The Catskill Chronicle

Story and Photos by Carol Montana

When I first moved to the Catskills a little over – well, let’s just say it was a long time ago – I marveled as the leaves turned shades of scarlet, crimson and yellow. There were colors I had never before seen – at least not on trees.

I had migrated from Long Island, a lovely place for sure. But Long Island didn’t have the same climate that the Catskill Mountains had. It doesn’t get quite as cold down there. And there’s just something about the crisp autumn weather in the mountains.

A memory that has stayed with me for many years had its birth during that first year of my residence, at the top of Columbia Hill in Hurleyville. As I drove from Monticello to Loch Sheldrake on Old Liberty Road, I reached the top of the hill, and there, spread out before me in all it’s glory was autumn in Sullivan County. The colors!! Oh my goodness, the colors!! Hues and shades and contrasts that literally took my breath away. I gasped. I stopped the car (safely). I gazed, awestruck, at the panorama. Surely, no one else had ever seen such majesty. This was all for my benefit. Boy, did I feel special.

Of course reality set in as I descended the hill. It wasn’t just for me. It was here to be shared. And share it I did. Whenever relatives wanted to visit, I encouraged them to come in the autumn – Columbus Day weekend specifically. And we would go for rides around the county and surrounding areas, enjoying the colors.

Flash forward to 14 1/2 years ago when I got married. My husband Ken enjoys car rides as much as I do. So just about every year – even when gasoline hovered near $5.00 a gallon – we go for what we call our Annual Fall Foliage Ride. This year was no exception. And actually, we took our ride just in time, because the next day it snowed.   

And here’s another thing that hasn’t changed. I’m still sharing the autumn colors. This year, I’m sharing them with you.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from No Better Place in the World visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

MONTICELLO – “In real life we guard our emotions, but on stage you have permission to explode,” said Jeff Lackey to his Intermediate Acting class the other day at Monticello High School.

Monticello High is unique in the county as it offers a drama and dance program as a regular curriculum offering, rather than as elective.

“Dr. Dirth (director of music) and Dr. Michel (superintendent of schools) and all the great teachers here understand that drama can be a very important part of the core curriculum,” said Lackey. “We use it to teach writing, critical thinking and we use it to support social studies and math.”

When the program started last year, the school offered introduction to performing arts and intermediate acting classes, and for the 2009-2010 school year added basic acting and elements of dance and drama, a course Lackey teaches with dance certified dance instructor Krista MeMaio. Amy Philips, a music teacher, helps out by teaching an intermediate acting class in the morning.

Now in it’s second year, student enrollment has more than doubled, with approximately 12 kids taking basic acting, 8 in intermediate, 15 in elements of dance and drama, and 10 in intro to performing arts. In the overall music/drama program, every eight weeks students can select a different module, from technical to chorus, or from dance to instrumental music.

“It gives them a chance to try something they’ve never done before, before settling into something,” said Lackey.

Just the other day, he sat down with a few of his intermediate acting students to ‘set the stage’ for the lesson of the morning, which had them review a script in preparation for getting up on stage to audition for parts in an upcoming production of “The Witch Hut”: Mary Warren, “a servant girl…defiant at times, in this scene is courageous but afraid,” Abigail Williams, “a loose girl (morally for the times), rebellious, manipulative. Sly,” John Proctor “an honest farmer with a secret,” Elizabeth Proctor, “like the others accused of witchcraft” and Jude Daforth, “pious, authoritarian.”

“One more word, and you’re going to jail,” said Lackey in helping the students set the tone of a confrontation between the judge and an accused, “If you can capture these characters with your voice, them you’re acting.”

The basic acting class students have a full script as they are preparing for several performances before Halloween; (Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Raven”) while the introduction to performing arts kids gear up for “The Jabberwocky,” Lewis Carol’s nonsensical poem about slaughtering a hideous monster.

In preparation for a haunting series of productions, the drama class is converting the dance studio into a minimalist black box theatre. “You don’t have costumes and sets to distract from the actor’s technique,“ said Lackey of the black box theatre concept. “It’s up close and personal, it’s more like film acting with people on three sides and with the actor in the middle.”

*Photos captions from top to bottom: Lead photo – Janeene Gambino, Olivia Shope, Liza Macentee, Kelly Pfeister. 1 – Jeff Lackey, drama teacher. 2 – Joseph Davis goes over a script. 3 – Janeene Gambino, Olivia Shope, Liza Macentee, Meghan Yearwood.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Permission to Explode visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

FALLSBURG – Telling young people about the Holocaust is a daunting task. How can you talk about the death of 12,000,000 people at the hands of a political regime in one of the most modern advanced nations of the western world in the middle of the 20^th century? How can you avoid showing the frightening images of men and women, and especially children, as they are liberated from concentration camps?

How can you present the facts when there are thousands in the world who deny that the Holocaust ever happened? How does one make sense and convey the sense to young minds about such a horrific episode in human history?

Werner Reich is a man who has answered all these questions, and he offered his wisdom to two assemblies of 6^th through 12^th grade students at Fallsburg Junior/Senior High School on October 7. Ms. Dawn McCarthy, a long-term substitute teacher and parent of students in Fallsburg Central School District invited Mr. Reich to speak after hearing him at Tri Valley School District. 

Mr. Reich was a small child in Germany when the Nazis assumed power and began passing laws to disenfranchise, to prevent people from working, owning property, and finally to killing them based on their religion, their political beliefs, their mental health, their sexual orientation, and 120 assorted categories. Reich introduced a word here that was probably new to the students—xenophobia or fear of anything foreign or different. Because of this state of fear and then the persecution it generated, Reich’s father moved the family to Yugoslavia. Safety there was short-lived. After being given to gentile families by his mother for protection in hiding, he was rounded up and began the years of World War Two in a series of jails and concentration camps in several European countries. From a second story window of the first incarceration, he saw his mother for the last time as she swept the street. He had barely reached his teen years at the time.

In telling his personal story, Mr. Reich always came back to teaching the students the lesson of British historian Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing!” Winston Churchill spoke of the mass murder and called it “the crime with no name.” Later, historians began using the term “Holocaust” from the Greek words meaning whole burnt offering. Many people know that six million Jews perished; but there were six million Christians and others that were killed. Looking at the children, he soberly asked how we can even imagine the number 12,000,000. Then he showed on a United States map that if you lined up people, allowing a one foot, three inch space for each person, 12,000,000 would reach from New York to Los Angeles.

With a powerful slide show presentation, Mr. Reich keeps everyone’s attention. Except for some gasps, there is utter focus on his words and pictures. Here is a man not filled with hate or bitterness and not seething with revenge for the deaths of his parents and the loss of his childhood. On the contrary, he is filled with humanity, sharing his experiences with kids about the same age as he was when he endured the horrors of separation, torment, and hatred at the hands of inhumane people. Through it all, he has maintained his dignity. “The worst thing for me,” he said, “was not knowing if I would be alive the next day.”

Mr. Reich encourages young people to hear him and take in the lessons that he has learned. He sees a swastika as a symbol of hatred against humanity and not just against a particular group. He offers cards to all the students with the word JUST as an acronym for Judge the situation, Understand the problem, Solve the problem, and Take action. He encourages them to not be indifferent when they see suffering, bullying, and other unjust acts. As George Bernard Shaw said, “Indifference is the essence of Inhumanity.”

As he went through his history of personal persecution, he put it into a context that all kids could relate to. There are four groups in oppression: the Victim, the Bully and the Gang, the Just, and the Bystanders. He made sure to describe each group during his story of the Holocaust. The Bystanders were the good people who do nothing. The common thread for the Just people, when asked why they risked their lives to save the lives of others, was a simple response, “Because it was the right thing to do.” These people did not wait for others. Speaking to each and every one in the audience, Mr. Reich looked out and said, “Be the first to act. JUST people are just people.”

