Saugerties declared a public emergency to expedite urgent repairs to the Bluestone Park Water District Pump House, which serves about 70 people through 30 connections. The Town Board’s vote on Wednesday aims to speed fixes that include the replacement of a storage tank whose roof collapsed some years ago. The town pledged $25,000 of American […]

The post Saugerties Approves Emergency Repairs to Bluestone Park Pump House appeared first on The Overlook.

Three Ulster County lawmakers, all Democrats, aim to introduce a resolution that would establish a policy governing the use, sharing, disclosure, retention and access to automated license plate reader data collected by Flock Safety systems. The sponsors are Ulster County Legislators Dana Clinton, Abe Utichelle, and Amy Dooley, whose districts span Kingston, Gardiner, Shawangunk, Esopus […]

The post Three Ulster County Lawmakers Push for Resolution on Use of Flock Cameras appeared first on The Overlook.

The New York Department of Transportation pushed back the start of a $25 million project to upgrade Woodstock’s Tinker Street by a year, to 2028, saying it needs more time for “additional necessary preliminary engineering,” according to Woodstock’s Complete Street Committee. The DOT sent a revised timeline, which also delays completion to 2031 from 2030, […]

The post Start Date of $25 Million Tinker Street Project Delayed by a Year to 2028 appeared first on The Overlook.

At Betsey Regan’s studio, an art tour can turn into a salon. At Roger Ricco’s property, visitors can wander through a meadow planted for pollinators. In Gail Albert’s kitchen, about 30 photographs will offer glimpses of the natural world close to home. All three are participating in the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum’s Members Studio […]

The post WAAM Studio Tour Invites Visitors Into Artists’ Creative Spaces appeared first on The Overlook.

The developers behind the proposed Zena Homes subdivision are challenging Woodstock Planning Board member Eugenie “Genie” Tartell’s continued participation in the project’s review, citing her ownership of nearby land and what they described as her prior opposition to the development. Tartell acknowledged owning a vacant, approximately three-acre parcel off Lauren Court, across the road from […]

The post Zena Homes Developers Question Planning Board Member’s Role in Review appeared first on The Overlook.

Cindy greeted people as she normally did. Parking lot staff and part-timers smoked cigarettes and talked about the old nights as cars came in. The smell of cannabis hung in the air. It was a beautiful, chilly evening on Sept. 25, ahead of the nor’easter, and around 50 or so music fans had gathered at […]

The post The Last Shows at Levon Helm Studios, for Now, Bring Familiar Faces and an Uncertain Future appeared first on The Overlook.

A nor’easter’s high winds and rain wrecked tents and cut into sales at the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties last weekend, sending some vendors home early as organizers kept the event open. Much of the craft vendor row at the Cantine Field Complex sat empty on the second day of the annual two-day festival […]

The post Garlic Festival Vendors Report Losses After Nor’easter appeared first on The Overlook.

As summer officially comes to a close and the maple trees start to drop their leaves, it’s time to indulge in all things Autumn. The Catskill’s uniquely beautiful landscapes will be highlighted this season with Hunter’s Colors in the Catskills at Hunter Mountain Resort and the deep appreciation for the warm, golden colors of fall […]

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Apple and pumpkin picking season is underway across the region, with farms opening their orchards and fields to visitors. Some offer enough activities to fill an afternoon, from corn mazes and hayrides to playgrounds and farm animals. Others keep the focus on picking fruit and browsing the farm stand. Here are seven places to visit, […]

The post Seven Farms for Apple and Pumpkin Picking in the Catskills and Hudson Valley appeared first on The Overlook.

The towns of Hunter and Windham have been awarded $50,000 each in state funding for engineering studies to address problems with their wastewater systems and help them pursue grants for construction. The awards are part of an $80 million package Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week to improve resilience to extreme weather. The grants will […]

The post Hunter, Windham Get State Grants to Plan Wastewater Improvements appeared first on The Overlook.

Larger, higher bridges and changes to nearby floodplains could help reduce flooding in Chichester, according to preliminary findings presented at a Sept. 25 public meeting. SLR Consulting presented its recommendations at the second of three meetings on the hamlet’s local flood analysis. The firm is working with the Town of Shandaken and the Chichester Flood […]

The post Chichester Flood Study Recommends Larger Bridges, Floodplain Changes appeared first on The Overlook.

Verizon plans to activate its wireless tower in Mount Tremper by year’s end, extending service into eastern Shandaken and narrowing an 18-mile coverage gap along Route 28. The 164-foot tower at 1466 Wittenberg Road, approved by Shandaken’s Planning Board in 2025 went up in September and will extend Verizon’s coverage from western Olive. The company […]

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Mountain Top Cares Coalition has received a $200,000 federal planning grant to identify gaps in addiction recovery services and develop a plan to reach more people across Greene County, organization officials said this week. The nonprofit will receive $100,000 annually through August 2028 through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. […]

The post Mountain Top Cares Gets $200,000 to Plan Broader Recovery Services appeared first on The Overlook.

Greene County lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution on Sept. 16 supporting a lawsuit by 15 New York sheriffs challenging a state law that bars local agencies from entering into agreements to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement. Greene County Sheriff Pete Kusminsky isn’t a party to the lawsuit, and his office doesn’t have such an […]

The post Greene County Backs Sheriffs’ Fight for ICE Agreements appeared first on The Overlook.

In a video posted to Instagram on Monday, Sept. 21, Woodstock Supervisor Anula Courtis said she encouraged Michael Innello, the Level 3 registered sex offender hired by the town as a maintenance worker in 2025, to find another job and leave town employment. Innello resigned from the Custodial Department on Sept. 11 after obtaining a […]

The post Woodstock Supervisor Says She Encouraged Town Employee at Center of Hiring Controversy to Resign appeared first on The Overlook.

