Summertime

There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow

There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow

The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye

And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky

Oh! what a beautiful mornin’

Oh! what a beautiful day

—Rodgers​ & Hammerstein

This time of year, every year, is a source of wonder, wonder at the number and kinds of activities available for us all to partake in and enjoy. Our print calendar (p. B4) is but a sampler—art shows, concerts, festivals, car shows, road races, live theater, bike races, house and garden tours, book readings, farmers’ markets, there really is something for everyone around here.

Last weekend, for example, Wanda Houston and The HBH Band—Kris Jensen, Scott Heth, Jay Bradley, and Rich Syracuse—delivered their unique jazz take on traditional and contemporary standards. At Music Mountain in Falls Village, for nearly two hours, they effortlessly moved from Cole Porter to Hank Williams to Roberta Flack and The Beatles and blew the room away.

And Wanda of course is simply wandaful.

Earlier that day, across the border in Millerton, the town had its afternoon Summer Stroll around Main Street, complete with a marching brass band, wine tastings, lemonade and face painting for the kids and sales at various businesses along the way. This was followed by a free concert at Eddie Collins Park, where the Steve Dunn Band did the musical honors. Food trucks, a petting zoo, games for kids, and beautiful weather made this an excellent family outing.

But in addition to all the wonderfully satisfying small-town fun we have to enjoy, some seriously important developments are taking place now, sometimes below the surface, an impressive assortment of investments in our future from both the private and public sectors.

Here’s just a few that have been covered in these pages: Lime Rock’s ambitious plans to take the park to a new level; West Cornwall’s plans to undertake a major sewer project; the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in the expansion of Camp Isola Bella; the investment in broadband here by Comcast, Frontier and the federal government; the funding of a $5.4 million federally qualified health care center in North Canaan; and the opening of the Norfolk Music Shed after a $10 million dollar renovation; Millbrook’s plans to redo significant stretches of sidewalk have been approved by the Dutchess County Department of Planning & Development; the Stissing Center in Pine Plains has undergone one renovation and will close again for a second multimillion dollar renovation; Pine Plains is now likely to get a major solar project; the Webutuck High School auditorium renovation is complete; Amenia is planning a major water project; and Millerton/North East is about to embark on a multimillion dollar sewer project.

It’s gratifying to think that our communities will robust enough going forward to be able to support the activities we hold dear for a long time to come.