Where in the Hudson Valley…?
Paul may have been more “Revere-d” as the hero on horseback who alerted colonists of an impending British attack. But it was Sybil Ludington who roused the militiamen of Putnam County in April 1777, thereby saving the Valley from an invasion of Redcoats. The teen’s commemorative statue guards Lake Gleneida on Route 52 in Carmel; congrats to Poughkeepsie’s Susan Johansson for being the first to name the spot. Want to be this month’s “top dog?” Then be the first to name the whereabouts of the rooftop pooch in this month’s quiz.
My dad knew how interested we were in Sybil. He brought us a commemorative Hudson Valley history trivet that displays Sybil on her horse. We’re so happy to have it and to remember those great, younger years of ours.
Lee & Tanya Hayes
Via E-mail
When the statue was dedicated, my ballet class danced on the shore of Lake Gleneida. Many people in Carmel actually thought the statue was ugly and an insult to the woman.
Edwina Pratt
Hopewell Junction
I believe there is a smaller version that stands before the library in Danbury, Connecticut, as well. A local story says she lost her head to pranksters in the 1970s — but it was returned and restored.
Beth Rappleyea
Via E-mail
Ms. Rappleyea is correct — a smaller Sybil does grace the entrance to the Danbury Library. We can’t confirm the beheading, although the Carmel statue apparently was splashed with red paint in the early ’80s. A third (and unharmed) copy of the Anna Huntington sculpture stands in front of the Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters in Washington, D.C. And Sybil may ride again: Rumor has it that her story soon may be made into a film. We’ll keep you posted.
On the butcher’s block
In your article on steakhouses (March), you featured Uptown’s Blue Ribbon restaurant as a new Orange County steakhouse. I would like to point out an inaccuracy in that article. The writer seemed to have the impression that the former restaurant at this location, Amarone’s Italian Cuisine, had gone out of business. In fact, the term “went belly up” was used. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was the owner of Amarone’s for four years, and I sold my successful and very popular restaurant to Mr. Capasso on September 29, 2008. I also own a chain of successful cellular phone stores called Hudson Valley Cellular with locations in Middletown and Newburgh. As a local businessman, I just wanted to clear that up.
Steve Brown
Monroe
A compromising position
We were pleased to see yoga receive coverage in the February 2009 issue. However, we feel that your readers were left with an incomplete understanding of what hot yoga is, as well as its many benefits.
First of all, Bikram yoga and hot yoga are not interchangeable. While Bikram yoga offers a particular sequence of postures, hot yoga is much more robust in its offerings. Bikram yoga is hot yoga, but hot yoga is not Bikram yoga. In fact, Zen Spot Hot Yoga in Millbrook is the only studio in the four-county area focusing exclusively on hot yoga.
While the yoga teacher quoted in your article said that a 90-minute hot yoga class is equivalent to running five miles, we feel that ignores the rejuvenating aspects of hot yoga. It opens the body through a nonimpact workout that strengthens muscles, increases flexibility, stimulates the metabolism, expands lung capacity and circulation, and cleanses and detoxifies the body from the inside out while enhancing the mind-body-spirit connection.
We also dispute the idea that hot yoga is for Type-A personalities. Hot yoga is suitable for all ages and abilities. We encourage your readers to visit Zen Spot Hot Yoga and discover the benefits of Hot Yoga as it is meant to be practiced: in a heated room that replicates the conditions in India, and integrates centuries-old postures that work all systems of the body.
Michael Bittner & Kelli Harrington
Zen Spot Hot Yoga
The Stable at Millbrook
Correction:
In our February story on local colleges, the yearly tuition for Dutchess Community College was incorrectly listed as $3,292. The actual cost is $2,874 per year.
