November 2023

Table of Contents

From the Supervisor's Desk

Solar Update

Election Results

Welcome to Copake

Church Street Municipal Parking Lot

Columbia Memorial Health

Bicentennial T-Shirts

Copake's Mohican Heritage

Holiday Light Parade

Poinsettias

Grange Open House

Grange Events

Holiday Trees

Roe Jan Historical Society

Copake History

Knit Club

What's Happening at the Library

K.I.S.S

Columbia County Mental Health Center

Farmers Market

Memorial Bricks

Septic System Replacement Fund

From the Supervisor's Desk            

Congressman Marcus Molinaro has written a very strong letter to Governor Kathy Hochul on behalf of Copake and in opposition to the Draft Permit issued by ORES on October 24, 2023.

The congressman states: “….everything about this proposed energy project is wrong. The project includes the deforestation of 40 acres, the elimination of over 200 acres of usable farmland, is located on a FEMA mapped 100-year flood plain without a mitigation plan, would affect the watershed for the city of Hudson, would completely alter the rural landscape of the Town of Copake, affect resident’s [sic] home values, and would produce little direct benefits to the community it’s built in.”

The town board is very grateful for this strong statement by Congressman Molinaro.

What is particularly ironic about the timing of the October 24 draft permit is that just four days before, on October 20, Governor Hochul vetoed a bill that would have expedited a planned wind farm off Long Beach on Long Island. The bill would have allowed the developer to run power cables to transfer energy generated by wind turbines beneath Long Beach to an Island Park substation.

The Long Beach residents had strongly opposed the wind project. In vetoing the bill, the governor said this: “Here, the City Council of Long Beach, the host community for the wind power project, has made clear that while it supports the State’s efforts to transition from the use of fossil fuels, it would not support or authorize any alienation of parkland in furtherance of this project. New York State encourages all renewable energy developers to build and maintain strong and continued local support from host communities so that the state can realize the full potential of our green economy and protect New Yorkers from the climate crisis.”

In a letter to the governor in July, the Long Beach City Council wrote that they were “fully in support of the necessary and urgently needed transition to renewable energy” and was ready to engage with an “offshore wind developer that proposes a reasonable project.”

After the governor’s veto, City Council President John Bendo said, “This project failed because Equinor [the developer] thought they could steamroll their way over Long Beach and do as they please. Our council was proud to stand with our residents in opposition to this, and we are grateful to Governor Hochul for standing with us. We look forward to continuing to keep an open dialogue with her office about this, and many issues facing our residents.”

We applaud the governor’s veto on behalf of Long Beach. We will be writing to her, urging that she impose the same rigorous standards on Hecate as she did on Equinor. We will ask her to “stand with Copake.” 

Jeanne E. Mettler

Copake Supervisor

Solar Report

Upcoming Public Comment Hearings in January at Copake Town Hall

On October 24, the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) issued a draft siting permit for Hecate Energy to construct and operate a utility-scale, 267-acre solar energy factory in Craryville. If built, “Shepherd’s Run” would run mostly south of Route 23 along County Route 7 all the way down to Cambridge Road. Approximately 200,000 solar panels, inverters, transmission lines, other equipment, access roads, and laydown yards would be installed mostly on the east side of Rt. 7, and a substantial number also would be placed in the large field adjacent to the Taconic Hills School campus, west of Rt. 7, between Route 23 and Birch Hill Road.

Along with the draft permit, ORES issued a Notice of Availability of Draft Permit Conditions, Public Comment Period and in-person Public Comment Hearings, and Commencement of Issues Determination Procedure. You can read this notice, the 92-page draft permit, and other documents, by going to https://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=20-f-0048&submit=Search, clicking on the “Filed Documents” tab, and opening Document 4.

This notice contains big news. ORES will be conducting public hearings in Copake Town Hall. An administrative law judge (ALJ) from ORES will convene four in-person hearings: two on Tuesday, January 9, at 1:30pm and 6:00pm, and two on Wednesday, January 10, also at 1:30pm and 6:00pm. (There also will be two virtual hearings on January 11.) ORES wants to know what Copakeans think about the Shepherd’s Run proposal and about the draft permit, but ORES is not making it easy to participate. People wishing to speak must register in advance, by no later no later than 10am on Monday, January 8. To register, you must send an email to hearings@ores.ny.gov or call (518) 473-4590; provide your first and last name, the organization you represent if any, address, email address and phone number; reference “Shepherd’s Run public hearings” and the hearing session at which you’d like to speak. Our attorney will ask ORES to allow in-person, same-day signup.

