The best source for local news from Marbletown, Rochester & Rosendale
Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 27, Issue 12
June 17, 2022 | $1.00
A&M Hardware passes the torch Public to the next generation on July 1 hearings
are set
Chelsea Miller BSP Reporter
Anthony Mirto, co-founder and owner of A&M Hardware in Accord for the past 40 years, is passing the hardware torch to his son, Jeremy Mirto, who is purchasing the business. Anthony moved from Amityville, Long Island, in 1969. “When Martin Luther King died there were a lot riots and so we decided to move out,” he explains. He arrived in the area with his then wife, Michele, and, as Anthony says, got handy. Michele’s father was in the hardware business, and they started helping out around the shop. With the help of Michele’s father (who was in hardware his entire life – even in retirement he sold at flea markets) they opened their first hardware store and stared small, running a yard sale and flea market, which eventually grew into a full-fledged hardware store. Jeremy recalls how different the business was growing up as opposed to today. “My parents started small, loading up a van with merchandise. When I was a kid we used to drive to local wholesalers and we would fill up our 15-person van to the brim with merchandise. That’s how it started out before trucks.” The business continued to grow until in 1994, when there was a catastrophic fire that burned the old location to the ground. “The whole community turned out and helped,” says Jeremy. “And in a way, it a good thing. The new building has so much more infrastructure to handle the volume, and we built back better than ever.” Anthony’s wife, Kim Mirto, says that some of the secrets of their success include making sure the store was stocked with what people needed and customer service. “Anthony has worked really hard to make sure people have what they are looking for, from nuts and bolts all the way up. We’ve made a lot of friends who started as customers over the years because Anthony has always taken customer service very seriously.” Jeremey elaborates that in a time of big box stores, it’s even more important to focus on this essential part of what has made the business great: hometown, personal service. “The store is definitely the underdog for big box and Amazon, and we are obviously going to have a hard time competing with price, so we need to be able to offer things they can’t. Big box stores or Amazon isn’t going know all the names of kids who shop with their
Stories from dads about being a dad PAGE 16
CPP program funded by proposed real estate tax Brooke Stelzer BSP Reporter
Anthony Mirto, Jeremy’s father and cofounder of the business, with Kelly Mirto, Jeremy’s wife, Nora Mirto, their daughter, and Jeremy Mirto, the new owner.
parents, or sponsor the soccer team. They won’t take them down aisles to find the right tool or product and help their customers understand what else they might need to make it all work. Our small-town, friendly expertise is our edge. We have really helpful and knowledgeable employees who share our value that customer service is the most important thing of all.” Jeremy, who officially assumes ownership on July 1, majored in economics in college but quickly realized that he would never want to work behind a desk or in a cubical. He returned to the family hardware store in 2006 before starting his own company, Reliable Energy Solutions, which offers an array of energy solutions from home generators, heat pumps and high-efficiency heating systems. His business continues successfully today, and so the question becomes, why add a booming hardware store into the mix? “It’s about the hardware store,” says Jeremy simply. “It’s been there for 40 years, and I don’t want to see it go to anyone else.” He is proud to be continuing the family tradition and says he has high hopes for his portion of the legacy. “There is a lot of room for growth,” explains Jeremy. “During the pandemic
we were busier than ever as people began to homestead and take on small projects themselves. Home improvement is a fountain that is waiting to be tapped, and we’re going to expand our garden section. And, as always, we’re going to keep building on stock to make sure people have everything they need, by maximizing the space we have.” And family and community, as always, will stay at the center of it all. “I hope to continue to build this business, and maybe someday my daughter will want to take it over. We’re a cornerstone to the community and we want to continue to be the go-to for a lot of things. Hardware needs, yes, but also camping gear, jellies, maple syrup, and even toys. There’s a lot more to a local hardware store than just hardware.” A&M Hardware is at 5000 Route 209 in Accord. For more information, stop by and say hello, call 845-626-2788 or visit www. AMhardware.doitbest.com.
July 4th Marbletown Road Run marks 50th PAGE 11
The Marbletown Town Board meeting was held on June 7, in person at the Rondout Municipal Building, 1925 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill, and streamed on Facebook Live. Town board members present included Rich Parete, chairman and town supervisor, along with Tim Hunt, Daisy Foote and Ken Davenport. Councilman Don LaFera was not present. The board passed three resolutions to move forward with the proposed Community Preservation Plan (CPP), a program funded by a one-time real estate transfer tax (known as RET) to homebuyers in the area, at a percentage chosen by the town, with a 2% cap. The funds will be used to protect and preserve natural, scenic, historic and open spaces in the community. Similar CPPs are active in communities like Warwick, Red Hook and New Paltz. Resolution 58 was passed, which scheduled a public hearing as it relates to adopting the Community Preservation Plan. The Town Board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, to hear all interested parties on the proposed CPP. Resolution 59 was also passed, which sets the public hearing for establishment of the CPP and its advisory board. The public hearing will also be held on June 21, at 6:05 p.m. The recommendation is that the board consists of five to seven people, each who have demonstrated conservation or preservation experiences. Ted Fink, community planner with GREENPLAN, said it’s strongly encouraged that there be at least one farmer appointed to the board. Resolution 60 set the public hearing for the real estate transfer tax to be set at 1%, which is the proposed percentage set by the town. The public hearing will also be held on June 21, at 6:10 p.m. “It can be rolled into the mortgage, and also tax-deductible when you sell the property,” said Parete.
See CPP, page 5
'Spongy moths' from caterpillars are back PAGE 3