PINE PLAINS — Given all the sunshine this fall has afforded the Harlem Valley thus far, even as temperatures drop, local residents have been out and about in an effort to stay fit and enjoy the scenery while maintaining a social distance from one another. For those looking to get back into the local exercise programs they once enjoyed, they are more than welcome to join the in-person and online community yoga classes organized by the Pine Plains Free Library.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoga with Nichole, with instructor Nichole Martini, was originally held at the Pine Plains Free Library on Monday nights. After the pandemic hit, she shifted to teaching on Zoom.
Nowadays, Martini can be found hosting her Monday evening yoga classes in-person in the open air at the Pine Plains Lions Club Pavilion, located at 82 Beach Road. Open to all skill levels, the program is available every Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Social distancing is a must for residents who partake in these classes, and donations are appreciated but not required.
Martini is also teaching a Saturday morning yoga class via Zoom. Held at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings, residents can access this yoga class by clicking on the Zoom link https://zoom.us/j/8718532858?pwd=dnVZelo3bjBES2dyZFpjRjczbUEwZz09. The suggested donation for this class is $10. Participants can pay via Venmo to @Nichole-Martini or via PayPal to nichole.martini@gmail.com.
As another yoga enthusiast residing locally, Lynda Wisdo, had organized a Chair Yoga program on YouTube early in the pandemic. According to Wisdo’s website, Wise Woman Wellness at www.lyndawisdo.weebly.com, chair yoga is defined as a form of traditional Hatha Yoga (referring to a branch of yoga that focuses on physical exercises and breathing control) with the support of a chair.
Participants are taught exercises in both seated and standing postures in addition to breathing exercises and guided meditation.
Described as a practice for the mind, spirit and body, the benefits of practicing chair yoga range from increased flexibility and relaxation to an enhanced immune function and improved sense of empowerment.
The Chair Yoga program was originally held in the Community Room above the Pine Plains Free Library every Wednesday morning, until the pandemic prompted the library to close. The library has since reopened, but not all of its programs have returned as it is still concerned about its patrons’ safety.
As a way of staying connected with her students while offering local residents access to Chair Yoga, Wisdo created a video on YouTube entitled, “Chair Yoga~Finding Our Breath Amid the COVID-19 Chaos,” which can be found online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0M7tccBfA0.
“So many of us are living with fear and, as a result, not breathing fully,” Wisdo said of how people are dealing with the stress of the pandemic. “Focusing on taking full, expansive breaths can help greatly to alleviate stress and anxiety as can gentle movement and guided meditation — both of which are part of my video.”
Wisdo later posted a “Chair Yoga~Releasing Muscle Tension During the COVID Chaos” video that focused on alleviating stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be found online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmi8zN8dEaQ.
Given that many of her students are seniors who don’t navigate the world wide web terribly well, Wisdo has since let the Chair Yoga program go, though residents can still find her videos through the aforementioned links or by visiting her YouTube channel, “Lynda Wisdo, MA.”
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
The main entrance to Kent Hollow Mine at 341 South Amenia Road in Amenia.
AMENIA — Amenia residents and a Wassaic business have filed suit against the Town Board and Kent Hollow Inc., alleging a settlement between the town and the mine amounts to illegal contract zoning that allows the circumvention of environmental review.
Petitioners Laurence Levin, Theodore Schiffman and Clark Hill LLC filed the suit on Aug. 22. Town officials were served with documents for the case last week and took first steps in organizing a response to the suit at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The lawsuit is the latest in a multi-year long legal battle surrounding the mine on South Amenia Road. After Kent Hollow Inc. — a subsidiary of Bethel, Connecticut, based homebuilder Steiner Inc. — applied for a state mining permit in 2017, the Amenia code enforcement officer issued the business a notice of violation.
At the time, Kent Hollow Inc. did not possess a special permit to conduct mining operations as required by Amenia zoning code, and the property did not reside in the Special Mining Overlay district established as part of rezoning efforts coinciding with the 2007 adoption of the town’s comprehensive plan.
