Hudson Valley One #36 2025

Pave paradise?

New Paltz residents voice opposition to Historic Huguenot Street development

by Erin Quinn

Apacked house in the old fire station meeting room at the New Paltz Village Hall this past Monday listened to varied public opposition to Historic Huguenot Street’s (HHS) proposed 7,400-square-foot visitors center, now under review by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Slated for the sweeping green lawns and old pine tree grove behind the Deyo House, the proposal includes a 7,400-square-foot glass, stone and wood building, a large patio, an outdoor amphitheater, a caterer’s kitchen, a 100-space parking lot, and a road that would allow buses to turn around and park off North Front Street, adjacent to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

HHS, a 10-acre National Historic Landmark, includes seven historic stone-house museums, a reconstructed 1717 French church, the community’s original burying ground, and a replica Esopus Munsee wigwam.

President of the HPC Thomas Olsen thanked the public for the turnout. He promised to take “copious notes” of public comments and concerns. The project was “very early on in the

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UCAT shakeup cuts Yellow Route to Port Ewen; Milton, Marlboro still without service; late-night buses from Poughkeepsie lacking

by Rokosz Most

Following Ulster County Area Transit’s precipitous declaration of systemwide route changes, transit riders have been trying to make sense of how old routes will be affected within the new transit landscape. Beginning Sep. 15, the most important detail for the largest number of riders is that the central transfer hub

Feeding the need

Behind the scenes at Ulster County’s food pantries

by Rokosz Most

Peter and Pat Meoli, listed here in the order they retired, have been volunteering at the food pantry in Accord for the last 15 years, from the time when it still operated out of the fire station.

“We started doing the pickups from the food bank in Kingston,” Pat recalled.

Twice a month, the Food Bank of Northeastern New York drives a trailer of foodstuffs to the city of Kingston, using the parking lot at Hannaford as a distribution point for all local food pantry operations.

“We borrowed a truck from A & G’s Furniture, over on the 209,” Peter adds, “which was very generous of them. But we used to pick up, estimated, 2,500, maybe 3,000 pounds of food a month.”

Before they retired, the two were educators. Peter, as a physical ed instructor, would have been called coach. Pat, as an English teacher, would have been Mrs. Meoli. But that wasn’t her last name when she began teaching.

Discontinuation of loop bus spells big changes for some New Paltz residents

by Terence P Ward

rom its inception around a decade and a half ago, the New Paltz Loop has been a bus route with a small — but regular — ridership. The loop bus came into being as a collaboration between the Town of New Paltz, the DOT, Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) and the SUNY New Paltz Student Association, headed at the time by its then-president, Ben Olsen. It has become an essential service for locals who have any kind of mobility impairment due to its regularity and the convenient locations of its stops. Like other county buses,

“Fifty-four years ago we met,” Pat recalls. “I was substituting. He was teaching down at the elementary. He snuck up and he said, ‘Hey.’”

Other volunteers have since taken over the food pickups, but the Meolis agree that over the time they’ve spent volunteering for the food pantry, the need for what they provide has only grown.

ROKOSZ MOST

Is it affordable?

New Paltz town council members opened a public hearing on a proposed affordable housing law at its September 4 meeting and, based on the interest shown, adjourned the hearing to October 9 for additional testimony. Similar to what’s on the books in the village, this law would mandate that a certain percentage of units be set aside and marketed at rates determined by a formula designed to keep housing costs below 30% of adjusted gross income. Individuals and families who earn less than a certain threshold could register to be eligible for those units.

The bulk of work to write this legislation was done by the volunteers of the housing-smart communities committee. That group was created to chase after potential grant money and other incentives that could be unlocked by lining up with the county program of the same name.

Jacki Brownstein, who serves as chair of the housing committee of Ulster Activists, lifted up several aspects of this proposal as worth celebrating, including not limiting the rules to units that are rented, requiring that vacancies be reported in a timely manner, and waivers to create family arrangements in complexes marketed as student housing. On the other hand, Brownstein is concerned that 10% is too low a minimum number of units, and also wanted to know about whether the definition of

Fine Dining with Warm Irish Hospitality

Gastropub •

First

“households” includes unrelated individuals. Last year village trustees adopted a definition of “family” that was intentionally broad, to avoid the need to police how individuals and groups organize themselves into housing.

Brownstein also encouraged the creation of a brochure laying out the application process, and widespread public relations to announce when an affordable unit is available.

Tom Denton spoke about the importance of aligning this effort with the existing village ordinance, as voters may be asked whether the two governments should be consolidated.

Environmentalist Joe Londa recommended replacing reference to legacy heating and cooling systems with terms like “heat pumps” and “point-of-use hot water heaters."

Londa also suggested a clear departure from what’s in village code regarding incentives for different groups, ranging from those with disabilities and longtime residents to volunteer firefighters. “If you have a need, you have a need,” Londa said, calling the point system that places some individuals above others “arbitrary — it should solely be on affordability."

Randall Leverette seemed to agree, saying that such a system “may violate fair housing standards, as well."

— Terence P Ward

Free swim

Esi Lewis floated the idea of at least partially eliminating admission fees to Moriello Pool in New Paltz at the September 6 town board meeting. “We need to consider making it free to SNAP recipients,” Lewis said. Admission fees present a barrier to entry for some town residents, which can have an impact on rates of death by drowning.

Lewis’ suggestion came on the heels of an announced push to get significant funding to overhaul the jointly-owned village-town pool. Repairs have delayed its opening several times in the past decade, and supervisor Amanda Gotto secured approval to pay a grant writer $3,000 to pull together an application

Second

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for a New York Swim grant that could fund the first renovation in 20 years. The grant itself would be for “a couple million” dollars, Gotto said.

— Terence P Ward

Federal budget bill denounced

New Paltz town council members passed a resolution denouncing the “Big Beautiful Bill” that federal lawmakers used to ratify President Trump’s spending agenda. Village trustees passed an identical resolution at itslast meeting.

Supervisor Amanda Gotto noted that “22% of our residents are eligible for Medicaid or SNAP,” and may be impacted by the new work requirements that will come into effect after the next congressional election.

Randall Leverette said that the only issue with the resolution is that it “doesn’t go far enough” to denounce the federal legislation. Nevertheless, “As the resident Republican, I support it.”

— Terence P Ward

No news is no immigration news

On Friday evening, September 5, a message was posted to the Facebook page of the Ulster County Sheriff’s office that caught some attention in New Paltz: It advised that deputies were “currently conducting a police operation on Plattekill Avenue … There is no threat to public safety at this time. However, please avoid traveling through the area until further notice."

The activity was noticed by some who live and work in the area, but the social media post raised questions for others, as well. Police are often tight-lipped about what they’re up to, as too much information shared publicly might tip off someone, or cause them to alter some behavior. This is one of those times.

Sheriff Juan Figueroa reiterated Saturday, September 6 that members of the public were not in any danger, but declined to offer any details about what had been occurring because it’s still an ongoing investigation. If that investigation results in anyone being charged with a crime — which is legally defined as a misdemeanor or felony — it’s common practice for some of the specifics to be included in a press release. Regarding that warning about steering clear of Plattekill Avenue, there’s no telling if or when that might occur.

— Terence P Ward

Professor Emerita Stella Deen will deliver the 2025 Dennis O’Keefe Memorial

Lecture

“Pleasure, Estrangement, and Discovery: Reading Alongside Clemence Dane in the 1920s,” focusing on the British novelist, playwright and journalist Clemence Dane’s essays about the pleasures of reading. In 1920s Britain,

the most powerful medium of communication was the periodical—the mass circulation daily paper and the weekly or monthly magazine. Improved technologies helped publishers meet the insatiable appetite of millions of new readers, but observers worried that such quickly produced reading matter, paired with indiscriminate readers, would lower cultural standards. In this climate, reading advisors sprang forward with guidance and warnings. Septempber 17, 5 pm at SUNY New Paltz, in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium.

Poetry Reading and Book Launch

Richard Parisio will read poems from his book, Trailside Register, published this summer by Bushwhack Books. There will be wine and antipasti at the event, and Rich’s son, Frank Parisio, will provide music with his guitar. Friday, September 12, 7 - 8 pm, at Elting Library in New Paltz, For more information, contact Parisio at rparisio811@gmail.com or the Elting Library at frontdesk@library.org (phone 845255-5030).

4th annual Gardiner Dump Run Sunday 9/21

This year we are collecting athletic sneakers (in pairs) for recycling. Sneakers can be dropped off on race day between 9 am - 10:30 am. Registration is open on runsignup.com. All are welcome.

Town of Lloyd police sued by man who alleges excessive force led to multiple injuries

A New Jersey man is suing the Town of Lloyd police department and Officer Eric Funccius, alleging excessive force, battery, and assault. The federal civil rights lawsuit, filed August 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York by Mohammed Nashat Khaled, seeks $27 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The suit claims Khaled was handcuffed and not resisting arrest when Funccius allegedly slammed him to the ground during a December 11, 2024 incident on U.S. Route 9W. Khaled reportedly lost consciousness and was hospitalized at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, where he regained consciousness days later. The complaint states he suffered multiple injuries, including fractures, head trauma, and permanent arm damage, leading to job loss and ongoing physical and mental health issues. Funccius joined the department in August 2024. Police Chief James Janso declined to comment on his current status, citing ongoing litigation. A court conference is scheduled for December 1 before Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart in Albany.

Community backlash

Town of Ulster approves controversial solar array

by Crispin Kott

Officials in the Town of Ulster last week approved a site plan and special use permit for a solar array proposed by Lightstar Renewables, which several months ago generated significant opposition, and continues to raise hackles with some in the community who feel the green energy project would actually be bad for the environment.

“It is deeply disappointing to witness the advancement of this project in a location identified by our town's comprehensive plan as important and sensitive an area that the plan indicates should be protected,” said Laura Hartmann of TownofUlsterCitizens.org during during a board meeting held on Thursday, September 4. “The town will have to live with the consequences of this decision for many years.”

approval, they weren’t all enthusiastic about it.

“I have been against the installation of solar panels on undeveloped land,” said Clayton Van Kleeck. “I am learning as we go through this process that as a councilman, I don't have, we don't have the right to choose and what is done if we've already got laws in place and rules in place that stipulate what can and can't be done.”

Van Kleeck added that after discussing his concerns with town attorney Jason Kovacs, it was made clear to him that denying the project might result in “significant litigation risks for the

“The town board seems deliberately negligent on keeping its planning and zoning codes up to date to deal with the issues we are facing in the world today,” said Vicki Lucarini.

town.”

“What I've learned since then, which I appreciate Jason for giving me that information, is that our role as council…is to make sure that the rules are followed.

The rules are what was sent by our zoning…The zoning never got updated to deal with what the master plans intention was. Therefore our zoning does not prohibit this development…You can't punish somebody because we thought there should be a stop sign. You only do it if there is a stop sign.”

Van Kleeck said he would like to work with the town and community to update municipal zoning, but Quigley said there might only be so much that’s within the town’s discretion. He referenced a solar farm proposal brought before the Town of Athens several years ago that was turned down.

“The appellate court looked at the record, particularly the Climate Act of 2019, and the statement of public policy that was created by that act, which said New York state shall have X-percent of renewable energy by such and

such a date, and shall have X-number of megawatts of battery storage by such and such a date. The appellate court ruled that the achievements of those goals were in the public interest, and ordered the modification of the decision in the trial court, granting the zoning variance for the subject property.”

Vicki Lucarini said that she usually focuses her criticism of the Lightstar proposal on the potential adverse impact on the environment, but “I'm aware that there is a possibility that further damage to our ecosystems that this project will cause does not matter to you.”

Instead, she highlighted municipal issues.

“It is fact that the last time the Town of Ulster updated its comprehensive plan was 18 years ago,” she said. “This did not include the town's zoning codes. So how do these very outdated zoning codes affect how the town operates today? The town board seems deliberately negligent on keeping its planning and zoning codes up to date to deal with the issues we are facing in the world today. Your inertia is your excuse to allow bad ideas to prevail in our town.”

The Lightstar project is set to occupy around 42.8 acres of a 70.2-acre property off Tuytenbridge Road once owned by DSC Sisters of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Town Supervisor James E. Quigley, III discussed the steps that led to Thursday’s resolution.

“A public hearing for the special use permit was held in January of 2025,” he said. “The project has completed SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review). The EAF (Environmental Assessment Form) was fully vetted. Part one was fully vetted, which produced a part two. And part three was recently distributed to the Town Board, addressing the environmental impacts of the project.”

While council-members voted in

Friday, September 12

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5:30p + 8p Splitsville Saturday, September 13

2:45p + 5:30p + 8p Splitsville

3:15p + 5p + 7:30p The Roses Sunday, September 14

2:45p + 5:30p + 8p Splitsville 3:15p + 5p + 7:30p The Roses Monday, September 15

5p + 7:30p The Roses 5:30p + 8p Splitsville Tuesday, September 16 CLOSED Wednesday, September 17

5p + 7:30p The Roses

5:30p + 8p Splitsville Thursday, September 18

5pOCAP + 7:30p The Roses 5:30pOCAP + 8p Splitsville Friday, September 12

5:15p + 7:45p Downton Abbey 3 5:30pATMOS + 7:30pATMOS Spinal Tap 2 5:45p + 8p Love, Brooklyn Saturday, September 13 4:30p Being There 4:45p + 7:30p Downton Abbey 3 5:15p + 7:15pATMOS Spinal Tap 2 7:45p Love, Brooklyn Sunday, September 14 1:45p + 4:30p + 7p Downton Abbey 3 2p Being There 2:45p + 5p + 7:15p

Quenching a thirst

Sage Greens Juice & Smoothie Bar brings healthy refreshments to Saugerties

by Frances Marion Platt

hen Saugerties

Wnative Madeleine Rothe headed off to Providence, Rhode Island to pursue a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, it was with expectations that she’d spend her career working as “a dietician in a nursing home or a hospital.” However, her college, Johnson and Wales University, is “primarily a

culinary school, where nutrition is integrated with the culinary program,” she recalls. In fact, it’s the alma mater of Emeril Lagasse, among other celebrity chefs and restaurateurs. So it was that Rothe found herself pulled in another professional direction: “It sparked something in me: that I do really like to create things.”

Nevertheless, when Rothe returned to the Hudson Valley, she took a job as a nutritionist for the Women, Infants and Children program serving clients in Columbia and Greene Counties. While there was some gratification to be found in “counseling mothers with nutrition choices, it was a less creative outlet,” she says. “I kind of felt stuck.”

So she set off on her own to work as a “health coach for grownups – primarily seniors whose insurance would cover that. But it was mostly remote. I was on the phone all day.” Again, she found, “It wasn’t creative enough.”

Heeding the siren song of the culi-

nary arts world at last, Rothe plunged into a new line of work at a juice and smoothie bar, thinking, “This is the last leg. Let’s see if this is what I really want to do.” She was soon promoted to manager, with a mission to “enhance the menu and create specials,” and found herself loving the work. “It filled the void,” she says. “I decided the next thing I do will be my own.”

And so it came to pass that, on July 19, a new juice and smoothie bar called Sage Greens opened at 262 Main Street in downtown Saugerties. The community responded with immediate enthusiasm. “Everybody’s super-excited. People tell me that Saugerties needed this option,” says Rothe. “The community lacked a place where people with restricted diets can order something and know exactly what they’re getting.”

Indeed, in perusing the Sage Greens menu, one of the first things one notices is that every single ingredient is listed under every offering. “If you don’t

see it, it’s not in it,” says Rothe. There’s no refined sugar, and everything is organic. Substitutions are available for any ingredient that might conflict with a customer’s dietary regime or trigger an allergy or food intolerance. You can get your smoothie or bowl made with dairy or non-dairy yogurt, whole milk, skim milk or any of a long list of plantbased milk substitutes.

Part of the reason that Rothe is so committed to “nourishing the community” while offering many alternative ingredient choices is that she herself has “struggled with gut issues” and needs to follow a diet that is both gluten-free and dairy-free. “I couldn’t go out to dinner with my family,” she notes. “More people than you think have these problems.”

Seven weeks after opening, Sage Greens seems to have found a niche that needed filling. While cold-pressed juices are a popular trend, Rothe points out that “People appreciate not having to do it yourself. Owning a juicer is expensive.” Folks working in the village can easily pop in for a healthy, tasty and satisfying beverage, snack, breakfast or light lunch, even when pressed for time. That being said, the juice bar is a pleasant space to linger. The walls sport a cheerful color scheme of sage green and shrimp pink, along with murals of fruits. Wood floors and subtropical design elements like macramé sconce shades and faux woven cane chair upholstery harmonize with the casual vibe. Seating options include a long L-shaped bar, six tables, a long couch and a grouping of armchairs and a cushioned bench around a coffee table.

While Rothe has plans to expand her food offerings by the winter, with soups, sandwiches, panini, grain bowls and salads, there’s already plenty on the menu to entice visitors. Smoothies come in 13 regularly offered flavor blends, plus specials. They’re thick, generously sized, fresh and delicious. We liked the nicely tart Cherry Pop, made from açai, raspberry, cherry, yogurt, chia seeds, agave and your choice of milk. According to Rothe, the most popular smoothies are the Blue Lagoon and the Malibu Barbie.

More substantial versions of each flavor are available as sundae-like smoothie bowls, topped with granola, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and berries. There are also many choices of protein shakes, protein bowls, superfood lattes, matcha and iced juice blends. “The bowls are more like a meal,” Rothe says. “The protein shakes are very popular.”

Sage Greens Juice & Smoothie Bar is closed on Tuesdays, open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. To view the menu or learn more, visit http://www.instagram.com/sage__ greens

The dining space at Sage Greens.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN THOMAS

Madeleine Rothe of Sage Greens in Saugerties.

A history of obfuscation

Nnegi alleges atmosphere of coverup in the Saugerties school district

by Crispin Kott

Ulster County District

Attorney Emmanuel Nneji says the Saugerties Central School District (SCSD) will have to work very hard to overcome a history of perceived obfuscation.

“I have received several emails and messages from people in Saugerties talking about their experiences 20 or 30 years ago within the school district about abuse that they suffered and reporting such abuse to school officials, and nothing was done,” Nneji said during a meeting of the Saugerties Town Board last week.

that’s too long. And their investigation is not criminal in nature.”

According to state education law, teachers and other school employees are considered “mandated reporters,” requiring them to follow through on any allegations of abuse or other concerns brought to their attention. Nneji did not offer specific instances or years where issues of abuse were brought to district officials and nothing was done, but he said it would not be tolerated any longer, insisting information is immediately shared with law enforcement.

“I’ve told them that not involving the police right away may amount to official misconduct or endangering the welfare of a child,” he said. “And I will not hesitate to prosecute.”

Thornton said. She added that board members have since pledged that employees should not fear retaliation for speaking up.

Nneji said his goal is to move the district forward, not to punish staff for past inaction if they now come forward.

SCSD Superintendent Daniel Erceg could not be reached for comment as of press time. Erceg took the district leadership reins in March 2023, and was preceded by Kirk Reinhardt (2019–2023), Seth Turner (2009–2019), Richard Rhau (2004–2009), Michael Singleton (2001–2003) and Karen Hong (1995–2001).

While Nneji was critical of the school district, he credited the Saugerties Police Department (SPD) including Chief Kenneth Swart, with bringing the allegations against Kappler and Mills to his attention, and for being good partners in the ensuing investigation.

“I’ve told them that not involving the police right away may amount to official misconduct or endangering the welfare of a child,” Emmanuel Nneji said. “And I will not hesitate to prosecute.”

