During their nature walk on Thursday, July 15, a group of children from the area stopped to inspect a snake skin that had recently been shed near Rudd Pond in Millerton.
Photo by Kristin McClune
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From left, young Hunter Conklin admired the turkey his grandfather, Millerton resident Larry Conklin, took at the start of the 2020 spring turkey hunting season. Photo submitted
HARLEM VALLEY — Since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the start of spring turkey season on Friday, May 1, hunters across the Harlem Valley have been coming out of the woodwork to talk turkey and prepare themselves for another exciting season hunting these wild birds.
According to the DEC website, New York state has two turkey hunting seasons: one in the spring and one in the fall. This year’s spring season began Friday, May 1, and runs through Sunday, May 31, leaving all of upstate New York north of the Bronx-Westchester County line open for turkey hunting. Hunting hours are restricted to one half-hour before sunrise to noon, and each hunter has a season bag limit of two bearded turkeys, or one bird per day.
Before going hunting for wild turkey, all individuals are required to have a turkey permit and a hunting license, both of which can be found on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov under Permits, Licenses and Registrations. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dutchess County residents could purchase hunting licenses at a variety of license issuing agent locations, such as local Town Halls. However, with such offices closed in response to COVID-19, hunters have been advised to purchase their licenses over the phone at 1-866-933-2257 or online at https://decals.dec.ny.gov/DECALSCitizenWeb/citizenhome.htm.
For residents ages 16 to 69, a hunting license costs $22 while those 70 and up and between the 12 and 15 pay a $5 fee. Non-residents 16 and up must pay a $100 fee, while non-residents between 12 and 15 pay $5. As for turkey permits, the resident fee is $10 for ages 12 and up, while the non-resident fee is $20 for ages 12 and up. Hunters must wait to receive their licenses, which can take 10 to 14 days to arrive via mail when purchased online, before hunting.
Since turkey reproduction in Dutchess County has remained fairly stable over the last few years, the DEC expects ample harvest opportunities for hunters this year, said Jeff Wernick from the DEC Press Office.
Among the rules for the spring turkey hunting season, hunters are required to take careful spur (referring to the talon on the back of the turkey’s leg), beard and weight measurements for reporting the turkeys they kill. Hunters are required to call 1-866-426-3778 or going online to https://decals.dec.ny.gov/ within seven days of their taking a turkey.
However, as local hunters pursue their game, the DEC has reminded them to exercise social distancing and follow the necessary health and safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The DEC has encouraged hunters to hunt close to home; opt for day trips instead of visiting a hunting camp; hunt alone; avoid crowds, high-traffic destinations and close contact with other hunters; carry hand sanitizer and avoid touching their faces; and to stay home if they are feeling unwell.
Yet even with more rules this year due to COVID-19 guidelines, local hunters are excited.
“When you know the turkey season’s coming, it’s a sure sign of spring,” said Millerton resident George Kaye.
With 50 years of hunting experience under his belt, Kaye has come to appreciate the wild turkey for all its distinct traits and downfalls; when it comes to hunting, he’s had the satisfaction of taking several turkeys over the years that were 24 pounds and up. In his experience, he said most hunters use decoys to lure a turkey by imitating the call of a young male turkey, or jake. With this particular method, Kaye said hunters are able to have a conversation with the turkey, a facet of the sport that has never lost its appeal in Kaye’s mind.
“[It’s] the idea that you’re able to talk back and forth with the turkey,” he said, “since they are a pretty smart bird and since they have such excellent eyesight, they’re not an easy bird to fool… The older the bird, the wiser the bird, so it’s an accomplishment to be able to fool a turkey.”
When asked if he prefers to hunt turkey for food or for the game itself, Kaye chose the sport of hunting turkey, citing the joy of going out into the woods and spending time with nature.
“It’s a good reason to be out in the woods,” he said. “You get to see the sun come up… and it’s the idea of being out in nature, just an enjoyment of everything that goes on. It can be an exciting time.”
“I enjoy hunting and fishing immensely,” Millerton resident Larry Conklin agreed, who goes turkey hunting every year he can. “It’s great to be out there in nature — people should enjoy it more than they do.”
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MILLERTON — Come Tuesday, March 21, voters in the village election will have the chance to select their next mayor and two of their village trustees, as a total of four candidates vie for the positions.
Debbie Middlebrook
Democrat Debbie Middlebrook earned the endorsement of both the Democrats and the Republicans this year. A trustee since 2008, Middlebrook has twice served as deputy mayor under the leadership of outgoing Mayor Marty Markonic.
Markonic decided not to run for re-election this year, and has given his blessing to Middlebrook in her quest for the top office.
Middlebrook has long been an advocate of improving the village’s infrastructure.
“I feel like a broken record when I say over and over again, it’s infrastructure,” she said on naming the most important issue facing the village. “And we need to get our sidewalks repaired. We’re supposed to be a walking village. And a more pressing issue is our aging water system. We need an accurate mapping of our aging water lines, and I think this will be the focus in the next few years.”
