Latest News
CHORE Garden Party raises support for seniors, caregivers
Ruth Epstein
Jun 24, 2026
A large crowd gathered at the home of Jamie Delaney and Michael Cullen for the annual CHORE Service Garden Party.
Ruth Epstein
Community members gathered at the hillside home of Jamie Delany and Michael Cullen on Saturday, June 20, to help ensure that their senior and disabled neighbors are able to remain independent.
The event was the annual CHORE Service garden party. The organization provides a variety of everyday support services people rely on, such as help with errands and light housekeeping, while also providing employment opportunities for local residents.
As guests strolled through the expansive gardens and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and one another’s company, they were thanked by staff and board members for their support.
“Because of your support, this past year has been one of meaningful growth and impact,” Jane MacLaren, CHORE Service director, told the audience. “Together we provided nearly 10,000 hours of essential services — an 18% increase over last year — and served 254 residents in our community. We also provided part-time employment to more than 50 caregivers.”
She shared the story of one couple in which the husband is slowing down. While he is largely independent, his wife does not feel comfortable leaving him alone for long periods. Her life had become centered on caregiving, and she felt the need for some time for herself.
She called CHORE, and now, once a week, a caregiver takes her husband out to run errands, giving him an opportunity to stay active and connected while providing her with a break from constant responsibility.
“That’s the difference a few hours can make,” MacLaren said.
She announced that CHORE is expanding its services to include nonmedical respite care for unpaid caregivers like this wife. The organization also plans to expand its transportation program in response to growing demand for rides to medical appointments and social events.
“We look forward to sharing more about these new and expanded initiatives with you in the coming weeks and to demonstrating how your support continues to shape our neighbors’ lives.”
Board Vice Chairman David Becker spoke about the Fund the Cause initiative, which has a goal of $30,000. The funds will be earmarked for transportation to medical appointments.
He noted the beauty of the Northwest Corner but said its lack of transportation options can create significant challenges for many residents.
“Uber doesn’t exist in this part of the state,” he quipped, adding, “No one should miss medical appointments because they don’t have a ride.”
Among the attendees was Darcey Markelon of Litchfield, a CHORE caregiver. She signed up four years ago after retiring as a special education teacher in New Milford. She currently has two clients, and her enthusiasm for the work quickly became apparent.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with the elderly; it’s so rewarding,” Markelon said. “My clients and I have developed close relationships. I look forward to seeing them every week, and they look forward to seeing me.”
For more information, visit choreservice.org
Keep ReadingShow less
'Bar None: Cannabis Redemption'
Millerton News
Jun 24, 2026
Provided
The documentary Bar None: Cannabis Redemption will screen at Stissing Center in Pine Plains Saturday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. Although cannabis is now legal in much of the U.S., hundreds of thousands still carry the weight of past convictions — and tens of thousands remain behind bars. The film follows 13 people caught in the justice system who’ve turned their lives around by entering the legal cannabis industry. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s creator. Tickets are available at thestissingcenter.org
Legal Notices - June 25, 2026
Millerton News
Jun 24, 2026
Legal Notice
Notice of Filing
Completed
Assessment Roll with Clerk
Notice is hereby given that the Final Assessment Roll for the Town of Pine Plains in the County of Dutchess for the year 2026 has been completed by the undersigned assessor, and a certified copy is filed in the office of the town clerk on the 1st day of July, 2026, where the same will remain open for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours.
Assessor for the Town of Pine Plains Sara Foglia
06-25-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Kaits Kleaning LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 05-22-2026. Office Lo-cation: Dutchess county. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 24 Attlebury Hill Road, Standfordville NY 12581.
06-04-26
06-11-26
06-18-26
06-25-26
07-02-26
07-09-26
NOTICE OF COMPLETION
OF FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE TOWN OF AMENIA, COUNTY OF DUTCHESS, FOR THE YEAR 2026, HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY THE UNDERSIGNED ASSESSOR, AND A CERTIFIED COPY IS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK OF AMENIA, 4988 ROUTE 22, AMENIA, NY, ON THE FIRST DAY OF JULY, 2026, WHERE THE SAME WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION. A COPY OF SUCH WILL BE AVAIL-ABLE ONLINE AT AMENIANY.GOV
DATED THIS 1ST DAY OF JULY, 2026.
