MILLERTON — A different kind of harvest has sprouted up in the village of Millerton and town of North East since Memorial Day than one typically sees in the northeastern Dutchess County community.
It’s a crop of more than 200 lawn signs calling for local support of the part-time Millerton Police Department (MPD), which is facing possible dissolution. The Village Board recently proposed Local Law B; if it’s adopted and ultimately passed by a mandatory referendum and future special election there will no longer be a local police force — but there will still be police coverage.
That’s because the village is considering hiring the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) to protect and patrol Millerton — but only the village — not the town of North East. Police services for those citizens would have to be sorted out by the Town Board.
If hired, the DCSO would set up a substation where the current MPD is located at the Village Offices on North Elm Avenue (Route 22).
A single deputy would serve during each shift, with three shifts rotating in the village 24/7, covering areas the board deems necessary. Residents and business owners have been invited to submit their thoughts on where patrols are most needed.
Facts and figures
The village is only 0.6 square miles, whereas the town is 43.7 square miles. Mayor Jenn Najdek and her trustees have argued the MPD spends much of its time patrolling the town when the village funds the majority of the MPD’s budget.
The MPD budget is partially funded by the town, which contracts with the village annually. It pays about 20% of the police force’s overall $90,000 budget; that amounted to $26,500 in 2022.
The village’s 2022 police contract expired on May 31. Najdek said “there have been times in past that we’ve continued to operate without a contract, so this isn’t saying we’re not going to work on this. The tricky thing is working with town because we’re on different fiscal cycles.”
The village’s fiscal year runs from June 1 to May 31 whereas the town’s fiscal calendar runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
Najdek said in the “near future” the town and village “will get together with our attorneys to work out a contract of sorts.”
If the village abolishes the MPD, the DCSO would only patrol the 0.6-square-mile section that comprises the village; the town would need its own contract with the sheriff’s office or another agency for police services.
Local Law B
The Village Board introduced Local Law B on May 24 with its attorney, Victoria Polidoro, present. She explained then the new law is very similar to the original, designed to dissolve the MPD.
The mayor explained on Friday, June 17, why the board opted to have a new law penned in lieu of pushing Local Law A through, which was never adopted.
“Because Local Law B is subject to a mandatory referendum and skips the petition process,” she said. “It goes directly to the ballot if it’s adopted. It goes directly to the ballot and then it’s voted on by registered voters of the village of Millerton.”
The mayor further explained that after the board schedules the requisite public hearing, and if it adopts Local Law B, it would have to post its plans to adopt the law in The Millerton News (its official newspaper). A special election would then have to be held within 10 and 60 days from when the legal notice is published.
Community feedback
Residents and business owners have been weighing in on the idea of disbanding the MPD ever since the idea of contracting with the DCSO was first presented by the village.
A village workshop was held on March 29; Acting Sheriff Kirk Imperati was on hand to speak about the services offered by the DCSO. The public was encouraged to attend and ask questions.
The village spent weeks reviewing all of those public comments and at meetings held since.
“After the public hearing and further discussion, enough people had come to the public hearing and the majority of the board talked about it and thought, let’s have our attorneys draft Local Law B,” said Najdek, who added she has no idea when the board will move forward with passing a resolution for the new local law. “Nope, that’s a hard ‘no.’ One of the things happening now, the board has a lot going on. We’re gearing up for our reorg meeting, we’re in the middle of grant season -— we have tons of grants we’re applying for — there are many things happening. So one of the things is to take a pause. I think the board on the whole needs to take a pause on this.”
Save the MPD Facebook Group
Not everyone is pleased about the prospect of there no longer being a local police force, which is a service not all communities enjoy. That’s why some community members from the village and town formed the Save the Millerton Police Department Facebook Group.
The group has even gone as far as getting hundreds of lawn signs made, which may be ordered by contacting the group via its Facebook page or by emailing Brian Wahl at savethemillertonpd@gmail.com. Signs promoting the group have been posted throughout the community.
The signs started popping up around the Memorial Day holiday on May 30.
Najdek has said one of the main reasons for wanting to do away with the MPD is due to the enormous concerns about liability if anything goes wrong while a police officer is on duty.