After the one hour presentation, several hundred young people and their teachers stood as one and applauded Werner Reich. They were moved by his words. They learned about tolerance, about being a human being, and about doing the right thing in the face of someone taking advantage of another human being. Many young people came up to him and thanked him. He was very sweet with them all. In that moment a young German boy was meeting his modern American contemporaries. This wise old man was back in that gentle safe place of an innocent childhood.

Story by Leni Santoro

PARKSVILLE – A blue plastic jug sits on the counter at the Fiddles Wally Mart located at the traffic light in Parksville. Taped to the container is a plea from a single mother whose child is suffering from SMA, it reads –

“Gabriella Rose is a 5-month old local child diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a terminal disease.

Her single mom is in need of special medical equipment not covered by her insurance. She also needs to go to Westchester Medical Center three times a week. Please help defer the costs.”

According to the research and support group, “Families of SMA” located in Santa Clara, CA, “Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), is the number one genetic killer of children under the age of two, it is an often fatal disease that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement, which affects crawling, walking, head and neck control, and even swallowing.

WHO IS AFFECTED
SMA is one of the most prevalent genetic disorders.

• One in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA.
• SMA can strike anyone of any age, race or gender.
• One in every 40 people carries the gene that causes SMA. The child of two carriers has a one in four chance of developing SMA. 
• 7.5 million Americans are carriers.

THE TYPES OF SMA
SMA Patients are classified into four types based on milestones achieved at onset of SMA. Type I and II are the most prevalent.

• Type I, or Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, is the most severe form of SMA. Type I SMA strikes infants between birth and six months old. Children affected with Type I cannot sit without support.
• Type II affects infants between seven and 18 months old. Type II patients may be able to sit unaided or even stand with support. They are at increased risk for complications from respiratory infections.
• Type III, also known as Kugelberg-Welander Disease, is the least deadly form of childhood-onset SMA. It strikes children as early as the age of 18 months, but can surface as late as adolescence. Type III patients are able to walk, but weakness is prevalent. Most patients eventually need to use a wheelchair.
• Type IV is the adult form of the disease. Symptoms tend to begin after age 35.

SMA does not affect sensation and intellectual activity in patients. It commonly is observed that patients with SMA are unusually bright and sociable.”

People interested in helping Gabriella and her mom may stop by Fiddle’s Wally Mart in Parksville to place their monetary donations in the little blue plastic jug or send their contributions to: Gabriella Rose c/o Christina Altman, PO Box 98, Woodbourne, NY 12788.

Jeff Lackey, drama teacher at Monticello High School in his office.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

MONTICELLO – Jeff Lackey, now in his second year teaching drama in
Monticello’s one-of-a-kind local drama and dance program, has a master’s in theatre arts from the University of Kentucky. He came to the county after a 25 year career as an actor in New York City and teaching at a performing arts high school in the Bronx for six years.

A few years ago, he and his wife Andrea Brown pulled up their city roots and moved to this area where they founded the Outsider Studio in Livingston Manor, a popular gallery that recently closed its doors but still lives on in various venues around the region.

“I encourage the students to create characters based on their own experiences, to stand in front of an audience and focus, and work with others on stage…in drama you can always find something for everybody,” said Lackey.

While some kids are academic stars, and others excel in sports, a lot of students find their niche and means of expression through acting and on stage, whether part of a technical crew or in front of the lights.

“They get to see their pieces come alive on stage…they learn life skills and it builds self-esteem, and they learn to trust their own judgment in interpreting characters,” added Lackey.

The first four weeks of the basic acting course are spent in pantomine – the use of gestures without words to present a play -  think Marcel Marceau – and then later students get to let their characters speak.

“They all write their own monologues, and learn to focus on what they are doing, not themselves, because if the actor gets in the way of the acting it’s not honest acting,” said Lackey. “I believe acting isn’t talking, it’s what comes before a character talks and what comes in between…they come out on the stage and talk to an imaginary person and something that’s very close to them. It’s what you are doing on stage that’s important. When you take the
curtain call, it’s about you.”

“I want to make drama cool for the kids,” said Lackey.

Pictured Top to bottom and left to right are Monticello High School students – Sherrie Dion, Matt Daitsman, Briana Cerbone and Autumn Rodrigues.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Making Drama Cool visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

L-R – Played by Glenn Hall, Andrew is perhaps the quietest searcher, while his dead mother is all too chatty, Patricia, played by Sarah Dey Hirshan is hoping for a word from her little sister and Tannis Kowalchuk, artistic director of NaCl is the widow Caroline hoping for a word from her dead husband.

Story by Leni Santoro – Photos by Ted Waddell

Highland Lake – Last weekend Self-Portrait at County Fair, written by Mike Geither and directed by Brett Keyser, opened at the NACL Theatre in Highland Lake to rave reviews.

This past Thursday the Chronicle’s own Ted Waddell was able to photograph a dress rehearsal of this one of a kind theatrical experience.

Taking place in a small mid-western town, Self-Portrait at County Fair examines the lines between Realism and Non-Realism, the distinctions between the heart’s desires and its most deeply hidden fears.

At this particular county fair there is a show put on by a psychic.

Ker Wells masterfully portrays the psychic known as Miles. Is he a madman? Is he a liar and a charlatan or is he as trapped in life’s oftentimes surreal experiences as the people who come to hear him commune with the dead; each hoping for a word of comfort from the other side?

The final performance of “Self-Portrait at County Fair” takes place Sunday 11 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $10 for seniors and students. Call 845-557-0694 to reserve or nacl@nacl.org. NACL Theatre, 110 Highland Lake Road, Highland Lake.

To read more about the play see the original review from last week’s show.

To view the photos or to purchase prints from Sunday at the County Fair is a Self-Portrait visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

GRAHAMSVILLE – While the 24th Annual Giant Pumpkin Party and Children’s Parade (GPP) took place under cloudy skies, nothing could diminish the festive attitude of the participants.

Hundreds of children, accompanied by parents and other relatives, enjoyed the festivities at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds on October 3.

Held every year on the first Saturday in October, the GPP is sponsored by the Daniel Pierce Library in Grahamsville. The day started with a parade that included all sorts of decorated floats – each vying for a coveted prize – as well as fire trucks, antique cars, boy and girl scouts, and marchers dressed in all sorts of interesting and creative costumes. 

Following the parade, a costume contest took place with many categories and prizes. Additionally, there was a contest for who grew the biggest pumpkin, which this year weighed in at 635.5 pounds. Other competitions included an obstacle course, a country bake contest, pumpkin decorating,  tug of war, hay bale throwing and a scarecrow contest. 

For the non-competitive among us, there was still plenty to do: pony rides, hay rides, face painting, a haunted house, and carnival games where everyone who played was a winner.

Readers (and what would a library event be without avid readers?) delighted in what has become known as the Better Book Sale, where excellent book specimens of all genres delighted adults and children alike.

There were crafts of all kinds: jewelry and leather goods, harvest wreathes and candles, and even pet rocks and beds for them to sleep in.

Musical entertainment was provided by Breakneck Annie, Fiddlin’ Around and Paul Lounsbury, who also announced the parade participants and emceed the costume contest.

And, of course, there was food including baked goods, chili, coffee and soda, hot dogs and hamburgers, and the ever-popular funnel cakes, all prepared and served by community-minded volunteers.

Oh, did we mention that there were pumpkins for sale, too? 

To views more photos or to purchase prints from the 24th Annual Giant Pumpkin Party and Children’s Parade visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

The Sheriff’s traffic unit sits on ST-55 in front of Tri-Valley school.

MONTICELLO – Have you been wondering why the Sheriff’s cars have been hanging out on State Route 55 lately?

The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office has been participating in the New York State Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (S.T.E.P) which targets aggressive drivers, and the common vehicle and traffic law violations associated with accidents. S.T.E.P. is a grant which is provided through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. The Sheriff uses that money to fund dedicated patrols to address various traffic conditions around Sullivan County.

