Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 144 | March 19, 2024
| |
This Week
It’s Spring!
In today’s newsletter:
- In April, there will be four community conversations about affordable housing in Rhinebeck
- In celebration of the new season, we inaugurate our first gardening column
- An update on the disastrous rollout of legal cannabis and how state government is dealing, or not
- Letters to the Editor in March
- And More
Thank you for all of your support, keep those letters coming and check out our Instagram and Facebook activity.
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
|
|
Weed it and Reap: Sowing Fresh Starts
Local master gardener Victoria Rolfe launches our first gardening column with, appropriately enough, a look at planting seed starts in honor of spring.
| |
Vox Populi: Letters to the Editor in March
Readers have written in to sound off, opine and just provide feedback on everything from antisemitic graffiti at the high school to the talent show in Rhinecliff.
| |
Rhinebeck is Talking About Affordable Housing // Community “conversations” about affordable housing will be held on four consecutive Sundays in April – April 7-28.
Whether it is a heated discussion about the Locust Hill workforce project or upset over proposed changes to short-term rental laws, there is no shortage of opinions on housing in Rhinebeck, especially how to address the need for more affordable housing in town.
Responding to this controversy, The Church of the Messiah, along with various community members, including Starr Library, are hosting a series of four community conversations where residents are invited to learn some facts, ask questions, speak their minds and try to envision the future.
Speakers will represent a range of perspectives, including historical, ecological, housing justice, land use, real estate and development and more. The line-up includes local experts Adam Bosch, Steve Rosenberg, Deirdre Burns, Jonathan Mensch, Bill Jeffway, Ken Kearney, Christa Hines, Nancy Sheehan, and others. Breakout sessions will follow the panel discussions.
Legal Weed is Still a Mess in NY // Governor Hochul has ordered a “top-to-bottom” review of the state’s licensing bureaucracy to begin yesterday. This is just weeks after Hochul declared the rollout “a disaster” and called off a Cannabis Control Board meeting at which the board was prepared to hand out only a few licenses, far short of the hundreds expected. Hochul demanded an immediate fix to the situation, as the process has severely stalled an industry expected to bring in millions of tax dollars to the state and provide revenue for women, people of color, service-disabled veterans, distressed farmers, and residents of many overpoliced communities.
To give you an idea, the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which recommends applicants to the board for final approval, received 7,000 applications for licenses last fall from businesses seeking to open dispensaries, grow cannabis and manufacture products. But regulators have awarded just 109 so far, according to reporting from the New York Times. In addition, there have been multiple lawsuits and injunctions filed against the OCM since its inception in 2021, which has further delayed the growth of the state-sponsored cannabis industry. This has allowed a black market in the state to thrive, especially in New York City. No word yet on a timeline of this review process, but the Governor has spoken.
Adultery Alert // It is illegal in New York to be unfaithful to your spouse. A little-known New York State law, on the books since 1907, effectively makes infidelity within marriage a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months of incarceration. But some of us may soon be able to breathe easier, since the law may be heading for repeal.
The law, which was originally intended to discourage divorce, is the subject of a bill adopted 137-10 (no Assemblymember from the mid-Hudson Valley voted against repeal, unless you count Chris Tague, from Catskill) last week in the State Assembly, according to reporting in the Albany Times Union. This is not the first time the law has been challenged, as a 1967 state commission recommended repeal in 1967, to no avail.
“There are plenty of laws whose purpose is directly to protect the community,” said the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyperson Charles Lavine (D), from Nassau County. “On the other hand, some laws embody nothing more than someone’s idea of moral outrage.” The bill must be approved by the State Senate and signed by the governor before it becomes law.
| |
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.
| | | |
"GynoCURIOUS"
Jessica Fern works with individuals, couples, and people in multiple-partner relationships. Fern speaks with Dr. Amy Novatt about her practice and new possibilities in life and love in non-traditional non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships.
| |
This Week
March is Women’s History Month
| |
Friday, March 22nd, through Sunday, March 24th
(Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only). “Hamlet,” in a new production that is about “modern families and their angsts in 2024 America,” with an “off-beat cast” in modern dress. Tickets $25. At The Center for Performing Arts, 661 Route 308, Rhinebeck.
| |
Tuesday, March 19th, 6:30PM
Vassar College Curators’ Talk about “Making a Life in Photography: Rollie McKenna,” with Mary-Kay Lombino and Jess Brier. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
| |
Thursday, March 21st
Last homemade soup sale via Rhinebeck Grange until October. $10/quart. If you’d like to pre-order, contact JoBaer2@gmail.com for the week’s availability. Quantities are limited. Pickup is Thursday, March 21st, between 11AM and 12:30PM at the side door of the Rhinecliff Firehouse, corner of Shatzell and Orchard, Rhinecliff.
