Volunteers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church’s Food of Life Pantry donned masks and costumes to celebrate Halloween while distributing meals on Friday, Oct. 31, at the church on Leedsville Road in Amenia. The pantry regularly serves more than 600 people every week.
The federal government shutdown has delayed SNAP benefits payouts nationwide, prompting New York State and Dutchess County governments to distribute millions of dollars in aid to food banks and pantries.
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino announced on Friday, Oct. 31, that $1.5 million in reserve emergency funds would be distributed to food pantries across the county. The county plans to distribute $150,000 per week for 10 weeks to pantries across Dutchess.
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program — commonly referred to as SNAP or food stamps — has never faced a delay in benefit payouts in its modern history.
Volunteers at the Food of Life Pantry — run by Amenia’s St. Thomas Episcopal Church and Charlie Paley of Sharon — said they expect the freeze in SNAP disbursements to strain a community that is already under stress.
Jim Wright, warden of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, said keeping the food pantry stocked has become more difficult as free and reduced-price food from the Albany-based Food Bank of New York is increasingly scarce. He added that ongoing cuts to funding and staffing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have only exacerbated the problem.
That scarcity has pushed the pantry to lean harder on other organizations such as the Tenmile Farm Foundation in Dover Plains, which Wright said has delivered 24,758 pounds of fruits and vegetables to the pantry this growing season.
“What’s been happening since late January is that there’s been less and less food that’s either free or lower price,” Wright said. “So many of our partners have stepped up.”
The Tenmile Farm Foundation is part of a network of like-minded organizations in the Tri-corner region of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts that collaborate to promote access to nutritious, locally-produced food at an accessible price or for free.
The North East Community Center’s Food Programs Director Jordan Schmidt heads up the network — officially known as the Tri Corner Nutrition Security Coalition — as part of her role in charge of the community center’s food pantry and outreach programs.
Among the coalition’s partners is Tri-Corner F.E.E.D., which offers an alternative to traditional pantries. Linda and James Quella of Sharon, Connecticut, formed the organization and opened a market in Millerton that sells locally-produced groceries at subsidized prices.
Blake Myers, manager of the Tri-Corner F.E.E.D. Market on South Center Street in Millerton, collaborates with the coalition. She said the coalition has been closely monitoring local residents’ access to food, allowing its member farms, pantries and nonprofits to quickly redirect supplies when needs arise.
Tri-Corner F.E.E.D. operates a market with tiered pricing. Customers can sign up to buy groceries either at full price, at a 30% discount or at a 60% discount depending on their need.
Myers echoed Food of Life volunteers’ concerns about the community’s increasing dependence on local food pantries.
She said food pantries are supposed to be a resource in emergencies. “What’s happened is that they are now a regular resource that people need in order to feed their families,” Myers said. “This case of the SNAP benefits being cut is an emergency emergency, because there’s already so many families that are barely scraping by.”
The Rev. AJ Stack of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia said the most effective way to support the Food of Life pantry is through cash donations. “We can purchase things at much lower prices elsewhere,” Stack explained, adding that every dollar goes further when the pantry buys in bulk from its suppliers.
Myers offered a similar perspective when it comes to supporting Tri-Corner F.E.E.D. She told The News that customers with the means can best assist the nonprofit by purchasing items at full price — providing revenue that helps fund the market’s mission to offer affordable food to those in need.
“All of our shoppers here are by word of mouth,” Myers said. “Which is really important to me, because I wanted the experience to be something that people wanted to return to and feel comfortable.”
Nathan Miller
Wassaic-based cannabis grower Douglas Broughton in his basement greenhouse at his home on Old Route 22 on Sunday, May 17.
MILLERTON — A cannabis dispensary planned for Main Street is facing lengthy delays that the Wassaic-based grower behind the project attributed to bureaucracy at the Office of Cannabis Management.
Doug Broughton, who operates a commercial cannabis farm at his home on Old Route 22 in Wassaic, plans to open a retail wing of his licensed cannabis microbusiness at 32 Main St. in downtown Millerton. Broughton first announced the plans earlier this year, targeting March and April openings that were later pushed back
He now hopes to open the shop in early summer, but said he can’t peg a specific date due to delays at New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management.
Broughton attributes sluggish administration at OCM to interference from larger cannabis businesses. Those businesses, he said, consume much of the agency’s time and resources, creating delays that can place significant financial strain on smaller microbusinesses like his own.
He said selling his cannabis wholesale to retailers has been keeping him afloat as he pays $1,800 per month on rent for the space on Millerton’s Main Street. Despite that, he’s confident the quality of his products and his shop will make up for the wait once it’s over.
“We have a lot of options and we can be very competitive,” Broughton said, adding he believes his cannabis is of a higher quality and better value than larger, corporate producers. “They threw huge amounts of money into bullying their way into a market and now nobody wants their weed.”
