North East Historical Society President Ed Downey introduced historian Anthony Musso for his talk on low-cost historical sites across the Hudson Valley before the annual meeting of the historical society at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on Saturday, Nov. 15.
MILLERTON — With his signature Brooklyn accent, sense of humor and wealth of knowledge, author and historian Anthony “Tony” Musso brought American Revolution history to life at the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex in partnership with the North East Historical Society.
The talk marked Musso’s first speaking engagement at the Annex and coincided with the historical society’s annual meeting.
Musso guided attendees through an oral tour shaped by excerpts from his three-volume series, “Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley,” which together highlight 165 local historical sites that are rich in history and light on the wallet. Each book features 55 locations that are open to the public.
“I included places that fly under the tourists’ radar,” said Musso, addressing the crowd of more than 30 attendees. “Many of them are run by historical societies, so the added benefit is a free or nominal charge.”
His presentation began with Pawling’s Quaker Hill, where in 1740 a group of Quakers petitioned the Religious Society of Friends to build their own meeting house so they wouldn’t have to travel elsewhere to go to Sunday worship.
“It was kind of small,” Musso remarked of the original structure. “They ran into a problem within the first five years because they had so many people standing around, they couldn’t all get inside.” As a result, in 1767 the Quakers got permission to build a bigger meeting house just across the street.
“This one was a two-story structure with a wrap-around balcony where they could fit everybody inside.” Musso described an event in 1778 during a regular Sunday worship when three officers from the Continental Army came into the meeting house, sat respectfully in the back, and when the service came to a close they announced that they were going to commandeer the building.
“Nearby, George Washington led a large encampment of troops and they wanted to have this building be used as a medical hospital,” Musso said.
During the army’s occupation, the makeshift hospital was overseen by Dr. James Fallon, and many people referred to it as “Fallon’s Hospital.” Approximately 100 troops were treated there throughout its four months of winter operation.
“If you know anything about Quaker beliefs, pacifism is right at the top,” said Musso. “And although the military was not putting armament, cannons or munition in the building — it was for a humanitarian purpose — the Quakers abandoned the building as long as the army was there and found another building down the hillside.”
The Quakers also refused to provide the army with provisions, Musso said, which exacerbated harsh conditions that winter.
When the army left, the Quakers returned to the building and continued with their meetings and worship. Musso added that in 1932, the meeting house was acquired by the historical society of Quaker Hill and Pawling, and “that’s why the building is in such meticulous shape today.”
Musso went on to explain that while George Washington never stayed at encampment with his troops, he did commandeer a house for four months down the hill in the village of Pawling — the home of John Kane, who was originally a Patriot at the start of the American Revolution but switched sides and became a Loyalist.
From there, Musso expanded the tour to Westchester and Rockland counties, including the location where Benedict Arnold turned over the plans, layout and staffing for Fort Arnold to British spy John André — and the site where Andre was subsequently hanged.
As a seasoned historian, speaker and guide, Musso shared one of his tricks if he ever feels like his audience is losing interest. He brings up Hamilton the musical. “I don’t lie to people,” he jokes, “but I say, ‘I can’t prove this, but I’ve heard that some of the music from Hamilton was written here.’”
Though Musso didn’t delve into the rich history of North East’s Coleman Station during the presentation, Musso said it is one of the sites included in his books.
Musso has lived in LaGrange for 40 years, and his career has spanned decades at the post office, writing for the Poughkeepsie Journal, and authoring numerous nonfiction books. “I love the history of this area, and I’m not going to stop telling it anytime soon.”
North East Historical Society annual meeting
Other business from the North East Historical Society included acknowledgements of board members and volunteers. President Ed Downey expressed gratitude for the society’s partnership with the NorthEast-Millerton Library, noted that four members are up for re-election and shared that membership has increased by 54% over the last decade, now totaling 179 — among the highest of any historical society in Dutchess County.
Downey also highlighted ongoing digitization efforts, saying the goal is to “digitize and publish” the historic Millerton Telegram and 90 years of The Millerton News. Downey added that this is a costly project and relies heavily on donations to sustain the work.
Cold temperatures pushed the Sneed family into Candy-o’s on Main Street where Tanner Sneed shows off his Grinch face to son William on Friday, Nov. 28.
