Sunday school grows; Millerton photo book; new parking plan proposed for the Village
From the Millerton News Archives: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024

From the Millerton News Archives: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024
November 16, 1933
‘About Millerton’ Class Growing; The class recently started at the Presbyterian Sunday School for children from two to five years of age is steadily growing. Starting with only two, the membership has increased to six. With Mrs. Edward Franks as teacher, these little tots do interesting things and this class meets a real need. New members are always welcome.
‘4-H Club Needs Flag’; The girls’ 4-H Club, which has been recently organized, is in need of an American flag. Part of the program of their meetings is to salute the flag, and they are very anxious to own one, but at present have no funds. If any member of the community has a flag which they do not use and would care to contribute to this cause, please communicate with Violet H. Simmons.
‘Little Red Hen is Kidnapped From Auto’; The little red hen that has been joy riding, either on the front bumper or the gas tank of Dave Traver’s Car, has been kidnapped.
One night last week, while parked on the gas tank outside the movies she disappeared. But after all one hen’s tragedy is some one’s chicken dinner, and besides it gives our new sheriff-elect, a good, deep mystery to solve even before he is sworn in.
November 21, 1974
‘Village Approves Reservoir Study’; The MIllerton Village Board has resolved unanimously to hire Michael Morris, a consulting engineer, to make a study of the village reservoir and water system to determine what system, a standpipe or chlorination, would be most practical in preventing the pollution of water in the reservoir…
Mr. Morris told the Board at its meeting … that it would cost the Village between $130,000 and $150,000 to build a standpipe that could contain between 175,000 and 250,000 gallons of water…
November 18, 1999
‘Ace Photographer Returns to Village’; MILLERTON: Photography aficionados have always taken note of Millerton. After all, it is the home of the Strand Archive, Aperture Publishing and the Apeiron Photography Workshop. And photography students from The Hotchkiss School frequently visit the village looking for inviting and agreeable subjects.
But this weekend, one of Millerton’s most noted photographers will return to celebrate the release of his new book, “A Kind of History,” which features the faces of this old village.
Oblong Books & Music will host a reception for author Mark Goodman this Friday evening, followed by a book signing the next day. The book celebrates 20 years of Mr. Goodman’s work photographing the children and young adults of Millerton.
According to a written statement from his publisher, Markerbooks, the text of the book explains “how Goodman first came to Millerton [as a student at nearby Apeiron Workshops] and his early weeks of photographing, walking the town’s streets, getting to know the inhabitants and, more importantly, letting them get to know him.
“He tells of life at Apeiron — ‘a post-hippie community [if not exactly a commune] for people who thought of themselves as aspiring artists with cameras and those who wished to hang out with them.’ And he generously tells of his own life in and out of Millerton: why he went there, why he stayed and why he finally left.”
The book comprises the years 1971 to 1991, and includes 184 half-tone photographs. It is first major monograph of Mr. Goodman’s work.
Mr. Goodman received a Guggenheim fellowship in photography for his Millerton Project, as well as a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. According to his publisher, Mr. Goodman’s work is in a number of public collections, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the George Eastman House, the High Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Philadelphia Art Museum, Mr. Goodman currently teaches photography at the University of Texas at Austin.
‘New Parking Plan Proposed’; MILLERTON: A new parking plan has been proposed for the village.
Deputy Mayor Mariley Najdek suggested eliminating the two-hour parking limit on John Street, Barton Street, South Center Street and Dutchess Avenue, while maintaining the parking regulations on Main Street. She was responding, in part, to a proposal submitted by Stuart Miller, the manager of the Millerton Antique Center and a representative of the new Millerton Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Miller’s plan called for unlimited parking — with no restrictions — throughout the village, with half-hour parking on Main Street to meet the needs of merchants there. He also proposed a reconfiguration of John Street.
Meanwhile, the Village Board voted to set a public hearing date for Dec. 13 to discuss the proposed new parking plan. Ms. Najdek also asked for new handicapped parking spaces in front of the North East Pharmacy and on both ends of Dutchess Avenue, near the intersection with Main Street.
