Millerton elects Markonic, Bates and Waite

MILLERTON — The village held elections for mayor and two trustee seats on Wednesday, March 18.Marty Markonic won 88 votes — 47 Democratic and 41 Republican — to retain his seat as mayor. Markonic, a Libertarian, ran unopposed.“I want to thank all the residents who took the time to get out and vote,” the mayor said. “The village election always falls on my daughter’s birthday, so happy birthday, Jane.”Incumbent Christine Bates and Stephen Waite won seats on the Village Board with 85 and 65 votes respectively.Bates, unaffiliated with a party, earned 38 Democratic votes and 47 Republican votes.“I appreciate the endorsement of both the parties,” she said.The trustee added that a priority of the board this year will be to install new sidewalks on Main Street between South Center Street and Dutchess Avenue. “I know from past experiences that Christine Bates will do a great job, so I’m glad she won,” Markonic said.Waite, a registered Republican, also thanked voters for their support.“It was cold, it was windy, it was downright raw but people did get out there and vote,” he said, “and fortunately I was able to gather enough votes to secure a spot on the board, and I’m looking forward to working with the members of the board and moving Millerton forward.”Waite also thanked the other candidates for running.“It wasn’t an election where there were a lot of candidates to come out and vote for, but people did come out and vote, and they should be applauded for that,” he said.Mayor Markonic expressed support for Waite and said he’ll do well in the role.“I’m very happy with the Village Board that’s in place,” Markonic said. “We might not always agree on things but we always work it out.“The backbone of the village is Amber Jordan, clerk and treasurer, and Jenn Owens, her assistant. They have brought the office light-years ahead from where it was. With a team like this the village is in very good hands,” he added.Democrat Nancy Vialpando also ran for village trustee. She received 43 votes.A total of 104 residents voted: 95 at Village Hall and nine by absentee ballot.“It’s important to vote,” said resident De Lora Brooks on Election Day. “If you want to make a difference, you start with your local elections.”“I think it is very important to get out and vote in your local elections. It is where your vote really counts and can make a difference,” said Olivia Markonic — the mayor’s wife — before voting.

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PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.

The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.

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To save birds, plant for caterpillars

Fireweed attracts the fabulous hummingbird sphinx moth.

Photo provided by Wild Seed Project

You must figure that, as rough as the cold weather has been for us, it’s worse for wildlife. Here, by the banks of the Housatonic, flocks of dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, tufted titmice and black-capped chickadees have taken up residence in the boxwood — presumably because of its proximity to the breakfast bar. I no longer have a bird feeder after bears destroyed two versions and simply throw chili-flavored birdseed onto the snow twice a day. The tiny creatures from the boxwood are joined by blue jays, cardinals and a solitary flicker.

These birds will soon enough be nesting, and their babies will require a nonstop diet of caterpillars. This source of soft-bodied protein makes up more than 90 percent of native bird chicks’ diets, with each clutch consuming between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars before they fledge. That means we need a lot of caterpillars if we want our bird population to survive.

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Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and the home for American illustration

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett

L. Tomaino
"The field of illustration is very close to my heart"
— Stephanie Plunkett

For more than three decades, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett has worked to elevate illustration as a serious art form. As chief curator and Rockwell Center director at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she has helped bring national and international attention to an art form long dismissed as merely commercial.

Her commitment to illustration is deeply personal. Plunkett grew up watching her father, Joseph Haboush, an illustrator and graphic designer, work late into the night in his home studio creating art and hand-lettered logos for package designs, toys and licensed-character products for the Walt Disney Co. and other clients.

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Free film screening and talk on end-of-life care
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
Provided

Craig Davis, co-founder and board chair of East Mountain House, an end-of-life care facility in Lakeville, will sponsor a March 5 screening of the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” at The Moviehouse in Millerton, followed by a discussion with attendees.

The film, which is nominated for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, follows the poet Andrea Gibson and their partner Megan Falley as they are suddenly and unimaginably forced to navigate a terminal illness. The free screening invites audiences to gather not just for a film but for reflection on mortality, healing, connection and the ways communities support one another through difficult life transitions.

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