New York State's Office of Renewable Energy Siting denied an application from Chicago-based Hecate Energy LLC that would have resulted in a 42-megawatt solar farm across 700 acres in Craryville, a hamlet in the Town of Copake.
COPAKE — New York State denied Hecate Energy LLC’s application for a more than 700-acre solar project, pointing to two factors: floodplain and community protection issues, and identification of and protection of wetland resources in this rural hamlet.
Jason Zehr, interim executive director of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, issued the decision on Wednesday, Oct. 14, five days before the clock was to run out for the state to approve or deny the Chicago-based company’s application.
“My analysis on each of these separate issues leads me to conclude that I am not able to affirmatively certify and determine that the project application satisfies the criteria for a permit,” Zehr wrote in his 31-page decision.
The denial caps years of protest from local residents and steadfast efforts on Hecate’s part to advance the 42-megawatt project, which initially was proposed as a 60-megawatt project before it had to be downscaled after the company lost control of some of the targeted project land.
Shepherd’s Run was slated to be built near the intersection of Routes 7 and 23 in Craryville. The company first envisioned Shepherd’s Run in 2017, and it has been buffeted since not only by local opposition but by pushback from state legislators and local politicians. In February 2024, the company’s first application for what has been dubbed “Shepherd’s Run I” was dismissed by the state. The company then followed up with the current application in late December 2024.
The Town of Copake has been a consistent opponent. Since the project was proposed there have been 1,173 public comments received by the state, nearly all negative.
Last month, two administrative law judges held an adjudicatory hearing in Copake’s town hall that was attended by more than 100 residents, with few expressing favor for Shepherd’s Run. The hearing ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and was geared to obtaining testimony aimed at establishing a fact-based record. On Oct. 5, those judges, Maureen F. Leary and Dawn MacKillop-Soller, administrative law judges at the New York State Department of Public Service’s ORES office, recommended denying Hecate a permit “based upon Hecate’s failure to demonstrate compliance with applicable wetlands laws and regulations.”
That left the final say up to Zehr, who wrote: “In summary, the evidence required to demonstrate compliance is absent in the topic areas of identifying base flood elevations, establishing the reliability of inputs for [Hecate’s] hydrology modeling, the ability of facility components to avoid being inundated by flooding, the reliability of the design and operation of measures intended to control panel operation during a flood event, and the avoidance of siting of facility components near or within a floodway.”
Millerton News
DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.
She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.
Lelah was a loving mother and a strong willed and hard-working woman. She was an avid NASCAR fan for many years and traveled with her companion “Mac” up and down the east coast following the sport. Her favorite track was the Daytona International Speedway in Florida that they went to every February to attend the Daytona 500 race. She loved her family so much and she will be dearly missed; she lived a long life and for that her family is deeply grateful.
Graveside services and burial will take place on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Valley View Cemetery in Dover Plains, NY. Pastor Rick Totten will officiate. A reception in Lelah’s honor will follow at the VFW Post # 5444, 3422 Route 22, Dover Plains, NY. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter. To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Lelah’s honor, please visit http://www.conklinfuneralhome.com Arrangements have been entrusted to Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.
Millerton News
Download directly
Natalia Zukerman
Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.
For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.
On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.
Now in its 26th year, the free event brings representatives from more than 30 art colleges and universities together with students seeking feedback on their portfolios, guidance through the admissions process and, occasionally, an acceptance on the spot.
Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, executive director of The Art Effect, said the event typically draws between 300 and 400 students, with organizers hoping for about 400 this year. Some travel several hours to attend.
“We’re the only portfolio day between New York City and Boston where you can get all of these really major art universities in one shot,” she said.
For students, that means a rare opportunity to sit across from admissions representatives, show them their work and learn what individual schools are looking for.
“Every school is different,” Fenichel-Hewitt explained. “This school wants sketches, this school wants three different types of work. Sometimes they want to see a whole body of work.”
The feedback can be exhilarating, illuminating and sometimes difficult.
