Highlands Current Audio Stories

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The Highlands Current is a nonprofit weekly newspaper and daily website that covers Beacon, Cold Spring, Garrison, Nelsonville and Philipstown, New York, in the Hudson Highlands. This podcast includes select stories read aloud.

  1. 2d ago

    Looking Back in Philipstown 250 Years Ago (July 1776) 150 Years Ago (July 1876) 100 Years Ago (July 1926) Lost & Found 50 Years Ago (July 1976) 25 Years Ago (July 2001)

    The Continental Congress voted unanimously in Philadelphia on July 2 to adopt a resolution dissolving ties with Great Britain — except for New York, whose four delegates (William Floyd, Francis Lewis, Philip Livingston and Lewis Morris) abstained because they had not received instructions from the provincial Congress. On July 3, Congress fine-tuned the wording of the Declaration of Independence, voting the next day to approve it. John Hancock, the president of the Congress, signed the document, along with the secretary, Charles Thompson. (A parchment copy was signed by the delegates on Aug. 2.) On July 8, the declaration was read to the public in White Plains and many other cities. Gen. George Washington, in New York City, ordered officers to read the document to their troops. On July 9, the New York Congress adopted a resolution in support of the declaration; in response, its delegates added their "yes" votes on July 15. In New York City, patriots pulled down an equestrian statue of King George III to melt it for ammunition. The British sent two frigates, HMS Phoenix (44 guns) and HMS Rose (20 guns), up the Hudson River to test its defenses. British Gen. William Howe arrived at Staten Island with 130 ships and 10,000 troops. The next day, his brother, Vice Adm. Richard Howe, arrived with 150 ships and 11,000 troops. They sent a message to Washington, who forwarded it to Congress, offering reconciliation and pardon. The Americans felt they had done nothing that required pardon and, besides, they had already declared independence. On July 21, Washington hired two engineers to assess the condition of the forts in the Highlands. On July 26, general orders in New York City noted that "complaints have been made that some of the soldiers ill treat the country people who come to market [to sell vegetables]. The general most positively forbids this behavior." A man driving on the Albany Post Road past Mekeel's Corner [Route 301] at 1 p.m. on a Friday spotted a fire at a tenement house near the chapel. He raised the alarm, and Thomas Mekeel and his sons ran to the site. The front door was locked, so they assumed it was vacant. But during a search, they found Mrs. Samuel Lecount napping in her bed in the attic. She was a heavy woman, so it was with difficulty that they brought her downstairs. The house was a total loss. Two travelers appeared on a Friday at 6 p.m. near the post office in Cold Spring offering to swallow a 13-inch blade for 5 cents [about $1.50 today], or whatever could be offered. The Cold Spring Recorder reported that the water in the cistern at the corner of Main and Chestnut had a woody flavor. The editor said it appeared to contain filaments worn from the wood by the motion of the pump. The Baptist Church hosted a community celebration of the centennial. The program was as follows: "My Country, Tis of Thee"; a prayer by the rector at St. Mary's; "Hold the Fort"; the Declaration of Independence, read by Isaac Vanwinkle; "The Centennial Hymn"; a sermon by the Rev. C.J. Page; "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"; and a benediction by the rector. The Village Board ordered signs posted at the public pumps noting that the water was to be used only for domestic purposes. Henry Birdsall, so infirm that he had to be helped home after a visit to Dykeman's store in Nelsonville, was found dead in the stall where he lived in the old Davenport place. It was said that he bought a vial of laudanum [tincture of opium] at Dykeman's for his swollen limbs, and that the vial was found empty, but a coroner's jury did not find any evidence of narcotic poisoning. A dog belonging to Benjamin Hughson bit Mr. Nichols of Nelsonville on the leg as he was passing Town Hall. The animal was shot the next day. Due to the failure of Congress to make appropriations, a large number of workmen were dismissed at West Point. John McGurk hung a sign from his Main Street store with a "well-drawn eagle and shaded in good taste," according to The Rec...

