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Town of Washington gains four EV chargers

Town of Washington gains four EV chargers
From left: Kate Kruk, director of community engagement for Livingston  Energy Group, holds one end of the ribbon at a ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 10, highlighting the new electric charging station at Washington Town Hall. Village Board Trustee Vicky Contino holds the shears, Melaine Rottkamp, president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism looks on, and Washington Town Supervisor Gary Ciferri  holds the other end of the ribbon. 
Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe

MILLBROOK — With the snip of a very large pair of blue scissors, Millbrook came into the electric charger age on Thursday, Aug. 10, when a ribbon was cut in front of the chargers recently installed at Washington Town Hall.

“In the center of Millbrook, the four public EV charge ports are a vital amenity which will attract visitors to the Village,  serve employees who drive EV’s here and want to top off before heading home, and benefit residents who have or want an electric car but don’t have a charger at home,” said Village Board Trustee Vicky Contino.

After initial research and outreach, in early 2021, Contino was contacted by Livingston Energy Group through the New York Conference of Mayors.

In early fall 2022, Livingston had alerted the municipalities that new grant money was available. Grants were applied for to cover the $59,200 cost of hardware, installation and service fees for four ports.

After a Livingston site visit, a deal was negotiated for a five-year contract for the ports, which would be installed, maintained and networked at no cost to the town or village for the duration of the contract.

By spring 2023, permits were issued, the site was prepared and the installation was completed. This summer the inspection was done, Central Hudson made the connection, the spaces were paved, and, on Aug. 5, the charging station had its first official customer.

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Libraries, Town Halls open as cooling centers during heat wave

North East Town Hall will be open on Thursday, July 2, for people who need a cool place to sit and sip water. The Town Hall is located at 19 N. Maple Ave. in Millerton.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

Community cooling centers are opening across Dutchess County as extreme heat brings temperatures into the high 90s.

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Benjamin Reynaert

Jennifer Almquist
Creating a home is, at its core, an act of love.
— Benjamin Reynaert

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Beneath the surface: Delano Dunn and Mickalene Thomas explore history, memory and art

Mickalene Thomas and Delano Dunn at Wassaic Project.

Lucia Landolo

Before “Echoes in the Margin,” Delano Dunn’s new solo exhibition at Troutbeck in Amenia opened, the artist sat down with curator and artist Mickalene Thomas for a conversation at the Wassaic Project on Wednesday, June 24. Their wide-ranging discussion offered an intimate look into Dunn’s practice while situating the work within broader questions of history, memory and representation.

Presented by the Wassaic Project, the exhibition brings Dunn’s richly layered paintings into conversation with Troutbeck itself, the historic estate long associated with artists, writers and civil rights leaders, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes and many more.

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Scott Siegler releases 'Mobsters in the Mansion.'

Scott Siegler at his home in Sharon.

D.H. Callahan

Scott Siegler is bored of success stories. But Scott Siegler has had the kind of successful Hollywood career that people write books about.

Before he was 30, he’d earned three degrees. Before he moved to Hollywood, he’d already won an Emmy for one of the nine documentaries he directed and produced. Before he helped launch Netscape, bringing the Internet to the public, he’d already started his own Hollywood studio.

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Masterclass workshops with Crescendo

Masterclass workshops with Crescendo
Stephen Potter

Crescendo, the Lakeville-based nonprofit specializing in early and rarely performed classical music, is taking a deep dive into the works of Johann Sebastian Bach this summer as artistic director, Christine Gevert, explores the genius of one of history’s greatest composers through a series of public masterclass workshops at Saint James Place in Great Barrington. More information at crescendomusic.org.

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