MILLBROOK — In the throes of catastrophe, what can people do? Well, a number of things. In the beginning of the health crisis, many people were panic-driven, fearful of catching COVID-19. But then, some asked themselves, “How can I help make things better?” Different people came up with different solutions.
Millbrook resident Judith Muir was scrolling through social media one day asking herself that very question: “How can I help?” Something she saw on the news feed struck close to home: a request for urgently needed foster homes for kittens and cats that were rescued from a hoarder/abandonment situation.
An animal lover and former cat owner, Muir decided to foster a cat. She said she was a little surprised that she was not given a choice, but was handed a black and white cat named Percival. She took him home, prepared to foster him for as long as needed, but knew within 24 hours that Percival wasn’t going anywhere.
Foster homes and permanent homes for animals are especially needed right now because there is a lack of available volunteers to help out in animal shelters due to the health crisis, and, due to the economic toll of the pandemic, donations are also down. This leaves many animal rescuers and animal shelters in dire need of help.
Helping is part of Muir’s nature. She’s both a musician and an educator, having earned degrees while studying in the SUNY school system, the Manhattan School of Music and The Royal Academy. Aside from teaching private students, she is an instructor at The Fountains in Millbrook, where often she and some of her students volunteer to get seniors at The Fountains active through music and song. She finds great power in music and is herself a world-class clarinetist. The Fountains residents especially like older songs, ones that 100 years ago might have been sung in the parlor and sing-a-longs. That type of music promoted connectivity, Muir said, it soothed and healed, which is why she plays it today.
Trips to The Fountains have been postponed until further notice because of COVID-19, but Muir still teaches virtually and is offering free online sessions to the children of her students and first responders who may be in need of the healing sound of music.
“How do you explain to a child of 4 about quarantine?” she asked. “About illness and death?”
So Muir continues to reach out to those who love music, as she said it has the power to heal the soul. In times of great stress, she said, the arts can heal, whether it’s through painting or drawing, reading or writing, composing or playing music or simply appreciating the arts. Art is said to “soothe the wild beast.”
Percival, the rescue cat, agrees. Very often he sits and listens as his musical mother plays; he is now finally living the good life.
To learn more about local animal shelters in need of support, call the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Poughkeepsie at 845-392-4849; the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DCSPCA) in Hyde Park at 845-452-7722; or Collaborative Cats in Ancramdale at 518-305-2910.
Christine Bates
Located in the historic hamlet of Irondale built around the Millerton Iron Company, 21 Irondale Road dates from 1870 and was remodeled in 2020. The three-bedroom home sold for $255,000.
MILLERTON — The 12-month trailing median price for a residential property in the Town of North East was $415,000 for the period ending Feb. 28, 2026, representing a 7% jump from last year.
That figure includes all types of residences — from single-family homes and mobile homes to large estates — in both the Village of Millerton and the Town of North East, but excludes land and commercial sales. The median price for a home in the village alone was $388,000.
The townwide median was 7% higher than the $387,000 recorded for the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2025, but both figures were below the 2023-24 median of $565,000. In contrast, village home prices steadily increased over the last three years from $320,000 in 2024 to $385,000 in 2025 to $388,000 as renovated homes came on the market.
The number of residential sales in North East, measured on a 12-month rolling basis, remains within its three-year range of 25 to 35 annually, including the village. A total of 26 residences were sold in the 12 months ending on Feb. 28, 2026, down from the 32 sales in the period ending Feb. 28, 2025, and 31 sales for the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2024. As village prices rose, the number of sales declined from nine in 2024 and 11 in 2025 to seven in the last 12 months, roughly one in three sales in the town.
Inventory of all homes remains limited. As of early April, there were nine single-family homes on the market townwide. Three were listed above $1 million, with only one listed below the current median price of $415,000. In contrast, 10 parcels of land are listed for sale on the MLS, with listing prices ranging from $129,000 for a building lot to $3,000,000.
