NORTH EAST — Roughly 30 residents from the town of North East and the village of Millerton attended the public hearing on Monday, March 28, on the townwide property reassessment project. The hearing was held at the American Legion Hall Post 178 in Millerton. While Assessor Katherine Johnson said she was somewhat disappointed with attendance, she acknowledged it was better than previous such meetings.“It was better than the last time,” she said, adding it provided her the opportunity to explain to property owners why the town did the revaluation in the first place and what the process has entailed throughout the past five years, including data collection, sales analysis, creating new assessments and data review. “There were some people who were really involved with the process with the first reval in 2004 and also with the new process, which was nice.”The current reassessment was done at the town’s request after the 2004 project flopped. That reval was undertaken by John Watch of MJW Consultants, of whom many property owners complained about due to his methodology and results. After two years of updates, the town severed its relationship with Watch. In 2007 the assessor’s office began anew; soon thereafter Johnson joined the team.Last week she stood before property owners, many of whom expressed concern about whether their values have increased, largely due to a perceived drop in the market. But not so in North East, according to Johnson.“I tried to explain that looking at just the sales in North East and the surrounding area, we’re not seeing the market declining,” she said. “People keep saying they’re seeing the market decrease by 30 percent and we’re not seeing that. We’re seeing it leveling off and some increases.”Johnson said since the public hearing her office has mailed off the new assessments and is now waiting for property owners’ responses. By and large she said she is “cautiously concerned” with what she will hear. “Everybody wants to know what it’s going to do to their taxes, and as much as I would like to answer that, I can’t because I don’t set the tax rate,” Johnson said. “I merely assess properties, so people need to focus on the value of their homes, not what their taxes are going to be. That’s something I can have a conversation about.”Property owner Amiee Duncan said she and her husband, Frank, received a shock when they opened their assessment on Thursday, March 31. Among their three properties (two residential and one mixed commercial and residential), a residence on Winchell Mountain, which they own and lease to renters, jumped in value 23.54 percent.“It was like, wow, I was a bit surprised,” Duncan said. “I really need to talk to the assessor’s office, but I want to do some research before I complain. My initial shock is still here, and I wouldn’t want to be in the assessor’s shoes, but given the economy I can’t understand how my property went up 23 percent. I guess in some way I should be thankful it’s worth that much, but still …”Duncan’s home increased in value 2 percent, and the couple’s mixed-use property on Century Boulevard increased by .66 percent.“The other two properties were not bad, but the other is alarming considering the economy,” she said, conceding that perhaps the assessment could be correct. “I’m going to do some research, but if I can’t find a comparable property there might be nothing I can do about it. And maybe I am wrong and underestimating the value of the property.”Overall, the assessor said the town experienced an 8 percent increase in value, which is not from last year but from the time of the last reval (which was conducted in 2004 but last updated in 2006). Johnson said when taken in context, that’s not bad.“So that’s five years of changes reflected in 8 percent,” she said. “I don’t think that’s bad, especially when in 2006 you were seeing a 12 percent increase annually.”Johnson added the 8 percent also includes the cost of new construction and all of the data discovered by her office that was previously missing. That data was assessed and added to the roll, adding value to the town.“I can’t say that every single house increased 8 percent,” she said. “But of the 1,896 total properties, everybody did get a new value.”Once property owners receive their values in the mail they are advised to review them closely. Property owners can make appointments to speak with representatives from from Equitable Assessments (who helped conduct the reval) to review their data through April 14. If there is an error, the issue will then go before the assessor for review; Johnson will be available until May 24, the day before Grievance Day, to speak with concerned property owners. Johnson recommends taking advantage of this process as there will be time for a discussion and review, rather than waiting until Grievance Day to lodge a complaint with the Grievance Board. On Grievance Day there is only a decision rendered, but no feedback. To schedule an appointment at Town Hall, call 866-255-9753.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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