A 7-acre solar array for Town of Red Hook residents that would generate roughly 1.5 megawatts of electricity and serve hundreds of homes is being contemplated for a small portion of the Cookingham West property in a plan to generate more affordable and renewable power. The array would mark the town’s second foray into developing a community solar project. The […]
Environment
Local Horse Farm (and Lots of Manure) Rescue Rhinebeck Village Compost Plan
One of the world’s most beautiful animals both gallops with grace and makes a lot of waste, and Ellerslie Stables owner Michael DeCola sees that as an opportunity. On Tuesday night, he and the Village of Rhinebeck reached a tentative deal: food scraps from village residents will mix with the manure from DeCola’s farm to create compost. And DeCola will […]
Landfill in the Sky? Dutchess County’s New Solid Waste Management Plan, Leaning Heavily on Incineration, Heads to Crucial Vote Thursday
One of the most consequential environmental decisions in recent Dutchess County history, one that experts say could affect air quality for years to come, is coming to a crucial committee vote this week. Implicit in the discussion, experts say, is the county’s need to build a new incinerator. The battle lines are being drawn, as the county’s Division of Solid […]
Proposed Solar Farm near Route 9G Runs Into More Stormy Weather at the Zoning Board
A proposed 14.5-acre solar farm off Route 9 in Red Hook hit another roadblock Wednesday evening when the town Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) declined to recognize the proposed solar developer as a public utility. Carson Power of New York City wants the ZBA to recognize it as a public utility for zoning purposes. As a public utility, Carson would […]
Rhinebeck Village Invites Local Farmers to Host Compost Program As It Pivots From Highway Department Site
In its bid to keep alive its ambitious and novel plan to process all locally generated compost in close proximity to the village, the Rhinebeck Village Board will issue a request to local farmers to submit proposals to host the program. Farmers would need to operate within four miles of the village center, under terms of the latest plan. The […]
Up on the Rooftops, Click, Click, Click, Red Hook Schools’ Solar Arrays Will Soon Do the Trick
For the first time in its history, the Red Hook Central School District is about to install three solar power arrays, one for each of its schools, as it embraces green technology to reduce its carbon footprint, The Daily Catch has learned. The arrays, approved by voters in 2019 but delayed for several years due to the Covid pandemic, are […]
Carson Power’s Proposed Solar Project Runs Into a Lightning Bolt of Controversy at Zoning Board
Carson Power’s proposed 5-megawatt community solar project for a rural land plot in Red Hook ran into a major roadblock at last week’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting, with the chair of the board insisting the company is not a public utility worthy of more lenient oversight. The parties also could not agree on whether Carson needs a so-called […]
New Garbage and Leaf Pickup Truck and Electric Car for Police In The Works for Village of Red Hook
A new garbage and leaf pickup truck for the Red Hook Village Highway Department and an electric vehicle for the police would be added to the Village of Red Hook’s arsenal under resolutions passed this week by the Village Board of Trustees. Mayor Karen Smythe said that the town’s current garbage disposal vehicle, a 2006 International 7500 SBA truck, is […]
Two Potential New Compost Sites Could Rescue Village Plan, Rhinebeck Town Board Says
At a raucous Rhinebeck Town Board meeting, punctuated with a citizen’s threats to sue the town into bankruptcy, leaders said they have identified two new sites to host the village’s composting program. The news comes just weeks after threats of a lawsuit by a group of residents who live near the first proposed site shut down that option, at the […]
Spongy Moths (Formerly Known as Gypsy Moths) Are Back With a Vengeance, but Not To Worry, Say Experts
Daniel Ames, a Milan homeowner, is girding himself for the next round in his battle with the moths. Suddenly his property is flooded with the flying light brown insects. This time last summer he saw a few and thought nothing of it. Then, come spring, like many people in the eastern stretches of the Hudson Valley, caterpillars hatched by the […]
Category Pages are limited to 365 days. Please use the archive page or the search box to find older articles.
