
Latest News
Aimee Davis and Brian Crouse in their shared office space at 65 Main St. in Millerton.
Natalia Zukerman
‘We need to be touched, we need to be tended to, and we need to remember who we are and how we are actually doing,” said massage therapist Aimee Davis, her words echoing softly in the warmly lit loft of the space she shares with Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist, Brian Crouse, in Millerton. In a world that keeps us increasingly disconnected from our bodies, the healing practices of Davis and Crouse offer a sanctuary of care that integrates both physical and energetic restoration. They share a space and a mission of healing, one that embraces the complexity of the body, mind, and spirit.
Davis and Crouse both come from backgrounds rich with both experience and personal transformation. Their paths intersected in Millerton, where they now work alongside each other in a healing space that is as inviting and serene as their practices. At an early age, Davis was inspired by her parents’ work in science and medicine and at 18, she worked in a home for the mentally challenged, most of whom were chair-bound. “I realized then the obvious way that you can connect to another human even if they’re incapable of talking,” said Davis. A licensed massage therapist and intuitive healer, Davis has spent over two decades honing her craft in bodywork, energy healing, and coaching. Her work spans from deep tissue massage to Reiki, chakra balancing, and 4-dimensional healing. Yet, it’s the unique blending of these modalities that makes her approach so effective. “I prefer the mixed pot of whatever a person is, as opposed to just a sports massage or just an energy session,” said Davis, describing her belief in customizing healing practices to meet the distinct needs of every individual.
Brian Crouse’s path to healing also had its own meandering route. “When I was a kid, I just always had this thought I was going to be some kind of doctor/healer and also own a restaurant and also be a bass player,” Crouse recalls with a smile. He has managed to do all of that and more. After leaving chiropractic school, he owned a restaurant on Long Island for many years, but the call to medicine never left him. When he returned to his studies, he shifted focus a bit, eventually studying both naturopathic medicine and acupuncture. “I saw what food did to people over time,” he said, explaining the pivot that led him to a more holistic approach.
Today, Crouse blends his expertise in naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and nutritional counseling to address the root causes of health issues. His practice is centered on supporting the body’s innate ability to heal. “As a naturopath, I use natural therapies rather than pharmaceutical drugs,” Crouse explained, emphasizing his belief in the body’s capacity for self-regulation. If there are any fears around acupuncture, Crouse assured, “It doesn’t hurt, and it’s a very relaxing and healing modality.”
Whether it’s Davis’s bodywork or Crouse’s naturopathic treatments that brings you into their office, both practitioners see patients as unique individuals, deserving tailored care. “It doesn’t have to be all one way or another,” said Crouse. “You don’t have to have a massage every two weeks, but you can combine things that work for you,” added Davis, emphasizing the importance of finding what resonates best for each person. For Crouse, it’s all about offering choices. “I try to guide people to the healing wisdom that’s inside them and reignite it,” he explained, ensuring that his patients are not just passive recipients of treatment, but active participants in their own healing journey.
While their professional lives are grounded in wellness, their personal passions also fuel their work. Brian, an avid musician, still finds time to play bass, even occasionally practicing in the shared office space. His passion for music is just one of the many ways he nurtures his own well-being and creativity, which he said, “helps me balance the demands of my practice.” Davis, too, finds time to engage in her own self-care and personal growth, and along with her bodywork practice, she also offers women’s circles and relationship coaching. “Everybody needs help,” she acknowledged, understanding that healing, both physical and emotional, is a lifelong journey.
“It’s not a luxury to take care of yourself,” said Davis. “It’s maintenance so you can live longer and feel better.”
“And as a society we’re losing touch with ourselves and our bodies, and this is a way to reconnect,” Crouse added. “Yea,” said Davis. “It’s stressful out there, and we need to come home to the body and each other.”
For more information or to book an appointment with Brian Crouse, call 518-592-1033. For more information or to book an appointment with Aimee Davis, visit connectandbalance.amtamembers.com or call (860) 248-5452
Keep ReadingShow less
Eamon O'Leary and friends at the St. Paddy's celebration at the Norfolk Library.
