MILLERTON — When Boston Corner resident Mike Burch was growing up in the 50s in Albany, life was very different for him. He’s now 5-foot, 8-inches tall, 198-pounds and 72 years old. He has long white hair, peppered with a bit of gray typically tied in a pony tail in the back and grown in a long, chest-length beard in the front.
He no longer has to train with weights and take part in sports to strengthen his lungs due to his childhood asthma. Yet train with hundreds of pounds of weights each day he does.
That’s how this grandfather came to be the new record holder for the 70-to-74-year-old age group in the 198-pound weight class in the American Powerlifting Association’s (APA) National Championship competition on Saturday, May 28, at the Steel Beach Gym in Oakville, Conn.
The national APA competition marked the 35th anniversary of its founding in New England, which is why it was held in the Nutmeg State.
As the APA noted on its website, www.wpapowerlifting.com, “powerlifting is a strenuous athletic event.” The competition included three categories: squat attempts, bench presses and deadlifts.
“I broke the world record with lifting 490 pounds,” said a beaming Burch, “before that the record was 485 pounds. I used to lift 800 pounds for five reps back in my 20s. I used to bench press 650 pounds.”
Considering the septuagenarian is a grandfather of one and father of three, dead lifting nearly 500 pounds today is still pretty impressive.
“I have three kids and a grandson,” said Burch, clearly proud of his family. “I started all of my kids with weight lifting, my two sons and daughter. I started weight lifting when I was 2 years old because I had asthma and I guess the weights increased my lungs. I tell these young kid to start lifting weights all the time.”
Burch said his father, who did not himself train with weights, became his personal trainer when he was a child. None of his other relatives lifted weights, but Burch said his dad somehow knew the exercise regimen would help his breathing.
“My father recommended it for the asthma, and guided me when I was young,” remembered Burch. “He was good at training me. As a student, I became a top sprinter in New York State, and ran the 100-meter race in 9.8 seconds — that’s pretty good for an asthmatic.”
The U.S. champ said he “felt pretty good” about his transformation from sickly to superstar. As he grew older, Burch continued to train and make a name for himself on the weight-lifting circuit.
“I became state and national champion on the bench, and today my grandson trains with me. Eli is my training partner,” said Burch. “He really motivates me; he’s 16 and lives in Great Barrington, Mass., and he can really psych me up.”
For this year’s national APA title, Burch faced off against the former U.S.-record holder from Ukraine, who set the former record of 485 pounds in 2017.
“I beat him,” said Burch. “I’m going to the worlds in September… and I’m planning to break it big this time. I’ve been going to the worlds and nationals all my life.”
While Burch could not explain why powerlifting has never made it to the Olympics, he said if it did, the U.S. would be assured a gold medal.
“It was never in the Olympics; I don’t know why. It should have been because the U.S. would dominate,” he said, noting athletes can partake for as long as their bodies hold out, and he would. “At 72, I would take part. Sure, why not?”
Graham Corrigan
The Washington town pool in the hamlet of Mabbetsville along Route 44 sits ready for the start of the 2026 season.
MILLBROOK — Members of the Washington Town Board are calling for upgrades to the town’s recreation area in Mabbetsville along Route 44, saying the park’s roughly 80-year-old pool is outdated and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Former Washington Councilmember Mike Murphy presented a new report to the Town Board during its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 13, detailing the needed updates to the park.
His report is part of a larger Washington project called the Recreation Area Strategic Planning Committee. Starting in 2024, Murphy and a committee of 11 community members undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the property, focusing on the town pool and its facilities. “It’s nobody’s fault,” Murphy said. “But over the years, it’s just aged out.”
The committee was made up of various community experts including contractors and environmentalists. The group used last year’s Community Day to field suggestions from local residents, asking what changes they’d like to see at the park.
An online survey followed, and the committee compiled those suggestions for the town board. Suggestions included indoor facilities, a children’s playground, a dog park and pool improvements.
The Town Park consists of the pool and several athletic fields. The town bought the lower part of the property in 1946 for $16,000, and it became a municipal pool soon after. The athletic fields were added in 2006.
The 29 acres “are a jewel within the town,” Murphy said. “We need to figure out how to get people to use it.” But the pool’s aging infrastructure has made maintenance and upkeep unwieldy. It also lacks modern amenities popular in other municipal pools, like splash pads or fountains. Millerton and Newburgh, Murphy noted, both included those elements in their new pool plans.
Washington has more serious fixes to make, like updating the pool’s filtration system. One estimate Murphy received approximated that cost at six figures. “The tax structure of this community will never be able to handle the major costs that are coming down the road,” Murphy said.
Instead, the Committee to Re-Imagine the Town Park proposed several non-structural ways to stimulate the park’s activity, and resulting revenue: extended hours, a third pavilion, more athletic facilities, and an easier way to access the park.
