MILLBROOK — The annual Millbrook Engine, Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 dinner is a serious event, with people singled out and praised for their service to the company and the residents of Millbrook, the Town of Washington and the surrounding area.
This was the 115th anniversary of the Millbrook Fire Department, and the 45th anniversary of the fire department auxiliary, so there was much to celebrate.
But the event also seems like the social event of the season, as it always draws a huge crowd, and when Fire Company President Matt Rochfort announces the dignitaries in the room, he announces just about everyone who serves the town or village in any capacity.
Mayor Tim Collopy was unable to attend but his wife, Ceil, was there, as was Deputy Mayor Vicky Contino, who took over the mayoral introductions and remarks for Collopy.
Also present were members of the village of board of trustees; village clerk Sarah Witt; Town of Washington Supervisor Gary Ciferri; councilmembers of the town board; and Deirdre Houston, Dutchess Countyounty legislator for District 25, with her husband, Brian. Witt was on hand as members officially signed in at the end of the evening.
Ted Bownas, who just stepped down as fire chief after having served in that office from April 2012 to April 2023, was feted for his 30 years of service. The Augustine Rotunno Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Michael Masserone.
The Lynn Karn Memorial Award went to Kelly Tomasulo. The Shawn Fimbel Rookie of the Year Award went to Trevor Gruntler, and the Bert Roberts Memorial Award was presented to Peggy Mulligan.
Other recognition went to Lynn Swart for 45 years of active service in the auxiliary. She is a charter and lifetime member.
Tributes were paid to past presidents and chiefs; service awards were presented to members who responded to 100 or more calls in the past year. Special mention was made of those who had passed in the last year: Reb Powell, Tim Russell, John Evangelista and Lew Keenher, as well as Donald Cady and Don Howe from the Pleasant Valley Fire Department.
An especially poignant mention was made by Rochfort of Bob Myers, who passed in January 2023 and his wife, Kathy, who died in January 2022. He said that they had always been together, and in the passing of Bob, were reunited. He presented to their family members a joint plaque, for their combined 89 years of service.
Outgoing officers were thanked: directors Allen Meyer and Robin Horan, and acting secretary Kara Granger.
Current officers are Deputy Chief Deputy Chief Kevin Granger, Assistant Chief Ken Walsh, Capt. Tim Race Jr. and First Lt. Roland Burlingame.
The current civil officers, along with President Rochfort, are Vice President Kara Granger, treasurer Shelley Hollingsworth and acting secretary Kelly Tomasulo.
Rescue squad officers are Assistant Chief Laurie Olson, Capt. Kim Bownas, First Lt. Kevin Duncan, treasurer Shelley Hollingsworth and secretary Kim Bownas.
Auxiliary officers are President Jodi Swart, Vice President Debbie Wheeler, secretary Lynn Swart and treasurer Allison Hults.
The board of directors are Chairperson Peggy Mulligan, Deputy Chair Jodi Swart, and Leo Arruza, Brian Hicks, Terry Donoghue and Rick Seaman.
The food was prepared by Millbrook Deli, and the nearly 200 people attending seemed to thoroughly enjoy the evening. The volunteers are a vital part of the community, and enjoyed a lively night of thanks and praise.
John Dennis, of Millerton, presents a bluegill he caught in Rudd Pond on Friday morning, Feb. 6. Dennis said he catches enough fish for a meal — usually about a dozen fish — before packing up and shuffling off the ice.
MILLERTON — Rudd Pond is open for ice fishing as of Thursday, Feb. 5.
Taconic State Park rangers announced the ice was safe for fishing in a Facebook post Thursday morning. Ice on the pond must average at least 6 inches thick across the entire surface before it is opened to recreation, according to park staff.
On Friday, Feb. 6, Brian Booth of Millbrook and John Dennis of Millerton were out on the ice catching crappie and bluegill at 10 a.m.
"I've been fishing here since I was a kid," Dennis said. He was jigging, which is a fishing technique where a baited hook is dropped through a hole in the ice and "jigged" to simulate natural movement.
Booth was fishing through a combination of jigging and devices called "flip-ups," which have a line connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish grabs the hook.
Brian Booth, of Millbrook, demonstrates a "flip-up," on Friday, Feb. 6, at Rudd Pond. A flip-up is an ice fishing device that suspends a baited hook connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish takes the bait.Photo by Nathan Miller
Temperatures are predicted to stay well below freezing for the next week. An extreme cold weather warning was in effect for the region all weekend and stretched into Monday morning on Feb. 9.