Kent Hollow Inc. appealed the violation, claiming the use of the property as a mine predates amendments to town and state regulations. The Zoning Board of Appeals denied the appeal citing insufficient evidence in 2019. That spurred Kent Hollow to file two lawsuits — one in the New York State Supreme Court and a federal civil rights lawsuit — challenging the town’s order.
In July 2025, those lawsuits were brought to a close when the Town Board voted at a special meeting to accept a settlement agreement allowing Kent Hollow to continue mining operations under limited hours and quantities.
The most recent suit alleges the 2025 settlement amounts to contract zoning that allows Kent Hollow Inc. to skirt environmental review and the scrutiny of the permitting and rezoning process. Court documents allege Kent Hollow did not adequately prove a continuous, legal nonconforming use.
Supporting the argument, petitioners have submitted the court documents and decision from the 2019 New York Supreme Court case against the town Zoning Board of Appeals, and the documents from the preceding ZBA appeals process including receipts and tax returns from Kent Hollow Inc. purporting to establish the nonconforming use.
Kent Hollow Inc. formed as a subsidiary of housing developer Steiner Inc. and purchased the property in 1971, according to state and county real estate records.
Millerton News reporting from 1971 Amenia planning board meetings detail Kent Hollow’s pursuit of a four-section, 40-unit apartment complex on the property.
The News reported Kent Hollow was granted tentative approval on July 6, 1971, to build eight units on the site with the expectation that more would be built later.
The additional units never came to fruition and Kent Hollow apparently abandoned the housing project, opting to use the property as a gravel mine.
Attorneys for the Town of Amenia or Kent Hollow Inc. have not filed responses to the lawsuit as of press time.
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.
Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry. As an interior designer by trade, Rollins designed this booth to evoke a high-end department store to align with the designer brands she carries.
MILLERTON — The Townscape 50/50 raffle drawing has collected a pot of more than $7,000.
That raffle drawing will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. The moment is not just about picking a winner, but also about reflecting on how far Townscape has come since its humble beginnings in 1998, when founder Catherine Fenn — alongside Renee Vollen and Jan Gilmor — first set out to beautify her beloved village.
Fenn’s connection to Millerton runs deep. “I moved here from the Bronx when I was eight years old and fell in love with the place, even as a child,” she recalled, remembering camping trips at Rudd Pond and enjoying the quiet pace of life.
At 15, her family relocated to southern Connecticut. “My dad didn’t think there was much here for us, so we moved. I left kicking and screaming, literally, and I said, ‘Someday I’m coming back.’”
Years later, after marrying, divorcing, and raising children, Fenn kept that promise. She returned to Millerton and married a childhood friend who was very involved in the fire department. After his passing, Fenn threw herself into her own way of giving back.
“I care about this village deeply. Townscape is my way of helping Millerton be the best it can be,” she said.
What began as an informal effort to gather volunteers and plant flowers eventually blossomed into something larger. “We started with flowers up and down Main Street — barrels of them everywhere. Then it grew into benches, tables, trees and even events. It was such a fun world, a really wonderful organization with so many people involved.”
Fenn’s service to the community extends beyond beautification. She spent roughly two decades on the Planning Board, served as Town Supervisor and worked with the county housing authority. Still, her passion for flowers, trees and landscapes has left the most visible mark on Millerton — shaping not only how the village looks, but how it feels.
In 2006, Townscape became a nonprofit organization. But beautification, Fenn admits, isn’t always the easiest cause to fund. “We’re just putting flowers out — and I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because to me it’s really important. The trees, the benches, all of it matters. But it’s not high on most people’s list when they think about charitable donations. Still, people have been wonderfully generous over the years.”
This Saturday’s raffle drawing is one way neighbors can show their support. The winner does not have to be present to claim the prize, but those who stop by can enjoy cookies, lemonade and artwork by local creators on display in the park.
