Harney family to receive Estabrook Community Leadership Award

The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News will present the inaugural Robert & Mary Lou Estabrook Community Leadership Award, with gratitude and appreciation, to the Harney family at a Jubilee Country Luncheon on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Salisbury Town Grove.

The Harneys are champions of local institutions, not just as employers and businesspeople, but as active and prominent supporters of a wide range of community organizations that provide essential services throughout the region.

When informed about her family receiving the award, Elyse Harney shared these thoughts: “To receive the Estabrook Community Leadership Award from The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News is a profound honor for my family. Having known Bob and Mary Lou and their dedicated devotion to this community and to making dependable news service a part of the community, we hope this will offer encouragement to all residents to continue this level of excellence. We still depend on volunteers for essential services: fire, ambulance, nursing, library and schools to name just a few. I have seen these and many other organizations that make life here so special grow through the time and talent our volunteers are able to offer. We welcome our new residents and urge them to share the joy of helping neighbors.”

Jubilee chair, Matthew Patrick Smyth, added: “Like many of us who have made this corner of Connecticut and New York their home, my first contact here was Elyse Harney. Through Elyse and her family, I was welcomed and quickly felt connected to the community. I observed firsthand how the Harneys contribute and give back to this area with unwavering kindness, commitment, and support. I invite you all to join The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News in celebrating their contributions.”

James Clark, the publisher of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, said: “In creating the award, we honor the community spirit of Mary Lou and Robert Estabrook. During their tenure, the newspapers flourished, but they knew that independent, quality news was not the only way to serve the community. We continue today in the standard they set for community leadership.”

For more information, contact jubilee@millertonnews.com.