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Let's hear it — June 18, 2026
Olivia Montoya
Jun 16, 2026
This Week
Fireworks have long been part of Fourth of July celebrations, lighting up the night sky in towns across the country. But in recent years, drone light shows have become an increasingly popular alternative, as communities weigh safety concerns, fire risks, noise complaints, environmental effects and changing state and local regulations.
What do you think about this changing tradition? Should communities hold on to fireworks, embrace drone shows or find room for both?
Send your responses to publisher@lakevillejournal.com by Monday, June 22 at 10 a.m. or comment on Facebook or Instagram.
We’ll publish a selection in next week’s paper.
Last Week’s Question
How much does experience matter? What about independence, new ideas or a willingness to challenge the system? What makes someone an effective representative for your community?
“Im seeing some issues with how Hodge has managed some things but I’m more concerned about an elected official chairs an energy committee and accepts donations from energy companies and representatives.”
— Darrick Spears
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Letters to the editor — Thursday, June 18
Millerton News
Jun 16, 2026
A case for Sam Hodge in the Democratic primary
I’ve voted for Didi Barrett in every election for the last 14 years, but I’ll be voting for Sam Hodge in the June Democratic primary.
As someone who knows Sam, I believe he is better suited to serve our community in the Assembly. Good elected officials need judgment, integrity, authenticity, the ability to listen, and a willingness to take on difficult challenges. Sam checks every box.
When Sam became Chair of the Columbia County Democratic Committee in 2021, Democrats held little countywide power. Under his leadership, Democrats elected two sheriffs, a district attorney, judges, coroners, and helped send Pat Ryan and, later, Josh Riley to Congress. Fundraising records were broken, and races were won, but what impressed me most was something less measurable: Sam gave people hope. He energized volunteers, built a stronger organization, and helped people believe they could make a difference. The results speak for themselves and offer a preview of the type of Assembly member Sam will be.
Outside politics, Sam has dedicated his career to public service. As a Special Victims Prosecutor, he handled domestic violence, child abuse, and sex crimes cases, stood with survivors, and held offenders accountable. It was difficult work that demanded compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to justice. Those qualities matter in public office.
I’ve also been fortunate to know Sam as a friend. He’s hardworking, quick to smile, kind, reliable, thoughtful, and genuinely motivated by helping others. What you see is what you get.
As for this Assembly race, I believe it’s time for a change.
I respect Didi Barrett’s years of service, but I don’t believe she should be reelected. It is a matter of public record that, while serving as Assembly Energy Chair, she accepted tens of thousands of dollars from utility and energy company PACs. It’s a conflict of interest. Democrats rightly criticize the influence of money in politics. We shouldn’t ignore it when politicians on our side of the aisle cash the checks.
It’s time to elect a new generation of leaders. Albany and our politics need fresh perspectives, new energy, and a renewed focus on delivering results.
When Sam engages with voters, I’m struck by his curiosity, thoughtfulness, and genuine commitment to solving problems. He approaches challenges with a determination to improve people’s lives. At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is worsening, we need leaders who are independent of corporate influence, effective, and unafraid to fight for what’s right.
The challenges facing New York today demand new ideas and strong leadership. I know Sam; I can say with confidence that he is ready to serve and deliver. He will be an outstanding Assemblymember. Vote for Sam Hodge on June 23.
Lloyd Marks
Claverack
Party leaders should stay neutral
On June 3rd I, and apparently every Democrat in District 106, received a “personal letter from the desk of Michael Dupree, Chair of the Dutchess County Democrats.” It was a blatant use of his position of power to canonize Didi Barrett and put down Sam Hodge. As a leader in the party, that crosses a line that should not have been crossed. Actions like this are why the Democratic Party [not the individual Democratic candidates] has the lowest approval rating of any party and any candidate.
Primaries are an opportunity for voters to have choices in who they feel will best represent them and push hardest to serve their needs. Party officials need to respect that not everyone looks for the same thing in their elected officials and not pressure them in their choices. Many are ready for change in Albany and that may be uncomfortable to some. The letter I received insinuates that Sam doesn’t understand how Albany works. Actually, I would say he knows how Albany has worked for far too long and he’s running to work for the change that so many of us desperately want to see.
