DA: ‘We will not hesitate to use effective, lawful technology’

It’s the F-word that everyone’s been saying lately, and it carries almost as much controversy as the curse.

Flock cameras are seemingly popping up everywhere around the country, including right here in the Hudson Valley. In our general HVNY coverage area, there are over 1,800 known Flock and similar automated license plate reader (ALPR) devices, according to the site DeFlock.org. There are over 50 in the City of Poughkeepsie. There are seven of them alone in the Home Depot plaza at the former Dutchess Mall site near Route 9 and Interstate 84 in Fishkill. There’s even one set up on my way to a Stewart’s ice cream run in Salt Point (Caramel Cone Crunch, I have no problem sharing that information...).

But even as these devices are being spotted across the region, and residents are keeping track of their locations, there’s still so much unknown about the origins of these surveillance systems, who has access to the data being continuously collected, and who is monitoring their access. That’s why officials in Dutchess County are planning a public forum this week to answer questions from residents about Flock cameras and similar tools being used by local law enforcement.

“Sheriff Imperati and I have a responsibility to protect the people of Dutchess County,” District Attorney Anthony Parisi said. “And we will not hesitate to use effective, lawful technology that helps us identify dangerous offenders, solve crimes, and prevent further victimization. At the same time, we understand that public confidence must be earned.”

In Pine Plains this past August, a landowner asked Dutchess County officials to remove a Flock camera from his private property. Due to the Flock terms though, Parisi said the camera would remain active until removed, and depending on the company’s timeline, physical removal for a single camera could take up to 30 days.

“We are prepared to answer difficult questions, address legitimate concerns, and correct misinformation where it exists,” Parisi added. “What we will not do is allow fear or misunderstanding of technology to prevent law enforcement from using responsible tools that make our communities safer. Public safety and civil liberties are both fundamental obligations, and our commitment is to protect both.”

The Dutchess County Flock public forum will take place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 5pm at Pleasant Valley Town Hall (1903 Route 44).

“I, along with District Attorney Parisi, am committed to providing the utmost in public safety to the people of Dutchess County and will use all legal resources at my disposal to accomplish that goal,” Sheriff Kirk Imperati said. “That being said, we have taken numerous steps to ensure that these tools are used in ways that meet legal guidelines balanced with accountability, and it would be my pleasure to provide more information and answer questions to help ease the concerns that have been raised.”

The light may be beginning to fade, and with it, transitions, like summer to fall, begin to weigh. Guided by light, music and community, Greater Mysteries allows those willing to ease into the next phase with a series of offerings and events of collective insight and natural connections, leading up to a grand immersion deep into the bedrock of our foundations – and deep into the literal bedrock of the Hudson Valley.

Before heading phone-free into the acoustically- and mythically-attuned caves of the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale this weekend (tickets still available, here), we caught up with Kingston-based composer Kelli Scarr about her inspirations behind cultivating these pathways through the Greater Mysteries series, and what inspires her through her own journey (dog Hank included!) –

The popular saying “the best things in life are free” has never been truer than here and now. And Dutchess County makes an incredibly compelling case for it. As an area balancing quiet green spaces with bustling towns, residents pay a premium to live in our vibrant Hudson Valley.

From our landmarks to complimentary spa consults, columnist Francine Wizner has ways of finding value around the region with lesser-known free and low-cost treats:

Sunrise Stroll
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 from 6:30 to 8am
Walkway Over the Hudson (both entrances)
Celebrate the start of a new season with a stroll over the Walkway. Plus, during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the sun rises in line with the Walkway deck, making for a spectacular photo opportunity. No cost to attend.

AquaBlitz
Wednesday, September 23 from 3 to 6pm
Cost of admission: Free
Kingston Point Park
Discover what’s living in your local creek and watershed. (Here’s a hint: eels, crayfish, and more!) Help a team of biologists collect data on fish, amphibians, plants, and other cool critters, and enjoy arts and crafts and other fun activities. Continues September 25 from 3 to 6pm at Malcolm X Park in Poughkeepsie, and September 28 from 3 to 6pm at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum in Poughkeepsie. Website

Public Flock Forum
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 5pm
Pleasant Valley Town Hall
A public forum on Flock technology with Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi and Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati.

