Amenia’s final open mic night set for April 1 at Town Hall
Judy Westfall performs a selection of songs made popular by John Denver on on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Amenia Town Hall during the inaugural open mic night.
Photo by Leila Hawken
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Planning Board postpones vote on Cascade Creek environmental review
Leila Hawken
Mar 18, 2026
Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
Photo by Nathan Miller
AMENIA — Planning Board members postponed a vote that could require developers of the proposed workforce housing subdivision on Route 22 to undergo a full environmental impact review.
Board members convened at Town Hall on Wednesday, March 11, following a visit to the 18-acre grassy lot nestled in the corner of Cascade Road and Route 22/Route 44 that developer Hudson River Housing plans to construct 28 homes on. The board identified the remaining few issues to be addressed by developers of the Cascade Creek subdivision.
Once those concerns are satisfied, the conservation analysis phase will be completed, allowing the developer to advance to the next phase of presenting site plan drawings for review. Board members sought more water capacity for firefighting and a homebuyer selection system that could prioritize locals. Other concerns over home design and vegetation would be addressed during site plan review, the project’s engineers said.
Because the concerns seem close to being addressed, the Planning Board voted unanimously to table discussion of their resolution for a positive declaration in connection to New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act environmental impact analysis. The positive declaration would have required a full impact analysis study, a process that could delay approval up to an additional year.
Webutuck School District Superintendent Raymond Castellani appeared at the meeting to respond to the Planning Board’s interest in measuring the potential impact of the development on the school district’s enrollment.
“The word ‘impact’ is important,” Castellani said. “We could ‘accommodate’ the students generated by the 28 planned homes.” He noted that the present total school enrollment of 630 has been holding steady over the past few years.
“We could accommodate, but there could be an impact if the new students require services,” Castellani said, noting that about 30% of current students need some kind of services that can include transportation and involve additional cost.
“We welcome all kids,” Castellani emphasized. While the additional students can be accommodated, the budget impact is unknown.
The developer detailed changes incorporated into the plans, including enhanced landscape design, adding one tree to each house lot, along with supplemental evergreen plantings to provide vegetative screening.
Fire suppression continued to be of deep concern for Planning Board chairman Robert Boyles, debating adequate supply with the developers who offered two buried 20,000 gallon fiberglass tanks to total 40,000 gallons of firefighting capacity.
“We asked for 180,000 gallons,” Boyles countered. Speaking on behalf of the fire department, Boyles agreed to work with the developers and the department to arrive at an agreeable amount.
“They’ve gone above and beyond to agree to use fire-retardant building materials,” Boyles conceded.
Boyles asked about maintenance of the water supply systems. Project Engineer Richard Rennia responded that the Homeowners Association would be responsible, along with a professional water operator.
Water availability came under discussion. Planning board engineer John Andrews noted that health authorities have established a projection of 110 gallons of usage per bedroom.
“You will get a hard look at it during the site plan approval process,” Rennia assured the board.
Quoting the town’s Comprehensive Plan of Development, Planning Board member Ken Topolsky saw potential for a point system that could favor the selection of local homebuyers who contribute to the community in various ways, also suggesting a greater variety of home model styles to enhance the visuals.
Mary Linge, Hudson River Housing’s Director of Real Estate Development, indicated that her office would prepare a point system proposal to be submitted to the state Fair Housing officials.
Siland recreational facility
A public hearing on Siland’s request for a site plan change to revise parking configurations and adjust terrain for drainage drew no public comment. Siland Consultant Patrick O’Leary reported that the request no longer suggests lighting. At the Feb. 25 Planning Board meeting O’Leary had floated an idea to include lighting for after-dark platform tennis at the recreational facility.
New Meeting Time
By unanimous agreement, the Planning Board set its 2026 meeting start time one hour earlier. Accordingly, the next meeting on Wednesday, March 25, will begin at 6 p.m.
