Francis J. Schell
Latest News
A ballroom, really?
Millerton News
Apr 29, 2026
Saturday’s shooting targeted an event designed to defend the First Amendment freedoms Donald Trump has spent years undermining — labeling the press as “the enemy of the people”. His takeaway? Washington needs a new ballroom. Sen. Lindsey Graham agreed, “It’s very difficult to have a bunch of important people in the same place unless it’s really, really secure.”
This from a president who, within hours of his inauguration, shut down the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and has since ordered the rollback of background checks, defunded community safety programs, and made it easier to put weapons in dangerous hands.
So far this year, 69 children under 12 and 262 teenagers have been killed by gun violence — a number that grew since this was written. Firearms have been the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 19 every year since 2020.
One man with a gun disrupted a dinner. Hundreds of children are dead.
The president’s solution? Build himself a ballroom. Call it a bunker if it helps.
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License plates, Sharon Hospital, Christmas in April
John Coston
Apr 29, 2026
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
April 25, 1935
New License Plates Would Cost Millions To Motorists
The Senate, in the closing hours of the session just ended, passed a bill providing for the adoption of new type of automobile license plates which, if Governor Lehman signs the measure, will result in a cost of millions of dollars to the motorists of New York State. After passing the Assembly by a close margin, the bill went through the upper house with every Republican member present and two Democrats voting against it.
Fire Company Sponsors Entertainment; Proceeds To Benefit Pumper Fund
The Millerton Volunteer Fire Department is sponsoring a vaudeville and moving picture entertainment to be presented at the Millerton Theatre, Tuesday night for the benefit of the pumper fund. Members of the department are hopeful that proceeds of the entertainment will substantially increase this fund which is to be used to purchase a new fire truck, replacing the antiquated apparatus now in use.
Stanford Woman Saved From Fire
STANFORDVILLE - Caught in the path of a raging brush and grass fire that burned over an area of more than 100 acres in the Town of Stanford here Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Clinton Field was saved from almost certain death by Charles Osterhout, a neighbor, who rushed into the flames and carried her to safety. Unconscious from shock, the woman was not revived until late Sunday night. She suffered slight burns.
Starting from a rubbish blaze on Mrs. Field’s property, the fire was finally subdued by the Stanford and Clinton Fire Departments with the assistance of rangers and neighbors after a long battle.
April 22, 1976
Vandals Desecrate Millerton Church
Vandals smeared human excrement over the walls and curtains of the Sunday School room of the Millerton Methodist Church on Main Street on Wednesday night, April 14. They caused $600 worth of damage.
Gas Station Burglarized
New York State Police Investigators are looking into the possible connection between an April 13 burglary at Conklin’s Texaco in Millerton and recent burglaries in the Lakeville area.
On April 13, thieves broke into the Route 44 service station in Millerton and stole 1 radio. Connecticut State Police recently apprehended 26-year- old Roy Duntz of Salisbury and Raymond Sprague, 20, of Millerton, on charges that include burglary and attempted burglary in Lakeville.
A spokesman for the N.Y. State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation said his office is investigating the possible connection between the New York and Connecticut crimes. Duntz and Sprague are being held in Litchfield County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail each.
April 26, 2001
Sharon Hospital Resubmits Application a Third Time
SHARON - What seemed like a collective sigh of relief, similar to one heaved upon completion of a major term paper, emanated from Sharon Hospital this week.
On Tuesday, all the information requested by the attorney general’s (AG) office to complete the application needed to proceed with the sale of the hospital to Essent Healthcare, was sent. Two previous submissions were deemed incomplete, but officials feel confident the third time is the charm.
“We’re patient and confident,” hospital CFO Rob Wright said during an interview Wednesday morning.
“We’ve gone through an exhaustive search to get all the information.”
The search involved tracking down documentation about gifts that had been given to the hospital since its opening in 1909. That information, along with material about conflicts of interest and Sharon’s proposed affiliation with St. Francis Hospital and Health Center in Hartford, were lacking in the last application.