February transfers
21 Irondale Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on .44 acres sold to Victor Manual Molano for $255,000.
278 Sawchuck Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home built in 1975 sold to Flor Maria Valle for $365,000.
5 Homestead Lane — 93.65 acres of vacant land sold to 5 Homestead Farm Lane LLC for $1.25 million
124 Cooper Road — 14.7 acres of vacant lane sold to Sheri Graham Trustee for $240,000.
* Town of North East and Village of Millerton property transfers for February 2026 are sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Office monthly reports. Property details are from Dutchess Parcel Access. Annual sales data is extracted from New York State Sales Web. Current market data is from OneKey MLS. Twelve-month median values and sales activity are from New York State Sales Web and include all residential property types, including single-family homes, multi-family properties, estates and mobile homes. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
Millerton News
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Harlem Valley area activity report April 5 to April 11.
April 6 — Deputies responded to Hillside Village Road in the Town of Pine Plains to investigate a report of a verbal domestic dispute between a mother and daughter. Matter resolved without further police intervention.
April 10 — Deputies responded to 6 Sharon Station Road in Amenia to investigate a vehicle fire. Fire extinguished by members of the Amenia Fire Department.
April 11 — Deputies responded to South Quaker Hill Road in the Town of Pawling to investigate a fraud complaint of unauthorized charges to an AT&T account. Investigation on-going.
April 11 — Deputies responded to World Gym in the Town of Pawling for the report of a stolen cell phone. Investigation on-going.
PLEASE NOTE:All subjects arrested and charged are alleged to have committed the crime and are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are to appear in local courts later.
If you have any information relative to the aforementioned criminal cases, or any other suspected criminal activity please contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 845 605 CLUE (2583) or email dcsotips@gmail.com.All information will be kept confidential.
Peter Riva
The short answer is yes for urban areas. The longer answer – for the planet – no, not currently. Here’s why:
1. Oil fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of oil. These are called thermal utility-scale oil-fired plants. They extract energy from the oil. The percentage of energy they extract run only 30% - 40% of the energy the fuel is capable of, so-called “contains.”
2. Gas fired powerplants generate electricity by burning gaseous forms of fossil fuels – mostly “natural gas” piped up from the ground reserves. These are called Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) systems. They extract energy from the gas using gas turbines. The percentage of energy they extract run only 33% - 60% of the energy the fuel is capable of -- depending on whether the newer plants have Heat Recovery Steam Generators added where they approach 60% efficiency.
3. Coal fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of hard coal. The percentage of energy they extract runs only 30% - 45% - the 45% plants are ultra modern plants of which there are very few.
4. The USA overall average electricity production by powerplants using fossil fuels is an approximate fuel efficiency rating of 42%.
5. Atomic power plants, solar farms, and wind generation are hugely expensive to install and legislate but operate at between 85% and 92% efficiency based on input running costs. That does not include environmental post use or recycling costs for spend radioactive fuel rods which have a half-life of tens of thousands of years.
Putting aside the discussion of transportation (oil, coal, gas moving from mine or well to a powerplant), infrastructure (drilling, mining, pipelines), and never least the financing of refineries and powerplants by Wall Street, the comparison of efficiency for automobiles using either electric or gas/diesel modes, all rely on the overall efficiency of the energy consumption needed per mile. And energy consumption must take into account the efficiency of the engines using the fuel.
Now, it has to be said that electric cars cause less pollution, while running, than diesel or gasoline cars. That is why they are better for urban environments, just as catalytic converters were essential to stop smog related illness in tight urban environments. However, not causing as much pollution in situ does not take into account their consumption of fossil fuels in the production of that electricity and that resultant pollution globally. At best, therefore, electric cars are operating at 42% fuel efficiency and must face fair comparison to the most modern car engines in order to secure the label of “friendly to the environment.”