Louise Meryman
Pine Plains (Shekomeko)
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After painter’s death, friends reflect on a life rebuilt
Christian Murray
Jun 16, 2026
LAKEVILLE — Friends and coworkers say Michael Moore spent years rebuilding his life.
Now, they are grappling not only with the loss of a friend and employer, but with the loss of a father whose life had come to revolve around his 7-year-old son, Lucian.
The 40-year-old painting contractor was killed June 1 in Ashley Falls. Authorities allege that fellow painting contractor Cole Bushnell was responsible. Bushnell, 41, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and is being held without bail.
Friends say Moore had overcome addiction, regained custody of his son and built a business that employed people who, like him, were trying to get back on their feet. He was also talking about marriage after more than six months in a committed relationship.
For many who knew both Moore and Bushnell, the allegations remain difficult to reconcile. The two men had known each other since their days at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, worked together for years and remained close friends.
“They were best friends,” Moises Reyes, a painter who was employed by Moore, said.
Friends say Moore and Bushnell spoke daily, shared workers on larger jobs, consulted one another on estimates and occasionally helped each other financially when business slowed.
One friend and fellow painter, who has known both men since childhood but didn’t want his name disclosed, said Bushnell served as a mentor to Moore as the younger contractor built his own business.
“Cole was like a mentor to him,” the friend said. “Whatever job one got, they would run it by the other.”
Friends said it was not uncommon for the two men to loan each other money when cash flow tightened, a reality of running small contracting businesses.
“I saw it both ways,” the friend said. “Mike would help Cole. Cole would help Mike.”
That history has left many searching for answers.
“I don’t understand how it happened,” the friend said.
Rebuilding his life
Those closest to Moore acknowledge that he struggled with addiction during his younger years and had several encounters with the criminal justice system. But friends say those challenges became the foundation of a turnaround.
After becoming sober, Moore focused on rebuilding his life, establishing his own business and gaining sole custody of Lucian nearly four years ago.
“He got clean. He got his son back,” said Joey St. John, who worked for Moore but had been friends with him for nearly a decade.
Friends describe that achievement as one of Moore’s proudest accomplishments. They say much of what he did in recent years revolved around creating stability for his son. Lucian’s mother, they said, had her own personal struggles.
A father first
By all accounts, Lucian was the center of Moore’s life.
Friends describe him as a single father whose daily routine revolved around his son. He dropped him off at daycare in Winsted most days and picked him up at the end of the day.
Friends say Moore worked hard to regain custody of Lucian and was devoted to raising him.
“Lucian loved his daddy more than anything,” said Jacklyn Evon, whose husband grew up with Moore and was a friend.
Her husband, Bryan, attended Kellogg Elementary School in Falls Village with Moore in the 1990s, when there were only about 10 children in the grade, with just three being boys.
“They were like brothers,” she said, noting that Moore gave a lively speech at their wedding.
Following Moore’s death, friends and family members have rallied around Moore’s son.
Evon launched a GoFundMe campaign noting that Moore was Lucian’s sole caregiver, provider and primary source of support. The fundraiser seeks to help cover counseling, educational expenses, daily needs and long-term financial support for the boy.
“No amount can replace Michael or erase the pain of this loss,” the fundraiser states. “However, together we can help ease some of the burdens that now lie ahead for Lucian.”
The GoFundMe had generated about $18,000 in a week, with about 150 contributors.
Evon said that Lucian has a strong foundation but there is uncertainty ahead.
Moore’s death has also left his workers grieving and uncertain about the future.
Many of the people Moore employed were themselves rebuilding their lives after addiction, incarceration or other setbacks.
Reyes said Moore gave him an opportunity after he completed rehabilitation in 2025 and began trying to turn his life around.
“He uplifted me,” Reyes said. “He pointed me in a better direction. I am completely heartbroken by this.”
Reyes said Moore believed in him and helped him develop skills that allowed him to earn a better living. Reyes was working at Burger King in Torrington before Moore hired him.
