MILLERTON — Like many Millerton residents, Katja and James Schultz were all-too-familiar with the community’s need for a thriving market. Teaming up with longtime friend Raquel Madar, the couple took it upon themselves to fulfill that need by opening The Dig this summer and stocking the market with carefully curated local products.
Given how integral a grocery market is to life in the local region, Katja said they were excited when the Millerton Mercantile opened for business last summer, only to find themselves without the market by the following year. Eager to fill the gap at 3 Main St. where the Millerton Mercantile was previously located, the couple launched The Dig, opening for business on Sunday, Aug. 2. Sharing co-ownership with Katja and James is Madar, the market’s supervisor and a friend of Katja’s since studying speech language pathology together at grad school at SUNY New Paltz.
Passing through the main door, customers are enveloped by the market space and its awe-inspiring inventory of local products, including meat sourced from Pine Plains; tea from Harney & Sons; fresh baked goods from Freund’s Farm Market in East Canaan, Conn.; coffee from Omar Coffee Company in Newington, Conn., and Lucy Jo’s Coffee Roastery in Salem, N.Y.; and much more. A stalwart believer in the importance of working with other community businesses, Katja said they’ve been trying to integrate other local markets into their store. The Dig also has a selection of dairy-free, gluten-free and peanut-free options for their customers to choose from.
Traveling to the back of the business, customers will find a relaxing outdoor space where they can lay their picnic blankets or settle into the space’s comfy lounge chairs.
At its heart, Katja said The Dig aims to create a welcoming atmosphere for people to socialize and have a good time while fulfilling their basic food needs.
“Honestly, I think the goal of it is to essentially bring everybody together using food,” James said. “I mean, if you think about it, if I sell somebody’s local food, we are sponsoring that person… We’re not in this to be millionaires — we’re in this to bring people together and have a great time.”
“It’s really amazing to share a dream with your family and to me, it’s about a shared future, something we can contribute to and be a part of,” said Natalie Pere, Katja’s mother and the chef responsible for the sweet and savory crepes sold at The Dig and at the Millerton Farmers Market.
As they continue nurturing The Dig’s roots on Main Street, the owners anticipate hosting community events and specials to draw customers of all ages, such as wine and cheese nights, Friday Wing Nights, snow cones on Saturdays and crepes on Sundays. Always looking to expand their inventory, Katja said people can email The Dig directly at thedigonmain@gmail.com or visit the market with their ideas for what they’d like to see on display, adding, “The more we can offer, the better.”
Open seven days a week, The Dig’s hours run from 6 to 11 a.m. Along with offering delivery to Millerton residents and curbside pickup, The Dig provides bundles that include essential goods (such as bread, eggs and fresh produce) at a reasonable price. To place an order, call 518-592-1142 or go to www.thedigonmain.com.
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.
