Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

My View: Common sense optimism

Veteran's Corner by Larry Conklin

Spring has slowly and gratefully crept back into our lives as Punxsutawney Phil predicted. Goodbye 2024.

Daylight saving time is upon us which always messes with my mind. In retrospect I’m grateful for the opportunities, good times and support afforded me by close-knit family and close friends and for the opportunity to address military, veteran, Constitutional, national and local issues and outdoor sports and conservation to you interested readers.

You and I can disagree on occasion and that’s okay. The majority of this country sent a loud and clear message during the 2024 general election. They were not happy with the ‘status-quo’ and demanded change. Common sense and survival overcame political prejudice, power grabs and personal greed. Onward.

I predict 2025 will culminate in a gradually improving economy, personal and national safety and security and a scaled down federal government designed to work for the people as intended. Political agenda institutions will be cleaned up or eliminated. Government waste and useless jobs will eventually be gone. Most mainstream and social media, which has proven to be deceiving and lying to us for several years will reform or disappear leaving us with truthful and factual reporting.

Our Southern and Northern borders will be secured quickly, open to legal immigrants we approve of and will embrace. Our military and first responders will be compensated well and morale and recruiting become an all time high. The Pentagon will experience a long overdue housecleaning.

Most of us will become more tolerant and understanding. I know I’m being very optimistic. But I know it can happen by using common sense. Be pragmatic: listen carefully to differences of opinion, walk the streets, take public transportation, talk to police officers, veterans and fire fighters then go to the grocery store to face reality. Just one message I’d like to extend to President Trump: ‘Mr. President — just do the job this nation elected you to do.’

Gotta prepare my seasonal transition ‘things-to-do’ list. More on that next time. God bless you patriotic readers and your families. Wishing you a happy and healthful 2025.

Town of North East resident Larry Conklin is a Vietnam veteran and a member of both the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and the VFW Post 6851 in North Canaan, Connecticut.

Larry Conklin
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Local Matters - October 2026

Local Matters - October 2026

Download directly

Dinner with the dog

Dinner with the dog
Georgie, enjoying a late-summer “pup cup” on the porch at Grassland Dessert Cafe in Lakeville.
Natalia Zukerman

Dog owners know the dilemma: You’re out for the day with your four-legged sidekick when hunger strikes. Fortunately, a number of area restaurants, cafés and breweries welcome dogs, mostly at outdoor tables. Policies and outdoor seating can change with the season, so calling ahead is always a good idea.

The White Hart and Provisions in Salisbury is particularly pet-friendly. The inn welcomes pets on request, and its front porch and sprawling lawn make inviting places to settle in with a canine companion. They even welcome well-behaved patrons — bipedal and quadruped alike — in the cozy dining area.

Keep ReadingShow less
pets

A day in the life of a rescue dog

A day in the life of a rescue dog

Marsala is eager to go home with you.

Jennifer Almquist

“It’s unbelievable that this sweet, loving boy hasn’t found his home yet,” said Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager of The Little Guild, whose mission is to rescue, love and heal homeless cats and dogs. She smiled at the small dog wagging his tail. “This is one of the most deserving dogs you could ever meet, with so much love to give.”

Marsala is an energetic, 1-year-old, 45-pound black Labrador mix waiting to be adopted. He arrived March 25 as a stray named “Chicken” from Toccoa, Georgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
pets
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

A second chance in Wingdale

A second chance in Wingdale

Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.

L. Tomaino

Meade Canine Rescue and Sanctuary is not the average rescue. Situated on a quiet dirt road on 8 acres in Wingdale, the dogs living there are, for the most part, uncaged, roaming the yard, sleeping in the house, resting in the shade of a tree or lounging in the open van that often takes them for rides.

“We go on lots of adventures,” said the rescue’s founder, Charlotte Meade.

Keep ReadingShow less
pets

The bear necessities of living in bear country

The bear necessities of living in bear country

A bear outside Cornwall Consolidated School in West Cornwall.

D.H. Callahan
Take down bird feeders when bears are active. Secure garbage cans left outside, and never leave pet food or trash on porches, screened-in or otherwise.

This here is bear country. In fact, Connecticut has an unusually high rate of bear home entries compared with neighboring states. So far this year, the state has documented more than 60 home entries, and bears have been spotted in all 169 towns and cities.

Bears are also part of life in neighboring Dutchess County. But don’t worry. It’s not as bad as it sounds.

Keep ReadingShow less
wildlife

When your pet needs help after hours

When your pet needs help after hours

Newtown Veterinary Specialists

Provided

Anyone who has ever had a dog swallow something it shouldn’t, a cat suddenly struggle to breathe or a pet get hurt late at night knows how quickly panic can set in. In our corner of the world, there’s an added complication: emergency veterinary care may mean getting in the car and driving some distance.

That makes it worth knowing your options before you need them — and knowing the difference between a local veterinary practice that can handle an urgent case and a fully staffed, 24-hour emergency hospital.

Keep ReadingShow less
pets
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.