PINE PLAINS — Stissing Mountain High School math teacher Gerard Lisella obviously loves what he does. Anyone who has the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Lisella can hear the enthusiasm — not only for his subject matter, but for his students — ring out as clear as a bell in his voice.
For the past five or six weeks, however, Lisella’s passion for his work and his impression of his students have grown tenfold, as his Topics in Math class surprised him with the project-based-learning (PBL) project it recently chose.
The 16 students, a mix of boys and girls in grades 10 through 12, opted to build a small, free-standing food pantry planted in a flower pot for the local nonprofit Willow Roots. It will be installed outside of the Pine Plains Free Library (PPFL), so those in need can take something and/or leave something whenever they need to, like a lending library for essential nonperishable food items.
“I was impressed they could see that kind of generosity and I was a little proud of it, to hear that from teenagers,” said Lisella. “I was like, ‘What do you want to do for your class project?’ And they were like, ‘Charity work.’”
He explained the Topics in Math class in the PPCSD “is another option for students to get their math credit, and we have the freedom to make our own curriculum; it’s not aligned with certain standards like geometry, algebra, etc.”
The math teacher further explained that at the start of the school year he sits down with his students and tries to build a class agenda based on students’ interests, rather than on what the books suggest.
Lisella’s class had just completed two PBL projects, including the classic egg drop from the second-floor window and another project that was based in the woodshop.
The class was brainstorming for project number three and agreed it enjoyed working in the woodshop, but wanted to do something centered around the holidays. It was December at the time.
“They wanted to do something in theme of giving,” said Lisella. “By the end of their class period the students said, ‘Let’s build a donation box for charity,’ and by the next class period I got in touch with Lisa [Zayas, co-founder of Willow Roots], and we rolled with it.”
“He’s just such an incredible gentleman and we’re so lucky to have this man on our team,” said Zayas about Lisella. “Just his enthusiasm and love for the kids alone is inspiring.”
Lisella brought his students to the February Pine Plains Town Board meeting; they had written up a proposal for the board and he wanted them to present it to the town.
“I didn’t want to speak for them, it wasn’t my idea — it was theirs,” said Lisella. “I am just helping them channel it.”
And channel it they did. In fact, town Supervisor Brian Walsh liked the idea so much, not only did he approve the mini-food pantry being installed at the PPFL, he and the board wanted it to be done officially, with town officials and The Millerton News, the town’s official newspaper, on hand to record the moment for historical purposes.
“It’s a great project to bring students together and bring the community together. They did an excellent job. I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Walsh. “They did a great job; it’s a beautiful box. And Willow Roots goes above and beyond for the community; you couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s a great organization run by two great individuals.”
Zayas is appreciative of the town’s support, and said installing the small pantry at the library is just one more way of ensuring Willow Roots and its mission will continue on into the future.
“I know that Willow Roots will definitely be around long after Nelson [my husband and co-founder] and I are gone,” she said. “That’s our dream, that Willow Roots is something that we started and is still persevering. Our volunteers are young and dedicated and kind. It warms our heart. You know you’re doing the right thing when you get positive feedback. We’re still on the right track and doing what we’re supposed to do. We’re good.”
She added as far as funding the mini pantry, Lisella arranged everything.
“I do not know how much it cost. He said the school is funding it; they didn’t skimp.”
However, in interviewing the math teacher, it slipped out that he actually footed the bill personally. Lisella said he just picked up supplies and materials when needed and shoved the receipts into his pocket.
“I haven’t even been keeping track of prices or receipts or anything; we’re building it and just donating it in the end,” he said.
“That does not surprise me,” said Walsh.
Lisella said he didn’t bother to approach the school board because he didn’t want to deal with the red tape or delays.
“It all goes back around,” he said, adding he feels he’s the lucky one.
The pantry is 24-inches wide and 27-inches tall, sloping down to 18-inches in the back. It has an internal depth of 16 inches; 3/4-inch exterior grade plywood was used along with pressure-treated lumber.
Once installed, the free-standing pantry at the library will be incredibly useful to community. As Zayas said, Willow Roots has so many clients that some days it gives out so much food (plus free clothing and winter coats) it winds up “decimated.”
