Part III
HARLEM VALLEY — Last week readers of The Millerton News caught up with stories from August and September of 2020, as many struggled with the challenges of a difficult year that included not only the coronavirus pandemic and a faltering economy but closed schools and months of quarantine. In this week’s edition, the year in review wraps up with a last look at the headlines between the months of October through December.
October
On Thursday, Oct. 8, the North East Town Board approved a new two-year police contract with the village of Millerton, marking the first time the two municipalities opted for a two-year rather than a three-year contract.
That same day, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-car fatal crash on Route 22 in Amenia that resulted in the tragic death of a 2-year-old girl. The crash involved a 2018 Nissan Sentra operated by Millerton resident Reneisha Johnson who was reportedly struck by a 2000 Ford Explorer operated by Amenia resident Forrest McBreairt. Johnson’s young daughter, Ellie Dunlop, was a passenger in the Sentra. Johnson and Ellie were initially transported to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, and then flown to Westchester Medical Center, where sadly, Ellie later passed away.
Pine Plains Pharmacy owner Nasir Mahmood was recognized by the National Community Pharmacists Association for his dedication to his work with the 2020 Calvin J. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award.
As local, county, state and national candidates campaigned for office during the 2020 elections, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Millbrook’s Emma Rosi, a longtime scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, had been appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board.
November
Eager to participate in the process, voters swarmed to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to vote in the 2020 elections. Many had voted early through mail-in or absentee voting. After days spent waiting in anxious anticipation for early voting and absentee ballots to be tallied from across the nation, voters celebrated the historic election of former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden as the 46th president over incumbent Donald Trump, and Biden’s running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, as the first Black-South Asian female vice president.
Despite COVID-19, the Pine Plains Free Library and The Little Nine Partners Historical Society devised a way to host its annual Evergreen Cemetery Tours, both virtually and in-person. The in-person tours were re-scheduled due to inclement weather, but then enjoyed by the community without a hitch.
While local communities organized their respective Veterans Day celebrations to honor those who have served in this nation’s military, local Town Boards adopted their municipal budgets for the 2021 fiscal year.
More than 40 years after it was purchased by the husband and wife team consisting of the late Robert and Carol Sadlon, The Millerton Moviehouse was put up for sale by Carol, who announced she is seeking “new stewards” to lead and guide the theater’s growth and evolution into the future.
Meanwhile, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail opened its new northbound extension, which stretches from Main Street in Millerton to Under Mountain Road in Ancram.
One month after officially opening under a hybrid learning model, the North East (Webutuck) Central School District reported its first case of COVID-19 at Eugene Brooks Intermediate School on Friday, Nov. 6, prompting administrators to close all school buildings and shift to a full remote learning model. A second case of COVID-19 was reported at Webutuck Elementary School on Monday, Nov. 9, and as more coronavirus cases came to light, the district postponed its reopening plans; students and staff didn’t return to campus until Monday, Nov. 30.
The village of Millbrook reflected on the impact that “Living Millbrook” magazine co-founder and publisher Rona Boyer had on the community after her passing on Friday, Nov. 27, from lung and kidney issues at the age of 74.
December
The debate over whether face masks stop the spread of COVID-19 loomed close to home as readers reacted to an article and editorial published in The Millerton News on Thursday, Dec. 10, followed up with more coverage on Dec. 17 and Dec. 24, regarding the Talk of the Towne Deli’s stance against the state mask mandate, a fine issued by the health department to the deli for violating the mandate, as well as a verbal attack on one customer at the deli by another. The deli was later identified as one of many businesses whose signs was damaged by vandals, along with the NorthEast-Millerton Library, the Salisbury Bank & Trust and other businesses on Main Street.
The town of North East and the village of Millerton rejoiced as State Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106) helped secure a loan worth half a million dollars for building their shared highway garage on Route 22.
The Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School was awarded a $19,000 matching Recovery Challenge Grant to build a new red wolf breading facility.
On Monday, Dec. 14, the Dutchess County Police Reform and Modernization Collaborative released a comprehensive report on police reform as a guide for Dutchess County municipalities to create their own police reform plans. The report was based on months of meetings among police professionals and public forums, which gave community members the chance to offer input.
Construction at the Amenia Free Library continues for its long awaited expansion project, with an opening date for the new addition scheduled for Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
In Pine Plains, the Willow Roots food pantry and The Stissing House joined forces to cook and distrubute meals for local families during the pantry’s annual Christmas Party on Sunday, Dec. 20, bringing some much needed cheer to those in need during the holiday season.
Having dedicated seven years of community service as the adult program director at the Millbrook Library, Diana Bontecou retired on Dec. 31. The community expressed its thanks for her years of service.
The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.
Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.
“We’re incredibly thankful to Pine Plains for stepping up and offering us a patrol vehicle while we wait for replacements,” Chief Olenik said.
