From left, Vincente Mercado, Ren Babcock, Leandra Costa, Coraline Dell’Amore, Jenna Martin and Elliot Campbell were each awarded $100 as first place winners in the 10th annual Friends of the Pine Plains Free Library Young Writers competition.
PINE PLAINS — Young writers have a step up in the world of communication thanks to the Pine Plains Friends of the Library, which recently announced winners of the 10th annual writing competition.
The group has distributed some $10,000 in prize money over the years and provides an important opportunity to have students’ writing acknowledged.
Friends’ board member and coordinator of the contest Victoria LoBrutto, says that the much of the credit goes to the teachers who encourage students in the sixth through 12th grades to enter.
In many cases, they provide a helpful push by assigning the competition as homework. Topics range from those assigned to those chosen by the young writers themselves.
LoBrutto, who contributes garden articles to the New Pine Plains Herald, judges the competition, this year reading all 75 of the entries. She says she “keeps in mind” the New York State writing standards, but is mainly focused on the creativity and imagination of the writers which, she notes “cannot be taught.”
Having watched the progress in students’ writing over the years, she says, “I’m pleasantly surprised. From sixth grade to eighth grade some of the writing is pretty sophisticated. And then when they get to high school, you can see there is a real development.”
LoBrutto is even hopeful that she will someday see the name of one of the competitors she has followed annually on a book.
Besides giving credit to the teachers, LoBrutto cites the Pine Plains Free Library’s teen writing program, which, according to Head Librarian Dee Ann Johnson, is run weekly each Friday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with both virtual and in-person sessions.
Johnson, in the same spirit, lauds the Friends saying, “They are indispensable. They work so hard on our behalf, and we are grateful for all they do for us and for all the programs they run.
In addition to cash awards, winners of the writing program are acknowledged in the graduation program and each participant receives a certificate provided by Moore and More printing of Millerton which is known far and wide for its generous support of many local not-for-profits.
The winners of each category in this year’s competition receive prizes of $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third with a number of others receiving recognition through honorable mention.
Top winners in order of their placement are: Grade 6 - Group 1 - fiction - Coraline Dell’Amore, Juliet Shiels, and William Galliher; Grade 6 - Group 2 - fiction - Jenna Martin, Amelia Anderson, and Christopher Spada; Grade 6 - Group 3 - fiction - Elliot Campbell, Madison Johnson, and Margaret Johnson; Grade 8 - poetry - Vincente Mercado; Grades 9 - 12 academic non-fiction - Leandra Costa, Joshua Dolansky, and Charlotte Phillips; Grades 9- 12 - creative non-fiction - Leandra Costa, Joshua Dolansky, and Estrella Ruano; Grade 9- fiction - Ren Babcock, Brianna Blackburn, Kaylei Murphy; and Grade 9 - 12 - poetry - Ren Babcock, Emma Henderson, and Kaylei Murphy.
NORTH CANAAN — Dr.f Donald Terance “Doc” Martin, 86, of North Canaan, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at his home in North Canaan, which was his last wish. Dr. Martin was a dentist in Canaan, retiring in 2014. He served the community and their needs whether they could pay or not, and at all hours of the day and night. They do not make men like Don “Doc” Martin anymore.
Born on Aug. 27, 1938 in Walla Walla, Washington, he was the youngest of George T. and Anna Mae (McGrath) Martin’s eight children. Don proudly served in the US Navy with the Seabees during the Vietnam War. He adopted the Seabee’s “Can Do” attitude that served him for the rest of his life. Don married Lynne Horner in 1964.
Don was a 50-year friend of Bill W. He sponsored numerous others through his devotion to Alcoholics Anonymous. When people asked how he managed to stay sober for five decades, he said, “Don’t drink. Go to meetings. And don’t die.” And, “If you’re going to get old, you should do it in the program.”
Don fiercely loved his family, and he embraced his community. Wherever he went, people shouted, “Hi, Doc!” He enthusiastically supported local causes. In the early 1980s, he founded Friends of Football, a booster club for the Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s football team. He was a regular at Housy athletic events during his children’s years as students there, and continued to support the teams even after his youngest child graduated.
