Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 137 | February 23, 2024
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This Week(end)
In the newsletter this week, we provide a checklist of ways to lower your heating bills now, without major effort or expense. We also offer updated news on the lack of affordable rental housing in the Hudson Valley and the ongoing consolidation of New York’s essential dairy farms. On a more optimistic note, we visit with a new local business that delivers fresh fish to order.
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
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Five DIYs for Cutting Heating Bill Costs Now
While winter may be past the halfway point, it is never too late to make your home more energy efficient, as well as save money. Here are some tips.
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Finding Fish: How One Local Startup is Prioritizing Freshness
Kris Hassett, owner of a new seafood delivery start- up based in Rhinebeck, provides fresh fish for customers in the Hudson Valley because he thinks everyone deserves to experience and love the freshest fish attainable.
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The Hudson Valley is Increasingly Unaffordable for Renters // The Hudson Valley, which was once considered a more affordable option than big city living, is increasingly unaffordable, according to reporting this week in the New York Times. This is attributed to an influx of new residents and a boom in the number of houses being bought as second homes or listed on short-term rental platforms, putting housing increasingly out of reach for local renters. Fair market rents have increased by as much as 45 percent since 2019 in some locations in the Hudson Valley, according to a report published last year by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress (PfP), a nonprofit group based in Newburgh. Fair market rent is calculated annually by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to gauge housing markets.
Finding affordable housing is an increasing challenge in many parts of the Hudson Valley, such as Kingston, Beacon or Rhinebeck, where rents have risen much faster than wages for many. Local lower-income workers have seen their wages stagnate or even decline, according to the Times report. The Hudson Valley “has seen some of the steepest increases in housing costs anywhere in the state over the past several years,” said Jonathan Bix, the executive director of For the Many, a nonprofit group that has led campaigns calling for state and local housing reform in New York, who is quoted in the story. Affordable housing in Rhinebeck is one focus of the current revisions to the Village of Rhinebeck’s Comprehensive Plan, and will be the subject of a series of meetings this spring.
Big Dairy vs. Small Dairy // New York’s small, independent farm dairy industry is in steep decline, with more than half of the state’s dairy farms having shuttered in the last decade, according to reporting from the Albany Times Union. As recently as 1997, there were approximately 9,300 dairy farms in the state; as of 2022, there were about 3,000.
However, studies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that, despite the steady decline in the number of farms, the number of dairy cattle in New York has remained about the same, suggesting that smaller farms have either folded and sold their herds to larger competitors or have consolidated with other family farms, which spells a bad forecast for smaller independent producers. Another factor that is weighing on dairy production is the rise in labor and production costs, which have increased nearly 50% in the last five years, and this not only impacts the dairy industry, but other New York State agricultural industries as well. Other dairy-intensive states, like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, have also seen declines, but not quite as steep as New York’s. According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, dairy production is the single largest source of production in the state and New York is both the fifth largest producer of milk, and is the largest producer of yogurt and cottage cheese in the US.
Is Part of Rhinecliff Road Collapsing? Ask the State // Earlier this week we published a letter from reader Chris Mooney concerning a significant fissure in Rhinecliff Road on the way into the hamlet of Rhinecliff. The fissure runs across the road and, according to Rhinecliff residents on an active WhatsApp thread, it is becoming more “pronounced and dramatic” as time has gone on, with some even speculating without further evidence that the road might give way.
The Pilot reached out to Town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia and Town Highway Superintendent Robert Wyant about this issue. Wyant told the Pilot via email that he was indeed concerned about the road and added that there had been some “action from the state on that portion of the road in question. I ‘ve asked for plans when they are available but have not received any as of yet.” Spinzia, in a separate email, made it clear that this is a state road, and therefore not under the jurisdiction of the Town, but said that the state had been made aware of the issue. In response to the Pilot’s request for information from the state Department of Transportation, Heather M. Pillsworth, NYSDOT Public Information Officer wrote in an email, “The New York State Department of Transportation is aware of the pavement condition issues along State Route 982M [Rhinebeck Road] and is assessing potential remedies. We will keep the community apprised of further developments.” The Pilot will keep you posted, but in the meantime, dear readers, drive safe and mind the gap.
