings or parcels that have been abandoned for decades. We can set up tax credits on parcels that make them more feasible to be redeveloped as housing, mixed-use or as new manufacturing centers. The idea is to create development in our downtowns that provides progress without displacement. With housing, there's an indication that corporate actors are moving into the region. There's not a lot of data, but I'll give you my anecdotal evidence. At my house in Ulster County, I am getting two flyers per month from corporations offering to buy my house - all cash, sight unseen. We're going to trace these LLPs and LLCs to their common corporate owners and be able to quantify the extent of corporate homeownership and how it's changed over the past decade. The governor has proposed that if a company owns 10 or more properties or has $50 million or more in assets, it shouldn't be allowed to bid on a home for the first 72 hours it's on the market. In places like Arizona, Nevada, or down to the Carolinas, there are entire neighborhoods owned by a single corporation that rents homes back to people. We want to understand the effect it has on access and the cost of homeownership. What do you see as the most important issues facing the region? Housing is No. 1. There's not even a close second. We do not have enough homes to sustain the population we have, and the cost of both homeownership and rent have outpaced our growth and wages by a lot. That means housing is gobbling up more and more take-home pay. No. 2 would be workforce. We have awesome training facilities at Dutchess Community College, Orange Community College, Marist and SUNY New Paltz, but the data show our labor pool is getting ready to shrink by about 120,000 people in the next 15 years. It's the size of the workforce that's a concern in the near- and medium-term, along with what I call the "youth crunch." We have seen births - not birth rates - decline over the past two decades by about 25 percent to 35 percent in each of our counties. Dutchess is down by 25 percent. Putnam is down the most of any county. If you look at the population of infants, children and teens now and compare it to a decade ago, we have 40,000 fewer kids in the region. After that, I would say community development in terms of: Are we able to attract and retain jobs to the region? Do they pay a living wage? The other two to mention are childcare businesses shrinking by 40 percent in 15 years and outdated water and sewer infrastructure. The redevelopment of the former Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill and a transit-oriented development at the Beacon train station could add 1,600 housing units in and around Beacon. What does the community need to see from the developers? When we did a report on the adaptiv...

Republican congressman holds event in Somers Voters in Rep. Mike Lawler's suburban New York swing district, which includes Philipstown, unloaded a barrage of criticism on the Republican during a raucous town hall in Somers on Sunday (May 4), peppering him with questions around President Donald Trump's aggressive agenda before devolving into a chaotic chorus of boos as attendees were removed by law enforcement. Lawler has promised to hold town halls in Dutchess and Putnam counties in June. He hosted one in Rockland County on April 27 that was equally raucous. The event in Somers began to teeter off the rails soon after it began. The first crack emerged when Lawler, in his opening remarks, told the packed prep school auditorium: "This is what democracy looks like." Laughter crept through the crowd. A little while later, the congressman's mention of federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drew loud jeers. "So you want, for instance, petroleum-based dyes to continue?" Lawler asked in response. Republicans, in some instances, have made themselves scarce in their home districts following Trump's first few months in office, as party leadership expresses wariness of viral blowback against Republicans in vulnerable seats. Lawler, a moderate who last year won a second term and has openly expressed interest in running for governor, has instead put himself in front of voters. On Sunday, Lawler's staff required people to RSVP and set up a series of ground rules, including that attendees live in the district, not record at the event, refrain from shouting or standing, and "be respectful of one another, of staff, and of the congressman," a sign at the door read. At one point, as Lawler was responding to a question about tariffs, security and law enforcement began to surround a woman in the upper stretch of the auditorium. The crowd chanted "let her stay, let her stay" before law enforcement picked her up and carried her out. It was unclear what exactly led to her removal. "Shame! Shame! Shame!," the audience yelled. Lawler tried to get back on track: "Folks, tariffs are way more complicated than you want to make them." The crowd groaned. "Folks, enough!" Lawler said above the din. Soon after, another person was removed. Then another. In the audience, Jeanette Spoor, a 74-year-old retiree, said she wanted to ask Lawler about Social Security and Medicaid but wasn't called on during the nearly two-hour event. "You're not helping your constituents if you're making it hard for them to get help," she said in an interview. "I have no hopes for this guy." Another attendee, Kristi Thompson, 52, said she was bothered by what she said were Lawler's long-winded answers that didn't address the substance of the crowd's questions. "He claims to be available to constituents, but he isn't," she said. The crowd walked out during the final question of the night, which was about protests against Israel. Lawler began to answer but cut himself off as the room emptied out. "I appreciate everybody coming out tonight and taking the time to ask your questions and hear my answers, whether you liked them or not, or agreed with them or not, or whether you really actually wanted to listen to them or not, but I very much appreciate you participating," he said.

This month we will bring you the 2 other existing episodes of RR, plays of Shakespeare's contemporaries. Next up: The Dutchess Of Malfi Check out booksboys.com for links to our social media, merchandise, music, etc, as well as patreon.com/booksboys for the latest episodes of Playboys Extra, Darkplace Dreamers, Film Fellows, Animation Adventurers and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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...

