The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Carol Montana

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY (November 11, 2010) – Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville held two very special assemblies on the day before Veterans Day 2010.

Tyler Eckhoff, secondary school Student Council advisor and 7^th grade Social Studies teacher, together with his council and secondary school principal Jeffrey Bennett, decided the school should do something for Veterans Day. “The Elementary School has done things in the past, but we wanted to do something for the entire school this year,” said Eckhoff.

It was an all-day celebration. In the morning, the elementary classes made cards for military personnel at the local Veterans’ hospital in Montrose. “And during their lunch period, the secondary school students wrote letters to current military personnel serving in Afghanistan. We had just under 100 letters written today,” Eckhoff said.

At mid-afternoon, two assembles were held, one each for the elementary school and the secondary school. Onstage were 11 Veterans who sat quietly as the students filed noisily into the Tri-Valley Theatre.

The Veterans had been invited via and e-mail sent to all parents, an ad in the Tri-Valley Townsman, contact with the Sullivan County Veterans’ Service Agency and an automated phone message placed to all students’ homes. “We asked all the students, faculty and staff to ask any Veterans they knew to attend,” said Eckhoff.

As the ceremony got underway, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by the local Boy Scout Troop and a group of students sang The National Anthem. Each Veteran was introduced along with their rank and the military theatre in which they served. Two of the attendees, Retired Air Force Colonial Norm Nielsen, who served in Vietnam as an F-4 pilot, and his brother, John R. Nielsen who also served in Vietnam as a Chief Warrant Officer, are Tri-Valley alumni.

The Keynote speaker was Retired Major Richard Ehrmann, (photo below) who served in Vietnam from 1967-68, and has a total of 30 years of military service.

He told the students about what it means to be a Veteran, borrowing the popular anonymous definition currently traveling  the Internet, “A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America, for an amount of up to, and including his or her life.”

Major Ehrmann also talked about the experiences of war, and how different wars yield different experiences, and being part of the “band of brothers.” He told the students that being in the military means defending “two pieces of parchment, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.”

At the end of the remarks, Matt Weyant conducted Tri-Valley High School Band in the “Song of the American Soldier,” a medley of patriotic American songs.

Before Mr. Eckhoff dismissed the students, he remind them to say “thank you to any Veteran you might see.”

Following the program, Student Council Vice President, Chris Whipple talked about how the assemblies were “an eye-opening experience for the students who might not understand the importance of Veterans Day.”

Whipple, a senior who lives in Neversink, has a letter of assurance to attend West Point in June of 2011. He has a meeting with a nomination committee from Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s office this coming Tuesday.

“I was happy that Major Ehrmann spoke, not just about the good times of being a soldier, but also the hard choices, giving up part of your life for service and being willing, ultimately, to give your life. It lit up my heart,” said Whipple. His grandfather served in Korea, and his sister is a graduate of West Point and is currently serving in Afghanistan.

“It’s important,” continued Whipple, “that people always remember those who have served our country. I think that after time, especially those who served in Vietnam, the older wars, the Persian Gulf War, they are forgotten and it’s a shame because they’ve done so much for this country.”

And after the ceremony was concluded, six smiling Veterans (left to right) Fernando Costa, Gary Wells, John Neilsen, Sandy Garzon, Richard Ehrmann, Norm Neilsen showed off the cards and magnets made for them by the Tri-Valley students.

To see more photos, or to purchase prints from Tri-Valley Schools Honor Veterans, visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

MONTICELLO, NY – (November 11, 2010) The Monticello Schools Board of Education is accepting letters of interest from community members to fill the vacancy created by the recent resignation of a board member. New York State law allows school boards to fill such vacancies by appointment until the next regular election in May.

The appointment will be for a term of approximately six months and will end on May 17, 2011. If the appointed person wishes to complete the reminder of the term for the vacated seat, which ends on June 30, 2012, he or she would need to file a petition and run for election in May 2011 along with any other interested candidates.

The Monticello Schools Board of Education members are unpaid and are required to attend a minimum of two meetings monthly. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to the appointment.

Any resident who is interested in the position should send a letter of interest and any other documentation that may be helpful in the selection process (resume, volunteer work, letters of recommendation, etc.), by 3 p.m. on Wed., November 24, 2010 to: Board of Education President c/o District Clerk, Monticello Central School District, Administrative Offices, 237 Forestburgh Road, Monticello, NY 12701.

The Board of Education will begin the candidate review process following its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010.

For more information, please contact District Clerk Mary Ryan Buchholz at 845-794-7700, ext. 70501.

MONTICELLO, NY (November 10, 2010) – County Manager David P Fanslau has filed the 2011 Tentative Sullivan County Budget with the Clerk of the County Legislature, in compliance with the County Administrative Code and New York State Law. Fanslau issued the following statement:

“This 2011 Tentative Sullivan County Budget places our residents and taxpayers first, by freezing the property tax burden and not reducing services, while capping spending below the 2010 levels.  However, to accomplish these necessary goals, I have recommended freezing salaries at the 2010 levels – deferring salary increases and longevity payments that were scheduled to take effect in 2011.  I have great compassion for the County’s employees, and feel the weight of these decisions on my shoulders.  And I recognize that I am asking our employees to sacrifice all additional compensation above their 2010 base salary in 2011 – for the Common Good – keeping our workforce intact and providing the services that our citizenry deserves and expects.

Sullivan County’s budget is predominantly driven by the unfunded mandates imposed by the New York State Government – mandates that support some of the most expensive and overly generous social services in America.  Without substantive mandate reform and relief, coupled with substantive reform and repeal of the property tax exemption statutes – the programs and services that are provided by the County Government are unsustainable.  The County Legislature will have to take specific actions to address the financial feasibility of remaining in business models that require supplements from the property taxpayers, particularly those programs that are dictated by the New York State Government.  The New York State Budget for the current State fiscal year was adopted significantly late, and by all reports is substantially imbalanced.

The 2011 Tentative County Budget appropriates a total of $190,789,772, a decrease of $190,778 from the 2010 adopted budget.  I would first note that this decrease in spending is prudent and necessary, as major revenue sources have significantly declined from 2010 adopted levels, as a result of the continuing recession.

This rapid and drastic deterioration of the economy is, of course, neither the fault of the County nor of any labor organization.  However, it was well beyond the scope we anticipated during negotiations.  Salary increases in 2011 would require a massive increase in the real property tax – which is not only impractical but also impossible in consideration of the Federal Government’s decision to not grant a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to senior citizens and disabled veterans in 2011, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and current unemployment statistics, or require that employees be separated from employment for the sole purpose of providing compensation increases above 2010 base salary to other employees. 

The proposed 2011 County Budget moves forward with consolidation of offices and the redeployment of services, with the goal of reducing the cost of County Government being achieved, and assisted by these efforts.  The consolidation involves:

1.  The creation of the Department of Human Resources, consolidating the current departments of Personnel and Risk Management & Insurance, under the direction of Lynda Levine, Esquire.

