MILLERTON — The village of Millerton Personnel Policy Committee met on Thursday, April 19, to discuss revisions in the personnel manual.The date of the meeting was set at the previous Village Board meeting on Monday, April 16, in which the issues regarding the village audit were discussed.Board and Committee members Yosh Schulman and Debbie Middlebrook had different visions for how the meeting would take place. They spoke about their take on the subject days after the committee meeting.Schulman had mentioned at the previous Village Board meeting that all were welcome to attend and encouraged participation.“A reasonable amount of folks came, which is good and bad because there was a bit of confusion about how they would participate. I wanted them to fully participate but Debbie felt that openness and breaking into groups wasn’t appropriate and that it didn’t meet what a committee was allowed to do,” he said.Middlebrook did not view this meeting as an appropriate venue for an open process. “It was a committee meeting that didn’t really have anything to do with the audit. Because this meeting took place at the same time as the audit, people seemed under the impression it was related to the audit, but it wasn’t,” she said.Both parties agreed that the audit was important for overhauling the village personnel policy.“What we’re putting forth is that we do want to move forward on everything, even things not in the audit. Because of that audit we want to be more proactive than we have been and that includes this project, which is something we’ve wanted to update for a while,” said Middlebrook.Schulman noted that some individuals left once they felt they could not participate.“Those who came to the meeting on Monday who had motivation for coming there wanted to direct their energies. That’s what they thought they were coming together for,” he said.Middlebrook noted that a committee made up of members of the public was something that the Village Board would have to approve.“We don’t want to lend confusion to a process that people may already feel is confusing. I thought it should proceed as a regular committee meeting, separate from the audit discussions, which will be taking place during the workshop meetings,” she said.Once the format of the meeting was settled upon, both parties began reviewing manuals from other municipalities.“Once we began looking through the manuals we started identifying areas we needed to add. Most of the ones we looked at were around 100 pages. Ours is eight. Many things have changed in the 12 years since this manual was revised,” said Schulman.Middlebrook agreed that the manual the village currently uses is very basic.“We need to get to a point where we’re more 20th century. It has been useful in the past but is very basic. It needs to be more in depth,” she said.Both parties agreed that working with an outside agency would be the best course of action.“Our takeaway was that we have too much work to do on this as individuals. We need to bring in a professional outfit to guide our endeavors,” said Schulman.“We will be suggesting an outside agency to the board to avoid anything being overlooked,” Middlebrook said.The committee is currently researching outside agencies and costs to present to the Village Board during the next regular business meeting on Monday, May 21.
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Firefighters, veterans and color guards stand before a hillside covered with nearly 3,000 American flags during Stanford’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Photo by Graham Corrigan
Ribbons lining the park’s fence bore the names of the victims, handwritten by Pine Plains students from Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center and Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School.
Bagpipers opened the ceremony shortly before 7 p.m., followed by welcoming remarks from Stanford Fire Company President Evelyn Seipp. The Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem, sung by Rosalee Cade, followed.
Stanford Town Supervisor Julia Descoteaux and Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago spoke about the importance of honoring those who died and the sacrifices made by first responders.
“I remember the shock and the sorrow, but I also remember what came next,” Descoteaux said. “I remember people coming together, strangers helping strangers, and first responders running toward danger while others were running away.
“The ribbons and flags surrounding us tonight were placed here one at a time, by neighbors working alongside neighbors. In its own small way, this is what remembrance looks like.”
Drago was in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I’ll never forget how quiet people became as we processed what was happening,” he said in his remarks. “But New York came together. We helped one another. We cried on each other’s shoulders.”
“We cleaned up, and we remember,” he continued. “Forty volunteers came out in the rain last week and hung these ribbons. That’s Stanford … neighbors showing up so we can have this moment of community together.”
Students from the Pine Plains Central School District shared essays about the continuing resonance of an event that occurred before they were born.
The display also paid tribute to Dennis Gilhooly, a Stanford Fire Company member and commissioner who served with the New York City Fire Department during the Sept. 11 attacks before moving to Stanford.
He was diagnosed in 2005 with cancer related to his service at the World Trade Center and died in 2019 at age 68.
Gilhooly’s firefighter jacket stood at the center of the hillside display, flanked by two columns of orange and red flags and held aloft on a flagpole. A placard detailing his contributions and displaying his obituary stood near the park entrance.
In the days immediately following the attacks, communities across the region organized relief efforts. Cub Scout packs in Millerton and Dover collected clothing for rescue workers in New York City, while store employees in Amenia gathered water and other supplies for the National Guard.
At the time, local organizer Susan Patnode described the response as something that “took on a life of its own,” with contributions arriving from towns throughout the Harlem Valley.
For residents of Stanford and surrounding communities, the flag memorial has become an annual reminder not only of the lives lost on Sept. 11, but also of how the region came together after the attacks.
As the sun set, the bagpipers gathered at the top of the hillside to play “God Bless America,” “Amazing Grace” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” Two searchlights illuminated the darkening sky in tribute to the twin towers.
Seipp closed the ceremony with a reminder of the importance of carrying its message forward.
“May we never forget the lesson that hope is stronger than fear…By your presence, you prove that. The greatest tribute we can offer is to carry that spirit.”
Firefighters and other uniformed first responders stand alongside flag bearers during Stanford’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 American flags covered the hillside at Stanford Recreation Park.Photo by Graham Corrigan
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Principal Audrey Feliciano led the morning session on the first day of school at Webutuck Elementary School on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Photo by Leila Hawken
“It’s a starting point to get kids excited about learning,” Feliciano said. “They have their backpacks, and they are ready to learn.”
Feliciano said she plans to greet students outside the school each morning.
“I want to be the first person they see,” she said.
Supporting regular attendance will be a focus during the coming year, Feliciano said. She also pointed to the school’s early-childhood offerings, which include two pre-K3 classes.
“Webutuck was the first public school in Dutchess County to start a pre-K3 early learning program,” Feliciano said, noting that the program functions as an extension of parental teaching.
Webutuck started the pre-K3 program in 2025. A second pre-K3 class was added for the 2026-27 school year.
The school holds workshops throughout the year to help parents and educators work together. She said that collaboration also helps the school better understand and respond to each student’s educational needs.
Originally from the Bronx, Feliciano has lived in the region for 25 years. She most recently spent six years as a special education administrator and assistant principal at Pawling Elementary School.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mercy College and a master’s degree in education with a specialization in special education. She later earned her administrative certification from Baruch College.
Feliciano also worked in New York City earlier in her career.
“My special education experience in New York City has helped me understand child development and how children learn and thrive,” she said, adding that her time there broadened her perspective by exposing her to a tapestry of cultures, languages, and complex learning environments.
Feliciano lives in LaGrange and has four children and three grandchildren.
The early September sun greeted students as they stepped off their buses at Webutuck Elementary School for the first day of classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.Photo by Leila Hawken
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