CATSKILLS Magazine - Summer 2023

WHAT’S NEW AT THE CATSKILL CENTER

FEATURED ARTIST: CAROLINE FAY

SLEEPY HAMDEN IS WAKING UP

JEFF SENTERMAN

Jeff grew up spending weekends in the mountains, and when he’s not steering the ship that is the Catskill Center, can often be found atop a local peak. His column, Endnote, appears in each issue. Jeff is the Executive Director of the Catskill Center.

ALLISON DUNNE

After a career in journalism, Allison joined the Catskill Center to tell stories in a different realm as the Communications Manager. She contributed multiple pieces to this issue and is one of the magazine’s editors.

LISSA HARRIS

Lissa is a local freelance reporter, a volunteer firefighter, and a seventh-generation Catskills resident who moved away but was compelled to come back. She designed and laid out this issue of the magazine.

ABOUT US: Since 1969, the Catskill Center has protected and fostered the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskill region. Our mission is to ensure a bright future for the Catskills by preserving our environment, expanding our economy, and celebrating our culture.

WHAT’S NEW AT THE CATSKILL CENTER

WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS: DAVID HANS, VISITOR CENTER MANAGER

David took on the role of Visitor Center Manager in January this year after serving as a Catskills Visitor Center (CVC) Assistant. He also worked as a seasonal steward with the Catskill Center’s Catskill Stewards program in 2021. After a thru-hike attempt of the Appalachian Trail in 2022, David returned the same year to the Catskill Center and resumed his work as a Steward.

As Visitor Center Manager, David oversees staffing the CVC with qualified people who can provide regional information to our in-person visitors as well as answer questions via phone and email. He’ll also work to expand our store to include more items created by local makers.

David comes to the Manager position after having spent most of his professional career working in retail, food service, and reception. Plus, this career path at the Catskill Center comes after a focus on classical voice. David graduated from Onteora High School with his Advanced Regents Diploma in 2013 and pursued an education as a Classical Vocalist both at SUNY Fredonia and SUNY Ulster. He now continues using his voice to help visitors find ways to explore the region, in the mountains he calls home. David enjoys spending his free time hiking and is currently working on summiting the Catskills High Peaks. When not up in the mountains, David enjoys gaming and spending time with his two Labradors and cats.

Have a question or comment about our Catskills Visitor Center? Contact David: dhans@catskillcenter.org

FINN PARNELL, COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST

Finn joined the Catskill Center as a seasonal steward in 2022, seeking meaningful work in the environmental field. Following his passion for nature and conservation, he joined the Catskill Center full-time in January to continue his work through community outreach and to lead the Catskill Center’s Catskill Stewards program — a program that hires and trains seasonals to work at local hiking hotspots with a focus on educating about responsible recreation in the Catskills.

As Community Relations Specialist, Finn also is fostering relationships with local Catskills communities to ensure the Catskills Visitor Center is sharing the appropriate information to meet our regional tourism needs.

You can find Finn hiking one of the Catskill’s beautiful trails, bird watching, photographing nature, and spending time with his wife, two dachshunds, and five cats. How’s that for Cat-skills!

Have a question about the Catskill Stewards program? Or are you hoping for a community connection with the Catskill Center? Contact Finn: fparnell@catskillcenter.org

FEATURED ARTIST: CAROLINE FAY

Caroline Fay is an Irish painter based in Walton, in the Western Catskills. The natural world, in all its myriad forms, is the root source of inspiration for her art. Caroline’s work explores the relationships between human and nature, life cycles and environmental concerns. She sees both nature and art as reviving and healing forces and when combined, offering a way to reflect upon, connect to and express that relationship between the earth and ourselves.

Her work takes on many visual forms, from detailed still life and smaller oil paintings of birds, bugs and foliage to large scale figurative portraits of threatened species. Her most recent collection, titled "Wetlands," was inspired by the rich, marshy landscapes of Delaware County, where she lives, combined with scenes from her homeland of Ireland. This series was exhibited in a successful solo show at Hawk and Hive, a gallery and store in Andes, NY, in November 2022.

Caroline has a Fine Art degree and studied at the Art Students League of New York. She has won multiple awards, including being the solo award winner of the 2019 Decentralization (DEC)

Individual Artist Grant from New York State Council on the Arts, which supported her solo

DETAIL FROM SOLAS BY CAROLINE FAY, OIL ON LINEN, 2022

show "Hollow Bones," a two-part exhibition of art dedicated to raising awareness of threatened bird species and their habitats in Delaware County. Caroline has collaborated on and led numerous art projects and murals across Delaware County, including the 450-square-foot mural titled "Walton Rising" on Walton’s main Delaware Street.

