Cedars to Chicago; no ‘TV Week’ and an egg hunt

The following excerpts from The Millerton News were com- piled by Kathleen Spahn, Vivian Sukenik, Nancy Vialpando and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.

91 years ago: April 13, 1933

‘About Millerton’: Miss Violet Pulver, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Pulver, has just written a one-act play entitled “Why Mothers Get Gray”, to be presented by the members of Stockbridge Grange on April 27. Miss Pulver is a senior at Williams High school at Stockbridge, Mass.

Little Barbara DeWitt had been ill at her home with ear trouble.

Truckloads of the new beer arrived in town on Friday.

‘Dover Plains Trees Leave for Chicago’: Foresters from Danbury, Conn., have been chopping down trees on the property owned by Alfred Guifert, and it is rumored that fifty carloads of these cedar trees will be shipped to the Chicago World’s Fair.

‘About Millerton’: Miss Pearl Wheeler caught a native trout weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces in Webotuck [sic] Creek on Sunday.

Ken and Hiram Brown brought in a nice mess of trout on Saturday.

50 years ago: April 11, 1974

‘Millerton Brush Fire Scorches 150 Acres’: Volunteer firemen from Millerton and Amenia were called out Sunday afternoon to extinguish a large brush fire on top of Reservoir Hill behind the Millerton Gun Club on Route 22, Millerton. The fire, described as the largest one this year, was first reported shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, and charred approximately 50 acres before it was brought under control some two hours later.

‘Historical Society to Restore Jail’: The Historical Society of the North East plans to restore the old jail behind J.B. Reed’s in Millerton. The jail was given to the society by Community Service of Lakeville. It is estimated that the structure was built prior to 1880. A committee headed by Chet Eisenhith, and including Stan Smith and Herman Gray [...] accepted the donation [...]

25 years ago: April 8, 1999

‘No-TV Week Celebrated Locally’: MILLERTON – Oblong Book and Music and the North East Community Center will host a community wide celebration of National TV Turn-Off Week April 24. The event will be sponsored jointly by the Partners for Preschool Enrichment Program of the North East Community Center and Oblong.

National TV Turn-Off Week has been held every April for the past five years and is sponsored by TV Free America of Washington, D.C.

‘Bunny, Hayrides and Hotdogs Highlight Egg Hunt in Millerton’: Four hay wagons full of children eager to begin the annual Easter egg hunt rode through the village last Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Millerton Fire Department, the Millerton Gun Club, Burger King, and the Round Tuit, attracted a large crowd. Everyone enjoyed the festivities, especially the wagon rides. The Easter Bunny handed out candy at the fire house [sic], before the wagon caravan snaked through the streets to an enthusiastic response from passersby.

Once the caravan arrived at the Millerton Gun Club, the massive egg hunt began. Everyone was treated to a hot dog and refreshments.

Golden Egg prize winners were Spencer Tanner, Justin Katan, Maddie McAvoy and Miranda Murphy.

‘Chamber of Commerce Reviving in Millerton?’: The Millerton-North East Chamber of Commerce could be revived, according to the manager of the Millerton Antique Center, Stuart Miller. Mr. Miller told the village board Monday a group of merchants is beginning to reorganize the chamber, which has been relatively inactive in the last couple of years.

“We are very active,” Mr. Miller said. “We are reorganizing.”

Mr. Miller also said a predominance of merchants were opposed to a strict enforcement of two-hour parking limits in the village. According to businesswoman Marti Steed, the first meeting of the new chamber is tentatively set for April 20 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Manna Dew Café.

‘Schroeder to Leave DC Politics’: Harry Schroeder, who announced his retirement from the Dutchess County Legislators this week after a 20-year stint, is a lot like Harry Truman.

They Both Have Recognized the sovereignty of the people in a democracy, and have been known to have a way with words. In his retirement announcement, Mr. Schroeder said he could “now spend more time with my cows and grandcalves [sic] and perhaps less time with my tongue in cheek.”