Remembering Warren In Beacon, Airbnb Rentals Illegal, Edgewater Development Cut Back

20 Pages·2017·5.68 MB·English

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May 25, 2018 161 Main St., Cold Spring, n.y. | highlandscurrent.com
Remembering Warren
Haldane grad, 22, was one
of 16 Philipstown residents
who died in World War II
By Michael Turton
The memorial installed at the corner
of Main and Chestnut streets on the
lawn of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
in Cold Spring bears the names of 16 Phil-
ipstown residents who died while serving
in World War II. Warren Eitner, 22, a Hal-
country. Heavy rains also in-
dane grad, is one of them. Part 3: Farm = Food
crease the likelihood of potato
and tomato blight and fungal
problems in root vegetables
such as carrots.
Farmers will benefit from a
Technical Sgt. Warren Eitner longer growing season, because
Photos courtesy of Mark Pfarrer the warm temperatures cause
perennials to bloom earlier. But
He was a radio man. When his B-17
that doesn’t decrease the risk of
bomber took off from an airfield in Eng-
frost and freeze damage. When
land in October 1943 for a run, he had
plants bloom too soon, they are
already taken part in at least 12 missions
vulnerable if the temperature
and knew the risks. The log from a six-
By Chip Rowe drops again. That’s what happened to
hour mission he had flown two months
earlier 500 miles into enemy territory David Wolfe feels for the farmers. the fruit crop in New York in 2016. Also
in 2012. And 2007.
recorded the bombers being “battered by A professor of plant and soil
Insects such as the corn earworm,
[enemy] fighters, coming in sometimes 20 ecology at Cornell University,
flea beetle and stinkbug prefer a nice
at a time” and how the crew watched 17 of Wolfe has studied the effect of climate
summer day and, as temperatures rise,
the U.S. planes shot down. change on crops grown in the Hudson
are pushing their way north. While all
As World War II survivors and their Valley and New York state for 30 years.
plants thrive when exposed to carbon
family members die — most are now in Farmers are accustomed to dealing
dioxide, invasive weeds with deep roots
their late 80s and 90s or older — their with the vagaries of weather, but, still,
such as poison ivy and kudzu do espe-
memories of the war and those who fought Wolfe says he has been stunned by how
Warren Eitner's grave in France. The cially well. Studies have found invaders
it pass with them. For Memorial Day, we quickly conditions are degrading. The
Haldane grad was killed in 1943 during a become more resistant to herbicides
thought we’d remember one of the 16, with average temperature in New York has
bombing run over Germany. such as Roundup when grown in a high
the help of his youngest sister. risen about 11 degrees in the past 15,000
CO environment.
(Continued on Page 5) years; without dramatic intervention to 2
What can farmers do? They must
lower the level of heat-trapping carbon
adapt, if they can afford to. Cornell Uni-
In Beacon, Airbnb Rentals Illegal, dioxide (CO) in the atmosphere, it may
2 versity and other institutions are trying
jump 6 to 8 degrees within the next 100.
to help by assessing which direction
Edgewater Development Cut Back “No farmers in the history of modern
things are moving, and which crops
agriculture have seen the pace of change
might work best 10, 20 and 30 years
projected for this century,” Wolfe says.
from now. But it’s difficult in the mean-
Council votes on two the Edgewater apartment development at The rising temperature will lead
time to enjoy longer growing seasons if
the waterfront. to more intense and lengthy summer
contentious issues your fields are saturated in the spring
droughts that shrivel crops and the ud-
Short-term rentals
and dust during the summer.
By Jeff Simms The council voted 4-3 against a proposed ders of the state’s 620,000 dairy cows, In this, the third part of our series, Pa-
law that would have amended zoning laws which prefer the thermostat at a cool 72
Stuck in a grey area between city to legalize short-term rentals made through degrees or lower. mela Doan spoke with Wolfe and Laura
Lengnick, who advises Hudson Valley
zoning regulations and state build- sites such as Airbnb. If adopted, the law But it also brings challenges year-
farmers on “cultivating resistance.” She
ing codes, the Beacon City Council would have also required homeowners to round.
also visited farmers, including Jocelyn
voted 4-3 on Monday (May 21) to reject a comply with state building codes, which, In New York, global warming is cre-
Apicello of Longhaul Farm in Garrison,
proposed law that would have regulated for home-sharing, require adequate fire ex- ating more intense spring downpours,
Dave Llewellyn of Glynwood Farm in
Airbnb and other short-term rentals, ef- its and other safety measures. which saturate fields and delay planting
Philipstown and Mark Doyle of Fishkill
fectively making them illegal. Council members Terry Nelson, George and, subsequently, harvest. These heavy
Farms, to hear firsthand about the chal-
It also voted 5-2 on a change in zoning Mansfield, John Rembert and Amber rainfalls have increased more in the
lenges facing the growth industry.
that will lower by almost 25 percent the Grant voted against the proposal. Jodi Mc- Northeast than in any other part of the
number of units that can be included in Credo, Lee (Continued on Page 8) (To Page 10)
(Continued on next page)
2 May 25, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com
5
NEWS BRIEFS
Suspect Arrested in
Five Questions: F O
red sbOrn Armed Robbery
Beacon resident charged with
By Brian PJ Cronin
February hold-up
On May 21, Fred and Annie Osborn
Beacon police arrested Eric R. Johnson,
of Garrison moved aboard their
25, on May 18 on suspicion of commit-
sloop Aythya, which they plan to
ting an armed robbery in February at the
sail around the world.
