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environment

Amenia holding town-wide litter pickup for Earth Day

Amenia holding town-wide litter pickup for Earth Day

Volunteers for Amenia’s Earth Day clean-up event last year were supplied with bright orange trash bags and safety vests before dispersing throughout the town on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Providing bags and helpful tips to volunteers Luke Capozzola and Alyssa Versace was Polly Pitts-Garvin, at left.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — The town’s annual observance of Earth Day includes town-wide environment-aware activities, including the Annual Town Clean-up Day, and a Garden Club event, both scheduled for Saturday, April 26.

Volunteers participating in the clean-up day by picking up litter may gather at either of two locations — Fountain Square in Amenia or Borden Park in Wassaic at 9 a.m. The event will continue until noon.

Volunteers may sign in at either location and designate the locations where they will tidy up the roadsides. Trash bags will be provided.

Filled bags and large items will be picked up at various locations. To arrange pick-up, call Conservation Advisory Council member Vicky Doyle at 845-489-7826. The event is sponsored by the council.

Continuing Earth Day festivities, the Amenia Garden Club will hold its Annual Meeting and Earth Day Celebration at the Amenia Free Library at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend the program featuring Sharon Audubon Center’s naturalist Bethany Sheffer, whose talk is titled “Backyard Birdscaping—How to Support Birds Year-Round Using Native Plants.” The program will present tips on providing food and habitat for birds in every season using native environmental resources.

A native plant sale will be hosted at the library by local grower Litchfield & Greene.

Leila Hawken
environment

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Empress outlines EMS plans for northeast Dutchess

Empress outlines EMS plans for northeast Dutchess

The former Northern Dutchess Paramedics substation, now owned by emergency medical service provider Empress, sits along Route 22 south of the Village of Millerton. The building would become one of a network of substations utilized by emergency medical technicians and paramedics as they roam North East, Amenia, Washington and Stanford in a proposed dynamic EMS model.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — Empress Executive Director Robert Stuck provided details of a proposed regional emergency medical service system to North East Town Board members on Wednesday, Nov. 4. He said the changes would save each town hundreds of thousands of dollars in EMS costs by pooling resources with neighbors.

Stuck said the new so-called dynamic system would better use the company's labor and equipment and would ultimately reduce the total number of ambulances servicing North East, Amenia, Washington and Stanford. Under the new agreement, the four towns would share three ambulances that, placed strategically between each of the towns and repositioned to provide backup for occupied EMTs and paramedics. Stuck said the dynamic model would cut North East's upcoming 2028 contract by $675,000.

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Democrats earn big wins in 2026 elections

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Photo by Graham Corrigan

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The Millerton News - November 5, 2026

The Millerton News - November 5, 2026

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Eric Alexander wins County Legislature reelection campaign

Eric Alexander wins County Legislature reelection campaign

County Legislator Eric Alexander leads a meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature's Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Alexander represents the towns of Amenia, Washington, the Village of Millbrook and a portion of the Town of Pleasant Valley

Photo by Aly Morrissey

Democratic candidates made gains and held ground across Northern Dutchess County in elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

County Legislator Eric Alexander has retained his seat after winning against Republican challenger Stefanie Hubert. As of 10:15 p.m., Alexander had secured 56.8% of the vote.

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A Halloween scream with David Arquette

A Halloween scream with David Arquette

David Arquette, left, talks with moderator Victor Dandridge during “Behind the Scream” at the Warner Theatre in Torrington on Oct. 31.

D.H. Callahan

This December marks the 30th anniversary of Wes Craven’s “Scream,” one of the most influential movies in horror history. On Saturday, Oct. 31, David Arquette, one of the film’s stars, came to the Warner Theatre in Torrington for a Halloween screening and conversation billed as “Behind the Scream.”

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After 30 years, Dave Jones is shifting into lower gear

After 30 years, Dave Jones is shifting into lower gear


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