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A new literary festival puts storytelling in the spotlight in Kinderhook
Natalia Zukerman
Aug 26, 2026
Stories take many forms — poems, novels, songs, stand-up routines, films, visual art and even the pages of a community newspaper. The inaugural Rough Notes Festival, presented by Kinderhook Books Aug. 28-30, brings writers, performers, artists and readers together for a weekend devoted to the many ways stories are created, shared and transformed.
The three-day festival opens Friday, Aug. 28, with comedian, author and Oscar nominee Tig Notaro at Van Buren Hall. Following her sold out performance, Notaro will talk about writing and the creative process with actor and comedian Lauren Weedman, known for her work on the HBO series “Hacks.”
Saturday’s program begins with “I Too Dislike It: Why Poetry Endures,” a conversation moderated by poet Mark Wunderlich and featuring Michael Dumanis, Monica Ferrell and Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone. Later, Temim Fruchter moderates “Queering the Queer Memoir,” with Eliot Glazer, Henry Hoke, Chloé Caldwell and Hugh Ryan.
At 2 p.m., writer and director Nadia Conners leads “The Afterlife of Art,” a discussion with novelists Peter Cameron and Sigrid Nunez about what happens to creative work after it leaves its creator’s hands. “The Unreliable Past,” moderated by former Tin House editor Rob Spillman, follows at 3:30 p.m., with authors Amitava Kumar, Jayne Anne Phillips and Francine Prose considering memory as both a source of inspiration and an unreliable narrator.
The weekend also has plenty for young writers and music lovers. Saturday morning’s free Typewriter Project invites children to create a community newspaper using vintage typewriters, inspired by Kinderhook’s 1950s-era youth newspaper, The Bugle. At 1 p.m., 11-year-old upstate New York singer-songwriter Lulu Grey performs on the Bank lawn.
That evening brings an intimate conversation and live music with singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, who will discuss songwriting, storytelling and the creative process with Sarah LaDuke, former WAMC producer and executive director of Folk Alley.
Sunday shifts toward the practical craft of writing. Workshops include Richard Mirabella on starting a novel, Emily Nemens on the narrative power of friendship and Thomas Grattan on using objects to develop character, conflict and setting. Olivia Muenter and Casey Scieszka will discuss the spaces and communities that make creative work possible in “A Place for the Work.”
Visual art is also part of the festival, with “Re-Scripting,” an exhibition at September Sometimes (4 Hudson St., Kinderhook) featuring Mara Baldwin, Jane Bustin, Nicole Cherubini, Taylor Davis, Shanekia McIntosh and Cauleen Smith. The artists’ works incorporate written language through collage, painting, sculpture and vinyl.
Presented by Kinderhook Books, the festival takes its name from a 19th-century Kinderhook broadsheet and celebrates a community with a long tradition of storytelling. Through conversations, performances, workshops and art, The Rough Notes explores the journey from first idea to finished work — and the ways stories continue to change once they enter the world.
For the complete schedule and ticket information, visit theroughnotes.com
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Stissing Center brings Frankenstein back to life with live music
D.H. Callahan
Aug 26, 2026
Provided
When the 1931 horror classic “Frankenstein” plays with live musical accompaniment at the Stissing Center on Saturday, Aug. 29, it will open with a warning. A handsomely dressed man will step into the spotlight to warn the audience about the thrilling and horrifying tale to come. Then, it’s off to the graveyard.
“Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” was written in 1818 by English author Mary Shelley. A summary is comically unnecessary, as the story itself has become one of the most important pieces, not just of horror writing, but of the history of literature. A scientist playing with the finite constraints of life and death, alongside the themes of prejudice, acceptance, and the dangers of mob rule continue to capture generation after generation in ways that seem consistently fresh and relevant.
In 1931, audiences were treated to an early era cinematic masterpiece by director James Whale. The theatrical release was an instant hit, winning praise from the public and critics alike.It would soon spawn sequels, spinoffs, and spoofs including “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” “The Bride,” which was released earlier this year, and even Andy Warhol’s attempt, known as “Flesh for Frankenstein.” Notably, Mel Brooks’ comedic reinterpretation,“Young Frankenstein,” has, itself, become a timeless classic of Hollywood history.
