Podcasts about Fishkill

Editor's note: Beacon was created in 1913 from Matteawan and Fishkill Landing. William Coggswell was charged with beating his brother, James, with a club at James' saloon on Main Street in Fishkill Landing. John Oderman, the cornet player for a brass band, badly injured his arm at the fulling mill inside a Glenham factory. Burglars carefully removed a light to reach inside a display at a hotel near the railroad depot and stole $20 [about $625 today] worth of liquor and cigars. John Ackerman, 8, caught a 1-pound catfish at Fishkill Landing with a hook and line. Edwin Jewell, proprietor of the Irving House at Fishkill Landing, announced that his bar would close on Sundays. George Owen, editor of The Fishkill Standard, purchased a building at Fishkill Landing for $10,000 [$310,000] at auction that had contained the dry-goods store of the late Charles Owen and the drugstore of Dr. Wilson. After the Watson Bridge Co. went bankrupt, work stopped on the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad bridge at Glenham. A horse and buggy stolen from a barn on Main Street in Fishkill Landing was found abandoned in Lagrangeville. Lewis Tompkins purchased the Beacon House, just west of the Dutchess Hat Works, to convert into a hotel and for short-term rentals. The Saratoga Express struck a man walking on the tracks near Fishkill Landing. A train employee was sent back to gather the remains and take them to Fishkill. According to the Newburgh Journal, a horse attached to a hay-rake on a farm near Fishkill took fright in the field and ran down the long avenue leading to a gentleman's home. The family, which was on the piazza, watched as the horse tore through two gates, across the railroad tracks and into a barnyard, where it made "a most serious commotion" among the ducks and chickens. The farmer's wife and a man followed in pursuit but only managed to divert its course around a corn crib and toward another farmhouse, where a man inside tried to close the door but was pinned against the wall as the horse charged through the kitchen, circled the stove and returned to the yard, where it was caught. Thomas Nolan, a New York City lawyer, wrote to W.C. Harris in Matteawan, demanding payment of an overdue invoice. Harris responded by asking whose invoice he would be paying, because he did not know Nolan. The lawyer sent a postcard that read: "I want no more requests from you, but if you will not at once pay the note into my office, I will sue." Harris replied with his own postcard that read: "I don't send money to anyone unless I know who they are. I should know, just from the tone of your communication, that you are a pettifogger." Nolan promptly sued Harris for $20,000 [$625,000] for libel, but Harris replied in court that a private postcard was not "publication," as required by the law. The Pilgrim Baptist Church in Matteawan hosted a strawberry festival. A neighbor saw a stranger hitching up a horse outside Mr. Stotesburgh's house in Matteawan on a Saturday night and asked if someone was sick. The man said that was the case, and he was going to find the doctor. The horse and wagon hadn't been seen since. During "Beacon Night" on WKBG, a Poughkeepsie-based radio station, Judge Thomas Hassett discussed the city's manufacturing output, including bricks and hats. In addition, the Beacon Imperial Orchestra performed "The Home Circle" and John Montague, a tenor from Beacon, sang "Dreaming Alone in the Twilight," which prompted hundreds of listeners to call the station requesting an encore. Robert Kent Jr. of Glenham, who had been arrested for driving without a license, claimed in court that Judge Hassett was "making an attempt to frame him through his henchmen in the motor vehicle bureau." About 4,000 delegates of the Archdiocesan Union of Holy Name Societies came to Beacon for its annual meeting. Following a smallpox outbreak in Cold Spring, state health inspectors found no cases in Beacon. One suspicious case was diagnosed as chicken pox. Mr. and Mrs. George...

Redevelopment of state prisons proves challenging Two years after New York State selected Conifer Realty to construct a mixed-use campus with up to 1,300 apartments at the former Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, the company has yet to submit a proposal to the town's Planning Board. Two and a half miles away, redevelopment plans at another decommissioned state prison, the Beacon Correctional Facility, or Camp Beacon, have also stalled. An update from Empire State Development, New York's economic development agency, provides little clarity. A spokesperson for the agency said on June 5 that "ESD, Conifer and the Town of Fishkill continue to work collaboratively on the redevelopment of the Downstate Correctional Facility" — virtually the same statement it provided a year ago, when it said that "ESD continues to work with Conifer and the Town of Fishkill to finalize a site plan." The state announced in June 2024 that the Rochester-based Conifer would, over the course of a decade, convert the 80-acre former maximum-security prison into a campus with as many as 1,300 housing units. Construction of 375 units, at least 20 percent of them "permanently affordable" for households earning less than 80 percent of the area's annual median income, was expected to begin by January 2026. Fishkill Supervisor Ozzy Albra, who criticized the plans as a "bad deal for the taxpayers," said a year ago that he had negotiated ESD and Conifer down to 1,100 units. He said this week that, while he believes local schools, including Glenham Elementary, which is part of the Beacon City School District, will be able to absorb the students generated by the development, traffic will be a critical issue. That has guided continued negotiations, he said, with his goal to get the unit count "well below 700." Albra said he has made a number of additional requests, including a split between homes for sale and rental units and for the project to include more one-bedroom apartments. The state's announcement, framed as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to build 15,000 homes and apartments to address a statewide housing crisis, said the site would include two-story duplexes and triplexes, with at least 25 percent of units having three bedrooms. Albra has also asked New York State to commit to connecting the property to the Dutchess Park and Rombout sewer districts and to extend water infrastructure to the surrounding area. Last year, Conifer said it would limit construction to 2½-story buildings because the nearest fire department, in Glenham, does not have a ladder truck. A spokesperson said this week that the company continues to "work collaboratively" with stakeholders, but there are "no major updates to report." The representative did not respond when asked about a timeline for a submission to the Planning Board. Albra said he has no insight into timing, either, but suggested the project has slowed because "we did our homework to protect the residents of Fishkill." Meanwhile, the state has twice asked for proposals — and once awarded development rights — at Camp Beacon, yet the 39-acre property, with 22 buildings hidden beyond Beacon High School and the city's Highway Garage, has remained seemingly untouched since the women's prison closed in 2013. New York State asked for proposals in 2014 but received only one: from the New York City-based Doe Fund, which proposed creating a farming and job-training center to help homeless and low-income people seek employment and self-sufficiency. The nonprofit withdrew its proposal in 2017 after local officials — including Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino, then a state senator — asked then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reject the plan because it was "inconsistent with the site's mixed-use, recreational and destination development potential." After seeking a second round of proposals, in 2019 Empire State Development selected Urban Green Food, also based in New York City. The organization said it planned to build a hotel ...

Ambulance corps covers about half of town The Town of Fishkill is exploring a contract with Empress Emergency Medical Services to provide ambulances to residents in Chelsea, Dutchess Junction and Glenham because it will be cheaper than the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Brett Lesniak, the deputy chief for BVAC, said it has been covering Chelsea, Dutchess Junction and Glenham without funding from Fishkill and when it has an ambulance available. But rising expenses, unchanged reimbursements from Medicaid, Medicare and other insurers and treating uninsured residents mean "the cost of operations is drastically different" for BVAC, he said. To guarantee dedicated coverage to the three areas — Chelsea is north of Beacon, Dutchess to the south and Glenham, northeast — would cost $1.1 million annually, with $500,000 paid by the town and the rest covered by insurance reimbursements, said Lesniak. Empress Emergency Medical Services, whose ambulances serve Fishkill residents in the Rombout fire district, estimates that it could cover the town for about $100,000 less. During its meeting on June 3, the Town Board agreed to work with Empress on expanding its coverage. Although BVAC's leaders say they "have no intention of not covering" the Beacon fire district, Supervisor Ozzy Albra said the corps told him it would discontinue service at the end of this year without an agreement. "I don't like being threatened that we're going to be abandoned," said Albra. "I'm not going to take public safety into risk, and I'm not going to let somebody have a heart attack or medical issue because an alleged not-for-profit is not going to service our three districts." In December, BVAC announced it had resumed advanced life support, which had been discontinued in 2018. Advanced life support is a higher level of service provided by full-time paid paramedics, compared to basic life support provided by part-time volunteer emergency medical technicians. BVAC officials met with Albra to discuss charging the town for covering Chelsea, Dutchess Junction and Glenham. They also discussed having BVAC cover Rombout, but since Empress provides ambulances there, getting a "certificate of need" from New York State would be difficult for the corps, Lesniak said. Albra said the bottom line is money. "BVAC priced themselves out of this," he said. Empress covers Rombout from a station at Fishkill Town Hall on Route 52. Robert Stuck, the company's executive director, said during the June 3 meeting that its ambulances received 2,325 requests from the district in 2025 and responded to 2,098 of the calls at a cost of about $187,000 to Fishkill. Most of the remaining calls were handled by an ambulance crew funded by Dutchess County as part of an initiative to fill service gaps. The county ambulance is stationed in Wappingers Falls, said Stuck. Empress would need an additional ambulance, costing another $200,000, to expand to Chelsea, Dutchess Junction and Glenham, where BVAC covered 1,327 calls in 2025, he said. Of those calls, 865 ended at a hospital. Billing for those transports is how ambulance providers generate revenue, he said. Both Empress ambulances would be staffed with paramedics skilled in advanced life support, said Stuck. The easiest way to fund the expansion would be to extend the Rombout ambulance district to the entire town, said Stuck. Doing so, said Albra, will require research, and finalizing the expansion may not be possible before the town completes its 2026-27 budget. But Stuck said Empress would be able to step in even if BVAC ended its service immediately. "We will work with you to make sure that if they turn off the spigot tomorrow, you have coverage for those three areas," he said.

