Seniors enjoy their picnics on the go

Seniors enjoy their picnics on the go
From the comfort of his car, Jim Mara, one of the assessors for the town of Pine Plains, received a bag lunch from Pine Plains town Supervisor Darrah Cloud and Dutchess County Office for the Aging Director Todd Tancredi as part of the drive-thru Senior Picnic on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

PINE PLAINS — After being cooped up in their homes for the entire spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, local seniors were thrilled to participate in one of their favorite summertime traditions as the Dutchess County Office for the Aging (OFA) organized a socially distant, drive-thru Senior Picnic in lieu of a traditional sit-down picnic on Tuesday, Aug. 11. 

“These are hugely successful — the seniors have been enthusiastic that we’ve done these picnics,” said OFA Director Todd Tancredi in reference to the dozen drive-thru picnics that the OFA scheduled for this summer, adding that the seniors have been coming out in large numbers to the events peppered throughout the county.

Running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the drive-thru picnic was organized in the parking lot of Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School. Encouraged to RSVP for the picnic ahead of time, participating seniors from around the Harlem Valley were greeted warmly by OFA members and received, in addition to a bag lunch, a goodie bag with hand sanitizer, cloth face masks and information from the OFA. 

From Pine Plains town Supervisor Darrah Cloud and Pine Plains Superintendent of Schools Martin Handler to Democratic New York State Senate candidate for the 41st District Karen Smythe and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, local officials pitched in to hand out lunches. 

Tancredi thanked popular Pine Plains eatery Moose on the Loose for contracting with the OFA to make the lunches for the picnic. Along with picking up their bag lunches, seniors were also invited to drop off any unused or unwanted medications for safe disposal.

— Kaitlin Lyle

Latest News

Are electric cars actually better for the environment?

The short answer is yes for urban areas. The longer answer – for the planet – no, not currently. Here’s why:

1. Oil fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of oil. These are called thermal utility-scale oil-fired plants. They extract energy from the oil. The percentage of energy they extract run only 30% - 40% of the energy the fuel is capable of, so-called “contains.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Clothing distribution, poultry theft, 
fire destroys 80 acres

The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.

April 18, 1935

Keep ReadingShow less
Amenia Library welcomes new Adult Programming Assistant

Liz MacQuarrie began her duties as Adult Programming Assistant at the Amenia Free Library in mid-March, has launched creative new programming.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — New adult programming is coming to the Amenia Free Library, led by Adult Programming Assistant and Millbrook native Liz MacQuarrie.

Since beginning her duties in mid-March, MacQuarrie has been learning the ropes of library procedures. She spoke on Thursday, April 9, about her enthusiasm for serving the community and developing adult programs for library users.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Local climate advocates gear up for annual Earth Day events

MILLERTON — The Climate Smart Task Force is gearing up for a busy April.

Millerton and North East’s joint Climate Smart Task Force is a group of community volunteers who work to promote green initiatives in the community that earn the town and village points toward grant funding opportunities. The group is part of a statewide initiative known as Climate Smart Communities that promotes environmentally conscious policies at the municipal level.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chion Wolf brings ‘Audacious’ radio show to Winsted with show-and-tell event
Nils Johnson, co-founder and president of The Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted, hosted Chion Wolf and her Connecticut Public show “Audacious LIVE: Show and Tell,” which was broadcast on April 8, drawing a sold-out crowd.
Jennifer Almquist

The parking lot of The Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted was full on Wednesday, April 8, as more than 100 people from 43 Connecticut towns — including New Haven and Vernon — arrived carrying personal treasures for a live taping of “Audacious LIVE Show & Tell.”

Chion Wolf, host and producer of Connecticut Public’s “Audacious,” and her crew, led by production manager Maegn Boone, brought the program to the packed brewery for an evening of story-driven conversation and shared keepsakes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marge Parkhurst, the preservation detective

Marge Parkhurst with a collection of historic nails recovered from wall cavities during restoration work.

Photo courtesy of Marge Parkhurst/Cottage & Country Painting Company
Walls still surprise me. If you look hard enough, you can find buried treasure.
Marge Parkhurst

After nearly 50 years of painting some of Litchfield County’s oldest homes and landmark properties, Marge Parkhurst has developed an eye for the past—reading the clues left behind in stenciled vines, forgotten bottles and newspapers tucked into walls, each revealing a small but vivid piece of Connecticut history.

Parkhurst was stripping wallpaper in a farmhouse in Colebrook — the kind of historic home she has spent decades restoring — when she noticed something odd. Three layers of paper had already come off — each one a different era’s idea of decoration — and beneath them, just barely visible under dull, off-white plaster, a pattern emerged.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.