HVNY News + Notes (1/8/24)
Who goes? There will be a public hearing for a stop sign at the intersection of South and North Parsonage Street in the Village of Rhinebeck this Tuesday, January 9, 2024 beginning at 6pm. Link
What’s in the stars this January? Mercury concluded its retrograde on January 1. A new moon’s coming on January 11. Full moon: January 25. But before that, on January 20, the sun meets Pluto in Aquarius beginning a new, 20-year cycle. Check your monthly horoscope from Omega in Rhinebeck and learn what that all means with “Astrology for the Absolute Beginner” on Saturday, January 20, 2024 from 1-2pm at the Phoenicia Library, 48 Main Street. Registration is required by emailing fstaff@phoenicialibrary.org or call 845-688-7811.
Mover? Shaker? Under 40? The deadline to nominate someone for Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 Awards is Friday, January 12, 2024. For details, visit https://dcrcoc.org/40under40
Call for submissions: The Second Annual March “Monologue” Madness is seeking original submissions of all genres for its second annual event taking place on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Pieces must be 10 minutes or less. Scripts or video clips must be received by the Morton Memorial Library in Rhinecliff by January 31, 2024. Accepted play authors will be notified by March 1, 2024. Email submissions to sandy@mortonrhinecliff.org or in person at the library at 82 Kelly Street, or via snail-mail: PO Box 157, Rhinecliff, New York 12574.
The Catskill Science Collaborative is accepting applications for the 2024 Fellowship Program. Professors and professional scientists with a student interested in conducting hands-on summer research in the Catskills are encouraged to apply. Students (undergrad + grad) will address research gaps identified by resource managers. Funds up to $15,000 are available per fellowship with $7,000 (+) allotted for student salary. Proposals due by January 17. If you are interested but unable to meet this deadline, contact Joy Damon, CSC Coordinator at damonj@caryinstitute.org ASAP. See the RFP (PDF) for more information.
Resolution to hike more this year? Take the 2024 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge by hiking at all six DEC-owned fire towers in the Catskills between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining fire towers located on Balsam Lake Mountain (Hardenburgh), Hunter Mountain (Hunter), Overlook Mountain (Woodstock), Red Hill Mountain (Denning), and Tremper Mountain (Shandaken), as well as the newest and sixth fire tower opened in fall 2019. The 80-foot-tall Upper Esopus Fire Tower is located at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mt. Tremper. Once completed, submit a log of completed hikes along with a favorite photo to CatskillsChallenge@dec.ny.gov, or via mail. Entries must be postmarked by January 6, 2025. All participants who complete the challenge will receive a letter and a commemorative Catskills Fire Tower Challenge patch designed with the 2024 completion year. The first 1,000 finishers will also receive a one-year subscription to DEC’s Conservationist magazine. Again this year, finishers who completed the challenge multiple times will receive an additional commemorative Catskills Fire Tower Challenge prize. DEC will offer a bonus prize entry to finishers who also submit a photo of themselves practicing Leave No TraceTM while participating in the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge (e.g., picking up litter, carrying out, planning and preparing for their hikes, staying on the trail). Full details can be found at the 2024 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge page.
A 39-year-old visitor from Singapore died after falling while taking photos at Minnewaska State Park. The victim, Dr. Nur Aisyah Binte, fell approximately 80-feet off the edge of a cliff on the Beacon Hill trail after losing her footing while taking photos, according to reports. Her husband, Abdul Rauf Bin Mohd Said posted an emotional video of first responders attending to his wife on his Facebook page, zooming in on rescue efforts from the edge of the cliff and asking the status of his wife. According to DEC rangers: Due to the severity of the injuries and complexity of the terrain, Rangers requested a New York State Police helicopter for a hoist mission. While moving the hiker to the extraction point, her vitals crashed, and State Parks staff began CPR. At 3:10 p.m., the victim was hoisted and transferred to an ambulance that took her to Ellenville Regional Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. DEC Forest Rangers remind hikers to “always wear proper footwear for the current hiking conditions and pay attention to the inherent dangers of the outdoors.”
Geese shot near residence in Dutchess – On Christmas Eve, the New York State Environmental Conservation received a call from New York State Police regarding individuals shooting at geese within 500 feet of a residence in the Town of Union Vale. Officers responded to the location and found multiple lead shotgun shell casings within 500 feet of a residence and a goose carcass that had been left behind. Using license plate information provided by a witness, officers located two subjects who admitted to killing three additional geese on their way home from rabbit hunting earlier in the day. Officers seized the goose meat and issued the subjects tickets for discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a residence, taking waterfowl with lead shot, failing to retrieve waterfowl (wanton waste), and illegally taking protected wildlife.