For more on this Ronan Matson, Director of IFI's Eastern River Basin District

Bobby McCormack CEO of Development Perspectives called out the neglect of our waterways and lack of deterrent or proper punishment for perpetrators of pollution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beacon considers five years of capital outlays The Beacon City Council will continue its review on Monday (June 1) of the city's five-year capital plan. Spending for 2027 purchases and projects must be approved before July 31. The city updates its five-year schedule annually; expenditures for the following year are approved, and estimates are calculated for future projects. A public hearing on the 2027 plan will be held on June 15. Next year's plan includes nearly $10 million in capital work and equipment purchases, although not all of it will be the city's responsibility. The most expensive project will be a $3.6 million rehabilitation of Beekman Street funded by grants. The street leading toward the Metro-North station will be repaved; sidewalks will be repaired and installed where there are gaps; and a bike lane will be added on the uphill side of the road. The next-highest expenditure is $1.9 million to construct a water-storage tank at the Mount Beacon Reservoir. The council approved $1.6 million for the project last year; the additional funding for 2027 will complete the work. The city plans to spend $500,000 in each of the next five years to mill and pave streets and install curb ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Similarly, $400,000 is allotted in each of the next three years for improvements to the southwest corner of Memorial Park that tentatively will add pickleball courts, updated lighting and a second public restroom. In 2028, $3.3 million is budgeted for upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, although Deputy City Administrator Ben Swanson and Finance Director Susan Tucker stressed during the council's May 18 meeting that prices can change. A ladder truck for the Fire Department, authorized as a $1.7 million expenditure in 2025, is now more than $1.9 million, Tucker noted. Two proposed expenditures drew a lot of attention: $5.4 million in 2028 for a 3.3-mile rail trail from the waterfront to the Town of Fishkill and, in 2031, $5.3 million to create a community center. Many residents have advocated for a community center for years, but the idea has never moved from the final year of the rolling five-year plan, a pattern that irked Council Member Lastar Gorton. "Why is that not a priority when this is what the community has been continuously asking for?" Gorton said, calling the rail trail a project for tourists. Mayor Lee Kyriacou disagreed, saying the trail "has nothing to do with tourism" but will be a recreational asset for residents. Gorton argued that "many, many, many, many" community members have called for a community center, including the Beacon Community Collective, a nonprofit that says it is fundraising for such a facility. The organization says its mission is to help establish something in the spirit of the Martin Luther King Cultural Center, which operated on South Avenue from 1969 to 2011, and the Beacon Community Resource Center, which was located for decades in what is now the Recreation Department building on West Center Street. Kyriacou noted that recreation funding has grown from $304,000 in 2014 to $1.15 million this year, allowing the department to run its after-school program, Camp at the Camp and partnerships with Green Teen Beacon, among other initiatives. The programmatic funds, combined with $15 million in capital improvements to public parks over five years, are "far more important than any building," he said. Kyriacou said he is pitching funders on the rail trail and hopes the project "will be largely funded by other people's money." Conversely, funding for a community center would come from borrowing or taxes, he said. The city must "make choices as to what's most important and in what order we should be doing things," he said. "But most important to who?" Gorton asked. Council Member Carolyn Bennett Glauda added, "Seeing the community center all the way at the end really feels like we kicked it down the curb." The $5.3 million estimate for the project is...

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Editor's note: Beacon was created in 1913 from Matteawan and Fishkill Landing. Divers hired by an insurance company searched the river just south of Newburgh for a canal boat that sank with a cargo of marble valued at $8,000 [about $250,000 today]. According to The Cold Spring Recorder, "some fiend in human shape" broke into the Newburgh Telegraph and stole several cases of type. The First National Bank of Fishkill Landing installed a chronometer [timer] lock on its safe. John Hannon, a switchman at Dutchess Junction, mangled his hand while coupling cars. The Hudson River Railroad Co. began construction on a brick-and-iron depot at Fishkill Landing that measured 28 feet wide by 85 feet long. William Thompson of Matteawan invented a rubber saddle pad. John Schlosser, principal of the Fishkill Landing school, was admitted to the bar. Several gentlemen, "highly distinguished in their professions in New York," according to a news account, offered to give an entertainment at Fishkill Landing to benefit the Howland library. Seventeen cows on their way to Orange County via the Newburgh ferry plunged into the river at Long Dock, but all were rescued. According to the Newburgh Telegraph, William Daly, while drifting for shad, caught a sturgeon weighing 310 pounds. Sixty-four iron columns arrived for the first story of a weaving mill at Glenham to support an iron girder running the length of the building. A young man named Timothy Ryan fell from the Glenham bridge while drunk and was not expected to live. In its annual report, Highland Hospital in Matteawan said that it had treated 15 boys and men for a total of 671 days. Two remained in the hospital. No one had died. Its receipts were $4,400 [$137,000], of which $555 [$17,000] was collected by 20 churches on Hospital Sunday. Each patient cost $1.26 [$39] per day, including food and medicine. Burglars broke into Mrs. Newlin's house on the road to Poughkeepsie, about 1½ miles from Fishkill Landing, but found nothing to steal. H.N. Barton, who owned a gun shop at the rear of Raizell's market, was showing a customer a pistol with a safety cap on the nipple when he pulled the trigger, unaware it was loaded with shot and slugs. The charge passed through the shop door into the market, hitting James Phillips in the arm and Charles Livington in the chest, mortally wounding him. J.W. Spaight, editor of The Fishkill Standard, purchased a photograph gallery at Fishkill Landing. William Holton announced he would operate a 6:30 a.m. coach from Fishkill that stopped at two hotels on its way to the Fishkill Landing depot. After a state court released a list of 42 people seeking U.S. citizenship, Mayor Ernest Macomber objected to the petitions of Stanley and John Kishkiel, owners of the New Haven House, because they had been accused of disorderly conduct. Their bar had been raided by federal liquor authorities, and the brothers, immigrants from Russia/Poland, and a patron resisted. After being arrested, the men put the bar up for sale and returned to their previous trades as a shoemaker and a paper hanger. Frederick Futterer, the director of physical education and athletic coach for the Beacon public schools, was hired as director of recreation for the City of Albany. While driving four members of his family to a Baptist church conference in Washington, D.C., Robert Doughty slid off the road in Port Jervis and hit a telephone pole. His wife and sister-in-law were hospitalized. Sherwood Robinson of the Mahwenawasigh Tribe in Beacon was elected deputy grand sachem of the 11th district of the Hudson Valley region of the Improved Order of the Red Men, a fraternal organization. Robert Jones, a one-armed laborer at the Nicholson brickyard in Dutchess Junction, attacked Thomas Powers with an ax during a craps game, cutting him a dozen times. Dr. Charles Keating said Powers was expected to recover unless the wounds became infected. Frank Knapp purchased the Melzingah Hotel and the Beacon Stadium, which was...

