Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Region libraries gear up for fall activities

Region libraries gear up for fall activities

The Amenia Free Library is located at 3309 Route 343 in downtown Amenia.

Photo by John Coston

As autumn activities get underway, local libraries are doing their part to add to the enjoyment with special programs to supplement regular offerings which are listed on their websites along Libraries of Things which can introduce patrons to new activities.
Library directors detailed the possibilities in a recent Millerton News survey.

Millerton

NorthEast-Millerton Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson says the list of the dozen items in the Library of Things may be seen at nemillertonlibrary.org which also details limited access to ten museum passes, laptops and hotspots. She says upcoming activities are: “SANDIPITY a hands-on art workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 3:30 p.m.; a tag sale on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front yard Memorial Garden; an AARP Smart Driver Course, Friday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration required; Open Houses Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and the Festival of Frights Thursday, Oct. 31 from 5 to 7 p.m.” The Annex at 28 Century Blvd. is the site of voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the Annual Holiday Fundraising Craft sale on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information call (518) 789-3340.

Millbrook

Millbrook Library Director Courtney Tsahalis said, “We are very proud of our community fridge which is made possible thanks to our partnership with the Millbrook Rotary. Anyone who needs it can come and take food, no questions asked ... We have lawn games, a wax melter, and mini donut maker, a portable DVD player, and we just added a podcast microphone ... On Nov. 16 at 11 a.m., we are holding a program in partnership with the Millbrook Arts Group called Pulso De Barrio — Mexican Folk Music Workshop. The Friends of Millbrook Library will also be holding their popular Holiday Silent Auction again this year in December.” Call (845) 677-3611 or check millbrooklibrary.org for information about ongoing programs at the library at 3 Friendly Lane.

Hillsdale

Tamara Gaskell, Director of the Roeliff Jansen Community Library at 9091 State Route 22, Hillsdale notes their Library of Things includes “a seed library, camping equipment, cake pans, hotspots, and some themed backpacks with books and materials--on birds, stars, insects, ponds and streams, and dark skies.” She said scheduled special programs include: “a film screening of Hudson, America, Oct. 5; Putting Your Garden to Bed, Oct. 6: Alfred Hitchcock film screening, Oct. 12; Pumpkin painting, Oct. 19; Your Indoor Garden, Nov. 10; Marionette Performance of The Last Dragon by the Puppet People, Dec. 7; Holiday Centerpiece Workshop, Dec. 15; Friends Cookies, Soup and Book sale, Dec. 13-14.” All programs are listed at roejanlibrary.org. Call (518) 325-4101 for details.

Pine Plains

Annie Mallozzi, Assistant Director of the Pine Plains Free Library at 777 S. Main St., said they are expanding offerings to include a spice library which “focuses on Central and South American spices.” She adds, “We’re hosting a workshop for teens on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. on cooking ‘Easy, Good, and Cheap Recipes’” with an after school program Monday through Thursday. English Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.. and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Call (518) 398-1927 or go to pineplainslibrary.org for information.

Amenia

The Amenia Free Library offers home delivery and curbside pickup at 3309 Route 343. Library Director Victoris Herow says their expanded fall hours are listed at amenialibrary.org. “Navigating Medicare” will be presented on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 11 a.m.; An AARPP Safe Driving Course will take place Monday, Oct. 28 and Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 1 - 4:30 p.m. Call (845) 373-8273 for required registration.

Stanford

Stanford Library Director Christa Cerue says the Library’s quarterly Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Library at 6035 Route 82, Stanfordville. For information on their multiple regular programs and the Library of Things including a ukulele, board games, tennis and pickleball equipment, and backpacks, check stanfordlibrary.org, or call (845) 868-1341.

Latest News

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.

Keep ReadingShow less

The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

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.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less
A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

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.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

Provided

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

CAMERON (1922-1995) is on view at Kent Fine Art in Pine Plains through Nov. 14.

Provided

Where can one find the work of an artist associated with occult rituals, surrealist visions and the underground California art scene? In a beautifully renovated former carriage house in Pine Plains, of course.

Unexpected discoveries are, after all, part of what Doug Walla has spent his career making possible. The longtime New York City art dealer and founder of Kent Fine Art, has brought the work of Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel, known simply as Cameron, to his new gallery space. The exhibition, on view through Nov. 14, introduces visitors to an artist whose life and work moved between mysticism, poetry, film and the avant-garde.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.