‘The world is in such a tumultuous place right now, and I feel that it is so paramount for us to continue to tell the stories that both reflect on the world and also represent a bit of respite,” said Allyn Burrows, artistic director of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass., as he accepted the award for Outstanding Production of a Play on behalf of his Company at the seventh Berkshire Theatre Awards Monday, Nov. 13, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, Mass.
The Berkies, as the awards are affectionately known in the local theater community, are accolades for “outstanding” achievements rather than the traditional “best” seen in many awards lists. “I don’t think there is anything called ‘best’ in the theater,” said Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) president J. Peter Bergman. “But what is ‘outstanding’ is what you can’t forget. And that’s what we award for: things that are so special that you just can’t forget about them.”
This year’s ceremony was hosted by Bergman along with board member Macey Levin, whose long career in theater includes a 14-year stint as artistic director of the former Salisbury-based Aglet Theatre Company.
There were ties in several categories this year, including Outstanding Production of a Musical, which was shared by Barrington Stage Company of Pittsfield for “Cabaret” and Sharon Playhouse in Connecticut for “Something Rotten.” Carl Andress, Sharon Playhouse’s artistic director, accepted the award, saying, “‘Something Rotten’ at our theater was truly something spectacular, as with all the work that is being honored here tonight, and we just couldn’t be happier to receive this.”
BTCA held its first awards ceremony in 2016, the idea of the organization’s late founder, Larry Murray, who was also the inspiration for the Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support Through Theater, which was given this year to Jean-Remy Monnay, founder of the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York.
“When I started the company,” Monnay said, “I was one of probably four or five Black actors in the area. I said, ‘The local theater companies have to do better, have to be more diverse.’”
In 2012, Monnay launched his first big production and said he “didn’t know if I was going to find seven Black men to do it… Today, to go around, to see three or four theater companies doing all Black plays, all Black actors, it’s a great thing to see.”
Emily Edelman is on the board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association
Millerton News
1990 Mazda Miata hard top/soft top. Manufactured Oct. 1989. 64,000 plus miles. 99% original parts. $20,500. 203-215-0729.
Garden Help. Looking for an experienced person to weed my acre garden and cut back some plants. In Salisbury. For July and August. Could continue into Fall. naylor99@gmail.com
Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking waitstaff. Lunch shifts available for weekdays with flexible shift options for weekends and some dinners as well. Call 413-528-0350 or send resumes to brandon@wyantenuck.org
Simple part-time help needed in Millerton garden, pleasant environment. Must have basic knowledge of plants/weeds. Pays well. Call 518-789-9289.
Hector Pacay Landscaping, LLC. Residential & Commercial. Tree service, Painting, Masonry, Stone Walls, Lawn Mowing, Gardens, Construction. 845-636-3212. CT and NY.
LOJA CLEANING AND JANITORIAL Home and Apartment Cleaning. Commercial Janitorial and Maintenance. Offices & Commercial Spaces. Move In/Move Out. Customized Deep Cleaning Projects. Licensed & Insured. 475-746-8621 or 475-529-6484. lojacleaningservices@gmail.com
PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
1 bdrm cottage for rent in Millerton. W/D, hardwood floors, garden. On a small farm with beautiful views. 15 min. drive to Harlem line. $1750/month plus heat & trash removal. References required. Call or email Shanna 845-337-7173 shannabarney@gmail.com
MT RIGA LAKEFRONT CABIN. Private beach, canoe, kayaks, fishing. $1,275/week. 585-355-5245.
ISO reasonably priced winter storage for small car and 16' boat within 20 miles of Millerton. Approx. October-May. 252-412.0228.
Millerton News
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Nathan Miller
Doug Broughton stands in his basement greenhouse in Wassaic on May 17. Broughton plans to open a dispensary in downtown Millerton at 32 Main St.
MILLERTON — Cannabis grower Douglas Broughton is still waiting on the Office of Cannabis Management to open his dispensary in Millerton.
His retail dispensary location at 32 Main St., in the former home of Demitasse and next door to what will soon be a Thai tea shop, has received site approval from the state’s cannabis regulation authority, but further approvals of the store’s interior and security systems are still pending.
“The next step is a walkthrough,” Broughton said, describing the lengthy process to attain approval for the retail element of his cannabis business from OCM.
Borughton first unveiled plans to open a dispensary in the shop in February of this year, originally aiming to open by mid-March.
Those hopes were soon dashed as March and April came and went, followed by May and June with no word from OCM regarding the status of his retail location.
Then, during a meeting of the state’s Cannabis Control Board in early July, regulators granted his license amendment that would allow him to move forward with the planned shop on Millerton’s Main Street.
Now, cannabis regulators are working through the final approval steps with Broughton. He said OCM officials needed to see certain documentation regarding the building’s legal occupancy status and verify the location’s security systems.
But that process was delayed by technical difficulties, Broughton said, when the OCM told him files he sent couldn’t be opened.
