CORNWALL — A beautiful autumn day welcomed dogs and people to Little Guild’s 11th annual Run and Wag 5K in Cornwall Village.
In a fair-like atmosphere of live music played by Relatively Sound, food trucks and booths with local goods, people and dogs gathered before the race set off at noon.
Jenny Langendoerfer, Executive Director of Little Guild, an animal shelter in Cornwall, explained that the Run and Wag 5K is one of their main fund-raising events. “We have to raise seventy five percent of our operating costs. All the money raised by the Run and Wag goes to those costs.”
She went on to say, “The Run and Wag is a premier dog and human race. We are extremely proud of it.” This year she noted they had “79 dogs and 200 human runners and walkers entered.”
Nita Colgate, from Cornwall, was spectating with her dog, Ananda, who was adopted from the Little Guild in December. Colgate said that Little Guild was “absolutely wonderful in post adoption care.” They supplied her with dog food when Ananda ran out and wouldn’t eat his new food, in spite of it being Christmas Eve.
Robert Lindgren with Cecil, a cocker spaniel, and friends Michael Carter and pug Juniper, waited to walk the route. Lindgren said, “Little Guild is wonderful. They do great things.”
Human and canine runners depart the starting line for the 11th annual Run and Wag 5K to benefit The Little Guild in West Cornwall.L. Tomaino
Andrea Fournier came from Barkhamsted with Maverick, a yellow lab. She commented about Little Guild, “It’s a great organization. We had a 15-year-old cat from them. She was the best cat! We like to support them.”
Robert Ghitelman and Sandy Adelsberg of Cornwall were walking with their companions Airedale and Scout. Adelsberg said “The music is a lot of fun and appropriate. Great weather, lots of people came out and there are lots of happy dogs and people.”
At noon, walkers, runners and dogs all lined up at the start and were off on the five-kilometer route.
The first runner, seventeen-year-old Bradley Bozzuto, returned 16 minutes at 16 seconds later. He broke the previous individual record of 16:24 set in 2015.
The first dog-human team to finish was four-time winner, Brittany Telke with her basenji, Mazikeen from Bristol. Their time was 19:02. Brittany said of the run, “The challenging part is that she gets a little distracted (by other dogs) during the second part of the race. But she was better this year.”
Thor and Michael Geschwind, winners in the men’s category for human-dog team at the Little Guild’s Run and Wag 5K. Their time was 19 minutes, 30 seconds. Also pictured is Tara Gres.L. Tomaino
Winners in the men’s team category were Michael Geschwind and Thor the great dane-mix with a time of nineteen minutes, thirty seconds. Tara Geschwind, who also ran, said, “I just love it. I’ve been donating to Little Guild for years and years.”
John Guenther, a former president of Little Guild’s board, came in with a time of 22 minutes. He walks 12 miles daily with the little guild dogs awaiting adoption. He said the event was “A wonderful celebration of dogs and the connection people have with their animals.”
Toby, a husky/chihuahua, wore a costume of bat wings and ran with Kristin Wheeler. “It was hot. He pulled me along with his wings. It was lots of fun!”
This was a sentiment all seemed to agree with, spectators, runners, walkers, and dogs alike.
Toby, a husky/chihuahua mix wore bat wings for extra speed at the Run and Wag 5K on Saturday, Oct. 19 in Cornwall.L. Tomaino
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Ralph Fedele sits at a desk in the historic Irondale Schoolhouse, which he led the effort to relocate to downtown Millerton.
Starting in 2015, the building was disassembled and moved — piece-by-piece — thanks to the efforts of a local organization called the Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse and a Millerton resident that has dedicated much of his life to the community and preserving local landmarks.
That man is Ralph Fedele, a revered figure in the community both for his efforts to restore, maintain and educate people about the former schoolhouse and for more than a decade serving on the North East Town Board.
Fedele moved to Millerton from New York City 37 years ago, in 1988, and has since worn many hats – volunteer, historian, advocate, elected official – yet he still doesn’t believe he’s earned that title.
“I’m a transplant,” he said matter of factly. “I’m from the city.”
Years after settling in Millerton full time, Fedele was driving north on Route 22 when he spotted an old, classic building and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“It was in dire straits,” he recalled. “Right on the road, but beautiful. I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a great building to move into the village?’”
That moment would eventually turn into Fedele’s lasting legacy.
Fedele joked that people may have thought he was crazy during the lengthy restoration. “I was a tyrant,” he said with a laugh. “I really made sure that we were able to get it done.” The effort required coordination with the state, the county, village and town officials, and his newly assembled nonprofit board.
As a self-proclaimed history buff, Fedele didn’t stop at the restoration. He found a list of students in old records and did what any determined historian would do. He opened the telephone book and started making calls.
Eventually, he tracked down one of the schoolhouse’s original students – Mary (Mechare) Leitch – who, at the age of 101, returned to the building after renovations were complete.
“It was a marvelous time,” smiled Fedele. “I was so happy to see her.”
North East Town Supervisor Chris Kennan, left, and Mary Leitch, who was the last living Irondale Schoolhouse student until her death in 2025.Provided
Leitch died on Dec. 24, 2025, at the age of 103.
Leitch was born in Millerton in 1922 and grew up on Winchell Mountain in the hamlet of Irondale. Her early schooling was at Irondale’s 1858 one-room schoolhouse until it closed in 1930. She was proud of having been the last person to attend the school. From the third grade onward, she attended school in the Millerton school district.
“If you sit still, you will rust,” was a favorite Leitch saying, perhaps inspired by the Irondale district and the area’s iron industry.
Leitch delighted in the outdoors and in the company of animals and people, caring for many dogs—especially Jack Russells—and cherishing the horses that were part of her long, vibrant life. An avid sportswoman, she enjoyed deer hunting and fishing, keeping her licenses current right up until her passing. She was a longtime member of both the Jack Russell Club of America and the Dutchess County Professional Horsemen’s Association.
In 1958, she married William “Billy” Leitch of Millbrook, a professional horseman, sharing a love of the sporting life and enjoying active membership in the Millbrook Hunt Club. Billy pre-deceased her in 2015.
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