Hot sun + hot cars equals golden trophies
A lineup of vintage classics at Sunday’s Amenia Lions Classic Car Show with hoods up, showing off the power plants within.
Photo by John Coston
Troy Brazee, 17, a senior at Webutuck High School, won second place in his category for his 2005 Corvette, which has an air suspension system.Photo by John Coston
A Ford with the all-steel dash in red and white. Photo by John Coston
Latest News
MILLERTON — Halloween may be in the rear view mirror, but don’t toss those pumpkins just yet.
In partnership with McEnroe Organic Farm, the North East Climate Smart task force will host its annual Pumpkin Smash at Eddie Collins Park on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 5 p.m. The family-friendly event aims to help community members dispose of their pumpkins in a fun, eco-friendly way.
Attendees can enjoy cider and donuts, a beer tent hosted by Willa, and kids’ sack races with prizes organized by the 175th Committee, whose members will be on hand to answer questions about the village’s milestone birthday bash planned for July.
The main attraction will be a life-sized slingshot — engineered by task force member Andrew Stayman — that will launch pumpkins of all sizes into the air for a satisfying smash.
“Our number one priority is to have fun,” said Climate Smart task force coordinator Kathy Chow. “We will also introduce people to Climate Smart concepts, especially composting.”
Chow says the annual Pumpkin Smash is intentionally held two weeks after Halloween so people’s pumpkins are “nice and mooshy.”
The smashed pumpkins will be hauled away by McEnroe Organic Farm for use in their composting operation, which was established in 1987. “We compost material from our own farm, our local food waste drop-off site and sources from New York City and the surrounding Northeast region,” said Olivia Skeen, McEnroe’s development and communications manager. “Each year we process around 8,000 cubic yards of food waste — roughly the size of 220 school buses.”
While the event is meant to offer a bit of post-Halloween fun, Chow said the need for composting is serious. Nearly a quarter of everything sent to landfills is food waste, making it the largest contributor to municipal solid waste. As it decomposes, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas that Chow says is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Farms like McEnroe’s help divert waste, sequester carbon, improve soil health, reduce erosion and manage stormwater. “The nutrient-rich compost we produce supports our farm’s organic crops, fruits, vegetables, herbs and our free-range beef cattle,” said Skeen. “Our commitment to climate resilience is at the core of everything we do, from growing the food we eat to educating the public on sustainable practices that help protect the environment for future generations.”
Composting won’t be the only Climate Smart topic discussed at the event. Chow said the task force will also be on-hand to educate village residents about their recently installed water meters. “We will share all types of clever tips and tricks about understanding water consumption,” she said. “And how people can save water and money.”
Drop off your food scraps at McEnroe’s and help reduce landfill waste
McEnroe’s household food waste drop-off site is located in the parking lot of its market, 5409 Route 22, Millerton, where three bins are available for anyone in the community who wants to participate.
“It’s an easy and convenient way to ensure your food scraps don’t end up in a landfill,” said Skeen. She added that no plastic or compostable bags should be used, as they don’t break down in the composting process.
Skeen also recommended freezing food waste until drop-off. “This helps reduce any odors and makes it even easier to drop off your waste when it’s convenient for you,” Skeen said. “We’re here to make it as easy as possible to reduce waste and help the community embrace a more sustainable way of living.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Route 82 repaving set for 2026
Nov 05, 2025
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Route 82 will be repaved next year between Route 44 in Millbrook and Sisters Hill Road in Pine Plains.
The repaving is part of the state Department of Transportation’s $34.8 billion five-year capital improvement plan including state-maintained highways across New York.
Route 82 will get new pavement between Poole Hill Road and Woods Drive in the Town of Ancram.
Route 22 will also be resurfaced between Route 23 and County Route 21 in the Town of Hillsdale and from Route 20 to the Rensselaer County line in the Town of New Lebanon.
