This rendering by CPL Architects shows the vision for an outdoor educational learning space at the Garrison Union Free School District. By Holly Crocco The Garrison Union Free School District is considering developing an outdoor educational learning space on forested property that has been deeded to the district over the past 70 years. “This is something that, obviously, there is a lot of interest in and the board is very excited about,” said Garrison School Board President D

Carmel school buses currently park in a lot that is partially mud and dirt, at Kent Elementary School. By Holly Crocco The Carmel Central School District is considering putting a transportation capital reserve project before voters in May, which would renovate the bus lot currently in use at Kent Elementary School – at no cost to taxpayers.. According to Superintendent of Schools Michael Plotkin, the district is seeking to use between $2 million and $2.5 million in capital re

Joseph Castellano will fill the role of Southeast town supervisor through November. By Holly Crocco The Southeast Town Board voted unanimously Feb. 19 to appoint former Putnam County Legislator Joseph Castellano as the interim town supervisor, effective March 1. He will serve through Nov. 3, when a special election will be held to fill the seat throughout the remainder of the term. According to the resolution confirming his appointment, the board found it “necessary and appro

By Holly Crocco Both the Carmel and Brewster school boards last week unanimously approved resolutions to make a boundary line change that would place an incoming development entirely within the Brewster Central School District. In exchange, Carmel Central School District will be gifted several properties. Camarda Realty Investments is in the process of developing 185 acres between Putnam Plaza and Route 312 in the Town of Carmel, with Gateway Summit to offer age-restricted se

By Holly Crocco Kent residents who live in the Lake Louise community are happy to hear that the long-awaited culvert replacement project is expected to begin construction by the fall. “It’s about time you get an explanation of what’s going on,” Highway Superintendent Richard Othmer told residents gathered at the Feb. 17 Kent Town Board meeting, who came to hear an update from project engineers. “We have 14 small bridges that we’re in charge of in the Town of Kent,” he explain

Bill Gouldman Putnam County Legislator Bill Gouldman last week announced his candidacy for Putnam Valley town supervisor, pledging to bring his record of fiscal responsibility, community service, and environmental stewardship to Town Hall. Gouldman, a longtime Putnam Valley resident, small business owner, and current chairman of the Putnam Valley Republican Committee, said his campaign will focus on protecting the character of the town while addressing the infrastructure and

Alex Sewell and his family. Alex Sewell is again running for Kent town supervisor, following a tight race for the position in 2025. Although an election for the seat was held in November, another will be held this year due to changes to state election law, as the state wants towns and villages to have two- or four-year election cycles, instead of three years, with no more local elections on odd years. Endorsed by both the Kent Democratic Committee and the Westchester-Putnam W

JFK students who are celebrating a birthday or half-birthday line up to get a book from the Bear-thday Book Vending Machine. Students at JFK Elementary School in Brewster hear a special announcement come over the PA system Friday afternoons: “Students who are celebrating their birthday or half-birthday, please go to the cafeteria for your bear-thday book!” The Bear-thday Book Vending Machine will eventually allow every student in the school to choose a birthday book to keep f

By Holly Crocco Putnam County has been chosen by the state to participate in a pilot program to address PFAS contamination in private wells. “Water quality continues to be an area of focus for the department,” said Putnam Health Department Commissioner Rian Rodriguez at the Feb. 11 meeting of the County Legislature’s Health Committee. “Whenever we can participate in programs that may assist our residents with environmental concerns, we attempt to do so.” The New York State De

Local activists packed the Philipstown Town Hall for the Town Board’s Feb. 5 meeting to discuss proposed updates to the town’s “equal protection resolution.” The town originally adopted a version of the resolution in April 2017, but with the recent civil unrest throughout the country and Immigrations & Customs Enforcement officers making arrests, a local citizens group called Joining Forces has submitted a stronger 2026 version of the resolution to the Town Board for adoption

By Holly Crocco With the proposed Putnam County mental health crisis stabilization center that was planned for Stoneleigh Avenue having been voted down by the Carmel Planning Board earlier this month, the County Legislature is now scrambling to spend $2.5 million in American Recovery Plan Act funds that were tied to the project so that it doesn’t have to be returned to the federal government. “At this point, with the ARPA deadlines, the money has to be spent by the end of thi

A New York Police Department sergeant from Putnam County was recently found guilty of second-degree manslaughter after throwing a cooler at a fleeing suspect in August of 2023, leading to the man’s death. Sgt. Erik Duran, 38, pleaded not guilty during his bench trial, in which there was no jury – just a judge hearing the arguments and rendering the verdict. He was convicted Feb. 6 by Bronx Supreme Court Judge Guy Mitchell and faces up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing is sche

A Mahopac man was arrested last week following a road rage/menacing incident in which he allegedly aimed a loaded gun at a school bus driver. New York State Police at Hawthorne received a walk-in complaint Feb. 4 from a school bus driver who reported that, while driving on the Taconic State Parkway southbound near exit 3 in Mount Pleasant, the driver of another vehicle pointed a handgun at him. In addition to the driver, a bus monitor and three children with special needs wer

