Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

North East organizational meeting sets tone for new year

North East organizational meeting sets tone for new year

North East Supervisor Chris Kennan, center left, presents outgoing Town Board member Ralph Fedele with a commemorative gift in recognition of his 12 years of service. Fedele, who retired in December 2025, received the gift during the Jan. 2 annual organizational meeting.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The North East Town Board convened for its annual organizational meeting on Friday, Jan. 2, where trustees affirmed priorities and set the tone for the year ahead.

“I’m really proud of the town hall that we have,” said Supervisor Chris Kennan. “I think we have a great group of people who work together well, and it’s a collegial place to be.”

Kennan’s three major priorities for the coming year include renovating and occupying the new Town Hall, continuing work on the town’s long-anticipated zoning revisions, and advancing plans for a wastewater and sewer system in Millerton.

Work on the new Town Hall is expected to begin in earnest this year, Kennan said. He also expressed cautious optimism about progress on a sewer system, citing a recent meeting with U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-18, and noting that a previously stalled federal grant will move forward. The funding, he said, would cover a significant portion of the project’s engineering costs.

Additional grant applications are in progress, and the town and village continue to evaluate long-term options. Kennan described the completion of the project as “transformative” for Millerton, even if the impact would unfold gradually over time.

With a public hearing on the new commercial zoning draft scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7:05 p.m. at Town Hall, Kennan acknowledged the complexity and urgency of the effort. The town’s code has not been significantly updated since 1977.

“I’m really proud of the work that the town has done to get to where we are at the moment,” Kennan said, adding that he is looking forward to the second phase of the zoning rewrite, which will look at residential zoning after the commercial district is finalized.

The board also reviewed and approved the 2026 rules of procedure for Town Board meetings, including a discussion about public comment. Although public comment is not required by law, North East welcomes it. Under the updated rules, individual speaking time will be reduced from five to three minutes, a change that Kennan says aligns with practices in surrounding towns.

During the meeting, the Board officially welcomed newly elected Councilwoman Rachele Grieco Cole and said a final farewell to outgoing board member Ralph Fedele, who retired after 12 years of service. Kennan presented Fedele with a commemorative gift in recognition of his years of service. Fedele thanked the board, noting how much the town has changed during his tenure.

“A lot has changed in 12 years, and I’m going to miss all of you,” Fedele said.

Newly re-elected Councilman Chris Mayville was appointed deputy supervisor. Mayville and Councilwoman Meg Winkler were also designated as emergency interim successors.

Much of the remainder of the meeting focused on routine appointments and reappointments. The board reappointed Daniel Sternberg to the Planning Board following the expiration of his term on Dec. 31, 2025, and reappointed Dale Culver as Planning Board Chair through Dec. 31, 2026. Bob Stevens was reappointed to continue serving as the highway superintendent.

With a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals, the board reviewed an application from Henry Smedley and voted to appoint him to the board. Edie Greenwood will continue to serve as chair through Dec. 31, 2026.

The board formally designated Kenneth McLaughlin, the town’s building inspector, as zoning enforcement officer, noting that while the position is referenced in the town code, it had not been formally assigned in the past.

The board also approved standard organizational items, including regular meeting times and designated depositories, official newspapers, and engineering services, to name a few. The group also discussed ongoing training opportunities for new and returning officers offered by the New York State Association of Towns.

Latest News

Libraries, Town Halls open as cooling centers during heat wave

North East Town Hall will be open on Thursday, July 2, for people who need a cool place to sit and sip water. The Town Hall is located at 19 N. Maple Ave. in Millerton.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

Community cooling centers are opening across Dutchess County as extreme heat brings temperatures into the high 90s.

Many libraries, town halls and community facilities are serving as cooling centers, offering air-conditioned spaces, drinking water and restrooms. Temperatures are expected to reach triple digits in some areas of the county this week.

Keep ReadingShow less

The nature of Upstate Art Weekend

The nature of Upstate Art Weekend

On Thursday, June 25, a collection of eager art enthusiasts gathered at Olana State Historic Estate in Hudson to kick off the seventh annual Upstate Art Weekend (UAW).

Helen Toomer, founder, was joined by sculptors Ellen Harvey, Jean Shin and Gabriela Salazar to discuss their work and the legacy of painter Frederic Church. Church, whose 200th birthday is being celebrated this year, is widely credited as one of the founding members of the Hudson River School of painting. The discussion took place at Olana, Church’s grand estate, where the three artists’ installations are on view.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Benjamin Reynaert and the art of layered living

Benjamin Reynaert

Jennifer Almquist
Creating a home is, at its core, an act of love.
— Benjamin Reynaert

Benjamin Reynaert is focused on creative direction and interior styling. He is market director at Elle Décor, a design consultant, and author of “The Layered Home: Inspiration for Crafting Cozy, Collected Rooms,” published this year by Clarkson Potter. He co-founded Ticking Tent, a market featuring antiques, luxury items and vintage treasures. The biannual event is held in New Preston, Connecticut, and Bedford, New York.

Adopted from South Korea at 3 months old, Reynaert grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He always knew he wanted to be an artist. “I just loved drawing. I loved making things with clay,” he said. “Remembering what it felt like to be creative as kids and applying that to our creativity as adults is essential.” A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he earned a BFA and a degree in architecture, Reynaert also studied bookbinding in Rome. His attention to detail and aesthetic sense reflect years of training and a finely tuned eye for objects. “Attending RISD nurtured my creativity and taught me how to problem-solve,” he said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Beneath the surface: Delano Dunn and Mickalene Thomas explore history, memory and art

Mickalene Thomas and Delano Dunn at Wassaic Project.

Lucia Landolo

Before “Echoes in the Margin,” Delano Dunn’s new solo exhibition at Troutbeck in Amenia opened, the artist sat down with curator and artist Mickalene Thomas for a conversation at the Wassaic Project on Wednesday, June 24. Their wide-ranging discussion offered an intimate look into Dunn’s practice while situating the work within broader questions of history, memory and representation.

Presented by the Wassaic Project, the exhibition brings Dunn’s richly layered paintings into conversation with Troutbeck itself, the historic estate long associated with artists, writers and civil rights leaders, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less
After a Hollywood career, Scott Siegler turns failure into fiction

Scott Siegler at his home in Sharon.

D.H. Callahan

Scott Siegler is bored of success stories. But Scott Siegler has had the kind of successful Hollywood career that people write books about.

Before he was 30, he’d earned three degrees. Before he moved to Hollywood, he’d already won an Emmy for one of the nine documentaries he directed and produced. Before he helped launch Netscape, bringing the Internet to the public, he’d already started his own Hollywood studio.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.