“It’s really amazing to see the students respond to the feedback,” she said. “At times, colleges will make acceptances on the spot.”
She’s witnessed students celebrating unexpected admissions offers, as well as others struggling with the realization that their portfolios need more development.
“Sometimes you’re even just told, ‘Yeah, you need to develop five more pieces,’ and that’s overwhelming for some students.”
For young artists enrolled in The Art Effect’s programs, critique is already a familiar part of the creative process. But Fenichel-Hewitt emphasized that admissions representatives are generally interested in encouraging students rather than discouraging them.
“They’re there because they’re marketing their schools. They want students to be applying,” she said.
The relationships students establish at Portfolio Day can also make a difference later. Fenichel-Hewitt has seen students return year after year, developing their portfolios and getting to know admissions representatives before applying.
“I’ve seen kids go to portfolio day year after year, and then apply to seven schools and get into all of them,” she said.
Even something as simple as introducing yourself to an admissions representative and getting your name on the school’s contact list can demonstrate a level of interest that may help during the application process.
And unlike the enormous portfolio events in New York City and Boston, where students can reportedly spend hours waiting to speak with representatives from popular art schools, the Hudson Valley event offers a more manageable experience.
“We usually have such a nice flow,” Fenichel-Hewitt said, “so you will get in front of the reps you want to see.”
Of course, getting into art school is only part of the equation. Paying for it — and figuring out what comes afterward — can be equally daunting.
The event includes tables dedicated to helping students navigate college applications, scholarships and financial aid. The Art Effect also works with students who receive awards to help them understand their options.
Then there’s the question that has followed aspiring artists for generations: How are you going to make a living?
“I think that’s always been a question for artists, right?” Fenichel-Hewitt said.
To help answer it, The Art Effect has offered students — and perhaps more importantly, their anxious parents — a handout called “Careers in the Arts,” listing an extensive range of creative professions.
“It’s double-sided, four columns on each side, teeny font,” said Fenichel-Hewitt, describing the sheer number of possibilities.
“Going to art school doesn’t just mean that you’re going to try to be a famous painter,” she added. “There are so many types of careers.”
And those careers aren’t necessarily confined to galleries, museums or studios.
“Anything, any object that you’ve purchased or looked at, it had to get designed first. It involved an artist.”
Fenichel-Hewitt also pointed out that a strong arts portfolio can benefit students who have no intention of majoring in art.
She recalled one student who went on to study astrophysics at Harvard University with substantial scholarship support connected to her art portfolio. Others have pursued business degrees, using their creative work as a supplemental component of their applications.
“It really sets them apart because it shows such a well-rounded approach to being a healthy, young, confident person,” she said.
Ultimately, she sees the event as something more than an audition for admission.
“It’s an opportunity to not just receive feedback, but to really explore the kind of setting and atmosphere and culture that you thrive in.”
Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day takes place Friday, Oct. 16, at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie. The event is free. For more information, visit thearteffect.org.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Robin Roraback
Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.
Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”
Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.
“I was always drawing as a child,” Justine recalled. Victor dreamed of illustrating magazine covers like those of the “Saturday Evening Post.”
Victor studied design and illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, then received a fellowship to study painting and printmaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. He graduated in 1967. The following year, he received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation to study printmaking in Paris at Atelier 17, an experimental graphic arts workshop founded in 1927.
“What a great experience that was!” he recalled.
Returning home after the Paris uprisings of 1968, he discovered that the magazine covers he’d hoped to paint had largely given way to photography. His agent suggested trying record covers, which he pursued along with illustration and graphic design.
He also began teaching at Kean University in New Jersey.
“Kean had a wonderful graphic design and illustration department. I loved teaching Graphic Design, even though I never thought I would.”
He later taught at Syracuse University and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
In the late 1980s, he decided to stop teaching and concentrate on his own art. He moved to Falls Village, to a house on the corner of Minor and Prospect Streets.
“I used to call the studio ‘Minor Prospects Atelier,’” he said.
