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Summer concerts return to Falls Village
Jul 16, 2025
Jonathan “Jonny G.” Grusauskas performed on the lawn of the David M. Hunt Library Friday, July 11. Maria Rose and Eli Sher assisted in the show.
David Carley
FALLS VILLAGE — “It’s like a mini Tanglewood,” said director of the David M. Hunt Library Meg Sher as families were arriving to the library lawn with their dinner and drinks on picnic blankets to hear Jonathan Grusauskas, or Jonny G., perform on Friday evening, July 11.
Jonny G. was born and raised in Falls Village and has been playing music for 27 years, since he was in 5th grade, and is a part of a band called lespecial.
He is the founder and owner of the Music Cellar in Millerton, New York, which is a music school offering lessons for all ages, skill levels, and many instruments. It is also a rehearsal and recording space.
The songs Jonny G. performed spanned decades and genres, from Simon and Garfunkel to Rufus Wainwright to Billie Eilish. He even played “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise,” a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” He also brought on a couple guests to perform with him; his sister Maria Rose sang with him for a few songs, and Eli Sher, age 10, played the bass drum on Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.”
Towards the end of the show, Jonny took a request from the crowd. Someone yelled out, “play a kid’s song!” Without a second thought he started playing “Baby Shark” and, like clockwork, the kids came flocking back from playing on the lawn.
The performance was a part of the Hunt Library and the Falls Village Recreation Committee’s summer concert series. The free event was complete with children running around in the grass, pets roaming the crowd and the serene backdrop of Falls Village at golden hour.
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SHARON — At its June 9 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided to delay its verdict on the controversial proposed housing development by the applicant known as Gold Dog LLC, however several members indicated preliminary approval of the project.
The plans propose 24 condo units in the currently forested land behind the Sharon Hospital Medical Arts Buildings which would sit in close proximity to several residences on Hospital Hill Road.
The decision to postpone was based on anticipated but not yet arrived information from the town’s third-party engineer regarding the proposal’s stormwater runoff plans and several other technical details. Chair Laurance Rand said P&Z could not issue a decision until receiving that report, which other commissioners agreed with.
Several members took the opportunity to share their thoughts on the application at the current stage, for which the public hearing closed last month after three contentious sessions that saw fierce pushback from neighbors of the proposed development.
P&Z Secretary Stanley MacMillan Jr. voiced that he felt the application demonstrated compliance with the zoning regulations of the area and that diversified housing options would be beneficial to the town. He felt the development would suit “older people who are looking downsize” or “younger people who are just getting started.”
Vice Chair Betsy Hall said the town has an obligation to follow its Plan of Conservation and Development, which calls for increased and varied housing options as well as the preservation of open space. She said cluster housing models, such as Gold Dog’s application proposes, are one way to achieve this balance.
“This project will preserve quite a bit of that lot as open space,” she said, indicating that an alternative single-family housing model would have a much larger footprint.
She stipulated it would be essential to protect the privacy of neighbors via fencing and landscaping if the project moves forward.
The Commission will take up the discussion again at its Aug. 13 meeting, when it will have to render a decision due to the expiration of its statutorily defined deliberation window. That period officially ends on Aug. 15.
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Area painters gathered at Coltsfoot Valley in Cornwall Village Saturday, July 12, for a painting lesson led by Cornwall artist Robert Adzema.
Jules Williams
CORNWALL — Last Saturday morning, July 12, from 10 to 12 a.m., a small group of artists gathered on the edge of Pine Street in Cornwall Village to paint watercolor studies of Coltsfoot Valley.
Local artist Robert Adzema, who specializes both in sculpting sundials and plein-air watercolors, led the class. Plein-air painting is the practice of painting outside, directly from nature.
On his website, Adzema explains how plein-air “encourages one to deal with the subject directly and spontaneously, and to welcome chance and accident”.
It is different from sculpture, which requires more precision.
To start off, Adzema did a small demonstration with his paints, explaining his thought process and answering questions. He painted both in both grayscale and color, focusing on laying out basic shapes before slowly going in with more details.
Afterwards the group split off to work on their own pieces, implementing newly learned techniques and accepting feedback. Many stayed beyond the scheduled time to continue their work.
Throughout the class, Adzema offered tips to help familiarize people with the basics of watercolors. He suggested that a value painting in black and white first is helpful with getting a feel for the subject and the sections of the landscape.
“The big secret of painting watercolor is being aware of how wet the paper is,” he told participants.
The wetness of the paper affects the way the paints interact with it; more moistness means more paint is absorbed and the colors will spread to a larger area, creating a softer look, while dry paper is better for achieving sharper details.
He demonstrated how to mix colors directly on the canvas to add depth. In particular, he suggested adding oranges and golds to the grass and sky to add warmth into the picture.
As the group split, Adzema continued to encourage participants to paint what interested them and to use the techniques that spoke to them most. It was clear in his passion that he hoped to encourage others to delve into art as deeply as he had.
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Musicians perform Classical music during the Chamberfest Music Camp at Music Mountain July 10.
Mia DiRocco
FALLS VILLAGE — On Thursday, July 10, Music Mountain hosted its annual Painting Music workshop as a part of Chamberfest Music Camp.
The event invited artists, amateurs and beginners to paint to the sounds of Classical artists like Beethoven and Mozart, using music to guide their art.
The painting workshop was not only for the local community, but an opportunity for the sixteen Chamberfest students to showcase their skills. The Arianna String Quartet, who recently joined Music Mountain as the teachers for this year’s summer music school, performed as well.
Chamberfest has been a staple at Music Mountain dating all the way back to the venue’s establishment in 1930. It invites players to learn from highly accomplished instructors and offers fellowships and opportunities to aspiring musicians.
Music Mountain’s Artistic Director Oskar Espina Ruiz and artist Vincent Inconiglios led the event. The two have been the coordinators ever since its beginning in 2018.
Ruiz described the workshop as, “An example of how art may respond to musical interpretation. In essence, what we’re doing today, we are in search of inspiration.”
The painters had no prompts, just their painting tools and the music. The results varied from colorful abstracts to monochrome designs and directly reflected the emotions and ideas that the music inspired.
“It really goes both ways,” recalled Ruiz. “You are hopefully going to receive inspiration from music for your painting, but we performers are also in search of inspiration.”
Artists drew inspiration from music at Music Mountain’s Chamberfest Music Camp.Mia DiRocco
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