Forecasts predict heavy winds and blustery conditions to continue this week, with a chance for temperatures to increase leading into this weekend. Booth and Dennis each said that wind is a major contributor to uncomfortable conditions on the ice, where natural wind breaks are nonexistent.
Dennis uses a sled with a collapsible shelter to haul his ice fishing equipment onto the pond. He said that the tent can be a great boon, especially when combined with a small space heater.
"I could fish in my t-shirt," Dennis said.
But wind has caused problems when Dennis’s sled wasn’t anchored properly. He said he was dragged across the ice by strong gusts during a recent trip to a frozen lake in Connecticut.
Rudd Pond is open from sunrise to sunset year-round. Taconic State Park employees said they will continue to monitor the ice and provide updates on its status.
Students wore black at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Friday, Jan. 30, while recognizing a day of silence to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
FALLS VILLAGE — In the wake of two fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota, students across the country have organized demonstrations to protest the federal agency. While some teens have staged school walkouts or public protests, students at Housatonic Valley Regional High School chose a quieter approach.
On Friday, Jan. 30, a group of HVRHS students organized a voluntary “day of silence,” encouraging participants to wear black as a form of peaceful protest without disrupting classes.
The idea was spearheaded by junior Sophia Fitz, who said she wanted a way for students to express their concerns while remaining in school.
“What really inspired me was that I was feeling very helpless with these issues,” Fitz said. “Staying educated with what’s going on in not only our country but globally can be very stressful as a teenager. Kids right now are feeling very hopeless and want to do something, but don’t know how.”
Teachers Peter Verymilyea and Damon Osora were on board with the idea early on, describing it as a peaceful and respectful way for students to express their beliefs.
Assistant Principal Steven Schibi also backed the effort, emphasizing the importance of student participation.“I think it’s important for us to listen to students,” he said. “And they have to learn how to have a voice in such a way that it’s not disruptive.”
After discussions with Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley and Principal Ian Strever, school administrators agreed that participation would be optional and that students could choose whether to wear black or not.
Schibi, along with several staff members, participated in the movement by wearing black themselves. Math department chair Kara Jones was among the participating teachers. “Everybody deserves their voice, so I’d rather do the day of silence than everybody stay home,” she said.
Among HVRHS students who supported the protest, at least one cited concern for friends affected by immigration enforcement.
Sophomore Peyton Bushnell said he felt anxious, fearing for the safety of friends and acquaintances. “I think it’s all really messed up,” Bushnell said. “I have a lot of Hispanic friends, and I worry if there’s ICE in Great Barrington, if they came here [and] deported my friends. I can’t even imagine.”
Bushnell said Fitz’s initiative encouraged him to speak more openly about the issue.
Senior Molly Ford echoed that sentiment. “I think it’s a peaceful way to protest and I think it’s the best way to do so,” Ford said.
Many students wore black to show support, and senior Victoria Brooks shared her thoughts on what it meant to her. “It means following along in a form of advocacy alongside other students,” Brooks said.
Some students declined to comment when asked about the protest. Others said they were unaware the protest was taking place. Three seniors interviewed during lunch said they would have participated had they known, calling it a “neat idea.”
Not all students were convinced of the protest’s impact. A group of juniors questioned whether it would make a difference.
“I think that it is good that we’re trying to do something,” one student said. “But I’m not sure how much the silence aspect of it will help, but I think that it’s good that we’re trying.”
Some students questioned the efficacy of the protests, including a group of seniors who offered their opinions. They expressed the belief that the protests were “pointless,” and that President Donald Trump probably didn’t even know that HVRHS existed.
“I just don’t think it’s the best way to go about it. Like, what is us being silent and wearing black gonna do,” one of the seniors said.
Senior Cohen Cecchinato voiced his opposition to the protests in another interview.
“The staying silent, I think, is for the lives that were lost, which I agree with,” Cecchinato said. “But I think that wearing black, like the movement that it’s behind, the people that are putting it into place in our school are doing it because it’s like the ‘F ICE’ movement or the abolish ICE movement, which I think is just wrong.”
Other students said they believed political protests don’t belong in school.
“I just don’t think we should bring politics into school,” one senior said. Another added, “I think it’s causing … a really big divide and people are using it to be advantageous to themselves and their own beliefs.”
