Webutuck students Matthew Metteo, Carlos Ramirez, and Jesse Capellaro run in the 1600 meter during a track meet with Millbrook school held on the Webutuck campus May 11.
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Warren Miller’s “Days Off” to screen at Mohawk Mountain
D.H. Callahan
Nov 03, 2026
A packed house watches the 75th Warren Miller film at Mohawk Mountain in 2024.
Mohawk Mountain
For more than 75 years, the name Warren Miller has been synonymous with incredible skiing adventures. On Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, Mohawk Mountain will screen “Days Off,” the 77th film bearing Miller’s name.
Miller was a ski bum in the truest sense, pioneering the nomadic lifestyle now adopted by skiers, climbers, hikers and van-life influencers alike. Long before it was normal, Miller would camp out in the parking lots of big ski mountains to save money on hotel rooms. He’d shoot and eat his own dinners, usually rabbit, unless some well-to-do admirer felt like taking him to a restaurant. He got by as a ski instructor for 25 cents an hour, plus free hamburgers. Eventually, he got his hands on a video camera so he could watch himself ski for the first time, and took to it so naturally that there was no question about his next move.
In 1950, Miller released his first ski movie, “Deep and Light.” In 1951, it was “California Skis.” Then “Wandering Skis” in 1952 and “Ski Fantasy” in 1953. Every year until 1987, Miller would shoot, direct and narrate an entirely new ski movie. He’d take it on the road from ski town to ski town, showing it to packed theaters of fans.
In the beginning, Miller narrated the films live in the theater. He’d take his script and comment on the footage he had shot and edited together, showing perfect runs through dream conditions in seeminly impossible locales.
By the time he recorded his narration directly onto the films, he had honed a kind of relaxed style that endeared him to audiences. His dry wit and humor made him and his annual screenings part of their family traditions.
Miller kept narrating his films until 2004, when he retired to run the ski program at the Yellowstone Club, one of the most exclusive outdoors clubs in the world. His production company, however, never slowed down, cranking out a movie every year, even after Miller’s death in 2018.
Mohawk Mountain has its own storied history, important to skiers all over the world, whether they know it or not. Though Civilian Conservation Corps cut some trails into the mountain in the 1930s, it wasn’t until Army veteran Walt Schoenknecht leased 100 acres of land from the state forest in 1946 that skiing really took off.
But just two years into its operation, Connecticut had a nearly snow-free winter. Rather than sit and complain, Schoenknecht put his Army ingenuity to work and tried something nobody had the guts or means to do — he made his own snow.
That first season, Schoenknecht and his team chipped and spread tons of ice, which melted just a few days later with a day of rain. But the concept had been proven. The following year, Mohawk Mountain started building infrastructure that would allow it to cover nearly a quarter of its trails in artificial snow.
Today, the mountain is known as the birthplace of snowmaking, a technology that has extended ski seasons around the world and brought skiing to areas that never had consistent snowfall. In the face of climate change, it’s one of the most important aspects of modern ski resort success.
Warren Miller was one of the first people to champion this technology, bringing it to a wider audience through his films. Though Schoenknecht is credited as the father of snowmaking, Miller was one of its greatest advocates.
Before the snowmaking machines even have a chance to fire up, Mohawk will get the skiing community in the mood by screening “Days Off” in its base lodge. For over 20 years, this has been a tradition unlike any other on the mountain.
Mohawk doesn’t screen other movies, and aside from the Cornwall Rummage Sale, it tends to focus on creating unforgettable skiing experiences at Connecticut’s largest ski area. If you’re looking forward to a season on the slopes, nothing will get you excited quite like a Warren Miller movie.
For more information about Mohawk Mountain and to purchase tickets, visit mohawkmtn.com.
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Sergei Fedorjaczenko and the engineering of art
Robin Roraback
Nov 03, 2026
Sergei Fedorjaczenko in his Falls Village studio with his recent oil painting, “Cubes Bursting Forth,” part of his exhibition “The Engineering of Art,” opening Nov. 7 at the David M. Hunt Library.
L. Tomaino
I liked art and also liked the technical things. Industrial design filled both needs.