Water has leaked into the residential building at Woodstock’s Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery for more than a decade. Now, the Buddhist community is preparing for a nearly $300,000 copper roof project intended to stop the recurring water intrusion. The monastery has signed a contract with the Hudson Valley-based J&A Roofing and Siding Company and is […]

The post Woodstock’s KTD Monastery Plans $300,000 Roof Project to End Years of Leaks appeared first on The Overlook.

The Hurley Republican Committee announced on Thursday that it is backing Deputy Highway Superintendent Michele Bergenn for highway superintendent and William S. Tighe for town clerk in the Nov. 3 election. Bergenn will face former Deputy Highway Superintendent John Wiacek, who has the Hurley Democratic Committee’s endorsement. Tighe will challenge incumbent Town Clerk Lynne Bailey, […]

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A $502,000 state grant will help address chronic flooding in Pine Hill and support residents’ efforts to turn the historic Wellington Hotel into affordable housing and a place to buy groceries. The award to Ulster County will fund drainage improvements along lower Main Street, including about 500 feet of piping, new storm drains, and roadway […]

The post Pine Hill Gets $502,000 to Address Flooding and Support Wellington Revival appeared first on The Overlook.

In its third year, Ukrainian Community Day at The Ashokan Center wasn’t deterred by the rain. Huddled under the shelter of the Ashokan Center’s Killian Pavilion on Sunday, about 50 community members, musicians, dancers, singers, artists and craftspeople gathered to showcase Ukrainian culture and show solidarity with those impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.  The […]

The post Ukrainian Community Day at Ashokan Center Celebrates Culture, Supports War Relief appeared first on The Overlook.

The Saugerties Animal Shelter is seeking foster homes for cats as its staff fights a ringworm outbreak that began in May. The shelter has paused animal intake and most adoptions, though some kittens remain available through off-site events. The outbreak has been difficult to manage in the shelter’s current home: an old equipment garage next […]

The post Ringworm Outbreak Tests Saugerties Animal Shelter’s Cramped Quarters appeared first on The Overlook.

Lisajoy Sachs, 55, has visited the Windham area with her family throughout her life and has lived in town for the past 18 months. She has published two historical novels inspired by her grandmother’s life and completed four more manuscripts in the six-book series. Her biggest challenge as a new writer, she said, has been […]

The post Writers of the Catskills: In Conversation With Lisajoy Sachs appeared first on The Overlook.

A Big Indian resident who spent three months traveling across Asia will present a film about his trip Friday, assembled from videos he shot on his iPhone. Stephen LaMarca’s “Trekkin’ the Ring of Fire: A Three Month Journey Exploring the Culture, Volcanoes and Sacred Sites of Southeast Asia” will screen at the Ulster Performing Arts […]

The post From Bali to Big Indian, a Journey Told Through iPhone Videos appeared first on The Overlook.

A deadly August crash in Shokan got Melissa McHugh thinking about the people who respond to emergencies. Like many of the fire departments in the Hudson Valley, every one of the 74 firefighters servicing Olive is a volunteer. “I had been thinking about how horrible and how draining it must be for these guys to […]

The post ‘Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat’ Screening Spotlights Olive’s Volunteer Firefighters appeared first on The Overlook.

Even before the festival made the name world-famous, Woodstock—the village!—was something of a waking dream. Bob Dylan’s presence had changed things drastically, and two legendary graphic designers, Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, already had homes here. An unstoppable young émigré named Peter Max had not only tapped into this flower-power hour but branded it nationally. […]

The post Peter Max: The Woodstock Years appeared first on The Overlook.

So much of our work as journalists happens out on assignments or behind a desk. An evening together felt long overdue.  The Overlook’s readers, friends, and neighbors gathered at Bearsville Theater on Sept. 16, with music by the local legend Bruce Milner and a conversation with New Yorker writers Emily Nussbaum and Michael Schulman. Our […]

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A colorful display of arts and crafts at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville drew an unusually enthusiastic response this summer, Library Director Jaki Elmo said. “Between staff and people visiting, we’ve never had as much feedback,” she said. “Everything is bright and smiling at you.” Paper-plate animals, flowers, plants, and abstract drawings filled a […]

The post A Summer Haven for Campers With Developmental Disabilities appeared first on The Overlook.

The Woodstock Fire Department held its eighth annual 2-mile hike up Overlook Mountain on Sept. 11, honoring first responders on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The hike commemorated firefighters’ ascent through the World Trade Center towers during the rescue effort. The New York City Fire Department lost 343 firefighters that day. Woodstock Fire […]

The post Woodstock Firefighters Honored 9/11 First Responders With Mountain Hike appeared first on The Overlook.

The Woodstock Planning Board is reviewing Zena Homes’ application to extend and widen Eastwoods Drive in Woodstock, which would serve as the sole access road for a proposed 30-home subdivision in the Town of Ulster. Alec Gladd, an attorney with Cuddy & Feder representing Zena Homes, presented the developers’ latest sketch plan to the board […]

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Volunteer firefighters in the Catskills, a Woodstock painter, and a chance conversation with a stranger in town will reach the screen next month at the 27th Woodstock Film Festival. The festival, running Oct. 14–18 at venues in Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties, released its short-film program Sept. 17: 110 selections across narrative, documentary, and animation, […]

The post Woodstock Film Festival Lineup Brings Catskills Stories to the Big Screen appeared first on The Overlook.

Thousands gathered at Woodstock’s Andy Lee Field on a cool, clear afternoon in September 2006 to hear the Dalai Lama speak. Word-of-mouth had spread news of the free talk, drawing neighbors from across town and giving some an encounter they still recall vividly 20 years later. “I got up as close as I could be,” […]

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