At this time of year, Thanksgiving makes us all stop (after lots of activity and travel, often, to get to that welcome place with family and friends) and think about that for which we are grateful in life. There are some years when it is hard, for one reason or another, to find just one thing to justify thanks, but other years when it’s easy as pie to conjure up 10 or 20 in a moment. 

In June this year, it became clear that the initiatives taken to help bring The Lakeville Journal Company to a more viable sustainability, that is break even rather than losing money, were not working well enough. Over the past couple of decades, we whittled down every department, sold our printing presses and began printing elsewhere, sold our too-large building and regrouped in a new location. 

In the short time since The Lakeville Journal and Millerton News published an invitation to readers to join a membership structure that will help take our publications forward into the future, we have been encouraged by the immediate and supportive response. 

We thank all who have chosen to contribute to the membership model. And we thank all of you who continue to read The Lakeville Journal, The Millerton News, Compass and all the publications that are created by our writers and staff over the course of the year.

Large attendance for pancakes

On Sunday, Nov. 17, the Amenia Fire Company held their monthly pancake breakfast. 

We were pleased to have a nice crowd of 217 people in attendance to enjoy a delicious meal. 

We rely on the breakfast for raising money to assist in the day-to-day operation of our department and we always appreciate the support of the community. 

On Saturday, Nov. 15, opposition to the Cricket Valley Energy plant nearing completion in Dover dramatically escalated when for a day access to the plant was blocked and 29 protesters were arrested. Several hundred encouraged them with songs led by the irrepressible Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir and music from a brass band.

There’s a hidden motive for Elon Musk (SpaceX), Bill Gates (funding and technology) and Jeff Bezos (Blue Horizon) and their rocket and space exploration dreams. With a myriad of scientists working on their programs and, not inconsequentially, actual scientific factual understanding regarding global climate change based on the degradation of the Earth’s atmosphere and pollution issues due to industrialization, these men and thousands of others involved in space exploration want to move all polluting industries off Earth.