Letters to the Editor, Oct 24., 2024

Mayville ‘understands’ how government works

I am proud to support Chris Mayville for North East Town Board. I don’t often cross party lines but I served on the Webutuck School Board with Chris for many years (go Wildcats!) and I know that he is a very dedicated community leader and a skilled public servant. Chris understands how local governments work. He operates with transparency within the rules and holds his colleagues to account. At the same time, Chris has the political savvy to actually get things done and make things happen. If you don’t believe me, take a look at our schools and see for yourself the transformation of our facilities that has taken place during his stewardship. It is truly something to be proud of. That is why Chris Mayville has my vote. Thank you.
Kristen Panzer
Millerton

Re-elect Didi Barrett for New York State Assembly

Early voting begins on Saturday Oct. 26. Make sure that when you vote, you darken the circle under “Member of Assembly” for Didi Barrett. She deserves our support for all of her policies including raising the minimum wage, supporting veterans especially those with PTSD, funding for rural affordable housing, strengthening laws to protect against gun violence, programs that protect the environment and she is a fierce proponent of women’s health. But you should also vote for her because of the attention she pays to her constituents. She knows our community and its needs well and has been the singular most effective Assembly member for Millerton and North East in our history. She has provided support in transformative ways, relieving tax payers from higher local taxes. Here’s a partial list.
$125,000 for handicap-accessible bleachers for Eddie Collins Park’s Little League field.
$125,000 for renovations at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
$125,000 for the solar-powered crosswalk signs on Main Street.
More than $100,000 for programs of the North East Community Center.
$1.5 million to Hudson River Housing for affordable housing projects across the region.
$500,000 for the new Town garage.
And as if this weren’t enough, Didi invited Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to visit Eddie Collins Memorial Park on July 25. His visit resulted in a public commitment to the Village of Millerton to provide up to $7.5 million in NYS funding for the swimming pool and pool house to cover whatever the Village of Millerton did not receive from grants it had applied for. And so the dream of a swimming pool returning to our beloved park became an immediate reality. The Village has since engaged an engineering firm to draw up the plans. Hopes are high that construction will start next summer. Wow ... we have an effective Assembly Member who understands that government is here to help its citizens. Please vote to keep Didi Barrett in her job ... she’s doing it so well.
Jennifer Dowley
North East/Millerton

Ahearn for Amenia Town Council

I certainly get that Donald Trump isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but one must be realistic when making the binary decision we have about this year’s Presidential election. While I didn’t vote for him in 2016, his policies during his term were very good. The economy was sound, at least until the pandemic hit, and the border was secure. His opponent this time around is very weak, her policy positions over a four-year term would be very damaging to America and her invective against Trump are way over-the-top. While I wish that we had different choices, the ones we are presented with make it a pretty easy choice for me, and I would hope, for all Americans. Her position regarding illegal immigration alone, not to mention the policies that she has consistently supported are, in my view wholly disqualifying. And God help our foreign policy were she to get her way. Sadly, neither candidate seems willing to address the looming problem with our National debt, but that problem isn’t going away, and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
A much brighter situation exists regarding our local election for the Amenia Town Council. By virtue of her background (wife, mother, longtime fulltime resident and bus driver), the way she presents herself (calm and poised) and her obvious common sense while serving on the Town Council this year, Nicole Ahearn is clearly a rising star in our Town politics, and we are fortunate to have her willing to serve on the Town Counsel, a difficult job to say the least. If you have had an opportunity to meet her, and watch how she handles herself on the Town Council, you will know why she deserves our enthusiastic support.
Michael Chamberlin
Amenia Union

A vote for Nicole Ahearn is a vote for Amenia

As a long-time Wassaic resident with more than twenty-five years of state government experience, I ask you to vote for Nicole Ahearn for Amenia Town Board. She’s a wife, a mother and the only full-time resident of Amenia on the ballot. We also don’t have to wonder if she’ll make a great member of the town board. She’s already a member and a fine one.
I’ve worked with many elected officials in my long career, so I know Nicole is exactly the kind of person Amenia needs in local government. She understands this community because she’s always been part of it. She’s a life-long Dutchess County resident whose husband’s family has deep roots in Amenia.
Nicole and Josh chose to settle in Amenia for the same reasons we all live here. The rural beauty. The peace. The stability. They started and raised their family here so their children would receive a great education and a fine quality of life. Five of their six children attend our local public schools. (Their sixth child, Ryan, is only two and a half, but will be a Wildcat soon.)
Nicole is personally invested our community in many ways. In addition to being an Auxiliary member of the Dover VFW, she’s also been a bus driver for the Webutuck School District for the past decade. She knows your families. Your children. She safely brings them to school each morning. She returns them home safely each afternoon.
As if being a working mother of six wasn’t enough, she agreed to be appointed to the Town Board in early 2024. She’s been a tireless advocate of Smart Growth initiatives that encourage housing and jobs that will broaden our tax base. She helped the Town Board move forward with building a new Town Highway Department garage and salt shed that will keep our roadway infrastructure maintained properly for years to come.
She understands Amenia’s wastewater issue and knows a solution is essential for future development. She’s met with the Taconic DDSO developers to guarantee that Amenia will benefit from any future project there.
As a wife, mother, and full-time Amenia resident, Nicole understands our daily challenges because she faces them too. She got Sheriff Imperati to hold a community meeting when a deranged criminal tormented Wassaic. She knows the high cost of living our families and our elderly endure. That’s why she fights to keep Town taxes low and keep town government accountable to you, the taxpayer.
She also advocated more recreation alternatives, such as concerts, community events and the activation of Amenia’s public spaces to encourage safe usage and tourism.
Amenia needs a strong, independent voice who’ll speak for us when it counts. Someone who has always been part of our community. Someone with a strong track record of getting things done. That someone is Nicole Ahearn. I strongly encourage you to vote for her for Amenia Town Board.
Terrence McCauley
Amenia

