The Catskill Chronicle

ELDRED, NY On June 7, the Sullivan County Board of Cooperative Educational Services held the Twenty-Fifth Annual Academic Achievement Dinner at the Eldred Preserve to honor thirty-five of the top students through out the county. The Superintendents of Schools, Principals, Board Presidents, and members of the press attended the dinner. The guest speaker for the event was Steven Ruwoldt, Chief Executive Office at Catskill Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Ruwoldt, gave a reflective speech of his life and the things he wished he knew along the way. Mr. Ruwoldt, started by saying that everyone should take some time to understand who you are, once you choose a goal know what you’re getting into and what it takes to accomplish the goal.

He left the students with eight keys items for success:

When you go to college be flexible – you never know what opportunity will arise.

Find something you are passionate about – life is short; every day should be a pleasure.

Always look for your next step.

Find a mentor to help you get where you want to go.

Have a positive attitude.

Watch out who you hang out with – they will influence your direction.

Look for opportunities and take chances.

Once you have reached your goal – how do you stay there? Make sure you always learn new things, be creative and pull from others.

The students were given a copy of Roget’s Thesaurus donated by the Times Herald Record.

This Year’s Top Students Include –

Eldred: Christina Watts (unable to attend), Lauren Hazen, Michele Daboul

Fallsburg: Stephen Bedik, Uddhava Stowell, Joel Berrian, Sierra Spechler

Liberty: Nikolas Beimler, Michael Bayer, Jessica Russo, Calvin Henry, Molly Olsen

Livingston Manor: Stephen Rogers, Beth Hoffman-Patalona

Monticello: Ruben Rebolledo, Daniel Cook, Marina Lombardi, Kate Oldfield, Carly Rice, Jenna Carbonara, Juliana D’abbraccio, Virginia Boyd, Victoria Walters, Jacqueline O’Rourke, Jared Weiss

Roscoe: Abigail Dusseldorp, Alexa Bullis

Sullivan West: Brendan Creegan, Gabe LaGrutta, Danielle Marino, Hannah Rettoun, Cindy Szeflinski

Tri-Valley: Kelly McNamara, Courtney McNamara, Amanda Martin.

Good Luck to all of the 2010 Graduates. May your futures be guided by success!

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Pictured are: (First row from left to right): Lydia Lecei, Ericka Pineda, April Drake, and Shauna Brickey, Amber McGibbon, (Second row from left to right) Summer Elliott, Jeffery Cobbs, Dana Aragano, Jennifer Brown-Babcock, and Kristin Brush, (Back row from left to right): Diana Jones, Shanese Pettway, Christina Jones, Kathy Appley, Marilyn Squires, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Marie Brown, Betty Bell, and Evangelia Fitzpatrick. – Provided photo

LIBERTY, NY – On Thursday, May 13, at the Sullivan County BOCES Rubin Pollack Education Center, nineteen individuals from the Licensed Practical Nursing Program were presented with their caps. The capping ceremony is a milestone in the student’s progression of becoming a LPN. Family and friends attended the ceremony and joined the students at a reception, which was prepared by the BOCES Culinary Arts students.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was Ann Korabik, BSN, MA, CPHQ In-service Coordinator/ Consultant Achieve Rehabilitation & Nursing Facility. Ms. Korabik, spoke to the students about her experiences and how this ceremony honors Florence Nightingale and represents the symbol of nursing and all of Florence Nightingale’s efforts in forming what nursing has become today. She was known for her pioneering work in nursing, and was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night to tend injured soldiers.

The Sullivan County BOCES LPN class included Kathy Appley, Dana Aragano, Betty Bell, Shauna Brickey, Marie Brown, Jennifer Brown-Babcock, Kristin Brush, Jeffery Cobbs, April Drake, Summer Elliott, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Evangelia Fitzpatrick, Christina Jones, Diana Jones, Lydia Lecei, Amber McGibbon, Shanese Pettway, Ericka Pineda, and Marilyn Squires.

