BlueStone Press

The best source for local news from Marbletown, Rochester & Rosendale

Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 27, Issue 1

January 7, 2022 | 75 cents

Summit Ridge Energy will not pursue permit extension for Bennett Solar Farm Sara Trapani BSP Reporter The large solar farm project in Kripplebush has been discontinued. On Nov. 29, Summit Ridge Energy communicated to the Marbletown Planning Board that it will not pursue an extension of the special use permit issued on Oct. 29, 2020, to build a 12-acre solar array on the property of Scott Greathead and Juliette Bennett of 170 Kripplebush Road in Stone Ridge. The project was approved by the Marbletown Planning Board with a vote of 5-1 to allow the solar array to be built on upper fields of the approximately 30-acre property that lies within proximity to a historical district.

The project has long been a source of contention between the property owners,

neighbors, the Marbletown Historic Preservation Commission, Town Board and Planning Board members, and the Friends of the Kripplebush Historic District, a group that banded together in opposition to the project and formed a Facebook group of more than 250 residents and their friends and associates.

A smaller group of those individuals ultimately filed an Article 78 lawsuit in December 2020 in an effort to stop the project. They succeeded in that the lawsuit was discontinued and the Special Use Permit was allowed to lapse. An Article 78 proceeding is when an individual(s) asks a state court to review a decision or action of a New York state body or officer.

The lawsuit challenged the decision of the Planning Board to grant conditional

Yard signs used in the effort to contest the solar farm in Kripplebush

site plan and special use permit approval.

The petition claimed that the “Negative Declaration” resolution was in violation of

the “procedural and substantive requirements” of the State Environmental Quality Review Act. “The Planning Board failed to identify the relevant areas of environmental concern and failed to take the required ‘hard look’ at the areas of concern,” states the petition.

While the Article 78 suit was stalled in the court system the special use permit expired, and, as mentioned, on Nov 29 Summit Ridge Energy communicated to the Planning Board that they would not choose to go through the renewal process.

Chris Ottness, the project contact from SRE, did not reply to a request for comment on the company’s decision-making

See Solar, page 18

Some migrants birds are sticking around ... and other news from the Christmas Bird Counts Ann Belmont BSP Reporter

Common redpoll, female cardinal, redbellied woodpecker Photos by Mark Deidrich

Every animal has a place Page 16

There are almost 2,000 individual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) in the U.S. every year between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. Thousands of citizen scientists go out walking, driving, looking and listening for any and all wild birds they can find on their assigned day, often from before dawn until dark.

Each "count circle" is a geographical circle with a 15-mile diameter, a standard set by the Audubon Society, which collects all the data sent in by all the CBCs. Locally, there are three separate counts: the Minnewaska/Shawangunk circle, the Ulster/ Dutchess circle, and the Ashokan/Mohonk circle. The Ashokan/Mohonk been going now for 72 years. Steve Chorvas has been a participant for at least 40 of those years, besides compiling the count data for the last 20.

Chorvas, then, is the man to ask about trend-spotting.

“What we’re counting here in the CBC are permanent residents, the birds that are here year-round,” Chorvas said. As far as that population goes, according to the

CBC data, “birds are increasing.” He qualified that statement by saying that there are also increasing numbers of people volunteering to count them. “Birding has become very popular. More people seem to be willing to devote their time in volunteer efforts like this.” With more eyes and ears, more birds get found. “We also have access to more … nature preserves, rail trails that didn’t exist 20 years ago.

So that helps a little … [but] by and large, numbers are increasing. You can attribute that to global warming – a lot of birds are expanding their range northwards and spending the winter here in greater numbers.” For example, “Carolina wrens.

When I first started doing these counts, it would have been very rare to find one in the CBC in New York state. Now, they’re very common.” Another: the red-bellied woodpecker.”

“There are a few species that seem to have declined,” Chorvas added. What birds are becoming rare locally? The ruffed grouse, once fairly common in the Rondout Valley, is one. “Now they’re pretty much limited to the Catskills …

Some think that’s because the coyote population expanded. The grouse nest on the ground.” Another vanishing visitor

Public hearing on fences in Marbletown Page 3

to feeders is the vividly colorful evening grosbeak. “They used to descend in large flocks and go through your sunflower seed … now, most winters, they don’t seem to be around.”

The CBC, naturally, doesn’t keep track of the neotropical migrants who spend their winters in far southern locales.

“Those are the ones that are adversely affected by insect populations,” and some, Chorvas said, are declining along with the numbers of the insects they mainly feed upon, “moths and other pollinators.”

How do the volunteers know they’re not counting the same bird twice? “We divide the circle, which is 15 miles in diameter, into sectors. We assign a field party to each area.” The parties stick to their sector.

“That’s another reason to do the count in just one 24-hour period, so the birds don’t shift too much. That pretty much eliminates double counting. With some species, like a large flock of Canada geese that might fly from a cornfield to, let’s say, a body of water, and then back again, we try to keep track of that … If two different groups have the same number of Canada

See Bird Count, page 15

Looking back on 2021 in pictures Pages 6 and 7

Page , January 7, 2022, BlueStone Press

A man of many hats Where did you grow up?

In the town of Grand Island, Nebraska; population 28,000, three movie theaters, 30 gas stations and 30 bars; 1960 graduate of GI High School, served in US Air Force until ’64, thence B.S. U of N and grad school at U. Conn.

What was it like to grow up there?

Windy, tree-less, Great Plains community that thrived when crops did well and suffered great temperature extremes summer & winter (with frequent tornado warnings). Mile upon mile of corn, sorghum, beef cattle and beautiful skies. Imagine fishing a smelly farm pond at 105 degrees with no shade, and 30 mph winds. (Although farmers only consider it windy when the logging chain hanging from the fence comes off the ground.)

How did you spend Visit the folks your time as a child? next door Building model cars and model airplanes while listening to the radio (no TV); reading comic books, studying Boys Life, Look, Saturday Evening Post, Mad magazines, the books of Booth Tarkington, the illustrations of Norman Rockwell, delivering 130 newspapers daily by bicycle summer/winter, building go-karts, trying to fly a homemade kite in a freshly plowed field in high winds, bicycling to the municipal pool or to the airport to sit/play in old airplanes, shooting beer cans, bottles and sparrows with BB guns and jack rabbits with a .22.

Any correlation to how you spend your time today?

Still love Norman Rockwell and the illustrations of Robert Crumb, love to fish and bike and swim and fix/make things … occasionally scare a squirrel from bird feeder with a rusty BB gun.

Do you have a first memory of being artistic?

I began kindergarten when the soldiers/ sailors were coming home from WWII, and many/most toys mimicked weapons

Q&A

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Larry G. Arvidson Age: 79 Profession: Zoologist, analyst, triathlete, rock-climber, technician, mechanic, sailor, veteran, coach, husband, grandfather Town: Rosendale

of wars. I liked to draw bombers fending off enemy fighter planes; my uncle taught me how to draw propellers on planes in flight, create battle scenes with army-men.

Generally encouraged by art teachers and was recruited to illustrate the middleschool newspaper and to make posters for students campaigning for some office.

Was there one moment where art resonated with you?

I don’t know … perhaps being stunned by a book on da Vinci, another on Rembrandt, others on the Dutch Masters, visits to the museum in Hastings, Nebraska.

Tell me about your medium.

Digital photography is fun.

What do you love about it?

Nowadays, with computer post-processing, it’s so ephemeral and elastic and open to experimentation.

What’s the most challenging part of it?

Mastering the camera. I’d like to be able to handle my camera like a master

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organist. I’m just a beginner … can’t find the knob when the eagle is coming on to the scene.

How do you get started on a new piece?

I just go for a walk with a camera in hand and look.

Where do you find inspiration, what’s your “way in”?

Not a problem … light is always changing and anything/everything can be (made) interesting … I’ve no masterpieces and have no illusions about creating one, but I like the trying.

Are there any themes you return to again and again?

Wildlife photography is the most interesting to me but the most difficult to get all the camera settings correct at precisely the time that the critter is in the right light and position. Landscape photography is second, active grandchildren is third, but often first on-demand.

What draws you to these themes and keeps you there?

Practice, practice, practice … Doc Severinsen still practices two hours a day.

Tell me about your show that is currently at the Rosendale Café, curated by Staats Fasoldt. Is there something that unites the pieces?

Well … they’re all landscape photographs of common Rosendale scenes accessible to most everyone, with neither people nor critters as the main subjects, and that I thought might be interesting to patrons of the Rosendale Cafe.

How do you spend a perfect (pandemicfree) day off in the area?

Go for a long swim or play a challenging doubles tennis match in the morning and, in the afternoon, a long walk or ride with camera and tripod when the light is right.

– Compiled by Chelsea Miller, BSP Reporter

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Marbletown kicks off New Year by passing 19 resolutions Housing Advisory Committee generates overwhelming interest Brooke Stelzer BSP Reporter The Marbletown Town Board meeting of Jan. 3 was held virtually on Zoom and FaceBook Live. Five board members were present, including Rich Parete, chairman and town supervisor, along with Daisy Foote, Don LaFera, Tim Hunt and new town board councilman, Ken Davenport.

The board reviewed 19 total resolutions, and all carried 5-0.

Resolution 1 is the 2022 organizational meeting resolution. This resolution holds appointments for the town’s official newspapers, official bank, town engineers, deputy town clerks, bookkeeper, deputy supervisor, liaisons to different boards of commission, the historian, health insurance carriers and town attorneys, gas mileage that is reimbursed (up 2 cents from last year), appoints Don LaFera as liaison of the High Falls Water District and delegates Parete’s ability to manage day-to-day operations of the town and delegate payroll. Parete noted that the organizational resolution is very similar to the 2020 and 2021 organizational resolutions.

Resolution 2 is the holiday schedule, which remains unchanged from last year.

Resolution 3 is the elected official salaries for nine officials in Marbletown.

Councilman Hunt asked Parete if his salary has remained unchanged for some amount of time. Parete confirmed that was the case and noted that when he was elected, his salary was in the $46,000 range. After the first year, his salary was lowered by $18,000, and the town distributed the money to town employees, whom the board, Parete included, felt were underpaid at the time. “To me, this is public service, $30,000 is fine, I don’t need more.

Maybe we can address it in a couple years for future folks,” Parete said.

“You do a lot of work and the pay should reflect that. But I also feel like, in the future, you want the job to attract people, so you want this salary to be something that is appealing,” councilman LaFera noted.

“We want to make sure it’s fair and that the job description matches the salary, so we may want to consider that [in the future],” said councilman Hunt.

Parete said he did review other town supervisors’ salaries as they compared to populations, water districts and fire and emergency services, and he feels that the Marbletown supervisor salary is commensurate with all of the above taken into consideration. The board agreed that the town supervisor salary should be reviewed next year and potentially raised to attract future talent. Currently, the salary is locked in and cannot be adjusted.

LaFera noted that when he ran for his town council seat, he didn’t realize it was a paid position.

Parete said, “I thought, here is someone who just wants to do this for community service. You didn’t even know you got paid! It’s great.”

Resolution 4 covers non-elected salaried and hourly employees of the town.

Resolution 5 is for appointments to the Planning Board, which reappoints two members, Sharon Klein and Scott Boyd, who is an alternate. The appointments are for seven-year terms.

Public Hearings for proposed Fence Law and Accessory Apartment Law Two public hearings will be held by the Town Board of Marbletown on Tuesday, Jan. 18, beginning at 6 p.m., to hear all interested parties regarding proposed Local Laws for 2022.

The board will hold hearings via Zoom (contact the town offices for Zoom information) or at the Rondout Municipal Center, 1925 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill.

The first public hearing will cover the proposed Accessory Apartment Law. This law amends the Zoning Law to revise and replace the existing provisions of the Town of Marbletown Code, as it applies to Accessory Apartments. The law allows for more opportunities through the creation and development of affordable housing, as well as housing for local workers and young residents. The law also creates housing opportunities to support senior residents who no longer need larger homes but wish to remain in the community.

The second public hearing will hear interested parties on the proposed Fence Law. This law amends the Zoning Law, which includes the installation and construction of fences, berms or other forms of obstruction of views. As development has increased in the area, fences have been erected throughout the town in an unregulated nature. The Town Board has chosen to institute regulations controlling fence styles and heights in an attempt to preserve the scenic and historic qualities of the community.

Copies of both proposed laws are available in full on the Town’s website – marbletown.net.

Resolution 6 is the appointment for the Planning Board chairman, Paris Perry, for another two years.

Resolution 7 is the appointment for the Zoning Board of Appeals. Zach Bowman’s appointment is up, and Kathie Grambling has been officially appointed. Brenden Masterson is the alternative. His term will end in 2023.

Resolution 8 is the appointment of the Zoning Board of Appeals chairman, Tom Smiley.

Resolution 9 is the appointment to the Marbletown Preservation and Investment Commission. The resolution reappoints Dale Robbins and Olivia Fleming.

In 2007, Marbletown had a referendum that allowed the Town Board to borrow up to $2 million to buy property to preserve and protect open space, as well as the town’s viewshed. A board was appointed at the time, but with the housing downturn, the commission discontinued. With the work of councilwoman Foote and councilman Hunt, the commission was reinstated. Parete noted Foote and Hunt have been working with the Open Space

See Marbletown, page 4

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Subdivision applications continue in Rochester Ann Belmont BSP Reporter What’s the difference between a conservation easement and a conservation area? Both concepts are coming up with increasing frequency as development in the Town of Rochester continues.

The Rochester Planning Board looked again at the Francesco Malatesta, Marco Gentilucci and Alessio Pigazzi application for a three-lot subdivision on Baker Road, Kerhonkson. The 59-acre property is proposed to be divided into three 19-acre lots.

Liz Axelson from CPL, the town’s engineering consultant, was on hand to report her environmental review findings to the board. Heather Gabriel, representing the applicant for the engineering firm Medenbach & Eggers, said that the applicants have agreed to put a voluntary 100-foot buffer zone between the wetlands on the property and any building construction or septic systems. Gabriel said that, with the buffers, 30 acres out of the 59 would remain undisturbed.

However, it gradually became clear that the applicants did not favor the idea of writing a restriction on further subdivision into the deeds of the three lots and were not interested in a conservation easement.

Without a formal conservation easement, the board can’t require a subdivision restriction in the deed. Therefore, if any of the three new lots gets resold, the future owners will be under no obligation not to subdivide the land further, board member Maren Lindstrom pointed out. According to Marylou Christiana, town counsel, the board can only request that a limitation on subdivision be written into the deeds; they have no legal right to require it. The clients may agree to label DEC-identified core

Marbletown from page 3 Institute to look at areas such as open spaces and trails that can be preserved.

A joint meeting is scheduled for Feb. 1, when the commission will review recommended properties, which are broken into categories from preservation to historic to environmental spaces.

Resolution 10 appoints Bill Brinnier, an architect, to the Historic Preservation Commission.