Broughton’s business has also faced other challenges. Rising fuel and commodity prices due to the Trump administration’s conflict with Iran have increased shipping costs, cutting into Broughton’s wholesale profits.
Those price hikes hit Broughton in multiple ways, affecting the cost to purchase packaging for his cannabis and the cost to ship it to retailers.
“I just got containers. I ordered a year ago and the shipping cost would be $2.50,” Broughton said. “Now, it was $6.50.”
The situation isn’t dire, though. Standing in his basement greenhouse in his Wassaic home, Broughton explained that he’s only utilizing just over one-tenth of his legally allowed grow area.
Under OCM regulations, licensed microbusinesses such as Broughton’s are allowed up to 5,000 square feet of mixed-light growing space, his preferred growing method.
Mixed-light growing means Broughton uses a combination of artificial and natural light to grow his cannabis plants. He said he exercises scientific precision over his crops, manipulating artificial light color, humidity levels, nutrients and temperature to ensure his ideal product.
Broughton said he uses just over 600 square feet of his allotted growing space currently, so the business has plenty of room to expand to cover rising costs. But Broughton encouraged proponents of small business and legal cannabis to write to state officials about the effects of long licensing periods on small businesses.
“If people want to get this open, write a letter,” Broughton said. “I’m wholesaling still. It’ll be fine, but I’m excited to get it open.”
Graham Corrigan
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery’s winemaker Ian Bearup surveys ongoing landscaping work from the wedding loft on Monday, May 18.
MILLBROOK — The owners of Millbrook Vineyards & Winery are changing how visitors may use their property, ending a longtime policy that allowed guests to bring their own food, beverages and lawn chairs onto the vineyard grounds.
The changes come as the winery introduces new seating areas, expanded food offerings and updated visitor accommodations ahead of the summer season.
To support the shift away from open lawn-style seating, the winery is installing several designated seating areas across the property. A newly created adults-only patio will feature Adirondack chairs, private tables and sofa seating available for a small table fee that has not yet been finalized. Guests will also be able to reserve tables in advance, though walk-ins will still be welcome.
Additional picnic tables are also being added to the winery’s existing all-ages seating area.
Weekend food trucks are scheduled to return beginning June 1, but they will now be supplemented by expanded local food offerings inside the winery’s renovated tap room space, now renamed The Overlook. Local producers, including Millbrook Beef & Dairy and Chaseholm Farm, will offer cheese, charcuterie and prepared foods.
“We want to reinvigorate the brand,” said Ian Bearup, a winemaker at the vineyards.
The changes come during a period of broader transition for the wine industry, which has seen declining consumption levels following a pandemic-era surge, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. Owner John Dyson recently reduced his stake in a California winery to refocus on Millbrook.
Millbrook’s winemaker Bearup said the renewed focus on Millbrook Vineyards & Winery exemplifies Dyson’s commitment to his hometown. “We take a lot of pride in still keeping agriculture in Dutchess County,” Bearup said. “This pullback has forced us to ask, how can we change things? And how can we still stay authentic to who we are, which is really just a family farm winery.”
Bearup acknowledged some visitors may be unhappy with the changes, but said growing crowds have made it increasingly difficult to manage the property during busy weekends.
“It’s gotten difficult for us to oversee the grounds during busy weekends,” Bearup said. “There’s a lot of liability. There’s a lot of garbage, and the grounds get quite beat up.”
The winery said visitors will still have access to the property’s ponds, trails and vineyard views, but the new seating arrangements are intended to better organize crowds and reduce wear on the grounds.
“We’re already hearing from a lot of upset people, which I completely understand,” Bearup said. “But we can’t operate this business as a park anymore, unfortunately.”
Graham Corrigan
The Washington town pool in the hamlet of Mabbetsville along Route 44 sits ready for the start of the 2026 season.
MILLBROOK — Members of the Washington Town Board are calling for upgrades to the town’s recreation area in Mabbetsville along Route 44, saying the park’s roughly 80-year-old pool is outdated and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Former Washington Councilmember Mike Murphy presented a new report to the Town Board during its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 13, detailing the needed updates to the park.
His report is part of a larger Washington project called the Recreation Area Strategic Planning Committee. Starting in 2024, Murphy and a committee of 11 community members undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the property, focusing on the town pool and its facilities. “It’s nobody’s fault,” Murphy said. “But over the years, it’s just aged out.”
The committee was made up of various community experts including contractors and environmentalists. The group used last year’s Community Day to field suggestions from local residents, asking what changes they’d like to see at the park.
An online survey followed, and the committee compiled those suggestions for the town board. Suggestions included indoor facilities, a children’s playground, a dog park and pool improvements.
The Town Park consists of the pool and several athletic fields. The town bought the lower part of the property in 1946 for $16,000, and it became a municipal pool soon after. The athletic fields were added in 2006.
