Pride of place
The Hudson Valley is a nexus of activity during June, the annual LGBTQ Pride Month, and village officials in New Paltz want to make sure that local activities don’t conflict with whatever else is going on. The marriage equality movement in the eastern United States was started in New Paltz in 2003, and there’s been a pride parade in the community ever since. However, the organizers of that parade and related festivities have found that events in other Ulster County communities in particular are being scheduled on the same days, straining those who want to show their support at them all.
Alex Wojcik, the deputy mayor, has proposed that an annual date for use of Hasbrouck Park be set aside going forward, in order to set the tone for wider organizing efforts. Other trustees were generally in favor of the idea, although whether it should be the first Saturday or first Sunday in June was up in the air during the discussion. Wojcik promised a formal proposal at a future meeting.
—Terence P Ward
.org demise
The website now at villageofnewpaltz.org will have to be shifted to a .gov domain by June 19. This requirement is intended to ensure that members of the public know that they are looking at the real deal, and not a fake site intended to confuse, misinform, or scam users. The rationale is that anyone can purchase a .org domain, including one that has a similar address, such as village-of-new-paltz.org, and could use it for nefarious purposes. The .gov top-level domain is reserved for actual governmental entities in the United States, and private citizens aren’t able to obtain or control them. Presumably, Americans will be advised in some way to check the address bar for “.gov” whenever they are looking for official information.
—Terence P Ward
Dry spell is done
The late autumn drought is over, according to a declaration by the Village of New Paltz trustees at their meeting on January 8. The last time water from the Catskill Aqueduct was purchased was on December 11, and now the restrictions related to drought are lifted.
—Terence P Ward
Village of New Paltz Planning Board seeks volunteers
Ever considered volunteering to help shape the future development of your neighborhood? The Village of New Paltz Planning Board needs you.
At its first meeting of 2025 last week, the planning board was down to just four members in attendance, one of whom, Nikki Koenig Nielson, was an alternate filling in for absent regular member Terry Dolan. Former board member Amy Cohen resigned at the end of 2024, leaving a vacancy for a regular, which was last week officially filled by Nielson. The planning board is now without any alternate members.
“Amy is no longer on the board, and we don’t have any (other) alternate board members, said planning board chair Zach Bialecki during the meeting held on Tuesday, January 7. “So if anyone on the board knows about any potential residents in the village or town that might be interested in joining the board as an alternate, please reach out.”
Mike Baden, the village’s director of planning, zoning and code enforcement explained in an email last week that planning board members and alternates are both knowledgeable and unbiased.
“Generally, what a good candidate has is an interest in detail,” Baden said. “Perhaps experience in reading plans and codes. They must have an understanding of process and rules. They might have an interest in architecture, public safety, transportation, landscaping, environmental, construction and many other topics.”
Beyond that, prospective members have to be able to understand the difference between their opinions and reality. “They must be willing to apply the law and not insert personal opinions that are contrary to the laws,” said Baden.
Seats on any village board are filled by mayor Tim Rogers with consent of the village board. For the alternate vacancies on the planning board, members can make recommendations or solicit queries, but the final decision ultimately belongs to the mayor and village board. “Alternate membership takes a certain type of individual,” Baden said. “They must be prepared for every meeting and attend the meetings, but they do not participate unless there is an absence or conflict of interest. That takes a specific type of person to be prepared, but not always be able to be involved.”
For additional information, email planningzoning@villageofnewpaltz.org.
— Crispin Kott
Repair Café in New Paltz
Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to save money and consume less? One of the best ways to succeed is to keep your belongings in good repair! Need help mending a favorite article of clothing? Have an appliance that isn’t doing what it is supposed to do? Is your heirloom rocking chair getting wobbly? Bring it to the New Paltz Repair Café on Saturday, January 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the New Paltz United Methodist Church. Coaches will be on hand to diagnose and fix a grand variety of items, including mechanical, electrical, digital, welding, wood, sewing and textiles, jewelry and zipper repair. There will also be a “take-apart table” where little ones can work with a volunteer to use hand tools to see what is inside mechanical and electrical devices.
Food items for Family of New Paltz will be collected. For additional information, visit www.repaircafehv.org. The church is located at 1 Grove Street in New Paltz.
Join the family! 
