MILLBROOK — The day may have been rainy, but the outlook was sunny as more than 350 community members toured the future Thorne Building Community Center (TBCC) on Saturday, May 28, some for the first time.
George Whalen, Oakeigh Thorne and others from the Millbrook Community Partnership (MCP), the 501(c)3 nonprofit behind the years-long project spoke of how much transforming the historic one-time high school means to the them, as did the response to the day’s event.
“The MCP, along with our many volunteers who assisted in the Open House Day, are delighted with the huge turnout, positive suggestions, and overwhelming enthusiasm received from the community for the TBCC. We hope the community will continue to stay updated by visiting our website: www.thornebuilding.org.”
The building, which was given to the newly incorporated village of Millbrook in 1895, has been in a serious state of disrepair for many years. After no longer being used for educational purposes after 1962, it served as various venues over several years, but eventually was left to lay dormant.
During Saturday’s tour, its stately elegance was evident as its stripped-down brick walls were bare, the asbestos recently removed. It ‘s not hard to envision a finished project, which was what the tour was all about.
The first floor has an auditorium and stage that will allow for theater events and could also accommodate social engagements like weddings. There are plans for possibly an art gallery and some community work spaces too. Many large windows allow an abundance of natural light.
Plans for the second floor include possibly a dance studio, classrooms, a room for seminars and kitchen/catering space. S
The third floor might be designated for office space, and the basement offers many possibilities, including a culinary center and kitchen, recording studio, technology center and more.
Many of those who attended were back for the first time since high school at the Open House. Others, such as Lois Marder, have been back more recently for events like antique shows; she praised the MCP’s progress.
“After all these years it is delightful to see the elegant interior of this building and listen to all the stories that people recall,” she said.
Resident Irene Wing said she was just glad the building would be put to good use.
“I’m glad it will be returned to its former glory,” she said.
Resident John Kading celebrated his 94th birthday on Saturday. He recalled going to school at the Thorne Building and was glad to see old friends and former classmates on the tour to share memories with of their high school days in those very halls.
Whalen, Justice Betsy Shequine, Millbrook Mayor Tim Collopy and Patsy Pollack were among the many who volunteered to greet and guide the visitors on tours of the first floor. There were 14 volunteers in all, and the hundreds who showed up seemed to be impressed and delighted a the renovations thus far.
Jennifer Almquist
SALISBURY – Sunshine, laughter and hundreds of wagging tails filled Lime Rock Park Sunday, June 7, for The Great Country Mutt Show, an annual fundraiser for the Little Guild animal shelter located in West Cornwall. Attendance more than doubled from last year, with approximately 1,500 people turning out for the free event alongside their four-legged companions.
“This year’s Great Country Mutt Show was the most successful in the event’s history,” said Jenny Langendoerfer, executive director of The Little Guild. She said the record attendance “speaks volumes about the love of animals in our community and the tremendous support shown for the Little Guild and its mission.”
The giant tent, silhouetted against a wide blue sky, began filling just before the 11 a.m. opening. The “tongue-in-cheek, Westminster-style” dog show was originally conceived by renowned designer and animal advocate Bunny Williams.
WFSB meteorologist Scot Haney returned as host, joined by judges Richard Schlesinger, an Emmy-Award winning journalist with CBS News, and Bill Berloni, the well-known animal trainer who trained the first Sandy for the Broadway show “Annie,” proving that rescue animals can become stars.
People of all ages lined up with their dogs, which were leashed and eager to strut their stuff in contests throughout the day. Children held pets in their arms, some owners sported matching outfits with their canine companions, and despite the crowd, there was not a growl or skirmish amongst the dogs. Dogs of every size and breed filled the grounds, including towering Bernese Mountain dogs, tiny chihuahuas tucked into shoulder carriers, whiskery terriers, long-haired dachshunds, happy retrievers, bulldogs, one Bassett hound and countless mixed breeds.
Co-Chairs Robin Chandler and Chet Krayewski said they were pleased with the event’s success.Members of the board filled different roles, along with many volunteers, plus the staff of the Little Guild.
Langendoerfer also expressed special thanks to Tracy Tucker and Joel Howard for their support of a gala held the night before at Norfolk Country Club.