| |
Thursday, March 21st, 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Fiction Workshop with Rhinebeck writer Lilliana Kahan. Register. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
Friday, March 22nd (keynote dinner 6:00 - 9:00PM), and Saturday, March 23rd (workshops 8:30AM - 5:00PM)
Annual Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference. Workshop topics include navigation, maintenance, knots, and racing. Info and registration at hrmm.org. At the Wooden Boat School of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, 86 Rondout Landing, Kingston.
| |
Saturday, March 23rd, 10:00AM - Noon
Stitching Stuffies – Stuffed Animal Hospital. Learn simple stitch techniques to repair beloved stuffed animals. Ages 5+. Sponsored by Starr Stitchers Embroidery Club. Register. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
Saturday, March 23rd, 2:00PM
Lecture and Hudson Valley wine tasting with Stephen Casscles, author of “Grapes of the Hudson Valley.” Tickets $25. At Wilderstein Historic Site, 330 Morton Rd., Rhinebeck.
| |
Saturday, March 23rd, 7:30PM
“March Monologue Madness,” Hudson Valley writers perform their work. A benefit for Morton Library – admission by donation. At Morton, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
| |
Wednesday, March 27th, 10:00AM
Rhinebeck Garden Club presents “Native Flowering Shrubs that Replace Invasives and Benefit Wildlife,” a talk by Cathy Lane. FREE. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
Thursday, March 28th, 6:30PM
“How to be Old; Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon,” author Lyn Slater talks with Sari Botton. Presented by Oblong Books. FREE; registration required. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
| |
Friday, March 29th, 7:00PM - 8:30PM
Rhinebeck Historical Society program: “History of Agriculture in Rhinebeck,” with Mike Frazier, Historical Society Trustee and Rhinebeck history maven. At the Mary Frazer Room, Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
Saturday, April 6th, 10:00AM
Wilderstein Historic Site is holding a “meet-and-greet” orientation and is seeking volunteers for its 2024 season, including docents, greeters, and landscape helpers. Details at wilderstein.org. At the gate house, 330 Morton Rd., Rhinebeck.
| |
Sundays from April 7th through April 28th, 4pm
"How Do We House Rhinebeck The Past, Present, and Future of Our Community – A Series of Conversations about Affordable Housing,” including expert panels and table conversations. 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.
| |
Wednesdays Noon - 2:00PM, and Sundays 10AM-Noon through March 31. Starr Library is accepting donations for the Book Sale on April 26-27. Limit of five boxes per person. At the library. 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
Now through April 1st
“Into the Light,” paintings by Julia VanDevelder. Show runs through April 1. At Art Gallery 71, 71 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
| |
Now through April 1 – No parking on Rhinebeck roads from midnight to 8AM. Violators are subject to a fine.
| |
Now through April 5th
Kindergarten registration at Chancellor Livingston Elementary School. For details, contact Mary Ann Torres at 845-871-5500, ext. 6560, or registration@rhinebeckcsd.org.
| |
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.
| |
Now through April 7th
Street and landscape photography show by Rhinebeck resident Chris Bartlett. At Pamela Salisbury Gallery, 362 ½ Warren St., Hudson.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
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.
| |
Tuesday, March 19th
Rhinebeck Village Election of Two Trustees for the Village Board
Village Hall
Noon - 9:00PM
See Village website for sample ballot. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
| | | |
Wednesday, March 20th
Rhinebeck Town Zoning Board of Appeals
Town Hall
7:00PM
Agenda includes public hearing of application re signage at ArchCare, 21 Ferncliff Dr.; regular meeting agenda includes application by Wireless Edge for cell tower at 3718 Rte. 9G. See Town website. At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
| | | |
Monday, March 25th
Rhinebeck Town Board of Trustees
Town Hall
6:00PM
Agenda includes public hearing of proposed amendments to noise ordinance and of proposal to increase the terms of the Town Supervisor and Town Highway Dept. Superintendent from two to four years. See Town website. At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
| | | |
By Tuesday, March 26, 4PM – Submit applications to the Village of Rhinebeck for positions on the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Details on Village website.
| | | |
Rhinebeck Village Budget Meeting Schedule:
– Tuesday, March 26, 5PM – Police and Fire;
– Thursday, March 28, 5PM – Highway, Environmental and General; and
– Tuesday, April 4, 5PM – Total Budget.
| | | |
Friday, March 29 – Rhinebeck Village Hall is closed for Good Friday. | | | |
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.
| | | |
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.
| | | | |
|
Astor Estate
The original Astor mansion home was built by William Blackhouse Astor Jr. when he purchased the property back in 1853. The home was demolished in the 1940s.
Image courtesy of Rhinebeck Historical Society
| | | | |