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Trailblazing divorce attorney Harriet Newman Cohen to speak at Norfolk Library
Jennifer Almquist
Mar 18, 2026
Harriet Newman Cohen
Provided
Harriet Newman Cohen weathered many storms in her five-decade-long journey to become one of the nation’s most celebrated divorce attorneys. Voted one of the top 100 attorneys in New York for many years, Cohen served as president of the New York Women’s Bar Association and has been a champion of divorce reform. She and her co-author, journalist David Feinberg, will give a book talk about her memoir, “Passion and Power: A Life in Three Worlds,” at the Norfolk Library on Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
What began as a personal record of her life, intended for her family, grew into a memoir that journalist Carl Bernstein describes in his endorsement as “wise and riveting.” Born in 1932 in Providence, Rhode Island, to parents who immigrated in 1920 from Ukraine and Poland, Cohen traces the arc of her life and the challenges she faced entering a legal profession that was overwhelmingly male at the time, leading to her success as a maverick divorce attorney fighting for women’s rights and equity in the law. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 1974, one year after Roe v. Wade was decided. She is a founding partner of Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP in New York City, a family and matrimonial law firm she formed in 2021, at age 88, with her daughter Martha Cohen Stine and Ankit Kapoor.
Provided
Cohen writes fearlessly, with a good dose of wry humor, about her own struggles balancing marriage and divorce, raising four daughters, entering Brooklyn Law School in 1971 at age 38, and her ensuing legal career. According to Bernstein, “Passion and Power” is as much about the reshaping of American cultural norms as it is about one remarkable woman’s role at the forefront of legal and social transformation.
Cohen’s work in the legal profession has been pivotal to social change. A 2021 HBO documentary, “Nuclear Family,” directed by Ry Russo-Young, chronicles the landmark custody struggle of Russo-Young’s parents, a queer couple who hired Cohen as their lawyer.
Cohen is an honest storyteller, unflinching in admitting her mistakes and rightly proud of her accomplishments. Her story ranges from tales of her father’s fortune made producing the Hula-Hoop to her memory of schoolmate Kiki Bader — Ruth Bader Ginsburg — as a cheerleader waving pom-poms in Brooklyn. She also writes of her deep love of family, the stultifying suburban life of her first marriage, mentorship by legal icon Louis Nizer and riding the wave of social revolution that buoyed her career.
Norfolk author Gillian Linden writes of her step-grandmother, “Harriet Newman Cohen is a funny, edifying guide — precise, curious, warm. Entirely unsentimental. Marriage and its many paths is rich territory. This book is filled with the strange, glamorous, desperate and sadistic characters you hope to meet in the very best novels.”
For details, visit norfolklibrary.org
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Amenia Town Board approves 470-acre Wassaic trails project
Leila Hawken
Mar 18, 2026
Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
Photo by Nathan Miller
AMENIA — Town Board members gave unanimous approval to a trail project in Wassaic that would add 12 miles of hiking and biking trails across 470 acres of forested land.
Following months of consideration and approvals obtained from local and county officials, the Northern Red Oak Trail project won unanimous approval for a special permit from the Town Board at its meeting on Monday, March 9.
The meeting had been rescheduled from the Town Board’s regular meeting date of Thursday, March 5, due to inclement weather.
First proposed in July 2025, the recreational trail project will include about 470 acres along Old Route 22 to create 12 miles of hiking and biking trails traversing three contiguous parcels of land. Trails will be three feet in width with minimal impact to the land. Boardwalks will be installed only where necessary. A gravel parking area is planned to accommodate 12 to 15 cars.
A public hearing on the project was held on Thursday, Feb. 19, when a few residents voiced concerns over visual impact amid generally positive feedback.
The project is supported by Hollyhock Foundation, a New York City organization that focuses in part on environmental solutions to combat greenhouse gases. The nonprofit entity guiding the project is Northern Red Oak, LLC.
Report on AI
Exploring the use of artificial intelligence as an assist with town business, the Town Board heard a report from technician Matthew Hamm who presented aspects of AI that can streamline workflow, save time and reduce paperwork for staff.