Citgo Gas Station on Fishkill Avenue.
How long have you two been sailing? According to Beacon police, the arrest
All our lives, probably before either of was the result of a months-long investiga-
us could walk. We did a trip across the tion conducted with the assistance of the
Atlantic in 1985 with our children when Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and the
they were 7, 10 and 12 years old. We want- Town of Fishkill Police.
ed to continue around the world, but they Johnson, who lives on Half Moon Road,
wanted a Labrador Retriever and a sta- was arraigned in Beacon City Court and
tion wagon and soccer games and all the charged with felony robbery, felony crimi-
things we were trying to escape. We got as nal possession of a weapon and misde-
far as Gibraltar. meanor menacing. He was remanded to
How big is the Aythya? Dutchess County Jail on $15,000 cash bail
It’s 41 feet. It’s a Bristol 41.1 with a cen- or $50,000 bond.
ter cockpit, two heads, three cabins for
guests and a nice galley. Aythya is the Man Jumps from Bear
genus of sea ducks. Our dinghy is named
Mountain Bridge
Lucky Ducky.
Annie and Fred Osborn aboard the Aythya in Rhode Island Photo provided
How long will you be gone? Mount Pleasant resident, 25, died on
We want to take our time, so I’m imag- What do you most look forward to? Will you stay in touch? May 8
ining two to three years. It will depend on I love the feel of the waves, the wind We have cell phones, internet and ra-
A25-year-old man from Mount Pleasant
how well we do, how well the boat suits taking you somewhere, the stars at night, dios. Friends have asked us to do a blog.
committed suicide by jumping off the
us, where we can do some serious pas- the sunsets, the sunrises, and the total We’ll be in touch, but I say that with a bit
Bear Mountain Bridge on May 8, accord-
sage-making with just the two of us or if immersion in the weather. You can’t count of sorrow, because the idea is to not be in
ing to the New York State police.
we need crew. We have 10 grandchildren, on the weather, and you can’t escape it. touch, to not listen to the news, to be away
The man, whose identity was not re-
so we have a lot of crew on hand. We don’t You have to adjust. from everything.
leased, parked his car on Route 9D,
have a careful itinerary.
walked to the middle of the bridge and
jumped around 5:50 p.m. After a report
Read what your from a passerby, police reviewed security
video. The Westchester County Police De-
neighbors are saying: partment Marine Unit recovered his body
around 7:30 p.m.
Visit our
If you or someone you know is in crisis
Comments or need to talk, call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
section online.
For more information on where to
fi nd things or what’s happening,
NY Alert
visit:
artful  cooking  /  event  planning
Community Directory
For public safety and transportation
Expanded Calendar
845-­424-­8204 alerts by text or email, visit
Arts & Leisure
nyalert.gov
           www.freshcompany.net
highlandscurrent.com
HUDSON RIVER EXPEDITIONS
Join us on the water this
Memorial Day Weekend
via kayak, canoe, or
stand-up paddleboard!
Visit
www.HudsonRiverExpeditions.com
for more information.
highlandscurrent.com The Highlands Current May 25, 2018 3
Garrison Principal Leaving
John Griffiths takes job with every upper elementary and middle school student, fostered
a new theater program, and increased our use of outdoor
Croton-Harmon
spaces through newly mapped trails and the installation of
our school garden,” he wrote.
By Chip Rowe
The Garrison Union Free School District had 207 students
John Griffiths, the principal since 2015 of the Garrison during the 2016-17 school year in grades K-8, while Croton-
School, announced on May 23 he will leave at the end of Harmon had 1,637 in grades K-12.
the school year to become assistant superintendent of Griffiths, who earns $148,569 annually at Garrison, will
the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District. make $175,000 at Croton-Harmon. He was appointed by
The Croton-Harmon school board is scheduled to approve the Garrison school board in July 2015 to a four-year ap-
the hire at a special meeting scheduled for today (May 25). pointment that would have ended Aug. 9, 2019, after which
Griffiths, who came to Garrison from Somers, where he he could have been considered for tenure. He will receive a
was principal of the Intermediate School, said in an email similar four-year term from Croton-Harmon.
to parents that the move was “the next logical step” in his The assistant superintendent position at Croton-Harmon
career. He will remain at Garrison until July 13. became available when the district promoted Deborah
“Among many accomplishments, we have embraced a new O’Connell to superintendent, effective July 1. She has held
approach to literacy education, secured a reading interven- the job since 2011 and will succeed Edward Fuhrman Jr.,
John Griffiths in his office at the Garrison School tionist for our neediest learners, purchased Chromebooks for who retired.
