Wins at home

The Webutuck boys’ varsity soccer team hosted Pine Plains on Wednesday, Sept. 30, for a game that ended with another 2-1 Webutuck win.
Photo by Joe Bartlett


The Webutuck boys’ varsity soccer team hosted Pine Plains on Wednesday, Sept. 30, for a game that ended with another 2-1 Webutuck win.
Millerton News
Hector Pacay Landscaping, LLC. Residential & Commercial. Tree service, Painting, Masonry, Stone Walls, Lawn Mowing, Gardens, Construction. 845-636-3212. CT and NY.
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 illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based 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, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination
Carpenters Wanted: Local established company looking for qualified carpenters. Segalla's TurnKey Housing, LLC is looking for a few carpenters with varying levels of expertise to join an established team. Must be able to work well with others performing a varied list of tasks from siding and framing to finish trim. Competitive wages, 401K, paid holidays, vacation and health insurance offered. Please contact us at 860-824-0019.
Wanted: a mechanic to service my small Husqvarna Z254F zero-turn lawn mower. I'm in Lakeville. 860-435-2660.
Full-time Warehouse and Office positions available in Sharon, CT. We're looking for dependable, self-motivated individuals who are ready to work and take pride in doing a good job. Pay is $22 to $30 an hour, depending on experience. Applicants must have reliable transportation, be dependable and on time every day, be self-motivated and able to work independently, have a positive attitude and good work ethic. Interested? Call Mike or Greg at 800-245-8222 for more information.
ESTATE SALE 76 Factory St. Salisbury, CT. Furniture, Rugs, Household items, Art, Books, & More. Friday-Sunday October 9, 10, 11. 9-3 pm. No Early Birds.
ESTATE AND FAMILY TAG SALE 27 Indian Mountain Rd, Lakeville. Saturday, October 10, 8 am-4pm. Rain Date, October 11. Lots of arts and crafts supplies plus artwork old and new, jewelry, games, household items, and furniture. Many items are one of a kind. Everything priced to sell. Cash, Venmo, and credit/debit cards accepted. Easy parking.
2 Bedroom House. Millerton, NY. Quiet. 4 miles from town. No Dogs. $2400 monthly, plus utilities. 518-567-8277.
Leila Hawken
Awaiting the start of the planning event for the sixth annual Troutbeck Symposium (2027) were Owen Schnepf, a Junior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, speaking with Judy Bucklin, a history and philosophy teacher at Arlington High School in New York.
AMENIA — Since it began in 2021, the Troutbeck Symposium has been true to its vision to connect schools, educators, artists, historians and cultural institutions throughout New York and Connecticut. Key to the program is helping students engage in primary-source research into a slice of history that excites their curiosity, telling forgotten local stories or piecing together those that were under-recorded.
Symposium organizers held an interactive planning session for the 2027 event on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Troutbeck Conference Center in Amenia. Invited were educators from area public and independent schools, historians, artists, historical societies, museums and others who could spark creative ideas toward the presentations to be featured at next year’s event.
Collaboration that brings independent school students and educators together with strong public school programs in a common experience is one of the consistent strengths of the program now in its sixth year, explained Troutbeck owner Charlie Champalimaud.
Continuing his commitment to the goals of the annual symposium since its inception, Hasan Kwame Jeffries attended the planning event. Jeffries is an Associate Professor of History in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University in Columbus.
Jeffries teaches courses including Civil Rights and the Black Power Movement, all directly connected historically with Troutbeck where important progress was made toward the formation of the NAACP, an effort that took decades to bring about.
During an interview before the start of the planning event, Jeffries spoke of the program’s expansion, measured by standard metrics of success like numbers of participating school and students and their projects. Over the years, harder to quantify but observable, has been the students’ educational growth as they created their presentations.
Stressing that progress has been brought by a host of people, Jeffries said that the ultimate goal of the symposiums has always been toward creating a replicable model that can be distributed and adopted by school districts throughout the U.S. A packaged symposium model is easier to find funding for.