Two attendees ejected from Rockland town hall Many of the 700 people attending Rep. Mike Lawler's town hall on Sunday (April 27) in Rockland County clearly brought vinegar when co-moderator Brendel Logan-Charles, the deputy supervisor for the Town of Ramapo, asked, "When knows the end of this saying: 'You can get more with honey than you can with …' " Catcalls and jeering erupted as she and Teresa Kenny, the Orangetown supervisor, recited ground rules before Lawler, whose 17th District seat includes Philipstown, walked onstage in the auditorium at Clarkstown High School South in West Nyack. It was the first in a series of four town halls - Lawler has said he will visit Dutchess and Putnam counties in June, although locations and dates have not been announced. Although Republican leaders have told House members not to hold town halls because of the negative response over federal cuts being implemented by the Trump administration, Lawler said in March he would host four events to show his "independence and willingness to buck party leadership to engage with his constituents." A town hall hosted in Poughkeepsie on March 19 by Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, had a different tenor, although spectators expressed frustration at what they see as a tepid Democratic response to Trump. Several protestors supporting Palestine who began yelling at Ryan, accusing him of genocide, were removed. Entering to a mixture of boos and applause in West Nyack, Lawler spent 90 minutes parrying questions about cuts to federal programs and employees, Medicaid and Social Security, the Trump administration's deportation practices and the belief that Congress is failing to oppose the Republican president's decisions. Police and security guards escorted at least two people from the event and warned several others. But the warnings did not stop intermittent shouts of "liar," "blah, blah, blah" and other jeers as Lawler answered questions. Part of his final comments were drowned out by chants of "Leave her alone" as police and security guards surrounded a woman they wanted to eject. Below are most of the questions, in the order they were asked, and excerpts from Lawler's answers. Both have been edited slightly for brevity and clarity. You describe yourself as a moderate, yet you support the policies this authoritarian administration is putting forth. … What are you doing to stand in opposition to this administration, and what specifically are you doing that warrants the label "moderate"? My record speaks for itself. I have been rated the fourth-most-bipartisan for a reason, which is a simple fact that unlike many of my colleagues, I do work across the aisle; I do sit down with my colleagues. At the end of this year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act [passed in 2017 under the first Trump administration] is going to expire. If the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires, do you know what will happen? The standard deduction will be cut in half. That will be the largest tax increase in American history. The corporate tax rate is set at 21 percent and I don't support lowering it. … I do support lifting the [$10,000] cap on SALT [deduction for state and local taxes], which directly impacts all of us in this room. Tariffs are obviously something that has been a big point of discussion for many years. [Sens.] Chuck Schumer [of New York] and Bernie Sanders [of Vermont] said [in the past] they supported increasing tariffs, and part of the reason is because other countries have had significantly higher tariffs, barriers to entry and price controls on U.S. goods. You supported a budget that cut Medicaid and education in our district. How does that serve your constituents? [Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, are debating cuts to Medicaid to offset lost revenue from tax cuts.] When it comes to Medicaid, I've been very clear: I am not cutting benefits for any eligible recipient, period. The fact is that our community relies on these vital programs...

Food truck brings the farm to Philipstown Ruby Koch-Fienberg has always loved farming and food systems - an interest that led her in 2022 to earn a master's degree in food studies from New York University. "I wanted to work with farms, helping them connect more with food pantries," said Koch-Fienberg. "When this job appeared on my radar, it was the perfect fit." The job is serving as ag and food systems coordinator with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) for Putnam County, which is based in Carmel. Koch-Fienberg coordinates the extension's Farm to Truck Program, which provides free produce to Putnam County residents facing food insecurity. CCE contracts with Meals on Main Street, a nonprofit in Port Chester, to deliver food each week. Farm to Truck also drops food at pantries. On Wednesday (April 16), the Meals on Main Street mobile pantry spent 45 minutes parked at the Chestnut Ridge retirement community and the Philipstown Friendship Center for seniors. It served 85 people at the two stops, said Irma Arango, who has worked for Meals on Main Street for 15 years. Another 25 people had picked up food at the Brookside Senior Citizen Coop in Philipstown earlier in the day. The truck also makes weekly stops in Putnam Valley, Putnam Lake, Patterson, Carmel, Kent and Mahopac. "I like engaging with the people," Arango said. "I see their need and I see the smiles on their faces when they see the truck." She said clients sometimes leave thank-you notes. "People are so grateful." A Philipstown woman who picked up food at Chestnut Ridge said she relied on the weekly deliveries. "It's good for so many things, especially fresh vegetables," she said. The mobile pantry that day had milk, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, kale, radishes, apples, baked goods and frozen salmon. The selection will grow as the season progresses. CCE launched Farm to Truck in May 2024 with a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is operated in partnership with New York Food for New York Families, a division of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. The program supports regional agriculture by purchasing produce from about 20 farms in Putnam (including Longhaul and Glynwood in Philipstown), Dutchess, Columbia, Orange and Westchester counties. Mobile Pantry Schedule Monday: Putnam Valley 9:45 a.m. Library 11 a.m. Senior Center Wednesday: Philipstown 9 a.m. Brookside 10 a.m. Chestnut Ridge 11:30 a.m. Senior Center "We've spent more than $700,000 [on locally grown products] and expect to spend $1.3 million by the end of August," said Koch-Fienberg. She said Putnam residents made more than 3,000 trips to the food truck in March, which included many repeat customers. Nearly 300,000 pounds of produce, meat, eggs and dairy products have been distributed since the program began a year ago. Koch-Fienberg said it can be hard for people to ask for help, especially in communities considered wealthy. "Pockets of every community experience need," she said. "We absolutely have need in this county." The most recent data compiled by the United Way for its ALICE Project (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) indicates that 37 percent of households in Putnam are above the poverty level but below the annual income needed for basic survival, including savings for emergencies. Koch-Fienberg said that it's not clear if the federal grant that funded Farm to Truck will be renewed when it ends in August. "People have come become so reliant on the program, she said. "It's incredibly sad for it to have an uncertain future."

Hey yo! There has been enough shade thrown WrestleMania's way, so we are going to talk about what we LIKED about the biggest event of the year! We also chat about some of the other events that occurred over the past week including a couple of great shows from AEW. In our retro timeline we are covering the go home Smackdown to Backlash '01. Do we find out what the rules are for a "Dutchess of Queensbury" match? Guess you will have to listen to find out! Enjoy!

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...

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.