2. Consolidation of DPW payroll functions into the Payroll Department.

3. The creation of a Health and Family Services Division Finance Unit – pooling all resources involved in billing and claiming for Medicaid and other payment sources into one streamlined unit to improve the County’s cash flow issues.

4. Directing the MIS Department to move forward with technological efficiencies, and the procurement and implementation of the Virtual Desktop Solution.

5. The creation of the DPW Flood & Erosion Control Unit that will coordinate the contract stream maintenance and cleaning functions of the Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District, with the planned projects of the DPW Engineering, and Road and Bridge Maintenance projects.

6. Directs the DPW to implement one person plowing and Snow and Ice Removal Alternatives.

7. Proceeds with the consolidation of DPW Facilities and Staff.

8. Provides for the Commissioner of the Division of Public Safety to assume some administrative duties in the Probation Department.

9. Provides for the Sheriff’s Sr. Fiscal Officer to assume the fiscal responsibilities of the Probation Department.

10. Explores the offer from Sheriff Schiff, on the potential of Probation Department restitution payments to be made at the Sheriff’s Civil Unit Office.

11. Consolidates public safety dispatching of the E911 Department and the Sheriff’s Office, thereby providing the Sheriff the ability to reassign four Patrol Deputies to active Patrol duties.  The Sheriff would assume responsibility for the E911 Department, permitting the E911 dispatchers to fully function with the ability to assist law enforcement.

12. Co-locates the Center for Workforce Development with the Planning Department to forge a priority on the mission of the Economic Development Corporation.

13. Restructures and reorganizes the DFS Special Investigations Unit and the Child Support Unit under the DFS Legal Department to increase efficiencies and share data on cases and mission, and this consolidation will result with the abolishment of two supervisory positions that are vacant from recent retirements.

The County must take steps to phase-out of business ventures that are non-performing fiscally, particularly where the private sector or non-profit sector has the capacity to provide the service.  The time has come to formally address the future fiscal ability for the County Government to remain as the chief provider of services that are mandated by the State Government, but may be more efficiently and less costly provided by the private or non-profit sectors.

In consideration of the economic conditions, and the poor result of the real property auction in June 2010, I am directing that the Economic Development Corporation and the Planning Department perform an analysis of all non-residential foreclosed property that the County has recorded title, to determine the feasibility of offering parcels of property for either a long-term land lease through the EDC or discounted sales, in exchange for sales tax generating uses, coupled with a criteria and formulary of developing “living-wage” jobs for Sullivan County residents.

The Sales Tax revenues have decreased by about $4 million between 2008 and 2010.  That $4 million in decreased sales tax revenues represents a reduction of $100 million of consumer spending within Sullivan County that would be subject to the Sales Tax.  Clearly, this underscores the need to focus the County’s Economic Development mission on developing an actionable strategy to increase opportunities that are tied to sales tax generating functions, along with a Jobs Action Plan that would realize the creation of “living-wage” jobs for Sullivan County residents.

HARRIS, NY (November 10, 2010) – Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) recently teamed up with New Hope Community to donate more than 800 food items to local food pantries.

The “Taking Care” project aimed to collect food for a day of balanced meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food items collected included soup, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta and sauce, pancake mix, oatmeal, and peanut butter and jelly.

In the photo at left participants are shown preparing items for delivery. Left to right are: New Hope House Manager Melissa Short, New Hope Resident Joe Prestianni, from the CRMC Community Service Office Melodie Denner, and New Hope Director of Program Services Carl Santos.

The items were placed in reusable tote bags which also included a flyer on free cancer screening and recycling tips. The tote bags were then delivered to local food pantries, including the Federation for the Homeless in Monticello, United Methodist Church in Hurleyville and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty.

New Hope Community (NHC) Inc. provides support and advocacy for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities and their families. Since 1975, NHC Inc. has been a pioneer in individualized supports and continues to innovate in search of best practice for those served. For more information, call 845-434-8300 or visit www.newhopecommunity.org.

An affiliated member of the Greater Hudson Valley Health System, CRMC 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.

BETHEL, NY (November 9, 2010) – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has announced the first of their confirmed concerts for 2011’s Event Gallery Concert Series.

Dave Mason, a founding member of Traffic and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, will kick off the 2011 season with an Event Gallery performance on Friday, April 15. Reserved seats are $58.00 in advance, $63.00 at the door.

Another 60s icon, Roger McGuinn, Grammy nominee and co-founder of the Byrds, will appear on Friday, May 6. Tickets are $48.00 in advance, $53 at the door. 

Additionally, Celtic fiddling sensation Eileen Ivers will mark her return to the room on Saturday, May 14.  Tickets are $52.00 in advance, $57.00 at the door.

Reserved tickets for all three performances will go on sale Friday, November 12 at 10:00 a.m. at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org, the Bethel Woods Box Office, Ticketmaster, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Parking for the events is free.

Bethel Woods Members will be notified of an exclusive pre-sale opportunity for these concerts. 2011 Season Memberships will be available in mid-November starting at $100.

Lawn passes for 2011 will be available beginning Monday, November 15. The Season Lawn Pass guarantees a spot on the lawn for every 2011 Pavilion concert including sold-out and Pavilion-only performances. Season Lawn Passes are available for $335.00 through December 31, 2010.

For further information, visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org or call 845-583-2060, or visit the Bethel Woods Box Office. Hours are Thursday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

HARRIS, NY (November 8, 2010) – Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has announced the opening of a new family-medicine practice in Livingston Manor, NY

The Livingston Manor Family Health Center, located at 36 Pearl Street, offers pediatric to geriatric family medicine, including preventive medicine, women’s healthcare, child well care and adult medicine.

Family Nurse Practitioner Julie Vernold (at left in photo) leads the practice, which offers same or next-day appointments. The staff also includes Lori DeRosa, LPN (center) and Nancy Aristizabal, Office Manager (right).

The office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The office phone number is 845-439-3579.

“We are excited to expand our services in Sullivan County and serve a growing need in Livingston Manor and the surrounding areas,” said CRMC CEO Steven Ruwoldt. “This practice will provide better access to primary care for residents of Sullivan County and its neighboring communities in Delaware County.”

Vernold has more than 30 years of nursing experience. She earned her LPN and RN licenses from SUNY Delhi and her FNP certification from Community General Hospital in Syracuse, NY. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the New York State Nurse Practitioners Association.

“I am delighted to be a part of Catskill Regional Medical Center and to provide care to residents in Livingston Manor and the surrounding communities,” said Vernold.

The Livingston Manor Family Health Center will hold an open house from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7, when the public will be able to meet Vernold and the staff, tour the facility and enjoy refreshments.

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, visit www.crmcny.org.

MONTICELLO, NY (November 8, 2010) – The Sullivan County Clerk’s Office, in partnership with the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce and the Sullivan County Veterans’ Service Agency, will be soon be unveiling the Sullivan County "Return the F.A.V.O.R" program.