Talk of a sewer system, she said, is also on her radar, though the mayoral candidate said the water system upgrades will have to come first.
“The sewer system, I think, will follow once everything is done with the water system,” she said.
As far as local politics goes, Middlebrook said she thinks they’ll survive the storm brewing on the national front.
“We’re at the local level, so we have more common issues than party issues,” she said. “And I don’t think as a local politician I will have any impact on national politics. But I will do what I can to have an impact on our little corner of the world.”
Middlebrook added that she takes it as a sign of community solidarity that she was cross-endorsed by both parties.
“I think people recognize that we have to work together, especially in small communities,” she said.
Christine Bates
Four candidates were chosen at this year’s caucuses for two village trustee positions, minus one nominee who announced he’s not seeking office.
One of those candidates is current Trustee Christine Bates, who has already served on the Village Board for two two-year terms.
Bates, who belongs to no official party (NOP), has been endorsed by the Democrats. She said she decided to run again because while there are some important changes that the village has undergone, she wants to push other changes forward.
Renovating Village Hall is at the top of her list.
“It’s something that is our calling card, and it looks very shabby,” Bates said, adding the infrastructure at Village Hall is in poor condition.
She would also like to see the water system be mapped — something both she and Middlebrook have long hoped for. Additionally, Bates said she’s trying to develop project plans so the village will be ready to apply for grants to help with necessary work, like repairs to the water system.
“We have very effectively been chasing down leaks in the water system, and I think we’ve really reduced the amount of water pumping, because leaks have been identified and repaired correctly,” she said.
In general, Bates said running a village can be challenging.
“It’s so much more complicated than the town, because we have the police department, sidewalks, water, streetlights, and it’s very difficult for a part-time mayor and board, and a small staff, to handle all of these components that make up the village,” she said. “You’re talking about fewer than 800 people with a lighting district, water, police and sidewalks.”
One improvement Bates said she’d really like to see made has to do with village recreation. She said improvements to Eddie Collins Field are sorely needed. The village was recently awarded a matching $5,000 grant to do a schematic layout. It’s also set aside $30,000 to improve the basketball court.
Madeleine Bambery
The other candidate endorsed by the Democrats is Democrat Madeleine Bambery, who is making her first foray into politics.
She may be a familiar face to those who frequent the Manna Dew restaurant, which she manages. Bambery has been at the restaurant, which is currently in its spring hiatus, for nearly seven years.
While she hasn’t served in public office before, Bambery said she’s been interested in the community since moving here from neighboring Connecticut, and got the idea to run from North East Councilman John Midwood.
“He kind of approached me and said we need more young people in the village, and I just felt like it would be a really awesome opportunity to make a change,” she said.
The main issues facing the village, according to Bambery, include recreation.
“Budgetwise, we talked about how we think there should be more affordable summer camp options for kids,” she said, “And upkeeping the village, giving it a facelift. I’d like to make the sidewalks safer. But mostly, aesthetically, I think, improvements are needed.”
Though Bambery said she’s only been to a few Village Board meetings, she said she has met with both Middlebrook and Bates to talk about village life and local government.
The candidate said she looks forward to the possibility of serving her community and learning about the village’s needs as they are presented to her.
Jenn Najdek
Among the trustee candidates, Jenn Najdek has the longest history in Millerton. Her family has lived in the village for 10 generations.
While endorsed by the Republicans, Najdek is registered NOP. She has never run for elected office, yet she has vast experience in civic life.
Najdek was the village’s recreation director for nine years. She worked as a lifeguard, taught swimming and was aquatic director for many more years at the village pool. She’s a board member of Townscape, is in charge of the holiday food baskets through the Millerton Food Pantry, and is a volunteer assistant girls varsity basketball coach at Webutuck High School.
“I don’t know that it’s all so busy, that’s just how my mother raised me to be,” she said.
Her mother is the late Mariley Najdek, who served as village mayor and frequent volunteer in Millerton.
“She was always involved in everything, yet managed to have time to raise us kids and do the stuff she wanted to do. It was instilled in me — I was born to do it.”
Because she has been around local government — in one form or another — for so long, Najdek said the time felt right to run for office.
“I have knowledge of the way the village budget works. I’ve always been around it but was never part of the decision-making process, so when the Republican party asked me if I would consider it, I decided it was time to step up.”
Her passion, she said, is recreation.
“We had a great facility down there, with the handicap-accessible playground, the pool. But some of that stuff has run its course, and it’s time to revitalize that and bring back the field,” Najdek said.
One way to accomplish that, she added, is to pursue grants. Already, a Greenway grant is helping.
There are other important issues, she said, including infrastructure, water repairs, the potential for a sewer system in the business district and the undergrounding of electrical wires on Main Street.
“I don’t know if those are projects to be tackled in one term, but there are definitely some projects we can make some headway on moving forward,” she said.
Stephen Waite
The Republicans, in a show of support for current Village Trustee Stephen Waite, nominated Waite for re-election at their caucus this year. Waite, however, had already announced he did not plan on rerunning due to personal reasons.
