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The North East Community Center held its annual Chef and Farmer brunch Sunday, July 21. Funds raised at the brunch help NECC provide food, housing and childcare assistance to community members.
Photo by Colleen Flynn
PINE PLAINS — North East Community Center (NECC) hosted its 13th annual Chef and Farmer Brunch on Sunday, July 21 at Mountain View in Pine Plains.
An NECC spokesperson said the organization raised more than $500,000 through the fundraiser.
The annual event raises money for NECC so the organization can serve the community’s needs, including food accessibility, housing, childcare, transportation and mental health.
This year’s brunch offered a variety of options for people to bid on to show their generosity, whether that included a silent auction, an online auction, or a live auction. Some of the highly rated donations were a week-long trip to Rio, a three-night and four-day trip to Maine, private tastings and a champagne and sunset cruise for two.
When NECC’s brunch started at the Millerton Inn it welcomed 50 people. It has since expanded to different venues and hosts around 1,000 people. With the help from events like these, NECC has provided the community with 240,000 meals.
Meals for the event were provided by Stonewood Farm, Willa, The Farmer’s Wife, Campetre, The Baker’s Wife, and a cake donated by Troutbeck. The brunch started with cocktails and appetizers consisting of sweet pea canapes, tomato tartlets with whipped farmer’s cheese and basil, and candied bacon. The main course of the evening was grilled chicken breast with fresh peach and corn salsa; quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and olives; fresh cheese and arugula wrapped in thin-sliced grilled zucchini and focaccia with rosemary and sea salt.
According to Cheri Johnson, marketing and outreach coordinator for NECC, the chefs had to accommodate according to what produce grew in time, with plenty of supply. Since the program relies heavily on local farms’ produce and food, the meals had to be slightly changed to fit the supply they were using.
Preparation for the Chef and Farmer Brunch begins around February when NECC is looking for sponsors and donations and setting up logistics for the event. Between March and April, the program tries to solidify most of its details.
“This is the biggest event we host every year,” Johnson said. “I like to call it our wedding … it takes a long time to plan everything out.”
This year’s brunch fundraising surpassed last year which totaled more than $450,000.
NECC gives thanks to all of their sponsors for making the event possible, including Associated Lightning Rod, Black Sheep Hill Farm, Bank of Millbrook, Ed Herrington Inc., Elyse Harney Real Estate, Galvan Housing Resource Inc., Habitat for Humanity Dutchess County, Hammertown Barn, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, Oblong Books, Molly Gochman, Michael Armilio, & Alicia Walter, Tamarack Preserve, Inn at Pine Plains, Watson Livery, Riga Holdings and Diana King.
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Women networked at The Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie on Wednesday, July 17.
Photo by Colleen Flynn
POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino and other community members hosted the annual women’s networking event at The Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie on Wednesday, July 17.
“One of the best parts of running for office is getting the chance to meet women who are on the ground making a difference in our community,” Sue Serino said in her opening remarks.
The first women’s networking event was launched in 2018, and it now hosts over 1,000 local women. This event aims to bring local women together to develop a strong and united source of professional networks.
“I came here for the first time last year, and it was so motivational that it inspired me to start working again since Covid,” said Rita Longo, a retired veteran and professor.
Speakers for this year’s event were Malia Du Mont, Samantha Brittain, and CaraMia Bacchiochi, who all shared parts of their struggles. Du Mont is a Chief of Staff at Bard College and an Army Reserve Officer who “found happiness” while deployed to Afghanistan. Brittain, a Green Teen program manager at Cornell Cooperative, shared her struggles with mental health and addiction. Lastly, Bacchiochi, executive director of Hope on a Mission, talked about her addictions and homelessness, which led her to create her non-profit, which now serves 500 meals a week in Poughkeepsie.
“I hope that tonight all of you feel that sense of empowerment and support from the other women here, and I hope you feel empowered to tackle the challenges you are facing,” Serino said.
The guest speakers were asked to stay on the “Vision Beyond Challenges” theme, sharing how they have grown and overcome different obstacles. The Women’s Networking Event not only gives women a chance to connect with one another and to grow professionally, but it also allows women to relate and make personal connections.
“Always remember that one door opens when another door closes, but it is up to us to find another one to open,” said Serino, “In the face of adversity, women don’t get to run and hide.”
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Electricity bills to go up next week
Jul 24, 2024
After a year of public comments, formal complaints, reports, motions, reviews, billing snafus and legal decisions the New York State Public Service Commission granted a 7.85% rate increase in electric delivery rates to Central Hudson for the period starting July 1, 2024, and ending June 30,2025.
The utility initially requested a 16.4% increase from the commission, which regulates utility companies.
Central Hudson calculates this will mean an average monthly increase to customers of $12.65 and does not reflect the cost of energy supply which varies monthly depending on fuel costs.
The “Rate” game is played nationally with all regulated utility companies, which ask for more money and agree to less while remaining profitable.
State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-41) is sponsoring legislation to turn Central Hudson into a government owned utility. Commenting on the rate increase she said, “This is not the outcome we wanted, and it’s not what Hudson Valley residents deserve after years of suffering financial hardship and distress from Central Hudson’s corporate mismanagement.”
In a public statement Central Hudson maintains that the rate increase will allow the utility to upgrade equipment and technology, respond to severe weather, and address inflationary pressures and employee turnover.
Central Hudson’s initial rate request in 2023 for a 16.5% increase was damaged by cascading billing errors which, according to a New York State Department of Public Service report, resulted in 5,000 customers never receiving bills, 8,000 households overcharged and 30,000 customers on auto pay being billed incorrectly.
By a separate $64.6 million agreement on June 20 with the Public Service Commission Central Hudson agreed to complete monthly reading of meters by Oct. 31, 2024, rather than bi-monthly or face a $2 million additional penalty.
As monthly meter reading began in April Central Hudson has begun issuing final termination notices to customers more than two months behind on their bills.
Central Hudson provides electric delivery to over 300,000 customers from Westchester to Albany. Since 2013 it has been owned by Fortis, a publicly traded Canadian company, which owns 10 utilities in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
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MILLERTON — At a caucus of the North East Democratic Committee on July 20, two candidates appeared seeking the party’s endorsement for the remaining one-year term for the seat vacated by Griffin Cooper.
Rachele Grieco Cole, a newcomer to town politics, was selected over Chris Mayville, a Republican, by a vote of 21 to 8.
Regardless of party affiliation any town resident can seek the Democratic endorsement. By the petition process Mayville was picked to appear on the Republican ticket in April. Consequently, Mayville and Grieco Cole will face off again in the November elections vying for the one-year seat. Currently Mayville is completing his first one-year term on the town board.
At the caucus Grieco Cole introduced herself to the caucus attendees. She is currently employed as a grants administrator for New York Law School and volunteers for Project Sage, formerly Women’s Support Services, a Salisbury, Conn., based nonprofit that assists victims of domestic violence. Her goals, according to a press release issued by the Democratic Party are, “Finding new grant opportunities, increasing community safety, particularly reducing speeding, renewing the ambulance contract at a reasonable cost, increasing government transparency and better protecting our environment.”
Early voting starts on October 26 this year.
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