Michael Morand, Director of Community Engagement at Yale’s Beinecke Library, has been active with the symposium since its beginning. He spoke of the existing commitment and relationship between Yale and northwestern Connecticut. He said that students often visit New Haven to do archival research for their projects, looking at original documents.
Owen Schnepf, a Junior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, said that his team of six students is planning to create a short film for the 2027 symposium, exploring the topic of women in the whaling industry. To gather information for the film project, the students will visit Mystic Seaport for research and interviews with historians.
“We are asking students to become historians,” Troutbeck owner Charlie Champalimaud said in opening the event.
“No one knows what the next step in education will be,” said Rhonan Mokriski, history teacher at Salisbury School, looking ahead to an age of A.I. Mokriski played a large part in the founding of the Symposium project.
“You know the stories; they are out there,” Mokriski told the students.
“Why is this important,” asked Prof. Jeffries. “It is not just to study history, it is to become historians.”
“What is democracy,” Jeffries asked the students. “It is knowledge and access to knowledge. Democracy means asking the difficult questions, learning about the past; how we came to be here at this particular time. History is important to self-governing. History is where the knowledge is.”
“How far can we go as a country,” Jeffries asked. “Look at the aspects of the past that make us uncomfortable in our present.”
“We are preparing kids to lead in the future,” Jeffries said of the symposium.
“We’re taking the classroom out of the schools,” Jeffries said, speaking of the value of students visiting a cemetery, or researching in archives or interviewing someone in South Carolina as students have done, using Zoom. “That’s when rich learning takes place.”
The 2027 Troutbeck Symposium will be held Wednesday, April 28 through Friday, April 30. For information, go to www.troutbeck.com.

Nathan Miller
Exterior conditions at the site of a planned supermarket in Millerton remain unchanged since this summer.
MILLERTON — Plans to open a supermarket in the former Millerton Fresh Market location have been delayed again as co-owner Chris Choe prioritizes renovations at Sharon Farm Market in nearby Sharon, Connecticut.
Choe said on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that he no longer expects to open the Millerton store by Thanksgiving, a target date he announced in June.
He said plans for the renovation of the Sharon Farm Market on North Main Street in Sharon have pushed back the Millerton store’s opening.
“We want to finish Sharon first,” Choe said. “We’ll finish soon and then we’ll come here.”
The overarching plans surrounding the Millerton store are largely unchanged since this summer, when Choe first explained his plans to revamp Sharon Farm Market before carrying on with work in Millerton. Pending work in Millerton includes a replacement parking lot, new floors, bathrooms, a ceiling and furniture.
Choe and his wife, Kim, purchased the site of Millerton Square Plaza in November 2024. The pair then secured approval in April 2025 for renovations to the site including outdoor seating, exterior greenspace, changes to the parking lot and the building’s facade that have yet to materialize.
The first update on the store’s status this year came in June, when Choe estimated the supermarket would be open by Thanksgiving. Currently, the opening date is uncertain.
Among the planned renovations at Sharon Farm Market, Choe said, are replacement shelves, but he didn’t provide further details of the extent of the renovation or his estimated timeline.
Other changes at Sharon Farm Market include the departure of Jam Food Shop, a prepared foods vendor that occupied a counter and kitchen in the supermarket until Oct. 3.
Choe has brought in chef Michael Marineau to operate the kitchen following Jam Food Shop’s departure. According to his biography, Marineau has 36 years of culinary experience, trained at the Culinary Institute of America and specializes in Italian cuisine. Choe said a soft opening is expected this week, with a grand opening planned for November.
Choe alluded to the extent of the renovations planned for Sharon Farm Market without diving into specifics. He called attention to the age of the store and its interior.
“It’s a 17-year-old store,” Choe said. “We’re going to fix it.”
The business owner is also still working toward the sale of a store he opened in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2025. Choe said he is in talks with interested buyers but has not yet reached a deal.
