Community

Community

Walkway Over the Hudson Officially Opens

This weekend marks the opening celebration of the Walkway over the Hudson, a 1.28-mile "linear park" for pedestrians, the longest walkway bridge in the world.   The occasion is the culmination of nearly two decades of effort on the part of visionary community activists, led by board chairman

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Community

Excursions: Hancock Shaker Village Holds a Country Fair

Lots of towns in our region have Country Fairs to celebrate the harvest, and they are all charming and valuable in their way.  But for ambience—sheer aesthetic perfection—it's impossible to beat the Country Fair at Hancock Shaker Village.  The agricultural demonstrations, the wagon rides, the farmers&

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Community

Two Chatham Alpaca Farms Host Open Days

On September 26 and 27, Spruce Ridge Farm of Old Chatham and Chatham Alpacas of Chatham Center invite the public to visit their farms, meet their alpacas, and learn more about these inquisitive, charming animals.   Alpaca breeders from across the United States and Canada will be open this weekend as

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Community

The Sun Never Sets On The Silent Auction

Even as the days grow shorter and summer segues into fall,  Silent Auction Season continues. Actually, it's always Silent Auction Season in the Rural Intelligence region. When was the last time you attended a benefit for a library, theater company, day care center or museum and weren'

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Community

Excursion: Columbia County Farm Festival in Valatie

Free tractors rides, pick-your-own apples (Honey Crisps!), live bluegrass (Cathy Grier and the Gentlemen of the Night followed by the Wickers Creek Band), Kinderhook Farm burgers made from hormone-free, grass-fed, cosseted-and-coddled cattle (all that bovine happiness results in lots of healthy Omega 3's!), square dancing (Fern Bradley and

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Community

Historic-Site Hopping: New York's First Heritage Weekend

2009 has been a big year for the Hudson River Valley.   The Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson's discovery of his namesake river has launched a thousand ships and a history feeding frenzy.  Now that we're all in the mood, what better time to introduce a lovely custom

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Community

Fence Art Show in the Hamlet of Riders Mills

Riders Mills, a tiny hamlet in north-central Columbia County,  is a rarity even here in the country: it is bisected by neither a state nor a county road, making it the most remote and perhaps least spoiled of a trio of small villages (in addition, Rayville and Malden Bridge) that

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Community

Dan's Diary: Scenes From A Connoisseur's Cookout

The Herculean challenge Emily Newman & Jeremy Stanton set for themselves would have been difficult enough to pull off in perfect weather. But Saturday, August 22, was another one of those days when torrential rains appeared out of nowhere, which complicated every aspect of serving a five-course dinner to sixty

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Community

The Winthrop Estate: New Life for a Gilded Age Mansion

In 2002, when Jamie and Ethan Berg were living in Cambridge, MA, and expecting their first child they started to explore the real estate market in the Berkshires.  Their broker mischievously asked them: "You wouldn't be interested in a 15,000 square foot mansion in the middle

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Community

The Pied Piper of Pittsfield: Megan Whilden

"I've always liked underdogs, which is one of the reasons I was so attracted to Pittsfield" says Megan Whilden, the city's upbeat director of cultural development since 2005. Whilden is as responsible as anyone for making Pittsfield a destination rather than just a place

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Community

Road Trip: Copake Falls Day This Saturday

Lots of towns around here have an annual festival with live music and plenty to buy, eat and drink but Copake Falls Day may be the only one we've heard of that kicks off with not one but two foot races.  This is as it should be.  On

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Community

“Taking Woodstock” Benefit at the Moviehouse in Millerton

Next Thursday, August 27, The Moviehouse in Millerton will host two benefit screenings of Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, portions of which were filmed last summer on Route 22 at the Lone Pine Farm in Millerton.  The remainder of the film was shot in nearby Columbia

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