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Pollinator gardens: a vibrant community of purposeful plants
Leila Hawken
Apr 15, 2026
A springtime visit to the dormant pollinator garden he designed at the Millbrook Library provided landscape expert Andy Durbridge with the perfect setting to discuss the garden as a community of plants, as part of the Garden Matters monthly talk series..
Photo by Leila Hawken
MILLBROOK — Millbrook Garden Club members led a talk on gardens with a purpose beyond beauty in the April installment of the monthly Garden Matters series at the Millbrook Library on Saturday, April 11.
Expert garden designer Andy Durbridge of Wassaic gathered a rapt audience eager to get tips on selecting and nurturing plants attractive to birds and insects who serve as pollinators for area gardens and beyond.
About 25 attended the talk titled “Plant Communities in a Community Garden.”
“Gardening with a purpose” was a recurring theme, as Durbridge described how and why a garden is a community of plants, sometimes providing support for one another if well planned.
“Thousands of creatures work as pollinators,” Durbridge said, although most only think of birds and insects, the flying pollinators. Bats are major pollinators, as can be crawling insects.
Aim to have a garden that is not a monoculture was Durbridge’s advice. Native plants last longer, comfortable in the existing climate.
Done right, such a pollinator-friendly garden can look good, too, and no matter its size, whether grand or manageably tiny, it can contribute well to the Pollinator Pathway program being implemented throughout the region. Such gardens, dotted over the landscape, are beneficial to the passing pollinator, and remembered as a good place to visit.
“Change your gardening habits incrementally,” Durbridge said, noting that starting small is fine. “I don’t know if I could have a garden without ornamental grasses,” he added as a hint.
A proponent of no-till gardening, Durbridge urged gardeners to resist cultivating, and prepare the surface only.
“When you do big disturbances, you are making more work for yourself,” Durbridge advised.
He said the right selection of plants will lead to natural ground cover, reducing a need for mulch.
Next in the monthly series will be “Root to Flower: Honoring the Whole Plant,” on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 11 a.m.Presenting the program will be Kristen Essig of Stonewood Farm. The Garden Matters program is sponsored by the Millbrook Garden Club in partnership with Stonewood Farm and the Friends of the Millbrook Library.
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Webutuck's talents
Nathan Miller
Apr 15, 2026
Webutuck students Esvin Soto, Nelson Choc Coc, Anibal Cuc Coc, Emely Cordova and Mariana Martinez Reyes perform a heritage dance during the Webutuck PTA-sponsored talent show in the High School auditorium on Friday, April 10.
Photo by Nathan Miller
AMENIA — Webutuck students showed off their talents during a PTA-sponsored talent show in the High School auditorium on Friday, April 10.
The show featured singing, dancing, piano performances and even a presentation of mixed-media art over the course of an hour and a half.
Lois Musgrove performs a rendition of “Love Song” by Sara Bereilles.Photo by Nathan Miller
Giana Kall, left, performs carol of the bells on piano while Gabriella Artega sings.Photo by Nathan Miller
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North East home prices edge higher on lower volume
Christine Bates
Apr 15, 2026
Located in the historic hamlet of Irondale built around the Millerton Iron Company, 21 Irondale Road dates from 1870 and was remodeled in 2020. The three-bedroom home sold for $255,000.
Photo by Christine Bates
MILLERTON — The 12-month trailing median price for a residential property in the Town of North East was $415,000 for the period ending Feb. 28, 2026, representing a 7% jump from last year.
That figure includes all types of residences — from single-family homes and mobile homes to large estates — in both the Village of Millerton and the Town of North East, but excludes land and commercial sales. The median price for a home in the village alone was $388,000.
The townwide median was 7% higher than the $387,000 recorded for the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2025, but both figures were below the 2023-24 median of $565,000. In contrast, village home prices steadily increased over the last three years from $320,000 in 2024 to $385,000 in 2025 to $388,000 as renovated homes came on the market.
