Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 152 | April 16, 2024
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This Week
In today’s newsletter:
- Town of Rhinebeck Wrestles with Dogs Off-Leash
- Rhinebeck Village Sends a Message to Central Hudson
- Rhinebeck’s Growing Colony of Little Libraries
- A New Volunteer Guide
- And More
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
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The Power of the Dog: Rhinebeck Wrestles With Off-Leash Dogs
If you own a dog in the Town of Rhinebeck you probably know it's illegal to walk your pooch leash-free anywhere in town. But a group of residents are asking for a tad more free range for their four-legged friends. They want a dog run in an unfenced back field at Thompson-Mazzarella Park. The matter was raised at the March 25th Rhinebeck Town Board meeting and it created a stir.
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Give and Take As You Wish: Little Free Libraries in Rhinebeck and Rhinecliff
Heard of Little Free Libraries? Maybe the name doesn't ring a bell, but you have surely seen one of them around town offering up free reading material for the taking.
What started as a small literacy movement fifteen years ago has grown in Rhinebeck and nationwide.
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Rhinebeck Village Opposes Central Hudson Rate Increases //
Last week, the Village of Rhinebeck joined the pushback on Central Hudson with a formal letter to the PSC stating that the village opposes the proposed rate increase for the embattled utility. “We are already suffering with inflation and such an increase would be a financial burden on the Village government, as well as residents,” Village board trustee Lydia Slaby said during a village board meeting on April 9th.
The energy company is currently in discussions with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to get approval to raise customer rates approximately 31% as soon as this coming July, even though electricity supply costs for Central Hudson have dropped this month, according to reporting from the Daily Freeman.
The village plan is to file the letter with the PSC, and join the chorus of other communities throughout the Hudson Valley, along with local representatives Rep. Pat Ryan and State Senator Michelle Hinchey, who have been vocal against the proposed Central Hudson increases, as well as their business practices. The village wants to “tell the world we are opposed to such an increase,” according to Slaby. Fellow trustee Ric Lewit added, “What we are saying to PSC – we are watching you.”
Care to Volunteer? //
Our journalistic neighbors up north, The Daily Catch, based out of Red Hook, have put together a modest volunteer guide which covers ten local organizations that are doing good for the community. The guide describes each organization in detail, explains the needed skills, if any, and lists the hours when volunteers are needed, with contact information. The guide, which includes organizations like Red Hook Responds and Wilderstein Historic Site, is an initial attempt to provide a growing resource for residents who want to give back and take a greater role in their community.
We Got April Fooled //
Turns out a story we reported on last week, having to do with actress and LGBTQ icon Kristen Stewart teaching a course at Vassar College, “Where Have You Been Loca?: Investigating Queer Visibility and Transgression in the Post-Twilight Age,” was an elaborate April Fools prank created by the Miscellany News, a Vassar student-run news outlet. According to officials at the college, no such course exists or is in the planning stage. We apologize for any confusion or excitement any readers might have experienced at the prospect of auditing such a course.
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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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"The Back Room"
Sarah McCammon is a National Political Correspondent for NPR and cohost of The NPR Politics Podcast.
Sarah is the author of the new book The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. In this conversation with Andy Ostroy, Sarah shares her deeply personal journey of faith to freedom; explains white evangelical support for Trump; and offers compelling insights on religion in America today.
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This Week
Rhinebeck’s Shifting Identity – Past and Present
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Wednesday, April 17th, 7:30PM
“Music Alive! Dynamic Women,” featuring student and faculty musicians performing recent works by women faculty composers. Curated by Joan Tower. FREE. At Bito Conservatory Building, Bard College.
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Thursday, April 18th, 7:00PM
“Slavery, Segregation & Staatsburgh,” new research on the transition from Black presence during the early 19th c. to total absence during the Gilded Age. ON ZOOM. FREE. Registration required. Presented by staff at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site.
