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.”
Top row (left to right): Panelist Shadei Williams; Dana Hopkins, Dutchess County All Abilities Program Director; panelist Johnny Vacca; Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. Bottom row: (left to right): Panelist Wayne Robinson; panelist Tracy Wallace; panelist Samantha Van Alstyne
HYDE PARK, N.Y. — On Thursday, Dec. 5, the annual ThinkDifferently conference was held at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Educational Center in Hyde Park, New York. The conference strived to enlighten participants on evolving protocols for addressing and collaborating with individuals with challenges.
Hosted by Dana Hopkins, program director of All Abilities at the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, ThinkDifferently is an initiative first launched in 2015 by former county executive Marc Molinaro with a goal to provide services to individuals with varying abilities and guidance for others such as businesses and communities to help create a more inclusive society.
The conference, which is in its eighth year, has evolved throughout its existence. Hopkins said while the one consistent has been its daily duration, the presentation and subject matter has varied. “Each year has been a full-day conference which has included discussions with authors, clinical professionals, et cetera. Previous conferences included a ‘services across the lifespan’ session, which covered birth to death,” she said. “We adjusted our format based on feedback from attendees as the services through the lifespan [session] was often redundant.”
This year’s conference was broken into a morning session which included opening remarks from county executive Sue Serino to welcome participants and show her support for the initiative followed by personal experiences from panelists and preferred protocols while interacting with individuals with challenges. The afternoon session featured speaker Emma Arnoff, a licensed social worker, who further elaborated on protocols, the subject of neurodiversity which is described as varying manners of how the brain works, and ableism which is defined as discriminatory practices and prejudicial attitudes towards individuals with challenges. The audience consisted primarily of educators, social services workers, and providers to individuals with varying abilities.
According to Hopkins, ThinkDifferently has less to do with individuals and is more supports-oriented. “ThinkDifferently is not direct programming for people with disabilities and/or their families,” she said. “Rather, a key component of the work we do is helping individuals and families navigate the often-complicated network of providers, as well as resources available at various levels of government. We also create and host inclusive events throughout the year, but most services and programs are contracted out to our local nonprofit agencies.”
Respectful speech and courteous behavior as well as consideration for personal preferences were amongst the themes for this year’s conference. According to both Hopkins and Arnoff, while there are no set rules of etiquette, and the vernacular is constantly evolving, it’s important to consider the individual and their desires. As Hopkins explained, the vernacular can vary between person-first and identity-first language, a more recent trend which began only a few years ago.
“Disability etiquette is individually based and constantly changing,” she said. “When we are speaking about people who have disabilities (and we do not know their preferences) we use person-first language (meaning we say ‘person with a disability’ versus ‘disabled person’ which is identity-first language). Only in instances when someone has specifically told us they prefer identity-first language do we utilize that. For individuals with mobility devices or other aides (canes for those that are blind or have low vision), never touch their devices or aides, unless they ask you to, and/or if you ask and they say yes. Think of the devices and aides as extensions of their bodies.”
While sensitivity towards others is always appropriate, terminology is fluid. Words and phrases which were once socially acceptable such as ‘special needs’, ‘handicapped’, ‘impairment’ and ‘differently abled’ are now to be avoided, which is proper and correct. “Language always is and should be evolving,” Arnoff said. “This move to first-person language comes from neurodivergent people finding pride in who they are and not seeing themselves as deficient. As the language evolves, it is our job to learn and listen.” Hopkins agreed, saying, “Some of these phrases/words are euphemisms to make those without disabilities feel better when talking about disabilities, but they aren’t helpful to people with disabilities.”
While attitudes and language has trended more toward sensitivity toward individuals with varying abilities, both Arnoff and Hopkins emphasized the importance of two-way communication, and also, of being mindful of lessons from previous years. “People with disabilities are just that: people,” Hopkins said. “To find out more about what is appropriate and what isn’t, talk with the disability community.”
Arnoff, too, reinforced the need for understanding and awareness, saying, “It’s important that we don’t beat ourselves up for what we did in the past and rather learn from it to be different in the future. It is critical we do this by listening ... It is not our job to change or fix [them] but rather to learn about what makes them who they are, so we can see what makes them amazing.”