Kathleen Sutherland from Putnam AdvoCATS and Andrew Evans from Evans Septic Tank Service visit the animal five days after her rescue. Photo by Chloe Wareham-Gordon. By Holly Crocco When a Marshalls employee heard a cat’s cry coming from somewhere outside the Brewster store on a bitter cold day last month, they coul dn’t just keep walking. Instead, they called the Putnam County SPCA to report what they believed to be a trapped feline, likely in a storm drain, and what happened

Cornell Cooperative Extension-Putnam County Executive Director Stefanie Hubert explains the barn structure to Stephen Gnojewski and Nat Prentice of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, which has donated to the campaign to build a new home for CCE at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster. Cornell Cooperative Extension-Putnam County last week welcomed supporters to celebrate the substantial progress on its new home now under construction at the county-owned Tilly Foster Farm

By Rob Sample After listening to several sessions of public comment, the Putnam Valley Town Board unanimously decided to withdraw a series of proposed townwide zoning changes during its Jan. 28 meeting. “We decided to withdraw the proposed changes based on public input and on the advice of our newly appointed town attorneys, the firm of Daniels, Porco & Lusardi,” said Town Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur. Dave Daniels, managing partner at Daniels, Porco & Lusardi, noted that the

From left are Fr. Dennis Polanco, SA, president and spiritual director at St. Christopher’s Inn; Fr. Alexander Reed, SA; and Fr. Damian MacPherson in the newly renovated bathrooms at the inn. Provided photo. St. Christopher’s Inn at Graymoor welcomed the start of 2026 by celebrating meaningful improvements to its Garrison grounds and facilities, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to the care and dignity of men overcoming addiction. “These renovations are not just about

Putnam County launched its community paramedicine program last week, providing needed care in patients’ homes, reducing unnecessary 911 calls and hospital transport for non-emergency conditions. Putnam’s community paramedicine/mobile integrated healthcare program will be administered by Empress, which has provided the county advanced life support services since 2023. “We are excited to collaborate to close healthcare gaps and deliver essential services directly to our communi

Here, St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac is cleared during the height of the storm. Whether you had to put on your, boots, hats, and gloves and brave the storm to shovel snow or head out to a job you couldn’t phone-in for, or if you stayed in your PJs and slippers and sipped cocoa while watching the snow fall from the great indoors, there was not a person in Putnam County who could avoid the dose of winter weather the region saw Jan. 25. A state of emergency was declar

Southeast Town Supervisor Nick Durante By Holly Crocco During an emotional testimony at the Jan. 22 Southeast Town Board meeting, Supervisor Nick Durante informed the public that he will be resigning from his post. “After many long and thoughtful conversations, along with a great deal of personal reflection, I’ve decided to step down and resign from my position as town supervisor,” he announced. “I’ll remain on for as long as needed to help my replacement move forward.” While

By Holly Crocco The Carmel Planning Board voted unanimously Jan. 28 to deny an application by People USA to develop a crisis stabilization center in the hamlet. “We spent several months analyzing data, challenging People USA with a lot of questions, listing to the public quite a bit,” said Chairman Anthony Giannico prior to the 6-0 vote. While some audience members applauded the outcome, after the vote, the applicant simply packed up and left the meeting. Throughout the past

Carmel firefighters at the scene of a fire Jan. 22 on Seminary Hill Road. More than $42,000 has been raised (as of Jan. 29) for a Carmel family that was devastated by a recent house. Shortly after 9 p.m. Jan. 22, the Carmel Fire Department, along with the Carmel Police Department and Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, were dispatched to a structure fire at the home of Police Office Anthony Bambach and Savanah Catucci on Seminary Hill Road. Officers who first arrived on scene c

The Mahopac School Board rose to its feet in announcing that it unanimously supported a member who works for ICE, and who some community members said should be removed. By Holly Crocco The Mahopac School Board was unanimous in stating last week that it would not be seeking to remove a board member due to his day job. “The board of education stands united behind Trustee Chris Harrigan and will not be entertaining his removal,” said President Michael Mongon at the board’s Jan.

By Holly Crocco While Cold Spring has long been a destination for tourists during the fall leaf-peeping season, visitors actually start flocking to the village months ahead of that, according to data assembled over the past two years through a computer-aided design system. Cold Spring Police Department Commanding Officer Matthew Jackson explained during the Jan. 14 village board meeting that since the CAD system was implemented by the county in December 2023, law enforcement

By Holly Crocco A number of lawmakers and residents voiced their opinions during a Jan. 15 public hearing on a charter change that was approved by the Putnam County Legislature in December that would allow the Legislature to hire independent counsel for both its majority and minority parties. The matter was before County Executive Kevin Byrne to either be signed into law or vetoed and sent back to the Legislature to be refined. (Due to anticipated inclement weather, this week

By Rob Sample Southeast residents aired their concerns at the first of what will be several public hearings on a proposal to build an office and retail complex at the corner of Danbury Road (Route 6) and Starr Ridge Road. Rraci Associates, a Westchester County real estate and property development firm, seeks to develop a retail complex consisting of four buildings, 130 spaces for parking, stormwater facilities, and a conceptual dog park. The parcel is 10.39 acres in size. As