Mexican restaurant began in Philipstown After 25 years of serving his trademark Mexican cuisine at locations in Philipstown, Fishkill, Beacon and Wappingers Falls, Luis Pinto, the owner and affable presence at the Maya Café on Route 9, has sold the business. He and his restaurant had come a long way since his days growing up in Merida, the largest city on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. "It had about 250,000 people when my family moved to Dallas when I was 15," recalled Pinto, 69. "Now it's a city of 1.5 million!" In 2000, Pinto moved to Philipstown, where he still lives, and a year later opened the Maya Café in Perc's Plaza (now Philipstown Plaza) on Route 9. "It was the best thing that happened in my life," said Pinto, who still runs into his original customers. "They told me it was the best Mexican food they had ever had." They were also fond of his spiked "Mexican lemonade," which he provided at no charge. The café initially didn't have a liquor license, but a wine store next door made it easy to bring your own. The staff consisted of Pinto and a friend. In 2005, he moved the restaurant up Route 9 to Fishkill, where he purchased Moog's Farm Restaurant. Steve Carlson, a Philipstown contractor, renovated the building. It was a significant expansion. At Perc's Plaza, the cafe served 30 to 35 people. In Fishkill, Pinto could seat up to 140. Pinto learned to cook in his mother's kitchen in Mexico and from his grandmother, who prepared meals for the employees at the family bakery and grocery. "My grandfather was the best baker in Merida," Pinto said. "He made everything by hand and supplied 40 stores." As a high school junior in Dallas, Pinto worked as a dishwasher in a Mexican restaurant. As he took on more duties, he became known as "the king of nachos." In 1986 Pinto met his wife, Joni, while working at a hotel in Cancun. The Buffalo native spoke no Spanish, but the two operated a stall at a Cancun market, where they sold tacos, and Pinto served his favorite recipe, cochinita pibil. "It's a typical Yucatan dish," he said. After marinating a pig with sour orange for a day and adding spices, it's wrapped in banana leaves, buried in a charcoal pit and roasted for several hours. Pinto said he has kept his café menu "pretty authentic," but he didn't use much oil and included plenty of vegetables. He traveled to Mexico regularly to purchase about 90 pounds of spices per trip. "You can get the same spices here, but the quality isn't the same," he said. He still enjoys cooking and creating dishes. One of his Saturday night favorites has been salmon and avocado stuffed with shrimp, surrounded by fruit. Pinto operated a Maya Café in Beacon for a year in 2006. He ran a Wappingers Falls location for 15 years until it closed in 2025. Last month, Pinto sold the Fishkill restaurant to the Van Wyck Restaurant Group. "I'm at a point in my life where I want to visit my daughter and grandchildren in Dallas more," he said. "Joni retired 10 years ago, and I want to travel with her." Pinto said he had his children and grandchildren in mind when he kept a small piece of the business as part of the sale. He will continue to be a presence at the café for a while, but the 60-hour workweeks are over.

Plus, other construction updates The Beacon Planning Board held a public hearing on Tuesday (May 12) on a developer's proposal to open a karaoke bar called The Howl just off Main Street. The plan would convert the former art gallery space at 1154 North Ave. (Route 9D), near the west end of Main, to a venue for "immersive live-performance experiences." The site is across from the police station; the next street over, West Church, is residential, while two 4-story buildings with 64 apartments and nearly 14,000 square feet of commercial space have been approved nearby on Beekman Street. The parcel is owned by a group that, through several LLCs, holds more than two dozen properties in Beacon, most of them on and around the west end of Main Street, including the housing development under construction at 2 Cross/172 Main. The applicant, Eric Weitner, told the board on Tuesday that the two-story brick structure will have an 80-person lounge on the first floor. The second floor will have six private karaoke suites and, while designed for 80 people, its expected usage will be "more like 40" patrons, the project architect said. According to project materials, The Howl was conceived as a "value-add to the local community and aligns with Beacon's long-standing tradition of fostering arts, music and creative gathering spaces." Weitner said he is working with an acoustic engineer on noise control and will submit a report with plans for next month's meeting. The intention is to "not disturb any of the neighbors," he said. The venue would be closed Monday and Tuesday and open from 2 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, from noon to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday. A consultant said the venue will need 38 parking spaces at peak; it would use the public lot at City Hall, the same one that could be utilized by Prophecy Hall and a future hotel at 1064 Wolcott Ave. There should be about 10 spaces left in the lot after accounting for those uses, the consultant said. Several residents submitted emails to the Planning Board supporting or opposing the project, and others attended the Tuesday hearing. "This business is going to be located in my backyard," said Rob VanCott, who lives on West Church. "I'm not a fool; people are going to be hanging out in the back of the property" doing what "comes along with having a good time." Weitner said a rear door would be an emergency exit only and "there won't be an influx of people waiting outside to get in." There will be no outdoor seating, he said. Board members asked him to return with plans showing how customers would be evacuated in an emergency. The public hearing remains open. Planning Board members on Tuesday chastised the owner of 364 Main St., where a three-story building with commercial space and 20 apartments is nearly complete. The project was approved in 2022, but officials returned seeking approval for architectural changes that occurred during construction. The changes do not affect the building footprint but include material selections, facade changes, window detailing and the replacement of Juliet balconies and doors with double windows. There is also a reduction in rooftop area and, after discovering that the first-floor elevation is two feet higher than anticipated, a front patio was modified. Board members were unhappy. "Why these changes were made without communication is a hot potato," said Randall Williams, who acted as chair in John Gunn's absence. Len Warner said that, after dropping approved features, "what we're left with is a really drab building." Karen Quiana added: "The Main Street facade is completely unacceptable in my view. It is awful." In a comment responding to a Facebook post in March, architect Aryeh Siegel wrote: "This isn't the building I designed. It's embarrassing." On Tuesday, an architect from a different firm appeared with Eric Baxter, the owner. Williams asked Baxter to return next month with "substantial suggestions, n...

New Cold Spring cop wrote children's book Barrett Magistro has been a police officer since 2009, and he wasn't long into his career when he realized not everyone sees law enforcement as an honorable profession. "There was a huge downturn in the way police officers were viewed through the media," says the officer, who lives in Fishkill and joined the Cold Spring Police Department last year. "A five-second TV newsclip is a tiny sliver of what police work is; it's not the whole situation." Magistro wanted to change that perception and felt that any shift would begin with children. "I wanted to show them the human side of being a police officer and that for a community, law enforcement is a positive." To that end, in 2017, Magistro wrote and published a children's book for ages 4 to 7 called How I Found Hope. It was inspired by an encounter on a cold, snowy morning in January 2010, while he was on patrol in Mount Hope, in Orange County. A passerby waved him down, alerting him to an abandoned pit bull puppy. "She was about 8 months old, and you could tell she was abused," says Magistro of the dog. "You could see her ribs and spine." As soon as Magistro opened the door of his squad car, the dog jumped in. He took her to the Port Jervis Humane Society and began checking in daily. Soon, he had adopted the pup, which he named Hope. Like police officers, Magistro felt pit bulls suffered from misperceptions. "Pit bulls were originally nanny dogs because they're loyal, sweet and loving dogs," he says. Their reputation for aggression is "about how they're raised." Magistro says that, as someone who worked as an engineer before joining the police academy, writing didn't come easy. "I was actually terrible academically in school," he says. He didn't have time to promote the book, he says, and put it on the back burner once he had sold 125 copies and recouped his investment. Hope lived for 15 years, three more than expected for a pit bull. But her story didn't end there. "I started thinking of a way to keep Hope's memory alive," Magistro said. Last month, he published a second edition of the book. He also found a manufacturer to make a black-and-white stuffed animal. He sells both online at hopethepitbull.com. Last month, Magistro began scheduling readings at schools and daycare centers, with a toy version of Hope at his side. He plans visits to the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Westchester County and hospitals in New York City. Magistro is partnering with Angels of Light, a Millbrook-based nonprofit that supports families in the Hudson Valley who are dealing with a life-threatening illness or whose lives have been altered by an accident or death. "Barrett's compassion and caring for children has evolved not only through his book but also by giving comfort and love to very ill children with his stuffed animal," says Lori Cassia-Decker, a co-founder of Angels of Light. Magistro has more books in mind and has written two stories featuring himself and Hope as protagonists. "One is about a dog that's scared of the dark, and I make a nightlight for her, and the other is about dealing with loss," he says. He smiles when recalling Hope. When she was adopted, Magistro and his wife had two chihuahuas, Junior and Bobbi. "Hope always thought of herself as small because she was so young when we got her," he said. "She actually thought she was a chihuahua and tried to sleep in their tiny beds."