This year’s class was special in two ways. Not only did the class have four high school students, Summer Elliott, Evangelia Fitzpatrick, Diana Jones, and Shanese Pettway. It had two instances where the program touched two generations, Betty Bell is the second generation to go through the program and this year’s class has a mother and daughter taking the same class, Deborah Fitzpatrick (mother) and Evangelia Fitzpatrick (daughter). Congratulations on your future success!

For more information about getting into the LPN program call 295-4143, to schedule an entrance exam time and request an application.

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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – Just when you thought that this Saturday couldn’t possibly hold another Sullivan County treat for the whole family, what with the Trout Parade and the Johnny Darling Frolic happening in Livingston Manor, along comes the Ladies Auxiliary of White Sulphur Springs with a very special Trike-A-Thon, a bake sale and a yard sale all taking place at the White Sulphur Springs Firemen’s Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The auxiliary has been working tirelessly to raise funds for a much needed new play area and we have successfully acquired most of the necessary donations to purchase a brand new, large fire truck play structure which will be the feature of the new playground,” said the Ladies Auxiliary.

Children from the ages of 2 to 12 have been obtaining sponsors; either per lap or one flat amount. On Saturday, June 12, at 11 a.m. they will ride their tricycle or bicycle around the course at the White Sulphur Springs Fireman’s Park, enjoy a fun-filled day and help to raise money for a new playground area at the park!

But that’s not all! At high noon, sure to be the funniest White Sulphur Springs event of the year, the Fireman’s Tricycle Race will take place. “Imagine, if you will, firemen riding tricycles to raise money for a playground. It’s sure to be a sight!” say the the ladies of the Firemen’s Auxiliary. People are encouraged to “sponsor their favorite fireman by going to the White Sulphur Springs Inn – just see the bartender.

These ladies are serious about creating a new playground at the Fireman’s Park. To ensure success they are also holding a giant yard sale and a bake sale at the Pavilion. For more information on how to donate items give Holly Fink a call at 295-0859 or Sue Dewitt at 292-8327. The donation of baked goods will be greatly appreciated and all proceeds will again benefit the playground project. Baked goods will be sold throughout the day on June 12^th. To donate baked goods call April Kissel at 292-4803.

Food and beverages will be on sale throughout the day and every child who participates in the Trike-A-Thon will get a free hot dog. A trophy and a $50 gift certificate to The Little Duck House toy store in Jeffersonville will be given to the child who raises the most money for the playground project.

In addition to the Trike-A-Thon, for a one hundred dollar donation, a sponsor can have their name or their business/organization name featured on a permanent “White Sulphur Springs Playground Sponsors” sign located at the entrance of the play area. For a three hundred dollar donation, people can become a Park Bench Sponsor and an inscription of their choosing (10 words or less) will be added to a playground park bench and their name will be listed on the fore mentioned sign. For a five hundred dollar donation they will be a Spring Rider sponsor, an inscription of their choosing will be attached to a brand new commercial grade piece of playground equipment and their name will be listed on the fore mentioned sign.

To participate in the Trike-A-Thon on June 12 bring a tricycle or bicycle, registration form (see below) and pre-collected monies to the WSS Firemen’s Park at 11 a.m. Children should be prepared to ride around the bicycle or tricycle course at the park for the period of 30 minutes. Registration forms will also be available around town (Green’s, Post Office and the Inn). Parents are asked to pre-register their child by e-mailing Amanda Speer at speer2b@yahoo.com or by calling 292-0796.

Child’s WSS Trike-A-Thon Registration Form

Participant’s Name:________________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________________

Phone #:______________________________ E-mail address:_______________________

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A Story About Love, Faith and a Miraculous Recovery

Story by Carol Montana, photos provided

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY – In the wee hours of August 9, 2009, Neversink resident Kathleen (Kathy) Aitken received a phone call that no mother should ever have to deal with. It was her daughter Melanie, calling to say that Kathy’s son, Joe (a.k.a. Little Joe) had been hit in the head with a baseball bat – three times. Joe had been at a party in Claryville when he was attacked.