The July arrest of former Saugerties High School wrestling coach and custodian Reid Kappler, charged with 18 counts of third-degree felony rape of two girls between the ages of 15 and 16 between 2023 and 2024, sent shockwaves through the community. District officials spent much of the summer responding to the arrest, including opening its own internal investigation by an independent contractor.

Kappler’s arrest followed the arrest of part-time Saugerties Police Officer Sydney Mills, who was charged with multiple felony sex offenses, including rape, sexual abuse, and engaging in sexual conduct with a child between the ages of 14 and 15. The allegations cover several months during 2022 and are related to a single teenage girl.

During the town board meeting held on Wednesday, September 3, Nneji questioned whether the school district’s internal investigation aligned with the efforts of law enforcement.

“I’m making sure that the cover-up doesn’t happen,” he said. “You can imagine when the school district has to do its own investigation before reporting to the police, even if it takes a half-hour,

He added that his office recently met with the district to try and open the lines of communication more than in the past.

“Our meeting was designed to carve a path forward to ensure we don’t repeat the failures and cover-ups of the past,” he said.

Saugerties Town Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton said a recent community forum showed the public was also frustrated with a lack of transparency and action from the SCSD.

“There were over 100 people in the room that night, many of them faculty, saying they kept hitting dead ends when they tried to report things,”

“My investigators worked around the clock, even conducting surveillance out of state to ensure the cases were handled thoroughly and safely,” Nneji said.

The day after the town board meeting, supervisor Fred Costello affirmed that the SPD is a good resource for reporting crimes.

“Our department is available,” he said. “We have a tips line, and we have

other mechanisms where people can be interviewed or talk.”

Costello said it was critical for both the town and school district to ensure the public knows they’re on their side, particularly in a world where trust seems to be a diminishing commodity.

“I think there's a broad institutional distrust,” he said. “And that's not related directly to the town as an institution or the school (district) as an institution… We as a society have felt enough betrayal where there is a lot of skepticism. You only have to watch the news for a second to see that…I think the way build trust is to be open and transparent.”

Notice of Officer

Vacancy: Treasurer, Saugerties Democratic Committee

The Saugerties Democratic Committee (SDC) will hold an election for a new Treasurer. Any enrolled Democrat registered to vote in Saugerties may be nominated by a SDC member for this officer position. Candidates do not have to be members of the SDC. The election is scheduled to take place on Sept. 23, 2025.To be considered for office, in accordance with County Democratic Party Rules Article IX Section 3, all candidates are required to notify Kevin Freeman kfree2@gmail.com, SDC Chair, or Louise Bloomfield lbloomfieldsdc@gmail.com, SDC Secretary, no later than Sept. 16, 2025.

Garvan’s “sister” restaurant on the New Paltz Golf Course

“Since the pandemic,” says Pat, “it's just increased and increased and increased.”

Whence the food comes

The Meolis and other volunteers operate the food pantry, located next to the Harold Lipton Community Center since 2020, every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. A free produce market is also held every Saturday from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

“We operate for the purpose of distributing three days’ worth of food twice a month to a hungry child, adult, family and/or senior,” says Board Chair of the Rochester Food Pantry, June Atherton. Like the Meolis, she started with the food pantry as what’s known as a “bagpacker.” Because of her Liverpool accent, she’s a favorite quote for the volunteers. Atherton estimates that food pantry volunteers picked up just over 5,000 pounds of food from the food bank in June.

“Over the past 12 months we've served approximately 2,723 individuals,” says Atherton, “which would be enough food for 24,500 meals.”

Atherton says 27 percent of clients fed by the food pantry were children.

“We had about 15 families today,” Meoli confirmed on Friday, Sept. 5. “Some of them, six in a family—two adults, four kids.”

While the food bank benefits from occasional grants, such as those from the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) or the Regional Food Bank’s Gratitude Grant, it also relies on monetary donations from private individuals and direct food donations from two farms: the Tributary Farm, a co-op in High Falls, and a prison farm in Wawarsing. These contributions help insulate the food bank from relying solely on federal support.

“I think we're in pretty good shape right now, mainly due to the local farms and local businesses,” Atherton says. “But you never know. With what's going on right now with the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We won’t see the effects until after the midterm elections, right? So we may see an increase of people coming to the food pantry then.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal spending bill passed on July 4 will cut $187 billion from SNAP benefits through 2034— the largest cut to the program since its inception.

Additionally, $1 billion in funding cuts from the federal budget—$500 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies has been discontinued from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, and $500 million more cut from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)—will affect the food distribution operations and

grantmaking abilities of the food banks themselves, which provide for emergency feeding programs by buying food from local farmers and distributors.

“We’ll just have to see how it goes,” says Atherton.

The Tributary Farm in High Falls, one of the two farms donating to the Rochester Food Pantry, is in the middle of its eighth growing season. Started by

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farmer Jesse Goldfarb, the portion of the produce available through a community supported agriculture model (CSA) is so popular that shares to purchase are sometimes exhausted. Which is a good thing. Demand is meeting supply.

“But there comes a time when there's too much food and our markets can't handle it, whether that's our CSA or wholesale, and we have leftovers,” Goldfarb says.

With CSA pickups on Wednesday and Saturday, Goldfarb explains some produce can get carried over and some stuff can't.

“When we know we have plenty of something, we know we can give out certain things to the pantries. Last month it was a lot of tomatoes—heirloom tomatoes, plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes—but also parsley, Swiss chard, different types of peppers, jalapenos, hornito peppers, sweet peppers.”

Goldfarb says members over the years have been happy to pick up the surplus and distribute it among pantries and free fridges in Ulster County.

“The main food banks that we're do-

nating to, as far as I can tell, are Rochester Food Pantry, the Rondout Food Pantry—which is in Stone Ridge—and the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network in Kingston. Those are the main ones this year because the volunteers that pick up have good relationships with those places.”

Even grocery stores themselves, like Hannaford and Tops, have been contributing to the food pantries.

Produce managers often set overly cautious sell-by dates, motivated more by concerns about appearance than actual food safety, they admit. A wilted summer squash or slightly limp kale may not look appealing, but it's still perfectly edible. Since different vegetables remain safe to eat for varying lengths of time despite cosmetic flaws, food banks benefit from the selectiveness of image-conscious consumers.

Produce managers tend to impose overconservative sell-by dates on their vegetables, more out of concern for the aesthetic viability of any given product selling, they will admit, than for the actual health risks of selling a sad-looking summer squash or some newly wilting kale. Different vegetables have varying windows of time where they are still safely edible despite their failing good looks. Thus do food banks benefit from overpicky consumers.

But it’s not just produce. Chicken nuggets. Ground turkey. Meatballs.

“Tops [Friendly Markets] just started donating from Ellenville. They gave us like 285 pounds of food. Pre-packaged, sometimes pre-cooked.”

“One of the volunteers, Carol,” says Peter, “goes up at the end of each month and gets Bread Alone and donates bread. There’s a deep freezer full.”

New Paltz pantry

On the east side of the Shawangunk Ridge, at the Family of New Paltz food pantry—open eight hours a day, where about 430 families a month come through—Assistant Program Director Icilma Lewis suspects that food insecurity in the county is growing out of the sight of citified municipal centers, moving essentially to the south and west of the county or even out of the county, as residents are priced out by the ever-increasing cost of rental markets.

“Most of the families with children are on the outskirts of New Paltz because New Paltz is very expensive to live,” Lewis says. “And the costs have driven

Jesse Goldfarb and Jessica Swadosh, two farmers outstanding in their fields, at the Tributary Farm.

PHOTOS BY ROKOSZ MOST

The Rochester Food Pantry.

a lot of our families with children out of the area because they can't afford to live here. They're going out to other places. You have Modena. You have Plattekill. You have Clintondale. You're seeing more families in need of assistance out that way than Family can offer.”

As an extension of the Family nonprofit, which began in Woodstock 55 years ago, with walk-in centers in Woodstock, New Paltz and Ellenville, Family is well-placed to triangulate and observe food insecurity trends across the county.

“We do the entire southern tier of Ulster County, Port Ewen all the way out to Wallkill, all the towns in between.”

A map provided by UlsterCorps, “Food Pantries and Meal Programs,” identifies 30 food pantries operating across the county, not counting free food fridges, along with a number of other organizations—churches, soup

Briefly noted | Kingston

New York Attorney General intervenes in New Paltz telemedicine abortion case

New York Attorney General Letitia James is ramping up efforts to stop Texas from using New York courts to enforce its abortion ban. She’s facing off against Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, who secured a $113,000 judgment last year against New Paltz physician Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who provided legal telehealth abortion services. After the Ulster County clerk rejected Texas’s attempt to enforce the judgment under New York’s shield law, Texas sued the clerk, challenging the law’s

Briefly noted | Region

kitchens, delivery—whom all presumably provide free food to the food insecure, all accessible by bus. But great swaths in the south and west of the county remain inaccessible to public transit.

To fill the gaps left by federal and state funding cuts and combat rising food insecurity, self-motivated nonprofits like UlsterCorps—and countless individuals like the Meolis—have long stepped up, using whatever resources are available.

Regionally, there is the Hudson Valley Farm Fresh Food Grant Program, which aims to provide multiyear grant funds to organizations or individuals who are “working to increase access to local, farm-fresh food for individuals who are considered food insecure.”

At the county level, just last month, an Oct. 15 deadline was announced for proposals that seek to address

constitutionality.

New York’s shield law, enacted in 2023 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, protects in-state providers from out-of-state legal actions related to reproductive and gender-affirming care that is legal in New York.

Legal observers note that the case raises significant constitutional questions. The Full Faith and Credit Clause requires states to honor each other’s court judgments. However, exceptions exist when a judgment clashes with a state’s core public policy. Given the major legal implications, some experts believe this case could possibly reach the U.S. Supreme Court, especially if lower courts issue conflicting rulings or the case expands into broader challenges

Bad mushroom trip leads to rescue of hikers in Catskill Mountains

A group of hikers tripping on psychedelic mushrooms found themselves mentally lost in the Catskill Mountains on Friday, Aug. 29, requiring rescue by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forest rangers.

The DEC received a 911 call around 5 p.m. from a group of hikers deep in the Slide Mountain Wilderness, near Giant Ledge. The caller said that the group was hallucinating on mushrooms and one of them was having really bad and distressful trip.

Responding rangers and firefighters

located the group at around 6:45 p.m., leading them to the trailhead for medical evaluation. In a photo provided by the DEC, a hiker can be seen being supported by two rescuers as he was led out of the forest.

As if the trip wasn’t bad enough, the hikers discovered they had lost their car keys somewhere in the forest. DEC rangers had to give the group a ride back to their short-term rental property, and were kind enough to search for and recover their keys the following day.

Death of 10-year-old in Ellenville under investigation by state police, district attorney

After a medical emergency appeared to have led to the death of a 10-year-old female in Ellenville, both state police and the Ulster County District Attorney have launched a thorough investigation.

Police identified the victim as Kathleen Pulido, 10, of Ulster and Orange counties. The incident was said to have occurred on Aug. 18 at approximately 12:12pm.

Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji has not released any further details, except to emphasize the investigation is being taken very seriously.

People with any information on the death or the circumstances leading up to it can contact the Middletown barracks of state police at 845-344-5300.

food insecurity in Ulster County, after $410,000 in grant monies were made available by the Ulster County Legislature for the second round of the Ulster County Food Security Grant Program.

“At a time when the administration in Washington has made massive cuts to support for food banks and SNAP,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger noted after the passage of the bipartisan resolution to provide grant monies, “we are stepping up our support as a county to help local families.”

Metzger also noted that one in six children in Ulster County are food insecure, a statistic that didn’t sit right with Goldfarb.

“It's surprising, it’s upsetting,” he said, “and it shouldn't be the case.”

Lewis agrees.

“We have to help each other,” says Lewis. “That's what it's all about. I encourage people to do any little thing

against shield laws.

Attorney General James has made reproductive rights a central focus of her office, pursuing multiple lawsuits to defend access to abortion care and challenge restrictions on abortion medication. In contrast, Texas AG Paxton has a hardline stance against abortion, advocating for strict enforcement of the state’s bans even beyond Texas’s borders.

The case now moves forward in court, where James will argue that Texas cannot compel New York’s courts to enforce its abortion laws.

Shots fired in midtown Kingston, police investigating

Kingston Police said they’re currently investigating an incident of shots being fired at the intersection of Elmendorf and Belvedere Streets on Thursday, Sep. 4. They did not specify the time of the incident or any further details, other than to say “No one was injured or struck by bullets during this incident but there was damage to property.”

Police said they do not believe the incident poses a threat to the general public.

A suspect was recently arrested for a knife attack that occurred on the same street as Thursday’s shooting.

Contact Kingston Police at (845) 331 1671 or the Detective Division at (845) 331 8404 if you have any information to share.

Kingston police face civil rights lawsuit from man who claims he was wrongfully accused

A federal civil rights lawsuit has been initiated against the Kingston Police Department, accusing officers of wrongfully arresting a man for a burglary despite having access to evidence that contradicted his involvement. The plaintiff, James Boykin, was charged in connection with a December 2023 break-in at a neighboring apartment, but court filings allege that investigators disregarded evidence that clearly indicated his innocence.

According to the lawsuit, Ring camera footage from inside the burglarized apartment captured a suspect who was significantly shorter than 6’7″-tall Boykin. Additionally, the lawsuit claims the owner of the apartment remained on good terms with the suspect throughout the investigation, and that video evidence of an alibi was presented to police. The lawsuit indicates these facts were left out of the criminal complaint.

Boykin was arrested, jailed for eight days, and later released, after which repeated adjournments of the case ul-

they can do in their neighborhoods, with your neighbors or anything like that. Knock on doors, especially where seniors are located, and say, ‘Hey, are you okay? Can I help with anything?’ Or leave a bag of groceries at their door someday, anything. You never know.”

With the holidays approaching along with the winter weather, the food pantries rely especially on those able to contribute.

“Three times a year we provide holiday baskets,” says Pat. “Sixty Thanksgiving baskets, 60 Christmas baskets, 60 Easter baskets… It could be a whole turkey dinner. Usually it’s with ham. For the first 60 to sign up, that's how we give it out.”

“For Christmastime, we like to get a little gift too,” says Atherton. “If they have young children. And that's from donations from our residents. Without them, we'd be out of business.”

timately led to its dismissal. Boykin’s legal filing states that the arrest and prosecution led to significant personal and financial hardship, including losing his job, being evicted from his home, and suffering health issues.

The case, filed on August 15, 2025, seeks damages under both federal and state law. It alleges false arrest, malicious prosecution, denial of a fair trial, and failure to intervene.

Kingston Saturday No Kings Rallies are moving

Starting this Saturday, Sept. 13th, please bring your signs, your voices, and your musical instruments to Post Office Park in the heart of Midtown Kingston, 3:30-4:30, at the intersection of Broadway, Grand, and Prince. Let’s keep speaking up against the cruelty and corruption of the authoritarian Trump regime! We’ll be in the park rain or shine, and will cancel only if there’s a thunderstorm.

NEW YORK STATE DEC

| September 10, 2025

Hudson Valley One

process,” and the HHS would also have to go before the village’s planning board for site-plan approval. HHS and its architect were to give a brief presentation of the project.

As they discussed garage doors of a residence within the historic district and a proposal to repair the existing foundation and walls of one of the historic stone houses, the meeting, which was being aired over Zoom, was disrupted—first by loud, jarring music and then by a series of pornographic images and videos displayed on the screen by someone hacking into the meeting. Someone in the audience joked that it was like Bonnie Raitt’s song “Something to Talk About.” The HPC secretary and Mayor Tim Rogers attempted to rectify the interference. The Zoom meeting stopped. The public hearing continued on YouTube.

Once the digital drama was over, homemade chocolate chip cookies and a sign-up sheet were passed around to the standing-room-only crowd.

Liselle LaFrance, president and CEO, said that HHS looked forward to hearing comments from the public. She said their organization, established in 1894 by descendants of the French and Dutch colonial settlers, had secured a grant to pay for a professional assessment of existing structures. One of the conclusions from that study, according to LaFrance, was that their existing facilities were not adequate to properly store its substantive collection of documents and artifacts in an environmentally controlled space.

Deyo Hall on Brodhead Avenue had been utilized for years to host educational programs, speakers and events. It was closed so it could be used to store collections. LaFrance said that there were “thousands of documents being stored in the stone church, which has water issues.”

HHS hired an architectural firm to design a master plan. The idea of designing and building a new visitor and educational center came up. Such a facility could serve a “growing audience of schoolchildren” who visit the stone houses. A place for buses to turn around and park was discussed. Accessible restrooms were included in the proposal, along with larger venues for exhibition space and programming.

Jason Anderson, president of ADG Architects based in Montgomery, New York, designed the project. He gave a slide presentation describing the interior and exterior spaces, including administrative offices, a 25-person classroom, a 105-person auditorium, as well as the environmentally controlled archival collection and artifact museum rooms. He explained that the modern look of the design was purposeful so as not to “distract” from the historic structures they were trying to showcase. Their design has a wall of glass windows that give a “180-degree view of the historic streetscape,” as well as stone and wood elements, a covered concrete patio, benches and the amphitheater. He said the parking lot had been reduced to close to 80 spaces, and only a dozen or 13 existing trees on the lawn would need to be removed.

When the public began to speak, a common refrain was gratitude for the work that HHS has done in helping to preserve the 10-acre historic district

and stone houses and green spaces, which many called “the heart and soul of our village.” At the same time, one after another also said that, in their estimation, the project was too large, too out of proportion for the relatively small historic district and that it would result in destroying, rather than preserving, an undeveloped parcel that is every bit as much part of the historic district as the seven stone houses.

The other refrain from the steady stream of public opposition was that there were other options for HHS to store its archival collections and that a 7,400-square-foot building ringed in asphalt on what was once a pristine green space was not the answer. Attendees advocated for investing in upgrading existing facilities to meet their needs, or if necessary, build a much smaller building on Brodhead Avenue along the streetscape rather than digging into the green space that frames

other local architects, including John Vett, whose grandfather was a New Paltz village mayor and whose family lived in both the Hasbrouck and Freer houses for a time. “I used to love dinners at the Old Fort with my grandmother,” he said. “I have a long, personal history with Huguenot Street.”

Vett voiced concerns that the building felt too big and tall, overwhelming the small, elegant historic site. He noted that the parking seemed excessive and that the proposed location was not accommodating to pedestrians and had no access to the rail trail, but instead “can only be accessed through parking lots?”

Alan Ross, another local resident and architect, said he greatly appreciated all of the work and stewardship that the village, HHS and HPC have done to protect a place of “such vital importance.” But he said when a place is so connected to the soul of a community,

“The Deyo House is a perfect place for a visitors center... It looks all boarded up and so unwelcoming right now but is a beautiful building. Why not put our effort into that?”

the stone houses.

Local architect Matt Bialecki, referring to a detailed letter he had submitted to the HPC, said: “Historic Huguenot Street is a national treasure, on par with Mt. Vernon, Boston’s Old North Church or Independence Hall. It is also the green heart, historic center and the spiritual core for our community for over 330 years. Any large-scale alteration or change to such an important national, state and community historic place should be done with the utmost care and caution.”

Bialecki observed that the existing landscape provides context for both the street and the historic houses. He expressed his view that the meadows bordering the trail on the east (along Huguenot Street) are essential to preserve and protect the character and context of the original historic street and settlement, together with the trees and open space of the now-preserved Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

He also said that what is being proposed is essentially a “floating building in a parking lot,” which is a 20th- to 21st-century American auto-centric strip mall, rather than a 17th-century original village setting and landscape that retains the character that was determined as significant for HHS being named to the National Historic Registry.