Mike Cobb
On Saturday, March 22 at 5:30 p.m., Eamon O’Leary and friends entertained a packed house at the Norfolk Library with classic and original Irish folk songs to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, St.Patrick.
Originally from Dublin, O’Leary has lived in New York since the early 1990s. With O’Leary typically playing the bouzouki, a long, lute-like stringed instrument, he was accompanied by Jefferson Hamer on guitar, Brenda Castles on concertina and vocals, Ivan Goff on uilleann pipes, and Liz Hanley on fiddle and vocals.
The band regaled the audience with the stories behind the songs and had the enthusiastic crowd singing along to the chorus of the traditional Irish sea shanty “Across The Western Ocean.” The song speaks to how immigrants fled Ireland’s hardships and set out for America in search of a better life.
“Oh, the times are hard and the wages low
Oh, sailor, where are you bound to?
The Rocky Mountains are my home
Across the western ocean”
Festive Abe Lincoln overlooks the gathering at Norfolk Library March 22.Mike Cobb
Now in its 30th year, the St. Patrick’s Day celebration is booked by Norfolk Library events programmer, Eileen Fitzgibbons. As an Irish American, Fitzgibbons was raised with a love of traditional Irish music.
“All four of my grandparents were from Ireland, so Irish music is in my soul. I love offering traditional Irish music at the Library. The music is ancient and entertaining. I enjoy how folks of all ages come together in the great hall to share time together. And of course it’s a nod to my ancestors,” Fitzgibbons said.
Library associate Jack Dillon presented a letter from Helena Nolan, the Consul General of Ireland, recognizing and congratulating the Norfolk Library Associated on their 50th anniversary as well as the 30th anniversary of their St.Patrick’s Day concerts.
“The Norfolk Library Associates have truly embodied the spirit of Irish America, valuing knowledge, service, and the betterment of the community. Your deep-rooted commitment to cultural preservation, access to education, and enriching lives echoes the timeless values of generosity and solidarity,” Nolan wrote.
In addition to an hour of lovely music in the idyllic setting of the library’s great hall, the audience was invited to hors d’oeuvres and “Irish spirits.” With such good cheer, it’s easy to see why the St. Paddy’s Day Celebration is one of the Norfolk Library’s best attended events.
For information on upcoming events, see their site: norfolklibrary.org
Keep ReadingShow less
Unmasking ‘Holland’ at The Triplex
Mar 26, 2025
Ben Elliot, left, Creative Director of Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and Andrew Sodroski, screenwriter of the movie “Holland” introduce the film at a special screening on March 22. Sodroski warned the audience thatthe film is, “Bonkers, twisty, fun.”and “a wild and crazy ride.”
L. Tomaino
The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington offered a special screening of the movie “Holland” on March 22 with the screenwriter of the film, Andrew Sodroski, on hand after the film to answer questions. He is a resident of Berkshire County.
“Holland” stars Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, who plays her husband, and Gael Garcia Bernal, who plays her friend. Before the start of the film, Sodroski warned the audience that it would be a “wild and crazy ride” but also “bonkers, twisty, fun.”
“The whole movie is about what you see and don’t see. The surface versus underneath,” said Sodroski.
This film delves deep below the surface into the ways that darkness exists in the worst possible cases. Anyone viewing the film should be aware that at its core is a serious mental illness and should bear that in mind should they decide to watch.
The film takes place in Holland, Michigan, which Sodroski chose because he wanted a “specific place with a specific subculture.” In Holland, they celebrate their Dutch heritage with a yearly festival complete with Dutch costumes, wooden shoes, traditional Dutch dancing, a parade, windmills, and tulips. Sodroski used this surface for a “technicolor experience. A sort of dreamworld which in a little while is ripped away.”He admitted to being influenced by his admiration of David Lynch’s films.
