Raymond Emanuel Wheeler
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Walter Earle DeMelle, Jr.
Feb 04, 2026
LAKEVILLE — Walter Earle DeMelle Jr., 82, of Lakeville, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Feb. 1, 2026.
He met his loving wife of 57 years, Susan Sullivan DeMelle, in middle school and they were married in Aug. 1968.
Born June 3, 1943, in Worcester, Massachusetts to Walter and Lucille DeMelle, he graduated from Natick High School in 1961 and Hobart & William Smith Colleges in 1965. He taught English at Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island in the 1960s and earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science at Rutgers University.
He served as Director of the Edsel Ford Memorial Library at The Hotchkiss School from 1970 to 2012, where he vastly expanded the collection, welcomed the surrounding community, and led the school in technological advancement and information literacy. He oversaw a six-fold increase in the library’s capacity, several major renovations, and the recovery from a devastating middle-of-the-night sprinkler system malfunction which had him running like never before (or since) to save as many books as possible. He purchased one of the first Apple computers in the Northwest corner in the early 1980s, and pioneered the expansion of the library’s audiovisual collections, offering music, films and documentaries to the campus and local community.
Walter’s kindness, encouragement and reassurance helped countless students adapt to the rigors of life at Hotchkiss. He co-created the School’s Human Relations and Sexuality program in the 1970s, and taught public speaking. He was an honorary member of the Class of 1976, which created the first endowed fund established by a Hotchkiss class in order to support the development of the resources of the Edsel Ford Library. He was instrumental in developing the School’s Archives, and led an Oral History Project in which he interviewed many of the School’s prominent alumni from the 20th century.
Throughout his career, he served as a consultant to libraries across the United States and globally to guide their renovations and digital transitions from the Dewey Decimal system.
He loved to travel, both professionally and with family, visiting China, Turkey, Europe and the United Kingdom extensively.
Survived by his wife Susan, sons Jeffrey and Brendan, sister Susan Kerrissey, sisters-in-law Nancy Sullivan and Pamela DeMelle, daughter-in-law Christine Rose DeMelle, grandson Luca, best friend Ron Carlson, and extended family. Predeceased by his brother Arthur DeMelle, father Walter and mother Lucille DeMelle.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Summer 2026.
In honor of his life, please consider a donation to East Mountain House, the non-profit end-of-life care home in Lakeville. https://eastmountainhouse.org/donate/
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We the people …
Feb 04, 2026
“We the People” signifies that the government exists to serve its citizens, affirming that ultimate power rests with the people.” — U.S. Senate
Minnesota is a land of 10,000 lakes, nestled atop the western arm of Lake Superior assuring its severe winter cold and deep white snows. Minnesota is the land of the Guthrie Theatre, the largest population of Norwegians and Swedes outside of Scandinavia, the Vikings, the Twins, and of course “polite-to-a-fault” Minnesota Nice. Sourced at Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River runs 2,350 miles from Minnesota to Louisiana. Minnesota is 5.7 million strong and has the powerful heritage of Paul Bunyan and The Blue Ox.
The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St Paul, are currently occupied by ICE, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, with an intense emphasis on enforcement: a force, of 3,000 agents in a geographical sector housing but 500 local police. Masked agents in unmarked cars with military-grade weapons and tear gas use brutal behaviors to stop cars, bust windows, drag out their occupants. Numbers, always huge numbers of agents, invade schools, churches, restaurants, Home Depot — to accost and arrest forcefully. Always strongly armed, these agents drag out persons not identified with careful, stealthy research from key data sources but just those who happen to be in the path of unbridled force. Included are US citizens, legitimate persons with visas, persons applying for asylum, persons working, paying taxes and providing labor for health care, hotels, farms, restaurants
The stated mission of ICE, as it invades cities and states (primarily blue), is to rout out the worst of the worst — violent, immigrant criminals, such as, one well-publicized 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father taken from Minnesota to a Texas detention facility. Liam’s mother is in Minneapolis, his beloved Spiderman backpack and bunny hat were confiscated by the facility. The horror of Trump’s first term “Children in Cages” for family separations is being reinstated to terrorize by Trump’s Rasputin, Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Miller.