Mercedes Benz has a test program, as do several other manufacturers and engineering firms. It is called Formula 1 racing. MB produced a car engine that is so efficient it has an output of 50% of the fuel’s potential energy. Coupled with regenerative braking (hit the brakes and you are engaging a generator instead of disc brake coupled with inboard batteries to produce a hybrid system for more efficiency), overall most Formula 1 racing cars average between 60% - 72% efficiency overall depending on track conditions.
When you compare that new fossil fuel engine efficiency of 60%+ to electric cars using current electricity generation averaging 42% efficiency for the same amount of fossil fuels, electric cars have not, yet, reached parity or added benefit for the environment.
Of course, generation of electricity is an investment nightmare but with huge rewards for the whole planet. Electricity is easier to transport to where it is needed than fossil fuels. If you can build a more efficient powerplant, like the nuclear fusion reactors under development that produce no waste, then indeed electric power for cars and all means of transportation is the wiser choice longer term.
But, for the moment, when you see your neighbor’s car burning gasoline or diesel, and you drive an electric car, understand the choices you are making for your local pollution are worthwhile, but overall you may actually be polluting more. The hope is that soon electricity may be generated more efficiently to make your electric car actually environmentally friendly.
Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.
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Millerton News
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
April 18, 1935
$346.40 Worth Of Clothing Distributed By Red Cross
Clothing distributed to needy families during the past winter by the Town of North East branch of the American Red Cross amounted to $346.40 in value, it was disclosed at a recent meeting when reports were heard on the work accomplished up to the first of April. Eighty-eight garments were made by members of the local branch, representing 174 hours of work.
Authorities Smash Poultry Theft Ring
[Sic] poultry-theft ring which has been operating in the central part of Dutchess County and even as far east as Amenia and Dover Plains was broken last week by Sheriff Hiram C. Carroll’s force and State Troopers. Two men were arrested as they were about to deliver a load of thirty-nine chickens and a teletype alarm was sent out for the alleged leader of the gang. Taken in custody were George Corey, 19, of Washington Hollow and Patterson, charged with third degree burglary, and Malcolm Florence Jr., of Washington Hollow, held as a material witness. Three other youths, including two brothers of the Florence boy, were released after making statements to the sheriff’s attaches.
John Ferris, 54, is sought as the leader of the ring. The teletype description of him was: five feet, nine inches tall; weight about 200 pounds; bald head; when last seen wore high-top brown boots, riding pants, gray coat and soft gray hat.
Finds Balloon, Gets Free Pair of Glasses
Because he picked up the remains of a toy balloon he found in a pasture lot on his farm, Samuel T. Goodman of Avon, Conn., will find it a little easier to read the small type in his newspaper evenings [sic]. Attached to the remnants of the balloon was the business card of Dr. Harry S. Tripp, optometrist of Millerton and Beacon, stating that the finder would receive a free pair of glasses. The balloon was released by Dr. Tripp at the opening of the Brinckeroff Road, in the southern part of Dutchess County, last spring.
Although Dr. Tripp had given up hope of ever learning of the balloon’s fate, he received a letter with the tag enclosed from Mr. Goodman the other day. The farmer will be fitted with a new pair of glasses at Dr. Tripp’s office here.
Farmers May Secure Loans For 1935 Crops
Emergency loans for producing 1935 crops and for the purchase or production of feed for livestock are now available to farmers who can qualify under the regulations, according to recent [sic] announcement. In accordance with the Act of Congress authorizing the loans and regulations issued by Governor W. I. Myers of the Farm Credit Administration, Ioans will be made only to farmers who are unable to obtain elsewhere seed, fertilizers, supplies, feed or the necessary credit to purchase such items. Loans will not be made to applicants who can obtain credit in the amount needed from any other source, including the production credit association.
Any farmer who has the necessary security should apply to the production credit association first. If the association is unable to make him a loan in the amount needed the farmer will receive a statement to that effect and will be considered eligible to apply for a loan from the emergency fund.
