MILLERTON — The village business community mourned the loss of a favorite shopkeeper when Barbara Walker, owner of the former long-time vintage store B.W. Eagle Eye, passed away on Saturday, April 11, from the coronavirus. She was 83 years old.
Regardless of how they met her or the extent of their acquaintance, many will remember Walker from her legendary sense of style, her lively sense of humor and the friendships she formed with shoppers and residents. Spanning 26 years, her store stood as one of the village’s oldest operating businesses. It was a place for Walker to channel her passion for the fashion industry and her retail experience into a successful Main Street business. Beyond the rows of fashion and home accessories, new and vintage clothing, antique jewelry and other treasures, customers could always count on finding Walker behind the counter with a welcoming smile and a discerning eye for selecting the perfect item.
Though Walker closed her shop’s doors for good back in December of 2017, her presence lingered in the minds of her fellow merchants, many of whom had the privilege of calling her a friend.
“She was a stylish character who was a Millerton icon,” said Kent Hunter, co-owner of Hunter Bee antiques in Millerton. “She had such a great history — she had great stories of fashion and the New York design industry.”
Having known Walker for almost a decade, Hunter said, “I will say we will always miss Barbara’s hourly visits to the shop. She would just pop in three or four times a day, and we always had fun seeing her. We’ve missed her, of course, for several years, but now there’s a big legend that’s gone.”
Combing through her memories of Walker, Jan Gilmor, co-owner of the now-closed Gilmor Glass Works at the corner of Main Street and Route 22, said she and Walker hit it off from the moment Walker stopped into her store to introduce herself. Calling Walker one of her close friends, Gilmor recounted how her late friend always dressed fashionably regardless of her surroundings and how she could always see the humor in others as well as in herself. Since she was always the first to know what was going on in the local region, Gilmor said she used to joke that Walker was “the town crier.
“She was a force of nature and she had a very, very powerful personality,” Gilmor said. “There were times when we disagreed and she wasn’t afraid of making her displeasure known, but in the end, she was always very supportive and very kind. We always patched it up.”
As a testament of the sincerity of their friendship, Gilmor shared the memory of Walker’s weekly visits when Gilmor was hospitalized for Guillain-Barré syndrome.
“She almost never missed a week,” Gilmor said, “and if she couldn’t come, we’d always talk on the phone. I can’t say enough for how supportive she was.”
Though the beloved former merchant has now passed away due to a health crisis that has all but brought the world to its knees, it’s clear memories of the fashionable Barbara Walker, with her trademark bob hairstyle and her dazzling smile, will remain in the hearts of Millertonites for many years to come.
Ed Sheehy and Tom Taylor of Copake, New York, and Karen and Wendy Erickson of Sheffield, Massachusetts, traveled to Salisbury on Saturday to voice their anger with the Trump administration.
SALISBURY — Impassioned residents of the Northwest Corner and adjacent regions in Massachusetts and New York took to the Memorial Green Saturday morning, Jan. 10, to protest the recent killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good at the hands of a federal immigration agent.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot at close range by an officerwith Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, on Wednesday, Jan. 7. She and her wife were participating in a protest opposing the agency’s presence in a Minneapolis neighborhood at the time of the shooting.
The incident sparked protests and vigils nationwide, both in remembrance of Good and in opposition to what demonstrators described as a broader pattern of government overreach.
In Hartford on Thursday evening, Jan. 8, two vehicles that authorities believe were operated by ICE officers drove through a crowd that had gathered in memory of Good. Connecticut Public Radio reported that at least one person had been struck by the vehicles and that police are investigating potential charges.
In Salisbury, the protest unfolded calmly but with a palpable sense of urgency. Just before noon, roughly 160 demonstrators lined Route 44, holding signs and cheering as passing motorists honked their horns.
Organizer Sophia deBoer stood alongside her husband, Lee deBoer, and fellow activists Kathy Voldstad and Amy Lake to greet demonstrators as they arrived. Along with Al Ginouves, the group has organized weekly protests against the Trump administration since April 2025’s nationwide “Hands Off” movement.
