Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns
Issue 164 | May 28, 2024
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This Week
In today’s newsletter:
- Elected Officials Challenge Central Hudson by Creating a Public Held Energy Option
- Rhinefolk: School Bus Driver Larry Anthony
- Spongy Moth Caterpillars are Everywhere
- And More
Eric Steinman
Executive Editor
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It’s No Stunt: Shrestha and Hinchey are Dead Serious About Dumping Central Hudson
This past Friday in Kingston, New York State Assemblymember (D-103) Sarahana Shrestha and State Senator Michelle Hinchey came together to put a finger in the eye of Central Hudson.
There is a movement to replace Central Hudson with a publicly held operation providing more consistent and affordable electricity service for area residents.
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Rhinefolk: Larry Anthony, School Bus Driver
Larry Anthony has been driving a school bus for 26 years, and many of his current student passengers have grown curious about what makes him tick. We provided an opportunity to the students on bus #7 to ask Anthony questions ranging from the personal to the absurd.
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Rhinebeck's Annual Memorial Day Parade Cancelled Due to Rain
While the weather on Monday rained on our scheduled parade, we choose to look back to 2023 when the weather was bright and sunny and the Memorial Day celebration stretched through the streets of Rhinebeck.
Relive the memory and view a slideshow of the 2023 event below.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillars//
Sure, at this point it is somewhat old news, but the invasive spongy moth caterpillars (formerly known as “gypsy moths” with the scientific name Lymantria dispar) hatched throughout the area a few weeks back and have been growing in both size and numbers over the past few weeks. If you have left the house at all over the past few days, you have no doubt seen the now two-inch fuzzy worm-like creatures dotting your car, your house, hanging from thin silky reeds, feasting on trees and plants, or dropping bits of frass (otherwise known as caterpillar excrement) indiscriminately just about everywhere.
From the sound of it, locals are concerned as well as supremely annoyed by the ubiquitous presence of these caterpillars (just wait until they go through their metamorphosis and turn into moths) and are looking for answers as to how to combat this population boom, or at least deal with it.
New York State Integrated Pest Management, run through Cornell University, lists a number of factoids about the creatures, including their preferred meals, which include various trees including oak, willow, apple, crabapple, white birch, witch hazel, mountain ash, basswood, linden, pine, Douglas-fir and spruce. While it remains to be seen how extensive the damage will be from this particular season of both caterpillars and moths, it is not a bad idea to get out there (mind you, with gloves on, as while the caterpillars do NOT bite, they do carry histamines on their body that can be an irritant to skin) and do what you can to try to neutralize their destruction. You can tie a band of burlap around the trunk of a tree, which will cause the caterpillars to lose their footing and fall to the ground. After they've fallen, you can then easily sweep them up and dispose of them by drowning in a bucket of soapy water, or simply squishing. There are various biological sprays and insecticides that you could resort to instead, but those also run the risk of interfering with the lifecycle and health of pollinators, as well as other living creatures. Some swear by less caustic approaches, like neem oil, but manually pulling them off and squishing them might be the best immediate solution.
Besides humans, these invasive pests have two predators: white-footed mice (also known for carrying lyme-infected ticks) and the fungus Entomophaga maimaiga, which thrives in wet and humid environments. So the more it rains, the more of a likelihood that such a fungus will take down much of the spongy moth population before it has its way with local fauna.
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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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"GynoCURIOUS"
One out of every third woman in the US has experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Dr. Branka Bryan, clinical psychologist, and executive director fo the Grace Smith House in Poughkeepsie, joins GynoCurious to discuss the sobering reality of domestic violence.
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This Week
Church of the Messiah Bids a Fond Farewell
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Tickets are still available for the June 7 CultureConnect fundraiser, “Baila Conmigo! Come Dance with Me!” The festivities begin at 7PM. Purchase tickets ($85 after midnight tonight) and inquire about sponsorships at https://www.cultureconnectrbk.org/june7fundraiser. At Hudson Hollow Barn, Staatsburg.
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May 27th - 31st is the first annual Water Operators Appreciation Week, sponsored by the Hudson River Water Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7). In celebration, the group has organized a FREE tour of the Poughkeepsie Water Treatment Facility, the largest drinking-water plant in the Hudson 7 watershed, to be held on Friday, May 31, from 10AM-Noon. For info, contact hudson7info@gmail.com. On the campus of Marist College, Poughkeepsie.
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Thursday, May 30th, 6:30PM
“Trash the Incinerator; Clean Air for Dutchess County. Did you know Dutchess County burns its waste?,” a presentation by Mothers Out Front, with Q&A. Learn more and explore sustainable alternatives. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Thursday, May 30th, 7:00PM
Red Hook Community Conversation: Traditions and Innovations Sustaining Agriculture, with author David Sokol; Sam Phelan, chair, Town of Red Hook Planning Committee; Ken Migliorelli of Migliorelli Farm; Sam Rose of Cultivar Community Farm; and Pieter Estersohn, author of “Back to the Land: A New Way of Life in the Country.” At the historic Elmendorph Inn, 7562 N. Broadway, Red Hook.
