What's in That Backpack?

[FREE] Serving Philipstown and Beacon How Long Will You Live? Page 6 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 161 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | highlandscurrent.org Jacobson Wins Democratic Nod for 104 Maloney finishes third for AG; continues House campaign By Chip Rowe from 2012 until his death in April from pancreatic cancer. onathan Jacob- In a five-person field, Jacobson re- son, a member ceived 26 percent of the vote, followed J of the New- by Kevindaryán Luján, a member of the burgh City Council, Orange County Legislature, with 21 per- on Sept. 13 won the cent and Jodi McCredo, a member of the Democratic primary Beacon City Council, with 20 percent. for the state Assem- The other candidates were Ralph Coates, bly seat representing a former Poughkeepsie city council and Jonathan Jacobson the 104th District, school board member, who received 15 per- Campaign photo which includes Bea- cent, and Alex Kelly, Skartados’ director of con and Newburgh. policy development, who won 12 percent. Jacobson will face Republican and Con- About 5 percent of ballots were left blank. servative Party candidate Scott Manley, a Jacobson congratulated his “competi- retired police officer who is a member of tors — not opponents” for their “spirited the Newburgh Town Council, in the gener- campaigns,” adding: “This was not a di- A MOO-VING LANDSCAPE — Visitors to The Farm Show at Saunders Farm navigated al election on Nov. 6. The winner will suc- visive campaign. Everyone talked about around the cows at the annual outdoor sculpture exhibit in Garrison. The show’s mid- ceed Frank Skartados, who held the seat (Continued on Page 4) run reception is Saturday, Sept. 22, from 2 to 5 p.m. Photo by Ross Corsair What’s in That Backpack? What’s It All The Spirit of Doctors say too much weight can injure students Worth? Beacon Lives! By Michael Turton 15 percent of a student’s body weight. The Development has benefits, New committee takes over American Occupational Therapy Associa- ven in the days of flash drives and tion holds an annual National Backpack but also costs, for Beacon annual event digital books, a student not wear- Awareness Day (this year it’s Wednesday, By Jeff Simms By Alison Rooney E ing a backpack as he or she heads to Sept. 26) in which the group’s members visit and from school has become a rare sight. schools to weigh students and their packs. fter 18 months of debate, the he annual Spirit of Beacon Day, at But when overloaded and worn incor- At Haldane, school officials say they are 246-unit Edgewater develop- risk of ending after four decades rectly, backpacks can cause serious prob- aware of the burden. “We don’t send text A ment has been approved by Bea- T when its long-serving volunteer lems, especially for younger students. The books home at the elementary level,” said con officials and should begin construc- steering committee said it needed a break, American Academy of Orthopedic Sur- David Wallick, the principal at Haldane Ele- tion early next year. The project, near the will return this year under the steward- geons, which has issued a warning to par- mentary, adding that most parents seem to waterfront, is the latest and largest in a ship of a new group of organizers. ents about heavy packs, notes be careful about overloading their children. string of proposals introduced over the The event is scheduled for noon to 4 that they can injure mus- At the high school, Principal Julia last two years that many feel will change p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, on Main Street cles and joints and lead Sniffen said students are encouraged to the complexion of the city. in Beacon (the rain date is Oct. 7), with a to severe back, neck and visit their lockers at least three times Much of the debate in Planning Board parade at 1 p.m. shoulder pain or numbness each day and carry as little as pos- and City Council meetings has been The Spirit of Beacon Day began in or tingling in the arms or sible in their packs. Haldane has about the impact of these developments, 1977, according to an account in the legs, as well as posture prob- also increased its use of dual from traffic and schools to intangibles now-defunct Beacon Evening News, af- lems because students must textbooks, she says, with one such as Beacon’s “small-town charm.” ter racial tensions had risen in the city, walk leaning forward. book for classroom use and Because of those intangibles, or “qual- particularly in the school system. A com- The issue is serious enough that a duplicate to keep at home. ity-of-life” issues, it’s difficult to quantify munity meeting was held at the How- some states, including California “Our increased use of digi- development