MILLERTON — Mayor John Scutieri has made what many may call a surprising decision after serving 14 years on the Millerton Village Board, six of them as mayor. He’s decided to call it quits and not run for re-election come March.“It took me a long time to decide this,” he said during an interview with The Millerton News. “It’s bittersweet.”Scutieri has done much during his tenure, as a village trustee, deputy mayor and as mayor. A resident of Millerton since the age of 10, he said he decided to get involved in politics to follow the lead of a “few good people” who were involved themselves.“It took me a while to say yes,” he reminisced. “Anybody that’s not involved always answers no, and asks, ‘Why would anybody want to do that?’ I really needed to talk to a few people to make up my mind.”And he eased into it, filling an appointment initially before deciding to run for a two-year term as trustee. He said he immediately joined the Recreation Committee, which was one of his interests, and that it “started from there.”Pleased with playgroundIn fact, one of the projects Scutieri said he’s most proud of is the handicapped-accessible playground at Eddie Collins Field, which is one of the few American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant playgrounds in the region.“That was a phenomenal project,” he said, making a nod to donor and volunteer Sharon Will for making the playground a reality. “That was just an amazing project for this community, there’s not another playground like that for hundreds of miles. Some of the wealthiest communities would like that, and that’s for everybody to enjoy.”Other accomplishments Scutieri said he was pleased to take part of included “getting a better grip on new sidewalks.” Sidewalks have been a hallmark of Scutieri’s administration. His long-range plan included replacing many of the village’s deteriorating and damaged sidewalks to help improve the business district and village proper.“The community and village have grown tremendously; our infrastructure is in such terrible condition,” he said. “We’ve got to have a long-range plan for sidewalks, it’s really important and I’m really pleased to see it started.”About four years ago the village started aggressively pursuing Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) from the county to help with sidewalk improvement projects. The mayor said this year alone it plans to receive $200,000. It’s received not only CDBG funds, but also CHIPS funding and other grant awards, all to the tune of an estimated $500,000. Some of that money has also gone toward street lighting.Though rewarding to see such projects progress, Scutieri said he thinks his time to step aside has come.“I’m a strong believer when it comes to federal politics to term limits, and I really feel the first term and second terms it’s easier to get things done because you’re excited,” he said. “But once you’ve done something too long it gets stagnant, and you’re not as motivated to move and act on things as quickly as when you first came to office. So that’s part of the reason.Likes big projects“But what really had me convinced is that I truly enjoy these big projects ... and when you start taking on positions on Rudd Pond and the supermarket, it requires a lot of time, so with the limited amount of time I have to operate the office of mayor it’s very difficult for me to oversee that position as far as the police department, the highway department, the water department, the office of the clerks, payroll, recreation, everything. It’s a tremendous responsibility, and to still work [a full-time job],” he said. “My strong suit is getting involved in these major projects, so I’m not going to disappear.”Scutieri said he’s hopeful one of the three village trustees remaining on the board will decide to run for the mayoral position; he said all three are eminently qualified. The three remaining trustees include: Yosh Schulman, Debbie Middlebrook and Marty Markonic. Scutieri said one of the advantages of having a veteran elected as mayor is that he or she will be familiar with the village budget, which the board will be in the middle of constructing come election season.While stepping away from the position will free him up to focus on specific projects, as well as allow him more time for his “regular” job and more time with his family, Scutieri said he wanted to stress that he’s really enjoyed his stint as mayor.“I love being mayor,” he said. “It’s been a really rewarding position. And to have helpful people on all of our committees and boards has been a huge asset. I think one of the most rewarding parts of the position has been the incredible amount of friends I’ve made and the people I’ve gotten to know that otherwise I would not have. The friendships I’ve made are the most rewarding part of the position.”
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Artist Victor Cella with his recent painting “White Dog” in his studio and shop, Little Store Antiques in Great Barrington.
L. Tomaino
Cella greets visitors while talking with a fellow painter who comments about his work and Cella himself: “Eclectic, amazing! Victor is decidedly loved in the community and exhibits to everyone his completely open heart.” She added, “He inspires the rest of us who paint.”
Cella began devoting himself to painting about four and a half years ago. He remembers taking art classes in high school. He had finished all his credits early and was allowed, in his senior year, to take art for four hours a day. He credits his art teacher, Mr. Owen, with giving him a good foundation in art.
