Mayor Kathleen E. Foley

Tonight! Join us for a great film on the riverfront! (Sat, July 13, sunset appx 8:30ish) coldspringfilm.org

Sand wasps are back in the sandbox at Tots Park. We are working to get rid of them as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can continue to use the sandbox at your discretion. We will keep everyone posted regarding when the sandbox will be treated and any further updates. If you have any questions, please reach out via email to [email protected]. You can also send a direct message to Cold Spring Tots Park on Facebook or .spring.tots.park on Instagram. Thank you!

COMMUNITY DAY IS A GO! Rain should be brief and pass before parade line up. See you there!

Thank you Boscobel and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra. There is nothing like Sousa to remind us of just how good America can be if we stay true to our ideals and values. Freedom. Liberty. Equality. Choice. I still believe, even now when it is very hard.

The committee pulling together Community Day, this Saturday July 6th, is looking for day-of volunteers. Can you give a bit of time?

www.signupgenius.com

Right on, Trustee Bozzi! Thanks for making composting easier for Villagers!

Cold Spring Joins Food-Scrap Initiative. Compost reduces greenhouse gases. https://buff.ly/4bd8H1p

PAID PARKING IN COLD SPRING TO BE MODIFIED; CURRENT TIMES/FEES STILL IN EFFECT

As a Board, the Village Trustees are committed to reviewing and revising parking policies as our community transitions to new, and very necessary, regulations for Cold Spring. We have approved some changes to the regulations, but they have yet to go into effect. The following is for the public’s information.

At the Trustees' June 12 meeting, we voted to make the following modifications for all municipal lots as well as Main Street:

1. Change the per hour cost of parking from $4 per hour to $2 per hour
2. Change the minimum parking duration from one (1) hour to thirty (30) minutes
3. Change the maximum parking duration on Main St. from three (3) hours to four (4)

NEXT STEPS:
Some of the changes require a public hearing, which is scheduled for 6/26 at 7pm, before making the necessary revision to the Village Code.

Staff will then re-program and synch the parking kiosks and the Parkmobile App and field test programming before we go live.

The Trustees ask for the community's continued patience and understanding as we exercise due diligence and care in implementation. The public will be informed when the Village is prepared to go live with these modifications.
Please note that ALL current meter time limitations and fees are still in effect.

This is a fantastic article from The New York Times. Cold Spring does not operate in a vacuum—we’re not alone in trying to preserve residential quality of life and offset the costs of visitation management. Three quotes in particular stand out to me:

“… destinations need to find ways to counteract what Ms. Epler Wood calls “the invisible burden” of tourism, which includes strains on a community’s infrastructure, utilities and housing stock, as well as tourists’ carbon footprint and any challenges they might impose on residents’ daily lives.”

“You put so much pressure on the place that the people who live there become unhappy, and then they don’t present a very good face to tourists,” Ms. Epler Wood said. “The longer you wait, the higher the cost to fix it.”

“‘Tourism has negative externalities that must be managed and minimized,’ Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic Islands, told a local gathering this month, according to The Majorca Daily Bulletin. Local tourism, she said, “cannot continue to grow in volume.”

Why You’ll Pay More and Behave Better When You Travel This Summer From Barcelona to Bali, higher fees and new rules are targeting overtourism and unruly behavior. Some locals are worried the changes will keep tourists away.

The Village Board has been talking about Main Street a LOT as we try to find balance between visitation and residential quality of life. It’s not easy. One of the things that I love about our Main Street is that it’s both “resident-relevant” and “visitor-viable” (I wish I could take credit for that perfect phrase, but it was actually coined by Village resident, author and singer-songwriter Dar Williams). That’s something rare and valuable these days, and worth protecting. What could be more resident-relevant than a Main Street flower shop where high school kids can find beautiful, sophisticated corsages and boutonnières for prom? Well done entrepreneur Bo Corre. Now in Bloom is a village treasure.

INCREASED BEAR SIGHTINGS IN THE VILLAGE
Bear sightings around the Village and Town are increasing in recent weeks. We see more bears in June as the yearling males seek out their own ranges; see link below to learn more. The CSPD and Sheriff’s Department are aware of the bear that has been spotted several times near Town Hall and the Haldane campus. We have consulted with the DEC. Haldane is taking appropriate precaution on campus and at campus entries. The link below gives tips for response should residents have an encounter. Simply put: give them space but make lots of loud noise so they learn, quickly, that the space they’re in is not hospitable range.

https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-june/
https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/bear-encounters/

The rain held off for a lovely Memorial Day Parade. Parge Sgro, at nearly 100, was our Grand Marshall. Thank you to the American Legion for organizing and hosting. I’m not sure any place does this holiday more honorably and beautifully than Philipstown.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE CLARIFICATION
The American Legion has asked the Village to help clarify the schedule of activities for the observance of Memorial Day. On Sunday, May 26th, there will be a ceremony at 11am at the municipal dock to honor sailors lost at sea. On Monday, May 27th, the traditional Memorial Day parade will step off from Village Hall, making the customary stops at the Veterans' Memorials in the Villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville, as well as our historic cemeteries on Mountain Ave, Cedar Street, and Peekskill Road. The closing ceremony will take place at the Peekskill Road Rural Cemetery.

It is with deepest gratitude to Larry Burke for his years of service as Officer in Charge that we welcome Officer Matt Jackson as the new OIC for the Village of Cold Spring Police Department. We are so pleased that OIC Jackson accepted this new role, and we are confident he will fulfill its duties with professionalism, humility and humanity. Officer Burke will stay on in the department as a patrol officer. Our community could not be luckier to have these two decent, wonderful humans in our service.