Currently, there’s only one way in or out of the park. It makes for a crowded drop-off — especially when summer camp is in session. Murphy said connecting the park’s entrance to Little Rest Road to the west is one feasible solution.
Leila Hawken
Enhancing educational opportunities for students in the Millbrook Central School District since 2001, the Millbrook Educational Foundation took part in the Millbrook Volunteer Fair on Saturday, May 16. Residents were invited to learn about volunteer opportunities with the foundation and a variety of other local and regional organizations. The event, now in its fifth year, was held at the Millbrook Library.
Christine Bates
Known as the “Ice House,” 12 State Line Road on 3.81 acres was sold by the mortgage holder after standing vacant for years. The property was later renovated and resold for $400,000 on April 15.
MILLERTON — North East’s housing market continued to cool this spring, with home prices holding relatively steady and sales activity slowing compared with the post-pandemic surge that drove prices sharply higher across the region.
The 12-month trailing median sale price for residential properties in the Town of North East, including the Village of Millerton, was $420,000 for the period from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. That figure remained essentially unchanged month-to-month, but marked the second consecutive year of declining annual median prices.
The residential median includes all types of housing sales — from modest village homes to large estates with significant acreage — but excludes commercial properties and vacant land sales. Among the higher-end transactions during the period was the sale of 5-15 Homestead Lane for $3.1 million.
Outside the village, where homes are generally situated on larger parcels, the median sale price reached $575,000. Within the Village of Millerton, where lots are typically smaller, the median price for the 10 homes sold during the period was $410,000.
The townwide median price of $420,000 was down 2% from the $430,000 median recorded during the 12-month period ending April 30, 2025. It was also 4% below the median recorded the year before that, continuing a gradual market slowdown following the price increases seen during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sales activity has also slowed considerably. North East recorded 24 residential transactions on a trailing 12-month basis at the end of April, down from 37 sales during the previous year.
Housing inventory showed modest improvement entering the spring market. In early May, 14 homes were listed for sale in North East, including four properties with asking prices above $1 million. Among them was the Hudson Valley Magazine “design home,” listed for $3.99 million.
Only two residential properties were listed for sale within the Village of Millerton in early May. Meanwhile, four commercial properties remained on the market in the village, along with eight parcels of vacant land throughout the town.
Town of North East March and April property sales
710 Smithfield Road — 23.89 acres were sold on April 20 for $190,000.
26 South Center St. —An investment property in the Village of Millerton was sold on April 15 for $700,000.
12 State Line Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath renovated home on 3.8 acres sold on April 15 for $400,000.
5-15 Homestead Lane — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1950 on 258 acres sold on March 27 for $3.1 million.
Town of North East and Village of Millerton closed sales for March and April from realtor.com with property details from Dutchess Parcel Access. Median price and activity calculations for all residential properties from NY State Sales Web transfers through February 2026 with updated residential sales for March and April. Current market data from One Key MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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Graham Corrigan
MILLBROOK — Innisfree Garden is set to welcome northeast Dutchess residents for its annual Spring Community Day.
The beloved community event returns Saturday, May 23 — with free admission for residents of Millerton, North East, Amenia, Wassaic, Pine Plains, Clinton Corners, Dover Plains, Pleasant Valley, Stanford, Wingdale, Washington, and of course, Millbrook. Visitors seeking free admission must present identification showing residency in one of the listed towns or hamlets.
There’s a day of programming in store, too. The garden opens at 10 a.m., then Qigong exercise lessons with Cris Caivano kick off at 10:30 a.m. Discounted tickets for the day’s events are available to Dutchess County residents, who are invited to “stretch like a tiger, twist like a dragon,” through guided stretching and acupressure exercises.
Then at 2:30 p.m., visitors are invited along on The Great Pollinator Ramble. Part scavenger hunt, part live theater, the Ramble features larger-than-life pollinator puppets spread across Innisfree’s 185 acres. Nature lovers can use the provided habitat map to find and identify 10 key pollinators that frequent the garden.
“We’re always looking for ways we can introduce the arts into Innisfree,” said Innisfree Executive Director Laura Palmer. “It’s a celebration of the natural environment and all the richness of the natural world.”
Birds, butterflies, beetles and other pollinators will be represented through the oversized puppets, which were designed by Processional Arts Workshop, a Red Hook-based collective led by co-directors Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles.
The concept dates back five years, when the COVID pandemic challenged Processional Arts to develop outdoor programming that could activate public spaces.
“The idea was, if you set loose pollinator puppets in a natural environment, you can encourage people to look deeper at their surroundings,” Kahn said. “It becomes a kind of hide and seek with these species.”
After successful rambles at Catskill’s Thomas Cole House, Hudson’s Olana State Historic Site, and Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Kahn and Michahelles are bringing their pollinators to Innisfree.
