AMENIA — More than 20 years after the idea of expanding the Amenia Free Library on Route 343 was first dreamed of, that expansion is now in being built. The end result will provide a comfortable space for its collection, programming, employees and patrons.
The history
Taking a closer look at the project’s time line, Amenia Free Library Board of Trustees President Alan Gamble said the idea was first conceived around 1994.
“At that time, it was just this cloud, this vision of something we didn’t know what,” he said.
Though they lacked the funding at the time, that vision began to take shape, motivating the library to start saving. By the early 2000s, Gamble said the board started talking with local architect Darlene Riemer. She started on modest proposals and as fundraising grew, he said, so did the board’s goals.
With encouragement from Mid-Hudson Library System Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, the board organized focus groups to determine the community’s needs. It began meeting with young families, senior citizens and leaders in local government and businesses.
Gamble said “the number one thing on everybody’s list was more space.”
The community also showed an interest in more programs — which the library has since incorporated into its offerings — but again, it needed more space for more programs.
It eventually bought land next to the library to help make way for the expansion and applied for the necessary approvals from local and state agencies for the expansion.
The project had community support and also received the town Planning Board’s approval in the fall of 2018. This past summer, the library held a ground breaking ceremony to begin construction on Aug. 29.
The structure
With the existing structure measuring at 884 square feet, the new 68-foot long by 28-foot wide addition will add 2,386 square feet to the library, totaling 3,270 square feet overall.
On top of providing appropriate storage for the library’s rare books and creating more flexibility for its computers and other technology, the expansion plans initially included a fenced patio for outdoor activities at the rear of the property; installing new septic and heating systems; installing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant rest rooms; a new vestibule; paving the parking lot and adding a parking space.
Now that construction is in full gear, its plans also include paving the driveway with marked spaces and handicapped parking; using natural gas instead of fuel oil; creating a dedicated children’s area with a low wall; and setting aside more than 400 square feet for an additional basement for additional on site storage. Given how “chopped up” the side area is where the children’s area and stairs are located, Gamble said when the renovation is done, one of the first things patrons will notice is that the former stairs will be replaced by a big open area, similar to the public meeting area inside the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex.
Having received approval on the library’s overall design from the New York State Historical Preservation Office, Gamble informed library patrons and town residents that by late spring/early summer of 2021, they’ll be able to see a new entrance welcoming them into a facility that’s “fully handicapped accessible, energy efficient and features a bright, modern, yet cozy design.”
Regarding the open space that will be created during the renovation, he highlighted the new electrical and lighting systems as well as the new roof, energy efficient window treatments and the relaxed reading lounge and community meeting space area.
Envisioning a state of the art facility for the community, Gamble spoke with enormous satisfaction about the details the library is trying to incorporate, from the ADA-compliant bathrooms (complete with both a men’s and a women’s rest room and an electric hand dryer to avoid towel waste) and drinking fountains with a place for people to fill their water bottles to the librarian’s office (complete with a lunch counter and kitchenette) and the WiFi access and data ports.
Building a dream
With Ducillo Construction serving as general contractor, the first work day was on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Since then, incoming patrons and motorists passing by the library have often been able to spot the construction equipment digging deep into the earth at the west side of the existing building, bringing the library another step closer to its goal with each mound of dirt removed.
After running into some water issues, the library had a couple of change orders and has had to make a more substantial foundation and deal with drainage. Cement for part of the basement and the remainder of the cement pad was poured in sections. Library Director Victoria Herow said the cement for the basement walls was poured on Election Day, Nov. 3, while another section was poured in mid-December. The library now has a full basement. Before long, residents will see the new structure taking shape as the library begins building upward.
Gamble said the board hopes to close the extension this winter so builders can continue interior work. Once the new building reaches 89% completion, he said they plan to move new furniture, bookshelves and other items into the new space, and then begin renovating the existing library structure.
Gamble said while the board initially anticipated an opening date of Tuesday, June 1, it’s now hopeful the addition will open on Wednesday, June 30.
Funding the expansion
From the moment the idea of expanding took root to today, with construction underway, the Amenia Free Library gives credit to the community for its generous support. Donations and contributions have made the expansion possibile.
In addition to past contributions from annual appeals starting in 1994, Gamble reported that the community’s donations and building fund monies have so far totaled $350,052, which made the library eligible for a Public Library Construction grant worth $445,611 from the New York State Education Department this past November. So far, the library has received $401,049 (or 90%) of this grant, according to Library Treasurer Linda Gregory, and it expects to receive the remaining 10% once the project is completed.