“Now that I paint, I rely on my teacher’s words: ‘To unify a painting, pick a color and wash it over the painting,’ or, ‘You need to mix the colors!’”
He won a scholarship to New York University to study art, but his parents said no.Instead, he attended North Adams State College, where he also took an art class at Williams College, repeating a pattern from high school in which he finished his required credits early and used the extra time to study art.
He earned a teaching degree in special education and ended up working in schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut for 37 years. He retired in 2019.
Then, four and a half years ago, he got the urge to paint, and the paintings flowed out of him.
He has sold 757 paintings, with 95 of those sold since May 7. “I am having bizarrely good luck with my paintings.” He estimates he has painted 2,000 paintings in four and a half years.
He modestly attributes his success to “I sell low and I have a built-in client base of 51 years,” he said, referring to recurring customers in his antique shop. “A billion people give me feedback.” He has two patrons who each have several of his paintings. “Unbelievably,” says Cella, “one person owns 32 and the other owns 27.”
His studio is in the back of the shop. He paints now on 16-by-20-inch canvases, some of which he recycles, finding them at Goodwill.
Cella’s paintings are tucked in almost every available space thoughout Little Store Antiques. L. Tomaino
To keep his painting fresh and himself interested because, as Cella explained, “I can’t stay with one idea for long,” he has gone through several phases: crazy dogs, grids, flowers with black backgrounds, a geometric phase and “weird people.” The “crazy dogs,” as he calls them, are popular now. One person bought eight, left to go to her car and came back for a ninth, spotted in the shop’s window — the one that brought her into the shop in the first place.
He may even illustrate a children’s book with the “crazy dogs.” A local author liked them so much she asked Cella if he’d illustrate a story about three dogs if she wrote one.
Cella was also approached recently by a person who said, “Do you know you were my favorite teacher?” She came into The Little Store, attracted by the paintings in the shop’s window. It turned out the former student owns Crystal Essence on Railroad Street in Great Barrington and has asked to sell Cella’s paintings there.
Cella, who will soon be selling the building where The Little Store is located and move it nearer to his Southfield home, was glad to be offered a new venue for his paintings.
An artist he knows, Scott Prior, a painter from Nantucket, bought one of Cella’s paintings and gave him this advice: “Never go to art school. You are an artist. Let it pour out of you.”
Cella said, “You have to follow your own path.” He mused, “If I taught art, I’d teach it in a different way. I could teach it as an awareness — how to free yourself up.”
To see more of Cella’s work, visit The Little Store (88 Main St.) or Crystal Essence (39 Railroad St.) in Great Barrington.
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The Allum Ridge Boys & Ashlee at Oldtone Music Festival in 2025
Jim Wright
But Oldtone wasn’t quite ready to disappear. With strong support from local and artist communities, a new nonprofit, Oldtone Arts Inc., was formed in 2023, and the festival returned to Cool Whisper Farm in 2024. Today, the festival is co-produced by Jim Wright and Trevor Roush and continues to operate with an emphasis on keeping its intimate, artist-driven character.
That spirit is reflected in Oldtone’s motto, “Participation is Preservation.” Rather than simply presenting traditional music onstage, the festival encourages audiences to take part through workshops, dancing, jams, contests and other opportunities for musicians and listeners to play and learn together.
Jerron Paxton & Nora Brown at Oldtone Music Festival in 2025.Reed Shuzts
This year’s lineup ranges across bluegrass, Cajun, country, folk, Latin and other roots traditions. Performers include Bella White, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Los Texmaniacs, Jerron Paxton, Linzay Young & Joel Savoy, Cajun Country Revival, Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra, Jesse Lége & Bayou Brew, Sammy Lind & Nadine Landry and The Ozark Highballers.
In addition to multiple stages, the weekend includes dancing, workshops and opportunities for musicians to join in. Campers have long made late-night music-making a central part of the experience, with informal jams continuing into the night.
Visitors can attend for a single day or camp on the property for the entire festival. Children 12 and younger are admitted free.
Oldtone Music Festival takes place Sept. 10 through 13 at Cool Whisper Farm, 1011 County Route 21 in Ghent, New York. For tickets, camping information and the complete schedule, visit oldtone.org.
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