This notice apparently upset Hecate quite a bit. It actually asked ORES to change the location from Copake Town Hall to the Hillsdale Fire House, claiming incorrectly that the Hillsdale Fire House is closer to the proposed project site than is Copake Town Hall. But Hecate’s real concern was, and is, that the town hall is not a neutral site, or as our attorney Ben Wisniewski told ORES, “Hecate thinks that holding the public hearing in Copake will result in too many negative comments about the project. This reasoning should be rejected as it is antithetical to fulsome public participation.” The ALJ agreed and rejected Hecate’s request, noting, “The Town Hall is …a suitable venue. Hecate’s concern… about its suitability in light of the Town’s vocal opposition to the project…is unfounded. We expect all participants in the hearings to conduct themselves in a civil and respectful manner…, regardless of the hearing location.”       

A recurring theme of mine has been Hecate’s longstanding unwillingness to communicate with Copake’s elected officials. I think this is for two reasons: (1) The town board has been unanimous in reflecting the views of the vast majority of Copakeans, and Hecate just doesn’t want to hear what we’ve been saying all along: the proposed project is too big for our small town and is very poorly sited. (2) Hecate is convinced it doesn’t have to deal with us. It need not worry about what Copake thinks, only what ORES thinks. After all, the siting process is governed not by Copake’s laws, but by the ORES regulations, which were written by Hecate’s energy consultant and, unsurprising, heavily favor developers over small, rural towns like Copake.

So, Hecate largely ignores us and then claims that it is isn’t. In a story that aired last Friday on WAMC, a representative claimed Hecate has "had a tremendous amount of interaction with the town over the years going back to 2017. We have been attending every single town board meeting to receive constituent feedback and tried to incorporate it into the project.” (Emphasis added.) This is untrue and Hecate knows it. When Supervisor Mettler and I met with the new Hecate representatives in September, it was our first meeting since January; before that, sightings of Hecate’s former project developer at town board meetings were very rare occurrences. The September meeting happened only because I initiated it through two supporters of Shepherd’s Run with whom Hecate was communicating. At the meeting, the Hecate folks apologized for their failure to communicate.

When it speaks of meetings, Hecate conflates the ad hoc Working Group with the Town of Copake. The Hecate representative told WAMC, “We met with working groups, landscaping architects multiple times, and we incorporated…some of their feedback into our landscaping plan… Hecate tried to incorporate as much as it could, while still making the project viable and helpful to achieve the state's clean energy goals." 

It is unsurprising that Hecate would rather meet with the Working Group than with us. After all, the remaining Working Group members are supporters of the project who seem quite happy to accept whatever minor commitments Hecate is willing to make. They may disagree with my characterization of Hecate’s “commitments” as “minor:” But to Hecate, project “viability” means maximizing profits, not investing to protect Copake’s environment and character. Hecate’s commitments, listed here, cost it very little:

Determine the “continued feasibility” of a co-utilization plan;

Provide landscaping plan updates (which do not include planting mature trees rather than saplings to effectively shield the project from homes directly across County Route 7);

Identify opportunities for “Community Zones,” on land belonging to project landowners but outside of the area required for the operation of the project where future community uses may be developed by the Working Group in consultation with landowner;

Use wildlife friendly fencing (previously agreed to in meeting with attorneys — not the Working Group);

Financial and other “coordination support” to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail;

Formation support” for Community Choice Aggregation if Copake were to enact a CCA law (a notion that met with considerable public opposition when presented);

“Create opportunity” for local hiring/procurement (only one or two permanent jobs);

Local fire department support (required by ORES);

Decommissioning security commitments (required by ORES); and, "Certain additional project operations commitments,” such as providing an annual report to the town regarding the operation of the project.

I urge all interested Copakeans to attend the public hearings in January and to let ORES know how you feel about Shepherd’s Run and the draft permit. ORES has until August, 2024 to decide whether to grant Hecate a final siting permit.