New this year was a hospitality tent, suggested by Bunny Williams, where dogs could cool off at their own water station while visitors enjoyed food trucks, a mobile pizza oven and live music by The Joint Chiefs. Vendors offered dog-themed merchandise.
Awards were presented to the Most Unidentifiable Mix, Sweetest Pair of Dogs, Best Ears, Best Trick, Best Companion/Family Member, Best Lap Dog Over 40 Pounds, Best Kisser, Waggiest Tail, and Best in Show. While the winners received blue ribbons, each registered dog received a commemorative ribbon.
Alec Linden
LaBonne’s Market is considering an expansion that would reorganize the flow of traffic on Academy Street in Salisbury.
SALISBURY – Expansion may be on the horizon for LaBonne’s Market, Salisbury’s only grocery store, as preliminary plans call for a 4,700-square-foot addition that would create more retail space, add employee facilities and reconfigure parking around the downtown property to add more spots.
During a meeting with the Economic Development Committee on May 21, Robert LaBonne Jr., the current president and CEO of the four LaBonne’s Markets locations across the state, outlined conceptual plans for an addition on the east side of the building.
According to a blueprint he shared with the group, the registers would be relocated to the new addition, creating room for longer grocery aisles within the existing store. The plans also include an expanded produce section, a café space, a second-floor area for staff facilities and a loading and storage area on the north side of the expansion.
LaBonne Jr. said the store has simply outgrown its current footprint of just over 43,000-square-feet. “It’s the smallest sales space of the four,” he said, the others being located in Watertown, Woodbury and Prospect, “and in the summer it does the most business.”
In order for the expansion to move forward, the Academy Street corridor would be overhauled. Currently, Academy Street is a small street that provides access to the grocery store, the used bookstore Johnnycake Books, a guest house, and several private residences.
As presented in the expansion plans, the street would essentially be the center of a parking lot comprised of the current LaBonne’s parking on the west side of Academy Street, another plot on the east side and a third area to the north of the building, with auxiliary spaces on another parcel at the end of the street that are currently used as overflow for the store.
The conceptual plans, developed by SLR Consulting of Cheshire, Connecticut, would create a total of about 90 parking spaces across a series of plots owned by the Market Place of Salisbury, a decades-old private shareholder group that LaBonne’s leases the land from. While most of the land is already owned by the Market Place, some of the proposed parking area lies on land currently owned by the town. One parcel currently houses an occupied affordable home rental, which LaBonne noted would have to be replaced elsewhere if it is removed as the plan proposes.
LaBonne Jr. noted that the plans come after years of deliberation with the town on how to proceed, and remain highly preliminary, pending review from both the town and from the Market Place of Salisbury.
As of early June, LaBonne’s leadership did not comment directly on the project when asked, stating that the effort remains in early stages.
During the meeting, though, LaBonne Jr. spoke about the advantages of expanding parking options in town.
Referencing other municipalities with vibrant downtowns such as Litchfield and Middletown, he said that ample parking and thoughtful planning can play a big role in vitalizing Main Street activity.
“If you don’t provide parking for capacity, you will chase people out of town,” he said.
Millerton News
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Kaits Kleaning LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 05-22-2026. Office Location: Dutchess county. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 24 Attlebury Hill Road, Standfordville NY 12581.
06-04-26
06-11-26
06-18-26
06-25-26
07-02-26
07-09-26
LEGAL NOTICE OF ESTOPPEL
A resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on May 21, 2026, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be here-after contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Town of Pine Plains, in the County of Dutchess, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this Notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the publication of this Notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. MADELIN DAFOE, Town Clerk
Town of Pine Plains BOND RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF PINE PLAINS, NEW YORK, ADOPTED MAY 21, 2026, FOR THE PURCHASE OF A HIGHWAY MOWER AND ATTACHMENTS AND ISSUANCE OF A STATUTORY INSTALLMENT BOND TO FINANCE SAID PURCHASE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $159,953.14, AND THE TRANSFER OF$42,100 FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND$10,000 FROM THE MACHINERY CAPITAL LINE, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS$212,053.14, APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT THEREFOR, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $159,953.14 SERIAL BONDS OF SAID TOWN TO FINANCE SAID APPROPRIATION. Object or purpose: Purchase of a highway mower and issuance of a statutory installment bond to finance said purchase in the amount not to exceed$159,953.14
Period of probable usefulness: Eleven years Amount of obligations to be issued: $159,953.14 A complete copy of the bond resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Town Clerk, 3284 Route 199, Pine Plains, New York. Dated: May 21, 2026 Town of Pine Plains, New York
06-11-26
PINE PLAINS TOWN BOARD
NOTICE OF
PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that the Pine Plains Town Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of a for the Adoption a Local Law No. A of 2026 Entitled “A Local Law Amending
Article XVIII, Section 275-116 of Chapter 275 of the Town Code” on June 18, at 7:05 p.m. at the Pine Plains Town Hall, located at 3284 Route 199, Pine Plains, New York. A copy of the proposed Local Law is available for inspection on the Town’s official website and at the Town Clerk’s office during normal business hours. Any person desiring to be heard on the adoption of said Resolution shall be given an opportunity to do so. Dated: May 22, 2026 BY ORDER OF THE PINE PLAINS THE TOWN BOARD.