This is a story of love and faith. It’s a story of everything going right. A story about the miraculous recovery of a remarkable young man who refused to give up.

Kathy says that the miracles started when a young man who was a witness to the attack called for help from a cell phone in Claryville. There is no cell service in Claryville. But somehow there was on August 8.

“Joe got hit on the top of the head, on the left side, five times all together,” says his mother. “Three times in the head, once in the abdomen, and they thought his right femur was broken. His skull was fractured and he was bleeding internally. But he wasn’t bleeding on the outside. He could speak, but it was garbled, and Mobilemedic, which was one of the responders knew immediately that he was in trouble.”

To read the full story go to They Gave Me Joe Back in the Sullivan Faces Section of The Catskill Chronicle.

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Story by Leni Santoro with Photos by Leni Santoro and Carol Montana

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY – Coinciding with the Trout Parade, this year’s Johnny Darling Frolic and Festival will take place on Saturday, June 12 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Waterwheel Junction at the corner of Main Street and Rock Avenue in Livingston Manor, thanks to the generosity of Shirley and George Fulton, owners of the Wildlife Gift Shop.

The Johnny Darling Frolic is sponsored by the Livingston Manor Free Library; in part by a 2010 Decentralization Grant (DEC) given by the New York State Council on the Arts and administered by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA).

The Johnny Darling Frolic Line-Up:

• 2:00 – 3:00 The Little Sparrow Band from Sullivan County
• 3:00-3:15    Iris Gillingham of Livingston Manor Irish High Step Dancing
• 3:15-3:45    Mike Vreeland of Youngsville, Song writer and performer of Children’s Music
• 3:45-4:00    Johnny Darling Story McAvoy orator
• 4:00-4:40    Dangerous Curves Female Barbershop Quartet from Washingtonville
• 4:40-5:00    Johnny Darling Story orated by Steve Dill of Debruce (founder of Labor Day parade in Debruce
• 5:00-6:00  Kurpil Family Fiddlers of Liberty and Jeffersonville

The emcee for the afternoon will be none other than the Honorable Lawrence Hall McAvoy.

Food, as well as arts and crafts vendors will also be at the frolic and in addition, the stellar line up will be video taped by local videographer, Ryan Mead.

A Little Background…

Shandelee resident, Mia Koerner, has been researching Johnny Darling for over twenty years. In 1990 Diane Atkins published a coloring book based on M.Jagendorf’s book, “The Marvelous Adventures of Johnny Darling” as a fundraiser for the fitness court at the Livingston Manor Central School.

According to historical records, Johnny Caesar Cicero Darling was born in 1809. He wasn’t a very tall man, but he made up for it with his adventures and the “tall” tales he readily shared with any who would listen. If he were alive today he would be 201 years old.

The records show that Johnny Darling lived in Shandelee and liked to go to town; where on Purvis Island (now the sight of the Livingston Manor Central School) he would set about telling his stories. He spent his last days at an infirmary in Monticello, but never could stand confined spaces and set about for home on foot. Some say he still wanders the woods around Livingston Manor waiting for an opportunity to tell one more tale.

These days Johnny Darling makes rare appearances, but two places you can always catch a glimpse of him are the Livingston Manor Trout Parade – where his likeness has been re-created by artist Bud Wertheim in a giant puppet that always rides down Main Street surrounded by his supporters and fans and at the Johnny Darling Frolic held this year in his honor at Waterwheel Junction on June 12 from 2 to 6 p.m.

The Livingston Manor Free Library, beside being the sponsor of the Johnny Darling Frolic, is also one of the few places where you can find a rare out of print book written by M. Jagendorf in 1940 entitled, “The Marvelous Adventures of Johnny Darling” Jagendorf, a researcher of folk tales and children’s stories, compiled an anthology of over twenty-seven stories told by Darling and remembered by friends and relatives at the time.

To learn more about this remarkable folk hero check out the Livingston Manor Home Page.

To see more photos or to purchase prints from the 2009 Johnny Darling Frolic visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

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Bud’s Giant Brook Trout in the 2009 Trout Parade. –  Above -Carol Montana photo, Below Kath Lambert photo.