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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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"Correct Me If I'm Norm"
Norm sits down to chat with this week’s guest, who is a film director, a co-founder of the esteemed True/False Film Fest, and a fairly recent Rhinebeck transplant who is currently the co-executive director at Upstate Films - Paul Sturtz.
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This Week
February is Black History Month
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Friday, February 23rd, 4:00PM
US Air Force Heritage Winds Ensemble performs recent works by contemporary women composers. FREE. At Olin Hall, Bard College.
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Friday, February 23rd, 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Opening reception for Morton Talent Show/Art Exhibition with work by local artists. Show runs through March 30. Refreshments will be served. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Friday, February 23rd, 7:00PM
Rhinebeck Historical Society presents a talk by Bonnie Wood about Quaker abolitionist, journalist and teacher James DeGarmo (1838-1919). At the Local History Room, Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Friday, February 23rd, through Sunday, February 25th
Annual Kurtag Festival returns, with “Signs, Games, and Messages,” an exploration of the innovative music of Hungarian composer Gyorgy Kurtag. FREE. Presented by the Bard Conservatory. Details at Bard.edu.
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Friday, February 23rd, through Monday, February 26th
Share the Warmth – Rhinebeck Rotary is collecting sleeping bags and blankets for the unhoused community. Donation drop locations: Betsy Jacaruso Gallery, 43-2 East Market St. (2/23-25, 11AM - 4PM); and Rotary Lunch Meeting at the Beekman Arms (2/26, 12:15). You can also purchase goods to donate via the Amazon Wish List of Poughkeepsie nonprofit Hope On A Mission.
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Saturday, February 24th, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Rhinebeck Repair Cafe. “People bring all kinds of things to be fixed, including clocks, digital devices, toasters, clothing, ceramics, bicycles, and more. FREE. At the Pavilion at Brookmeade, 34 Brookmeade Dr. (off Rte. 308), Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, February 24th, Noon
Local author Jack Kelly (“God Save Benedict Arnold”) talks about the Revolutionary War on our home turf: Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Kingston and Clermont. Also available on Zoom. Get additional info here. At the Elmendorf Inn, 7562 N. Broadway, Red Hook.
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Tuesday, February 27th, 7:00PM - 8:00PM
A discussion of the acclaimed new nonfiction book, “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond, by the Starr Book Club. Newcomers are invited. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Friday, March 1st, 6:30PM
Morton’s 2024 Celebration of Community Talent Show. Suggested donation $5. For info contact sandy@mortonrhinecliff.org. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Friday, March 2nd, 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday Chill with Classical Guitarist Andrew Baffi. Also playing on the first Saturday of every month. FREE. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Wednesday, March 6th, 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Local author Rebecca Rego Barry discusses rescuing forgotten mystery author Carolyn Wells, one of the “lost ladies” of detective fiction. Co-hosted by Oblong Books. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Thursday, March 7th, 7:30PM
“Stray Dog,” another FREE showing of “12 films that revolutionized cinema.” Preceded by Happy Hour at 6:30PM with half-price beer and wine, free snacks and soda. A Bardavon/UPAC series; get tickets at Bardavon or UPAC box office. This movie will be shown at UPAC, 601 Broadway, Kingston.
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Now through February 29th
“The Hudson Valley in Watercolors by Isabel Church Livingston.” At Montgomery Row Art Space, upstairs at 6423 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Now through Mid-March
First come, first served registration is open for Girls on the Run, a program to build girls’ confidence and physical, mental and emotional health. Practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:45; season starts March 18; celebratory 5K on June 1. Financial assistance is available. For information and to register, go to www.girlsontherunhv.org. At Chancellor Livingston Elementary School, 48 Knollwood Rd., Rhinebeck.