Addressing questions about funding, Choe said he is still negotiating with the potential investor that is interested in partnering to overhaul the Millerton market.
The other storefronts in the plaza — the former homes of Riley’s Furniture and a liquor store — will also need occupants, but Choe said he’s in talks with prospects for those spaces.
Choe reiterated his commitment to plans for the Millerton store.
“We’re going to finish it up here,” Choe said. “Then stepping in with new life.”

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Nathan Miller
Schuyler Houis
MILLERTON — A North East man accused of selling fentanyl and crack cocaine from his home was arrested Friday, Oct. 2, following an undercover investigation by the Dutchess County Drug Task Force.
Schuyler Houis, 40, was arrested after agents searched his home at 17 State Line Road and seized narcotics, according to a statement released Monday, Oct. 5, by Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi.
Task force agents purchased fentanyl and crack cocaine from Houis on multiple occasions during the investigation, according to the statement. Investigators allege he transported narcotics from Waterbury, Connecticut, to sell at his North East home.
Agents searched the home with assistance from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and a Poughkeepsie joint SWAT team. Houis was arrested at the scene and arraigned in Town of North East Court on charges of sale and possession of a controlled substance.
He was released following arraignment and is awaiting further court proceedings. Additional charges involving the sale and possession of controlled substances are pending, according to the statement.
“No part of Dutchess County is immune from the devastating impact of illegal drugs,” District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in the statement. “This investigation demonstrates that geography will not provide protection to those who bring dangerous drugs into Dutchess County for sale.”
Debra A. Aleksinas
Dutchess County residents are buying heating oil in smaller quantities, spreading payments over the year and turning to firewood as rising prices put pressure on household budgets and heating-assistance programs.
New York’s average heating-oil price reached $6.16 a gallon in the state, according to the state’s Research and Development Authority’s Sept. 28 survey. That’s up nearly 66% from the same week last year, when a gallon cost $3.73.
A 200-gallon delivery at that price costs about $1,232, compared with $746 a year ago — an increase of about $486.
Assistance dollars stretched thin
New York residents can apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides assistance with home energy needs for low income, older individuals and families. HEAP services include financial assistance with fuel bills and referrals for weatherization service.
Basic heating benefits ranged from $400 to $900 last year, depending on an applicant’s living situation and heating method.
For those seeking longer-term fixes, New York’s Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit provides $4,000 to repair or $8,000 to replace furnaces, boilers, or other essential heating equipment.
There’s also the Clean and Tune Benefit, which offers up to $500 to improve energy efficiency in the home. That could mean chimney cleaning, minor repairs, installation of carbon monoxide detectors, or programmable thermostats.
Eligibility depends on household income and size or participation in qualifying public-benefit programs. Dutchess County residents can check their eligibility at myBenefits.ny.gov or by calling the Dutchess County Department of Social Services at 845-486-3250.
Across the border in Cornwall, Connecticut, Rebecca Hurlburt, the town’s social services director and municipal agent for the elderly, said her biggest concern this heating season is how little fuel residents’ assistance will buy.
Cornwall’s Food and Fuel Fund helps low-income and vulnerable town residents pay for heating, utilities and other emergency needs.
The fund is supported by state grants Hurlburt applies for and monetary donations, she said.
The local allowance remains $1,400 per household for the season, according to Hurlburt. At $6 a gallon, that buys about 233 gallons of heating oil per year.
“The allotment amount is going to disappear at $6 a gallon,” Hurlburt said. “I don’t know how people are going to do it between the rising cost of gas, heating oil and food. It definitely creates anxiety and insecurity.”
In previous years, Hurlburt said, she might have been able to tell a client twice a year, “I’ll fill your tank.” Now, she may have to arrange smaller deliveries of about 100 gallons at a time.
“For me, the challenge is I can’t fill a tank anymore,” she said. “A 300-gallon tank, I can’t fill that.”
