Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 95 | September 29, 2023
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Can We Get There From Here?
This week there seems to be an informal theme to a good portion of our coverage: transportation of the non-motorized variety (and we covered the issue of bikeability a few weeks ago).
First we look at the current state of our roads and sidewalks, and whether access and safety for cyclists and pedestrians need improvement (the answer is yes). Quite a few village residents turned out for a meeting on the subject this past Tuesday, evidence of a groundswell around safety issues. In addition, we visit Legion Park at Crystal Lake, and the lack of safe and ADA-compliant paths to the lake, which has confused and upset many, and pushed the Village Board to try to get it right this time.
We hope you are enjoying the ease into Autumn and we thank you for all of your support and engagement.
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
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Rethinking the Safety of Rhinebeck Village Streets
There was a gathering of about 65 village residents on Tuesday night to hear from the Village Board, and vice versa, about ideas to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety on village streets. The conversation was lively and felt productive and then the following morning there was a traffic accident between a child on a bicycle and a car, which put a finer point on the previous evening's discussion.
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A Question About ADA Compliance at Legion Park
In 2017, the Village of Rhinebeck received a $100,000 grant to improve the grounds around Crystal Lake at Legion Park and bring paths up to ADA compliance.
Six years on, the process has been a stop and start, and build and destroy exercise. Many are disappointed with the lack of progress but the Village is promising to make it right.
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Looking Backward
Do you happen to have old or archival photos of places, people or events in the area from over the years? We are putting out a call to the community for scans of photos from over the last 100 or so years to help us look back at the people and times that made this community what it is. Please contact editor@hvpilot.com.
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LOCAL EVENTS!
The HV Pilot continues to grow and serve the community. Check out our new events page with local happenings updated continuously.
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Stickle's Space Snagged // This past spring, longtime residents and general fans of A.L. Stickle 5 & Dime store were crushed to learn of the 70+ year old institution’s imminent closing. The place became an iconic fixture of local commerce over the decades. Once the store cleared out, locals began to speculate about who might move into the space, and who would be bold enough to tackle the advertised $10,000 monthly rent.
This week, the Pilot received a definitive answer to these lingering questions. Upstate Down, a boutique real estate and design studio located just up the block next to Bread Alone is taking over the old Stickle's space. “We want to become a business that honors the community and the history of that space,” said Delyse Berry, CEO of Upstate Down, which she runs with her husband Jon Berry. She told the Pilot that the “lease has been signed” and they get the keys on November 1st. The next few months will be about taking measurements, making design plans and building out the space with an intended February or March opening. Berry said they plan to keep their nearby 800 square foot space open through the holiday season, while they tailor the 4,000 square foot space for their new operation. “It feels like a tremendous responsibility to take over that space,” Berry told the Pilot. “It is a badge of honor and something we take very seriously and we hope to create something that is good for the town and community alike.” No word yet whether Upstate Down 2.0 will be selling some of the old Stickle favorites, like yo-yos or Choward’s Scented Gum, but Berry said they intend to have some component in their business that serves as a visual memory of the legacy of Stickle's.
Pretty in Pink // As the autumn begins, it is going to get darker as well as pinker. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many Village businesses and homeowners will swap out their plain exterior-facing light bulbs for bright pink bulbs, giving our evenings throughout October a rose-colored hue, and Northern Dutchess Hospital is hosting their third annual Light the Village Pink celebration at Foster’s Coach House parking lot on Wednesday, October 4th, at 5:30pm. This is a community celebration as well as a month-long fundraiser coordinated by Northern Dutchess to raise funds to help expand breast cancer services for people in the community, including education, risk reduction, screenings, diagnostics and treatments, and to help fund a breast cancer survivorship program at Northern Dutchess (tax deductible donations can be made here).
While the pink will be most visible in the commercial section of the village, residents can also get in on the pink by picking up free pink bulbs at the Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce, Winter Sun & Summer Moon, and Rhinebeck Mercantile throughout October.
Sake South of Us // Back in 2018, Dassai, a subsidiary of a major Japanese sake producer Asahi Shuzo, broke ground at the old Stop & Shop in Hyde Park on Route 9 with the promise of creating a major sake production facility in the Hudson Valley – and their first in the northeast. Finally, last weekend, the opening took place. The $80 million production facility is said to produce 32 new jobs in the area and will partner with The Culinary Institute of America, just down the road, to create educational content, according to an announcement by the company.