The fire came shortly after the department was awarded multiple grants through New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services totaling more than $300,000. The funding has allowed the department to upgrade everything from safety gear to communications systems. According to Olenik, equipment destroyed in the fire will be fully replaced by either insurance or the original vendors.
“We’re really lucky to have Chief Olenik,” said Mayor Jenn Najdek. “He runs the department efficiently and is constantly pursuing grant opportunities to improve equipment and public safety.”
A first grant of about $82,000 funded essentials like TASERs, body and vehicle cameras, license plate readers and tri-band two-way radios — which will support the county’s upcoming communications system upgrade.
A second grant totaling $220,000 paid for high-tech additions including thermal imaging binoculars that can detect individuals and stream live images to officers’ smartphones. The department also used the funding to replace decade-old desktop computers, install new servers for improved data security and upgrade surveillance with an alarm system and indoor-outdoor camera coverage at the station.
Additional upgrades include an electronic fingerprinting system, a 55-inch monitor for virtual meetings and surveillance review, enhanced firearms optics and lighting and a custom-built prisoner bench that saved thousands by being fabricated locally.
Olenik also highlighted the department’s transition to a new chemical deterrent, replacing traditional pepper spray with a safer, faster-cleaning agent that is more effective.
“These grants have been vital to equipping our officers with top-tier technology while protecting taxpayers from additional costs,” Olenik said. “We’ve been very strategic in how we allocate resources.”
The department is now awaiting a decision on a $45,000 community policing grant that would fund outreach efforts, including “non-shift” assignments for the department’s seven officers at community events, school visits, and other public engagements. The grant would also cover the cost of giveaway items for local children. Chief Olenik expects to hear back within the next month or two.
Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.
MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.
The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.
“We’re still working to understand what’s acceptable,” Najdek said, “but we have several backup plans ready.” She and members of the park’s revitalization committee have been working closely with lead engineer Kevin Hasselwander of LaBella Associates to explore those alternatives.
A meeting with regulators is expected in early July. Stephen Waite, chair of the Millerton Community Park Committee and a former village trustee, is hopeful that approvals will come soon to avoid further delay. “We’ve been advocating for this and planning for a long time,” said Waite. Nostalgic for his childhood summers at the park, he says he hopes to bring the same experience to a new generation soon.
Additional delays have stemmed from the February fire at the nearby Village Water and Highway building, as well as a prolonged contract process with NY SWIMS — a $150 million state initiative aimed at expanding public access to swimming statewide. Finalizing that contract triggered a new State Environmental Quality Review, requiring a public comment period that further pushed back the timeline.
Despite the hurdles, Najdek remains optimistic. The project is now “99% funded,” she said, with $7.56 million secured from three separate New York State grants.
An official Request for Proposals was originally scheduled for release in April but is now on hold until the wetlands and septic system designs are finalized. “We’re waiting for final approval from the county Board of Health and the DEC,” Najdek said. “Once we have that, we can finalize the design and put the project out to bid.”
Current plans and renderings call for a five-lane swimming pool and a 3,600-square-foot pool house featuring locker rooms, offices and a community room with a commercial kitchen. While the original goal was to align the opening with Millerton’s 175th anniversary, that timeline could now be out of reach.
Still, village leaders say they’re committed to seeing the project through — however long it takes.
Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.
MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.
As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.
The digitalization process in North East began in November of 2015, when the program LaserFiche was selected due to a grant shared with the nearby towns of Amenia, Dover Plains and Beekman. The program was shared until 2024 and now each town scans documents separately to their individual clouds.
The organization and scanning process is a daunting one because the Town Hall keeps historic, business, judicial and assessors records. Town Clerk Elizabeth “Tilly” Strauss explained that it is a learning process to go through the records, organize and keep or destroy based on retention schedules of certain items.
There are two forms of scanning and storing documents that the town has utilized. The Town Clerk’s office uses the system BAS for scanning vital records, minutes, invoices and resolutions. This system is updated constantly as new information comes in, but Wheatley, along with other offices in the Town Hall, has been working backwards to digitize all of the old files as well. Wheatley scans documents for about an hour every afternoon. “That’s what it takes to keep up to date,” she said. There are currently 3324 files in the system.
The other mode of scanning and storing documents is through the IPS system, which gets records from planning, zoning, building and assessors. Chris Virtuoso, who started as a tax collector in 2021, stepped up to lead this half of the process beginning in 2022.
“He had a big task. He had boxes all over the place. He was spread out, he was intense and focused,” Wheatley said of Virtuoso. According to Wheatley and Strauss, the project did not only include scanning and reordering, but a complete reorganization.
“What happened was, a lot of files were under the names of farmers, but they then either got sold or were subdivided,” said Strauss. “Chris has been scanning and organizing into and by parcel number instead of name.”