File photo
State of the Air
they come in contact with sunlight. “In- Phoenix-Scottsdale at No. 8 and the New
haling ozone pollution is like getting a York City area at No. 10. One challenge
Lung association grades sunburn on the lung,” the association for the lung association in tracking pollu-
said, noting it can trigger coughing and tion levels is that fewer than 1,000 of the
quality in Highlands
asthma attacks. 3,068 counties in the U.S., not including
Particle pollution is the result of wild- Dutchess and Putnam, have monitors.
fires, wood-burning devices, coal-fired There has been some improvement in
By Chip Rowe
power plants and diesel engines. The micro- ozone levels since the passage in 1987 of
The American Lung Association, in scopic particles can trigger asthma attacks a global treaty to reduce them. Dutchess
its annual State of the Air report, as well as lead to heart attacks, strokes and County has 19.5 fewer high-ozone days
gave Putnam and Dutchess coun- lung cancer, according to the association. than it did in 1996 and Putnam has 19.2
ties a “D” for air quality, while Westches- Eight of the 10 cities with the most par- fewer. To receive updates on air quality by
ter got an “F.” ticle pollution were in California, with email, see enviroflash.info.
The nonprofit measures ozone and par-
ticle pollution, both of which have grown
Report Card
The Chrysler Building seen from the
Empire State Building on Nov. 20, 1953,
during a six-day smog that killed at least
Overall Grade: D-
200 people Photo by Walter Albertin/
World-Telegram, via Library of Congress
County Grade
worse because of the effects of global
warming.
Putnam
The state Department of Environmen- Attention:
D tal Conservation also tracks pollutant
levels. In its daily forecast for May 24, it Nelsonville Citizens and Neighbors
Dutchess
rated the levels in Long Island and west-
D
ern New York as “moderate,” which is just
Important Public Meeting Addressing
Westchester below “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
F The remainder of the state was “good.” Proposed Cellphone Tower
Ozone develops in the atmosphere
in our Community
American Lung Association from gases from tailpipes, smokestacks
and other sources that form smog when
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
Philipstown Hall, 2nd fl oor meeting room
If you want to learn the facts regarding the proposal
for a cellphone tower on Rockledge Road,
please attend the meeting.
Respectfully,
Mayor Bill O’Neill
Trustee Alan Potts
Trustee Tom Robertson
Trustee Michael Bowman
Trustee David Moroney
4 May 25, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com
In Memoriam
Philipstown James J. Tomlins William T. Morrison
* Winner: 33 Frank H. VanHouten Jr. Patrick J. O’Brien
World War I William B. Wilson Francis G. Peattie
Better Newspaper
Percy W. Arnold Guy D. Pendleton
World War II
Contest Awards Edward Burns Arthur J. Baxter George Perrault
George A. Casey John H. Beattie Kenneth G. Perry
*New York Press Association, 2013 - 2017 Charles N. Clainos Robert A. Bennett Dominick J. Phillipo
NNA* Winner: Charles DeRhan Luigi F. Bettina Carmen A. Ramputi
9 Better John R. Fisher William J. Brennan Robert V. Resek
Clarence Fahnestock John W. Briggs Lester F. Roberts
Newspaper James Harvey Hustis Frederick H. Brewer Peter J. Seranto
Contest Awards J. Paulding Murdock Thomas B. Carrol Francis T. Splain Jr.
Burton Stevens
*National Newspaper Association, 2016 World War II Calvin Clensay Stuart F. Stripple
Martin E. Adams John Collins
Publisher Edward Budney Nicholas T. Coppola Richard E. Sutton
Highlands Current Inc. William J. Tallman
H. Ellis Bowden Raymond W. Detweiler
161 Main St. Rody J. Tighe
Gerald Dale Andrew B. Eichorn
Cold Spring NY 10516-2818 Francis J. Toth
Warren Eitner George J. Eichorn
291 Main St., Beacon NY 12508 George P. Turiga
W. Russel Farrell Paul L. Facteau
Andrew Urbanak
Founder Ralph Fleming Robert M. Faris
Joseph C. Usifer
Gordon Stewart (1939 - 2014) Arthur Gilman Ralph L. Fleming
Rosco L. Vaughn Jr.
Walter Glanville David Fontaine
Managing editor James J. Walker
Thomas Lutz George P. Frederick
Chip Rowe John P. Wasnorowicz
Stanley Matthews Saul Gerlich
[email protected] Louis J. Westerhuis
Anthony Nastasi Alexander J. Grudzina
arts/Feature editor Allen W. Olsen Michael J. Groza Rene’ Zahner
Alison Rooney Joseph V. Richardson Joseph Halbosky Korea
[email protected] Lester B. Roberts Gordon E. Hughes Anthony N. Scalzo
senior CorresPondent Arthur Warren Henry I. Idema Vietnam
Michael Turton Vietnam Edwin J. Johnson John J. Bennett
John Keto
rePorters Aldon Asherman Albert A. Knight Thomas E. Devine
Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong John Bennett Phillip R. Mattracion
Orville Kranz
Celia Barbour Keith Livermore Terrence E. O’Neil
Ernest H. LaChance
Brian PJ Cronin William R. Phillips
Joe Dizney Beacon George LaChance James S. Pittman
Pamela Doan Arnold E. Lasko Emilio Rivera
Jeff Simms World War I Robinson C. Lent Joseph T. Slinskey
John J. Bump Walter M. Lewis
layout editor Frank Cramade Judah H. Lewittes The men remembered here died dur-
Kate Vikstrom
Herman G. Deicke James J. Lockwood ing their wartime service, either during
advertising direCtor George H. Deveson Michael E. Maskewicz combat or from disease or accidents. The
Michele Gedney Frank D. Fairclough Joseph McGaughan Philipstown list is taken from the war me-
For information on advertising: Frederick A. Garrison Peter Menger morial at Main and Chestnut streets, Cold
845-809-5584 Frederick Harris Howard G. Mitchell Spring. The Beacon list was compiled by
[email protected] Austin Robinson John F. Mignault Robert William Phillips for the Beacon
highlandscurrent.com/ads George Stafford George S. Mitchell Historical Society.
