MILLBROOK — Driving down Merritt Avenue recently has been a shocking experience for Millbrook residents.Central Hudson, the power supplier for the area, has begun construction on a project to “accommodate growth in electric use, replace aging infrastructure and reduce the incidence of power outages,” as stated in a letter sent to all residents on Nov. 18. Part of this project includes replacing the outdated telephone poles with new, taller poles.The problem, according to townspeople, is the extent of tree trimming that their streets have undergone. For a town that takes pride in its beautiful tree-lined streets, hacked-off limbs and trunks tied with the deathly orange tape is an unwelcome sight. Furthermore, townspeople feel misled by the wording of the letter, which stated, “Some spot tree trimming will take place as needed,” and wish they had been warned of the extent of it. “I came back and was shocked,” said Dennis Anderson, who returned to Millbrook for the weekend from Brooklyn. He and his wife, Donna, have seen firsthand the dangers of trees that encroach on power lines, but they still find the work extreme. “We know this work is necessary, but by the same token [we want to] preserve the beauty of our village,” said Donna Anderson. “They said they consulted with an arborist on these changes, but it looks like they consulted with a butcher.”So many people have raised concerns that there is now a recorded message at the Village Hall to inform callers that the village does not have authority over the project. The message describes the work as “extensive tree trimming and tree removal in order to meet safety criterion,” quite different from what was said in the original letter from Central Hudson.Al De Bonis, owner of the village store Limone, has an additional concern. He feels strongly that Central Hudson should aid the village in efforts to replace the trees. He also has questions about the caliber and type of tree, as well as when replanting will occur. So far, the newer telephone poles have been installed but neither the phone company Verizon nor Central Hudson have removed the older, shorter poles. Some townspeople feel that this situation is also harming the aesthetics of their streets.Ironically, one of the three flags in front of the Village Hall states that Millbrook is a “Tree City USA,” but “this avenue looks more like Electric Pole City USA,” said Dennis Anderson. The Village Hall message closes out with “As a Tree City USA, we take great pride in our shade tree program and will work diligently to replant removed trees with appropriate species.” However, this seems to be at odds with Central Hudson’s stated top priority of keeping transmission lines completely clear in their right of way.
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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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