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letters to the editor

Letters to the editor: Nov. 7, 2024

Thanks to Barrett for advancing Melanie’s Law

We write today to express our deep gratitude to Assemblywoman Didi Barrett for her pivotal role in advancing Melanie’s Law. Named after Melanie Chianese, a woman from Dutchess County who lost her life to domestic violence. As sponsors of this legislation, we worked across party lines to ensure its success, united in our commitment to protecting domestic violence survivors and honoring the memory of Melanie.
Without Assemblywoman Barrett’s leadership and support, Melanie’s Law might not have made it out of the Judiciary Committee. Her dedication to this cause and seniority allowed the bill to reach the Assembly floor for a full vote, passing with nearly unanimous support.
Domestic violence is an issue that transcends politics, and this bill is a critical step toward ensuring greater safety for survivors in New York State. We are proud to have worked together in a bipartisan fashion, and we recognize that the success of this legislation is shared.
We thank Assemblywoman Barrett for her partnership and look forward to the bill’s future impact on the lives of those affected by domestic violence.
Assemblyman
Brian Cunningham
Assemblyman Anil Beephan

Note to the sign thief

To the person who “took” the election signs from my property on Rudd Pond Road, I would just like to say thank you for confirming that once again, I have made the correct choice on Election Day.
Ray “Dan” Simmons
Millerton

Millerton News
letters to the editor
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

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A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

Left to right: Hannah Wheeler, Matin Malikzada and Yonah Sadeh.

D.H. Callahan

On Monday, Oct. 26, a group of students, teachers and local residents gathered at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville for a screening of the new short documentary “Matin.” The film tells the story of Matin Malikzada, a seventh-generation Afghani potter making a new life in New Milford, Connecticut. The film was made by local filmmaker Yonah Sadeh, creator of the Video Wall at the David M. Hunt Library, and Berkshires-based potter Hannah Wheeler, who were both present for the screening, along with Malikzada himself.

As a member of the seventh generation of his family to master the art of pottery, Malikzada had done things the way his family had for over a century. Istalif, the village where his family has lived for generations, was known throughout Afghanistan for its pottery, with wares sent across the country for use as everyday cups, bowls, plates and other vessels. The pottery-making families of Istalif gathered clay from the same mountain, about 30 to 45 minutes away by donkey. Every July, they would head north toward the Uzbekistan border to gather ishkar, a plant they processed by hand to make their signature glazes.

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Meg Sher finds her calling among the stacks

Meg Sher finds her calling among the stacks

Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.

L. Tomaino

When Meg Sher came to Falls Village in 2006 from Old Lyme, Connecticut, where she grew up, she never imagined she’d someday be the executive director of the David M. Hunt Library.

Although, in hindsight, perhaps it makes sense.

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Crescendo’s 23rd season speaks to the heart and mind

Crescendo’s 23rd season speaks to the heart and mind

Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, conducts the audience at a performance.

Steve Potter

For Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, music from centuries past is anything but a relic. It is a living, breathing art form, full of drama, emotional complexity and, occasionally, surprises. As the regional choral and period-instrument ensemble launches its 23rd season, Gevert is once again bringing forgotten masterpieces into the present.

“Early Music has been my lifelong passion and the focus of my specialization in Europe and South America,” Gevert said. “Bringing this repertoire to our audiences in a nuanced way that does justice to its incredible depth, intensity, and beauty is deeply important to me.”

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concerts

Close Encounters with Music celebrates 35 years of musical discovery

Close Encounters with Music celebrates 35 years of musical discovery

Close Encounters with Music’s 35th season opens with “Saluting the Clarinet” featuring clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein.

Provided

For 35 years, cellist Yehuda Hanani has been inviting audiences to experience classical music in unexpected ways. As founder and artistic director of Close Encounters with Music, Hanani has built a concert series that goes beyond the music itself, exploring connections to literature, history, politics and the human experience.

This year, Close Encounters celebrates its 35th season with “Celebration & Discovery,” a seven-concert series that opens Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington.

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