In the Town of Neversink, the Sheriff has received complaints from the public about speeding and aggressive driving on State Route 55 in the hamlets of Neversink and Grahamsville.

"We started out in the beginning of the summer with the radar sign board trailer", said Sheriff Mike Schiff. "We had the radar trailer parked by Cannie D’s in Neversink and then by the Fire Department in Grahamsville. The purpose was to give everyone a warning and slow the drivers down", said the Sheriff. "Then we followed up with traditional enforcement starting two weeks later, and it seems to have worked."

The deputies who have been assigned to the traffic enforcement detail have been using the Sheriff’s Office patrol car #53, which is set up in a "Slick Roof" configuration. That means it does not have the standard light bar on the roof or markings on the front or back, only the sides. It is not until a driver passes the vehicle and looks at the side, that they realize it is a police car. This makes it easier to sit on the side of the road and monitor traffic for violators.

On Thursday September 30th, Corporal Danny Zayas was sitting in front of Tri-Valley school when he spotted [a man] driving a pickup truck with one license plate. [He] was arrested when a check revealed he had two suspensions on his class A CDL. [He] was released on his own recognizance to appear at a later date in the Town of Neversink Justice court.

Sheriff Schiff thanked Cannie D’s and the Grahamsville Fire Department for their assistance with the S.T.E.P. program.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

MONTICELLO – “They don’t want to stay up there on the hill in Livingston Manor, they want to get out into the community and work with the schools,” said Dr. Kevin Dirth, director of music for the Monticello Central School District as he introduced 17-year old piano prodigy Doris Lee to an audience of 300-some students at Monticello High School before her solo piano concert on Friday, October 1 in the Arnold Hughs Auditorium.

In August, Lee was one of nine emerging pianists selected to attend the 16th Annual  International Young Artists of Shandelee Music Festival’s educational program, and was one of their few repeat pianists, as she was also picked to participate in the festival’s prestigious program in 2007.

During the festival, the artists appeared at two previous outreach venues. Lee’s solo concert marked the Shandelee Music Festival’s third and final outreach program of the 2009 season.

Regarded as “poised and elegant” by The Echoes Sentinel, Lee has performed with the Orchestra Sinfonica del festival di Chioggia and is a top prize winner at numerous competitions including the prestigious “Musica in Laguna” International Solo competition. During the summer, she attended the International Keyboard Institute Festival at Mannes School of Music, where she was accepted and awarded a professional scholarship.

At Monticello High, Lee performed a program including works by Beethoven (Sonata Op. 31 No. 1 in G major – Allegro Vivace, Adagio Grazioso, Rondo Allegretto), Chopin’s Fantasy in F minor Op. 49 and Etude Op. 25 No. 1, and Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 3.

“The purpose of the festival for the last 16 years is twofold,” said Marjorie Feuerstein, co-chair/treasurer of the festival’s board of directors. “It’s to advance the careers of young pianists, and bringing classical music to Sullivan County. The young woman you are going to hear is one of your own,” she added. “She’s a high school student and a brilliant pianist.”

After Lee completed her performance on the school’s 125-year old Steinway, she said, “My mom kind of made me start when I was five years old…it goes along with talent, you have to have your emotions and put them into music, or otherwise it won’t happen. It depends upon the piece, happiness or sadness.” While playing funeral works, Lee said that “deep dark, really solemn thoughts” come to mind, but while performing more uplifting compositions, her thoughts turn more to “happy and cheerful” images, “and you play like that.”

“She never played such a big program before (before an audience of more than 300), so it’s a good experience for her,” said Lee’s mother, Yonne. “I just love classical music. I can listen to it over and over again, and never get tired of it.”

Daniel Stroup, founding president of the Shandelee Music Festival, told the middle and high school students assembled in the auditorium, “Doris shared with you not only her technical expertise, but something deep down within her soul, her emotions through the medium of piano performance.”

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Shandelee Star Performs at Monticello High visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Leni Santoro

HIGHLAND LAKE – Friday, October 2, marked the opening of a new work at the North American Cultural Laboratory (NaCl) in Highland Lake, “Self-Portrait at County Fair” written by Mike Geither and directed by Brett Keyser.

To read the rest of the story please visit the Theatrical Previews and Reviews page of the Theater, Dance and Poetry section and click on Self-Portrait at County Fair Opens at NaCl.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

The cloudy skies and chilly air could not cast a damper on people who were determined to party. And several thousand people did just that on September 26 as Sullivan County brought it’s six-month Bicentennial celebration to a fun conclusion with a county-wide picnic on the grounds of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

The crowd was treated to guest speakers, historical exhibits, food and drink, an antique car show, and plenty of musical entertainment. Performers graced five different stages including the main Pavilion, the Sullivan County Community College portable stage, the Market Shed stage, the Terrace Stage and a performance area set up nearby the front gate.

Attendees could take their pick of several musical genres like country and western music by the Rivers Edge band, rock ‘n roll with Darren and Albi, The MountainTones marching band, soul and blues with the Slam Allen Band, and the ever-popular West Point Band’s Jazz Knights.

While the music was going on outside, other folks were listening to talks in the Bethel Woods’ events gallery. John Conway – Sullivan County Historian, Sam Yasgur – Sullivan County Attorney and son of the original owner of the Woodstock site, and Michael Lang – one of the originators of the famous Woodstock Festival, all found audiences eager to hear their take on the events that occurred 40 years ago on the famous site.

And despite the lack of sun, several families took the title of the event to heart and picnicked on the great lawn, while others tossed a football or a Frisbee and still others spread their blankets closer to the musical events.

As people roamed the grounds, they might have come face-to-face with characters dressed in colonial garb, and then, wandering into one of the market sheds, be greeted by the Sullivan County Visitors Association, and historical exhibits from the Sullivan County Historical Society, and the towns of Cochecton, Bethel, Thompson and others. In addition, displays explained the missions of the Sullivan County Recycling Program, Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development, Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History and several more county organizations.

Sullivan County Legislator Alan Sorenson, who was enjoying the picnic with his daughter, summed up the feeling of community that he hopes will continue. “It’s a nice way to celebrate our Bicentennial in Sullivan County. It’s nice to see such a large turnout in spite of the cooler weather. … this is a good way to bring in that sense of community here in Sullivan County, get people to meet one another and celebrate together, and I think it’s a wonderful event.” 

To views more photos or to purchase prints from the Bicentennial County-Wide Picnic, visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

LIBERTY – On September 22 and 23 over twenty Sullivan County youth workers participated in the Advancing Youth Development (AYD) training at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County. The professionals who took the training are engaged in youth work throughout the county with agencies such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Sullivan ARC, the Center for Workforce Development, Teen Link to Community, Hudson River Healthcare, the Dispute Resolution Center, EPIC Parent Centers, and the Foster Parent Association. The Sullivan County AYD Instructors who taught the course are Carl Graham – Director of the Sullivan County Youth Advocate program, Carolyn Massey – Project Director for the Sullivan County CARECORPS/Communities that Care program, Walter Stein – CACHE Director, and Melissa Stickle – Sullivan County Community Services Coordinator. Amanda Speer – Family and Youth Development Team Coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted the program.

The Advancing Youth Development program was developed to provide youth workers and administrators with the foundation needed to effectively develop and implement youth-development programs that provide experiences for youth based on a positive youth development approach. Given the need for multiple strategies and approaches to help youth develop the knowledge and skills to be productive, contributing members of society and develop to their full potential, it is of vital importance that youth workers fully understand the value of their work, know the key principles of positive youth development and develop the core competencies of effective youth work.

