Wassaic Project snags top tourism prize, rolls out Winter Wonderland
The “Monuments to Motherhood” sculpture by artist Molly Gochman outside of Wassaic Project.
Joshua Simpson
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Road crews began construction in August on a new sidewalk along Route 44 connecting Amenia’s town center to Beekman Park, a project scheduled for completion in spring 2026.
Photo by Leila Hawken
Work also advanced on plans for a new town garage and salt shed. Town crews completed site preparation throughout the year, handling initial land clearing and grading in advance of construction, which is scheduled to begin this spring.
Community groups played a role in enhancing public spaces as well. In early May, members of the Amenia Garden Club planted a native pollinator garden at the Amenia Free Library. Now established, the garden continues to attract bees, insects and birds native to the region.
New businesses added energy to the town in 2025. Isabela, Amenia’s newest restaurant, opened in late March and quickly built a loyal following, drawing steady local interest. In July, the Silo Bakery opened in Wassaic, offering an array of pastries, breads and pies and becoming another popular destination.
Preservation efforts also moved forward during the year. In late May, donations from the Amenia Historical Society and local residents supported restoration work on the town’s 1937 Sanford fire truck. Once complete, the town’s first fire engine is expected to return to public view, including appearances in local parades.
A long-anticipated preservation milestone was marked on July 3, when the town officially accepted the donation of the historic Wassaic Charcoal Kilns. The ceremony formalized the transfer of the two restored 19th-century stone kilns to the town on the eve of Independence Day celebrations.
A sign detailing the history of the charcoal kilns and the recent restoration now stands at the site of the historic kilns on Deep Hollow Road just off Route 22 in Wassaic. The sign and restoration were part of an effort by the Amenia Historical Society and Bernie Leighton, who cleaned up the site and restored the kilns. Photo provided
Community events drew visitors throughout the year. Despite clouds and intermittent rain, classic cars lined Wassaic’s Main Street in late May for a car show organized by Fenders and Flowers. In mid-October, months of planning culminated in the first annual Amenia Harvest Festival, which brought together vendors, residents and visitors.
Equestrian events also expanded in 2025. The Silo Ridge Masters returned to Keane Stud with an additional weekend of show-jumping competition. Riders were drawn to Amenia again in early October for a three-star competition, followed the next week by a new five-star event under the Highlands Cup banner. The expanded competition included two nights of concerts and a car competition.
Voters weighed in during the November election, continuing the town’s support for Democratic candidates. Rosanna Hamm won the supervisor’s race, defeating Republican Terrence McCauley by a margin of 686 to 402. Democrats also strengthened their presence on the Town Board, with Walter Dietrich winning one of two full-term seats and Vicki Doyle securing the remaining year of an unexpired term. Republican Nicole Ahearn won the second full-term seat.
Amenia voters also narrowly chose to retain the town’s ban on retail cannabis sales, approving the measure by a vote of 560 to 515.
Looking ahead, the coming year is expected to bring the completion of the Route 44 sidewalk project and construction of the new town garage and salt shed, along with continued progress on repairs to the Water District’s facilities, including new well heads and pumping station.
Family members of Army PFC Charles R. Johnson attended a May 29 ceremony at Nine Partners Cemetery dedicating a permanent marker recognizing Johnson’s Medal of Honor for valor during the Korean War.
Photo by Leila Hawken
The honor was presented by President Joseph Biden at a White House ceremony in early January and carried special meaning in Millbrook. In late May, local and county officials, a military honor guard, and Johnson’s friends and family gathered at Nine Partners Cemetery for a ceremony honoring his bravery and dedicating a permanent plaque and flag markers.
Charles R. Johnson, a Korean war veteran who died in combat in 1953, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Friday, Jan. 3. Photo provided
Later in the year, Grace Church was filled to capacity as clergy, parishioners and community members gathered for the dedication of a new stained-glass window on the church’s west façade, marking a rare and historic moment for the congregation.
Voters also approved a Capital Budget proposal in May by a wide margin, authorizing more than $38 million for long-needed repairs and renovations to Millbrook Central School District buildings. The project is now proceeding through the schematic design phase.
At the Millbrook Library, a new native pollinator garden was dedicated in early October on the site of a 1953 memorial garden planted by the Millbrook Garden Club in honor of the Flagler family. The family, which has ties to the area, traces its roots to Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil and one of the most influential American industrialists in the 19th Century.
