Food program director Jordan Schmidt, left, and marketing and outreach coordinator Cheri Johnson, right, display just some of the items on offer at the NECC’s food pantry in Millerton.
MILLERTON — According to New York State health commissioner James McDonald, “No one should have to go hungry,” a statement supported by the staff at the North East Community Center, who do their part on a daily basis to ensure all members of the community have access to adequate and nutritious food resources.
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the NECC doors opened and people filed in and out. Those who were exiting were carrying bags or pulling carts filled with food. Those who were entering clutched empty bags on their way in, and those with family or friends chatted among themselves as they selected items from the NECC’s food pantry shelves. Once they finished stocking up, they headed for home, their mission accomplished.
By design, there’s a pointed sense of normalcy attached to the NECC food pantry. Food insecurity, which is defined by limited or questionable food access due to curtailed financial means, has become more prevalent in recent years with the onset of inflation. For some, food insecurity is a new concern and a new normal which may be accompanied by a sense of shame or feelings of failure.
The NECC, established in 1988 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1990, aids in lifting the emotional toll connected with food unease by providing fresh and nutritious food for community members.
With its founding, the NECC filled a much-needed gap in human and community services in Northeast Dutchess.
It serves children, adolescents and families through a range of programming that includes day care, after-school activities, resources for teenagers — including a teen club, internships and apprenticeships — and provides guidance for families with income-tax filing, summer camp scholarships, and obtaining school supplies and winter coats.
Additionally, the NECC offers classes in English as a second language and yoga. But its food programming is a cornerstone of its existence, and it’s a literal lifeline.
Nutritious food serves as a preventative against future health impacts. Without it, as health commissioner McDonald noted, “Hunger stresses the body and mind, and can result in malnutrition, inability to concentrate, anxiety, and depression. In addition, adults who experience food insecurity are more likely to report chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and cancer.”
For the NECC, food is medicine, and they regularly administer farm-fresh produce and eggs to their clientele through their Fresh Food Pantry, a collaboration with local suppliers, made possible through donations. Distribution in Millerton runs from June through October, and through February for Pine Plains and Amenia.
There is also a holiday food distribution via the Millerton Food Pantry in the months of November and December.
At the food pantry, open year-round, a range of canned goods, shelf-stable products, cereal, dairy and eggs can be found on roll-away shelves in addition to some household items. Foods are wholesome and culturally sensitive.
A volunteer crew works in conjunction with NECC staff members at the pantry. The NECC is always looking for volunteers to aid in unloading and distributing food pantry items.
Its Millerton Farmers’ Market is held weekly at the Methodist Church from May through December, and the second and fourth Saturday from January through March.
It provides those in need with access to fresh and local produce, pasture-raised meat, baked goods and cheese. EBT, WIC checks, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks are accepted. Sustainable farming practices and ethical growth methods are utilized by their vendors to ensure optimal quality.
The Market is on the receiving end of support via Berkshire Agricultural Ventures’ market match fund, in which a $1-for-$1 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program match is made, up to $30 per transaction, enabling SNAP users to make the most of their funds at the Farmers’ Market.
Additional support comes from the Field & Fork Network’s Double-Up Food Bucks New York, in which a $2-for-$2 match up to $20 per day is extended.
This provides SNAP recipients additional tokens for produce purchases at any farmers market partnered with the NECC. Patrons concerned about high farmers’ market prices need not worry as many vendors offer comparable prices to supermarkets.
Through its partnerships with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, Tri Corner FEED, and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley and local farms, the NECC has created the Community Access Food Hub. The hub is where food is distributed. It also supplies produce, eggs and milk to regional food pantry partners. As a result, approximately 159,891 lbs. of food was delivered to alleviate hunger throughout the region.
Last summer, the NECC offered a summer meals program to children under 18 enrolled in the Webutuck Central School District. The program provided lunch at Eddie Collins Memorial Park in Millerton and breakfast and lunch at the Maplebrook School.
The NECC food pantry is open on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m to 1 p.m., and is located at 51 S. Center St. in Millerton. Additionally, the NECC delivers groceries to those in need on Thursdays.
To learn more about the NECC and its offerings, visit: neccmillerton.org.