Gamble said the library has already paid for a myriad of project costs, including: engineering and architecture fees; Planning Board fees; Builders Risk Insurance and builder fees in the amount of $221,000-plus (and he thanked the Amenia Town Board for waiving the building permit fee, which saved the library at least $4,000).
Looking over how the library saved money on this project, he said that in addition to getting state aid, the library had more than $263,000 in its building fund account and received $43,000 in pledges from local individuals and nonprofits.
Budget shortfall
Taking into account recent change orders for soil and the foundation issues as well as new furniture, bookshelves and other furnishings, the project’s total projected “all in” cost has been calculated at $1,180,000. After calculating the library’s total funding to date, Gamble said the library has $972,611 in its coffers, leaving it about $200,000 short of the project total. At this point, he said the library is hoping to raise the rest of it or, if necessary, take out a small mortgage.
“I think the one point we always want to make is that all of the money for the construction and the furnishing is coming from donations, not the money that we get through taxes,” Gamble said. “The board and the public at large are responsible for raising the money for us to put this together.”
To help the library reach its $1 million fundraising goal, Gregory said residents can either stop by the library or contact her at 845-373-9757. As there are still a lot of opportunities to add one’s name to the library’s new addition, she said anyone interested in naming rights or naming a portion of the library in honor of or in memory of a loved one can contact her, Gamble or Herow.
“We are a community library,” Gregory said, “and we are here for our residents, so what better way to reach out to our community?”
Future looks bright
When asked what it means to her to see this project become a reality, Herow immediately spoke of the programs the library will be able to host and said the expansion shows the library will be here for the community long into the future.
“I’m excited because we’ll have more room for patrons to come and stay,” she said. “As cozy as the space that we have now is, it’ll be exciting to have space and room to grow.”
“Libraries are just so important,” Gamble said. “We just find every day if you just sit and watch how many people come in and out and to be able to give them what everybody deserves in a library, that’s really the goal.”
Nathan Miller
Little leaguers run across Eddie Collins Memorial Park in Millerton for lunch, popcorn and ice cream at the pavilion during the Webutuck Little League season opening party on Sunday, April 12. The league has signed up 80 players for the 2026 season comprising six teams, including one tee-ball team, three baseball teams and two softball teams.
MILLERTON — The Webutuck Little League held its season opening party on Sunday, April 12, at Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Route 22.
Players enjoyed free food, popcorn and ice cream and a day of playing in inflatable castles and an obstacle course.
The league has signed up 80 players across six teams — one tee-ball team, three baseball teams and two softball teams.
Aly Morrissey
Gas is priced at $4.09 per gallon at the 17 Gay Street Shell station in Sharon, Conn., April 12, sitting just below the national average of $4.12, according to AAA.
New York drivers are paying sharply more at the pump than they were a year ago, with gas prices up more than $1 per gallon — a surge that is hitting wallets across Dutchess County even as prices steadied briefly last week.
The spike comes as global tensions continue to cause oil prices to rise. Prices briefly stabilized following news of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but uncertainty returned after talks ended without an agreement, leaving drivers bracing for continued volatility.
Residents of the Northwest Corner and Eastern Dutchess County continue to pay hefty prices at the pump, according to data collected by AAA. Despite high prices, demand for fuel continues to climb.
Just a month ago, Sharon resident and local blacksmith William Trowbridge said a fill-up typically cost around $75. Now, for the first time, he paid more than $100 to fill his truck — a jump that left him concerned when the total climbed into triple digits.
“It makes me angry,” Trowbridge said at the Shell station located at 17 Gay St. in Sharon. “Now, I’m starting to think about combining errands when I go out.”
Trowbridge, like many others, attributes the spike in gas prices to “a war that shouldn’t even be happening.”
At the Gay Street station, employee Jacob Enquest said customer reactions have shifted in recent weeks.
“Whether it was about politics and the war or the prices themselves, everyone had something to say,” Enquest said. “Now people just want to know if prices are going to come down, and I have to tell them their guess is as good as mine.”
Local and national prices
According to data compiled by AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut held steady last week at $4.08, unchanged from the prior week but significantly higher than earlier this year.
In neighboring New York, prices are slightly higher, averaging $4.12 per gallon as of April 13, according to AAA.
Prices in both states have climbed sharply in recent weeks. In Connecticut, gas is up 56 cents from a month ago and more than $1 higher than this time last year. Nationally, the average price rose to $4.12 per gallon, up 49 cents from a month ago.
Connecticut currently ranks 16th in the nation for highest gas prices, while New York prices are largely in line with the national average. The lowest prices are found in Oklahoma and Kansas, where drivers are paying around $3.44 to $3.49 per gallon, while California and Hawaii are paying nearly $6 per gallon.
