I haven’t done the math on this, to be honest, but I’d be willing to wager that there are more miles of hiking trails in the Tristate region than there are paved roads.
There are trails everywhere, running through woods and fields and alongside rivers and creeks. They go uphill and downhill. Some are easy, some are hard. Some have views that extend for miles, others don’t.
This is mecca for hikers, but a great many of the recreational pedestrians who come through this region (and again, I haven’t done the math) are just passing through on one of America’s greatest interstates: the Appalachian Trail, which has its terminuses in Georgia and Maine and which passes right through many of our local towns.
Perhaps you’ve seen the hikers as they trudge along roadways or stop at post offices and libraries to catch up with family and friends back home. You might have sat near them at a café while they wolf down entire pints of ice cream. If the café was indoors, perhaps you moved away to a distant table, your senses assaulted by the scent of many days on the trail without any bathroom facilities of any kind. One of our Lakeville Journal summer interns once wrote that Appalachian Trail hikers smell like the 18th century.
It’s an annual tradition at The Lakeville Journal that we send our summer interns out in search of hikers, preferably those who are trekking the full expanse of the trail. Every hiker has an interesting story to tell, and provides a great interview opportunity for a young writer. All our interns enjoy this assignment; one went on to do a documentary about AT hikers for a high school project and more than one has decided to hike the trail him or herself. You can read in this issue the story of our 2021 intern Sadie Leite, who writes about hiking the trail last month with her sister, Petra (see story on the next page).
We generally shorthand the length of the trail and say it’s 2,100 miles but its actual length changes every year or two, as repairs are made and sections are rerouted.
For 2022, the trail is officially 2,194.3 miles long, thanks in part to trail work done by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) on sections in New York and Connecticut. Much of the AT runs through privately owned land; this new work by AMC members shifted the trail over onto National Park Service lands.
You can get details about the AMC (which maintains sections of the trail between Maine and Washington, D.C.) and find out how to volunteer for future work details at www.outdoors.org. The website also has useful information on, for example, where there are overnight shelters along the trail. You can learn about the Appalachian Trail parent organization (the Appalachian Trail Conservancy) at www.appalachiantrail.org.
But if you’re looking for serious up-to-the-minute data (and if you want to register as an AT hiker), then you should go to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s registration pages at www.atcamp.org. There you can find explanations of why you should bother to register, and tips on when and where to begin your journey.
As a journalist, I particularly like the page that shows how many hikers have registered and started walking. If you’ve lived in the Tristate region for long enough, you start to see the hikers as an indicator of the seasons. Sometimes the lilacs bloom late or early; sometimes the first hikers appear earlier or later.
In 2020, shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were only 42 hikers who started out on April 1, and the numbers dwindled from there. In 2021, the majority of hikers doing the traditional south-to-north journey started out on April 1. There were 56 hikers on that date.
In 2022, there were 65 hikers who registered to start on April 1, but the following day (April 2) there were 66 hikers. On April 3, an additional 63 hikers headed north and the numbers have remained steadily high since then.
The first hikers began to appear in our towns in mid May. If you see a hiker on the road, give him or her a wave but don’t be surprised not to get a response. Often, to help them survive the many hours and days of walk, walk, walk the hikers go into a sort of fugue state. They’re most likely to be most friendly if you see them seated and relaxing with a lot of high-calorie food outside a grocery store.
If you want to help a hiker along the way, think about leaving some food or cold drinks in a cooler with a sign that says Trail Magic. Or if you see a hiker or two who are depleted and hoping for a ride, pull your car to the side of the road and let them clamber in if you have space for all their gear. But keep in mind that you might want to roll down all the windows first.
NORFOLK — Edward R. George, 86, of Norfolk, and Key West, Florida, passed peacefully away, Dec. 20, 2024, at Wolcott Hall with his wife Mary by his side. He was the beloved husband of Mary (Welch) George. Ed was born on Sept. 17, 1938, in Torrington during the Hurricane of ‘38.
He was the youngest of six born to Richard and Sophie (Swyden) George. He proudly served 17 years as a Torrington Firefighter, retiring after being injured in a house fire.
Ed owned and operated Merit Quality Pools, a business he started with his son as a service company and built it into a construction, retail store and full-service company for over 45 years.
