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Here’s what will be new when the Sports Museum of Dutchess County opens on May 4

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Here’s what will be new when the Sports Museum of Dutchess County opens on May 4

There have been instances, Mary Sagar said, when she has come upon a display or an old piece of local sports memorabilia and almost immediately made a connection.

“You look at these people and it’s like, ‘I went to school with his son’ or, ‘That guy lived on the same street as my grandmother,’” she said. “People from the Hudson Valley can appreciate seeing others from the area who’ve made it big.”

No matter how far removed by time, there usually aren’t many degrees of separation. And that, she said, is the allure of the Sports Museum of Dutchess County.

The museum will celebrate its annual opening at 11 a.m. Saturday, debuting a renovated baseball room and a feature on “Early Hudson Valley Baseball,” presented by longtime historian Robert Mayer, who also will be showing off a few rare collectibles.

The event will include music, snacks, raffles, tours of the facility and activities for children.

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Visitors will notice the “Legends of Dutchess” exhibit, highlighting the history of several sports with the biographies of prominent athletes with local ties. Among them is boxing great Melio Bettina, a former Beacon resident who won the light heavyweight world championship in 1939.

A nod to the more recent icons includes a display paying tribute to Tyler Adams, a Roy C. Ketcham High School graduate who was captain of the United States team in the 2022 World Cup.

“I think it’ll be an exciting thing for the audience,” said Mayer, whose resume includes presentations at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. “I’ll give them some information and details they haven’t heard before about the roots of the game and some early Hudson Valley history.”

The museum will be open until October, hosting visitors on weekends from 1-4 p.m., although private tours can also be arranged.

“We’re trying to make the opening more of an event this year,” said Sagar, a Poughkeepsie native who is a member of the museum board. “Last year’s opening was low-key, but going forward, we want the day to be more exciting and highlighted by speakers who’ll be of interest to local sports fans.”

The displayed artifacts will include boxing gloves from the early 20th century, football helmets and golf clubs of historical significance, and an iceboat from about 100 years ago – a relic of the era when iceboat racing was a popular sport in the Hudson Valley.

Planning for the opening started last fall and the work began in February, aided by a group of “dedicated” Marist College interns who worked with museum president Bill Ponte and assisted in the renovation of the baseball room. On display there will be photos, trophies, equipment and other sentimental items from local athletes and teams.

As well, a new space allotted to a “Women in Sports” display is being developed. The museum, Sagar said, “would welcome” donations of memorabilia related to local female athletes or teams. They also are seeking volunteers who can help with community outreach, cataloging or greeting.

Sports Museum of Dutchess County

When: May 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: 72 Carnwath Farms Lane in Wappingers Falls

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

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