Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 76 | July 25, 2023
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Forward Thinking
Being a “small and scrappy” news gathering venture doesn’t mean that one needs to stay small. At the Pilot we have been working diligently to listen to our readers and find new ways to respond to the community’s needs and concerns. Today, we are very pleased to announce a new and important addition to this effort: we will be publishing a series of articles dealing with environmental issues from a local and regional perspective. The articles will be written by a journalist with extensive experience on these issues – Michael Frank. Michael is an editor and journalist based in New Paltz, where he is an adjunct professor of journalism at SUNY. His work as an editor led to two National Magazine Awards for Esquire and National Geographic. He currently contributes to Consumer Reports, Hagerty Media, Forbes, and other outlets. He joins the Pilot with an express purpose: to extend and fortify our coverage of issues concerning the environment, sustainability and climate.
This week Michael is tackling the difficulties in building, as well as maintaining, a state-wide infrastructure to support the growing fleet of consumer EVs. He will follow this with an article about home EV charging.
The Pilot will be tackling issues around air quality, farmland preservation and solar options in the coming weeks, with the help of Michael’s reporting. We are eager to address issues about which so many of you have expressed such enduring interest and concern.
Thanks for reading the Pilot and for supporting us as we grow.
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
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Shortage of EV Charging Stations Keeps Cars Off the Road
The shortage of EV charging options is a regional problem in the Hudson Valley.
How will electric vehicles replace gas-powered cars at a significant rate if drivers are unable to find chargers to keep their cars on the road?
[This article was produced in partnership with the Times Union]
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Upstate Art Weekend Brings Art and Performance to Rhinebeck
Covering ten counties running east and west along the Hudson River, Upstate Art Weekend took over a large swath of the Hudson Valley this past weekend. Rhinebeck's 'T' Space Gallery was host to both a visual installation and a live sonic performance.
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Dirty Gaia Opens Up Local Gardens
On Saturday, Dirty Gaia held their annual Edible Gardens Tour, opening up nine private gardens to the community. This photo, by Mikayla Millard, shows a garden belonging to renowned Rhinebeck gardener Dorothy Baran. Read more of our coverage of Dirty Gaia here.
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Are You a Journalist or a Writer?
The HV Pilot needs writers to cover local news, local business, local real estate issues, and all things local and interesting to our thriving community.
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NY Delays End of Fossil Fuel Use // When it gets hot, electricity demand spikes. Crank that A/C; charge that electric car and the utility will make energy—sometimes, as a stopgap, from not-ecologically friendly oil and natural gas peaker plants. Central Hudson operates some of these, including two in Greene County that are scheduled for decommissioning by 2024. But you can’t just turn them off without planned—but not yet available—solar and wind. Now comes a report from the New York Independent System Operator (NYSIO), a watchdog of grid stability, indicating that by 2025 New York City may not have enough backup power without peakers. The report also flagged the possible continued need for Central Hudson’s Greene County peaker units. Even as the Town and Village of Rhinebeck explore joining a CCA, it’s important to understand that at high demand the current system gets dirtier. The Pilot plans to explore how local solar generation could change this outcome. For now, the NYSIO report made clear that peakers may be around longer than their planned 2025 phase-out; in addition, a clean air advocacy group called the Peak Coalition warned that this delay will perpetuate high electric bills—and even more dire climate impacts.
A Bridge Not Too Far // The Hudson River’s eastern shoreline between Hyde Park and Clermont is home to at least 12 unique historic steel truss bridges. At Mills-Norrie State Park, a 1912 truss bridge has been fenced off for many years due to safety concerns, but until a few years ago it provided local residents with a river-view walk into the park leading to Hoyt House, a National Historic Landmark. Now comes word that repairs and revitalization are in the works for this historic bridge entrance to Norrie Point. The Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance, named after the famed designer of the Hoyt House and who later collaborated with Fredrick Law Olmsted on the design and development of Central Park in New York City, announced this week that they have been awarded a $150,000 Stewardship Award by the state Environmental Protection Fund’s Parks and Trails Partnership Grants program to repair and reopen the Hoyt Carriageway Bridge. The alliance must now raise $50,000 in matching funds to completely fund the work. The $200,000 project includes removing and replacing the deteriorated deck, replacing some of the wooden stringers, installing metal safety fencing and making repairs to a concrete pier and abutment. The end result will be a revitalized piece of Dutchess County history, and another beautiful place to walk and view the magnificent Hudson River.