DONNA DIPIPPO ASSESSOR
TOWN OF AMENIA
845-373-8118 x 104
06-18-26
06-25-26
Keep ReadingShow less
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Classifieds - June 25, 2026
Millerton News
Jun 24, 2026
EMPLOYMENT
HELP WANTED
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center is a year-round 120-person retreat facility that is located in Falls Village, CT. Want to work at a beautiful, peaceful location, with great people? This is the place to be!We are currently seeking positions for Seasonal Lifeguard(s), Cook, Retreat services associate (banquet server front of house) and Mashgichim (F/T or P/T) for our summer season. For more details please visit our website at Careers - Adamah or email a copy of your resume to rebecca.eisen@adamah.org
SERVICES OFFERED
Héctor Pacay Landscaping and Construction LLC: Fully insured. Renovation, decking, painting; interior exterior, mowing lawn, garden, stone wall, patio, tree work, clean gutters, mowing fields. 845-636-3212.Old Houses and Barns my specialty: Renovations and Re-pairs. 25 years serving the tri-state area. Licensed and Insured. Based in Canaan, CT. David Valyou 917-538-1617. davidvalyou@yahoo.com
MERCHANDISE & SERVICES
HORSES & EQUIPMENT
Looking for a small farm to board my 22 year old mare ideally located near trails. She gets along well with other horses. No drama. Available to help with feeding and or turnout if needed. 860-786-2546.
REAL ESTATE
PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publish-ing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
HOUSE FOR RENT
2 Bedroom House. Millerton, NY. Quiet. 4 miles from town.$2500 monthly, plus utilities. 518-567-8277.
TAG SALES
Massachusetts
Estate Sale. Rain or Shine. July 3, 4. 9-5. 1011 Crossroads to Canaan Valley Road New Marl-borough, MA 01259.
Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton renovation turns aging home into ‘passive house’
Nathan Miller
Jun 23, 2026
Cole Shapiro, left, shows a picture of the State Line Road house that he helped renovate taken during the early stages of rebuilding walls for the structure during an open house on Saturday, June 20.
Photo by Nathan Miller
MILLERTON — A unique home renovation on State Line Road is joining the ranks of thousands of buildings across the U.S. that use little to no energy for heating and cooling.
Wendy Hill’s home on State Line Road, which she rented for 10 years before buying the property and embarking on the renovation in January 2025, will be a Passive House Institute US-certified “Passive House” once renovations are completed in the coming weeks.
Passive houses are buildings that rely on thick insulation as well as heat from the sun to cut down on energy costs. The concept was developed over the past 50 years as advancements in insulating building materials allowed for more efficient construction that uses little to no energy to maintain comfortable temperatures.
Hill’s home is a standout from the typical passive house, primarily because of her decision to retrofit an existing home rather than build new.
But Cole Shapiro and his Kingston-based boutique contracting firm Building House took on the task, implementing a modern take on a two-story Cape Cod-style design with a basement garage utilizing the existing foundation.
Shapiro led a presentation on the construction of the home and discussed some specifics about passive home building at an open house at Hill’s home on Saturday, June 20.
The retrofit required the original home — built in 1992 — to be torn down to its studs and the roof removed so the entire structure could be rebuilt to passive house certification standards, Shapiro said.
“This is our first retrofit,” Shapiro said. “Good bones, a little rundown.”
From there, with nothing but the existing foundation and timber studs where the house used to stand, Shapiro’s crew began building up the walls, installing new windows and eventually building a brand new roof.
Shapiro joked with attendees, saying that the site of the nearly-demolished house was a shock in early construction.
“No matter how good you are as a builder at setting expectations with your client, nothing prepares them for this,” Shapiro said. “There was probably a lot of tears during those early days.”
