
The Town of North East and Village of Millerton’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan guides the creation of the town’s updated zoning code. This map from the plan shows the existing zones in the Town of North East.
Town of North East
The Town of North East and Village of Millerton’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan guides the creation of the town’s updated zoning code. This map from the plan shows the existing zones in the Town of North East.
NORTH EAST — Every first and third Monday of the month, members of the Town of North East Zoning Review Committee (ZRC) meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss revisions to the town’s zoning code.
The current six-member committee includes Dale Culver, Bill Kish, Julie Schroeder, Ed Downey and Dave Sherman. It is headed by Edie Greenwood and advised by land use consultant William Agresta. North East Town Board members are frequently in attendance at meetings as well. Transparency is key to the process with agendas published in advance and a public Zoom link available.
The group was appointed by the Town Board to update town zoning code in accordance with the comprehensive plan approved in November 2019 and has been meeting since July 2020. The priority is to update the zoning code for the town’s commercial districts including the Boulevard District east of Cumberland Farms on Route 44; the Irondale District, which is north of the village along Route 22; and the Light Industrial District, where Harney Tea is now located.
The committee has now simplified the Boulevard into two districts East and West of Kelsey Brook, and drafted new regulations that will include a provision for residential housing above retail and multifamily apartments. “We are encouraging walkable, affordable residential alternatives adjacent to the village,” commented Greenwood.
The first full draft of the reviewed regulations relating to the commercial districts is now being prepared by Agresta. Next, the draft package of regulations will be sent to the ZRC’s land use attorney Dave Everett of Whitman, Osterman & Hanna for legal review, with a turnaround time estimated by Greenwood to take approximately three weeks.
By June, the ZRC hopes to present a final version to the Town Board. After review by the town’s attorney, the document will be sent on to Dutchess County Planning and Economic Development for its comments, which may take another month. Once all this expertise is combined in a final version, the town will publish the large document for all to see and then set a public hearing date.
The public hearing may send the plan back to the drawing board on specific issues.
“It’s a balancing act of competing interests and views,” Greenwood commented. “This project is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever been involved in — not just the details, but the realization of the impact zoning has on our community.”
Bill Kish, a member of the Planning Board and the ZRC, observed: “Completing and adopting updated commercial zoning is critical to ensure the town’s future economic viability. Our existing zoning regulations are almost 50 years old, which is one of the reasons why our commercial districts have fared so poorly in recent years.”
Completely updating the zoning code from 1977 is a huge undertaking. Two former attempts were not successful, and over the years, the town made changes by enacting specific laws. The result has been zoning regulations that are inconsistent and patched together.
“What we are doing is taking a giant step backward,” said Greenwood in an attempt to connect and update the original zoning laws with the 2019 Comprehensive Plan.
The biggest changes foreseen are permitting residential in commercial districts and being more heedful of environmental issues, Greenwood said.
In preparing the revised code, the ZRC took over a year to review, update and expand the 32 pages of definitions that are the foundation of every zoning code. For example, Greenwood cited the 1977 definition of “family” referenced “family, domestic servants and gratuitous guests” and will now read “family, staff and occasional guests.”
North East Town Supervisor Christopher Kennan, who frequently attends ZRC meetings, understands why the revision is taking so long: “I am deeply grateful to Edie Greenwood and to each of the six members of the ZRC committee. They have worked for three long years, usually meeting twice a month, to complete this gargantuan task. Imagine if you had to take every single item in your house out of the house, inspect it, evaluate it, and record it. Every single item — every single dish, every stick of furniture, each item of clothing, everything. And then think if wasn’t just you, but actually six people, who all had to agree on what it was, what its condition is, and where it should be put back! Think about it. That’s sort of what a zoning review like this involves. It is very, very detailed work. And soon enough, their work will be presented to the Town Board, and it will be in our lap. Thank you, ZRC!”
Once the Town Board officially approves of the commercial portion of the zoning revision, the ZRC will next begin the task of updating the Agricultural, Residential, and Land Conservation zoning code.
Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.
Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”
The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”
Partnerships with organizations like Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM), the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, and Community Access to the Arts (CATA) have helped bridge that gap. But for the Latinx community, there’s an even more targeted effort: the Spanish-language Community Advisory Network (SCAN).
“Six years ago, we started an advisory group of Spanish speakers in the community,” Bernal said. “They tell us what the community wants to see, how they’d like their culture represented. Today, SCAN has 12 members. We meet four times a year and are in constant communication. It’s because of them that we’ve hosted free Spanish-language film screenings and live performances.”
For Bernal, this work is personal. “When I first moved to the U.S. in 2003, it was because I got a Latin American scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. That first year, I went home to Uruguay for Christmas and saw Paquito D’Rivera perform at a jazz festival. I was determined to meet him, and I did. Later that year, Paquito came to Berklee and invited me on stage.”
Now, two decades and 16 Grammys later, Paquito D’Rivera is coming to the Mahaiwe on April 5, and there’s a chance history might repeat itself. “He saw a post we made about his concert and commented, ‘Ay, chica, que maravilla, are you gonna sing a song with us?’ I almost died,” Bernal laughed. “I don’t know if it will happen, but it would be a dream.”
About the possibility of a guest appearance by Bernal, D’Rivera said, “Natalia is a very dear, valuable colleague, and jazz is about improvisation, so the surprise factor is always part of the fun here.”
D’Rivera’s concert is just one example of how the Mahaiwe is making world-class performances accessible. “My whole day has been about offering ‘pay what you can’ tickets for this show,” Bernal says. “We also issued a 50% discount to our partners. We work with ESL teachers, public libraries, literacy agencies, anyone who can help us get the word out.”
