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Author Karen Belove and her horse, Sally, the inspiration for the titular character of her debut children’s book.
Provided
Karen Belove, of Stanfordville, said her first children’s book wrote itself one day after more than a decade of thinking about it.
Belove’s debut book, “Cotton Candy Sally Finds a Home,” is a heartfelt tale about the trials of youth and horse training. It follows Cotton Candy Sally, a horse born in Iowa and later sold to a facility in New York City, and a young girl named Kara as she navigates adolescence and the death of a parent.
The book was inspired by the real-life story of Belove’s first horse, a quarter horse from Iowa also named Cotton Candy Sally, that ended up at a facility in Queens, New York, after its owners sold it.
That horse set Belove down a lifelong path deeper into the equestrian world.
“I really loved the horses,” Belove said. “It was slowly taking over my life, though I didn’t realize it.”
While horses were becoming an increasingly central part of her life, Belove cut her teeth at advertising agencies in New York City. She wrote ad copy every day, an occupation she said both helped and hurt her while writing her first book.
“It was a little bit of a detriment because it’s such a different kind of writing,” Belove said. “I had to forget about the exclamation marks.”
Even so, Belove said she paid special attention to the book’s prose. Children, especially those in their preteen years, are complex, and she wanted to honor that complexity in both the content and the composition.
Her book is character-driven, Belove said, because those were the narratives she remembers resonating with her most as a young reader. A favorite was Beverly Cleary’s “Beezus and Ramona.”
“I told my mother then, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to write stories like “Beezus and Ramona,’” Belove said.
She credits her parents’ support for her career in writing. Though they were not artists themselves, they encouraged Belove and her sister to pursue creative interests. That encouragement, Belove said, led her to become a writer and her sister a painter.
“I can still remember the first thing I ever wrote,” Belove said. “It was a poem about my cat.”
Her childhood cat had escaped from the family’s home in suburban Westchester County. To process the loss, Belove wrote a poem and showed it to her mother, who insisted she bring it to school the next day to show her teacher.
“My mother kept it,” Belove said. “I still have it.”
Belove was close with her parents, so the sudden death of her father at age 56 sent her on a search for joy that eventually led her to Cotton Candy Sally, an experience she said is reflected in her book.
These real-life experiences are meant to give young readers an engaging, empowering and educational narrative, Belove said, because the complexities of real life are unavoidable.
“Life enables me to write the kind of book I want to write,” Belove said. “Children are complex. They’re really trying to navigate a world they have no experience navigating.”
Belove self-published “Cotton Candy Sally Finds a Home.” More information about purchasing the book is available at sallyhorsechronicles.com.
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‘Conversant’ opens at Troutbeck
Jan 21, 2026
Natalia Zukerman
Visitors gathered at Troutbeck in Amenia for the opening of “Conversant” on Friday, Jan. 16, a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist E.E. Kono, presented in collaboration with the Wassaic Project. Kono, an alumna of the Wassaic Project’s Winter Residency program, created a series of luminous egg tempera paintings inspired by Troutbeck’s landscape, history and legacy as a site of social and intellectual exchange. The works incorporate silverpoint, locally sourced pigments and recurring clematis motifs, referencing the estate’s history as a gathering place for artists, thinkers and social reformers. The exhibition will end with an artist talk on April 19.
Natalia Zukerman
Co-owners Nicholas Policastro, left, and Andrew Thielemann of Café Gourmet.
Bob Ellwood
Café Gourmet Bakery and Catering opened in Canaan in November 2024, bringing a high-quality yet approachable dining experience to East Main Street. The restaurant is co-owned by Andrew Thielemann, general manager, and Nicholas Policastro, executive chef, who met two years ago while working in similar roles at another establishment and decided to strike out on their own.
Currently, the restaurant is open five days a week — Thursday through Monday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — serving breakfast and lunch. Dinner service is planned for later this winter.
“Before the end of winter, we will be offering dinner service,” Thielemann said. “Initially, we’ll open softly for a couple of nights — Fridays and Saturdays —then expand dinner service fully Thursday through Monday by the beginning of summer.”
The phased rollout will allow the owners to gather feedback and iron out any wrinkles while serving a carefully curated menu designed to give customers the quality food and service they have already experienced as breakfast-and-lunch diners.
“Then we’ll move forward on expanding menu offerings based on what we’ve learned,” Thielemann said.
Thielemann has spent three decades in the hospitality industry.
“From dishwashing to running entire operations as a general manager,”Thielemann said. “Mine has been an experience-driven career,” he added. “Locally, I spent a few years at Troutbeck in Amenia, then went to Community Table in New Preston. What I bring to the enterprise is my ability to manage multiple stakeholders in venues ranging from casual dining operations to high-end country clubs, always with excellent hospitality as my primary deliverable.”