  2. 3d ago

    Transforming Lives in the Kitchen

    New program teaches culinary, life skills The slogan used by Transformation Kitchen — "We don't just flip eggs, we flip lives" — captures what it hopes to accomplish at 179 Main St. in Beacon: teaching culinary and life skills to people who have been marginalized, while helping them land jobs that pay a living wage. In 2022, Chason Forehand, who lives in Newburgh, founded the nonprofit HR-4U, which launched Transformation Kitchen. "After more than 45 years in the service industry, and my own experiences with abuse, addiction, homelessness and food insecurity, I created Transformation Kitchen to do more than help people find jobs," Forehand said. "We help individuals overcome barriers, ultimately becoming leaders who help others do the same." Chef Chris Follari, a board member of the Poughkeepsie Farm Project who last year directed Hudson Valley Chefs Celebrate Jacques Pépin, is the program's culinary director, while Forehand is the lead instructor. The Beacon location is the second Transformation Kitchen; the first is in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, created in partnership with a Christian organization, Rayo de Sol. The plan in Beacon is to start small. Forehand said potential participants, whom he calls "forges," because "they are forging a new life for themselves," will include single parents, those who've overcome addiction, former prisoners and others who have not been able to earn enough to live independently. "I'm fascinated by metallurgy and the idea of taking something raw and turning it into something beautiful," he said. In addition to being trained to work in commercial kitchens, forges will be coached on life skills, including conflict resolution, wellness and financial literacy, with assistance from the Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union. "They need to know how important it is to manage their money, to budget and how to stay away from credit and cyberscams," said Forehand. A weekday storefront will open in September, offering homemade packaged foods such as Joy Stix, a chocolate confection. Packaged meals, such as lasagna, stuffed Italian meatloaf and roasted vegetables, will be added later in the fall. Catering and weekend hours are planned for October. "For people coming off the train who don't want to go home and cook a meal, we'll have one for you," Forehand said. The store will also stock merchandise such as hats, T-shirts and a cookbook. "We sell merch like crazy — three times what a nonprofit would normally sell — because we have a fantastic cookbook," he said. Kamel Jamal, who owns the Beacon Bread Factory, The Piggy Bank and Ziatun, is renting the space to Transformation Kitchen at a reduced price. He also provides financial support, will lead sessions covering topics such as baking and will provide access to his commercial kitchens. "Getting involved in this project is important to me, because the restaurant industry has been really good to me," Jamal said. Jamal feels Beacon businesses will benefit from Transformation Kitchen because its graduates will have advanced culinary skills. "It saves Main Street companies money because they'll have to do less training," he said. "We're tweaking our normal culinary program to be sure that it meets Beacon's needs," Forehand added. "People coming out of Transformation Kitchen will also have the life skills; they'll know how to handle themselves." Jamal said culinary and other professionals in Beacon have stepped up, offering to teach classes. "Barb from Barb's Butchery is excited about being involved," he said, and a grant writer has offered to help. He noted that culinary professionals who volunteer will get first shot at hiring new graduates. "Once we get all the basics in order, people will see the magic that can come out of this project," Jamal said. For more information about Transformation Kitchen, see hr-4u.org.

  3. 3d ago

    Putnam County Retirees Request Premium Relief

    Former employees want lower health costs Their incomes are fixed, but not the cost of health insurance. That was the message on July 16 when a group of retired Putnam County employees attended the Legislature's Personnel Committee meeting to beseech lawmakers to reduce the amount they and other retirees must contribute to their health insurance premiums. Jane Meunier-Gorman began working for Putnam County in 1985, when retirees paid a flat annual amount toward their health insurance and the county paid the rest. Annual premiums had risen to $200 [about $350 today] for individuals and $400 [$700] for families when the Legislature, citing the "burden on the taxpayers," in 2004 allowed the county to instead set rates based on each retiree's date of hire, age at retirement and length of service. Eleven years later, the Legislature approved pension-based contribution rates for six salary ranges, beginning at 8 percent for retirees whose annual pensions were $9,999 or less and rising to 30 percent for those paid $65,000 or more. (Lawmakers later added a seventh salary range by splitting the one covering pensions between $40,000 and $64,999.) "The feeling was that it was more equitable to look at pension amounts rather than just years of service," said Adriene Iasoni, a specialist with the Personnel Department, on July 16. "If you just look at years of service, you can have folks whose earnings are on the lower end, and they may be paying the same as somebody who's at a much higher annual salary." For the 2016 budget, the change raised the total amount pensioners would contribute to Putnam's estimated $4.7 million cost for insurance from $357,000 to $609,000. By 2025, retirees were paying $1.2 million of $7.9 million. This year, the county costs ballooned to $8.8 million, with Gorman and other retired employees paying $1.3 million. Their increases are "deeply troubling" and "place a significant and unexpected financial burden on individuals living on fixed incomes," said former county employees John Mulreany and Aileen Napolitano in a letter to the Legislature. Meunier-Gorman, who was president of the local Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) union when the Legislature adopted the contribution rates in 2015, said employees "were made promises. We were told that we would always have affordable health insurance through our employment with the county." Since retiring from the Health Department in 2024, Gorman said her annual pension is $50,000, and her bill for county health coverage is $10,000. "When I retired after 39 years, and I got my first bill, I couldn't even breathe," she said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, how am I going to afford this?' " Putnam recently created some breathing room for current employees. Legislators in December approved an agreement with Putnam's labor unions that lowered, from 30 percent to 17 percent, the share of health insurance premiums paid by new employees. County Executive Kevin Byrne forged the agreement with Putnam's four unions: the CSEA, the Putnam County Sheriff's Employee Association (jail guards and staff), the Putnam Management Association and the Sheriff's PBA (deputies). For CSEA employees, the share drops to 15 percent after 12 years and 10 percent after 15. Paul Eldridge, the county personnel officer, said the 30 percent rate was significantly higher than new employee contributions in Dutchess and Westchester (20 percent each) and Orange (16 percent) counties. He estimated that 225 employees would benefit, but the plan would add $865,000 to the $11.5 million Putnam allocates for health insurance premiums for current employees. Legislator Toni Addonizio, who chairs the Personnel Committee, voted against the pension-based contribution system established in 2015. She said Putnam "should consider how the other counties do the years of service" during continued discussions about retiree health benefits. "Many people have worked 25 years and still don't, in their retirement, receive $40,00...

