Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"A little over two months ago, production crews were setting up shots in locations around Dutchess County, including Poughkeepsie and Beacon, for shows that included HBO's "Pretty Little Liars" and Apple TV's "Severance."
The last of Hollywood's costly COVID restrictions had been removed earlier this year and Gov. Kathy Hochul had passed a budget expanding tax incentives meant to attract more of these productions to the state.
The summer months, from July through September, are the busiest when it comes to filming. Hotels are flooded with out-of-town extras and crews, and local restaurants have geared up to feed all of them.
But not this year.
In July, the Screen Actors Guild announced a strike, a few months after the Writer's Guild of America went on strike, shutting down productions across the country. Streets and neighborhoods where trailers stood and where dozens, in some cases hundreds, of teamsters and extras milled around went quiet, as did the sound studios.
Over the past decade, the film industry's interest in the Hudson Valley has grown because of its palette of picturesque locations from farm lands to Main streets. It is hard to calculate the strike's total economic impact, but those inside the industry believe it could be near $25 million.
"The second quarter was on par with 2022 numbers at $23 million," said Hudson Valley Film Commission Executive Director Laurent Rejto. "Losses are not just related to crew members and cast. Last summer, more than 3,000 background extras were hired, mostly for 'Poker Face.'"
Production studios — basically giant warehouses — stood empty long before the strike was announced. Productions were wary of signing a contract to rent out the space under the circumstances.
"(Business) didn't die in July, it died six months before," said Eric Michelson, owner of Michelson Studio 3 in Wingdale. His studio is losing an estimated $200,000 a month and his staff is on temporary leave.
Between 2017 and 2021, about 18 qualified production facilities, or QPFs, have opened within the Mid Hudson region. This includes Upriver Studios in Saugerties, which opened in 2020, and the expansion of Newburgh's Umbra Stages in 2021.
This fiscal quarter last year, there were more than 50 locations used in Dutchess County for filming, about 15,000 hotel rooms were occupied and about 160 local crew members were hired, according to Rejto.
Hotels are one of the few industries that have been able to recoup their losses because the strike took place during their busier seasons with families traveling for vacation, though they will be impacted if the strike lasts through the winter.
Rejto's agency was working with about a dozen productions before the strike began, many which have been postponed to 2024. Commercials are still allowed to film, as are certain independent movies that receive a waiver.
No work for extras
Dario Saraceno has been working as an extra, and now an actor, for about eight years. The town of Wappinger resident still goes on auditions and spends time reading scripts while he waits for the strike to end.
Saraceno's clean-shaven, broad build look — he's just over 6 feet tall — means he frequently lands law enforcement roles. Some weeks he'll work two or three 12-hour days, other weeks there won't be any work.
The strike has allowed Saraceno to spend more time focusing on his music. He is in the process of finishing up a CD and he also teaches. Like many extras, Saraceno can't rely on one income because of the "feast and famine" nature of his work. In the past, he has taken odd jobs painting or bartending.
"I have a few things that might be coming in but nothing is written in stone, so I'm not working," said Saraceno. He still gets calls, mostly from agencies projecting to start work months from now.
Big productions are known to hire thousands of extras, many of them locals. Last summer, Saraceno was one of more than 3,000 extras hired to work on projects including Peacock's "Poker Face."
During the third quarter of 2022, the Hudson Valley hosted several big productions such as Amazon Studio's "Fallout," HBO's "Full Circle," Netflix's "Manifest" and the independent movie "Sing Sing," which was filmed in Fishkill and hired hundreds of extras.
"Even though people don't work full time, they pay their property taxes with the money they make, or they pay their school taxes and it has an impact," said Rejto."
" The Federal Highway Administration has approved a long-delayed state proposal to build a crash gate for emergency vehicle access on Interstate 84 between the Goshen and Mountain Road exits.
The lack of a crash gate in that section of I-84 was most recently highlighted by a Sept. 21 crash in which a charter bus carrying 40 high school students and four adults from the Farmingdale school district on Long Island crashed into a ravine in the town of Wawayanda.
Two adults died in the crash and 40 students were hurt, five of them critically.
State Senator James Skoufis, Assemblyman Karl Brabenec and Wawayanda Supervisor Denise Quinn jointly announced the FHA approval had been granted on Wednesday.
