MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Arts Group (MAG) has been supporting various programs in Millbrook for about 30 years, many in partnership with Millbrook Library. MAG’s benefactors in Millbrook include the Dyson Foundation and the Tribute Garden.
Bob Button, one of the MAG board members, was thrilled to be talking about the Hammerhead Horns, a group that plays often at MAG venues.
Button moved to Millbrook three years ago, as his wife, Regina, is originally from Millbrook. He spends much time in the capital area for business, but makes sure Millbrook is well supported with programs sponsored by MAG.
On Saturday, Feb. 25, the Millbrook Library resounded with the vibrant music of the Hammerhead Horns, playing ballads, blues and featuring powerful vocals. This second concert in the Winter 2023 Concert Series sponsored by MAG ran from 5 to 7 p.m., with a complimentary reception at 4:30 p.m. for those wishing to sample some traditional New Orleans taste treats.
Chance Bushman joined in the festivities, illuminating the relationship between this music genre and “tapping,” the eloquent joining of beat and tap dancing. The Hammerhead Horns made sure the library fairly rocked with a New Orleans/Mardi Gras beat!
The first winter concert at the library was a Pete Seeger night, from Seeger’s “American Ballads” book. The response was overwhelming, bringing in well over the usual audience.
The third and final concert is another evening especially recommended by Button; “Janice Pendarvis: A Career Retrospective and Concert Demonstration,” to be held at the Millbrook Library on Saturday, March 25, at 5 p.m. Pendarvis has worked with artists such as Talking Heads, Sting, Roberta Flack, David Bowie and many others, so a look back at the career of this singer-songwriter might be like taking a stroll through the annals of modern music.
All MAG concerts are free, and have been a mainstay of entertainment for going on three generations of Millbrook citizens. MAG is a big part of the Village community, and it looks forward to being so for many years to come.
Big things are expected from the Bennett Park renovation, and hopefully a new and better bandshell will be one of them, something Button is also looking forward to. Enjoy the Pendarvis concert in March, then set your sights on the summer concerts starting in June, thanks to MAG’s generosity.
For more information about MAG or to donate, go to www.millbrookartsgroup.org.
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik shows off the new gear. Brand new police cruisers arrived last week.
MILLERTON — The Millerton Police Department has received two new patrol cars to replace vehicles destroyed in the February 2025 fire at the Village Water and Highway Department.
The new Ford Interceptors are custom-built for law enforcement. “They’re more rugged than a Ford Explorer,” said Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik, noting the all-wheel drive, heavy-duty suspension and larger tires and engine. “They call it the ‘Police Package.’”
Olenik worked with The Cruiser’s Division in Mamaroneck, New York, to design the vehicles.
“We really want to thank the Pine Plains Police Department for their tremendous support,” Olenik said. After the fire, “they were the first ones to come forward and offer help.”
The new police cruisers are outfitted with lights with automatically adjusting brightness to best perform in ambient conditions.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Since February, Millerton officers have been borrowing a patrol car from Pine Plains. With the new vehicles now in service, Olenik said he plans to thank Pine Plains officers by treating them to dinner at Four Brothers in Amenia and having their car detailed
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.
Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry. As an interior designer by trade, Rollins designed this booth to evoke a high-end department store to align with the designer brands she carries.
MILLERTON — The Townscape 50/50 raffle drawing has collected a pot of more than $7,000.
That raffle drawing will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. The moment is not just about picking a winner, but also about reflecting on how far Townscape has come since its humble beginnings in 1998, when founder Catherine Fenn — alongside Renee Vollen and Jan Gilmor — first set out to beautify her beloved village.
Fenn’s connection to Millerton runs deep. “I moved here from the Bronx when I was eight years old and fell in love with the place, even as a child,” she recalled, remembering camping trips at Rudd Pond and enjoying the quiet pace of life.
At 15, her family relocated to southern Connecticut. “My dad didn’t think there was much here for us, so we moved. I left kicking and screaming, literally, and I said, ‘Someday I’m coming back.’”
Years later, after marrying, divorcing, and raising children, Fenn kept that promise. She returned to Millerton and married a childhood friend who was very involved in the fire department. After his passing, Fenn threw herself into her own way of giving back.
“I care about this village deeply. Townscape is my way of helping Millerton be the best it can be,” she said.
What began as an informal effort to gather volunteers and plant flowers eventually blossomed into something larger. “We started with flowers up and down Main Street — barrels of them everywhere. Then it grew into benches, tables, trees and even events. It was such a fun world, a really wonderful organization with so many people involved.”
Fenn’s service to the community extends beyond beautification. She spent roughly two decades on the Planning Board, served as Town Supervisor and worked with the county housing authority. Still, her passion for flowers, trees and landscapes has left the most visible mark on Millerton — shaping not only how the village looks, but how it feels.
In 2006, Townscape became a nonprofit organization. But beautification, Fenn admits, isn’t always the easiest cause to fund. “We’re just putting flowers out — and I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because to me it’s really important. The trees, the benches, all of it matters. But it’s not high on most people’s list when they think about charitable donations. Still, people have been wonderfully generous over the years.”
This Saturday’s raffle drawing is one way neighbors can show their support. The winner does not have to be present to claim the prize, but those who stop by can enjoy cookies, lemonade and artwork by local creators on display in the park.
