The Millerton News Editorial

Budget hearings are a missed opportunity

Wed, 11/14/2018 - 11:12am

One minute. Three minutes. An hour.

That’s how long it took the towns of Amenia, North East and Pine Plains to hold their public hearings on their municipal budgets, respectively.

In the audience, for each, was one person from the public, two people and four people, in that order.

In the town of Washington, no one participated in the hearing, so the board actually voted to keep it open for an additional week.

That diabolical four-letter word

Wed, 11/07/2018 - 10:48am

There is a disturbing trend in this country: hate. From the rhetoric coming out of the White House on a daily basis to the lack of tolerance among different religious and racial groups around the country, hate is on the rise.

The deplorable history of blackface in America

Wed, 10/31/2018 - 10:02am

There are many ways to offend people today. Sometimes, the offense is timeless — in bad taste no matter when or where. Such is the case with the idea of a person dressing up in blackface. It’s demeaning, it’s nasty and it’s racist. Period.

Top candidate picks for 2018

Wed, 10/24/2018 - 10:05am

It’s always tough to endorse candidates come Election Day. Most of those running for office have both positive and negative attributes. After all, no one is perfect. But some appear more prepared, more qualified, than others. Those are the candidates we’d like to present to you, in our candidate endorsements for 2018. Note that The Millerton News endorses only county, state and national candidates.

Diversity and respect

Wed, 10/17/2018 - 10:28am

It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the murder of Matthew Shepard. For those who don’t remember, or who weren’t around, Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who just happened to be gay. Because of that, though, he was robbed, tied up and then struck in the head 18 times with a .357-caliber Magnum handgun before being left for dead tied to a barren fencepost in Laramie, Wyo., on Oct. 6, 1998.

Making a case for local police

Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:42am

We all know the importance of keeping law and order. But do we all recognize how hard it would be to do that without our police agencies — especially our local police?

Some communities in the Harlem Valley don’t have their own dedicated police departments. Think Amenia, for instance, which instead relies on either the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) or the New York State Police (NYSP). Both good options, there’s a sheriff’s sub-station on Route 22 in Amenia and an outpost of the NYSP Troop K Barracks, also on Route 22, in Dover Plains.

Cooperation is the key

Wed, 09/26/2018 - 9:56am

Cooperation is the key

Since we were young, we’ve been taught the importance of cooperation. Play nicely. Work together. Share.

These bits of advice work just as well now as they did all those years ago. Better yet, it’s not just individuals who are practicing the art of sharing — local municipalities are getting in on the act as well.

A change in our region’s political landscape

Wed, 09/19/2018 - 10:33am

The political season is in full swing. The last primary election in New York state was held on Thursday, Sept. 13, and the November general elections are just around the corner.

While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Democratic primary win comes as no surprise — putting him that much closer to a third term in office — it does encourage us to take a closer look at how things are slowly shifting in Albany, and in Washington.

Patriot Day, 2018

Wed, 09/12/2018 - 9:11am

Every year around this time, we are reminded of the nearly 3,000 people who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in history, 9/11 saw 19 Islamic extremist militants linked to al-Qaeda hijack four planes. They used them as guided missiles. Loaded with thousands of gallons of jet fuel oil, the planes served as efficient killing weapons in the attacks.

The images of those burned planes, broken buildings and scorched earth are seared into our collective memory — the horror, forever in place.

Millbrook looks ahead with Comprehensive Plan update

Wed, 09/05/2018 - 9:33am

A Comprehensive Plan is an important planning tool for any municipality. It can help shape a community’s vision of how it would like to develop, with a 10- or 15-year forecast. It is the basis for land-use regulations and zoning, and helps a town or village establish and protect its own unique characteristics and traits.