Putnam County’s Population on the



While population throughout the lower Hudson Valley increased during the past five years, Putnam’s population declined by just under 1 percent. The Empire State reported last week that 99,042 residents call Putnam home, down by 668 people from the last census taken in 2010. Westchester and Rockland counties added population. In Westchester, the population grew to 976,396, up 3 percent, […]

Conviction Tossed in Brutal Rape & Murder



The brutal rape and murder of 12-year-old Josette Wright, now 22 years ago, was one of Putnam’s most heinous crimes. It resulted in the conviction, twice, of Anthony DiPippo. On Tuesday, New York state’s highest court tossed the murder conviction of the former Patterson resident, now 40, on grounds that DiPippo’s lawyers were not permitted to present evidence that a […]

Deja Vu on the Taconic



Another week – and another serious crash on the Taconic State Parkway at Pudding Street in Putnam Valley. Friday’s mishap occurred at 4 a.m. when a northbound car was collided with another vehicle at the dangerous intersection. State Police said injuries to both drivers were not life threatening despite both cars sustaining extensive damage. Putnam Valley Fire Department personnel assisted […]

Legislators Postpone Discussion of County Visitor’s Bureau



Putnam’s acting director of tourism called on county lawmakers to postpone discussion relating to the operations of the agency until next month, to learn more about the state Attorney General’s probe into the county Visitor’s Bureau. The request came from Frank Smith, the bureau’s temporary head, last week at the Legislature’s Economic Development Committee meeting. The bureau’s operations have come […]

More than 200 ‘Degraded’ Bolts Found in Indian Point Reactor Liner



Following what Entergy Corp.called “comprehensive inspections completed during a planned outage,” Indian Point’s Unit 2 nuclear power plant must replace about 220 bolts in the reactor liner before restarting. Two of the 2-inch stainless steel bolts are missing entirely; the others were degraded. The move was disclosed Tuesday in a news release by the company. While there was no adverse […]

Smoke Detectors Save The Day!



It’s been a busy past few days for members of the Brewster Fire Department, with emergency responders answering three alarms for house fires. In each case, tragedy was averted when smoke detectors alerted residents that fire was brewing in their home. Monday afternoon, the Putnam 9-1-1 Center received a report of smoke in a residence on Allview Avenue. Brewster Assistant […]

Mexican Purim Fiesta Celebrated



The Jewish holiday of Purim was celebrated in a most unusual fashion in Carmel last week when Christians and Jews gathered at Putnam Chabad for the region’s first Mexican Purim Fiesta. Dozens attended the event that featured the reading of the megillah while guests enjoyed a wide variety of Mexican fare including a taco bar, fajitas and guacamole. Purim commemorates […]

‘Casey at the Bat’ To Be Performed By Putnam Chorale



Major League Baseball kicks off its 2016 season Sunday and in conjunction with America’s favorite pastime, the Putnam Chorale has decided to set aside its classical and religious music and instead serve up peanuts and hotdogs by performing its spring concert featuring “Casey at the Bat.” Chorale director Douglas Anderson described the production as a “lively baseballthemed afternoon with ballpark […]

Fix Issues, But Continue Tourism Spending



To the Editor: Regarding the March 22 meeting of the Legislature’s Economic Development Committee, the sad saga of the Visitors’ Bureau continues to unwind after Libby Pataki’s resignation. Prior to the meeting, a memo was sent by Legislator Dini LoBue requesting that funding “cease until a detailed update is provided to the Legislature” and the tourism matter was on the […]

Sales Tax Revenue Starts New Year On An Upward Note



If the first two months of the year are any indication, sales tax receipts for Putnam County will be positive for 2016 following last year’s $2 million decline. Commissioner of Finance William Carlin presented his sales tax report for February to members of the Legislature’s Audit Committee Monday indicating $3,828416 collected in sales tax receipts for February, a $594,000 increase […]