—Sergei Fedorjaczenko
Sergei Fedorjaczenko’s studio is filled with paintings in watercolor, acrylic and gouache, along with sculptures made from wood, metal, plastic and found objects. The variety of materials reflects a lifelong fascination with both art and engineering, two disciplines that have shaped his work.
“I liked art and also liked the technical things. Industrial design filled both needs,” Fedorjaczenko said.
Fedorjaczenko and his family came from Germany when he was just 4 years old. They lived first in New York City before moving to Connecticut about 10 years later, in 1960. He has lived in Connecticut ever since.
“I was always drawing,” Fedorjaczenko recalled.
Although he wanted to study art, his parents insisted he pursue something more practical, so he enrolled in an engineering program.
After a year and a half, he dropped out, realizing engineering was not for him. With the Vietnam War underway, he was drafted into the Army, where he became a photographer.
While serving, he thought about what he really wanted to do. The answer: design cars.
He wrote to Chuck Jordan, vice president of design at General Motors. Jordan “responded with a handwritten note,” advising him to pursue industrial design.
After leaving the Army, Fedorjaczenko earned a degree in industrial design from the University of Bridgeport. He then worked for General Electric for 14 years, during which time he was credited with four patents and a trademark.
“I ended up designing everything but cars,” Fedorjaczenko said.
After General Electric, he sought other jobs and other puzzles to solve.
In February 2000, he read an article in the Hartford Courant about Cornwall artist Tim Prentice, known for his kinetic sculptures. The story made a lasting impression.
“I read the article about 20 times, thinking, ‘This is what I want to be when I grow up. A guy living out in the country making sculpture and stuff.’”
In 2001, he and his wife, Zoe, bought a circa 1730 house in Falls Village. A year later, Fedorjaczenko retired. After spending several years restoring the property and creating a studio for himself, he was able to concentrate more on painting and sculpture.
Today, his three-level workshop is equipped with tools for metalworking and woodworking, including an English wheel, a sheet metal brake and other equipment he has used to make components for a full-size car. He can mill and turn parts, bend and cut sheet metal and tubing, and weld and sandblast components for his sculptural work.
By a window sits a table he designed and made from wood offered to artists when Cornwall’s covered bridge was restored. His “Bridge Table” is a simple, clean design, reflecting his interest in both form and function.
Fedorjaczenko enjoys the physical process of creating art “because I am making something, using my hands.”
His work is influenced by the Bauhaus, a German design school that operated from 1919 to 1933 and became an international movement. For his upcoming exhibition, “The Engineering of Art,” Fedorjaczenko used the triangle, square and circle, primary geometric shapes associated with the Bauhaus, in each of the pieces.
On his website, Fedorjaczenko shares a quotation often attributed to Pablo Picasso: “I am always doing that which I cannot do so that I may learn how to do it.”
It seems a fitting philosophy for someone who has spent a lifetime moving between disciplines, learning new skills and finding creative possibilities in unfamiliar territory.
Despite his considerable body of work, Fedorjaczenko resists the label of full-time artist.
“I don’t consider myself a full-time artist. I consider myself a jack of all trades … with many interests.”
“The Engineering of Art” opens Saturday, Nov. 7, at the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The show runs through Nov. 27. Fedorjaczenko will give an artist talk about his life and work Thursday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m.
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Rumi at Race Brook
Natalia Zukerman
Nov 03, 2026
Poet and translator Haleh Liza Gafori brings Rumi’s centuries-old verses to life at Race Brook.
Provided
Writer Rebecca Solnit remarked, “If you haven’t heard Rumi’s work performed by a translator who can read him — and sing him — in the original Persian, this Rumi, presented by translator — and rock star — Haleh Liza Gafori is for you.”
On Friday, Nov. 6, Gafori will bring Rumi’s poetry to life through spoken word and song at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, Massachusetts, in what will be the venue’s final performance before closing.
The evening promises to be both a celebration and a farewell, as the beloved Berkshires gathering place prepares to end a chapter of music, community and cultural exchange.
Gafori, a translator, vocalist and performance artist, has spent a decade exploring Rumi’s poetry and finding new ways to make his centuries-old wisdom accessible to contemporary audiences. Her acclaimed translations, published in two volumes, “Gold” and “Water,” capture the poet’s ecstatic language and enduring themes of love, longing, transformation and the dissolution of boundaries.
