Photo by Marina Ballantine
Latest News
John Coston
MILLERTON — Fans of news of all sorts now can thank the NorthEast-Millerton Library for free full access to The New York times through the library website.
Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said, “for years, the only newspapers anyone ever asked for were The Millerton News and The New York Times.”
The News — including archived editions dating back to 1930 — has been available at the library for sometime both in print or on microfilm. With a newly launched website, articles and photos from the paper edition and more are now available for free at www.millertonnews.com with print and digital replica editions accessible through subscriptions.
However, full access to the The Times presented more of a problem for the library and its patrons.
Leo-Jameson said, “Every few years we would look into subscribing, but the cost was prohibitive, especially since they could not guarantee same day delivery through the mail service.”
Not to be denied, however, because “we always strive to provide the things our community is asking for” early in the budget year, Leo-Jameson began checking into the possibilities again. She learned that The Times was providing an online library subscription service “with the cost not out of reach for a community our size” and immediately began the sign-up process.
As a result, The New York Times online is now up and running though the library site with free full access to everything in the paper from news to podcasts, games, athletics, and cooking literally at patron’s fingertips.
Leo-Jameson says readers can come to the library and “sit and read to their heart’s content” or access the paper from anywhere, including their homes.
They do so by signing up for a free account either through The Times site, which allows for a certain number of articles to be read each month or by creating one at the library. In either instance, if readers then access the paper through the library’s account, they receive unlimited access with the ability to re-open the site every 24 hours.
To register, follow the directions on the library’s website at nemillertonlibrary.org/nytimes or visit the main building at 75 Main St. For questions, call 518-789-3340.
Keep ReadingShow less
Leila Hawken
WASSAIC — Residents were invited to the Town Garage on Borden Lane in Wassaic for an open house on Saturday, May 4. Doughnuts and coffee accompanied a tour of the facility to point out its worsening conditions and provide a view of conceptual plans for a new facility.
Hosting the open house were Highway Department Superintendent Megan Chamberlin and Finance Officer Charlie Miller. Conceptual drawings of the proposed new town garage facility were on display.
“We cannot stay in this building,” Miller said, citing cramped quarters and deteriorating conditions. “The equipment should not be out in the weather.”
Chamberlin recalled that she first joined the highway department in 2004, rising to the position of superintendent in 2017.
Constructed before 1955, the yellow cement block garage building measures a scant 80 by 50 feet and stands on a 2.5-acre parcel, along with a 2006 salt shed and a separate small pole barn for equipment storage. Road maintenance vehicles are larger today and the old garage does not accommodate their garaging and maintaining, evident to those attending the open house.
The Amenia Highway Department maintains the 31 miles of town roads, bridges and culverts, paving needs, tree and brush maintenance, winter plowing and sanding, and more.
A new facility is proposed to be built on five town-owned acres south of the Ten Mile River rail station next door to state DOT property. The new 16,000 square foot facility would offer a spacious garage with six double drive-through bays, a higher-capacity salt shed, fire suppression and generator.
The capital project costing an estimated $6.3 million would be funding through grants, ARPA funds, and bonding, Miller said.
For more information about the project, go to www.amenia.gov/highway.
Keep ReadingShow less
Webutuck softball falls to Housatonic
May 08, 2024
Riley Klein
FALLS VILLAGE — The battle for the border between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Webutuck High School Thursday, May 2, was won by HVRHS with a score of 16-3.
The New Yorkers played their Connecticut counterparts close early on and commanded the lead in the third inning. Errors plagued the Webutuck Warriors as the game went on, while the HVRHS Mountaineers caught fire toward the end.
The sun was beating down as the game got underway in Falls Village. A cloudless sky led to a toasty match between these two teams with temperatures hovering around 76 degrees. Gnats were also hovering around.
Maddy Krueger fields a put-out at first from the catcher.Riley Klein
Webutuck got off to a strong start. A line drive by Aria Griskauskus brought Ciara “C.C.” Gray home. Housatonic responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to keep the game even through one.
Webutuck retook the lead in the second inning when Abby McEnroe logged an RBI on a bunt. The lead persisted until the bottom of the third inning, when HVRHS took over.
Fueled by powerful hitting and a series of errors by the Warriors, HVRHS added four runs in the third to pull ahead 5-2.