150 Years Ago (March 1876) Two young men from Peekskill opened a pistol-shooting practice gallery in the Lloyds building (the former Methodist Episcopal Church). In their first organized competition, in which shooters stood erect and fired from 55 feet, William Ladue won the silver cup, hitting the target with 25 of 25, 48 of 50 and 446 of 500 shots. On his last target, he fired five consecutive shots within an inch of each other inside the bull's eye. In a sermon at the Baptist Church, the Rev. C.J. Page explained how a Christian's dying day was better than his birthday. The Cold Spring budget included funds to improve Parsonage Street between Main and Pine and deepen the well on Stone Street. A boat filled with lumber that sank near the lighthouse at West Point was raised and towed to shore to be unloaded. At Fort Montgomery, two amateur actors were wed by the Rev. Mr. Millett as part of a play. The next day, the woman claimed it had been a legal marriage. The ballot for the annual Cold Spring election included 20 candidates for trustee, 10 for assessor, 11 for street commissioner and eight for fire warden. A four-day warm spell that began March 5 swept away the last vestige of snow in the village and ice on the Hudson. The barn of Charles and Daniel Hustis, on the road to Fishkill just north of the North Highland schoolhouse, caught fire at 8 p.m. on a Wednesday. The brothers managed to get two horses out, but Charles nearly lost his life enticing one of the other two. Neighbors gathered, but nothing could be done. The brothers lost the horses, wagons, harnesses, farming utensils, a mowing machine, grain and hay. That same night, at 11 p.m., Pierce Denny walked outside his family's home in Putnam Valley and noticed a bright light in the northern room, where a fire had been kept part of the day. Because they had difficulty rescuing a blind boarder, Maria Davenport, Denny and a laborer, John Van Buskirk, had time only to save one item: a melodeon. Josiah Hustis, 60, of North Highland, after serving as a pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs. Shaw, returned home and complained of pain at the base of his skull. He was taken by neighbors to his sister's home in Fishkill, but died there within an hour. The Cold Spring Library Association canceled a free evening of literary readings and music after spectators filled all 450 seats and every corner at Town Hall, including the stairwells and stage. The editor of the Cold Spring Recorder scolded the organizers for the debacle and said he would no longer advertise free events. "Ten cents for admission and ten cents' worth of common sense would have made the evening a pleasure," he wrote. However, the next week, he reversed himself when the association said the rescheduled event would require a free ticket. In a commentary entitled "Youthful Depravity," the Recorder editor wrote: "It is a pity that we cannot, in some way, mete out punishment by the laws to that worse class of sins — those which lie way down in the dirty soul. But alas, the spirit of our laws is to punish the effect and leave the cause to produce other effects. We refer to the arrest of several schoolboys and self-esteemed young men for breaking the windows and otherwise damaging John Chase's house [at Breakneck] on the night of the 4th. [Chase had apparently been accused of living with a woman without being married.] The injury to the property is the far lesser crime — the devilish instinct which leads our lads to chase every filthy, drunken and beastly creature in woman's form which comes within 2 miles of the village is 10,000 times worse than the occasional tearing down of a railroad shanty." Joseph Cox came into town for the first time since Dr. George Murdock removed his right eye. The sheriff sold the stock of William Coleman, the bankrupt West Street grocer. The Kellogg Opera Troupe, led by Philipstown resident Clara Louise Kellogg, was touring New England. The Recorder noted that more than 100 inches of snow had f...

Programs advocate for long-term-care residents When Janice Munson walks through the entrance of a local nursing home, she has a list of names of the aged and disabled residents who have called for help. After those visits, she'll check in with other residents, sometimes asking if they have a physical therapy plan and if they are being taken for supervised walks to maintain their mobility. The answer is often no. "They'll say, 'I know there aren't enough staff, so I don't want to ask.' " Ensuring that residents obtain services is one of Munson's primary roles as a long-term care ombudsman, a position created by the Older Americans Act of 1965. The legislation requires states to provide independent advocates for residents in nursing homes, adult care homes and assisted living and rehabilitation facilities. Munson is among the eight volunteers who, along with five paid staff members, monitor 120 facilities in Region 4, which covers Putnam, Westchester and Rockland counties. Based in Cold Spring and led by Philipstown resident Judy Farrell, the region is one of 15 in the state. Region 5, based in Fishkill, covers Dutchess and five other counties. Nursing homes are the priority; the state wants them visited weekly and other facilities at least quarterly, said Farrell, who is also a member of the Philipstown Town Board. Although physical abuse draws headlines, complaints range from a staff member giving a resident the wrong medication or failing to follow therapy plans to dirty rooms, substandard food and a lack of recreation. Along with residents, the friends of residents and facility staff can report concerns, said Farrell. During the pandemic, when quarantines prevented families from visiting long-term care facilities, Farrell arranged for "compassionate care" visits. In one case, she helped a man unable to get his dying mother discharged to home hospice care. When she arrived home, he called Farrell, crying and grateful. "You can't replace that feeling," she said. "It's greatly satisfying." Arnold Tanner knows the feeling. A volunteer in Region 4, he visits a facility near his home in Sleepy Hollow twice a week. Carrying an iPad filled with notes, he meets first with people in the long-term-care units before introducing himself to newcomers and checking in at the rehab unit. He sometimes gets "a little better feel for the place" from newcomers and rehab patients, who are less reluctant to speak up, he said. Those in long-term care may fear retribution by staff, which is also a source of complaints. Statewide, the ombudsman program received 18,346 complaints during fiscal 2024, including 1,680 to the Cold Spring office. About a third were care-related, a broad category that includes accidents, falls, general requests for assistance and concerns about medications and physical therapy. Another 15 percent were complaints about staff failing to "honor and promote a resident's right or preferences" about healthcare, privacy, visitors and other areas. Many complaints related to food and admissions, including discharges and evictions. "Sometimes people face discharge for nonpayment when they might be eligible for Medicaid," Farrell explained. Complaints occasionally lead to legal action. In 2024, the state attorney general announced a $45 million settlement with Centers for Care, which owns four facilities, including one in White Plains, for "years of tragic and devastating mistreatment and neglect." According to the attorney general, "call bells regularly went unanswered, residents were forced to sit in their own urine and feces for hours, meals were not provided in a timely manner and personal belongings, including hearing aids, dentures and clothing, were often lost or stolen." After making On the Shoulders of Giants, a film about the orthopedics department at NYU Langone that was a Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Award finalist in 2024, Cold Spring resident Peter Sanders turned to ombudsman programs. In March 2025, he began ...

The exact cause of the country's biggest ever fish kill incident on the Blackwater River near Mallow last August could not be established, according to an independent report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. To tell us more about this our Environment Correspondent George Lee.

Spazio Aperto will host films, talks, relaxation Voices carry in the two main spaces of the Robert Olnick Pavilion at Magazzino Italian Art, especially in Gallery 2, a 1,000-square-foot cube where sound bounces around until it hits the 31-foot ceiling. Entering the newly opened Spazio Aperto (Community Room) on the lower level, however, visitors experience quietude because of a sound treatment that dampens the decibels. Despite the subterranean location, one wall is a window that opens to a courtyard and lets in a surprising amount of light. "It's an adjunct to the store in the cafe upstairs [on the second floor], but there are more books and magazines downstairs, where people can enjoy a moment of relaxation after their visit," says Luciana Fabbri, the museum's communications coordinator. "It's a place to sit, reflect and decompress." Taking advantage of the space, the museum is ramping up its educational outreach and public events. Nicola Lucchi directs the programming, which kicked off in November with a symposium exploring the career of Japanese glass artist Yoichi Ohira, who moved to the island of Murano near Venice and created stunning designs executed by Italian artisans. The current series is Cinema e Cioccolata: movies and hot chocolate. In part, the festival fills a void left by shuttered local movie theaters, particularly in Fishkill, says Andrea Connor, the visitor services coordinator, although the local fare skews toward niche works such as La Chimera, shown last month, a drama about tomb raiders in central Italy during the 1980s. On Feb. 13, Magazzino will screen Habeus Papam (We Have a Pope), a 2011 film about an identity crisis suffered by the Catholic Church's leader that finds him roaming the streets of Rome in disguise. The romantic Hollywood comedy Moonstruck will play on Feb. 27. "It's a fun romantic film that also explores how post-war Italian cultural identity was reshaped through migration to the United States and represented through cinema," says Fabbri. The final showing, on March 13, is Fire of Love, an Academy Award-nominated documentary about scientists who study active volcanoes up close and personal, including Sicily's Mount Etna and the island of Stromboli. A small army of employees deploys chairs for events at Spazio Aperto, but the spot is usually occupied by a sleek bookshelf, a white rectangular table with eight padded chairs, places to repose that resemble small haystacks and an electric-green modular couch whose components can be manipulated into multiple positions, including flat as a bed. The books on the shelves include Italian and American Art: An Interaction 1930-1980s and Italian Futurism: 1909-1944. The museum also sponsors a robust publishing program distinguished by its brown paper dust jackets. Many of its 18 titles accompanied exhibitions and feature artists and topics relevant to its post-World War II focus. Limited-edition prints by prominent Italian artists line the walls and, in a corner, five panels by students from La Scuola d'Italia in Manhattan emulate the style of Piero Manzoni's Achrome series, six of which hang in the gallery above in an exhibit that ends April 13. To enter Spazio Aperto, which is open during museum hours and for events, visitors pass an exhibition featuring Ohira's exceptional glassworks. For anyone interested in the glass-blower's art, this must-see show runs through May 4. Magazzino Italian Art, at 2700 Route 9 in Philipstown, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Monday. Admission is $20 ($10 seniors, students, persons with disabilities, $5 ages 5-10, free for veterans, Philipstown residents and members). See magazzino.art.

