The best source for local news from Marbletown, Rochester & Rosendale
Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 27, Issue 7
April 1, 2022 | $1.00
Rondout to create Capital Reserve Fund Fund capped at $20 million for a 'probable term of 10 years' supplemented by state aid Amber Kelly BSP Reporter The Rondout Valley School District Board of Education met on March 23 in the high school cafeteria; the meeting was also streamed live via YouTube. Dr. Joseph Morgan, district superintendent, read the first proposition on the agenda: “The Board of Education of the Rondout Valley Central School District is
authorized to establish a capital reserve fund pursuant to section 3651 in NY education law, to be known as RVSD 2022 Capital Reserve Fund, for a probable term of 10 years and ultimate amount of $20 million, whose purpose shall be to fund in whole or in part the construction or reconstruction of school district buildings and additions there, to site work and acquisition of land, original furnishings, equipment, machinery or apparatus.”
“The Budget Committee has reviewed this,” board member Nicole Parete said. “Just to reiterate that the reason we want to do this is to better prepare for our future. Future generations will need to use this building. We can put money into this account like a savings account. We are not putting $20 million in it, that is the cap.” Representing the Budget Committee, Parete said, “We looked at our revenues and it’s of note that we are getting more
state aid than last year, so we are starting at a really good place. The legislature will finalize that number sometime after April 1. We looked at our tax caps, as that changes from year to year. We anticipate a budget that will come underneath our tax cap. We talked about our fund balance in the reserves, which Dr. Morgan mentioned
See Rondout BOE, page 8
Saving the salamanders Page 9
Michael Schatzel, a Grade 3 student at Marbletown Elementary School, recites” Captain Hook” by Shel Silverstein. The Marbletown Elementary School Grade 3 Drama Club presented a show entitled “Poetry Performance” in the school’s gymnasium on March 18. The show presented student actors reading a variety of poems while dressed in theme.
4-H FUNFEST at High Falls Firehouse Page 20
Separate filings in connected lawsuits filed on March 17 The legal battle between Marbletown supervisors present and past continues Staff Reports BSP
Kerhonkson producers have a new film on PBS Page 16
Both an Article 78 lawsuit and a legal filing in support of a libel lawsuit were recently filed by Duchess Farm Equestrian Community LLC and former Marbletown supervisor Michael Warren against the Marbletown Zoning Board of Appeals and current Marbletown supervisor Rich Parete. The Article 78 seeks to annul deci-
sions made by the ZBA regarding Duchess Farm in February. The suit claims, “… the Code Enforcement Officer that issued the underlying notices of violation-orders to remedy lacked Parete the requisite authority to do so under the town code.” Additionally, the suit claims that even if the CEO is determined to have the “necessary authority” each notice still fails to provide adequate notice and proper articulation of measures Warren needed to “rectify the violations.”
Parete stands by the town, saying in an email on March 25, “Marbletown’s ZBA board did an outstanding job with their decision. There is undisputed evidence backing up the violations Mike received. The entire situation would go away if Mike channeled his energy and money into building the roads and storm water to the approved plans and filed maps. Mike isn't disputing the roads and storm water [abatements] aren't built correctly, he’s saying time has passed to make him comply with the approved plans. We disagree with him.” A filing by Kelly Pressler, an attorney for Marbletown, says that Duchess Farms’ “arguments are misleading, disingenuous
See Lawsuits, page 6
Page , April 1, 2022, BlueStone Press
Growing a family and a creative, activist life in the Rondout Valley Tell us a little bit about your past and how you found your way to the area? I grew up in New York City, and attended Bard College, graduating in 1973 with a major in painting and minor in filmmaking. Being a city boy in my formative years, when exposed to living in the country for four years at Bard, I fell in love with the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. After graduating I moved to the north Catskills to paint landscapes, while sustaining myself with odd jobs, from factory work to clerical work at the NY State Education Department in Albany. Five years of painting in isolaVisit the folks tion, I felt I needed next door something more. I hadn’t found myself as an artist and longed for new direction. I applied to the New York Studio School in NYC, and spent a year doing graduate work there. It was a rigorous schedule of 9-to-5 drawing and painting every day, and I was lucky enough to have a teacher who helped me let go of other artists’ styles I had learned in order to discover my own voice. At the same time I became attracted to Zen, a practice that I continue today and that informs my art and my life. My father was a Zen practitioner, and so I began practicing Zen meditation at the New York Zendo alongside him. I have to say that practicing with my father brought us into a close relationship that I will always cherish. After the Studio School, I moved to a loft in Hoboken, New Jersey, to continue painting. I met my wife there, and my friend from Bard, who lived in High Falls, was constantly trying to get me to move here. My wife and I decided in 1992 that we had had enough of city life and decided at last to move. We met so many interesting, creative people, we both felt immediately at home here and decided this was the place to raise our family. Another long-standing passion of mine is cooking. While I lived in Hoboken, I was chef of La Louisiana restaurant in NYC for 10 years, and continued part-time cooking when I moved here. Some folks may remember my Café New Orleans mobile kitchen. (I sure do!!)
Q&A
Tell us about your family and your home? We moved to a former factory building in Accord, where we had enough room to create a large studio where we both could work, me in painting, she as a custom dressmaker. We got married at my Zen center in the Catskills and had our first child. Our second child we adopted from Vietnam – she had been orphaned there in a small town north east of Hanoi. Both of our children attended Rosendale Elementary and subsequently Rondout Valley High School. Our son, who is now 27, also went to Bard and studied biology and philosophy, and is currently attending the University of Chicago, working on his Ph.D. in neuroscience research. Our daughter, who is 20, is living with us and is a part-time live streamer on the web platform called Twitch. Because of an environmental issue, we left our first home and built an energyefficient home nearby, with geothermal heating, in 2001. My wife continued to operate her business in custom bridal dressmaking from our new home up until 2020, when she retired. I would also like to mention that I was, up until Covid, a volunteer soccer coach, first with AYSO, and then Kingston Area
Stephen Busch Age: 71 Profession: Artist, retired web and graphic designer, activist Town: Accord
Soccer League (KASL) … one of my most rewarding experiences. You’re a painter and former web and graphic designer. Tell us about that. I have created artwork as long as I can remember. Painting to me has always been a Zen practice, even when I didn’t know it. I began working figuratively and in college turned to abstract work. Living in the north Catskills after college, I continued working abstractly, but I was struct by the beauty and rawness of the landscape, so I returned to figurative and landscape, and continued that practice at the Studio School, and again upon moving here. What I strive for is emotional experience formed into visual presence. When I was a figurative painter, my concern was figuring out vision – what was it that I was really seeing, prior to naming or recognizing objects –without prejudgment. Flowing into my sight from moment to moment was light and dark, color and form. And I found that conditions of perception changed with each passing moment. I had to let go and change what I was drawing or painting completely in an effort to keep up with the flow of experience. Spontaneity drives my creative process. So, in my abstract painting I allow emotion to express itself in such a direct way that deliberation cannot interfere. I often feel my brushes and paint are in control and not me. The paint takes over, and I am the vehicle – leaping into the unknown – and it is both terrifying and uplifting. Graphic and web design were natural extensions of my creative nature, but in a more regulated way. I essentially got into them as a sideline to earn money in 1994. I worked for a nonprofit for many years and then independently with a colleague until 2020, when I retired from that. You’re involved in some groups working for change. Talk about that. I acquired my political consciousness during the Vietnam war, and joined several marches on Washington and demonstrations opposing the war. In Hoboken, I was a tenants’ advocate and was appointed by the mayor to the city’s Rent Leveling Board, I joined a grassroots group fighting corruption and was tapped to run for City Council. When I moved up here I continued my activism and joined an Ulster County Indivisible group in January 2017. I feel strongly that we need
to be public citizens and participate in our democracy to strengthen and make it better for all. Our Indivisible organization is focused on advocating for issues local, state and federal, and holding our electeds accountable. For example, last week we sponsored a rally in New Paltz to raise awareness of a federal program designed to privatize Medicare. It is called R.E.A.C.H. (Realizing Equity Access and Community Health), which was started as a pilot in the Trump Administration, and is continuing now. I believe this is an important topic that folks in our community should be aware of. R.E.A.C.H. allows commercial insurers and other for-profit companies to “manage” care for seniors enrolled in traditional (fee-for-service) Medicare. Instead of paying doctors and hospitals directly for seniors’ care, Medicare gives these middlemen a monthly payment to cover a defined portion of each senior’s medical expenses. R.E.A.C.H. middlemen are then allowed to keep what they don’t pay for in health services, a dangerous financial incentive to restrict and ration seniors’ care. While traditional Medicare requires 98% of its budget to be spent on patient care, R.E.A.C.H. requires only 60%, thereby allowing up to 40% of the commercial insurer's budget for their own profit and overhead. Millions of us seniors and Medicare beneficiaries are quietly being enrolled into this pilot program without input from us and without any Congressional oversight. We call it “the biggest threat to Medicare you’ve never even heard of.” Seniors in Medicare don’t even know if they’ve been shifted into the program! Over 50 Congressional leaders are urging the president and federal agency heads to end this slippery slope to place Medicare into the hands of profit motivated corporations. Medicare must remain a reliable public benefit that offers the highest quality of care to people across America. My group is urging people who are concerned about this program to email the White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/, and contact Senator Schumer: 202-224-6542, Senator Gillibrand: 202-224-4451, and Congressman Delgado: 202-225-5614. We have a group contact for more info about this: Maggie Veve, mveve7@gmail. com. Anyone interested in finding out more about Indivisible Ulster can visit: https://www.indivisibleny19.com/ https://www.indivisibleny19.com/2022/ stop-medicare-grab/ What do you look forward to in the future? Here are a few of the things I aspire to: I want to see us work to maintain and improve our democracy, and value it as much as our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, who are fighting for it and dying to keep it. I want to see it work for all our people and our civil rights protected. I hope we can work toward more equality, justice and opportunity for all. I’d like to see us work toward access to health care as a right for all, not a privilege for those who can afford it. I’m in favor of a universal single-payer system. And, of course, we need to address climate change in a much more serious and robust way. I hope to see a world of peace and cooperation in my lifetime. … And I’d like to visit Italy some day!
-Compiled by Jeff Slater, BSP Reporter
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SUNY Ulster earns Gold 2022-2023 Military Friendly School designation SUNY Ulster announced that it has earned the Gold 2022-2023 Military Friendly ® School designation. Military Friendly® is the designation that measures a school’s commitment to veteran and veteran dependent recruitment, retention and advancement. Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-2023 survey, with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard. Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. “SUNY Ulster’s veteran students and their dependents benefit from a broad array of College-wide support as they work
toward a degree, including a veterans service coordinator on campus who provides ongoing help navigating the application process for benefits, a Battle Buddy Center on campus, which provides a quiet place for veterans and veteran family students to connect and work, and a Military Affiliated Community (MAC) Club,” cited Dr. Alan P. Roberts, president of SUNY Ulster. Manuel Torres, SUNY Ulster’s veterans service coordinator, says, “We work one on one with veterans to maximize the use of benefits to ensure they are able to reach their desired goal. We also work with outside agencies to address any problem our veterans may encounter, from homelessness to mental health issues. By providing the necessary resources we maximize veterans’ chances for success.” Interested veterans and their families can learn more about SUNY Ulster’s military veteran opportunities by contacting Torres at torresm@sunyulster.edu or 845-688-6003.
‘What’s it worth? Ask the appraiser’ Join the community as Stone Ridge Library presents Mike Ivankovitch, 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, via Zoom. Ivankovich will offer 15 tips and strategies on making money on antiques and collectibles, as he has been in the business for more than 40 years. Ivankovich is the host of the “What’s It Worth? Ask Mike the Appraiser” radio show that airs every Friday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on WBCB 1490 AM in Philadelphia. As a home downsizing expert and author, he guides clients through the entire home downsizing process, helping them deal with their antiques, collectibles, and general household contents. His “Home Downsizing in Four Easy Steps” book can
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Briefs NY bans all fowl shows, exhibits to safeguard against avian flu The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that it has issued an order to ban all live fowl shows and exhibitions in New York to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the state’s poultry population. Commissioner Richard A. Ball issued the order as a result of the continuing spread of strains of HPAI in the United States. The current outbreak has impacted 17 states so far and is rapidly expanding nationwide. Commissioner Ball said, “Avian influenza is a very serious threat to all poultry and breeds of fowl, and is continuing to spread in the United States. By banning fowl shows and exhibitions in New York until further notice, we are taking a commonsense step to limit the co-mingling of birds to slow the spread of this disease in New York state and help keep our birds safe. Our poultry industry is a significant part of New York’s agricultural industry, and steps like these are our best line of defense against the disease.” The ban will remain in effect until further notice. The Department is continuing close monitoring of HPAI in New York State and plans to reassess the Notice of Order in late May to determine whether it should remain in place through the summer fair season. As the HPAI outbreak spreads in other parts of the United States, several additional states have taken the step to ban poultry exhibitions and/or gatherings of poultry, including Arkansas, Iowa and Georgia. To date, four flocks in New York have tested positive for HPAI. HPAI has also been detected in wild birds, including snow geese and wild ducks across New York. The NYS Department of Ag and
Harold Lipton Community Center, a place for creativity Bethany Dennin, asst. recreation dir. for the Town of Rochester, taught two Adult Paint Classes on March 24 at the Harold Lipton Community Center free of charge. The talented Ms. Dennin taught children’s classes there a couple of weeks ago, too. The proud and pleased faces of the artists paint their own picture.
Markets is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on a joint incident response and is also collaborating with partners at the Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation. Additionally, department officials are reaching out to poultry and egg farms across the state to ensure best practices are being implemented and to prepare for potential additional avian influenza cases in New York. According to the CDC, recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. The detections of HPAI in New York prompt reminders for commercial and hobby poultry farmers to increase their biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of the disease. Poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild ducks and geese and their droppings. Outdoor access for poultry should be limited. Additionally, the Department encourages all poultry producers, from small backyard to large commercial operations, to review their biosecurity plans and take precautions to protect their birds. Poultry biosecurity materials and checklists can be found on the USDA’s “Defend the
Flock” website. Best practices include: Discourage unnecessary visitors and use biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission. Ask all visitors if they have had any contact with any birds in the past five days. Forbid entry to employees and visitors who own any kind of fowl. Require all visitors to cover and disinfect all footwear. Lock all entrances to chicken houses after hours. Avoid non-essential vehicular traffic on-farm. After hauling birds to processors, clean and disinfect poultry transport coops and vehicles before they return to the farm. Report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to AGM. To report sick birds, unexplained high number of deaths, or sudden drop in egg production, contact the Department’s Division of Animal Industry at 518-457-3502 or the USDA at 866-536-7593.
Call for art Calling all artists! Fall for Art, The Hudson Valley’s premier virtual juried art show, sale and community fundraiser, is accepting artist applications through May 15.
