A whole world converged on Copake, NY, — the world of antique bicycle collectors! Why neighboring Copake which, unlike Pine Plains, does not even have ONE traffic light? Because of the 26th annual Antique Bicycle Auction at Copake Auction. They came from all over the country and Canada and parts of Europe just to buy, […]
Category: People
Video portraits of some people of Pine Plains
It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Shop Class!
Because it is not your grandfather’s world anymore. It’s theirs! To thrive in their world, they need new skills to cope with changing technology. The challenge is not only learning new technology — anything they learn now will be different in a few short years — it is learning how to change. A challenge for students […]
It Takes a Play to Make a Community: Backstage at The Music Man
Pine Plains has a lively history of live theatre — a story in itself. And now, every year, like high schools all over the country, it puts on an annual musical. I could say many things about the value of participating in theatre for kids, parents, and the community at large. But that would take […]
So, Let’s Make a Knife!
A working conversation with Master Bladesmith Joseph Szilaski I heard that there was this guy who lived somewhere in Pine Plains and made knives — great ones — although no one had ever actually seen one. His name seemed too difficult to remember. Not much to go on. As small a town as Pine Plains is, I assumed that I would run into […]
What IS Community, Anyway?
It was a large red barn right by the side of the road. It was so well-known it was a landmark for directions. Then, on a Tuesday morning, if you were driving down the road you saw this: By the end of the day only rubble remained. By the end of the week what could […]
The Man Who Makes Pine Plains Tick
Pine Plains, like most small rural towns in America, has its traffic light, its destination restaurant, and its memorial clock tower. Every year, on Memorial Day, the town musters in front of the tower to honor our veterans who have served our nation in armed conflict. We just assume the clock tower was built in their honor. But there […]
Pine Plains on Parade: The Parade of Lights, 2015
I thought I would do something different this year for the Parade of Lights. Instead of filming the parade itself, I would film Pine Plains from the parade. I went to the High School parking lot while the parade was being assembled and joined our Town Clerk, Judy Harpp, for a ride on the Pine Plains Highway Department […]
A Day for Honor
Veterans Day, 2015 I can’t really say that it rained on our parade ’cause, well, it didn’t really rain as such and we did not have any kind of parade at all. It drizzled on our ceremony? Explore more of Pine Plains by hopscotching with your mouse on the tiles of Pine Plains Views! Each tile […]
It Was All Treats — Halloween 2015
I am sure that this goes on all over America in small towns, but I am so thrilled at how our community of Pine Plains celebrates Halloween with its children. No committees or dot orgs. Just those community values of friendship and inclusion where everyone belongs.
Sergeant, Make It Happen!
There was a touch of Revolutionary War and black powder smoke right in the middle of Pine Plains the other day as Neil Murray was giving his students of military history some experience of what it was like to be Continental Soldiers. I grabbed a scene with my cell phone and then, so impressed with the […]
Burger Night at the Farm
Yesterday, September 19, Chaseholm Farm held its last “Burger Night” event of the 2015 season. Oh, how I wish there were more! It wasn’t just their “scrumptious” burgers or the cows or the people or the music… Well, see for yourself! Pine Plains Views has a history with this farm and the Chase family going back a generation and […]
You Know It’s Spring When…
It’s time to shear the sheep! There are all sorts of signs of Spring, but I’ve picked this one to show on Pine Plains Views: the annual sheep shearing on Black Sheep Hill farm. These American Black Welsh Mountain Sheep are special for many reasons not the least of which is that they decorate Route […]
A Day to Remember
A video medley of Memorial Day in Pine Plains: The church BBQ chicken fund-raiser The Parade (of course) The opening of a new store in town People enjoying each other and the Lake. But it’s really about why we live here and, if you don’t, why you should come for a visit! The new store already […]
Soldiers’ Tales
Master Sergeant (Ret.) David A. Cookingham Jr. August 8, 1971 to May 4, 2015 The official obituary tells only part of the story: PINE PLAINS- David Cookingham Jr., 43, of Broadway, NC and previously of Pine Plains, NY, passed away on May 4, 2015. Born on August 8, 1971 in Sharon, CT, he was the son […]
Bombers Away!
A video of an historic occasion: The Stissing Mountain High School girls basketball team made it to the regional finals! I am waiting for the results of tonight’s game — which I will post here — and wish them the best of luck. Coverage of the game as well as an explanation of where the […]
Let’s Remember Sal….
Sal passed away in May, 2013, at the age of 77. Although I would run into Sal at one of his jobs in town, either at at Deuel’s hardware or at the vet clinic, I used to look forward to seeking out Sal each year up on the Hill at the Dutchess County Fair where […]
A Live South African Braai Right in Pine Plains!
