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12-Year-Old Dutchess Actress Gets Royal Treatment In New Nickelodeon Show 12-Year-Old Dutchess Actress Gets Royal Treatment In New Nickelodeon Show
12-Year-Old Dutchess Actress Gets Royal Treatment In New Nickelodeon Show DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. -- Akira Golz, a 12-year-old Southern Dutchess resident is the voice behind the new Nickelodeon show, "Nella the Princess Knight." The animated show, geared to the preschools set, airs Monday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. The series centers on Nella, an unconventional 8-year-old who possesses the royal qualities of a princess, like compassion and grace, while also embodying the courage and determination of a brave knight.  Whenever a problem arises, Nella embarks on daring quests to save her kingdom through her unique ability to transform from a princess into Nella the …

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Hyde Park Restaurant Gives Family With Autistic Child Special Night Out Hyde Park Restaurant Gives Family With Autistic Child Special Night Out
Hyde Park Restaurant Gives Family With Autistic Child Special Night Out LAGRANGEVILLE, .N.Y. -- For Katelyn Bronzi, whose brother has autism, her only birthday wish was to have a family night out for dinner.  Because of her brother Stevie's autism, the family, which lives in Lagrangeville, had never been able to go to a restaurant before.  "He has impulsive behaviors so going out in public places can be disastrous for us," said Nicole Bronzi, Stevie's mother. Bronzi, Stevie's mother, had read that Coppola's Restaurant in Hyde Park was part of the Autism Supportive Environment program, which is run by the Anderson Center for Autism where Stevie gets t…

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by Sam Barron
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Miles Of Hope Marks 13 Years Of Helping Dutchess Breast Cancer Patients Miles Of Hope Marks 13 Years Of Helping Dutchess Breast Cancer Patients
Miles Of Hope Marks 13 Years Of Helping Dutchess Breast Cancer Patients DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. -- When a woman hears the words "you have breast cancer," they are often stunned, and then the fear hits. In Dutchess County, the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation works hard to embrace those women and make sure that no one feels alone. The brainchild of two community activists, Dana Effron and Cathy Varunok, who saw a need for increased help for people with breast cancer throughout the Hudson Valley, the organization recently celebrated its 13th anniversary in Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley. "We really work at providing the type of help that…

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by K Reakes
Neighbors
Wappingers Falls' AJ Cafe Wants You To Hate The Heat Wappingers Falls' AJ Cafe Wants You To Hate The Heat
Wappingers Falls' AJ Cafe Wants You To Hate The Heat WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. -- When it comes to chicken wings, "too hot" is not a term you'll hear around AJ Cafe in Wappingers Falls. There's no such thing. It began innocently enough three years ago, with husband and wife owners John and Angela Joy working with Head Chef Jeff Fairhurst. The three were looking to taste test and finalize the menu for AJ Cafe before they opened for business. "We'd taste test stuff on our friends, and we had settled on what our hot and mild sauce for the wings should taste like," said John. "But after about a week of being open, I couldn't…

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by Joe Jenkins
Neighbors
Former PoJo Publisher Managing Focus Media’s Expansion Into Dutchess Former PoJo Publisher Managing Focus Media’s Expansion Into Dutchess
Former PoJo Publisher Managing Focus Media’s Expansion Into Dutchess DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. -- A public relations firm and a former Poughkeepsie Journal publisher are teaming up to expand its reach into Dutchess County. Focus Media, a full-service public relations firm based in Goshen with more than 20 employees, announced they have hired Barry Rothfeld, former president and publisher of the Journal to manage business development on its behalf in Dutchess. "We think there is a lot of opportunity in Dutchess to bring what we do to companies and organizations to help them grow in these interesting times, "Josh Sommers, President and CEO of Focus Media…

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by Sam Barron
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Rhinebeck Photographer's The Very Picture Of A 'Good Egg,' Chamber Says Rhinebeck Photographer's The Very Picture Of A 'Good Egg,' Chamber Says
Rhinebeck Photographer's The Very Picture Of A 'Good Egg,' Chamber Says RHINEBECK, N.Y. – Rhinebeck photographer Maureen Gates will be attending an awards ceremony this Thursday. But instead of taking pictures of the event, she will be its focal point. The Rhinebeck Area Chamber of Commerce will be presenting Gates with its “Good Egg” award, its way of recognizing those who regularly go above and beyond the call of duty. Gates said she was “stunned” when the Chamber contacted her about the award. “I thought they were asking me to photograph it. I was so surprised and delighted to learn they picked me as their ‘Good Egg,’” she said. “I guess someone else will …