Artists who are accepted will receive major promotion via advertising, publicity and social media, with 70% of the proceeds from all pieces sold going to the artist and 30% to the Ulster County Jewish Federation for the benefit of multiple Human Services organizations. There is a modest $40 exhibition fee. Fall for Art will take place virtually, 7p.m. Sat., Nov. 5, to 5 p.m., Fri., Nov. 11. Online applications are available at fallforart.org/call-for-entry/. For additional information and submission guidelines, visit fallforart.org or Fall for Art on Facebook or email info@ fallforart.org.
RVBA in person mixer with Sen. Michelle Hinchey Join the Rondout Valley Business Association for their in-person mixer event with state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at Stone Ridge Wine & Spirits, 3853 Main St., Stone Ridge. For more information, visit Rondout Valley Business Association on Facebook or go to rondoutvalley.org.
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Nominate a favorite local artist for Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards by Sunday Arts Mid-Hudson is requesting nominations for the 10th Annual Ulster County Executive's Arts Awards by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 3. Residents of Ulster County and businesses or corporations that are based in Ulster County are eligible to receive an award. The 10 categories for nomination include Artivist, Arts in Education, Arts Organization, Art in Public Places, Business/Corporation, Inclusion in the Arts,
Individual Artist, Patron/Philanthropy, Volunteer and Youth with Exceptional Promise in the Arts. Nomination forms and description of categories can be accessed at: https:// artsmidhudsonsubmittable/com/submit/219647/2022-ulster-county-executives-arts-awards-nominations and will require nominee's name, address, phone, artistic discipline and nomination category; name of person submitting nomi-
nation with their address and phone; and a narrative on why the nominee deserves the award. Note that recipients are not chosen by the number of nominations received, but by the quality of their work and by the depth of which it benefits the Ulster County community. Nominees must be residents of, or corporations/organizations doing business in, Ulster County. Nominations may not be made for past
recipients, however, if nominating someone from last year who did not win, they may be nominated again. Be sure to refer to the list of past awardees in the nomination form. Award winners will be recognized by Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and Ulster County’s arts, cultural, civic and business leaders, at a festive reception in June. For information call 845-454-3222 or email artsawards@artsmidhudson.org.
Lawsuits
dressed at the Duchess Farm subdivision. 1) never posted a bond prior to com mencing construction of the roads, 2) never transferred the roads to a duly established ‘Duchess Farm Homeowners Association,’ 3) failed to construct and maintain the roads within the development as required by the RMA and Town’s subdivision approvals, and 4) failed to construct storm water retention ponds and swales as required by the Town’s subdivision approval.
with newspapers (including the BSP) that Warren’s process with the Duchess Farms subdivision was “criminal.” Warren additionally takes issue with Parete’s accusations that he “committed fraud.” Regarding fraud, the suit states specifics arguing that it was “not true.” The suit claims that Parete continued to make these kind of comments in the press after “written warnings not to do so.” The lawsuit says that Parete “embarked on a deliberate, calculated and well thought out plan to harm” Warren’s “business, his political career and his reputation.” The suit ventures to additionally say that Parete’s actions sought to “harm and manipulate” the subdivision’s homeowners in the process. In December 2021, homeowners made a request for the town to rectify the situation. Louis Solomon, a lawyer who is said to be representing homeowners of the Duchess Farms Community, wrote a request to “correct material violations of the CPS-7 and to require the Sponsor [Duchess Farms] to comply with its obligations to construct the roads and drainage facilities serving the Property in accordance
with the approved site plan that it had filed with the Town and on which basis it purported to sell homes to the community.” Parete said in an email on March 25 that “Mike’s case is without merit and I think if it gets to trial, I will be successful. I've got the best defense, the absolute truth.” In a motion filed with the court on March 17, Parete seeks to dismiss the complaint entirely and award him the costs of attorney’s fees occurred in his defense and additionally award any further amount the court “may deem just.” The town provided the following timeline from their law firm: “Each side will serve opposition on April 8, and a final ‘reply’ submission is due April 14. Assuming that the motion is not adjourned. These motions should be deemed fully submitted and pending decision as of April 15. A decision might be expected within 60 days thereafter, but decisions on motions like these typically take substantially longer.”
from page 1 and factually incorrect.” The separate libel lawsuit filing is also connected to the string of events. The Town of Marbletown filed a lawsuit against Duchess Farm subdivision in the spring of 2020. The 91-acre subdivision is on the south side of the section of Route 213 between Route 209 and Lucas Turnpike. It sits on a picturesque piece of land, with hay pastures and views of the Shawangunk Ridge; a riding barn and equestrian center are also amenities. The town pursued a lawsuit against Duchess Farms in support of the homeowners in the Duchess Farms subdivision. These homeowners were unable to obtain permits and certificates of occupancy from the town due to claims by the town that site work in the subdivision was incomplete. In that 2020 lawsuit there were four main issues that the town wanted ad-
845-626-7675
Libel lawsuit In this month’s filing connected to the libel suit, Warren is directly seeking damages from Parete for defamation and slander. Warren is asking the court award him a “summary judgment … and that the matter is set down for trial on damages … deemed proper.” The libel lawsuit March 17, 2022, “affirmation in support of summary judgment” is a continuation of the July 24, 2020, libel lawsuit filed by Warren. The current “affirmation” filing lists 74 points. Much of it centers around statements made by Parete in town emails and communication
BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page
Rochester Planning Board discusses possible development of former Maybrook Lodge Ann Belmont BSP Reporter The Town of Rochester Planning Board took most of their workshop meeting on Feb. 28 to discuss the project proposed for the old Maybrook Lodge location at 5688 Route 209 in Accord. The Brooklyn-based LLC Walnut Brook sent a representative before the board last summer to explain its plans for the property: creating 24-27 dwellings, which they would achieve by rehabbing most of the existing buildings on the property as well as building new multi-family units. Since then, Walnut Brook has applied to the Town Board for a special zoning status called an Economic Enterprise Overlay. The purpose of the EEO is to take property that’s underutilized and provide some easement from zoning restrictions to, for example, make it easier for the owner to repurpose existing structures. Board chairman Rick Jones said, “Some here disagree on whether this is something that should go before the Town Board, but that ship has sailed. The board has accepted an application …They’ve asked us for our input,” but it’ll be up to the board to determine “whether there’s adequate water and septic.” Walnut Brook is planning for two cars per unit … "so that’s 50 cars added to that section of 209, coming out of a single major driveway," said Jones, necessitating a traffic study. It might be necessary for the project to have its own aboveground sewage treatment plant. Board member Maren Lindstrom expressed concern that effluent would trickle down into the Mombaccus Creek. "It could be an ecological issue.” Jones responded that plenty of camps and other facilities already put treated water into the Rondout Creek, and, he said, "if it’s treated properly it’s actually better than a leach field." Board member Mark Grasso
Maybrook Farm aerial photo from a real estate listing in 2020
wondered how the town could make sure the 20% affordable housing promised by Walnut Brook stays affordable. How much will the annual increases be? Jones told him that "affordable housing" prices are tied to the average price of housing in the area. Then board member Sam Zarofsky weighed in. "I live in this town, I have a business in this town … I feel very positively about seeing old dilapidated housing revitalized. But I feel that this project doesn’t have anything approaching sufficient information for this board to make substantive comments on SEQRA [State Environmental Quality Review].” Zarofsky noted that Walnut Brook hasn't addressed any of the
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“three pages of bullet points” raised by the town's engineering consultant last May. It will be up to the Town Board to decide if the project merits EEO status before it comes back to the Planning Board. On the agenda at the board's March 14 meeting: Lucky Petroleum is the name of a company applying to build a convenience
store, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a gas station on Route 209 between Kerhonkson and Accord. The fact that a gas station stood there years ago means that there's an existing underground tank that will have to be decommissioned, “a process that gets administered by the DEC,” Jones said. A representative for LP told the board that his client owns 25 gas stations already and has met those DEC requirements multiple times. The board discussed the potential amount of water use and how that might impact the neighboring dwellings. A new well will need to be drilled, because the old one is way too close to the underground gas tanks. David Panella, attending via Zoom, said that he was expecting mostly drive-thru customers, so less parking than required by zoning will be needed. The board went through its list of concerns, such as where to park tanker trucks refilling gas, traffic flow in and out, sidewalks, the nearby cemetery, colors of the buildings, landscaping and signage. Thomas McCarthy is subdividing 17 acres into four lots of 2.1, 10.4, 3 and 2.3 acres respectively. Two of the lots have driveways onto Route 209; the other two, onto Queens Highway. After some modifications are made to his application, he'll return before the board.. John Deforest received approval for a two-lot subdivision at 328 Boice Mill Road. The new lots will be 1.3 and 1.2 acres.
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Page , April 1, 2022, BlueStone Press
Rondout students and their community Just a small sampling of the many activities the Rondout Valley School District is a part of to promote health and well-being for their students.
A performance of poetry and more at Marbletown Elementary School The Marbletown Elementary School Grade 3 Drama Club presented a show entitled “Poetry Performance” in the school’s gymnasium on March 18. The show presented student actors reading a variety of poems while dressed in theme. Audience members enjoyed hearing the students recite several pieces written by well-known poets like Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou and E.E. Cummings. The students’ articulate performances were enjoyed by all, as were their creative costumes. The talented student performers included Evelyn Stewart, Ayda Padusnak, Haley Jordan, Bentley Osterhoudt, Eliana Murray, Victoria Kyaw, Kayden Miles, Jojo Erwin, Tenley Hilsenbeck, Carter Carr, Caylynn Miles, Aurelia Gatherer, Morgan Bresnahan, Ada Hunter, Aidan O’Keefe, Neva Anderson, Yesenia Rios, Asher Balconis, Mirabai Gould, Avery Bissell, Mason Green, Camilla Guerrero, Arianna Astuto, Michael Schatzel,
Rondout BOE from page 1 earlier, again trying to thoughtfully plan for our future with that. We also talked about senior citizen tax exemption, and the full board will be asked to discuss that more in depth. We are going to ask the board to consider a tax exemption for our senior citizens as we have received several letters from concerned citizens concerning our rates, as they haven’t been looked at since the year 2000. The Budget Committee will be giving a full report at the next board meeting.” Board member Brian Martin reported on a recent Ulster County School Boards Association meeting he attended, in which County Executive Pat Ryan talked about encouraging more students to go into trade and skilled labor instead of just focusing on college because there is such a need in Ulster County for people in those fields. The Policy Committee did a first reading of the Advertising in Schools policy. Motion to adopt, no discussion, motion carried. The next policy meeting is on April 4 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss volunteer policy, harassment and bullying, and code of conduct.
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Ashleigh Stupple, Heidi McLoughlin and Elizabeth Hoornbeck. The performance was directed by Domenica Murray, one of Marbletown’s PTA vice presidents, and the skilled costume crew consisted of volunteers from the school community. “Theater is important for our students, and it’s been great to bring this energy back into the building, after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic,” said MES Principal Andrew Davenport. “The students did a great job, as did our dedicated PTA members who made this a great experience for our school.”
Giving warmth to those in need Students in Ulster BOCES Pre-University/New Visions Education and Early Childhood/Educational Studies programs are shown with blankets to be delivered to community members facing homelessness. From left to right: Early Childhood/Educational Studies student Helen Karolys, Saugerties School District; and Pre-University/New Visions students Reggie Gold, New Paltz School District; Nicole Ellsworth, Rondout Valley School District; and Joan Karron, Kingston City School District. Ganders host “Wellness Wednesday” Rondout Valley High School students and staff relaxed, rejuvenated and recharged during a student-organized Well-
Megan Snair reported that the Homework Committee is gathering the results of a broad survey and will be meeting next week to review the findings. It was announced that Brian Martin was chosen as Rondout’s rep on the Ulster BOCES board; his term begins in July. He noted that he had attended several meetings already. Students at Kerhonkson Elementary School recently spent their second day with the popular podcast host and sixtime author David Levine from Teaching Empathy Institute, a Tides Center Project. Levine provides lessons on friendship and sings songs. Teachers love having him play his music, and his materials throughout the year. A “Mad Science” assembly, “the first in a long time,” took place in the gym. The Read Across America project had Dr. Seuss “Truffula” trees planted in the hallways, marking 10 books at a time, to represent all the books students read (3,040 in one weekend!). In another celebration-of-reading project, students were encouraged to dress up as a favorite book character. Students in first grade were excited about watching life grow in the pond project. The new IST model looks at how to promote success on a class level and individual level. The Reading and Writing Club is so popular that additional sessions are being added.
The meditative coloring class was a popular workshop, as part of Rondout’s Wellness Wednesday event.
ness Wednesday event on March 16. The RVHS No Place for Hate Committee and the School Improvement Team worked together to plan this hour of entertainment, inclusiveness and Gander spirit. Workshops ranged from embroidery crafts, soccer games, and a tie-dye station, to board games, meditative coloring, a nature walk and yoga. Some students chose to sing on the karaoke stage with director of choirs Lucas Rau, while others enjoyed yoga outside with school counselor Alison Klein. Some even learned how to change a tire in the parking lot with social studies teacher Zackary Enoksen.
RVHS administrators saw value in students taking a “pause” from the traditional school day to relax while engaging in activities that build camaraderie with adults and their peers. “Connections are important now more than ever as we navigate school and life and establish a new normal. This event was a fantastic opportunity to help students build relationships in meaningful ways while doing something healthy for their mind, body or soul,” said RVHS Assistant Principal Ryan Judge. “Before the day was even over, students were asking if we could do it again.”
Carolyn Peck of the Athletic Advisory Committee said that spring sports had recently begun, and that the offerings include softball (on the refurbished field), baseball, golf, track, tennis and lacrosse. Longtime school board member Breanna Casey’s resignation was accepted, effective March 10, 2022. Members of the board offered several laudatory comments. “Breanna has served this board a really, really long time, I don’t know how many years before my time,” said Parete. “I just want to say that she’s passionate, she loved
this work, and I learned a lot from her. I was lucky to work with her. So, thank you, Breanna.” “The students of Rondout were lucky to have her, that’s for sure,” said Dawn Van Kleeck, board president. “I just want to echo that,” said Martin. “When I first came on the board, she was very available, answering questions and very accessible. I always respected her thought process, and she will be missed.”
