Episodios

  • Judge Sides with Putnam Legislator
    Feb 4 2026
    County to appeal case over ethics charges
    A state judge has ruled that a Putnam legislator accused of an ethics violation by the county attorney can choose her defense attorney instead of using one on the Law Department's list of vendors.
    Judge Victor Grossman, in a Jan. 22 ruling, sided with Toni Addonizio in the lawsuit she filed in June against County Attorney Compton Spain and Putnam County. Addonizio, who represents Kent in the Legislature, is defending herself against an ethics complaint filed by Spain regarding her son-in-law's attempted purchase of a county-owned property.
    Grossman found that because Spain filed the complaint, he is "in a patently adversarial posture" to the legislator and cannot "be permitted to designate counsel" for Addonizio's defense without her permission.
    He denied Addonizio's request that the county pay for her legal costs. He also ordered two exhibits and a paragraph in a third sealed at the Law Department's request but denied its request to seal other documents.
    On the day of Grossman's ruling, Spain and the county notified the court that they would be appealing the judge's decision and his denial to seal some records.
    The appeal prolongs the fight over Addonizio's request for a county-funded attorney — based on a state law, adopted by Putnam, that requires it to defend employees in federal and state civil cases for "any alleged act or omission" occurring while they are working.
    Municipalities are exempt from the requirement if they are the ones bringing the case against an employee. The law also entitles an employee to choose their attorney if the chief legal officer of a municipality, such as a county attorney, or a judge determines that a conflict of interest exists.
    In response to Addonizio's request, the Law Department said its insurer concluded that she was ineligible for legal assistance but, "after careful review," it would select one of the firms from its list of contractors — Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux — to represent her. The department also said that Addonizio could pay out-of-pocket for an attorney who is not on its list.
    "There could not be a more patent conflict of interest than the complainant in a politicized ethics proceeding selecting the accused's attorney," said Jeffrey Gasbarro, who represented Addonizio in the lawsuit.
    Spain's 191-page complaint, filed with the Board of Ethics in June 2024 and forwarded to the Attorney General's Office, accuses Addonizio of failing to disclose that her son-in-law, Byron Voutsinas, was the buyer initially agreeing to purchase a county-owned property at 34 Gleneida Ave. in Carmel.
    According to Spain, Voutsinas sought to use Addonizio's influence with the Legislature to include parking spaces from a nearby county-owned lot in the sale. He claims that the agreed-upon price, $600,000, represented a "veritable windfall" from a recommended listing price of $900,000 and market studies valuing it as high as $1.2 million.
    Spain's office moved to void the contract, arguing that Voutsinas failed to satisfy conditions for the sale to be finalized, including getting the Legislature's approval. After Voutsinas filed a breach-of-contract claim, Spain successfully petitioned a judge to have the contract canceled.
    During a May 2024 meeting of the Legislature's Rules Committee, then chaired by Addonizio, lawmakers accused the Law Department of filing the petition without first getting their approval. Addonizio "spoke frequently and freely on the matter," but should have recused herself, said Spain.
    The Legislature's former counsel, Robert Firriolo, defended Addonizio in a response to Spain's complaint sent to the ethics board. He also accused Spain of failing to disclose, when asked on his employment application about criminal convictions, that he was found guilty in 1993 of criminal contempt of court.
    A judge found Spain guilty under the state Judiciary Law, which does not classify the charge as a misdemeanor. Because the penalty can include jail ti...
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  • Second Town Rejects Putnam Crisis Center
    Feb 3 2026
    Carmel residents say they fear crime, drugs
    A proposal to open a 24-hour drop-in crisis program in an office building off Route 6 drew both love and hate from Town of Carmel residents in public hearings.
    Everyone seemed to love the idea behind People USA's Stabilization Center, an urgent care for behavioral health where children, teens or adults suffering a mental-health or substance-abuse emergency could be treated and linked with services. But some people hated its location near their businesses and residences.
    "I have no doubt that it will help those in crisis," said one woman, identifying herself as the person attacked in October by a homeless man on a trail in Carmel. "But adding another facility that serves people in crisis so close to homes, local businesses, senior communities and the rail trail is not appropriate."
    The Planning Board agreed. On Jan. 28, Carmel became the second Putnam County town after Brewster to reject the Stabilization Center, delivering what may be a fatal blow to an idea championed by County Executive Kevin Byrne.