He was very proud of his Lebanese heritage. Ed was an avid gardener and fisherman. Ed and Mary spent a good part of each year in Key West where they had a wonderful group of friends. There were picnics at the beach every Sunday and holidays. Ed was always ready for a good time or a road trip.
In addition to his wife, Mary, he is survived by his son; Michael R. George (Mary), his daughter, Lynn Colangelo (Peter) and his stepdaughter, Shannon Santoro (Gaetano) of Harwinton; one brother, Fredrick George (Joan) of Torrington; three grandchildren, Michael E. George (Maria) of Torrington, Lauren Santoro and Nicolas Santoro of Harwinton; three great grandsons, Gabriel, Nikolas, and Zachary George of Torrington as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by three brothers, Ernest, Louis and Marshall and one sister, Jeanette King.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at noon at Cook Funeral Home, 82 Litchfield St, Torrington, CT. Burial will be private. Relatives and friends may call from 10 a.m. until noon at Cook Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Norfolk Lions Ambulance PO Box 399, Norfolk CT 06058.
Condolences may be sent to the George family by visiting www.cookfuneralhomect.com
Leap year 2024 was another good year to buy and sell real estate in the North East corner of Dutchess County despite political turmoil and high interest rates; however, recorded results for the year in these four rural towns are distinctly different from one another. The markets of these four small towns — North East, Amenia, Washington and Pine Plains — all saw median prices for single family homes rise compared to last year with the biggest increase of 39% to $487,500 in the Town of North East and the smallest increase of 1.8% to $353,750 in Pine Plains. Both North East and Washington closed the year above the Dutchess County median price of $430,000. A closer look at real estate transfers over the last twelve months, including commercial and land as well as residential housing, reveals the unique dynamics of each town.
With 46 recorded transfers of property, rural Pine Plains is the least active and least expensive market in our readership area with only 46 public and private transactions, fewer than four a month, totaling $18.4 million. Residential sales accounted for 78% of the activity with only two houses selling for over one million dollars. The largest land sale was 174 acres at Pulvers Corners to Carson Power for a solar farm for $1.8 million. The project received approval from the Pine Plains Planning Board at the end of 2023 and beat back a legal challenge over the summer. The most talked about commercial sale was the former Lia’s Mountain House at 7685 Route 82 for $625,000 which is being transformed into an events venue and catering operation. The property was the most expensive of the four commercial properties sold in the town during the year.
North East and the Village of Millerton recorded 62 transactions totaling $34.8 million, almost double that of Pine Plains. Similarly, it had more than double the number of properties selling for over a million dollars. The most expensive was $4.05 million for 1081 Route 83, an architect designed estate with “heart stopping views” on 126.99 acres. The highest sale of a home in the Village of Millerton set a record to date of $670,000 on 38 Simmons St. There were two commercial properties sold in the town during the year. Bank of Millbrook bought the former Elizabeth’s Jewelry store on Route 44 for $890,000 and MadRose gallery purchased 5 Main St. for $469,000. Land sales were limited to six building lots ranging in price from $62,500 to 18 acres on Mountain Farm Road for $365,000.
The Town of Amenia has two separate real estate markets, public and private — Silo Ridge and everyplace else in town. Sales at gated community Silo Ridge of both lots and condos/villas accounted for $52.5 million or 67% of Amenia’s total dollar volume recorded transfers this year. Without Silo Ridge sales Amenia’s transaction volume in 2024 would be only $26.4 million — less than 75% of North East’s sales. One Key Multiple Listing Service reports that the Amenia median home price in 2024 without Silo Ridge was $351,000 – less than the $487,000 in North East, and $353,800 in Pine Plains. Outside Silo Ridge’s stone walls Amenia has many affordable neighborhoods as well as elegant estates like 22 Smithfield Road which sold for $3.7 million or 173 Kennel Road with 107 acres which sold for $3.9 million — the only two transfers in Amenia outside of Silo Ridge this year for over a million dollars. Resales at Silo Ridge are now beginning to happen with over 50% returns on the owners’ original investment. There were four transfers of commercial properties including the most expensive — Seravan Restaurant, now Panacea — which sold for $800,000. Sales of vacant land accounted for 15 of the 69 transfers including a total of $16.1 million for seven lots sold at Silo Ridge and eight town properties sold ranging in price from $45,000 for 3.7 acres to 32 acres for $500,000 on Cascade Mountain Road.