as costing “this” or provid- land Public Library and attended by the but not New York, require school tal textbooks is also lighten- ing “that,” says Mayor Randy Casale. But county executive, the mayor, members of districts to lighten the load. Al- ing the load,” she said. on a practical level, “unless people come the school board and other community though guidelines vary, the con- Sniffen said she is aware of the and increase your tax base, you can’t leaders. Smaller meetings were also or- sensus among doctors seems challenge of keeping packs from build programs for the people that need ganized. One of the better ideas to arise to be that a loaded backpack becoming too heavy. “I have two them,” he says. “It’s a whole circle.” from the discussions was to hold a com- should weigh no more than middle school children,” she said, Intangibles aside, what does the munity day on the last Sunday of Sep- “and it’s a constant struggle to changing landscape of Beacon look like tember on Main Street. get them to check their in dollars and cents? The first event had a parade and A Haldane student walks packs and carry only Impacts booths with food, crafts and exhibits to school on Thursday what is needed.” Anthony Ruggiero, the city administra- from local organizations, as well as two (Sept. 20). Photo by M. Turton (Continued on Page 14) (Continued on Page 8) (Continued on Page 18) 2 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.org On the Spot ARK ORLOW By Michael Turton Five Questions: M F What was the most 5By Michael Turton frightening weather event you have experienced? “That weird tornado in the spring. Everything was fine and within seconds the wind was insane, trees were falling and my trampoline flew into the trees.” ~Ana Joanes, Beacon While leading a tour earlier this year, Mark Forlow, at left, describes artifacts discovered at the West Point Foundry Preserve. File photo by Guy Peifer n exhibit opening on Sunday, Has the foundry’s role in securing a early locomotives, such as Best Friend of Sept. 23, at the Putnam History Union victory in the Civil War been Charleston, DeWitt Clinton and The West A Museum marks the bicentennial exaggerated? Point, took place in New York City and at of the West Point Foundry, which operat- Its production of ordnance cannot be the foundry. ed in Cold Spring from 1818 to 1911. Mark underestimated. It provided the Union Who worked at the foundry? Forlow, the Cold Spring village historian, with weapons of war at a level not matched Much of the work required skilled labor leads tours at the site. by Confederate foundries. The Union won “My husband and I were caught in a from outside the region, including work- the battle of production, in particular in hurricane returning from Italy on a What event do you wish you could ers from England, Ireland and Germany. New York state. freighter. It was terrifying.” have attended at the foundry? The pay was minimal and complaints ~Diana Mueller, Cold Spring President Lincoln’s visit in 1862. It was Why else was the foundry significant? were frequent. A strike during the Civil kept secret at the time but covered in the Its role in the development of the ear- War was resolved quickly with no in- papers about a week later. They fired 100- liest American locomotives in the 1830s crease in pay. The hottest foundry rooms and 200-pound Parrott rifles for him. is frequently overlooked. Much of the had furnaces where casting was done; experimentation and manufacturing of the melting temperature of iron is 2,200 degrees. It was hazardous, dirty and un- pleasant work. There were accidents and deaths throughout its history. Other than providing jobs, did the foundry benefit Cold Spring? It provided housing. Worker homes on Parrott Street were built by the foundry’s last owner, Cornell Iron Works. It built a school for apprentices and workers’ children; that building is now the Putnam History Museum. And construction of several churches was made possible by funding from foundry ownership. “I had just come to the U.S. in 1995 when Cold Spring was shut down for Support Groups two days by a winter storm. It was the For a full list of area support groups, first time I saw snow, but it was scary.” ~Jim Lin, Cold Spring visit: highlandscurrent.org/sg highlandscurrent.org The Highlands Current SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 3 Nelsonville to Study Adding Sewers Board members cite limits of backyard septic systems By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong sewer system before. In 1968, as Cold Spring prepared to launch its sewage elsonville’s Village Board informal- treatment operations, O’Neill said, Nel- ly agreed on Monday (Sept.

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