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.”
The Millerton 175th anniversary committee's tent during the village's trunk-or-treat event on Oct. 31, 2025.
MILLERTON — As Millerton officially enters its 175th year, the volunteer committee tasked with planning its milestone celebration is advancing plans and firming up its week-long schedule of events, which will include a large community fair at Eddie Collins Memorial Park and a drone light show. The events will take place this July 11 through 19.
Millerton’s 175th committee chair Lisa Hermann said she is excited for this next phase of planning.
“As we enter our anniversary year, there is a clear sense of excitement throughout the village and surrounding communities,” Hermann said. “Local businesses and organizations have been eager to get involved and help make this a truly special event for our community.”
Throughout 2025, committee members attended local events and gatherings to promote the celebration and hear ideas from businesses and residents.
Hermann said momentum continues to build as the committee works to finalize details and ensure the celebration honors Millerton’s rich history while remaining fun and engaging for all ages.
“It has been especially meaningful to hear longtime community members share stories from past celebrations and reflect on their cherished village memories,” she added.
In the months ahead, organizers plan to finalize vendors, secure additional sponsors, and continue spreading the word. Submissions are now open for musical acts, food truck vendors and sponsors wanting to promote their business while offsetting the cost of hosting such an event. Several sponsorship opportunities are available, including support for fair elements such as a stage, tent, activation and more.
The committee is also working with local businesses, including The T-Shirt Farm, to stock branded anniversary merchandise. Marketing efforts have increased, and members plan to attend more community events and seek opportunities to spread the word on TV, radio and printed materials.
Locals and visitors can follow updates on the committee’s Facebook page, which is beginning to reveal a schedule of events packed with family-friendly fun. Organizers hope people will share the page widely as a one-stop-shop for event information.
“This week-long celebration is shaping up to be another unforgettable chapter for our community,” Hermann said. “We hope the event itself will become one of the many memories that make Millerton such a wonderful place to call home.”
As I noted here in an article last spring entitled “Hands off Greenland”, the world’s largest island was at the center of a developing controversy. President Trump was telling all who would listen that, for national security reasons, the United States needed to take over Greenland, amicably if possible or by force if necessary. While many were shocked by Trump’s imperialistic statements, most people, at least in this country, took his words as ill-considered bluster. But he kept telling questioners that he had to have Greenland (oftenechoing the former King of France, Louis XIV who famously said, “L’État c’est moi!”.
Since 1951, the U.S. has had a security agreement with Denmark giving it near total freedom to install and operate whatever military facilities it wanted on Greenland. At one point there were sixteen small bases across the island, now there’s only one. Denmark’s Prime Minister has told President Trump that the U.S. should feel free to expand its installations if needed. As climate change is starting to allow a future passage from thePacific Ocean to the Arctic, many countries are showing interest in Greenland including Russia and China but this hardly indicates an international crisis as Trump and his subordinates insist.
Researchers believe that, buried beneath the mammoth glaciers covering most of the land are rich deposits of various rare earth minerals including those needed for modern batteries and other hi-tech devices. Trump has already made a deal with Ukraine to supply them more arms in return for rights to its underground “rare earth” deposits. Some have called this extortion but to Trump it was business as usual. Greenland’s buried treasures could be a much bigger deal.
But perhaps Trump’s lifelong obsession with size is the dominant reason he feels he must have the world’s largest island; like his planned White House ballroom, for him this is essentially an ego trip.
Greenlanders and Danes have made it clear from the beginning that they do not wish to become American and are not for sale, Trump’s subordinates have tried to advance a scheme whereby Elon Musk might buy a majority of the individual Greenlanders’ votes to sell their country to the U.S.; however Denmark has the last word and is not about to agree to selling Greenland to anyone.
Although Greenlanders have largely been in favorof eventual independence, since Trump’s intemperate demands they have locked arms with Denmark. Recently, large demonstrations in both places have expressed anger, but even more, sadness that their staunch ally would turn against them.
Other than Trump’s appointees those who support the President’s claim to Greenland are hard to find in the U.S. or elsewhere. While most Republican political leaders have avoided speaking out on the matter, a few have including Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and former Majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both condemning the possible “taking” in no uncertain terms . Seasoned diplomat, Michael McFaul has called Trump’s insistence on “owning” Greenland as “the worst idea in American history.”
After speaking to the assembled crowd of political leaders and industrialists at Davos, Trump began discussions with Mark Rutte, secretary General of NATO and others after which, in a striking turnaround,he announced that they had put together the basis of a “deal” regarding Greenland.
