MILLERTON — Just as the North East Community Center (NECC) has supported the local community for the last 30 years, the NECC is hoping residents and local businesses will return the favor and support its virtual Chef & Farmers Brunch — its major summer fundraiser that helps replenish its coffers so it can continue to provide essential services and programs to youth in Millerton and around the Harlem Valley year round.
Under normal circumstances, NECC’s annual brunch is a grand community affair geared toward raising awareness about the community center, the region’s restaurants and the farms and residents who dedicate their time and efforts — many of them as volunteers — to help move their communities forward.
With COVID-19 being declared a pandemic in March of 2020, NECC Executive Director Christine Sergent said they knew they weren’t going to be able to do the brunch at all since it usually takes them eight to nine months to prepare. Given the unknown factors surrounding the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccinations, she said NECC was prevented from planning for the brunch ahead of time, which led to them canceling the event.
However, Sergent said she did a lot of research and spoke with a lot of people — many of whom had experience organizing fundraisers and virtual events. The feedback she kept getting, she said, was that the NECC is an organization with a clear mission “and the kind of work we do is why people support us.
“People care that we’re fulfilling that purpose,” she continued, “… and it seemed that we could just ask and people would be there for us and help.”
When the Chef & Farmer Brunch Fundraiser went virtual last year, Sergent was advised not to be ostentatious, so she kept its digital campaign simple and humble. After struggling back and forth with what to do this year, Sergent decided to implement a campaign similar to last year’s, complete with digital releases and videos promoting their community work.
This year, they added a few components to celebrate the local angle, such as recipes and videos featuring local farmers, chefs and restaurants that have worked with NECC on past Chef & Farmer Brunches — including Full Circus Farm in Pine Plains and both Rock Steady Farm and 52 Main in Millerton.
The 2021 campaign kicked off mid-June with the release of an initial video on June 18. Sergent said it will continue past the usual Chef & Farmer Brunch date, until Sunday, July 25.
Sergent said the main drawback of going virtual is that NECC “is a very personal organization,” which is sometimes hard to express via video.
“The work we do is typically one-on-one or in groups in real time, whether we’re educating children, transporting seniors or holding an event, activity or workshop for the community,” she said. “In-person is where we find that most, so that is really hard for us not to do this year and that’s what we miss the most.”
In the meantime, the community center has received many donations from longtime supporters. Donors have also started volunteering at its many programs, and new residents have also started reaching out to learn more about the organization.
“The most amazing thing is how supportive this community has been to the NECC,” Sergent said. “More importantly, to the people we’re serving.”
Between August and September, Sergent said NECC hopes to bring back more of its community activities and in-person resources that people used to access before COVID-19 hit, including hearing tests, senior exercise activities and community workshops.
While all of the NECC staff has returned to its office at 51 South Center St. in Millerton, the building currently isn’t open to the public, with the exception of programs like the Teen Team and the Food Pantry.
Now that some of its programs are in-person, Sergent said she looks forward to bringing back more activities this fall.
Additionally, she said NECC anticipates participating in Millerton’s Fall Food Festival this September and organizing its annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Columbus Day weekend, along with another community event currently in the works.
To make a donation to the Chef & Farmer Brunch fundraiser, go online to www.neccmillerton.org or send a check in the mail to Chef & Farmer Brunch Fundraiser, NECC, 51 South Center St., Millerton 12546 NY.
For more information, call 518-789-4259 or go to www.neccmillerton.org.
PINE PLAINS — The winter season is behind us and Carson Power LLC, which is proposing to build a 10MW solar farm at Pulvers Corners, will hold off on any land clearing until November as part of its agreement with the town to protect the northern long-eared bat.
Carson Power is required by its agreement with the town to limit tree-clearing activity to the winter season, when the bats hibernate.
“We did not proceed with any tree clearing during this winter season, which concluded on 3/31,” Andrew Gordon, director of development at Carson, said in an email.
“We are honoring the winter tree clearing periods as we committed to during our application.
“We will mobilize on site for an 11/1 start,” he added.
The northern long-eared bat is listed an a threatened species that is in danger of becoming a endangered species. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the numbers of these bats have declined by up to 99 percent in the Northeast, based on hibernation counts.