Legislation
Rising gas prices are impacting more than just individual drivers, with local businesses, schools and municipalities also feeling the strain as they adjust budgets and daily operations to absorb higher costs.
Local legislators in Connecticut and New York have called for relief for individuals at the pump, receiving mixed results. While Gov. Ned Lamont recently dropped hopes of a gas tax holiday in Connecticut, Dutchess County, New York, legislators advanced a resolution to cap the county’s sales tax on gasoline and diesel at $3 per gallon beginning June 1.
“It will be a modest saving, but any amount helps,” said Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago D-19, who supported the resolution initiated by the Democratic Caucus.
Drago described the price increase as “one of many unfortunate results from this needless war in the Middle East,” adding that Dutchess County should not get a “windfall of taxes” from the war.
“As we know, it’s more and more expensive to live where we live, and it’s hitting families hard,” Drago said. “Anything we can do to alleviate any financial strain at this time is important.”
In Connecticut, lawmakers have explored similar relief measures, though no gas tax holiday has been approved.
Though there is precedent for a gas holiday in Connecticut, like when the Ukraine war first broke out, it has yet to happen since the Iran conflict began.
State Sen. Stephen Harding, R-30, who is an advocate for the tax holiday, said that the concept could be revisited if prices remain high.“I’m still hopeful,” Harding said. “If prices remain high, I think there’s a chance it could still happen. People in this state need this type of relief right now.”
The state levies a 25-cent-per-gallon tax on regular gasoline.
For some families, pump prices reflect tipping point
For some local residents, rising gas prices are compounding an already difficult cost of living — forcing tough decisions about where to live and how to get to work.
Guy Gnerre and his wife, Kim, are now facing exactly that reality. The couple, both longtime educators, have lived in the Salisbury area for about 25 years. Gnerre has worked as a special education teacher at Salisbury Central School for the past seven years, while his wife has spent 25 years at Hotchkiss. Now, they are preparing to make a significant change to adapt to the rising cost of living in the region.
Gnerre said home ownership in the area has been a dream for his family, but it has remained just out of reach. The couple has rented locally for more than two decades and is now being forced to move nearly 30 miles away to Torrington after receiving notice that their landlord plans to return and renovate the property.
With a daughter in college and the cost of living at an all-time high, the couple worry about what’s ahead, including fears of dipping into retirement savings to purchase a home that Gnerre said needs lots of work and is in an unfamiliar city.
“Yes, we are going to get obliterated in terms of gas,” Gnerre said, noting that he and his wife plan to carpool after their move. But it’s not just fuel prices that are affecting his family. “Gas is part of the checklist,” he said, adding, “I wish it was just the fuel.”
Schools that rely on diesel say ‘Business as usual – for now’
With diesel prices outpacing regular fuel prices, schools throughout the region are keeping a close eye on costs for buses, but say they’re not ready to make significant changes.
In districts that outsource bus contracts to independent companies, schools typically agree on a diesel rate per gallon at the start of the year. Salisbury Central School, for example, has a contract with All-Star Transportation and prepays for gallons of diesel based on a negotiated price.
“We’re set for the year,” said Sue Bucceri, administrative assistant to the principal. “We’re locked into the price we agreed upon last summer,” before diesel prices surged.
The average price for a gallon of diesel currently costs $5.92 a gallon in Connecticut, up from $3.79 a year ago, according to AAA.
Bucceri works on the budgeting process in partnership with Region One’s business office, and said SCS is not making significant changes for the 2026-2027 budget based on gas prices.
“We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Bucceri said. “We made a nominal increase on price-per-gallon,” she added. At this time, she said the school is fortunate that it’s not being significantly impacted from a budget perspective.
Just across the border in New York, the Webutuck Central School District owns its own fleet of buses and isn’t benefiting from a locked-in price model.
“Gas prices do impact us,” said Robert Farrier, business administrator for the Webutuck Central School District. However, Farrier said he and his colleagues are not worried about the budget at this time, though they plan to keep an eye on prices.
Farrier said the business office padded the transportation section of their budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, to date, they are prepared for unexpected events such as rising fuel costs.
“We’re not canceling field trips or anything like that,” he said.
Leila Hawken
Celebrating the significant history of embroidery and its place within the fabric of the community, an exhibit opening was held on Thursday, April 9, at the Millbrook Library. Millbrook Historical Society secretary Alison Meyer, co-organizer of the event, provided welcoming remarks. The exhibit will continue until Saturday, May 2.
