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

Stolen stroller returned to owner after grassroots recovery effort

Stolen stroller returned to owner after grassroots recovery effort

Relief Chiropractic and Wellness on South Center Street in the Village of Millerton, where a stroller was reported stolen and later returned after Tyler Van Steenbergen

MILLERTON — News of a stolen stroller swept through Millerton last week after a grassroots effort to recover the expensive baby equipment gained traction on Main Street and social media.

The stroller, an UPPAbaby Vista model — widely considered a high-end brand and valued at more than $1,000 — was taken from outside Relief Chiropractic and Wellness on the corner of Main Street and South Center Street before it was anonymously returned the following day.

According to its owner, Tyler Van Steenbergen, the stroller had been tucked neatly outside of his office and was taken around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 27.

Van Steenbergen said he and his wife, who also owns a Main Street business — Treefort Toys and Gifts — became uneasy after their stroller disappeared.

“It was a shock because Millerton is so safe all the time,” Van Steenbergen said.

The couple waited about two hours before calling the Millerton Police Department for assistance. Without adequate security footage, however, Van Steenbergen said officers told them they were not optimistic about recovering the stroller.

“They said it would be like finding a needle in a haystack,” he said.

Undeterred, Van Steenbergen posted flyers up and down Main Street and shared the information on Facebook.

Around 8 a.m. the following day, he said he received a text message from someone who apologized and claimed they believed the stroller had been left out for free, noting that baby equipment is sometimes left on the street for others to take.

The stroller was returned to the alley behind the chiropractor’s office on South Center Street.

Van Steenbergen said there was no sign indicating the stroller was free and that it had not been placed by the roadside.

“I find that hard to believe because it was tucked up right against my office,” he said of the person’s claims.

Following the incident, Van Steenbergen said he ordered additional security cameras for the property. He said he and his wife are just happy to have their stroller back, which is used by their seven-month-old baby.

Latest News

At Peggy Mercury, prep meets punk in ‘Imaginary Concerts’
Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
Provided

Last month, James Boehmer and Greg Fricke of Peggy Mercury launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” wearable art sold exclusively at their store in the Kent Barns section of Kent, Connecticut.

The two fashion industry veterans opened Peggy Mercury more than two years ago, and a quick visit will tell you that people are finding what they’re looking for at the beauty and lifestyle store. But what they’re looking for is never standard.

Keep ReadingShow less

“Girlbomb” at 20

“Girlbomb” at 20
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
With memoir...the character only knows what the character knows.
Janice Erlbaum

In “Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir,” published in 2006, author Janice Erlbaum wrote about the years after she left her family’s Brooklyn apartment at 15, moving through shelters, group homes, squats, clubs and the streets of 1980s New York while somehow continuing to attend high school. The book has sold more than 75,000 copies, stayed in print for two decades and continues to find new readers.

Now Erlbaum, 57, lives in Millerton and on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m., she will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Girlbomb” with a reading at Black Rabbit Dispensary. The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on Instagram.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spencertown’s 21st Festival Of Books
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, author of “Daylight Come: Harry Belafonte and the World He Made” is one of thefeatured authors at the Spencertown Academy Festival of Books on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Mirissa Neff

On Saturday, Sept. 5, the Spencertown Academy Arts Center in Spencertown, New York, will host its 21st annual Book Festival.

With over 20,000 gently used books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl donated by the community, it took volunteers 45 days — and an estimated 750 hours —to set the whole thing up. Most of that time was spent sorting through the vast troves of donations and organizing them by category.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

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

Paul Newman racing doc to screen in North Canaan on Sunday
“Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman,”will be screened Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan.
Provided

On Sunday, Sept. 6, Lime Rock Park will host a screening of the documentary “Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman” at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan at 7 p.m.

Newman was one of the most celebrated actors of the 20th century, known for films including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Hud” and “Cool Hand Luke.” His 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” also began a decades-long friendship with co-star Robert Redford.

Keep ReadingShow less
Community to take center stage at Dive Barn

A scene from last year’s Dance Barn.

Steven Tayler

On Sunday, Sept. 6, PS21 in Chatham, New York, will host a celebration of community through dance at its second annual Dive Barn performance at the organization’s Dance Barn.

Dive Barn is the brainchild of dancer, teacher and choreographer Sayer Mansfield, who has dedicated her life to contemporary and experimental dance. She studied in the Department of Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. She’s performed with companies including Pilobolus, Compagnie Marie Chouinardand Mark Morris Dance Group. Her work has been featured in films including “Little Women,” “Maestro” and “Sproutland.” She has served on the faculties of Jacob’s Pillow, Phillips Academy Andover, as well as Harvard and Yale Universities.

Keep ReadingShow less
A family business gives old furniture a second act

“London Sky,” a vintage settee reimagined by Pryor and Peacock with a dramatic view of the London skyline.

Provided by Pryor and Peacock

If you’ve ever seen one of those updated episodes of Antiques Roadshow, you know a lot of old furniture doesn’t hold its value the way it used to.

Gone are the days when the Keno brothers could tell you that your great-grandmother’s old chairs could pay off your mortgage. Instead, a younger market of buyers is looking for more simply designed furniture, often in the form of factory-made pieces using more affordable materials. Think Crate & Barrel or even IKEA, versus the ornate craftsmanship of yesteryear.

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.