Goodbye YNN and Dutchess County

As you may have noticed, this space has been awfully quiet. I started Dutchess Digest after the John Falcone shooting because I saw a need for people in Dutchess County to have one place for news from every corner of the County. My bosses at YNN liked the idea and we were in the process of moving it to our site.

That all changed recently when I accepted a job in New York City. It allows me to be closer to my home and actually live full-time with my wife.

I have spent the better part of my adult life in the TV news business. It offered me a front-row seat to the world’s tragedies and triumphs. I got to go places I never thought I’d ever end up. I’ve been to Washington DC, chased a tiger around Washington County, been under the Mid-Hudson bridge to watch falcons tagged, climbed to the top of Mt. Beacon Fire Tower (with gear), rode the Coast Guard ice breaker, and the list goes on and on.

Simply, this job offered me a chance to ask so many interesting people questions about their lives and their experiences. It is the knowledge and insight I gained through these interactions I will cherish.

Be well and good luck,

Curtis

Changes coming

We are moving here at Dutchess Digest. Soon we will have our own space on YNN.com. More info as I get it.

Molinaro runs for County Executive

I guess he heard me posting to the blog. Assemblyman Marc Molinaro is running for County Executive. He told me he has reached out to the Republican, Conservative, and Independence parties for endorsements and does not expect any primary challengers. Others names like County Clerk Brad Kendall, former Elections Commissioner David Gamache and Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik were floating around. Molinaro said there is no major campaign kick off planned until after “the budget process in Albany is complete.” The Daily Freeman had it first. Here’s the report.

Marcing his spot

It is not a leap, like jumping into Tivoli Bay, to say Marc Molinaro is interested in the County Executive’s job.
And while he has not officially said if he is running, it sure seems like he is floating the idea on social media. His facebook page has this link up from County Legislator Ben Traudt.

The New York State Young Republicans also like Marc.

UPDATE: Dutchess Flooding

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Stormy Morning Update

It looks like the northeast corner of Dutchess was hardest hit by last night’s storm. Amenia Town Board member Victoria Perotti talks with WHDD about flooding in the hamlet of Wassaic. Also via WHDD, Town of North East Supervisor David Sherman declares a State of Emergency.

Central Hudson said at the height of the storm across its coverage area 10,000 people lost power. According to its website, a vast majority are in northeastern Dutchess

More from Dutchess County below:

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A wet look ahead and back

Yup, that’s me last December standing in the rain along side the road. We tend to do that a lot in this business when the weather gets bad. It is what I expect to look like tomorrow. The National Weather Service tells us it looks like we will see extensive flooding Monday, especially in areas around the Wappinger Creek. The Journal says its last major flood was in 2007.

Also, tomorrow night, the City of Poughkeepsie is honoring the good samaritan who grabbed cop killer Lee Welch’s daughter after he shot and killed his wife Jessica and before he shot and killed Officer John Falcone. Here is more on George Siegrist, Jr. from my colleague Beth Croughan.

Finally, we all know the Poughkeepsie School District has budget issues. Maybe administrators should ask the the Student Government for help. The group collected $300 in pennies and spare change in about two weeks. The “Pennies for Patients” program benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Morning Update

We will hear from Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus today about his retirement. More here and here.

It is no secret the County Executive had a rocky relationship with many other elected officials including ones in his own party. An example is Assemblyman Joel Miller , who told the Journal, he thought Steinhaus was a “egomaniacal, self-aggrandizing bag of air.”

Names floating around on the Republican side as possible replacements include Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, County Clerk Brad Kendall, former Republican Board of Elections Commissioner David Gamache. For Democrats, NYS Bridge Authority Executive Director Joe Ruggiero, who lost a close race with Steinhaus in 2007, is a possibility.

Christian Farrell will have more on YNN later today.

Daily Recap

A selection of Steinhaus coverage including the front page of the Journal the day he got elected in 1991. He is meeting with members of the local media tomorrow morning.

The Executive retires

Steinhaus over the years in the Pojo

The Exec looking dapper in this old Newburgh Evening News article from 1976 as assistant to then-Executive Edward Schueler prior to the Luckey Platt scandal.

Dutchess GOP boss says he’s “the best.”

Molinaro “mulling.”

In other news:

Lumber bandits on the lam

Hyde Park cops get a raise

Dutchess St. Patrick’s Parade is Saturday Thanks Elaina Athans for that one.

Major Cuts Coming

I sat down with Superintendent Dr. Laval Wilson regarding the Poughkeepsie City School District’s budget gap. It is nearly nine million dollars. Wilson is looking for deep program and job cuts along with a three percent tax levy increase. It is early in the process and Albany or Washington could come up with some aid. But Wilson is not counting on it and he tells me he wants unionized employees to agree to a salary freeze.

“…the Board President, Vice President and I will be meeting very soon with the presidents of the various bargaining units and asking for all staff in those groups to take a salary freeze.”

Wilson also said tax caps and caping superintendent salaries are not anything he supports. I’ll have more on the Poughkeepsie school budget in future posts.