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Saturday, June 1, 11:00AM - 4:00PM (Rain date, June 2)
Historic Red Hook Then & Now Festival: Farms, Food & Families. Displays, family activities, food, music, driving tour and scavenger hunt. For details and map, go to historicredhook.org. At the Elmendorph Inn and Green, 7562 N. Broadway, Red Hook
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Saturday, June 1, 2:00PM
Morton Community Chorus Summer Concert, singing Georgian, Balkan, Serbian and Roma songs. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.
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Saturday, June 1, 4:00PM
Open House and Annual Historic Preservation & Awards Celebration presented by the Dutchess County Historical Society. Tickets are $100. For a complete list of honorees and to purchase tickets and sponsorships, go to dchsny.org. At the Hill family’s octagonally-inspired home, The Grove, 6484 Montgomery St., (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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Sunday, June 2, 2:00PM
“Succulents in Temperate Landscape Design,” a presentation by Wave Hill horticulturist Harnek Singh, where he will share the details of what he looks for in plants before choosing them for seasonal succulent displays, including how leaf texture, color, maintenance needs, and propagation ease are carefully considered in these succulents and their companion plants.
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Sunday, June 2, 4:00PM
Fr. Richard will conclude his tenure at the Episcopal Church of the
Messiah with an Evensong Service at Church of the Messiah.
The entire community is welcomed to attend. Special music is planned and the Rt. Rev. Matthew F. Heyd, the 17th Bishop of New York, will officiate. A reception will follow the service. At the Episcopal Church of the
Messiah, 6436 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck.
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Tickets are now on sale for the June 8, 15, and 22 Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle Concert Series, with music by Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, Vaughan Williams, Karim Al-Zand, Joan Tower, and others. Tickets $5 for students; $44.50 each, or $110 for all three. At the Fisher Center, Bard College.
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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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Town of Clinton Food Drive. The food pantry at Pleasant Plains Presbyterian Church needs restocking. They are in need of toiletries, canned food, cat food and condiments. Please drop off donations at the Town Clerk's office at 1215 Centre Rd, Clinton. Monday through Thursday, 9:00AM - 4:00PM.
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Tuesdays through October, 2:00-5:30PM
Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market, featuring farm fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, baked goods, and more. Tuesday afternoon market continues through October. At the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, 75 North Water St., Poughkeepsie.
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Now through May 26th
“Changin’ Times; Photography by Harvey Silver,” featuring images of the music, streets, protests & counterculture in NYC and beyond.” At the Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway.
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Now through May 31st
Rhinebeck Central School District Group Art Exhibition, featuring the work of K-12 students. At Starr Library 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Now through May 31st
Food Drive – also including pet food, personal hygiene items, toilet paper, and cleaning products — organized by Dutchess County Town Clerks. Donations accepted during business hours at Rhinebeck Town Hall, 80 East Market 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. At Vassar’s Lehman Loeb Art Center, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.
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Now through June 28th
Opening reception for “Two Perspectives,” selected “photographs and memories” by Lynn Alaimo and Cheryl Frey. Exhibit runs through June 28. At the upstairs gallery at Montgomery Row, 6422 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.
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The bridge on White Schoolhouse Road has been closed by order of NYS DOT. See Town website.
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Tuesday, May 28th
Rhinebeck Village Board of Trustees
Village Hall
3:30PM
NOTE TIME. Agenda includes CCA Advisory Committee discussion. See Village website. At Village Hall, 76 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, May 28th
Rhinebeck Town Board of Trustees
Town Hall
6:00PM
Agenda includes presentation on Locust Hill Workforce Housing project; and announcement of the first award of the new annual award for excellence in historic preservation. See Town website. At Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck.
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Tuesday, May 28th
Rhinebeck Central School District Board Meeting
Bulkeley School Cafeteria
7:00PM
Agenda not yet available. See RCSD website. At Bulkeley School Cafeteria, 45 North Rd., Rhinebeck.
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As a reminder, brush pick up has ended in the Village of Rhinebeck as of May 15, 2024. Pick up will resume on June 3, 2024 and will follow the summer schedule of every other Monday. The village is asking
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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 item was recently posted on the Town of Rhinebeck website: information about the proposed Community Preservation Fund.
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The following item was recently posted on the Rhinebeck Town website: cover letter from the project principal listing enclosed extensive materials, some of which have been revised in response to comments received from the Town and in coordination with the Village of Rhinebeck, relevant to the SEQR review of the Locust Hill Project.
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The corner of Schatzel Avenue and Charles Street in Rhinecliff
A postcard photo of the corner that currently houses The Epicurean, and Radio Free Rhinecliff, in Rhinecliff. Photo is undated, but presumed to be from the early 1920s.
Image courtesy of Rhinebeck Historical Society
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