HVNY News + Notes

Sep 18

Written By HVNY

Nancy Pelosi, speaker emerita of the US House, will be honored with the Freedom Medal during the Four Freedoms Awards at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park this Saturday. The Honorable Bennie Thompson, US House representative and chair of the Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attacks on the US Capitol, will also be honored with the Freedom From Fear medal. Other honorees include Tracie Hall, executive director, American Library Association, who will be awarded with the Freedom of Speech and Expression medal, Dr. Walter Earl Fluker will be awarded the Freedom of Worship medal, Ady Barkan, creator of the Fed Up campaign and founder & co-executive director of Be A Hero, will be awarded the Freedom From Want medal.

“The Four Freedoms, and those who champion them, are more important now than ever. Today’s chaotic global environment calls for a regrounding in human values so important to my grandparents,” said Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin and Eleanor’s granddaughter and board chair of the Roosevelt Institute. “We could not be more thrilled to honor those who fight to strengthen our democratic process.”

The Four Freedoms Awards are presented each year to people whose achievements have demonstrated a commitment to those principles which President Roosevelt proclaimed in his historic speech to Congress on January 6, 1941, as essential to democracy: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.

Past recipients of the Four Freedoms Awards have included international luminaries such as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama; organizers and visionaries like Ai-jen Poo, Deepak Bhargava, and Bishop William J. Barber II; Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and then-Vice President Joe Biden.

A livestream of the event will be available at: rooseveltinstitute.org/event/2023-four-freedom-awards/ beginning at 11am on Saturday, September 23, 2023.

Due to the Four Freedoms Awards special event at the FDR Library, the FDR Museum, Wallace Visitor Center and Library grounds will be closed on Saturday, September 23, 2023. However, visitors are invited for fee-free, self-guided tours of the Home of FDR in recognition of National Public Lands Day.

60-percent of eligible voters are never even asked to register. Tuesday, September 19 is National Voter Registration Day. Voter registration will take place at the Millbrook Library will from 10am to 6pm, and from 11am to 6pm, the Morton Memorial Library in Rhinecliff will have registration forms, absentee ballot applications and information about the upcoming elections. https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/events/

State Board of Elections warns New York voters against impersonation of County Board of Elections officials – The New York State Board of Elections is alerting residents after reports of individuals, across multiple counties throughout the state, going door-to-door impersonating county Board of Elections staff. These individuals are confronting voters regarding their registration status, and erroneously accusing voters of committing a crime because of how they appear in the state voter database. “We are extremely alarmed by these actions. These individuals are impersonating government officials in an effort to intimidate voters based on inaccurate and misleading information,” said Raymond J. Riley III, Co-Executive Director of the State Board of Elections. circumstances, the NY State Board recommends collecting as much information as possible, not providing the individual with any personal information, and contacting local law enforcement to report the incident.

Looking for an old county-owned truck that may or may not run? Surplus County vehicles and equipment items will be available for bid during Dutchess County’s Surplus Vehicle Auction and Equipment Auction, both being conducted online at AARAuctions.com. Various vehicles and equipment items will be included in the auction, including trucks, cars, tools, mowers, trailers, and more. The online auctions are scheduled to start on September 18, 2023, and end on Tuesday, October 03, 2023.

Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown. *Photo:* *Niki/HVNY*

▲ Bard College has purchased the former Unification Theological Seminary property in Barrytown for $14 million, adding 260-acres to its campus. “The decision to sell the property was made with deep respect and love for the life and legacy of our Founders, and for all those who have been part of the truly remarkable history of the property,” UTS President Thomas G. Walsh said. In 1974, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, purchased the campus of St. Joseph’s Normal Institute, a Christian Brothers boarding school located in the small northern Dutchess County town. The UTS grounds include a soccer field, a large pond, and hiking trails, such as “Father's Trail” which was the path Reverend Moon often walked with students.

Milling and paving work will take place from 9G to the east end of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge beginning Tuesday, September 19 and continuing through Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Work begins at 7am daily.

