Sarah Gronningsater, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author, lectured on the Quakers’ abolitionist history at the Nine Partners Meeting House in Millbrook on Sunday, June 29.
MILLBROOK — The interior of the unchanged Nine Partners Quaker Meeting House built in 1780 was the perfect setting for a talk on Quaker influence on the anti-slavery movement of the 18th and 19th centuries offered by the Millbrook Historical Society on Sunday, June 29. The talk was presented as the society’s first event in observance of next year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Featured speaker was Sarah Gronningsater, professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom,” published in 2024, by Penn Press.
Basing on exhaustive research that supported the book’s publication, Gronningsater’s talk was titled, “Quakers, Anti-slavery and the American Revolution,” focusing on the critical role of New York’s Quakers, particularly those of the Hudson Valley, in furthering the rise of the abolitionist movement before and after the American Revolution. The “Rising Generation” was a whole generation of freed children of enslaved parents who reached adulthood in time for the Civil War.
An audience of more than 50 settled onto the appropriately firm, solidly hard wooden Quaker benches for Gronningsater’s illustrated talk chronicling the generation that grew to shape the laws that would end the institution of slavery.
“Among the northern colonies, slavery was important to the economy,” Gronningsater explained, estimating a population of 20,000 slaves in early New York, second only to Pennsylvania. The Hudson River Valley was a powerhouse of commerce and influence.
The role of the Quakers, the Religious Society of Friends, has been underestimated. They firmly believed that slavery was wrong, although many Quakers, in reality, owned slaves. New York was not a Quaker colony, although it was a place of religious tolerance, Gronningsater explained.
What has proven to be a boon for researchers, Gronningsater observed, is the meticulous record-keeping of the Quakers who kept voluminous notes and wrote detailed minutes of every meeting.
“They write a lot,” said Gronningsater.
Quakers living within the Oblong territory between Connecticut and New York were activists in the New York City abolitionist movement.
The first published Black poet in the colonies was Jupiter Hammon, living on Long Island and published in 1761. The abolitionist movement had begun in 1760, continuing into the 1770s. Different elements within society were pushing for abolition during the pre-Revolution years.
Quakers began by encouraging their Quaker brothers to free their slaves. As that happened, Quakers next emphasized education of emancipated children of slaves, providing them with school learning.
Following the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Convention in 1787 was marked by a call to abolish slavery, ultimately unsuccessful.
In 1799, New York passed an Act for the Abolition of Slavery where New York freed the children of slaves, but not the adults.
“Children were born into a different social structure,” Gronningsater said, leading to what could be termed “The Rising Generation.”
In 1827, after a ten-year campaign, New York passed a law to free all enslaved people in the state.
A lively question and answer period followed the talk, evidencing that the questions were emanating from people who knew their history well.
During welcoming remarks, Millbrook Historical Society President Robert McHugh had noted that the series of two meeting house talks are supported by a grant from Dutchess County.
The second meeting house talk of the summer will invite expert Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Quaker Meeting House. Expert in colonial architecture, Lounsbury will compare the unchanged Nine Partners meeting house, novel architecture in its time, with the architecture of other houses of worship in New York and New England.
The second talk, free and open to the public, is scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m.
For those who want to look in on the Nine Partners Meeting House, McHugh announced that the historic site will be open through the summer until November on the first Sunday of each month, from 12 noon until 4 p.m.
Natalia Zukerman
The Hotchkiss School will launch a major new addition to its arts programming with the inaugural Hotchkiss International Piano Competition, a three-day event taking place May 15–17 in Katherine M. Elfers Hall.
The competition will bring together young pianists ages 10 to 18 from around the world, with participants representing the United States, Thailand, Korea, China, Canada, and Azerbaijan. Performers will compete across multiple age divisions, culminating in final rounds that will be open to the public, offering audiences the opportunity to hear a wide range of emerging international talent in performance.
The jury features an internationally recognized panel of performers and educators, including Artistic Directors Fabio Witkowski and Gisele Nacif Witkowski of The Hotchkiss School, alongside Gloria Chien, Olga Kern, Leonel Morales, and Álvaro Teixeira Lopes. Together, the panel brings broad global experience as performers, pedagogues, and competition jurors, and will evaluate contestants over the course of the event.
