Ancram neighbors association makes five educational grants

ANCRAM — Five Ancram residents have received grants from Ancram Neighbors Helping Neighbors Association which will allow them to continue on their educational paths, all of which are leading toward careers that will help others.

Several community members also were provided assistance with other educational projects.

According to a release from the group, the grants, established in memory of area residents Adrienne Citrin and Sally Berg, received an extra boost this year from an anonymous donor to the Citrin program whose contributions allowed the grants, designed to support students with related educational expenses not normally covered by scholarships, to be doubled.

Headed to SUNY Empire State College in the Spring, Amya Anderson is aiming for a NYS Teaching Certificate as she majors in early childhood education and completes her degree at Columbia-Greene Community College this fall.

A sophomore at SUNY Oneonta and the recipient both last and this year’ Sally Berg Memorial Scholarship, Aidan Damon is following his dreams as he works for a degree in Criminal Justice.

Massachusettes College of Liberal arts senior and graduate of Columbia-Greene Community College, Matthew Damon, is headed toward a NYS Teaching Certification and a degree in history while contributing to the school’s NCAA Division 3 baseball program.
A senior transfer at the University of Albany from Columbia-Greene Community College, psychology major Emily Mason is aiming for a master’s in mental health counseling and a private practice.

A 2024 graduate of Taconic Hills School District, Julia Thomas is headed for the University of Vermont with a major in animal science as she prepares to become a veterinarian specializing in equine veterinary medicine.

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LJMN Media, publisher of The Lakeville Journal (first published in 1897) and The Millerton News (first published in 1932) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization.

We seek to help readers make more informed decisions through comprehensive news coverage of communities in Northwest Connecticut and Eastern Dutchess County in New York.

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Pine Plains Bombers defeated at Section IX Regional

Giana Dormi, no. 3 of Pine Plains, and Michelle Blackburn, no. 12 of Pine Plains, put the pressure on Juliana Manginelli, no. 11 of Tuckahoe, as she tries to find a pass during the second round of the regional tournament at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. on Tuesday, March 11.

Photo by Nathan Miller

NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The Pine Plains Bombers were knocked out in second round of the Section IX regional tournament after a hard fought game against the Tuckahoe Tigers on Tuesday, March 11.

The Bombers won the tip and got off to an early lead, but the Tuckahoe Tigers outpaced them quickly and finished the game 59-25.

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County comptroller releases special report on federal funding

Dan Aymar-Blair

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POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess comptroller Dan Aymar-Blair released a special report early last week on federal monies and how they move through the county level, including the disbursement process in the county; how federal funding benefits Dutchess residents and whether any fiscal distribution issues have surfaced locally as a result of actions taken on behalf of the Trump administration.

According to Aymar-Blair’s report, federal programming represents roughly 10% of Dutchess expenditures, not including any COVID-19 assistance. As an illustration of federal- to county-level distribution and spending, in 2023, under the Biden administration, the county received approximately $65 million from the U.S. government with $25 million going toward direct aid in support of such programs as home energy assistance and food stamps. Federal monies were also disbursed — and continue to be directed — toward county-level agencies, programming and supports such as adoption, foster care and child care needs, emergency/disaster assistance, infrastructure development and maintenance, and workforce initiatives.

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‘Selected Shorts’ comes to Stissing Center

The Stissing Center was bustling just before the show on Sunday, March 9.

Photo by Alec Linden

PINE PLAINS — The Stissing Center was packed on Sunday for an afternoon performance of podcast and NPR series “Selected Shorts.” The sold-out show, which was recorded for national broadcast at a later date, brought a lineup of four accomplished actors and storytellers to the Pine Plains stage to recite a selection of short stories from award-winning authors.

“Selected Shorts,” a product of Manhattan-based performing arts powerhouse Symphony Space, features prominent actors who recite works of short fiction. The full program usually revolves around a theme; Sunday afternoon’s focus was “transformations.”
Comedian, writer and actress Ophira Eisenberg — or “renaissance woman of storytelling,” as Stissing Center Executive Director Patrick Trettenero introduced her — assumed hosting duties, warming up the crowd with jokes about Brooklyn egg prices and doctors with self-esteem issues — “I want a megalomaniac with a god complex and no hobbies.”

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