  4. 3d ago

    Putnam Program Finds Tainted Wells

    State pilot focuses on 'forever' chemicals About 20 percent of private wells tested in Putnam County under a state pilot program exceed guidelines for a family of chemicals linked with cancers and other health problems, officials said on Wednesday (July 22). Public Health Director Rian Rodriguez and Brian Stevens, an associate public health sanitarian, told the Legislature's Health Committee that 540 well owners have applied to have their water tested for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under a $1.5 million, five-year program funded by the state. Of the 480 wells tested so far, just over 20 percent have PFAS levels that exceed the state guidelines of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOs, the two most common versions of the chemicals. Those owners can each request up to $5,000 to install a filtration system on the main water line entering their home or business. The state will also subsidize up to $1,000 for filters installed on faucets or other outlets and up to $10,000 to connect a property to a public water system. Stevens said the county had just received its first rebate request and expects many more. "In the next week or so, the state will be providing additional training on how to process those payments and those applications," he said. Putnam and Dutchess are two of six counties selected by the state for a pilot program to address PFAS contamination in private wells. Known as "forever chemicals" because of their duration in the environment and the human body, PFAS have been used for decades in nonstick cookware, water-repellant clothing and other consumer products, as well as firefighting foams. Researchers have linked them to various health problems, including cancers, low birthweights and high cholesterol. Health concerns have led public health officials to close contaminated water sources serving the City of Newburgh and other municipalities, and supply filters to well owners in Mahopac, Putnam Valley and other parts of Putnam County. Rodriguez told the Health Committee in February that the state chose Dutchess, Putnam and four other counties — Orange, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester — for its pilot because they are "at higher risk" of PFAS contamination. Dozens of properties near the Mahopac Business District received water main filters after testing found about 100 wells had high PFAS levels. The state traced the pollution to dry-cleaning chemicals. New York State has allocated funds to Kent, two neighborhoods in Brewster and the Floradan Estates in Putnam Valley to address contamination. The Putnam Valley school district traced PFAS contamination at its elementary school to foams used by the Putnam Valley Fire Department. When asked by Legislator Nancy Montgomery, who chairs the committee and represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley, if testing has identified clusters, Stevens cautioned that the county needs to collect more data. By one estimate, as many as half of U.S. households have some level of PFAS in their water, whether supplied by well or tap. New York State and the federal Environmental Protection Agency regulate PFAS limits in public water supplies, such as the reservoirs that supply drinking water to Beacon and Cold Spring. But an estimated 1 million homes and businesses in the state, and 40 million people nationwide, rely on wells, which are not regulated.

  5. 3d ago

    State Releases First Phase of Glenham Mills Plan

    Remediation of small parcel finalized at former Texaco site After asking for feedback during a public meeting in January, the state Department of Environmental Conservation estimates it will cost $115,000 to decontaminate a 0.67-acre parcel at the former Texaco Research Center site outside of Beacon. The DEC released plans on Wednesday (July 22) to remediate OU-3, the smallest of nine parcels, or "operable units," that make up the 153-acre site, now known as Glenham Mills. OU-3, a wooded plot north of Washington Avenue with no structures, is the first parcel to receive a finalized remediation plan. The primary contaminants are semi-volatile organic compounds from an ash pile. The plan includes excavation, in some areas, to 6 inches below the surface; importing clean backfill; implementing an air-monitoring plan during ground-intrusive activities; and creating a site management plan. OU-3 is expected to become suitable for residential use, the state said. Texaco purchased the land in 1931, building a complex to research and develop petroleum products. Over seven decades, chemical dumping left the grounds and Fishkill Creek, which divides the property, heavily polluted. Chevron, which merged with Texaco in 2003, has submitted proposals to the DEC to clean the other eight parcels, including one considered most attractive for development, a 93-acre segment south of Washington and Fishkill Creek known as the Back 93, which Texaco used for worker recreation. The company has been trying to sell Glenham Mills since 2020. It is zoned for offices, laboratories and industrial or manufacturing uses.