Policastro earned his culinary arts business management degree at SUNY Delhi, where he won multiple awards as an undergraduate. After graduation, his expertise grew with each professional move: an internship at the Otesaga Hotel & Resort in Cooperstown, New York; a chef role at Turning Stone Casino in Utica; chef at the private Columbia Golf Course in Claverack, New York; and at Wheatleigh in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he perfected his upscale French cooking.
The menu reflects that depth of experience. Breakfast is available all day, and after 11 a.m., an extensive lunch menu is offered through closing at 3 p.m. Standout breakfast items include the Crème Brûlée French Toast; the Salmon Avocado Toast on house-made whole wheat sourdough; and the Elderflower Fruit Parfait with house-made granola.
Lunch offerings include French onion and potato & leek soups, a variety of fresh salads, and a “Shareable” section featuring items such as truffle fries and chocolate sourdough with ricotta.
Online reviews reflect the experience:
•“WOW!! This place is incredible! The food was absolutely delicious… Andrew, the co-owner, was friendly and made us feel so welcome.”
•“The most charming spot around with an unpretentious atmosphere and genuinely great food. High-quality ingredients, thoughtfully made dishes, and very fairly priced.”
•“The wait staff asks right away when you sit down about your dietary needs, like gluten- and dairy-free, or allergies. So welcome and proactive!”
•“I intend to become a regular customer; this restaurant, this wonderful food — well worth the trip.”
Café Gourmet – Bakery & Catering is located at 18 E. Main Street in Canaan. Phone: (959) 227-9021. Reservations are not required at this time. Once dinner service begins, reservations will be recommended.
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Kent Town Hall
Leila Hawken
KENT — Approximately 30 residents turned out Thursday, Jan. 15, for Kent’s annual town meeting to cast their votes and hear an early overview of the town’s five-year capital plan.
The meeting opened with a unanimous vote authorizing the Board of Selectmen and the town treasurer to borrow money on behalf of the town throughout the year.
Voters then unanimously approved a slew of appointments to the Parks and Recreation Commission. David Schreiber, Kevin Frost and Keith Johnson were all installed as full members with three-year terms, expiring in 2029, while Miranda Lovato and Jordan Iovino were each appointed for one-year terms as alternates.
A motion was read to allow the town to assume ownership of Morehouse Cemetery on Richards Road and Parcell Cemetery on Old Gorham Road. Both are small, historic sites that haven’t seen a new burial in more than a century.
Michael Walach, whose property abuts Parcell Cemetery, questioned what the transfer of ownership meant. First Selectman Eric Epstein explained that when the Cemetery Committee was established two years ago, a provision was included stating that any additional graveyards discovered in town would be transferred to town ownership, since the Cemetery Committee functions as a municipal body.
Walach expressed that his major concern was that activity might ramp up in the quiet area, but Epstein said that he did not believe that would happen. Regardless, he promised to put Walach in touch with the Cemetery Committee for more information.
Joe Agli spoke next, asking the Board of Selectmen if the town would be responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the property if it assumes ownership, and if those expenses would be included in the town budget. Epstein confirmed, saying that the costs will be factored into the Cemetery Committee’s budget line. The motion ultimately passed, with just Agli opposing.
Five-year capital plan
The remainder of the meeting was dedicated to a detailed rundown of the five-year capital plan, the document that organizes future capital-intensive municipal projects.
Funds allocated within the first five years, in this case 2026 through 2031, are funded through taxation, while the next five years are included solely for planning purposes.
Notable in this year’s presentation was that the Board of Selectmen and other town department heads discussed projects from across the entire five-year tax period, breaking practice from recent years where only the fifth-year projects have been discussed. Epstein ran through a number of municipal improvement projects that have funding allocated in the plan, including road and bridge repairs, town equipment upgrades and replacements, improvement projects for Emery Park and Kent Commons, Town Hall refurbishments and renovations to the Transfer Station.
The controversial Swift House, a historic building in town that has ruffled the feathers of some residents during past budget seasons, remains on the plan with $425,000 directed towards modernizing and rehabilitating the structure.
Next to step up to the podium was Board of Education Chair Heather Brand, who explained several long term roof and sidewalk repair projects. The BOE’s total spending was the largest of any department on the Capital Plan, with a total of $1.75 million between fiscal years 2027 and 2031.
Fire Chief Tim Sneller closed the presentation, detailing improvements in communications equipment and infrastructure as well as replacing fire engines as major projects on the Volunteer Fire Department’s horizons.
When it was time for the public to weigh in, three residents spoke. Catherine Bachrach asked for the town to figure out a way to provide adequate parking at the Senior Center, as people are currently parking on the icy grass when space runs out. “It’s only a matter of time before someone has a serious fall,” she said, noting that improvements were not included in this version of the Capital Plan.
Karen Chase requested that the fire exit in the Town Hall meeting room be made ADA compliant, and Bruce Hoheb announced that Anderson Road is in dire need of repair. “The road is a warzone,” he said. Epstein said he would look into the issue and be in touch.
The final version of next year’s capital plan will be voted upon during the meeting to approve the town budget in May.
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