There Oughta Be A

[FREE] Serving Philipstown and Beacon Another View by Brian Nice Page 9 MARCH 29, 2019 161 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | highlandscurrent.org Beacon Council to Discuss Rent Limits Part of regional push to stabilize rising costs By Jeff Simms he Beacon City Council could add its support on Monday (April 1) to QUALITY TIME — Mayor Dave T a campaign that’s gaining momen- Merandy of Cold Spring tum in the region to stabilize the rents stopped by the Butterfield residents pay in New York State. Library on March 22 to read Newburgh and New Paltz in the last one of his favorite books, Ul month have adopted resolutions encour- De Rico’s The Rainbow Goblins, aging state officials to renew the expir- during the Friday story hour. The children also made a craft and ing Emergency Tenant Protection Act enjoyed refreshments. (ETPA), which limits residential rents in Photos by Ross Corsair New York City and Westchester, Rockland and Nassau counties, and to expand the legislation statewide. Adopted in 1974, the ETPA caps an- that municipalities are asking the state their rents have doubled.” nual rent increases to a percentage de- “to expand the scope both geographically Although a resolution wouldn’t create There Oughta termined by a local board. However, the as well as substantively.” any new regulations in Beacon, it’s a show ETPA is not automatic; each municipality The resolution adopted in New Paltz of support for residents, Nelson said, and must vote to adopt it. calls on state leaders to “strike the geo- may encourage state leaders to act. “Our Be a Law Two years ago, state legislators also graphic restrictions from the ETPA” and people are not disposable. People want to proposed a number of modifications to allow municipalities to “take an active role live here and they want to work here.” the ETPA, including controls on residen- addressing the cost of rental housing.” Affordability could return to the City A sampling of tial rent increases when leases are being In Beacon, City Council Member Terry Council’s agenda later this year because renewed and preventing landlords from Nelson asked his colleagues to consider a several members have said they would bills introduced removing apartments from rent regula- similar measure. like to revisit an earlier discussion of the in Albany Serino tion if tenants move out. “I’ve had a few constituents who have city’s affordable housing regulations, last With the clock ticking on the original had problems with landlords, and I get a revised in 2017. The revision expanded the By Chip Rowe legislation, which expires this year, Bea- lot of complaints about poor conditions in city’s below-market rate housing stock but con City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis said housing,” he said. “A few people told me (Continued on Page 8) n Page 6 is a list of some of the 66 O bills introduced since January in the state Galef Senate by Republican Sue Serino, whose district includes the High- lands, and the 64 introduced in the As- sembly by Democrat Sandy Galef, whose district includes Philipstown. Democrat Jonathan Jacobson, who was elected to the Assembly in November and whose district includes Beacon, has not yet introduced a bill, although he has been a co-sponsor. When introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which is where most of them remain, although some will be approved PANCAKES AL FRESCO — In a shot taken from inside the visitor’s in the Senate or the Assembly, but not center, volunteers prepare pancakes both. Both chambers must approve a bill during the Little Stony Point Citizens for it to reach the governor. Those that Association’s annual Maple Syrup don’t end up on his desk for a signature Day on Sunday (March 24) at the Cold or veto in one session are often intro- Spring park. Photo by Ross Corsair duced again in the next. (Continued on Page 6) 2 MARCH 29, 2019 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.org FIVE QUESTIONS: STEVE LAMBERT By Brian PJ Cronin teve Lambert, a conceptual artist who lives in Beacon, is cofounder of S the Center for Artistic Activism and By Michael Turton the creator of SelfControl, a Mac program that blocks access to the internet with a timer, and Add-Art, a Firefox browser What’s the best add-on that replaces ads with artwork. thing about spring? You combine art with activism. Why is that? If you look back at whatever you consider successful activism, it has elements of performance, visuals, creativity and story. My bee hives come alive. Combining these things helps people bet- I’ll check them for the ter understand issues and enlivens their first time on Saturday. engagement, so