If the application is approved, Sharon Hospital would become the first in Connecticut to convert from non-profit to for-profit.
In a cover letter from Reid & Riege, the law firm hired for the application process, attorneys John Horak and John Newman stated, “The Hospital and its advisors have worked long and hard to provide you with detailed information about the proposed transaction and the Hospital. We believe that the Notice satisfies all the established requirements for ‘completeness’ ...and that the 120 day review period should commence.”
In a return piece of correspondence issued from AG Richard Blumenthal’s office Wednesday, he said, “These additional documents are a welcome step toward completing the application. They seem to address many of our concerns that made previous filings incomplete or inadequate. We have done only a preliminary review since the documents were received just hours ago, but our hope is to move forward as promptly as possible to public hearings that will give citizens and others an opportunity to comment.”
Christmas in April: Volunteer Group Will Paint Village Firehouse
WEBUTUCK — Webutuck students, parents and staff will be busily at work Saturday, April 28, as part of “Christmas in April.” This not-for-profit agency raises funds and organizes volunteers to provide home repairs for individuals who are unable to do so for themselves.
Instead of assisting an individual homeowner this year, the Webutuck volunteers have an unusual project, painting the interior of the Millerton firehouse. Millerton Mayor Mariley Najdek suggested this undertaking to technology teacher John Roccanova. Fire Chief Al Andrews said it was time for the chore to be done and was all for the idea of having the Webutuck group tackle the job.
At present, there are 12 students and seven parent and staff volunteers signed up. They will work in shifts of 7:30 a.m. to noon and noon to 4:30 p.m. Students can use their hours towards earning a school and community service credit.
Ed Herrington Inc. and Westchester Modular Homes have contributed paint and supplies for the day’s activities. Volunteers are also asked to bring roller handles, brushes and drop cloths.
So far, the Millerton Deli, Broadway Pizza and Christina’s Garden Restaurant and Gourmet Greek Deli have offered to provide food for the volunteers.
Additional contributions of supplies and snacks would be greatly appreciated. Call Mr. Roccanova at xxx-xxxx.
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Millerton’s Fire Company exemplifies long history of community volunteerism
Nathan Miller
Apr 29, 2026
An historic photograph from the Millerton News shows a blaze consuming the former Brown Cup Diner on Route 22 south of Millerton in the early 1970s. The Brown Cup Diner fire was one of a series of fires in the 1970s that received major coverage in local news outlets. The building was fully engulfed in flames, forcing fire crews to simply watch and wait until an appropriate time came to begin smothering the blaze.
Photo Courtesy North East Historical Society
MILLERTON — Millerton’s volunteer fire department has been battling blazes in the area for more than 130 years, charting a history of heroism in the village that began with a failed attempt to save a prominent hotel in 1891.
North East Fire District Commissioner Dave Vandebogart, who serves as the fire company’s historian, is himself a third-generation member of the Millerton Fire Company. He said Millerton’s rapid growth after the arrival of the railroad spurred the need for an organized fire department.
At the time, building codes didn’t exist and materials were much more flammable. Densely populated communities like the newly-formed Millerton could face devastation if a fire broke out and spread through the community.
That fear materialized in January 1891, Vandebogart said, when the Millerton Hotel near the intersection of John Street and Center Street caught fire. Village residents banded together with buckets to try to douse the flames, but the effort wasn’t enough to save the building. The incident highlighted a need for an organized fire company with proper firefighting equipment.
Calls for a fire department grew over the course of 1891, strengthening support for a common water works system for the village that would be necessary for a proper municipal firefighting force.
The fire company officially formed in January 1892, after village trustees met at the Millerton National Bank and voted to create a local fire company. Trustees later elected to name the company the E.H. Thompson Hose Company in honor of the bank’s president, who provided the venue for the trustees’ early meetings.
The newly-formed hose company soon purchased a horse-drawn hose cart, complete with a 500-foot hose, wrenches and 28 pails for carrying water. An additional horse driven cart carried nine ladders.