The conference is only one event on ThinkDifferently’s very active calendar. Upcoming happenings include a sensory-sensitive performance of “The Nutcracker” on Friday, Dec. 13, the Dance Forever/Rhythm Works hip-hop dance program for young people of varying abilities on Saturday mornings, twice-monthly workshops on applying for social security disability programs and a retreat in mid-January for neurodiverse young adults. For more information, visit www.thinkdifferently.net.
Martin Tandler
"What I really feel lucky about is having had the chance to meet and photograph so many people who had a real impact on our lives,” said Christopher Little whose new memoir, “Shooting the Breeze: Memories of a Photojournalist” was just released. The book is as eclectic and colorful as the man himself and offers an intimate look into Little’s globe-trotting career spent behind the lens, capturing some of the most iconic figures, events, and human stories of the past half-century.
In 2021, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas acquired Little’s photographic archive.
“I had two young women who spent three months in my basement cataloging this stuff,” said Little. “So, while they were working, I was scanning as much as I could for this book.” After the three months, Little described that a “big blue truck” came to take away his 371,574 images which are now a permanent addition to the Briscoe Center’s internationally significant photojournalism collection. “It’s very bittersweet,” shared Little. “It was literally a life’s work driving away, but I’m so glad to have it there. And I’m in good company.”
Little has always kept good company; his career is a testament to a charmed life and relentless curiosity. Born and raised in Manhattan, Little’s father was a journalist with The New York Herald Tribune writing a five-day-a-week column covering the theater. His mother was a playwright, and the couple often had famous people to their apartment.
Little’s father was beloved and dropping his name not only helped open doors early on but put his subjects at ease. “He taught me a lot about journalism and the basic idea that I should look for another angle.”
This “other angle” is what makes Little’s photographs so evocative—he’s able to capture an entire story in a static image. “There’s a picture by Nat Fein, a really famous picture,” said Little about one of his early influences. “It was the first sports photograph to ever win the Pulitzer Prize. It’s a picture of Babe Ruth on his last day at Yankee Stadium and it’s shot from behind. It’s always stayed with me.”
Little studied psychology at Yale, another element that seems to have guided him to a deeper understand of his subjects. It was while he was still a student at Yale that Little began working for Newsweek. “I was at Yale from ’67 to ’71 and the campus was one news story after another with the student movement, the Bobby Seale (co-founder of the Black Panter Party) trial, and all that. So, I’d photograph stuff and then I’d get on my motorcycle and drive to New York. I had a loose relationship with Newsweek and I would give them my film, they’d process it, and if they liked something, they’d buy it. And then they started giving me assignments.” After college, he worked for Time Magazine and by 25, he was working with People magazine, beginning a 21-year stint during which he shot more than 350 assignments.
“The early days were incredible,” Little recalled. “I couldn’t have been a freelance journalist now. It almost doesn’t exist.” From covering the Watergate hearings for Time magazine to serving as official photographer for the Aga Khan and working with William F. Buckley Jr. on bestselling sailing memoirs, Little’s assignments brought him into the orbit of world leaders, celebrities, and everyday heroes. His work has been published in Life, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, and Architectural Digest, to name a few. Little’s work also went beyond famous faces. Some of his favorite assignments were stories about “ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” such as the first million-dollar lottery winner whose life fell apart under the weight of sudden wealth. “It was heartbreaking to witness,” he said.
The self-designed book, laid out in Adobe InDesign, gave Little the creative freedom he craved. “Nobody told me what to do,” he said. The cover, a playful collage, mirrors the book’s non-linear structure and personal touch.
Beyond photography, Little has led a vibrant life. A father and grandfather, he recently retired from serving as an EMT in Norfolk, Connecticut, after tearing his rotator cuff. “It seemed like a good time to retire,” he said. He spends his time now with his wife Betsy and takes digital photographs in the woods with his dog, Ruby.
Reflecting on his multifaceted career, Little shared, “I have no regrets and no bitterness. It’s a great luxury to look at it all from afar.”
