Sharon Playhouse hosts ‘Play Soirée: Noises Off’
A table read at The Sharon Playhouse.
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Emma Simon, actor/educatorPhoto by Aly Morrissey
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John Montross O’Hara
Millerton News
May 06, 2026
SALISBURY — John Montross O’Hara Sr., age 96, a longtime resident of Twin Lakes, Connecticut, passed away peacefully at his home on May 2, 2026. Born in Torrington, Connecticut, John was raised in Twin Lakes, where he developed a deep and lifelong connection to the community. He graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, Class of 1947, and went on to attend The Citadel before continuing his studies through the ROTC program at the University of Virginia, graduating with the Class of 1951. He proudly served his country for two years during the Korean War.
Following his military service, John returned to the University of Virginia, where he earned his law degree. He went on to achieve the highest score on the New York Bar Examination at the time.
John began his legal career with the distinguished New York City law firm of Rogers & Wells, where he practiced for 10 years. In 1968, John and his family moved to Michigan to join R.L. Polk & Company as General Counsel. His leadership and vision led to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 1978, a role he held until his retirement in 1990. During his tenure, he made significant contributions to the automotive industry and was honored with a Distinguished Service Citation. He was also inducted into the Motor Vehicle Hall of Fame by the American Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association at a ceremony in Las Vegas. Following his retirement, John divided his time between Rancho Santa Fe, California, and his beloved Twin Lakes, Connecticut.
In 1954, John married Mildred Michel, with whom he shared many years until her passing in 1980. In 1984, he married Sally Henby.John was preceded in death by Sally and his brother, Jesse T. O’Hara. He is survived by his children, Pamela Johnson (Wally), John M. O’Hara Jr. (Amy), and Chris Baron (Mark); five grandchildren; one great-grandchild and Sally’s children and extended family.
John will be remembered for his intelligence, leadership, dedication to family, and the integrity with which he lived his life. His legacy will endure through the many lives he touched.
Funeral services for John M. O’Hara will be held on Tuesday May 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. North Canaan, CT 06018. Burial will follow with full military honors in Grassy Hill Cemetery, Falls Village, CT. Calling hours will be held at the funeral home on Monday May 10, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. and again Tuesday morning from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers please contribute to the Twin Lakes Association, twinlakesorg.org.
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Thomas Scoville
Millerton News
May 06, 2026
TACONIC — Thomas “Tom” Scoville (Sept. 21,1942-April 22, 2026) devoted husband, father, historian, public servant, and lifelong adventurer — passed away peacefully at the age of 83 at his home in Taconic, Connecticut. He was the second child of Herbert “Pete” and Ann (Curtiss) Scoville.
Born into a family with strong international and literary ties, Tom’s early years were shaped by travel, culture, and formative time in Portugal, where his family’s historic estate, Quinta da Bacalhôa, would later become central to his life. From a young age, he developed a love of history, music, and exploration that remained with him throughout his life.
Tom was educated at Deerfield Academy, where he first cultivated both his academic interests and a passion for mountain climbing. He went on to the University of Virginia, graduating with distinction in 1965 after also studying in Grenoble, France. He continued at King’s College London, earning a Master’s degree in War Studies under Michael Howard.
In 1966, answering the call of service, Tom volunteered for the draft and served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. His experiences there shaped both his intellectual and professional life. He later worked as a civilian historian for the U.S. Army and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. His doctoral work was later published as Reorganizing for Pacification Support.
Tom’s career reflected a lifelong commitment to public policy and international affairs. He contributed to several presidential campaigns, including those of Sargent Shriver, Morris Udall, Jerry Brown, and Jimmy Carter. He later served at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, working with figures such as Paul Warnke, George Seignious and McGeorge Bundy, contributing to national discussions on arms control and defense policy.
Following the 1980 election, Tom played an important role in helping Pamela and Averell Harriman establish Democrats for the 80s, supporting efforts to rebuild the Democratic Party. He wrote speeches and op-eds for them and contributed to the Democratic Fact Book in 1982 and 1984, which became a widely used resource.
Tom later became Policy Director and then Vice President of the American Maritime Congress, where he spent nearly two decades shaping maritime policy and advocacy until his retirement in 2000. He also served on the Board of the Public Welfare Foundation, contributing to its philanthropic work on social justice and public policy.
In 1976, Tom met Cathryn Dickert at an international policy conference in Washington, D.C. They married in 1980 at the Washington National Cathedral. Together they raised two daughters, Claire and Genevieve, who were the center of his life and of whom he was immensely proud.
Beyond his professional life, Tom was a man of deep and enduring passions. From 1967, he dedicated decades to stewarding Quinta da Bacalhôa, the 15th-century Portuguese estate originally restored in 1936 by his grandmother, Orlena Zabriskie Scoville. Built in 1480 and now a National Monument, Bacalhôa is home to some of the oldest dated tiles in Portugal. In 1975, he developed the idea of producing one of Portugal’s first Bordeaux-style wines, working with his friend Antonio Francisco d’Avillez to bring it to life. The wine helped establish one of the country’s earliest château-style vineyards, producing wines widely regarded among Portugal’s finest.
He was also an accomplished mountaineer, climbing extensively in the Alps—including summiting Mont Blanc solo on Christmas Eve and climbing the Matterhorn five times. After his retirement, he spent extended periods in Crested Butte, Colorado, completing all 54 of the state’s 14,000-foot peaks twice, despite significant physical challenges.