    In a statement, Byrne said he would reappropriate $2.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds allocated to the project.
    "We will continue working with providers, community partners and municipal leaders to increase public safety and expand access to care through evidence-based approaches, including but not limited to mobile crisis response and other prevention efforts," he said.
    Some of the people attending the Carmel Planning Board meeting applauded as Craig Paeprer, the board's chair, announced the 6-to-0 vote by its members to deny an application by People USA, which operates crisis centers in Dutchess and Ulster counties, to open one in an office building near the Putnam Plaza Shopping Center.
    People USA said the center would have been staffed with certified counselors, social workers and peer specialists, assisting up to eight people at a time, and would have had security trained in de-escalation techniques on-site from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
    A public hearing in November began with a video shot at People USA's Stabilization Center in Poughkeepsie, which opened in 2017 as a collaboration with Dutchess County. The video showed a "hope room" where people are assessed, areas where those waiting to go home or be taken to another program can rest, read books or play games and a room for children and their families.

    A procession of speakers who followed the video presented different images — homeless people loitering in the nearby 24-hour McDonald's on Route 6, deputies dropping off inmates released from the Putnam County jail, discarded syringes and home invasions.
    The board's resolution rejecting the project cited multiple reasons, including the center's incompatibility with the area's other businesses and Carmel's "long experience with Arms Acres," a nearby residential substance-abuse treatment. Arms Acres and "similar programs" potentially "require a disproportionate commitment of community services, particularly police and emergency services," according to the Planning Board.
    Residents in Brewster invoked similar concerns as those in Carmel when they rallied in 2023 against People USA's plan to lease space above the Over the Rainbow Learning Center at a shopping center in the village, which is part of the Town of Southeast. The Town Board responded by approving in October 2023 a six-month moratorium on permits for medical and mental-health clinics, including a "mental health crisis or stabilization center."
    Twelve days later, residents attending a public forum on the center conjured images of drunk and drugged clients loitering outside, endangering children and littering the ground with drug paraphernalia.
    Byrne said in a letter to residents the following month that he directed People USA to abandon the Brewster location, setting off the search that led to Carmel. The organization, in its proposal to the Carmel Planning Board, said Southeast had "prejudged the application base...
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  • Beacon Chief Makes Statement on Assault
    Jan 30 2026
    Search continues for attacker who seriously injured woman
    Beacon Police Chief Tom Figlia on Friday (Jan. 30) released a statement updating the community on the investigation of a Jan. 14 assault near the intersection of Wolcott and Tioronda avenues.
    It is unusual for police to comment publicly on investigations, but the chief said he had been responding to residents' questions individually and decided to issue a statement because of the volume of inquiries.
    A day after the assault, Figlia said the suspect was a white male wearing a black jacket or coat (not a puffy coat), a black knit hat and blue pants or jeans. He was described as possibly being in his 30s or 40s, approximately 5-foot-11 with a medium build and a "very close" brown beard.
    Figlia's 800-word statement, which he described as "a message from me as chief of police," said he did not see requests for information about the assault "as unreasonable in any way." He said the department "has been working nonstop to investigate and solve this case. We have spent untold hours poring over evidence because the absolute best thing we can do for this community is to solve it."