The people of Minnesota are 5.7 million strong. We the People strong standing, as they did for George Floyd in 2020, organized to help city, state residents – their neighbors- to be spared the victimization of a federal agency gone rogue. Minnesotans provide alert systems against marauding, masked agents conducting unprofessional, unproductive street sweeps. They provide food to those fearful of leaving their home, they chaperone kids to school. Minnesota Nice is Minnesota Might, Americans as we recognize Americans — respectful, tenaciously bound to law and order, decent. Two American citizens, Rene Goode and Alex Pretti, were killed on Minneapolis streets, peacefully protesting, shot at point blank range, in cold blood, by ICE agents with no indication of follow-on accountability or official investigation.
Trump continues to uphold the brutality of his ICE agency toward Alex Pretti who unbeknownst to them weeks earlier kicked an ICE unmarked vehicle. For this Trump believes Pretti deserved 9 shots in the back, lying face-down, hands out, surrounded by a half dozen ICE agents.
Trump be on alert. Minnesota is 5.7 million strong. Minnesotans are garnering the support of a nation – 69% and rising. We The People protests are out in severe subzero weather, in small towns, in massive population centers peacefully protesting, peacefully proclaiming their rights.
“We the people” are the first three words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. We the people don’t cotton to the tyranny of despots, don’t tolerate the banal silence of persons in elected office, don’t vote for those who condone murder of citizens for exhibiting their rights of free speech. We the people do not tolerate the abuse of children – taken, caged, terrorized.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” — The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
Kathy Herald-Marlowe lives in Sharon.
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Closing at $410,000, 174 Horseshoe Lane was one of three houses whose transfer was recorded in December for under $500,000 in the Town of Washington.
Photo by Christine Bates
MILLBROOK — The Town of Washington’s median price for a single-family home fell 6.7% in 2025, dropping to $664,435 by the end of December, down from $712,000 a year earlier.
Sales activity, however, increased over the year, with 44 single-family homes sold in 2025, compared with 29 in 2024.
All three home sales recorded in December 2025 closed below $500,000. Unlike November, none of the transfers occurred within the Village of Millbrook.
Inventory at the high end remains tight: 18 homes were on the market at the end of January, all priced above $850,000, with 12 listed at more than $1 million.
Transfers
174 Horseshoe Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath raised ranch built in 1970 sold to Mosharraf Niaz for $400,000.
3889 Route 82 — 3 bedroom/2 bath brick ranch on 1 acre sold to Edison Xavier P. Illescas for $415,000.
11 Sutton Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 1.55 acres sold to Ivaylo V. Ninov Trustee for $147,563.
Bangall Road — 6.18 acres of land adjacent to 59 Bangall Road sold to Aaron McPeck for $350,000.
North Tower Hill Road — 7.75 acres of land sold to Stay Maison LLC for $288,000.
* Town of Washington recorded real estate transfers. Current listings from One Key MLS. Market information from InfoSparks. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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Archive photo
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Harlem Valley area activity report Jan. 22 to Jan. 28.
Jan. 25 — Deputies responded to the area of Route 55 and Little Pond Road in the Town of Pawling to investigate a report of a vehicle off the roadway in that area.Investigation resulted in Lettisha Harvey, 30, being cited for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Harvey is scheduled to appear in the Town of Pawling Court at a later date.
PLEASE NOTE:All subjects arrested and charged are alleged to have committed the crime and are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are to appear in local courts later.
If you have any information relative to the aforementioned criminal cases, or any other suspected criminal activity please contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 845-605-CLUE (2583) or email dcsotips@gmail.com. All information will be kept confidential.
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