The Highlands Current is a 501c3
nonprofit funded by grants,
advertising and the generous
support of our readers. Thank you.
THE HIGHLANDS CURRENT,
Vol. 7, Issue 21 (ISSN 2475-3785)
is published weekly by
Highlands Current Inc.,
161 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516-
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Newburgh, NY.
POSTMASTER: Send address
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lands Current may not be reproduced in
whole or in part without permission.
highlandscurrent.com The Highlands Current May 25, 2018 5
Remembering Warren
(from Page 1) Finally Home
Life at Glynwood was “Ike” and his pastime was “accompa-
The bodies of two Beacon men killed during
The Eitner family — Warren; his par- nying chicks.”
World War II were only years later identified and
ents, Felix and Elsa; his elder brother, While at Delhi, he fell in love with a
returned home for burial.
Walter; and his sisters, Edith and Doro- young woman named Lucy, and they were
thy (Dottie) — moved to Philipstown from engaged. Air Force 1st Lt. Francis G. Peattie died June 26,
1943, in a bomber crash on the South Pacific island
New Jersey in the 1930s. They lived at
Off to war of New Britain. The lone survivor, Col. Jose Holguin,
Glynwood Farm, where his father ran the
Warren enlisted in the U.S. Army Air returned to the site three times in the early 1980s
poultry operation.
Corps in early 1941, continuing a family to search for the remains of his nine comrades. In
“I was his kid sister, and he loved to
tradition of military service. His father had 1983 he discovered a number of bodies had been
tickle me,” recalls Dottie Pfarrer, 89, the
served in the Army during World War I, recovered and buried in Honolulu. He pushed the
last surviving sibling. “We got into some later became commander of the George A. Army to identify
rather wild pillow fights. He was a fun Casey American Legion Post in Cold Spring, the remains,
person to be with.” which included
and during World War II commanded the
Their days at Glynwood included square five of his
Legion’s four Putnam County units of
dances in the ice house. “Warren certainly crewmates.
guard, patrol and traffic control officers.
enjoyed square dancing; I can still picture Peattie’s body
Warren rose to the rank of techni-
was returned
it,” recalls Dottie, who lives in Maryland.
cal sergeant, serving as a ground-based Francis Peattie
to Beacon
Her brother also organized softball games
radio operator with the 306th Bomber in 1985 and
in the back meadow.
Group, known as the Reich Wreckers, at interred at St. Joachim’s Cemetery.
Warren and Walter loved the outdoors,
Thurleigh airfield in southeastern Eng-
especially fishing. But they used their Private Dominick J. Phillipo went missing in
land. Between August and October 1943,
guns only for target practice. “They were September 1943 during a battle for the town
he volunteered to fly on at least 12 mis-
of Persano, Italy. Nearly 17 years later, in May
soft-hearted outdoorsmen,” Dottie says.
sions as a radio operator. 1960, heavy rains revealed a shallow grave with
“Warren taught me how to identify birds,
During his last trip home, while on his remains and dog tags beside a small stream
their nests and their eggs.”
Christmas leave, Dottie remembers near the town of Serre, about 10 miles away. He
After graduating from Haldane High
thinking her brother had aged a lot. “He is also buried at St. Joachim’s.
School, Warren enrolled at Delhi Agri- changed so much, from being very impish Dominick Phillipo
cultural School, where he studied poultry Source: Beacon Historical Society
to very serious,” she says.
husbandry. Dottie says he and their father
planned after the war to start their own Final mission east, its factories produced more than 60 aged, five beyond repair.
chicken farm. Thurleigh was cold and foggy on the percent of the bearings used in Hitler’s An intelligence report for the Oct. 14
Warren embraced college life. He was morning of Oct. 14, 1943. Aircrews who war machines. It was heavily fortified raid noted: “No trouble was encountered
vice president of the Chanticleer Club, ac- attended the 3 a.m. briefing hissed and with anti-aircraft batteries and defended until the P-47 escort left.” The huge Boe-
tive in intramural sports, ran cross-coun- moaned when the target was announced: by Luftwaffe fighters. On a mission to the ing B-17 “Flying Fortresses” could handle
try and joined Theta Gamma. His nick- Schweinfurt. area that Eitner had flown in August, 54 long-range missions but its fighter escorts
name, according to the 1940 yearbook, A Bavarian town nearly 500 miles to the bombers were lost and another 169 dam- were typically (Continued on Page 6)
J
ACKIE
T
RUE
by
Tony Burton

Copies now
available at
The Country Goose
115 Main St.,
Cold Spring,
NY 10516
845.265.2122
highlandbaskets.com
6 May 25, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com
Remembering Warren
(from Page 5)
Beacon’s Wall of Honor
forced to return to England as they ran
low on fuel.
