Chilling Details in Mahopac Falls Murder



  The brutal Christmas-eve murder of a 19-year-old woman from Mahopac Falls by her drunken husband was one of the county’s most heinous crimes in 2010. The body of Graciela Zhingri Amay was found inside her home at 34 Agor Lane in the Mahopac Falls section of the Town of Carmel by a sheriff’s deputy who was summoned to conduct […]

DeStefano, Borkowski in Lawsuit Brawl



Any screenwriters or playwrights suffering from a case of writer’s block should just find their way up to Putnam County. Here, with the constant political bickering and accusations of corruption, the stories seem to write themselves. In September 2009, Andrew DeStefano, James Borkowski, and Sheriff Donald Smith were engaged in a heated Republican primary for sheriff. Just days before the […]

Tamagna Keeps Chair

In surprise move, legislature does not name Mary Conklin to post

Legislator Vincent Tamagna walked into the Putnam County Courthouse on Tuesday evening not knowing his future on the Putnam Legislature. But 45 minutes later, the 17-year veteran lawmaker from Nelsonville breathed a sigh of relief and smiled for the first time all evening when, by a vote of 7 to 2, he was reappointed chairman for 2011. Last month the […]

Eldridge Named Interim Putnam County Executive



Paul Eldridge, Putnam’s long time Personnel Director, has moved his office to the third floor of the Putnam Office Building with a new name plate on his desk. County Executive Paul Eldridge was appointed as the unanimous choice of the nine-member county legislature on New Year’s Day. The historic action took place at the Putnam County Courthouse following the swearing […]

Rename Leibell Veterans Home?



A request has been made by outgoing county legislator Tony Fusco, of Mahopac Falls, to rename the “Vincent Leibell Veterans Home.” Fusco’s proposal to have the residence renamed, “Putnam Veterans Home,” comes one month after former senator Leibell pleaded guilty to two federal charges of corruption. The motion was tabled Monday at the Putnam Legislature’s year-end meeting. The residence, located […]

Fahnestock’s Jordan Pond



Clarence Fahnestock State Park in western Putnam County offers 14,000 acres of outdoor adventure. Some of the trails are over 7 miles, which is a bit long if you only have an hour or two, you have young kids with you, or you just don’t feel like being quite that outdoorsy. But there are a number of shorter routes that […]

Calling All Visionaries: It’s Your Time

From The Chamber

The opinions expressed in this editorial are mine and mine alone, although I sincerely hope they are consistent with the wishes of all our local chambers of commerce. It’s time for leaders in each organization to step forward and be counted, people whose gaze is on the future and not the past, and who are willing to adapt to today’s […]

New Life for World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree



The Christmas tree that graced Rockefeller Center in Manhattan for the holidays will soon have new life thanks to Habitat for Humanity. The enormous Norway spruce was harvested on Veterans’ Day from the Acton family’s property on Bullet Hole Road in Mahopac Falls. After being carefully trucked to Manhattan it became the centerpiece of the Big Apple’s holiday celebration. Now […]

Art Classes Starting Soon In Mahopac



Give yourself or your kids the gift of art for 2011. The fun starts on January 25. The Belle Levine Art Center in Mahopac promises to enhance your winter this year with a variety of 6-week classes for the whole family. Adults can learn drawing, pottery or photography at all levels. The children’s classes start with pre-school (4+ and K). […]

Mahopac Student Wins Speech Contest



Senior Marcus Franklin of Mahopac has won the Wells Cup Speech contest at The Harvey School in Katonah in a school-wide competition. Marcus delivered his speech on the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 before the entire student body with faculty and invited guests in attendance.