Kevin Elam, left, and Jesse Ofgang, right, entertained guests at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on March 5 with an array of Irish and Scottish musical fare.
Acclaimed Irish flutist Desi Wilkinson advises musicians to “Play only tunes and songs you’re mad about … Emulate what you like and then do your thing.” It’s advice Jesse Ofgang and Kevin Elam have seemingly taken to heart as part of their “Prelude to St. Patrick’s Day” tour which landed at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on March 5, where the Celtic-flavored duo found themselves playing to a nearly full house on a wet and windy Wednesday.
While neither Ofgang nor Elam is originally from Ireland, their musical souls are firmly connected to both the Emerald Isle and the Highlands. While Ofgang claims partial Irish heritage through his mother and believes his musical partner is not of Irish descent, Elam’s resumé is filled with accomplishments in Irish music. He took top prize in 2019 in men’s English singing at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann competition in Drogheda, Ireland and has medaled at both the All-Ireland Fleadh and CCE Mid-Atlantic Fleadh competitions. Despite his Irish roots, Ofgang’s musical focus is actually across the Irish Sea, where he earned a master’s degree in Scottish music and bagpipes. As a student, he performed with the 16-time world champion Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.
Both musicians are multi-instrumentalists. Elam, the duo’s vocalist, is skilled in tin whistle, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin and guitar while Ofgang, a bagpiper, has mastered uilleann pipes and border pipes as well as the Irish flute and whistles, organ, guitar and piano. In addition to touring — together and separately — Ofgang and Elam both provide instruction to students in musical instrumentation.
“Prelude to St. Patrick’s Day,” which wrapped up on March 9 in Middletown, Connecticut, featured an array of Celtic tunes and songs. According to Ofgang, there’s a difference between the two. By definition, songs include lyrics and tunes consist strictly of music. Ofgang and Elam included both in their hour-long set at the Library Annex, which began with “The Foggy Dew,” a song lamenting Ireland’s political divide and the resulting violence of the Easter uprising, which was followed by a jig, “The Road to Lisdoonvarna.”
“Rocky Road to Dublin” drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd as did the folk song, “The Lakes of Pontchartrain,” which Elam and Ofgang introduced as a song about alligators. The ballad is actually of unknown origin and its subject matter centers on a Creole woman and the unrequited love a drifter holds for her in the Deep South. The duo believes the song may very well have been penned by an Irish immigrant to the United States.
Elam and Ofgang invited the crowd to join them in “The King’s Shilling,” another song exploring the realities of war with its introspective chorus “Come ladies, come. Hear the cannons roar. Take the King’s shilling and we’re off to war.”
The duo then segued over to Scottish fare with the audience joining in once more for “Auld Lang Syne,” traditionally sung on New Year’s Eve, but the song is also used to close out occasions — ver as the evening slowly wound down. Ofgang, assisted by Elam, then wrapped up the night with traditional Scottish bagpipes, a worthy overture to St. Patrick’s Day 2025.
The concert was sponsored by the Ann and Abe Effron Donor Advised Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. Library director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said the library is looking into additional grants to fund further programming for community enjoyment. For more information, visit nemillertonlibrary.org.
SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.
Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.
James attended Millbrook School, Ripon College, and the Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Connecticut.
He proudly served in the Navy and his dedication to his craft led him to later own several restaurants, including the renowned Fox & Fox in Gaylordsville, and most recently, Panini Cafe in Kent. He went on to become a staple at the Cornwall Farmer’s Market, known for his delicious soups.
James lived in Sharon, for 20 years, where he cherished the serenity tending to the gardens and property. Perpetually in motion, he filled his days with gardening, tending his property, and engaging in hobbies such as collecting model cars, woodworking, and perfecting his culinary creations.He never hesitated to take on a new project, no matter the scope.Not many 82-year-olds can say they fully remodeled a bathroom single handedly.After a full day of work, one of his greatest joys was relaxing at the end of the day in front of the fireplace.
James is survived by his constant companion of 22 years, Kathie Dolan; his two sons; Adam Fox of Montpelier, Vermont and Emmett Fox of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; his brother, Tom Fox of Phoenix, Arizona; his brother-in-law, Gary Sarachan of St. Louis; and several nieces, including Sydney Fox Sarachan of St. Louis, Carrie Fox of Phoenix, and Amanda Fox of Columbus, Ohio. He also leaves behind his grandson, Aidan Fox of New Hampshire, extended family, Erin Dolan, Megan Mollica, Rory Dolan, his dog, Django, and his cat, William.
James will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His unique sense of humor and culinary excellence will live on in the hearts of his family and friends.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
All services are private.
FALLS VILLAGE — Richard Stone of Main Street passed away June 25, 2025, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.
Born Feb. 12, 1942, in Ossining, New York, Richard was son of the late Howard Stone and Victoria (Smith) Stone.
