County exec wanted full ban, legislators seek exception for ‘natural leaf that many adults use responsibly’

The Dutchess County Legislature will vote on Monday night to ban the substance kratom from gas stations and convenience stores across the county – but not to the degree the county executive had originally proposed.

Kratom, Mitragyna speciosa, is a tropical evergreen tree from Southeast Asia in the same family as the coffee plant. Its leaves have been traditionally chewed and brewed for centuries, but modern manufacturers are now synthesizing the plant’s properties to create dangerous, unregulated products that are currently available over-the-counter across the country.

The supplement claims to have a variety of uses from increasing energy, reducing pain to even easing the symptoms of quitting opioids.

While currently legal across the United States, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration calls kratom “a drug of concern,” and as of July 1, announced its intent to re-classify the supplement as a Schedule I Controlled Substance, the same category as heroin and LSD.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.”

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino recently put out a public statement calling for the full ban of kratom, including the natural leaf. Under Serino’s proposed legislation, any person found to be selling or distributing Kratom or a Kratom-derived product, with limited exceptions, would be subject to civil penalty up to $1,500.

“My top priority is keeping our community safe and healthy, especially our children,” Serino said. “Many families aren’t aware of the dangers of kratom because it’s often marketed as a natural product and it is so easily accessible. But ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean safe and public health data shows kratom-related deaths are rising.”

The county’s legislature has proposed to only prohibit products that exceed a certain threshold, with a ban on synthetic derivatives.

According to a statement from representatives, the county legislature’s resolution “by contrast draws a sharp, defensible line between the traditional plant and the predatory, high-potency concentrates driving dependence and overdose and then hits those concentrates harder than the county executive proposed. Rather than a flat fine, the new proposed law adds strict liability, escalating penalties for repeat offenders, a separate violation for every unit sold, and jurisdiction over online sellers shipping into the county.”

The DEA’s current move to temporarily place the drug as a Scheduled I substance is aimed at synthetic substances, not low-concentrated, naturally-derived kratom leaf.

“Responsible adults should retain the right to access natural kratom leaf for its traditional uses, including energy, focus, and pain management,” legislators added.

No other counties in the Hudson Valley have a current ban on kratom in place, though Suffolk County on Long Island has banned the substance. New York State law allows use for those 21 and up, and requires strict labeling and consumer warning disclosures on packages.

“Our responsibility is to respond to emerging public health threats before they become larger crises,” said Dutchess County Legislator Trevor Redl of Poughkeepsie. “This focuses on the most dangerous concentrated and synthetic kratom products and gives our county health department the tools to enforce those protections.”

The legislature will vote on the resolution during their August 10 board meeting beginning at 6:30pm. Livestream.

A 22-year-old Dutchess County man has been arrested after assaulting his 96-year-old grandmother following an argument.

A weekend manhunt has ended after tips from the community led to the arrest of Thomas David Ryan, 32, of Greenville. The victim of the fatal house fire has been identified as Ryan’s father, Robert Ryan, age 70.

Women’s Safety Awareness
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 6pm
Emergency Response Center, 392 Creek Road, Poughkeepsie
Instructed by Town of Poughkeepsie Police Officers. Website

River Pool Summer Concert Series
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 6:30pm
Next to the River Pool at Pete and Toshi Seeger Park, Beacon
Featuring Jeff Koch and friends. Bring a picnic and a bathing suit to take a dip. Website

America250 Film Series: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 2pm
Cost of admission: Free with registration required
Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home, Hyde Park
Upon the death of his state's junior senator, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is appointed to serve alongside Joseph Paine, a Washington D.C. legend who leads a corrupt political machine. Placing a lieutenant, Saunders (Jean Arthur), as Jeff's watchful secretary, Paine hopes to gain quick approval for an unnecessary – but profitable – dam by keeping Smith focused on a bill to build a boys' camp. After Saunders falls in love with her new boss, Jeff threatens to expose the scam, but is undermined when Paine claims that Smith owns the camp's land. But, when Jeff fights back with a heroic, and exhausting, filibuster, it sparks Paine's heartfelt confession, making Smith a national hero – and Saunders' new husband. Register

