Harlem valley — Having children is not a prerequisite to serving on one’s local Board of Education (BOE) — but taking an interest in how one’s tax dollars are spent, how one’s community functions as a whole, how the local housing market is valued and how area children are educated, is. That’s why school districts throughout the Harlem Valley are hoping responsible adults, whether parents or not, are seriously considering running in the Tuesday, May 21, BOE elections.“Boards of Education in public schools are one of the few ways that citizens and taxpayers can take a direct role in one of the most important community endeavors, and that’s the education of the next generation,” said Pine Plains Central School District Superintendent of Schools Linda Kaumeyer. “Service on the board is one of the most important, if not the most important, way that community participation in the matters of the school district can be achieved.”James Gratto, superintendent of schools at the North East (Webutuck) Central School District, agreed.“I think it’s our local voice,” he said. “That’s what our education system is based on, local control and local decision making. We have a very effective Board of Education. It’s really student-centered decisions that our board has made, and if somebody is a parent of a student in the district they should consider being involved.”But Gratto concedes that not everyone can manage to do so.“People who have kids in school are very busy, and it’s very difficult to come to meetings,” he said. “We do get people here sometimes, which is good, and the board and I are always interested in hearing what their needs are. It helps when the community comes out.”Millbrook Central School District Superintendent of Schools Philip D’Angelo echoed Gratto’s sentiment.“I think it’s very important [for the public to participate],” he said, “because the school board is the voice of the community and the way it’s set up in New York state is the school board runs the district. I, being superintendent, make recommendations to the board, but I do not have the power to hire and fire. The board takes all actions — they represent the needs and desires of the community.”All three districts, Pine Plains, Webutuck and Millbrook, have seats up for election this spring. In Pine Plains Heather Boucher’s and Fred “Chip” Couse’s terms expire this year. In Webutuck Joanne Boyd’s and William McGhee’s terms expire. In Millbrook Joseph Forte’s and Craig Wolff’s terms expire.Petitions with a minimum of 25 signatures of qualified district voters must be submitted to the district office by Monday, April 22, at 5 p.m. in order to be placed on the ballot. According to the New York State School Board Association’s law book, candidates must meet the following qualifications:• “Must be able to read and write;• Must be a qualified voter of the district; that is, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age or older, and not adjudged to be an incompetent;• A convicted felon is barred from running for a seat on a school board if his or her maximum prison sentence has not expired or if he or she has not been pardoned or discharged from parole;• Must be and have been a resident (but need not be a taxpayer) of the district for one continuous and uninterrupted period of at least one year;• May not have been removed from any school district office within the preceding year;• May not reside with another member of the same school board as a member of the same family;• May not be a current employee of the school board;• May not simultaneously hold another incompatible public office.”Those who serve on school boards volunteer to do so, and do not get compensated. D’Angelo said that makes their service even more impressive.“It’s ironic that here is such a huge job with a huge impact on students and here they are volunteering their time, because they’re not paid,” he said. “It’s not easy sometimes, their decisions are not the most popular. My hat goes off to them because they’re not getting paid, and still have to go to church, the grocery store, sporting events and interact with the community. And they’re parents too.“It’s a wonderful job, and it’s a highly responsible job,” he added. “They’re running a school district, which is a multi-million dollar business, but what’s different is it’s about students, not products. Our product is our children, so it’s a unique place. Schools are very unique places.”Once the candidates are registered, only half of the work is done. The next challenge is to get district residents out to the polls. Gratto said that getting voters out on Election Day is pivotal to creating a dialogue between a community and its Board of Education and ultimately to a school board’s success.“It’s critical to vote,” he said. “It really helps us to know where we stand and to know if we need to move in a different direction. It gives people a voice.”For more information about running for the Board of Education in Pine Plains call 518-398-7181 or go to www.ppcds.org. For more information about running for the Board of Education in Webutuck call 845-373-4100 or go to www.webutuckschools.org. For more information about running for the Board of Education in Millbrook call 845-677-4200 or go to www.millbrookcsd.org.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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