Salon debuts at Millbrook Library

Salon debuts at Millbrook Library

Families flocked to the Millbrook Library for a children’s concert featuring world-acclaimed cellist Sterling Elliott on Saturday, May 3.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — The gallery space at The Millbrook Library was filled with parents and children excited to hear world-acclaimed cellist Sterling Elliott perform and teach the youngsters about the cello. He performs on a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello.

The concert was noteworthy because it marked the premiere children’s event of the Millbrook Music Salon, formed recently under the direction of Artistic Director Sophia Zhou. Elliott opened his concert by performing J.S. Bach, followed by engagement with the children by asking how long ago they thought that Bach had lived. The first response of “two million years” was eventually narrowed down to 300 or so.

“There are a lot of musicians here,” Elliott said, reacting to the intelligent questions asked by the children and parents, including the difference between a violin and a cello, and Elliott’s practice regimen when he was a child. He had begun playing his instrument at the age of three, practicing at least three hours each day. All stringed instruments come in reduced sizes to accommodate the young ages at which students begin lifelong study.

“I grew up in a musical family,” he explained. He and his siblings formed a string quartet, performing publicly at an early age in libraries, churches and a variety of venues near their home in Virginia. His mother had decided before his birth that he would be the cellist for the family group and had purchased his first tiny cello in anticipation.

Elliott’s daily practice hours grew as he grew. All of that practice brought his acceptance to study cello performance at Juilliard. He has since earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Juilliard, most recently completing the highly selective Artist Diploma program. Additional world-wide honors came along the way.

The next concert in the Music Salon series will feature pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen, performing works from the Tudor age at Grace Church, on Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. For tickets and information go to www.millbrookmusicsalon.org.

Latest News

Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millbrook Fire Department Carnival returns

The Thorne Building on Franklin Avenue in the village of Millbrook.

Archive photo

MILLBROOK — Summer fun is just around the corner, thanks to the fire department and the return of the Fire Department Carnival scheduled to open on Wednesday, July 9, and continue through Saturday, July 12, on the Thorne Building grounds on Franklin Avenue.

Opening night activities will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. The Carnival will open each night at 7 p.m., remaining open until 11 p.m.

Keep ReadingShow less