The Millerton Festival of Lights returned to downtown Friday, Nov. 28, with a full day of holiday activities and treats for kids and families across the village. Paraders capped the night with light-adorned trucks, tractors, trailers and even a bicycle.
Rachele Grieco Cole
MILLERTON — From the Jersey shore to the Taconic Mountains, incoming Democratic Town Board member Rachele Grieco Cole has followed a distinctive path – one that includes living in a seminary, earning a degree in theology and navigating the world of nonprofit grants and fundraising.
In January, she will become the newest member of the Town Board, where she looks forward to contributing in myriad ways – especially when it comes to affordable housing. She hopes to collaborate closely with Councilwoman Meg Winkler, who leads the housing committee and has spearheaded efforts toward Pro-Housing Community status and supported the PlusOne ADU program.
“There are people who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads,” said Grieco Cole. “Whether it’s the ability to age in place or young families trying to put down roots, we need affordable housing and we need to keep talking about it as a board.”
Grieco Cole’s uncontested run this year contrasted sharply with her 2024 campaign, when she sought to fill a one-year vacancy on the board.
Although she lost to Republican Chris Mayville – who also secured an uncontested win this year to retain his seat – Grieco Cole doesn’t view her earlier defeat as a “loss.” The race was tight, and as a newcomer she earned 47% of the vote, giving her name recognition and valuable experience ahead of this election cycle.
“I think I knocked on over 200 doors,” she said. “I met a lot of people and we had good conversations – I feel like they got to know me.”
The 2024 campaign helped her hit the ground running this fall as she canvassed for Democratic candidates for county office. Among the most common concerns she heard from residents were the timeline for the long-awaited grocery store, veterans’ benefits and high vehicle speeds on residential roads.
Grieco Cole plans to bring her extensive background in grant management to the board. She currently manages grants for a New York Law School, a nonprofit law school in New York City, securing funding for social justice and civic engagement initiatives.Over the years, she has developed a nuanced understanding of how communication, trust and relationship building drive successful grantmaking.
“It’s about putting in the time to establish relationships and follow up,” she said, adding that federal grants are “drying up.” Still, she said she isn’t afraid of the work required to achieve results.
Locally, Grieco Cole has helped guide the process for three New York State grants supporting the new short-course Olympic pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park. “It has been really interesting and exciting and I can’t wait for it to come to fruition,” she said. The village expects to break ground on that project next summer after the July celebration of the Village of Millerton’s 175th anniversary.
Grieco Cole says she and her husband fell instantly in love with Millerton and can’t imagine themselves living anywhere else. Like many residents in the region, they traded in the hustle and bustle of New York City for the slower pace and rural charm of the area. “I love how everyone here has a voice,” she said. “You don’t get that in the city.”
The historic Moviehouse and downtown played a role in their move, and when they found an old house to restore, Grieco Cole said “there was no turning back.”
A regular at town meetings, a volunteer with the new village tree committee and an active patron of Main Street businesses, Grieco Cole wants residents to know she’s invested in Millerton’s future, follows through on commitments and approaches the role with good intentions.
She will soon attend a three-day training session for newly elected town officials. “The agenda is really loaded and I want to absorb as much as I can out the gate,” she said. “It will be a learning curve and I’m looking forward to that.”
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan bill on Nov. 20 that would allow whole and reduced fat milk back in school cafeterias, which has all but disappeared over the last decade. The disappearance stems from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, passed in 2010, which required schools to serve only fat-free or low-fat milk to reduce overall saturated fat intake.
The bill, which now heads to the House, would exclude fluid milk from the saturated-fat calculation, meaning the fat in any school-served milk would no longer count toward the USDA’s saturated-fat limits.
New York Senator Michelle Hinchey, who chairs the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee, called the bill a “critical development” in efforts to strengthen economic stability for New York dairy farmers. She said the change would also bring a nutritious option back to school cafeterias.
“For years, we’ve pressed federal leaders to get this done so students have access to these milk products, and New York dairy farmers can regain a market that’s vital for their businesses and our rural communities,” said Hinchey in a statement released last week. She added, “The science is clear: whole milk is a healthy option for kids and should be allowed in our schools.”