Participants included: Zaida Chasi, Carmen Limbert, Ramona Texidor, Ralph Guerrero, Tom Fetterman, Jr., Jillian Rahm, Melissa Figueroa, Adam Rodriguez, Yary L. Chimelis, Kim Hill-James, Barbi Neuman-Marty, Patricia Ocasio, Robin LaFountain, Peter Duncan, Leslie Hernandez, Cookie McKinney, Kaitlin Coray, Sheldon Paul, Lawrence Ricciarelli, Clara Hendrickson, Shauna Murry, Johamy Vega, and William Lewis. Also, pictured in the leading photo are the AYD facilitators and host, Kathy Kreiter from the Dispute Resolution Center and Bill Fioravanti from Boys & Girls Clubs.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

There was plenty of applause to go around on Thursday, September 24 when the Sullivan County Carecorps held a luncheon to thank the many organizations and volunteers who come together to make Sullivan County a better place.

The effort was started about nine years ago by the Recovery Center, according to Kathy Kreiter, board chair of the Monticello Coalition of the Carecorps. Originally done on a town-by-town basis, the Carecorps – a coalition of community, business, religious, civic, government and law enforcement agencies banding with non-profits, school districts, youth and senior groups – has now coalesced into several coalitions under the same umbrella.

Carecorps Coalition Chair Larry Schafman, who also acted as MC for the luncheon, explained that the group discusses “issues affecting our youth and the rest of the community such as where they’re at risk and what are the positive factors in the community. We share information and issues to give us all a focus.”

Schafman noted that one of this year’s major projects was “the STOP campaign to see an end of the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to minors in Sullivan County. We created signage and enlisted the support of different businesses. It’s been very successful and it’s countywide.”

Project Director Carolyn Massey explained that the Drug Free Community Grant – which funds the project, but was not granted for the coming year due to economic hard times and tough competition – had, as its direct objective, the mandate to “build community coalitions to address drug and alcohol abuse in minors.” One of the things Massey does toward that end, is to conduct the national Prevention Needs Assessments Surveys, which survey students in 6th, 8th. 10th and 12th grades, in all eight county school districts. The students are asked for their perceptions of family, peers, community and school, as well as their feelings on drugs, alcohol and tobacco availability and accessibility. The results, Massey said, are used for a variety of things including community health assessments and for community risk and protective factors.

Massey enjoys the challenge and opportunity to make a difference by mobilizing and bringing people together. “That’s the only way we’re going to make change is to realize that all of us have equal representation, no matter what position we have, we’re just as powerful as the other – housewives and chief of police both can have a profound effect on the community,” she said.

Indeed, the luncheon guests represented a variety of the community and included representatives from the Monticello Senior Club, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Monticello Police Department, the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, the media and many others. Sullivan County Family Court Judge Mark Meddaugh reminded the attendees that even when there is no money “there are a lot of things you can accomplish … People ask me whether you should donate money or give your time. Volunteer time you can do a lot with.”

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jim Farrell quoted Margaret Mead. “’Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ That quote applies to the people I see in this room,” said Farrell, “We are trying to make our community a better place. We will get it done. This group has opened my eyes to a lot of different things. The DA’s office is committed to making sure that we not only react to crime, but also to be out there to try and prevent it in the first place. I pledge to you and I commit myself and the DA’s office to all the work that the Carecorps is doing. We know we’re going to make a difference.”

To views more photos or to purchase prints from Thanking Those That Care, visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photo by Ted Waddell

[MONTICELLO] – It all started with a photograph, a haunting image that spoke of the pain and suffering that war leaves in its bloody wake. Not one of those iconic classic images by Roger Fenton, Matthew Brady and crew, James Nachtwey, Robert Capa, Carl Mydens, Henri Huet, Larry Burrows and Eddie Adams, but a front page picture by AP award winning photographer Michele Haskel, a staff shooter for the Times Herald Record.

Taken the day after the wife of Lt. Louis Allen of Chester, NY and the mother of four, learned that her beloved husband had been killed on June 7, 2005 in an explosion at a military compound in Tikrit, Iraq, Haskel took a picture of the grief stricken survivor. 1st Lieutenant Allen served with the 42nd Infantry Division of the Army National Guard.

“I held onto that newspaper for three weeks, you know how something just haunts you…I knew I had to do something,” recalled Ray McCarthy, founding president of The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans. “It was a picture of immeasurable loss and suffering…it kept me up at night,” he added, continuing, “Soldiers who make the ultimate sacrifice also sacrifice the lives of their families. Isn’t there something we can all do to help?”

So in short order, a group of volunteers joined the local entrepreneur and café owner in establishing a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for Mid-Hudson area families of soldiers killed or wounded during overseas service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

A roll call of those who gave their all to protect those left at home (as of 9-23-09): Anthony Kaiser, Carlos Gonzalez, Eugene Williams, Jonathan Cadavero, Brian Pavlich, Catalin Dima, Irving Medina, Joseph Tremblay, Brian Parrello, Doron Chan, Jacob W.  Beisel, Ken VonRonn, Louis Allen, Phillip Esposito, Mark H. Dooley, Michael Oremus, John McKenna, Mark Palimateer, Justin Whiting, and Ashly Lynn Moyer.

During 2007, the ad hoc group raised over $17,000 at its first event, a King and Queen Gala at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.

As September 2009 draws to a close, The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans has raised more than $65,000, due in large part to Thunder Country 102 Radio’s recent radiothon, “Home of the Free Because of the Brave!,” and the sale /sponsorship of tee-shirts, featuring a pair of eagles feeding a pair of eaglets nestled in an upside down battle helmet.

“This has been a great year for us, and we’re going to be able to add a number of families that need help,” said McCarthy.

The second annual radiothon is scheduled to be held next August at The Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon, NY.

McCarthy added that the 18 ShopRites in the valley kicked in more than $40,000 during the event.

“I am proud to support The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans,” said Michael A. Schiff, Sheriff of Sullivan County. “This is an organization of all volunteers dedicated to assisting families in the Hudson Valley area who have lost loved ones in the Afghanistan and Iraqi conflicts…I find their dedication and hard work impressive.”

The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans is made up of “just regular people”, including Jonathan Hyman, a local photographer who documented 9-11-2001, a farmer and a psychoanalyst, who donates her serves helping grieving family members.

“Friends of the Committee” include NYS Senator John J. Bonacic, NYS Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther, Sullivan County Legislator Ron Hiatt, and Eric J. Chaboty, Sullivan County Undersheriff.

A 70-year old county resident hand crocheted a 15-foot by 18-foot American Flag, a symbol of our nation’s freedom that resides at the Sullivan Airport, home of McCarthy’s Cup & Saucer Café’.

McCarthy stressed that the group has no political ties or agendas, and all monies raised (less event costs) are distributed equitably among the families left behind, “There’s no salaries, period…we have absolutely zero folks on payroll.”

In September, they are starting a job program to help vets find a job after they return from a 16 month overseas tour serving their country in combat zones.

“They get home and there’s no work, they’re behind the eight ball,” said McCarthy.

What can you do to help? Become a sponsor, take out an ad, donate goods and services, volunteer, or write out a check to Sullivan County Airport Festival (SCAF), 65 Liberty Street, Monticello, NY 12701.

The group started out calling themselves the SCAF, but soon shortened the title to The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans. Speaking of volunteers, the committee is looking for someone with a secretarial background.

“I just love this country and the freedom,” said McCarthy, who as an entrepreneur spent 45-some years on the road as a restaurant consultant, visiting such places as Cambodia and “close to Russia. The American people are the greatest folks, and those are our kids over there…we’re never going to forget these veterans and their families as long as our organization is in existence.”

For more information about The Committee for the Families of Iraqi War Veterans, call Ray McCarthy 845-794-0060, write the SCAP, 65Liberty Street, Monticello, NY 12701 or visit their website www.familiesofwarvets.org .

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Remembering Those Who Gave Their All visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

[JEFFERSONVILLE] – Thunder 102 and the Villa Roma Resort are joining forces in an event entitled, “The Face of Breast Cancer Concert at the Villa Roma.”

