Indian Point with Arrears As High As $18,000
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Reader-Supported News for Philipstown and Beacon Sculpting with Page 13 MAY 7, 2021 Celebrating 10 Years! Support us at highlandscurrent.org/join Renters’ Aid on the Way Census data suggests a of a bailout. On Tuesday (May 4), Gov. Andrew Cuomo third of New Yorkers at risk signed another extension of the state’s By Leonard Sparks months-long moratorium on residential and commercial evictions, which had expired on or the last year, many tenants and May 1. But a big motivation for the extension, landlords have bailed to keep the boat to Aug. 31, is to give local municipalities and Fthey share from sinking. New York State more time to distribute $1.2 Their hardships are not necessarily billion in federal funding that could erase a reflected in local and state data, whose year’s worth of unpaid rent. tallies of eviction filings has been depressed State Sen. Sue Serino, a Republican who by court system shutdowns and a series of represents the Highlands, voted against moratoriums imposed by the state and the extension, which was also opposed by Sundown at federal governments. But Justin Haines, the groups such as the Hudson Gateway Asso- attorney in charge of Legal Services of the ciation of Realtors, whose territory includes Hudson Valley’s Poughkeepsie office, said the Highlands. requests for help have come from renters Assembly Member Sandy Galef, a Demo- Indian Point with arrears as high as $18,000. crat whose district includes Philipstown, Now, beleaguered tenants and their land- and Assembly Member Jonathan Jacob- Second of a series lords may be able to stop bailing because (Continued on Page 9) By Brian PJ Cronin t was supposed to usher in a golden in 1973 and cost $65 million. Instead age for nuclear power in New York, it was completed in 1985 and cost $6 I and initially had little opposition. billion. The overruns would be comi- But eventually a network of environ- cal if not for the fact that the people mental groups as well as everyday citi- of Long Island were charged an extra zens who were wary of nuclear power 3 percent on their power bills for the in the wake of Three Mile Island, and next 30 years to help pay for a plant then Chernobyl, turned against it. The that never supplied them with a public questioned the wisdom of build- single watt of power. It was the last ing a nuclear power plant so close to nuclear plant built in New York while New York City. Activists led protests, simultaneously being the first nuclear serenaded by folk singer Pete Seeger, plant decommissioned in the U.S. a resident of Beacon. The evacuation In 2004, the Long Island Power plan the plant created was deemed Authority built two 100-foot-tall wind to be unrealistic, and state officials turbines at the site of Shoreham. At The Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church has occupied a former bank building on Main refused to certify it. Finally, after a public ceremony, LIPA Chair Rich- Street in Beacon for six decades. Photo by L. Sparks many tumultuous years, Gov. Cuomo ard Kessel declared: “We stand in the announced the decommissioning of shadow of a modern-day Stonehenge, Historic Church May Leave Beacon the plant. a multibillion-dollar monument to The year was 1988. a failed energy policy, to formally of Beacon, some as far away as Sullivan Developer to buy former The facility was the Shoreham commission the operation of a renew- County. On Sundays they must compete Nuclear Power Plant on the north able energy technology that will bank building for parking spaces with day-trippers, espe- shore of Long Island, which was origi- harness the power of the wind for the cially during the summer, said Blackburn. By Leonard Sparks nally planned to be the first of many benefit of Long Island’s environment.” “Everybody up from the city is coming, nuclear plants on Long Island. But And with that, the turbines whirred he Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, and with the restaurants having spots when Gov. Mario Cuomo — father of to life, generating 200,000 kilowatt- a historic Black congregation in blocked, it’s just worse and worse for park- New York’s current governor, Andrew hours of power a year — or 1/35,000th Beacon born in 1900 when its found- ing,” he said. “Come June and July, it’s T Cuomo — announced its closure, it of the power that Shoreham would ers began worshipping in a private home on really tough.” had never been in operation. The have created. North Avenue, is selling the former bank The building, located at 139 Main St., plant had conducted low-power tests building on Main Street that has been its is being purchased by Hudson Todd LLC, after its reactors had come online a The next generation home for six decades. one of two firms run by Joe Donovan and few years earlier but the approval to In the wake of another nuclear plant The big problem? Parking. his wife, who own a dozen other commer- go to full power never came. in New York closing — Indian Point, The Rev. Daniel Blackburn, who was cial properties along Beacon’s west end. It Shoreham was supposed to open (Continued on Page 20) hired as pastor in 2019, estimates that was built in 1929 for Mechanics Savings half of the church’s members live outside (Continued on Page 7) 2 MAY 7, 2021 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.org FIVE QUESTIONS: BRITTANY AND JUSTINE SOTO By Jeff Simms on making everything from scratch in small batches and keeping the ingredients By Michael Turton win sisters Brittany and Justine Soto to a minimum. We also try to keep things recently opened a vegan doughnut fun with flavor combinations, colors and How do you get rid T shop, Peaceful Provisions, at 383 textures. We have both over-the-top and Main St. in Beacon. classic and simple. of an “ear worm,” a song that’s stuck What brought you to Beacon? How have they been received? BRITTANY: We had a good friend who was a JUSTINE: It’s been overwhelming. They’re in your head? manager at Homespun Foods and Ella’s Bellas, flying off the shelves. so we visited frequently. Plus we appreciated BRITTANY: We’re in the back pumping out the small business focus of the community and doughnuts, so we don’t see the interac- how vegan-friendly it is here. We looked at a tions. But I manage the Instagram page I keep singing it until couple of spots around 2015 but nothing met and Justine does Facebook, and some of it goes way; I had one our needs. Eventually, this space popped up the responses I’ve seen are: “I can’t believe a couple days ago. and we were like, “Oh, wow, this might be it.” it’s vegan” or “This is the best maple iced of people, especially at the farmers’ markets. doughnut I’ve ever had.” What kind of market research But then we started calling our products did you do? “plant-based” or “dairy-free” to help custom- Why is veganism important to you? BRITTANY: We sampled our doughnuts at ers move beyond the preconceived notion JUSTINE: I was on a family trip about seven that vegan products aren’t good. farmers’ markets and pop-up events in New years ago in the Finger Lakes, and we stayed York City, Westchester and the Hudson near a rescue shelter called the Farm Sanctu- What’s the difference between a Valley for about six years. We were doing ary. I convinced my family to go, and during vegan and a regular doughnut? brownies and other baked goods, and it the tour something clicked. I had to hold wasn’t until we started doing early-morn- BRITTANY: We stick to a traditional baking myself accountable for the choices that I’m ing markets that we thought, “What goes process to make it taste just like a regular making. I’m also a dietitian, so the transition well with coffee?” doughnut, but without any animal prod- was easy. I went to visit Brittany, who was ucts, so no butter, milk or eggs. JUSTINE: There weren’t a lot of vegan sweets living in San Diego. She was a vegetarian but or baked goods around. In the beginning, it JUSTINE: We don’t use any pre-made mixes, I exposed her to veganism, and on her days ~ Katie Parent, Beacon was figuring out how to advertise our prod- preservatives, stabilizers or artificial off, we were veganizing our favorite recipes. It ucts. “Vegan baked goods” turned off a lot flavors in our icings. We’re hyper-focused was like, “Why aren’t we doing this together?” You have to play the NIVOLA: song backward, like SANDSCAPES the Beatles album! Curated by Teresa Kittler May 8, 2021 - January 10, 2022 Magazzino Italian Art, Gallery 8 ~ John Stowell, Cold Spring If it’s an annoying song, I think about one I really like. 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