Click here for Putnum County Civil Service  Employment Opportunities.

Employment applications are available via email from the Village Clerk or in our office.

That’s Alotta Empanada

By Eric Gross

The Montague family at Alotta Empanada in Brewster. (l-r) Linnie Montague, Payton Montague, Tanya Montague and Shelby Montague. Photo, Eric Gross

The newest restaurant in Brewster is Alotta Empanada, at 141 Main Street in the Village.

Tanya and Chris Montague have created a take-out restaurant featuring a fusion of African American and Puerto Rican fare which Tanya called “Afro-Rican.”. She explained: “Our empanadas are packed with fillings that include everything from meats and fish to fruits and desserts. A vegan filling is also available.”

Family favorites include beef, chicken, shrimp, black bean, spinach and cheese, mac and cheese and an apple empanada.

The family relocated from the Bronx to Putnam a few years ago, and decided to open a local eatery as Tanya explained: “We wanted to put our money into our community by bringing something unusual and different into our home town, which will result in shoppers returning.”

Tanya, a nurse by trade, and her husband opened the restaurant because “my family loves my cooking. I have been told countless times over the years: ‘You need to open a restaurant!’ My five kids kept egging me on as did my husband.

Brewster Mayor Jim Schoenig stopped by during our visit and welcomed the new business to his community: “This is truly fantastic. It’s wonderful to see a family like this doing its part to aid in the rebirth of our village. They could have opened anywhere but they chose Brewster.”

Gross, Eric. 2024. That's Alotta Empanada. Putnam County Courier, March 19.

HEAP and EAP: Support for Your Household

If you’re facing an energy emergency or need help managing your monthly energy bills, assistance is available.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
- HEAP helps income-eligible households pay for energy costs.
- You may receive one regular benefit per season and possibly emergency benefits, depending on available funds.
- Apply early - funding is limited.
- Visit mybenefits.ny.gov or contact your county’s department of social services to learn more and apply.

Energy Affordability Program (EAP)
- EAP provides monthly bill credits to eligible customers.
- If your HEAP grant is applied to your active account, you’re automatically enrolled—no application needed.
- Enrollment continues each year you receive HEAP.
- If you receive HEAP but your benefit is applied to another fuel vendor, or you receive other state assistance, you may qualify for EAP.

Programs that may qualify you for EAP:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Tribal TANF (if living on tribal lands)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (if living on tribal lands)
- Medicaid
- Veterans Disability of Survivors Pension
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (if living on tribal lands)
- Lifeline Telephone Service Program (Lifeline)
- Head Start (if living on tribal lands)

Please see the next page for directions on how to apply.

How to Apply for EAP

Please visit rge.com/EAPapply or nyseg.com/EAPapply to download, complete, and submit your application with supporting documentation.

- We’ll review your documentation and enroll you in EAP or contact you if we need more information.
- To stay enrolled, you must reapply each year with updated documentation.

What to Expect with EAP:
- EAP provides a monthly bill credit, shown under delivery charges on your bill.
- You’ll be referred to EmPower+ for free energy-saving services like home assessments and efficiency upgrades—available to renters and homeowners.

Please visit nyserda.ny.gov/EmPower to learn more.

Additional Resources

Energy Manager

Our Energy Manager tool helps you better understand your energy usage. This innovative solution lets you review your data down to hourly consumption, making it easier to identify ways to reduce your energy use.

Visit rge.com/MyAccount or nyseg.com/MyAccount to get started.

Usage Alerts

If you have a smart meter, our Usage Alerts will send weekly updates with your usage and daily averages for the current billing period. This is a great way to help you be informed and in control of your energy use so you can make adjustments before your bill arrives.

Visit rge.com/MyAccount or nyseg.com/MyAccount to get started.

Budget Billing: Spread Your Energy Costs Evenly

Benefits:
- Helps avoid seasonal bill fluctuations from heating and/or cooling.
- Allows you to know your bill in advance.

How it Works:
- We calculate your yearly bill based on last year’s electricity and/or natural gas use.
- We divide it into 12 equal monthly payments.
- We periodically review and adjust your payment if needed.
- At the end of 12 months, we balance your account and re-enroll you automatically.
- Your budget difference for the year, a credit or balance owed, is applied to “clean-up” your budget.

Tracking Your Payments:
Each bill you receive will show a Budget Billing Summary, found on page 1 of your bill. It shows:
- Your plan end date.
- Current month’s installment.
- Actual charges since you started your budget year.
- Budget amounts billed thus far.
- The difference between your actual charges and the budget amount billed.