Resolution 11 appoints Ed Jasinski, a local business owner, to the High Falls Water Board. Parete noted a busy year ahead for this advisory board, given the amount of broken water meters in the High Falls water district. Bids to replace meters have been delayed by the pandemic.

Resolution 12 is the Marbletown first aid contract for 24/7 ambulance coverage in the town; the contract includes Rochester and Rosendale. “Tax bills are going out and everybody will see where the ambulance district is a separate line on the bill.

I think mine is $72,” said Parete.

Parete also noted that a three-member advisory board will liaison with the Town Board, reviewing budgets, operations and revenue that the rescue squad receives.

The board is looking for Marbletown

habitat, farmlands of importance, and wetlands on the surveyor’s map, but they are not legally obligated to do so. Board chairman Rick Jones clarified in an email: “A ‘conservation easement’ is an area set aside and maintained by a Homeowners' Group, a conservancy, the town itself [or another agency], and there are restrictions placed in the deed as well as on the official maps. A ‘conservation area’ is an area of great natural resource value, marked on the map but not necessarily in the deed, and not specifically restricted as to its use.”

Jones asked Gabriel to put a note on the map that the board wants the core habitat area protected. “It’s something we’d like to see,” he said, but the property owners have to agree.

Jones then read the State Environmental Quality Review, noting mitigations that had been added to the site plan to protect the water table, avoid erosion, and put up seasonal “rattler barriers” to protect the endangered timber rattlesnake. The public hearing produced no significant comment and was swiftly closed. The board’s decision will likely be read at February’s regular meeting.

DeJager Realty’s ongoing application for a 14-lot conservation subdivision on Lucas Turnpike was represented by Nadine Carney of Peak Engineering. She gave a summary of changes that had been made on the surveyor’s map to accommodate the board’s suggestions. A few lot lines had been redrawn to be more sensitive to the wetlands and to sightlines from Lucas Turnpike. Limits of disturbance were now indicated on each proposed building lot.

Some conservation areas will be “100% shared land” between residents, but other parts of the easement will be accessible only to the resident who owns the particu-

lar parcel it’s located on. Several lots will front onto the Rondout Creek, and Carney did not plan on shared access to those shorelines. Board member Sam Zarofsky wondered whether a compromise could be reached between privacy and access.

(Note: Private property along the shores of the Rondout are not open to the public at large.)

Lindstrom was concerned about light pollution from one certain lot; Jones suggested writing lighting guidelines into the future homeowners' association rules.

After more discussion, the board voted to accept the “general concept” sketched

by Carney’s map, contingent upon any changes recommended in pending environmental studies.

Another ongoing application being reviewed by Liz Axelson for its environmental implications came from CDG Ridgeview LLC, which owns two lots of a combined 69 acres on Ridgeview Road.

The LLC has applied to reconfigure its property into five lots, accessible by a shared driveway. CDG’s representative showed the board a new, more detailed surveyor’s map, including the limits of disturbance around the proposed building site on each lot.

The possibility of a conservation area or easement was discussed. “We’d love to see a conservation easement,” said Jones, proposing specific forested areas that he described as “extremely important to this community.”

Axelson noted that among the other towns for which she consults, surveyor’s map notes about rare species habitat and other features of environmental value have become routine. The application will return for more review after board members have gone to physically walk the

property, at the applicant’s request.

Robert Griffits came to present his proposal to take 7.7 acres from a 33.2-acre parcel at the end of Peninsula Lane and add it to a neighboring 14.6-acre parcel, making them roughly equal. This land was part of a parcel subdivided some years ago to be known as Mountain View Stables; Griffits and friends bought two lots. No further subdivision is planned.

Griffits will need a waiver from the zoning board, Jones said, because any changes to previously subdivided land are treated as a major subdivision in Rochester, with different zoning rules than for a minor sub.

Griffits’ application was set for a public hearing next month, contingent upon a waiver from the zoning board.

Frank Kortright received conditional approval for his application to split 8 acres off from a mining property of 73 acres on Rochester Center Road for the purpose of creating a single-home residential lot.

The other 65 acres will remain in mining.

Because the land was zoned for mining, a special use permit/site plan review was required for its approval.

A minor subdivision at 232 Dug Road was also approved. Applicants Regina Solcberg and David Demorest are dividing a 9.9 acre lot into two of 5.6 and 4.3 acres respectively. This property neighbors the Pacama Vly, a DEC “Biologically Important Area.”

residents who are interested in joining this advisory committee. The 2022 contract for $315,000 is posted on the Marbletown Community homepage (marbletown.net).

Resolution 13 establishes a Housing Advisory Committee. The committee has been expanded from five members to eight, given an overwhelming number of applicants from the community. “There is a lot of interest in this commission because I think everybody realizes it’s something the town needs to get serious about now, because people who have grown up here can’t afford houses and that is unacceptable,” said Foote. Terms of service will be staggered amongst committee members.

Resolution 14 appoints members to the Housing Advisory Committee. Parete stated there were 16-17 people who expressed interest in joining the committee.

Eight members have been selected by the town. “We have spoken to these folks, and I think we have a really high-level board, people who have a lot of experience in government,” said Parete.

“It’s about having a community that feels supported and is able to live here affordably, it’s about having a workforce that can support business, and it’s about having and supporting our character, and how do we do all that together. I’m excited to have this committee who will work

hard, to do the research, to do the writing, to do the conversations with the different boards and resources in the county, to bring to us some recommendations that we can really count on and move forward to make some decisions. I appreciate their willingness to do this work. This is not easy work,” said Hunt.

Davenport added, “A lot of people talk about the town’s character and that is fantastic. Doing nothing is no longer an option, it’s been going on for too long, ambivalence has just been there. And this is a group of people who know how to get a consensus and build that whole situation out.”

Resolution 15 authorizes the town to enter into a contract with the Ulster SPCA for the care and boarding of canines. The contract is identical to previous years.

Marbletown’s dog warden is responsible for gathering any stray dogs, and canines are then taken to the Ulster County SPCA for any vaccinations or medical care. The dog is held for seven days to give owners time to claim their pet. After seven days, if unclaimed, the dog would be put up for adoption.

Resolution 16 is a shared service agreement for the Rondout Municipal Center.

Resolution 17 covers shared services with the town of Rosendale for the safety officers who inspect town properties and

conduct town employee trainings.

Resolution 18 covers health insurance benefits for the Rondout Municipal Center manager.

Resolution 19 covers the High Falls water district employee salaries.

In conclusion, Parete noted that 16 months ago, a resolution was passed asking the NY DOT to review the speed limit in north Marbletown on Route 209 near Wuchte Lane. The town asked the state to keep the speed limit at 45mph and then begin a 55mph limit after the Marbletown Inn. Parete announced the state has approved the 45mph speed limit and the signs were put up last week.

The board notes that tax bills were mailed on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and asks that if residents do not receive them within two weeks, to please call the town so they can email them. Tax bills are due on Feb. 4 with no penalty. The town requests checks only.

The town has a few free at-home Covid tests available but asks that residents who have already received a test hold off on requests so others who haven’t gotten a test are able to get one. Parete believes the county will release additional supply to the town in coming weeks.

All Town of Rochester Board and Commission meetings will be held virtually until further notice as per the Governor's executive order.

Closing fo

r Winter Break from Dec . 19 to Ja n. 18 See you in 2022!

BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page

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A year in pictures ...

Looking back, 2021 was a year of starts and stops requiring a ton of flexibility. The last two years, in fact, kind of roll together – masks on, masks off, masks on again.

Much of it that can be seen here in these photos. Moments of giving, celebrating and living in a global pan-

Ash Tree Festival on the rail trail in June: Jared Williams puts finishing touches on his “Ash Leaf Bench.” Photo by Ann Belmont

demic, yet mostly very close to home.

It was a year of blessings but also of sorrow, both human and animal.

A full emotional spectrum can be viewed here, though it is just a slice, symbolizing the vast local fabric of our

Accord Market opens in September, giving a shot of capital improvement and interest to Main Street, Accord.

community. We're reminded that some are having their first experiences here, while others are settled, and all are happy to be home. Enjoy the beautiful richness of our community that seems irreplaceable, and yes, do nod a farewell to 2021!

A heartfelt memorial for Danielle Freer, who died at 41. She was the owner of Hot Shotz Pub & Grill in Kerhonkson and a community organizer.

Eagle Scout Michael Goodin with his finished equipment Rondout Valley High School enjoyed its newly finished shed for a Rondout Valley school. Now, that's a whole athletic field this year. lot of patches!

With a shocking suddenness, dead deer seem to be turning up everywhere in late summer/early fall, victims of a virus called epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD).

The Rev. Marcella Gillis, new rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church, cuts the ribbon at the celebratory opening of the church's new commercial kitchen.

Dior Williams was named this year’s Homecoming King during Rondout Valley High School’s football game on Oct. 22. The crown photo is too cute not to print again!

Here's your pandemic look at early 2021. This is actually a Little League practice, in the gym, social distancing and with masks.

Everyone is looking for workers. Here's a sign from Emmanuel’s Market, and help-wanted signs remain in the community and around the nation.

Rondout Valley Food Pantry office manager and board member Charlotte Knapp receives a check donation from Richard Eppley of High Falls Conservancy.

The Rosendale Theatre reopened in 2021! With volunteer work and community support many renovations were completed before the reopening.

BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page

looking back on '21

Ashokan Reservoir repair work was complete, and a com- Halloween in Rochester, scary smiles! mercial request to build a power plant at the Reservoir was successfully fought off by community efforts.

Community mourns emergency volunteer Joshua Demorest, a lifelong resident of Cherrytown, who passed away on Sept. 3, 2021. He was 22.

Jayne Henson, agriculturist at Transgeneration Farm, provides CSA farming at Arrowood. Photo by Steph Mossey

Ashokan Watershed presented a snowshoe stream walk along Little Beaver Kill in February.

Inness, a members club and hotel on the site of the former Rondout Golf Club in Accord, opened this summer.

Photo by Christian Harder

Just hanging around Rosendale this year ...

It was a contested local election year and the incumbents came out on top. Here, Barbara Seaman and Sarah Robertson show their Election Day stickers.

OK, so that's just cool! Esopus brown trout caught by John Mehalik from a story this past April

A real cooper in 2021, John Cox – very Rondout Valley!

John Soi, RVHS teacher, receiving his Covid-19 vaccination in March. Teachers were some of the first to get their vaccines in 2021.

Memorial Day in Marbletown. Look at those kids reaching out with flags and arms waving. That's real community joy.

Page , January 7, 2022, BlueStone Press

Memoriam Bohdan J. Kowal

ELLENVILLE—It is with great sadness that the family of Bohdan J. Kowal announce his passing. Bob died on Dec. 18, 2021, while battling Covid-19 at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown. He was 73. Bob was a man of great generosity, keen intelligence and deep faith. He is survived by his beloved wife of 24 years, Joan (Rapkin) Kowal. Bob was born in Wattrelos, France, on Aug. 25, 1948. His parents were Anna Kruba and Wasyl Kowal. Anna and Wasyl were both from Ukraine. They met in France after Kowal World War II. In 1956, when Bob was 8, the family of four emigrated to the United States by passenger ship. They arrived with not much more than a trunk of earthly possessions. Their sponsor lived in Perth Amboy, so Bob lived there first. Fortunately, his school teacher also spoke French! Bob was thus able to learn English quickly. The family then moved to the Lower East Side of New York City, where he attended Saint George’s Ukrainian elementary school. Eventually they were able to purchase an apartment building in Astoria, Queens. Bob commuted to Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and graduated in 1966. He ran crosscountry at Hayes and liked to tell people that his team practiced in Coonsdam Park – now the site of the new Yankee Stadium. This was fitting for the Yankee fan that he was! Bob graduated from the City College of New York in 1973 with a B.S. in Computer Science. He worked for Pan American World Airways for 14 years and then for Citigroup as a systems analyst until his retirement in 2013.

He was always a go-to guy at work, and he was honored as a Citistar in 1999. Bob commuted 90 miles a day to his office in New Jersey for the better part of his career. He was with Citi for 26 years. He was always grateful for his colleagues there and for the teamwork they consistently displayed. He stayed busy in retirement. He was a charter member of the Ellenville Assembly of God for 40 years and conscientiously served two terms on the Church Council. Bob’s faith in Jesus Christ informed his life.

He walked in obedient faith and trusted God on a daily basis. He loved the verse, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Bob did just that. He was also a member of the Wawarsing Rod and Gun Club and of the NRA. Bob loved animals and he fed a flock of pigeons daily. (His father had raised pigeons in France.)

He enjoyed photography, loved model trains, and created a big HO layout in his basement. In his earlier years he was a runner, competing in area races, and he even ran a marathon in London, England. In addition to his wife, Joan, Bob is survived by his cherished son, Dr. Alexander Kowal, and dear daughter-in-law, Theresa Kowal, and his four precious grandsons, Thomas, John, Peter and Mark – all of Orefield, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by his two nieces, Adrienne Gulakowski and Teresa Czubak. Bob also leaves behind his dear sister-in-law, Michelle Rapkin, of Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Bob was predeceased by his sister, Stephanie Kowal, and by a 3-month-old baby brother, Andre Wasyl, born in France. Bob's family is deeply grateful and appreciative for the excellent care afforded him at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown. That care began with the ER staff and continued through his stay on 4 South and, finally, the ICU at 3 East.

Visitation was held Dec. 22 at Loucks Funeral Home, Ellenville. A Ukrainian Panakhyda service was shared during the viewing. A memorial service was held at the Ellenville Assembly of God. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bob's memory to Samaritan's Purse or to the Ellenville First Aid and Rescue Squad. Arrangements were entrusted to Loucks Funeral Home. To send a personal condolence to Bob’s family, visit loucksfh.com.

Robin M. Fiore

SAUGERTIES—Robin M. Fiore passed away Jan. 1, 2022, with her husband and eldest son at her side. She was 56. She is survived by her husband and best friend of 34 years, Brett Fiore; her eldest son, James Behrens; daughter-in-law, Mary; and youngest son, Jordan Fiore. Robin was a beautiful, creative and passionate person who was a master at making people laugh with her unconventional brand of humor. Robin loved gifting friends and family with her many sparkling creations. Her skills and interests Fiore included creating intricate wearable art, jewelry making, gardening and landscaping. Yet her love and concern for her husband, boys and her sisters was her deepest passion. Robin was a spiritual person who believed deeply that Jesus Christ

Clara Rosellen Hasbrouck dies peacefully at 100 Clara Rosellen Hasbrouck

STONE RIDGE—Clara Rosellen Hasbrouck died peacefully at home on Dec. 6, 2021. Intrepid, intelligent, generous, supportive, creative, funny, stylish ... she was an extraordinary woman who will be deeply missed. Born on Jan. 4, 1921, in the town of Lewiston, Illinois, to John Patrick and Minnie Edith (Hazzard) Rosellen.

Clara attended Brown’s Business College in Peoria, studying accounting. In 1947 she married Dr. William E. Morthland and the couple settled in Savla, Illinois.