While Waite stands by that decision, he said he was “humbled” by the GOP recognition, and added that maybe one day he will return to public life.
Where and when to vote
Election Day for village voters is Tuesday, March 21. Polls are open from noon till 9 p.m., at the Village Nutrition Site on Simmons Street. The nutrition center entrance is at the north side of Village Hall, located at 21 Dutchess Ave.
For more information, call 518-789-4489.
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MILLERTON — Reaction regarding a profane message written on a dirty window on the front door to Steed Real Estate last month, done at the hands of village Planning Board member Peter Greenough, with his wife, Deputy Mayor Christine Bates, watching, has been mixed. The episode was caught on a security camera, and Greenough admitted to his having written the obscenity. He said it was all in good fun.
Some agree, and have said that the message, “F*** Ron,” was nothing more than a joke. They feel that all should be forgiven and forgotten.
Others have said the message was not in the least bit funny, and those involved should be held responsible, possibly removed from public office.
The matter came before the Village Board on Monday, Oct. 2, with the full board present. Trustee Stephen Waite raised the issue.
“Information was brought to our attention concerning a Planning Board member and the deputy mayor,” he said, noting that he shared his thoughts about it with Mayor Debbie Middlebrook prior to the meeting. “I think Peter should again consider resigning. If not, I think he should be removed from the board.”
As far as Bates goes, Waite said, he was “disappointed by her inaction.
“I think we can all find ourselves in a situation that’s not very good, but I think something should be done,” he said. “You can all talk to the mayor. I spoke to the mayor and that’s where I stand.”
When asked, Middlebrook said the discussion “does not qualify for an executive session,” — a closed-door session without the public present.
Trustee Jenn Najdek spoke next.
“I agree with Stevie,” she said, “we can all find ourselves in situations where we’re hanging around the wrong people or the right people, and things can get out of control.”
The test, she said, is how people behave when they think no one is looking.
“It was very clear on that video that neither of you felt anyone was looking,” she said. “It was very disheartening.”
Najdek continued that she ran for office in the footsteps of her late mother, former Mayor Mariley Najdek, whom she always strives to make proud.
“I’m not very proud of this at all,” Najdek said. “I agree with Stephen, Peter should consider resigning or be removed.”
She went further, adding Bates should perhaps be removed as deputy mayor. That position, second in command of the village, is appointed by the mayor.
Trustee Dave Sherman said the action clearly “was not something that was accidental,” and that it “would probably be appropriate if Peter were to step down.”
He then addressed Bates, sitting next to him at the board table.
“Christine, I’m very disappointed that you didn’t exercise some control and say ‘Stop that,’” he said. “You have to think what your continued service will be with the village as far as being deputy mayor. You really are a representative of the mayor in her absence.”
Bates then made a statement.
“My husband, Peter Greenough, admittedly exercised very poor judgment,” she said, adding he’s apologized. “It was a private prank for Ron alone and went unnoticed by passersby. Peter sought to draw Ron’s attention to a dirty window. In hindsight, Ron did not take it as the joke it was meant to be. This was not my doing, but I apologize to all of you.”
The mayor said she has “not come to a firm decision” on what she plans to do, but will do so by the board’s next meeting, set for Monday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. “Everyone will know what my decision will be.”
After dealing with other business, the issue was raised again during public comment. Marti Steed, wife of Ron Steed, addressed the board. She thanked members for “openly voicing their opinions,” noting it could be difficult to do so.
She then said that “something was lost in the apology,” Greenough emailed to her husband, which with the same stroke was sent to this newspaper.
Steed continued, saying it was no joke.
“If you have dirty windows, ‘Wash me’ is a joke … ‘F Ron’ is a very nasty, low-class comment to make in public,” she said, adding Steed Real Estate at Railroad Plaza is also a bus stop in public view. “It’s unconscionable. And to me, that’s no apology.”
And, she said to Bates, it was wrong not to wipe the message off the window. Such inaction, she said, made her culpable.
“I will once again ask for you to step down and Peter to be removed,” said Steed.
Resident De Lora Brooks spoke next.
“This was very unfortunate,” she said to Bates. “You represent this institution 24/7. Our code of ethics and standards have to be recognized because we’re setting an example. There are children that watch what we do, and we’re setting an example.
“We have to have consistency for how we carry ourselves as a government agency,” added Brooks.
Resident Kristin McClune also spoke, addressing Steed.
“I’m sorry for this having happened in our community,” she said, “because listening to that, I’m embarrassed that you had to listen to that not-apology.”
Though no one in the small audience spoke in support of Bates and Greenough, a couple of local residents wrote letters to the editor supporting them in this newspaper’s Oct. 5 edition.
“I’m glad to see Greenough has publicly apologized and I hope Steed will accept and we can all move on,” wrote Bill Kish.
And Kristie Schmidt, M.D., wrote, “Mr. Greenough’s public apology should be more than adequate to put this phony controversy to rest.”
That might not be done so quickly, as the board plans to revisit the matter on Oct. 16.
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The Millerton News - September 8, 2011
Dec 21, 2023
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