Kevin Dowell, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Villa Roma Resort, came up with the idea of a fundraising concert. “When one of your employees gets diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s a wake up for everyone,” he explained.

The Villa Roma and its employees stepped up to the plate to help one of their own, Linda Canfield, a 35-year employee of the resort. The Villa Roma established the Linda Canfield Fund, one of the beneficiaries of the Face of Breast Cancer Concert.

They then turned to Thunder 102 for help in getting the word out about the event.

Paul Ciliberto, New York Regional Manager and host of the Thunder 102 morning show, “Ciliberto and Friends,” jumped at the chance to help.

“We were amazed at how quickly people signed on to help us out with this concert,” Ciliberto commented.

On the bill are Pennsylvania’s hottest country band, and ThunderBash favorite, Iron Cowboy; Colgate Country Showdown runner-up Alyssa Startup; Miss Southeast New York Melanie Hildebrant; Elvis’ Lost Brother Eric Bressi; The Drummers; Lumiri Tubo; Dejea and Miss Sullivan County Felicia Ramos. All have volunteered their talents for the event.

“In addition to raising funds to help Ms. Canfield offset the expenses to fight this disease, the event will also benefit the Hortonville Fire Department and will kick off October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Face of Breast Cancer Concert takes place this coming Saturday, September 26 and is being held at the Club Forum in the Villa Roma Resort. The show kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $10. Advance tickets are available, but tickets will also be available at the door the night of the concert. For more information or to buy tickets in advance, please call Kevin at 845-887-4880 ext. 7021.

Story and photos by Carol Montana

Eleven years ago, 25 people – give or take – got together to celebrate their love of antique farm tractors. Two of those people, Al Hall and Carl Denman, went on to co-chair the Antique Tractor Show & Swap Meet, an event that just recently celebrated its 10th year. “After the first year, we had about 20 to 25 members,” said Hall, “but we said ‘hey, our objective is to have a show, so let’s do it.’ It’s worked out very nicely.”

The two-day event held at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds takes place the third weekend in September. This year’s event was co-sponsored by the Sullivan County Trail Association. Admission was free. Parking was a modest $2.00 donation per car.

“We want people to get a feeling that these tractors are 40 and 50 and 55 years old, and they are in fine running condition,” said Hall. “It’s contact with the past. And young people come and wonder how they can look so good. But Ford and Ferguson built tractors to run for years and years, and they’re still running in the field today,”

Hall goes on to explain that during World War II, “Ferguson was commissioned by the government in England to produce tractors, because England was running out of food. So they had to have more tractors. Ferguson’s the guy who developed the three-point hitch, which is universal on tractors today, and had the internal hydraulics, which before were on the outside.”

Hall grew up on a farm and is clearly a lover of antique tractors. “The first tractors I got to drive were Fergusons. When I got a chance, I found I could make a little money mowing fields, and I’ve been doing it for 50 years, I had one tractor for 45 years, the rest just keep following me home,” he said with a hearty laugh. 

At this year’s show, Hall had five of his Ferguson tractors. “I have a couple more at home that are kind of sick and couldn’t make it,” he said.

Hall, who is also the membership chairman, reported 13 new members during the first day of the show, bringing the club’s total membership to around 80 people. “We have members from Orange, Ulster and Delaware Counties, people from Pennsylvania … I had a lady say, ‘there’s just something about you people, I gotta be a member.’”

Besides the show, the club has an annual dinner and a Christmas party. “And we have about eight meetings a year at the Neversink Firehouse on the third Wednesday of the month,” said Hall. “We’re open to everyone, you don’t have to be a real active person, you really don’t even have to own a tractor. We got people who aren’t even members who bring their tractors to the show.”

In addition to antique tractors, the show featured smaller antique machinery, antique cars and trucks, several vendors of old parts, as well as folks selling crafts. There were kids’ games, kids’ rides, a chicken barbecue and other food, a tractor pull, maple syrup and more.

At the other end of the Fairgrounds from Hall, Carl Denman, co-chair of the show was beaming with pride. “This is the largest year we’ve ever had. Yesterday there were between 350 and 400 cars here. I’m very happy with the turnout this year. We changed our music so more people could hear it. We have a tractor bingo this year – you buy a box, we take a garden tractor and ride around the boxes. Wherever the tractor runs out of gas, the right front wheel, that’s the payout -$250.”

Denman owns around 30 restored tractors: unusual ones that most people haven’t heard of, such as the David Bradley Tri Trac and Earthmaster, which was built in California. “There are very few Earthmasters this side of the Mississippi,” said Denman. “And Agra-Cat was a little bitty bulldozer that was built for a railroad company in CA, it was small – they put it right inside the railroad cars to push grain.”

According to Denman, the club has two goals: “To keep this old stuff going … There’s so many people who have no idea what a hit and miss engine is. … and we want to educate this younger generation.” To that end, the organization gives out a scholarship every year “to some young person that wants to be in the field of agriculture or agricultural machinery.” 

Membership in the Neversink Rondout Antique Machinery Association is $20 for a family or $15 for an individual. For more information on membership or next year’s show, call Al Hall at 985-2692.

To view more photos, or to purchase prints from the 10th Annual Tractor Show & Swap Meet visit The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

[ABRAHAMSVILLE,PA] – Willow Wisp Organic Farm hosted an open house on Saturday, September 19, an event that attracted about 150 folks during the afternoon –  people from both sides of the river who were interested in organic farming and community-supported agriculture (CSA).

In 2007, Greg Swartz and Tannis Kowalchuk bought a farm of their own, and two years later celebrated their first year of full production.

Swartz has been farming in the Upper Delaware River Valley for a decade, first as an apprentice on an organic vegetable farm, and, in the wake of working on several farms in Sullivan County, deciding to go into farming on his own.

Kowalchuk divides her time between working the farm, serving as artistic director of the North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) in Highland Lake, NY and raising their 14-month old son Simon, a bright-eyed little lad who thoroughly enjoyed the open house –  especially sitting in the driver’s seat of a bright red tractor with Lucas Petersheim.

The area’s newest entry into the organic farming scene specializes in growing a diverse mix of vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, while future plans include adding a broad range of small fruits and pasture raised organic eggs to the healthy mix. Willow Wisp is a familiar face at the Callicoon Farmers Market and several retail outlets.

For 2010, plans are afoot to launch a CSA program, in which people can purchase a share in the farm’s bountiful harvest, and come to the farm to pick up a seasonal mix of vegetables. The summer share is scheduled to run from June to November, while the winter share will go from December to May.

“You take as much as you feel you can use. Are you having guests for the weekend? Take more. Are you going away for part of the week? Take less,” said Swartz as he explained the CSA idea to the crowd making its way around the farm on a guided tour. “By supporting the farm in this way, you share in the bounty, gain connection to the farm where your food is grown, and become part of a community.”

During the tour, Swartz noted that organic farmers “take the long view that, while growing food, we should always be improving the soil, increasing the farm’s biodiversity, and contributing to our community,” and, to this end, don’t use pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers.

What better way to start a walking tour of a working organic farm than to chat with your neighbors, meet new folks and sample a variety of brews and dishes prepared with organic ingredients?

On the menu: French bread with cilantro-cumin pesto, roasted rutabaga with chipotle mayo, rutabaga fries (a real hit), grilled beats with goat cheese, and Kowalachuk’s sauerkraut and cukes, another dish that disappeared in a wink at Willow Wisp.

For information about Willow Wisp Organic Farm,  located at 25 Stone House Road, call 570-224-8013 or www.willowwisporganic.com.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from A Willow Wisp Welcome visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

[YULAN] – It was a great day for a parade, but there wasn’t one.

The Annual Von Steuben Day Parade has been a popular fixture at the crossroads in Yulan for years, but the local fire department decided to pull the plug this year, citing lack of attendance.

Festival goers share good times.

A youngster gets a chance to climb all over a Yulan fire apparatus…it’s for sale next year.