  6. 3d ago

    Short and Sweeter

    Chris O'Leary streamlines his sound The long song "19 Cents a Day" by the Chris O'Leary Band remains captivating and hits hard. Beyond solid solos and tight musicianship, the social commentary evokes comedian George Carlin's cantankerous later years. "One day I was on tour in the Midwest and needed a coat," says O'Leary, who will perform with his band at the Towne Crier in Beacon on Saturday (July 25). "In a Tractor Supply store, I realized that almost none of the plastic junk in that place was made in the U.S.A., even the American flags. Unfortunately, it's the same thing 10 years later." In the song, the ex-Marine and federal law enforcement officer bashes talk show "idiots," corporate downsizing, patriotic merchandising, "looted" pension plans, big-box strip malls, the poor treatment of veterans and "slave labor making that flag in Hong Kong … for 19 cents a day." Unlike a stand-up routine, the music amplifies O'Leary's message as a chugging, understated groove elevates the lyrics. Two saxophones build tension and add atmosphere. As if turning a switch, the music intensifies behind a raucous guitar break. After the band downshifts to the quieter, bass-driven part that underscores more angry words, O'Leary kicks into fifth gear on a harmonica solo. O'Leary's blues boot camp commenced when his Green Beret father heard him listening to KISS, cursed the band and tossed the LP Hard Again, by Muddy Waters, on his bed. "It took a while to grow on me," O'Leary says. "There's an old man on the cover, and I was 11 years old. But I was an aggressive kid, and the harmonica [by James Cotton] is so brutal. There's no nuance. I'd never heard anyone play an instrument like that." O'Leary joined the house combo at Levon Helm's club in New Orleans after The Band broke up in the 1970s and became friends with Cotton, "a fantastic human being whom I idolize to the point of craziness." While serving as lead singer for Helm, O'Leary learned a great deal from the drummer and bandleader, who later settled in Woodstock, although, at first, he recalls, he had tunnel vision. "If it did not come from Chicago, Illinois, between 1951 and 1962, I had no interest," O'Leary says. "But New Orleans blew my doors off because you could see great acts every night of the week that were technically blues bands but had different instrumentation and suggested limitless possibilities." More sage advice taught him to vary things up but keep people dancing: "Don't bore us, get to the chorus," Helm said. He once critiqued a famous guitar player this way: "He knows a lot of notes, but does he have to play them all? Leave some for the rest of us." O'Leary took the comment to heart and dialed down his all-out approach. The schooling continued into his mid-50s, when he got a break with Alligator Records, which recorded Cotton. The tune "19 Cents a Day" clocks in at 7:16. Played live, "Blues is a Woman," a melancholy slow jam with a 1950s vibe, can last for eight minutes. For his 2024 debut on Alligator, The Hard Line, followed by Blue Collar, out this month, only a handful of songs exceed five minutes. The first single off the new disc, "Bad Decisions," runs 4:20. O'Leary says the label's founder, Bruce Iglauer, told him: "Your music is long-winded. We don't need a road map. If you want to get on the radio, you have to streamline things." The Towne Crier is located at 379 Main St. in Beacon. Tickets for the July 25 show, which begins at 8:30 p.m., are $30 at townecrier.com, or $35 at the door. To download music, see thechrisolearyband.net.

