The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News presented the 2025 Estabrook Community Leadership Award to Bunny Williams on Nov. 22 at the Town Grove in Lakeville.
The award, named for longtime Lakeville Journal and Millerton News owners Robert and Mary Lou Estabrook, honors individuals who exemplify community spirit and leadership. This year’s presentation took place during the newspapers’ second annual Jubilee.
Addressing more than 100 attendees, Brian Ross, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, underscored why Williams was chosen. “Bunny has always believed, as we do at our newspapers, that community matters, and that local matters,” he said.
Williams has spent decades bolstering local organizations. She helped launch Trade Secrets 25 years ago, turning it into a major fundraiser for Project Sage, the region’s domestic violence agency. She has hosted events for local libraries, supported the Falls Village Daycare Center and Music Mountain, and founded The Great County Mutt Show to benefit The Little Guild.
Board Chair Dan Dwyer urged attendees to follow Williams’ example. “Get informed, stay informed and get involved in your community to make it a little better than it was – that’s what Bunny has done,” he said.
In her tribute, Betsy Smith — a close friend of Williams and chair of the Jubilee — called the honoree honest, energetic and warm. “She’s the essence of being civic minded,” Smith said. “I could not be prouder to be in her orbit of friendship, warmth, commitment, and making our community a better place.”
Michael Trapp, left, and Hillary Cooper
Ross presented Williams with the award, which she immediately dedicated back to the community.
“What I learned is that the best part of this community – as beautiful as it is – is the people. I may have an idea, but it’s just an idea,” Williams said. “It is the effort and the commitment and the generosity of people who step up to the plate to make these events happen and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
James Clark, CEO/Publisher of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News
Publisher James Clark congratulated Williams before highlighting the vital role of local journalism. “When you read The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, you become more informed about what’s happening in your communities – and more connected to your community,” he said, adding his thanks to the attendees whose support helps the newspapers thrive.
John Coston, center, recently retired executive editor of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News
Director Yael Melamede and her mother Ada Karmi Melamade in ‘Ada: My Mother the Architect.’
The buildings are the easy part: Ada’s creations are unequivocally beautiful, and her daughter is up to the challenge of capturing their essence on film. Using a combination of unique perspective, time-lapse sequences and archival material, we’re treated to a symphony of light.
Provided
“I think that with one beam of light that falls right, it can change everything,” Melamade says, and we see her buildings — Jerusalem’s Supreme Court building and the Ben Gurion Airport among them —bloom and glow in some of the most breathtaking sequences.
But the film’s heart lies in the sometimes strained relationship between mother and daughter. “How [did] you love me for so many years?” Ada asks her daughter during one interview. “I wasn’t with you.” It’s a cutting message that has special resonance during the holiday season: Where are the lines between work and life, and how do we know when they need to be redrawn?
“Ada: My Mother the Architect” will screen at the Moviehouse in Millerton on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. A Q&A with director Yael Melamede will follow the film. Tickets at themoviehouse.net.
Graham Corrigan is a writer and musician from Philadelphia currently living in Lakeville.