In 1955 Susan was born, followed by Sarah in 1956.

In 1966, upon Dr. Morthland’s retirement, the family Clara Rosellen Hasbrouck moved to Woodstock, where they remained until shortly after his death in 1978. Clara married B. Gen. Sherman Hasbrouck in 1984, residing in his home in Stone Ridge until his death in 2002. She then relocated Horner, of Walkersville, Maryland. She was predeto Maryland to be with Susan. ceased by her sister, Edith Jane Woods.

Clara is survived by her daughters, Susan Sebbane, Clara will be interred at the cemetery of the United of Frederick, Maryland, and Sarah Morthland, of NYC States Military Academy at West Point, with graveand Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; her grandchildren, side services at a date to be confirmed in June 2022.

Katie Sebbane of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Sarah Memorial donations would be gratefully accepted by Sebbane of Lexington, Kentucky; her nieces, Rhonda the Friends of the Castle Endowment Fund, c/o Frost Casey and Mary Wicker, and nephew, John Woods, Valley YMCA, 200 Frost Valley Road, Claryville, NY all of Mississippi; and her devoted caretaker, Melinda 12725, frostvalley.org. is her savior and voiced her personal beliefs quite often.

Visitation was Jan. 5 at George Moylan Funeral Home in Rosendale. A funeral service was be held Jan. 6 at the Rondout Valley United Methodist Church, Stone Ridge, where the Rev. John Capen officiated. Cremation will be held privately. Those who would like to make a donation in her name can donate to the National Kidney Foundation. (www.kidney.org). To leave a personal condolence, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com

Joseph G. Kraft

STONE RIDGE—Joseph G. Kraft died Dec. 26, 2021, at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston. He was 93. He was born in Athens, New York, on Dec. 17, 1928, a son of the late Bertram and Jane Kisselberg Kraft.

Joseph resided in the area most of his life. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving four years in active military and 16 years in the Army Reserves, where he attained the rank of captain. He had been employed by the New York Central Rail Road and later worked for McCall's Refrigeration in Hudson. Joe than worked Kraft for IBM in Kingston and Poughkeepsie for more than 30 years in the Production Control Department, retiring in 1991. Joe was a member of the Rondout Valley United Methodist Church in Stone Ridge, IBM Quarter Century Club, Marbletown American Legion Post 1512, and the Marbletown Senior Citizens, where for many years he served as the trip chairman. Joe enjoyed cooking, woodworking and camping. He is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Edna Quick Kraft; two sons, Joel Kraft (Stacy) of Stone Ridge and Brandon Kraft of Accord; and a sister-in-law, Linda Hamilton (William) of Willow. He is also survived by four grandsons and a granddaughter.

Visitation for family and friends was Dec. 29 at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc., 2053 Route 32, Rosendale. His funeral service was at the Rondout Valley United Methodist Church, where the Rev. Frank Cirone officiated. Interment followed in Fairview Cemetery, Stone Ridge. The family suggests memorial donations to Marbletown First Aid Unit, P.O. Box 323, High Falls, NY 12440. To leave a personal condolence for the family, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com.

Linda Lee Kutch

NAPANOCH— It is with a heavy heart and much regret that the Kutch family announces the passing of Linda Lee Kutch. After a long battle with cancer, she passed away peacefully on Dec.17, 2021, surrounded by her loved ones. Linda grew up in Forest City, Pennsylvania, where she met the love of her life, Frank Kutch of Simpson, Pennsylvania. After her graduation from high school, Linda and Frank moved to Napanoch, where they shared 55 years of marriage and went on to raise three children. Linda worked Kutch as a cafeteria cashier for Aramark at

Ellenville Central School for 25 years. When her children were young, she also served as a Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader. In her spare time Linda enjoyed painting ceramics, reading, crocheting, and music. Linda was a wonderful and loving mother who gave her all to those she loved.

Her family will never be able to fill the space left behind by her. “Our mother, was one of the strongest and kindest women to ever walk this earth and our family was blessed to have her as the matriarch of the family.” Linda was predeceased by parents, Leila and Frank (Hank) Pauswinski. She is survived by her husband, Frank Kutch of Napanoch; son Frank Paul Kutch and his wife, Lynn Marie, and their daughter, Alexa of Easton, Pennsylvania; daughter Barbara Doolittle and her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Gillian of Napanoch; daughter Debbie Haight and her husband, Matt, and their two children, Aidan and Cameron, of Peabody, Massachusetts; and her beloved dog, Memphis. She is also survived by her sister, Brenda Korty, and her husband, Bruce, of Montrose, Pennsylvania, and their three children, Brian, Sharon and Aaron. The family would also like to sincerely thank St. Peter’s Hospital and Women’s Cancer Center in Albany; Ellenville Regional Hospital; Hudson Valley Hospice and Ellenville First Aid & Rescue Squad for their excellent care and compassion during the last five years of her battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Humiston Funeral Home, 30 42nd Street, Kerhonkson, NY 12446. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Linda’s memory to Hudson Valley Hospice (400 Aaron Court, Kingston, NY 12401) or Ellenville First Aid & Rescue Squad (1 Webster Ave., Ellenville, NY 12428). To send a personal condolence to Linda’s family, visit humistonfuneralhome.com.

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BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page

Timothy Chadwick Tetlow

ALLIGERVILLE—Timothy Chadwick Tetlow, 81, of New York City, died peacefully alongside his family on Nov. 26, 2021. Tim touched the world in ways big and small. He is missed and loved. Tim had a storied career as a Fine Arts Appraiser, first as director with PB84 and later heading house sales at Sotheby’s. In 1974, Tim launched and successfully managed the Timothy C. Tetlow Appraisal Company for over 45 years, working with many celebrities and countless clients, and served as president of the Appraisers Association of America.

Born in Epsom, England. Tim grew up in Oxfordshire and had a lifelong passion for country pursuits including cutting wood and gardening. He attended the Dragon School and Repton School Nameline in the U.K., and graduated from UNCChapel Hill. He was predeceased by his parents, Edwin and Katy Tetlow. His family celebrates his life, including children Sam Tetlow and Georgia Tetlow, son-in-law Wael Idriss, future daughter-in-law Andreea Stan, sister Susan Harrington, former spouse Marilyn Siegel Tetlow and first wife Karin Cocuzzi Tetlow. Requests to attend a future memorial and condolences may be sent to timtetlowmemorial@gmail.com.

Bonnie Irene (Landon) Damon

ACCORD—Bonnie Irene (Landon) Damon died Jan. 2, 2022, at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston. She was 91.

She was born in Letts, IAowa, on Nov. 12, 1930, a daughter of the late Elmer N. and Lillie Louise Cook Landon.

On Oct. 1, 1949, she married Chester A. Damon Sr. and had been married for 63 years until Chester's death on Oct. 23, 2012. Bonnie Irene was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. She had a terrific sense of humor, was a great storyteller and very proud to be a farm wife. In addition to her husband, Bonnie was predeceased by 16 siblings. She is survived by four children, Barbara (Steve) Rice of Accord, Brenda Glowienka of Beavercreek, Ohio, Chester A. Damon Jr. (Cindy) of Stanfordville, Damon and Christopher Damon of Kingston.

Bonnie Irene is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. The Damon families extend special thanks to her caregiver, Jessica; the staff of 2 West HealthAlliance Hospital; and the staff of Archcare. Memorial donations are requested in her memory to the Stone Ridge Library, P.O. Box 188, Stone Ridge, NY 12484, or to the Rondout Valley Food Pantry, P.O. Box 22, Stone Ridge, NY 12484.

At Bonnie Irene's, request there will be no public funeral services and cremation was held privately. George J. Moylan Funeral Home, Rosendale, assisted the family with cremation arrangements.

To leave a personal condolence to her family, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com.

Nelson F. DeGondea

KERHONKSON—Nelson F. DeGondea passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 26, 2021. He was 76. Nelson was born on Sept. 8, 1945, and had four siblings, Tony, John, Michael and Christine. He was the son of Anthony and Minerva (Swain) DeGondea. Nelson was a longtime resident of the Catskills and enjoyed writing poetry, working on and racing cars, and his true passion was flowers.

He owned quite a few businesses, from carpentry to stone masonry, but his pride and joy was his floral business, Catskill Floral Supply. Nelson is survived by his daughter, Alon Melecci, of Brent Lake; his stepdaughter, Mary Leskody, of Alachua, Florida; and Sherry Schillaggi of Kerhonkson, who he loved as a daughter; his grandchildren, Troy Melecci-Baker, Logan DeGondea Melecci-Baker, Samuel (Melecci) Abare and Joshua (Melecci) Abare; his niece, Rebecca DeGondea, and nephew, Jon DeGondea; and his girlfriend, Alexandria Sascha Micancin. A celebration of Nelson's life was held on Jan. 1 at the Samsonville United Methodist Church. Burial followed at Krumville Cemetery.

Sandra J. Simpson

Simpson

KERHONKSON—Sandra J. Simpson passed away on Dec. 21, 2021. She was 77. Sandy was born on May 28, 1944, in West Dummerston, Vermont; she was the daughter of the late Elmer and Olive (Pond) Wood. Sandy had worked as a school bus driver for GJM Transportation in Accord. She was a member of the Kerhonkson-Accord First Aid Squad

The world could really use a Marilyn Mitchell hug Marilyn Mitchell

LOMONTVILLE—Marilyn Mitchell died on the day the sunlight begins to grow longer: the winter solstice.

She was a person who brought more light into the world. She was 77. She had an advanced degree in hugging – prolonged and profound hugs that were like receiving therapy. She was a tranquilizer of the flesh who had a smile and laugh that was honest and pure and revealed her soul.

She was preceded in death in 2014 by her husband, Michael Weisbrot. She is survived by her children, Joshua and Lila Weisbrot, and their spouses, Nancy Einhart and Ryan Bockelmann. She is also survived by her brother, David Mitchell, his wife, Louise; and their children, Alita and DJ. She was raised in Oakville, Connecticut, by secondgeneration immigrant factory workers. Her life’s work was to be a helping human, something bigger than the small town could offer, and as soon as she graduated from college in 1966, she moved to New York City. She spent several years as a social worker for children in foster care and passionately demonstrated against social injustice. Her serene, gentle spirit veiled powerful, intentional rage against inhumanity and greed.

She met her like-minded husband Michael in the early ’70s and became mother to their son Josh, beginning what she saw as her most meaningful, gratifying and joyful role. Michael and Marilyn wanted their children to be raised in the country, and they moved to a small house in Lomontville in 1980. Their daughter, Lila, would be born in that house, and they remained there, building a community around them, for the next 40 years.

She was an exquisite mother to her young children.

When they entered grade school, she earned her master’s degree and became a special education reading specialist in Rondout Valley Schools for nearly two decades. Students found in her a kind and extremely patient, calm, loving and dedicated teacher. She loved literature and valued education as a tool for achieving social equity. She continued on well after her retirement as a tutor and consultant. She spent countless hours volunteering at the Stone Ridge Library, helping to run the children’s story hour, book fairs, and a host of supportive activities.

Nature thrilled her. She made careful work of walking barefoot by the ocean, examining treasures of the forest floor, and sitting by the windows of her

for over 10 years and was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Kingston. Sandy married George J. Simpson on Dec. 17, 1967, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Napanoch. George has since predeceased her.

Sandy is survived by her children, Eric S. Simpson and his wife, Kathleen Simpson, KerryAnn Simpson, Kristie L. Cutler (Simpson) and her fiancé, Kenneth Irwin Jr.; her stepson, George J. Simpson Jr. and his wife, Michelle Simpson; her stepdaughter, Lisa Bush; her brother, Albert Wood; her grandchildren: Justis A. Cutler, Zachary A. Cutler, George J. Simpson III, Tony Simpson, Danielle Simpson, Gregory Simpson, Amber Simpson, Meagan Simpson, Gabrielle Simpson and Heidi Stein, as well as several great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents and her husband, Sandy was predeceased by her siblings, Leland Wood, Clara Wood and George Wood.

Bernard E. Antal

NAPANOCH—Bernard E. Antal passed away on Dec. 29, 2021. He was 90. Bernard was born on Aug. 20, 1931, in Avoca, Pennsylvania; he was the son of the late Ernest and Elizabeth (Korecki) Antal. Bernard served his country in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1954. He was a butcher by trade, having started his career in Brooklyn. He worked at several shops and grocers as well as A&P. Bernard also was a corrections officer for the NYS Dept of Corrections for 27 years. Following his retirement, he went back to being a butcher again working at various shops and grocers, Antal ending his career at Peters Market. In his down time Bernard enjoyed gardening, working in his flower beds, farming, tending to his animals and his fruit trees, cooking, baking, crossword

Marilyn Mitchell

home watching the birds she fed in winter. She found bounding joy in the simple beauty of her surroundings and in her deep loving relationships. In her years as a widow, she rediscovered a sense of independence and strength and treated herself to fun and adventure. She traveled to Europe in search of her roots and lived solo in Venice, Italy. Accompanied by Lila, she ventured to California to trace the migration of monarch butterflies and their astounding display. She was mother supreme and surrogate grandmother to so many, an Earth Mother. She said the face of a newborn baby was the closest thing to a window between two realms of existence, something she now gets to witness firsthand.

She gave her children a model of the power of human kindness, patience, and love. She demonstrated her political beliefs by contributing the small amount of money she could afford to organizations that worked for the causes she believed in. But more impactfully, she lived her life as a political act that placed the highest value on empathy and justice.

If you didn’t know her, you missed something special. We will miss her tiramisu, her lasagna, and her unassuming unconditional love. The universe has embraced her now. A grand mutual squeeze. The world could really use a Marilyn Mitchell hug.

A memorial celebrating her life will be planned later this spring when the weather allows a safe outdoor gathering. Donations in her memory can be made to the Stone Ridge Library Foundation at https://stoneridgelibrary.org/donate/ or via Venmo @ StoneRidgeLibrary-Foundation.Nelson F. DeGondea

puzzles, reading, chess, but most of all spending time with his family. Bernard is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Constance (Stengel) Antal; their children, Mark Antal and his wife, Dodie, Margaret Leverich and her husband, James, Elizabeth Sahler and her husband, Mark, and Bernard Antal and his wife, Gwenn; and six grandchildren: Kayla, Jaden, Brittany, James, Jessica and Bryson. Bernard was predeceased by his sister, Romaine Bryk, and his brothers Eugene and Richard Antal. A memorial service will be announced in the spring. Memorial contributions may be mailed to the family for the continuous care of their mother, 2665 Ulster Heights Road, Woodbourne, NY 12788, or the Alzheimer’s Association or the Parkinson’s Foundation.

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Athletics, recreation & fitness

Page 10

January 7, 2022

In 2021, fall sports at Rondout started a shortened season in March as well, and all athletes and coaches were thrilled to get back on the field.

The year in sports: Go Ganders and more!

