
Eliza Osborne
Today it feels like all life won’t end tomorrow, but a week or so ago not so much. Man oh man it was cold. It. Was. Cold. Could see your breath freezing in the air when you tried to talk. Seemed like no one would hear what you said until the vapor cloud thawed out sometime next spring. Didn’t want to go out. Didn’t want to get up. Didn’t want to do much of anything but sit around with my blankie. Probably freeze to death just walking from the house to the car.
Which, inevitably, led to thoughts about mortality. I know plenty of people who think you might as well go ahead and eat as much bacon as you want before you go, at least you’ll die happy. If you’re one of them, this might help you check that one off your bucket list.
Linguine with Bacon, Mushrooms and Something Green
1 pound of linguine. I like linguine, use what you like. Buy Italian bronze die-cut pasta, available at every store I go to. So much better.
5 or 6 big Portobello mushroom caps, cleaned. These are easier to clean than small mushrooms, but you can use those instead. The gills on these big caps aren’t good to eat; scrape them out with a small spoon. Chop into generous chunks.
Half of a big red or yellow onion, chopped. You can also use green onions.
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
Butter and neutral olive oil. I use Berio.
Bacon, anywhere from 1/2 a pound up to a pound, up to you. Cut across the slices into pieces about 3/4-inch or so wide. Thick-cut or regular bacon, either is fine.
Parmesan cheese
Salt — I use Maldon sea salt flakes, easily found. You’ll never go back.
Freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes
Baby arugula, which I had in the refrigerator. You could also use baby spinach leaves, endive cut crosswise, parsley, chives, etc. Anyway, something green, so when St. Peter says So, it was bacon that got you? you can point virtuously to the green stuff you threw in. I should warn you it’s possible he may have heard that one before.
One great thing about this is that you can have the work almost totally done way ahead of time. Serves six.
1. Put some butter and oil, a couple of tablespoons of each, into a skillet over low heat. Cook the onions until they are softened and fairly translucent. Tilt the pan, put in a bit more oil, add the garlic. Let the garlic bubble in the oil for a minute or so. Do not brown the garlic. Stir it into the onions. Remove this mix and its oil to a bowl.
2. Heat your pan so it’s medium hot, then add the same amount of butter and oil. Add the mushrooms and quickly stir to coat them. Put a lid on, and after a few minutes, take it off. The mushrooms will have exuded water. Turn the heat up to high to evaporate it, then continue cooking at a slightly lower temperature. Stand there and keep an eye out while you stir: They should brown nicely. Remove them to a bowl. Both of these steps can be done a day or two ahead. Keep the bowls, covered, in the refrigerator.
3. The morning of the day you’re having the pasta, cook the bacon. To keep bacon from shrinking, always start with cold bacon in a cold pan. This can be cooked at a low heat. Stir and separate the pieces; cook until nicely crisped. Don’t burn. Put the pieces on a plate on paper towels to drain, and keep on the counter until later. Wipe the bacon grease out of the pan and leave the covered pan on the stove. You can leave a small amount of grease in the pan; you needn’t wash it.
4. At suppertime, put the mushrooms and onions in the pan and heat them.
5. Boil the pasta.
6. Quickly drain the pasta and mix it with the mushroom mix.
7. Mix in the bacon.
8. Mix in a few big spoonfuls of parmesan.
9. Mix in your fresh greens, as much or as little as you’d like, and toss. I put in a couple of good-sized handfuls.
Serve this in heated bowls or plates with additional cheese, salt and the two peppers on the table. Bread on the side. Heaven. Well, close enough.
Pamela Osborne lives in Salisbury.
MILLERTON — Salvatore Richard Osnato, 85, a 31-year area resident, formerly of Yonkers, New York, died peacefully on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, surrounded by his loving family. Sal was the longtime owner and operator of The T-Shirt Farm on Main Street in Millerton. His long career in retail began in the Bronx, New York, in 1973. Prior to opening his shop in Millerton in 2015, he operated a shop in Canaan. Sal will be remembered for his love of community, his work ethic and his generosity to his loyal customers. He loved being at the store seven days a week and would often say, that he never worked a day in his life, he loved his business and his customers beyond measure.
Born March 24, 1940, in the Bronx, New York, he was the son of the late Salvatore and Sarah (Dator) Osnato. He was educated in the NYC Public School System and served in the United States Military as well. On Aug. 16, 1981 in Yonkers, New York, he married Vickie Revellese. Mrs. Osnato survives in Lakeville. Sal was a longtime active member of the Northwest Connecticut Rod & Gun Club in North Canaan. Sal also enjoyed golfing, sunbathing on the beach near the ocean, rock & roll music, gardening and fishing on Lakeville Lake in his spare time. He was also an avid food connoisseur and had a great affection for Italian pastries.
Sal is survived by five daughters; Gillian Osnato and her boyfriend Matthew Tipping of Salisbury, Jacqueline Osnato and her boyfriend Christopher Gahn of Pougkeepsie, Lisa Sjonvall and Lynnann Voorhees both of Palm Coast, Florida, and Laurean Kile of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; six grandchildren; five great grandchildren; his sister, Rosemary Osnato of New Jersey; his cat, “Bootsy” and his dog “Dash.” In addition to his parents, Sal was predeceased by two brothers, Peter Osnato and William “Billy” Osnato.
