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Recreation Commission moves ahead on planning Wassaic Park improvements

AMENIA — Following a meeting that included state officials on Thursday, Nov. 9, the Amenia Recreation Commission has charted a way forward for making improvements to Wassaic Park.

Recreation Commission Chairman Paul Winters described the outcome of a meeting that included Jane Didona, landscape architect from Didona Associates of New Fairfield, Connecticut, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and representatives of the Wassaic Project.

As reported by Winters, the Recreation Commission will move ahead with creating a trout fishing destination, which is seen as the next step in improving Wassaic Park by annexing DEC land to park land.  A new playground area is also being planned.

Winters noted that the next New York State Parks grant application deadline comes up in July 2024. The Recreation Commission plans to combine the Wassaic Park plan with the Amenia Green enhancement plan to make one application.

In the coming months, the commission will determine the legal requirements for establishing a public/private partnership.

Important to the process will be a public forum, anticipated to be held in January 2024, inviting residents to learn about the plans and to offer comments. After the public forum, the plans will be presented to the Amenia Town Board.

Leila Hawken

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Tri-Corner Real Estate - October 2026

Tri-Corner Real Estate - October 2026

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Slow fashion takes the runway at Stone Ridge Orchard

Slow fashion takes the runway at Stone Ridge Orchard

The organic runway at HVSFW puts sustainable style among the apple trees at Stone Ridge Orchard.

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Fast fashion has made it possible to buy the latest trend almost as quickly as it appears on social media. The environmental cost, however, is anything but fleeting. Fashion production accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, consumes enormous quantities of water and energy, and an estimated 85% of textiles end up in landfills each year. Synthetic fabrics also shed microplastics when washed.

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Susan Schneider and the magic of marbling

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Susan Schneider, owner of Shandell’s in Ashley Falls, in her studio.
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It’s a joyful process. —Susan Schneider

A beautiful September morning found Susan Schneider of Shandell’s working in her Ashley Falls home studio, while linen cocktail napkins she had marbled the day before hung on a line outside her back door. Her helpers, dogs Daisy and Stubbs, are never far from her.

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Through the lens of war

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“Omaha Beach Rescue, D-Day +1, Normandy, June 7, 1944.” one of the best-known photographs of D-Day.

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Longtime Norfolk resident Nina Rosenblum will present her award-winning documentary, “They Fight With Cameras,” on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Norfolk Library.

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Brian Gersten finds the story in the overlooked

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Filmmaker Brian Gersten

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At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, award-winning filmmaker Brian Gersten will screen four short documentaries at the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village, exploring obscure topics such as a lingering territorial dispute between the United States and Canada, a nationwide toilet paper panic sparked by a late-night joke, the infamous “Balloon Boy” saga and the history of bowling in America.

The Chicago-raised, Millerton-based filmmaker has worked as an editor on feature-length documentaries like the cycling film “Enter the Slipstream” and Netflix’s profile on author Tom Wolfe, “Radical Wolfe.” In 2025, “Why We Dream,” a film he edited about bringing D-Day veterans back to the beaches of Normandy, premiered aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York City. When it comes to directing, Gersten’s own interests focus more on the underappreciated and unremembered, as the four short films he directed will demonstrate.

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Sharon artist takes top prize at Lime Rock art show

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Muriel Stockdale, left, and judge Roger McKee during the awards announcement at the juried art show at Trinity Episcopal Church. Stockdale\u2019s \u201cKevin\u201d was the second place winner.
Patrick L. Sullivan

The annual juried art show at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock was won by Mi-Kyung Hwang of Sharon for “Wild Hazelnut from Eggleston.”

The winners were announced at the show’s opening reception at the church Friday evening, Sept. 18.

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