Demonstrating one of the ways to carry an injured animal or pet was Paul McNamara, DVM, Chief of Surgery at the Dutchess Highlands Veterinary Group in Hopewell Junction. The program on Pet First Aid drew a large audience to the Amenia Town Hall on Wednesday, June 5.
AMENIA — Pet First Aid is essential knowledge for any person who cares for an animal and it is best to know in advance what to do in a stressful emergency.
On Wednesday, June 5, a two-hour class detailed Pet First Aid applications described by Paul S. McNamara, DVM, Chief of Surgery at Dutchess Highlands Veterinary Group in Hopewell Junction.
“The informational class was designed to help pet owners be a bit better prepared,” Dr. McNamara said.
The program was sponsored by the Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County (MRC) and the Dutchess County Animal Response Team (DCART). In addition, the local Top Dog 4-H Club was collecting pet food for the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue. Representing the club was Maddie Santori, president.
While the program was free, the 150 participants who registered for the program were asked to donate pet food, and many did.
Speaking on behalf of the Medical Reserve Corps, Dr. McNamara said that the organization is full of people who serve during a crisis, working alongside EMS personnel. He added that DCART is now working with MRC at a community-wide level.
Dr. McNamara additionally provides training in tactical first aid for the canine partners in military or law enforcement applications where emergency first aid is often required.
Drug-sniffing dogs are at risk if they inhale substances, McNamara noted. Two milligrams of fentanyl, a tiny amount, is sufficient to kill the animal, he said.
“Every person should carry Naloxone,” he advised.
The class covered recognition and treatments including pet CPR, heat stroke, hypothermia, gastrointestinal issues, allergies, poisonings, burns, eye issues, injuries, wound care, and more.
“Never initiate CPR unless you determine first that no pulse exists,” Dr. McNamara said.
Awareness of your pet’s behaviors and personality is key to knowing when something is off, Dr. McNamara said.
“How does your pet act or look normally,” is a question to ask in determining the presence of a problem.
A first aid kit for your pet is an essential accessory to have on hand. Only include items that you know how to use, Dr. McNamara advised, adding that including the animal’s medical history is a great idea. Always include a muzzle, no matter how docile your pet is usually.
Never feed your pet chocolate, grapes, raisins, or chewing gum, toxic both to dogs and cats.
“Nine grapes will kill a standard poodle,” Dr. McNamara cautioned.
The program was organized by Wendy Cady, Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator for the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response. Volunteers are welcome to pursue medical or non-medical training to help in responding to a range of disasters. Pets and other animals are often victims needing attention.
Millerton News
NOTICE OF DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS IS HEREBY GIVEN TO ALL ENROLLED DEMOCRATIC VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF PINE PLAINS THAT A MEETING OF SAID ENROLLED VOTERS WILL BE HELD ON
Saturday, the 6th day of June, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Pine Plains Community Room located at 7775 S. Main St., 2nd floor, Town of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York for the purpose of selecting and nominating candidates for the following positions to be voted on at the General Election to be held on NOVEMBER 3, 2026:
Town Supervisor - 2 year term
Town Justice - 4 year term
and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting. May 26, 2026.
Meeting called by
Jim Petrie, Chair
Democratic Committee
Town of Pine Plains, NY
05-28-26
TOWN OF AMENIA PLANNING BOARD NOTICE OF
PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Chapter 105 of the Town of Amenia Code, the Planning Board of the Town of Amenia will hold a public hearing on the application by Patrick O’Leary (the “Applicant”) for a lot merger and lot line revision consisting of eliminating lot CM-3 and distributing the acreage among Lots CM-I, CM-2, CM-4, and CM-5 in the Silo Ridge Field Club, located at tax parcel 132000-7266-00- 652906, 650896, 649886, 650877, and 653864 (the “Application”) on Club Meadow Drive in the Town of Amenia (the “Project Site”).