Organizers describe the competition as both a rigorous artistic platform and an opportunity for cultural exchange, emphasizing performance under professional conditions and the development of young artists at a formative stage in their careers. Winners will receive a total of $25,000 in prize awards, along with opportunities for broader recognition and future performance engagement.
The competition is made possible through founding support from the Yang and Hamabata families. Murong Yang (Class of 2008), whose experience at Hotchkiss shaped her early connection to music and the arts, and her husband Corey Hamabata envisioned a program that combines artistic rigor with personal growth and international exchange. Their support establishes the competition as part of a longer-term commitment to nurturing emerging musical talent.
“This competition offers a platform for extraordinary young artists to challenge themselves, share their artistry, and connect with a global community of musicians,” said Fabio Witkowski, Artistic Director.
The final rounds of the competition will be open to the public, inviting audiences to experience live performances from some of the most promising young pianists on the international stage.
More information is available at hotchkiss.org/piano-competition.
Natalia Zukerman
“Untitled” by Christine Domanic, one of the 37 artists featured in “Earthen Plot,” opening Friday, May 15.
Art lovers will have an opportunity to step inside working artist’s studios across the region next weekend as Open Studios by Upstate Art Weekend returns Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The annual event invites the public into the creative spaces of 240 artists throughout the Hudson Valley and Catskills, offering an intimate look at artistic practices across disciplines while fostering direct connections between artists and visitors.
This year marks the first standalone edition of Open Studios. While the event previously took place alongside June’s Upstate Art Weekend festival, founder Helen Toomer said dedicating an entire weekend to studio visits allows the focus to remain fully on artists and the experience of encountering their work where it is made.
“While Open Studios previously took place alongside Upstate Art Weekend in June, dedicating an entire weekend to studios allows the focus to remain fully on the artists and the experience of visiting them in their creative spaces,” said Toomer. “We’re excited to welcome both returning and new participants this year.”
Founded in 2020, Upstate Art Weekend has grown into a major regional arts platform spotlighting artists, organizations and creative communities throughout the Hudson Valley and Catskills.
The self-guided, region-wide program transforms private studios into temporary public spaces for conversation, discovery and engagement with contemporary art.
Toomer said the shift creates a distinctly different experience from the larger June festival.
“One of the biggest differences from June is the pace and focus,” she said. “Open Studios offers a more intimate experience — giving visitors time to connect directly with artists, see where work is made, and engage more deeply with their practices.”
She added that the two events complement one another.
“Together, the two events create a meaningful balance: Open Studios in May centers the artists, while June’s Upstate Art Weekend gives participating artists the opportunity to explore the region’s museums, galleries and organizations themselves.”
This year’s Open Studios will kick off with the opening reception for “Earthen Plot,” a group exhibition curated by Toomer, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 15, at UAW headquarters in Kingston.
The exhibition features work by 37 artists selected from more than 200 Open Studios participants and explores artistic practices shaped by place — physically, spiritually and intuitively.
Through sculpture, painting, installation and ephemeral forms, “Earthen Plot” examines relationships between land, material and environment.
The exhibition will remain on view through June 29, with regular Saturday hours and extended hours during Open Studios weekend and Upstate Art Weekend, which takes place June 25-29.
Visitors can plan their Open Studios routes using UAW’s online interactive map and create customized itineraries to explore studios across the region.
“More than anything, we hope both weekends encourage people to discover the richness of the Hudson Valley’s creative community in a personal and memorable way,” Toomer said.
More information is available at upstateartweekend.org.
Dee Salomon
This brief period in the spring, before the mosquitoes and poison ivy proliferate, is irresistible to me. I want to do everything all at once: plant, remove invasives, examine what is coming into leaf and tend to plants that need protection, whether from deer or downy mildew.
Amid the nonstop gardening work, I recently made time to join a tour of two nearby gardens. Each had a fascinating history, and we looked at photos to see how much had changed and what was still there and flourishing, including a stand of large yellowroot with delicate brown-and-yellow flowers that look like a cross between an orchid and a lilac. It has been there for decades, a lesson in successful gardening with native plants.
