Rumors of immigration enforcement activity in Amenia began to flurry Tuesday, Jan. 28. "I want anyone who came to Amenia from Central America — or anywhere else — and has become part of the community to feel safe here," Amenia Town Supervisor Leo Blackmann said.
“Our local economy depends very much on the labor of recent immigrants — as America always has.”
— Leo Blackman,
Amenia town supervisor
AMENIA — On Tuesday, Jan. 28, rumblings of the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Northern Dutchess began making the rounds.
While their exact numbers are unknown, an immigrant population lives in Amenia and its surrounding communities, due in part to its rural character and, for some immigrants, the availability of work on local farms.
As the week progressed, the rumors remained unconfirmed. By Thursday, Jan. 30, Amenia town supervisor Leo Blackman had received three separate reports of concerning incidents involving immigrants — including one report of the verbal harassment of a group of immigrants who were taunted by calls of “ICE, ICE, ICE” from unknown persons — but the incidents remained unverified as no police reports had been filed to Blackman’s knowledge as of Jan. 30.
On Friday, Jan. 31, a notice appeared on the Town of Amenia’s website seemingly confirming the rumors of raids, along with a pamphlet of directives for individuals and families who may be potential targets of ICE As part of the notice, a statement from Blackman was included which read, “I am aware that there have been at least two raids here in the last few days by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, I.C.E. Residents of Amenia should not be made to feel unsafe or threatened in our community. Rules that made churches and schools off-limits to I.C.E. have just been rescinded by the Federal government. For the sake of anyone who may be targeted, your rights are attached.”
The accompanying pamphlet, printed in English, Spanish and French, advises immigrants of their legal protections and directs them to contact the Office for New Americans hotline, the Immigrant Defense Project or the New York Immigration Coalition for further guidance. The pamphlet also cautions immigrants to beware of scams and to set up a safety plan for themselves and their families.
A link to the notice has since been removed.
While Blackman has yet to provide specifics regarding the raids in Amenia, he is an advocate of immigrant rights and believes in their value to the local community. “Our local economy depends very much on the labor of recent immigrants — as America always has,” he said, explaining his concerns over the motives of the Trump administration and immigration agents with respect to their targets. “Allegedly, these ICE visits are targeted at immigrants with a criminal record,” he said. “But I expect their mandate will expand. I want anyone who came to Amenia from Central America — or anywhere else — and has become part of the community to feel safe here.”
Maintaining a sense of safety and normalcy is what Webutuck Central School District superintendent Raymond Castellani has been doing while keeping an eye on any local developments involving immigrant students and their families. As with Leo Blackman, Castellani has heard ICE-related rumors in the area. Webutuck, which covers Amenia and North East, is made up of nearly 30% English language learners. Castellani noted that while he has not noticed any significant drops in attendance by immigrant students, he has been actively monitoring the situation and will continue working with his staff to ensure students continue to receive the education and in-school services they require. Castellani said the next few weeks will be critical as rumors continue to swirl, but he remains committed to keeping students on-task while advocating for their security. “Our goal is to keep students safe,” Castellani said. Castellani added that should any incidents involving immigration agents occur on school grounds, he has directed his staff to contact him immediately.
Town supervisor Gary Ciferri of the Town of Washington, however, has yet to notice any immigration enforcement activity in his township. Ciferri’s district, which includes Millbrook, is also a rural community which many immigrants call home. According to Ciferri, though, it’s business as usual in his township. “I haven’t heard of ICE agents in the area,” Ciferri said. “We’re not doing anything differently in Millbrook and the Town of Washington.”
On the county level, Dutchess Sheriff’s Officers reported on Jan. 31 that they, too, were unaware of any ICE presence in the area. “To my knowledge, we have not been contacted by federal authorities,” Captain John Watterson said. Watterson added that any requests for cooperation with Federal agencies by the county would be contingent on the nature of the request and whether a warrant had been issued for a target. “It is possible,” said Watterson, who reiterated he remained unaware of any ICE activity in Northern Dutchess.
Alleged immigration enforcement rumors have also reached Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, D-19, whose district covers the Towns of North East, Stanford and Pine Plains as well as the Village of Millerton. Drago has been urging concerned residents to remain calm and logical. Contacted by the News on Sunday, Feb. 1, Drago responded by saying, “I’ve been hearing from a lot of community members concerned about potential ICE activity in Dutchess County, and there are a lot of scary rumors circulating locally about raids. Right now it’s important to distinguish between rumors and verified reports through asking questions and checking sources. It’s also important to know your rights. Here in Dutchess County, we look out for our neighbors and community members because we know we are strongest and safest when we stand together. And our small businesses, farms, families and neighborhoods are better off because of it.”
While immigrants remain on alert in Amenia and Northern Dutchess, Leo Blackman has remained strong in his support for their plight by summing up the town’s history. “Amenia has been a welcoming place for many kinds of people for most of its history,” Blackman said. “I want families here to know we intend to continue that tradition.”
Graham Corrigan & Nathan Miller
Ryan Courtien disappeared from his Wingdale home at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 12, wearing tan pants and a black shirt. He has now been located and is currently being evaluated in a local hospital.