it’s not as draining. Un- creative activism can seem like a slog. Why did you create the Center for Artistic Activism? I was making art about issues, but I Steve Lambert with his piece, Capitalism Works for Me! True/False. Photo provided was skeptical that it was doing anything. I started looking at how politics works, and reason aren’t the only things people take gut level. There’s plenty of research papers how change actually happens, and how to into account when making political deci- about how being online and advertising af- be better at having an impact. I also was sions. We don’t have to do that anymore. fect people, and you could read those, but working with Stephen Duncombe, who experiencing it for yourself is different. Are the online tools you created a was wondering the same thing about his form of artistic activism? You lived in San Francisco during activism. It came out of our doubts. All artistic activism exists on a spec- the dot-com boom years and say Has the political climate made trum between being effective, like Self- your art was informed by its rapid ~ Richard Butensky, Philipstown people more receptive? Control, which helps you get stuff done — gentrification. Do you see that in We used to have to make this argument and affective, like Add-Art, which moves Beacon? that politics isn’t rational, that facts and you and helps you understand things on a In San Francisco, development became about cash grabs. There was a building on The sound of birds my block that was clearly designed by the chirping in the morning contractor who built it, who thought: If we just get this thing up, we can make lots of — not any one bird, all of money. It’s not a conscious planning pro- them together. cess — it’s people trying to make as much money as they can in the shortest possible time. I haven’t quite seen that here in Bea- con, although I’ve seen signs that it might be happening. In San Francisco, you have all this water, which limits the amount of space you can build on. Here, although the buildings going up may not be to my taste, they ease the pressure on existing housing. We’re far enough away from New York City that I hope it all balances out, but I’m on guard. ~ Sabrina Rose, Beacon Visit highlandscurrent.org for news updates and latest information. The longer evenings, the increased daylight. MUSIC: Claudia Gibson! March 29 at 7:30pm YOUNG PLAYERS PRESENT: Lily Red’s Journey through Tale Town March 30 at 3pm and 4pm (A short play perfect for young kids and families) Ariane One Act Play Festival April 5-7 www.philipstowndepottheatre.org ~ Tito Chatzis, Philipstown highlandscurrent.org The Highlands Current MARCH 29, 2019 3 NEWS BRIEFS The Pentagon confirmed that the presi- ends in December 2020. Liberman, who Haldane Principal Resigns Beacon High School dent’s declaration of a national emergency became president in January 2017, will re- Will depart at end of school year Closes for Cleaning put the funds at risk, Maloney said. The main on the board. projects cited as being “vulnerable” were Jack Goldstein served as acting presi- avid Wallick, who was Advised after bacterial infection case an engineering center, enhancements to dent while Liberman was on maternity hired in June 2017 as D eacon High School closed on Wednes- the West Point Cemetery, a water treat- leave. The chamber was founded in 1910 the principal of Haldane day (March 27) for cleaning following ment plant and a parking structure. to promote commerce in Philipstown. Elementary School, re- B a confirmed case of Clostridiolides dif- signed on March 19, ef- ficile C.( diff), a bacteria that can cause fective at the end of the Beacon Library Looking Book Drive for Beacon diarrhea and colitis. Superintendent Matt school year. He said by Landahl said in an email to parents that for Trustees Get Lit sponsoring for high school email that he was leaving Wallick the staff learned of the case on Tuesday for personal reasons but Election is April 25 for Howland et Lit Beacon is sponsoring a book and was advised by Dutchess County to declined to elaborate. drive to add libraries to the special disinfect hard surfaces in the school to he Howland Library has two seats G A resident of Katonah, Wallick came to education English classrooms at Beacon prevent its spread. on its nine-member board of trustees Haldane from the Bicycle Path School for T High School. The teachers have created a The federal Centers for Disease Con- open for an election to be held on Thurs- pre-kindergarten and kindergarten stu- wish list at Binnacle Books, 321 Main St., trol and Prevention says C. diff infects day, April 25.

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