The FHA's approval was the last step needed before construction could proceed. Valerie Best, a spokeswoman for Skoufis, said the project now can be assigned to a state Department of Transportation contractor.
Municipal officials, state police and others have been calling for a new emergency access point on that section of I-84 for more than 20 years.
They have said that the lack of a so-called crash gate along that section of the interstate, which is more than 10 miles long, prevents a timely response by ambulances and other vehicles to crashes and other emergencies.
The state submitted plans for the crash gate years ago, but they were never finalized between the state DOT and the FHA.
The bus that crashed was one of six chartered by the school to bring students to a band camp in Greeley, Pa.
Beatrice Ferrari, 77, a retired Farmingdale High School teacher who was serving as a chaperone, and Beatrice Pellettiere, 43, the band director at the high school, were killed in the crash.
Because there was no crash gate in that section of I-84, fire trucks from the Slate Hill Fire District in Wawayanda had to travel four miles from their firehouse to gain access to the interstate. Ambulances and others responding also had to travel out of their way to get to the crash scene.
Slate Hill Fire Chief Michael Dally said at the time that a crash gate between the Goshen and Mountain Road exits on I-84 could have reduced their response time by at least five to 10 minutes.
"After decades of talk, I am absolutely thrilled that there is finally action on this critical project," Brabenec said in a statement. "This new emergency access point for I-84 will certainly improve response time and will ultimately save lives."
"Pfizer plans to lay off 285 workers at its Pearl River campus in New York as the pharmaceutical giant struggles financially, in part, due to declining demand for its COVID-19 vaccines and products, state records show.
The Pfizer job cuts will begin Feb. 12 and continue through late March, the company noted in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining, or WARN, notice posted Dec. 22 on the state Department of Labor website. The layoffs will slash about 28% of the 1,012 total workforce at the Pfizer facility in Rockland County.
Pfizer cited "economic" conditions as the reason for the layoffs. In a statement Wednesday, the company described the job cuts in New York as part of its "enterprise-wide cost realignment program." It noted U.S. workers who lose jobs will be offered a separation package, as well as the "opportunity to post for internal Pfizer roles."
Why Pfizer is laying off workers in New York
Pfizer stock reached historic peaks during the pandemic as demand initially exploded for its COVID-19 vaccines, which it delivered in late 2020 with partner company BioNTech. Pfizer's stock price peaked in December 2021 amid promising results for its anti-viral COVID-19 pill, called Paxlovid.
But since that highpoint, Pfizer's stock price has plummeted about 50%, with its steepest decline unfolding in 2023 as the world ended the pandemic emergency.
Most recently, the rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna this past fall stumbled amid insurance coverage hiccups, supply chain issues and limited demand for the shot.
What Pfizer says about NY layoffs
In a statement to USA TODAY Network, Pfizer noted its cost adjustments will result in "some job loss across a number of our locations" across the globe on a rolling basis.
"All job-related decisions have and will be made with transparency, compassion, and respect, and in compliance with applicable laws," Pfizer added. The company did not respond to questions about which types of jobs will be eliminated at the Pearl River site in New York.
Which industries are cutting jobs?
The first nine months of the year saw over 13 million layoffs and discharges across the U.S., according to seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's up slightly from the same period in 2022 and 2021 but still below the 2019 pre-pandemic rate of 16 million, USA TODAY Network reported this month.
Few industries have been spared from job cuts, with the tech industry and media reporting hundreds of thousands of layoffs this year. Health care, biotech and financial firms also faced deep job cuts."
"Lake Sebago Beach, shuttered for more than a decade, could be ready to again greet swimmers in summer 2027.
An overhaul of facilities around the largest lake in Harriman State Park includes finally reopening the beach at Sebago, which closed in 2011 after the area was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irene.
The repairs, including getting the beach swim-ready, were announced in coordination with Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2025 budget plans.
What repairs are planned, when?
Plans include:
- Fixes to roads and bridges; uncovering a stream; repairs to the wastewater treatment facility. Construction to take place in 2025-2026.
- Repairs to the beach; renovations to the bathhouse; fixes to the picnicking area. Construction to take place in 2026-2027.
The overhaul was unveiled at the start of the New York State Parks System's centennial year. Plenty of activities are planned by NY Parks throughout the state parks system for 2024.
