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

An account of village business

MILLBROOK — Wearing their military hats and jackets, village residents John Kading and Alex Pandeleon gave the village meeting a patriotic boost on Tuesday evening after the department reports. They presented the Village Board with huge color photos of the front of Village Hall and followed up on their request to move the monument commemorating the heroism of Charlie Johnson from the back of Tribute Garden to a prominent spot on the lawn in front of the Village Hall.

The board approved a location between the lights and the Village Hall facing the street. Logistics will be discussed at the next meeting in time for a rededication on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

Kading reminded those in attendance of Johnson’s heroism during the war when he died, holding back an onslaught of Chinese troops on June 12, 1953, to save the lives of nine wounded soldiers. On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Arlington High School’s Wall of Remembrance will be dedicated to honor Johnson and those who died serving their country.

Oil spill contamination good news

Dan Michaud of the engineering firm, Chazen Companies, which started work on the oil spill project in April, said cleanup is on schedule and that “initial data shows wonderful signs.� This may mean that the village will be able to avoid constructing a costly on-site water treatment system. A closure report is expected by early October.

Chris Colomello and his wife, Sarah Bradshaw, the Village Hall’s next-door neighbors who have lived spring and summer with the cleanup in their backyard, asked about the grading of the soil. Mayor Laura Hurley said this last phase will involve a transition with a landscaper.

Bennett timeline

Village Attorney Rebecca Valk has given the village extra time to prepare the demolition timeline to be presented to the developers of Bennett College, by not filing Judge Golden’s Aug. 29 order upholding the village’s authority to demand demolition with Ken McLaughlin, zoning enforcement officer, until Sept. 15. The village now has until Oct. 15 to research and present a reasonable demolition plan to the developer. The Village Board agreed to acknowledge Golden’s demolition order as final.

Millbrook Golf and

Tennis boundary line

Dutchess County rejected the village’s approval to formalize an ambiguous boundary line between village property and the Millbrook Golf and Tennis Club, and has asked for review by the town Planning Board.

In order to avoid a waste of resources to solve a minor problem, the board agreed to circumvent the request by filing nine points of law exempting it from Planning Board approval. Village Trustee Stan Morse abstained from voting to avoid any appearance of conflict since he is a member of the club.

Former Mayor Andy Ciferri suggested from the audience that the village might be losing some valuable real estate; however, Hurley got the discussion back on track reminding everyone that the board had already approved the boundary lines.

Court consolidation plans

After discussing how to include public input in the decision to consolidate village and town justice courts, the board decided to put it to a board vote at the next meeting on Sept. 28 and invite the interested public to provide comments in order to avoid the expense of a special referendum vote.

Public comments

Village resident Scott Tumbelty sat through the entire lengthy meeting to advocate recycling in the village.

Ciferri asked for an update on the thorny Thorne Building issue to which Hurley replied, “We’re trying to enter into discussions and expect to meet sooner rather than later.�

Valk expected that Mike and Erica Downing, the lessees of the building who were granted permission to execute renovations in March, would attend Tuesday’s meeting but they didn’t show.

Ciferri also asked about the funds given to the village to renovate the building. Hurley said no money will be spent on Thorne improvements until the lease negotiation with the Downings is resolved. In the meantime, $65,000 in Tribute Garden funds have been used to install 50 new streetlights and 15 trees, leaving a balance of $233,000 in the account.

Lakeville Journal

Latest News

Lelah M. Somers

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

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

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

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
google preferred source

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

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

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

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

A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

CAMERON (1922-1995) is on view at Kent Fine Art in Pine Plains through Nov. 14.

Provided

Where can one find the work of an artist associated with occult rituals, surrealist visions and the underground California art scene? In a beautifully renovated former carriage house in Pine Plains, of course.

Unexpected discoveries are, after all, part of what Doug Walla has spent his career making possible. The longtime New York City art dealer and founder of Kent Fine Art, has brought the work of Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel, known simply as Cameron, to his new gallery space. The exhibition, on view through Nov. 14, introduces visitors to an artist whose life and work moved between mysticism, poetry, film and the avant-garde.

Keep ReadingShow less
exhibit
google preferred source

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