John Francis Homan
Latest News
North East officials expected to limit EMS mutual aid
Nathan Miller
Jul 14, 2026
MILLERTON — North East Fire District commissioners have asked Town of North East officials to limit emergency medical service dispatches to Pine Plains and Milan.
A group of fire district commissioners including Millerton Fire Department Chief Keith Roger spoke at the North East Town Board meeting on Thursday, July 9, raising concerns over how often North East’s contracted ambulances are dispatched to Pine Plains and Milan for lower-priority calls.
The Town of North East has a contract with private ambulance provider Empress. Pine Plains and Milan do not currently have contracts with any private ambulance companies. Those communities rely primarily on volunteer emergency medical technicians for EMS calls.
Roger called attention to Pine Plains and Milan’s lack of a contract with Empress, contrasting those communities with the towns of Amenia and Dover. North East, Amenia and Dover each have private ambulance contracts.
“If Amenia is short on a call, Millerton will go down or Dover will go up,” Roger said. “I’m ok with that because these towns also have a contract and they’re paying dearly as well as we are.”
Roger framed the issue in terms of ambulance availability. Mutual aid calls in Pine Plains and Milan can take an ambulance out of service for between 45 minutes to 3 hours if the call requires transport to Vassar Hospital in Poughkeepsie, Roger said, creating the potential for shortages in North East despite the $750,000 annual cost to the town.
“There are times that our town is uncovered — without an ambulance,” Roger said. “The response time would be 45 minutes to an hour if we have an emergency.”
Roger and Fire District President Bill McGhee clarified that lower-priority calls are their primary concerns. EMS dispatches are sorted into one of four priority levels, ranging from heart attacks and other potentially fatal incidents at priority one to non-life-threatening issues like assistance being lifted back into bed at priority four.
Town Supervisor Chris Kennan supported the fire company officials. He said he would send a letter to county EMS commissioner Bill Beale and the 911 dispatch center to restrict North East ambulances from leaving town for lower-priority calls.
Keep ReadingShow less
Sharon Hospital moves closer to renovation of Medical Arts Building
Allison Gollenberg
Jul 14, 2026
The Planning and Zoning Commission has tabled a proposal to expand and renovate Sharon’s Medical Arts Building pending an independent engineering review.
Photo by Allison Gollenberg
SHARON, Conn. — A proposed expansion and renovation of Sharon’s Medical Arts Building was tabled by the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 8 after commissioners requested an independent engineering review of the application. Stormwater runoff was their primary concern.
The project at 29 Hospital Hill Road, across from Sharon Hospital, calls for adding office space, improving accessibility and expanding parking to accommodate the hospital’s growing needs.
The building currently contains 14,740 square feet of interior space with a 7,370-square-foot footprint. The addition would increase the building’s footprint by 2,363 square feet and add 4,727 square feet of interior office space, according to the site plans.
Sharon Hospital Project Manager Raymond Bennett said the project is necessary.
“We need this renovation to occur in order to expand our primary care practice,” Bennett said.
Project architect Scott Yates of H&R Design Inc. said the current building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Regrading the parking lot and installing ramps and an elevator would bring the building into compliance, he said.
Under the proposal, aesthetic changes would also be made to the façade and interior of the building, and concerns raised by the commission about the condition of the driveway would be addressed, Yates said.
Dainius Virbickas, an engineer from Artel Engineering Group LLC, a Connecticut-based civil engineering firm, said, “The intention is not to just patch it, but to make it all nice.”
The Medical Arts Building is home to several medical offices, including Northwest Hills Pediatrics and Northwell Health Primary Care. The proposed expansion would add offices and the parking spaces required to support the expansion.
The addition would be constructed in the existing parking lot, while the lot itself would expand into a forested area on the south side of the 3.8-acre property. The project would add 40 parking spaces, increasing the total from 58 to 98, along with six electric vehicle charging stations and improved accessible parking.
The plans also include the installation of a generator and stormwater and erosion management systems – which are at the heart of the commission’s hesitations.
Commission Secretary Stanley MacMillan Jr. said he was concerned about runoff patterns, especially with an increase in severe weather.
“We have a 7 or 8 house subdivision that sits below this. And we don’t need any additional water going there,” he said.
Commission member Larry Moskowitz agreed. “I think the 100-year storms are becoming 50-year storms,” he said.
Virbickas acknowledged that stormwater runoff currently flows over the property from its eastern edge to its western edge, and said the proposal includes systems to mitigate that concern.
The plans call for subsurface infiltration systems that would redirect runoff through grading, catch basins, pipes and pumps before allowing it to infiltrate the ground or flow downstream.
In the ground, runoff is filtered by the soil, removing pollutants like sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, metals and bacteria, according to the engineering report. The systems are also designed to reduce erosion.
