This Month’s Featured Articles…

One thing’s for certain, a dinosaur or ancient fish envisioned and drawn yesterday by a paleoartist may look like one thing today, yet it may look a little different the day after that. It’s tricky business fraught with the possibility of change. Early in life, paleoartist David Miller, now living and working at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, WA, and known professionally as D.W. Miller, had his interest piqued by creatures from the Earth’s past when he saw the life-sized dinosaur recreations created by Louis [...]

I don’t know that I’ve spoken with anyone more enthusiastic about a place than Brett Bernardini is about The Stissing Center in Pine Plains. He is the executive director of the Center, and his passion for what’s happening and what’s possible there are palpable. It turns out he’s far from alone in his passion. What is it about an old building with a storied past and a glittering future that has mobilized so many?  Its history The Stissing Center is the name of what was [...]

When I take a left turn onto Maple Street, I am admittedly unsuspecting. I’ve seen dazzling pictures of the glorious mansion where Jorge and Eileen Yajure operate The Pines, and I’m confident these photos capture the beauty of the place quite accurately. But the residences and businesses I pass by on my drive through Pine Plains are what I’m used to seeing, so I am in awe when I pull into the driveway of the grounds. Tucked away in the trees, the mansion sits resolutely, [...]

The Pine Plains Central School District offers an expansive list of extracurricular activities in both of the elementary schools, as well as in the junior/senior high school. Dr. Brian Timm, the superintendent for the Pine Plains Central School District told me that the school community recently defined their mission and vision statements. The mission statement reads, “We develop the whole child to be a lifelong learner and a productive member of the global community,” while the vision statement reads, “We are a district of choice [...]

For four years now, the Stissing Mountain Fire Tower in Pine Plains, NY, has unfurled a brilliantly striking American flag on September 11 in honor of the tragedy that occurred 22 years ago. In anticipation of its fifth commemoration, I spoke with Matt Zick and Joe Schmidt, who explain how this observance began and what it means to the community today. How it all began Inspiration first struck for this event when Matt Zick noticed a huge American flag at a friend’s party and considered [...]