Village Board candidate Katie Cariello plants roots, seeks growth for Millerton

Katie Cariello is cross endorsed by Democrats and Republicans in the June 17 election.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
Katie Cariello is cross endorsed by Democrats and Republicans in the June 17 election.
MILLERTON — Katie Cariello, the uncontested Democratic candidate for one of two open seats on the Village Board, is becoming a familiar face around town. As the food programs coordinator for the North East Community Center, she helps lead the Millerton Farmers Market, which kicked off its 2025 outdoor season on May 17.
“I’m realizing I need to have something on me that says I’m staff,” Cariello jokes of her new role at the helm of the market. “I want people to know I’m there to help and not just peering into their bags asking what they’re getting.”
Jokes aside, Cariello says she has a big vision for the market — one that supports both vendors and shoppers. “I want to focus on the growth of the market,” she says. “And not only growing our vendors, but growing our audience.”
Raising awareness is her first order of business. “We see a lot of folks come in for the weekend, but we want to make sure that people who live here know it’s accessible to them, too.”
She emphasizes that prices at the Millerton Farmers Market are often comparable to — or even more affordable than — those at local grocery stores. The market also accepts SNAP benefits and credit cards. “Not only are you getting local, fresh food that’s coming from 20 minutes down the road,” she adds, “you’re supporting your neighbors.”
Cariello and her husband were among the many who relocated to Millerton during the pandemic. Arriving in 2022, they quickly decided to put down roots and bought a home in the Village the following year. A Long Island native, Cariello has lived and worked in New York City and Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, with experience spanning education, youth programming and food insecurity.
Her interest in food justice began with a chance encounter outside a Queens coffee shop. “There was a small farm stand outside, and I happened to start talking to these folks from Hellgate Farm in Astoria,” Cariello recalls, remembering how she bought figs grown in someone’s backyard. “I started volunteering with them, and that opened my eyes to urban farming, food insecurity, and what other professional and volunteer opportunities could look like.”
Later, while living in Pittsburgh, Cariello worked on youth initiatives at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. One program, “Weekend Meals,” provided pre-packaged food for students who relied on school lunches. “We would pack small bags that were discreetly placed in their lockers,” she says, noting how she also worked to reduce stigma by using inclusive language and ensuring easy access.
Her career also includes several roles in New York City government. She worked for a city council member, fundraised for the Queens Borough president, and helped launch the Department of Education’s Pre-K for All initiative in 2014.
Through those experiences, the concept of growing your own food became increasingly important to her. “It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to be working for the NECC farmers market right here in Millerton,” she says.
Outside of work, Cariello brings that passion home. She tends to both a vegetable garden and a native garden designed to support the local ecosystem. “We’ve got pepper plants — Shishito, which I’m really excited about — winter squash, pepprocha, basil and radishes.”
As Cariello looks to shape Millerton’s future as a Village Trustee, her garden feels like a fitting metaphor for her political aspirations: bringing together local and outside elements in thoughtful harmony.
“I like to see the bigger picture,” she says. Her goal, she explains, is to make residents with diverse viewpoints feel heard. “I want to bring people back to politics. I know this is a little corny, but I do believe it: It takes a village. I believe in the idea that we need each other to survive and to grow. You have to learn things to grow. You have to change to grow. And it can be prickly, it can be uncomfortable, maybe. But at the end of the day, at least you can say you tried.”
In addition to her work at NECC, Cariello serves as secretary for the North East Planning Board and sits on the Dutchess County Youth Council Board — roles that helped spark her interest in running for office. She has received endorsements from both the Democratic and Republican caucuses.
Current Trustee David Sherman is also seeking reelection as he completes his second two-year term. Sherman is a Millerton native. “I grew up in Millerton and I’ve lived my adult life here,” he says, reflecting on how the village has evolved, especially on the commercial side.
Sherman points to infrastructure work, such as improving sidewalks on Main Street, as accomplishments he’s proud of. “Those of us at the local level are the ones who have to bang on the doors of the bigger agencies to get things done — things that can have a dramatic effect on our community,” he says.
He also emphasized the importance of participation, regardless of whether a race is contested. “I’m always appreciative of the support of residents in our community who come out and vote,” Sherman says. “Whether they think it’s a competitive race or not, it matters.”
Elections will take place on June 17. In addition to Cariello and Sherman’s uncontested bids for Village Board seats, current Mayor Jenn Najdek is also running unopposed for a third term after first being elected in 2021.
Sherman and Najdek also are endorsed by Democratic and Republican caucuses.
Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.
The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.
Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.
The event will include a selection of hors d’oeuvres and drinks, followed by eight festive author dinners where writers will read and discuss their work one-on-one with attendees.
Saturday will feature a new Page to Plate program that merges the literary and culinary worlds. Just as writing is a practice of patience and love, so too is the art of cooking. Cookbooks and food writing make cooking teachable to those excited to learn and celebrate the art of a perfect meal.
Through a combination of demonstrations and conversations, acclaimed cookbook authors and chefs will cover a variety of delicious topics. Highlights include a discussion with Chris Morocco, food director of “Bon Appetit” magazine and “Epicurious.” Sharon resident and chef Jessie Sheehan will demonstrate recipes from her cookbook “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy, Savory Recipes for 24/7 Deliciousness.”