For the second year, Will Carter, of Pine Plains Fine Wines and Spirits, hosted a tasting of South African wines and food to raise money for the Pine Plains Food Pantry. We hope it becomes an annual tradition! Braai, rhymes with “fry” means grill in Afrikaans. Check out this New York Times article about the […]
Burgers with the Herd
Burgers with the cows at Chaseholm Farm. The first in what I hope will be an on-going event. We had a great time, hung out with our favorite herd of cows, some old friends, and met new ones. If this farm looks at all familiar, perhaps you have seen it here on Pine Plains Views! You […]
Everyone Loves a Parade!
And this proves it! I was told that the Fire Department was going to hold a parade. Usually parades are held to honor, remember, or celebrate something. I’m not sure about this one. How about that there were no fires that day? Or that the town has a fire department? That it was a splendid day? […]
The Next Chapter: The Library Moved. The Story Goes On…
You know you’re from Pine Plains if you have an opinion about this library situation. And if you are wondering why I am covering this story as it drags on and on, well then, you’re not from Pine Plains, are you?
“Going… Going…. Wait! It’s Coming Back!
So long known as “That” building”, Memorial Hall — or whatever you called it in the past — now has a new future. And one that will help Pine Plains with its future.
Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck
OK, so you’re wondering what “Sinterklaas” is, right? Well, Google it and you’ll find out that it’s a Dutch Christmas tradition but you need to watch this this video to feel the spirit that the Rhinebeck community has put into the celebration. The Rhinebeck, NY, Sinterklaas Parade is a huge demonstration of community participation yet […]
A Farrier? What’s That?
Here in northeast Dutchess County, it was dairy farms and we were the Milk Bottle of New York City. But the dairy farms closed and different animals were brought to graze our pastures — horses. Now we’re Horse Central. And along with the new animals came new people and traditions. And new trades. One of […]
The Parade of Lights
It’s the tradition. Every year, at 3PM the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Pine Plains decorates itself with Christmas Lights. And then, at 5, just when it is dark, Pine Plains becomes the Center of the Universe…. well, at least the Northeastern Dutchess County part of the universe. Neighboring fire companies, ambulance corps, farms, businesses, organizations, they […]
Last Night at the Wild Hive
After a four year run, the Wild Hive Farm, Store & Café Bakery closed. I made this film on its last night to preserve how its customers celebrated its contribution to the community. I could ramble on about how much this place meant to me, but I think the film shows it. Every meal was […]
Where Every Car Has a Story
Wheels of Time, the shop of dreams and fond memories. Whether you prefer stories about people over cars or cars over people, you can’t go wrong here! See for yourself! A Pine Plains treasure.
The Porsches Have Landed!
Right here in Pine Plains! A fleet (what do you call a flock of Porsches, anyway?) of all vintages of Porsches as the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Porsche Club of America landed on our own John Corson’s lawn to visit his garage.
Chop Shop Suey
They’re always talking about what we import from China. Well, here’s what we export to back to them. WARNING: Not for the mechanically squeamish!
Roll Your Own — Chinese Dumplings!
For those of us in Pine Plains who crave good Chinese food it means hitting the road. But we are fortunate that just up the road is a chef and caterer who will not only bring the food but can show us how to make it. This is an entertaining series about making Chinese dumplings. Another thing you can do in Pine Plains!
Time Marches On…
A great introduction to Pine Plains is the Memorial Day Parade. If they’re not actually in it, they’re watching it! This was in 2000. The rest of the world, but not the parade, has changed a lot since. See for yourself as it is in 2011.
The Family Farm
This is about a dairy farmer, Barry Chase, who is about to sell his herd of milking cows. I visited with him and his wife, Rosey, a few days before their herd leaves.
Wednesday Jam
Local folks who like to play bluegrass, they have been getting together on Wednesday nights for over 40 years. They never had a name for their group so I just call it The Wednesday Jam. When I came across them they had been playing in Pete and Cindy Howe’s kitchen where I took these videos.
The Tree Couple
WARNING: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME! We had this tree… well, up until recently it had been 3 trees, a triple crown, but when two of them came down in the field the third one was leaning more and more perilously over our backyard and… We had to call the Wallendas of Pine Plains.
Chopping Rock
A video visit with Verne Tower, stone-cutter, as he re-creates an elaborate marble stoop for a historic mansion in Hudson, NY. While Verne may be doing wonderful restoration and preservation of historical buildings, he is also preserving skills and technology that are disappearing faster than the buildings he works on.
Nanjing on the Hudson
Once the world was flat then it became round. Now it is flat again… The high school cafeteria was filled with the sounds and sights of Chinese in a welcome to the delegation from High School #29 in Nanjing (China).
Chads Don’t Hang in Pine Plains
The 2015 Town Board election was very close. Even for a small town like ours, only 3 votes separated the 2nd and 3rd place candidates. Absentee ballots could change the outcome. Curious about the process, Sarah Jones, even though she was in first place by a substantial enough lead that would not be affected by […]
The Long Haul Home: The Library Returns!
Talk about returning overdue library books… In what we hope will be the resolution of a long and complex story, books are coming out of storage and the library will be moved out of its old temporary home and back to its new home and… I said it was complex and convoluted! But you can […]