Caroline founded the Caroline Fay Studio (formerly Big Little Art Studio) in the village of Walton in 2017. This old general store is home to her personal art studio, a gallery and where she teaches art workshops and courses throughout the year. With over 15 years of experience in teaching art in Ireland, France and the UK, she enjoys helping others tap into their unique creative abilities and to explore new ways of expression.

"I find inspiration in the landscapes of Gerhard Richter, the poetic moods of Tonalist art, writers like naturalist author John Muir, and artist and conservationist William Morris," she says. "As an artist and environmentalist, I hope to use my art to inspire, motivate and raise awareness."

BOMBINI BY CAROLINE FAY, OIL ON PANEL, 2021

‘This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.’

Look for more of Caroline’s beautiful work throughout this issue. To see more of her work, please visit: www.carolinefayart.com

—John Muir

BOGACH BY CAROLINE FAY, OIL ON LINEN, 2022

HAMDEN

WAKES FROM SLUMBER

Several municipalities in the Catskills have changed appearances, mainly because of the Covid pandemic and influx of new residents, many from New York City.

"Just a few years ago, it was a sleepy little hamlet. The Hamden Inn was closed. The General Store was closed," said Hamden Town Supervisor Wayne Marshfield. "Basically, there was the bank, the post office, and the church."

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEAT & FLOWERS

Now, the tables have somewhat turned.

"I know a lot of people and don’t recognize any when I go into stores and other places of business," Marshfield said.

The church is still a community focal point, yet the bank is closed and the current post office location could change. (There is a Plan B.)

The influx of New York City residents to Delaware County spurred a general revitalization, and Hamden, in the center of the county, was no exception. The renovated Hamden Inn is popular, as is the Hamden General Store. Most of Hamden’s activity is on State Highway 10, making it an easy stop for visitors passing through to other destinations.

"It seemed like during Covid it was a period of development," said Marshfield.

Enter Sarah Bronilla and Luke Van Unen, who, some ten years ago, set their sights on the Catskills. Just say Luke and Sarah, and Catskillites near and far know who they are. The community-minded couple bought a dilapidated building, began renovations and, toward the end of 2021, opened their shop Meat & Flowers, though some of the building is still undergoing renovations. About one year later, they opened Hamden Blue Shop, a highend consignment store, at the same locale.

Van Unen’s affinity for Hamden stems from growing up in a similarly rural town in Australia. Also enamored of Hamden and the surrounding area, Bronilla said she wanted to "bring back the idea of knowing your local butcher by name" and enhance the local flavor of the town.

She says the initial goal was to have a multifunctional building, with two commercial spaces (Meat & Flowers and Hamden Blue Shop), and then transform other spaces into long-term apartments and Airbnbs to encourage New York City chefs to come to experience the culinary offerings of the Catskills and meet local farmers. Bronilla says they’ll design one apartment as a test kitchen, while the second one will have a soundproof recording studio.

Meantime, a fire left vacant a house next door to Meat & Flowers, and Van Unen and Bronilla purchased it. It is one of Bronilla’s favorite houses in Delaware County — an 1846 Victorian house that she intends to turn into the Doll House Spa. Planning board members approved the site plan review at the end of March. Bronilla, who hopes to have it up and running by this summer, envisions a wellness spa that functions as a work co-op. For example, a massage therapist would rent space and offer services. Same with a nutritionist, hair stylists, nail technician, and the list goes on. She wants to create job opportunities and empower local entrepreneurs.

To respond to more activity, Marshfield says that last summer the town had a crosswalk installed near where the bank was housed. In addition, a company has inquired about putting in a cell tower, which Marshfield says is an exciting development.

Another result of increased activity is that more people are walking about town, and there is a need to keep sidewalks clear of snow. Marshfield says the town council is drafting a local law to require residents and businesses to maintain/clear their sidewalks by a certain time after the end of a

snowstorm. For example, many more people are coming and going via sidewalk from the Hamden Inn & Lounge, and safety is of concern.

Meanwhile, another defunct building is closer to revival as the Hamden Planning Board approved in late March the site plan review from the owner of Ty’s Taco-ria, who wants to redevelop the building to house a commercial preparation kitchen and serve as a storage location, and where she can park her food trucks.

In addition, Delaware Opportunities has plans to add onto its structure.