In addition to his loving wife of 60 years, Don is survived by a son, Rick Martin of Canaan, and two daughters, Kelley Marshall and her husband, Bill, of Hyde Park, New York, and Laura McCarthy and her husband, Neil, of Berlin, Connecticut. He is also survived by four grandchildren; William Marshall, V, Meagan Marshall and her fiancé, Cameron Jones, Maxim Martin and Meave McCarthy; a special friend, Jeff King, cousins Ann Kaufman, Jay Martin, Kathy Horner, Dan Horner, John Horner, Katherine Edlund, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, at the North Canaan Congregational Church, 172 Lower Rd, East Canaan, with Pastor Mark Brady officiating. The repass follows from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the VFW Post #6851, 104 S. Canaan Rd., Canaan, CT. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Doc Martin should be made to the Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry, P.O. Box 306, North Canaan, CT 06018 or VFW Post #6851, P.O. Box 913, Canaan, CT 06018. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home, 118 Main Street, Canaan, CT.
Busy as he is these days, Santa took a bit of time to join in congratulating Wassaic’s Citizen of the Year, Ana Hajduk, following a presentation ceremony at the Wassaic Fire Department on Saturday, Dec. 14, all in conjunction with the 2024 Wassaic Parade of Lights.
WASSAIC — Wassaic residents turned out to celebrate the 2024 Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 14, enjoying the traditional parade and festivities with refreshments at the firehouse.
One of the highlights was the naming of Wassaic’s Citizen of the Year, Ana Hajduk, honoring her many contributions to the improvement of community life.
Presenting the award certificate was Amenia Town Supervisor Leo Blackman who spoke of Hajduk’s talents as garden designer and her work with designing and faithfully tending the small garden in front of the post office where a veterans’ memorial stands.
She also looks after the needs of the newly planted pine tree which has replaced the old Wassaic Christmas tree. She also lends her talents to tending the beds planted by the Amenia Garden Club. And, she has successfully conquered the mugwort infestation at the Borden plant.
Blackman praised Hajduk also for her work with the Fountain Square plantings, and her willingness to lug buckets of water to a variety of growing things.
Hajduk lived for a time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where her mother had rehabilitated an abandoned rail line to create a six-block long public park over a period of 20 years.
“Ana has it in her blood to improve the places where she lives,” Blackman said.
Mary Albasi, resident of The Fountains at Millbrook, knitting for one of the community’s donations.
MILLBROOK — A long-established tradition of giving to deserving community organizations is continuing throughout the holiday season at The Fountains at Millbrook.
Three area charities were selected for this year’s charitable giving. The Center for Compassion in Dover Plains has received 26 bags of food and several boxes of clothing collected by Fountains residents since the Thanksgiving season and continuing through the holidays. The extensive history of giving was described on Wednesday, Dec. 11, by Lisa Rieckermann, community life director at The Fountains.
Infants housed at the Care Net Pregnancy Center in Poughkeepsie are being kept warm by hand-knit items produced by the Knit/Crochet Group at The Fountains. Resident Mary Albasi was praised by Rieckermann for her dedication, having created more than 100 pieces for the center.
“Mary’s passion is truly shown through the dedication she has for her work,” Rieckermann said.
Families at the Grace Smith House, a domestic violence support center in Poughkeepsie, are also being assisted by residents at The Fountains. This month, Rieckermann reported, Terri Smith, a staff member in The Fountains’ Café, is raising funds for gift cards to be provided to the Grace Smith House. Skilled at crafting, Smith is using her talents to create centerpieces for Café tables. Residents purchase the centerpieces, thereby raising the funds to purchase the gift cards.
“It makes my heart happy to give back,” Smith said.
Residents also maintain an ongoing interest in supporting the Holiday Toy Drive with the American Legion and the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue organization.
Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago and Town of North East Councilwoman Meg Winkler help welcome Habitat for Humanity homeowners Anthony and Vanessa Macagnone (center) to their new home on Rudd Pond Road in Millerton, Wednesday, Dec. 18.