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Friday, April 19th, 8:00PM
“Women are Doing it for Themselves," with women singers/songwriters – presented by Richard’s Rhinecliff Acoustic Show and featuring Lisa Dudley, Lynda Sales, Joann Chamberlain, and Bjanette & Danele. Donations suggested. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Saturday, April 20th, 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Annual Town of Clinton Community Roadside Litter Cleanup. Families welcome; bring garbage bags. All participants will receive a packet of sunflower seeds. Sponsored by the Town of Clinton Scenic and Historic Roads Advisory Committee. Questions answered at 845-266-3003 or twistedoaks@optonline.net.
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Saturday, April 20th, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Blood Drive sponsored by East Clinton Fire District. Give blood and receive a $10 e-card to a merchant of your choice. Schedule to donate at redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code ECFD. New donors are needed. At 9 Firehouse Lane, Clinton Corners.
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Saturday, April 20th, 7:00PM
“Living,” with Bill Nighy, a movie about “a bureaucrat who decides to turn his hollow life into something wonderful.” Presented by Movies With Spirit. Donation $10 suggested for attendees over age 12. At the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, 6436 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Sunday, April 21st, 4:00PM
“Rhinebeck’s Shifting Identity: How Rhinebeck and Its Housing Evolved Over Time – and Why,” with Bill Jeffway, Executive Director, Dutchess County Historical Society; and Nancy Sheehan, Executive Director, Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce. The third in a series of four Sunday meetings through April 28 on “How Do We House Rhinebeck? The Past, Present, and Future of Our Community – A Series of Conversations about Affordable Housing.” Free potluck dinner at 5:30. Sponsored by the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, in collaboration with Starr Library and other members of the community. Registration requested but not required. For details, including topics and speakers, see starrlibrary.org or www.Rhinebeck-Episcopal.org. At the Parish Hall, Episcopal Church of the Messiah, 6436 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Wednesday, April 24th, 10:00AM
“Think Outside the Window Box.” Master Gardener Donna Croshier gives a presentation about adding surprise in your garden. Sponsored by the Rhinebeck Garden Club. Visitors welcome. At Rhinebeck Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Thursday, April 25th, 12:30PM
“The Native History of the Catskills,” a Lunch & Learn presentation by Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley. At the Clinton Community Library, 1215 Centre Rd., Town of Clinton.
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Thursday, April 25th, 5:00PM - 7:00PM
Talk Shop 4.0, featuring artists and makers whose work is on display at VERSE/Work/Shop, 35 West Market St., Red Hook.
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Thursday, April 25th, 6:00PM
A Rhinecliff Community Conversation about “utilities and parking issues.” At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Friday, April 26th, 8:00PM
“Almost Queen: A Tribute to Queen.” Tickets $44-$90. At UPAC, 601 Broadway, Kingston.
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Saturday, April 27th, Noon - 3:00PM
Earth Day Celebration, including hands-on gardening and crafts, Village compost update, electric alternatives to leaf and snow blowers, nature walks and a birds-of-prey demo! FREE. Co-sponsored by Rhinebeck Village’s Climate Smart Rhinebeck Task Force, local nonprofit Dirty Gaia, and the Town of Rhinebeck. Detailed schedule at climatesmartrhinebeck.org and click on Events.
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Sunday April 28th, Noon - 3:00PM
“Music of Latin America,” presented by the Mid-Hudson Classical Guitar Society. $10 at the door. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Saturday, May 4th, 3:00PM - 5:00PM
Opening reception for “Changin’ Times; Photography by Harvey Silver,” featuring images of the music, streets, protests & counterculture in NYC and beyond.” Exhibit runs through May 26. At the Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway.
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Saturday, May 4th, 6:00PM
Traditional German Dinner prepared by CIA students. $30/person eat-in or take-out. Reservations required: 845-876-3727 or office@rhinebeckreformed.org. At the Rhinebeck Reformed Church, 6368 Mill St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, May 4th, 7:30PM
“An Evening with Rachel Maddow,” Emmy award-winning broadcaster in conversation with Anthea Butler, professor of American Social Thought at University of Pennsylvania. Tickets $49, including a copy of Maddow’s new book, “PREQUEL: An American Fight Against Fascism.” Presented by Oblong Books and Bardavon. At UPAC, 601 Broadway, Kingston.
