Village discusses HBO filming, sidewalks and cannabis law

MILLBROOK — Wednesday, Aug. 11, the Millbrook Village Board met at the firehouse for an in-person meeting, which will is now available on the village website, www.villageofmillbrookny.com.

Mayor Tim Collopy opened the meeting at 6 p.m. and quickly discussed the safety protocol for COVID; most wore masks.

Collopy said there were lessons to be learned going forward regarding filming in the village, following the HBO filming for “The White House Plumbers.”

The series stars Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, and took place earlier this month as well as last week. Collopy said it went well, but that plans will be made and contracts drawn to cover things like changing filming days, using equipment, assigning police coverage and for when a film company cancels production or moves it to another day, which can create problems. He suggested a $1,000 fee  to cover cancellation costs. 

He added the village learned from the experience and the new protocols will be put in place for future filming in the village.

Millbrook Business Association (MBA) President and former Trustee Kevin McGrane asked about Community Day, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18. At the meeting nothing had been confirmed, said the board, as plans will depend on the COVID pandemic.

Millbrook Fire Chief Ted Bownas gave his July report, which included 57 EMS calls, plus various other calls, some related to recent storms, which included downed wires and one flooding incident. 

Fire Department President Matt Rochfort also asked about Community Day, and if events would be scheduled, as the fire department planned to participate “in a big way.” The department will also have to wait and see, repeated the mayor, for what transpires with COVID-19 rates, government guidelines and mandates.

Police Sgt. Jared Witt followed with his July report from the Millbrook Police Department, which included traffic and parking tickets issued by his officers; a hit and run complaint; 11 road hazards; assists from other agencies, including four from the New York State Police, three from the fire department and 16 from the EMS. 

Highway Superintendent Robert Collocola presented his July report. His crew has repaired and replaced catch basins, cut and dug-out water mains and repaired and prepared roads for paving. They’ve also paved and done repairs on Valley Farm Road; it also had to shut off the water valves to do repair work in order to do paving on Reservoir Drive. 

Highway crews have also removed fallen trees from the jailhouse roof at the village garage. Warning signs for upcoming curves on roadways have been installed along with speed signs listing the legal speed at 20 mph on Nine Partners Lane have likewise been installed. 

Collocola  said the village assisted the town of Washington’s Department of Public Works in sealing Bangall Road. The town then assisted the village with roadside mowing on Nine Partners Lane. The village also repaired a drainage ditch on Weatherford Lane, and is continuing to fill potholes in the village as needed. 

Collocola said he has been in touch with Central Hudson about street light problems on Franklin Avenue. It turns out Central Hudson said it is not responsible, so the village will have to look for a way to repair or replace the damaged lights.

The tennis court funding campaign is going well; $23,609 has been raised thus far. One company said it would cost $27,000 to repave the courts, including a new fence. The original goal was to spend $26,000 to repair the tennis courts, but because the work won’t be done until next year, the village expects the price to go up. It may cost closer to $30,000, so more tax-deductible donations will be needed and can be made via the village website.

Trustee Vicky Contino has been looking into asset management and will finalize the details, with anything over $5,000 being recorded. She will make the data available for planning and to help obtain financial information.

Dutchess County Legislator Deirdre Houston (R-25) attended the meeting and spoke briefly about two grants Millbrook received from the county through the American Relief Act. The funds are being directed to the Millbrook Library and the Millbrook Hockey Association.

The mayor reported on the sidewalk repair and replacement project; $5,000 has been paid out so far for engineering advice. Bids must be sought for the actual work.

Collopy opened a discussion on the new cannabis law, which legalized adult-use recreational marijuana in the state. The board agreed it would prefer to opt out of allowing marijuana dispensaries and lounges in the village, but a public hearing is required. The village has to decide if it wants to opt out by the governor’s Dec. 31 deadline. If it opts out by that time, it can always opt back in; if it opts in, it cannot reverse its decision. 

For more on the new cannabis law, read this week’s front page or go to www.tricornernews.com.

The next Village Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Millbrook firehouse. This is a one-time change from the second Wednesday of the month due to a scheduling conflict with the firehouse.