Jeff Slater BSP Reporter Last year was quite a year indeed, with challenges galore. Yet in spite of shortened playing seasons, Covid protocols and the general uncertainty of the pandemic, local sports went on. Here’s a look back at the year 2021 in sports.

As the year began we talked in January about the rise in recreational usage at Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Continuing along that outdoorsy theme, we explored snowshoeing. As with

many activities, the equipment was hard to come by. Seeing a need for other winter activities, Rondout Valley resident Jed Tucker opened a futsal court at the Town of Marbletown Park, which provided winter sports recreation for the area’s youth.

In March, Little League started gearing up again after a nearly year-long hiatus due to the pandemic. The BSP explored fishing in the area as an activity that could be done locally, although the turbidity in the Esopus made trout fishing a challenge.

Fall sports at Rondout started a shortened season in March as well, and all athletes

photo by TOM WEINER

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and coaches were thrilled to get back on the field. The football team took the field with Covid precautions in place and thensenior Jimmy Brush playing quarterback for a five-game shortened season, and new turf and lights on the field. The RVHS field hockey team won its 10th championship on the new turf, defeating Red Hook 3-0. A new track was added as part of the school district’s Capital project, and sports director Jake Maloney was thrilled to be able to host track and field events.

A feeling of “getting back to normal” was prevalent at Rondout Valley High School.

After beginning its season in May, a third-place finish for the boys golf team and a second-place finish for the girls golf team (both in June) gave both teams a much-needed boost. Seventh-grader Alexandra Young gave the girls a big push with her strong finish in the Sectionals, not succumbing to the pressure. Also in the spring, the boys baseball and girls softball teams both made the playoffs, eventually falling in defeat; but the girls are looking forward to getting a new softball field this spring.

As the school year ended and summer began, we were treated to both Indian Valley and Rondout/Mountain Valley Little League playing an exciting series in the 11- and 12-year-old District Championship, with Rondout /Mountain Valley eventually winning the deciding game in a hard-fought battle. (They eventually lost in the sectionals.) Additionally this summer, rising senior and field hockey player

Sophia Schoonmaker signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Albany in the fall of 2022, making all of “Gander Nation” proud. Both local swim teams were able to get back in the water, providing many youths an activity during the two-month break. We were also treated to Casey Kurtti telling us about the exploits of the Marbletown version of the “Boys of Summer,” with some new local folks and some old-time residents continuing their tradition of playing softball every Sunday at Marbletown Park.

In the fall, when the school year began again, the girls soccer team had a spirited run, as did the boys golf team. And, as is becoming the norm around here, the girls field hockey team dominated its fall season, led by Sophia Schoonmaker and coach Nanette Simione, again winning the championship with an outstanding effort against archrival Red Hook.

The year ended with Jed Tucker at it again, creating another space for youth to play soccer/futsal in Rosendale and opportunities for many area youth to participate. And finally, 9-year-old Sophia Dingee made a name for herself as the only girl on a local youth football team, inspiring other girls to go out for football.

It’s been an unusual year on every level, including sports!

Go, Ganders!

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Page 12, January 7, 2022, BlueStone Press

Briefs

How do we build community in a Pandemic, during a time of political divisiveness?

What our readers think Jeff Slater BSP Reporter

Opus 40, 6.5-acre bluestone sculpture created by sculptor Harvey Fite

Opus 40 receives $300k grant from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Opus 40 Sculpture Park announced a $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the repair and conservation of the 6.5-acre bluestone sculpture created by artist, sculptor and Bard College professor Harvey Fite. This award from the Mellon Foundation will match a grant of the same size from the National Parks Service/Save America’s Treasures program announced in the fall. The grants will underwrite repair and preservation to the masterwork sculpture at the center of Opus 40’s 57-acre property.

Jonathan Becker, president of the Opus 40 board of directors, said, “We deeply appreciate the Mellon Foundation’s recognition of the unique nature of Opus 40 and the need to preserve it. The Foundation’s grant, combined with the National Parks Service/Save America’s Treasures’ grant announced in September, will allow for a truly historic conservation effort and will secure the preservation of Fite’s sculpture for generations to come.”

The Opus 40 staff had been busy interviewing for the leadership team to guide the conservation process, adhering to the competitive bidding processes stipulated by federal grants, explained Caroline Crumpacker, Opus 40 executive director.

“We will have some tremendously exciting news very soon about the conservation process, how it will be structured, and all the ways that our wonderful community will be involved. Our great hope is that we can make this project a real part of the cultural, physical and historical landscape of the Hudson Valley – with mentorships, public programs and guided tours of the process.”

Updates for this and a multi-year program of trail development with Tahawus Trails will be documented on the organization’s website in the new year. Opus 40 also earned a grant of $49,500 for general operating in 2022 from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Anyone wishing to contribute to sculpture repair at Opus 40 can make tax-deductible contributions through the organization’s web site at https://opus40.org/supportsculpture-repair.

Laurel Sweeney, real estate broker, Berkshire Hathaway “During this difficult time, I’ve been trying really hard to listen to people. I mean really listen – not trying to figure out my response to what someone is saying while they are talking. Really listening to what the person is saying and understanding the context and intention of the other person. By doing so, I hope to build deeper relationships with those in our community.

The other area I’m working on is being kind. This comes in the form of letting someone make a turn in front of me [while driving], doing small acts of kindness in the community, taking a moment to stop and say hello to someone, making a call to someone I have not seen in a while, assisting someone in need, saying thank you to the countless front-line workers, including volunteers, who have given so much to our community during the Covid pandemic.

It is my hope that by working on these two items I can be a small part of bring people together in this difficult time. I also find deep comfort in my faith community at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Stone Ridge – that continues to be a blessing for me and many others. We live in a wonderful community, and I am grateful for that.”

Jesse and Isabel Goldfarb of Tributary Farm “An ecosystem is strengthened by diversity and so are our relationships and lives. On an individual basis we all need to try our best to cultivate relationships with people who are different from us. We should form these relationships based on

A BIG thank you to all our BSP readers!

kindness in actions more than signs in our front yards. It starts neighbor to neighbor, but beyond that we need community spaces that bring people together, and we think farms are a great venue for this and that we can do more. We need to bring people together in joyful activities, and we think something like adult sports leagues would be a good example of this.”

Kathy Hikade, paraprofessional at Marbletown Elementary School “It is difficult for communities to feel connected during this epidemic. We can try to have as many outside events as possible … Light Up Marbletown and the Truck Parade were perfect examples. I also think it’s important for neighbors to reach out to each other … Either by socially distant visits or by telephone. If everyone reaches out it will cause a ripple effect and everyone will know someone cares about them!”

Mike Baden, supervisor, Town of Rochester “In these times of uncertainty it is more important now than ever that we all remember we are a community. We are all neighbors regardless of political beliefs, length of living here and family lineage.

This is our home, and we need to have kindness and compassion for all. Check in

with your neighbor. Give them a call. Ask if they need something from the store. Bring a senior a meal. But mostly, respect each other!”

Fre Atlast, president, board of directors, Rosendale Theatre Collective “One lesson learned from the pandemic is the need for properly ventilated indoor places in our community so that people feel safe gathering together. Hosting community events that are non-political that can introduce new cultural experiences for neighbors to share would be most beneficial. These events could include free concerts, performances and presentations that stimulate civil discussion. Finding common ground is key to healing some of the rifts between different factions. There is no better way to bring people together than sharing good food and good music.”

Andy Lutz, WISE Task Force, RVSD “If you’re volunteering, great! If not join your first-aid squad, your fire company, Marbletown Trails Committee, your own church, RV Food Pantry, RVHS WISE Task Force. Be active in whichever of these you choose. Activity and community go hand in hand as we see each other as people, promoting help for others.”

Local money, local ideas

January 7, 2022

Page 13

Heart, home, and a gorgeous head of hair McHenry & Company Salon N.Y. opens in High Falls Donna Cohn Viertel BSP Reporter and Calendar of Events Editor For Daniel McHenry, 47, owner and stylist of McHenry & Company Salon N.Y., at 2303 Lucas Turnpike in High Falls, it’s all heart – heart in all he is, all he does, all he gives, and all that got him here to High Falls.

From a very young age, McHenry always enjoyed cutting hair. For family and friends, he wanted them to look and feel beautiful.

His brother suggested that he become a cosmetologist.

“A cosmetologist, now that’s a fancy word,” thought McHenry. But, as he explained, “At that time, it was something that only girls did.”

It wasn’t until he was 30 years old McHenry that McHenry followed his dream and opened his own salon, McHenry & Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2006. “And the rest is history!” said McHenry with a smile. A history that is now carried on by McHenry’s daughters, who have followed in their dad’s footsteps. With Dad now in High Falls, Kayla, 26, has taken over running McHenry & Company in Pennsylvania with the help and support of her younger sister, Casey, 22, who is still in school earning her license to cut hair.

So what brought McHenry from Pennsylvania to High Falls? Love, of course. He met the love of his life, Antonio Perrotta, on Zoosk, and after the two and a half years of a long-distance romance, McHenry moved to High Falls on Sept. 1 to be with Perrotta. The rest is history! But wait, there is so much more to say.

When McHenry and Perrotta saw the sign “for rent” and the rendering of the proposed remodeling of the building on the corner at the intersection of Lucas Turnpike and Route 213, across from Jake’s Auto Body, they knew it was meant to be. “I was intrigued, to say the least,” said McHenry. And after the two collaborated on the design, McHenry & Company Salon N.Y. opened on Dec. 21, 2021.

The décor is warm and inviting. “It’s very organic, with flowers throughout,” explained McHenry, “a nice get away

Warm and inviting, McHenry & Company Salon N.Y. in High Falls

from everyday life.” In the spring, when the official grand opening is planned, there will be gardens outside the salon.

The boutique is quaint, cozy and comfortable, with couches … and coffee, tea and treats are served. The athome feeling continues with a consultation on what the guest is looking for with their hair. “We take into account what they do for a living, what their style is, a good look for their daily life and routine,” McHenry explained. “The focus is on the personal experience – all from the heart, to feel good and to look good.”

There are five styling chairs in the salon, which uses all Goldwell Hair Products.

And in creating the name of his salon, “It’s McHenry & Company Salon N.Y.,” he explained. “Because when you enter the salon, it’s inviting, like you are inviting over company into your home.” And that’s just how he makes you feel, cared for and welcomed. “It’s 90% on creating

that good relationship with the guest and their hair, and then, making it all happen.”

McHenry & Company Salon N.Y. is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Call 845687-6372 for more information and to make an appointment. To inquire about becoming a stylist, email mchenrysalon@gmail.com.

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Lydia’s takes the hit from the Omicron virus, closes until spring, Catering and special cakes orders available After canceling their New Year’s Eve celebration, Lydia’s Café, at 7 Old Route 209 in Stone Ridge, decided to remain closed until spring. “As of now we are closed for business and plan on remaining closed at least until the spring when the weather turns nice, and we can all safely emerge from our respective cocoons,” explained Mark Usvolk, who owns and operates the café with his wife and

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chef, Roni.

Mark did emphasize how he was just glad most everyone made it through the end of the year although he also admitted many did not. “Our hearts go out to those among us who lost someone this past year during this horrible pandemic.”

For information, call 845-687-6373 or visit lydias-café.com.

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Page 14

Your letters, views & ideas

January 7, 2022

Welcome 2022

Letters policy Please send letters to the editor to the BlueStone Press by email at bluepress@aol. com or send to P.O. Box 149, Stone Ridge, NY 12484. Include your name, hometown and daytime phone number. Letters should be fewer than 500 words and may be edited for clarity, brevity and taste. Letters won't appear in consecutive editions from the same author.

The BSP hopes that, in the spirit of community dialogue, readers and writers in the letters section are respectful of a diversity of viewpoints.

We err on the side of freedom of speech in our letters, and we hope that vigorous dialogue is more likely to produce an informed public than censorship, however well meaning. Call 6874480 with questions.

Enjoyed Wally Nichols’ column on ‘Get Back’ To the Editor: I really liked the article by Wally Nichols, about the movie “Get Back” about the Beatles. My mother saved the article for me because I live in Fishkill, and she knows I loved the movie. She reads your paper and is pretty well read.

That movie is amazing for anyone growing up with an appreciation for the Beatles songs, and Wally is a good writer – he captures the important information and the joyful essence of events in his articles, so that, as you are reading, you are agreeing. It’s like being in a book or movie group with someone with keen insight.

The movie “Get Back” actually meant a lot to me, and so it is a delight to read a review by someone who is so passionate about his subjects.

Kate Conway Fishkill

Ways to help Afghani refugees To the Editor: I am writing to you about an important endeavor starting up in the Hudson Valley, called a “Welcome Center.” As of this note, 29,000 Afghani refugees are being temporarily housed in U.S. Army bases across the nation, with some 10,000 refugees living in tents and barracks at Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Central N.J. As we enter a cold winter, these families need to leave the base and get resettled into American life. The bases are to be emptied by March, and these people have no place to go.

Although Albany and NYC both have the infrastructure and support NGOs to welcome and resettle Afghani immigrants, there are very few agencies or community groups doing so in the Hudson Valley.

So far, over 50,000 Afghanis have been successfully resettled throughout America in cities, towns and small hamlets by welcoming agencies, veterans, community groups, families and “Welcome or Sponsorship Circles” since September 2021. It’s been a monumental patriotic and humanitarian effort.

I believe that Ulster County has the capacity to welcome and resettle at least one Afghani refugee family here, if not 100 families.

Over the past few days I have been in contact with several immigrant-service NGOs to get information and their support in starting up a Welcome Circle here, including HIAS (one of the nine federally designated NGOs

charged with the resettlement effort), Welcome.US (the White House entity coordinating the NGOs), the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), Women for Afghan Women (a NYC resettlement-based NGO also doing direct work in Afghanistan) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC/Rescue.org), etc.

They all said that to start, we need a circle of supporters who can together welcome at least one Afghani family, identify temporary (at least three months) housing, secure basic home furnishings & clothing, introduce them to community orgs & businesses, social services and agencies, introduce their children to the school system, and begin to assist them to find employment. With the local schools losing population every year, and the need for workforce at all levels, the challenge will be housing, but I believe it exists here.

If you want to be even a small part of this effort, or can assist in any way, as a Welcome Circle supporter, participant, volunteer, employer, property owner or sponsor, please reach back to me. Now it’s our turn to …

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BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page 15

You know it’s over when HBO …

Dear Wally: A certain someone and I recently broke up and we agreed to try and stay friends. I’m sad about it, but not crushed. I know this is me being optimistic. He’s a good guy and we had a really nice time. What’s the realistic chance of this? – Hopeful Dear Hopeful: Hmmmm. Not knowing any more of the particulars of your situation than that you aren’t crushed (well, that’s OK …) and “he’s a good guy and we had a really nice time” … (Wait! Why DID you break up? Meh. Whatevs. Things get stultified, transmissions start slipping on the hills, socks start disappearing, people get loose the truth, monkeys learn Wally Nichols with to fly and next thing you know, there’s peanut butter in the fridge and it’s supposed to be left out on the counter, if you know what I mean … You guys broke up, and that’s all we have to work with here.)

