The Amenia Historical Society presented Certificates of Appreciation at its annual meeting on Sunday, Oct. 20 to representatives of the Amenia Fire Company and Wassaic Fire Company. Town Historian Betsy Strauss presented the certificates to Robert Boyles, Jr., Captain of the Wassaic Fire Company, at left, and Andy Murphy, Captain of the Amenia Fire Company.
AMENIA — The commitment of members of the two local fire companies is measured not only in decades but in generations, and that dedication was honored by the Amenia Historical Society at its annual meeting on Sunday, Oct. 20, held at the Town Hall.
Following a presentation and display of historic images and artifacts reflecting the history of the two organizations, representatives of the fire companies of District 1 and District 2 accepted certificates of appreciation given by current society president Carol Lee.
The Amenia Fire Company, District 1, has been serving the community since its founding in 1895. Andy Murphy, Captain of the Amenia Fire Company, chronicled the history as he recalled the earliest apparatus, the company membership, the buildings and some of the historic local fires, along with the celebrations, parades and community fundraising events.
Captain Murphy, a long-term member himself, recounted that his father, James, had served the Amenia Fire Company for 50 years and his mother, Charlotte, was a charter member of the Auxiliary.
He said that the historical society has a treasure trove of historical documents and memorabilia collected over the years. That information was assembled into a book published in 1995 detailing the Fire Company’s history, but not much history has been assembled and recorded since then.
“It all began in 1895,” Murphy said, when there had been a fire in Millerton and a realization dawned that Amenia should have its own fire company.
Early records kept in the old firehouse were destroyed in 1941 by a devastating fire, and today, the only records remaining came from the homes of members and residents who had items that were not kept at the firehouse.
The earliest piece of equipment in Amenia was a length of 1,000 feet of hose donated by the local water company, along with nozzles, to be used in conjunction with the existing hydrants, Murphy said. About 20 people met at Taylor Hall, the old movie theatre in village center, to form Amenia Hose Company No. 1.
Later they would meet at a local clothing store near the post office. By 1898, they had acquired a two-wheel hose cart. By 1899, they had their first firehouse and a fire wagon to go with the hose cart. The company then moved to its present site on Mechanic Street.
The relationship between the town and the fire company began around 1900, Murphy explained, whereby the town would own the firehouse building and the fire company would pay rent to the town. A “new” firehouse was built on the site in 1948 and still stands today.
Ambulance service had its beginnings in 1950 with the purchase of the first vehicle to be named “Lulubell.” Formation of a Women’s Auxiliary came along in 1953.
Barn fires were the most usual types of fire calls, Murphy said.
But especially dangerous and disastrous were the 1974 fires that destroyed the movie theater and the Delavergne Farms Hotel in the town center, Murphy noted.
“We are pretty well-equipped today,” Murphy said, “but most of our trucks are going out driver-only.”
“People are not volunteering,” Murphy explained, adding that the company has only three or four young people.
“Back in the 1970s, people could not wait to join the fire company,” Murphy recalled.
Reviewing the chronology of the Wassaic Fire Company, former Chief Bob Bergfels indicated that the fire company was organized in 1931, building its first firehouse in 1937, with the present firehouse coming along in 1966. The Ladies’ Auxiliary began its service in 1955, and the Rescue Squad in 1977.
Seeking to clarify a point of confusion for residents, Murphy explained the difference between the two Fire Districts and the two Fire Companies. Fire Districts, he said, are governed by five local commissioners who sit on a Fire District Board. They develop the annual budget and function as the entity in charge of the equipment purchase and repair. The Fire District is in charge, Murphy said.
The Fire Company, he explained, is a separate organization headed by the Fire Chief. The Fire Company goes to the fires. Proceeds from the regularly scheduled pancake breakfasts go to the Fire Company to cover operational expenses.
Nathan Miller
Pawling Road Crews work to clear debris from fallen trees from North Quaker Hill Road in Pawling, New York, after heavy winds felled trees across the area. Six roads are currently closed, causing delays as utility company crews attempt to restore electricity service to customers in Pawling and Dover after a day without power.
Heavy winds and severe storm conditions caused widespread power outages Thursday, June 11.
Over 600 customers in Dutchess County are still without power in the towns of Pawling and Dover.
NYSEG Communications Manager Mike Baggerman said the continuing outage was caused by fallen trees that have downed poles and blocked multiple roads, slowing repair efforts. He could not provide an estimate of when power would be restored.
