Crews from eight neighboring communities battled a four acre brush fire that started at 348 Verbank Road in Millbrook Sunday, Nov. 10. The fire started as a result of a homeowner starting a fire that quickly overtook nearby fields.
MILLBROOK — Volunteers from eight nearby departments assisted Millbrook firefighters in fighting a four acre brush fire on Verbank Road in Millbrook around noon Sunday, Nov. 10.
Volunteers representing Union Vale, Pleasant Valley, Dover, East Clinton, LaGrange, Amenia, West Clinton and Beekman assisted Millbrook volunteers in battling the blaze at 348 Verbank Road.
Millbrook Fire Chief Dominic Boscardin said a homeowner igniting a fire started the blaze that grew to four acres at its largest. At 4 p.m. responders had managed to get control of the fire and shrink it to under two acres.
Boscardin expected to be packed up by sundown.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation gave Dutchess County a high fire danger rating in late October. Towns and villages across the county, including Millbrook, have issued burn bans in response to the dangerously dry conditions. While these bans are in place it is forbidden to start a fire or do anything which could cause a fire to start. “All outdoor burning of yard waste, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys, and cooking fires within said jurisdiction is prohibited,” according to Millbrook’s state of emergency declaration.
In addition to restricting outside burning, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino also issued a statement with additional fire-starters to be mindful of. Cigarette butts should be carefully extinguished. Fireplace and woodstove ashes should not be discarded on the ground or in receptacles near your house. It’s also best to avoid parking over dry leaves and monitor power equipment for sparks and hot mufflers.
Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue announced Saturday, Nov. 9, that New York State Parks and Recreation Firefighter Daniel Vasquez died fighting a fire in Orange County, New York. The Greenwood Lake fire has spread to over three square miles as firefighters struggle to contain the blaze.
Residents of Silo Ridge and Amenia Fire and Ambulance volunteers posed with a big check in front of the volunteer ambulance Sunday morning, Nov. 17.
AMENIA — Jamie Vitiello presented a check for $50,000 to the Amenia Volunteer Ambulance Corps Sunday morning, Nov. 17, during the Amenia Fire Company’s pancake breakfast at the fire house.
Vitiello said he heard about the ambulance corps’ need for a life-saving device called the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System device, or LUCAS device for short. The LUCAS device assists emergency responders in applying chest compressions. The mechanical device can be situated around a person’s chest in the case of cardiac arrest and used to provide compressions that are more consistent and generally safer than a human providing CPR.
“I sent out a text in the morning and then went to Town Hall,” Vitiello said. “By the time I had gotten to Town Hall we had raised $25,000. By the end of the day we had raised the whole $50,000.”
The LUCAS device cost just over $20,000 to purchase. Vitiello said the remainder of the $50,000 donation will go to the Ambulance Corps fund to support regular costs like ambulance maintenance.
The donation was made in the name of Silo Ridge residents in association with the Amenia-Wassaic Community Organization.
The Millerton Square Plaza has been sold with plans for a grocery market.
MILLERTON — On Friday, Nov. 15, the Millerton Square Plaza got new owners when the sale of the entire plaza was closed in New York City.
Although agreement between the parties on the purchase was reached in May of 2023 it took almost 18 months to comply with state and county regulations before the sale could be completed.
The property consists of four separate parcels totaling 10.4 acres on Route 44 in the Town of North East. The supermarket itself is 28,000 square feet with another 18,700 square feet of retail and office space.
Immediately after the sale Skip Trotta provided The Millerton News with a statement concerning the long-awaited sale.
“My wife, Ann, and I are very excited to announce the sale of the Millerton Square Plaza to Kim and Chris Choe. This was a very long and complicated process. We had other proposals for a different use, but we always felt the real need was for a large, clean, remodeled, and competitive market for the sake of the town and the folks that live in the area who deserve just that.
“They have already begun the process with the town and multiple contractors.
“This sale pleases us to know that this store will continue to operate as it was intended to operate back in 1971 when my father and I decided to leave our small market on Main Street and build the plaza. The residents in our area will no longer need to travel long distances to get good affordable and fresh groceries. We will all benefit from this sale. Thank you to the folks along the way who helped us finally get this done and for the patience shown by the people of the community.”
The Choes operate the family owned Sharon Farm Market at the Sharon Shoppping Center in Sharon, where since 2010 they have sold groceries sourced locally. In June 2022, Choe expanded with the purchase of a roadside farm on Route 44 in East Canaan, Connecticut, with vegetable fields.
Since losing the grocery store, Millerton has been a food dessert. A Grand Union in Millerton Square Plaza shut down in 2017.
Many people in the village and the town have resorted to purchasing limited groceries at CVS and Cumberland Farms.
For some time, the parking lot to Millerton Square Plaza has been gated, but as of last weekend the gates were gone.
MILLERTON — In what Mayor Jennifer Najdek has described as “a huge bump for us,” New York State has awarded Millerton an Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grant (IMG) to fund various projects which continuously monitor and improve local water quality. The size of the grant is a generous $5,082,099, an amount which cannot be exceeded.
The official acceptance of the grant, which is application-based, came together fairly quickly as officials had only one week to decide. With the knowledge looming that grant requests may be bypassed or allocated to other communities without a decision being reached, Millerton leadership aligned after careful consideration at a special meeting held last week, signing off on Nov. 8. With the grant now secured, Najdek is optimistic Millerton can now move forward on pending wastewater concerns like water treatment and stormwater projects, saying “This project has great potential to happen now.”
One downside regarding the grant, however, is the impact the award will have on additional grants. As the mayor explains it, this grant differs from others in that it must be combined with other grants and the amount may eventually be reduced, contingent on the awarding of additional grants or projects running under budget.
Najdek also pointed out the downsides of future wastewater projects, citing potential impacts on the implementation of new businesses on Main Street, but it’s a hurdle to leap when — and if — the time comes. Her focus is firm on the benefits of the grant and the projects which may result from the award. She was quick to quell concerns of residents outside the district who have voiced taxation concerns connected to wastewater projects, pointing out they will not be impacted. “This is important,” said Najdek. “It’s about slow, sustainable growth … and it’ll maintain the character of the village.”
Dan Aymar-Blair
MILLERTON — Democrat Dan Aymar-Blair defeated Republican A. Gregg Pulver in the race for County Comptroller, according to unofficial results of the Dutchess County Board of Elections after a count of affidavit and absentee ballots.
As of Friday, Nov. 15, Aymar-Blair was ahead of Gregg Pulver by 850 votes. Aymar-Blair declared victory on Friday.
“I am humbled and honored by the trust Dutchess County residents have placed in me. This victory affirms that taxpayers want a watchdog who will make sure the county’s budget is working for them,” he said in a statement published on the Dutchess County Democratic Committee’s website.
Aymar-Blair, who has experience in municipal finance, currently oversees business operations at New York City’s public school’s special education program, and is serving a third term on the Beacon City Council. He is expected to assume his new post in January, completing the term of former Comptroller Robin Lois. Aymar-Blair would run for reelection in 2025.
Pulver was appointed Comptroller in November 2023 by then County Executive William F.X. O’Neill following the resignation of Lois. Prior to his appointment by O’Neill, Pulver was Chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature. Pulver, a third-generation farmer from Pine Plains, had served several two-year terms as a County legislator and also had served as a local school board member and town supervisor.
“I want to thank all those who supported our campaign over the last 10 months,” Pulver said in a statement on Monday, Nov. 18. “This was an absurdly close race and it’s clear that the work our office has done bringing true fiscal stewardship to the County was a strong message.”
The Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the 2024 elections on Nov. 30.
