WEBUTUCK — The school district took its chances that Mother Nature would hold back the rain on Saturday, June 25, and held the 57th annual commencement ceremony for Webutuck High School on its front lawn. It was a wise decision in the final analysis as it remained dry through to the end.The hour-long rite of passage for the class of 2011 was one students are sure to remember, filled with humor, sage advice, memories and poignant moments. One of the most touching instances during the service was when senior Adam Jasmin spoke. Jasmin’s father, Robert, who owned a tree service business, was killed on June 6 when he fell 40 feet from a tree while trimming branches.“This day marks a day of independence,” Jasmin said to his classmates. “For parents it marks a day of success. About three weeks ago I lost my dad. So parents, when you get a moment, tell your kids how proud of them you are. There’s not a day they won’t appreciate it.”He received a standing ovation for his words and was visibly moved by the outpouring of support and affection so freely offered to him from the students and the community.And there were other moments during the graduation the students responded to, including when teacher Sherry Fisher gave the commencement address.“You have such heart,” she told the group of seniors before picking them out individually for their friendliness, generosity, creativity, tenacity, manners, attitude, ability to make decisions and strong minds. “What are you going to do with all this heart? I urge you to opt for the road less traveled. The prize is always worth the fight.”In the end Fisher told the departing students she was “honored to be their teacher,” and when she wrapped up her speech it was to thunderous applause.Salutatorian Alyssa Biscoglio also spoke and offered advice to her classmates.“Our journey here at Webutuck has been by no means dull,” she said. “It’s hard to believe our journey is over. It may be time for us to go our separate ways, but I ask you to never forget where you came from.”There were two valedictorians for 2011, as one, Ashley Choe, entered the school district just this year after moving to the area from Long Island. Those at Webutuck, however, didn’t want to strip the title from Bridget Boyd, who was expected to be valedictorian as a result of her academic history. The final decision? Give the honor to both girls.Choe spoke first, with humor and grace, and ended with some good guidance for the future.“You should never feel scared to be yourself — be comfortable with who you are,” she said. “Don’t let the fear of people judging you keep you from being who you are.”Boyd took to the podium next, with words of encouragement.“Although we’ve looked forward to this day for quite some time, we might be nervous for what comes next,” she said. “I hope [we will all] embrace [the future].”High school Principal Ken Sauer had this to say for the class of 2011:“I like to think they learned how to be learners and how to be kind to each other, and that no matter what happens [they know] this is where people cared about them, and they can always come back here and to their family and friends.”
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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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