Sorry it hard-stopped, AND happy you get to explore a new situation if you want. But it’s likely to be a bit of a bumpy ride, at least for a little while, especially if the breakup wasn’t perfectly mutual (they rarely are) and the butthurt-ee sees the butthurt-er ordering a happy meal with a side of fries. That (and money/custody stuff, for some) is where it usually goes sideways. (Sigh.) But the situation does relax as a function of time.

You probably instinctually know this. To put it in air

Dear Wally

travel terms, you might need to suspend drink service and reach for the barf bag for a few minutes, as recently happened to me on a flight, three hours of which were perfectly pleasant and six minutes were, well, less fun than being crapped out of an elephant. But I’m here to say you will get through it. It’s part of the journey. (Those who have been on really bad flights fill their barf bags with the New Age-y platitude of “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey …” Because when your 757 drops 200 feet in 1 second and then barrel rolls, and the entire cabin is screaming like they are 11-year-old girls at a BTS concert, and the captain is too busy changing his shorts to get on the PA and tell you it’s actually OK to turn on your phones and call your loved ones, it is now 100% about the destination and 0% about the journey.)

A few questions to tickle the current zeitgeist: Did you jointly covid (the verb: to shelter in place together, bicker and scrap over house chores, breathing noise levels, and who is coughing too much)? Because coviding (the verb) can eff-up a couple up and lead to a situation where a post breakup friendship is not possible. (It’s worth acknowledging that there were also breakups before Covid19, but not as many …)

And here’s a biggie: Is your Netflix still working? Access to subscriptions has become a bellwether of enduring friendship. The ill-defined continuance of a shared subscription can serve as an arm’s-length, olive-branch propitiation whilst the ghost or unannounced cancellation of the same valued subscription services can easily be a signature stealth act of passive aggressive relationship definition (errrr, death). If you don’t live together, and THIS happens, you’ll know it’s over. If you DO live together, and this happens, it might also mean the rela-

Bird Count from page 1 geese, you look at the time of day and you can probably figure out whether they’re counting the same individuals or not,” Chorvas said.

“Hearing is the way to get an accurate count, because many times you’ll hear birds you never end up seeing,” he said. Of course it's not possible to find them all. “Even with the number of people we have, I don’t think we’re even counting 10% of the birds that are out there, probably far less … That’s understood when you analyze [the data].” Not everyone who comes out for the count is an expert; sometimes there are people’s kids, or a group of students. That said, “this year, it was close to a record in the amount of field-party hours.”

Birders like Chorvas are not stopped by weather conditions. They also don't seem to be deterred by lack of sleep.

“We started out about 5 [a.m.] to do some owling, and we stayed out till dark,” reported Mark DeDea, another incredibly dedicated individual who was out counting birds in all three local count circles this year. Doesn’t he get cold? “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” he quipped. “My wife got me a really good raincoat and all-weather pants, and I used them in all three of the CBCs this year ... Not everybody has to put in the kind of effort I do," DeDea hastened to say. “There’s a lot of older folks who are serious birders. They’re maybe not going to spend whole the day like I do, like a lunatic!”

For himself, he considers it “recreation, an elixir to the pandemic.”

DeDea compiles data for the Dutchess-Ulster CBC, which covers part of Hurley and parts north and east of there, on both sides of the Hudson. The write-ups for the counts include weather conditions, numbers of all species found, the number of volunteers, and unusual findings.

"It’s all submitted to the National Audubon Society," which keeps track of regional trends across the United States and beyond.

Besides the satisfaction of participating, and the fun of “bagging” birds for your count, “it’s a very nice social activity, too,” said DeDea. "Most years, we’re able to have a compilation get-together. Everybody brings a dish …

Let me tell you, we’re all ready to get back to that way of doing things!” He is resourceful when it comes to finding volunteers, drawing on “visiting birders from the Metro area” and people from other clubs. “It’s a nice way to have a little camaraderie between organizations. Each county usually has a bird club, or in the case of Ulster we have a natural history society,” that is, the John Burroughs Natural History Society, of which DeDea happens to be the president.

Nicholas Martin, Minnewaska park educator, heads the Minnewaska/Shawangunk circle, now in its fourth year.

“I’ve had really poor weather every time … you’re not really getting a clear picture of what’s there … the birds are

Pileated woodpecker Photo by Mark Deidrich

hiding, conserving energy,” he said. Minnewaska counts have been “all over the place” so far, ranging from 17,000 to 9,800. “The compiler divides the circle into set areas," Martin explained, with one to five people assigned to cover them. He's had from 37-48 field people in the field.

Also, he’s had up to a dozen reporting from their feeders at home, another way to participate. “People can walk or drive around, looking for birds, or stay at home and watch their feeder. Every team’s different ... walking trails, walking roads, driving,” or stopping at places where they know from experience that birds come, like a pond. How to count birds from a moving car? “You’re driving down the road with the window down,” DeDea recounted. “Hey! I hear a flock of chickadees. You pull over.” (It helps to have a passenger.)

Mostly they'll observe common birds like "Canada geese, crows. We do hope to find something unusual, but

tionship is moribund. (But it might also mean someone just forgot to pay the bill …)

Pro Tip: If the breakup goes sideways, and they have the Hulu account login info (or better, HBO*!), you best clear your work and social calendars and front-load viewing all those hard-to-access-for-free shows like “Succession”* and “Dope Sick” while the sun still shines. Because chances are quite good you will settle down into the sofa one night, maybe soon, turn on the streaming service, and be popped in the snout with the request to purchase a subscription because your login no longer works. Ouch.

Then you will know exactly where you stand. Or sit. And damn, that’s coooooold. Because no one wants to watch ANY episode of WTF?!?

Other telltale signs: Petulant Facebook unfriending? Vindictive cellphone call and text blockage?

Read the room, baby.

All in all, Hopeful, I’d peg your chances of a sustained future friendship at 83.7% based on the scant info you supplied and my tendency to factor in entropic and chaotic variables.

Good luck, and if you still have the HBO account info, ummm, please PM me asap – I might have more to say.

– Wally P.S. Don’t leave the peanut butter in the fridge… * “Succession” is very popular, in case you are looking for suggestions.

Got a question for our advice columnist or just want to float him some free login info? Email cwn4@aol.com with questions, usernames and passwords.

judging what’s happening with the populations of regular birds tells you a lot about what’s happening with climate change, how birds are adapting to that. We have birds that would typically be gone in the winter that now linger and can survive through the winter, without deep snow cover … we’re seeing trends, and instead of taking eons to change, they’re taking decades."

DeDea was particularly amazed by the “spectacular numbers of robins, due not just to the mild winter but to a very heavy crop of juniper cones that they feed on.”

(Interestingly, they also eat the berries of the much-maligned invasive bittersweet, according to Chorvas.) "The robins have been crazy vocal, even singing. I even heard a hermit thrush singing – I’ve never heard one singing in the winter.” Cone-eaters like thrushes, cedar waxwings, bluebirds, "those are all considered 'half-hardy' birds" that would have flown south if the winter were colder.” As a result of the presence in amazing numbers of these halfhardies, 32,334 birds were tallied, setting a new high of individuals, “easily eclipsing our previous record of 26,034 in 2011 and well above the average per count of 16,922,” DeDea wrote in his summary of the Ulster /Dutchess CBC on Dec. 29.

The first Christmas Bird Count, in the year 1900, was conceived as an alternative to an ongoing tradition called the Christmas Side Hunt, wherein people would team up to shoot birds and other game and compete to kill the most. That's a tradition that belongs in the past, but the excitement of the hunt is alive in the citizen scientists who participate in the CBC. To identify birds by both sight and sound, visit merlin. allaboutbirds.org. Merlin also has a phone app. To learn more about the activities of the John Burroughs Natural History Society, go to jbnhs.org.

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Your friends and community

Page 16

January 7, 2022

On left, Cattle dog re-homed with his new best friend. Center, Riley and Janine Carchidi and on right, first snuggle with nervous pup with Carchidi.

Paws for reflection: Mountain Haven Animal Rescue rehomed with renewed purpose Anne Pyburn Craig BSP Reporter The day Janine Carchidi realized she had taken on 25 guinea pigs in need of vet care might have been the day she knew for sure that Mountain Haven Animal Rescue and Support Services – then located on Main Street in Stone Ridge – needed reorganizing. Or maybe it was when the SPCA called her about an ailing pigeon on the Route 28 traffic circle.

Oh, there had been clear indications before that. “We got momentum and all the offshoots just got out of hand,” Carchidi says. “I’d get to Stone Ridge and it would be, ‘Where did all the birds come from? And lizards? Snakes?

Why are these guys here?’ and I’d be told, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Well, I am. I have to be.

“And I am not equipped to do the right thing by every species at the same time. No one is. What’s beautiful is that there is a network of rescuers with different expertise, and we can collaborate. Reenie’s Rabbit Rescue does all kinds of pocket pets, so they’re the go-to for guinea pigs.

If there’s a deer in your yard that’s been grazed by a bullet, please reach out to Friends of the Feathered and Furry; they’re in Hunter and they know exactly how to help.”

Carchidi says that Mountain Haven’s effort to take on every case the SPCA turned away was a well-intended but unsustainable approach. “It’s been a heck of a learning curve,” she says, “with difficult moments. It’s odd – I find it easy to say no in my day job, but extremely difficult in rescue work. The vision and mission had to be clarified, and we need to make the referrals to whoever will do the best by that particular animal.”

The nonprofit got its 501(c)3 status in 2015. Carchidi had attended a personal development conference and left determined to make a difference for animals in need.

With her first grant of $2,500 she bought pet food and worked with Meals on Wheels to locate homes where it was needed. “It blew up,” she says. “I was loading up my

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Kai in his new home – the re-homing of the Australian shepherd that had been crated in his own feces

little Jeep and driving pet food all over the county. It’s a big county, if you’ve noticed.”

The pet food delivery service and pantry became a rescue, with a retail store on Main Street, and it hosted a steady parade of every needy critter under the sun, moon and stars. The lack of focus was interfering with Mountain Haven’s specialty: pairing just the right humans with just the right canines in a process the organization’s website sums up as “Rescue-Rehab-Rehome-Repeat.”

Rehoming dogs and “perfectly imperfect” specialneeds puppies is a complex process when done right, which is, says Carchidi, the only way it should be done.

To that end, she’s relocated and restructured Mountain Haven as an appointment-only adoption service operating out of her Bone Hollow Road home, as well as in cyberspace.

“If things work out the way I’m hoping, we’ll be doing

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lots of construction and expansion this spring,” she says.

Working with Doc’s K9 Center and Stay & Play, providers of training and doggie day care in Kingston, Mountain Haven works with all parties involved to make rehoming and adoption a safe and positive experience.

People who have to relinquish their dogs, Carchidi says, deserve compassion and not the harsh judgment they sometimes receive. “Sometimes folks find themselves unable to afford care or are faced with some other flavor of devastating life experience,” she says. “We need to be holding each other up and helping each other out, even when we’re going through stuff ourselves. Extending compassion and empathy to someone else can be a healing thing in itself.”

As for the pups, Carchidi makes sure they get the right nutrition, vet care and cuddle therapy before they are given a new “leash” on life with carefully screened humans. At-risk dogs are rescued immediately; for those in otherwise safe homes where they just can’t stay much longer, Mountain Haven will work to arrange much of the adoption virtually.

But not all of it. “We do the meet-and-greets right here, by appointment, in our fenced yard,” she says. “And in the spring, we’ll hopefully have more dogs on site. We’d rather have them here to love on them. We’re not a typical shelter; our intake room was designed with the help of a vet friend, and the pups get enrichment from day one: toys, TV, maid service, interaction all day long. They get handled like crazy; it’s hard to walk through without snuggling them, and why try? By the time we hand them over, there’s no doubt they’re fully snuggly. It’s enriching for the dogs and very enriching to me. It makes life make sense.”

For more information about Mountain Haven Animal Rescue and Support Services visit mountainhavenanimalrescue.org, email mountainhaven@earthlink.net or call or text 845-687-9649.

BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page 17

Kudos

Hudson Arthur D’Alessandro born on Dec. 21, 2021

Welcome Hudson Arthur D’Alessandro Jessica and Kevin D’Alessandro of Glen Cove, Long Island, announce the birth of their son Hudson Arthur D’Alessandro on Dec. 21, 2021. Baby Hudson was 9 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches at birth. Hudson is the grandson of Laurel and Tim Sweeney of Stone Ridge and nephew of Sean Sweeney of Kingston.

Rondout Valley Junior High School Honor Role, Marking Period 1 Grade 7: Ethan Allen, Connor Beechel, Lucas Bowers, Abigail Buckner, Logan Burkins, James Casey, Amara Catizone, Frank Coddington IV, Ansley DePiero, Alexis Dougherty, Arryanna Eisenberg, Aiden Freer, Donald Giamei Jr, Isabel Gonzalez, Jillian Gundberg, Mira Heagney, Kadi Holt, Alana LeBlanc, Ryan Malarczyk, Ellis Manny, Antonio Mason, Isaiah Mercado, Adrianna Moran, Kyle Novi, Syler Padusnak, Andrew Quick, Hunner Quick, Colin Rowdycz, Taraji St. Fleur, Jayden Streeter, Joseph Sweeney, Georgia Weinstein, Madeline Williams, Layla Worden, and Payton Worden.

Grade 8: Michael Avello II, Ali Campos, Abigail Carlson, Francis Catizone III, Chloe Coonrod, Benjamin Currier, Owen Decker, Kyleigh Healy, Haylee Henebery, Natalee Kiersted, Scarlett Kormondy, Rah Mahir, Jaela Marshall, Brandon Mason Jr, Anja Mongelluzzo, Graham Palmentiero, Hunter Rion, Brooke Secore, Gianna St. Hilaire, Mia Trumbore, Alyssa VanLeuven, Sean Williams, Brody Wynkoop and Isabella Ziba-Perez.

Honor Roll Grade 7: Hayden Bauer, Francesca Bueti, Kylee Carlson, Aiden Carroll, Katrina Domitrovits, Tyler Harned, Ivy Helffrich, Ryan Helm, Kailee Hicks, Joshua LaPierre, Richard Manny, Jacob Mastrocola, Zachary Mickelson Jr, Lucas Millrood, Hannah Nawrocki, Addison O'Donnell, Madison Pfaff, Ava Quick, Jaden Rion, Oliver Roosa-Dunphy, Noah Schrader, Jasmin Smith and Sean Startup. Grade 8: John Basten, Christopher Baumann, Laszlo Beke, Sedric Boughton, Serafina Broome, Julia Brown, Diego Castro Linares, Ryan Clark, Kaden Dennin, Amanda DeWitt, Jade Fauntleroy, Fionn Forsythe, Lacey Freer, Elizabeth Hanigan, John Hedley, Hailey Kellerhouse, Jocelyn Leahey, Jasmine McNeil, Brooke Mulkowsky, Elizabeth Murphy, Arianna Novotny, Sophia Pagliaroni, Tristan Post, Ruby Powell, Owen Shaffer Sermini, Addisyn Spano-Meyer, Jack Stewart, Georgia Tuttle and Kayla Vedder. Grade TR‑9: Matthew Ehring.