Nathan Miller
Pawling Road Crews work to clear debris from fallen trees from North Quaker Hill Road in Pawling, New York, after heavy winds felled trees across the area. Six roads are currently closed, causing delays as utility company crews attempt to restore electricity service to customers in Pawling and Dover after a day without power.
Heavy winds and severe storm conditions caused widespread power outages Thursday, June 11.
Over 600 customers in Dutchess County are still without power in the towns of Pawling and Dover.
NYSEG Communications Manager Mike Baggerman said the continuing outage was caused by fallen trees that have downed poles and blocked multiple roads, slowing repair efforts. He could not provide an estimate of when power would be restored.
"We're still assessing at this time," Baggerman said.
Baggerman said road crews are working to clear the roadways so NYSEG crews can re-install poles and restore service.
Social media posts from Pawling Town Supervisor Cathy Giordano and New York State Assemblymember Anil Beephan say NYSEG customers in Pawling should expect to run generators through the day.
Severe winds downed trees along Quaker Hill Road, North Quaker Hill Road, Old Quaker Hill Road, Reservoir Road, Hurds Corner Road and Tracy Road in the Town of Pawling, according to the town's Highway Department.
Drivers should avoid the area while crews clear debris and work to fix downed power lines.
Baggerman reminded customers to stay away from downed power lines and to alert NYSEG and local authorities when downed trees or lines are spotted. Reports of downed trees, downed power lines and power outages can be sent to NYSEG online at www.nyseg.com/outages or by calling 800-572-1131.
Graham Corrigan
Ivan Howe, 13, performs as Peter Pan at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Connecticut. Howe began his acting career on stage at the Playhouse in “Oliver!” in 2023 and has since performed on stage and even taken a supporting role in the Netflix miniseries “Eric” starring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
MILLBROOK — Ivan Howe’s acting career might be growing faster than he is.
In 2023, the Indian Mountain School student and Millbrook native landed his first title role in Sharon Playhouse’s production of “Oliver!” Three years later, he’s about to start high school having shared the screen with Marvel superheroes.
In addition to multiple performances on stage, the 13-year-old rising freshman has already logged a credit on a Netflix show — a 2024 miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch called “Eric.”
It didn’t happen by design — Howe’s parents are educators, and his older siblings had other interests. It was a trip to the Playhouse that originally sparked the idea of acting. “I wanted to be an actor because my best friend acted in plays,” Howe said. “I thought that was the coolest thing ever.”
Ivan’s parents Jeni and Jonathan were supportive of the idea. Jonathan had acted in college, and Sharon Playhouse provided a great place to learn. A role in “Elf Jr.” was Ivan’s first role, and “Oliver!” happened soon after. “The Sharon Playhouse is where I found my feet as an actor,” Howe said. “I did my first show there, and I’ve met so many friends and mentors there.”
Ivan’s optimistic perspective may have landed him big roles, but onscreen, he’s become known for something quite different. With dark curly hair and a quiet, commanding presence, he’s often been cast as the brooding, troubled character.
That’s especially true in “Eric,” the 2024 Netflix series that introduced Howe to a much larger audience. He plays Edgar, the son of troubled parents who disappears mysteriously in the streets of New York City. “Edgar wasn’t necessarily a bright and cheerful character,” Howe said, “and I really like characters like that. It would be fun to be in a comedy, but I like the characters who have more depth.”
The series was filmed in Budapest and co-stars Gabby Hoffman and Benedict Cumberbatch, who Ivan idolized from his role as Dr. Strange in the Marvel movies. “I’m obsessed with all things Marvel,” he says, and relished the opportunity to talk shop with one of its tentpole characters. Cumberbatch is a professed fan of the original comic books, too, and by the end of shooting “Eric,” the two actors were sharing meals at a local Hungarian restaurant near the set.
“It was amazing to see all these professional actors, like Gabby and Benedict, in their environment,” he said. “It was a big inspiration for me.”
The cameras represented a big change for Howe, whose previous acting experience had mostly been onstage. The scale of a major Netflix production required him to adapt quickly.
“I was the only kid on set,” Howe said. “It taught me that it’s really a professional workplace, and I learned how to tune out everything except for the scene.”