The acronym stands for Find and Assist Vets of Record, and County Clerk Dan Briggs expects to have the program in place by Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2010.

Veterans who have filed their DD214’s (honorable discharge) with the Veterans’ Service Agency will be issued identification cards, entitling them to discounts or services from participating local merchants and shops.

The program has three major objectives: to say "thank you" to those who have selflessly and courageously served our country.

Secondly, the county seeks to encourage those Veterans who have not already done so, to file their DD214’s with the Sullivan County Veterans’ Service Agency, enabling them to become aware of, and take advantage of, the many services offered to Veterans.

Lastly, the county wishes to promote local merchants who are participating in the program. Their participation will be displayed at their shops.

Startup funds were provided through a legislative member item grant from Senator John Bonacic.

Veterans will first register with the Sullivan County Veterans’ Agency to verify their service time and schedule an appointment for their photograph. Photos will be taken at the Sullivan County Clerk’s Office. The Veteran will then be able to pick up the identification card along with a list of the participating merchants. The merchant discount list will be updated on an annual basis.

For additional information on the F.A.V.O.R. program, call the Sullivan County Clerk’s Office at 845-807-0411.

LIBERTY, NY – A two-day conference in Liberty will feature over 30 specialists in downtown and main street revitalization, as well as building preservation. The experts come from around New York State. 

This year’s annual event will take place on Sunday, November 7 and Monday, November 8, and is co-sponsored by the New York Main Street Alliance (NYMSA) and the New York State Urban Council.  The conference will take place at the Liberty Museum and Arts Center located at 46 South Main Street in Liberty.

The ninth annual “New York Preservation Forum” will be held on Sunday, November 7. Various speakers will discuss restoring Main Street buildings, as well as historic preservation issues and techniques. The evening concludes with an evening reception for the Ninth Annual Preservation Art Show.

Now in its 14^th year, the annual “Main Street Forum” on Monday, November 8 will offer practical advice and information to communities on downtown revitalization issues.

For the first time, the format will be all panel discussions with Main Street experts that will cover basic, intermediate and advanced topics. One panel discussion will be moderated by representatives from the NYS Office of Community Renewal, which is responsible for millions of dollars in funding and grants for main streets and downtown redevelopment throughout New York State. 

Registration for Sunday is $40, Monday is $95; combined is $120. Breakfast and lunch at the museum are included with registration. Discounted registration rates are available for three or more persons registering together. Scholarships are available through the Liberty Museum. 

To register or for more information, contact the Liberty Museum at 845-292-2394 or www.libertymuseum.com.

Sullivan Renaissance will also provide a limited number of “registration waivers” on a first-come first-served basis to Sullivan Renaissance volunteers wishing to attend one or both events. To register for this option, contact Helen Budrock directly at 845-295-2462 or hbudrock@sullivanrenaissance.org. 

MONTICELLO, NY – County Manager David P. Fanslau announced “that as part of Sullivan County’s ongoing effort to provide opportunities for our municipal board members to get the New York State requirement of four hours of training annually, the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management is offering back-to-back programs supplied by the American Planning Association’s Metro Chapter.”

The Planning Department will be showing prerecorded programs on a variety of subjects. After each program, there will be an opportunity to discuss the issues and talk about them within the context of Sullivan County.

The program take place this Friday, November 5, from Noon to 8 p.m. at the Legislative Hearing Room at the Sullivan County Government Center located at 100 North Street in Monticello.

Community-Based Brownfield Redevelopment – Noon to 2:00 p.m. – Too often, community groups and residents of low-income communities are left out of the brownfield redevelopment process. Learn how to engage community members so they can see the opportunities presented by brownfield sites. Find out how the community can weigh the costs of brownfield redevelopment. Hear from community members as well as technical experts. Cosponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2010 Planning Law Review – 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – State and federal courts across the country hand down hundreds of decisions affecting the practice of planning and land use law. This program highlights some of the more important decisions and explains their significance.

Design Guidelines for Small and Rural Communities – 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Design Guidelines for Small and Rural Communities – Planners often must turn traditional urban design principles inside-out to develop design guidelines for small towns and rural communities. This CD-ROM training package explores those unique approaches planners are using to develop commercial and residential guidelines that are mindful of small-town and rural character.

Redevelopment and Revitalization for a New Era – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – The current economy coupled with the federal stimulus package provides new opportunities for redevelopment in many communities. What is being funded and what opportunities are emerging? Will the desire to use resources more efficiently provide a good match with planning goals?

“Each municipality determines what programs are eligible to qualify for the training requirement, but the Planning Department recommends that participants receive two (2) hours of training credit for each session,” said Fanslau.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is appreciated, but not required. For more information, call Heather Jacksy at 845-807-0527 or email planning@co.sullivan.ny.us.

HURLEYVILLE, NY – At the Town of Fallsburg Lions dinner meeting in early October, Albee Bockman updated the group on the activities of Hurleyville’s Mobilemedic Emergency Medical Service that he administers.

This past August, a team of paramedics helped save the lives of a boater and a Morningside Park employee involved in the rescue of the boater and her child during a sudden lightning storm.

Mr. Bockman founded the company as the first paramedic-care unit in Sullivan County, and handled the first call on the very day that they were certified, July 1, 1991.

Under his guidance, the organization has now grown to 62 employees, including paramedics, EMT’s, and dispatchers.

Mr. Bockman acknowledged the excellent working relationship with Catskill Regional Medical Center, their quality of emergency room service and care, and their commitment to provide even greater care with a major renovation.

 WURTSBORO, NY – Catskill Regional Medical Center’s (CRMC) Wurtsboro Medical Associates will support the U.S. troops in Afghanistan and promote healthy living by collecting unopened Halloween candy for the troops.

Children can take their trick-or-treat candy to Dr. Stuart Tashman at Wurtsboro Medical Associates on November 1 and 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

All candy will be sent to the U.S. troops in Afghanistan; children are also encouraged to send a kind note in support of the troops.

The child who donates the most candy in weight will win a $25 gift certificate to Toys R US. 

Wurtsboro Medical Associates is located at 2930 Route 209 in Wurtsboro,  For more information call 845-888-2200.

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY – On October 22, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Sullivan County held their Annual Dinner Meeting at the Jeffersonville Fire House, where their first annual calendar project was unveiled.

The theme was “What Does Agriculture in Sullivan County Mean to You?”

CCE received well over 100 entries from all over the county, representing all aspects of farming in Sullivan County. At the dinner a gallery show of photos was on display and the sale of calendars was very successful.

CCE would like to congratulate the winning photographers. They were January: Ellen Neuman of Liberty (photo left), February: Marc Jaffee of Livingston Manor, March: Walter Garigliano of Grahamsville, April: Aimee Cutler of Forestburgh, May: Deborah Dagget-Murphy of Grahamsville, June: Geri Neuman-Duffy of Liberty (photo right), July: April Mc Arthur of Roscoe, August: The Glanstein Family of Woodbourne, September: Jane Chatot of Youngsville, October: Carol Montana of Grahamsville, November: Barb Schmitt of Mountaindale, and December: Steve Strauss of Callicoon.