Hochul’s announcement centered on an additional $800 million in state funding that was secured as part of the 2026 budgeting process to bolster the DOT’s resources in the final two years of the 2022-2027 capital improvement campaign.
Three-quarters of that new money — a total of over $600 million — will pay for 180 repaving projects in 2026 alone, totalling over 2,150 lane miles to be repaved next year.
Keep ReadingShow less
STANFORD — The Town Board adopted the 2026 preliminary budget on Tuesday, Oct. 21, after no one attended the public hearing.
“As there’s no one here in the room, I make a motion to close the public hearing on the 2026 preliminary budget,” Stanford Town Supervisor Wendy Burton said immediately after the public hearing was opened.
She then provided a brief recap of some statistics, saying salaries account for 30% of the highway fund budget and that health costs rose 15%.
“Please remember the town is responsible for the general fund, the highway fund and the ambulance fund,” Burton said. “Library, fire and Bangall light district taxes are simply pass-throughs that the town does not control.”
The total budget for the town increased slightly from $4,570,690 in 2025 to $4,828,200.
That’s a roughly 5.6% increase in the town’s overall budget compared to 2025.
But a combination of savings and a large reduction in the ambulance fund contributed to a decrease in the amount of tax revenue the town must collect from $2,552,057 to $2,247,477 — a nearly 12% decrease.
Salaries for Town Board members and the Town Supervisor stayed the same, but the supervisor’s bookkeeper and legislative aide will see small pay bumps.
The bookkeeper is getting a $1,344 raise, bringing the position’s salary to $46,155. The legislative aide is getting an $840 raise, with a new total salary of $28,847.
Keep ReadingShow less
A sneak peek at one of the panels planned for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail’s new outdoor classroom, which features geological information about the region. The project is expected to be installed in time for Millerton’s 175th anniversary next summer.
Illustration Provided
MILLERTON — More than eight months before construction is set to begin, several colorful, museum-quality panels that will be installed along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail as part of its new 27-panel outdoor classroom were previewed this week.
The immersive learning space, expected to be completed this summer, will feature vibrant, educational displays exploring water ecology, natural and social history, birds, insects and other elements of the local landscape. Designed to engage visitors of all ages, the outdoor classroom aims to transform a stretch of trail near Millerton into an inviting place for discovery and reflection.
The project has been more than a decade in the making. The original concept came from Dick Hermans, a member of the HVRTA Board of Directors, who envisioned the bridge over Webatuck Creek near Millerton as a center for education and gathering. Hermans also serves on the board for the Lakeville Journal and Millerton News.
“I hope people who’ve never been on the trail before stop and think, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool — I didn’t know that,’” said Hermans. “Those mountains you see off in the distance are the Taconics, and they actually stretch all the way into Vermont. Most people don’t realize it’s one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country — once more than 10,000 feet tall.”
According to one of the panels on geology, “The Taconic Mountains are the result of a very slow yet powerful collision between what is now North America and a series of volcanic islands about 460 million years ago.”
Hermans said that history is what gives the area its rich soil and distinctive terrain. Even after all these years, he said, he has learned a lot working on the project, especially about the region’s geology.
The 27 panels will make up five different educational stations that will be set slightly off the trail for safety but easily accessible to anyone who wants to stop and learn.
With designs now complete, the HVRTA will conduct a final round of edits before having the signs manufactured. Through a combination of grants and community fundraising, the organization partnered with Dutchess County Parks and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to ensure signage meets all state standards. One requirement calls for the text to be written at roughly an eighth-grade reading level to keep the material accessible to visitors.
“It’s called a classroom, but it’s not a course,” said Hermans. “It’s something to intrigue people – to make them stop and think, ‘I wonder what that tree is,’ or ‘what happens underground?’ We’re very excited about it.”
The panels will mark the latest milestone in a project nearly four decades in the making. The long-running effort has so far preserved 26 miles of scenic trail, with approximately 20 additional miles to go from Hillsdale to Chatham.
Keep ReadingShow less
loading