MADELIN DAFOE,
Town Clerk
06-11-26
SECTION 001112 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
(N.Y. PUBLIC WORK) THE TOWN OF AMENIA
Invites bids for GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, and ELECTRICAL Work for New Highway Garage & Salt Shed located at 3754-3756 NYS RTE 22, Wassaic, NewYork, 12569. Separate sealed bids will be received by Town of Amenia at 4988 NY-22, Amenia, NY 12501, until 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the bid is received at the designated location prior to the designated time that bids are due.
Complete sets of the drawings, specifications, and bid forms, becoming available to the public on Thursday, June 11, 2026 and may be viewed and downloaded at www.cplteamplanroom.c om under the ‘New York’ section.
A Pre-Bid Meeting for the Project will be conducted by the Architect/Engineer and Construction Manager on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 9:00 am, local time, at 3754-3756 NYS RTE 22, Wassaic, NY 12592.
Bidders shall promptly notify the architect if any errors, omissions, conflicts, ambiguity, etc. within the contract documents. The above item and/or questions shall be submit-ted in writing via email to JDirocco@cplteam.com.
Interpretations or clarifications considered necessary will be issued via Addenda posted to the CPL planroom website at www.cplteamplanroom.com.
Questions must be re-ceived on or before 12:00 p.m., EST, Friday, June 26, 2026. Questions received after this date may not be answered. Only questions answered by formal written Addenda will be binding. Oral and other interpreta-tions or clarifications will be without legal effect. Where state and local requirements differ from federal, the federal requirements shall be fol-lowed. Final addenda will be issued by end of day on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The Town of Amenia hereby reserves the right to waive any informalities and reject any or all Bids or to accept the one that in its judgment will be in the best interest of Town of Amenia.
A Bid Bond or Certified Check in the amount of five percent (5%) of Base Bid is required and must accompany proposal. Performance Bond and Labor Material Payment Bond equal to one hundred percent (100%) of Contract Sum are required to be delivered at time Contract is signed with Owner.
Attention of the Bidder is particularly called to the following:
1.The Owner’s sales tax exemption.
2. The minimum wage rates to be paid under the contract.
3. The requirements pertaining to certification of Non-Collusion in preparation of proposals submitted for this Project. No bidder may withdraw their bid within forty-five (45) days after date of bid opening.
In addition, the Bidding Documents for this project contain detailed requirements for the qualification of Bidders as follows:
1. Rigid bonding and insurance requirements.
4. Financial statements and bank references.
5. Lists of lawsuits, arbitrations or other proceedings in which the Bidder has been named as a party.
6. A statement of Surety’s intent to issue Performance and Payment Bonds.
7. A description of other projects of similar size and scope completed by the Bidder.
Bidders will comply with New York State prevailing wage and supplement requirements.
Town of Amenia
Dutchess County State of New York
Town Clerk
06-11-26
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Nathan Miller
Millerton volunteer firefighter Shane Watson sprays water and firefighting foam on brush at 375 Schultz Hill Road after a brush fire broke out on Friday afternoon, June 5.
PINE PLAINS — A brush fire tore through about a half acre of grass at 375 Schultz Hill Road on Friday, June 5.
Fire crews from Pine Plains, Millerton and Milan, New York, responded to the scene. Pine Plains Fire Chief Brian Walsh said crews were dispatched at 1:11 p.m.
