![‘Worst fire’ Millerton has seen in years claims two lives; local community offers comfort and support](https://lakevillejournal.com/media-library/approximately-50-firefighters-from-multiple-area-fire-companies-responded-to-a-devastating-house-fire-reported-at-5902-south-elm.jpg?id=48202993&width=980&quality=90)
Approximately 50 firefighters from multiple area fire companies responded to a devastating house fire reported at 5902 South Elm Ave. in Millerton on Saturday morning, Nov. 6.
Photo by Kaitlin Lyle
MILLERTON — What began as a serene Saturday morning in the village of Millerton took a turn for the tragic as multiple area fire companies rushed to the village in response to a horrific house fire at 5902 South Elm Ave. (Route 22) on Saturday, Nov. 6.
The fire
Two people were reported to have lost their lives inside the home. At this time, the names of the victims are not being released.
A prepared statement issued by the North East Fire District on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 7, stated the Millerton Fire Company was dispatched to the scene at 7:58 a.m. in response to a report of a possible house fire with people trapped inside.
Local residents could spot the billowing clouds of smoke from miles away, some of whom reported hearing people screaming to get out. The closer onlookers got, the more horrific the scene became. Dark smoke emerged from the house and the harsh smell of smoke escaped the home as it quickly became engulfed in flames. Neighbors stood on their lawns and front porches and watched the devastation unfold, while a handful of local officials stood on the grass, worry lining their faces.
David Runge resides nearby on West Street. He said he and his family were having a cup of coffee around 8:04 a.m. when they saw the flames shoot up in the sky. Standing across the street from the burning house, Runge said, “Let’s hope everybody got out OK.”
According to the North East Fire District’s statement, Fire Chief Jason Watson arrived within four minutes of the 911 call being dispatched and found the house fully engulfed in flames, with a report of two people still trapped inside the structure.
Watson immediately transmitted a second alarm “bringing additional equipment and manpower from fire companies in Amenia, Wassaic, Copake, Ancram and Hillsdale and Town of North East Medic 1, as well as from Lakeville, Sharon, Falls Village Fire Companies in neighboring Connecticut,” according to the district's press release.
The Pine Plains Hose Company was on standby at the Millerton fire station.
Overall, North East Fire Commission Chairman Stephen Valyou said approximately 50 firefighters were on hand fighting the blaze.
Once the first fire engine arrived on scene, it immediately began using compressed air foam to suppress the fire.
Among the reported injuries, one female was transported to the hospital by for smoke inhalation, while a firefighter was transported for an injury.
The fire was contained by 11:44 a.m., but firefighters did not leave the scene until 7:30 p.m.
Reflecting on the events of the fire, Fire Commissioner Joshua Schultz said this is the largest fire the North East Fire District has responded to in years.
“It’s not my first fatal fire,” Schultz said, “but it is definitely one of the worst the first district has responded to.”
Valyou commended Watson for performing his duty as fire chief exceptionally well.
“He had everything organized; had the mutual aid that he needed, had all the bases covered.”
Both the cause and origin of the fire are currently being investigated by the Dutchess County Fire Investigation team, which was on hand early Sunday morning and for much of that day, along with the New York State Police and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.
Millerton
community’s response
In the days following the devastation, the Millerton community banded together to offer its support and comfort to the families who lost their home and loved ones to the fire.
A Go Fund Me page was set up by Millerton resident Monica Baker at around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, Nov. 7. The need was described on the page: “Please support a Millerton, N.Y., family who experienced a tragic house fire. Amy Yang is a local business owner and mother of 4. The house fire has inflicted unimaginable pain and loss on Amy and her family. Tragically, the Yang family already lost their father when he passed away suddenly a few years ago. Now more loss. They need our support. Please help in any way you can.”
Though the page’s initial goal was $10,000, the goal was surpassed within a few hours and increased to $20,000, then $30,000. By Tuesday morning, Nov. 9, the Go Fund Me Page raised more than $80,500, vastly surpassing its $30,000 goal. Community members are invited to donate by visiting the page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-yang-family-after-devastating-fire
Amy Yang is the owner of the Chinese restaurant in Millerton, the Golden Wok, located at Railroad Plaza near the intersection of Main Street and Route 22. According to Dutchess County’s 2021 Final Assessment Roll, Yang was identified as the owner of the property at 5902 South Elm Ave.
