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April’s rebirth
Apr 10, 2024
John Coston
Like a soothing whisper offering relief from a bad dream, so does April lend relief from the last lingering grasp of winter by offering up rebirth of life, colors and opportunity. Climate makes a welcome tranquil debut with longer days and more sunshine.
Birds, buds and blooms appear and morph to ever increasing colorful maturity. Lawns turn from a dusky brown to lush green. Birds dance their mating rituals wearing their colorful plumage and seeking nesting sites. Maples still drip some sap providing birds and small mammals a sweet treat. Deer find bountiful nourishment for their soon to be born fawns. Bears have emerged from hibernating and roaming for food sources to replentish lost winter fat reserves. Sows could be accompanied by winter born cubs. Don’t get between Mama Bear and her babies or feed the bears. You may be sorry. Coyotes will be having their litters within the next month. Tom turkeys are gallantly strutting to attract their girl friends and hens are seeking out ground nesting sites. Some geese and ducks are already nesting and will soon be trailed by the little ones.
April, a time that soothes the soul and reminds me of many ‘must-do’ chores. Gotta clean and clear the lawn for mowing, prepare and till the vegetable garden for planting, clean and nourish our too many flower beds and trees and order and stack fire wood.
My thoughts turn to fish and game: Gotta clean fly lines, swapping out equipment and accessories while looking forward to a couple firm-fleshed trout for dinner. My turkey gun is to receive another light cleaning and yearly patterning to assure accuracy prior to the NYS May 1st season opener when I look forward to a month of dueling with Toms.
Perhaps even being given the rare opportunity to see a doe giving birth. I purchased a new hunting ladder stand during the winter to be placed before increasing foliage decreases optimum line of sight.
These are great days to increase outdoor exercise and activity thereby improving your physical and mental health while getting a free shot of Mother Nature’s vitamin D. I’m looking forward to the last seasonal breakfasts by American Legion Millerton Post 178 and the Millerton Fire Department. Always filling and yummy and a great chance to reunite with friends.
April, so much awaits us in the months ahead, so much to do. God bless you patriotic readers and your families. Enjoy the improved weather to the fullest and please say a little prayer for the health and safety of those protecting our freedoms and safely. Til next time.
Town of North East resident Larry Conklin is a Vietnam veteran and a member of both the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and the VFW Post 6851 in North Canaan, Conn.
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Letters to the Editor - 4-11-24
Apr 10, 2024
Looking at North East’s LED sign issue
Thank you for calling attention to the LED sign problem that the Town has been facing for several years now.
The News called the Webutuck sign an “Electronic Messaging Display,” which is not accurate. This sign is an LED sign, just like the sign in front of the Legion post. Both of these signs are capable of, and do, display multiple colors and animated images. The photo of the school sign showing sedate white on black words is not what I saw when the sign first appeared and the only thing keeping the bright colors from reappearing is will power.
While there are some vocal proponents for changing the town’s zoning to permit LED signs, or to rebrand them as EMDs, many in our community find these signs to be distracting and unattractive, causing dangerous glare at night. I’m one of them.
Before the Town’s officials consider allowing LED signs, I hope that they’ll consider why our commercial districts have fared so poorly in recent years. As the Boulevard (Route 44 heading East) has deteriorated over time prospective business owners looked around and decided to set up shop elsewhere. A proliferation of LED signs will make revitalizing these areas an even tougher job.
The News correctly pointed out that it’s impossible to regulate sign content. In today’s politically charged environment, do we really want to encourage signs that can advertise a two-for-one special at one moment, followed by a four-letter diatribe the next?
Bill Kish
North East
Questioning judicial training in abuse cases
Upon reading the article about domestic abuse in The Lakeville Journal, April 4, I began to wonder what, if any, kind of training and education a judge receives before he begins his tenure. I am referring to a domestic violence case from September, 2017.
It is shameful that the judge in this case (Edward McLoughlin) with his level of education and work experience, was so ignorant regarding domestic abuse. Hypothetically speaking, if a daughter of his had been a victim of domestic abuse, I’m sure he would have become very informed on the topic of DV. He would have learned that the most dangerous time for a woman living in a DV situation, is right before she leaves her abuser. Thus, a woman just can’t just up and leave whenever she wants to.
His finding that Nikki Addimando did not meet the requirements of a reduced sentence, is pathetic and laughable. But, Addimando was not laughing.