The walls and windows are important aspects of a passive house build, Shapiro explained. The structures must be airtight to minimize heat loss as much as possible. Walls also have to be much thicker than typical, and are packed with high-efficiency insulation and membranes that allow moisture to escape the structure while trapping air and heat.
The windows and doors used in the build resemble vault doors, with thick frames and a flanged shape that locks in air. Passive houses are required to be essentially air-tight because leaks contribute the most to heat loss in a structure.
Passive houses seek to address this issue by sealing the building and using special air circulation systems that release stale air and ingest fresh air from the outdoors. Hill’s house uses what’s known as an “energy recovery ventilator,” or ERV, to ventilate the home without compromising heating efficiency.
ERVs transfer moisture and heat between the expelled inside air and ingested outside air, allowing fresh air to enter the home without compromising the home’s other heat-trapping measures.
The build process wasn’t entirely straightforward, Shapiro said. One hurdle was the electrical and plumbing work that Shapiro said poked holes in the house’s airtight seal and caused unacceptable air leaks. Crews had to conduct tests and patch holes to fix the leaks and bring the house into compliance with passive house certification standards.
“Our plumber-slash-electrician just could not understand what an air barrier was,” Shapiro said. “And I think at some point seemed to be making a sport of turning our air barriers into Swiss cheese.”
Airtight design requirements still allow for homeowners to open their doors and windows to let in a nice breeze, which Hill demonstrated at the open house by letting in a gentle summer breeze.
Keep ReadingShow less
Thai tea shop moving forward after winning Board of Health approval
Nathan Miller
Jun 23, 2026
Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, left, and John Schildbach hope to open Muanjai Tea on Main Street in Millerton by late July.
Photo by Nathan Miller
MILLERTON — Owners of a Thai tea shop planned for Main Street expect to get started with interior renovations this week after receiving approval for septic system plans from health officials.
John Schildbach, who plans to open Muanjai Tea at 28 Main St. in July, said on Monday, June 22, that the shop is awaiting one final approval from the Dutchess County Board of Health on the interior space itself and expects to begin installing counters and seating immediately after.
Discussions with the Board of Health over septic capacity caused earlier delays. Schildbach originally planned to have seating for 20 people inside the shop, but health officials required him to scale back that plan. The shop’s septic system was approved with the condition that only 14 seats be installed inside the shop.
He said the build out will likely take at least three weeks longer, meaning the storefront is not expected to open prior to Millerton’s 175 celebration running from July 11 to July 19. But Schildbach is planning to operate a pop-up tent offering a limited variety of tea drinks during the celebration.
Schildbach also plans to distribute 25% discount coupons to shoppers that stop by the pop-up. Customers can then use those coupons once the shop opens to get a discount at the shop once it opens later in July.
“It’s a little bit of a discount for people who want to try us out,” Schildbach said.
Schildbach announced plans to open the tea shop with his wife, Kanchisar Jiradhanaiphat, in late April. The shop will occupy the storefront formerly occupied by Candy-Os on Main Street.
“This isn’t going to be a bubble tea shop,” Schildbach said in April, describing a menu that seeks to bring authentic Thai tea culture to Millerton.
Highlights will include nom yen — a pink milk tea made with sweetened condensed milk and flavored syrup — as well as coffee cham yen, a blend of coffee and tea. The menu will also feature Thai tea ice cream floats, lattes and matcha drinks.
But the pair don’t want to limit the menu to just desserts and sweets. Schildbach said they are aiming for a sophisticated — yet affordable — menu that offers an authentic, approachable take on Thai tea shops.
That desire for authenticity will be built into the space itself, Schildbach said. Plans for the tea shop include adding a wall to create a service window typical of Bangkok tea shops, accented with tile and wood details.
The goal is to fit in with Millerton’s current lineup of Main Street businesses, while providing a unique experience for locals and visitors alike.
“It’s going to be like you’re in a tea shop in Thailand,” Schildbach said.
Keep ReadingShow less
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
loading