A sign was posted on the restaurant’s door announcing Golden Wok would be closed until further notice. Devastated by the events of the past 24 hours, Yang chose not to comment on the fire.
On behalf of the town of North East, North East Supervisor Chris Kennan extended the town’s deepest condolences to Yang and her family in a statement released late Sunday afternoon.
“This is a time that gives meaning to the word ‘community’,” Kennan said in his statement. “She and her family are part of ours, and we hold them all in our collective arms.”
Included in his town statement, Kennan identified Yang as the individual that was hospitalized after the fire and announced that she has since been released. As more details of the fire come to light, he commended the “many outstanding instances of community spirit, courage and selflessness” that have emerged in response to the tragedy.
Online, the “Millerton Amenia Community Forum” Facebook page has been bursting with posts from community members concerned about the families that are now struggling to find a place to stay. Among those who posted, Cary Farrar notified viewers that the village is working on identifying needs for the family per the mayor’s office and will be posting information on the village’s social media page as soon as they have the information available.
On Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., the Millerton Fire Company will hold an open community debriefing at 29 Century Blvd., to provide the community with a venue in which to talk about their feelings over the fire’s impact.
Abstract art display in Wassaic for Upstate Art Weekend, July 18-21.
WASSAIC — Art enthusiasts from all over the country flocked to the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley to participate in Upstate Art Weekend, which ran from July 18 to July 21.
The event, which “celebrates the cultural vibrancy of Upstate New York”, included 145 different locations where visitors could enjoy and interact with art.
On Saturday, July 20, The Wassaic Project hosted numerous community events. Will Hutnick, the director of artistic programming, said “We’ve been a part of it since the beginning, this is the fifth year of UPAW.”
Most of the action was based at Maxon Mills, the seven-floor grain mill located in the heart of Wassaic. On exhibit was work from 30 artists, 18 of whom were past residents of The Wassaic Project. “Artists can come and do a residency here, meaning they live and work with one another for a couple months at a time,” Hutnick stated.
The first floor held work by Petra Szilagyi, who uses dirt and linseed oil to construct images of paranormal concepts, most of which include bats. They reflected that a recent trip to a fifth sense competition in Vietnam was the influence behind the exhibit.
Across the floor was Tiffany Smith’s interactive installation which incorporated plants and wicker chairs, all of which were objects associated with her Carribean upbringing. “The room being filled with plants is symbolic of hurricane prep which often included bringing the plants from outside into the house,” Smith said.
As visitors made their way up the narrow wooden stairs, music could be heard from behind the walls. The echoing music was Daniel Shieh’s installation, entitled Mother’s Anthem, which played a recording of the American Anthem in 30 languages. The languages ranged from Spanish and Italian to Navajo and Bengali.
Each floor was filled with artwork of all mediums, including painting, fibers, collage and photography. Rachel Bussières, who switched her concentration after watching the 2017 solar eclipse, uses varying light sources to produce lumen prints. During the wildfires, she recounted that she “made a new exposure each day to capture the changing air quality”.
Luciana Abait also incorporates the natural world into her pieces, instead using maps. An environmental activist originally from Argentina, Abait’s work highlights “environmental fragility, specifically the impacts it has on immigrants.” Her installation that is currently on display at Maxon Mills, takes the form of a mountain range built solely from maps of the US and Argentina.
Throughout the day, visitors could “Arm Wrestle 4 A Popsicle”. Winners had the choice of 3 playfully flavored trout-inspired popsicles - Nightcrawler, Power Bait, and Salmon Roe. Artist Katie Peck, who spent the day in costume as a rainbow trout, encouraged guests to step up and try their hand at an arm wrestle.
Shibori Indigo dyeing, group meditation, and dance workshops were open for community members of all ages as well.