“Parking lots should not be the new entry to Historic Huguenot Street,” he said.

Bialecki suggested that if any building were necessary, it should be located on Brodhead Avenue along the street. “This building and location are not appropriate. It is important to note that the proposed visitor center site, the area bounded by Brodhead, Huguenot, Front and the WVRT, is only 4.5 acres— barely the size of an average rural house lot west of the Wallkill. The size of the building, parking lots, connector road, hardscape, etc., are over 1.2 acres.” He said it would alter over 25% of the core district for a large parking lot, connector road and building that would “irreparably alter the context of the district and harm its unique and very fragile beauty.”

His sentiments were echoed by three

acre parcel where the visitors center is being proposed. “I was in shock when I saw the proposal. How much paved area and green space would be destroyed—forever. It’s not just about buildings. The landscape is a living history. There are May Day celebrations and egg hunts and people meditating and relaxing. That park is so restorative. I’m out of time when I’m there. It’s the only real village green space left. I would ask you to repurpose existing buildings, and if you have to build something, scale it way down and put it on Brodhead Avenue.”

Brenda Buffalino, a 60-year resident of New Paltz and professional dancer and choreographer, said she had two questions: “Who is this being built for? I don’t feel like you’re building it for any of us. I find this structure absurd! Huguenot Street is the soul of our community. You can archive materials in other spaces—you don’t have to build something like this. We have a university; can’t you ask them to be a part of this?”

the role of any design should take the back seat—not detract from the place you are trying to celebrate. He said the building did the opposite—that it is “enormous” and will end up dwarfing the small stone houses, “turning a sacred space into a dead zone that is surrounded by asphalt.” Like others, he thought that if a building was required, it should be located on Brodhead Avenue.

“This is not Gettysburg,” said Huguenot Street resident Anne Quinn. “We do not need a building of this magnitude. We have seven stone houses and plenty of buildings that could be repurposed for the needs you have. The Deyo House is a perfect place for a visitors center. It’s right at the entrance to the district and has existing parking. It looks all boarded up and so unwelcoming right now but is a beautiful building. Why not put our effort into that? We can store the archives off site. We have a treasure here. There’s no other place like it in all of America. We need to protect it. Joni Mitchell said it best in the 1960s when she said, ‘You paved paradise and put up a parking lot.’ Once it’s done, it’s irrevocable. This is a very fragile ecosystem.”

Several residents questioned why the HHS could not partner with the state university to store documents, or the Reformed Church for parking and meeting space, or better utilize the large Deyo House.

Sam Kniffen said he spends “a lot of time on Huguenot Street as a member of the Reformed Church congregation,” and noted that there’s also a spiritual component to Huguenot Street that needs to be preserved. “Historic preservation is also supposed to preserve the lives that are living here now,” he said. “Huguenot Street is very peaceful and I’m there a lot and have never seen any great need for that size building. I don’t see a ton of people or cars and I did those school visits when I was a kid and there was never a problem with parking the bus.”

Renee Skuba, a village resident, said she also appreciates the work that HHS has done and is grateful to them for their stewardship. “I’m in that park all the time,” she said, referring to the 4.5-

“We’ve had four reputable architects who spoke beautifully on why they believe this building is not appropriate,” said Carmel Reidy, a village resident. “People have mentioned several other options to help with the mission and stewardship, like using the Deyo House or partnering with SUNY New Paltz or the Reformed Church. We love Huguenot Street. It is a very delicate ecosystem that we want to protect for our children and grandchildren and beyond. I walk it every morning and every night and hear the frogs and geese and see the bats and blue herons, and it’s a magical place. I think it would break all of our hearts if you did this.”

There were many questions about what the demonstrable need is for more building space, rather than utilizing the numerous buildings HHS already has (not including the stone-house museums). One Huguenot Street resident said he had begun counting and that on the “busiest day, there were a total of 14 cars parked in various lots along the street.”

Putnam McKenna, a transplant from northern New Jersey who has been living and working in the area for the past seven years, said: “Like someone said, this is not Gettysburg. Why would you even think about tearing up so much land? It’s so unnecessary. And the proximity of that parcel to the Nyquist Sanctuary is critical. We have migratory birds that fly over and the amphibian crossings that a previous person mentioned. Every bit of green space counts. God is not making any more undeveloped land, so we need to hold on to the little that we have.”

He said there is already existing parking that is underutilized, and that there is not the demand for anything close to that size of a building. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t develop anything. But if you do? Make it really, really tiny—or just use what you have.”

The HPC will focus on the exterior design and architectural plans as they relate to their responsibility to ensure the historic nature of any new development or restoration/renovation of existing structures within the 10-acre district. Any homeowner or organization that wants to make modifications to the exterior of their home or structure must apply for a certificate of appropriateness from the HPC. That is what the HHS is seeking approval for with this project proposal. They will also have to go through a site-plan review by the Village Planning Board.

At this time, the public hearing is still open, and people can write to hpc@villageofnewpaltz.gov.

Plans for the proposed building can be accessed at shorturl.at/CAfii or by requesting them from the HPC at the email address above.

Late to the game

Hinchey, Shrestha urge fast approval of battery energy storage system

by Geddy Sveikauskas

The nation’s Democrats have been complaining that many of Donald Trump’s 198 executive orders this year (as of the Federal Register on September 7) have involved situations not usually classified as emergencies in the word’s dictionary definition as “a dangerous, unexpected event that poses an immediate risk to life, health, property, or the environment and requiring urgent intervention to prevent worsening.”

In announcing they supported the fast tracking of the proposed 250MW Terra- Gen battery storage project on Hurley Avenue in the Town of Ulster, local assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and state senator Michelle Hinchey last week cited the need for quick action. Though the two progressive local politicians didn’t cite an unexpected event, their tone certainly denoted great urgency. The plant would be safe, and there was no time to waste.

“New York State has a goal to install six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030,” their argument went, “and in order to meet this goal, storage facilities of this size … will have to increasingly exist across the state.”

Ulster’s town board is close to issuing a negative declaration of environmental significance for the Terra-Gen project, the construction of which will uti-

Government | Hurley

lize twelve of the 14 acres at the former Catholic high school on Hurley Avenue.

The “urgent intervention to prevent worsening” in this case consists of the need for more electrical energy from sources other than pollution-causing fossil fuels.

The state economy is rapidly changing. “[I]f we don’t transition to renewables, our choices are either sticking with fossil fuel or building out nuclear — and energy storage is a critical part of the renewable ecosystem we need to build,” Shrestha said. “Additionally, the Hudson Valley is strategically located to host storage projects, and we’re also glad that the New York Power Authori-

ty has announced some publicly-owned storage projects it intends to build as well.”

Hinchey was in agreement. “If we are to truly confront the climate crisis, we must step forward with open minds and make decisions grounded in facts,” she said. “And the fact is that New York and America have been late to the game when it comes to renewable energy infrastructure, including battery storage. These are investments we need.”

Shrestha and Hinchey are all in when it comes to “the renewable ecosystem we need to build.”

As renewable energy sources and energy consumption patterns evolve, the

World Economic Forum said at its annual meeting this January, they create challenges around supply-demand balancing, forecasting and optimization. The traditional computing methods are reaching their limits in managing this complexity. Quantum computing, however, is emerging as a groundbreaking technology capable of reshaping energy systems, enabling greater efficiency, sustainability and resilience.

Poughkeepsie is the global headquarters for IBM quantum computing. Its hybrid quantum computing software and hardware are essential tools for more sophisticated and complex systems of energy management.

Just as the Drill, Baby, Drill crowd is citing its goals for its vague executive orders, so progressive New Yorkers are urgently supporting fast tracking of the kind of energy projects the Trump administration is canceling. Both sides urge intervention to prevent worsening.

"Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows,” wrote William Shakespeare 415 years ago in his play

The Tempest.

Continued questions on battery plant

Speed bump

Hurley officials face challenges in lowering speed limits

by Nick Henderson

Arecent fatal accident on Route 209 has intensified efforts by Hurley Town Supervisor Mike Boms to lower the speed limit, a request that has repeatedly been denied by state transportation officials.

Boms noted that the town adopted three resolutions in June of the previous year, one of which sought to reduce the speed limit on Route 209 from 55 mph to 40 mph. The request focused particularly on the area near Russell Road, adjacent to a rail trail parking lot and crosswalk, which has seen numerous collisions and close calls. Additional proposals included reducing the speed limits on all town

roads from 35 mph to 25 mph and lowering the speed limit around Myers Elementary School to 15 mph.

Despite these efforts, the state rejected the proposals. In response, officials cited adherence to the “85th percentile” standard—a national guideline that recommends setting speed limits within 5 mph of the speed at which 85 percent of vehicles are traveling. According to data collected on Route 209 through Hurley, that benchmark is 59 mph, making a 40 mph limit inconsistent with this criterion.

Boms criticized the policy, arguing that it effectively favors drivers who exceed current speed limits. He believes that had the speed limit been reduced in the targeted section—from Wynkoop Road to Bessal Road—the recent fatality might have been avoided or at least less severe.

Adding to his frustration, Boms pointed out a neighboring town—Marbletown—where the speed limit drops to 40 mph along Route 209, a condition he claims should be equally ap-

In addition to his focus on traffic safety, Boms also voiced concern over a proposed lithium ion battery energy storage system at the former Coleman Catholic High School site in the Town of Ulster. The 250-megawatt project, proposed by Terra Gen, has drawn scrutiny from residents and local officials.

Boms is skeptical. He argued that the project, led by a for-profit developer, is unlikely to reduce electricity costs for local residents. Instead, he claimed the business model involves buying electricity during low-demand periods and selling it at higher prices when demand spikes.

He further criticized the official statements from Shrestha and Hinchey, suggesting they closely mirrored the developer’s promotional materials.

Tim Kelly, a Hurley Town Board candidate, echoed those concerns. While supportive of renewable energy in principle, Kelly described the safety assurances as premature given the scale of the project and its proximity to residential neighborhoods. He cited nationwide incidents where battery storage systems experienced fires despite meeting code requirements, arguing that the risks, especially in densely populated areas, warrant more thorough scrutiny.

Kelly concluded that the potential safety hazards— particularly in areas near schools, places of worship, and homes—should not be dismissed or downplayed, even when regulations are technically met.

plicable in Hurley given similar traffic and safety concerns. He emphasized the presence of a popular rail trail entrance in Hurley as a justification for increased pedestrian protections.

State Department of Transportation officials, however, remained firm in their position. In a June 11 letter, Assistant Engineer Mark Moran explained that reducing the speed limit below 55 mph would place most drivers in violation and necessitate ongoing law enforcement efforts to ensure compliance. A similar explanation was offered

by Senior Engineering Technician Niven St. Gelais in response to the request for lowering town road speed limits, where the 85th percentile was measured at 37 mph.

According to Boms, the state also labeled the Hurley segment of Route 209 as a “pass-through,” suggesting that the current speeds reflect normal driver behavior for such routes. He warned that the existing policy puts pedestrians and other motorists at continued risk, asserting that more incidents are likely if changes are not made.

Route 209 in Hurley.

GENIA WICKWIRE

The proposed battery plant property.

ExpresSemester

September 23 - December 8

October 15 - December 8

Barbecue contest this Saturday in Woodstock

The American Legion Post 1026 will host its third annual barbecue Sept. 13, and it is open to the public.

Seven to eight cooking teams will compete for trophies and gift certificates to local establishments, including Catskill Mountain Pizza, Woodstock Meats and the Clubhouse.

A medal will also be awarded for the best-decorated cooking station, as selected by the public.

“It’s just a fun day with a lot of food,” said organizer Trevor Schmiedel with

the Sons of the American Legion.

Five judges will choose their entries, which include a meat dish and a side dish from each team. The entries will have numbers instead of names to keep the judging fair.

“The meat can’t start getting cooked until they’re here at 5 a.m. And then they have until 3 o’clock,” Schmiedel said.

“At 3, you have to hand your food in. And then after all the judges get all the food is when the public gets to have a taste of all the food.”

The

Activities

Much of the proceeds will go toward purchasing presents for Toys for Tots. A raffle

for the cooking teams for

and some may contain gift certificates. The barbecue is just one of a handful of Legion events open to the public in an effort to be more accessible to the community. The Memorial Day reception used to be open only to parade participants, but it has been open to the general public in recent years. A fishing derby will be a fundraiser for diabetes research. — Nick Henderson

Hudson Valley One

Perfect pairing

Blue Duck Brewing/ Phoenicia Diner Canteen in Kingston open for business

by

Frances Marion Platt

Kingston residents and visitors need wait no longer for the launch of a much-anticipated, brand-new brewpub. The Blue Duck Brewing Company finally opened to the public last weekend at 79 Hurley Avenue, headquarters for more than 40 years of the Kingston Daily Freeman. Now known as the O & W Building, after the rail trail that passes immediately behind it, the structure also houses Overlook Bicycles, State Farm Insurance and the Ulster County Board of Elections.

Co-owner Ryan Gillette, who spent four years of his braumeister training at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado – best-known for its Fat Tire Ale – has hopes of replicating that company’s success in linking the subcultures of craft beer and active outdoor recreation. To entice passing cyclists into the new brewpub, the building has been redesigned with enormous overhead

doors affording access to a large wraparound patio space with outdoor seating.

But the business plan developed by Ryan and his father Rich Gillette, with assistance from Sam Kandel of the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center at SUNY Ulster, takes the brewpub concept a step further: “We made the decision that we were going to offer food,” says Ryan, during all the hours that Blue Duck is open to the public. The Gillettes have worked out a partnership with the much-loved Phoenicia Diner to bring some of that institution’s signature dishes to Uptown Kingston on a regular basis. The Phoenicia Diner Canteen, as the restaurant part of the Blue Duck operation will be called, will offer a scaled-down version of the original diner’s menu, including its legendary pancakes, burgers and Reuben sandwiches.

According to Courtney Malsatzki, director of operations at the Phoenicia Diner, she and owner Mike Cioffi had been thinking for a while of opening up a satellite location, instead of just the occasional pop-up. A Kingston resident herself, Malsatzki opines that the city “could use more breweries with robust menus,” and notes that the diner was “looking for new ways to support the community.” She and Cioffi were impressed both by the site that the Gillettes had found, with its 100-space parking lot and rail trail access, and by the family’s long and successful track record with the Gillette Creamery in Ellenville, the ice cream factory that Rich founded with his two brothers. He retired and sold the company, now operating in Gardiner, three years ago.

Ryan Gillette grew up in Hurley, and it was while taking an AP class in organic chemistry at Kingston High School that he conceived an interest in the process of brewing –from a scientific angle, since at age 15 he was still too young to be

ing Company. That was a great place to land; they had a focus on international styles, including lagers.”

By then he was giving serious thought to opening his own brewery, preferably with a restaurant component. His father, having recently sold the Creamery, was interested in coming in as a business partner. The former  Freeman building had already caught their eye, and, according to Ryan, “The landlords wanted a brewery here.”

“The timing was right, the location, all of it,” says Rich. Still, the building needed a lot of work to be converted to the application the Gillettes had in mind. “You wouldn’t think it would take eight weeks to produce a good beer. Sometimes it takes a little time to produce something that you really want.”

The actual brewing process has been going on for several months now, using a three-vessel, 15-barrel system with horizontal lagering tanks, custom-made in Wisconsin. The elaborate setup will allow Ryan to experiment with new brews seasonally. He already has seven lines ready for opening day, some of it canned for outside distribution, with 13 taps at the ready for new additions. “We’ll always try to rotate with the seasons. We’ve had our Oktoberfest in production since the middle of July,” Ryan says. He’s feeling confident about the results: “I spent ten years doing trial-and-error at other breweries, so I won’t have to do it here.”

The brewpub/restaurant space is airy and spacious, featuring ten-footlong dining/serving tables on cast-iron bases that can be raised or lowered to different heights. The tabletops, like the bar, are milled from an enormous slab of red oak, from a tree that was “growing into the barn” at Rich’s mother’s farm in Grahamsville and needed to be harvested. “It has a lot of meaning to us,” Rich says.

much of a beer connoisseur. His teacher used various examples of fermentation to illustrate the concept of an anaerobic environment. Intrigued, Ryan and his best friend ordered a homebrewing kit by mail and began experimenting in his friend’s parents’ kitchen. “It’s such an old practice,” Ryan notes. “It was really fun to learn about that. The local raw materials in every state or country dictate what the beer tastes like. You have to create a sterile environment.”

While still in high school, Ryan began learning the brewer’s craft in earnest as an unpaid intern at Keegan Ales in Kingston. When he went off to study restaurant management at SUNY Oneonta, he continued his internship at the Cooperstown Brewing Company. From there, he decided to plunge fulltime into learning the craft beer trade, attending the World Brewing Academy in Chicago. He was sent to live in Germany for a six-month apprenticeship at the Doemens Academy in Munich, where he developed a strong preference for German beer styles. In a world where IPAs still dominate beer trendiness, Blue Duck is going to move ahead of the curve, emphasizing lagers and pilsners.

After experiencing the European approach to brewing at Doemens, Ryan came back to the US and landed at New Belgium. There he worked his way into the R&D department, where he sometimes “had to brew something 16 times to get it right. It was a great opportunity to learn quality control.” That led to him being recruited by the Trillium Brewing Company in Boston: “They were opening a 500-seat restaurant in the Seaport District. They had me testing raw materials. But then I lost my job in the pandemic.”

Returning to the Hudson Valley, Ryan got a taste of a related industry by working for a time at Hillrock Estate Distillery in Ancram. “Then I ended up in New York City, at Threes Brew-

Atop the bar sits a shiny brass beer tower imported from the Czech company LUKR Faucets. But in general, the Gillettes are focusing on sourcing both building and brewing materials as locally as possible. Rich notes that, in order to obtain a farm brewer’s license from New York State, you have to commit to producing at least one beer that uses 100 percent New York-grown ingredients. The Gillettes are starting with two, as their “core brands”: an American Lager and a New York Pilsner.

Two IPAs are also on the menu,  one a West Coast style and the other a hazy New England IPA. Summertime seasonal brews will include a Lime Lager and a Raspberry Splash Ale. Duck Tape, a West Coast pilsner developed in collaboration with Industrial Arts Brewing in Beacon, and It’s Too Damn Hot Outside for a Penguin Imperial Stout round out the initial offerings.

“I tend to use a lot of local ingredients. I just brewed my first batch using Hudson Valley Malts,” Ryan says. “I use only hops from America, and New York-grown hops are more affordable because they’re less well-known. Before Prohibition, New York was the number one hop-growing state in the union. Now it’s the third-largest in the country.”

Forming a partnership with the Phoenicia Diner to pair farm-to-table diner food with beers brewed on-premises takes the “locally sourced” approach to an entire new level. New menu items are being developed that will use Blue Duck beers as ingredients, according to Malsatzki.

Both the brewpub and the Canteen will be open until 10 p.m. six days a week, closed Wednesdays, with lunch service beginning at noon and brunch. For updates, including the announcement of opening day, visit http://www.blueduckbrewing.com

LAUREN THOMAS

Father and son Rich and Ryan Gillette pose in front of the recently opened Blue Duck Brewing Company at 79 Hurley Avenue in Kingston, the former Freeman Headquarters.

We deliver from Kingston and surrounding areas, including areas from Woodstock to Phoenicia.

UCAT

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1)

for most buses in Ulster County will be moved from Kingston Plaza to Development Court on Ulster Avenue.

Thus, any riders purposefully coming in from outside Kingston aiming for uptown and disembusing by the Hannaford Supermarket will now have to acclimate to finding themselves two miles off course, disembusing under the facades of the Family Court and Department of Social Services buildings while they figure out another approach. The KS route will do in a pinch for getting back uptown.