When Hamden began to bustle, there was a setback, said Marshfield, when the bank that had been there since the 1920s — Wayne Bank — closed in May 2022.

The town bought the bank building for $1 and resold it for $50,000 with a 15-month mortgage. Van Unen and Bronilla were the buyers and closed on it in February. Marshfield says the profits for the town, which amount to more than $20,700, will be used to set up and offer a grant program to Hamden businesses by early 2024. As the bank was a 100-year business in town, Marshfield says it is only right to offer the proceeds back to the community that supported the financial institution for so long.

Bronilla says the idea for the bank building is to provide a space for the post office if it cannot stay in its current location. The second space could be a wine shop.

"It takes a town to make a dream come true," said both Van Unen and Bronilla.

BLAZING A NEW KIND OF TRAIL

WALKWAY AT CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER HONORS

LOCAL INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS

The staff of the Congressmen Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center has begun lining the front walkway with bricks sponsored by local donors, businesses, and organizations, engraved with customized messages that honor the people, traditions, and rich history of the Catskills. A limited number of 4x8” and 8x8” bricks are still available - see details on the following page. Brick sponsorships are greatly appreciated to help support the Catskill Center in maintaining and operating the Catskills Visitor Center.

CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER BRICK WALKWAY

I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A 4X8 BRICK FOR $250

I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN 8X8 BRICK FOR $500

NAME:

PHONE:

EMAIL:

PLEASE ENGRAVE MY BRICK AS FOLLOWS:

4X8 BRICK - 3 LINES WITH MAXIMUM 18 CHARACTERS PER LINE

8X8 BRICK - 6 LINES WITH MAXIMUM 18 CHARACTERS PER LINE

ANY SYMBOL IS CONSIDERED ONE SPACE. ALL TEXT WILL BE CENTERED. TEXT IS SUBJECT TO STAFF REVIEW AND APPROVAL.

ORDER BY MAIL: MAIL IN THIS FORM WITH YOUR CHECK, PAYABLE TO CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER, PO BOX 231, MOUNT TREMPER, NY 12457.

ORDER ONLINE: CATSKILLSVISITORCENTER.ORG/DONATE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE CVC AT 845-688-3369

SAVE THE DATE!

54 YEARS OF CATSKILL CENTER - THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES! JOIN US FOR AN AUTUMNAL EVENING OF CATSKILL REVELRY

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 | 5:30PM - 8:30PM

CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER

5096 NY-28, MOUNT TREMPER

BENEFIT PROCEEDS PROVIDE CRITICAL FUNDS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR CATSKILLS, FROM VALLEY TO SUMMIT. THANK YOU!

TICKETS & INFO: CATSKILLCENTER.ORG/FALLBENEFIT

THANK YOU BUSINESS MEMBERS!

We would like to recognize these businesses for their generosity. When you do business with them, you support the Catskill Center and the entire region.

BUSINESS LEADERS ($5,000+)

MARGARETVILLE TELEPHONE COMPANY

WEST KILL BREWING LLC

BUSINESS PARTNERS ($1,000+)

OTTO & FRIENDS

PARKS PROJECT

SPOTTED DOG VENTURES LLC

BUSINESS FRIENDS ($500+)

BOVINA CENTER MONTESSORI SCHOOL

CESI WRITES BY CECELIA DAVIDSON

EASTERN MOUNTAIN SPORTS

EMINENCE ROAD FARM WINERY

BUSINESS STEWARDS ($250+)

BELLEAYRE MOUNTAIN

CAMP CATSKILL

CATSKILL WATER DISCOVERY CENTER

ERICKSON’S AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

GORDON HUNTER MOUNTAIN REALTY

HATCHET OUTDOOR SUPPLY CO.

LVDV OPERATIONS, INC.

BUSINESS MEMBERS ($100+)

ACKERLY & HUBBELL APPRAISAL CORP.

BLACKBAUD GIVING FUND; YOURCAUSE

CATSKILL CANDLE STUDIO

CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.

COLDWELL BANKER TIMBERLAND PROPERTIES

COOPERSTOWN DREAMS PARK

FRESHTOWN SUPERMARKET

HIKE ON GUIDES

HOOKED ON KZM

LAURELSIDE 3 LLC

MORGAN OUTDOORS

OPUS 40

PHOENICIA LODGE

PINE HILL TRAILWAYS

LAMONT ENGINEERS, PC

PLATTE CLOVE COMMUNITY

SCHWARTZBERG & KENYON PLLC SLUITER AGENCY, INC.

