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Do a good deed, and learn something new daily
Larry Conklin
Jul 28, 2026
This year 3 generations of our family spent a week at a scenic, secluded Lake George accommodation owned by a generations old family dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Secluded, peaceful and quiet. No vehicles or noise, just an occasional marine vessel. A majestic view and waters abundant with game fish and migrating waterfowl especially the female hooded messenger and her comical brood which entertained us daily with their antics. The water is pristine and alive with numerous game fish, but cold. We were treated to calm, colorful majestic sunrises and sunsets. Mother Nature showing off her artwork. BEAUTIFUL! Waterfowl scurrying to and from their daily routines. We took a morning trip on the steam boat Mini Ha Ha (translated Laughing Waters). Our grandson Emari and I toured the engine room powering the paddle wheel. Very interesting as was the calliope (steam organ) player and the lively tunes he played.The thoughtful and accommodating caretaker told us largemouth bass would be coming into the shallows to spawn soon. Emari caught a 6 pound early arriving female which was immediately released as N.Y, bass season was not yet open. God willing we will return next year armed with the knowledge we learned this trip. New suitable fishing rods and lures. Lake George - a beautiful, pristine water with stunning views, soothing the soul and healthful, friendly locals, and nearby shopping. Take an educational trip on one of the Lake George steamboat Companies tours-very affordable and interesting. You’ll enjoy it. God bless you patriotic readers and your families. Enjoy the rest of summer and try to do a good deed and learn something new daily. Til next time.
Town of North East resident Larry Conklin is a Vietnam veteran and a member of both the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and the VFW Post 6851. in North Canaan.
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Letters to the editor — Thursday, July 30
Millerton News
Jul 28, 2026
Sever ties with Flock
Your recent reporting (July 16) regarding private landowner’s embrace of the artificial intelligence mass surveillance company Flock was informative and timely.
It is disheartening that property owners are welcoming the government’s spying machinery into our community. Historical and contemporary examples show that totalitarian and undemocratic governments have an insatiable appetite for information about its citizens, especially those with whom it disagrees. Using informants from within a community is a totalitarian specialty. Property owners who host Flock cameras become electronic informants, and volunteer the rest of us to surrender our privacy rights.
Safe, legal, and effective law enforcement does not require warrantless gathering of information. There are numerous examples nationwide where Flock information has been used unconstitutionally, violating citizen’s Fourth Amendment rights. Like all artificial intelligence models, Flock’s is not perfect. There are hundreds of cases where citizens have been falsely identified or accused based on Flock’s failures.
Our community should be Flock-free, and I encourage current and potential Flock partners to sever their ties with it.
Greg Swinehart
Millerton
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New and improved Thorne arts center expected to open by 2029
Eloise Pickering
Jul 28, 2026
The performance hall of the Thorne Building in Millbrook. The Thorne Building will be undergoing restorations to become a community center for Millbrook.
Photo by Eloise Pickering
MILLBROOK — Construction on the long-planned Thorne Center could begin this fall, with the new arts and community center expected to open in early 2029.
The empty Thorne Building will undergo extensive renovation over the next two years and become the Thorne Center, where residents can gather for events, classes and arts programming. The renovated building will feature a gallery, culinary center, digital arts center and other community spaces.
The building was originally constructed as a school for Millbrook in 1895 by Samuel Thorne, where it served as a high school until 1962. It later served a variety of community purposes but has remained largely vacant in recent decades. The Millbrook Community Partnership, a nonprofit organization formed to redevelop the building and oversee improvements at Bennett Park, bought the property from the Village of Millbrook in 2017.
Since purchasing the building, the partnership has spent years planning its redevelopment and hopes to complete the project’s plans by the end of July. Organization leaders expect to begin construction later this fall, with the project scheduled for completion by late 2028 or early 2029.
“It’s been a long haul but always forward motion,” said Ann Gifford, the secretary of the Millbrook Community Partnership.
Throughout the planning process, the partnership incorporated feedback from the community. Community-wide meetings provided opportunities for brainstorming and included suggestion boxes where Millbrook residents could participate in the process.
“They had a bunch of public sessions and then gathered all of the feedback. The resounding message was that it should be something for the community,” said Krista Fragos, special assistant to Oakleigh Thorne, president of the Millbrook Community Partnership and a descendant of Samuel Thorne. Fragos assists Thorne with the partnership’s projects.
The Thorne family has played a prominent role in the development of Millbrook since the early 1700s.
The building’s three floors and basement will all be renovated to accommodate a culinary center, digital arts center, small gallery space, community workspace, dance studio and visual arts studio. There will also be an elevator.
The footprint of the building will remain largely unchanged, with the only addition being an extension to the performance hall. This will allow for a catwalk and a loading dock behind the stage.
The renovation will preserve as much of the historic building as possible, including the exposed brick found throughout many of its rooms.
“We are very collaborative. We’re working with the library, working with the arts group,” Gifford said. “We’re working with anyone who’s around who wants to collaborate with us. We want to be very inclusive.”
