Honor Society fundraises for LLS

WEBUTUCK — The Webutuck Board of Education (BOE) commended the district’s National Honor Society’s service project on raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) at its meeting on Monday, March 2, before the school was closed due to the coronavirus.

Lily O’Carroll, a member of the Honor Society, explained that LLS is a philanthropic leadership development program for high schools students. Set on curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, she said LLS improves the quality of life for patients and their families.

Lily said LLS also strives to “make a positive impact on those affected by blood cancers as well as support them so that they know they are not in this fight alone.”

A person is diagnosed with a blood cancer every three minutes; more than 33% of blood cancer patients don’t survive five years after their diagnosis; and more than 1.2 million people are currently living with or in remission from leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease or myeloma. In total, an average of 3,679 children and young adults are diagnosed with leukemia each year.

LLS promotes a seven-week challenge to raise money in honor of young local blood cancer survivors and honored heroes. Lily explained that the Honor Society set a goal of raising $10,000 with the help of teammates spread throughout New York state.

Lily said they will hold fundraisers and reach out to different community businesses to be sponsors or to make donations. She added students involved with the Honor Society will be acquire marketing, networking and entrepreneurship skills in addition to project management and financial literacy. Of course, students won’t be able to pursue any activities in person while schools are closed.

“It just goes to show how our students’ commitment to making this world a better place goes beyond the classroom doors, and again, as a community, we should know that our future is in good hands with students like that,” Webutuck Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani of the students’ efforts.

Latest News

Home field advantage holds true for Webutuck softball and baseball

Olivia Wickwire, no. 2, tags out a runner at first base. The Webutuck Warriors varsity softball team beat the Germantown Clippers 14-7 at home Friday, April 25.

Photo by Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Webutuck girls varsity softball beat visiting Germantown 14-7 Friday, April 25.


Keep ReadingShow less
Kent Hollow Mine case resolved after years of litigation
Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston

AMENIA — The Town Board signed a resolution bringing an end to a history of litigation between Amenia’s Zoning Board of Appeals and principals of Kent Hollow Mine at a special meeting on Thursday, April 24.

It was a brief meeting with no public discussion before the vote except to make a clarifying change in the resolution’s wording, suggested by the Special Counsel to the town, George Lithco.

Keep ReadingShow less
Historians and neighbors celebrate Revolutionary War veterans at old Amenia Burying Ground

Tim Middlebrook, President of the Columbia Mid-Hudson Valley chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, left, Amenia Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, center, and Amenia Historical Society President Betsy Strauss unveiled a new historical marker at the Old Amenia Burying Ground on Saturday, April 26. The marker commemorates revolutionary war veterans buried at the cemetery where the Red Meeting House once stood on Mygatt Road.

Photo By Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Tim Middlebrook of the Sons of the American Revolution and Amenia Historical Society President Betsy Strauss unveiled a new historical marker honoring Revolutionary War vets in the Amenia Burying Ground.

Rain all morning had threatened the event, but historical society members, lovers of history and sons of the revolution persisted and the rain let up just in time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton ends Earth Day week with film and talk on pervasive plastics

From left, Deborah Maier, moderator, Megan Wolff, Nicole Clanahan and Olivia Skeen.

Photo by John Coston

MILLERTON — The Climate Smart Task Force celebrated the end of Earth Day week on Sunday, April 27, with a free showing of “Plastic People,” a documentary about humanity’s relationship with plastic, cosponsored by The Moviehouse.
The award-winning film portrays a pervasive role plastic plays in our lives and explores its effect on human health, especially as microplastics.

Microplastics have found their way into human organs and even into the placentas of new mothers. The film is a call to action by science journalist Ziya Tong, who talks with scientists and undertakes self experimentation to prove her points.

Keep ReadingShow less