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New traffic routes coming to Haldane campus Buses and cars will be required to use separate routes for entering and leaving the Haldane campus as part of a pilot program being implemented in April. Superintendent Gail Duffy and School Board President Peggy Clements explained the changes to the Cold Spring Village Board at its Wednesday (Jan. 28) meeting. The traffic changes will coincide with a voter-approved, $28 million capital project set to begin this year. A multi-purpose student center, science lab and classrooms will be added to the high school, while improvements at the elementary and middle school will include a student support center and science lab. "While the architects were developing the plans, they noted that Haldane has an unhealthy mix of car, bus and pedestrian traffic," especially during peak drop-off and pickup times, Duffy said. In addition, a transportation audit conducted by the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and recommendations from two consultants pointed to the need to address traffic congestion, she said. Beginning April 13, only buses will be allowed to enter and exit campus via Route 9D, while cars will be required to enter on Cedar Street and exit on upper Craigside Drive, Mountain Avenue and its feeder streets. "We all know that traffic movement at Haldane is tough," said Mayor Kathleen Foley. "Folks have been thinking for a long time about how to try to make that better and safer." As part of the pilot, Haldane officials have asked the village to increase police patrols during drop-off and dismissal and shift the crossing guard stationed on Route 301 to Orchard Street. During the discussion, the Cold Spring Police Department officer-in-charge, Matt Jackson, raised concerns over how the traffic patterns will affect the movement of emergency vehicles, including ambulances stationed on Cedar Street. Village and school officials plan to meet to fine-tune the proposal. In other business … Foley praised Robert Downey Jr., the Highway Department crew chief, for his planning and coordination with Putnam County and local contractors before the Jan. 25 snowstorm. She also thanked village workers for the many hours they spent clearing streets. The board reviewed a proposed letter addressed to the state parks department requesting a public hearing on the the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, which was released Jan. 7. Trustee Andrew Hall suggested language be added and objected to sending the letter as presented because he said he had only seen the draft the day before. Hahn Engineering, which serves as the village engineer, was authorized to request proposals for stormwater drainage repairs at the corner of Fishkill and Mountain avenues, necessitated by damage caused by extreme amounts of rainfall during the July 2023 storm. Foley said the intersection is a key area in dealing with stormwater that comes off Bull Hill and flows through the village to the Hudson River. The work, which will be funded in large part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, could begin this spring and is expected to take four to six weeks. Hahn Engineering will call for proposals to inspect the village dock. The first phase will assess the size boats the dock can handle while phase two will determine if any short- or long-term repairs are needed. The dock was last inspected 15 years ago. The mayor has asked trustee Tony Bardes to document for budget purposes docking fees charged by other Hudson River municipalities. Seastreak has yet to submit a proposal for its fall cruise schedule, but a request to dock at Cold Spring has been received from a company interested in providing ferry service between Peekskill, Bear Mountain, West Point and the village. Foley said the proposal will be discussed after the dock has been inspected and docking fees considered. The proposed 64-foot ferry is about half the length of Seastreak. The board unanimously approved a reso...

Each faces life in ex-husband's disappearance A federal judge upheld the convictions of a former Beacon couple found guilty in September of killing the wife's ex-husband, who disappeared in April 2020 after dropping off his two teenage daughters following a custody visit. In an opinion released on Friday (Jan. 23), Judge Philip Halpern rejected motions for acquittal or a new trial by Jamie Orsini and Nicholas Orsini, who a jury found guilty of carjacking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit carjacking in the disappearance of Steven Kraft. Prosecutors say they were the last ones to see Kraft before he disappeared on April 28, 2020, after returning his daughters to the West Church Street apartment his ex-wife shared with Nicholas Orsini. His disappearance came six weeks before a court hearing as Kraft sought either sole custody of his daughters or greater visitation. Both Orsinis, who were initially charged in June 2023, claim that prosecutors failed to prove that Kraft was killed. According to Jamie Orsini, surveillance video capturing Nicholas Orsini driving Kraft's car in the City of Newburgh showed evidence of a passenger, suggesting her ex-husband was still alive after he returned their daughters to Beacon. They also claimed that supplies bought from the Home Depot and Walmart in Fishkill before and after Kraft's disappearance — including a tarp, duct tape, painters coveralls and galvanized trash cans — should not have been used as evidence because they were "everyday household items" used in barbecuing and painting, not tools for disposing of Kraft's body as alleged by prosecutors. In addition to rejecting those claims, Halpern ruled against the Orsinis' arguments that the carjacking statute is "unconstitutionally vague" and that the trial court erred by allowing the testimony of two neighbors — one who reported a "foul" smell wafting through her window and another who described an "acrid, awful" smell from two large containers "being attended to by Nicholas Orsini" in the couple's backyard. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on the carjacking resulting in death charge and five years on the conspiracy charge. In scheduling Jamie Orsini's sentencing for June 16 and Nicholas Orsini's for June 18, Halpern said the evidence "cannot be said to have been insufficient to support the jury's guilty verdict." According to that evidence, said prosecutors, the couple began plotting Kraft's murder before he disappeared, buying items that could be used to dismember and burn a body. Police recreated their movements using GPS and cellphone data, along with surveillance video from public and private cameras. Security footage and a store receipt from April 8, 2020, from the Home Depot on Route 9 in Fishkill showed that Jamie Orsini bought a 10-foot-by-100-foot tarp, duct tape and a Tyvek suit and boots, according to prosecutors. Video from the parking lot captured Nicholas Orsini helping load the supplies into the couple's GMC Envoy. That same day, according to the complaint, the pair drove to Newburgh to determine how to dispose of Kraft's car. Data from their phones and video footage tracked the couple driving from West Church Street over the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to the City of Newburgh. Prosecutors said that Kraft, a former U.S. Marine who was 34 when he disappeared, had custody of his daughters from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and noon to 3 p.m. every other Saturday. On the Tuesday he disappeared, Kraft picked up the girls and drove to a Sonic restaurant in the Town of Newburgh and then to his apartment in Marlboro, before returning to Beacon at 7 p.m. Police said cellphone data confirmed that Jamie and Nicholas Orsini followed him to the restaurant. The next day, Kraft failed to show up to his deli job in Marlboro, and on May 4, investigators found his 1999 Camry abandoned at Third Street and Carpenter Avenue in the City of Newburgh. One of the earliest pieces of evidence was surveillance footage showing Kraft's ...