With “Shooting the Breeze,” Little has ensured future generations can explore the remarkable life and work of a photojournalist who truly captured the world.
To purchase a copy of “Shooting the Breeze” visit: www.christopherlittle.com
“Cold Spring, NY” depicts life in a notable Hudson River town with a rich history and much natural beauty.
According to Alissa Malnati, co-creator of the new coffee table tome, “Cold Spring, NY”, after twenty-five years in the urban jungle, it was time to go in search of a cure for the angst which, for some, can come with metropolitan living. “My husband and I were soul sick,” explained Malnati of the couple’s move to Cold Spring, a Hudson River town located in leafy Putnam County. “We were seeking restoration and quiet, and to be in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”
The time was right for a move in 2021. The Malnatis relocated from busy Brooklyn to a tranquil mountaintop abode which allowed them to decompress without the intrusion of cell phones and ceaseless city noise. With the shift to the Hudson Valley, Alissa, a writer and fashion executive, and her husband, Will, a podcaster and television producer, found the peace they were searching for in Cold Spring, a semi-rural town known for its boutiques, antique shops, and world-class hiking trails.
While modern Cold Spring offers an array of unique independent retailers as well as specialty restaurants and coffeehouses, it is also a destination point for nature-lovers and an historical town.
Many of its current and decaying sites have been documented in “Cold Spring, NY”, coauthored and co-photographed by both Alissa and Will. It served as the home of the West Point Foundry – now enshrined as the West Point Foundry Preserve – which produced artillery for the U.S. government starting in 1818, and it also became known for its Parrott rifles during the Civil War. The town was once visited by Abraham Lincoln back in 1862. In 1970, as part of an effort to raise environmental awareness through the Clearwater Organization, Pete Seeger’s boat, the Clearwater, was once docked at Cold Spring during a music festival at which Seeger performed. Cold Spring remains actively committed to preserving its small-town character, its waters and historic sites. The Putnam History Museum is also located in Cold Spring.
“We never intended for it to be a book,” the couple explained of the process that came about very organically. “At first, it was just photographs that we framed, then photographs that became photo albums, and eventually we decided to print it into a coffee table book.”
Their collaboration proved to be a very positive one which brought them closer. “We loved working on this together and hope that we are able to do more as a duo,” Alissa said, noting that future shared projects along the same lines as “Cold Spring, NY” are already being explored by the couple.
“Cold Spring, NY”, which contains over one hundred pages of vivid black-and-white photography, highlights the town’s very active Main Street as well as its Hudson riverfront, local mountainous terrain, nearby woodland wonders, and sites of antiquated interest.
“There is much beauty in the town that no matter where we were, there was a photo to take.”
While the Malnatis captured as many historical and modern sites as possible for the book, there was an omission of a more recent occurrence. “There was one photo we didn’t take that haunts us to this day,” Alissa recounted. “There was a massive rainstorm in the summer of 2023 and the streets of Cold Spring were flooded. The stairs that take you underneath the railroad from Main St. were alsocompletely submerged in about ten feet of water that had accumulated below. It was like a scene from a movie, and, unfortunately, we were in such shock that we didn’t think to grab the photo.”
Among the photographs they were able to capture, Will Malnati’s preference is for the Bannerman Castle snaps on pages 23-24. Said Will, “The Bannerman Castle shots are a favorite – how much history it has and how beautiful it is up close. People don’t travel there very often or at all, so it was special to see it from the base of it. I also love the human portraits – so much character and love in each of them.” Alissa is most enthusiastic about the photo on page 31 titled “Optical Illusion”, saying, “You can flip the photo upside down and it would look the same, unless you are present with the photo and notice a small ripple in the water.“
The Cold Spring experience proved so refreshing for the Malnatis that while they eventually had to return to Brooklyn, they felt very strongly about leaving a parting gift for their adopted community in the form of the book. They’re also hoping they can eventually return to the community again someday on a more permanent basis. And while some Cold Spring residents prefer for the town to remain a hidden gem of the Hudson Valley, the Malnatis have a different take. Said Alissa, “Cold Spring is a special town and like anything special, it’s difficult for it to remain a secret for too long.”