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Planning Board will hold the public hearing on the Application on June 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Amenia Town Hall, 4988 NYS Route 22, Amenia, New York 12501.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a copy of the Application is on file in the Amenia Planning Board Office for public viewing and inspection during normal business hours. The Application can also be viewed and downloaded from the Town’s official website at www.ameniany.gov.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Planning Board will hear all persons interested in the Application at the public hearing noticed herein. All persons may appear at the hearing in person or by agent and may also submit written comments to the Planning Board at or prior to such hearing by emailing comments to Planning Board Secretary Judith Westfall at jwestfall@ameniany.gov.
Dated: May 21, 2026
Robert Boyles, Jr., Chairman Town of Amenia Planning Board
05-28-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Application for Authority of CHRISTINA GAST, LLC. App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/20/2026. Office location: Dutchess County. LLC formed in Florida. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: CHRISTINA GAST, LLC, 57 Sheffield Rd, Amenia, NY 12501. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
04-23-26
04-30-26
05-07-26
05-14-26
05-21-26
05-28-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of RHINE COMMONS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/24/2026. Office location: Dutchess County, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 316 Rhinecliff Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
04-23-26
04-30-26
05-07-26
05-14-26
05-21-26
05-28-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC).
J. Kevin Webb, Attorney at Law, PLLC.
Articles of Org. were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) office on: 4/08/2026. The County in which the Office is to be located: Duchess. The SSNY is designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the PLLC is: 144 Skunks Misery Road, Millerton, NY 12546. Purpose: law.
04-30-26
05-07-26
05-14-26
05-21-26
05-28-26
06-04-26
Legal Notice
Notice of Formation of Theda and Charlessa Wellness Essentials, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on April 20, 2026. Office location: Dutchess County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Legal Zoom USCA, Inc. 45 Main Street, Suite 238 Brooklyn, NY 11201. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.
05-07-26
05-14-26
05-21-26
05-28-26
06-04-26
06-11-26
Millerton News
DENTAL ASSISTANT, Part Time: Tuesday to Friday, for exclusive private practice in Sharon, CT. Flexible schedule and hours, competitive salary. 860-364-0200, office@drnweeia.org.
Tech help needed: A collaboration of 7 local libraries is seeking 2 part-time digital navigators to provide digital and technical assistance to members of the community. 12 hours per week. Training provided. Competitive hourly rate. For more information, please use this link: cornwalllibrary.org/digital-navigator-position/ or call 860-672-6874.
Wyantenuck Country Club is seeking lifeguards: for our upcoming season. Lifeguard position starts end of May/mid June. Please call 413-528-0350 or email: jen@wyantenuck.org.
Detailed Cleaning: Spotless Spaces, Every Time: We specialize in rental turnovers and weekly home cleanings. Let’s make your space shine! 413-854-7417.
GARDENING: Spring and Fall Cleanup and Stone W alls. 845-444-4492.
Hector 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.
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 illegalto advertise any preference, limitation, or discriminationbased 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 publishing 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, lawfulsource of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
New 3 room apartment: Quiet area. Utilities included. $1500. 860-248-0056.
Lakeville, CT
TAG SALE Everything must go: Saturday, May 30 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Rain date: Sunday, May 31 9:00 am- 4:00 pm. 78 Indian Mountain Road, Lakeville, CT06039. PARK on the road only, driveway roped off. Everything priced to sell, china, high end women’s clothing, winter coats, linens, pottery, jewelry, handbags, household items. No early birds, please. Cash only.
Sharon, CT
The estate of Theodore Drumm: from Sharon. Being offered on Clearing House/Auction Ninja. May 24 to June 4. For information, Tommy 413-429-5572.
Nathan Miller
Voters also passed a resolution to purchase two new 72-passenger school buses.
AMENIA — Webutuck Central School District voters approved a 2026-27 budget on Tuesday, May 19, that triggers the district's first property tax increase in over five years.
The approved spending plan locks in a 1.35% increase to the tax levy. Under the new rate, property taxes will sit at approximately $8.77 per $1,000 of assessed home valuation. According to Webutuck Business Administrator Robert Farrier, a homeowner with a property valued at $200,000 can expect a total school tax bill of about $2,036 for the upcoming year.