Early October also marked the grand opening of the first phase of Bennett Park, developed on the former Bennett College campus. The event drew residents, donors and planning professionals, with a forest-green ribbon cut beneath a tent on the park’s Great Lawn. The phase created Millbrook’s largest public green space, a major undertaking led by the nonprofit Millbrook Community Partnership.
Millbrook board advanced plan for Thorne Building community center By Nathan Miller
Planning also moved forward on a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate the historic Thorne Building on Franklin Avenue into a comprehensive arts space, with the Planning Board expected to consider the application in early 2026. The building, which was constructed in the early 20th century and served as a public school, has fallen into disrepair and has largely been vacant for 20 years.
Community spirit was on full display during the long-planned Community Day in September, as residents welcomed visitors from across the region for a day of activities, parades, contests and celebration.
That sense of engagement continued through Millbrook Listens, a year-long effort inviting residents to share their vision for the village’s future, with volunteers gathering input at events throughout the year. Volunteers in colorful T-shirts have appeared at community events ready to listen to any and all ideas.
In the November elections, Washington Democrats won both board seats. Democrats Maxine Verne and Susan Mancuso won the two Town Council seats, defeating Republicans Nicholas Galente and Douglas Giles. Supervisor Gary Ciferri, a Republican, was unopposed.
In 2025, the historic weigh station on South Main Street was approved for reuse as Pine Plains’ first retail cannabis dispensary.
By Nathan Miller
Representatives from LaBella Associates, an architectural firm that frequently works with municipalities, presented draft drawings of the proposed Town Hall in October.
Eastern Region Vice President Pasquale Marchese led the presentation, sharing proposed floor plans and a conceptual sketch of the building’s exterior.
Marchese proposed a single-story structure with a basement for additional storage. Under the current concept, each department of town government would have its own office, arranged in a horseshoe-like configuration around a large central room that would serve as both a courtroom and a board meeting space.
The building and zoning departments would be clustered in one corner of the building, with a dedicated entrance designed to shorten the distance the public must walk to conduct business with those offices.
The proposed design encompasses approximately 6,000 square feet, significantly larger than the existing Town Hall, which contains 2,468 square feet of floor area. The current Town Hall, located at 3284 Route 199, was built in 1970 and houses town government offices, including the courthouse and police department.
LaBella Associates representative Pasquale Marchese said designers aimed to ensure the proposed new Town Hall would fit the character of downtown Pine Plains. Photo provided
The plans presented by LaBella AssociatesSource: The Town of Pine Plains
Town officials also undertook a sidewalk safety audit in 2025, which identified 385 hazards. In September, Town Board members indicated they would work with a grant writer to seek funding for repairs.
Meanwhile, the Pine Plains Planning Board spent much of the year reviewing two major development proposals: a 50,000-square-foot lumber mill proposed by The Hudson Company and the town’s first retail cannabis dispensary.
The Hudson Company has operated for years in a rented Pine Plains location, but representatives said the business had outgrown its current space and sought to build a new facility to accommodate construction operations, a showroom and office space.
After eight months of site plan review and public hearings, the Planning Board approved the mill at its December meeting. The new facility will be located at 2246 Route 83 along South Main Street, south of the Stewart’s Shops gas station.
And Upstate Pines — a dispensary based in Red Hook, New York — also received approval to open a cannabis shop at 7723 S. Main St.
The dispensary will be located at the site of the historic weigh station building, where farmers used to gather to weigh their crops and livestock for sale. The proposal includes tentative plans to adapt other aging buildings on the property for future uses, such as a grocery store or an ice cream parlor.
A grocery store may soon be sorely needed in Pine Plains, as Peck’s Market all but closed over the past year.
Shelves grew increasingly bare, hours became inconsistent and sparse, and the store quietly shuttered in late September, with no public comment from owners Don and Charlene Peck.
Concerns have since emerged about the impact the loss may have on nearby businesses.
Source: Dutchess County Board of Elections
Pine Plains also saw an exceptionally close race for town supervisor. Incumbent Republican Brian Walsh was re-elected after the contest triggered a recount.
The Dutchess County Board of Elections later certified the results, confirming that Walsh defeated Democratic challenger Kevin Walsh by a margin of eight votes.
