Hundreds Run in Fourth of July Classic



Putnam County’s Fourth of July Classic—an eight-mile road race beginning and ending at Mahopac High School—attracted a large gathering of runners from throughout the U.S. Thursday. The Taconic Road Runners Club sanctioned race wound through greater Mahopac under extremely warm and humid conditions. The race benefitted the effort to help children with an unusual medical condition, raising money for the […]

Sheriff’s Race: And, They’re Off!

UPDATED: Smith, McConville file; DeStefano is out


The race for Putnam sheriff will be a two-man affair in November now that petitions have been filed with the Board of Elections.Deputy Elections Commissioner Nancy Quis reported Friday afternoon that incumbent Sheriff Don Smith and his challenger Kevin McConville were the only two candidates to file petitions for the county’s top lawman position by the close of business Thursday, […]

Early Retirement Incentive Offered at County



Putnam County is offering its employees an early retirement incentive program where municipal workers with at least 10 years of full-time employment will be able to retire this year with incentive benefits. The legislature approved the measure at last week’s regular monthly meeting after County Executive MaryEllen Odell had proposed the “Putnam Voluntary Targeted Retirement Incentive Program.” Odell initiated the […]

Bellows Named Mahopac Rotarian of the Year



Earle Bellows has been named as Rotarian of the Year by the Lake Mahopac Rotary Club. Rotary President James Meyer congratulated Bellows last week when presenting him with a handsome plaque describing Bellows as a man who epitomizes what Rotary stands for: “Service Above Self.” Bellows, a life-long resident of Mahopac, currently serves on the Mahopac Board of Education. Bellows […]

Lawmakers Approve Term Limits, Again



Putnam County legislators will be able to serve only four terms in office following action taken at its July 2 monthly meeting. In May 2011, the legislature enacted term limits by approving a local law recommended by the county’s Charter Review Commission. The vote was 5-4. Earlier this year, the legislature discovered the measure needed a super majority, or 6-3, […]

Putnam Foreclosure Actions Continue to Increase



Putnam’s alarming rate of foreclosure actions continues to rise at a fast pace. First Deputy County Clerk Michael Bartolotti reported last week 289 foreclosures had been initiated for the first six months of 2013—more than double the 140 foreclosures that occurred for the same period last year. In 2012, 331 foreclosure actions occurred countywide. Bartolotti called times “extremely difficult” throughout […]

Reaching New Heights by Riding



It may be one of Putnam’s best kept secrets. High on top of a hill surrounded by farm fields, gardens and woodlands sits the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Putnam County. The center, located off Route 301 just west of the Fahnestock State Park in Philipstown, was the scene last Saturday of the annual Horses Expo Therapeutic Riding Show that attracted […]

New Roadblocks for Drivers



It seems that the road closure situation in parts of Putnam is becoming more tangled by the day. In western Putnam, scheduled work on Routes 9 and 9D has slowed traffic—on 9D work near St. Philip’s Church has reduced it to a single lane of travel with portable traffic lights— while the closure of Snake Hill Road has diverted it […]

Tax Holidays Would Benefit Putnam’s Economy



The proposed sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear for 2013 has hit a snag, apparently because some in the State Assembly fear it would cause competition between neighboring counties as opposed to attracting business into the state from outside. The bill, which passed the Senate by a unanimous 63-0 vote, would have allowed no local sales tax to be […]

Massive Drug Crackdown Continuing



When it comes to illegal drug trafficking in Putnam County, police are taking a zero tolerance view. Cops on the state, county, town and village levels have rounded up 56 individuals during the past two months in an effort to eradicate the contraband from local streets by targeting suspected drug dealers and infiltrating their operations. Members of the Brewster and […]