High Honor Roll Grade 7: Caydance Borruso, Bridget Boyd, Adda Lee Braselmann, Hannah Chapin, Jessa Clark, Chloe Cooke, Ruby Focarino, Lauren Ivan, Aubrey Jagodzinski, Taiyo Kizawa, Juliana Lunstedt, Brooke Martire, Helena Molitoris, Ugo Nneji, Gage Nogue, Penelope RoosaDunphy, Julian Santosky, Stephen Schwartz, Laszlo Sterling, Greta Sutherland-Roth, John Sweeney and Karl VanValkenburgh. Grade 8: Brody Baker, Fahad Bhuiyan, Evalyse Bradley, Tristan Cantello, Joshua Davis, Maven Flamhaft, Gabrielle Hart, Reagan Heil, Isaac Herman, Morgan Hermance, Lila Hill, Grace Kiszkiel, Jack Kotsides, Josephina Kozack, Jacob Kraft, Harris Kyaw, Zi Qing Liu, Adreenah Mason, Grace McArdle, Camille McMillan, Ruby Ortner, Hudson Paley, Borny Patwoary, Lucas Pitre, Samantha Ritayik, Hanna Rylewicz, Hudson Scott, Owin Simmons, Jeffrey Ulrich Jr and Beatrice Wilhelm. Grade TR‑9: Luke Tacti‑Rucki.

Seal of Biliteracy Badge & Bronze Milestone Badge awarded to Rondout The Rondout Valley School District recently received the Seal of Biliteracy Badge from the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages at the New York State Education Department. The District was also awarded a milestone badge, “Bronze – 1st Year,” for introducing the Seal of Biliteracy program to students last year.

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award that recognizes students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages before their high school graduation. Its purpose, according to the NYSED, is to acknowledge the importance of being biliterate in today’s global society.

The distinction highlights the hard work and achievement of students and encourages them to pursue language study while in school, including the continued development of one’s home language. The recognition of attaining biliteracy is also a statement of accomplishment for future employers and for college admission.

There are two paths to earning the Seal of Biliteracy: one for students whose first language is English and are learning a second language, and one for English learners who are developing academic proficiency in their home language while mastering English.

Those applying for the Seal are tasked with completing a multifaceted project on a topic of interest. Among other things, the project includes presenting to Rondout’s Seal of Biliteracy Committee, which consists of Rondout Valley High School Principal Jessica Torok, standards area chairperson Anne Kelly, RVHS guidance counselor Alison Klein, RVHS English teacher Robyn McDonough, RVHS world language teachers Patricia Abi-Hassan and Victoria Robertson, RVHS English as a Second Language teacher Rebecca Horwitz, and community member Jim Sullivan.

Students who successfully complete the application process and achieve the mark of distinction receive a seal on their diploma, a ribbon to wear at graduation, and a certificate.

For more information, visit rondout.k12.ny.us or call 845-687-2400.

SUNY Alumni Hall of Fame Congratulations to the 2021 SUNY Ulster distinguished alumni on their induction into the SUNY Ulster Alumni Hall of Fame: Dan Reinhard ’72, host of WKNY Radio Kingston’s Sport Talk Show; the Honorable Manna Jo Greene ’76, environmental action director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater; Cheryl D. Bowers, 1983-1987, president & CEO of Rondout Savings Bank; Lisa I. Pacht, 1994-1998, assistant superintendent of schools and operations at Rondout Valley School District; and Dr. Lawrence Barrett ’84, president of Florida Gateway College. (Photo below)

Now, that deserves a pie in the face!

KES students win the winter recess reading challenge Before Winter Recess, Kerhonkson Elementary School Grade 1 teacher Hailey Turner challenged her students to a reading competition. If the students collectively read for more minutes during the break than she did, they would

Grade 1 student Wynter Nichols “pies” Kerhonkson Elementary School teacher Hailey Turner after he and his classmates successfully completed a reading challenge during Winter Recess.

get to “pie” her in the face upon their return. The class did not disappoint, reading more than double the minutes compared to their teacher. On Jan. 5, the students claimed their reward: each had the opportunity to “pie” Ms. Turner with a plate full of shaving cream. Bravo to the young Gander bookworms!

All-Region and All-American, Gander field hockey player Sophia Schoonmaker Rondout Valley High School senior Sophia Schoonmaker was selected for the 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association High School All-Region team and the NFHCA All-American team.

Nominated by her RVHS field hockey coach, Nanette Simione, Schoonmaker was honored for midfield on the New York Region team. Each region’s All-Region team roster is reflective of the number of NFHCA scholastic members Sophia Schoonmaker (left) and Rondout Valley High School registered in that field hockey coach Nanette region. As an AllSimione pose for a photo.

American, she was one of 48 athletes in the United States selected for this honor, based on her performance throughout the 2021 season. The selections were divided into first, second and third teams. Schoonmaker was selected as a Second Team All-American.

“This is quite the honor for both Sophia and Nanette, and we could not be more proud,” said Jeffrey Panek, Rondout Valley athletic director. “They both truly deserve this recognition after the great season the field hockey team had this year.”

2021 SUNY Ulster distinguished alumni on their induction into the SUNY Ulster Alumni Hall of Fame.

Arts, culture & entertainment

Page 18

January 7, 2022

Birds and squirrels and the backyard show My house lies a little outside the border of Christmas bird count territory, but I was inspired to do a count of my own around the neighborhood – strictly amateur and unofficial. Saturday, Jan. 1, was overcast and dark. Any snow we’d had in the last week was long gone. I walked up the road, the tree trunks on either side black with dampness, the air smelling of sodden leaf litter. Stillness reigned.

After 10 minutes I glimpsed what looked like a couple of titmice flitting away through a neighbor’s backyard.

I kept walking; some minutes later, I heard a “chickadee-dee-dee-dee” off to the right somewhere. Then nothing. There was no wind to stir the air. Fog contributed to a growing spooky feeling … why are there no birds?

After half a mile, I turned around and started walking back. Wait; was that something? A chirp at the very upper limits of my hearing – was I straining so hard to hear something that my imagination was taking over? There! Something over my head, unidentifiable, Ann Belmont flew but assuredly a bird, at least.

And that was all, though I stayed out for at least 40 minutes. Maybe I should've gone out at dawn.

But there had been no birds at my feeder for days, either, unless they’d been awfully stealthy. Why? In past years, I used to go through at least 40 pounds of birdseed per winter. This winter, so far it’s been maybe a cupful or two per week. I’ve seen a cardinal exactly once, no woodpeckers, no blue jays, and precious few goldfinches. Could the warmth and lack of snow have anything to do with that?

Well, yes. My sources say that birds come to backyard

Wild Things

Solar from page 1 process.

Rich Parete, Marbletown supervisor said, “Summit Ridge advised me that state credits for solar projects changed and the economics of building the solar farm didn’t make sense any longer,” Parete, continued, the [Article 78] lawsuit would not have stopped the project from being built if Summit Ridge decided to move forward. It’s my understanding that site plans expire in a year if they aren’t closed out. All Summit Ridge would have had to do was ask the Planning Board for an extension. It’s happened with other projects that require a site plan,” said Parete.

In the Dec. 13 Planning Board meeting it was confirmed that the developer would let the permit approval expire and that no further action would be required of the board for the project.

“Sometimes you definitely have to do a lot of work and it doesn’t come through,” said Paris Perry, Planning Board chairman. “We deal with these things all the time. It’s our position to balance the town law with what’s allowed and mitigate it for the neighbors,” Perry said.

Opponents of the project, with Francisco Rivera at the helm, are pleased to put the ordeal behind them. They believed that the industrial-scale project would have a negative impact on the environment, including on the watershed and wildlife, and that the arrays would damage property values as well as tarnish the historic quality of the hamlet.

The plaintiffs were Francisco Rivera, David Weinraub, Meryl Schwartz, Clarence Miller, Theresa Miller, Carl Miller, Donna Miller, Rich Reiser, Yvonne Hartung, Jamie Vazquez, Kate Farrell, Janet Neipris, Donald Willie, David B. Alpher and Jennifer A. Litt. The defendants were the Marbletown Planning Board, Scott Greathead, Juliette Bennett, SRE Solar Origination LLC, and

Squirrels undiscouraged

feeders the most when they're having difficulty finding food elsewhere. Today it was very cold. At last a small mixed party of six or so – chickadees, titmice and a nuthatch – appeared to eat the sunflower seeds waiting for them on my clothesline feeder. That was cheering.

Often the little band of feeder-birds around is accompanied by a gang of squirrels that seem to follow them around, knowing the birds always drop a bunch of seeds under the feeder. Squirrels have more on the ball than we give them credit for. According to Keith Tarvin, a biologist at Oberlin College and Conservatory, squirrels are “public-information exploiters,” and bird calls are the public information. They understand birdspeak. They know when the birds are sounding a hawk alarm – also, no doubt, when they're tweeting, “Ooh, I found food!”

Summit Ridge Energy, LLC. Proponents argued that adding more local solar would support Marbletown’s goal to achieve 100% renewable energy and establish the town as a leader in renewable energy. Also, the project would have brought revenue to Marbletown – roughly $8,000 a year plus $22,000 for the building permit, for example.

Scott Greathead is the owner of the property where the solar farm was slated to be built. According to Greathead, SRE is “doing very well, and this was an extremely small solar project. They felt it was not worth the time lost waiting for the court to rule on this case to continue to tie up resources for this small project that could be put into the many other opportunities SRE has.

Greathead says that hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations in Ulster County and New York state had supported the solar project, such as Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, New Yorkers for Clean Power, the Marbletown Environmental Conservation Commission, and Hudson River Stream Conservancy.

“Based on decades of experience prosecuting and defending environmental cases for the New York State Attorney General’s Office and in private practice, I am very confident that the Town of Marbletown would have prevailed on the merits in defending the Town Board’s approval of the solar project.”

The legal costs of the Article 78 action ran a tab upwards of $40,000 that will not be recouped, as the plaintiffs will not pursue further legal action. “We agreed to the discontinuance, which meant that we would not be able to recover costs,” Rivera said. “We could, technically, file a brand new lawsuit for costs, but I was informed that the costs would be prohibitive, and I, frankly, am done. While I am disappointed that we won't have a judgment on the merits of our case and that the hope of being awarded costs is gone, I am very happy with the outcome – which was our ultimate goal anyway.”

There were three gray squirrels here this morning. They are quite entertaining. When not eating something, they chase each other at high speed. Two chased each other around and around a tree trunk like a couple of clowns; but to them, of course, it’s deadly serious. According to John L. Koprowski, a squirrel expert and professor of wildlife conservation and management at the University of Arizona, “Squirrels will chase or nip at other squirrels that are feeding in their territory. The up-and-down spiraling pattern around a tree displayed during some chases is a sure sign of a territorial dispute.” (quoted in Live Science, Aug. 2, 2019) If they manage to get to the feeder I have to get them off – they'll stuff my whole supply of sunflower seeds into their cheeks if they can. Usually they are content to scarf up whatever the birds drop on the ground, but one squirrel, tired of trickle-down economics and more daring than the others, will always figure out how to get on the clothesline. It will climb up the garden shed that one end is attached to, or scramble up the side of the house to launch an assault from the other side. Today, though, in an unprecedented move, one of them climbed up a garden fence pole and launched itself fearlessly through the air at the clothesline. On the first try, it missed and fell on the ground. Undiscouraged, it climbed up the pole again, jumped, and succeeded in grabbing the rope. Too bad that a human, though full of admiration for such determined acrobatics, came out and yelled loudly, forcing a tactical retreat … for the moment.

Then, suddenly, the yard is empty – no birds, no squirrels. The show was over, as suddenly as it began. Is the little flock and the squirrel raiding party moving on to my neighbor's feeder? Are they full of food and taking a break? I can but wonder.

BSP ALL ABOUT THE

DIGITAL EDITION

We’re still very committed to the hard copy newspaper. But we know many of our readers want the paper earlier. Here’s an option to consider to get the paper on press night, even before it is printed!

1. Go to: www.issuu.com/bluestonepress 2. Click on the most recent issue.

3. Choose the Annual option price. $50 for 24 issues. *You must sign up directly online due to their website’s privacy and security purposes.

Any questions, let us know!

845-687-4480 or bluepress@aol.com

Thank you! --BSP staff

Horoscopes The planets are continuing in their unique manner with the personal planets in a slightly looser formation, with Pluto positioned in the midst of the personal planets and Saturn leading the group. Venus continues its retrograde motion as Uranus resumes direct motion on the 18th.

However, Mercury, in its persistent way, turns retrograde on the 14th leaving two personal planets retrograde, both Mercury and Venus. This results in the period looking to become very difficult. The usual caveats go along with this: Packages and mail will be lost and appointments missed. The full Moon on the 17th is in the sign of Cancer may have us in its emotional grip for better or worse. Taken as a whole, this promises to be a difficult time for all.

Your Zodiac Joanne Ferdman

ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet is positioned in your 9th solar house of communication and education and is in poor aspect to Jupiter. This may result in your usual hard work having unexpected or poor results – very disconcerting. The full Moon on the 17th in the sign of Cancer will bring about a feeling of moodiness and regret.

TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned with Pluto and the Sun in your solar 9th house.

However, your planet is retrograde along with Mercury on station, suggesting this is a period in which you will receive little good news – temporarily. The full Moon may result in some regrets.

GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet, is

positioned in your 9th solar house of communication and education. It is about to turn retrograde on the 14th and conjunct Saturn. Now that the busy holiday season is over, it’s time to relax. This promises to be difficult time with the retrograde personal planets blocking progress.

CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The full Moon on the 17th in sign of Cancer falls in your 1st solar house of personality.

This may explain your feeling blue after the excitement of the holiday season, but you will find it simple to rejoin your friends for some post-holidays get togethers. Perhaps you’ll decide on a group diet competition.

LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 6th solar house of daily work and your health. It is also conjunct retrograde Venus and Pluto, insuring a difficult time – either at work or with your daily health. Considering the prevalence of the virus, it’s all too possible. The full Moon will bring a spell of feeling sorry for yourself.

VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 6th solar house of daily work and health. It is also conjunct Saturn and will turn to retrograde motion on the 14th. Because of the two retrograde personal planets, step back from taking aggressive action – it will be difficult to keep on a straight path for the next few weeks.

LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 4th solar house concentrating on home and family – it is also retrograde and conjunct both the Sun and Pluto. The virus seems to have you working from home again with little chance of moving out. Fortunately, you seem to be working on a creative project that has you fascinated.

SCORPIO: 10/23 to 11/22: Mars and Pluto remain in your 2nd and 3rd solar houses and find you concentrating on home and family and paying off the holiday bills.