In the 1890s, only Fire Chief Mintline Morgan and his Assistant Chief wore helmets or uniforms. Regular company members wouldn’t get their own hats and uniforms until 1901.
The fire company’s first official home was a building that still stands at the corner of Dutchess Avenue and Century Boulevard in Millerton, neighboring the building that houses EcoBuilders and Moore & Moore Printing. That building was built in 1902 and named the E.H. Thompson Fire House to further honor the Millerton National Bank’s president.
Firefighters would continue to battle blazes with the horse-drawn hose cart for another 20 years until the company purchased the Brockway fire engine in 1922. The truck, described as a “chemical apparatus” in a 2017 recounting of the fire company’s history written by Vandebogart, was used for 25 years and then sold in 1948 for $100.
The 1920s were a time of change for the fire company. Company leaders and village officials voted to drop E.H. Thompson’s name in favor of the modern “Millerton Fire Company” moniker in 1924, to reflect the company’s presence in Millerton and recent access to modern firefighting technology like motorized trucks and pumps.
Millerton’s fire department slowly grew, expanding its equipment collection until a new firehouse was necessary and constructed in 1962. That building on Century Boulevard still serves as the company’s main firehouse today and is currently undergoing renovations to its exterior.
Firefighters have had to man the firehouse 24/7 on multiple occasions during the village’s history — including in 1969 when a massive snowstorm shut down Route 22 for two days and two nights.
People crowded local churches and the firehouse for a warm place to stay as the snowstorm stranded travelers and forced some locals out of their homes. Everyone was stuck until large snow blowers arrived from Poughkeepsie to clear Route 22.
That snowstorm is just one of the many catastrophes that Millerton firefighters have responded to. Vandebogart described a fire at Suburban Propane in 1965 that set a record for the largest response to a fire in Dutchess County History.
“That was three days and three nights,” Vandebogart said. He said the fire started when a propane tanker truck’s brakes failed, causing it to roll into a storage tank at the Millerton propane facility and explode.
Firefighters responded to the explosion quickly, dousing nearby propane tanks with water to keep temperatures down and prevent further explosions while simultaneously dousing active flames.
“I was five years old at the time,” Vandebogart said. “I remember looking out the back door at one of the explosions that had just taken place.”
That record stood until Jan. 1, 1996, when a fire at Polytech Corporation in Dover, New York, triggered a larger response.
Over the past 34 years, the fire company has expanded to a brand new garage across Century Boulevard from the current firehouse.
But Vandebogart said the fire company faces more profound challenges than just fighting fires. Changing demographics in the area and increased training standards have created challenges for the volunteer organization.
“Everything is modeled for career,” Vandebogart said, highlighting a shift over recent decades toward professional emergency medical services and firefighters nationwide. As that shift has occurred, safety standards and training requirements have risen across the board, placing a larger burden on volunteers.
“When I started in 1986 we had the ‘Essentials of Firemanship,’” Vandebogart said. “It was 39 hours and you learned a lot.” Today, firefighters are required to complete more than 100 hours of training and education to qualify for service.
Another challenge is attracting new members. In 2017, the Millerton Fire Company ran a program known as “Explorers,” which allowed teenagers from 14 and up to participate in volunteer work at the firehouse.
But that program folded due to staffing issues, and the North East Fire District Board of Commissioners has proposed a policy limiting volunteer participation to those no younger than 16 at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21.
Vandebogart said rising cost of living in the region further exacerbates recruitment challenges. As costs increase, younger generations of Millertonians have become less likely to stay in the community to build a life.
“Membership kind of ebbs and flows,” Vandebogart said. “It is hard to keep young people around here.”
Looking toward the future, Vandebogart said the fire company hopes to avoid having to transition to professional firefighting for as long as possible.
“We’re just trying to keep it volunteer,” Vandebogart said.
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Millerton’s fixers
Nathan Miller
Apr 29, 2026
Nathan Miller
Local volunteers provide repair assistance at a Repair Café in the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on Saturday, April 25. The initiative, sponsored by the Millerton/North East Climate Smart Task Force, provided repairs to small electronics and appliances, furniture and textiles for up to two items per person for free.