To prevent volunteer burnout, Willow Roots is now open twice a month, on the first and third Saturdays, from 10 to 11 a.m. However, Zayas said, it is “giving out more food, with longer distributions” on those days.
Willow Roots is located at 7730 South Main St. To drop off food or clothing, call 518-751-0164 or 570-269-5649.
The installation of the new pantry is tentatively set for Wednesday, March 23, at 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Nathan Miller
Little leaguers run across Eddie Collins Memorial Park in Millerton for lunch, popcorn and ice cream at the pavilion during the Webutuck Little League season opening party on Sunday, April 12. The league has signed up 80 players for the 2026 season comprising six teams, including one tee-ball team, three baseball teams and two softball teams.
MILLERTON — The Webutuck Little League held its season opening party on Sunday, April 12, at Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Route 22.
Players enjoyed free food, popcorn and ice cream and a day of playing in inflatable castles and an obstacle course.
The league has signed up 80 players across six teams — one tee-ball team, three baseball teams and two softball teams.
Aly Morrissey
Gas is priced at $4.09 per gallon at the 17 Gay Street Shell station in Sharon, Conn., April 12, sitting just below the national average of $4.12, according to AAA.
New York drivers are paying sharply more at the pump than they were a year ago, with gas prices up more than $1 per gallon — a surge that is hitting wallets across Dutchess County even as prices steadied briefly last week.
The spike comes as global tensions continue to cause oil prices to rise. Prices briefly stabilized following news of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but uncertainty returned after talks ended without an agreement, leaving drivers bracing for continued volatility.
Residents of the Northwest Corner and Eastern Dutchess County continue to pay hefty prices at the pump, according to data collected by AAA. Despite high prices, demand for fuel continues to climb.
Just a month ago, Sharon resident and local blacksmith William Trowbridge said a fill-up typically cost around $75. Now, for the first time, he paid more than $100 to fill his truck — a jump that left him concerned when the total climbed into triple digits.
“It makes me angry,” Trowbridge said at the Shell station located at 17 Gay St. in Sharon. “Now, I’m starting to think about combining errands when I go out.”
Trowbridge, like many others, attributes the spike in gas prices to “a war that shouldn’t even be happening.”
At the Gay Street station, employee Jacob Enquest said customer reactions have shifted in recent weeks.
“Whether it was about politics and the war or the prices themselves, everyone had something to say,” Enquest said. “Now people just want to know if prices are going to come down, and I have to tell them their guess is as good as mine.”
Local and national prices
According to data compiled by AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut held steady last week at $4.08, unchanged from the prior week but significantly higher than earlier this year.
In neighboring New York, prices are slightly higher, averaging $4.12 per gallon as of April 13, according to AAA.
Prices in both states have climbed sharply in recent weeks. In Connecticut, gas is up 56 cents from a month ago and more than $1 higher than this time last year. Nationally, the average price rose to $4.12 per gallon, up 49 cents from a month ago.
Connecticut currently ranks 16th in the nation for highest gas prices, while New York prices are largely in line with the national average. The lowest prices are found in Oklahoma and Kansas, where drivers are paying around $3.44 to $3.49 per gallon, while California and Hawaii are paying nearly $6 per gallon.
Legislation
Rising gas prices are impacting more than just individual drivers, with local businesses, schools and municipalities also feeling the strain as they adjust budgets and daily operations to absorb higher costs.
Local legislators in Connecticut and New York have called for relief for individuals at the pump, receiving mixed results. While Gov. Ned Lamont recently dropped hopes of a gas tax holiday in Connecticut, Dutchess County, New York, legislators advanced a resolution to cap the county’s sales tax on gasoline and diesel at $3 per gallon beginning June 1.
“It will be a modest saving, but any amount helps,” said Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago D-19, who supported the resolution initiated by the Democratic Caucus.
Drago described the price increase as “one of many unfortunate results from this needless war in the Middle East,” adding that Dutchess County should not get a “windfall of taxes” from the war.
“As we know, it’s more and more expensive to live where we live, and it’s hitting families hard,” Drago said. “Anything we can do to alleviate any financial strain at this time is important.”