Sign painter inscribed names of 1,704 service members
Once the fighter escort turned back,
By Robert Murphy
German planes pounced. “Between the
Rhine and the target, the formation was
In 1942, soon after the U.S. entered World War II, the Beacon post of the American attacked by 300 enemy aircraft,” the re-
Legion recruited one of its members, a sign painter named Jasper Urquhart,
port stated. Although the B-17s were
to design and create wooden panels on which he could add the name of every
armed with 50mm machine guns, “there
Beacon resident serving in the Armed Forces.
were too many aircraft attacking for the
The first board was positioned outside Memorial Hall. Over the next three years, as gunners to keep them off.” The formation
more people joined the military effort, Urquhart added more boards. When the Fishkill also encountered “accurate” anti-aircraft
resident completed his work in early 1946, after the war ended, he had added 1,704 fire as it neared Schweinfurt.
names, including those of 60 men who did not come home (see Page 4).
A pilot who survived the raid said War-
Later that year the honor roll was dismantled. The Beacon News noted that saving the ren’s bomber and its 10-man crew came
panels would be difficult because of their size, but a high-resolution color photo was under fire from as many as six Luftwaffe
taken and printed 4 feet wide for display in the window of Veta Budney’s florist shop fighters when it was about 10 minutes
across the street and later at Memorial Hall. Urquhart died in 1948 at age 58 and from its target. At 2:15 p.m., one of its four
should be remembered as the artist who painted the names of honor for a grateful engines burst into flames. The witness
city.
counted four parachutes. Another pilot
Murphy has been president of the Beacon Historical Society since 1998. This article was wrote to Warren’s mother after Warren
excerpted from his blog at beaconhistorical.org. had been reported missing in action and The Eitner family at Glynwood in 1941:
said he had seen seven parachutes, giving Warren is in the back row at left, and his
the family hope he may have survived and sister Dottie is in the front row at right.
been captured. Photo courtesy Mark Pfarrer
He had not survived. The bomber
When Warren's death was confirmed
crashed into the German countryside.
about two months after he was reported
Five of the 10 men died, including War-
missing, the Red Cross sent a letter to his
ren and the pilot, John Jackson, 22, whose
father. He received it a few days before
bodies were found at their posts, in the
Christmas but didn’t tell his family until
The sign boards painted by Jasper Urquhart Beacon Historical Society wreckage, by Germans. Warren may have
Dec. 26. “I don’t know how he did it,” says
remained on board to radio the positions
Dottie, who was 14. “I think he didn’t want
of those who parachuted. Five of the men
to spoil Christmas.”
who were able to bail out of the aircraft
Hudson Valley Auctioneers LLC After learning Warren had been killed,
survived and became prisoners of war.
Lucy gave her engagement ring to his
Of the 291 bombers sent to attack Sch-
Antique and Estate Auctioneers mother.
weinfurt that day, 61 were lost. Another
Richard Pfarrer has his uncle’s wartime
432 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508 148 were damaged, 10 beyond repair.
blanket, although it’s missing the corner
Monthly Public Auctions Mondays 5 p.m.
Epilogue that Warren used to shine his boots.
Featuring online and offl ine sessions
Warren is buried in the Lorraine Ameri- The Eitner family left the Cold Spring
Sunday Previews • Gallery open daily by appointment
can Cemetery at St. Avold, in northeast- area in 1945.
Estimates ern France, with 10,786 other American
Thanks to Dottie Pfarrer; her sons,
Free consultations soldiers. He was posthumously awarded
Mark Pfarrer and Richard Pfarrer; and
Consignments accepted the Air Medal with V for valor and a Pur
Sue Fox Moyer of the 8th Air Force His-
Antiques and estates purchased ple Heart.
torical Society for their assistance.
Estate and insurance appraisals
Tags sales
Clean outs
Neil Vaughn, 914-489-2399, Auctioneer
Theo Dehaas, 845-480-2381, Manager
Visit www.hudsonvalleyauctioneers.com
Offi ce 845-838-3049
and sign up for email notifi cation.
Warren Eitner flew some of his missions aboard the B-17 nicknamed Miss Patricia,
shown here. It crashed on a training run about a week after his death, killing the eight
Kids Welcome Here! crew members. American Air Museum in Britain
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highlandscurrent.com The Highlands Current May 25, 2018 7
Weathering the Storm
Farms hit hard by when the storm rolled in, working to plant for schools, food pantries and
scallions in time for the rain. Although the soup kitchens. The nonprofit
macroburst
crew received emergency tornado warn- is hoping to raise $15,000 for
ings on their phones, they didn’t think a new, stronger high tunnel.