“It’s time that people stood up to this lawless administration,” Sophia deBoer said as the crowd waved their signs.
Local immigrants’ rights advocate John Carter echoed that sentiment. “I need to put my body where my soul is,” he said.
Attendees cited a range of emotions for turning out, from anger and fear to cautious optimism
Joan Gardiner said it was “outrage and fear” that brought her to the protest, while Christine Clare said, “Being out here today, this makes me hopeful.”
Calls for justice dominated many of the messages displayed on protesters’ signs. Asked what motivated him to attend, Salisbury resident Louis Tomaino pointed to the words on his sign: “We all saw Renee Good murdered. And we all saw murder excused.”
Area ambulance squad members, along with several first selectmen, attend a Jan. 5 meeting on emergency service providers hosted by Nuvance/Northwell.
FALLS VILLAGE, Conn. — Paramedic coverage in the Northwest Corner is continuing despite concerns raised last month after Sharon Hospital announced it would not renew its long-standing sponsorship agreement with Northern Dutchess Paramedics.
Northern Dutchess Paramedics (NDP), which has provided advanced life support services in the region for decades, is still responding to calls and will now operate alongside a hospital-based paramedic service being developed by Sharon Hospital, officials said at a public meeting Monday, Jan. 5, at the Falls Village Emergency Services Center.
“We haven’t missed a beat; we’re still taking calls,” said Andrea Downs, president of the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department and an employee of NDP, speaking at the meeting, which was attended by ambulance squad members, first selectmen and representatives of Sharon Hospital.
Sharon Hospital announced Dec. 11 that it would not renew its annual agreement with NDP, ending a 28-year relationship and initially stating that service would cease Jan. 1. Hospital President and CEO Christina McCulloch said the decision was based on compliance concerns tied to the hospital’s role as sponsor.
“Being a sponsor is a big deal,” McCulloch said. “Our concerns were big enough that we couldn’t sign. It was a difficult decision.”
She said the hospital had discussed the issues with NDP representatives and cited unmet state requirements.
Without a sponsoring hospital, NDP could not operate in Connecticut. That issue was resolved when NDP finalized an agreement with Stamford Hospital, allowing it to continue providing services in the Northwest Corner.
At the same time, Sharon Hospital is establishing a hospital-based paramedic service through Nuvance/Northwell, owner of the hospital. Under the current model, the service consists of a single paramedic, who begins the day at New Milford Hospital before traveling to Sharon, prompting concerns from some volunteer ambulance crews about response times while that paramedic is in transit.
Addressing those concerns, hospital officials said while the new paramedic service covers a wide area, so too does NDP, which is based out of Rhinebeck. Some volunteer ambulance crews also said their concerns relate to the transition to two providers, with Sharon Hospital’s service still being built out and not yet fully stationed in Sharon.
Falls Village First Selectman David Barger asked whether more than one paramedic service could operate in the region.
“There could be more than one,” McCulloch said.
Matt Cassavechia, director of emergency services for Sharon Hospital, said Litchfield County Dispatch, which handles all ambulance and fire dispatching for the region, will call whichever paramedic service is available at the time of an emergency.
He acknowledged that the current arrangement could be improved and said the hospital hopes to expand on-site paramedic coverage in Sharon. Doing so would require state approval through a need-for-service application, which Cassavechia said would benefit from letters of support from the community and area first selectmen.
Several volunteer ambulance representatives expressed concern about how changes could affect basic life support services and volunteer operations. Cassavechia said the hospital does not intend to replace volunteer squads.
“We’re not snapping up patients,” he said. “That’s not what we do. We are deliberate and purposeful. We have zero intent of putting volunteers out of business.”
Questions were also raised about possible delays in transferring patients from Sharon Hospital to other facilities.
Millerton’s North East Community Center was among 27 nonprofit organizations awarded funding through the 2026 Dutchess County Agency Partner Grant program, receiving $128,822 to support three programs. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County also received county funding, with four grants totaling $278,064.
In a statement shared with The News, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said the NECC and CCE Dutchess County are “tremendous partners in the community, and Dutchess County is proud to support their work addressing priority community needs with funding through our Agency Partner Grants.”