Tom also had a lifelong love of classical music—particularly Mahler, Strauss, and Wagner—as well as travel, history, fine wine and great conversation. In later years, Tom and Cathryn moved from Washington, D.C. to Taconic, Connecticut, where he continued to enjoy time with family and friends and reflect on a life richly lived.
He will be remembered as a gentleman and a scholar in the truest sense: thoughtful, generous, resilient, intellectually curious, and deeply devoted to those he loved.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife, Cathryn; his daughters, Claire and Genevieve; his son-in-law, Peter Bogardus; and his three grandchildren, Peter, Everardus, and Orlena Bogardus. He is also survived by his brother, Nicholas, and sister-in-law Helen Scoville; his sister, Molly Fitzmaurice, and her husband Frank; and Cathryn’s sisters, Carole Dickert Scherr and her husband Jacob, and Margaret Dickert Burgess and her husband John, along with their families, and a wide circle of other family members and friends whose lives he enriched and cherished.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship. https://scoville.org/donate/
A memorial service is being planned for later this summer.
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Clothing brand photoshoot occupies downtown Millbrook
Nathan Miller
May 06, 2026
Production crews photograph models on the steps of the Millbrook Library on Franklin Avenue on Thursday, April 30.
Photo by Madi Long
MILLBROOK — A film production crew took over downtown Millbrook Thursday, April 30, causing a stir among the community and speculation over a reported celebrity spotting.
Tommy Nisenson of Saugerties-based production company Tracksuit Productions said he couldn’t go into specifics about the shoot, but he could say his crew was filming and photographing clothing for an upcoming fashion line. Branding at the shoot appeared to be from clothing line “U.S. Polo Assn.,” the official brand of thecountry’s polo governing body, although Nisenson wouldn’t confirm.
Nisenson said the crew faced repeated questions from local students about Justin Bieber’s involvement in the shoot. Nisenson said Bieber had no connection to the production.
Bieber had been spotted in the Millbrook Diner earlier in the week, according to public posts on social media.
“They should probably go back to school,” Nisenson said to a curious onlooker inquiring about students’ absence from school.
Nisenson started Tracksuit Productions three years ago, he said, in pursuit of a dream to work with his friends and acquaintances producing advertisements in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Since founding the company, Nisenson has worked with brands such as Crocs, Converse and FedEx.
The crew on Thursday consisted of 70 people from across the world, Nisenson said. Such a large production required months of coordination and effort.
“I’ve been working on this since January,” Nisenson said. He expects another two months of work on the project before it’s wrapped up.
Nisenson praised Millbrook for welcoming the shoot. Local officials were happy to accommodate his team and assist in routing traffic around the production on Franklin Avenue. Nisenson called out Mayor Peter Doro and Police Chief Keith Dworkin for their help.
“I’ve never had a mayor of a town be so involved and so helpful,” Nisenson said. “It’s a great place to shoot.”
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Garden Club talk provides promise of spring
Leila Hawken
May 06, 2026
Innisfree Garden Landscape Curator Kate Kerin presents a virtual tour of Millbrook’s renowned public garden at the annual meeting of the Amenia Garden Club, held at the Amenia Free Library on Saturday, May 2.
Photo by Leila Hawken
AMENIA — More than 30 members and friends of the Amenia Garden Club gathered at the Amenia Free Library on Saturday, May 2, to hear a talk on Innisfree Garden in Millbrook.
Innisfree Landscape Curator Kate Kerin brought the experience of the 185-acre garden to life with a virtual tour detailing the plantings and planning concepts. She described the long history of the landmark garden that combines modern and Romantic-era ideals with Chinese and Japanese garden design principles. Included also was information on how the climate affects the whole.
The program began with the annual meeting of the Garden Club during which Ken Monteiro won resounding re-election to continue to serve as President.
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Community puppet shows off to a strong start
Leila Hawken
May 06, 2026
Children’s Programming Assistant Michele Boynton presents her Puppet Storytime on Saturday, May 2. Children and adults alike were invited to enjoy “Daffodilly,” a story with handcrafted puppets that would combine all of April’s puppet presentations around a spring theme.
Photo by Leila Hawken
AMENIA — A series of puppet vignettes drew a crowd of all ages to the Amenia Free Library on Saturday, May 2.
As the program is designed, the Saturday performance assembled puppet vignettes presented at the library throughout April.
Youth programming assistant Michele Boynton exercises her talent and reputation for puppetry to bring stories to life for youngsters and adults alike. Listeners on Saturday were treated to an original story, titled “Daffodilly,” involving elements of spring, including the sun, bunnies and their brood, a nested robin with hatchlings, and, of course, daffodils.
Boynton creates the puppets that she uses in her storytime shows and may offer a class in puppet-making as public interest grows.
The series will continue with all-ages community puppet shows scheduled for selected Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Each storytime in May will build around the theme of “Gardens” toward the Saturday, June 6, storytime that will tie together May’s puppet adventures, Boynton said.
An additional feature during Saturday’s program, Boynton read William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” often called simply “Daffodils.”
For more information, go to www.amenialibrary.org.
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Veterans Park upgrades
Nathan Miller
May 06, 2026
Photo by Nathan Miller
Crews from landscaping company Scape-Tech continue work on Veterans Park on Main Street in Millerton on Friday, May 1. Crews have dug up and replaced the brick pavers since work began on Monday, April 20. Village officials expect the work to be completed by Memorial Day.
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