By Brian PJ Cronin anything of it since the warning was for Since the organization
the entire Hudson Valley, and tornadoes farms on land owned by the
Power has been restored and roads
in southern Dutchess County are practi- state Department of Environ-
have been cleared in the Highlands
cally unheard of. They even joked about mental Conservation, which
after the brief but devastating storm
taking shelter in the walk-in cooler that has been on site clearing
on May 15, but for local farms, the recov-
the farm uses to keep harvested produce trees, they’re still waiting on
ery continues.
fresh. the go-ahead as to when they
“We’re back where we were four years
When the storm began, Simon and her can reopen the farm to hold
ago,” said Sarah Simon, farm director at
crew retreated to the greenhouse. its popular preschool pro-
Common Ground Farm, which is located
“The wind was just crazy,” she recalled. gram.
at Stony Kill Farm just north of Beacon.
“Then all those trees started to fall.” “I’ve had to cancel every-
The storm destroyed the 4-year-old high
They ended up in the cooler, after all, thing last week and this
tunnel that the farm had been using to
emerging to find the high tunnel de- week, and that’s a chunk of
improve tomato production in the warm
stroyed and an electrical fire across the revenue,” says Sember Wein- Dave Eger and Peter Augello work to repair the
months and grow produce into the winter.
The storm also uprooted trees, blew apart street. Because fallen trees had blocked man, the farm’s education damage at Common Ground Farm. Photo provided
the roads, Simon walked home to Beacon. director. “On the other hand,”
the farm gate, ripped holes in the fencing,
It could have been worse: When Hur- she said, pointing to a tangle At Common Ground Farm, the team
destroyed several smaller greenhouses and
ricane Irene hammered Common Ground of downed trees and limbs smothering the has held one fundraiser and is looking for
sheds and flooded one of the fields.
Farm in August 2011, the fields were full of grove, “that’s not exactly toddler-friendly.” volunteers who can help rebuild the other
Down the I-84 corridor, things were
produce on the verge of being harvested, the In Fishkill, with the road cleared and structures or make deliveries to food pan-
worse in the 100-year-old apple orchards
majority of which was wiped out. Since the power restored, Fishkill Farms is again tries. They're encouraged, also, as some of
at Fishkill Farms.
macroburst happened early in the growing open for business. “It looks like the cher- the resiliency measures that the farm put
“We lost between 3,000 and 4,000
season, much of what was lost can be re- ries, peaches and nectarines are OK,” in place are paying off. Although Common
trees,” said Josh Morgenthau, its owner.
planted thanks to the abundance of vegeta- Morgenthau said. “And it’s looking like Ground Farm has 10 acres, they only farm
“It was faster winds than we’ve ever ex-
ble starts that many farms still have at this we’ll be able to open up for pick-your-own on 4 at a time, letting the rest go fallow with
perienced before. Most of these trees were
time of the year. Meadowland Farm in Clin- strawberries in two weeks.” cover crops to rest and recharge the soil.
broken at the base so there’s nothing left
ton Corners has already volunteered to re- However, the farm will have to decrease While other fields lost valuable topsoil to
to rehabilitate. Those trees represent a de-
place the tomato starts that were destroyed. the amount of apples available for whole- the storm, the deep roots of the cover crops
cade of investment and hard work by our
But the loss of the high tunnel is a sig- sale this fall and in autumns to come. “It’s held the Common Ground soil in place.
team, and to see it all wiped out in just a
nificant blow for the farm, and will ham- going to take us years to get back to our “It’s been a really interesting and informa-
few minutes is devastating.”
per its ability to continue growing food previous level of production,” he said. tive moment for me as a farmer,” said Simon.
Simon and her crew were in the fields
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1. GAMEKEEPER, 2. AMELIORATED, 3. SNOBBISHLY
4. VIBE, 5. EMBARGOED, 6. SEASONED, 7. SHOCKING
8 May 25, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com
In Beacon, Airbnb Rentals Illegal, Edgewater Cut Back
(from Page 1)
Kyriacou and Mayor Randy Casale voted for it. There is a possible fix. If state lawmakers pass a measure
Because the state doesn’t specifically address the rela- that regulates the rentals — a version of a law is in commit-
tively new home-sharing industry in its building code, tees in both the Assembly and Senate — it would establish
municipalities must interpret the rules on their own, City what Airbnb says it considers “common-sense regulations”
Attorney Nick Ward-Willis said. that would include requiring owners to post a diagram
Tim Dexter, Beacon’s building inspector, has said that showing all exits and a list of emergency phone numbers;
he interprets the state law as applying to home-sharing have insurance of at least $250,000; have only one short-
the same as it does to a traditional bed-and-breakfast. In term unit unless the owners are at the same address; and
other words, anyone sharing their home as a short-term register the unit every two years with the state.
rental would be required to meet the state’s fire safety On Monday, the Beacon council passed a resolution urg-
requirements, including adequately marked exits from ing the state to take action.
each bedroom and, in some cases, sprinkler systems.