“If my motivation went down, he would help me,” Reyes said.
Today, Reyes is still trying to process the loss.
“It’s hard to wake up in the morning and concentrate,” he said, who now has to find a new job. “Every 30 minutes I feel grief.”
Meanwhile, St. John was also recovering from addiction and needed a job. “He’s like, ‘I’ll give you some days, come work for me.’ I said: ‘All right.’”
St. John said he became friends with Moore through their shared love of music and Moore’s passion for playing guitar.
Fernando, who didn’t provide his last name but worked for Bushnell, said he is struggling to process the alleged homicide and is now in therapy. He was the employee who was allegedly shown Moore’s body by Bushnell on June 1.
St. John, who had planned to spend the summer working for Moore, has been making deliveries through DoorDash while searching for another job.
Others remain uncertain about what comes next.
Coworkers say Moore looked after his crew, bought lunch, solved problems and treated employees with respect.
Remembering the man they knew
Many of Moore’s friends say his death came at a time when he appeared to have found a path forward.
They said the timing of his death was tragic, since he had got back on track and had rebuilt his life around his family and work.
“He poured all of his energy into his son,” Evon said. “And whatever he had left, he put into his business.”
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Washington median home prices edge higher over past year
Christine Bates
Jun 16, 2026
Sold after just 27 days on the market, 269 Milewood Road offered buyers 2,464 square feet of living space, an insulated and heated three-car garage, and more than five acres.
Photo by Christine Bates
WASHINGTON — Home prices in the Town of Washington continued to trend upward through May 31, 2026, with the median sale price reaching $735,000 over the past 12 months despite a housing market marked by low sales volume and limited inventory.
The $735,000 figure is 11% higher than the $661,370 median recorded for the 12 months ending May 31, 2025, and 49% higher than $492,500 for the comparable period ending May 31, 2024.
Since the beginning of 2022, annual sales of single-family homes in Washington have remained at low levels. A total of 32 single-family homes were sold in the 12 months ending May 31, 2026, compared with 37 sales in the period ending May 31, 2025, and 27 sales for the 12 months ending May 31, 2024. The busiest year occurred during the 12 months ending in October 2021, when 64 homes were sold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the beginning of June, the number of all listed residential properties remained level at 34. All residential properties on the market, including condos and multifamily homes, remained weighted toward the high end, with almost half over $1 million. Four properties were listed above $5 million, 12 between $1 million and $5 million, another 17 between $500,000 and $1 million, with only two homes under $500,000. Eight homes are now listed below the current median price of $735,000.
Of the eleven rentals available, eight are on an annual basis with half under $3,000 per month. There are only three large parcels of land listed from $995,000 with 23.5 acres to $5 million for 332 acres.
May sales
269 Milewood Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home built in 2009 on 5.1 acres sold for $725,000.
3985 Route 82 — 4 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1938 on 2.5 acres sold for $580,000.
279 Milewood Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 2005 on 8.8 acres sold for $550,000.
*Town of Washington recorded real estate sales from May 1 to May 31, 2026 from First Key MLS and market data from InfoSparks. Private transfers will be added when they become available. Details on each property from Dutchess Parcel Access. Current listings from One Key MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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Dutchess County Sheriff’s Report - Thursday, June 18
Millerton News
Jun 16, 2026
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Report - Thursday, June 18
Archive photo
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Harlem Valley area activity report June 4 to June 11
June 5 — Deputies responded to Four Brothers Restaurant Drive in located in Amenia for the ongoing occurrences of cooking oil larcenies occurring throughout the county. Investigation on-going.
June 10 — Deputies report the arrest of Derian E. Ochoa Rabanales, age 30, for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the third degree subsequent to a traffic stop on Route 22 in the Town of North East. Subject to appear in the North East Court at a later date.
PLEASE NOTE: All subjects arrested and charged are alleged to have committed the crime and are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are to appear in local courts later.
If you have any information relative to the aforementioned criminal cases, or any other suspected criminal activity please contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 845-605-CLUE (2583) or email dcsotips@gmail.com. All information will be kept confidential.
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