Administration promotes benefits for students, teachers Beacon school board members will vote April 22 on the district's 2025-26 budget proposal, which includes $87.7 million in spending and a 5.09 percent tax levy increase, just under the maximum allowed under a complicated state formula. The board will hold a public hearing during its May 6 meeting, and district voters will be asked to approve the plan on May 20. With the levy increase, the district could collect about $50 million in property taxes. The remainder of its revenue comes mostly from state and federal aid. Although state legislators had not approved a budget as of Thursday (April 10), Beacon is expected to receive about $31.5 million from Albany, including $21.7 in unrestricted foundation aid, a 2 percent increase. Direct federal aid accounts for about 2 percent of the Beacon district's budget, or $1.7 million. The Trump administration has threatened to cut funding to states and local districts that do not eliminate what the White House considers to be diversity, equity and inclusion programs, although New York State says it will resist. Beacon administrators plan to use the increased funding to implement summer workshops for incoming Beacon High School students and increased mental health support for students at the high school and Rombout Middle School. Math and reading teachers for struggling elementary students will be hired, as well as a part-time speech instructor at the elementary level. Teacher training would focus on "the science of reading" - a research field that investigates how children develop reading and writing skills. More than 75 percent of the budget will be spent on salaries and benefits for the district's 682 teachers, administrators and other staff. The proposed levy increase is larger than in years past due primarily to two factors: (1) debt service (about 8 percent of expected expenditures) on a $50 million capital project approved by voters last year and (2) increased residential development in Beacon. The capital project will fund sweeping improvements at all six district schools and is the first such effort to trigger a tax increase in at least 15 years. In addition, Beacon's tax base has also grown more than any other district in Dutchess County in the past five years. That growth is one of the factors in the complex state tax formula that determines how much a district can increase its levy; in Beacon it will allow the schools to add $1.2 million to the taxes collected for 2025-26. Superintendent Matt Landahl told school board members during their April 7 meeting that the district is creating individualized data sheets on budget impacts for each school. "This year is really important to give people as much information as they can have walking into their polling place," he said. While the levy is increasing, individual homeowners' tax bills may not go up by the same percentage. Development in Beacon adds taxpaying households, while assessments also impact what a homeowner owes. The district estimates that the owner of a home assessed at the median value in Beacon ($304,700) will pay $3,127 annually in school taxes - still considerably less than other Dutchess districts (see chart). "In my mind, this is an argument to go to the tax cap," Landahl said. "In our hiring and retaining employees, these are some of our closest-competing districts." If you expand the comparison regionwide, "that number just grows, if we're talking about Orange County, Putnam County and obviously Westchester County," he said. "That school tax estimate just gets bigger and bigger, compared to what we're paying here."

Police say he embezzled at least $208,000 A Philipstown resident was arrested on Wednesday (March 12) and accused of stealing at least $208,000 from two local organizations for which he served as treasurer. In a news release, Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville said Mark A. Kenny, 61, had served as a treasurer for the civic groups, which he did not name, saying they had been victims of a crime. He said the agency's investigation began in December when one group reported that funds apparently had been stolen from its bank account over four years. An investigator learned Kenny was also treasurer of the second group and requested its records over the past five years. After a review, the sheriff said the investigator found Kenny had used funds for personal expenses such as gas, cellphone charges, dental bills, pet supplies, cigars, liquor, automotive and lawn equipment, building materials, dumpster rentals and dining at restaurants and bars in Putnam, Dutchess, Westchester and Orange counties. The sheriff said Kenny also made purchases from a restaurant distributor after he submitted a credit application in the name of one of the organizations, adding he and his wife as authorized users. The investigation uncovered cash withdrawals from ATM machines and bank branches. The sheriff said Kenny appears to have stolen at least $118,000 from one organization and at least $90,000 from the other. He was arraigned in Philipstown Town Court on three felony counts of grand larceny and released until his next court date. No further information was available; a Philipstown court clerk said the town does not release documents from any case unless a person is convicted or by special permission from Justices Camille Linson or Angela Thompson-Tinsley. Philipstown also does not upload its records to the state's electronic system. Kenny's LinkedIn profile says he is a graduate of New York University and since August has been a manager for global product risk and control at Wells Fargo. In December 2023, according to court records, he was sued by Lending Club for a $4,702 debt it said had gone unpaid.

County receives about $65 million annually About 10 percent of Dutchess County's funding - $65 million - comes from federal funding through eight agencies, according to a newly released report by Dan Aymar-Blair, a Beacon resident who is the county comptroller. The report also calculated that Dutchess residents receive $1.9 billion annually in direct federal assistance through programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and military medical insurance. Aymar-Blair released the report, which is posted at dub.sh/dutchess-federal, following a freeze on Jan. 27 by President Donald Trump of all federal funding, causing confusion for municipal governments and nonprofits. Although a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order a few days later and ordered the money restored, the funding has been inconsistent and unpredictable. At the same time, cuts driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an ad hoc agency created by the administration and led by carmaker Elon Musk, have caused further uncertainty. "We were getting a lot of questions," said Aymar-Blair. "People had concerns about how much federal funding the county had, what it was used for, and whether it had been touched by the feds." In Putnam, the finance department and clerk did not respond to inquiries about how much of the county's funding comes from the federal government. Putnam does not have a comptroller's office. Aymar-Blair said he had expected that the investigation would reveal sources of federal funding that the county could do without, but "every single program struck me as vital to the county's functioning and to supporting the vulnerable people in our county." The county's largest source of federal funding in 2024 was $43.6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which funds programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (aka "welfare"); the Home Energy Assistance Program; adoption and foster care; and the enforcement of child support. The county also received $2.95 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka "food stamps") and $12.9 million from the Department of Transportation, among other federal expenditures. The report said that, as of Feb. 20, the county had not seen delays in federal disbursements, but Aymar-Blair said this week that's no longer accurate. "Everything's changing all the time," he said. At a March 6 meeting of the county Legislature's Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, Bob Balakind of the Department of Public Works reported that a federal grant the county had received to study the feasibility of electrifying the county bus fleet had been frozen. A consultant hired to produce the study was already a month into the work; if the funds aren't forthcoming, the county will have to pick up the tab. A grant to install new cameras at Dutchess County Airport also was paused, although "that may have since wiggled loose again," Balakind said. He noted that 90 percent of the airport's capital funding comes from the federal government, with the remainder split between the state and county. "We're usually only stuck with paying that last 5 percent, which is great," he said. "But that federal funding is now much more volatile." There is confusion about the status of some of the $3.2 million that the Department of Housing and Urban Development pays the county after the nonprofit Hudson River Housing reported that it had been told its contract with HUD would not be renewed as of March 31. That could leave dozens of Poughkeepsie families homeless, it said. Hudson River Housing did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the future of the Social Security Administration office in Poughkeepsie, the only one in the county, has been in doubt. The office, which had been closed for renovations, appeared on a list of government sites that DOGE expected to close. Earlier this week, Aymar-Blair said that the office's staff weren'...

Empire Training Center for the Arts is a new vocational venture operating out of The Chance Theatre on Main Street in Poughkeepsie, New York.Their first major fundraising event in Poughkeepsie is coming up on March 15. The Dirty Dutchess: An Evening of Vaudeville, Burlesque and Broadway is directed by Peter Flynn. Flynn is a New York based director, writer and educator and he joins us now - along with Empire Training Center for the Arts Co-Founder and Executive Director Trish Santini.

