Word of the Week



sylvan SILL-vun adj : living or located in the woods or forest

Serious Crash in Brewster Sends Three to Hospital



A serious two-vehicle crash on Route 22 south of the Village of Brewster last Tuesday morning sent three men to the hospital, one with life threatening injuries. The crash that occurred minutes before 8 am involved a northbound pickup truck and a southbound Verizon utility truck near the intersection of Route 22 and Route 121. Emergency responders found the smaller […]

Reaction Mixed to Trump Inauguration



Hours after Donald Trump took his oath of office becoming the 45th President of the United States, reaction in and around Putnam County was mixed regarding the President’s address. Former Gov. and Garrison resident George Pataki, who often disagreed with Trump and his philosophy during the campaign, said the “election is over. It’s time for all Americans to come together.” […]

‘Bubblers’ Scrutinized in Town of Carmel



Carmel officials are concerned that deicing devices known as bubblers which keep private docks free of ice are creating a hazardous condition on Lake Mahopac. Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt said while the town doesn’t want to ban the use of the deicer devices altogether, a “happy medium must be found.” Property owners use bubblers to protect not only docks from damaging […]

Firefighters and EMS Providers Now Protected Under ‘Move Over’ Law



Putnam Commissioner of Emergency Services Tony Sutton applauded state lawmakers Saturday for expanding New York’s ‘Move Over’ Law to protect volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. Under the regulation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, motorists must slow down and move over a lane when approaching a vehicle assisting with a roadside emergency – a vehicle displaying flashing blue or green lights […]

Cunningham’s Corner

The New Courier: Moving Fast, With You

Last week, for the first time, we changed the publication day of the Courier, moving our press run ahead by two full days to Monday night instead of Wednesday night. The shift means that the Courier will be available on newsstands beginning on Tuesday instead of Thursday, and most mail subscribers should receive it a full day earlier. The realignment […]

Clearing the Record



In last week’s Courier, a photo accompanied an article commending the efforts of the Putnam Drug Court. The photo’s caption read: “Seven gradates of the Drug Treatment Court are congratulated by Judge Reitz.” In addition to the graduates, three others were shown in the photo including Sheriff Don Smith, former Putnam Assistant District Attorney Mary Jane MacCrae and retired Putnam […]

Youngest Chief Assumes Reigns Of Carmel Fire Dept



One of Putnam County’s youngest fire chiefs took his oath of office Saturday evening to lead the Carmel Fire Department during its 102nd year of service. Dave DiRienzo, 32, recalled the days when he began his career as a member of the Lake Carmel FD Explorer Post. Erin Scott, who taught DiRienzo and still serves as post advisor, was asked […]

Live Chickens May Call Carmel-Mahopac Home



Residents of the greater Carmel-Mahopac area living on a halfacre of land may soon be permitted to raise chickens on their property under an amendment to the town’s code that has received a positive recommendation from the town’s Planning Board. However, members of the Carmel Town Board say work must still be done on the language of the proposed amendment. […]

Eagle Eye Thrift Shop Offers Something For Everyone



The Eagle Eye Thrift Shop is an amazing place! Located at 65 Main Street adjacent to the former Cameo Theater in Brewster, the shop, which benefits Putnam Hospital Center, contains a wide variety of gently used merchandise for every member of the family. Rows and rows of ladies, men’s and children’s apparel are neatly arranged by dedicated staff of volunteers. […]