"We're still assessing at this time," Baggerman said.
Baggerman said road crews are working to clear the roadways so NYSEG crews can re-install poles and restore service.
Social media posts from Pawling Town Supervisor Cathy Giordano and New York State Assemblymember Anil Beephan say NYSEG customers in Pawling should expect to run generators through the day.
Severe winds downed trees along Quaker Hill Road, North Quaker Hill Road, Old Quaker Hill Road, Reservoir Road, Hurds Corner Road and Tracy Road in the Town of Pawling, according to the town's Highway Department.
Drivers should avoid the area while crews clear debris and work to fix downed power lines.
Baggerman reminded customers to stay away from downed power lines and to alert NYSEG and local authorities when downed trees or lines are spotted. Reports of downed trees, downed power lines and power outages can be sent to NYSEG online at www.nyseg.com/outages or by calling 800-572-1131.
Nathan Miller
Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, left, and John Schildbach plan to open Muanjai Tea on Main Street in Millerton in early July.
MILLERTON — The opening of a proposed Thai tea shop on Main Street has been delayed while owners await approval from the Dutchess County Department of Health.
John Schildbach, who plans to open the shop with his wife, Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, in the former Candy-O’s space, said plans to include seating have complicated the approval process because of the building’s existing septic system.
Candy-O’s, a candy shop which relocated farther down Main Street earlier this year, did not provide seating for customers, allowing it to operate with a smaller septic system under Department of Health regulations.
Schildbach, who wants to add 20 seats, said an engineer has signed off on plans for the tea shop and sent a recommendation to the Department of Health. Despite that recommendation, the shop had to push back the original June 6 opening date.
“We haven’t even started buildout,” Schildbach said. “If I can get everything moving, it’ll probably be early July now.”
Schildbach said interior renovations to the shop couldn’t begin until the business had received permits from the health department. A series of scheduling conflicts meant the engineer couldn’t get to the shop until the first week of June, but Schildbach said he was staying patient.
“You’re always waiting on the people who are in charge,” Schildbach said.
Schildbach said he hopes to receive approval for 20 seats in the shop, but expects the health department to reduce indoor seating slightly.
If that happens, Schildbach said it will only hamper the space’s indoor capacity until Millerton’s municipal wastewater system is installed, which is expected to be complete in 2028. He expects to receive approval for 12 to 14 seats inside the café for the time being.
Department of Health approvals are the last hurdle holding things back, Schildbach said. Once that approval has been obtained, Schildbach said village building officials are prepared to issue permits for the interior renovations and he is ready to get to work.
The shop is targeting an early July opening date, with a goal of opening before Millerton’s 175th celebration set for July 11 to 19.
Millerton News
CANAAN — Anita L. (King) Gochey, 85, of 77 South Canaan Rd. died June 5, 2026, at Geer Village. She was the wife of the late Lester Gochey. Anita was born July 16, 1940,in Winsted, daughter of the late Ivan and Irene (Dulude) King.
Anita was well known throughout the Northwest Corner. She worked for many local businesses and organizations. Anita worked at the Rexall Drug Store, C.A. Lindell and Sons, Bob’s Clothing, Brooks Pharmacy, and the Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the cafeteria.She used her skills in calligraphy to complete the record books for the North Canaan Congregational Church.Anita’s daughter remembers her as being very creative with cardboard, and a loving mom.
Anita is survived by her son Raymond Gochey and his fiancee’ Chris Filkins of Hinsdale, Massachusetts; and her daughter Michele O’Brien of Sharon. She is also survived by her sister Denise Warner of Torrington and her brother Arthur King of Danbury. Her three grandchildren, Kyle Gochey of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Cody O’Brien of Georgia, and Sabrina O’Brien of Falls Village. Anita was predeceased by her brother, Martin King.
A Celebration of Anita’s life will be held on Saturday June 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. Canaan, CT 06018.
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Graham Corrigan
PINE PLAINS — Community Day returns to Pine Plains on June 13, reviving a tradition last celebrated in 2023 during the town’s bicentennial celebration.
The event’s return has been spearheaded by an ad hoc group of residents led by Lenora Champagne, Jeanne Valentine-Chase, Lisa Agnelli, Joan Taylor, Helene Marsh and others.
Champagne and Valentine-Chase, who are on the town’s Beautification Committee, said they recruited volunteers to help organize it, realizing that Community Day is a big undertaking. “It was clearly a bigger project than what that committee could take on,” said Champagne. “So we turned to people who’d been involved in previous Community Days.”