Reports as to when word of the cancellation went out vary from six months ago to last month, but a lot of folks arrived at the crossroads still displaying a large sign “Von Steuben Festival Parade and Germanfest September 19, Yulan, New York” only to discover there was no parade, and the festivities would be held on the nearby fireman’s field. General Von Steuben would have been upset to find yet another local tradition bit the dust (at least for now), and Heide Marie Sheppard’s, Maximilian, wasn’t a happy pooch.

A patriotic display by the Committee for the Families of Iraqi War.

Von Steuben Day is named after the Prussian army officer who served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. ‘ Credited with teaching the Continental Army the basics of military drill and discipline, he helped guide a new nation to independence.

Founded in 1957, the Annual Steuben Parade on Fifth Avenue and an Octoberfest-fest gathering in Central Park have given New Yorkers a chance to celebrate their German-Americanheritage. A bit closer to home, the Yulan parade was an opportunity for volunteer fire companies to show their colors and give folks a chance to enjoy the colorful change of seasons.

Heide Marie Sheppard of Cochecton showed up with her German short hair [Maximillian] all decked out in German colors, but he had to wait in their car as no pets are allowed on the field. “He’s very upset,” said Sheppard. “I brought my dog to the parade, only to find out there is no parade. If I had known it was cancelled, we would have gone to the parade in Manhattan.”

Meanwhile, across the road from the sign advertising the parade, a faded shamrock is all that’s left from Yulan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which also got the firefighter’s axe this year.

A local biker shows off his love of whiskey and suds.

“The last couple of years, there were more people in the parade than actually watching it, and it took some of our people away from down here (the festival), and it spread us out too thin,” said Tim Schadt, chief of the local volunteer fire department. “So we just did away with the parade…I did hear there were a lot of disappointed people.”

Parade or no parade, hundreds of folks showed up for the festival, enjoying never ending pitchers of beer, German food, the music of “Musikverein” and German dancing.

German dancers perform for the crowd.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from The Von Steuben Festival visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

[LIBERTY] – A dingy basement lit by a couple of dim bulbs dangling from a
peeling ceiling, a two-man crew waiting for their next job. An unseen upstairs presence sending enigmatic messages downstairs by the grungy dumbwaiter. The ever-increasing tension between the two characters creates a sense
of foreboding and dread.

Harold Pinter’s “The Dumbwaiter,” is a one-act play that delves into the unease and violence of our times, showcases Pinter’s “strange and compelling talent” and established the Nobel Laureate as a master of what would become known as a “comedy of menace”. It takes to the local stage at the Liberty Free Theatre for eight performances Thursday through Sunday, September 24-28 and continuing Thursday through Sunday, October 1-4.

Pinter was London-born  in 1930, and died on December 24, 2008. In 2005, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature, and other awards include the Companion of Honour for Services to Literature, the Legion D’Honneur, the Lawrence Oliver Award and the Moliere D’Honneur for lifetime achievement. He was made a Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1999, and received honorary degrees from 18 universities.

The English playwright, screenwriter, actor, director, political activist and poet was among the most influential playwrights of modern times, in a career that spanned more than half a century, and produced 29 original stage plays, 27 screenplays, many dramatic sketches, and numerous other works in various media. Pinter’s best known plays include “The Birthday Party”, “The Caretaker”,
“The Homecoming” and “Betrayal”, each of which was adapted to the silver
screen.

Penned in 1957, “The Dumbwaiter” premiered at the Hampstead Theatre Club
on January 21, 1960 starring Nicholas Selby as “Ben” and George Tovey in
the role of “Gus”. In 2007, the 50th Anniversary Revival staged at London’s Trafalgar Studios featured Lee Evans and Jason Isaacs.

“I’ve known it since it was written and have always loved the play,” said Paul Austin, founder and artistic director of the Liberty Free Theatre. “It was the first time in my young life as an actor that I saw the relationship between comedy and drama…I always wanted to do it, there’s a whole file in my head of plays that I want to do, and when the moment’s right, they show up.”

Austin said that in getting ready for a new season of productions at the local theatre of, by, and for the people of our community, he starts sorting through ideas for plays jotted down on paper or tucked away in corners of memory. “What can I do, what should I do, who can I cast, what do I feel like doing…’The Dumbwaiter’ popped right off the page.”

In casting Pinter’s play dark-sided play with a bit of light peaking around the edges, Austin selected Paul Jannicola, a singer/songwriter and multi-instrument musician to appear as “Gus”, the junior member of the two-man crew. His compositions have been featured in the award-winning animated short “Hardly Workin”, the acclaimed episodic web series, Tra5hTa1k and MTV’s comedic Life in the Virtual Hills.

“My character is continually looking for guidance…someone to tell him it’s okay,” said Jannicola. “It’s two guys on a mysterious mission.”

“The word of the day is ‘dread’,” he added. “My character is dreading what he has to do…my character knows something is wrong, [and] at the end, we don’t know how it plays out.”

The play ends with the question being asked, “How will this happen?”

Mike “Friz” Frizalone portrays “Ben”, the senior partner in a role he developed in part based on a former life.

As an actor/writer/singer, Frizalone has appeared on stage and film from Maine to the Big Apple, including numerous performances at the Liberty Free Theatre, such as last season’s hit “Kinfolks and Mountain Music”.

“My character overpowers his junior partner…like a father son relationship, the classic case of ‘you piece of crap, good for nothing, I only tell you that because I love you,’” he explained. “Dread is inside my character, but it’s suppressed…it’s a great play by a great playwright. It speaks to me in a way that I don’t know if Ben ever gets away from his troubled past.”

“I grew up around a lot of characters like Ben,” added Frizalone. “I had a troubled past that I was able to get away from and I use that to help me out [in playing the role].”

What happens as the curtain falls on “The Dumbwaiter”? Does dread take the day, or is there the light of redemption at the end of the tunnel?

“You’ll have to make that decision when the lights go down,” replied Frizalone.

Pinter’s comedy drama “The Dumbwaiter” will be presented for eight performances at the Liberty Free Theatre Thursday through Sunday, September 24-28, and continuing Thursday through Sunday, October 1-4. There are no matinees. All shows are at 7:30 p.m., and as always admission is free.
Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. The audience is
invited to gather after the performances for food, drink and music.
The Liberty Free Theatre is located at 109 South Main Street in Liberty,
NY. For information/reservations, call 292-3788.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from The Dumbwaiter – A Study in Dread Noir visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story by Leni Santoro – Photos by Leni Santoro, Ted Waddell and all of You

[PHILADELPHIA, PA – HANCOCK, NY] – I can’t believe it’s been a week and a half since the Light Up the Delaware River Party on September 6. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to gather my thoughts on this momentous event and I relay my apologies to all of you have been waiting patiently for the story and the photos….

To read the full story got to: A Week and a Half Since the River Party at the Two Grannies River Trip Diary.

[FALLSBURG] – For the past five years, the Fallsburg High School Alumni Association (FAA) has sponsored an All Classes Reunion. The latest event, a luncheon held on September 12 in the high school cafeteria, was one of the most special because of the gratifying turnout of over 100 alumni from as far back as the class of 1934, long before the town schools were centralized. David Rashkin went to Mountaindale High School with his high school sweetheart Sylvia, who was in the class of 1935. They truly are the stalwarts of these reunions. Honoring former staff is also an important part of the reunions. You could tell from the long and loud applause that this year’s honorees were two of the most beloved members of the Fallsburg family—long term secretary Charlotte Schwartz and former High School Principal Pat Naso.

Charlotte returns to the area each summer and spends her winters in Florida. Pat has not been up north for quite a while and lives in North Carolina. They were both completely surprised by the recognition offered to them for the long and wonderful years of service to the Fallsburg Central School District.

