Dutchess, Putnam county residents can currently apply; Orange, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester program to launch in coming months

Residents of Dutchess and Putnam counties who get their drinking water from a private well can begin testing for dangerous “forever chemicals” – for free – through a new state program.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, are part of human-made “forever chemicals” found in a wide range of consumer, commercial and industrial products including non-stick cookware, pizza boxes, and cleaning products, especially stain and water-repellent products. PFAS has been linked to serious health risks, including cancer.

As part of a pilot program led by the New York State Department of Health, residents who get their drinking water from private wells can test their water to see if PFAS is present. If mitigation is deemed necessary, according to representatives, residents will be eligible for a rebate to install a PFAS water treatment system or connect to a public water supply, if available. Participants may receive up to $5,000 for a PFAS water treatment system or up to $10,000 to connect to a public water supply.

“We encourage all Dutchess County residents who rely on private well water to take advantage of this opportunity to have their water tested at no cost through this important New York State pilot program,” Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said. “Testing your well is a critical step in protecting your family from the potential risks posed by ‘forever chemicals,’ and state rebates are available to help cover treatment costs if needed.”

Private residential well owners in Dutchess and Putnam can currently apply online through the New York State Department of Health's website. The application period will remain open while funding is available. Completed applications will be reviewed in the order they are received.

Officials recommend private well owners should regularly test wells for bacteria at least once a year and other contaminants every three to five years to ensure water is suitable for household use. Those who get their drinking water from a public water system are not eligible to apply, as county and state systems regularly monitor for contaminants.

Roughly 1 in 10 ticks tested positive for at least two disease-causing pathogens

While getting the paper the other morning, a neighbor walking her dog down the road shouted how beautiful the weather has been finally, “but, the ticks!”

Any dog owner, or person who spends a smidge of time outside in the Hudson Valley, knows that when the weather warms up, pants get tucked into socks, because it is officially tick season.

And, according to a new report from researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystems in Millbrook, “tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the northern United States, with many ticks carrying more than one pathogen.”

Over the past nine years, Cary Institute disease ecologist Shannon LaDeau studied more than 2,000 blacklegged ticks collected from the Cary Institute campus in Millbrook. Of the thousands of ticks that were collected between 2014 and 2022, roughly 1 in 10 tested positive for at least two disease-causing pathogens. More than 38-percent of the ticks tested were capable of spreading at least one disease-causing pathogen to people.

“Overall, it’s a concerning co-infection rate that has been increasing over time,” LaDeau noted.

Most commonly found together were Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, and Babesia microti, a parasite that causes a malaria-like disease known as babesiosis.

LaDeau said health providers should test for both pathogens after a patient shows signs of illness from a tick bite to ensure proper diagnosis, since the two diseases require different treatments.

“The probability of being exposed to a pathogen by a single bite from a nymphal tick is approaching 40-percent," said the study’s co-author Richard Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at Cary Institute who has been studying tick-borne diseases for decades. “That seems uncomfortably high. These ticks are so small, most people don’t even realize when one is feeding on them.”

For people spending time outdoors in the Northeast, as a general rule, if the ground is not freezing, it’s a good idea to take precautions to avoid tick bites,” LaDeau concluded. “Prevention is key.”

As part of a Healthy Hudson Valley campaign, residents of Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, Columbia and Greene counties can pick up a free six-week pass to hike, bike and simply enjoy the 8,000-acre Mohonk Preserve, home of the ‘Gunks, in Ulster County. Residents can sign-up online or in-person by March 22, 2026. Passes will be valid until April 30, 2026.

NYS Burn Ban
March 16 - May 14, 2026
Across New York State
Due to the increased risk of wildfires, burning of brush will be prohibited. Campfires, small cooking fires and outdoor fires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length are allowed. Website

Plant a Pollinator Paradise
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 8:30am
Virtual
Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley’s Ecological Restoration Program Manager Avalon Bungle will introduce eight brand-new garden designs that you can use in your yard. Register

Housing: Know Your Rights
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 2pm
Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library, Poughkeepsie
This seminar is for all community residents that are renting in the area to learn about tenant rights and defenses. Presented by Hudson Valley Justice Center, a local non-profit organization that provides legal advice to low-income families. Registration required: Website

Scam Prevention for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 5:15pm
Pleasant Valley Library, 1584 Main Street, Pleasant Valley
OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones will give a presentation on scam and fraud protection for members of the hearing loss community and their caregivers. Register

Cornell Master Forest Owner Training
Tuesdays, March 17 through April 28, 2026 from 6:30 to 7:30pm
Cost of admission: $35 new registrants, $18 returning registrants
Virtual
Are you interested in enhancing your knowledge and becoming a Master Forest Owner (MFO) Become a volunteer and make a difference by supporting informed decision making while visiting woodland owners on-site to share available resources based on your knowledge and experiences. Peer-to-peer visits encourage landowners to engage in woodland activities and work towards achieving their goals while improving forest management through best practices. Website

Revolutionary Women
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 7pm
Virtual
The Hurley Heritage Society will host poet Kate Hymes and historian Erin von Holdt for a conversation about the numerous roles Ulster County women played on both sides of the Revolutionary War. Register

Franklin and Eleanor: Two Halves of a Whole
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 7pm
Virtual
Registration is required: Website

Measuring Affordability
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 9am
Virtual
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress will discuss their latest report on the history, applications and shortcomings of area median income in affordable housing. Register

Alzheimer’s Mini Conference
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 from 9:30 to 11:30am
Millerton-NorthEast Library Annex, 28 Century Boulevard, Millerton
The Alzheimer’s Association, the Office for the Aging, Sun River Health and community partners will host a mini-conference and listening session on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and memory loss. Sign up by calling OFA at 845-486-2555 or email ofa@dutchessny.gov.