Feedback sought on first parcel of land The state Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comments through Jan. 31 on a proposal to remediate a small portion of the abandoned Texaco Research Center site just outside of Beacon. The DEC has broken the 153-acre property, now called Glenham Mills, into nine pieces, or "operable units," that correspond with Town of Fishkill tax parcels. Each will have its own remediation strategy. The first parcel under consideration is also the smallest — a 0.67-acre wooded patch north of Washington Avenue. The Glenham Mills property was the home of a textile mill in the early 1800s. After Texaco purchased the land in 1931, it built a complex where more than 1,000 employees researched and developed aviation gasolines and other petroleum products. By the time the center closed in 2003, Fishkill Creek, which divides the property, had been heavily polluted with petroleum, coal products and solvents. The state has assessed the impact of that pollution on fish and wildlife, the soil and human health. Remedial measures have included decommissioning storage tanks, excavating soil, repairing dams and sparging, in which pressurized air is injected below the water table, forcing gasoline or solvents into the soil, where they are extracted. The groundwater has been tested annually since 2009. "It may look like nothing has been going on, but work has been performed for decades now," said Greta Kowalski, a DEC geologist. Once remediation of Glenham Mills is complete, years from now, DEC will retain oversight through a site-management plan and environmental easements. "It's like the Hotel California," Kowalski said. "You can check out, but you can never leave." Chevron, which merged with Texaco in 2003, has sent proposals to the DEC to remediate most of the operable units. Once a plan is set for the first unit, known as OU-3, Kowalski said the next candidates could be OU-1B, a 15-acre parcel that once had a church, or OU-1E, a 93-acre segment south of Washington Avenue and Fishkill Creek known as the Back 93, which Texaco used for worker recreation. The Back 93 is probably the most attractive parcel for development; a 2021 Chevron report identified two sludge lagoons, three chemical burial sites, a disposal pit and a container disposal site as "areas of interest." More than 26,000 tons of material were removed from the Back 93 in the 1980s. Chevron's proposal for the 0.67-acre OU-3 is to excavate a 225-square-foot area where soil samples revealed semi-volatile organic compounds 6 inches below ground. Volatile chemicals can move from below ground into buildings, but nearby residences on Washington Avenue and Belvedere Road have not been contaminated, the company said. How to Comment Email Greta Kowalski at greta.kowalski@dec.ny.gov. For more information, see Chevron's site at glenhammills.com. Chevron has been trying to sell Glenham Mills since 2020, and there has been a renewed effort recently to market the site to "brownfield" developers, said Alex Cheramie, a company representative. An online flyer does not list a sale price but notes that the property offers an "excellent redevelopment opportunity" due to its proximity to Interstate 84 and Route 52. It is zoned for offices, laboratories and industrial or manufacturing uses. Chevron would like to restore the land to "restricted residential" status, a classification that the DEC says would be appropriate for a public park. During a Jan. 13 public meeting at Fishkill Town Hall, an audience member asked Kristin Kulow, a representative from the state Department of Health, whether she would feel safe living in a house in OU-3 once it is remediated. "Yes, I would, absolutely," she said.

Project designed to increase climate resilience New York State announced on Jan. 2 that it is sending $2 million to the City of Beacon, which will cover about half the cost of fortifying the Melzingah Reservoir Dam against increasingly frequent extreme weather. Melzingah, along with the Mount Beacon and Cargill reservoirs and three wells, provides drinking water for Beacon, parts of the Town of Fishkill and the Fishkill Correctional Facility. The grant is part of $22.7 million awarded by the state to Climate Smart Communities. The Beacon City Council has authorized spending $1.9 million to complete the $3.9 million project, which should go out to bid this year, City Administrator Chris White said. The dam is considered a Class C High Hazard structure, meaning that if it fails, the "uncontrolled release" of up to 58 million gallons of water would likely cause deaths and widespread property damage. In July 1897, the first Melzingah dam did burst, sending a 15-foot wave down the mountain. Three adults and four children were killed. In 1924, the current dam was constructed nearby. Even if the dam held during extreme weather, flooding caused by overflow could cover the Metro-North tracks or Route 9D. The land surrounding the dam is part of Fahnestock State Park, including portions of the proposed Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. The hazard classification won't change because of the repair work, but the dam likely will no longer be considered by the state to be in "poor" condition, White said. "This is one of the adaptations to make sure that the water supply remains available and that we don't adversely affect the people downstream," he said. The grant, announced by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, will raise the dam's crest and increase its spillway capacity to better absorb runoff during storms, such as the one that hit in July 2023, dumping 8 inches on the Highlands. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted in a study that year that the Hudson Valley could experience such "100-year storms" every 11 to 25 years. The city completed a similar project in 2023 at the Mount Beacon Dam and in 2022 made repairs to prevent leaks at the smaller Pocket Road Dam. Engineering recently began on repairs to the transmission line of the Cargill Dam, which is owned by the city but located in Philipstown. According to the DEC, the remediation will allow the Melzingah Dam to safely handle 50 percent of the "probable maximum precipitation," adjusted for climate scenarios projected for the next 10, 20 and 30 years. Before the award, Beacon had received more than $891,000 in grants through the state's Clean Energy Communities program. This is the first Climate Smart Communities grant for the city. Among other state grants announced on Jan. 2, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, based in Beacon, received $675,000 to restore the sloop's topsides and transom; the City of Newburgh got $6.9 million to create 209 mixed-income downtown apartments and $2 million to build a deep-water pier for river cruise ships; and the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill was awarded $1.78 million to upgrade its HVAC system to create a community cooling center. There were no grants to entities in Putnam County.

Outages, decreased pressure experienced throughout city A water main break near Fishkill Avenue caused reduced pressure and discolored water in parts of Beacon on Wednesday (Jan. 7), but was repaired by 7 p.m. The city issued a targeted boil water advisory for residents along Fishkill Avenue from Conklin Street to the Town of Fishkill border, including all side streets. If you are experiencing discolored water, run the cold tap until the water runs clear. Photos by J. Simms A new insertion valve was installed. Workers repair the main. After the repair, the site was cleaned up. The break, which occurred in the Groveville area, was "pretty significant," said City Administrator Chris White. The main that broke is an old pipe, and the issue is unrelated to any of the recent work on Fishkill/Teller Avenue, he said. Superintendent Matt Landahl announced emergency early dismissal for Beacon City School District students. Beacon High School dismissed at noon, Rombout Middle School at 12:45 p.m. and the district's four elementary schools at 1:15 p.m. All afterschool activities were canceled.

County executive rejected extra prosecutors Dutchess County legislators voted on Wednesday (Dec. 17) to keep two new prosecutors and an administrative assistant in the district attorney's budget for next year, despite warnings from County Executive Sue Serino about "difficult decisions" ahead. By a quick voice vote, legislators rejected Serino's veto of their bipartisan amendment to add the positions to the $653.6 million spending plan that they passed Dec. 8. Their additions included five new DA positions overall, costing $711,000, plus other amendments that increased Serino's $651.4 million proposal by $2.2 million and the use of reserve funds, or savings, by $7.2 million. In a memo explaining her veto, Serino said District Attorney Anthony Parisi had decided to "walk back" an agreement to hold the positions vacant to offset $300,000 in spending on promotions for 22 of his attorneys. Serino said she sought a compromise: allowing Parisi to keep two of the five new positions, a third prosecutor and a junior accountant approved by the Legislature. Even without the three extra positions, Parisi's office would have 73 employees, compared to 68 when he took office last year, said Serino. "You all share in the responsibility for fiscal sustainability," she said before Wednesday's override vote. "We will need to compromise in the new year to work together to do what's right for our community while minimizing the impact on taxpayers." In a statement released shortly after the override vote, Parisi said the positions were "the five most critical" of nine he asked legislators to add to Serino's draft budget. Without them, the district attorney's ability to prosecute would have been "significantly reduced," he said, citing "growing demands" from the reform of state evidence-sharing rules and ongoing efforts to fight drug and violent crime and elder abuse. "Unfortunately, the county executive's vetoes failed to acknowledge the real-world consequences these cuts would have had on victims, law enforcement and the safety of our communities," said Parisi. All 15 Republicans voted for the amended budget, with nine of 10 Democrats (one was absent) voting against the plan. It anticipates $268 million in revenue from sales taxes, $107 million from property taxes and the use of $34 million in savings - $7 million more than Serino proposed. The tax levy will stay below a state-mandated cap, and the rate assessed on property owners will fall slightly, from $2.17 to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. The budget also eliminates 10 vacant jobs and leaves 17 unfilled. Legislators also rejected a proposal by Serino to end an exemption from the county's 3.75 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes costing less than $110. (Dutchess consumers pay 8.125 percent sales tax, which includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.) Letting the exemption expire as scheduled on March 1 would have yielded $5.4 million in additional revenue, including $133,000 for Beacon under a revenue-sharing agreement, according to Serino. Beacon's share of sales tax collections, which was $6.1 million in 2025, will still rise from 2.35 percent to 2.45 percent in 2026, or about $268,000. On Wednesday, legislators also approved each municipality's share of the $107 million property-tax levy. Beacon property owners will be assessed $4.7 million. After Jan. 1, Serino will have to work with a Legislature led by Democrats, who defeated five Republican incumbents in November to flip the 15-10 majority. Democrat Yvette Valdés Smith, who represents Ward 4 in Beacon and part of Fishkill as the minority leader, is expected to succeed Republican Will Truitt as majority leader.

