A Mayor’s invite; Roosevelts differ; lifeguard CPR; rattler on Rail Trail

The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.

July 5, 1934

‘Mayor Invites Visitors To Make Millerton Home Town’; Brewer Extends Blanket Welcome To Throng; Greets Boy Scouts, Firemen And Conservation Corps — Pays Vamps Tribute

Extending a blanket welcome to the vast throng which gathered here yesterday for the mammoth July Fourth celebration, Mayor William J. Brewer cordially invited one and all to look upon Millerton, for the day at least, as their home town, and expressed the hope that the day would prove enjoyable. The mayor’s address was delivered at the ballpark at the termination of the long and colorful parade which opened the elaborate program.

‘One Roosevelt Sees Prosperity In New Deal; Other, Disaster’; President Defends Policies In Radio Speech; Colonel Roosevelt Says They Are Leading To Scrapping Of Constitution And Bill of Rights

Thursday night Mr. Roosevelt speaking over a national radio network, declared that the New Deal was bringing the nation back to prosperity and labeled its critics as either “self-seekers” or “die-hards.”

Friday night Mr. Roosevelt told THE NEWS in an exclusive interview that the New Deal was leading the way toward scrapping both the Constitution of the United States and its Bill of Rights and toward financial bankruptcy.

The former was President Franklin D. Roosevelt performing one of his last official acts before departing on a month’s vacation trip through South America and Hawail. The second was Colonel Theodore Roosevelt interrupting a much less ostentatious vacation to consent to be interviewed. He is spending two or three nights at the De La Vergne Farms Hotel in Amenia and two of the days angling for trout in Dutchess County brooks.

July 3, 1975

‘Millerton Youths Go To Camp To Learn About Environment’; On Sunday morning, June 29, 6 youngsters left Millerton for a week of camping, fun and environmental education. They are attending the DeBruce Environmental Education Camp which is operated by the State Department of Environmental Conservation for 8 weeks each summer and is located in the Catskills at Livingston Manor, N.Y.

‘Senior Citizens Enjoy Activities’; With summer in bud the senior citizens of Millerton have been enjoying the countryside. During a picnic at Wilcox Park, some courageous waders took to the clear mild water. The group plans to attend a concert at the park on July 12.

The senior citizens enjoyed an interesting tour and luncheon at the Beekman Arms at Rhinebeck, the oldest hotel in the United States since 1700.

‘Silvernails Mark 50th Anniversary’; Lydia and Russell Silvernail of Barton Street, Millerton, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary at the White Hart Inn, Salisbury, on June 14.

The surprise buffet dinner given by their son, Russell, Jr. of Glastonbury, Conn., and daughter Dorothea of Harvard Mass., was attended by 85 relatives, neighbors and friends.

‘Rudd Fares Well Despite The Rain’; Despite the inclement weather last weekend, camping, fishing and picnicking were in full swing at Rudd Pond. Officials from the Town of North East and the Village of Millerton opened the park Friday with an official ribbon cutting ceremony, documented by CBS news. In an unprecedented move in New York State, the local governments took over the operation of the park last week.

According to Rudd Pond Caretaker Leonard Foley, 603 people visited the park during the day, and an additional 288 people used the camping areas between Friday and Monday night. By Saturday night, he said, 31 of the 41 campsites were rented. In the 4 days, there have been 71 campsite rentals.

July 10, 1975

‘Passenger Trains’ Return Certain, Officials Say’; Passenger trains definitely will return to Millerton, Lettie Carson, president of the Harlem Valley Transportation Association asserted again this week.

‘Lifeguards Take Course’; The Denney Memorial Pool was set to close at 5:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m., July 9-11. This is so the lifeguards at the pool could take a course in cardio-pulmonary recusitation.[sic]

Beginning on July 16, there will be Wednesday night swimming for all residents of Millerton and North East. The time is from 7 to 9 p.m. and all regulations are the same.

‘Rent-A-Kid To Open’; The Rent-A-Kid office will open in Millerton on Monday, July 14, in the North East Town Hall on Maple Avenue.

Liz Cohen, Dutchess County coordinator of Rent-A-Kid, described the program as a summer youth job referral agency. She said that youths 14 years old and up with working papers could apply to the office for a job and that homeowners and businessmen should send in job orders to the Rent-A-Kid office. The Millerton Rent-A-Kid office manager, Edward Limoges, will coordinate the jobs with the applicants.

Cohen said that in the past, youths have gotten jobs painting, gardening, babysitting or doing clerical or store work.

‘Movie House Packed Tight For Ist Time’;For the first time in its history, patrons were turned away from the Millerton Theater, on Monday night. The old movie house was packed to capacity.

According to Tom Babbitt, a manager of the theater, 87 people were refused admission to the evening showing of “Gone With the Wind.”

July 6, 2000

‘Five-foot Rattler Spotted on Rail Trail’; MILLERTON — A rattlesnake was sighted by a Copake resident on Section 5 of the Rail Trail in Copake last week, said Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association (HVRTA) spokesman David J. Shufelt.

“The snake was about 5 to 6 feet long, orange with stripes, and had seven rattles on it,” said Alice Belt, who was on the trail with family members when Brian Belt, Ms. Belt’s son-in-law, spotted the snake, believed to be a timber rattlesnake, with its tail towards the trail near a bench.

‘Metro-North Opens Stations With Ribbon Cuttings Monday’; WASSAIC — Upper Harlem Valley residents who commute to New York City will have a shorter car ride to the terminal, as Metro-North is scheduled to open its new Wassaic and Tenmile River stations with a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday morning at 10:15 a.m.

The $20-million project, which lengthens the railroad’s Harlem line 6 miles from its current Dover Plains terminus, has been two years in the making.