    He said that while fictional investigations move along quickly, in reality, "oftentimes it takes weeks, months or even sometimes years to go through mountains of potential evidence or to get forensic testing back." He cited the conviction last year of a Philadelphia man in a May 2022 murder in Beacon.
    "As a lifelong Beacon resident and parent of a young woman myself, I understand how upsetting this incident has been to everyone in our community," Figlia wrote. "While I wish that I could share more, I always have to be extremely careful not contaminate investigations or release information that could be harmful to victims." He described the investigation as "complex" and asked for patience.
    After the attack on Jan. 14, the victim was found unconscious, and first responders determined she had been "seriously assaulted." Sargent Elementary School, which is nearby, was placed on a lockout until police said they were confident the attacker had left the area. The victim's name has not been released, but police said at the time that she was in stable condition.
    Police asked residents citywide to check doorbell or security cameras for footage that captured anyone fitting that description. The department has increased patrols since the attack, and Figlia asked residents to be vigilant.
    In public, it is usually best "to reduce personal distractions and limitations to peripheral vision as much as possible," he wrote. "At home, we always encourage you to double-check that every one of your doors and windows is locked if you want them locked. We find this to be a very common oversight.
    "Trust your instincts," Figlia wrote. "If something or someplace does not feel right or safe, it is okay to believe yourself." He advised residents to report any suspicious or dangerous activity or individuals.
    The chief asked that anyone with information about the Jan. 14 attack call the Beacon Police Department at 845-831-4111.
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  • A Sovereign Citizen in Philipstown
    Jan 30 2026
    Extremist views central to Route 9 case
    Derek Keith Williams began his paper assault on the Putnam County Clerk's Office with 118 pages of mostly indecipherable legalese filed in March 2020.
    By the time of his last filing this past September — a six-page "notice to vacate unlawful warrant" addressed to the Town of Carmel's police chief — the self-proclaimed "sovereign citizen" had spent more than $5,000 on nearly 30 filings with the clerk. Many of them were fruitless attempts to prevent M&T Bank from evicting Sokhara Kim and Chakra Oeur from their business and home at 3154 Route 9.

    The serial filings are a hallmark of sovereign citizens, a fringe movement started by white supremacists but with Black adherents like Williams, who is accused of causing the Cambodian couple to lose the property to foreclosure. Its members broadly believe they are exempt from laws and reject documents such as Social Security cards and driver's licenses, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group that tracks extremists.
    The SPLC documented 93 sovereign citizen groups nationwide in 2024, including three in New York state: the Life Force Network, the National Liberty Alliance based in Hyde Park and Punished for Protecting. "More women, younger people and more economically well-off folks disenchanted with their lives under the U.S. government" are joining, according to the SPLC.
    This month, SPLC's monthly Intelligence Project Dispatch noted Williams' sentencing in December to six months in the Putnam County jail after being convicted on a misdemeanor charge of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle for driving without plates, insurance, registration or a license. Along with a mention of broadcaster Alex Jones, it was highlighted as an example of "conspiracy propagandists."
    Court Case to Resume in March
    Sokhara Kim and Chakra Oeur's effort to reclaim 3154 Route 9 is scheduled to continue March 18 with an appearance before state Judge Gina Capone, who presided over the foreclosure of the Philipstown property.
    A hearing set for Jan. 15 was postponed because the court could not find an interpreter for the couple, who are natives of Cambodia. On Jan. 2, Capone temporarily restrained M&T Bank from transferring the deed.
    Kim and Oeur hope to convince the judge that Derek Keith Williams is responsible for the foreclosure. According to their attorney, Jacob Chen, the loss of the property is a "deeply tragic — and profoundly avoidable — result" of the actions of "an unhinged and dangerous criminal who exercised coercive control over them."
    A few people who claim to be sovereign citizens have been involved in violent crimes, such as a 2024 shooting in which Corey Cobb-Bey, a "Moorish American National," killed a Dallas police officer. But they are more commonly known for non-violent efforts to evade taxes, squat on properties and carry out "illegal housing-related, money-making schemes," according to the SPLC.
    One of the standard tactics is "paper terrorism" — bombarding clerks' offices and courts with phony and often indecipherable filings that can exceed 100 pages and are filled with grandiose language, references to treaties and patents and widespread use of capital letters and the copyright and trademark symbols. According to the SPLC, "a simple traffic violation or pet-licensing case can end up provoking dozens of court filings containing hundreds of pages of pseudo-legal sovereign arguments."
    In January 2025, in Putnam, Williams filed a "notice of unlawful eviction" and "notice of fraudulent deed" claiming that M&T had foreclosed on land that an entity he created, DKW Trust, "secured by a land patent." Documents filed the next month declared Williams "a sovereign citizen of the United States of America" who is protected from "undue government interference" by the Constitution.