The number of residential sales in North East, measured on a 12-month rolling basis, remains within its three-year range of 25 to 35 annually, including the village. A total of 26 residences were sold in the 12 months ending on Feb. 28, 2026, down from the 32 sales in the period ending Feb. 28, 2025, and 31 sales for the 12 months ending Feb. 28, 2024. As village prices rose, the number of sales declined from nine in 2024 and 11 in 2025 to seven in the last 12 months, roughly one in three sales in the town.
Inventory of all homes remains limited. As of early April, there were nine single-family homes on the market townwide. Three were listed above $1 million, with only one listed below the current median price of $415,000. In contrast, 10 parcels of land are listed for sale on the MLS, with listing prices ranging from $129,000 for a building lot to $3,000,000.
February transfers
21 Irondale Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on .44 acres sold to Victor Manual Molano for $255,000.
278 Sawchuck Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home built in 1975 sold to Flor Maria Valle for $365,000.
5 Homestead Lane — 93.65 acres of vacant land sold to 5 Homestead Farm Lane LLC for $1.25 million
124 Cooper Road — 14.7 acres of vacant lane sold to Sheri Graham Trustee for $240,000.
* Town of North East and Village of Millerton property transfers for February 2026 are sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Office monthly reports. Property details are from Dutchess Parcel Access. Annual sales data is extracted from New York State Sales Web. Current market data is from OneKey MLS. Twelve-month median values and sales activity are from New York State Sales Web and include all residential property types, including single-family homes, multi-family properties, estates and mobile homes. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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Are electric cars actually better for the environment?
Peter Riva
Apr 14, 2026
The short answer is yes for urban areas. The longer answer – for the planet – no, not currently. Here’s why:
1. Oil fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of oil. These are called thermal utility-scale oil-fired plants. They extract energy from the oil. The percentage of energy they extract run only 30% - 40% of the energy the fuel is capable of, so-called “contains.”
2. Gas fired powerplants generate electricity by burning gaseous forms of fossil fuels – mostly “natural gas” piped up from the ground reserves. These are called Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) systems. They extract energy from the gas using gas turbines. The percentage of energy they extract run only 33% - 60% of the energy the fuel is capable of -- depending on whether the newer plants have Heat Recovery Steam Generators added where they approach 60% efficiency.
3. Coal fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of hard coal. The percentage of energy they extract runs only 30% - 45% - the 45% plants are ultra modern plants of which there are very few.
4. The USA overall average electricity production by powerplants using fossil fuels is an approximate fuel efficiency rating of 42%.
5. Atomic power plants, solar farms, and wind generation are hugely expensive to install and legislate but operate at between 85% and 92% efficiency based on input running costs. That does not include environmental post use or recycling costs for spend radioactive fuel rods which have a half-life of tens of thousands of years.
Putting aside the discussion of transportation (oil, coal, gas moving from mine or well to a powerplant), infrastructure (drilling, mining, pipelines), and never least the financing of refineries and powerplants by Wall Street, the comparison of efficiency for automobiles using either electric or gas/diesel modes, all rely on the overall efficiency of the energy consumption needed per mile. And energy consumption must take into account the efficiency of the engines using the fuel.
Now, it has to be said that electric cars cause less pollution, while running, than diesel or gasoline cars. That is why they are better for urban environments, just as catalytic converters were essential to stop smog related illness in tight urban environments. However, not causing as much pollution in situ does not take into account their consumption of fossil fuels in the production of that electricity and that resultant pollution globally. At best, therefore, electric cars are operating at 42% fuel efficiency and must face fair comparison to the most modern car engines in order to secure the label of “friendly to the environment.”
Mercedes Benz has a test program, as do several other manufacturers and engineering firms. It is called Formula 1 racing. MB produced a car engine that is so efficient it has an output of 50% of the fuel’s potential energy. Coupled with regenerative braking (hit the brakes and you are engaging a generator instead of disc brake coupled with inboard batteries to produce a hybrid system for more efficiency), overall most Formula 1 racing cars average between 60% - 72% efficiency overall depending on track conditions.
When you compare that new fossil fuel engine efficiency of 60%+ to electric cars using current electricity generation averaging 42% efficiency for the same amount of fossil fuels, electric cars have not, yet, reached parity or added benefit for the environment.