The 29 acres “are a jewel within the town,” Murphy said. “We need to figure out how to get people to use it.” But the pool’s aging infrastructure has made maintenance and upkeep unwieldy. It also lacks modern amenities popular in other municipal pools, like splash pads or fountains. Millerton and Newburgh, Murphy noted, both included those elements in their new pool plans.
Washington has more serious fixes to make, like updating the pool’s filtration system. One estimate Murphy received approximated that cost at six figures. “The tax structure of this community will never be able to handle the major costs that are coming down the road,” Murphy said.
Instead, the Committee to Re-Imagine the Town Park proposed several non-structural ways to stimulate the park’s activity, and resulting revenue: extended hours, a third pavilion, more athletic facilities, and an easier way to access the park.
Currently, there’s only one way in or out of the park. It makes for a crowded drop-off — especially when summer camp is in session. Murphy said connecting the park’s entrance to Little Rest Road to the west is one feasible solution.
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Leila Hawken
Enhancing educational opportunities for students in the Millbrook Central School District since 2001, the Millbrook Educational Foundation took part in the Millbrook Volunteer Fair on Saturday, May 16. Residents were invited to learn about volunteer opportunities with the foundation and a variety of other local and regional organizations. The event, now in its fifth year, was held at the Millbrook Library.
Christine Bates
Known as the “Ice House,” 12 State Line Road on 3.81 acres was sold by the mortgage holder after standing vacant for years. The property was later renovated and resold for $400,000 on April 15.
MILLERTON — North East’s housing market continued to cool this spring, with home prices holding relatively steady and sales activity slowing compared with the post-pandemic surge that drove prices sharply higher across the region.
The 12-month trailing median sale price for residential properties in the Town of North East, including the Village of Millerton, was $420,000 for the period from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. That figure remained essentially unchanged month-to-month, but marked the second consecutive year of declining annual median prices.
The residential median includes all types of housing sales — from modest village homes to large estates with significant acreage — but excludes commercial properties and vacant land sales. Among the higher-end transactions during the period was the sale of 5-15 Homestead Lane for $3.1 million.
Outside the village, where homes are generally situated on larger parcels, the median sale price reached $575,000. Within the Village of Millerton, where lots are typically smaller, the median price for the 10 homes sold during the period was $410,000.
The townwide median price of $420,000 was down 2% from the $430,000 median recorded during the 12-month period ending April 30, 2025. It was also 4% below the median recorded the year before that, continuing a gradual market slowdown following the price increases seen during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sales activity has also slowed considerably. North East recorded 24 residential transactions on a trailing 12-month basis at the end of April, down from 37 sales during the previous year.
Housing inventory showed modest improvement entering the spring market. In early May, 14 homes were listed for sale in North East, including four properties with asking prices above $1 million. Among them was the Hudson Valley Magazine “design home,” listed for $3.99 million.
Only two residential properties were listed for sale within the Village of Millerton in early May. Meanwhile, four commercial properties remained on the market in the village, along with eight parcels of vacant land throughout the town.
Town of North East March and April property sales
710 Smithfield Road — 23.89 acres were sold on April 20 for $190,000.
26 South Center St. —An investment property in the Village of Millerton was sold on April 15 for $700,000.
12 State Line Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath renovated home on 3.8 acres sold on April 15 for $400,000.
5-15 Homestead Lane — 3 bedroom/2 bath home built in 1950 on 258 acres sold on March 27 for $3.1 million.
Town of North East and Village of Millerton closed sales for March and April from realtor.com with property details from Dutchess Parcel Access. Median price and activity calculations for all residential properties from NY State Sales Web transfers through February 2026 with updated residential sales for March and April. Current market data from One Key MLS. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
Millerton News
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Harlem Valley area activity report May 10 to May 13
May 10 — Deputies responded to Kings Apartment located at 20 Pine Drive in the Village of Pawling for multiple 911 calls reporting a disturbance. Three tenants at that location reported getting into a verbal and physical altercation with a female at the same location. The matter was resolved without further police intervention.
May 11 — Deputies responded to a residence in the Town of Stanford for a fraud complaint. The caller reported that she was contacted by a local realtor who made her aware of the fact that he received correspondence through a messaging app where the sender was trying to sell her home. Caller reports that another realtor showed up at her home to look at it after receiving similar correspondence. Caller reported that her home is in fact not for sale. Investigation on-going.
May 12 — Deputies responded to Oak Summit Road in Washington for a verbal domestic dispute between a mother and son. The matter was resolved without further police intervention.
May 13 — Deputies responded to Old Route 22 in Amenia for a domestic dispute between a boyfriend and girlfriend. The matter was resolved without further police intervention.
PLEASE NOTE: All subjects arrested and charged are alleged to have committed the crime and are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are to appear in local courts later.
If you have any information relative to the aforementioned criminal cases, or any other suspected criminal activity please contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 845 605 CLUE (2583) or email dcsotips@gmail.com. All information will be kept confidential.
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