Richard Wolf

Deputy Town Supervisor

Election Results

Election Day was November 7 and, although final results are not yet posted by the Board of Elections, the results are clear for the Town of Copake.

The people of Copake have elected Richard T. Wolf as supervisor and Stanley Gansowski and Robert Haight to serve as town board members.  Mr. Wolf is the current deputy supervisor; he has served on the town board since 2017.  Stanley (Stosh) Gansowski is a current member of the town board, having served since 2016. Mr. Haight has served on the planning board for over 12 years and is currently its chair. He also chairs the Road Advisory Committee, which is coordinating town improvements in conjunction with the county’s hamlet reconstruction.

Town Clerk and Tax Collector Lynn Connolly has been elected to a second term. Bill Gregory was elected for another term as Highway Superintendent.  Mr. Gregory has been a member of the highway department since 2004 and superintendent since 2009.  Judge Hilarie Thomas has been elected to a second term. 

For further updates and final results go to: Columbia County Board of Elections -2023 General Election Results

Welcome to Copake

After more than two years of conversations, negotiation and emails with the NYS Department of Transportation, Deputy Supervisor Richard Wolf was successful in having four signs placed along county and state roads to welcome motorists to the Town of Copake. Incoming town board member Bob Haight and our administrative assistant, Gwen Menshenfriend, were both instrumental in bringing the project to completion.

The signs were designed by volunteer Lizanne Hart of Copake Falls and produced and installed by NexGen. They are placed on State Route 23 at the western side of Craryville, on State Route 22 near the Roeliff Jansen Community Library and the northern boundary of Copake, on State Route 22 at the Ancram/Copake boundary, and on County Route 7A near the Ancram/Copake boundary in West Copake.

The signs read: Welcome to Historic Copake – Land of Rural Charm – Founded 1824.

Church Street Municipal Parking Lot Gets Improvements

Work has begun on the Church Street parking lot and is being done by A. Colarusso & Son, Inc. The first phase of the work will be done in the next several weeks. This will include the first course of asphalt, curbs, installation of EV chargers and lighting. The project will be completed in the spring with a final layer of asphalt, striping and plantings.

The lot is being constructed completely on town property and will provide for 40 parking spaces. It has been designed by the engineering firm Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. The existing lot is being expanded by the elimination of the lawn along Church Street. This firm will also assist the town in designing the green area around the Copake Memorial Clock and in installing street lights and other amenities such as park benches and bike racks. This additional work will not begin until 2025, when the county road reconstruction project begins.



No parking will be allowed in the Church Street lot during construction. A throughway to the Fire Pond will remain unobstructed to allow the Fire Department to access the pond as necessary.

Columbia Memorial Health Committed to Rapid Care; Seeks Contributions

Columbia Memorial Health is sending a letter to residents of the Roeliff Jansen community seeking financial assistance to reopen Copake Rapid Care. The letter states, “A critical component of our fundraising initiative is to reopen Copake Rapid Care in 2024. CMH understands Copake Rapid Care is essential to provide accessible, convenient, high-quality care to the residents in eastern Columbia County.” 

The local leaders advocating for the reopening of Copake Rapid Care had expressed concern when a spokesperson for CMH was quoted in a Columbia Paper article (October 19) saying that they “were hopeful of a reopening next year” but “a few details still need to be locked down before we are certain.” 

That ambivalence has been addressed by Dr. Dorothy Urschel, CEO of CMH. She has written to Copake Supervisor Jeanne Mettler reiterating the CMH commitment to re-open Copake Rapid Care. 

The fundraising letter also commits to reopening. As explained in the fundraising letter, “In response to a request for community support from the five-town Roe Jan coalition made up of Copake, Hillsdale, Ancram, Taghkanic, and Gallatin, the CMH Foundation has established a restricted “Copake Rapid Care Fund” to support the center’s operational expenses.”  

When it was first rumored in May 2023 that CMH was leaving its Copake location, Copake sought a meeting with the leadership of CMH. The meeting was held at the Copake Town Hall where Copake town officials and representatives of the Community Rescue Squad and the Copake Fire Department were joined by town officials from Ancram and Hillsdale. Later in the summer, Taghkanic and Gallatin joined Copake, Ancram and Hillsdale to make a five-town coalition.

