Locals talk about the future of North East and Millerton

MILLERTON — Residents of North East and Millerton gathered to talk about their desires for the future at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex.

The North East Community Center, the Dutchess Commission on Human Rights and the NorthEast-Millerton Library organized the group conversation that brought a crowd of 20 to the annex Wednesday night, April 30. There will be a second event at the North East Community Center on South Center Street on Saturday, May 3, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

The attending residents shuffled to pair off with someone they didn’t know before and talked about positive experiences in the town and the village, what they would change if they could wave a magic wand and make it so, what the village and the town needs and how individuals and organizations can achieve those goals.

NorthEast-Millerton Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said the group talk Wednesday marks the return of a community conversation series that first started with a talk at the annex in 2021.

Arthur Moshlak, left, of Millerton and North East Town Clerk Tilly Strauss, right, voiced concerns over building accessibility and transportation in the town and the village, two issues they agreed impact quality of life in the area, at a community conversation hosted by NECC and the Dutchess Commission on Human Rights at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on Wednesday, April 30. There will be another group conversation at the NECC building on South Center Street on Saturday, May 3 starting at 3 p.m.Photo by Nathan Miller

Representatives of the human rights commission, North East Community Center and the North-East Millerton Library collected notes on the conversations. Those notes will be collected, kept on record and distributed to town leadership, Leo-Jameson said, just like in 2021 after the first community talk.

Topics of conversation ranged from a desire of more robust and inclusive town wide events, more utilization of Eddie Collins Memorial Park for recreational programming, renewed focus on accessibility and infrastructure, and disappointment over sewer and wastewater treatment progress.