Did a live stream and was joined by Dutchess from the Boomer Bunker podcast. We had a lovely chat, and now you can listen to it if you missed the stream.

Applicants could receive up to $125K for dwelling units Beacon and seven other municipalities in Dutchess County have been awarded $6 million from a state program to help low- and moderate-income residents construct or upgrade accessory dwelling units. Applications for the funding from Plus One ADU should be available later this year, after the Poughkeepsie nonprofit that will administer the program locally finalizes contracts with the state and municipalities. Single-family homeowners who qualify will be able to apply for up to $125,000 per project. The other Dutchess municipalities awarded this funding are the towns of Amenia, North East, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie, Stanford, Union Vale and the Village of Rhinebeck. On Wednesday (Feb. 26), City Administrator Chris White said he was unsure whether the state or the nonprofit, Hudson River Housing, would evaluate applications. The city's role will be to promote the program, he said. The $6 million award, announced Feb. 14, is part of the third round of funding for the Plus One program; the state allocated $85 million in the 2022-23 budget. Applicants who receive funding will be required to confirm for 10 years or longer that the ADU is being used as housing and not short-term rentals, with site visits every two years. Gov. Kathy Hochul has supported ADUs as a relatively easy way to create affordable housing. They are often used to house an older relative but can provide income if used as long-term rentals. The City Council on Monday began a discussion of ways to further simplify Beacon's ADU approval process. In 2022, the council approved zoning-code amendments to streamline the lengthy Planning Board review that had been required for ADUs, but permits have been issued for only four units since then. Twenty-nine were approved in the three decades after the city began allowing ADUs in 1989. "We are not seeing the uptake of ADUs that was maybe thought [would happen] when these regulations were originally developed," said Natalie Quinn, the city's planning consultant. "I think there was a thought that it would be hugely popular and there would be one on every other lot." Because of the low participation, many municipalities are trying to make approvals easier, she said. Monday's meeting gave council members the opportunity to weigh in on several questions about regulations and ways to simplify them. The council seemed inclined to allow ADUs on any lot with a single-family structure. Currently, accessory units are not allowed in the Linkage or Fishkill Creek Development zones, among other areas. Council members appeared OK with keeping a requirement that the property owner must live in the primary structure or the ADU. They agreed to lower the minimum accessory apartment size from 200 square feet to match the state building code, which is 150 square feet. The city's current maximum is 1,000 square feet. The council also seemed to agree that some applications - for example, those for ADUs above a certain size or requiring a new structure rather than a renovation - should require Planning Board review. Council members leaned toward eliminating the requirement of one parking space per unit but said that, if an application must go to the Planning Board, a parking requirement should be considered. Finally, they agreed to continue requiring a $750 application fee and $3,000 escrow payment for Planning Board applications to cover the time of city attorneys and planning and engineering consultants. Despite those restrictions, by streamlining the process so that the building inspector can review and approve most applications, "you're removing the application fee, the escrow and engineering fees" for applicants, noted City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis. "That's where you're getting your most significant savings." Ward-Willis said he would bring a draft law to the next council workshop on March 10. If the council approves, it would schedule a public hearing for feedback before voting. East Mai...

This album review contains material that may be unsuitable for children under 17 years old - but so does every episode, honestly.That Rihanna Reign just won't let up!!!!!!Happy Birthday Rihanna!!!! We - and by "we" we mean the world - can't get enough of you and your impact. Dutchess of Done, Mother of Mug, Countess of Cunt, and not to mention A HITMAKER!!!!!!!!Get ready to get RATED R... Listen in as we recant the time, place, and state of emotion we and Rih all were in when Rated R dropped. The year was 2009... it was a dark and stormy night, and... anyway press play!!!!!Watch us on The Psyce' s Youtube channel and Follow us everywhere @thepsycepodcast.

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...

Cat is missing from her cradle, leaving the motley shocked. The Dutchess charges the group with her safe return, and Rowan as her champion in this task. Can they find her in time?

When U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Neftali Caal-Chocoj in October 2023, the agency complained that Putnam County had released the undocumented Guatemalan because of "local laws," rather than allow ICE officers to take custody at the county jail. In fact, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office notifies ICE when detainees sought by the agency are scheduled for release but will not hold them longer unless a federal judge signs a warrant, said Capt. Michael Grossi, speaking for the sheriff. He said that had been county policy for at least 10 years, and under two previous sheriffs. The county practice largely tracks with guidance issued Jan. 22 by the state Attorney General's Office in response to President Donald Trump's vow to arrest and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Attorney General Letitia James released her guidance a day after Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general in Washington, D.C., asserted in a memo to Justice Department staff that federal law prohibits state and local governments "from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands." Bove warned that the Justice Department would investigate "incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution, including for obstructing federal functions," and "identify state and local laws, policies, and activities that are inconsistent" with Trump's immigration initiatives and "take legal action" against those laws. According to James, county jails are not legally obligated to notify ICE that a prisoner will be released from custody or to honor its requests, known as "detainers," to hold inmates for 48 hours beyond their scheduled release. Detainer requests are often accompanied by an administrative warrant issued by immigration authorities to arrest an undocumented immigrant for deportation, but James recommended that local officers only honor detainers when authorities have a warrant signed by a federal judge. "We have laws that protect immigrants and limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts," she wrote in her guidance. "Those laws should continue to be followed by all New York law enforcement and officials." How Many Undocumented? An estimated 850,000 undocumented immigrants - meaning they do not have work permits or green cards - live in New York state, mostly in New York City, according to the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. How many live in the Highlands is not known, but if immigration court data is indicative, the numbers have risen dramatically over the past 20 years. As of August, there were nearly 400 new immigration cases involving Putnam County residents, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University (TRAC). In 2004, there were 34 cases filed during the entire year. The numbers for Dutchess are similar. As of August, there were 779 immigration cases. In 2004, there were 33. About 75 percent of those cases involve immigrants from Central and South America, according to TRAC. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, which describes itself as a "pro-immigrant, low-immigration" think tank, Dutchess is among the New York counties that do not notify ICE before a detainee's release or allow "adequate hold time" for ICE to arrest someone. The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office did not respond to an email asking to clarify its position on detainer requests, but Capt. John Watterson, a representative, said on Jan. 7 that "immigration laws fall under the jurisdiction of federal authorities, and at this time we are not aware of any plans to have the Sheriff's Office become involved in their enforcement." New York law also bars local and state law enforcement from detaining people for civil immigration violations, according to the Attorney General's Office. People can only be arrested for violating civil immigration laws when police "have probable cause to believe that an individual has committed a ...

