Amenia reverses decision, proceeds on grant application

AMENIA — Following lengthy discussion, the Town Board voted 3-2 at its regular meeting on Thursday, June 20, to allow the Parks and Recreation Department to proceed with completing a grant application, permission that it had denied, also by a vote of 3-2, at its previous meeting on Thursday, June 6.

The matter was reintroduced to the agenda for the June 20 meeting, when Recreation Commission Secretary Peter McCaffrey offered comments to the board in advance of the vote that would reverse the June 6 decision. The single councilmember who changed in the interim was Nicole Ahearn who voted on June 20 to proceed with the funding application.

Repeating their vote against the proposal were Town Supervisor Leo Blackman and councilmember Rosanna Hamm.

The grant application is through the Environmental Protection Fund within the Parks Preservation and Heritage program, a state-administered program. If the grant is awarded and accepted by the town, the funding would support the Amenia Green project to enhance the property around the Town Hall for recreational uses.

“We’ve developed a plan,” said McCaffrey of the multi-phased Master Plan for recreation enhancement. There is no all or nothing. You get the money and then you consider what parts of the plan to complete.”

“This isn’t how this usually works,” said Blackman.

Losing permanent control over the town-owned parcel and general fiscal responsibility continued to be of concern to Blackman.

Councilwoman Rosanna Hamm voiced her continuing concern about a number of major projects facing the town in the near future, some requiring bond issues, including the new Town Garage construction. She also noted that the town has a number of parks and recreation opportunities, such as the Webutuck School grounds and Beekman Park.

“We have no recreational programs that will use Amenia Green,” Hamm said.

Councilman Brad Rebillard remarked on the importance of preserving the land for public use, noting the discussion at the previous meeting of using a portion of the land for affordable housing, while he favored the value of a walking track included in the plan.

“There are five walking tracks in town,” Blackman noted.

“I don’t have a problem with the plan,” said Hamm, recognizing the positions of Rebillard and Winters wanting to preserve the town hall land for public use.

Hamm added that she has heard from residents concerned about major projects coming up and their costs.

“I’m just against doing it all at once,” Hamm said.

Winters pointed out that the present planning is Step 2 of a design phase.

“We have presented an overall idea, a multi-phased Master Plan,” Winters said.

Rebillard commented that applying for the grant does not lock the town into anything. If awarded, the town board would still need to vote on whether to accept it.

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less