Shame on Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro for leading on municipalities throughout the county — declaring each and every one of them would be recipients of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and then not following through on his promise. Granted, no documents were signed, no contracts endorsed, but Molinaro clearly stated in public that all municipalities that belonged to the Urban County Consortium (a prerequisite for any town or village in Dutchess County wanting to participate in the federal block grant program) would receive some funding, if not all, to assist in their proposed projects for 2013.That’s why the village of Millerton and the town of North East are so upset now, after receiving notification from Molinaro this month they were indeed bypassed by the county and will not receive any block grant funding in 2013. So much for sticking to one’s word. The village of Millbrook was also informed it was left out of the grant loop and denied the $22,700 it requested to build a handicap ramp at VFW Post 9008.It should be noted that the town of Amenia actually did make the CDBG short list, and is slated to receive $100,000 to make its Rail Trail extension from the Wassaic Metro-North station into the hamlet of Wassaic handicap accessible — which is fabulous. But it’s been three years since Millerton has received CDBG funds; five years since North East has done so and at least that long since Millbrook has been awarded a block grant. As the program can award any given municipality up to a maximum of $150,000 annually, it’s easy to understand how vital such funds are in making important projects a reality. Projects, often, that deal with infrastructure (think sidewalks, roadways, water lines) or affordable housing or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance — projects often too large and too costly for rural communities to budget for on their own.Molinaro’s pledge was especially encouraging because municipalities were told even if their proposals couldn’t be awarded in full they would still get something. And something is always better than nothing, which is exactly what Millerton, North East and Millbrook now have.To apply for a CDBG one must belong to the Urban County Consortium. To do so municipalities must take themselves out of the running for any other state or federal grant programs, meaning it’s the block grant or nothing. Unfortunately for some this year, as in years past, it’s apparently nothing.Millerton Mayor John Scutieri has a theory that this region gets overlooked because of its distant location from the county seat in Poughkeepsie. There could be some truth to that. The Harlem Valley often seems disconnected to the rest of the county when it comes to tapping available funding and resources. During his campaign, Molinaro promised northeastern Dutchess residents that would no longer be the case. This latest turn of events does little to prove him right.The letter Molinaro sent with the county’s “preliminary funding decisions” appears pretty final, but who knows, maybe enough people will contact his office to complain and ask why the Harlem Valley is treated like a distant cousin to the rest of Dutchess County.Is it likely the county executive will reverse his decisions? Probably not. But the final list will not be released until Feb. 4, during which time there’s a slight possibility Molinaro might change his mind. After all, block grants help fund projects that build stronger communities, and Harlem Valley municipalities deserve the opportunity to do exactly that, fair and square.
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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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