The fire was largely doused by 2:15 p.m., with crews continuing to spray water and firefighting foam on the brush to suppress any latent flames. No injuries were reported.
Trevor Slater, who rents the house on the property, said he didn't notice the flames until a neighbor drove by on the road and alerted him and emergency responders.
"I was on the back side of the house and the smoke was all going the other way," Slater said.
Fire crews from Pine Plains, Millerton and Milan, New York, responded to the mutual aid call.Photo by Nathan Miller
Walsh said the exact cause of the fire was unknown at the scene, but he said the blaze was not intentionally set.
Slater said he believed the fire was a reignition from embers. He said his landlords had informed him several days before that they would be burning brush. A similar incident had happened before, Slater said, causing a brush fire that spread to within feet of his home.
"It burned all the way up to the side of my house," Slater said. "That took a couple days to reignite as well."
Walsh confirmed Pine Plains firefighters have responded to blazes at the property before.
"We've been here multiple times," Walsh said.
Aly Morrissey
Fernando Nottebohn says he appreciates Sharon Farm Market as part of a weekly circuit he does from his home in Lithgow, New York, that also includes Paley’s Farm Market
"We're going to fix the store."
— Chris Choe, co-owner of Sharon Farm Market
SHARON – Despite months of speculation fueled by half-empty shelves, inventory shortages and the planned departures of two longtime businesses, Sharon Farm Market is not closing, according to owner Chris Choe.
“We’re not shutting down,” Choe said, adding that he and his wife, Kim, are planning a series of upgrades they hope will transform the market over the coming months. Choe said they expect to receive a new 20-year lease from the property’s landlords and are moving forward with plans to revitalize the business.
Asked about the store’s appearance and inventory concerns, Chris Choe acknowledged that changes are needed.
“We’re going to take care of everything,” he said. “We’re going to fix the store.”
Choe said remodeling will take place at night so the market can remain open during normal business hours. He describes a grand vision with a revamped deli, online ordering, home grocery deliveries, and a cafe and bakery serving coffee and organic juice,
“My team is almost ready,” he said of the next iteration of the market. He estimates the updates will take several months, and that shoppers can expect a better store experience that will even allow for Door Dash.
The comments come as rumors about the market’s future have circulated throughout Sharon in recent months. Shoppers have reported difficulty finding common grocery items, while two popular businesses operating inside the market have announced plans to leave at the end of September.
At the end of September, Jam Food Shop, the deli and prepared-food business that has operated inside Sharon Market for 16 years, will relocate to Salisbury.
Jam owners said the company will relocate to 19 Main St. in the location of the former Neo Restaurant & Bar – which closed its doors permanently last month – and that the decision was not made lightly.
In a letter penned to the community (see letter on A6) Jam expressed its gratitude to the Sharon community, while highlighting a years-long dispute with market ownership.
“For years, we have made attempts to gain clarity around our lease renewal at the Sharon Farm Market,” the letter said. “Unfortunately, in the end, we were unable to reach an agreement with the market, leaving us with a short amount of time to find Jam a new home.”
Choe said the departure of Jam comes after 16 years of partnership, and didn’t get into the specifics of the lease negotiations.
“They want their own place, and I want to make it a better store,” he said.
Choe also pointed to Jam’s prices, which he views as high.
Blue Sea Seafood, another longtime fixture inside the market, has also confirmed it will depart at the end of September after 16 years in Sharon Farm Market. Owners Sarah and Chuck Lee said they will officially close down on Sept. 30. The pair said they will not be opening a new location elsewhere.
“We’ll miss it,” Sarah Lee said.
Some residents have pointed to the Choes’ latest venture — Market360, a grocery store near Yale University in New Haven that opened in June 2025 — as a possible factor in the market’s recent inventory and operational challenges.
In an interview with Kim Choe last October, she said the store had required significant time as they worked to find their footing and build a team.
Several shoppers said they have noticed changes at the Sharon market in recent months and worry about its future.
Ann Spindler, a Sharon resident, said she has noticed changes that have sparked concerns throughout town.
“For the last couple months I’ve noticed there are fewer things on the shelves and I’m worried that something is happening and I hope that they’re going to stay around,” Spindler said.
