MILLERTON —Nearly four weeks after a furnace fire sent deadly levels of carbon monoxide inside 7-9 Main Street and forced as many as 18 residents to evacuate, a dispute between displaced tenants and the building’s owner has raised questions about safety, management and whether the property will reopen.
As of press time, the village had posted a notice on the building declaring it an “Unsafe Structure,” barring residents from returning until required repairs are completed. Village officials said required repairs include installing a new furnace, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and an ADA-compliant ramp. However, the owner said he is hesitant to undertake those upgrades after years of challenges with the village and some tenants.
Several tenants described their displacement as the latest failure of the owner, Kastriot “Chris” Rrapi, to properly maintain the 126-year-old building, an argument that Rrapi disputes.
“Our entire world got flipped upside down in a matter of hours,” said Brittney Watson, 22, who said she woke to the smell of smoke and felt dizzy as alarms sounded. Her family — including her father, Tim Watson, who uses a wheelchair after losing both legs — was among those forced to evacuate.
The property now appears unoccupied. Village officials said they shut off water to the building as an additional measure to prevent anyone from living there.
The Watson family is currently staying in temporary housing with assistance from the American Red Cross — an arrangement that is set to expire in early March, around 30 days after they first moved into the temporary home. The family said their future living situation is now uncertain.
Tim Watson's electric wheelchair sits in an alley space near a side entrance to the 7-9 Main Street apartment building. Watson said his brother helped him install a stairlift on the staircase leading to the door because the building lacked wheelchair-accessible entrances.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Tim Watson said he and his family moved into a first-floor apartment in the building about three years ago — though Rrapi describes it as less than two — and did not sign a written lease. Watson said his family was asked to pay rent in cash under a verbal agreement that would allow for weekly payments based on their fixed-income financial situation. Rent was $1,650 per month for a two-bedroom apartment.
“There was no lease,” Watson said. “It was always cash.”
The Watson family described long-standing problems, including pests, unreliable heat, and water leaks. The family said they repeatedly raised concerns about maintenance issues that went ignored. In the weeks leading up to the fire, Watson said the apartment went days without heat or hot water, forcing the family to rely on a space heater.
Jason Wendover, who is married to one of Watson’s daughters, described similar issues during his time in the building in 2025 in a second-floor apartment, including concerns about whether utilities were properly separated by unit and what he said was a severe cockroach infestation.
“They got into everything,” Wendover said of the cockroaches. “I’d wake up in the morning and, if I forgot to change the coffee, there would be roaches floating in the coffee pot.”
Rrapi disputes many of the Watsons’ claims and said they stopped paying rent months ago, leaving their unit in disarray after the evacuation.
“The building is old, I understand that,” Rrapi said. “It needs work. But the drama this family puts landlords through — it’s unacceptable.”
He said the family destroyed the apartment and caused tension for other tenants, noting complaints about loud arguments and smoking indoors.
Rrapi disputes allegations that he required cash-only payments, saying all of his tenants are welcome to pay by cash, check or Zelle — a cellphone banking app that allows for electronic payments. He also said a professional exterminator was sent to the building and that the Watson family refused to allow them into their apartment.
“I submitted the receipt to the Dutchess County Department of Health,” Rrapi said.
Rrapi said the Watsons owe him nearly $22,000 in back rent and damages, and eviction proceedings are underway. He said they were provided with notice in the months leading up to the fire. He described the apartment left behind by the family as severely damaged, saying they did not maintain the interior of the apartment.
“It’s a wreck to the point that it has to be gutted,” Rrapi said. “It’s my fault that I rented to them, but I felt sorry for them.”
Tim Watson denied ever receiving an eviction notice and rejected claims that his family caused damage to the apartment. He said he withheld as much as $15,000 in rent in the months leading up to the fire, describing the decision as a protest against what he called “slum-like” conditions in the building.
Just inside the building's side entrance is a hole in the wall caused by the doorknob.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Rrapi said the building’s future remains uncertain amid foreclosure proceedings that began in 2023 after a commercial loan went into default, which he attributed largely to a discrepancy he said he discovered after purchasing the property with his father, Zef Rapaj.
With 12 electrical meters on the building, the pair believed it was configured for 12 units, but they later learned it is legally zoned for six, which complicated the property’s finances and prompted him to pursue a variance through the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
He described the property as “the biggest headache I ever bought,” citing years of zoning roadblocks and financial strain that have left him uncertain how much more he is willing to invest in the property. Rrapi purchased the Millerton property along with two residential properties in Amenia and a vacant lot in Dover Plains from Christine Lilley of Brewster in 2021.