Easier said than done — especially compared to the live energy of a stage. “In theater, you just have to go with it…but with screen, you have the chance to adjust things.”
After the success of “Eric,” Howe returned to the stage. He played two lead roles: Josh Baskin in “Big” at Sheldrake’s Stagedoor Manor, then returned to the Sharon Playhouse stage as Peter Pan. He’ll be performing in “The Saviors” at the Atlantic Theater Company before starting high school in the fall. In between rehearsals, Howe likes to volunteer at the Trevor Zoo.
As for advice for other aspiring actors — Howe said that feeling uncomfortable is a sign you’re headed in the right direction.
“The hardest part of acting, to me, can be feeling self-conscious,” he said. “Sometimes I can feel myself not acting to the fullest because of thatbarrier. But when I finally do, it’s so much easier. Fight your way into whatever you want to do.”
Nathan Miller
Caroline Farr-Killmer has been leading the effort to rebuild Millerton’s fire-ravaged Water Department building since last February.
MILLERTON — Village officials expect a rebuild of the fire-ravaged Water Department building to begin soon, with the aim of completing it before the end of summer.
Fire project manager Caroline Farr-Killmer has been managing the effort to demolish and rebuild the village’s Public Works Department building since a fire destroyed it and all the equipment inside last winter. She said that Dutchess County Department of Health approval is the last hurdle for a new Water Department building before construction can start.
Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek said she expects construction to start as soon as the designs get approval from the health department.
Officials described the new Water Department building as an urgent need. Farr-Killmer explained the village’s water system has been operating with just one operational well, causing concerns about potential water shortages at that wellhead and its longevity. The village cannot operate the second well until it is enclosed in a structure, Farr-Killmer said.
Najdek doesn’t expect Millerton’s upcoming 175th anniversary celebration to impact the construction. She said health department approval should be arriving within the week, and the 400-square-foot building likely wouldn’t take long to construct. She clarified that there is no clear timeline at this moment, but expects to get work started as soon as approvals come in.
Millerton’s Water and Highway building caught fire last February, destroying the structure and all of the village’s road maintenance and police equipment. Since then, property restoration firm BELFOR has been working to clear and prep the site for a brand new set of buildings.
Farr-Killmer explained the Water Department building, which will house one of Millerton’s municipal wells, must now be a separate structure from the Highway Department building due to environmental and health regulations. Municipal wells require up to a 200-foot buffer from other structures to prevent drinking water contamination.
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Nathan Miller
Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, left, and John Schildbach plan to open Muanjai Tea on Main Street in Millerton in early July.
MILLERTON — The opening of a proposed Thai tea shop on Main Street has been delayed while owners await approval from the Dutchess County Department of Health.
John Schildbach, who plans to open the shop with his wife, Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, in the former Candy-O’s space, said plans to include seating have complicated the approval process because of the building’s existing septic system.
Candy-O’s, a candy shop which relocated farther down Main Street earlier this year, did not provide seating for customers, allowing it to operate with a smaller septic system under Department of Health regulations.
Schildbach, who wants to add 20 seats, said an engineer has signed off on plans for the tea shop and sent a recommendation to the Department of Health. Despite that recommendation, the shop had to push back the original June 6 opening date.
“We haven’t even started buildout,” Schildbach said. “If I can get everything moving, it’ll probably be early July now.”
Schildbach said interior renovations to the shop couldn’t begin until the business had received permits from the health department. A series of scheduling conflicts meant the engineer couldn’t get to the shop until the first week of June, but Schildbach said he was staying patient.
“You’re always waiting on the people who are in charge,” Schildbach said.
Schildbach said he hopes to receive approval for 20 seats in the shop, but expects the health department to reduce indoor seating slightly.
If that happens, Schildbach said it will only hamper the space’s indoor capacity until Millerton’s municipal wastewater system is installed, which is expected to be complete in 2028. He expects to receive approval for 12 to 14 seats inside the café for the time being.
Department of Health approvals are the last hurdle holding things back, Schildbach said. Once that approval has been obtained, Schildbach said village building officials are prepared to issue permits for the interior renovations and he is ready to get to work.