DOVER PLAINS — New York State Police said missing former Dover Town Supervisor Ryan Courtien was located and taken to a local hospital Friday evening, July 17.
Dutchess County Sheriff's Deputies received a tip on Friday just before 6 p.m. that Courtien had been spotted at the Wingdale train station about a mile away from his home on 32 Waldo Road.
New York State Police said in a release Friday just after 8 p.m. that Courtien had been taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Courtien — a 49-year-old father of two, Dover Planning Board chair and volunteer firefighter — disappeared from his Waldo Road home in Wingdale shortly after leaving the house at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 12.
Police conducted a four-day-long search that largely focused on his home and the surrounding woods. Authorities ended the search on Wednesday, July 15.
On Friday afternoon, New York State Police released surveillance camera footage showing Courtien leaving Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan just three hours after his reported disappearance on Sunday morning.
His whereabouts between Sunday morning and Friday evening are currently unknown. Authorities have not released any further information at this time.
Graham Corrigan & Nathan Miller
Fire crews douse the smoldering remains of an equipment shed at 357 Hunns Lake Road in Stanford after a fire and propane tank explosions destoryed the structure and farm machinery housed inside on Friday, July 17.
STANFORDVILLE — A fire destroyed a farm equipment shed in Stanford Friday, July 17.
Richie Ahlf, who lives at 357 Hunns Lake Road, was alerted to the blaze on his property when a landscaper working nearby noticed smoke and flames and ran into Ahlf's yard.
Ahlf reported the fire just before 1 p.m. The structure, an equipment shed that housed a tractor, a lawnmower and other farm machinery, was about 50 years old. The fire completely destroyed the shed and equipment stored inside, but caused no injuries.
"Nothing important, compared to a life," Ahlf said of the destruction. "Now I get to see how good my insurance is."
The fire had been brought under control by about 1:30 p.m. Fire crews continued to tamp out latent hot spots into the afternoon.
The mutual aid response drew fire crews from Stanford, Pine Plains, Ancram and North East.
A fire company official with the Stanford Fire Department said propane tanks exploded in the blaze, but was unsure if that was the cause of the fire or a secondary effect.
Nathan Miller
Ryan Courtien disappeared from his Waldo Road home in Wingdale on Sunday morning, July 12. Authorities concluded the search of the landscape surrounding his home after four days of scouring the woods at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 15.
DOVER PLAINS — The search for former Dover Town Supervisor Ryan Courtien has concluded after four days of scouring the area surrounding his Wingdale home, but authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
New York State Police announced the end of the search for the 49-year-old Wingdale resident and current Dover Planning Board chair at roughly 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. Courtien disappeared from the yard in front of his Waldo Road home in Wingdale shortly after leaving the house at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 12, to work in his yard.
The State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation is continuing to investigate the disappearance and pursue additional leads, the statement said.
No further information is available at this time. State Police Public Information Officer Krystal Paolicelli was unavailable for comment immediately following the release's publication.
Courtien has been missing for four days. State Police conducted a search of the area surrounding his Wingdale home assisted by Dutchess County Sheriff's deputies, New York State Fire crews, New York State Forest Rangers and local volunteer fire departments from across northeast Dutchess County and western Connecticut.
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Aly Morrissey
If you’ve driven down Main Street in Millerton, you’ve passed the former home and shop of one of the village’s earliest female entrepreneurs. At a time when most businesses were owned by men, Mary Kisselbrack made a name for herself in the late 1800s as a well-respected milliner and dressmaker.
On April 11, 1891, train conductor George Kisselbrack purchased a 124-by-232-foot vacant lot at 54 Main St. and hired locally renowned builders Beers and Trafford to design what would become their home and Mary’s business.
In a historical document, “A Beckon Call to a Village,” the house was referred to as “one of the handsomest, architecturally, in the village.” With gables, pointed roof lines and delicate shades of colors on its exterior ornamentation, the document noted that “no stranger passes it without an admiring glance.”
Today, the home still stands, and recently operated as a restaurant called Manna Dew Cafe, which closed its doors in 2023.
Mary Kisselbrack operated her business out of the west side of her home and developed a reputation for her skill, style, and business acumen.
“Mrs. Kisselbrack spares no pains in satisfying her patrons,” an 1890s Telegram article, the village’s newspaper at the time, said.
Kisselbrack’s reputation earned her customers from different parts of the country — some as far away as Florida — in addition to regular clients from Salisbury, Lakeville, Sharon, Amenia, Pine Plains, Copake and Hillsdale.
“With a woman of the long experience and exquisite taste of Mrs. Kisselbrack at the head of the millinery and dressmaking business, we may be sure that our wives and daughters will be reasonably supplied with the most stylish bonnets and dresses,” the article said.
In her 1905 obituary, Kisselbrack was described as a “self-made woman” who possessed “more than ordinary ability.”
On Oct. 5, 1905 — just over two months shy of her 56th birthday — Kisselbrack died following a severe, three-week illness. According to an obituary that appeared in the Millerton Telegram, she suffered a fibrous tumor and peritonitis.
