* Winner: 13 Better Newspaper Contest Awards *New York Press Association, 2013 & 2014 A day trip to Kingston’s Maritime Museum See page 7 FREE | FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015 69 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | www.philipstown.info Haldane Reorganization Faces Opposition Garrison School appoints principal By Michael Turton he Haldane Board of Education is poised to vote “yes” or “no” on Tchanges to the school district’s administrative structure on July 28. The proposed modifications have raised questions in the community, and the board held a special meeting on Tuesday, July 21, to address concerns. Left, Batman rivalry at Garri*Con July 18 at the Desmond-Fish Library; right, Joia, dressed See Garri*Con video on as a squirrel and reading a comic book Photos by Maggie Benmour Philipstown.info. Riverkeeper Report Says Sewage Contamination Still Point (location of the popular Sandy a Threat in Beach often used for wading and swim- ming) and Cold Spring look good overall, the 39-page report indicates. Hudson River In the report, a chart listing 74 commu- Cold Spring, Beacon nities and other places (such as parks), where water sampling occurred, depicts and Little Stony Point water quality calculated on the basis of conditions generally good the EPA’s Beach Action Value, or BAV, for safe swimming and related recreational By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong pursuits. Riverkeeper and its partners in the report, the City University of New Mark Mormar, at the July 21 Haldane espite notable improvements in York–Queens and the Columbia Univer- School Board meeting, on proposed recent decades in the cleanliness sity Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, reorganization: ‘This will affect every Dof the Hudson River, troubling tested for enterococcus, which, typically, element of the school.’ Photo by M. Turton threats persist, notably from sewage and while not harmful in itself indicates the related pollutants, according to a new presence of pathogens — bacteria, para- The change being considered were water quality report by the environmen- sites or viruses — associated with sewage prompted when Jennifer Wilson resigned tal group Riverkeeper. and related contamination. At a given lo- in June to take a new position at BOCES. Wilson was director of special, remedial, But in the Hudson Highlands, reason cation, Riverkeeper explained, a red bar and assessment services at Haldane and for optimism exists. on its report chart shows the percentage also served as chief information officer. The Riverkeeper How’s the Water? re- of single samples that exceeded an “en- Superintendent of Education Dr. port for 2015, released June 29, focuses tero” count of 60, the EPA-recommended Diana Bowers said that Wilson’s depar- on fecal contamination — principally BAV safe-beach limit. “Above this level, ture and the need to implement the dis- from human excretory waste and animal the EPA recommends public notification trict’s Strategic Plan were the primary droppings — and surveys the quality of and possible temporary beach closure,” the report states. impetus for brainstorming sessions water in beach areas used for recreation among senior administrators aimed at and swimming, as measured against A ‘blessed’ environment determining the best way to move for- federal Environmental Protection Agen- On the chart, Beacon, Little Stony ward. She stressed that the Strategic cy recommendations. By that criteria, Point and Cold Spring stand out (along Plan includes “next generation goals — the waterfronts at Beacon, Little Stony with several (Continued on page 6) 21st century goals” intended to make high school graduates college ready, with The Riverkeeper report includes a map technology a major factor in that pre- Town Democrats Offer a Six- showing water-sampling locations. paredness. “All (Continued on page 3) join a previously announced third chal- Candidate Slate lenger, Lithgow Osborne, who is running to cludes construction equipment operator Employment as an administrator at represent Philipstown (and part of Putnam and construction crew chief. Frisenda corporations such as the Bank of Tokyo Republicans pursue a more Valley) in the Putnam County Legislature. has also been active in community af- and several area schools, as well as 18 Democratic incumbents Richard Shea, fairs, notably Pop Warner football and years of service as the secretary to the modest and shy campaign the current town supervisor (and Town Little League baseball, having raised two Philipstown Planning Board, form the Board member), and Town Board Mem- sons with his wife, Denise. basis for Gallagher’s qualifications for By Kevin E. Foley bers Nancy Montgomery and Richard “Carl Frisenda will make an excellent Town Clerk. A lifelong town resident, he Philipstown