The Town Hall uses Microsoft 365 systems, making Co-Pilot the logical AI system to explore. Hamm said that the Co-Pilot program is easy to navigate.
“It’s a digital multi-tool,” Hamm said, noting that AI can help with grant writing and researching available grants the town could apply for. Budget analysis is another strength of the systems. AI can also aid in communication, adept at language translation and simplification of legal terms, Hamm explained. He suggested starting small, as with a single grant.
“AI is not a shortcut,” Hamm cautioned, “It’s important to know exactly what you’re asking. As with any tool, it’s only useful if you use it correctly.”
Recreation funding
Adequate funding for town recreation programs was of concern to Councilmember Nicole Ahearn who reminded the Town Board of the history of using Cell Tower revenue to support the Recreation Commission’s programs.
Ahearn recalled that when the Recreation Commission was formed in 2005, the town passed a resolution stating that the Cell Tower Fund would be used for Recreation. But in 2011, the policy changed so that only $1,200 would be given to Recreation with the remainder to be placed into the General Fund.
The Recreation Commission is not being awarded grant funding, Ahearn noted, although she acknowledged that the town’s operating budget is largely supported only by tax revenue.
Councilmember Vicki Doyle suggested that recreation funding be discussed when budget proposals are being developed and that the town could decide on an amount for capital funding to assist the Recreation Commission’s planning.
“There should be a capital reserve fund for recreation, but it should be a thoughtful process,” Doyle said.
Recreation Commission chairman Judy Moran noted that her department had asked for funding to hire the services of a grant writer.
Moran noted that for the current year’s budget, recreation was asked to cut its budget, and the budget was cut as much as possible.
“We cut the budget,” she said. “But it’s hard to constantly beg.”
Town Board vacancy
Although a resolution to fill the vacant seat on the Town Board had been prepared to be considered at the meeting, the item was withdrawn from the agenda in the opening minutes of the meeting at Doyle’s suggestion. The vote to withdraw the resolution was unanimous. No reason was offered for the action. The vacancy that will expire in December 2027 occurred when Town Board member Rosanna Hamm won election in 2025 to serve as Town Supervisor.
During public comment, resident Jim Wright spoke in support of naming Charlie Miller to fill the vacant seat, citing Miller’s years of town service and skill at securing grants to fund capital projects. Resident Judy Moran spoke briefly to oppose the resolution that would have filled the seat.
The Town Board has been operating as a four-member board, rather than five, since the death of councilmember Paul Winters in early 2025.
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“Once and Again”
Millerton News
Mar 18, 2026
Natalia Zukerman
Rebecca Serle (right) and novelist Jessica Anya Blau shared laughs and literary secrets during a lively conversation about Serle’s new novel “Once and Again” at the The White Hart Inn in Salisbury on Wednesday, March 11. Serle is the bestselling author of “In Five Years,” “One Italian Summer” and several other novels beloved for their emotional twists and reflections on fate and second chances. The talk was part of the White Hart Speaker Series presented with Oblong Books and the Scoville Memorial Library.
Pine Plains school district enlists community members to study future of Cold Spring school
Nathan Miller
Mar 18, 2026
Cold Spring Early Learning Center on Homan Road in Stanford. Pine Plains school district officials proposed closing the building last year citing budget constraints and declining enrollment.
Photo by Nathan Miller
PINE PLAINS — Superintendent Brian Timm explained again why he thinks Cold Spring Early Learning Center should close at a meeting of a newly-formed committee that now has to decide if he’s right.
The Building Utilization Advisory Committee met for the first time on Thursday, March 12, after the Pine Plains Board of Education elected to officially organize the advisory committee at a February meeting. Timm walked members of the committee through the facts and figures he had presented to Town Boards within the school district and the Board of Education itself in previous months.
Timm described a school district contending with declining enrollment, increasing employee healthcare costs and a potential loss in up to $4 million in state funding.
Committee members responded to Timm’s presentation by requesting more data on staffing district-wide, budgetary impacts and the district’s current and projected building utilization.
