NEWS: MAKING HEADLINES
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a handful of important women who made strides in the social, political, and economic climates of our region. Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, as Edith Newbold Jones. According to The Mount, the estate of Edith Wharton’s historic home in Lenox, MA, she was born at 14 West 23rd St. in New York City as the third child, alongside two brothers, of George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Rhinelander Jones.
Did you know that Americans are consuming coffee on a daily basis nearly 40% more than they did 20 years ago? Might it be the notorious Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino, Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cold Brew, Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, or just a plain old black coffee, the National Coffee Association reports a daily consumption increase of 37% in the United States.
On March 27 at 6:30pm, best-selling author, photographer, and long-time Ralph Lauren creative director Mary Randolph Carter will appear and present at an event celebrating the release of her newest book, Live With The Things You Love…and you’ll live happily ever after.
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a handful of important women who made strides in the social, political, and economic climates of our region. Sojourner Truth was an African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s right activist, and author in the nineteenth century. Born into slavery, Truth escaped to freedom in 1826 and later preached about abolitionism and equal rights for all, becoming one of the most well-known human rights advocates in American history.
So in January, when Crockett announced that his 15th record Lonesome Drifter was to be released under major label Island Records, I was apprehensive. I didn’t want Crockett to lose his anti-establishment, lone ranger/cowboy sound, and I feared that because he was signing to a label, that would mean that he was at the mercy of record giants who would try to tell him what he could and could not do when it came to his own record.
Author and musician Bob Gluck recently released his fourth book, The Musical World of Paul Winter. Focusing on Paul Winter, a saxophonist, composer, and pioneer of world music and Earth music—which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz, and world music—the book paints a portrait of the musical artist and environmental activist who lives in Litchfield County.
MARCH – CURRENT PRINT ISSUE
Photo above: Two of four pieces from the Springside collection by British artist Henry C. Gritten. Springside was Matthew Vassar's estate. Paris. Rome. London. [...]
Above photo courtesy of Maitri Farm It’s no secret that farming is becoming harder and harder. It’s never been an easy job, but between [...]
Photo above: Donna with Lindsey when she was in third grade, 2010-2011. Since she was young, Donna Fazzino always had a knack for reading [...]
Photo above: David Wallace harvests herbs in Camphill’s healing plant garden, where the garden crew tends to biodynamic flowers and herbs during growing season, [...]
30 UNDER 30 FEATURES
THIS WEEK’S FEATURES
main street recommends
Charley Crockett maintains his outlaw sound on Lonesome Drifter: Album Review
Charley Crockett doesn’t take breaks. Until this album, his discography – consisting of 14 albums, including a live one – were all released independently [...]
Lady Gaga finds her confidence and footing (on the dance floor) on MAYHEM: Album Review
When I heard that Lady Gaga was to release her seventh studio album, MAYHEM, on March 7, I was intrigued. I loved Gaga when [...]
Make way – make wayyyy … for Moana 2!
On November 27th, the much anticipated Moana 2 was released and our little group of kids and adults were among the masses who very [...]
We’re off to see the Wizard: ‘Wicked: Part One’ movie review
On Friday, November 29, I went with my mom, sisters, and niece to see Wicked in theaters. I was super excited to see the [...]
Got holidays? Then you need moxie to get through them. The expectations, the standards, and the idealized version of the season can wear us down. Not anymore!
This episode of Main Street Moxie with Sara Cousins is here to help you celebrate the holidays in line with your values and priorities, leaving you saner and less depleted as you enter 2025.
People Profiles
Jeff Joyce brings place into his art practice, pulling from his experience of walking through the landscape as the genesis for his drawings and paintings.
When you walk into Rowena Gill’s Millbrook atelier, you are most likely to find her in the garden, at her table, intricately cutting fabrics, sewing silk thread, or attaching 50 small buttons to a boned corset. As she greets you, she tilts her head, sizing you up for an idea of fabric and style.
Health & Wellness
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Did you know that Americans are consuming coffee on a daily basis nearly 40% more than they did 20 years ago? Might it be the notorious Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino, Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cold Brew, Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, or just a plain old black coffee, the National Coffee Association reports a daily consumption increase of 37% in the United States.
Because I am both the first-born son of a preacher and a writer, it was no surprise that I found myself afloat in a body-temperature pool of water on a Sunday morning in January when I might have been in church. That pool, about the size of Thoreau’s Walden Pond cabin, is nested beneath the rough-hewn beams of an old mill that is now the home of Mend, a sustainable spa and retail space that opened last summer just south of the bridge in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
“Having an outlet to express yourself in a way that is creative and meaningful to you, and to connect with other people is important,” said Veronica Bone, the community and in-school program manager for Berkshire Pulse. “Everyone should have access to that if it’s something they’re interested in.” This concept is the driving force behind Berkshire Pulse’s community-based programs.
If you’re anything like me, your social media feeds have been inundated with videos about fitness, stress, and what to do to promote your physical and mental health.