But neither Greenland nor Denmark had been involved in those discussions; both rejected the agreement’s proposal that the United States would have sovereignty over the military bases both new and existing. Another facet of the proposal giving the U.S. control of underground mineral rights may proveexcessive to both Greenland and Denmark.
Although everyone seems relieved that the crisis appears to be largely over, the rupture between Europe and the U.S. remains. Considering President Trump’s erratic state of mind (in his speech at Davos he referred to Greenland as Iceland at least 3 times), who knows what he may demand tomorrow?
Architect and landscape designer Mac Gordon lives in Lakeville.
It is hard not to equate military spending and purchasing with diplomatic or strategic plans being made, for reasons otherwise unknown. Keeping an eye out for the physical stuff can often begin to shine a light on what’s coming – good and possibly very bad.
Without Congressional specific approval, the Pentagon has awarded a contract to Boeing for $8,600,000,000 (US taxpayer dollars) for another 25 F-15A attack fighters to be given to Israel. Oh, and there’s another 25 more of the F-15EX variant on option, free to Israel as well.
Meanwhile, many European countries have switched their purchases of the F-35 fighters to the French Rafale or the Joint European Fighter as well as Saab’s advanced concept fighter Gripen.Turkey and Airbus, meanwhile, have sold the Hurjet trainer to Spain and other countries over the US trainer. And France is about to begin laying the keel for a new aircraft carrier (though that will take almost a decade). Meanwhile, Airbus is now, since 2024, the primary supplier to all EU countries for military helicopters… Saab is making GlobalEye airborne aircraft for France, Italy and Germany… France’s Rafale Company is making and delivering Iron Beam high-energy laser weapons… Airbus has ramped up delivery to all its new EU customers of 18 new C295 tactical transports.
Some may wonder why EU leaders as well as the UK, have been so soft tongued when it comes to this Administration’s recent diplomatic transgressions over Greenland (oops, Iceland?). The reason is simple: For decades the US has been the cheapest and best supplier of the finest military hardware – planes, tanks, weapon systems, and defense capability. What every nation understood was that the US held the controls of the safe operation of those aircraft. For example, the electronics of every F-35 can be controlled remotely from the US. Go against us? We can pull the plug. That was never an issue before, where we had trust and mutual goals. The current rush to re-prioritize local EU manufacture and longer term self reliance in the EU is a direct consequence of this Administration’s changing of priorities and allied trust.
It is true that DJT can take credit for EU and UK increased military budgeting and preparedness, his actions have forced them to that reality. It is also true that his long term damage to American jobs and industry are just now becoming evident as less of our hardware is attractive to foreign buyers and our military oversight will be slowly eroded to a position where nations no longer feel the need for diplomatic or industrial reliance on America.
Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.
A small group of protesters voice opposition to President Trump's administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Amenia's Fountain Square at the intersection of Route 44 and Route 22 on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025
The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, and before him Renée Good, by federal agents in Minnesota is not just a tragedy; it is a warning. In the aftermath, Trump administration officials released an account of events that directly contradicted citizen video recorded at the scene. Those recordings, made by ordinary people exercising their rights, showed circumstances sharply at odds with the official narrative. Once again, the public is asked to choose between the administration’s version of events and the evidence of its own eyes.
This moment underscores an essential truth: the right to record law enforcement is not a nuisance or a provocation; it is a safeguard. As New York Times columnist David French put it, “Citizen video has decisively rebutted the administration’s lies. The evidence of our eyes contradicts the dishonesty of the administration’s words.”
Separately, law enforcement agencies across the country are expanding their capacity to watch the public. Here at home, as we’ve reported, Dutchess County’s Real Time Crime Center brings together feeds from automated license-plate readers, including systems provided by Flock Safety, allowing police to track vehicles across jurisdictions in real time. These tools collect detailed movement data on vast numbers of people who are not suspected of any crime, often with limited public discussion of safeguards or oversight.
When citizens document state power, they are told to step back or trust official explanations. When the state documents the public, continuously and at scale, it is framed as efficiency. One form of observation is treated as suspect; the other as routine.
What magnifies the alarm in the Minnesota shootings isn’t just the loss of life, but the response that followed. Federal force was used against members of the U.S. public, and officials responded not with clarity or accountability, but with statements that collapsed under visual evidence. That willingness to lie, and to do so reflexively, signals a deeper problem: an administration increasingly willing to treat truth as an obstacle rather than an obligation.
A democratic society depends on shared facts. The right of citizens and journalists to observe, record, and document matters because it anchors truth in evidence, not authority. That right is not a threat to public safety. It is among the few remaining tools the public has to insist that power remains answerable to the truth.
