North East Board lauds Sharon Hospital merger

Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut
Archive photo
MILLERTON — Town Supervisor Christopher Kennan began the Thursday, April 10, Town Board meeting with the “good news” of the approved merger of Nuvance Health, owner of Sharon Hospital, with Northwell Health, the largest health system in New York.
“This is great, great news for our community,” Kennan said. “More than half of the patients at Sharon Hospital come from New York.”
The financial struggles faced by the hospital have dragged out for years, leading to a proposed effort to end labor and delivery services that encountered strong opposition from the community and political leaders.
Last spring, Nuvance Health announced its intent to combine with Northwell.
Kennan also reported to the board that Board Member Lana Morrison, who was absent from the meeting due to an accident, had communicated that her treatment experience at Sharon Hospital was positive.
Kennan also informed the board that the town is moving forward on the renovation at the new Town Hall location on Route 22.
The current Town Hall on North Maple Avenue dates to the early 20th century and no longer meets needs. The town purchased the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses south of Millerton.
Town Attorney Warren Replansky has been working with Suburban Propane to complete the purchase of an existing propane tank so that the HVAC units can be turned on allowing renovation work to move forward.
Kennan also said the Town and the Village of Millerton have been encouraged to reapply for $3.2 million in federal wastewater grants that last month congressmen dropped — along with other earmarked funding provisions — from a continuing resolution.
Kennan said he received a call from Sen. Chuck Schumer’s, D-NY, office indicating that the grant was “very likely to be approved” if resubmitted. Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, both supported the original application.
The Village and the Town have continued to work on the design for the $13.9 million project.
“This is a key building block for us in terms of more retail and housing, and we have been working on it for years,” he said.
Board members also received news that the Town Planning Board had given site approval for a food market to be opened at Millerton Square Plaza by the owners of the Sharon Farm Market, and that a new restaurant would be opening at the site of the former McDonalds on Route 44.
An attorney for owners of 36 acres of vacant land located at Route 44/Route 22 and Smithfield Road presented a petition to the Board seeking a zoning amendment to permit hospitality uses in an agricultural district.
John and Kristen King envision an “agri-immersive” experience by including a winery with up to 24 rooms for overnight guests. Weddings and other events would take place at the property and it would feature a restaurant and workforce housing.
Attorney Joshua Mackey, of Mackey Butts & Whalen, in describing his client’s petition, noted that a zoning amendment would apply to all properties within the Town’s Agricultural District, and would support farmers both farming and hospitality operations.
Mackey said he would attend an April 15 Town Board meeting when the petition could be accepted for consideration.
Kennan reported that he recently met with Town Supervisors from Amenia and Dover along with fire chiefs from those towns and North East and County Executive Sue Serino and A. Gregg Pulver, assistant county executive, to discuss what can be done to address the current Emergency Medical Services cost crisis.
Kennan said the county recently purchased two ambulances to supplement services, especially in high demand areas, which typically are the ones with denser populations and those along the Route 9 corridor. North East experiences less than one call per day. Last year the budgets of the three towns — Amenia, Dover and North East — were impacted by sharply rising EMS costs.
The Board approved the rollover of a Bond Anticipation Note in the amount of $3,568,274 at an interest rate of 3.25% offered by the Bank of Millbrook, which offered the lowest rate of four banks.
The funds are for the new highway garage, which opened last year.
Sandra Oberhollenzer, of White House Crossing Road in North East, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting about a planned 150-foot cellphone tower to be located on the east side of Route 22 just north of the intersection with Cattalino Road in Ancram.
Oberhollenzer, who had attended a March 27 Planning Board meeting to raise awareness of the project, noted that the tower, in Ancram’s Scenic Corridor Overlay Zone, is expected to be visible by North East residents.
Oberhollenzer was critical of the plan, commenting on what she described as a lack of needs assessment, issues related to the coverage map and a lack of a technology assessment.
Homeland Towers LLC’s balloon test has been postponed due to windy conditions since it was first planned on Feb. 22.
To a question about whether North East would have any standing in the matter before another town, Town Attorney Replansky noted that adjoining municipalities have standing in certain circumstances under New York state law.
According to the Ancram Planning Board, the balloon shall be flown from approximately 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.