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BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page
Big Night ... for frogs, toads and salamanders Ann Belmont BSP Reporter It was Saturday night, March 19, and local amphibians were on the move. Temps were in the 50s and it was raining heavily, perfect weather for the annual trek from the ponds, underground burrows and pools, where these creatures spend the winter hibernating, to the wetlands, where they meet, mate and lay their eggs. “Certain nights are big nights for migration,” explained Accord resident and amphibian lover Lea Mazzei. Though "Big Night" is hard to predict, it's usually sometime between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. "It needs to be when the ground starts to thaw,” said Mazzei. “Usually they come out after a rain, and it needs to be at least 40 degrees overnight.” Within the Rondout Valley, of course, there are many little differences in the weather conditions from place to place, so it won't be the same night for every critter. If there's a road they must cross to get where they're going, danger lurks for these tiny, slow-moving creatures. (The question, why did the salamander cross the road? may be popping into your head; they have their reasons.) According to Laura Heady of the Ulster County DEC, amphibians like to spawn in seasonal wetlands that dry up in the summer so no hungry fish can live in them. "These amphibians can make their long trek through the forest to get to these pools, they can go through courtship, the females can lay their eggs and leave, the eggs can hatch, they can develop, and they don't have to worry about fish preying on them." Mazzei, who lives on one of Accord's many winding country roads, was out on the night of Saturday the 19th with a few friends ("my two friends and I, and my neighbor across the street who has the pond") to help get any amphibians crossing the road safely to the other side. "They overwinter in the swamp near my house, and they breed in the pond across the street at my neighbor’s house," she said. "They somehow sense, when the temperatures are right, that they need to wake up and travel to their breeding grounds. Last year, I found 42 spotted salamanders as well as wood frogs, toads, newts, and other toads and frogs. But Saturday I went out and got 65 [spotted salamanders]. I had a head lamp, I had road cones … I tried to put the cones in good places so it would slow people down. I also wrote notes to all my neighbors and put them in the mailboxes, saying that there’s no way to know what exact date this is going to happen, it just depends on weather conditions, but whenever it happens, I’ll be out on the road." She also asked that, if they could, the neighbors avoid driving past the spot where the crossing was. "I just do what I can.” Mazzei wrote up the details of what she observed on Big Night. “Then I have to fill in my data for the project” and send it to the UC DEC, which has a downloadable form on its website with space to record when, which species, where, and other particulars. “I only started doing it last year,” she
On left, Eastern newt and on right, Lea Mazzei with spotted salamander in hand on amphibian “Big Night.” Photo on left by Lea Mazzei and on the right by Ashley Hajba
said. “I grew up here, then I moved around a lot, then I came back. My mom still lives here, and I decided it was a nice place to raise my kids. It’s woodsy, and lots of critters … With all the houses being built, and new people coming in, and more traffic – everything is kind of encroaching on habitat, and I feel like anything we can do to help is something we should do. The DEC and Cornell suggest people go out and volunteer to help amphibians cross the road,” Mazzei added, but she cautions against overdoing it. “You don’t want to create a situation where there’s more foot traffic and car traffic where you’re trying to make it easier for them to cross. Sometimes it defeats the purpose if you go out and you’re driving from one town to the next – that’s no help." (Instead, you're just adding to the traffic.) "But there’re spots everywhere … The best way to figure out where these crossings are is, obviously,
where there’s carnage on the road the next day. That’s how I figured out where this crossing is.” Also, she suggests, “if you hear peepers in the spring, wherever they’re the loudest, they cross there. They had to cross to get to that spot.” Before winter sets in, amphibians have to find a place to hibernate. According to an article in thelastgreenvalley.org, "During winter salamanders will seek out burrows deep within the soil and leaf litter and below the frost line. Like other coldblooded amphibians and reptiles, they enter a state of brumation, but unlike the deep sleep 'torpor' of mammals during hibernation, will wake from time to time." The insignificant-looking wood frog has the one of the most amazing survival strategies of any creature, one that some of us humans might envy when we are sick of winter: “They literally freeze, and yet somehow emerge in spring like frog
spring get some action.
zombies returning to life. They hide during winter among leaf litter and produce a special anti-freeze in their blood made of glucose and glycogen. This wood frog antifreeze is taken up in their cells, preventing the formation of ice crystals and certain death. They completely stop breathing and their hearts stop until warming temperatures of late winter and early spring slowly reduce anti-freeze production, literally bringing the small frogs back to life.” Amphibians seem to have traditional migration pathways (usually under a half mile long) dating back unknown millennia. Mazzei and her friends made a little discovery. “There were four of us, all in different sections of the road along maybe a quarter of a mile strip. Up by the pond, it was all frogs. At the swamp that I was dealing with, it was mostly spotted salamanders; and down at the end of my driveway, it was all toads. They have different spots, which I thought was pretty cool." Helping amphibians cross the road on Big Night is “fun, it’s interesting, and it makes you feel good about doing something positive,” Mazzei said. "And we need to help the critters around here.” She would like to see more educational programs where students could learn more about the natural world around them. “It would be cool if we could get kids involved a little more. I wanted to do a garden club at Kerhonkson Elementary … then Covid hit. So I didn’t really get anywhere with that.” She hasn’t given up the idea. The significance of little amphibian bodies flattened by car tires might not dawn on people driving home on a rainy night in March. Animals get run over all the time. Lea Mazzei wants people who live near wetlands to know that there is something they can do to help those creatures survive to live another season and continue their life cycles in the woods, ponds and wetlands of the Rondout Valley.
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Page 10
Athletics, recreation & fitness
April 1, 2022
Girls varsity softball: New field, merger with Onteora, and high hopes for upcoming season Jeff Slater BSP Reporter The Rondout Valley girls softball team is looking forward to its upcoming season. With a new field to play on, varsity coach Colleen Parete said, “I, along with the team, am grateful for the new field, proper dugouts, fence and proximity to the baseball field. Mother Nature, though, has not been too cooperative, but with our old field as a back-up we’ll make do. “As for the team, we have seven returning players who are strong in the bat and the field. In addition to returning players, Taylor Decker, a sophomore, and Sophia Johnson, a freshman, will be joining the team,” Parete said.
The team is merging with Onteora High School, putting them in the A division, but they will still be playing the same teams. Parete said, “As for our merger with Onteora, our numbers have been down the last few years at the varsity and JV level, so when the opportunity to merge came about we decided to take advantage of it. Softball only received one player from Onteora, Gianna Tisch, who is an experienced catcher and outfielder and will add to the success of the team.” Last year, the Rondout Pride Softball organization was started in hopes of promoting softball and boosting the numbers. Parete continued, “Each week 12-15 girls showed up to practice. It consists of all age groups and is run by volunteer coaches.
We had 23 players sign up for softball at the modified level, and it has been a help within the first year.” If you want to sign up for the Rondout Pride softball, look for fliers put up in the Intermediate School, Junior High and the High School in June, toward the end of the school year. “I’m looking forward to the season, working with assistant coaches Eric Koch and Boyd Vaughn, who are an integral part of the team. Games are won and lost based on practice sessions, so we have been working diligently since winter workouts; every action is with purpose,” said Parete. Good luck to the Rondout girls softball team with its new digs. Go, Ganders!
Dugout of the new softball field at Rondout
Gander co-ed modified futsal team takes first place in Ellenville tournament Jeff Slater BSP reporter Coached by Rondout Valley High School soccer coaches Victor Cymbal and Dimitri Mazur, members of the Gander modified co-ed team, grades 7-8, age 12-13, played in the Annual Ellenville Futsal Tournament on March 19 and took first place in the event. Schools from Liberty, Ellenville, Minisink Valley, Highland, Fallsburg and others competing in the modified form of soccer played, with five players per side on a smaller, indoor field. Futsal, popular in Brazil and enjoyed worldwide, uses a heavier ball that is slightly smaller than the traditional outdoor soccer ball. The Ellenville Futsal tourney invites players from area schools as a fundraiser for their booster club. They’ve been running the program for the past 10 years, and Rondout has continued to be a participant. The Rondout co-ed team, featuring two girls, beat Liberty, Minisink Valley Highland and Ellenville to take home the trophy. “The kids played well,” said coach Cymbal. “What we coaches are really proud of is that they listened to us and played 2-3 touch soccer. Meaning that the players touched the ball two or three times and then passed.” He added, “It was fun to watch, and all players made contributions. We rotated the five players every three minutes, so they were fresh, and everyone got to participate, and they all felt they were part of the team.”
Victor and Olesia Cymbal of Kerhonkson, first-generation Ukrainians, at a Razomforukraine.org event in NYC.
To join the fall team and be a part of these special events, contact Cymbal at 646-584-7764 or email ulsterfootballclub@ gmail.com.
Coach Cymbal and wife, Olesia, travel to NYC in support of Ukraine “We are passionate about this because our ancestors are from that region, and we are both first generation Ukrainians in the States,” said Victor Cymbal of Kerhonkson when asked why he and his wife, Olesia, went to New York City this past weekend to volunteer to help pack medical supplies and other necessities to support the people of Ukraine. Cymbal, who coaches
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Golfers are wanted for the Rondout Valley Lions Club 31th Annual Hackers Open Golf Tournament, Monday, April 25, at Wiltwyck Golf Club, 404 Steward Lane, Kingston. The event is open to all players regard-
RV Lions Club seeking players for Hackers Open
The Rondout Valley modified co-ed futsal team, back row, left to right, coach Victor Cymbal, Ethan Allen, Maddie Williams, Hazel Sermini, Alex Acocella and coach Dimitri Mazur. Front row, left to right, Owen Sermini, Anthony Greco, Noah Kelly, Diego Castro, Juan Armando and Rafael Acocella.
Rondout soccer with Dimitri Mazur, added, “Seeing the atrocities that are being committed, we had to do something.” He explained how helpless he and his wife felt, “from the destruction of Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians from Russia's unprovoked war. We felt, it’s the least we can do and hope to do more! Thank you for spreading the word as these senseless killings must stop!”
The event was sponsored by razomforukraine.org. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works toward that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner and do. For more information, visit razomforukraine.org.
less of experience or skill. It will be played in a scramble format, where each player hits the ball, and the team selects the best shot for the next attempt. For planning purposes, scheduling format will be in accordance with the current Covid guidance. Each team will arrive 45 minutes prior to their assign tee time for breakfast that will be served on the terrace. Tee times begin at 8 a.m. and continue in 10-minute increments from then on. If two or more foursomes would like to be together, they will be scheduled consecutively. Lunch will be held at the completion of the round. Registration fee is $125 per player, which includes breakfast, 18 holes with cart and
lunch. Soda and water are provided at no cost, and alcoholic beverages may be purchased. Proceeds from the tournament are used to support the Rondout Valley Lions Club, celebrating 71 years of community service and their mission to enhance sight, hearing, diabetes prevention, help food pantries, children with special needs and many other community projects. To register, send name, email and phone to Daniel Gagnon, 212 Fair St., Kingston, NY 12401. For more information on sponsorship, volunteering, donating and/or playing in the Hackers Open, contact Gagnon at 845-399-9651 or 854-687-7906 or daniel@gagnon.cpa.com or Janet Sutter at 845-687-0329.
BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022 , Page 11
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Page 12, April 1, 2022, BlueStone Press
Memoriam Mark H. Zimmerman
KERHONKSON—Mark H. Zimmerman passed away in the comfort of his home surrounded by his loving family on March 6, 2022. He was 63. Mark was born on Feb. 20, 1959, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. He was the son of the late Richard H. Zimmerman and late Claire (Hoffman) Zimmerman of Bricktown, New Jersey. Richard H. Zimmerman later married the late Marilyn (Knoell) Zimmerman, and they moved their family to Kerhonkson in the early ’70s. Mark was a graduate of Rondout Valley Zimmerman High School, Class of 1978. During his high school years, and through the mid ’80s, he worked at numerous "Borscht Belt Hotels & Lodges,” including the Mohonk Mountain House and the Granit Hotel. Mark and Kris M. McConnell dated in 1981 and married on May 25, 1985, at The Chapel of the Holy Name, "The Stone Church," in Cragsmoor. Following marriage, and throughout the remainder of his life, Mark and Kris settled in Kerhonkson and raised two unique and talented children. Together they shared memories of camping, hunting and fishing. Mark deeply valued and took pride in creating and maintaining his property through the creation of natural stone gardens and displays of unique treasures. He habitually made time to lend a helping hand, and played a vital role in his community for many years. Mark was a devoted leader in Scouts Pack 22, “The Recycling Den,” a volunteer with the Indian Valley Little League, and he collaborated on many creative events through the Town of Rochester Youth Commission & Community Center, which included Earth Day cleanups and haunted houses. He is recalled for his “one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-box” dummies and props. As a “picker” he was persistent, resourceful, and had an eye for turning trash into treasure. Mark retired as a Correction Officer from the NYS Eastern Correctional Facility, Napanoch, on Sept. 27, 2012, after 25 years of state service. He especially enjoyed his time working on the Colony Farm, and later as a locksmith for many years. He invariably displayed respect for his elders, and routinely volunteered at the Ole’ Timers Steak Bake. Mark was a simple and eccentric man who went against the grain, and fostered many notable friendships. He effortlessly modeled kindness, acceptance, courage, curiosity and fun. Mark is survived by his beloved wife of 36+ years, Kris McConnell-Zimmerman, his son, Justin M. Zimmerman of Port Ewen, and his daughter, Alison G. Zimmerman of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Other survivors include his siblings, Richard P. Zimmerman and Marti of Virginia, Eric Zimmerman Sr. and Melbene of NYC, Paul Zimmerman and RuthAnn of Pine Bush, Rachel ZimmermanMiller and Daniel of Hurley, Shelley Friedman-Ryan and Darren of Amsterdam, Jay Friedman of Kingston, Diane Michelotti of Woodstock, and Connie Yerkins of Napanoch. Additional family survivors include Gail Christiana-McConnell of Kerhonkson, Kim McConnell-Lawrence and Tom “T-Hall” of Accord, Kevin P. McConnell and Marina Basil-McConnell of Rosendale, and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, a great-niece (+ one on the way), great-nephews and many dear friends. Besides his parents, Mark was predeceased by Terry J. Lawrence and Phillip P. McConnell. A “Memorial Gathering & Celebration of Mark's Life” will be declared at a later date.