Both front and back covers were photographed by Barbara Hahn formerly of Jeffersonville.

Numerous honorable mentions were also awarded.

If you would like to see the gallery of photos or purchase a calendar, please visit Cornell Cooperative at 64 Ferndale-Loomis Rd Liberty, NY.

Calendars will continue to be on sale for $10.00 each or three for $25.00 at CCE. They make a wonderful and unique holiday gift.

Please contact Susan Dollard at 845-292-5250 if you are interested in purchasing one.

PIKE COUNTY, PA – The Pike County Chamber of Commerce recently held its 16^th Annual Community Awards Banquet. Hosted, in partnership with numerous service organizations throughout the area, the banquet was emceed by Arthur Ridley and Dingmans Florist presented flowers to all of the award recipients.

“Volunteers don’t give of themselves for accolades,” said Danielle Jordan, CEO of the Pike Chamber.  “It’s wonderful to acknowledge and celebrate the special people who give so much of themselves to our local community.”

Award recipients are: Terry Finlayson of the Pocono Environmental Education Center, Richard St. John of G.A.I.T., George Edward Moon from the The Pike County Developmental Center, Jacqueline Eadicicco of The Pike County Area Agency on Aging, David Swift from the Wayne Pike Adult Literacy Program, Richard Snyder (pictured at left in photo by Nuby Photography with his llama “Cadbury”) from the Historic Preservation Trust of Pike County and also named Pike Chamber Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Theresa Johnson of The Milford Garden Club, Laurel Bishow and Frank Morey of the Pike County Humane Society, Dotty and Nick Luca from St. Jacobi Lutheran Church, Arthur K. Ridley of Rotary International of Milford – Matamoras, Pat and Ken Corcoran from the Pike County Public Library, Susanne L. Wroblewski from the Center for Developmental Disabilities, Marie Hawkins of Pike County Advanced Life Support, Carol Markwalter of the Pike Chamber – named Director of the Year, Hampton Inn of Matamoras named Pike Chamber Outstanding Business of the Year.

“If you happen to see an award recipient around town, please thank them for what they do,” concluded Jordan. “It’s amazing how much saying thank you can mean to someone!”

For more information on the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, e-mail Info@pikechamber.com or call 570-296-8700.

LIBERTY, NY – For the past 2 years the Liberty and Livingston Manor Rotary Clubs have teamed up to raise money for Rotary International’s Polio Eradication Campaign. This year the two clubs will be holding their third Annual Polio Eradication Campaign Dinner on Friday, November 5 at Albert’s Liberty House Restaurant.

The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cash bar followed by a buffet dinner being served at 7:00.

This year the clubs will be honoring long time Liberty Rotarian and respected community member Bob Blank (photo left) who has actively supported Rotary International’s efforts to rid the world of polio, as well as numerous other international, regional and local community projects.

The evening will also feature a spectacular silent auction that will also benefit the Polio Eradication Campaign.

Rotary is a volunteer service organization of 1.2 million men and women worldwide who made a commitment to immunize the world’s children against polio in 1985, and became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative three years later. The other partners are the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

Rotary’s primary responsibilities include fundraising, advocacy and volunteer recruitment. To date, rotary has already contributed more than $800 million to the polio eradication effort. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be matching the donation to the District 7210 Polio Eradication Campaign.

The donation for the event is $40 per person. “This will be a great night to share Rotary friendship, honor a fine community member and have a good time, while helping eliminate the scourge of polio from the world,” said Bob Freedman, Livingston Manor’s Rotary Foundation Chairman.

For more information or to make a reservation, please contact the event co-chairs Sue Kraycer Liberty Rotary Polio Eradication Campaign Chairperson at 845 701-1799 or suekraycer@hotmail.com or Bob Freedman, at 845 439-5708 or mrfreed@aol.com.

For more information on Rotary’s Polio Eradication Campaign go to:

http://www.rotary.org/en/EndPolio/Pages/ridefault.aspx

http://www.rotarypolioplusindia.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_International

Compiled by Jeremy Gorelick

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, NY – Brian Bunce, Master Falconer, visited Monique’s Book Boutique in White Sulphur Springs on Saturday, October 23, to talk about the sport of falconry. Guest contributing writer, Jeremy Gorelick, had the chance to ask him some questions about this challenging sport for The Catskill Chronicle (TCC):

TCC: Brian, your birds are beautiful and so well behaved. Do you often bring them to events like this?

BB: Actually, no. These birds are not rescue birds nor are they pets. They are bred specifically for hunting and are not domesticated animals. They are used in the sport of falconry, which is defined by the DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation which also oversees hunting permits for other game animals] as a sport of hunting using trained raptors. 

TCC: I had no idea that falconry was managed by the DEC. Do they have any specific restrictions?

BB: Yes, they do. In fact, it requires years of patience and practice to be called a falconer. The process is pretty specific. First, in order to be a falconer, you need to follow all of the guidelines that the DEC sets forth, including building a mew, (an old British word for a bird enclosure) that is a minimum of 8-feet wide, 8-feet long and 8-feet high with an eight-foot-by-eight-foot outdoor area, and buying a whole host of different paraphernalia that costs, on average, $1,500. You also need to convince a local falconer to be your sponsor as you act as an apprentice, and capture either a juvenile red-tailed hawk or kestrel for training. After two years of apprenticeship, you are eligible to take a test in front of two people (one being your sponsor and the other a General Falconer) in order to receive your accreditation as a General Falconer. After that, you have the option of working as a General Falconer for five years and taking an additional exam to be certified as a Master Falconer, in front of three Falconers, which enables you to have additional rights as a Falconer.

TCC: It seems like a pretty involved process. What made you interested in falconry?

BB: I always had a love for birds, and for hunting, and this is an impressive combination of the two. I spend a minimum of two hours a day with my birds, and I enjoy every minute of it.

TCC: A dumb question – if your birds are hunting birds, what do you do for food for them in the winter?

BB: That’s not a dumb question at all.  My birds hunt wild turkey and, since they don’t eat the whole turkey in one go, I will often take the remainder and freeze it so that they can enjoy their prey during the whole winter.

TCC: Are there many Falconers in Sullivan County?

BB: The whole list is available through the DEC, but I have to say that one of the most interesting events that we have each year is our annual statewide meeting in Cobleskill. This year, it will take place on November 5, 6 and 7, and I am very much looking forward to it.

TCC: Brian, what advice do you have for someone interested in the sport of falconry?

BB: Monique (of Monique’s Book Boutique) has access to some of the best books on falconry. Other than asking me directly, that’s probably the best place to start.

For more information on the sport of falconry, and many other topics, contact Monique at Monique’s Book Boutique at 845-292-BOOK. Or visit the Monique’s Book Boutique page on Facebook.

