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Richard McGriff
Millerton News
Jun 17, 2026
TACONIC — Richard McGriff died unexpectedly on May 16, 2026. This is a collection of loving reminiscences.
With a smile like that and a laugh like that and a soul like that, how could you not love him? Macey Levin and Gloria Miller
Richard McGriff knew about loyalty and honor; he practiced them both. He was a good friend and he will be missed. Dick Boyle
Whenever I saw Richard I asked how are you doing and he always replied, “Can’t complain because nobody wants to hear it.” I would always reply “I’ll listen, not that I’m going to do anything about it,” and we would laugh every time. Janet Hodgson
Rich had a wonderful tenor voice. We talked about starting an “oldies but goodies doo-wop” group as we both knew the words to a lot of those songs, but it never happened. John Hebdavny
Somebody shouting, “Hey Rev!” as they drove by. Turning around, it was a delight to see Richard waving exuberantly from his car! John Carter
Whenever I got to talk with Richard - I simply found optimism again, not only possible, but likely. The world was a better place with Richard in it. I sorely miss him. Paul DePaolo
I really enjoyed the time I spent with Richard. He was a warm and kind person and had a beautiful singing voice. Mike Mangini
He’d drive through town, see me at my coffee, blow the horn, call my name. It could just make my afternoon. Peter Fitting
There’s Hope and Crosby. There’s Rich and Macey. Rich and Macey put on a better show. Bill Anstett
Richard had an indomitable spirit and a positive outlook that made me feel better simply by being in his presence. Mark Shearer
We knew Richard only to say hello as he drove by, when we saw him at the P.O. Always with a smile, always with an “upbeat” comment to make.... just a really nice man who helped to make Taconic Road a place where we are happy to live. Joel and Terry Cohen
We will always remember Richard’s kindness and the familiar sight of him driving past our house each day to pick up the newspapers. He will be missed on Taconic Road. Bobby Graham & Matt Marden
Richard was such a lovely man. He always had a smile and a laugh for you. Although, if I was working outside, he would always hit the horn as he drove by and scare the crap out of me! Karen Bibro
We will miss you, Richard, and the genuine kindness and warmth you brought into our lives. Jeff Holt & Jillian Cleary
Always a smile on his face. Michael Kahler
Richard’s exuberant personality always brightened our day. His cheerfulness and charm blessed all around him. Ismael Ginouves
Great sense of humor, always kind and generous. He got us tee shirts that said “Be kind to your cashier!” Dawn Prince (LaBonne’s Market)
Richard was a fashion icon with the kindest heart and most beautiful soul and I feel privileged to have had him in my life. Ashley Radcliffe
He was a man who carried a constant smile, known for his warmth, humor, and truly positive spirit. I’ll always cherish our dinners at The Woodlands—his joy for life was contagious. Kelley Smith-Hull
What I loved most about Richard was he had a genuine interest in people. I will miss our encounters around town but take comfort that he is with his Dorothy. I’m truly overjoyed that he came into my life. Roger Crain
He was the kindest, fairest, caring and curious of humans. When I last saw him he left in laughter and smiles. There is a space I will hold for him.” Aimée D Davis
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Pine Plains softball and track teams cap off championship seasons at states
Graham Corrigan
Jun 17, 2026
A Pine Plains softball player slides into safety.
Photo By Nikki Beers Burton
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains softball and track teams rounded out two incredible seasons this year.
The softball team finished the year as Class C Regional Champions, defeating Tuckahoe 4-1 earlier in June to capture the title.
That secured the Bombers a place in the state semifinals in Binghamton. They faced off against Galway, and played a thrilling defensive battle before losing 1-0 in 10 innings. It’s been a remarkable run for the team — their record on the year was 19-3, and they finished as one of the best teams in the state.
There were individual honors, too: Anna Essery and Abbey Mayes were named Section IX All Stars, and Talia Durant took home Player of the Year honors. Coach Lester Funk was named Coach of the Year.