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by Carol Reif
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Poughkeepsie Couple Welcomes Baby New Year Poughkeepsie Couple Welcomes Baby New Year
Poughkeepsie Couple Welcomes Baby New Year POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- It was a New Year's Eve that Poughkeepsie resident Shatya Tolliver will never forget. Tolliver went into labor on New Year's Eve, giving birth on Jan. 1 at 3:45 a.m. to Kamyah Selman at Vassar Brothers Medical Center. Kamya was Dutchess' first newborn of 2017. Kamyah is Tolliver's first child and weighed 6 lbs, 10 oz. "It was exciting," Tolliver, a mental health worker, said. "It was very unexpected since she wasn't due until the 8th. We were very happy. It was a nice present." Tolliver was celebrating at home with Elvin Selman, the baby's father, …

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by Sam Barron
Neighbors
Mount Vernon's Denzel Washington Becomes Most Oscar-Nominated Black Actor Mount Vernon's Denzel Washington Becomes Most Oscar-Nominated Black Actor
Mount Vernon's Denzel Washington Becomes Most Oscar-Nominated Black Actor MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- The Oscar nominations are out and Denzel Washington is on the list for "Best Actor" for his role as a former (fictional) Negro Leagues baseball player Troy Maxson in "Fences." More importantly, with this nod, Washington, a two-time Oscar winner who grew up in Mount Vernon,  becomes the only black actor to land eight Oscar nominations. So reports the Huffington Post, which puts Morgan Freeman close behind with a total of five Oscar nods. The 62-year-old Washington not only stars in "Fences," but he directed the film which is also up for &qu…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Owner Sought For Female Dog Found In Garrison Owner Sought For Female Dog Found In Garrison
Owner Sought For Female Dog Found In Garrison CARMEL, N.Y. - This female dog was found Monday in on Winston Lane and Ox-Yoke Road in Garrison. She is not microchipped. Please share, and contact the Putnam Humane Society at 845-225-7777 with any information. The Putnam Humane Society is located at 68 Old Rt. 6 in Carmel. For more info please check out their website here.

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by Skip Pearlman
Neighbors
Arlington HS Grad Seeks GoFundMe Help With New EP Arlington HS Grad Seeks GoFundMe Help With New EP
Arlington HS Grad Seeks GoFundMe Help With New EP LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y. -- A Lagrangeville 18-year-old singer/songwriter has started a GoFundMe page to help raise money so she can finish recording her EP.  Kayla Barone, who plays the piano and, more recently, the guitar, considers herself a modernized version of Amy Winehouse with a Lady Gaga/Lana Del Rey flair, has raised $280 but is hoping for $500. "No contribution is too small," she said. The Arlington High School graduate, who is known locally for her bold look -- think sequin and glitter outfits and neon colored lipstick -- is all about creating original songs, many of which …

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by Jeanne Muchnick
Neighbors
Westchester Volunteers Lift Soldiers' Spirits With 'Operation Cupid' Westchester Volunteers Lift Soldiers' Spirits With 'Operation Cupid'
Westchester Volunteers Lift Soldiers' Spirits With 'Operation Cupid' Volunteers of all ages came from Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess and all around the tri-state area Friday night to lend a helping hand to a good cause. Approximately 50 United for the Troops volunteers convened on the county building in Carmel, organizing and packing essential items like toiletries, and goodies of all kinds, for U.S. troops currently stationed overseas. UFT's Jim Rathschmidt and his group do regular drives to gather donations and send them to soldiers - this one is aimed at Valentine's Day and therefore dubbed 'Operation Cupid.' Soldiers fill out 'wish lists,' including some…

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by Skip Pearlman
Neighbors
Spotlighting Filomena Fanelli: Daily Voice Community Advisor Spotlighting Filomena Fanelli: Daily Voice Community Advisor
Spotlighting Filomena Fanelli: Daily Voice Community Advisor POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Filomena Fanelli's roots run deep in Dutchess County. Fanelli, a Daily Voice Community Advisor, lives in Poughkeepsie in her childhood home with her husband and two children, and also runs Impact PR, a Poughkeepsie-based public relations firm. Community advisors provide Daily Voice with tips for local news and events. When she's not running her PR firm, Fanelli is involved in numerous Dutchess County organizations. She is a board member of Hudson River Housing, a founding committee member of Team Hope Walk, and helped do PR for Special Olympics New York. She has also…

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by Sam Barron