Story and photos by Ted Waddell
[WURTSBORO] – It started with an American flag and ended with our nation’s
colorful symbol of freedom.
Before the 81st Annual Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association (SCVFA) Firemen’s Parade stepped off down Wurtsboro’s main drag on Saturday, August 29, firefighter’s from Monticello and Ellenville climbed into the sky, as they rigged Monticello’s huge 20-foot by 30-foot American Flag from the towers of their aerial apparatus. And when it was all over, volunteers gathered to fold the cherished flag, a stately symbol that for hundreds of years has honored firefighters who have died in the line of duty, and flies proudly over fire stations across the country.
The 81st Annual SCVFA Firemen’s Parade was hosted by the Wurtsboro Volunteer Fire Department, which in 2009 marked its 111th year of dedicated service to the local community.
Two short years after the bloody War Between the States drew to a close, on May 1, 1866, the folks in the newly incorporated village decided their community should establish three fire districts, each represented by two fire wardens. After Patrick McGinnis perished in a house fire, local firefighter’s gave up bucket brigades, and by 1898, the18-member strong Wurtsboro Hose Co. No. 1 came on line, followed in short order by Wurtsboro Hook & Ladder Co. No.1 consisting of 13 chapter members.
In 1930, the companies were in essence combined, and since then the area has been served valiantly through the decades by Wurtsboro Fire Co. No. 1, which during the county’s Bicentennial Year was honored by being named a Bicentennial Sealed Event.
The annual SCVFA parade stepped off a bit late this year, people lining Sullivan Street passed the time doing the limbo and line dancing on the yellow center line of the road.
Followed by the escort division led by American Legion Post 1266/Mamakating VFW Color Guard, five divisions marched down Sullivan Street: Division 1 led by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard and first division marshal Past Chief James Dunn; Division 2 with Past Chief Richard Dunn; Division 3 led by Past Chief John Klein; Division 4 with the Sullivan County American Legion Color Guard; and Division 5 featuring colorful Sullivan County historical exhibits and floats.
“It brings the fire service together to show the community what we’re all about, not just seeing us answer alarms,” said Bill Lothrop, First Vice President of the SCVFA, Sullivan County Deputy Fire Coordinator and Past Chief. “The parade shows the other side of what we do, and all our apparatus.”
The 82nd Annual SCVFA Parade will be hosted by the Bloomingburg VFD, and in 2011, the annual parade returns to Rock Hill.
To view 101 photos from Of Flags and Fireman or to purchase prints visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.
The Catskill Chronicle 
Vintage Airport Hosts Historical Fly-In
Posted in Comments, tagged airport, bi-plane, fly-in, ted waddell, wurtsboro on September 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Story and photos by Ted Waddell
[WURTSBORO] – Decked out as a U.S. Navy fighter (SNJ) a 600 horsepower AT-6 advanced trainer roared down the runway, quickening heartbeats with it’s speed and power.
On Sunday, August 30, the Wurtsboro Airport hosted their second annual historical fly-in that attracted several hundred people, people who get a thrill out of airplanes, both vintage and modern, along with classic cars and hot rods.
“It’s like riding on a magic carpet,” said Dr. Woody Saland, of his Aircam, a twin engine, open-cockpit, tandem two-seater aircraft, moments after l
anding from a flight over the hills of Wurtsboro, as part of the historical fly-in. “There are about 150 flying, and it’s not like any other airplane,” he added.
Saland, who manages the technical programs operation for Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, explained the Aircam was originally designed in 1993 by Phil Lockwood for aerial assignments by the National Geographic Society over the rain forests in Congo, Africa.
Wurtsboro Airport was founded by the Helms family in 1927, and was home to barnstormers, that breed of aviators who entertained legions of ground dwellers with their tricks in the clouds during the 1920s and 30s.
In recent years, the old airport fell onto hard times, until Shalom E. Lamm, a successful real estate developer, took an interest in the airport, bought it and began to revive the local landmark.
Today, the Wurtsboro Airport is home to state-of-the-art sailplanes, as well as restored vintage gliders. Three of the original swietzers, made in Elima, NY, have been restored for everyday use, and have been used at the airport for more than half a century.
The airport is also home to a trio of restored L-19 bird dogs, made by Cessna Aircraft in the late 1940s and early 50s, airplanes that were used extensively in the Korean War and War in Vietnam as spotter/observation aerial platforms.
The Wurtsboro Airport’s most distinctive veteran of the skies and barnstorming is a restored 1941 Waco UPF-7 radial engine biplane, a dark-blue wonder that is still used to give passenger rides.
From 1928-1935, the WACO Aircraft Company of Troy, Ohio was the leading manufacturer of civilian aircraft in the United States. Beginning in 1921 as the Weaver Aircraft Company in Lorain, Ohio, the company moved to Troy three years later and became the Advance Aircraft Company, keeping the WACO logo, and in 1929 the name was simply the WACO Aircraft Company, which up to 1946 produced more than 80 models.
During 1939-42, WACO built just over 600 UPF-7s for the CAA and Civilian Pilot Training program, and were later flown by such aviation notables as Howard Hughes, Jackie Cochran and Roscoe Turner.
For more information about the Wurtsboro Airport “Pioneering in Aviation Since 1927,” call (845) 888-2791 or visit their website at www.wurtsboroairport.com
Coming Soon: An Interview with WWII bomber pilot Dick Padgett.
To view more photos from Vintage Airport Hosts Historical Fly-In visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.
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