As we toured, I overheard someone grumble about having too much wild strawberry in their garden. I secretly laughed, as I have worked for several years to encourage the spread of this sweet plant with its pert white flowers and miniature fruit. I have planted it under trees, encouraged it along woodland paths, and sat on the edges of the lawn for hours pulling out the very similar mock strawberry, Potentilla indica, to allow the native one to proliferate.
One of its characteristics is that it spreads readily, given room. As a groundcover, it also controls erosion. According to Native Plant Trust, Fragaria virginiana supports 75 different species of butterflies and moths throughout their life cycles and supports numerous other insects, as well as mammals and birds. This makes it a “keystone” plant, a designation that means without it, an ecosystem is vulnerable to collapse. That is a big responsibility for a small plant.
One person’s trash is another’s treasure. On the very same garden tour, another person was extolling the flowering lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis, situated in a stone-walled bed. I used to feel the same way until I noticed large swaths of it growing in the woods.
This romantic and fragrant flowering plant is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Its deep rhizomatous roots crowd out native groundcover neighbors. Lily of the valley is highly toxic to mammals and, as a nonnative, supports only a few insects that use its pollen. I have tried digging and pulling it out to no avail. This year, I am using a strimmer, aka weed whacker, even though I risk damaging nearby plants. I am hoping that after doing this a few times over the next several years, I will succeed in getting rid of it. I will keep you posted.
Native groundcover may not be our first thought when we garden, but it is an easy and fundamental way to tie together a garden bed, especially when garden plants are still immature, while helping nature at the same time.
In addition to wild strawberry, another keystone groundcover in our area is violet; it is the exclusive larval host plant for dozens of fritillary butterfly species. They are flowering now in numerous shades of their namesake color. I find them to be a native treasure, too long taken for granted and eschewed for fancier plants.
In shady areas, two gorgeous native options are foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia, which has a delightful early spring flower — a 4-inch spike of tiny white foamy blooms — and wild ginger, Asarum canadense, a dignified option that creates a bed of overlapping semicircles completely covering the soil beneath.
If you are looking for something that forms a clump, the species Heuchera americana and Heuchera villosa are known as alumroot or coral bells. Finding the original species version can be difficult, as there is an abundance of colorful cultivars at nurseries. Aside from being too flashy for my taste, the versions with red and purple tones will be largely ignored by the native insects we are trying to protect. Stay away from those and stick with the green-leaved versions.
Where do you find these and other useful and beautiful plants? The Cornwall Garden Club is hosting its annual native plant sale Saturday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the terrace at The Pink House Restaurant, 34 Lower River Road in West Cornwall. I will be there, as will Michelle Paladino from Lindera Nursery and Heidi Cunnick from the Cornwall Conservation Commission. Come visit and say hello.
Dee Salomon ‘ungardens’ in Litchfield County.
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Millerton News
Dahlia Daze is a multi-farm dahlia tuber festival and seedling sale featuring local growers, rare varieties, and plant starts, plus a Dahlia Talk on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Foxtrot Farm & Flowers, 6862 NY-82, Stanfordville. Reservations required at foxtrotfarmflowers.com
Millerton News
PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: Possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage SHARON 407-620-7777.
SUMMER OFFICE HELP NEEDED: PC and social media skills for local bookstore. Contact by text 860-671-9197.
THE TOWN OF SALISBURY: Seeking a full-time Town Hall Administrative Assistant. For more information or to send a cover letter and resume, please email: townhall@salisburyct.us. You may also view a full job description on the Town website: www.salisburyct.us/employment. Applications must be received by May 22, 2026. The Town of Salisbury is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking lifeguards: for our upcoming season. Lifeguard position starts end of May/mid June. Please call 413-528-0350 or email: jen@wyantenuck.org.
Detailed Cleaning: Spotless Spaces, Every Time: We specialize in rental turnovers and weekly home cleanings. Let’s make your space shine! 413-854-7417.
GARDENING: Spring and Fall Cleanup and Stone W alls. 845-444-4492.
Hector Pacay Landscaping and Construction LLC: Fully insured. Renovation, decking, painting; interior exterior, mowing lawn, garden, stone wall, patio, tree work, clean gutters, mowing fields. 845-636-3212.
