Kent Sewer District Puts Lake Carmel on Map



The creation of a new sewer district in the Town of Kent is expected to expand commercial development along the Route 52 corridor in Lake Carmel. The Town Board approved the $6 million project last month despite concerns expressed by residents of the Hill and Dale community that should the district’s treatment plant fail, Palmer Lake, found within the subdivision […]

Rotarian Celebrates 50th Anniversary



Al Lotrecchiano remembers the exact moment when he joined Rotary International 50 years ago. “It was in 1963 when my brother Tom, who was president of the former Lake Mahopac-Carmel Chapter, invited me to attend a meeting and sponsored my membership. I can’t believe that half a century has already passed but the decision to join was one of the […]

Mahopac Business Leader Bud Kellogg Dies



DeLong Bud Kellogg who helped change the face of business in Putnam County for more than 40 years died last week at his Florida residence. Kellogg was 91 years old. Kellogg was a 60 year resident of Mahopac who served in World War II as a Navy pilot. Following the war he returned to Putnam County and after completing his […]

9-1-1 Center to be Dedicated in Honor of Bob McMahon



Putnam County’s 9-1-1 Dispatch Center will be sporting a new name on Monday—the Robert McMahon Communications Center. McMahon, a resident of Lake Carmel, retired last year, after serving residents of Putnam County since 1990 in the EMS field as a deputy fire coordinator and from January 2000 to August 2012 as Commissioner of Emergency Services. Prior to his county employment, […]

Missing Hiker Found at State Park



There were some anxious moments for a Carmel woman and dozens of emergency responders Saturday when a 9-1-1 call was received from the frightened hiker who was lost on a trail in the 1,133-acre Wonder Lake State Park in Kent. With darkness falling and temperatures dropping rapidly, calls went out for assistance and Lake Carmel, Patterson and Carmel FD personnel […]

Developer: Organized Group Killed Butterfield Project in Western Putnam



The single most important issue facing the Village of Cold Spring right now, both supporters and opponents agree, is the Butterfield development. But with the project as first proposed in tatters, developer Paul Guillaro bluntly says he now believes a key organizer of the opposition sits on the Village Board itself, Trustee Matt Francisco. The project was key to providing […]

Private Bus Lines Serving Both Sides of County, Task Force Finds



Putnam County’s Transportation Task Force, which has begun the process of redesigning public transportation for county residents as well as for out-oftowners, learned last week that five regional bus lines already provide services on both sides of the county. The report came from county Planner John Pilner, who serves on the all-volunteer panel. Westchester Bee Line 77 travels along Route […]

School Safety Sought, as More Security Reviewed

Sheriff: Highly trained officers protect our kids

Calling children “our most important resource” Putnam County lawmakers welcomed school officials from three of Putnam’s districts to a meeting of the legislature’s Protective Services Committee last week to discuss the issue of school security. Since the December tragedy in nearby Newtown, Conn., schools have beefed up security like never before. In addition to School Resource Officers on middle and […]

Reflecting on a Great Year for Putnam’s Countywide Chamber



The Putnam County Chambers of Commerce has been a very busy organization since its 2010 inception. From its modest roots as the vision of several community leaders to its current role as the main advocate for some 900-plus area businesses and organizations, this growth process has already reaped some significant rewards for its supporters. In 2012, meetings were held with […]

Cops Prepare for the Worst with Realistic Drill



Heavily armed officers wearing bullet proof vests charged into the Austin Road Elementary School in Mahopac Tuesday when a report of an active shooter was received – but it was only a drill. Yet the reality in which the exercise was carried out by members of the Carmel and Kent Police Departments with the assistance of the county’s Emergency Response […]