At this time, the village is already involved with three lawsuits. Potentially, the mayor said, if there were a costly lawsuit involving a police incident gone wrong it could bankrupt the village.
If Millerton decides to contract with the DCSO, the sheriff’s office would take on all of that liability, removing “100%” of the worry from the village, said the mayor.
MPD ‘loves’ support
MPD Officer-in-Charge Mike Veeder said on Wednesday, June 15, he and his force are very appreciative of those in Millerton trying to save the department.
“We love the support, we’re very, very blessed to have all the support we have from the community,” he said. “There’s a great deal of support for us and we appreciate [it].”
As far as what he learned from the public hearing process when the Village Board was trying to get Local Law A approved, Veeder described it as a learning process.
“There were things brought up that we can do better,” he said, adding if Local Law B gets pushed through and the board leans toward abolishing the MPD yet again, the officers might make a plan of their own. “We’re ready for a petition — we have it — and if that’s the way the board wants to go, we’ll do it.”
Stolen signs
Some of the Save the MPD lawn signs posted have recently been reported stolen. Though there’s no word on who’s responsible for the thefts, word of the stolen signs has made it to Village Hall and to the MPD, according to the Facebook group.
Najdek said she saw the group posted about the thefts on Facebook but didn’t know any more about it. Other than that, she said she preferred not to comment on the group’s campaign to save the MPD, other than to say that “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
The mayor added, “One of things that the village realizes in the village narrative, and we talked about this publicly, is we have not come out with our executive summary of this process yet, and that’s something that has to be worked out.”
Still get county & state coverage
If the village decides to contract with the DCSO and abolish its part-time force, the service would be in addition to the county-wide coverage the sheriff’s office already provides to all 22 towns and villages throughout Dutchess 24/7/365. Millerton/North East are included in its Zone 6.
Millerton/North East are also provided coverage by the New York State Police (NYSP) Troop K out of Salt Point 24/7/365. Both services are paid for through taxes.
Public vote will be needed
As the village attorney explained on May 24, Local Law B is subject to a mandatory referendum and contains language that it shall be voted on at a special election.
At this point of the year, Polidoro said that it would have to be done during a special election because it will be too late for the village’s general election, which was held on Tuesday, June 21, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Offices at 5933 North Elm Ave. (Route 22). Yet it’s too far from the General Election coming in November.
Michel Negreponte
‘Herd,” a film by Michel Negreponte, will be screening at The Norfolk Library on Saturday April 13 at 5:30 p.m. This mesmerizing documentary investigates the relationship between humans and other sentient beings by following a herd of shaggy Belted Galloway cattle through a little more than a year of their lives.
Negreponte and his wife have had a second home just outside of Livingston Manor, in the southwest corner of the Catskills, for many years. Like many during the pandemic, they moved up north for what they thought would be a few weeks, and now seldom return to their city dwelling. Adjacent to their property is a privately owned farm and when a herd of Belted Galloways arrived, Negreponte realized the subject of his new film.
“You know, I’ve never made a nature documentary,” Negreponte shared. “That’s not really my thing, but once I found myself in upstate New York during the pandemic, I made several short films about the environment, about the land around me. They were mini essays, meditations. One of them was about my dog. That kind of led me into this longer project, which I also call an essay film. I’d like to say it’s a personal essay film, and a meditation.”
Early in the film, with the background of a heartbeat as soundtrack, a quote comes across the screen explaining, “Cows are adagio. 65 to 75 beats per minute.” This deliberate slowing down of pace lends a quiet to the narrative and allows for profound reflections on themes of motherhood, community, and humanity’s place in the natural world. “I think that the subject matter and the cows asked for a particularly delicate and peaceful approach. That is their temperament and their pace, and I certainly appreciate the vibe they give out,” Negreponte added.
Filmed throughout 2022, the film is chronological, following the herd through an erratic winter and the seasons of birth and death.
“It’s a very organic process,” said Negreponte of his technique of editing while filming. “It’s a process that I’ve developed over many years of making films and it suits the way I work.”
