by Shannon Butler If you are a parent, then you know just how important it is that your child receives a proper education. Many parents are struggling right now with their children doing classwork from home, or limited schooling altogether. But what if you lived in a time or place where you child might be turned away from a good school, just because of the color of their skin? It should be noted that it wasn’t all that long ago that such concerns existed, and one parent, right here in Poughkeepsie, decided to do something about it. Joseph Rhodes made a good deal of money in his business of textile dyeing. It was estimated that he had an estate valued around $3,000 in the 1870s. He became a respected businessman within the city of Poughkeepsie as well as Middletown, where he extended his business. Joseph lived in a time when schools were still separated based on color; in fact, Joseph was born when the idea that blacks should be educated at all, in their own schools, was just coming into common practice. By the time he became successful, he joined the conversation of equality when it came to voting rights and [...]

by Shannon Butler Many of us have visited the Culinary Institute of America located on Route 9 on the southern edge of Hyde Park. Perhaps you went for some fine food, or to take a tour, or you may have even taken some classes there. The classes offered at the C.I.A. are of course food and drink related these days but did you know that the main building on the campus was originally designed to teach young men how to be Jesuits? Did you know that many of these Jesuits are buried right on the campus, not far from where you enjoyed that fancy meal? As a matter of fact, the property where the C.I.A. sits today is filled with interesting history going back even to early Native American inhabitants. Back in 2003, evidence was discovered during an archaeological dig that showed that people have been using the acres around the C.I.A. campus since before Europeans settled the area. Certain spots along the Maritje Creek (that runs down the hill towards the river), were prime locations for prehistoric occupation. Tools were discovered along with fire hearths which would have been used by early Native Americans long before any stone or brick [...]