Of course, generation of electricity is an investment nightmare but with huge rewards for the whole planet. Electricity is easier to transport to where it is needed than fossil fuels. If you can build a more efficient powerplant, like the nuclear fusion reactors under development that produce no waste, then indeed electric power for cars and all means of transportation is the wiser choice longer term.
But, for the moment, when you see your neighbor’s car burning gasoline or diesel, and you drive an electric car, understand the choices you are making for your local pollution are worthwhile, but overall you may actually be polluting more. The hope is that soon electricity may be generated more efficiently to make your electric car actually environmentally friendly.
Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.
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Clothing distribution, poultry theft, fire destroys 80 acres
Millerton News
Apr 14, 2026
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
April 18, 1935
$346.40 Worth Of Clothing Distributed By Red Cross
Clothing distributed to needy families during the past winter by the Town of North East branch of the American Red Cross amounted to $346.40 in value, it was disclosed at a recent meeting when reports were heard on the work accomplished up to the first of April. Eighty-eight garments were made by members of the local branch, representing 174 hours of work.
Authorities Smash Poultry Theft Ring
[Sic] poultry-theft ring which has been operating in the central part of Dutchess County and even as far east as Amenia and Dover Plains was broken last week by Sheriff Hiram C. Carroll’s force and State Troopers. Two men were arrested as they were about to deliver a load of thirty-nine chickens and a teletype alarm was sent out for the alleged leader of the gang. Taken in custody were George Corey, 19, of Washington Hollow and Patterson, charged with third degree burglary, and Malcolm Florence Jr., of Washington Hollow, held as a material witness. Three other youths, including two brothers of the Florence boy, were released after making statements to the sheriff’s attaches.
John Ferris, 54, is sought as the leader of the ring. The teletype description of him was: five feet, nine inches tall; weight about 200 pounds; bald head; when last seen wore high-top brown boots, riding pants, gray coat and soft gray hat.
Finds Balloon, Gets Free Pair of Glasses
Because he picked up the remains of a toy balloon he found in a pasture lot on his farm, Samuel T. Goodman of Avon, Conn., will find it a little easier to read the small type in his newspaper evenings [sic]. Attached to the remnants of the balloon was the business card of Dr. Harry S. Tripp, optometrist of Millerton and Beacon, stating that the finder would receive a free pair of glasses. The balloon was released by Dr. Tripp at the opening of the Brinckeroff Road, in the southern part of Dutchess County, last spring.
Although Dr. Tripp had given up hope of ever learning of the balloon’s fate, he received a letter with the tag enclosed from Mr. Goodman the other day. The farmer will be fitted with a new pair of glasses at Dr. Tripp’s office here.
Farmers May Secure Loans For 1935 Crops
Emergency loans for producing 1935 crops and for the purchase or production of feed for livestock are now available to farmers who can qualify under the regulations, according to recent [sic] announcement. In accordance with the Act of Congress authorizing the loans and regulations issued by Governor W. I. Myers of the Farm Credit Administration, Ioans will be made only to farmers who are unable to obtain elsewhere seed, fertilizers, supplies, feed or the necessary credit to purchase such items. Loans will not be made to applicants who can obtain credit in the amount needed from any other source, including the production credit association.
Any farmer who has the necessary security should apply to the production credit association first. If the association is unable to make him a loan in the amount needed the farmer will receive a statement to that effect and will be considered eligible to apply for a loan from the emergency fund.
The regulations provide that the largest loan to one farmer this year is $500 and the minimum $10, but no loan may be made in an amount greater than is actually needed to cover the cash cost of purchasing seed, fertilizers, supplies, feed, etc. Loans will be made for the purpose of growing and harvesting crops, for summer fallowing, for purchasing feed for livestock; but not for the purpose of purchasing livestock or machinery, or for the payment of debts or taxes.
April 15, 1976
Reading Committee Sponsors Lottery
The Reading Committee of Webutuck Central School is sponsoring a lottery in connection with a special collection of mystery stories and books.
The committee is collecting as many mysteries as they can through loan and donations and will make them available to the students in the Junior-Senior High to borrow.