Virtuoso first began this project by finding parcel locations on the assessors map and looking through files of names and addresses. He then sorted through boxes to find the parcel numbers, organizing them into new boxes based on zone and ordered by parcel number.
“If somebody buys a parcel now and they want to know the history, they can go down there with the number for the parcel and those folders are in there,” stated Virtuoso. “That was the end goal, to get everything from alphabetical order into parcel number order.”
Virtuoso had also found a log tracking all cases by number, which went back until 2005, and added blank pages for all of the newly-scanned files dating back to 1968. This book is now up to date, and current cases and pages are added every year.
“You become like Sherlock Holmes,” said Virtuoso. “What I always kept in mind was, when I’m not here anymore, will someone be able to figure this out?”
From his start in 2022 to March 2023 when both planning and zoning were completely up to date, Virtuoso would come to the Town Hall every morning to scan for two or three hours, five days a week, while still maintaining his career as a realtor.
As of March 2023, when Virtuoso wrote a report on his progress, 361 case files were scanned for the Zoning Board of Appeals. He had also deleted and destroyed any duplicates, removed any metal that may damage the documents, resecured the folders, and organized everything by parcel number with room for additional files.
“He went above and beyond,” Wheatley stated.
Virtuoso — and the Town Clerks — are eager to move to the new Town Hall property. “Look, this is an old home, it’s charming, but we need room for all those files, we need more space and offices,” said Virtuoso.
“I can’t wait,” Strauss stated. “We’re going to have new shelves and everything organized by departments. It’s going to be beautiful.” After condensing, destroying duplicates and scanning, all records will be brought to the new location, however, the digitized copies will serve as backup and for convenience.
Although the process is viewed as an overall success, there are still a few remaining hopes for the future. Virtuoso hopes for collaboration with other towns to buy or lease a large-format scanner for large-scale maps, blueprints, and other important documents that have yet to be scanned.
Virtuoso also hopes to make the Historical Society aware of the rich and unique history that he found within the basement boxes, opening the possibility for deeper understanding of the local area. “The files are important because they do have a certain chunk of history.”
Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.
Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.
Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.
Bee Bee the Clown offered everyone attending the Millerton Street Fair balloon figures, jokes and musical sleight-of-hand. “I can make 50 types of balloon animals without thinking and probably around 100 if I concentrate,” the most complex being a rabbit in a top hat made from balloons, Bee Bee said. The clown, who also bills herself as Jackie the Magician, merged her two disciplines of clowning and magic to entertain visitors for the length of the fair.Bee Bee’s commitment to her craft appears beyond her performance, as reflected in her brightly-colored outfit and carefully-applied makeup. “The control exercised over the line work detail” of her eye makeup and the proper choice of footwear — no smaller than the size-16 shoes Bee Bee wore — are two of the aspects of clown dress which Bee Bee noted as being most important to her costume.Photo by Charlie Greenberg
The NorthEast-Millerton Library joined in the fun, hosting a book sale inside and a cookie bake-off on the front lawn.
Live music on the lawn of the Millerton Methodist Church supplied good vibes to those within earshot. The John Stey Band started the morning with classic country, western and bluegrass tunes. The afternoon wrapped up with a few hours of Afro-Cuban jazz from the Berkshire Resilience Brass Band.
Townscape and the North East Community Center joined in participating as non-profit organizations in the Millerton News Street Fair, coinciding with the regular weekly Millerton Farmers’ Market that attracts more than a dozen vendors to sell fresh produce, baked goods and more.
Eloise Gerstle, 2 and a half, posed with her balloon animal and her mother, Aimee Couture, both of Sharon, enjoying the fun of the Millerton News Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.Photo by Leila Hawken
Lisa Cope, Village of Millerton Town Clerk, was there to hand out “Save the Date” cards for next year’s 175th Anniversary of Millerton.
“I know it’s early,” she said. “but it’s coming.”
Amanda Coppola, the Webutuck Elementary School principal, was on hand to discuss after school programs, and mentioned a new pre-K program for three-year-olds that is the first in Dutchess County.
And Century Boulevard was packed with cars. License plates from across the Northeast could be spotted lining the wide street, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and even Pennsylvania.
Reporting and photography from Leila Hawken, Charlie Greenberg, Nathan Miller and John Coston contributed to this article.
Photo by Nathan Miller
Brody Reyes of Millerton, left, and Aaliyah Velie of Millerton, right, run and play with a beach ball in the parking lot of the Millerton Firehouse on Century Boulevard.
The Millerton Fire Company was a popular destination with its hot food — dogs and burgers and homemade french fries. The volunteer firemen ran the concession. Patti Lynch-VandeBogart was also on hand with popcorn and flavored ices.Kelly Roger, treasurer and a fire police captain of the department had pulled together the fire department’s food court.
A touch-a-truck event for children was popular, leading occasionally to a loud blast of a fire truck horn from an excited youngster.
