Veterans Park upgrades begin

Thank you!

Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Local Matters

For everyone in the community. Can you help us sustain our momentum?

Local publications are the lifeblood of small towns. In the past decade, more than 2,000 communities across the country lost an essential institution when their newspapers closed. Help us preserve civic participation, community cohesion, and the “bulletin board” that supports local economies.

Click here for Jubilee underwriting

MILLERTON — Veterans Park's long-awaited facelift began this week.

Construction crews from Scape Tech Landscape technology were at the park on Tuesday morning, April 21, completing demolition work as part of preparations for upgrades that will include new landscaping and other repairs.

Construction crew members on scene said the work should be completed within two to three weeks. Village officials indicated they expect the project to be complete by Memorial Day in May.

Trustees finalized the years-long process for Veterans Park improvements in February. The board agreed to include repairs to the park’s existing stone walls as part of the job, while dropping other add-ons such as a stone veneer planter.

Construction crews work at preparing Veterans Park in downtown Millerton on Tuesday, April 21. Scape Tech Landscape Technology won the bid for proposed upgrades to the park, with a projected total cost of $240,548 to be paid in part with grant funding and unappropriated village funds.Photo by Nathan Miller

The renovations will include replacing the existing brick pavers, restoration to asphalt paving, additional lighting at the park and hardwood mulching. The project also includes a sidewalk extension along Route 44 in front of the NorthEast-Millerton Library and NBT Bank.

Trees and vegetation will remain in place, as will the stone wall. The park's asphalt paving, brick pavers and any broken furniture will be removed and replaced.

Board members said repairing the walls — which Trustee David Sherman said were built in the 1950s — would help prevent more costly repairs later. With the project supported by a $150,000 Dutchess County Community Development Block Grant, the village will cover the remaining roughly $98,500 from unappropriated fund balance rather than take on additional debt. Mayor Jenn Najdek said the village has more than $400,000 in the fund balance and would still have close to $350,000 remaining after the expenditure.

Additional reporting contributed by Aly Morrissey.

Nathan Miller

Latest News

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

Keep ReadingShow less

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less

education

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino

I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less

our community

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less

film

Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

Provided

As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.

The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.

Keep ReadingShow less

open-studio

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Follow us on social

Veterans Park upgrades begin

Veterans Park reopens following renovations