The Millerton News - July 16, 2020

Latest News

Town of North East conducts dog census, encourages licensing of pets

Town clerk Tilly Strauss shows off the dogs of the Town of North East at her desk in North East Town Hall on Maple Avenue in Millerton.

Photo by Krista A. Briggs

MILLERTON — A stack of letters destined for the outgoing mail sat on Marcy Wheatley’s desk at Town Hall. Wheatley, the North East deputy town clerk, said the correspondence was related to pet licensing, which has been in decline in recent years, despite being a New York State requirement.

“Renewal numbers have gone down, down, down,” observed town clerk Elizabeth “Tilly” Strauss, who is currently undertaking a dog census in North East as part of a campaign that began on Jan. 1 to determine the number of canines in town and their licensing status. Strauss is a dog-lover who is mystified by the drop in the numbers of licenses issued in the Town of North East. According to Strauss, 407 pet licenses were issued in 2017. By the following year, the number had dropped to 331. The trend downward, which has not been attributed to any particular cause, has continued, and the number of current licenses is around 200 – less than half of what was issued eight years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
Amenia Town Board continues public hearings on cannabis dispensaries
Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston

AMENIA — Two public hearings on whether or not to permit a cannabis dispensary to join the town’s business landscape and consideration of term limits on the Town Board were some of the topics discussed at the regular meeting of the Town Board on Thursday, Jan. 16. Councilmember Brad Rebillard was absent.

The first of the public hearings on the topic of a cannabis retail establishment concerned opting in to state regulations, a necessary step to reversing a 2022 local law that had opted out of those state regulations. The second of the public hearings would incorporate a new local law into the zoning code to regulate cannabis dispensaries in the town, detailing permitted locations and rules regarding operations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Can you hear me now?

This cell tower by the Falls Village Fire Department on the side of Route 7 is disguised like a tree to better fit in among the rural, forested landscape of the Connecticut's Litchfield hills.

Photo by Caitlin Hanlon

Drivers and residents across Northeast Dutchess County, New York, and Connecticut’s Northwest Corner are well aware of the area’s spotty cell phone coverage.

“Cell phones suck,” Amenia Volunteer Fire Chief Chris Howard said. He echoed the feelings of many residents and visitors to the area who contend with dropped calls and failed text messages on a regular basis.

Keep ReadingShow less