“While she was not afraid to die, she lamented leaving home and loved ones,” the obituary said. “She talked of dying and of her funeral arrangements as calmly as if going away on a visit.”
Nathan Miller
Millerton’s business community will soon see the completion of a public wastewater system, addressing what local officials and business owners have called a major constraint on commercial development in the community for decades.
The $13.8 million project, which is expected to serve the core of the Village of Millerton and a commercial stretch of the Town of North East along U.S. Route 44, represents one of the largest infrastructure investments in the community in decades, and brings an end to calls for a sewer system that stretch back to World War II. Officials say the system will safeguard local waterways while creating a foundation for long-term economic stability.
Millerton trustee Matt Soleau, who has been working closely on the wastewater project and also operates a local full-service custom building firm, said in February that both residents and businesses are constrained by outdated septic systems, particularly on smaller lots where upgrades cannot meet modern health standards.
The proposed wastewater district aims to serve the core of the village, including its business district, as well as the commercial section of the Town of North East along Route 44 extending from Cumberland Farms to the New York-Connecticut border. Properties within the proposed service area currently rely on individual septic systems, including tanks with leach fields, and outdated systems like seepage pits, cesspools and holding tanks.
Village officials said many properties are limited not by zoning alone, but by septic constraints.
“As a result, many homes cannot legally add bedrooms, create accessory dwelling units or convert existing structures,” Soleau said.
Under the proposed system, most properties would retain their existing septic tanks if they are code-compliant and in good working condition. If a tank does not meet current standards, a new one would be installed as part of the project.
The existing tanks will still be used to collect solid waste, but liquid waste will travel through the municipal system to a treatment center. Treated wastewater will then be returned to Webatuck Creek.
Existing leach fields would be taken out of service and left in place, allowing property owners to reclaim that land for landscaping, driveways or ADUs.
For businesses, many commercial properties rely on old septic systems that are already maxed out, which makes it difficult or impossible to open water-heavy businesses like restaurants, cafes, salons or fitness studios.
Officials also emphasize the environmental benefits. A modern, up-to-date wastewater system will protect the natural environment, including the Webatuck Creek that flows right through the village.
Village officials say the construction phase will aim to limit disruption throughout the village and town, proceeding in targeted segments, with defined areas opened for installation, restored, and then closed before crews move on. The goal, Soleau said, is to allow normal activity to continue as much as possible throughout the process.
“Protecting the safety of our residents and visitors, preserving continuity of local businesses, maintaining access, and retaining residents’ quality of life throughout construction are non-negotiable priorities,” Soleau added.
The project hit major milestones this year, with village officials securing needed funding from a congressionally-directed spending grant of just under $4 million announced in February. That additional federal funding represented the last chunk of money needed to move the project forward.
Officials expect to begin construction on the system next year, with a tentative completion date targeting 2028.
Additional reporting provided by Aly Morrissey.
Graham Corrigan
Wooden beams made from tree trunks comprise the load-bearing structure under Millerton’s Moviehouse.
There are a handful of buildings that have stood the test of time over Millerton’s 175-year history. But if there’s one that stands out as a singular representation of the town, it’s the Millerton Moviehouse and its iconic clock tower.
Built in 1903 as a grange hall, it was soon converted into a movie theater with a second-floor ballroom. It was one of a handful of buildings that came to define the town in the following decades, standing tall across the street from the Episcopal Church and Millerton Inn, next to Terni’s, and up the hill from Millerton’s train station.
When a fire destroyed the local department store and other storefronts on the north side of Main Street in 1955, the Moviehouse became a landmark that represented the village’s early history.
It fell into disrepair in the 1970s and was briefly run as an adult theater. Marian and Carr Ferguson bought the theater in 1974, hoping to revive its status as a first-run theater and remove the pornographic element. Their four teenage daughters ran the theater for two years before the Fergusons sold the Moviehouse to Carol and Robert Sadlon in 1978.
“It was a single theater with 300 seats. There was no heat, no air conditioning,” said Carol Sadlon when asked about the state of the theater when she and her husband purchased it.
The Sadlons worked hard to improve the facilities over their nearly 50-year tenure. They added heat, air conditioning, and a second screening room. In 2012, they replaced the 35mm projection systems with a digital system.
But when COVID hit in 2020, the Moviehouse was an early casualty. By November 2020, the property was on the market, and the whole concept of movie theaters was in question.
Vaccines arrived in early 2021 — and a buyer for the Moviehouse followed soon after. The new co-chairs, David Maltby and Chelsea Altman, made the purchase in February 2021 and reopened the theater as a non-profit.
Its new non-profit status allowed the Moviehouse’s operators to seek grant funding. They initiated a massive renovation campaign that included redesigning both floors and adding an elevator. They also replaced the signage, and upgraded the seating this past April.
This past month, the Moviehouse received $99,000 as part of a grant provided by the New York State Council on the Arts that will pay to renovate and stabilize the 120-year-old building.
Looking forward, general manager Jeremy Boviard has big plans for the Moviehouse’s future. “What excites me about the possibilities looking forward is that we continue our positive trajectory as a regional arts center,” Boviard said. “We want to reach a wide variety of demographics, and continue to grow in lockstep with the needs of our community.”
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