The district enrolled 791 students this year, down from a peak of nearly 1,500 students in 2002. Despite those declines, instructional staff counts have remained flat — dropping by just three positions over the past six years even as enrollment fell by more than 100 students.
Timm said those figures relate directly to the budget, where payroll and benefits comprise 77% of the district’s expenses. He told committee members that healthcare costs alone are expected to rise more than 10% every year indefinitely — an added burden of more than $1 million annually.
And revenue is threatened, too, Timm said. He said more than 400 of the school districts across New York State are grandfathered into receiving more state aid than entitled to. That’s due to a provision known as “hold harmless” that Timm said Governor Kathy Hochul has previously sought to eliminate. Under hold harmless, the state is barred from ever reducing a school district’s state aid, even if demographic shifts mean the communities no longer qualify for the same level of funding.
Losing hold harmless could cost Pine Plains up to $4 million in lost revenue, Timm said.
“To lose $4 million in one year — or even $2 million in one year — that is extremely, extremely impactful,” Timm said.
Committee members asked Timm to bring several additional datasets to subsequent meetings. He confirmed that additional information on non-instructional staffing figures — including transportation, custodial and kitchen staff and costs — would be included in the next presentation. Timm said he would present a detailed building analysis that examines whether Cold Spring’s population can be absorbed by Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center in Pine Plains.
The committee also touched on the district’s longer-term goals for campus buildings, suggesting Seymour Smith may close eventually and all the district’s students may be consolidated into Stissing Mountain Jr./Sr. High School in Pine Plains. Timm said he’s not opposed to developing a long-term plan, but it would have to be in conjunction with a short-term recommendation for action within the next one to two years.
Timm set a September deadline for the committee to deliver a short-term recommendation to the Board of Education — in time to inform next year’s budget process.
“I think we need a short-term plan before we do next year’s budget,” Timm said. “Otherwise we’re going to be in a pretty tough spot.”
The committee’s next meeting date will be Thursday, March 26.
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Pine Plains puppy hospitalized after ingesting marijuana near Stissing Lake
Aly Morrissey
Mar 18, 2026
PINE PLAINS — A Pine Plains resident and dog owner is urging fellow pet owners to be vigilant after her puppy was hospitalized last week after ingesting marijuana during a walk near Stissing Lake on Beach Road.
Rachel Greenfield said her dog Skye, a 16-pound miniature Welsh Terrier puppy, began wobbling and couldn’t stand up several hours after her routine walk.
“I thought maybe she was just tired and wanted to sleep,” Greenfield said. “But then she didn’t want dinner and when I took her outside to go to the bathroom she couldn’t stand up. That’s when I knew something was really wrong.”
Greenfield said she brought Skye to the Kingston Animal Hospital, where, she said, staff immediately asked if the dog could have ingested any marijuana.
Skye was drug tested and the results came back positive for THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana.
“I was amazed,” Greenfield said. “I never thought marijuana would be something I had to worry about when walking my dog.”
Greenfield said she walks Skye along Beach Road every day and recalled seeing the puppy sniff at something during the outing. She said it did not appear unusual at the time, and had no reason to think it could be dangerous.
Around twenty-four hours after ingesting the THC, Skye began to show signs of improvement, though she remained sleepy.
Greenfield said the experience has made her hypervigilant and she hopes to share this information with other dog owners.
Adele Craven, a receptionist at Pine Plains Veterinary Hospital, said the office sees cases like this about every other month and that dogs – especially small dogs like Skye – can become very sick after ingesting marijuana.
“Sometimes they can just sleep it off,” Craven said. “But other times it can lower their heart rate and affect their liver and kidney functions, and they need hospitalization.”
Craven added that there isn’t much treatment other than supportive care. She also urged dog walkers to be vigilant.
“If you’re in a public space, especially with a puppy, you have to be really cautious,” Craven said.
The most important thing, according to local veterinary offices, is to have the dog evaluated right away and to encourage as many fluids as possible.
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