For each book borrowed and returned, the students will place an index card with their name and a short report into a drum. At the end of the month, there will be a drawing and prizes awarded. The more books read will afford a greater chance of winning a prize.
The Reading Committee requests anyone who has mystery books to donate either leave them at the high school or call the school to arrange to have them picked up (leave a message for Mrs. Longstreth or Mrs. Clark). There will also be a place to leave books in the front hall on the night of the Bicentennial Celebration.
Books will be available for student use April 12 - May 11.
Fire Destroys 80 Acres
A grass fire caused by an overturned garbage incinerator devoured 80 acres of grass and woodland in Gallatin on Saturday, April 10.
The fire started on Saturday morning at the home of Gene Case. According to firemen at the scene the incinerator was in poor condition and it apparently disintegrated.
Milan and Ancram Fire Companies attended the fire which raged for most of the day.
April 19, 2001
Gift Shop/Gallery Relocates in Millerton
MILLERTON - Rhinebeck resident Alyssa Knapp has officially opened the doors of her recently relocated gift shop and art gallery, Luminari.
Ms. Knapp has moved her store from Rhinebeck to Millerton, and is now located on Main Street, adjacent to the Mane Street Salon and next to the Millerton Moviehouse.
Offering a wide variety of gift items, from the classical to the whimsical, Luminari also features local artists’ creations, such as sculptures, paintings and photographs.
Ms. Knapp described Luminari’s offerings as “an eclectic mix.” According to Ms. Knapp, the store harbors “hand-made, one-of-a-kind articles, as well as mass-produced gifts.” Ms. Knapp believes this variety of merchandise allows for a more flexible price range.
“I try to mix it up, so there is always something for everyone,” she said.
Ms. Knapp looks forward to becoming a part of the Millerton community.
“I’m very excited about meeting new people and artists,” added Ms. Knapp. She encourages people to make themselves known to her: “I’m not going to know you’re there if you don’t talk to me, so just come on by.”
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Amenia Library welcomes new Adult Programming Assistant
Leila Hawken
Apr 14, 2026
Liz MacQuarrie began her duties as Adult Programming Assistant at the Amenia Free Library in mid-March, has launched creative new programming.
Leila Hawken
AMENIA — New adult programming is coming to the Amenia Free Library, led by Adult Programming Assistant and Millbrook native Liz MacQuarrie.
Since beginning her duties in mid-March, MacQuarrie has been learning the ropes of library procedures. She spoke on Thursday, April 9, about her enthusiasm for serving the community and developing adult programs for library users.
“Libraries are more than just books; they’ve become community gathering places where people come together,” MacQuarrie said.
“Curiosity never stops at a library,” MacQuarrie added, indicating that she intends to bring her own creative ideas to serve patrons.
“Black-out Poetry,” as she calls it, is the first such program that is now available in the library’s reading room. Patrons will find everything they need to transform any block of non-fiction text and blacking out all but a few words to create a poem inspired by those few words, MacQuarrie explained.
The text pages are cut from damaged non-fiction books that were about to be discarded. MacQuarrie’s training in the arts led her to realize that poems might be lurking within the text. The words selected can inspire a poem or be incorporated into a drawing.
A sample is on display, and instructions are provided. MacQuarrie notes that it is a passive program in honor of April being National Poetry Month, and the idea repurposes damaged books as instruments of creativity.
Another program that MacQuarrie is managing will bring periodic visits from the Dutchess County Office of the Aging’s mobile help program. Patrons can sign up for 30-minute appointments to meet with an advisor for help with government programs, including Medicare/Medicaid, and more.
The first scheduled visit will be on Thursday, April 23. For more information about the program, go to the library’s website: www.amenialibrary.org.
“It will save patrons from needing to travel distances to access the help,” MacQuarrie said.
MacQuarrie has earned a B.A. degree in Film Studies from Mt. Holyoke College and has experience in documentaries and commercial applications, as well as past work with WBZ news radio in Boston. Her career has taken her to work with the Milwaukee Film Festival, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
A native of Millbrook, MacQuarrie now resides there with her Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, Rocko.
“I’m happy to be back home,” MacQuarrie said.
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