Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.
community

Dick Hermans to receive the Estabrook Community Leadership Award

Award to be presented at the annual Lakeville Journal and Millerton News Jubilee on Oct. 11

Dick Hermans to receive the Estabrook Community Leadership Award

Dick Hermans celebrating Oblong’s 50th last summer with his daughter, Suzanna (middle) and original bookstore partner, Holly Nelson (left).

Photo by Aly Morrissey

FALLS VILLAGE — The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News will present the 2026 Estabrook Community Leadership Award to Dick Hermans at the annual Jubilee celebration on October 11 at the Sharon Playhouse.

The award honors outstanding leadership in community service. Joan Osofsky and Suzanna Hermans are serving as co-chairs of the event. More than 50 community members, reflecting Dick’s wide influence and his support of writers, editors and publishers, have joined the Host Committee to support both Dick’s recognition and the annual fundraising effort for The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News.

A co-founder and longtime steward of Oblong Books, Dick has spent decades championing writers, readers, and independent bookselling. Equally important, he has generously—and often quietly—devoted his time, energy, and leadership to strengthening Millerton and the surrounding communities. His contributions have included leadership roles and active involvement with the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, the Millerton Business Alliance, the Irondale Schoolhouse, and his long-running New Harmony radio program on WKZE.

“I am honored by this award from The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News,” said Hermans. “I feel lucky to live in a region with so many remarkable nonprofit organizations and civic leaders working every day to strengthen our communities. Any contributions I have made have been possible because I have had the privilege of working alongside generous, committed people who care deeply about where we live.”

“Dick’s community leadership is a model for us all,” said James Clark, Publisher and CEO of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News. “For decades, he has devoted his time, energy, and resources to causes that improve the quality of life in our region. He has done so with humility, generosity, and a deep belief in the value of community. We are delighted to honor Dick with the Estabrook Community Leadership Award and to celebrate his remarkable contributions.”

The award was inspired by Mary Lou and Robert Estabrook, who owned the newspapers from 1970 to 1986 and later served as dedicated board members. Committed to public service, they believed that publishing independent, high-quality local journalism was only one way to strengthen a community. In addition to their own nonprofit work, they also celebrated the contributions of fellow citizens who did the same. During their stewardship, the newspapers flourished, and Robert Estabrook’s editorials were twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Millerton News
community

Latest News

State denies Shepherd's Run solar farm

State denies Shepherd's Run solar farm

New York State's Office of Renewable Energy Siting denied an application from Chicago-based Hecate Energy LLC that would have resulted in a 42-megawatt solar farm across 700 acres in Craryville, a hamlet in the Town of Copake.

Photo by Nathan Miller

COPAKE — New York State denied Hecate Energy LLC’s application for a more than 700-acre solar project, pointing to two factors: floodplain and community protection issues, and identification of and protection of wetland resources in this rural hamlet.

Jason Zehr, interim executive director of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, issued the decision on Wednesday, Oct. 14, five days before the clock was to run out for the state to approve or deny the Chicago-based company’s application.

Keep ReadingShow less
renewable energy

Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

Keep ReadingShow less

The Millerton News - October 15, 2026

The Millerton News - October 15, 2026

Download directly

google preferred source

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

The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less
education

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less
our community

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
film
google preferred source

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