He continued working in illustration and graphic design, creating book covers for stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, along with magazine covers, logos, advertising and murals.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback
His local commissions include the green and gold Noble Horizons signage and wall murals for the Stockbridge Inn, the Spa at Norwich Inn, Orchards Hotel in Williamstown and the David M. Hunt Library’s children’s section.
Justine grew up in the Bronx and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she took on whatever work she could find, including designing toys and novelty items for Russ Berrie. But her true calling was textile design.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue that calling, where she learned silkscreen printing from 1960s design icon Corita Kent.
“I was in her program at Immaculate Heart College. All fabric design at that time was silk screen. My first job in textile design was in L.A., creating wallpaper for Bob Mitchell Design.”
Justine returned to New York City, where the advent of computers required her to learn new design techniques. She enrolled at Parsons School of Design, studying Photoshop, Illustrator, Lectra U4ia and Kaledo.
Around this time, she met Victor online and moved to Falls Village.
A recruiter found her a job in Arkansas at Dillard’s, a department store chain operating in 30 states and known for its exclusive designer collections.
“They had the best equipment I’d ever seen,” she said.
She became a senior computer-aided design designer there, designing fabric and preparing purchased designs for production.
The Vallas left Falls Village for Little Rock.
“It was a big move,” she said. “It was a different culture, but Little Rock was very progressive.”
The originally planned to stay in Arkansas for five years but ended up remaining for nearly 10.
Then Justine was hit by a car. She suffered injuries to her leg and head and required four years of rehabilitation.
“I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.”
The Vallas returned to Connecticut, this time settling in Salisbury, where they’ve lived since 2013.
After leaving Dillard’s, Justine had planned to sell her work through Printsource in New York City, an international showcase for surface and textile design. But after the accident, she no longer had the mobility or energy to travel back and forth to the city.
Instead, she began selling her work locally at craft shows, including clothing, hand-printed tea towels and floorcloths.
She is currently working on selling her collection of textile designs.
In December, Justine will have a show of her tea-themed watercolors at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
Victor recently exhibited “The American West: A Pictural History” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library. The series, created in the early 1990s, was part of a commission from the Postal Commemorative Society for which he completed 100 paintings in two years.
He hopes to place the series in a museum and has created books from its images, complete with text. Over the years, he has designed many other books that are ready for publication, including “Looking In, Looking Out,” a cosmic view of the universe.
Reflecting on his career, Victor said, “It’s about doing what you love”.
Justine agreed.
To see, purchase or commission work, contact Justine at justinevalla@gmail.com or Victor at victorvalla@comcast.net, or call 860-596-4282.
D.H. Callahan
Filmmaker David Ruchman
In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.
In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the film will act as the dessert course in an afternoon of culinary programming, when it will be paired with award-winning documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” at the Moviehouse in Millerton.
Alongside the two food films will be Ruchman, who wrote, directed and produced “Acquired Taste,” and actor Richard Mover. Mover stars as chef Jamison Gellar, who takes a liking to young Nick and decides to help him see the forest for the trees.
Ruchman, who acts as quizmaster at the Moviehouse’s monthly trivia night, grew up in Washington, Conn., close enough to the Mayflower Inn to have experienced some incredible meals right in his own hometown. The next wrung down on the culinary ladder, however, wasn’t exactly what many consider gourmet. In addition to those rare meals at the Mayflower, Ruchman had the opportunity to travel and get a sense of what was out there in the wide world of dining delights. It gave him a stark understanding of what it could be like to execute a creative vision in an otherwise utilitarian environment.
The screening is part of a Repertory Spotlight at the Moviehouse, ahead of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, which runs from Nov. 4-16. But there’s more food programming coming after the “Acquired Taste” and “Jiro” event.
On Oct. 24, the Moviehouse will screen “Julie & Julia,” starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, about the life and food of Julia Child. After the film, audience members will be treated to a discussion with former Food & Wine editor-in-chief Dana Cowin, celebrated Brooklyn-based cookbook author Jessie Sheehan and Chefs Table founding member Kristen Essig. While at Food & Wine, Cowin would assign work to Julie Powell, who wrote the story the movie is based on.
