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

Examining Mohawk Mountain’s rich history

Examining Mohawk Mountain’s rich history

James Shay signed copies of his book “Mohawk Mountain Skl Area: The Birth of Snowmaking” after a talk at Hotchkiss Library of Sharon Feb. 2.

Matthew Kreta

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon hosted local author James Shay Feb. 2 for a talk on his new book “Mohawk Mountain Ski Area: The Birth of Snowmaking.”

The book follows the life of Mohawk founder Walt Schoenknecht and his important contributions to the sport of skiing.

The evening presentation was delivered to an engaged audience of skiing fans in the library’s main room. Shay began his talk with a few photographs of views from the top of Mohawk Mountain, showing distant mountain ranges, uniquely eroded rock faces and structures that still stand from the times of the revolutionary war.

Shay showed pamphlets, posters and original hand drawn maps and designs from when Mohawk first opened in 1947.

Shay spoke about the life of Walt Shoenknecht, the main subject of his book. Shoenknecht founded the Mohawk ski trails in 1947, leasing the land in 1946 and spending $45,000 on the construction of the ski area.

In Mohawk’s second season, Mohawk did not get any snow and resorted to ordering several tons of ice blocks, crushing them and spreading them on the slopes. This process was time consuming, costly and overall a worse experience than real snow. From this season, Shoenknecht got the idea to look into snowmaking.Shoenknecht enlisted the help of the TEY Manufacturing company, run by Wayne Pierce, Dave Richey and Art Hunt. The three engineers used the research of Ray Ringer to build the first snow making machines. These machines were brought to Mohawk and are the first documented case of a trial run of the snow making machine.

TEY ended up filing the first patent for these devices, and snow machines were installed on the mountain. The machines continued to develop and evolve up through the 1980’s and today there are one hundred modern snow machines on the slopes of Mohawk.

Shoenknecht was inducted into the skiing hall of fame in 1979 for his many contributions to the sport introduced in his ski areas on Mohawk and Mount Snow in Vermont. Today, Shoenkneckt’s daughter Carol Lugar remains the president of Mohawk as one of the few remaining family-owned ski areas in the United States.

Matthew Kreta
book talk

Latest News

Toddler movement pilot demonstrates community-led approach for programming at NECC

Toddler movement pilot demonstrates community-led approach for programming at NECC

Kim Yarnell, right, leads a group of toddlers and parents in basic ballet lessons at the North East Community Center office on South Center Street in Millerton on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — The North East Community Center is a great place to get the wiggles out.

That’s the consensus from a room full of bouncing toddlers at the final weekly “Toddler Movement” class at the NECC office on South Center Street on Sunday, Oct. 11. The six-week dance lesson program was a pilot spearheaded by Millerton parent Kim Yarnell to provide some much desired social time outside the house.

Keep ReadingShow less
community

Pine Plains school board votes to close Cold Spring

Pine Plains school board votes to close Cold Spring

PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains Board of Education voted unanimously Oct. 6 to close Cold Spring Early Learning Center in Stanford, ending a debate that has lasted for more than two years.

Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, roughly 150 students in pre-K through first grade at Cold Spring will move to Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center in Pine Plains. “This decision was not made lightly or precipitously,” Superintendent Dr. Brian Timm said in a statement. “We will continue to provide frequent updates as we move through the transition process. Our priority remains what is in the best interest of our students.”

Keep ReadingShow less
education

County legislators propose covering Flock cameras if not removed

County legislators propose covering Flock cameras if not removed

POUGHKEEPSIE — A resolution requiring Dutchess County to cover its deactivated Flock Safety cameras was unanimously advanced in the Dutchess County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee this week. That will include cameras in Millerton and Amenia, even if they’re on private property.

The cameras, which capture the license plates of passing cars, were decommissioned after a public forum in Pleasant Valley last month. Following that meeting, Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi and Sheriff Kirk Imperati announced on Sept. 25 that all 60-plus cameras owned or operated by the county would be immediately deactivated. The cameras are to be physically removed by Oct. 25.

Keep ReadingShow less
dutchess county
google preferred source

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

Millerton News celebrates 5th anniversary as nonprofit, honors community leader Dick Hermans

Millerton News celebrates 5th anniversary as nonprofit, honors community leader Dick Hermans

From left, Board Chair Dan Dwyer, Publisher and CEO James Clark, Estabrook Community Leadership Award recipient Dick Hermans, his daughter Suzanna Hermans and Jubilee co-chair Joan Osofsky at the annual gala Oct. 11.

Photo by Patrick Stachniak

The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, published by the nonprofit organization LJMN Media, held their annual Jubilee gala at the Sharon Playhouse Sunday, Oct. 11, to celebrate five years of nonprofit ownership and honor Dick Hermans with the Estabrook Community Leadership Award.

About 200 attendees, including contributors, board members and staff, gathered in the Bok Gallery at the Sharon Playhouse at 49 Amenia Road to enjoy food and a live performance by The Joint Chiefs and pay tribute to Hermans.

Keep ReadingShow less
millerton news

Amenia Harvest Festival returns for second year

Amenia Harvest Festival returns for second year

Amenia’s annual Harvest Festival will celebrate its second year of family fun with expanded activities. The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

East Main Street (Route 343, east of the traffic light) between Fountain Square and Mechanic Street will be alive with food, music, and a variety of vendors. Watch for a magician roaming through the crowd to delight children, along with a Bounce House and face painting.

Keep ReadingShow less
events

Fall wagon rides

Fall wagon rides

Residents celebrated their Fall Festival at The Fountains by joining in an annual tractor-drawn wagon ride on Wednesday, Oct. 7. They were on the first of three scheduled rides throughout the day, where residents toured the former Hope Farms and campus of the Greer School that once stood on land that is now The Fountains. Narrating the tour was Marcia Berry, Housekeeping Director at The Fountains, whose mother-in-law, Jan Berry, attended Greer School.

Photo by Leila Hawken

Residents celebrated their Fall Festival at The Fountains by joining in an annual tractor-drawn wagon ride on Wednesday, Oct. 7. They were on the first of three scheduled rides throughout the day, where residents toured the former Hope Farms and campus of the Greer School that once stood on land that is now The Fountains. Narrating the tour was Marcia Berry, Housekeeping Director at The Fountains, whose mother-in-law, Jan Berry, attended Greer School.

the fountains
google preferred source

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