Local girl model; Area Code 914 split; lightning
From the archives: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
From the archives: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
‘Local Girl Artist Model’; Marjorie Helen Baldwin daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Baldwin, of Boston Corners, was the artist’s model for the illustrations of “Hired Hostess,” a story appearing in last week’s Liberty Magazine.[sic] Miss Baldwin is a former Millerton High School student.
The illustrations were by Harold Denison, of Boston Corners, one of America’s outstanding illustrators and etchers. Mr. Denison illustrates a number of stories for Liberty and other periodicals, and frequently employs residents of his community as models.
‘Radio Star Dedicates Song to Betty Strong’; Clayton McMichen, leader of the Georgia Wildcats, popular radio stars who recently appeared at the Paramount Theatre here, sang a special number dedicated to little Betty Jane Strong way down in Millerton during his broadcast from WGY at 10 o’clock Monday morning.
‘Absentee Voters Cast 219 Ballots, President And Mrs. Roosevelt Head List; 67 Applications Rejected’; President and Mrs. Roosevelt headed the list of 2019 Dutchess County residents who voted by absentee ballot Tuesday. In addition, several other absentee ballots were mailed to members of the President’s staff by Commissioners of Election William E. Leak and John A Flynn. There were absentee voters in practically every district in the country with the third district in the Town of Hyde Park, President Roosevelt’s home district, leading the list with a total of sixteen. Fifteen absentee ballots were cast in the third district of the town of Amenia, and the second district in the town of Milan was third with eleven absentee voters.
‘Webutuck Teachers Press for Rapid Settlement’; Close to 80 teachers, their families and friends turned out en masse Tuesday evening at the monthly meeting of the Webutuck Board of Education. The teachers called for the School Board to sit down with the Webutuck Teachers Association (WTA) to reach a contract settlement.
The demonstrators represented the WTA, and were supported by several members of the Pine Plains Teachers Association.
The teachers’ attendance at the Board meeting is yet another move by the WTA in pressing for a speedy contract settlement.
‘Train Return Date Uncertain Says DOT’; Lettie Carson of Millerton, president of the Harlem Valley Transportation Association (HVTA),said this week she is “very pleased” with passage of the $250-million rail bond issue by New York State voters in last week’s general elections.
State officials however, would not say this week exactly when passenger service would be restored to Millerton.
‘Bridge Delays Cause Headaches’; MILLERTON: For months, John and Jan Gilmor, who own and operate Gilmor Glassworks, have had to cope with lost business due to construction of the bridge over the Webatuck Creek on Route 44 in the village. Now they are fighting back, and it appears they are getting results.
“Our business has been directly affected,” said Jan Gilmor, whose business specializes in hand-blown glass. John Gilmor estimated the lost parking could have cost his business upwards of $40,000.
“We thought it would be over in July,” he said. “Work started May 15, but it was supposed to start May 1. They had a skeleton crew here the whole time. There was no overtime and no work on weekends. And for three weeks in August, nothing happened.”
Mr. Gilmor’s frustration continued even after repeated calls to Sen. Vincent Leibell’s office. According to Jan Gilmor, retail business had been growing at a 30-per-cent clip annually until the bridge project slowed things down.
According to Purdy Halstead, the assistant to the regional director of the DOT in Poughkeepsie, the bridge work is in its last phase. New beams are ready to be placed under the bridge’s superstructure. Concrete is being formed to allow beams to be placed on the abutment. New sidewalks are being constructed.
“We expect it will be completed by the end of the month,” he said.
The 1907 bridge is being renovated for the first time in its history. The 20-foot span will have a see-through parapet to observe the creek below. Once the work is done, it should last at least 50 years, according to Mr. Halstead.
‘Area Code 914 to Split, Is 518 Next?’; While Dutchess County residents learned last month that area code 914 will soon be split in two, the fate of neighboring 518 has remained largely a mystery — until now, that is.
“Area code 518 is scheduled to be exhausted by the third quarter of 2000,” said Rebecca Barnhart, a spokeswoman for the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), which assigns area codes.
As was the case with 914, the proliferation of fax machines, pagers, wireless phones and computer data lines has proliferated to the point where many area codes nationwide have needed what NANPA and other agencies call “relief.”
With the exception of Pine Plains, Millerton and North East, all of Dutchess County currently falls within 914. The sprawling 518 area code stretches from northeastern Dutchess, westward to the Rome/Utica area and northward the Adirondacks, Plattsburg and the Canadian border.
Faced with the choice of a geographic split of 518 into 2 area codes and the so-called “overlay” method, the state Public Service Commission (PSC) chose the former.
The new code, which is not expected to take effect for several months, has not yet been determined. Because it contains more numbers, Westchester County is expected to retain the 914 code, while Ulster, Orange, Rockland and Dutchess must change.
‘Associated Lightning Rod Strikes a Move to Route 22’; NORTH EAST: With business booming, Associated Lightning Rod Company is moving its headquarters from Cooper Road to a convenient location on Route 22, just north of Flood’s Sanitation and across the street from the village highway garage.
Passers-by can plainly see the construction of wood framing for the new building as it is being erected. Siding will be installed next week.
Associated Lightning Rod is a family-run business owned by Robert Cooper, his wife Mary, son Robert and daughter Liz Cooper-Wendover, The business specializes in lightning protection for both residential and commercial buildings. The company was formed in 1985.