Milling and paving work will also take place at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge from Wednesday, September 20 through Friday, September 22, 2023. Work is expected to take place from 9am to 5pm. Expect delays and alternating lanes.

Starting on Monday, September 18, 2023, a portion of Blue Mountain Road will be temporarily closed for the replacement of County Bridge #66 (Cemetery Bridge in the Town of Saugerties. This closure will be in effect approximately 400 feet north of the intersection with Charles Hommel Road. Drivers can use State Route 32 South for 1.8 miles to Harry Wells southwest for 2.0 miles, then head to West Saugerties for 0.2 miles west to access Blue Mountain Road.

To help curb parking hassles for the annual the Spirit of Beacon Day, organizers say that Dutchess County has “enthusiastically agreed” to run a special bus service to help people park for free down at the train station with shuttle services to Main Street for the day of festivities. A dedicated stop will be at Forrestal Heights as well, to service that apartment community. In addition, The Beacon Farmers Market has agreed to not be open this weekend to allow for parking in the DMV lot. Event info: spiritofbeacon.org

The Village of Rhinebeck Clerk, Treasurer and Water & Sewer Clerk will be out of the office from Monday September 18, 2023 to Friday September 22, 2023. The Village Clerk and Treasurer will have limited access to email during that time. Residents are asked to utilize the drop box outside, to the right of the door, for any water/sewer payments. The Village Hall will still be open for business for the Building, Planning and Zoning Department and Court.

Clermont State Historic Site is expanding its volunteer Board of Trustees for the Friends of Clermont. Do you have a passion for history, conservation, preservation, and volunteerism? Love for Clermont State Historic Site? Background in finance or accounting? Board members commit to: a three-year term, active participation, meeting virtually several times a year, with a few onsite engagements annually, and joining at least one committee. For questions or to submit a letter of inquiry, email director@friendsofclermont.org Learn more.

September 17-24 is Get There Green! Week, DEC’s annual campaign to encourage New Yorkers to use sustainable transportation for (at least) one week to battle greenhouse gas emissions and show what living a greener life can look like. More sustainable forms of transportation include walking, biking, public transport, carpooling or driving an electric vehicle. September 22 is also World Car-Free Day – Transportation contributes to 28% of NYS’ greenhouse gas emissions. You can lower the number of emissions released by choosing to walk, bike, or even take the bus.
National Estuaries Week, September 16 - 23, is a nationwide celebration of America's bays and estuaries and the many benefits they provide to local communities. Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems and support a great diversity of life. New York's estuaries include the Hudson River tidal estuary from Troy to New York Harbor, Long Island Sound, New York/New Jersey Harbor, Peconic Estuary, and the South Shore Estuary Reserve.
Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act provides funding for projects that will provide clean water, help New Yorkers adapt to climate change, and create new green jobs. The submission deadline for the Bond Act Project Ideas Survey has been extended through September 30, 2023.

A City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer accidentally overdosed after coming in contact with Fentanyl during an arrest at the Pershing Avenue park. On September 14, police arrested Michael Graham, 37, from the City of Poughkeepsie, for two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell in the third degree, a Class-B felony with other charges pending. Graham was in possession of a large quantity of crack cocaine and fentanyl packaged and ready for sale. The accidental overdose of a police officer exposed to fentanyl yesterday in the City of Poughkeepsie is the most recent example of how dangerous this poison is to everyone. If anyone has information regarding this case or about any other individuals selling drugs in Dutchess County, you are urged to contact the Drug Task Force confidential tip line at 845-463-6040 or by sending an email to the following address: DrugTaskForceTips@gmail.com.

The first day of fall in 2023 arrives with the fall equinox on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 2:50 a.m. You know what that means? Deadline for the HVNY Summer Photo Contest is Saturday + entries open for the 2023 HVNY Fall Photo Contest on Sunday! Submit your (1) best shot of the season to: photos@hvny.info.