Tree removal, he said, would also increase the site’s impervious area by 6.51%, from a total of 29.03% to 35.54%. Impervious areas can’t reabsorb runoff into the ground and can lead to erosion without support from root systems. Virbickas said plantings will be added around the new lot once it’s complete.
MacMillan also raised questions about bear-proofing the new garbage cans.
“Several people have asked me about trash management. The resident bear also made an inquiry,” MacMillan quipped.
Bennett said they’re familiar with the problem.
“Yes, that bear takes the trash out every day,” he said.
Virbickas said the plans can be revised to address the commission’s concerns before discussion of the application resumes at its next meeting on July 22 at 4:30 p.m.
Keep ReadingShow less
Dover to dedicate football field to longtime Town Justice
Lucia Iandolo
Jul 14, 2026
DOVER PLAINS — The Dover Union Free School District Board of Education has approved naming the Dover High School football stadium in honor of longtime Town Justice Redmond “Renny” Abrams, recognizing decades of service to the community and support for the school’s athletic programs.
The board passed a resolution last month naming the campus football stadium in honor of Abrams.
Redmond Wren “Renny” Abrams served as the Town Justice in Dover Plains for 36 years and operated Renny’s Store & Deli for over 54 years with his family. He was a graduate of Dover High School and a member of the school board. Abrams passed away April 8, 2026, and since then, members of the community have reached out to the DUFSD concerning the best ways to honor him.
The commemorative signage will be funded by the Dover community.
Christian Jones, head coach of the Dover High School football team, has worked with John Hammond, assistant coach, to organize funds and bring this project to fruition.
Jones and Hammond reached out to Abrams’ family and, once getting its approval, presented the resolution to the DUFSD superintendent, David Fine. After gaining support from Town Supervisor Richard Yeno and a two-month hearing process with the school board, the resolution was approved at the board’s June 9 meeting.
Yeno was asked to speak at the board meeting on Jones and Hammond’s behalf about how Abrams contributed to the Dover community. He spoke about Abrams’ dedication to Dover athletics, both for the town’s recreational department and the school programs.
“He’s been there since he was a student himself, and people see that. I’ve seen that. I grew up around Judge Abrams, I graduated with one of his sons, and he was just always there,” Yeno said. The Dover Athletics Department and Football program have long been supported by Abrams, who played football, basketball and baseball in his high school career.
Jones said they are hoping to unveil the dedication at Dover’s annual salute to service football game on Sept. 3 with the family in attendance, including Abrams’ grandson, who is a quarterback and linebacker on the team. He said this is not only for those involved in the football program, but it is for the community to remember Abrams’ influence.
“There is a huge, significant impact of what Judge Renny Abrams had on all of our lives growing up as kids in the Dover community and players,” Jones said. “The amount of support and funding that he’s given through his store, his life and his career is just a tremendous legacy.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Le Gamin reopens Le Bar with year-round plans
Phoebe Tobin
Jul 14, 2026
Le Bar, adjacent to Le Gamin in Sharon, has reopened for the season with a new menu, new bartender and plans to remain open year-round.
Photo by Madi Long
SHARON, Conn. — Le Bar, the space next door that is part of Le Gamin, has reopened for the summer with a new menu, a new bartender and plans to become a year-round destination for drinks, good food and community events.
The bar first opened last summer as a seasonal extension of Le Gamin before closing for the winter. This year, owner Robert Arbor decided to bring it back with a more permanent approach, adding a new, and locally famous bartender, a different menu and a space that stands apart from the French café next door.
“We opened the bar last year just for the summer and closed it in the winter,” Arbor said. “This year we will run the restaurant from the bar all winter because it’s much cozier, warmer.”
The idea of Le Bar, although connected to Le Gamin, was to offer something different, a different vibe, to the community of Sharon and beyond. While the restaurant offers the experience of a classic French café, with crepes and quiche, the bar creates a darker, more intimate feel, with seating at the bar and tables throughout the smaller space.
The menu also separates the two spaces. Le Bar offers a slightly more American-style menu, featuring items like burgers and chicken sandwiches.
These changes and revamping were made possible by bartender Ryan Andrade, who previously worked at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, garnering a local reputation as a talented bartender and, in 2021, was the Connecticut Restaurant Association Bartender of the Year Finalist. Arbor gave Andrade the freedom to shape the bar’s menu and overall feel.
“Those are all my own recipes, and I curated the food menu,” Andrade said. “The cocktails are my babies so it’s kind of hard to pick a favorite”
In the future, Ryan is looking to establish Le Bar as a gathering place. Recently, it has been hosting world cup watch parties and dance nights, including a U.S. match that packed the space from wall to wall.
Andrade hopes Le Bar brings a different energy to Sharon, describing the goal as bringing “kind of a Brooklyn side to Sharon” while cultivating a speakeasy atmosphere.