LIBERTY, NY – Back by popular demand, Sullivan County’s 4-H Program is adding a November 5 and 6 E-Scrap recycling event to its autumn calendar. Partnering once more with Advanced Recovery, Inc. and the Sullivan County Division of Solid Waste, the 4-H Program is working to raise funds as well as awareness for educational programs.

Friday, November 5 is set to collect E-Scrap from businesses, schools, municipalities and institutions, marking Sullivan County’s second commercial electronic scrap recycling initiative. The following day, Saturday, November 6 is devoted solely to the collection of residentially generated electronics from homes.

Collection will take place at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building on 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road in Liberty.

Commercial E-Scrap generators must pre-register by contacting Bob Travers at Advanced Recovery 845-858-8809 or e-mail rtravers@advancedrecovery.com prior to the event. Organizations will be invoiced $10 per monitor, laptop, LCD or plasma television; all other electronic equipment will be accepted free of charge.

Cost to the general public will be $15 per carload of residentially generated materials such as monitors, printers, keyboards, VCRs, batteries, cell phones, terminals, cables, fax machines, radios, modems, CPUs, telephones, TVs and stereos.

Significant savings can be made by families taking advantage of this opportunity and a portion of the proceeds benefits Sullivan County 4-H.

E-waste often contains hazardous materials. Advanced Recovery is a recycling company that will collect the materials, salvage for reuse or otherwise recycle for recovery plastics, glass, ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Each component of your electronic equipment will be reused or remarketed with no hazardous materials being sent to your landfills.

For information on how to participate or help promote this noteworthy event, please contact Marylin in the 4-H office at 292-6180.  

MONTICELLO, NY – County Manager David P. Fanslau is asking Sullivan County residents to participate in a process that will contribute to New York State’s efforts to increase high-speed Internet access by testing the speed of their broadband Internet connection.

A newly launched website, www.nyspeedtest.org, allows residents to partake in the speed test that will help New York map unserved and underserved areas. The mapping will facilitate deployment of high-speed Internet access across the State, increase digital literacy programs, and spur economic development.

The speed-testing initiative is being conducted as part of New York’s Broadband Mapping Program. The State has received approximately $2.5 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, for broadband mapping and planning activities. Governor David Paterson has designated the New York State Office of Cyber Security (OCS) as the lead agency for broadband mapping in New York State.

The speed-test website is hosted by the University at Albany’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG), which is partnering with OCS to independently test and collect the speed of broadband service available to New York residents.

CTG is recruiting residents from all areas within the State where broadband Internet service is available to take the speed test from their home computers. Taking the speed test is fast and
simple. The test measures the time it takes for a resident’s computer to send (upload) and receive (download) information. Residents will be able to view real-time information about the quality of their broadband connection, as well as information about the speed they need in order to access the types of Internet services of most interest to them.

CTG will collect, analyze and report the results to OCS, which will use the data within state-of-the-art electronic mapping systems to increase the overall accuracy and completeness of the statewide broadband map.

“Increased broadband access and faster speeds are critical tools for enabling citizens to better connect with government, creating jobs, promoting public safety and education, and delivering essential services such as healthcare,” said Fanslau. “Sullivan County has a number of areas that currently don’t have broadband access or service, and the County has received a federal grant to study the broadband needs of our residents and businesses,” added Fanslau.

By 2015, New York State has set a goal to achieve an average network connectivity speed of at least 20 megabits per second for both uploading and downloading, and 100 megabits per second in each direction within the Digital Corridor, which includes the greater New York City region and areas near the Thruway. The speed test results will help New York State to obtain a richer, more detailed picture of the current broadband environment.

"The Office of Cyber Security is the lead for New York State’s broadband mapping program and we’re pleased to move into this phase of broadband speed verification," said Thomas Smith, OCS Director. "We encourage New Yorkers to participate in this speed testing initiative, which will provide valuable input and assist us in furthering the State’s efforts to enhance broadband access."

"According to surveys, most New York State residents don’t know the speed of their internet connection," said Donna Canestraro, program manager at the Center for Technology in Government. "Knowing their speed and why it matters can help support a whole new level of innovative Web-based applications that can have enormous benefits to consumers, but will require download and uploads speeds much faster than what most consumers are currently experiencing."

New York State residents are encouraged to take the speed test by visiting: www.nyspeedtest.org.

For more information about the broadband mapping program, visit the NYS Office of Cyber Security at http://www.cscic.state.ny.us/broadband/.

For more information about the Broadband RBOG grant, please contact David Fanslau at 845-807-0450 or Planning Commissioner Luiz Aragon at 845-807-0527.

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Editor’s note: We strongly encourage you to read the NYS Speed Test Privacy Policy before you conduct the test.

MONTICELLO, NY – From whimsical to elegant and everything in between, Come to the Table 2010 had something for everyone.

A resounding success for the Orange and Sullivan County offices of the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), Come To The Table 2010 showcased the talent of local designers who created original table settings that were auctioned off through silent bid.

The evening gala, held in the Events Gallery at Bethel Woods, saw guests mingling among the table designs while bidding to take home their favorite. Tables were judged by a select panel with award presentations at evening’s conclusion.

Dr. Jamie Noeth and Barbara Sush garnered several awards for their offering “Girls Night Out” including Best Use of Theme and the coveted People’s Choice.

“Green By Going Purple” was a treasure in tie-dye donated by Sullivan First Recycling, and took home the award for “Most Original.”

Also up for bid was a gourmet dinner for six at the home of this year’s Come To The Table co-chairs Jacy Ricciani and Robert S. Green.

The night of fun and fundraising also featured Amanda Galigher Speer along with Sullivan County legislator Alan Sorensen, who wowed the crowd with a touching rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Event sponsors included First Federal Savings of Middletown, Catskill Hudson Bank, Frontier Communications, Orange & Rockland Catskill Regional Medical Center.

Come To The Table exists to raise funds for the agency, but more importantly, to raise awareness of DRC within the community. DRC is a nonprofit agency providing low- or no-cost mediation and related services.

Private or business participation and support, at any level, will help DRC reach the important and vital goal: to continue its mission to “promote the peaceful resolution of conflict . . .”

For more information, contact Kathy Kreiter at 845-794-3377 or Donna Ramlow at 845-294-8082.

NARROWSBURG, NY – On Sunday, October 24, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance and NACL present an afternoon of short local films: documentary and dramatic stories with a connection to the Upper Delaware Valley. Screening starts at 2:00 p.m. at the Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street, Narrowsburg, NY.

The works to be presented include:

Mary Last Seen (2010) by Sean Durkin, a short film beautifully shot on location in Sullivan County, which screened at this year’s Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals. A pre-cursor to Durkin’s feature film Martha Marcy May Marlene currently in production in Lew Beach and Monticello, the short traces the journey of a young woman (Alexia Rasmussen) who embarks on a trip to the Catskill Mountains with her boyfriend (Brady Corbet). But we soon suspect that her destination is not what she had in mind. Never shown before in the area.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Callicoon Center Band (2010, work in progress) a documentary work-in-progress that celebrates 75 years of the beloved Sullivan County band and the community that makes it possible. Directed by Academy-Award-nominated filmmaker Alice Elliott.