However, now that Mercury is turning retrograde on the 14th, you may find several errors in the papers you sub-

BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page 19 mitted. Don’t be surprised when you are forced to start over.

SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned with Neptune in your 4th solar house of home and family. It is in good aspect to the Sun and Pluto in your 2nd house of money. Unfortunately, Venus retrograde is also there causing a major revision in your calculations. Good luck!!

CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 2nd solar house of money and conjunct Mercury, which is presently on station and will turn retrograde on the 14th. This results in much energy used to maintain stability, especially at the full Moon when emotions will take over.

AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 4th solar house of home and family.

Unfortunately, this places Mercury, about to turn retrograde, and Saturn in your 1st solar house, both in line to prevent you from seeing reality. In addition, the other personal planets are working behind the scenes and unable to guide you.

PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet, continues to be positioned in your 1st solar house of personality together with Jupiter – both working to enhance your creative impulse. This period is best utilized by positioning yourself for long-term success in a career that brings out the best of your inimitable talent.

Joanne can be reached at 561-744-9962. She is available for private telephone consultations if you want more information relating to your personal chart. Treat yourself – and you will learn what to expect from the current transits and receive an overview of long-term goals. Remember to read both your Sun sign and your Ascendant.

Januarys Past in the Rondout Valley January 13, 1899 New Paltz Independent Rosendale News.

The D&H telegraph instrument has been taken out of Docksteder’s drug store. It has been replaced by a Western Union “ticker”.

January 17, 1903 Kingston Daily Freeman Cement Works at Kyserike.

The Rochester Portland Cement Company of the town of Rochester, Ulster County, has just been incorporated with the secretary of state to deal in hydraulic cement, both natural and Portland, and in lime, plaster, mineral paints, stone and building Linda materials…

They have secured an option Tantillo on 500 acres of land at Kyserike, about two miles from High Falls, located partly in the town of Rochester and partly in the town of Marbletown. An analysis of the material—limestone and clay—has shown it to be exactly what is required for the production of the very highest grade of Portland cement at a low cost. The company proposes to construct a plant that will turn out 1,000 barrels of cement a day. The lime and clay at Kyserike are said to be of the

From the archives

same quality as at Alsen, near Catskill, where the highest grade American Portland cement is made…

The operation of a cement plant at Kyserike is made possible only by the construction of the Ellenville and Kingston railway, which affords excellent shipping facilities to New York and other markets… [I found no evidence that this cement plant was ever built…]

January 30, 1904 Kingston Daily Freeman Ellenville. News of a Busy Village.

Wawarsing Chapter of the Eastern Star gave a euchre at the Mitchell House Thursday evening. About one hundred and twenty-five people played. ... Refreshments were served, after which a number enjoyed dancing. [Euchre was a popular card game brought to the Mid-West by German immigrants. The joker card, from the original German name of the game, “Jucker”, was introduced in 1860.]

The Ladies’ Boston Symphony Orchestra will appear in Ellenville February 16.

January 3, 1911 Ellenville.

Morris Karelitiz was driving a spirited horse and cutter Monday afternoon on the icy streets past the Mitchell House. A boy on skates frightened the horse and the driver lost control. The horse ran away down Centre Street to Brodhead and then through to Canal and up Canal to the Central House, where he was caught. The

BSP is looking for one new monthly columnist Email bsplori@gmail.com, columns must have a local theme. How about a hiking column?

driver was thrown out on the Kimble turn but not badly injured. The horse had one ankle badly cut and the sleigh was badly damaged.

January 4, 1913 Fourth Binnewater.

Edwin Booth of Yonkers, who came here about six weeks ago, weighing 125 pounds with what Yonkers doctors pronounced an incurable disease, returned home Monday, weighing 165 pounds, hale and hearty. This is going some for the hills about Fourth Binnewater for a health resort.

January 4, 1918 Kingston Daily Freeman Supervisor Saxe [of Hurley] introduced a resolution reciting that the present method of construction of state roads is adapted to the use of automobiles but not to horses and draft animals on account of the slippery surface, which condition could be remedied by the construction on either side of the highway of a water-bound macadam or gravel roadway, and therefore requesting the state commissioner of highways to make provisions for such a roadway in future construction or repair work. The resolution was adopted.

Page 20, January 7, 2022, BlueStone Press

FOR THE FAMILY Rosendale Library Book Cellar closes for good Jan. 8 The Book Cellar, which really is in the cellar, aka the basement, of the library, at 264 Main St., Rosendale, is offering book lovers a last chance to take advantage of the close-out Book Cellar Sale, until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8.

Come peruse the books, and take some “orphans” home on a pay-what-you-will basis. Hosted for many years by Friends of the Rosendale Library, the close-out sale is the Book Cellar’s final gift to bibliophiles in our midst. For more information, visit rosendalelibrary.org or call 845-658-9013.

Stone Ridge Library Knitting Group The Stone Ridge Library Knitters meet 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays in the activity room, at Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, with the next upcoming gatherings on Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29.

All ages and experience levels can join, and drop-in knitters are also welcome.

Bring your own supplies, do as much as wanted, and ask for help or advice if needed. Donations of yarn to the library get made into items for sale at the Library Fair and during the winter holidays for the benefit of the library. Some group members also knit things for local hospitals or for U.S. troops. For more information, visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845-687-7023.

The Wiltwyck Quilt Guild Zoom meetings The group meets at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month, with the next meeting on Jan. 15. The guild, which normally meets at Grace Church in Lake Katrine, is currently holding meetings via Zoom. As its community service project, the group is making placemats for Meals on Wheels guests for the Office for the Aging. Members are always wanted and welcomed to join the guild, share their work, learn a new skill and meet new friends, all while benefiting the community. For more information, contact Guild secretary Mary Tyler of Rosendale at marycodytyler@yahoo.com.

Death Café group discussion via Zoom on different types of losses; free & open to all Circle of Friends for the Dying’s Death Café is a group-directed conversation with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session; it is free and open to everyone.

Death Cafés are held on the 18th of each month, with the next discussion on Tuesday, Jan. 18, discussing different types of losses, death, relationship, empty nest, environmental, retirement, job loss, move, illness, loss of function – any of these that can bring a sense of loss of identity. For more information, visit cfdhv.org.

Writers group with Cathy Arra Two separate writers groups meet 4:30-6:30 p.m. on alternate Mondays at the Stone Ridge Library in the activity room, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, with a maximum of 10 participants in each group. The program is designed for those who are actively writing and publishing work and who want to participate in a structured, critical feedback process. Cathy Arra, a poet, writer and former teacher of English and writing in the Rondout Valley School District, facilitates the groups. Group 1 is meeting on Jan. 10 and 31, and Group 2 on Jan. 24. Email carra22@aol.com.

Mahjong, Tuesdays and Fridays at Stone Ridge Library The Stone Ridge Library hosts ongoing weekly mahjong at 10 a.m. Friday mornings (Jan. 14, 21 and 28 and a beginner’s group, 10 a.m. Tuesdays (Jan. 11, 18 and 25), in the activity room of the library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge. New members are welcome. No registration required. Just walk in. For more information, call 845-687-7023 or visit stoneridgelibrary.org.

Rosendale Seniors next meeting and upcoming trips The Town of Rosendale Seniors meetings are held at 1 p.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32, Rosendale, with the next meetings on Jan. 12 and 26.

Upcoming trips for next year include Hunterdon Hills Playhouse in New Jersey on March 22 for dinner and show to see “Sherlock Holmes Returns.” Cost is $78 per person. And a trip to Myrtle Beach is Sept. 11-17. For more information, call Chickie at 845-658-2414 or Hal at 845658-9020.

.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the American civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.

13th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration of Service Volunteers from all Ulster County nonprofits are welcome at UlsterCorps’ 13th Annual MLK Day Celebration of Service, noon-2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 15, outside the Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32N, Rosendale, with snow date of Monday, Jan. 17. The event honors volunteers from Ulster County service organizations for their hard work and dedication.

The afternoon will celebrate the broad circle of kindness and generosity that knits everyone together as a community and demonstrates the value of the volunteer spirit across all generations. The event is free and will include goodie bags for all attendees who preregister by Monday, Jan. 10. There will also be a program listing the names of all volunteers who preregister, and all businesses and agency partners contributing goodie bag items and supporting the event. Volunteers from all Ulster County nonprofits are welcome to attend. This will be a drive-thru event, with preregistered volunteers welcomed to drive through any time between noon-2 p.m. to receive their goodie bag, event program and

Poetry with Rosemary Dean Join the community via Zoom, 1:30-3 p.m. every other Thursday, with the next meeting on Jan. 20. This program is presented by the Stone Ridge Library. Contact Rosemary Dean at rmdeen@gmail.com to join the group.

Animal Tracks along the Stream’s Edge at Minnewaska Join Nick Martin, park educator, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 15, for a combination recreational and interpretive hike along Lower Awosting Carriage Road and Mossy Glen Footpath. Along the way, the group will look for clues of wild animals using this habitat, in the form of tracks and footprints in the snow. A limited number of snowshoes are available for participants to borrow from the Education Department. Plan to arrive by 9:10 a.m. to borrow snowshoes. If there is insufficient snow cover, this program will be offered as a hike. If conditions are icy, participants are encouraged to bring Micro Spikes or other ice traction devices. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when inside buildings. All unvaccinated participants are encouraged to wear face coverings and keep a minimum 6-

words of gratitude. All attendees should wear a mask or face covering while at the event.

UlsterCorps is a countywide resource dedicated to fostering a culture of volunteerism, collaborative work and community service.

Their mission is to educate about volunteerism and best practices, facilitate successful and effective volunteer placements, and build collaborations among nonprofit organizations, local government agencies, and businesses engaged in community involvement throughout Ulster County. While UlsterCorps involves individuals of all ages in its activities, it has a deep commitment to engaging and educating youth in community service and leadership.

To register for this free event, email register@ulstercorps.org or call/text 845-481-0331. To help support the event with a sponsorship, or donation of items for the raffle or goodie bags, email info@ulstercorps.org or call/text 845-481-0331.

For more information visit https://www.ulstercorps.org/national-day-of-service/.

foot distance away from others who are not part of their immediate household when outside. Meet in the Lower Parking Area. Preregistration is required by calling Minnewaska at 845-255-0752.

Conversational French with Claudine Brenner A native French speaker, born in Paris and raised in Europe, Claudine Brenner chose Stone Ridge as her place to retire following a 30-year government career abroad. Culture, medicine, travels and anything/everything culinary are favorite subjects that she would love to share and exchange with others, speaking in French. The program she is offering via Zoom is held 1-2 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, with the next conversation hour on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845687-7023 to sign up.

Marbletown Seniors trips A trip planned for the Marbletown Seniors on April 12 to go to Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, Connecticut, to see comedian/singer Mark Verselli in a dinner show. Cost of trip $54. Bus leaves at 8:15 a.m. from Marbletown Reformed Church, 3750 Main St., Route 209, Stone Ridge, across from the Stone Ridge post office. For

more information, call Sharon Letus, trip chairperson, at 845-687-9162.

Little Ones Learning Center’s story time The Little Ones Learning Center is a free early-literacy program held in the space rented from the Rochester Reformed Church, at 5142 Route 209, Accord. Story times are held virtually, 10:30 a.m. Fridays on Little Ones Facebook page, and in person, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Saturdays, at the church. Book borrowing is available 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and on Saturdays following story time.

Cancellations or changes will always be posted on their Facebook page. Give them a “like” to stay informed about new stories, changes in programming, and special events. For more information, call Mary Lee, treasurer, Little Ones Learning Center, at 845-626-7249, and visit thedenofmarbletown.com.

Rondout Valley Lions Club New members, men and women of all ages, are wanted and encouraged to join the Rondout Valley Lions Club, serving the towns of Marbletown, Rochester and Rosendale since Oct. 18, 1950. During this time, they have helped those in need, whether it is for sight, hearing, medical emergencies or any worthwhile cause. “We serve” is their motto, and this is what they do.

For more information on being included in the club’s next meeting, contact Janet Sutter at janet.sutter@aol.com.

ARTS, MUSIC, BODY & MIND Larry Arvidson photography at the Rosendale Café Triathlete, long-distance runner and photographer extraordinaire Larry Arvidson will be showing his photography of Rosendale for the month of January, at the Rosendale Café, 434 Main St., Rosendale. The longtime James Street resident turns his discerning eye on his hometown, showing the community the beauty of the village with new eyes. The Cafe is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thursday-Monday. For more information, visit rosendalecafe.com or call 845-6589048.

‘C’mon C’mon’ at the Rosendale Theatre Written and directed by Mike Mills, the film tells the delicate and deeply moving story of Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and his young nephew (Woody Norman) who forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together.

See the movie, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday or Sunday, Jan 7-9, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre. org or call 845-658-8989.

The Discovery of a masterpiece, a Zoom program presented by the Stone Ridge Library Mallory Mortillaro serves as the curator of collections for the Hartley Dodge Foundation in Madison, New Jersey. While she was cataloging the artwork housed inside of the Hartley Dodge Memorial she uncovered a masterpiece that had been lost to the art world since the 1930s. After a year of research the piece was authenticated as an official work by Auguste Rodin. Mallory will share the story via Zoom at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 20, of how a simple art cataloging project evolved into a search for a mysterious piece’s provenance and became one of the biggest art finds in recent history.

Mortillaro holds a BA and MAT, both from Drew University. She balances her work as an art historian with teaching seventh-grade English, living in Whippany, New Jersey, with her husband.

Register for the Zoom program with programs manager Sarah Robertson at sarah@stoneridgelibrary.org or 845-6877023, ext. 8.

Sunday Silents presents FW Murnau's ‘The Last Laugh’ Murnau’s silent film “The Last Laugh” (1924), with live piano accompaniment by Marta Waterman, is being shown at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. The film tells the tragic story of a self-confident hotel doorman, brilliantly portrayed by Emil Jannings, who is demoted to lavatory attendant because he is considered “too old.”

Janning’s entire identity is based on his position and especially on his uniform, which symbolizes power and respectability to his lower-middle-class community of family and friends. Proud of

See More events, page 21

BlueStone Press, January 7, 2022, Page 21

Co-sponsored

by Marbletown Multi-Arts, Raga Meditation with Steve Gorn

Events continued from page 20 his position, responsibilities and uniform, and shocked by his demotion, humiliated, the old man struggles to carry on with his life. The question is: Who will have “the last laugh”? Sunday Silents are made possible through the support of Jim DeMaio State Farm Insurance Agent, New Paltz. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-6588989.