Edgewater
An attorney at the New York Department of State con- The council voted to remove steep slopes and other
firmed that interpretation, Ward-Willis said, which means “non-buildable” land from its calculation of how many
that most homes in Beacon would fall short of the code, units can be constructed on a parcel, effectively lopping
leaving the Building Department no choice but to cite nearly 25 percent off the capacity of the Edgewater devel- Developer Rodney Weber (center) greeted guests at an
them for noncompliance. opment on the city waterfront. information session he hosted May 14 on his proposed
However, Airbnb, the largest of the home-sharing services, After the council approved the change, the city will Edgewater project in Beacon. Photo provided
believes Beacon’s interpretation “stands in stark and lonely now calculate the allowable density of a development on a
contrast to the many cities and towns throughout New York parcel of 3 acres or larger on buildable, rather than gross, cause the Edgewater site includes a number of steep slopes.
and the region that have concluded that occasional home acreage. The vote was part of a continuing review of city While the council’s vote came with little fanfare or discus-
sharing is consistent with other types of permissible acces- zoning that began last fall. sion, there have been months of debate leading to it.
sory use,” said Andrew Kalloch, an Airbnb public-policy spe- In December, the council adopted the provision in the Edgewater officials have argued that the project should
cialist who submitted comments to the council. Fishkill Creek Development District. Monday’s vote ex- be allowed to proceed as proposed because it will clus-
Forcing homeowners to comply with the state fire pro- tended the measure to the city’s largest residential dis- ter the apartments into seven buildings that only cover
visions “would amount to a de facto ban on short-term tricts. The council is still considering a plan to rezone about 35 percent of the site. The remainder, including the
rentals in Beacon,” he wrote. Main Street and to strengthen its historic district. slopes, would be open space.
On Monday, several residents who use Airbnb asked the The Edgewater plan, which began with 307 apart- Council Member George Mansfield, who, along with
council to reject the proposed city law, saying the state ments on 12 acres northeast of the Metro-North station, Mayor Randy Casale, voted against the measure on Mon-
code would be too restrictive. But that leaves Beacon’s has been under Planning Board review for more than a day, has said the law seems targeted at Edgewater, be-
110 active Airbnb hosts — who, according to the company, year. The project received environmental approval from cause it’s already well into its Planning Board review. But
had 9,100 guests in 2017 — with few options. the Planning Board in December, and the Zoning Board other council members have countered that the Fishkill
That’s because the city zoning code, like that of many of Appeals in January granted three variances. creekside zoning measure also did not provide exemp-
other municipalities, has a provision that “if a use is not The project still needs a special-use permit from the tions for projects under review.
expressly permitted, it is deemed prohibited,” Ward-Wil- City Council and site-plan approval from the Planning That decision downsized the 248 Tioronda develop-
lis explained. Because short-term rentals are not men- Board before it can break ground. ment, which was approved in 2014 for 100 units on nearly
tioned, “they are prohibited,” he said. Monday’s ruling knocks about 71 units off the proposal be- 9 acres but had not yet started construction.
highlandscurrent.com The Highlands Current May 25, 2018 9
The Calendar
Join the Circus — at the Howland Center
Summer exhibit and events
begin June 2
By Maria Ricapito
If your parents forbade you from joining
the circus, your time has come.
Circus! @ The Howland, a series of
art shows, performances and classes, will
open in June for a two-month run at the
Howland Cultural Center in Beacon. The
ringmaster and curator is Karen Gersch,
a visual artist and acrobat who was a
founding member of the Big Apple Circus.
“In the circus, you generally do a few
acts — unless you’re a big cat trainer or
flying aerialist,” she says. “You have to
learn all the skills, like juggling, acrobat-
ics and wire walking, and then you focus.
Acrobatics was my main act. I’m the one Li Liu spins plates while balancing on one This painting by Sir Edwin Landseer of Isaac Van Amburgh and his animals was
who holds people up, usually working hand. Photo provided commissioned by Queen Victoria. Van Amburgh grew up in what is now Beacon.
with another woman or man doing Royal Collection Trust
Angela Snow, will answer questions.
comedy or pure acrobatics.”
Another attraction for all ages: two
In addition to doing and teaching
Family Fun Balancing Days (June 24 and
daredevil feats, Gersch paints. One of her
July 8), where anyone can learn to juggle,
paintings will be included in The Art of
walk on a tightrope or a rolling globe,
Balance, an exhibit of circus-themed
and do simple acrobatics.
prints, paintings, sculptures, puppets and
“I can say to a child, ‘See how you
jewelry by 10 artists that kicks off with a
learned how to balance? Go look across
reception from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday,
the room at that artwork of someone
June 2. It will also include artwork by
balancing,’ ” Gersch says. “It gives them a
Beacon City School District students.
better appreciation of what they’re
“Their quality and imagination is
looking at.”
amazing,” Gersch says.
For a July 25 show, the curator lured
For a one-ring Piccolo Circus that will
Pinot & Augustine, a musical clown act
be held on July 1, Gersch recruited friends
that she worked with at a circus festival
who are jugglers, magicians and plate
at the Smithsonian, to travel to Beacon
spinners. “Li Liu does her entire act while
from Maryland. “If there’s anything to
standing on her hands,” Gersch says.
make people forget about evil clowns, it
“She’ll have everyone’s jaws dropping.”
