Tonsil surgery, bicentennial fatigue, anniversary

The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.

July 4, 1935

About Millerton

Ethel Loan has resumed her duties at Strong’s drug store after a week’s absence because of a tonsil operation.

July 1, 1976

N. Y. Will Operate Rudd Pond

New York State will be running the show and footing the bills at the Taconic State Parks at Rudd Pond and Copake Falls this summer, a state parks official said this week.

The State legislature has restored $876,000 to the executive budget for the operation of park facilities, John H. Kennedy, assistant manager of the Taconic State Park Region, said Tuesday.

He added that the legislature alloted an additional $125,000, half of the original $250,000 request, for the park operation program. This means that a total of $1 million of the $1.8 million first cut from the budget, has been restored.

The Town of North East successfully took over the operation of Rudd Pond during the summer of 1975 after the State unexpectedly closed the park.

The park at Rudd Pond “will be a 7-day a week operation,” said Kennedy. Swimming facilities will be open there daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. though Labor Day, Sept 6. Camping facilities will be open through Oct. 31

There may be a fee reduction at a certain period of the day Kennedy said, although he could not say when this price cut may be initiated.

Vehicle use fees are presently $2 a day at Rudd Pond. A tent platform campsite costs $3.50 a day. An unimproved ground site or a trailer site costs $3 a day.

Millerton Welcomes Bicentennial But Blasts Its Commercialism

Patriotic spirits are high in Millerton this week as the nation marks its 200th anniversary on Sunday, July 4.

However, a majority of residents polled this week said that the commercial exploitation of the Bicentennial clouded its historical and personal significance.

Twelve out of 14 people told The News that they were excited about the once-in-a-lifetime event, but 8 out of 14 charged that the Bicentennial was too commercial and not enough emphasis had been placed on the historical principles on which the United States was founded.

“I think more emphasis should be on historical things than fireworks, yelling and screaming, parades and that kind of stuff,” said Millerton Mayor John Hermans. “People look forward to it as a day off rather than think what this country stands for. The commercialization is a lot of hogwash... People should think back to who did what to make this country a little better.”

July 5, 2001

Anniversary Festival Set

MILLERTON — The village of Millerton is getting ready to celebrate its 150th anniversary in less than a month. A committee of volunteers has been working for nearly a year and one of the organizers, Bill Krasowsky, said the hard work is now paying off.

The celebration is scheduled for the first two weekends in August and will offer activities over a nine-day period.

“It’s loosely modeled after the successful Railroad Days in nearby North Canaan, Conn.,” Mr. Krasowsky said. But, he pointed out, the festivities are designed to promote what is uniquely Millerton.

The anniversary celebration will begin with an oldies party at the gazebo in Railroad Plaza on Friday night, Aug. 3.

“Joe Loverro of WOQQ will broadcast his show live,” Mr. Krasowsky said. The festivities will conclude on Saturday, Aug. 11, with a firemen’s parade, community picnic, music, classic cars and fireworks.

In between, there will be some 50 activities including walking tours of historic places in town, sidewalk sales, a Civil War encampment, World War II exhibit, lots of music and contests for young and old.

Music will include a battle of the bands for teens, the Housatonics barbershop quartet, the Salisbury Band and American standards during a live broadcast of WQQ’s “Those Wonderful Years.”

Historical events of note, in addition to the walking tours, include an antique cannon firing, a program on Millerton’s Hall of Famer Eddie Collins and an appearance by Poughkeepsie Journal editor and former Millerton News editor Meg Downey who will present a history of Dutchess County.