Ethel Marie Sutton
KERHONKSON—Ethel Marie Sutton passed away on March 18, 2022, in the comfort of her home with her family by her side. Ethel was born on July 4, 1932, in Palentown; she was the daughter of the late Oliver and Millicent (Purcell) Gray. Ethel worked at the knife shop in Ellenville, where she met her husband, Eli William Sutton Sr. They married on Feb. 17, 1951, in Stone Ridge and soon after built their home in Kerhonkson. Ethel then worked at the Rondout Dairyette in Accord with her Sutton sister Shirley. She also worked with her husband for American Greetings Card Company for 31 years, retiring at the age of 84. Ethel was an avid gardener, always keeping beautiful floral gardens. She enjoyed crocheting, making an array of pieces. Ethel loved vacationing to all different destinations. Family and friends would gather every year for at least 45 years to celebrate the Fourth of July and Ethel's birthday. Ethel was an active member of the Samsonville United Methodist Church, where she was involved with many of the church committees and also taught Sunday school. She was also active with the Ellenville Elks and was the past president
of the Lady Elks. In addition to her husband, Eli, Ethel is survived by their children, Donna Marie Sutton Bailey and Eli William Sutton Jr., both of Kerhonkson; nine grandchildren, Dacia Bailey (Jeff), William (Bill) Bailey (Jessica), Sarah Bailey, Christy Bailey, Shannon Sutton (Valerie), Stacy Sutton Dolan (John), Tracy Sutton (Adrielle), Candice Sutton and Nicholas Dennin (Lisa); and eight great-grandchildren, Amelia Bailey, Gavin Bailey, Nicholas Douglas, Tristan Sutton, Kaden Dennin, Marissa Sutton, Mikey Hasenflue and Nikkita Santiago. Ethel was predeceased by her son, Jeffrey Scott Sutton; her siblings, Olive Wynkoop, Minnie Kulhman, George Gray, Shirley Christiana, Beatrice Blach and Anna Gray; and son-in-law Ashley (Jim) Bailey. Visitation was held March 21 and 22, with a celebration of her life on March 22, at Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson. Burial followed in Pine Bush Cemetery. A reception followed at Rochester #2 Fire House on Samsonville Road. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ethel’s name to the Samsonville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1397, Olivebridge, NY 12461. Personal condolences may be left for Ethel’s family by visiting www.humistonfuneralhome.com
Barbara Marie Vertucci
STONE RIDGE—Barbara Marie Vertucci (nee Strong) passed away peacefully on March 25, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. Barbara was born on June 17, 1940, to Ashley and Marie Strong, in Cooperstown. She graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1962 with a degree in education. She then began a career that spanned 40 years as an elementary educator. She completed her career retiring as a third grade teacher from the Marbletown Elementary School in the Rondout Valley School District. She had a particular Vertucci interest in reading and science education. Barbara truly loved her chosen career and impacted many young lives. She is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years, Jim; her children, Barbara (Patrick) Hooley, James (Deirdre) Vertucci, Patricia (Marlon) Jefferson and Karen Vertucci; her grandchildren Lauren (Eric) Sparks, Ashley (Chris) Cheney, Jackson Vertucci, Luca Vertucci, Carter Jefferson, Tyler Jefferson, Giovanni DiTolla, Reese Barbara Jefferson, and Antonio DiTolla; great-grandchildren Ella Cheney, Cash Cheney, June Barbara Sparks and Elizabeth Sparks. She is also survived by her devoted brother, Dr. John Strong, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. Finally, she leaves behind her beloved pet, Wendell the cat. She is predeceased by her parents and her beloved twin, the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Strong. Barbara enjoyed photography, swimming, baking and word games. She was known as a kind and gentle woman who enjoyed a good pun. She was an avid reader who especially loved children's literature. First and foremost, Barbara was devoted to her family, who loved her very much. Memorial donations can be made to the following charities, to which Barbara was a longtime patron: SmileTrain (www. smiletrain.com), Ulster County SPCA (www.UCSPCA. org) and the Elephant Sanctuary (www.elephants.com). Memorial visitation for family and friends was March 31 at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc., 2053 Route 32 in Rosendale. The Rev. Arlene Dawber officiated her funeral service following visitation. To leave a personal condolence for the family, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com.
Peter Jay Robbins
STONE RIDGE—Peter Jay Robbins of Catskill, a former longtime resident of Stone Ridge, passed away on Feb. 4, 2022, at age 75 following surgery at Albany Medical Center. He was born on Feb. 13, 1946, the son of Fan and Ralph Robbins. He grew up in Queens and graduated from Jamaica High School. After exploring the world, with travel to England and India, he eventually became a certified drug and alcohol counselor. He last worked at Family of Woodstock and Catskill Mountain Counseling. Peter Robbins was a talented musician who played the piano and guitar. He was a master at playing ragtime. He could sit down at the piano and
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play anything by ear. His involvement in the Himalayan Institute brought him happiness and peace. His ashes were scattered there in a service on Feb. 17, 2022. Pete was early to recognize the problems of climate change and was passionate about protecting the environment. For several years he served on the board of the nonprofit organization Sustainable Hudson Valley. His warm smile, gentle and self-deprecating wit, generous heart and commitment to honoring all living things endeared him to friends, family and people of all ages. He will be missed. Pete was predeceased by his sister, Carol Rosenoff, and his brother, Arthur Robbins. He is survived by his nieces and nephews, Rachel, Seth, Josh, Matthew and Jessica. Also surviving are Pete’s cousins, Deena, Vera, Lisa, Jeffrey, Andrea, Roberta and Noah. A Zoom memorial service to celebrate his life was held with family and friends on March 27, 2022.
Robert O. Gould
COTTEKILL—Robert O. Gould of Sawdust Avenue died on March 16, 2022, at Jo Raso Hospice in Rockland County. An area resident of many years, Robert retired from Schrade Knife in Ellenville. Robert loved hunting, fishing, and was a lifetime NRA member. He enjoyed living in his cabin in the woods. He is survived by his son, Patrick Gould of Waterloo; his stepdaughter, Paula Shore of Nanuet; and his stepsons, Kevin Foote of New Rochelle, Craig Foote of Camden and Philip Foote of East Williston. He is also survived by Gould grandchildren Adrienne Foote, Owen Foote, Richard Felter, Miles Shore, Leo Shore, Connor Foote, Carson Foote and Jason Richard, as well as three great-grandchildren and many wonderful nieces and nephews. He now joins his life partner, Linda Foote (2013), and his sons, Robby Gould (2018) and Randy Gould (1986). There was a celebration of his life with family and close friends at the Post 1219 American Legion on March 26 in Tillson. George J. Moylan Funeral Home, Rosendale, assisted the family with cremation arrangements. To leave a personal condolence for his family, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com.
Patricia Ann Jansen
STONE RIDGE—Patricia Ann Jansen passed peacefully on the evening of March 28, 2022, after suffering from a long illness since the summer of 2021. Patricia was a lifelong resident of the Catskill region, growing up in Stone Ridge and spending her later years in Kingston. Patricia is survived by her loving brother, Peter Ross Jansen, his wife, Diane, and their son, David. She also had many devoted family members including her uncle Charles Osterhoudt, and cousins Katrina Filiatrault, Karen Miller, Holly Jansen Osterhoudt, Scott Osterhoudt and Steve Osterhoudt. She was born in Kingston, Aug. 9, 1957, a daughter of Margaret Osterhoudt Jansen Carro and Ward Kelder Jansen. Patty and her brother spent their early years growing up in the home their father built, which was next to the family lumber mill in Stone Ridge. After their father passed when Patty and her brother were young, and after Patty completed college, she returned to Stone Ridge to live with her mother and stepfather, John Jesse Carro, until their deaths. After retiring, Patricia moved to the City of Kingston. Patricia was also a lifetime learner who loved education, teaching, reading, swimming and nature. A graduate of Rondout Valley High School Class of 1975, Patricia also received several advanced degrees: BS in recreation & parks administration from Springfield College, Massachusetts; MST in elementary education N-6 from SUNY Potsdam; and MS in special education K-12 from SUNY New Paltz. Patricia taught elementary and special education during her career. The family will receive friends from 2-6 p.m. Friday, April 1, 2022, at George J. Moylan Funeral Home, 2053 Route 32, Rosendale. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 2, at Christ the King Episcopal Church, 3021 Route 213, Stone Ridge. The Rev. Marcella Gillis, rector, will officiate. Burial immediately following at Fairview Cemetery, Stone Ridge. To leave a condolence for the family, visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com.
Humiston
Funeral Home, Inc. Geoffrey and Heather Hazzard
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April 1, 2022
Local money, local ideas
Page 13
Orange Barn Studios: Ceramics studio helmed by multi-disciplinary artist opens in Tillson Chelsea Miller BSP Reporter There’s a new ceramics studio on the block. Birthed during the pandemic, Orange Barn Studios was created by ceramicist Sarah Leber as a space to collaborate, learn and explore the endless medium of ceramics. Leber grew up in Tillson in a profoundly artistic household. Helmed by her mother, who was a multidisciplinary artist, Leber remembers a childhood rich in artistic fodder, from drumming to drawing, and she has foundational memories of attending art classes that her mother was teaching to kids in the Mona Brookes method (wherein five fundamental elements shapes are identified as the foundation for drawing). Leber headed to New York City after graduating from high school at 17, and at the time she was very much ready for the big city experience. She began studying at Hunter College as a political science major/philosophy minor, but art remained a through thread to her academic life, including three classes in ceramics with Jeff Mongrain. Leber “I took arts courses for my sanity,” says Leber. “I think it’s right side/left side of the brain thing, and the art classes were what I needed as almost a meditation practice.” Leber found she loved her studies and being at college, and she stretched her time at Hunter, graduating five and a half years later. After graduation, she continued her artistic pursuits, exploring many mediums and taking classes in everything from silversmithing to painting and photography, both in New York and Argentina. Sparked by a casual remark by a friend who was returning to school, at nearly age 30 Leber decided to return to Hunter to obtain a second bachelor’s degree – this time in art, focusing on painting. However she quickly began to be drawn to photography, fueled by her love of the darkroom process. She founded the Photographers Collective of Hunter College and obtained a grant to create publications for the collective. Says Leber, “I wasn’t into digital because it’s so fast – as opposed to a darkroom, there’s a process and you have a limited number of frames to work with. You really need to consider what you are looking at, what you are trying to see.” While initially she planned to graduate in one year, the siren call of school continued to hold Leber. “I debated graduating because, well … I didn’t want to!” Leber said, laughing. “I went to the office and begged not to leave. I ended up staying an extra year because I just enjoyed the classes so much and I’d found a great, mixed-age group of fellow students. But there was a point that I finally decided to graduate.” Her ties to Hunter endured when, just before graduating, Mongrain, the head of the ceramics studio, asked Leber to stay on as his assistant in the studio. The ceramics studio at Hunter College is large, and, says Leber, “There’s a lot of cool famous artists, like Simone Lee, who work out of the studio, which creates a lively mix of students, assistants and stars of the ceramics world.” What followed for Leber was an intensive master
UCWN presents ‘Waking up the spring garden’ with Victoria Coyne The Ulster County Women’s Network will gather in person at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale for their first network meeting since last September. The event will also be available on Zoom. Victoria Coyne, owner and operator of Victoria Gardens, will present “Waking up the spring garden.” Coyne will talk about her favorite spring plants, how she uses them in the landscape, and what their care and needs are. “Victoria is my go-to maven in the garden,” said Sheila Gould, vice president of the UCWN, who planned the spring event. “Her nursery and darling plant and gift shop are a favorite place of mine to spend time!” Coyne has been passionate about plants since a young
Orange Barn Studios pieces
class in ceramics. “Everyone has assistants making their bigger works,” explains Leber, “so when Jeff asked me to help him with his work, I had a lot of help and support from other ceramicists. At the time, his work was flat – which loves to warp – and all these other ceramicists would come in and help me with techniques and suggestions. You learn a lot faster by making a lot of mistakes.” Standing on the shoulders of her time helming the Photographers Collective of Hunter College, Leber began curating and editing the ceramics gallery and transitioned into becoming an assistant for the studio manager, Paul Krauss. “I was there for over three years as a teacher’s assistant,” says Leber. “Ceramics is so nuanced, and because it takes so much time, you have to have patience while also knowing when to let things go. Nothing is immediate. It even has to be fired twice.” In a nod to the themes to come, Leber began really experimenting with color. “Glazing is a whole new science,” explains Leber. “In the act of putting elements into high heat, one color goes in and another color comes out.” After three years, she moved over to the Williamsburg Ceramics Center and began to teach. And then the pandemic hit. “First, everything shut down,” explains Leber. “Ceramics is very time based and often a communal experience, and I didn’t want to go work in a studio with a bunch of other people. I didn’t know what was going to happen so I came upstate to Tillson.” There was a small barn, tucked away in the back of her mother’s property that Leber says her mother was gently nudging her toward. As the pandemic began to pick up steam, an idea was hatched: a ceramics studio of her very own. Inspired by a faded coat of paint in the shade “Tiger Orange,” Orange Barn Studios was propelled into existence, but not without a lot of effort. “The barn was full of stuff, and the pipes were all frozen. It needed a new roof, foundational help, to be completely gutted … it was perfect,” says Leber. With a clear-eyed
child. Gardening alongside her mom and her grandmother, the original Victoria, taught her the love of plants and gardening. After attending SUNY Ulster, she graduated with a degree in applied science in ornamental horticulture. Victoria Gardens was founded in 1986, and at that point in time, they did landscape design, installation and maintenance. In 2003, Coyne, along with her husband, Wayne Waddell, bought their current location, at 1 Cottekill Road, Rosendale. After taking on a giant renovation of what they affectionately called their “hole in the roof,” they expanded the business to include a retail shop and nursery. Victoria Gardens continues to offer landscape design and installation alongside their retail business with plants galore, tools supplies and gifts for any discerning gardener. Visit and be inspired. For more information, go to victoriagardens.biz. Register for the UCWN “Waking up the spring garden” event at ucwn.org or Ulster County Women’s Network on Facebook.
focus, Leber and her family began renovating the barn. She also discovered Facebook Marketplace. “I started looking for kilns and I found an L&L kiln with soft brick in perfect condition on Facebook Marketplace. It was a bigger kiln then I was looking for, but I went to look at it with a friend (in two separate cars … remember, this was the beginning of the pandemic!) who is quite petite. When we arrived, the woman selling it basically said to us, ‘You can’t take this kiln, you aren’t strong enough. You need a man,’ and we were like, oh noooo. Somehow we did it. The two of us were able to take it apart and get this monumentally heavy kiln into my car, and that really started the Orange Barn Studios.” Over the course of the pandemic, the barn was lovingly restored, from a new roof and updated electric all the way down to a fresh coat of, you guessed it, “Tiger Orange” paint. Once the renovations were complete, Leber turned once more to Facebook Marketplace to build out the studio, including bringing in a wheel and slab roller, DIYing a wedging table and installing proper sinks. The studio slowly came come together. “It was this great, giant project at a time that I actually had time for one,” says Leber. Leber says that while she still loves to jump around mediums, her love of ceramics is in some ways related to her love of college. “Ceramics is endless learning,” says Leber. “There’s so many ways to create form. It challenges you. The wheel is a tool that looks easy, but it’s actually hard. At one point I built very big vases for artists, and I didn’t think I could do it, but then I learned a technique called coil and throw, and suddenly it was possible. There’s endless discovery, an alchemy with heat.” Leber’s work is vibrant and playful and like her multidisciplinary practices, studies and travels. “I find I like lines and dots and geometric shapes,” says Leber. “But I also love exploring a more wabi-sabi approach, which is more asymmetrical with a focus on simplicity and draws inspiration from natural objects.” Her body of work is a mix of functional objects like mugs and lamps and bridges into more experimental sculpture. “Right now, I’m interested in garden sculpture and pieces that can exist outside of gallery space, form that sits in nature and has a presence. How can nature function as a gallery space?” Leber says that the Orange Barn Studios venture represents a fusion of both her mother and her father. “When we look at our parents, they do inspire you,” says Leber. “The creative energy of of my mom, who instilled the idea that art comes through you and that it is a god of sorts, balanced with my dad, who was more on the business side (he owned a screen printing company). With Orange Barn, I’m trying to find a blend of the two.” Leber is hoping Orange Barn Studios becomes a small hub for both budding and seasoned ceramicists. “Ceramics is really on the rise since the pandemic. There’s a huge market for an individualized experience that meets people at their level. I also want this to be a very communal space, a place for artists to come explore, play and learn.” For more information on Orange Barn Studios, visit Instagram @orangebarnstudios, and for more information on Sarah Leber visit sarahleber.com.