Beyond the central hub transfer, numerous routes have either dropped or added stops—the new routes can be examined on the UCAT webpage.

The hastily announced changes are reportedly the result of Kingstonian Brad Jordan, the owner of the Kingston Plaza—the parking lot currently serving as the countywide transfer hub—becoming disenchanted with the behavior and increased numbers of the ridership.

Though the county utilized the parking lot for years, toilets and sinks were never built.

Announced ahead of the completion of its yearslong route optimization study, it now appears that some riders will be hit by the changes worse than others.

Loop bus

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1)

it's been free to use since 2022. However, the loop bus will be discontinued after Wednesday, September 10. County officials say that they've got all the bases covered and no one's going to be worse off for this decision. Loop riders are not convinced.

Rebecca Rotzler, a former deputy mayor of the village, was involved in the early planning for the loop and has ridden it frequently. Rotzler remembers taking a drive with fellow board member Pete Healey to identify potential stops for a local bus route, before members of the SUNY New Paltz Student Association pitched the idea of contributing some funds toward such a project.

The reason why there isn't more ridership on this route, in Rotzler's view, is that it's never been a priority for county transportation officials. When there are staffing issues, loop drivers are pulled to take on other routes instead — often leaving passengers waiting for a bus that's never going to come. "When you call, you’re told that they are short on drivers, and that has to impact ridership," Rotzler said. "I was once stuck at ShopRite after my spinal surgery. I'd post on Facebook to ask for a ride and people would tell me that that's why I have legs — but I couldn't walk and wasn't prepared to pay $8-10 for a taxi.”

Another regular rider, Rosalyn Cherry, studied the routes that are being rearranged to replace the loop, and saw some issues that can be significant for someone with a physical disability. One of these is that rather than a bus stopping in front of Tops, passengers will disembark across Main Street. "I would carefully cross at the light and have to walk through all the cars in the parking lot to get to the main entrance," Cherry said. "Once I have my groceries I would cross the parking lot again to wait on Main Street for the return bus to go back toward Stewart's. That in itself for any senior or person with a disability is a hard walk, and especially carrying

Like riders in Port Ewen. Under the new routes, the Yellow Line is moving on from Port Ewen altogether. Service in Port Ewen will now be handled by the KPL. As a result, Port Ewen will lose five separate hours of stops—8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.—creating vast, two-hour windows of time where no bus will be coming through Port Ewen at all.

Between 7:10 a.m. and 9:55 a.m., no bus. Between 9:55 a.m. and 12:55 p.m., no bus. Between 12:55 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., no bus. Between 3:15 p.m. and 5:55 p.m., no bus. Between 5:55 p.m. and 8:55 p.m., no bus.

Mercifully, served by the KPL, Port Ewen riders retain their ability to get down to the train station in Poughkeepsie and then down to Grand Central Station in New York City on the Metro-North, with no change to service.

Unmercifully, existing service means the KPL bus makes its last stop in Poughkeepsie at 7:20 p.m., making it extremely challenging for anyone in Port Ewen to consider a day job in New York City without private transportation to get to the train station and back.

The trip from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie is commonly two hours. Assuming someone gets out of the office or finishes their shift at 5 p.m. on the dot, makes it to Grand Central and boards a Hudson Line Metro-North train by 5:32, train schedules show they’ll have just two minutes to get from the train to the last KPL bus. A train running a few minutes late could

groceries. This is a major difficulty."

Terry Dungan, who suffered a stroke while serving as the village's mayor, has wrestled with significant mobility impairment since then. Dungan used that same location, but the description of the journey from bus stop to grocery store was even more stark. "Being handicapped, this would be a 25-minute walk, and that’s after having walked 25 minutes from my house to Main Street in order to catch the bus in the first place. If I were to immediately turn around and walk 20 minutes to Main Street, I would be just in time to catch the bus on its return trip from Poughkeepsie, having had no time to actually do any shopping. Even if they redid the schedule to allow 45minutes for shopping, that would mean that I had to make the 25-minute walk back to Main Street with a full backpack and shopping bag(s) to get to the bus, and then another 25-minute walk from Main Street back to my house. That is so unworkable and there are other riders who are more handicapped than I am."

Both Dungan and Rotzler talked about how much of an impact this will have on residents of Meadowbrook Apartments, which is just behind the Tops store, but a world away because pedestrian access is by stairs. Rotzler recalls how the Meadowbrook stop was removed during the pandemic, and how volunteers scrambled to arrange food delivery to those who were completely stuck. Dungan knows someone who lives there whose arthritis makes climbing those stairs or operating an automobile impossible.

There is a county paratransit service

spell disaster.

Which highlights the disingenuousness of the transit authority’s claim that their buses operate until 11 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends.

As far as Port Ewen is concerned, for the KPL line picking up from the city, they operate until 7:20 p.m. on weekdays, 5 p.m. on Saturday and not at all on Sunday, getting residents back home at 8:55 p.m. on weekdays, 5:25 p.m. on Saturday and not at all on Sundays.

(On Sundays, the UPL line takes over for the KPL, so Port Ewen riders shouldn’t notice the difference, but 5:25 is still the last bus from Poughkeepsie.)

Unless they can afford a cab, day-trippers from Port Ewen interested in a dinner and a movie down in the city will have to pass. Otherwise, they’d be left standing in a dark parking lot with no way home.

Still, riders in Port Ewen experience better transit conditions than bus riders farther down the 9W in Milton and Marlboro. They have none.

Day-trippers from Kingston looking to stay later in New York City do have a workaround. New Paltz’s primary bus route to Poughkeepsie—the UPL—runs a last bus from the train station at 9:50 p.m. Because of the way the tail of the route is constructed, the UPL begins and ends at the Golden Hill bus stop off Route 32 in Kingston.

Catching the last bus from the train station returns riders in Kingston at 10:40 p.m., allowing for a more civilized timeline for a trip back.

for those in need and that is being expanded to five days a week, but this has limits, including the need to make a reservation ahead of time and to qualify for the service in the first place. "That’s helpful," acknowledged Dungan, "but what about when we run out of something on the wrong day? We have to wait a week. And what about other incidental trips like the hardware store? How much shopping time will the paratransit allow me? Will I be able to go to several stores, for different things? My experience with paratransit is that while it is important basic transportation, it has no flexibility and is therefore a limited utility.

"And what about other trips we take during the week, like when I go to The Bakery or the library or to get take-out food? The Meadowbrook tenant with the arthritis likes to take the bus to the bagel shop for breakfast sometimes, but that will be over. For all of us seniors, the incidental trips that we take, so important for quality of life? Any doctor can tell you of the importance of variety and socialization, but we will lose that. The loss of the loop bus means the forced creation of an enlarged homebound constituency."

Not everyone who does or could use the loop is elderly or disabled. Ben Plantinga is one of the 30% of county residents who don't drive, and has used that bus. "It's nice to have freedom without a car," Plantinga said. "People say that New Paltz is a small town, but it's not that small," and hav-

But setting aside travel for reasons of pleasure, this situation underlines the complaint that a lack of car ownership in Ulster County leads to less economic opportunity.

For anyone, anywhere in Ulster County who owns a car, they can simply drive down to the Poughkeepsie train station whenever it’s convenient—or even across to catch the Amtrak train in Rhinecliff—to pay for what is regularly the most expensive ticket into the city if purchased at the last minute. (I’ve seen as high as $86 for coach.)

Of course, the Trailways bus out of Albany, which passes through a corner parking lot near Dietz Stadium in the city of Kingston, provides hourly service to New York City every day beginning at 4:30 in the morning, but the price—$32 to start—is also steeper than what Metro-North charges: $20 off-peak, $27 peak.

One ominous change to the KPL route that UCAT acknowledges on its webpage is that there will be “alternating service to the Kingston Plaza and Development Court.”

It’s unclear just what UCAT means to say, but if “alternating” means “switching between the two,” then it sounds like anyone trying to get to Poughkeepsie or Port Ewen from the Kingston Plaza on the one hand, or an easy walk to the Trailways bus terminal on the other, just saw their number of available bus rides cut in half.

Visit ucat.ulstercountyny.gov/routes for the latest route information.

ing to walk everywhere — even if one has an able body — can be challenging. Ulster County Area Transit "being free is amazing, and better for the environment. It's good for everyone who needs it. People not using it is a bad reason to stop. What if more people need it in the future?"

The press release announcing this among various other bus-route changes included this passage: "We've listened closely to riders, operators and community partners, and these changes reflect their priorities — making transit more reliable, efficient and responsive to community needs," said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. "We understand that any change to transit service can feel disruptive, and we appreciate our riders' flexibility and patience during this transitional time."

Contacting members of the town council and village board in New Paltz gave Dungan the impression that local elected officials were not among the "community partners" that were listened to. Assistant Deputy County Executive Amberly Campbell advised that "for input on the loop, some drivers did chat with passengers, but we mainly based input on ridership numbers." In any case, Campbell said, "We believe that we can more than cover the current need by fixed-route service."

To listen to recorded information about this and all county bus route changes, call 845-340-3333 and select option 2. To provide feedback to the county executive, call 845-340-3800.

From the HV1 publisher

Our letters section is so popular that it has become the heartbeat of Ulster County community life. Many readers say it’s the part of the paper they read first and enjoy most. Want to know what Ulster County people are thinking about? HV1 provides the network of connections that used to be the mainstay of rural life in a world now increasingly dominated by social media — neighbors in a specific neighborhood talking to and about life with each other. The eloquence with which our readers express themselves is nothing short of astounding.

Due to the increasing number of letters HV1 has recently been receiving and publishing in its print edition, our feedback section may be becoming a victim of its own success. It’s taking up more and more of the space in our print edition, edging out the other elements that make journalism the mix of information, analysis and feeling that our community of readers expect and deserve.

What are we to do? We’ve been loathe to enforce the across-the-board 300-word limit our letter-writers are permitted to use. What more flexible measures should we consider?

We recognize that brevity is a double-edged sword. Many readers familiar with the Shakespearean adage “Brevity is the soul of wit” from Hamlet forget that these words were spoken by the crafty Polonius, who was eager to convince Hamlet’s parents that “Your noble son is mad.”

It’s a madness we cheerfully share.

Those critical of HV1 seem to think that the letters section plays favorites in its selection of letters for publication. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our policy is to print as many letters as possible within very broad legal and decency limitations. Write us and see. Become part of our growing community.

— G.S.

Letter guidelines:

HUDSON VALLEY ONE welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and submitted by 9 am on Monday. Our policy is to print as many letters to the editor as possible. As with all print publications, available space is determined by ads sold. If there is insufficient space in a given issue, letters will be approved based on established content standards. Points of View will also run at our discretion.

Although Hudson Valley One does not specifically limit the number of letters a reader can submit per month, the publication of letters written by frequent correspondents may be delayed to make room for less-often-heard voices, but they will all appear on our website at hudsonvalleyone.com. All letters should be signed and include the author’s address and telephone number.

A botched transition

It’s a tragedy that’s not gotten nearly enough attention. New York’s most popular program that provides care for older adults and the disabled has been hijacked. It’s CD-PAP — the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. The program, around for decades, allows people to direct their own care with trusted family and/or friends as caregivers. But last year governor Kathy Hochul jammed an eleventh-hour change into the budget that called for all of New York’s small companies that

Hudson Valley One

NEWS OF WOODSTOCK, NEW PALTZ, KINGSTON & SAUGERTIES

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To be included in Hudson Valley One, please e-mail story ideas, letters to the editor, news releases, school news, social notes and other local editorial submissions to deb@hudsonvalleyone.com.

We can be found on the web at hudsonvalleyone.com. Ulster Publishing’s business office is at 322 Wall Street in Kingston. The mailing address for subscriptions, business matters, classifieds and display advertising is P.O. Box 3329, Kingston, NY 12402. To inquire about display advertising or other matters, call 334-8200 or e-mail info@hudsonvalleyone.com. To place a classified ad, e-mail your copy to classifieds@hudsonvalleyone.com or call 334-8201.

handle CD-PAP to be replaced by one corporation.

The $9-billion contract was handed to PPL, a private-equity-backed entity with a terrible track record. In January, PPL was given 90 days to transition over 250,000 New Yorkers plus their nearly half-million caregivers. No surprise: the transition was completely botched, and tens of thousands of consumers and their workers were forced to drop the program.

Those who remain continue to suffer and struggle. This was exposed in stark terms by a bipartisan state senate hearing on August 21 (find using Google). It will break your heart to hear how badly our neighbors and fellow citizens are being disserved. People testified to a litany of horrors: wage theft, lost care, confusion, fear, frustration, and damaged lives.

On top of this, PPL has foisted a dreadful health insurance plan on the workers that covers almost nothing, even after a $6000-plus annual deductible. Governor Hochul deserves blame for seriously mismanaging this venerable program. As many speakers pointed out, PPL’s monopoly must be ended, and the best of the small companies that previously did a good job with CD-PAP must be reinstated. Having a choice is, after all, the American way.

Please contact your legislators and the governor and make your voice heard. People’s lives are at stake.

Michael Solow Kingston

Siting solar responsibly

I live on Skinner Lane in the Town of Athens, across the road from the newly approved Freepoint Solar project, a 43-acre development that was allowed to move forward after a court ruling reversed the town’s earlier denial. I want to be clear: I support New

York’s Climate Act and the urgent need for renewable energy. I have built my career around sustainability, studied circular design, and volunteered with climate organizations. But I am deeply concerned about what happens when industrial-scale projects are placed directly into residential neighborhoods like mine.

My husband works locally, our fiveyear-old daughter just started public school, and we have invested years into renovating our home. We bought it from the Skinners, who built most of the houses on this road. Before that, the hillside was home to High Hill Haven, a summer resort where families vacationed in the 1960s.

Since moving here, we have become part of a close-knit community, sharing barbecues, coffees and snowplow runs, and receiving countless gifts for Zoe from neighbors who have lived here for generations. That is what makes this project so disruptive. While my family may hear the bulldozers, our neighbors across the road will see the full impact every day. People worry about years of construction noise, declining property values, and the loss of the landscape that defines our town.

This is not about opposing solar. It is about siting it responsibly, on brownfields, industrial land, or larger rural parcels. If the state wants to maintain public trust in clean energy, it must ensure projects do not undermine the very communities they are meant to serve.

Jessica Lee Athens

Hearse Force One

“Some men improve the world only by leaving it,” said Oscar Wilde.|

At this point, my best hope is that Donald Trump takes all his medical advice from RFK Jr.

Breaking news: Mexico has agreed to pay for the funeral.

Neil Jarmel West Hurley

A dream of dolls

Hello, I’m writing about my friend Penny Fletcher. She is having a grand opening of a new gallery in Saugerties called Disturbing Dollies. She has the largest collection of living dead dolls on the East Coast. She also has an amazing mural on the side painted by local artist Tiffany Dawn.

I would love to see an article on the page and paper about upcoming grand opening, and she is hosting a night market. She is on 172 Main Street. This place has been Penny’s dream for 20 years even as she battled cancer. She just wanted this gallery to be a dream finished. I hope you reach out so she can make her place known.

Marlane Barbier

Saugerties

Life expectancy

Trump: “If I must die, let democracy die with me!”

Sparrow Phoenicia

Frankly, I'm surprised

Thank you for publishing Maura Rosen's Point of View column titled,

LAUREN THOMAS

"Liberal identity, Jewish inheritance."

Frankly, I'm surprised. HV1 editorial gives weekly space to several foamers at the mouth, all of whom pretty much paraphrase "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and Henry Ford's "Dearborn Independent" newspaper with a few substitutions for terms like "Jew" and "Jewish."

I viscerally felt every word of Maura's essay (including having a Holocaust refugee parent and grandparents), except that I don't give a rat's behind about area "liberal and leftist circles." They can go straight to hell. Because Kamala Harris didn't promise to annihilate Israel (and because she has a Jewish husband and stepchildren), circles like them, both locally and nationally, are a primary reason we are watching our democratic republic crumble.

Members of said circles are the reason a fetid collection of hideously evil people are filling American concentration camps, using the U.S. Constitution to blow Adderal-snorting noses, terrorizing immigrants, both undocumented and documented, with a Gestapo-like force of ignorant and vicious armed thugs, and working hard to end free American elections. |I am proud, however, that American Jews such as attorneys Marc Elias and Mark Zaid, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, and the Meisalas brothers (Meidas Touch team) are taking the path American Jews have largely always taken: fighting for justice and tikkun olam — repairing the world. I am adding Maura's name to that list.

Thank you so much, Maura, for taking the time to write this.

Barbara A. Edelman Gardiner

A house with no doors

I’ve seen that Yes is the seed and No is the soil. Without both, nothing grows. Yet today we live in a world where no one is treated like a nuisance. Yes is paraded about, all glitter and promises, while No is pushed aside, as if it had nothing to teach us.

I’ve used No as a shield — to guard against invasive ads, smooth-talking politicians, and the endless noise of the news. No, at its best, is a fence that protects. When fences are torn down, the

wolves wander in.

Look at our politics. One party leans on No like a hammer: no to women’s rights, no to fair voting, no to the poor. Yet, for the wealthy, that same No melts easily into Yes. The other party waves Yes on every banner, but buried inside their laws and rhetoric are hidden Nos, invisible until they hit your paycheck or your family.

Both sides play this word game. And it’s not their trust being spent — it’s ours.

The truth is simple: words from leaders are like tools in a worker’s hand. Used right, they build. Misused, they break.

This game doesn’t stay in Washington; it seeps into our homes. Families need honest Yes and firm No. A house without them is a house with no doors. Promises without boundaries confuse children. Marriages falter when one partner says Yes out loud but means No in secret. If we governed our homes the way politicians govern our lives, divorce would be the rule, not the exception.

Yes and No aren’t just words; they are coins of trust. When spent wisely, they keep democracy alive, like blood running through its veins. But counterfeit them, and patience, tolerance, and creativity all dry up. That’s what we’re watching now: a slow drain of qualities we once believed were the strength of this nation.

I’ll end with this: when words lose meaning, people lose each other. If Yes and No can no longer be trusted, neither can the leaders who speak them. And without that trust, democracy itself is just another word game.

Larry Winters New Paltz

Our interconnected world

September 1 through October 4 is the time frame for the season of creation. During this time, we are summoned to intensify our efforts to work on nour-

ishing our planet Earth (then sustain these efforts) and to protect humanity and our environment from behaviors that disrespect our common home. By adopting or continuing positive steps to support healthful human development and the nourishment of our shared home, we can avoid climate despair and sow climate hope on individual, family, community, national, and global levels. We can refuse to use single-use plastics, bring our own reusable containers for take-home food from eateries, use reusable coffee mugs and bags, and use cloth napkins. Also, we can buy fair-trade products to support local artisans, avoid using styrofoam, avoid using plastic wrap, and contact our state and federal representatives to urge them to support measures that will protect our interconnected world. On a global scale, we can demand that discussion and diplomacy be used in dealing with international relations and not bombs and weaponry.

Within the framework of the season of creation, we honor the Campaign Non-Violence Action Days that begin on September 21 (U.N. International Day of Peace) and continue through October 2 (International Day of Non-Violence in honor of M. Gandhi's birthday). This time period and the season of creation provide a chance to reflect on how we can improve our commitments/actions in order to help one another create a better functioning planet, using our dependence upon one another as an opportunity for sharing and mutual growth.

Historically, many of the decisions of humankind have not been the best. But each dawn is a new day and offers the chance to look at all beings and our environment with caring. Be able to look into the eyes of any young person and be able to truthfully say that we have done our best. We owe it to ourselves and those generations to follow.