District had considered police presence The Beacon City School District is not adding a police officer to its security detail, at least for now. Six of seven board members (two seats are vacant) said in a straw poll on Monday (Dec. 15) that they are satisfied with the district's security staffing. The board had discussed hiring a school resource officer, who is typically armed, after Board Member Eric Schetter suggested the position for Beacon High School and possibly Rombout Middle School. On Monday, Schetter, a former 25-year administrator in the Arlington district, was the only voice in favor. "I feel the SRO makes the high school and/or the middle school that much safer," he said. "That's where I've been from the start." The board mulled the idea for several months while hearing reports from Superintendent Matt Landahl on existing security and what a resource officer might do. There are unarmed security monitors at each of the district's six elementary schools, as well as four at Rombout and nine at the high school, including two who work at night. They are supervised by Mark Thomas, a retired Beacon officer hired in 2018 as the district's first director of security. The hire came the year after then-Police Chief Doug Solomon asked the board to let him assign an officer to the district. Thomas works with Altaris, a consulting firm that conducted security audits at each school and assists with emergency planning. Through Thomas, the district works closely with Beacon and Town of Fishkill police (Glenham Elementary is in Fishkill), who do security walkthroughs and provide support during lockdown drills. In 2014 and 2016, the Obama administration issued guidance emphasizing hiring school resource officers for safety and mentoring, rather than for discipline. It urged schools to create agreements that ban SROs from enforcing school rules, but ensure they are trained in child development and de-escalation techniques. In Cold Spring, the Haldane campus has had a Putnam County sheriff's deputy as a resource officer since 2015. Garrison discussed the issue in 2020 and, earlier this year, hired a special patrol officer (SPO), a retired police officer whose role is limited to security and who does not carry a weapon. Elsewhere in Dutchess County, Landahl said on Monday, each of five comparable high schools - Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Spackenkill, Arlington and Wappingers - has an SRO. The Poughkeepsie City School District is the only other district with a director of security. And Beacon has the highest security guard-to-student ratio in the county, "by a lot," Landahl said. If Beacon were to hire an SRO, the district would pay the officer's salary and benefits for 10 months out of the year - roughly $100,000, "so we would need to reduce somewhere to do it," Landahl said, noting "there's not a ton of enthusiasm" among building administrators to cut existing security staff. That led Board President Flora Stadler to call for the straw poll: Table the discussion or move ahead? "I would not want to lose that [security-to-student] ratio that we have," Stadler said. Others agreed. "I'm not convinced yet that it's effective, that it does make anything safer," said Catherine Buscemi. "I'm not convinced that there would be an acceptable comfort level for students having a police officer in the school." When the board began its discussion in September, Stadler cited a 2023 University at Albany study that showed SROs are associated with a decline in some forms of violence. At the same time, they were associated with an increase in firearm offenses, which researchers said might be attributed to increased detection. The study also concluded that having a police officer in school leads to an increase in "harsh" disciplinary actions, such as suspensions and arrests, particularly among Black students, male students and students with disabilities. Meredith Heuer, the board vice president, said the district will probably have to revisit the convers...

Council expected to hire consulting firm Beacon is wasting no time getting started on the first leg of a proposed 13-mile rail trail from the city to Hopewell Junction. The City Council is expected to vote on Monday (Dec. 15) to approve spending $350,000 to hire a Westchester County firm to design a 3.3-mile section from the Beacon waterfront to the Town of Fishkill line. The trail could eventually connect to the planned Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail and, in Hopewell, the Dutchess Rail Trail and 750-mile Empire State Trail. If the council approves the request, City Administrator Chris White said that Barton & Loguidice, which conducted a feasibility study on the trail for the Dutchess County Transportation Council, could begin design and engineering work as early as January. The city's goal is to put the project out to bid by November and construct the 12- to 14-foot-wide multi-use segment in 2027. "What we've been doing in the last couple of months is figuring out how we can start our piece and accelerate it and go forward," Mayor Lee Kyriacou said during the council's Monday (Dec. 8) meeting. In October, the Barton & Loguidice report recommended a "rail-to-trail" conversion of the abandoned line, which begins at the Hudson River. The line, which has not been active for 30 years, runs through Beacon and along the east end of Main Street before crossing back and forth over Fishkill Creek on its way through the Village of Fishkill and the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill. The line is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In 2024, Metro-North, an MTA agency, "railbanked" the tracks, reserving its right to revive service, although an agency representative said it had no plans to do so. The Dutchess Transportation report estimated that it would cost $46 million to $56 million to construct the entire trail; Beacon officials anticipate the first segment will be $4.5 million. There are two bridges (near Dennings Avenue and at South and Tioronda avenues) and an overpass at Wolcott Avenue, but otherwise, the paved trail will be "basically a road project," White said. The city has requested a "sizeable" grant from the governor's office to link the project to a proposed development at the Beacon train station that is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's housing agenda. It is also seeking funds from Dutchess County and two private organizations. In other business scheduled for Monday: The council is expected to vote on an update to the city's fee schedule. Beacon charges fees for dozens of services, including dog licenses, building inspections, record searches and permits for backyard chickens. Not all fees are increasing, and some that are no longer applicable, such as for junk dealers and amusement parks, will be removed. Some fees have not changed since 2010, White said. Council members will consider a request from the developer of the Edgewater apartment complex for a two-year extension to the special-use permit issued for the project in 2018. Phase 2 of the 246-unit development is underway; three of seven residential buildings have been completed. Ben Swanson, the mayor's assistant, will be appointed Beacon's deputy city administrator, a new position. Since he was hired in 2021, Swanson's duties "went from being primarily clerical to really being supervisory and much more executive," White said. His new responsibilities will include coordinating housing and food resources and filling in if White is unavailable. The council will vote on a 10-year renewal of the city's franchise agreement with Optimum, aka Cablevision of Wappingers Falls. The non-exclusive agreement allows Optimum to provide cable and internet service in Beacon in exchange for a franchise fee equal to 5 percent of its gross revenue from the previous year. In 2024, Optimum paid the city $172,393. As in years past, the council will consider $10,000 spending proposals from students in the Participation in Government class at Beacon High School. Emilio Guerra an...

It's 2016, and a fire is ripping through a Gap distribution center in Fishkill, New York. When the smoke clears, thousands of Gap T-shirts, khakis, and jeans are reduced to ash. But one analyst sees good news in the wreckage. Gap probably couldn't have sold all those clothes anyway, and that's because the company has lost the pop culture cool that once brought shoppers to it in droves. For the next four years, sales don't improve at Gap and Banana Republic, and Old Navy starts slipping, too. So Gap does something dramatic: It partners with a rapper, a fashion icon, and a lightning rod for controversy — Kanye West. That bold bet won't spark a comeback, though. It'll burn Gap instead.Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During the week, Countrywide went to the lower reaches of the river catchment and talked to a few people who describe the Blackwater as part of their lives.

Barry Fox, Deputy CEO of Inland Fisheries; Tom Ryan, a Director of the EPA with responsibility for environmental enforcement; Rick Officer CEO of the Marine Institute; Timmy Dooley, Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine.

Naoise Ó Muiri, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay North; Ciaran Ahern, Labour TD for Dublin South West; Pa Daly, Sinn Féin TD for Kerry; Christina Finn, Political Editor for The Journal

There has to be an explanation for the fish kill as even dog lovers are afraid of letting their pets near the river that visited carnage on fish life John Ruby from Mallow Trout Anglers Club tells PJ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Lee, RTÉ Environment Correspondent, discusses the findings of an investigation into a fish kill in County Cork.

John in Walden, NY, called Mark to let him know that there's a Cracker Barrel in Fishkill, NY, that you can travel to! Richard in Pennsylvania calls Mark to let him know he has an idea for Curtis Sliwa that could swing voters his way.

