Diana Bontecou retires from the Millbrook Library

Diana Bontecou retires from the Millbrook Library
Millbrook Library Adult Program Director Diana Bontecou retired at the end of December. She recently sat beneath one of the quilts in an exhibit she curated, just one of many she has curated in the past seven years. Photo submitted

MILLBROOK — After seven fun and productive years at the Millbrook Library, Diana Bontecou decided to retire from her position as its adult program director. Over the years, Bontecou has been responsible for many wonderful programs, involving cooking classes -— Greek, Italian, Korean, vegetarian, raw food — you name it. Popular “Chopped” TV show champion chef Dafna Mizrahi was even a guest once.

Bontecou has also curated countless art exhibits that rotated on a near monthly basis, covering all mediums and a variety of artists from near and far. Some of her favorites included the yearly Art Blast art show that showcased the work of Millbrook students, usually held in January. She also enjoyed exhibiting work from senior residents at The Fountains, along with other local artists who showed their art at the library’s Gallery, usually celebrated at openings replete with live music and refreshments.

Bontecou also specialized in offering programs for local veterans; one particularly popular program featured music from the WWI era. She also organized annual celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day with Irish music and dancing.

Bontecou would regularly invite authors to the library to read from and discuss their books with patrons. She was involved with the annual Millbrook Literary Festival, which required a lot of work, but has long been a favorite with local readers and authors and an event Bontecou particularly enjoyed.

Bontecou regularly scheduled craft events before the pandemic — included making things such as greeting cards, lotus lanterns and silk-screen paintings.

Another favorite event Bontecou was known for was the library’s dinner and mystery night, as well as a series that featured South Korean culture, including both traditional tea and wedding ceremony demonstrations.

“I was able to coordinate with many wonderful people to help me make our programming unique and successful,” she said. “I was also able to partner with many amazing community groups such as the Millbrook Arts Group and The Catskill Jazz Factory, allowing us to hold beautiful concerts in our great hall. Of course, I will also be grateful to all the incredible artists whose works adorned our walls over the years.”

For the seven years that Bontecou ran the adult programming at the Millbrook Library, patrons could always count on something exciting, fun and educational to enjoy. That changed this past March, when the coronavirus pandemic caused public gatherings to be banned for fear of spreading the deadly virus.

Bontecou said she will really miss her work and those she worked with — and no doubt she will be missed greatly in return. But she’s looking forward to the next chapter in her life: riding her horse, walking her dog and playing with her three cats. She’ll also have more time to spend renovating her house with her partner, James Warhola, whom, coincidently, she met when he appeared as a guest author at the library. When the world returns to normal, Bontecou said the pair hopes to travel.

“I love to cook,” she said, “and I need to decompress. I’ll still be involved with the Berkshire Taconic Community Outreach,” a  regional philanthropic organization looking to strengthen the local communities that she supports.

Bontecou retired at the end of December. 

“Everyone should be lucky enough to retire from a job they love,” she said.

Latest News

A new life for Barrington Hall

A new life for Barrington Hall

Dan Baker, left, and Daniel Latzman at Barrington Hall in Great Barrington.

Provided

Barrington Hall in Great Barrington has hosted generations of weddings, proms and community gatherings. When Dan Baker and Daniel Latzman took over the venue last summer, they stepped into that history with a plan not just to preserve it, but to reshape how the space serves the community today.

Barrington Hall is designed for gathering, for shared experience, for the simple act of being together. At a time when connection is often filtered through screens and distraction, their vision is grounded in something simple and increasingly rare: real human connection.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paley’s Farm Market opens season, signaling start of spring

Paley’s Farm Market, located near the New York–Connecticut border on Amenia Road in Sharon, Conn.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

SHARON, Conn. — For many local residents, spring doesn’t truly begin until Paley’s Farm Market opens its doors, and customers turned out in force for its 44th season opening on Saturday, March 28.

Located on Amenia Road in Sharon, Paley’s is a seasonal destination for residents of New York and Connecticut and, over the past four decades, has evolved from a locally grown produce center into a full-scale garden center, farm market and fine food market.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

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

Gail Rothschild’s threads of time

Gail Rothschild’s threads of time

Gail Rothschild with her painting “Dead Sea Linen III (73 x 58 inches, 2024, acrylic on canvas.

Natalia Zukerman

There is a moment, looking at a painting by Gail Rothschild, when you realize you are not looking at a painting so much as a map of time. Threads become brushstrokes; fragments become fields of color; something once held in the hand becomes something you stand in front of, both still and in a constant process of changing.

“Textiles connect people,” Rothschild said. “Textiles are something that we’re all intimately involved with, but we take it for granted.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Four Brothers Drive-In kicks off season with lower prices, expanded offerings

The Four Brothers Drive-In on Route 44 in Amenia.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

AMENIA — The Four Brothers Drive-In quietly opened its 2026 season with a “soft launch,” offering a family-friendly double feature on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28, while signaling a broader push to keep the experience affordable amid economic uncertainty.

Though the towering movie screen was back in action last weekend, casting a glow over downtown Amenia, the full property — including The Shack, mini golf, and the Hotel Caravana airstreams— will officially open April 17.

Keep ReadingShow less

Sherman Players celebrate a century of community theater

Sherman Players celebrate a century of community theater

Cast of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” from left to right. Tara Vega, Steve Zerilli, Bob Cady (Standing) Seated at the table: Andrew Blanchard, Jon Barker, Colin McLoone, Chris Bird, Rebecca Annalise, Adam Battlestein

Provided

For a century, the Sherman Players have turned a former 19th-century church into a stage where neighbors become castmates, volunteers power productions and community is the main attraction. The company marks its 100th season with a lineup that blends classic works, new writing and homegrown talent.

New England has a long history of community theater and its role in strengthening civic life. The Sherman Players remain a vital example, mounting intimate, noncommercial productions that draw on local participation and speak to the current cultural moment.

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.