  7. 4d ago

    Senators Demand Answers on ICE Lease Questions for ICE

    Agency rents Town of Newburgh warehouse Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer demanded on Wednesday (July 22) that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security disclose whether a Town of Newburgh warehouse is being leased for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. In a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the New York senators said that the department and ICE's $35.5 million, 15-year lease of a 42,377-square-foot warehouse at 800 Corporate Blvd "has generated significant concern" among residents and local officials "due to the lack of transparency." The General Services Administration approved the lease after seeking space in Newburgh with "secure access into [the] building for deliveries by government vehicles, including detainee buses and vans." The agency identified DHS and ICE as the tenant, but the agency refused to confirm its use of the location, citing concerns about officer safety. Gillibrand and Schumer listed 16 questions (below) they want Mullin to answer, including whether the facility will be used for the "detention, temporary holding, processing, transportation or transfer of individuals in federal custody." They requested a response by Aug. 7. What is the intended use of the facility located at 800 Corporate Boulevard in Newburgh, New York, and what operations will DHS and ICE conduct at this site? Please list every DHS component, contractor and program expected to use the property. What is the expected timeline for the facility becoming operational, and what steps remain before DHS and ICE begin using the site? Please identify any remaining approvals, construction, tenant improvements, permits or other conditions that must be completed before occupancy. Please provide the lease, occupancy agreement, solicitation, program of requirements, statement of work, improvement plans, security requirements, and all associated contracts and subcontracts. Please identify the lessor and beneficial owners, all operating contractors, the appropriations accounts funding the lease and operations, the annual rent and improvement costs, and the total estimated lifecycle costs. Who approved the project, when was it approved and what operational needs is it intended to address? Is the project aimed at increasing detention capacity in New York, supporting increased enforcement operations in New York, expanding the operations of ICE Air, or supporting a broader regional deportation plan? Will the facility be used for the detention, temporary holding, processing, transportation, or transfer of individuals in federal custody? Please provide details regarding the scope and duration of these activities. For each contemplated use, please provide the following: (1) Maximum physical and operational capacity; (2) Projected average daily population; (3) Projected annual throughput; (4) Anticipated opening date and hours of operations; (5) Maximum intended length of stay; (6) Whether people will be held overnight; (7) Whether DHS will publicly report these specific statistics periodically. Please confirm if the facility will hold the following: (1) Families or children; (2) Unaccompanied children; (3) Pregnant or postpartum individuals (4) People with medical or mental health conditions; (5) People with disabilities. Please confirm if the property will provide (1) Free and confidential telephone access; (2) Confidential attorney meeting rooms; (3) Consular access; (4) Visitation; (5) Access to legal materials. Please identify the precise detention standards governing the site. Have you contemplated, requested or granted any waiver, variance, or delayed compliance with any detention, safety, security, medical care, hygiene or other standard? Will Members of Congress, congressional staff and DHS oversight personnel receive unannounced access to this facility? What access will be provided to state and local government, health or emergency officials? Will the facility support ICE Air operations, domestic detainee-transfer flig...

  8. 6d ago

    Nelsonville Adopts Immigration Policy Fish and Fur

    State limits local interaction with feds The Nelsonville Village Board on July 15 approved a resolution supporting a new state law that prohibits municipalities from sharing residents' personal information with federal immigration officials without a judicial warrant. The prohibition is one of several immigration-related restrictions placed on cities, towns, villages and school districts in the 2026-27 budget signed in May by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Nelsonville and other municipalities also are banned from collecting information on a person's immigration status "unless required by law or necessary to administer a public program or benefit," and must deny immigration authorities access to nonpublic areas. Nelsonville's resolution, which "supports our immigrant neighbors whether their family arrived to the United States yesterday or 250 years ago," requires that employees notify Clerk Melissa Harris or the village attorney if they receive a judicial warrant. "We don't think that we would be a target," said Mayor Chris Winward. "But you never know, and better to be prepared than not." The month before the governor enacted the legislation, Philipstown approved an update to an immigration policy it passed in 2017. The town's revised policy contains the same limitations on information-sharing and access to nonpublic areas as the state's policies. New York's new limits extend to local police and county jails. Police agencies are banned from entering into 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ban renders "void and unenforceable" the agreements that 12 Long Island and upstate law enforcement agencies have with ICE to help detain and deport immigrants. Counties are also prohibited from using their jails to hold people arrested by federal immigration authorities, beginning next month. ICE has used jails in Allegany, Broome, Clinton, Montgomery, Nassau, Niagara and Orange counties, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The federal government and New York are suing each other over the state's ban on the use of 287(g) agreements and local jails, as well as another provision that prohibits federal officers from wearing masks and requires that they clearly display a name or badge number on their uniform. Nelsonville approved spending up to $7,900 with NR Masonry in Philipstown to replace the concrete steps and repair the porch roof at a village property on Pearl Street used by the Fish and Fur Club. Chunks of concrete have broken off from the steps, which will be replaced with pressure-treated wood. Winward said last month that using cement again would cost significantly more. NS Masonry's bid includes repairing the wood roof over the front-door landing, along with an option to replace the overhang for $1,000. With the repair, "you'll be able to use it without killing yourself coming down the steps," said Trustee Dave Moroney.

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About

The Highlands Current is a nonprofit weekly newspaper and daily website that covers Beacon, Cold Spring, Garrison, Nelsonville and Philipstown, New York, in the Hudson Highlands. This podcast includes select stories read aloud.

Information

  • Creator
    Highlands Current
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Clean