“This achievement not only elevates New York’s reputation in the craft beverage space, but also presents an incredible growth opportunity for Dutchess County and our Hudson Valley economy at large,” said State Senator Michelle Hinchey in a statement. The brewery is set to be open to the public in late October for tastings and tours.
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"Pil"
Award-winning broadcast journalist and thought leader in global affairs and media, Katie Pilgrim sits down with visionary and influential women who want to change the world. This week Pilgrim speaks with Hudson Valley resident and photographer, Carol Seitz.
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This Week
A Friday 7:30 AM Protest
And a Starry Saturday Night!
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Friday, September, 29th, 7:30AM
Safe Routes to School. Parents concerned about student safety at the four-way intersection of S. Parsonage and South Streets. are invited to join together at that intersection “to signify to Village officials that the community wants a solution for this unsafe intersection. Let’s work together to help the Village to help our students.” At S. Parsonage and South Sts., Rhinebeck.
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Now through Sunday, October 1st
“Ulysses,” interpreted and presented by Elevator Repair Service. A Fisher Center Lab Commission/World Premiere. Tickets $44.50. Info at FisherCenter.Bard.edu. At Bard College.
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Now through October 9th
Register for Kids Winter Hoops. Girls, Boys, and Co-ed, grades K-12. Sponsored by Pleasant Valley Youth Basketball League. For details and locations, go to pvrec.com.
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Friday, September 29th, 2:00PM
“The Real Gilded Age,” tour of the Staatsburgh State Historic Site. Tickets $10; $8 for seniors and students; children under 12 free. Reservations required, at https://111.Bookeo.com/StaatsburghSHS. At the site, Old Post Road, off Rte. 9, Staatsburg.
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Friday, September 29th, 4:00PM
Opening reception and panel discussion of “Silver Linings; Celebrating the Spelman Collection,” a selection of nearly 40 works from the permanent collection of Spelman College, the historically Black liberal arts college for women. Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Saturday, September 30th, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Rhinebeck Garden Club Annual Plant and Bake Sale. At CVS open space on East Market St.; if heavy rain, sale will move to the Rhinebeck Reformed Church, 6368 Mill St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, September 30th, 11:00AM - 2:00PM
"EV Curious?" POSTPONED FROM SEPT. 23rd - Electric Vehicle Event sponsored by Rhinebeck Village/Town Climate Smart Task Force. At the Mazzarella Park parking lot, West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, September 30th, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
“A Starry Night,” celebrating 160 Years of Starr Library. Tickets are $150, or $200 at the door; sponsorships also available. Tickets and sponsorship information at starrlibrary-bloom.kindful.com or at starrlibrary.org. At the Fairgrounds Horticulture Building, 6550 Spring Brook Ave. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, September 30th, and Sunday, October 1st
FREE Garden tours of Blithewood Garden (Saturday at 10AM) and Montgomery Place (Sunday at 2PM). Cosponsored by the Bard Arboretum, Friends of
Blithewood Garden, and The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Registration is required, at tclf.org. At the gardens on the Bard College campus.
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Sunday, October 1st, 2:00PM - 4:00PM
A Conversation with the Candidates. Learn more about these candidates and what they envision for Dutchess County. Featuring Tommy Zurhellen (candidate for County Executive), Anthony Parisi (District Attorney), James Rogers (Family Court Judge), and Kenya Gadsden (County Clerk). FREE. Submit questions to info@hudsonvalleystrong.org. At Rhinebeck Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Thursday, October 5th, 6:00PM - 7:00PM
Artist talk by award-winning artist and photographer, Franc Palaia, on “The History of Polaroid Photography,” including exhibit of Palaia’s specially enlarged and hand-colored Polaroids. Exhibit is on view through October 31. At CO., Co-working and Event Space, 6571 Spring Brook Ave. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Friday, October 6th, through Sunday, October 8th
O+ Festival on the streets of Kingston, featuring 50 live bands, visual and performance art, live comedy, and health and wellness workshops. Details at opositivefestival.org.