Mayor Michael Cawley also asked the Village Board to consider a new street light near Gilmor Glass.
Nathan Miller
Caroline Farr-Killmer has been leading the effort to rebuild Millerton’s fire-ravaged Water Department building since last February.
MILLERTON — Village officials expect a rebuild of the fire-ravaged Water Department building to begin soon, with the aim of completing it before the end of summer.
Fire project manager Caroline Farr-Killmer has been managing the effort to demolish and rebuild the village’s Public Works Department building since a fire destroyed it and all the equipment inside last winter. She said that Dutchess County Department of Health approval is the last hurdle for a new Water Department building before construction can start.
Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek said she expects construction to start as soon as the designs get approval from the health department.
Officials described the new Water Department building as an urgent need. Farr-Killmer explained the village’s water system has been operating with just one operational well, causing concerns about potential water shortages at that wellhead and its longevity. The village cannot operate the second well until it is enclosed in a structure, Farr-Killmer said.
Najdek doesn’t expect Millerton’s upcoming 175th anniversary celebration to impact the construction. She said health department approval should be arriving within the week, and the 400-square-foot building likely wouldn’t take long to construct. She clarified that there is no clear timeline at this moment, but expects to get work started as soon as approvals come in.
Millerton’s Water and Highway building caught fire last February, destroying the structure and all of the village’s road maintenance and police equipment. Since then, property restoration firm BELFOR has been working to clear and prep the site for a brand new set of buildings.
Farr-Killmer explained the Water Department building, which will house one of Millerton’s municipal wells, must now be a separate structure from the Highway Department building due to environmental and health regulations. Municipal wells require up to a 200-foot buffer from other structures to prevent drinking water contamination.
Millerton News
CANAAN — Anita L. (King) Gochey, 85, of 77 South Canaan Rd. died June 5, 2026, at Geer Village. She was the wife of the late Lester Gochey. Anita was born July 16, 1940,in Winsted, daughter of the late Ivan and Irene (Dulude) King.
Anita was well known throughout the Northwest Corner. She worked for many local businesses and organizations. Anita worked at the Rexall Drug Store, C.A. Lindell and Sons, Bob’s Clothing, Brooks Pharmacy, and the Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the cafeteria.She used her skills in calligraphy to complete the record books for the North Canaan Congregational Church.Anita’s daughter remembers her as being very creative with cardboard, and a loving mom.
Anita is survived by her son Raymond Gochey and his fiancee’ Chris Filkins of Hinsdale, Massachusetts; and her daughter Michele O’Brien of Sharon. She is also survived by her sister Denise Warner of Torrington and her brother Arthur King of Danbury. Her three grandchildren, Kyle Gochey of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Cody O’Brien of Georgia, and Sabrina O’Brien of Falls Village. Anita was predeceased by her brother, Martin King.
A Celebration of Anita’s life will be held on Saturday June 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. Canaan, CT 06018.
Graham Corrigan
PINE PLAINS — Community Day returns to Pine Plains on June 13, reviving a tradition last celebrated in 2023 during the town’s bicentennial celebration.
The event’s return has been spearheaded by an ad hoc group of residents led by Lenora Champagne, Jeanne Valentine-Chase, Lisa Agnelli, Joan Taylor, Helene Marsh and others.
Champagne and Valentine-Chase, who are on the town’s Beautification Committee, said they recruited volunteers to help organize it, realizing that Community Day is a big undertaking. “It was clearly a bigger project than what that committee could take on,” said Champagne. “So we turned to people who’d been involved in previous Community Days.”
The community was up to the task. Some of the entertainment will be familiar: live music will fill the air, local businesses and nonprofits will set up booths along Main Street, and the Graham-Brush House will host fiddlers and reenactments.
New additions to Community Day abound, too: a 31-vendor market will set up shop by the Catholic church on Poplar and Church Street. The market will host makers offering sourdough bread, artisanal jewelry, and everything in between. The Pines, a historic Victorian inn on Maple Street, will open its doors for tours as well.