In the movie’s Holland, “Smooth surfaces matter. When you leave your house, you always look presentable.”
The movie begins with Kidman’s character having lost a pearl earring (calling to mind Dutch painter Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring”) and in her search of her perfect house and her husband’s model train shed, she finds indications of his secret life. At first imagining an affair, she finds an even deeper, darker secret.
During the question-and-answer period, Sodrosky explained that he wrote the screenplay soon after film school, thirteen years ago. He said that “Holland” was on the Black List, “a list of all the most popular unproduced screenplays which have been bought but never seen,” for many years. These scripts are passed amid other screenwriters, producers, and directors. They vote for the best and “Holland” topped the list in 2013.
Sodrosky thought this meant “Holland” would soon be developed into a film, but it took years to find financing, a cast, and a director. “Finally,” he said, “they got Nicole Kidman who brought in director Mimi Cave.”
Sodroski was pleased with the finished film. “It is very, very close to the first draft. The visual world is close. It was like a mind meld with Mimi Cave.”He admitted it can be hard to hand the screenplay over to a director. “They take control,” adding that movies are “always a collaboration with the director, writer, studio, and cast.”
In the end, he said, “You do think about the audience and what experience you want them to have. You’re building a roller coaster and what kind of ride you’re going to give them.”
“Holland” can be seen on Amazon Prime starting March 27.
Keep ReadingShow less
In search of ambitious fish
Mar 26, 2025
A recently-stocked brook trout was willing to play on the Blackberry River.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SOMEWHERE IN NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT — It took a while but I’m finally on the board for 2025.
The state stocked the Blackberry onMarch 13. The stream is typically stocked in the spring at least once more, and usually twice.
Statewide all trout fishing is catch and release until “Opening Day,” which is Saturday, April 12.
This is the most ignored law since Prohibition. On Saturday, March 15, I saw anglers taking fish. They weren’t trying to be sneaky, either. Maybe they just don’t realize the regs have changed. And maybe announcing on social media where stocking has occurred isn’t such a great idea.
I feel bad for these fish, frankly. Imagine being a hatchery trout and enjoying ideal temps in your tank, which is the only home you’ve ever known.
Then suddenly you’re shoved in a much smaller, much darker tank and bounced around, only to be dumped into a stream or lake that’s also dark and weird and has things living in it and is about 20 degrees colder than the home you’ll never see again.
And then you bite something that looks edible and next thing you know you’re in the frying pan.
It’s a depressing prospect for an ambitious fish.
On that SaturdayI had time before and after the 2 p.m. performance of “Urinetown” at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. So with the Blackberry mobbed I tippy-toed up a little blue line and got the first fish of 2025, a ferocious eight inch wild brook trout that came up for a size 10 Stimulator after ignoring half a dozen nymphs that would have been much less work.
Then I had to beat it down to Housy for the show.
Afterwards at 5 p.m. or so, the weather had given up even pretending to be pleasant. The Blackberry was deserted.
So I suited up again and found a pod of recent stockers willing to play. I tested out an experiment, a Chinese-made bamboo rod, seven feet long for a No. 4 line.
I wasn’t expecting much, and that’s what I got. It’s a serviceable rod, but nothing to get worked up about. At about $160 shipped from China it’s a way for the budget-conscious angler to get into bamboo, but I advise saving your money and buying something better from somebody stateside.
I dutifully took photos of fish in hand and in the net,but let us now reflect on just how useless and unexciting they are.
Here’s how I imagine a dialogue between me and the reader.
Q: How big is the net?
A: Not very.
Q: Where is this?
A: Could be anywhere, and you think I’m gonna tell you?
Q: Did you release the fish unharmed?
A: No, I stuck it in my pants.
You see? Unedifying, at best.
On the medical front, I am pleased to report that I did just about everything I usually do when fishing that involves my right shoulder and rotator cuff, with minimal pain and agony. So the physical therapy and long layoff worked.
Now about my right knee…
Keep ReadingShow less
loading