From left are Sculptor Mike Keropian, Jo Ann Schedler and Rainer Shooter of the Stockbridge Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation, and Kent Historical Society President Tom Breslin. Photo provided by KHS. Members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians were joined by community members at a dedication ceremony for a new 4-foot-tall bronzes statue of Daniel Nimham – the last Sachem, or chief, of the Wappinger Native American tribe and a Revolutionary War patriot – on Sept

By Holly Crocco The Putnam County Legislature is expected to approve a property tax exemption for those who create accessory dwelling units on their properties for long-term rentals. New York State has given counties the option to provide a temporary exemption on the increase in value created when a homeowner creates a legal accessory dwelling unit, and Legislator Nancy Montgomery, D-Philipstown, has put forth a resolution asking the county to utilize that tool to increase th

By Holly Crocco The first weekend of September was a couple of sunny, warm days – ideal for the throngs of visitors who descended on Cold Spring to enjoy a late summer (or early fall) hike and enjoy views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands. It was not ideal for those who live and work in the village. “I mean, let’s just be honest, we got slammed this weekend,” said Mayor Kathleen Foley during the Sept. 9 Cold Spring Village Board meeting. “We were overwhelmed with v

The Southeast Planning Board recently voted to amend the statement of findings from the 2021 environmental impact statement for the Lincoln Logistics development on Pugsley Hill Road, to support removal of the condition that trucks cannot operate overnight, citing that review of traffic and noise show there will not be an adverse impact. “If the board approves the amended finding statement tonight, then they will also vote on referring this to the town board for an amendment

Michael Strauss Practicing physician Dr. Michael Strauss has announced his candidacy for Putnam County coroner in the Nov. 3 election. In the last two elections for this office, incumbents ran unopposed. Strauss completed his medical education in Belgium in 1980, then practiced internal medicine at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai where he served as director of the Department of Medicine and as chief medical officer. Later, Strauss began a practice of intern

The Putnam County Youth Bureau hosted its annual youth-led 9/11 memorial service Sept. 11 at the Bureau of Emergency Services in Carmel. It was a somber morning as those gathered remembered and paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and those who have died from related illnesses since. Additional remembrances took place throughout the day, and complete coverage will appear in next week’s issue. Photos by Chloe Wareham-Gordon.

By Holly Crocco New York State is moving toward one standard diploma for all students. While this new vision does not eliminate the Regents diploma, it does eliminate the requirement. Changes coming to school districts across the state were outlined by Mahopac School Board member Lisa Caraway during the board’s Sept. 3 meeting, when she updated colleagues on information learned during a recent conference hosted by the NYS Education Department. “It’s really all part of this ev

By Holly Crocco Patterson Town Supervisor Richard Williams has presented a preliminary budget for next year that surpasses the state-mandated 2 percent property tax cap by more than $134,700. “The 2027 budget proposes an overall 4.09 percent increase in spending,” he said at the Sept. 9 Patterson Town Board meeting. “Unfortunately, due to rising costs and other factors, it exceeds the amount allowed to stay under the tax cap.” Williams said there are a number of issues drivin

By Holly Crocco The Putnam County Legislature is poised to revise its policy on retiree health insurance benefits, offering a targeted retirement incentive program to encourage long-term and higher-compensated employees to retire earlier than planned, in exchange for a modified schedule of retiree health insurance benefits. During the county’s Sept. 8 Personnel Committee meeting, Acting Personnel Commissioner Adriene Iasoni explained that 87 percent of the county’s retirees a

Community members gathered in Cold Spring for International Overdose Awareness Day, where a luminaria ceremony took place. Photo by David Alger. By David Alger The historic bandstand at the Cold Spring waterfront became a sanctuary of shared grief, healing, and urgent advocacy as Putnam County community members gathered to observe International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31. This year’s event marked the 25th global anniversary of the movement under the theme “25 Years On.

The 80-person Putnam Chorale performs both classical and contemporary music under the direction of Dr. Jason C. Tramm. Provided photos. By TJ Fink New and returning members are encouraged to join – or rejoin – the Putnam Chorale as the fall semester of its 42nd year approaches and registration is now open. The 80-person choir, which offers a versatile learning and performance opportunity to both novice and experienced singers alike, will offer its fall program “Starry Night”

Community Based Services recently hosted State Sen. Pete Harckham, Putnam Executive Kevin Byrne and representatives of county government, Jay Diesing of Mauri Architects, and Mary Urban, vice president of public affairs for WIN Waste Innovations – which has been a supporter of the initiative, for a tour of the renovations being completed at the Putnam Early Learning Center & Preschool in Patterson. A major expansion of the Putnam County Early Learning Center was recently anno

By Holly Crocco When Dan Birmingham, R-Southeast, rejoined the County Legislature last year after a 13-year hiatus, the lawmaker nearly fell out of his seat when he learned how much was in the county’s fund balance… $163 million. The fund balance is an accumulation of what is left over and unspent from each year’s budget. It has been amassing, essentially, since the incorporation of the county. And while some may say you can’t have too much extra cash on hand, Birmingham begs