AUTHOR PROFILES & BOOKISH THINGS
All-around artistic visionary Mary Randolph Carter showcases the beauty of the objects we love—and of homes in the local area—in her latest book
Photo above: © Live with the Things you Love: And You’ll Live Happily Ever After, by Mary Randolph Carter, Rizzoli, 2025; all images © [...]
Bob Gluck’s The Musical World of Paul Winter is a portrait of a musician, artist, and environmentalist
Author and musician Bob Gluck recently released his fourth book, The Musical World of Paul Winter. Focusing on Paul Winter, a saxophonist, composer, and [...]
Alicia Johnson on uncovering trauma and healing through movement in her new self-help book Buried Treasure
Later this month, Alicia Johnson is launching her book Buried Treasure: A Field Guide to the Life-Changing Magic of Revealing Yourself. The book – [...]
Author Interview: Nadia Han
Contemporary romance author and artist Nadia Han discusses the importance of curating a creative approach and following both your heart and your mind when [...]
FARMS AND OUR ENVIRONMENT
But if farming is becoming a less common profession, why does it seem like farms are cropping up (no pun intended) with more regularity in our region? Why, if farming is becoming arguably harder to do, are people more drawn to the land in recent years? What are some of the qualities of the modern farmer? These are some of the big-picture questions I sought answers by speaking with a handful of farmers in our region.
The Firefly Environmental Arts Project, developed by Carl Raab and Deb Schlee, is a collaborative arts and sustainability initiative engaging students and professionals within the CT/NY/MA tri-state corner to build community through shared experiences in nature and the arts.
Winter nights at this latitude lend themselves to cosmic, existential meditations about our place in the universe, and constellations are companions to those musings. Historically used as navigational reference points, the stars continue to orient us in the age of GPS to the third rock from the sun and to the very ground from which we view the cosmos.
Scenic Hudson’s transformation of the 58 Parker Avenue property in Poughkeepsie, NY—“one of the most significant and transformational projects in its 60-year history”—aims to reimagine the former Standard Gage Factory site.
Blackcurrants might not be on the list of fruits you consume regularly, but did you know that they’re the most nutritious berry? Did you also know that blackcurrants were outlawed in the United States until 2003? They were deemed to be a potential threat to white pine, and as such, any kind of production with blackcurrants halted immediately.
Townscape, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that focuses on community beautification and revitalization in Millerton, NY, is celebrating its 25th year!
The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA), a conservation organization dedicated to the tri-state Housatonic watershed, has recently received a grant of nearly $100,000 from the Long Island Sound Study Community Impact Fund and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Any landscape project needs to consider these realities at the planning stage. The best way to understand how water is moving in any given outdoor area is to go outside, either during a heavy rain or immediately following one, and observe. Doing so makes it easy to identify areas that are puddling or pooling and need improved drainage.
Hannah Schiller is a clinical, community herbalist and ecologist and owner of Foliage Botanics in Pine Plains, NY. Hannah believes that herbal knowledge and land connection is a birthright and that everyone deserves access to affordable, empowering, and supportive healthcare.
Take a drive down the single-lane gravel path off of State Route 23 in Claverack, NY, and you’ll find yourself greeted with warm restored barns, a cocktail garden with an abundance of seating, and – of course – spirits aplenty. Cooper’s Daughter Spirits, located at Olde York Farm, is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery, cooperage, and apple orchard.
For the sake of this article, I will be using the term “thrifting” as a sort of catch-all term, synonymous with purchasing secondhand clothing in any way, even though I recognize that for many people, there are more significant distinctions than that. In addition to parsing through Goodwill racks, I began my preloved clothing journey by searching through online marketplaces and vintage shops, although the act of thrifting can often be confined to the former description.
Deep Roots Farm is a family run farm in Copake, NY. Run by farmers Scott and Stormie O’Rourke and their two daughters, Scarlet and Fiona, they grow organic food with regenerative and sustainable practices at the forefront.
Main Street is Out and About
As part of The Hotchkiss School’s celebration of 50 years of co-education, the Tremaine Art Gallery presents “The Art of Joy Brown,” on view from February 15 through April 6.
Ever since Hanna Rybolt was little, she’s loved baking. After studying at Johnson and Wales University through their pastry school and attaining about 10 years of experience in the bakery and restaurant industries, she explains that she wanted to find a way to have her own baking business. She explains, “It's been my dream to have my own baking business for as long as I can remember!”
Launched in July 2023, Union Street Brewing Co. was started by co-owners and husband and wife team Paul and Emma O’Donnell. Located in an old, renovated warehouse in the heart of historic Hudson, the fully functioning brewery includes an on-site tap room where patrons can try the brewery’s 12 beers on draft.
Most people’s familiarity with Singapore stems from the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians, but there’s so much more to know about this intriguing island in Southeast Asia, which is considered both a country and a city. For a relatively small size—about 31 miles from east to west by 17 from north to south—it packs a lot of punch. The city-state is home to five million people.