You can enroll, increase, or cancel your Budget Billing installments by logging into your account at nyseg.com or rge.com or by calling our automated services line.

We’re Here to Help

Visit nyseg.com (http://nyseg.com/HelpWithBill)  to learn more about all of our assistance programs.

Visit rge.com (http://rge.com/HelpWithBill) to learn more about all of our assistance programs.

Contact Information:
- Visit nyseg.com
- Call our automated customer service line: 800.600.2275 available 24/7.
- Deaf and hard of hearing dial 711 (New York Relay Service).
- Payment Arrangements: 888.315.1755, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- Visit rge.com
- Call our automated customer service line: 800.295.7323 available 24/7.
- Deaf and hard of hearing dial 711 (New York Relay Service).
- Payment Arrangements: 877.266.3492, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

NYSEG Electric Bill Explainer - January 2026

Bedford Community Connection Pop-up Event -
Bedford Town Hall
321 Bedford Road
Bedford Hills, NY 10507
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
4 PM to 7 PM

Carmel Community Connection Pop-up Event -
Carmel Town Hall
60 McAlpin Ave
Mahopac, NY 10541
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
4 PM to 7 PM

VILLAGE OF BREWSTER
RESIDENTIAL BULK PICK-UP
Monday, March 16, 2026

ITEMS MUST BE CURBSIDE BY 12:01 AM
(Keep this information for future reference)
RESTRICTIONS:

1. DO NOT put out prior to Saturday prior to pick-up date.
2. DO NOT put out any appliance containing FREON (i.e. refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, etc.). Freon must be removed by an authorized Freon Recovery Dealer and a sticker from the dealer must be attached to the appliance or it WILL NOT be picked up.
3. DO NOT put out any propane tanks including those from barbeque grills. They WILL NOT be picked up.
4. DO NOT put out any air tanks including those from scuba gear or with helium. They WILL NOT be picked up.
5. Water base paint cans must be open and dried up (full cans WILL NOT be picked up). Oil base paint and cans WILL NOT be picked up.
6. DO NOT put out flammable liquids or hazardous materials (i.e. car batteries, gasoline, oil, etc.). You can contact *Putnam County Recycling to determine date to dispose of these.
7. DO NOT put out gas powered equipment (i.e. lawn mowers, weed whackers, tractors, etc.) without removing gas, or they WILL NOT be picked up.
8. DO NOT put out more than two major appliances of the same type for pick-up. (i.e. two refrigerators, two stoves, two sinks, two water heaters, etc.). Refrigerators/ freezers must have doors removed.
9. DO NOT put out any construction materials (i.e. insulation, drywall, treated or untreated lumber & composites, roofing and gutters, fencing, siding, ceiling, wall or flooring tiles, studs, beams, plaster board, cement, cement blocks, landscape timbers, wood pallets or other building materials.
10. DO NOT put out any tires.
11. DO NOT put out any brush, leaves or logs. If mixed in with bulk, your bulk WILL NOT be picked up.
12. DO NOT put out any ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Electronics WILL NOT be picked up.
13. DO NOT put out mattresses or box springs with your bulk, mattresses or box springs WILL NOT be picked up.
14. Items put out that are NOT PICKED UP must be arranged to be discarded by the tenant or landlord. Violations for non-compliance, up to and including fines and jail time may result. If it is on your sidewalk, it is considered your property. Stop violators from “dumping” on your property as you will be held responsible. Brewster Police may be contacted as needed to catch violators in the act.

ANY RETRICTED ITEMS AS IDENTIFIED ABOVE NOT PICKED UP BY CARTER MUST BE REMOVED BY 8PM ON THE DAY OF BULK PICK-UP. VIOLATORS WILL BE TICKETED AND CHARGED FOR REMOVAL IF THE VILLAGE IS REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE ITEMS.

LANDLORDS, PLEASE NOTIFY ALL TENANTS. SUMMONSES WILL BE ISSUED TO ANY PROPERTY OWNER WHO VIOLATES THESE RESTRICTIONS.

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The Village of Brewster in Putnam County, NY is an historic community about an hour north of New York City, 30 minutes north of White Plains, 10 minutes from Connecticut and the City of Danbury.  We are pursuing strategies and resources that will position us to renew our community by, broadening our tax and government services customer base, re-purposing vacant buildings, leveraging new and upgraded infrastructure, capitalizing on the hub of two interstate highways, proximity to NYC via commuter rail, and highlighting natural surroundings such as the East Branch of the Croton River and other environmental assets.