Millbrook’s Memorial Day

Millbrook — Don Dingee, Korean War Veteran and Dutchess County resident, said he is determined to ensure all his fellow veterans are remembered long after their death.As the guest speaker at Millbrook’s Memorial Day ceremonies, Dingee spoke about his comrade in the Korean War, Charlie Johnson, a Dutchess County resident and Arlington High School graduate. “Charlie Johnson is my personal hero,” Dingee said. “He saved me twice: He pulled me out of the bunker where I was wounded and proceeded to take me back to a face bunker. And he went out and saved another eight or nine guys by challenging the enemy. I will never forget him. I honor him as much as I can. I go out to his grave site right here in Millbrook.” Johnson was posthumously awarded a Silver Star, the nation’s third highest medal for valor in the face of the enemy, in a ceremony at Arlington High School in 2010.As part of his effort to honor Johnson, Dingee made sure the documentary “Hold At All Costs,” a film discussing forgotten stories of the Korean War and the Battle of Outpost Harry, featured his friend. The documentary ends with Johnson’s Silver Star ceremony. In addition to the film, Johnson’s name will live on in the Charlie Johnson Scholarship, which awards $1,000 to a boy or girl who exemplifies his honorable qualities. Dingee said he hopes that the Charlie Johnson Memorial Fund will grow and expand in the future. “We have a whole group in Arlington High School that honors him and teaches his values,” Dingee said. “We are hoping that it will stretch out to Millbrook and they will be able to do the same thing because he is a wonderful guy.”

Latest News

Housatonic softball beats Webutuck 16-3

Haley Leonard and Khyra McClennon looked on as HVRHS pulled ahead of Webutuck, May 2.

Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — The battle for the border between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Webutuck High School Thursday, May 2, was won by HVRHS with a score of 16-3.

The New Yorkers played their Connecticut counterparts close early on and commanded the lead in the second inning. Errors plagued the Webutuck Warriors as the game went on, while the HVRHS Mountaineers stayed disciplined and finished strong.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mountaineers fall 3-0 to Wamogo

Anthony Foley caught Chase Ciccarelli in a rundown when HVRHS played Wamogo Wednesday, May 1.

Riley Klein

LITCHFIELD — Housatonic Valley Regional High School varsity baseball dropped a 3-0 decision to Wamogo Regional High School Wednesday, May 1.

The Warriors kept errors to a minimum and held the Mountaineers scoreless through seven innings. HVRHS freshman pitcher Chris Race started the game strong with no hits through the first three innings, but hiccups in the fourth gave Wamogo a lead that could not be caught.

Keep ReadingShow less
The artist called ransome

‘Migration Collage' by ransome

Alexander Wilburn

If you claim a single sobriquet as your artistic moniker, you’re already in a club with some big names, from Zendaya to Beyoncé to the mysterious Banksy. At Geary, the contemporary art gallery in Millerton founded by New Yorkers Jack Geary and Dolly Bross Geary, a new installation and painting exhibition titled “The Bitter and the Sweet” showcases the work of the artist known only as ransome — all lowercase, like the nom de plume of the late Black American social critic bell hooks.

Currently based in Rhinebeck, N.Y., ransome’s work looks farther South and farther back — to The Great Migration, when Jim Crow laws, racial segregation, and the public violence of lynching paved the way for over six million Black Americans to seek haven in northern cities, particularly New York urban areas, like Brooklyn and Baltimore. The Great Migration took place from the turn of the 20th century up through the 1970s, and ransome’s own life is a reflection of the final wave — born in North Carolina, he found a new home in his youth in New Jersey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Four Brothers ready for summer season

Hospitality, ease of living and just plain fun are rolled into one for those who are intrigued by the leisure-time Caravana experience at the family-owned Four Brothers Drive-in in Amenia. John Stefanopoulos, pictured above, highlights fun possibilities offered by Hotel Caravana.

Leila Hawken

The month-long process of unwrapping and preparing the various features at the Four Brothers Drive-In is nearing completion, and the imaginative recreational destination will be ready to open for the season on Friday, May 10.

The drive-in theater is already open, as is the Snack Shack, and the rest of the recreational features are activating one by one, soon to be offering maximum fun for the whole family.

Keep ReadingShow less