Fire guts Water and Highway Building, destroys vehicles, tools

The charred remains of the structure which resulted from the Feb. 3 fire at the Village Water and Highway building, located on Route 22 in Millerton.
Photo By Krista A. Briggs
The charred remains of the structure which resulted from the Feb. 3 fire at the Village Water and Highway building, located on Route 22 in Millerton.
MILLERTON — On Feb. 3, a fire broke out in the early hours of the morning at the Village Water and Highway building, located on Route 22. By 3:41 a.m., sirens went off in the village, alerting first responders to the blaze, the cause of which still remains under investigation.
The fire, which resulted in a state of emergency being declared for the village around six o’clock in the morning, destroyed all but the building’s cinder block walls. It decimated highway vehicles, equipment and tools.
In a phone call with the News on Feb. 9, Millerton police chief Joseph Olenik confirmed several highway vehicles were lost in the blaze, but did not have specifics on the exact number of damaged vehicles at press time.
According to mayor Jenn Najdek, there were no injuries. “We’re grateful for that,” she said. “The rest is stuff which can be replaced.”
While Najdek wades through the insurance claims process, she moves forward with experience, having lost her own home in a fire. She confirmed the structure will be rebuilt as the space is needed for both the highway department and the water building.
The village’s wells are situated on the property, and Najdek was quick to point out the safety and sufficiency of the village’s water supply. Samples have been repeatedly taken for quality assurance purposes, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the Board of Health have greenlit the village’s water supply.
Najdek also pointed out that, despite the devastation to the structure, the water system remained functional and properly chlorinated with the aid of a temporary system involving well #1, and drinking water was continuously fit for human consumption.
While the rebuilding process will take time, Najdek is heartened by the response to the fire, not just from the Millerton community but also from the region.
“Every municipality has stepped up. The Town of North East did a great job of assisting with plowing,” she said, explaining trucks from the township cleared snow from village streets in the early hours of the morning of the fire, lifting one burden. The Town of East Fishkill also assisted by providing an engineer that day to guide village water operators in creating solutions through a provisional system which enabled the water supply to run safely and without interruption.
Najdek conveyed gratitude to the responders, thanking the Millerton Fire Company, the North East Fire District, and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office. She remains grateful as well to the Dutchess County Department of Public Works who loaned two trucks — one with a plow and sander and another equipped only with a plow. Additional assistance in battling the blaze and aiding in its aftermath was provided by the fire departments of Amenia, Sharon, Pine Plains, Copake, Wassaic, Falls Village, the Dutchess County Emergency Response, the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division, and the New York State Police.
North East town supervisor Chris Kennan emphasized the importance of unity as the village regroups from the fire. He also credited the North East Fire District for their quick action.
“I’m glad we were able to help. We’re so grateful to them for being on the scene … They did a wonderful job,” Kennan said. He noted that while the village and the township are separate entities, the common cause is what matters most. “We are two governments”, said Kennan, “and one community.”
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.