Home (2010), a documentary portrait of performer, organic farmer, and mother Tannis Kowalchuk, who co-founded NACL Theatre in Highland Lake 10 years ago. Directed by Narrowsburg’s Tina Spangler.

Demon on Wheels (2010, work in progress). Meet Mike, a master mechanic who grew up in the small Catskills town of Margaretville, and who’s rebuilding a classic muscle car. In the process, he finds a vehicle to renew his connection to his community. Fresh from the editing room, this documentary is a work in progress directed by Christina Eliopoulos.

Lucky Lake (2009), Tina Spangler’s historic documentary short about Narrowsburg’s little-known African-American vacation community, a place where the American dream came true… until the water was stolen.

Plus, local historical footage from Narrowsburg’s 1953 bicentennial parade, celebrating the 200-year anniversary of the town, shown courtesy of the Tusten Historical Society. And Sullivan County logging industry footage (circa 1930), shown courtesy of Alice Elliott.

Also, time-lapse video studies from Narrowsburg’s SkyDog Farm by Kevin Vertrees and Andrea Reynosa, artists and co-founders of Brooklyn’s Smack Mellon Studios. (5 min)

Tickets are $8. For more information, visit www.ArtsAllianceSite.org or call 845-252-7272.

The 80-year old art deco-style Tusten Theatre is located at 210 Bridge St, Narrowsburg, NY and features an eight-month schedule of cultural programming including jazz, opera, performance art, folk music, and theatre. This event is funded in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State’s 62 counties.

Story by Carol Montana and Jeremy Gorelick, photos by Carol Montana, photo of Mr. Hilfiger provided

LIBERTY, NY – The Liberty Mall on Sullivan Street in Liberty was open to the public on Friday and Saturday, October 15 and 16 as it housed the Annual Home & Business Expo 2010.

Sponsored by Superior Building Supply of Neversink, and arranged by the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce and the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, the Expo featured 40 businesses and area organizations. Participants included banks, business organizations, media outlets, health care and educational agencies, furniture and office supply stores, and more.

A ribbon cutting was held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, officially opening the Expo. Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Jeremy Gorelick, began the ceremony with a special presentation to Dorothy Shapiro, wife of the late Irving Shapiro, owner/operator of Sullivan’s Department Store, the site of the current Liberty Mall. Mrs. Shapiro was then given the honor of cutting the ribbon.

According to Mrs. Shapiro, Sullivan’s was opened in 1948 by brothers Irving and Sidney Shapiro. Originally selling war surplus in a barn in Liberty, over the years the business dealt in soft and hard goods, and became a merchandising innovator, adding a Gourmet Shop and Contemporary Art Gallery. Employing hundreds of people during its 46 years in business, the Liberty store was closed in 1994.

Mrs. Shapiro was very emotional as she cut the ribbon and later said, “I am so pleased to see this beautiful reconstruction of our building, and my wish and my sincerest hope is that Liberty Mall will be become a very successful mall and service the community the way the former Sullivan’s serviced the community.”

Inside the current Liberty Mall, the welcome table for the Expo was set up in the downstairs atrium, a large area big enough to hold the Chamber, the Partnership, the Monticello Booster Club food cart, and Prudential Peters Realty, which is marketing retail space for the Mall.

In the upstairs atrium, the business sponsor, Superior Building Supply, had a large display including a banner visible from the parking lot through the wraparound windows. 

Downstairs and upstairs, tables surrounded the open areas in front of large and small retail spaces, as business owners and their employees, and representatives of organizations, passed out canvas bags, lollipops, water bottles, magnets and, of course, pens.

Chamber of Commerce President Terri Ward is hoping that word of mouth will bring businesses to the Liberty Mall. “… just by us being here and holding the Expo here is going to be the best way” to get the word out. Prudential Peters is here, they have all the specs, everything that’s available, and the Partnership has the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation coming and some people looking around to hopefully recruit some businesses here.” And best of all, said Ward, the owner of the Liberty Mall, Sam Backer donated the space for the Expo “just to get people in the door.”

At 6:00 p.m. on Friday, attendees enjoyed a presentation by designer Andy Hilfiger of the Tommy Hilfiger line. Shown at right with Jeremy Gorelick and Terri Ward of the Sullivan County Chamber, Hilfiger opened with a brief introduction about his family and its role as middle-man in the clothing market in Elmira in central New York state. There they sold samples direct from the streets of Manhattan, before launching their trademark classic American look. 

A brief computer-aided slideshow showed, through carefully chosen pictures, the growth and development of the Hilfiger line from a small boutique shop to a household name using innovative marketing techniques and outreach to specific markets.

After an explanation of his new line, Andrew Charles, and the demographics that he seeks to attract, Hilfiger opened up a brief question and answer period, where he discussed the particular reasons for the success of the Tommy Hilfiger line, as well as general ideas for how to market and grow a small business. 

Since Hilfiger is a Sullivan County resident, plans are underway to bring him back for a more in-depth discussion and case study of how to successfully design and implement a marketing plan to transition from an in-home “cottage industry” to something more significant, particularly in a troubled economy.

For further information about leasing retail space in the new Liberty Mall, call Prudential Peters Realty at 845-292-6333.

To see more photos or to purchase prints from the Home & Business Expo 2010, visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY – Helping to celebrate New York State’s Archives Month, the Town of Neversink and the Time and the Valleys Museum invite you to Follow the History Trail to Grahamsville.

The program will be held on Saturday, October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Neversink Town Hall on State Route 55 in Grahamsville, NY.

Activities include:

• – Self guided tour of Neversink Barn Quilts – a self guided map to large and colorful quilting designs painted on local area barns will be available that day.
• – Self guided tour of nine area cemeteries – a project to help stabilize and restore historic cemeteries (funded through Sullivan County Renaissance), also produced a self guided cemeteries map available that day.

– The gallery photo show: Saved by the Camera: Functional Farm Buildings of the Past

– Opportunity to do research in the Museum’s archival holdings, including burial records, census records , new records from the Town of Denning and 50 years of the local newspapers.

Volunteers will be available to help plot the tours and to assist with research.

Admission is free and open to people of all ages.

For more information, please contact Carol Smythe, Registered Historian, Town of Neversink at 985-2262 ext. 313, or write to her at historian@townofneversink.org.

The Time and the Valleys Museum is a living and interactive resource that preserves the past, educates the present and ensures the uniqueness of the Rondout and Neversink watersheds for all generations. Currently located in the Neversink Town Hall, the Museum provides educational programming for the public and is actively raising funds to install exhibitions in the Museum’s future home, co-located in the new addition to the Daniel Pierce Library.

MONTICELLO, NY – The Kiwanis Club of Monticello held their 65^th Annual Installation Dinner at the Blue Horizon Diner & Restaurant on September 20.

In the photo at left, newly elected President Sharon Jankiewicz receives the gavel from past President Jack Leshner to the applause of all, including Rose Raimond, 2nd V.P.