Music in the Parks
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 6:30pm
Cost of admission: Free
Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park
Featuring West Point Military Band at Vanderbilt. Rain location: Taconic Offices, 9 Old Post Road, Staatsburg. Updates will be posted on the Hyde Park Recreation Facebook page: Website

Free Movies in the Parks
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 8pm
Cost of admission: Free
South Avenue Park, Beacon
Showing of “Space Jam” at South Avenue Park. Continues August 19 with “Lilo and Stitch” at Green Street Park. Website

Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from 8:30 to 10:30pm
Cost of admission: $20, $10 members
Mohonk Preserve
Head out on the darkest night of the month for one of the best meteor showers of the year. Rain/cloud date: August 13. Children ages 8 and up are welcome and must always be accompanied by an adult. Registration closes at 6pm on Wednesday, August 12. Link

Older Adults Skills Fair
Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 2-4pm
Cost of admission: Free
John Jay High School, 2012 Route 52, Hopewell Junction
Open to older adults ages 55 and up looking for full-, part-time employment or volunteering activities. 845-486-2000 or dutchessny.gov/senior-skills

The Last First: Winter K2 + Q&A with Director Amir Bar-Lev
Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 7-9pm
Cost of admission: $20
156 Main Street, Saugerties
In “The Last First: Winter K2,” Amir Bar-Lev tells a complex, harrowing, and moving story that unpacks the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture. Focusing on a 2021 expedition, mountaineers John Snorri Sigurjónsson, an Icelander, and Pakistani father-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara set out to be the first to summit K2 in the winter, when the mountain’s conditions are the cruelest. The men soon find themselves sharing the treacherous ascent with influencer climbers and their film crews, commercial expedition clients, and Nims, a Nepalese celebrity mountaineer, and his team of Sherpas.“The Last First: Winter K2” takes us to the icy heights and unpredictable weather of K2 and reveals a surprising and layered story — one of strategy and determination, class and caste, money and power — all under life and death circumstances. Website

4th Annual Festival of Awakening
August 14-16, 2026
Cost of admission: $25-$95
Bearsville Center, Woodstock
Sacred music, contemporary art, wisdom teachings, movement, and community gathering headlined by Grammy-nominated kirtan master Krishna Das. Website

The Festival
August 14-16, 2026
Hutton Brickyards, Kingston
A first-of-its-kind festival celebration Broadway’s greatest hits and brightest stars – including Audra McDonald, Christopher Jackson, Adam Pascal and more – with world-class performances, immersive experiences and more. Website

Webinar: Swimming in the Hudson
Friday, August 14, 2026 at 12:30pm
Cost of admission: Free with registration required
Virtual
Join Riverkeeper for a virtual deep dive into all things swimming in the Hudson River with topics including water quality, expanding access and the local movement for safe, swimmable beach areas along the river. Register

Kingston Guards Vintage Baseball
Friday, August 14, 2026 at 5:30pm
Cost of admission: $5
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Rhinebeck
Check out a ballgame played by traditional 1864 rules. Biplane rides after the game. Website

Columbia County Players present The Comedy of Errors
August 14-16 and August 21-23, 2026 at 7:30pm
Cost of admission: Free
Churchtown Dairy, 357 County Route 12, Hudson
Shakespeare's wildest farce comes to life in this free, 90-minute outdoor performance at the Churchtown Dairy Globe. When two sets of long-lost identical twins unknowingly end up in the same city, mistaken identities, outrageous misunderstandings, and nonstop laughter collide in one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies. Space is limited. Website

Moth Madness!!
Friday, August 14, 2026 at 8pm
Cost of admission: Free, $10 parking
Meet at Bear Mountain Inn, 3006 Seven Lakes Drive, Bear Mountain
Bring a flashlight and join Trailside Museums & Zoo educators at Bear Mountain State Park for a fun night of learning about moths! At this free family-friendly program, we will take a nighttime walk, make our own set of wings, and set up lights to attract and take an up-close look at these nocturnal relatives of butterflies! Meet the Trailside Staff in front of Bear Mountain Inn. Registration required: Website

