Burglary, birthday and cattle

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

November 29, 1934

Shufelt's Store Is Burglarized

An overcoat, cigarettes and canned goods were stolen from Shufelt's Inc., department store in Millerton some time Saturday night by thieves who gained entrance through a window in the door of a store room at the rear of the building. The intruders also tried to break into Hoag & Keefer's store, but failed in this attempt when they were unable to open inside shutters barring the rear window. The theft at Shufelt's was discovered Sunday.

Scarlet Fever Scare Ended, Berry Says

Stanfordville Physician Says There Is No Danger Of Epidemic

STANFORDVILLE - Dr. R. V. Berry, town of Stanford health officer and school health officer in the town of Clinton, stated last week-end that in his opinion the "scarlet fever scare" in the two townships had ended.

Chimney Fires Extinguished

The Millerton Fire Department extinguished chimney fires at the home of Mrs. Harry Card on Center Street Sunday and Monday. Only slight damage was done by either blaze.

Mr. and Mrs. Worthey J. Pulver returned Sunday evening after spending a few days in New York City.

Has Birthday Party

Miss Shirley Ackert was hostess to twelve of her young friends Tuesday afternoon at a party on her eighth birthday. The guests were Richard DeWitt, Morton Bloch, Miriam and Marilyn Wood. Theresa Fracaro, Mirtam Swanson, Mary Canevari, Dorothea Silvernale, Jean Van DeBogart, Louise Hoffbeck, Shirley Williams and Virginia Allen.

November 26, 1975

Super Still Gets Checks

Checks are still slowly coming in to the Millerton Super, the market's owner, Joseph Trotta Jr., reported this week.

The Route 44 supermarket was robbed of $26,000 in checks and $5200 cash by an armed bandit on Nov. 8. Trotta said that he did not know exactly how much money in checks has been reissued to the market. He said that some of his customers are waiting to get their November bank statements before they can report to him whether they cashed a check at his store on Nov. 7 or 8. Those days' revenues were taken by the robber.

New York State Police Lt. William Wolfe said Monday that the police were still investigating the case, but that they had no real leads.

A&P's Future

Millerton Mayor John Hermans this week begins a column that will appear periodically in The News. The column will be based on questions that Millerton residents have asked him about Village concerns.

Question: What is happening with the A&P Building?

Answer: In a recent conversation with the building's owner I was assured that the IGA organization will be moving in soon. Delays due to illness of one of the financial backers have set back original plans for a Nov. 1 opening. I was assured that plans to open soon are under way — hopefully before Christmas.

Winchell Mountain Farm Sells Prize-Winning Herd

An era came to an end Monday when Winchell Mountain Farm in the Town of North East auctioned off its entire prize-winning Holstein dairy herd. Buyers came from all over the country.

The herd itself was unusual because it is one of the oldest established herds, all 270 animals were registered with the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, and, according to the farm's manager, Everett Jones, all but one animal was born and bred on the farm. Cows from the herd have won many prizes for their exceptionally high milk production.

November 30, 2000

Community Snapshot: Merrill Sindler

MILLERTON — Not everybody knows where Graystone Farm is, nor what enchantments lie on its 70 acres. A peaceful property near the Rail Trail with myriad animals, gardens which teem in the spring and summer and a unique view on the Webatuck Creek, it is a refuge from the bustle of Millerton.

Back turned to the camera, Merrill Sindler feeds his three lamas with a carrot. The traditional "community profile" mugshot is not to be this time. Mr. Sindler is a private person.

He opens a shed and is greeted by the llamas, a donkey, and two improbably enormous turkeys. After letting in some of his 15 sheep, who crowd eagerly around a feed trough, he whistles for his magnificent horse Sarah, a former jumper, from the acres of pasture to the south. He points to one of his sheep, which has a broken leg and gets around with a labored limp, and says it cost him $300 to have the leg pinned together by a veterinarian.

"My sister said, 'why didn't you just eat it?"' he recalls, dismissing the distasteful thought with a wave. Though not a vegetarian, he has a soft heart and refuses to sacrifice his own animals. And he also protects them against would-be poachers: as he proudly ruffles his turkeys' feathers,