Town Supervisor Updates

Dear Pine Plains,

Wednesday night the Hudson Valley Project/Durst Organization held the first of two scoping meetings to ask for public input on the impact of the project. Numerous people got up and spoke, suggesting the kinds of studies that might be conducted to determine the impact of the development on the Town. Your input is crucial to how the development is designed. The next meeting is Saturday July 31st at 10am. Doors will open at 9:30 so you can view the maps and sign up to speak. This is a long process and requires our full attention, as well as our input. So much misinformation and old information is out there.

As I write this, the 10U Town Rec Girls Softball Team is still up in Rochester playing in the State Tournament. In less than 3 days, the citizens of Pine Plains raised all of the money necessary to allow them to stay in a hotel together and play. We were able to raise this money so quickly with the help of the technology and 501c3 designation of The Stissing Center. The final push over the edge came from cash jars at local businesses.

Speaking of The Stissing Center, they are asking for help. They write: “Have you been to The Stissing Center yet? You’ve got to check it out. TSC is a non-profit arts and performance space, and they’ve got a full line-up of events coming in the Fall. You can join in the fun! They are looking for volunteer ticket takers, ushers, concessions, stage production crew, and office help. There’s something for everyone. Please contact Liz Raum at TSC via the website, TheStissingCenter.org/volunteer.” This is a great way to see shows. And being a part of them is even better.

There will be a public hearing at the regular Board Meeting on August 19th for the text changes in our zoning as recommended by our Zoning Review Committee. And have you seen the corner park renovation yet? It is really coming along!

As we are planning for a small dedication of the park, I decided to try and find out who Edward C. Kinzer was. I contacted the lawyer who sent the letter informing us of the inheritance, and found his nephew, Doug Kampfer. Doug was wonderful to talk to. He believes the Kinzers bought the house at the corner of Old Orchard Lane (that now belongs to the Pecks) in the 1930s. Doug loves Pine Plains and talks about it all the time with his sister. They spent many summers up here fishing in the lake and “shooting at rats at the dump”! That dump was where the highway garage is now. He told me that his uncle was an electrician, whose son had died long ago. They were friends of the Klein family (Al) and the Dinnen (sp) family and the Rensings next door on Lake Road. They all loved Pine Plains and in fact, the ashes of the older Kinzer folks are up on Stissing Mountain. I hope they are watching the progression of their beautiful legacy from there.

This weekend boasts numerous concerts and events around town, but in particular, there is a BBQ at the Church of the Regeneration from 2-4pm Saturday on Pine Street, where numerous local musicians will play, and on Sunday downstairs at The Stissing Center, scholar and raconteur Andy King will be reading from his latest book at 3pm. The impact of even the smallest-seeming of events is often huge in proportion. All are welcome.

Stay small, feel big, Pine Plains!

Darrah Cloud

Dear Pine Plains,

Demolition on 8 and 12 N Main is scheduled to begin on Monday the 19^th. Notices are going to be hand-delivered to neighbors so they understand what’s going on.

We received the money for a grant of $5,000 which I applied for from NYSERDA for our work in becoming a Clean Energy Community. This money can be designated to help with environmental projects around town.
My application for the American Rescue Plan money was confirmed and we will be receiving $245,765. Because we did not incur much loss from the pandemic, probably all of this money will have to be used for infrastructure projects as per the requirements.

Camp is up and running and already hugely successful thanks to Camp Director Jen Chase. We welcomed 15 kids from Ancram this year as their camp did not open.

The Scoping Meetings begin next week with the first on Wednesday the 21st at 7:30pm at the high school. The next one will be at 10am on Saturday the 31^st. These are informational meetings only on the impact of the development proposal on the area.

The Town Board passed a proclamation last night declaring the week of August 1-7 International Clown Week! Bee Bee, Pine Plains’ own official Town Clown, will be going all over Dutchess County and beyond, distributing red noses and making people laugh, because… clowns!

The town park renovation is moving quickly now–and what a change. Plan on getting take-out and going there to sit amongst the beautiful plantings soon.

As I hope you all know by now, the Rec’s 10&Under Girls softball team won their division championship and presented the Town with a dilemma as to how to come up with the money to send them to Rochester, where the State games will be held, in a very short amount of time–less than a week. The money will be used for hotel expenses only, as parents and coaches are paying for food and travel. And of course, the better they do the more expensive it will get. The Rec Committee reached out to the Stissing Center, a not-for-profit, for handling the funds. They jumped on board and in turn sent out a link for folks to be able to easily donate to the effort. Local businesses put in cash jars and we were up and running–and in 2 days we raised the entire amount for the team!!! It was the cash jar at The Platter that put us over the mark. 100% of the money collected will go to the effort, no fees will be charged. Any money left over will be given to the Rec Department hopefully for the dugouts we sorely need. Thank you Pine Plains, thank you. You continue to be the small town where people take care of each other.