That kind of grassroots effort has been transformative. “Last year, we screened ‘Florencia en el Amazonas,’ the first opera written in Spanish ever performed at the Met,” Bernal said. “I sat in the Mahaiwe in tears. As someone who loves opera, it was the first time I heard one written in my own language. It was so powerful.”
Natalia Bernal, Mahaiwe’s education and community engagement managerPhoto by Martin Cohen
For Bernal, it all comes back to representation, on stage and in the audience. “My son is eight. I bring him to everything I can. Spanish shouldn’t just be something that happens at the dinner table. It should be in the world, in all these shapes and forms.”
And that’s what SCAN is helping build: a future where Latinx voices aren’t just included, they are central. “Our SCAN advisors are volunteers, cultural ambassadors,” Bernal said. “They help us distribute surveys, talk to the audience, and strengthen the community. Nobody should feel alone. Everybody should feel like they belong here.”
Education and outreach are central to D’Rivera’s work as well. He said, “It is an important part of our mission to plant and nurture the seed of quality music in our communities.” He continued to say, “Using our visibility and influence in favor of justice is always a very effective vehicle in denouncing violations of human rights around the world.”
This shared mission of education and social justice extends beyond the Mahaiwe. “We are one of the few arts organizations in a monthly meeting with BASIC (Berkshire Alliance for Immigrant Services). We have direct ties to the Berkshire Immigrant Center, VIM, and others so that we are well-informed and ready to serve,” said Bernal.
That commitment to community, culture, and access is why Bernal’s dream panel—Women in the Music Business—would feature Paquito’s wife and longtime manager, Brenda Feliciano. “She’s a tower of power. She’s been managing his career for at least 45 years. If I could organize an event one day, she would be the cherry on the cake.”
Until then, Bernal will keep doing what she does best: making sure the Mahaiwe is a place where everyone, regardless of language, income, or background, feels at home. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find herself back on stage with Paquito D’Rivera, just like that first time, all those years ago.
For more info and tickets to Paquito D’Rivera, visit mahaiwe.org
There is magic in a home filled with the things we love, and Mary Randolph Carter, affectionately known as “Carter,” has spent a lifetime embracing that magic. Her latest book, “Live with the Things You Love … and You’ll Live Happily Ever After,” is about storytelling, joy, and honoring life’s poetry through the objects we keep.
“This is my tenth book,” Carter said. “At the root of each is my love of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and living surrounded by things that conjure up family, friends, and memories.”
The creative director at Ralph Lauren for almost four decades, Carter began writing this book during the pandemic, a time of rediscovering comfort. “I found more time to appreciate those special things that give our homes warmth and connection.” Working with Ralph Lauren, she learned that the best spaces tell a personal story. “His desk was filled with toy cars, miniature shoes, superheroes, English dandies, cowboys on horseback. The walls? A gallery of his children’s paintings, iconic photos of Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Everything told a story.”
Carter acknowledges how homes can become overwhelmed with stuff but sees a difference between clutter and collection. “To live happily, create environments that inspire and comfort rather than encumber you! Look around and ask, ‘What is truly meaningful? What makes you smile? What recalls the people and places you cherish?’” Then, she added, “weed out the rest with discipline and courage!”
Provided
Each home in Carter’s book reflects its inhabitant’s spirit. “The first time I walked into Bethann Hardison’s apartment, I knew right away how authentic it was to who she is.” Hardison’s walls are lined with artwork from friends Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Haitian paintings, testaments to a life well lived. “Though her mantra is, ‘the lighter the load, the freer the journey,’ she also admits some things ‘delight your environment’ and can’t be parted with. Amen to that!”
Having survived two childhood fires, Carter deeply understands what truly matters. “It’s not the things, but the people and memories they evoke.” She loves her collections, but they don’t possess her. “They make me happy, but they do not define me.”
She delights in how people showcase treasures. Paula Grief, for instance, lives in a ten-foot-wide house and had to part with many books. “She tucks the ones she can’t live without through the rungs of her staircase. I love that ingenuity!”
When asked about her most cherished possession, Carter tells a story of loss and serendipity. A childhood portrait of her in a blue velvet dress was lost in a fire. “Years later, the artist’s daughter found another version. Now, it hangs in our apartment, surrounded by flea market art and one of my favorite saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
Adding to the cozy feeling of this book, Carter’s son, Carter Berg, took the photographs, and her sister, Cary, contributed the illustrations. “Cary once stayed in our apartment and painted a dozen objects from our cluttered kitchen. I hung them immediately. When I started this book, I knew she had to capture my favorite objects.”
Four of the featured homes are local to the Northwest Corner, including Carter’s in Millerton, Joan Osofsky’s in Lakeville, Robin Bell’s in Salisbury, and Paula Grief’s in Hudson. They all gathered at the White Hart/Oblong Speaker Series on March 27.
After perusing the richly colored pages of this book, you may feel tempted to shop. “You don’t need money to create a meaningful home,” Carter insisted. “Some of my favorite paintings cost no more than $10 or $25. Value is personal. It’s not about provenance but the story an object tells you or the one you make up.”
Carter’s advice? “Fall in love with the wackiest thing. Surround yourself with what matters, and you’ll live happily ever after.”
The first play in four years returned to the Webutuck Auditorium Friday, March 28. The production of Clue was put on entirely by students from the Webutuck Middle School and starred an ensemble cast of, from left to right, Jacob Dean as Mr. Green, Caroline Eschbach as Mrs. White, Brooke Bozydaj as Yvette, Liam Diaz as Wadsworth, Nolan Howard as Colonel Mustard, Mariah Bradley as Miss Scarlett and Lois Musgrave as Mrs. Peacock who is pictured on the floor of the stage.