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The Millerton Village Offices on Route 22.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
MILLERTON — The Millerton Board of Trustees has formally recognized a new Tree Committee and is seeking one additional member to join the group.
The committee’s mission is “to help assure the maintenance and expansion of the Village of Millerton’s tree stock as well as the health and safety condition of trees in the community.” It will advise the Mayor and the Village Board on the preservation, protection and management of the village’s “urban forest” and will help coordinate activities related to public trees.
Trustees emphasized the committee will serve in an advisory role to the Village and has “no independent authority.”
Next steps include determining whether the group will remain a committee or become a formal commission. The board said the decision will largely depend on the types of grants the committee will be seeking. Mayor Jenn Najdek added that it will be addressed down the road through a local law, if necessary.
Deputy Mayor Matthew Hartzog, who will sit on the committee, also noted that it will prepare an annual resolution recognizing Arbor Day, held on the last Friday in April.
Any residents interested in joining the new Tree Committee should send a letter of intent to Village Clerk Lisa Cope at clerk@villageofmillerton-ny.gov.
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Built in 2003 on 5.37 acres, the home at 546 Hicks Hill Road sold for $425,000 in December 2019 and resold this October for $732,000 — a sign of the continued rise in property values in Pine Plains.
Photo by Christine Bates
PINE PLAINS — For the 12-month period ending Oct. 31, the median sale price for a single-family home in Pine Plains was $537,500, while sales volume reached a record $24 million.
During the comparable period from Nov. 1, 2019, through Oct. 31, 2020, the median price was $270,000 and annual sales volume totaled just $12.8 million.
The current inventory of 12 homes for sale reflects a broad spread in price points, with four listed above $1 million and seven below the current median. Half of the homes on the market have recently reduced their asking prices.
October transfers
546 Hicks Hill Road — 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 5.37 acres sold to Alisa Kriegel for $732,000.
37 Stissing Mountain Drive — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 6.91 acres sold to Stissing Mountain LLC for $711,000.
48 Woodside — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .5 acres sold to Heather M. Porter for $360,000.
2365 Route 83 — 5 bedroom/2.5 bath homebuilt in 1860 and in need of renovation on 160.69 acres soldto Ashmore Family Farms LLCfor $850,000.
*Town of Pine Plains property transfers in October are sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Office. Details on each property from Dutchess Parcel Access. Market data from One Key MLS and Infosparks. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
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Millerton Police will be enforcing the ban on overnight street parking over the winter beginning Dec. 10. The ban is intended to keep streets clear for plowing.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
MILLERTON – The Village of Millerton issued an alert last week reminding residents of its seasonal overnight parking ban.
“In accordance with the provisions of article 151-13 of the Village of Millerton Code, all-night parking is prohibited on all streets within the Village between the hours of 11:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. beginning Dec. 10, 2025 and ending April 10, 2026, except for Century Boulevard. Violators will be towed at the owner’s expense.”
The notice was sent through the village’s new TextMyGov alert system. The two-way texting platform allows the village to send emergency or timely updates and gives residents a quick way to report issues, such as water leaks, potholes, stray animals or code violations. Officials encourage residents to save the village’s text number – 518-672-6100 – and use keywords to stay informed.
Millerton Police Chief Joe Olenik, who is also the Interim Superintendent of Public Works, said the longstanding ordinance is tied directly to winter operations.
“Each year from December to April, you can’t park on the street–to allow for snow removal from our plows,” he said. “If people do park on the street, they will be ticketed and eventually towed.”
To get the word out, Olenik said officers on night patrol have been leaving reminder notices on vehicles in both English and Spanish.
“We want to give people advance notice,” he said, noting that officers will continue distributing reminders in the weeks leading up to the December start date.
Beyond protecting vehicles from damage during plowing, Olenik emphasized the public-safety side of the rule. “I want the road completely opened so we have no problem getting the plows through,” he said.
Although the parking ban has been part of the village code for years, it has not been actively enforced. This winter will mark the first season of stricter enforcement.
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Willa the Pig lies on a bed of blankets and pillows in her home in Millerton.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
MILLERTON — Alanna Broesler didn’t always know she wanted a pet pig. But between watching the movie Babe on repeat as a child and working on a pig farm, the co-owner of Millerton’s farm-to-table restaurant Willa, joked, “there were signs.”
