Millbrook Library dedicates pollinator pathway garden

Millbrook Library dedicates pollinator pathway garden

Joining in the fun at the dedication of the new pollinator pathway garden at The Millbrook Library on Saturday, Oct. 4, local expert gardener Maryanne Snow Pitts provides information about a planting to Lorraine Mirabella of Poughkeepsie.

Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Participating in a patchwork of libraries that have planted pollinator pathway gardens to attract insects and birds to their native plantings was one of the accomplishments being celebrated at the dedication of a new pollinator garden at the Millbrook Library on Saturday, Oct. 4.

“A lot of work went into it,” said Emma Sweeney, past President of the Millbrook Garden Club, who started the local library’s initiative two years ago.

The Pollinator Pathway program is a national effort to plant native plants that native insects depend upon for sustenance and preferred plants for their own seasonal reproduction.

Jana Hogan of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Executive Director of the Pollinator Pathway program, was on hand to present a plaque to the library for its successful participation.

“A garden is not just a garden,” said garden designer Andy Durbridge of Wassaic, designer of the library’s garden. “It may serve as a model for other gardens along the line.”

Speaking to the 50 visitors at the dedication, Durbridge said that the library’s garden has a mission, that it is a working garden, planned to serve insects and birds over their seasons. The earliest plants support pollinators, while the full range of plants continues to serve the needs of those they attract, offering habitat, shelter and food.

A pollinator garden is akin to a prairie, rather than a formalized European garden, Durbridge noted.

The garden project was supported by the library’s Friends group using funds raised during the Holiday Silent Auction and ongoing book sale. A grant from the Millbrook Garden Club also provided support.

Latest News

The life of Mary Leitch; 103 years of service, spirit and joy

Mary Leitch, who passed away Dec. 24, is pictured at a 2024 observance marking 10 years since the Irondale Schoolhouse was relocated and restored as a visitor center for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail on Main Street in Millerton. The last living student to attend the one-room schoolhouse before it closed in 1930, Leitch was welcomed by North East Town Supervisor Chris Kennan.

Photo Provided

AMENIA — Mary Leitch, of Amenia, whose life was filled with energy, generosity, and kindness, passed away peacefully at the age of 103 on Christmas Eve morning. For decades, she touched the lives of many and left a lasting mark on the communities of Millerton, Millbrook and Amenia.

Leitch was born in Millerton in 1922 and grew up on Winchell Mountain in the hamlet of Irondale. Her early schooling was at Irondale’s 1858 one-room schoolhouse until it closed in 1930. She was proud of having been the last living person to attend that District No. 7 school, one of 14 one-room schoolhouses serving the town. From the third grade onward, she attended school in the Millerton school district.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East organizational meeting sets tone for new year

North East Supervisor Chris Kennan, center left, presents outgoing Town Board member Ralph Fedele with a commemorative gift in recognition of his 12 years of service. Fedele, who retired in December 2025, received the gift during the Jan. 2 annual organizational meeting.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The North East Town Board convened for its annual organizational meeting on Friday, Jan. 2, where trustees affirmed priorities and set the tone for the year ahead.

“I’m really proud of the town hall that we have,” said Supervisor Chris Kennan. “I think we have a great group of people who work together well, and it’s a collegial place to be.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Another year of solar struggles, new hearings

Farmland vista where one of the proposed solar arrays for Hecate Energy's proposed Shepherd's Run solar energy array on Route 23 in Craryville, New York.

Photo by Nathan Miller

COPAKE – The past year marked another herky-jerky dance on the community solar front for this otherwise quiet hamlet.

As 2025 rolled along, the battle between Hecate Energy LLC and residents opposed to its proposed 42-megawatt Shepherd’s Run solar farm entered its eighth year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Year in review: A year of contrasts for Millerton

The Millerton Square plaza is still empty on Friday, Jan. 2, a little over eight months since the Town of North East Planning Board approved a site plan for major renovations to the grocery store in April.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON – At a glance, Millerton’s year was marked by striking contrasts. Moments of division were set against moments of community building. Major municipal milestones were followed by delays and missed deadlines. And years-long efforts to prepare for the future unfolded alongside planning efforts to celebrate the past.

Fire ignites year of rebuilding

A Feb. 3 fire shaped what would become a year of rebuilding and resilience for the Village of Millerton. The early-morning blaze destroyed the highway and water department building, incinerating the village’s police vehicles, snow-removal equipment and everything inside the building.

Keep ReadingShow less