    Putnam County, he claimed, "has no constitutional authority to enter, search or seize" 3154 Route 9, the longtime home of Kim's business, Nice...
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  • Buster Levi Gallery to Close
    Jan 30 2026
    Ends 16-year run in Cold Spring
    The title of the Buster Levi Gallery exhibit that begins Feb. 7, Open Ending, hints at the end of an era in Cold Spring. When the show concludes six weeks later, the art space at 121 Main St. will close its doors after a 16-year run.
    The last exhibit will include works by artists who have exhibited at Buster Levi in the past, reflecting a broad range of styles and mediums, including ceramics, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, steel and textiles.
    Martee Levi became the artistic director even before the gallery was established. In 2010, she helped launch the Marina Gallery at 153 Main St. before it moved in 2014.
    "We were debating names for the new location," Levi recalled, noting that she was always accompanied by her dog, Buster. "He was sitting there looking out the window when someone said, 'Oh, look at that Buster Levi!'"
    Before Marina, Levi ran a Beacon gallery at the back of Finders Keepers, a Main Street antique store.
    The first inkling that she'd be an artist came when she was 3. "I remember sitting in my mother's sewing room, playing with crayons," Levi said. "I just knew that art was what I wanted to do." Her ambitions were fueled by a "fabulous" art teacher at her high school in Rochester.
    Levi said she had wanted to start a local gallery for years. "There were too many artists in the area whose work was not being seen," she said.

    Over the years, Buster Levi has had 12 to 14 artist members who share the rent and other expenses. When an artist sells a piece, the gallery receives a 10 percent commission.
    "When I started this, I never thought about making money," she said. "The artists like to make money, and they've done well, but our main reason for being here is to do art."
    Levi said the gallery is not closing for financial reasons. "It was just time to think about not having a storefront; we don't really need one," said one member, Grace Kennedy. "And there are a lot of artists who don't necessarily work with walls, and we don't have a lot of space here, none for any kind of sculpture."
    It can also be a challenge to replace artists who move on, Kennedy said. "We've had some fantastic artists who just can't do it anymore," she said. "We try to replace them with local artists because you have to be local to be able to participate."
    Kennedy said closing the gallery will free the group to do other things, such as pop-ups that incorporate music, which isn't possible in a building with second-floor apartments.
    "The amazing part is the way the artists have grown," Levi said. "Every artist has grown by being a part of the gallery, and that's been wonderful to watch."
    She said she has enjoyed interacting with what some might consider an unlikely demographic, the young hikers who visit Cold Spring. "Everybody hates the hikers," she said. "But they're just great because they're young, sophisticated and no matter what, they come in and are very, very interested.
    "I'm going to miss all the people, but I think I'm going to have gatherings once in a while to talk about art; we'll still get together," Levi said. The gallery will also continue to maintain its website.
    "When BLG started, Cold Spring had two other art galleries; both succumbed to rising rental prices," said Grey Zeien, a member whose exhibit, The Last Roundup, ends Sunday (Feb. 1). "BLG has been a haven and showplace for mid-career artists; its passing will leave a hole in the arts culture of the area."
    The Buster Levi Gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment. See busterlevigallery.com.
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  • Beacon Schools Begin E-Transition
    Jan 30 2026
    District adds two zero-emission buses to fleet
    Students in the Beacon City School District have gotten their first taste of battery-powered transportation this month.
    Two International electric school buses, their purchase approved by voters in 2024, were added to the district's fleet on Jan. 5. Beacon is the first of the Highlands' three public school districts to purchase zero-emissions vehicles.
    "We're excited just to get started and get them into action," said Superintendent Matt Landahl. "We're probably ahead of a lot of districts in that regard."
    A state law adopted in 2022 requires that all school buses purchased after 2027 run on electricity and that all 45,000 gas-powered school buses in New York be replaced by 2035. Lawmakers have pledged $600 million to support the transition through the Environmental Bond Act of 2022, but it may not be enough.
    Statewide, only about 180 of 45,000 buses are electric, although more than 450 districts are working on electrification plans, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. At the same time, residents in a handful of districts, including Hyde Park, have voted against purchasing EV buses, despite state grants that would reduce costs.
    Electric buses, which seat 45 adults or 66 children, aren't cheap. Together, Beacon's 2025 models cost $430,547, or about $215,000 each, including chargers. Voter approval was contingent on the district receiving at least $200,000 in state grants for each, but in the end, the district received $257,000 per bus, bringing the final cost much closer to the $190,000 price of a 72-passenger diesel bus.
    Infrastructure is also an issue. Located in a far corner lot of Heritage Financial Park, Beacon's bus garage can accommodate the two 208-volt chargers, but "anything more and we'd have to do a pretty major upgrade on electric," said Anthony Vacirca, the district's head mechanic.