Plate It // Just in case your “Upstate & Chill” trucker hat didn’t feel like it expressed your love for the region with enough enthusiasm, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has your back with new, special-order “Mid-Hudson” license plates. For a mere $60, you could have a license plate showing mountains (presumably the Catskills) and a snaking Hudson River. This is one of a series of 10 regional plates that the state DMV is introducing, with the other nine celebrating the Capital Region, the Finger Lakes, and Saratoga, to name a few.
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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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"The Back Room"
Congressman Eric Swalwell is Andy's guest this week. Swalwell serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee and was appointed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve as an Impeachment Manager for Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
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Thank You for Signing Up
The response to our twice-weekly newsletter has been overwhelming and the engagement is beyond encouraging. We are proud to announce that we have crossed the 1690 newsletter subscriber mark! We encourage you to spread the word and tell your friends, family, neighbors and strangers alike to sign up here to expand our reach. The more people we have reading and engaging, the more of an active community we are.
Local news for local good.
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This Week
Global Music for a Summer Afternoon
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Thursday, July 27th, 8:25PM
“Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the third of seven FREE summer movies outdoors presented by the Rhinebeck Town Recreation Committee. Four are scheduled; the committee is seeking suggestions for the other three. See Town website to contact the committee. At Mazzarella Park, Rhinebeck.
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Friday, July 28th, 5:30PM - 7:30PM
Jasperoo: acoustic tunes from old-time to modern originals. Presented by Music on Market, a project of the Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce. FREE. At Rhinebeck Bank Plaza, Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Saturday, July 29th, 10:00AM - Noon
Morning Tea at Clermont Gardens, a benefit for the Friends of Clermont. Not only tea: finger foods, pastries, and the “internationally recognized tea bag art” of Ruby Silvious, as well as a silent auction and visits to the newly restored formal gardens. Tickets $50; children under 12 free. See friendsofclermont.org. At Clermont State Historic Site, Rte. 9G, Germantown.
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Saturday, July 29th, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
Around the World Musical Extravaganza with Chris Merwin, including music from the Caribbean, Japan, Hawaii, and Tibet, among other locations. Register at starrlibrary.org. At Starr, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Thursday, August 3rd, 8:25PM
Movies Under the Starrs, showing “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.” FREE. Presented by the Rhinebeck Town Recreation Committee. “Bring a chair, blanket or pad.” At Thompson-Mazzarella Park, Rhinebeck.
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Rhinebeck Rec is now offering Aqua Zumba (Wed. evenings) at the Town pool and Adult Pick-up Soccer (Wed. PM and Sunday AM) at the newly refurbished soccer field. Register for all the sessions or pay a drop-in fee as you go. For details, see rhinebeckny.gov.myrec.com.
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Now through August 20 – “Apocalypse Sky,” works by artists whose lives were transformed by the HIV/AIDS crisis during the 1980s and 1990s, including Keith Haring, Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others. Vassar.edu/theloeb. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Gallery, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Now through November 26, “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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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. | |
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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Wednesday July 26th
Rhinecliff Parking Workshop
Morton Library
6:00PM
Another follow-up community workshop about codifying proposals re Rhinecliff parking. At Morton Library, Rhinecliff.
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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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Find Tony!
Tony has been missing from South Anson Road in Stanfordville since November. If you have any information on him, please call 845-224-6503. There is a reward.
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