Calling hours took place on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Ave., Millerton, NY 12546. A prayer for Sal was offered at 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 633 3rd Ave., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10017 or American Cancer Society, 2678 South Road, Suite 103, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 or Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA, 11 Humane Society Road, Hudson, NY 12534. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Robert “Bob” Barton, 1944-2025, will be held on May 2, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, Copake Falls. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Pine Plains. A reception will follow. Family and friends are invited.
Mr. Barton passed away January 23, 2025, while vacationing in Sarasota, Florida, at age 80 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Libraries are community spaces. The hostile dismantling of the IMLS in recent weeks threatens their continued existence in our communities. Without free access to information, the social order will suffer — moreso than many members of our society already do.
Please remind yourself of the responsibility of the fourth estate to protect the public’s right to access information. Libraries and news outlets are close siblings in the fight against tyranny.
Alexandra Plante
Kingston
On Sunday, April 13, the Amenia Fire Company sponsored our monthly Pancake Breakfast. We were pleased to have a large crowd of 187 people in attendance for our monthly meal. We rely on the breakfasts to raise needed money for general operations and we always appreciate the support of the community. We thank everyone who attends our events and hope you will join us at our Ham Supper on May 3, from 4 to 7 at the firehouse.
Andy Murphy
on behalf of the
Breakfast Committee
Amenia Fire Co. andAuxiliary
Amenia
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
‘Midnight Fire Destroys Barn On McGhee Farm; Is Believed Incendiary...Fifteen Head Of Cattle. Team Of Horses. Perish In Flames’; A large barn on the James McGhee farm on Silver Mountain was completely destroyed by a midnight fire of mysterious origin last Wednesday with a loss roughly estimated at between $11.000 and $12.000. Fifteen head of grade cattle and a valuable team of horses perished in the blaze, and an automobile and farm equipment stored in the building was also burned. The loss was partially covered by insurance.
‘Paramount Theatre To Be Re-opened. Moving Picture House Taken Over By Robert A. Lane’; The Paramount Theatre in Millerton has been taken over by Robert A. Lane and will be re-opened in the near future, it was learned early this week. Early showing of all feature pictures produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists, R. K. O. and Columbia studios are promised under the new management with three or four changes in presentations each week during the summer season.
‘About Millerton’; N. Collins Smith, of Amenia Union, expects to begin the erection of a camp at Indian Lake within a few days on the site recently purchased from the Loope Realty Corporation. Workmen completed the grading of a roadway to the property from the state road last week.
Maynard Cook, Orville Velley and Floyd Dow motored to New York City Sunday and saw the world’s champion New York Giants suffer their first defeat of the 1934 season at the hands of the Boston Braves.
‘Commemorative Items Offered For Centennial’; The Millerton Centennial Committee is offering for sale a commemorative mug, plate and tile. These items will sell for $5, $2, and $2 respectively.
Each item is ceramic and will depict a picture of the Town Clock and a suitable inscription. The mug will be offered as a collector’s item since only 1000 copies will be made. The plate and tile will be open stock. They will be supplied by Sheffield Pottery, Sheffield, Mass.
‘Wave Of Fear Spreads After 2 Barns Burn’; Fire razed 2 dairy barns last week sending a wave of fear throughout the Dutchess County Farm area. In the 24 hour period of Thursday, April 17, Morgan Culver of Stanford and Edwin Pilch of Pine Plains watched their dairy barns burn to the foundations.
As news of the second fire spread throughout the communities farmers became fearful of the safety of their own barns and livestock. The William George farm on Route 82 in Pine Plains arranged to have a dog loose in the barn area to alarm them of trespassers. Other farmers put their cows out of the barn after the evening milking.
‘Fish Lady is Back’;The “Fish Lady” is back! Beginning Saturday, April 29, you can purchase Joan’s (the Fish Lady) vacuum sealed, preweighed fish at Paley’s Market in Sharon. Fresh fish will be delivered to Paley’s Thursday afternoons or Friday mornings. The spring hours at Paley’s are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Silamar Farm, on Route 44 in Millerton, is open for the spring season with a selection of perennials and pansies. According to Julie Schroeder, the spring produce is just beginning to pop up in the fields.
Peggy McEnroe, owner of The Millerton Deli, has created some new, yummy cookies. Customers refer to them as “those cream-filled pecan things,” and “the chocolate ones with the cream in the center.” Considering how tasty the cookies are, they deserve names. If you have a suggestion, jot it down on a piece of a paper and pass it along to Peg. Be sure to include your name and telephone number. If your suggestion is chosen, Peg will give you a pound of those now-nameless yummy cookies.
‘Today’s Capital Project Referendum: Mood is Cautious as Voters Head to Webutuck Polls’; WEBUTUCK — In what could be a watershed moment in Webutuck history, voters head to the polls today to weigh in on whether the district should be allowed to proceed with a $20-million capital improvement project.
And with the exception of some students, most observers were guarded in their predictions.
“I am cautiously optimistic,” said School Board President Joe Larocca, who had also been a strong proponent of the last two failed capital projects.
Mr. Larocca declined to speculate on whether the board would consider a maintenance-only package if today’s referendum fails.
“I don’t even want to think about that,” he added.
Town of Washington resident Dick Krivacs, who has grandchildren in the district and has been a frequent visitor to board meetings, was also hopeful.
“I certainly hope so,” he replied when asked for a prediction. “I’d like to see it pass.”