An Evening of Books, Water & Community
Wednesday September 23, 2026 from 5:30 to 7pm
Cost of admission: Free
Rough Draft Bar & Books, 82 John Street, Kingston
Join the Hudson River Watershed Alliance for an evening celebrating the connections between water, literature, and community featuring regional author Akiko Busch, who will read selections from her new book, From the Millpond to the Sea. The book explores our human connections to water and the complex considerations surrounding dam removal—topics that resonate deeply with the Hudson River Watershed Alliance’s work to strengthen watershed communities and support collaborative watershed governance. Before and after the reading, take time to connect with fellow water enthusiasts, browse a curated selection of books recommended by HRWA staff and board members, and enjoy a drink at the bar. During the event, 10-percent of sales will be donated to support the Alliance’s mission of protecting and strengthening watershed communities. Website

Climate Future Film Festival
Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Morton Memorial Library and Community House, Rhinecliff
Ten award-winning short films from four continents. 845-876-2903.

Fall Book Fair for Grown-Ups
Friday, September 25, 2026 from 4 to 7pm
Cost of admission: $10
Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook
Explore tables of books, grab a gyro from Oh My Gyro, vegan treats from The Flour Forest, flash tattoos from Twin Tides Tattoo and drinks from Rose Hill’s taproom. All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Dutchess Land Conservancy. Tickets

Greater Mysteries
September 25-26, 2026 from 6 to 10pm
Widow Jane Mine, 668 Route 213, Rosendale
Cost of admission: $33
Greater Mysteries returns to Widow Jane Mine for two immersive evenings of live music, storytelling, and shared experience inside one of the Hudson Valley’s most extraordinary natural spaces. Together, we’ll explore the timeless human experience of transformation through sound, myth, and ritual. Website

Voices of Revolution 250th Lecture Series: Making Thirteen Clocks Strike as One
Friday, September 25, 2026 at 6:30pm
Cost of admission: Free
Senate House, 296 Fair Street, Kingston
Robert G. Parkinson, author and professor of History at Binghamton University, presents his talk Making Thirteen Clocks Strike as One: Race, Fear and the American Founding on the topic of America’s founding and his important book 13 Clocks: How Race United The Colonies And Made the Declaration of Independence. It was a miracle that the thirteen American colonies were able to stick together and all declare independence as one. How was it possible that thirteen clocks were able to strike at once? This talk explores how patriot leaders like John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson unified the colonies and made American independence possible -- through their use of fear and race. This lecture is FREE and will take place in the Senate House Museum Building. No reservations are required.

Walkway at Night
September 25, 2026 from 7:30 to 9pm
Cost of admission: $5, free for members and children under 12
Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie and Highland
Enjoy Hudson Valley views after dark from 212 feet above the Hudson River. If the weather permits, our friends from the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association will be in the park with telescopes to help everyone view the night sky. Continues October 24, 2026. RSVP

2026 Free Fishing Days in New York
The requirement for a freshwater fishing license is waived September 26 (National Hunting and Fishing Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).  

Weekend Hike: “Storm King Mountain”
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:30am
Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz
This is a moderate to strenuous 7-mile hike on trails and woodland roads led by Siu S. Yuen. Advance registration is required. Registration is limited to 12 hikers. Registrants will receive the meeting location by email. There is no fee for this program. Registration will close 48 hours before the hike. Website

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival
September 26-27, 2026
Cost of admission: $15
Cantine Field, Saugerties
Garlic! More garlic! Chef demos, lectures, live music and more. No alcohol, no smoking, no pets, no soliciting, no bicycles, no recreational scooters or skate boards allowed. Website

Woodsist Festival
September 26-27, 2026
Arrowood Farms, Accord
Featuring Destroyer, Cate Le Bon, Mdou Moctar solo, Woods, Frogs, Okonski, Ryan Davis and more. Website

Fall Workshop: Exploring and Conserving Hudson Valley Forests
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 9 to 11:30am
Cost of admission: Free with registration required
Dutchess County
Field workshop hosted by Hudson River Estuary Program’s Conservation and Land Use Team and Hudsonia on how communties and land managers can proactively protect forests through land-use and conservation planning and policy. This workshop is especially designed for members of municipal boards and committees, land trust staff and others who are regularly engaged in land-use planning or policymaking. Priority registration will be given to those individuals who have less experience related to forests. Municipal training certificates for 2.5 hours of credit will be available. Register

The Healing Powers of Native Plants
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 10 to 11:30am
Cost of admission: Free
274 Normung Road, Ghent
A discussion and walk around the nursery with the founders of Heart Spring Gardens, Jean-David Derreumaux and Ben Davis, getting to know local native medicinal plants through phenomenological observation. Website

Tivoli Street Painting Festival
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 10am to 4pm
Village of Tivoli
Join your neighbors to create chalk art in the heart of Tivoli. Registration is free. Advance registrants must check in before 11 AM on the day of the festival or their squares will be released to other artists.Spaces are reserved in the order in which registration is received.  Rain date: Sunday, September 27, 2026. Reserve a spot (or spaces will be available the day of the festival).