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY – The 7^th annual Trout Parade, Sullivan County’s own version of Mardi Gras, is scheduled for Saturday, June 12 in Livingston Manor, rain or shine. Attendees can expect to find lots of fishy fun along Main Street from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. including an arts and crafts fair, specialty foods from local vendors and children’s activities, as well as discounts and special offers from participating merchants.

The Trout Parade will step-off promptly at 1:00 p.m., led by Grand Marshall Austin “Mac” Francis, author of “Land of Little Rivers,” and Town Supervisor Edward Weitmann, the day’s honorary Sturgeon General.

The Catskill Art Society is producing this year’s Trout Parade in partnership with the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce, and with support from businesses and individuals from around the community. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Livingston Manor Central School’s Art and Music Programs.

Look for pre-parade entertainment to include Stilt walking by Tannis Kowalchuk of NACL (North American Cultural Laboratory), fiddlers from Catskill Puppet Theatre, Karen Hudson of Karen Hudson River Band and face painting by Miss Sunshine. Come early to secure parking and a prime viewing spot along Main Street.

To date, confirmed parade participants include: Bud’s Giant Brook Trout, Catskill Art Society, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Catskill Puppet Theatre, Cornerstone Community Church, Hamish & Henry Booksellers’ Wonky Tonk Book Club, The Janice Center, Jeff Bank, Johnny Darling puppet, Karen Hudson of Karen Hudson River Band, Kate Hyden and Valerie Beaman, Livingston Manor Girl Scouts, Livingston Manor Free Library’s 3 Apples Book Club, Mid-Atlantic Basset Hound Rescue, MountainTones Community Band and the Rain Barrel Connection Project.

Immediately following the parade, 30 painted rain barrels – created by students representing the Tri-Valley Natural Resources Program, BOCES Career & Tech Auto Body students and art students from Liberty Central School – will be auctioned in Renaissance Park. The money raised will be donated to student scholarships. The Libertyk12.org website will now link you to the Rain Barrel Project where you can find pictures of each barrel , bid procedure, press releases and more. Please take a look!

Look for green and yellow balloons to find special offers at participating merchants: Chinatown Kitchen, Flour Power Bakery, Fur Fin and Feather, Hamish & Henry Booksellers, Hot Corner Sports Collectibles, The Lazy Beagle Pub & Grill, Madison’s Main Street Stand, Manor Dollar, Morgan Outdoors, Peck’s Market, The Plunk Shop, Pronto Pizza, Sunoco Gas Station, Wildlife Gift Shop, and Willow and Brown.

To view photos or to purchase prints from last year’s Trout Parade visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

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HAWTHORNE, NY – After two years of cuts to its core contracts by New York State government and the closure of long-standing programs, AIDS-Related Community Services (ARCS) announced today the addition of four new services to its roster of comprehensive services. Current funding priorities have focused on bringing underserved populations into the healthcare system, and ARCS is able to draw on its twenty-five years of experience and excellence to deepen its services to those in need.

A new healthcare access and enrollment program reaches out to HIV-positive Hudson Valley residents who are not currently engaged by the healthcare system. Its main objective is to provide outreach and education to enhance early access to quality healthcare for HIV-positive people of color, and to decrease disparities in health outcomes for minority populations. Two healthcare enrollment specialists, one serving the Mid-Hudson region and one operating in Lower Hudson, will outreach to HIV-positive people to enroll them in ADAP (the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program) and other healthcare coverage each year. “We want to let people know what health care options are available to them, especially those who think they don’t have options,” said Liz Lacy, ARCS’ Director of Client Services. “This program will not only connect underserved, low income minorities with medical care, but will also help them understand their test results, the importance of staying adherent to treatment regimens, and link them to other services ARCS can provide.”