The partnership has raised $28 million toward its $34 million fundraising goal through private donations and an initial grant from the Millbrook Tribute Garden.
The Tribute Garden was established in 1920 on land donated by the Thorne family to commemorate World War I veterans from Millbrook.
In November, there will be a public kickoff to launch the community fundraising campaign and provide an update on construction.
“The community is very enthusiastic, and whenever we’ve opened it up for an open house or a performance or a tour, we’ve gotten a lot of interest,” Gifford said.
The building has seen sporadic use over the past two decades, and the performance hall has hosted occasional events. On Sept. 6, the Knights Ensemble will perform in the Thorne Building for what organizers expect to be the final performance before construction begins. The Knights is an internationally acclaimed orchestra that has performed worldwide.
“They’ve put a really cool program together that I think will fit in the funkiness of the space and they’re really excited to come,” Fragos said.
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Two-year-old boy dies after falling into septic tank in Millerton
Nathan Miller & Graham Corrigan
Jul 28, 2026
The Rea family — Darryl Rea’s mother, Susan Lasko, back left; Johnathan Rea, back center; Darryl Rea, back right; Cory Rea, front left; Olly Rea, center; and Levi Rea, front right — pose for a family portrait during a wedding at Faith Bible Chapel in Millerton on Saturday, July 25, just hours before Olly’s death.
Photo provided
MILLERTON — A 2-year-old boy died Saturday evening after falling into an unsecured septic tank at a church in Millerton.
The toddler, Olly Rea, was playing in the yard at Faith Bible Chapel on Silver Mountain Road at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday when he wandered away from his parents and fell into a septic tank with an unsecured cover, his parents, Johnathan and Darryl Rea, said.
The family had been attending a wedding at the church, which started around noon. Partygoers were cleaning up leftover food and packing up yard furniture following the reception when Ollie disappeared, his parents said.
"We were sitting right there in the backyard and our little Olly was just walking around right next to us," Darryl said. "Then all of a sudden he was gone and we couldn't find him."
Johnathan immediately began searching the area and enlisted help from the other guests when he couldn't find his son. Darryl said the group began assisting in the search, driving up and down Silver Mountain Road and scouring through neighboring fields adjacent to the churchyard and across the road.
After several minutes of searching, assistant pastor John Wolfe reportedly decided to check the septic tank cover near the church after one of the guests informed him of a strange noise coming from the area.
“I mow around it, I walk across it — we never gave the septic tank a second thought," Wolfe told the Millerton News. "I didn’t even know the lid could move. And then I lifted it up and thought, ‘that was entirely too easy.’”
Wolfe then discovered Olly inside the tank and lifted the child out by his leg. After Olly was pulled from the tank, medical personnel arrived at the scene and began life-saving measures, Johnathan and Darryl said.
"There was a doctor, there were medical students and retired nurses," Darryl said. "Nobody could do anything."
Dutchess County Sheriff's Capt. John Watterson said in an email Monday, July 27, that Olly was reportedly in the septic tank for about 10 minutes before he was discovered. Medical personnel attempted to save his life both at the scene and at Sharon Hospital in neighboring Connecticut, but the attempts were unsuccessful and the boy was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
The official cause of death has yet to be determined. No charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing, Watterson said.
Johnathan and Darryl said they have been attending services and social functions at Faith Bible Chapel for nearly four years. They described the congregation as their second family, a tightknit community that looked out for one another and socialized together often.
Olly had been a regular fixture at Faith Bible Chapel since he was three days old, his parents said. Olly's bubbly and happy personality was a hit with the congregants.
“This wasn’t a new place for him,” said Wolfe’s daughter, Bethany Wolfe. “He grew up here.”
They said about 50 people, including other children, were in attendance at the time of Olly's disappearance, and there was no indication of any potential danger in the yard. The septic tank was located about 10 feet away from where most of the party had been taking place, Johnathan said.
"Not since day one did we ever fear anything there," Darryl said.
The Reas described their son's death as avoidable and questioned why the lid to the septic tank was unsecured. Wolfe said the tank was most recently pumped in March, and the church did not receive any notice from the septic company regarding the lid’s security.
Witnesses on scene secured the septic tank cover with screws after Olly was retrieved at the direction of first responders, his parents said.
Johnathan and Darryl said the church community has come together to support each other since the tragedy. The following Sunday morning, the Reas and other congregants gathered at the church for a prayer service for Olly and to celebrate the family's oldest son's seventh birthday in an attempt to find hope and peace despite the loss.
"We wanted things to be kind of normal for him as much as possible because you don't want a tragedy to overshadow your son's birthday," Darryl said. "It was a lot of emotions but they tried their best to give him a good birthday along with us."
Olly's parents said they hope their son's death can lead to a positive outcome. They called for greater attention and regulation of septic tanks, expressing frustration that such a hazard could exist in a public place that often hosts families and children.
"It's just absolutely devastating and it's horrific," Darryl said. "You don't want this to happen to anybody, let alone yourself."