The score remained until the fifth inning when the Mountaineers climbed ahead. Haley Leonard got the inning rolling with a solo home run. Abby White sent Hadley Casey home on a single before Kylie Leonard brought White home with a double.
Webutuck scored its third run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Olivia Wickwire hit an RBI double to bring the score to 8-3.
Housatonic responded by “finding the barrel,” as Coach Pete Foley instructed from third base. The Mountaineers swung for the fences and tacked on eight more runs.
Gissel Oros at bat for Webutuck against Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Thursday, May 2. Riley Klein
The game ended in a 16-3 decision in favor of HVRHS. The Mountaineers’ record advanced to 7-5 this season while Webutuck moved to 0-8. The next day, on Friday, May 3, Webutuck beat Dover 6-2.
HVRHS was led offensively by Haley Leonard, who hit 4-for-5 at the plate and brought in three RBIs in addition to her solo home run. Grace Riva batted 3-for-5 with three RBIs, Kylie Leonard hit 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Madison Gulotta hit 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and Anne Moran hit 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Anne Moran pitched four strikeouts for the Mountaineers.
For Webutuck, Abby McEnroe went 2-for-4 at bat with one RBI, Aria Griskouskus hit 1-for-3 with an RBI, and C.C. Gray batted 2-for-3. Lyndsay Johnson threw three strikeouts from the hill.
Webutuck coach Chris Osterman reassures Olivia Wickwire in the loss to HVRHS.Riley Klein
Keep ReadingShow less
Modest budget increases in 2024-25 for school spending face May 21 vote
A vote across New York State on Tuesday, May 21 will decide school district budgets, members of each district’s Board of Education and special propositions.
The elections will be held in school gyms and cafeterias from Noon until 9 p.m. with mail-in ballots available.
A newsletter mandated by New York State law will be mailed to every district resident on Thursday, May 9 presenting the candidates running for election on the school board and details on the district budget to be voted on May 21.
In the three school districts in eastern Dutchess County there are no seats on the seven-member school boards that are officially contested, although write-in candidates are permitted and have even won in past elections.
In Millbrook two incumbents — David Lavarnway and Chris Labelle — will seek new three year terms. In Pine Plains there are three vacancies all for three-year terms to be filled with two incumbents Joseph Kiernan, current Board Vice President, and Jean Stapf and one newcomer, former school librarian Claire Copley of Stanford.
Asked why she is running Copley said, “I am running for School Board because our systems of education are at risk and our children need us to protect their rights to a future full of learning and possibilities.”
In Webutuck one incumbent, Joanne Boyd, current Vice President, and one newcomer, Amanda Gallagher, will be seeking three-year terms. Speaking to The Millerton News Gallagher explained her reasons for running for the school board. “I have three children in the Webutuck School District. One is graduating this year, one is going into ninth grade and the youngest will be in second grade. I’m running for the school board because I want to be one of the forces to help kids have a better education. Webutuck is a good school district, but there’s always room for growth.”
Modest Budget Increases
Considering that the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for the last 12 months was 3.5%, all school budgets show modest increases in total expenditures from 1.7% in Millbrook to 4.2% in Webutuck. Spending per student ranges from a low of $38,704 in Webutuck to $46,936 in Pine Plains.
The accompanying chart compares the Webutuck, Millbrook and Pine Plains School District budgets for the 2024-2025 school year that voters will be asked to approve. Tax rates are estimated with final rates not available until 2024 assessment valuations are completed.
School budgets are broken down into three major spending categories. The program budget includes teachers’ salaries, special education, employee benefits and transportation, and administration and capital budgets, which include maintenance expenses, utilities, etc.
In Pine Plains 81% of the budget is expended on program expenses while in Millbrook it’s 77% and 85% in Webutuck. Administration, all the people not in the classroom, constitutes 9.4% of Pine Plains’ budget, 10.3% in Millbrook and only 6.9% in Webutuck.
In addition to the budget each school district will separately ask approval of various propositions.
In Pine Plains voters will be asked to approve the purchase of three new 65 passenger school buses at an estimated total cost of $462,000. Webutuck is looking to purchase two 20 passenger buses and to move ahead with installing air conditioning in all classrooms and cafeteria space.
Millbrook is requesting voter approval for a series of three bonds totaling $77.7 million to finance the cost of deferred maintenance for the schools’ physical plant and improve programing.
Keep ReadingShow less
loading