In Connecticut, lawmakers have explored similar relief measures, though no gas tax holiday has been approved.
Though there is precedent for a gas holiday in Connecticut, like when the Ukraine war first broke out, it has yet to happen since the Iran conflict began.
State Sen. Stephen Harding, R-30, who is an advocate for the tax holiday, said that the concept could be revisited if prices remain high.“I’m still hopeful,” Harding said. “If prices remain high, I think there’s a chance it could still happen. People in this state need this type of relief right now.”
The state levies a 25-cent-per-gallon tax on regular gasoline.
For some families, pump prices reflect tipping point
For some local residents, rising gas prices are compounding an already difficult cost of living — forcing tough decisions about where to live and how to get to work.
Guy Gnerre and his wife, Kim, are now facing exactly that reality. The couple, both longtime educators, have lived in the Salisbury area for about 25 years. Gnerre has worked as a special education teacher at Salisbury Central School for the past seven years, while his wife has spent 25 years at Hotchkiss. Now, they are preparing to make a significant change to adapt to the rising cost of living in the region.
Gnerre said home ownership in the area has been a dream for his family, but it has remained just out of reach. The couple has rented locally for more than two decades and is now being forced to move nearly 30 miles away to Torrington after receiving notice that their landlord plans to return and renovate the property.
With a daughter in college and the cost of living at an all-time high, the couple worry about what’s ahead, including fears of dipping into retirement savings to purchase a home that Gnerre said needs lots of work and is in an unfamiliar city.
“Yes, we are going to get obliterated in terms of gas,” Gnerre said, noting that he and his wife plan to carpool after their move. But it’s not just fuel prices that are affecting his family. “Gas is part of the checklist,” he said, adding, “I wish it was just the fuel.”
Schools that rely on diesel say ‘Business as usual – for now’
With diesel prices outpacing regular fuel prices, schools throughout the region are keeping a close eye on costs for buses, but say they’re not ready to make significant changes.
In districts that outsource bus contracts to independent companies, schools typically agree on a diesel rate per gallon at the start of the year. Salisbury Central School, for example, has a contract with All-Star Transportation and prepays for gallons of diesel based on a negotiated price.
“We’re set for the year,” said Sue Bucceri, administrative assistant to the principal. “We’re locked into the price we agreed upon last summer,” before diesel prices surged.
The average price for a gallon of diesel currently costs $5.92 a gallon in Connecticut, up from $3.79 a year ago, according to AAA.
Bucceri works on the budgeting process in partnership with Region One’s business office, and said SCS is not making significant changes for the 2026-2027 budget based on gas prices.
“We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Bucceri said. “We made a nominal increase on price-per-gallon,” she added. At this time, she said the school is fortunate that it’s not being significantly impacted from a budget perspective.
Just across the border in New York, the Webutuck Central School District owns its own fleet of buses and isn’t benefiting from a locked-in price model.
“Gas prices do impact us,” said Robert Farrier, business administrator for the Webutuck Central School District. However, Farrier said he and his colleagues are not worried about the budget at this time, though they plan to keep an eye on prices.
Farrier said the business office padded the transportation section of their budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, to date, they are prepared for unexpected events such as rising fuel costs.
“We’re not canceling field trips or anything like that,” he said.
Leila Hawken
Celebrating the significant history of embroidery and its place within the fabric of the community, an exhibit opening was held on Thursday, April 9, at the Millbrook Library. Millbrook Historical Society secretary Alison Meyer, co-organizer of the event, provided welcoming remarks. The exhibit will continue until Saturday, May 2.
MILLBROOK — A new exhibit at the Millbrook Library tells the story of the Millbrook Needlework Guild, a storied group that has threaded its way through the past century of life in the village.
The exhibit opening was held on Thursday, April 9, attracting residents and visitors to view exquisite historic pieces of needlework art, all linked to today’s Millbrook due to their continuing importance as local works of art.
Assembled by the Millbrook Historical Society in a project that spanned two years, Society Secretary Alison Meyer, co-organizer of the event, welcomed a substantial turnout of residents and visitors. Meyer noted the contributions of her co-coordinator, Society board member Denise Bauer in bringing the event to life.
