NBT, garden club volunteers landscape Habitat home

NBT, garden club volunteers landscape Habitat home

A volunteer crew from NBT Bank went right to work grading fresh topsoil for the future front lawn at the Habitat for Humanity home on Rudd Pond Road.

Photo by John Coston

MILLERTON — Volunteers arrived on a sunny Tuesday morning on May 29 to pitch in to landscape the new Habitat for Humanity home on Rudd Pond Road.

The home, now occupied by the family that purchased the home last year, was transformed by gangs of help from NBT Bank and members of The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties.

North East Town Board member Meg Winkler stopped by to lend a hand and check in with Jessica Muccio, chief development officer of Hab itat for Humanity of Dutchess County.

Native Landscapes in Pawling provided and delivered perennial plants and shrubs for foundation planting, as well as mulch. McEnroe Organic Farm in Millerton donated and delivered premium garden soil for the planting beds.

Members of The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties, from left, Marcy Wagman, Sarah Peacock, Dorian Winslow, Linda Rohleder, Linda Tawse, Carrie O’Leary and Elinor Hart. Photo by John Coston

The Town of North East donated the land for the affordable housing project. The house is approximately 1,400 square feet with three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on a half-acre plot of land.

Under an affordable housing initiative, the program allowed families to apply for this ranch-style house at 30% of their household income.

Besides its homebuying program, Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County also provides a home repair programs that assists in installation and building of access ramps, porch and screen repair and landscaping.

Latest News

Back to school
Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.


Keep ReadingShow less
New Millerton police cruisers arrive to replace fire-ravaged vehicles

Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik shows off the new gear. Brand new police cruisers arrived last week.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The Millerton Police Department has received two new patrol cars to replace vehicles destroyed in the February 2025 fire at the Village Water and Highway Department.

The new Ford Interceptors are custom-built for law enforcement. “They’re more rugged than a Ford Explorer,” said Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik, noting the all-wheel drive, heavy-duty suspension and larger tires and engine. “They call it the ‘Police Package.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Amenia back in court over Kent Hollow mine

The main entrance to Kent Hollow Mine at 341 South Amenia Road in Amenia.

Photo by Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Amenia residents and a Wassaic business have filed suit against the Town Board and Kent Hollow Inc., alleging a settlement between the town and the mine amounts to illegal contract zoning that allows the circumvention of environmental review.

Petitioners Laurence Levin, Theodore Schiffman and Clark Hill LLC filed the suit on Aug. 22. Town officials were served with documents for the case last week and took first steps in organizing a response to the suit at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4.

Keep ReadingShow less
Historical Society talk to explore the life and times of a Revolutionary Era loyalist

AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.

Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.

Keep ReadingShow less