Terence Lover Woodstock

Scrutiny for Terra-Gen

There has been no shortage of publicity as well as public commentary at Ulster’s town board meetings on TerraGen’s proposed 250MW lithium-ion battery energy storage facility (BESS) at the former Coleman High School campus on Hurley Avenue.

The TownOfUlsterCitizens.org deeply appreciates the passion for personal safety and environmental integrity expressed by our neighbors in the Town of Hurley. However, we disagree with the strategy they recommend: an im-

| September 10, 2025

Hudson Valley One

mediate moratorium. Hurley’s recommendation is well-intentioned, but late. The Ulster town board stepped up to be the lead agency for the NYS/SEQR review process. Given the size and potential impact of such a BESS project, the Terra-Gen proposal requires a detailed and fully vetted review that comes only with a SEQR “positive declaration” that involves “scoping” and extensive “public review.”

The last developer to propose a peaker plant in our town was Glidepath in a process that lasted from 2017 to 2022. GlidePath wanted to install a 20MW fossil-fuel power-generation peaker plant on a wooded site close to homes. The positive-declaration process generated two alternatives that never came to fruition: a 20MW BESS (then a somewhat new concept) on a different site away from homes.

In addition, the town supervisor championed a town law that rejected all future proposals that require a NYSDEC air permit. That stance is stronger than a moratorium, but it has no application to the peaker proposal before us. TerraGen’s BESS proposal is almost 13 times larger than Glidepath’s. The impacts of their BESS, NYS regulatory compliance, and personal-safety issues are mostly unknown and therefore require clearer, deeper understanding. Hurley’s recommendation for a moratorium, even if it were legal, would stifle public voices and valuable information that a positive declaration under SEQR law would generate.

This necessary process will be a long haul, as it should be.

Regis Obijiski Town if Ulster

Gazan funeral march

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything longer, or of any more import, than a text message. Age and Trump and Gaza have flattened me into an im-

Howard Bruce Ackerman, known as Bruce, an artist, illustrator, musician, guitar player, luthier, carpenter and lifelong Saugerties resident, died at home on August 25, 2025 following a long illness. His wife of more than 40 years, Barbara Boyce, was by his side. The cause of death was dementia, Boyce said. Bruce would have been 90 years old this December.

Ackerman was wellknown for his caricatures which appeared in the Woodstock Times newspaper from the 1980s through the early 2000s. Nationwide, his clever cartoons appeared in magazines including Playboy and Playgirl, and in a novel by Isaac Asimov.

potent silence. I’m writing now because something’s apparently been building up in me and needs air(ing).

Old age has brought with it, among other indignities, a disability that makes ambulation a chore. Not surprisingly, that’s colored my worldview. Colored it a dark gray.

Trump has done even less for my worldview. I still read the news, but it’s rare nowadays that I make my way through an entire article before profound disappointment seems to stop me from reading any further. Aside from Trump’s having failed to end any wars, his administration has lived up to its word. Mass deportations of innocents. Climate destruction. The gutting of lifesaving programs. And on and on — counting the ways our lives have gotten uglier is pointless; we all know them, watch them unfold, endure them every day. Despair is always lurking just around the edges of my mind, and worming its way closer and closer to the center.

Gaza is an unconscionable horror. As a Jew, I reflexively support Israel’s continued existence, but aside from feeling that a land was owed to us in exchange for our having endured centuries of persecution, I have less and less conviction in that support as the Gazan death toll zooms past 60,000. We’ve always treated the Palestinians like captives, and now Netanyahu has transposed what some still hoped might become a two-state, two-part harmony into an executioner’s song, a funeral march whose final notes seem not even a whisper in the wind.

So I shuffle along on bad legs and suffer along with good people as the news of this country and Gaza and so many other places seems to get worse and worse, as the corridors of newspapers and talk shows fill with bile and blood. Thankfully, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and others, despite having targets on their backs, do a great job in

Bruce Ackerman

sounding the alarm and, just maybe, effecting change, while giving us some much-needed laughs along the way. You won’t find any laughs here, and this may be the last letter I write. If it’s not, it’ll be because there are cries in my ears and screams in my throat, and I don’t know how to silence them. Tom Cherwin Saugerties

Prayer and politics

Trump is willing to send troops into our cities as political theatre. And yet, what is he willing to offer to victims of school shootings? Prayer.

I have nothing against prayer. But how is prayer going to stop bullets? How is prayer going to prevent people who shouldn't have guns from getting guns? How is prayer going to stop the NRA from marketing extremist violence to our friends, neighbors, and family members? How will prayer stop our elected officials from spouting propaganda about ever-expanded rights granted by the Second Amendment, rights that the founders could never have imagined possible? And how is prayer going to restore sanity to the party that once promoted itself as the party of law and order? A party that now refuses to enact sensible gun laws, the kind of laws that other so-called civilized countries have been willing to enact? Countries that weren't willing to stand by and pray while the bodies piled up.

Since January 1, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been 91 school shootings in our country. These are incidents that have resulted in a person being killed or wounded, as well as incidents in which a gun was discharged and no one was shot. The K-12 School Shooting Database, which has a broader definition, puts the number of gun incidents on school property since the start of 2025 at 146. Regardless of

tercolors were exhibited at area galleries including the Woodstock Artists Association. He taught himself to build guitars and began creating and selling customized instruments. He many good causes over the years. Born on December 17, 1935 in Malden-on-Hudson to Dorothy Van Aken Ackerman and Howard Ackerman, Bruce was a 10 th generation descendant of the original Dutch and French Hu-

ties High School and served in

how we measure, the U.S. overwhelmingly has the highest number of school shootings in the world.

And prayer is not going to change that unless we're ready to demand better from the people who make our laws. The same people who've abdicated all of their electoral responsibility to the criminal-in-charge, the man who, after literally dodging the bullet, claimed that the only reason he lived was that God had saved him. What does that say about everyone else who dies from a gunshot?

I'd like to believe that if prayer worked and we really could have a direct line to some beneficent being she would shudder at the hypocrisy of Trump and the MAGA faithful.

Charlotte Adamis Kingston

Offensive and insensitive

I have just received my print copy of your newspaper and was extremely shocked and offended by the headline “Don’t look down”! It is egregiously offensive and insensitive, as it seems that the editors are making light of a very real and tragic problem!

I read your paper faithfully and have never seen anything this objectionable. Please do

Emeline Hastings New Paltz

Deceitful or ignorant?

The Employment Practices Compliance Handbook adopted by Woodstock’s town board on February 8, 2011 outlines clear procedures for hiring municipal employees. If memory serves, supervisor Bill McKenna was a member of that board and should be intimately familiar with its contents.

the Air Force in Dover, Delaware for four years. Bruce framed houses during the boom starting in the 1950s in Kingston. Boyce and Ackerman met in 1976 at the Watering night spot. They hugged and were together from then on. Barbara landed a job at the Onteora Central School District, where she held the title of Director of Pupil Personnel Services for many years. Bruce focused on his art and music and did all the shopping and cooking.

Recently, Bruce met his adult granddaughter, Aoife Franklyn, a resident of Ireland and the daughter of his son by a previous marriage. An accomplished musician, an animal rights advocate and doctoral candidate researching sustainable food systems, she came to Ulster County with her mother and visited Bruce. “Bruce was so delighted with her,” Barbara said. “He gave her all the guitars he had.” Bruce is survived by his wife, his granddaughter, and his brother, Alan Ackerman, of Kingston. He was predeceased by his son, Lane, daughter, Arla, and grand-ing will be held in November. Dohonor to the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.

Section 2.1.4 requires applicants to complete and sign both an employment verification request form and additional documents authorizing a comprehensive background check. It also assigns responsibility for checking employment references of final applicants to the town supervisor or their designee.

Section 2.1.5 Unless otherwise prescribed by New York State law, the selection of internal or external candidates rests solely with the town board. At a recent town board meeting, as reported by Hudson Valley One, board member Bennet Ratcliff stated, “The Town of Woodstock has a process, and the town’s process for filling this vacancy remains incomplete.” Supervisor McKenna replied, “The process spelled out in the CWA [Communications Workers of America] contract was completed.”

McKenna’s response is emblematic of a troubling pattern: He will say whatever is necessary to defend his position, even when it contradicts the town’s own policies. The CWA contract governs employment conditions for union members, not the hiring process itself. One does not join the CWA to obtain a job; one becomes eligible to join the union only after being hired.

Ratcliff was correct. McKenna was wrong — again. The town’s protocols were not followed. And once more, McKenna bends the narrative to suit his defense, sidestepping policy in order to get his way.

Howard Harris Woodstock

We’d be happy to respond

I’m Stu Shinske, and I’m on the communications team for Terra-Gen, which you’re likely aware is proposing a battery energy storage system in the

Ulster

Town of Ulster.

I am writing to respectfully request that Terra-Gen be given the opportunity to provide comment for Hudson Valley One news stories regarding the proposal. Nick Henderson’s story on Wednesday, headlined, “Tough to extinguish: Opposition to massive lithium-ion battery plant near Kingston continues to grow among local residents and officials,” is the most recent Hudson Valley One story on the project to not include any comment from Terra-Gen.

We routinely receive requests for comment from other local media outlets – and we prioritize responding as soon as possible. We would be happy to do so for Hudson Valley One I can be contacted via the information below. Josh Sommers, a spokesman for the project, can be contacted at josh@focusmediausa.com. Stuart Shinske

Vice president, Focus Media Poughkeepsie

Tax break not warranted

The Town of New Paltz opposes the granting of a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (Pilot) and tax exemptions to 151 N. Chestnut Holdings LLC for the mixeduse project on 147-149 and 151 N. Chestnut Street. While there are project benefits, the cost benefit ratio of the project is notsufficient to warrant a Pilot.

What are the costs? The completed project will require increased municipal services compared to the current vacant lot and single-family home use of these two parcels – more police, fire, rescue squad, recreation, infrastructure, schools, etc.

The increased property-tax revenue of the completed project that would be available to cover these increased services is estimated to be $620,176 per year combined for county, town, village, and school district ($16,848 new county revenue, $110,500 new town revenue, $312,000 new schools revenue, $63,700 new village revenue). The projected $15,000,000 sales tax would provide new sales-tax revenue of $750,000 to the county. But a Pilot will relieve the sponsor from paying those taxes and move the costs for all those increased services to the rest of the taxpayers.

Is a Pilot necessary to make the project profitable for the sponsor? Their own pro-forma suggests not. Total revenue is $4,058,080, less vacancies, equals $3,838,836. Total expenses are $1,263,112.

Have the two most adjacent new mixed-use projects asked for Pilots prior to starting construction? No. Speaking for myself as town supervisor, for deputy supervisor Kitty Brown, and for councilperson Esi Lewis, we cannot support the granting of a Pilot for this project.

Amanda

Gotto Supervisor, Town of New Paltz

Support everyone’s rights

The U.S. Department of Justice is considering measures to restrict trans Americans from owning firearms. In my household, I hunt and fish to put food on the table. There are many law-abiding people in our country from all different identities who do the same. Someone’s identity is not what causes violence and hate. We should not be restricting access to activities such as hunting to people in the trans community, who are just doing the same as I am — appreciating the rights we have in America to responsibly own firearms.

I strongly denounce all hate crimes and acts of gun violence and am sad-

dened that actions such as banning firearms for trans community members are seen as the solution. If you are in the hunting and sporting community, please stand with me in supporting everyone’s rights in this country regardless of identity, while simultaneously advocating for real solutions to the reduction of gun violence in our communities. What brings us together is stronger than what divides us.

Anne Bloomfield Olivebridge

Trust us, it can't happen

State senator Michelle Hinchey and state assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha delivered an example of how the Hudson Valley Power Authority would be managed. Introduced by Shrestha and Hinchey, the Hudson Valley Power Authority would acquire Central Hudson to be run as a publicly owned, democratically governed public utility. The community would exercise effective control over its electric and gas supply that put public service first. Instead, over the strong objections of the residents, Shrestha and Hinchey endorsed the proposal to build the state’s largest lithium-ion battery facility in a Town of Ulster residential area. Lithium-ion batteries have a well-documented history of spontaneously bursting into flames, but our political leaders say, "Trust us, it can't happen in New York.” There will be no need to close roads, issue evacuation orders, or shelter-in-place. In the case of a serious fire, the adjacent New York Thruway could be closed for a week or more. The expected $250 to $300 million cost for the battery facility will be levied on the ratepayers.

Instead of putting public service first, Shrestha and Hinchey demonstrate a disregard for the residents’ safety from

a battery facility that has no obvious justified use.

Ken Panza Woodstock

A libelous narrative

My father used to tell me that it never pays to get into a pissing contest with a jackass. And so now a bit belatedly I am writing this letter to the editor to say I will no longer engage in a fruitless interchange with someone I can only liable as “a blind antisemite” for pushing the libelous narrative of Israel as genocidal against Palestinians. That narrative is as fake as it is inflammatory. In so doing that, it aids and abets the terrorist Palestinians who are the cause and not the victims of the murderous mayhem in Gaza. They can give up their weapons, stop the guerilla war, and return the hostages – and the bloodshed will stop.

Susan Puretz Saugerties

Propagandist hard at work

If anyone wants to see a propagandist hard at work read the HV1 letters to the editor of John Butz. Last week’s letter of his is a classic example of twisting the truth and using the Orwellian technique of saying “up is down” and “yes means no”. For him to say “It’s as if Israel is starving every last Palestinian as part of a grand scheme of genocide” is a fabrication and not an “intentional genocide” which he insinuates is only “alleged” is beyond the pale and disgusting.

Mr. Butz wants us to believe that “Hamas” is the source of the “data” that demonstrates genocide is happening in Gaza. Never mind that mostly every humanitarian agency in the world is

calling the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza a genocide, including Israeli humanitarian groups B”Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which is “based on meticulous documentation and research.”

Butz twists the truth regarding the cruel brutality of the alleged aid centers where Palestinians are lured to by the pain of hunger and then open fired upon by the IDF and American contractors and that Hamas are the real culprits. Meanwhile there are many references documenting Israel is doing this including Israeli paper Haaretz.

Butz provides no references to anything he states and expects us all to just believe his long sickening propaganda letters that he continually floods this newspaper with every week. The good news is, in spite of the efforts of AIPAC shills, John Butz and other propagandists like them, many people are finally seeing what is really going and joining in the outrage of the commission of genocide in 2025 and it has nothing to do with “Hating Israel.” Get a life, Mr. Butz.

Winston Farm backstory

I heard last week, from a reputable source, that the Saugerties town board was "leaning towards" the figure of 50 percent open space" for Winston Farm, as proposed by the owners. Things may have changed by the time you read this,

•Ulster County’s regional funeral home

•Serving Highland, New Paltz, Milton, Marlboro, Plattekill, Clintondale, Modena, Gardiner, West Park, Esopus & Kingston

•Traditional and non-traditional funeral, burial, cremation and memorial services

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Contact us about pre-need arrangements made in the past which can easily be transferred to our Firm

•Complete services available for former residents who have relocated

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Steve Romine Woodstock

| September 10, 2025

Hudson Valley One

but some number significantly lower than the 73.5 percent insisted upon by Beautiful Saugerties will almost certainly be run up the old flagpole. Backstory for anyone who doesn't know: The property owners offered 73.5 percent in their original (rejected) environmental impact report last summer, but walked that back to 50 percent in the revised version submitted and accepted earlier this summer. Beautiful Saugerties led the demand to reinstate the 73.5 percent figure, which has been recommended in various town comprehensive-type plans for many years now and is in fact significantly lower than expert opinion says is necessary to preserve the full (and precious) biodiversity on Winston Farm. Many advocates spoke at the public hearings and submitted written comments advocating

SEPTIC & REPAIR

73.5 percent. The town board must not treat 73.5 percent open space as a "a negotiating number." It was a good-faith number. If it had been a negotiating number, it would have been much, much higher. It's unconscionable to use it as a bargaining chip as Winston Farm gets nickeled and dimed away. Saying that 50 percent open space would not include "recreational space" would be utterly disingenuous. Recreational space, unless it's for minimal walking trails, does not resemble open space in any way and does not protect the land it's on from future development of other sorts.

Time may be short now before the town board issues its official response to public comments. If you care about this local effort that addresses a huge planetary problem (biodiversity loss is considered by many experts to be a worse danger to human beings than what climate change is bringing), or if you just want Winston Farm to stay as beautiful as possible going forward, without compromising its natural beauty, endangering the aquifer, or creating massive traffic problems, then call the members of the town board directly and let them know how you feel. Their names and phone numbers are on the Town of Saugerties website. Two of them are running for re-election in November. Your voice and your vote count! Promote the 73.5 percent solution!

Janet Moss Asiain Saugerties

legal notices

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company. NAME: CLUCK OF THE IRISH HOMESTEAD LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/04/2025. Office location: Ulster. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to Cluck of the Irish Homestead LLC 635 Route 20 Cairo NY 12413. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.

NAME: Revival Jam LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/28/25. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 70 Sherry Lane, Kingston, NY 12401. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): 5 Elwyn LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/17/2025. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Vincent R. Christofora, Jr. c/o 5 Elwyn LLC, 84 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498. Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): 59 Mill Hill LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/17/2025. Office location: Ulster County.

SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Vincent R. Christofora, Jr. c/o 59 Mill Hill LLC, 84 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498. Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): 84 Tinker LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/17/2025. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been des-

ignated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Vincent R. Christofora, Jr. c/o 84 Tinker LLC, 84 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498

Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): Box 22 Route 375 LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/17/2025

Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Vincent R. Christofora, Jr. c/o Box 22 Route 375 LLC, 84 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498. Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities

Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Qual of CURALTA HVFA JV RE, LLC, Authority filed with the SSNY on 08/01/2025. Office loc: Ulster County. LLC formed in DE on 08/01/2025. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: C/O Curata Health, LLC, 365 West Passaic Street, Suite 530, Rochelle Park, NY 07662. Address required to be maintained in DE: C/O CSC, 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert of Formation filed with DE Div. of Corps, 401 Federal St., Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY.

NAME: The House Opposite, LLC. Articles of organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/02/2022. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to the LLC, 99 W O’Reilly St Kingston, NY 12401. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): Woodstock Laundry LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/17/2025

Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom pro-

My plan for consolidation

Reorganization of the town and village has become a more manageable opportunity after construction of the new fire, police and court buildings. We now know where these services will be for at least the next 50 years.

New Paltz would also qualify for the Citizen Empowerment Tax Credit (CETC) under state law if we consolidate under Article 17-A. Since the combined town and village tax levies exceed $6.7 million, we would be eligible for the maximum CETC award: $1 million annually, in perpetuity.

If I’m elected supervisor, I will propose a joint town and village consolidation process, requiring approval by both boards, followed by a townwide referendum.

In May 2025, we released a 123-page grant-funded study (view here: https:// tinyurl.com/NPlocalgovernment) that provides a detailed model and tax-impact analysis. We intentionally used a basic approach by primarily overlapping the two governments. While I believe more savings will emerge, this base case offers a conservative starting point.

The study used the most recent village and town budgets to model tax rate changes if we had the CETC, and the benefits are clear: a 5.6 percent tax rate decrease for taxpayers outside the village and a 17.5 percent tax decrease for village taxpayers Ultimately, only voters will decide

cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Vincent R. Christofora, Jr. c/o Woodstock Laundry LLC, 84 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498. Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE MOON SOUND LLC. Filed with SSNY on 07/29/2025. Office: Ulster County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 781 South St. Highland, NY 12528 Purpose: Any Lawful.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Damapaca Updog, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 8/5/25. Office location: Ulster Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served SSNY shall mail process to: 8 Winfield Dr., Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677. Purpose: any lawful activities.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC): J5 Landscaping and Lawn Care LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on August 8, 2025. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: J5 Landscaping and Lawn Care LLC, 169 Henry Street, Kingston, NY 12401. Purpose: Any lawful acts or activities. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.

