government

Water Department demolition awaiting preparation work

Water Department demolition awaiting preparation work

A fire devastated the Millerton Water Department Building on Feb. 3, destroying highway maintenance and police equipment stored inside.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — Mayor Jenn Najdek provided an impromptu update on the Water Department building demolition in response to public comment at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday, Sept. 22.

In public comment, resident Delora Brooks asked about the timeline for demolishing the burned highway and water buildings. Najdek said delays stem from the need to reroute exposed water pipes. “Until that’s done, we can’t schedule the demolition,” she said, noting state law also requires 14 days’ notice once the work on the pipes is completed. A demolition company is ready, but the village continues to seek the best price and a contractor who can complete the prep work quickly.

North East Town Supervisor Chris Kennan and Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago joined the meeting.

Kennan discussed a joint application between the village and town for a “NY Forward” grant, which offers two $4.5 million awards for small communities. He noted that projects like the joint wastewater system and Century Boulevard upgrades could make Millerton and North East “prime candidates.” The grant requires no local match. A letter of intent is due in October, with the full application due in November. The village board voted to move forward and partner with the town on the submission.

Drago, who is running for re-election, visited to show support and share county updates. He asked for feedback on the Dutchess County Mobile Health Unit, which visits the Rail Trail lot on the second Wednesday of each month, and brainstormed with the board to boost awareness of the service. He also addressed the EMS crisis, saying now is the time to act as the budget cycle begins. “We need to move toward a long-term plan more quickly — one that will help bring down costs for everyone and, ultimately, provide more reliable, consistent service,” he said.

Village Police Chief Joseph Olenik highlighted the department’s new Axon 4 body cameras, purchased with grant funding. He touted the cameras’ ability to translate more than 70 languages in real time. Olenik said the two-way translator will record interactions and help officers and residents communicate. “This will be an effective tool and will be great for our community policing,” he said.

The board also authorized the issuance of a request for proposals for professional engineering services to update sidewalks on North Center Street. The RFP will be posted Wednesday, Sept. 24, with submissions due Thursday, Oct. 23, at 3:30 p.m. An on-site visit is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 10 a.m.

government

Latest News

Speed cameras gain ground in Connecticut, stall in Dutchess County

Speed cameras gain ground in Connecticut, stall in Dutchess County

A speed enforcement camera in New York City.

Photo courtesy NYC DOT

Speed cameras remain a tough sell across northwest Connecticut — and are still absent from local roads in neighboring Dutchess County.

Town leaders across northwest Connecticut are moving cautiously on speed cameras, despite a state law passed in 2023 that allows municipalities to install them. In contrast, no towns or villages in Dutchess County currently operate local automated speed-camera programs, even as New York City has relied on the technology for years.

Keep ReadingShow less
law enforcement

In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible

In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible
In remembrance: Tim Prentice and the art of making the wind visible

There are artists who make objects, and then there are artists who alter the way we move through the world. Tim Prentice belonged to the latter. The kinetic sculptor, architect and longtime Cornwall resident died in November 2025 at age 95, leaving a legacy of what he called “toys for the wind,” work that did not simply occupy space but activated it, inviting viewers to slow down, look longer and feel more deeply the invisible forces that shape daily life.

Prentice received a master’s degree from the Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1960, where he studied with German-born American artist and educator Josef Albers, taking his course once as an undergraduate and again in graduate school.In “The Air Made Visible,” a 2024 short film by the Vision & Art Project produced by the American Macular Degeneration Fund, a nonprofit organization that documents artists working with vision loss, Prentice spoke of his admiration for Albers’ discipline and his ability to strip away everything but color. He recalled thinking, “If I could do that same thing with motion, I’d have a chance of finding a new form.”

Keep ReadingShow less
people
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Strategic partnership unites design, architecture and construction

Strategic partnership unites design, architecture and construction

Hyalite Builders is leading the structural rehabilitation of The Stissing Center in Pine Plains.

Provided

For homeowners overwhelmed by juggling designers, architects and contractors, a new Salisbury-based collaboration is offering a one-team approach from concept to construction. Casa Marcelo Interior Design Studio, based in Salisbury, has joined forces with Charles Matz Architect, led by Charles Matz, AIA RIBA, and Hyalite Builders, led by Matt Soleau. The alliance introduces an integrated design-build model that aims to streamline the sometimes-fragmented process of home renovation and new construction.

“The whole thing is based on integrated services,” said Marcelo, founder of Casa Marcelo. “Normally when clients come to us, they are coming to us for design. But there’s also some architecture and construction that needs to happen eventually. So, I thought, why don’t we just partner with people that we know we can work well with together?”

Keep ReadingShow less
architecture

‘The Dark’ turns midwinter into a weeklong arts celebration

‘The Dark’ turns midwinter into a weeklong arts celebration

Autumn Knight will perform as part of PS21’s “The Dark.”

Provided

This February, PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance in Chatham, New York, will transform the depths of midwinter into a radiant week of cutting-edge art, music, dance, theater and performance with its inaugural winter festival, The Dark. Running Feb. 16–22, the ambitious festival features more than 60 international artists and over 80 performances, making it one of the most expansive cultural events in the region.

Curated to explore winter as a season of extremes — community and solitude, fire and ice, darkness and light — The Dark will take place not only at PS21’s sprawling campus in Chatham, but in theaters, restaurants, libraries, saunas and outdoor spaces across Columbia County. Attendees can warm up between performances with complimentary sauna sessions, glide across a seasonal ice-skating rink or gather around nightly bonfires, making the festival as much a social winter experience as an artistic one.

Keep ReadingShow less
performances

Tanglewood Learning Institute expands year-round programming

Tanglewood Learning Institute expands year-round programming

Exterior of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

Mike Meija, courtesy of the BSO

The Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI), based at Tanglewood, the legendary summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is celebrating an expanded season of adventurous music and arts education programming, featuring star performers across genres, BSO musicians, and local collaborators.

Launched in the summer of 2019 in conjunction with the opening of the Linde Center for Music and Learning on the Tanglewood campus, TLI now fulfills its founding mission to welcome audiences year-round. The season includes a new jazz series, solo and chamber recitals, a film series, family programs, open rehearsals and master classes led by world-renowned musicians.

Keep ReadingShow less
education
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.