Latest News

In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible

In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible

There are artists who make objects, and then there are artists who alter the way we move through the world. Tim Prentice belonged to the latter. The kinetic sculptor, architect and longtime Cornwall resident died in November 2025 at age 95, leaving a legacy of what he called “toys for the wind,” work that did not simply occupy space but activated it, inviting viewers to slow down, look longer and feel more deeply the invisible forces that shape daily life.

Prentice received a master’s degree from the Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1960, where he studied with German-born American artist and educator Josef Albers, taking his course once as an undergraduate and again in graduate school.In “The Air Made Visible,” a 2024 short film by the Vision & Art Project produced by the American Macular Degeneration Fund, a nonprofit organization that documents artists working with vision loss, Prentice spoke of his admiration for Albers’ discipline and his ability to strip away everything but color. He recalled thinking, “If I could do that same thing with motion, I’d have a chance of finding a new form.”

Keep ReadingShow less
people

Strategic partnership unites design, architecture and construction

Strategic partnership unites design, architecture and construction

Hyalite Builders is leading the structural rehabilitation of The Stissing Center in Pine Plains.

Provided

For homeowners overwhelmed by juggling designers, architects and contractors, a new Salisbury-based collaboration is offering a one-team approach from concept to construction. Casa Marcelo Interior Design Studio, based in Salisbury, has joined forces with Charles Matz Architect, led by Charles Matz, AIA RIBA, and Hyalite Builders, led by Matt Soleau. The alliance introduces an integrated design-build model that aims to streamline the sometimes-fragmented process of home renovation and new construction.

“The whole thing is based on integrated services,” said Marcelo, founder of Casa Marcelo. “Normally when clients come to us, they are coming to us for design. But there’s also some architecture and construction that needs to happen eventually. So, I thought, why don’t we just partner with people that we know we can work well with together?”

Keep ReadingShow less
architecture
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

‘The Dark’ turns midwinter into a weeklong arts celebration

‘The Dark’ turns midwinter into a weeklong arts celebration

Autumn Knight will perform as part of PS21’s “The Dark.”

Provided

This February, PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance in Chatham, New York, will transform the depths of midwinter into a radiant week of cutting-edge art, music, dance, theater and performance with its inaugural winter festival, The Dark. Running Feb. 16–22, the ambitious festival features more than 60 international artists and over 80 performances, making it one of the most expansive cultural events in the region.

Curated to explore winter as a season of extremes — community and solitude, fire and ice, darkness and light — The Dark will take place not only at PS21’s sprawling campus in Chatham, but in theaters, restaurants, libraries, saunas and outdoor spaces across Columbia County. Attendees can warm up between performances with complimentary sauna sessions, glide across a seasonal ice-skating rink or gather around nightly bonfires, making the festival as much a social winter experience as an artistic one.

Keep ReadingShow less
performances

Tanglewood Learning Institute expands year-round programming

Tanglewood Learning Institute expands year-round programming

Exterior of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

Mike Meija, courtesy of the BSO

The Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI), based at Tanglewood, the legendary summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is celebrating an expanded season of adventurous music and arts education programming, featuring star performers across genres, BSO musicians, and local collaborators.

Launched in the summer of 2019 in conjunction with the opening of the Linde Center for Music and Learning on the Tanglewood campus, TLI now fulfills its founding mission to welcome audiences year-round. The season includes a new jazz series, solo and chamber recitals, a film series, family programs, open rehearsals and master classes led by world-renowned musicians.

Keep ReadingShow less
education

Designing for wellness

Designing for wellness

Natural light can be a powerful tool for wellness.

Natalia Zukerman

Wellness is often framed as something we do — a dog walk, a yoga class, a healthy resolution. But as we retreat indoors in winter, we are reminded that wellness is also something we live inside. Our homes quietly influence how we breathe, sleep, focus and feel — sometimes for better, sometimes not.

Interior design for wellness is less about color and style trends and more about intentional choices. Specialty designers create spaces aligned with the health-first framework of the World Health Organization’s guidelines. But with some basic knowledge, homeowners can borrow from that playbook and embrace wellness at home.

Keep ReadingShow less
writer's notebook
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.