Hollywood Goes to War Film Series: Hollywood Canteen (1944)
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 2pm
Cost of admission: Free with registration required
Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home, Hyde Park
Screening of the musical set in a USA nightclub where the biggest names in show business entertained troops during World War II. Register

Batter Up! The History of Baseball in Kingston and Ulster County
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7pm
Cost of admission: $5-$10
Hudson River Maritime Museum
This lecture explores the early history of baseball in Ulster County and the role the region played in the sport’s development during the mid-19th century. Long before professional leagues, baseball took root in river towns like Kingston and Rondout, where dockworkers, tradesmen, and clerks organized clubs and played on open fields. Drawing on newspaper accounts, box scores, and local records, the talk highlights how baseball functioned as both recreation and community life in the Hudson Valley. Special attention is given to local clubs, early rivalries, and games that drew regional and even national attention. This lecture also examines how Ulster County fits into larger stories about amateur baseball, race, and the transition toward organized leagues. Website

DIY Energy Savings Session
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at noon
Cost of admission: Free
Town of Poughkeepsie Senior Center, 14 Abe’s Way, Poughkeepsie
A free workshop hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Smart Home. Register in advance to reserve a free energy kit, and learn how to take simple DIY actions to reduce energy waste and save money on utility bills. Website

Manhattanville Hosts Jorge Iber Book Talk
Thursday, March 19, 2026 from 6 to 8pm
Cost of admission: Free
2900 Purchase Street, Purchase
The Sport Knowledge Institute (SKI) at Manhattanville University welcomes historian Jorge Iber, Ph.D., for a compelling book talk and community conversation on The Sanchez Family: Mexican American High School and Collegiate Wrestlers from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Drawing from rich family history and cultural analysis, Iber explores how wrestling shaped generations of the Sánchez family — including Manhattanville University President Frank Sánchez, Ph.D. — illuminating powerful themes of education, identity, discipline, and social mobility. Website

Your Energy, Your Rights
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 6pm
SUNY New Paltz, Student Union Building, Room 401, New Paltz
NY's Public Utilities Law Project (PULP) will host a free workshop with information on utilities rights (and responsibilities) — and what to do when you need help with utilities issues. Co-hosted by the SUNY New Paltz chapter of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), the Village of New Paltz’s Landlord-Tenant Relations Council, and the Village of New Paltz’s Housing Smart Communities Taskforce. View the original flyer

Beacon Sloop Club’s 2026 Alan Thomas Memorial Environmental Lecture Series: Captain Sarah Armour, From Hudson Valley Roots to Tallship Captain
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7pm
Cost of admission: Free
Beacon Sloop Club, 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon
Join Captain Sarah Armour, captain of Mystic Seaport Museum’s schooner Brilliant, for a talk on building a career in tall ships, sail training, and traditional sail. Starting as a volunteer and trainee aboard Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and growing up in the Beacon Sloop Club around vessels like Clearwater and Woody Guthrie, Sarah will reflect on how these Hudson River communities shaped her path – and her progression to captain – over a decade of work in sail training and experiential education. Website

Timberdoodle Trek
Thursday, March 19, 2026 from 7 to 8pm
Siegel-Kline Kill, Ghent
Guided walk led by experienced birder Spencer Crawford to enjoy the sunset and hopefully see the Timberdoodle’s unique mating ritual and its distinct sky dance. No dogs! Register

Even the Good Girls Will Cry – An Evening with Melissa Auf der Maur
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7pm
Basilica Hudson, North Hall, Hudson
Reading and conversation with Jennifer Venditti. Tickets

The Beacon Film Society presents River of Grass
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:30pm
Cost of admission: $15 advance, $20 at the door
Howland Cultural Center, Beacon
A present-day reimagining of environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ book, “The Everglades: River of Grass” (1947). Tickets

Sunrise Stroll Over the Hudson
Friday, March 20, 2026 at 6:30am
Cost of admission: Free
Walkway Over the Hudson
During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the sun rises in line with the Walkway deck, making for a spectacular photo opportunity. Gates will open early at 6:30 a.m. on both approaches. Website

Third Annual Substance Use Summit
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 9am to 3pm
SUNY Orange, Kaplan Hall, Newburgh
Seminar hosted by the Orange County Department of Mental Heath focusing on co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. CASAC and continuing education credits available. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Space is limited. Website

Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 6 to 8pm
Cost of admission: $20
CCE Ulster, 232 Plaza Road, Kingston
Discover who our pollinators are, why they are essential, and how to create habitat for them to thrive in our backyard. Register

Nerd Nite Hudson Valley
Friday, March 20, 2026 at 7:30pm
Howland Cultural Center, Beacon
Update: Sold out! Check back for future events.

