Dance craze, banning girls and the Circus

91 years ago: May 4, 1933

‘Law Puts End to Marathon Dance Craze’: This State is to have no more marathon dances, with fatigued couples dragging themselves over a ballroom floor until all but one drop from exhaustion - that is, if heed is given to the bill of Assemblyman Gimbrone, of Buffalo. Which the Governor has signed. It makes it a misdemeanor to conduct or participate in such an exhibition for more than eight consecutive hours.

‘About Millerton’: A small leather case containing two flat kays was recently picked up and brought to THE NEWS office. There are numbers on the keys, but we won’t tell them, lest some expert safecracker claim them and then open the vault in the Town Hall. However, the keys really look quite harmless and if some reader who finds himself locked out of his chicken house or can’t start his car will only come in and identify them with reasonable exactness, we will send him on his way rejoicing.

‘Ad’: Barn Dance at Merwin’s New Barn Friday, May 12 On crossroad between Irondale and Spencer’s Corners, 1 mile from Millerton. Music by Garrity’s Refreshments admission 50 [cents] Dancing 9-1 D.S.T.

50 years ago: May 2, 1974

‘Little League Bans Girls from Teams’: After trying out for the Millerton Little League team, Carol Crawford, age 11, was told last week by Manager Craig Summers, that girls were not allowed to play in the league. “At first, I was sort of disappointed,” said Carol, “ but we (the girls) just started our own softball team.”

Mid-County Little League President, Phil Cunningham of Amenia, told The News, Wednesday, that “We’re under the national organization at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and girls are not allowed to try out. I got a daughter and wouldn’t let her play[…]” He added that if girls played they would not be covered by insurance through Williamsport. [...] The Little League team in Rhinebeck decided to accept girls and is starting its own team outside of the national charter.

‘All About Outhouses’: The tale of an old-time necessity, the outhouse, will be told by Henry Pitcher of Millerton at the next meeting of the North East Historical Society, on Monday, May 13. [...] His favorite model is a brick one he saw in Patterson, NY, but he has pictures and slides of many varieties like the Dreadnought, the Non-pareil, or the Eureka.[...]

‘New Bill Gives Women Equal Credit Rights’: Governor Willson has signed into law legislation recommended by him in his Message to the Legislature, which gives women the same standing as men in obtaining credit. The new statute makes unlawful discriminatory practice for any person to discriminate in the granting of any form of credit, on the basis of sex race, creed, color, national origin or marital status.Married women also are given, at their option, independent status in connection with credit history reporting.

“Although women in this state have made substantial progress towards equality in industry, in the professions and in the general economic life of the state,” the Governor said in a memorandum accompanying his approval of the bill, “they have long been held back from full economic equality by the difficulties they have encountered in obtaining access to credit, a basic commodity in modern society.”

25 years ago: May 6, 1999

‘Quick Named New Director of Library’: Margaret “Midge” Quick has been promoted by the Board of Trustees to the position of director of the NorthEast-Millerton Library, after two years as the assistant library director, responsible for the children’s program. [...] The prospect of managing the library, which has 18,000 volumes and two public computer terminals for access to the Internet, is “a little bit scary but exciting,” Ms. Quick said. “I love books and working with the public. It feels like a really nice fit.”

‘Vidbel’s Circus Coming’: Vidbel’s Olde Tyme Circus will perform two shows here [...] The all-new 1999 edition of the circus features clowns, horses, aerialists, a lively circus band, trained dogs, jugglers, Russian Cossack riders and more. [...]

‘Beanie Bargains’: Representatives from the Webutuck Class of 2004 sell Teeny Beanie Babies in a class benefit Saturday during the annual Webutuck Community Day and Craft Fair at the high school.

‘Hamilton Inn Focusing On Its Guests, Quests’: Business at the Hamilton Inn has been bustling lately and renovations to the restaurant could add even more excitement to the dining experience there. Construction work on one side of the Hamilton Inn will be completed later this month, so the porch area, which sports a fireplace, can be used year-round. The area used to be screened in and could only be used in the summer.

The historic building on Route 44 was once a speakeasy and, in fact, a stomping ground for the likes of Al Capone, according to Michael Rossetti, an assistant to restaurant owner Lauren Simons.[...]