Brian Rojas, 14, of Dover Plains needs a lifesaving blood stem cell transplant. According to DKMS, an international organization dedicated to helping people fight blood cancers, 70% of patients suffering from blood-related illnesses rely on donors from outside their families.
DOVER PLAINS — Brian Rojas, of Dover Plains, and his family are seeking blood stem cell donors to aid in his fight against myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of disorders caused by deformed or malfunctioning blood cells.
A donor drive to search for eligible stem cell donors will be held Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Grand Ballroom on Westchester Avenue in Port Chester, New York.
The donor drive is a simple swab to find an eligible donor. According to DKMS, an international organization dedicated to fighting blood cancers and helping families find donors, 70% of patients suffering from blood-related illnesses rely on donors from outside their families. Minority populations are underrepresented in the donor pool. Hispanic patients like Rojas have a harder time finding eligible donors.
Anyone in good health — especially members of the hispanic community — between the age of 18 to 55 is encouraged to attend the donor drive March 8. Potential registrants will review medical eligibility, fill out a registration form, swab the insides of their cheeks, and then drop off their completed packet before leaving the drive.
Rojas is a freshman at Dover Plains high school where he is an honors student and active student athlete.
Rojas’s latest struggle with myelodysplastic syndromes is just the latest in a lifetime of dealing with illness. At four years old Rojas was diagnosed with a rare genetic brain disease and received gene therapy, allowing him a second chance at life.
Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
The Wastewater Committee elected officers and discussed priorities for the coming year at its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Unanimously re-elected to serve as chairman was Charlie Miller and John Stewart was re-elected to the position of Secretary.
Noting overlap between the Water District and the Wastewater District, Miller said that the Wastewater Committee should remain aware of what the impending Water District Capital Project is.
Noting that repairs to the Water District have been deferred for 20 years, Miller described work needed on the town wells, the pump house, water tank, and replacement of some water mains, including undersized mains affecting system pressure.
Given the impending water project, expected to cost up to $3.9 million, Miller saw a need to pause the wastewater project for up to a year, while continuing focus on two years of required groundwater testing and negotiating a site for the modern treatment facility. Both aspects are important to any grant application process.
Another goal to be pursued during the coming year is to find a person or mechanism from a board or committee to put together a fund that could support wastewater project costs.
The Millbrook girls varsity basketball squad put up a solid fight against Rondout in the first three quarters of the Wednesday, Feb. 19, game at Millbrook High School. The score was close until the last quarter when Rondout put up 18 points to win 37-23.
MILLBROOK — The Millbrook varsity girls basketball squad hosted Rondout High School Wednesday, Feb. 19, for the final home game of the regular basketball season.
The at-once competitive match ended in a Rondout blowout of 37-23 after the Rondout girls went on an impressive scoring run in the final quarter.
Millbrook held their own against the visiting squad for the first half, putting up 12 points against Roundout’s 14. Abby McEnroe, no. 1, and Makenna Freeswick, no. 5, led scoring for the Millbrook Blazers with 6 points each. McEnroe’s 6 points came from two three-pointers, one in the first quarter and the second in the third quarter.
Millbrook's Abby McEnroe, no. 1, put up six points to be one of the Blazers' top scorers for the night.Photo by Nathan Miller
At the end of the third quarter, the Blazers led Rondout 20-19, setting the stage for an epic battle in the final quarter.
Rondout met the challenge readily, nearly doubling their score in just eight minutes and denying much of Millbrook’s attempts at the net.
CANAAN — Donna Aakjar passed away peacefully on Feb. 20, 2025 at Noble Horizons. Born on Dec. 14, 1941, at Geer Hospital in Canaan to Maybelle Voorhees and Louis Peder Aakjar, Donna’s life was a testament to education, service and a deep love of the arts.
She attended North Canaan Elementary School and the Housatonic Valley Regional high before graduating from Southern Connecticut State College. Donna began her career teaching fifth grade at Sharon CenterSchool. While teaching, she earned a master’s degree in Library Science and became the first librarian in the newly renovated basement library. Later, the library was relocated upstairs and, several yearsthereafter, was completely redesigned under her guidance.
After retirement, Donna continued to nurture her passion for reading by working in the children’s department at Oblong Books. Throughout her career, she touched countless lives, and in her later years, many came forward to express their gratitude and admiration for her contributions. She also served on the board of NCCC and was president of a chapter of the NEA. An avid lover of the arts, Donna’s legacy is further enriched by the joy she shared with others-so much so that for her epitaph she requested the words of a former student: “She read to us with such joy.”
Later in life, Donna became a devoted animal lover, cherishing her poodle Honey Bun and her cats Gracie and Rosie. She is survived by her sisters; Nancy Perry, Sheffield Massachusetts and Maryann Aakjar of Boston; her nieces, Donna Perry of San Antonio, Texas and Linda Snyder of Hiram, Georgia, and her grandniece, Madison Snyder of Powder Spring, Georgia.
A beloved sister and aunt, Donna was cherished by all her knew her. Our heartfelt thanks go to the staff at Geer Lodger-especially those on the Hillside Unit for their compassionate care. Memorial services will be held in the spring.
North East Town Hall on Maple Avenue in Millerton.
MILLERTON — On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Town of North East held a special meeting with Town Board members and Zoning Board of Appeals chair Edith Greenwood to discuss some definition adjustments on the drafted zoning amendments.
The board members went through a handful of the defined terms to be changed, added or fully eliminated. A few examples of changes that were made varied from swapping out the expression “maid” to “housekeeping” and deleting “sanitarium” and “sanatorium.”
“Senior housing is a general term, so that might be what we want to use,” said board member Chris Mayville. “Elder housing or assisted living, memory care facilities, those are all licensed, as opposed to senior housing.”
The goal of the drafted vocabulary for the new zoning amendments is to ensure the town will have clear and precise definitions to prevent future confusion. “I think this is progress,” town supervisor Chris Kennan said. “We are moving forward through different pieces of this.”
The more than 150 page draft the Zoning Review Committee proposed to the board is available to view on the Town of North East’s website under the committee’s tab.
The board briefly mentioned various ways future sidewalk issues may be addressed. “The Zoning Review Committee has given us language which requires that a new development on the Boulevard for a substantial renovation or expansion exceeding $250,000,” Kennan said. “Either of those would require putting in a sidewalk on that parcel.”
According to the board, it is not the most preferable method of sidewalk development as it relies on selling every parcel to avoid gaps. “There are other ways of getting sidewalks going. One of them is through getting the state involved, which would look like to state funding – or the town doing it’s the town taking on some part of that,” Kennan said. “That would be the quickest way to get it. A uniform sidewalk would look the same all the way out.”
Kennan mentioned the possibility of partnering with a business improvement district to finance and construct sidewalks.
Greenwood also raised the recommendation of having sidewalks on both sides of the street to promote safety for pedestrians in town. The town board may revisit this idea as sidewalk development plans continue to take shape.
