Sarah Bartlett

Sarah Bartlett is a longtime journalist who recently became a full time resident of Putnam Valley.

Events

December events (curated)

December 1st from 6pm to 8pm - Tree lighting, bonfire, s'mores, holiday music, menorah, photos with Santa, arts and crafts at Putnam Valley Town Park December 1st at 7:30pm - A solo storyteller rendition of "A Christmas Carol" at Tompkins Corner Cultural Center, tickets are $20 December 2nd from

Government

It's a done deal!

At its meeting on November 15th, the Town Board voted unanimously to adopt its proposed regulation of short-term rentals. The board's vote took place following five public hearings since July during which numerous residents weighed in both for and against. Now that this new regulation has been adopted, property owners

Government

Morning-after Election Insights

In the cold light of day, it's clear that candidates who were able to earn the endorsement of the town's Conservative Party had a big advantage over their opponents in yesterday's election. Highway Superintendent Shawn Keeler received 528 votes on the Conservative line, nearly a third of his total. Town

Government

Election Results!

The results are in, and though they're not final, they are not expected to change significantly. Sherry Howard and Louie Luongo will fill the two open seats on the town board for the next four years. Incumbent Shawn Keeler beat Mark Pawera in the race for highway superintendent. Bill Gouldman

Events

November Events (curated)

November 1st-5th - Early voting! Click here for locations and times November 3rd at 7:30pm - "Art, Money and Fiction", a conversation with Tad Crawford at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center about legal/business issues facing artists and writers. Tickets are $10 November 5th from 2pm to 4pm - Opening

Government

Election Flash Points

More than 50 people crowded into the Lake Peekskill Community Center last Monday evening to hear candidates for the town board, highway superintendent and county legislator compete for our votes. The format - 90 seconds to answer questions, with limited opportunity for rebuttal - yielded little in the way of

Government

Our voice in the county

Rarely do political issues divide our town board strictly along party lines. The same cannot be said for the Putnam County Legislature. There, eight Republican legislators tend to vote in lockstep, with the one Democrat, Nancy Montgomery, often isolated in her positions. This November, the person representing most of Putnam

Government

The Battle for Highway Superintendent

Few subjects generate more animated conversation in Putnam Valley than the state of our roads. So perhaps it is fitting that every two years the issue of who maintains these essential arteries is decided at the ballot box rather than by executive appointment. This year we are being offered a

Government

Your town board candidates

Starting this month, Putnam Valley voters have an opportunity to re-evaluate who represents them on the town board. The position of town supervisor is not being contested. The Democrats have decided not to run anyone against Republican Town Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi, who is widely viewed as having displayed a solid

Government

It's almost lawn sign season!

Later this month, voting starts in Putnam Valley for the representatives who will help govern the town for the next two years.   Town Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi is running uncontested, but four candidates are vying for the two open seats on the town board. Two candidates are competing to be the

Government

Short-term rentals, again

During the past week, Putnam Valley's town board held two more public hearings on its proposed regulation of short-term rentals, most commonly associated with Airbnb. Although few residents spoke at those sessions and most seemed to accept that regulation was inevitable, a few new issues did emerge. Board members now

Government

Short-term Rentals, Round Two

The Putnam Valley town board held a second public hearing this week on its proposal to regulate short-term rentals (STRs), commonly associated with Airbnb and VRBO listings. The board made some revisions to its original resolution, however the new proposal was only available in printed copies to those who came

Residents weigh in on short-term rental proposal

In a rare sight, Putnam Valley's town hall was filled on Wednesday evening with residents who had come to share their views on the proposed resolution to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO properties. For an hour and a half, nineteen people expressed opinions that could largely be

The show must go on

Many town residents are undoubtedly preoccupied with the repercussions of the intense rain we experienced last week. So, consider this a reminder that on Wednesday at 6pm, the town board will hold its public hearing on the subject of short-term rentals. The board's proposed resolution for how to regulate what

Government

Town proposes regulations of short-term rentals

The Town of Putnam Valley took a big step forward last week in its efforts to regulate short-term rentals most commonly associated with Airbnb and VRBO homes. At its June meeting, the town board published a detailed proposal that would require homeowners wishing to rent out their homes for less

Government

School District Election Results

The people of Putnam Valley's school district have spoken. Crystal Hernandez will be joining the Putnam Valley Board of Education as a trustee, beating incumbent Joseph Ferraro. The vote count was 790 for Hernandez and 589 for Ferraro. For more background on this election, click here. The proposed school budget

Government

Upcoming School Board Election

Not so long ago, local school board elections were a relatively tame affair. But with parents becoming fiercely divided over issues like transgender rights, book bans, critical race theory, and Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, those days are over. On May 16th, residents in the Putnam Valley Central School District

Government

Town seeks to tax room rentals

After many years of discussion, the town of Putnam Valley is taking the first step towards regulating Airbnb and Vrbo rentals. At a work session on April 12th, the town board voted unanimously in favor of a resolution that asks the state legislature to allow the town to impose a

Government

What kind of library do we want?

On May 16th, Putnam Valley voters who live in the school district have an important decision to make. Do they want to continue under-investing in the town library, with the reduced hours, substandard facility and limited services that result from that? Or should they dig a little more deeply into

Government

Careful what you wish for

Once upon a time there was a town board that was trying to do something very helpful for its constituents. Complaints were surfacing about boat owners who were mooring their boats in a lake (Oscawana) in a manner that was deemed disruptive and unsafe. When it turned out this handful

Government

A cautionary tale

One of our good local newspapers that focuses on the county, not the town, published a column this week that deserves wide readership. It was written by Douglas Cunningham, the publisher and editor of the Putnam County News & Recorder. Although the newspaper is generally behind a paywall, he has made

A new hat in the ring

The race for Putnam Valley's primary representative on the Putnam County Legislature heated up last week with the announcement that Maggie Ploener, a town resident for more than ten years, is running against incumbent William Gouldman. Gouldman, a Republican, announced in mid-February that he would be seeking a fourth and

Government

Purple Putnam Valley

With four of the five current town council members on the Republican ticket and a Republican representing the town on the county's legislature for the last eight-plus years, one can be forgiven for assuming that Putnam Valley is a "red" town. Fun fact: There are more registered Democrats in Putnam

Government

Have you registered your boat mooring yet? Wait, what??

At its December 14th meeting, the Putnam Valley town board passed a resolution requiring anyone with a floating buoy in one of our special district lakes to register those buoys with the town clerk - or face a steep fine. Here's a link to the resolution. This new town code

Environment

Town Hall water is contaminated too!

Residents of Putnam Valley who are trying to gauge the extent of water contamination in their town have a new data point: the well at Town Hall! On four occasions since September 2021, the level of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for the water at Town Hall has exceeded the maximum standard