The puppeteers are instructed to be elusive and shy, hiding in the garden’s remote corners — as their real-life counterparts might. In that way, visitors are encouraged to investigate parts of the grounds they might bypass.
Spring Community Day is in its sixth year at Innisfree. It serves as the kickoff to the garden’s warm-weather programming season, which includes guided nature walks, wellness workshops, calligraphy classes and live music. A full calendar is available at innisfreegarden.org/events
Nathan Miller
Tim Watson sits in his living room that used to serve as a waiting area for a dentist’s office on Route 44 in Millerton.
MILLERTON — More than three months after a malfunctioning furnace forced the Watson family from their Main Street apartment, Tim Watson said life is finally beginning to stabilize.
The Watsons were tenants of 7-9 Main St. on Jan. 31 when a malfunctioning furnace filled the apartment building with carbon monoxide, forcing emergency responders to evacuate the building. Authorities ruled the building unsafe after the emergency and it has remained vacant since. The Dutchess County Supreme Court granted a foreclosure to US Bancorp for the property in late March.
Watson and his family have found a permanent home in a former office space on Route 44 just outside the Village of Millerton. The office space was originally available for just 30 days, but North East’s recent commercial rezoning now permits residential use on the property. He said the move — made possible through help from relatives, friends and local organizations — has dramatically improved life for his family.
“Our whole life has changed,” Watson said as he sat in his new living room that used to serve as a waiting area for a dentist’s office. He pointed to the space, from the walls to the sofas, as an example of Millerton’s impact.
Family and friends donated furniture to replace what had been ruined at the Watsons’ old apartment. Members of the Millerton Fire Company initially provided a warm place to stay in the firehouse on Century Boulevard in the blistering cold hours following the evacuation. The owner of the family’s new residence on Route 44 — Millerton local Basil Gabriel, owner of local mechanic shop Basil Auto Service — discounted their rent at the beginning of their stay.
Other circumstances have changed for the family, too. Michelle, Tim’s wife of 37 years, recently finished her first round of chemotherapy. She was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over a year ago.
Shortly after beginning treatment, Michelle broke her femur and had to start using a wheelchair. She said another benefit of the new space is its accessibility. Michelle and Tim, who also uses a wheelchair after losing both his legs, had to install a stair lift on an exterior staircase to get in and out of 7-9 Main St.
Michelle said the new home will allow her more comfort during her cancer treatments.
“It’s a better place to live,” Michelle said. “This is a blessing.”
Although the evacuation was stressful, Tim said it put his family in a better, more stable place. The long-term viability of the space was under question during the Watson family’s first weeks there. But they were allowed to stay after North East passed its overhaul of zoning regulations that now permits residences and updated commercial zoning along Route 44.
Tim said he wants to stay there indefinitely.
“I think we found our forever home,” Watson said.
Leila Hawken
AMENIA — Housing Board members agreed on three potential uses for remaining grant funds, moving a step toward utilizing the money that was leftover from a Foundation for Community Health grant.
Board members voted on Monday, May 11, to draft a report for FCH detailing three initiatives for the leftover $13,000 aimed at clarifying local housing regulations, defining the board’s responsibilities related to the Housing Trust Fund, and expanding resources for residents seeking to create accessory dwelling units.
The funding will support efforts to simplify land use regulations for homeowners, develop guidance for Housing Board members regarding their oversight responsibilities, and create a step-by-step guide for residents interested in building an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU.
Grant consultant Christina Gast attended the meeting to help guide the discussion and ensure the proposals met both funding requirements and project deadlines. The agreed-upon initiatives closely mirrored ideas discussed at the previous Housing Board meeting on Monday, April 13.
Board members agreed that local housing and zoning regulations can be confusing to residents. They also pointed to a need to draft local legislation to provide a tax exemption for property owners who create an accessory dwelling unit, also known as an accessory apartment unit.
The board estimated that about $3,000 of the grant funding could be used to clarify the Housing Board’s role and responsibilities, particularly regarding oversight of the Housing Trust Fund.
In the coming weeks, the Housing Board will determine passages where the codes are unclear and ask the Planning Board attorney to clarify. The effort would also include preparation of an onboarding handbook for future Housing Board members, outlining the board’s duties and responsibilities.
“A handbook is a good use of a relatively small amount of funds,” Housing Board member Josh Frankel said.
The third initiative, with an estimated cost of $7,000, would see the development of step-by-step instructions about the process that residents need to follow in order to create an approved ADU. The instructions would be a clear guide toward creating a unit, along with a list of available resources.
Since her professional qualifications align with what is needed for the project, Gast offered to take on the work of drafting the materials. However, board members agreed with a suggestion from member Juan Torres that they should seek an additional outside quote for the work. Concerns about the appearance of a potential conflict of interest were first raised by member Shannon Roback.
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