AMENIA — The Town Board took care of a number of matters at its May 12 meeting. Below are some of the issues that were discussed.Firemen’s CarnivalThe Town Board voted to pass Resolutions No. 21 and 22 regarding the Amenia Firemen’s Parade and Carnival. Resolution No. 21 rescinds the open container law in the carnival area, closes roads used by the parade and carnival and hires constables to monitor the events. Resolution No. 22 specifies the duties of the constables and requires the Amenia Fire Company to pay all costs associated with hiring constables.Amenia transfer stationTown Supervisor Wayne Euvrard gave a report on the Amenia transfer station. He said that although the station is used only by roughly 200 residents, in recent years the town has been able to half the losses it incurs from subsidizing the program.“We can serve more people,” said Councilwoman Vicki Doyle. “We could increase the cost of tickets, but we need to increase demand.”After discussing how it is cheaper for residents to use the transfer station than it is to use Welsh’s curbside pickup, the board decided to create case studies to determine the exact financial benefit of using the transfer station.There was also discussion of ending the subsidization from the town, then letting residents from any town use the facility.The board members agreed that publicizing the transfer station is necessary, but more discussion is necessary to determine the best way to do that.Landfill remedial design reportThere will be a meeting to discuss the remedial design report for the former Amenia Landfill held on May 19 at 6 p.m. at the Amenia Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.Wassaic Project traffic lawThe Town Board discussed the possibility of creating a new local law to allow the closure of some Wassaic roads during the Wassaic Project, which runs from Aug. 5 to 7. It appears unlikely that a law allowing road closures for three consecutive days will pass, because current local laws limit road closures to 10 hours or one day. The board discussed the “impassable traffic” from previous years, but ultimately decided to discuss the topic again at a later date after more research on other laws had been conducted.Town Hall rental spaceThe board discussed renting space in the Town Hall building to two classes: a gymnastic class for children and a defensive driving course. The gymnastics instructor has already submitted a request for use. Her paperwork is currently being processed.JNS cell towerJNS, which built a cell tower in Amenia, will enter an asset purchase agreement with Crown. Once the agreement is finalized, Crown will assume all of JNS’ obligations.The board will follow up to make sure the transition is smooth.After comment from the town videographer, Gary Bonds, there was also discussion about cell phone service providers circumventing contracts by piggy-backing with other service providers. This was noted and will be looked into to ensure that the town is not losing profits.Painting Town Hall exteriorThe board discussed asking for Request for Proposals (RFPs) regarding the painting of the Town Hall’s exterior. There was short discussion about whether the painting project should be divided into stages, but further discussion will be needed before the town sends out RFPs.Memorial DayMemorial Day, which falls on May 30 this year, will be celebrated with a parade and a ceremony in Amenia. The parade will start at the Amenia firehouse at 10:30 a.m. All veterans are invited to march. A ceremony will follow the parade at 11 a.m. at Fountain Square.Important datesMore information about these events will be given closer to the respective dates.• June 11: Amenia’s Strawberry Fair• June 11: Prescription Pill Drop-Off at the Amenia firehouse from noon to 2 p.m.• Aug. 6: Hazardous and flammable material disposal• Aug. 15: Senior picnic• Sept. 17: Community Day; This year’s theme will be “Salute to Local Farmers.”
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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