The community was up to the task. Some of the entertainment will be familiar: live music will fill the air, local businesses and nonprofits will set up booths along Main Street, and the Graham-Brush House will host fiddlers and reenactments.
New additions to Community Day abound, too: a 31-vendor market will set up shop by the Catholic church on Poplar and Church Street. The market will host makers offering sourdough bread, artisanal jewelry, and everything in between. The Pines, a historic Victorian inn on Maple Street, will open its doors for tours as well.
This year’s Community Day is also offering an eye-popping amount of complimentary experiences, for kids and adults alike. First there’s a free breakfast hosted by Pine Plains Fire Company. Free raffle tickets are on offer, with the chance to win prizes like gift certificates to local businesses like Chaseholm Farm and Factory Lane Automotive — or fruit trees donated by Full Circus Farm. There’s a free scavenger hunt to work up an appetite, and free lunch from local restaurants to sate it — all chased down with a postprandial stroll through the free corn maze.
“There ought to be something of interest for everyone,” Champagne said. “We’re really curious to see what people enjoy.”
Town Councilwoman Jeanine Sisco is the group’s liaison to the town. She’ll also be the one “collecting garbage and schlepping benches.”
“We did Community Day for years,” Sisco said. “But sometimes people just didn’t step up. We’re hoping this will be the start of doing it every year.”
The goal, Sisco says, is to bring people in to town. All the people: generational locals and weekenders alike. “We want to bring all those folks into a united venue to get to know what’s going on in town, and revitalize the spirit of community.”
Leila Hawken
AMENIA — The Water Committee is exploring options to allow municipal water customers to pay their bills online and by credit card.
Responding to customer interest in additional payment options, the committee discussed potential billing software upgrades during its regular meeting Wednesday, June 3.
Town Billing Clerk Nancy Nowak presented information from Muni-Link of Bellwood, Pennsylvania, a cloud-based billing company that serves municipal utilities.
“This software is so much better,” Nowak said. “It is similar to what we have now, but it’s easier.”She added that the company works with four credit card processors.
Initial set-up cost for the system is estimated at $12,000, Nowak said, with an additional monthly charge of $650. Current administration costs for billing stands at $138 monthly for the town.
“But you would be getting twice as much service,” said Water Committee chairman Bill Flood, comparing the proposed streamlined billing system to the present one.
Nowak had explained that the current system provides limited account management capability, leaving much input to be done by hand. She reported also that over the years, customers have asked for the convenience of emailed billing and on-line payment.
For those water district customers who lack computer capability or who prefer to pay in person, there would still be the option for mailed billing.
The committee agreed to continue to explore the option, gathering additional information, before presenting a proposal to the Town Board.
In other discussion, Flood announced that the prefabricated pump house building is expected to be installed at the Lavelle Road site in the fall. The foundation is ready to accept the new structure.
A program to replace non-working water meters is progressing with VRI Environmental Services, the town’s water operator, having sent out 20 postcard notices. In response so far, 13 meters have been replaced.
In final action, the Water Committee agreed to meet quarterly, rather than the current monthly schedule. Special meetings will be scheduled as needed.
Millerton News
SHARON — Susanne Cecilia Berberoglu, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on May 14 surrounded by the love of her family.
Born on Fe 13, 1951, in New Milford, Susanne lived a life filled with warmth, adventure, compassion, and dedication to those she loved.
A graduate of Brookfield High School, Susanne went on to work as a travel agent, a career perfectly suited to her adventurous spirit and love of discovering the world. She especially cherished her travels to Australia, London, and Hawaii, creating memories that she carried throughout her life.
Susanne had a lifelong passion for antiques and found joy in collecting and appreciating beautiful pieces filled with history and character. She was also deeply devoted to her beloved Boston Terriers, whom she lovingly raised and cared for over many years. Her home was always filled with warmth, laughter, and the companionship of the dogs she adored.
Above all else, Susanne treasured her family. She is survived by her devoted husband of 54 years, Tayfun Berberoglu Sr.; her loving daughter, Jennifer; her son, Tayfun Berberoglu Jr.; and her cherished granddaughters, Faora and Sybella. Her love, kindness, strength, and gentle spirit will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew her.
Susanne will be remembered for her caring nature, adventurous soul, and unwavering love for her family, friends, and animals. Her memory will continue to inspire all whose lives she touched.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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