Protecting valuable electronic equipment and personal belongings is always a good investment, but especially at a time of increasingly powerful weather systems.
Considering the fact that lightning causes more than one-third of all fire losses, the elder Mr. Cooper said in a previous interview that the installation of a protection system is a good investment because it can also save lives.
Lightning is responsible for more deaths and property loss than tornadoes. hurricanes and floods combined.
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains FFA Ag Fair brought a crowd to the high school on Church Street Saturday, Oct. 11.
Kicking off the day was the annual tractor pull, attracting a dedicated crowd that sat in bleachers and folding chairs for hours watching Allison-Chalmers, International Harvesters and John Deeres compete to pull the heaviest weights.
A large collection of food was on offer from the Pine Plains FFA and each one of the classes in the Pine Plains Central School District. The football team was selling pickles.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd enjoyed a dip in the dunk tank to raise money for the Pine Plains teachers’ union-sponsored scholarship.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd got dunked several times during his half-hour shift in the dunk tank. Proceeds from the throws benefitted the Photo by Nathan Miller
The Rev. AJ Stack, center right, blessing a chicken at the pet blessing event at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia on Saturday, Oct. 4.
AMENIA — After serving more than five years as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, the Rev. AJ Stack announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, that he will resign from the church and Food of Life/Comida de Vida pantry. His last day at his current post will be Sunday, Nov. 2, the conclusion of the Feast of All Saints.
The news was shared in two emails from Stack — one to Food of Life pantry subscribers and volunteers, and another to parish members.
“I write tonight with difficult news, and I wanted you to hear it from me as soon as the Vestry and I had a chance to meet,” he wrote. “After much prayer and careful discernment, I have submitted my resignation to the Vestry as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas, and therefore as Executive Director of Food of Life/Comida de Vida.”
Stack provided few details about his departure. At time of publication, he had not announced his next steps but said the decision was “not sudden,” and followed careful consideration over a period of months. He will not be leaving the area or the diocese.
An announcement about his path forward and the transition process is expected soon. In the meantime, Stack said he remains “fully present” at the church, and the food pantry services will continue without interruption.
Stack expressed gratitude for the community and the growth of St. Thomas’ mission during his tenure. “Together we have welcomed new neighbors and strengthened our outreach in meaningful ways,” he said. “I trust that good work will continue.”
He joined St. Thomas in March 2020 and guided the church and community through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent interview with The News about the food pantry, Stack estimated that it serves 653 individuals from 156 households each week, highlighting a significant contribution to the community.
The announcement was met with messages of reassurance from pantry volunteers. Jolly Stewart, a Vestry member and volunteer, wrote to the community with words of reassurance following the announcement. “I have complete faith in the strength of the parish of St. Thomas,” she wrote. “Our history shows how we have done this time and again, each time becoming more than what we were before. We can, without a doubt, do this now.”
MILLERTON — Ten candidates for office in the Nov. 4 election will answer questions from Dutchess County voters at a candidate forum on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Annex at the NorthEast-Millerton Library located at 28 Century Blvd.
The forum, which is sponsored by the library, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Candidates for local and county offices will answer questions from residents in attendance or from residents who have submitted questions in advance.
“We’re excited to keep the tradition of the candidate forum going,” said Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, director of the library. “Some years we can’t always get candidates together.”
This year’s forum will include:
Rachele Grieco Cole, a Democrat, and Chris Mayville, a Republican, who both are running uncontested for the North East Town Council;
Casey McCabe, a Democrat, also running uncontested for North East Justice.
Among Dutchess County races:
Tracy MacKenzie, who is endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, is running uncontested for Dutchess County Family Court Judge;
Kara Gerry, a Democrat, and Ned McLoughlin, a Republican, are in a contest for a Dutchess County Court judgeship currently held by McLoughlin.
Chris Drago, D-19, and Tonya Pulver, a Republican, are competing to represent Dutchess County’s19th District seat currently held by Drago.
Democratic incumbent Dan Aymar-Blair and Will Truitt, the Republican chair of the county legislature, are competing for the Dutchess County Comptroller position currently held by Aymar-Blair.
Leo-Jameson is encouraging questions for the candidates to be submitted in advance, which will not be revealed to candidates beforehand. Dutchess County residents may pose questions during the forum. To submit a question on the library’s website, go to the calendar at nemillertonlibrary.org and find the link in the Oct. 24calendar entries.
The format calls for opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions from residents, and candidates will be able to stay after the forum to answer questions personally.
The residence at 35 Amenia Union Road in Sharon was damaged after being struck by the Jeep Grand Cherokee around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
SHARON, Conn. — Emergency crews were called Saturday, Oct. 11, to Amenia Union Road in Sharon for a report of a vehicle into a building with entrapment.
Connecticut State Police reported Charles Teti, 62, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Amenia Union Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle veered across the southbound land and exited the roadway where it struck a tree and home. Airbags deployed.
Teti and front seat passenger Aidan Cassidy, 63, sustained serious injuries. Teti was airlifted to Hartford Hospital and Cassidy was transported by ambulance to Sharon Hospital for treatment.
Back seat passenger Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. Cassidy-Teti was a senior at Kent School. He played on the football and tennis teams.
The residence that was struck is located at 35 Amenia Union Road.
The case remains under open investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Lukas Gryniuk at Troop B 860-626-1821.