County Launches Internship Program



Winter may be in full swing but county officials have already begun thinking about next summer. County Executive MaryEllen Odell this week encouraged high school, college and graduate students to apply for paid and unpaid summer internship opportunities in county government in conjunction with the Putnam Invests in Leaders of Tomorrow (PILOT) Program. Odell, who conceived the concept in 2013, […]

Putnam’s First Baby of 2015



A first baby of the year hadn’t been born on New Year’s Day at Putnam Hospital Center fort the past decade. That changed on Thursday morning when at 7:35 a.m., Jeffrey Anderson was brought into the world by Dr. Linda Stocker. Jeffrey, the son of Michelle Fong and Corey Anderson of Southeast, weighed in at 8 pounds, seven ounces. During […]

Questions for Serino



To the Editor, I was interested to read about Sue Serino’s recent swearing ceremony. However, I was more than a little disappointed that she’s started off her term in office by ignoring the very real problems of her new colleague, Senator Tom Libous, who happens to be the Deputy Leader of the Republican conference. When asked at the ceremony about […]

Canopus Truck Traffic



I am writing you in regards to tractor-trailer traffic on our town’s small back roads. In particular, I am most familiar with problems on Canopus Hill Road, which is in both Philipstown and Putnam Valley. These trucks are regularly getting stuck at a very steep, tight turn just west of the Philipstown/Putnam Valley town line, and Thunder Road. My guess […]

Unfunded Mandate Reform



To the Editor, When the state legislature returns to Albany this year, one of the first pieces of business they should work on is Unfunded Mandates. Unfunded mandates come from bills passed by the state legislature which place requirements on local governments without allocating funds to help pay for them. The result, local taxes are raised. 71% of Putnam County’s […]

Issues with Brewster School Bond



Congratulations to the property owners of the Brewster School District on becoming $38 million deeper in debt. Thanks to 635 of your fellow citizens, a bond issue in that amount was approved in a vote conducted on December 9, 2014. 525 people opposed the proposition. A total of 1100 and some people determined the outcome of a $38 million dollar […]

Winter at Belle Levine Art Center



Affordable winter ART classes begin the end of January with many new offerings and ongoing favorites including pottery, painting, drawing, and photography. New adult offerings include – Drawing: Preparing the Sketchbook with Joann Zwolski and Driven to Abstraction with Jeanne Demotses along with a new Teen Darkroom class taught by Jim Sparks! Designed to explore, educate and enjoy, our classes […]

Putnam Valley Library Reopens After Repairs



It’s been a painstaking process but after being closed for over a year, the Putnam Valley Library has reopened. The library was shuttered after cracks in a second floor wall were discovered and officials feared for the safety of library staff as well as patrons. Construction crews moved onto the site last May and demolished 400 square feet of the […]

Paintings by Cara Gilroy at Mahopac Public Library



Cara Gilroy’s paintings are imaginative, surreal, and mysterious. She uses acrylic paint to create abstract landscapes that invite interpretation and discovery. Visitors to Mahopac Public Library can view thirty of Cara’s recent paintings which are on display in the Third Floor Gallery through January 31. The Gallery is open during regular Library hours, and most of the work in the […]

Large Crowds Welcome Officials Sworn In on New Year’s Eve



There was standing room only at the historic Putnam County Courthouse on New Year’s Eve when officials on the state and county level took their oaths of office for 2015. Assemblywoman Sandy Galef was first to have her oath administered followed by Assemblyman Steven Katz, State Senators Terrence Murphy and Susan Serino, County Clerk Michael Bartolotti, Putnam Legislators William Gouldman, […]