By Holly Crocco A statewide ban on 287(g) agreements in the “Local Cops, Local Crime Act” signed into law in May as part of a package of immigration protections has taken effect, announced Gov. Kathy Hochul last week. “Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe – not serving as de-facto ICE agents, not conducting civil immigration enforcement, and not carrying out the Trump administration’s callous immigration agenda,” she said. “Starting t

Work is underway on a $24.5 million project to replace two 59-year-old bridges along the ramp from Interstate 84 westbound to Interstate 684 southbound in the Town of Southeast. According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, the project will replace the aging structures with wider, more resilient bridges that will enhance safety and ensure continued smooth travel along this key gateway that links New England and the lower Hudson Valley. Additionally, environmentally friendly engineering pra

What could have been a tragedy ended peacefully last week when Putnam County sheriff’s deputies and negotiators convinced a man in distress to step back from a cliff he had perched himself on in the Hudson Highlands State Park. At about 3:45 p.m. Aug. 25, the Cold Spring Police Department received a call through the Putnam County 911 Center reporting that a missing 34-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis was believed to be in the area of the park. Putnam County Sh

A Pawling man has been sentenced to 21 years to life for the murder of a Brewster cab driver last year. Santos Vasquez Ramirez, 28, was sentenced last week by Putnam County Court Justice Anthony Mole for the murder of Aurelio Orbez. According to Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy, on Dec. 1, 2025, Orbez, of Danbury, was reported missing by his family after he did not return him from work the night before. Six days later, his body was recovered from the Croton Falls

Craig Waugh of Putnam County is a member of the Ulster Scottish Pipe Band, which won Grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Courtney Schnee. The Ulster Scottish Pipe Band of Warminster, Penn., lifted the trophy as Grade 2 Champions at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday, Aug. 15. Among them was Mahopac resident Craig Waugh. “It is great to be a new member of The Ulster Scottish Pipe Band,” said Waugh. “The b

By Holly Crocco No one likes a parking ticket. While the Village of Cold Spring relies on income from metered parking – as well as tickets – to bring in revenue, merchants say the hefty $75 fine is not only turning customers off from shopping in the village, but making residents feel unwelcome on their own main street. During the Aug. 12 Cold Spring Village Board meeting, Mayor Kathleen Foley said village government has been working with the Chamber of Commerce and its Main S

Members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office join local law enforcement, government representatives, friends, and family at the dedication of the new Sheriff Kevin J. McConville Memorial Substation in Nelsonville last week. An impassioned crowd of law enforcement officers, elected officials, family members, and friends gathered Aug. 20 to memorialize former Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville with the dedication of the Nelsonville substation of the Putnam County Sheriff’s

In response to growing national questions about license plate reader technology, and in particular about the Flock Safety camera network in use in many communities across the country, law enforcement agencies in Putnam County are speaking with one voice to explain how the county’s system works, how it is different, and what it has done to keep Putnam residents safe. Recent national reporting has raised serious concerns about commercially operated camera networks: data stored

The Bible used in the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789 was on display recently at Philipstown Masonic Lodge 236. Photo by Legislator Bill Gouldman. Philipstown Masonic Lodge No. 236 in Cold Spring offered a rare public viewing of the George Washington inaugural Bible on Aug. 15, as part of its Revolutionary Putnam County 250 programming. The 1767 Bible belongs to St. John’s Lodge No. 1 A.Y.M. in New York City, which provided its altar Bible for Washington’s

By Holly Crocco A local law to limit and restrain the ability of local government to increase salaries for county legislators and the county executive has been proposed by Legislator Dan Birmingham, R-Southeast. Currently, each of the nine legislators make about $48,000 a year for what is considered a part-time position. “We have almost 50 employees who, whether they pave our streets or answer the phones or deal with public on a full-time basis, we have almost 50 of them maki

Putnam Valley was hit hard by the July 28 and 29 storm. Provided photo. By Holly Crocco Cleanup from not only one, but several summer storms that brought torrential rain to the area – hitting Putnam Valley especially hard – is continuing, with debris removal from blocked drains, and other efforts, proving to be a challenge. The Putnam Valley Town Board passed a resolution Aug. 12 approving the highway department to remove storm debris from various drains, waterways, and other

By Holly Crocco With a town moratorium on battery storage systems and large-scale wind energy conversion systems having expired in October, the Putnam Valley Town Board is looking to act quickly to pass another moratorium that will protect the town from not only these types of developments, but also data centers. The state recently passed a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers using 50 megawatts or more of power to assess environmental, energy, and community imp

Tatiana Brahimi By Holly Crocco The race for county executive just got a little more heated, with the Putnam County Conservative Party Executive Committee announcing Friday afternoon that it has changed its endorsement and is now unanimously backing Tatiana Brahimi for the county’s top seat. “This decision was neither hurried nor made lightly,” wrote Secretary Theresa Votano in a statement on behalf of the committee. “After careful deliberation, the committee concluded that T