The main purpose of the FAA is to bring alumni and former staff together, to honor that staff, and to recognize a deserving graduating senior each year with a college scholarship. This year’s recipient of $500 is Sieara Smith, who was unable to be at the reunion because she has already begun her studies in biology at Spelman College in Georgia. With the proceeds from the reunion event, the FAA will have enough money to provide scholarships for the next few years. Many local businesses generously donated gifts, gift cards, and other items that were raffled off to add to the proceeds. Members of the Reunion Committee were Cynthia Toliver, Bonnie Blanchard, Eileen Kalter, Arlene Hussey, Renee Kates, Regina McKenny-Snead, Ceil Cohen, Bob Longo, Zinnia Konviser, and Larry Schafman.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

[MINISINK] – The Upper Delaware Writers Collective (UDWC) and the Green Heron Poetry Project presented “Hope in the River – Celebrating the Return of the Green Heron” on Sunday afternoon, September 13. It was held at the Sullivan County residence of the Margolis Brown Adaptors Company on the New York side of the famed Delaware Aqueduct, now commonly known as the Roebling Suspension Bridge, as it was designed and constructed under the supervision of John A. Roebling, future designer of the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC.

The UDWC was founded in 1993 by Mary Greene, a published poet, writer and associate editor of the River Reporter newspaper of Narrowsburg. The two-part afternoon of the arts kicked off on the Pennsylvania side of the river on the grounds of the Lackawaxen Inn with a outdoor theatre dance performance created by Tannis Kowalchuk, co-founder and artistic director of the North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) of Highland, NY.

At the conclusion of the introspective dance featuring 10 women and girls swaying to drum music while holding red flowers, petaled wishful offerings that were later tossed into the swirling Delaware River, the assemblage marched across the ca. 1847 bridge – the oldest existing wire bridge in the United States – to the New York side of the river for an original storytelling performance accompanied by qigong movements and the reading of several poems by award-wining poets.

As the musical procession wended its way along the wooden pedestrian decking of the old bridge, they were led by drummers and folks holding poetically inclined posters designed in honor of the heron project.

The second part of the event, held at the Roebling View, the restored Roebling Inn, now converted into a multi-use artist’s space by its new owners, the Margolis Brown Adaptors Company, began with Kazzrie Jaxen performing an original story titled “The Girl Who Dreamed Dresses”, a work accented with haunting  qigong movements. Tom Holmes followed with a brief musical interlude on a homemade lyre.

Next were several poets reading their original works penned for the UDWC’s Green Heron Poetry Project (GHPP), designed to promote poetry in public spaces in the county.

“In addition to promoting poetry, we were committed to involving area artists to interpret the theme of the project – create the reality that you are hoping for,” said Marcia Nehemiah, UDWC member and GHPP coordinator.

The UDWC selected the green heron (Butorides virescens), a stately bird observed more frequently in the Upper Delaware River Valley, as inspiration for the creative project.

“We choose the green heron as our symbol because our beautiful home faces enormous challenges, and according to Native Americans, the bird embodies important qualities of self-reliance, determinati on, aggressive adaptability and innate balance, qualities necessary for our own species to face the challenges ahead,” said Nehemiah.

The UDWC received more than 100 entries from 39 poets, and the 12 winners were determined by a panel of three judges: Paul Austin, founder and artistic director of the Liberty Free Theatre, novelist Joe Freda, and Kowalchuk.

The poets and their worksincluded: David Crews “Spring Song”, Rees Davis “Love Birds”, Mimi Moriarty “Quilting”, Lorraine A. Davis “The Garden” (read by Nancy Wells), Will Nixon “Saying Cheese, 1960”, Matthew J. Spireng “The Flower”, Judith Lechner “Revision”, Emily Nelson “If I Had a Rooster”, Marcia Nehemiah “New World”, Georganna Millman “Seduction”, Diane Feula “Cappadocia”, and Mary Greene “Cape May, January”.

**********************************************************************************************

“New World” by Marcia Nehemiah

Soon, I will wake in a different woods.
I will lift myself from this pine-needle bed
where I have slept too long
in the darkest night.

A clear path will lead me
to green, sun drenched river water,
silver minnow flashes,
bass, heron, eagle.

Every thing
Any living thing needs is
here, where life and death
move in the eternal dance.

I am suddenly made wild.
No words.
Only ecstatic song
Flung from my burning throat.

**********************************************************************************************

“Cape May, January” by Mary Greene

The earth will shrug us off –
but first, split the oak, tend the fire.

The earth will shrug us off –
but first, get your paints, render the sky.

Green surface of the earth
tugged down by the weight of monastery walls,
Green surface of the earth
obliterated by the white worms of blizzards.

The earth will crack at its polar edges
and we’ll be as shells, smashed

to bits, hardening to glass. But first –
the fog is lifting. Waves break, shapely and silver.

A young girl holds a white cup.

She is about to begin.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Hope for Herons and Humanity visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

The Starlight Ballroom on Sunday, September 13; day 3 of ATP New York and the Super Furry Animals are on stage. 

Story and photos by Jason Dole

[Monticello] – I just got back from ATP New York, and boy, are my ears tired. Same goes for the rest of me. It’s been one hell of a weekend. It’s been one hell of a trip, although the show was only 25 minutes from home.

Read the full story and see the pics at Jason Dole’s “Shoes for the Music Industry,” Transmissions from Planet ATP, then check back often as he continues to update the Kutsher’s concert happening that rocked the county.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

[LACKAWAXEN, PA] – “I believe that a reality without war is absolutely necessary for our culture right now,” said Tannis Kowalchuk, artistic director of NACL Theatre in Highland, NY. On Sunday, September 13, she led a group of white-clad women and girls in performing “Butorides” an outdoor dance in celebration of the green heron, overlooking the tranquil Upper Delaware River just a stone’s throw downstream of the historic Roebling Bridge.

The co-founder of the North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) gathered
together an “all-ages group of girls and women” to dance a theatre performance on a series of terraces above the shimmering riffles of the river as part of the Green Heron Poetry Project, “Hope in the River – Celebrating the Return of the Green Heron.”

The dance performance was overlaid with many symbolic layers, from the silky sensuality of womanhood to the tragic foretelling of futures squandered by those who fail to protect the environment, and to a sense of universal hope, as in the end, the members of the dance ensemble invited the audience to join them at river’s edge and toss wish-laced flowers into the water.

The river-side performance event featured Kowalchuk, Karen Smith, Pearl Smith, Janice Zwail, Lee Ehman, Cass Collins, Robin Dodson, Mary Greene, Rebecca Acker, and Sarah Maurice Acker-Krzywicki.

Kowalchuk said the work of dance was created in response to the project’s theme of creating your own reality, and was named “Butorides” by her association of the Latin word for heron with the Japanese name ‘butoh’, the name for “an intense and beautiful form of a very slow dance that emerged in Japan after the terrible A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

To construct the foundation of the dance, Kowalchuk asked each performer to bring in a couple of pictures of a sculpture of a human body in a dynamic position, and these visual inspirations were subsequently used to fashion the dance sequences.

Before the dance took to the natural stage setting, a trio of drummers, Tom Holmes, Maya Mary Herbert and Tom Doheny, proceeded the dancers to the rock terraces, and accompanied their performance with drum sounds reverberating off the both sides of the scenic river.

In the wake of the dance, the musicians led the gathering across the bridge over to the Roebling View, the local home of the Margolis Brown Adaptors Company (MBAC), a physical theatre company established in NYC in 1984 by Kari Margolis and Tony Brown. The Margolis Method “centers on the dramatic force and emotion that emanate from an actor’s physicality, uniting instinct and intellectual analysis” takes inspiration from the work of Etienne Decroux, Bertolt Brecht and Jerzy Grotowski.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Butorides – Dance in Celebration of Peace and the Green Heron visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Concert goers at ATP New York hang out by the pond at Kutsher’s.