Voice in support of Nicole Ahearn

This letter is in support of Nicole Ahearn for Amenia’s Town Board. In 2024, Nicole stepped up to fulfill the position as interim board member when current town supervisor Leo Blackman’s seat opened up. Since then, Nicole has proven herself capable of being a significant contributing member to the town board with insights on both the longterm and shortterm needs of the community. She is a longstanding citizen of the town of Amenia and has her finger on the pulse of the Amenia community. She and her husband have several children in the Webutuck School District. A vote for for Nicole Ahearn for the Amenia Town Board is a vote for integrity.
Margaret O’Brien
Amenia

Support for Mayville

I am writing to offer my support and urge the voters in the Town of Northeast and Village of Millerton to vote for Chris Mayville to continue serving on the Town Board. I have had the privilege of knowing Chris for several years. As an educator I taught both Chris’s wife and son. I also worked with Chris while he was a member of Webutuck Board of Education, first as an educator and again as a fellow school board member. During that time, I was impressed with the way Chris would listen to all points, retain and understand all aspects of a discussion and deliver analytical facts-based opinions to the dialoged. As a community member I have had several opportunities to have discussions about our town and what his visions for the future are. Again, what stuck with me was how Chris knows the issues that impact our beautiful town, knows the community and many of its members and wants to see measurable progress for the town, the board and its members. Local elections are the ones that can affect real change in real time. I hope every eligible voter gets out there and votes on Nov. 5, and I hope on of your votes is for Chris Mayville, because I believe he is the best person for the Job.
John Merwin
Millerton

Urging a vote for Nicole Ahearn on Nov. 5

After seeing the Letters to the Editor in last week’s Millerton News, I felt it was important to correct inaccuracies about two important town projects.
First: The Amenia Green concept will not cost the town ‘millions’, nor will it be a ‘splash pad.’ The maximum cost for the entire project is estimated at between $1 million and $1.5 million. However, between community donations and money from the Recreation Capital Improvement Fund, the Town is eligible to receive $750,000 in matching grants. Construction will be limited to only the amount we receive in grant money. This is part of my ongoing commitment to always spend taxpayer money wisely.
Unfortunately, Mr. Miller and Town Supervisor Blackman oppose the Amenia Green project because they support building affordable housing in the parking lot and field next to Town Hall. I believe an open space effort like Amenia Green is far too important to our community to suffer due to gross inaccuracies and generalizations by certain officials.
Second: Building a new Highway Garage has never been Mr. Miller’s priority. His main priorities have always been wastewater and housing with little regard for community input or legitimate community concerns. Along with my fellow board members Nicole Ahearn and Brad Rebillard, I have always been a strong advocate for a new Highway Department garage and we continue to support it.
Nicole Ahearn and I don’t always agree on every matter that comes before the Town Board, but we agree on what’s important. We agree that Mr. Miller’s vision for Amenia is simply wrong. Amenia should vote for the candidates who represent them. That’s why I strongly urge you to support Nicole Ahearn for Town Board.
Paul Winters
Amenia