The Town of Washington and Village of Millbrook, collectively known as Millbrook — the Hamptons of Dutchess County — is by far the most active real estate market of the four with total sales of $106 million in 2024. Of the 72 transfers, 15 were over a million dollars, including three estates over $5 million and the median price for the year was $609,000, a 26% increase over 2023. Migdale Castle, built by John D. Rockefeller’s only daughter and renovated by the art-dealing, horse-racing Wildensteins for a rumored $20 million was sold at auction by Sotheby’s for $10.8 million. But Migdale was not the most expensive property. That honor went to an estate at 123 Fraleigh Hill Road with 145 acres, an 8,264 square foot house with six bathrooms, six fireplaces, an equestrian facility, swimming pool and sporting clay range for $12.45 million. Meanwhile three even pricier properties remain on the market at $18 million, $28 million and the Hitchcock estate with 2,078 acres for $65 million. Despite the sales of stunning houses on large parcels of land, approximately 30% of sales — especially on the village’s smaller lots — closed at less than $500,000 in 2024.
*This analysis is based on real estate transfers recorded between Dec. 1, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2024, sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Tax Service Agency. Only transfers with consideration are included. Median residential sales results are from One Key MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
MILLERTON — Katie Cariello, the school-to-work coordinator at the North East Community Center, has moved into a new role as the Town of North East’s Planning Board Secretary.
“I’ve really taken to the North East area,” Cariello said. “I enjoy frequenting the libraries, shops, restaurants, and supporting local farmers and makers. I realized there was a space I hadn’t frequented yet, and that was our local government.”
The part-time position requires Cariello to attend two Planning Board meetings a month and to write the minutes for those meetings.
“When I saw the secretary position, I knew I wanted to throw my hat into the ring,” Cariello said. “I am excited to serve the board in taking notes and providing an accurate account of meetings. I’ve attended a couple of Town meetings as well as the latest Planning Board meeting and am looking forward to taking on the role. ”
Cariello has been working at the North East Community Center for over two years as their school-to-work coordinator. After being offered this position, Cariello and her husband moved to Amenia in 2022, and then purchased their first home in the village of Millerton in 2023.
“As a newer member to the community, I want to be present and be a part of the local fabric,” Cariello said.
MILLBROOK — The village anticipates welcoming former Trustee Peter Doro to the position of Village Mayor in January following his election in November, along with two new Trustees. The exercise of reflecting on the past year shows accomplishments and progress on some major projects.
Millbrook’s youngsters did their part. The annual observance of Arbor Day in late April saw students enrolled in Grades K-2 at Elm Drive Elementary School helping with the planting of an elm tree in honor of their school.
In May, work began on the Stanford Road bridge over the east branch of Wappinger Creek, replacing the old structure with a new wider bridge. Stanford Road remained closed to traffic for the summer months.
On June 1, the village welcomed a new Chief of Police. Keith Dworkin.
For the first time since 2015, the Millbrook Library sought and received voter approval of a November ballot proposition to increase library funding within the town’s annual budget, only the third such funding request in the library’s history. Voters approved an increase of $165,000 to a new total of $349,000 for library support.
Following two public information sessions in October and November and mailings to each household, a mid-November special referendum on the school district’s capital plan saw defeat of all three proposed construction elements.
Three years in the planning, the project would remediate actively leaking roofs at two schools, the more severe problem found at the Middle School. The capital projects would install lifts for ADA-required access and allow for air quality monitoring and improvement within all schools in the district.
Because the plan includes critically needed maintenance work and repairs to areas with water damage, the district will continue the discussion into 2025 on a revised plan which voters can support.
Two major construction projects were a focus throughout the year. In late August, a contract was awarded by the Board of Trustees to replace storm drains on Washington Avenue. The work was completed before the end of the year.
A project to upgrade the village wastewater treatment plant received advice from the town’s bond counsel on how to amend the original 2022 resolution to reflect higher project costs of about $10 million.
A December report given at a Trustees meeting, presented by a representative of the engineering firm of Tighe and Bond, reviewed the status of required studies and early steps toward completing grant applications. The coming year will see continued progress.