“They’re just nitpicking,” Broughton said. “I wasn’t annoyed until May.”
Among the additional requirements are verifications of his security system, the shop’s certificate of occupancy and connecting his point-of-sale system with his bank.
He said regulators require timestamped pictures from his security system and an additional third-party monitoring system — all of which he has submitted. The certificate of occupancy presents a different challenge, however, because the building his shop is in technically doesn’t have one. Instead, it has what’s known as a certificate of compliance because the building predates codes that require multiple exits for fire safety, he said. Broughton said he’s been advised that the document should satisfy OCM’s requirements, but he hasn’t received official word from the regulator yet.
He voiced frustration with the lengthy delays, acknowledging he expected the process to take between four to six months. As he stretches into the eighth month, however, the aggravation has grown.
“At this point it’s becoming a little insulting,” Broughton said.
Broughton said the interior space of the dispensary is nearing completion, including handcrafted cabinets and other furniture created by local woodworkers. A wooden sign currently hangs above the door at the Main Street location proclaiming it to be the home of Blackrabbit Farms.
Broughton offered an apology to locals over the delays, expressing disappointment that he missed out on opening the store earlier in the summer.
“I feel like I owe an apology to Millerton,” Broughton said. “I told them it was going to take a while, but I didn’t think eight months. This is becoming silly.”
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Jacquelyn Drain
Apartment buildings at 26-32 S. Center St. currently host four housing units. Owners are seeking to renovate a fifth at the property.
MILLERTON — Owners of a South Center Street apartment building can now move forward with a special permit application after the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance for parking at the property.
The Village of Millerton Zoning Board of Appeals granted a parking variance to the owners of 26-32 South Center St. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, allowing the property to be non-compliant with village parking laws.
Following a public hearing on Aug. 4, the board approved the variance sought by owner Alex Magalhaes for an exemption to the village’s minimum onsite parking requirements. Under village zoning code, residences must have space on the property for at least 1.5 cars per housing unit. Magalhaes is seeking to restore a fifth apartment on the property, bringing his total parking burden to 7.5 spaces.
The property has onsite parking for up to four cars, Magalhaes said in a July ZBA meeting, but no additional off-street parking exists on that parcel or neighboring parcels.
Board members said the variance will allow for more housing in the area, a key issue in the community. Because the space has operated as an apartment for many years without issue, the board concluded that parking conditions could continue as previously established.
Jenn Najdek, resident of 33-35 S. Center St. and Mayor of the village, expressed support for the proposed parking solution and parking on the street. Najdek’s grandparents and brother previously owned the property before it was purchased by Magalhaes.
“With Millerton not having a lot of housing, I can’t see the renovation of an existing apartment creating any more adverse driving or parking conditions than already exist,” Najdek said. “It wouldn’t affect me at all.”
Catherine Fenn, a Millerton Resident, also expressed support for the project.
“Seems pretty simple, the building has always had that many apartments,” Fenn said. “It sounds like a moot question.”
Following the public hearing, Magalhaes can now go back to the Planning Board for the special use permit he requested in June to renovate the fifth apartment.
“We’re not changing any layout inside, we’re keeping everything the same,” Magahlhaes said. “The building permit is for me to bring life to the unit.”
Nathan Miller
Dutchess County Legislators approved on Monday, Aug. 10, a ban on concentrated kratom products often sold at gas stations.
The proposal comes just over a week after County Executive Sue Serino issued a statement calling for a ban on all kratom product sales. Democratic members of the county legislature responded with a more focused ban that restricts the sale of concentrated, synthetic substances derived from kratom known as “7-OH,” or 7-hydroxymytraginine.
Kratom is the name for leaves from a southeast asian tree that has been used for millennia for pain relief, energy and spiritual purposes. Traditionally the leaf is smoked, chewed or brewed into a tea. Gas stations and tobacco stores across the U.S. sell bags of powdered kratom leaf alongside 7-OH and other synthetically-derived products.
Legislators contend the concentrated 7-OH products are dangerous and addictive, citing guidance from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and New York health authorities. The proposed county-wide ban will affect those products but allow the sale of “natural” leaf products below a certain potency. One of the resolution’s sponsors — Kristofer Munn, who represents Red Hook, Tivoli and Rhinebeck — said the potency and packaging of 7-OH products distinguished them from kratom leaf powders during a Thursday, Aug. 6, Government Services committee meeting.
“I know at least one resident of our town who overdosed and died as a result,” he said. “It’s just something that really is getting a lot of attention — the DEA is looking to move on it in the next few months.”
Authorities have said that concentrated 7-OH products pose a greater risk to the public because of their strength, likening them to prescription opioids such as morphine. Munn also drew attention to the products’ packaging and prominent location near the cash registers at gas stations, saying they appear attractive to vulnerable children.
