With so many changes taking place in the world today, including in our local business communities, The Millerton News has been taking a closer look at how the village of Millerton has evolved in the years leading up to the present day. The paper has been running a multi-part series on the many alterations that have taken place in the Millerton business district since it was first established in the late 1800s. This is the third and last part in that series.
Part III
MILLERTON — Today, of course, the hip village of Millerton offers many amenities and resources for locals and visitors alike — from the scenic Harlem Valley Rail Trail (HVRT) just steps from the Main Street shopping district to the oodles of antiques shops to the trendy spots where one can pick up anything from a 100% natural Pyrenean Duck Down duvet cover for a mere $1,533 at Westerlind to an 8 oz. jar of Meyer Lemon Rosemary Jelly from Les Collines at The Dig for a more reasonable $16 to a catnip seed packet from the Hudson Valley Seed Co. at Oblong Books & Music for an affordable $3.99 — but the one thing shoppers won’t find in Millerton these days is a grocery store.
Sans supermarket & sewer
In 1971 brothers Skip and Robert Trotta, who own the Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44 heading east toward the Connecticut border, opened the Millerton Super grocery store at the plaza; it later became the Great American, then Grand Union, and lastly, the space was leased by the owners of the successful Sharon Farm Market in neighboring Connecticut who opened it as the Millerton Fresh Market in 2017. However, the store’s model did not do well in New York and it closed in 2019.
Millerton has been without a supermarket- ever since — creating a huge void in its ability to remain self sufficient and forcing local residents to rely on convenience stores, farmers markets, food delivery services, specialty shops and food pantries for sustenance. None of these are practical for a community that wants to be 100% independent and build up its reputation as a place where economic development can thrive.
The village is also without a sewer system, which the Village and Town Boards have been actively pursuing; the Millerton Business Alliance (MBA) just launched a petition drive during the weekend of April 17, “to build support for the creation of a wastewater disposal system” in the business district.
Oblong Books & Music co-owner and HVRT Association President Dick Hermans, who was recently tapped to be on the town’s Economic Development Committee, said he’s confident a “grocery store will be on the top of their agenda,” words the town supervisor has himself confirmed to this newspaper. Hermans, who is also active with the Millerton Business Alliance, said he firmly believes a wastewater solution is essential for future economic development.
“I would just like to see the septic water disposal happen because it really would inspire people to fix our properties a little more and to fix up older buildings in town,” he said.
Hermans owns the Oblong property at 26 Main St. and has invested in his building over the years, making regular repairs to the older structure and improving property values in the village’s business district as a result.
Other Main Street upgrades and additions
Improvements are also being made right now at The Moviehouse, which was just sold on March 15 by longtime owner Carol Sadlon. Sadlon founded the theater and arts space with her late husband, Robert, in 1978. She sold the iconic entertainment venue to Connecticut buyers David Maltby and Chelsea Altman. The pair has big plans, which will keep the theater as an anchor in the business district and as a draw for residents from around the Tri-state region.
It’s one of the many reasons why Gillian Osnato, who is also from over the border but now lives in Millerton, said she decided to open a confectionery and ice-cream shop on Main Street — smack in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Osnato named her shop Candy-O’s; it’s located at 28 Main St. She spoke of the village’s other attractions.
“I definitely think the Rail Trail is a really unique and exciting feature that draws people to the town, and then there’s The Moviehouse,” she said, “when it opens up again it will be a really fun and exciting thing to have, especially because as a kid that’s what we did, you would go to the movies and you would get excited to do that. Otherwise you had to travel so far.
“This really is a tourist town, even before the pandemic. You can’t go over the border to Lakeville or to Salisbury or Sharon even. The closest tourist hub is Great Barrington, Mass.,” she said. “This has become the spot, and it’s the kind of place where having grown up here and seeing it evolve is kind of amazing.”
Osnato’s father, Sal, owns the T-Shirt Farm, just a few stores down, at the corner of South Center Street and Main, where he sells all sorts of T-shirts that can be customized with graphic iron-on images along with sweatshirts and mugs and other novelty items. He’s been a Millerton merchant for years and encouraged his daughter to open, even though it was an unusual business climate. The risk was well worth it, she said.
A surprisingly good time to start a business
“There wasn’t anything like it,” said Osnato of her candy store. “We knew it would be a good fit… having sweets and everybody loves ice cream… Go to any destination town and there will be a shop like mine.”
In fact, Osnato has been so successful since opening on March 19, mainly catering to families with children after 3 p.m. on weekends, that some days she serves 100 people or more.
“I think people are ready to just indulge, in the best sense of the word,” said the new businesswoman, who praised her fellow Main Street merchants for being so supportive.
She also said, while realizing that business today is not like in the old days when everybody knew their neighbors and shopkeepers, she is getting acquainted with her regulars.