With the combination of vetted recipes and thorough discussion from food experts, attendees are sure to leave knowing how to cultivate the ultimate act of service: the gift of a full stomach.
Sunday will be brunch at a private Sharon residence hosted by Graham Klemm and Cody O’Kelly to celebrate author Carolyn Klemm and her cookbook “Culinary Collection: Favorite Country Recipes.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org
All proceeds support the programs at The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon.
Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.
The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.
“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”
Sponsored by the Town of Stanford, Friends of Ukraine, L.E. Design LLC, Bartelby & Sage, Oblong Books and Borshch of Art, the fundraiser will host the recitation of war-time Ukrainian poetry. Readings will include the works of Vasyl Sagaydak, Oksana Lutsyshyna, Serhiy Zhadan, Victoria Amelina, Marjana Savka, Ostap Slyvynsky, and Mariana Harahonych.
“Poems are fishhooks into our souls,” added Mark Lagus, another event organizer, explaining why poetry was chosen for the main event.
Guests will also enjoy a performance by Ukrainian Village Voices, a New York City- based band dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Ukraining Folk music. The evening will also feature speakers Jed Sunden and Maria Genkin, along with a live auction. Food and drink will be provided by Bartelby & Sage, a sustainable, local and female-owned company.
All ticket proceeds, bids, and donations will go directly to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Razom, meaning “together” in Ukrainian, has the mission of “contributing to the establishment of a secure, prosperous and democratic Ukraine,” through “creating, inspiring, and collaborating on initiatives that motivate people to think, partner and do.”
Tickets, donation opportunities, and more information are all available by visiting www.wordsfromukraine.org
Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.
The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.
The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.
“We’re a touring company that is participatory,” Elias said with her trademark storytelling cadence. “Even when there’s no pre-performance workshop, it’s still participatory. Always.”
Founded in 1980 “in a little basement apartment on the lower east side with co-founder Vanessa Roe,” said Elias,Grumbling Gryphons (recipients of the 2003 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award) has long occupied a unique niche: part performance troupe, part educational outreach, part community ritual. Whether dramatizing Greek myths, Native American legends, or original tales about bees and bogs, the company’s ethos centers on inclusion, transformation, and hands-on engagement.
This summer’s camp offers children ages six and up five fast-paced days of storytelling, acting, mask-making, and rehearsal. The first three days will take place at Elias’s own home studio — a tucked-away space filled with costumes, puppets, and instruments — before moving into full performance prep mode.
“In the ideal world, we would have more time,” she laughed. “It’s a lot of pressure to be performing for the public after five days. But we’re going to do our best.”
The gala performance, she explained, is a kind of theatrical mosaic — scenes and excerpts from Grumbling Gryphons’ vast repertoire, some showcasing seasoned adult performers and others giving campers center stage. The cast will include returning campers, newcomers, and guest artists drawn from the Gryphons’ decades-spanning circle of collaborators including mask maker and artist Ellen Moon.
“We’re still figuring out exactly what we’ll do,” said Elias, “but it’s kind of like a smorgasbord… a celebration. And it’s open — if anybody wants to get their kids involved, or even volunteer, we welcome you.”
Photo provided
Elias’s own theater background winds through early improvisational schools, Viennese dance traditions, and experimental spaces like Henry Street Settlement. As a child on Long Island, she studied with jazz pianist Ivan Fiedel and dancer Rosalind Fiedel, eccentric mentors who nurtured her taste for the surreal and spontaneous.
“Mr. Fiedel was a character,” she recalled. “He would smoke a cigar… and take the cigar in his ear and the smoke would come out the other end. I don’t know how he did it.”
Elias built Grumbling Gryphons with this sense of magic — not as a traditional company, but as a living, evolving story in itself. Whether working with preschoolers or middle-schoolers, audiences in botanical gardens or historic town halls, the Gryphons invite kids to become creators — to chant, to improvise, to embody archetypes from ancient lore or environmental parables.
And that’s what this summer’s camp and gala are all about. “It’s more than theater,” Elias said. “It’s myth, poetry, movement — it’s about building self-esteem, imagination. It’s about transformation.”
For more information, to register a child for the 2025 Summer Theater Camp, or to inquire about volunteering, visit grumblinggryphons.org
Attendees practive brushstrokes led by calligraphy teacher Debby Reelitz.
Calligrapher Debby Reelitz came to the David M. Hunt Library to give a group of adults and children an introduction to modern calligraphy Thursday, July 17.
Reelitz said she was introduced to calligraphy as a youngster and has been a professional calligrapher and teacher for more than 25 years.
She said there is no age barrier to learning the basics. “Once children can hold a pen or pencil, they can do it.”
Reelitz said her 5th-grade teacher introduced her to the art.
Then her mother pressed her into service doing the lettering for “4-H certificates and gift cards.”
Reelitz handed out a sampler and blank sheets of paper and then turned to the easel for demonstration purposes.
She noted that the letters (I,T,H,L,E and F) on the top row of the sampler were not alphabetically arranged.
Rather, they comprised a “latter family” of similar shapes.
Soon enough the entire group of six adults and three children were concentrating and turning out decent versions of the letters
Reelitz alternately demonstrated and encouraged the novices.
“Remember, this is not an instant gratification skill.”