Alliance backs designation as 'inland waterway' Sergei Krasikov's laps across Fishkill Creek come with caveats. After a rainstorm, wait several days for the runoff carrying potential pollutants to clear before swimming. Protect your nose and eyes, and shower afterward. Back on land, Krasikov is co-chair of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Alliance and part of a movement to protect the creek not only for flora and fauna but as a place of respite and recreation. The creek extends for 33.5 miles between Union Vale in northeast Dutchess County and the Hudson River. Featuring gorges and waterfalls, it is the main branch of a 193-mile watershed that spans 14 municipalities in Dutchess and Putnam counties. Born in July 2023 from a collaboration between conservation advisory committees in Beacon and East Fishkill, the alliance's first major project is getting the creek designated by the state as an "inland waterway," said Krasikov, who chairs Beacon's committee. If legislation sponsored by state Sen. Rob Rolison, whose district includes Beacon, becomes law, Beacon and other municipalities through which the creek passes would become eligible for funding through the state's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) and the Environmental Protection Fund. The programs provide grants for planning, design, land acquisition and other waterfront projects for designated coastal water bodies, such as the Hudson River, and inland waterways. Beacon adopted a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for its riverfront and Fishkill Creek in 1992 and updated it in 2011, but the creek lacks designation as an inland waterway. "This designation opens the door for the towns along the Fishkill Creek and its tributaries to access vital resources," Rolison said. Along Beacon's portion of the creek, several sections of its Greenway and Heritage Trail have already opened. Along the Beacon Line, an unused railroad line envisioned as the route for a rail trail between Beacon and Hopewell Junction, several vacant parcels have been identified, Krasikov said. For 2 miles, the rail line follows Fishkill Creek, where the alliance envisions places to kayak, swim or relax. "There is a potential for pocket parks - connecting two together and giving people a chance to experience being by the water and enjoying the beautiful creek," he said. New York's designated inland waterways include Wappinger Creek in Dutchess County and Lake Carmel, Lake Mahopac and Lake Nimham in Putnam. With the Hudson River designated as a coastal waterbody, Beacon has used LWRP grants on such riverfront projects as the kayak deck at Long Dock Park. Other beneficiaries include the City of Poughkeepsie, which received a $765,000 grant in 2023 to develop strategies to improve biodiversity, water quality and public space along the Fall Kill Creek. That same year, Nyack received $417,000 to install an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant shoreline walkway and to buttress its waterfront against storm surge and other impacts of climate change. In December, Kingston received $167,000 to update its 1992 waterfront plan and earlier was awarded $552,000 to demolish two condemned, city-owned houses in a flood zone and build a parking lot, boardwalk and pier. With "lingering concerns" about water quality, one of the goals of the Fishkill Creek Watershed Alliance is to study the lower creek's health, said Krasikov. The alliance successfully lobbied to have the middle and upper segments included in an ongoing state water-quality study that covers "everything, from agricultural runoff to biological markers to industrial pollutants," he said. Additional tests for the creek are being designed in partnership with faculty at Bard and Vassar colleges, and Riverkeeper is interested in collaborating with the alliance to measure bacteria indicating fecal matter from sewage, said Krasikov. The alliance is also collaborating on a "watershed characterization" study with Clarkson University's Beacon Institute for...

Montgomery again excluded from committees The Putnam County Legislature approved procedures for subpoenaing witnesses and rules requiring that speakers addressing lawmakers swear an oath and nominees to lead departments disclose donations to the sitting county executive. With Amy Sayegh (Mahopac) taking over as the new chair, the Legislature voted 5-4 during its reorganization meeting on Jan. 7 to adopt changes to its rules proposed by Dan Birmingham, a former legislator re-elected last year to the District 7 seat formerly held by Joseph Castallano, who could not run again because of term limits. Nancy Montgomery, who represents Philipstown and part of the Putnam Valley as the Legislature's sole Democrat, joined with three Republicans - Erin Crowley (Carmel), William Gouldman (Putnam Valley) and Laura Russo (Patterson), in voting against the changes. Crowley read a letter from Conrad Pasquale, the senior deputy county attorney, recommending that the changes be researched for legality and enforceability. Requiring oaths could be "without legal force or effect" and having nominees disclose campaign contributions could "touch upon constitutional issues related to free speech and association," he wrote. While Crowley said the changes "could leave us exposed" legally, Greg Ellner, who represents the hamlet of Carmel and part of Lake Carmel, and won approval as the Legislature's deputy chair, said, "You don't have to accept what counsel says." Like other counties, Putnam's charter gives the Legislature the power to "subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of bonds, papers and other evidence deemed necessary." The revised operating manual "codifies" the charter's powers, said Birmingham. In addition to allowing the Legislature and committee to subpoena witnesses, documents "and other evidence deemed necessary or material to an inquiry," chairs can request that speakers "take an oath affirming the truthfulness of the information being presented on the floor." People speaking during the public-comment portion of meetings are exempt. "These are things that are just really codifying powers we already have," said Birmingham, whose district comprises parts of Carmel and Southeast. Another change requires appointments made by the county executive that are subject to approval by the Legislature, such as for county attorney and health commissioner, first face a review by a committee whose members will vote to approve the nominee, disapprove or issue "no recommendation." Candidates now need to provide a resume and three references from people in their area of expertise, and submit a completed financial disclosure form, although they may leave the "financial interests" section blank. Committees will check whether a nominee has a criminal background or judgments or liens in Putnam, Dutchess and four other counties: Orange, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester. Nominees will also have to disclose theirs or a spouse's contributions, within the previous five years, to a campaign or a political action committee "founded by or controlled by" the executive appointing them. Birmingham's proposal named as an example the Taxpayer Action Network, a political action committee co-founded by Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. Montgomery tried unsuccessfully to strike the proposed amendments, even though Birmingham said her yearslong criticism of colleagues for approving appointees without seeing their resumes inspired his proposal to require more documentation from nominees. "I'm not voting against the idea of requiring a resume," she said. "I'm voting to remove it because that's my only mechanism to get this in front of the public and the committee for comment," she said. Montgomery shut out Just like last year, Montgomery did not receive a spot on any of the Legislature's eight standing committees, except for Budget and Finance, which is composed of every legislator. Sayegh, who as chair assigns legislators to committees, appointed...