ARCS also expanded its successful THRIVES Nutrition program from Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties to the Lower Hudson region. THRIVES South will ensure that HIV-positive residents of Westchester and Putnam counties and their dependent children have access to nutritional foods that promote health and increase their ability to manage their HIV and the medical complications wrought by its treatment regimens. A nutritional coordinator teaches enrolled clients how to shop for nutritional foods, and supplies them with grocery vouchers to encourage greater independence and healthy food choices.

Project Reach Out (PRO) aims to engage active substance users who are not currently in treatment and connect them to a variety of resources. PRO will operate out of mobile van in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, primarily in those counties’ urban areas. A program supervisor, an outreach specialist and three peer educators will offer and encourage HIV testing, connect those who test positive or are already HIV-positive with extensive medical and support services, and encourage users, especially those who are HIV-positive, to enter recovery and addiction services. Staff will also offer needle exchange through the Expanded Syringe Access Program and health education. With a target of reaching 1,100 individuals, the PRO team will increase access to drug treatment for active users and increase awareness of users’ HIV status.

Finally, the Community Health Alliance for Prevention and Safety (CHAPS) aims to reduce the transmission of HIV/STDs, contribute to improved sexual health and wellness among young men who have sex with men (YMSMs) of color, and provide HIV/STD testing and access to health care and other needed services. CHAPS will concentrate efforts in the more urban areas of Westchester County, chiefly along the southern border (centered on White Plains, Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, and New Rochelle), where much of the county’s population of color is concentrated, while using outreach and intervention strategies adapted to the unique characteristics of Westchester’s gay community. “Young men of color who have sex with other men are at a highly disproportionate risk for HIV infection,” said Trina Hiemcke, ARCS’ Education Director. “A CDC study released in March shows that MSMs are newly infected with HIV at a rate 44 times higher than other men, and 40 times higher than women. We felt compelled to respond locally to this burgeoning crisis.”

For information on these new programs and how to enroll, please visit www.arcs.org or call (914) 345-8888.

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HARRIS, NY – Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC), in conjunction with the Sullivan County Office of Emergency Management, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department and the Regional Hudson Valley Hospital Mutual Aid Coordinating Entity conducted a full-scale emergency management exercise on May 21.

Titled, “The Plane Crash,” the exercise simulated a plane crash in Sullivan County to help plan how CRMC and local agencies would react in such a situation. Community members volunteered to act as ‘victims’ during the exercise.

The main objectives of the exercise were to test the emergency response of CRMC staff and personnel in the event of a major disaster, coordination for local planning, preparedness and response activities to test the mutual response and collaboration with outside agencies, and the integration of plans and activities of participating healthcare systems into jurisdictional response plans.

At the conclusion of the exercise, evaluators and participants reviewed ways to improve the emergency response process. Steve Ruwoldt, CEO of CRMC said, “This was an excellent exercise and I’m proud of everyone’s efforts. The staff at CRMC is dedicated to ongoing disaster preparedness training. We are committed to providing the highest level of response and patient care for our community.”

An affiliated member of the Greater Hudson Valley Health System, Catskill Regional Medical Center is dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare to residents in the Sullivan County region. For more information, call 845-794-3300 or visit www.crmcny.org.

Photo Caption: Lisa Miller, Vice President of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, acts as a ‘victim’ for CRMC’s Emergency Exercise.

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Story by Carol Montana, Photos by Stephen Lavelle and Carol Montana

SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY – The Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop (SCDW) is presenting a gripping and powerful play at the Rivoli Theatre this weekend and next.

Bent, written by Martin Sherman and directed by Constance Slater, tells the story of Max (Matt Meinsen), a homosexual man who leads a promiscuous lifestyle. The time is 1934 – the “Night of the Long Knives” or Nacht der langen Messer, more commonly known in Germany as "Röhm-Putsch." The three-day “Night” was Hitler’s purge of his Storm Troopers (SA). Coincidentally, because the head of the SA was gay, the purge led to the persecution of gays.

And, among all those in the concentration camps – Jews. Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the mentally handicapped, intellectuals, vagrants, prostitutes, Freemasons and others — homosexuals were at the bottom of the heap, even among their fellow prisoners.