Evaluations made last year when Carson was before the town Planning Board concluded that avoiding tree-clearing during the roosting period would not pose a problem.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that “take” of the bat is “not reasonably certain to occur” given the conservation measure to limit tree removal between Nov. 1 and March 31.
A senior wildlife biologist at the Fish and Wildlife Division of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) concurred.
“If tree removal takes place between November 1st and March 31st, the Department can…determine that the proposed activity is not likely to result in the incidental taking of Northern long-eared bats,” wrote the DEC’s Lisa Masi. last year in May.
The town’s approval of the Carson Power project currently is before a New York State Supreme Court judge in Putnam County.
Judge Anthony R. Molé has set oral arguments to be held in the court house in Carmel on May3 at 10:30 a.m. in Courtroom 306. A group of residents is seeking a reversal of the town’s approval of the project.
The group, Preserve Pine Plains, filed an Article 78 action against the town Planning Board and certain property owners and developers of the project.
Built in 1750, this 5 bedroom home with an in-ground pool on 3.63 acres standing at the entrance to the Village of Millbrook was sold for $985,000. It was originally listed at $1,495,000 in February 2023.
In the first two months of the year four single family residences were recorded as sold in the Village of Millbrook, continuing the trend of solid prices for village residences. Currently there is only one house listed for sale in the village while higher priced homes are adding to the inventory in the Town of Washington that surrounds the village where there are seven properties listed between $5,000,000 and $28,000,000 on the market.
JANUARY 2024
RECORDED SALES
3440 Route 44, a 5 bedroom/5 bath house with inground pool on 3.63 acres sold for $985,000. See photo.
39 Merritt Avenue, a 1,350 square foot 2 bedroom/1.5 bath house on .23 acres sold for $712,000.
27 Millbrook Hollow Lane, a 1,199 square foot home with 2 bedrooms/3 bath sold for $580,000.
FEBRUARY 2024
RECORDED SALES
3241 Sharon Turnpike, a 4 bedroom/2.5 bath on .62 acres sold for $492,500.
* Village of Millbrook real estate sales recorded as sold between January 1, 2024 and February 29, 2024, sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Tax Service Agency with property details from Dutchess Parcel Access. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
MILLBROOK — The annual Millbrook Neighborhood Spring Sale will be bursting with bargains and neighborliness on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, as a vast array of vendors and activities will be dotted along Franklin Avenue and its environs.
The event will happen rain or shine throughout the town’s commercial spaces and beyond. Hours on both days are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The advantage is that visitors can park once and explore.
The sale has already drawn 30 vendors, some of whom will be found in more than one location, for maximum visibility. In every location, though, there will be abundant enthusiasm and lots of interesting things to see and experience.
Grace Church on Franklin Avenue is offering their annual “Whale of a Sale,” likely to be large with huge bargains.
Lively music along Franklin Avenue will be provided by Grampa Joe’s Washboard Band, on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Merritt Bookstore on Front Street will feature a book launch and signing by author Michael Korda, formerly editor-in-chief at Simon and Schuster, introducing his latest work, “Muse of Fire.” That event will occur on Saturday, between 2:30 and 4 p.m. at the bookstore.
For car buffs, the first annual car show, titled “Angels of Light,” will be welcoming visitors on the Village Green on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Brit Breads will be at an as-yet undisclosed location along Franklin Avenue, although it should be hard to miss them as they dispense sausage rolls, lemon cake, Danish pastries, and their specialty Raclette cheese on sourdough.
Soaps and aromatics by Sandra will offer specialty soaps and candles.
AMENIA — The annual town clean-up day will be held on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until noon. The event represents volunteerism at its best, as residents come together to aid in tidying the town for all to enjoy.
Fans of picking up litter will meet at either of two starting locations to get free trash bags and indicate an intended target area whether a local roadway or a portion of the rail trail, both likely sites for trash deposits. The initial meeting places are at the Bank of Millbrook (Fountain Square) in Amenia or Borden Park across from the Maxon Mill (Wassaic Project) in Wassaic.
Filled bags and large items can be scheduled for pick-up by contacting Vicki Doyle at (845) 489-7826.
The event is being organized by the Amenia Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) and the Enhancement Committee.