Hurlburt worries about what will happen as the winter progresses and assistance runs out.
“I really think people don’t get what’s going to happen this winter,” she said. “A month from now it could be worse. What happens when I run out?”
Cornwall has not seen a significant increase in residents seeking local assistance over the past three years, she said. She expects the heaviest demand between October and December, with the full impact of higher costs potentially becoming apparent in January.
Customers change how they buy
Local fuel dealers are already seeing changes in how customers purchase and budget for heat.
At Klebe Fuel Co. in Winsted, Connecticut, Operations Manager Gerry Greco said participation in the company’s budget program is up about 10% from last year.
The company’s Flex-Pay plan divides estimated annual heating costs into 11 equal monthly payments, helping customers avoid large bills when oil is delivered.
“We are having a lot more people go on budget programs,” Greco said.
For customers with limited or fixed incomes, he said, spreading out the expense can make payments more manageable. “They don’t have to come up with $1,000 to $2,000” at one time.
Greco said the company has also received more calls since Oct. 1 as colder weather approaches. Some customers have asked about smaller deliveries, although the company’s minimum is 100 gallons.
At Warren Valley Oil & Propane, which serves Litchfield County, co-owner and operator Ryan Curtiss said the company became busier earlier than usual this year.
Customers interested in price protection should contact their fuel supplier for current offers, including the price per gallon, contract duration, minimum purchase and any fees.
“We are definitely seeing a mix,” Curtiss said. Some customers are taking minimum 100-gallon deliveries rather than filling their tanks while hoping prices will fall.
The market has been unusually volatile, Curtiss said, with prices sometimes moving 30 or 40 cents during a day before settling at a different level.
“It’s been very tricky for customers to try to identify the bottom as it has been for us to price it,” he said.
At Jasinski Fuel Service in Harwinton, owner Johnnie Jasinski said customers are similarly watching their wallets, particularly those living on fixed incomes.
“Right now, with the price of heating oil trending toward the higher side, they’re scared,” Jasinski said.
“I tell people, if you don’t need it, don’t buy it,” Jasinski said, explaining that he watches the market and will call customers when he sees prices moving lower.
Turning to wood for supplemental heat
Higher heating-oil costs are prompting some homeowners to turn to firewood for supplemental heat. A cord of firewood goes for between $150 and $300 in Dutchess County, depending on the source and willingness to pay for kiln-dried firewood. If used with an occasional fireplace, a standard home will use between one and two cords over a full winter.
At Slate Ridge Farm in Sharon, owners Chris Andrews and Chelsea Weintraub said their firewood business is experiencing its busiest season in the three years they have been selling wood.
Normally, Andrews said, the peak buying season runs from October through December. This year, customers began placing orders in June, July and August.
“This year it started earlier,” Andrews said, noting that one returning customer bought three times the usual amount of firewood, something the business had not seen in previous years.
Slate Ridge sells kiln-dried firewood for $690 a cord and seasoned firewood for $520 a cord. The wood is harvested from the 125-acre farm. Andrews said the kiln-dried price had been about $580 a cord before rising diesel and other operating costs pushed it higher.
Delivery is included in the per-cord price for customers in Sharon and nearby Amenia, N.Y. Deliveries elsewhere within the farm’s Northwest Corner service area cost an additional $30 per hour, Andrews said. Although he receives inquiries from across Connecticut, he limits deliveries to the local area.
The owners also supplement oil heat with firewood in their 1800s farmhouse.
“We use firewood to help supplement our own heating oil,” Weintraub said.
Andrews said several customers are converting to outdoor wood-burning furnaces, which heat water that is then circulated through a home. He estimated the systems can cost $15,000 or more.
Jasinski said he has also seen increased interest in firewood for supplemental heat, particularly following the July 4 storm that brought down trees in Harwinton and across the region.
“I know the price of oil is ridiculous,” Jasinski said, “but you have to be careful when the temperature drops below freezing.”