“I know a lot of them… and track new and returning customers; I’m getting a lot of returning customers and have my regulars already,” she said. “I already know what they’re going to get before they walk in the door. I have one gentleman who gets two scoops of vanilla with hot fudge and whipped cream. It’s great, it’s kind of really cool to see them; you get to know your customer by what they like and what they’re excited about. If they like a special candy I’ll order it for them.”
Shopping local
Osnato said she also makes it a point to shop locally herself, and support her fellow merchants.
“I just bought a birthday present for my sister at Demitasse next door, then I went to The Dig. I love the bakery, and obviously I love my dad’s shop; I love shopping locally,” she said. “Obviously there are things you can’t get locally but people are starting to fill the void. You can go into The Dig or Demitasse and get a toothbrush made of wood or recycled materials that is eco-friendly, and that’s good. Then there’s the bookstore, which I love. The only thing we really need is a grocery store. I get my lunches all the time at Irving Farm or the diner, and get dinner take-out. It’s nice to get to know the people in the community.”
Part of the next generation, having just turned 32 on May 4, Osnato said shopping locally is incredibly important to her.
“The idea of supporting businesses locally that need our support is great; instead of shopping on Amazon I said I’ll go see what I can get in town and support merchants locally,” she said. “I think that empowered me in a way, and I saw how everyone was successful.”
One thing she would really like to see added to the business community besides a grocery store? A shoe store.
“Just the other day I thought I need a pair of shoes and wished we had a cool small shoe store,” said Osnato. “We need something like that. We need to bring back all those small merchants that you see in those busy popular towns because locals shop there as well as people visiting and people like to see that uniqueness.”’
Which is the ultimate balance long-time residents, business owners and their workers, as well as the newcomers who fall into those categories seemingly want to strike — to create a community that provides for everyone — all of whom seem to fall into the broad definition of “locals” and all of whom clearly feel an ownership and a love for the village of Millerton.
Busy as he is these days, Santa took a bit of time to join in congratulating Wassaic’s Citizen of the Year, Ana Hajduk, following a presentation ceremony at the Wassaic Fire Department on Saturday, Dec. 14, all in conjunction with the 2024 Wassaic Parade of Lights.
WASSAIC — Wassaic residents turned out to celebrate the 2024 Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 14, enjoying the traditional parade and festivities with refreshments at the firehouse.
One of the highlights was the naming of Wassaic’s Citizen of the Year, Ana Hajduk, honoring her many contributions to the improvement of community life.
Presenting the award certificate was Amenia Town Supervisor Leo Blackman who spoke of Hajduk’s talents as garden designer and her work with designing and faithfully tending the small garden in front of the post office where a veterans’ memorial stands.
She also looks after the needs of the newly planted pine tree which has replaced the old Wassaic Christmas tree. She also lends her talents to tending the beds planted by the Amenia Garden Club. And, she has successfully conquered the mugwort infestation at the Borden plant.
Blackman praised Hajduk also for her work with the Fountain Square plantings, and her willingness to lug buckets of water to a variety of growing things.
Hajduk lived for a time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where her mother had rehabilitated an abandoned rail line to create a six-block long public park over a period of 20 years.
“Ana has it in her blood to improve the places where she lives,” Blackman said.
Mary Albasi, resident of The Fountains at Millbrook, knitting for one of the community’s donations.
MILLBROOK — A long-established tradition of giving to deserving community organizations is continuing throughout the holiday season at The Fountains at Millbrook.
Three area charities were selected for this year’s charitable giving. The Center for Compassion in Dover Plains has received 26 bags of food and several boxes of clothing collected by Fountains residents since the Thanksgiving season and continuing through the holidays. The extensive history of giving was described on Wednesday, Dec. 11, by Lisa Rieckermann, community life director at The Fountains.
Infants housed at the Care Net Pregnancy Center in Poughkeepsie are being kept warm by hand-knit items produced by the Knit/Crochet Group at The Fountains. Resident Mary Albasi was praised by Rieckermann for her dedication, having created more than 100 pieces for the center.
“Mary’s passion is truly shown through the dedication she has for her work,” Rieckermann said.
Families at the Grace Smith House, a domestic violence support center in Poughkeepsie, are also being assisted by residents at The Fountains. This month, Rieckermann reported, Terri Smith, a staff member in The Fountains’ Café, is raising funds for gift cards to be provided to the Grace Smith House. Skilled at crafting, Smith is using her talents to create centerpieces for Café tables. Residents purchase the centerpieces, thereby raising the funds to purchase the gift cards.
“It makes my heart happy to give back,” Smith said.
Residents also maintain an ongoing interest in supporting the Holiday Toy Drive with the American Legion and the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue organization.
Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago and Town of North East Councilwoman Meg Winkler help welcome Habitat for Humanity homeowners Anthony and Vanessa Macagnone (center) to their new home on Rudd Pond Road in Millerton, Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Top row (left to right): Panelist Shadei Williams; Dana Hopkins, Dutchess County All Abilities Program Director; panelist Johnny Vacca; Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. Bottom row: (left to right): Panelist Wayne Robinson; panelist Tracy Wallace; panelist Samantha Van Alstyne
HYDE PARK, N.Y. — On Thursday, Dec. 5, the annual ThinkDifferently conference was held at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Educational Center in Hyde Park, New York. The conference strived to enlighten participants on evolving protocols for addressing and collaborating with individuals with challenges.
Hosted by Dana Hopkins, program director of All Abilities at the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, ThinkDifferently is an initiative first launched in 2015 by former county executive Marc Molinaro with a goal to provide services to individuals with varying abilities and guidance for others such as businesses and communities to help create a more inclusive society.
The conference, which is in its eighth year, has evolved throughout its existence. Hopkins said while the one consistent has been its daily duration, the presentation and subject matter has varied. “Each year has been a full-day conference which has included discussions with authors, clinical professionals, et cetera. Previous conferences included a ‘services across the lifespan’ session, which covered birth to death,” she said. “We adjusted our format based on feedback from attendees as the services through the lifespan [session] was often redundant.”
This year’s conference was broken into a morning session which included opening remarks from county executive Sue Serino to welcome participants and show her support for the initiative followed by personal experiences from panelists and preferred protocols while interacting with individuals with challenges. The afternoon session featured speaker Emma Arnoff, a licensed social worker, who further elaborated on protocols, the subject of neurodiversity which is described as varying manners of how the brain works, and ableism which is defined as discriminatory practices and prejudicial attitudes towards individuals with challenges. The audience consisted primarily of educators, social services workers, and providers to individuals with varying abilities.
According to Hopkins, ThinkDifferently has less to do with individuals and is more supports-oriented. “ThinkDifferently is not direct programming for people with disabilities and/or their families,” she said. “Rather, a key component of the work we do is helping individuals and families navigate the often-complicated network of providers, as well as resources available at various levels of government. We also create and host inclusive events throughout the year, but most services and programs are contracted out to our local nonprofit agencies.”
Respectful speech and courteous behavior as well as consideration for personal preferences were amongst the themes for this year’s conference. According to both Hopkins and Arnoff, while there are no set rules of etiquette, and the vernacular is constantly evolving, it’s important to consider the individual and their desires. As Hopkins explained, the vernacular can vary between person-first and identity-first language, a more recent trend which began only a few years ago.
“Disability etiquette is individually based and constantly changing,” she said. “When we are speaking about people who have disabilities (and we do not know their preferences) we use person-first language (meaning we say ‘person with a disability’ versus ‘disabled person’ which is identity-first language). Only in instances when someone has specifically told us they prefer identity-first language do we utilize that. For individuals with mobility devices or other aides (canes for those that are blind or have low vision), never touch their devices or aides, unless they ask you to, and/or if you ask and they say yes. Think of the devices and aides as extensions of their bodies.”
While sensitivity towards others is always appropriate, terminology is fluid. Words and phrases which were once socially acceptable such as ‘special needs’, ‘handicapped’, ‘impairment’ and ‘differently abled’ are now to be avoided, which is proper and correct. “Language always is and should be evolving,” Arnoff said. “This move to first-person language comes from neurodivergent people finding pride in who they are and not seeing themselves as deficient. As the language evolves, it is our job to learn and listen.” Hopkins agreed, saying, “Some of these phrases/words are euphemisms to make those without disabilities feel better when talking about disabilities, but they aren’t helpful to people with disabilities.”
While attitudes and language has trended more toward sensitivity toward individuals with varying abilities, both Arnoff and Hopkins emphasized the importance of two-way communication, and also, of being mindful of lessons from previous years. “People with disabilities are just that: people,” Hopkins said. “To find out more about what is appropriate and what isn’t, talk with the disability community.”
Arnoff, too, reinforced the need for understanding and awareness, saying, “It’s important that we don’t beat ourselves up for what we did in the past and rather learn from it to be different in the future. It is critical we do this by listening ... It is not our job to change or fix [them] but rather to learn about what makes them who they are, so we can see what makes them amazing.”
The conference is only one event on ThinkDifferently’s very active calendar. Upcoming happenings include a sensory-sensitive performance of “The Nutcracker” on Friday, Dec. 13, the Dance Forever/Rhythm Works hip-hop dance program for young people of varying abilities on Saturday mornings, twice-monthly workshops on applying for social security disability programs and a retreat in mid-January for neurodiverse young adults. For more information, visit www.thinkdifferently.net.