That tax bump will cover a 4.45% increase in overall expenditures, largely driven by salary increases and health insurance costs.
Farrier said the district has multi-year agreements with labor groups that mandate increases to employee salaries, meaning those costs are predictable year over year. Salaries are set to increase by a total of $515,344 over last year’s budget, including special education positions that were added during the 2025-2026 school year.
Health insurance costs are projected to rise sharply next year. Farrier said he expects regular annual increases averaging 8% to 10% going forward.
In addition to the budget, voters also approved a bus purchase and reelected three incumbents to the school board.
Voters approved the purchase of two 72-passenger buses and a Bobcat UW56, a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle.
Judy Moran, Amy Wesley and Jerry Heiser were all reelected to the school board. The three incumbents ran unopposed for an additional three-year term on the board.
Superintendent Ray Castellani said the vote reflects a supportive school community. He thanked voters for coming out to the polls at Webutuck High School on Tuesday.
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Graham Corrigan
Stissing Mountain High School in Pine Plains.
PINE PLAINS — Voters in Pine Plains rejected the school district’s proposed budget Tuesday, May 19.
While the measure achieved a majority — the final count was 458-432 in favor — it failed to reach the 60% supermajority necessary after the district’s budget pierced the state tax cap.
The school district is now left with three options: put the same budget up and hope for better results, revise the budget, or adopt a contingency budget with deeper cuts. Another round of voting will take place on June 16. State election laws mandate that a public hearing on any new budget needs to happen the week of June 2-9.
The proposed budget represented a year-over-year expense increase of 5.34%, and a tax increase of 4.43%. Budgeted expenses totalled $40,778,791.
New York State limits school districts to a maximum tax levy increase of 2%. Proposed levies that exceed that rate require a 60% supermajority approval at the ballot box.
Budget cuts of $491,000 were already included in the proposed budget. Chief among the eliminations are two 5 p.m. bus routes, new equipment purchases, and elementary school enrichment programs.
If the board of education makes additional reductions to fall within the tax cap, a simple majority of 50% is needed to pass the budget.
For that to happen, the board needs to eliminate $290,569 in expenses, District Superintendent Dr. Brian Timm said.
A contingency budget is the harshest scenario. If the proposed budget fails again on June 16, the district will be forced to reduce the budget by another $945,789, for a total difference of over $1.2 million from the budget that failed to pass Tuesday.
“Certainly some things will be unpopular,” Timm said at a special session after the vote. “Where we are allowed to make our recommendations is in getting it to the tax cap, but the contingency budget is up to the board.”
Timm suggested having a revised budget ready for board discussion by May 26, and a public hearing June 9. Both meetings will be open to the public.
In other ballot news, incumbent James Griffin and Amie Buehler were elected to the two open school board seats. Voters also approved a measure to buy five new school buses, using funds from a previously-approved bus reserve.
Graham Corrigan
MILLBROOK — Millbrook Central School District had its proposed budget ratified Tuesday, May 19.
Residents voted 391-221 in favor of the $37,992,751 plan. It’s a year-over-year increase of 6.57%, and the tax levy will rise at a rate of 7.02%.
Millbrook’s budget does not exceed the allowed state tax rate — meaning the budget needed a simple majority to pass. While some program and staffing cuts are included, the district was able to avoid a contingency budget and the additional $1.5 million in cuts it would have necessitated.
The district is faced with rising insurance and transportation costs, and is still waiting on state aid from the to-be-determined New York budget. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a broad agreement on key priorities earlier this month, but state legislators filed for their twelfth budget extension last week.
The next year at Millbrook will include a number of capital projects aimed at repairing the school’s aging buildings. Leaks and roof damage have been a persistent problem at the school’s buildings, and a capital project fund transfer is set to address the damage.
Further down the ballot, Howard Shapiro and Chris Rosenbergen were both reelected to their Board of Education seats.
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.”
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