New York’s COVID Plan for Surviving January
State officials are calling it the “Winter Surge Plan 2.0,” but it’s more like version 1.1. New York’s new plans for the Omicron wave, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul and state officials in a New Year’s Eve press conference on Friday, are mostly tweaks to existing state strategies. It seems clear the virus can mutate…
This Week’s 8 Hudson Valley Events
Here are a few fine events with which to celebrate the tradition of transition.
How to Weather Omicron: A Local Guide
Dear reader, First off: Don’t panic. With great swiftness, over the past week the Omicron variant has become the dominant form of COVID-19 in New York State and the US. As of December 18, the CDC estimates that Omicron made up 73.2 percent of the cases in the nation, a figure that is already being…
An Open Letter on Masking to the Dutchess County Executive
Dear Mr. Marc Molinaro, I must say that I’m terribly disappointed in your recent pronouncement that Dutchess County will not enforce the New York State mask mandate. It was, in my opinion, an extremely short-sighted and harmful act on your part. Of course, we all know that the county doesn’t have the resources to fully…
Failure of Build Back Better Casts Uncertainty over New York’s Climate Plans
This story was published in partnership with New York Focus, an independent, investigative news site covering New York state and city politics. The abrupt unraveling of federal climate legislation on Sunday—when West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin went on Fox News and said he could not support President Biden’s Build Back Better bill as written—has made…
8 Holiday Week Events in the Hudson Valley
Stuff your stocking with these excellent events.
We Cannot Stop Climate Change With Laws Alone
This October in New York, thanks in part to ongoing local activism, two proposed fossil fuel infrastructure projects were denied permits by the DEC. It seems like—maybe—the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, our state’s landmark climate law passed in 2019, is finally beginning to take effect. Time will tell if these rulings indeed mark…
Climate Health Is Human Health
Climate change may be a global problem, but air pollution is a local one. Whenever we burn things for heat or energy, the greenhouse gases they produce warm the atmosphere on a planetary scale. But the fine particles that are a more immediate risk to human health settle in the neighborhood—and wreak havoc. Communities that…
High Society’s Cannabis Gift Guide
Remember when all you could get your stoner friend for Christmas was a bag of weed? Times have changed since those dank old days, and the high holidays of the present are awash with ganjatastic gift ideas for almost every occasion. We’ve compiled our top cannabis Christmas gifts to reflect the width and breadth of…
8 Hudson Valley Events This Week
Get yourself in the holiday spirit with these splendid events.
From Afghanistan to Albany
Noor Khan sits cross-legged in his empty Albany living room, his expressions jittery with thought. “If you had the time, you could write 10 sad books about my life,” he says. “About how I came to America.” For years, he had been a soldier fighting alongside the United States army in Afghanistan. Now he found…
Concert Review: Marc Black Band at the Bearsville Theater, November 27
Sparrow reports on the recent Marc Black Band concert at Bearsville.
Does ‘Defund the Police’ Equal Abolish the Police? It Depends.
As the Criminal Justice Circle at Rise Up Kingston (RUK) prepares for its second Defund Action Day—this Saturday, December 11, from 10am to 5pm—we are providing accurate information about the Defund the Police movement and our efforts in this community. Very simply, Defund the Police means redirecting funds away from the police department to other…
8 Hudson Valley Events for This Week
Here are some enjoyable activities to keep the seasonal mood flowing.
In the Catskills, One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Business Model
What attracted Kris Seto and Joseph Imhauser to the Catskills was the region’s peacefulness, tranquility, and unspoiled beauty. But not long after moving to the area, the two found themselves at the forefront of a battle between residents and an industrial developer. With the race on to develop alternatives to fossil fuels and meet New…
An Open Letter on Climate to Antonio Delgado
The below letter has been signed by more than 65 constituents and is part of a grassroots effort to pressure Congressman Antonio Delgado into honoring his climate commitments. You can add your name to the letter here. Dear Representative Delgado, We are a collection of your constituents, and we are calling on you as our…
Sagittarius Horoscope | December 2021
Get ready to face the inconvenient truths you’ve been hiding from yourself.
Sips & Bites: 5 Places to Eat & Drink in December 2021
From a low-key ramen tavern in Kingston to comforting meat-centric fare in Hudson and brioche doughnuts in New Paltz, five places to tick off the list this December.
Sound Check: Prairie Prince’s Listening Picks | December 2021
Prairie Prince, drummer for Todd Rundgren, the Tubes, and other acts, shares what he’s been listening to lately.
2021 Holiday Book Gift Guide
Wildsam Field Guide: Hudson Valley & Catskills Edited by Hannah Hayes Wildsam Field Guides, $20, 2021 This pocket-sized guide to the region is ideal for any traveller, no matter how light they pack. At just over 100 pages long and pocket-sized (with tiny font to match), all the essential information about the Hudson Valley is…
Good Night: What Dreams Are Made Of
The owners of Silvia have opened a Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant just down the road that’s as elegant and adventurous as its progenitor.
Cultivating a Following
At The Pass—the closest recreational cannabis dispensary to New York City and Connecticut—expert budtenders help navigate you to exactly the experience you are looking for.