Madeline Park
U.S. rider Isabel Coxe navigates the fences in the Discovery Land Co. Grand Prix on Sunday, Oct. 4. The Grand Prix is a showjumping competition that sees riders clear 1.5 meter tall fences in a tight arena.
AMENIA — The Discovery Land Company Masters returned to Keane Stud for the third year, drawing top horses and riders from all over the world.
Located at the top of Depot Hill Road is Keane Stud — an equestrian facility on which the Discovery Land Company Masters was held over the course of five days. Riders competed in showjumping classes ranging from 1 to 1.5 meters.
The biggest of the weekend — the 1.5 meter Discovery Land Company Grand Prix — is rated at a 3-star difficulty level by the Federation Equestre Internationale, the governing body of equestrian sports. Competitions of this level draw equestrians and their horses from all over the world, and the Masters is no different, with riders from Panama, Egypt, Israel, and more.
Horses are flown in and stable on site, with a number of them opting to stay the week in between the Masters and the Highlands Cup — also hosted by DLC at Keane Stud on the following weekend, Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.
The show also boasts riders from across the country, many making the trek from equine hub Wellington, Florida, including Kent Farrington. Farrington took home the $116,500.00 pot after winning the Discovery Land Co. Grand Prix jump off, with a blazing time of 34.23 seconds, on his horse Rexton. Second and third places were claimed by the U.S.’s Sloane Coles and Jaqueline Ruyle.
Alongside the competition, the Masters boasts an array of shops, art, and places to sit and enjoy the show. The shopping section is arranged alongside the back end of the arena, complete with a concession tent and a picnic area, where guests can pay $50 to enjoy the competition ringside, and a free kids area with a bounce house, face painting and pumpkin painting.
The shops are wide ranging in wares — boutique clothing and accessories, home goods, tack and equestrian essentials. One vendor, Natasha Tarasov, has had a pop up of her tack shop The Horse Connection in attendance at every Masters since the first in 2024.
Based in Bedford, New York, Natasha has been running the shop for 30 years. “This year has been a great experience” Tarasov said. “they’ve really blown it out of the park.”
She echoed a number of other shop owners in their praise of the Masters, especially Millbrook’s own Jessie Smith, coordinator of the event and owner of local pop up The Fizzy Filly. Tarasov voiced her thankfulness to the event for bringing in local tack vendors in an era where small tack shops are rapidly disappearing.
“I’ve been super lucky,” Tarasov said. “I have a great customer base, and I’m not going anywhere.”
There was also an installation of art within an enclosed gallery, at the event for its second year, curated by Brendan Murphy and advised by upstate New York-based Aphra Williams.
“I am blown away by the organization,” Williams said. “Everyone has been so lovely, and it’s been a lucrative weekend.”
Silo Ridge’s charity, the Silo Ridge Community Foundation, will receive portions of the proceeds from the artwork and auctioning of a 15-foot-tall bear sculpture resting atop the hill between the barn and the arena.
Meandering through the shops and grounds, two people stood out more than anyone else. The Hudson Valley’s own Pierre the Mime and Meatball the clown brought a comedic air to the event.
A Sunday exclusive, the pair played pranks on unsuspecting attendees, with Pierre tickling the unaware with a feather, and Meatball donning a loud Scottish Brogue.
“It’s my first time at a horse show, it’s been a lot of fun,” Meatball, who has been clowning since 2011, said. “Good kids and a quiet mime”.
Pierre proved difficult to interview solo, but a representative on site translated for the mime. The representative said Pierre had also never been to a horse show, but was delighted by how playful everyone was. A mime about town, Pierre has worked with the Ringling Bros., John Oliver, and the Kardashians, and has spent decades with the Big Apple Circus in the Clown Care Program. Before the Grand Prix class at the end of the day, Pierre could be seen entertaining riders during the course walk, popping between fences and galloping around like he was meant to be jumping the fences himself.


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

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