Whale was not the first director tapped by Universal Studios to bring Frankenstein to the silver screen. Originally Robert Florey, who was best known for “The Cocoanuts” starring the Marx Brothers, was chosen to direct. His slapstick approach saw Frankenstein as more of a killing machine than the misunderstood portrait of humanity depicted in Shelley’s novel. This may have scared off the original monster, Bella Lugosi, who’d recently killed at the box office for Universal as Dracula. Though the exact reason is still a source of debate, the studio gave the project to Whale, who cast a relatively unknown Boris Karloff to play the monster.
Karloff had played a range of roles in over 80 films before Frankenstein, which would throw him into the public’s collective knowledge and nightmares. His image became an icon itself, still just as relevant today as it was when the film was released. Last October, a painting by Rob Zombie showed at his art show at the Morrison Gallery in Kent, Connecticut focused on Karloff’s face.
The film was released without a soundtrack. For Grammy-nominated composer Michael Shapiro, this provided an exciting challenge. In 2001, thanks to a commission from The Chappaqua Orchestra, Shapiro created a lush, emotional score intended to be played under the original dialogue.
Audiences loved the way the music brought the film to life. While there are multiplearrangements made for a variety of instrumental configurations, the performance at the Stissing Center will be a world premiere for string quartet and piano. The vibrant Argus Quartet, once tapped as the Graduate Resident String Quartet at the Juilliard School, will play the new arrangement with pianist and Steinway Artist Steven Beck. The composer Michael Shapiro himself will be there to conduct the group.
But the musicians won’t be the only ones on stage. In a special appearance for this world premiere, Sara Karloff, Boris’ daughter will be in attendance to participate in an interview before the screening. The Stissing Center asks that audience members leave their pitchforks at home.
For more information and tickets to the performance, visit thestissingcenter.org.
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Robert Rauschenberg: memories of an art world giant
D.H. Callahan
Aug 26, 2026
Rauschenberg in his Captiva studio.
Provided
In 1953, Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning was at the height of a career rarely reached by artists during their lifetimes.
That was the year a young Robert Rauschenberg brought him a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and proposed something audacious. He wanted to erase one of the famous artist’s drawings. De Kooning got it. He didn’t like the idea, but he understood the assignment, and started rifling through archived works for a drawing that he would “miss,” and one that would be difficult to erase. Rauschenberg spent the next month making it disappear.
The resulting work sent the art world into a tailspin, claiming artistic blasphemy. The act, they claimed, was nothing but hostility toward agreed upon artistic greatness. Rauschenberg didn’t see it that way, but he let them say what they needed to say.
He thoroughly enjoyed challenging the art establishment. While he loved the acts of drawing and painting, it seems that to him that technical artistic proficiency was secondary to bold new ideas.
For Rauschenberg, this was just one stop on a wild artistic ride that saw inventive works created across six decades until his death in 2008. Other career milestones include a 23-foot-long tire print, which he made with composer John Cage; the 190 panels and sculptural elements collectively known as the “The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece”; and a whole new medium melding painting and sculpture that he referred to as his “Combines.”
Along for a good stretch of the ride were Jane Coats Eckert, founder and owner of Eckert Fine Art in Washington Depot, Connecticut, and Jonas Stirner, who now runs the Stirner Modern gallery in Easton, Pennsylvania. On Saturday, Aug. 29 the two will come togetherat the Washington Art Association & Gallery at 5 p.m. to discuss their time with Rauschenberg as friends, dealer, and studio assistant and collaborator.
Eckert first met Rauschenberg when she moved to Captiva Island, Florida in the mid 1990s. Although she was aware of the artist’s presence on the island, the two didn’t meet until some time after her arrival. Eventually, the two would become close, with Rauschenberg giving Eckert some pieces to sell. “He certainly didn’t need to sell anything,” she recalled, as he was already internationally celebrated.
Stirner worked as a studio assistant for Rauschenberg for over a decade. He tells of an incredibly supportive mentor, who was kind to all, and unnecessarily generous with his resources. When Stirner got the job, he was, by his own account, wonderfully underqualified, which was exactly what Rauschenberg was looking for. With artistic students working on their masters and PhDs hounding him for a job, Rauschenberg instead chose people who wanted to work with their hands. Stirner was a bartender at the time, and wasn’t aware of the level of success his new employer had already achieved.