Webutuck Elementary extends registration for free Pre-K, kindergarten
Graham Corrigan
Apr 29, 2026
Webutuck Pre-K students enjoy quiet reading time together at Webutuck Elementary School.
Photo Provided
AMENIA — Webutuck Elementary School has extended registration for its free Pre-K and kindergarten programs, opening enrollment until all remaining spots are filled as demand for early childhood education continues to rise.
The program is open to children who will be 3 or 4 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2026.
“We’re seeing the need for this in the community,” said Webutuck Elementary principal Amanda Coppola.
Affordable childcare is a pressing concern for Dutchess County. The number of county-wide early learning centers has dipped sharply, including the closure of North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program in December 2025.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has made universal childcare a priority, earmarking $4.5 billion for a statewide program. A pilot program of $60 million for Dutchess, Monroe and Broome Counties was announced in January.
But that money isn’t available until 2027. Webutuck Elementary is one of the local schools trying to bridge the gap — this is the first year the school is including 3-year-olds in their Pre-K programming.
Previously, only 4-year-olds were eligible to participate. “It’s a start into socialization,” Coppola said. “We encourage a lot of outdoor activities, and the kids learn how to deal with different personalities.”
Pre-K also allows teachers to identify children who may struggle with the transition to school and provide support they might not otherwise receive.
To participate in the Pre-K 3 program, parents can call the school’s main office and set up a screening appointment. They’ll be asked to provide proof of residency and documents verifying their child’s age. To sign up, parents can call the school at 845-373-4100, ext. 1111. An orientation for registered students is scheduled for May 8.
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Amenia artist repurposes discarded glassware for sustainable candles
Leila Hawken
Apr 29, 2026
Emma Berley has recently launched her mostly on-line endeavor called Underdog’s Revival Candle in her Amenia home.
Photo by Leila Hawken
AMENIA — A local artist is repurposing discarded glassware as vessels for handcrafted candles, blending sustainability with creative expression through her small business, Underdog’s Revival Candle.
Underdog’s Revival Candle is the home-based workshop of Emma Berley, an artist who has expanded her practice into candle-making using natural ingredients and repurposed vessels.
“I became obsessed with making candles,” Berley said during a studio tour on Wednesday, April 22. She began the learning process in 2020, she recalled, before moving with her family to Amenia in 2023.
What sets the candle company apart is devotion to artistic expression that also sees possibilities in items that have been devalued or discarded, returning them to usefulness in the form of candles.
“The first step is to collect the glassware,” Berley explained, citing likely sources such as thrift shops, yard sales and auction sites.
“There are tons of vessels out there in the world,” Berley said, adding that intriguing containers can also be created using a glass cutter on wine and beer bottles. She also repurposes vintage china, pressed glass and cut glass — items no longer widely used in modern homes.
Beyond the containers, candle colors and fragrances are natural. Berley said that she avoids synthetic fragrances, often handcrafting her own using lavender, citrus and vanilla beans, having learned early on that commercial vanilla extract cannot be used in wax because of its flammable alcohol content.
Berley grows many of the herbs used for her candles in her home garden.
“I want local people to come and pick up the candles,” Berley said, offering a 20% discount for customers who order online and choose pickup.
“I want to get the marketing and business side going,” Berley said. “I could sit and make candles, but how do I market them?”
Plans for the future may include teaching the art, especially around holidays, she said.
“Making candles is not that simple,” Berley said. “You have to know what wick goes with what container,” she added as something learned from experience. Also, she has learned that wax with added fragrance does not reheat well.
“Sometimes, I just need to discard rather than re-melt,” she said.
Berley’s workshop studio is located at 4942 Route 22, next to the former location of Tent. Berley resides on site, along with her husband, Joe, and their daughter Raina.
To learn more about Underdog’s Revival Candle and see the offerings, visit www.underdogcandles.store or on Instagram @underdogsrevivalcandles.
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