This year’s Community Day is also offering an eye-popping amount of complimentary experiences, for kids and adults alike. First there’s a free breakfast hosted by Pine Plains Fire Company. Free raffle tickets are on offer, with the chance to win prizes like gift certificates to local businesses like Chaseholm Farm and Factory Lane Automotive — or fruit trees donated by Full Circus Farm. There’s a free scavenger hunt to work up an appetite, and free lunch from local restaurants to sate it — all chased down with a postprandial stroll through the free corn maze.
“There ought to be something of interest for everyone,” Champagne said. “We’re really curious to see what people enjoy.”
Town Councilwoman Jeanine Sisco is the group’s liaison to the town. She’ll also be the one “collecting garbage and schlepping benches.”
“We did Community Day for years,” Sisco said. “But sometimes people just didn’t step up. We’re hoping this will be the start of doing it every year.”
The goal, Sisco says, is to bring people in to town. All the people: generational locals and weekenders alike. “We want to bring all those folks into a united venue to get to know what’s going on in town, and revitalize the spirit of community.”

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Leila Hawken
AMENIA — The Water Committee is exploring options to allow municipal water customers to pay their bills online and by credit card.
Responding to customer interest in additional payment options, the committee discussed potential billing software upgrades during its regular meeting Wednesday, June 3.
Town Billing Clerk Nancy Nowak presented information from Muni-Link of Bellwood, Pennsylvania, a cloud-based billing company that serves municipal utilities.
“This software is so much better,” Nowak said. “It is similar to what we have now, but it’s easier.”She added that the company works with four credit card processors.
Initial set-up cost for the system is estimated at $12,000, Nowak said, with an additional monthly charge of $650. Current administration costs for billing stands at $138 monthly for the town.
“But you would be getting twice as much service,” said Water Committee chairman Bill Flood, comparing the proposed streamlined billing system to the present one.
Nowak had explained that the current system provides limited account management capability, leaving much input to be done by hand. She reported also that over the years, customers have asked for the convenience of emailed billing and on-line payment.
For those water district customers who lack computer capability or who prefer to pay in person, there would still be the option for mailed billing.
The committee agreed to continue to explore the option, gathering additional information, before presenting a proposal to the Town Board.
In other discussion, Flood announced that the prefabricated pump house building is expected to be installed at the Lavelle Road site in the fall. The foundation is ready to accept the new structure.
A program to replace non-working water meters is progressing with VRI Environmental Services, the town’s water operator, having sent out 20 postcard notices. In response so far, 13 meters have been replaced.
In final action, the Water Committee agreed to meet quarterly, rather than the current monthly schedule. Special meetings will be scheduled as needed.
Millerton News
SHARON — Susanne Cecilia Berberoglu, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on May 14 surrounded by the love of her family.
Born on Fe 13, 1951, in New Milford, Susanne lived a life filled with warmth, adventure, compassion, and dedication to those she loved.
A graduate of Brookfield High School, Susanne went on to work as a travel agent, a career perfectly suited to her adventurous spirit and love of discovering the world. She especially cherished her travels to Australia, London, and Hawaii, creating memories that she carried throughout her life.
Susanne had a lifelong passion for antiques and found joy in collecting and appreciating beautiful pieces filled with history and character. She was also deeply devoted to her beloved Boston Terriers, whom she lovingly raised and cared for over many years. Her home was always filled with warmth, laughter, and the companionship of the dogs she adored.
Above all else, Susanne treasured her family. She is survived by her devoted husband of 54 years, Tayfun Berberoglu Sr.; her loving daughter, Jennifer; her son, Tayfun Berberoglu Jr.; and her cherished granddaughters, Faora and Sybella. Her love, kindness, strength, and gentle spirit will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew her.
Susanne will be remembered for her caring nature, adventurous soul, and unwavering love for her family, friends, and animals. Her memory will continue to inspire all whose lives she touched.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Millerton News

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