Meanwhile, the varsity track team capped off a memorable season of their own this weekend. The girls team qualified for states in the 4x400 (Michelle Blackburn, Izzy Montoya, Violet Bliss, Madison Williams) and finished 12th with a time of 4:13.57. Sophomore Madison Williams also qualified in the 200 meter dash, running 26.21 and finishing 10th. Senior Violet Bliss qualified in two individual events: the 1500 meter run and 3000 meter run, where she finished 18th and 13th, respectively, with times of 4:38.68 and 10:00.01.
For the boys, senior Daniel McPherson qualified in both the 1600 and 3200 meter run. He finished 25th in the 1600 with a time of 4:17.60, and 21st with a 9:30.09.
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Pine Plains Community Day draws large crowds
Graham Corrigan
Jun 17, 2026
Joanna Zammiello of Sweet Lilly’s squeezes fresh lemons for her lemonade at Pine Plains Community Day on Saturday, June 13. The company is named for her cat.
Graham Corrigan
PINE PLAINS — The town of Pine Plains celebrated its first Community Day since 2023 this past Saturday. The event was a day-long party, bringing together residents and visitors alike with games, community markets and free food.
The Pine Plains fire department kicked the day off with a free breakfast at 9 a.m. Then vendors from across the county opened for business at the community market, and booths representing local businesses and non-profits opened along Church Street. Vendors came from around the surrounding area — Poughkeepsie, Elizaville, Germantown, Hyde Park and Red Hook were among the towns represented on the lawn.
Pine Plains’ Beth McLiverty was on the event’s organizing committee. From her perch at the information table, she stressed the importance of moments like Community Day for the town’s overall well-being. “We’re going to make sure this happens every year,” McLiverty said. “Everybody missed it.”
A children’s animation workshop enlivened the Stissing Center on Church Street from 10 to 11 a.m., and a variety of vintage phonographs played wax cylinders on the Graham-Brush House lawn located behind Story Book Cafe on Church Street throughout the morning. Nearby, Bee Bee the Clown twisted balloon animals for a crowd of gleeful onlookers.
Free lunch bites were provided by local restaurants like Champêtre and Guacamole Grill, and the bounce house arrived in the early afternoon to an eager crowd of pint-sized participants. Community Day also doubled as part of the region-wide REV 250 celebrations ahead of America’s 250th birthday. Historic landmarks such as the Graham-Brush House and The Pines opened their doors for the revival, and local actor Thayer Durrell appeared as Revolutionary War soldier Major Ebenezer Husted in full regalia, complete with a powdered wig and musket. Stissing Center director and Air Force veteran Marie Stewart read the Declaration of Independence.
As the sun began to set, children’s activities gave way to more adult programming: live music, corn hole, and a beer garden rounded out the afternoon, and the free raffle drawing ended with gift certificates and fruit trees to some lucky winners.
Graham Corrigan
An animation workshop for kids was part of the free programming on offer at the Stissing Center.
“We really wanted to support the community,” said organizer McLiverty. “We were very determined to make it so that no matter what your situation is, you can come out and enjoy free food, you don’t have to pay for games.” When the crowds finally dispersed, Pine Plains Community Day had made a glorious return.
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Primary race for Assembly District 106 heats up in final weeks
Nathan Miller
Jun 17, 2026
Six-term Assemblymember Didi Barrett is facing a primary challenge from Democrat Sam Hodge, who argues the district needs stronger action on affordability and utility costs as voters head toward the June 23 election.
Barrett, a 75-year-old Columbia County resident who has represented the 106th Assembly District since 2012, is seeking a seventh term on a record she says includes delivering state funding to local communities and advancing legislation aimed at increasing oversight of utility companies and protecting ratepayers.
Hodge, a 39-year-old attorney and former chairman of the Columbia County Democratic Committee, launched his campaign in December, contending that Albany has failed to adequately address rising costs facing residents. The Claverack resident describes himself as a progressive and has centered his campaign on affordability issues, particularly utility rates, housing costs and access to childcare.
The district covers much of southern Columbia County and northern Dutchess County, including the towns of North East and Pine Plains.