Putnam, Dutchess receive warnings from legal group During an appearance in November on the cable channel Newsmax, Putnam Executive Kevin Byrne emphasized that the county is not a "sanctuary" for undocumented immigrants. Despite that assertion and the county's passage in 2023 of a resolution declaring it will cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Putnam made a list of "sanctuary strongholds" compiled by America First Legal, a conservative nonprofit founded by Stephen Miller, who will become President-elect's Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy on Jan. 20. America First Legal said it sent letters in December to 249 public officials, including Byrne and Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino, warning that "it is a crime to conceal, harbor or shield" undocumented immigrants or prevent federal officers from enforcing immigration law. "We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law," the letter reads. "Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability." The pressure is expected to increase on local officials when Trump takes office this month and sets about fulfilling a promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S. To accomplish that, the administration will likely need help from local authorities, including county sheriffs. While some outspoken sheriffs are vowing to assist, Rob Milby, the sheriff in upstate Wayne County and a member of the National Sheriffs' Association's border security committee, told News 8 in Rochester in December that discussions with Trump representatives have yet to produce a definitive policy. "If our [federal] law enforcement brothers and sisters do come into Wayne County and they ask for assistance, immediate assistance, for something that's going on, we're certainly going to respond," he said. "But as far as going out and leading the charge on immigration issues, we don't have any plans to do that." In Dutchess, Capt. John Watterson, a representative for the Sheriff's Office, said on Tuesday (Jan. 7) that "immigration laws fall under the jurisdiction of federal authorities, and at this time we are not aware of any plans to have the Sheriff's Office become involved in their enforcement." In Putnam, Byrne's office said on Wednesday (Jan. 8) that the county has "not had any direct communication with the federal government on this issue." On Thursday, Sheriff Kevin McConville said he also had not been contacted by federal authorities "regarding the matter of illegally entered migrants," although the department "has discussed the matter internally." The sheriff said he had no further comment "until such time as we are officially contacted by a federal agency and have the opportunity to thoroughly review any such proposal." Byrne appeared on Newsmax after an undocumented man from Chile was charged with shooting his girlfriend and her two teenage sons in Somers, killing one of the boys - an incident that America First cited in its letter to Putnam, writing that "your sanctuary policies have had a real impact on your local residents." During the interview with Newsmax, Bryne mentioned his signing in July 2023 of a resolution declaring Putnam to be a "rule of law" county that works with ICE to "properly identify arrested felons and gang-associated members who are suspected violators of federal immigration law." The resolution had earlier passed the Legislature by a 7-1 vote, with only Nancy Montgomery, a Democrat who represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley, voting no. "Sanctuary policies, quite frankly, they're stupid," Byrne told Newsmax. "Anything that prevents law enforcement from sharing information with other partners in law enforcement, including federal law enforcement such as ICE, you're limiting our ability to keep our community safe." On Tuesday, the U.S. House passed, 264-159, a bill vote requiring the detenti...

In this week's episode I am joined by Owen Brayson. Owen had a humble beginning with a neighborhood squirrel dog that turned into so much more many years later. Even when he went looking to get into squirrel dogs he stumbled a bit and was finally given some direction that put him on the right path. That path was a River Run Feist, and Dutchess was her name. She was the start of many successful years in the squirrel dog business. Unfortunatly Hurricane Katrina made squirrel hunting almost impossible and Owen was forced to get rid of his beloved squirrel dogs. Luckily he was able to pick up without missing a beat when he retired and is back at it once again. He is even hosting a number of UKC Squirrel Hunts.   Sponsors: https://conkeysoutdoors.com  Promo Code TREETALKINTIME5 https://fullcrymag.com https://www.southernhoundhunting.com  Merch: https://treetalkin.com/collections  Social Media: https://www.patreon.com/treetalkintime https://www.instagram.com/treetalkinmedia https://www.facebook.com/treetalkinmedia

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde chapter 17, narrated by Isaac Birchall Subscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads https://www.patreon.com/theessentialreads https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join SUMMARY: A week later, Dorian is entertaining guests at his home, Selby. He talks with Lord Henry, the Dutchess of Monmouth, and her husband about the nature and importance of beauty, and other matters. The duchess criticises Lord Henry for placing too much importance on beauty. When the conversation turns to love, Lord Henry maintains that love, like life, depends on repeating great experiences over and over again. Dorian agrees as usual with Lord Henry and excuses himself. The guests hear a groan and a thud from the other side of the room, and rush over to find Dorian laying on the ground. At supper, Dorian has sudden chills, and thinks about what caused him to fall. He was certain that he saw the face of James Vane at the window.

With the freehold holding an event for the Dutchess' arrival, a strange series of sounds draws the motley outside where the dark streets hold more than they expect.  