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Now through March 17th
Opening reception for “Artist’s Choice,” a show of works by member artists. At Tivoli Artists Gallery, 60 Broadway, Tivoli.
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Now through March 17th
Levee: Photographs by Adrianna Ault. At the Center for Photography at Woodstock, 474 Broadway, Kingston.
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Now through March 21st
“And the Oscar Goes To…”: Oscar-nominated films at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck and Saugerties. See full programs at upstatefilms.org.
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Fridays through March 22nd, 5:00PM - 7:00PM
Fish Fry during Lent, organized by the Clinton Volunteer Fire Dept. $15, take-out only. Call 845-266-5485 for more information. At the East Clinton Firehouse, 9 Firehouse Lane, Clinton Corners.
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Now through March 30th
“Timelessness: Hudson Valley painters Marie Cole & Betsy Jacaruso.” At the Betsy Jacaruso Gallery, 43 East Market St., in the Courtyard, Rhinebeck.
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Now through Winter
Homemade soup sales via Rhinebeck Grange. $10/quart. If you’d like to pre-order, contact JoBaer2@gmail.com for the week’s availability. Quantities are limited. Next pickup is Thursday, March 21st, between 11AM and 12:30PM at the side door of the Rhinecliff Firehouse, corner of Shatzell and Orchard, Rhinecliff.
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Now through March 31st
“Women at Work: Photography and Labor,” a show featuring seven American women photographers, from the early 1900s to the present. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Gallery, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Now through April 1 – No parking on Rhinebeck roads from midnight to 8AM. Violators are subject to a fine.
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Now through April
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 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. Opening reception on February 22nd at 4:00PM. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Art Center, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Call for volunteers to provide free tax assistance
”Help your neighbors get the (tax) credit they deserve” through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. Many volunteer positions available, including tax preparers and technical and administrative support. FREE training. For details, call Linda Eddy at 845-475-7500.
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Rhinebeck Village Budget Meeting Schedule:
– Tuesday, February 27, 5PM – Water and Sewer;
– Tuesday, March 26, 5PM – Police and Fire;
– Thursday, March 28, 5PM – Highway, Environmental and General; and
– Tuesday, April 4, 5PM – Total Budget.
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Tuesday, February 27th
Special Rhinebeck Village Board Meeting
Village Hall
6:30PM
NOTE TIME. Special Meeting of Rhinebeck Village Board. Agenda includes review of 6 Mulberry St. project, including Environmental Assessment Form Part 3 and zoning amendment updates. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, February 27th
Rhinebeck Central School District Board Meeting
BMS Cafeteria
7:00PM
Agenda not yet available. See RCSD website. At Bulkeley School cafeteria, 45 North Rd., Rhinebeck.
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Wednesday, February 28th
Rhinebeck Village Board Meeting
Village Hall
2:00PM
NOTE TIME. Rhinebeck Village Board of Trustees. Agenda not yet available. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Monday, March 4th
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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The following items have been posted on the 6 Mulberry St. page of the Rhinebeck Village website, under Committees & Projects/6 Mulberry: revised parking study submitted by developer; and letter from several residents commenting on the January 22 draft zoning amendment. In addition, the following items are still posted: the environmental assessment prepared by Partridge Venture Engineering for the developer, dated Dec. 19, 2019; parameters regarding construction noise, traffic, and lighting; a revised site plan; plans and elevations for four one-family homes on the site; draft environmental assessment forms Parts 1, 2 and 3; and the Phase 1 Environmental Study.
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Deadline is March 1 for applications for Senior Citizen Tax Exemptions in Town of Rhinebeck. Age, residency and income requirements are available on Town website.
The Town of Rhinebeck is seeking applicants for positions on 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.
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Rhinebeck High School
(circa 1920s)
Well before Bulkeley Middle School and Rhinebeck High School combined in the 1990s, the high school stood on its own.
Image courtesy of Scott Cruickshank
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