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Meet Peter Doro, Millbrook’s sole mayoral candidate

Meet Peter Doro, Millbrook’s sole mayoral candidate

Peter Doro

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MILLBROOK — Republican Peter Doro is running unchallenged for Millbrook Village Mayor. The following excerpts have been edited from a longer conversation with the candidate for ease of reading.

Q: What is your professional background?

A: I am an attorney and have worked in financial services for my entire career. I also teach a law school course as an adjunct professor. In addition, I serve on the Town of Washington’s Board of Assessment Review as well as the Dutchess County Planning Board.
I have been a member of the Village of Millbrook’s Board of Trustees since 2022.

What would be your top priorities?

My top priorities include making sure the infrastructure projects that are currently in the pipeline are completed on-time and within budget, most notably replacing aged sidewalks, especially in the business district, and the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. I am very focused on expanding recreational activities, in conjunction with the Town of Washington. Increasing workforce housing is another area that I think that is ripe for action. Finally, the protection of our natural resources and our quaint village is of paramount importance to me.

Why are you the best person for the job?

I’m the only person running for this job, and am proud to be doing do so, but that’s kind of sad if you ask me. I have seen “Save Democracy” signs lately — well, sometimes that requires more than just putting a sign up ­— it means showing up, getting involved. And I have been involved, especially since winning two elections in 2021 and 2022. I am a fourth-generation resident — I grew up in this Village. Learned to read at Elm Drive. Went to the after school program at the Village Hall. Became an Eagle Scout in the Thorne Building. And now my wife Jennifer and I are raising our two boys here. We understand how lucky we are to live in such a dynamic village. Preserving Millbrook as a haven for families and the middle class, while also supporting local businesses and fostering positive change, are some of the same things my grandfather stood for when he was mayor in the ‘70s. I plan to continue that work in the years to come.

Leila Hawken

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Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

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Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

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For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

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A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

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Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

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I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
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Bleacher and Everard Photography

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Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

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As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.

The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.

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