Fire destroys Millbrook business

MILLBROOK — A raging fire broke out at 63 Front St. on Wednesday, July 28, just as the village was preparing to repair a water line leak. The early morning fire completely destroyed the buildings and contents of Country Road Associates, a dealer in vintage woods and manufacturer of antique reproductions.

Ted Bownas, Millbrook Fire Department chief, said the county fire investigator’s Cause and Origin Team examined the site immediately after the fire was extinguished and reported the cause of the fire remains “undetermined.� The loss was total and by Wednesday afternoon all that was left were piles of smoldering, charred remains.

The blaze was called in at 3:53 a.m. by a post office employee on his way to work and the firehouse alarm sounded. State police were dispatched to the site at 3:55 a.m., arriving at the same time as the first two firemen.

The barn was fully engulfed with flames reaching higher than the treetops, according to the state police report, and appeared to have originated in the center of the barn on the right side. Witnesses said that up to 70 percent of the structure was on fire by the time firemen got to the scene.

Chief Bownas guessed that the blaze might have been burning for up to an hour before anyone noticed the flames and smoke. A second alarm went out and fireman from seven other mutual aid fire departments started to arrive with their equipment. Bownas estimated that between 35 to 40 firemen worked together under the command of Millbrook Fire Department Deputy Chief Rich Shankman and Assistant Chief Anthony DeBonis.

By 5:30 a.m. the fire was under control and by 8:30 a.m. it was out. The north and east wall of the showroom remained standing and firemen assisted Country Road employees in salvaging some furniture and records from the office and showroom. Building Inspector James Brownell Jr. then condemned the structure, and excavation equipment pulled the walls down.

Local architect Michael Sloan, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the site, heard the fire department siren go off, saw the glow of flames in the sky near his office on Front Street and rushed to the scene.

“The whole barn section was completely engulfed by flames and cans of paint were exploding,� he said, guessing that the fire could have been caused by the varnish and oily rags used in furniture making. That theory could not be confirmed.

Mayor Laura Hurley received a call from former Mayor Andy Ciferri, a lifetime volunteer fireman, and raced to the site, where she stayed until 8:30 a.m. It was her first fire as mayor.

“[I was] amazed at the fast, professional response of the fire company and relieved that the damage was confined to one parcel,� she said.

Latest News

Nuvance hospital system to merge with Northwell Health

Sharon Hospital would become part of a larger regional health systems with 28 hospitals.

Yehyun Kim/CTMirror.org

Nuvance Health, which owns four hospitals in Connecticut and three in New York, will merge with Northwell Health to form a larger regional health system across two states.

Together, the companies will own 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 sites of care and employ 14,500 providers.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Creators: An interview with filmmaker Keith Boynton

Keith Boynton, left, with Aitor Mendilibar, right, the cinematographer who shot “The Haunted Forest” as well as “The Scottish Play” and “The Winter House.” In the background of is Vinny Castellini, first assistant director.

Submitted

Keith Boynton is a filmmaker who grew up in Salisbury, Connecticut. He attended Salisbury Central School, Town Hill School, and Hotchkiss. He has made numerous feature films including Seven Lovers, The Scottish Play, The Winter House, and is just wrapping up a new film, The Haunted Forest, which is a horror/slasher movie. Boynton has made numerous music videos for the band Darlingside, and for Alison Krauss. He is a poet, a playwright, and comic book art collector.

JA: This series of stories The Creators focuses on artists, their inspiration, and their creative process. Keith, what was the seed that got you started?

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton director is an Oscar nominee

Arlo Washington in a film still from the Oscar-nominated short "The Barber of Little Rock."

Story Syndicate

John Hoffman, a Millerton resident, has been nominated for his film “The Barber of Little Rock,” which he co-directed with Christine Turner, in the Best Documentary Short Film category at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards.

Distributed by The New Yorker and produced by Story Syndicate Production in association with 59th & Prairie, Better World Projects, and Peralta Pictures, “The Barber of Little Rock” explores the efforts of Arkansas local hero Arlo Washington, who opened a barbershop at 19 years old and, with a mission to close the racial inequality gap in his community, went on to found the Washington Barber College as well as People Trust Community Federal Credit Union. Washington’s goal is aiding his primarily Black neighborhood, which has historically been underserved by more prominent banking institutions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Inside Troutbeck's kitchen

Chef Vincent Gilberti

Courtesy of Troutbeck

About growing up in Carmel, New York, Troutbeck’s executive chef Vincent Gilberti said he was fortunate to have a lot of family close by, and time together was always centered around food.

His grandparents in White Plains always made sure to have a supply of cured meats, olives, cheeses and crusty bread during their weekend visits. But it wasn’t until his family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, when he was 16 that his passion for food really began. It was there that he joined the German Club, whose partnership with Johnson & Wales University first introduced him to cooking.

Keep ReadingShow less