What's at Lake Sebago?
Sebago, at 310 acres, is the largest of the 31 lakes in Harriman State Park. "Sebago" is Algonquin for "big water."
The Lake Sebago beach facility opened in 1952, featuring a brick bathhouse. There's adjacent picnic and barbecue areas.
Hiking trails are nearby, which visitors can use to connect to the beach and forest. Sebago has camping options, including rustic cabins rented by State Parks and not-quite-glamping platformed tents, complete with beds, run by Tentrr.
The lake also is popular for boating and fishing, with largemouth bass and bluegill the catch.
Summer crunch with Sebago out of commission
On peak summer days, Sebago Beach could accommodate more than 10,000 visitors.
With Sebago's beach out of commission for more than a decade, Lake Tiorati and Lake Welch were frequently overrun early on weekends and had to be shut to new arrivals.
Lake Welch was closed through most of the 2022 season by a Harmful Algal Bloom.
Lake Sebago has been managing Hydrilla, a federally listed aquatic invasive species, since late 2022. State Parks is amid a five-year treatment plan to control the aquatic plant that can severely impact water quality and recreation.
What's NY SWIMS?
The reopening is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's NY SWIMS initiative, which is designed to build opportunities to beat summer heat with access to swimming, and provide opportunities for kids to learn how to swim. The leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 is drowning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hochul's $233 billion proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes $160 million for building out municipal pools and deploying mobile pools in underserved areas, and training and hiring lifeguards. Another $446 million is set aside to invest in New York State Parks and pools."
"Several Hudson Valley cities that have passed versions of “good-cause” eviction laws intended to protect tenants are among the first to be named “pro-housing” communities by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The cities of Kingston, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie are among 20 communities that were granted the pro-housing designation by Hochul on Wednesday during an event at the Capitol. The status allows the local government agencies to obtain state funding from $650 million in exchange for committing to a pre-determined amount of housing growth.
The Hudson Valley region had the greatest share of awardees out of the initial 20 municipalities, which also includes Croton-on-Hudson, New Rochelle, Red Hook and White Plains. Hochul’s administration touted New Lebanon in Columbia County as the lone Capital Region designee.
The municipalities are “taking a stand to build a better, more prosperous and more affordable future for New York,” Hochul said.
“The only way to solve the housing crisis is to build hundreds of thousands of new homes,” Hochul added, noting her administration’s support is “behind communities that are serious about housing growth.”
Hochul also delivered perhaps her clearest rebuke of the driving narrative in Albany that negotiations over building more housing must come with tenant protections.
“I have always talked about the need to protect our tenants, however, they should not be conflated,” Hochul said. “I’m talking about supply. Regulations related to tenants do not get me more supply. They don’t build more housing in every corner of the state. They are two different conversations.”
“I know people want to tie them together that, 'If you don’t do this, we won’t let you do this,'” Hochul continued. “That has never made sense to me. Separate them. Let’s have two thoughtful conversations, but the No. 1 priority is to get more shovels in the ground to build more housing throughout the entire state of New York.”
The “pro-housing” community program was established last summer by Hochul in an executive order, after the state Legislature rejected her plan to build 800,000 units in a decade across New York. Democratic lawmakers wanted any plan to build more housing to include additional tenant protections. Suburban members also balked at potential mandates that could override local zoning, which drew bipartisan concern.
The most controversial policy discussed by lawmakers last year was a version of “good-cause” eviction, which can limit the reasons a landlord can evict a tenant, including creating a cap on how much they can raise rent in a given year without being able to show the increase correlates with needed building repairs. Hochul has consistently rebuffed any new tenant protections.
“We’re changing how we’re going to do business and we’re sending a very simple message that communities that do their part to build housing will get priorities for funding over those who will not,” Hochul said in July. “How do you like that?”
In her State of the State address last month, Hochul doubled down on the approach.
“Let’s be honest with New Yorkers, the only thing that will solve the problem is building hundreds and hundreds of thousands of homes,” Hochul said.
The governor added, in an apparent push back against tenants rights advocates, that “insisting on new regulations will not get us out of the deep (housing) hole dug by decades of inaction or overcome the lack of courage to simply do what’s required.”
