The Catskill Chronicle

Photos by Carol Montana

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY (June 1, 2013) – On Wednesday, May 22, a ceremony was held to mark the grand opening of the new permanent exhibit at the Time  and the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville.

“Toil and Trouble: New York City’s Quest for Water and the Rondout-Neversink Story,” is an exhibit which tells the story of New York City’s water supply system, and specifically the building of the Neversink and Rondout Reservoirs, and the taking of the houses, farms and land which formed the towns of Neversink, Montela, Eureka, Lackawack and Bittersweet.

The ceremony featured a keynote address by environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Also on the program were remarks by New York City Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Carter Strickland, Executive Director of the Catskill Watershed Corporation Alan Rosa, former supervisor of the Town of Denning Clayton Brooks and others.

Grahamsville resident Gail McAndrews sang the national anthem, Tri-Valley Central School student Mikayla Clearwater read an essay, Ashley Exner sand “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and President of the Time and the Valleys Museum Richard Coombe served as host for the afternoon. Pastor Bob Kersten from the Grahamsville United Methodist Church gave the invocation, and the local Boy Scout troop presented the colors.

Also present at the ceremony were Margaret Dolan, formerly of the town of Eureka and Mary Mentnech, formerly of the town of Neversink. Both communities are now under the waters of the reservoirs.

Following the ceremony, guests toured the interactive exhibit and enjoyed refreshments prepared by culinary students at Sullivan County BOCES.

The Time and the Valleys Museum is located at 332 Main Street in Grahamsville (State Route 55). For more information including hours and directions, call 845 985-7700 or go to timeandthevalleysmuseum.org.

Below are some photos of the event. To see more photos or to purchase prints from Toil & Trouble: NYC’s Quest for Water, visit the Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.