As Le Bar embarks on its first full year, Arbor and Andrade are looking forward to creating a regular destination for Sharon and Connecticut residents to gather.
Keep ReadingShow less
Simultaneous Chess returns for a second year in Wassaic
Leila Hawken
Jul 14, 2026
Bill Kroeger of Wassaic contemplates a move against one of the 10 opponents he faced simultaneously during the second multi-chess event in Wassaic on Saturday, July 11.
Photo by Leila Hawken
WASSAIC — Chess master Bill Kroeger defeated 10 opponents in a simultaneous chess match on the Middle Meadow along Main Street on Saturday, July 11, as the community event returned for its second summer.
Players of all ages and skill levels took seats at 10 chess boards, each competing against Kroeger. Once play began, the meadow grew quiet as participants concentrated on their moves. Kroeger ultimately won all 10 matches, though some proved more challenging than others.
“It’s about how to use the Middle Meadow space creatively,” said event organizer Sharon Kroeger, owner of Calsi’s General Store. She said the business has long served as a neighborhood anchor that adapts to the community’s needs.
The Middle Meadow was created after deteriorated buildings in Wassaic’s business district were demolished, leaving an open green space. Kroeger said the community began looking for ways to use it for public gatherings.
“We began to think about how to use the tiny meadow space, perhaps for croquet or even chess,” Kroeger said. “Chess seemed especially appealing because it could bring together people of all ages.”
She said the idea came together in part because her son, Bill, is a chess master who was eager to help organize the event and play the exhibition matches.
“Everyone is gaining something. Bill’s goal is to make it instructive and enjoyable. Someone, one day, may beat him,” Kroeger said.
Kroeger said organizers hope to make the simultaneous chess match an annual tradition. While it may eventually expand, she said growth is not the primary goal.
“We plan to do it every year,” Kroeger said.
Residents of all ages and skill levels tried their hand at chess during the second annual Chess Simultaneous Match on Saturday, July 11, on Wassaic’s Middle Meadow. An instructive community event, all players competed against a single opponent, Bill Kroeger who won every match but made the experience enjoyable for all.Photo by Leila Hawken
Keep ReadingShow less
Sisters Hill Farm up for sale, CSA operation faces uncertainty
Graham Corrigan & Sophie Gardiner
Jul 14, 2026
Shareholders of the Sisters Hill Farm Community-Supported Agriculture operation gather after the recent July 4 garlic harvest at the Stanfordville farm.
Photo Provided
STANFORDVILLE — Sisters Hill Farm, a Stanfordville property owned by Sisters of Charity of New York, is up for sale.
“We have made the difficult decision to offer our entire property, including Sisters Hill Farm, for sale,” a Sisters of Charity representative said in an email.
The announcement did not include details about the asking price or a public listing.
Sisters Hill Farm is located just east of Route 82. The property, known as Hill Crest Farm in the early twentieth century, was willed to the sisters in 1917. They hired David Hambleton in 1999 to manage the farm. The farm’s community-supported agriculture (CSA) program has grown from 40 members to over 400 under Hambleton’s leadership.
Shares in the CSA entitle members to part of a weekly vegetable harvest — anywhere from 4 to 20 pounds per week — from late May to early November. Payment works on an income-dependent sliding scale, and 10% of the harvest goes to families in need.
For the Sisters of Charity, the farm’s sale is part of a plan to “bring the congregation to completion.” In 2023, a lack of new members forced the Sisters of Charity of New York to announce plans to wind down the congregation. The Sisters Hill news comes as harvest season is picking up steam. Earlier this month, CSA members took part in the annual July 4 garlic harvest.
“We fully intend to complete the current farming season,” the organization said over email. “The farm will continue to operate as planned throughout this season.”
“We are grateful for the many individuals, families, volunteers, and supporters who have contributed to the success of Sisters Hill Farm over the years,” the statement continued, “and we remain optimistic that its mission of stewardship and service will endure.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Farmer Dave for his many years of faithful and dedicated service.”
Hambleton declined to comment on the proposed sale, but he did add a note at the end of Sisters Hill’s press release that made the announcement.
“I’m sure you have many questions, and I do as well,” Hambleton wrote. “I’m still processing this.”
“Our mission is to grow healthy food,” he added, “but it’s also about bringing people together.
“It’s about getting people to eat in-season, understanding climate change and the effects it has on our ability to feed ourselves. Members of this farm really get to know what seasonal produce is all about. They get to know their neighbors and community members and make new friends.”
When the Sisters of Charity of New York close their doors, it will mark the end of more than 200 years of service to the poor. The New York chapter began in 1817 as an orphanage, but its early focus on caring for orphans and educating children quickly expanded.
In the time since, the order expanded into advocacy for the homeless, civil rights, immigrants, and senior citizens; education at all levels; pastoral ministry; and peace.
Keep ReadingShow less
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
loading
