Reader Comments

It's important to understand that the combination of existing rules (parking, zoning, permitting) around short-term rentals (called tourist homes in the existing code), make nearly all short-term rentals illegal in the Village of Cold Spring. When I was on the Zoning Board, I asked if any permits had ever been issued for tourist homes, and the answer wa […]

I live in Chestnut Street and do not operate a vacation rental from my home. However, I have friends in the community that do and I have experience both using and operating vacation rentals in the past. I am in agreement that there should be some regulations around short term rentals in the village, but they should be entirely surrounding safety issues and d […]

Fine piece on nuclear reactors. The issue at hand is a demand issue not a supply issue. Strategic federal government actions orchestrated by a specific number of bankers, elected officials and unelected officials and tolerated by a majority of an ever-expanding electoral base -- the most salient of which was ratification in 1913 of debt-based private bank no […]

Legislator Montgomery is right in saying the vote against the $500,000 vote for road equipment should not be construed as a vote against infrastructure projects in Philipstown. The vote was for using more bonds (i.e., loans incurring debt) to buy the road equipment. As she pointed out during the meeting and in her comment, reliance on bonds for financing can […]

The solar panel installation proposed by the Desmond-Fish Library contradicts the intent, spirit and language of the following state and local ordinances: Highway Law 88, Route 9D Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, Scenic Protection Overlay District Regulations, Philipstown Greenway Committee and the New York Department of State designation of the Garris […]

In reply to Leonard Lindros Jr.. Pedestrian controlled crossing lights would give a yellow light alert to the driver before turning red, and not show green for the pedestrian until the light has turned red for the driver. This works.

I am very sorry to hear that the congregation of the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Beacon was outbid for the beautiful and historic Reformed Church recently sold on Wolcott Avenue. Preference should have been given to the congregation of an active church rather than selling it to a developer who will turn it into a hotel/entertainment venue. Besides th […]

The vote on road projects is not accurately presented here. The piece implies I voted against an infrastructure project in my district, and that could not be further from the truth. For clarification, there were two separate bonds before the Legislature on May 4. One was for actual road repairs in District 1, including Snake Hill Road and a portion of Fair S […]

Using crosswalks in the village does not feel as safe as it should, especially with young children. A simple fix would be to install RRFBs (flashing LED beacons activated by pedestrians). These immediately alert drivers to the presence and intention of pedestrians and have been shown to drastically reduce accidents.

In reply to Lillian Rosengarten. I think it would be fair to say that "greed and profit" destroy those who do not participate. But it certainly creates new opportunities for more greed and more profit, a sort of positive feedback develops. Some people term this process "capitalism." Others say that's simplistic. Beacon is changing, b […]

It truly breaks my heart to see the good people of Cold Spring and Beacon still living in such fear of the virus, as though we were back in the dark days of March 2020, when little was known about it and we did not yet have the Trump vaccines. (Yes folks, much as you despise him, if it wasn't for former President Trump, none of these amazing vaccines wo […]

Libraries in New York State are chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and are a vital component of the state's education system. Each of us can recall a learning experience we had in a library, whether through a book, a computer, a public program or a friendly librarian. And, libraries are ever-evolving; besides educational institutions, they […]

Sometimes pedestrians seem to come out of nowhere and cross here, there and everywhere, expecting two plus tons to come to an immediate stop. It is up to us, the expecting drivers, to think ahead and plan on stopping when we notice a pedestrian at or near to a white-lined crosswalk. However something should be done in the way of fines to the jaywalkers who c […]

The high prices in Beacon are already changing the quality of Beacon. I am very sad about this. I wish Beacon would have stayed the way it was, that is interesting, diverse and completely unique. That has gone. Why? Greed and profit that destroys.

There's a lot of parking at the train station, West Main Street and along Wolcott Avenue. Additionally there's a shuttle that runs on Sunday that is almost always empty. The so-called parking issue on Main Street is really about people wanting to literally park outside of the front door of the business or building they're frequenting and not c […]

Beacon is already overdeveloped with no sign of slowing down. Having worked for a city and county planning office, I've seen attempts to balance pro and con development. Pro tends to win out. Why? Money and greed are at the forefront. I also learned something else from my government days: the pro-developers tend not to compromise, while the con-develope […]

Beyond the retrograde opinions, this individual’s actions are very odd. It’s like he doesn’t understand how interacting with people works. [Facebook]

Equating cancer to sexuality is ridiculous. You might as well say 16 percent of straight white men will get prostate cancer, therefore straight white men should not engage in heterosexual activity. [via Facebook]

It’s 2021, and this crap is going on? Can’t Murphy find something better to do with his time? [via Facebook]

Unsolicited letters that target a person’s lifestyle are harassment. [via Facebook]

I cannot count the number of times I have seen this same argument unfold. It’s older than Putnam County, St. Andrews and the Montagues. If we don’t solve this argument rightly now, this quarrel will tear the county apart. Golf versus Shakespeare, Shakespeare versus golf. I watched this same feud plague Herkimer County in 2007 and Calaveras County in 1998. Ea […]

Looks like we will be wearing masks for a long, long time. [via Facebook]

The reluctance of one in four adults nationwide to be inoculated is a matter for serious concern after so much progress has been made in the last few months in getting vaccines produced, delivered and injected. Those not being vaccinated in the Highlands may not be a direct threat to those of us who are vaccinated. But indirectly, we’re all in trouble if mor […]

We must follow ever so closely the pending sale of the Reformed Church of Beacon. For instance, there has been talk of moving its pipe organ; I believe the developers must protect it under our city’s own preservation guidelines. With most of these historic cultural resource properties, the inside is just as important and irreplaceable as the exterior. Its ar […]

Garrison residents have much for which to be grateful. The character and beauty of our community is the most important asset we have. I agree that solar energy is a critical part of our national, state and local energy plan. However, I am not in favor of reflective metal columns elevated 8 feet out of the ground extending over 416 feet in the meadow and part […]