Fleeing from his Berlin home, with his lover, Rudy (Jim Pillmeier), Max is hunted down and sent to Dachau concentration camp, where he takes on the identity of a Jew – which he is not — rather than that of a homosexual, believing that being a Jew will keep him safer. 

At Dachau, Max develops an arms-length friendship with Horst (Rich Hotaling). Forbidden to touch, and barely even able to carry on a conversation, Horst teaches Max about survival, love and being true to oneself.

Featured performers also include Ed Berens as Greta, Phil Cappadora as Wolf, Tom DelFavero as a Nazi guard, Michael Herko as Uncle Freddie, and Joe Levner, Paul Popieneik and Paul Puerschner. 

In its original West-End of London production in 1979. the play starred Ian McKellan. And Richard Gere was featured in the original Broadway offering. The 1997 film of the same name featured an all-star cast of Clive Owen, Ian McKellan and Mick Jagger.

Closer to home, the entire SCDW ensemble gives powerful, emotional performances, and there is no lack of pathos and poignancy in this show. Matt Meinsen and Rich Hotaling are onstage for a great deal of the play, and are exceptionally touching and passionate in their roles, tackling a topic that is still controversial today, more than 75 years after the fact.

Bent is being performed on Friday and Saturday, June 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8:00 p.m., and on Sunday, June 6 and 13 at 2:00 p.m. at the Rivoli Theatre, 5243 Main Street (Route 42) in South Fallsburg. Tickets are $15 for Adults, $12 for Senior Citizens and $7 for students with a valid ID. Both  Friday shows feature “Pay What You Can” for those unable to afford regular ticket prices.

This play contains extremely mature content and is not suitable for children or those disturbed by violence and/or explicit sexual language.

For more information call 436-5336 or log onto www.scdw.net. Or purchase in advance online @ www.ShowTix4U.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Bent is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., and is made possible by a gift from the Arthur A. Slater Memorial Fund.  

To view more photos, or to purchase prints from "Bent," visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

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A 2009 aerial view of the Delaware River at Narrowsburg, NY. – Ted Waddell photo

NARROWSBURG – Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today, June 2, joined representatives from local environmental groups and the National Park Service to announce and highlight the designation of the Upper Delaware as "America’s Most Endangered River" for 2010.  The designation, announced by the national organization American Rivers, comes as energy companies are lining up to use the controversial hydraulic fracturing process to begin extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in the Upper Delaware River Basin.  Hinchey is leading the effort in Congress to restore common-sense federal environmental protections for hydraulic fracturing to prevent water contamination from natural gas drilling.

"The Upper Delaware River is one of America’s most beautiful and historic rivers, and it is used by millions of people for fishing, recreation, drinking water and other uses" said Hinchey. "As energy companies prepare to start drilling for natural gas in the Upper Delaware, American Rivers has rightfully recognized the potential impacts that large scale drilling could have on the incredible water resources of the basin." (file photo)

Hinchey continued, "There are currently no federal requirements forcing gas drillers to disclose the chemicals they inject into the ground. There are also no regulations that allow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate gas drilling’s impact on drinking water supplies. These facts demonstrate the vital need to pass the FRAC Act, which I introduced in Congress, and show the urgency for the Delaware River Basin Commission to conduct a cumulative water impact study on fracking in the basin. We’ve already seen what happens when energy companies are not properly regulated. In the midst of one of the largest environmental disasters in our nation’s history, as millions of gallons of oil continue to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, the need for action to protect the Upper Delaware River could not be clearer."

Hinchey today sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, formally urging her to bring his Fracking Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act up for a vote.  The congressman authored that legislation to close a loophole created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which he voted against, that exempted hydraulic fracturing from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).  The FRAC Act would restore SDWA protections and also require the oil and gas industry to disclose the chemicals they use in their hydraulic fracturing processes.  Currently, the oil and gas industry is the only industry exempt from the SDWA.