However, one senior expressed a sharply critical view of the protest. Senior Ashton Osborne dismissed students who chose to wear black or participate in the demonstration and criticized organizer Sophia Fitz. He also said he strongly supported the federal immigration agency and added that if he were old enough, he would want to work for ICE.
The comments reflected a minority viewpoint among students.
Mia DiRocco, Hannah Johnson and Peter Austin are seniors at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and participants in The Lakeville Journal’s student journalism program, which produces HVRHS Today.
PINE PLAINS — Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, D-19, will host a public forum later this month to discuss ongoing childcare challenges — and potential solutions — facing families in Northern Dutchess. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Stissing Center in Pine Plains and is free and open to the public.
Drago said the goal of the forum is to gather community feedback that can be shared with county and state stakeholders, as Dutchess County positions itself to benefit from $20 million in state funding as part of a new childcare pilot program.
Earlier this month, Dutchess County was named as one of three counties in New York selected to participate in the pilot, which was announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of a broader plan to bring universal childcare to the state. The funding is expected to support expanded childcare capacity, with a focus on infants and toddlers.
“We are inviting people who have expressed concern about childcare in Northern Dutchess, along with local school and faith-based program leaders, nonprofit organizations, and elected officials,” Drago said in a statement, calling childcare solutions a “critical need in our communities.”
The event follows the recent closure of the North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program (ELP), which left a number of families in Millerton and surrounding towns without childcare options — and left teachers without jobs. NECC announced the closure of ELP in early November and officially closed its doors on Dec. 18, 2025.
In a signal of support, Assemblymember Didi Barrett — who represents a largely rural district that covers parts of Dutchess and Columbia Counties — joined childcare advocates in the state capital last week to hear concerns from constituents. Barrett has praised recent state investments aimed at addressing childcare gaps, saying she will fight to ensure funds reach rural parts of her district.
“I am committed to ensuring that this is truly universal childcare and that the program addresses the childcare needs in Millerton, North East, and the surrounding communities, especially with the recent closure of the North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program,” Barrett said.
In December, Barrett secured $1 million in funding to expand childcare services at Dutchess Community College, and said she is committed to ensuring that new state funds will benefit those in rural communities.
A proposed deportation processing center in Chester, New York, has sparked widespread backlash from local residents and advocates across the Hudson Valley.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a public notice on Jan. 8 outlining the plan, which calls for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to purchase and convert a warehouse at 29 Elizabeth Drive in Chester “in support of ICE operations.” The facility, located in Orange County, is a former Pep Boys distribution warehouse that was previously used to store tires and auto parts.
More than 400 people appeared at the Chester Village Board meeting on Jan. 12, according to a public letter addressed to ICE on the Village of Chester’s website, villageofchesterny.gov.
Village officials issued the letter on Jan. 16, formally opposing the proposal. The letter cited concerns about strain on the village’s sewer system, incompatibility with local zoning laws and a restrictive covenant governing the site.
Millerton village trustee Katie Cariello is among the local voices of opposition to the facility, sharing in a statement that she condemns the proposed detention center.
Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, D-19, also opposes the plans. “We must stop the development of an ICE detention center right in our backyard,” he said, in a statement. “With the horrific news continuing to come out of Minneapolis, we need to continue to make our voices heard and protect our neighbors.”
New York Senator Michelle Hinchey also denounced the plans. “The ‘warehousing’ language used by your agency to describe the detainment of human beings, and the subsequent mission of this proposal, is dehumanizing, abhorrent, and signals clearly the way your administration views American citizens and immigrants alike,” Hinchey said in a statement directed at the President.
She called the proposed facility a threat to the safety, values, and economic stability of Chester and the broader Hudson Valley community.
More than 20,000 people have signed a petition opposing the proposed facility in Chester that is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, whose district includes Dutchess County, according to a statement from his office issued Thursday, Jan. 29.
The Jan. 8 public notice was required by an executive order dating back to President Jimmy Carter’s administration pertaining to floodplain management. The plan includes changes to the building’s interior, installation of a guard building, an outdoor recreation area, utility and stormwater improvements, and fence line changes, according to the public notice.
The proposed facility in Chester is part of a larger plan to adapt warehouses and industrial sites across the country into facilities that would hold more than 80,000 people total in a hub and spoke model meant to improve the efficiency of ICE’s deportation system, according to an ongoing Washington Post investigation originally published in December citing internal DHS documents.
Additional reporting by Aly Morrissey.
