Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Young journalists — the next generation

Young journalists — the next generation

Our summer interns crowd around Anne Day for an iPhone photo tutorial at The Lakeville Journal office.

Riley Klein

Here in the Northwest Corner midsummer is a season worth celebrating. We drive through the countryside that seems to become more lush everyday. For us at The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, summer also is the journalism intern season when we observe a different kind of growth. This year we are hosting eight paid interns who learn from us just as we learn from them. Four are high school students (including one who was part of a student-launched newspaper at Housatonic Valley Regional High School this spring). That effort was supported by The Journal, and it will continue this fall. The four others are college students. Some came to us having experience in some form of journalism pursuit, or were simply curious to see what it’s all about.

The schools represented are: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, The Hotchkiss School, Riverdale Country School, Marist University, Kenyon College, Middlebury College and the University of Virginia. All the student interns have life connections to the Northwest Corner and Dutchess County.

Over the past six weeks they have fanned out into our communities to cover events, writing feature stories and shadowing our own staff to learn the ropes. Managing Editors Riley Klein and Nathan Miller have taken the lead in guiding these potential future journalists week in and week out. Besides field work, we offer a series of workshops to deepen understanding of important topics. For that, we have turned to experts in the community who have freely given their time for weekly presentations.

Devereaux Chatillon, a Sharon resident and member of the LJMN Media, Inc. board, is an experienced media and intellectual property attorney who shared her wisdom with our interns. Anne Day, a Lakeville denizen with a distinguished career as a photographer (and who used to edit Compass), gave her annual lesson on how to make better photographs, even with an iPhone. Natalia Zukerman, our Compass editor, shared her expertise on the ins and outs of the interview process. Laura Van Straaten of Lakeville, a multi-talented culture writer, multimedia consultant and volunteer at The OpEd Project, helped empower our interns to become thought leaders through their own voices.

Soon you will hear from our interns themselves as they write about what they learned from their summer experiences.

We can’t discuss our intern program without thanking our major sponsor, the William and Mary Greve Foundation of New York. One of our interns came to us through a new partnership with Marist University.

These interns are at the beginning of a possible career in local reporting. Today there is a big need for coverage of local government, school board meetings, healthcare in our threatened healthcare desert — not to mention a vexing housing shortage, and the need to know what’s happening to our environment. More than one intern was especially interested in covering sports, which we consider vital to bolster awareness of what our young athletes accomplish.

A recent study by Axios found that there were fewer than four ‘full-time equivalent’ journalists for every 100,000 people in either Litchfield County or Dutchess County. That’s a lot of meetings, cultural events, sports activities for small newsrooms to cover.

Thanks to our readers, advertisers and donors, we are making good progress with a nonprofit model. And that is affording our summer interns a genuine experience. We will miss them when school beckons.

Latest News

Marilyn Josephine Kay

Marilyn Josephine Kay

MILLERTON — Marilyn Josephine Kay (Masterson), 93, whose life was characterized by a quiet strength, graceful and cheerful presence, enduring athleticism and an abiding community spirit, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A long-time resident of Millerton, New York with her late husband and local veterinarian Kent Kay, DVM, Marilyn spent her final years surrounded by the love and care of her Minnesota family.

Born Feb.19, 1933, in New York City, Marilyn was the youngest of four daughters. Raised by a single mother, Marilyn learned early on the values of independence and determination—traits that would define her entire life. She excelled academically and athletically, attending Hunter College and channeling her passion for movement into work as a physical education teacher.

Keep ReadingShow less

Natacha (Nathalie) Kondratiev

Natacha (Nathalie) Kondratiev

MILLBROOK — Natacha (Nathalie) Kondratiev was born on August 4 1960 in New York City. She grew up, with her five siblings, in Flushing, NY. Natacha went to school at the Lycée Français in New York City. She spent many summers in France with her family where she was able to indulge her love of horses daily, almost to the exclusion of all else. She loved horses from early childhood, and that love dominated her life until the very end.

Natacha went to NYU with the intention of studying for a degree in veterinary medicine but switched majors and received a BA in French. She continued her love for horses in her late teens by taking riding lessons from professionals at Waterfall Farm in Danbury, Connecticut. When Paul Okolowicz moved Waterfall Farm to North Mabbettsville Road in the Millbrook Hunt Country, Natacha followed him there, eventually becoming employed as groom and riding instructor.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jeremiah Joseph Larsen

Jeremiah Joseph Larsen

HARWINTON — Jeremiah Joseph Larsen, 44, of 274 Litchfield Rd. died Sunday June 14, 2026 at the Yale New Haven Health Center in New Haven. Jeremiah was born May 9, 1982 in Bristol, CT. He was the son of Jeffrey L. and Ruth M. (Wilkinson) Larsen of Harwinton, CT

Jeremiah graduated from Lewis Mills High School in Burlington. He worked for several local landscapers in the Northwest Corner including Leno’s Lawn Service, Green Acres Landscaping and most recently Paul Kaminski Landscape Management in Harwinton. Jeremiah was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved spending time with his two sons, Hayden and Finn Larsen, of East Canaan, CT and extended family. He and his ex-wife Jessica Strattman continued to work closely to provide the best for Hayden and Finn. Jeremiah also was known for his love of cutting grass.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Donald Harry Duncan

Donald Harry Duncan

MILLERTON — Donald Harry Duncan, 78, a lifelong area resident died peacefully on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at his home in Millerton, NY, surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of Sharon E. (Drake) Duncan and loving father of Bruce, Alex and Steven Duncan, adored grandfather of Sydney, Chelsea, Bailey, Gabriel, Ariana, Braeden and Tony and caring brother of Patricia Flood and James Duncan.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday July 1, 2026 from 11am to 12pm at South Amenia Presbyterian Church, 229 South Amenia Road, Wassaic, NY 12592. A funeral service will begin at 12pm at South Amenia Presbyterian Church. Reverend Zora Cheatham will officiate. A communal reception in Don’s honor will be held immediately following the service in the fellowship hall next door to the church. Burial at Irondale Cemetery will take place in the future. To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Don’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com Arrangements have been entrusted to Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.

Fallen tree downs power lines, blocks Route 112

Eversource crews work to repair damaged power lines after a tree fell near onto Route 112 just north of the Interlaken Inn on Monday, June 22.

Photo by Nathan Miller

LAKEVILLE — A tree fell on Route 112 Monday, June 22, downing power lines and blocking traffic north of Route 41 near the Hotchkiss Four Corners.

Eversource crews on scene at 4:45 p.m. said power lines were being repaired and utility service had been restored to customers in the area.

Keep ReadingShow less

Francis Lynehan

Francis Lynehan

DOVER PLAINS — Francis “Butch” Lynehan, 75, a twenty-year resident of Dover Plains, New York, formerly of Sharon, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at Vassar Bros. Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Born Aug. 29, 1950, in Sharon, he was the son of the late William W. and Nellie (Kluun) Lynehan.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.