Repair Cafes
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Don’t toss it, get it fixed with the help from your neighbors in Pleasant Valley + Kingston

Open Days at Steepletop
August 15-16, 2026 from 9:30am to 5pm
Cost of admission: $25 house tours, $10 grounds and picnic pass
Steepletop, 440 East Hill Road, Austerlitz
Immerse yourself in Edna St. Vincent Millay’s world with tours of the house and grounds, and live, in-the-moment typewriter poetry. Website

“Tiny Garden Wonders – The Insects” with Horticulturist Ashley Gamell Part of Beatrix Farrand Garden Series of Garden Talks
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 10:30-11:30am
Cost of admission: $15, free for members
Beatrix Farrand Garden at FDR National Historic Site, 4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
While plants stay rooted in place, the bounty of strange and colorful insects and other visitors they attract is an ever-shifting world of surprise and delight. Zoom in and tune into this world with our Director of Horticulture, then head out to explore it! The presentation will be followed by our annual Bioblitz citizen science effort – where you can help us gather photos and data on our insect visitors. Space limited. Register

Superhero Obstacle Course
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 10:30 am to noon
Cost of admission: Free
The FASNY (The Firefighters Association of the State of New York) Museum of Firefighting, 117 Harry Howard Avenue, Hudson
Not all superheroes wear capes … your local firefighters are everyday heroes! Did you know that these heroes train every week to be ready for an emergency? Now you can train just like our firefighters when you complete the Superhero Obstacle Course! Go through a series of tunnels with obstacles for you to climb through, under the guidance of real firefighters. Rumor has it that this course is so amazing that one of your favorite DC superheroes will be here to cheer you on and pose for pictures with you, too! All activities are free and will be indoors in an air-conditioned space. Free admission to the Museum will also be offered to all who attend this special event. Reservations are not required for this event. Website

“Annual Beatrix Farrand Garden Bioblitz” Ashley Gamell Part of Beatrix Farrand Garden Series of Garden Talks
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 11:15 - 11:45am
Cost of admission: Free
Beatrix Farrand Garden at FDR National Historic Site, 4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
Visitors of all ages please join us to photograph and report on all of the incredible forms of life we see in the garden, from tiny, gem-colored sweat bees to giant graceful butterflies. Our Director of Horticulture will help you report your findings on iNaturalist; a pen and paper option and a special observation sheet for younger visitors will be provided. All are welcome; lemonade will be served and shade parasols provided. No registration required. Website

Art Studio Views Exhibit Opening
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 5 to 7pm
Cost of admission: Free
Betsy Jacaruso Studio & Gallery, 43-2 East Market St, Rhinebeck
The Betsy Jacaruso Studio & Gallery presents “ASV Sampler Exhibit” of this years’ ASV artists. A perfect opportunity to preview the artwork and pre-plan your personal tour to visit studios. Meet this years’ ASV artists during Rhinebeck’s 3rd Saturday Arts Walk. Artist’s Reception. Celebrate our 19th year together. Website

Cinema in Piazza
August 15-16, 2026
Magazzino Italian Art, Cold Spring
Screening of Ennio: The Maestro (2021) and The Legend of 1900 (1998) by Giuseppe Tornatore. August 15 tickets​​​, August 16 tickets​​​

Sun Ra Arkestra with DJ Ephraim Asili
Saturday, August 15, 2026 with doors at 5pm, performance at 6:45pm
Cost of admission: $50, $10 ages 14 and under
Storm King Art Center
The final concert in the Storm King summer series featuring Sun Ra Arkestra, founded in Chicago in the mid-1950s by pioneering composer and bandleader Sun Ra, blending big-band swing, space-age jazz, singing, dancing, chanting, and Afro-pageantry. Since 1995 it has been led by alto saxophonist Marshall Allen—now 101—whose leadership continues as the Arkestra tours internationally.. Tickets