“It all began with the Millbrook Needlework Guild organized in 1954. The legacy has been preserved in churches, homes and the library,” Meyer said, noting that exhibit pieces have been loaned from throughout the village community.
“It’s gone from a local endeavor to the national scene and now back to local,” Meyer added. Also participating in the exhibit is the area’s Skyllkill Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America that was formed in 1974, continuing the tradition to the present day.
A highlight of the opening was the presentation of a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Millbrook Historical Society to resident Anne Collins who had first suggested the idea for the exhibit.
When it was formed in 1954, the Millbrook Needlework Guild, whose members were local women devoted to the art, was gifted with a house donated by Margaret Thorne Parshall. The house still stands at the corner of Franklin and Maple Avenues. The imposing home also served as an academy for instruction in embroidery, under the tutelage of then Millbrook resident Erica Wilson who came to be known by many as “the first lady of stitchery.” Wilson’s shops still operate in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
In 1958, Parshall helped establish the American branch of the British Embroidery Guild, having traveled to England to meet with needleworkers. That organization became the Embroiderers’ Guild of America in 1958.
The exhibit will continue at the Millbrook Library until Saturday, May 2.
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Leila Hawken
MILLBROOK — Among the many activities planned for the Millbrook Community-wide Yard Sale on Saturday, April 25, will be a repair café offered at the Millbrook Library between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The rain date will be Sunday, April 26.
Residents can bring up to two small items in need of attention to the library and find local experts willing to provide free repairs. The event is intended to keep such items from being discarded into landfills, when all that may be needed is a small fix.
Eligible for repair are broken lamps and small appliances, jewelry, wooden furniture, mending, and darning among sewing services. Local repair coaches will either fix the item or provide advice on where to take it next. The community is also invited to bring knives in need of sharpening.
Demonstrations of bicycle maintenance will be a feature. Bring plastic bags and batteries to the library for recycling during the event.
The Community-wide Yard Sale provides an opportunity for Millbrook neighbors to get together and share in finding treasures at yard sales throughout the village, enjoy music, get things repaired at the library, or simply socialize.
Leila Hawken
Sophia Zhou
AMENIA — The Bang Family Concert Series will feature New York-based pianist Sophia Zhou in performance at The Smithfield Church on Saturday, April 18, beginning at 3 p.m.
Zhou’s program “Into the Light” will include a rare treat — Beethoven’s grandest and most technically challenging piano sonata, “Waldstein,” along with works by Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy.
The concert is open to the public. A suggested donation of $20, payable at the door, will contribute toward funding more concerts. A reception with refreshments will follow the concert.
The Bang Family Concert Series has a tradition of hosting eclectic performances by gifted musicians from the Tri-Corner area. Known to area residents, Zhou has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician in New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam and Shanghai. She has played with chamber musicians in New York, Hong Kong and with faculty from The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute and Manhattan School of Music.
Currently, Zhou serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Millbrook Music Salon.
The Smithfield Church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road in Amenia. The church is accessible for people with disabilities.
For more information, go to thesmithfieldchurch.org/concerts.
Nathan Miller
MILLBROOK — Millbrook’s Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution to adopt the 2026-27 town budget following a public hearing at its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 8.
The budget for the coming year totals $2,538,844, up 0.25% from $2,532,541 in the current year.
Mayor Peter Doro said the increase falls within the 2% property tax cap imposed on local governments by New York State since 2012. Budget lines showing anticipated increases include utilities, paid ambulance service and insurance.
“We’ve all worked hard in the past months,” Doro said, describing the budget review process that involves each of the village’s departments.
Separate unanimous approvals were adopted for the 2026-27 water and sewer budgets. The Water Department budget totals $425,500, up from the current year of $411,950. The Sewer Department budget totals $470,425, up from $435,100.
Although no public comment was offered during the hearing, one trustee suggested that the village should remain vigilant about rising costs.
“There are things we could do to mitigate costs,” said Trustee Shannon Mawson.
To view a copy of the budget as adopted, go to www.villageofmillbrookny.com.
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