Rauschenberg took both Stirner and Eckert around the world to big museum and gallery openings. In 1998, they both accompanied him to Frank Geary’s Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain, where his show would be the first retrospective at the new Museum. Back home in Florida, Eckert even staged a joint exhibition with works by both employer and employee, something Rauschemberg was honored to be a part of.
Together, the two gallerists have the experience to paint quite the picture.
To hear their stories about Rauschenberg at WAA on Aug. 29, get tickets at washingtonartassociation.org.
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“Rex” at Stissing Center
Millerton News
Aug 26, 2026
Photo by Kenneth Jimenez
Cellist and composer Christopher Hoffman brings his solo project “Rex” to the Grace Note at Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Friday, Aug. 28, inspired by artist and ornithologist Rex Brasher, who created more than 1,200 watercolors of North American birds on his 116-acre estate in Amenia. Hoffman moved into Brasher’s former home in 2023 and composed and recorded the 13-track album there, using acoustic and electric cello to evoke Brasher’s world without literally reproducing birdsong. Hoffman’s performance draws on his work in jazz, experimental music and film, including collaborations with Henry Threadgill, Yoko Ono and Martin Scorsese. Tickets at thestissingcenter.org
Classifieds - August 25, 2026
Millerton News
Aug 26, 2026
HOUSE FOR RENT
MT RIGA LAKEFRONT CABIN. Private beach, canoe, kayaks, fishing. $1,275/week. 585-355-5245.
2 Bedroom House. Millerton, NY. Quiet. 4 miles from town. No Dogs. $2475 monthly, plus utilities. 518-567-8277.
SERVICES OFFERED
Hector Pacay Landscaping, LLC. Residential & Commercial. Tree service, Painting, Masonry, Stone Walls, Lawn Mowing, Gardens, Construction. 845-636-3212. CT and NY.
LOJA CLEANING AND JANITORIAL Home and Apartment Cleaning. Commercial Janitorial and Maintenance. Offices & Commercial Spaces. Move In/Move Out. Customized Deep Cleaning Projects. Licensed & Insured. 475-746-8621 or 475-529-6484. lojacleaningservices@gmail.com
Julieth Cleaning Pro. Spotless Homes at Competitive Prices! House Cleaning. Apartment Cleaning. Office Cleaning. Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning. Post Construction Cleaning. Basement & Attic Cleaning. General Cleaning. Reliable, Professional & Friendly Service. Proudly serving Torrington, Canaan, Litchfield, Winsted, Norfolk, New Hartford, and surrounding areas. Call today for your FREE estimate! 860-806-2110. JuliethCleaningPra@gmail.com
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination
HELP WANTED
Weekend Worker Needed. Weed whacking, Brush clearing, Firewood, Lawn and Garden work, plus more. Good work ethics required. Pay according to skill. Call 518-567-8277.
Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking waitstaff. Lunch shifts available for weekdays with flexible shift options for weekends and some dinners as well. Call 413-528-0350 or send resumes to brandon@wyantenuck.org
BOOKKEEPER WANTED. Part time. Sharon. 407-620-7777.
Konkapot Tree and Timber based in Ashley Falls is looking for a Sawmill Assistant. Part or full time. Experience with chainsaws, tractors, and machinery preferred but not required. Will train the right candidate. Pay: depending on experience. 413-229-2182.
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
1Bd/1b apartment in Amenia. $900 a month. 860-309-4482.
TAG SALES LITCHFIELD, CT
HUGE ESTATE TAG SALE 8/28 10-5, 8/29 10-3. Antiques, Vintage + More. 425 Bantam Rd. Litchfield.
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Legal Notices - August 25, 2026
Millerton News
Aug 26, 2026
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC). Name: Garnet IT Consulting LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/01/2026 . Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 22 South Randolph Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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LEGAL NOTICE
Coldworks Mechanical LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 05/28/2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: P.O. Box 353, LaGrangeville, New York 12540-0353. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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LEGAL NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that an Application for Authority of Jones & Daughters Hudson Valley LLC, a foreign limited liability company, was filed with the Secretary of State of New York pursuant to Section 802 of the Limited Liability Company Law. The name of the limited liability company is Jones & Daughters Hudson Valley LLC. The jurisdiction of its formation is Connecticut. The date of its formation is January 28, 2026. The county within New York State in which the office of the limited liability company is to be located is Dutchess County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the limited liability company upon whom process against it may be served, and the post office address to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process served upon the Secretary of State is Jones & Daughters, 34 Main Street, Millerton, NY 12546. The principal office address of the limited liability company is 34 Main Street, Millerton, NY 12546.
