MILLERTON – At a glance, Millerton’s year was marked by striking contrasts. Moments of division were set against moments of community building. Major municipal milestones were followed by delays and missed deadlines. And years-long efforts to prepare for the future unfolded alongside planning efforts to celebrate the past.
A Feb. 3 fire shaped what would become a year of rebuilding and resilience for the Village of Millerton. The early-morning blaze destroyed the highway and water department building, incinerating the village’s police vehicles, snow-removal equipment and everything inside the building.
What followed was an impressive effort to replace critical infrastructure, secure emergency funding, file and manage insurance claims and reimagine long-term plans for the site. The loss ignited nearly a year of logistical challenges, but also revealed a supportive community of workers, volunteers and neighbors. Demolition of the building began on Oct. 27, and efforts to build two new structures will begin early this year, although an official construction timeline has not been released by the village.
Decaying equipment and infrastructure still greet those walking through the parking lot at the Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44 just east of the Village of MIllerton.Photo by Nathan Miller
One of the biggest questions on residents’ minds this year was the long-awaited return of a full-scale grocery store to Millerton. Early optimism followed the 2024 sale of the Millerton Square Plaza to Kim and Chris Choe, veteran grocers who own the Sharon Farm Market. After the Town of North East Planning Board approved their site plan earlier this spring, many hoped the new “Town Gourmet Market” would open in 2025. The owners even floated an October target.
But as fall came and went, the plaza’s parking lot remained cluttered with debris, and visible disrepair raised new questions about timing. During a recent visit to the couple’s newly opened New Haven store, Market 360, co-owner Kim Choe said extensive interior renovations have delayed progress and that no updated timeline is available. Still, Choe emphasized that the project is moving forward.
In May, a group of residents and neighbors concerned about national immigration enforcement urged the Village Board to adopt a local law prohibiting Millerton police from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a judicial warrant. Their request was heard at a May 21 board meeting, but momentum surged ahead of a July 29 follow-up meeting that drew nearly triple the crowd. The discussion revealed a deeply divided community. Ultimately, trustees declined to pursue the proposal, and Millerton Police said they would fully cooperate with federal authorities, including ICE, even without a judicial warrant, while noting that the department does not collect immigration status information.
In spite of that decision, local advocates have continued to organize independently. Residents have sought “Know Your Rights” training and rapid-response preparation through regional organizations such as the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement and Vecinos Seguros 2, building informal networks to support neighbors who may be vulnerable. While the village chose not to adopt the new policy, these community-led efforts reflect a broader regional movement to ensure residents understand their rights and have support in an increasingly uncertain enforcement landscape.
Eddie Collins Memorial Park on Route 22. Construction on the proposed pool is set to begin in 2026.Photo by Nathan Miller
Millerton’s long-awaited pool at Eddie Collins Park saw both disappointment and progress this year. In July, Mayor Jenn Najdek announced that construction – originally scheduled to begin in spring 2025 – had been pushed to 2026 due to ongoing wetlands and septic-related reviews by county and state agencies. Residents and officials alike were disappointed that the pool will not be ready for the village’s upcoming 175th celebration in July. Trustees chose to delay construction until after the event, ensuring residents have a place to gather.
Even so, planning continues. Architects from LaBella Associates presented updated designs in December 2025, and trustees finalized several key decisions, including opting against a heated pool because of cost and choosing a fully equipped commercial kitchen for the pool house. With design details now refined and ready for county review, village officials say the project remains very much alive – just on a longer timeline than originally planned.
Zoning, often an overlooked topic, became one of the year’s most contentious issues, as the Town of North East moved toward a rewrite of its commercial zoning code for the first time since the 1970s. After four years of work by the volunteer Zoning Review Committee (ZRC) and nearly a year of Town Board review, officials released a 181-page draft in November outlining major updates intended to modernize the code. Officials stated that additional goals were to encourage new housing options, streamline approvals and support local business growth. A public hearing is set for Jan. 8, where residents will have an opportunity to weigh in.
In recent weeks, however, a group called “Save Millerton” has challenged the process, publishing information that alleges poor transparency, overly dense housing allowances and lax zoning enforcement. Town officials reject those claims, calling them misleading and emphasizing that the rewrite reflects years of public meetings, professional planning input and the goals laid out in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan.
Supervisor Chris Kennan said revisions may still follow the Jan. 8 hearing and stressed that the updated code is designed to encourage much-needed housing and welcome new and existing business development.
Even amid delay and division, Millerton continued to show up for one another. The community turned out in numbers for major events like the Oblong Books 50th Birthday Celebration, the Millerton News Street Fair and the Memorial Day Parade. And while zoning will continue to take center stage and shape Millerton’s future, planning is in full swing to honor its past with the 175th committee working alongside business owners and residents to create a birthday bash in July.
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Exterior of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.
“We have been thrilled and humbled to see the Tanglewood Learning Institute embraced as a year-round destination for a breadth of exceptional programming, including classical, jazz and family-friendly events,” said BSO President and CEO Chad Smith. “Our 2025–26 fall, winter and spring season reflects our deepening commitment to engaging the vibrant, year-round Berkshires community and to fully exploring the potential of TLI as a space where BSO programs make thought-provoking connections between music, art and society.”
TLI is once again presenting its Chamber Concerts series on Sunday afternoons, with small ensembles of BSO musicians performing familiar favorites and classic mainstays, as well as new music by contemporary composers. There are upcoming chamber concerts scheduled for Feb. 22, March 8 and March 15.
Interior of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.Hilary Scott, courtesy of the BSO
New this season is the TLI Jazz series, which continues March 20 with the Sullivan Fortner Trio, led by Grammy Award-winning artist and educator Sullivan Fortner, whose eponymous ensemble won the 2024 DownBeat Critics Poll for Rising Jazz Group. “Soul-sax sensation” Nick Hemp brings his free-blowing blend of “barroom excitement and modern jazz finesse” for a rousing night of soul jazz April 10. Rounding out the jazz series, and back by popular demand, is Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and singer Jumaane Smith, who brings his repertoire of jazz and American Songbook standards to the Linde Center on May 9.
Another season highlight comes April 12 with an animated live concert screening of the 3D stop-motion adventure film “Magic Piano.” Produced by the Academy Award-winning BreakThru Films production company in Poland, the film will be accompanied by a screening of “The Chopin Shorts,” a collection of animated films set to Chopin’s etudes, performed by pianist Derek Wang.
All performances take place in Studio E, the Linde Center’s 4,000-square-foot multiuse room that serves as TLI’s main performance and event space. It features retractable seating, acoustic and technical systems, flexible configurations, and is accessible and comfortable for all patrons.
The entire Linde Center for Music and Learning is worth a visit in itself. The complex, which also includes the informal Cindy’s Cafe (seasonal) for a quick bite, is conceived not as a single building but as a cluster of pavilion-like spaces connected by an outdoor covered walkway and arranged around a century-old red oak tree. The center promotes a welcoming and serene sense of place and continuity with the rolling Tanglewood lawn and surrounding woodlands.
Smith said, “This ongoing work is also a passion project for our musicians, who form deep ties to the area and are eager to remain active in the Berkshires beyond the summer months. We look forward to welcoming new and returning audiences to experience all that TLI offers — all year long.”
The Tanglewood Learning Institute is located at 3 W. Hawthorne Road, Lenox, Mass. For more information and to purchase tickets,
visit bso.org/tli.
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