Danielle Scalewicz named Town Recreation Director

Danielle Scalewicz named Town Recreation Director
Danielle Scalewicz, new Recreation Director, Town of Washington. 
Photo by Judith O’Hara Balfe

MILLBROOK — Danielle Scalewicz is the new Recreation Director, a year-round position that includes not only the scheduling of sports teams and clinics throughout the year, but also the annual summer camp and several special events during the year.

Szalewicz, a resident of Clinton Corners for the past 26 years, is familiar to the Town of Washington Recreation Department, having been employed by the town from 2003-2015 as Kindergarten Director, Arts and Crafts Director, CIT Director and Camp Director.

She has served as Head Teacher at the Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center (MECEC) at Lyall Church. Since 2010, Scalewicz has been the Director of Small Circle of Friends, a Toddler program also located at Lyall Church, which she still heads.

Having worked with Millbrook children for so many years, the move is a natural one for Scalewicz.

She has a lot of energy, and knows where to direct it. After starting the position in Sept,. she took on the role with ease, and coordinated the Trunk or Treating so that it went without a hitch even though it was on the same day as the soccer finals. Her next events are a Candle Making class, and another favorite, building Gingerbread houses.

Because of the pandemic, the last couple of years the Gingerbread House events were pickup the kits, take home and assemble. This year, families are invited to gather at the Millbrook Firehouse to build their houses together. It will also be a meet and greet with Santa, and refreshments will be provided.

Scalewicz is the mother of three children, Casey, 26 who lives in Minneapolis; Samantha, 24, who lives in New Jersey and Stephen, 21, who still lives at home. All of them are graduates of Millbrook Central Schools and participated in the TOW recreation programs. They also worked at the TOW summer camp.

Mike Murphy, town councilman and liaison to the Recreation Department, said that Scalewicz had been interviewed by the Board and the Recreation Commission.

The position was effective Sept. 21. It amounts to 30 hours per week.

With all of her experience with youngsters, her own and those she has worked with over the years, Scalewicz has a very good idea of the direction she wants the recreation department to go.

“I strongly believe in offering opportunities that will foster a strong sense of community,” she said.
“We will be revamping the building at the town park to have programs that will create a sense of community.  My goal is to have programs from toddler to seniors.”

Scalewicz works with the TOW Recreation Commission, made up of six members. President of the Commission, Jason Zmudosky stated, “We are excited to welcome Danielle as our new recreation Director. She brings lots of experience to our town programs. Stay tuned for many new programs and events.”

Dawn Tompkins, Commission Secretary, says, “I’m glad to have Danielle on board, she brings a breath of fresh air, which we need.” She is also looking forward to great new activities for kids, families and seniors. And member Kim Moffitt adds, “We look forward to bringing many community members together through the activities we are planning to hold.”

For information on programs and events, go to www.washingtonny.org/recreation

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

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.

Archive photo

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

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.

Photo by John Coston

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.

Keep ReadingShow less