LEGAL NOTICE

MARIBELL DESIGN STUDIO LLC. Filed with SSNY on 07/29/2025. Office: Ulster County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to 15 Dawson Lane, Kerhonkson, NY 12446. Purpose: Any Lawful.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of Update Upstate, LLC, Art. of Org. filed w/Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 8/12/2025. Office location: Ulster Co., NY.; SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process c/o the Company, 53 Little Deer Road, Mt Tremper, NY 12457. Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of 557 Cherry Hill Road LLC The name of the limited liability company (“LLC”) is 557 Cherry Hill Road LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the NYS Dept. of State on 8/25/2025. The office of the LLC is in Ulster

County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against it is 502 4th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: beck home + goods. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New (SSNY) on August 15, 2025. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 10 Palomino Path, High Falls NY 12440. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

EXECSUPPORT LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/22/25. Office: Greene County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 5 North Street, Catskill, NY 12414. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

GARDINER HORSE BOARDING LLC. App. for Auth. filed with the SSNY on 08/06/25. Originally filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on 02/20/25. Office: Ulster County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 96 Linwood Plaza, #424, Fort Lee, NJ 07024. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

HT HIDEAWAY, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/21/2025. Office loc: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Dillon Hawkes, P.O. Box 1517, Highland, NY 12528. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company . Signal House 76 LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 8/22/2025. Office location: Ulster. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to Signal House 76 LLC, 76 Wildwood Ln Saugerties NY 12477. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

whether to consolidate. The timeline for a referendum, and whether it happens as a special election or on November 2026’s election day can be adjusted based on community feedback as residents review the proposal's details.

As supervisor, I would start work on January 1, 2026 and propose that we collaborate immediately with town and village board meetings held primarily as joint meetings, integration of the town and village building departments, combined capital planning for taxpayer-owned trucks and heavy equipment (e.g., excavators and loaders), and shared water and sewer meter reading, billing, and capital planning.

We know today’s elected leaders will not be tomorrow’s. Our community must empower current and future leaders while holding them accountable. Creating a sensible, unified local government will equip New Paltz to better navigate the next 50 to 100 years.

Tim Rogers Mayor, Village of New Paltz

Mamdani’s deceptions

Only an uninformed and blindly partisan liberal could fall for the magical spell of Zohran Mamdani, especially the younger generations.

Last week, Will Nixon had some high praise for Mamdani, referring to him as the “young master of animated, intelligent communication.” I have to agree with Will that Mamdani us a master of communication because he knows exactly how to tell the people what he

31 TINKER STREET LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/21/24. Office in Ulster Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 31 Tinker St., Woodstock, NY 12498, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE 1273KNY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/25/25. Office: Ulster County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Law Office of Sharman Shabab LLC, 40 Queens Street, #616, Syosset, NY 11791. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE

Supreme Court of the State of New York County of Ulster

The City of Kingston, New York, Petitioner, -againstJaime Torres and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Respondents, Order To Show Cause Index No.: EF2025-2844 NOW, upon the reading and filing of the annexed Petition of the City of Kingston, submitted by its Attorneys, Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq. of the Hedgeman Law Firm, verified on August 21, 2025, the Affidavit of Casey Fassett, sworn to on July 30, 2025, Affidavit of Daniel Baker, sworn to on July 30, 2025, and the Affidavit of John Tuey dated July 30, 2025 in support of Petitioner’s Application for an order and judgment finding that: 1.)305 Lucas Avenue, Kingston, New York is a vacant and abandoned property pursuant to Article 19-A of the NYRPAPL; 2.) foreclosing and quieting title to real property against the owner and all others making claim to title, vesting title in the City of Kingston; and 3.) directing the Comptroller of the City of Kingston, to execute and record a deed conveying title to the real property to the City of Kingston.

LET Defendants, Jaime Torres and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, (“Defendants”), or their counsel, show cause before a Justice of the Ulster County Supreme Court, located at 285 Wall Street, Kingston, New York on the 20th day of October, 2025 at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel be heard, why an order pursuant to Article 19-A of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Laws should not be made and entered herein:

Finding that 305 Lucas Avenue, Kingston, New York is a vacant and abandoned building due to its deteriorating conditions and vacate order posting; foreclosing and quieting title to real property against the owner and all others making claim to title, vesting title in the City of Kingston directing the Comptroller of the City of Kingston, to execute and record a deed conveying title to the real property to the City of Kingston. And for such further and additional relief that the Court deems just and proper. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that service of a copy of this Order to Show Cause, together with all other Supporting Papers upon which it is granted as recited above, by service on Defendants as follows:

The posting of a copy of the Petition, Supporting Affidavits of Casey Fassett and Daniel Baker , Memorandum of Law and Notice of Pendency at the property at 305 Lucas Avenue, Kingston, New York, and mailing by FirstClass mail and Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, a copy of the Petition, supporting documents,, supporting Affidavits of Casey Fassett, Daniel Baker, and John Tuey, Memorandum of Law and Notice of Pendency to Jaime Torres and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at:

Jaime Torres 305 Lucas Avenue

Kingston, New York 12401 (address listed to send tax bill on the 2024 Final tax Roll)

Jaime Torres 200 South Main Street Apartment E13 Ellenville, New York 12428 (address found through due diligence)

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

Attn: Office of Counsel Building 9 WA Harriman Campus Albany, New York 12227 on or before September 8, 2025, shall be deemed good and sufficient service thereof; and Service of the Petition herein upon all Respondents, Jaime Torres, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance , and any and all unknown persons whose names or parts of whose names and whose place or places of residence are unknown, and cannot, after diligent inquiry be ascertained, heirs at law, and next of kin, be made by publication pursuant to CPLR 316, by publishing the Order to Show Cause in two newspapers, the Daily Freeman, being a newspaper printed and published in Ulster County, once in each of

thinks they want to hear. After all, it’s not hard to motivate people to do away with capitalism while promising them so many unearned entitlements. No need for a work ethic or motivation, right?

It’s no wonder we see Bernie Sanders’ resurrection as he sucks up to Mamdani and is Mamdani’s velcro twin on the socialist as well as Marxist/Communist campaign trail. Sanders sees a much younger version of himself in Mamdani.

However, Mamdani seems to share his generation’s forgetfulness or ignorance of the Cold-War era, and the many instances where socialism was tried and failed. On the point of just one of his “ideas,” government-owned grocery stores, Mamdani says the profit motive is removed. When normal market forces and the incentive structures of producers and retailers, as well as the preferences of consumers weren’t allowed to operate freely to determine prices, the outcome was food shortages and breadlines.

Another of Mamdani’s “pillars” is gender-affirming care for adolescents and minors. I guess he’s not aware that psychologists and psychiatrists clearly indicate that kids that young and vulnerable don’t have fully developed intellects and are incapable of fully understanding the severe consequences of decisions that shouldn’t yet be theirs. In his push for expanding New York’s policies of “sanctuary” for transgender youth, he is subverting the rights of parents in New York and across the coun-

successive weeks, and the Hudson Valley One, being a newspaper printed and published in Ulster County, once in each of four successive weeks, which is the time required by CPLR 316 and in the exercise of the discretion of the Court pursuant to CPLR 316; and it is further ORDERED, that publication shall be in accordance with CPLR 316(c); and it is further ORDERED, that the publication of the Order to Show Cause and Petition and the description of the real property affected by this proceeding provided for by CPLR 316(a) shall constitute full compliance with this order. ORDERED that, opposing papers, if any, shall be served no later than seven (7) days in advance of the return date for this application and any reply papers be served by electronic filing on NYSCEF on or before the return date hereof.

ENTER AUGUST 25, 2025

Hon. Julian D. Shreibman, J.S LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Saugerties Town Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. for a PUBLIC HEARING of a SITE PLAN/SPECIAL USE PERMIT (1-SITE RESIDENTIAL CAMPGROUND) on land located at 1110 JOSEPHS BLVD (SBL #17.15-2-19) and owned by BARBARA & JOHN FARCHER. The meeting will be held in-person at the Frank D. Greco Senior Center located at the corner of Robinson Street and Market Street in the Village of Saugerties. Please contact the Planning Board Secretary, Becky Bertorelli, via email: bbertorelli@saugertiesny. gov, with any questions. BY ORDER OF THE TOWN OF SAUGERTIES PLANNING BOARD

C. HOWARD POST, CHAIRMAN

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of My Little Giant, LLC, Art. of Org. filed w/Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 8/21/25. Office location: Ulster Co., NY.; SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process c/o the Company, 10 Confucius Plaza, Apt 4S, New York, NY, 10002. Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company New Moon Pet Training, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 8/22/2025. Office location: Ulster. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy

try who seek, as their primary parental responsibility, to protect their children from life-altering hormones and grisly operations that remove healthy body parts.

Will cites Mamdani’s desire to create a “Department of Community Safety” to relieve police of some of their burden. Criminals right now have no respect for police and will kill them at will. So what makes anyone think that these poor unarmed civilians possessing only social-worker skills will not while responding to clear potential violence meet the same fate as some law-enforcement personnel? Criminals respect no one!

And a minimum wage of $30 per hour? Oh, and that won’t cause significant unemployment via layoffs as well as the costs of goods and services going through the roof?

Where will Mamdani get the money to pay for all his magician-like stunts? Some key Democrats are not endorsing him. Mamdani has stated that he doesn’t like the rich and says he will hit the rich with stiff taxes. Good luck, Houdini!

John N. Butz Modena

Unknowns exceed knowns

At the upcoming New Paltz school board meeting on September 17th, the proposal to close Duzine, move all elementary students to Lenape, move the figth grade to the middle school,

of process to New Moon Pet Training, LLC 831 N Chodikee Lake Rd, Highland, NY 12528. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE Supreme Court of the State of New York County of Ulster The City of Kingston, New York, Petitioner, -againstKingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP, 28 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10005; Ulster Savings Bank, 280 Wall Street, Kingston, New York 12041; Harold Alexander, the Estate of Harold Alexander, John Doe and Jane Doe, as heirs of Harold Alexander Respondents, NOW, upon the reading and filing of the annexed Petition of the City of Kingston, submitted by its Attorney, Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq. of the Hedgeman Law Firm, verified on August 18, 2025, the Affidavit of Casey Fassett, sworn to on July 30, 2025, Affidavit of Daniel Baker, sworn to on July 30, 2025, and the Affidavit of John Tuey dated July 30, 2025 in support of Petitioner’s Application for an order and judgment finding that: 1.) 54 Hunter Street, Kingston, New York is a vacant and abandoned property pursuant to Article 19-A of the NYRPAPL; 2.) foreclosing and quieting title to real property against the owner and all others making claim to title, vesting title in the City of Kingston; and 3.) directing the Comptroller of the City of Kingston, to execute and record a deed conveying title to the real property to the City of Kingston. LET Defendants Kingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP, 28 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10005; Ulster Savings Bank, 280 Wall Street, Kingston, New York 12041; Harold Alexander, the Estate of Harold Alexander, John Doe and Jane Doe, as heirs of Harold Alexander (“Respondents”), or their counsel, show cause before a Justice of the Ulster County Supreme Court, located at 285 Wall Street, Kingston, New York on the 6thth day of October, 2025 at 9:30 a.m./p.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel be heard, why an order pursuant to Article 19-A of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Laws should not be made and entered herein:

Finding that 54 Hunter Street, Kingston, New York is a vacant and abandoned building due to its deteriorating conditions and vacate order posting; foreclosing and quieting title to real property against the owner and all others making claim

and move the district pffice to the high school by September 2026 will be considered for final decisions.

This is among the most consequential decisions our district will make. At this time, core details remain unsettled. Key unknowns include the long-term impact of residential development in the area and the possibility of increased student enrollment, the full financial implications of closing Duzine and consolidating at Lenape, the verified net savings after transition costs (staffing, transportation, and capital work), the feasibility and cost of leasing Duzine (including code compliance, maintenance, insurance, and tenant improvements), and finally realistic revenue to the district from leasing Duzine.

A decision of this magnitude should not be based on a consultant’s recommendation while essential facts remain unsettled. The unknowns outweigh the knowns by a wide margin, and the cons outweigh the pros by a wide margin. This is not emotion speaking. These are material gaps in information and planning. If the goal is to save money, the numbers must be clear on both the cost to execute and the actual savings. Without that, we risk a half-baked plan that creates chaos for families and staff, with children and the integrity of our community bearing the brunt.

We are a small four-building district. Let’s maintain what we have, make improvements where we can, and find other ways to save money. Let's work together to strengthen our district, not dismantle it and lead us into a future of

to title, vesting title in the City of Kingston directing the Comptroller of the City of Kingston, to execute and record a deed conveying title to the real property to the City of Kingston. And for such further and additional relief that the Court deems just and proper.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that service of a copy of this Order to Show Cause, together with all other Supporting Papers upon which it is granted as recited above, by service on Defendants as follows: The posting of a copy of the Petition, Supporting Affidavits of Casey Fassett and John Tuey and Daniel Baker at the property at 54 Hunter Street, Kingston, New York, and mailing a copy of the Petition and supporting documents to:

Kingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP 54 Hunter Street Kingston, New York 12401 (address listed to send tax bill on the 2024 Final tax Roll)

Kingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP, 28 Liberty Street New York, New York 10005 (SOP address found through due diligence)

Ulster Savings Bank 280 Wall Street Kingston, New York 12041 Service upon the New York Department Of State for Kingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP, on or before September 1, 2025, shall be deemed good and sufficient service thereof; and Service of the Petition herein upon all Respondents, Kingston Hunter Street Limited Partnership, LP, 28 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10005; Ulster Savings Bank, 280 Wall Street, Kingston, New York 12041; Harold Alexander, the Estate of Harold Alexander, John Doe and Jane Doe, as heirs of Harold Alexander (“Respondents”), and any and all unknown persons whose names or parts of whose names and whose place or places of residence are unknown, and cannot, after diligent inquiry be ascertained, heirs at law, and next of kin, be made by publication pursuant to CPLR 316, by publishing the Order to Show Cause in two newspapers, the Daily Freeman, being a newspaper printed and published in Ulster County, once in each of four successive weeks, and Hudson Valley One, being a newspaper printed and published in Ulster County, once in each of four successive weeks, which is the time required by CPLR 316 and in the exercise of the discretion of the Court pursuant to CPLR 316; and it is further ORDERED, that the publica-

tion shall be in accordance with CPLR 316©; and it is further ORDERED, that the publication of the Order to Show Cause and Petition and the description of the real property affected by this proceeding provided for by CPLR 316(a) shall constitute full compliance with this order.

ORDERED that, opposing papers, if any, shall be served no later than seven (7) days in advance of the return date for this application and any reply papers be served by electronic filing on NYSCEF on or before the return date hereof.

ENTER August 21, 2025 Hon. Julian D. Schreibman J.S.C. LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF ULSTER NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST LORIE KELLOGG, JOSEPH BEVILACQUA, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 15, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Ground Floor Hallway, Ulster County Courthouse, 285 Wall Street, Kingston NY 12401 on October 1, 2025 at 10:30 am, premises known as 296 Irish Cape Road, Wawarsing a/k/a Napanoch, NY 12458. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situated, lying and being near Napanoch, in the Town of Wawarsing, County of Ulster and State of New York, Section: 83.1, Block: 2, Lot: 45. Approximate amount of judgment $110,442.66 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #EF2019-1339. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction. com or call (800) 280-2832. Rod Futerfas, Esq., Referee Tromberg, Morris & Partners, PLLC 39 Broadway, Suite 1250 New York, NY 10006 25-000475 86454

LEGAL NOTICE

Publication Notice of Organization of Limited Liability Company

FIRST: The name of the limited liability company is Toodlum Properties, LLC (hereinafter referred to as the “company”).

SECOND: The articles of organization of the company were filed with the Secretary of State on July 28, 2025.

THIRD: The county within New York in which the office of the company is to be located is Ulster County.

FOURTH: The Secretary of State has been designated as agent upon whom process against the company may be served. The post office address to which the Secretary of State

unknowns. Many thanks to our board of education members and district admin for their thoughtful due diligence thus far.

Matt Elkin New Paltz

Too big and it doesn’t

fit

As we all know, Historic Huguenot Street is an extremely fragile ecosystem. It is also a one-of-a-kind fragile ecosystem, with not one other like it to be found in our country.. That said, learning that HHS intends to build a 7387-square-foot visitors’ center with an amphitheater and patio and more than 100 parking spaces on this muchloved peaceful historic street, has brought forth massive concern (bordering on outrage) from not only Huguenot Street residents, but all of New Paltz.

Everyone loves Huguenot Street. The tranquility it offers is rare in today’s world. This historic street is framed in its natural landscape, amid centuries old trees, bright green grass accentuating the houses and their adjacent wells. With the church bells ringing in the background it often seems like something out of a movie. But it’s not something out of a movie. It’s our home and a linear park to many. On any given day we see and greet moms and dads pushing baby strollers, joggers (some with lights on their hats at 5 a.m.) skate boarders, dog walkers. It starts before the break of day and does not end until the last call for dog walkers at 10:30 or so.

shall mail process is: 156 Hilltop Road Saugerties, New York 12477.

FIFTH: The purpose of the company is real estate development, and to engage in any other lawful activity or acts for which limited liability companies may be organized under the Limited Liability Company Law.

DATED: August 29, 2025

John J. Greco, Esq. Attorney for Toodlum Properties , LLC Office & P.O. Address Governor Clinton Building One Albany Avenue Kingston, New York 12401 Tel. (845)331-6073

LEGAL NOTICE

The Town Board of the Town of New Paltz has scheduled a Special Meeting on Monday, September 15th, 2025 at 10am, at the Town Courthouse located at 59 N. Putt Corners Rd., for the purposes of discussing the SEQR findings and annexation determination for the proposed New Paltz Apartments Project.

By Order of the Town Board of the Town of New Paltz

Date: September 4, 2025

Rosanna Rosenkranse, Town Clerk

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Formation of 444777 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State (SSNY) on 8/26/25. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 1637 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock, NY 12498. Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LLC

Articles of Organization for CORA C. CURREY, LLC was filed with the New York Secretary of State on August 7, 2025. The Office of the Company is located in Ulster County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served and a copy of process shall be mailed to Cora C. Currey, 354 Dave Elliot Road, Saugerties, New York 12477. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. The latest date upon which the Company is required to be dissolved is January 1, 2099.

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC MEETING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Glasco Fire District in the Town of Saugerties, County of Ulster, State of New York, will hold a Budget Workshop Meeting on Monday, September 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Glasco Fire District’s Headquarters Building

located at 139 Liberty St. Ext., Glasco, New York. All meetings of the Board of Fire Commissioners are open to the public. This notice is being publicized and posted in accordance with the provisions of Section 104 of the Public Officers Law of the State of New York by order of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Glasco Fire District. Dated: Glasco, New York September 6, 2025

Mike Tiano

Secretary Glasco Fire District

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: Mirror Mirror Consulting LLC. Articles of organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/25/2025. Office location: Ulster County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to the LLC, 418 BROADWAY STE N, ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA. Purpose: For any lawful purpose.

LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF SAUGERTIES PLANNING BOARD SAUGERTIES, NEW YORK 12477 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the Saugerties Town Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. for a PUBLIC HEARING of a MAJOR SUBDIVISION (3-LOT) on land located at 32 DAVE ELLIOTT ROAD (SBL #9.1-3-26) and owned by STEVEN & GENA RUCANO. The meeting will be held in-person at the Frank D. Greco Senior Center located at the corner of Robinson Street and Market Street in the Village of Saugerties. Please contact the Planning Board Secretary, Becky Bertorelli, via email: bbertorelli@saugertiesny.gov, with any questions. BY ORDER OF THE TOWN OF SAUGERTIES PLANNING BOARD C. HOWARD POST, CHAIRMAN

LEGAL NOTICE

Please take notice the regular monthly meeting of the Woodstock Board of Fire Commissioners will begin at 6:00pm on September 11, 2025 at the district building, 242 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY.  The board will meet at 6:00pm in executive session for the purpose of conducting interviews for career EMS positions followed by the regular agenda at 7:00pm. By Order of the Board of Fire Commissioners Judy Peters, Secretary/Treasurer September 6, 2025

The two front-running concerns seem to be that this building is much too big and that it does not fit in with the simplicity and pristine centuries-old buildings. Everyone I meet with says the same two things! It’s way too big and it doesn’t fit.. All this with Deyo Hall already here and many other unused spaces that have gone untapped.

Here is the main issue as I see it. The size of this proposed building will drive everything! How many trees will be cut down, how many parking spaces? These decisions will be driven by the size of this building. Why would such a big structure be placed in a setting where it is completely outsized? This project is nothing that our community has requested or even feels we need. The funding could be so much better spent preserving the existing buildings, formally planted gardens, and appropriate storage for archives and documents that are not being used.

One quote keeps coming to my mind about this huge project in such a small, sweet place. “ Do what you can where you are with what you have, said president Teddy Roosevelt. His legacy was the national parks system.

Him I will listen to. Let’s look at what we already have before pouring mil-

lions of dollars into new construction until there’s not a blade of grass left anywhere. Thank you, historic preservation commission (HPC) for all that you do to preserve this place we all love Anne

Graceful Aging: Attention Fatigue

Quinn

New Paltz

Recently, I wrote about “upgrade fatigue,” (some call it “techno-stress”), but I have come to see this as a subset of what I recognize now as “attention fatigue.” Better to understand this experience of attention fatigue, I consulted the work of Iain McGilchrist, a neuroscientist and polymath, who has made his name researching the difference between the two hemispheres of the brain. For me his work sheds a useful light on this condition I am calling “attention fatigue”.

Iain’s research indicates that the left and right hemispheres differ from one another not by function, as in the old models, but in the ways that each gives attention. To highlight the difference, he uses an analogy to birds. If you watch a bird when it feeds, he says, you will see two very different behaviors. The bird will lower its head to peck at food

and then lift its head to look around: peck, then look, repeatedly. It’s the left hemisphere that guides the pecking, the narrow and discriminating focus needed to seize upon a tiny seed, necessary for its survival. But equally, it must avoid being eaten, and so in looking up, it makes use of a wide-angled and all sense-involving attention needed to scan for danger. This is the task of the right hemisphere.

The same differentiation of attention applies to human beings. The narrow focus required to compose an algorithm, to distinguish curry from cumin, to tell a mating note from a warning, all call upon the attentional capacity of the left hemisphere. But when it comes to the present moment, to that intuitive and open attention to the now, the right hemisphere is engaged. This is the attention of the caregiver to the distress of a client, taking in words and signs in a fluid and empathic way. We well know that caregivers suffer from burn-out, which is another way of describing the results of excessive attention fatigue.

Of late I have noticed that I am becoming more familiar with “attention fatigue,” its early signs and the consequences of overriding them. Both are at work in my social relationships, and

especially in the intimate ones where I am giving right-hemispheric attention to the changing ways the other person looks and sounds, body and facial expressions, tones of voice, breathing. And in my responses, the left hemisphere does the thinking, editing, second guessing. (And I notice that I have more difficulty retrieving words—-a common experience we have as we age.) The more open I am to all these subliminal cues, the more accurately I can speak what I mean, then the more attuned and aligned I feel with the other person. In my old age, personal relationships matter most—-my wife, my friends and my family—-and at the same time they can generate the most stress and therefore fatigue.

Early signs of this fatigue show up as a kind of foggy mind, the dullness of an incipient headache. If I override the signs, I start to tune out. While I look for the warning signs, I also look for how to regenerate from this fatigue. The usual lie-down-and-rest isn’t quite the ticket. Speaking only for myself, I find what works best has to do with being in my body: playing with my dog, mowing the grass, building a fire, cooking a meal, solitude in the woods, sitting by a running stream, and recently lazing in the hammock in our backyard. Nature herself revives and restores. When I find pleasure and flow in familiar patterns of activity where muscle memory takes over, my nerves relax, my senses are soothed. Then, to head off this new challenge, I learn to pay attention to my attention and respect its limits.

Peter Pitzele New Paltz

LOCAL CULTURE

SEPTEMBER

10, 2025

Flotsam River Circus charms Kingston with apocalyptic whimsy

by Rokosz Most

Witch doctor or demiurge, armed with a cog rattle, he’s a strange prophet in a strange mask who approaches the raft in his skiff. His mask and his sail are decorated with a fascinating spiral—the symbol of hypnosis.

The ragtag wooden raft of survivors appears gullible and hapless. He’s invited aboard. They’ve let their guard down. He describes comets and cities and atom bombs. He has a way with plants. The children who gather close around the raft to stand knee-deep in the shallows of the Hudson River know

something about the man is wrong— like fish gone off—before the crew does, but the children must suffer the fate of all spectators.

Resembling a riverborne stage, when a wooden vessel adorned with a shack and pilot’s quarters—or is it an outhouse?—drifts to within a gangplank’s

distance of the beach and is made fast in the sand with rope and stake, a child would have to be a dull light bulb not to stand open-mouthed, transfixed, waiting to see what comes next. Even if it’s all a little frightening. But after all, the crew seems plucky.

ROKOSZ MOST Nikki Laumb.

Thursday 9/11

Nature Explorers: Buzzing Bees at Mohonk Preserve in Gardiner, 10am. Walk-in Clinic at The Kirkland in Kingston, 4pm.

Open Mic Night at Tuthilltown Distillery in Gardiner, 5pm.

Bruce Balmer on the Patio at the Colony in Woodstock, 5:30pm.

Meet the Artist w/ Morgan Gwenwald & Ariel Goldberg at CPW in Kingston, 6pm.

Hodgepodge Collage at Chromatic Studios in Kingston, 6pm.

Trivia Night at Gunks Gaming Guild in New Paltz, 6pm.

Grateful Duo at Keegan Ales in Kingston, 6pm.

Stephen Shore’s Early Work at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, 6pm.

Trivia Night at West Kill Supply in Kingston, 6pm.

Open Mic Night: Music & Literary at Park Theater in Hudson, 6pm.

Karaoke Night at Outpost BBQ in Kerhonkson, 6pm.

Author Visit w/ Wendy Marech at Athens Cultural Center in Athens, 6pm.

Trivia Night at Stonehouse Tavern in Accord, 6:30pm.

Open Mic Night at Taste Budds Cafe in Red Hook, 6:30pm.

Open Mic Night on the Salon Stage at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 6:30pm.

Alejandro Escovedo w/ Jeffrey Gaines at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, 7pm.

Cole Quest & The City Pickers / Kate Prascher at The Colony in Woodstock, 7pm.

Open Mic Night at High Falls Cafe in High Falls, 7pm.

On Literary Kinship: A Reading & Conversation Between Friends w/ Nick Flynn & Marie Howe at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, 7pm. Portal of Initiation w/ Laurie Portocarrero at Lightforms Art Center in Hudson, 7pm.

Johanna Rose w/ Average Joey at O+ Gallery Storefront in Kingston, 7pm. Harland Williams at Laugh It Up Comedy Club in Poughkeepsie, 7pm, 9:30pm.

Shakedown Citi at The Falcon in Marlboro, 7:30pm.

Thu. 9/11 • 7pm

Cole Quest & The City Pickers / Kate Prascher

Colony Woodstock, 22 Rock City Rd.

Cole Quest & The City Pickers’ new album Homegrown is out now and turning heads with a rootsy mix of bluegrass and folk that’s both reverent and refreshingly personal. Led by Woody Guthrie’s grandson, Cole Quest, the NYC-based ensemble has earned critical acclaim from No Depression, American Songwriter, Folk Alley, and more, while climbing into the top 100 on the Americana Music radio chart. Folksy local vocal talent Kate Prascher opens.

Helen Gillet at Avalon Lounge in Catskill, 8pm.

Studio Two: The Beatles Before America at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 8pm.

UB40 Relentless Tour w/ The English Beat at Palace Theater in Albany, 8pm.

Friday

9/12

Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, 10am.

Harvest Festival: Health and Wellness at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, 12pm.

Deborah Hay’s Performance Club at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, 1pm.

Meadowlark Fest w/ Cut Worms, Kendra McKinley & More at Stone Ridge Orchard in Stone Ridge, 3pm.

Anarchism-Informed Parent-Child Group at Blackbird Infoshop in Kingston, 4:30pm.

Unidos Latin Jazz Orchestra at Angry Orchard in Walden, 5pm.

Stone Mountain Sound Collective at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 5pm.

Eric Neis, Joanna Gass & Friends at Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz, 5pm.

Jonathan Kruk: Master Storyteller at West Kill Brewing in West Kill, 5pm.

Pablo Shine Latin Jazz Band at Rough Draft in Kingston, 5:30pm.

Country Line Dancing Fundraiser at Popp Memorial Park in Wallkill, 5:30pm.

The Nial Connolly Band in the Garden at the Colony in Woodstock, 6pm.

Bookish Banter & Brews at Gunks Gaming Guild in New Paltz, 6pm.

Chris Jackson at Stonehouse Tavern in Accord, 6pm.

Newburgh Voice: Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity at Silk Factory

Sun. 9/14 • 4-6pm

Indian Music Concert

Woodstock Yoga Center, 6 Deming St., 1st Floor.

Sarod maestro Sougata Roy Chowdhury and tabla virtuoso Ehren Hanson come together for a baithak-style performance at Woodstock Yoga Center, where artist and audience share space and sound on the same level. Expect a deeply meditative, exotic and emotionally resonant experience, with both floor and chair seating available. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required at viewcy.com/event/indian_music_concert.

in Newburgh, 6pm.

Curator Talk w/ Niva Dorell at Athens Cultural Center in Athens, 6pm.

The Glass Hours at Pearl Moon in Woodstock, 6:30pm.

Line Dancing at Hudson House in West Park, 6:30pm.

Us: Judy Kass, Glen Roethel & Amy Soucy on the Salon Stage at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 6:30pm.

Devendra Banhart w/ Kath Bloom at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, 7pm.

Fight the Power and Other Love Songs: Celebrating the Isely Bros at The Colony in Woodstock, 7pm.

Taylor Bruck on Henry Abbey, the Bard of Kingston at D&H Canal Historical Society in High Falls, 7pm.

The Porch: Live Storytelling at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, 7pm.

Vinyl Biscuit at The Lemon Squeeze in New Paltz, 7pm.

Poetry Reading w/ Richard Parisio at Elting Memorial Library in New Paltz, 7pm.

BoomKat at Di’Vine Wine Bar in Wappingers, 7pm.

David Kraai at Shelter in Woodstock, 7pm.

Harland Williams at Laugh It Up Comedy Club in Poughkeepsie, 7pm, 9:30pm.

Tatiana Eva-Marie at The Falcon in Marlboro, 7:30pm.

X&Y Experience at The Lemon Squeeze in New Paltz, 7:30pm.

An Evening of Acoustic Music w/ The Macs Band at Wildheart Center for Performance & Embodiment Practice in Wallkill, 7:30pm.

Ada Lea / Margo Ross / Andrew Victor at Avalon Lounge in Catskill, 8pm. Every Brilliant Thing at the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, 8pm.

Young Dubliners at Daryl’s House in

Fri. 9/12-Sun. 9/14

Meadowlark

Stone Ridge Orchard, 3012 Rt. 213. Meadowlark Festival is an indie and roots music fest set among the apple trees of Stone Ridge Orchard, supporting local agriculture while delivering soulful sounds. Over 36 artists perform, including Sunflower Bean, Haley Heynderickx, River Whyless, The Mystery Lights, Cut Worms—plus an intimate “Writers Room” spotlighting up-andcoming solo artists in an acoustic, in-the-round setting. Enjoy seasonal local food and an artisan fair amidst the rustic reverberations.

Pawling, 8pm.

Blood & Stomach Pills / Worldsucks / One Hundred Thorns / Girth Control at Night Swim in Kingston, 8pm. New Noise Continuum at Green Kill in Kingston, 8pm.

Chris Trapper / Canyon at Park Theater in Hudson, 8pm.

The Meraki Trio at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 8:30pm.

Friday Night Fever w/ DJ Duo Father Figure at The Colony in Woodstock, 10pm.

Saturday

9/13

Big A$$ Community Yard Sale at the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, 10am.

Discover the Carriage House at Wilderstein Historic Site in Rhinebeck, 10am.

Car Show w/ Live Music by County Line Bluegrass at Outpost BBQ in Kerhonkson, 10am.

History Hike: Benedict Arnold’s Flight at Glenclyffe Trailhead in Philipstown, 10am.

Conversation Alchemy & the Art of Gathering at Evolutionary Psychotherapy in Kingston, 10am.

Vanderlyn at 250: A Walking Tour of the Artist’s Life and Legacy at Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston, 11am.

Drawing Out at Unison Arts in New Paltz, 11am.

Union Rail at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 12pm.

Meadowlark Fest w/ Sunflower Bean, Charming Disaster & More at Stone Ridge Orchard in Stone Ridge, 12pm.

Riverfest in Downtown Yonkers in Yonkers, 12pm.

Deborah Hay’s Performance Club at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli,

MAKE THE SCENE

Part 3 in a Series on Local Creators

Live wire

DIY Kingston amplifies Hudson Valley’s music scene by connecting bands, venues and fans

by Zac Shaw

The Hudson Valley has always been a live music hotbed. Though the scene has ebbed and flowed over the decades, our lofty cultural pedigree is the stuff of legend. The local musician cup runneth over.

Thousands of Hudson Valley musicians enjoy a bounty of live music venues that, per capita, make many major cities look like backwater towns. Music surfaces in breweries, backyards, secret spaces, city blocks, libraries, parks, cafés, restaurants. Our region hosts literally thousands of live music events each year.

Enter James Kwapisz, impresario of the DIY Kingston Instagram account. For the last several years, he’s been on a mission to connect the music scene and facilitate its growth. Many factors have contributed to the saturation of live music in the Hudson Valley. Kwapisz, with his diligent social media presence and production of local band and venue directories, surely counts among the catalysts for pushing the scene forward. We spoke to him to get behind the scenes of his efforts to keep live music thriving.

What was the inspiration to start DIY Kingston?

James Kwapisz: I created the account back in early 2021 when people started having shows again after a long pause due to COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, I noticed there was a lack of organization in the Kingston music scene. I never knew when shows were happening, so I thought it’d be a good idea to make a page where every event (or most) going on around town could be found in one place. I was inspired by the @diynewpaltz Instagram account, which promoted all the shows going on around New Paltz. What sets DIY Kingston apart, though, is that it’s not catered to just college kids like DIY New Paltz, nor is it as location-centric — the shows I promote on DIY Kingston take place all over the Hudson Valley, and they appeal to crowds of all ages (depending on the show). My main inspiration to create DIY Kingston was to do something for others that I would appreciate someone else doing for me and my band (A Whole Nother): helping spread the word about upcoming

1pm.

Jack Spann at Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz, 1pm.

Goddess Portrait Collage at Athens Cultural Center in Athens, 1pm.

Women’s Drumsong Orchestra of the Hudson Valley at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 2pm.

Monoprint Invitational Exhibition Auction at Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, 2pm.

Riparian Rhapsody at Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum in Poughkeepsie, 2:30pm.

Mystery Drama Eurythmy & Speech w/ Laurie Portocarrero at Lightforms Art Center in Hudson, 3pm.

shows and album/single releases.

How has the public reacted to the account, and how do you feel about it?

The public’s response has been very positive. I think what people have responded to most are the directories I created to help bands help themselves as they’re booking: One is a venues directory, which lists a bunch of venues all over the Hudson Valley, as well as in other regions in the Northeast, like New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, etc., as well as booking contact emails and/or Instagram handles. The other is a bands directory, which lists DIY bands by their location and their contact info so that touring bands can find local bands for bills in order to increase draw. It feels great to have created something that so many people, both musicians and fans, find so useful.

What motivates you to continue to do DIY Kingston?

The charitable element keeps me going at it with DIY Kingston. It feels good to help others who are pursuing the same or similar thing that you’re passionate about. A few people have Venmoed me a few bucks here and

Soul City Groove at West Kill Brewing in West Kill, 3pm.

Opening Reception: Los Migrantes Art Exhibition at Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in Kingston, 4pm.

Being There (1979) at Orpheum Theater in Saugerties, 4:30pm.

End of Summer Party at Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, 5pm.

Noe Dinnerstein & Ami Fixler at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 5pm.

Opening Reception: Interiors Art Exhibit at Wallkill River Center for the Arts in Montgomery, 5pm.

The Deadbeats in the Garden at the Colony in Woodstock, 6pm.

my bio so that they can put the pieces together themselves. In a way, I’ve already done a bunch of the work for them by compiling the information. I’ve learned to set boundaries and not overextend myself, because unfortunately, when you give ’em an inch, they often try to take a yard. I mean, come on — it’s free promo, so don’t be greedy or audacious, you know?

What have you learned in the process of doing DIY Kingston? I’ve learned how rewarding it can be to help others pursue their passions. It’s nice to know that I’ve created something that a lot of people in the region refer to when they’re looking to see what live music events are going on in the area.

If I could impart one thing to anyone reading this now, it’d be to think about all the things you do to serve yourself or your band, and then think about how you could do that for others. For example, I originally made the venues directories for my former band (Grampfather) so I wouldn’t have to dig through venues’ websites every time I’d send out booking inquiry emails, and then I thought, “Why not make this public?” If you have the capacity to help others, do it. Why not, right? It feels good. It’s better to be community-oriented than to think of your peers as competitors, because, well, the latter is just weird, and the former would make the community better on the microscale and the world better on the macro if everyone were doing it.

What do you like about Kingston and its music scene?

there to show their gratitude for what I’m doing, which I definitely appreciate because it can be pretty time-consuming, but it’s not expected. Most musicians are pretty broke anyway, so it’s all good — I get it.

Do you consider yourself a “content creator,” or is there a better way to describe what you do?

Not really. I find the term “content creator” kind of cringey. Also, I don’t really create most of the content — it’s mostly other people’s bands’ flyers and album/single art that I’m just helping get out there to a wider audience. I have designed flyers for bands before in the past, so I guess technically I’ve created content. I suppose “promoter” would be a more fitting title. A lot of people mistake me for a booking agent and expect me to book shows for them — it’s painful enough booking shows for my own band, dealing with scheduling discrepancies and self-important bookers who think that their mediocre bar venues are MSG or something. So yeah, I’m definitely not doing all that work for free. I usually just point them to the venues and bands directories in the link in

Kingston is a great place to live — though I feel like I shouldn’t say this on a public platform because the last thing Kingston needs is more city people coming up and crowding the streets with their Teslas and BMWs, driving up the rent. But despite all that, I love living within walking distance of Kingston’s music venues. The music scene is interesting, for sure. The cliquey gatekeepers definitely don’t make the scene feel warm and fuzzy and inviting (bookers, improve your emailing/general communication skills!), but for the most part, there is a great music community in the area. I don’t mean to be negative, but I just want to be accurate — the scene is checkered with good and bad aspects, like in any other town or city. Having lived in New Paltz for five years before moving to Kingston in 2019, it’s nice to see that the DIY spirit still lives on beyond your college years and your 20s. Music is for all people — it’s what brings us together. It makes me happy to see so many bands in the area looking out for other bands. A rising tide lifts all boats. We’re in this together, not against each other. If your band needs help getting the word out about an upcoming show or music release, hit me up!