Album Review: Tracy Bonham & Melodeon Music House | Young Maestros Vol. 1
Seth Rogovoy reviews Tracy Bonham & Melodeon Music House’s new album Young Maestros Vol. 1.
Rooted in Rosendale
Part of an earlier wave of urban expatriation, Giselle Potter and Kieran Kinsella moved to their Rosendale farm in 1998. The illustrator and woodworker have turned the former dairy farm into a base for creative pursuits and domestic life.
Theory Wellness: A Dispensary of Firsts
A dispensary of firsts, Theory Wellness in Great Barrington continues to evolve with top-notch customer service, a first- of-its-kind social equity initiative, and innovative products.
Poetry | December 2021
Poems by Danielle Adams, Mia Frisch, Frank Malley, C. P. Masciola, Cyrus Mulready, Kirby Olson, Mary Paulson, Phyllis Segura, Carol Shank, and Matthew J. Spireng. Edited by Phillip X Levine.
The Reher Center in Kingston: A Haven for History
The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, a former bakery in Kingston’s Rondout District, has plans to become the go-to spot for school groups looking to learn about the region’s immigrant past.
Legends at the Helm
Smash Hits’ new Massmosa strain—spearheaded by grow manager Johnny Greenfingaz after a phenotype hunt of hundreds of variations—underscores the cultivars and cannabis strains only available at Canna Provisions locations in Western Massachusetts.
Virgo Horoscope | December 2021
You care and you’re a problem-solver who comes up with unique solutions.
Album Review: Three Layer Cake | Stove Top
James Keepnews reviews Three Layer Cake’s new album Stove Top.
Cancer Horoscope | December 2021
If you’re ready to receive the truth, the Full Moon in Gemini December 18 illuminates your own unconscious desires.
Capricorn Horoscope | December 2021
You’ve got the grace and favor of the cosmos through January 23—don’t waste it.
Libra Horoscope | December 2021
This month, you’ll find yourself challenged to have healthy boundaries, especially in matters of home and family.
Pisces Horoscope | December 2021
Through mid-May 2022, you’re a supersized, super-concentrated version of your best potentialities.
Album Review: Lara Hope and The Ark-Tones | Here to Tell the Tale
Haviland S Nichols reviews Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones’ new album Here to Tell the Tale.
Parting Shot: Pure Animal Instinct Pleasure | December 2021
Dini Lamot’s been taking pictures since he was a kid. These striking photos of a gorilla statue and an orchid were taken in passing on Lamot’s iPhone 11—both objects just sitting on his counter.
On the Cover: James Casebere’s Constructed Photographs | December 2021
The Columbia County-based artist James Casebere talks about his constructed photographs, including the prescient cover image, from 2012, which shows the world on fire.
December 2021 Astrological Forecast
Light is hidden and then revealed: What you see in the illumination empowers you to vigorously pursue your agenda.
Editor’s Note: Animal Strangeness | December 2021
Editor Brian K. Mahoney on the strangeness and wonder of living with animals.
Aquarius Horoscope | December 2021
Your genius ideas aren’t translating well to mere mortals at the start of the month. Hold your fire and refine your elevator pitch.
Esteemed Reader: Patience As a Strategy
In the fight against the oppressive forces of the global corporate capitalist machinery, Jason Stern advises an strategy of patience.
Aries Horoscope | December 2021
Intensity is still the name of the game this month. Avoid engaging in a power struggle, and align yourself with higher thoughts and broader horizons.
The Sandman
Sparrow reviews “Nivola: Sandscapes,” an exhibition of sandcast sculptures by Costantino Nivola exhibit at Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring.
Taurus Horoscope | December 2021
Normally you’re conservative, cautious, and risk-adverse, but these are hardly normal times.
Close Out 2021 with These 6 Live Music Shows
Live Music: Some of the concerts we’re going to this month include John Sebastian’s Jug Band Village at the Bearsville Theater, The Split Squad at the Avalon Lounge, Jay Rosen Trio at the Lace Mill, Tony Trischka at the Towne Crier, Superwolves at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, and moe. at the Capitol Theater.
Scorpio Horoscope | December 2021
If you’ve been the strong, silent type, get ready for a river of words to wash through you.
Perpetual State of Becoming
Carl Van Brunt offers an appreciation of the work of artist Christine Tenaglia, whose multimedia constructions elude easy categorization and invite a open- ended dialog about the artmaking process itself.
Gemini Horoscope | December 2021
This month, the goal is emotional intimacy, and shared vulnerability is the method.
Deadpan Delivery Man
Comedian Todd Barry drops some gnomic wisdom on Peter Aaron prior to his appearance at Colony in Woodstock on December 11.
Leo Horoscope | December 2021
Clarity around an important relationship issue from September is called into question. Probe for definitive answers and respond with wisdom and magnanimity.
December’s Must-Attend Events
This month’s cultural crib sheet: Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck; Family of Woodstock’s Fundraising Art Auction; “Tell It Like It Is,” a storytelling workshop and performance; Winter Walk in Hudson; The First Wave screens at the Orpheum Theater in Saugerties; Vanaver Caravan and Arm-of-the-Sea Theater team up for “Into the Light” in Rosendale; and “A Radio Christmas…