Those who are in power, police, judges, and politicians, to name a few, must be educated and exposed to the true root of why women stay with their abuser, When the abuser and the victim end up in a courtroom, it is even more imperative that those who are making life altering decisions, be thoroughly appraised of the multiple causes for a woman to stay with her abuser.
Until the denial, naivete and apathy ends, which afflict many court cases involving DV, relief and healing for the victims of DV will be little if any at all.
Laura J. Kisatsky
Cornwall, Conn.
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The following excerpts from The Millerton News were com- piled by Kathleen Spahn, Vivian Sukenik, Nancy Vialpando and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
91 years ago: April 13, 1933
‘About Millerton’: Miss Violet Pulver, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Pulver, has just written a one-act play entitled “Why Mothers Get Gray”, to be presented by the members of Stockbridge Grange on April 27. Miss Pulver is a senior at Williams High school at Stockbridge, Mass.
Little Barbara DeWitt had been ill at her home with ear trouble.
Truckloads of the new beer arrived in town on Friday.
‘Dover Plains Trees Leave for Chicago’: Foresters from Danbury, Conn., have been chopping down trees on the property owned by Alfred Guifert, and it is rumored that fifty carloads of these cedar trees will be shipped to the Chicago World’s Fair.
‘About Millerton’: Miss Pearl Wheeler caught a native trout weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces in Webotuck [sic] Creek on Sunday.
Ken and Hiram Brown brought in a nice mess of trout on Saturday.
50 years ago: April 11, 1974
‘Millerton Brush Fire Scorches 150 Acres’: Volunteer firemen from Millerton and Amenia were called out Sunday afternoon to extinguish a large brush fire on top of Reservoir Hill behind the Millerton Gun Club on Route 22, Millerton. The fire, described as the largest one this year, was first reported shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, and charred approximately 50 acres before it was brought under control some two hours later.
‘Historical Society to Restore Jail’: The Historical Society of the North East plans to restore the old jail behind J.B. Reed’s in Millerton. The jail was given to the society by Community Service of Lakeville. It is estimated that the structure was built prior to 1880. A committee headed by Chet Eisenhith, and including Stan Smith and Herman Gray [...] accepted the donation [...]
25 years ago: April 8, 1999
‘No-TV Week Celebrated Locally’: MILLERTON – Oblong Book and Music and the North East Community Center will host a community wide celebration of National TV Turn-Off Week April 24. The event will be sponsored jointly by the Partners for Preschool Enrichment Program of the North East Community Center and Oblong.
National TV Turn-Off Week has been held every April for the past five years and is sponsored by TV Free America of Washington, D.C.
‘Bunny, Hayrides and Hotdogs Highlight Egg Hunt in Millerton’: Four hay wagons full of children eager to begin the annual Easter egg hunt rode through the village last Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Millerton Fire Department, the Millerton Gun Club, Burger King, and the Round Tuit, attracted a large crowd. Everyone enjoyed the festivities, especially the wagon rides. The Easter Bunny handed out candy at the fire house [sic], before the wagon caravan snaked through the streets to an enthusiastic response from passersby.
Once the caravan arrived at the Millerton Gun Club, the massive egg hunt began. Everyone was treated to a hot dog and refreshments.
Golden Egg prize winners were Spencer Tanner, Justin Katan, Maddie McAvoy and Miranda Murphy.
‘Chamber of Commerce Reviving in Millerton?’: The Millerton-North East Chamber of Commerce could be revived, according to the manager of the Millerton Antique Center, Stuart Miller. Mr. Miller told the village board Monday a group of merchants is beginning to reorganize the chamber, which has been relatively inactive in the last couple of years.
“We are very active,” Mr. Miller said. “We are reorganizing.”
Mr. Miller also said a predominance of merchants were opposed to a strict enforcement of two-hour parking limits in the village. According to businesswoman Marti Steed, the first meeting of the new chamber is tentatively set for April 20 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Manna Dew Café.
‘Schroeder to Leave DC Politics’: Harry Schroeder, who announced his retirement from the Dutchess County Legislators this week after a 20-year stint, is a lot like Harry Truman.
They Both Have Recognized the sovereignty of the people in a democracy, and have been known to have a way with words. In his retirement announcement, Mr. Schroeder said he could “now spend more time with my cows and grandcalves [sic] and perhaps less time with my tongue in cheek.”
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