The Sybil Ludington statue was recently removed from its home for the past 65 years, to undergo restoration work. She is expected to be back in several weeks. By Holly Crocco You may notice something amiss when driving along Gleneida Avenue in the hamlet of Carmel these next several weeks. Sybil Ludington is no longer watching over the lake. But her removal is only temporary, as the statue was lifted April 27 to undergo restoration work. “Over a year ago, during my State of t

By Holly Crocco With more than one community voting down a crisis stabilization center within its borders, Putnam County is left with $2.1 million in federal funding that was attached to the project and which will need to be returned if a compatible project isn’t selected soon. The county original planned to utilize American Rescue Plan Act funding to contract with People USA to create and operate a 24/7 crisis stabilization center, which has repeatedly been shot down by comm

By Holly Crocco Assemblyman Matt Slater is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to grant a pardon to former New York Police Department Sgt. Erik Duran of Putnam following his recent conviction and sentencing. In a letter sent to the Democratic governor, Slater, R-Yorktown, urges clemency for Duran, citing concerns that the case represents a miscarriage of justice and emphasizes the circumstances surrounding the incident. Duran, 38, of Mahopac, was found guilty in February of second-d

By Jamie Brown & Michael Gold Land is a precious commodity in the Hudson Valley. As such, the Putnam County Land Trust works with willing landowners to protect their land. Property owners who work with the PLCT ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy these special places. They may also be able to take advantage of tax benefits as part of the effort to protect their land. A powerful tool that PCLT and other land trusts use to protect land is a conservation easemen

From left are Putnam Valley Town Councilwoman Sherry Howard, Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur, and Councilmen C. J. Brooks and Christian Russo, with Lt. George Hyatt’s sword and scabbard. Contributed photo. Contributed Article A special presentation at a recent Putnam Valley Town Board meeting marked the closing of a historic mystery – one left unsolved for the last 162 years. During public comment at the end of an otherwise typical meeting, Putnam Valley resident Michael Bennett

By Holly Crocco The Carmel School Board on April 21 unanimously approved the first tax cut in the history of the district. The $152.8 million budget for 2026-27 reflects a 3.7 percent spending increase but a 0.1 percent tax rate reduction, thanks to the use of $3.9 million from reserves. That coverts to a 1/10th of 1 percent tax levy reduction. “For too long, the so-called experts said it could not be done – that the only solution was to keep raising taxes,” said School Board

The Lake Carmel Community Center, located at 10 Huguenot Road. Photo by Holly Crocco. By Holly Crocco The Town of Kent is going to have to spend money before it decides if it wants to spend more money to either demolish, renovate, or rebuild the Lake Carmel Community Center, located at 10 Huguenot Road. Discussion on the matter has occurred over a number of years, and continued during the April 21 Kent Town Board meeting. The center first started to fall into disrepair back i

By Holly Crocco The Mahopac School Board on April 21 adopted a $148.3 million budget for 2026-27, which represents a 2.23 percent spending increase over the current year. The proposed tax levy of $94 million comes in at about $2.1 million less than what is allowed under the state-mandated property tax cap, which equals a 0 percent tax levy increase. Under the cap, the district could have opted to raise the tax levy by 2.32 percent. For a home valued at $500,000, the budget wi

Beth Davidson and Cait Conley both recently visited Cold Spring to make their case to voters as to why they believe they are the best candidate to defeat Republican Mike Lawler in the November election for U.S. Congress in New York’s 17th District. Davidson, a Rockland County legislator and former Nyack school board member, drew the larger crowd and was questioned most closely on policy issues. She called attention to her ability to get elected and to work across the aisle, a

By Holly Crocco The Town of Southeast has been down this road before. During the April 16 Southeast Town Board meeting, residents of Maple Road and the neighboring streets once again pleaded with the town to commit to paving at least a portion of the dirt road, which provides the only way in and out of the neighborhood. Will Angiolillo of James J. Hahn Engineering, P.C., in Brewster, said it’s not simply a matter of paving. “The key to this road is it’s right along the reserv

The cast rehearses for its upcoming production of “Middletown.” Middletown, USA. It’s anywhere, everywhere. The Brewster Theater Company invites the public to spend time with the characters of its own “Middletown” – a comedy/drama written by Will Eno, where everyday life is centered upon an intriguing place of laughter, life, entertaining people, and ordinary citizens. Experience familiarity and endless surprises as you journey through the play from the local library to outer

By Holly Crocco The Cold Spring Village Board continued discussions on its tentative 2026-27 budget during its most recent meetings, with the public offering input on the spending plan. The proposed $5.5 million budget increases the tax levy by 3.7 percent, or $2 million, which is within the state-mandated cap. “It’s an unstable economy and costs in every sector are skyrocketing into double-digit percentages,” said Mayor Kathleen Foley during the April 8 board meeting, where

By Holly Crocco A New York Police Department sergeant from Putnam County was sentenced to three to nine years in state prison last week by Bronx State Supreme Court Justice Guy Mitchell. However, according to news reports, he was granted $300,000 bail and released, to remain free as he fights the conviction. “He should have never been in there to begin with,” said Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong. Sgt. Erik Duran, 38, of Mahopac, was found guilty i

