Copake holds 4th Annual Cupcake Celebration

Copake holds 4th Annual Cupcake Celebration

Winner of the kids’ competition at the 4th Annual Cupcake Celebration was Lyra Cochrane, 9, with Kate Lanphear, a judge.

Janet Mackin

COPAKE — Sugar filled the air at the Fourth Annual Copake Cupcake Celebration on Sunday, June 23 at the Copake Grange Hall.

Starting at 11 a.m. cars began to line Empire Road as the Copake Grange was transformed into the “Cupcake Grange” fundraiser organized by the Friends of the Copake Grange.

One thousand cupcakes!

That’s how many of the hand-sized delights were prepared this year by 46 bakers organized by the Grange’s Paulette Bonano.

“Copake rhymes with cupcake,” said Janet Mackin, “This is my dream come true.”

“It’s always sold out,” Mackin said as she recalled that at last year’s event 716 cupcakes were sold a the going rate: $1 per.

Veronica McTiernan, president of the Friends of the Copake Grange, handled ticket sales and barely had time to answer questions as a steady stream poured into the hall.

Cupcake lovers of all ages crowded up to the tables, exchanging their $1 tickets for the sweets that they placed very carefully into cardboard containers. The confectionary congregants were entertained by Harry Hussey and Lenny Bardham of the House Band.

Children milled, seemingly agog at the display of rows and rows of cupcakes, and parents and grandparents seemed to be mostly in charge of the selection process. Some tried their luck at the Wheel of Fortune supervised by Vicki Sander and Liz Fenamore.

Judges — Caden Cochrane, Kate Lanphear and Seung Suh— stood by in the mix, carefully tasting and examining entries.

Stephanie Rabin was winner of “The Ultimate Copake Cupcake” with a gluten and dairy free “Put the Lime in the Coconut” cupcake, a reference to the Harry Nilsson song. The People’s Choice award went to Madeline Silverman for a “Blueberry Crumb Cupcake.”

Lyra Cochrane, 9, won the Children’s Award. Last year’s winner was Natalia Coleman, 8, of San Diego, California, who was visiting with grandparents Steve and Dana Colman of Copake and making a cameo appearance on the floor, but not competing.

Sylvia McLaughlin of Copake had her arms full with 1 1/2 year old Jackson hoisted on one arm and a fistful of tickets and a cardboard container in the other. It wasn’t clear how she would proceed.

Louise Shelton

The Ultimate Copake Cupcake “Put the Lime in the Coconut.”

Latest News

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Help Wanted

PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.

The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

To save birds, plant for caterpillars

Fireweed attracts the fabulous hummingbird sphinx moth.

Photo provided by Wild Seed Project

You must figure that, as rough as the cold weather has been for us, it’s worse for wildlife. Here, by the banks of the Housatonic, flocks of dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, tufted titmice and black-capped chickadees have taken up residence in the boxwood — presumably because of its proximity to the breakfast bar. I no longer have a bird feeder after bears destroyed two versions and simply throw chili-flavored birdseed onto the snow twice a day. The tiny creatures from the boxwood are joined by blue jays, cardinals and a solitary flicker.

These birds will soon enough be nesting, and their babies will require a nonstop diet of caterpillars. This source of soft-bodied protein makes up more than 90 percent of native bird chicks’ diets, with each clutch consuming between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars before they fledge. That means we need a lot of caterpillars if we want our bird population to survive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and the home for American illustration

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett

L. Tomaino
"The field of illustration is very close to my heart"
— Stephanie Plunkett

For more than three decades, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett has worked to elevate illustration as a serious art form. As chief curator and Rockwell Center director at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she has helped bring national and international attention to an art form long dismissed as merely commercial.

Her commitment to illustration is deeply personal. Plunkett grew up watching her father, Joseph Haboush, an illustrator and graphic designer, work late into the night in his home studio creating art and hand-lettered logos for package designs, toys and licensed-character products for the Walt Disney Co. and other clients.

Keep ReadingShow less
Free film screening and talk on end-of-life care
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
Provided

Craig Davis, co-founder and board chair of East Mountain House, an end-of-life care facility in Lakeville, will sponsor a March 5 screening of the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” at The Moviehouse in Millerton, followed by a discussion with attendees.

The film, which is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, follows the poet Andrea Gibson and their partner Megan Falley as they are suddenly and unimaginably forced to navigate a terminal illness. The free screening invites audiences to gather not just for a film but for reflection on mortality, healing, connection and the ways communities support one another through difficult life transitions.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.