THE ROXBURY

WOODSTOCK LAND CONSERVANCY

PEEKAMOOSE RESTAURANT

RAIL EXPLORERS

RESTAINO DESIGN P.C., LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

THE NEVERSINK ASSOCIATION

VLY MOUNTAIN SPRING WATER, INC.

WAYSIDE CIDER

WOODLAND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

PINKEY PUZZLES

RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES

RONDOUT SAVINGS BANK

RYAN & RYAN INSURANCE BROKERS

SFCU

SHAWANGUNK VALLEY CONSERVANCY

SHUSTER ASSOCIATES

SILVER HOLLOW AUDIO

STEWART’S SHOPS CORPORATION

SUSAN’S PLEASANT PHEASANT FARM

TROUT UNLIMITED, ASHOKAN-PEPACTON WATERSHED CHAPTER

WAYNE BANK

ZEN MOUNTAIN MONASTERY, INC.

For more information visit catskillcenter. org/businessmembership

Become a Member

Individual ($35) Dual / Family ($50)

Senior/Student ($25)

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

SUBSCRIPTION to the Catskill Center’s Catskills magazine with news from the Catskill Center and across the Catskill Region.

10% DISCOUNT on purchases at the Catskills Visitor Center and all Catskill Center facilities with presentation of member card.

MEMBER-ONLY INVITATIONS to special events, activities, and opportunities.

ACCESS TO THE CATSKILL CENTER ARCHIVES at the Erpf Center in Arkville. Please contact the Catskill Center to schedule an appointment.

MEMBER PACKAGE

Members receive a membership package in the mail, including a member card and a Catskill Center cling sticker.

Your tax-deductible donation supports healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities throughout the Catskill region.

Catskillcenter.org/membership Or complete this form and mail to:

CATSKILL CENTER

P.O. BOX 504 ARKVILLE, NY 12406

CAMP CATSKILL

About a year ago (at the end of March 2022), Ryan Penny opened Camp Catskill on Main Street in Tannersville. He said the brick-and-mortar store, which previously existed online only, merited a physical presence in Greene County because there wasn’t such a store in the northern Catskills with a hiking and clothing focus.

"Tannersville has seen a resurgence," said Penny, a lifelong hiker and camper. "It’s an exciting time to get a foothold here," he said, referring to recent state investment in Tannersville, known as "The Painted Village in the Sky."

In December 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Village of Tannersville was awarded $10 million for 11 projects as part of the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). The DRI is intended to leverage the community’s historic, cultural, and natural resources.

Penny, who lived on Long Island most of his life, frequently ventured to the Catskills and moved to the area full-time more than three years ago. He bills Camp Catskills as an ethical outdoor shop, limiting impact on the environment. His store carries products from vendors who adhere to fair pay and who use recycled materials in most of their products. Penny also aligns with organizations that take climate action. Camp Catskill is a member of 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of its revenue to a local nonprofit. This nonprofit is the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, which is also a member of the 1% For the Planet.

Camp Catskill became a Catskill Center business member in November 2021, when the shop was online only. Camp Catskill was the first business

member to join under the Catskill Center’s revised membership levels. Penny joined as an individual member a few years before opening the store. Penny said he likes that the Camp Catskill logo appears on the Catskill Center website as part of a business member benefit, and he enjoys reading Catskills Magazine.

Camp Catskill also participated in the Catskills Great Outdoor Expo, which returned in June 2022 after a hiatus during the Covid pandemic. It was held at the Catskills Visitor Center, and featured numerous local retailers, service providers, and many others. (The Summer Gathering and Great Outdoor Expo return to the Catskills Visitor June 9 and 10, respectively, this year.)

"I’m happy to support the Catskill Center, whose mission to protect the Catskill Park aligns with my goals as an individual, as a business," Penny said.

Penny says the Catskill Center hits the perfect balance.

"The Catskill Center is an advocate that I want here," said Penny. "They balance sustainable economic development with the absolutely necessary conservation work."

What’s Camp Catskill’s top-selling item? Penny says the Catskills Mountain t-shirt featuring a fire tower is a hit. (This is a good place for a reminder that the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge is on through the end of the year. Climb all six towers, including the Upper Esopus Fire Tower in the Catskills Visitor Center’s backyard, and receive a fire tower patch, along with the glory of accomplishing this feat.)

Meanwhile, Penny is working on building his local presence in the sense of joining organizations that make sense for Camp Catskill, but feels differently about growing his actual store.

"I’m not looking to create an empire of Camp Catskills," Penny said. "I just want people to get what they need and spend time outdoors."