Laura Evans & Friends at the Millbrook Summer Sunset Concert Series
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 6 to 8pm
Cost of admission: Free
Millbrook BandShell, 3327 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook
Laura Evans and Friends bring their signature blend of jazz standards, inventive arrangements, original compositions, and reimagined familiar tunes to the Millbrook Bandshell. Joined by a rotating cast of outstanding musicians, Laura creates an engaging and accessible jazz experience that is both creative and welcoming to audiences of all backgrounds. This free concert is presented as part of the Millbrook Arts Group Free Summer Sunset Concert Series. Website

Brunch Aboard Solaris
Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 11am
Cost of admission: $43
Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston
Join the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Half Moon Cafe for Brunch Aboard Solaris! Enjoy light, hand-held, brunch treats and scenic Hudson Valley views as you cruise along the water aboard Solaris, our quiet, 100% solar-powered vessel. Ticket price includes general admission to the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Boat ride aboard Solaris, Brunch food and drink provided by Half Moon Cafe. Website

Beacon Sloop Club Corn Festival
Sunday, August 16, 2026 from noon to 5pm
Cost of admission: Free
Pete and Toshi Seeger Park, Beacon
Music, sailing on the Woody, food, arts, crafts and more. Website

Jazz in the Valley
Sunday, August 16, 2026 at noon
Cost of admission: $60 advance, $70 at the gate, $20 students at the gate
Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie
Featuring music by Lisa Fischer, Sharp Radway, Chief Baba Neil Clarke, Alex Blake, Zaccai Curtis, Javon Jackson, and Luques Curtis. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Website

Bard Music Festival presents Mozart and His World
Continues through August 16, 2026
Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, and Church of the Messiah, Rhinebeck
In eleven themed concert programs, the festival’s 36th season examines Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, arguably the most celebrated and recognized name in classical music. Weekend two of the festival focuses on The Universal Musician. Website

No need to rush: summer is still here – take it all in with a Slow Ride starting this week in Kingston.

The City of Kingston Parks and Recreation, along with Bike Friendly Kingston, is offering a series of free group bike rides for all ages at a leisurely pace. Rides will begin at the Academy Green Park, unless otherwise noted, and then will slowly-go to new and different locations each week.

Slow Rides will be led by City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Enviornmental Specialist Philip Schoettle-Greene, starting at 5pm on Thursday, August 13. Rides will take place every Thursday through October 15, 2026.

Updates will be posted on The Bike Friendly Kingston Instagram page: @bikefriendlykingston. 

We have let our front yard go a bit wild this summer, mowing paths to our gardens and fruit trees instead of clear cutting for a boring lawn’s sake. One neighbor pulled up to ask: Is your mower broken? No sir. What about all the ticks? Well, the turkeys have been taking care them! (And loving all the seed and other bugs the yard is providing, sir).

The turkeys come through every day, taking dirt baths next to the lavender in the new garden (and eating any pests lingering about), roaming all around the yard and even testing out their new perching skills in the dogwood tree while the moms – up to four adult females yesterday! – keep an eye on their surroundings.

Every time we look out lately, there are more turkeys. And while that may not be good news for our tick population, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wants the community’s help to keep tabs on the number of turkeys spotted across the state. “This index allows us to gauge reproductive success each year and allows us to predict fall harvest potential. Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during the breeding and brood-rearing seasons can all significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival.”

During the month of August, residents are encouraged to participate in the summer turkey survey to assist in monitoring the wild turkey population. If you see a bunch of turkeys, use the DEC’s online form to submit a report for each flock of turkeys observed, including those without poults (young birds). Try not to report the same flock multiple times; numerous duplications will bias the results.

To enter: Email your (1) best photo of summer in the Hudson Valley from this year to photos@hvny.info. Original photographs from 2026 only. Please limit filters/retouching, and include your full name and location, if it’s a public place.