Willa is the restaurant’s namesake — a 130-pound house pig who loves smoothies, snuggling and sassing her family. She is a potbellied and Juliana cross with big spots and a big personality to match.
“Willa has always been a very dominant, kind of cheeky pig,” Broesler said with a laugh. “She’s very vocal.” Willa walks around her Millerton house with confidence and lots of opinions, especially when smoothies are involved. The first rumble of ice, or even the mention of the word “smoothie,” will cause Willa to jolt up from her cozy bed of pillows to investigate the scene. Her favorite blend is oat milk, yogurt and banana.
Broesler brought the pig home in 2017 and named her after legendary country singer Willie Nelson. Broesler said she was young at the time, unsure where she would be living, and uneducated about keeping pigs in a house. But after meeting Willa she knew that she wanted to give her a home.
“Looking back, it was irresponsible,” said Broesler — not necessarily because of the circumstances, but because she acquired Willa through a breeder. As she immersed herself in the pig community, Broesler learned about the demand for pig adoption. “Potbellied pigs are constantly getting rehomed and they need stable placements,” she said.
Enter Milo – Willa’s new baby brother. Milo is all black with a bottle-brush tail. His nose is flatter than Willa’s, and he has tusks. Broeslder adopted Milo and rescued him from a “horrible situation,” she said. He was kept in a crate and lacked proper care and affection.
Today, Milo’s favorite activity is grazing in the fenced-in section of Broesler’s yard. Quieter than his older sister — who runs the show, which also includes three cats and two chinchillas —Milo is getting used to home life with free space and loving caretakers.
A local pig sanctuary in the works
Broesler didn’t come from a farming background. Her family owns a traditional Irish pub in New York State where she developed a strong work ethic and firsthand knowledge of the service industry. “I’ve been scrubbing potatoes and sweeping sidewalks for as long as I can remember,” Broesler said with a laugh.
But when it came time to apply for college, Broesler knew exactly what her future looked like.
“I always knew I wanted to work outside and with animals,” Broesler said. She sought out as much experience as she could. She milked goats, worked on cattle farms, and grew vegetables and flowers. What stands out vividly is working with pigs. Ultimately, all of her experience led to a farm-to-table restaurant.
But as the restaurant becomes more established a new dream is beginning to take shape. Broesler has just completed paperwork to establish her own pig sanctuary — Willa’s Way — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Though in the preliminary stages, Broesler excitedly describes an elaborate vision. As a destination spot, the sanctuary would add value to the community in myriad ways, incorporating farm-fresh eggs, native flowers, in-season vegetables and educational opportunities related to sustainability.
At its core, the pig sanctuary would be in service of the animals. It would support rehabilitation, rehoming or placement, public education, and simply letting older pigs live out their remaining days with love and care.
“The most common question I get is, ‘Where would we be rescuing the pigs from,’” said Broesler. “People don’t often realize how huge the need is because of bad breeders, hoarding cases, or bad characters who lie about micropigs or teacup pigs, claiming they’ll remain 25 pounds.”
She adds that adopting Milo lit the fire for the sanctuary idea. “To watch him come to me as a sick, malnourished, really sad pig and come out of his shell with a funny personality – and he’s getting healthy and feeling good – it’s just been the best thing.”
The next steps for the sanctuary are to identify investors, apply for grants, and acquire 30 to 50 acres of land. No small feat, but Broesler is up for the challenge.
Two years in: Willa marks a milestone
Halloween marked the two-year anniversary since Willa opened its doors on Main Street. With a menu that is, of course, pork free, Executive Chef Daniel Meissner has created imaginative farm-to-table offerings that change with the seasons.
“He has such a passion for cooking locally and supporting farmers,” said Broesler. “And he shows people that you can eat seasonally and it can taste amazing.”
The restaurant now works with approximately 20 local farms and vendors, including Thistle Pass, Kinderhook Farm, Harlem Valley Homestead and Off the Shelf Farm, to name a few. Menu items often include nods to farmers by name – a subtle way to spark conversations and celebrate the region’s producers, Broesler said.
When customers come into the restaurant, they often mistake Broesler for “Willa.” She corrects them with a laugh. “No, Willa is a very spoiled potbellied housepig.”
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