COPAKE — Remembering the impact that “wilderness” speakers had on him when they visited his school as a child, local beekeeper John Jasmin explained why he chose to bring the world of bees to the Roeliff Jansen Community Library for a presentation on Friday, Aug. 6.
“As a [retired] teacher I know that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he said after the event. “I remember as a child we used to have a wilderness guy come to our school. He used to bring snakes and things… and he taught us not to be afraid of all those creatures. He would put them around our necks to break the fear.”
He continued, “I’m trying to promote honeybees for everybody to break that fear. You can not make pets out of honeybees, but you can accept them.”
That is precisely what Jasmin did in a big way when he started working with bees as a hobby about seven years ago. Three years later, he began to share the fruits of their collective labors through his Bash Bish Honey, named for the creek that supplies the bees with their water, and that he sells at the Copake-Hillsdale Farmers Market at the Roe Jan Park at 9140 Route 22, Hillsdale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays till Nov. 20.
Friday’s library event was planned for last year but delayed by COVID-19 restrictions. It was his first, and enabled by his purchase of an “observation hive,” which allowed the children to see the hive components and watch the bees and their activities.
Jasmin noted that each hive, which can also be split to produce others as a new queen and her community are moved, provides between 80 and 150 pounds of honey each year. He said that although some bees do occasionally escape and produce “feral” hives, they have difficulty surviving without beekeepers. Those beekeepers protect the bees from Varroa Destructor Mites, which arrived from Europe and Asia in 1985 and “have devastated bee colonies in North America.”
Beyond providing his audience with as much honey as they liked, Children and Youth Services Associate Tia Maggio, who organized the program, said Jasmin shared a wealth of knowledge with her young patrons. He explained the different types of bees, the functions of the queen, male drones and female bees, and when and why bees do or do not sting.
For more information about this or other programs at the library, call 518-325-4101 or go to www.roejanlibrary.org.
POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino announced the newest grants from the County’s 2024 Youth Wellness Supports Microgrants program, totaling over $45,000.
These grants support important programs that reinforce positive behaviors in children and keep them from harmful activities. The money will be going to four local organizations that already build up young members of the community will avert them from developing substance abuse or other destructive habits.
The four projects being funded through the 2024 Youth Wellness program include $5,000 for the Red Hook Public Library, $5,000 for the Millbrook Library, $19,000 for Mental Health America of Dutchess County, and $18,761 for James’s Warriors in East Fishkill.
Red Hook intends to use the funding to train local librarians in Youth Mental Health First aid and develop an action plan for youth mental health crisis intervention. Millbrook plans to create an additional children’s book section focusing on mental health and substance use prevention. In addition, they are implementing a six-month kids’ yoga course, consisting of 24 classes, to enhance mindfulness and help children develop healthy coping skills.
Mental Health America of Dutchess County is designing a custom landscape for the Ellen’s Place outdoor classroom, which will allow children to have a creative space for their imaginations. James’s Warriors will purchase items to create coping kits to give out to schools after the organization’s presentations on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The wellness program focuses on many factors, including prevention, public awareness, social media awareness and safe use. The proposals for the grants should include one or more of the focus areas.
County executive Sue Serino said, “Every child deserves a promising future. In Dutchess County, we’re lucky to have numerous community partners who help guide them toward success. These grants will support crucial programs that encourage positive behaviors in our kids, keeping them away from risky activities that might derail their success.”
Individual recipients can receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $19,000. The Youth Wellness Support Microgrant program has been funded with $200,000 in opioid settlement funds gained from litigation against the pharmaceutical industry. So far, $95,060 has been awarded.
Town Hall in Amenia on Route 22.
AMENIA — Engaging in a variety of discussion topics, the Amenia Town Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21, agreed to hire a surveyor to define the boundaries of the small park in the center of Wassaic village.
The vote was unanimous to have surveyor Kirk Horton conduct the survey of the spot known locally as “Wassaic Pocket Park”” for a fee of $900.
Town Supervisor Leo Blackman noted that the surveyor’s fee is low because he indicated that he has done considerable surveying in the immediate area of the little park, so would have numerous existing points to measure from.
Reporting on discussion heard at the Wednesday, Nov. 20, meeting of the Water Committee concerning inaccessible meters, chairman Bill Flood sought Town Board approval for imposing a fine on property owners who have failed to allow access to repair non-functioning water meters.