MILLBROOK — A new exhibit at the Millbrook Library tells the story of the Millbrook Needlework Guild, a storied group that has threaded its way through the past century of life in the village.
The exhibit opening was held on Thursday, April 9, attracting residents and visitors to view exquisite historic pieces of needlework art, all linked to today’s Millbrook due to their continuing importance as local works of art.
Assembled by the Millbrook Historical Society in a project that spanned two years, Society Secretary Alison Meyer, co-organizer of the event, welcomed a substantial turnout of residents and visitors. Meyer noted the contributions of her co-coordinator, Society board member Denise Bauer in bringing the event to life.
“It all began with the Millbrook Needlework Guild organized in 1954. The legacy has been preserved in churches, homes and the library,” Meyer said, noting that exhibit pieces have been loaned from throughout the village community.
“It’s gone from a local endeavor to the national scene and now back to local,” Meyer added. Also participating in the exhibit is the area’s Skyllkill Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America that was formed in 1974, continuing the tradition to the present day.
A highlight of the opening was the presentation of a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Millbrook Historical Society to resident Anne Collins who had first suggested the idea for the exhibit.
When it was formed in 1954, the Millbrook Needlework Guild, whose members were local women devoted to the art, was gifted with a house donated by Margaret Thorne Parshall. The house still stands at the corner of Franklin and Maple Avenues. The imposing home also served as an academy for instruction in embroidery, under the tutelage of then Millbrook resident Erica Wilson who came to be known by many as “the first lady of stitchery.” Wilson’s shops still operate in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
In 1958, Parshall helped establish the American branch of the British Embroidery Guild, having traveled to England to meet with needleworkers. That organization became the Embroiderers’ Guild of America in 1958.
The exhibit will continue at the Millbrook Library until Saturday, May 2.
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Leila Hawken
MILLBROOK — Among the many activities planned for the Millbrook Community-wide Yard Sale on Saturday, April 25, will be a repair café offered at the Millbrook Library between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The rain date will be Sunday, April 26.
Residents can bring up to two small items in need of attention to the library and find local experts willing to provide free repairs. The event is intended to keep such items from being discarded into landfills, when all that may be needed is a small fix.
Eligible for repair are broken lamps and small appliances, jewelry, wooden furniture, mending, and darning among sewing services. Local repair coaches will either fix the item or provide advice on where to take it next. The community is also invited to bring knives in need of sharpening.
Demonstrations of bicycle maintenance will be a feature. Bring plastic bags and batteries to the library for recycling during the event.
The Community-wide Yard Sale provides an opportunity for Millbrook neighbors to get together and share in finding treasures at yard sales throughout the village, enjoy music, get things repaired at the library, or simply socialize.
Leila Hawken
Sophia Zhou
AMENIA — The Bang Family Concert Series will feature New York-based pianist Sophia Zhou in performance at The Smithfield Church on Saturday, April 18, beginning at 3 p.m.
Zhou’s program “Into the Light” will include a rare treat — Beethoven’s grandest and most technically challenging piano sonata, “Waldstein,” along with works by Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy.
The concert is open to the public. A suggested donation of $20, payable at the door, will contribute toward funding more concerts. A reception with refreshments will follow the concert.
The Bang Family Concert Series has a tradition of hosting eclectic performances by gifted musicians from the Tri-Corner area. Known to area residents, Zhou has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician in New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam and Shanghai. She has played with chamber musicians in New York, Hong Kong and with faculty from The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute and Manhattan School of Music.
Currently, Zhou serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Millbrook Music Salon.
The Smithfield Church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road in Amenia. The church is accessible for people with disabilities.
For more information, go to thesmithfieldchurch.org/concerts.
Nathan Miller
MILLBROOK — Millbrook’s Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution to adopt the 2026-27 town budget following a public hearing at its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 8.
The budget for the coming year totals $2,538,844, up 0.25% from $2,532,541 in the current year.
Mayor Peter Doro said the increase falls within the 2% property tax cap imposed on local governments by New York State since 2012. Budget lines showing anticipated increases include utilities, paid ambulance service and insurance.
“We’ve all worked hard in the past months,” Doro said, describing the budget review process that involves each of the village’s departments.
Separate unanimous approvals were adopted for the 2026-27 water and sewer budgets. The Water Department budget totals $425,500, up from the current year of $411,950. The Sewer Department budget totals $470,425, up from $435,100.
Although no public comment was offered during the hearing, one trustee suggested that the village should remain vigilant about rising costs.
“There are things we could do to mitigate costs,” said Trustee Shannon Mawson.
To view a copy of the budget as adopted, go to www.villageofmillbrookny.com.
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