NYS Maple Weekends
March 21-22, and March 28-29, 2026
Various locations
Visit farms across the state and tap into the sweetness of the season with festivals, farm tours, demonstrations and more. Website

Pancake Brunch 2026
Saturday, March 21, 2026 with seatings from 8:30am to 11:30am
Cost of admission: $20-$25
Teatown, 1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining
Start your day off with stacks of hotcakes and maple syrup, hot coffee, sausages, and more. Cap off the day with crafts celebrating the magnificent Sugar Maple tree. Tickets

How to Trace the “Genealogy” of Your Land
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 1 to 2:30pm
Phoenicia Library, 48 Main Street, Phoenicia
Learn about colonial land patents, the tenant farmer system, and how to build a “chain of title” for your land, owner by owner, all the way back to the Native Americans. Website

Onnis Luque: DOMINIO –An Unfinished Visual Archive of Architectural Extractivism
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 1 to 3pm
Cost of admission: Free with RSVP required
Newmark Gallery, Art Omi, Ghent
architectural photographer Onnis Luque traces these often-invisible origins of construction back to the raw landscapes from which they are born. What began in 2014 as a roadside encounter with a sand mine evolved into a years-long investigation of Mexico’s extractive geographies – from the Mezquital Valley to the Highlands of Chiapas, the Sierra de las Mitras to the Yucatán Peninsula. Through his lens, Luque captures the aftermath of relentless extraction: fractured hillsides, gaping quarries, and industrial scars etched into the land. On view through May 31, 2026. RSVP

Vanished Fauna of the Catskill Mountains
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 1 to 2:30pm
Olive Free Library, 4033 Route 28A, West Shokan
A handful of fascinating creatures once inhabited the Catskill Mountain region, but have disappeared over the last three centuries. Join Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley to learn about these animals, their impact on local ecosystems, and their role in Indigenous folklore and land use. RSVP

Owl Prowl
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 6-8pm
Cost of admission: $15-$20, pre-registration required
Hudson Highlands Nature Center Wildlife Education Campus
Discover the owls native to our region, their remarkable adaptations, and unique characteristics. Link

Woodstock Film Festival and Queerly Inc. present Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 7-9pm
Cost of admission: $15
Tinker Street Cinema, Woodstock
Documentary screening followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Bart Everly, moderated by Jonathan Van Meter. Please note: The theater is in an older building and unfortunately is not ADA accessible. Tickets

Tangent Theatre Company presents Good People
March 21-22, 2026 (Saturday 7pm, Sunday 6pm – full)
Cost of admission: Free with RSVP required
Village Hall, 86 Broadway, Tivoli
reading of the play Good People by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire featuring Brenny Campbell*, Martina Deignan*, Sam Eisenbaum, Audrey Rapoport*, Michael Rhodes* and AnnChris Warren; with Steven Young (stage directions); directed by Tracy Carney; produced by Andrea Rhodes (*member Actors' Equity Association). Website

Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra presents Americana 250
Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 7:30pm
Cost of admission: $38, $30 seniors, $10 students, $40 family
Marriott Pavilion at The Culinary Institute of America, 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park
Celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary with a multimedia tribute to Colonial life in the Hudson Valley. The program features Colonial Dances by Florence Price and Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, alongside guest performers Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk and Native American flutist Premik Russell Tubbs. Audiences will experience projected imagery of local historical sites, a tribute to Daniel Nimham, and three captivating Hudson Valley tales from the Colonial era: “Washington’s Spectacles,” “Sybil Ludington’s Ride,” and “The Origin of Yankee Doodle.” Website

4th Annual Rosendale Plant & Seed Swap
Sunday, March 22, 2026 from 11am - 1pm
Cost of admission: Free
Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Rt 32, Rosendale
The Rosendale Environmental + Recreation Commissions present the Fourth Annual Plant & Seed Swap. Website

5th Annual Go All In for Mental Health
Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 1pm
Cost of admission: Free
Kingston Point Beach, Kingston
Rewind Kingston’s annual cold plunge in the Hudson River to raise awareness and support for mental health. Website

March Walkabout Clearwater Coffeehouse: Joe Jencks
Sunday, March 22, 2026 from 3:30 to 5pm
Cost of admission: $15
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 468 Rosedale Avenue, White Plains
Join the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus for a coffeehouse featuring award-winning songwriter and vocalist Joe Jencks. Tickets

Left to Glimmer
On view through March 22, 2026
Basilica Back Gallery, Hudson
Solo exhibition of mixed media paintings and collage by Genève Brossard. Curated by Linda J. Park. Website

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LAST CALL! Share your (1) favorite scene of winter in the Hudson Valley (from the current season 2025-26) by emailing it to photos@hvny.info. Original photos only. Limit any filters/retouching, and include your name and location, if it’s a public place. Deadline to submit is midnight on March 19, 2026.