Amenia median home price approaches $400K
A ranch-style home with a separate two-family unit on 1.29 acres sold for $700,000. The property backs up to the Silo Ridge garden.
Photo by Christine Bates
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Lucille A. Mikesell
Millerton News
Apr 08, 2026
CANAAN — Lucille A. Mikesell passed away peacefully on April 3 with family at her home in Canaan Valley, Connecticut. She was 106.
Born on Sept. 5, 1919 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she was the daughter of William Harvey Cohea, of Mason, Illinois, and Lillian Amanda Williams of Morley, Iowa. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Cedar Rapids in 1937, and married her husband, Ralph J. Mikesell in 1938.
Lucille lived through over a century of dramatic change including a childhood interrupted by the Great Depression. During World War II she was employed at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids while her husband served in the Army Corp of Engineers in the South Pacific. Later she worked for and retired from American States Insurance Company as a claims specialist
Lucille was very active in volunteer work after her retirement. She was an original member of the R.S.V.P. Golden Warblers Chorus for 20 years in Cedar Rapids and volunteered at Truman Elementary, also in Cedar Rapids, for 14 years in the reading program.
With her lovely soprano voice she found great joy in singing. She participated in the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale and spent over 50 years as a devoted member of the Christ Church Presbyterian choir in Cedar Rapids. At the spry age of 95, when she moved to live with her daughter, Lillie Mikesell in Canaan Valley, she joined the St. John’s Episcopal Church choir in Salisbury where her daughter was Music Director.
Her lifelong love affair with all things Iowa included a deep engagement with Iowa sports. Even after her move to Connecticut she avidly followed all the Iowa teams.
Lucille’s living family members include her daughter, Lillie and spouse Karen Byers of Canaan Valley, grandsons Blake Mikesell of Lincoln, Nebraska, Jeffrey David Mikesell of Boulder City, Nevada, granddaughters Suzi Wojciechowski of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nicole Pollock (Marc) of Amana, Iowa, and great granddaughters, Ellah Mikesell of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Hailey Pollock of Amana, Iowa.
She was predeceased by her husband, Ralph J. Mikesell of Council Bluffs, Iowa, her son, Jonathan David Mikesell, also of Cedar Rapids, and her beloved little brother, William Harvey Cohea, Jr., late of Columcille in Bangor, Pennsylvania.
The family thanks Sally Strano, CNA and longtime friend Teri Miller for their unflagging friendship and support of Lucille, and Eilene Rydel, R.N. for her gentle home hospice care.
Memorial donations can be made in her name to a favorite place: The Douglas Library, 108 Main Street, North Canaan. CT, 06018.
A private service will be held.
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Anthony Louis Veronesi
Millerton News
Apr 08, 2026
EAST CANAAN — Anthony Louis Veronesi , 84, of 216 Rocky Mountain Way in Arden, NC formerly of East Canaan, died March 26, 2026 at the Solace Center in Ashville, NC.Anthony was born December 14, 1941 in North Canaan, CT son of the late Claudio Serene and Genevieve Adeline (Riva) Veronesi.
Following graduation from Housatonic Valley High School in Falls Village, Anthony worked at the former Pfizer Company in Canaan for a short time before entering the US Air Force.He served for four years in active duty rising to the rank of Sergeant.He was released from active duty on April 9, 1968.After leaving the Air Force,Anthony worked at the Becton Dickinson Company in Canaan.He was transferred to North Carolina and retired from BD.Anthony then began his career for the United States Postal Service, for many years as a mail handler, before his retirement from the Postal Service.
He is survived by his son Anthony K. “Kris” Veronesi and his long- time companion Brooke Lawing both of Mills River NC.Anthony is also survived by his two brothers Claudio “Cookie” Veronesi and his wife Pamela of East Canaan, CT and Bernard “Bernie” Veronesi also of East Canaan, along with several nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Held on April 9, 2026 at 11:00 am in St. Martin of Tours St. Joseph church 4 Main St. North Canaan, CT 06018. Following mass burial with full military honors will be held at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cemetery Road Canaan, CT 06018.There are no calling hours.Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. Canaan, CT 06018
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Joan Tuncy
Millerton News
Apr 08, 2026
SALISBURY — Joan Tuncy, 92, passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026, at Noble Horizons.
Born on Oct. 27, 1933, in Sharon, Connecticut, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Vera Bejean.
Joan made her home on Indian Mountain Road for more than 40 years, where she found great joy in the natural beauty around her. She especially loved spending time outdoors and watching the wildlife that visited her backyard.
She worked for several years with a New York telephone company as a switch board operator and later served as a house manager for a number of local homes. During that time, she adopted a beloved dog, Nippy, who became a cherished companion.
An avid reader, Joan had a deep love of books and took great pleasure in buying and selling them throughout her life. She also enjoyed photography, antique shopping, and writing.
She is survived by her cousins, Don Hosier and his wife, Melissa; and Gregg Hosier.
All services are private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Little Guild of St. Francis, 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike, West Cornwall, CT 06796, or online at https://givebutter.com/littleguild-give.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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Firefly project to honor Jane Goodall
Ruth Epstein
Apr 08, 2026
Firefly project to honor Jane Goodall
Provided
Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who died Oct. 1, 2025, will be honored April 10 at Marvelwood School during the Firefly Environmental Arts Project, a student-driven event blending art, science and environmental action.
A talk on Goodall by author Priscilla Woolworth will anchor the program, part of a larger gathering focused on sustainability. The Firefly Environmental Arts Project is described as “a collaborative sustainability initiative engaging students and professionals in the tri-state corner to build community through shared experiences in nature and the arts.” Student environmental ambassadors from several schools are central to the effort.