By Rob Sample The Putnam County Legislature again wrestled with the fractious issue of hiring independent legal counsel for the governing body during its April 8 meeting, ultimately failing to achieve the six votes needed to make it law. Legislative counsel is employed through a contract the Legislature has for legal services under the County Attorney’s Office. While the Legislature has typically had its own outside counsel, that contract was not renewed in 2024. At that time

Students and staff cut the ribbon to officially debut the new mural on the corridor that connects C.V. Starr and H.H. Wells schools. Brewster students, teachers, administrators, and PTA members got together April 6 for a ribbon-cutting and the unveiling of a new mural – “Journey of a Brewster Bear” – at the intermediate and middle school. What began as a simple idea to bring color to the walls and create a meaningful give-back opportunity for students grew into a large-scale

Both the Cold Spring Village Board and the Philipstown Town Board voted last week to initiate joint Article 78 proceedings against the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc., project manager, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. The village board voted unanimously in favor of taking legal action, while the town council vote was 4-1, with Trustee Judy Farrell being the lone vote against the measure. HHFT proposes to build a 7.5-mile-long pub

By Holly Crocco Brewster Central School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Gosh is proposing a $128.5 million budget for 2026-27, which is a budget-to-budget increase of 3.74 percent or $4.6 million. This represents a tax levy increase of 2.6 percent. According to Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Victor Karlsson, expenses are driven by increasing utility costs, as well as insurance and employee benefits, among other items. About $35.1 million in revenue w

Haldane Central School District Superintendent Dr. Gail Duffy last week presented a proposed 2026-27 budget that is impacted by an upcoming capital project and efforts to improve traffic conditions, as well as a plan to move toward an electric bus fleet. The $31.8 million spending plan represents a 5.77 percent budget-to-budget increase over 2025-26, and a 5.53 percent tax levy increase – the maximum allowed under the state-mandated property tax cap. This equates to an incre

After missing from the newsstands for several weeks and only printing digital versions of its newspapers, the Putnam County Courier and the Putnam County News & Recorder have announced that the papers have ceased publication as of April 1. In an email to customers attempting to place legal notices, staff say the papers are “hoping to relaunch at a future date.” According to its website, the first edition of the Putnam County Courier was published June 27, 1841, as the Putnam

By Holly Crocco The Garrison Union Free School District has commenced litigation against Tetra Tech Engineers, Architects & Landscape Architects, P.C., in connection with the design of the HVAC replacement system at the district’s school building, which cost about $2.4 million. The HVAC replacement was part of a larger project that was proposed in 2019, and Tetra Tech was retained in 2020 to do the installation. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to deliver a profess

The Lake Mahopac Rotary Club will present its 12th annual Rock & Roll Spectacular on May 8 at 7 p.m., at the Mahopac High School auditorium. This year’s fundraising event features legendary 1960s hitmakers The Happenings and The Vogues, joined on stage by crowd favorite Vinnie Medugno, for an unforgettable night of timeless music. With their signature smooth harmonies and feel-good pop sound, The Happenings became one of the most beloved vocal groups of the 1960s. Best known

By Holly Crocco The county is pushing back against a mandate from Albany that would require all school districts across the state to begin purchasing zero-emission (electric) buses by 2027, with a full transition away from traditional buses by 2035 – a measure that would cost districts multi-millions. “Residents in Putnam County and throughout the Hudson Valley are facing a serious affordability crisis – one that is causing families to make hard choices over which bills to pa

The county will forgo collecting its 4 cents per gallon on gasoline, capped at $3 per gallon, starting in June. By Holly Crocco The Putnam County Legislature last week unanimously moved forward a resolution to reduce the county’s portion of sales tax collected on gas through the end of 2027, starting in June. During the March 30 Budget & Finance Committee meeting, lawmakers approved the suspension of its 4 cents per gallon tax on anything over the $3 mark. The state will stil

Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne last week announced his intention to create a new Mental Health Services Fund totaling more than $2 million that he says will protect and honor the county’s commitment to addressing the growing mental health needs throughout the region. The fund would be established through the assignment of unassigned general fund balance. “This is a major step forward in our ongoing commitment to strengthening mental and behavioral health services in Putn

By Rob Sample A proposal for a major subdivision on a parcel at 301 Milltown Road was the subject of a public hearing March 23 by the Southeast Planning Board, and drew comments/concerns from owners of neighboring properties prior to the matter moving on to the town board. The project was first proposed by businessman Tom Nejame of Danbury, under the auspices of his firm Nejame New York Land, LLC. He seeks to divide an almost 48-acre parcel into four building lots. Each would

Little Stony Point in Cold Spring held its annual Maple Syrup Day on March 22. Hot pancakes, sticky syrup, and live music warmed up the atmosphere – almost making up for the chilly weather – at the annual Maple Syrup Day on March 22 at Little Stony Point in Cold Spring. There were maple lollipop drops, raffles, and dancing as a team of volunteers with the Little Stony Point Citizens Association served up more than 2,000 flapjacks, and local bands regaled the crowd with music