Play ball, Pine Plains!
Darrah Cloud

Dear Pine Plains,

This letter will be devoted to a lot of the business at hand in the next few months. Much is going on here that impacts the future of Pine Plains in significant ways, and your input is absolutely necessary to this process. Save the dates for these special public meetings.

The first step in the long process of approval for a large development is the conducting of an environmental impact study. We talk about SEQR all the time—what’s that?  It stands for State Environmental Quality Review, and it is a study of just that. The Durst Organization is about to begin this study for what they now call the Hudson Valley Project at the old Carvel estate.

And so there will be two “scoping meetings” for the Hudson Valley Project held at the high school auditorium, one on July 21 @ 7pm, and one on July 31^st @ 10am. What is a scoping meeting? First, I will tell you what it is not—it is not a time to comment on your opinion of the project. It IS a time for your input as to what you think ought to be considered for study for the Environmental Impact of the development on the area. You will be invited to peruse their Draft Scope documents and maps and come up with your ideas as to what ought to be considered as they revise this document.

We will also be putting up posters all around town regarding these meetings and informing the Millerton News about them so that those without internet can get this information.

In addition, written comments on the Draft Scope are invited. Written comments will be accepted by the CONTACT PERSON identified below until August 10, 2021 at 4 pm. Written comments may be delivered by e-mail or by mail (addresses below).

All Involved Agencies are invited to inform the Lead Agency of each Agency’s concerns, permit jurisdictions, and information needs to support such Agency’s SEQR Findings, including, where applicable, any specific techniques or model to be used in studies and analysis for the EIS.
For Further Information:
Contact Person: Tricia Devine, Planning Board Secretary
Address: Town of Pine Plains Planning Board Pine Plains Town Hall P.O. Box 955 Pine Plains, NY 12567
Telephone: (518) 398-8600, option 3
Email: planningboard@pineplains-ny.gov

On August 16^th, our usual Town Board Workshop Meeting will be turned into a regular meeting for the purpose of conducting a public hearing for the Zoning Review Committee results. If you missed our discussion of these, look on YouTube at Town of Pine Plains and our Board Workshop of June 14th. This was an extensive discussion of the results of the committee work on zoning revisions which we have made as a result of the update to the Comprehensive Plan finished at the top of 2020.

And the results of the Sewer Feasibility Study will be discussed at a public meeting as soon as the ink dries on the engineers’ final draft. Word about this meeting is forthcoming.

This year’s Triathlon was a record-breaking event. 150 athletes came to Pine Plains and swam a ½ mile, biked 4 miles and ran a 5K. The Fire Department was out in full force to help as were kayakers from the Stissing Lake Association and road volunteers. Besides being an exciting event, this is a way to introduce people to the beauty of Pine Plains in the hope of both preserving that beauty in their eyes and promoting the Town’s businesses, some of which were open after the race for meals and visits.

While we are on the topic of the future of Pine Plains, it is important to say at this time how much businesses mean to the present as well as the future of the town. If you go down to the Recreation Fields, you will see banners around the fencelines that show the financial support numerous local businesses have given to our recreation department. If you have ever had to raise money for school groups, scouts, sports, Decoration Day, the Ag Fair, the School Play, The Stissing Center, etc. in Pine Plains, you know that you went around to every business and asked them for a contribution. Without businesses here supported by an active community, financial support of these wonderful activities and groups would be on the shoulders of parents and townspeople exclusively. The Sewer Feasibility Study was conducted in the hope of our being able to build a small, efficient central septic system so that businesses can be opened by anyone—not just wealthy corporations–willing to take on the hard work of owning one, and thrive in Pine Plains.

Think local, buy local, Pine Plains!
Darrah Cloud

PS: If you missed this article by Anthony Musso in the Poughkeepsie Journal, here it is. Pine Plains had the first Library in the County! And guess where it was?