The new officers for 2010-2011 were sworn in by Lt. Gov. Pat Flynn. They are: President Sharon Jankiewicz, 1^st Vice President Lori Benjamin, 2^nd Vice President Rose Raimond, Treasurer Janet Siano and Secretary Kathy Garlick.

Several members were recognized for their dedication and support. Rose Raimond was presented with the Kiwanian of the Year Award ,and Bill Lane and David Kaufman were both presented with the Legion of Honor Awards for 35 years of membership and service to Kiwanis. The accounting firm of Cooper and Nieman received the Distinguished Community Service Award.

The Club is busy planning many new community service activities for the upcoming year.

Highland Lake, NY – Basket Landing is a local treasure! These talented blue grass and folk musicians from Hankins, New York combine eclectic folk music, blue grass, spirituals, and live folkloric dance for an extremely entertaining and inspiring event for people of all ages.

Basket Landing will be performing an all-ages show this afternoon, Sunday, October 17, at 3 p.m. at the NACL Theatre in Highland Lake. Call 845-557-0694 to reserve tickets or just show up at the door. Tickets are Pay What You May and Children are free. NACL is located at 110 Highland Lake Road, Highland Lake, NY.  For more information, go online to www.nacl.org

About Basket Landing

Based in Hankins, New York, the group’s name is taken from a beautiful spot where the Basket Creek enters the Delaware River.

Basket Landing performs a mix of traditional American folk music and songs from the British Isles, Canada, and Australia – sweet Appalachian folk ballads, lilting Irish melodies, seafaring tunes, Ozark Mountain bluegrass, and vibrant spirituals.

The music selection is drawn from the repertoire of a group of families who have gathered every Saturday night for the past 45 years, on a mountaintop farm in Hankins to sing and play music for themselves, their friends, and neighbors.

ROCK HILL, NY – The September 26 Sullivan County Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association was a huge success.

The walk, which started at the Frontier Insurance Building in Rock Hill, was chaired by Sheila Lashinsky and Marcia Fink, who were thrilled by the turnout of walkers.

Enjoying a large increase from 85 walkers in 2009 to 238 walkers this year, the event raised over $26,500. And contributions toward this year’s walk are still being accepted through November 30.

The Memory Walk is the only national fundraising event for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Funds raised at the event help to support the free services of the Alzheimer’s Association.

For more information about the free services of the Alzheimer’s Association or to make a donation, please call Janet Troia at 845-794-3774.

Photos by Leni Santoro

PARKSVILLE, NY – The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is holding a public meeting to discuss improvements in and around the hamlet of Parksville. These improvements are the second phase of the  larger NYS Route 17/I-86 Parksville project currently under construction in the area. The public meeting will be held on October 21 at 7 p.m. at the NYSDOT field office (formerly the Dead End Cafe) located at 6 Main Street, Parksville.

As part of the project development process for the NYS Route 17 Parksville upgrade project, NYSDOT committed to make a variety of landscaping and enhancement improvements, which were necessary to satisfy requirements set forth by various state and federal agencies and the community. Many of these improvements will be included under Phase I; however, some work was split from the larger project to be done as a second phase. Phase II was split from Phase I to allow more time to meet with stakeholders and to open bidding to potential contractors specializing in streetscape, landscape and trail work.

In 2009 students from Cornell University met with Parksville residents to talk about a vision for the future of Parksville.

Phase II will include landscape and trail improvements and provide fishing access along the Little Beaverkill. As part of Phase II, NYSDOT also committed to seek public input from the community to help establish the vision of Parksville and identify specific enhancements that complement this vision. That process began with a public workshop held on February 17, 2010. From that workshop, the Department developed a variety of landscaping and enhancement options that are consistent with the vision of Parksville that was identified at the workshop and that satisfy the requirements of the Parksville Project as agreed upon by other state and federal agencies.

The public meeting will begin with a presentation of the alternatives that have been developed based on previous commitments and on the  priorities identified by community members at the workshop and in previous outreach. The presentation will be followed by a question and comment session, during which meeting attendees will be encouraged to share their ideas. 

After the question and comment session, there will also be time for meeting attendees to discuss their ideas, concerns or questions with project team members one-on-one or in small groups. NYSDOT will use input provided at this public information meeting, along with other project information, to select and refine the preferred alternative which will then be presented to the public at a subsequent meeting.

ROCK HILL, NY – The Board of Directors of the Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation honored longtime Livingston Manor resident and civic leader Mary Fried at a recent dinner held at Bernie’s Restaurant in Rock Hill.

In the photo at left, taken at the dinner to honor Ms. Fried are the Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation Board of Directors. Front row (l to r) Foundation President Lee Siegel, Mary Fried, Paul Rouis – Foundation Accountant; Back row (l to r) Tom Guarino, Foundation Financial Advisor, Peggy Schleiermacher, Dr. Don Simkin, Patti Casey and Gary Siegel. Absent from photo is George Kaplan, son of Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan who serves on the Foundation Board of Directors.

Mrs. Fried was honored for over 40 years of service as a charter member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Mary has been an asset to our board and we wanted to show our heartfelt thanks for her efforts through the years,” said Foundation President, Lee Siegel.

The Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation came to fruition through the generosity of Lew Beech residents Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan. Mr. Kaplan was a diamond cutter known to make his fortune by cutting the Jonker Diamond to perfection. He and his wife Charlotte left their estate to the Foundation whose mission is to “help keep kids off the street” by supporting youth programs and providing scholarships to those students who might not be able to attend college without the foundation’s support.

The Foundation provides over $80,000 grants and scholarships annually to local graduating students and civic organizations. “Mary served as secretary and has been a dedicated member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors since the beginning and has provided untiring efforts in providing the opportunity for individuals and civic organizations from our community to thrive and succeed,” said Siegel.

HARRIS, N.Y – The Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) Blood Donor Center has been awarded accreditation by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), based on a recent survey.

Accreditation follows an intensive onsite assessment by specially trained AABB assessors and establishes that the level of technical and administrative performance within the facility meets or exceeds the standards set by AABB.

By successfully meeting those requirements, CRMC joins similar facilities located throughout the country and around the world that have also earned AABB accreditation.  AABB’s accreditation program contributes to the quality and safety of collecting, processing, testing, distributing and administering blood and cellular therapy products.

The CRMC Blood Donor Center was also recently awarded the Life Share Platinum Level Achievement Award from the American Red Cross for outstanding employee participation in 2009 blood drive donations. CRMC hosts monthly blood drives in collaboration with the American Red Cross and sponsors its own fundraiser, ‘Dracula’s Pub,’ every Halloween to raise money for the hospital’s Outpatient Oncology Fund.

For more information on the CRMC Blood Donor Center, please visit www.crmcny.org or call 794-3300 extension 2269.

In other news, Catskill Regional Medical Center announced that its Community Service Plan for 2010 is now available on the CRMC website (www.crmcny.org). The report highlights CRMC’s activities addressing the healthcare needs of Sullivan County residents.