Democrats are Flaherty will join the challenger candi- highway superintendent,” said Shea in she has also served as a volunteer at Hal- planning on a full-ballot press for dates on the ballot. The Democrats hold a statement. “His many years of experi- dane while raising three sons with her Ttown offices come this November’s all five seats on the Town Board. ence with the Putnam County Highway husband, Ethan. elections. New candidates Department certainly qualify him to ad- Gallagher ran for the clerk position The party’s town committee has an- Frisenda, a lifelong resident of Phil- dress the challenges here in Philipstown. once before in 2003, losing to the now nounced they have candidates for the elect- ipstown, is running for highway super- Carl is a great machine operator as well three-term incumbent Tina Merando. ed positions of town clerk, Ann McGrath- intendent with 34 years of experience as a skilled manager. I have known Carl “I am thrilled that Ann McGrath Gal- Gallagher, and town highway superinten- as an employee of the Putnam County for over 30 years and hold him in the lagher is running for town clerk,” said dent, Carl Frisenda. These two candidates Highway Department. His experience in- highest esteem,” Shea concluded. Montgomery in (Continued on page 3) 2 July 24, 2015 The Paper www.philipstown.info | Philipstown.info Cook On: 1 part chaos, 2 parts calm Cucumber Cool By Mary Ann Ebner rom a medley of berries to creamy cucumber, chilled soups can be Fmade with just about any of sum- mer’s fruits and vegetables. And when temperatures rise, warm weather conditions call for a kitchen break and cool options. Seasonal cooking — with minimal time spent at the stove or grill — should reflect that break from the routine. Colorful food selections that refresh with a nutritious but light result can be easily mixed and matched to cre- ate the ideal spread without even reach- ing for a heat source. Though grilling outdoors may be slightly more bearable than cooking in a steamy kitchen, hot and humid condi- Cucumber avocado soup Photos by M.A. Ebner tions often rouse us to step away from the flame. A picnic of peaches, bread, In looking beyond my own meager gar- or even placed in a sealable bottle for a city cannot be mistaken, and Gilroy in- cheese, wine or chilled green tea will den of herbs, peppers and tomatoes, the Hudson Highlands hike. fluences everything from old-fashioned prompt most of us to welcome the oppor- inspiration for July and August menus My latest variations turned out silky garlic toast to garlic-themed weddings. tunity to eat lightly. rests with whatever the farmers are pick- smooth and mild, but my early efforts Given my location at the time, the excess A simple cold lunch at a riverside pic- ing and selling. And when you can’t grow to prepare cucumber soup suffered from garlic can be understood. nic spot turned out to be summer’s most your own cucumbers, find your favor- a few garlic cloves too many. The initial Cutting back on the garlic brought the relaxing family meal. The preparations ite farmer. I’ve failed repeatedly in try- batch ended up not so much as a simple cucumber back to center and allowed the were minimal — hearty sandwiches and ing to produce cucumbers since moving supper but as simply a good lesson. mint — added last — to finish the blend sliced apples — and we enjoyed the retreat back from scorching Central Texas to It doesn’t take much to ruin a dish by with a refreshing satisfaction expected from a labor-intensive meal with little left the Hudson Valley and didn’t even try smothering the mild cucumber and avo- from a cold soup. to wash aside from a cutting board and to grow them this year. But cucumbers cado with too much garlic. That was my To make this chilled soup, toss all knife. Temperatures dipped for the day, beat the heat when dining indoors or out, big mistake. At the time I lived in Cali- the ingredients into a standard blender the Hudson lapped peacefully along the and they can round out a meal or fill in fornia, not too far from Gilroy, which ac- or use an immersion blender. (Reserve banks and nobody did any dishes. as the foundation. An unattended farm cording to the City of Gilroy is best known a few cucumber slices for crunchy dip- In an effort to extend easy living for a stand peddling cucumbers motivated as the “Garlic Capital of the World.” The ping, but otherwise blend until smooth few more weeks, it’s all about family-style me to blend up a batch of summer soup. community is easy to find once you’re in and creamy.) Transfer blended soup into salads, heaps of vegetables and fruit des- This particular Hudson Valley producer the vicinity of this locale. The scent of a pitcher to replenish bowls at the table serts — all fresh and uncooked. And it’s runs a small-scale retail operation — a garlic travels for a good distance.