“I’m not going to put that kind of money into it if I’m not allowed to use the building the way it’s set up,” he said.
While he said he plans to replace the furnace, Rrapi said renovation plans have stalled amid what he described as shifting standards and mixed signals from the village.
With his legal team and architect Ray Nelson of Earthwise Architecture, Rrapi sought to scale back a proposal from 12 units to nine, which the ZBA rejected in June 2025.
The variance request was denied in part due to parking requirements, which mandate 1.5 spaces per unit — a standard that village officials have acknowledged has been difficult to meet in Millerton’s dense downtown.
Rrapi said he considered demolishing the building out of frustration, though he said he still has hope that there is a path forward to rehabilitate the building.
No timeline has been set for repairs or occupancy. Village officials said residents may not return until all safety requirements are met. Rrapi said he will complete the required work but remains undecided about whether he will continue renting the building long-term.
Dutchess County Emergency Medical Services Commissioner William Beale addresses the County Legislature's Public Safety Committee during a meeting in Poughkeepsie on Wednesday, March 4.
In North East, ambulances reached Priority 1 calls within the nine-minute benchmark only half of the time, while in Amenia the rate dropped to 33%.
County-wide, ambulances reached those life-threatening calls within nine minutes 69% of the time.
In Pine Plains, ambulances took an average of nearly 13 minutes to arrive, and only 29% of critical calls were reached within nine minutes.
The response time data includes both municipal ambulance services that towns contract for — such as North East’s current contract with Empress, which will climb from $511,558 to $696,345 this year, a 36.1% increase — and the county’s supplemental EMS program, which adds ambulances, fly cars and technology to fill gaps in coverage.
But the data suggests rural communities in northeastern Dutchess received little direct support from those supplemental services. North East received just one supplemental EMS dispatch during the entire year, while Pine Plains and Milan each received 13, Amenia received eight, and Stanford and Millbrook each received fewer than 10.
Local legislators and municipal leaders say the numbers highlight an urgent need for short-term collaboration while the county develops a broader, long-term plan to address the region’s EMS challenges.
While the countywide average response time for life-threatening calls is just over eight minutes from dispatch to arrival, northeastern Dutchess towns see significantly longer waits.
The data comes on the heels of last year’s announcement that Empress Emergency Medical Services would absorb Northern Dutchess Paramedics, a move that further consolidates ambulance services in the area under a private provider backed by private equity. Empress EMS is owned by PatientCare EMS, a portfolio company of Grant Avenue Capital LLC, a healthcare-focused private equity firm.
Dutchess County Legislator Eric Alexander (D-25), who chairs the Public Safety Committee, and Vice Chair Chris Drago (D-19) invited Dutchess County Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Response (DER) William H. Beale to speak at last week’s Public Safety Committee meeting.
“We’re increasingly dependent on one provider of EMS,” Alexander said, addressing Commissioner Beale. He shared his concerns that the purchase of NDP by Empress is bordering on a monopoly.
Chris Drago — who represents the towns of North East, Pine Plains, Milan, Red Hook and Clinton — speaks about the struggle to afford quality emergency medical service in the rural area he represents during a meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature's Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, March 4.Photo by Aly Morrissey
“They see the growth of the market, an aging population, and I think they also see the opportunity to demand premium pricing and to defend it over the long term,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe private companies think counties or towns will push back.
“The service is quickly growing beyond what is affordable,” Alexander added, pointing specifically to the Town of North East, which is expected to pay around $700,000 next year for its existing contract with Empress — one that was transferred from NDP.
Alexander and Drago asked Beale to address the state of EMS in the county and what the $4 million supplemental services program has achieved after two years.
Beale, who was appointed in August 2025, outlined his department’s efforts to date and shared next steps, acknowledging that residents in the northeastern parts of the county have seen limited support from supplemental services.
“It’s a multipronged approach,” Beale said of the county’s current efforts to improve EMS countywide. He said the Department of Emergency Response has expanded regional collaboration meetings with town officials and first responders, while also working to continue tracking and transparently sharing data across the county.
Beale pointed to workforce development efforts aimed at addressing a shortage of emergency responders, including initiatives to streamline EMT and paramedic certification.
The next step, he said, is preparing for a comprehensive countywide EMS plan now required by the state. Under legislation passed by Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year, counties must develop detailed EMS plans, while municipalities will also be expected to evaluate and plan for their own emergency response plans.
In an email to local municipal leaders, Town of Milan Supervisor Bill Jeffway said the region “needs to address immediate, short-term EMS needs as we all work with the County and State on longer-term solutions.”
