MBA explores plans for virtual 2021 Earth Day celebration

MILLERTON — After several months of separation due to COVID-19, the Millerton Business Alliance (MBA) was eager to get back to work on Thursday, Feb. 4, devoting the first half of its meeting to discussing the village of Millerton’s plans for Earth Day.

The meeting was held via Zoom at 10 a.m. due to the pandemic. After giving an overview of the local Climate Smart Task Force’s goals for the community, Jennifer Dowley led the MBA’s discussion on Earth Day, noting the task force is building a program around the celebration. Though Earth Day formally falls on Thursday, April 22, she said the village’s celebration will be held on Saturday, April 24, to make some in-person events possible for the community.

With “Restore Our Earth” chosen as this year’s theme, Dowley said people are invited to participate “in ways that make sense to them.” As an example, North East Community Center (NECC) Executive Director Christine Sergent and Community Program Director Nathan Briggs are developing programs that will involve cleaning up around the community center and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. 

Oblong Books & Music will be working with the NorthEast-Millerton Library to present a virtual children’s book author reading event; the library will also present a lecture by a Bard College professor about climate change. 

Around the time of the celebration, Dowley said NECC’s Farmers Market should have its first outdoor appearance, depending on the weather.

Regarding other merchants’ thoughts on Earth Day, Dowley shared that Thorunn Kristjansdottir from Main Street Magazine and Dana Rohn from Montage had talked about having flowers in the windows of local businesses. They also raised the idea of having merchants collect contributions on Earth Day to plant trees in Eddie Collins Memorial Field, with each tree priced at $600. Dowley said Rohn showed an interest in designing a sign for participating merchants to advertise the idea in their store windows. 

Rohn said Townscape of Millerton and North East would later provide bronze plaques at the base of the trees to say the trees were donated by the village of Millerton through funds raised on Earth Day. The planting of these trees will likely occur sometime in the fall. People who contribute more than $100, Dowley said, may be given a baseball cap featuring an image of Millerton, though she noted that the Climate Smart Task Force is still toying with ideas.

Dowley also revived the idea of handing out metal water bottles and canvas tote bags, reminding the MBA that both ideas were discussed at previous MBA meetings. She noted that merchants purchased a good number of the bottles and tote bags last year for Earth Day only for the village’s celebration to be canceled due to the pandemic. Over the course of the year, she said all of the water bottles and tote bags were sold primarily through Irving Farm and that Irving Farm is going to continue to sell them, which Dowley considered a good way to market the village through climate-friendly products.

Kristjansdottir said she and Rohn had considered the idea of having merchants put something bright and colorful in their windows to show they’re celebrating and coming together as a community and to welcome everyone to the village both for Earth Day and in general.

“I think that’s a lovely idea — it would be so nice to see another aspect of our town look beautiful,” said Katja Schultz, owner of The Dig.

With help from McEnroe Organic Farm, Schultz said The Dig is creating a space where they’ll show people what they compost, such as egg shells and coffee grinds. She said they’re also going to invite Webutuck students to do an art gallery in the store’s back space, perhaps taking on this year’s Earth Day theme. Though the Irondale Schoolhouse at the Rail Trail’s Main Street entrance won’t be open by Saturday, April 24, the historical site’s founder and director, Ralph Fedele, said he’d certainly open it up just for the day and join in any celebration.

With the deadline for Earth Day ideas set for Monday, March 1, Dowley said the Climate Smart Task Force is hoping to gather everyone’s suggestions in order to create a poster. With Tom Parrett working on a website for the Climate Smart Task Force, she said they’ll augment the MBA’s individual and collective efforts to create a larger community shout-out.