He attended public schools in Ossining and then studied architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. After graduation he became a licensed architect.
Richard admired contemporary architecture by Corbusier, Philip Johnson, and Louis Kahn, but also many earlier and folk designs. His projects included re-erecting, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the 18th century Chinese house “Yin Yu Tang”, and also restoration of the historic Delaware & Hudson office building in Albany, New York. Broad cultural interests led him to travel around the world, but especially in Caribbean lands and Latin America.
Long a resident of Falls Village, Richard had a concern for the built environment surrounding him. More importantly, he cherished neighbors, church, and friends near and far.
Richard is survived by his three brothers; Thomas of Peabody, Massachusetts, William of Canaan, New Hampshire, and Kenneth of Medford, Massachusetts, their wives, and many nieces, nephews, and step siblings.
A service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 484 Lime Rock Road, Lakeville, Connecticut, on Thursday, July 31, at 11:30 a.m.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Peter Cusack teaching at the Scoville Library.
When Peter Cusack first moved from New York City to Torrington, Connecticut pre-Covid, he thought he was going to be alone. “Wasn’t that ridiculous?” he said now, laughing. “I thought I was the only artist up here. Then I quickly learned that if you throw a stone, you hit an artist.”
In 2019, Cusack launched the Journal of Cornwall Contemporary Art (COCOA), originally imagined as a sort of art salon-meets-magazine-meets-espresso bar. “I realized I could channel this energy and give all these artists something to do and write about,” he said. “I had this idea of creating an exhibition space modeled after the Center for Italian Art in Soho,” he continued. “It would be beautiful, with a library and an espresso machine... but I couldn’t pull it off. I just needed more money than I had.”
So instead, he built the magazine. “I thought, let’s create a space for conversation. It was a literary magazine for artists.” COCOA ran quarterly for four years but quickly became a full-time endeavor, filled with deeply considered layouts and writing.“Production took over and it just became 24-7. I wasn’t painting. It was too much.”
Today, Cusack balances painting, teaching, and mentoring and infuses it all with his own blend of formal rigor and improvisational warmth. He teaches regularly at the Scoville Library and White Hart Inn in Salisbury, as well as one day a week at The Art Studio NY. His program, “The Vivid Color of Experience,” combines traditional skill-building with Zen-inflected awareness and encouragement. “The idea is that all of your life’s experience gives you momentum for learning,” he explained. “Everyone already comes with so much; they just need to be shown the path.”
Cusack’s teaching style is hands-on but reflective. His curriculum is structured, but always responsive to the individual. “When someone’s doing independent study, they come to a block, and that’s when I start really teaching. When their teacup is empty, that’s when I add a little.”
His students often express amazement at what they can do under his guidance. “People say, ‘I didn’t know I could draw this,’ or ‘This is the first time anyone has actually taught me.’ That’s why I’m so passionate about it.”
Rebecca Schweiger, founder of The Art Studio NY, said of Cusack, “He’s devoted to his students, and they adore him. People are so surprised at how much they can learn in such a short time.”
After graduating from Syracuse University as an English major, Cusack spent five years in publishing, including at “Consumer Reports.”
“I was sitting in front of a computer all the time, and I hated it,” he said. So, he left it behind and moved to rural France to study painting under Ted Seth Jacobs, the late master draftsman and Zen-influenced teacher. “There was no cell service, just a pay phone in the village,” Cusack recalled. “I was 28, 29 years old. I became very romantic about it. I learned French, taught my girlfriend to drive stick shift in the fields. It was a movie.”
That year changed everything. “Everything I teach here really comes from that time,” he said. “He (Ted Seth Jacobs) really showed me how to actually do things. Once it clicked, I was off and running.”
He now draws from his hybrid background in painting, publishing, and illustration and distills it into clear lessons for his students. At 53, Cusack says he’s enjoying a creative life he only once dreamed about.
His paintings have been shown at Mary MacGill in Germantown, Judy Black Memorial Park in Washington Depot, and Craven Contemporary in Kent. His work is in the permanent collections of the New York Transit Museum, the Museum of American Illustration, and the United States Air Force Art Collection. His name appears in the pages of “Architectural Digest,” “New England Home,” and “An Illustrated Life.”
Yet, it’s teaching that most feeds him. “Painting is a wonderful way to interact with the world,” he said, “and teaching — especially up here — connects me to the community. That’s the most important thing for me. I feel like I’m giving. I’m playing a role.”
Asked if he still meditates, Cusack said, “Every day… but even with meditation, I’m at the point where I’m letting go of the form. It’s like teaching,” he continued. “I use the form, but I’m more interested in what happens in the space. Then I follow that.”
Learn more about Peter Cusack’s workshops at petercusack.com
Wednesdays & Saturdays at the White Hart Inn
Thursdays at Scoville Memorial Library