Using one camera, long shots linger on the lumbering giants as they navigate harsh weather, calve their young, protect, fight, and play with one another. Negreponte filmed parts of his own body in moments, “breaking the fourth wall,” as he explained, a technique that adds to the intimacy.
Throughout the film, there are other clips interspersed that Negreponte calls, “archival sections,” though not all the footage is historical. There are images of Hitler juxtaposed with images of Ghandi. The hunting and eventual extinction of wild Buffalo in the American West, and images showing reverence for cows in ancient cultures. From the horrors of industrial farming and animal exploitation to the clear communication and collective consciousness present, “Herd” confronts the viewer with humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and compassion.
By inviting audiences to slow down and reconnect with the natural world, “Herd” serves as a timely reminder of the interconnectedness of all living beings.
Negreponte shared, “I can’t help but think that people may think twice about their eating habits. I certainly think we can do better and adjust our diets so we’re less cruel to the animals around us.”
The owners of the farm have decided that the cattle are now pets, due in large part to the effect that “Herd” has had on them. The cows will now be used primarily to fertilize the fields.
Submitted
Diego Ongaro
Parisian filmmaker Diego Ongaro, who has been living in Norfolk for the past 20 years, has composed a collection of films for viewing based on his unique taste.
The series, titled “Visions of Europe,” began over the winter at the Norfolk Library with a focus on under-the-radar contemporary films with unique voices, highlighting the creative richness and vitality of the European film landscape.
Ongaro has made two films himself. His second feature film “Down with the King” tells the story of a rapper who has come to recoup from career challenges on a farm in the Berkshires. Filmed on location in southwestern Massachusetts, it’s a beautiful movie with bucolic landscapes and moving performances by lead actor Freddie Gibbs.
The film premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (ACID section), won the top prize at the Deauville Film Festival, was released worldwide by Sony Pictures in 2022, and is currently available for viewing on Netflix. Prior to that, Ongaro’s first feature film "Bob and the Trees" had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Ongaro directed more than a hundred children’s programs for French Television in his early 20s and wrote and directed four acclaimed short films.
When asked how the idea for the series came about, Ongaro said, “Last year at the Norfolk Library I did a film series on the Berlin School, and the year before that it was on the French New Wave. I wanted to continue this cycle and offer a window on the cinema that I like.”
“Growing up in Paris, I’ve always had a diverse taste in cinema, watching American and French films, but also films from all over the world that allowed me to travel to places I’ll most likely never see. It was refreshing to see these stories anchored in different cultures. Now that I’ve been living away from native France for about 20 years, I gravitate mostly towards European cinema, probably seeking a culture and sensibility that I miss. A lot of these European films are incredible, offering complex characters and stories, unlike most of the American fare nowadays,” he adds.
The next and last installment happens Friday, April 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and features “Swagger” by Olivier Babinet.
So how did Ongaro curate the films for this series?
“I like to share films that reflect my sensibility as a filmmaker and that most people haven’t seen. I’ve traveled to a lot of film festivals over the years where I got to see many films. I try to find themes within the films that have stuck with me. I like to think of it as a cine club. This year, the three films are all very different from each other, but each have a unique voice and form: a nuanced drama on the Baltic Sea titled ‘Afire’ by Christian Petzold, a hilarious nonsensical comedy called ‘Keep An Eye Out’ by Quentin Dupieux, and a gripping and wonderfully original documentary on teenagers going to school in a difficult projects in France called ‘Swagger’ by Olivier Babinet,” he said.
There were many films that didn’t make the cut due to time constraints, but Ongaro also recommends, “Reality” and “Yannick” by Quentin Dupieux as well as “Jericho,” “Barbara,” “Undine by Christian Petzold.”
As to what the audience can expect from the evening, Ongaro says, “It’s a casual affair. I give an introduction to the film with some backstory and context, talk about the filmmaker, the actors, and then we watch the film. We don’t do question and answer after, we don’t really have time for that, but people linger and talk about what they have just watched. People come to me with questions or to hear my take on an ending, a character. It’s fun to see how engaged people are after each screening.”
Screenings are free. Register on www.norfolklibrary.org.