Upon opening in November 1798, the Union Library of Pine Plains became the first public library to exist in Dutchess County. That said, its operation relocated to several different locations through the years and it wasn’t until March 2016 that it finally settled into its present town-owned building.
The library was organized at a meeting held at Stissing House on the southwest corner of West Church (Route 199) and South Main (Route 82) streets. Ebenezer Baldwin acquired the tavern in 1797 from its original owner Cornelius Elmendorph, who opened the business in 1782.
Following the meeting to establish and provide space for the library in Stissing House, Baldwin joined two other proponents of the initiative and traveled to New York City to purchase its first supply of books.
In 1840, Richard Peck arrived in Pine Plains and erected a building as his law office across from Stissing House along South Main Street. When he was appointed the municipality’s postmaster in 1861, the building became the local post office while simultaneously serving as the Pine Plains Library; deputy postmaster Henry Parker oversaw both operations.   In 1874, the library’s status transformed from a membership entity to a tax-supported operation; its name changed at the same time to the Pine Plains Free Library. In March 1885, after closing temporarily with its books stored in the nearby Eno Law Office, the library reopened in a section of Cole’s Drug Store.Clarissa Cole and her son Harrie — both licensed pharmacists — retained the title of librarian through 1904, when Clarissa Cole’s granddaughter, Helen Netter, relocated the operation to her newly built home along Main Street. The library remained in that location for the next 64 years until a capital fund enabled the town to purchase the then McGee Building in 1968.   Ironically, it was the same building that Richard Peck built in 1840 and beginning in 1861 was a combination post office and library. The building had seen numerous owners and uses through the years, including various shops, a nurse’s facility, the office of the Pine Plains Register newspaper, and a restaurant.In August 1958, the first two-day annual Pine Plains Free Library’s Outdoor Book Fair and Art Show took place on the grounds around the library building. Authors participating at the function to autograph their books included Millerton’s Gerald Carson, who was promoting his new work “Cornflake Crusade.”   In October 1959, the Pine Plains Free Library joined 29 other municipal libraries to form the Mid-Hudson Library System. The library gifted the building to the town in 1973 and continued to operate there into the 21st century. In 2001, with space in the building becoming cramped and the overall condition of it falling into disrepair, a group of concerned citizens formed the Foundation for the Pine Plains Library and Community Center in an effort to raise money to finance the construction of a new, larger building.
With funds in hand and a generous donation of property along South Main Street from the Pine Plains International Order of Odd Fellows, construction began in April 2008 and the new facility opened on May 15, 2009.

Foreclosure In 2013 financial challenges led to a foreclosure on the new building.
“The foundation that was charged with the library’s new building went bankrupt,” said Dyan Wapnik of the Little Nine Partners Historical Society. “It had to move its operation back to the building it used for many years and when the town purchased the new building in 2015, the library moved back in as tenants.”
“The Pine Plains Library strives to be the ultimate resource center for our community,” said Library Manager Alexis Tackett. “From technical services to information webinars and programs galore, the library exists to serve our patrons the best we can whether that’s picking up a best-seller or getting assistance setting an appointment online for a vaccine.”
The Pine Plains Free Library is at 7775 South Main St.

Dear Pine Plains,

The triathlon is Sunday! Watch for runners and bikers on our roads early in the day, and if you’re like to volunteer, they are still looking for help. You can contact Mark Wilson at coachmarkwilson@gmail.com This is an awesome event first begun by Charlie Norman, and carried on since then. If you don’t know what it is, come down to the ball fields and check it out. People travel from all over to do these events, so you will see some serious athletes at work, swimming, biking, running.

There was a primary held on Tuesday so I got to Town Hall at 5am to open the doors for the Board of Elections team. It was a rainy cool day, and I decided to just stay and try and put my desk in order (hah!) and do the little tasks that the big projects get in the way of. To wit:

• Read 32 grant applications as a member of the County CDAC, which gives out the money from the Municipal Investment Grants.
• Studied the Budget for second quarter state of the Town
• Worked on CFA grants
• Followed up with Engineer on parking changes in front of the bank
• Called County to discuss broken sidewalks beside Pharmacy
• Reviewed all bank statements
• Signed checks, filled out numerous forms
• Accepted NYSERDA grant of $5,000 and filled out more forms for deposit
• Made coffee
• Re-read the American Rescue Plan requirements; followed up on federal application to receive funds
• Organized the last Town Board Meeting contents (I keep all documents for every meeting in a binder) and read them over to ensure I had followed up on everything.
• Read email

Kind of a typical morning. Alice and I get a lot done together.

Last night, I went down to the Stanfordville Library to be a part of the 20th anniversary memorial they are producing for those who died in 9/11. We sat in a room with a microphone in twos, and each took turns reading names into a recorder. If anything, I was surprised by the number of families represented. There were a lot of people there to do the same thing. These memorials are tough to witness. The mounting number of names does not escape anyone. I remember feeling the same thing when I visited the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington, DC The number of names increase as you walk forward through the sculpture until there are so many it’s overwhelming. It is hard but ultimately good to be devastated by it.

