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

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Daily Recap

Obama’s brain is from Rhinebeck

City farmers need your help

Beacon has a “dancing manhole.”

Hudson Valley restaurant week kicks off

Natalie Merchant in Red Hook

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Daily Recap

This is the first Daily Recap. It is a look at Dutchess related stories I’ve found during the day.

I find it is always good to look back before doing a story. Last year, Poughkeepsie’s City School District had seven-plus million dollar budget gap. This year, it is almost nine. Superintendent Dr. Laval Wilson is not sugarcoating it either, “The only way to balance next year’s budget is to substantially reduce programs and staff, no matter how unpleasant these decisions are.”

New Jersey Congressman wins a round against IBM’s Watson, and then loses.

Some IBM workers were definitely losing.

Ads help bridge budget gaps. Just a note, John Bellucci over at NYSBA tells me the ads on the Newburgh-Beacon and Bear Mountain bridges are up.

The Mid-Hudson Civic Center wants your feedback

For all you area train buffs, the new M8’s arrived over on Metro-North’s New Haven Line. They have outlets for your laptop, but why no Wi-Fi? And when are they going to get some new Shoreliners on the Hudson Line?

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