PINE PLAINS — For the 13th year, a delegation of students and faculty members from High School 29 in Nanjing, China, has traveled to Stissing Mountain High School as part of the China Exchange Program, which has created a strong bond of friendship between these two schools on opposite ends of the world.The district officially welcomed the delegation during a dinner in the cafeteria on Tuesday, Jan. 17, which was filled with warm remarks and performances from members of the school’s community.Guidance Counselor Karen Pogoda, who has coordinated the exchange program since its inception, kicked off the dinner with a fitting phrase: “Time flies when you’re having fun.”“It is hard for me to believe that it was 13 years ago that we welcomed the first delegation from High School 29 in Nanjing,” Pogoda said. “Not only have we had a lot of fun with each delegation, but we’ve learned much about each other and have developed a greater understanding and appreciation for each other.”Pogoda said the delegations have witnessed history in the making over the past 13 years, from economic growth in China to new political leaders in the United States.“Despite these changes, our friendship has remained constant and our relationship continues to grow. No matter what is happening around the world, we have built a strong foundation that will enable our friendship to continue well into the future,” Pogoda said.Catherine Parsons, the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and pupil personnel services, welcomed the delegation on behalf of Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer, who could not attend. Parsons said that the district’s friendship with High School 29 is “cherished,” and thanked all those involved in program.“I would like to thank Ms. Pogoda, all of the host families and all of the volunteers who have made this continued partnership possible once again this year. Additionally, thank you to everyone responsible for the lovely dinner and program this evening,” Parsons said. “It has been truly wonderful to witness this incredible program provide transformative opportunities for students on both sides of the world.”Board of Education President Bruce Kimball told the members of the delegation that they have become a part of Stissing Mountain’s family, and shared a brief story from his own visits to China.“I first visited Nanjing about 11 years ago, and was fortunate enough to return last year. I hope that during your visit to Pine Plains, you experience the same warm welcome in our homes that I felt when I visited your homes in Nanjing,” Kimball said.High School Principal Tara Horst echoed the sentiments of Pogoda, Parsons and Kimball, noting how excited the district is about the China Exchange Program.“I just want to say how impressed I am every year, not only for the families that are new, but for the returning families who have hosted in the past or have visited in the past who are here with us again tonight,” Horst said.Delegation thanks schoolChen Qing, the head of the delegation, extended greetings to both the school district and the Pine Plains community.“Three days ago, as we arrived to Pine Plains, we were warmly welcomed by the teachers and the students of your school. Once again we have experienced the friendship of friends in Pine Plains. Please allow me on behalf of all the group members to express our heartfelt thanks for your hospitality,” Qing said through translator Sun Lijun.Qing emphasized that it is uncommon for sister schools to participate in an exchange program for 13 years, and he attributed the program’s success to the long-term care by leaders of both schools. He also focused on the importance of friendship between the schools.“2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and the dragon is the symbol of good fortune and developments. Our exchange certainly benefits our future generations. The friendship between us has contributed to the world’s peace. Let us make joint efforts to further develop the friendship between the Chinese and American people,” he said.Parsons and Qing then exchanged gifts. The delegation received a photograph of the Pine Plains community in the snow to act as a reminder of their visit. Stissing Mountain received a decorative screen.To complete the welcome remarks, Pogoda introduced Shuya Cheng, her “Chinese daughter.” Cheng, who is from Nanjing, traveled to Alabama almost five years ago as part of an exchange program. She decided to stay in the U.S. and is now a senior at SUNY Albany.Cheng talked about attending prom and eating her first Thanksgiving dinner with her host family. “I believe that you will be enjoying such experiences here in the next few days,” Cheng told the delegation. “Welcome to America, welcome to Pine Plains. Enjoy your stay here.”The remainder of the welcome dinner featured musical performances by students Anthony Bonneville and Deanna Dallmann; BOCES teacher Andy Crispell; and Horst, social studies teacher Matt Ray and music teacher Joe Deveau. The Pine Plains students also introduced the members of the Chinese delegation.While the delegation is in Pine Plains, the students will take trips to Boston and New York City. The group leaves for Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 30, and the delegation will return to China on Wednesday, Feb. 1.The Pine Plains students will head to Nanjing, China, on March 27 to reunite with their new friends from High School 29.
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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