The shop is targeting an early July opening date, with a goal of opening before Millerton’s 175th celebration set for July 11 to 19.
Graham Corrigan
Jennifer Burgen, right, and Michael Burgen now own Babette’s Kitchen on Franklin Avenue in Millbrook. The duo have worked at the shop since 2024.
MILLBROOK — A local eatery that has operated on Millbrook’s Franklin Avenue for more than 20 years is changing ownership.
The new owners at Babette’s Kitchen are two longtime employees. Jennifer Burgen, who has worked at Babette’s for the last three years, and Michael Burgen, who joined the kitchen in December 2024, took over earlier this month. Michael had previously been a general manager at Fern in Lakeville.
The couple has long dreamed of running their own restaurant, so when Babette’s co-founders Buffy Arbogast and Beth Daidone expressed a desire to find new owners, the Burgens jumped at the chance.
“We’re excited to continue the legacy that Beth and Buffy started,” said Jennifer Burgen. “We like to say that they kept it in the family.”
For 22 years, Babette’s Kitchen has been a Millbrook staple for coffee, breakfast, lunch and catering. With an emphasis on local produce and a menu sourced from nearby farms, Babette’s has gained regional acclaim for its inventive menu and extensive pastry offerings. Their buttermilk biscuits, frittatas, and seasonal rotations have made the 20-seat café a weekend favorite for locals and weekenders alike.
Like Babette’s founders, the Burgens graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, a culinary school based in Hyde Park. When Babette’s founder Arbogast attended in 2004, she was at the forefront of a gastronomic migration.
The Burgens are part of the second wave, and are committed to keeping Babette’s core menu intact. “We’re not doing any changes for the first couple of years, but in the long term, we’d love to bring some family recipes out,” Burgen said. “My grandmother was a great cook, and Mike’s grandmother was an amazing baker.”
Michael Burgen was raised in the Buffalo area, and he’s looking forward to bringing some of the flavors of Western New York to Babette’s. “There’s a great little food scene up there,” Michael Burgen said. “But a lot of the items are very regional. You don’t really see them in other parts of the state. It’ll be fun to see people experience that.” That will eventually include Buffalo wings during football season, and Beef on Weck, a Buffalo classic that features thinly sliced roast beef on a kummelweck roll with horseradish and caraway seeds.
In the meantime, however, the Burgens are running the kitchen Beth and Buffy have perfected over two decades with little change.
“They’ve built such a great place,” says Michael Burgen, “and it has such a loyal following.” Michael has spent much of the last 18 months learning the ins and outs at Beth’s elbow: her flavors, her systems, and her kitchen space. “Every kitchen is different,” he said. “So her showing me her ways of operating with the equipment was a big part of the production. It takes a lot of the guesswork out.”
For their part, the now-previous owners of Babette’s feel like they’ve found the right team to continue their legacy. In a message posted earlier this week, Arbogast said the Burgens “are the perfect pair to keep Babette’s true to its roots, but to move it forward with fresh bright ideas.”
Millerton News
CANAAN — Anita L. (King) Gochey, 85, of 77 South Canaan Rd. died June 5, 2026, at Geer Village. She was the wife of the late Lester Gochey. Anita was born July 16, 1940,in Winsted, daughter of the late Ivan and Irene (Dulude) King.
Anita was well known throughout the Northwest Corner. She worked for many local businesses and organizations. Anita worked at the Rexall Drug Store, C.A. Lindell and Sons, Bob’s Clothing, Brooks Pharmacy, and the Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the cafeteria.She used her skills in calligraphy to complete the record books for the North Canaan Congregational Church.Anita’s daughter remembers her as being very creative with cardboard, and a loving mom.
Anita is survived by her son Raymond Gochey and his fiancee’ Chris Filkins of Hinsdale, Massachusetts; and her daughter Michele O’Brien of Sharon. She is also survived by her sister Denise Warner of Torrington and her brother Arthur King of Danbury. Her three grandchildren, Kyle Gochey of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Cody O’Brien of Georgia, and Sabrina O’Brien of Falls Village. Anita was predeceased by her brother, Martin King.
A Celebration of Anita’s life will be held on Saturday June 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. Canaan, CT 06018.
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