Hochul presented a revamped version of her executive order program, after little uptake in it. Hochul on Wednesday said there was a “last-minute rush” to apply for the designation this week. Eligibility for the pool of $650 million of discretionary dollars for programs often used to rehabilitate downtowns, would be limited exclusively to “pro-housing” communities. Initially, the governor said municipalities with the designation would have first access to the funds.
Hochul’s office later acknowledged to the Times Union that the administration is not explicitly restricting the money to those communities, given it is working “within the confines of the law.” The governor continues to publicly state only “pro-housing” communities will get the funds.
The change in qualification is intended to “truly test the question of whether an incentives-based approach can drive the change we need to increase housing supply or if stronger mechanisms are needed,” according to Hochul’s State of the State briefing book.
For a municipality to apply to become a pro-housing community, it has to pass a resolution that commits to building more housing or show it has allowed a state-specified amount of housing growth in recent years.
While officials in Kingston, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie are committing their cities to housing growth, the localities also await the fate of their “good-cause” laws. They have been challenged and some thrown out by state court decisions. The Hudson Valley cities have seen population growth and an influx of wealth in recent years, prompting local concerns about the displacement of people who have been living there.
The city of Albany, the first in the state to pass a “good-cause” law, had a case brought by a group of landlords that’s pending in the state Court of Appeals. The case could ultimately determine the constitutionality of the local law, but also be instructive to state lawmakers on what type of law they could pass that would withstand legal challenges. Briefs in the Albany case are due at the end of April."
"Two Orange County villages will receive funding from the state to help revitalize their downtowns, including Highland Falls, whose village center was battered by floods this summer.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that Highland Falls and Montgomery will each receive $4.5 million as part of the state’s NY Forward program, which runs in concert with the greater Downtown Revitalization Initiative — a competitive economic development awards program with a $10 million top prize that many communities across the state compete for. While the DRI often benefits larger communities, such as this year’s mid-Hudson winner White Plains, NY Forward targets smaller, rural communities to help enliven their downtowns.
The awards for Montgomery and Highland Falls were included in NY Forward’s second round of funding. The NY Forward awards are based on nominations from that state’s 10 regional economic development councils. They can recommend either two communities that could each receive $4.5 million, or three communities, one of which could receive $4.5 million and two could be awarded $2.25 million.
Critical funding for Highland Falls
The money will be critical to helping Highland Falls, an eastern Orange County village near the Hudson River and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. It has just under 4,000 residents. When flash flooding swamped the mid-Hudson Valley last July, Highland Falls found itself at the epicenter of the storms. One of its main arteries, the winding Mountain Avenue, or Route 218, turned into a river as runoff on the roadway gushed through the village and into people’s homes. When waters receded the next day, they revealed a Main Street caked in thick layers of mud. President Joe Biden approved a “major disaster declaration” for several New York counties, including Orange County, which gave local governments access to Federal Emergency Management recovery funds for infrastructure repairs. Hochul also made $3 million available for homeowners in Orange County who needed help with repairs.
Orange County has identified Highland Falls as a “priority growth area” in its comprehensive plans, according to a news release from Hochul’s office announcing the NY Forward awards. The village can use the downtown grant to build on and expand past incremental improvements to the area, according to the release, including its 2020 Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.
“I am immensely proud to see the village of Highland Falls acknowledged as recipients of the NY Forward Program,” state Assemblyman Chris Eachus said in a statement. “The community experienced the devastating impact of the once-in-a-thousand-year historic storm last year, which inflicted millions of dollars in damages and took the life of a resident. With the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Storm King Art Center, and Woodbury Common nearby, the village is positioned as a premier destination in New York state.”
Plans in Montgomery
Just west of Highland Falls, along the Wallkill River, Montgomery has identified projects its $4.5 million can fund that will improve connectivity between the village’s downtown parks and green spaces, improve streetscape safety and walkability, preserve historic structures, enhance its gateways and ways to better its wayfinding, signs and branding, according to the release.
These communities will now begin developing a strategic investment plan led by local planning committee of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders. They will identify projects that align with each community’s vision. Funding will be awarded for selected projects in the strategic investment plan that have the greatest potential to jump-start revitalization and create opportunities for long-term growth, according to the release from Hochul’s office."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