While the daytime activities fostered appreciation of fixed art, a dance party until midnight at The Lantern Inn offered guests a space for performative art.
When describing the environment of The Wassaic Project, Smith emphasized, “It’s all community, it’s all love.”
A serene scene from the Amenia garden tour.
AMENIA — The much-anticipated annual Amenia Garden Tour drew a steady stream of visitors to admire five local gardens on Saturday, July 13, each one demonstrative of what a green thumb can do. An added advantage was the sense of community as neighbors and friends met along the way.
Each garden selected for the tour presented a different garden vibe. Phantom’s Rock, the garden of Wendy Goidel, offered a rocky terrain and a deep rock pool offering peaceful seclusion and anytime swims. Goidel graciously welcomed visitors and answered questions about the breathtaking setting.
Amenia Finance Director Charlie Miller welcomed visitors to his Bog Hollow Road garden in Wassaic, a manicured expansive yard with well-placed garden beds framing a far-reaching view. He said he plans carefully each winter for the next spring’s improvement.
The organic, environmentally responsible Maitri Farm was next, a lesson in coordinating agriculture with natural balance. The farm stand and a walk among the greenhouses brought visitors together.
Near the center of Amenia was the garden of Polly Pitts-Garvin, offering a chance to visit a robust vegetable garden with raised beds to be envious of and a remarkable absence of any insects or usual vegetable garden problems.
At Chez Cheese, the vast garden acreage surrounding the 1850s historic home of Joan Feeney and Bruce Phillips in Millerton, visitors could begin at refreshment stations where walking tour maps of the 15-acre property were available. There were streams and ponds with docks, and a dozen bridges arranged around the landscape. In the 19th-century, the property had been the home of the Wilson Cheese Factory, inspiring the name of the estate.
The Amenia Garden Tour was supported this year by Paley’s Garden Center in Sharon.
Gary Dodson working a tricky pool on the Schoharie Creek, hoping to lure something other than a rock bass from the depths.
PRATTSVILLE, N.Y. — The Schoharie Creek, a fabled Catskill trout stream, has suffered mightily in recent decades.
Between pressure from human development around the busy and popular Hunter Mountain ski area, serious flooding, and the fact that the stream’s east-west configuration means it gets the maximum amount of sunlight, the cool water required for trout habitat is simply not as available as in the old days.
This is not a new phenomenon. It does seem to be getting worse, though.
Gary Dodson and I convened where the creek makes its final run into the Schoharie reservoir, part of the New York City water supply system, on a semi-broiling Thursday afternoon, July 11.
The goal was simple. Catch smallmouth bass, which abound in the lower section of the river.
This was hot stuff — as in an 80-degree water temperature.
The air temperature was actually slightly less at 77.
After negotiating the intensely slippery rocks, festooned with treacherous algae, the first major pool presented several difficulties, with a back eddy competing with a main flow and several large trees draped about the whole thing.
I hit on the simplest strategy, which was to flip a weighted attractor fly called a Tequilley into the start of the eddy so it would proceed slowly but steadily into the maelstrom, sinking all the while.
This worked. A proper adult smallmouth, with bronze coloring and vertical stripes, took the thing.
The point-and-shoot camera finally died, however, and I was not going to try to fumble my phone out for a nice but routine fish photo.
Why not?
Because I guarantee the fish would have made a sudden, last-moment bolt for freedom, causing me to drop the device into the drink.
Gary moved downstream while I continued trying to annoy the residents of the pool, succeeding a couple of times with different colored Wooly Buggers.
Then we all got bored and I moved off, where Gary was catching rock bass and cussing them out for not being something else.
I have to admit, they are not the most compelling critters. Something about the red eyes.
This latest trip was dominated by extremely tedious and distasteful Harry Homeowner activities, but on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings I prowled Woodland Valley Creek. By “morning” I mean “dawn,” because that was when the water temps were down to a barely acceptable 64.
I made the acquaintance of several stocked browns and of a handful of their wild cousins. The wild fish are smaller and nimbler.
The successful ploy was an Adams wet fly, size 16, drifted behind something big, like a Parachute Adams or Stimulator.