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Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of GREEN VILLAGE CONTRACTORS LLC Articles of Organization filed with the NYS Department of State (SSNY) on 05/15/2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Tomas Tun Ico 766 Old Route 22 Amenia, NY 12501 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Polonia Hudson Valley, LLC (the "LLC"). Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York ("SSNY") on July 27, 2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC to: 4 Marshall Rd, Unit 143, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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Legal Notice
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY True Kettle Corn, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/30/2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 14 Wright Boulevard, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Legal Notice
Notice of formation of West Ridge Farm LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 8/04/2025. Office location: Suffolk County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LLC, PO Box 5061 East Hampton, NY 11937. Purpose: real property management.
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Legal Notice
TOWN OF PINE PLAINS DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held by the Town of Pine Plains Planning Board on the 9th day of September 2026 at 7:30pm at the Town Hall, 3284 Route 199, Pine Plains, New York, for the purpose of hearing all persons for or against an application submitted by Lower Hudson Forestry, LLC for a special use permit at the premises located at 3238 Route 199, Town of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, Tax Map ID #6871-00-738990-0000 for a proposed timber harvest. Any resident of the Town of Pine Plains shall be entitled to be heard regarding said application. The application is available for review during regular business hours at the Pine Plains Town Hall. By order of: Town of Pine Plains Planning Board
08-27-26
LEGAL NOTICE
Please take notice that pursuant to a resolution of the Town Board of the Town of North East, Dutchess County, New York, sealed bids for the purchase of the following items will be received at the Office of Town Clerk, Town of North East, 19 North Maple Avenue, PO Box 516, Millerton, New York 12546 until 11:00 AM. on the 17th day of September 2026, at which time they will be read aloud. Propane Delivered On Road Diesel Fuel Delivered 87 Octane Gasoline Delivered #2 Fuel Heating Oil Delivered Run Of The Bank Gravel Processed Gravel Screened Topsoil Screened Ice Control Sand Washed Ice Control Sand Tailings Crushed Stone Washed Crushed Stone Bituminous Mix (Cold Patch) Bituminous Mix (Hot Mix All Types) Latex Emulsions Latex Primer & Sealers Latex MP Materials Base Conditioners Liquid Calcium Chloride (Spread On Road By Gallon) Full Depth Reclamation By Square Yard Relevant items may be bid F.O.B. or delivered. Bid period will be from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027. Bid winners will be notified in writing. All bids must be accompanied by a notarized non collusive statement and corporate bidders must file a corporate resolution with corporate seal. All envelopes must be clearly marked "Bid (01/01/27- 12/31/27)". The Town Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. Information may be obtained by calling the Highway Department at 518-789-4850. August 27, 2026.
Christopher Kennan
Supervisor Town of North East
08-27-26
Legal Notice
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TOWN OF AMENIA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Board of the Town of Amenia will conduct a PUBLIC HEARING on the 17th day of September, 2026, at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall, Town of Amenia, 4988 Route 22, Amenia, New York 12501, at which time all parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard as to whether the Town Board of the Town of Amenia shall adopt "Local Law No. ___ of the Year 2026, Creating a New Chapter entitled 'Smoking and Vaping of Tobacco and Cannabis Products on Town Property' Prohibiting the Smoking and Vaping of Tobacco and Cannabis Products on Town Owned Property". PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the purpose and intent of the proposed Local Law is to prohibit the smoking and vaping of tobacco and cannabis products on specific Town owned property, parks and recreation areas. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Proposed Action is a Type II Action as determined in 6 NYCRR 617.5(c)(33) and, accordingly, the Town Board hereby expressly determines that this action is not an action that requires review pursuant to the provisions of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a copy of the proposed Local Law No. ___ of the Year 2026 is available for review and inspection at the Office of the Town Clerk during regular office hours, at the Town Hall, Town Hall, 4988 Route 22, Amenia New York and on the Town's website at www.ameniany.gov. Dated: Amenia, New York 2026. BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD DAWN MARIE KLINGNER, TOWN CLERK
08-27-26
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