Dutchess County legislators drew a distinction between the concentrated 7-OH products and “natural” kratom leaf products, saying in a statement the 7-OH compound occurs naturally in trace amounts in the leaf products. Synthetic derivatives concentrate this compound at much higher potencies, creating an opioid-like effect that legislators say is addictive and dangerous.
New York State lawmakers restricted sale of all kratom products to adults over 21 at the end of 2025. A bill currently being deliberated by lawmakers seeks to ban 7-OH products statewide.
Munn said the county-wide ban follows the logic in those state efforts and in DEA guidance. It breaks with Serino’s call to ban all kratom products outright, and county legislator John Metzger, who represents East Fishkill, pointed out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance saying no kratom products are safe as dietary supplements.
“If the FDA is saying ‘no, the leaf is no good,’ and we’re saying ‘we’re going to keep it on the shelf because people use it,’ that’s what I don’t understand,” he said. “Is the FDA only speaking about the synthetic and the high doses?”
Munn said FDA approval is not required for dietary supplements, and that kratom leaf users are typically adults using the product for spiritual purposes or as a self-administered medicine. He pointed to DEA efforts to temporarily schedule the synthetic 7-OH products, saying health authorities are recognizing a difference between the pills and leaf products that warrant treating each differently under the law.
The law draws a hard line between kratom leaf products and all other synthetically-derived alternatives. Munn said the bill restricts the sale of 7-OH and all other synthetic derivatives of the kratom leaf, including any that have yet to be developed and distributed to retailers.
The ban is set to go into effect immediately. First offense violations carry a maximum $1,500 fine with all subsequent violations carrying maximum $3,000 fines.
Gas stations in northeast Dutchess County could not be reached for comment on the legislation.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Luiza, 6; Cecilia, 4; Nathan, 4; and Aria, 6, show off their face paint and balloon animals during the fifth annual Lakeville Journal Street Fair on Aug. 8.
SALISBURY, Conn. — Live music, lobster rolls, face painting and a mix of local nonprofit organizations filled Academy Street in downtown Salisbury on Saturday, Aug. 8, for the fifth annual street fair hosted by The Lakeville Journal.
Audrey Cole of the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA) was on site with information on the often-bewildering subject of Medicare.
Cole, who lives in Sharon, said the WCAAA is a nonprofit serving 41 towns in Western Connecticut with Medicare counseling, Alzheimer’s care, caregiver support, meals, transportation, chore assistance and more.
Medicare is always a hot topic, she said, in part because figuring out which program to choose — and when to sign up — can be difficult.
“There are lots of deadlines, lots of programs,” she said.
The advantage in asking WCAAA for help, Cole said, is its independence.
“We work for the taxpayers. We don’t steer anyone in any direction.”
Cole said the two big questions someone new to Medicare needs to answer are “How is your overall health?” and “What is your financial situation?”
Nearby, Danny Tieger was tuning his guitar in anticipation of a crowd of youngsters eager to hear live music. When they appeared, he had them brainstorm about what kind of animal they’d like to hear a song about. As the children pitched ideas, Tieger drew rapidly on a sketchpad propped up on an easel for everyone to see.
The children came up with a combination of a lion, a bird and an alligator.
Some people might find that melange a little daunting, but Tieger immediately launched into a song, made up on the spot.
“What’s our alligator-bird-lion’s name?” he asked.
“Chomps,” said a little boy.
“Chomps it is,” Tieger replied.
In the parking lot of Johnnycake Books, Linda Ciano, director of community engagement for Project SAGE, greeted visitors beneath a large tent.
The Lakeville-based nonprofit domestic violence agency has two fundraisers currently underway.
“The Bling’s the Thing” offers jewelry donated by supporters at bargain prices, while a five-dollar bill gets shoppers an extra sturdy, large blue Project SAGE tote bag.
Project SAGE is also sponsoring a community art project and inviting anyone to participate — no artistic skills required. The results will be displayed at an event at the Scoville Memorial Library on Sunday, Sept. 13.
At the Salisbury Association, Lou Bucceri held forth on a range of local history, from Salisbury’s iron industry and the role of its cannons in the American Revolution to the Holley knife collection and Ethan Allen’s insistence on being inoculated against smallpox by his friend Dr. Thomas Young of Amenia Union.
The idea of deliberately injecting a healthy person with a small amount of a disease was very new and, to many, seemed unwise if not downright evil. So Allen got his smallpox inoculation on the steps on the Congregational Church on a Sunday, for maximum publicity.
“And he was hauled into court on a charge of blasphemy,” Bucceri said.
Allen subsequently beat the charge.
Around 1 p.m. John Keilty of Litchfield took over the live music duties. He set up a Bo Diddley beat on one note, turning it into a repeating motif recorded electronically. He then soloed over it, soaring off in unexpected directions before bringing it back to the riff.
Keilty said his primary job is running a guitar repair business. He plays in a couple of bands, including Shake the Dust out of Litchfield.
“We call ourselves the Farm Band, because we always seem to play events held at farms,” he said.
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