WPA projects, New Deal, pheasants, police

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

October 24, 1935

Bulk Of WPA Projects Left In Question

Albany Office Credits Dutchess With Only $45,658 Approvals

Approval of the bulk of Works Progress Administration projects for Dutchess County previously reported approved in press releases from Washington and involving the expenditure of more than $400,000, was left in doubt last week-end when the WPA office in Albany listed approvals amounting to only $45,658 for the county. Similarly, the Albany office credited approvals aggregating $4,745,048 for upstate New York, whereas the earlier word from Washington stated that a total of $7,535,365 would be spent in New York State outside New York City.

School Fire Drill Follows Village Siren

Students Believed Building Was Afire - Orderly Exit Made

By F. E. WOOD, Principal

The fire chiefs pulled a fast one on us last Monday when they rang the school fire gong just after the village fire whistle blew. The ringing was so well timed that we all thought the school building was on fire and it was a good test of the efficacy of our fire drills. The chiefs report that the exit was in no way marred by the excitement and that everything was left in shipshape. Now we are wondering if our chiefs are in ca-hoots with the village fire chief. This last drill was the eighth we have had this fall and completes our fall quota. There is no doubt but [sic] that we can empty this building in a short time and in good order, so now we will allow things to quiet down until next spring. when four more drills will be in order.

Woman Finds House Afire, Puts It Out

Finding an upstairs room of her home near Boston Corners in flames Monday afternoon at about 3 o’clock, Mrs. Mary Call practically extinguished the fire before assistance reached the scene. When the Millerton Fire Department and neighbors arrived they found her beating out the last of the smouldering fire. She was exhausted but uninjured. Her clothing was afire, her apron being nearly burned away.

Risk Attacks New Deal At G. O. P. Rally

MILLBROOK - Charles F. Risk, the Congressman who recently won election to the House of Representatives from the state of Rhode Island in a single-handed battle with the New Deal and thereby became nationally prominent almost over night, criticized policies of the Roosevelt administration before a large audience at Thorne Memorial Hall here last Wednesday night. Speaking at a rally sponsored by the Town of Washington Republican Club, Congressman Risk weighed repudiated pledges and broken promises of the New Deal against its planned accomplishments. The former, he found, by far out-weighed the latter.

October 28, 1976

Pheasants Released

The Millerton Gun Club has released 100 pheasants in the Northeast area. Each bird has a legband with the Gun Club name on it.

In order to keep apprised of the movement and condition of released birds, the Gun Club is offering three prizes of $15, $10 and $5.

Police Purchases Okayed; Halloween Curfew Oct. 31

Millerton’s village board spent about $650 on police-related items at the Monday, Oct. 25 meeting.

Board members approved a request of $500 to outfit the 3 village policemen. Chief Traver indicated his patched sleeves and David Decker the general worn out quality of his clothes to demonstrate the need for new uniforms.

The outfits purchased will be in a shade of brown.

Halloween Curfew

In another police related matter, the Board recognized Sunday, Oct. 31, as Halloween and set a curfew of 9 p.m. for that day. Additional police will be on duty during the celebration.

Auxiliary Police

Some confusion between the auxiliary and relief police was corrected at the meeting. The four men named in the 10-14 issue — Briggs, Brazelli, Fitte, and Harrison — will form a permanent relief roster. They will substitute for regular personnel in case of emergency. The relief men are paid for their services.

October 25, 2001

Arnoff Proposes Storage Facility In Town

MILLERTON — Arnoff Moving and Storage hopes to build and operate a 40,000-square-foot mini-storage and warehouse complex on a 3.7-acre parcel of land near the intersection of Route 22 and Main Street.

Arnoff currently operates a large storage, warehouse and moving company business out of its Lakeville location. That site has been in operation since 1923. The Millerton location, if built, would supplement the Lakeville operation, but the moving company operations would not be run at the new site.

The parcel of land is currently zoned residential, so for the project to move forward, the village will have to re-zone the property.

Company officials outlined their preliminary plans to the Millerton Village Board at the Oct 18 meeting. Those plans call for the construction of two buildings and the creation of what company officials called a “dead storage space” complex. The proposal calls for the construction of two 10,000-square-foot, two-story buildings.

Smoke At Antique Ctr.

MILLERTON — For a time, the venerable collectibles at the Antique Center on Main Street in Millerton were not the center of attention last Thursday. Instead, all eyes were on an old furnace at the well-known business.

Two fire companies rushed to the scene and another was placed on standby when smoke filled the large two-story building in the heart of the village.

The companies followed a pre-scripted response plan that the region’s mutual aid companies established for large buildings.