Two days later, on Oct. 26, a showing of “Babbette’s Feast” will precede a Q&A with film and television executive and local teacher and mentor Paul Wagner, who worked at the film’s studio, Orion Pictures while it was being produced.
For tickets, visit themoviehouse.net
D.H. Callahan
Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.
As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.
The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.
Cornwall ceramicist Jane Herold explained that there’s quite a lot of enthusiasm for Clay Way among the region’s ceramic artists.
“We all need work space, which is hard to find or afford in urban areas. The wood-fire crowd needs lots of wood and outdoor space. This area is great because it’s rural enough for us, but has a wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive population of pottery [patrons].”
While many of the artists are returning from previous years, the loose collection of unofficial organizers likes to keep the event manageable for the public, limiting the number of artists and studios each year. A direct drive from the southernmost point at Ann Heywood’s studio in Wingdale to Herold’s big barn in Cornwall is under 40 minutes. But if you want to catch it all, plan for a full day’s worth of art exploration along some of the most beautiful roads in New England.
Starting at its northernmost point, Herold’s studio will host Matin Malikzada of Afghanistan, whose polished, modern interpretations of traditional forms are instantly recognizable. They’ll be joined by wood-fired ceramicists Steve Johnson, with his raw, organic forms, and Harry Levenstein, whose works relate closely to Johnson’s while making even more direct references to nature.
Herold herself creates work that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Her prolific output of objects is intended to be used by everyday people as part of their daily lives.
Moving south is Todd Piker of Cornwall Bridge Pottery. Piker has been making pots in his giant wood-fired kiln since 1971. The kiln looks more like an ancient blast furnace than something designed to transform clay into ceramics, but over the years, he’s mastered its intricacies and produces an impressive amount of fine work.
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided
Piker will host Sanah Peterson, who works at Cornwall Bridge Pottery and draws inspiration from both her time with Piker and her time traveling the globe as a child. They’ll be joined by Stephanie Haines, whose vibrant, eye-catching work features underglaze illustrations of birds, fruit and the bounty of nature.
Further along in Warren, Jessica Dubin’s pieces will be on display at the studio of Christine Owen. Both artists seem to appreciate the chaos and unpredictable nature of clay but find ways to refine it all using their own unique methods.
Heading east to Washington, Conn., Will Talbot’s creates intricate work while allowing for the unpredictable nature of clay to play a role. His studio will house Tom Knox and his wide variety of textures and forms, as well as New York City-based Alex Lebedev, who lets music and the nature of improvisation guide his work.
There will be two studios participating in South Kent. Alison Palmner, whose page on the Clay Way website states she “strives to achieve a lighthearted meld of human forms, animals and the vessel.” Her studio will host Ben Eberle, who trained under the guidance of legendary potter Toshiko Takaezu; James Guggina, whose intricate work can appear both deliberate and whimsical; and Paula Shalan, who blends rough, unrefined surfaces with polished precision in individual pieces.
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided
Nearby is Joy Brown, whose work have become a staple of the area, with her figurative sculptures dotting the Northwest Corner. Brown’s studio will also feature Bonnie Levine, who taps into the beauty of chaos and destruction in her work, and Brendan Moore, whose more utilitarian forms are perfect for everyday use.
Finally, the tour crosses the border into Wingdale, New York, where the studios of Drew Montgomery, Ann Heywood and Amy Brenner will host Jackie Sedlock, Lynn Behrendt,and Kathleen Heidemann.
Brenner creates some of the most colorful and vibrant pieces on the tour, while Behrendt’s work is among the most studied and precise. Heywood creates carefully considered, intuitive forms, while Heidemann moves from simple minimalism to intricate textures. Montgomery and Sedlock both find new ways of playing with traditional forms, producing delightfully distinctive pieces.
To learn more about the artists and download a map of participating studios, visit clayway.net
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
source
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback 
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided 
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided 
You must be logged in to post a comment.