Jeffway said an ad-hoc committee, advised by Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, was formed to support EMS services. The group will host a region-wide meeting to brainstorm ways small towns and villages can collaborate on short-term solutions.
The purpose of the meeting will be to hear from Jonathan Washko, Assistant Vice President Emergency Medical Services for Northwell Health — a company that some local leaders are hopeful could serve as a stop-gap option in the region. Washko, considered to be a leading industry expert, is expected to share what Northwell can offer locally.
Commissioner Beale said he and his team have met with Northwell Health recently and he is hopeful that Northwell’s ambulances and EMTs can be onboarded into the county’s existing dispatch.
“If they have units available in northern Dutchess County at Northern Dutchess Hospital, or if they have units available at Sharon Hospital, they could potentially serve northeastern Dutchess County,” Beale said. “It may take some time, but we will be moving forward on developing that plan very quickly.”
Beale also said that Northwell Health does not contract with specific municipalities, which could be a welcome change from other private companies like Empress.
Legislator Drago said he is advocating for a pilot program in northern Dutchess County and will be attending the upcoming meeting with local municipal leaders.
Dan Cohen, left, dispenses whipped cream on a plate of maple syrup treats during a demonstration on the making of maple syrup at Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo on Millbrook School’s campus.
“This is a very seasonal activity, and you’ve got to go while you can,” Tousignant said of the labor-intensive process.
Alan Tousignant stokes a fire in a maple evaporator, a machine that turns maple sap into syrup with heat.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Tousignant first experimented with making maple syrup in a backyard over an open campfire under the stars — a method he said required long nights and wasted much of the heat.
Today, he uses a specialized maple evaporator, a large stainless-steel pan heated by a wood fire from below that allows sap to boil efficiently and continuously.
Sap collected from the trees begins as a clear, watery liquid that contains only about two to two and a half percent sugar, Tousignant explained. Before boiling, the sap is run through a reverse-osmosis process to concentrate the sugar slightly. The liquid then enters the evaporator, where heat gradually removes the water as the sap flows through a series of channels.
By the time the liquid reaches about 215 degrees, the sugar has concentrated enough to become maple syrup.
Tousignant said he is currently collecting sap from around 50 maple trees, some of which have multiple taps. He said one gallon of maple syrup requires around 40 gallons of sap, a process that requires a lot of patience.
“That’s what I call ‘almost syrup,’ he laughed, pointing to a container of darkening liquid that had already been boiled and was completing a filtration process.
“Typically, the early season syrup is lighter, and as the season goes on, it gets darker,” he said. “Toward the end of the season, it can be really dark, almost like walnut syrup.”
Tousignant collects chunks of naturally formed ice that float in the sap buckets when the weather gets cold enough as a way to keep a 300-gallon tank of sap cool to prevent it from spoiling until it can be processed.
Alan Tousignant adjusts the water level in his maple evaporator at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo on Millbrook School’s campus on Saturday, March 7.Photo by Aly Morrissey
“I love trying to use Mother Nature to its fullest in a sustainable way,” he said.
He employs the same philosophy in his woodworking, using trees that have already died or fallen or collecting discarded wood pallets from Amazon deliveries to the Millbrook School, saving them from the burn pile.
Raised near the Canadian border in upstate New York, Tousignant said he has always enjoyed working outdoors. As a graduate student, he supported himself with a variety of hands-on jobs to make extra spending money.
“Raking leaves, washing houses, painting, anything to make a little cash for eating and paying the bills,” he said.
It was during this time when Tousignant developed an acronym that now serves as the label for his maple syrup — Hayibaco, short for Home and Yard Improvements by Alan.
This will mark his first year selling his own maple syrup under his custom label, which features an illustrated photo of him in his signature outfit — a plaid shirt and a fleece vest — against a backdrop of his syrup bottles. Syrup will be sold in the gift shop at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo and possibly at the Millerton Farmer’s Market in the future.
In addition to Hayibaco, other locally made maple syrup and maple products were available for sale at the tasting, including nearby Soukup Farms in Dover and Russell Farms in Rhinebeck.
Dan Cohen, Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo’s Director of Media, said that zoo attendance typically dips during the winter months. But for many of the zoo’s animals — particularly those who prefer the cold weather — winter can actually be one of the best times to visit.
Animals like Stanley the lynx, Cohen said, are far more active in the cold weather.
Cohen and his colleagues began brainstorming ways to encourage winter zoo visits and were pleased with the success of both a hot chocolate event earlier this year and the maple syrup weekend.
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