Include prenatal, health care benefits Protections for pregnant women, performing artists and disabled tenants living in high-rises and the banning of complimentary personal care products provided by hotels are among the new state laws that took effect on Jan. 1. Minimum wage Employers in Dutchess and Putnam County must pay a minimum of $15.50 per hour, an increase of 50 cents. In New York City, Westchester County and Long Island, the minimum wage increased to $16.50 per hour. Health care expansion Eligibility for the state's Basic Health Program expanded from 200 percent to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which in 2024 was $15,060 for an individual and $31,200 for a family of four. Pregnant women are also eligible and can remain covered for a year after giving birth. The increase was included in the 2022-23 budget bill for education, labor, housing and family assistance. Prenatal leave Requires employers to provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per year. The law was passed as part of the 2024-25 budget bill for state public protection and general government. Wetlands protections The state Department of Environmental Conservation's jurisdiction is no longer limited to areas depicted on the state freshwater wetlands maps but includes new freshwater wetlands, including small wetlands of "unusual importance." The change was included in the 2022-23 budget bill for transportation, economic development and environmental conservation. Ambulance payments New York requires insurance companies to pay for ambulance services that are not preferred providers. Under the previous law, payments for transport by non-preferred providers were sent to patients. According to the bill's sponsor, patients "routinely" neglected to make the payments. Hotel care products Under legislation passed in 2021 to reduce plastic waste, hotels with 50 or more rooms can no longer provide small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap or other personal care products. Hotels will receive a warning for the first violation, a $250 fine if they fail to correct the infraction within 30 days and a $500 fine for subsequent violations in the same calendar year. Hotels with fewer than 50 rooms will have to comply beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Biomarker testing Health insurers must cover biomarker testing. According to the bill's sponsor, the test is "increasingly important" for the treatment of cancer and other diseases and "37 of the 62 oncology drugs launched in the past five years require or recommend biomarker testing before use." Evacuation plans The owners of high-rise buildings must create evacuation plans for disabled residents based on standards developed by the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council. Hospitals, assisted living residences and adult-care facilities are exempt. Fare evaders The Metropolitan Transportation Authority can issue fines of up to $150 per violation to people who evade fares. The MTA said in August that buses are the biggest problem, with 50 percent of riders failing to pay. The lost revenue totaled $315 million in 2022, according to the agency. Insulin payments Insulin is exempt from insurance deductible, copayment, coinsurance and other cost-sharing requirements. Election ballots Judicial candidates will be pushed to the end of ballots instead of being listed before congressional and state candidates. The bill's sponsor says that voters know little about judicial candidates, and their current position on the ballot makes it likelier that people will overlook congressional candidates. Health insurance enrollment Insurers are prohibited from charging fees or other penalties when pregnant women enroll for health care coverage through New York's State of Health exchange. Digital creations Contracts for the use of a performer's digital voice or likeness are void and unenforceable if the replica replaces work the performer would have otherwise done in person, if the agreement does not have a "reasonably specific descript...

For the last episode of the year I decided to do something different. I did a live stream and brought some friends along for the ride. It was supposed to be a recap of 2024, but was really more of a BS session between friends. There will probably be a more standard ranty episode later this week. Guests include Mike & Tabby of the Grays Taproom, The Undercover Brother from the Bromigos Podcast Matty Mysh, John and the Dutchess from the Boomer Bunker podcast, and Jason of the Weather'd View and HorribleDesigns.com

HERE YE HEAR YE! The Grande Dame of Potomac, the Dutchess of Surry County, Mrs. Black Bill Gates, the SHE-EO of the House of Huger herself has been found guilty of being an absolute hot mess and in her own words "LIT" while driving! Naturally a gathering of DMV Divas to cover this breaking news needed to happen! Aarti and Taria discuss this mess that Karen has gotten herself into and a full week of Bravo! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/therealityispod/support

Rowan and Erin work to prepare Kelly as The Dutchess arrives at the freehold. Edie is quite surprised by an offer she receives. Dark tidings wrap the four together before the evening relents. 

49ers are 4 plays away from a very different season. They're not a bad team, they're a good team having a bad year.0:45: The 49ers aren't as bad as you think3:26: The 4 plays that would have turned the 49ers into a 10-win team:11:26: The stat that explains the Brock Purdy drop-off:19:39: John Lynch has missed on a ton of top picks and that needs to change in the next draft36:19: Holy shit. Have you read this Jets story?42:51: Nick Nash — the best Bay Area football player you've absolutely never heard of53:58: Today in history:55:46: The Dutchess joins the showSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Pella Yearbook Editor Ella Van Arendonk and current Editor Saige DeJong discuss recent recognition for the Dutchess from the Iowa High School Press Association.

Episode:  E956 PERSONAL PODCAST – Chicken Soup for the Dog    Description:  Kelly gets a triggering notice from the Doctor and Dutchess is having a hard time.    Coupled with Chaos full episodes and bonus content subscriptions are available here:  Premium Content, including Additional 90 Day Fiancé episodes, coverage of other TLC and A&E shows and even some crime news along with more personal podcast episodes are available by subscription at:    Supercast: https://coupledwithchaosnetwork.supercast.tech/    Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/coupledwithchaos    Apple: Coupled with Chaos Channel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/coupled-with-chaos/id6442522170    Contacts us:  Email: Coupledwithchaos@gmail.com    Web site: https://coupledwithchaos.com    Facebook: @Coupledwithchaos    Instagram: @Coupledwithchaos    Twitter: @CoupledwChaos 

Episode: E956 PERSONAL PODCAST – Chicken Soup for the Dog  Description: Kelly gets a triggering notice from the Doctor and Dutchess is having a hard time.  Coupled with Chaos full episodes and bonus content subscriptions are available here: Premium Content, including Additional 90 Day Fiancé episodes, coverage of other TLC and A&E shows and even some crime news along with more personal podcast episodes are available by subscription at:  Supercast: https://coupledwithchaosnetwork.supercast.tech/  Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/coupledwithchaos  Apple: Coupled with Chaos Channel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/coupled-with-chaos/id6442522170  Contacts us: Email: Coupledwithchaos@gmail.com  Web site: https://coupledwithchaos.com  Facebook: @Coupledwithchaos  Instagram: @Coupledwithchaos  Twitter: @CoupledwChaos 

In this episode the boys welcome The Dutchess of New Jersey and discuss the differences in the generations, recalling the way things "used to be". Sam talks about failing footwear as well as his affinity for black label porn. And we find out that the Jersey Shore really isn't all that. So, sit back put the earbuds in and have a slice.....Catch the Dutchess on The Boomer Bunker Podcast wherever you download your favorite shows!!Wanna join in on the fun and submit questions and interact with the show? Then follow us on Facebook and after you check us out and give us a like.  Ask us for an invite to Get After...The T&A Podcast.... our NEW private Facebook group!!Want some T&A??? Of course you do...everyone does !! Check out our merch here..https://www.zazzle.com/store/ta_podcastCheck us out everywhere we are by using our linktree.CLICK HERE...https://linktr.ee/tandapodcastCammo Comedy Show Podcase Military shenanigans, pranks & mistakes! Subscribe to Cammo Comedy! On all platforms!Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Yvette Valdes-Smith knows firsthand how spiraling housing costs have made Beacon unaffordable to many. Yvette and her husband rented in Beacon for years, but moved to Fishkill when they realized they couldn't afford to buy a home here.  “We shouldn't have to struggle with paying our utility bills, our rent and our mortgages,” she says in our interview. “Affordability is critical to me and to pretty much every voter I've spoken to. And housing is a huge issue. It's going to require us not being NIMBY about things. We have to increase housing stock.”   Raised in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, Yvette went to college in New York, became a public school teacher and started a family before winning a seat on the Dutchess County Legislature, where she is Minority Leader. Now she's running for NY State Senate District 39 on the Democratic ticket.  In addition to housing affordability, her campaign is focused on issues like abortion rights, gender-affirming care, gun safety and youth services.  “We need more youth services,” she says. “I'm a mom. I've experienced the lack of childcare in this county. I've experienced youth programs closing or not being available. Think about summer camps, how they'll go online and they'll be gone in three seconds.”  But winning won't be easy. The current State Senator in the seat she's running for, Republican Rob Rolison, is a seasoned pol who won the spot by about 7,000 votes two years ago. In this episode, she talks about what it will take to beat him – including lots and lots of canvassing in purple and red areas of the district.  Senate District encompasses Beacon along with parts of Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties. 