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May 15th is the deadline for high school or college students to apply for two scholarships awarded by the Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market: the $2,000 John Honey Scholarship for agricultural and environmental sustainability and the $1,000 Jeff Scales Scholarship for community advocacy. For more information, rfmscholarships@gmail.com.
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Register now for the Sunday, May 19, 12K Walk-Bike-Run 2024 fundraising event for Camp Rising Sun, an international, full-scholarship leadership program for teens ages 14-16. Registration fee $25/person or $10 for youth under 18. Sponsored by the Louis August Jonas Foundation; for details, go to lajf.org/wbr2024 or call 845-266-4561. The event starts at the camp’s Red Hook campus, 150 Oriole Mills Rd., Rhinebeck.
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Are you interested in becoming a volunteer tour guide at Blithewood, the historic house and Beaux Arts garden on the Bard College campus? Bard will provide training. Contact Amy Parrella at horticulture@bard.edu.
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Now through April 27th
“All the Things We Could Have Been,” art works by K.P. Devlin. Upstairs at Montgomery Row Art Space, 6423 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Now through April 30th
Works by Polly M. Law and William W. Underhill. Masks are requested when inside the galleries. At Shahinian Upstairs Galleries, 22 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Now through April 30th
“But Today is Different,” a collaborative art and poetry show by Mimi Graminski and Sarah Stern. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., and The Little Gallery, 59 Chestnut St., Rhinebeck.
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Now through May 5th
“Out of Exile; the Photography of Fred Stein." At Mad Rose Gallery, 5916 North Elm Ave., Millerton.
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Now through June 2nd
“Making a Life in Photography: Rollie McKenna,” the first survey of the prolific career of an American photographer. Co-curated by Rhinebeck’s own Mary-Kay Lombino, Deputy Director and Emily Hargroves Fisher ‘57 and Richard B. Fisher Curator at the Art Center. The show is accompanied by an extensive catalog and runs through June 2. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Art Center, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Tuesday, April 16th
Rhinebeck Village Planning Board
Village Hall
7:00PM
Agenda includes signage at Upstate Down, 13 East Market St.; major renovation and addition for proposed second story apartment at 20 Garden St., and amendment of previously approved site plan at 21 North Parsonage St. for proposed accessory dwelling unit. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, April 16th
Rhinebeck Central School District
Bulkeley School cafeteria
7:00PM
Agenda includes adoption of the budget. See RCSD website. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14; the community’s school budget vote is on Tuesday, May 21. At Bulkeley School cafeteria, 45 North Rd., Rhinebeck.
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Wednesday, April 17th
Town of Rhinebeck Zoning Board of Appeals
Town Hall
7:00PM
Agenda not yet available. See Town website. At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, April 23rd
Rhinebeck Village Board Special Meeting
Village Hall
3:30PM
NOTE TIME – Agenda includes public hearing of proposed zoning code change to allow for daycare centers within the Gateway zoning district and the Village Center zoning district. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Beginning Monday, April 1 – Rhinebeck Village brush and yard waste removal pickup. See Village website for guidelines and detailed schedule.
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Town of Rhinebeck is seeking applicants for positions on the Planning Board, Conservation Advisory Board, and Board of Assessment Review. Applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent and resume to townclerk@rhinebeckny.gov. Applications are also available on the Town website.
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The following items have recently been posted on the 6 Mulberry St. page of the Rhinebeck Village website, under Committees & Projects/6 Mulberry: Neighbors’ letter regarding the proposed rezoning and Village attorney’s revised draft of the Bulkeley Schoolhouse Overlay District (BSO). A variety of materials, regarding the environmental assessment and the proposed rezoning, are also posted on the page.
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Grand Army of the Republic on Parade in Rhinebeck
Members of the Grand Army of the Republic are marching in the center of the Village of Rhinebeck circa 1880s.
Image courtesy of Rhinebeck Historical Society
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