Design a T-Shirt for Copake's Bicentennial

Are you a budding artist? Do you want to try your hand at some catchy graphics?

The Copake Bicentennial Committee is looking for you!  

Copake's bicentennial will be celebrated all year long, starting on April 4, 2024. As part of the festivities, there will be T-shirts designed especially for the occasion. The Bicentennial Committee is taking design submissions from now until December 1. Copake's history is something to celebrate, and the T-shirts will be a happy reminder of our history and the town's celebrations.

Send your submissions to Copake Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Rd., Copake, NY 12516. You can also email them to Copakebicentennial@gmail.com . All submissions

must be received by Dec. 21, 2023.

Copake’s Mohican Heritage

In honor of American Indian Heritage Month this November, the Committee on Mohican Allyship would like to highlight the indigenous history of the greater-Copake area and consider the opportunities that become possible when we acknowledge the injustices perpetrated against the indigenous peoples of this land both historically and today. 

The original people of the Hudson Valley, from the Roe Jan watershed to Lake Champlain, the Housatonic to the Delaware River valleys, are the Mohicans. So far, the oldest archeological evidence of their ancestors in the Hudson Valley dates back 12,000 years, and archaeological digs within the Town of Copake have uncovered artifacts dating back 7,000 years, or before the time of Egypt’s great pyramids. When we consider that Europeans first arrived in the Hudson Valley only a little over 400 years ago we get a glimpse at how young the current political borders and dominant culture of North American truly are. 

In 1604, at the time of the first contact between the Mohicans and Europeans, the Mohicans are estimated to have been roughly 25,000 strong. After many broken promises and forced removals by both European settlers and the United States government, the Mohican Nation currently resides in Northeast Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. Official US government attempts to break American Indian tribal nations have continued well into the 20th century and despite the long history of injustice, the reservation land of the federally-recognized Stockbridge-Munsee Community was not given to them by the US government. Instead, the Stockbridge-Munsee had to establish their reservation through a treaty with the Menominee Nation who agreed to give the Mohican Nation a piece of their homelands. At present, the Stockbridge-Munsee have about 1,500 enrolled tribal members, about 500 of whom live on the reservation.

We cannot do justice to the full history of the Mohicans and their descendants here, so additional resources are provided below.

So why is it important to learn and acknowledge this history as well as the contemporary realities of American Indians in New York State and beyond? As Patty Krawec writes in Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future, “At best, land acknowledgments recognize relationships, the price that Indigenous people have paid for the existence of this place, and reflect on tangible things people can do. …Land acknowledgments are a moment to pause and reflect on the relationship that exists between the current residents and those who were displaced. What does it mean to live on stolen land? You may not be guilty of the act of dispossession, but it is a relationship that you have inherited.”

Or, as author Aurora Levins Morales writes, "We can't alter the actions of our ancestors, but we can decide what to do with the social relations they left us."

To that end the Copake Committee on Mohican Allyship invites us to explore the links below and reflect on our own relationships with American Indians in general, and contemporary Mohican descendants in particular. 

Stockbridge-Munsee Community Fact Sheet

Stockbridge-Munsee FAQ

Readings Recommended by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community

Mohican Quotes

1859 Stockbridge-Munsee land reclamation attempt in Craryville

Mã'eekanik koomhinã [Mohican Homelands] pronunciation

Rematriation of Monument Mountain

Donate to the new Stockbridge-Munsee Community Tribal Center

Poinsettias are Back!

For the first time since 2019, the Copake Poinsettia Committee will deliver poinsettias to local people who are shut-ins, have recently lost a loved one, or are simply in need of holiday cheer. The group is headed up by Vana Hotaling, and is a committee of the local not-for-profit Copake Community Service, Inc.

For some twenty years before the pandemic, the volunteer committee had delivered poinsettias to local residents. During the COVID pandemic, the group sent cards instead, but this year they will once again deliver flowers. The flowers will be delivered shortly after Thanksgiving.

Members of the committee are Ann Chiques, Jane Dwy, Barbara Gallicano,  Mary Guntert, Vana Hotaling, Sue Jackson, Jane Peterson, Christina Rehbein and Janet Waldorf.

 

If you know of anyone who might be happy to receive a poinsettia, please call Vana Hotaling at 518-329-1589 no later than November 20.