DIY Kingston’s James Kwapisz (lower center) with his band A Whole Nother.

Raft attention

(Continued from page B1)

Like a motley group of impossibly talented hobos, there have been a few demonstrations of can-do spirit, inventiveness and physical dexterity by this point in the show, which maybe explains why these survivors of a future apocalypse—ramshackle, foolhardy, chock-full of whimsy—are still floating.

They are, in fact, the troupe of the Flotsam River Circus, 28 days into a 38-date tour, who set out together on the Erie Canal in Buffalo to follow the ocean-bearing current down to New York City.

Tonawanda, Lockport and Medina. Rochester, Fairport and Geneva. Seneca Falls. Oswego. Canajoharie. They’ve played them all and more. They never

Murder Mystery Dinner: Cruisin’ with the Golden Girls at Silk Factory in Newburgh, 6pm.

Russ St. George on the Salon Stage at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 6pm.

Sabrina Trueheart at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, 6pm.

Benmont Tench at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, 7pm.

Bruce Molsky w/ Annie McDougall at The Colony in Woodstock, 7pm.

Miss Coco Peru Live at Old Dutch Church in Kingston, 7pm.

Turn Everywhere: Deborah Hay On Film & In Person at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, 7pm.

charge admission—just pass around white buckets, boots and hats, like a basket in church to be filled with suggested donations.

Raftmates include, but are not limited to, Ambalancer—choreographer, gymnast and balance artist from Taiwan; “Nikki” Laumb, silks aerialist and co-founder of the Shoestring Circus, based in Bellingham, Washington; and Danila Bim of Brazil, multidisciplinary alumna of Cirque du Soleil, Palazzo and Teatro Zinzanni. Musicians include, but are not limited to, river circus founder and accordionist Jason Webley, and Miriam Hacksaw and Rye Oomen, a fiddler and a drummer, both of New Orleans.

An auspicious day, then. If there had been lightning and a rainstorm ... but adults have become used to disappointment. Children are different. It’s important when they’re still impressionable and on the ground floor of existence

Circular Jazz at Lydia’s Cafe in Stone Ridge, 7pm.

Catskill Harmony Guild at The Lemon Squeeze in New Paltz, 7pm.

Music Oasis at Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, 7pm.

Rudy’s Backbeat at Di’Vine Wine Bar in Wappingers, 7pm.

Fishbowl Disco Night at High Falls Cafe in High Falls, 7:30pm.

Bingo Loco at MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie, 7:30pm.

Dylan Doyle Band Album Release at The Falcon in Marlboro, 7:30pm.

Shared Stage Performance at WildHeart: Center for Performance & Em-

bodiment Practice in Wallkill, 7:30pm. Quintron & Miss Pussycat / Dreiky Caprice / Spreaders at Avalon Lounge in Catskill, 8pm.

Gary Gulman: Misfit Stand Up Tour at Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie, 8pm.

Every Brilliant Thing at the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, 8pm.

Almost Creed at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 8pm.

Marilyn Crispell at Maverick Concert Hall in Woodstock, 8pm.

High Tea w/ Mary-Elaine Jenkins at Park Theater in Hudson, 8pm.

Bookends Band at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 8:30pm.

Emo Pep Rally at Salt Box Bar in Kingston, 9pm.

Sunday

9/14

Kids’ Story Hour w/ Jason Vance at Rough Draft in Kingston, 10:30am.

Blok Party Pop-Up Market at O+

Gallery Storefront in Kingston, 11am.

Spellbinder Orchestra at Pearl Moon in Woodstock, 11am.

Community Climate Roundtable Discussion at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 11am.

Wiltwyck Cemetery Walking Tour w/ Paul O’Neill at Wiltwyck Cemetery in Kingston, 11am.

Hurley Mountain Highway at Silk Factory in Newburgh, 11am.

Marji Zintz & Mike Larocco on the

PHOTOS BY ROKOSZ MOST

Kalan Sherrard.

Danila Bim.

that they see how to catch a boot with a fishing pole, or balance life jackets on top of a hat stand, or bail out a raft following a storm at sea. And floating circuses might only visit the City of Kingston once in a lifetime. Even if it did return, neither the child nor the circus would be the same.

“Like whale songs,” says Kalan Sherrard, artistic director of the circus. “Little variations, but the whale songs of today are as different from those in the 1970s as the Beatles and Beethoven.”

Now in the troupe’s sixth season of rivering, Kalan counts off the waterways they’ve navigated together.

“We did the Sacramento, the Willamette, the Ohio and the Mississippi. During COVID, we just did waterways around Seattle. I think one was on a

Thu. 6/18 • 5-8pm

The Mashup

RMV Cellars, 112 Burroughs Dr., West Park.

Hosted by HUDSY, this in-person gathering invites artists, makers, and idea people to connect, collaborate, and spark new projects over casual conversations in a scenic setting. It’s all about community-building, idea-sharing, and supporting local creatives, with ticket proceeds going toward HUDSY’s nonprofit mission to uplift regional storytelling.

Salon Stage at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 11:30am.

Mike Burns & Highway 53 at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 12pm.

Meadowlark Fest w/ The Mystery Lights, Willi Carlisle & More at Stone Ridge Orchard in Stone Ridge, 12pm.

river, but mostly, they were technically lakes.”

The show veers into the consequences of human overreach, infatuation and love, regret, struggle, misjudgments, adventure, nautical considerations and flatulence—all with a sort of Lazzi-Zanni theatricality. What is communicated is done through body language and action, very little script, and all in such a way that even an adult can understand what is happening.

“I think it’s playing with a lot of absurdism,” says silks aerialist Nikki Laumb. “When we talk through the themes, they’re pretty heady, and then it’s fun to take heady stuff down into the most cartoony version. So that’s really what it is for us.”

Laumb’s fiancé and business partner

Sat. 9/13 • 10am-2pm

Hurley Day

Town Park, Dug Hill Rd., West Hurley. Hurley Day celebrates its second year in 2025, and though the celebration is nascent, it’s already well-established as a popular gathering for community members. Visitors will enjoy food, entertainment, giveaways and flag football games. It’s also a great chance to meet local elected officials, volunteers and first responders.

Thrift Festival at New Paltz Middle School Parking Lot in New Paltz, 12pm.

Steven Pague at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 1pm.

Subterranean Poetry Festival at Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, 1pm. Riparian Rhapsody at Wisner Library

in her Shoestring Circus, Justin Therrien, also performs in the Flotsam show. He was part of the original troupe in its first iteration. The two have the opportunity to play through the paces of a romantic duet that begins with a hat and a mop stick and ends with Laumb spinning in the air.

“Love,” she says, “and the apocalypse. Didn’t have to twist my arm too hard.”

At the culmination of an emotional narrative arc, Danila—pronounced like Vanilla—Bim performs one of the most arresting feats of the show … but it would be a crime to ruin it. For the consideration of the reader: it involves either a potted plant, a digestive metamorphosis or a sea monster. Or all three.

A master of the aerial hoop, Bim also performs hoopless in the air, spinning

in Warwick, 2pm.

Being There (1979) at Orpheum Theater in Saugerties, 2pm.

Cookbook Signing: Alexis deBoschnek’s Nights and Weekends at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, 2pm.

Michael Francis McCarthy at West Kill Brewing in West Kill, 2pm.

Hudson Valley CircleSinging at Full Circle in Gardiner, 2pm.

Garden Party w/ Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley at Highlands Country Club in Garrison, 2pm.

Every Brilliant Thing at the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, 3pm.

Abeo Quartet at Hudson Hall in Hudson, 3pm.

A Life in Song: A Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Bill Vanaver in Music

like an ice skater, lowered to dance on the water’s surface, suspended only by her hair.

“It’s fun,” says Bim.

On the day of the show in Kingston, it was a seaside scene. The sky above the beach was as blue as a bottle, the sand was sun-warmed, and any clouds overhead were only wisps.

A crowd of more than 100 had gathered on the beach. There were jugglers tossing nine pins to pass the time, and sea chanties were spontaneously generated by an audience member with an accordion as the sun fell behind the Catskills far inland. Sailboats tacking in the channel were still gold and glowing in the magic-hour light, while on the eastern bank of the river, the trees and hills were already covered in blue shadow.

When the show begins, all the action takes place on a stage hardly longer than seven strides. One by one, members of the band appear, costumed as mutant fish. The mouths of the fish agog, the humans within gaze out. Large, grapefruit-sized nodules indicate that they are, indeed, mutant.

The first mutant fish plays a triangle. The second climbs up a platform where a drum set waits. Before long, an accordion and violin will join. One of these mutant fish breaks the fourth wall to communicate with the audience—to tell them the only two syllables they will need to express their pleasure, astonishment, approval or shock, to sing out call-and-response choruses with the music.

According to the narrator, the scenes that follow take place in an apocalyptic future of sorts: “The temperatures have risen. The waters have risen. Little remains of the lives that we know.”

Self-destructive, compulsively extractive, relentlessly exploitative— mankind must have consummated his worst instincts. A spiral moving inward, ever tighter, like a whirlpool.

“It’s a hard time to be human,” he says, “but a glorious time to be invasive, mutant fish.”

& Dance at Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, 4pm.

Cassatt String Quartet w/ Magdalena Baczewska at Maverick Concert Hall in Woodstock, 4pm.

Artist Salon at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 4pm.

Simla House Presents: Sougata Roy Chowdhury, Sarod & Ehren Hansen, and Tabla Live in Concert at the Yoga Center in Woodstock, 4pm.

Drag Bingo w/ Cookie Doe at Pearl Moon in Woodstock, 5pm.

Clear Light Ensemble at Rail Trail Cafe in New Paltz, 5pm.

Einhorn, Neumann & Pray at Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz, 5pm. Yard Sale on the Patio at The Colony in Woodstock, 5:30pm.

The City Without Jews (1924) w/ Live Original Music at Orpheum

September 13 –

October 4, 2025 OPENING

&

September 13 2 - 4pm

(Auction ends at 3:30 pm)

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Help Wanted

Ryan & Ryan Insurance; Customer Service Rep Needed in Kingston office. NY

P&C License required with 3+ years of Agency experience. Full-time, Mon - Fri. Call 845-340-0001.

Development Coordinator: Full-time position at Mohonk Preserve to support development operations, donor stewardship, and cultivation activities for all aspects of fundraising with an emphasis on individual donors. Minimum 2 years’ experience. Computer skills & data entry req. CRM database exp. preferred. Salary $20-22/hr.; full benefits. Email resume and a one-page cover letter tying your experience to specifics in the job responsibilities and 3 professional references (include phone and email) to employment@mohonkpreserve.org with the subject line “Development Coordinator application” by 9/19/25. Details: https:// www.mohonkpreserve.org/who-we-are/ jobs-fellowships-and-internships/ EOE WALLKILL AREA: Woman with Parkinson’s is looking for a Part-Time Care Worker to assist with ADL & around the house. Evenings & night shift available. Starting $22/hour. Call or text 845-389-4438. 200 Educational Programs

Black Lotus Tactical

Michael Steeley (607) 431-3392 blacklotustactical@gmail.com

NRA & USCCA Certified Firearms Instructor Preparedness & Emergency First Aid Specialist Security Consultant Group or private classes available

220 Instruction

MUSIC LESSONS. Pauline Mancuso, FLUTE. 845-380-3099. BMus BMusEd MM & Peter Mancuso, PIANO. 845-3803098. BMusEd MM. 50 years teaching and performing.

HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS! by CHA-certified Equine Instructor on beautiful family-owned horse farm in Accord, NY with both outdoor and indoor arenas. Contact Naomi Lopato at QDPrideFarm@gmail.com or 646-571-9610 225 Party Planning/ Catering

POTTIE FOR YOUR PARTY! HAVING A PARTY? TLK LLC PORTABLE TOILET RENTALS. Weekend, Weekly or Monthly Rentals. We have Gray, White, Blue, Tan, Green (pine-scented), Pink (rose-scented) regular units (some w/sinks) & Handicap Accessible portables. Great for Construction/Building Sites, Sporting Events, Concerts, Street Festivals, Parks, Outdoor Weddings, Campsites, Flea Markets, Party Events, etc. Call 845-658-8766, 845-4176461 or 845-706-7197. e-mail: TLKportables@gmail.com

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Animals

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HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS! by CHA-certified Equine Instructor on beautiful family-owned horse farm in Accord, NY. w/both outdoor and indoor arenas. Contact Naomi Lopato at QDPrideFarm@gmail. com or 646-571-9610.

Roofing, Painting, Mechanical repairs, etc. Large and small jobs. Reasonable rates. Free estimates. References

Theater in Saugerties, 6:30pm.

Chihoe Hahn & Friends on the Salon Stage at Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, 6:30pm.

Superchunk w/ Tee Vee Repairman at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, 7pm.

Kilmaine Saints w/ Brendan O’Shea at the Colony in Woodstock, 7pm.

The Bell Bottom Blues: Eric Clapton Experience at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 7pm.

Kaki King at The Falcon in Marlboro, 7:30pm.

Oceanator / Sweet Harm / Dauber at Avalon Lounge in Catskill, 8pm.

Yoke Lore w/ Gracie & Rachel at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, 8pm.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show: Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Tour at Palace Theater in Albany, 8pm.

Monday 9/15

Thomas Chatterton Williams’ Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse at Weis Cinema at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, 6:30pm.

The Summer’s Over Tour w/ Abigail Dempsey, Ahna Ell & Zoe Lemon at Rough Draft in Kingston, 6:30pm.

Couldn’t You Wait? The Story of Silkworm (2013) at Orpheum Theater in Saugerties, 7pm.

Newbie Tassels: A Burlesque/Variety Open Stage at Park Theater in Hudson, 7pm.

Mid-Hudson Women’s Chorus Open Rehearsals at St James United Methodist Church in Kingston, 7pm.

The World Famous Colony Open Mic at The Colony in Woodstock, 8pm.

Sariyah Idan at Green Kill in Kingston, 8pm.

Tuesday 9/16

Doodling at the Greenhouse at Olmsted Greenhouse at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, 3pm.

Food Truck Fiesta at Bloomington Fire Department in Bloomington, 5pm.

Fire Up: Local Business Networking at Sue’s Restaurant in Saugerties, 5:30pm.

National Security, Autocracy, & the Future of American Democracy w/ Steven Cash ’84, Executive Director of The Steady State at Rockefeller Hall at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, 5:30pm.

Savvy Social Security Planning Seminar at Ulster Savings Bank in Kingston, 6pm.

Open Mic Night at Gunks Gaming Guild in New Paltz, 6:30pm.

SAUGERTIES ANIMAL SHELTER... Hello Autumn! Does this time of the year conjure up thoughts of new beginnings? Could it be the time to add a loving being to your home and family? Adopting a shelter animal could be one of the most joyful things you can do. This is a wonderful time to do that. If you’d like to spread warmth & joy, consider adopting an angel (or 2)! If you adopt an adult/senior cat, you know you’ve given them a second (or maybe third) chance at love and kindness. LET’S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THESE CAT ANGELS! FREDDIE and LOUIE; 4-year old brown tiger cat brothers. They need a person who is understanding and patient. For now, they’re two grumpy guys. If you’re looking to adopt 2 kitten/cat angels, please let the shelter know. They know the animals very well and can make recommendations. Some kittens are already bonded to one another. We STILL have lots of kittens and more coming in weekly. In case you were wondering: Black kittens grow up to be elegant, beautiful, intelligent, loving adult cats. Living with them (and all cats!) is a joy! A pair of black kitten brothers was recently adopted. More may be on their way! Stay tuned! We have BARN CATS, too. If you’d like to give a cat(s) food and shelter and in return, they’ll help to keep your rodent population under control, consider adopting a barn cat. Get your applications in and approved, so when we welcome more kittens & puppies, which we often do, well call you! We welcome a new group of puppies every month! In order to meet them, you’ll need an approved application and appointment. (We very rarely get small dogs.) Most are in the 40-50lb. range; short-hair southern mixes. NEW SWEET DOG THIS WEEK! MYRTLE; 6-year-old grey brindle, 55 lbs. spayed dog girl. Myrtle is the SWEETEST girl you’ll ever meet. She absolutely loves everyone; oth-

George Thorogood & The Destroyers at Palace Theater in Albany, 8pm.

Wednesday 9/17

33rd Annual Doug Maloney Memorial Golf Tournament. Golf for a cause at our annual golf tournament to support the programs and services for adults with mental health issues and disabilities find therapy, work, and a safe place to live for over 65 years in the Hudson Valley. At Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston, 8am.

Rabies Clinic at Ulster County SPCA in Kingston, 11am.

Beat the Clock: Short Pose Quickies at Jane St Art Center in Saugerties, 11:30am.

Wellness Clinic at Ulster County SPCA in Kingston, 2pm.

Walk-in Clinic at Phoenicia United Methodist Church in Phoenicia, 4pm.

Karaoke Night at Angry Orchard in Walden, 5pm.

Doug Marcus on the Patio at the Colony in Woodstock, 5:30pm.

Celebrating Eponymous Books w/ JC Hopkins & Linh Luu at Inquiring Minds in Saugerties, 6pm.

Sam Rebelein’s Galloway’s Gospel at Rough Draft in Kingston, 6pm.

A More Perfect Union (1989) at FDR

er dogs, cats, kids. She’d make a lovely family companion. LETS TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THESE DOG ANGELS! SUE; 6-7 years old, reddish tan lab mix dog girl. Sue is not good w/cats, and some dogs. She wants to be your one and only pet. Some angels are like that! Sue would be a great walking partner. MYA; very sweet 4 -year old tan and white pittie mix dog girl, whose face will make your heart melt. Mya loves people and other dogs. She’s a doll! Healthy, young dogs just arrived from Louisiana! Look at our Facebook page to see some of the wonderful new dogs. The shelter is open by appointment on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays. Please call 845-679-0339 to make an appointment to meet your new love! Saugerties Animal Shelter- (located behind the transfer station); 1765 NY-212, Saugerties, NY 12477. Here in this house... I will never be a substitute for anything I am not. I will never be used to improve peoples’ images of themselves. I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone’s idea of who I should be. I will never suffer for someone’s anger, impatience, or stupidity. I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all. If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame. ~Author Unknown~ ... If you’d like your home to be like the home described, please see the wonderful animals we have at SAS.

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Presidential Library & Museum in Hyde Park, 6pm.

Open Mic Night at Stonehouse Tavern in Accord, 6:30pm.

Lex Grey & the Urban Pioneers at the Colony in Woodstock, 7pm.

David Cook at Daryl’s House in Pawling, 7pm.

John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) at Orpheum Theater in Saugerties, 7pm.

Julie Doiron at The Yard in Beacon, 7pm.

The Steve Almaas Selection at The Pines in Mt Tremper, 7pm.

Taina Asili’s Fever Pitch at Unicorn Bar in Kingston, 7pm.

TMI Project presents a late-night style variety show, hosted by musician and queer icon Bitch celebrating the launch of a new video podcast collection made in collaboration with Kingston High School’s Period Powerat Senate Garage in Kingston, 7pm.

Eno Close Up w/ Dir. Gary Hustwit at Orpheum Theater in Saugerties, 7:30pm.

Drone Rodeo w/ Saapato / Ruth Mascelli at Avalon Lounge in Catskill, 8pm.