A look inside the shop at Victoria Gardens
Page 14
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.
Your letters, views & ideas
April 1, 2022
Playing the Odds (Always a gamble this early in the season)
Marbletown Art Association July Show To the Editor: Last issue, the announcement of a Marbletown Art Association [MAA] show in July got a bit of the text mixed up. Here’s a redo of the relevant paragraphs. The Marbletown Artist Association is holding an art show at the Stone Ridge Community Center, July 1-3, 2022, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mail an example of your ART work to us at MAA, Box 37, High Falls, NY, 12440. It can be a letter, photo, drawing, book, painting, postcard, sculpture, package, or a box of dirt with a map. Anything that you think is ART or about ART and can be mailed! It’s up to you. We will collect everything and show it the first of July. Deadline for entries is June 15, 2022. Include your name if it’s important. You might forget this show when your life gets busy. You can cut this out and put it on your refrigerator as a reminder to submit something. Everyone is welcome, but … there is one caution! In the interest of public safety, we ask that you use good judgment and not mail anything that is illegal, dangerous or offensive. Thanks. Bart Thrall High Falls
Substitute teaching: What do I think? To the Editor: In the March 18 issue, Beverly Alfeid comments on the Rondout Valley School District raising substitute rates for remainder of the year. She closed with the question: “What do you think?” Well, Beverly, after teaching high school mathematics at Rondout for over three decades (retired in 2002), I went on to substitute for 12 years (after a short break) as a mathematics substitute at Onteora High School and Middle School. My last day as a substitute was in March 2019. Pay for most of that stretch was only $95/day, so that is not what motivated me to return year after year. Things far less tangible were the key. From the very first day at Onteora I was warmly welcomed and treated as a colleague. Teachers and administrators went out of their way to assist me in any way possible to assure I was having a good experience and being successful. This also extended to the support staff. Second, I chose only to substitute in my area of certification (mathematics). It was there I could be effective. Having a mathematics teacher substitute in any other academic area is, to me, a waste of student and teacher time. I randomly experienced this in emergencies filling in for art, history, etc. I well remember being approached by two students in the hall one day. They asked to speak with me. They shared that “it was nice to have a substitute who actually knew what he was doing.” Feedback like that will keep you substituting year upon year. My message is to assign your substitutes to their area of strength. Everyone wins that way. With one exception (that person is no longer employed there) I received high-quality lesson plans. Easy to follow, easy to implement. And additionally, the mathematics teachers took the time to print seating charts with student pictures and names. This is like gold to a substitute. No more saying “you get to work” or “you stop that.” It was “John, get to work” or “Sue, stop that.” It allowed me as a substitute to develop an easy rapport with the students.
Frankly, these seating charts are an essential part of any lesson plan and should be required. Very easy to generate with modern technology. Another characteristic that motivates a substitute to want to work in a school is student deportment. I found the students at Onteora to be respectful to me and to each other. Their regular teacher laid the foundation with high expectations for student achievement and behavior. The students responded. On the rare occasions there was an issue requiring administrative intervention and/or regular teacher follow-up, it was received. Still another factor in retaining substitutes is to realize that a teacher’s preparation period is also used by a substitute to prepare. I took that time to review each question and/or assignment the students would be attempting so I would be able to help them to the best of my ability It was also time when a student could come to me for some extra help. Taking that time away (extra help) to have the substitute cover another class in another academic area is one step closer to losing that substitute altogether. In summary, as previously demonstrated, money helps but money alone will not solve your substitute needs. Other factors are just as important (including Covid-19). But, if you need qualified mathematics substitutes (or chemistry, physics, etc.) and $200/day will not attract them, raise the rate to $300/day. Target your substitute compensation. A teacher substituting in his/her area of certification should be properly compensated.
James Ayers Kerhonkson
Sliding-scale income cap needs updating To the Editor: As living costs rise, property tax exemptions for low-income seniors dwindle. This year the trouble continues. Folks who collect Social Security receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment. For limited-income seniors 65 or older, it means they’re no worse off from one year to the next in making ends meet – at least in terms of Social Security. But for New York seniors eligible for special exemptions on county, town and school taxes because of their income, those exemptions haven’t kept pace with what it costs to live. Property taxes are high, and school taxes are the biggest chunk. To ease the burden, New York state offers homeowners either of two school-tax relief programs. The STAR gives a tax break to homeowners, regardless of age, with incomes under $500,000. The Enhanced STAR is for seniors 65 or older with incomes below about $90,000. On average, the Enhanced STAR saves eligible seniors $1,100-
$1,200 on their annual school-tax bill. That’s relief, for sure, but is it enough for all limitedincome seniors? New York state doesn’t think so. Join me for a quick trip into the weeds. In Section 467 of its Real Property Tax Law, the state allows counties, towns and school districts to offer limited-income seniors an additional property tax break of 50%. As of 2009, localities can set the maximum income allowed to get that break at anywhere between $3,000 and $29,000. New York goes farther. It allows localities that choose to do so to offer tax breaks on a sliding scale capped at $37,399.99. (Seniors with incomes just under $37,400 can get a 5% tax break.) Localities can set the scale’s increments and the income allowed to get a 50% tax break, but $37,399.99 is the highest amount allowed to get any break. The problem is that the state’s income cap hasn’t changed in 14 years. In contrast, federal cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) have increased 22.4% since 2009. The result: More Social Security income? Lower senior tax exemptions. In Marbletown there’s an additional problem. Happily, both the town and Ulster County have been using the state’s 2009 sliding-scale income cap since 2010 and 2013, respectively. Although that cap sorely needs updating, at least it’s the maximum the state currently allows to get a senior tax exemption. But the Rondout Valley School District’s sliding-scale cap – in use since the year 2000 – is just $27,899. (The income cap is even lower for some Marbletown seniors who pay Kingston school taxes – just $25,699.) Since 2000, Rondout Valley has been resolute in not changing its sliding-scale cap. Meanwhile, annual COLAs have totaled 63%. School taxes are the lion’s share of homeowners’ tax bills, and almost every year – except for those few when living costs remain flat – school-tax exemptions for limited-income seniors are lower than the year before. And increasingly, some limited-income seniors qualify for no exemptions at all. Many seniors are having a harder and harder slog making ends meet. Let’s take action. Please contact officials in the New York State Legislature. Ask them to urge New York to IMMEDIATELY increase its 2009 senior slidingscale income cap to reflect nearly 15 years of missing costof-living adjustments. And for those who pay Rondout Valley school taxes, urge the school board to adopt New York state’s 2009 maximum income cap NOW and to start using the state’s next cap as soon as it’s been changed.
Barbara Goodwin Lomontville
BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page 15
A writer, a comic and a fisherman walk into a bar … Dear Wally: There are three guys I’m interested in getting to know better and possibly dating. One is a clever writer who might drink too much. One is a comic who is funny and not afraid of the stage (which I find attractive and gutsy), but he has a dark side to his humor and is a little unrefined. The last one is a fisherman who bravely goes out in rough water, but he smells and is often gone a lot. He also sleeps on friends' sofas because he doesn’t have his own place. None of these guys are young men. The other great stuff about them notwithstanding, do you have any thoughts about this? I’m a late middle-aged woman and looking for an adventurous, loving and sexually active next chapter of life after a 28-year marriage that has just ended. – Blair.
Dear Wally Wally Nichols
Wally replies: I must say this sounds like the opening set up to a classic joke: A rabbi and priest and an imam walk into to a bar (and run into a writer, a comic and a fisherman …). Not sure how the joke ends but probably not with
you laughing. The thing about writers is they can be broody, intense and precious (but their nails are usually clean). And writing is rarely a team sport. So the very thing that attracts you at first (wordsmithery!) may repulse you down the line (condescending a-holery!). They can tease out colorful details and nuances that might otherwise be unnoticed or best left alone. This can be both good and bad. You may think they are not listening. You may be
UAL N N A
right, but you are probably wrong. Lot of furtive notes are being taken. Date a writer and you will recognize yourself/your actions on the page. Shocked at the audacity, you will dump them. Dump them hard enough and you become an airport novel. I saw a T-shirt on a guy once that said, “Watch what you say – I’m a writer and it will end up in my book” * *I have since donated the relationship-dooming shirt. If they drink too much (this affliction has dogged many writers – and house painters, for that matter) that might be a deal breaker for you. And you’d be right to be wary of starting something romantic or intimate with someone holding the sinewy leathery reins of an unmanaged addiction in their bloodied, Viking clenched palms. Of course, “drinking too much” is a largely subjective assessment. But as a guideline, the CDC considers heavy drinking to be 15 drinks per week (or about two drinks a night) for males. For females, heavy drinking is considered to be eight drinks per week (or a little over one drink per night). Your post-marriage flowing spirit may well serve as inspiration for them, but what’s in it for you, muse? Plus writers usually have greasy hair, no money, and they tend to go to bed either really early or really late. You might need to judge this book by its cover. Comics are underrated geniuses. You can’t be funny and not be smart. Even goofy trip-n-fall slapstick requires enough emotional intelligence to identify the comedic nugget. Who doesn’t like to laugh? The answer is no one. Who doesn’t like a smart person? The answer is someone who is insecure or ANYONE if the smart person is obnoxious. Funny/obnoxious can be a razor thin line, especially when walked by someone with untied shoelaces. The double-edged sword is that many funny comics have, as you point out, a fairly dark side to how they view life. This becomes the motherlode of
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material. But they can also be cynical, snarky, depressing, fault-finding and exhausting motor-mouths, especially if you can’t pop out their batteries. All adjectives to describe what it is like to crawl under the diseased toenail of life and start a fungal colony of humor … Like the throwaway line in the review of every Broadway play – date a comic? “You’ll laugh until you cry.” Added bonus (not!): Comics often loiter around zoos and The Gaps. They tend to literally and figuratively pick scabs. Arrrggghh, matey! A fisherman who smells? Hmmm. Of fish? Or other things? Maybe it doesn’t matter. The powerful stank of fish or marine diesel can obfuscate any natural pheromones you both might desperately be trying to sniff out. But someone whose smell offends you before you even start dating has “yellow (fin?) flag” written all over them. Gone often and when he’s back he sleeps on someone else’s sofa? What part of this is worth reeling in? Toss him back– there are a lot of fish in the sea. He spends his days proving it. My advice is get out there by yourself, keep meeting people, have fun and kiss some frogs. You have just come out of a looooong relationship so why (in the world would you want to) jump into anything other than dating YOURSELF? Go buy an RV and a vibrator and use them intermittently as you travel the country. (Buy an old and junky enough RV and it might just kill two birds with one stone :).) Good luck, have fun and get a tattoo. You deserve it. – Wally Got a question for our advice columnist or just want advice on how to wreck (in a good way) your life? Email him at cwn4@aol.com.
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Your friends and community
April 1, 2022
‘We Remember: Songs of Survivors’ The making of a unique film airs nationally on PBS on April 26. Ann Belmont BSP Reporter There are times in the life of a maker of documentaries that a choice has to be made: Do we take a chance on this story? Do we bet our time, money and sweat-equity that the results will become a work of art that people will be moved by? Independent producers Tim Miller and Ilene Cutler, who live in Kerhonkson and High Falls respectively, made a good bet when they took that leap of faith in 2018 and began working on what has become a one-hour film called "We Remember: Songs of Survivors" that will air nationally on PBS on April 26. The documentary follows the story of a team of songwriters who were paired with elderly Holocaust survivors living in the Hudson Valley. Slowly, over many months, the songwriters succeeded in turning the stories they were told into songs celebrating the lives of each survivor. The project was sponsored by Jewish Family Services of Orange County and SageArts, a local organization. Colette Ruoff, SageArts founder and director, described its mission as “celebrating the wisdom of life experience as lived by the older members of our community, and doing that artistically," including the visual and theatrical arts as well as music. “I’ve been involved with SageArts through the years as a photographer and a videographer," explained Cutler. But it was Miller who had the idea to get involved in the Holocaust survivor project, to film the process and "maybe" make a documentary. "Which seemed daunting at the time. I couldn’t imagine that we could pull that off. But we did!" Miller and Cutler talked about how they – and the songwriters – slowly gained the trust of these elders who had lived such long lives and seen terrible things. Miller related, “Part of the JFS part of it was to give an orientation to the songwriters, and we were there, it was the first thing we filmed, really, because it’s so sensitive to deal with elders. They instructed the songwriters to be aware of things like triggers: a shower being turned on, a barking dog … I didn’t realize how serious it was, it was a four- or five-hour orientation about dealing with all of the issues that might come up. So the songwriters probably went in a little intimidated after that meeting!” The survivors, too, seemed intimidated at first. “It took months before Tommy [Tommy Wald, one of the survivors] would open up," said Miller. Cutler: “Coming into their homes with all the equipment … in documentary, you want to sort of be a fly on the wall. To come in with lighting and multiple cameras and be able to pull off a comfort level" can be daunting, and yet, she said, "after a while, they wouldn't even realize the cameras were there.” Talking about their Holocaust experiences wasn't an easy sell. Cutler: “For the most part, their experiences were sort of buried in them. They didn’t speak about them – too painful to, right? At the same time, I’ve seen with Holocaust survivors this sense of a mission to tell their stories. Because they survived, they felt an obligation to those that they lost." Miller: “For some time, it was harder to break through than others. You had to get through the horror of it to find those little nuggets of joy or pride or love – that’s what we ended up developing. That’s what is the essence of these songs.” Jude Roberts, who was the musician paired with elder Tommy Wald, wrote a song about Wald's love for his wife. “Not Holocaust-related, really, but it was what he lived for." “Let me show you this,” Miller said, getting up to find something. "This was Freide’s star, and she refused to wear it.” There it was – a yellow felt star supposed to mark the wearer as a Jew, stuck in an old passport, next to a picture of survivor Freide Gorewitz as a young girl. “She ended up joining the Resistance. She dyed her hair blond” to disguise her looks. “She was also a singer,” and her chosen songwriter, Elizabeth Clark, convinced her to sing at the concert. “It was a show-stopper.” Cutler recalled watching their relationship develop. “Each time Elizabeth would visit, they were getting closer and closer.” The film achieves a rare intimacy with its subjects. Miller: “We just picked up our cameras and started shooting," with minimal fuss over lighting. “It’s all about the stories, that’s what people like about this. It’s very real, not polished, not scripted. We could’ve straight-
ened their shirts a little bit better or whatever, but we really got to the heart, and that’s what makes it unique." In private moments with the songwriters, the viewer sees, up close, their struggles to find ways to bring their survivors' stories to musical life. “It was like magic, watching this process unfold." And in the end, there were dramatic events that they could never have foreseen but wound up documenting as part of the story. The film's climax is the concert at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh for friends, family and community, presenting all the songs that were created by this process. For Cutler and Miller, it was a profoundly moving culmination of their time with their subjects. "For us to give them the satisfaction, towards the end of their lives, to not only tell their story but tell it with music, where people were moved to tears – it was such a gift for both of us," said Cutler. "To give them and the singer-songwriters and the audience the pleasure of capturing this moment." One of the difficult parts of creating "We Remember" was deciding what to leave out. First of all, there were eight stories, eight survivors, but not all of them made it into the film. “In an hour’s timeframe, ultimately, we only focused on four of them; that’s all that time would allow.” Editing the 40-50 hours of video that Cutler and Miller shot was also a daunting task. “Tim Guetterman, our editor and writer, is such a talented guy," said Cutler. "He edits with his heart. It was really tough for him, but he made such good choices.” Miller: “He shaped the story into our script.” Another key person in making the film happen was Deirdre Reckseit Miller, the line producer (also Miller's wife), whose job it was to handle all the bookings and film business issues, providing essential support. When they started to look around for a network to show their documentary, at first Miller and Cutler thought of Albany's WMHT. "We found our angel, a gentleman who’s the chief programmer at WMHT (Albany), Joseph Tovares. He fell in love with the idea of the film. We cut a little trailer,” and Tovares brought it to someone he knew – the chief programmer at PBS, Sylvia Bugg, the director of documentaries at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “She looked at it and said, I want this film," related Miller. When Tovares told them the news, they were in happy shock. “We Remember” will air on 350 stations in North America, and
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eventually in other places in the world. The national exposure doesn't, unfortunately, translate into cash. Cutler: “They gave us production costs. Independent filmmakers don’t really get the kind of funding that they need. For Tim and myself, it’s basically a labor of love." Miller's production company, Big Chief, does bread-and-butter corporate work for such clients as Johnson & Johnson and ABC Disney. He explained, “After I left NBC we launched several new broadcast promotion companies, i.e., a creative agency, a graphic design boutique and a post-production house. We were having an issue naming each of these companies. As I was overseeing all of these launches, staffers stated calling me 'Big Chief,’ knowing that my family was very small part Choctaw Indian from Oklahoma. (I also collected American Indian art, so the Indian influence was seen throughout the office.) So it seemed appropriate, prior to it being a politically sensitive issue, that we call our program development company 'Big Chief.' And it just stuck, as people still not only referred to the company respectively as 'Big Chief', but to me the 'Big Chief'." Much of Big Chief's editing work is done at his Kerhonkson home studio. Cutler, besides producing films with Miller for the past seven or eight years ("We met at SUNY Ulster. We were doing all their promotional films”), works as a videographer and photographer: “I often work with young people," she said, and they often ask her how to find a way into the film business. She tells them, "Whatever it is that you’re interested in doing, so much of it is about making valuable connections. And celebrating the lives of people you care about.” The April 26 airing date was selected for a reason. It’s two days before Yom Ha Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on April 28. "We Remember: Songs of Survivors" will also be streamed for free on the PBS YouTube channel from April 26 through May 24. For info visit www.weremembersongsofsurvivors.com.
BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page 17
Kudos
Join Emmanuel’s and help raise money for UCSPCA and their April events, including the Pet Photo With the Easter Bunny.
Emmanuel’s helps raise money for UCSPCA’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month All this month, Emmanuel’s in Stone Ridge, will offer patrons an option of rounding up at checkout, with all roundups going to the Ulster County SPCA in support of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. And join the community for Fill the Van event at Emmanuel’s, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 16. Come help fill a van with needed supplies, food and monetary donations for the UCSPCA, who will bring along some furry friends looking for a home. Other UCSPCA events for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month include: Free rabies vaccination clinic, no appointment necessary for this free event, sponsored by the Ulster County Department of Health, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston. Bring pet’s last rabies history certificate. Dogs must be on a leash. Cats and ferrets must be in a carrier. Pet photo with the Easter Bunny, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, April 10, at the Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston, for the meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny; be camera ready for a personalized pet photo. Photo sessions are $5 donation each, and proceeds go directly to helping animals in need. Advance registration is required. And Heartworm prevention day, reservations required for heartworm tests for $35 donation/each, 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 11, at Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston. For reservations and information on all these events, visit ucspca.org or call 845-331-5377.
Rosendale artist Doug Motel brings some of his healing ‘Blue Remedy’ to local exhibit Doug Motel of Rosendale is one of the 66 artists participating in the “Something Blue” exhibit, on display through Saturday, April 16, at Emerge Gallery, 228 Main St., Saugerties. “Something Blue,” includes art of various styles and mediums, acrylic, collage, drawings, fiber art, mixed media, monoprints, oil, pastel, photography, sculpture and watercolor, all predominantly blue or the viewer’s eye is drawn to the blue element in the work. “When the pandemic started I began painting again (because all of my live events were canceled within 10 days in March of 2020), and only with the colors blues and bluish-green because I started reading about how the color blue is being by used doctors to facilitate healing,” explained Motel. “And there is a city in Japan that did it in
experiment. They used blue lights and the color blue all over the subway stations, and the suicide rate went down 85%.” Motel, known for his award-winning acting/storytelling, writing and coaching, had his hand in art long ago, exhibiting and selling his watercolors when he was only 12 years old. “I had to lie about my age to get into a show because I was too young, but then I won a ribbon and was featured on a local TV show because of it! I think I liked being on TV so much that I focused much of my career on being an actor. But when the pandemic started, every one of my live events was canceled so I went back to where I started: watercolors.” Motel named the series of artwork he did during the pandemic “The Blue Remedy.” “I discovered research from neuroscientists suggesting that due to the low (492) nanometers of blue’s wavelengths, neurotransmitters associated with feelings of euphoria, joy, reward and wellness are released in the brain. And I felt that we ALL needed some of that!” So much so, that Motel launched blueabstractpaintings.com just so he could give away prints of some of his "healing" paintings. For more information on the works of Doug Motel, visit dougmotel.art, and to view the “Something Blue” exhibit, visit emergegalleryny.com or call 845-247-7515.
Works of High Falls Artist Betty Greenwald at McHenry & Company Salon “My artwork, paintings and drawings, are being shown at the new contemporary hair salon, McHenry & Company Salon N.Y., located in High Falls at the junction of Lucas and 213,” said High Falls artist Betty Ann Robbins Greenwald. “Stop by the salon, enjoy a coffee, and see the art.” Visit Daniel McHenry or Betty Ann Robbins Greenwald on Facebook for more info.
McHenry & Company Salon N.Y. is featuring the artwork Betty Ann Robbins Greenwald. Artwork can be viewed anytime at the salon during open hours.
“The Three of Us” by Doug Motel, watercolor on aqua board, sealed with epoxy
years, on the MSC’s Women On Target Program. Laurito was also recognized for her outreach to the news media and other not-for-profit organizations on behalf of the Marbletown Sportsmen’s Club. For more information, visit marbletownsportsmensclub.org or call 845-687-7202.
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Lance DuBois presents Carol Will Laurito with the President’s Recognition Award.
Carol Will Laurito of Stone Ridge receives President’s Recognition Award At the Marbletown Sportsmen’s Club’s March meeting, MSC president Lance DuBois presented Carol Will Laurito the newly established “President’s Recognition Award” for the year ending Dec. 31, 2021. In his presentation, DuBois explained how Laurito was well deserving of the award in recognition of her tireless work, over many
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Page 18
Arts, culture & entertainment
April 1, 2022
Nachos Con Carne I recently decided to make nachos from all the available ingredients in the fridge. The only thing that wasn’t there was a bag of non-GMO chips and some sour cream. So that was easily fixed with a dash to the store. Nachos have become a household favorite because they are very much comfort food, especially on a Sunday night as the family reflects on the week that has passed and the one that’s about to start. Nachos combine some our favorite ingredients (cheese and ANYTHING), and recently we have been adding a mystery layer of Amy’s Spicy Vegetarian Chili, which helps with the “stick to your feel of the evening. And it ofWally Nichols ribs” fers some sense of good parenting to add protein to what is otherwise mostly just warmed cheese and chips – something I would eschew as a stand-alone meal. I am also happy to use up, before their expiration dates, already opened things like shredded cheese, jalapeño peppers and guac (which gets brown and gross if you so much as look at it too long). The nacho composition is unstructured other than the
Put a fork in it
basics: Line the cookie sheet with 12’x12’ pieces of parchment paper (for individual portions that are also easy to toss when done). Scatter with reckless abandon a base layer of chips upon which, in this case, I snowflaked shredded cheddar, some jalapeños (being careful to not subject my daughter’s portion to too much of a spice hit), black olives and, most importantly, a forked-out layer of the chili from a recently opened can that was covered with a makeshift tinfoil lid and forgotten in the fridge. And, duh, more cheese! Salsa (or pico de gallo) can either be ladled in pre oven or after. The risk of salsa getting baked in is that it might make the chips soggy. It’s a preference and one I opted to hold off on this most recent batch, instead making it part of the “fixings bar” (sour cream, guac, salsa, fresh tomatoes , diced cilantro). Into a preheated oven the pile goes to melt into gooey symbiosis for 15 minutes of delegated cleanup. The nachos galore come out, we gather, feast our eyes on the creation, tip our hats to the simplicity and ease of this Mexican delight, and dig in, wolfing it down. After a truly delicious experience, and marveling at how tasty this dinner was, I find that even our dog Nellie is begging for some. She’s normally pretty nonchalant when it comes to table begging, but this batch of nachos
is aromatic and delicious, and I don’t begrudge her begging. She also has the most doleful gentle eyes that say to all humans, “I’m so cute and lovable, and it would be a humble honor to have even a scrap of your dinner …”. She’s hard to resist. After fielding some compliments about the meal (rare), and especially the layer of chili that is extra tasty this go around (note to self, get more Amy’s Spicy Chili), it’s time to clean up. I open the fridge and put away the leftovers (yet again). Peppers here, cheese there. I look up and see the can of Amy’s Chili on the top shelf. Strange because I just used the Amy’s for dinner?!? And then. AND THEN. I run to the recycle bin full sprint and frantically grab the Amy’s can, which has been rinsed and is near the top. Nellie follows me like a shadow. I feel my stomach turn and I look down at my feet to see Nellie sitting in her most polite pose, tail wagging, eyes in super beg mode. I look at the can. And the horror is revealed. Merrick’s Cowboy Cookout. Adult. All Breeds. No wonder she was giving me the look. We ate her effing food. According to the label, if I am to maintain my 155pound weight, I need to eat seven cans a day … So, starting April Fools’ Day, it’s diet time – no more dog-food nachos.
Aprils past in the Rondout Valley April 12, 1861 – New Paltz Times Two men were killed at Greenkill in the town of Rosendale, on Saturday March 30 ... They were both Germans, employed in quarrying for one Mr. Bruce. They were both engaged drilling a hole for a blast when an overhanging ledge gave way, killing them both. One of the men was made a member of the Rondout Lutheran Church only the day previous to his death ... Harder still, he has a mother and sister on their way to this country, coming at his solicitation. April 12, 1872 – Weekly Freeman (Rondout) Testing the Great Bridge –First Train Over the Rosendale Bridge –One Hundred and Fifty Feet in the Air Linda A large delegation was present from this city and among them Tantillo James S. McEntee Esq. who, in 1825-26, was one of the engineers in charge of the construction of the Delaware & Hudson Canal through the gorge now spanned by this immense bridge. In those old-time days there was not a mile of railroad in the country, and had any engineer, no matter how skillful, prophesied that within the life of some then
From the archives
grown to man’s estate a train of cars, drawn by steam, would cross that ravine on a bridge 150 feet above the creek level, he would have been deemed a lunatic … Mr. McEntee was, we believe, the only one present who witnessed the two triumphs of engineering skill on that same spot – the passage of the first loaded boat through the canal and the first train over the bridge which spans it and the creek.
April 17, 1873 – New Paltz Independent Dr. John C. Bogardus, of Rosendale, has recently produced an ingenious invention for cutting bread. The loaf is placed on a machine, and, by turning a crank at one end of the apparatus, the knives cut off the slices with a nicety that is astonishing. It is a capital thing for hotels and other places where much bread cutting is done. [NOTE: Otto Rohwedder of Iowa is credited with inventing the commercial bread slicer in Missouri in 1928.] April 29, 1876 – New Paltz Independent The laborers employed by the Del & Hudson Canal Co. at Rondout struck for higher wages on Saturday. Last year the shovel men received $1.25 a day …. This year the Co. offers only $1 per day. The wages paid to the men loading boats have also been reduced about 15 per cent. These men demand the same wages that they received last year, while the shovel men ask for $1.50 a day. The laborers say they cannot support their families on the wages offered …
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April 26, 1940 – Rosendale News Dairymen Lease Kyserike Plant The Kyserike Creamery, which has been in operation for the past thirty-five years under the management of various Metropolitan Milk Companies, has now been leased to the Shawangunk Co-Operative Dairies, Inc. [The] Shawangunk group now have it possible ... to secure a much greater return from the pooled price for distribution to the producer members of a Co-Operative body. It is planned, in addition to the handling of milk, to also manufacture American, Cottage and Cream cheese ...
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BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page 19
Water worlds
Nature Tales
Horoscopes The planetary pictures are moving but remain in a tight formation. The Sun and Mercury are conjunct in the sign of Aries – Venus, Jupiter and Neptune are conjunct in the sign of Pisces – and Mars and Saturn are conjunct in the sign of Aquarius – and lastly Uranus is leading the way in Taurus, and Pluto continues to trail the group in the sign of Capricorn. Thus, the same seven planets are positioned in only three houses between the ends of Taurus and Capricorn. It’s easy to see the intense war in the Ukraine that seems to have no limits. The combination of Venus and Jupiter, conjunct in Pisces, includes Neptune, which denies any positive results and causes great worry.