Vote in support of Amenia Free Library

It has been a busy and challenging year for the Amenia Free Library. We began with a search for a Library Assistant to enable us to add six additional hours to the schedule. As the search began, we found out that our assistant, who had been deeply involved in our programs, was moving from the area. So we found ourselves with a 2-person search and the requisite training needed for Library Operations and Programming. I am pleased to report that we are now fully staffed with well trained personnel and that we have indeed extended our hours as planned. Hope Bruzzi and Megan Marshall join Tina Hosier and Library Director Victoria Herow in delivering a full range of services to our wonderful patrons. We are now open until 6 p.m. on weekdays except Wednesday, when we serve the public until 7 p.m. Saturday hours remain 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
With an eye toward expansion of our programs for all ages, and the reality of increasing costs, we are asking the public to increase our annual funding by $20K on Nov. 5. Please turn over you ballot and vote “YES” on Proposition #2. The cost to taxpayers will be about an additional $4.80 annually (40 cents per month) for a residence with a $300,000 assessed value. As we continually remind Amenia residents, taxpayer funding is only used for our operating budget. The marvelous facility that we now operate from is entirely funded by Donations and Grants. We encourage each of you to visit us, check our website (AmeniaLibrary.org), or our Facebook page to learn more about what’s happening. Board members will be at the Library on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., should you wish to chat with us.
Thanks for your consideration on Election Day and your belief in the value of your Library.
Alan Gamble
Amenia

Mayville a ‘team player’

I am writing this letter in support of Chris Mayville as a candidate for the unexpired seat on the Town of North East Town Board. Chris served on the Webutuck School Board for 10 years, as a member and as vice president. During his time on the board he researched the issues that came in front of us and was always prepared for the meetings. Just as important, he reached out to others to gather opinions and try to come to a decision that everyone could get behind. He was one of the best team players I have worked with, and that is an important talent to have when representing a community. I have no doubt that he will continue to approach the position of Town Board member with the same diligence that he has shown so far. Chris cares for his community and will work hard for everyone, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to the voters of North East.
Judy Moran
Amenia

Supporting Amenia’s Nicole Ahearn

As an Amenia Councilman for the past three years and a lifelong resident of Dutchess County, I believe it’s important to set the record straight for voters. Election season is often filled with grand promises from candidates, and this year is no different. Candidate Charlie Miller is offering snippets of plans as if they’ll materialize overnight, yet he continues to overlook the essential needs of taxpayers. I’d like to clarify a few things based on my firsthand experience.
As a former member of the Amenia Wastewater Committee, I’ve seen how challenging it is to move this project forward. Wastewater is a critical issue, but the solution must involve homeowners and business owners in the district, as it’s their referendum to vote on. The problem has always been that their voices aren’t part of the broader conversation. For example, the Amenia water system is already in need of costly repairs and federally mandated upgrades, which will increase charges for current water district residents. Until we know what those costs will be, it’s irresponsible to proceed with wastewater planning and engineering fees, which would then add more expenses for those in the water district. This initiative simply won’t pass under these conditions.
Regarding affordable housing, I agree that we need it. However, one of the proposed locations by Miller and Supervisor Blackman, next to the Amenia Town Hall, is a well-known flood zone and is unsuitable for development. Moreover, when these projects are funded through government and block grants, outside stakeholders will continue to have input, which could limit access to these homes for local residents, their families, and our seniors. Once again, it’s a waste of taxpayer money to plan and study a proposal that isn’t feasible.
I’ve heard from many of you about your vision for Amenia: a stronger business district, a safer community, better education for our children, and, most importantly, smart growth. Councilwoman Nicole Ahearn, who currently sits on the board, is the candidate who can make that vision a reality. Her opponent’s approach seems more focused on turning Amenia into the next suburb of Westchester. Let’s support Nicole Ahearn and allow her to continue the great work she’s been doing for our community.
Brad Rebillard
Councilman
Amenia

Chris Mayville ‘knows our community’

On Nov. 5, town and village residents in North East should vote to keep Chris Mayville on our Town Board.
Chris has served our town as a Councilman for the last two years and is doing a great job. He is committed to serving our community - previously serving on the Webutuck School Board for ten years and being a Mentor/Coach for youth sports for nine years.
Chris knows our community and its people, having lived here over 20 years and being a vital part of our community’s life.
Chris Mayville has skills in budget and finance, along with his experience in housing matters, which are much needed on our Town Board. All that, with his quality of ‘common sense’, is why we should vote to keep him on the job.
Come Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters should look for Chris Mayville on the far right of their election ballot and fill in the circle next to his name. It will be one good thing they can do to keep North East and Millerton moving toward a better future.
Robert Cooper
Millerton

New York ballot: Prop 1 = Equality

There’s a secret on the New York ballot that few are aware of. It’s Proposition 1 – formerly known as the Equal Rights Amendment. Voters have the opportunity to decide if they want to ensure equal rights are in the New York State Constitution. Why? Because then new legislation is enacted with the spirit that all are equal — yes this means women, seniors, the disabled, and all people regardless of how they identify. Right now the State Constitution protects race and religion — leaving other groups at risk of legislation against them such as reproductive rights. There is a misinformation campaign, mostly on billboards, creating knee jerk reactions. This amendment does not change any existing laws. It does not impact parental rights, participation on sports teams, immigration or qualifications for voting. Those that we put in office with our votes decide those issues. Let’s stand up for a New York that believes in civil rights.
Maureen Rule
Amenia