SUNY Ulster & NYSBDC Digital Marketing Workshop Series with Frank Corrano Learn step by step the process of establishing a strong digital marketing strategy and presence in this four-part series with senior digital strategist and marketing manager Frank Corrao, Tuesdays, Jan. 11-Feb. 1, which covers: branding the business, Jan. 11; website considerations, Jan. 18; SEO and paid ads, Jan. 25; and digital marketing analytics and case studies, Feb. 1. Having started out 15 years ago shaping the voice and visual brand for clients in a host of industries, Corrano’s drive to learn and grow has propelled him on a path of expertise in strategy, digital marketing, design and branding. He manages the AWG SEO, Paid Search, and Social Media Teams. For more information, visit nysbdc.org or call 1-800-732-SBDC. All-media painting class for adults on Zoom with Lomontville’s Mira Fink Participants will meet with Lomontville artist Fink and the group for two hours on Zoom, then paint in oils, acrylics or watercolors on their own and send photos for additional help. Work from photographs or still lifes. Demonstrations focus on painting techniques and art concepts related to painting with much individualized instruction. Class, held 10 a.m.-noon Fridays, Jan. 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18, is limited to 10 people. For cost and registration, email mirafinkfineart@ gmail.com.

‘Belfast’ in Rosendale This semi-autobiographical film, which chronicles the life of a working-class family and their young son’s childhood during the tumult of the late 1960s in the Northern Ireland capital, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. FridaySunday, Jan. 14-16, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale.

Treatment of Lyme & stealth infections with Chinese & natural meds, with Hillary Thing Lyme and similar entrenched infections are rapidly on the rise. They trigger many of the auto-immune and chronic inflammatory health conditions that are seen daily. Antibiotics remain the go-to medical solution, yet there are many reasons why they sometimes do not result in a return to health. This talk, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Nourishing Life Health Center, 2821 Route 209, Marbletown, or online via Zoom, will empower attendees to step into the central role that Chinese medicine practitioners can play in the proper diagnosis and effective treatment of Lyme and Lyme-like illness. Clinical and lab diagnostics, Gu disease, strategic approaches, case-based protocols and much more will be discussed. Attendees will learn how to make an accurate clinical diagnosis of Lyme-borreliosis and several coinfections; what labs can say (and what they can’t); clinical protocol for acute Lyme infection; the nature of Gu disease and classical principles for treatment; an eight-point strategic overview and map for the treatment of complex chronic inflammatory disease; case-based sample protocols including acu-moxibustion, herbal, functional medicine, and liposomal essential oil treatments; and how to increase retention and buy-in from chronically ill patients so they experience success.

Register by Saturday, Jan. 8, for the early-bird discount. For information and registration, visit uprootinglyme.com or call 845-687-6211.

Awosting Falls snowshoe hike Join Nick Martin, park educator, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 8 for an approximately 2.5-mile snowshoe outing starting from the Peter’s Kill Area. Participants will traverse a short section of the Awosting Falls Connector and continue on the Awosting Falls Carriage Road to the base of the 60-foot high Awosting Falls. A limited number of snowshoes are available for participants to borrow for this program from the Education Department. Otherwise, snowshoes may

See More events, page 22

Eva Grace Lemon, 7, Martin Luther King Jr., Aretha Williams, 7, Andy Young (in background) and Hosea Williams march to integrate schools, Grenada, Mississippi, 1966.

Photo by Bob Fitch Photography, Stanford Libraries

Rosendale Theatre Collective celebrates Rev. Dr. King’s legacy with ‘Let It Shine!’

The living history musical “Let It Shine” will be presented at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale.

In his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to countless people of all walks of life, and his message was consistent, offer service, faith, fairness, dignity, and brotherhood. “Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness,” said King. “because greatness is determined by service.”

"Let It Shine!" is a unique celebration of Dr. King’s legacy featuring an all-star lineup of guests and entertainment.

Described as a living history musical for the whole family, this very special event features Oliver King as MLK; interpretive dancers Keely Wright and Energy Dance Company; vocalists Miss Renee Bailey, the Rev. Evelyn Clarke, Franklyn Gillis, the Gold Hope Duo featuring Lara Hope, Kortnee McCall; with special guests bassist Robert Kopec, the Rev. Nick (Tecumseh Red Cloud) Miles, Parrots for Peace, Redwing Blackbird Theater, and more!

Radio Kingston's Jessieca McNabb will narrate, and the community will honor

human rights and social justice leaders of Ulster County.

The event, sponsored by the Williams Lake Project, will conclude with a screening of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” an intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis' life, legacy, and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism, followed by a post-film discussion facilitated by New Paltz High School history teacher Albert Cook.

Kitt Potter conceived and produced this special presentation with help from coordinators Carrie Wykoff, Jessieca McNabb, and Dorian Randolph.

“As a granddaughter of civil rights and union leaders, producing this event in these days and times runs deep for me,” said producer Kitt Potter. “I hope that our 2022 presentation will inspire – especially the youth – to make sure his Dream lives on and on.”

Proof of vaccination, CDC Vaccination Card or a New York Excelsior Pass matched with a photo ID is required for entry. Masks must be worn inside.

Reservations are strongly suggested. For more information and registration, visit rosendaletheatre.org.

Ecstatic dance with Cosmal live music/art fusion at Whole Sky Yoga Hosted by local music/art fusion duo Cosmal, Whole Sky Yoga presents the return of ecstatic dance, 7-10 p.m. every first Friday of each month, this month on Jan. 7, in the Earth Room, at Whole Sky Yoga, 3588 Main St., Stone Ridge. New hosts, Cosmal, bring a modern take on the classic ecstatic dance format, with an emphasis on inclusivity to foster a safe communal space for all who wish to join. The idea of ecstatic dance is to allow the body to fall into deep resonance with the music.

In this way, dance becomes a meditative experience. The music is designed to take the dancer on an intentionally crafted journey, leading to a climactic point, then winding down to a gentle close. Admission is $25/$20 members.

For more information, visit wholeskyyoga.com or call 845-706-3668.

Join bansuri virtuoso Steve Gorn, 9 a.m. each Monday, January-March, with next classes on Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31, for an hour of morning meditation practice, as he plays and comments on the winter light illuminating the Rondout Creek, the barren woods beyond; or the nature and its inhabitants all around, Gorn stillness and action, empty and full.

“All of this inspires my practice as the sonic landscape of a raga merges with my interior and external world,” explained Gorn.

Co-sponsored by MaMA, Marbletown Multi-Arts, the hour-long program provides an invitation to meditate, do yoga, or simply settle into the moment of each new day.

Contributions of $10 are welcome on Venmo or PayPal. For the Zoom link, donations and more information, email Gorn at stevegorn@earthlink.net.

Photo by Anne Coleman on exhibit at the Rosendale Theatre art gallery

Photographer Anne Colman featured in new art gallery The Rosendale Theatre is opening its new art gallery, curated by Staats Fasoldt and featuring photographer and longtime Rosendale Theatre Collective volunteer Anne Coleman. For more information and interest in being a part of an upcoming exhibit, email info@rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.

Getting the community in motion, Marbletown Virtual Run & Walk Program Music/art fusion duo Cosmal

Read Local Read the news about youR hometown —

Read the bLuestone pRess!

The Town of Marbletown presents the Marbletown Virtual Run & Walk Program where all ages and all speeds are welcomed to complete a marathon at their own pace. The $15 entry fee starter package includes a pedometer, water bottle, pen and log sheet, with a T-shirt awarded after completing the marathon.

For more information, call 845-6877500, ext. 170, or email youthandrec@ marbletown.net.

Page 22, January 7, 2022, BlueStone Press

Mystery Book Group discusses ‘The Dry’

by Jane Harper

Events continued from page 21 be rented from the Park Preserve for a fee. Plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m. if you will be borrowing snowshoes. If there is insufficient snow cover, this program will be offered as a hike. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when inside buildings. All unvaccinated participants are encouraged to wear face coverings and keep a minimum 6-foot distance away from others who are not part of the immediate household when outside. Meet at the Peter’s Kill Parking Area. Preregistration required by calling Minnewaska at 845-255-0752.

Winter hike around Lake Minnewaska and along Beacon Hill Join Laura Conner, environmental educator, 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, Jan. 9, for an approximately 3-mile hike along the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Beacon Hill Footpath and Beacon Hill Carriage Road. This walk will offer beautiful views of the Rondout and Wallkill valleys below and the Catskill Mountains to the north. The carriage roads are relatively easy walking; however, the footpath does include some hills and tricky footing. If conditions are icy, participants are encouraged to bring Micro Spikes or other ice traction devices.

All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when inside buildings. All participants must wear face coverings or keep a minimum 6-foot distance away from others who are not part of the immediate household when outside. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center. Preregistration required by calling Minnewaska at 845-255-0752.

MaMA Sunday Gatherings continues virtually Marbletown Multi-Arts of Stone Ridge’s Sunday Gatherings provide meditation on various spiritual matters and issues, and continue virtually via Zoom, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each Sunday, with upcoming sessions on Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30. Newcomers are always welcome. For more information, visit cometomama.org or call 845-853-5154.

Tuesday Trek: Old Powerhouse and Peter’s Kill Loop outing at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, environmental educator, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, for a 2.5-mile outing along the edge of the Peter’s Kill. The first destination is the site of the old powerhouse that served the former hotels once located at Lake Minnewaska. Some may find this off-trail walk challenging as it includes a stream crossing, bushwhacking and a steep, rocky section. If conditions are icy, participants are encouraged to bring Micro Spikes or other ice traction devices. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when inside buildings. All unvaccinated participants are encouraged to wear face coverings and keep a minimum 6-foot distance away from others who are not part of the immediate household when outside. Meet at the Peter’s Kill Parking Area. Preregistration is required by calling Minnewaska at 845-255-0752.

Online Tarot Circle every Wednesday Shea in the Catskills (Olive Free Library clerk) will host a weekly online tarot circle, 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, with the next sessions on Jan. 12, 19 and 26 via Zoom, member ID 951525112. Whether a total beginner, a curious sort or an experienced reader, all are most welcome to join this circle to explore the tarot together. Bring a deck, a journal and questions. For more information, email Shea at helpdesk@olivefreelibrary.org.

Two scenic views snowshoe outing at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, environmental educator, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 16, for a stimulating and refreshing 2-mile snowshoe hike to two scenic overlooks in the Peter’s Kill Area, both of which feature stunning views in clear weather. A limited number of snowshoes are available for participants to borrow for this program from the Education Department. Plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m. to borrow snowshoes. If there is insufficient snow cover, this program will be offered as a hike. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when inside buildings. All unvaccinated participants are encouraged to wear face coverings and keep a minimum 6-foot distance away from others who are not part of their immediate household when outside. Meet in the Peter’s Kill Area. Preregistration is required by calling the Minnewaska at 845-2550752.

Image by the USDA NRCS.

‘Zoonotic Diseases and the Backyard Farmer,’ a free Zoom workshop The onset of Covid19 has shed light on food systems and brought more aspiring farmers and homesteaders into Ulster County. As a result, backyard chicken owners and homesteaders are looking to process their own meat. This self-processing of meat comes with risks.

Commercial processors have gone through rigorous education and inspections to reduce the transmission of zoonotic diseases within their facilities.

Backyard farmers and homesteaders have not gone through this education and training and may be unaware of these risks.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County will partner with Cornell University’s Renata Ivanek Miojevic Epidemiology Lab to offer a Zoom workshop on the topic of “Zoonotic Diseases and the Backyard Farmer,” 1-2 p.m. Thursday,

Jan. 13, presented by Sebastián LlanosSoto, a doctoral student in the Ivanek Epi Lab. Llanos-Soto is a Fulbright grantee in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University.

His research interests include the study of infectious disease dynamics in animal and human populations through epidemiological and mathematical modeling approaches.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28588 and is sponsored by the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education program. Register for this program at http://ulster.cce.cornell. edu/ZoonoticDiseasesJan13.

For information, call 845-340-3990, ext.

328, or email cap295@cornell.edu.

The group will talk about the book “The Dry” by Jane Harper, 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, in the activity room, at the Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge.

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago, when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi.

Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead. Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

To join the group, all participants must be vaccinated. Contact programs coordinator Sarah Robertson for more information at sarah@stoneridgelibrary.org or 845-687-7023, ext. 8.

Teatime Book Group presents ‘Intuition’

by Allegra Goodman The group will meet 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, in the activity room of the Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, to discuss “Intuition” by Allegra Goodman. Sandy Glass, a charismatic publicity-seeking oncologist, and Marion Mendelssohn, a pure, exacting scientist, are codirectors of a lab at the Philpott Institute dedicated to cancer research and desperately in need of a grant. Both mentors and supervisors of their young postdoctoral protégés, Glass and Mendelssohn demand dedication and obedience in a competitive environment where funding is scarce and results elusive. So when the experiments of Cliff Bannaker, a young postdoc in a rut, begin to work, the entire lab becomes giddy with newfound expectations. But Bannaker’s rigorous colleague and girlfriend Robin Decker suspects the unthinkable: that his findings are fraudulent. As Decker makes her private doubts public and Bannaker maintains

Husband-and-wife team, author Lesa Cline-Ransome and Illustrator James Ransome

Author Allegra Goodman Photo by Rick Friedman

his innocence, a life-changing controversy engulfs the lab and everyone in it.

To join the group, all participants must be vaccinated. Contact programs coordinator Sarah Robertson for more information at sarah@stoneridgelibrary.org or 845-687-7023, ext. 8.

The Feldenkrais Fundamentals with Drew Minter at Marbletown Community Center The Holistic Health Community in collaboration with the Morty and Gloria Wolosoff Foundation present this series of classes, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 20, 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24, at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., Stone Ridge. Certified Feldenkrais teacher Drew Minter will present the classes that Moshe Feldendrais, the developer of the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education, taught.

These life-enhancing basic movements can be accessed repeatedly for going deeper into mindfulness through movement. Students feel greater mobility in their pelvis, shoulders and neck; standing taller and

more open.

The largest part of the lessons is taught on the floor. Students should wear comfortable, loose clothing that they can move freely, and will need their own blanket or floor mat.

There is a suggested donation of $15 per class, but all are welcome regardless of ability to contribute. All participants must wear a mask whether or not they are vaccinated.

This is a six-week commitment. Only 24 attendees can be accepted. For more information, visit holistichealthcommunity.org or call 845-867-7008.

Historical Fiction for Young Readers presents Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome Join the Ashokan Center of Olivebridge, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, for a virtual Catskill Conversation with award-winning children’s author Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James Ransome. Their books explore the impact of the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, and Jim Crow laws through intimate childhood portraits of notable American figures. Parents, educators and readers of all ages are invited to delve into these beautifully illuminated landscapes of American history. For more information, email events@ashokancenter.org or call 845-657-8333.

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Page 24, January 7, 2022 BlueStone Press

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PO Box 341, 3669 Main Street, Stone Ridge Phone 845-687-2828 | Fax 845-687-2829 stoneridgeinsurance.net | Like us on

Cracked Pipe, Flood & Black Water Damage, Dry Out & Disinfecting nYs licensed mold assessor & mold remediation

Commercial & Residential. Insurance Claims Accepted.

845-657-7283 • greencleaning.net

All Motor CArs Creating thoughtful, livable spaces.

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845.658.8015

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