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Thursday, October 6th, 5:30PM - 7:30PM
Morton Library First Friday Dinner (oysters and clams and various sides). The last First Friday Dinner of the season. Donations support the library. At The Epicurean, 11 Shatzell Ave., Rhinecliff.
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Saturday, October 14th, 11:00AM - 6:00PM
Porchfest, the music festival. “All monies raised will go towards future enhancements at the Thompson-Mazzarella Park.” Many bands, much food. On Livingston and Chestnut Streets, Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, October 21st, and Sunday, October 22nd (Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4)
Sheep & Wool Festival. The Hudson Valley’s thriving sheep farmers meet national and international knitters and other artisans. Tickets $12 (pre-sale); $15 at the gate (ticket is good for one day). At the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6550 Spring Brook Ave. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Mondays, 5:30 - 7PM – Rockin’ Rooks Youth Chess. Students grades K-12 are welcome to join for fun, learning, and tournament competition. If school is closed there is no club meeting. For details see MortonRhinecliff.lib.ny.us. At Morton, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Now through October 6th
Call for contributions to Morton Library’s Homage to Fiber Artists show, which will open October 13. Open to everyone; kids’ creations are welcome. For info, contact Sandy@mortonrhinecliff.org. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Now through October 22nd
“Upstate Girls to Grown Upstate: Unraveling Collar City” 2004-2023, an exhibition of photographs by Brenda Ann Kenneally of a group of girls in North Troy. See cpw.org for details and hours. At the Center for Photography, 474 Broadway, Kingston.
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Now through November 26th, “Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination since 1969,” a show of over 100 works by Native American, First Nations, Metis, Inuit, and Alaska Native artists. See details at ccs.bard.edu. At Hessel Museum, Bard College.
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Now through January 28th, 2024
“Interwoven Histories: Prints by the Gee’s Bend Quilting Collective.” Exhibit of large-scale, colorful prints of the intricate and unique quilt-making designs of the acclaimed Alabama quilters. FREE. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Art Center, Poughkeepsie.
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Town of Clinton Food Drive, to restock the food pantry at Pleasant Plains Presbyterian Church. Drop off canned goods and non-perishables at the Town of Clinton Clerk’s office, 1215 Centre Rd., Rhinebeck, Mondays-Thursdays, 9AM - 4PM, or at the Church, 2 Fiddlers Bridge Rd., Staatsburg.
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Call for submissions: artworks inspired by the Rhinecliff Train Station, to be exhibited at Morton Library, Rhinecliff, later in 2023. Contact Chadkleitsch@gmail.com to submit a piece.
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Monday, October 2nd
Rhinebeck Town Planning Board Meeting
Town Hall
6:00PM
Agenda not yet available. See Town website. At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, October 3nd
Clinton Town Planning Board Workshop
Clinton Town Hall
6:00PM
Clinton Town Planning Board workshop about application by Six Sense Hudson Valley regarding Site Plan and Special Permit for Conference Center, 68 Naylor Rd., Town of Clinton, and 2450 Rte. 9G, Town of Hyde Park. Relevant documents are posted at TownofClinton.com. Workshop will be held at Clinton Town Hall, 1215 Centre Rd., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, October 3nd
Rhinebeck Village Planning Board Meeting
Village Hall
7:00PM
Agenda not yet available. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Thursday, October 5th
Rhinebeck Town Board Special Meeting
Town Hall
1:00PM
“To receive the 2024 Tentative Town Budget and any other business that may arise.” At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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The October 9 meeting of the Rhinebeck Town Board has been rescheduled to October 12, 5PM. Agenda not yet available.
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Monday, October 9 – Rhinebeck Village Hall is closed. | | | |
Tuesday, October 10th
Rhinebeck Village Board
Village Hall
6:00 PM
Agenda not yet available. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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A web page has been added to the Rhinebeck Village website, providing ongoing information about the development project at 6 Mulberry St., also known as the Brogan Center.
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The Rhinebeck Town Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) is looking for new members for two-year terms. No experience necessary. The CAB provides assistance to the Town Planning Board in reviewing proposals that may negatively impact Rhinebeck’s natural environment. If interested, contact the Town Clerk.
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"Shane"
Shane has been living in Rhinebeck for nine years and is greatly looking forward to "pumpkin season" this year, and every year.
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