Accompanied by cellist Isabel Castellvi, Gafori will recite her English translations and sing Rumi’s verses in their original Persian, creating a musical and poetic conversation across languages, cultures and centuries.
A 2024 MacDowell fellow, Gafori has presented her work at Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and universities across the country. Her approach honors both the musicality of the original Persian and the spiritual urgency of Rumi’s writing, bringing ancient poetry into dialogue with contemporary life.
The evening will open with a performance by Western Massachusetts poet and musician James Bird, whose ethereal folk music draws on mythology and timeless stories of love, loss and renewal.
For Race Brook Lodge, which has long welcomed artists, musicians and audiences seeking connection through shared experiences, the evening offers a fitting final note. Rumi’s poetry, with its insistence on love as a force that transcends separation, seems particularly suited to the occasion.
The performance begins at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. For information and tickets, visit rblodge.com.
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Hudson Valley Restaurant Week serves up two weeks of dining deals
Natalia Zukerman
Nov 03, 2026
Cornerstone in Pawling is one of the restaurants participating in Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. Chef Harris Mayer’s menu is created directly with farmers in the region.
Provided
There’s no better excuse to try a new restaurant — or revisit an old favorite — than Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, returning Monday, Nov. 2, through Monday, Nov. 16.
The biannual culinary celebration, organized by Hudson Valley magazine, brings together approximately 100 restaurants across eight New York counties, including Columbia and Dutchess, offering specially priced prix fixe menus that showcase the region’s diverse culinary landscape.
Participating restaurants will offer brunch, lunch and dinner menus at several price points. Brunch is available for $24.95 or $29.95, lunch for $24.95, $29.95 or $39.95, and dinner for $29.95, $39.95 or $44.95. Most menus feature three courses, giving diners an opportunity to sample a restaurant’s offerings without committing to the usual à la carte prices.
While the event does not include restaurants in Litchfield County, Connecticut, diners in the Northwest Corner can find participating establishments in nearby Dutchess and Columbia counties. Among the options are Corrigan’s Iron Furnace in Verbank, Savona’s Trattoria & Bar in Red Hook and Cornerstone Restaurant & Bar in Pawling.
From creative farm-to-table cuisine featuring locally sourced ingredients to international flavors and classic comfort food, Restaurant Week celebrates the chefs, farmers and food producers who make the Hudson Valley a culinary destination.
Participating restaurants determine which meals and days they will offer the special menus, and some offer takeout options. Prices do not include beverages, tax or gratuity.
No tickets or passes are required, but reservations are strongly recommended. For a complete list of restaurants and menus, visit hvmag.com/events/restaurant-week.
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Backgammon and pizza night
Natalia Zukerman
Nov 03, 2026
Playing backgammon at Le Gamin in Sharon.
Roger Lourie
Backgammon of Northwestern Connecticut has added a third location to its weekly gatherings, bringing friendly competition, conversation and pizza to The White Hart Inn in Salisbury every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Founded four years ago by Sharon resident Roger Lourie, the group has grown from a handful of players to a mailing list of 70. In addition to Wednesday evenings at The White Hart, the group offers free lessons at the Hotchkiss Library in Sharon on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and social play at Le Gamin Cafe on Saturdays at 9 a.m.
There are no membership fees, and players of all skill levels are welcome.
“This is a way for people to connect on an individual basis,” said Falls Village resident David Dabill, who initiated the new “Pizza and Play” sessions. “Winters are long here.”
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The Berkies
Lakeville Journal
Nov 03, 2026
Marshall Meadows
The Berkshire Theatre Critics Association will celebrate the region’s theatrical achievements at its 10th annual Berkshire Theatre Awards, known as the Berkies, on Monday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. at Shakespeare & Company’s Tina Packer Playhouse in Lenox, Mass. Sharon Playhouse received six nominations, including scenic design and choreography for “Swingtime Canteen,” acting honors for Savannah Stevenson and Michael F. McGuirk in “42nd Street,” and outstanding ensemble performance for “Come From Away.” Call 413-769-8306 for reservations.
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