World Circus, a documentary that will would be European-style clowning, which Hand to Hand, by Peter Angelo Simon
is so beautiful and poetic,” she says.
be shown June 22, follows five groups as
The Howland will also host a display
they prepare for the tryouts for the Monte
put together by the Beacon Historical
Carlo Circus Festival. The filmmaker,
Society on animal trainer Isaac Van
Amburgh, who grew up in Fishkill Landing
(now Beacon) and during the early to
mid-19th century was famous for feats such
as sticking his head into a lion’s mouth.
Van Amburgh inspired one fan, Queen
Victoria, to commission a painting of him
(above).
Through Safe Harbors of the Hudson,
Gersch has been working with a troupe
of Newburgh students who will perform
on July 1 in Ritzkids: The Art of Balance.
“It’s good for kids to see other children
performing,” Gersch says. “They get a
sense that this is something you can
learn to do yourself.”
Gersh says her goal with the nine
weeks of summer exhibits and events is
to “make people have a better feeling and
understanding — and affection — for the
circus again.” For a schedule, see
Laura's Rabbit, by Bob Yorburg Nightwalk, by Karen Gersch
howlandculturalcenter.org.
10 May 25, 2018 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com
It’s 2050. Can Chatrchyan. Surveys done by various re-
searchers earlier in this decade back that
up, finding most farmers to be skeptical
Farmers Still
that the climate is changing, and attribut-
ing unpredictable weather to … well, un-
Feed Us?
predictable weather. But Chatrchyan says
she is encouraged by a surge in traffic in
Battling drought, flooding, the past year to the institute’s online tools
that provide long-term projections.
heat — and uncertainty
Using Climate Smart Farming, a farmer
can see the local drought out-
By Pamela Doan
look, use a soil water-deficit cal-
We’ll still have wine. culator and find predictions for
plant development.
Even if crops are
“If you look up the date it be-
flooded out, frozen
came warm enough to plant for
in a late frost, fried in a heat
Cold Spring in 2016, you see that
wave, eaten by the spotted
it was well above the 15-year av-
lanternfly, crushed by hail,
erage and the typical date over
blown away in a hurricane or
the past 30 years,” Chatrchyan
succumb to a blight or other
says. “It shows a farmer that cli-
disease as a result of climate
mate change is happening.”
change, New York’s wine in-
Wolfe, who has been teach-
dustry (third in size only to
ing at Cornell since 1984, began
California’s and Washing-
looking more closely at global
ton's) should be able to pro-
warming and its effects on agri-
duce European grapes for
culture in 1990. Scientists were
cabernet sauvignon, merlot,
reporting that CO was increas-
zinfandel — all the varieties 2
ing rapidly in the atmosphere,
that have trouble now be-
and as a plant physiologist, he
cause they need longer grow-
knew that would affect plants.
ing seasons and milder win-
At the time, he recalls, he hoped
ter temperatures.
his research would help some fu-
Global warming will be
ture generation of farmers.
bringing both to the state. of the growing season even more critical Smart Solutions, are deeply involved in
“I could see it would affect the climate
Projections show that average tem- and test the resourcefulness and adapt- the questions about what we need to pro-
but I didn’t expect to see changes like this
peratures in the Northeast will be much ability of farmers. tect our capacity to grow food.
in my lifetime,’’ he says. “The movement of
warmer by midcentury, and precipitation David Wolfe at Cornell University and Attitudes among farmers are chang-
insects and diseases, earlier bloom dates,
will increase in both amount and intensi- his colleague Allison Chatrchyan, director ing. “Five years ago, farmers didn’t
the melting Arctic.”
ty. Those conditions will make the length of the university’s Institute for Climate want to talk about climate change,” says
Ideally every farmer is assessing what
they need now, says Chatrchyan. The chal-
lenge is figuring out what to do, given the
uncertainty and complexity of climate
change. Do you change crops now? Do
you purchase expensive equipment based
on what could happen?
It’s never good for crops when the
weather is breaking records, and especial-
ly not when it happens every year. The last
two seasons provide a case study.
In the winter of 2015-16, lower-than-usu-
al snowfall was followed by low precipita-
tion and stream flows during the growing
season of 2016, both important sources
for groundwater and irrigation systems. It
was the worst drought most farmers had
ever experienced, and the hottest tem-
peratures. Farmers who rely on rainfall to
water their crops reported losing as much
as 90 percent of their yields. Even farmers
who irrigated lost 30 percent.
In 2017, heavy rainfall flooded the fields.
This not only damaged crops but short-
ened the growing season because the
ground was too wet to plant on schedule.
This was a problem for more than 95 per-
cent of farmers surveyed across the state
and 80 percent said they lost money.
This may soon not be unusual. Accord-
ing to the U.S. National Climate Assess-
ment, since the 1950s the Northeast has
had a 71 percent increase in “extreme
Dave Llewellyn at Glynwood Farm Photo by Meredith Heuer
(Continued on next page)