July News Briefs

• Campaign season has started! On Monday night the town's Conservative Party endorsed Republican William Gouldman for Town Supervisor rather than Democrat Alison Jolicoeur, although the organization does occasionally endorse Democrats such as Shawn Keeler, who is running for Highway Superintendent. In making his pitch, Gouldman told the caucus that Jolicoeur only works part-time, 20 hours a week. Jolicoeur responded on her Facebook page that "he made statements in his efforts to gain that endorsement that are blatantly untrue". Jolicoeur says she submitted paperwork to the state's retirement system showing that the average number of days she worked in each of her first three months on the job was "20.88 days, not 20 hours a week as Mr. Gouldman suggested". She added that those hours are similar to what her predecessor had submitted. Asked about Jolicoeur's rebuttal, Gouldman wrote on social media: "This is what I have been told, if I have misquoted or offended her in any way, l apologize. There are many issues to deal with locally. It is really too early to start a smear campaign. We should all enjoy the summer."

• At recent meetings with the lake associations of Roaring Brook Lake and Lake Oscawana, State Assemblyman Matt Slater, who is up for re-election, surprised residents with the news that he had submitted legislation to include those two lakes in the state's Inland Waterways Program. The legislation, which was subsequently signed by the governor, means that those two lakes are now eligible for grants for watershed planning and management from the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Lake Peekskill has been on this list since 2022, following a similar legislative effort by then-State Senator Sue Serino. According to Slater's press office, "Once he realized the omission, he wanted to ensure these two lakes had access to the same opportunities and protections." Lake Peekskill has not yet received any benefits from that program. According to the website of New York's Department of State, which manages this program, the next round of funding will prioritize "projects that demonstrate inclusion of accessible, age-friendly, and inviting public waterfront destinations" and projects that "make public spaces and facilities more inclusive and usable for as many people as possible."

• Due to health issues of one of the organizers, Putnam Valley will not have a full farmers market this summer. Although the lineup could still change, there is currently no regular produce vendor at the market, which will still occur on Fridays at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center from 3pm to 6pm. Nor will Signal Fire Bread be there. However, the core group of local vendors will be in attendance, including Lobster Hill Farm with locally raised meats, Cucumber Hill Farm with fresh eggs, microgreens, and food-scrap recycling, the Emporium, and live music.