Camp Catskill

6006 Main St., Tannersville

campcatskill.co

518-303-6050

HIKE FOR THE CATSKILLS

AUGUST 1-31, 2023

RAISE MONEY TO HELP PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE CATSKILLS.

THIS MONTH-LONG EVENT IS MEANT FOR ALL HIKING ABILITIES. SET YOUR CAMPAIGN GOAL AND HIT THE TRAILS, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE AND AVAILABILITY.

NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER!

THE CATSKILLS

ARE THERE REALLY CATS IN THE CATSKILLS?

WHERE CAN I FIND VIEWS WITHOUT A HIKE?

WHO LEFT THESE TRACKS OUTSIDE MY TENT?!

You’ll find answers to all these questions and more in this compact guide. Created to meet a need identified by the staff and volunteers at the Catskills Visitor Center, this one-of-a-kind guide is waterproof, lightweight, and an excellent resource for both visitors and residents. Easily tucks in a jacket or backpack pocket, tackle box, or glove compartment, and makes a great gift. Explorers of all ages and experience levels will appreciate the outdoor recreation tips, regional information, and full-color illustrations for identifying local plants and wildlife. Retails for $7.95. To order, visit catskillsvisitorcenter.org.

ENDNOTE - STEWARDSHIP AND EVENTS

It’s been hard to say what has been the norm the past few years in terms of almost everything, which is why it is nice to have what feels like a more typical summer season of events, activities, and programs on tap at the Catskills Visitor Center and across the Catskills. Whether it’s our Catskill Stewards greeting tens of thousands of visitors at high-use locations in the Catskill Park or the Catskills Great Outdoor Expo celebrating our businesses and organizations that benefit from and protect our wonderful Catskill Park, it is a good feeling to look forward to all that the Catskill Center brings to the Catskills.

You’ll start seeing Stewards at the end of May at busy locations in the Park, including Peekamoose Blue Hole, Kaaterskill Falls, and along the Devil’s Path. You’ll also find our Stewards at our Platte Clove Preserve in the Town of Hunter, and at our Catskill Fire Towers during the week (Hunter Mountain and Overlook Mountain). Last year, our Stewards greeted over 47,000 visitors to the Catskills and, since the program began in 2018, our Stewards have helped more than 274,000 visitors to the Catskill Park learn about where they are visiting, how to responsibly recreate, and offer suggestions for stopping in our Catskill Park communities for shopping, dining, and lodging.

The Catskill Center’s Summer Gathering, being held this year on June 9, is the Catskill Center’s oldest event and a celebration of all things Catskills and Catskill Center. This gathering welcomes area residents and visitors from near and far. We’ll be celebrating at the Catskills Visitor Center with speakers, activities, and a bonfire!

The day after the Summer Gathering, on Saturday, June 10, we’re holding our annual Catskills Great Outdoor Expo, which celebrates all things outdoors here in the Catskills. The Expo features the best the Catskills have to offer in hiking, paddling, bicycling, and other outdoor recreation activities, along with local businesses and nonprofits to help you enjoy the great outdoors. There will be activities for all ages, food, presentations, raffle prizes, and the Catskills Great Outdoor Gear Sale.

The entire month of August brings Hike for the Catskills, which is our newest event and offers participants a way to get involved with and support the Catskill Center’s work to protect and preserve the Catskills. Individuals can set up their own campaign pages and commit to walking, hiking, and exploring the Catskills. Friends can support you in your efforts and help you raise funds to support Catskill Center programs. All hiking abilities are welcome and we’re looking forward to building upon the success of last year’s event.

Further out, the Fall Benefit will take place on Saturday, October 7. As one of the highlights of the year, this event showcases those who care for the Catskills with the presentation of the Ginsberg and Alf Evers Awards. It’s also an opportunity to enjoy a fall evening Catskills style while celebrating and supporting 54 years of the Catskill Center.

There will also be many smaller events and activities throughout the summer, including volunteer opportunities with our invasive species program, regular programming at the Catskills Visitor Center, special members-only events highlighting unique places in the Catskills and much, much more.

There are some changes coming to Catskills magazine, too. You may have already noticed this is the Summer issue and, later this year, you’ll be receiving our Winter issue. We’re reducing the number of printed issues to help cut down on paper and mailing costs, and to reduce our use of paper overall as we work to become as environmentally sustainable as possible, while ensuring we still meet our mission to inspire and educate everyone about the importance of the Catskills.

JEFF SENTERMAN Catskill Center Executive Director