Story and photos by Jason Dole

[MONTICELLO] – ATP New York is rocking the weekend away over at Kutsher’s in Monticello, NY. It’s a rock festival without the muddy fields and sun burn. It’s more like a weekend summer camp for nerdy music fans.

Read the full story and see the pics at Jason Dole’s “Shoes for the Music Industry,” ATP – Not Your Father’s Music Festival, then check back often as he updates the concert goings-on each day.

Photos by Leni Santoro

[BETHEL] – An innovative approach to storm water management and beautification was formally dedicated on September 2 at Lake Superior State Park in Bethel. The Lake Superior rain garden captures runoff from the concession roof and allows it to soak slowly into the ground. 

Rain gardens are attractive landscaped areas planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses that slow down the rush of runoff from hard surfaces such as roofs, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways and even lawns.  They actively manage storm water by filtering out pollutants that compromise water quality and threaten wildlife.  Rain gardens are an effective way to improve the overall health of water systems. 

The Lake Superior rain garden is a partnership among Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management, Sullivan County Division of Public Works (DPW), Sullivan Renaissance and the Tri-Valley Central School Natural Resources Class.  The project was designed by planning staff and Tri-Valley students, who then installed the garden under the direction of their instructor Robert Hayes.  Participating students were: Dustin Brackman, Jaxon Denman, Robert Frunzi, Joseph Kinzie, Christopher Lake Jr., James Mercado, Thomas Monforte, Anthony Perry, David Phelps Jr., James Ruhlin, Erin Smith, Julia Spriggens and Lindsey Staesser.  DPW staff assisted with construction.

“We hope that this project will inspire others to consider how to use gardens and work with the natural landscape to address issues of erosion and storm water runoff,” said Denise Frangipane of Sullivan Renaissance, who welcomed every to the dedication.

County Planner Jill M. Weyer explained how the rain garden works and described the plants that have been included.  Other speakers included: County Legislator Kathleen Labuda, who chairs the public works committee, County Legislator David Sager, whose district includes Lake Superior Park; County Manager David Fanslau; and new Planning Commissioner Luiz Aragon. 

The demonstration project includes educational brochures and future plans to install an interpretive sign discussing this practical and natural solution.  The native plants used in this rain garden were purchased at Butterfly Botanicals in Bloomingburg and Catskill Harvest Market in Ferndale.

The rain garden was a special environmental demonstration funded by Sullivan Renaissance, a beautification and community development program principally funded by the Gerry Foundation.  Additional funding has been secured by NYS Senator John J. Bonacic and Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther. For more information, visit www.sullivanrenaissance.org or call 845-295-2445.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Rain Garden Success Celebrated visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

Story and photos by Leni Santoro

On Saturday, August 29, Kayli Green and her friends were standing outside the Livingston Manor Free Library holding a bake sale for the library.

Kayli Green is in the 6^th grade at Livingston Manor School. She loves going to the library and she wanted to make sure that the library has all it needs to serve the public when it comes to books, bookshelves or just keeping the flower beds looking good.

This summer Kayli wrote a letter to the library asking them to allow her to have a bake sale; with all donations going to the library.

What made her do this?

“I’ve been coming to the library for years and years,” said Kayli. “I like taking books out of here and wanted to help so I came up with the idea to have a bake sale.”

Kayli and her friend Aryanna Staudt sought donations of baked goods from friends and family and in fact did so well on that front that there were cookies, cakes and pies enough to sell both outside and inside the library.

Rene Green, Kayli’s mom said that her daughter had been thinking originally of a more global cause such as “Save the Whales,” but she suggested something a little closer to home. “She came up with the library,” said Rene. “We frequent it [the library] often and I thought that it was a good idea.”

To view more photos from Baked Goods are Good for Books visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.

By Carol Montana

The five ladies met about five years ago when they were taking a Digital Publishing class at the Catskill Art Society, still located, at the time, in Hurleyville. Mary Collier, Caroline Harrow, Ginger Smith, Gloria Wagenknecht and Evelyn Porter. The ladies bonded and began to learn from each other, developing a friendship.

Then, when the Catskill Art Society moved to Livingston Manor, The Forum Friends, as they now called themselves, decided to continue to meet at each other’s houses. “We got together, we would have something to eat, we would share our work with each other,” says Wagenknecht, “and we came up with assignments. We would try to meet about once a month.”

Shortly before she passed away, Evelyn Porter said, “I don’t think you ladies have enough exposure, what do you think about having a show?” Wagenknecht says a couple of them were shocked. “We had never done anything like this before. It was Evi who saw the best in us and wanted to bring it out. She was terrific.”

The result of the ladies’ work – Broad Spectrum – is on exhibit at the Old Stone House in Hasbrouck until the end of September. “We were trying to come up with a name and having a difficult time with it,” says Wagenknecht, “It is a broad spectrum, we have watercolor, encaustic, photography, and Evi’s work, some of which is in pencil. And, of course, we’re all women, so I thought there’s also a play on words …”

Wagenknecht is from Loch Sheldrake and her medium of choice is photography. “It gives me an opportunity to be exceptionally creative, and I don’t think I have the ability to do that with my own hands. I can see something that I love … and take a picture and I work with Adobe Photoshop. I try not to do too much manipulating because I like to keep things as natural as possible, but I am able to bring out the very, very best in what I’ve seen and I love it.”

Ginger Smith is a photographer, but she also works with encaustics, which means painting with hot wax. “You melt the wax, you apply it and then you use heat to fuse it to the surface,” says Smith, who goes on to explain that encaustic is a very ancient medium. “The ancient Greeks used it to seal their ships, and it was also were used to decorate sarcophagi, some of which are still in existence.”

Smith uses a handmade wax that’s made in Kingston. Its composition is beeswax, a resin and a pigment. The artwork doesn’t need sealing, and after being cured for about six months, they can actually be buffed with a soft cloth to a shine. “The thing I like about encaustics,” says Smith, “is that I can’t be tight, you put the color on and the wax will move differently depending on the color … it has a life of its own, all I can do is guide it.

Also a photographer, Smith loves digital photography because, “I can see it right away, I can crop it. And so I was fascinated by extreme close-ups of flowers.”

Mary Collier is a retired science teacher, and possibly because of that, looks for the play of light on colorful subjects. How very appropriate during this 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, that her photograph of a colorfully painted school bus is reminiscent of the Woodstock bus.

Painting barns and still-life scenes is what drives Caroline Harrow. Originally she delved into black and white photography, but found her true love a few years ago when she picked up a paintbrush to depict simpler times.

The Forum Friends consider Evelyn Porter to be not only their friend, but their mentor. The handout at their exhibit says of Porter, “Her philosophy of art showed us that change in synonymous with growth … with the freedom to investigate new media and experiment with a variety of techniques and styles.”

And so, The Forum Friends continue to meet, to “network, support, encourage, inspire and nurture each other’s desire to create what each sees through different eyes and emotional ties.” Indeed, isn’t that what all good friends do?

Broad Spectrum continues on exhibit at The Old Stone House, 282 Hasbrouck Road, Woodbourne through September 27. Gallery hours: Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. or by appointment. Call 439-5867 or 583-1060 for more information.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Broad Spectrum visit the The Catskill Chronicle on Zenfolio.

[FALLSBURG] – September 2 was the first day of school for children at Fallsburg’s Benjamin Cosor Elementary (BCES). It also marked the beginning of kindergarten teacher Ms. Sandy Vanderzell’s final year teaching at the school. She will be retiring after 20 outstanding years at BCES and over thirty years total with all teaching experience.

Ms. Vanderzell will be greatly missed by her colleagues, many of whom have been mentored lovingly by her over the years. Clearly many young people have been blessed to have her as a teacher. Just watching her focus on each student on a busy first day one can see how a child feels special to be in her classroom.

There are many first days in a teacher’s life, but there is only one last first day. When kiddingly asked if she knew what to do with the children, she said, “I think I remember!” She surely did, and about twenty youngsters were glad that she did.