Barrett said she is seeking reelection to continue the work she’s been doing over the past 14 years. She called attention to millions in state funding and grants that she helped deliver to organizations, municipalities and groups across her district, including funding for the NorthEast-Millerton Library, the North East Community Center, infrastructure and recreation upgrades across Millerton and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.
She currently serves as chair of the assembly’s energy committee, a post that she has held since 2023.
Hodge presented his platform as a contrast to Barrett’s, saying that while securing grant funding for municipalities and nonprofit organizations is important, it does not solve the affordability crisis.
He aims to tackle affordability through greater regulation of utility companies and providing access to early childcare such as the Gov. Kathy Hochul-backed plan to eventually implement universal Pre-K statewide.
Both candidates agree affordability is a defining issue, but Hodge contends Barrett hasn’t acted to address it adequately. He said Barrett has been ineffective as chair of the energy committee.
“I looked into her record and I was thoroughly disappointed by it,” Hodge said. “That’s why I decided to jump in this race.”
Hodge called attention to rising utility rates in the region, saying the energy committee should be working to pass legislation limiting rate increases.
“Her responsibility is to make sure we can afford those bills,” Hodge said.
Barrett defended her record, calling attention to legislation that she said improves transparency and accountability at the Public Service Commission, a New York State regulatory board that oversees utility rate hikes.
Barrett championed the “Rate Transparency Act,” which passed in the assembly on May 14 and delivered to the New York State Senate. The bill had not been voted out of the Energy and Telecommunications Senate committee by the end of the 2026 legislative session.
The “Rate Transparency Act” would require utility companies to delineate some charges on customers’ bills under separate categories including delivery and supply of electricity and gas.
Barrett called attention to three other bills that she introduced in this legislative session that have passed the assembly and moved on to the senate.
Those bills include the “ASAP act,” which would set a new target for statewide solar energy production; a bill that would direct the Public Service Commission to enforce performance standards against utility companies; and a bill that requires the Public Service Commission to consider affordability in rate increase determinations.
“We passed a number of bills that are really refocusing the work that the Public Service Commission does,” Barrett said. “We’ve really looked at ways to protect consumers and ratepayers.”
Hodge said those efforts are too little and too late for the region. He pointed to the recent approval of a rate hike for utility company National Grid, which just entered the second-year of an approved three-year rate increase schedule.
Hodge argues that Barrett’s campaign contributions from energy industry political action committees raise questions about her approach to utility regulation.
Barrett has received a little over $160,000 in total contributions since the start of 2025, according to data from the New York State Board of Elections. Roughly $23,750, or about 14.6%, of the total contributions have come from energy industry political action committees.
“My votes have never been for sale, and during my time in office, I have sponsored, voted for and passed many bills to protect ratepayers and lower energy costs,” Barrett said.
She cited legislation she introduced as part of this year’s New York State budget that she said would require utility companies to return excess revenue to customers.
“Up until now, utility companies were allowed to keep profits earned above their approved ‘return on equity’ – but with my advocacy, that money will go back to ratepayers to give some relief from rising electricity costs. The utility companies have been fighting this bill since I first introduced it.”
Hodge rejected that defense.
The winner of the June 23 Democratic primary is expected to be heavily favored in the general election.
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Incumbent assemblymember rejects call for debate
Nathan Miller
Jun 17, 2026
Assemblymember Didi Barrett has rejected calls for a debate with primary challenger Sam Hodge, saying the first-time candidate has spent the campaign misrepresenting her record and failing to offer substantive policy proposals.
Hodge first posed his debate challenge to Barrett in early May following a public forum hosted by the Claverack Democratic Committee. The forum gave voters a chance to hear from both candidates for 30 minutes as they vie for the 106th district seat.
Hodge cited intense public interest in the forum as his inspiration for issuing the challenge, saying important questions went unanswered. He proposed hour-long debates — one in Columbia County and one in Dutchess County.
That challenge went unanswered, Hodge’s campaign said in a statement.
“Voters deserve the chance to hear our competing visions for the future of the Hudson Valley,” Hodge said. “People deserve a real conversation about solutions.”