The Community Service Plan is a requirement of the New York State Department of Health, and includes information about the implementation of CRMC’s community service plan during the past year, and information on future community initiatives. Interested community groups and individual residents who would like to provide input or receive a copy can contact Marc Mendelsohn, AVP Administration at 845-794-3300 ext. 2376.

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.

WOODRIDGE, NY  – In conjunction with more than one hundred events nationwide commemorating the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey, BUZZ Equipment Company and Kantrowitz Brothers Auto Repair will be joining forces on Friday, October 15 to host an informational ride and drive in Woodridge.

Anyone visiting the companies’ 49 Roosevelt Avenue location between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. that day will be able to drive a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle manufactured by Miles Electric Vehicles of Santa Monica, California, and have their questions about alternative fuel vehicles answered by experts.

Participants can also view interactive displays designed to demonstrate the workings of an all-electric vehicle. These displays were developed by Joe Conway, partner in BUZZ Equipment Company and owner of Kantrowitz Brothers Auto Repair, for use in the course, “An Introduction to Electric Vehicles,” which is offered at Sullivan County Community College.

The fall semester course starts Thursday evening October 14, and runs for five consecutive Thursdays. Registration for the class is through the college’s Office of Continuing Education, Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning, 845-434-5750 ext. 4398.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are a special class of electric low-speed vehicle that have been certified as Standard 500 compliant, or meeting the requirements of that provision of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. In New York and most other states, these vehicles are legal on roadways where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or lower. Their top speed must be no more than 25 m.p.h., and their gross vehicle weight cannot exceed 3000 pounds.

The ride and drive and information session is part of the biennial National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey, conceived by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) based at West Virginia University in order to promote cleaner choices in transportation. The NAFTC undertook this project because of the critical need to support the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) industry.

The Consortium states: "More public awareness is necessary to help ease our dependence on foreign oil, and we must support those manufacturers that are making AFVs a viable option for individuals everywhere. With everyone joining together on one day, working toward the same goals, we cannot help but compound the effect of our individual efforts. Such unity will further increase the impact of each individual site’s program and will catalyze the momentum for the advanced transportation movement nationwide. Together, we will bring national attention to AFVs and advanced technology vehicles and promote them as a cleaner and more efficient choice for transportation."

BUZZ Equipment Company and Kantrowitz Brothers Auto Repair have been selling and servicing alternative fuel vehicles, including flex-fuel, biodiesel, hybrid and all-electric drive for more than ten years. They have also collaborated to create The Sullivan County Electric Bus Project, to provide a cleaner, healthier, quieter ride for school children.

For more information on the ride and drive event, call Joe at 845-434-5710.

BETHEL, NY – The Eighth Annual Chili Cook-Off at The Harvest Festival, sponsored by Jeff Bank and M&M Auto Group, attracted about 4,500 hungry guests to Bethel Woods on Sunday, October 3 for a chili day in October. 

There was spirited competition among the participating groups: the Sullivan County SPCA (teamed with Dutch’s Tavern), the Culinary Program of Sullivan County Community College, the Culinary Program of Sullivan County BOCES, the Culinary Program of Delaware Valley Job Corps and Frost Valley YMCA, but in the end the Delaware Valley Job Corps received the most votes, taking home the coveted plaque and bragging rights.

Delaware Valley Job Corps Culinary Arts Instructor Alice Guss said, “The students that prepared the chili – some are beginners, some are intermediate – but they just had their heart in cooking their chili. They used all simple, fresh and best quality ingredients, with one secret ingredient!”

Through a $2 suggested tasting donation, the event raised just over $2,000 which will be shared among the 5 participating organizations. In addition, ShopRite Supermarkets provided gift cards to offset the cost of their food. 

Thunder 102 was on-site all day emceeing the event and providing participants the opportunity to talk about their programs on-air.

Denise Frangipane, Harvest Festival Manager said, “This Chili Day in October has always been a favorite among our festival goers. We were very pleased to offer this popular event as a venue for community organizations to promote their programs and mission.”  

The Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods is supported by sponsors who share a commitment to the community and regional economic development. Generous support of The Harvest Festival Children’s Area provided by ShopRite Supermarkets. Additional support of the 2010 Harvest Festival season provided by Grey’s Woodworks.  2010 event sponsors also include Majek Furniture Warehouse, Thompson Sanitation, Jeff Bank, M&M Auto Group, Catskill Regional Medical Center, and Van Gorders’ Furniture.

For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

MONTICELLO, NY – Monticello Motor Club, an automotive country club a located in the Town of Thompson, recently hosted a unique event to help police officers raise money for local charities on the four-mile road racing circuit.

In the first annual “Cops For Kids” race, officers representing three Police Benevolent Associations put their driving skills on the line for the benefit of three very worthy charities and raised over $37,000.

The Cops for Kids race was conceived by Monticello Motor Club as an exciting way to recognize the hard work and dedication of local and state police officers, while allowing the PBAs to support their chosen charities.

Five officers each from the New York State Troopers PBA, Sullivan County Sherriff’s Department PBA and Monticello Police Department PBA competed on the club’s challenging road course for fastest lap. After practice sessions working with MMC’s professional racers in the morning, the officers each got three hot laps in the club’s Pontiac Solstice racecars. Each officer’s single fastest lap time was counted and averaged together with the other team members to determine the winners.

During breaks in the racing action, there was fun for all with an exotic car show, face painting, racing simulators and a barbecue.

Monticello Motor Club Chairman Bill McMichael was surprised with the speed shown by the officers. “The police officers did really well on the track. Our instructors were quite impressed with their skill and how quickly they picked up the line of the course. We also invited the kids from the charities and those in attendance were able to go for hot laps with the instructors. Ultimately, this day was about helping the kids. Our members showed their generosity by adding to the prize money from the club and we were able to donate a significant amount. Everyone had a great day and we were able to help some very worthy causes. We’re already looking forward to the next one.”

At the end of the competition, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department took first place with their prize money benefiting Monticello Gymnastics.

The other two charities also received donations: The Monticello Police Department helped MAFCO – Monticello Area Football & Cheerleading Organization MAFCO (www.monticello-afco.org/), while the NY State Troopers donated their winnings to the Signal 30 Benefit Fund, which supports the members of the New York State Police in extraordinary circumstances such as illness, injury and loss of residences to fires or floods (www.signal30.org).

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About Monticello Motor Club:

Opened in 2008, Monticello Motor Club, the closest motorsports venue to Manhattan, is a private automotive resort for its members. With a limited number of coveted memberships still available, MMC caters to driving enthusiasts, from beginners with no track experience to professional racers. Between laps, members relax in an exceptional new clubhouse that features classrooms, dining area, bar, kitchen, members-only lounge, private locker rooms, pro-shop and attached temperature-controlled garages. To learn more, please visit www.monticellomotorclub.com, e-mail info@monticellomotorclub.com, or call 877-578-RACE (7223).