Happy Arbor Day! Something fun from the village: “The Tree Advisory Board is pleased to announce The Village of Cold Spring's Inaugural GRAND TREE CONTEST! Do you know of a notable tree within village borders that deserves to be celebrated? Nominate a favorite tree and view the rolling Grand Tree Nominee gallery by visiting coldspringtree.weebly.com/grandtree . We'll accept nominations up to May 31. Let's showcase the wonderful trees that make up our community forest. Happy Arbor Day Cold Spring!“

https://coldspringtree.weebly.com/grandtree.html

So much goodness in a single week…another magical part of being mayor is being able to officiate weddings. It might be my favorite duty. Each one is unique and beautiful. The sun came out in perfect moments yesterday to shine on Zack and Chelsea. That’s a very good sign!

There are some really wonderful aspects of this work. At our Wednesday night meeting, the Board of Trustees signed and read a proclamation honoring the 100th birthday of Parsonage Street resident Aggie Hopkins. And this spry, fit, hilarious centenarian came in to pick up the proclamation for herself. Her love for the Village and her neighbors is big. If you’re going to be 100, do it like Aggie does!

NOTICE FROM MNR:
Signs have been installed at Cold Spring Station on the track one platform to notify riders of upcoming platform work. While the platform edges there were replaced last year, the work was done on an excessively hot day and there were issues with part of the concrete pour. As obligated by our standards and the contract with MTA C&D, the Contractor is going to perform corrective action work at no additional cost to the Railroad to correct defects to the Track 1 platform edge at Cold Spring station. The work is intended to be completed between April 26 and April 29, assuming the weather permits.

Join us as we countdown to Cold Spring In Bloom by celebrating the Top Ten Reasons To Shop Local • Shop Green in Cold Spring & the Greater Philipstown Community🌱🛍️

🌻Brought to you in partnership with the Cold Spring Smart Climate Task Force!

Number 3 💚 Preserve Our Unique Character: Cold Spring’s local shops offer one-of-a-kind products and services, preserving the village’s distinctive charm and character.

Voice of the Village: Cold Spring, New York Maintaining Character, Vibrancy, and Community

2024 YARD DEBRIS PICKUP SCHEDULE
Royal Carting will pickup yard debris on the following dates:

April 11 and 25
May 9 and 23
June 20
July 18
August 15
September 19
October 10 and 24
November 7 and 21
Yard debris should be placed in paper bags and left alongside the trash containers. Branches can be bundled in 2' lengths. Plastic bags will not be collected.

SPRING HYDRANT FLUSH -- WEEK OF APRIL 1st
The Village of Cold Spring Water Department will be conducting a system-wide hydrant flush during the week of April 1, 2024. The flush will occur during the crew's regular workday, beginning at around 7am. The process will progress from east to west through the system, beginning near Fishkill and Healy Roads, and continuing toward the riverfront.

Homes may experience slight water discoloration and temporary reduction in pressure. Discoloration can be cleared by running the cold water for a few minutes. The reduction in pressure should return to normal levels once the flush is completed in your area.

Are you interested in local government? Do you enjoy working with the public? Are you a creative problem solver? Is multi-tasking your super power? Would you like to work locally and in service to your community? How about excellent benefits? The Village of Cold Spring has two career opportunities that might be right for you.

Job descriptions can be found at the link below. Please share widely.
https://www.coldspringny.gov/home/news/job-openings

TOTS PARK CLOSED MONDAY 1 APRIL
Our of an abundance of caution, Tots Park will be closed on Monday, 1 April so that deadwood can be removed from trees and the trees over the climbing equipment can be properly limbed up. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.

Where else but Haldane does talent coalesce across disciplines to such an amazing degree?! Last weekend a state finals boys basketball team that soared to the very last second, in perfect synchrony. Then this week, a different kind of spectacular synchrony in Chicago. . .a delightfully choreographed, spectacularly costumed, brilliantly performed work of art, absolutely of Broadway quality. Who knew those kids could dance like that? And the voices!! What a fantastic show! I'm still singing Roxie. . . you?? Congratulations, Haldane Drama!!
(Photo credit belongs to the one and only Jim Mechalakos)

Trustee Laura Bozzi has taken the lead on the Village’s climate preparedness and sustainability initiatives. In her two years in office she has brought grants totaling $35k to the Village for this work. Tonight, her efforts, made in fruitful collaboration with the Philipstown Climate Smart Coordinator Martha Upton, were recognized by the Hudson Valley Regional Council with the Building Bridges Award. The award celebrates significant effort toward collaboration and partnership. Well done, Laura! Well done Martha! Thank you, Town of Philipstown, for standing shoulder to shoulder with your Village neighbors as we collectively address climate change and adaptability.

As ever, it will be beautiful and a great time!

Final Countdown!! 💫💫💫
Join us on Friday December 8th 4pm-8pm for the most magical night of our Village! 🌟🌟🌟
The beauty of candlelit Main Street and the joy of everyone in full Holiday Spirit!
The businesses will keep their doors open later that night and will contribute to make that evening more special!
We are looking forward to seeing all of you and celebrate with you! ✨✨✨

Thank you Rec Commission, Cold Spring Volunteer Fire Company, Girl Scouts, Hudson House and Dan Dillon for another memorable holiday tree lighting!