"Dahlias: Cultivation, Care and a Remarkable Hudson Valley Legacy" Part of Beatrix Farrand Garden Series of Garden Talks with Kate Cahill
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 10:30 to 11:30am
Cost of admission: $15, free for members
Beatrix Farrand Garden at FDR National Historic Site, 4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
Enjoy an introduction to growing dahlias – from soil preparation, planting and staking to seasonal care, pest management, tuber digging and more. This talk also explores the rich local history of dahlias in Dutchess County, where enthusiasts helped shape America’s early dahlia tradition. Ideal for both new and experienced gardeners, this program blends practical guidance with our regional horticultural heritage. Space limited. Register

Fall Community Day at Southlands
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 11am to 3pm
Cost of admission: Free
Southlands, 5771 US Route 9, Rhinebeck
Enjoy pony rides, face painting, children’s crafts, food trucks, farm animals, local community organizations, and a special visit from Senior Investigator Mary Elena Moran and Pumpkin, her magnificent Belgian horse. Come enjoy the horses, nature, and beautiful 200-acre Southlands property. Free and open to all! Website

New York Pawpaw Festival
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026 from 11am to 11pm
Magic Forest Farm, 134 Bucks Ranch Road, Coeymans Hollow
Cost of admission: $61
Pawpaw is a delicious fruit native to New York and much of the east coast! The New York Pawpaw Festival will feature keynote speakers presenting on growing Pawpaw, native plants, ecosystem restoration, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. Guests can enjoy Pawpaw tastings, food and art vendors, interactive workshops, forest identification walks and live music! The NY Pawpaw Festival is child friendly and fun for all ages! Website

Hudson River Hooray! Concert for Kids
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 2pm
Cost of admission: $9
Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston
Join Music Lady extraordinaire Emily Music for Kids for an hour long rollicking musical celebration of our beautiful, historic Hudson River. Sing, celebrate, and dance along to songs about sailing, paddling, the many boats that travel up and down the Hudson, crawdads, and fishing. And sing along to music by Hudson River hero, Pete Seeger, too! Emily Music for Kids is Emily Ellison, a Master Degree Teacher and award winning children’s music lady with over 20 years creating fun filled, interactive, hands-on music, visual arts, history and science programs for people of all ages, cultures and abilities all over New York City, and beyond. Concert will take place in HRMM's Homeport Barn, located on HRMM's main campus. Website

Musical Chairs: A Unique HRM Fundraiser
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 3 to 5pm
Cost of admission: $20 and up
Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers
An afternoon of music, friendly competition, food, drinks, and plenty of chances to laugh along the way. There will be separate rounds for children and adults, so everyone has a chance to play, and winners will take home prizes. Tickets

The First Ladies Coalition
Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 2pm
Mahopac Public Library
First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Mary Todd Lincoln time-travel to Colleen's Sewing Shop. Colleen, an ex-convict and a survivor of domestic violence, now empowered by these women – finds her core to survival via their courage and commitment to humanity. When past trauma threatens to derail her, this collaboration with the First Ladies unleashes her deepest strengths - to defy past stereotypes and fearlessly contribute to the world in shocking fashion. Register

Big Band Swing at TCCC - OUTDOORS!
Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 2pm
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center, 729 Peekskill Hollow Road, Putnam Valley
Cost of admission: $25
Get ready to swing! Marc Pekowsky’s 18-piece Private Stock Jazz brings the power, energy, and excitement of a big band to TCCC for an unforgettable outdoor concert featuring legendary standards, classic swing, and timeless jazz favorites. A longtime friend of Tompkins Corners, Pekowsky and his seasoned ensemble present this special Fall Benefit with all proceeds supporting TCCC. Website

Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker
Continues through September 27, 2026
Cost of admission: $75-$80
Bannerman Island, departing from Beacon
Sent to Castle Dracula to deliver deeds to the infamous Count, Jonathan Harker finds himself being held captive. When Jonathan escapes, his worst fear is confirmed: Count Dracula is an undead creature of the night. With the help of Van Helsing and other friends, Jonathan sets off on a mission to find and destroy Count Dracula before he becomes more powerful than ever. Featuring actor Duane Boutté (Sex and the City, Alabama Shakespeare, Lincoln Center) and Director Christian Conn (Asolo Rep, Guthrie Theatre). Website

Summer is officially ending, and so is the opportunity to share your best shot of summer in the Hudson Valley with the rest of us. 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. Deadline to submit your summer photo is Sunday at midnight.