PINE PLAINS — Motivating New York Democrats in 2024, a conversation with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and state Sen. Michelle Hinchey was held Sunday, March 3, at the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture.
Kenya Gadsden, who is running on the Democratic ticket for Dutchess County clerk, talked briefly about the importance of this year’s political contests, asking if the audience understood the enormousness of the outcome of the vote.
She introduced Hinchey, saying that she had been voted “Advocate of the Year 2022” for her work in affordable housing, and also noted her work on aging water infrastructure and other environmental issues.
Gadsden introduced Gillibrand by saying that she was originally voted into Congress in 2006 and, in 2009, was appointed to fill the seat in the Senate left by Hillary Clinton. In 2010 she was voted into the Senate, where she has served since, advocating for health care, the environment, jobs and equality.
The discussion centered on the need for the Democrats to mobilize, to come together working toward the 2024 election.
Upstate priorities
Hinchey said that in many matters, the interests of upstate New York are left on the table. Reliable internet, accessible health care and other interests are left wanting because the communities are small. Getting the message out is imperative and can make a difference, she said.
Getting free breakfast and lunch to schoolchildren was a priority, she said; last year, that goal was 88% attained.
Chris Drago, county legislator for Dutchess County District 19 — which includes Stanford, Pine Plains, North East/Millerton — cited the need for change. In particular, he underscored the need for broadband accessibility and emergency services in the area.
Gillibrand said that violence is one of the main problems facing New York, but that while people think it is being caused by gun proliferation, the actual problem is illegal gun trafficking.
She also brought up some of the problems including sexual abuse in the military and the lack of equality for transgender and LGBTQ people.
She is sponsoring a bill that will provide free college tuition to 1,000 students, provided they serve the government for five years in a cyber-related discipline after their education.
About 25 protesters, some carrying signs, disrupted the discussion at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains Sunday, March 3.Judith O'Hara Balfe
War in the Middle East, division at home
Shortly after she began to speak, several audience members rose, some holding signs, chanting, “No cease fire, no vote,” referencing the ongoing devastation in Israel and Gaza. Some of the signs stated, “Stop the genocide.”
Gillibrand acknowledged that there was a need for discussion on the subject because it is a situation everyone cares deeply about. She tried to speak to the protestors while they continued to chant.
Gadsden began to sing, “There’s a train coming, you don’t need a ticket, you just get on board.”
Pine Plains and state police escorted the protestors out. Gillibrand said that the Middle East situation is dividing us. She summarized that on Oct. 6, a plan had been devised to allow for a two-state solution, that Jordan was providing support for the process, and that the attacks on Oct. 7 ended that plan.
She said that Hamas are not freedom fighters, but are paid by Russia. She said that the money the United States gives to Israel is for defense purposes, and that Biden is pushing Israel to the peace table.
At this juncture, the Rev. Peter Cook, executive director of the New York State Council of Churches, rose and questioned the accuracy of her statements. Gadsden offered to see him afterward and exchange phone numbers.
Hinchey, like Gillibrand, encouraged everyone to work for the reelection of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, naming the accomplishments of their administration, and adding, “The House of Representatives is a s— show. They don’t want to stop assaults on the LGBTQ community, don’t want to help kids with food or college,” she said.
Both Hinchey and Gillibrand agreed that the party has to be united and lift up the Biden and Harris team. Gillibrand said, “The great protector of our nation is democracy, but,” she admonished, “to be strong, democracy must be exercised” by voters.
Climate crisis
Hinchey said that we are not talking enough about the ongoing climate crisis, and that we’re not doing enough to mitigate it.
“We need to have sweeping change,” she stated, “or our kids and grandkids won’t have a future. This is uncomfortable, but necessary. Young people are asking, ‘Can we have a family?’ We have to make changes.”
She added, “If we lose next year, we’ll be asking, ‘How do we stop the damage?’”
The Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44 in the Town of North East currently sits vacant as owners Kim and Chris Choe work to finish renovations. The Choes first purchased the property in December 2024 with plans to open a grocery store there by June 2025, but faced signficant delays.
The couple, who bought the store from Joseph Trotta, plan to stock locally-sourced produce, meat, and seafood from Boston and New York City. Originally planned to open by June 2025, the Choes pushed back their estimated opening last summer to October 2025 and eventually said the timeline was unclear last fall.
The recent announcement comes amid mounting questions about the fate of both the Millerton supermarket and the Sharon Farm Market in Sharon, Connecticut, which the Choes also own and operate.
Their Millerton plans received approval from planning and building officials in the Town of North East in June 2025. Chris Choe said interior renovations at the store are nearing completion.
A new business partner is joining the project, although Choe declined to identify the individual citing ongoing negotiations.
Completed renovations include a new roof and HVAC upgrades. Remaining work includes new flooring, a replacement ceiling, parking lot reconfiguration and storefront upgrades, Choe said.
Choe attributed much of the delay to the demands of another grocery venture in New Haven, Connecticut, which he said the family plans to sell in the coming weeks.
“Driving, I lose three hours every day,” Choe said, adding that selling the business will allow him to focus on completing the Millerton supermarket and planned upgrades at Sharon Farm Market.
Construction debris and old freezers still litter the site of the Millerton supermarket.Photo by Nathan Miller
Rumors also called into question the fate of the Sharon Farm Market.
Jam Food Shop, a business that serves prepared foods and sandwiches that operates a space within the Sharon Farm Market, will be leaving the market at the end of September.
That move — coupled with sparse inventory on shelves — has fueled speculation about Sharon Farm Market’s future.
“We’re going to fix the store,” Choe said, describing plans to renovate the Sharon Farm Market’s interior and introduce a coffee shop and juice bar. He insisted the grocery store will not be closing, and renovations will begin after Jam’s departure at the end of September.
Choe said Jam Food Shop’s departure presents an opportunity to reconfigure the market’s prepared-food operation.
A new focus going forward will be cutting prices on prepared foods, improving and expanding available organic produce and making a foray into delivery with services such as Instacart and DoorDash.
News that the Millerton supermarket may finally open this year was met with cautious optimism by residents Sunday, May 31.
A.J. Day, a Millerton resident who said he moved to the village in 2008 with his parents, said his family has been anxiously awaiting a new supermarket in town.
Day said the family travels to Danbury to shop for groceries at Trader Joe’s for most of their needs, but often makes quick trips to LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury, Connecticut, or the Sharon Farm Market for immediate needs.
“My parents [and I] both want to see a place there,” Day said. “My parents were a little uneasy not having a place there for a while.”
Shannon Tyree-Brown and her daughters, Cassidy and Addison Brown, said they were encouraged by the latest timeline while acknowledging frustration over the prolonged vacancy.
“It’s kind of been depressing just sitting vacant for so long,” Tyree-Brown said. “Unfortunately, the other options didn’t stick.”
Despite the dismay, Tyree-Brown and her daughters are supportive of the effort and hopeful it will serve the community soon.
Nearby business owners are also eager to see the supermarket open.
The owners of Pasture Kitchen, a restaurant that occupies the former McDonald’s building on Route 44 adjacent to the supermarket plaza, are also looking forward to the Millerton market’s eventual opening.
Austin Cornell, who founded Pasture Kitchen, expects his restaurant to see a boost once the supermarket opens. He described the supermarket as a potential bridge between the Village of Millerton and businesses farther down Route 44 beyond the village boundary.
“I feel like we’re removed from the village,” Cornell said.
While locals are largely supportive of the venture, some residents are skeptical that the Millerton store will open in the fall of 2026.
“Chris has said that for years now,” said longtime Sharon resident Mike Rand. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
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