    That type of upgrade would be part of a larger capital project. After voters approved a three-year, $50 million project in 2024 — in addition to the purchase of the electric and new diesel buses — the next proposal is at least two or three years away, Landahl said.
    As far as performance, "I'm pleasantly surprised," with the EV buses, Vacirca said. "Pickup is fantastic. These have far more power than our other buses, and they handle and drive just like the other ones."
    Beacon's vehicles are equipped with lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. Older electric models used lithium-ion batteries, but those could overheat. Batteries made with lithium iron phosphate don't have the range of lithium ion, "and that is an issue, especially in the wintertime," Vacirca said. Beacon's buses are expected to get 120 miles on a full charge in warm weather and 80 miles in the winter.
    On Day 1, in 24-degree weather, one electric bus was driven 40 miles, bringing its battery down to 60 percent. Both are in use most days, and they're plugged in after morning runs and again in the afternoon. It takes 18 hours to get from zero to 100 percent, so even with the overnight charge, the batteries aren't always full in the morning.
    EV Buses at Haldane and Garrison
    In Cold Spring, Haldane Superintendent Gail Duffy said the district is pursuing grants to fund electric buses. Considering recent studies showing that the district's buses are underutilized, Haldane's first zero-emissions vehicle will likely be one of its smaller buses, she said.
    Haldane applied for federal grants last year to offset the cost of four buses before the Environmental Protection Agency ended the program. As of July, the Clean School Bus Program had funded 8,500 buses in 1,200 districts nationally, according to the World Resources Institute's Electric School Bus Initiative.
    The Garrison School recently approved a contract with INF Associates to conduct a feasibility study on electric buses. The study is being undertaken in case the district seeks a waiver from the state's zero-emission mandates, Superintendent ...
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  • Stanza Debuts First Book
    Jan 30 2026
    Bookstore publishes anthology of Beacon writers
    Things are humming at Stanza Books in Beacon, which has built a cohesive community of readers and writers since opening in 2023. On a chilly Tuesday evening last month, a dozen people huddled inside the shop to discuss John Irving's latest novel, Queen Esther.
    At first, co-owners Mark Harris and Andrea Talarico lived above the store. But they cemented their local roots by buying a house. And this spring, they plan to move social and retail operations into the historic firehouse on Main Street, next to the Veterans Memorial Building, tripling their footprint.
    They always intended to run a publishing arm, and their imprint's first issue is an anthology of writers who circulate within the store's orbit.
    "We chose contributors based on relationships, which evolved over time," says Harris. "They hold readings and, most importantly, show up for other authors' events. This is a snapshot of literary culture in Beacon for the year, and we're looking to do it again with different writers."