Grange Events

Nov. 3 and Dec. 1, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. Live open mic is on and it’s great! The first Friday of every month. Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. Or just come to relax, have fun and be inspired. We have a piano. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com.

Friday-Sunday, Nov. 10-12 & Nov. 17-19, Fri. & Sat. 7:30,pm, Sun. 3pm - Blithe Spirit. Presented by The Two of Us Productions, Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward, is a delightfully comic play, involving a socialite and novelist, his current wife, the ghost of his ex-wife, seances, and the eccentric medium Madame Arcati. Tickets: Adults $20, Students/Seniors $15. Group rates available. For tickets and info, contact www.TheTwoOfUsProductions.org

Saturday, Dec. 2, 3-5pm - Open House. Come celebrate the holidays and share good cheer with friends and neighbors. Enjoy hot cider, treats, crafts, live music, and more! In keeping with the holiday spirit, we encourage you to bring a donation for the Roe Jan Food Pantry or the Taconic Hills School emergency fund. You can find a list of suggested donation items here. This event is Free.

Saturday, Dec. 16, 7-9pm - Roe Jan Bluegrass Band. Come hear this renowned local band of talented musicians led by Jamie Purinton. Traditional tunes for listening or dancing will put you in a happy mood! Tickets at the door. Adults $15 or pay what you can, children 12 and under $5.

For more information about the Grange and events or to join, go to copakegrange.org. The Copake Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd., Copake, NY 12516. Parking for Grange events is limited - please park at the Municipal Lot on Church St. if the Grange parking area is full.

Two Free Holiday Events at the Historical Society

Winter Walk in Copake Falls - Sunday, December 3, 12:00 to 4:00pm. 

Fun for the whole family! Enjoy a visit with Santa Claus, a seasonal exhibition, cookies & hot cider. Wreaths, books, and holiday cards will also be on sale.

A Special Book Talk - Wednesday, December 6, 5:30pm. 

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (better known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas), with an illustrated presentation by Pamela McColl, author of the acclaimed book; ’Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem. Following the talk, McColl will sell and sign her book and refreshments will be served.

Both events will take place at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society,

8 Miles Road, Copake Falls, NY. Further info: www. roeliffjansenhs.org

Copake History

A West Copake House’s Fascinating History 

[Sometimes a house is a lot more than a home. That’s certainly the case with the beautiful white colonial at 2210 Rte. 7 in West Copake. I’d heard a dozen years ago that it had once been a store known as Coleman’s, but that's about as much as I knew at the time. Just the other day, however, Bevin Harrington, who, with her husband, is the current owner, emailed me a document written by MJ Coons, who, with her husband Alan, sold the house to the Harringtons. Here’s an edited version of that document.]

The first deed on the property was recorded on October 24, 1862, when a survey was performed. At that time, Anderson's Corners (now West Copake) was a small hamlet with half a dozen houses, a summer hotel and store, and a post office. The structure’s deed does not list the previous owner. (Deeds only came into use in the 1850s which might explain this). Timbers in the cellar predate this 1862 deed. The bark on the beams suggests a much earlier structure, possibly before the 1850s. The beams in the original structure are hand hewn and pegged. Also, judging from the forged nails which were used to construct the barn but were not commonly used in construction of buildings after 1800, the barn was likely constructed in the 18th century. 

According to the "Atlas of Columbia County, New York” (copyright 1873), the center of Anderson's Corner was a thriving community. In the 1873 map were the names Decker and Wilkinson at this location.  In the 1880s, Talmadge Decker, who, according to an old newspaper article had “a performing horse,” owned the store. In 1886 Decker conveyed the store and property to Delbert Dinehart, Henry Astor's brother-in-law. In 1923 Delbert deeded the property to Ward Finkle.

Finkle, his wife and daughter, Sally, maintained a large general store and an even larger home. There were six bedrooms within the present structure, which hints of a “rooming house” or overnight stop for travelers. In addition to the barn, there was a horse stable, the post office, storage buildings and a hand dug well. In 1939 the store burned down; it was not rebuilt, but the part of the structure with the house was saved. (The foundation stones on the west side of the cellar show signs of the smoke). Finkle died in 1940 but his family continued to live in the house. At Mrs. Finkle’s death in 1949, the deed was conveyed to Sally, who sold this property to Harold and May Coons Coleman in 1950. 

