Two Dover organizations receive Youth Wellness Support Microgrants from the county

POUGHKEEPSIE — The third and final round of funding in support of the emotional wellbeing of young people in Dutchess has been awarded via the Youth Wellness Support Microgrants program, as per county executive Sue Serino. The aim of these grants, which will aid funding for six organizations in the county, is to encourage positive choices for young people such as refraining from substance use or engaging in other detrimental behaviors.

Of the six grant recipients, two are Dover-based. The Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue will offer young people in need of emotional support the opportunity to work with equines with a focus on groundwork while building their mental wellness. The program will provide 16 sessions totaling 32 hours to groups of select students from Dover High School. The Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue will receive $19,000 in grant monies in support of this program.

The Dover Plains Library Association will also receive $19,000 in grants in support of their collaboration with Dover Elementary School, in which four school assemblies and additional evening programs for parents at the library will be offered as a means of connecting families in an educational and reflective environment.

Four additional organizations throughout the county were also on the receiving end of funding. Two Poughkeepsie-based organizations, the Dutchess County Pride Center, which will offer coping strategies and depression management for youth, and The Art Effect, which will create an animated youth-produced PSA on mental health as it relates to social media usage also received Youth Wellness Support Microgrants. The other two grant recipients were the Red Hook-based Hidden Hollow Farm Riding, which will provide programming in equine-based therapy and journaling for at-risk youth, and the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association in Hyde Park, which will offer courses on garden design and African drumming for 100 young adults in need of direction. A combined total of $105,924 in grants has been allotted to these programs.

County executive Serino voiced her support for these wellness initiatives for Dutchess youths, saying, “I’m proud to collaborate with programs that give our young people the tools they need to succeed and reach their full potential, while supporting their mental health and wellbeing. These grants are an important investment in their future, funding initiatives that encourage positive growth and help them navigate challenges with confidence.”

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less