Tonsils, eating Nightshade; fire chief charged

July 20, 1933

‘About Millerton’; Little Morton Block had his tonsils removed last Friday at Vassar Hospital.

The two-year-old daughter of Samuel Miles was taken ill Sunday. It was found that she had been eating nightshade berries. Dr. Richardson was called and the baby is fully recovered.

July 18, 1974

‘Chief, Fireman Charged with Arson in Copake’; The fire chief and a fireman of the Craryville Fire Company were arrested and charged with third degree arson early Sunday Morning while fighting a blaze on Copake Lake…Six fireman [sic] received minor injuries in the blaze which leveled a large vacant building, former living quarters for employes [sic] of the Copake Country Club, located on an island in Copake Lake, and connected by a bridge to the mainland…It was the third fire at the club in six weeks. While the golf course remains open, the club is not operating…Shortly after the fire was discovered, at least three residents reported seeing a car speeding from the scene. One obtained a partial license plate number and others provided general descriptions of the vehicle.

‘Millerton Board Faced with Community Problems’; Ed Dwyer, who runs the concession at the Denney Memorial Pool, told the Board that the food stand had been broken into twice and boxes of candy and soda were taken…Some citizens expressed concern over the addition of a barbed wire fence around the Dingle property on Park Street. Gene Brooks said, “It’s the kind of action that takes away from the quality of the community.” Ha asked if there was “any kind of diplomacy the Village can engage to make the parties concerned change their attitudes.” He said it naked the “further deterioration of social attitudes in the community.”

Deputy Sheriff Briggs said that he has asked people if they wish to sign a complaint for criminal trespass, but no one will sign.

Martha Dingle told The News this week that the fence was “to keep kids from riding their bikes across the lawn, tearing up the hedge, and bouncing the basketball against the side of the house.”

She said that she and her husband, Roy, had put up a small plastic fence to protect the hedge until it grew up , but children knocked it down. Keep Off The Grass signs did not work either. She said they had tried reasoning with the children, and had spoken to their parents, but that did not deter them from trespassing…The fence is placed 18 inches onto their property. She said that no one should get hurt on the fence “unless they are fooling around on it.”

Concern was shown over the return of XX-rated movies to the Millerton Theater. Gene Brooks said, “I’m not against X-rated movies, but families and children have no opportunity to participate. All I ask for is a little equal time.”

Mayor Anderson told The News Wednesday morning that he had contacted the Victory Theaters Corporation which owns the Millerton Theater and was promised that…films would be shown from that week until mid-August. After that, he said, the Theater Corporation plans to keep to its original agreement with the Village, splitting the week between GP and XX-rated movies.

July 15, 1999

‘NE Town Board Calls Mining Proposal ‘Unacceptable’; North East – The Town Board unanimously voted last Monday to make a written statement regarding a gravel mine proposed by the Palumbo Block Co. for the Boston Corner area, and deemed the mine unacceptable.

Henry Klimowicz, a member of the Taconic Valley Preservation Alliance, lives near the proposed mine, which would be one mile north of White House Crossing in Ancram. He said his group was interested in preventing the gravel mine on the so-called Neer property, which was once a farm. He said the mine would extract gravel for 20 years.

Mining would be scheduled six days a week and 11 hours per day, according to Mr. Klimowicz.

The mine would be located in a very scenic area, between Route 22 and the future site of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. The mine would be only 700 feet from the trail. In fact, it would be 73 acres in area and could reach depths of 70 feet, Mr. Klimowicz said….

Taconic Valley Preservation Alliance member Charlotte Hartman said 2 million tons of gravel would be removed if the mine is approved. She said the draft environmental impact statement indicated that engineers did not know where the water was actually located. She said the DEIS mentioned “an inferred water table.”

A public hearing by the Department of Environmental Conservation at the Ancram Fire House is planned for July 20 at 7:30 p.m.

“This is our one and only opportunity to tell DEC: ‘you had better look at this’”, Ms. Hartman said. “This is where we live. This is our only chance.”

‘Webutuck Students Place Well At DCC Competition’; Webutuck — Three students at Webutuck High School won top honors in the Dutchess Community College high school architectural design competition June 24.

John Francese took second place out of a field of 40 participants. He was awarded a certificate and $150. Isaac Lopez also received a certificate and $100 for third place. Ryan McEnroe was presented with a certificate and a sketch pad for placing fifth.

Mr. Francese and Mr. Lopez designed a site plan for a new house using computer software. Mr. McEnroe used a drawing board. All the students are enrolled in John Roccanova’s architectural drafting class at Webutuck. All the projects were based on original designs….