Satre Hill shines in Jumpfest 2024

Youth jumpers rested before launching from the 20-meter hill on Saturday morning.
Riley Klein
Youth jumpers rested before launching from the 20-meter hill on Saturday morning.
Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s (SWSA) 98th annual Jumpfest was a resounding success.
The three-day winter tradition went off without a hitch.
Friday’s opening night under the lights began with high expectation in the air as cars slowly filled the parking field next to Indian Cave Road. Car headlights guided everyone to a ticket booth, but from there on the way to Satre Hill was a footlighted walk through the dark.
Muffled voices could be overheard talking excitedly about what was to come, and parents kept track of children who wanted to run ahead.
The scene at Jumpfest was like a stage-lit happening. There were EMS trucks at the ready flanked by food and beverage setups. Twin bonfires lighted the scene and provided warmth. A booming voice over the loudspeaker keep everybody on schedule as the evening events unfolded, beginning with Target jumping at 7 p.m. for a couple of dozen contenders.
“On the hill,” was the cry from the observation post near the bottom of the jump, signaling that a jumper was on the way down.
Cowbells added to the mix and even triggered some happy revelers to yell out “More cowbell,” in a reference to the “Saturday Night Live” comedy sketch with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken.
The Target Jump, viewed as a warm-up run to the main event on Sunday, was won by Cooper Dodds of Lebanon, New Hampshire, who hit the paint at 65 meters. Dodds won $500 in prize money donated by the Churchill family.
After some time assembling their getups and sledding rigs, several teams competed in the Human Dog Sled Race, a 200-yard round-trip course that typically results in some wipeouts at the turn.
Hooting and hollering and bent-over laughing punctuated the sidelines as onlookers watched, hoisting a brewski or hot toddy for their favorite team.
By 10 p.m., the voice on the loudspeaker called it a night and thanked the hundreds who came on opening night.
Saturday’s full menu of events was met with blue skies and crisp winter air. Youth jumping began on the 20-meter hill with contestants ranging in age from 5 to 17.
More cowbell rattling filled the air as each jumper prepared for launch. Cheers and applause erupted as the young athletes soared.
The cook shack crew and Low-N-Slow food truck served up fresh meals to attendees and hungry athletes as the first round of competition wrapped up.
Jumpers climbed the 30-meter tower next for the final Jumpfest from that particular launch. A capital campaign to replace the wood jump with a steel tower is underway and a new K30 ramp will be built in the coming year.
The Salisbury Invitational followed for an afternoon of high-flying competition on the Big Hill. Crowds grew larger for the premiere contest of the day and surrounded the landing zone beneath the 65-meter jump.
Pallet-fueled bonfires kept spectators warm as the sun slipped beneath the tree line and shade set in at Satre Hill. Beer, wine and hot toddies helped fight the cold, too.
Once the jumping was complete, Saturday’s festivities ended with the Snow Ball at the Grove in Lakeville.
Sunday afternoon was sunny and pleasant without much wind. Spectators who opted for muck boots were vindicated, as the ground by the various food and merchandise stands was thoroughly muddy.
Joe Geraghty and Vanessa O’Connor were doing good business selling SWSA merchandise. Geraghty said he would consider it a successful day if he came in with five bins of goods and left with one, and was on track for that result.
Anna Pattison at the cook shack confirmed what a reporter suspected — the SWSA bratwurst, with or without fried onions or sauerkraut, was the big seller.
A pickup truck on loan from the town crew stood ready to take ski jumpers back up the hill. One by one, an endless series of youngsters, sleek in their jumping clothing, piled in the pickup bed with their skis until it seemed impossible to get any more in.
But it wasn’t. “Somebody carry this kid in their lap,” said a man, hoisting a diminutive skier up and in.
Before the trial jumps began, the call went out on the loudspeaker for measurers. Mat Kiefer stood facing a circle of volunteers, advising those new to the experience to buddy up with veterans.
Outside the immediate Satre Hill area, the parking lot was completely jammed and people were parking wherever they could, including Railroad Street.
Jumpfest 2024 was well attended with roughly 600 guests on Friday, 1,400 guests on Saturday, and 1,350 guests on Sunday. Additionally, an estimated 1,000 children under age 12 took part in the weekend fun at Satre Hill.
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.
Downtown Millerton
MILLERTON — Voter turnout in the Village of Millerton dropped sharply in 2025, with just 58 ballots cast in this year’s village election — less than a third of the record turnout seen just two years earlier.
The election on June 17 marked a stark contrast to 2023, when signs littered the intersection of Route 22 and Route 44 and 208 voters headed to the polls to decide a competitive mayoral race between incumbent Jenn Najdek and challenger Kelly Kilmer. That year also featured two contested trustee positions and generated the highest turnout in at least five years.
This year’s ballot looked much different. All three candidates — Mayor Jenn Najdek, Trustee David Sherman, and newcomer Katie Cariello — ran unopposed. With no contested races, just 57 voters turned out, plus one absentee ballot and one spoiled ballot.
Participation in village elections has fluctuated significantly over the past five years, often correlating with whether races were contested.
An uncontested trustee race during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw unusually low turnout with just 17 ballots cast. The 2022 election, which also featured two unopposed trustee candidates, saw a more typical 135 ballots.
Years with competitive mayoral or trustee races saw spikes in participation. In 2021, 147 voters turned out, followed by a special runoff one week later that drew 157 ballots after a tied trustee race. During that race, three trustees ran for two seats, with David Sherman and Laurie Kerr ultimately elected.
The most recent contested election in 2024 drew 122 voters. Matthew Hartzog, Matthew Soleau and Kelly Kilmer ran, with Hartzog and Soleau elected. While that marked a dip from the previous year, it was still more than double the number who turned out this year.
While elections in small villages like Millerton often see modest turnout, the wide swings from year to year suggest that competitive races — and clearer distinctions between candidates — play a major role in mobilizing voters.
Despite the lack of competition, this year’s election produced a few notable results. Trustee David Sherman led all candidates with 52 votes, including 13 on the Republican line and 39 on the Democratic. Mayor Najdek was re-elected with 47 votes — 41 on the Democratic line and six on the Republican. Newcomer Katie Cariello received 39 votes — 34 Democratic and five Republican. There were also four write-ins for mayor and three for trustee.