Cartoon by Natalia Zukerman
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Webutuck's Olivia Lopane-Wickwire, no. 2, eyeing a pitch as she steps off first base.
Photo by Riley Klein
FALLS VILLAGE, Conn. — Webutuck High School softball defeated Housatonic Valley Regional High School 14-9 on Thursday, May 15.
The non-league game was played in Falls Village, Connecticut, in what is a becoming an interstate rivalry. When these teams met last year, Housatonic won 16-3.
The match was paused in the second inning due to a lightning delay. At the time of the delay, Webutuck led 5-4.
Housatonic’s Madison Dewitt tied the game with a homer to center field once play resumed.
Webutuck pulled ahead as the game went on. Bella Milano led the team offensively. She drove in six runs for the Wildcats and hit 3 for 4 at the plate with a triple.
Pitcher Madison Krueger earned the win for Webutuck with 10 strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings. Her performance put the team total for strikeouts this season at 103.
For Housatonic, Kylie Leonard hit 3 for 5 with two RBI. Freshman Payton Wagner pitched six innings for the Mountaineers.
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The annual Columbia County event draws hundreds of bargain hunters to Hillsdale’s Hamlet Park.
Provided
HILLSDALE —The town of Hillsdale’s flea market returns Saturday, May 24.
Dozens of vendors will be selling things at Hillsdale Hamlet Park, southwest of the intersection of routes 22 and 23 in Columbia County.
Items expected to be on sale range from the practical — kitchenware, furniture, toys, garden tools and clothing — to unique hand-made items, antiques and collectibles.
Vendor spaces are available. Spaces cost $50 for a 15-by-15 foot space or $30 for 10 feet by 10 feet. Vendors must bring their own tables.
“The Hillsdale Flea is a great excuse to gather up all those treasures you have laying around your house and give them a new home,” said Tim Stookesberry, a co-organizer of the event. “I’ve had a blast selling at the market the last couple of years — and have made some decent money, too.”
The market will open at 9 a.m. for early-bird shoppers during the first hour, with a suggested donation of $10 for the Hillsdale Fire Company no. 1. The market will continue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Fire Company will also be raising funds by serving breakfast sandwiches and coffee at the event. Other food vendors also are expected to be on hand.
As this is an outdoor event, a rain date for severe weather is set for Sunday, May 25, with the same times. Notice of a rain delay will be posted on Hillsdale’s various Facebook pages as well as the town website, hillsdaleny.com, and other social media outlets.
For more information on the event, contact the organizers at hillsdalenyparks@gmail.com.
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Funding for repairs to the NorthEast-Millerton Library were secured Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106).
Photo by Aly Morrissey
MILLERTON — The NorthEast-Millerton Library is set to receive a facelift thanks to a $125,000 grant to support overdue repairs and necessary upgrades to the library’s Annex.
NorthEast-Millerton Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said the repairs are scheduled to begin around mid-June and conclude in early August. The grant will be used to repair structural and cosmetic damage, including rotting wood, chipping paint and damaged siding. Leo-Jameson said if there is any budget remaining, the library will replace an exterior door and window.
But it’s not just about paint and repairs. As outlined in the library’s strategic plan, which runs through the end of this year, a primary goal of the library is to “bridge the divide in our community” using the Annex to host events, meetups and offer the space to organizations looking for a place to gather.
“The Annex has become a community hub,” Leo-Jameson said. “The community deserves to have a place that is well-maintained and attractive.” The Annex is utilized by the library, community members and local organizations six days a week. It has also served as the polling location for the Town of North East.
This funding — secured by Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106) — comes at a critical moment, as libraries across New York face uncertainty amid significant cuts to federal support. Barrett, a longtime supporter of public libraries, said the threats to funding streams from the federal government “will, without question, impact the libraries in our district.” She said libraries like the NorthEast-Millerton Library, which generally operate on shoestring budgets, will feel these funding cuts deeply.
“It’s a critical dynamic in our country right now,” Barrett said, adding that the public has a role to play in the sustainability of libraries. “I think now is the time for the community to step up and become members, look at ways to be supportive, teach kids about programs at the libraries and get involved.”
Barrett has visited the library over the years for meetings, political events and talks. “I love that the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex is a hub with energy and a sense of community and when it’s a newly refreshed building I know it will be super exciting for the community.”
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Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston
AMENIA — Residents opposed to the court settlement in the Kent Hollow Mine case were given time at the regular meeting of the Town Board on Thursday, May 15, to air their views in the presence of the town’s Special Counsel who served during the years of litigation that began in 2017.
The public comment segment on the regular agenda provided the opportunity for neighboring and area residents to speak about their concerns to the town board. Special Counsel George Lithco was given the option of responding to the public comments at the end.
The atmosphere was respectful, with each speaker given a time limit of two minutes to present views. Most adhered to the time limit or ended close to it.
Comments were varied in subject matter, although many speakers were concerned about environmental impact represented by gravel mining operations particularly when the mine stands within the Webutuck Agricultural Valley Historic District, a designation approved in September of 2024.
Of concern to some residents was the timing of the April meetings when resolutions were signed, bringing an end to the years-long litigation between the town, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the mine principals.
Another resident asked that the Town Board reconsider the signed resolutions, feeling that the mine operations may endanger public water quality and trout habitat, fearing contamination by heavy metals.
Later in the meeting, Lithco said the Town Board and the ZBA, in signing the resolutions, were taking the necessary step of accepting a determination by the courts that had been negotiated by the parties.
Reduced home values brought on by the presence of a mine and traffic volume and safety were of concern to others.
“We’ve always preferred farms to gravel mines,” said one 30-year resident.
Characterizing the views expressed as “a broad and diverse collection,” Lithco acknowledged that there was probably much to agree with. However, he reiterated that the town was accepting the courts’ determination during their April signing.
“We’ve heard from two courts about the case,” Lithco said, referring to decisions from the Dutchess County Supreme Court and the Southern District of New York.
“There has been a determination that Kent Hollow operates under a non-conforming use and it can continue operations under New York State law that holds that a mine is a resource,” Lithco said. He pointed out, additionally, that gravel operations ebb and flow, and so do mining activities.
“The land will be reclaimed,” Lithco said, in alignment with the details of the settlement as but one of the concessions agreed to by Kent Hollow Mine. Other controls include hours of operation and days of the week when mining can occur, limits on volume of materials and acreage that can be disturbed at any one time.
Residents will still have opportunity to speak at upcoming meetings during the Kent Hollow mining permit process of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Lithco noted.
“DEC has the obligation to take residents’ comments into account,” Lithco added, noting that the DEC permit process will probably begin in about six months.
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