    Because the retail space cannot accommodate the family and friends of all 18 contributors, as well as everyone else who shows up, the book launch will be held at Madame Brett Social Club, a shared workspace with soft lighting and a full bar, on Saturday (Jan. 31).
    "It'll be a literary salon, where writers talk shop," Harris says.
    Stanza's second book, Demon Lover Witch, a dark fantasy set in Beacon and written by Harris, debuts Feb. 13. A children's title is scheduled for later this year.
    The 337-page 2025 Beacon Literary Scene anthology, published as a paperback, has a William Loeb photo of the dummy light on its cover.
    It skews toward fiction and poetry, although Adam McKible contributed a scholarly essay and Donna Minkowitz submitted a memoir that borders on confessional. The poets include Ruth Danon, Kristen Holt-Browning, Jim Seegert and Edwin Torres.
    Arranged alphabetically by last name, the works are easy to digest. The longest entry runs 26 pages; the shortest is two (Torres' "Bannerman Island").
    Each contributor shared a statement about the role of writing in their lives, except for Peter Ullian, whose story concerns a Marine born on Mars.
    Gloria Beth Amodeo, who juggles writing with raising 3-year-old twins, sets a 30-minute timer when hunkering down. She met a couple of peers at a workshop who impose deadlines on each other and "don't judge."
    Steven Fechter, who switched from plays to fiction, composes in longhand on legal pads. Jackie Corley offers this pro tip: "Kill your darlings and all your backstory."
    Stanza sells books but is more than a store. "I've become close friends with one of the parents who brought their kids into our storytelling sessions, and I'm going over to his place tonight to play board games," Harris says. "If you're a sci-fi nerd, come to our reading club. Friendships have been made."
    The book launch is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Madame Brett Social Club, 418 Main St., second floor. Tickets are $10 at dub.sh/beacon-writers-25. The anthology is $20, with proceeds benefiting the Howland Public Library.
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  • Winning Team, Lousy Courts
    Jan 30 2026
    Haldane tennis lobbies for better facilities
    For the Haldane girls' tennis team, which won a league title this past fall, the biggest challenge may not be its competition but its home courts.
    The Blue Devils are spending the winter lobbying the district to rebuild its two courts and add a third. The hope is that they will no longer have to play most matches away, and players won't have to practice on the soccer field.
    The courts have cracks and sagging nets. On one, a dip near a baseline pools water and collects muck. While the courts have been resurfaced, they may have to be rebuilt.

    The Haldane district's master plan, adopted in October 2023, included four courts along Route 9D. But a $28.4 million capital project approved by voters in November 2024 didn't include any money for them.
    In Beacon, voters in May 2024 approved a $50 million capital improvement project that includes funds to resurface the high school tennis courts this summer. (Unlike Haldane, Beacon has both girls' and boys' tennis teams.)
    Tom Cunningham, the Haldane athletic director, said the courts are a priority for the upcoming budget; the project could cost $100,000 or more. He said the district is exploring other funding, such as grants from the U.S. Tennis Association.
    "The courts are unsafe," said Alex Dubroff, whose daughter, Ellie, was the team's co-captain. Dubroff, who played tennis at Stony Brook University, was speaking at the Jan. 6 school board meeting. Ellie and co-captain Ella Sizemore also attended, as did other team parents.
    While Coach Simon Dudar said he doesn't think the courts are dangerous, he noted that, about 15 years ago, when the surface was even worse, "I did have a girl trip on a crack and break her ankle."

    The more immediate problem, he said, is that "a lot of schools don't want to come to us" since, with only two courts, there is a chance they won't finish the five matches before dark, and there is no opportunity for exhibition matches for less experienced players.
    Haldane's home matches don't comply with match-play rules of two out of three sets. To save time, they play abbreviated, eight-game "pro sets," Dudar said. Most matches start at 4:30 p.m., so they can be completed before the sun sets about two hours later.
    Dudar said he often contacts opposing coaches, offering to play Haldane's home matches at their facilities "because we can get more girls playing." Last fall, the Blue Devils played only three of 13 matches at home.
    He said three courts would help with practice, so that none of the 17 players are standing around. Nomie Karetny, a freshman, said that she once practiced hitting balls with a teammate on the soccer field while the girls' soccer team practiced nearby.

    Dudar said that a third court would also allow for better practice for experienced players such as Dubroff, who hopes to play in college. "Ellie is a strong player, and she's not getting a ton of reps in practice," he said.
    He noted that Dubroff's recruitment efforts helped salvage the team. "We didn't know if we were going to have a team," he said. "She recruited a lot of her friends." Ellie said her longtime tennis buddy, Scout Thakur De Beer, also deserves credit. "I love this team," Dubroff said. "It's helped me in so many ways."
    Last year, the team raised over $10,000 through bake sales, a pickleball fundraiser and a Snap Raise campaign to help pay for lights installed last summer over one court.
    Local players can use a QR code on the court's front gate to donate to the Booster Club. In addition, several parents have launched the Philipstown Community Tennis Association (philipstowntennis.org). "This community plays tennis, and there are two courts that are in really dire condition," said Katie MacInnes, a team mom.
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