Your Zodiac Joanne Ferdman
ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is conjunct Saturn in the 11th solar house of money from career. Fortunately, you do have an income from several different sources and are able to generate more at the new Moon on the 1st. At the full Moon on the 16th, you will find yourself meeting new people, and that will help your income considerably. TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 11th solar house of money from career. It is conjunct both Jupiter and Neptune, helping to raise your income in a creative way. However, this may come with a mixed blessing. The new Moon on the 1st falls in your 12th solar house and may bring false security.
male frog, you must sing in the chorus with such intense passion that everyone gets revved up, especially the females. Periodically you dive into the pool where you grab anyone you can find. Often it’s another male, who lets out a “yikes” to make you release him. You grab another partner, this time a female, and squeeze hard. Both take a gulp of air and submerge into the dark waters, repeating that several times until the female lets go a string of eggs that you fertilize. Both of you try not to drown – or be eaten by a predator. Salamanders have a different approach. They silently slither into their vernal pools, dancing, waving their tails and giving off a strong perfume that raises the dancing to a frenzy. A male senses a nearby receptive female, wriggles ahead of her, waving his tail and fragrance until she swoons and follows him to a set of small sperm gel caps deposited on the leaves of the pool’s shallow bottom. If she is overcome by his ardor, she will clasp a cap with her cloaca, taking it into her egg chamber where the sperm is released. Thousands of eggs are deposited in these pools each year. Most don’t grow into adult amphibians. Predation, contamination from acid rain or toxins, and bad weather can spell disaster at any given time. During one spring Mohonk Preserve researchers observed hundreds of wood frog egg masses in one particular vernal pool. They returned in late June to witness over a thousand little inch-long wood frog tadpoles. A few rainless weeks later, the pond dried up. Some 50 spunky little froglets were
GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 11th solar house of money from career and is conjunct the Sun. You seem to be trying new techniques and innovative ways to enhance your marketability. The new Moon on the 1st will help you on your way to success. CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The new Moon on the 1st in the sign of Aries is conjunct the Sun and Mercury and positioned in your 10th solar house of career. While you may be busy furthering your status, the full Moon on the 24th assures you of meeting others who will help you climb the ladder of success. LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is positioned with Mercury in your 9th solar house of education and communication. The new Moon on the 1st finds you attempting to add creativity to your work, whereas the full Moon on the 16th may find you partying and neglecting your quest for success. VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned with the Sun on the cusp of 9th solar house of education and communication. The new Moon finds you working hard to create new outlets for your attention. At the full Moon on the 16th, you will shift gears and meet new people who will cause you to take time out for a small party. LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned with both Jupiter and Neptune in your 6th solar house of Health and daily work. While both Venus and Jupiter bode well, Neptune brings a tendency to inertia. The new Moon will bring out a tendency to interact with friends while the full Moon in Libra evokes a tendency to meet new people. SCORPIO: 10/23 to 11/22: Both Mars and Pluto are
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seen hopping around, ensuring at least some successful reproduction. Like frogs and salamanders, we too start out in a watery world. In fact, there still are a few scientists who believe that human development in the womb follows the evolution of life on the planet – from initial cell division, through the various animal progressions. While I don’t hold to that notion, I do think about how, from our beginnings, our lives are always connected with water – and that we are essentially made of it. Nowadays, we airbreathers tend to be more oblivious to that vital connection. Sometimes we develop wetlands, or pollute streams and waterways. We help produce climate changes that cause weather patterns to become increasingly disrupted, creating long periods of drought or flooding. Although we now recognize the need to begin preparing our communities for such vicissitudes, I hope we will also include in our planning the survival of our amphibian elders and their woodland ponds and vernal pools. If they disappear, our ecosystem will suffer great disruption – not to mention increasing hordes of mosquitoes. And I surely wouldn’t want to miss those wondrous calls of spring that get my own heart singing. Editor's note: hope you enjoyed this Nature Tales column from the BSP archives that was last printed in 2009. Ann Belmont will be back next month with her "Wild Things" column.
positioned in your 4th solar house of home and family. With Saturn also positioned there, you may find yourself looking for an interesting project that requires your attention. After it is seen to, you’ll be able to relax and tend to more satisfactory pursuits around the house.
SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned with Venus and Neptune in your 4th solar house of home and family. You’re working on a creative project from home – whether “the great American novel” or something more mundane, you can expect to receive satisfaction from the results. CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, continues to be positioned in your 2nd solar house of money. It is also conjunct both Venus and Mars. The likely result is an effort to increase your income so that it matches your expenses. Home costs have increased as well as entertainment. AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet, continues in your 4th solar house of home and family while Saturn, Mars, and Venus are positioned in your 1st house of personality. This has the result of a strong desire to solidify your family structure so that you remain together for an education while living a full life. PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet, continues to be positioned in your 1st solar house of personality, together with both Venus and Jupiter – the two beneficial planets. The new Moon brings a desire to increase your income while the full Moon on the 16th brings a desire to get out and meet new people as well as new adventures. Joanne is available for private/personized consultations at 561-744-9962. Treat yourself – learn what to expect from the current transits and receive an overview of your longterm goals.
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The spring peepers are peeping, the Wood Frogs are quacking and the silent salamanders are slithering in our woodland pools. You and I owe our own lives, of course, to the amphibians. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the lobe-finned fish Pandericthys and its later friends who crawled out of the waters some 400 million years ago. They pioneered the way, evolving the capacity to breathe air and support their weight on land. Recently scientists made new discoveries of the fossil parade that led to our first real amphibians – and eventually to us. An 8-foot “fishapod” named Tiktaalik left its fossil record in Texas 385 million years ago. [Texas was not a recognized state of the union at that time.] Tik was eventually upstaged by the emergence of an Ann Guenther, “elder frog” only 5 inches long, the size of most salamanders today. Its Naturalist fossil showed characteristics both of frogs (broad skull and shortened tail) and salamanders (two toe bones fused together). I recently visited a pond that hosted the two, partying and cavorting. While the act of reproduction may seem simple, creating the next generation is still tricky business. Temperature and weather must be just right. If you are a
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Page 20, April 1, 2022, BlueStone Press
FOR THE FAMILY 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 April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. 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. ‘Let It Shine,’ tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., rescheduled for Saturday, April 2 A living history tribute celebrating the greatness of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, “Let It Shine” has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. The program, 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, at 4 p.m. Reservations are strongly suggested. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845658-8989. Mindful Mondays with Aimee Trumbore Join the community, 2 p.m. Mondays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25, via Zoom or in person, at the Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, to develop awareness, cultivate more presence, and strengthen the ability to bring mindfulness into day-to-day life. These weekly drop-in sessions will include a short talk on the topic of the week, guided meditation, and opportunity for discussion. All levels of practitioners are welcome, no previous experience required. Mindful Mondays are led by Aimee Trumbore, certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher. For more information and registration, visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845687-7023. 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. The next meetings for Group 1 are on April 4 and 18, and Group 2 meets on April 11 and 25. 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 (April 8, 15, 22 and 29), plus a beginners group, 10 a.m. Tuesdays (April 5, 12, 19 and 26), 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 845-6877023 or visit stoneridgelibrary.org. Basics for Beginners Yoga in Stone Ridge Whole Sky Yoga, at 3588 Main St., Stone Ridge, presents Basics for Beginners, an in-person yoga program, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, April 5, 12, 19 and 26. For information, visit wholeskyyoga.com or call 845-706-3668. Reading and discussion series hosted by Dr. Jeff Miller at Rosendale Library Centered on the theme of community engagement and service, and made possible through of a grant from Humanities New York, the Rosendale Library will hold a reading and discussion series led by Dr. Jeff Miller, a Rosendale resident and faculty member of SUNY New Paltz’s Political Science and International Relations Department. The series will showcase various readings from sociology and philosophy to history and poetry. The discussions will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27 and May 4, at the Rosendale Library, 264 Main St., Rosendale. The program is free and open to the public, and participants can choose to attend any or all the discussions. For registration, readings and
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Enjoy this family-friendly event connecting with and learning about farm animal friends.
4-H Spring Family Fun Fest at High Falls Firehouse Join the 4-H Teen Council and current club members and explore all 4-H has to offer, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the 4-H Spring Family Fun Fest, inside the High Falls Firehouse, 1 Firehouse Road, High Falls. Meet pet rabbits and other critters, learn about animal care, dye eggs, search for treasure in the chicken-scratch pool, start a home garden with seeds, bring a T-shirt
more information, visit rosendalelibrary. org or call 845-658-9013. All-ages Chess Hour at the Rosendale Library Every Thursday, 4-5 p.m., April 7, 14, 21 and 28, enjoy playing chess, all ages, all levels, at the Rosendale Library, 264 Main St., Rosendale. For more information, call 845-658-9013 or visit rosendalelibrary.org. Kripplebush-Lyonsville Fire Company Sub Nite at the Firehouse Enjoy great sub sandwiches at the Kripplebush-Lyonsville Fire Company, at the intersection of County Route 2 at 519 Pine Bush Road in Stone Ridge, just 1 mile north of Route 209. Ham, turkey, roast beef, or mixed meat, mixed veggie, chicken parm, meatball, tuna, and of course Philly cheese subs are made to order on a 12-inch roll with choice of toppings and served with a bag of chips and a drink (assorted cans of soda, iced tea or bottled water). All subs are made to order with all the fixings. Take a sub home or eat one in the dining room at the firehouse. Sub Nites are held 4-7 p.m. (with call-ins at 3:30 p.m.) on the second Friday of each month, MarchNovember (this month April 8), for a suggested donation of $10. For more information and takeout orders, call 845-687-9801. Annual Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the Ellenville-Wawarsing 4th of July Committee The Ellenville-Wawarsing 4th of
and learn how to turn it into a tote bag, eat delicious bake sale treats, and more. 4-H will be collecting dog, cat, rabbit and bird food; bleach; laundry detergent; paper towels; sheets; garbage bags, etc., to support local animal shelters. Admission is $2/child, $3/adult or $6/family. All profits support 4-H Community Service Projects. For more information, visit ulster.cce. cornell.edu/events/.
July Committee will be holding its Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday, April 8, at the Elks Lodge, 50 Route 55, Napanoch. Dinner includes salad, spaghetti, Italian bread, soft drinks, dessert and coffee/tea. There will be four seatings: 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., with takeout orders encouraged and reservations required by noon, Friday, April 8. Cost is $7/person, children under age 5 eat free when attending with an adult. Proceeds from the event will benefit the 4th of July Celebration, including an historic parade and amazing fireworks on July 4. There will be no cancellations for inclement weather. For more information and reservations, call 845 647-5963 or email joecath69@hotmail.com. Easter Cookie Sale Enjoy prepackaged, homemade assorted cookies, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, for $10 per pound, while supplies last, with pickup outside around the Bell Tower, at Rondout Valley United Methodist Church, 25 Schoonmaker Lane, Stone Ridge. For more information on the cookie sale, call 845687-9061 or visit rvumc.org. Second Sunday Supper is back, live and in person! The Rondout Valley United Methodist Church will host its Second Sunday Supper at 5:30 p.m., April 10, at the church, at 25 Schoonmaker Lane, off Route 209 in Stone Ridge. All are invited to meet and greet other members of the community, dine together and enjoy
one another’s company. Second Sunday Suppers are free and held on the second Sunday of every month (except July and August). Also back in-person, Sunday Worship, 10 a.m. at the church and online anytime at rvumc.org. Need prayer? Call Pastor Caroline at 845-687-9090. Marbletown Seniors meetings and trips The Seniors generally hold their meetings at noon on the first Friday (bring a dish to share) and 1 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. This month, however, the third Friday is a holiday, Good Friday, so the meeting will be on the following Friday, April 22. A trip is planned for the Marbletown Seniors on Tuesday, April 12, to Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, Connecticut, to see comedian/singer Mark Verselli. Cost of the trip is $54, with family-style meal included. Bus leaves at 8:15 a.m. On May 10 is the trip to Hunterdon Hills Playhouse, Hampton, New Jersey, for the comedy “I left my dignity in my other purse,” featuring Joyce DeWitt from the TV sitcom “Three’s Company.” Cost of $78 includes lunch with choices from menu. Bus takes off at 9 a.m. All meetings are held at, and trips leave from, the Marbletown Reformed Church, 3750 Main St./Route 209, Stone Ridge, across from the post office. For more information, call Sharon Letus, trip chairperson, at 845-687-9162. 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 April 13 and 27. Upcoming trips include a day trip on May10 to Villa Roma in Callicoon for lunch and a show-tribute to Elvis and Connie Francis. Cost is $58 per person. A trip to Myrtle Beach is also planned for Sept. 11-17. The cost is $739/person double occupancy. For more information, call Chickie at 845-658-2414 or Hal at 845658-9020. Singing frogs in spring ponds at Minnewaska Bring the family to Minnewaska during school spring break, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14, to learn all about amazing amphibians. Kids will play a frog life-cycle tag game, make their own frog masks, learn about amphibian habitats, and visit vernal pools to look for frogs, salamanders and insects. This program is recommended for students ages of 7-12 years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. Well-behaved younger siblings are always welcome. Meet at the Peter’s Kill Area. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752. Poetry with Rosemary Dean Join the community via Zoom, 1:30-3 p.m. every other Thursday, with the next meeting on April 14. This program is presented by the Stone Ridge Library. Contact Rosemary Dean at rmdeen@gmail.com to join the group. American Red Cross Blood Drive at Marbletown Community Center Join the community, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., Stone Ridge. All donors will receive an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last. For information, visit redcrossblood.org Quilt group Zoom meetings At 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month, with the next meeting on April 16, the Wiltwyck Quilt Guild comes together to share their work, learn a new skill and meet new friends. The guild, which normally meets at Grace Church in Lake Katrine, is currently holding meetings via Zoom. Members are always wanted and welcomed to join the projects benefiting the community. For more information, contact Guild secretary Mary Tyler of Rosendale at marycodytyler@yahoo.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, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at the Marbletown Inn, 2842 Route 209, Marbletown,
See More events, page 21
BlueStone Press, April 1, 2022, Page 21
Teatime book group discusses ‘The History of Love’ by Nicole Krauss
Events continued from page 20 contact Janet Sutter at janet.sutter@aol. com. 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. Got gardening questions? Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County Volunteer Master Gardeners of Stone Ridge will help home gardeners prepare for the growing season through their Horticulture Hotline, 9 a.m.-noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through October, at 845-340-DIRT (3478).
ARTS, MUSIC, BODY & MIND 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 April 3, 10, 17 and 24. Newcomers are always welcome. For more information, visit cometomama.org or call 845-853-5154. SahasraYoga in-person and Zoom classes with Kyra Sahasrabudhe All levels and abilities are welcome to join in-person hatha yoga classes taught by Kyra Sahasrabudhe (CYT) of Stone Ridge, 10-11:15 a.m. Mondays (April 4, 11, 18 and 25) and 9-10:15 a.m. Wednesdays (April 6, 13, 20 and 27) in second floor studio, at Stone Ridge Healing Arts wellness center, 3457 Main St., Stone Ridge. Students must be fully vaccinated. These classes use props and modifications, which allow students to make the poses/asana their own. Sahasrabudhe also offers a virtual (Zoom) class 5-6:15 p.m. Tuesdays (April 5, 12, 19 and 26). For more information and cost, contact Sahasrabudhe at sahasrayoga21@gmail. com. ‘If Truth Be Told,’ a page-to-stage writing workshop with Mackenzie W. Kell Find the unique voice inside with this 10-week personal monologue writing series, noon-2 p.m. Mondays, beginning April 4, at Marbletown Multi-Arts, 3588 Main St., Stone Ridge. For registration and more information, visit mackenziewkell.com. Free online kosher certification informational Zoom meeting Join Rabbi M. Merzel from OU Kosher, 5:30-7 p.m. Monday, April 4, via Zoom to learn more about kosher certification, unlocking opportunities to improve the quality of life for area residents practicing Kashrut, support small commercial kitchens, farm stores and cottage-industry food manufacturers, and value-added producers who can reap economic benefits from kosher certification(s). This free event is sponsored by Ulster County Jewish Federation along with the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE), Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, and the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. To register, visit https://bit.ly/KosherCertificationWebinar. Hike to Echo Rock at Minnewaska Explore scenic sections of the historic Hamilton Point Carriage Road, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, on this approximately 3.5-mile hike to Echo Rock, a cliff edge vista with panoramic views. Participants will want to bring comfortable hiking shoes, water and a snack. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752. CCE Ulster’s New and Beginning Farmer Series Each year Cornell Cooperative
See More events, page 22
Bring the family and the Easter basket for the Marbletown Youth and Rec’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Annual spring family event: Easter Egg Hunt at Marbletown Park Marbletown Youth and Recreation will be having their Annual Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 15, at Marbletown Park, 350 Tongore Road, Marbletown. Candy and doughnuts will be available.