The regulations provide that the largest loan to one farmer this year is $500 and the minimum $10, but no loan may be made in an amount greater than is actually needed to cover the cash cost of purchasing seed, fertilizers, supplies, feed, etc. Loans will be made for the purpose of growing and harvesting crops, for summer fallowing, for purchasing feed for livestock; but not for the purpose of purchasing livestock or machinery, or for the payment of debts or taxes.
April 15, 1976
Reading Committee Sponsors Lottery
The Reading Committee of Webutuck Central School is sponsoring a lottery in connection with a special collection of mystery stories and books.
The committee is collecting as many mysteries as they can through loan and donations and will make them available to the students in the Junior-Senior High to borrow.
For each book borrowed and returned, the students will place an index card with their name and a short report into a drum. At the end of the month, there will be a drawing and prizes awarded. The more books read will afford a greater chance of winning a prize.
The Reading Committee requests anyone who has mystery books to donate either leave them at the high school or call the school to arrange to have them picked up (leave a message for Mrs. Longstreth or Mrs. Clark). There will also be a place to leave books in the front hall on the night of the Bicentennial Celebration.
Books will be available for student use April 12 - May 11.
Fire Destroys 80 Acres
A grass fire caused by an overturned garbage incinerator devoured 80 acres of grass and woodland in Gallatin on Saturday, April 10.
The fire started on Saturday morning at the home of Gene Case. According to firemen at the scene the incinerator was in poor condition and it apparently disintegrated.
Milan and Ancram Fire Companies attended the fire which raged for most of the day.
April 19, 2001
Gift Shop/Gallery Relocates in Millerton
MILLERTON - Rhinebeck resident Alyssa Knapp has officially opened the doors of her recently relocated gift shop and art gallery, Luminari.
Ms. Knapp has moved her store from Rhinebeck to Millerton, and is now located on Main Street, adjacent to the Mane Street Salon and next to the Millerton Moviehouse.
Offering a wide variety of gift items, from the classical to the whimsical, Luminari also features local artists’ creations, such as sculptures, paintings and photographs.
Ms. Knapp described Luminari’s offerings as “an eclectic mix.” According to Ms. Knapp, the store harbors “hand-made, one-of-a-kind articles, as well as mass-produced gifts.” Ms. Knapp believes this variety of merchandise allows for a more flexible price range.
“I try to mix it up, so there is always something for everyone,” she said.
Ms. Knapp looks forward to becoming a part of the Millerton community.
“I’m very excited about meeting new people and artists,” added Ms. Knapp. She encourages people to make themselves known to her: “I’m not going to know you’re there if you don’t talk to me, so just come on by.”
Nathan Miller
Check-in at last year's Bulk Trash Day in May 2025.
MILLERTON — The Climate Smart Task Force is gearing up for a busy April.
Millerton and North East’s joint Climate Smart Task Force is a group of community volunteers who work to promote green initiatives in the community that earn the town and village points toward grant funding opportunities. The group is part of a statewide initiative known as Climate Smart Communities that promotes environmentally conscious policies at the municipal level.
Committee member Kathy Chow said April is typically an active month for the group because of Earth Day, but this year brings more activity as Millerton seeks certification under the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA initiative.
Chow said the weekend of Saturday, April 18, will be busy for the group. Planned events for Arbor Day and Earth Day will be spread across two weekends.
Chow’s personal favorite is Bulk Trash Day on Saturday, April 18.
“We help everybody unload their car and trailer full of household junk,” Chow said. “It’s just such a happy day.”
On Bulk Trash Day, residents can take bulky items to the town’s old highway garage on South Center Street in the Village of Millerton for a fee. Volunteers will accept furniture, carpeting, lawn equipment, tools, scrap metal and appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners.
Fees will vary depending on vehicle size and item type, with charges ranging from $15 to $60 for vehicles, $20 for items such as mattresses and couches, and $10 to $30 for most appliances. Units containing Freon will cost $30, and oversized items may be accepted at a fee of $50 at the discretion of staff. Tires will also be accepted for recycling at $15 each, with rims permitted.
Payments must be made by cash or check.