Janay Gregory of Sharon said common items like milk, yogurt and bread have been inconsistently stocked.
“It’s a problem,” Gregory said. “I hear it a lot in the town that there have been a lot of issues, even since Christmas.”
Ellen Moon of Cornwall said she was concerned by an apparent low stock in the store.
“There are blank spaces on the shelves,” she said. “I thought, Oh dear, I hope they’re alright.”
While browsing the shelves Saturday, Sharon resident Michelle McBreairty said she also noticed a lot less inventory.
“I think it would be the demise of this plaza without a grocery store,” she said, recalling the years before Sharon Farm Market opened in 2010.“I hope they do stay,” she added.
Jennifer Naylor, a Sharon resident of 20 years, said she’s concerned for the store’s future. “The seafood’s going, Jam’s going – they’re going to struggle, I think.”
“I would love this to be totally revamped,” she added, noting that she’s always taken issue with what she described as high pricing.
A revamp is exactly what Chris Choe has in mind, and he says he and his wife are hoping to sell their New Haven store just one year after its grand opening to return their attention to Sharon and Millerton.
Across the state border in Millerton, New York, another grocery store owned by the Choes has endured speculation over the last year amid rumors that they had abandoned the venture. Choe disputes those rumors, as well, saying he and his wife plan to open the store later this year.
The store was originally scheduled to open in June 2025, and was pushed to October before the Choes eventually said the timeline was unclear.
The pair, who purchased Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44 in December 2024 from Joseph Trotta, now say the final construction stages are imminent.
“We’re going to start the construction very soon,” Choe said, adding that he has a new business partner for the Millerton store, though he declined to identify the individual or company, citing ongoing negotiations.
“Together we’ll be fast moving,” he said, noting that he hopes to open the store by Thanksgiving, just ahead of the holiday season.
Among the renovations completed so far are a roof replacement and significant HVAC upgrades. Choe said the remaining work includes installing new flooring, replacing the ceiling,reconfiguring the parking lot and upgrading the storefront. Eventually, they plan to stock locally-sourced produce, meat and seafood from Boston and New York City.
Some residents are skeptical that the Millerton store will open in the fall of 2026.
“Chris has said that for years now,” said longtime Sharon resident Mike Rand.“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Additional reporting by Nathan Miller, Alec Linden and Madi Long.
Nathan Miller
Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Route 22 in Millerton has seen major renovations in recent years. The next phase of renovations will see a pool and poolhouse that will double as a community gathering space.
MILLERTON — The new pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park is moving forward after village trustees approved the first construction bid for the project.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept a bid from Key Construction totalling $6.1 million for site work and general construction on Tuesday, May 26.
Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek said construction is expected to begin in August.
“Aug. 1 is the go day,” Najdek said. “That’s when we’re planning.”
That work will include constructing the 5-lane Olympic-sized pool, poolhouse structure and preparing the site for other elements of the build including electrical installation, plumbing and HVAC. Complete electrical wiring, plumbing and HVAC will need to be completed by different contractors under separate contracts due to New York State requirements.
New York State’s Wicks Law requires municipal projects totalling over $500,000 in cost to create separate contracts for each of general construction, electrical wiring, HVAC and plumbing and gas fitting.
Millerton had received bids for the other necessary contracts, but decided to reject all of them and reopen the bidding period on the recommendation of engineering firm LaBella Associates. LaBella engineers designed the pool and poolhouse and provided consultation services in selecting contractors.
Millerton’s effort to build a new pool at the park started to materialize in 2024 when the village received more than $6 million as part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming grant program, commonly known as NY SWIMS.
Trustees accepted a final design for the pool in March and opened bidding for construction in April.
The Tuesday meeting also featured a whirlwind of resolutions, including entering into a full contract with property restoration company BELFOR for work at the site of the former water department building and village garage.
Millerton’s Department of Public Works building located on Route 22 near Eddie Collins Memorial Park caught fire in February 2025, destroying the structure and all of the equipment inside.
Since then, the village’s Department of Public Works has been using the Town of North East’s old highway garage on South Center Street as a temporary home.
The contract approval on Tuesday represents a more formal and complete contract with BELFOR as the village moves forward with constructing a new building for Water Department operations and to house the village’s municipal well.
A construction timeline has not yet been established.
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