New York is home to nearly 2,800 dairy farms that produce 16.1 billion pounds of milk each year, according to a 2024 report from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. That output accounts for more than 7% of U.S. milk production, ranking New York as the fifth-largest dairy state.
Local farmer reacts
At Ronnybrook Dairy Farm in Ancramdale, co-founder Rick Osofsky – who started the farm with his brother Ron 30 years ago – says the bill only scratches the surface of a “broader issue with a tortured history.”
For him, the debate over whole milk in schools is less about nutritional guidelines and child obesity and more about the easiest way to comply with fat-reduction targets established under the Obama-era Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. “They had to get fats out of the program, so they looked to milk,” Osofsky said, adding that, in his view, the policy change stigmatized full-fat dairy despite its longstanding place in children’s diets.
He believes bringing whole and 2% milk back to cafeterias would be a welcome change. “Kids don’t drink milk anymore because they’ve only been offered skim or reduced-fat options,” Osofsky said. “That’s not real milk.”
He says that the fat in milk is not only important for brain health, but believes “most of the nutrient value in milk is fat-soluble – you need the fat to take advantage of the nutrients.”
If passed, Osofsky said the bill “is going to make a positive difference” for dairy farmers. Still, he remains clear-eyed about the uphill battle dairy farmers face.
Even if the demand for fluid milk rises, Osofsky says farmers are constrained by what he describes as an “archaic” pricing system that was created during the Great Depression, called the Federal Milk Marketing Order system.
“It was an obscure system created by the government during the Depression because, at the time, people believed milk was the ‘most perfect food’ and came up with a system to ensure farmers survived,” said Osofsky.
That structure – which has been largely unchanged in 90 years – prices milk by the way it’s used rather than farm size or production quality and then pools money that is distributed to farmers at an average price called a “blend price,” according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service report on Federal Milk Marketing Orders.
The result has been a steady and significant decline in dairy farms throughout the country. According to a 2024 Congressional Research Service report, the number of U.S. dairy farms has decreased by more than half since the early 2000s, with licensed dairy herds dropping around 65% between 2003 and 2024.
Nevertheless, Osofsky said, “I feel very good about this bill. I don’t necessarily think it will make us wealthier, but it will reintroduce people to milk. That’s the real value.”
COPAKE — New York State granted the Shepherd’s Run solar project here a draft permit to build a 42-megawatt facility near the intersection of Routes 23 and 7, following years of back and forth that included project downsizing, notices of incomplete applications and community opposition.
Hecate Energy LLC is a Chicago-based developer of solar, wind and energy projects that proposed the Shepherd’s Run facility roughly eight years ago in 2017.
The state, which granted the draft permit on Nov. 18, found that the project complies with state requirements and “avoids, minimizes, or mitigates, to the maximum extent practicable, potential significant adverse environmental impacts.”
Public hearings have been scheduled for comment in January. Two will be virtual airings available on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Four in-person hearings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, and Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Town Hall in Copake.
In a statement, Matt Levine, senior director of development for Hecate, said: “Hecate Energy appreciates the New York Office of Renewable Energy Siting’s issuance of the draft permit for the Shepherd’s Run Solar project. This is an important milestone in ORES’ comprehensive review process, and we remain committed to working closely with the State and local stakeholders as that process continues.”
Sensible Solar for Rural New York, a coalition of residents opposed to the project from its inception, issued a statement: “The Hudson Valley is the site of the latest battle between Governor Kathy Hochul’s steamroller approach to meeting New York State’s renewable energy goals, and community control over health, safety and quality of life.
“This draft permit should never become final,” said Sara Traberman of Sensible Solar.
“This proposed 215-acre solar project poses a direct smoke and fire threat to the more than 1000 students and teachers of the Taconic Hills Central Schools,” she said. The group also cites other environmental concerns and notes that elected officials in the region have stated their opposition to the project, including State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-41, and State Assemblymember Didi Barrett, D-106, among others. The Town of Copake has formally opposed the project.
Town of Copake Supervisor Richard Wolf wrote in his monthly “Solar Update” newsletter: “Whether supporting the Shepherd’s Run proposal or opposing it, people should make every effort to attend and make your feelings and thoughts known.”