That same weekend, the Moviehouse will be hosting a screening of “The Extraordinary Caterpillar.”
“It’s the most spectacular photography you’ve ever seen,” Chow said of the film that explores the lives of insects that are often overlooked in favor of human needs.
Tickets for the event are free. Seats can be reserved at www.themoviehouse.net.
Climate Smart-sponsored activities continue the following weekend with a Repair Cafe at the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Saturday, April 25. Visitors can bring up to two items to be repaired by volunteers with skills in small electronics and appliance repair, textiles and clothing, bicycles and knife sharpening. All repairs are free and five knives count as a single item.
Chow said the task force’s responsibilities spread far beyond planning events. The group’s work has resulted in both Millerton and North East receiving Bronze status in New York State’s Climate Smart Communities initiative, a certification that recognizes the community’s commitment to environmental conservation.
She said reaching that status was no easy feat, as inherent qualities of the town and the village work against the communities.
Chow explained that North East, unlike Millerton, is incapable of adopting green infrastructure like LED streetlights because the town doesn’t actually operate any streetlights and doesn’t have any reason to. Millerton, in contrast to North East, lacks large amounts of open space to actively conserve. Both actions can be important ones in the effort to be certified with the state.
Achieving higher certifications takes labor and expertise, Chow said, and she welcomes anyone in the community with a passion for the environment to join. She especially encourages the overly enthusiastic and quirky to join.
“There’s so many actions that are there to be done,” Chow said.
Jennifer Almquist
The parking lot of The Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted was full on Wednesday, April 8, as more than 100 people from 43 Connecticut towns — including New Haven and Vernon — arrived carrying personal treasures for a live taping of “Audacious LIVE Show & Tell.”
Chion Wolf, host and producer of Connecticut Public’s “Audacious,” and her crew, led by production manager Maegn Boone, brought the program to the packed brewery for an evening of story-driven conversation and shared keepsakes.
Reflecting on the evening’s spirit, Wolf, a four-time Gracie Award winner from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, said: “To me, Audacious — and Connecticut Public — are about making space for people to be fully themselves: curious, vulnerable, weird, honest, all of it. ‘Show & Tell’ feels like that spirit brought to life.”
Attendees clutched mementos — sentimental, unusual and sometimes humorous — hoping for a chance to step onto the small stage and share their stories.
Caroline Christensen of Winsted carried a large conch shell and told the audience about nearly losing her fiancé to a storm tide while he struggled to retrieve the shell she wanted.
Gerry Griswold, a wildlife rehabilitator and educator from White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, brought a Victorian taxidermied pet dog in a glass case.
When Tim Dwyer of Coventry showed a vintage T-shirt featuring “Bill the Cat,” Wolf rolled up her pants leg to reveal a matching cartoon tattoo.
Author Christine Ieronimo drove from Plymouth with a photograph of her late grandmother, Florence De Mario, holding her beauty contest trophy as a young woman, along with the original silver cup engraved with “Interstate Rhode Island and Connecticut Beauty Contest, September 28, 1929.”
The evening blended humor, nostalgia and vulnerability, with food and drinks provided by Nils Johnson, co-founder of the brewery, which has become a lively gathering place in
Winsted.
Jessica Severin de Martinez, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Fitzgerald and Vanessa de la Torre were also part of the Connecticut Public team that helped produce the event. Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Radio and Connecticut Public Television.
Lucy Nalpathanchil, vice president for community engagement, said the organization hosts “Audacious LIVE Show & Tell” events around the state to connect with residents and reach new audiences.
“We’ve hosted them so far in Winsted, Willimantic, Hartford and Stamford,” Nalpathanchil said.
“If your readers have thoughts about where the next one should be held, they can email ideas to events@ctpublic.org,” she said.
Wolf summed up the night simply: “We held the space, sure, but those who attended made the magic. People walked in as strangers carrying meaningful objects from their lives, and by the end of the night, the room felt warm, open and deeply connected. That’s public radio at its best.”
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