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, lawfulsource of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
Millerton, rural, newly renovated house: 2 bedroom, split air heat/a/c system, dishwasher,decks, views, pets considered. $2650 plus utilities. Call 518-567-8277.
Lakeville, CT
Expansive Tag Sale: GARDEN Vintage Mount Vernon Sundial, Teak Bench, Antique Fan Shaped Trellis, Metal Patio Pieces, A Variety of Plant Stands, Potting Tables, Bird Bath ANTIQUE FURNITURE: Tiger Maple, Mahogany, Oak, Pine & Chestnut, Many Tables and Stands, Dressers, Blanket Chests MISCELLANEOUS: Brass Fire Fender, Andirons, Vintage Light Fixtures, Collectibles, Many Interesting Smalls and Useful Items, and Much More.May 16th & 17th 9:00 until 3:00.NO EARLY BIRDS PLEASE. 442 Lime Rock Road Lakeville (Route 112) Lakeville CT 06039.
Nathan Miller
Orange safety cones mark off the incomplete sections of sidewalk along Route 44 in Amenia near the entrance of Beekman Park. Town officials say multiple mistakes and poor communication with contractor Southern Industries Corporation caused delays and a stop-work order from the state Department of Transportation.
AMENIA — Work on the new sidewalk along Route 44 near Beekman Park has stalled after the New York State Department of Transportation issued a stop-order in January over safety concerns.
Amenia Town Supervisor Rosanna Hamm first disclosed the stoppage at an April 1 Town Board meeting. She said the matter is being handled by the town’s attorney, and it’s still unclear what the next steps will be, but she holds out hope that the work will resume soon.
Hamm said construction company Southern Industries had already poured, removed and replaced sections of the sidewalk multiple times since construction began in August 2025. Inconsistent work schedules and construction continuing into the winter months further complicated the project before it came to a halt.
Hamm said that town officials, along with the engineers who designed the sidewalk and DOT representatives, have inspected the work and determined much will need to be redone, including catch basins along Route 44.
A Jan. 9 letter informing Amenia of the stop-work order cites safety concerns including improper traffic control and poor pedestrian safety.
Some portions of the concrete will need to be replaced, Hamm said, because construction crews attempted to install the sidewalk while temperatures were too cold. That caused the concrete to cure improperly, leading to flaking and weakness that significantly reduces its lifespan.
“This has been a slow process, which is frustrating,” Hamm said.
Southern Industries Corporation is a Westchester-based construction company. New York Department of State filings list Jonathan Delisa as CEO, although Delisa denied being the company’s CEO in a recent phone call.
It’s unclear who officially serves as the company’s CEO. Delisa said Southern Industries’ owner recently retired and sold the company to a private equity firm based out of Ohio, but did not provide any other specific details.
Hamm also drew attention to large piles of debris left behind by construction crews in the Beekman Park parking lot along Route 44. Crews from the Amenia Highway Department cleaned up the debris in April.
Hamm said that the cleanup cost the town money and will need to be reimbursed, potentially resulting in a fine for the contractor.
Town officials pointed to Southern Industries for the delays. Hamm said inconsistent communication and a failure to maintain agreed work schedules strained the relationship with the contractor.
Delisa pointed back at the town, saying officials were difficult to work with and project designs were insufficient. He said town officials were placing undue blame on Southern Industries, prompting the company to cut ties with the town.
“They still owe us money,” Delisa said. He added the piles of debris were left behind because the contract was terminated. “If both parties had to cancel a contract, and you’re still owed money, why would you go the extra mile and continue working there for free?”
Delisa and Southern Industries are currently facing multiple civil court battles regarding accusations of forgery, impersonation and wage theft.
Delisa would not comment on the lawsuits. All of the suits were filed in the months following Amenia officials’ decision to award the sidewalk contract to Southern Industries.
The construction work currently sits incomplete, with orange safety cones blocking access and causing pedestrians to walk on the shoulder along Route 44, posing a risk to themselves and drivers, Hamm said.
“There’s no place for anybody to walk,” Hamm said. “They’re walking alongside the road, and that’s just no good.”
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