MILLERTON — The NorthEast-Millerton Library is closed Tuesday, Feb. 10, after a pipe burst and flooded the basement.
The library's Executive Director, Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, said she could hear the sound of running water when she arrived at the library Tuesday morning. She then found about six inches of water had accumulated in the basement.
The library will remain closed until water can be restored. Leo-Jameson said limited library services will return Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the book sale room in the library's annex building on Century Boulevard.
Millerton firefighters connect hoses together to be used with a gas-powered pump to remove about six inches of standing water from the basement of the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Tuesday, Feb. 10.Photo by Nathan Miller
Leo-Jameson said readers can pick up requested books and make returns. Public computers may be available, if library staff can establish an internet connection.
Visitors will not be allowed to browse the library or enter the main building until water can be restored. It's unclear when that will be. Leo-Jameson said librarians can retrieve books from the library shelves if readers have a specific title in mind.
Leo-Jameson said nothing of value was damaged in the flooding. A crew from the Millerton Fire Department arrived on scene and shut off water to the building around 9:45 a.m.
Firefighters on scene said the leak sprung from a water pipe in the residential apartment located above the library. Leo-Jameson said the old pipes have been known to burst in the past due to poor insulation.
Millerton firefighters exit a rear door at 5873-5875 S. Elm St. in Millerton after responding to a carbon monoxide exposure call at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. Millerton Fire Chief Keith Roger said a deep fryer running indoors and the propane furnace may have contributed to the high levels of carbon monoxide in the building.
Roger said the investigation was turned over to the Village of Millerton building inspector, who deemed the duplex apartment building an unsafe structure until the furnace can be inspected and approved.
Paramedics with Empress EMS march through the snow toward Millerton firefighters on Monday, Feb. 9.Photo by Nathan Miller
Crews from the Millerton Fire Department, Amenia Fire Department, Empress EMS and the New York State Police responded to the call. The building was evacuated and ventilation of the dangerous gas had started when Amenia fire crews arrived on the scene around 2:45 p.m.
Carbon monoxide concentration reached as high as 180 parts per million on the second floor of the building, Roger said. Carbon monoxide exposure starts to become dangerous between 35 and 100 ppm, with concentrations of 200 ppm causing nausea, headaches and dizziness.
Roger said two people had already been transported to Sharon Hospital when first responders arrived. Crews discovered a third person showing signs of exposure during evacuation. No other injuries were reported.
John Dennis, of Millerton, presents a bluegill he caught in Rudd Pond on Friday morning, Feb. 6. Dennis said he catches enough fish for a meal — usually about a dozen fish — before packing up and shuffling off the ice.
On Friday, Feb. 6, Brian Booth of Millbrook and John Dennis of Millerton were out on the ice catching crappie and bluegill at 10 a.m.
"I've been fishing here since I was a kid," Dennis said. He was jigging, which is a fishing technique where a baited hook is dropped through a hole in the ice and "jigged" to simulate natural movement.
Booth was fishing through a combination of jigging and devices called "flip-ups," which have a line connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish grabs the hook.
Brian Booth, of Millbrook, demonstrates a "flip-up," on Friday, Feb. 6, at Rudd Pond. A flip-up is an ice fishing device that suspends a baited hook connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish takes the bait.Photo by Nathan Miller
Temperatures are predicted to stay well below freezing for the next week. An extreme cold weather warning was in effect for the region all weekend and stretched into Monday morning on Feb. 9.
Forecasts predict heavy winds and blustery conditions to continue this week, with a chance for temperatures to increase leading into this weekend. Booth and Dennis each said that wind is a major contributor to uncomfortable conditions on the ice, where natural wind breaks are nonexistent.
Dennis uses a sled with a collapsible shelter to haul his ice fishing equipment onto the pond. He said that the tent can be a great boon, especially when combined with a small space heater.
"I could fish in my t-shirt," Dennis said.
But wind has caused problems when Dennis’s sled wasn’t anchored properly. He said he was dragged across the ice by strong gusts during a recent trip to a frozen lake in Connecticut.
Rudd Pond is open from sunrise to sunset year-round. Taconic State Park employees said they will continue to monitor the ice and provide updates on its status.
