AMENIA — With baseball season just around the corner, it won’t be long until players on the Webutuck Central School District’s (WCSD) baseball teams will have their moment to shine on the field. For the coming season, the Warriors will have the chance to play on their own field as well as the fields at Beekman Park (located at 5270 Route 22, Amenia), thanks to an agreement between Webutuck and the town.
When the district began work on its capital improvement plan this past summer, it started with the septic system; the baseball fields went under construction and therefore were inaccessible to the baseball teams for practice and games. The school district then reached out to the town of Amenia to request use of its baseball fields for all practices and scheduled home games for the 2021 season.
Though the septic system was installed this past fall and the fields at Webutuck are now ready for use, Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani said the WCSD will use both its baseball field and the fields at Beekman Park as it will allow Webutuck more opportunities for its students to play baseball at all levels.
At its meeting on Thursday, April 1, the Amenia Town Board granted the WCSD a revocable license agreement (RLA) for the Webutuck High School varsity baseball program to use the baseball field at Beekman Park. The RLA’s term officially began on Monday, April 19, and will continue through Friday, June 4.
Included in the RLA’s terms, Webutuck will be responsible for preparing the fields before and after every game and cleaning the field, dugouts, bleachers and all other areas of all garbage. In addition to providing all supervision, coaches and instructors and obtaining and hiring all umpires, the school district will also be responsible for any damages that may occur. Meanwhile, Amenia will be responsible for all maintenance and repairs of the field’s facilities and will be responsible for providing the bases, pitching mound, pitcher’s rubber and home plate.
“We’re extremely grateful to have a partner in our students’ well-being, education and athletics in the town of Amenia,” said Castellani. “They have been extremely gracious in allowing our students to use the fields and continue to use those fields as needed.”
“We are also really excited that after over a decade of not being able to use our high school field, with the completion of our capital improvement project, our students will be able to play on the home field at their school,” he added.
The Webutuck Warriors varsity baseball team is scheduled to compete against the Dover Dragons at Beekman Park at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, May 3. That same day, the Webutuck junior varsity baseball team will compete at Dover at Dover High School at 4:15 p.m.
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.
Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry. As an interior designer by trade, Rollins designed this booth to evoke a high-end department store to align with the designer brands she carries.
MILLERTON — The Townscape 50/50 raffle drawing has collected a pot of more than $7,000.
That raffle drawing will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. The moment is not just about picking a winner, but also about reflecting on how far Townscape has come since its humble beginnings in 1998, when founder Catherine Fenn — alongside Renee Vollen and Jan Gilmor — first set out to beautify her beloved village.
Fenn’s connection to Millerton runs deep. “I moved here from the Bronx when I was eight years old and fell in love with the place, even as a child,” she recalled, remembering camping trips at Rudd Pond and enjoying the quiet pace of life.
At 15, her family relocated to southern Connecticut. “My dad didn’t think there was much here for us, so we moved. I left kicking and screaming, literally, and I said, ‘Someday I’m coming back.’”
Years later, after marrying, divorcing, and raising children, Fenn kept that promise. She returned to Millerton and married a childhood friend who was very involved in the fire department. After his passing, Fenn threw herself into her own way of giving back.
“I care about this village deeply. Townscape is my way of helping Millerton be the best it can be,” she said.
What began as an informal effort to gather volunteers and plant flowers eventually blossomed into something larger. “We started with flowers up and down Main Street — barrels of them everywhere. Then it grew into benches, tables, trees and even events. It was such a fun world, a really wonderful organization with so many people involved.”
Fenn’s service to the community extends beyond beautification. She spent roughly two decades on the Planning Board, served as Town Supervisor and worked with the county housing authority. Still, her passion for flowers, trees and landscapes has left the most visible mark on Millerton — shaping not only how the village looks, but how it feels.
In 2006, Townscape became a nonprofit organization. But beautification, Fenn admits, isn’t always the easiest cause to fund. “We’re just putting flowers out — and I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because to me it’s really important. The trees, the benches, all of it matters. But it’s not high on most people’s list when they think about charitable donations. Still, people have been wonderfully generous over the years.”
This Saturday’s raffle drawing is one way neighbors can show their support. The winner does not have to be present to claim the prize, but those who stop by can enjoy cookies, lemonade and artwork by local creators on display in the park.
MILLBROOK — Local crows should prepare to become highly spooked as planners of Millbrook Community Day, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, have announced that a Scarecrow Contest will be part of the festivities.
Residents are invited to get creative and devise their own renditions of a scarecrow from traditional to whatever imagination might come up with.
Judging criteria will include creativity, including originality, new ideas, or perhaps whether the scarecrow tells a story. Design criteria include the creator’s technique, materials — recycled materials are emphatically a plus — and durability.
Rules include that scarecrows be free-standing, able to stand on their own or with minimal support. No scarecrow can be store-bought. Entries must be able to fit within a 6 x 6 foot space once assembled. A stand is available upon request. Scarecrows must be non-political, family friendly, and in a good-natured spirit.
Entrants are responsible for set-up, scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sept. 20, location to be assigned the week before. Judging will begin at 1 p.m. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m.
For more information and to register to participate, email mba@millbrooknewyork.com or go to www.millbrooknewyork.com/community-day-2025