The NECC grants will support the organization’s teen jobs program, food access initiatives and out-of-school-time programming.
“We are so grateful to Sue Serino and the Dutchess County Legislature for once again funding these important NECC programs,” said Christine Sergent, executive director of NECC. “The County’s support is important to our work in this rural community, where resources are limited.” Sergent added that the funding will help meet the increasing need in NECC’s service area.
NECC’s Teen Jobs program places youth ages 14 to 18 in paid internships with local businesses, with NECC covering wages while employers provide on-the-job training. Participating businesses have included Agway of Millerton, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Four Brothers Pizza, The Moviehouse, Oblong Books, Pine Plains Barber Shop, Rock Steady Farm and the Wassaic Project.
The organization’s after-school program serves students at Webutuck Elementary School, providing an environment focused on social-emotional learning, recreation, community service and crafts. During the summer, the Summer Enrichment Program offers day camp programming for children entering grades 1 through 6.
NECC’s food access efforts include a weekly food pantry and the Community Food Access Hub, which distributes fresh, culturally responsive food throughout northern Dutchess County in partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, TriCorner FEED and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The organization also operates a “Food Futures” paid summer internship for teens.
Cornell Cooperative Extension’s funding will support four programs focused on youth development, environmental education, parenting education and support for relatives raising children.
“Dutchess County’s investment in Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County is an investment in people, families, and the future of our community,” said Jessica Canale, Interim Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension. “These four grants allow us to reach youth, parents, caregivers, farmers and educators in meaningful, hands-on ways.”
The APG program is a competitive grant process run by the county Department of Planning & Development for local 501(c)(3) non-profits. For 2026, $1.5 million in grants have been awarded under the traditional APG program, with an additional $502,583 coming from the Department of Community & Family Services and the Department of Mental Health.
TACONIC — Richard Charles Paddock, 78, passed away Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
He was born in Hartford on April 12, 1947 to the late Elizabeth M. Paddock (Trust) and the late Charles D. Paddock. He grew up in East Hartford but maintained a strong connection to the Taconic part of Salisbury where his paternal grandfather, Charlie Paddock, worked for Herbert and Orleana Scoville. The whole family enjoyed summers and weekends on a plot of land in Taconic gifted to Charlie by the Scovilles for his many years of service as a chauffeur.
Dick graduated from East Hartford High School in June of 1965 and went on to join the Class of 1969 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated from MIT with a degree in Electrical Engineering and followed in his father’s footsteps by accepting a job with IBM in 1969. His career at IBM spanned 31 years and involved everything from supercomputers to single chip microcomputers.
He formally retired from IBM in 2000 but stayed on at IBM as a contract employee for the IBM Executive Briefing Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. His work at the briefing center ended in July 2002 and he finally had time to pursue other interests. Those interests included the iron industry of the Northwest Corner and the Central New England Railroad which passed through Taconic from 1871 until 1965.
Dick joined the Friends of Beckley Furnace in 2003 where he helped develop educational programs with the late Ed Kirby and designed and produced interpretive signs to explain the site to visitors, spending most summer Saturdays as a docent at the site. He also joined the Historical Society branch of the Salisbury Association where he assisted in the preparation of numerous books, the oral history and interpretive signs for the Salisbury area. He also served several terms as a Trustee for the Association. Other activities included teaching courses for the Taconic Learning Center and The Bard Lifetime Learning Center and being a frequent speaker in the area on various topics such as the railroads, the iron industry and the industrial heritage of the area.
He leaves behind his wife and best friend, Frances Paddock of Taconic, two stepchildren; David Rosell of Greenville, New York, his son, Sterling of Tivoli, New York; Alicia Rosell of Dalton, Georgia, her daughters, Mary Rosell and Paula Gordon, also of Dalton, and his very large family of in-laws and many friends.
There will be no funeral services at this time. Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
If you would like to remember Dick, please contribute to Friends of Beckley Furnace, P.O. Box 383, East Canaan, CT 06024, or the Salisbury Association (https://salisburyassociation.org/ways-to-support/donate/)
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