The Town Board agreed that the Water District will make one more contact with the property owners, asking for access and notifying them of a pending fine. If no response is received, a fine of $500 will be levied, in accordance with water district policy.
Flood reported that an initial effort to access and repair non-working meters identified about 30 such meters within the water district. An initial mailing was successful in reducing the number to its current level of 19 meters, as homeowners responded and provided access.
“It’s much better if the meters are reading,” Nancy Nowak had said at the Water Committee meeting the previous night, commenting on her office’s responsibility for usage billing.
Flood reported that daily water usage within the district averages 225,000 to 250,000 gallons, although it fluctuates.
Discussion continued about the drafting of a local law to regulate any retail cannabis establishment.
Distances from schools, houses of worship, cemeteries, parks, and other public places where young people might frequent were again discussed, along with where the measurements are taken from, whether property line or doorway.
Town Board member Paul Winters indicated that state law dictates that measurements be taken doorway to doorway.
“The state law is pretty detailed,” Town Attorney Ian Lindars commented.
The town’s planning consultant has been reviewing the state law, comparing the town’s views on restrictions to the state’s statutes, seeking to clarify relationships between the two. The consultant has found that most area towns with retail cannabis establishments require a special permit in order to operate.
Resident Walter Dietrich spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, indicating that the town can impose stricter guidelines than those of the state, if the town wishes to.
“The whole idea of a dispensary should be put to a town vote,” Dietrich said, “rather than be decided by the Town Board.”
Before the close of the meeting, Winters responded to Dietrich’s comment, indicating that town residents have already given the authority to the Town Board to act on their behalf.
MILLBROOK — Millbrook student Lindsay McMorris is working alongside Lyall’s Community Church to serve free dinner and study sessions.
Beginning Thursday, Nov. 7, Lyall Church started hosting study sessions from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each week. The program aims to help Millbrook students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade with homework or studying while providing dinner at the same time.
“I am working towards my Girl Scout Gold Award, which is a big project,” said McMorris, “The two women I am working with, Lynn Grange and Kristen Reed, ran a very similar program, and it kind of fizzled out after COVID. So while looking for ideas for my Gold Award, I was like, ‘Oh, I can bring this back.’”
According to McMorris, she is hoping to reach as many students as possible through the study dinners program to assist with schoolwork but also with food insecurities many face. The program’s first week only saw two students, yet it is progressively growing. Approximately ten students had registered for the session on Thursday, Nov. 21.
“I’m just really hoping to have a program out there for kids who need study help because grades are very important to me. I know they’re very important to a lot of people,” McMorris said, “So having something out there that they can use to help them improve grades or just understand topics better, as well as we also address local food insecurity because we do provide a free meal at every meeting.”
To RSVP or for questions, email: lyallchurchstudydinner@gmail.com.
MILLBROOK — A brief public hearing on a request by the owners of a new restaurant under construction along Franklin Avenue was held at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Monday, Nov. 18.
The House of Stefan is nearing completion of its construction phase and is due to open around January. Essential to the business is a small generator that has been added to the site plan drawings, owner John Stefanopoulos noted for the board.
The small Generac unit, measuring 3 by 5 feet, will provide emergency power in the event of a power outage, Stefanopoulos explained, any noise from the small unit to be mitigated by sound baffling materials. The small residential-sized unit will be installed behind the building, providing power mainly for refrigeration.
Neighboring business owner Jeffrey Zwirn of the Millbrook Antiques Center spoke in praise of the new restaurant being built next door, calling it “a heartbeat for the village.”
“You can’t run a business without a generator,” Zwirn said.
“Since they will be storing food, they returned for permission to install a generator,” explained planning board chairman Frank Redl.
Other aspects of the site plan were the subject of an earlier public hearing process that occurred before the project was approved, he explained. Residents asked questions about parking, hours of operation, and noise, questions that were not relevant to the generator.
Stefanopoulos indicated his intention that the restaurant will be a good neighbor, that any resident with a concern about the restaurant operation will be welcome to contact him.
Applications for accessory apartments are increasing in number, Redl observed. Two new applications and their site plans will be the subject of public hearings at the Monday, Dec. 16, planning board meeting. One is planned at 3308 Franklin Ave. and the other at 24 North Ave.
