Pine Plains Forum: Questions, candidates, and a list of wishes

Voters turned out Wednesday, Oct. 18, to meet local and county political candidates at the Pine Plains Free Library. Photo by John Coston
PINE PLAINS — The long table at the candidates event on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Pine Plains Free Library held places for 12 candidates, starting with the two candidates for Dutchess County Legislature: incumbent Republican Gregg Pulver and Democrat Chris Drago.
Town Board candidates Jeanine Sisco and Kevin Walsh, both Democrats, were in line with Republican contenders Paul Murphy and Jim Smith. For the position of town justice, there was Democrat Stella Isaza and Republican Rich Brenner. Also present were Republican Lisa Ambrose and Democrat incumbent Carl Baden, who are running for highway superintendent; and Town Supervisor Brian Walsh and Town Clerk Madeline DaFoe, who are both running unopposed. The two Walshes are not related.
Over 100 people filled the library’s Community Room at the Pine Plains Library for the forum. The sponsors were The Millerton News and The New Pine Plains Herald. Ryan Orton of Stanford moderated the program.
Supervisor Walsh and DaFoe indicated that they are happy with their work, and will continue to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. The candidates had a brief time to introduce themselves; this was followed by questions from the audience and the forum ended with closing statements from each of the candidates.
Sisco and Kevin Walsh are longtime residents, and both have raised families in Pine Plans. They jointly agree that they will preserve the rural and historic character of the town; conserve open space; protect and promote agriculture; create housing options for young families and seniors in particular; and will promote employment, small business and transportation options. Also, they would like to relocate Town Hall to the center of town, and will look into the possibility of a central septic system.
Murphy is a 50-year resident of Pine Plains who wants to see programs for youth and seniors expanded. He’d also look into ways to help businesses thrive and grow, as well as into affordable housing. He would also preserve the rural aspect of the town.
Murphy and Smith are proponents of fiscal responsibility, believing government should be run as an any other business: with a budget, plans and long-range goals. Smith is pro-solar, believing that solar energy is what is in the future, and he sees the benefits in it, having faith that the zoning board will make sure everything is done appropriately.
Isaza has experience as a practicing attorney for more than 28 years, having served as a criminal defense attorney, and is a former assistant corporation counsel for the City of Poughkeepsie. Living in Pine Plains for more than 20 years, she is a member and former president of the Pine Plains Lions Club, and is a member of the New York Bar Association and the Dutchess County Bar Association.
As a defense attorney, she looked for fair sentencing including alternatives to incarceration when suitable. She has handled cases in housing, domestic violence, and matrimonial and family law, and speaks fluent Spanish.
Brenner is in real estate, but feels that one doesn’t need a law degree to be a town justice. His experience includes 25 years in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff and investigator, and working with the district attorney’s office.
Serving in the Pine Plains Hose Company as well as a member of the town and school boards have given him the experience to make good judgment calls. He’d rather see mistakes corrected than repeated, and rehabilitation rather than punishment.
“Pine Plains is my home and the community is my family,” said Baden. He has learned a lot over that past four years, has built up relationships, honed the skills of himself and his crews, and wants to continue to use that experience to make the roads in Pine Plains safer under all circumstances.
Ambrose has stated that she will give up her current job to be full-time at the highway department if elected. A 20-year Pine Plains resident, Ambrose is a volunteer firefighter, and said that she plans to work side by side with the maintenance crews, and will strive to work with surrounding areas and the New York State Department of Transportation in bad weather and emergency situations.
The majority of the questions were for Pulver and Drago. Pulver is serving his sixth one-year term as chairman, and has served in the Legislature since 2014. A farmer by trade, Pulver said he enjoys doing what he does, and helping people. When asked about an accomplishments in the Legislature, he mentioned the Dutchess County Stabilization Center in Poughkeepsie. He worked with Legislator Will Truitt to pass a countywide animal abuse registry law as well as passing an anti-tethering law. He worked with Assemblymember Didi Barrett and others on obtaining the Mobile Health Unit RV.
Drago, feels that the current leadership is not working, mishandling tax dollars and not meeting basic needs of constituents in northern Dutchess County. He is particularly upset by the $25 million renovation of the Dutchess Stadium.
He will work toward obtaining better emergency and mental health services, and wants better cell coverage and a climate-ready infrastructure. A native son, Drago said he is a business leader, and has his finger on the pulse of what the county needs. He wants to keep Dutchess County affordable and keep young people here.
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.