Bring an Easter basket to collect eggs. And the Easter Bunny will be there, too. Admission is free. To sign up, call 845-687-7500, ext. 170, or email youthandrec@marbletown.net.
Art Lectures by High Falls’ Melikyan visits Otterlo
Museum, 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, and to Mauritshuis, the Hague, 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 12. Melikyan, docent, museum guide and transcendent storyteller, will explore the works, lives, the historical setting, the techniques and the muses of the great masters of art. Cost is $15 per session. For more information and registration, contact Joan Hill, director of Artful Journeys LLC, at info@ artfuljourneysllc.com or at 508-225-7907.
Sevan Melikyan, owner and operator of Wired Gallery in High Falls, takes viewers on a journey to enhance understanding of the artworks with these 60-90-minute lectures to Amsterdam/Otterlo to see the Van Gogh Museum and the Kröller-Müller
The group will meet at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, in the activity room at Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, to discuss “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss. A long-lost book reappears, mysteriously connecting an old man searching for his son and a girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother’s loneliness. Leo cover Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he is still alive. But it wasn’t always like this; in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book. Sixty years later and half a world away, 14-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in that book, undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With virtuosic skill, and soaring imaginative power, Krauss gradually draws these stories together toward a climax of extraordinary depth and beauty. To join the book group, contact program manager Sarah Robertson at programs@ stoneridgelibrary.org.
Hudson Valley Draft Horse Association
SPRING PLOW DAY Saturday, April 30 10am-4pm Saunderskill Farm 5100 Route 209, Accord, NY
It’s Back!
Featuring Horses, Mules & Oxen • Crafts and Other Vendors • Field plowing • Wagon Rides - small fee • Country Demonstrations • Live Music by Ben Rounds
• Good Food • Kids games • Oxen teams or Working Steers • Much More
Free Admission Info: (845) 294-9016 Vendor Space Available: 10x10 - $35. Call Robin at (845) 294-9016 or e-mail Dmjure33@frontiernet.net
Julia Garner stars as a young college graduate who grows increasingly uncomfortable working for a New York-based movie mogul in “The Assistant.”
UPWIFT Reel Women in Film presents ‘The Assistant’ “The Assistant,” starring Julia Garner (“Ozark”), tells the story of an assistant to a high-power, abusive executive. Awardwinning Australian film director, editor, producer and screenwriter Kitty Green produced, directed, wrote and edited the 2019 film, to be shown 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Rosendale Theatre. Most of Green’s projects have been documentaries, “Casting JonBenet” (2017) and “Ukraine Is Not a Brothel” (2013), while “The Assistant” has been the only narrative-driven story. The film is presented by Upstate NY Women in Film & Television, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that supports women in film, television and digital media. For more information, visit upwift. org. Admission to “The Assistant” is $10, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for UPWIFT members, who can purchase tickets at upwift.org to receive the discount. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.
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Page 22, April 1, 2022, BlueStone Press
Saturday night music is back at Lydia’s Café with the Rob Scheps Core-tet
Events continued from page 21 Extension of Ulster County hosts the New and Beginning Farmer Series, a collection of one-hour workshops that help new and aspiring farmers get started. All classes are on Thursdays through April 24 and will be held via Zoom and cost $5 each. The next upcoming class is “How to Make a Profit and Still Have a Good Quality of Life,” 2-3 p.m. on April 7, with Steve Hadcock of the Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program, who will talk about getting started in farming, focusing on the quality of life of farmers. “Introduction to Agroforestry” will be held 1-2:30 p.m. on April 14. Participants will be introduced to the concept of agroforestry and learn the practicalities of converting pastureland to silvopasture through real examples in the Northeastern U.S. Guest speaker is Austin Unruh, owner of Crow and Berry Land Management, which works to bring silvopasture to scale in agricultural economies and focuses on transitioning pastures into silvopastures. For information, visit ulster.cce.cornell.edu or call 845-340-3990. Hamilton Point Carriage Road and Blueberry Run Loop hike at Minnewaska Join Nick Martin, park educator, for an approximately 7-mile hike on an assortment of historic and scenic carriage roads and one footpath, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, beginning at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. The hike includes some rocky and/or wet areas with uneven footing. Due to the possibility of ice remaining on sections of Upper Awosting Carriage Road into April, participants are encouraged to pack microspikes, wear comfortable, waterproof boots and bring adequate food and water to sustain themselves for the duration of the hike. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752. Elder Odyssey, the journey continues Facilitators Ev Mann and Lester Strong will host this six-week course, 7:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays, April 5-May 3, via Zoom. For more information, visit cometomama. org or call 845-853-5154. Millbrook Mountain Loop hike at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, environmental educator, and Diana Beckenhaupt, Student Conservation Association/AmeriCorps environmental educator, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, April 10, for this 5mile hike along the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road and Millbrook Mountain Footpath. The footpath does feature a steep hill up and down, a stream crossing, and some potentially tricky footing. Participants should pack water and food and wear appropriate shoes. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. Preregistration is required by calling the Center at 845-255-0752. The shorter and more scenic route to Gertrude’s Nose at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, environmental educator, and Diana Beckenhaupt, Student Conservation Association/AmeriCorps environmental educator, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, for an adventurous, 6-mile round-trip hike to Gertrude’s Nose and back. This modestly challenging hike includes a steep rock scramble, a few hills, and some tricky footing. Participants must bring water, snacks and lunch and wear appropriate hiking shoes. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. Preregistration is required. Call 845-255-0752. ‘The Expressive Figure’ online course with Kerhonkson’s Keith Gunderson This workshop will be held 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesdays, April 13, 20, 27, and May 4. The one-hour Zoom session coaches the figure drawing enthusiast past the challenges of technique and finding one’s artistic voice, starting with 20 minutes of drawing from the model in a variety of poses and then through a series of illustrated lectures and top-down video demonstrations. Each class features a video sketch of a figurative artist, work or trend that has impacted the artistic evolution of figure drawing. Deadline for registration is 7 p.m. on the day before the first class. Any registrations received after 7 p.m. the night before the first class of the session will receive the prerecorded video of the first class (or classes missed if session has already begun. For more information, visit woodstockschoolofarts.org.
Owners and caretakers Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano of Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Stone Ridge. Serrano is one of Garden Day’s guest speakers.
Garden Day Symposium in Stone Ridge with guest speaker Scott Serrano The Master Gardeners of Ulster County Cornell Cooperative Extension will host Garden Day in person, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, in the Quimby Auditorium, at SUNY Ulster, 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge. The event features mushrooms, berries, garden restoration, jumping worms, native plants, plus timely tips on garden thugs and new gardening tricks for old knees. Lunch is BYO or sign up for the catered lunch on the event registration page. And bring a sturdy bag because the MG Book Sale is open during lunch. The keynote speaker, Dr. Meg Ronsheim from Vassar College, will describe how she has working with her students since 2010 to restore the Edith Roberts Ecological Laboratory on the Vassar College campus. She will provide insight into creating and maintaining sustainable landscapes using native plants. Guest speaker Scott Serrano will speak about the diversity, pollination requirements and growing conditions for common and unusual berry plants including Aronia, blackberry, Chocolate Berry, Honeyberry, currant, and Schisandra Berry. Guest speaker Luke Sarantonio will describe the roles of fungi and plants, and how to facilitate their relationships to in-
fluence healthy ecosystems and gardens. Master gardeners will discuss topics such as learning the difference between native versus “nativar” plants and coping with the Asian jumping worms and wildlife and their impact on the environment. Learn to identify and control garden thugs, those too-hearty plants that have taken over the garden; and get the most annuals, perennials and vegetable beds using various methods collected and tested by master gardeners. Preregistration is recommended for this limited-seating event, with $50 admission charge. A catered lunch is available ($9) and must be ordered and prepaid upon registering, or BYO lunch. Seating for lunch and the Master Gardener Book Sale will be in the café. All attendees must be vaccinated, show proof of vaccination, personal ID, and wear a mask at all times. To register and view in-depth descriptions about the keynote, presentations and presenters’ bios, visit ulster.cce.cornell.edu. Registration deadline is April 8. For more information contact Dona at 845-340-3990, ext. 335, or email dm282@ cornell.edu.
Enjoy live music, 7-10 p.m. Saturday nights, at Lydia’s Café, 7 Old Route 209, Stone Ridge, with no cover; donations welcome, reservations recommended. On April 9 is the Rob Scheps Core-tet, with Scheps on saxophones and flute; Jamie Reynolds, keyboard; David Kingsnorth, bass, and Anthony Pinciotti, drums. April 16 is Daniel Jodocy, Ben Zwerin and Yusuke Yamamoto Trio Scheps Live, with improvised groove, jazz and dub. For more information, call 845-687-6373 or visit lydias-cafe.com.
Botanicals for Beginners, subject: Radish Draw Botanical of Accord invites the community to learn the basics of botanical drawing, as the group draws a radish together, 3-7 p.m. Sunday, April 3, and 4-6 p.m. Thursday, April 7, via Zoom. Workshops include a set of prerecorded videos to watch to prepare for class, recordings of each workshop session, delivered via email. Live demonstrations will be held on the first day of the workshop, and constructive critique of work on the second day. If unable to attend live workshop, recordings will be sent. All registration and video material is delivered via email from info@ drawbotanical.com. For more info, visit drawbotanical.com or call 845-377-0530.
History reading club talks about ‘The Fifties’ by Halberstam After being fired from his prestigious job at a luxurious hotel, an aging doorman is forced to face the scorn of his friends, neighbors and society, as he is demoted to lavatory attendant.
Sunday Silents presents FW Murnau's ‘The Last Laugh’ Murnau’s silent film “The Last Laugh” (1924), with live piano accompaniment by Marta Waterman, originally planned for Jan. 9 has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. this Sunday, April 3, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. The film tells the tragic story of a selfconfident 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 his position, responsibilities and uniform, and shocked by his demotion, the humiliated 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. Admission is $6. Visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989 for info.
The group is discussing “The Fifties” by David Halberstam, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, via Zoom. Halberstam offers portraits of not only the titans of the age: Eisenhower, Dulles, Oppenheimer, MacArthur, Hoover and Nixon, but also of Harley Earl, who put fins on cars; Dick and Mac McDonald and Ray Kroc, who massproduced the American hamburger; Kemmons Wilson, who placed Cover his Holiday Inns along the nation’s roadsides; U-2 pilot Gary Francis Powers; Grace Metalious, who wrote “Peyton Place”; and “Goody” Pincus, who led the team that invented the birth-control pill. To join the book group, contact program manager Sarah Robertson at programs@stoneridgelibrary.org.
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'LVFRXQW VQRZSORZLQJ VDQGLQJ PRZLQJ FOHDQ XS $LUEQE 3URS 0JW (845)-893-5644 'RZQ WR (DUWK /DQGVFDSLQJ Koi Ponds, Patios and Decks, Yard Maintenance, Tree Trimming Fence Installation and Repair and Snow Removal FULLY INSURED Ben Watson 845-389-3028 BluestoneExperts.com ZZZ IE FRP GRZQWRHDUWKQ\
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3DLQWLQJ DQG 6WDLQLQJ /LFHQVHG DQG )XOO\ ,QVXUHG Interior and exterior painting and staining, References available. Call Mathew 845-217-5127 'HSHQGDEOH 5LGHV )RU 6HQLRUV Retired social worker and overall mensch will transport you safely and respectfully to all daily errands and appointments ~and wait with you~ $ႇRUGDEOH 5DWHV Ira @914.466-9505 +HOS :DQWHG ,WHPV 1HHGHG
)XOO WLPH &DUSHQWHU Prefer 5-10 years of experience Tools, a valid driver’s license, car, and cell phone required. Women, trans, queer, & POC encouraged to apply. Email Ora at oraferdman@gmail.com . 5LFH 3OXPELQJ DQG +HDWLQJ is looking to hire an experienced HVAC Plumbing technician. 3 to 5 years experience. Clean drivers license. Full time. Salary based on experience. Send resume to riceplumbingandheating@gmail.com Donations Needed Stone Ridge volunteer refugee resettlement group looking for a donated driveable car, 2-3 bedroom apt and/or studio apt, market rates. Email: harvhil@earthlink.net
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Page 23
Town of Marbletown Rondout Municipal Center 1925 Lucas Ave., Cottekill, NY
marbletown.net 845-687-7500 Town Board April.5 @ 5:00pm Planning Board April.11 @ 7:00pm to 9:00pm MPIC April 12, @ 5:00pm Housing Committee April 12 @ 7:00pm ECC and Climate Smart Communities Task Force April 13 @ 7:00pm to 9:00pm Historic Preservation Committee April.14 @ 6:00pm
Town of Rosendale
All meetings held at Rondout Municipal Center unless otherwise noted, 1915 Lucas Ave., Cottekill, NY townofrosendale.com 845-658-3159 Youth Commission Apr. 4 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Town Board Workshop Apr. 6 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Town Board Apr. 13 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Environmental Commission Apr. 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Planning Board Apr. 14 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals Apr. 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Town of Rochester Town Board, Planning Board and ZBA meetings will livestream broadcast on YouTube. Rochester Town Hall 50 Scenic Rd, Accord, NY
BSP is looking for a news reporter
BSP is looking for a news reporter. Call 845-687-4480 or email bsplori@gmail.com
Town Board Regular Apr. 3 @ 6:30 pm –9:00pm Historic Preservation Committee Apr. 14 @ 2:00 – 5:00pm Planning Board
Give us a call to discuss the details. 687-4480. Thank you.
$1 Thank you for using the BSP honor boxes. It’s our pleasure
Apr. 14 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Recreation Commission
Thank you!
Apr. 16 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am Zoning Board Apr. 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Environmental Conservation Committee Apr. 22 @ 6:00-8:00pm
Page 24, April 1, 2022 BlueStone Press
Water Testing & Treatment for over 25 years
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