Leadership by AllDavid Zeman is Chief Strategy Officer at ENT and Allergy Associates... THE Nation's Largest ENT, Allergy & Audiology Practice.He shares the incredible story of a hospital system that was struggling. Everything was chaotic until one leader introduced a simple but powerful mantra that changed everything. It united the staff work and the hospital became much better place for both the employees and the patients. You'll hear how this powerful approach redefined leadership and inspired lasting change.......now you can use this with your team.What You'll Discover in this Episode:A Challenge that Sparked Empowered Leadership.Three Steps to Foster an Engaged Team.An AI Strategy Enhance Communication and Workflow.The Connection between Hearing Loss and Dementia.How to Make Tough Leadership Decisinos.Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dzeman22/Learn more about ENT and Allergy Associates: https://www.entandallergy.com/------ENT and Allergy Associates see over 150,000 patients every month with over 300 clinicians in 50+ office locations in Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island, New York City, northern New Jersey.-------Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Join Branden Brown at our Dutchess location for the conclusion to their Summer at Grace series!

Continue in our Summer at Grace series at Dutchess with Pastor Branden Brown!

Join us for our Summer at Grace series with Larry Dauer at our Dutchess location!

Team Alpha had stayed back to investigate Troggleshythe when the alarm bells rang, now they must hurry back to help protect the Dutchess in a way that is sufficiently spectactular to impress the cameras. You can learn more about Trilogy at https://trilogy-rpg.com

In this conversation, Big Bank and Erica Dutchess discuss her comedy career, divorce, and the disconnect between men and women.  Erica shares her perspective on relationships, her experiences with marriage, the difficulties of navigating relationships in the modern world.  Erica emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and not getting caught up in societal expectations, the impact of social media and the addictive nature of seeking validation online. Erica discusses her experience with a man who didn't believe in her dreams and even suggested she become a bus driver. Tune in and join the conversation in the socials below. Rate, subscribe, comment and share. Follow Perspektives With Bank on IG @perspektiveswithbank @bigbankatl @EricaDuchessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This full moon is giving exposure and finding composure ! Rambling from Diddy to Windsor Castle and back with The Dutchess of Jersey

The owner of Unity Ambulette, that serves Sullivan as well as Dutchess, Ulster and Orange Counties has written to Governor Hochul calling inadequate rate increases for medical transportation an untenable situation. Host Mike Sakell speaks with Joe Adamo of Unity who wrote the letter after the closure of several companies across the state.

Celebrity gossip, Kate Middleton's diagnosis, The dodgy Dutchess' latest money-making scheme, and more! Later, we're joined by Marshall Levy, one of our faves, who returns to take us through his CPOP (Customer Point Of Possibilities) exercise. Want to improve your own coaching business? Check out Mitchell's Coaching Fest (link below). Our Bougie Bible picks include a chic Santa Monica hotel and affordable attire.☎️ LEAVE A VOICEMAIL: +1 239-300-7276 ☎️

On this Episode of The Real Talk Pill Talk Podcast we talk about Steamy StoryTimes! College is Overrated? White Toes, Get Chose! and more.... Special Guest: Wes Wes, Dutchess and Stephanie Follow me too: Tpindell & RealTalkPillTalkSupport the show

For part two of our Black Eyed Peas series, writer and critic Julianne Escobedo Shepherd returns to Pop Pantheon to dissect the brief but remarkable reign of the Duchess of Pop, Fergie. Louie and Julianne break down Fergie's brushes with child stardom via Peanuts and Kids Incorporated and her failed 90s girl group, Wild Orchid. Then they explore the sonic melange of her debut solo album,  2006's The Dutchess, which traded in everything from camp pop-rap to 80s hip house, mid-century pop-soul and A/C rock. Next they tackle Fergie's follow-up more than a decade later, 2017's Double Dutchess, her disappearance from pop, her ongoing presence as a meme queen and, finally, rank Fergie in the Official Pop Pantheon.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Black Eyed Peas Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 2/3 at Sultan RoomCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 2/17 at Los GlobosFollow Julianne Escobedo Shepherd on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

To get live links to the music we play and resources we offer, visit www.WOSPodcast.comThis show includes the following songs:Cole Hansen - Vote for Love FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSupa Philly - Percolate FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMichelle Shafer - Love Never Fails FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYCrazy Love Duo - I Will FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYTin Parlour - Compass FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYDonna Dutchess - What Happened To All The Love FOLLOW ON SOUNDCLOUDMary Demers - Eliminate The Hate Bridget Wolf - Creating Heaven on Earth FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJoy Helena Solomon - Companionship FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYYvette Medina - Show Me How To Love FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMargo & Friend - True Love Brickley Bray - A Random Act Of Kindness FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFor Music Biz Resources Visit www.FEMusician.com and www.ProfitableMusician.comVisit our Sponsor Bec Leigh at becleighmusic.comVisit our Sponsor Ed Daniels at collaborationsmusic.comVisit our Sponsor Supa Philly at www.linkedin.com/in/frankmcdonnell-44Visit our Sponsor Laura Suarez at laurasuarez.comVisit our Sponsor Laura-May Azpiazu at lmazpiazu.comVisit www.wosradio.com for more details and to submit music to our review board for consideration.Visit our resources for Indie Artists: https://www.wosradio.com/resources

Alison drops new music from G Jones, The Dutchess, Kaivon, SLUMBERJACK, Keys N Krates, John Summit and more! Don't forget to rate & review on all of your favorite podcast apps! Post your comments on Twitter @awonderland / https://twitter.com/awonderland #RADIOWONDERLAND