Young native pachysandra from Lindera Nursery shows a variety of color and delicate flowers.
It is still too early to sow seeds outside, except for peas, both the edible and floral kind. I have transplanted a few shrubs and a dogwood tree that was root pruned in the fall. I have also moved a few hellebores that seeded in the near woods back into their garden beds near the house; they seem not to mind the few frosty mornings we have recently had. In years past I would have been cleaning up the plant beds but I now know better and will wait at least six weeks more. I have instead found the most perfect time-consuming activity for early spring: teasing out Vinca minor, also known as periwinkle and myrtle, from the ground in places it was never meant to be.
Planting the stuff in the first place is my biggest ever garden regret. It was recommended to me as a groundcover that would hold together a hillside, bare after a removal of invasive plants save for a dozen or so trees. And here we are, twelve years later; there is vinca everywhere. It blankets the hillside and has crept over the top into the woods. It has made its way left and right. I am convinced that vinca is the plastic of the plant world. The stuff won’t die. (The name Vinca comes from the Latin ‘vincire’ which means ‘to bind or fetter.’) Last year I pulled a bunch and left it strewn on the roof of the root cellar for 6 months and the leaves were still green.
Disposal is by bonfire, the least desirable method, but in this case the only way of ensuring it does not return.
2024 will be the year I begin to take it out, with sporadic help from hired hands. While they tackle larger areas of the offending plant, I have started from the fringes of the woodland interior and am working outward. Frankly it is not as boring from here as the vinca is less packed into the soil. It is an oddly satisfying task; this has to do with the vine-like nature of the plant. There is a knobby bit tethered to the soil by its roots; once this is lifted up (I use fingers but Norm, who is working in denser beds of the stuff, uses a hori knife) the vine runs to its next root knob about a foot or two away. It feels as if you have progressed quite a bit for one big tug. The same technique can be used on Glechoma, or ground ivy, although the vines are far thinner than those of vinca. I should be working on this well into the next decade.
While nurseries and garden centers continue to push vinca, there are native groundcovers that look great and can help to restore native habitats. Michele Palustra runs Lindera, a small outfit in Sharon that prioritizes local ecotypes of natives, meaning that she collects the seed herself from surrounding property, ensuring that the plants growing from them will serve local insects well. Spreading Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium reptans, works in moderately shady circumstances, with its dense and deep green set of leaves and a truly beautiful pale purple or white flower. This plant comes to New England from south and west of the US but is hardy to zone 5. One of Michele’s favorites is native Allegheny pachysandra, Pachysandra procumbens.
Unlike the ever-present non-native Japanese pachysandra terminalis which is dying off thanks to Volutella blight, native pachysandra has a more delicate leaf and a showier flower. It is slower to spread than is the Japanese version but the use case is similar; as an underplanting around tree bases and to fill in around plantings in garden beds. I have recommended tiarella cordifolia as a pachysandra replacement for these purposes and suggest pairing either with a native fern such lady fern or maidenhair fern. Native ginger, asarum canadense, and the 200 or so native species of viola, or violet, work beautifully for groundcover; the former is excellent on hillsides where you can better see the shy burgundy colored flower, the latter spreads quickly which is a bonus and all sorts of insects feed on its flowers. Try to get the straight species of these native plants rather than a cultivar of them which may not benefit the habitat as well (this fascinating topic will be covered in the next installment of The Ungardener.)
I have purchased 50 plugs of Pennsylvania sedge, Carex pensylvanica, from the online consolidator Izel Native Plants to plant under cherry trees that have resisted any past attempts to have a downstairs neighbor. I also want to explore ways to encourage the growth of native moss which also makes an excellent groundcover.
Lindera, along with Tiny Meadow Farm, are having a pop-up spring sale in Sharon that I encourage you to visit. They will be selling truly gorgeous native plants including groundcovers.
This will take place Sunday, April 28 from 10-6 at Lindera Nursery, 60 Knibloe Hill Road in Sharon. www.tinymeadowfarm.com/events/spring-sharon-plant-sale.
Dee Salomon "ungardens" in Litchfield County.