Firefly was created last year by Kent residents Deborah Schlee, a nature photographer, and Carl Raab, a science educator and author. “Our goal is to try to get people engaged and involved in the environment,” Schlee said. “We knew that various schools were having their students do things about the environment, but they were not always doing it together. We wanted to build community through shared experiences.”
Friday’s event will feature an exhibit of nature-inspired artwork by students and professional artists, including sculpture, painting, photography, recycled art and poetry. Students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Marvelwood, Millbrook and South Kent schools will speak about their environmental efforts aligned with Goodall’s work. A video created by third grade students at Kent Center School will also be shown.
Goodall, a pioneer in primate ethology, is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on chimpanzees, known for her decadeslong research on their social and family life in Tanzania. Woolworth, who was a friend of Goodall’s, will discuss how that relationship inspired and deepened her commitment to environmental stewardship. She has been named a Green Pioneer by Time magazine and runs an online eco-friendly store.
Woolworth is the author of “Lola Lots of Love Always,” a book for young women about living sustainably and making healthy choices for themselves and the planet.
Schlee said her environmental book club read one of Goodall’s books, further deepening her admiration.
The free event will be held at Marvelwood School Performing Arts Center, 476 Skiff Mountain Road in Kent. The art exhibit and refreshments begin at 5 p.m., followed by the keynote speaker and presentations at 6 p.m.
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Navigating the unfriendly skies
Bill Schmick
Apr 08, 2026
Airlines and passengers alike are buffeted by everything from weather to war. Long lines at the security gates, cancelled or delayed flights, war, weather, and the stock market have hurt both commercial carriers and their human cargoes.
March had not been good for either airline or its passengers. More than 12,500 U.S. flights were delayed by storms in some cases on. Daily basis as storms buffeted the East Coast and other locales. American Airlines, Southwest, and Delta delayed or canceled 45% of flights in a recent week. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Severe weather this winter has become just another liability for both carriers and passengers.
As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began, conflict forced the cancellation of more than 52,000 flights to and from the Middle East. Since then, airlines that once relied on flying over Iran and other Gulf states must find alternative routes to their destinations. Geopolitical strife seems to be cropping up wherever you look (or fly over). What was once an efficient and finely tuned worldwide aviation travel network is now at risk of becoming a patchwork of fragmenting connections and workarounds.
As a result, not only are airplanes burning more fuel since they are forced to travel longer distances, but flights are getting longer and longer to get from point A to point B. Not only does this eat into carriers’ profitability, but it also adds to the woes of your typical passengers. The price of flights is rising along with oil, making it harder to travel long distances, even if one is lucky enough to catch a flight.
Geopolitical conflicts have become a nightmare for travelers.Thousands have been stranded in the Middle East, and before that by the Venezuela/U.S. raids, and let’s not forget the past four years of ongoing conflict between the Russia and Ukraine war.
Adding insult to injury, depending upon the airport, air travelers were encountering long airport security lines, some of which snaked out to the sidewalks surrounding the airport. Many major airports were experiencing nearly 3 hours in TSA lines, causing massive delays and missed flights during peak hours. Delays of at least 1 hour were reported in Atlanta, New Orleans, Charlotte, and Houston.
The culprit was the partial federal shutdown of Homeland Security funding, which had led to staffing difficulties at the Transportation Security Administration. Security personnel, until this week, had not received a paycheck for weeks. The U.S. Senate is still squabbling over funding.
The president sent his ICE agents to help but reports were that they were simply making matters worse. Finally, Trump ordered the head of Homeland Security to find the money and pay the TSA workers. He did. Readers might wonder why Trump had not simply done that in the first place.
Like consumers, airlines are also grappling with higher energy prices. A sharp spike in jet fuel costs have decimated profits. Since the start of the war, the global average price of jet fuel has soared 58%, based on International Air Transport Association data. Since then, it has almost doubled. Fuel accounts for 20-25% of airline operating costs, and average prices have risen from $2.50 before the crisis to $4.57 per gallon now. Although some airlines hedge, many do not, and hedging often covers only part of their fuel needs.
Advance purchase fares more than doubled for transcontinental flights in the first week of the war. Fares to the Caribbean jumped 58% and 43% to Florida. Several airlines, mostly in the Asia-Pacific region, have either increased fares or announced fuel surcharges. Air India, for example, tacked on a $50 ticket charge for all flights to Europe, North America, and Australia. Cathay Pacific doubled fuel surcharges starting March 18th.
U.S. airlines on domestic flights are prohibited from levying a separate fuel surcharge. Instead, they include fuel costs in the overall ticket price. Flyers can expect ticket prices to increase this summer unless oil prices drop back to pre-war levels in the next week or so. In the meantime, expect premium add-ons like seat upgrades, extra legroom seats, checked bags, or priority boarding to be adjusted upward.
Airline stocks have dropped sharply since the Iran war, driven by higher fuel costs and flight disruptions. U.S. airlines have generally underperformed the market this year, reflecting persistent concerns about weaker demand and limited pricing power. The industry also faces elevated labor costs and ongoing pilot shortages.
However, in recent days, some brave-hearted traders have been buying the dip in this area. Airline management says revenues are still increasing in both international and domestic travel, despite the challenges they face. Delta Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines all raised their revenue outlooks for the year. Consumer demand is still robust, they say, despite the long lines, added expense, and frustration.
Some airlines are now warning that they will be cutting back flights on less travelled and therefore less profitable routesAnalysts are warning that the higher oil prices climb and the longer they remain elevated, the greater the risk that flyers will pull back, and with them, the airlines’ stock prices.
Bill Schmick is a founding partner of Onota Partners, Inc., in the Berkshires.Bill’s forecasts and opinions are purely his own and do not necessarily represent the views of Onota Partners, Inc. (OPI).None of his commentary is or should be considered investment advice.
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