Barrett questioned Hodge’s credibility when asked whether she would debate him.
“Sam Hodge has spent this entire campaign lying about me and my record while I have been busy doing the job I was elected to do,” Barrett said. “We just finished the legislative session;I have been in Albany almost every day of the week – often until 10 p.m. or later, and on the weekends my priority has been getting to events in my district. Given his track record with telling the truth and his failure to put forward any real policies, I will not be debating him.”
Barrett’s campaign disputed several of Hodge’s characterizations of her record, including claims that she opposes higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, citing her support for a tax on ultra-luxury New York City apartments.
Hodge decried Barrett’s statements as unfounded personal attacks. He rejected the assertion that he’s unfamiliar with Barrett’s record.
“I looked into her record and I was fundamentally disappointed,” Hodge said. “That’s why I decided to jump in this race.”
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Amenia Board delays subdivision project over water supply, town character concerns
Leila Hawken
Jun 17, 2026
Amenia Town Hall
File photo
AMENIA — Planning Board members have again delayed action on a proposed workforce housing subdivision, citing unresolved concerns over firefighting water capacity and the project’s potential impact on the town’s character.
Citing those two unresolved areas of concern, the Planning Board voted against approving a resolution that would have concluded the conservation analysis aspect of the application for the 28-unit proposed Cascade Creek subdivision, which would go up on 18 acres along Route 22 near the Freshtown Plaza. The conservation analysis step has been underway since 2024.
Passage of the resolution would have satisfied New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act requirements by certifying that the project would not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.
Reaching its vote of 4-2 against passage of the negative declaration resolution at its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 10, the Planning Board went on to ask the developer, Hudson River Housing, for more assurances about plans for an adequate supply of firefighting water storage and its concerns about impact on the town’s character as a whole.
Casting negative votes were chairman Robert Boyles, John Stefanopoulos, Ken Topolsky and Jamie Vitiello. Voting affirmatively were Nina Peek and Fox Bullock. James Walsh was absent.
If the negative declaration had passed, the action would have cleared the way for the Cascade Creek developer to submit site plans for the 24.13 acres where 59% of the land would be conserved. The development would contain 28 house lots.
“There is a balancing point between what’s reasonable and what will do the job,” said board engineer John Andrews, favoring the idea of moving ahead with the declaration, while stressing that the decision is up to the board.
Substantial discussion centered on the amount of water storage capability necessary for adequate fire protection.
Representing the developer, Engineer Richard Rennia said that the firefighting water supply would be available for the local fire department’s use to fight fires in the wider area, not just within the Cascade Creek development. Firefighters could use the supply to refill tanker trucks, Rennia said.
“So it’s going to be 60,000 gallons for community use,” Rennia told the board.
During a March meeting, the developer had first proposed 40,000 gallons and the fire district had recommended 180,000 gallons.
Discussion broadened to the number of planned lots, focusing on water supply within each lot’s well and any potential effect on neighbors’ wells.
“The number of lots presumes successful wells,” said Peter Sander, Senior Planner for Rennia Engineering.
“We don’t know until we drill test wells,” Rennia added. “The number of units is determined by well testing.”
Responsive to the variety of residents’ concerns heard during public hearings, planning board member Jamie Vitiello recalled the range of conflicting opinions voiced.
Board attorney Cassandra Britton noted that more public hearings will be held to hear comments on non-SEQRA issues during the site plan review phase.
“Once you start the subdivision site plan process,” Andrews told the board, “you have the ability to re-look at all this stuff. There are many issues that could bring a stumble. This is part of the process.”
Regarding concerns over impacts to the town’s character, Board member Ken Topolsky commented that the language within the code regarding community character is subjective.
Residents have voiced concerns over density, saying the proposed site is an agricultural field and that the surrounding neighborhood cannot support 28 additional homes.
As a next step, Andrews said that the applicant is expected to continue discussion with fire department officials to resolve the water storage issue. The developer will examine plans for any modifications to make the impact analysis acceptable.
“I would like for them to come back, so that we do not need to delay,” Topolsky said.
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