A reminder: Town Clean-up Day is now September 18th.

Pride Month ends this weekend and area churches are making a point that everyone is welcome at their services this Sunday. In particular, Pastor Ryan at the Presbyterian Church, and the folks at the Episcopal Church on Pine Street mentioned wanting all to feel welcome there.

Pastor-in-training Nathan Badore, of the Methodist Church, has volunteered his time as official videographer for a project tentatively called Legends of Pine Plains. (If you have a better name, please send it!) This is a project to record interviews with significant elders in the town. We are hoping people will come forward who can identify someone they think ought to be interviewed, and perhaps also a young person to ask the questions. We are looking for grandchildren, for instance, who would be interested in interviewing their grandparent(s). Or maybe a young neighbor. We hope to archive these at the Library and present them as a whole to the public at some time in the future. Please contact me at Town Hall if you have ideas and names. supervisor@pineplains-ny.gov Our local history has been well documented in the excellent books of Rosie Chase—also available at the Library—and this will add to the collection.

Congratulations to all the seniors graduating this June as the Class of 2021. What a story you will have to tell your interviewer someday.

Stay proud, Pine Plains!

Darrah Cloud

Dear Pine Plains,

This week I popped into the Pine Plains Pharmacy to ask Nasir how the vaccinations were going. I was curious as to how many people he has vaccinated in his one-man attempt to get Pine Plains vaccinated. As of the beginning of the week, he had vaccinated 2843 people with the help of numerous volunteers, most of them your neighbors here in town. Given the fact that at the last census, we had a population of 2504, and that we know people came here from other towns to get their vaccinations, he figures he has covered about 43% of the entire town. (No children in that figure). Given that early on, before he got permission from the County to proceed, many people got their shots elsewhere, the percentage is probably much higher in terms of people vaccinated here. I was reminded of an article I’d read by Atul Gawande about a single doctor in India who rolled out the most effective vaccination program in their history and was able inoculate the entire country against polio by forming groups of local people to go out and give the vaccine to their own towns. Now of course, there is a different story going on there. But Nasir’s accomplishment remains historic and significant here. There is no way to adequately thank him for this. Please try.

There remains disagreement between agencies studying and governing the pandemic, and I know that people are frustrated by the mandates versus common sense, science versus paranoia. But it is imperative that people follow the rules set up for whatever establishment they go to with pride rather than anger. Your rights are not being taken away: you are helping us lower the rate of infection and that is a huge accomplishment by all New Yorkers truly working together. Be a part of this. Going against it leaves you out. And look what we’ve done: things are opening up because all of us wore masks, socially distanced, were careful with each other and did the right thing for everyone. We took care of each other.

Don’t forget that the Garden Club has changed their Plant Sale to the 22^nd, 9-12 at the American Legion/VFW building on North Main Street. The sale benefits the Club and all they do to Plant Pine Plains.

The Library Book Sale will take place as usual on Memorial Weekend.

And the Memorial Day Parade will take off at 10:30 Monday the 31st heading up 82 to the clock tower, then on to Evergreen Cemetery. This is a very dear tradition in Pine Plains, and with all the new flags for Hometown Heroes, the town will be out in its finest for the parade. Alice brought 20 more photos up to the printer last week, in the hope that we will get them back and up for the parade. In addition, the Convoy driving around Dutchess County will come through town in the early afternoon.

It’s Grant Season and all the opportunities are back after a year of total absence. Some of these grants are as much as 40 pages long and very complex. Grants are the only way a small rural town can achieve anything, especially one like ours which has no revenue to speak of. We are lucky to live in Dutchess County where we have our own grants program, small but mighty. The State’s is bigger and badder, and far more difficult to accomplish. But nonetheless, we are now in their sights—they are aware that Pine Plains is here and needs grants for improvements. We have received 5 grants since 2018. Hopefully more to come.

The Recreation Program is off to a great start with a re-vamped softball/baseball program and many plans to keep improving it over the next few years. Camp sign-up is underway through Family ID. They are working on a 5-year plan that includes improvements to fields, a new playground, and a beach renovation. Again, it will take grants to get these things.

It’s frustrating how slowly government moves in order to get anything accomplished. We plod away with energy and courage, a band of citizens committed to making the town the kind of place that can give a future to our children.

Push on, Pine Plains!
Darrah Cloud

Facebook: Pine Plains Town Hall
website: www.pineplains-ny.gov