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Family, church community mourn tragic loss of 2-year-old
Nathan Miller
Jul 28, 2026
Darryl Rea, left, her husband, Johnathan Rea, center, and their son, Olly. The family is mourning the loss of 2-year-old Olly after he fell into a septic tank on Saturday, July 25, and died shortly after.
Photo provided
MILLERTON — Just three days after he was born, Johnathan and Darryl Rea introduced their son, Olly, to their church family at Faith Bible Chapel.
Over the next two years, Olly became a familiar face at the church alongside his brothers, 7-year-old Cory and 10-month-old Levi. His parents said the congregation on Silver Mountain Road outside Millerton became a home away from home for their young family.
That close-knit church family gathered Saturday, July 25, for a wedding and reception. The celebration turned tragic when 2-year-old Olly wandered out of sight and fell into a septic tank. He later died after being transported to Sharon Hospital.
Now, the family and the congregation are mourning the loss of a bright, smiling boy whose parents said brought light and joy to the community.
"Olly was a light wherever he went," Johnathan said. "If he smiled at you, you just had to smile. He was the most beautiful, loving little boy there was. He never cried, never. He loved everybody to death."
Johnathan and Darryl moved to Millerton in 2020 shortly after the birth of their first son, Corey, to be closer to Darryl's mother. The couple had been married for two years at that point, and the death of Darryl's father in 2018 prompted them to move to the area to help care for her mother.
Darryl is a lifelong resident of Dutchess County, raised in Rhinebeck, New York. Johnathan was raised by his grandfather, a military servicemember, and moved around the United States through his childhood.
After moving to Millerton, Darryl stayed home to care for Cory, her mother, and a longtime family friend who now lives at The Fountains at Millbrook, an assisted living facility. Johnathan worked as a driver for Watson Livery until recently, when he returned to his passion for electrical work.
Over the past six years, Johnathan and Darryl welcomed two more boys to their family. Olly, in July 2024, and Levi last year in September. The family found the community at Faith Bible Chapel about four years ago, Darryl said, and they quickly became regular members of the community there.
"There's a giant church family there," Darryl said. "You walk through the doors and you just feel so welcomed and loved."
Olly's death on Saturday, just a day before his brother Cory's seventh birthday, rocked the congregation. Bethany Wolfe, daughter of Faith Bible Chapel's assistant pastor John Wolfe and a member of the church's staff, said the toddler delighted congregants of all ages.
“I’ll never forget when they brought him here the first time,” she said. “He had his first birthday party here. He grew up here, and we would go out to the playground in the backyard every week.”
Wolfe said the church will host a celebration of life for Olly on Monday, Aug. 3, at 10:30 a.m. at Faith Bible Chapel. The church is located at 222 Silver Mountain Road outside of the Village of Millerton
Additional reporting provided by Graham Corrigan.
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Town Board kicks off Washington town park renovation talks
Graham Corrigan
Jul 28, 2026
MILLBROOK — The first in a series of workshop discussions on renovations to Washington’s Town Park led Town Board members to seek additional input from professional engineers.
Members of the town board convened Thursday, July 23, to discuss a feasibility study prepared by former board member Mike Murphy, who had toured the park facilities and surveyed town residents about the project last year. The park, which includes the town pool, playground, athletic fields, and several pavilions, has been the subject of renovation talks for several years.
“Aging infrastructure, rising maintenance costs, and safety concerns all underscore the need for a clear, unified vision,” said Murphy in his report.
Board members decided to seek an engineer’s professional opinion on the park’s structure before moving forward with any further decisions. They cited a desire to understand the whole scope of the project, including suggestions from residents for new park features recorded in Murphy’s report and much needed improvements to aging facilities.
Murphy’s feasibility study identified several possible projects for renovation: an in-ground pool, hiking trails, dog park, and pickleball courts were among the responses given by residents. But at Thursday’s meeting, several board members stressed the importance of adopting a master plan instead of a piecemeal approach.
That led the board to pursue an engineer’s perspective. While there are some smaller renovations that seem inevitable — like reshingling the frayed roof of the large pavilion and adding a second entrance to the park — board members want a more comprehensive view of the project before taking action on any particular improvements.
Murphy estimated the total renovation cost at between $2.5 million and $3.7 million.
The park has remained a popular destination for Washington and Millbrook residents. But upcoming pool projects in neighboring communities — such as Millerton’s pool, which is planned to open in summer 2027 — have made updating Washington’s facilities a priority.
“It used to be packed,” said attendee and former board member Robert Audia. Audia grew up in Millbrook, and remembers long summer days spent at the park as a teenager. “The Village used to bus kids up from town,” he said, “and we’d spend all day there.”
One of Murphy’s primary short-term recommendations is to establish a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to support the park. That would allow Washington to raise money through philanthropic donations and grants in support of recreation facilities. He also suggests opening the park from sunrise to sunset, and to adjust park fees to allow for residents who want to use the park rather than the pool. Currently, there is a flat fee for entry.
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