In April 2010, Hinchey called on the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to conduct an environmental impact study on the cumulative effects of natural gas extraction water withdrawals rather than consider only the impact from individual drilling sites on a case by case basis. The study, Hinchey argued, should occur before the commission considers any individual water withdrawal applications. Hinchey has also recently conveyed to the DRBC his concerns regarding the need for regulation by the DRBC for exploratory wells in the basin, which the DRBC is not currently regulating.

In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the commencement of the Hinchey Study – a comprehensive investigation into the potential adverse impact that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health.  Hinchey authored the provision in Congress that led to the EPA’s decision to conduct the study after questions were raised regarding the safety of the natural gas drilling process. 

The entire Upper Delaware River basin is located over the Marcellus Shale. In order to access the reserves of natural gas in the shale, multinational energy corporations have acquired drilling rights to large tracts of land throughout the watershed.  Two companies alone, Chesapeake Appalachia and Statoil, have a stated goal of developing 13,500 to 17,000 gas wells in the region in next twenty years. Drilling companies will need millions of gallons of water in order to hydraulically fracture gas wells to stimulate the release of natural gas. The drilling companies will combine the water with a host of chemicals, including some toxic  ones such as benzene and toluene. The gas drilling companies are required to get permits from the DRBC for these water withdrawals from the basin, which can require from three to five million gallons per well drilled.

In 1978, Congress designated roughly 73 miles of the Upper Delaware River between Hancock, NY and Mill Rift, PA as the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a unit of the National Park System. The river is a popular destination for sightseeing, boating, camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and bird watching.  Additionally, several endangered, at-risk, or rare species live in the river and along its banks. The Upper Delaware is also classified and protected by the DRBC as "Special Protection Waters," recognized for its exceptionally high scenic, recreational ecological and water supply values.

American Rivers is the leading national organization standing up for healthy rivers so communities can thrive. American Rivers protects and restores America’s rivers for the benefit of people and wildlife. Founded in 1973, American Rivers has more than 65,000 members and supporters, with offices in Washington, DC and nationwide.

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Upstairs at DVAA during the 2009 DIGIT Festival. – Leni Santoro photo

NARROWSBURG – “There’s a certain irony of holding a digital festival in a rural town like Narrowsburg where cell phones still receive only spotty reception,” states Tina Spangler of the organizing committee for DIGIT. “But, this quiet atmosphere creates a comfortable environment in which local residents and visiting artists alike can come together to examine the ways digital technology impacts our everyday lives.”

The seventh annual DIGIT digital media exposition kicks off Friday, June 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. with a double opening reception of Conrad Gleber’s video installation “Four Walls / Four Seasons” at Alliance Gallery and “Alternate Reality” video screenings and installations in Loft Gallery at 37 Main Street in Narrowsburg, NY. Both exhibitions will remain on display through July 10.

DIGIT is proud to host several visiting artists and their innovative works, including Thomas Zummo’s digital art displays revealing brand new technologies such as augmented reality and laser graffiti; Ivan Martinez’s “Running Man” projections from a flatbed truck on Main Street; Mat Rappaport’s video and Morse code over the Delaware River titled “currents,” Owen Mundy’s projected installation “The Consequence of Scale,” and “Beloved River: The Portal Form” by DIGit founder Patrick Carullo.

Narrowsburg Roasters will once again host “Java with the Geniuses” an open and free discussion for anyone to ask technical questions—from how to download a picture to how to start a website—on Saturday, June 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Next door at the Arts Center, a series of workshops will explore topics including Conrad Gleber’s “Using Microsoft’s Photosynth” and Ron Littke’s “Videotoons” animation workshops for kids 3–12 years old.

The “Quick and Gritty” video slam returns, inviting artists of all skill levels to make their own 3-minute digital movie. In what has become a festival favorite event, the short videos are screened on Sunday, June 20 at 12 p.m, at “video slam” at the Tusten Theatre. A jury of judges will award a $500 grand prize.

Sponsored by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, DIGIT encourages creative and technical excellence and experimentation among individual artists and small groups working with digital tools. The event is funded in part by a grant from the Electronic Media and Film Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.

For details about DIGit, visit www.ArtsAllianceSite.org or call (845) 252-7576.

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