The Colemans added a one story addition where the larger general store had stood and this became the local “soda pop” store, which catered to local residents and summer campers from the six children's camps located within a mile of the center of this community. Later, after Harold’s death in 1960, Alan Coons and his wife Mae (who was Harold’s first cousin) came to own the house, but the store was closed.

In 1971 the Coons transferred the property to their daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and Daniel Thomas. In 1978 the Thomases sold the house to the Harringtons, who raised three daughters there. Later, an apartment was added to the side of the barn. The barn was demolished in 1999; however, its foundation is still visible. The large shed now serving as a two-car garage has a horse trough and rings for attaching horses’ reins during a stop at the store or hotel.

Over the years, at least three old timers stopped by to share with the house’s owners

their memories of its earlier days. Thus, one day in 1985, Herbie Thorpe, who as a young man had worked for Finkle in the general store starting some time before 1939, came on the scene. “Are there still any signs of a dark substance on the floor of the large building in the backyard,” Thorpe asked Alan and MJ’s daughter. “Yes,” she replied. “Well, I ask because one time I left the spigot open on the molasses barrel and all the molasses drained over that floor. It’s a wonderful preservative!”

In 1978, shortly after the Harringtons moved in, Bucky Cornell stopped by to relate his memories of patronizing the store and of Mr. Finkle cutting a wedge of cheese for him. Cornell, the subject of an old article in the Copake History Facebook page, also commented that the local post office was still housed at this location, before it moved to a house next to Upper Rhoda Pond.

A third person, Norman Waldorf, also came to talk to the house’s owners to relate that in his youth he accompanied Finkle on his rounds at the beginning of each week by horse and buggy to take orders for staples and needed farming supplies from nearby residents. Finkle delivered these orders toward the end of the week by horse and wagon.

Postscript: At the intersection of Cross Street and Rt. 7 was Pat Angella’s Flamingo Inn on Upper Rhoda Pond. There was a long structure to the west of the main hotel used as a dance hall. On many 1940-50s summer nights, the road was filled with young camp counselors and local residents, music, cars and fun. Swimming, fishing, picnicking and boat rentals were available.

Post Postscript: I apologize for any possible  inaccuracies in this account, particularly about the building’s ownership. Figuring out this wonderful house’s sequence of ownership was a bit like herding cats! I welcome any clarifications or additional information about the house, perhaps from the Thomas family.

Howard Blue

Copaketownhistorian@gmail.com

What’s Happening at the Library?

Thursday, November 16, 1:00 p.m.

Book Marks! Book Club. Roe Jan Library’s Non-Fiction Book Club! This month, we are reading Michael Pollan’s This Is Your Mind on Plants. Copies are available through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Libby, and Hoopla. E-mail circulation@roejanlibrary.org for more information.

Saturday, November 18, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Cookbook Club. Become a member of the Roe Jan Cookbook Club. This monthly gathering, held on the 3rd Saturday of each month, is organized by Library Associate Fran Colombo. 

Members will choose a recipe and bring the cooked/baked dish to the next meeting, where the group will discuss the book and share in a community meal. Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies! For our November meeting, we are not using a specific cookbook. Instead, we are asking members to prepare a Thanksgiving side dish using a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. 

Contact Fran Colombo at outreach@roejanlibrary.org or 518-325-4101 to sign up!

Saturday, November 18, 2:00 p.m.

Artist’s Reception: Camilla Mathlein. An artist, an interior designer, a professional basketball player, a model, and a cancer survivor, Heta Katja “Camilla” Mathlein was born April 9, 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden to an architect father and a textile designer mother. In addition to being an artist, Camilla played Division 1 basketball, survived a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, and spent ten years traveling throughout Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan working as a model for Elite. In 2000, Camilla enrolled at Parsons School Of Design for interior design. It was there that she honed her drawing skills, developing a symbiosis between her understanding of architecture and her creative design abilities. She later moved to the Hudson Valley where she currently resides and continues her work as an artist and interior designer. She loves the opportunity for creative freedom that her artistic drawings provide.

Please join us at the library to celebrate Camilla and her work. Camilla’s work will be on display at the library through December.

Thursday, November 23 - Friday, November 24

Library Closed for Thanksgiving