John in Walden, NY, called Mark to let him know that there's a Cracker Barrel in Fishkill, NY, that you can travel to! Richard in Pennsylvania calls Mark to let him know he has an idea for Curtis Sliwa that could swing voters his way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian O'Connell, RTÉ Reporter

Brian O'Connell, RTÉ Reporter and Timmy Dooley, Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine

A massive fish kill on the River Blackwater may be the worst in Ireland's history. Up to 30,000 trout, salmon, and eels have died along a 30-kilometre stretch, with birds and other wildlife now showing signs of illness. As anglers raise the alarm, experts await test results to uncover what's poisoning one of the country's most important rivers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The blackwater fish kill - it's a lot worse than anyone thought - and please don't eat the dead fish...Could you do CPR - 96FM & the ambulance service are getting together to teach you...Oasis fans say Croker was a gig for the history books & lots more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Weisfeld is a Yankees fan from Fishkill, New York. His love of baseball started when his father introduced him to the Yankees and took him to his first game at Shea Stadium. Eric shares stories from his years of Yankee fandom, the players and moments that left a lasting impression, and how he and his son are now chasing all 30 ballparks together. Find Eric Online: Website: burgersbaseballmore.comFacebook: Burgers,Baseball & MoreInstagram: @burgers_baseball_and_moreFind Baseball Bucket List Online:Twitter: @BaseballBucketFacebook: @BaseballBucketListInstagram: @Baseball.Bucket.ListWebsite: baseballbucketlist.comThis podcast is part of the Curved Brim Media Network:Twitter: @CurvedBrimWebsite: curvedbrimmedia.com

Aaron McElroy reports on a number of fish kills in recent weeks.

On the latest episode of Bass Cast Radio, Thomas and I sit down with professional angler David Miller to discuss the devastating fish & grass kill sweeping the USA & how we can reach out to our politicians to stop it—an eye-opening episode for any angler or even just someone who loves being outdoors, enjoying our water. Become a Patreon Member ACMTackle OnlineDISCOUNT TACKLEBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bass-cast-radio--1838782/support.

Sean Long, Southwestern Director with Inland Fisheries Ireland, discusses an investigation of a significant fish kill in Cork on Wednesday.

In this blockbuster episode, Luis and Angelo turn to world-renowned psychic Dr. Lauren Thibadeau for insight into one of New York State's most baffling unsolved murders.  On February 5, 1997, Rich Aderson was involved in a minor car accident with another motorist on I-84 near Fishkill, NY.  After pulling over, an argument ensued and moments later, Aderson was fatally shot with a .40 caliber handgun.  Before dying, he managed to call 911 and provide a chilling account, including a description of the shooter, the vehicle make and model, a possible New Hampshire license plate, and a stunning claim – the shooter said he was a cop.  Police quickly zeroed in on Manchester, New Hampshire, probing possible connections to local law enforcement.  Yet nearly 30 years later, no one has been charged, and key details remain hidden from the public by police.  In search of answers, the guys turn to Dr. Lauren, who unexpectedly offers a shocking alternative theory: the killer was not a cop, had no link to New Hampshire, and the true motive for the murder is much darker than anyone could have predicted. 

Henry makes his living as technician for a medium sized engineering company. 

A couple of months ago, a killer started mobilising off the South Australian shore — one that would wipe out marine life, make surfers feel sick, and smother picturesque beaches in thick foam.The culprit? A bloom of tiny organisms called microalgae. We can't see them with the naked eye, but in big enough numbers, they can devastate ecosystems.So what made the South Australian algal bloom so lethal, and can anything be done about blooms like it?

On this Throwback Friday episode of Fishing the DMV, we revisit an impactful conversation with Jeff Kelble and John Odenkirk. Together, we dive into the challenges facing the Shenandoah River and explore the often-overlooked work that happens behind the scenes when a fishery begins to decline.Jeff Kelble brings a wealth of experience to the table. After guiding on the Shenandoah for over six years, he became the Shenandoah Riverkeeper in 2006 when he noticed the river's health deteriorating. In this role, Jeff built strong coalitions of river users, local businesses, government officials, and legal advocates. Through strategic litigation, regulatory reform, and community organizing, he played a key role in addressing dozens of complex pollution issues that once threatened public access and enjoyment of the river.Jeff's success in the Shenandoah led him to serve as President of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, where he continued defending and restoring our Nation's rivers for another eight years. Today, he runs Ashby Gap Adventures, still deeply connected to the outdoors he works so hard to protect.As anglers, it's easy to focus solely on the catch—but it's just as important to recognize the people working behind the scenes to safeguard these waters for future generations. Watch, listen, and learn—and let us know your thoughts!Please support Fishing the DMV on Patreon!!! https://patreon.com/FishingtheDMVPodcast Fishing the DMV now has a website: https://www.fishingthedmv.com/  If you are interested in being on the show or a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to me at fishingtheDMV@gmail.com  Virginia DWR website: https://dwr.virginia.gov/waterbody/holston-river-north-fork/ Please checkout our Patreon Sponsors Jake's bait & Tackle website:                                   http://www.jakesbaitandtackle.com/    Catoctin Creek Custom Rods: https://www.facebook.com/CatoctinCreekCustomRods   Tiger Crankbaits on Facebook!! https://www.facebook.com/tigercrankbaits Fishing the DMV Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Arensbassin/?ref=pages_you_manage Fishing the DMV Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/fishingthedmv/?utm_medium=copy_link   #bassfishing #fishingtheDMV #fishingtips Support the show

Queenslanders displaced by catastrophic flooding are sitting tight as they wait to return to their homes, but it is already clear that the road to recovery will be long and difficult.

Forrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes and McKenzie Wilkes of Criterion Connection and Austin Danger Pod talk about Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley's Sing Sing Starring Colman Domingo as falsely convicted playwright and actor Divine G, in this true story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, which helped prisoners at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in Ossining, NY channel their feelings into THE THEATER The story is by Kwedar and Bentley along with the REAL DIVINE G (John Whitfield, if you want to be boring) and Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, who also stars as himself in an incredible star turn. Just to make sure to shout them out, David "Dap" Giraudy, Patrick "Preme" Griffin, Mosi Eagle, James "Big E" Williams, Sean "Dino" Johnson, Dario Peña, Miguel Valentin, Jon-Adrian Velazquez, Pedro Cotto, Camillo "Carmine" Lovacco, and Cornell "Nate" Alston all star as themselves.. real members of Rehabilitation Through the Arts. The REAL Divine G has a cameo in one of the first scenes where he has Colman Domingo's "Divine G" sign his book. Also, Paul Raci stars as Brent Buell.. the real Brent Buell is one of the Co-Producers.. and Sean San José stars with the rest of the cast as Mike Mike. #singing #colmandomingo #bestpicture #bestactor #divine #bestoriginalsong #academyawards #prison #jail #hamlet #kinglear #dutchess #dutchesscounty #fishkill Free Divine G from his Wrongful Conviction!!! https://www.change.org/p/free-john-divine-g-whitfield-from-a-wrongful-conviction-now Rehabilitation Through The Arts Website where you can donate or volunteer for the program in the movie!!: https://rta-arts.org Special shout out to the Hudson Valley Film Commission in Woodstock, NY who location scouted the decommissioned Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill 5 minutes away from my dentist and Beacon High School as well as helping to cast all the background actors and helping to hire many of the crew members. https://www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org Conan's former Protonic Reversal cohost Brenna has thryoid cancer and is raising money for her treatment, if you can help please donate https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-brennas-fight-against-thyroid-cancer Join our discord: https://discord.gg/ZHU8W55pnh The Movie Night Extravaganza Patreon helps us keep the show going.. become a Patron and support the show!! https://patreon.com/MovieNightExtra

Fins, Fur and Feathers: Winter Fish Kill K-State Swine Profitability Conference Reviewing Dairy Programs   00:01:05 – Fins, Fur and Feathers: Winter Fish Kill: Starting today's show is K-State's Drew Ricketts and Joe Gerken on another episode of Fins, Fur and Feathers. In this episode, the pair explain winter fish kill and its positives and negatives. Fins, Fur and Feathers Wildlife.k-state.edu   00:12:05 – K-State Swine Profitability Conference: Joel DeRouchey, K-State swine Extension specialist, continues the show previewing the 35th annual Swine Profitability Conference. He notes the speakers and their topics.  Swine Profitability Conference - KSUSwine.org   00:23:05 – Reviewing Dairy Programs: K-State dairy specialist Mike Brouk ends today's show encouraging dairy farmers to review their nutrition and breeding programs to see if they can increase milk components.       Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.   Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Shelby Varner and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.   K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan

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. 

This week, Patsy and Ashes discuss their adventures in Fishkill, NY at the Hudson Valley Horror Fest! From the many guests, vendors, and panels to the amazing food from the I-84 Diner, they discuss the whole weekend! They give some great recommendations, talk about their experiences, and discuss their new friends! All this and a preview of what's coming up in the next few episodes! Find out more at https://throwdown-thursday.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/throwdown-thursday/c0646c73-e167-4c35-a69a-8b0b2d5a9656